Gissibl Family

Summer Fun!

2011-07-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

We are loving summer time! One of Abe's favorite activities is swimming at the pool :) I'll write more later, just had to update quickly so they wouldn't deactivate my account.... :)

Summer Fun....

2010-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, so much has happened in our lives since my last post. Let's see where to start...
The school year ended and both the kids did very well in their classes. Kodi was especially bummed to say goodbye to his friends. This is the first summer where he has said he misses school (not because of the studying but because of his friends :D). This summer Kodi, Eden, and Abram are all participating in the summer reading program at our local library. We all enjoy taking trips to the library and Kodi is getting better and better with using the computer search system. Abram is not so into reading yet, but he does enjoy paging through books at his own free will (he will listen to me read a page or two here and there and on a good day will sit through the same book twice --- when he's into it he loves repetition).

Right after school got out Matt, the kids and I all boarded an airplane and flew down to Florida for a week in Kissimee (Orlando area). We spent the week with Grandma and Grandpa Jorgenson (Thanks again for the wonderful accommodations) and then my sister, Sarah, her hubby Ed, and their son Morse came and joined us all on Tuesday. Here's a recap of our trip....
Saturday: Magic Kingdom bright and early -- we had a blast in Tomorrow Land and Frontier Land. The heat hit us hard and we were all exhausted by 3pm. We took a swim and napped back at our hotel before heading back to Magic Kingdom for more rides and fireworks. It was a magical day for us all! I was worried that Abram wouldn't enjoy the fireworks but he was ooohing and aaahhing with each explosion. Eden and Abram both also enjoyed the Small World ride (my favorite memory of Disney from when I was a little girl).

Sunday: Hollywood Studios here we come! We got a late start today (as we wanted to sleep in and relax). Studios were especially crowded since it was the final Star Wars weekend celebration. Grandma Nancy and Kodi were both a bit disappointed in the Star Wars stuff at the park, but we still had fun. Kodi, Eden, Grandpa Jim, and Matt all enjoyed the Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller coaster while Grandma Nancy, Abe, and I went to see the Fantasmic show. It was another wonderful day!

Monday: The 7 of us got into the Pilot for a nice drive to Cocoa Beach for some fun by the ocean. Kodi unfortunately got fried while playing in the ocean...I think he only came in for a quick bite to eat and to reapply sunscreen -- but he had so much fun! Eden had fun getting buried in the sand and of course Abe enjoyed it all. We actually saw a sand crab run right by us on the beach. I got some pics of it for our family scrapbook. Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jim both enjoyed a dip in the ocean and a nap on the beach. We all had a wonderful dinner at a local niche in Cape Canaviral - though I am blanking on the name at the moment. Sarah, Ed, and Morse arrived late this evening.

Tuesday: All 10 of us were here now (we were all sad that Angie and Marvin weren't able to join us on this trip, but hopefully the 12 of us can spend a vacation together sometime in the future)...Today we enjoyed our resort - swam in the pools, the kids had fun on the gigantic slip and slide outside of our room, played some mini-golf and then toured down town Disney.

Wednesday: Back to Magic Kingdom for a whole day of fun! Eden, Sarah, Ed, Morse, Grandpa Jim, and I lasted the whole day and we had so much fun! Ed and I got stuck on Splash Mountain and had the privilege of going on a special backstage tour (as I call it --- fancy way of saying we had to walk off the ride since it stopped working) -- good memories none the less.

Thursday: Epcot -- lots of rain today. Grandma, Grandpa, Eden, Sarah, Ed, and Morse lasted through the rain while Matt, Kodi, Abe, and I bailed in lieu of relaxing back at our hotel.

Friday: so sad to go home...wish we could stay longer. Matt, Kodi, and Eden went back to Hollywood Studios to ride some more rides this morning before we boarded the plane to head back to Wisconsin.

We had a wonderful week and Eden and I are already scheming for when we can go back to Disney World again! Maybe in a few years once Abe is a little older and more independent :D

After getting back to Wisco we spent about a week and a half at home before we headed out for our 4th of July ramp around Wisco-Minnesota. We spent a few days with a good friend Tim Swift up in Seeley where we had a bonfire, shot off some fireworks, swam in Lake Silvernail, Matt did a little riding and Eden and I did a little shopping at our favorite little shop "Firefly" -- I strongly recommend it if you are ever in the Hayward area :). From Seeley we headed over to Independence, MN to spend the weekend at Sarah and Ed's place were Kodi learned to water ski and the rest of us enjoyed fun water sports. Eden built up her indepence and conquored her fear of the tube and by the end of the weekend she was flying off the tube laughing. Abe got over his frustration of his life jacket and was eager to drive the boat :D.

Our drive home was the best -- we hit Madison around 9:30pm where we were able to catch about 12 different sets of fireworks as we cruised along the freeway. It was a late night but seeing all those fireworks made it well worth it :).

This past Monday, Tosa shot off their "4th of July" fireworks and Matt and I enjoyed watching them from our futon upstairs -- perfect view with no mosquitos :D.

Abram is now 17 months old and is keeping us busy. His new favorite word is "up". He has skinned knees from all the fun he has outside. Thankfully no sun burns for him yet. We have already gone through almost 3 bottles of sunscreen so far this summer :)

I love the summer heat, sunshine, and water. Looking forward to 2 more wonderful months! If you are ever in the area, drop by and check out our graden :) Matt and I are very proud of all the growth we have this year. WE have so much salad it's coming out of our ears! LOVE IT!

Enjoy the sun and remember to wear sunscreen :)

2010-03-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

My parents spent the past 5 days with us here in Tosa, we were all sad to see them go today. It was a very nice and relaxing visit. I was excited to not have to work everyday they were here so I too got some quality time with my folks.

Kodi is all done with wrestling (has been for about 2 weeks) - he ended up finishing first in his weight class/jv in our conference - so that was exciting! He is loving junior high and looking forward to summer and for our mountain bike racing season to start.

Yesterday we went to Dave and Busters with Matt's brother, Mike and his family. The kids all had a blast running around the arcade and playing games. We then came home where Matt made some delicious homemade pizzas!

Abram is doing well and continues to flourish! He loves playing outside and wants to spend most of his day out there! He is now starting to say "hi" more frequently along with mama and dada and he also has learned a few more signs - "dog" being the one he used lots today.

That's about all that is going on here in the Gizzy household. I'll try to write more later :)

3 months till DISNEY!

2010-03-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

We are getting excited for our family trip to Disney World! So far, Matt, the kids, Sarah, Ed, their baby, my parents and I are going. As of right now it looks like Ang and Marv aren't able to come, but we will have to do something else together this summer. Last night, I started looking into everything at Disney and it is amazing how much there is to do there! Yikes! We have to get planning to make sure we make the most of our trip :). Matt and I both know that this trip is for the kids and so we want to make it the best trip for them ever!

We are all eager for spring! Abe loves going to the park and swinging and going down the slides. Oh, summer is going to be SO MUCH FUN THIS YEAR! I can't wait to be able to start my garden and move my porch furniture back outside.

I hope all is well for everyone! Thanks for following our blog...I'm going to try and start updating it more frequently!

2010-02-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hello,
l3999999999999999999999999999999kkkkkk[0 h (this is Abram typing)
i7yo cktttckcx (I want to let you all know that I am a busy boy)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx7yy77jkm, (I love to read, type, and play with balls)
'd9gv guiytbdsdyuiytrdrtyuihyg ';lbf n (I am crying on the floor now as mom said I have to stop typing, I wish I could just have my way all the time!).

Well today is February 28, the last day of the month. Matt and I are sitting here watching the Olympics and procrastinating going to the grocery store. Right now US vs Canada Men's Hockey is on and we just tied the game 2-2. OT it is...looks like the grocery store will have to wait until another day.

Abram is a busy little guy. He loves to play with balls and giggles with glee whenever someone catches the ball he "throws". Right now he is trying to climb up and type some more. I guess he has lots to say :)

Abe had his first birthday back on February 5. I can't believe how quickly his first year has passed! So much has changed as he has continued to develop. I can fondly remember back to the days with little sleep. Man is it ever nice to get a good nights sleep. Abram is now consistently sleeping from 7(ish) until 6(ish). So as long as Matt and I get our booties into bed at a decent hour we get a good nights sleep.

Kodi's 1st wrestling season at Longfellow is almost over and he had a pretty good year. He was on the JV team but won about half of his matches. Soccer just started up for him last week (so he had 2 weeks of duo sports - thankfully soccer is only 1 day a week until spring). Soon enough our chaotic Wednesday's will return with both Kodi and Eden having soccer practice.

Matt's still looking for work and I am still working away. Life is good for us here in Wisco. We couldn't ask for any more blessings (aside from a job for Matty).

2010-01-10T18:00:00.001-08:00

I was just reading up on my fellow blogger websites and I feel so bad we haven't updated our family blog since November! I apologize for our lack of updates. Life has been good for us Gissibl's, though we are keeping uberly busy!!!!

This weekend, Kodi (6th grade) had back to back wrestling invitationals. He wrestled his heart out and did a great job! Today, he took home a 3rd place trophy. Friday night was ACAL at Longfellow Middle School -- which is essentially a two hour party at the school for all the 6th graders - he had an absolute blast! It has been a lot of fun watching Kodi grow and change as he has adapted to middle school. We have had a few challenging days as he has tested the waters (as all kids do), but over all Kodi is maturing into a fine, respectful young man.

Eden had her first day of swim lessons on Saturday morning (Kodi missed his lesson because of his wrestling match). Saturday, Eden and I hung out around the house (with Abram). We played with her American dolls, braided hair, watched a movie, and just enjoyed some (step) mommy and daughter time. It was very rejuvenating for both of us.

Matt is still keeping busy looking for a job. He has been able to find a few projects keeping him busy at home - 1 . Plowing, 2. working on the 2010 Wisconsin Bicycle Ride Guide -- where he is selling advertisements to various businesses throughout Wisconsin. Hopefully if the Ride Guide goes over well, maybe it could lead to a permanent job??? (say a little prayer for him)

I find it hard to believe that my little Abe is now 11 months old! He is growing so old so quickly! I can't believe how fast time has passed! He is such a wonderfully, happy little guy who loves exploring his surroundings! He is now walking at a fast pace...he can walk to a location faster than he can crawl now. This weekend he has been busy banging metal bowls and measuring cups. Next time I need to use a measuring cup, I will have to search the living room for it! (Haha -- our busy boy moves our Tupperware and the few pots/pans we let him play with all around the house).

Let's see, what's new with me. I am really enjoying the new off-shoot of my position at the hospital, where I am coordinating the critical care float pool orientation. It has been fun adapting to my new office hours and all the scheduling, unit growth, and fun/stress that has come along with this new role. Kristi (my acute care counterpart) and myself have grown a lot these last few months and truly enjoying our new roles. I am now working between 30-40 plus hours each week. Which has proven to be a personal struggle for myself with balancing my home sanity with my work sanity. Basically I am trying to work lots one week and then take it easy the following week so I can be home with the family more.

Well the fam is waiting to play Sorry for me, so I gotta run.
We will post pics soon :)
Beth

While Mom's Away, The Boys Will Play

2009-11-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hello All, It's me Matt (Beth's personal assistant) and I have been asked to post something new to the blog, and I am happy to do this. Let's see where to start, I have so much to say. First let me post this picture of Abram James. He was trying to help me wash the dishes, and I think he wanted to see how good our dish washer worked, as you see he was getting up and going inside. Looks like Dad is going to have to have a talk to the boy, and inform if he wants to take a bath or shower you have to do this in the Tub:)

Well let's see Beth is gone for the weekend, so it's just AJ&me this weekend. We just went shopping for X-mas, we got a gift for Eden. There are some really good deals right now, I think retailers are feeling the pinch, and desperate for business. But I would recommend you wait if you can until after X-mas, when you will find the SUPER deals.

If I had to guess, I would think AJ will be walking in the next 2 weeks. He is getting very comfortable standing on his own, but is still not comfident enough to walk anymore than 2-3 steps on his own. I am in no hurry, but it is fun to walk him grow. Beth is also enjoying this process, but she would say "Abram is growing up to fast".

Finally, I am looking for work, I am looking for my calling or next career. In the mean time I am finding work, mostly painting for my brothers, and some other guys I know that own painting companies. If I were just after the $$ I would start my own painting business, as I see these guys can make some real $$, but I am after something that will keep me content for years to come. I am not getting any younger, so I holding out until I find something better. Wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers, along with those others whom are down on there luck.

I wish you all a great weekend, and GOD's GRACE to you all.

HAPPY THANKS GIVING, The Gissibl's!!!!

2009-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Well one month has gone by and we are doing pretty good. Matt is keeping busy networking and paints for his brothers business when Abe isn't keeping him busy. Abram is growing so fast! He is getting closer each day to walking. He now can consistently take about 4 steps on his own, walking from one person to another (it is our family's favorite thing to do in the evening). Abram especially loves walking to Eden. I find it so hard to believe that Abram is already 9 1/2 months old! They grow up so fast!!!!

I'm off for a weekend of scrapbooking with my good friends Kim and Anna. I'll post some updated pics when I get home.

:) Beth

Change

2009-10-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Change...Friday marked a day of change for us in the Gissibl household. As I was updating our blog and working on uploading our photos from this past year to the Walgreens website, Matt comes home from work. I asked him why he was home, as it was only 10am. That was when I found out he had gotten laid off from his job.

Change...so now he is back on the job market and I'll be increasing my hours to full time at the hospital. We will be making cutbacks in our lives, but at least we have been living within our means and have been preparing our emergency fund for such a day as this. (I'm so glad we didn't listen to me and use part of our fund to pay off a part of Matt's car loan...).

Change....we know we will be alright and that God is watching over us. Everything happens for a reason and God will never give you more than you can handle. Maybe this change happened to help us grow closer as a family or maybe it's to help us re-prioritize our priorities? Only time will tell.

Fall photos

2009-10-16T07:27:00.001-07:00

burrr...we love when the weather gets crisp....bundling up in cozy jamies is always fun!

Eden and Abram in their footie pajamas!

"I'm such a big boy"

Kodi and Matt posing for a photo opp before Kodi's soccer game...sorry I forgot to bring my camera to the game...

More family photos...

2009-10-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

The head table at Kim's wedding

Sorry the picture is sort of blurry...

Anna, Eden, and Alison at Kim and Jeremy's wedding

Kodi looking handsome at Kim's wedding on October 3!

Abe with his lovely

"Get me outta here!" :)

Like father, like son

August camping on our land

2009-10-16T07:03:00.001-07:00

Back in August, we spent a night at our land in Ithaca, WI. We borrowed Matt's brother's camper and cooked out over a fire. We all had a blast! This was Abram's second camping trip and our first family overnight on our land! We all had so much fun. We waded in our creek - Abram loved swimming and Kodi and Eden both enjoyed the wading also! So many wonderful family memories!
Eden appreciating the beautiful view from our neighbor's hill

Mommy and Abe relaxing in the morning.

An early morning view...isn't the fog beautiful!

Yummy...nothing beats grilling outdoors!

A view of our land from up on our neighbors hill - you can see our pole shed and barn in the photo. We own everything up to the road.

Here is a pic of the kids sitting on our fence as the sun was setting

I love fall!

2009-10-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Eden and Lilly sang at churh last Sunday with the new creation choir

We were in Madison last weekend for a wedding and Abram was completely mesmerized by this street performer!

Nice job on the hedges Kodi and Nicholas

Say "cheese" Eden and Alex

Abram helping with the pumpkin lights

There is something so beautiful about fall. I actually love all the season changes as each season has a special meaning to me. When I think of fall, I think of cuddling down with my family, bundling up in jeans and sweaters and playing in the leaves, bonfires, carving pumpkins, decorating the house for Halloween, and of course helping the kids get dressed up for Halloween!

This year we are having another block party with pizza and a bonfire. We did this for the first time last year and it was a hit for everyone. It is fun to pull chairs out front and put a bunch of pizzas on tables and just hang out before trick or treating. This weekend, Kodi, Eden, and I are going to make a skull pinata. Last week, the kids and their friends decorated the front of our house with plastic spiders and spider webs and we hung our pumpkin lights up. I love spending that time with the kids outside as they get a kick out of decorating the house. It is so much fun!

This weekend we are hoping to squeeze in a little time at a pumpkin patch to pick out our carving pumpkins (we will most likely do this on Saturday). Both Kodi and Eden have soccer games on Saturday and Sunday (they both are enjoying the fall season of soccer, two more weeks then they will be done until spring with soccer). Tonight we will be heading down to Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee for a fish fry and a fun night of polka dancing. The kids are all super excited! I am hoping it won't be too loud for Abram.

Abram is now 8 1/4 months old and is keeping us super busy! He has officially started cruising! He cruised along the couch and futon this morning!! I can't believe how fast my baby has grown! Time sure does fly...

That's all for now...take some time to cuddle with someone you love and go for a walk and appreciate all the beauty God has filled our glorious Earth with...take in the beautiful fall colors and the crunching of the leaves below your feet!

2009-10-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is hard to believe that it is October 1 today! Time sure does fly by. This has been a very busy month for us in the Gissibl household. Matt was gone 1/2 the month for work travel and we are hoping that he will be home most of October. Fall is always a busy time for him and his work. We both feel like we have been flying by the seat of our pants just trying to function to stay afloat. Hopefully more time will come our way in the next few weeks.

One of Matt's distributors, Rob from South Africa, has been staying with us this week. It was been a blessing to get to know him. I only wish Kodi and Eden would have been able to visit with him more (he is here until Sunday, but we are heading to MN today). Right now I am procrastinating packing us all up for MN. So far I have the kids and my wedding clothes ready (my dear friend Kim is getting married on Saturday). Abe is napping right now and the kids are both at school.

Kim is getting married on Saturday in Minneapolis and we are all so very excited! I have known Kim for about 20 years and our friendship has only grown with time! She is the sweetest, most genuine, caring woman I know. I don't think Kim has an evil bone in her body. It is truly an honor to stand up beside her.

Kodi and Eden are both playing soccer this fall and are having fun with it. No games for Eden this weekend but Kodi has one on Sunday (which we will be waking up super early to drive home for the game). Both the kids soccer skills are growing and most importantly they are both having fun with their teammates this year.

Abram is almost 8 months old and I can't believe how quickly time has flown! I'll post pics next week of us at Kim's wedding (Kodi and Abram have matching outfits :D...so darling!).

Take care and have a great weekend!
Beth

2009-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Grandma Nancy and Abram enjoying their dinner after we had a wonderful week with Grandma Nancy visiting from MN. We canned 96 quarts of tomatoes, did a little shopping, and enjoyed some much needed quality time with each other!

Abe enjoying some zuchinni as we were canning.

2009-09-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Grandma Nancy cooking the tomatoes on the stove...we ended up with about 5 pots of tomatoes for soup and sauce!

2009-09-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

Canning tomatoes 2009 with my mom and our neighbor Irene...we had tomatoes coming out of our ears!

Abe loves to play with the pots and pans in the kitchen :)

Daddy with a very sleepy Abram after my cousin Martha's wedding (August 09).

Kodi and his friends (Alton and Sam) at 6th grade orientation

Eden and her 3rd grade teacher Ms. Murphy

The girls in Chicago for Kim's bachelorette party (from Left to Right, me, Anna , Sarah (my sister), Kim, and Alison. (all are friends from high school). We just finished doing Pilate's in the park.

Abe and his toy basket :) He loves to pull toys out and play with them.

Breakfast with the girls (college roommates, the two Megans and their babies, Sophia and Will)

Fall is here!

2009-09-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time sure does fly by quickly! It is hard to believe that September is already half way over!!! What's new in the Gissibl household....

September is always a busy travel month for Matt...at the beginning of the month he spent a week in Germany for the Eurobike show. Then next week he heads down to Vegas for the Interbike show. It sounds like his traveling requirements are going to pick up this year as they are seeking to increase business. Matt has been enjoying riding his bike (as usual) and had a pretty killer race today (he actually took out a tree...), he is sitting next to me on the couch recovering. 5 hours after the race, he is finally feeling a bit better. :) This weekend we have our annual Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival bike race up in Hayward, WI. Matt has his preferred start this year, so hopefully this race will be promising.

Kodi is now in 6th grade and has had a decent start to the school year. The homework load is starting to increase, which makes for some long evenings of studying. Kodi has had a great attitude about it so far and has really applied himself. Hopefully he will have a successful first year. I was personally surprised with his vocab words -- Matt and I had to look up a few in the dictionary to make sure they were spelled correctly (superintendent, demagnetize...). Soccer has kicked into full gear and he had his first tournament this weekend. They didn't win any games (but they were playing level A and B teams and Kodi's team is a C team), but they all played very well. I caught the last half of his game today and saw his team score 2 points -- bonus!

Eden is now in 3rd grade and is loving her teacher, Ms. Murphy. 3rd grade marks a big transition for the kids in Tosa. It is the year where the parents are expected to begin helping less and the kids are now responsibile for so much more. It will be fun to watch Eden grow as she makes this tranisiton. Matt is coaching E's team this year and their practices have begun. Her first game is this weekend. We shall see how they do this year as a team.

Abram is a moving and a shaking now. A busy little body that keeps his mama a running! He is now crawling like made and is pulling himself up to a stand with ease. He likes to walk when we are holding his hands but he has made no attempts (thank goodness...it's too soon!) to do so on his own. He is 7 months old already and I am just shocked at how quickly time passes! This next weekend, Abe will be in MN with his grandparents (my family) while Matt and I are at our bike race in Hayward.

Let's see, that leaves me..not much new in the life of Beth. Abram has been keeping me pretty busy, that is when I am not at work. I have the house childproofing almost finished...Abe loves to play with the pots and pans in the kitchen. I am looking forward to a weekend up north with Matt this weekend. Abe has been getting better with sleeping through the night...though he still occassionally wakes up crying around 2am. Last night he didn't, so I am praying that tonight he will sleep through the night.

Well, it's time for me to hit the hay...tomorrow is another day :)
Thanks for reading up on us Gissibls'

Mommy's first weekend away from the family...

2009-08-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

That's right, tomorrow late morning, I will be heading out of town for the weekend for a surprise bachelorette party for my dear friend Kim....as far as she knows right now we are going to an Amish farm (wink, wink). The 5 of us are all super excited to relax with one another, site see, and of course go out dancing! I am hoping I will do well being away from Abram for the weekend. Poor daddy is feeling a bit under the weather, so hopefully he will fair up nicely with all 3 kids :).

Next Wednesday, Kodi has his orientation to junior high. He is so excited to ride his bike to school and to be in middle school. Wow, it is sad how fast they grow up! Hopefully he will still have time for Matt and I this year :).

Soccer practice is also almost ready to begin (Kodi started this past Saturday and Eden starts the first week of school). Matt is coaching E's team and Kodi is playing on the Tosa Select C team.

Let's see,...what else is new here in the wonderful world of Gissibls. Abram is now sitting on his own, he loves eating his veggies (so far we haven't found one he doesn't like), and he is also as happy as ever! This morning the two of us went to baby yoga at Destination Maternity and we had a blast! We have not been able to go since June (as Kodi and Eden are normally at our house on Thursdays, but they are on vacation with mommy this week), it was a little more of a challenge this week as Abe is much more mobile then he was in the past. He has a nice starter crawl going and if he sees something he really wants, he can find it :).

This afternoon, Abe and I are heading to the mall to get his 6 month pics done. I'm praying he will be happy after his nap :)

I hope all is well for all of you! Thanks for checking in on us!
Beth

Hot Hot Hot

2009-08-09T15:09:00.001-07:00

It was a hot and steamy weekend here in Tosa. Today, Matt, Kodi, and Eden went on our annual church bike ride (which Matt organizes). Unfortunately with the hot, humid weather, it was too warm for Abram outside, so the two of us stayed home. Lucky for me took a nice long afternoon nap allowing me to clean our house :). We are all tired here tonight and we will most likely play a board game or watch a movie after dinner.

It felt really good to have a weekend at home...it isn't very often that we are around Tosa all weekend and it was especially nice to not have any "running around" to do. On Saturday, I worked, and Matt took the kids to the State Fair. Then we had ice cream cones at Nana's house later Saturday night. Friday, Matt had a half day of work, so did some yard work and then played UNO.

Let's see...we are starting to think about going back to school. Kodi is super excited to start 6th grade and is even more excited to ride his bike to Longfellow Middle School. Eden is slowly warming up to the idea of school starting again, this past week she found out she will have Mrs. Murphy (who is one of the wonderful 3rd grade teachers, who is super cool -- Kodi had her a few years ago). Even better yet, Eden's best friend Lilly is in her class. It is of note that Lilly hasn't been in Eden's class since junior Kindergarten. So the girls are very excited for that. Only about 3 more weeks until school starts.

Not much else is going on in the Gissibl family right now. Abe is getting bigger everyday. He had his 6 month check up last week and is now close to 28 inches long and is 17 1/2 pounds. Tonight we are going to start him on sweet potatoes, which I am sure he will love :).

Have a great week everyone!

July 28 already? Time flies when you are having fun!

2009-07-28T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
Our apologies for not updating the blog much this month. Lots of changes, vacation, and fun times have filled our house this summer. Matt has the luxury of taking a 6 week leave from work this summer and unfortunately had to return to work yesterday. He was pretty tired last night after working a full day in the office. It was very nice having him around the house this summer and the kids and I will miss that.

When I came home from work yesterday evening, Matt informed me that Abe is sprouting his first teeth! YEAH! Another milestone :). His lower two front teeth are just starting to poke out from his gum. Abe also is a busy bee exploring all his surroundings. He is beginning to scoot (usually when he wants a toy or when no one is looking) and is actively rolling. Matt also noted that Abram is starting to pull himself up to the crawl position, though he doesn't last here long. Soon enough we will be chasing Abram around the house. Time to get serious about baby proofing! (So far the living room is in check).

Early in July, Matt, the kids and I took a week long vacation together as I playfully call "Family Fun Week 2009". Our vacation started out with the long drive up to Hayward, WI where we stayed with one of our dear friends, Tim Swift, for a few nights. Tim has a wonderful little "house" cabin in the woods. We love his quiet retreat. Kodi especially loves hiking with Tim's dogs and helping them hunt for chippy's and mice. Eden and I spent an afternoon together to go to my favorite jewelry shops (Firefly).

One night we also embarked on a camping trip at a National Park campsite. It was on this peninsula with the Namakogan River flowing around us. It was truly a beautiful site. Abram and I dropped Matt, Kodi, and Eden off 4 miles up the river so they could kayak and tube to our campsite. What Matt thought would be a less than an hour trip turned into a three hour tour for them...their river trip had its ups and downs but left the three of them with many smiles and memories to laugh about. While they were tubing, I took little Abe swimming and he had a blast kicking around in his little innertube in the water. Kodi and Eden both love camping and after our one night adventure, I think I can prematurely say that Abe will love camping also.

After our 5 days up in Hayward we packed the car up and headed to Minnesota 2 days with my family. Our motive for this trip was to have a surprise birthday party for Grandma Nancy on Saturday, July 11. She was surprised and really enjoyed the party. Kodi, Eden, and Abe helped me to distract Grandma with a trip to the Mall of America. In addition to the party, the kids all enjoyed swimming in Angie and Marvins pool.

Our family fun week 2009 concluded with our second annual block party back here in Tosa. All our neighbors gathered outside for a fun day filled with relays, water games, basketball, good food, and fellowship.

Abe is sitting here next to me on all fours rocking back and forth. I am so excited for him to begin crawling. I have to get him down for a nap. I'll try to write more before summer is over and I"ll upload pics later.

Take care!
B

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Abe's play group friends :)

Daddy with Abe in his kelty backpack

Fun at the parade!

We hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July weekends! It was just Matt, Abe, and myself this weekend as Kodi and Eden were at their mom's house. Saturday morning we met up with the Gissibl Clan at the Wauwatosa 4th of July parade. Matt and I parked at Starbucks, picked up a couple of beverages and enjoyed a nice walk over to the parade site where we had breakfast with Matt's family (thanks Nana for the yummy treats!). Abram was very tired for the parade (as he was up most of the night, who knows why, maybe teething???). But even though he was tired he still had fun watching the firetrucks and everything else going on.

Tomorrow morning we are heading out for our family vacation. We will be starting our week off up in Hayward at Swiftys house where we are excited to enjoy the great outdoors. If the weather cooperates we will hopefully be camping for one night (which Kodi and Eden are both super excited for!). We all love the peaceful atmosphere of Hayward and are looking forward to just enjoying time together as a family.

Our week will be finished up in Minnesota where we will spend a night with Grandma and Grandpa (and of course see the kids' aunties and uncles). Then next Sunday we are having our second annual block party.

It will be a busy end to our family vacation but it will be a fun one :).

Love you!
B

2009-06-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Have you had your Abe, today?
An Abe a day keeps the doctor away!

2009-06-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

The four Gizzy's relaxing on the floor after a fun filled weekend! Happy father's day daddy! We love you! :)

Eden and Kodi were playing sharks in the water and shark-man Kodi caught fishy Eden.

Mommy buried Abram in the sand at the beach on Father's day, he had fun playing and asa bonus, didn't eat too much sand!

Abe loves to suck his thumb :)

Eden and Kodi playing at the park :) Say cheese! (they are cute as pie!)

Kodi the mechanic is working under the hood and Eden the mechanic is busy rotating the tires of our new blue car!

Kodi working as a mechanic at Betty Brinn Children's museum.

Kodi with his 5th grade teacher, Mr. Henscher, on the last day of school (it was crazy hair day)

Eden with her teacher, Mr. Honigman on the last day of school

2009-06-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I last updated our blog. School is now out and we are all enjoying the heat of summer (and air conditioning :D). This week is the first week of Kodi and Eden's summer school sessions. Eden has chosen to take German and Science this summer and Kodi is enjoying his science and phy ed classes. Kodi was hoping to take German also, but unfortunately there were not enough 5/6 graders interested, so his class got cancelled.

Matt has been enjoying his paternity leave so far and has been working for his brother Mike, a few days a week. He is sporting a nice tan from being outside painting/power washing all day. For father's day this past Sunday, I cooked Matt, the kids, and the 3 bike racers who were crashing with us this past week (they took off today) breakfast. Then our family went to church, where Matt almost won the contest of the father with the youngest child (he was beat out by a daddy of a 9 week old). In the afternoon, the 5 of us went to Lannon Quarry for some swimming and playing on the beach. All 3 of the kids had a blast swimming (yup, Abe went swimming for the first time and he liked being in the water - though he didn't like it when the back of his head got wet). For Matt's father's day gift, the kids painted a corn hole game for him and I made the bean bags outfitted with Abe's footprints. This evening Kodi, Matt, and I all enjoyed a few rounds of corn hole before retiring inside to relax in front of the television.

I have been trying to work a bit more this week and so work has been keeping me a bit busier than normal. But work is going well and I really do enjoy what I do, so that is an added bonus. Today I went out to Johnson's Creek outlet mall with a few friends and their babies for a bit of shopping. I scored a cute summer dress at the Gap for only $8 (sweet deal!). I also picked Abram up an outfit for fall with says Daddy's All Star on it (which Matt was excited to see).

Kodi and Eden were excited to have "their best babysitter ever" Hillary Gardner today. She spent the day with Kodi and Eden while I was shopping with my friends. They liked that she played with them and took them out to lunch.

Abram is as happy as can be. Though this week he has started sleeping on his stomach but he wakes up unhappy as he hasn't quiet learned to roll back to his back yet and so he gets "trapped" and cries for someone to "rescue" him. He still enjoys playing on his Baby Einstein play mat and also in her exersaucer. I absolutely adore cuddling with him and today we spent a lot of time enjoying each others company. Sometimes I feel like I could just cuddle him and kiss him forever. I am amazed as I look back over the past 20 weeks of my life. Everything has changed so much and my life has such a different meaning now. I feel so blessed to have my little angel (and my two big angels and husband also!).

That's all for now :). I hope you all are enjoying your summer! Stay cool and wear sunscreen :)
Love,
Beth

Rolling over!

2009-06-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Abram absolutley loves his Baby Einstein exersaucer! Just yesterday he learned to spin around in it and loves pushing the sound buttons and playing with all the toys. Soon after we set it up, he would cry when we would take him out of it.

Chillin' out on the front lawn with our wonderful neighbors! Abe loves his shades and was looking cool today!

Peace out from Kodi Oscar! Isn't he just sweet as pie??? :)

Eden with her soccer teammates and friends Jayden and Lilly

Kodi dribbling the soccer ball during warm-ups before his game last Saturday

Guess who has found his feet! They are Abram's newest favorite toy!

The Jorgensons (Eden was tired of getting pics taken)

Our family with Abram's sponsors :)

The Gissibls

A special blessing for Matt and I as we set about the beautiful task of raising Abram up in Christ's love. Abe's Godparents are Sarah and Ed Magnuson and Mark Gissibl.

Pastor Chris Manke baptizing Abram James on 5/24/09.

Kodi and his buddy Kevin at their 5th grade promotion/band concert. Kodi really enjoyed playing the drums this year.

Hi All,

So I finally uploaded photos from Abe's baptism, amongst some other recent photos. A big event happened again last night! About 3 weeks ago, Abe rolled over from back to belly one time and until last night, he hadn't done it again. Then last night he rolled over 6-7 times for all of us. We were all so excited! Then tonight, Abe rolled over from back to belly and then from belly to back :) Yeah! We are on our way to being mobile!

Wow, June is already here! It is hard to believe that Abe is now 4 months old...time sure does fly!!!! Life has been sort of crazy lately, for some reason I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed lately with life...I am hoping this summer will bring some slower paced days. I have been trying to kick back and relax a bit more when I'm home with Abe, but for everyone who knows me well, this is easier said than done!

Today was Matt's last day of work until late July. We are all hoping that he will enjoy his time off (that is when he isn't painting for his brother).

One week of school and soccer left....yeah for summer!

Have a great night!

A Blessed but Busy Memorial Weekend!

2009-05-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

We had another busy family weekend at the Gissibl household...

On Thursday, Kodi Oscar had his 5th grade promotion ceremony and his final band concert (he isn't interested in playing the drums in band anymore). A number of family members gathered at our house for dinner beforehand and then we headed over to watch Kodi walk across the bridge. It is so hard to believe that he will be going to junior high next year! Wow, do they ever grow so fast!!! Kodi also celebrated his 11th birthday yesterday (Tuesday), and he enjoyed having both Matt's family and my family around for the weekend to help him celebrate.

Sunday also kept us busy as we baptized Abram James at the 11am service at St. Matthew's. He had fallen asleep during the sermon just before we headed up front, thankfully he wasn't crabby at us for waking him up, he had a cute little dazed look on his face while we were upfront. Pastor Gary Erickson said a few words as an introduction...Matt and I had already known that Abe Lincoln's birthday was only 1 week after Abram's but we learned that President Garfield's full name is James Abram -- just what Grandpa Jim calls Abram :). Then Pastor Chris Manke, who married Matt and I two years ago today...baptized Abram.

Both Matt and I are amazed at how much has happened in our lives during our first two years of marriage. We feel so blessed to have each other and 3 beautiful children! We spent the weekend reminiscing about our past and how we met....taking a walk down memory lane is always fun. For those of you who want to walk down memory lane with us...Matt and I (along with K/E) met 6 years ago this coming August at Imago Dei Village Lutheran Bible camp in Shawano, WI. We enjoyed getting to know each other during the family camp weekend and I was excited when Matt wanted to stay at camp a little longer on Sunday - so I took them down to the beach for a supervised swim. I was so thankful he gave me his business card before he left :). Though we met in August, our first date wasn't until December and it wasn't long after that when we fell for each other. Wow! Time sure does fly!!!

I'll upload photos from this weekend a little later (Abe just woke up). Have a great day everyone!
B

photos galore....

2009-05-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hanging with their cousin Keeley this past weekend :-)

Happy Mother's Day Mommy! This is Matt, Abe and I after our mothers day brunch at Saz's.

How cute is my little man?

Matt helped Abe draw me a mothers day card :) I'll cherish it forever! I started crying when I opened the card and found his drawing!

Abe's Mother's Day drawing for me

Time flies when you are having fun!

2009-05-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Sorry it's been awhile since I have last updated the blog. Wow...time sure does fly. Tomorrow Abram will be 3 and 3/4 months old! Time flies when you are having fun :). He is laying next to me on the floor right now jabbering away...he sure has lots to say, especially in the morning. He sends his love :).

Let's see, what's new in the life of us Gissibl's. Matt took the day off of work today and is currently doing "the bone'' a bike ride that starts in Milwaukee and they ride to Madison and back (a full day fete). Matt hung out with his buddies last night and then they headed out around 8 this morning from a friends pad. Thankfully the weather is beautiful and the sun is shining. We shall see this evening if he remembered his sunscreen :).

This is a big week for Kodi! He has his fifth grade promotion ceremony this Thursday. The family is all getting together here for dinner beforehand and then we are having a big family birthday party for him in the park after Abram's baptism on Sunday.

Eden is student of the week this week and has enjoyed being in the spot light. This Friday she gets to bring in a few special people to school. Both Eden and Kodi are enjoying their spring soccer season...there is only about 2 weeks left of the season.

Matt, Kodi, and I all did our first bike race of the year this past Sunday. We had a blast and we were all exhausted after our individual fetes. Kodi did a 5 mile loop, I did a 10 mile loop and Matt did a 20 mile loop. We went up to Iola on Saturday and we all pre-road and Eden did a killer job tackling the hills.

I am exhausted as it is night time now (I started writing it this morning....life sure does get busy :D). Matt's ride went well, though he was exhausted once he got home. I hope you all are enjoying this beautiful weather!

Love,Beth

The year of 10's!

2009-05-07T04:58:00.000-07:00

My 10 year high school reunion went well this weekend. It was fun catching up with people from my past. It is amazing how much some people change and how little others do. All in all, it was a fun evening. I especially enjoyed going out to dinner with Anna, Kim and Jeremy before the reunion.

Matt is approaching his 10 year anniversary at Hayes and his 20 year high school reunion...I guess you could call this the year of 10's :).

Abram flew well on the plane...a little fussy for our flight out to MN, but soon after we were in the air he was happy and smiling. I suppose it feels weird to take off and land -- tummy's flopping and ears popping. Abe slept through landing in MN and for the whole flight home. Though it was a quick trip, Abe still got to spend some quality time with his aunties, his uncle, and his grandma and grandpa.

Today, Matt and Kodi head Camp Whitcomb with the 5th grade class. It is an exciting overnight camping/nature trip. One of the highlights for the 5th graders (this and high interest day, which was on May 1). They will spend the next 30 hours hiking, fishing, learning about nature and of course the ever dreaded communal shower. Hopefully Kodi will survive :D.

Work is going well. I worked my first 12 hour shift this past Monday....it went by surprisingly fast, though I was exhausted on Tuesday and found it hard to do much other than hang out at home with Abram. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before I re-acclimate to the long hours.

I hope all is well in your world!
B

Daffodils are blooming!

2009-04-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Good morning all!
Life has been pretty nice from a sleep standpoint. Abram has slept for most of the night for about 2/3 of this past week! YEAH! Oddly enough, I am still feeling exhausted! I suppose I have a lot of catching up to do with my zzz's before the exhaustion will end for me?

Matt came home from Mexico and has been a bit under the weather (thank goodness it isn't the swine flu!), today he is feeling a bit better.

The sun is shining this morning, so I will have to get outside and enjoy it :D. Above, is a pic from Easter of Abram. I'll upload the other photos from my camera sometime this week.

This weekend, Abram will be taking his first flight when the two of us fly back to MN for my 10 year high school reunion. We lucked out and found a cheap flight, so no driving!!!! It will be a short trip, but hopefully a fun one.

Take care and have a great week!

:D Beth

2009-04-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Abram turned 11 weeks old yesterday...boy time sure does fly! Matt gets home from his work trip to Mexico today. Hopefully if we both have enough energy, we will go out for a date tonight. Abram is talking away today, he sure has a lot to say :).

He is also getting extremely interested in sucking on his thumb, he will rarely take a pacifier anymore. Sometimes he even tries to get his whole fist in his mouth and sadly will gag himself, hopefully he will learn the cause and effect of that soon!

Over spring break (Easter week), the five of us took a trip to Minnesota. We had fun at the Minnesota Zoo with Grandma and Grandpa. Kodi and Eden especially enjoyed playing with their aunties and uncles. We were all very grateful for the beautiful weather!

Abe and I will be flying to Minnesota next weekend for a night so I can attend my 10 year high school reunion. Matt will have a night at home alone with Kodi and Eden and I am sure they will all enjoy the quality time.

That's all for now!

AAahhhh Sleep!

2009-04-11T05:40:00.000-07:00

I don't want to jinx myself but we have had a stellar past two nights...Abram has slept for 6 1/2-7 hours each night. :) I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel!

Not much going on here on this beautiful Saturday. I am hoping that during one of Abe's morning naps I'll be able to get in a bit of gardening. The other day I was able to rake out my gardens and we bought our mulch yesterday, hopefully I can finish cleaning up out there, lay my mulch and set out my garden toys.

Tomorrow, I'll be dancing at church with a few of the high school liturgical dancers and then we will be heading to my brother-in-law's for lunch. Matt and I are also hoping to get out on our bikes together -- 1:1 time is always a plus!

Enjoy this beautiful Easter weekend!
B

2009-04-09T07:34:00.001-07:00

Wow, I am amazed at how lovely nap time is! Abe has been in his crib for the past 30 minutes and I am whizzing around trying to get things accomplished. Sweet simplicity!

almost 9 weeks old!

2009-04-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

We had our two month appointment yesterday. It is hard to believe that Abram will be 9 weeks old tomorrow! My time sure does fly by!!! Abe is now 24.5 inches long and weighs 13 pounds 7.5 ounces.! He has almost doubled his birth weight already!!! Putting him in the 95th percentile for height and the 90th percentile for weight! (his head circumference is in the 70th percentile).
Along with his 2 month appt, he also had to get his first shots :(....but Abe was a champ and did pretty well.

Soccer season is starting up for Kodi and Eden and they are both excited. Abe's calling me, I gotta run.

Take care!

2009-04-01T08:12:00.001-07:00

Hello all,
Well sickness has been the theme in our house this past month....Eden was sick for about 2 weeks and now Kod-man is not feeling well. Thankfully Abram has remained healthy (I think my breastmilk antibodies is helping with this).

The snow is almost gone again, and my crocus is starting to bloom. Looking forward to spring!
Abe is getting bigger every day! He is cooing and talking away, mornings after he wakes up and after a long afternoon nap are his most talkative times. (He is cooing hello as I type).

Have a great week!

Busy Busy Bees

2009-03-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well, life sure has been busy here. Kodi and Eden are busy with school projects, homework, studying for tests, etc. We are starting to think about our summer school/activity plans and we are all very eager for school to be done. The weather has been getting nicer, making us all want to be outside whenever we can. This past weekend, while I took all the kids on a long walk and to the park, Matt set up our basketball hoop (a Christmas gift from the Jorgensons). Kodi and Eden have both enjoyed shooting hoops.

Abram is still doing wonderfully and is as happy as can be. Slowly we are settling into a routine. Yesterday, Abe and I went to a stroller aerobics class at a local mall (Bayshore). He slept the whole time and I had a blast, though I woke up super sore this morning.

I hope everyone is having a great week!
B

2009-03-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Great Grandma Muller holding Abram this past Monday on a trip to the farm for a visit.

Telling stories about Grandpa Jim over lunch

4 Generations...Great Grandma Bernice, Grandma Jim, Mommy and Abram

Great Aunt Joyce holding Abram

Grandpa Jim and Abram are exhausted from the trip to the farm.

Great Auntie Susan

Great Auntie Janeen with her grandson Nate and Abram

Auntie Sarah holding Abram on our last night in MN (Tuesday).

Grandma and Grandpa

2009-03-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Abe smiling this morning after his bath. He is 6 weeks old today!!!

2009-03-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

mama and Abram at 5 weeks old

2009-03-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

My God Son Jacob holding Abram before Jake's little brother's 5th birthday party

My best friends - Kim and Anna

Gracie (my sister's dog) loved having Abram around, she would follow him everywhere in the house!

Auntie Angie reading to baby Abram.

Kodi and Daddy being silly at Eden's 8th birthday party (with the Gissibl Family)

Say cheese!

The cousins all paused for a photo opp at Josiah's 8th birthday party (Eden and Josiah are 2 days apart). Kodi, Eden, Sarah, Joshua, Micah, and Josiah.

Back to Wisco

2009-03-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

Well it sure has been a fun filled packed week for Abe and I. Last Wednesday, the two of us (along with Grandma Nancy) packed up the car and headed to Minnesota. The drive there went smoothly as Abram slept the first 3 hours and then after stopping to eat, he slept the remainder of our 2 hour drive. Let's see...what did we do while we were in MN. We had many visits with various family members and friends. Abe met all my close girlfriends in MN (the 3 Megans, Mara, Angie, Anna, and Kim); he also got a chance to meet 3 of his 5 great aunts and his Great Grandma Bernice Muller. He also got to spend more quality time hanging with Grandma and Grandpa Jorgenson and his aunties and uncles in MN.

Our drive back home went unbelievably well...Abram slept for the first 4 hours! I was super amazed as it was just him and I on the drive back. I am sure I will look back at this trip in utter awe as Abram gets older (as not all trips will go this smoothly).

Abram hit a milestone this past week - last Tuesday he really started talking to himself as he stared up at his mobile on his pack and play and then once we got to MN he made friends with the ceiling fans at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Each morning when we woke up, we would lay in my bed there and he would giggle and coo at the ceiling fan. It was truly precious! I have videos of it on my computer if anyone wants to see them :) (I can't get them to upload onto blogspot).

On Thursday, Abram started smiling at me (YEAH!). We can't wait for Daddy to get home tomorrow so Abe can show off his gummy grin!

I'll post photos as soon as I can reach my camera (Abram is napping my me right now).
God Bless!
B

2009-03-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

Well a lot has happened this past week. Abram is growing so fast! On Wednesday, I took him into work to weigh him and he already weighs 10 lbs! He is still oh so beautiful and I find myself falling more in love with him each day.

It is funny as my days last so long. Matt said it best this morning "our days and nights just blend together". I can't believe how long a week lasts now. :) But I am enjoying spending all the time with my little guy.

This weekend we had a little celebration in honor of Eden's 8th birthday. She was excited to get her new MP3 player (from Matt and I) and we uploaded a number of her favorite CDs onto it. Matt's family came over for a visit this evening to celebrate Eden's birthday and earlier today we were at Uncle Mike and Aunt Sheila's house to celebrate Josiah's 8th birthday (Eden's cousin, they are exactly 2 days apart). It was a fun family weekend,

Tomorrow, Matt leaves for his South Korea/Taiwan trip and he won't return for 2 weeks. Abram and I will miss him greatly (along with Kodi and Eden - as they will be at their mom's house while Matt is away). Abram and I will be heading to MN for a visit while Matt is away and I am looking forward to our trip, though I am curious to see how Abram will behave on our long car ride. I am excited to introduce him to the rest of my extended family and my friends.

That's all for now, I'll upload the photos from this weekend soon...but above are some photos from this past week.

:) Beth

2009-02-27T18:22:00.000-08:00

Abram and I had a better day today --- (yesterday he decided it was a cat-nap day, where I think he only took one or two 30 minute naps, which meant, no naps for mommy). Abram definitely had a lot of ground to make up today, as he spent most of the day sleeping, catching up from yesterday I suppose. Nothing is planned for us for the weekend, just a quiet weekend at home with Daddy, Abram, and myself.

I'll post more photos soon.

Getting Bigger Every Day!

2009-02-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

We have had fun hanging with Grandma Nancy this past week. On Sunday, Grandma gave little Abram his tubby (bath). I am not sure who enjoyed it more, Grandma or Abram....we are lucky that Abe likes showers and baths as much as he does (the only part he doesn't like is getting out of the water to dry off). We also went over to Nana Barb and Grandpa Jim's for lunch, and they are both always super excited to see little Abram. Daddy was out of town in Minneapolis for work over the weekend, but was warmly welcomed home on Sunday evening (unfortunately he brought back a cold with him).

Abram is growing so fast! I have already had to loosen his carseat straps. He is such an amazing little boy - changing so much each day. Today, Abram and I went to our mom's chat at the hospital - it is a nice time for me to get out and interact with other new moms. He was awake for most of it today and was happily cooing.

I hope all is going well in your worlds!

2 weeks old today!

2009-02-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

Abram sucking vigorously on his thumb for the first time :)

Auntie Sarah, Uncle Ed, and Abram all stuffed after a delicious Valentine's dinner.

Daddy, Uncle Bob and Abram posing for a photo after Bob dropped by for a visit his past Sunday.

AJ focusing on his Baby Einstein fishy mirror -- he was enthralled with it!

The McHoganstein's came for a visit to meet Abram (our neighbors)

Abram wearing Eden's dolls sunglasses

Hi All,

Sorry it's been awhile since I last updated the blog. Life sure gets busy at home with a new little one. Abram is growing and changing every day. Yesterday for the first time he saw him self in the mirror and he stayed focused on himself for about 10 minutes. It was really precious to hear him cooing at himself.

Last Friday, Kodi had his first wrestling meet and he did a wonderful job. Matt, Abram and I drove up to Cedarburg to cheer him on. Both Kodi and Eden are doing well, aside from a minor cold right now. I am hoping that Abe won't get their cold, hopefully the antibodies in my milk will be strong enough :). Kodi and Eden both still adore their little brother and it is so sweet to watch the affection they show him.

We have been blessed with a number of visitors (friends and family) that I am having trouble keeping up with photos from various visits. Let's see here....last weekend Sarah (my sister) and Ed (her husband) came to town for the weekend and had fun bonding with Abram. On Valentine's Day, Ed and Matt cooked steaks and they were the best home cooked steaks that Matt and I have ever eaten....we will now only cook our steaks at home a la Ed.

On Sunday, our brother-in-law, Uncle Bob, stopped by for a visit with little Abram. Now all the family has now met little AJ.

Then on Monday, Abram and I took a little venture out of the house to Nana Barb and Grandpa Jim's house for a little lunch date. Nana graciously made us lunch while we chatted and relaxed together.

On Tuesday, Abram and I went to a mom's chat at St. Joseph's hospital - a new mom's support group. This week we focused on playing...Abe slept the whole time, but I enjoyed getting out of the house for some socialization with other new moms.

My mom came to town yesterday evening and will be in town for the next week bonding with Abram. Matt heads to Minneapolis tomorrow for work and will be gone until Sunday. Hopefully Abram will not grow too much while he is gone :D.

I hope you all have a great week! I'll try to update again sometime soon.

:) Beth and Abram

2009-02-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

We wanted to document the price of gas so when Abram grows up, he can look back and see how "cheap" gas was when he was born.

My favorite part of the day....cuddle time!

Daddy loves playing the guitar for Abram.

Abram is spent after a marathon feeding session.

Exhausted after our walk --- still dressed up in his sweet little puppy jumpsuit (a gift from Auntie Beth and Uncle Patrick)

Daddy and Abram enjoying the sunshine as we begin our walk. Abram is all bundled up in the quilt Auntie Sarah made for him.

Hi All,
We had a beautiful day yesterday here in Wisco. The snow is quickly melting and it was refreshing to have one day of sunshine. Abram had his first doctor’s appointment yesterday and it went well. He is now 7 pounds 3 ounces and is looking great! After the appointment, we brought Abram over to school to meet the secretaries and then we took Abram for a long walk. He slept the whole walk but it was nice to get out and about for a little while.

Today, Matt and I brought Abram to school so Eden to show him off to her classmates -- her classmates all listened very well and didn't touch Abram (too many germs this time of year). Friday, Kodi will show Abe off to his class.

Kodi and Eden are both loving their little brother. It is very sweet to see the excitment on their faces when they come home from school. They are both so gentle with him.

We are all doing well here.

Have a great day!

2009-02-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Home Again!

2009-02-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday was our first big trip. Matt, Kodi and Eden came to the hospital in the afternoon to pick Abram and I up for our first car ride --- home :). We had a great evening. I went to bed early and then my family came and woke me up around 8pm for a feeding. It was really cute, Kodi and Eden picked out Abrams pj's for the night and then took turns reading books to AJ while I fed him. It was a great family bonding moment and it was too bad we couldn't capture that magical moment on film.

Abram woke up 3 times after the 8pm feeding but other than that he slept well. Today has been a great day also for Matt and I. Abram is a hungry little boy and wants to eat about every 1-2 hours. Matt has been in charge of the fire hose (diaper changes and I can't help but giggle when Abram sprays). It has been nice having Matt home today and he has been such a huge support for me. He will be home until Thursday and then he will work half days on Thursday and Friday. We are hoping that tonight his feedings will spread out a little bit more and he will continue his routine of waking up only 2-3 times during the night.

Tomorrow is our first pediatrician appointment. It is suppose to be nice out, so I am hoping we can take a family walk during the day also as I am starting to get a little stir crazy.

Take Care!
Beth

Our our angel!

2009-02-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

Today is Kodi's first communion. While all of our family and friends are at church celebrating with Kodi, Abram and I will be relaxing at the hospital. We are both very sad we can't be there to celebrate with Kodi, but someone will be videoing the communion, so we can watch it later.

We are hoping to go home later this evening (pending the docs approval). All is going very well with us. Abram is actually almost to his birth weight! (it typically takes up to 2 weeks for that to happen). My milk is in, so I'm a little sore, but he has been able to stretch out his feeds a little more now that he is more fully satisfied.

Have a great day everyone!

MORE PIX OF A.J. Gissibl

2009-02-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today was the big day!

2009-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Auntie Beth and Uncle Patrick came to visit today

Auntie Angie and Uncle Marvin made the long trek in the middle of the night to see baby Abram .

Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jim drove up with Auntie Angie and Uncle Marvin. This photo was taken when Abram was about 1 hour old.

Welcome to the world Baby Abram! Abram was born at 524am on Feburary 5 (his due date). He weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and is 21 1/4 inches long. He gave us a bit of a scare as he kept dropping his heart rate. At about 4:45am they decided we needed to have a cesearan section as he was not tolerating the labor very well anymore. Soon after they cut me open they realized why...his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times....thankfully my cervix didn't dilate any further than it did (or else that could have been double trouble). Thankfully all turned out perfectly.

I am a little sore, but I'm hanging in there. I was able to get a bit of sleep today (so did Matt). I am a little sore from the surgery. It has been fun to finally hold Abram. I love cuddling with him! I'll update the blog more as we have more visitors.

Daddy holding baby Abram soon after he was born

Meet my big brother Kodi and my big sister Eden. We are all very excited about our newest family addition.

Mommy holding baby Abram for the first time. He went to nurse within the first hour and did wonderfully!

Love you all!

Beth and Baby Abram

Our Sleepless Night

2009-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Well last night was a long one for Matt and I. My contractions started around 10:30pm and by 1am they were consistently 3-4 minutes apart and lasting 35-40 seconds...so we hoped in the car and headed to the hospital. When I arrived they attached me to the monitor but when they checked my cervix I was still dilated to 1+ centimeters. They kept me for awhile to watch and see if I would dilate more, but by 3am, we were on our way home. My contractions continued until after 5am, but then I was finally able to get some sleep. They are calling it "early labor". My uterus has been quiet today...now it's just the waiting game. I have my routine OB appointment tomorrow, so we shall see if I have dilated any more. I am hoping for a quiet night tonight... I'm off to bed!

Have a good one!
Beth

39 1/2 weeks and counting!

2009-02-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know all is going well still in Gissibl World. No baby yet, but we are patiently waiting. :) Matt and I were busy yesterday cleaning up the house. Today we are heading over the the Clark's (Matt's sister Beth and her husband Patrick) house for a chili cook-off/Super Bowl Party. Since my in-laws are both from Pennsylvania, we will be rooting for Pittsburgh. Enjoy the game everyone!
:D
Beth

39 weeks tomorrow!

2009-01-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

HI All,
We just got back from our appointment and all is still going well. The kids are getting very excited for Abram's arrival. Overall, I am still feeling pretty good. I feel so lucky to have had such a nice pregnancy (aside from a back ache here and there, but that is to be expected), though I wish Abram would drop so he would stop kicking my ribs up by my bust.

Today I've been having more braxton hicks contractions....my body is getting ready :). I am now 1 cm dilated (10 = baby time). Kodi and Eden are at our house for the next two days. It is test week for Kodi....he had his math test today, spelling tomorrow, then history and basketball tests are Friday. Eden only has her spelling test this week. I helped out in Eden's class today for free-writing and she is starting to write a story about her sleepover with Lilly. Both the kids are getting so smart and it has been fun to watch them grow as each week of school passes.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Beth

38 1/2 weeks and counting :D

2009-01-25T16:36:00.000-08:00

HI all,
Well it's been a week since I last updated the blog. Our week was a pretty full one, as we have had the luxury of having Kodi and Eden for 1 full week (Melanie was out of town on her days).
Yesterday morning, Matt and I each took one of the kids for a "special day". It was my turn with Kodi and the two of us drove down to Pleasant Prairie where we went on the Jelly Belly Bean tour, we had a pretty good time. Eden and Matt went to the mall to hang out and then rented a movie. Later that afternoon, I took Kodi and Eden to Betty Brinn Children's Museum, where they had fun playing. They don't ask to go there often, but whenever they do, I hesitate to say no, as it won't be much longer before Kodi is "too old" to play at the Childrens's Museum.

Today Eden went to a bowling birthday party and enjoyed spending time playing with her friends there. This evening, the four of us spent at church where Kodi had his first communion class. He will get to enjoy this sacrament on Sunday, February 8. We are all hoping Abram's arrival will not interfere with this special event for Kodi.

Yup, that is correct, we have chosen a name for our baby...Abram James Gissibl. Abram means, the Father of many nations and James is after my father - James LeRoy Jorgenson (and I guess we can say after my father-in-law James Rorabaugh also).

We are all very eager for Abram's arrival. Eden told me in church today that she hopes Abram waits to make his appearance until they are sleeping at our house. My response was, "well babies come when then are ready.....should I try to just sit with my legs crossed to keep him in if he tries to come when you are at mommy's house?". She liked that idea! Though I am doubtful it will work :-)

One of the questions people keep asking me is if we are ready for our little guy's arrival....we feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives - as we have everything we need for Abram. This Friday, we finished installing the carseat into my car and eventually we will do Matt's car, though we don't feel rushed to do his also.

Tonight we are kicking back and watching some TV. We hope you all have a wonderful week! We'll keep you posted out our little guy!
Much Love,
Beth, Matt, Kodi, Eden, & Abram

2009-01-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

Hi All,
Matt and I had a nice weekend. Last night we went down to the Milwaukee Ale House for a going away party for one of Matt's co-workers who is moving to Germany on Monday. We had a nice time visiting with a number of friends there and then we stayed to listen to the band U2 Zoo, a band that plays U2 music. Then today we drove up to Greenbush for some cross country skiing. Yes, that is correct, I went cross country skiing today. I only skied 1 mile, but it still was fun to get out on my ski's. Now we are going to kick back for some R&R for the rest of the evening. We will have a busy week as Melanie will be out of town on Monday and Tuesday, so we will have the kids from Monday until Sunday.

I'm feeling pretty good still. I had a rotten head ache on Friday night, which was no fun, but at least it was gone by the next morning. We are just trying to soak up these final few weeks of quite before our new little bundle of joy joins us.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
:D Beth

2009-01-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

OK, I have so much fun posting pages above, and I have so much time today, here I go again. Here are some pictures of Kodi and Eden, taking some Ice Hurricanes (at least that is what Beth calls them) that I have been making the past few weeks. They are so fun to make, I wish I could give everyone, one or two:)

Global Warming, Not!!

2009-01-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

It is I, Matt, coming to you today from the inside of the frozen midwest, home with the kids as school has been cancelled, for the 2nd time this year. Only this time it's not due to snow, but rather "Global Cooling":) If some of you could please start leaving your cars run all night, and keep a nice fire burning in your backyards, this should help warm the environment back to normal temps around here. Better yet, just use your commin sense.

As we patiently await the arrival of our new born baby, we want to keep you all in the know, with pix and words that give you a sense of just how excited we are. Here are a couple of Pix of Beth's new baby sling (or whatever the fancy name is for this apperatice), and one of us relaxing last night, before we turn in, and have sweet dreams of the babe.

I think we should have a contest, so send in your guess's to Beth, on the weight & height of the baby, and whomever is closest, get's to be our first baby sitter:) Right now we know he is about 6.5 lbs, and I forget the length, but that should be a good clue to get you started.

Ciao, Matt

2009-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
Not much new going on here. Matt and I enjoyed our date night tonight. We try to go out or at least spend most of the Mondays each week as one on one time together. Tonight I treated Matt to dinner and then we walked around the mall together. If was a very nice time....and for the most part it was a baby free night (where we didn't talk about out upcoming bundle of joy). Then we came home and enjoyed the girly Monday night tv shows that we both enjoy watching :D...it is funny how they can be addicting.

My next OB appointment is on Wednesday. So far everything is going well, a few aches and pains here and there but overall I'm feeling pretty good :). My little guy has been very active and I've been following my mom's advice and cherishing everyone moment of it.

More to come later :D
Luvya!
Beth

36 weeks tomorrow!

2009-01-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

HI All! Life is good here in Gizzy world. The kids are back in school and slowly getting back to the school routine. Today as a family we went to the OB for a final ultrasound. Last week my belly started to measure a little small so they wanted to take a peak to make sure everything was ok.

As you can see from the bottom photo, our little man was giving us the thumbs up. The top photo is a face shot. He is getting big! 6 pounds, 6 ounces and we have about 4 more weeks to go. Have a great week everyone!
Love,

Beth

35 1/2 weeks pregnant!

2009-01-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

The photo above was taken today at about 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and the one below was taken 1.5 weeks ago when I was 34 weeks. As I compare the two photos, I don't see much a difference in my belly size...my little guy is actually sitting pretty far off to the right side, so if you look down at my belly at time it is visibly off center :D. I'll have to try and catch a photo of it sometime!

Hi All,

As I sit here updating the blog, Matt is serenading our little guy and me on his guitar (he says hi also). We hope your holidays were safe and fun for everyone. Matt and I especially enjoyed a relaxing season this year. We didn't have the kids on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day so it was a little quiet around here, but we enjoyed it. It was nice to have some slow time to just enjoy our little life together before everything changes.

Kodi and Eden both had a wonderful Christmas and they went only a little vacation with Matt up North in Hayward, Wisconsin. They spent 3 days cross country skiing and hanging out with some of our friends. During that time I enjoyed having a quiet house and relaxing...something I've gotten quite good at this Christmas break :D.

Today we finished buying the final items we needed before the baby comes. All we have left to do is install the car seat based into our cars, but we figure we have a little more time before we need to do that. My body is starting to "prep" for childbirth, I starting having the braxton hicks contractions yesterday and I am sure they will continue off and on until our little guy joins us. I'll try to update the blog at least twice a month if not weekly.

This week I start the weekly OB visits. It's crazy to think that we are almost to the end of our pregnancy! We could have our little boy pretty much any time now. I've been feeling great and I will be a little sad once he is no longer inside me as I have cherished almost every day. I feel very blessed to have had such a nice and easy pregnancy, hopefully childbirth will go the same :D.

Matt and I are off to the store. Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Beth and Matt

32 Weeks and Counting!

2008-12-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

32 Weeks Pregnant!

OUR BABY'S NURSERY!

Hi All,

Sorry it's been awhile again since I last updated. Here is a recent photo of my ever-expanding in a good way body :D. I truly feel blessed at how great I have felt throughout my pregnancy. There is a part of me that is sad that it is going as fast as it has. It's hard to believe that I only have 2 months left! Time sure does fly.

We have the baby's room essentially completed, though I still need to figure out how I want to arrange the wall hangings. Kodi has drawn a very cute picture for the baby that I plan on framing. I also have a few pieces from my childhood nursery and also photos of Matt, my dad, and I when we were less than 2 years old that I plan on framing. I'll try to update again in the next week or so :D. Happy Holidays all!

This past Sunday, my wonderful sister-in-laws and mother-in-law threw me a lovely baby shower. It was very touching to have family and a few friends get together to celebrate our little bundle of joy!

Our bi-annual Christmas Pageant is taking place this Sunday at church. Danette Braun and I have been working hard with our 9 angels to choreograph 6 different pieces of music and our girls are really coming together! They have worked so hard and we are so excited to watch them perform at the 3 services this Sunday at church. If you are from around Tosa, the services are at St. Matthew's on Sunday, December 14 at 8:30am, 11am, and 4pm. Our Christmas pageant is always a special treat!

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of your week!

Love,

Beth

Getting so big!

2008-11-21T05:12:00.001-08:00

Our little man is now up to 3 lbs 4 oz. Everything looks great on the ultrsound and they are expecting him to be a good size baby, so that is good...though I tell him he can't get too big as he needs to fit out of me (ha ha).

2008-11-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

From left to right: My younger sister Sarah, me, and my older sister Angie.

The beautiful quilt Sarah made for our little man!

Who do you think will deliver first???

The diaper cake that my sister Angie and brother-in-law Marvin designed and built for us.

Kodi and Eden with Santa

28 weeks pregnant!

28 weeks and counting!

2008-11-19T19:31:00.001-08:00

It is hard to believe that I am now in my third trimester. Time is certainly flying by fast! I feel so blessed to have had such a comfortable pregnancy thus far...I can only hope that this final trimester will be as lovely as my first two were. I am going to try and update the blog more frequently now that we are in the final leg of our journey.

Our little guy has become quite a mover and shaker. His kicks and moves around quite a bit now. When my mom was pregnant with us girls, my dad would put something on her belly and watch us girls kick the object and I have found that to be a great past time also. Kodi was really cute the first time he saw the remote control move on my belly and as soon as he touched my belly the baby gave him a good tap saying "hello". He was in awe that he could feel the baby from inside me.

This past Sunday my wonderful family threw us a couples baby shower in Fridley, MN. We all had a blast at the shower. My mom and sisters all put so much thought into planning it and it was greatly appreciated by us Gissibls. Matt, Kodi, Eden, and I were all excited about all the wonderful baby gifts that our loved ones gave to us. Thank you all so much!

Tonight, we all worked together on the babies room and it is all coming together. The walls are painted, the baseboard is in place and the furniture is now in the room. All I have to do is figure out where each furniture piece will fit best, it is amazing how much smaller the room looks once you put the furniture in it (though which room doesn't look smaller with furniture in it).

Tomorrow morning, I have another ultrasound. I am getting excited to see my little man again. I'll post some updated photos after the ultrasound. Here is the most recent photo of my belly.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Much Love, Beth

2008-10-31T13:09:00.001-07:00

Well it's been a long time since I've last updated the blog, I apologize for that. My pregnancy is still progressing nicely. My last ultrasound earlier this month went well - everything looks just fine with the baby, so that is a blessing. I have really enjoyed my pregnancy thus far and really have no complaints aside from an occasional ache or being a little tired...but it's all so worth it :D. This past weekend, Matt and I started prepping the baby's room. We are hoping to get around to painting sometime this month and then we can move the furniture into his room.

The fall soccer season ended last weekend and both the kids had fun this fall. Tonight a bunch of the neighbors and us are getting together for a pizza party and bonfire before and after trick or treating. All the neighborhood kids are very excited for it all.

I'll try to post more photos soon :D
Happy Halloween!

It's a BOY :D

2008-09-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today we had our ultrasound and everything looks great. Our little babe is on target with his growth and development. There was no doubt from the ultrasound that our babe is a boy. It was fun to see our little one and how he is developing. I will have one more ultrasound next month as my placenta is a little low-lying but hopefully it will shift up (say some prayers for us :D). I've included two of the photos for your enjoyment. He is starting to get a little more active in my belly and I now feel him move daily though his kicks are not strong enough for anyone else to feel yet, but I am sure that will come soon.

God Bless!
The Gissibls

Beth's updated Belly

2008-09-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

Here is the most recent photo of my belly, this photo was from August 14 (sorry for the delay with uploading). The one aspect of pregnancy that I can't get use to is the amount of energy that this baby consumes. I have a lot more energy now than what I use to but I still am not the
"super woman" that I use to be. I guess it's natures way of preparing me for having a baby around. My mom is in town for the next week, and it will be nice having her around. On Wednesday, September 10 I will be sure to update the bog again as that is the day of our ultrasound :D. Hopefully our little Gissibl babe will cooperate and show of his or her duds so we can find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Stay tuned....

FUTURE FARMS (or NOT?)

2008-09-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hello all, it is I Matt, the underserving beneficiary of Beth's love!! I never thought I would post anything on the website, as I am just getting be a cranky old man, that enjoys what little free-time I can find. I talked to my Aunt Gretchen this weekend, and she inspired me to post some images of the Gissibl Farm.

Beth and I have been thinking and looking about investing in a future property that we can go to on the weekend. Some place with rolling hills, beautiful views, and hopfully many fun filled memories. We looked in Black River Falls, Wausau, New Glarus, but we fell in love with RICHLAND CENTER. Richland Center is west of Madison, by about 1 hour, and is the birth place of Frank Loyd Wright. It's the most beautiful place around, with many rolling hills, spring fed creeks, lot's of farming, just vast, vast unglaciated region. Anyway, we ended up purchasing about 15 acres of land, that came with a huge barn (beautifully restored) and a pole shed, with Electric, Running Well water, and for now there are 7 horses that are neighbor's (who we purchased the land) are keeping there. We hope someday to build a house out here and have you'll out.

Baby Gissibl? Will s/he looks list adorable?

2008-08-18T09:20:00.001-07:00

This could be what our baby looks like :D

(Matt is displaying a baby gift from my sister and her fiance - Sarah and Ed).

2008-08-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here Ye, Here ye...yup a long day for me today as I have been summons to jury duty. Don't be jealous, I know you all wish you were me, sitting here at the Milwaukee County Court House in uncomfortable chairs awaiting your named to be called. At least they have wireless internet here along with restrooms for those of us with babies pushing on our bladders :).

All joking aside, life for the Gissibls has been going well. This past weekend I was in Minnesota celebrating with Sarah and Ed as their wedding day approaches. Our good friend Kim threw Sarah a bridal shower on Friday night where all Sarah's girl friends gathered and then on Saturday, the Jorgenson Aunts and Uncles threw both Sarah and Ed a shower at the Wipf household. Both showers were so much fun and it is great to spend some time with Sarah and Ed (and the rest of my family) as we prepare for the big day!

Sorry it has been awhile since I last updated the blog. I figured it's about time for me to start posting photos of my ever changing belly on the blog. Here is my origional photo from early in June. I forgot to bring my camera with me to the courthouse to upload the most recent photo but I'll try to post that later this week. Our next OB appointment is this coming Friday, not much will be expected at this appointment aside from discussing when we will set up the next ultrasound appointment.

Block Party Fun

2008-07-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked Maple Terrace's first ever block party. We all had a blast hanging outside all day, it was so nice to have the road closed so the kids could play in the streets without the adults having to worry about cars darting down the street. The Wauwatosa Fire Department made a special trip over so th kids could explore the fire truck. I think this was the hit of the party. The kids also enjoyed the fathers vs. girls vs. boys scooter race, which the boys won and the frozen t-shirt contest. We were all pooped by the end of the night.

2008-07-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today we had our second prenatal visit. Not much new, we listened to the baby's heart beat on the doppler...whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. That will be one of the only things we will do at our appointments until our 20 week ultrasound. All else is going well in the Gissibl househould. This weekend we picked up a pack-n-play at a rummage along with a few used tvs for the house. Have a great week everyone!

New Family Addition!

2008-07-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I hope you are all excited about our upcoming babe as we are. Matt and I are due on February 5th and we all couldn't be happier. Kodi and Eden are already making plans for when the baby comes, they both want a little sister.

I have been a bit tired, but creating new life definitely is an exhausting task. I had my first bout of "mourning sickness" this past week as I hit week 10 of pregnancy, but I am hopeful it will only be that one day :D (a gal can hope right!).

Here is our first ultrasound photo (from week 6). At that appointment we saw our little babe's heart beating so that was definitley exciting. As you look at the photo, our little peanut is the circle on the left side of my "smiley face" uterus.

Family Fun Week

2008-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Gissibl Family Blog! B will be using this blogger site so you can better stay in touch with our family in Milwaukee.

Have fun and enjoy!

This photo was taken this winter when we had our family fun week in Wisconsin. We started the week off at the Wisconsin Dells with the Jorgenson family, where we celebrated Eden and Grandpa Jim's birthdays. From there Matt, the kids and I headed up to Wausau for some downhill skiing, movies, and more famiy fun!