Cuesta Invasion

Last week my family came for a visit! Mom, Dad, Fred and his family all camped out at Casa de Snyder for about 5 days. We had a wonderful time showing Fred and his family fun things to do here. We took them all to the Children's Discovery Museum that had three floors of just about anything you can imagine--all hands-on exhibits! Here is our nephew Andrew standing in a good 'ol John Deere tractor! The kids also had fun playing with the water exhibit.



And here are Fred and his daughter Elena trying to build a fountain out of some pvc pipe.



The afternoons and evenings left plenty of time for relaxation. Ethan really got to spend some quality time with his cousins, hanging out on the couch.



Other fun stuff: the local pool with big and little slides was a big hit. On our last day we took them to the local zoo. It is a small one, but has lots of stuff to see up close. The river otters, sea lion exhibits, and walk through rainforest are some of my favorites.



Grandpa also got to spend some quality time with Ethan...Here they are taking a walk around the block.


Hope y'all come back soon!

My American Idol Experience

Ok, it's been a while, but we have been ON THE GO! So much has happened in the past three weeks, and now it's time for catch up.

First on the docket: American Idol Auditions! I went to the Dallas, TX auditions to try my shot at fame. What an experience. I stayed for 3 and a half days in order to register early, and hopefully audition early. Close to about 13,000 people showed up at Texas Stadium on August 6th. And it was about 92 degrees in this outdoor stadium. Not fun! With my wristband and ID I got in line at about 5am, and was finally seated in the stadium by about 9:30am. We did a series of crowd shots and sang "Listen to the Music" by the Doobie Brothers for the cameras. By 10:30-ish we were done, and all we had to do was wait our turn to audition.

No, Simon, Paula and Randy were NOT there (but I already knew that). We auditioned in groups of four in front of producer people. There were about 12 tents set up, each seated with two producer "judges". You found out right then and there whether or not they were going to put you through. After nearly 12 hours of waiting in the heat, I got my chance at about 4:30 pm and I CHOKED!!! I totally cracked my high note on my chorus section. Needless to say, they didn't pass me through. UGH!!!! 12 hours, only to screw up the 10 seconds I had! It was a very anti-climactic experience!

I called my hubby and cried. Yes, I cried. I was so disappointed in my audition. Sweetheart that he is, he said that I had a bad audition, and that doesn't mean I'm a bad singer. "Trust me," he said. "I know what it's like to have a bad audition." He's a sweet heart. When I came home, he had a banner to welcome me. He then told me to try one more time in Omaha, NE.

YES! I drove to Omaha several days later. When I got back to Illinois I had about a day and a half, but set out early morning on August 9th to hit the second day of registration. A friend of ours arranged for me to stay with one of his family friends, so lodging and transportation was all set (my poor Honda Civic had an extra 900 miles put on it with this trip). I had a lot of time to think and pray on the 6.5 hour drive there. All I wanted to do was sing well, and it didn't matter whether or not they put me through to the next show. I just couldn't leave my bad audition in Dallas the way it was. I prayed for safety and God's will to be done, and for his wisdom to be revealed to me.

The audition day was great. It's so much more fun when you bring a kooky banner and anything else to grab some attention. My sign read "I'm from Normal" which isn't all that crazy, really. But the camera guys thought there was something in it, so I managed to score some camera time and shots. I also brought my knitting with me, which they thought was interesting, so hopefully I'll have some footage on the show when it airs in January (who knows, eh). In the meantime, you can see a picture of me at http://www.961thebrew.com/ Under "Brew News" click on "New! Idol Audition Photos". I'm in pic number 37.

I was smart this time around, and got in line later, so as not to stand in the heat for longer than necessary. But there wasn't much of a turn out in Omaha, somewhere about 8,000-9,000 I heard. And the venue (Qwest Center) was AIR CONDITIONED!!!! Praise God... I got in line after 6am, and was in my seat by about 8 something. With my knitting, reading, and CD's I had a fun time entertaining myself while I waited for my second chance. I also met some fun people. We were all in it together, which made for some good camaraderie.

So, did I make it? No :) But God taught me a lot. I had all day to watch the auditions before me (this was a smaller venue, so you were able to see and hear more closely as the auditions went on), and saw that the producers put through crazy people, good singers, not so good singers. But they turned away even more exceptional singers. I can't count how many times I heard an auditioner sing, and thought for sure that the judges liked it. But they had not. And sure enough, when my time came, God was merciful and enabled me to sing my very best. It was a good audition--not perfect--but good, and I got through it. And I saw where I could have done better. The girl who sang after me gave a flawless performance that got applause from those who could hear her in the stands. But again, they didn't put her through. Instead, from our foursome they put through a local band member who sang blues.

God taught me that I have some work to do as a singer. But He did so in the most loving way, that didn't at all hurt or bruise my ego. I could plainly see where I stood when compared to 10,000 people! And I was glad to know it. He showed me His wisdom in that I saw how difficult it would be to work in this "biz", and that it would be a hard life--not something for me I'm afraid. Finally, along the way, He enabled me to spend some time with family in Dallas, and friends in Omaha. And He brought me safely back home to my family. How good He is!

Precious Moments

About two weekends ago we had the Sugar Creek Arts Festival. It was a hot, sticky day to be out at a festival, but we went anyway in search of ice cream and frozen lemonade (and some art). We were happy to bump into some friends of ours while we were there, and our friend Anthony took some wonderful pictures of Ethan. Here's one of them. I love these pictures because you can see that beautiful smile and twinkle in his eye!

Starved Rock

Several days ago we had some cooler weather (and by that, I mean high of 80) and decided to take advantage of this by going hiking. Starved Rock State Park is about an hour and a half away from us, which made for a nice afternoon trip. It had been a while since we'd been there, but we were particularly eager to check out the hiking paths into the canyons and along the river. I seemed to be plagued with blurry pictures, so sorry for the fuzzy picture.

We took Ethan out of his back carrier for a while to stretch his legs. He walked right into the water! There was a little stream flowing through this canyon and it seemed Ethan was very curious about it. I had to whisk him up quickly before he could get his feet soaked.

It's so much fun now that Ethan can walk around and explore everything. He likes to toddle around and pick up sticks of all sizes. Then he throws them on the ground, only to pick them up all over again. The smallest things delight him.

Reaping the "harvest"

My father would be so ashamed of me! His green thumb I have not!

Yep, you're looking at it. One VERY small tomato plant. Actually, I was able to grow two tomatoes, but at $1.39 for the plant two months ago, these were very expensive tomatoes!

I have to admit, they started out in a pot. I didn't want to have my "garden" too far away from me, so I decided to grow them in a pot on the deck where I could quickly get to them. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea, because they hardly grew! And when I decided to try transplanting them, the fruit immediately got ripe, and that was it. Oh well, I'll try again (maybe) next spring.

BUT there is HOPE! A friend of mine gave me an extra grape tomato plant she had, and we planted that in a corner of our yard and it has been doing well. It is tall and I can already see some fruit. Maybe I'll get more than two of them, huh?

Congratulations Sarah and Elijah!

Yes, indeed, another wedding! This was the purpose of our visit to Dallas---David's niece was getting married! It was quite the unconventional bridal party, I would have to say! The theme was rather punky, with lots of red, black and white, and rock music, too. They had one of their favorite bands come and play at the reception. They're called Midnight to 12. You can check 'em out at http://www.m212.com. All of it was great fun! Ethan got to run around on the dance floor and eat crayons!

Ah....relaxation

We finally did make it down to Dallas/Fort Worth despite weather delays. We got down one day later than scheduled, but we were still lucky enough to keep our original itinerary to catch an evening flight down to South Padre Island for two nights. Ethan stayed with grandma and grandpa Snyder while mom and dad took some r&r on the beach. Oh, did we need it after all those travel delays!

It was so strange not having Ethan with us. Our first night, we went out to dinner and saw another family with a boy about Ethan's age. He did all the same things he was doing--banging on the table, grabbing things. I have to admit, I got a bit weepy and missed him so much! The next day was spent lying on a chair underneath a huge umbrella, gazing at the ocean. We were there literally there 10am-5pm (with a lunch break, of course!). It was perfect!

That evening we had a very nice dinner at the hotel next door...the Sheraton, a leisurely stroll along the strip, some Italian gelato, and another walk along the beach. And the next morning, we were off back to Dallas!

Up, up and away!

Here is Ethan on the plane sitting in a big boy chair! We were lucky enough to have an extra seat next to us. He was surprisingly good, and even took a nap on my lap during the two hour flight. And we now know why. Catching a 6:50 am flight out of an airport one hour away from us, Ethan had to be awoken at 4:30. Youch. Maybe that's why he doesn't look so happy!

The Woes of Parenthood

We are about to hop on a plane for a family vacation when I decide that it is probably a good idea to make sure that Ethan is well. Two weeks ago he had an ear infection and sore throat, and I wanted to make sure it was all cleared up. After all, his sleeping hasn't been too good. Not only that, after taking all the antibiotics he was left with a yeast infection in his "lower parts". The poor kid has been itchy for a week now, so that was another reason to have the doctor take a look.

Well, the diaper rash was indeed a yeast infection, but it is all over his bottom! I just thought it was bad diaper rash, and the front part was the yeast infection (he has had this before) And the ointment we've been using hasn't been working, so now we're using a prescription. As I was driving home from the doctor I was filled with an overwhelming sense of love for my son. I love him so much, and I can't stand when he isn't well! And such an annoying ailment, too! And right before a trip, to boot.

We have the worst luck, I think, since every time we take a trip Ethan either has a cold, an ear infection or both. Now he's got one bad case of jock itch!!!!

Under Construction

With David done with summer teaching obligations for the next few weeks, we've started those long-awaited home improvement projects. The first one is removing that old, 90's wallpaper in the front entranceway and on the living room "accent wall". Our entranceway is so very tall, since we live in a split level. Here's David testing out his balancing act while ripping off the paper.

The other projects include new kitchen counter top, sink and faucet, possibly some new paint, too. We also would like to update our guest bathroom downstairs. The kitchen stuff has been ordered (it took me a month to decide on color, material, and who to buy from), and the sink and faucet purchased. Now we're just waiting in line to have it arrive then installed!

Ethan's First (Professional) Hair Cut!

It was high time to trim the boy's tresses! Though his hair isn't TOO long, it was very wispy and made him look a bit sloppy. So, we went off to this place called "Cookie Cutters", a hair place that specializes in cutting kids' hair. Each station had its own DVD player, and each seat looked like cool ride on toys like cars, planes and trucks. We brought Ethan's favorite video and sippy cup and let them work their magic.


Ethan behaved very well, though he wasn't too happy when she brought out the clippers. That buzzing tickled his neck! But despite all that he had a pretty good time watching his video and honking the horn in the little car he was sitting in.

Father's Day

The local zoo was having a Father's Day "deal" this past Sunday. All dads had free admission to the zoo. So off we went after lunch to enjoy the petting zoo, the large "kitties" (that's what we call our zoo's leopard, tiger and bobcat), bears, otters and rain forest lemurs. Here is Ethan having his first up close and personal encounter with a goat!

Hiking in Funk's Grove

Since David and I like the outdoors, we thought buying a back pack for Ethan might be a good investment. To test out our theory, we borrowed one from a friend of ours to see if we were really up to the task of hiking with 25 lbs on our back . It was really tough! I was particularly interested in trying it out myself. I had some bruises and red marks for a couple of days after! David says he didn't feel too bad. Maybe I'm just out of shape :)

While we don't think we'll be doing any long hiking trips anytime soon, we did manage to find a used back pack at a garage sale. So at least we're ready for anything!

Meet me in St. Louis

Today is our 3 year wedding anniversary! To celebrate we took an overnight trip to St. Louis--we just got back! We had just enough time to visit the zoo, the "Jewel box" and the St. Louis Science Center. What a fantastic time...

The zoo is enormous! We only spent three hours there yesterday afternoon, but it felt like an eternity on our feet! Though rain was predicted, we only felt a drop or two. There was blazing sun both days of our visit.

And at the Science Center we saw life-sized replicas of dinosaurs. They even moved! There was tons of stuff to see, but time was running out...we had to hurry home to make bedtime for all of us :) Ethan was zonked at the end of the trip!

Our first day at the pool

Today was Ethan's first time to the local pool. I was surprised to find that he wasn't all that afraid of the shooting fountains, the running kids (and adults) or letting go of mommy in the deep end! Don't worry, we held on real tight. Here he is taking a break before heading back home for dinner.

As mommy took a break, father and son continued to explore the pool and all its delights! Oh, we are going to have SO much fun this summer! I can't wait!

Congratulations Ben and Colleen!

I love weddings. With my posse up in Chicago it's not only a joy to celebrate new stages in life, but it's also a fantastic opportunity to catch up with friends. I LOVE WEDDINGS! David and I had a little night out, thanks to Grandma Cuesta who is visiting this week. She watched Ethan while we were dining and dancing the night away. My only regret is that we had to leave! Here is the beautiful bride with her posh posse, heh heh heh.

In between the ceremony and reception we went to the local Starbucks for a treat. Gorgeous weather allowed us to lounge outside. What a funny site to see such a dressed up crowd all having coffee outside. It was great to sit and chat and hear about everything that was going on in our friends' lives since we last met. Here are Emily and Amanda. Amanda is 6 months pregnant!



The guys seemed to keep to themselves as the ladies went on and on :)

Here is a picture of Heather and me. As my husband was taking the picture, I said, "wait, this is not a good angle fo r me!" And she says, "oh well, too bad!" She made me laugh so hard as the picture was snapped :)


This was also my opportunity to finally meet my friends' new arrival, their first baby, Lauren. Liz and Jace were VERY brave new parents bringing out their 3 week old to the wedding. But they had some good help with their grandma who watched her throughout the evening.

A Pool Party Primer

For Ethan's birthday several months ago we got an inflatable baby pool that we thought we'd try out. It's got a nifty shade covering so the kiddies have some protection from the sun. We had to fill it with some warm water so Ethan wouldn't get too cold! He loved playing WITH it, but wasn't too crazy about playing IN it. Nonetheless, we're looking forward to summer fun in the sun! I think we'll have to get him some new swimming trunks, though. The poor kid has got some plumber pants thing going on here...

It's a mother's day special!!!

Very cheesy, but the timing of this discovery was something out of a PBS kids' special! David was trimming some bushes on the side of our house the other day, but he hadn't noticed this magical secret treasure inside until after. Praise God he didn't trim down any further! What you see is a cardinal's nest, just a few inches into the top of the bush. Since this picture was taken one more chick has hatched. I think I will look in from time to time to see how they're doing.

We really have been enjoying the warm weather and we think it's finally here to stay. Here's Ethan enjoying the outdoors as dad does some yard work near by.

He's walking!

Yes, the dreaded day has arrived! Well, okay not DREADED, but we are nervous about all the tumbles and falls our little one will face now that he's on two feet! We were so excited to see him stand on his own, then take one step. This was just last week! Little by little he took more and more steps, and now he can take about 15 steps before crash landing. Here is some of the footage.

Mom flyin' solo

Ethan and I flew to NY a couple of weeks ago to visit with family and to witness Andrew's first communion (my nephew, Ethan's cousin). It was a great trip, but definitely full of some challenges. For one thing, Ethan was still battling his FOURTH ear infection since December, and a virus that was keeping him at a 101.5/101 fever. Not fun!

The first few days we stayed at grandma's house in Queens. This was a great opportunity for me to meet up with some old highschool pals whom I hadn't seen since 1996. Wow...I love to hear what's up with old friends, and visiting with them is even better. I was so grateful that grandma could watch Ethan while I went to the city for all my "little reunions". The second half of the week we stayed with my brother and his family. What a fun time getting the cousins all better acquainted! Ethan really took to his older cousins Andrew and Elena! Here's a picture of them on the trampoline. The dark-haired kids are the related ones :) The fair-haired boys are their friends Alex and Mark.

our little man

About 4 pm when I start thinking about cooking dinner is usually when Ethan watches his favorite video. For a long time it was Baby Mozart (from the Baby Einstein series), but now that he's older he can watch some bigger boy videos. Right now his favorite is this Baby Genius (hmm...sounds like a knock off to me) video with nursery rhymes. It never amazes me how music and images makes kids stop dead in their tracks no matter what they're doing! The trouble is making sure they don't watch TOO MUCH of the TV!

Ethan's Birthday Video

Happy 1st Birthday Ethan!

It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed already since Ethan's birth. I find myself a bit nostalgic and weepy these days, but at the same time I am full of joy at seeing how quickly he is growing and learning new things. This past weekend the party was a lot of fun, and a bit crazy! David and I have never thrown a party like this before, so we weren't quite sure what to expect (Did we make enough food? Will we have enough room? Where are we going to put the kids?!). Everything turned out great (and yes, we had enough food) and I think everyone had a good time. On the menu: bbq pork sandwiches, pasta salad, coleslaw, chips, fruit salsa and pizza dip. And for dessert, birthday cake of course! You can go to http://ethansnyder.shutterfly.com to see more pictures of the party.

Latest Developments

Ethan has been getting really good at crawling, standing and feeding himself over the past month. He can reach really high, so once again we've had to rearrange our living room, block off certain areas by keeping doors closed and keeping an ever-vigilant eye on our curious boy. He can reach most anything that is on our coffee table, and he can even reach the tv to turn it on and off!



The fun part of taking care of him is watching him eat. He can eat lots of different table food now since he's learned to chew pretty well with the 8 teeth that he has. Turkey cuts from the deli is one of his favorites.

Blizzard of 2007

Here it is folks...10 inches of snow and 3 - 4 foot drifts! We were snowed in last Tuesday and half of Wednesday due to the unending snow! It snowed for a full day before all was said and done. During the course of Tuesday David and I looked out our window and realized that our garage was being piled up with snow. We decided to get a head start on digging so that we wouldn't have to do much work the next day. We ended up shoveling the garage and driveway THREE times!

Crawling Critters

It's official: Ethan has begun crawling! He's also kneeling and pulling himself up! Just last week after a visit from grandma and grandpa Cuesta, Ethan took his first two "knee steps" towards our cat, Eddie. Ever since then, it's been a never ending game with those two!

Other adjustments: more baby proofing of our living room, and we've removed the mobile from his crib. I went to put him down for a nap, and as I turned behind me to look at him before closing the door, he sat up, lunged forward and began reaching up into the air for those dangling things. Yep, it was time for that piece of baby gear to go! No strangling accidents here, please!
Here's Grandpa egging Ethan on to crawl...