Waveland Eliza Schupbach

Our little Diva!

2010-05-28T07:54:00.000-05:00

"Singing Another Song that I Know"

Performance by: Princess Aurora

(Translation: A song to which only Waveland knows the melody and words.)

Fun With Daddy

2010-05-24T07:52:00.001-05:00

Waveland is always busy doing something, but never too busy to have some fun with her Daddy. This is Waveland's version of breakfast in bed for Daddy.

Here, Waveland and her daddy are working their way through a suspended maze at the Children's Museum in Normal, IL.

A little dancing with Daddy!

Of course, what would be life without a trip to the park. She LOVES the swings!

Waveland is practicing 'pumping' her legs to make her swing go without being pushed.

At the Park with Edwin

2010-05-18T07:35:00.000-05:00

Waveland and Edwin made a date to meet up at the park. They had lots of fun checking out all the park equipment as there was much to explore. Here they are climbing on a tractor.

Waveland's favorite was the climbing wall. She LOVES to climb!

Edwin's favorite was the construction crew installing a new trash can. He enjoys figuring out how things work.

Here's Waveland dangling over the slide just before take-off.

Wheeeeeeee!

What a fun day at the park!

I'm going to be a BIG SISTER!

2010-05-14T07:44:00.000-05:00

While many things seem to excite Waveland these days, nothing excites her more than the fact that she is going to be a BIG SISTER! She tells everyone she meets that she is going to be a big sister and that we are going to have a 'baby brudder' soon. Here dreams will all come true in exactly one week from today. This is a picture of her baby brother taken at 28 weeks.

If you ask Waveland what she would like her baby brother's name to be, she inevitably will tell you that his name will be 'Gale.' However, she also says she will probably call him 'Alice.' We are not sure why she likes this name so much, but she has taken a liking to this name despite the fact that Mommy and Daddy have yet to tell her his real name. Waveland was asked if she would like to buy baby brother a birthday gift and below is the picture of what she chose to give him. I'm sure she would be delighted to tell you all about what she chose and why. This is supposed to be his 'coming home' outfit (plus 'binkies,' which are essential baby gear as far as Waveland is concerned).

A special request.

2010-05-13T19:44:00.003-05:00

This one is for Grandma Schupbach.

Snowmass, CO

2010-05-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, Waveland and Rochelle were able to join Jordan on a trip for work up into the mountains in Snowmass, CO. While we were there, it snowed two days straight leaving behind over a foot and half of snow. Waveland thought she was in a winter wonderland! She loved every minute of it!

Here she is trying to walk down a sidewalk that had yet to be shoveled.

Then she thought she would try to help with snow removal.

But she saved the best for last: Sledding! She and her daddy tried sledding with her shovel and then she attempted sledding on her own using a cardboard box covered with plastic. It was a blast!

Extreme Strollering

2010-05-08T08:16:00.001-05:00

While in California, Jordan and Waveland invented a new sport: Extreme Strollering.

WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! This was done by one crazy dad and his very trusting daughter. While they had a blast and no one was hurt, our stroller suffered some injuries.

California Part 5: Queen Mary and Aquarium

2010-04-20T08:03:00.000-05:00

While in Long Beach, every tourist should check out the Queen Mary. Waveland, enjoyed steering the ship. It isn't as easy as it looks.

All that steering wore her out.

Communication headquarters on the ship. Waveland was still wiped out on her daddy's shoulder.

It was pertinant for the adults to take a break on the deck of our stationary ship.

Ah yes, revived from a nap and some delicious food. Waveland is ready to head to the aquarium.

"Daddy, I finally found Nemo!"

Here, she is counting all of the baby 'nemos' and 'doreys.'

The Queen Mary and the aquarium were a big hit. Waveland had lots of fun. So did Mom, Dad, Jo and Mikey. Thanks for our California adventure, Jo and Mikey.

California Part 4: Koi and Baking

2010-04-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Mikey and Waveland are taking in the beauty of the Japanese Garden.

And it wouldn't be a Japanese Garden without Koi fish. Here, Waveland and Mikey are feeding the fish.

They literally eat food out of your hand! Maybe it's just a little creepy.

After feeding the fish with Mikey, Waveland tried her hand at making cookies with Aunt Jo. "Don't worry Mom, I washed my hands."

Mmmm....chocolate chip!

California Part 3: The Ocean

2010-04-13T08:02:00.000-05:00

It wouldn't be a trip to So Cal without a visit to the ocean.

Waveland is showing her mommy the way the waves crash against the beach.

And what is the ocean without seagulls. Waveland was much more afraid of this little guy than he was of her.

Taking a walk by the ocean definately requires a parasol to shade yourself from the sun and potential surprises from all the birds flying around.

And just a short ferry ride away...Balboa Island. Waveland loved walking along the wall next to the water.

A different view of the ocean.

"It's cold!"

"Daddy, where's Nemo?"

While on the boardwalk, Waveland also took up the sport of "shooing" the loitering pigeons. This became her favorite game! "Shoo Bird....Shoo Fly....Don't bother me!"

California Part 2: Star and Friends

2010-04-10T08:35:00.000-05:00

While in Long Beach, we visited Shoreline Village, which includes shops, food, water, and of course, every kid's dream.....amusement rides for 50 cents. Waveland lovingly named this yellow horse "Star." Here she poses for a picture before the ride began.

And....after "Star" took off!

After riding on "Star," Waveland decided to take a break just to hang out with Mikey and Jo.

Now, back to the rides. This time she is driving a purple submarine.

Of course, it's much more fun to ride a carousel with friends, even if they exceed the size limit on the rides.

What a fun day with Jo and Mikey!

California Part 1: Playing with Mikey

2010-04-07T10:18:00.001-05:00

At the end of February, Rochelle and Waveland were able to accompany Jordan on a business trip to California. While Jordan worked, Rochelle and Waveland hung out with Mikey and Joanna in Long Beach at their home.

Waveland immediately talked uncle Mikey into being her playmate. Here she is trying her hand at football.

Waveland discovered that while Mikey likes football, he loves frisbee. She of course wanted to try her hand at it too. However, it was not as easy as Uncle Mikey made it look.

Waiting for Mikey to toss it.

Trying to toss it herself.

After awhile, she seemed to have gotten the hang of it and was demonstrating some new passes for Uncle Mikey, such as this over the head, behind her back move that she liked to call the 'Waveland Special.'

After playing outside, Waveland decided to make Mikey her very own 'post-it' bulletin board. Mikey LOVED this game! What a great uncle!

Thanks for all the fun, Uncle Mikey.

Catching Up: Texas

2010-04-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

In February, we went to visit our family in Texas.

Peek-a-boo! "Mommy, come look! There is a deer outside!" Waveland rarely gets to experience wildlife other than squirrels and birds outside her door in the city, so she talked about the deer outside Onna and Papa's house for weeks. It was probably the highlight of her entire trip....well that, and being able to 'go potty' outside.

Here Waveland is spending time with her great-aunt, Penny. They had been enjoying themselves on the dance floor at her Great-great Aunt's anniversary party.

Here she is taking a break with her great-uncle Bud and her Papa. She LOVED the big red strawberries! Bud and Papa weren't nearly as excited about the strawberries as Waveland.

Back to the dance floor for a little fun with Onna! Thanks for all the fun in Texas!

Catching Up: Salida, CO

2010-03-31T08:05:00.002-05:00

In January, Jordan had to do some work in Salida, CO. Rochelle and Waveland were able to tag-along and meet up with some friends from Gunnison, CO. While there was some snow on the ground, it was beautiful enough that Waveland and Rochelle spent a great deal at the town park. There was a river near by where Waveland watched people fishing. Here, she informed Rochelle that she was "fishing." It looks more like she is 'ice fishing' without the water.

Waiting for her friends to meet her at the park.

Once her friends arrived, they enjoyed a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. Waveland was completely smitten with baby Asher and wanted to hold him continuously. She kept telling everyone that he was her baby brother. This was before she knew that she really was going to be a big sister to a little brother. (Not so sure if baby Asher was as into the idea of Waveland holding him.)

Ah, yes...the three stooges all posing for some fun pics while warming up from playing at the park.

It was so much fun to see our friends...Thanks for a great time!

Catching UP: Gingerbread Cookies for Santa

2010-03-27T08:01:00.001-05:00

Waveland wanted to make gingerbread cookies for Santa this year.....so, Rochelle prepped and rolled out the dough and got ready for some serious cookie cutting and baking with Waveland. Here, Waveland is cutting out 'Mommy, Daddy and little girl' cookies. She had to make sure there was enough of each to make families.

Of course, Waveland had to sample the first batch of cookies.

Besides sampling, Waveland's favorite part was rolling balls out of the left overs and squishing them in her hands.

The finished product...frosting and all. Hmmm...well almost the finished product.

"Hey Waveland, what happened to this 'daddy' cookie's head?"

Catching Up: Santa

2010-03-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Waveland was privileged to have Santa visit her twice during this Christmas season. Once in Colorado, which is pictured above and a second time in Illinois. The difference.....Santa only ate his cookies and drank his milk leaving behind toys and goodies to let us know that he had visited our house in Colorado.

In Illinois....well, he snuck into the house and delivered packages to the kids in person on Christmas morning. As Waveland recalls, "He snuck around the window, opened the door and came into Grampa and Gramma's house. He said...'Ho, ho, ho!' Then I asked him...'where are you going?'" She forgets what Santa said to her next, but he replied, "Back to the North Pole to feed my reindeer." Waveland's reply, "Oh, they like dog food!"

Catching Up: Christmas

2010-03-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas came a little early to our house, since we traveled to Illinois to join the Schupbach/Icenogle family to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Here, Waveland is opening her very first Christmas gift. And after much work, was excited to discover that she finally had Peppermint tea to drink! (However, after trying it later that morning, she decided she was not a fan.)

For those of you who know Waveland, you know one of her passions is shoes! So, for Christmas she received a couple of pairs. These are what she refers to as her "running" shoes. She believes that she can run super fast in these puppies and is so happy that she finally has a pair of shoes she can put on all by herself.

Pair number two: Tall brown boots like mommy's. 'We have the same....we match mommy." She immediately put these on (as she can put these on all by her 'big-girl' self) and insisted that Mommy put hers on too!

Ahh, yes and what is Christmas without a nice snuggly monster towel with a hood. She loved it!

Oh, but Mom and Dad did not forget the toys. Oh yes, Waveland can finally play doctor with a 'real' doctor set.

And here she is trying it out on Daddy.

Merry Christmas!

Catching up: Halloween

2010-03-15T21:28:00.007-05:00

Upon leaving for a trip early in the morning, Rochelle left the camera charger on top of the car as we drove away only to return home after our trip to find we had run over the charger, making it virtually impossible to retrieve images from our "dead" camera. So, we are now going to play a little game of catch-up! Beginning with Halloween.

After watching the movie Aristocats for several months, Waveland decided that she would like to be a cat for Halloween. So, we dressed her up as a 'wild' cat, hot pink boots and all! We took a little trip to 'Boo at the Zoo' and then later joined Jer, Alaina, and cousin Edwin, the carpenter at Dave and Barb White's house. We ate yummy food, gave candy to trick-o-treaters and of course enjoyed some time in the wagon!

Here, Edwin is a bit skeptical of his mischievous 'cat' cousin.

But, both are thrilled after figuring out that candy was involved in this gig!

Prince and Princess

2010-02-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

After enjoy a wonderful birthday party, Waveland and her cousin Paxton continued partying at home. Here she is all decked out in her princess attire, sitting on her tricycle chariot.

Paxton practicing to be a prince.

And of course, it isn't a party unless you are wearing heels! Paxton, be careful not to fall in those things!

Pretty as a princess!

Birthday

2010-01-25T20:02:00.000-06:00

Seeing how it has been over four months since our last post, I think we better catch up.

Here's a little two-year-old birthday magic!

"This tricycle is really cool, but why do you suppose they put tassels on the end of the handle-bars?"

Waveland loves balloons and specifically requested that she have them at her party. When asked what color she wanted, she always replied "lellow." However, the day of her party, she asked "where are the blue balloons?"

Bring on the grub!

Feeding her cousin Edwin a bite! Always willing to share her food.

Now cousin Paxton is getting in on the balloon action.

"Why did it have to rain on MY party?"

She obviously got over it when she remembered she had received a new shiny red tricycle. Thanks Grampa and Gramma!

"Hello Presents! I LOVE this birthday party stuff!"

Edwin trying out the tricycle.

And now Paxton!

What a great birthday! Thanks to everyone!

My First Boat Ride

2009-09-24T20:49:00.000-05:00

This summer, we had a visit from Rochelle's dad, Grandpa Hal. Here are the two of them, out on the Cherry Creek Reservoir.

And here's little Waveland...getting swallowed up by her life preserver!

At the same time, Aunt Jenne, Cousin Paxton, and our good friend Robin came to visit! It was Waveland's birthday weekend, and we had lots of great friends and family to help us celebrate.

Waveland and Grandpa Hal.

Robin and Rochelle...best buds.

Waveland and Paxton held hands at the front of the pontoon boat. It was Waveland's first boat ride!

Daddy had to do a little reassuring at first, but before long, she was loving it! It was a great day.

New Cubs Shirt!

2009-09-18T20:52:00.000-05:00

Check out my new Cubs shirt!!!

Oh, maybe we'll do better next year!

Bloomington

2009-09-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

Grampa and Gramma's house is so much fun! Here, Fairy Lenora and Fairy Adelia pose for a picture with their mom, Becca.

Ahhh, relaxing on the deck. Enjoying homemade asian cuisine.

The cooks: Mikey and his Mrs. Joanna. (married September 6)

Waveland absolutely loves shoes and on this trip she was able to explore the wonders of real wooden shoes worn by the Dutch.

Oh yes, she can't resist, Aunt Jo's high-heel shoes. She of course, always wears high-heals while shopping for groceries.

The fun continues when Gramma took the grandkids swimming. Here Adelia, sits watching Waveland and Lenora as they pose like pretty mermaids.

Gramma and Grampa leave nothing out...they also gave Waveland an early birthday present, which she insisted she use the entire plane trip home.

But, every good thing must come to an end....including moving walkways at the airport. See you in Spokane, WA!

Peoria

2009-09-10T19:57:00.000-05:00

After leaving Chicago, Waveland decided she had not had enough baseball. We met up with Grampa and Gramma and all headed to watch the Peoria Chiefs play in the rain. Here is Lenora and Waveland holding hands on our walk from the parking lot to the stadium.

In this picture, Jordan, Lenora and Waveland were jumping with excitement, as the Peoria Chiefs hit a nice run!

Did you see that throw!

"I've had enough with this cheerleading gig, I'm going to escape out to the field to join them in all the fun."

This has been a great day.

Chicago Trip!

2009-08-13T09:19:00.020-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we took a GREAT trip to Chicago. We stayed downtown, went to a Cubs game, had some Chicago-style Pizza, and spent some time on Navy Pier.

Speaking of Navy Pier, they have a great ferris wheel! It is REALLY tall, and Waveland loved looking down at the people below.

Of course, we had to ride the carousel also. Waveland loves these things!

Here's a quick shot of Daddy and Waveland near a fountain. Maybe next year she can run around in the water!

We spent some time downtown just walking around and seeing the sights.

And of course, we got to eat some Chicago-style hot dogs! Here goes Daddy!

Here goes Mommy!

And here goes Waveland!!

Waveland's favorite part of the trip was riding the train from Chicago to Bloomington! Uncle Jonah and Waveland looked out the window at the scenery speeding by, while Aunt Becca examined the safety guidelines provided by Amtrak.

We had lots of fun! Can't wait to get to another Cubs game!

2 months!

2009-08-13T08:49:00.004-05:00

2 months...that's how long it's been since we posted a blog! We have some excuses, though not necessarily good ones. We traveled for about 3 weeks, Jordan has taken a new job, and we have had LOTS of visitors! If you don't think those are acceptable excuses, at least take them as an indication that we have many great pictures to share with you in the next couple of weeks. We'll start with two quick videos.

In this one, Waveland shows some of her dance moves:

And this one, where Waveland puts Baby Owen to sleep:

Keep checking back, we've got lots more coming up!

Elmo

2009-06-06T17:42:00.006-05:00

These pictures pretty much speak for themselves...

Playing in the Rain!

2009-06-06T17:40:00.008-05:00

We have had a ton of rain here lately, and Waveland has been longing to go outside to check it out! So, on a drizzly afternoon, Waveland and Mommy ventured out to see the puddles!

As you can see, Waveland had no problem getting right down to business!

It looks like Waveland has a new favorite rainy-day activity!

YPF Bash

2009-06-06T17:26:00.012-05:00

We recently attended the Young Philanthropist Foundation's annual Bash! The YPF is a great organization that teaches children to be generous, involved members of our community. We are glad to support their work!

There was a superhero theme, and Waveland had the chance to show off her superhero skills! Check her out below:

Swimming Lessons

2009-05-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

Waveland recently started swimming lessons at a pool by our house. Twice a week, she gets her suit on and goes with Mommy to the pool to learn the fine art of the freestyle stroke.

At first, she was a bit apprehensive. You can see her here suspiciously eyeing the facility and the roaring waves in the background. But mommy just talks to her gently and encourages her, and then she's good to go!

Swimming lessons can be exhausting! Here she is taking a little break.

Waveland generally does not do a whole lot of smiling or laughing or yelling during her lessons. She takes them very seriously. She works on her kicks and her toy chasing and her bubble blowing with great determination!

Mommy, however, is all smiles!

Here's one of those rare shots of her smiling! She just finished a forward kick exercise and was pleased at her performance.

From her back to her belly now, and more determined than ever! She won't be distracted by the other kids...she's got swimming to do!

Texas

2009-05-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

Mommy and Waveland recently took a trip to visit our Texas family! Waveland was quick to get into her Texas role.

A real Texas longhorn, one of Waveland's favorites (right behind real Texas Llamas)!

West Texas can produce some BIIIIIIG storms! Check out this one rolling in.

Onna gave Waveland a ride on the 4-wheeler. Waveland loved it!

Here's Poppa getting the 4-wheeler started for Waveland.

Aunt Jenne and Waveland in their matching red.

Here's Hayden, Harrison, Travis, Waveland, Paxton, and Jenne's arm!

Easter

2009-05-09T14:46:00.012-05:00

Yes.

Today is Mother's Day and we're just getting around to posting pictures from Easter.

Get over it.

Now then, we had a ball on easter! We spent some time with Dave and Barb and the family at their lovely home. Check out this wagon that Dave and Barb got for Edwin and Waveland! They LOVED it!

Waveland thought the seats were very comfortable. Edwin preferred to stand.

Waveland got some new books for Easter. She is big into rabbits (wabbits) these days, and The Bunny Book quickly became one of her new favorites.

She also got to do an Easter Egg hunt in our living room! Some of the eggs had little surprises in them, like this one for example!

We also got to do an Easter Egg hunt while we were in Texas. Onna got some colorful eggs and spread them all over the front yard. Here is Paxton, raising his egg in victory!

This is Waveland tripping over Daddy's foot.

All the kids had a lot of fun, and collected many eggs.

Here is Waveland, showing Paxton the proper way to pick up an egg that you've found.

Good job, kiddos!

Elmo

2009-05-03T16:30:00.001-05:00

An Elmo Suit! Could it get any better?

Yes, an Elmo suit with a heart full of M&M's.

Thanks Onna and Papa!

Dancing Waveland

2009-04-22T23:24:00.004-05:00

Waveland LOVES the Beach Boys, and simply can't keep her feet from moving! Check her out by clicking on this video:

Move over, Becca! There's a new dancer in the family!

Bubbles

2009-04-20T16:07:00.002-05:00

Waveland has enjoyed the pleasure of bubbles for a very long time, however she recently discovered that the bubbles in the dish water were a special variety.

They are absolutely perfect for dressing your nose (and Daddy's nose), although they can make you cross your eyes if you try to look at them! Everytime we do the dishes, she insists that we ALL (with the exception of Banjo) place bubbles on our noses. But her favorite part, is not the placing them on her nose, but rather blowing them off and watching them float away. Here she and her daddy prepare to blow their bubbles off of their noses. The next time you are washing dishes, try it. You just might like it!

Banjo the Table

2009-04-10T04:06:00.000-05:00

Banjo has taken on many roles since Waveland was born. She has been a walking buddy, a friend, a secret-keeper, a ride, a chair, a pillow, a stool and now a TABLE. Poor Banjo! Actually, she loves every minute of the attention these roles entail (though you couldn't tell it by her eyes).

Aprons

2009-04-01T16:05:00.000-05:00

Waveland has decided that playing with aprons is much more fun than cooking or dressing up in fairy skirts. Here she is posing to show off her beautiful apron/dress, courtesy of Grandma-Great Icenogle!

After posing for the still-shot, Waveland wanted to show off her runway-walk. You can see she takes this fashion stuff very seriously.

Oh yes, Waveland recognized this wonderful Starbuck's apron and thought if she put it on, Mommy would take her to Starbuck's for a treat. (Loaf of Pumpkin, anyone?) Not sure Mommy got the hint...

When all else fails, use a little charm to get what you want. (Um, did you say Pumpkin Bread?)

Wouldn't you buy this cutie some pumpkin bread, or an entire loaf for that matter?

More from Illinois!

2009-03-27T15:57:00.000-05:00

We were sad to be back in Illinois for Great-Grandpa's funeral, but we were very excited to see all of our family!

Grandpa and Grandma have a GREAT rocking chair, and Grandpa loves to give Waveland rides in it. Here she is, sharing her ride with Edwin!

Jonah, Becca, Lenora and Adelia came all the way for the Netherlands. We haven't seen them for a looooong time! Waveland loved "taking care of" Adelia and pushing her around in the stroller.
Lenora and Waveland traded coloring tips.
Waveland got to play with some great dress up clothes that Grandma keeps around.
Lately, Waveland loves taking baths and tells everyone that she is a mermaid! She got this from her older cousin, Lenora, who also happens to be a mermaid. Here are the two mermaids, taking a bath together.
All the Grandkids: Adelia, Lenora, Waveland, and Eddie.
Bawpaw (Grandpa) and Waveland.
Mamaw (Grandma) and Waveland.
Here are Jonah and Becca with Waveland.

Overall, it was a great time to be with the family and to share stories about Great-Grandpa. His first love was for God, his second was for his family. He would have been proud of the way we all came together during this time.

Waveland's Great Grandpa Schupbach

2009-03-26T13:51:00.009-05:00

As many of you know, Waveland's Great-Grandpa Schupbach passed away on March 7th. We are thanking God that Waveland got to know him for the nearly 2 years that she has been alive.

Grandpa was a special one for sure! You never knew when he was going to goof around for the camera...

He was a builder. He spent his life designing and building house for people. Houses that became homes. And he built the houses the same way he lived his life. With patience and perseverance, with a strong foundation and with care and attention for the details. When he retired from building houses, his building continued with wagons, small pieces of furniture for his lovely wife and family members, and of course, to birdhouses!

Grandpa was a special friend to Jordan, showing him a constant example of patience, forgiveness, and how to be a Godly man. Rochelle found it easy to love Grandpa and Grandma Schupbach as well, and quickly became one of the family as if she had been born to it.

And Grandpa taught Jordan how to love his family, especially his wife. To his last days...almost to his last hours...he showed his love to his beautiful bride Eunice. It's an example we should all strive to duplicate. And while we hold on to the promise of being reunited for eternity in Heaven...we will miss him.

During our trip back to Illinois for the funeral, Waveland got to spend some quality time with Great-Grandma Schupbach! She quickly decided that she LOVED clementine oranges, and Grandma just happened to have a bunch around!

Grandma even snuck a kiss in there...and Waveland just loved it!

Thanks for the oranges, Grandma! We love you and can't wait to see you in July!

A visit from Wes!

2009-03-04T10:08:00.006-06:00

Just last weekend, we had a quick visit from Jordan's cousin Wes! He's an amazing photographer (check out his stuff here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bamawester/) and wanted to get some winter mountain shots. As you can see, Wes lives in a teepee, but fortunately has some modern amenities.

We also met up with some new friends, Bryan and Haley Allen. Haley is also an incredibly creative photographer (see for yourself: http://www.flickr.com/photos/haley_allen/). She and Bryan do not live in a teepee, although they did live in a tent for a while...

I digress. Here's a great shot that Haley took of Waveland. We were bundling up to take a hike in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. Waveland did great, of course. She LOVES being outside! She just talked and talked about the animals and the mountains, and at one point reported seeing a purple elephant with yellow spots and blue ears. We alerted the rangers.
And here's a shot by Wes. Doesn't Waveland look like her mommy!?

Thanks for the great shots, guys! We're looking forward to spending some more time with you all.

Dishes!

2009-02-27T09:08:00.000-06:00

Waveland's new favorite hobby..."helping" mommy with the dishes!

She actually goes into the dining room, scoots one of our dining room chairs across our hardwood floors into the kitchen, and climbs up on it when she sees mommy getting ready to do some dishes!

She took a quick break to pose for this picture.

But then it was right back to work! This spoon has likely never been as clean as it was when Waveland was done with it!

Waveland's first haircut!

2009-02-17T07:02:00.000-06:00

Well, little Waveland got her first ever haircut! Mommy decided it was time to trim it up a bit. So, after her bath, Waveland sat down with Mommy and they got busy!We have to say, she was very well behaved! She followed directions very well and sat very still.
It turns out that Mommy is a very good hair stylist!

In fact, it looks like the camera freaked her out more than the scissors.

Almost done!

And here she is, fresh from the beauty shop!

Busy busy busy!

2009-02-07T20:20:00.008-06:00

Waveland wanted us to apologize for her. She's been too busy to help us with any blogs lately. This afternoon, we were finally able to sit her down to get some of her comments on what exactly she's been up to lately! So, without further ado, here is what Waveland has been doing:

First, she is always on the go. Here she is, stopping for a quick photo with TWO purses in hand ready to hit the stores!

Luckily, she can hang them on her baby's stroller handle...just like her mommy does.

She has also been spending lots of time playing dress up with the great tu-tus that Onna made for her! She loves this pink one.

Of course, one cannot dress up in tu-tus alone. Fortunately for Waveland, Banjo volunteered to wear the green one and play "dress up" with her.

Banjo was slightly less excited about the experience than Waveland was...

She has also been experimenting with different hiding places in case anyone springs a game of "Hide and Seek" on her. She wants to be prepared!

See! You'd never find her here, would you!?

And last, she has been working on her fake smile. This is what you get when you say "Waveland! Smile for Daddy!"

Hopefully that catches everyone up for now! We'll post more pictures soon...if we can catch her!

A Shopping Trip

2009-01-22T11:09:00.000-06:00

We began to get a bit concerned about Waveland and Paxton when they decided it was fun to lock each other in Banjo's dog crate. Here's Waveland, with the upper hand for the moment.

So, instead of letting them imprison each other all day long, Mommy and Onna took them shopping with the girls! Of course, for a big trip like that, you need to polish up a bit. So into the bath they went!

Here they are with Onna, learning the fine art of locating a good deal! Waveland points one out...

She sure thinks she runs the show, doesn't she!

They were a couple of tired little shoppers on the way home!

Waveland's Favorite Bank

2009-01-21T11:13:00.000-06:00

Anytime we're in Texas, Waveland LOVES to go visit her favorite bank. It's the one where Onna works, but Waveland has LOTS of friends there! Of course, she's always a bit shy at first...

But all it takes is a rubber alligator to pull her out of her shell!

Don't let her fool you...she loves all the attention!

And of course, what is a trip to the bank without some candy! This time, it was Smarties from Onna. Thanks, Onna!

Onna's House

2009-01-20T11:06:00.000-06:00

Paxton and Waveland found some great things to get into at Onna and Papa's house. Like this vase full of feathers, for example!

Waveland got some neat tu-tu's for Christmas. She loved them, and so did Paxton!

Waveland also got this great stroller for her dolls. She walks around all over the house with it pushing her baby Owen and Elmo around. She loves it!

Papa!

Texas Christmas!

2009-01-19T10:41:00.018-06:00

Well, here we are, finally completing a Christmas post at the end of January. That's about how busy we've been!

Christmas was in Texas this year, and Waveland had a GREAT time! Our first stop was at Martha's house for a family get-together on Christmas Eve. There were LOTS of presents, and Waveland and Paxton were happy to run around and check each one out!

Here's Martha, Sheila and Nick getting ready to read the Christmas Story and open some presents!

Here's Waveland, helping Aunt Jenne open her present. She thought she was so sneaky...

Waveland's cousin Travis got into the action as well!

It was great to see the family again. Here are Penny and Erin opening some gifts!

Paxton and Waveland decided that their favorite present was this toy box, which they each took turns climbing on and jumping off of. What fun!

Grandma D got this beautiful angel, which Waveland thought was hers.

Check out Grandpa Rex in his new hat! He looks sharp...Jordan almost went out and got on that afternoon!

Waveland by the tree.

Waveland had a little crush on her cousin, Hayden.

The kids showing off their toys.

Aunt Kandice with Waveland and Waveland's cell phone.

Here are Paxton and Waveland, lamenting the invention of lids on cookie tins...

Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Orville have a deer feeder outside their house, and Paxton and Waveland loved to play with the corn!

Christmas was a great time! We're hoping to get back to Texas soon, maybe this summer. "Thanks for all the great gifts everyone!" - Waveland

Colorado Christmas!

2008-12-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Santa decided to come by our place a little early for Waveland since we are going to be traveling on Dec 24 and then have Christmas in Texas on Dec 25. After staring at the wrapped presents under the tree for the last 2 weeks, Waveland was absolutely fine with that plan.

Here she is, getting ready for action!

I wonder what is in that drum-shaped package...

Oh, it's a drum!

This particular drum is full of lots of fun and loud noisemakers. Thanks, Santa!

Waveland got a couple of bottles to feed her baby, Owen.

Here she is in feeding action.

In case you can't tell by the picture, Waveland was extremely excited to receive this kitty keyboard!

Waiting patiently while mommy unwraps the keyboard...

Ready to take the band on the road!

Check her out in her first music video!

Joanna comes to town!

2008-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

We recently had a quick visit from Aunt Joanna! She was in Colorado Springs on business, and took a day to come and see us in Denver. How lucky we are!

Waveland was thrilled!
Here's Waveland showing her faces for Joanna. "Show me a happy face!"

"Now show me a mad face!"

Maybe we should have stuck with the happy faces, because Waveland ended up in a Time Out for taking a swing at her Daddy.

Her "Time Out Corner".

Then, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Alaina and Eddie came to visit! Waveland loves to share her toys with Eddie.

We could tell she was getting hungry when she started trying to figure out how to get into the fridge...

So we all went to Red Robin and celebrated Jordan and Jeremy's birthdays! Waveland and her green crayon.

When they brought out the surprise birthday dessert, Waveland politely indicated that she would like a bite.

She's cute. We love her.

Thanksmas in Illinois

2008-12-15T16:27:00.024-06:00

We recently got back to Colorado after taking a trip to Illinois to celebrate Thanksgiving/Christmas with our family there. As you can see, it was a full house!

There was food and fun for all (check out that turkey)!

Grandpa and Grandma helped Waveland and Eddie play the piano.

Thanks to all the Christmas goodies, Waveland ran around like a crazy girl! Here she is trying on Aunt Alaina's boots!

She loved playing with all of Great Grandma's bears. Here she is with Grandma and Bear #1...

and playing horsey with Grandpa...

and giving some love to Eddie!

She finally ran Banjo and the stuffed monkey out of energy, but she wasn't finished yet!

Uncle Jeremy thought he might get a nap, but Waveland had other plans!

And then, when the sugar started to wear off, Waveland and Bear #2 needed a break.

She found a cozy spot, snuggled up in her the new blanket that Great Grandma Schupbach made for her!

Of course, there are few places better to sleep than in Grandpa's arms.

Waveland contemplates the McDonald's playground.

She certainly had a great time!

The day after we left...

Rough night last night...

2008-12-12T07:00:00.001-06:00

Waveland had a rough night last night...
She woke up this morning and had obviously been sick during the night. She also got sick again 2 more times in the next hour or so, so we decided it would be best if Waveland called in sick and spent the day with Mommy at home. So, we put her in some really comfy PJ's (thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Great!) and let her relax.

She's so cute, even when she's sick. Crabby, but cute.

By the afternoon (new outfit, this one's is from Bud and Penny, she'd been sick again!), she was starting to feel better and decided it was time to eat!

Mommy wasn't so sure...she didn't want to feed Waveland too early in case she still had an upset stomach. So, Waveland decided to rummage through the cupboards to find her own lunch!

Finally, Mommy gave her a cracker, which she promptly shared with her best friend Banjo as they sat beneath the Christmas tree.

She's been pretty good since. Hopefully, tomorrow morning will come and she'll be back to her old self!

Sunshine Park

2008-12-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here we are, back at Sunshine Park (that's Waveland's name for it) on one of the nicest days this fall. She LOVES to climb.

In fact, she's great at going up. Now, going down, that's different story...
Of course, any kid loves playing in sand!
Waveland enjoying all the nature that her Sunshine Park has to offer.
And running in the leaves!
She really enjoys kicking leaves around, too. Anyone still trying to think of a Christmas present for Waveland might fill a garbage bag with old, dry leaves and dump them in her bedroom. She'd love it.

Helping in the Kitchen

2008-12-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Waveland has become quite the little kitchen helper. Mommy puts an apron on her and gives her some utensils (not knives) and off she goes! We were thinking about changing her name to Emeril, but then we realized that would be stupid.

Here she is putting some much needed spices on a boca burger!

Fortunately, amongst her busy baking schedule, she had a brief second to pose for a picture.
When you're done baking and cooking for the day, there's nothing like a drink of ground cinnamon to help you relax!

Some Winter Clothes

2008-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Waveland loves her new winter clothes, as you can tell by this out-of-focus picture!

She also loves biting Banjo's nose while wearing her new winter clothes!
What a cutie...

My First Trip to the Zoo!

2008-12-08T07:00:00.002-06:00

Okay, thus begins our blog blasts!

We are WAAAYYY behind in our blogging, so this week we're going to post a blog each day, Monday through Friday. We'll start with Waveland's first trip to the zoo!

That's a cheetah. Waveland is unimpressed.

Cute. But unimpressed.

Now the conga drums! That's something to get excited about!

We say "birds!" and she looks to the sky, not realizing that there is a flock of flamingos right behind her!

Leaves! Now that's something else to get excited about!

Holding Daddy's hand and carrying her new stick.

Waveland loved the plants and flowers all around the zoo.

And she apparently loved this funny animal. I don't remember which one it was...

Don't panic, Grandmas! That's not a real elephant!

Overall, she was more interested in the people and plants than the animals, but she had a great time and was definitely tuckered out!

A Visit From Friends

2008-11-28T21:13:00.000-06:00

Here are some quick pictures from Waveland's visit from Keziah and Josephine Pollitt. They're some great friends from Camp Redcloud, Colorado. Everyone took a trip to Sunshine Park (Waveland's name for it) and had a GREAT time! Waveland even got a chance to practice her surfing!

Here's Josephine!

And Waveland, checking it out.

Keziah and Waveland on the playground

Back to Work!

2008-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

Rochelle recently went back to work as a nanny for some friends from church. They have two little boys, Wyatt and Zane. Wyatt is just a bit older than Waveland, and Zane is 4 months old.

Here's Wyatt showing off some of his toys.

And here's Zane, doing his thing.

It was a little bit of an adjustment for little Waveland at first!

Wyatt and Waveland get along great (most of the time!), and they are both learning to share and play like big boys and girls!
Here they are kicking their feet up and sharing the kid couch!
Wyatt and Zane have some COOL toys, like this indoor slide. It's got a steering wheel on it, too!
Waveland sloooowly works up the courage to slide down......and then decides that backwards is the best way!
So far, everyone is having a great time!

What? Elmo!? Where'd he come from?

2008-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

You have to give credit to the people that do that marketing for the Elmo dolls. We don't remember ever showing Waveland Elmo things or TV shows or anything, but somehow, she has developed an absolute fascination for Elmo!

She has one dinner plate that has Elmo on it, and she will push her food out of the way so that she can see the Elmo on the plate! And, she LOVES the Elmo song, as you can see in these videos.

Our Little Treehugger

2008-11-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

Halloween (gosh, we're behind in our blogging)!

This year for Halloween, Waveland dressed up as a tree. She had brown tights and a green shirt with leaves sewn on it (courtesy of her mommy!). Then, she spent the night giving out hugs! So, for Halloween, she was a tree...hugger! Get it!?
She loved her costume for sure, but nothing beats an Oreo.

When she wasn't eating Oreos or giving out hugs, she was honing her Foosball skills, taking on Auntie Barb! Barb is a tough competitor for sure, but she had some great tips for Waveland.

Barb and Dave hosted a wonderful party as always! They are incredible hosts and we feel loved each time we get to spend some time with them.

Of course, little Eddie was all decked out for Halloween, too. He was dressed up as a bear, and man did he look like a bear! In fact, Waveland had to get a closer look to make sure it was really Eddie in there!

Once she decided it was him, the playtime was on!

Eddie...the bear.

Daddy's Shoes

2008-11-11T19:36:00.006-06:00

Waveland is definitely growing up and trying new things...like Daddy's shoes, for instance!
She decided to try them on one morning recently.

Finally, she decided they were just too big!

Better get Onna on the phone and let her know you need some new shoes!

I have a new friend!

2008-11-05T14:17:00.004-06:00

Waveland would like to officially welcome her new friend, Talon Kein Spencer to Colorado!

Talon is the son of Matt and Natanee Spencer, friends of Jordan and Rochelle's. He was born on October 17th, and weighed 6lbs 4oz. Waveland is jealous that he is already turning over on his own, and she thinks he is sooooo lucky that he got to trick-or-treat already!
Congratulations, Matt and Natanee! He's a cutie, which is of particular interest to Waveland who just had her first boy/girl kiss. If you want to know more about that, you'll have to ask Rochelle...Jordan won't admit it occurred.

Dressing Up

2008-10-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

This one is for Hannah

2008-10-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

If it takes a village to raise a child, as purported by Hillary Clinton, then Jordan's cousin Hannah Hansen is the village member in charge of ensuring that Waveland grows up as a Chicago Bears fan.

In honor of Hannah on her birthday, Waveland wanted to model her Chicago Bears jersey, provided courtesy of Hannah!

Yep, that's right. Waveland is Brian Urlacher, one of the toughest, meanest Bears there is!

See how tough she is!? She's pretending that Daddy's wallet is a Packer quarterback's arm!

Here she is practicing her running just in case she has to go after a fumble or intercepts a pass!
And here she is directing the defense. As a captain, that is part of her game duties...

Thanks, Hannah! As you can see, Waveland LOVES her jersey and loves the Bears as well. Good work!

Fall

2008-10-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

Inspired by Wes (see here), we took a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. We picked up a map of Estes Park, and decided to make Waveland the navigator.

She got a little frustrated with our lack of progress and kept insisting that she knew where we were! I never had the heart to tell her that she had the map upside down... We finally made it! Here's Waveland and Daddy at Bear Lake. And here's mommy and Waveland enjoying the mountain lake. Waveland loved to walk around on the trails. Bear Lake. Waveland was getting a bit fussy at this point, and wanted to get back to her map. Here she eyes me suspiciously as I take yet ANOTHER picture! On the way home, we ran into a bunch of elk! Check out this big dude! Yep, we had a good time, and intend to spend a lot more time enjoying the outdoors and teaching Waveland about the beautiful mountains.

Air Force versus Navy!

2008-10-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we went to see the USAF play football against Navy at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Alaina and Eddie got to come with, and we had a great time!

Here's Waveland with Daddy checking out a J-35 fighter. Waveland thought it was awesome!

Here is everyone (except Jordan, the photographer) in our stands. There were a ton of Air Force Football fans there, and the game was great!

All of the Air Force and Navy cadets march into the stadium and stand in formation on the field to start the game. Then, they all run to their seats and we're ready for kick-off!

Here's the band. They were alright.

Here's a flyover by a couple of F-22 fighters. LOUD!

and here's a flyover by a Stealth Bomber.

It was pretty cool, and we had a great time!

Sticks!

2008-10-11T17:16:00.009-05:00

It's cold today, so we're reminiscing about Waveland last trip to Wash Park for the summer.

She really started to like just sitting in the grass and finding cool little toys to examine. Like this stick, for instance!

Yep, she loves sticks. For any of you trying to figure out what she might want for Christmas, think about sticks. She also likes navigating stairs and curbs, although it takes a bit to work up the courage. Luckily, she has Banjo to supervise! Make sure you look both ways!

The hardest she has ever laughed...

2008-10-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

...was at Banjo,

as Banjo tried to eat the bubbles mysteriously floating down from the second floor.

Pictures from Wes

2008-10-03T20:14:00.009-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jordan's cousin Wes Thomas came to visit. He's an incredible photographer (we're not joking...check out his stuff here), and he took some quick snapshots of our family. Check them out!

Waveland, puckering up for Wes.

Playing with daddyTaking a quick walk.
Asking for cookies.
Helping in the garden.
Just looking cute.
And just looking cuter.
As you can see, Wes has got skills. We even conned him into giving us a large, framed print of one of our favorite Colorado shots to hang over our fireplace!

Thanks for the quick shots, Wes. It was great having you out here. Next time, we'll ALL have to make a trek into the mountains and hang out a bit. Waveland is already talking about it...

Texas Part 5: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!!

2008-09-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

While visiting her Onna, Waveland refined her love of shoes. As you can see, Waveland's Onna really LOVES shoes, too!

On more than one occasion, Rochelle found Waveland in her Onna's closet trying on her Onna's shoes.
Waveland thought she was in shoe heaven!

Onna, finally assisted Waveland in trying on a few pairs of shoes. Here she tried on a pair to match her outfit.

These were fun to slip into and walk around the house. (With a little help, of course.)

And of course, it wouldn't be nearly as much fun without the high-heeled flip-flop.

"Oh, Shoes! I think I love you!!!"

This concludes our long Texas series. The girls really did have a lot of fun!

Texas Part 4: The Bank Robbery

2008-09-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

That's right, Waveland robbed a bank while she was in Texas....with her big eyes and fun personality. Waveland's Onna works at a bank and she stole the hearts of all the ladies
that work with her Onna.

Here, Waveland is testing out the bank equipment (adding machine). Oh yes, she was hard at work helping Ruth crunch numbers.

Soon, after she was given free reign of the bank, Waveland decided to make her great escape by horse. (I would like to add that this is her first horse ride.) She looks like a pro. Too, bad this one is made of bronze. Maybe, next time she can ride a real horse.

Since, the horse did not take her very far, she decided to make her escape the best way she knows how....crawling her way out. I'm pretty sure she is thought that nobody would notice her making her way to the door.

"Oops! I got caught on camera."

Waveland, loves visiting the bank with her Onna. She has lots of fun with all the wonderful people who work there. Thanks for such a great time!

Texas Part 3: Fun with Onna

2008-09-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Waveland also had a lot of fun hanging around her Onna and Papa's house. She and Onna spent a great deal of time watching Onna's kittens play.

Waveland, her Onna and Rochelle all visited Caprock Canyon to see the beautiful scenery. Waveland, do see any buffalo out there?

Look Onna, I think we found them! They look like cows.

Woe! That's what a buffalo looks like up close?!

Later, Waveland took some time out for some bathtub stretching before she began her ballet performance for Onna.

Here, Waveland is relaxing on her Onna's sheep-skin rug.

And Mommy joins in on the fun.

"Mommy, don't I look grown up?"

After a little rest, Onna and Waveland played the piano and organ at Grandpa and Grandma D's house.

It was a beautiful concert.

Yes, Waveland had lots of fun with her Onna.

Texas Part 2: More Family

2008-09-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

After visiting our family in Dallas, Waveland and Rochelle went to visit some more family in West Texas. Waveland and Grandma D had a lot of fun playing with the television remote control. Waveland loved pushing ALL the buttons.

Here, Grandpa D and Waveland are having a nice little chat about all of Grandpa's toy tractors. While Waveland found this very interesting, I think she was more interested in driving them around on the floor.
Oh yes, and getting re-aquainted with Aunt Penny was a lot of fun! Look out, it's lunch time and Waveland is ready to eat!!!

Waveland liked giving Uncle Bud the walking tour of Onna and Papa's house. I think she did this several times in a matter of minutes.

Waveland took a moment to watch Onna's cats wrestling with one another with Grandpa Orvil.

Here, Waveland was telling Grandma Ruth all about her adventurous day...going to Grandma and Grandpa D's, watching the cats roll around, playing with Papa, and of course going shopping.

Here, Waveland wanted to show Martha how well she can balance her shoe on top of her head. She had practiced her technique all the way back from Grandpa and Grandma D's house. She might be able to join the circus if she keeps it up.

Texas Part 1: Paxton Turns One!

2008-09-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Waveland and Rochelle were able to surprise Aunt Jenne and Cousin Paxton for Paxton's 1st Birthday.

As you can see, Paxton was very excited.

Of course, cousins Harrison and Hayden were there. In fact, they and their parents hosted the party at their house.

Here is cousin, Travis taking time out of his busy toddler schedule to pose for a picture. Everyone had such a good time eating, playing, and swimming.

And of course, Travis did not come alone. He was accompanied by his mother, cousin Erin.

Grandpa and Grandma D were able to attend the party as well. Here, Waveland is making a play for Grandma D's iced tea on her way to try to help Paxton open his gifts.

Waveland paused for a quick pose with her Onna as she made her way even closer to Paxton's toys.

And, she made it!!!! (And Paxton had no idea!)

Here, she is thinking, "I wonder if anyone would notice if I put that toy under my shirt and took it home to Colorado."

Yep, that's right. Big girls WALK!

2008-09-14T09:27:00.002-05:00

Well, guess what Waveland did for the first time yesterday...

Now Mommy's going to be REALLY busy!

My Onna Wides a Harwee

2008-09-08T20:45:00.012-05:00

Recently, Rochelle and Waveland took a trip to Texas to visit all of our Texas family. Waveland tried many new things while on her visit. One thing that especially stuck with her was her first time on her Onna and Papa's Harley. (She did not actually go for a ride, however she did sit on it while the engine was rumbling. )

She thought she was pretty cool sitting on such a slick ride.

Waveland wanted to check out the loud pipes.

Here, her Onna is teaching her to give a thumbs-up so she will fit in with all of her Harley-riding friends in Texas.

Waveland enjoyed her Harley experience so much that she begged her Mom and Dad to take her to her very first Motorcycle Rally in Loveland, Colorado. Here she is sporting her new Harley-Davidson shirt.

What do you think of these threads, Onna?

I guess we will have to keep a close on this little motorcycle dare-devil.

Summertime!

2008-08-23T10:44:00.013-05:00

Well, my girls are in Texas again. Thus, the laziness in new blogs. However, I talked to Waveland last night and she asked me to tell you all about some of her favorite summer pasttimes. So, without further ado, here are some pictures of Waveland having some summer fun!

She LOVES swimming...

...especially if there are some cool toys...
...and especially if she has someone to play "splash" with...
...and especially if her daddy and Aunt Joanna swim with her!

She LOVES strawberries...

...especially when her Gramma gives her BIG bites...

...and this is the look you'll get if you try to take it away from her.

She LOVES watermelon...

...especially when she gets to help hold it...

...and especially when she gets as much as she wants!

Yep, she loves summer!

St Mary's Glacier

2008-07-31T09:15:00.016-05:00

Waveland's Grandpa and Gramma Schupbach are in town, and we all decided to take a hike up to St. Mary's Glacier near Alice, CO.

Of course, every good hike starts with a good cup of coffee, so we stopped at a little roastery in Idaho Springs, CO. This is Grandpa's favorite coffee shop in the whole world! Waveland hung out in Grandpa's lap and entertained the locals while eating at least half of everyone's pastries.

What a great start to the day!
And here, only slightly less enthused, is Waveland with Daddy. She's all strapped into her pack and ready to hike (or ride, actually)!

Grandpa and Gramma on their way to the trailhead. It was a beautiful day!

Here we all are just a couple of hundred feet up the hike. We turned around and had an incredible view to the west.

And here we are up at the lake at the base of St. Mary's Glacier. That water is COLD! Just ask Grandpa!

Aunt Joanna traverses a particularly dangerous section of roaring stream...

3 of the 4 girls on our hike, here's Aunt Joanna, Mommy, and Gramma.

The view west from the glacier as a summer storm rolls in.

At the base of St. Mary's Glacier.

One hot momma!

Waveland, conked out!

And here is Waveland, patiently (?) waiting for pizza!

We had a great little hike; it was Waveland's first! She did great, and we're looking forward to making the trip again.

Waveland's FIRST BIRTHDAY, Part II

2008-07-27T21:47:00.013-05:00

We just got a bunch more pictures from Aunt Joanna's camera, so we thought we'd share a couple more of Waveland's birthday party!

Here's Waveland all dressed up for her party

Here she is with one of her favorite cards. It's a "1"! Checking out the balloons with Gramma Schupbach. Here she is with a great outfit from Great Grandpa and Grandma Schupbach.

Of course, there was plenty of food. We grilled hamburgers and brats and had chips and all kinds of stuff. Barb White brought some great fried zuchini, and Amanda brought some great chip dip.Banjo watched over the food and kept the squirrels away...

Sometimes, it was fun for Waveland to take a break from the spotlight and just watch the action.

Here she is trying to teach Cousin Edwin how to undo his hat.

Spending a minute with Daddy and waving at the camera.

And a final goodbye smile from Edwin!

Waveland's FIRST BIRTHDAY!

2008-07-27T08:45:00.028-05:00

We're not sure where the last year went.

Little Waveland Eliza turned 1 year old on July 25th, and we had a birthday bash yesterday afternoon at Wash Park! It was great, we had friends and family from Texas, Illinois, Nebraska, and Colorado come join us in celebrating Waveland's life. Instead of the usual babbling, we'll just put up some pictures.

Of course we started right away with the PRESENTS!

She could hardly choose which one to open next!

The monkey sure got her attention right away.
Mommy only had to help a little bit. Waveland had no problems ripping into her packages!
OOOH...FRIDGE PHONICS!!! Waveland sits in Aunt Jenne's lap and explores her new alphabet magnets.

Not even mommy could block her from getting to her new toys.

Here, Joanna and Mary enjoy some Jelly Bellies.

Dave and Amanda White came to help us celebrate. Dave saved the adults from boredom by bringing a nerf football!

Cousin Edwin had a great time, too, but had to take a break to refuel.

Here're a couple of Grandmas! Barb White and Grandma Schupbach enjoying their Jelly Bellies.

Here's Onna who got to hang out with BOTH of her grandbabies. Here she is with Cousin Paxton.

Alaina and Waveland hanging out.

Balloons!

We didn't have anything to attach Banjo's leash to, so we hooked it to a heavy cooler which she proceeded to drag around while chasing the afore mentioned nerf football.

Grandpa "Elway" Schupbach launches one deep.

Once Grandpa's arm wore out, he had plenty of time left to crawl around with the birthday girl.

And now...the BIG EVENT...her FIRST TASTE OF BIRTHDAY CAKE!

Well, cupcake, but whatever.

Waveland was a bit hesitant from the get-go. She slammed her fingers into the frosting, slowly tasted them....

...and burst into tears as everyone broke into a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday".

Then she got REALLY mad! Needless to say, she was not a fan of the birthday cupcake.

Oh well, more leftovers for Daddy!

Speaking of Daddy, here he is blowing some bubbles for Waveland that Dave and Barb got for her.

And finally, the party was over. Or at least, that's what these two thought!

We had a great time, the kids were great, and aside from the cupcake meltdown, Waveland had a ball! Thanks to everyone who came, sent gifts, and/or called to wish our little girl a happy first birthday!

Banjo: A girl's best friend.

2008-07-14T20:47:00.010-05:00

For those who have asked, we thought we'd post a couple more pictures of Waveland with her best friend Banjo. They are like two peas in a pod: they both like to crawl and roll on the floor, they both like to eat grass at Wash Park, and they both love baths! Anyway, here are a couple more pictures.

Keep in mind that none of these photos were posed...they are all pictures of the two of them interacting naturally! Like here, for instance, were Waveland practices her climbing ability on Banjo.
Here they are laughing at some jokes we were telling them.

Yep, they're buddies alright.

Florida!

2008-07-12T22:48:00.026-05:00

Well, we recently returned from Florida from a trip to visit Jordan's Aunt and Uncle, Mark and Rita. Their home (affectionately referred to as "Markandritaville") is incredible and it's such a relaxing environment! Growing up is hard, and Waveland needed a break! In fact, so did her cousin Eddie. So the three of us plus Jordan's brother Jeremy, Alaina, and Eddie hit the road and headed for the sandy beaches of Florida!

Waveland was very excited to get there...

Mark and Rita took us all out for an incredible sushi dinner on Rochelle's birthday.

Eddie loved playing with ice cubes while waiting for his dinner.
Then, it was time to play in the sand! Waveland loved it!

Here we are at Lulu's. It's a restaurant owned by Lulu Buffet, Jimmy Buffett's sister. Great food, and a really cool atmosphere.

For a souvenier, Waveland tried to bring home pieces of every plant she could get her hands on.

Here's a view of the famous "Markandritaville". What a place!

Looking the other way, on to the pier and Perdido Bay.

Waveland got to try a whole bunch of new foods, including olives. She decided that she really loves chicken!

Of course she got her toes wet. She seemed to love the ocean, and headed straight for it as soon as her little legs hit the sand!

She loves the ocean...she hates her hat.

Mark has a really cool remote control submarine that we piloted all over the bay. Jeremy was definitely the best Captain of the ship.

During the evenings and in the mornings when we were inside, Waveland and Eddie got some great bonding time in. Here's Waveland pushing Eddie in the swing.

What would Florida be without a trip to the beach!
Mommy and Waveland got to spend some time relaxing and winding down on the pier after a long day of swimming and playing at the beach.

Of course, there's always room for a little more playtime!

Waveland shows her Daddy another beautiful Florida sunset. Thanks to Mark and Rita for putting up with 2 infants for a week! We had a great time and are very greatful for the chance to unwind and relax.

In honor of Leah Hansen on her birthday.

2008-07-08T20:04:00.001-05:00

Why crawl...when you can butt-scoot!

Waveland, in the grand tradition of her Grandmother and of her cousin Leah, has decided to butt-scoot around the house. We're sure they're both proud of their influence on Waveland's development.

The Butt-scoot! from Jordan Schupbach on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday, Leah!

Joanna and Mikey visit!

2008-07-03T22:10:00.013-05:00

Well, this actually happened a little while ago, but Waveland just keeps insisting that we post some photos of it! She had such a great time with Mikey and Joanna that she simply won't stop babbling about it. So, here are some photos of the event.

Rochelle, Waveland (in the burley trailer), Jordan (the camera adds 10 pounds), Joanna, and Mikey.

Here's how Waveland rides in her bike trailer. She LOVES it! Cute. Mikey gave us all a lesson in frisbee throwing. He's quite a good teacher. Here's Rochelle, about to make her patented "Pancake Catch". Joanna and Waveland had a bunch of fun together! So much fun, actually, that Waveland threw up a little bit! It's okay...baby's do that when they get excited. She also loved playing with and eating the grass. Come to think of it, maybe that had something to do with the throwing up. Hmmm....

Here we are in action with our family vehicle...

Thanks for coming to visit, guys! We can't wait to see you again.

What's new with you?

2008-07-03T21:55:00.008-05:00

What? July? Are you kidding?

It's July already, apparently. Waveland is having a GREAT 2008! We've had so much fun and so many adventures this summer, it's hard to keep up! Lately we've been to Illinois for a visit. Here are some pictures of that trip:

Here's Waveland, smiling at somebody else, Lenora, being a wonderful big cousin, and Adelia, wondering who's making faces at Waveland.

And HERE'S Waveland, who is thrilled to have discovered Lenora's pigtails, Lenora, who is not so thrilled at Waveland's discovery, and Adelia, who is wondering why that person isn't making faces anymore.
Was Eddie there? Of course! And he had a GREAT time!

And here are Waveland and Lenora, making up after the whole "piggytail pulling" catastrophe!

More to come, so keep checking back!

So close to walking!

2008-06-22T18:09:00.003-05:00

So far, the only time that Waveland has walked without a person holding her hands is when she grabbed on to Banjo's rear end, and then had no choice but to follow when Banjo started following a bug around the living room.

But now, for the first time ever, little Waveland confirms that she would much rather walk than crawl. She stood all by herself!

Neat, huh!?

Cousin Baths!

2008-06-21T21:41:00.004-05:00

Baths with toys are cool...but baths with toys and A COUSIN ARE THE BOMB!Here, Waveland and Eddie share a little tub time.

A trip to Chicago!

2008-06-18T14:39:00.013-05:00

Well, we just recently got back from a trip to Chicago and Bloomington, IL. The Bloomington Blog will soon be posted, but here're some pictures from Chicago!

Of course, our first stop was Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs! The night we went was really chilly, so we actually left after the 7th inning stretch. You can tell by our faces that Rochelle and I are really excited to be there, and Waveland is like "do they have ANY idea how cold it is out here!?"

Jeremy, Alaina and Eddie joined us for the trip, and we had a GREAT time. Eddie is in this picture...we promise.One last look back before we head to the hotel.

The next day, we decided to go to the Chicago Shedd Aquarium. It's the largest indoor aquarium in the world, with more than 8000 aquatic animals. Waveland and I got into an argument about the actual directions. It turned out she was right...Here we are with a bit of the Chicago Skyline behind us.Here's Jer, Alaina and Eddie with a lot more of the Chicago Skyline behind them!Waveland was a bit unsure of the exact thickness of the glass separating her and the marine life, but we finally convinced her that she was safe.Man! Sharks are fast!Here's Albert, the Beluga whale, poking his head up to say goodbye.

His name is actually not Albert, but he does have one. If anyone would like to find out, I'll be happy to change it.

Next, it was on to Bloomington, a 2 hour drive with 4 adults and 2 infants in a tiny rental car!

Who's ready for summer!?

2008-06-10T15:41:00.001-05:00

It's getting warm in Denver, and Water World just opened up! Swimming pool, here I come!

Picnic in the Park!

2008-06-05T14:37:00.000-05:00

We've had quite a few beautiful days lately in Denver, so we decided to invite Jeremy, Alaina and Eddie to a picnic at Wash Park. Actually, there was no food, so I guess it wasn't a picnic, but we had a blanket and played in the grass, so whatever you call that, that's what we did.

Banjo is such a camera hog... Here's Alaina with Eddie. He's wearing his favorite Cubs hat!

Waveland had a great time, watching all the people walk by and enjoying the day.

Here's the Schupbach Family (well, one of them), with Banjo hogging the camera in the background again.

Daddy and Waveland had a great time playing in the grass and on the blanket. 2 Beautiful Mothers! Alaina looks like she's up to something here, doesn't she? Deep in thought... Deeper in thought...
Eddie LOVES it when Daddy chews on his toes! Mommy and Daughter Banjo. She just can't understand why some dogs get to run free and some don't. The answer is that some dogs return to their masters, and some don't. We're pretty sure that if Banjo got loose in Wash Park, she'd be missing for days while trying to make best friends with every dog and person in the neighborhood.

Crawling is for Babies!

2008-05-25T13:36:00.010-05:00

Waveland has decided that crawling is for babies and would much rather walk. Here she is practicing her cruising technique.

In this photo, Waveland is sporting part of her new Spring attire courtesy of Renee' Benefield.

Waveland was particularly proud of herself after she cruised her way down our love-seat. She moved so quickly that it took a little while for Banjo to realize she was on the other side of her.

Waveland was really concentrating on cruising down the length of her crib. She was taking a break before continuing the rest of the way.

She's getting good at it! Pretty soon, we'll be running like crazy trying to keep up with her!

Mother's Day Pics, etc.

2008-05-25T13:15:00.012-05:00

Well, Mother's Day was a bit ago, but here are a couple of pictures from that day, followed by some random pictures.

We spent the afternoon celebrating mother's with Barb (Alaina's mom), Alaina and Eddie, and Rochelle and Waveland as the Guests of Honor (Barb was considered a Guest of Honor, even though it was her house, because she's a GREAT mother!).

Here are the flowers that Waveland bought for her Mommy with her allowance. Isn't she sweet!? She could have gone out and bought a new juice bottle or some pears (her favorite!), but instead, she spent her money on her Mommy.Here they are again...
Here's Jeremy and Jordan, celebrating Mother's Day. They celebrated in this manner for 4 hours! Just another cute picture....

Daddy loves to give Waveland her baths. They play with the rubber ducky and play "Splash". Waveland loves to get Daddy wet, and thinks it's HILARIOUS! The best part of the bath is snuggling up in this great ducky towel from Grandpa and Gramma Schupbach. She loves it!
That's all for now...more to come!