Home Sweet Home

We have exciting news!!

As of mid July our little family will have a new and VERY permanent address because we are going to be home owners!
Chris and I have been causally searching for a home in the Ballwin/Manchester area since I found out I would be working for Parkway. We really wanted to find a home in the district that I taught so that Joshua could (eventually) come to school with me. We also knew we wanted to take advantage of the great interest rates and take the plunge into home ownership over the summer while I was off from work ( if and when we found the right house).
We are very excited to share our new home with you and promise pictures will be coming soon.

Up, up, and away!

Josh pulled himself to a stand for the first time yesterday...and, let go to assume the hands-free stand for about 3 seconds before Daddy realized that he wasn't holding on to anything and swooped him up. Hooray for our big boy!

Also, Joshua took his first swim in the pool yesterday-I don't have pictures because I was in the pool and Daddy was video taping. Joshua was too cute for words in his tiny swim trunks!

Lastly, I forgot to mention a few weeks back that I DID GET A JOB!!!! I am 'official' as of tomorrow when the board votes on me, but so long as that goes off without a hitch I will be teaching 1/2 day kindergarten at Barretts Elementary in the Parkway School District. I am SO excited to be getting back into the classroom and feel privileged to be a part of such a reputable district. Yahoo!

Memorial Day Weekend

Kyla, the beautiful bride

The Millikin RA Staff

Kyla's Co-RA, Evan

At the reception

Chris and his favorite girls

This weekend was a busy one. We had 3 weddings, a visit Grandma and Papa Sinnokrak, and a blow out (not to worry, we have road hazard protection...yahoo!).
The weekend started out with a Friday evening wedding for one of Chris' police officer friends. The wedding was a blast and I have never felt safer (it was funny to see all the police officers exit the room to remove their 'gear' and prepare for the open bar). Chris and I enjoyed a night out and the opportunity to socialize with his friends off the clock.
Saturday morning we drove up to Chicago for Colin's wedding (a childhood friend of Chris' and a groomsman from our own wedding). On the way we had our blow out-which was pretty comical. You see, the last blow out we had together was in the same spot on the car three years ago on our honeymoon! We've since had new tires, but it was almost as if God was giving us a pre-anniversary smile by taking us back to that moment at the start of our new life together. I guess popped tires are a good omen.
Sunday was Kyla's wedding (a co-RA and friend from both of our Millikin days). The wedding was spectacular and so much fun. By the end of the weekend I was ready to bust from all the love and flowers and music (and cake!). It was great!
Meanwhile, Joshua got a good visit in with his Grandma and Papa Sinnokrak (and cousin Braydan and Uncle Matt too). He decided this weekend to start eating his Gerber Puff Stars whole and is practicing pulling himself up--cruising is just around the corner, I can feel it!

Auntie Elizabeth

A few weeks back my sweet cousin Elizabeth came for a visit all the way from PA. She just wrapped up her first year of college and was ready for a break...little did she know that life at our house is as far from quiet and relaxing as one could possibly imagine. Never the less she seemed to have a fun time. We visited the zoo, subbed in the art room at school, went to Art Hill and the Art Museum downtown, and played and played with busy boy Joshua. In case you are wondering why we spent so much time doing 'artsy' things it was because Elizabeth is the artist of the family. She is studying to become an art teacher and is very talented. We joke she got all the art genes of the family....but really I think she did! Here are a few of the pictures we took while she was here. Enjoy!

Elizabeth and Josh

At the Art Museum

Art Hill, St. Louis

Art Hill and the Art Museum

And we're off..

Bottom's UP!

Look Ma, no hands!

Sweet as can be baby!

Yum

Joshua the Cookie Monster

Well, since my last post it finally happened....Joshua has become mobile. He is just thrilled with his latest accomplishment and proudly army crawls all around the living room, under chairs, and after the puppy. Poor Odie. Not only that, but he has developed a liking for big people shoes, puppy toys, and television wires....joy of joys. He's so much fun, but a bit too busy for his own good. He crashes at night-tired from his new busy state of being-and its always bottoms up (quite literally) and very cute at that!
Joshua had a wonderful Easter. He got lots of new stuffed animals (a bunny, a lamb, and a piggy--thanks to the Grandmas and Great Nan). He particularly loves to chew on them, and anything else he can find. Speaking of which, we are in the midst of teething. Nothing has popped through yet but we have a set of the cranks that we just can't seem to move past, so we feel fairly confident that there is at least one tooth hiding in his little gums. Other developments include graduating to a 'big boy tub' (you know the kind, it's where we sit on a mat in a tub filled with 2 inches of water propped between Mommy's feet--that's right, a big boy tub!). We love, love, love to splash, eat our rubber duckies, chew on the bath towel, and play peek-a-boo when drying off. He is so precious it makes my heart melt. I don't think life gets a whole lot better for our little fella-he loves bath time (it must be all the duck influence! HA!)
One of my favorite new Joshua-isms is his profound love of talking. Chris and I sit in our room on the bed some nights and laugh until it hurts as we listen to Joshua through the monitor as he carries on conversations with his duckies. His sweet high pitched voice is so vibrant and enthusiastic...oh to understand baby Chinese...I am sure Joshua has a lot to say about everything. As for us, the only words we get to enjoy regularly are "daga" "gaba" and "AHHH". Language is still (and will be for some time) a work in progress.

Sunny Days

Since our last posting our little monkey has had his first overnight away from us, turned 7 months old, taken his first airplane ride to San Diego and back, flirted with his one and only Auntie Erin, and developed a new-found fascination with cats. Life is busy, busy, busy, but SO good, good, good!!!

So...San Diego. What an amazing trip! Joshua took 2 plane rides (4 ups and downs) in the past week and travelled like a champ...all but the last leg from Kansas City to STL in which he screamed for the entire 50 minute gate to gate stretch...thank goodness Midwest people are nice. Here is the play by play of our week.

Day 1 (Thursday)
Wake up at 5:30-catch plane at 9-land at 1pm San Diego time
Meet Uncle Nick at the airport
Patron the San Diego Target for diapers, Josh food, wipes, and an umbrella stroller
Relax with Auntie Erin, Uncle Nick, and their kitties Natasha and Naski

Day 2 (Friday)
Rise with the sun (thank you Joshua)
Visit the USS-Midway with personal tour by Uncle Nick
Lunch at Point Loma Seafood (the best fresh fish...ah, to be on the coast)
Sailing with Nick and Erin--Chris and Josh stayed on land, but I had a BLAST. It was so fun being out on the water with to pro sailors!
Some down time at home-Joshua LOVED watching the kitties, particularly the kitten Naski.

Day 3 (Saturday)
We spent the day at the Wild Animal Park (an AMAZING out door park filled with animals in habitat mimicking enclosures). The entire park is spread out and in the valley of the California hills...SO beautiful. Uncle Nick told us it reminded him of Jurassic Park and we could see why, if you are ever in the San Diego area this is a must on your list of places to explore. Besides enjoying the majestic views and up close encounters with the animals we also made it through the day without getting sunburned...that's right, the entire Sinnokrak clan!

Day 4 (Sunday)
We woke up early to go out to La Jolla for breakfast, we had a wonderful breakfast at a local breakfast place called The Cottage (yum) and then walked down to the shore to see the seals. It was unreal to see the seals so close. They were sunbathing, swimming, and generally enjoying the beach...it was so neat. Nick and Erin were amazing hosts and told us all about the town, showed us the La Jolla coastline and adjoining towns, and shared local shark stories with us...which is always a bonus.
Later that afternoon after meeting up with Chris' former assistant hall director Ryan Miller and his new wife Lindsey we went over to Coronado and walked through the hotel and town. Again, another beautiful place and fun adventure!

Day 5 (Monday)
Much to our dismay it was time to pack up and go home. We caught our flight at 10:55 AM San Diego time and arrived home just after 5:30 PM Missouri time. As if the time change didn't stink enough we were welcomed home by snow...ugh. Needless to say Chris and I are already dreaming of our return to the Sunny state of CA.

San Diego was amazing, warm, fun, and inviting just like Uncle Nick and Auntie Erin. We had a fantastic time thanks to our lovely hosts and their quirky cats. xoxo

ch-ch-changes

Joshua's 6 month shots happened on Friday-he was such a trooper. I can tell he is getting 'bigger' because he does better at the doctors office each time we visit. This time around Joshua's head circ. was in the 60th percentile, his height was in the 25th percentile, and his weight was in the 10th percentile. Dr. Felkel seems impressed with Joshua's general development (he is alert, curious, sitting independently, reaching, chewing on everything, and even shaking his head "no"--oh boy, here we go with the attitude already!). We think Joshua is perfect-maybe our little peanut just has a fast metabolism (wouldn't that be nice!).

Other than the medical updates not a whole lot is new. Joshua is a very happy boy who is rolling, sitting, scooting, and attempting to crawl. He is into his 2nd stages foods and LOVES his fruits. Joshua also sits in the "big boy" stroller-no more baby seat. He is also eating from a high chair now--what a big boy!

Hair cut #3 also happened. Joshua has a very short do and looks a lot more (if you can imagine) like his Daddy.

All my boys (Odie included) are doing well. Odie in particular has been loving the baby floor time. He is entertained by Joshua's attempts to lunge and interprets these baby games as an invitation to wrestle with the baby. He even brings his toys to Joshua thinking (praying) maybe the baby will engage him in a game of fetch. It is sweet--and quite funny.

That's all for now folks....thanks for tuning in!