Noe News is Good News

6 Wonderful Years

I am sitting here in the office waiting for Joselyn to fall asleep so I can enjoy time with my husband of 6 years today. We just got back from enjoying a fun-filled evening as a family and it will go down in history as one of my favorite nights. Just so memorable! Cheddars is a family favorite, and since it was so beautiful outside tonight we decided to eat on the patio. The atmosphere outside was much more relaxed and there was so much more to keep the kids entertained- people walking by, birds trying to find little crumbs nearby, the water fountain... and so much more. The kids were in great moods and we all enjoyed good conversation. Since I had written in my status where I was at the time, we had special drive-by guests who wished us a loud happy anniversary. So sweet! Thanks mom and dad ;)

When the kids were done eating we let them out of their high chairs. Immediately Joselyn started twirling and dancing and all eyes were on her. I wish I could have gotten it on video, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her either! She is seriously so graceful and sweet. Soon she wanted Landen to join her and they danced together. A couple sitting next to us especially loved the impromptu show- the man said it made his night and gave the kids each a dollar for their performance.

After dinner we drove the short distance to Orange Leaf for some yummy FROYO. The line was the longest I've ever seen it!! But we finally got our stuff and went out to a grassy area to eat. We were soon surrounded by fireflies and the kids went crazy! Adam caught one and let them look at it up close and they were thrilled. I loved hearing their laughter and excitement.

6 years ago today it was all about me and Adam. It was an incredible day- so incredible that despite things weren't all going our way we couldn't be upset because we were so happy and in love. People say that you fall more in love as the year go on but how could I have known it would be this wonderful! The hard times make the good times much sweeter. And although we still sometimes get to share happy and sweet moments between the two of us, it's amazing how children multiply that love. Watching our children giggle Adam and I often look at eachother and I know what he's thinking. This is so fun. Being a family. And in those moments the love is so thick in the air. I'm so glad we got to experience that tonight. Happy 6th Anniversary to Adam- the man that seems to have been made just for me.

As I was sitting here, this song came to mind and it honestly is exactly how I feel.

How Could I Have Known by Kenneth Cope

Chasing a star running long running hard
trying to put me at face with a dream
So ellusive it had been again and again
I'd about given up on the game
But then the slightest chance I might suit you
I came running to recruit you

Well I struck gold that day
When you took my name and gave yourself to me
Was it lucky this time or some higher design
Steered by masterful hands on the wheel
'Cause I'm amazed at the way it's unfolded
It's like I managed to choose what was chosen

I come to you and you come to me
As love is set in stone
It's now beyond my wildest dreams
With forever left to go
How could I have known?

It's an uncertain road because
when there's two who can know
If love will still bloom in the fall?
And yet look where we've come
How the years have made us one
And your smile was the start of it all
You continue to wow and surprise me
All the treasures you've been hiding

I come to you and you come to me
As love is set in stone
It's now beyond my wildest dreams
With forever left to go
How could I have known?

Right from the start I'm richer by far
and every day together makes a better me

... way beyond my wildest dreams...

I come to you and you come to me
As love is set in stone
It's now beyond my wildest dreams
With forever left to go
How could I have known?

*lyrics may be off a little because I couldn't find them online and had to listen to it and write it out as I listened

My children are the luckiest

The other day I was out with my mom shopping when I heard my phone ding- I knew it was a message from Adam so I took a look at it... and instead of a text I found a video.

What's so sweet about this video is that Adam takes the time to record things like this for me so I don't miss out on my kids' laughter when I am away- even for just a few hours. He always sends videos like this to me. Sometimes I will even get a little video of them while I am shooting a wedding, which is super sweet since that is when I miss them the most.  (Since videos can't be posted in blog books, I will summarize quickly that this is a video of the kids playing on the slide/hammock that Adam built for the kids from the couch cushions and ottoman) It's also sweet because it shows just how much fun Adam is with the kids.  He is always coming up with something fun and creative to do with the kids and it's always a hit. I know my children's minds will be filled with sweet memories of playing with their dad and that's always what I have wanted- since I have my own memories of playing climb on daddy time with my own dad and putting bows in his hair. ;)

We also love daddy very much for the hard worker he is. You will never find someone so dedicated to his family- OR work. He has been taught to have a very good work ethic and although sometimes in the past I have complained about this, I am now starting to appreciate his honesty and integrity when it comes to his job and his hard work. It has paid off with many unexpected bonuses and raises over the years, and it's obvious he is a value to his company. I am so proud to call him my husband and the father of my children. And he works hard because he wants to make sure his family is provided for and taken care of. It's his way of showing his love for us. And yet when we need him... when I need him... he is always there. Willing to work from home so I can have help with the kids, coming home early when I am especially emotional or just taking time away to listen to me vent. I love him so much for that.

I wanted to do something extra special for him this year. I saved up a little bit of money so I could for once buy him something nice since he is always getting me nice things. So I did a little bit of research and found him a grill... not the biggest and the best but something that would definitely last us 5-7 years. You see Adam loves to be creative with his culinary skills- and he definitely has a talent. He was mentioned here and there that he would love a grill but never would have expected me to get one for him.

So this is kind of funny. I also got him a grilling tool set, a grill brush to clean the grill, a lighter, and an apron that the kids and I ruined made for him. Those were the gifts we had him open first. We did this all on Friday when he got home from work because we knew we would be in a rush on Sunday morning since church starts at 9am. I hate to say it but I'm not always the best gift giver and so when Adam opened these gifts he was a little confused and thought it was a prank. But the kids and I were so excited!









Finally we told him we had one last gift for him and we took him outside. "It all makes sense now!!" he said revealing he really did think these were all gag gifts. He LOVED the grill. It made me so happy to see him enjoy this gift this much!



He seriously deserved it. We love you so much Adam/Daddy!!

We LOVE Daddy!

I have felt extra grateful lately for Adam... I know I have been nothing but a leaky faucet lately but he's really tried to be the best husband and father he can be. When I got home from Arizona, I was noticing a little bit more than usual about how sweet and gentle he is with the kids. They have even seemed to form a special bond... and my heart has been touched. And so we got out the chalk to pay him tribute and tell the world (or at least our neighbors) how much we love him.



We had to pay our tribute to UK basketball too... I had butterflies for the final four game against UCONN and was so heartbroken when they lost... such a close game that had me at the edge of my seat the whole time!

Girls trip to Atlanta

I have no pictures whatsoever to show for it. But when you're having so much fun, you sometimes don't have enough time to pull out the camera. Besides, when you have 2 photographers going on a trip together, sometimes you just don't WANT to pull out the camera.

Kasey came into town over the weekend :) We actually made it to Neville's birthday party this year on Saturday- and it was a really really awesome pirate party! I am waiting on photos from Kasey to do a blog post about it- but let me just say Joselyn got her own pirate outfit, went on a fun treasure hunt and got a treasure chest to fill with her treasures! (and candy to her hearts desire). Of course it's always fun to hang out while the kids play, but moms need some girlfriend time every once in a while. And it had been a while for the both of us.

So after the kids were in bed on Sunday night we hopped in my Cherokee and drove 6 hours to Atlanta for a photographer's conference- and a much needed girlfriends trip! We talked the whole way (not sure how Kasey managed to stay awake with me or how I even stayed awake) and arrived at 3:00 am on Monday morning. We were up before 7 to start getting ready for the day. Well, Kasey was. I slept in a little past 7. We heard some wonderful speakers and some so so ones but came away inspired and ready to take our photography businesses to the next level! 

And what would a girlfriends trip be without a little shopping? It wouldn't! We spent a little time at the mall there in Atlanta and stayed a little past closing at baby gap sorting through amazingly cheap baby clothes. We then left the mall with empty rumbling stomachs. Japanese sounded good... but then Kasey suggested Thai. Why didn't I think of that? And it's good she did, because the restaurant we found just happened to be open and happened to serve authentic SOMTAM- a Thai dish I had been craving since I left my mission!! It's so hard to find because of the unripe papaya that they use to make this salad. But it was such a treat. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now.

We went back to the hotel with FULL stomachs and peace of mind knowing we wouldn't have kids waking us up in the morning! Go figure- I still woke up at 7am. But I got to lay in bed without having to worry about much of anything. SOOOO nice.

On the way home we decided to stop by the Outlets. It was a little out of the way, but a few of the shops were too enticing to miss- such as the Pottery Barn Outlet. WE shopped our little hearts out and it was fun. Our children will be well outfitted this fall, winter and spring without a doubt!

After the shopping we were ready to see our husbands and kids again. With 6 hours ahead of us, we put our trust in the GPS to get us home. Wouldn't you know the GPS was feeling like going the scenic route. It was pretty, that's for sure, but I felt like I was driving on a race track. Or a car commercial. The roads were very curvy and I'm quite certain that Kasey thought I would kill her at least a few times. So I had to slow down a little bit and it took us a lot longer to get home. We talked about all sorts of things, and then sometimes poor Kasey just listened to me sing to some Country tunes.

We finally got back to I-75 and were on the way back home to our husbands and kids. It was a great trip. I loved having uninterrupted girl time with the greatest friend ever. And shopping. And learning about photography- since that really was the reason I went.

But when I got home I hugged Adam tight. I knew this wasn't easy for him. He took off 2 days from work just to watch the kids while I was gone and never once complained. I'd like to tell you that this is how he always is, but this was actually something kind of new for me. He's not necessarily always complaining, he just doesn't like doing everything by himself- and I don't blame him really! I know how he feels! But he never even mentioned how hard it was or how the kids were giving him a hard time. All throughout my trip he'd send little videos to my phone of the kids being happy and playing. They made me smile so big. Then when I walked in the door everything was neat and picked up- even our room! And some boxes were unpacked! That's love. I really felt so loved. And so grateful for a husband who would sacrifice so much just so that I could go somewhere with a friend who I don't see nearly enough and have some fun.

Happy Birthday Adam!

Untitled from Marissa Noe on Vimeo.

Yesterday was Adam's --th birthday! (he's 6 years older than I am if you really want to know!) I wanted to make it special this year... nothing extravagant, but something a little over-the-top that he wouldn't expect. You see, Adam really doesn't like to be put on the spot. And that's exactly what me, Landen and Joselyn did- and it was great :) In the end I think he really loved it though.

Our big plan all revolved around Adam going to work. Sometimes he stays home from work, and he almost did... but we got lucky when he decided he should probably go in. As soon as he left we got to work. After we put Landen down for a nap, Joselyn and I got to making cupcakes to take to work and surprise him with. I usually don't let her help me with stuff like this. I am kind of OCD about things getting done right. But I've been trying to change my mind lately and letting her experience things and make a few messes. It really doesn't hurt things in the end, anyway. She helped me with every little bit and LOVED it. She even helped me do the dishes afterward and did such a GREAT job putting all the silverware in the right places! I'm definitely going to be using her help more often!

Here she is helping me make the cupcakes:

making daddy's cake from Marissa Noe on Vimeo.

The outcome:

I must admit I had a lot of fun trying to make them look cute! (for guys who could probably have cared less! oh well! Fun for me)

When Landen woke up, we went out and got some balloons and headed over to Adam's work to surprise him. Boy was he surprised! He wasn't expecting it at all- and it's hard not to make a big scene with our kids. They were saying hi to every person walking in and out of the doors at ACS. The security guards were getting a kick out of them.

The balloon that you can't see is a superman happy birthday balloon. Gotta love it!

WE then went home and I put both the kids down for their afternoon nap and I got busy preparing for the "birthday party" for Adam which included making a cake and decorating. I didn't go ALL out, but the kids helped me pick out a banner, and funky sunglasses and noise makers.

-a quick story about the noise makers-

When we were at Wal-mart getting all the stuff, Joselyn opened the noise maker package and started making lots of noise. Landen had never heard such a thing and was cracking up! It was the cutest thing ever! I love listening to them laugh with each other!

Ok. Anyway, cake was nothing fancy. Regular store bought cake, but I mixed oreos with hot fudge sauce for the middle. We ordered his favorite Donatos pizza (which was an adventure in of itself) for dinner and the cake was SUPER yummy! Here are some pictures of our little party :)

 

We love Adam aka Daddy so much. He works so very hard for our little family to makes ends meet and to make us happy. What he does is never extravagant but it's the many little things he does each and every day that add up and let us know how much he loves us. I love his simple ways of saying "I love you" through his actions. He is a very kind person and rarely has a bad thing to say about anyone. I seriously don't know anyone who has as big of a heart as he does. We have been blessed so much because he was born into this world!

The Flu has taken over the Noe Family

(a long probably very boring documentation of the last few days with the swine flu- mostly for history's sake)

Now that my own sickness is behind me, it's easy for me to say "it wasn't that bad". But my husband will tell you that I curled myself up into a ball, moaned and groaned and complained that "I have never felt so terrible in my life." And that pretty much is the truth. I didn't move for 3 days.

It started on Sunday morning. It was the first time I had fasted on fast Sunday since I had my 2 babies, but I was kind of excited for it. I immediately didn't feel good, but attributed it to the fact that I hadn't eaten breakfast and that my body wasn't used to it. I started to get a little cough... it's because I haven't drank water, I told myself. As the day went on, I felt worse and worse. When we got home from church I was feeling terrible. I got some food in my belly but still felt terrible- so I took a nap. When I woke up, I asked Adam if I felt hot and he said no, but I felt like I had a fever so I took my temperature- 101.5. From that point on, Adam started taking care of the kids because I just couldn't.

Chills, fatigue, cold sweats, cough, body ache. All symptoms of the flu... I started wondering if I had it. I don't think I've ever really had the real flu. I've had colds here and there and got really sick once or twice in Thailand, but never really had the flu. At least not like this. I started wondering if I had the swine flu, and started asking questions about it on facebook. A family I had taken pictures for last Friday let me know that they, along with the bride's family also had the same symptoms and were going to be checked for Swine Flu. So I decided to wait for their results before going in myself.

Tuesday morning rolled around and I knew I wouldn't be able to take care of the kids without getting them sick (and I didn't have the strength anyway) so my sweet mother-in-law said she would take them for me all day while Adam went into work. I curled up under some blankets on the couch and watched "Uptown Girls" (a favorite movie of mine- so sweet) 2 times in a row. I had wanted to get some stuff done that day, but had no energy whatsoever. It was mid-afternoon when I found out that the other families had tested positive for the swine flu. So Adam took me to a walk-in clinic. my temperature was 102.4 and I immediately tested positive for type A flu virus (97% of which is swine flu according to the government website) I wasn't really too worried for myself- the swine flu isn't necessarily worse than regular flu as far as symptoms go, but is HIGHLY contagious because of it's newness in nature. So I worried about my children. It was decided that they, along with Adam, would stay at my in-laws that night so that we could hopefully keep them from getting the flu as well. I was also prescribed Tamiflu to help ease the symptoms.

Adam was so sweet and wonderful and helpful during this whole ordeal. I know it was not easy for him- he had work to worry about as well as some online classes. But he took such great care of me and the kids. He put them to bed by himself and fed them and got them ready. I really really came to appreciate him so much more and all the sacrifices he was making for his family.

Wednesday morning, Adam called to say that Joselyn was feeling hot. My heart just sank. Even though we had taken precautions she still got it. Landen was still doing fine as was Adam. Adam took her in to the doctor. Joselyn also had the flu. She came home to me and I got to cuddle on the couch with her for the first time in 2 days. Although I felt terrible that she was sick, I had really really missed holding her. Landen was still my the in-laws and Adam went back to work. We decided that we would bring Landen home that evening and he would sleep upstairs with Adam in our room and I would sleep downstairs on the couch. I was starting to feel somewhat better. I was taking care of Joselyn, because we wanted to try and keep Adam from getting the flu too. Adam was doing all that he could to keep himself from getting it as well. I laughed so hard when I caught him spraying his legs with Lysol after Joselyn sneezed near him.

You can probably guess what happened Thursday morning. Landen woke up with a fever. Fortunately, we didn't have to take him in. Our doctor told us to call him if he started showing any symptoms, and he called in some Tamiflu for Landen. Landen had RSV when he was really little, so I was especially worried about him having the flu. He acted very strange to me... his neck would get limp and he would almost fall back into me and I thought he was breathing pretty strange. I even finally made Adam take him in to get checked just to be safe- but his breathing was normal. Peace of mind. Thursday night was awful. I was up for the challenge of not getting any sleep- I had had plenty since Sunday. But I wasn't prepared for Landen to wake up every 15-20 minutes. I laid him next to me in bed and comforted him as much as I could but nothing was working and it scared me once again. So we called the Dr on call. I was in hysterics... had to repeat myself so many times because she could not understand me through my sobs and tears. She finally suggested we try letting him sleep in his car seat. We really should have thought of that- we did that often with Joselyn. It worked like a charm. He slept pretty well the rest of the night.

It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who woke up with a fever this morning... we thought he was going to be the strong one to avoid the flu, but it was inevitable- he had taken care of all three of us at one point or another. The good thing was that I was feeling SO MUCH better so I was finally able to take on the role of nurturer. And it felt good to be the one taking care of people.

**Then again, people WERE still taking care of me. My sweet friend Kasey, who I have been dying to see for months, who is visiting from NM with her little boy who turns 2 tomorrow, dropped some Chick-fil-a breakfast off on our front porch this morning. Then for lunch, we recieved Backyard Burger from my in-laws (not to mention the casseroles and cobbler she dropped off that Monday)**

My day was trying so hard to be bad, but I couldn't help but enjoy every minute with my children, who with medicine in their bodies didn't act very sick at all. When dinner time came around, it should have been the last straw. As I opened a jar of carrots for Landen, it all exploded onto my clothes. And then as he sat there eating, he pooped- which poop started leaking out his diaper. Since Adam was out of commission, I took Joselyn and poopy Landen both upstairs for a bath by myself. Joselyn played contently but Landen wanted nothing to do with a bath. He screamed and screamed. I for once didn't get impatient with him or feel frustrated. I understood how he must have been feeling. I dressed him up, made him a bottle and put him to bed. He fell asleep immediately. Joselyn screamed and screamed and kicked in the bath when it was her turn but I remained calm and didn't get upset like I usually would. My clothes were soaking wet and she hadn't even sat down in the water. It's ok- they were already orange from the carrot explosion. Once I got her out of the tub and into PJs she calmed down and I laughed at the sight of myself- and so did Adam.

I really do usually try to see the bright side of things when trials come along- but getting the flu this time around has really opened my eyes to the blessings that surround me. I know it's corny as can be, but for today I will not complain as I get up over and over again to help my babies and husband. I actually enjoy it today. Immensely. I love them so much. I'm so lucky to have them. I'm so lucky to be on my way to being healthy again.

To any of you suffering from the flu or wanting to find out how to avoid it, this is a really good informative website put together by the government:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Happy Birthday to the one I love the most!

Today was Adam's 34th birthday. As I look back, it's crazy that we're both getting older and so are our children. Growing up can be a tough thing! But as I age, I hope I age like Adam because he seems to get better with time. I'm so lucky to have him in my life. To celebrate all the reasons why I love him, here's a little video I put together:

Adam Birthday from Marissa Noe on Vimeo.

I had originally planned a big day for him yesterday, but things got a little busy and so we ended staying home, ate PF Changs in our living room, celebrated with some chocolate cheesecake and enjoyed a nice evening together.

I also have been working on another little present for Adam. Let me give a little background first.

Ever since I have known Adam he has driven either a Toyota Tacoma or a Jeep Wrangler. He's owned 2 Tacomas and 4 Jeep Wranglers. He is a big Jeep fan. Loves the rugged manliness of it I guess. So although he was driving a Tacoma when I first met him, he was soon driving a Navy Blue Jeep Wrangler.

I have so many memories of driving with the top down in the summer- and the doors off. So much fun. But when you drive around without the doors and top on, it can get a little chilly. So one year I made him his very first Jeep Blanket. I got some fleece that matched his Jeep and my mom added a customer patch to complete it. It was probably the best present ever in his eyes. He still uses that blanket to this day as he watches TV... or while he takes a nap.

(there he is taking a little nap with his Navy Jeep blanket)

His next Jeep was a silver one- used - that we bought when we first got married.

But he really had his eye on a Jeep Rubicon... since we were doing well (at the time!) we decided that we would get him his dream vehicle- a Jeep Rubicon in Jeep Green. (not saying it was smart, but I really wanted him to have it) She was a beauty. (this was my favorite one!)

Well, last year we traded that one in to try and get a lower payment and bought a Black Jeep Rubicon.

Since this guy is going to be with us for quite a while, I decided a new Jeep Blanket was in order. So that's what I got Adam for his birthday. A black/Jeep Green blanket lovingly made by me :)

He LOVED it, and I'm so glad :)