The Daily Adventures of Aly

Summer...

2011-09-08T19:09:00.007-05:00

This summer we traveled to California. Mike was fortunate to participate in an IT Conference so when it was over, Aly and I flew over to meet him. This was Aly's first flying experience!

We stayed for a week at a cottage in the beautiful Monterey Bay area. We were a block away from the beach :) During our stay we took a train ride to see the Redwood trees, visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, played at the Beach, investigated the tide pools, drove the Seventeen Mile Drive, walked the bike path, shopped at the local stores and watched the sun set.

Change The World!

2011-05-15T18:55:00.003-05:00

This weekend was the Change The World weekend where Methodist churches across the country get together to do just that - change the world :) So, this weekend, Aly and I decided to focus on helping the environment in the Tipp City community.

Yep, we cleaned the ditch! Aly with her ripped pants and rain boots and me with my frizzy hair and old tennis shoes, we walked the ditch and picked up all the trash we could find. Unfortunately, there wasn't that much trash, but gathering a little is better than gathering none!

A Favorite Pastime - Rocks & Water

2011-05-15T18:36:00.007-05:00

This past April Aly has found a new love - Bull Run Ditch!

One day Mike took her to check out the water and rocks in the ditch in search of new things. As kids, we all loved to find new treasures - especially pretty looking rocks. So as you can image, Aly's rock collection is growing. Almost everyday she wants to go play in the ditch and of course, she has had many wet clothes and soaking shoes. We finally bought a pair of rain boots, but still, those get stuck in the mud and somehow water fills her boot :) But no matter what, she continually asks to go play in the ditch.
As you can see from the pictures, she enjoys it. She even takes her "net" with her to fish for rocks :)
Maybe one day she will be an environmental scientist.

For now, I am just happy that she leaves the moss in the ditch...

Ready for the Deer!

2011-05-15T18:28:00.003-05:00

As you can see, we feed the deer :) Throughout the winter months, we try to leave some food in hopes that if "we feed them, they will come". Unfortunately, we haven't seen very many, but it doesn't hurt to try! Aly has always enjoyed picking the corn off the cob and leaving a trail of yellow.

Icy Sledding Hill

2011-02-04T20:46:00.000-05:00

The Wehrley's came over for some ice sledding fun on Schellhouse hill. Notice most of the kids, including Aly in the pink suit, are going down without a sled. We had soooo much fun!

Skating Party...

2011-02-04T20:38:00.001-05:00

2010 12 10 068
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Back in mid December Grandpa Denny came through yet again on the Hobart Holiday Kids Skate Party. Man your buckets and get to scooting!

Aly saw Santa prior to skating and just happened to run into him at the Night Sky in Troy at lunch time. We about had an issue there... :)

Busy October

2010-11-04T19:51:00.003-05:00

From the Annual Cookout to Mommacita's business trip to weddings to Halloween, October kept us very busy.

This year's cookout was really warm. Last year we had to have a deck heater, this year... shorts! :)

Kelly traveled to New Orleans for work. Gone four days. Wind storms caused some juggling of flights on the way home but everything worked out well in the end.

Two weddings this month. Congratulations to Uncle Butch and Ruth Ann as well as Uncle Jeremy and Brandy. Gonna be honest, don't think I ever really pictured Jeremy a married man but after the wedding, everything felt right! Good Times!

Halloween was really nice. Typically one of us is under the weather but not this year. Also we typically have Grandpa Denny and Grandma Chris over but they were in Holmes County. Even still, we had a really nice time. Aly really only got scared one time and well... the guy was pretty creepy!

Photo is one of Aly's 4 yr old shots. Yes we are late getting ready for print but at least we got the photos taken in June. :)

2010 07 05 173
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

A Trip to the Cincy Zoo

2010-10-29T14:36:00.003-05:00

Aly and Mommacita went to the Cincinatti Zoo to look at all the cool animals - luckily we got to hear a real lion roar and we got to see the funny looking rhinos. Aly's favorite animal - the giraffe :) The Columbus Zoo no longer has giraffes, so we thought we would check them out in Cincinnati.

Here is a great picture of Aly hanging out with the alligator...and no, it's not real!

Smoky Mountains 2010

2010-09-06T18:10:00.003-05:00

This year's trip to The Smokies was bigger just about any way you slice it. More family (11 up from 7), bigger cabin, longer stay (1 additional day) and an impressive list of wildlife (wild bears, snail w/ a cool shell, wild turkeys, frog, tadpoles, raccoon, salamander and deer).

Kelly's favorite was the bears.

My favorite was the go carts. Aly had a blast on them too, giggling on every squeal of the tires. Couple photos of us 'tearing up the track' in the slideshow!

Aly's favorite favorite favorite was the bears and her regular favorite was the pool/playground at the cabin resort. :)

Short clips of our bear sightings:
1. Look at the bears #1
2. Look at the bears #2
3. Look at the bears #3

The 2010 Miami County Fair

2010-09-06T17:01:00.007-05:00

Another great year at the Miami County Fair!! We had lots of fun seeing animals, riding rides, and spending time with family.

This year, Aly was very interested in the straw maze, learned how to make a paper rocket, loved going fast on the Alligator ride, and ate more than her body weight!

More pictures to enjoy...Check out Flickr for more!

Myrtle Beach

2010-09-06T16:52:00.004-05:00

This year we decided to drive to Myrtle Beach, SC. We made great time getting down there until the rain let loose. But, once we got there, we became beach bums :) During our trip, we collected sea shells, swam in the pools, played adventure golf, saw an alligator during dinner, and best of all - made sand castles!

Here are a couple of pictures...enjoy!

Here Comes the Sun...

2010-09-06T16:51:00.001-05:00

The Princess Turns 4

2010-09-06T16:47:00.002-05:00

Aly turned 4 this year! Wow, time does go by fast!

Aly requested a Princess Party, so we decorated the place and even had a princess pinata! She received lots of cool gifts - thanks to everyone that came!!

More Summer Fun!

2010-09-06T16:46:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun!

2010-09-06T16:43:00.002-05:00

Aly explored all summer long... I bet you can't see the dirt between her eyes!

A Preschool Graduation...and the Zoo too!

2010-09-06T16:35:00.004-05:00

At the end of the school year, Aly officially graduated from her preschool class and has moved on to bigger and better things :) Ginghamsburg held a preschool and childcare graduation - we Grandma Chris, Grandma Wilma, and Mommacita and Poppacita went to celebrate. Afterward, Mommacita and Poppacita took Aly to the Columbus Zoo - fun was had by all that day!

A Wedding...and a Flower Girl

2010-09-06T16:18:00.003-05:00

This year Aly was asked to be the flower girl in Tom and Jennifer's wedding. Besides the bride and groom, Aly was the star of the show! She did a great job walking down the aisle...and during the ceremony, she dropped her entire basket of petals and couldn't sit still...but other than that, she looked beautiful!

Congrats to Tom and Jennifer!

Winter 2010

2010-09-06T16:12:00.002-05:00

The snow began to fall in February in Ohio. This year we took advantage of our snowhill and went sledding as often as we could. Aly loved the snow, but as usual, could only stand to be outside for a while.

During all this snow, Mommacita began a new full-time job. The change was difficult on Aly and her, but they got through it with flying colors :) Now, Aly goes to school full time - and loves it! Even though her school class wasn't allowed to play in the snow, Aly told us several times how she sneaked over and touched it!

Christmas 2009 Adventures...

2010-09-06T16:09:00.002-05:00

During our holiday break, we ventured to the NewPort Aquarium. We had a great time with some friends checking out the fish, turtles, otters, and sharks.

Here is one of my favorite pictures of Aly during our adventure.

Christmas 2009

2010-09-06T15:56:00.004-05:00

Well, time has flown right by! Christmas and the New Year got away from us...so fast that we haven't posted anything new since last year!

Here is a picture of Aly opening her presents at Christmas. Will post more pictures soon...

Measure Twice... Cut Once!

2009-12-21T08:18:00.003-05:00

Aly and Mommacita are at it again this holiday season. This year started out with a locomotive. After a portion didn't survive the great stairway crash of 2009, they opted to build a house too! Both are in the slideshow below. Compare 2009 craftsmanship to 2008 here: Hammer and Nails not Required!

Hobart Children's Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-21T08:04:00.006-05:00

Grandpa Denny signed Aly and Patrick up for the children's Christmas Party at Hobart again this year. It is held at none other than HOBART ARENA in Troy! :) Check out the short video below of Aly scooting around the ice. Also, hit this link for a bit of a flashback after watching the video... Chaos On Ice 2008 -aka- Hobart children's Christmas Party!

First Snow of the season!!!

2009-12-21T07:55:00.001-05:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-09T20:21:00.004-05:00

This year, Aly was feeling a bit "under the weather" on Beggar's Night. She did make it to preschool in her costume but had to come home early because she simply didn't feel well. That evening, grandma and grandpa came over and we did manage to make it to the firehouse and around a few blocks! Look out next year!

Bear Cave

2009-11-09T20:15:00.002-05:00

Aly and Mommacita go to Miami County Parks District outing called Nature Time for Toddlers a good bit. At the beginning of fall this year, instructions were to bring a stuffed teddy bear. As you can see in the slide show, they collected items at the park and proceeded to glue them to their bear cave! I thought it was a really neat idea!

2009 YS Street Fair / Apple Butter Festival

2009-11-09T20:02:00.003-05:00

2009 10 10 057
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

One of the traditions we have started since Aly was born is to meet up with some friends of ours at the Apple Butter Festival for lunch. We also try to go to the Yellow Springs Street Fair. Sort of a ying/yang thing... Buy apple butter from Todd's mom and then go watch the belly dancers in yellow springs. :)

Links to previous street fair/apple butter festival posts:
Old
Older
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2009 Family Vacation

2009-09-12T20:59:00.003-05:00

2009 08 30 011
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

For this year's family vacation we headed to the Great Smoky Mountains. We had a nice cabin that we shared with Grandma Chris, Grandpa Denny, Uncle Tim and Diane. Rita, Terry, and Patrick didn't stay in the same cabin as us but they were in town while we were there. There are quite a few pictures of our trip on Flickr. Click here to check them out.

Here is my favorite photo from our trip!

Welcome To The 2009 Miami County Fair

2009-09-09T07:41:00.002-05:00

We had a lot of fun this year at the county fair. Aly is tall enough now to ride the bulk of the kiddie rides and boy did she like it. On Kid's Day at the fair Aly and Kelly got ride bracelets, approximately 16 rides later, they were pooped! :) Lots of pictures in the slideshow below!

Also worth noting about the 2009 Miami County Fair:
* Aly did a great job at her very first kiddie tractor pull!
* Kelly placed with her super duper chocolate chip cookies
* Grandpa Denny was selected at Miami County's favorite farmer thanks to everyone depositing their spare change! :)

Preschool

2009-08-28T18:11:00.002-05:00

Over the summer Aly started attending Ginghamsburg Preschool two days a week. This fall she kept with the two day plan but explored options if Mommacita happens to land a full time job. Teachers changed but the room stayed the same! They are currently working through the alphabet and numbers and she learns a new bible verse every week. I think she knew most of the alphabet already but we have seen definite improvement in her fine motor skills. By that I mean her ability to draw shapes and whatnot. Most importantly though, she likes it... a lot! :)

A few photos from the first day of fall preschool...

...And We're Back!

2009-08-27T21:12:00.002-05:00

Ok, so it may have seemed like we dropped off the face of the earth. We just happened to get super duper busy with "things" and apparently the blog was on the "it can wait" list. I started uploading pictures from these past few months to Flickr and am going to try to pick up the blog from where we left off. So, after all the rambling her ya go. Farm Day at COSI slideshow!

We went with Grandma and Grandpa to COSI back in July. Lots of big farm equipment (all green of course), cool pedal tractors, a fake cow to milk and a cool game where you learned the key aspects of being a farmer. Oh yeah, there was all kinds of cool COSI stuff inside too! Check out the slideshow...

Checking Out Our Hotel Room

2009-06-29T04:11:00.004-05:00

Weekend Trip to Pittsburgh

2009-06-25T10:34:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we headed to Pittsburgh for a weekend away. It rained a bit on Saturday so we opted for the Children's Museum. Not too bad overall, but really no more special than Boonshoft. Sunday we headed to the zoo. Weather was perfect and the zoo was pretty good overall. Took a little while to get there. Reminded us a lot of the Cincy Zoo. Had some sort of Renaissance Day going on, so there were people all around dressed a bit different than you might expect. Slideshow below...

Memorial Day 2009

2009-06-07T12:35:00.001-05:00

Spent most of our day in Fletcher at Uncle Butch's house with family and friends! Good Times!!!

Graduation Day!!!

2009-05-20T07:39:00.004-05:00

Saturday was the day! After many weekends spent in the Queen City and countless hours spent studying, Kelly received her M.Ed in Human Resource Development.

Aly and I are responsible for the slideshow! Got a few from the after graduation dinner in there as well..

Schellhouse Aviary

2009-04-26T18:24:00.005-05:00

2009 04 26 001
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

So last weekend we bought some really nice flowers for our the hanging baskets that we put on the front porch. Little did we know that the plants would be such a good place to lay down roots. (corny?!?!? :) ) Well, the red finch's hanging around our house have managed to nest in two of the three baskets.

We have tried to make their stay less welcome by frequenting the front porch. If anything they seem to welcome the company. So today Poppacita took plastic easter eggs courtesy of Grandpa Jim's egg hunt (camouflage color of course!) and proceeded to fill their nest. Time will tell I guess...

Picture: Aly holding back the leaves on one of our thirsty plants to show the egg! Not the most flattering photo but we went straight to summer here in Ohio so we are "dealing" with the heat!

ps - Two posts today... Don't forget to check out the one below. Kelly rocked on Saturday morning!

Old Path for New Path!

2009-04-26T18:13:00.002-05:00

2009 New Path 5k
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Saturday morning Kelly got to put her running workouts... well to work! She made a personal goal sometime this past winter that she wanted to significantly improve on her 2008 5k performance at the New Path 5k. Which she did by over 14 minutes! :) Final time was 30:31. She is already setting goals for the next one!

Yes, Aly and I strolled our way to a fun time too, including a door prize. Final time coming in just under 1 hour. Had a bit of a catastrophe when Poppacita couldn't find her sunglasses mid "race" but all was well in the end!

Picture: Getting ready to head home. Everyone else is either long gone or inside trying to scarf down their entry fee's worth of bagels and muffins!

Overnighter!

2009-04-19T19:16:00.004-05:00

2009 04 17 002
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

With Kelly's graduation banquet fast approaching it was important to know how Aly would handle a night away from us AND home. Grandma and Grandpa agreed to a trial run this past Friday night and Aly had a great time. That said, it was very obvious when she returned home that everyone involved was beat! It also appears that her understanding of the word "NO" seems to fade dramatically in less than 24 short hours. We are slowly coming back to our previous level of understanding. So if you happen to run into us in a public place in the next few days, please bear with us! :)

Picture: Aly is packed and ready to head out. She went shopping earlier in the week for luggage and that is the bag she picked... :)

Haircut #2 -or- Hangin' With Cousin Patrick!!!

2009-04-12T19:59:00.001-05:00

First Ride of '09

2009-04-12T19:39:00.002-05:00

2009 04 11 005
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Saturday we ventured out to the new bike path for the first time of 2009 and the very first time we have used the new tipp city <-> troy bike path. Very cool to be able to hop on our bikes from the garage and head to Troy without worrying about traffic! Along the way we spotted a few turtles sun bathing and took a second to snap this photo. We made Troy City Park our turn around point so Aly got ~ 30 minutes on the playground equipment. The wind was a little tough but we had a great time!

Lions, Tigers and Bears...

2009-03-13T06:47:00.002-05:00

2009 03 07 015
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

This past Saturday we took advantage of temps in the 60s and headed to Columbus Zoo. Having never been to the zoo in winter other than to see the Christmas lights, I must say we were a bit disappointed at the number of exhibits that were closed due to the season. I guess when the temp is hovering around 0 and its dark, you don't noticed the CLOSED signs quite as much! :) We still had a great time though. Aly behaved herself pretty well and walked the majority of the time. Being "stroller free" at the zoo was nice, I have to admit.

Picture: Nearing the end of our visit, Aly was traveling coach! :)

Haircut!!!

2009-02-12T21:34:00.001-05:00

2009 02 06 008
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Last weekend Aunt Rita cut Aly's hair!!! It really wasn't getting any longer in the back and needed some attention. This was the first time her hair was cut other than trimming her bangs.

THANKS AUNT RITA!!!

Sledding!!!

2009-01-31T19:48:00.007-05:00

2009 sledding 4
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

With the snow we got this week, we simply had to hit Schellhouse Mountain! Poppacita even had a snow day on Wednesday so things were really lining up for us. So we bundled up and headed to the backyard... After two passes down the slopes, Aly was finished. She was cold and not having any fun. So we retired to the warmth of our "Chalet" and figured maybe Aly will be more excited next year....

Well, we found ourselves outside playing in the snow today (Aly was shoveling with one of her christmas presents!) and Poppacita decided he was going to make a few trips down. Aly decided to give it another go too. Not sure what the difference was this time but we had to make Aly go inside this time, she was having so much fun. So if you find yourself driving down Hyatt and happen to see a flash out of the corner of your eye, that might just be the Schellhouses "Going for a new amateur recreational saucer sled land speed record!" :)

Till Next Time...

Boonshoft Museum Visit

2009-01-21T07:57:00.004-05:00

Tuesday was a play day!!! We were debating on the Cincy Children's Museum or the Boonshoft Museum. After the previous night's tile project kept us busy until 2 am in the morning, we opted for the shorter drive and headed to the Boonshoft Museum in Dayton. It ended up being just like the Cincy Children's Museum, only smaller and less crowded. As you can see by the pictures in the slideshow, we had "hair raising" good time thanks to the slides and dry air...

Where Did Aly Go???

2009-01-05T08:05:00.001-05:00

Evening playtime when it's cold outside...

'Chaos on Ice 2008' aka Hobart Children's Christmas Party!

2008-12-21T18:48:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we took a little time in the morning to go to the Hobart Children's Christmas Party at... Hobart Arena in Troy! Grandpa Denny was cool enough to sign us up. We got some snack tickets and a free skate rental. As you can see by the photo, Aly has already ice skated more than Poppacita! :) She also got to have a chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Requests were made, candy canes were handed out! We had a great time, Thanks Grandpa!

In case we don't cross digital paths again until after the holiday, Merry Christmas everyone!

2008 12 20 003
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Christmas Craft Time!

2008-12-20T05:33:00.009-05:00

Last weekend we headed up to Houston, Ohio for a christmas lunch and.... CRAFT TIME!!!

Santa is coming!

2008-12-12T20:12:00.004-05:00

Aly has been pretty excited knowing that Santa will be here soon. She tells Mommy and Daddy that she has been a good girl so Santa will bring her toys. When I ask her what she wants for Christmas, she states "candy". But if we ask the right question at the right time, she answers with dolls, tractors, trains, and anything else on her mind at the moment (such as M & M's - thanks to Grandma and Grandpa!).

Picture - Aly is ready for Christmas!

We wish everyone a very, merry Christmas!

Hammer and Nails NOT Required!

2008-12-04T20:58:00.002-05:00

2008 12 03 001
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Yesterday, Kelly and Aly got to work building us a new home for the holidays. How cool is that?!?!? Kelly said there was only one flare up... which was quickly settled after picking up all the little balls off the floor that you currently see stuck to the house...

Till Next Time

2008 Troy Christmas Tree Lighting

2008-11-29T20:10:00.002-05:00

After grabbing a bite to eat at Culver's with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Rita and Patrick, we headed to downtown Troy to see the Christmas parade along with the tree lighting. Santa made an appearance but we didn't get a good look at him this time. Apparently the ladder truck that he rode in on last year was being used, for a fire!!!

Taming A Black Bear!

2008-11-29T20:02:00.004-05:00

After a lengthy battle that played out in the living room, dining room and even the kitchen...

2008 11 27 003
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Turkey Day... 2008 Edition!

2008-11-29T19:49:00.002-05:00

We had lunch at Grandpa Jim's house followed up with more turkey at our place. Poppacita was bound and determined to get everyone sitting at the same table. It worked out for the most part. :)

till next time...

Getting Ready For Turkey Day!

2008-11-21T05:50:00.004-05:00

The past two weeks we have been painting the dining room. Basically just pecking away at it in the evenings after work. Got a little help on painting the trim from a friend this week which was great! Working on getting the house ready for the very first Barbee-Mullen Thanksgiving In Tipp! :)

Picture: Nothing really connected to Turkey Day or painting, just my favorite "morning face" picture! :)

Till Next Time...

2008 11 13 018
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Birthday Party Weekend

2008-11-20T05:48:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we had two great birthday parties!

1. Saturday we went to Englewood for a party for Aly's cousin. It was at an indoor inflatables place which was a lot of fun. Poppacita and Mommacita even got in and bounced around for a while. Lots of kids!

2. Sunday was a surprise party for Aly's Great Grandmother, Wilma. She turned 80 last Wednesday. It was our job to get her there without giving up the secret so we headed to Bob Evans for lunch. After lunch we just happened to take the long way home and go right by the Ostrich Farm, which I have spoken about in previous posts. Anyways, she had no idea what was up until she walked in the door. She even teared up a bit... :)

Brrr.....

2008-11-17T10:01:00.002-05:00

Our Indian Summer weather has moved east and we are adjusting to the crisp cool late fall weather. Aly may not like it, but she isn't going to let it keep her from going outside! :)

Just in case you were wondering... No, she does NOT like wearing her mittens!

Tree...Down!

2008-11-09T16:37:00.001-05:00

Tree...Down!
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

2008 was a good year for the Schellhouse fruit trees. Nice mild spring I guess. So good, in fact, that the "dead" peach tree actually produced a few peaches to go along with it's nine leaves! :) Well, it had a good run but Saturday, the peach tree fell! At the hand of Poppacita!

We will be having a small ceremony (cremation obviously) on Thanksgiving around our little fire pit... ;)

Take Care!

Trick -or- Treat

2008-10-31T05:21:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a pretty long week. Aly has been battling a nasty bug since Monday night. Mommacita went through the same thing Wednesday night. So while we did manage to go trick -or- treating last night, it wasn't quite the same. Luckily the weather was nice enough that we could still let Aly go though. The cool part... cousin Patrick was up from Fort Knox in his monkey suit to snag some candy with us! It's all in the slideshow...

Pumpkin Carving Time!!!

2008-10-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

Fire Station Open House

2008-10-15T11:48:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon we walked up to the fire station to check things out! They had some neat trucks (check out the slideshow) and even a little activity where Aly got to put out a fire (video will be up soon). Good Times!

Saturday Festival Fun!

2008-10-15T04:28:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday we headed to Greene County for TWO festivals: 1. Apple Butter Festival in Enon 2. Yellow Springs Street Fair.

We had a nice time at both. At the Apple Butter festival we met up with some friends that live over that way. At the Street Fair we ran into some of Poppacita's extended family.

Neatest thing we saw all day, two musicians in authentic garb playing a song that sounded like it was straight from the movie, Braveheart! Pretty cool!

Slideshow of pictures below. Note, treehugging that took place at the street fair by Aly was completely unprovoked. Apparently it is in the air over there! :)

2008 Mum Festival Souvenir

2008-10-06T19:18:00.002-05:00

Title says it all... :)

2008 09 28 004
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Friday Night Football Fun!

2008-10-06T19:06:00.005-05:00

hangin' out at the house
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Aly's cousin James was selected to be in his high school's homecoming court so we headed up north(west) to show a little support. After watching the homecoming parade it was off to the football field. Aly was a little chilly but she had loads of fun!

Till Next Time...

2008 Mum Festival Parade

2008-09-27T13:18:00.001-05:00

Flower Power '08

2008-09-26T18:20:00.004-05:00

This weekend is the 50th anniversary of the Tipp City Mum Festival. The city blocked off Main St. from First St. to Hyatt St. and a block on each side of Main St. They seem to have a good turn out. Though I have very little experience to base that on! Unfortunately, mommacita has class this weekend so it was just the two of us tonight. We are expecting some visitors for the parade tomorrow, which should be a fun time! I am sure we will snap some more pictures...

Nursery Rhymes

2008-09-21T11:38:00.003-05:00

Aly picked these up from story time. Little sponge! :)

We Turned a Corner Last Week...

2008-09-15T09:01:00.002-05:00

Aly has been working towards some new "clothes." As you can see by her potty chart in the picture, she got pretty serious around Monday of last week.

Labor Day Weekend Post #3

2008-09-03T19:20:00.001-05:00

Short video of Aly signing off after three nights/four days at Hammond's Camp near Burnside, KY.

Labor Day Weekend Post #2

2008-09-03T18:50:00.002-05:00

We headed out Saturday morning around 7:30 am. After a little drama in the driveway (Poppacita's new routine, circling the vehicle before backing up) we headed down I-75. It's just a couple turns, right? :)

The cabins were nice. Some were being remodeled so we chose the nicest of the set. All in all, I think everyone was glad they went for the ride. Pretty much everyone. :)

We had our fair share of campfire cooking, hillbilly golf, four wheeler rides, flower picking walks, Diagnosis Murder on satellite tv, mosquito bites and even a box turtle that we weren't able to keep around long enough to name.

Bring on the slideshow...

Labor Day Weekend Post #1

2008-09-03T18:38:00.004-05:00

This Labor Day weekend we decided to get some of the family together for a weekend getaway. After balking at holiday weekend rental rates for a place to accommodate seven adults and two children, we opted for a set of cabins that a family friend owns. Location... Daniel Boone National Forest. Check out the map below. In the woods, you say??? How about 45 minutes away from any resemblance of civilization! The deck off the main cabin overlooks the Cumberland River. Slideshow blog coming up next....

View Larger Map

Festival of Nations and a Booster Seat...

2008-08-19T20:29:00.004-05:00

After Saturday's party we headed into Troy for a little shopping and ran smack dab into the Festival of Nations. Before we could partake in the festivities we headed to Culver's where Aly ate her supper from a booster seat for the first time. She was likely more than capable of this months ago but her parents are a little nutty like that! :) After she got her belly full with grilled cheese we headed to the square in downtown Troy. Aly really enjoyed skipping around the square to to the music. We even saw a lady wearing wooden shoes! :)

Happy Birthday Cupcakes!

2008-08-19T20:24:00.003-05:00

Saturday we made the short trip to Aly's cousin's place for birthday fun. Amberlee turned 4 and Gwin turned 2. The girls seemed to like their present and the festivities. Aly seemed to like their old toys and the cupcake. Its all in the pictures!

Chillin at the Pool...

2008-08-19T20:22:00.003-05:00

Literally! Friday night we headed back to the Tipp City Pool for one last dip this summer. Our church was sponsoring a Last Splash party so why not. Well, one reason is that it wasn't really warm enough! :) Mommacita called Poppacita a wimp but Aly had the shivers too! :) We still had fun and are glad we went. Besides, check out the super cool giraffe visor that Aly got...

2008 08 15 004
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

2008 Miami County Fair

2008-08-18T18:26:00.003-05:00

Last week, in between trips to Jackson's Funeral Homes in Covington and Pleasant Hill, we went to the Miami County Fair.
Aly's Daily Highlights:
Saturday - Picked a ducky from the pond and won a keychain
Sunday - Watched cousin Kayla win first place / Saw cousin Patrick / Rode Carousel
Tuesday - Met a clown who twisted up a balloon flower with his BARE HANDS!
Wednesday - KIDS DAY AT THE FAIR! Made a doll / Made a bracelet / Saw Culver's Cone, Heater from the Dayton Dragons and Ronald McDonald / Got a free bike helmet / Saw Brookie / Showed a Grand Champion Farm Animal (Check the slideshow)
Thursday - Another spin on the Carousel / pulled another ducky from the pond and won a huge crayon!

Great Great Grandma Babe

2008-08-15T20:46:00.006-05:00

Sunday evening when we returned home from the family dinner at Chris and Denny's house for her late grandfather, I got a call that Aly's Great Great Grandmother had passed away at ~3:50pm that day. She was 97...
Poppacita's Great Grandma Babe memories:
* The pet parakeets she had through the years and how playful they were. She even taught one to talk!
* Easter egg hunts... Nothing but plastic eggs... nearly nothing but coins... "I'm the richest 4 year old in the world!"
* The individual slices of cake that she would wrap in saran wrap and put in the freezer. I think I would hit the fridge first and get to the "hello grandma" hugs second...
* The jiggling "exercise machine"example picture
* Her disgust at what she initially thought was dirt on my right leg... :)

Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Sad Times...

2008-08-15T19:55:00.004-05:00

So it's been ten days since we checked in with you all... A long ten days. Last Friday at ~6:45 am Kelly found out that Grandpa Ralph had passed in the comfort of Chris and Denny's home.

Grandpa Ralph's Obituary (the shell casings in the photo are from the shots fired at his gravesite military service)

Slideshow below contains photos from Sunday night's family dinner gathering as well as shots from services...

Poppacita's Home Today...

2008-08-05T21:02:00.002-05:00

Kelly had an appointment for her new part-time job today so Poppacita came home before lunchtime to watch the little pumpkin!

Video just before nap time today...

Busy Saturday...

2008-08-02T20:54:00.002-05:00

We brought Grandpa Jim along for our visit to the 2nd Street Market today. We also decided to have breakfast there for the first time. Good stuff...

This afternoon it was off to the America's Largest Community of Brick Homes to do a little shopping...

After dinner this evening it was a trip to the park followed up by a quick trip down to the nature center to check out the river and get a pine cone for Aly! Slideshow below captures the nature center visit! Grass is tore up a bit because they are making progress on the bike path expansion. Woohoo!!!

The Pool

2008-07-29T17:55:00.003-05:00

On Sunday night, we headed to the Troy Aquatic Center for Farm Bureau Night. Aly has been talking about the "pool" ever since we played at the Tipp Aquatic Center so she was pretty excited. This time, she didn't want to play in her "floaty", but instead play with the splash balls that Grandma Chris brought (thanks Grandma!).

During the evening, Aly got to spend some quality time with Grandpa Denny while Mommacita and Poppacita enjoyed the water slides. Aly also got to spend some time with Aunt Jill playing in the kiddie pool. To top the evening off, ice cream was served! Aly enjoyed eating sprinkles with her ice cream!

Picture...Aly smiles with Grandma and Grandpa by the pool.

IMG_5229
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

New Family Ride... Same Tired Legs!

2008-07-27T14:03:00.005-05:00

(Link Happy Edition)
Today we drove down to Deeds Point and hopped on the Mad River Recreational Trail and headed east! At Eastwood Metropark we hopped on the Creekside Trail which continues east towards Beavercreek though we didn't quite make it that far. After Poppacita's ride yesterday morning, the turnaround point was Spinning Road bridge! :) It became apparent rather quickly that part of the reason Poppacita was dragging tail was because the path is a gradual incline the whole way out! :)

On our way back to Deeds Point we stopped at the Eastwood Park playground so that Aly could stretch her legs and hit a slide or two. She is becoming quite a climber as you can see in the slideshow! Notice the nervous parent in the photo as well! :)

Also... Tonight is the Farm Bureau swimming party in Troy! So more Sunday blogging to come!!!

Doing Laps...

2008-07-25T18:41:00.003-05:00

Completely unprovoked, Aly burning off some energy on a hot day late last week. Visor was all her too! :)

Thanks For Coming!

2008-07-23T07:12:00.003-05:00

Last evening Ben, Tara and Brookie came over to hang out and have a meal with us! :) Ben was kind enough to give Poppacita the grand tour of their new church downtown including his cool (literally) office after dinner. Aly and Brookie played in the back yard a bit and Brookie was the second visitor (the deer was first) to sample this year's apple crop. We even managed to pawn a trash bag full of "maternity stuff" onto Tara. For the record, taking a trash bag full of our stuff home with you is not a prerequisite for sharing a meal with us! :)

Hanging Out With Aunt Jill

2008-07-22T20:19:00.003-05:00

2008 07 20 020
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Sunday Aunt Jill was kind enough to come down and babysit while Mommacita and I went out for a couple hours. This is only the second time since Aly was born that we left her in the care of someone else while she was awake. Let's just say this time went much more smoothly! :) With the toys Jill brought and the promise of a C-O-N-E from DQ up the street, Aly was probably happy to see us be on our way! :)

We managed to do a little shopping, eat a light dinner and a not so light serving of Cold Stone! :)

Picture: Kelly putting Aly's hair up right before we left.

Backyard Exploration

2008-07-22T07:16:00.005-05:00

The Produce is looking pretty healthy at Schellhouse Gardens this year! :) The apple tree limbs are buckling under the weight with our resident deer's favorite snack. The grape vines are threatening to stretch the support wire to the ground. The tomato plants seem more like established bushes. (Too bad Poppacita didn't heed the spacing requirements, live and learn I guess). Our little pumpkin patch appears to be ready to take over the back side of the garage any day now. Even the peach tree, the tree that last summer we thought was completely lifeless has peaches on it! Now if we can just win the battle with the bugs we might have something to eat right from our own backyard!!!

Slideshow contains pictures from yesterday's backyard garden tour...

"The Pizza King" - #2

2008-07-13T19:37:00.004-05:00

2008 07 13 004
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

Howdy folks! Some of you may recall the Barbee shindig at Cassanos in Piqua on a cool Sunday evening last March. Well it wasn't exactly the same crew but we were just as motley! :) Plus, it was such a nice summer evening the three of us managed to take a bike ride around the loop in Piqua beforehand. Low humidity and lots of sun... doesn't get much better around here! :)

Picture roll call: Diane, Tim, Grandpa Denny, Grandma Chris (complete with bunny ears), Uncle Jody, Aunt Jill, Aly and Mommacita are down in front!

Till Next Time...

Biking Around the County!!!

2008-07-12T17:18:00.003-05:00

Today Aly and Poppacita headed out for a ride while Mommacita went south for her monthly visit to Musketeer land. We managed to stop at Duke Park and even take a spin in downtown Troy to play in the fountains. It's all in the video...

By the way, there was an older man on the bike path this morning that told Aly and I it might just cut loose around 10 am this morning, he was off by 15 minutes! :)

Indy Children's Museum!!!

2008-07-05T11:58:00.002-05:00

Since it was supposed to rain on Thursday of our trip we decided to stay indoors. Inside the doors of the Children's Museum that is! 5 floors of fun for Aly... and her parents! They had everything from a carousel to dinosaurs there. Aly seemed to like the Thomas the Train tables best. Poppacita's favorite was the neatest clock ever! Mommacita's favorites were probably the train displays and the Chihuly exhibit(she can always edit this if Poppacita is wrong :) ). Good Times!!!

Our Trip to the Indy Zoo!!!

2008-07-04T21:25:00.004-05:00

After consulting Weather.com, we were off to the Indy Zoo on Wednesday. It was supposed to be the nicer of the two days and boy did the meteorologists nail it! :)

We saw everything from a exciting dolphin show to a baby elephant to more butterflies than you could shake a net at! Aly even squeezed in two spins on the carousel. It's all in the pictures...

Hangin' Out in Indy...

2008-07-03T20:25:00.003-05:00

Howdy Howdy!!! We got back today from our little getaway to Indianapolis. Our main objectives were to hit the world class Children's Museum and the Indy Zoo. Both of which we accomplished!!! We will share the photos from those activities later though. Poppacita thought we could show the 'hangin' out' photos first...

Metropark Gardens!!!

2008-06-29T15:48:00.002-05:00

Today we headed to both Wegerzyn Gardens and Cox Arboretum, both of which are in the Five Rivers Metroparks system. Special bonus, it was just the second day that the Butterfly House was open at the arboretum. It was also picture day apparently but we managed to stay out of other people's snapshots! :)

Photos are from our Cox Arboretum visit today...

And We're Off...

2008-06-21T18:33:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week Poppacita decided to finally clean/tune up his bike. With all the other work/play that went on this spring, the bikes simply hadn't made it out of the garage. Anyways, after picking up some fresh cut flowers and cinnamon bread from the farmer's market in town we headed to the bike path in Troy. We managed to squeeze in some time at the playground at Duke Park (see pictures below) AND meet Papaw Jim at Wendy's for lunch. Happy Times!!!

TOAD!

2008-06-21T05:20:00.003-05:00

On more than one occasion we have come across a pudgy little toad near the garage. Some days Aly will even stand on the back step and call its name (yes, it's name is TOAD!) for it to come out, like we would call for Jack to come in from outside! :) Well, last night while watering the plants, Mommacita found where it lives. For that evening anyways...

Let's Go Already...

2008-06-18T22:18:00.003-05:00

After dinner each night
we go for a walk...
or we work in the yard...
or we simply play around the house...
Yesterday however, Aly had bigger plans for us!!!

The Mulberry Tree

2008-06-18T06:28:00.002-05:00

Full Disclosure: Aly and Mommacita actually noticed the tree a week or two ago.

Aly and I were playing on the other side of the the ditch yesterday and we came across a mulberry tree!!! There are lots and lots of mulberries. If you look at the tree in the video below, the red color on the tree is all mulberries. It's amazing that we didn't notice it last spring. Then again, our fruit trees are doing considerably better this year so maybe it all has to do with the fact that we really didn't have a hard frost late this spring....

Dinner Date with The Babe!

2008-06-13T21:07:00.006-05:00

Another weekend of class for Mommacita. Luckily though, classes are only Friday and Saturday during the summer. This evening Aly and I decided that we were going out to dinner, and by out I mean actually eat at the place where we were purchasing food! :)Believe it or not, I think this is the first time it was just the two of us at a restaurant. This means she has had more dates with Poppacita in the past 6 months than Mommacita has had. Dinner with Aly was a lot of fun. She really doesn't hold back when she wants something specific to eat. The whole place was well aware that she was looking forward to getting peaches! :)

Play-doh!!!

2008-06-12T04:50:00.005-05:00

Aly got Play-doh for her birthday. Tuesday Mommacita and her cracked it open for the first time...

Balloons, Cupcakes and Presents... Oh My!

2008-06-09T04:33:00.002-05:00

Aly turned two yesterday and boy did she have fun!

Happy Silver Anniversary!

2008-06-02T05:27:00.002-05:00

Sunday we celebrated Aly's Great Aunt Lisa and Great Uncle Jerry's 25th wedding anniversary. Running on no nap, Aly was in good spirits and mowed the yard nearly the entire 4 hours we were there. We even got a few photos to prove it! :)

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

2008-05-26T14:48:00.003-05:00

We had a great time at Brodey's Birthday party!

Aly and Mommacita managed to make it through the aquarium twice on their trip to Newport.

All of the windows are finally installed.

Last but not least... A cookout and parade, complete with candy!!!

May I Have Your Attention Please???

2008-05-23T18:29:00.011-05:00

2008 New Path 5k

2008-04-26T15:24:00.004-05:00

Today we participated in our first 5k as a family. Mommacita was somewhat prepared. Poppacita... not so much. All three of us had fun though!

There's Still Work To Be Done...

2008-04-24T21:43:00.007-05:00

IMG_4680
Originally uploaded by Mike and Kelly Schellhouse

The weather continues to be nice here in Miami County so our march toward landscaping perfection continues...

Today the three of us expanded the flower bed at the back of our yard. It most likely will be the future home of the daffodils that are scattered around our home.

After much coddling, the seeds that Aly and I are trying to grow in egg cartons are starting to sprout. Time will tell I guess...

Aly and I have been watering the flower beds on the north side of the house every other day. Don't want all that hard planting work to go to waste. Next major task there will be to mulch. Trying to get all the beds ready before we make the order...

Window work is progressing slowly but surely. All the windows that are to be painted white have been taped. This one is a Poppacita only task. We are shooting to have all of them installed by Little Miss Aly's special day in June.

Picture: Aly hitching a ride back to the garage after some hard work! She definitely earned it. Aly loves helping move the dirt around and playing with the occasional worm.

Till Next Time...