DAB Mestlers

Wow, its been awhile

2009-10-01T20:10:00.002-04:00

So we have not visited our DAB blog in over 5 months! Good thing those that follow this blog also follow us on Facebook! I often wonder if miniblogs like FB and Twitter will be the end of sites like Blogger, but then realize those that have a lot to say need the bigger platforms of "orginal" blog sites. So does that mean DAB does not have much to say that can't be fit into a 140 characters or a stats update? Stay tuned....

Time flies...

2009-04-22T07:33:00.004-04:00

Hello there! Sorry for the long delay in posting. Life has been CRAZY busy and we have been trying to keep up. With all new carpet in the upstairs our world got turned upside down for a bit and we have been trying to get organized again. Walking in the back room this morning I found this note: I had to post and talk about the "daily message" I received this morning! Belle had been playing back here with Derrick last night. She wasn't sure where her crayon box was so she and Derrick decided to write a note to ask me. She asked him which letters to write and then made this note. He did aid her with spacing and with the formation of the question mark but the rest was her work. I had to take a picture to savor the moment!! I am thrilled to see her handwriting progress!!! She is SO ready for writing letters and being told how to spell things. She is still using all uppercase letters but I'm so pleased with her writing that I don't care! She's not even 4 yet!! I'm so excited to watch her blossom! Speaking of being 4...she will turn 4 in less than 2 weeks!! We are busy planning a "Fancy Nancy" birthday party for her and several of her girlfriends. It promises to be a fun and silly time for all as we dress up and get super "girly"! I'll try hard to post pictures of it up here before too long!

One tired Momma!

2009-03-02T19:30:00.008-05:00

WOW. I have REALLY been wanting SNOW! Well, I got it! I have dreamt of playing in it with Belle and I have to say that today has been all I had hoped it would be---FUN! I woke up at 6:30am this morning when Derrick's cell phone started ringing. I couldn't stay in the bed b/c I just had to know how much snow we got! I came downstairs and looked outside. (Although I haven't measured myself, Midlothian is reporting 7 1/2 inches of snow!!) I knew it would be a fun filled day! Derrick had to get to work and left here around 7:30ish. I got nervous as I always do when he heads out. I am always a little anxious about him out on the roads and I'm always a little anxious about me at home without him. Once he called and said he had made it safely I began to plan our day. We had a leisurely morning watching cartoons and snuggling. (It was STILL snowing and so beautiful to watch!) Then we fixed a yummy breakfast--yeah bacon--and I took my shower. I just knew that I would enjoy the day so much more if I treated myself to a nice hot shower first. (You other mothers know as well as I do that once the day starts it's going to roll so you can't expect to stop and enjoy a shower later in the day if you miss it early on!) After bundling BOTH of us all up (the wind was whipping and it was 25 degrees out) we headed out to play. We spent a few hours out in the white wonderland that is our neighborhood today. I pulled Belle on the sled all the way to the opposite end of the cul-de-sac to sled with some of her playgroup friends. We had fun chatting with neighbors along the way---everyone was outside enjoying the day! I pulled Belle down the hill over and over again. She LOVED it! I wish I had taken the camera but our neighbors took some pictures so hopefully I'll get to see those. After a hour or so we hitched a ride home since it was snowing like crazy and I was TIRED! I was really thankful for a 4WD vehicle and my neighbors willingness to bring us home! :-) Once home we played in our yard for another hour or so before coming in for lunch. After lunch Belle was ready to run right back outside for more. "I have to have rest time Belle", I said. She replied, "Why?" I explained that I was tired and her reply was simply, "Why?" She cracks me up! She couldn't understand why pulling her through the snow would be at all tiring for me. I love her innocence! After a bit of rest we headed back outside with Derrick. (He got home around 3:30) We sledded some more and even got to borrow a neighbors float/intertube. See the pictures below---we had a blast and we could really FLY down the hill. It was amazing how fast we could go on that thing! After a while I came in to start making dinner. My crew came inside a bit later and we are OH SO THANKFUL for our warm house. It is COLD! They are expecting near record lows here tonight...12 degrees in fact! THANK YOU GOD for heat! We had a warm cozy dinner and then made snow cream---YUM! It brought back some good memories and we have a picture of Belle enjoying hers. Derrick and I enjoyed some too and we put the "leftovers" in the freezer for tomorrow. What a great day! We've done it all! Snowball fights, snow angels, building snowmen, sledding, playing with friends, and making SNOW CREAM! I am EXHAUSTED but I will treasure the memories of these past 2 days for a lifetime. Enjoy the pictures of our adventures---I hope they bring a smile to your face as they have to mine! Love, Aimee Videos:

Snow Videos March 2009

"I've got snow in my tummy!"

2009-03-01T19:58:00.003-05:00

DAB enjoyed the beginning of 12+ inches of snow that we are going to get. More to come tomorrow as we continue to play in the snow!

Circus!

2009-02-23T20:33:00.002-05:00

This past weekend DAB, the Carters and the Mestlers went to the Circus in Richmond. Our favorite thing at the circus is the elephants! By the time they got done performing, Belle had named them all!

Belle and Santa 2008

2008-12-17T19:59:00.009-05:00

You know it is Christmas when you go see Santa!

We hope you have a Merry Christmas! Love, Derrick, Aimee & Belle

Weekend Away

2008-11-09T14:38:00.001-05:00

Aimee and I are enjoying a weekend away in VA Beach, just the two of us! Belle is at home with the Carters getting the royal treatment! R&R never felt so good!

Halloween

2008-10-31T19:21:00.002-04:00

Why an I blogging at 7:22pm instead of out with Belle filling up a bag of candy? Well, Belle has decided that it is better to stay home and hand out candy to all who comes to the door. Update! Belle has decided to go! We will let you know how it goes! DAB

2008-10-25T09:24:00.008-04:00

Here is a quick DAB update of some of the fun things we have been up to! Enjoy,Derrick Fun pics of Belle 2nd Annual Mestler/Holton Apple Picken' Tour Halloween Parade 10/19/08

HokieLand!

2008-10-11T08:15:00.002-04:00

Pics of Belle's first trip to HokieLand! We have been meaning to get these up since last weekend but have been waiting to get captions on the pics. Well that has not happened yet, so I am just putting them up. Enjoy! Belle had a great time and has not stopped talking about her trip! She is looking forward to going back becuase we still need to track down the Hokie Bird for a picture!

A Milestone Moment...

2008-09-09T16:08:00.005-04:00

Wow, today was quite a day! Belle had her first day at preschool! We have spent weeks preparing...purchasing new tennis shoes, checking out library books about going to school, even getting a preschool t-shirt at Open House so she can wear it when she wants. (There are some Open House pictures included in the pics below. First day pics are the ones where Belle has on a purple shirt). She was awake a lot last night, she has a bit of a cough and some congestion (I truly think it's allergies). Needless to say, I was up with her and spent a good deal of time in HER bed last night. I scratched her back and prayed for her and her teachers. I flashed back in my mind over our last 3 years. The days seem to last forever sometimes but the years fly! My baby is in preschool. My baby is growing up! My baby is READY! With a very nervous stomach, I fixed Belle's breakfast this morning. She requested "eggies" with cheese. She helped to "scramble" them and there are pictures of that below. I just kept taking deep breaths and praying that God would get this mother's tender heart (and stomach full of butterflies) through the morning. Belle showed NO signs of nervousness at all! She had picked out her outfit last night and was dressed this morning by 8am. We left the house at 9:10 to drive to the end of the cul-de-sac to pick up Colin and Nicole. Colin is in Belle's class this year and Nicole and I thought it would be nice to ride together. Belle was a little stand-offish and shy but was still doing well. She did not want pictures taken in the car as you'll notice in the shots posted below. We waved good-bye to Colin's grandma (she was at the house taking care of the baby) and were on our way. Nicole and I chatted and reassured Colin as his tears began. Belle was extremely quiet and was just absorbing all that was happening. The school is in a church 1-2 minutes from our neighborhood so our drive was brief. We pulled into the carpool line and waited our turn to drop off our precious cargo. God could not have been more loving to me today...we "just happened" (yeah right!) to be in line behind a friend of mine from church. She is Belle's Sunday school teacher and we are carpooling to school with her once we get in a routine. As if that weren't enough of a heavenly hug, God sent Donna to be in the car RIGHT BEHIND ME! I was sandwiched in with friends and was quite calm actually. Belle's eyes watered a bit and I told her I loved her. She was fine from that point on. We unbuckled the kids and Belle turned around to wave to Ashlynn. Colin loved on his mommy and before we knew it we were next. Another heavenly hug came when we saw the sweet smiling face of Mrs. Elliot. She is the assistant teacher in Belle's classroom. She was on "drop off" duty this week and was there waiting to take Belle and Colin out of the car. She had a big smile and took Colin out. Belle followed and when I asked for a hug and/or kiss she just kept moving! She didn't take the time to say good-bye, hug me, or kiss me!!! NO TEARS at all!!!! THANK YOU LORD!!! That was exactly my prayer. I knew I could get through with no tears as long as she was happy. She walked in with her teacher and never looked back! We drove away and I took a DEEP breath. It was done, she was gone, she was happy, she was ready, was I??? Nicole and I drove to Starbucks where we met Donna for coffee and breakfast. I fought the tears when I first got there but they kept me laughing and distracted and I survived! After that we caravaned over to a nearby nail place and got pedicures! They kept me engaged in conversation and before I knew it I was sitting under the dryer and it was almost time to go back and get my baby. We continued looking through magazines and killed time laughing at celebrities. Eventually we jumped in the cars and drove over to get the kiddos. As we waited in line I was filled with anticipation. I felt as excited as I had the night I went into labor. I get to see her! She will be right before my very eyes SOON! I took out my camera and looked up to see Mrs. Elliot. She gave me a big smile and a thumbs up! Belle walked out the door with the director and I snapped a picture. I drove up and continued snapping pictures. Belle saw me and her little face simply lit up! She had a huge smile as she climbed in the car. Mrs. Elliot said she did a wonderful job. She said that she acted like a pro who had done this before. We pulled up, took pictures, chatted with Donna and Ashlynn and were on our way home. She told me about her day in the car and showed me her craft. She LOVED being on the playground and said she got to ride a bike out there. She played with new friends and had a great time. When we got home she was exhausted and ready to see Calliou on TV. I fixed her lunch and called her when it was ready. We ate together and talked about her day some more. I enjoyed our first "after school lunch" and thought back to the days of grilled cheese and tomato soup with my mom after preschool. I can hardly believe that I'm in this stage with our daughter. Time is flying....God, please hold my hand as I take this journey called motherhood.

Yard

2008-08-26T20:37:00.002-04:00

Some of you have heard about the yard remodeling project that we are doing and have been bugging me for pics. So, I have put together an album that shows the yard from the time we bought the house until now so that we all could see the changes. We bought the house in 2004 at the time it was 6 yrs old and we are the 3rd owners. We still have a lot we want to do to the yard so as we pick them off I will update the album.

How sweet it is....

2008-08-21T11:22:00.003-04:00

...to have a family like mine! What a gift this morning has been. As many of you know I have been struggling this last month-6 weeks. My thyroid level is out of whack and I sure have been feeling crummy! Needless to say, our house has not been cleaned and taken care of the way it should be. I am merely trying to keep up with the minimal day-to-day task that I have and that is taking care of Belle!! This morning Derrick is home from work. We were supposed to be at the beach right now with our dear friends, The Lillys. However, I don't feel like going and Derrick is not leaving me-what a sweetheart! He had taken 2 days off for our long weekend at the beach and is using those 2 days to help us catch up here at home. What a gift!!! What prompted me to write this blog entry was watching the sweet picture of my husband and daughter cleaning windows together! They worked as a team to clean the glass-top tables and french door windows. Derrick did the high areas and Belle did the low! How cute! She has really started taking pride in helping her family with chores around the house--I hope that lasts! So, now we have 1 clean room in our house--the living room! Tomorrow we will start tackling the yard---I'll have to post pictures of our work in progress--it's a mess out there right now! This weekend both sets of parents have offered to come help---Mestlers will come help with the yard and the girl---Carters will come help with interior cleaning, laundry, and cooking if needed! I'm not sure having everyone here at one time will work but it is SUCH a good feeling to know that BOTH are willing to come and help us out in this time of need. How sweet it is to have family and friends like we have! Many have helped with Belle and now several friends have even offered to bring dinners. Thank you!!!!!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

2008-08-20T08:11:00.002-04:00

It's 8:10am and I feel like I've entered a large arena for a spectacular show! One of Belle's new favorite thing to do with her karaoke CD player is to use her microphones to announce shows! I was online looking at a mattress pad cover that a friend recommended because Belle had a little accident in OUR bed this morning! Thank the Lord that we have a REALLY good mattress pad cover! Anyway, as I was online I hear this sweet but commanding voice say, "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Welcome to the show! Please join us for a fun show" She cracks me up, she sounds like a real announcer on that thing! For those of you who are wondering what "show" she is announcing, it's a show where her My Little Ponys dance of course! And you should know, I have been reprimanded multiple times for "dancing" or "singing" or even "wiggling" to the music. I am told that this is NOT for dancing/singing/wiggling, it is ONLY for the ponies in the show. "Please stop it mommy" is what I hear! Oh what it was like to imagine such fun and live it in my mind. I am so glad that she too is having fun with her childhood innocence. She is growing up more each day so I'll just keep enjoying these "little girl" moments!

Our little social butterfly!

2008-08-17T19:38:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! I had to write and give you a mental picture of my evening. I am sitting on the front porch on Derrick's laptop watching Belle play with the neighborhood kids. She is cracking me up!!! She is hanging right with them as if she is no younger! They are rising 3rd graders, 1st graders, and then BELLE! They absolutely LOVE her to pieces! We had her come in for dinner and told them that she might have time to play a while after dinner. 20 min. later they came knocking on the door to see if she could play. She went right outside and joined the gang. I would think they would tire of her having to stay in our yard but they don't! They appear perfectly content to play here with her as I watch from the porch. She has always been a social little girl but man, we better watch out for this one! She can hang with just about any crowd it appears! She likes the older kids and they like her a lot too! Yikes! That could be good or bad! We were all sitting her talking a little and our neighbor came home/was dropped off by her boyfriend (she is 15). They kissed goodbye---it really was innocent enough---as all the kids went OOOOHHHH! I am not at all sure I'm ready for Belle to be exposed to all this! Oh my word!

A Weekend to Remember

2008-08-13T16:53:00.003-04:00

August will be a busy month for the Richmond Mestlers. We will travel to NC 3 different weekends out of the 5 in this month. Our first trip was this past weekend. We FINALLY got to Jared, Amanda, Chloe, and Dixon dog! What a WONDERFUL time we had seeing them and loving on them! Chloe is as precious as we knew she would be....EVEN when she cries! We were in love the moment we heard she would be joining the family so it was so fun to meet her and see her face! Belle was thrilled to see "her Chloe" and give her a special "Dee-Dee"...a lovey blanket like the one our Belle can't live without! Every time Chloe cried Belle assumed she needed her new Dee-Dee. How cute! It was a joy to this mother's heart to see Belle adore Chloe and WANT so much to be a part of her little life! Jared and Amanda are absolutely precious parents! It was fun to watch them in that new role and to think back on those early days as we adjusted to parenthood with Belle. Life is totally changed forever but the "new" life is something to be treasured. What a blessing it is to be a parent! We thank God daily for our little one and know that through the hard times God alone will sustain us! An added bonus to our weekend with the NC Mestlers was the opportunity to spend the nights with the Wilkins family. Some of our first and dearest friends in Richmond, Kim, Daniel, Renee, and Madeleine made us feel right at home. We spent the nights and some time in the mornings talking, laughing, catching up, and THOROUGHLY enjoying being with our friends. I hate that they are no longer right down the street so I can see them daily but I'm thankful that they are close enough for visits like the one we just had! Belle and Renee really enjoyed playing together and got along great. Madeleine took right to "Miss Aimee" and it was fun to love on her and remember Renee at that age! Renee has grown so much and it's hard to believe she was about 18mos. when we met her and she is now in kindergarten! WOW! Thank you NC Mestlers for a precious weekend of memories! Thank you Wilkins family for a precious weekend of memories and growing a friendship! We love all of you and will look forward to seeing you again in a few weeks when we AGAIN head south to NC! Love, Aimee

A Growing Respect

2008-08-02T21:55:00.002-04:00

Today was a nice family day. We borrowed the Lilly's van and loaded up some furniture to take to Charlottesville. They took our Pathfinder for the day. We drove to Charlottesville and dropped off a no longer needed desk to my sister's house for her daughter to use. We picked up an old desk that she no longer needed and took that on to the Carter basement (where everything seems to end up being stored much to my father's dismay)! We loaded up from the basement to bring some things we needed back to our house. Thanks to the use of the van, we were able to fit 3 head boards (don't worry...they aren't ALL going to live at our house!), a double bed frame, a hutch piece to a dresser, a 3 year old (Belle of course!) and all of her travelling necessities. After loading up the goodies, we went out for a little bit of shopping and dinner. Then we headed back home. Our drive was quite nice as the van has a built in DVD player AND headphones! Belle was able to comfortably watch Dora the Explorer while we had a nice chat in the front seat and heard NOTHING! We were able to listen to music of our choice and not listen to D-D-Dora, D-D-Dora....yada yada yada. All in all it was a nice day. We are tired of course but it is a good tired as we feel a sense of accomplishment. I do have to say, whether you like them or not, you really must respect the van. What other vehicle can comfortably transport 8 OR carry as much furniture as you need to move? Not to mention the fact that their are automatic doors that open and close with the touch of a button (a truly nice feature when your hands are full of little person!) Most of you know that I have been very opposed to being a mini-van mom...I love my SUV. That being said, I will say it again....you really must respect the van! That must be why almost all of my friends have one! However, Donna enjoyed driving the "Aimee mobile" so maybe a lot of the fun had to do with the thrill of enjoying a new style of vehicle for a day! I always have been a car person!! :-) Aimee

A day in the life of Belle Mestler

2008-07-26T21:03:00.009-04:00

Hello everyone, Aimee here again. I now know how to "blog" so I figured I'd share about a wonderful day I spent with Belle this past week.

As you know, I have been sick for a while with a horrible sinus infection. I am still not feeling well but have tried to do a few things here and there to keep Belle occupied. This past Wednesday we went with a few friends from our playgroup to the Children's Museum of Richmond--

http://www.c-mor.org/

We went for the show "Seussical Jr." It was AWESOME!!! The teens who put on the show were simply amazing. Belle really enjoyed all of them but her very favorite was "Horton" (the beloved elephant). She was especially thrilled when we got the opportunity to go up to "Horton" at the end of the show and talk to him. I told him he was Belle's favorite and he thought that was pretty cool. He said hi to her and she thought it was super cool! Below are some pictures from the show (Belle took many of them herself...my budding photographer!) Everytime Horton sang the line, "A person's a person no matter how small!" I got chills. They did a wonderful portrayal of Horton Hears A Hoo and as you know, I TOTALLY agree that a person IS a person NO matter how small!!! To the cast of Seussical Jr....THANKS for a GREAT show!!

After the show we went into the museum to play for a while. We are members of the museum thanks to mom and dad (that was a Christmas present for our family from them this past year) and it's awesome! Belle likes to go A LOT and it is MUCH cheaper to be a member! Check it out if you haven't already....it's the best $100 a year you can spend to entertain your little person(s).

Anyway, then we got our coolers and had a picnic lunch in the lobby of the museum. After that we went back in to play for a while. We went to the art room and Belle painted a picture. Then she wanted to make a "craft". One of the volunteers there (a nice teenage girl) helped her gather materials to make her own boat. She decorated it nicely (yet another great use for an old egg carton!) but then came the most exciting part for me. The volunteer asked her to draw a square. She told me she didn't know how so I talked her through it. She drew a square and then the volunteer asked her to cut it out. I was like, uh, she has never used scissors...this will be interesting. Well, she did it!!!! It took a while but she cut out her square and we attached it as the sail for her boat. I was so proud of her accomplishment and she was thrilled to show Daddy when we got home that night.

As if the show and craft time wasn't enough, Belle also chose to have her face painted for the first time. She got a ladybug on one cheek and an apple on the other.

Not sure if you can see the little girl who painted her face or not but I'll tell you she was no more than 6 years old! It was crazy to see this LITTLE girl painting my little girl's face and doing a darn good job! Props to you little lady!

All in all it was a fun-filled day and I wanted to share it with you. I am so thankful to be Belle's mom and to have the resources to do these fun things with her!! Being home for the wonderful day-to-day opportunities with her is a Godsend...thank you Derrick!! She is an incredible little person and I love watching her grow and experience life. What a precious journey we're on!

Malware and Spyware

2008-07-26T15:34:00.002-04:00

You always hear horror stories of what malicious computer virus can do and you think, it won't happen to me. That is what I thought until our home computer "caught" a nasty malware. I have spent over a week and probably 10+ hours trying to figure out how to cure one of the most valuable tools in our house. I finally can across a community that actually was able to help. Bleepingcomputer.com is my new best friend. It is a very informative community that is very helpful, not just with virus and malware but with all technical aspects of a computer. I would encourage you to check it out and keep it bookmarked for future use.

Sandwiches.....

2008-07-20T20:23:00.002-04:00

Some of my favorite things to eat are sandwiches. When a meal can fit between 2 pieces of bread, magic. I found this site/blog while reading about the world most expensive burgers (Burger link) http://www.simplysandwiches.net/. Looks interesting, thought I would share. Not sure I would try the herring sandwich....... Derrick

Home Again

2008-07-14T11:14:00.006-04:00

Hi there everyone, Aimee here. I decided to try my hand at "blogging" today. I have had a sinus infection and have been sick for 12 days. I don't feel like doing much but I can sit at the computer and type away! We are home from Beach Vacation 2008 with the Carter and Knisley parts of our family. As is tradition, we traveled to Duck, NC for a week of seafood, reading on the beach, riding waves, and trying to mesh 3 families under the same roof. Below is a link to our pictures from the week. We started out going to Va Beach for 2 nights at the new Westin hotel. Belle really enjoyed it and thought her roll-away bed was pretty special! I was sick but hung in there in the hopes that some good rest would make me much better FAST! After enjoying the "hotella" (as Belle calls it) we left Va Beach and traveled south to Duck. We arrived at the Castaways home around 1pm Sunday, July 6th. It was the most beautiful house we have ever stayed in! All of us agreed that it was our favorite. We thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub and the kitchen was a chef's dream! 2 ovens, 2 dish washers (that might have been MY favorite part) and stainless steal appliances throughout...WOW! I remained sick the entire week (YUCK!) but Derrick really stepped up and took good care of Belle. HiHo & Grampy (my mom and dad) did every thing they could to make it a wonderful week for all of us. Mary and Jamie (my sister and brother-in-law) loved on Belle and Luke and Leanna (my nephew and niece) were a joy to Belle's heart. She calls them "Brother" and "Sister" so she was thrilled to be under the same roof with them for an entire week.

Beach July 2008

All in all, it was a nice getaway and we were so very grateful to have it again this year! We are all happy to be home and enjoy the comforts of home but we will cherish our beach memories. Derrick and Belle are off to the grocery store as I type this to restock our fridge. We will spend the rest of this rainy Monday relaxing and doing laundry. Derrick is back to work tomorrow and we will all be thrown back into the real world...oh well, it was good while it lasted! Hope you are all well! Stay tuned for more DAB updates periodically. Who knows, I may really get into this! Aimee

We are at the beach!

2008-07-10T09:29:00.002-04:00

DA&B have been enjoying a family beach trip this week. We left Richmond on Friday July 4th and spent 2 days at VA Beach before heading down to Duck, NC with the Cater/Kinsley groups. Not every day has been a good beach day, but you know what they say "A rainy day at the beach is better than any day in the office!" We will get some pics up when we get back home!

Welcome Chloe Bray Mestler

2008-06-28T07:58:00.003-04:00

Jared and Amanda had their little girl last night! Check her out on their blog! We are so proud of you guys and can't wait to get to know Chloe more! Love you!

Father's Day

2008-06-16T13:17:00.002-04:00

Thank you Belle and Aimee for making Father's Day special. Besides a cool Craftsman power screw driver, I got a picture of Belle and Daddy in a frame that I can play a special message at a push of a button. This is a great new addition to my desk at work. Whenever I have needed a boost of encouragement today I have reached for my special message! I hope I don't wear it out all in hone day! Love you girls! Thank you for making me feel special! Derrick

Pool Day!

2008-05-26T16:19:00.003-04:00

Welcome Summer! We spent our first afternoon at the pool today. Belle jumped right into the kiddie pool and began splashing around. Derrick and Aimee enjoyed the sun and watching our little girl enjoy herself. We forgot the camera this time, will have to get some pool pics up next time.

Spring Update

2008-04-26T08:19:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post to update you on DAB. Belle will be turning 3 on May 4. She decided she did not want to wear diapers anymore and is potty trained. Belle is looking forward to a trip to the National Zoo and the Beach! Aimee has been tutoring a 1st grader and enjoying utilizing her teaching skills again. She is busy planning some home projects (flooring and painting) and hopes to have these completed this summer. Derrick is excited about the warm weather and the upcoming summer. He is busy working on his outside projects (trees down and landscaping) hoping to have it all set by the fall. We are all looking forward to Baby NC Mestler coming soon this June!

What a difference a year makes!

2007-12-22T10:39:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2006

Christmas 2007

Last night we got our holiday cheer kicked into overdrive! We visited The Legendary Santa at the Children's Museum in Richmond. We waited in line for 2 hours and Belle was prepped and ready! When it was her turn she ran right up to Santa and jumped into his arms! As Aimee and I watched in amazement she posed for her picture and was ready to roll! She turned and waved, Merry Christmas Santa! To say that Aimee and I were beaming with pride at our little girl's performance, would be an understatement! The last few months of prep work (reading stories, lots of Santa talks, etc) paid off! Merry Christmas from our home to yours! We pray that you would know the joy of Jesus this Christmas season. We will be celebrating on Christmas Eve with a cake as we say HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!

Go HOKIES!

2007-11-24T10:04:00.000-05:00

GO HOKIES! Beat those WaHooos! Belle showing off her new game day apparel.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T17:55:00.001-05:00

We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We have spent a great day in Williamsburg, VA with the Mestler family. We are looking forward to getting out the Christmas tree this weekend! We are also pleased to announce that there will be a new member of the Meslter clan in about 9 months......Congrats Jared and Amanda!

Beach with the Lilly's

2007-09-08T12:35:00.000-04:00

We are on our way home from a great visit with our friends the Lilly's in Nags Head, NC. We searched for Blackbeard's treasure, played on the beach, and even got in some golf. Can't wait to go back next year! If you find yourself down in the Nags Head area, we recomend eating at the Lone Cedar Cafe.

It's Hokie Game Day!

2007-09-01T09:09:00.000-04:00

Go HOKIES! Our hearts are with you today, wish we could be with you all! Cheer loud and proud and show the Nation what a Hokie is!

Facebook

2007-09-01T08:48:00.000-04:00

"Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you." I have to admit, facebook is addictive. It is a pretty neat tool also. For instance, I would never have know that Heang was going to the GT vs Noter Dame game today in 'the bend" if it had not been for his posts on facebook. It is a easy way to keep up to date with what others are doing, sometimes on a day to day basis depending on how much they keep up their profile. I was a skeptic, but I am having fun on facebook. I have reconnected with family and friends and it has the potential to be a good tool for recruitment also. If you have a facebook profile, ask me to be your friend and we can link up. For those that are still skeptical or are afraid of having to much information on the net, I have found facebook to have very good privacy controls so you can limit your exposure. To give credit where credit is due, thanks to the Wilkins for inviting us to be friends on facebook. To Amanda, for the encouragement that we can do this and to the Newsweek article that reported the great business potential of facebook, it appealed to the "I want to be in the know" side of me. See you facebook soon!

Derrick

Jockey's Ridge, OBX, July '07

Recent Pics

2007-08-23T20:39:00.000-04:00

Back

2007-07-22T21:50:00.000-04:00

We are back from the beach and will have some pics up soon!

Tribute

2007-06-17T10:37:00.000-04:00

Thank you for the countless miles, Thank you for the freedom, Thank you for the memories.

May someone else benefit from you as much as we did. Thanks Little Red.

Wilkin's Visit

2007-06-17T10:25:00.001-04:00

We had a great visit with our friends the Wilkin's the first of June.

CanCan Restaurant, as close to France as you can get in Richmond, VA!

Small, Med and Extra Med!

BFF!

Can't wait until our next visit!

Belle's Park

2007-06-16T04:32:00.001-04:00

If you pay a visit to our house these days be prepared to play in Belle's Park!

It is our little oasis in our backyard!

We are Virginia Tech

2007-04-18T17:30:00.000-04:00

http://subscr.techsideline.com/news_archive/showArticle-2824.php The link to the above web post sums up very well the thoughts of many Hokies. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hokie family. May God comfort you and you draw close to Him. DAB Mestler

Easter 2007

2007-04-14T14:10:00.000-04:00

Here are some pics from Easter weekend! Yes this is snow! Its a Dogwood winter .

It is almost spring!

2007-03-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

The warm weather is coming! Belle is already enjoying playing outside! She and her friend Ashlynn are quite the dynamic duo! Hot Tea can be served anywhere!Saturday was a warm windy day and was spent playing in the park!

After a long day at work, Belle makes everything alright again.

Weekend Away

2007-02-25T20:17:00.001-05:00

Aimee and I did something this weekend what we had never done before. We left Belle for the whole weekend! We would like to say thank you to MeMaw and PopPop (my parents) for staying with Belle for the weekend at our house. Aimee and I then went to their house in Willliamsburg, Va and had a great time. We slept in until 10am, went out for dinners, strolled historic downtown Will'burg and shopped until we dropped at the outlets!Belle had a great weekend with her Grandparents! She had them running from one end of the house to the other! She also helped her PopPop fix our front door.She was treated to a new Elmo DVD, some "stickies" and meals out with her grandparents. Everyone had a great weekend and we feel very lucky to have been able to do this. Hi-Ho and Mickey...you are next! We are looking forward to planning our "retreat" to Charlottesville sometime in the not so distant future so you too can enjoy a weekend with Miss Belle! :-) Below are some more pictures of Belle from this past month. We are sure she grew this weekend while we were away. Time flies!!

Facing the Giants

2007-02-21T20:13:00.000-05:00

THE STORY: From the award-winning producers of FLYWHEEL comes a new, action-packed, family-friendly drama about a high school football coach who draws up a new game plan for his team … and himself.

In his six years of coaching, Grant Taylor has never had a winning season. Even the hope of a new season is squelched when the best player on his Shiloh Eagles decides to transfer schools. After losing their first three games of the season, the coach discovers a group of fathers are plotting to have him fired. Combined with pressures at home, Coach Taylor has lost hope in his battle against fear and failure.

However, an unexpected challenge helps him find a purpose bigger than just victories. Daring to trust God to do the impossible, Coach Taylor and the Eagles discover how faith plays out on the field … and off.

With God, all things are possible …

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aimee were recently given this DVD and were told "its slow in some places, but a good movie." While this movie will not win any Academy Awards, it is very humbling. It is more that a feel good movie, it is a move that reminds us that "With God all things are possible." As we sit in our cushy lives trying to make it on our own, this movie is a good reminder that our life is better with God in it and directing it.

One of my favorite scenes is when the assistant coaches use multiple biblical parallels to teach their kicker how to kick a field goal.

Rent or buy it, sit back on your couch and be ready to be moved.

New Foods

2007-02-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

One of the fun things about having a kid are the experiments, I mean watching them try new things. We are finding out that Belle is an adventurous eater at this point. Today she tried a dill pickle and actually ate the whole thing! Another condiment she tried this week was tarter sauce on her fish sticks. She liked it so much she actually ate 3 more fish sticks just to have more sauce! On another note, I would like to officially welcome the NASCAR 2007 season! I have not had that good of a nap since last season! We also bought a new camera this weekend and have been sucessful in capturing a picture of Belle with it!

Cute

2007-02-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

Too cute!

Belle's First Hair Cut

2007-02-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

For those of you who never thought this would happen, Belle got her first hair cut this weekend. We went to Pig Tails and Crewcuts, the center of the fashion scene in Richmond for children's haircuts.

Yes, we had Santa Claus flashbacks, but all in all she did just fine. We took a little off the back to even things up. She is now very proud of her hair cut and likes to reminisce about her yellow car.

2007-02-04T12:19:00.000-05:00

I found this article a couple of weeks ago and was intrigued by it. I have not tried the muffins yet, but plan too.

Top 10 Foods for a Good Night's Sleep

Posted Tue, Jan 23, 2007, 6:32 pm PST

Link to story

What is the secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin - flowing. Yawning yet?

Bananas. They're practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea. The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild sedating effect - it's the perfect natural antidote for restless minds/bodies.

Warm milk. It's not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative - like effect - and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there's the psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant "relax, everything's fine."

Honey. Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.

Potatoes. A small baked spud won't overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.

Oatmeal. Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you've got the munchies, it's filling too.

Almonds. A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Flaxseeds. When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.

Whole-wheat bread. A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it's converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs "time to sleep."

Turkey. It's the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that's actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach's basically empty, not overstuffed, and when there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread mid-evening, and you've got one of the best sleep inducers in your kitchen.

What if none of these foods help you get your zzz's? Check out your sleep habits with this quick RealAge test to find out what?s keeping you up at night. http://www.realage.com/health_guides/RLS/intro.aspx

For an extra treat, here's the ultimate sleep-inducing snack... Lullaby Muffins Makes 12 low-fat muffins Between the bananas, the whole wheat, and the honeyed touch of sweetness, these muffins are practically an edible lullaby. · 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour · 1/2 teaspoon salt · 1 tablespoon baking powder · 2 large, very ripe bananas · 1/3 cup applesauce · 1/4 cup honey · 1/2 cup milk or soymilk

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it's whole-wheat pastry flour or you'll produce golf balls, not muffins), salt, and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the applesauce, honey, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups, pour in batter, and bake 30 minutes or until tops are lightly brown and slightly springy.

Nutrition Facts Per serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrates; 10g sugars; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium

Why not?

2007-02-02T15:25:00.000-05:00

About a year ago I accused my brother and sister-in-law of having too much time on their hands all because they started their own blog. Right after I did that, I knew I wanted one.

In my profession we read articles about the down falls of having your own space or blog open for everyone to see. Employer’s “Googling” applicants on the net to see what they can find out about them. Trying to find out who is the person behind the resume and the interview persona.

But I want one.

Why do I want a blog? It for an outlet for the muse inside me? Because my brother is doing it? Am I so pretentious to think that someone will read what I say?

Whatever the reason, I have done it. I now have my own blog. This might be the one and only post, you never know. Now everyone will find out that I can not spell and maybe a little more about myself and DA Mestlers.