Our New House

I know its been forever since I last updated, but there is a good reason...we have been really busy :o) We have been painting, the entire house needed paint, plus the doors and door frames and baseboards, so it took eight days of painting. We were tired then and we didn't even move anything. So, after the painting subsided, the moving began and we are finally done. It took a whole 7 days for us to move, given the amount of stuff we have and with my crazy schedule, I wasn't able to help out as much as I wanted. So, the house is great and I promise to get pictures soon. It's a warm house, especially when we have the wood stove going. It's all open and I love that..all the rooms are pretty much connected. I can't wait for all of you to see it. The view from the living room and deck will blow your mind. We are at 1900-2000 ft. elevation. It's definitely high up. What a neat place to live though. It's quiet and peaceful and beautiful, we couldn't have asked for anything more. Again, I promise to get pics soon!!!

Things are coming around!! Finally...

Well, things are finally starting to turn around for us. I'm sure most of you know what we have been going through the last 5 months, with Matt being out of work, dealing with his mom's lung cancer, and me trying to find more work. Well, after giving notice that we are moving out of the house that we are in...we have found this FABULOUS cabin up on top of one of the "blue mountains" with a view to die for. It was recently built and has a woodstove int he living room to help heat the house, we are so excited about that. Being in the house that we are in with no fireplace or wood stove and there is no insulation in the house, i'm sure you can imagine the Electric bills. They are part of our reason for moving. Finley loves the house. She gets so excited that we are going to bve living there. I hope that someday we can say that all or at least most of you came to visit us there. Matt and I are so excited to be moving there in about 2-3 weeks!! To add to our excitement...I have landed another job that I have been trying to get now for about a month. Now, I am currently teaching at 3 different gyms, about 22 classes a week, and am going for my personal training certification in may, june, or july. I am so estatic about this job. It pays so well and they are going to let me add some of my own classes on top of what they already offering me! Plus, they are going to let me start personal training there right away...at $60 an hour!! I'm like I will work 10-12 hour shifts! Matt made the comment the other day that he was going to be a stay home dad! How the tables have turned! Matt, I'm so proud of him, he passed his government courses online with a B+. You go babe!! So he is going to take the Federal government test soon and also take the US Postal test as well for a back-up. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he does well. I'm sure he will. So say a little prayer too. Finley is getting cuter and cuter everyday. She has once again expanded her vocabulary. I am shocked when she says things to me that I didn't know she knew. "Cartoons" is a new word and is beginning to watch them every morning while she eats breakfast. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a favorite. I'm okay with that! Just none of that Barney stuff......Winnie the Pooh is another one she is getting into. Anyways, just wanted to get another update on the page. I will let you know what's going on....thanks for all your support and prayers! I think that our prayers are finally being answered and we may be getting back up on our feet!!! :o)

Our New House "The Cabin"

Happy Birthday Matt!

Finley and I at the bowling ally

Daddy and Finley at the bowling ally, notice her shoes!!

Matt and I on our "birthday date"

Feb. 18, 1981, which is 28 yrs. ago by the way, Matt made his debut. So, he decided to celebrate by taking me out to dinner. How great is that! We went to Mimi's and had a fabulous dinner ( which we never get to do anymore) and off we went to target to buy diapers (the duties never end...) and then he decided to go bowling. So off we headed to the ally, but by the time we arrived, it was packed. So, like two teenagers with nothing to do, we drove to Wal-Mart and walked around for a little while. It felt like we were in high school or something. Anyways, since the bowling ally was packed last night, we decided to go this afternoon. Walking in seeing that we are the only people there, it was great. A private bowling session. So Finley, Matt, and I bowled three games and believe it or not Finley is a pro! She bowled better than I did. How unfair is that, a 2 yr old is beating her 24 yr old mom!! So not fair!!! Matt bowled great as usual...he has a natural talent for everything I swear....I cant be better than him at anything....so disappointing. But anyways, we had a great time, since we don't do anything anymore. We felt spoiled to bowl! When we went up to the counter to get bowling shoes....the guy told us that Finley had to wear them too.....can you imagine bowling shoes that little? Oh my gosh! They are so cute!!! She was too adorable in them! I wanted to steal them but she would grow out of them by the time we would get home! So cute!! But anywho...Happy Birthday Matt and here is to a MUCH BETTER year! God knows we need and deserve it! I love you!

Mikey and Finley

Mikey and Finley on the train

Coming off the train

Finley's new best friend, whom she loves above all, is Mikey! Oh boy, does she love him! They played together and chased each other and had such a great time!! Mikey, we miss you and we love you very much! I wish we could see you everyday and play with you! I'm so glad that you and Finley had fun! I hope you had lots of fun riding the train too! We love you Mikey!!!

Iguana Mia!!

Finley and I

member how hard we laughed at this???

Finley's Sombrero

yummy desert!!

Happy Birthday Nana!!!

We took mom for her birthday dinner to Iguana Mia. We had great food and got some great pictures!! We had some great laughs with Miss Finley Jean! She is so cute and funny!!

Party Hardy!!

Will and Shirley

Mom's Cake

How BIG was it Stephen?? :o)

Glenn, my aunt's fiancee, "Famous" Aunt Vicki,

Grandma Jeanne

Kassia, Vinnie, Mary

We held mom's surprise party at Shoeless Joe's Sports Bar. We had so much fun! Mom had a great time and it was all worth it. I had some help from a family friend and my aunt. So thanks for the help girls!!! I apprecitate it so much!!!!

The Banyan Cove Crew...Ryan, Stephen, Me,
Lexie, and Kyle

Finley, Me, and Stephen

Finley, Me, and Ryan

Ryan and I

Lexie and I

These are the guys I grew up with and now we are all grown up. We are missing Brian, Aki, Nema, Shannon......some people weren't there. It was so great to see all of you!!

Surprise! Happy Birthday Mom!!

Nana and Finley



Will and I

All the girls!!

Grandma Jeanne, Finley and I

Nana and Finley

Last Tuesday, Finley and I surprised my mom by showing up on her doorstep. She was so shocked! Best birthday present ever! We rang her doorbell and when she opened the door.....there we were. Finley and I had the greatest time! We surprised her and little did she know that she was getting a surprise birthday party too. All of her closest friends and family and co-workers were there to help her celebrate! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! We had so much fun. While we were down there, my grandmother, Finley's great-grandmother, was there visiting. So, it was so great to see her and she got to know Finley and her little colorful personality. Also, my aunt who wrote the book, was there at Barnes and Noble, doing a booksigining. So, we attended that. We spent some time with her and her fiancee at Sanibel as well. I also was lucky enough to see some old childhood friends while we were in town. Friends I don't see very much. So, it was great to see everyone!! Mom, I'm so glad that we spent some time together to celebrate your birthday. It was so fun and we have some great memories. I hope we can see each other soon! Fin and I miss you! :o)

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!

Ok, so those of you are going to be watching the game.......it is going to be a good one! By the way, if anyone of you were wondering we are going to be rooting for the CARDINALS! The Stillers...haha....are going down....we hope! LOL! Let us know who you are rooting for! The Cardinals deserve to win! The devine underdog!! GO CARDINALS!

More Prayers for Danielle's Sister

So, I just found out that Ally, Danielle's sister, does not have Lyme's Disease. The doctors have her today, taking blood and running a bunch of tests. Please keep her in her hearts and prayers! Ally, we are still here with you. We will be there all the way and we will continue to pray for you that the doctors can fix you! I hope that God will hold you through all of this and give you comfort. We love you!

Finley's Swim Day

This morning, Finley got to go swimming with her daddy. I taught my water class and got to watch her play at the same time. She was so cute in her little swimsuit. She climbed the stairs and slid down the slide. The little smile on her face was priceless. She just gets so excited. So, the last time I wrote about this I promised pictures....so I have them. Oh, she is just to die for so cute. She woke up this morning so excited and happy knowing she was going to go do her favorite thing. So I got the pics when she was in the best mood! They turned out great!! Enjoy 'em!!!!! :o)

Danielle's Sister

Please send prayers to Danielle's sister, Ally. She has been diagnosed with Lyme's Disease. She has been ill now for a while and she needs all of our prayers. Ally, we hope and pray that you get better soon! If there is anything that we can do, please let us know!

Ice Storm

Ok, so we definently got hit with some ice. We started to get it last night about 6 and if we stood outside, it was like little bebes hitting us. This morning I got up about 7:30 and checked out what was going on...we had about an inch or so of solid ice. It was pretty amazing to see. I love how it freezes in a falling icicle! The tree branches and leaves were coated in ice....it almost looks plastic! So, after Matt got up, we went outside to the cars....they were completely covered...we took our ice scraper and tried to chip off some of the ice....well that definently wasn't happening. But it is pretty neat to see......anyways, we are homebound for the next 24 hours I'm sure, plus we are getting some more freezing rain. Anywho, I will keep you updated, the best I can...hopefully we won't lose power!!

Nap Time

Finley has a thing about naps.....she has to fall asleep on my lap, while I sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She gets really close to my face and snuggles up and off she goes within the run through of the song......who couldnt fall asleep to twinkle twinkle little star??

Funny Faces

If you know Finley, then you know her wide variety of facial expressions. She has a library of expressions, that extend from happy ones to mad ones to silly ones. Oh her personality is so funny these days. She gets so mad at Matt and I that she tells us to "Sush!" pointing her finger. Its hilarious. I know that we arent supposed to laugh, but how can you not? She is going to be the Drama Queen of the century and Im sure she will rule all classes she is in! Wait til you see her, she is a little con artist. She takes things of ours when we arent looking and she stashes them in a hiding spot only she knows. I swear when we move and I find that spot, my line will be "thats where thats been." We'll probably need a whole other u-haul! She is a handful and I think how bored I be if she wasn't around.

Hi Mom!

Every morning when Finley wakes up...she stumbles into our room. "Hi Mom" she says rubbing her sleepy eyes. Oh I cant resist her...she is so sweet when she wakes up....She loves on me hugging and kissing me and telling me all about her dreams the night before. I ask, did you dream last night? Her answer is Nunnie, Cooney, Papa, Pop Pop (Don), Mommy, Dada, Nana, Mikey, kitties, puppies, and pool. So as she names the whole family tells me we all go swimming in the pool, my heart melts! She just is the sweetest, cutest little girl ever!!

Up Close and Personal

Here is another picture of Finley sleeping in front of the heater....I wander what she dreams about? Maybe "Mamma Mia"?? Being that it is her favorite movie and she sings the songs in her sleep...if you havent seen it, shame on you! Rent it! Great movie, Finley will tell you...

Trying To Stay Warm

Finley has adopted our new portable heater as her best friend. She gets her little princess chair and pulls it up right in front of it. She gets her baby doll or her bowl of ice cream and she doesnt move. It is really cute. So one afternoon, she had on her "banana onezie" and fell asleep right in front of the heater. Oh, it was the cutest thing I have ever seen. So, of course out comes the camera and captured the cutest moment on film.

The Winter Warning

Ok, so a week ago we were so excited because we had just got our first winter snow. Today, exactly a week later we have 6 inches on the ground and its still falling. So pretty. The warnings are posted, which I have to get used to. My work called me this morning and told me not to come in. What kind of job tells you not to come to work?? Whatever it is, I like it !! :o) I'm not used to weather like this. So, the ice is supposed to move in late evening and keep coming all through Wednesday. So, we are home bound. It is beautiful to look outside and see nothing but white. Never thought I would like white so much. Its the softest snow I have ever touched. Hopefully, there will not be any damage from the ice. I'll let you know!!

Swim Day

1-15-09
Today is swim day. I teach an aqua class at the Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility, aka WARF. My class is taught in the kids area where there is a large slide, lazy river, and kid playground. Matt takes Finley swimming while I teach and then I take her when I'm done. Today she got to wear her new swimsuit, which hopefully I will get a picture of it soon. She looked so cute. She gets so excited on the ride there, she tells us where to "turn". LOL! She has so much fun swimming. Her little smile when she sees the pool just says it all. She has learned to kick, kick, kick. She's such a little fish! That's our girl!

"Dewey Readmore Books"

My aunt, Vicki Myron, from Spencer Ia, has written a book about a cat that she adopted back in the late 1980's. She named him Dewey Readmore Books. He passed away 2 years ago. He is now a world famous cat. If you haven't heard about the book it is called :Dewey Readmore Books, a small town library cat who touched the world." The book is on the bestseller list. It was on the N.Y. Times best sellers list for a month. It has been printed in alomost 30 different countries. The book is amazing. I can relate to it, since it is family. But I knew Dewey personally. He has a website: deweyreadmorebooks.com. Check it out. Oh, and also look for it in theaters in the next year or so. Meryl Streep has been cast to play my aunt. I plan on going to the premiere, if I can't be in the movie. Please read the book and when the movie comes out, please go see it. The support would be great!! I applaud my aunt for her determination to spread Dewey good graces all over the world. She hasn't had the easiest life and she deserves every bit of what she is getting out of this. Love you Vicki!!

Finley is just the cutest thing. She is learning her colors, numbers, and ABC's. She is so intellegent and we can't believe how much she is developing. Something new everyday. Sometimes we just can't out smart her. I just have feeling that Matt and I are going to be in trouble down the road, rather sooner than later. Uh Oh!!

About The DeHaven's: How it began....

Hello fellow bloggers!! We are the DeHaven Family residing in The Plains, Virginia. For most of you that know us...we have had quite a year. Moving from Fort Myers, Fl to Cape cod, Mass to The Plains, VA....I think we have the moving thing down. We know exactly what to do when it comes to moving. Hopefully we won't be doing any of that soon. For those of you who are not so familiar with us, I will fill you in. Matt and I met in Fort Myers, Fl. He was my friend's boyfriend and we hung out every now and then. Well after their breakup....I was the middle man for a while and decided to choose a side and well you can see which side I chose. Matt and I dated for about 2 months and broke up, stayed friends, then we decided to move in together. Well, the friend thing didn't last long. We started dating (again) July 19 2005 and the relationship moved quickly. He took me to Disney for my birthday and dropped to one knee in front of Cinderella's Castle in front of who knows how many people and popped the question. Of course I accepted and we celebrated our engagement and my 21st birthday! What a weekend! Well lots of celebrating can wear you out and get you pregnant and I found out December 23 2005 that we had a baby on the way. Febuary 4, 2006 we decided to tie the knot with a small ceremony at my parents house. We married each other in jeans, cowboy boots and belt buckles. It was exactly what we wanted since we are both from the country. August 25, 2006 we welcomed our daughter Finley Jean Marie DeHaven. She has changed our life! What a wonderful addition! I love being a mom and Matt loves being a dad. And Finley loves having us wrapped around her finger, (more Matt than me). December 2, 2006 we celebrated our love for each other with another wedding. This time with the big ivory dress, tuxes, and tons of flowers. It was magical! I had married the man of my dreams (twice at this point). I was happy. I had a wonderful husband and our family had started. Finley is now 2 1/2 and a pistol. She is so sweet with her hugs and kisses and her little moments she gives us. I wouldn't trade it for the world. We are living in Virginia and going through some tough times, mainly due to the economy..but then again who isn't. Hopefully, things get better soon! I will keep updating periodically to let you know what's going on.