My Boy Blessings

Answer for my cousin, Lily

2012-02-14T14:15:00.002-05:00

Hey Lily!

I'll be your valentine!

Better me than any other boy right now!

How do you shovel snow?

2012-02-10T14:10:00.002-05:00

One little boy likes to shovel snow like this...

Right into the face!

over, and over, and over again. But to his credit, he didn't cry at all:)

B is for birthday!

2012-02-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

B had a birthday! Bummed you couldn't make it, but wanna come check it out anyways?

B wanted the day to be all about airplanes...and who doesn't love a tracking a little flight time?

B wanted an airplane cake...I think it turned out pretty well:)

And I have to tell the story and I'm sure A is tired of me telling it, but I want to tell it anyways:) So tip for your future...don't let the hubby watch Cakeboss right before you have to make a cake. The cake started as a 9x13 pan with an oreo runway, plop an aiplane on top and call it good. Easy, not much to it and then A decided to get involved! He wanted to add a helipad, control tower and lengthen the runway. I nixed the helipad, the control tower toppled in the night but the runway did grow:) Once we got going, I got more into it and A was great at helping me figure out how to make one of the planes look like it was about to take off.

And needless to say...B loved it!

When asked what his favorite present was...his answer? Dessert!

The boys were so excited before the party they couldn't wait for the guests to arrive.

We played a couple of fun games. Flying planes on the Wii and I'm bummed I didn't get any pictures of it, but we made paper airplanes and had a race.

But as you all know, here's my favorite part of the party. The singing and cake time (with a little present time thrown in) I love everyone coming together to show love to my boy...

Doesn't this make him look so big. Can't believe he's three!

He got an aircraft carrier to carry all those new planes and he has been in heaven ever since. I think his smile says it all!

Happy Birthday B! We love your smile, your enthusiasm for all things car, your love of desserts (just like your Mama!) and your desire to be just like your big brother.

We love you!!! Mama and Daddy

What's new in our world:

2012-01-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

- I got a kindle and I'm having a hard time doing all my normal work when all I really want to

do is read

- Our current ordinary life just seems to dull to post about. We're really busy keeping up with

school and friends and things around the house, but that's nothing you all don't do too!

- For A's birthday a couple of weeks ago, N (on his own) picked a couple of items from his

room and went down and wrapped them to give to Daddy. Love that he wants to give- maybe all our hard work is showing through!

- I'm in the process of planning a girls weekend away for my small group girls...can't wait but

its more planning than I thought. Thankfully its almost done!

- Between pinterest and finding new books for my kindle, I'm spending a lot more time on the

computer than I should:)

- I've found some great sites for free Christian ebooks. Love to pass on the websites if you are

interested.

-We have had one very disappointed boy with the lack of snow mountains this year. Every year

the snow accumulates in our cul-de-sac to the point that the mountain lasts for most of

the winter. But this year, between the rain and warm temperatures (which this mama is

happy about!) the snow mountains are in short supply this year.

And its all together too close to B's 3rd birthday for my comfort!

Mom's day at Preschool

2012-01-26T08:53:00.005-05:00

So yesterday was Mom's day at school. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was fun to watch N in his element. In his preschool, he moves to different rooms throughout the morning and we Mom's shadowed our kids all morning.

In each room, each teacher would mention N by name and have something to comment on his personality. One teacher told me that when any of the teachers are having a bad day, they can count on N to make their day brighter and better. And one teacher said that whatever church we went to, it was a really good church because N knew the ending to any bible story, could answer any question and as per usual, knew it all:):) She gave all the credit to the church, but it looks like all our talking at home is paying off too! And his main teacher let me know that he talks ALOT. They've worked really hard at helping him understand that he can't interject his opinion at everything but to raise his hand and wait until called on. Something tells me that if I tried this at home, my child would develop really great arm muscles.

They gave the kids an interview about Mom before we got there and I thought you might enjoy some of N's answers:

How old is Mom: 26 (yes! if I could only stay that age!)

What is Mom's job? Nothing (we are her work) (who knows if they added that or he did)

Mom's favorite job at home? Fold Laundry (yeah right!)

I would like to give her: a race car but we don't have the right equipment for that

But the highlight for this Mama was the answer to how much I weigh...24 lbs. Looks like I can finally stop working out and really eat all that delicious really bad for me desserts! yes!

And for the grandparents and documentation: he's getting really good at his first name, but the last name needs a little work:)

Gingerbread house contest

2012-01-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

The only reason I'm gonna post about this waaaay past Christmas is so that those family members who chose to celebrate elsewhere will atleast have a fighting chance in our next Christmas Gingerbread house contest...but they're gonna be up against some pretty tough competitors!

The best part of the weekend and the now new family tradition: Gingerbread house contest. It was so much fun to watch everyone come up with some pretty cool houses.

The best line of the weekend..."Don't worry, I've got a plan". Dad had it all planned out in his head, but didn't want to share it with the rest of his team and Nonni and Papa got the joy of both N & B on their team. When the knife came out, we were all a little worried, but their house turned out great.

Funny though how much the boys get away with when they're with their grandparents. Papa told the boys that they could eat any of the broken candy and suddenly half of their candy was deformed, crooked, or broken:) Mama finally had to step in and put a kabosh on the candy intake.:)

Robb and Mel decided to mix things up and do a re-design on the house too.

Lily decided to sit this one out and take a nap:)

And A and I actually got to decorate a house without the help of any little people. Last time that happened was pre-N and B! We went all traditional on our house:)

House #1 Nonni, Papa, N & B!

House #2 The winners of the contest, thanks to our impartial judge Miss Lori and the helpful judging criteria thanks to Papa.

Way to go, Robb and Mel!!

House #3 A & E's traditional house:)

Christmas wonder

2012-01-05T13:07:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun celebrating Christmas with my family. (or atleast part of the family) Its been way to many years which made this Christmas extra special.

We had fun opening up stockings Christmas Eve

the boys looks so big in this picture!

Uncle Robb had fun opening presents with L:)

And I have no idea what we're doing, but it sure looks like Mel is the entertainer of the evening:)

Even though we live long distance from both sets of grandparents, I love the relationships they have.

And I also love that after several recent really tough days of parenting, I can look back and remember that my children do sit still, obey and can be respectful:)

Nonni and Papa were excited at the opportunity to get a full family photo since the last family photo dates back to when my littlest brother was still in elementary school!

B was really excited to get "a Hitting stick"!

All the kids were so helpful in delivering the used wrapping paper to Papa

And I love that just about everytime we get together with Miss Lori, I can count on the fact that there will be lots of books read!

The best part of Christmas was my brother, his wife and their little girl coming out to see us. It meant a lot to me that they would drive forever in a car just to be here 2 1/2 days-really short, but so great!

Wish this could be a complete Family Christmas photo, but I'll take what I can get! We missed you, M & M and D & K!!!

God gave me a great gift in my friend Lori. Glad she could come and celebrate with us!

And of course, I'm so thankful that my parents could take the time to come up to see us. Our time with you was way to short (proof being the 2 sobbing boys after you left!) but we're looking forward to the next time we'll get to see you!

What a great Christmas!

Family's come to town!

2012-01-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

Hi! This is Bweven OWDEN Keykanano Wangess and I told Mommy to let me tell you all about Christmas. It was so much fun. Nonni and Papa, Uncle Danny and Auntie Mel (oops, Mama says it was Uncle Wobb) came to visit us and baby Wilwy. Here are some pictures.

Papa was really good at reading us a story. Mama wet us unwrap a book every night before Christmas. I wiked unwrapping the books.

This is Uncle Wobb and Auntie Mel and baby Wilwy. They even wet me see the pictures they would take!

Noah wanted to scare Uncle Wobb but he didn't do a very good job. Uncle Wobb got him.

Nonni even danced with us at our dance pawty. She's such a good Nonni

Uncle Wobb and Papa were so silly and wanted to do the dance pawty with us.

We spent a wot of our time here, at the table. There was so much good food to eat and I wiked sitting next to Noah.

Dis is Wilwy. She has new gwasses and they're pink. Hi, Wilwy!!

(I heard Mama say something about how grown up the gwasses make her wook, but I don't get it. They're just gwasses.)

After we opened up our presents, Papa and Noah got to work on one of Noah's new presents. Bet you can't guess what it is!

A tent for Noah's top bunk! Pretty neat, huh?

They even wet me and Wilwy up to play in the tent after it was finished. What a cool tent!

Wilwy wiked her new strower to push the babies around in.

But I wilwy wilked sitting in it! Hey Wilwy...can you push me around?

Nonni wilked being in the kitchen. She and Mama cooked awot.

And we had to show Uncle Wobb about all the cool new movies.

Hey, wook Mama. Its me and Uncle Wobb and Papa and Noah! Hi, Noah!

I wilwy didn't want to say goodbye but it helped to give baby Wilwy a hug.

I miss you baby Wilwy!

Nonni made Noah waugh by having such a hard time wetting go of him when she said goodbye.

But don't worry. I told baby Wilwy that we'd see her again soon and I made sure she wasn't crying when she weft.

Thank you Nonni and Papa and Uncle Wobb and Auntie Mel and Baby Wilwy for coming to see us.

I see trains everywhere!

2011-12-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Noah's birthday party was a complete success. He has successfully entered the magical age of 5!

Can you tell what the theme of the party was?

It was fun to have family here to celebrate with us. Lolli and Poppi were great at helping us set up and get ready. Aaron and his Dad did a great job with the train tracks up the front step and into the house.

Every year, Noah challenges me just a little bit more with his cake. I really enjoy it though and I think it came out pretty cute:)

Have I mentioned how much I love my Cricut?

It has become a favorite friend when it comes to creativity!

We had a coloring station as everyone was arriving. B was the conductor...but I'm not so sure he was able to keep everyone on course:)

Next, we had cookie decorating. Quite messy and chaotic, but also fun. Noah's mountain of frosting and sprinkles will have him on a sugar rush for atleast the next month!

Our final game was my favorite. It turned out really well. We had different colored boxes of legos (thanks, Katrina!) The object was to build a Train engine with the Legos provided. And we had some pretty good entries:)

And the surprising winner...Lolli and Poppi! Who knew all those years of Lego building would pay off:)

But I gotta say this is my favorite party of any of our parties. I love the feeling of all our friends and family surrounding us, reminding us of how much God has blessed us!

Loved looking over and seeing this. N got this book from Miss Lori and loved it so much he couldn't wait to read it. Love that Bo was kind enough to read it to them.

And after the party, a friend needed some help and we left the kids and Men upstairs. When we came back upstairs, they had lined their chairs up to watch a movie, theater style!

All in all, the party was a huge success and N is a very loved boy!:)

Noah's surprise visitors

2011-12-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

For Noah's 5th birthday, Aaron's parents decided to come and surprise Noah. I gotta say, I really had a hard time keeping the surprise. But we managed to pull it off.

Noah was so excited to have them here...

and have their undivided attention:)

(This is how N always talks, with his hands. We have no idea where that Italian part of him came from:))

There is just so much to show Lolli and Poppi when they come, where to start?

We were playing a game and I was trying to take some pictures, but this is the only face B would make for me...such a silly boy

N was in school several of the morning they were here and B was having so much fun getting some undivided attention with Lolli and Poppi for the first time.

Noah also started a new adventure...Soccer! We found a great deal on Groupon and its proven to be a great way to get him some exercise and a place to run the wiggles out.

It may seem silly to say, but not very often do I get to observe his behavior when we aren't around. And I gotta say I was so excited to see how well he followed directions and listened to his teacher. (whew! All that hard work does have a reward!)

And then he'd show his non-athletic side and wave and blow kisses. Super sweet, but A couldn't understand why he wasn't always paying attention:) I do have to say that we have discovered that sports completely undermine all of what we as parents teach our kids-sharing, letting others go first, being nice, not hitting or shoving. N has been having a hard time understanding why the others won't let him take his turn at kicking the ball:)

B LOVES being N's cheerleader

And he loved having Lolli and Poppi to play with while N was having so much fun of his own.

We have had to re-organize our legos. Gone is the tacklebox, atleast for the time being. Maybe when they are older we'll bring it back out. But for now, multiple boxes with lids make a whole lot more sense and help Mama remain sane!

We started up our tradition again this year of unwrapping one book a night until Christmas and the boys love it.

And just for proof...Lolli and Poppi are helping decorate the tree.

(The first time they have ever done it together that they can remember!)

We also had our Christmas with them while they were here we all had fun playing with their gifts for the next couple of days.

How do the boys say Thank You? With a tackle hug!

And I think B is part acrobat. We were playing with his Legos and he suddenly started climbing the entertainment center to stand on his head:)

Thanksgiving feast attire

2011-12-12T22:47:00.001-05:00

So, the week before Thanksgiving, Noah's preschool had a Thanksgiving feast (yes, I'm getting further and further behind) and we had a little fun with his costume. (The 3/4 year old class kids were dressed as the pilgrims and the 4/5 year old class kids were dressed as indians.)

Noah needed to model his costume for me since Daddy was the one to escort him to his feast.

Breven couldn't wait for his turn

And then they wanted Daddy to try it on...

And of course the experience wouldn't be complete without the Mama dressed in the costume too.

Gotta say we make some pretty cute indians:)

Happy Birthday, N!

2011-12-07T14:56:00.001-05:00

HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY, N!!!!

Okay, so I'm a few days late, but its been a crazy week-great, but crazy. Lolli and Poppi surprised N by coming in to celebrate with him for his birthday and at his party (pics will come soon).

(2 days old)

N, I can't believe you're 5! It seems like just last week you came into our lives and made it so much richer and more interesting. When I look back at baby you, I can't help but miss those days when I used to just sit and watch you, with nothing else on the agenda all day. But I also wouldn't trade where we are now for anything. I love your curiosity and enthusiasm for anything with wheels. I love the compassion and kindness that you show others. This week you wanted to share one of your motorcycle magazine with Esha (to send back through Lolli and Poppi)-a testimony to the generous, kind heart God has given you.

(1 years old)

I am always amazed at how easy it is for you to talk to anyone. Something you definitely didn't get from me. :) But you remind me that it doesn't have to be a conversation about rocket science, that you only need to show you're interested in the other person and God will give you the words.

(2 years old)

You are getting so independent. I let you go into the bathroom at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago for the first time. I did however stand right outside the store, counting the minutes, prepared to come to your rescue if you didn't come out in time. But you did just fine, came out in one piece, so proud of yourself for doing what big kids do.

(3 years old)

This is also the year you started school. So its only preschool, but its the beginning of a new part of your life that I won't be able to...okay, I'll just say it-Control. I won't be able to control what you hear, read, who hurts you, or what you're learning. Up until now, that has been my job. But I've learned that it has been the best thing for you. You get so excited about all the new songs, stories, crafts and activities you are learning and doing. You are so confident, you don't look back, don't worry about what I'll be doing while you're gone. You are so ready. You'd have opted for the bus option if preschool offered it. You are just that independent, and I'm thankful for it.

(4 years old)

I love how your smile lights up a room.Even though your boundless energy wears me out, I love that you are just like a Tigger in that you bounce every where. You just learned how to skip and you skip all the time!

(5 years old)

Happy Birthday, Lovebug! Mommy and Daddy are just as in love with you now as when we first met you and we're thankful for the ways God is using you to make us more kind, loving, thankful and patient!

And now, a bit of silly N:

He has a huge knitted blanket from a former co-worker of mine and he loves to use it at nap time. And lately, he's discovered a new way to use it. As a cocoon...

Can you find the N in the pic?

All tucked up and warm, inside, with all of his animals around him.

And another time...

I don't know how he gets in there, but he is definitely sleeping, with all of his animals supporting his legs and back. Silly boy!

What we've been up to

2011-11-22T09:46:00.004-05:00

The weeks are getting away from me. This whole "being on a schedule" thing is really tough for me. I've loved our time of doing what we want and now we're trying to embrace the new

Celebrating with my boys. (and yes...I know I'm that far behind!)

Noah is loving all the fun things he makes at school. He loved running around "scaring" Mommy with his spider hat.

Who knew...they spent the whole summer avoiding the sandbox just to discover a love for it just as the leaves are falling off the trees. I've finally had to tell them the sandbox is closed for the season. But I forsee a bright future for the sandbox:)

We had a fun small group night of carving pumpkins. We are no dummies. We knew the boys' attention wouldn't last long, so we only carved one pumpkin. And as Aaron said...

That's as Hawaiian as a pumpkin can get in our neck of the woods:)

Most of our small group. The night was a success.

We also got to take a trip into the big city to visit the Aquarium and going in the middle of the week was great. We were able to take in all of the exibits we wanted to without dealing with the crowds.

The boys enjoyed watching the dolphins and whales

And I think the boys finally found Crush...from Finding Nemo

We had a great day. We ended the day at the Lego store and I could have filled a pool with all the boys drool. I wish I had pictures but they were in heaven...and definitely couldn't decide which set was their dream set

B likes to Rock the hair!

Field Trip!

2011-11-07T07:18:00.000-05:00

We got to go on our first official field trip a couple weeks ago...a trip to the farm for a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay ride, games for the kids and some farm animals.

B-are you excited to be riding on a haywagon?

N-what do you think about your first field trip?

We went with our buddies, Miss J and O! Fun to have a buddy to play with.

The boys took a trip on the cow train and thoroughly enjoyed making the "Moo" sound

...at the top of their lungs.

Noah could have played on these all day. Whenever we had even a moment of free time, he would dart back to these trikes and race

B liked to watch the ducks "race" as he pumped the water

And his group for the morning, with some siblings, right before our

crazy, we-almost-got-lost-in-the-itty bitty maze mania.

B wasn't so sure about the jumping pillow but N loved it.

I love how blue the sky is. I may have to keep looking at the picture all winter to remind myself that there is still blue sky and it will come back again:)

I think we wore him out!

More Candy!!!

2011-11-03T14:45:00.003-04:00

I think I'm going to rename Halloween to the day of "More Candy!".

B would get so excited when we got to each house and shout "MORE CANDY!!"

Noah's trash truck costume-he requested to be a trash truck man. Thanks to a couple of friend's ideas, we created our own trash truck. Whew...this was a lot of work. And we didn't take into account how heavy it would be, but he loved it and manuvered around all the kids and houses pretty well. He couldn't really reach the door to knock, but quickly figured out that he could use his back end to bang against the door.

As B has already requested his turn in the trash truck costume, we need to design better wheels, as he was wheel-less by the end of the night!

B was our little Bee! He wasn't so sure about it until he went to show big brother and N told him how cool he was. (Way to go Noah!)

We planned to stay out for just a little while since the boys don't really need that much candy, but they were having so much fun, they begged to stay out even longer and we were out the whole 2 hours!

(Yes, for our back home family, there are designated times for trick-or-treating!)

And of course, what trick or treating would be complete without checking out the new stash! I really wish B was more into candy...(just kidding!)

And I thought it would be fun to go back and see all the costumes:)

2007

2008

2009

2010

Silly, silly boys!

2011-10-18T15:26:00.000-04:00

So I just gotta get this down, because I know there will be many days when I won't believe its possible, but last week the boys actually played-together-without-fighting!

It was FANTASTIC!

It didn't occur to me until I had finished making dinner and realized that I hadn't had to seperate/mediate/correct:) that whole time. Who knew...its actually possible they just might get along after all:)

They put each other "in jail":) The took some suspenders we happen to have and connected themselves together.

I heart this little boy!

I love that he's his own independent person and won't change for anyone. I love that his mood affects EVERYTHING in his world. If he's in a bad mood, regardless of what you ask him, the answer is "bad". And when he's in a good mood, the answer to those same questions is "good". I love that he will sit for HOURS on the couch with nothing but a couple of cars. And I love how much he wants to be just like his big brother. -He now has his own "work".

And I heart this one too!

N made a turtle in preschool and made himself a hat! I love seeing a new creativity come out of him through preschool. I love seeing his compassion for everyone around him. I love that he is addicted to Adventures in Odyssey and Legos. I love the hugs and snuggles he freely gives. And I love that when I'm in the shower after they go to bed he comes in to turn down my bed and leave an animal to keep me company (and I'll admit, I have a hard time handing out consequences for getting out of bed when he's handing out love:))

Visit to the big city

2011-10-10T15:40:00.000-04:00

We just got back from a Family Fun day in the big city.

We did have a specific reason for going, but I'll get to that later.

We went the night before and stayed the night at a hotel. And let me tell you...one room for all of us was definitely harder than I thought it would be. By the time we got to the hotel, swam in the hot tub (the pool was like a giant container of refrigerated water...brrr!), showered and got them into bed, it was 10, waaaaay past normal bedtime.

After a long day and all that play in the pool, you would think they'd be out like little lights, right? Wrong! They talked and laughed for quite a while (with us in the next bed over trying to get them to stay quiet) And I think they tossed and turned all night. I was up every hour listening to them. Finally around 4:30, I heard B whisper/shout "I can't sweep!" We are definitely spoiled to all have our own rooms.

I went to help him out and found that N had rolled all the way over to his side of the bed and B had about 5 inches between the edge of the bed and N! No wonder he couldn't 'sweep'!

I don't think any of us slept after 4:30 so after some more tossing and turning, we finally threw in the towel and got up, had breakfast and made it out the door to our appointment.

Why is it that they can't ever give you a real smile?!?!?!

The reason for our visit was really to see a specialist for N. He has a lump on his ribs that our pediatrician was concerned about and because of its location near his lungs and heart, he sent us to a meta-skeletal specialist at a well known Children's hospital.

Thankfully, the news was good that there is nothing to be concerned about. Its just a bone growth in a very rare place and only needs to have it removed if it starts to bother him or make him self-conscious and only when he's much older. Praise God!!

So since we were already in the big city with almost a whole day in front of us, what did we do?

Have some fun, of course!

We went to the Children's Museum and discovered all kinds of new things. Like how to drive a train. B had so much fun driving, we had to pull him away to keep exploring.

Being sized for future race car driving...

Learning how hard it is to be a dinosaur.

Noah, how long do you have to sit on your eggs before they hatch?

Poor B's tail seems to be half his body weight...

But the best part of the trip was getting to see the "robot". They don't know about Transformers yet, but they still thought it was pretty cool.

What we've been doing....

2011-10-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

So I've had these waiting to post since before Colorado, but as they are still relevant, I'm still gonna post 'em:) Oh, wait...Noah just told me that he wanted to show you these pics. Take it away, Noah!

Daddy and Mommy brought us back these chef hats. What do you think? I think I'll go make a omlet!

Don't worry. Even though Daddy and Mommy get tired of us fighting all the time, we still love each other.

Typical B. He's always taking my legos. I just hope he doesn't break them anymore.

This is Daddy's friends Jeep. Its cool and fast and has big tires.

Its even Red, my favorite color!

Its awfully boring to sleep the normal way. Gotta mix it up every now and then.

Mama says she's gotta get her snuggles in somehow...

Hey, look! Its Daddy and B. Mom? What are they doing?

Reporting for duty, Captain Mommy, sir!

Silly Bug glasses!!

Celebrating the end of summer

2011-09-27T12:47:00.000-04:00

The boys and I have fallen in love with the beach this year. And so, to celebrate the end of summer, we decided one more trip was in order. So we invited some friends, packed up the van and headed off for some sun and sand.

B's ready to jump in!

The boys have discovered how to dig really big holes...lets just hope I can keep from falling into them!

At one point, I looked over to see this. I have no idea how he got the sand up there, but once he discovered it, there was much whining until it was off.

It started raining while we were eating lunch, so what better way to stay dry?

Eating ICE CREAM!

And to finish the day off, we took a walk on the pier. A little heart stopping for this Mama, I will admit, but the boys loved it. They got to be really close to the boats and loved waving to all the captains.

And I saw this pic and love how it shows these 2 are definitely brothers. Maybe not from the front, but definitely from the back!:)

Adventures in Fruit

2011-09-16T21:31:00.003-04:00

What do you do when you have an adventureous friend, 4 boys and a love of fresh fruit?

Go for an adventure, of course!

45 minutes north of us, we've discovered this great orchard filled with all kinds of fruits you can pick, primarily peaches and apples.

So, we decided to pack those cuties up and pick to our hearts content.

And boy did we pick! We came away with (ahem) 100 pounds of peaches. And 100 pounds of apples. Yes. You read that right. But in our defense, 4 big buckets and 3 little buckets definitely didn't appear to hold that much. And yes, we've made a note for next year so we'll know not to pick that much. Unless of course, we go through it and get a case of amnesia next summer.

And so, my brave friend and I got to work. How often can you go straight to the fields (or orchards in this case), pick the fruit, prepare the fruit and can the fruit all in one day!?!?!

We did make some rookie mistakes that we've learned upon for next year, but all in all, I'm pretty proud of our new knowledge! And I do have to give my her most of the credit, since she spent the entire evening canning them all for us.

Some how, all these...

Became all of these!!!

Don't they look gorgeous? If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop on by!

Preschool!

2011-09-12T14:23:00.003-04:00

Today was the first day of preschool. Wow. It really feels like I was just announcing that we had him and here it is, time for school to start.

People kept asking if I was going to cry but you know what? I think Noah is more than ready for this next chapter (he's really ready to start driving, if he could have his way:)) and I'm excited for him. They said he had a moment when he got pushed and started asking for me, but she said it didn't last long and was back to lovin' every minute.

Look out world because I'm not quite sure you understand whats about to hit you!!:)

Photo ops gone wrong

2011-09-07T14:46:00.000-04:00

There's just something about trying to get 2 ACTIVE boys stopped, looking at the camera and smiling all at the same time. Thought you might enjoy seeing all the silly things these 2 do when I point a camera in their direction. (I think they're starting to do it on purpose!!)

Hey, N! The camera's this way.

The camera isn't going to be loud, B. I promise!

We just need 2 other people and we can complete the looking in all directions...

This one made me laugh. I often say that taking care of little kids is like herding cats...ain't gonna happen! (and yes, that is a whoppi cushion on my child's head)

Atleast this shows them doing something together...singing. Uncle Danny-look familiar?!?!?

And well, I thought it was just my own kids, but perhaps its the age:)

Colorado part 4...4 wheeling trip

2011-08-25T19:54:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of our trip for the boys is our trip to the mountains for some 4 wheelings. The weather proved to be gorgeous as normal and it was a very relaxing trip.

Its quite the feat to get 4 4-wheelers and 2 dirtbikes up in one load. But clever as ever, all those boys figured it out.

Isn't she a cutie! I really enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with her.

These 2 were so proud to be sitting up there, waiting to get going to the trails.

I'm one cool dude.

N rode almost the entire time with Poppi and LOVED it. I couldn't believe that Poppi could ride with Noah on some of the rockiest trails, but the harness we use for the boys are very helpful!

We went out on the trails on Wednesday as a whole family (minus Flip who had to work) and that was something we've never had a chance to do before. E spent the whole trip sandwiched between her parents and slept through the better part of the ride. N rode with Poppi, B rode with me and Lolli had her own 4-wheeler (I've never seen her drive on the trails before). He wasn't too fond of spending the trip with a HEAVY helmet on, taking the brunt of the wind and bumps on the front of my 4-wheeler. I think he was actually screaming for a whole hour of the trip.

We finally took his helmet off and he rode with Poppi while N rode with Daddy and that did the trick. Poppi said their ride together was great.

"Yeah, my Dad's pretty awesome"

We rode the same trail we rode last year, but we were finally able to complete the whole loop, which included a quick side trip to the Alpine tunnel and turntable. Its quite amazing that these men were able to accomplish so much with the resources available to them. The boys had fun walking the tracks and even getting to switch the tracks.

Someone I was talking to said they couldn't imagine why riding rocky terrain without being able to talk to each other seemed boring, but I say...How could you pass up these views? Creation at its best!

We had to take our annual stop for pie. Having all three kids along this time made it so much more fun.

The second day, Chicku decided she had had enough and would be staying back with Esha. BUt much to her chagrin, Esha insisted on riding again! Uncle Flip was able to join us and we had a great 1/2 day trip with the entire family. One of the highlights for the kids was being able to throw rocks into the lake. And man were there a lot of rocks right on hand!

Our second full day of riding was even better after making some much needed changes. We moved B in between Aaron and Lolli and he was so much happier. He slept more than 3/4 of the trip, but he was happy when he was awake. And I think Lolli enjoyed all the snuggle time:) And N even took a nap with Poppi on the dirt bike! I thought just riding with N was hard enough, but apparently, N wanted to test Poppi's skills!

Our last day is our relaxing day. We have to get out of the cabin, but after all the work of packing up, we get to spend some time in the pool. And the pool has a slide...kid paradise.

The rest of our trip was spent in a blur, trying to see everyone we could and packing up. But we were able to spend some couple time with our friends J & Mary. And let me tell you...if you ever have a chance to check out the Broadmoor's Sunday Brunch, I highly recommend it!

The trip home was uneventful (thankfully!!) and B even slept through most of the second flight. Which was a nice break for me to rest a bit before jumping back in to normal life.

Colorado is definitely a love our family shares. It helps that all of our family is there, we have tons of friends and extended family there, the mountains are there, the 4 wheelers are there, the dry air is there...

But we are also very thankful for the home God has provided for us here. While we LOVED our time visiting, we are thankful to be home.

And it took them all of 5 minutes home to fully acquaint themselves with their toys again!

Colorado part 3

2011-08-23T14:26:00.000-04:00

I love that the boys have cousins now. And that they are getting to ages where they can really interact and play together. We spent a great morning at the zoo with some of Aaron's family and had a ball. Have I mentioned how much I love that zoo yet?!?:)

I can't explain why, but this picture just cracked me up...

The kids got a chance to see a couple of Hippos up close and personal. And man are they bigger than Gloria from Madagascar!

Lolli treated everyone to a couple of rides on the carousel and the kids loved it. After 2 rounds, we had 2 more punches left on our card to use up and since we couldn't let just 2 of the three kids go, Lolli made an executive decision...

...the 2 Mama's would ride. And man, did it feel weird to ride without holding onto a child. I loved the little audience we had in our kids and the love we felt as with each rotation of the carousel, we heard many "Hi, Mama!"'s and "I love you!"'s coming from our audience.

The Lolli makes a much more comfortable seat than any other.

Noah enjoyed having his face painted (as an elephant) but sadly, it didn't last long as shortly after this picture, he got lost. I've never experienced a 'lost child' episode before and I'd rather not go through it again.

He loves to exercise his independence and will often go ahead of us with me having to call him back and remind him to stay close. After one such time of having him walk ahead, I stopped for a few minutes to get a drink. As I turned around, I heard my mom-in-love say "Hey, where's Noah" at the same time as I'm thinking it.

I make a quick scan of the area and start to back track through the zoo. And sure enough, there's Noah, fat crocodile tears ruining his face painting with a large crowd surrounding him. (That kid knows how to draw a crowd!) Sufficed to say, he stayed pretty close to me for the rest of our trip!

Another day, the boys got to experience a whole land of bounce houses with our friends Steph and Beau. N was in heaven, B not so much. As I watched B spend a minute or two in the bounce house, and then spend the next 10 minutes next to me, I realized that I have a true introvert in B. He'd rather be away from the crowd and explore when no one else is around. After having Mr. Social himself, having an introvert is a whole new mindset. Just another way in which my boys are COMPLETE opposites.:)

Noah couldn't get enough. I couldn't keep track of him for all the running between bouncers.

B found a friend in Beau. I love that they are only a couple months apart. Here's hoping their friendship will blossom in the years ahead!

We had these boys running, but thankfully, alot of it was fun stuff they enjoyed doing:) Nonni took Noah and I to Whit's End for a morning of exploring. We've just discovered Adventures in Odyssey and Noah can't get enough. So he loved exploring where they make the episodes.

"Look Uncle Danny. I can play the harmonica just like you. Too bad you couldn't be here too, we could have had a harmonica band!"

I'm bummed this is the only picture of my friend Steph, but I'm glad that she enjoyed spending time with the boys. I love that my friends in CO can have a relationship with my kids.

We had a couple of days with a sick N. Thankfully, they happened during a break in our schedule, but being sick on vacation is such a bummer!

I have really enjoyed watching my brother and his wife as they take on the role of parents. There is no doubt this little girl is loved!

And a cuddle moment with my boy!

Colorado part 2

2011-08-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

...when you're on vacation as a parent, all rules and schedules and routines go out the window. And this trip was no exception. My boys did pretty well, I do have to give them credit for that. But you can tell when they've about reached their brink, and we reached that several times in the weeks we were there. I would love to tell you they were perfect angels. I'd also love to paint a picture of my "perfect children" who did the right thing the whole time. But who would I be fooling, and something tells me that years down the road when I go back to relive their little years, I'll need a chance to laugh at how easy these problems were compared to the ones I will be facing :)

All that to say, as one of the first of all our friends and family to have children, the prideful side of me had a hard time letting everyone see that I didn't have it all together. That my children weren't perfect; respectful, kind and obedient at every turn. But God was good at reminding me that people don't need to see someone completely put together. They really need to see someone touched by His grace and mercy. What I really need to be portraying is someone who is allowing God to mold her through the parenting process and dealing with each new situation with patience and love.

Deep thoughts for a vacation blog, but hey...you can't choose where you learn your lessons:) So, let's get back to some of those pictures...

While we only got a small chance to catch up with my youngest brother and his wife, I was thankful for a chance to remember how much I love them:)

I was also thankful for my older brother who made an effort to give us lots of time with Lily.

A chance for them to escape...to the park:)

Has anyone seen Noah? He was just here with us and now I seem to have lost him.

Oh, my how I love this girl. It didn't take her long to win a special place in this Aunties heart. Now, if only she'd actually let me hold her without all the screaming:)

Ah, the pure joy a child can find in a simple slide.

Breven is so much different than Noah in that he doesn't jump into anything with both feet. He's a sit, watch, contemplate and then maybe go for it, but only in the conditions are right kind of guy. Every ride on the slide is a new opportunity to think it through.

My parents have saved a lot of the toys from when we were growing up. And we discovered the motherlode of Legos. We spent an entire morning here on the front porch in the shade playing with all the new Lego creations. Lily was even introduced to the boys current passion.

And I successfully helped my mom cut off 24 inches of hair. Thats right...24 INCHES! I was so proud of her and she has seriously gained a minimum of 10 years back with her new 'do. Lily was wondering what it would be like to have so much hair, but decided it was just to hot to really handle.

We spent some much needed relaxation time one afternoon at a park that happens to be very special to Aaron and I. Its the same park where we celebrated our first anniversary of being a couple. And its also the park where he proposed.

The park is huge with lots of area to run and paths to walk on and even some ponds perfect for throwing rocks into.

We stopped off for lunch at a pond that seemed to have become a dog heaven. They were swimming all over in the water, going after toys and cooling off which provided perfect entertainment for the boys as they ate. And just before we left the pond, someone brought in a remote control boat. I must be a mom of boys because even I thought that looked like fun:) I really enjoy seeing all the love the boys get from all the family and friends in CO.

There is no doubt that these boys are cared for!

Who knew 10 years ago, when we started our biblestudy, we'd still be getting together!

Colorado part 1

2011-08-18T14:55:00.001-04:00

Colorado was so much fun. We just got back from an extended stay and wow, did we pack alot in! But I think we got it all done and now we're thankful for home, familiarity and schedules (this Mama's definitely thankful for the routine and schedule again!!)

Would you like to see what we were up to out there?

One of the first stops the boys make is to the gravel backyard at my parents house. They have so much fun being little supervisors and drivers with all that construction equipment. And this year, my dad had done a complete overhaul of all the equipment. It all looks brand new! Thanks Dad for all your hard work. I only wish it wouldn't have rained quite so much so that we could have played more back there.

The equipment last year...what a difference a coat of paint can make!

The love of Papa runs deep.

Noah...for once, could you please take a normal picture?!?!

A visit in to see Grandma Langness (she's 90!!) I love that Esha (the boys' cousin) is giving us a great view into her eyeball.:)

We went and spent the night with my brother and his family. Lily just turned one and it was so much fun to see her do more than sleep this year:) We had so much fun but the highlight for the boys was the ride on the lightrail and trip into the Lego store. You would have thought they had just won the lottery:)

Robb, this one's for breaking my hippo!!:)

We were able to make several trips to the fantastic zoo and we loved seeing one of my favorite animals....the elephant! Noah really wanted to show you what noise an elephant makes.

Between Aaron's best friend's family, his college roommates family and ours we are a crowd of boys. Hopefully the 2 babies due in the next few months will help even the numbers a little. (and no, we are not adding to that number)

Mama, if only I could get this close to a real one!

One of my biggest accomplishments (and my Moms too) was the organization of her room. We spent the better part of a week working on it and I was in 7th heaven helping her find a place for all of her many crafts.

(Just don't ask me when she's ever going to have time to get to them all!)

We also had a chance to have 2 out of my three brothers down for a weekend to hang out all together and really enjoyed that. I loved seeing Noah being so sweet to Lily, wanting to play with her and wanting to teach her how to pass the ball.

I will always remember this as bathtime at my parents house. My dad was sweet enough to volunteer to give them baths every night while we were with them. One night it was just a little too quiet for me so I went to check out what was going on. B was contentedly playing while Papa took a quick nap on the floor:)

And this is most definitely going into his "will be using this for his senior year book photo collection". He decided to do this all by himself! Thankfully, he was still in good spirits at this point of the trip...

We are now ORGANIZED!!

2011-08-01T09:05:00.000-04:00

With Aaron home for a week in a cast this summer, we had a lot of time to get organized (one of my favorite things:)) Aaron's mom had used a tackle box for all of Aaron's legos when he was growing up and Aaron liked it so much he wanted to do the same thing for his boys.

So we went to the store, purchased a HUGE tackle box and proceeded to seperate and organize all of those little pieces.

It was a big job, but its so much easier when you want to build something. Now to only get Noah to keep up with it!

Trip to the beach with Lolli and Poppi

2011-07-18T14:15:00.000-04:00

The boys are at such an age, that a trip to the beach is actually a pleasant, fun experience. And we've been making the most of it. We decided that Lolli and Poppi needed to experience it with us...

The beach we frequent the most has about 30-45 feet of shallow water. The water stays pretty warm and I love knowing that I don't have to watch their every move.

I'm not sure what B is doing, but it kind of looks like he's trying to get the boats to come on over:)

Such a big boy! And that blond hair blends right in with all that sand.

Breven enjoyed showing Lolli how the beach works:)

Another great feature of this particular beach is the huge splash pad that the boys can go play in before we head home. Added bonus for mom: the water washes all that sand off of them!

I think Noah liked having a special place to sit

And of course, you have to end a beach day right...with a huge ice cream cone!!

Lolli and Poppi's visit

2011-07-09T21:04:00.000-04:00

Well, here I was all prepared to show you a very happy Lolli and B, spending some time together and they go and hide on me...the nerve!!:)

Oh, there they are! I love the fun and laughter I hear from the boys as they play with their grandparents. We did a lot of playing while they were here and even got to indulge in our common love of Jamba Juice!

Poppi was such a trooper this week, helping out with mowing. I think he even enjoyed taking his turn on the tractor.

Who knew lego building was such hard work!

The 2 blue eyed boys of the Langness Family

Lolli even took a turn diving into the legos!

Noah gladly put on a 4th of July performance for his audience.

And its amazing that this is the second sign we've found that has Poppi and Breven's shared middle name.

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-07T16:25:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th (+3 days) of July!!!

Okay, so I'm really late in my posts these days...having Mono makes life as a Mommy WAAAAY more interesting. Not to mention all the other things I should be doing, including blogging. Most of the time I fight the guilty feeling of laziness knowing that the Mono will hopefully be over soon, but I know if I push myself too much, I'm going to end up paying for it. And I've had several days lately of paying for it.

Aaron's leg is healing nicely and he's finally able to start walking without crutches. I'm to the point of hiding all saws and blades to keep him from cutting his cast off:)

Lolli and Poppi came to spend the week with us. What a great way to celebrate!

I love the bond these 2 share and hate the fighting that happens 2 seconds later

You know, I've been pretty lucky. I was just talking to someone the other day who told me that she couldn't stand her in-laws. I LOVE mine!! We have such a good time together and I'm so thankful that I could even sneak a few hours away with Patty to have some girl time:)

Our 4th of July celebration started early Sunday with a bonfire and s'mores. Man, those are good. And addicting! The boys loved being around the fire and just like their Mama...give 'em dessert and they'll go anywhere:)

B wanted his own bouquet of flowers, Lolli's clever solution? Roll them up in his sleeves!

Poppi being the Master of the fire.

Have I told you how much I love these 2?

Breven is entering such a fun stage. He's talking in full sentences and running 2 steps behind Noah, mimicking his every move. He's passionate about socks (has to have them on at all times), his blanket and Mo (monkey), anything cars and food. You mention the word dessert and he comes running. He's also showing us his stubborn side, showing us how easy Noah's been to us. Which I have to keep reminding myself is a good thing. It will be good later on when he can stick up for himself, right?! He can hold his own in a temper tantrum contest and can not be coerced into anything. But I think Poppi said it best when he made the observation that "B's top priority is NOT watching where he's going." He's constantly running into things, falling down or playing bumper cars with the walls and furniture. Its no wonder he's got horns growing out of his forehead:)

And this one here is my bundle of energy. If only I knew how to bottle some and sell it. I'd make a fortune. He's 4 going on 16...and his work is keeping him very busy. I'm petioning right now to get him some vacation time, which is really code for a break from all the "work talk" that Mama has to listen to. Anything that someone mentions, he can one up with something from his work. Seriously, what company would really own firetrucks, construction equipment, jetskis, 4-wheelers, 45 bosses, a beach and dozen of airplanes. (and that's just the tip of the iceberg). Although he did mention this week that his boss Joseph (whom I've hosted for dinner, playtime, naptime...) has taken a job in Japan, so I'm interested to see how long Joseph's new job will last.

Even though Aaron's leg has kept him from alot of the normal activites, we've been enjoying some quality family time...

So I was wrong earlier...this is the Master of the Fire:)

What can I say...they LOVE their Miss Lori!

Its superhero Noah!

Getting ready to light off some of Lolli's fireworks. The boys loved them! They even got to stay up until 11 because it doesn't get dark around here until 10!

A rare moment of Love for the Poppi

Make that 2 rare moments of Love. Noah is our lovebug. He's ready and willing to give hugs and kisses whenever needed!

Passing out the poppers (or in Breven's case the stompers.) He would gently set it on the ground and then stomp the ground until a foot finally connected with the popper.

And of course...clean up time. Alll those poppers make such a mess. I think its just in the genes!!

Colorful noodles!

2011-06-23T17:01:00.000-04:00

We were playing with friends the other day and she showed me this great new trick-coloring noodles. They make great stuff to move with construction equipment, and if Mommy gets her way, counting, spelling, sorting...:)

The process is really simple, but I must warn you ahead of time to have LOTS of food coloring.

It may not look like the color is getting onto the noodles, but after lots of shaking, set it aside for a while and the color will deepen.

You will need:

Dry Pasta (I used several different kinds, the boys like the bowties the best)

Food Coloring (LOTS!)

Rubbing Alcohol

Ziploc Bags (Not the cheap kind for this!)

Paper Towels

A Pan or Tray

You will do:

Put desired amount of pasta into a Ziploc Bag.

Add 1/8 cup of Rubbing Alcohol to bag for every 1/2 cup of pasta.

Add desired amount of food coloring.

Shake the bag around until pasta is colored evenly.

Once your pasta has been dyed to desired color, drain the bags in the sink and dump the pasta onto a paper towel covered pan or tray to dry. (Takes about 2 hours to dry)

What kid could resist playing with these?!?!

And I just think they're pretty:)

You can see the original recipe here.

What we've been up to

2011-06-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

Sadly, I went to upload pics today to discover that I haven't kept up very well on the picture taking. Oops! Well, I do have good reasons, which I shall go into later. But for now, I'll show you what we have been up to.

Forts! Noah has always been into building forts. but even more so lately.

And what's better than building the fort? EATING in the fort!

(This picture just goes to show that gone is the toddler that use to be Breven. He is now a full fledged boy with lots of attitude and opinions.)

And speaking of growing up, I think this one's just aged a couple of years recently. He's getting so independent and I think he's counting the days until preschool starts.:) Have I mentioned that I'm not ready for that yet?!?!

I love how willing he is to help out when we ask and he's not afraid to talk to anyone. He'll start up a conversation and keep the person talking, well, listening really for way longer than they ever thought:)

And the boys definitely have to have some boy bonding experiences, and whats better than a little guitar hero.

Starting their own rock band:)

I love the look of concentration. The guitar can't be played with the game, but B's gonna make it work for him anyways!

And finally, do you notice anything unusual about this picture? Yeah, thats right. That giant, huge, white cast my poor husband is sporting these days! A lot of our time is spent right here, in the middle of a big pile of legos!

Wednesday night hubby went to go play basketball with the boys at church and came hobbling home several hours later. Turns out he tore his achilles tendon. (and for those of you counting, yes, its the second one he's torn!) The bummer this time is that its on the right foot so he can't even drive the tractor, much less the car.

The boys were troopers through all of the drs. visits, the 4 hour wait while Daddy had surgery Friday and even still as Daddy can't do all that he normally would be doing.

It will be a long road of recovery for Aaron, but we're choosing to look on the bright side...tons of family time, a completed kitchen before all this drama and a little bit slower summer:)

(BTW-Breven wanted to show you his latest creation...Egg men!)

Visit from Nonni and Papa

2011-06-07T17:03:00.000-04:00

(This post is pathetically late, but I'd still like to post it anyways...)

After Nonni and Papa followed us back to Indiana, we had such a relaxing great time with them. This was the first time they were here and we didn't have a huge agenda, and I think we all enjoyed it.

The usual Papa/boys snuggle time on the couch...

My Mama and Me

Breven LOVES to swing this way. He won't hold on to the chains, but he'll cling to us for dear life.

Aren't they adorable?!:)

Look, Mama. No hands!

Breven wouldn't go down the slide unless Papa or I were right there to go with him.

And what better way to end the trip to the park but with a tromp through the woods

Something tells me he sees me doing a little too much of this-cleaning. He insisted on cleaning this part of the playground.

I take back what I said earlier. We did have a big agenda...playing with Legos. I think Papa and I spent a whole day building Legos:)

And Papas are so much better to help. We asked him to look at something for us and as soon as he started in on figuring it out, the boys were right there to help:)

Trip to the farm

2011-05-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

One of my aunts and uncles in Kansas own a large farm with lots of farm equipment. When we were on the farm a few years ago, Noah was in seventh heaven. And we knew he'd fall in love all over again.

(Have I mentioned how much N and B love tractors and construction equipment?!?! We were planning a Daddy/Noah date night and when asked what he wanted to do, he requested that they go watch the construction equipment. At least he's a cheap date!)

His only bummer was that the Combine wasn't there.

He asked lots of great questions and I would love to have seen all the tracks he made if this would have been on Family Circus. (you know, all those tracks that follow Billy around)

Just look how tall I am, Mama! I can fit under here with Daddy!

But its even better how high I can be up here. Anyone seen the keys for this thing?

One day I'm going get me one of these.

Look, the truck is even my favorite color!

Think there's room to park this in the garage too, Mama?

Back in 2009 when we went to Kansas the first time, we took this picture and knew this year we needed to recreate it...

Think he's grown just a wee bit.

What's that you ask? Where was B during all of this fun field trip to the farm?

Yeah, he was sacked out in the car.

Our family trip part 2

2011-05-18T20:09:00.000-04:00

So the whole reason we went to KS for the weekend is for my cousins wedding. And man do they know how to have a wedding. My mom made the cake...and judging from the size of the cake, can you just imagine how many people were invited?!? (or how long it took my mom to decorate!)

My dad with his 4 sisters and his mom.

I love watching how my aunts always manage to dress similarly for every wedding without even trying!

And after the wedding, we took a few minutes to get some pics of the family...

I'm so in love with these three!

Drat the big fuzzy circle! Our only good family photo

(you don't even want to see the one with Noah's tongue sticking out!)

We enjoyed a great day of driving with Nonni and Papa following behind us. And another great night at the hotel, including lots of great swim time in the great big "bathtub":)

I think B knows just how to make himself at home (away from home:)).

Noah got to be a big boy and stay the night in Nonni and Papa's room. It was a little strange having just B with us, but we enjoyed some quality time with him. And he enjoyed some quality time with the window watching all the cool cars and trucks drive by.

And I have no doubt that Papa was soaking up all the little boy attention

Trip to see Family part 1

2011-05-17T16:26:00.002-04:00

We spent our last weekend of April on a special trip. My cousin was getting married in Kansas and we wanted to go and celebrate with her. We spent our first day on the road for 12 hours and surprisingly, it was a great day.

We were all pleasantly surprised with how fast the day went by and how much fun we had hanging out together.

Although I do have to admit that I was eating my words all weekend. Before kids came, I couldn't understand why people needed DVD players in the cars and decided that I wouldn't have on in my car. And let me tell you that that was just plain dumb:)

While I don't endorse letting them watch throughout the entire drive, having the occasional movie to break things up a bit and help them relax makes the trip much happier on everyone involved.

Hey, you'd be pretty upset if you had to sit in the same position for 12 hours straight too!

We spent the night at a hotel and got a chance to get some wiggles out at the pool. The boys loved it although Breven decided he much preferred the hot "bathtub" to the cold "bathtub":)

We let the kids set when we would take off for the last leg of the trip and when they were awake and entertaining each other at 5:30, we decided to go with it.

We got to my grandma's nursing home/old apartment around lunch time and went to go and visit her. I was so bummed to see I didn't get any pictures of us with her (she's 99!), but I think there was enough going on without getting a camera in her face too. And the highlight of the trip to visit Grandma was...

her rising recliner.

Even Daddy got in on the fun!

After a visit to my Aunt and Uncle's farm (post coming later), we got to meet up with my 2 brothers, their wives and my niece Lily! The boys had fun entertaining her and playing together.

Love the big baby blues!

And the boys loved having Uncle Robb to play and wrestle with again.

And at one point in the weekend, Noah had gotten some gumballs and was convinced that Uncle Robb needed one. He spent quite a while trying to get Uncle Robb to open his mouth until finally Uncle Mikey took pity on him and helped him out. I think it surprised Noah just as much as Robb when the gumball finally made it into his mouth.:)

Saturday morning, my Aunt and Uncle were gracious enough to host Noah when he decided he had had enough sleep and wanted something to do. Rather than waking us up, he went upstairs until he found someone awake (Aunt Fern) and proceeded to charm her into everything a four year old could desire first thing in the morning-cinnamon rolls and a movie:) He also thought it wise to tell her that when he wasn't feeling well (like he said he was then), M&M's helped make him feel better! Sneaky little boy!

And thanks to my Aunt Fern and Uncle Galen, we were able to all hang out together and get some good time together.

Boys

2011-05-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

Daddy never knew he'd get this kind of workout

The true challenge lies in finding a way to get out the door

And it looks like we have the start of our own motorcycle/bicycle gang

The big reveal

2011-05-02T08:25:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to show what we've been working on for the last couple of months.

It all started with the plan to replace the countertops. Now, please don't get me wrong...the hunter green countertops were perfectly wonderful in 1994, but currently, the fashionable neutral is much more up my alley.

And I have wanted to paint the cabinets to something other than the orange tinted brown they have been but Aaron was completely against the painting process.

We went in to discuss our options for the countertops and after a few minutes of talking with the kitchen lady, she discovered my distaste of the orange cabinets and showed me something new that would be better than painting the cabinets.

So, suffice to say, what started as replacing the countertops, turned into replacing the counters, changing the color of the cabinets, replacing the cabinet above the stove with a smaller version and adding an above range microwave, adding crown molding on top and pulls on the doors and drawers.

Needless to say, it was quite a process, but we are thrilled with the end result.

Allow me to give you the tour...well, okay, after all the through-the-process shots, you'll get the tour:)

When you start a large project like this, its always wise to include a well known contractor...

(trust me, he's very affordable.)

And he's great because he's all about "Safety First"

Our friends Bill and Eve were gracious enough to host our boys for a day to allow us to finish most of the cabinet transformtion process. Thanks guys! We couldn't have done it without you. And let's just say, anything Aaron and I do with the boys now doesn't nearly meet the expectations set by Mr Bill and Miss Eve when they toured the boys around their side of town!

Because it was still cold outside, we refaced the doors and drawers in the guest room downstairs. (it really pays to have an unfinished floor in the house!)

Throughout the whole process, the boys have been troopers. We ate almost every meal for a month at this little table. The boys loved it, but I was definitely ready to get back to a normal height for eating. Being at a level where I could easily shovel the food into my mouth made for some very fast meals:)

And while not at all esthetically pleasing, the lack of cabinet doors is very functional. You can shave so much time off by skipping the step of opening the doors when you need something.

(note to self, if I ever desire to make any of my cabinets doorless, I must remind myself that it is not worth the effort of making it all neat and orderly all the time. Not to mention trying to tie in all those different colors!)

I have to say that I surprised myself with how well I handled having my entire kitchen spread throughout my house. But yes, I did have everything back in order just a day after the last cabinet door was hung and yes, that is my dish washer in the middle of the dining room:)

Now...on to the fun that I know you're really here for.

The before and afters:

Ta da! Just check out my HUGE new sink. We decided to go with a one basin sink and its so large, I think I could go swimming in it! Well, okay, not really. But it is big enough to get all my big pots and cookie sheets in without having to finagle them all around.

And yes, this really is the same kitchen. Just with a much needed update.

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to stop over anytime. I'd love an excuse to hang out in this room:)

Easter

2011-04-28T08:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter.

I hope you had a great day celebrating the love and sacrifice Christ made for us.

I found a couple of cute bunnies to celebrate with.

And what do you know, they took to Aaron right away too!

Noah's demonstrating a special egg finding dance move

Once B discovered why the eggs made so much noise, he was all about finding the eggs!

I wouldn't want to spend Easter any other way!

And apparently, there's just a little bit of my father rubbing off on Aaron. I found this picture on the camera. Beautiful purple flowers that I know he took just for me, but so like my dad. LOVE you Dad!! (love you too, Babe!)

Easter Tradition

2011-04-28T08:01:00.000-04:00

My little chefs are all ready to pass on a special recipe we discovered this year to better understand about Christ's suffering, death and ressurection. Thanks, Mom for the idea!

Easter Cookies

To be made Saturday night before Easter. Preheat oven to 300.

***1 cup whole pecans ~ put them in a ziplock and let children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Set aside. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by theRoman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

***1 tsp. vinegar. Let child smell this. Put into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty he was given vinegar. Read Jn 19:28-30

***3 egg whites. Add to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to have us life. Read Jn 10:10,11

***Sprinkle a little salt in each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luk 23-27.

***So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesu died because He loves us so much. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps 34:8 and John 3:16

***Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 - 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Is. 1:18 and John 3:1-3 (note from the editor: it is important to beat with the mixer for the full 12-15 minutes or they don't come out as they are supposed to)

***Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Mt. 27:57-60.

***Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

***Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door4. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Mt 27:65-66

***GO TO BED. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.

***Jesus' followers were very sad when the tomb was sealed. Read Jn 16:20 and 22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9.

I think they like it.

Snow...in April...REALLY?!?!?!

2011-04-27T08:49:00.000-04:00

Hey, Mama! Look what's outside? I thought you said the snow was all gone?

N's showing B the traditional snow dance:)

Now I think they're watching for the snowplow to come by. Yes, there may only be 1/4 of an inch, but they're still hoping for a view of the snowplow.

Your laugh for the day

2011-04-17T14:59:00.002-04:00

Can you point me in the direction of the nearest coral reef?

Noni's visit

2011-04-17T13:51:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we had the privilege of having Noni come and spend a long weekend with us and we had so much fun. And thankfully, Noni brought the beautiful, warm weather with her so we could enjoy some time outside.

Our first item on the agenda: Potty Training.

Whats better than potty training a little boy? Having 2 adults to potty train a little boy.

Okay, so go with me for a second...when B was born, Noni arrived and Noah was 26 months and 3 days. Upon arriving, Noni got the notion to potty train Noah and while it was time consuming, he seemed to get it(and while she had to do most of the work since I had just had major surgery, I didn't say no).

And when we realized that Noni would be arriving this time with Breven being the exact same age as Noah had been (26 months and 3 days) we thought B might be just as trainable as Noah had been.

Uh. Yeah. Right.

He proved how different from Noah he could be! We spent all of Friday running to the potty every 5 minutes with ZERO results. Well, okay so maybe there were 2 times he went, but definitely not enough to count. And I think its safe to say Noni and I were both wiped out from trying to stay excited with him all day! (and we wore him out so much he slept an extra 1 1/2 hours the next morning!)

When he finally woke up the next morning, we started the routine all over again. Took him straight to the potty and then on to breakfast. After the first 5 minutes and the realization that he had decided the training pants were a much safer place to relieve himself than the potty, Mom and I threw up the white flag.

And let me just say that while I would love to have a potty trained little boy right now, our weekend was much more enjoyable!

And of course, what visit with my mom would be complete without a huge batch of verenika and a picture behind the counter.

Saturday, after a lazy morning and lunch we left the sleeping boys in capable hands and had some great girl time. Pedicures and some therapy shopping always makes everything better ;)

Sunday was so beautiful that we spent the bulk of the day outside. The boys are loving all the spots to dig around the house and all the trucks to fill with dirt. Something tells me that while they may not make a career out of it, construction will definitely play some part in their future.

And a future businessman of America is prepping for his entrance into the work force.

Like his big brother, he loves to keep his phone close in case his boss needs to call. In fact, I've seen him with a phone to each ear a lot lately. I didn't realize he was in such demand!

Lego creations

2011-04-13T20:43:00.000-04:00

As I've said before, Lego's have taken over our house. I've been reaquainting myself with building all kinds of things that Noah requests. On Noni's recent trip, he requested she build a Loader and she did an amazing job! I just wish I could have gotten a picture before Noah decided to transform it into something else.

I thought you'd like to see a few of our most recent projects:)

Daddy's crop sprayer

Noah's "poop truck"

Mommy's Ambulance

with a stretcher for the back:)

And if you see any lego men with lights on top, those would be Breven's

The latest project...

2011-04-11T21:28:00.002-04:00

So we've been working on a project the last month that has required me to live with everything from my kitchen counters on my dining table...

Can't wait to show you!!

Dirt, Legos and airplanes

2011-03-29T15:29:00.000-04:00

We're still waiting for the warming temps to come around so we can really enjoy getting outside, but in the meantime, we'll soak in the gorgeous sunshine!

I think there will be lots of digging in our future. Thank goodness for that great big sandbox in the backyard!!!!Breven has become Noah's shadow.

Anything and everything Noah does and says, there is a little "Re-Pete" coming right behind him:)

Noah: Full of energy, words and imagination. He's just hit the point where he has discovered B will do pretty much anything he says and tries to get B to do all his chores for him. He's showing us his little stubborn, strong will a lot lately and he has been bitten by the popular boy bug...LEGOS. Its pretty much all he plays with anymore.

B is showing us that while he loves to imitate his really cool brother, he definitely has a mind of his own. He's more sensitive, strong willed and compassionate. I thought we'd seen strongwilled and dealt with it all before, but that was before B decided to show us how its done. He's definitely hit the "2" mark and lets us know when he doesn't want to obey and cooperate.

Our favorite things he does: He shrugs his ear and shoulder together while saying "can't" whenever he doesn't want to do something.

He just stopped saying it but he used to say "Mahmon" when he wanted you to come with him somewhere.

He loves to fill us in on how people are feeling along with some other commentory remarks: Bweven happy, Noah ky (cry), Noah trouble, Daddy happy...

And if there's ever a time when I really need some love, I can count on B. If I ever need a hug and kiss from the boys and they won't give them to me, all I need to do is act sad and B is right there to make it all better. Horrible I know, but a Mama's got to resort to all kinds of tricks to keep getting the love-they start to get stingy with their hugs and kisses. The nerve:):)

I looked over from putting something away, to see this. They were watching a far away airplane.

Looks like we still have some work to do

2011-03-22T07:16:00.002-04:00

Well, hello! Why yes, this is my popcorn.

And No, I'm not sharing it with you.

We've been dealing with a lack of sharing at our house. The boys seem to know just the right toy to grab from the other to make them scream. And I have yet to find a way to always know who was in the wrong. I know I need to keep my eagle eye on them at all times, but alas, that trait is still not fully developed in this Mama.

And everytime we deal with it, it always amazes me how quickly their little sin nature reveals itself. And yet, it takes months (and possibly years) to instill honesty, kindness, politeness, gentleness, self-control...

Thank goodness God gives us 18 years to work through it with them because I know its going to take ATLEAST that long to figure it out:)

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

A new way to get comfy

2011-03-15T08:10:00.000-04:00

I let the boys watch a couple shows on PBS in the morning. One day after coming out from getting ready, I discovered a certain someone had found a new way to get comfy...

(There goes that silly grin again...)

I guess sometimes, you just gotta put your feet up!

Let's do some fishing!

2011-03-10T08:57:00.002-05:00

Breven got this fishing game for his birthday and we pulled it out the other night. It actually spins really fast and its no longer a magnet fishing pole and magnetic fish, you have to get the fish to bite down on the pole.

After about 3 minutes of trying to get the fish to bite his pole, Breven dropped the pole and started pulling them out with his hands. All the while cheering himself on with each "catch" "Yea! Breven yea!"

If only fishing were really that easy!

Apparently, turning 2 makes you silly

2011-03-07T08:51:00.001-05:00

This post is waaaaay behind the times, but still thought all those silly grins could make any Monday better...

I think its safe to say that turning 2 is definitely a good thing:)

B's party

2011-02-28T15:41:00.001-05:00

How could we celebrate that the littlest boy in our house is 2? With food, of course!

First request from the birthday boy: Giant Cookie (yes I do think he is part cookie monster)

And my mom came through again:) One giant cookie with a fire truck on top-Perfect!

Getting ready for all his friends to come over and play. Okay so we know that he's really getting ready to make himself a huge pizza:) (which was request #2)

I love the middle of a party when everyone is comfortable, having fun and relaxed...really enjoying themselves.

I think he really likes being able to further support our favorite team.

Thanks Uncle J & Auntie Mary!

And how do you finish off a perfect party? Listening to your favorite story read by your favorite reader...Miss Lori, of course:)

I think this means the party was a sensational success!

And I just couldn't help but get this up here too...we wanted to get B his own bike for when we are outside. One that won't enable his innate ability to bruise every part of his body.

And I think this is definitely kid tested and parent approved!!

Brothers...

2011-02-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

I love to watch the bond that the boys are developing. B is all about doing just as N does and that can be very, very good or very, very bad.

My snuggle bugs:)

I love that they want to help me in the kitchen. We were making a pie together. Breven, would you like some crackers with all that cheese!?!?!

Noah loves to play with shaving cream...so we thought we'd let B in on the fun. Yeah...not so much. I think B played for a minute and then he was finished, he did not like that feeling on his fingers:)

As all siblings, they have their moments of sharing and fighting. I love to come around the corner to find them like this-sharing a blanket, toys and some laughs.

And what brothers don't share a love of their Daddy's favorite team?!?!

And this one is just because.

We celebrated Lori's birthday a few weeks ago and I love that Noah is all into blowing out her candles with her. I am so thankful for their shared love of our precious neighbor.

God knew just where he was placing us when we put us so close to Miss Lori. Being so far from family, I wanted someone close by that the boys could go to to escape the crazy Mama:) and Lori is proving to be that person for them. They adore her and she is in turn showing them a Godly example of friendship and love. Thank you, Lori for loving my boys as your own!! We are so thankful for you!!!

Day of love...

2011-02-14T14:27:00.007-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!

God has given me a great love. Someone to share my daily life with, to learn from and grow old with...

...and another someone who reminds me that life is for being silly, curious, imaginative and full of hope...

...and He's given me someone who makes me smile and laugh, on a regular basis.

I've been thinking though, that Valentines Day isn't just a day to show your friends and family love. Its also a time to remember God's great love for us. I've been thinking about these verses today and wanted to share them with you.

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."1 John 4:9-10

Pure, true love. God went to the extreme to show me love. He didn't give me a pat on the back, bring me a flower or make me a card. And while those aren't bad things, He went so much further. Even knowing how I would fail Him, hurt Him and possibly reject Him, he chose to show me the ultimate-eternal forgiveness and life with Him.

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made com." 1 John 4:11-12

I want today to be a day that you are reminded, no matter where you are or how you will celebrate today, God has given you an amazing Valentine. Will you accept it? And will you share it with others?

And as I was going through pics today, I came across this. Do you remember making mail boxes to use on Valentines Day? Spending so much time making it your own and then waiting to see who your friends were that would give you fun cards and candy?!?! I loved making those mail boxes and while A and I were dating, we had a contest to make mailboxes. Of course his would have a putting green on top:)

What traditions do you have for Valentines Day?

"Blizzard 2011"

2011-02-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

Did you know what a blizzard is? I thought it was just a bunch of yummy ice cream you can get from Dairy Queen (okay, so Mama told me the name) Anyways, I learned this week what a blizzard is...

Its when Daddy gets to stay home from work but spends most of the morning outside with his snowblower.

And when Miss Lori comes over to help us shovel all that snow.

Its when I get all bundled up to build a snow fort and get to look forward to hot chocolate

And when we get to playout there for so long that B's cheeks turn red.

Wanna join us for the next blizzard?

Happy Birthday, Breven

2011-02-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

Breven,

As I'm sitting here going through your birthday photos, I can't help but wonder where the time has gone! Wasn't it just Monday that we found out about you? And surely Tuesday was the day we welcomed you into the world. Wendesday was the day you learned to crawl, and Thursday was your first birthday, right?!?!? There's no way your really turning 2, I just know I miscounted somewhere along the way.

Your Mommy and Daddy are so thankful that God gave us you. You have added your own little character and personality into our family that we never knew we always wanted.

Your quick laughter, strong love and protection of your Mama, Daddy and Noah show us a glimpse into the compassionate, sensitive, silly man you will be someday.

We had no idea that when Noah filled you in on all your little brother duties, which included silliness and doing just as he tells you to, this goofy grin would be the daily product that gets us every time.

You have shown us over and over that you are your own unique little person. Being a little brother to Noah is no easy feat. He has such a strong personality, but you have proved that you can hold your own and won't just be his shadow. Please don't ever change that.

Your Daddy and I are praying that we raise you to love the Lord with all your heart, treat others respectfully, act like a gentleman, and prove yourself to be trustworthy, faithful, obedient and hardworking.

That's an awful lot for such a little boy to handle right away. But with God's grace, every day will take us one day closer to our vision for you.

And on those days when I need a little more sunshine than our cloudy state allows us, I am thankful for that little ray of sunshine that God has blessed us with .

We love you!!

Mama, Daddy and Noah

Snow, snow, snow

2011-01-27T15:06:00.000-05:00

We've gotten quite a bit of snow...I even heard we are nearing the record for January! And this year, both boys understand the joys that awaits them out there. Well, okay, its really Noah who understands and Breven wants to do whatever Noah is doing:)

Noah wanted to show you what he likes about the snow...

Hi, wanna come join me? Its really fun outside.

There are all kinds of things to do out here. We have the big mountain just outside and Miss Lori has a sled that we can ride on. Uncle Flip was great at pulling us around.

Look, even B is having fun!

Mama and Daddy come out with us too and we go walking in Antarctica. There are so many animals that live there that we get to see. Did you know we found a Snow leopards cave? It was really cool. And the penguins are really friendly.

Breven likes to help me shovel, but since he's still too little to push a shovel, he pretends his mower is a snow blower. Pretty clever, huh? (yeah, that was my idea)

Daddy and Uncle Flip built some jumps for us to go over in the sled and they were so much fun.

Mama showed me these pictures on Aunty Katy and Uncle Danny's blog about balanced rocks. I have no idea how they got them to stack, but once Miss Lori started stacking snow, I realized that S. Korea isn't the only place to have things that are balanced!

Anytime you want to come over and play in the snow with us, you can. We'll show you all there is to see of Antarctica , the big mountain we sled down and how Indiana likes to stack things.

I love you!

Noah

Silly boys, busy week

2011-01-20T15:23:00.004-05:00

My, my, my this has been a busy week!

Well, okay, its really been busy for Aaron and Uncle Flip Flop, but the boys and I have been busy just trying to keep up with them.

Uncle Flip Flop flew in Tuesday night (although his luggage decided to stay in Minn.!) and Wednesday afternoon, just as the boys were headed out to Chicago for the game, the airport called saying his bag had finally arrived. Whew, just in the nick of time.

The boys had a great time at the game and were back Thursday afternoon, just in time for Aaron's special birthday dinner of verenika and birthday cake.

Friday morning, Uncle Flip Flop took a train into Chicago for work and Saturday afternoon, Aaron met him there to watch the Bulls play. Sunday afternoon, the boys returned to find us out in the snow. We finally got some quality time with Flip and Daddy Sunday and Monday and on Tuesday we headed off to the airport to say goodbye. When we got there, we found out the flight was overbooked and were asking for volunteers to wait for a later flight. So, we got to have Uncle Flip for an extra night, what fun! The boys love their uncle Flip Flop and we always have fun together and the extra night was icing on the cake!

Okay, enough jabbering, onto some pics...

Even though Breven couldn't go outside with Noah, he wanted to dress the part and wouldn't let us take the boots off until Noah came back in from playing outside:)

Celebrating Daddy with some delicious ice cream birthday cake

Uh oh. Looks like B may have inherited Aaron's vision problems after all.:)

For a boy who wouldn't sit still to listen to a story, this warms my heart

And who said you need room to spread out and play...

Uncle Flip Flop and Noah were working out the logistics of their construction business together

...and Breven is still talking about that birthday cake:)

Happy birthday, AARON!!

2011-01-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

Happy 30th birthday, Aaron!!

I wanted to make his 30th birthday special, so I've been planning for months. His brother, Flip was able to come out from CO and he took a couple of friends to the Colorado Avalanche vs. Chicago Blackhawks hockey game. Hopefully it was a great time with them since he really needed it.

We love you Aaron. Thank you for being a great Daddy and wonderful Husband. Hope you have had a great birthday!

And Breven is counting the hours, minutes and seconds until we can get into Daddy's birthday cake. He was pretty disappointed when he realized he couldn't have it and had to wait a whole nother day.:)

Boys

2011-01-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

Hi, Noah here. I have decided that boys have more fun with Poppi (and Papa). Can I show you some examples?

A Poppi is so much more fun to wrestle.

Poppi acts so much more surprised when we play peekaboo

And a Mommy definitely can't show me how to shave...and Daddy doesn't use that cool stuff called shaving cream

Poppi is so strong, he can hold 2 boys at once!

He's got such great concentration...good for building my legos

Daddy's pretty cool too...

He can show B-man just what to do with all our new construction equipment

Celebrating with Poppi over a job well done is so much fun!

Gingerbread house

2011-01-08T09:37:00.000-05:00

It all started innocently enough when Miss Lori got us a gingerbread house kit to make with Lolli and Poppi...

...what kid wouldn't have all kinds of fun getting to touch, hold, smell and even eat candy while putting it all over a huge cookie?!

And to have undivided Lolli and Poppi attention...could it get any better?!?!

There's just something about being able to squish a big bag of frosting.

I'll let these smiles speak for themselves

They had so much fun putting it together.

And the finished product was quite cute...definitely not what this perfectionist mother would have chosen, but there is something so wonderful about letting your child be creative.

Unfortunately, as I joked later, we were unaware that we had purchased the "California" edition of this particular Gingerbread house. It didn't stay up for long. And then there was a complete renovation before half the roof slid to rest of the sleigh. I think it was all those gum drops I added to the mix that weren't included in the kit. Poor Poppi spent quite a while trying to get it to stay in place:)

My favorite parts of Christmas

2011-01-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

This Christmas was so much fun! Both boys are old enough to enjoy the fun of it all and spending time with such special family only makes it sweeter. Here are some of my favorite moments of the day...

Reading our count down books with Lolli and Poppi!

And more reading. I love seeing these heads so close together, wrapped up in a story.

Getting dressed up to go celebrate Christ's birth with other believers.

A silly, joyful little boy

Brand new matching Christmas Thomas pajamas that make both boys look older!

Watching the adults enjoy the kids toys as much as the kids:)

Taking time to play games, one of my favorite things to do.

Growth in independent play. And knowing we found something he would love.

But my all time favorite Christmas memory this year was these next two pictures...

He discovered a box after Daddy opened his first present and decided it would make the perfect place to rip the wrapping paper. He stayed in the box until all the presents were opened.

And of course, I LOVE this smile:)

Happy New Years

2011-01-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

Happy NEW YEAR!

We hope that your year is filled with silliness,

a little excitement, adventure and creativity

and a lot of joy.

Monkeys & marshmallows

2010-12-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

What do you do when big brother is out having fun in the snow and you have to stay inside?

Why, play with marshmallows of course! Who knew a marshmallow stuck to the forehead could be so much fun!

Thank goodness, best friend Mo is there to provide comfort as little boy watches big brother have fun.

Its official...he's growing up.

2010-12-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

Lego's have landed at our house!

And he has loved every moment of it. (And so has Daddy!)

I love that concentration. Hopefully that will all come in handy in school!

And how could he not be excited...its a gas tanker!

A new view

2010-12-27T08:14:00.000-05:00

Do you suppose someone should tell him that the basket doesn't add any height?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T20:16:00.000-05:00

On a distant night not so long ago, a baby was born in an unexpected setting.

As a gift from God, that baby was born to rescue me, and you.

Merry Christmas to you.

The Langni

How the Langni decorate for Christmas

2010-12-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

We love to get out all the ornaments and hang them up together. Okay, really...I put the hooks on the ornaments and Aaron supervises the hanging of the ornaments.

Breven really enjoyed being a part of it this year. He would walk over to me waiting for an ornament, say "tay too" (thank you) when I gave it to him, run over to Aaron, hand it up to him and say "tay too" and then run back to me again. It was one continuous loop:)

And the boys decided to get extra creative so the ornaments won't all be at knee height.

Can you tell how proud of himself, B is?

star pops

2010-12-20T07:07:00.000-05:00

Guess what Mommy and Daddy gave us for dessert? After eating aaallll our dinner?

Yea...thats right. Star Pops!

And man, are they good!

I don't know how my hand got all blue, but I've got to find a way to get it off. Can't impress the ladies with a blue arm, you know.

You know, I don't think Noah cares so much about impressing the ladies.

but that's okay cause it just leaves more for me...How you doin'?

Breven's sleepsack

2010-12-20T07:04:00.000-05:00

If you came to visit our house on a typical day, this is often how you would find B.

He LOVES his sleepsack and if we have to go anywhere, its a struggle to get it off of him. So, most days I let him lounge around the house in his sleep sack (who wouldn't love being surrounded by a warm blanket all the time?!?!)

Mr Studious

2010-12-20T07:03:00.000-05:00

This is his favorite place to be after we go to the library. So glad he digs reading!

Birthday celebrations

2010-12-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

My big 4 year old! We spent the evening at some friends house to get some stuff ready for his big party the next weekend. He has surprised me a lot recently...When asked what we should have for dessert for his actual birthday, he asked for pudding. I can't tell you the last time we had pudding!

Little man is so proud of himself. He's finally beat Daddy!

The biggest surprise N gave me recently was when I asked what kind of cake he wanted for his party. We had been talking about fire trucks and I just assumed it would be a firetruck cake, but no...only a TRASH TRUCK would do for this 4 year old.

How on earth do you throw a trash truck birthday party?!?!?

But in typical Emy fashion, I dove in head first and found that we actually had quite a lot of fun getting "Trashed" at his party:)

His trash truck cake.

I have to admit, I really had a hard time deciding what games to play. The problem: half of the people Noah wanted to invite to the party were adults. There weren't actually any other 4 year olds. The people he invited ranged from 1 to 30ish:) And trying to find games that would be fun for all ages (with a trash truck theme) was really hard!! Aaron and I didn't finally nailed down just what we would be doing and how the party would go until the night before. But once we came up with the games, my husband did a great job figuring it all out and making it fun and challenging for all.

We played

-"dig for the clothes pins and paper clips" in shredded paper (which I should mention was Breven's favorite area. He was pulling shredded paper out by the handful)

-shoot newspaper trashballs into a trashcan

-Put on a trash truck worker jumpsuit (spin around 5 times and try to get it on)

Wouldn't he make such a cute trashman? Okay, so its a little big, but there's plenty of room to grow. (and plenty of time too, if Mama has anything to say about it)

I gotta sneak in a snuggle

We also had fun with the food. We made

-Junkyard dogs (corn dogs)

-Chicken scraps (chicken fingers)

-Moldy cheese wheels (quesadillas)

-Veggie Debris and sludge (veggies and dip)

-Fruitfly friendly fruit

Overall, the night was a success! Noah loved it and you could tell he was in his element with all his favorite Indiana people around him.

Oh the places you'll go!

2010-12-12T15:42:00.003-05:00

When I stare into the black eyes of my little boy, I can't help but think of where he will go...

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss (and some Mommy paraphrases)

Congratulations!

Today's a great day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

If God's direction you choose

You've got nothing to lose.

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

What more can I say.

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

Happy 4th birthday, Lovebug! So hard to believe it has already been 4 years!! Can you please stop growing?! Maybe I'll borrow that brick my parents always threatened to use to stop me from growing.

Your Daddy and I are so excited to watch you grow into such a great big brother, friend to others and child of God. We pray daily that you will chose God's way above your own and that you would listen to these 2 crazy people God is using to raise you:)

We love you!!

Mommy and Daddy

(Editors note: While I am fully aware that this is well beyond his actual birthday, the meaning is still the same:))

Another tradition

2010-12-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

A friend introduced me to a great new tradition that I'd like to share with the boys.

Counting down the 25 days to Christmas by upwrapping a new book each night and reading together as a family.

I've been collecting books all year long and I went to pull them out and wrap them...and it turns out I only have 13. Sooo, maybe we'll do the 12 days before Christmas until we can add to it. (hello, after Christmas sales!!!)

I've been thinking alot about traditions this year and what I want to carry on to my children. (if you didn't already guess) I've been thinking about how I can make Christmas day more about Christ and less about "what I'm getting". I've come up with some great ideas, but I'd love to hear more...what traditions do you have to make it more Christ-centered? Any ideas or suggestions for me?

Betcha didn't know...

2010-12-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

...that there was helicopter papparrazzi flying around the stable that night!

Going back in time

2010-11-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

So I wanted to show you something we did while the family was here for Labor Day, but the pictures we had were lost when the camera disappeared. Thankfully, I was able to get photos from Micah and Chicku (thank you!!) so I can show you just how much fun this was...

We were able to ride the Little River Railroad train and had so much fun. It takes you 30 min., moves the engine from the front to the back and then returns you back to the start. There were several coach cars, some cattle cars with benches, a dining car and several cabooses.

The 3 cousins were in awe of the train

He was in 7th heaven. I think he would have just kept riding it if we'd let him.

The weather was great and we enjoyed watching everything go by.

It was so much fun watching these 2 all week. I don't think Esha's used to so much love from someone her size.

And it looks like she's already doing a great job of listening to Daddy...

"Now, Esha...don't hold hands with boys. Boys are bad. They only cause trouble..."

Turning 30

2010-11-19T15:36:00.000-05:00

Soo...just turned the dreaded 3-0. Okay, so not really so dreaded and horrible, but it was hard to swallow and accept that my carefree 20's were all behind me. Thankfully I have some really great friends who reminded me of all I have to be thankful for...

-yummy delicious mexican food made just for me

-amazing desserts that just kept coming all weekend

-guacamole

-special plates and cups bought just for the occasion

-a friend who lets me be me

-comfortability

-going to extra effort to make it special while being so close to

welcoming her little boy

-boys who like to play together

-a friend so near

-flowers to brighten the room

-hugs that make anything better

-Someone so invested in my children

-food so good you can't help but wear it

-that goofy grin

-unconditional love

-stubornness (it WILL pay off some day!)

-the thoughtful and sweet gifts bestowed upon me throughout

the day (even when I really didn't wish for a trash truck:))

-the love of brothers

-the sponge for a mind -friends to share it all with

-answered prayers

-laughter

-silliness

-people willing to take time to celebrate with me

-a husband who loves me

-support and encouragement

-a willing participant in parenting

-a visual reminder of God's love

-Love Dares that challenge me to grow

-creating a day full of great memories

-health to make it to 30

-faraway family who make me feel special

-a God who has blessed me with it all

...and that's just the start:)

Cheesy smiles

2010-11-15T17:42:00.000-05:00

To preface my story, I have to explain that instead of saying excuse me, Breven says Beep, beep. So last week we were in the triple B (Bed, Bath and Beyond) and as we were walking to the cash register, Breven came to 2 big guys standing in the aisle. He stopped and craned his neck back to look at them and then very quietly said "beep, beep".

If I'm not careful, this obsession for construction equipment could go to a whole new level. Who knows, I might wake up to find he's painted himself yellow:)

Their current mode of transportation

Traditions

2010-11-13T17:44:00.000-05:00

I told Noah last week that on the first day it snowed (which I was definitely not looking forward to) we would pop some popcorn, make some hot chocolate and watch a movie together.

Our opportunity came at the end of last week when it started snowing in earnest. We had so much fun watch Up and having some great snacks.

And you know what...I think its going to become a new tradition:) I love traditions!

The Shedd

2010-11-09T16:30:00.000-05:00

The boys took me to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago for my birthday and we had so much fun (thanks to the free corporate days through A's work!)

I loved being able to get away from everything here and just spend some time having fun together. They boys are both at such fun ages right now, they enjoyed all the fish and despite a lack of nap, stayed relatively content.

The only downfall to these pics is that because they don't allow flash photography, they are a little fuzzy, but I think you'll still get the idea:)

I love the relationship these 2 share. Its definitely a love/hate relationship, but its fun to watch them grow together and share in experiences together.

Sooo...we found a fish God designed just for Breven!!

For those that need the back story: he hits his head weekly and always has a knot on his head. Thankfully, a doctor friend reassured us that its just him learning how to walk and probably not a vision issue...Thank you, Lord!!!

Trying to get 2 wiggly boys to stand still long enough for a flashless picture is REALLY hard!

Our model is showing you the Carribean Reef exhibit.

Aaron's favorite part of the visit...the giant snapping turtle.

Row, row, row your boat...

NEMO! Of course, this was the boys favorite.

Getting ready to watch the dolphin show. I love my inquisitive little boy.

Apparently, Noah has had enough of the paparrazi for one day

Annnnnd, they're out!:) I think we sufficently wore them out.

A moment that warms this Mama's heart

2010-11-08T07:23:00.000-05:00

Maybe they'll like each other after all:)