A Tale of Four Coons (& a Baby!)

Our Alex is Reading!!

2011-10-23T09:55:00.004-05:00

This is the first book Alex has brought home from school to read to us. His teacher says he's one of the best readers in the class! This particular book is read by the student reading one line and the parent reading the 2nd line in the book so he is reading it with Daddy here. He's so excited to be reading and we are so excited for him!!

Recent Pic of the Boys!!

2011-09-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

Catching up on May Pics

2011-09-08T15:29:00.009-05:00

Getting Ready for Baby Ellie...

2011-09-07T21:28:00.005-05:00

This is her little corner of our bedroom. She'll move into the little nursery once Charlie is a bit older and ready to move into the big boys' room. It has been so much fun to put some pink into our house!

More Easter

2011-05-09T22:31:00.008-05:00

Easter Weekend

2011-04-28T16:18:00.003-05:00

My folks & Aunt Jen-Jen came out for a quick Easter weekend. We had a good time with them doing all the traditional Easter stuff! We painted eggs, had an egg & basket hunt, enjoyed a lovely morning at church & had a great ham dinner. Dad also did a bunny cake with the boys--something we did almost every Easter when I was a kid. They loved it! Even Charlie got in on the egg hunt (with a little help!). We also opened the last of the Resurrection Eggs and it was neat to see the entire Easter story come alive for the kids---why do we believe we'll be in Heaven with Christ someday??? Because of the empty tomb!! Happy Easter!!

Our Kind of March Madness!! :-)

2011-04-13T14:47:00.003-05:00

Charlie's Crawling Now!!! Watch Out World!!

2011-03-26T21:58:00.002-05:00

8 Month Shots

2011-03-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

2011-03-15T11:28:00.001-05:00

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

The Little Scooter Bug

2011-03-11T10:36:00.002-05:00

So this is how Charlie gets around these days. A mixture of scooting backward, rolling, a slight army crawl that he's still perfecting, and trying to crawl. He's a busy boy and sooooooooo curious about everything. I just know he's going to be a real handful once he really starts crawling!!

Two Little Monkeys Jumpin' on the Bed!

2011-03-10T21:30:00.002-05:00

This is why these two boys have such strong leg muscles!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

2011-02-21T21:57:00.001-05:00

A Winter Trip to the Jersey Shore

2011-02-17T23:47:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we took the two older boys on a quick trip to southern Jersey. They loved every detail of the trip from the airplane rides to digging in the sand for shells. One of their favorite moments was chasing & being chased by the waves down at the ocean. Here are a few pics from our morning at the ocean.

3 Brothers Photo Shoot

2011-02-08T13:51:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to the boys photo shoot this morning: 3 Brothers Photo Shoot.
But here is a sneak peek at my favorite shots!

The Big Snow Mountain

2011-02-06T23:44:00.003-05:00

Sammy cried when we first went outside cuz he didn't want to....but within about 2 minutes he was having a blast! Oh, the life of a 2 yr old!

The snow plow created this "big snow mountain" (as Alex calls it) from the snow in the parking lot of the church right in front of our house. We have had a few fun days outside on the mountain and the boys LOVE it!

Catching Up on Christmas Pics...

2011-02-01T00:02:00.004-05:00

Christmas Candids

2011-01-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

Sam Singing Away in a Manger

2010-12-18T22:14:00.002-05:00

Alex Preschool Christmas Program

2010-12-17T20:00:00.003-05:00

Here are a few excerpts from Alex's Preschool Christmas Program. The videos aren't as close as I'd like them to be, but we had to sit in the back since we had the 2 little bits with us and needed to be close to an easy exit! All went well, though and we really had a great time there. Alex did so very well and sang enthusiastically! We are so proud of him!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2010-12-09T15:37:00.002-05:00

This is the first year the boys helped to decorate the tree and they were really excited about it. We had a great night and made some wonderful family memories!

Our Little Rolly Poly

2010-12-08T17:50:00.002-05:00

Can you believe he's rolling over???? He tried it for the first time last Saturday and within 5 minutes he did it! Now Charlie rolls over every time I lay him down! He's even rolled into his tummy & over again a couple of times in a row & made it several feet across the room!

Sittin' Tall

2010-11-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

Gampa & Gi-Gi gave Charlie his Christmas present early--a new high chair. He is using it every night for his oatmeal.

Gotta love the Bumbo Seat. Makes him seem like a big boy!

Showing Off

2010-11-17T10:27:00.002-05:00

Trick or Treating!!

2010-11-04T22:24:00.003-05:00

We were in Iowa for the weekend so we got to go Trick-or-Treating with Cole & Hunter. The boys had such a great time running up to houses and yelling "Trick-or-Treat!" Except Sammy actually said, "Trick-or-Treaky!" It was adorable!

We were in Iowa for the weekend so we got to go Trick-or-Treating with Cole & Hunter. The boys had such a great time running up to houses and yelling "Trick-or-Treat!" Except Sammy actually said, "Trick-or-Treaky!" It was adorable!

Jammin' to the ABC's!

2010-10-28T17:24:00.002-05:00

Snugglebugs!

2010-10-17T23:08:00.000-05:00

Gampa's Handiwork

2010-10-13T09:38:00.003-05:00

We decided a few weeks ago that Sam was just too big for his toddler bed anymore. So we thought we would get the boys bunkbeds that could serve as single beds for now and be stacked later when the boys are older. Well, Gampa & Grams offered to btring their tablesaw and help us build a set. They turned out beautifully and the boys love them! A Big Thanks to Gampa & Grams for all their hard work those couple of days!!
Gampa & Alex working hard.

I know this one is a bit blurry, but the smile is priceless!

Alex likes to have people pose so he can take their picture!

he was very very excited about this project

this is Big A's "we did it!" victory shot! We had the beds set up like this first, but changed it because it put the boys too close to each other...which wouldn't help their already bad habit of playing when they should be sleeping!

getting some air

configuration #2. much better!

snuggled up on his new big kid bed. he loves it!

showing a little 'tude here! :-)

Videos from the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-06T17:15:00.003-05:00

Look Who's Talkin' Now!

2010-10-03T03:12:00.002-05:00

The Rest of the Pumpkin Patch Story...

2010-09-29T04:32:00.006-05:00

Poppy's Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-09-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

Sweet Moments with Baby Brother

2010-09-12T16:41:00.003-05:00

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

2010-09-10T14:56:00.003-05:00

A sweet family at church gave the big boys each a little gift when baby Charlie was born (along with a gift for Charlie) which included a Spiderman Kite. Alex was incredibly excited when he saw the kite and we went right outside to fly it that afternoon. Most summer afternoons here in Nebraska are perfect kite flying days as it is always windy! We had a great time. The kite was a really good one...Alex was even able to fly it himself for a while and Sam thought it was pretty cool, too!

Alex's Antics

2010-09-05T19:03:00.003-05:00

Here are a few funnies from the Big A recently:

**while I was taking Sam's temperature Alex asked me, "Mom, is Sammy sick? Does he have a beaver?"

**when he was in trouble and I called "Alexander Steven!" he turned around and gave me the "mommy look" and used the "mommy voice" to say, "Mommy Steven!"

**Alex was setting the table for lunch and declared: "Mommy, you get the cup with the flowers because you're a girl and girls like flowers and new shirts!" (the logic is a little iffy, but the statement is true!)

**I asked Big A what he learned at school today. He very proudly exclaimed: "A says 'a' and A is for crocodile!" Yep, so glad to see the fruits of our tuition money right there!!

8 Weeks Look-a-likes

2010-09-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

Charlie at 8 wks

Sam at 8 wks

Alex at 8 wks

Little Boys & Bathtime!!

2010-08-24T15:19:00.003-05:00

"Sammy Wonder"???

2010-08-12T15:44:00.002-05:00

This is Sammy's big solo premier at the Lincoln Children's Museum!

Lets Rewind to Alex's Birthday

2010-08-03T19:03:00.002-05:00

On Alex's actual bday wev had a little family party, just the 4 of us. I let Alex choose his cupcakes from the walmart bakery and he got to pick 4 balloons.

Alex's present from mommy & daddy was a Leapster Learning Games System. He loves it!

the balloons lasted only about a day...

can you believe he's 4 years old already???

Photo Shoot for Birth Announcements

2010-07-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

Charlie's First Trip to the Park with the Family

2010-07-19T22:07:00.004-05:00

Sweet Sleep

2010-07-16T15:00:00.003-05:00

Charlie is a GREAT sleeper! He sleeps through all the NOISE of his brothers. He sleeps great in his swing, his bouncy seat, his car seat, his crib, or when being held...and I imagine he'd sleep great anywhere else I tried him!!

Chalie's First Sponge Bath

2010-07-16T14:49:00.003-05:00

Of course, as all newborns hate sponge baths, so did our little man!

A Little Look at Charlie

2010-07-16T14:42:00.004-05:00

I just realized that I never put any of Charlie's birth info on the last post. Well, here are his stats: born on 7-6-10 at 8:04am. C-section went smoothly for both of us. He was 8lbs 9oz, and 21 in long (same weight and just 1/2 in longer than his brother Sam). He let out some good cries when the doctors were doing their checks of him! He got an 8 and a 9 (out of 10pts) on his APGAR tests. He calmed down pretty quickly and has been a calm baby ever since. He is a great sleeper, already doing 4 hour stretches at night! He is very content to eat, watch the world, and sleep. Charlie's brothers love on him already and have been very sweet to him. Sammy says "I see a baby!' every time he looks his way and even enjoys holding him for a few seconds. Alex has been a great helper to baby brother, even trying to comfort him when he cries. He LOVES to hold baby Charlie and thinks he is "A cute baby!" and says "Baby Charlie and Sammy are my best friends!" We are all loving having baby Charlie in our family now!

Charlie's Arrival

2010-07-14T19:13:00.005-05:00

Morning of...still inside...warm and cozy!!

Charlie is here...just seconds old in this pic and pretty mad at the doctors and nurses!!

what's more interesting to little boys? a new baby or the Disney Channel??

Sammy Counts to 10

2010-07-02T13:21:00.003-05:00

Turn your volume up for the first half as it is hard to hear him! Sam just started counting to 10 out of the blue (though he often gets the numbers mixed up and/or skips some). He is also learning some of his shapes and says a few of them here.

Father's Day Weekend

2010-06-21T14:06:00.003-05:00

This year we kind of had an extended Father's Day weekend celebration...just a lot of family time together because this morning Ryan headed out of town for the whole week with the teens to camp in WI. So we just wanted to do a bunch of fun stuff together before he left. So, Thursday night we went to Applebees for dinner and then played Sorry! Friday night we did some crafts when we got home. Alex & Ryan can get quite creative with pipe cleaners and pom-poms. Sam just wanted to hold fist-fulls of them and squish them! Then we took a long walk around the neighborhood---long mostly because I walk pretty slowly these days! Saturday we hopped in the car and drove up to Souix City. We spent a few hours before lunch at Chuck-E-Cheese (we had the place almost to ourselves because we got there early...that's the only way to survive as parents at Chuck-E-Cheese!!) Then we went to Barnes & Noble (for Ryan's sake!!) and some stores in the mall (to buy some new sandals for Sammy's ever growing feet!).

Sunday was a pretty busy day since Ryan had lots of loose ends to tie up after church in regards to summer camp, but we did manage to grill some steaks and have some german chocolate cake, which is his favorite! Plus, Alex sang beautifully (when he wasn't looking around at all his friends and waving to his mommy & daddy) with the little kids at church and that makes mommy & daddy proud to see how far he's come! We gave Daddy a new Tigers ball cap and t-shirt to show him how much we love and appreciate all he does for us. We are already missing him and counting down the days till he comes home! Happy Father's Day, Ryan. You are the best of the best & we love you like crazy!

Saturday Squirt Guns & Picnic

2010-06-10T14:12:00.003-05:00

Fun at the Park

2010-05-30T22:11:00.003-05:00

The weather has been so good lately we've spent a lot of time at the park! The kids are loving the fact that it's finally summer around here!

Itty Bitty Soccer--Videos

2010-05-21T14:40:00.002-05:00

This is his "cool new thumbs up" ;-)

This video shows how he spends some of his time on the field...cloud watching, wandering, and cheering along the others from afar or running along side them! Not exactly a MVP but definitely a good sport!

Here's the big guy actually getting in on some action!

Itty Bitty Soccer--Spring Season 2010

2010-05-20T22:13:00.003-05:00

This boy is so funny at soccer. He has a GREAT time...but he rarely ever contributes to the game!! He gets his turn to kick the ball in, and he splits the rest of his time on the field running with the pack, taking a kick at the ball here and there and being the social butterfly and gazing at the clouds! He has learned a lot about teamwork, taking turns, following his coach's instructions, and playing kindly with others and that is exactly why we enrolled him in the program!! He is so excited to be out there that he gives the thumbs up for EVERYTHING and giving everybody a high five for every goal that is made...even when it's the other team!

An Afternoon at the Lake

2010-05-17T23:06:00.005-05:00

Summer Buzz Cuts

2010-05-07T09:08:00.004-05:00

Well, we've done it. We've buzzed the boys for the summer! I was hesitant about doing Sammy's, but Ryan put his foot down. I do like it, but I really hope his wavy locks do come back in the fall!! It will make haircuts easier this summer and the boys like the feel of it. They just look soooooo grown up now--when did my babies grow up so fast???

Oh, and here's a recap on the germies around here. Ryan is fully recovered and feeling fine. Alex is also fully recovered and (though he threw up 20 times last week) he is asking for food every 30 min so we know he is back to normal!! I thought that I might be catching the respiratory part of the virus a few days ago, but Praise God it seems to be skimming over me. Sam got pretty bad last Saturday and is still dealing with the cough, though he's not letting it bother him too very much. He is on antibiotics and a nebulizer breathing treatment 3 times a day and that is really helping him. Thanks for your prayers, we seem to be finally getting better!

Germies Again

2010-04-26T10:02:00.003-05:00

Well, folks, somehow we caught the flu bug again. This time it started with a bad cough and ended in throwing up. It has been exhausting, but we are hoping that we are coming to the end of it. Alex has been sick the longest and the hardest, since 5am Saturday morning. Ryan has had it pretty bad too, and Sam just a touch. Praise the Lord I have not felt even the slightest bit ill--somebody has to hold down the fort around here! If you think of us, we could use a little more prayer that this would pass quickly and all would be feeling well again!

So there's been a lot of sleeping (forgive the ugly couches--the covers are in the wash--you can guess why!).

and resting...

and resting...

and chillin' on the couch...

or anywhere else that feels comfy!

Itty Bitty Soccer--Spring Season

2010-04-22T21:43:00.002-05:00

Here's a pic Ryan took on his phone tonight of Alex at soccer practice. He was so excited about his new soccer shirt and his shin guards and had a really fun time at the practice. Looks like he has a better chance of actually kicking the ball during a game this year as he had a great practice tonight!! More pics to come later!

Our New (to us) Family Hauler!

2010-04-03T18:53:00.003-05:00

We are so excited to be the owners of this 2007 Chevy Uplander. Considering our old paint-chipped Lumina that we drove (and it served us well) for over 8 years, you know what a step up this is for us! We needed a minivan for our growing family, and God has provided again!
We like that this van has more of an SUV look to it. (and I love the color)

It's nice to be so high up, too!

This is the view I will have as I reach back to break up fights and pick up thrown sippy cups!

Alex knows that when baby comes his seat will be moved to the back row "where big boys sit" so he wanted his picture taken back there!

The front dash. I finally have a CD player. Welcome to the modern world, I guess!

Yep, we're family haulin' now!

Our First Morning Back at the Park!

2010-03-30T11:23:00.002-05:00

Our First Niece!!

2010-03-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

Penelope Rose is Here!!!

Just want to tell Matt & Amy congrats from the whole fam on the birth of their little Penny this morning, March 18th, at 6:30am. She is 8lbs 13oz and 20in long. I heard she was nice to her Mommy and only took about 5 hours of labor to make her appearance! We are all so excited to have her in the family and love her to pieces already!! Alex saw her picture and said, "She's So Cute!" Well that about sums it up!

Stuff....

2010-03-16T08:55:00.002-05:00

Here's a clip of a typical family playtime around our house!
This is from about a month ago, so Sam has a lot more words he can say, and does say mommy more now, thankfully.

Hang Time with Daddy

2010-03-12T09:55:00.002-05:00

Daddy is our favorite dude around here! We're all missing him today because he is on a trip with the school and left before the boys got up (I got up and saw him off at 4:45am but went back to bed directly!!) and won't be home until after they are in bed. Here's a few fun facts about daddy around here!
1. If Ryan comes home and does not acknowledge Sam's presence within the first few seconds the little guy gets really offended! He wants Daddy to come right to him and play!!
2. Both boys have started a little ritual when Ryan leaves for work of walking him to the back door and standing there waving, yelling bye, and blowing kisses until he is out of sight. It's really cute.
3. Alex rarely refers to Ryan as just "Daddy" anymore when he's not in his presence--it's "MY Daddy." Especially if he's mad at me or gets into trouble (I know shocking!) he will say, "I want my daddy!" Or he'll tell me, "I miss my daddy at work!"

The Children's Museum

2010-03-08T16:10:00.006-05:00

This winter one of the best things that happened to us was being pointed in the direction of the small children's museum in town. And when I say small...I'm talking itty bitty. But, it is packed with stuff the kids love and has really helped us with this ginormous bout of Cabin Fever that has settled in!! The boys' fave things to do at the CM are: the Thomas Trains, of course, the little grocery store, the keyboard, the face paints (just recently Alex got brave enough to let me do his face like Bolt--or a version thereof...Sam is still opposed), the dinosaur landscape, and the puzzles/brain games they have. I purchased a membership for us last fall and we have probably gone 10+ times since then, so we definitely got our money's worth! The kids love it and you would be amazed at how fast the toys get cleaned up when I say we can go to the CM as soon as the house is tidy!! Here are some pics from one of our last outings to the CM.

Stories...

2010-03-02T08:48:00.003-05:00

A few Alex quotes of late:
--When naming some of his dinosaurs he told me his scariest one was named "Mommy!"
--Yesterday out of the blue Alex said, "Mommy, today is I Love Mommy Day!"
--When sitting on my lap watching some Olympic figure skaters do some triple jumps on the internet Alex shrugged his shoulders and said, "I can do that at home!"
--A little while ago Alex walked into the kitchen and proclaimed, "Daddy, I'm Danger!"
--A lady at church was teasing Alex about playing in the snow with him and she asked him if she could throw him into a snow bank. He thought really hard and said, "No not today, come back tomorrow!"
--Almost every day now Alex has to put his head on my tummy to hear the baby "talking" to him. We tell him not to worry, he'll be hearing baby loud and clear soon enough--he doesn't seem to get that yet!!

Some Sam Stories:
--a while ago I could hear Sammy fussing in the livingroom, but I couldn't see him anywhere. I searched all over and was starting to get that panicky feeling in my stomach when I saw the curtains behind the couch wiggle a little. I went over there and the poor kid had wedged himself behind the couch and the wall and couldn't move. Just his little head was sticking out!
--Sam spends a lot of time playing around in his bedroom before he falls asleep at naptime. The other day I went in there and he had piled all the pillows from Alex's bed (Alex naps in our room), all the stuffed animals, and the bean bag chair in his bed. There was almost no room for him in there!
--I'm sitting in the livingroom with Alex when I hear struggling noises coming my way. I look up to see Sam carrying an entire jug of milk in to me and smiling. Guess that meant he wanted some milk??? ;-)

Kid Updates

2010-02-27T09:05:00.006-05:00

Well, this post is an update on all the little "kidisms" around here that I should really post more often!! I think I will start with the oldest and go down the list! :-)

Alex

Well, Alex has officially hit big boy status! He is 3.5yrs old and finally completely potty trained!! Wohooooooo! And very proud of himself. He loves it that he can do it "all by myself" and it saves us time and money too! He is pretty interested in this whole "mommy has a baby in her belly" thing and likes to put his ear to my tummy and listen to baby "talking" to him! He and Sam are either the best of friends or the worst of enemies these days--but I guess that's just par for the course with brothers that are 18mo. apart! Alex has turned into a kid who is excessively polite. Seriously, people in stores, restaurants, at church always comment on how polite he is. I know this seems amazing compared to the "terrible two year old toddler" we had on our hands a year and a half ago, but it's true!! We are very thankful to God for the little man Alex is turning into! He's still a pretty picky eater, but is slowly starting to get brave enough to try more things--slowly! But he eats like a teenager these days. Honestly the kid can eat a whole meal and 10min. later tell us he's hungry. One time on the way home from Applebees for dinner he asked if we could stop at Pizza Hut "for a little snack"!!! Alex LOVES his classes at church and many times lately has cried when we went to pick him up because he didn't want to leave! He is so social. When we go to the basketball games at the school he spends the whole time chatting people up and barely even notices the fact that people are playing basketball! He has turned into a book lover like daddy and library story time and book day are one of the highlights of the week. Oh, and he never stops talking! We have actually had to tell him at dinner that he may not say another word until he eats 3 bites--that's how much he talks--cracks us up. He is also learning his letter sounds and we are starting to memorize Psalm 100. Gotta love this kid!

Sam

Well, we are thankful to have one kid out of the terrible two's because Sam has jumped in!! Don't get me wrong, he is not even half as bad as Alex was with it...but he has his own little stubborn streak. And yet he still has most of the church wrapped around his little finger because he is so stinkin' cute with those big dimples! We gave potty training a bit of a whirl 2 weeks ago--I would love it if he was trained before baby gets here and he's a smart little boy and I think he could figure it out--but it didn't go so well. He screamed like I was cutting off his right arm every time I set him on the potty. Even M&M's didn't persuade him! So, we are putting that off for a little longer. (I don't push the potty training issue. Might as well wait until they are ready--they won't be going to college in diapers!!) Sam is obsessed with trains. I mean obsessed. He will play with them ALL DAY. Except they frustrate him as much as he loves them because he can get the cars separated from the engines but can't get them hooked together again. So there is often much fussing and sometimes all the choo-choos have to go in time-out and he has to play with something else just so mommy can reclaim the small bits of sanity that are left! Sam is learning his letters. He can match all of them on his little computer, and we now know that he can say and point to at least 5 of them, maybe more! He is apparently going to be a slow talker, like big brother...he has a ton of words that he can say...he just doesn't often say them unless encouraged...and even then it's hit and miss. We are not worried about this though...we know now that one day we will be wondering if the torrent of words is every going to stop! Our favorite thing he says is fish but it comes out "bish" and it's sooooo cute.

Baby #3

Obviously I don't have a real pic of baby yet, save the ultrasound pics that you've already seen, so I will post a pic of the 'baby bump' so you can see the progress! No, baby does not have a name yet. The more kids we have the harder time Ryan and I have picking a name that we BOTH like. We have it narrowed down to a list of 3 or 4 boy names and 1 or 2 girl names. Yes, some girl names just in case! The other reason baby doesn't have a name is that we have heard a whole bunch of facts and stories lately about how ultrasounds before week 18 are really unreliable when it comes to gender prediction. So we are waiting until our next ultrasound (should be in about 6 weeks or so) to name the little one for sure!! This baby is taking it's time to get big! My baby bump is much smaller and basketball shaped than my first 2 were. The pic above is from 4 weeks ago, but the belly is only a bit bigger than that. Baby is quite the kicker, too! I started feeling him at 14wks and am now feeling REALLY hard kicks already at 20 weeks! He is sensitive to caffeine--if I have Pepsi he is bouncing off the walls--and he does not like coffee! Tragedy for me indeed. If I drink coffee in the morning (which I love) I get a terrible stomachache. I can have some decaf in the afternoon, but not in the evening or I'll get heartburn. Baby is giving me heartburn something fierce, so I wonder if he'll be dark and have lots of hair like Alex did! My biggest complaint this pregnancy is a lot of back pain. I spend almost every available evening sitting on my heating/vibrating back pad. It helps a lot! My due date is still July 13th, but we will probably have the c-section on or around the 6th so he will get fireworks for his bday every year! I have been checking out books about babies (little kid books I mean) for the boys to help them get used to what it will be like to have a baby in the house again! We think Alex is going to be much more interested & helpful this time around and that Sam is going to be mad!! ;-) We can't wait to meet this little one!!

Alex on the Bumper Cars

2010-02-21T15:15:00.002-05:00

At Sam's bday party Alex was SURE he wanted to ride the bumper cars. He was tall enough, so I asked the man if he thought a 3 yr old could maneuver them and he said yes so I let him try. He really liked it for a while, but then he had enough of all the bumping and decided he was done! We all thought he was pretty brave just for trying! Daddy & Aunt Jen obviously had a good time, too!

Sam's 2nd Birthday Celebrations

2010-02-15T15:40:00.005-05:00

Sammy had 2 bday celebrations this year--guess that's fitting since he turned 2!! The first was at home on his birthday when he opened presents from us and out of town family members (and actually a few days later again when he got another box!!), and we sang and had cupcakes decorated by big brother and mommy. It was fun and low-key and exactly perfect to be able to open up and play with all his new toys right away!!

His second bday celebration took place in Iowa at the Incredible Pizza with some of the Gibsons (and a few presents) and also at Gampa & Gi-Gi's house for cake and presents from them. Sam LOVES the Incredible Pizza because he can run around like a crazy man (we always go on weekdays when it isn't so busy) and also play the ski-ball for LONG periods of time!! He's not quite tall enough to ride on the go-karts, but I'm sure he'll love that soon too! Sammy was quite spoiled this year, as always, and I think he really got the hang of opening presents by the end of it all! His big gift from Mommy & Daddy (and Gampa & Gi-Gi pitched in on this too) was a redecorating of his bedroom to be Thomas the Train since he needed new bedding for his toddler bed--pics of that coming soon!

Baby #3, His First Live Performances!!

2010-02-09T11:08:00.007-05:00

These videos were taken at 14 weeks pregnant. The ultrasound tech could not believe how active he was--and he was already measuring big for his age!! See, he fits right into our family already!!

In this first video you see the ultrasound tech getting shots of his arms, then he moves so she measures his head from several different angles, she gets a measurement around his skull and you can see both lobes of the brain, and then he moves again so you get a shot of his leg!

In this one you see a couple of profile shots, then she moves the cursor down along the baby's spine which looks great, and then right before it switches to 3D you see him sucking his thumb!!

This is the 3D portion and it's pretty self explanatory!

In this one you see the 3D image, then the ultrasound tech focuses in on a big blog that is the placenta (they measure that and check it's positioning), then she tries to get some more shots of the little guy, but he flips around: you see his legs and bottom, then his head, then his back!

In this one she measures his heart and you get to hear the heartbeat! Then you just watch him squirm around a bit!

Sammy's 2 yr Photos & Some Family Photos, too

2010-02-06T17:04:00.002-05:00

Sammy was semi-cooperative as far as portraits went. He WOULD NOT SIT by himself. So, we did some standing up pics instead! (any wonder we skipped his 18mo. pics all together??? the kid does not do photo shoots so well!! pity, too, since he's so photogenic!)

Sam's football stance

love the tongue

Sam's adorable mischievous look...

It only took one shot to get a good one of the two boys together, and since they were ready to be done already at that point, we just let it be!!

here's the only family photo in which we are all smiling and looking at the same time! It's a bit goofy, but it works!!

And some bloopers to make you laugh!! (no, we didn't order any of these!)

Sammy Turned 2

2010-02-02T15:08:00.002-05:00

Pillow Fights

2010-01-28T16:46:00.004-05:00

We love pillow fights around here!

I'm not sure who usually wins...Daddy or the boys!
But this is what happens when the cameralady is accidentally involved in the rumpus!!

Fun Times Around the House

2010-01-25T10:32:00.002-05:00

Roar Wars

2010-01-21T11:39:00.003-05:00

This is what happens when you let you kids rent Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs from the Redbox! After this video we had an all out Roar War on our hands for several minutes--which boy could be loudest--I think they both won!!

Our Newest Baby Boy!!

2010-01-12T17:07:00.004-05:00

I had my first ultrasound today. I am 13 wks, but the baby is measuring at 14 wks--well, we are known for good sized babies around here! We got to hear the heartbeat and even find out the gender. It was an amazing experience! We got a dvd of the whole thing, so I am going to see what I can do about getting it formatted to be able to view on the blog. Here are some pics:

3-D of our little guy. Isn't it amazing??? He's already 3.5-4 inches long and weighs 3 oz. He looks very healthy and MOVES A TON!!

Uh, Yep!! It's a Boy!!

Folding his little hands (probably in prayer that he will survive his first year of life in this household of craziness!!)

Look at that long leg--inherited from his daddy!

3-D of his little face. Cute button nose!

3-D pic. Almost a profile shot but the little guy simply would not stay still!!
He fits right into the family already!

Profile of the head and brain!

A Great Profile Shot! Check out the spine!

Front View of face and Belly. Check out those ribs!!

Sending a Smile Your Way!

2010-01-04T21:47:00.000-05:00

Budding Artist

2010-01-01T12:05:00.003-05:00

This is Alex's very first picture of a person--drawn all by himself! He brought me his Doodle Pro last night and said, "Look, Mom, it's Alex and he's happy!" Of course since he drew it on the Doodle Pro and not on paper I had to take a picture of it since I won't have a hard copy to save!

Linus & Co.

2009-12-21T14:15:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T11:18:00.002-05:00

Oh, the concentration of frosting a sugar cookie. most of Alex's looked better than mine!

Grandma (GiGi) and Sammy making cookies. Sammy loved the rolling and cutting part because he could eat the dough!

My not-so-impressive sugar cookie lady. There are so many reasons I make cakes and not cookies!!

Grandpa and Alex did some PlayDough sculpture and had a lot of fun with Alex's new Play Dough Machine from Aunt Jen-Jen.

All of the grandkids exchanged presents since they won't see each other at Christmas time.

A couple of cheeseballs!! ;-)

Sammy enjoyed all of the new cars he got this year. Cars are his passion.

Here Grandpa has the three oldest boys lined up to see the cookoo clock as it gets ready to chime.

A few years ago Mom got us going on the Scottish tradition of all of us opening Christmas crackers. Inside the cracker is a small gift for everyone as well as a little paper crown. They are really fun.

Aunt Jen-Jen and the boys.

We really wanted to get a good family picture for our Christmas card. This isn't the one we chose, but we did get several good shots with all four of us looking at the camera and even most smiling!! Miracles never cease!

Carving Pumpkins

2009-11-19T13:59:00.002-05:00

Alex was very excited, which surprised us because he doesn't usually like to get into stuff that is mushy and gooshy!

And Sam was very uninterested, also surprising since he is our "squish-the-mud" kind of kid. But he really did not like the feel of the seeds or the pumpkin gunk at all!

Checkin' out Gampa's finished jack-o-lantern.

Alex chose what shapes would make our "jack's" face and where to put them.

Yes, We are Still Alive & Well!!

2009-11-17T12:41:00.002-05:00

No, we have not been abducted by aliens, moved to Canada, or gotten lost in a nearby cornfield!! We have however, broken our computer and had to buy a new one--and it has taken me a while to get all my photos transferred over. Not to mention how crazy busy our schedule has been lately! and though I would love to say that I will get back to regular blogging this week, I must admit that the next few weeks on the calendar look pretty hectic....so I'll do my best!! In the mean time, here are a few recent pics of our two big boys at dinner!

Ryan's Flag Football Team

2009-10-27T23:52:00.003-05:00

This weekend will be the last of Ryan's flag football games for the year. He has been coaching the Flag Football team here at Park Avenue Christian School this season and loving every minute of it. The kids and I have mad it out to a few of the games, and even though the boys do play most of the time at the park, they seem to enjoy it! I get to see some of the game, and we all enjoy cheering for the team. Ryan's team has done pretty well this year and his guys have given it their all!

Here's the coach himself, warming his hands, and one of his players coming back off the field. (Pastor Hess was keeping time for this game.) It was a pretty cold day for football!

Some of the fans from our church. At some of the games they really set up camp--they bring everything from sloppy joes to sleeping bags!

Sammy LOVES the park! He runs from one thing to the next and cries when it's time to leave--not matter how cold it is!

Alex LOVES "hootball" games, hanging out with Daddy by the scoreboard, playing with the big kids, and getting to eat his snack on a blanket picnic style!

20 Month Old Pics

2009-10-17T15:18:00.002-05:00

Here is a serious face from each of the boys at 20 months old.
Their chins are similar, but not much else!
Could two brothers be any different???

We Love Fall!!

2009-10-13T08:39:00.002-05:00

It's Time for Footy Pajamas Again!

2009-10-08T08:16:00.002-05:00

It's getting pretty chilly out here in Nebraska, so we pulled the footy pj's out!! The boys love them. The first night they had them on they kind of ran around for a while -sort of highstepping- getting used the feel of them on their toes all over again. It was cute!

Alex's Day Out With Thomas

2009-09-27T18:14:00.004-05:00

Alex's birthday present from his doting Aunt Jen-Jen was a ticket to go to "A Day Out With Thomas." And let me tell you, he loved every minute of it!!

We're Still Working on Table Manners...

2009-09-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

Sam LOVES noodles...

and cupcakes...

and baked beans...

and especially chocolate pudding...

lots of pudding!!!

Our "Soccer Champ"

2009-09-17T08:26:00.005-05:00

Alex had his first game of Itty Bitty Soccer at the YMCA on Monday night. Some friends of our from church are his coaches and two of their kids are on Alex's team, so he really enjoys that. We spent some time over the last week or so practicing with him and he LOVES his shin guards and special soccer t-shirt.

However, when it comes to any kind of skill on the field...well, we are still working on that! At home he does great and gets some really good kicks and dribbles going. But during the game he pretty much ran around in circles and showed off his "mad break dancing skills" to all who cared to watch! It was really hilarious. I guess we have some more practicing to do!

Daddy explaining to Alex what it is to substitute in and out of the game. A good lesson in taking turns!

Here is Sam hanging out in "stroller jail" with his buddy Nathan--both wishing they were old enough to play soccer!

He was getting so tired and overheated (it was VERY hot) that he just layed down on the ground at one point and covered his face! His coach sent him off the field and Alex told me, "Alex tired and sad!" It was quite pathetic!

All night after the game he kept yelling "good game!" like they did when they lined up to slap five with the other team when it was over. Obviously the kid had a good time!

Monet meets Picasso

2009-09-02T18:45:00.002-05:00

Alex has suddenly taken a huge interest in painting. He wants to paint all the time, and it is a great activity for while I am cooking dinner because both boys are strapped in to their chairs right here by me doing something quietly and I don't have to worry about them killing each other or themselves!! Sam enjoys playing with the paints, brushes, and water, but rarely ever gets any paint on the paper. Still, for kids I figure it's the experience that counts, not necessarily the finished product!

Our Own Little Bookworm

2009-08-29T08:18:00.003-05:00

Sam has started "reading" books, and he is surprisingly gentle with books in general, no ripping or destroying which is unusual for Sammy! Actually there has been a lot of reading going on here lately and I have some cute pics to post later on that score, but for now hopefully you get a kick out of this video.

Water Babies

2009-08-26T13:46:00.003-05:00

In these long hot days of August the boys have been playing in the water a lot. Especially in the evenings after we take our little neighborhood walk we like to fill up the kiddie pool, bring out the sprinkler, or just play with the hose while we water the flowers.

Both boys love the water in their different ways. Though Sam is usually our dare devil, it takes him a little longer to get brave with water, especially the pool. He tends to step into it for a second and then get right back out. He has started splashing with brother a little bit lately. Alex is like a little fish---he could play in the pool or sprinkler all day long!

"Hoppy" Days

2009-08-19T15:06:00.003-05:00

Grandpa found a Toad outside and took a few minutes to give Alex & Sam a little nature lesson.

Alex didn't really want to touch the froggy, but Sam wanted to squeeze his head in!!

A Visit from the President

2009-08-14T13:09:00.004-05:00

Well, at least a visit from the President of our alma mater!!! We hosted Dr. Bob III and Benneth Jones as well as my parents and Dr. & Mrs. Hall and Dr. & Mrs. Norton for dinner on Monday night.

Ryan had the idea to grill burgers for them since people are probably always cooking them fancy meals or taking them out to eat at fancy restaruants--and they all LOVED it!! They also got a real kick out of the apple and snicker bar salad (but seriously, who wouldn't!). I would have been hard pressed to get it all done without help though--Dad was on kid entertainment duty for the day, Mom helped me in a HUGE way cooking and cleaning with me, and Ryan was the grill master. It all came together beautifully!
If Alex ever attends BJU someday here is a story that will be fun to tell him: as the Dr. Bob and Mrs. Jones walked into our house Alex greeted them by lifting his shirt as high as he could and yelling, "Boo-boo, boo-boo on my belly!" Probably not the usual way a college president is greeted for dinner, but they laughed anyway!! ;-)

Sam was a little shy of all the visitors, but warmed up his vocals after a while and talked to the whole room!

I wanted to ask, "hey Dr. Bob...our kids are so cute, don't you think they should get free college tuition???"

We had to take our table out and bring over a big 10 foot table from the church to fit everyone around it!! There were twelve of us in all--that's a big croud for our little house! But it was really fun and a cool thing to have the president of our college over to our house for dinner!

CBC's 50th Anniversary Cake

2009-08-12T13:53:00.002-05:00

This was the cake I made for our church's 50th Anniversary Celebration this past Sunday. It was 5 layers tall and we have no idea exactly how many pounds it weighed!! It had 2 chocolate layers, 2 banana layers, and one yellow w/strawberry filling layer.

here is the 4th layer before it was frosted.

this is a frosted layer--no fondant yet.

here is one of the round layers, frosted and with the ribbon already on--basically ready to be stacked together the next day. I store my layers overnight in individual boxes so they don't dry out at all. There are dowel rods inserted in all but the top layers--designed to help support the weight of the cake so it doesn't sink down into itself!!

A visit from Grandma Linda

2009-08-04T11:28:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Grandma Linda made a quick trip out from Colorful Colorado to see the boys (and us too)! The boys warmed up to their Grandma in no time and before long we were having a blast at the park. Grandma Linda is a great reader and Alex especially enjoyed reading books with his 'gwamma winda' Sammy also got into the book reading including convincing her to read a certain train book at least twenty times in a row!!!

Thanks for the quick visit Mom ... sorry it took a blown out radiator to get you here. We all had a great time. Here are some of the pictures we got.

A Sunny Day at the Park

2009-07-28T20:38:00.003-05:00

Last summer we enjoyed going down to TaHazooka Park, but this summer it is even better since they have a brand new playground structure! Add that to the bridge, lakes, ducks, and water fountains, and the boys couldn't have more fun! They do still enjoy the old slides and swings and we kind of make our way around the whole park as we go from one thing to the next.

Photo Shoot with Alex

2009-07-20T21:44:00.002-05:00

Ever try getting a 3 yr old to pose for a photo shoot? There is a reason you take kids to a photography studio--they are professionals and know what they are doing!! We attempted to get some good shots of Alex a few Saturday mornings ago at the park for his 3 year photos, but only came up with one of him smiling and a few others that are ok. We are hoping to get a few more possibly this Saturday, or soon anyway, but we'll post these for now! He is cute--we're not arguing that fact!!--it's just hard to get him to cooperate with the camera!!

The Madison County Fair

2009-07-14T21:31:00.004-05:00

This was our first year to go to the fair as a family. The boys were in love with it. They loved the cows. They loved the petting zoo. They loved the model trains. They loved the children's fun room. They loved the ferris wheel. The only thing they didn't love was leaving!
Sam really, really tried to get a hold of one of these goats. Poor thing, he actually grabbed it's lips one time!
Alex kept getting nose-to-nose with these little goats--it was hilarious!

This goat was trying to make friends with us since we had a little cup of food pellets!
The view from the ferris wheel of the fields west of the fairgrounds

the carnival in all it's tacky fun! Alex begged to go on every ride!

Sam just sat back and enjoyed the ride. He was pretty tired by this point and just relaxed in my lap. Ryan and I were a little nervous about whether or not the boys would be scared so high up in the air, but they weren't at all.

Alex loved the ferris wheel. We heard lots of oohs and ahhs from him. He loved it so much, in fact, that for the next several mornings first thing when he woke up he asked me, "I go on Ferris Wheel today? Big Boy?"

Independence Day Festivities!

2009-07-10T13:02:00.004-05:00

We started off the weekend with a few fireworks of our own in our driveway. (these just left over from last year really!)

This is how we started out watching Daddy light them off--Sam on my lap and Alex close by...then Alex moved to a "safer zone" and Sam was fidgeting so I had to back up and hold him!
Alex watched the rest crouched on the doorstep. He would grimace and then when it was over ask for more!
my little pyro!
We were going to go to the zoo on Friday for the day, but Omaha was getting rain the whole day, so Ryan said we should just make a quick overnight trip to my parents' house since they have a parade and stuff at the park. So we piled the kids in the car and off we went!
Ryan and Sammy waiting for the parade!!

Alex and Jen got to ride the train!! The fun of being an aunt!!

Heather and Cole got to ride the train too later that night.

Dad and Cole are talking to Alex!! I think Dad's trying to stop a 'sword' fight!

Love the parade!!

Alex waved at everybody in the parade. He also got pretty good at asking for candy--great!--which he actually did not want to eat. He's not a big candy fan, just suckers. He just wanted to do what all the other bigger kids were doing!

Sam watched the entire parade very intently. He seemed to love it, and spent most of it in his Aunt Jen's lap, chillin'.
The other half of our parade line up!
My littlest nephew, baby Hunter, spent much of the time snoozin' away!

Grams got the boys some bubble wands to play with and they loved it!

Sammy got his first try at corn on the cob! Did a pretty good job, with some help, and loved it too! That's my bottomless pit child!
right before we left for home we got to have s'mores in mom & dad's new firepit that we kids got them for their anniversary! It was really fun!
Hope you had a Happy 4th!!

Nina & Papa's May Visit!

2009-07-07T11:25:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's taken me this long to sort through all the pics of the Coons' May visit to us, but that's life I guess! We had a great time with them. We had some church activities to go to, spent lots of time outside, found a little children's museum here in town, even took the boys to Chuck-E-Cheese for the first time! The kids had a great time get spoiled by their grandparents and we had lots of time to relax together. Thanks again to the Coons for driving all this way!

Alex's Birthday Stuff!

2009-07-01T14:23:00.005-05:00

Well, the big guy turned 3 on Monday. I went into his room and told him Happy Birthday and he said, "Wow!" I told him to go see his daddy and when Ryan told him good morning he responded with, "Daddy, you say Happy Birthday to You!" Think it was going to his head already?

We spent the whole morning outside playing, he got to watch a Thomas the Train movie after lunch, and we went to a few stores in the afternoon--some of his favorite things to do! Seriously, the kid loves going to the store! He walked around all day telling people "Happy Birthday to You!"

I didn't get a good pic of the little decorations we had, but I made this banner and we did some crepe paper and streamers. And we tried to have balloons. Yep, we tried! We went to the store to get 2 balloons. Against my better judgment I let him carry one out of the store. Made it through the doors and he let it go! Popped on the side of the building. No prob, we have another! Made it home, but when he let it go inside the house it popped on our popcorn plaster ceiling. So he was left with this tiny little 4 inch Happy Birthday balloon! Oh, well. Live and learn!
This is the train set Ryan and I made him for his bday. He LOVES trains right now, but mommy is not in love with the idea of messing with train tracks all the time, so Daddy just nailed them down! We constructed this little box that fits right on their play table and painted it up and he LOVES it!

We had hot dogs, chips, and beans for dinner because that is one of his favorite meals. He wasn't too interested in eating until we told him that after he ate his dinner we had a present for him. Now until this point I wasn't sure if he really understood the whole birthday thing, but we now know that he does get the present thing. I've never seen him clean his plate so fast!

Before bedtime we did a video call with Nana (Alex says Nina and so Nina it may from now on be!) and Papa so they could watch him open his present from them. He was so excited to see a kid sized tool set. Every tool you could imagine and he loves it! He's been "fixy" everything!
We had chocolate cupcakes (with no frosting on his) for his birthday. (I am planning on making a Thomas the Train cake when family comes to town, but not for just the 4 of us. It would never get eaten!) Alex might not like frosting, but he loves chocolate cake. He has been known to randomly ask for cake--as if it is just always on hand for him!
Here he is wearing his new toolbelt. It took a few tries to get him to like wearing it, but now he loves it! Walks around with this silly smile on his face like he thinks he looks cool! So cute!

Happy Birthday Alex!!!

2009-06-29T15:38:00.002-05:00

This was Alex's first day of "life on the outside!" He still looks the same!

Alex's 1st birthday. He took his first steps that weekend!

On his second birthday we found out that he loves chocolate cake!

These are just two recent pics of the big guy. He's grown so much and we are so thankful to God for giving him to us. He is so fun-loving, energetic, and affectionate. He makes us laugh all the time. We love him to no end!

A Nature Walk at Camp

2009-06-19T15:10:00.004-05:00

j

Here's a little bit of the beauty of the North Woods! Ryan and I took a little walk back to Reflection Lake here at camp today and it was so peaceful and beautiful--if you could get past all the bugs. ;-) We didn't see a bear despite the talk of all the bear sightings this year, but we did see many deer tracks and lots of little critters and Ryan managed to bring two ticks back with him on his jeans!