The Meredith Happenings

Fall Fun

2010-10-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy, busy fall and I'm loving every moment of it! First of all, congratulations to my sister and brother-in-law on the birth of their new baby, Macy Rose! What a special and beautiful gift from God!

(This post was never finished, but loved the pics - don't even remember what all I was going to talk about! I've got to be better this year at keeping updated!)

It's beginning to feel like fall!!

2010-09-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

The weather this weekend has been perfect! I love cool breezes and fresh air! We opened the windows and enjoyed playing (and working) outside most of the day! I was in "fall" cleaning mode more than I've ever been in a "spring" cleaning mode! My problem was that my lack of attention span kept me starting projects and not finishing them completely! Hopefully today will be as productive!

While I worked on little projects, Matt SCRUBBED my van inside and out - looks and smells wonderful! Then he grilled steaks and hot dogs for dinner! Thank you, honey!

Christopher and Joshua were my helpers (could be part of my ADD problem!) We had fun together though! For example, Joshua had fun pulling clothes out of the tub and "shopping" for what hand-me-downs might fit this fall! He saw no need for them to stay folded!

Jayden was invited to a friend's house for most of the afternoon. He had a blast! He and Jacob were in 3-4 preschool together but don't get to see each other very often anymore. Jayden was so excited about going that Friday night he kept saying, "Mom, I've got a great feeling about tomorrow! Can you make it tomorrow now?!" It was sweet!

Friday after school we went to the "zoo" by Jay C and Jayden was brave enough to feed the goats! I was impressed - they are usually nervous around animals. Except Joshua - he pointed to every animal and wanted to touch it. He's at such a curious age, I love it!!

I love fall!! Bring it on!! (This cool weather has me ready for Covered Bridge Festival!) Happy Labor Day everyone!

Kindergarten and 6 years old! How can it be?!

2010-08-23T18:11:00.001-07:00

As always, we've been busy lately! I've been wanting to blog aout the end of our summer, Jayden's starting kindergarten, and now his birthday! Crazy! How does my baby keep growing right before my eyes?!

I'll start with Kindergarten. He was so excited about starting school! I don't know if I was more nervous about my 1st day or his! I never sleep well the night before school starts and this year was no exception! I knew Jayden would do great, I just kept wondering where the time went! How is it possible this baby of mine is ready to kick off his school career?!

As a teacher, one sacrifice I have to make is to not be able to take my own children to their first day of school. This really bothers me, but what can I do? So I sent my mom in my place! I knew he'd be happy for one-on-one time with Gramma and I didn't think she'd mind either! :) Plus I knew she'd take a picture or two and leave him with a hug and kiss for me!

He didn't "need" anyone there, really. Mom said he walked in and was good to go! I'm glad he "let" her snap a few pictures though!

His teacher is Mrs. Molly at WC. He LOVES her! She is always so energetic and positive!

Daddy took a few before he dropped him off to Gramma too!

He loved his first day! The longest part of the day for me was actually waiting from 3:00 til 3:30 before I could leave to go get him! I don't know what kind of reaction I was expecting, but I got, "It was AWESOME!" followed by very little details! I've been told that's a boy thing and to get used to it! I guess I was hoping for more of a play-by-play of his day, but I guess AWESOME sums it up!

After finishing his first week of Kindergarten, he turned 6!! We celebrated with a friend party Saturday afternoon at the local putt-putt course and the family cookout that evening. This year, Jayden chose a pirate theme. Arrr Matey!

"Mom, do I have to stop for a picture? Come on! Let's play!"

Silly boys!

My sister, Angie, made this AWESOME cake! The boys seem to challenge her lately with their ideas of cakes! (Maybe I should stop letting them watch Cake Boss!) But everytime, she rises to the occasion - even 9 months pregnant!

The pirate pieces were actually gifts from Aunt Lindsey for walking down the aisle at her wedding and they worked great for this cake! We had one ship with the friends and one that night! Awesome idea!

I think this is all the boys that were there. Below is everyone - girls too!

He is so loved and it was so much fun (and maybe a little crazy) to have all these wonderful children with us to celebrate! Some are friends from "birth," some are "girlfriends," some are friends from preschool & Cardinal Care, and of course a cousin-friend! I think they all had a good time! That evening the family came over for the BBQ. He was so excited to party all day and show off gifts! He loved all of his gifts - a Beta fish (named John Deere Meredith), DS games, silly banz, Zhu Zhu pets, games, Legos, money, and the pirate costume below! It was an awesome day!The coolest pirate costume I've ever seen! Arrr Cap't Jayden! I hope you had a swashbuckling fun 6th birthday! You are my oldest child, my special son, my baby. I love you so much! We chose your name because it means, 'God has heard.' He heard a lot of prayers for you before His timing was perfect to send you to us. I can't imagine it any other way! You fill our lives with happiness! May God continue to bless you with many years of happiness, good health, many friends, and much love!

Pirates beware!

2010-08-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

The boys are big into pirates right now. They want to be one, they want to know about them, they sometimes believe they ARE pirates. This started early this summer but has increased since riding Pirates of the Carribbean a few too many times at Disney World!
Well, Aunt Lindsey got them each a pirate set of toys for walking down the aisle at her wedding. They have been asking to take them to the sand/water table so they can play "like the box shows." (They are shipwrecked on a sandy island on the box.) I finally gave in this morning. I decided not all toys are meant to be kept clean like Barbie...I do have 3 BOYS who don't care if things are clean or not! They had a blast!! It kept them entertained for a long time!!

The pirates are battling in the picture belowChristopher's pirate lost the battle and his ship sunk to the bottom

They continued to play for quite a while but when Christopher's pirate "ran out of lives" and Jayden wouldn't let him "come back to life" the real battle was on and mommy told them it was time to take a break and come inside! LOL

We ended up going out front and taking all their bikes and stuff out of the garage, sweeping it out, and defrosting the deep freeze. Joshua wasn't too thrilled to be sitting in his stroller just watching though, so it got done in bits and pieces!

This picture is not from today, but it's too cute and kind of shows his "stinker" side, which kind of goes with the pirates and the mood today! They are all being little "stinkers" today!! (I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with getting spoiled with attention this past weekend at Grandma & Grandpa Merediths!)

LOVEly Wedding pictures

2010-07-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

...LOVEly because I LOVE these people and the pictures that captured these special moments...

You might have noticed that yesterday's post was dedicated to my sister and newest brother-in-law. I tried to tell the story of the day by choosing pictures of the two of them and the LOVE that radiated from their hearts and could be seen in their eyes! Today's post will showcase more of the bride and groom and some other favorites of mine!

Which, I need to thank all of you for sharing these photos with me! They come from a collection of cameras! I can't take credit for very many of these because I didn't have my camera with me most of the time! So thank you!!

I love this one of "Cinderella" getting her shoes on! She truly looked like a princess that day! Just ask my boys!!

I also love this one of my Aunt (& Godmother) pinning the flowers on my boys! I wasn't around for any of this and got teary eyed when I did finally get to see my handsome boys!

Their special job for the wedding was to walk down the aisle ringing bells and chanting, "The Bride is coming! The Bride is coming!" They did a great job THAT day! (Rehearsal was a different story!)And here is the bride!! Dad is getting ready to "give her away" to Scott! I love this one for many reasons but chose it because it shows off her train! So beautiful!

This next picture shows me the beauty of the whole atmosphere that I couldn't see from up there! I LOVE IT! This is what Lindsey envisioned in all her planning! This was what her wedding looked like in her dreams and she made it happen! So beautiful! The cathedral, the dresses, flowers, tuxes, positioning of everyone, and most of all the way their love for each other and for GOD is the center of it all! I love this picture too! I always like pictures of a bride and her flower girl together, but of course this one is extra special! Love them both sooo much!

Love this picture too! Everyone looks so beautiful! I've always thought my mom is beautiful and my dad handsome - this picture just verifies that! They are such wonderful parents and are always so proud of us! Awww my baby! He was so good during the wedding! He was ready to play! I love this picture because it captures the fun we were having.

All 3 of my "babies!" They did a mother/son dance at the reception - special memories! As you can tell, the boys were not as excited about it as I was! But I love this picture for many reasons - one of them being their expressions! Jayden is beginning to enter the "too cool" stage, Christopher sneaky but silly, and Joshua along for the ride! (And mommy smiling through it all!)We realized too late that we never had anyone take a family picture - just the 5 of us! Luckily one of our photo booth pictures turned out really well! I'm just not sure why it is so small on here!?

I love the smiles on all my "men!" I hope you each know that I love you and pray for you everyday! May God grant us many more happy times together like this making special, fun memories wherever we go!

Sisters, sisters, there were never quite devoted sisters...

(Again, I don't know why this one is smaller than others.)

I love this picture of my sisters and me! So many memories we share! I have a frame from one of them that has a saying about sisters on it - this is the new picture going in it! Love you both!!

Can you guess why this one is one of my favorites?

A daddy and his "little girls."

I was so glad my best friend, Mandy was able to make the trip down from Minnesota! She's a brave woman - driving all that way with her two kids even though her husband couldn't come! She's always been so strong and independent and is a great source of strength for me! Love you! Well, Scott, you could look at this two ways...

1. You have a lot of women who love you and care about you

2. You have 2 sisters, 2 sister-in-laws, and a bride to keep happy! Of course, the bride matters most, so keep her happy, and you're likely to keep the sisters happy as well!! I don't even know what to say about this next crazy group, but I love them all!

(I don't need to say anything, everyone is having fun commenting on this one on Facebook!)

I treasure all the memories, traditions, and the fun we always have!

Well, by the end of the night, as dad said, "The kids are goin' for love and the parents are goin' for broke!"

These pictures are just a few of my favorites for all the memories they represent. The day was remarkable and I will treasure it always! Congratulations Lindsey and Scott! May God bless you with much love and happiness and many, many years to share it! I love you both!!

Beautiful Bride!

2010-07-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2010 - My baby sister was joined in Holy Matrimony to her groom, Scott Sell. It was a beautiful day with a gorgeous and radiant bride and handsome groom. They were both glowing all day! I can't even put into words how stunning everything was!

In the days before the wedding, I kept telling Lindsey to try to take in EVERY moment and live in that moment because it will go so fast that it will all be a blur. I tried to do this also. I wanted to take in every moment of this special day! Again, words cannot explain...

The wedding ceremony was beautiful! You could feel love all around! I was honored to be one of her matrons of honor! This gave me a chance to watch their faces up close and smile (and cry) as they CONSTANTLY looked into each others eyes with such love. Their smiles never ceased and when they weren't looking at each other, they were scanning the church to memorize the faces of their friends and family there surrounding them with love and support.

The newly announced, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Sell!!! Can you see how happy they are?!

See those smiles?! Gosh, I love that! I can't help but smile and shed a happy tear looking at this special moment! Cheers to the happy couple!

~Scott and Lindsey Sell~

MMMUUAAHHHHHH! Right back at you, baby sis! Hugs and Kisses to the new Mrs!

xoxoxo

(Love you both!! This post is just for you! There may be more pics in a later post, but I wanted this one just to be for you guys!)

Busy Busy Summer

2010-07-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

This summer has been very busy! Our trip to Florida was a nice getaway! There are some major things going on this summer in our family - one sister graduated and is getting married and the other is building & moving into a new house all while she's also busy "growing a baby!" We've been helping both of them out these past few weeks, as well as trying to sneak in some fun of our own too!

We've gone swimming (lots - at my mom and dad's, also at Washington water park, and Petersburg splash park) Below is Joshua climbing on a bar stool at Mimi and Papa's This is the "original" playgroup (plus a few extras) at the Washington Waterpark
Hard to believe 4 of the original 5 babies of this group will be 6 next month! (One is 6 already)

We took Caitlyn with us to meet friends for a picnic lunch and splash time in Petersburg.
Ally and Mya are "girlfriends" of my boys. Brothers fighting over sisters someday?! Uh oh!

One afternoon that we had Caitlyn, I actually got all 4 cousins to look in the direction of the camera at the same time!! What an accomplishment!

Another time the boys were actually arguing over which one got to use which broom for cleaning, while Caitlyn "mowed" the grass! Talk about child labor!!! LOLCaitlyn and Christopher can have a love/hate relationship. Lately it's been mostly love - which is nice considering they are neighbors now!!Joshua loves to pick up toys and throw them as far and as hard as he can so that he can use his favorite word, "UH OH!" 52 pick up ALL THE TIME!! Christopher has had to wait until summer to use one of his birthday gifts from us. It's a Hot Wheels race track that hooks to the hose. The flag pops up and the boys push a button to release their cars. The last one to cross the finish line gets sprayed! Pretty cool! They love it!

While I haven't had much time for cleaning and reorganizing this summer, Joshua has tried to help by redoing my tupperware cabinet a few times already. He just can't seem to get it the way he wants it! LOL Plus some of the stuff in there makes great hats!The big boys get to do big & messy activities while Joshua is either napping or eating. Here they are playing with their moon sand.

I'll leave you with a picture of Lindsey's crew getting ready to party!!

Since it is after midnight when I'm finishing this, I can officially say...One week!!

In 7 days my baby sister will be getting married!! Matt and I started dating when she was 6! He says we should be buying her toys still not wedding gifts!!

Where does time go?!?

Disney World

2010-07-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

The happiest place on earth - Disney World!!! We went a couple of weeks ago and had a wonderful time! The drive down was long but worth it! We met up with Matt's mom and dad, brother and (I can finally officially say it....) his fiance!! We all had a wonderful time and hated to see the week go by so quick!

So many fun memories...

We arrived at Hilton (my fav place to stay) on Saturday. Played around there that day as everyone arrived at different times.

Sunday was off to Hollywood Studios (MGM to me) because it was the last day of Star Wars weekends and that was more important to my boys than Mickey Mouse and the princesses! HA! They loved it - they were front and center for a Jedi training show and saw different Star Wars characters throughout the day. At the end of the day, they got to create their own light sabers!

We wore ourselves out that day - with the heat and all the walking on top of travel fatigue, so Monday we stayed at the resort and went swimming.

Tuesday it was off to Magic Kingdom! We couldn't get it all in in one day! The boys were having a blast and wanted to ride everything of course! Dumbo, Aladdin's Flying Carpets, and Peter Pan were among their favorites. However, their absolute favorite was Pirates of the Caribbean! They were not scared at all, which was good considering that one time we got stuck for about 10 minutes!

I bet anyone that's been to Disney can name this ride... (Always a favorite!)

and I DID get to see some princesses after all - even if it was as they passed in a parade!

Wednesday was more downtime from the parks.

Thursday morning was Animal Kingdom.

That afternoon we headed back for lunch and to wait out the storms that came through. Everyone kind of did their own thing that afternoon. Grandma Gail kept Joshua so Matt and I could take the older two back to Magic Kingdom. That was wonderful! The rain cooled things down (finally!) and got rid of the crowds. The boys loved getting all of the say in what we did! The 4 of us had a blast! And I'm pretty sure Joshua loved the individual attention he was getting from grandma too!

Friday everyone went to Epcot. The boys loved the main part of it - especially the Nemo ride and aquarium! We left a little earlier than the rest of the family because the boys wanted one last swim before we had to leave the next morning. (The other half of the family was having a GREAT time visiting the countries! Mission completed, right guys?!? LOL)

Sadly, Saturday it was time to pack up and head back home. It went way too fast! We were all tuckered out though...

And it's always nice to be back home! Now we can look forward to Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Scott's wedding!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Joshie Baby!

2010-06-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so back in December when I said I was going to slow down and enjoy time with the boys, I had no intention of neglecting my blog and keeping all of you out of the loop!! I'm so sorry! Really I am! I think I had a bit of writers block too - I had so much I felt I was behind on blogging about, I didn't know where to start!

I've heard from several of you that YOU are looking forward to MY summer break so I can update the blog!! LOL Well, it's the first day of summer and you got your wish! I'm starting over and hope to update often!

There are MANY things that I didn't get to blog about in the last 6 months - too many to try to catch up on, but I will give a few!

First of all - TODAY is Joshua Paul's first birthday!! Happy Birthday, Joshie! (AKA Saucy, Saucy baby, Joshie Baby, Josh, and The Sauce!)

We celebrated with family this past weekend at Spring Mill State Park. It was a great day! Humid with a few showers, but not until we were (almost) done with our cookout!

Everyone had a great time!

We did a Mickey Mouse theme since we will be visiting him this summer and he makes Joshua giggle. My sister, Angie, made the cake. She does such a wonderful job - it was delicious and fun! I really appreciate that she took the time to make it!

Unfortunately, between NO nap, a lot of heat, first cake & icing, and all the excitement, Joshua got sick that night at bedtime. :( Poor guy - he was probably thinking, "If this is what being a 'big boy' is all about....I want NO part!" (He was fine the next morning - a little worn out, but nothing a day of being at home couldn't fix!)

All day I just kept looking at him play, and reflected on the past year. Babies learn so much in a year! I love his fun personality - the way he laughs at his brothers, plays Peek a Boo, pulls your hand to keep tickling his belly, claps his hands and says 'yay!', plays 52 pick up just so he can say 'uh-oh,' and the way his eyes light up when he sees me. Some would say mommy spoils him. It's true! He was a colicky baby and so we held him a lot. His favorite place to be (STILL) is on my hip, in my arms. While I don't get as much done that way, it's better than listening to him scream. And I've learned, they grow quickly and probably by his next birthday, I'll be WISHING that's where he wants to be!

Joshua, you weren't my easiest pregnancy or the easiest baby, but you are my last baby. That means you will always be my baby! I won't be rushing you to grow up because I've learned from watching your brothers that it goes too fast. So just keep crawling to my legs, pulling yourself up, and demanding to be held. Remind me that next year at this time, you will have learned even more and probably will run away from me instead of crawling to me! Let's enjoy our summer together with your brothers and treasure every moment! I love you, Joshie! Happy 1st Birthday!
Speaking of time going to fast....Jayden graduated preschool and is now officially a kindergartener! He LOVES school and can't wait to start in the fall!

He loves to read, play video games, play outside, find rocks with "crystals," play soccer, swim, anything Star Wars, and teach his little brothers. He is still my thinker and his questions are sometimes getter harder to answer! His newest thing is noticing that everything is "Made in China." He wants to know why! Any ideas on how to explain that to a 5 year old?! Mommy needs to start watching and buying more American-made stuff! "Mommy, if my Happy Meal comes from here, why does the toy inside have to be made in China?" Ummmm.....again, any ideas??

Christopher just completed his first year of preschool! It was amazing to see how much he grew over the year! His teacher was so great with him! We love Miss Angie! He wanted to start school, but then didn't want to go. He loved Miss Angie, but then didn't. We had a few weeks where he just wasn't sure about this whole school thing. Miss Angie was so patient and kept me informed so we could try to figure out why. We never did find a reason, but he soon came around and loved her and school again! This picture was at their spring program a few weeks ago! The teachers at WC Preschool are ALL amazing - We are so fortunate to have them!

Christopher loves all things Star Wars, Batman, or Spiderman! He also loves to be outside doing anything! He can make Joshua laugh easier than anyone! They have a special bond it seems.

Christopher is my rough and tough child, but also my cuddler. He likes to tease, but also has a soft side. He's the last to move when I say clean up, but the first to come running to help cook. He'll stick an arm out to "hit" me as he runs by, but crawl behind me in the chair to scratch my back.

I love having 3 boys! All very different and yet all similar. Sure, it's crazy-busy....but I wouldn't want it ANY OTHER WAY!!

Reminder to self - slow down and enjoy it!

2009-12-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

This is a blog mainly for myself...SLOW DOWN and enjoy the kids and remember the TRUE meaning of the season!

This morning, Christopher and I made pancakes and it quickly turned in to a fast-paced Saturday morning. Laundry, picking up, cleaning, stripping beds, etc - all happening when Joshua will allow us to be arms-free or when the older two are getting along. So typical. Also typical, I find myself wishing I could do things faster, more efficient, keep the house picked up & clean so I wouldn't have to do this every weekend, etc. Wanting it all to be done so we could think about making Christmas cookies, watching Christmas movies, wrapping presents, making Christmas grocery lists, taking Christmas pictures to begin the work on cards. You all know - all the stuff that comes this time of year.

Time out - Joshua's awake and needs a bottle...

Anyway, before I let myself get too stressed, I decided to put my favorite Christmas CDs in and turn it up so I could enjoy it. Well, as soon as I turned them on, Christopher came in and said, "Let's dance, mommy. I like this song!" How could I turn him down?! So we slow danced around the Christmas tree, me with tears in my eyes as I said a silent prayer of Thanksgiving for all the blessings in my life that help me put things in perspective, and him saying, "Mommy, spin me faster!"

So what if my house looks less than perfect...
Who cares if my laundry sits in the dryer an extra few hours/day...
So what if I'm wrapping presents at midnight the night before...
Christmas cards?! Maybe....

But I guarantee one thing...my boys and I are going to enjoy a Christmas movie this afternoon with a cup of hot chocolate and as many dances as they want! They are my blessings given from the One Above and He is counting on me to teach them about this wonderful season and how it all started 2000 years ago in a simple manger. Simple being the word I need to hear!!

Happy 1/2 birthday, Joshua!

2009-12-02T18:22:00.001-08:00

Dear Joshua,

Happy 1/2 birthday, little man! I can't believe 6 months have gone by already! You are such a wonderful addition to our family! We all love you so much! Your big brothers can't get enough of you and are constantly in your face making you laugh and smile! You used to be colicky, but now you are making up for lost time with all your smiles and laughs.

You are about to master sitting up straight. You sit now on your own for little bits of time, but like to lean over and get your toes! You like trying to pull off your socks when you are sitting up! It's adorable!
You are teething and chew on everything - especially your fingers! Your thumb and pointer are your favorites. You've mastered putting passy into and out of your mouth and also like to chew on that! Anything will do!! LOL! Even your doggie's ear!
You will probably be confused on your real name for a while because your brothers have given you lots of nicknames! Of course Joshua Paul, we call you Joshie, Joshie Baby, Saucy, Saucy Baby, Saucua (like Joshua only with an 'S' at the beginning), and of course Superbaby. These are aside from the little names mommy says - like Punkin', Punkin Pie, Little Man, Sweetie, etc. You sure are a special baby, no matter what you end up going by!

I can't believe how quickly time is going! I wish I could freeze time! Since I can't, I try to enjoy and memorize everything and every moment! Some of them are...

...the way you look right into my eyes as I rock you and cuddle with you...

...the way you hold my finger as I give you a bottle...

...the way you smell (like a mix of baby lotion and baby spit - yet so sweet!)...
...the way your brothers can make you laugh like no one else...
...the way you kick and splash in the bathtub...
...watching your determined face as you try to reach for small things...
...the way you feel in my arms...
...seeing your diaper butt in the air as you sleep on your tummy...
...how you know when a bottle is being mixed...
...how you sing and coo and talk...
...the yummy sounds you make in between bites of baby food...
...your giggle...
...your toothless smile...
...your wet open-mouth kisses...

Oh so many more things!
I love you so much and know we are just beginning to enter the "fun" stage of things! I can only imagine the things you will learn in the next six months!
Love,
Mommy

Much to be Thankful for!

2009-11-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Ours was fun and we have much to be thankful for!
Our Thanksgiving started off with Christopher's preschool program. We weren't sure if he would perform or not, because he didn't want to go that morning. He did (with a little bribe) and even smiled through the whole thing!

After his program he got to spend the night with Gramma and Papa! He was SOOOOO excited! He had a blast!Christopher with Ms. Angie

Wednesday, my best friend came over with her two kids and we had fun visiting and watching the kids play. It was so great to see her! She lives in Minnesota - way too far away! I miss her!

Wednesday night we headed to Meredith's for Thanksgiving. It was Joshua's first trip up there, first time to meet Great-Grandma Lucille, and first Thanksgiving. (There were just a few flurries in the air Thursday morning, so we could say his first flurries too!)

Jayden and Christopher pull on the wishbone...Christopher wins!!

Another first - he's trying really hard to sit up!! He leans forward a lot and loses his balance, but he's closer! It's adorable! He also discovered his toes last week! Now we are looking forward to Christmas! Another first for Joshua! HO! HO! HO!
Let us slow down and enjoy the holiday season and remember the TRUE reason for this season!

Gorgeous Fall Day! (Lots of pictures!)

2009-11-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful fall day! We enjoyed having the windows open, the smell of burning leaves, Vender Blender (mom and I went), and of course took advantage of the weather and got the boys outside for a while. They played with Moon Sand. That stuff is MESSY! They love it though, so we brought it outside so I didn't have a mess inside!

I took some individual pictures of the boys just for fun.

Joshua, 5 months

The big boys had a fun time "climbing" in the tree

Jayden, 5

Christopher, 3 1/2

The other day Christopher took all the books out of the book shelf and found that he could fit inside. He decided it was a cozy spot and pretended to take a nap. It was cute! Of course Jayden wanted to see if he could fit too!

One good thing that came out of this mess is that now the books are all neat and organized again! (For the time being anyway!)

Fall pictures & Five Months

2009-11-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Joshua, you are 5 months old today! Wow! You are rolling over from your back to your tummy. You love sleeping on your tummy, but not playing on your tummy. You roll to your tummy and get stuck and within a few minutes get upset and mad that you can't roll to your back.
You smile, laugh, and babble all the time! We think you are teething because you constantly have your fingers, fists, toys, or our fingers in your mouth at all times! You reach for toys and once you have them in your grasp, you put them in your mouth.
You still love bath time and have started kicking and splashing now. You are ticklish and laugh when we tickle your belly. You seem to know your routine and about the time I start snapping up your jammies, you start fussing for your bottle. I swear you know the "bottle making area" of the kitchen and focus in as soon as you see daddy head that way. When you hear the shaking of the bottle, you start begging and fussing until it's in your mouth. You either hold the bottle or one of our fingers so that we don't dare take it away for a burp! You've tried most of the veggies and fruits now and do ok with them, but would rather just have your bottle.

You are in love with your brothers, and they are in love with you. They can make you laugh faster than anyone else. As soon as you hear their voices, you turn to find them and smile at them immediately. I love hearing you laugh at them as we drive down the road! They sing and you laugh! Their nicknames for you are Saucy and Joshie Baby. (That one started with your cousin Caitlyn)
The days of colic are gone and have been replaced with a ray of sunshine that comes through every smile you give! We all love you so much and are enjoying watching you grow! Happy 5 months, baby!

I think this one below is when Joshua was 3 1/2 months.

One of Angie's friends took the pictures below. She did an excellent job! There were so many good ones. I've picked just a few of my favorites to put on here. I love them all!

This year for Halloween, the plan was for all 3 boys to be Star Wars characters. Jayden was Darth Vador, Joshua - Yoda, and Christopher was going to be Boba Fett. At last minute, Christopher decided to be Batman instead. We had the costume from last year, so it worked out! When we got to my mom and dad's, they answered the door dressed up too! It was adorable! The boys had a blast!

Trick or treat!

Lots of firsts lately!!

2009-09-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Oops! Found these pictures and blog I had started a while ago and never finished! Here it is now - about 2 months later!

Here is Christopher on his first day of preschool - Sept. 2009
He is in Ms. Angie's class on T/Th mornings and seems to like it so far.

Celebrating with a cupcake

Jayden's 1st soccer game
Unfortunately because of all the rain, he only got 4 games in.
It was a crazy season, but he had fun and did a great job!

Some of Joshua's 1st smiles
His brothers can make him laugh and smile just by walking in the room
Such love! They are great big brothers!

The rest are pictures from Labor Day
We met my family at the park. Everyone had a great time!

Joshua's first merry-go-round ride!

Caitlyn watching "Joshie baby"

Where does time go?!?

Summer Reflections

2009-09-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

This summer went by way too fast! I couldn't find time to update the blog as often as I'd like, so here are some pictures to summarize some of the fun we squeezed in before school started. (These are in no particular order)

This summer we...

...went to Holiday World...

...welcomed cousin Caitlyn back to town...

...added water to the sand/water table...

By the way, I love Christopher's 'tough boy' look in that picture. That's his "I'm too cool to say cheese" face!! LOVE IT!

...watched Joshua grow and get stronger...

...played in the sprinkler...

...tried out the new Waterworld in town...

...Joshua took his 1st dip in Gramma and Grampa's pool...

...and the 2 big boys spent a week at Grandma Gail & Grandpa Joe's!
While they were there they were very busy! One thing they did was build bird
houses with Grandpa. When they came home they painted them and hung them on
some of our trees out back. Below is their first attempt ever spray painting!
They didn't do too bad!

Most of our summer fun was just too exhausting, right Joshua?!?
Oh well, next year you'll be busy trying to chase those big brothers around! You won't be sleeping through much this time next year! You'll want in on all the action!
(Mommy better rest up now. Next year is summer fun x 3 active boys!!!)

Happy 5th Birthday Jayden!

2009-08-31T18:46:00.001-07:00

As usual, I'm way behind in my blogging updates!

Jayden turned 5 on August 22nd! Where did those 5 year go?!? I think 5 was harder on mommy than the other birthdays. I remember on his 1st birthday wondering where that year went and also celebrating that Matt and I had not messed up as new parents too badly! Now he's 5 and so much a part of us, I don't remember life without him!

Look at me!!! I'm 5 today!!

He couldn't wait to have the birthday song be for him at Mi Pueblo! As soon as he heard it start, he turned around and said, "They're coming to me!! It's my turn!" It was adorable!
We had always told the boys that they could have their first friend birthday party when they turn 5, so we started off his birthday with some of his friends coming over to play and party. Of course, he had picked Star Wars for his theme, so we had inflatable light sabers for all! (I don't think the moms were as excited about them as the kids were!)

We had Star Wars everywhere! Plates, napkins, light sabers, and pinata!

I think it's safe to say that they all had a good time and the moms had fun catching up after our first week back to school! I have to admit, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I first planned it for 9 AM, but it ended up being perfect! The weather was perfect, the kids were perfect (it wasn't too close to naptime for any of them), and at 11:00, we sugared them up and sent them home for lunch & naps!! Later that afternoon, the family came over for a family birthday party. We just partied all day! My sister, Angie, made the Star Wars cake and did an excellent job! We gave her one of their storm trooper masks and she went from there. Jayden's favorite part was the light sabers and the Star Wars letters.

It was a hit! Thanks, Aunt Angie! We really appreciate it!I think everyone was afraid to get him Star Wars stuff because he was telling everyone that's what he wanted. Instead everyone got him Legos! It was quite funny! All the kits were different, of course. He got a starter kit, a Star Wars kit, an airplane kit, a big bulldozer kit, and a kit with several different construction machines! He was so excited and wanted to build them all right away!

Let's get started, Papa!

He has since been busy building and rebuilding with his Legos. I'll have to get a pictured of some of his completed ones before he takes them apart again!

He had a great day and was such a trooper for being a busy and full day! He proudly tells people that he is 5 now and 5 year olds don't have to take naps! (Something else we have always told our boys!)

My Dearest Jayden,

Somehow 5 years have flown by! You are quickly turning into a little boy - no more baby, no more toddler. You are independent on so many things now. You pick out your outfits and of course dress (and undress) yourself. You put your own toothpaste on and brush your teeth. You keep checking for any loose teeth, but so far haven't found one, but you are convinced you will because '5 year olds do!'

You love to show me how high you can pump yourself on the swings, all the different ways you can go down the slide, and how fast you can run. You and Christopher love to wrestle, box, have light saber wars, and shoot the bad guys. (All of this against mommies wishes!) You will turn anything into a light saber or a gun - even markers! You are very creative and imaginative. You are usually very patient with Christopher and have taught him so many things.

You surprise us with how much you can read already! This summer we did the reading program at the library. Some of the books we brought home you read by yourself even before mommy had the chance to read it to you! At naptime (or rest time now that you don't think you need a nap), you will sometimes take books up to your bunk and read! You have a large vocabulary and a very inquisitive mind.

You are such a lover and don't want anyone to hurt. If someone upsets Christopher, you are quick to make sure he's ok - sometimes even crying with him. If Joshua is crying, you try to make him smile and want us to give him a bottle if that doesn't work! When mommy tells you that you are growing too fast, you tell me that it's ok because you will always love me and live with me.

You love to talk with daddy about airplanes. You tell him what kinds of planes you saw and you fly with him on the computer. You "read" his airplane magazines and talk about what kind of plane you will fly with him someday.

You would eat only corn dogs, hot dogs, and pizza if we'd let you! You will pick even the tiniest pieces of chicken out of anything I try to hide it in. You love to announce that you are a "big milk drinker" and still call any type of pop "yucky juice." (You've tried Sprite, but don't really like it even!) You love strawberries, peaches, corn on the cob, and tomatoes. You hate meat, ketchup, and peanut butter. Your favorite sandwich is "cheese, mayonnaise, bologna."

You loved your first year of preschool and are looking forward to this next one. You love to learn! We just signed you up for your first soccer season and you want to be the "goaler." I can't wait to see you play!

I love you, Jayden Joseph! I have loved watching you grow and am trying my hardest to cherish everything we do because I know this time will fly! Have a great year of being 5! I can't wait to see what it brings!!

Love,
Mommy

10 Years!

2009-08-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

10 years ago yesterday, I married my best friend! Matt and I were married at 7:30 PM at St. Simon's church. (Funny how now at 7:30 we are thinking bedtime and then we were just getting ready to exchange vows!!)
I look back over the past 10 years and can't believe how fast they've gone! I can see so many ways that God has blessed us over the years. There are so many things for which we are thankful.
We celebrated by going out to dinner at the Haub House. The food was wonderful! We even shared a piece of cherry cheesecake for dessert! When we got home, the boys were already in bed, so we watched part of our wedding video. We laughed, cried, and reminisced! It seems like it was yesterday, and yet seeing how much people have changed since then quickly reminded us that time has passed! Our ring bearer had turned 3 the day before our wedding and now when I see him, he is almost as tall as I am! Our flower girl, whom I used to babysit, has now babysat for my kids! (When she's not busy playing sports!) My own little sister (Linds), has grown up too! (I guess she was only 11 when we got married, but still!!!) We had fun pointing out people who had since gotten married, had children, etc. We also cried as we saw relatives (and friends) who have since passed away. What we wouldn't give to show our boys off to my grandma, his aunt, his great grandpa, and our newest baby to his grandpa George! Tonight we hope to watch the second part - the reception and advice from everyone!!

Happy 10 years, honey! I can't wait to see what the next 10 bring!! I look forward to celebrating many more happy anniversaries with you! I love you!!

Looking back...

2009-08-05T19:28:00.001-07:00

Wow! How things change in a year!

I don't know why, but for some reason I decided to look back at posts from last summer.
(First thing I noticed was how many more posts I had last year at this time!)

Last year, I remember sitting on the screened in porch with my laptop and blogging while the boys were playing. This year when I sit out there, my arms are holding little Joshua.

Last year, I had two toddlers. This year I have two preschoolers and a newborn!

Last year, we were potty training Christopher. This year, we are changing diapers and mommy's hoping someday the "potty-trained" boys will learn to aim!

Last year, we moved my sister and her family to Illinois. This year, (this week actually) we get to move them back!

Last year, Matt was on crutches for his broken ankle/heel. This year, he is learning to fly!

Last year, I was hoping & praying to someday have 4 Meredith boys. This year, I've decided 3 boys plus a husband is plenty! (When I posted this, I didn't know I was pregnant - let alone that we would be having our 3rd boy!)

Last year, the boys were only swimming with vests and rings. This year they have taken them off and can now touch the bottom!

Last year, my niece, Caitlyn, was learning to sit up on her own and was 6 months old. This year she is starting to talk in sentences and is into everything! (She does her best to keep up with my boys!)

Last year we watched the fireworks from inside my old bedroom at my parent's house. This year we watched them from my parent's driveway, as is our tradition. (Joshua was asleep in his bed & Matt's parents were here with him.)

Last year we had a small swingset in our backyard. This year we have a huge new one.

Last year the boys were into Spiderman. This year they are into Star Wars.

Last year I was teaching 3rd grade. This year I will be teaching 4th.

Last year, Matt and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary. This year, (in a few days), we will celebrate our 10th!!

I'm sure there are many more differences, these are just a few of the ones that jumped out at me from glancing at old posts. It's fun to look back sometimes. I quickly noticed how God has blessed us over the course of a year!
Thank you, God, for the many blessings you have given us.

Chances Are...

2009-08-04T13:29:00.001-07:00

I got this idea from a couple of other blogs I read. Hers and Hers

Chances are...

...if the boys are giggling, they are saying things they shouldn't be saying.

...if the vacuum is running, Joshua is content.

...if we are outside, the boys are playing on the new swingset.

...if mommy goes to the grocery with the boys, we have the 'car' cart.

...if you hear thumping, the boys are jumping off furniture in their attempt to be superheroes.

...if you come by in the evening, you'll hear a baby crying.

...as soon as mommy lets the dish water go down the drain, someone finds another sippy cup.

...if mommy wants to catch up on her friends quickly, she's checking facebook.

...if you hear one say, "I'm telling," you'll hear the other say, "It was an accident, I'm sorry," and then you'll hear both sets of feet running to tell their side of the story.

...if it's Saturday morning, at least one set of sheets are in the washer.

...if Joshua's mobile is on, he's in his crib smiling at it.

...if the boys find something (anything) long & straight, it becomes a light saber and they are instantly transformed into Star Wars and mommy has to guess which ones they are!

...if it was a Tuesday morning this summer, we were probably at the library for story time.

...if mommy is "wearing" Joshua in his baby wrap, he is snuggling up and falling asleep.

...if it's 6:30 in the morning, at least one of the boys is awake and wanting breakfast.

...if it's between 8 and 8:30 PM Joshua is getting a bath and loving every minute of it.

...if the boys are downstairs with daddy, they are playing the Wii. (And most likely the lego Star Wars game.)

...if the whole family is sitting on the living room floor, we are playing a game together.

...if you walk in my kitchen, you will see dishes drying in the rack and mail on the counter.

...if you walk in my laundry room, the washer and/or dryer will be running.

...if we are swimming, we are at Gramma and Papa's.

...if we are in the car, Joshua is showing his temper.

...if we are reading a book, Jayden is helping me with the words.

...if Christopher just woke up, he will either be cuddling mommy or saying, "don't talk to me!"
(we can always tell immediately what kind of mood he wakes up in!)

...if Jayden and Christopher are coloring, Jayden is telling Christopher how it should be done.

...if the boys are wrestling daddy, they are all laughing and on the floor.

...if Joshua has a dirty diaper, mommy gets to change it while everyone else discusses how gross and stinky it is.

...if Jayden was at VBS, Christopher was LOVING the attention he was getting from mommy & daddy & Joshua.

...if mommy is giving Joshua a bottle, his big brothers are climbing all over the chair to get close to him and rub his hair.

...if (when) it is the morning of August 14th, mommy will be crying as she drops off her boys because she realizes another summer is coming to an end.

Joshua's Baptism - 7/26/09

2009-07-29T06:31:00.001-07:00

*I am taking over mommy's computer to tell about my special day* ~Joshua Paul

This past Sunday, I was baptized! It was a very beautiful and special day! Lots of family was here to celebrate with me and we had a great time! I got lots of hugs and kisses and got to be held by so many people. Maybe someday I'll remember all their names!

I cried on the way to church (I always cry in the car, and usually show my temper, but mommy keeps putting me in that crazy carseat anyway) but this time I cried enough that they took me out of the carseat and carried me in their arms into church! Ahhh! Comfort! I was pretty tired from all that screaming, so I quickly dozed off and I guess I slept through the whole thing! Mommy says I startled a little bit when Father Mann poured the Holy Water over my head, but I don't remember that. Mommy also tells me that my Godparents, Maria and Uncle Rick, are very proud of me and that everyone was smiling at me.Here are my proud parents and grandparents. I pretty much have them all right where I want them! I can definitely fool my grandparents - they don't believe any of what mommy tells them about my crying! My Gramma Elaine just holds me and I give her my smile and she says that I would never cry all evening for mommy and daddy! HEHE!! Here are my proud parents, big brothers, godparents, and Father Mann. Mommy says I was better behaved during church than my big brothers! Why didn't they take a nap?!?

Look at this crazy family! I think they are all pretty special and cute though.

Here are my brothers and I with our Godparents. They are very special people to us. They will be praying for us everyday and helping us grow to make good decisions!

Ahh...I can stretch out now!
Mommy tells me she likes this picture of her "sweet blessing from Above."

Mommy, this is exhausting! Enough already!

Finally some peaceful sleep! Mommy also loves this picture of me!

Now that I'm asleep, you can all go eat the beautiful cake my Aunt Angie made. Just make sure no one lays me down....please pass me to the next relative with empty hands!!
I love you all!
Love, Joshua Paul

An update on my little men

2009-07-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

After slacking for a while, I'm finally updating the blog! I finally captured some smiles...a little blurry because I had to move fast, but you can still see the big open-mouth smiles we get to see (almost) everyday!
We are on our 3rd type of formula, but it really seems to be helping! We are using Nutramigen and it is easier for him to digest, so the screaming in pain has stopped. Now when Joshua is fussy because of gas, we can help him with the gas drops or gripe water. (Before these didn't do enough) Because he isn't in as much pain, the colic seems to be more tolerable too! Now when he cries, it's not an ear-piercing scream and it's not for hours straight! He is able to rest in between and can be calmed easier. I'll be glad when he outgrows colic completely, but for now I'm happy it's better! When he smiles and coos at us, it makes it all worthwhile! We love him so much and are enjoying watching him change almost daily!
The other week my mom and dad watched Joshua for a little while so we could take the older boys to play Putt-putt. It was fun! I think Matt was the only one trying, but I kept score, so my score didn't look as bad as it should've! (Don't tell him!!)

Below are pictures of the boys with their new water guns. (Thanks Grandma Gail and Grandpa Joe!) They love them! They have since taken them to my parents' and enjoy using them in the pool to soak the people who are taking too long to get wet!

I know this was weeks ago now, but the 4th was fun! We did get to see the fireworks from outside this year unlike last year. Grandma Gail and Grandpa Joe were here this year and we had fun. Matt bought a small package of firecrackers for the boys entertainment at home and they loved it! They did their first sparklers this summer, but were scared of them and only did one or two and were done with them.
Joshua slept through all the noise of the weekend somehow! Gail and Joe stayed at our house with Joshua and we took the boys over to my mom and dad's. They were very tired and hesitant, but were determined to see them this year. We sat at the end of the drive and enjoyed the fireworks this year! However, the boys did keep asking if they were over because they were tired and wanted to go home. Christopher was asleep before we got home!
As part of our tradition, we were all in our Old Navy shirts and posed for a family picture.
Summer is going way too fast and I feel like it's a blur! I want to freeze time with my boys and enjoy every minute with them before school starts. Slow down, summer!!

The BIG swingset

2009-06-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the completed swing set. It is huge! It didn't look this big in the store?!?! HAHA! The boys love it! There are monkey bars, swings, climbing wall, slide, picnic table, room for sand, and a fort with a lookout "nest." Should provide YEARS of entertainment!

Daddy even does a finishing touch of sweeping out the fort!

The boys love this swing! They giggle and giggle. Currently it is an airplane. They pretend they have landing gear and everything!

You can barely see him, but Jayden is up in the lookout tower. He almost blends in!

So for the rest of the summer, you'll probably find us either here playing or in Gramma & Papa's pool swimming!

Busy days with my 3 sons!

2009-06-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

WARNING!!! LOTS of pictures! Long post!!

I'm finally getting around to uploading pictures to document our busy and fun summer!
This is the summer for little things (as time and energy allows!) Jayden and Christopher are really enjoying being big brothers. They are head-over-heels in love with Joshua! They constantly give him kisses and hugs and talk to him so sweetly.
We've filled up their little pool this past week for some fun in the backyard. It didn't last too long because it was too hot and Joshua woke up early from a nap, so we cut it short - they still had a blast though!

Their favorite pool of course, is Gramma and Papa's. They have gotten so brave this year! Both boys can touch and Christopher will swim by himself in the ring. Jayden will now put his face in and use his arms and legs to get around all over the shallow end. He will also jump off the diving board with a ring! They are doing great, considering we've only been a handful of times this summer!

Joshua is more alert everyday and VERY close to giving us his first "REAL" smile! He locks his eyes on us when we talk to him and moves his mouth as he listens. He loves to look at his animals and his mobile. The boys get so excited when they see he is awake and announce, "OH LOOK!! Joshua's eyes are open!"

Jayden loves to hold Joshua and tell him how cute he is. He'll say, "Hey cutie, cutie baby!"

Christopher surprises me with how gentle and sweet he is to Joshua. Here he is "reading" a book to Joshua about all of his relatives. (Don't tell Joshua, but I haven't switched the pictures to him yet...they are still of baby Jayden!)

On Friday, Joshua made his first visit to daddy's office! He slept through the entire visit of course! He loved getting all of the attention from everyone...lots of loving and spoiling!I will leave you with some of my favorite pictures my wonderful friend Amy took the other day of Joshua! She did a beautiful job and I love them all! Thank you, Amy!

More of Joshua Paul

2009-06-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

My precious baby boy sleeping and wore out from getting an outfit change! He does NOT like to have his diaper changed! It's just too exhausting I guess!
Here are a couple with his eyes open! He has been more alert the past two days - long enough for mommy to lay on the floor with him and snap some pictures anyway!

Mommy is getting used to this middle of the night cuddle time stuff again!! Nothing is softer and sweeter than kissing your baby's head and cheeks!
I love how he's starting to grab my hand when it's by his face. He holds it there like it's a snuggly blanket!

Daddy is already trying to teach him the ways of the computers! Oh dear!! Besides being busy with baby Joshua, daddy has been working on building a swing set for the boys! He's had some help from the grandpas of course! I think he's hoping to work more on it this weekend if anyone wants to help!! Haha!

The big brothers seem to be adjusting very well! They come home from the babysitters and love all over him and tell him how much they've missed him. They have sure been big helpers!

I hear Joshua starting to wake now from his nap...I think we're going to try to take a little walk and get some fresh air before we head to get his big brothers today!

Welcome Joshua Paul!!

2009-06-10T07:29:00.001-07:00

As you may already know, Joshua Paul Meredith made his way into this world on Tuesday, June 2, 2009! We went in to be induced that morning around 7 AM and he was here at 12:29 that afternoon...just in time for lunch!! He is beautiful and has more hair than either of the other boys did...although technically he's the smallest (by an ounce!) He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and is 20 inches long! His big brothers are very much in love with him! They can't get enough of him and are constantly giving him kisses and telling him how cute he is!It wasn't until mom brought this picture to the hospital that I really "visualized" all 5 people in our family now! 5! We are a family of 5!! How blessed we are! Look at all these men!! My 3 sons and their wonderful daddy!

Joshua is in charge for now and keeping us busy and tired...but my is he worth it!! We love you so much already, Joshua Paul and are so blessed to have you as part of our family!

Welcome to our family!

Not much new...

2009-05-31T09:44:00.001-07:00

I haven't been blogging lately and am a little behind. However, there really isn't much new to report...no baby yet and same routine around here pretty much. We have been swimming a time or two at mom and dad's and the boys are sooooooo much braver already this year than last! Jayden discovered he can touch easily this year, so he now walks all over the shallow end and will put his face in and take off swimming without any help! Christopher will wear the vest or a ring and he can also touch. His favorite thing so far this year seems to be jumping in yelling "CANNONBALL!"
I think we are heading over there later this afternoon, so I will get some video of both of them.

Jayden is finished with preschool for this year:( I'm not sure where that time went! Here is a picture of Papa pushing him on the swings at the park day they had. Jayden loved that Papa was there! He doesn't quite understand why school is "out" and that he doesn't get to go back until fall...ahh the innocence!
We did get to go swimming today! It was a nice day for it! When we left there, we went to Walmart (I was hoping walking all over the store would help, but no luck). Among many other things on our list, we got some summer treats - corn on the cob, watermelon, and peaches. We sampled all of it tonight for dinner! It was actually good corn, considering it's still early! The peaches and watermelon were nice and tasty too! Yummy....first tastes of summer!Not much else new...we're just hoping and praying this little one comes soon! If not, the Dr wants to induce me on Friday (6:30 AM). Friday also happens to be my birthday, which I don't mind sharing, I'd just rather not be in labor most of the day!! We can't wait to meet you, little one! I know you will arrive when God wants you to, I just pray it's soon!!

To Baby Meredith

2009-05-09T13:23:00.001-07:00

Dear Baby Meredith,

We are sooooo excited for you to make your big arrival! We hope it is soon! Your big brothers rub my belly everyday and talk to you. They tell you they love you, they ask you what you are doing (and according to Jayden, one day you answered back that you were being a scientist!), they tell me they will help do everything for you except change your stinky diapers!
This weekend, they went with Gramma Elaine and Papa Joe to visit Aunt Angie, Uncle Rick, and "baby" Caitlyn. They are convinced when they come home it will be to see you - but so far you don't seem to be on your way!

Last weekend, Grandma Gail and Grandpa Joe came down to visit for Mother's Day. Grandma Gail and Great Grandma (G.G) helped me wash up your clothes and bedding so the room is ready for you now!We are not 100% for sure on your name...we want to meet you before we decide! When we were discussing names one night at dinner, I said, "What about Joshua?" Jayden said, "We could call him Josh!" Christopher added, "Or Joshie!" which I loved! So for now, they call you Joshua Paul Superbaby. (They want to name you Superbaby, and originally they wanted to name you Wall-E!)

This pregnancy has not been easy on your mommy, but I know you are well worth it! It was very different from my pregnancies with your brothers. I was very sick in the beginning and even with medicine, would get sick occasionally through week 28! Then I felt pretty good for a few weeks. Now your arrival is approaching and mommy is ready to meet you! You are like a basketball - all out in front! In fact, at Jill's the kids all put balls under their shirts now and pretend they are having babies! One of the little boys pointed to you the other day and asked, "Ball?" He wanted to look under my shirt to get the ball out!
We can't wait to meet you! We know you will add many blessings and much happiness to our family! Come soon (when God has you nice and ready!)
Love,
Mommy

Jayden's Preschool Program

2009-05-09T12:51:00.001-07:00

Thursday night was Jayden's preschool program. It was adorable! He loved it - it was all he could talk about all week! He wanted to make sure we didn't forget to go! We were counting down the days all week. Wouldn't you know, that morning there was a 2 hour delay because of fog, which cancelled preschool - but luckily not the program! It was awesome to see how much these 3 and 4 year olds have grown since their Thanksgiving program! (By the way - the song playing is just one of the many songs they sang that night! However - it's not them singing!) This is Jayden's buddy, Lexi! She is a day older than him. I guess you could say they've known each other since they shared the nursery at DCH! They are in a playgroup together with some other friends - including a set of twins that are two days younger than Jayden. (Lots of August birthdays for that group!) Their mommies like to plan "playdates" so the mommies can talk and the kids can "play!" Jayden and his "best buddy" Jake

Jayden and Ms. AngieJayden, Jake, and Ms. Jane

(I just showed this to Jayden and he said, "I really love Ms. Jane and Ms. Angie!")

After the program, we took him to Scoops with Gramma and Papa. It was always a tradition growing up - after a program or recital, we'd get ice cream! Jake and his mommy & grandparents came too! The boys all had a blast watching the train go around! It was a fun night and Christopher is excited that next year it will be HIS turn up there singing!

Spring Mill pictures

2009-04-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was gorgeous weather! As a last minute decision, we packed up a picnic lunch and headed for Spring Mill. We had a great time!
After our picnic, we headed into the village. The boys were fascinated by the water mill. Next time, when mommy's not pregnant, we'll do some hiking to see where the water comes from!They loved watching the mill turn from outside and inside!

Jayden thought this was the neatest seat! Christopher playing checkers. "Where are all their other toys, mommy?"We found a room for baby Meredith! Haha! The boys didn't understand taking a trip back in time and kept wondering, "When will the 'old' people come back to their houses?" Christopher looking pretty tired...but cute!
Before we left, they got to dip their toes in the water! It was such nice weather!
Somehow, they survived without naps and were full of energy even when we got home! Mommy and daddy, on the other hand, were pooped!! How is that?!?

What a fun day! Lots of special and fun memories made!

Race for the Cure

2009-04-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a great weekend! We headed to Indy to my aunt's house Friday night. Saturday morning we were up early and headed to my cousin's house for breakfast before going downtown to participate in the Race for the Cure. It was so much fun and so powerful! There were many moments when I had tears in my eyes or a lump in my throat (or both) just taking it all in! Sooooo many people - they said over 40,000! There were people as far as we could see in every direction! We had the 6 Pack (well, 5 out of 6) of cousins, plus husbands, kids, and friends - and of course my aunt and uncle! It was such a good time!

Their shirts say, "My great aunt is a survivor!"
People as far as we could see behind us and in front of us...Amazing!
Stroller duty for the guys...The zoo even had the elephant greet walkers and do tricks as we walked by...so cool!The boys found the Chick-Fil-A cows and stopped to give them a hug

Afterwards the kids had a picnic downstairs at my aunt's house. They also got to visit a cousin's house and try out her new swing set...more pics from that later! It was an amazing time! Looking forward to next year!

And a "Happy Easter" it was...

2009-04-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

This post was actually started on Easter and was just called, "Happy Easter!" Now a week later, I plan to post it! I can't keep caught up!

The boys were up and searching for their baskets and eggs by 6:45 Easter morning! Christopher found the first egg, shook it, realized there was something in it, opened it, and dumped all the jellybeans into his mouth! From that point on, he thought every egg should contain candy and therefore be dumped into his mouth! We had to follow him around because some of the eggs had coins in them AND of course, he didn't need all that sugar that early and right before church! (I don't know where he gets his sweet tooth....any ideas?!?!)

They were very good at church - we went to 7:30, since we were up so early anyway! They listened to parts of the sermon - enough to ask some tough questions. Jayden joined in on singing some Alleluias, and Christopher told one of the ushers as he passed the collection basket, "The Easter Bunny came to our house!" (It got a few chuckles from everyone around...I'm always glad we can be entertaining! A mommy's proudest moments - especially when they happen in church! HA!)

We headed over to my parents' house for lunch and the boys were excited to see the Easter bunny had been there too! He even left a cute little outfit for the baby that has a fire truck on it and says, "Mommy's Hero!" He left the boys little lunch boxes and Star Wars guys...and of course, Christopher's favorite....more candy!!

My two boys....getting so big....having so much fun together....

Next Easter, they'll be 3 sitting there....triple the fun!!!

Hope you had a joyous Easter season! Christ is risen Alleluia, Alleluia!!

Love, The Meredith's

End of spring break and beyond...

2009-04-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

I never really finished my spring break wrap-up...so here goes! (lots of pics!)

We did end up finding some bunk beds that were delivered Friday of break and the boys have been in love with them since! (Jayden has a bruise on his cheek already though from bumping the railing - but he doesn't care!)

We found some airplane bedding at Walmart that the boys like and mommy hopes will continue to like for a few years at least! Now sometime we'll have to repaint the walls though! Also - any suggestions on how to "make" the top bunk? With the railing, it's hard to get the comforter down nicely.Once Christopher got past his fear of climbing to the top with Jayden, that has become their favorite hang out. They love to go up there and read books. (Being a teacher, that just melts mommy's heart too!)

Here is the stash of books that were up there that particular day...

Since they now have big boy beds, we were also able to transfer one of the toddler beds back into a crib! The boys helped get the toys out of the room and we re-created the nursery. I haven't washed the sheets yet - still a little early I think. (It's amazing the difference in levels of preparedness between the 1st and the 3rd child...) We do (possibly) have a name picked out though! That's a HUGE step!!!

I can't believe spring break is over and now we are just counting down days until the baby is here and/or school is out...whichever happens first!!

BEYOND SPRING BREAK...

This week (technically last week now), Christopher got to sign up for preschool. It was all he could talk about for 2 days and then we got there and he cried that he wanted to go home. I think he was overwhelmed with all the people and attention. Ms. Barb's room wasn't as crowded, so we went there and she got down on his level and played with him. He was still pretty shy, but started opening up and playing once he found toys that "Jill has!" He gave Ms. Barb a hug before we left her room to check out Ms. Jane's room - big step!! After playing in Ms. Jane and Ms. Angie's room, he didn't want to leave at all and gave both of them high fives before we left. He is very excited about it and asks everyday when he gets to go. Waiting until fall will be sooo hard!

Here are the boys coloring Easter eggs also. Gramma and Papa came over to help and have fun with us. The boys picked out a Star Wars kit - does anyone else think that's just not Eastery? Mommy was out-voted of course though! They turned out pretty cute though - just like other Easter eggs. (Until they added all the Star Wars stickers that is!) I know I'm way behind, but I'm also working on my Easter blog. Bear with me!!

Spring Break....slow down!!!

2009-04-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

We started spring break off with a trip to Matt's parents' house. We had a wonderful time visiting and just hanging out. It was nice not to have to rush back on Sunday.

Grandma Gail had signed them up for a story hour at a bible book store so they did that while Matt and I walked The Shrine of Christ's Passion . Then Matt and I had the afternoon to ourselves while Grandma Gail, Great Grandma Lucille, and Grandpa Joe had the boys to themselves. (It was a win-win situation for everyone!) Matt and I ended up shopping in a nearby town and going out to dinner. It was rainy/snowy and cold, but fun! Here is a picture of the boys looking out grandma's window at the snow! About an inch!! SPRING break?!?! Luckily it all melted by later that day or early the next, but still!!! SNOW!?!?! Weren't we originally supposed to be on a beach in Hawaii?!?! LOL!

We had originally talked about going over to Chicago for a day or two, and then just planned to take the boys over to Shedd aquarium on Sunday, but mommy woke up not feeling well. (Plus it was cold and we weren't prepared, so we hung around their house.) After church, we went to the boys' favorite restaurant up there called Tyler's Tenders. It is all trains! Here is Jayden at the train table pushing buttons to make different parts of the train go.

We sat at the bar this time and the boys loved it because a train brings your food to you! It's hard to tell from this picture, but the waiter is getting ready to hand out our baskets of food from the train cars. The boys thought that was awesome! After they finished eating, we let them ride the trains. There is this one that Christopher is on...

...and this one that moves around a track about 3 times. They got to take turns ringing the bell and being the engineer. Can you see why this is their favorite place to eat?!?

We headed home on Monday. Here is Grandma Gail getting her "sugars" before we left! Thanks for a great time, Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma! It was fun and relaxing!
The rest of break has gone too quickly!! We found bunk beds and ordered them, moved toys from the nursery/toy room to the basement to make room for the baby bed again, had family pictures taken at the park, and now are getting ready for a garage sale Saturday! Busy, busy week!

Garage Sale!!

2009-04-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

This Saturday some friends and I are having a garage sale! It will be from 8AM - noon and we will have bits of everything. Mainly kids stuff like clothing and toys, but also household goodies, adult clothing - including maternity, jewelry, and who knows what other treasures we'll find!
It's at my house. Stop on by - we'd love to see you! If you need my address, just email me!
Hope to see you there!

I love garage sale season!!!

Where a Kid can be a KID!!!

2009-03-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

My boys have always wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese's. How do they pick up on this so early? Their babysitter said that when a commercial comes on for it, the kids all fight over it saying, "it's my Chuck E Cheeses!" How funny!
Anyway, this weekend, they got their wish. They were invited to a birthday party there for their friend Isaac. I wasn't sure what to expect...it'd been YEARS since I was there. (I think it was still Showbiz Pizza.) I was impressed when we first walked in! It's much bigger and kid (toddler) friendly than I remember! The boys LOVED it!

Happy 3rd Birthday Isaac!

Christopher loved all the cars he could ride in!

There was even a tractor with his buddy Barney!!

Jayden had fun climbing in all the tubes that went above the toddler play area.

They loved the swing that took them "higher than mommy's head!"

Christopher rode the virtual roller coaster at least 4 times!

What can I say...he's our daredevil!?

Daddy and Jayden played air hockey...I believe Jayden won!

I played with Lexi and she beat me!After some convincing, I got Christopher to ride the HUGE rocking horse with me. He didn't want to at first, but loved it once we were in there. He wanted everyone to see that he was "higher than their heads!"

Before we all left, Chuck E. came out to dance with the kids. Christopher didn't want anything to do with him, but Jayden danced and gave him a high five!

Thanks for the fun day, Isaac! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

After the fun morning there, we did some shopping. Daddy took the boys to Toys R Us, while mommy tried (pretty much unsuccessfully) to find some spring maternity shirts. Then we did some furniture shopping - looking for bunk beds and a dining room table. We even made it back in time for Matt to go to Mass! It was a busy and fun day! The boys had a blast!

Happy Birthday Lindsey & Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

2009-03-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my baby sis turned 21!! Wow! I remember being in 5th grade when she was born! She came home on St. Patrick's Day with a green bow TAPED to her bald little head! Her hair was soooo blonde for at least a year and a half it looked like peach fuzz!! My sister Angie and I would have "secret" meetings in my closet and make notes for mom and dad asking for a baby sister! I remember they would say things like, babies can be expensive, they need lots of things, they take lots of work, etc. We worked hard to make a decorated shoe box full of the stuff they needed! There was money (maybe 25 cents?!), pictures of high chairs, babies, diapers, and probably notes promising we'd help! I think 21+ years later, mom still has this wonderful treasure box!
It has been fun watching you grow into a beautiful, young woman, Lindsey! I love you and treasure our friendship! You are a beautiful woman with the prettiest smile! I can't wait to see how much joy you continue to bring to our family for the next 21+ years!
Lindsey made her entrance into this world on my mom and dad's anniversary! So this weekend we also celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary! Thank you, mom and dad, for always being a great example of true love and a happy marriage! It was such a fun weekend!
We all stayed at Embassy Suites in Indianapolis and had a blast! The only problem was that the weekend went WAY too fast! The boys had fun swimming and didn't want to stop. Now Jayden keeps asking when he can swim at Gramma and Papa's!
Yesterday's weather was so beautiful! Matt had a class, so I called my friend Amy and she brought her girls and met the boys and I at the park for a picnic dinner and playtime!

I love to hear the first giggles of the year when the boys are in the swings. Every year it brings a true belly laugh as they glide through the air! I love it! I think Christopher could've stayed in there all night!

You can't tell from this picture, but Jayden was pushing the merry-go-round because he's "strong!"

Jayden and his buddies in the tire swing!

Brave enough for the the big twisty slide! (Until he got turned around and bumped his head...)

It was a fun evening and we are ready for this weather to stay!! Good thing spring is just around the corner!!

Beautiful weather day

2009-03-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Today was gorgeous! We woke up (early as usual - before 7 because the boys don't understand the beauty of sleeping in!) and opened nearly all the windows. I love open windows!

By 9 we had laundry going, toys picked up, carpets vacuumed, and breakfast cleaned up! I think it was around 9:30 we headed outside to start cleaning out the garage! It was well overdue to be cleaned out because last year around this time, Matt broke his heel and was out of commission for spring and summer. (That's part of the reason we took advantage of this early spring-like day to start on projects from LAST year that never got done!)

Anyway, the boys played in their sandbox and Matt and I started carrying EVERYTHING out of the garage! I was careful not to lift heavy things but was determined to help as much as I could. The boys and I were in charge of the little trips too - recycle station, St. Vincent, and lunch.

They were so good, considering it took us almost all day...they even helped when asked! They made 50 cents each from a neighbor who bought "pretend" ice cream from them! It was cute! He stopped by to talk and they were pretending to be ice cream men at the time. They each gave him the ice cream he "ordered" and he paid them! They were excited!

To top off the great day, Matt made brats on the grill, we had a fresh salad, and a potato/onion dish I threw together. (I'm hoping to post it on my other blog and will put the link back here if/when I get it on there.) It was a wonderful/simple/summer-like meal! Now we are exhausted but oh so ready for this type of weather every weekend!!

As if the day weren't perfect enough....Hatchets won!! YEAH!!!

Some birthday pics!

2009-03-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

Look at me!! I'm 3! I picked a dinosaur theme. T-Rex is my favorite! Do you like my cake? I even picked out the candles. I wanted an orange piece with lots of icing - and like my mommy, I ate the icing first!

I got to open some gifts first thing in the morning while I was still in my Star War pjs!
I got a Star Wars coloring book and dinosaurs from my Grandma Gail & Papa Joe.
What an exciting start to my birthday!

Later, the rest of my family came over and I got even more presents! Here I am sharing my new firehouse (from Gramma Elaine & Papa) with my brother and cousin Caitlyn. It's awesome! This week, the firehouse has been invaded by Star Wars characters and dinosaurs. The firefighters always protect their house and my favorite part is that the firefighters get to sleep on bunk beds!
Jayden and I want bunk beds! It was an awesome birthday and it had all of my favorites - dinosaurs, emergency workers, and Star Wars! Gramma Elaine made an awesome book with pictures of me from when I was a baby! Why did it make you cry, mommy?!

It was so much fun having everyone at my house!
I love all of you!
Thank you for coming to my birthday and for all the great presents!
I'm 3!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Christopher!!

2009-02-28T08:16:00.001-08:00

3 years ago today....

...1st Birthday...

...2nd Birthday...

...and today...
(Ok, technically this isn't a picture from today, but I'll have more later!)

Where did these 3 years go?!?! I remember the day like it was just yesterday...not 3 years ago! It was a Tuesday morning and contractions started as I was getting ready to head to school. I figured they were just some random contractions even though some were strong. (I sat down while blow drying my hair, but was determined to keep getting ready.) The sub who was going to cover my maternity leave was there in the classroom with me that day observing the routine. By lunchtime I could no longer smile through the contractions, so I went home still not sure it was real! I called Matt when I got home to check in with him but told him not to rush home because it wasn't time to go to the hospital yet.

I remember standing and rocking back and forth at the bar in the kitchen, grading papers and timing contractions. Sometime around 2 or 2:30 I called Matt and told him I think we need to head to the hospital. He came home and we checked in between 3 and 3:30. I told mom on the phone to go ahead and pick up Jayden after work and take him home for dinner. But then things happened so fast after they broke my water. I never got comfortable from the epidural and next thing I know they were telling me to push! Matt, my mom, and my sister were in there for delivery and Christopher made his arrival at 6:47 PM! He was 7 lbs 14 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He caught on to nursing right away and is still my biggest eater!

Today we are celebrating by hanging out with family. Matt's mom and dad and brother are here and tonight all of my family will join us. This morning he wanted pancakes (with chocolate chips) and smokies and white powdered doughnuts. (Big eater - not necessarily healthy!) He opened a couple of gifts and now he and Jayden are playing the Wii. This afternoon everyone will be here for dinner and cake and ice cream! And he is ready for it NOW!

My little boy is 3!!! Wow! Happy Birthday, Christopher!

My, how dates have changed!

2009-02-21T17:52:00.000-08:00

Last week for Valentine's Day we had a babysitter all set up and Matt and I were going to go to dinner and a movie. As you know, things never go quite as planned...Jayden had a random fever that day and I wasn't feeling great either. So we postponed the sitter until tonight. (However, we DID get to go out last Sunday thanks to my parents! We ate our favorite Buffalo Wild Wings after a stop to Lowe's to get a new toilet! long story!)

So tonight we had the babysitter come about 4:30 and we headed to 5:00 Mass together and then tried a restaurant in town that we hadn't been to before. We were home by 7:15 and had time to play with the boys before putting them to bed. My how times have changed!! And yet it was the perfect date! The babysitter wasn't gone 10 minutes and I was in my pjs and cozy for the night!

Date nights are few and far between, but they sure are wonderful! We appreciate them more and find that it doesn't matter what we do (buy a toilet, shop, go to church, enjoy dinner) we just value the time together! Thank you for a great evening honey!

"The Baby in My Tummy"

2009-02-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

*The little song for this post, "Apple of My Eye" is one that I got on an email before I had children and memorized it so I could sing it to any children God blessed us with. I sang it a lot when they were babies and now it is our special rocking chair song when they need extra cuddling.

I thought I would post about Baby boy #3 or "The Baby in Your Tummy" as the boys call him. Today I went for my 24 week check up and got to hear that wonderful heart beat! I love that magical sound! It brings a tear to my eye everytime. The Dr. said everything looked and sounded good and sent me home with the "nasty juice" to drink before I come next time. I told him I already feel like I'm in my 3rd trimester in some ways because I've been so tired again lately, heartburn occasionally hits me, and I can't eat much without feeling full. He said my blood pressure was great, my weight gain was great, and that sometimes in a 3rd (or any thereafter) pregnancy the symptoms show up sooner because the body has already done this before. I just hope it doesn't get worse when the 3rd trimester does come next month!

I'm feeling the baby move lots and twice I've actually seen him move! Both boys have felt him kick a couple of times too! Christopher will snuggle up next to me and say, "Mommy, I love the baby in your tummy." It's so sweet! However, he also thinks the baby has a maraca in my tummy and the other night actually asked me to shake my belly so he could try to hear the maraca! Needless to say, he was disappointed that he couldn't hear it.

They both like to kiss "The baby in my tummy" and then ask me if the baby liked it. It is so sweet! Tonight Jayden told me that he wished the baby could come out now so he could kiss him and get his baby toes! I just hope their enthusiasm lasts when the baby is actually here!

I can only imagine how long it is taking in their little minds, because even as an adult, I find myself longing for the day I can hold him in my arms! It seems so far away and yet it's gone so fast! I wonder what his little face will look like, how much hair will he have, will he hold my finger while he nurses like Christopher did, will he have a dimple or two?! Ahhhh, May/June seems so far away.....

Weekend Rewind

2009-02-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Wow!! What a change in weather! Was it really only 3 or 4 days ago that the wind chill was -6 and today and yesterday was 40-50 degrees! ?! The boys and I went out to take advantage of it too!
Jayden and Christopher were both glad to be back on their bikes and enjoying the sunshine! Whenever we would mention how warm it was, he would say, "I TOLD you it was going to be 56 degrees!" (He's really into listening to the weather now and will even sing along to WAMW's 'Washington Weather'. And then he will order everyone to get quiet so we can hear it! Let me just say this all started with the snow days - surely this didn't come from me?!)Christopher has grown so much since the fall that we're going to have to adjust the seat on this one! I just can't believe he's going to be 3 in a few weeks!

Jayden called me over to show me what he was writing. If you can't read it, it says Jayden, mom, dad, and he's working on Chris. I was impressed!

Jayden also led us in 'church' outside. He found a tall stick and held it up saying it was the cross and he was leading everyone in. Then Christopher and I had to sit still until we said the "Our Father" and got to shake hands for "peace time." Then we walked up for communion and he told us it was "almost over...one more song." I had a hard time keeping a straight face for all of this because we've really been working on Jayden's behavior during church! Can you tell?!

Yesterday was Matt's birthday! Happy Birthday sweetie! We took it easy around the house during the day and then went to Vincennes for dinner. My mom and dad met us there and then came over for cake.
The boys helped him blow out his 30+4 candles. (Does anyone else have fun with candles? Sometimes we make the candles in the shape of the age, other times we 'add' the candles, etc. Crazy, I know!)

Good thing Gramma and Papa don't mind little fingers in the icing!
With all the snow delays and cancellations, we've had fun watching the deer in the woods behind our house most mornings. The other evening though, we caught them grazing more in our yard. There were at least 7, but I had to capture the pictures through the window because I knew if I opened the door, they'd run. The boys had fun watching them and it kept them very quiet so they wouldn't scare them off! Probably the quietest 10-15 minutes in our house that night!! There are 5 in this picture...can you spot them all?

That was our weekend...nothing too exciting. Several cute memories made though! Hope everyone has a great week!

The perfect poem

2009-02-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

The other day I was reading a blog that I like to check in on once in a while. I don't remember how I originally found her blog, but I was hooked because she had 4 boys. (Those of you that know me well, know that I have a "vision" of me with 4 boys - so I kept checking back.) She has since had twin girls! I enjoy her simple, yet unique posts and her pictures are amazing!

Anyway, she created a poem about being Real. While we'd like to think (and we'd like the world to think) that we are perfect, we all know we're not. Her poem is so true! Click to head over to her blog... Or read below...

my house is spotless, except when it's not picked up

my bathrooms sparkle, except after boys use it
I make a nutritious meal every night, except when we eat out
my children are not loud, except when they raise their voices
my laundry is always done, except when we wear clothes
my children obey the first time, except when they don't listen
the dishes are always clean, except when we use them
my toddler is potty trained, except when he wears a diaper
my spelling and grammar is perfect, except when I don't double check it
my children don't eat sugar, except when we have treats
we always use cloth diapers, except when we use disposables
my children cloths always match, except when they don't
my children always go to bed on time, except when they stay up late
we don't watch TV, except when we watch a movie
my children don't break dishes, except when they drop them
my children put their toys away, except when they leave them out
we read a bible story everyday, except when I forget
I never say anything wrong, except when I misspeak
I am never late, except when we're running behind
I am never stressed, except when I have too much to do
my marriage is perfect, except when I don't make it a priority
my children never act out in public, except when they are being unruly
there is no chaos in our house, except when we are home
I am put together everyday, except when I don't take a shower
my hair looks perfect, except when I have a bad hair day
my babies sleep through the night, except when they wake up to eat
my windows are clean, except when little fingers touch them
I always finish my to-do list each day, except when I don't get it done
I am not selfish, except when I put myself first

I live my life for Jesus
I love my family
I am a sinner
I am not perfect
I am a regular mama
I can not do it all on my own
I am learning everyday
I do not know everything
I am just like you
I am Brittany

Isn't that so true?!?! I wish I could take credit for it, but I can't...I can just relate!

My embarrassing little secret...

2009-02-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

So last week was an unexpected week off! The snow and ice were crazy! It ended up being a blessing in disguise though because with Matt and Christopher sick, I was able to stay home and take care of them without using my sick days (which I'm saving for maternity leave!)

I think it is safe to say they are better now. Matt is left with some awful sinus drainage, but is up and about again and Christopher has been fever free now for about 48 hours! Last night we met my mom and dad for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Would you believe that was the first time in a week that ALL of us were dressed and presentable enough to go out of the house?!?! Haha! We were living in sweats and PJs and I almost forgot how to put on makeup! LOL!

Now for the embarrassing secret....

Last week my feet were quite comfortable! Why? I had new socks! My feet were evenly cushioned! Is this a big deal? Maybe not for most, but for me it's quite an accomplishment! It means I've "splurged" on myself! I actually bought 3 packs of socks from Walmart - white, black, and cream/brown. That's a BIG TIME splurge for me!

There are a few things I just don't replace as often as a should. (Ask my mother-in-law about my bath towels!) I get this honest though. (Ask my mom and my sister!)

It's not that socks, towels, washcloths, and dish towels are that expensive. So why don't I replace them? I don't really know. Some of our bath towels we use everyday are still from our wedding gifts. (10 years ago) They are so thin - almost as thin as a receiving blanket!

Some of my socks are so thin that by the time I take them off at the end of a day, there is a hole as big as a quarter that I swear wasn't there when I put them on!

Some of my dish towels can dry about 5 dishes and then are too wet to dry anymore. (that might be a slight exaggeration, but it takes several to get through drying all the holiday dishes!)

(Just to be clear, the boys have socks and bath towels thicker than mine!)

So this has me thinking...what "necessities" do you find it hard to "splurge" on? (Surely I'm not the only one like this. Then again, maybe?!) Are you good about replacing these things? Is there something in your closet/drawer/linen closet/kitchen that you are a little embarrassed by and yet can't bring yourself to spend money on replacing it?! Please leave a comment and share your little secret! I'd love to know! (Or better yet...blog about it and let me know!)

Have a great week! We ARE going back to work tomorrow but with a 2 hour delay! Let's hope the snow that could come tomorrow doesn't dump a bunch or I may not make it to the end of the school year before the baby comes!

Snow Day #2 & 3

2009-01-28T06:39:00.001-08:00

Today is day 2 of snow days this week! I haven't been to work yet this week! WOW! (Monday was home with a sick Christopher and yesterday and today are snow days.) The boys are begging to go outside but we found out yesterday, after giving in and taking Christopher to the Dr, that he has an ear infection and red throat. He's on an antibiotic and is fever-free so far today, but I don't want to risk making it worse. On top of all that, Matt has been home the past two days as well - not because of snow, but because he's also got a fever, awful cough, and his head hurts so bad he gets dizzy when he gets up. I'm guessing it's a really bad sinus infection, but he didn't go to the Dr yesterday and now today they are all closed! After naptime today, all sheets are getting RE-washed and the house will be sprayed AGAIN with Lysol. Please say a prayer for a healthy household and maybe a little extra dose of energy and patience for me!! Haha!
The snow is beautiful outside! I love at least one good snow each year...looking into the woods at the snow covered trees, a completely white ground, and not being able to see our driveway! It's especially enjoyable knowing that Matt is not out on the roads traveling to work. Last night I woke up and could actually hear the sleet/ice falling! There are so many businesses closed today - I guess now is as good a time as any for the family to be sick!
Maybe today we'll get out at least for a picture or two. I'd love to see the boys try to walk in it - I'm sure it's up at least to their knees! There's nothing like freshly fallen snow waiting to be tracked in!

Sick day

2009-01-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

Today I am home with Christopher, who is sick. He's had a fever now for almost 2 days. Poor guy just isn't himself. He has a cough, but other than that, he's not complaining of anything hurting. You can just tell by his eyes that he's not feeling good. He's been soooooo cuddly this morning. I want him to feel better and be back to his playful self, but I'm enjoying the one-on-one time today and all the cuddling. I can't believe he'll be 3 in a month! Here's a picture of him cuddling and napping with daddy yesterday. Here's a sweet picture of him from Christmas time that my sister sent to me the other day. I want this healthy and smiley face back!

One last picture...Last week Matt sent flowers to me at school just because! They are my favorite...6 white roses! Thank you sweetie! I love you too!

I wonder if we'll get all this snow/sleet they are talking about for tonight and tomorrow....

Snow Day part 2

2009-01-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

Well, we've had a successful day according to the boys. We made it outside to play, make snow angels, and throw snow. It wasn't the greatest packing snow, so making a snowbear was out. (Mommy wasn't quite sure how we were going to do that anyway with only an inch or two!) The first thing my angels did was make snow angels. Aren't they they sweetest!?!Then they wanted to taste the snow.
Jayden ate a lot of it. He thought it was "delicious!"

Daddy came home for lunch while we were out playing and added to the snow fight. I didn't get any pictures of him, but this is what Jayden looked like by the time we headed in. (We were only outside for 10-15 minutes but they had a blast!) I have a cute video of them just running and chasing each other. If I can figure out how, I'll post it.

We did come in and have hot chocolate and leftover chili to warm ourselves up. Then it was naptime for the boys and mommy was hoping they'd take good naps, but an hour was about all I got. That gave mommy a chance to move laundry to the dryer, load the dishwasher, do some extra dishes, talk to a friend on the phone, and of course just as I sat down to try to catch up on DVR-ed Ellens, out came Christopher!

Another thing we did today was make some yummy PB Chocolate Balls. I'm getting ready to post the recipe over on this site. (I haven't updated this site in A LONG TIME because I didn't want to think about food for weeks during the first trimester!)

Which brings me to the other exciting news from today that you are all waiting patiently to hear/read! Boy or girl?!?! We have a perfect picture to answer that question...however I don't know how to scan, so you'll have to wait!!! Oooo....that would be too mean...I'll tell you. But you will have to wait on the picture until Matt can help me. It's a.......BOY!!!!! He had his legs all tucked up in a ball, which gave us a pretty clear view! We didn't get to see his profile much though today because he had his face down against the inside of my belly, but he did wave his little fingers at us! So sweet! I can't wait to meet him! Everything looked excellent they said and right where I should be measuring, so no official change in the due date. (Although I'm still hoping he's a little early! But what mommy-to-be doesn't?!?)

The boys are now playing Wii - Jayden is boxing somebody and really doing well! I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, but at least he's getting his energy out punching the air and not his brother, right?!?!

SNOW DAY!

2009-01-19T05:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday morning to you! We are home because of snow today! YEAH! We finally have snow! (Maybe just an inch or so, but it's covering the grass! YEAH!) The boys are excited and have plans for the day... They hope to make snow angels, snowballs, and snow bears. Then they want to come in, have hot chocolate, and play Mario Kart on the Wii. Right now we are just relaxing - they are still in their pjs and watching Wall-E. I tried to take a picture on my cell phone, sorry it's dark.

The other thing mommy is most looking forward to today is going to the Dr. for my 1/2 way visit and ultrasound! Hopefully the baby will cooperate and we will get to see if it's a boy or girl! I'm sure we will tell if we find out, we usually keep the name a surprise though. Although with Christopher we were still unsure of a name even after he was born! This time may be no different - if it's a little boy! We have a girl's name we like and agree on, but no where close on a boy's name!

The last picture for now is from my dad's birthday - January 8th. (I haven't posted in a while, have I!?!) The boys were big helpers for blowing out the candles and opening presents! They just weren't sure papa could handle it by himself, I guess! Lindsey was in charge of the meal and cake and they were very good! Happy Belated Birthday, dad! Hope you have a year full of good health and lots of happiness!

Check back later for pics from today hopefully!

Back to "normal"

2009-01-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

It's official - Christmas break is over:( Yesterday was back to work and back to routine.

Today was the day Jayden was waiting for though. He couldn't WAIT to see Ms. Jane and Ms. Angie. Unfortunately, because of freezing rain, there was a 2 hour delay which cancels preschool. He was upset, but I told him he might still see them while he was at Cardinal Care. When I picked him up, we spotted Ms. Jane in one of the classrooms. He ran in and gave her a big hug and told her he missed her. She made him feel so special just by hugging him back and saying that she missed him too. She asked about his Christmas and said she hoped to see him Thursday. He walked back out to me grinning ear to ear! He is head-over-heels in love! Does she know?

Christopher was very sweet when we got home today. He told Jayden, "I missed you while you were at preschool' and then he said, "I love you Jayden." It brought a tear to my eye because our "wild" child does have a very sweet side, we just don't normally see it! He is our cuddle bug when he wants to be. Let's just say he will keep us on our toes and we will never know what to expect from him. I love listening to him interact with Jayden when they are playing. Most of the time he and Jayden just chit chat back and forth (or try to boss each other around), but every once in a while Christopher will learn a new word from Jayden. Jayden will explain what it means to Christopher and then Christopher will say "oh!" Like he understands completely. It's pretty funny! I wish I could think of a recent example, but it's late and my brain has shut off for the night. Sorry.

Anyway, I feel like I've rambled a bit tonight, but I just couldn't get enough of my boys over break. I tried to memorize everything about where they are now, how they play together, the sounds of their voices & laughter, their little (yet growing) bodies, their sweet qualities, their not-so-sweet qualities....all of it! I don't want time to keep going so fast! I'm looking at a mess of toys on the floor thinking I should go pick it up (wondering why I didn't make them pick it up before bed) and yet at the same time thinking about the sounds the boys made as they played with those toys. The semi-truck trailer was hauling something very important. The Dr kit was used to fix Spiderman's boo-boos and take his "blood crusher" (pressure). The markers were dumped for no reason. The cannon ball was shot out of the Little People pirate ship as "the bad guy" ran by. Quite an assortment of toys and yet there they all sit. All with their stories to tell. I sometimes let my mind wander - what if Toy Story was right?! What if toys do all come out to play when we're not watching?!? I think I'll leave them there tonight and see if they are in the same spots tomorrow. Maybe, just maybe, the pirates will blast the bad guy and he'll need to go to the Dr for a checkup - all while we sleep!

Anyway - now I've REALLY rambled! Sorry for the long post. I better go to bed before my tired mind continues! After this post, I can only imagine what kind of crazy pregnancy dreams I'm in for tonight!!

Happy New Year!!

2008-12-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

It's 10:00 PM on New Year's Eve and I'm ready to go to bed after this post! This evening only went partly as planned. The boys and I made homemade pizza, watched a movie, and ate popcorn...but all without daddy. Matt came home from work and I could tell from his face something was wrong. He looked a little pale and said he wasn't feeling well. He was hoping that laying down would take care of it because he said it just came on all of a sudden. Unfortunately we've seen very little of him since then and he's gotten sick at least once. What a way to ring in the New Year! He's in our bed, flannel sheets, thick comforter, and 2 blankets on top of that still saying it's cold in the house!!
He wants me to wake him at midnight, but I don't know that I'll be awake by then! I'm trying to catch up on reading blogs while watching the Cosby Show. My eyes are burning and just want to close!
Here's hoping that no one else gets this nasty bug! Happy New Year! May we all be blessed with good health next year!

Cute story from when I put the boys to bed tonight...I was tucking Jayden in and I said, "when you guys wake up, it'll be January 2009! A new year!" He said, "That means the baby will be here!" I had to explain that the baby will come next year, but not until the beginning of June. Then he started singing a song about the months of the year (apparently from preschool). So we counted how many months that would be and he was not impressed that he had to wait that long. Christopher joined in by saying, "But mommy, the baby's growing cuz your tummy's getting bigger!" Gotta love honesty! He's been the one praying for mommy's tummy to grow so that the baby has room to grow! Isn't that kind of backwards?!? I'm sure mommy's tummy will grow PLENTY!! We don't need extra prayers for that, do we?!?!

Holiday wrap-up

2008-12-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We truly did! I love everything about this season - except how quickly it goes by! Tomorrow we'll probably take down most of the decorations even though it seems like we just finished putting them up!

For Christmas the Meredith's were here. We kept their tradition of shrimp, baked potatoes, and salad for Christmas Eve dinner. It's super simple and easy clean-up! The boys opened their gifts (except for Santa ones) on Christmas Eve and then we put out cookies and milk for Santa. (And of course 8 baby carrots for the reindeer!)

The above picture is from Christmas Eve. The boys got each other construction machines and of course told each other what it was long before they even helped wrap it up!
The pictures below are from Christmas morning. I don't have many because most of it was on the video camera.

Late Christmas afternoon, mom, dad, Lindsey, and a few more relatives joined us for Christmas dinner. It was wonderful! I love having everyone over and watching everyone share stories and memories! No picture can capture how full my heart was!
Shortly after Matt's mom, dad, and grandma left on Saturday, we loaded up and headed to my sister's for my neice's 1st birthday. What a cutie! Her grandma sent her a special birthday girl dress for the occasion!

She loved both of her big girl toys so much she couldn't decide which to play with first!!

Before we left Jayden pulled Caitlyn and Christopher in her new wagon to try it out. He was using his "BIG" muscles!

We came back from there Sunday night and Monday Matt went back to work. I kept the boys home and we had a quiet day where they were able to really enjoy their Christmas toys without mommy trying to pick up after them for fear of someone tripping over them or coming over for dinner or anything. They got to have free reign of the basement and upstairs! Man, were they ever happy!!
Tuesday they went to Jill's and mommy went to school to get things ready for the first few day of the new year. Christopher was way out of routine, having not been away from mommy in over a week, that he cried when I dropped them off. (That's one of the hardest things about being a working mommy! I hate that!) Tonight we plan to stay home as a family, make homemade pizza, watch movies, and pop popcorn! I'm sure the boys won't last until midnight - in fact I may not either!! haha! I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's Eve!! Blessings for 2009!! Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T08:20:00.001-08:00

It's Christmas Eve and things are calm enough here that I found a minute to blog! Can you imagine?! The boys and I have already gotten quite a lot accomplished in the kitchen this morning and other than needing to run the vacuum, I think we're good to go. Meredith's will be here sometime this afternoon and we are ready for Christmas!! The boys - especially Jayden - can hardly wait for Santa to come tonight!

The first set of pictures are from Christmas with my side of the family this past weekend. It was different celebrating it before Christmas, but very nice and possibly even more relaxing because no one had to rush to another Christmas. Saturday was Christmas and Sunday we celebrated Angie's birthday (which is actually today 12/24!). Happy Birthday Angie! What a fun time!

The boys got Hungry, Hungry Hippos (or Hippy-O's as Christopher calls it). They love it - I think because it's so noisy! But then again, who didn't love that game growing up?!

I can't believe this little Santa cutie will be a year old in a few days!

Too cute for words!

Santa snuck in while we were busy opening gifts and set up a train track! He's so sneaky, that Santa! The boys played with that for a long time! Jayden was very particular about how fast or slow the train should go, but when Christopher was in charge, he was determined to see how fast it could go before running off the track!!
I'm not sure who took this picture, but it's adorable! This is Lindsey and her boyfriend, Scott. He didn't think he'd get to come, but he surprised her and got to spend a few hours with us!

Little Miss Caitlyn is not even a year old and got her very own purse, complete with lipstick, car keys, and a comb! She loved it!! She was also very into her mommy's new boots - I think she's going to cost them a pretty penny someday!! LOL!

Below are some pictures from this morning when the boys decorated the sugar cookies. They had a good time. I found that my new Christmas cheeseball spreaders were the perfect thing for them to spread icing with. The handle was easy for them to hold and wasn't too long! Also the cake pans were perfect for easy clean-up! (Just a few tips for any other crazy moms who are crazy enough to do this!)

Aren't these the most beautifully decorated cookies you've ever seen?! I can't promise that the hands that decorated them weren't licked in between each cookie!

MMM!!! These are yummy!

Look at my messy hands!!! Finally mommy let me eat a cookie!

We wish everyone a very blessed Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful time creating memories with your families! As a friend reminded me on the phone the other day, "It's not the PRESENTS UNDER the tree that matter, it's the PRESENCE of everyone AROUND the tree that makes memories!" Just as we remember the PRESENT & PRESENCE of Jesus who is the reason of the season! Merry Christmas!

Some pictures...finally!

2008-12-16T14:34:00.001-08:00

So we've established I'm behind in the updates! But looking at pictures, I can't possibly post them all! I picked a few favorites and highlights - although they are not the best quality pictures!

The first two are of Jayden's (or the fireman's) newest art skill - stick people!! He's drawing our family! His other new adventure with writing is to sound out words and write them for me to see. One day he brought me "wrm" on his magna doodle and said, "Mommy, I wrote the word warm because I want it to be warm outside!" I was floored! Yesterday he wrote "pig," "pie," and "bear" on the chalkboards downstairs (all spelled correctly). I asked him where he learned to do that and he said, "Word World!"

The next pictures are of the boys with their ornaments from St. Nick early in December. This was a tradition growing up too - stockings had to be up for St. Nick to come! He fills stockings with an ornament for the year, apples, and oranges, and maybe some candy. Jayden's ornament is a roller/paver since he's all about construction.

Christopher's ornament is Buzz Lightyear because Buzz is his favorite character from Toy Story.

The next pictures are of the boys decorating the Christmas tree. I (naively) thought it would be fun this year because they are older and better able to hang their own ornaments. They did have fun, but mommy was a little worn out by the time they were done. I couldn't pull them out fast enough for Christopher, who would hook them to the lights and then get frustrated that they would fall right back off. Jayden did ok but quickly lost interest and wanted all of his in the back of the tree because Christopher was "hogging" the front! Needless to say, when they were finished, we put them to bed and crashed ourselves. It took another day or two to finish the tree with all the breakable ornaments! It didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, but it's the memories made that are most important!

One last picture...a sneak peek at our Christmas card pictures. Aren't they adorable?!
Do they look guilty of something?!?

So far behind!

2008-12-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! My last post was in November! Am I behind or what?!?! I have so many pictures downstairs on the computer to share. I will TRY to get to it in the next day or two! Does everyone else feel this far behind? It doesn't help that I'm usually asleep by 9:30 or earlier every night either. I do have some good news - the yucky morning sickness seems to be leaving! Most days I am going without medicine now and (almost always) keeping food down! What a first trimester this has been!?! Maybe now I'll start getting some energy back and get caught up!
Okay enough of this boring post - just wanted to let all of you know that I haven't forgotten about my blog!
I hope everyone is enjoying this time of year! I truly love it and the boys are so much fun this year. Christopher is not too excited about seeing Santa or sitting on his lap, but he definitely wants him to come to the house with presents! Enjoy the season and the reason for the season!
Check back soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T12:23:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for!
We spent time at my sister and brother-in-law's house in Illinois. It was wonderful! (I'll have to post pictures later!)
Then my mom and dad kept the boys and Matt and I went to Indy to see Lion King. It was great! We did some Christmas shopping, saw the lights downtown, enjoyed the play, and then stayed downtown. It was very nice...and quiet! Thanks mom and dad!
Now we are home and unpacking. Hopefully we'll at least get to start decorating for Christmas before the day is over!
I better keep moving! I just wanted you to know that I am very thankful for all of you!

Lots of updates

2008-11-25T10:16:00.001-08:00

So much to share!!! I don't know where the time has gone lately! I'll just start and work backwards I guess....

Today we went to Jayden's preschool for a Thanksgiving program. It was adorable! There were about 60 3-4 year olds singing little songs and dressed in their indian outfits. It was precious! After the program, they had a Thanksgiving feast for the parents and grandparents. Each family provided a dish and it was good food!

Jayden just sang his little heart out and was very animated! He's come a long way since this summer! (At VBS this summer, he wouldn't sing or participate in the program.) He loves his teacher, Ms. Jane and will do anything for her. She's so good with all the students and makes them all feel so special! Thanks Ms. Jane, for a job well done!
This past weekend the whole family headed to Brown County for a relaxing weekend at a cabin. We met my aunt, uncle, and cousins from Indy there and I think everyone had a great time! There were 14 adults and 4 kids! It was so much fun! There was time for shopping in Nashville, card playing, fires going, tons of eating, hot tubbing, playing in the leaves and on the swingset, game playing, drinking hot chocolate, celebrating, eating, laughing, deer watching, football game watching, did I say eating??, and so much more!!! We even made it to church! It was wonderful!

Yummy hot chocolate!!

Matt learned how to play pinocle (sp?) while we were there too!Those are pink bubble gum cigars in the above photo, in case anyone wonders! We were celebrating Caitlyn's birth because we weren't all together a year ago for them to hand any out!! lolThis cute Santa hat was (I think) the only purchase we made while shopping in Nashville.
The original "6 Pack" of cousins - wow the stories I could share!!! haha
The next generation of cousins - 4 so far!

Now for the last bit of news for today's post....(If you are still reading this!!) If you look at the above photo, you'll see our family of 4. However, there will soon be 5!!!!! YEAH!! That's right, we are expecting another baby!! I'm 11 weeks now and my due date is June 15th! We are very excited! That's part of the reason I haven't blogged in a while - I've had horrible morning sickness and am on a new medicine that really seems to be helping. I'm kind of predicting this one might be a girl because of how differently things have been going this time compared to my other two! Only time will tell! I really don't care either way, as long as it is a healthy baby!!

Letters to my boys (long post)

2008-11-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

Dearest Christopher,

I know we will go through so many stages and changes as a family and I want to document all of them. I want to write both of you letters every once in a while that describe who you are and how much I love you. The other day, your daddy and I came to the realization that you are "that" boy.

You are "That" boy who:

- eats glue & crayons

- puts everything in your mouth (toys, sticks, leaves, anything you touch)

- pushes kids out of your way so you can go down the slide first

- sucks the toothpaste off the toothbrush before brushing your teeth (you may have to use training toothpaste for a long time!)

- has your hands down your pants, in your nose, or in your mouth more than you should

- turns away from the toilet a few seconds too soon

- uses your hair as a napkin

- answers 'yes' if asked, "Do you need a spanking?"

- thinks 'no' is only valid as long as mom & dad are watching

However "That" boy is not always a bad thing! We love "That" boy more than you'll ever know!

"That" boy also:

- lights up the room with your sunshiny personality

- dances whenever music comes on

- makes hearts melt with your blonde hair, blue eyes, and big dimple smile

- kisses and hugs and cuddles as needed

- enjoys the beauty of nature and stops to smell the flowers

- colors pictures and beams because you didn't get out of the lines

- tells Jayden "I missed you" on days he was at preschool

- runs to give mommy "a hug and a tiss" before I leave Jill's

- rubs my back or arm (if only for a second or two) when you climb in bed with us in the morning

Christopher, you are such a special little boy! You bring our family so much happiness and laughter. We love you so much! I pray that someday, if it be God's will, you will have a little boy that is as fun-loving, creative, and happy as you are right now! I love watching you explore the world around you. You have taught me to appreciate all nature has to offer & yet to stay a step ahead of you so that it doesn't go in your mouth! I love you, my little sunshine!
Love,

Mommy

Dearest Jayden,

You are such a smart little boy! You are constantly amazing us with your lines of wisdom!

You are trying to learn everything you can about the world around you. The other day your preschool teacher told me some of the "wisdom" you've shared with them lately. Your class is getting ready for a Thanksgiving program and you were picking Indian names. You amazed them with the name you created for yourself - "Soaring Condor!"
That same day at prayer time, you prayed for "the engineers of the world because they make the world work!" WOW!! Mommy didn't even know you knew the word 'engineer!'

This was our conversation on picture day the other day:

You: "But mommy, I don't want to wear a button up shirt for pictures!"

Me: "Honey, Grandma Gail bought it special for school and you'll look so cute in it for you pictures."

You: "I don't want to look cute."

Me: "Oh, that's right, you'll look handsome!"

You: "I don't want to look cute or handsome! I just want to be me!"

Me: (speechless)

(For the record, you decided to wear your blue button shirt but we packed a tshirt to change into. You didn't end up changing because Ms. Jane also wore a blue button shirt and you liked matching her!)

You are such a joy in our lives and I love just watching you play. You are so imaginative and creative. Everyday you are a different truck or truck driver. You LOVE babies and whenever you see a picture of your cousin Caitlyn, you say you want to tickle her baby feet! You also love giving kisses and hugs, especially when someone isn't feeling good. You are full of love and try to teach Christopher anything and everything. We love you so much! I pray for you everyday that you will know God's love and follow His will for your life, because He's got something special in store for you. I love you, sweetie!
Love,
Mommy

Enjoying the BEAUTIFUL fall weather

2008-11-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

The weather here has been beautiful lately! Nice and warm and the trees are gorgeous!! We've been trying to get in as much outside time as we can! Matt grilled tonight even!

The other weekend Christopher and I went to the park for about 30 minutes. It was a short trip to get out of the house because that was when we all had the flu. Jayden wasn't feeling up to it, but mommy needed fresh air and couldn't pass up the beautiful weather. Christopher really had fun having some one on one time with mommy. Jayden and daddy enjoyed some quiet time playing a Tonka game on daddy's Gameboy.

By the way, I think we might have one Halloween picture of them in their costumes. They weren't really into it this year and so we did about 4 stops on Thursday and 4 on Friday. It was really uneventful. Maybe next year.....

Quick pics

2008-10-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers...the flu seems to have left us! Now if it'll just stay away!!!

I have a few random pictures that were still on my camera so I decided to share some with you.

The first one is from dinner the other night. It's a favorite recipe of ours from "way back when" we were still dating and children were just a topic of the future! Click on over to this site to see the recipe. Christopher gobbled it up - as you can tell!
Yesterday the boys were playing "firemen." The tent was their fire house and every once in a while I'd hear "sirens" screeching which meant they were on their way to another room to put out a fire. Then they'd come and tell me how big the fire was or where it was and that they were tired and needed to rest. Jayden apparently was the fire chief because he was usually the one giving orders and he got to wear the dress up costume - at least for yesterday. (They are pretty good about taking turns.)

Finally they invited me to the firehouse so I grabbed my camera because I knew they had been working hard back there. Christopher wouldn't pose for a picture, but Jayden showed me that this is where he would sit and read to the other firemen so they could take a nap! (How cute is that?!?!) It's hard to tell from this picture, but they had pillows in there, a blanket, stuffed animals, and piles of books. Not to mention every little Hot Wheels or Matchbox fire truck they have! It was pretty cute, if I do say so myself! (By the way, for the moment, they are both going to be firemen when they grow up. )This last picture is of the cousins dressed up for Halloween. Angie, Rick and Caitlyn were in town for a few days, so we had to get a picture of them all dressed up together. Or at least that was our hope - the kids didn't quite think it was necessary and so this is the best I got! Caitlyn is the ONLY cute spider I've ever seen! Christopher still isn't sure what he wants to be, but I convinced him to put on Tigger for the picture anyway!

Flu, Flu go away! DON'T come back another day!

2008-10-24T06:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I came home sick from school. yuck!
Last night Jayden starting throwing up around 2 AM and Christopher complained of a tummy ache. He has since gotten sick once and Jayden 2 more times. I'm still puny and queasy, so Matt is also home today to take care of all 3 of us! YUCK!!! Please pray this bug leaves our house, without Matt catching it, and STAYS AWAY ALL WINTER!! I've heard it's going around - I hope you all don't get it! (I was supposed to get my flu shot today at school - too late now!)

Made with love...

2008-10-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have another funny Jayden comment....possibly one of my favorites!

Monday after school we went to the grocery and picked up several options for dinner. I asked him what he wanted out of 3 choices...he opted for cheeseburgers and french fries. (Sounded good to me too!) So I did the burgers on the George Foreman grill and the fries in the oven. I get all the plates set and call them for dinner. He climbs into his chair and the conversation goes like this...

"Oh man! I wanted McDonald's cheeseburger & fries."

"But honey, these are so much better!"

"Why?"

"Because mommy made them with love!"

"But I don't LIKE love in my sandwiches!"

In between laughs, I tried to assure him he can't taste the love, but he still didn't eat much! Oh well, I tried!! I guess next time I'll leave out the love and put in the grease!! :)

Fall Break = Pumpkins & Jingle Bells

2008-10-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Fall Break was this weekend and it was beautiful! The weather was perfect fall weather and we were able to enjoy a weekend home. Friday the boys "helped" me wash the van. Although while I was washing, they were pedaling their bikes up and down the driveway singing "Jingle Bells" loud enough for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. Nothing like washing a car and listening to Christmas music!!

That evening when daddy got home, the boys got to paint pumpkins. My boys do not see the fun in painting a face...they want to change the whole color of the pumpkin! (It takes longer that way!) So Jayden's pumpkin is now yellow and Christopher's is burgundy on one half and blue on the other!

Daddy carved his pumpkin into a spider! It turned out really good!

My pumpkin is still plain - I think I'd like to carve it, but haven't been brave enough yet!

I'll leave you with 2 cute thoughts Jayden has had this weekend. The first was as we drove by a neighbor's house that had been toilet papered. He wondered why there was t.p. in the trees and thought it was funny because, "trees don't wipe!!"
The other cute thing he said just a little while ago. The batteries on his fish aquarium (from his crib, that he still turns on everynight) were dead - AGAIN! I was unscrewing the back plate and said mainly to myself, "Uh-oh, this takes D batteries, I don't know if we have enough of those left." He pipes up with, "Maybe somebody put an E battery in there and that's why it won't work now!" It was pretty cute - he was so serious! I love the funny things they say!

Update and Birthday Wish

2008-10-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind I don't know where to begin! First of all, Happy Belated Birthday mom!
I hope you had a wonderful day yesterday! I was going to post a picture of you from dinner last night with the sombrero on, but Matt wouldn't let me! I thank God for such a wonderful mom everyday and pray that He will bless you with many more happy, healthy birthdays!

We've had busy and fun couple of days! After school on Thursday, I took the boys to pick out pumpkins. They had a blast and are waiting to paint them! I got some cute pictures from there.

Saturday we went to a family wedding...it was beautiful! Before we went to the wedding, we worked on our landscape again. (Hopefully I'll get pictures of that posted soon...) We had a great time hanging out with family!
Sunday we went to the Covered Bridge Festival and had a wonderful time! Christopher carried his lemonade everywhere and didn't want to set it down! It was funny!

It was a fun weekend! Lots of laughter and memories!

I've been tagged....

2008-10-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I've been tagged!
I guess this means I give six random facts about me!

1. I eat some very weird combinations of things.
The two that make people cringe the most are
- I mix M&M's with Salt & vinegar chips. I have to have some of both in my mouth at the same time. Sweet and salty! Yum! I could go for some now! And...
- The type of egg sandwich I like! My egg sandwich has cheese, mayo, and sometimes ketchup. The weird part? The egg is sunny-side up (dippy) and I "pop" it as I put it on top of the cheese and let the yolk run all over and be absorbed by the bread. It is a very messy sandwich, but very good!!
Some of you are thinking...eww gross!! I'm thinking...Mmmm I'm hungry!

2. I'm a New Kids on the Block fan! (Nothing new if you've read my blog in the past few days!) I LOVED them 15-20 years ago (am I really that old?!?) and I love them now! Joey has always been my favorite! I used to have a t-shirt with his picture on it, bedsheets, posters, buttons & pins (that were of course sported on my denim purse), tapes, and more! I signed a "contract" with my family saying that I would LOVE them until I was 16...I wish I remembered how that came about. Mom or dad, if you remember let me know! And the cheesiest thing?!?! I got teary eyed when Joey and Jordan sang, "I'll be Loving You Forever" the other night at the concert! How crazy!! That was always my favorite song and I just got teary eyed thinking "I can't believe this is happening!!!"

3. When I was little, I used to tell my mom that I wanted to be a babysitter, lifeguard, mommy, and a teacher. I've done all of those things, although the lifeguard thing was short-lived. I was a nervous wreck while up in the chair! I enjoy teaching, but my favorite of course is being a MOMMY! We prayed and prayed for Jayden! God's timing is perfect - although that was so hard to believe and hear while going through that process! Jayden actually means "God has heard!" Christopher came along before we even realized we were trying! Again, God's timing is perfect! I love how close they are! Yes, sometimes it's hard having 2 toddlers, but most of the time, I sit back and thank God for our two wonderful blessings. Only God knows if there will be more!

4. God is my strength! He has blessed us so much and I thank Him everyday for His love. I talk to Him often and feel Him & "hear" His message in songs. (I usually have Spirit 66 on in my van on satellite radio.)

5. In high school I always thought my husband was "out of my league." I had my circle of friends, and I like to think I got along with everyone, but I wouldn't say I was "in" the popular crowd. (Was it my love of New Kids?!?! haha!) Anyway, when he first asked me out, I seriously thought it would be a one-time date (self-esteem issues?!) We fell in love easily and yet broke up for about a year and a half. During that year, we loved and hated each other. We grew up and got priorities straight and when we did that, we realized we were still in love! (Again God's timing and plan!) And here we are 9 years later! (13 years since our first date!)

6. I'm addicted to blogging! I love reading them, creating posts, and wish I had more time to do it! I actually take some pictures thinking, "this would make a cute post!" I started it for family and friends and journaling. Now I just ramble most of the time! Like this post....sorry it's so long!!

Anyway...I'm tagging Amy, Julie, Shannon, Mandy (I think it's time you blog again!), Jenelle, and Michelle. I'm not sure who's been tagged and who hasn't...sorry!

Awesome Weekend!

2008-10-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend! It was a girls' weekend down memory lane! Sooooo much fun (and much needed!) Our cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing before we even got to the concert! It was full of fans between the ages of 25 and 35 most decked out in old pins, buttons, hats, and tshirts! We saw 2 girls that had taken their old sheets and made them into dresses! Some went so far as to crimp their hair or have it pulled back with big scrunchies! It was great!

We all screamed and jumped like we were 12 again, and they put on a concert full of the energy we remembered! We all still had our favorites and screamed even louder when they took the lead! Joey was my favorite and still melted my heart as he sang, "Please Don't Go Girl"

They entertained us with old songs and new songs, old dance moves, and new ones. Angie, Rene and I were all waiting to see if Jordan could still hit the "high" notes and he didn't disappoint! They did the famous "Right Stuff" dance and of course on "Hangin Tough" we all waved our arms just like we did 15 years ago!

It was so much fun! I have more about the weekend - like how daddy did a wonderful job with our two little boys - but I'm tired and kind of at a writer's block!

What's with the music, you ask??

2008-10-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, if you have your speakers on, you are hearing New Kids on the Block! They were soooo my favorite when I was in Jr. High! This song was played so often when my youngest sister, Lindsey, was about 2 or 3 she would even sing it...although it was more like, "tep by tep...ooh bebah!" So cute!

So you are probably still wondering why the music all of a sudden?! I loved NK so much, I had buttons, sheets, Tshirts, and cassettes! Joey was my favorite! My friends and I were lucky enough to go to concerts too! Thanks Mom & "Mom 2" for sitting through those!!

Earlier this year, they announced they were getting back together and going on tour! YEAH! My wonderful husband got me tickets to their concert this weekend!!! (He of course does not want to go!) My sister Angie, my sister-in-law (hopefully someday..hint hint!) Rene and I are all going Saturday! I can't wait!! I wish I still had my old "vintage" tshirt with Joey's face on the front! I do think I have a hat though and I know I have some old pins! YEAH!!! (yes, I know what some of you are thinking and I already know I am because my husband tells me all the time - "What a dork!")

Now for a funny story involving Christopher and a bragging moment about Jayden (if I may.) First Christopher's moment of the day -

Tonight we did our (almost) weekly visit to Mi Pueblo. We were enjoying our chips and salsa when Christopher starts rubbing my back in an up and down motion. I said, "Thank you for the backrub! Mommy really likes that. It feels good!" (Thinking this is nice, but what is up? My boys never rub my back!) He continued as he said, "I not rubbing you back! I putting Mi Pueblo on you! I spilled!" GREAT!!! Luckily I was wearing a red sweater, so hopefully the salsa (Mi Pueblo) doesn't show up!

If you are still reading this post (and didn't click off after reading what a DORK I am), I have to share the awesome report I got from Ms. Jane (Jayden's preschool teacher). Jayden got a very special award the other day at preschool! He was the "Day Maker"! From what I understand, teachers nominate students who they catch doing something good or nice for someone else. Jayden was nominated because he was the 'best picker upper' in his class! I guess he was recognized in the cafeteria or something the other day by the principal along with some other students (I'm really not sure how that worked.)

So anyway this afternoon when I picked him up, Ms. Jane gave him his certificate and a coupon for a free meal at McDonald's! The principal happened to be standing in the hallway too and Ms. Jane called him over to re-introduce Jayden to him. He was so sweet and got down on Jayden's level and told him how great that was and gave Jayden five!

I'm pretty sure Jayden floated out of school today - which is great because this morning he didn't want to go. (He was home yesterday with daddy and wanted to stay home again today!) Seeing Ms. Jane and the principal kneeling down by Jayden in the hallway and making him feel so special brought tears of joy to my eyes! I wish I had my camera!

Do they know how wonderful they made him feel? Do they realize how much that means to a mommy to see how much they care? Do they know that he wanted to tell everyone about his award? (And obviously his mommy does too or I wouldn't be blogging about it!) Did they go home today and feel they made a difference in a child's life?

Probably not...they seem to be naturals at this. They do it with love. They don't think about it. They just do it. They are educators. I need to tell them 'thank you!' Thank you for making my child feel like a superhero!

And thanks to all of you for letting me have my moment to boast!

Weekend Review

2008-10-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I know....it's Thursday...almost to the new weekend. So I'm a little behind, what else is new?!?! Ha!!

This past weekend we headed North to Grandma Gail's and Grandpa Joe's. We haven't been up there since Easter (not counting a quick stop the weekend of Rustin's wedding), so we were way overdue for a visit! The boys were excited about the trip to say the least! They LOVE Grandma & Grandpa's toys - especially the fire truck, police car, and dump trunk. (I think it's the "newness" of them. They don't get to play with those toys very often and when they do it's only for a few days, so it's like Christmas everytime!)

While we were there on Saturday, we headed to Matt's cousin's house for a 21st birthday party! Happy Birthday Jocelyn!! It was wonderful to just enjoy each other's company, sitting outside, eating dogs and burgers and watching the boys play. Cousin Rob let them play with his old Tonka trucks. They sat and played so nicely with each other, loading the trucks down with sticks, rocks, and grass. (I think someone got a picture of this, and I'll post it if I get it!)

That night when we got back to Meredith's we had Gail's delicious beef and noodles! Yummy!
Sunday morning we went to the new, gigantic, and beautiful St. John's Catholic Church. We have watched it being build the past few times we've been there, and this was our first time inside. The Mass we attended happened to be 1st Communion and it was a beautiful service! I could feel God's presence all around and prayed that the innocence and faith of those children be guarded and kept burning within them.
After mass, we loaded up the van and ate at a Mexican restaurant before hitting the road. Weekends are always too short! Thank you, Meredith's, for a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

As we were getting ready for bathtime that night, Matt pointed out that Christopher felt warm. Sure enough he had a fever of 101.2. I stayed home with him on Monday. Then Tuesday afternoon, I got a call from Cardinal Care (preschool) that Jayden had a fever of 102! Daddy stayed home with him on Wednesday. Both boys broke their fever in about 8 hours and fortunately didn't really have any other symptoms. Jayden complained his belly hurt and kept the "spit bowl" nearby just in case, but didn't need it! Hopefully that's behind us now!

I leave you with a picture of Jayden this morning in his pjs from last year. We tried them on last night to see if they would still fit and once they were on, he didn't want to take them off! Who knew they made boy jammies with capri length pants?!?! I think we'll need to see how many (if any!) still fit!!

I've been playing...

2008-09-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

As you can tell, I have been playing with my background, quotes, and pictures. I'm home with Christopher today (he got a sudden fever last night and had green gunk coming out of his eye, but seems much better today) and I've been playing in little bits today. I will post about the weekend later! Enjoy!

Warning - TMI ;)

2008-09-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm currently watching Ellen on DVR (I think from last week when Meg Ryan was on). Anyway, Meg Ryan was talking about funny things her 3 year old says about the things she notices on her mommy. One example was about her arm hair being so soft and yet then telling her she's blocking the TV. It reminded me of funny things each of my boys have said about me recently. I wanted to journal them before I forget and what better way than to share them with all of you! Nothing like sharing the backhanded compliments I've been given by my boys.

Warning - it may be more than you want to know about me! :)

The first one is something Christopher points out and comments on more often than I should admit! The first time he realized it was early this summer when I was sitting on a chair and he was playing with cars at my feet. He reached up with one hand and with a car in the other hand, started driving it up my leg. Before the car got very far, his empty hand "stumbled" across my knee. He stopped, puzzled, and dropped the car so he could examine both knees with his hands. He looked at my face and said, "Mommy, that's so scratchy! Ouch!" I guess that's a 2 year old's way of saying, "Mommy, you need to shave!" (Sadly, that's become a regular check point where he will comment on whether it's smooth or scratchy! I'm ready for winter when jeans will hide it!!)

The next one is the number one reason I don't need to work out!

This summer Jayden and I were stretched out on the couch watching TV. He was cuddled up between the couch pillows and me, with his head and upper body resting on my stomach/chest. I love moments like these and try to cherish them thinking that all too soon they will be "too big" for cuddle time. So while I'm thoroughly enjoying the moment, he says, "Mommy, I love cuddling with you..." (I'm thinking, 'Awww, that's so sweet!') But before I could comment, he continues, "your tummy is like a soft, squishy pillow!" Sweet, but OUCH!!! I'm glad my "squishy" tummy is good for something! No need to work for a 6 pack of abs - he wouldn't want to cuddle then!!

Outta the mouths of babes! I'd love to hear the funny things your kids have said! If you've got one, please share!!

Pics of the weekend process

2008-09-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Before...

During....

Bushes are gone!!!

Boys are in awe!!

Jayden at the controls! Watch out!

After

The boys had fun watering (aka putting out fires and being firemen)We still have the other side to go, but we have a bunch of rocks to get out first. Also, next spring, we hope to paint the shutters brown/mocha or something along those lines. What do you think?

Bye Bye 70's

2008-09-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend we tore out the big, ugly, overgrown, evergreen bushes that were in front of our house probably since it was built in 1970! Matt found someone to bring over a backhoe and pull them out. The ones that were in front of the garage couldn't even be pulled out with a chain - he had to use the bucket claw to tug at the base for a while in order to get them up and out!

Mom helped me pick out our plants, flowers, and bushes because Matt and I are clueless! We worked hard and got the section right in front of the house done about 7:00 this evening. The part in front of the garage will take a little more preparation because we have to pick rocks out that were under the bushes. The boys helped when they could and enjoyed playing in their sandbox and riding bikes A LOT! Of course they had a great weekend...they started off seeing a backhoe in their own yard, they got to play in the dirt, throw sticks into the woods, get dirty, see the Car Fest Cruise-In parade & get TONS of candy, and then see a small dump truck bring mulch today! What a perfect weekend in the eyes of little boys! While Matt and I had fun playing in the dirt, we can tell we are getting older too!

Pictures to follow!! Have a great week everyone!

Gotcha, Dad!!

2008-09-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

Surprise parties are fun! Especially when they are truly a surprise! My dad is retiring in October and the bank threw him a surprise party Saturday night! He really had no idea! He thought he and mom were going out to dinner with another couple.

My Aunt, Uncle, and cousins (on my mom's side) from Indy were in town and he had no idea! His brother came from Ohio and was in on the surprise! It was great!

Papa and his boys at the dinner table

Sunday before everyone headed home, we were going to have lunch at our house, but the power went out! We had the crock pot plugged in and dishes in the oven and heard the loud 'pop' of the transformer near our back yard. Luckily, mom and dad still had power so we loaded up cars and headed over there! As family left, they called back and were updating us on detours they had to take because of trees across the road, etc. My sister saw a tupperware container fly through the air, hit a stop sign and shatter the STOP SIGN! (The tupperware container was fine!) YIKES!! Edited - story was backwards - the tupperware shattered, not the sign! Sorry!

Here is my dad and his brother Ed. Uncle Ed cracked me up when he gave commentary to the slide show we made! He had some hilarious stories I'd never heard before! Especially about dad's 4H cow! Too funny!
Here is the picture I promised, Uncle Ed! You're lucky I don't know how to photo shop a picture on the back of both of your heads! (Their "shiny" sides!)
It was a great weekend and I'm pretty sure dad had a great time - which is what really matters!
I'm so proud of you Dad! Everything your employees said about your faith being such a witness in your day-to-day dealings is so true! You always had your priorities straight and we appreciate that more than you know! I love you Dad!

Da Bears!!

2008-09-08T03:25:00.000-07:00

Go Bears!!

No, I wasn't awake for the entire game. I went to bed shortly after halftime.
Now for the rest of the season I can cheer for both teams!

Go Colts!!

Weekend rewind

2008-09-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

In rewind mode....

How can you not have a good day when this is the smiling face you see in the morning?!?!?

This morning we were greeted by our fireman and Spiderman. (I didn't get any pics of Jayden in his Spiderman costume, but he was in it until lunch, when he spilled milk on it and mommy had to wash it during naptime!) This evening we ate at BW3's with my mom - probably not her first choice for Grandparent's Day, but we needed to go to Lowe's and she was headed to Kohl's, so it worked.

Yesterday we played outside as much as possible because it was beautiful weather! They enjoyed their bubble gun from their friend Lexi and used up a bottle of bubble solution in just one day!

So much fun! Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!

Uncle Jay stopped by with a belated birthday gift for Jayden. An awesome spinning top that has "Meredith" engraved in it and an air rocket that soars 30+ feet in the air! More outside fun!

Daddy and Uncle Jay had fun tossing the football around in the front yard. Unfortunately Jay couldn't stay long because he had to get back to play in a football game that evening. Thanks for coming and having fun with us for a little while though!
The next two pictures are from preschool on Thursday. Jayden wanted me to take his picture in front of this bulletin board. Can you see why?!?!

Of course!! There are construction machines on it!! So cute and creative! He's convinced it was put there just for his enjoyment! And how ironic that he happened to be wearing his front loader shirt! Below is a picture of his daycare locker.
Keep smilin'!

When you have time, please listen to the 2nd song on my playlist - How you Live. I LOVE THIS SONG!! Such a powerful message!

A House Divided...

2008-09-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

Go Bears!!!

Go Colts!!

For the record, the boys are in bed now, each supporting a great team!! Mommy and daddy are both in Bear's jerseys - only because mommy has one of daddy's on. (I do not own any Colts or Bears stuff! Or Ohio State, or any other team for that matter! Christmas ideas, anyone?!? LOL!) The game is on - currently Bears lead 7-6...it's a close one! Honestly, I'd rather be watching Big Brother, but I'll take one for the team, no pun intended!!

Swimming, school, & salsa

2008-09-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

What's Labor Day without a dip in the pool?!?! We went swimming a little on Sunday and Monday and it was wonderful! It's been fun watching the boys turn into little fish this summer.

Christopher is now comfortable enough to use his vest and this ring to swim back and forth between two people. Jayden has taken off the vest, put his face in the water, and kicked his feet to swim by himself! Of course, when I tried to get him to do it this weekend so I could get video, he got a mouthful and convinced himself he couldn't do it anymore. Isn't that how it always goes?!
Thanks Gramma and Grampa for the fun and picnics around the pool! It was very relaxing!
Tuesday was Jayden's first day of preschool! He was soooo excited! He woke up and said, "Is it time for preschool now?!" He had no problems with me leaving him and you would've thought he'd been going for weeks now the way he walked into the room, casually waved goodbye, and went to play! I fought back a few tears though on my way to school! How can he really be 4 already?!?!
Below he's showing off his Spiderman backpack that he picked out.

Here he is at Cardinal Care (where I actually left him since preschool doesn't start until 8:30). He made himself right at home - of course where all the cars and trucks were! I'm hoping tomorrow when I take him, I'll be able to take him in his classroom for a quick pic by his locker. (I didn't think to sneak a peek in there Tuesday morning!)
He said he had "Fun, fun, fun" and is ready to go back again tomorrow. I heard all about the food and snacks he had that day and his favorite part was playing in the sandbox. I guess that's all that matters to boys - food and playing in dirt with trucks! Haha! I love that they send home a daily review with the new songs, books, or themes they did that day! I was able to ask him if they read a book about teddy bears and THEN he remembered a little more and shared some more about his day. He is a typical boy - from what I'm told anyway - and doesn't see much need for details. Gramma Elaine met us for dinner at Mason's (Jayden's pick) so she could hear all about the day, but of course telling it a second time wasn't his idea of fun, so mommy got to tell most of it. Later Grandma Gail called and probably got an even shorter version. (Of course dinner and the phone call were after a TWO HOUR wait at the Dr's office for a well visit!! Don't even get me started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe he was feeling a little irritated too and didn't want to share - who knows!!)

Since school started, we haven't had Grandma GG over for dinner. We were feeling bad about how time has gotten away so Matt called her and invited her to our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner tonight! It was delicious of course! Afterwards, the boys had fun playing with Ming, and entertaining us with their laughter.
Stealing sweet kisses!

Happy "hump" day everyone!! It's downhill from here! Aren't 4 day weeks wonderful!?

Busy Thursday

2008-08-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

Man, yesterday was busy! After school, I had a meeting from 3:30-5:15, so Matt left work a little early so he could get the boys. He took them home and gave them a quick bath (they love to get filthy outside at Jill's - I swear they are burying themselves in the sandbox and then sticking their faces in dirt lately!) When my meeting ended, I ran through Wendy's and took dinner home. We all ate quickly and headed to Jayden's preschool open house. Matt drove separately because he had a 6:30 meeting! (It's been a week for meetings! I've had 3 after school just this week!) After the boys were done playing at the open house, I took them by my mom and dad's so Jayden could tell them all about "his" preschool and just so I could see my parents. I haven't had a chance to talk to them this week. I can't even imagine a few years from now when we add sports practices to this mix! Yuck!

The other "big" news from last night is that while we were at mom & dad's, Christopher went poo-poo on the potty!!! He's wanted nothing to do with potty training until about a week or so ago. He still doesn't want to stop playing to go, but he's definitaly getting better about it! We've been doing pull ups, but I think this weekend while we are home with him, we may try to wear "big boy underwear!" When he goes potty, we have to do the "pee-pee" dance, which is really just mommy and daddy pulling out some really bad dance moves and Jayden jumping up and down saying, "whoo hoo Christopher!" He loves it though and thinks he's the big shot. ooohhh the things we do in the name of raising kids!!!!! :)

Jayden is so excited about preschool! He looked forward to last night for so long and is now counting down the days until Tuesday! He loved that "his" preschool had a semi, cars, and construction trucks to play with. (Christopher even liked the Barbie car that he quickly tossed the Barbie out of and drove over to where the boys were playing!) He noticed the little tables and chairs that were just his size and remembers a little boy that shared a car with him. He saw books, ABC's, his name on a locker, blocks, and so much more! Needless to say, he didn't want to leave, but when he did, he gave Ms. Jane a hug and said, "see you next time!" Too cute!

PS- How is it that I'm posting in the morning?!? I sometimes ask myself -especially when the alarm is going off -(and of course asked by others) why in the world I get up at 5:30 in the morning! I get ready quickly and then use my extra time before the boys are up to check email, start some laundry, or hang some on the clothesline, grade papers, read, pray, or just sit and stare while I eat breakfast. I love this quiet time - which I usually try to cram too much into and we still end up leaving in a rush, but those quiet 30-45 minutes are worth it! Have a great Friday & a wonderful 3 day weekend!!

Birthday pictures!

2008-08-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Jayden had a great birthday! He said it was his "best one ever!" Friday he got to celebrate with his friends at Jill's with pizza and cupcakes. When we got home, daddy had the Spiderman bike waiting inside the door. He was so excited! Of course he tried it out right away! For dinner that night, we had Big Daddy's House
chicken tender salad. The boys helped crush the chips and therefore were more willing to try it! Their favorite part of the meal was the chocolate cake/chocolate icing! (They get that from their mommy!)

Saturday was when the family came over for our traditional birthday BBQ. It was a great night! Jayden was so good and had a blast!

Sunday we went to Mi Pueblo before everyone had to head home. He was "brave" and let them sing and bring him a sombrero. They brought a little one that was just his size and less intimidating! He loved it! (Christopher still cried though - I think its the loud music that scares them!)

It was a great weekend! Pictures are in the montage... Thanks to everyone!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 4th Birthday Jayden!

2008-08-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

I only have a minute or two to type this and I'm sure I'll have a big update from the weekend later, but I wanted to say Happy Birthday to my little man. (Or I guess this year... my little Spiderman!)

He's had a great day and is getting to stay up late waiting for Grandma Gail and Grandpa Joe to arrive. (Hopefully we don't pay for this tomorrow during the party!)

I just can't believe that it has been 4 years since you made your debut! We prayed and prayed for you and will never stop thanking God for you! That is one reason we fell in love with the name 'Jayden.' It means "God has heard" and He sure has 'heard' many prayers on your behalf! Jayden, you have made me a better person because of all you have taught me! You started a new chapter in my life by making me a mommy and I promise that everyday I will strive to be the best mommy to you and your brother that I can be! I thank God for you everyday and ask his blessings on you for many, many years to come! I love you so much, Jayden! Happy Birthday!

Holiday World

2008-08-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here are a few of the pictures from Holiday World the other weekend. We had a great time with Matt and his cousins. Jayden and Christopher had a blast with their girls and are still talking about it! When I played this slideshow for the boys, they asked when we could do it again!

In 2 days Jayden will be 4! Where does time go? This year he wants a Spiderman theme for his cake. We will do the usual family BBQ this weekend. On his birthday he'll get to celebrate with his friends at Jill's having pizza at lunch and then cupcakes after snacks. He's excited for the end of the week events and asks every morning how many more days. Christopher then chimes in with, "No, my birthday!" Man, I remember as a kid, waiting for a birthday was REALLY hard! Why is it as we get older, they come so much faster?!

A Picture Update from last week

2008-08-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You might want to go down to my playlist and push pause so you don't have 2 songs trying to play at the same time!

Missing you...

2008-08-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

I just want to tell all my friends and family that I miss you! The beginning of the year is so crazy! The phone hasn't been ringing much because you are all busy yourselves or you know how hectic it is here, but I miss talking to all of you! The weekend list of things to do is constantly growing, but maybe I'll get around to updating this for all the family that is out of town that we don't get to talk to as often as we'd like! Love and miss you all!

A Quick update

2008-08-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

I'm behind I know! I don't have time to upload pictures right now but I want to journal our activities from the past couple of days before they become blurred with school stuff.

Thursday afternoon we went to the park for the final events of Summer Fun in the Park. They had several trucks out that the kids could touch and climb in and see the engines. My boys of course loved it! That was a dream come true for them. (pictures later)

Saturday we went to Holiday World with Matt's cousins and their families. It was a blast - perfect weather! Lots of crowds though. The boys had a great time with their cousins (or 2nd cousins - however that all works) I have lots of pics for this too.

For now though I am going to bed to try to sleep. I never do though the night before school starts. I try to run through everything a million times and wonder about my students and who they are, what they are worried or excited about tonight, how they will like third grade, if they are excited or nervous, etc. I wish I could just turn my thoughts off on nights like these so I could get rest! I think most students would be surprised to know that their teachers are just as nervous as they are (and maybe even more so) the night before school starts and even that day!

Speaking of school, please pray for a young girl who was in a 4 wheeler accident yesterday. She is a former student and a very sweet girl. It seems that everything will be okay with time, but prayers are definitely needed!

Have a great school year everyone - whether you are parents of students, teachers, or students yourselves!

9 Years Ago today...

2008-08-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Then and Now!!!

Happy Anniversary, Honey! I thank God for all the blessings he has given us over the past 9 years and look forward with faith and trust in Him to bless us with many, many more! "From this Moment On..."

Peaches in the Morning

2008-08-05T05:55:00.001-07:00

I LOVE summer peaches! My boys are enjoying them too! We've been through at least 4 bags from Produce Patch - just eating them plain or on cereal! I haven't even kept them around long enough to make a pie yet! This morning Christopher and I enjoyed a couple from Uncle Steve's peach tree...nice and juicy! In the bottom photo you can actually see 2 drops of juice about to drip from his chin! Thanks Uncle Steve!!

Mission (somewhat) accomplished

2008-08-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Today the boys went to Jill's so I could work some more in my classroom. My goal for today was to find a "home" for everything. (I've been moving classrooms. The room I'm moving into is bigger space wise, but not as much storage. ) If you were to walk in my classroom now, you would see that almost everything is put away - which was my goal for today. I took a box of stuff to St. Vincent and brought some stuff home. The students' desks are clear and there are posters on the wall. Tomorrow they are going to move a book shelf in my room and vacuum, so next time I'll be able to move desks around and arrange my reading corner. I also need to do some planning and getting things ready for the first few days. I brought stuff home to work on too - like welcome letters, parent folders, organizing, etc.

I could easily spend all week there getting ready, but I am determined to have fun with the boys this week too. Tomorrow - hoping it doesn't rain - we plan to go to the Splash park with Amy and her girls. Thursday we hope to go to the park for "touch a truck" and other activities. Saturday we are going to meet Matt's cousins at Holiday World. The boys are hoping and praying the weather cooperates! Today Jayden said, "Dear Jesus, please don't let it rain tomorrow!" It was cute!

Our date night Saturday was fun. We ended up going to the Chicken Place and then to see WallE. The boys had fun with Grandma Gail and Grandma GG. They went to McD's and since no one was there, the boys actually crawled up in the slides! They've never done that! Jayden's tried it once, but got scared and wouldn't go up anymore! They had a blast! Sunday we all went to St. Peter's for mass because VBS was singing. Jayden wouldn't go up there and sing with them though. Christopher wanted to even though he wasn't old enough for VBS this year! Maybe next year he'll lead Jayden up there! It's fun to see the difference in their personalities!
I will enjoy watching them continue to grow and develop and see where life(God) leads them!

Floating in the pool

2008-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

We got some little things done around the house today and then went to Gramma and Grampa's pool for a little swim. No one was home, but we had a new boat from Grandma Gail to try out, so we went before naptime! They had fun as always! Jayden is really taking off and Christopher wants to, but just won't let go yet. Tonight we get a DATE NIGHT!!! Matt's mom and grandma are on their way over and then we are headed to dinner and a movie! I can't remember the last time we got to do that! It's kind of an early anniversary date! In 5 days, it'll be 9 years! Where does the time go?

Happy Birthday Grandma GG!

2008-08-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday GG!!! Today is her 80th birthday! We had Chinese for dinner tonight and then went to her house for cake and ice cream. It was good! She said this was her best birthday ever! It sounds like she had lunch with a big group of friends and family too! May God bless her with many more happy and healthy birthdays!

Earlier in the day we went to the splash park again. This time the boys joined in the fun with no hesitations. They had a blast!
After naptime, Jayden asked if we could get out the playdough, which I found ironic because I used it as an example in my earlier post. (Which actually I typed yesterday, but didn't post until today!) I love this picture because he is concentrating so hard, his tongue is sticking out! He gets it honest - both his mommy and daddy have been caught doing that!! I remember in 1st grade my teacher commenting on a friend and I always having to stand and stick our tongue out when we used our scissors to cut things out! (I don't think I do that anymore!! I hope not anyway! I do occassionally see some of my 3rd graders do that!)
I have a little poem from a friend that kind of sums up my summer -not just today!

What Did I Do Today?

Author: Unknown

Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall
Will likely be there still next fall.(or summer!)
The dirty streaks on those windowpanes
Will still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?

I held a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while he wept.
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that's true.
Unless you think that what I've done,
Might be important to someone
With deep green(blue) eyes and soft brown (blonde) hair,
If that is true... I've done my share.

Summer (freedom) is Winding Down :(

2008-07-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

School starts in less than 2 weeks and our "free time" is about over. I love summer - the sunshine, the swimming, the laundry on the line, swinging, playing with friends, grilling, watching the boys go barefoot (and barechested), and on and on. It is a time to relax and enjoy my boys. I love the "freeness" of it. The boys and I can do as much or as little as we want. Yes, there are still things on the schedule, but the freedom I'm talking about is knowing that if we run out of time for playdough today, we still have tomorrow. The closer the school year gets, the more crunched our time gets. Our playdates, lunches, trips to the library, going to the park, and floating around Gramma and Grampa's pool all become "scheduled things" added to our weekend to do lists.

As another friend of mine (who's also a teacher) was saying the other day, she enjoys summers with her boys because she feels she gets to reconnect with them and know everything about them again. Her example was that she knows exactly what and when they eat, if and when their last dirty diaper was, what they played with that day, etc. She's right!

So while I'm beginning to feel the crunch of time, I look back at all the fun we've had this summer and I smile as I try to memorize it all! I know next summer will bring more happy and memorable times too and they will be a year older and in different stages. It's fun each year to see how much they change! Thank you God for the blessing of summer fun with my family!

Busy Weekend

2008-07-29T13:57:00.001-07:00

So this weekend was the weekend we helped my sister move. We are happy for her husband and the new opportunity he has been given, but we hate to see them go. It's not too far away - a little more than 2 1/2 hours - but just the idea of it is sad. I have been blessed with two sisters that I am very close to and I know this move won't change any of that - in fact, it will probably make our time together more meaningful. The whole family helped load up the trailers and then unload them at their new house. My boys were especially excited to help load things into the big trailer and everyone was patient to let them help when they could. (I didn't get very many pictures, but here's some of them from the new house.)
The Uhaul arrives and attempts to back up
Lindsey helps unpack the kitchen stuff so we can find some food for lunch! (Important things first, right?!?)The little ones get a break for (an unsuccessful) naptime at the hotel. Caitlyn ended up going with Gramma for a Sam's run and the boys and I ended up swimming.
Back at the house, Caitlyn tries to help unpack her room.
The happy family outside of their new home! May God bless you in your new home with many many happy times! Best of luck unpacking the mess we left you with!!