Spoiled

Yes, we are spoiled. We realized after moving our huge u-haul to our new place and unpacking box after box of unopened furniture, tv's, and house decor...living with my parents for almost a year has spoiled us! We did our budget for our new expenses...and let me tell you, there will be no more furniture...even though we still need a table:) Andrew and I felt like kids at a huge Christmas, especially Andrew when he opened his new tv I bought for him! I'll take pictures and post them Monday after we get settled and all our new furniture put together tomorrow! Hope you are having a more relaxing weekend then us! Stop by any time after Sunday and check out our new place, we are so excited to get to entertain a lot now that we have a nice set up!

We also felt spoiled to have such great friends help us load and unload all our stuff in just a few short hours, so thanks! What a blessing that was, oh, and also not to have to worry about the boys at all, so thanks Nicole!

Jacob seems to have lost all sense of balance the past two days... which has resolved in this face...still cute, but it looks like he got in a big fight. Andrew keeps saying, "You should see the other guy!" haha.

We've been spending a lot of time outside these past few days, loving all the nice weather! The boys run, and run, and run, and love pushing their "cars" on walks around the block. Jacob runs over to the door and screams until he gets to go outside:)
Pushing the cars around the back, he loves to play chase.
The boys crash and throw their cars all around. I let them get a little into it because where else are they allowed to be so ruff? Noah especially needs a little time to be destructive I think, haha.

We were over at some friend's house yesterday playing in the sprinklers and just relaxing for a play group, and Jacob kept wanting to go up and down a step that led into the house. I kept helping (saving) him, and finally had had enough, he had to learn. So...being the good mom that I am, I let him fall to see what would happen. Well, that resulted in the first of the marks on his face. Just a little scratch on his forhead...nothing too bad, but guess what? He didn't try and do it again! The rest came from various falls while just walking around...my little clutz! Atleast he always has a smile on his face!
Here's the damage that's been done...not all at once, but each on a different face plant, I think there has been six in all.

We went to McDonalds (yes, I willfully went) to get a milk shake together. We all ended up sharing one and the boys loved it! Jacob wouldn't let it go.
I have to rescue Jacob about 100 times a day from almost dying...he has no fear!

Honoring...

Honoring those who gave their lives so we might have the freedom and comfort that we all experience and enjoy today. The boys and I went up to Willamette National Cemetery to honor the Veterans for Memorial Day tomorrow. What a sight it is to see all those flags, each hand placed in straight rows on every grave. The boys loved walking around looking at all the flags and flowers. I tried to explain to Noah what we were doing, but he kept thinking that it was Jesus who gave His life for us...so cute. I guess that's really the only concept he has of death so far, and that sacrificial death. Every time we saw another person out there, he would ask if it was Jesus who died on the cross for our sins.

Jacob loved having his own flag and kept hitting me with it while I was driving. I'm sure my mom is dying laughing right now reading this post because I used to HATE doing this every year as one of our family "TRADITIONS" (I know that some of you who know us well are singing that word as you read that from Fiddler on the Roof) haha. So yes, now that I have my own kids, things like this are becoming more important to me again. Like gardening Dad, who again, used to have to drag me out to help him in the garden, and now I have my own:) Oh well, I guess you come full circle!

Oh, Summer Fun

Summer is finally here, and so are the BBQ's! We invited everyone over to our house...but one of the gals was so nice as to offer to have it at her house, with a yard and a little more space, thanks!

I love Jacob's smile, he is getting crazy though! He is on the table in a second if you don't watch him, he's in the bark dust, drinking people's beers (or whatever drink he can find low enough), up the stairs, then trying to come back down, man, he's exhausting!


The four of us from the club who are doing the 1/2 marathon together!
Look at Noah's concentration here, he cracks me up.
Andrew, who really wanted his picture taken, can you tell?
Another cute one of Jacob.

We are so excited for this season of our lives together as a family as we enjoy each other and this nice weather, and our friends!

What's Up?

I don't know why I have been such a bad, boring blogger lately...sorry! I think part of it is I have been by myself with the boys a lot, and adding the camera into the mix can be a little much, like at the zoo and garden...but I'll try and get some cute ones soon. We are already in pj's playing trains after an afternoon/evening out at our garden. I'm almost done planting, only because I have a little gal helping me with the boys while I work, and it's a life saver! The boys help on and off, but they mostly run around and play golf in the grassy area around our community garden. She's a very responsible girl from my volleyball team, and I think she has fun with us too. What a help that will be in the summer with the pool and having both boys myself while Andrew is at work. Just an extra set of hands...oh, what a blessing.

I have really enjoyed being together as a family outside and often think of something a lady I used to nanny for would say, "Sick kids don't get dirty." One time I came home with her kids a mess from the creek catching crawdads all day, and she started tearing up saying how much it meant to her that her kids were able to play and get dirty like that. It really impacted me, because most people get stressed out by those messes. It reminds me to be happy my kids are healthy when I have to do a few extra rinses in the bath because the water is so dirty! (Sorry, mom!)

In other news, we move in 11 days! We can't wait, though this year has been a blessing in so many ways. Well, there you have it, a random, boring post...I'll work on it:)

Bubbles and Such

The boys love bubbles. This love was reawakened yesterday at Tyson's birthday party, so all morning, Noah kept asking if we could go blow bubbles. So, we went to the later church service while Jacob slept so we could blow bubbles...how can you say no that that face? Well, actually, we do say no all the time...but anyways.
Me and my bubble boy
So happy! We are loving all this nice weather...especially the boys! Jacob cries by the door until we go let him run around outside...even if it's just up the sidewalk:)

Andrew made us some delicious guacamole last night! So good!
Noah and his buddy at their sleepover last night...can you tell that neither one is looking at me? They were both watching Bolt...which is so cute by the way!

Fun for Noah

Noah is so excited about the next few days...we are going to the zoo tomorrow with some friends, Saturday he gets to do volleyball, gardening, a birthday party, and is having his first slumber party complete with mini-golf, and Sunday is church and then my volleyball team party at JJ Jump, one of his favorite places! Man, what a spoiled kid! I promise I'll actually take some pictures and post them up...I have been so bad lately! Hope you have a great weekend too!

Time Out

Jacob had his first time outs today, at 13 months...he's really starting to know what's right and wrong, and when I could tell today he was testing me, in to time out he went. I was very surprised to see him actually stay in his time outs (don't worry, they were only about 30 seconds). His personality is starting to change from being that sweet, easy-going boy, to being a little feisty and strong-willed...what have we gotten into? haha...it's only just begun. Although I did order some parenting books today just to brush up a little:)

In other news, Noah has gone three days in a row of pooping on the toilet, which some of you know has been a little challenge. Noah stores up his poops until night time when he has a diaper on, but a few nights ago I had had enough! So, I said he couldn't have a diaper, bribed with some Thomas trains, and a few frustrating hours of going back and forth to the toilet, we succeeded. So, three Thomas trains later, I think he's got it down...and now he's pooping for M&M's...after spending $60 on trains...I had to go for something cheaper:) He's still only two, but he knows and was more then ready when he asked me for a diaper on so he could go poop;)

We're Back!

We are back home from our weekend, which was a very special time together. I didn't take a single picture...sorry! We spent the weekend swimming, spending some good time together, and doing volleyball! Andrew was such a good sport with coming back and forth to the OSU campus where our tournament was and bringing the boys to play during our breaks. We loved sitting in the sun, playing volleyball, baseball, and running around on the Beaver's practice field. We also spent some time on the river doing one of Noah's favorite things, throwing rocks:) My team ended up getting 1st in the silver division, 7th overall. It was a great way to finish up our season, I have the sweetest girls and such a talented team! This was a fun tourney too because it was just a few hours each day, not ALL day.

Thanks for being so sweet and helpful this weekend Andrew! It was fun to get away as a family, but I know it's a lot of work being in a hotel room with two little boys and not in our own place. I really enjoyed having you all around and traveling as a family. Your selfless attitude made this a great Mother's Day! Thanks for all my nice presents too, and all your help, and never once complaining, what a good weekend!

A Weekend Out

We are just a few hours away from taking off for a family weekend in Corvallis! I have to run my 6 miles first... My club team I coach has our last tourney down there for just a few hours each day, so the whole family is coming for a nice weekend out! We travel a lot, it's something we love to do, but we don't travel many places with just our family, so I'm excited to have this time together, especially for Mother's Day weekend! I went shopping yesterday and got lots of goodies...stuff I normally don't get, but wanted it to be special. I even got buttermilk bread (what? Not whole wheat or spelt? My boys have never had white bread before! haha) and everyone's favorite candy bar...not for Jacob though:( I went a little crazy, but hopefully it will be fun! I also did get lots of fruits and veggies that Andrew cut up and has in a bunch of little bags for us throughout the weekend, so there will be a little nutrition too. 

We are planning to swim like crazy since our boys love the water, play mini-golf, walk on the river, eat out once or twice, and just spend time together as a family! I also went to the library and got books for everyone, so that was fun too. I picked out the Dave Pelz's putting Bible, so that will be some heavy reading for Andrew:) Hope you all have a great Mother's Day celebrating people who really deserve to be celebrated! 

My Superman!

Here's a picture of my little superman! Doesn't he look like he's really running fast? He is getting fast...what a cutie! My superman does seem to take his share of spills...he got another big bump on his head today...








This picture is so funny to me, his arm straight out like that.

Jacob's showing off his super hero strength by pushing down the door. That smile is permanently glued on his face, what a blessing Jacob is!
The boys love looking at our growing vegetables waiting to be planted in our community garden, we've got a little bit of everything this year and are just waiting for some nice weather to plant things after a third tilling.
Playing out back with my flying superman and my Yankee scooter boy.

Spaghetti!

You've gotta love the spaghetti pictures, right? Every kid has one, and now Jacob has joined the club. Today it just seemed right to have spaghetti and meatballs with the weather...it seemed like a winter day! Jacob has had it a lot before, but we've always fed it to him (he especially loves the meatballs). Well he has recently decided that he's to cool to be fed, so he has to feed himself everything:)

It was so great to get to have a day to spend with all my boys again! We didn't even do much today besides the gym and some furniture shopping, but it was good not to have anything that we had to do we could just be. I took Noah with me to volleyball tonight where he enjoys playing with his little "posse" of friends...it's so funny to see him so grown up! I should be better about posting now that I'll be home more again and have a little more free time. Hope you all have a great week!

Drinks!

We went out for drinks tonight with Melissa and her husband and had a great time chatting and getting to know each other. I was the only one who ate anything, but you know me...I love food! We're looking forward to hanging out with them more and spending more time together as families! Melissa is running the half marathon with me and we've gotten to go running together several times which has been great!