One year

So it's a few weeks late but Jax turned one in the beginning of December. It was sad because he was sick and so his party got cancelled. We made it up in about 3-5 smaller parties with family and friends over the past few weeks. So technically we have been celebrating his birthday for about 3 weeks. I guess for me, him turning one year isn't too depressing. He is our last baby but he's seemed older then one for a while. He's been walking since about 9 months, he says about 10 words, he is non-stop moving (Chuck gene), gets into everything, and has no problem keeping up or taking out his older brother. His one year check up has him weighing in at a hefty 25 1/2 pounds, and 33 inches long. He's in the 90% for weight and the 99% for height. The nurses did not believe me that he was one. They thought he was two. No, he's just really tall and a ham. He never fails to warm everyone's hearts. He loves everyone and is always willing to give you a hug. He laughs all the time and rarely cries. He is the sun on a cloudy day. He may have an obsession with the toilet and if he's being too quiet...you know he is in it. He loves his brother and cannot get enough of him. He eats almost anything as we all know. You clean up all his toys and within 2 minutes, they are all over the house again. He runs around the house all day long and loves to dance. He makes anything into a drum and will drop anything at the sound of music. He loves my parents I think more then me at times. Lol. He loves my Grandpa and my Uncle Rod terribly. He will go to them over anyone in a room. He is always willing to flirt with woman at church or at a restaurant. He loves to gives bashful smiles to anyone and has just started blowing kisses. He's such a light in our lives and we are so blessed to have him. He's another amazing gift from Above. I love him so and can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Since apparently everyone else is doing it....

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate. But I love tea.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa does both

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
The tree has white lights since it's covered in colored ornaments. The house...depends on my mood. Everything has to match though, no different types.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No but I will next year!

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually the start of November.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Seriously? Just one? Probably Lefsa

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Our family cat running up the tree. That was pretty epic. I would mostly have to say getting a tree, cutting it down, listening to Christmas music while drinking coffee and cider while decorating.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Not really sure what age. I just know, I snuck out of my room and saw mom and dad putting gifts out.


9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Sometimes. Usually it was PJ's or something small.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
It is fully of multi colored ornaments. It's a random collection. Some memories and we get an ornament for the kids each year.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I do enjoy it at times. I am not a fan during the holidays just due to traveling.

12. Can you ice skate?
We use to growing up, haven't for a long time.


13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
My game gear for sure.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
The birth of Christ, Family, Friends, just being together.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pam's sugar cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I have way too many. Probably decorating the tree and getting up and going to church on Christmas Eve.

17. What tops your tree?
We have a star, but as a child we had an Angel

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving, but I loathe gifts at Christmas time. I would much rather play games and eat food.

19. Candy Canes?
Eh, I do not need them.

20. Favorite Christmas show?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carey), Elf, Christmas Story, Love Actually, and now Christmas Vacation (finally saw it this year!)

21. Saddest Christmas Song?
Christmas Shoes. horrible...way too sad.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night....by far my favorite.

Bake day

Today I arose after only getting about 3 hours of sleep. My fault for staying out till 3am and knowing my boys will wake up at the latest 6. I decided to embrace the day. I went to church last night so I ran to the store and bought way too much. I started off with scotercheroos, then moved to peanut butter cookies with the kiss in the middle, went next to a bath of snickerdoodles (that are amazing), then made some oreo balls, and got the red velvet cake balls rolled out. I also baked a french vanilla cake to make cake balls but I ran out of chocolate. I still have to make pretzels tomorrow. We will see. I'm spent. I've been baking since 8. I also had decided to make some gifts via Pinterest and they were an epic failure. I am really discouraged about them. I am about to free hand them. We will see how this goes. I haven't decided on what to do yet.

I promise that I will soon blog about our new one year old and other things going on but I have to get some cookies out of the oven!

Failure

Lets talk about the epic failure, that was my "thankful" postings. Honestly, I did not have the time get on the computer and type. We have been so busy that I find myself getting to sit down and it's already 11pm. Between weddings, trips, Thanksgiving, friends, family, sporting events, I just didn't have the time. I know it happens to everyone at some point.

Thanksgiving was good. As usual we headed to Arkansas. The kids all had a great time wearing each other out and the men got to get out and shoot 18 holes of golf. We had a birthday party for Jax since we could get everyone together and he did not like cake. A boy after my own heart! I am picky when it comes to cake. Apparently, he is too!

Jana came into town that same weekend so it was Mexican and a movie! It was a good night out with the ladies and I was we were so far into the future that we could do something like apparate. Then we would never have to without seeing each other for more then a few days...heck maybe hours.

December is here. That is absolutely insane. I have no idea where this year went. It came and went extremely fast. Currently we are getting ready for what looks to be the final wedding of 2011, getting the last items for Christmas, nursing the boys back to health since they have been sick for about 2 weeks, gearing up for some major time off work, Christmas party central, and just spending time with family and friends. Oye, I better get started on Christmas cards this coming up weekend. Yikes.

Day 17-19th

Day 17: Thankful for being able to take a day off work and get a lot done!

Day 18: Being able to spend the day home with my boys! Even though I only got 2.5 hours of sleep!

Day 19: Being able to see too people unite as one. It was a great day and a day full of new experiences!

Day 16

Sometimes, it's the little things that brighten your day. I was watching TV in the 8 o'clock hour this evening and saw this! I love this woman! I am thankful that a 30 second commercial can turn a day around!

I am thankful for 'text dates'. I love being able to have text conversations with loved ones near and far over movies, TV, music...just whatever we are doing at the same time, that is the same. Mostly on Tuesday nights when a few of us text together over a guilty pleasure show of ours. I wouldn't trade that hour for anything!

Day 11-14th

Ok so yeah I am behind. Only because I have no sat down since last week. I am thankful for a beautiful shower that we were able to put on for Rachel this weekend. Spending time with those women makes my day! I am thankful to be able to spend most of the weekend with our friends. We had a few nights of hanging out and relaxing. It always centers me. I am thankful that HP came out on Blu-Ray. I know that this is something that I shouldn't be thankful for since it's an item that I purchased but I love HP and this movie is my favorite. I stayed up twice this weekend until 2 am to watch it. I am thankful for my friends that can feed my obsessions with me. Haha. I love having a variety of people that can partake in the things I love and that I am thankful for the ones that joke around with me and give me a hard time for being a 12 year old. I am thankful that my dad is doing amazing and his recovery is going so well. I am thankful that I got a clean bill of health at the dentist and nothing went wrong! Hahahaha. We all know my dentist stories are usually a little more excitable then I normally like.

Day 10

I am thankful for lunch time at work. Now this may sound odd, but being able to break free at lunch, makes us a little more sane. I said a little. I love being able to run errands, eat at some of our favorite places, shop, just get out! My lunch partner is pretty amazing and it's always fun to compare receipts at the end. I usually spend the most. Especially when we go to Target. Oye. I am thankful for a job that allows us 45 minutes to take a needed break. I will admit, some days it's longer then 45 minutes! =)

Day 9

As I awoke this morning, I gazed out my window to see the first snow had fallen. Call me weird, but I was super excited! I love snow! Yet, in Iowa, people tend to forget how to operate their vehicles and there were several accidents this morning on my way into work. So, I am thank for all the police, fire fighters, and EMT's that risk their lives to save ours. I can't even count how many times I heard sirens go off this morning and thought "we should all be so selfless". I am thankful there are people out there that are willing to go above and beyond to help us. Thank you does not seem worthy enough.

Day 8

Today I am thankful for music. I will say it again, it runs through me. It's lives in my veins. Case and point, today I woke up early to make a purchase on iTunes and thanks to Christina Perri (who I adore and was an artist on this album), I believe I have a song that is inches away from being my most played. I seriously listened to the song at least 20 times today. I am thankful that there are so many talented artists out there to enjoy. I'm grateful that everyday I can turn on my iPod and listen to so many tunes, from all different genres.

Day 7

Today I am thankful for the women I have in my life. From all ages and walks of life. I am surrounded by so many wonderful women that I can laugh with, talk with, cry with, joke with, obsess about things with, that get me for me, love me the way I am, just spend time with. No matter the topic, I am so blessed to have such great woman all around me. I could not be more grateful for them all.

Day 6

I am thankful for my energy today. I was able to do 4 loads of laundry and get them folded and put away. Got a pot roast in the crock pot, baked 4 dozen chocolate chip cookies, a dutch apple pie, and dinner for my parents. Play with the boys, take both dogs on a walk, get food ready for the week for Jax, clean the kitchen, shower, and read 4 chapters in a book! It's not even 8 yet!

Day, 3, 4 and 5

Day 3: Thankful for the humor that I seem to have surround me on a daily basis. I am blessed to have such a sarcastic group of family and friends. Even the "stupid" humor is a gift.

Day 4: I am thankful for technology. Being able to send a text, email, or make a phone call from my phone is a blessing. I know we didn't have this 20 years ago but I am thankful there are some talented and smart folks out there that can create these devices. They make keeping people informed so much more easier.

Day 5: I am grateful for modern medicine. After 2.5 days in the hospital, dad is home. We still won't know the results of his cancer prognosis for about 3-5 days. I am so humbled by everyone who has shown us love these past few days. My friends have been amazing. Sometimes it is nice to have people watching out for you when you can't.

Day 2

Day 2: I'm thankful for Iowa weather.

Now, I know people around here loooooooove warm weather, sunshine, birds chirping, laying in the grass, sipping lemonade...I am not one of those people. I love gray days, rainy days, snow days, over cast. I love opening a window to let the smell of rain come in and battle with the smell of fresh baked cookies. I love being able to make pot roast because it just sounds amazing and to make you feel warm inside. I love being able to cook casseroles, turkeys, bake goodies, homemade soups, breads, sip hot chocolate while I'm in a hoodie and sweatpants. Today I was given one of those days. It's rainy, cold and cloud covered. You bet I'm in my hoodie, sweatpants, and slippers. I have been waiting for these days for a while. I'm excited they are here. I am just grateful to live in a state where I get to experience all 4 seasons and though I may not like one of them, at least I get the chance to have them.

Day 1

Per my tradition of the past 2 years, I'm posting daily "Thankful" postings. I am trying to try and post things that are happening randomly through out my day. I am thankful for my family, friends and my faith but I am sure they will play out as these days go on.

Day 1: I am thankful for time off. Our "your time" at work is pretty amazing for a company and I am thankful for that.

Jana asked me what my scheduled looked like for the rest of the year. I hadn't really realized how much time I have off coming up. It's amazing.

Week of:Oct 31-Nov 4:
Out: Oct 31,Nov 3-4

Week of Nov 7-11  = HERE all week!

Week of Nov 14-18:
Out Nov 17 & 18th...DUH!

Week of Nov 21-25:
Out the 23-25th! Hello Arkansas

Week of Nov 28-Dec 2nd = HERE all week!

Week of Dec 5-9:
Out Dec 8 & 9 Wedding time!

Week of Dec 12-16
Out: Dec 16

Week of Dec 19-23
Out: Dec 22-23

Week of Dec 26-30:
Out: ALL WEEK

If you can tell, I only work 2 more full weeks for the rest of the year. This is spectacular. Now, my time is split up between weddings, vacation, movie dates, surgery, and just extra time I need to get rid of but still. Very thankful for being able to utilize my time.

It has been a while since I have actually posted a blog about what is going on around here. I have hesitated because it's been a rough couple of days and I feel like there is so much going on at once.

Thursday, Grandma left us to be with her heavenly Father. It was rough to have her go, but we all know she is pain free and happy where she is. She was ready to go even, though it has been hard on all of us. I am one to box my emotions up and then let them erupt when I am alone. I had been doing that fairly well until today.  The visitation was yesterday and we had a great turn out and it was good to see everyone. I know it's the stereotypical phrase but if I hear "I'm sorry for your loss" one more time, I think I might scream! I get in that mode where I don't want to hear people I don't know, walk up to me and say that. It's just awkward for everyone involved. I understand people want to express their sadness and condolences and I know my grandma had a lot of people that loved her. I just hate awkward conversations. Today, ugh. I disliked it and yet loved it. I loved being around my family but I was not prepared for this. I have had my grandparents on my dad's side pass away. My grandma's was extremely hard. Today was, well even worse. First off, my dad sang. I love when my dad sings but when he sings in these situations...I cry even more. I couldn't even look at him. A family member sent this birdhouse with flowers and I just stared at it the whole time. Second, we sang my favorite hymn. "How Great Thou Art" has always been my favorite since I can remember and I blubbered my way through it. It was brutal. I have that thing memorized and yet I seem to have lost all memory of the words during the funeral.The pastor, he now was amazing as usual. His message was on point and summed up my grandma perfectly. He really got to the core of who she was. After the service we headed to the burial. I will say I felt a little odd attending a funeral on Halloween but again, the words spoken were perfection. We returned for a lunch put on by the church and had some fellowship. All in all, it was a great funeral and everything we could have asked for and more. It was hard to say goodbye, but we all know she is in a better place and is pain free. I am sure these emotions will creep up on me at random times but it seems to be easier to think about grandma without tears streaming down the my face. I will always cherish the memories, time, and love that my grandma gave me.

Onto the next thing. My dad's surgery is Thursday. I am someone that always thinks the worst. I don't know if I do it so that if something does happen, it doesn't come as a shock, or if I just do it to psych myself out. I'm not sure. I know I'm stressed out and there is so much more but I will not go into detail on it because I'm not in the mood to upset myself!

Halloween was pretty rushed and probably on the bottom of our list this year. We did go to mom and dads, the boys went trick-or-treating, and candy was ate. We did the big 3 things on the list! The boys looked utterly adorable and they had a blast. I will post photos when I get to downloading them! I feel like there isn't enough time in the day currently.

I do want to say Thank You to all my friends that have been there for me these past few months and especially this week. The flowers, meals, cards, calls, drop ins, talks, emails....I am so grateful. It's truly humbling. Thank you for your love and support. I do not know where I would be without you all. You have been my rocks over the past few months.

Get use to it

You are going to have to get through the next 22 days with me. I have two things that are making me like a 16 year old girl screaming for Justin Bieber. 1) Harry Potter comes out to purchase on 11.11.11. I am completely stoked about this. Thanks to ABC Family, I have never had to purchase these. That is, until, November 11th. Then they will ALL be mine. 2) Breaking Dawn. Book 4 is what us Twi-Hards have waited years for. I am as excited about this as I was about HP 7 pt 2. I cannot wait and the excitement is starting to boil over. November 17th-18th will be amazing. I super pumped and I can't express into words how giddy I will be the day of. Today Christina Perri, who I love, released her music video for the soundtrack. I cried. The song in itself is amazing. The words. I didn't watch the video the first 3 times, just listened to the song. Love it. Cannot wait for this soundtrack to hit iTunes.

Ok, everyone who knows me, knows that I am a music junkie. I spend entirely way too much money in iTunes every week and even get up extra early to download an album and burn it on to a CD before I leave for work at 5:45. This week my purchases included Coldplay's new album, which is in one word, phenomenal! I also picked up Michael Buble's holiday album. I'm a sucker for Christmas and Michael Buble, so don't hate. I also purchased Kelly Clarkson's pipes. I have loved Kelly since the first season of AI and voted for her all the way through. I just adore this girl. This album did not disappoint for me at all. Most of the songs are upbeat but she does belt it out. One song in particular is slowly creeping up to my "most played list". Which, if you have seen my iPod is a challenge in itself. I have over 7000 songs and they are OCD organized. My current top 5 played are: 1) "Imma Be" by BEP which was our summer jam in 2010. 2) Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel for "Popular" from Wicked. 3) "Me and Mrs Jones" by Michael Buble. MB...enough said. 4) "The Stand" by Hillsong and a three way tie for 5) Britney Spears "Till the World Ends (remix), Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in "What Is This Feeling" and "Fix You" by Coldplay. I think there is a 25 way tie for slot 6. The top five have been played over the three digit marks, and I mean, the high 3 digit marks. I have only had this iPod for 2 years. Anyways. This song has a power in it and a message that even though, I'm not experiencing heart break from a man, I could change some of the words to adjust to other situations in my life. It is immediately going on my work out playlist and will be played for those last couple of miles to keep me going! Has a way to just push you through anything. I admit, I rocked out to this one night on my way home from dinner with a friend. Windows down and all.

You know the bed feels warmer
Sleeping here alone
You know I dream in colour
And do the things I want
You think you got the best of me
Think you had the last laugh
Bet you think that everything good is gone
Think you left me broken down
Think that I'd come running back
Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
 Just me, myself and I
hat doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

You heard that I was starting over with someone new
But told you I was moving on over you
You didn't think that I'd come back I'd come back swinging
You tried to break me, but you see

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

Thanks to you I got a new thing started
Thanks to you I'm not a broken hearted
Thanks to you I'm finally thinking bout me
You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning In the end...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter
Footsteps even lighter
Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger
Just me, myself and I
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Stand a little taller
Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

Go To

I started writing this multiple times but have been side tracked every time. I have a "go to" song. It has been there for me through deaths, horrible days, life challenging moments, times where I think the world is on my shoulders, when I feel like I can't get any lower in low, and where I feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I will say, I have not been at these lows often but it's happened a handful of times. I have cried many of times to this musical number. We all have a song, that when we hear it, it strikes a chord. I will not lie, I have a few of them, but this one, from the moment I heard it in 2005 on the X  & Y album, it was mine. I remember seeing them in concert and just could not contain the tears. Something about having this song sung live, where the audience kicks in and sings along, yanks at those chords again. On the last episode of Glee, Mr Shue took on the task of singing this song. The second the intro began, I was done. Tears just started streaming down my face. The story line and the montage of the song did not help either. I just had to share it. Thanks to Fox, the only good quality video from Glee has Spanish subtitles! Oh well, still doesn't take away from the song. I also attached one of my favorite live performances of this song. I have had it in my favorites since 2007.

I also am completely excited for their new album in 2 weeks!

October...what?

I have no idea where the last month has gone. We have been so busy that I cannot get over how fast that month flew by. Between campfires, pumpkin patch visits, chili nights, birthday parties, walks, playing outdoors, movie nights, family time, traveling, it has disappeared. I think October is going to be our "catch up" month. Basically the last month before insanity starts from November through February. My calendar is slowly...okay quickly filling up. No giant news on the home front. Jax is still walking around and is almost 26lbs! Help us all. He is off the charts for height and weight. At least he is walking around and is very active. He is always happy and loves to play peek-a-boo and so big! He is not into baby toys and loves any sort of train or truck. Jake is, well, Jake. Not much going on with him. Enjoying the outdoors and evenings with friends. He's been getting into Disney movies so we have been renting/buying one a week and having family night on Wednesday so he can watch them. He was into Toy Story and Cars but we got out the classics. He is now super excited for the Lion King to come out on DVD this week. It is my favorite movie as well so I'm extra excited!

We have been baking quite a bit. Breads and goodies. We made a giant batch of apple cider last week and it was AMAZING. I love apple cider. We also got an amazing recipe from Jana for the Carmel Apple Cider drink from Starbucks. Takes exactly like it. Super excited we can now have that treat 24/7 and not have to pay a ton for it throughout this season! I also will say I finally tried my first PSL. The first time I had it, it was pretty good. The second time, horrible. I was told to beware that sometimes you can get a bad one in a batch of good. At least I can say I tried it.

My mission this week: Find Jake and Jax costumes for Halloween. I already know what Jake wants to be but I'm not sure what to make the little one. Someone mentioned Godzilla....that may work! He does roar a lot!

Gleek-tastic

I am the first to admit that the last season of Glee was, well, too much. There were way too many story lines and they focused too much on a few of them. The music was spectacular but there was too much of it in an episode. I hate to say that, but it is the truth. This year...completely different story. It was like they went back to the drawing board and re-vamped the whole thing. It has been absolutely amazing this season and we are only 2 episodes in! Here are a few of the amazing performances they have done that I have loved! (sorry, due to recent "issues" with Fox and Hulu a lot of the performances are not on youtube...lame.)

I would also like to state for a fact that I do not like Fox or Hulu's new "process" in how to watch missed episodes. You have to now wait 8 days after the show airs. 8 stinking days! I barely catch Glee every week. Once Bones starts...I'm in trouble. I never watch it on it's correct day and time. I have a life people! I try to catch up on the weekends. Apparently I need to invest in a VCR again. Not quite sure why they paired up with Dish but this is a major inconvenience! That is all!

Jake moment

In the car, heading home.

Jake: "Mom, do you want to know a secret?!"

Me (hesitant): "Uhhh.........okay"

Jake: "Sometimes, when I have to go to the bathroom at night, I just pee in my trash can so that I don't have to walk down the hall"

Me (mortified): "Are you being serious?"

Jake: "Oh yes, very serious mom. You don't make this stuff up."

I was getting dinner ready and this conversation happened. I am sorry, but I could not stop laughing.

(Table is set. Jax is strapped in and working on his cheerios. Michael is pouring beverages while I wait for the timer to beep and to take dinner out of the oven.)

Jake: "Mom, can I go outside and play?!

Me: "Not right now, dinner will be ready in 2 minutes."

(Timer is now at 1 min 52 seconds)

Jake: "But Mom, I can play outside in 2 minutes"

Me: "What on earth could you play outside in 2 minutes?"

(Timer is now around 1 min 25 seconds)

Jake: "I could draw something with my sidewalk chalk, I could throw my ball up in the air, I could chase Zoey, pick up sticks, get dirty"

Me: "Ok, get your shoes on and when the timer beeps you can come back in"

Jake: "Oh thanks Mom, you're the best!"

(45 seconds left on the timer. Jake goes upstairs, gets his sweatshirt, socks and shoes on. Then grabs a few items, takes a swig of water, and heads downstairs. Beeper goes off and Jake returns.)

Jake: "Mom, I take back that you are the best. I didn't get to go outside and you knew I wasn't going to be able to get everything done in two minutes.

Me: "Well, you tried"

Jake: "You ruined my life"....

Me: I just started laughing

Jake: "It's not funny Mom. When someone ruins your life you will understand what I am going through."

My laughter continues.

Oh the tolls of being a 4 year old.

This weekend was crazy. That is pretty much a word to describe it. I find that recently, all of our weekends have been hectic and complete insane. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Friday evening we spent time with some of our favorite people! Getting to hold a new baby, especially a girl, is one of the greatest things ever. Emi is so adorable and I can't wait to watch her grow up! Not too fast though! Holding her, reminded be that Jax was there only 9 months ago and now he is walking! Ugh, walking. Wasn't expecting this so fast. He is just very ambitious in everything he does. I can't contain him. We had a very good evening, as we always do with them!

Saturday we had all 4 boys together. While watching a stressful Hawkeye game, then taking the boys to boat and RV show, we had some friends over for dinner and watched a movie so the kids could play. It was a full day from start to finish. A day full of laughs though and some hilarious memories.

Sunday....this would be our epic failure day! Hahaha. We had been planning for weeks to surprise all the boys (and Claire!) with a trip to Boone to see Thomas. Jake was beyond excited when we arrived in Boone. He knows the town well since we do have family there but we hit the T intersection and freaked out. We got there and boom, the skies open and we were soaked before we even got to the entrance. Making the most of out of things was an understatement. 6 adults, 5 kids, completely wet and cold. Yet, the boys had a blast as usual and we had a good day with everyone. I may have looked like one hotmess but to see Jake smile like that....worth it! Now I am thawing out.

I do want to say that I would like to thank so many people for the past few months! I am so thankful for my friends and family. They are all intertwined anyways. We still have rough months ahead but, I'm to the point where with the foundation we have...I'm ready for it. God has a reason for everything and I have really learned that the only way to get through it, is to rely on Him. I just want to say thanks to everyone though. Your love, encouragement, strength, prayers, and just being there have meant the world to me, to us. I am so fortunate to have such a large group of people that we can rely on in times of need. I know I personally have been slacking at being there for others and have really tried to amp that us to my normal! I am getting back to where I need to be and that only takes time! Thanks again to everyone! We love you and couldn't be more grateful!

Boom....get ready!

For Jana because I know she then can easily watch it all the time! =) Get excited people!

Loss

This weekend, all I have wanted to do was hide. My body is craving alone time but as a Mom, you don't get that. I take solace in knowing at 8:30, I get that time. Something that happened has changed me. It really has. Again, I tend to hold things in until I can release. Friday, well, that didn't work. I had to go interview a daycare provider with red eyes, puffy bags, and red blotches all over my face. I still feel like the wind is knocked out of me.

Gabby. Just typing those 5 letters sent me into tears. My heart automatically starts to ache and I get this knot in my throat I cannot swallow. My stomach gets tight and tears pour out of my eyes, even if I don't blink. I find it just hard to have to say goodbye after 12 years or devotion, love, companionship, and just fond memories. I can't quite put into words how I am feeling. I would say it hasn't hit me yet, but it has. When I went to pick up the kids after work on Friday, everything had changed. Then the tears. Ugh, seriously the tears. They wouldn't stop. I was a blotchy, red, hot mess and we had to go over to take a look at a daycare. Jake, bless his little heart. He understood, but wouldn't stop talking about it. He wouldn't stop asking why I didn't want to see Gabby in the box on the patio. Why I didn't want to say goodbye to her one last time. I keep finding myself even taking breaks from writing this. So I will end with this:

Dear Gabby,
For as long as I can remember, I wanted a dog. I beg and pleaded with Mom and Dad to get a puppy. We seemed to be cat people. Don't get me wrong, I loved Cassie and Tasha, but I still wanted a dog. There is just something special about a dog that I cannot express into words. Finally, the stars aligned, fate stepped in, and thus you were brought to us. We had traveled to MO for Christmas with the family. My parents had gone to visit my Grandpa in the nursery home, while us kids stayed back. When the adults had returned, Mom and Dad said they had a late Christmas gift for me. They went to tell me that someone had left you in a box outside a Wal-Mart. There were a few puppies in the box but they selected you out of the lot. There you were, all small and golden. Your little paws, stumbling around. I loved you instantly. Your name fit you so well because you never shut up. You could talk all day long. Your first night home taught me why teenagers do not have children. I think you cried most of the night until I finally just let you sleep with me. The first week with you was a challenging one. Making sure you were going to the bathroom outside was probably the biggest challenge. I will never forget the day I was talking on AIM (when it was oh so cool to do so), and you took a poop on Moms large 3 ft Santa. I think most of it went on the stand but still. I rushed cleaned it up and flushed the evidence. The smell, oh the smell. Nothing could hid that. When Mom asked me what had happened, I said you just farted and that I had taken you out. We had one another's back from then on. After a few weeks we found out you had a rare condition and we decided that we were hooked and so in love that we couldn't allow you to slip away. You were fixed and handed back to us brand new. I will never forget you running around in the snow with a child size sweatshirt on. I believe it was gray. You were a constant, bouncing ball of energy. You would bark at everything and anything. I would purposely make certain noises, such as knocking on the wall to make you think someone was at the door, just to see you go into one of your crazy spells. Your toys, oh your toys. I still think your figure 8 was your favorite one over the years. I think we bought that thing a record number of times. Tug of war had to be your favorite game. I know I probably tormented you enough with my fake throws. You loved it though. I remember getting down on the floor with you and watching you go insane as I hit the floor with my hands. You would almost mimic my motions. Your crazy run after you were given baths. I think every dog does that though. At least Hawkeye and Zoey do. Even though you hate baths, you always seemed to enjoy them. How about the times we would vacuum you? You loved to be vacuumed! It also saved on on your shedding hair clean up. Car rides. You loved those. You would whine unending until the window was down. I recall a few times we had to take longer trips then just to the bank or the store and Dad would blast the music so loud to drown you out. Eventually you stopped, when we got to our destination. There were always snot stains on the windows that we had to clean off. You were a regular at the bank and always were excited to get a treat. Dad would just have to say "bank" or "car" and that would set you into an excitement that was beyond anything. You were a smart pup. You knew so many words and commands. I loved when you played "dead" but your tail was always wagging. It was always beating against the floor. It instantly made us all laugh. Your hunting abilities always came through. Any rabbit or squirrel had nothing on you. You always knew their hiding spots. You would automatically start pointing when you found one and if you weren't contained, you would take off after them. You didn't agree with strangers. We knew everyday when the mail man came. If we received a delivery of any sorts, you went out of sorts. You loved to jump on everyone when you were younger. "Gabby down" was a command I am sure you heard way more often then you wanted. You ate almost everything. You were never a pickle or tomato fan. You loved licorice. I remember getting licorice nips and you would start drooling. We could throw food at any angle and you could catch it. No matter what we were eating, you were right there. Expecting something. We always gave in. Those eyes, they were piercing. I wouldn't even have to look at you, I knew you were starring. How about the time I made a ton of chocolate chip cookies for Dad, left them cooling on racks on the back of the counter, came out and saw Dad had put them away? You were going to let him get away with being nice....nope, you ate them. All of them. Mom stayed home with you the next day to take care of you while you literally "tossed your cookies". Till your last day, you still would have eaten those cookies. I swear your favorite thing was outside. You loved to sit on the porch and watch the day pass. If we would have let you, there are many days you would have stayed outside from sun up to sun down. I loved coming home and seeing you on the porch waiting for us to all come back home. Jake misses you. He talked about you all weekend. Even this morning he said "I can't wait to see Gabby", and then proceeded to say "Can I still love Gabby even though she is not there?" Jax is going to miss you too. He was always so excited to see you. I think the dogs in life have cause him to walk at 9 months. The boys both enjoyed you in the time they got to spend with you. They both love you and miss you. Jake has talked about you everyday since you have left us. It's still hard to drive away from Mom and Dad's house and not see you in the door way peaking out and trying to escape. Or to come over and not have you bark and run over to me. To not see you laying on the front porch, waiting for Dad to come home. You were never a dog that licked. You showed your love in your tail wagging, nose in the face, and dancing the way you did when we would arrive home. You were there through so much. Personally, you were there for broken hearts, deaths, life changing decisions, protection. I never had to fear when you were there. The loads of walks we took together, I can't thank you enough for that. You were always there for me. You were always there for my parents. You will always be with us in our hearts. It comforting to know you are still around, outside, where you always loved to be. Even though walking by there hurts so much right now, in time it won't feel like my heart is breaking. It's good to know you are still watching over us.

Always looking on and watching over us...

**This is also my 300th post....makes it even more special

I now hate birds

Today was a normal day. Woke up way late, running around like crazy in the morning, complete chaos. I don't expect anything else! When we got to my parents house, Jake got out as normal and I got Jax out. Jake usually shuts the car door but today he did not. When I asked why, his reply was "mom, I'm lazy today." Fantastic. I figured 5 minutes with the door open wouldn't hurt anything. I got the kids situated and headed off to work. I get to Ingersoll and as I am passing Dahls, I see it. Something moving in the back seat. My first thought, only because I'm a Criminal Minds junkie, was that someone was in the back seat. My mind raced to figure out what I could use to smash into the perps face or how I could get to my cell phone with out anyone knowing. A million things raced through my mind in about a second. The light was turning red on 31st and then it happened. A giant black blob raising out of the back seat. The next few seconds happened so fast. I don't even know if the light even turned green, but I did a hard right turn while a bird is flapping around behind me. Yes, a bird. I am sure I looked like a complete moron doing this. I also had my sunroof open and my windows down about half way, so I am sure I turned heads when I screamed bloody murder and started flapping my arms. In that 5 minute period I was at my parents house, for some odd reason, a bird flew in my car. Are you kidding me? I swerve into the Subway parking lot, stood as far away from the tailgate as I could and lifted it. I then backed way up until I saw the thing fly out. It was not my idea of a nice surprise. On the upside, it was not a serial killer. I did check and it did not poop in my car. Of course, this story brightened many peoples day. I guess I am happy to help.

On the upside...Football starts tonight!

Long weekend

I had the privilege of having a 5 day weekend. This is a rarity for me. I never have that much time off at once except Thanksgiving weekend. My mom needed to spent they day with my Grandma Thursday so I took the day off to spend time with my kiddos. They are so fun to watch. Jax is walking along everything. He stands on his owns and takes about 2-3 steps when he pushes off of something. That kid never stops. I found on Thursday that he is also cutting more teeth. In about two weeks this kid will have 6 teeth. He is starting to make sense in his talking. You says "Mom" and "Dada" really well. You can understand when he says "dog" and "kitty" and the new on is "brother". If you say Jake's name or if he walks in the room, the first thing out of Jax mouth is "brother". It's very sweet to hear. After a full day with the boys, I was not feeling well and Michael had his apt. She we packed everyone up, dropped the kids off, went to the apt where I infamously passed out, then felt horrible the rest of the night. Michael did well and is healing nicely!

We all took Friday off! We ran errands, cleaned, played, and just spent the day together.We let Jake pick out a movie at Red Box and while Jax napped, I cleaned beyond clean. I went through a ton of clothes to donate and even some toys. I then made an amazing dinner (not toot my own horn but it was) and we hung out with friends and just relaxed. Some of us took a long walk and we basically spent the rest of the night on the deck. It was heavenly. I love hoodie weather! Saturday I had to drop off some dessert at my parents house for SC and then we went grocery shopping and ran errands just in time to get home for the game. The game! I was so stoked for college football! Especially Hawkeye football. Yet, the rain caused major delays and the game technically didn't get over till about 4ish. In that time, we got a new couch, made a ton of cookies, helped new neighbors move in, and wrestled with the boys. That night we went to church, a friends house for dinner and then talked the night away.

Sunday, we got up early, met some other friends at Scooters and headed to the triathlon. It was amazing. People of all shapes and sizes, all different levels. It was very inspirational. I did have a sob moment. We were sitting on the uphill climb to the finish line on the capital lawn. We were watching everyone suffer through the last leg until the straight shot to the finish line and then we saw him. A man, probably in his 30's, that had lost one leg and was in a wheelchair bike, working so hard to get up this giant hill. All anyone wanted to do was to go and push him up, but I knew he would take offense to that. People just started cheering and yelling for him. It was painful to watch him, with every stroke of his arms, the front end wheel would raise above the ground. I thought it was going to flip but he persevered and made it. It was amazing. I couldn't help but shed tears. I'm a sap. After watching a lot of people finish, we all headed out to lunch! On our way home we stopped at the park, let the kids run off some steam and then headed home. Michael crashed and I spent the afternoon doing laundry and going through random things. I can't seem to remember what we did that night. Oh well.

Monday was our day off! Woohoo. We decided that we weren't going to do much because we had worked so much last week. I cleaned all the windows upstairs and then took a walk with Jax. We took a family nap and spent the remainder of the day and evening at Big Creek. This has been a habit this summer. I wish we could do it more. It just so relaxing. The boys love it and I love to watch the sun set on the horizon. Then it hit me....work tomorrow. Here's to another week!

Today was one of those days. A day I wish I was home! I love when it rains in the Fall. I really do. To be able to open the windows slightly, so the smell of rain fills the house. To be able to feel that cool breeze, whisk through and give you slight chill. To be able to reach over and grab your Hawkeye sweatshirt and sink into the couch, with a batch of cookies in the oven, curl up under a blanket and watch a good flick or read a good book. I can only hope this happens again, and soon. I am so excited for Fall to make it's appearance. I am so excited for Hawkeye season, football in general, long walks, being able to play outside with out sweating, jumping in leaves, fire nights, trips to Ledges, there is just so much to look forward to! A full season of family and friends! I also hope this season brings us strength, encouragement, love, prayer, and the understanding we need to get through it all. I have said it before and I will say it again, I could not be more thankful, blessed, just plain lucky with the people we have been given. I tend to find humor and sarcasm in everything and recently, that has had a blockage. Luckily I have a few besties to help me through. I am glad that I can rely on all these folks for strength, guidance, and just for lending an ear. Fall, according to M.Ferry, is the season of death because everything dies. Well, yes, we may lose someone this Fall and it will be extremely hard and life changing, but in death there is life. Just because a flower dies, doesn't mean it won't return come Spring. Even though the Summer was a rough one, I am optimistic for the upcoming season. Good or bad, we are fighters. We will come through no matter what is thrown our way. I know that no matter what the outcome of the next week, we have great supporters, a lot of love, and never ending faith. I am super stoked for the upcoming 5 day weekend and first Hawkeye game of the season! (Sorry Jana!)

Factory shutting down

2....that is all you will get out of me. Now, I would like to adopt when the boys are in school but no babies. I am done. I am almost 30 and the late nights, well, they start to wear on you the first few weeks with a newborn. We are ready to move on from this chapter and embrace the next. This weekend we went through everything. We decided to get rid of it all. We are taking a load of things to Kidding Around and giving some items away. No more bassinet, floor mats, bumbo's, boppy's, bathtubs...it's all going. What started this you ask? 2 steps. Jax took 2 steps on his own, out of no where. I am still in shock but since then he has started doing it more often and is up to 4 if he really wants to. Since this 8 month old is going to take the fast track to 15 months, we are just going to accept it and move on to the next stage. He is not really into baby toys at all and would rather play with trucks and trains that belong to his older brother. Jake does not like this but is willing to let him play with 1 of the 100+ trains and trucks he has in his possession. Currently they are sharing the same cold. Jake is furious (those were the exact words he used) at his little brother. He said it will take some time for him to forgive him because this impacts him too much and really hurt his feelings. Really? Dramatic much? Jax is pretty much back to normal and it did not have the impact on Jax that it did Jake. Jake looks like a strawberry. It looks like someone punched him in eye. Poor kid. He is still as hyper as ever though. These two are going to wear me out! They never stop moving and are always pushing everything to the limits. None the less, I love them more then words can say.

We are all so ready for Fall.......I cannot wait!

So ready!

I saw this today online and cheerleader jumped for joy! I am so ready and cannot wait!

I see "Warnings" in my future

This week I have a new enemy. The 56th and Polk Blvd traffic camera. Not cool. Most people are cruising around 75 mph in that section in the morning and I'm not looking forward to the stop and go that will for sure happen once this goes into effect. I live off 152nd and Meredith and if you go the right way home, you will pass at least 3 traffic camera enforced lights. There have been a couple of "close calls" where the camera has flashed and you check the mail for the next few weeks hoping to not see a letter from the Dept of Transportation. I know this new enemy of mine will probably be giving me a warning in the first 30 days. I can already see it.

Also, met another enemy today. Cops on motorcycles! This is also not good. They just sit on the sidewalk and radar. Not fair. I am going to have to be hyper aware of everything around me now. I watched 2 people get pulled over already by motorcycle cop. Ugh! Stupid lead foot!

Home Depot

I have a love relationship with Home Depot. I really do. I get so giddy when I get to go there. I can spend hours walking up and down isles. I love building new things, painting, updating things around the house, and finding things to change. I could go on but I won't. This week on my way home, I decided I need a positive in the midst of all this negative, so I decided to paint my room a new color. I wanted something more light. The color I selected was, Rain. It's a light gray. I'm super excited about it and started priming the moment I got home. Have I mentioned that I love to paint? I am super excited to get it all done this weekend! =)

Casa de Josh Groban

Being the concert connoisseurs we are, we purchased tickets to Josh Groban back in May. I had seen him in his first tour back in 2002 up in Ames and it was a completely different experience then most. I have been to my fair share of concerts, but they are usually more up beat where you can dance around like a fool and sing the songs at the top of your lungs. Josh, well, he is more of a sit down and enjoy type of guy.

After a very emotional and mentally exhausted day, okay, past few weeks, we headed out to dinner. We decided to go to the Drake Diner because a good ole burger just sounded amazing. We still had about an hour before concert time so we found a spot on the street (for free!) right near Wells and went for a walk. It was so beautiful outside and it was nice to just have some quiet. We were heading back up to the venue when we noticed our surroundings a little more. One, we were passing everyone on the side walk and we were walking at a slow pace for us. Two, there were a lot of older people around. We got to the stop light and that is when I took my first glance. I felt like we were smack in the middle of a retirement community. I would say 75% of the concert attendees were over 55+ and ordering off the Senior Citizen menu, 23% were woman 19-30 with their moms or grandmas, and the rest of the 2% were, well people 30 and under. We just took it in stride. The venue may have been full of depends and smelled like Ben Gay but none the less it was a good concert.

The opening act was ELEW. He as phenomenal. I can't express into words how talented this man is. I'm a sucker for piano music. It's so soothing and comforting. ELEW, well it was more, knock your socks off then soothing. He gives a new vibe and feel to rock music on the piano. He did covers of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Teenage Dream', a medley that including The Young and The Restless theme, Charlie Brown theme, The Nutcracker, and a few other TV shows. He then did a rendition of "Clocks" by Coldplay. Now, Chris Martin is amazing. So much in fact that I would never try to re-create his work. He started playing and I think he surpassed Coldplay. It took my breath away. His talent is beyond words. A few times we could play with his right hand and then strum the inside strings of the piano with his left hand. It created a guitar/piano vibe. I will definitely need to look him up on iTunes when I get the chance. Here is ELEW in action:

Now onto Josh. He was amazing. It was a concert that I sort of needed. A sit down, non-sing-along, that you can just close your eyes and join. His voice is so on point, there is no difference between CD and live. I was sort of sketchy about it because, well, his music isn't the get up and dance, and you can't really sing along to it (unless you were the girl right behind us...ugh) but it was a completely different then I thought it would be. He is quite hilarious. He made so many jokes and was really into talking with the crowd. He interviewed random concert goers, and of course out of the thousands there, he asks one girl what she does and she responded "we breed rabbits", he didn't let that go throughout the whole concert. There was a proposal on stage, which she probably felt liable to say yes, but she did. At once point he built a Casa De Groban with inflatable couches and pulled a long time married couple and two single girls to sit on state for a few songs. He gave them wine, and then realized the girls were not 21, so he gave them milk. The provocative dancers were replaced an amazing orchestra and Josh showed his talents on the piano and drums. I did get emotional when he sang "War at Home" but who wouldn't, and he did close the concert with "You Raise Me Up" which holds dear to my heart. All around it was a great evening, with great company, and a fantastic show. Here are some photos, they are taken with Michael's phone...lol. We didn't bring a camera in.

ELEW

Josh Groban

Thankful

I'm not going into detail but this past month as been a dozy on us and continues to do so. You always think people are invincible and something then reminds you that we are all breakable. I have to say though my friends (which does include a lot of family) have been completely amazing. Being able to rely on them for strength, encouragement, prayer, and just being able to be catch me when I fall, is something that I cannot be more thankful for. It astonishes me how you say one thing and people are so willing to give up so much and be so selfless. The walks, the talks, the texts, the emails, the IM's, the laughter, the advice, the list can go on. It's odd, just when I seem to be at a breaking point, I will mysteriously get a text message or an email. It's makes me feel like it's God's way of saying "it's okay". this morning, on my way to work after dropping the boys off at day care, there were clouds in the sky and the cool breeze was coming through my windows and sunroof. A song came on my iPod that emotionally did me in at that time. I looked up, and there it was, a rainbow. Peaking through the darkness. It was so random because it was dark and cloudy and only to the north could you see the beauty of the sun rising in a pink sky. I know there is a scientific explanation for it but in that moment, I felt that was my promise He was showing me. That no matter what happens, He will take care of and it's in His plans. Not mine. This of course caused me to pull off HWY 141 and have a good cry in the Kum & Go parking lot. (Sorry to the man in the truck that kept starring at me thinking I was losing my mind.) It wasn't really tears of sadness, stress, or hopelessness, it was more a realization that no matter what, the support system we have is so strong and is there to catch us. Knowing there are so many people there to call, ask for prayer, and just spend time with. I am so grateful for them all. I can't express into words the appreciation. The laughter has been something that I never knew would help so much. The random things that my friends do and happen to have done to them, it just astonishes me. But honestly, who I am to talk? I have had some odd things happen to me. I know there may be some tough times ahead, but no matter what side streets we are taken on, we are on the path He has planned.

iTunes Festival

Currently iTunes has a special promo out there. You can watch some of your favorite bands in concert. I am in love. This is a limited time only but so far I have been very impressed. I listened to Adele while doing laundry this weekend, re-lived Coldplay while cooking up a storm Sunday, and tonight we listened to My Chemical Romance while deep cleaning the kitchen and downstairs. There are still a few more I want to listen or even watch. I'm going to have to scroll through the list again!

Yet another milestone

Last night, I was awaken by a very unhappy baby. He would sleep only if I held him. I finally filled up his mesh ring with a piece of ice and that seemed to help. Sure enough, there are now 2 teeth where only a day ago, were plain gums. Bring on the steak!

***This is a mommy post and there will be talk of cute chubby babies.


Jax will be 8 months in a few weeks. That is beyond crazy to even think about. He still weighs around 22lbs if not more. I boxed up a lot of his 6-12 month clothes last weekend. He now needs mom to go shopping. He is slacking in the 18 month department. He is crawling everywhere and in the last week has learned to stand up on everything. He can pull himself up onto any surface and of course does it on things he shouldn't. The other day, Michael was suppose to be watching the boys, and I found Jax in the drawer underneath the oven. He was playing with the pots and pans. You also cannot give him a bath without him getting out of the bathtub. I cannot get him to stay still. If he sits on your lap, he is jumping. If he is on the floor, he is crawling or getting into everything. He has quickly learned the word "No" but unlike Jake, completely ignores it. Jake was super baby. He never put anything into his mouth, didn't go places he shouldn't, we baby proofed and he took it all off but never touched it. It was heaven. Jax....not so much. His chunky self is in everything and loves to be the rebel of the family. Jake tries to put him in time out all the time. It's hilarious. Sadly, last night, he went another step further. He fed himself. He always missed his mouth or put the food to far below in his hand. Last night, he got it. He then would start talking and doing his excited legs every time he did it. I was so happy for him, but yet, so sad. Something as small as him putting a noddle in his mouth, almost brought me to tears. I feel that we only have a few more key points until he is at Jake level. He even utters the word "Dada" when he sees Michael. This I am fine with because Jake said "Mama" first. He is working on standing no his own. He will let go for a second and then grab whatever he was holding onto. Help me if he starts walking anytime soon! I just can't believe how quick this is all going! I still haven't grasped that I have a 4 year old.

It has been a while, I know. Things have been extremely crazy around here. We had a weekend in Omaha with Michael's family to celebrate his moms 60th birthday. It was quite an adventurous one at that. We had the zoo, dinner, a lot of family time, drag queens (long story), and sickness. We had to leave early due to a little baby that was sick. Jax had a rough night followed by a few rough days. He had one nasty cold. I stayed home with him Monday and Tuesday and he finally got his energy back. Mr Happy didn't smile for almost 24 hours, it was so heartbreaking. He was back to his happy crazy self before we knew it. I only ended up going to work for one day that week. I had already scheduled off Thursday and Friday so the work week was a complete bust. Harry Potter week came in full force after that! We started off by watching a few of the old movies. Thursday we decorated, cooked, and watched 5 & 6. When everyone got there, we ate dinner, which was amazing! Shepherds pie, Yorkshire pudding, chicken, it was fabulous. We then watched the first part of 7 while munching on desserts and popcorn. Rumor had it, the theater was already filling up with people so we headed over. Sure enough, there was a giant line outside the theater. We played a card came while we waited but they started letting everyone in at a pretty decent hour. I will say though, sitting in a theater for 2 hours before your movie even starts, gets sort of old. Especially when you have annoying, immature high school students all around you. We had some costumes but not amazing like I have seen from others. The movie...amazing. I still can't find words to describe it. I laughed, I cried, cheered, and I was very sad when the credits started to role. No more HP. Slightly upsetting. I cannot wait for it to be released on DVD. I have not bought a single HP movie, so you bet I will spent the money on the box set. Someone did give me the Half Blood Prince, which of course is the worst one.

We just have a lot going on and we are trying to figure things out. Always a joy! Sick of the nasty heat that will not leave.

4 years

Jake is now 4 years old. I was watching videos on my computer tonight of him even last fall and it's amazing how much he has grown and changed. I love his one liners and I do love that he is extremely sarcastic. He is always using big words that are put in the correct terminology and it always boggles me that he can do that. I love that he can sing almost every song on both Glee seasons and that I plays his guitar while he does it sometimes. I love how much his brother loves and him and he loves his brother. I am so blessed to have well behaved and well mannered boys. I cannot be more thankful for them.

Jake got to spend his birthday being spoiled rotten! He and Eli spent the night at 37th and live it up. They got to go to the Bass Pro Shop (Jake's favorite store), eat there, and get loved on all day. We went over to my parents and brought all the food to have dinner. We grilled out and ate a fantastic meal. The 4 year old got to open all of his gifts, which were more then enough. He ate cake, candy, and got to play with sparklers. He was surrounded by people who love him and he had such a fantastic day. He told me on the way home "Mom, this was so awesome! I am not sure I can top it next year." I am sure he will. He was so tired and we got home so late that he waited till today to open up all his gifts from us. Then I spent 3 hours putting together a lego train set, and 2 race tracks. The lego set...talk about a pain. I spent an hour and a half just on that one. If that thing even gets taken apart or breaks.....let's just say I will not be happy. Jake is now rotating from one thing to another. He somehow combined all of them into one big story line and the trains are helping out the cars to get away from the pirates. I love his imagination.

Jax is also 7 months old today. He is crawling and getting into everything. I still love him to pieces. He makes me smile no matter what and he is always ready to great you with a smile. I will say, he is not a carrot fan though. Too bad for him, I made a large batch so he has to eat it at least 4 more times. I will try and bring it back in a month and see if he will eat it then!

I might have to post a blog with just photos. I haven't uploaded them from my camera. My SD card holds about 500+ photos and I only have 101 left. I am sure, over half will be deleted but I will post some updated photos soon!

Weekend mayhem

All week last week people were asking if we had plans for this extended weekend. Our response "Nope". We were planning on just staying low, doing nothing, catching up on much needed sleep, clean, and just veg. Did that happen? No. What else do you expect from us? We never stay still!

Friday evening after work, we rounded up the kids and headed over to my parents house. They had decided it was time for boys to have some new outdoor activities. Thus, a swing set. Not just any swing set, but a lovely wooden one. Needless to say, they were a bit excited. David, Michael, and Dad worked hard on putting as much together as they could Friday night. I hung out with my mom and my boys as they worked. Jake of course, did not want to leave, so my parents let him spend the night. Lucky boy! This gave us a great opportunity to go shopping at Toys R Us at 10pm. It was the least busy I have ever scene it. Most of the people there were in the gaming section. After getting the rest of Jake's birthday presents, we finally made it home and to bed.

Saturday came before we knew it and we headed back over to 37th to finish the swing set. Mom made french toast and bacon for breakfast and while the men finished the swing set, the boys "helped" and played outside. Lunch, and then a few more hours of work and they were done! We got home around 4 and Jake swore he wasn't tired but spent from 4-6 sleeping on the couch. He then woke up, ate dinner, took a bath, and was back in bed by 7. He was pooped. I started laundry, cleaned the kitchen, made dinner, and read HP till about 11.

Sunday we had to not attend church in order to be up in the big SC at noon. After about two hours at the family reunion, we had to leave, drive back to DM, get groceries, pack up, and head over to the Axtells. We did that all in a matter of about 2 hours. We watched the WDM parade, even got to see Michael's dad, and Jake and Norah made bank in candy! It was so much fun and excellent company. We then returned and had an amazing meal and just let the kids play! Again, Jake was exhausted. We were going to meet friends for fireworks but Jake said he was too tired. Poor guy!

Monday I woke up and had one of those "It's way too sunny for me not to be late to work" and jumped out of bed. Needless to say, it took about 2 minutes until I realized that I didn't have to go. Jake was already awake playing and Jax was just smiling as usual waiting for someone to love him to pieces! We got Jake all packed up for is fun night and birthday at Party on 37th, and I continued laundry and getting ready for the week ahead. We headed over to Casa de Chase for some festivities! The invested in one of those inflatable water slides. The boys went crazy. Not just Connor and Jake either! It was a good time outside, the weather was perfect, it was great company, and we had a lot of fun. We didn't leave till around 6:30ish. We then were suppose to drop Jake off on 37th but Michael's parents are moving and we had to turn in our keys. I was quite emotional. I have known that house, well, forever. All the times we hung out there growing up and of course, since we have been dating, married, and have 2.75 kids, it's just something so familiar. It's home. I don't know if I can handle not driving down 29th and Ashworth anymore. I am sure we will over the years, just to see what the house looks like. I still have a lump in my throat thinking about it. We then headed off to 37th and dropped the birthday boy off. Ugh, he is so grown up. It makes me so sad. I cannot believe he is 4 tomorrow. Where did the time go? He is spending the day with my parents and Eli doing his favorite things! Man, I love that kid!

Our weekend was jam packed as you can see. So much for keeping a low profile this past weekend! I also only have 9 days to finish HP. I am not sure I will be able to!

Michael Bublé

I am a die hard Michael fan. I have been for a long time and I will always be no matter what people think or say. I saw him by accident the first time in Minneapolis in 2003, then in 2009, and I got to honor to see him again Friday. We started the evening with dinner at La Ha and it was amazing. Our waiter apparently thought we loved tequila because he gave us more then a double dose of it in our margaritas. He even brought the bottle out and dumped more on them. It was ridiculous! We had a lot of laughs and the food was fantastic as always. I got extremely excited when we walked in! It was a giant adrenaline rush. It was fun to see the different age groups that attended. Our section was amazing. First off, our seats...are you kidding me?! They were fantastic! I loved them! I felt like I could touch him! We had a 3 high school girls behind us that were utterly adorable. They knew the words to every song and were just in awe of him. It was so sweet. We also had this awesome older lady in our section. She could get down with the best of them. It was fun to watch her dance around and enjoy the show. The show. I did not want it to end. Naturally 7 opened for him again. They have always had great voices but their stage performance has increased significantly. They really got in with the crowd and seemed so much more relaxed. I really enjoyed their performance. It was a great start to the evening! Michael came out in style, singing my favorite tune right off the bat. I felt like a 14 year old screaming at Justin Timberlake. I was in heaven. The whole concert start to finish was perfection. I got teary eyed when he sang "home" and dedicated it to the troops and as he sang, there was a slide show going on. It ended with a photo of the Capital of Des Moines. It was beautiful. My epic down fall was his last song. He started off on stage with his band, then one of his trumpet players appeared behind us and played for a bit. Then lights went down, his band went behind the curtain, and he went unplugged. There, in Wells Fargo Arena, Michael sang with no band, no mic, and no flashing lights. It was a very intimate moment that left me in tears. I had goosebumps all over and was just in awe. I felt like an idiot until I realized I wasn't the only one in tears. To sum this evening up, perfection doesn't even come close. Amazing food, phenomenal performance, and of course, exceptional company! Here are some photos:

Rainy Monday

It's another Monday, luckily it's almost over! The weekend was once again a blur! Full of family, friends, BBQ's, and many, many laughs. Jax is really starting to get his crawl on! I'm so excited for him to get moving. Now, I am sure a few weeks from now I will be singing a different tune! He had his 6th month check up today! He is currently tipping the scales at 22lbs and is 28 1/2 inches long. He is in the 98% all around. We love him so and Jake is absolutely amazing with him. I love watching them together! It is so much fun. Now that Jax is on the move, Jake does get a little irritated. Especially when Jax grabs something of Jake's. It will only get worse from here.

I feel that I need to take a day off just to sleep. I need to catch up. This is not going to happen for a long time. I have a full load of things going on this week. Thursday = most excited about!

Today my day started off horribly. It was storming extremely bad. I was taking the kids to daycare and it started to let up a little. I thought I was off the hook. Wrong, so wrong! I pull up in the drive way and it starts pouring out. Giant drops of rain that would drown ants in a heart beat. Then the wind picked up so the rain came down in a horizontal pattern. I get out of the car and in a matter of seconds, my pants are soaked. I get Jake into the safe zone and ran out to fetch Jax. At this point my shirt gets soaked and my hair is now drooping in my face. My umbrella did not help. The wind was just too insane. By the time all was said and done, I was drenched head to toe and just should have gone home. Why can't I take signs when they are given to me? I proceeded to look like a hottmess the rest of the day! Thank you weather!

I am also questioning what most people almost 30 probably do...what should I do when I grow up?!

Uncharted

I love this song. I have since this album came out. For the past month I have been obsessed with the music video. I just enjoy all the cameos and watch it if I am in a foul mood. Especially the fact that Josh Groban and Adam Levine sing...amazing! The fact that Keenan Cahill made an appearance just did it for me! Click on his name and the videos are amazing!! Love it!

I have a belt!

Yes, I have severely been lacking in the blogging department. I really don't have any other excuse other then the fact we have been extremely busy. Let's see....

Kids: Jax is now 6 months old! Time is going so fast, I cannot believe it. He just started eating solid foods and is eating like a champ. He loves everything he has tried so far. I have been making his food and it has been so much easier than I thought it would be. He started to “crawl” in the past few days. It’s more like he is doing the worm but it’s something. He is still happy as ever! We are pretty sure he has some teeth coming in. Be warned that he may suck on you if he gets the chance! Jake has doing awesome at his new day care. She keeps him extremely busy so he comes home exhausted. He is turning 4 in a few weeks and I am slightly emotional about it. I don’t feel like it has been that long already. He’s growing up so fast! 

Mom: She had her surgery and is doing awesome so far! Day 2 of being part titanimum and she is rocking and rolling. She has been up and walking today and is doing really well with her therapy. She will probably get to go home Friday (tomorrow)! She is kicking butt and taking names! We have had a great experience so far. I am so thankful for all our family that came and hung out with us yesterday for the day. My friends have been amazing. Between tons of texts, phone calls, Starbucks drop offs, I’m so blessed for them all! I hope she continues to do well and progress the way she is!

Life: Wondering about my title?! I finally decided I needed a belt. I had another pant incident a few weeks ago and enough is enough. This was and is still a big thing for me. It has been a blessing!! Michael has been MIA for over a month. He has been working like crazy on side jobs. They all came in at once so he has been gone most nights. The kids and I are having fun but can’t wait till he’s home more! We are thinking about trying to sell again. We never put it on the market last time but we are really starting to bust out of the seams! Our big issue is still trying to figure out where to move. I say Texas since everyone else is moving there!! We will have discuss this in detail soon. My OCD side is going to want to make a pro/con chart, maybe even colored. Weekends have been stock full of family and friends. BBQ season is in full swing and I love being able to just be with everyone and relax. Since it is summer most days at home, if it’s not raining, are spent outside! 

That is pretty much our life right now. Rarely home and always on the move!