Birthday date night!

My sweet hubby took me to dinner at the Crystal Bridges museum restaurant last night for my birthday! I had mentioned several months ago that I would love to have dinner there, and he remembered....major brownie points! ;) The restaurant is a huge glass room sitting over the water, needless to say the atmosphere was amazing! I had a great time getting dressed up and spending the evening with my handsome man!

Fall costume carnival!

Tonight was Ayden's school's fall carnival! We have been excited for weeks about this night! It was a bit wild, but fun ;) his school is K-4th so there were a TON of people there! I worked in his class booth (my very first room mother activity!!) and had fun meeting his friends! Ethan was a very good boy for his brother's first big school event! :) 

Enjoying downtown

Tonight while Ayden went to Awana's, Chris, Ethan, & I (along with the dogs), strolled around downtown, over to the museum, & back to the Walmart cafe for a little snack. The early fall weather was so cool and crisp and we had such a fun evening! 

Just another day in paradise!

A new blog post!

Wow, I just looked back have only had seven blog entries this year. Seven! I am kind of sad that I don't have more time to blog, but then again, it's because I am insanely busy raising a family, and that's nothing to be sorry about ;) Today I am hanging out on the couch with a sinus infection and tonsillitis, so I thought it was a good a time as any to update the blog!

We are definitely the busiest we have probably ever been, but its all in a very good/structured way (which is totally how I prefer things to be, lol). Having a kid in school creates structure whether you are a person that likes it or not! Here is a little update on our family, and some news pics.

The Family

 We became members of our church back in May and love being involved in God's mission for our church and community. Chris and I teach the 4 year old Sunday school classes one month on, one month off, and we absolutely love those little kids! We also were baptized and rededicated our lives to Christ in August! We host our Body Life Group in our home on Thursday nights and have made some wonderful friends in the process. We finally feel like we have a real support system right here in our town, and feel so much more a part of the community now. It is definitely one reason I don't blog quite as much...I have to be a much more prudent housekeeper now that I'm hosting 4-6 other families in my home every week! Chris and I  are also very excited to be I the process of becoming foster parents!!! We are feeling a very strong calling to open our home and our hearts to babies and small children that need a place to go and be loved while their parents work on improving their life situation. We would also love to add to our family through adoption if the opportunity arises.

 

Chris

He is, as always, staying busy at work and thriving in the Finance department. His new boss is more family-friendly than the previous one, and gives him the flexibility he needs to be the super involved father that he is. He is the head coach of Ayden's flag football team through the Upward league. He was hesitant at first, but is absolutely loving it! And it doesn't hurt that our team is really good ;) He is maintaining his 125 pound weight loss with ease....kind of makes me want to smack him...lol just kidding ;) He runs 4 miles a day, because it "energizes" him. Ugh, men!! lol. I mean...Go Chris!!

 

Me

I am working primarily Friday and Sunday nights and am liking it so far. It allows me to be off all week and go to church on Sunday mornings without being tired. Ethan goes to MDO on MWF, so I am able to sleep when I need to, and have a day to run errands. I still really love the NICU!! It is definitely my favorite place I have ever worked. I stay pretty busy all week keeping up with the house and the boys, but I wouldn't want it any other way :) I am currently halfway through a one month Facebook and Pinterest fast that I am doing with my sis in law to help shed the "addiction" to social media. I really am not missing it all that much, besides sharing cute pics of the boys and the funny things they say. And what all my friends and their kids are doing. And who is pregnant, and who had babies. And new recipes and ideas for how to organize and be a good mom. OK FINE.... I MISS IT!!!! But I have read TWO REAL BOOKS plus spent way more time reading my bible, cleaning, exercising, and playing with the boys, so I know the fast is worth it and hopefully has broken me from my need to feel constantly "connected" to everything that is happening.

 

Ayden

Our big boy is loving school and has transitioned into it so very well! He is learning so much and is starting to read! He really hasn't had a single complaint yet about school in the 2 months he has gone! His favorite thing at school is art class on Mondays and Fridays. He is a talented little artist, I just love looking at all the stuff he brings home! He is also loving playing flag football under coach daddy. He has improved a lot this season already, and is looking forward to Upward Basketball in January! (along with his momma!) He is also going to Karate camp during his fall break from school, and I have a feeling that will lead into to regular lessons ;) Lastly, he is in Awana's every Wednesday night and really loves it. He amazes me with how quickly he is memorizing verses! He is a busy little guy but is doing fantastic!!

Ethan

Oh, Ethan. What can I say. That boy never ceases to amaze me with his shenanigans and pure preciousness all in one. You have heard the saying, "fiercely independent". Well, he blows that right out of the water. He absolutely dictates the household (or, I should say, TRIES to) and pushes limits beyond anything I have ever seen. I can't even go into all the details, and I am not sure you would believe me if I did! :-) Let's just say he is 3 and he is GOOD at it! He is also very loving, affectionate, helpful, and hilarious (when he isn't causing mass chaos and destruction). We still call him the "baby" and I don't see that changing anytime soon. He OWNS it, and isn't wanting to give up that nickname anytime soon! He is doing surprisingly well at his new MDO, his teachers adore him, and he is learning so much. He is a mess but keeps things interesting!!

Here is a slew of pics from the last few months!

Ayden turned 6!

Ethan turned 3!

The boys had their first double birthday party at
Chuck E Cheese!

Ayden with his "wife" Neena, and best friend, Sam :)

Raider's Center, Ayden Anderson!

Love this pic!

Does this one even need a caption?!?

I became a mini-van mom!!

Ethan's first time bowling last week!

Fun at the Circus!

Sweet boy!

Ayden's first elephant ride!!

Our Kindergartener!

It's hard to believe that almost 6 years ago, I started this blog to keep our family and friends up to date on a sweet little 6 week old baby (and eventually his little brother!) This is from my very first blog post in Oct. 2007:

Ayden is smiling so much now that I find myself constantly dropping everything I am doing and grabbing the camera and the camcorder to try to capture every smile! He loves to watch faces and bright lights and he has started making the sweetest baby coo's! He also sticks out his lower lip when he cries, and he has learned that he only needs to do this once and mommy and daddy are at his mercy!

 

That sweet little baby started kindergarten this morning.

My heart is overjoyed for him and this new, exciting phase of his life...and my heart is broken as well because I know how fast these 6 years have gone and he is already 1/3 of the way to being an adult. He got on the big train called School today, and the destination is adulthood. I pray for God's blessing over his precious little heart and soul throughout this new adventure.

Drop off this morning went very well...he has not been one bit nervous since he met his teacher and saw his classroom 2 days ago. In fact, he even told me I could just "drop him off at the door" because he "knew what he was doing". He also teased me incessantly, saying, "awww, your baby is going to Kindergarten and you are gonna cry, aren't ya?" Little stinker!!! Gotta love that Uncle-Nick like confidence though! ;)

Now I just counting down until I can go pick him up and hear all about his big day!!!!

All about the boys!

It's been awhile since I've blogged about the boys latest sayings/favorite things, etc, and I don't want to wait until their birthdays because I'm afraid I will forget ;) So here is the latest on our almost 6 year old and our 34 month old ;)

Ayden is such a "big kid" now. He is very self sufficient, responsible (at times), has a huge caring heart, is highly creative and imaginative, and above all, hilarious!! He loves to laugh and make others laugh. He reminds me so much of his Uncle Nick that is is scary at times! He is so smart and pays attention to every detail of every aspect of the day, and loves rules and structure (like his momma!). He is such great big brother and the majority of the time, he plays very well with and is patient with his baby brother. His favorite things right now are superhereoes & ninja turtles. He says he is too big to watch "baby cartoons" with Ethan (Max and Ruby, Team Unizoomi) although I still catch him watching them, but prefers Wild Kratts (a kids nature show on PBS) or something with Batman or Spiderman. He is finally eating a few fruits and veggies without gagging (it only took 6 years!). He is GIRL. CRAZY. I don't even know what to think about it....he loves girls and gets very shy and blushes when he sees a pretty little girl. I think we have a little Romeo on our hands! He talks all the time about the future, and always says, "When I grow up to be a daddy, ..." which I think is precious! He wants to live in the house across the street from us with his wife and 2 kids, who he has already named Ryan and Emily, plus a dog and a goldfish. Currently, his career aspiration is "champion boxer". Every night he asks me to "tuck me in like your babies at work" and then wants 4 kisses: Fishy mouth, Eskimo (which he calls "nemo", butterfly kisses, and a "regular" kiss. He will call me back up the stairs if we forget to do the kisses!! I absolutely adore this little boy!!!! I am so excited about the "big kid" stuff he is about to start doing...we are looking into piano lessons for the fall, as well as flag football, and then basketball this winter! I can't wait!!! Oh, and he is excited too ;)

Ethan has made so many changes in the last 6 months! The biggest, is that he is a talker...a non-stop talker at that!! He took his time talking like with all his other major milestones...just enough to worry his momma, and then boom--became a little chatterbox! Just in the last month he has transitioned from phrases and partial sentences to being able to carry on a conversation. I can understand him better than anyone, I would say I understand 95% of what he says, with the general population understanding about 50-75% ;) Some of his cutest things he  does and says are:

"momma, I tired! (pronounced "tye-red") He asks to take naps or go to bed when he is tired, he loves his sleep! The other night, we were driving home at dusk, and he said, "momma, I tye-red, I wanna take a nap by the moon" lol!

He calls mosquitos "taquitos"

He calls Andy Bear just "bear bear", and now thats what we all call him. A new nickname at 12 years old ;)

He thinks all plants, flowers, and even salad has bees on them. He'll say, wait momma! there's a bee!

He loves cheese, especially Pepperjack! He also loves Spicy brown mustard! He loves WHATEVER someone else is eating. He wants a bite! Basically, he LOVES to eat!

He is fiercely independent...if I hear "I do it! My turn!" once I hear it a thousand times a day!

Even though he loves to go to bed, he always says "But momma!" as I am walking out. Then he looks around the room and finds something he needs in the bed with him. (he sleeps with a ton of stuffed animals and a variety of books and toys. Good thing he has a full size bed!) The other night I forgot to say prayers with him. As I was about to shut his door, he said, "But momma, what about Jesus?" Melted my heart!

Speaking of bedtime, we rock and sing songs every night (except the 2 nights I work, and daddy does it then). He always asks me sing "sunshine, grace, santa, reindeer, twinkle, and baby" Which are-- You are my sunshine, Amazing Grace, Old Saint Nick, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, Twinkle Twinkle little star, and Bye Oh Baby. He likes variety for sure! He has to have his night night blankie, his little Elephant lovie, and his binky at bedtime. I never thought I would have an almost 3 year old with a pacifer at bedtime, but strangely, it doesn't bother me one single bit! I actually think its adorable! His dentist just recommends nixing it sometime after his 3rd birthday.

He is not potty trained at all and does not want to be. He will sit on the potty from time to time but won't go. I am 100% certain its a battle of the wills, he knows I want him to do it. When he wants to, he will, and that will be that. I am not stressing about it. (although, if he isn't within the next 3-6 months, I will be singing a different tune :)

He is super tall and thin! he can still wear 18-24 month size shorts but needs 4T for pants or shirts for the length. He weighs 36 pounds and is 40 inches tall. He wears size 10 shoes.

He loves loves loves playing with dump trucks and bulldozers! He likes to play in water/be wet for about 20 minutes and then he is done! He gets cold and doesn't like it! His favorite TV shows are Team Unizoomi, Doc McStuffins, & Mickey Mouse. He loves playing with his big brother! He is going to miss him so much when he starts kindergarten in a few weeks! :(

He is SO friendly and loving! He waves hello to everyone we see and has the most loving and beautiful smile! He loves to "nuggle" with momma and still loves to be held. I am cherishing these last little baby things about him!

He still has his moments, but in the last month, he has gotten so much easier. It's like he has grown up a little more...he listens and follows directions a little better, responds to discipline better, etc. We can actually take him out in public now! lol!!

Its hard to explain, but one of the cutest things he does is nod yes with his mouth. We call it the fishy mouth yes. Sometimes he nods with his head and opens and closes his mouth, but other times, when you ask him something, he simply opens and closes his mouth over and over, and that means yes. It is so cute and hilarious!!

I am a blessed momma of these sweet boys!!

Ayden is KINDERGARTEN BOUND!!!

My first born baby boy is an official preschool graduate and all ready to start K on August 1st! We are so excited for this huge milestone in his life...Chris and I both loved school so much and we're sure Ayden will too! Ethan will be starting a new preschool 2 days a week that is 2 blocks from Ayden's elementary school. Both schools are 5 minutes from our house and located in our awesome downtown district. We are bittersweet about leaving our wonderful MDO, but we will have a different schedule & routine this fall, so we needed different days/hours for him to attend. I plan to work Sunday and/or Friday nights & be off through the week. (Chris and I will be teaching 3 year old Sunday school every other week, so I won't be working Saturday nights anymore...yay!) I am all signed up for the PTO and plan to be very involved in Ayden's school, and couldn't be more excited about it! But until then...I have 2 months of summer fun planned with my boys!!

Here is the pics from the first day of school last August, and today, their last day. They have grown so much and (tear), Ethan looks so much more like a "little boy" than a baby!

Preschool Graduation