LONG overdue update!!

It has been so long since I updated this thing I think I almost forgot it was here!

Here is a quick run down of what's been going on......

We had the worst computer issues EVER! Over 2 months, Thatcher went through 3 laptops and we had to have mine completely wiped out and restored. I still think mine has some bugs, but it works.

Alex finished his first ice skating session and advanced to level 2. He just loves it!

We are expecting our 4th little one, July 2011. It was fun to tell the kids. Jacob and Alyssa both want a girl, but Alex says he wants a boy. Alex also wanted to know "how it got in there" and then he ask, "did you eat it?" Alyssa thinks she has a baby in her tummy too! I have been really really tired with this one. I am pretty positive I could sleep 20 hours a day.

We bought new furniture. The boys shattered our oven door. Alyssa still loves gymnastics. Jacob is still doing cub scouts and wants to start soccer again.

Other than that, things have been pretty normal around here:)

1K run

Jacob and Alex recently entered a 1k fun run to benefit Shoes that fit.
Alex sat down with us to take a little break after each lap, but they were both determined and both finished!

2024 Olympics here we come

After Jacob took gymnastics last winter and spring, Alyssa has been asking to "do gin-nastics." I was thrilled to say the least, so we signed her up over the summer. Her first class was a Mommy and tot class. I was not aware of that when I signed up. But it did enable me to take pictures!

We have since moved her to a new gymnastics academy. She loves it! Her teacher is Miss Becca and Alyssa looks forward to seeing her each week. And I get to proudly watch from the sidelines.

It has been so much fun watching her. Gymnastics is something I have loved my entire life. It was a childhood dream. I know she is only 3, but to be able to give her this opportunity means the world to me. I'll always be ready to go as far as she wants to go in anything!

Back to School

My babies started school just a couple of weeks ago. It was sad and exciting and crazy busy!

Jacob started 2nd grade, he loves his teacher and has lots of friends and neighbors in his class. He has been doing great this year!




Alex started Kindergarten. He has a wonderful teacher and he is loving big school. He has done wonderful, although he has been known to get in trouble a few times for talking at rest time!

We finally decided we would go ahead and send Alyssa to pre-school this year. Because of her late May birthday we have been back and forth on sending her this year or not. She is going to the same pre-school Alex went to and has the same teacher as Alex did his very first year. She loves it! And I have to admit those 2 and half hours of pure silence on Tuesday and Thursday mornings are amazing, but a little too quiet.

Alabama in pictures

We love summer! It is my favorite season. And while I appreciate all the other seasons, I really do, they ain't got nothin' on long summer days. I have to apologize to all the grandparents, it's that love of summer that has kept me away from the computer. Well, that and a computer virus.

Without further ado.....

Our 3 week trip to Alabama, summer 2010.

We spent the night before our 6am flight in a hotel in Omaha....



jumping on beds.....

swimming.....



and cozy in bed.

We went swimming alot on our trip. Alex has all but mastered swimming now.




We took poolside naps and played in sandboxes.

We spent lots of time playing with our cousins.

We pretended to like our brothers and sister so Mom could take a 4th of July picture!

We snuggled up with Grandparents.

We had a wonderful time and cannot wait to come back and visit again at Christmas!

My girl

My girl had her 3rd!!!! birthday last month. May 26th. It feels so strange to have entered this place where all I have are "big kids" running around now. Alyssa ask for a ladybug party and a ladybug party is what she got! I love birthdays! Its your very own special day to celebrate the very simple fact that today you were born, the day you were blessed with life. And life is beautiful! The day my babies were born are some of my most favorite days.



I have so many favorite pictures from this day. I tried my very best to narrow it down to my favorites, and I'm afraid I failed miserably!



*a note to the grandparents........you can click on these pictures to see the bigger version*








I adore this one. She has her eyes squished closed waiting for her presents.

I never thought that I would have more fun planning a birthday if I was making most everything myself. I didn't know I had it in me! Thatcher even had a hand in making her shirt!

The cake was so amazing. I loved it! I wish I could say I made the cake too, but I learned my lesson along time ago, I cannot make cakes! I actually attempted to make Jacob's first birthday cake and oh my goodness, it was not pretty!

One of her presents was a sprinkler. Oh how they love that sprinkler! They are slow to warm up but when they do, they go all out. Jacob and Alex spent most of the time "flying" over it on the zip line. Alyssa would only get just close enough to feel a tiny sprinkle, at first anyway.

*No one is allowed to make fun of my cookies!* So stop laughing :)

I'm kidding!

And at the end of her special day, she was riding off into the sunset!

Happy 3rd Birthday Alyssa!!!

Randomness....

I'm on a roll, 2 blog post in one day! I'm trying my very best to get caught up before our big Alabama trip Monday. We'll be gone for almost 3 weeks, so its now or never. I have a feeling it's gonna be a long night. Tomorrow is devoted to packing and Sunday is devoted to Father's Day.

We have been on lots of bike rides since summer has come to Iowa. My poor little girl cannot get through one without falling asleep. It doesn't matter if we go for a quick 20 minute ride or if we're gone for an hour.

Close to the end of the school year Jacob's class had a famous people day and we went all out! Jacob wanted to be Micheal Jackson. I spent that night gluing sparkles to his glove and hat, and pinning up his black jeans.

This is how I found the boys one afternoon on the front porch. They said they were playing "dirty pirates". Gotta love that imagination.

I think that's about all. Hopefully I can squeeze in Alyssa's birthday pictures before the nights over. Its getting pretty late though!

Bye-bye pre-school!

Alex recently finished pre-school!
Ok-ok so it was exactly a month ago today, but that's recent right?
He was so excited about his spring program, he wanted to go dressed up like Daddy does for work, and so he did. Alex even checked with Thatcher the night before, to make sure his outfit looked like Daddy's!
I was so proud of him. He is usually very shy about singing in front of anyone, but he put on a big show this time, hand movements and all.
He is excited and nervous to start kindergarten next fall, and he talks about missing his pre-school teachers and sending them hearts in the mail. I think I'm just as excited and nervous as he is. I cannot believe I have to send him off to school in just a few short months.

A birthday post

I have officially sang "Happy Birthday" to this little big boy 8 times now. I don't know if there are words powerful enough to describe to you the little soul that lives behind these eyes. It doesn't like to show itself all the time or to just anyone, but I see it all the time. And its magic and its beautiful. Its strong and its thoughtful. I am proud to be the Mama of this little soul. He can melt my heart at any given moment!

For his 8th birthday Jacob choose to celebrate with his friends at the gymnastics club where he has class. And he wanted tornado's for his theme.

They had a blast.

And were so fast, I switched the camera into high speed and still got "in motion" shots!

They jumped on the big trampolines, ran an obstacle course and got to play in the pits.

We celebrated in the party room with tornado cupcakes and lightning bolt cookies. I was up late the night before icing those cookies! We even had twister makers to play with.

Jacob got some cool presents. Even though it was only 71 degrees outside that afternoon, they had to try out the new slip n slide. The "chocolate party" was a real treat from Alex. The kids do not get soda to drink at our house so he was excited to say the least! And he shared with everyone.

Happy Birthday Jacob!