A Good Day

We finally found a weekend that worked out for us to spend a day at the beach. It was awesome and much needed. I love the east coast and have missed it since our days in Virginia beach. This past year has felt as though it was dominated by a to-do list and while the list are still there, lurking in the background, that's all they are, background. I'm ready to "seize the day" again. I lost sight of the fun stuff and got caught up in the to-do stuff. Sure the to-do stuff still needs to be done, but I refuse to let it take over. It's time to get back to the fun and this was a good start.




It started off cloudy and in the 70's, but after 4 years of living in Iowa our kids think that is perfectly fine for swimming!
*love how Thatcher appears to be 12 feet tall in this one*




After a short nap in the tent, Parker was ready for his fisrt trip to the coast. He was not apprehensive in the least. He crawled through the sand like he had been doing it all of his life. He ate most of the sand on the beach!





Alyssa felt like it was her first time too. She hasn't been to the beach since she was barely a year old.



I think all of us had missed it. We drove down to the beach the night before. And the anticipation was almost to much as we walked down the boardwalk. My toes were excited to walk in the sand, my ears were excited to hear the waves crashing, my nose was excited to smell the salt, my skin was excited to feel the breeze....ok, so you get the point, right! We were glad to get away for the day.

Jacob worked, cause that's just what he does...




This move from Iowa was hard. We miss our friends. This was good for us.









Did I mention Parker can write his name now?

Things we love

*sorry for the picture quality, my editing software is lost in a box somewhere*

Playing Store
I'm gonna be broke! The boys keep setting up "stores". So far I have shopped at Pawn Stars, Best Buy, Target, and now Toys R Us. Alex is expensive and Jacob is reasonable. I have bought a yellow marker, a tattoo, a book, and a plastic bug.





New Nail Polish
Just got this, it's awesome! It's called Happy Anniversary. It's the perfect balance of white and shimmer.





Chore Charts
I just got these started again today. We had just really gotten into using them before we moved. The top is the chore chart. They pick one new "habit" off of the list to start doing each week. And I guess they are not really chores, just things they can do to be more responsible for themselves. But they do keep their own bathroom clean:) For each "chore" they complete with a good attitude they get a shape. For each 15 shapes they get a dollar. The bottom is their reading charts. If they read for at least 20 minutes each day(they always do, usually more) they get to color in a square. After all the squares are colored in they get a small prize that they choose at the start.




Watching her play
I like to blend in with the background and just watch and listen. Oh the adventures these barbies have been going on lately! And when the little brother wants to play she just pretends he's the "big monster" and continues on. Parker loves barbies!!
*yep that's a sposie diaper he has on. I'm in the middle of selling his size smalls in cloth and buying mediums. But it is a "friendly" diaper, 7th generation.*







Shooting in manual
I am shooting/taking pictures in full manual exclusively now! Something just clicked one day and I love it. It's still a learning process, but I'm having fun with it.




Making baby food
This is so fun and so easy. There is something so satisfying about watching food turn to mush in a food processor. Or it could be that I'm just weird.




20x30 canvas
This just came this week. I could stare at it all day! If you live in Iowa I highly recommend http://hisandhersphotography.com/. You will not be disapointed. Just beware of how hard it will be to pick your faves!





As for how moving in and unpacking is going?
Well let's just say I have lots of help!





I have a whole post about moving coming up, but for now I have a bed full of little boys to snuggle up with.




Happy Wednesday:)

Happy 6 months

I cannot believe it has been this long since I've blogged. And although I really should be packing boxes right now, I really really want to get to blogging again. So here I go!

My little man was 6 months old January 11!! He has been such a fun baby. We all have enjoyed him so much.


Here he was at 4 weeks


And here he is at 6 months


I've taken a picture of him with his bear at 4 days, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 4 months, and now 6 months. I can't wait to compare them all on his first birthday.
He still loves to be worn in a baby carrier. We are still exclusivly nursing. We are waiting until after the move to South Carolina to start solids. He loves to play with Alyssa's barbies and wants to get into the boys legos so bad. Parker loves the tags on his toys. He loves to bounce. He is now in 6-12 months in clothes, and is barely still fitting his size small diapers. He is sitting up better and better everyday. Parker reminds me of Alex so much, he is a goofy little guy.

He started crawling the day before his 6 month birthday. He is all over the place now!
*just ignore the excited mommy, this was his first "official" crawl*


And now, just this weekend I find him doing this!




Love this expression! He was so excited and suprised at himself.

Easter 2011

A look at our easter 2011...




we colored eggs and waited for the easter bunny to arrive...




we had easter egg hunts...




we ate lots of jelly beans and too many chocolate bunnies...




we had a nice, simple easter.





and I don't want to leave this little guy out of the pictures again, he was having an easter nap.




and because she still keeps asking me "if the easter bunny is gonna come this night" and after I tell her not until next easter, she always ask, "whys it taking so wong(long)"

Gymastics 2010-2011

*excuse my picture of a picture quality, my scanner is refusing to work right now*




She started gymnastics September of 2010 in the 3 year old class and was moved up to the 4-5 year old class February 2011. She'll be 4 in a few weeks.