Phew...

I know it's been a week since I've really posted. And really, I am not going to make up for it now. The last handful of days have been a whirlwind - so it's not like I have nothing to write about. And it's been a good whirlwind, too - so everything is ok. It's just been busy.

Quick synopsis - we went to my Aunts this weekend (left Thursday) for a big fishing weekend for the men and playing weekend for the ladies and kiddos. It is SO relaxing there... like a mini vacation. But that means that last Wednesday and Thursday were busy packing, get ready to leave, sneaking in doctor appts, etc... Today, we grocery shopped in the AM. I made dinner for a new mama, and cinnamon rolls for brunch tomorrow while the kids napped. We delivered the dinner when Marc got home and visited that family a bit before grabbing a quick dinner for ourselves and getting the kids in bed way past bedtime.

Oh and of course we bought the boat in there and any of Marc's waking minutes not already spoken for is devoted to working on the boat. He has two buddies over right now working on it with him.

Truthfully, tomorrow looks like it just might be as whirlwindy. We have MOPS in the AM (it's our group's turn for brunch - so I'm bringing cinnamon rolls again), lunch, naps and few errands in the PM.

So, I haven't forgotten about my blog. On the contrary - I still think several times a day of things to write (mostly funny things the boys do), but before I get a chance to post, it's midnight. Since it's only 11:35pm right now, I thought I'd jump on here quickly.

The newest addition to our family...

Marc is giddy...

Four little monkeys playing the grass, one fell down and broke his...

We have been thoroughly enjoying the warm - borderline hot at times - weather lately. And we already have the stained dirty feet to prove it.

I got a couple cute pictures of AJ in the grass this weekend and instantly thought of the pictures of Andrew in the grass about the same age. Can't really tell they are brothers, huh. Trust me - they were made by the same ingredients.

I was able to get out a bit Saturday morning and do some garage sale-ing. I got a few things, but it was nice just to get out sans kiddos. Then Marc headed down to his uncle's to help fix up the place for the summer. We then hung out with the Dressler's for dinner and they...

... introduced us to my new favorite game - MonkeyBall (or LadderBall seemingly everywhere but Michigan). They even gave us our very own set. Marc and I have been playing every free minute we get.

Sunday after church, we had a quick Taco Bell lunch, put the kids down for naps so we could play even more MonkeyBall, and then we (ok, Marc) got a lot of yard work done (I watched kids).

Today, we stayed home and got the house back in shape after pretty much taking the weekend off housework-wise. But we did sneak a walk in before the boys afternoon nap.

It's NBA playoff time once again (funny - this is my third year posting about the Pistons in the playoffs). So the Pistons are on and we are munching homemade carmel corn. (well, I am finished - no sticky keys for me). I'll leave you with my little dreamboat...

(PS: I did not retouch this photo - does anyone else see a little red in his hair?)

How not to get in trouble for getting back out of bed...

Come down stairs and that tell me that you can't sleep because you forgot the words to "Jesus Loves Me".

Rise & Shine

Going on the theme of the Sun (vocab word - 'rays'), today we made Sunshine bread.

Then for lunch, we sprinkled on some mozzarella cheese and dipped the rays into spaghetti sauce (with a side of carrots and yogurt).

A Week in the Life...

Gosh, I hate it when I let it go too long between posts and now I get to feed you a whole bunch of stuff with little detail vs. the compelling conversation starters that you’ve come to expect.

I updated last Wednesday, so I will start with Thursday – here we go…

Thursday – I had my final Bible Study meeting. We had an amazing brunch. It’s weird not getting together with them this morning. I am going to miss them, and even though I don’t know her, I am going to miss Beth Moore. If you ever have a chance to do a Beth Moore study – jump on board with both feet as fast you can… you won’t regret it!

Friday – some friends of ours called in the morning, so we had a nice play date until naptime. I pretty much worked around the house until that evening when we had a surprise birthday party for some other friends. The party was held at a church with a gym, so Andrew was in heaven. Going to that party, Andrew’s outgoing personality was really highlighted. We hardly knew anyone except the guests of honor, but Andrew took off immediately like, “see ya, mom & dad!”, completely comfortable among everyone there.

Saturday – well, truthfully we didn’t do much exciting, other than a trip to Sam’s Club for a few essentials.

Sunday – Amazing church service in the morning, naps in the afternoon and a roast dinner in the evening (that I accidentally dumped a ton of seasoning salt on – the container was missing the shaker top).

Monday – Monday we just hung around the house, however we did hit Chili’s for dinner. I had gift card from October. We kept waiting until we could get a sitter, and finally decided to just go with the kids last minute. They did great. However, AJ get his little paws on a full glass of water which he threw to the ground - that waiter got a nice tip. We then drove by The House for sale that we love in the school district that we love. At this point it’s a pipe dream or an opportunity for a miracle. We stopped by our friends’ (the surprise party ones) who live close to The House and had leftover ice cream.

Tuesday – We had MOPS in the morning where I sold my Little Loopy tag blankets. I do have a surplus left over if anyone is interested. The afternoon was just naps, making a large amount of waffles for dinner/freezer supply and working around the house. We did have one of the boys’ babysitters that we haven’t seen in quiet a while stop in for a quick visit in the evening – so that got Andrew excited.

Wednesday – we had library storytime in the morning with sweet Miss Henne (sounds like penny - doesn’t that name just scream “librarian”.) We hit a couple stores before coming home for lunch and naps. That afternoon, we actually when through The House with the realtor. Probably not a smart move on our part, because we loved it and not sure we can really do anything about it. There were a lot of prayers for contentment offered up that evening. Last night, Ryan came over again with his projector – so the guys watched huge screen basketball on our wall until the wee hours.

That brings us to this morning. We have nothing planned for today. So, whenever those days come, I make a huge list of all things around the house I want to get done. However, this list is usually so gigantic that it would impossible without two little ones underfoot. But we really don’t have plans for tomorrow either, so – maybe I can get a lot kicked out. AJ is down for his first nap. I have dough in the breadmaker (Andrew and I are going to make a bread shaped like the sunshine today – this week’s theme is this sun). And if the weather is nice we might get outside for a while this afternoon, also.

Ok, I so sorry for this ‘yawner’ of a post. If you made it through, I will reward you with this photo…

What a fine looking bunch!

My Bible Study Ladies

(we had a fabulous brunch Thursday morning - I brought these)

These Little Feet

This is a page that I orginally created digitally way back when I didn't have a clue how to create pages digitally. So I redid it this week.
Journaling:
Soon, they will help you scoot across the floor. They will pitter-patter across the hall before we know it. Someday you will learn to tie shoes on them. They will run to my arms when you need cuddled. They will dash to daddy when you want to play. They will carry you to your first day of school. They will help you show off on the playground. They will peddle your first bike. Maybe you will use them to play soccer or score a touchdown or make a lay-up or maybe all three. They will help you walk around the lake to go fishing. Maybe you will use them to swim across the lake, too. Will these feet help you be a safe driver? Will they grow to be a big as your dad’s? Will they take long walks with me? Will they carry you through nature to enjoy God’s creation? Will they take you to a hurting friend who needs comfort? Will they help you stand strong for your faith? Will they help you not fall to temptation? Will they walk down the path that’s straight and narrow? Will they lead others to heaven?

Andrew, there are so many places these little feet will carry you. I pray you walk with Jesus each day. I love you. ~Mom

What a rush!

As I write this, AJ is currently walking laps through out main floor, occasionally making his way back to his lowered high chair tray to get another peice of dry cereal. Just walking... for no good reason... with no destination. And grinning the entire time. I wish at moments like these I could read his little mind.

"Mom! Can you see?! Look at my feet, my legs... they move! Aren't they the greatest invention ever! I'm walking just like Andrew! I'm SO cool!"

Snippits of our day.

We got up and out this morning and hit the library. Library Laptime returned so we listened to stories and rhymes and then the boys got to play for a while with the Thomas train set. Ethan's Grandma (I don't even know her name - isn't that terrible) read Thomas books to Ethan after storytime, so Andrew gradually worked his way closer and closer until he was also being read to as well. It was cute. When we left the library, it was like a blizzard outside. In April! It wasn't just snowing, it wasn't just blowing, it wasn't just freezing... it was all three and then some.. in April! But we still had to stop and get milk before going home in time for lunch and naps.

This evening, Ryan was over and brought his projector that he uses for work. The guys set it up on our large wall - and soon we had a movie theater in our living room.

And for a little movie of my own... AJ is officially walking. Walking, walking. I think he is actually walking more now than crawling - although when it's time to get down to business and get somewhere quickly, he will still book on his hands and knees.

Pokes & Paint

Please don’t panic. The next picture should explain everything.

We were just having some art time when Andrew’s brush ‘slipped’.

This afternoon, AJ had his one year check-up. And while there were two pokes in his left thigh that caused extreme screaming after an insanely long moment of not breathing… the appointment went well over all. He even has a cute little band-aid on his chubby little thigh. Well, maybe it isn’t chubby enough. We got his official 12-month stats.

Height: 29-7/8th’s inches, 50th percentile.
Weight: 19 lbs.-7 oz., between 5th & 10th percentile.

But his doctor wasn’t concerned yet as long as he is eating well. (And that he is!) She said he is still on the chart and could easily bounce up by his next appointment in three months. He got the green light to start drinking cows milk and we should be able to turn his carseat to forward facing in a few weeks (although I think I’m tempted to leave it backwards as long as possible). I even got the low-down on what’s acceptable to give Andrew for his car sickness. That’s worth the co-pay, right there.

I'm off to bed, but I will leave you with a clip I like to call, “Game of a One Year Old” or it may also be referred to by its alternate title, “Why Mom Gets Nothing Done.”

Ham & Green Eggs

We had a nice Easter weekend at my parents in Ohio. We got down Friday night and celebrated AJ's birthday, we got together with my dad's side of the family on Saturday and went to church on Sunday. We even had the whole ham dinner and colored Easter eggs Sunday afternoon.

Of course, the boys slept terrible (really super terrible), so we were tired, but it was a nice weekend. We got in late last night. The boys did however, sleep really well in the car on the way home. So well, that when we did get home around midnight-ish - they were both nice and awake. AJ wasn't up too long and went back down just fine (however he did have a nice bout of screaming around 2:30am). Andrew on the other hand, even though he looked like he was exhausted, insisted that he was not tired. Since Marc did such a great job driving home and needed some wind down time before bed, also - Andrew and Marc stayed up and watched fishing at midnight.

Today, we just recovered from our weekend (again, we were tired), unpacked and just took it easy. Alright, I am writing this late and I'm not sure this post is even making sense. Have a great week.

New Kicks!

Andrew's shoes had seen better days and lived a good fast life, but it was time. He would point out to me each time he put them on that the toes were coming apart. And each time I told him that we would be buying him new shoes soon, he would ask for "Lightening Shoes".

So after a trip with Grandma to Walmart this weekend - Andrew got his "Lightening Shoes!".

He is faster than fast, and quicker than quick - he is speed! Ka-Chow!

AJ's 1st Birthday - Take Two!

His actual birthday wasn't too exciting since it consisted of us packing up and driving down to Ohio. But we did sneak in a stop to McDonalds for a birthday dinner. What kid doesn't want McDonalds for their birthday?!Then he got he got to celebrate at Grandma and Papa's house.

And then there's the cake.

How in the world has it been a whole year??

Happy Birthday, AJ!

Likes
· Toys - Anything Andrew has in his hands. Books from bookshelf. New walker. And the grail of all things… the Remote.
· Food – Banana bread, baked oatmeal, fruit, enchiladas, cheerios, anything sweet and his newly introduced favorite, Puffs.
· Books – They are good for chewing on, although he is pretty good at turning pages.
· Music – he loves the HBO Classical Baby shows, he likes us singing his “Jump, AJ Go Jump” song and his “AJ, AJ, A-jumpin’ J” song.
· Movies/TV – Again, he likes the Classical Baby shows, but will temporarily be interested in any of Andrew’s shows.
· His Andrew – his favorite toy of all. The sillier the Andrew the better. Andrew can get him to laugh better than either Marc or myself. He tickles AJ and blows zlurburts on his belly.
· Other – He is taking steps and enjoys walking behind moving toys. Silent clapping. Bouncing/jumping, especially in his crib. Escaping diaper changes thrills him! Tubs with his big brother, throwing toys out the tub with his big brother, splashing mom in the tub with his big brother, you get the idea.

Dislikes:
· Nose wiped/face washed
· His vitamins


AJ – I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by. I love how snuggly you are. You are shy and sweet. You take a bit to warm up to people, but once you do, you love on them big time – winning them over completely. I love your eyes, as they give the impression you have this whole gig figured out and you are just waiting for the right time to share it with the rest of us. And those times you do express your silly side; you charm the pants off anyone who witnesses it. I am thankful for you AJ and so thankful that God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave you to me. I am one blessed mama. I love you, punkin’ butt.

Isn't it crusty? Aren't we clever? But the wasps were just as bad as ever.

The other day, on a whim, I took 1/3 bag of frozen mixed veggies, and nuked them with some water until tender. I threw it all in the blender with an egg and some bisquick and made veggie pancakes out of it. And get this... my boys LOVE them! (honestly - I thought they tasted awful and I like veggies). It's something that AJ can feed himself, so that I can actually eat my meal and something Andrew actually requests. I didn't know whether I could sell Andrew on the concept of green pancakes, so I did initially drizzle just a little syrup on his. (I know - you are thinking, "GROSS!"). And would be too, except that it worked! Of course, my hubby, the ultimate anti-vegitarian thought it practically ranked right up there with abuse. But both boys were gobbling up thier veggies and asking for more! This might just become a regular freezer item.

By the way, the title is from my childhood book now Andrew's book, "The Giant Jam Sandwich".

Busy doing nothing...

This morning, we came downstairs to witness snow falling outside. This is just one day after we took a nice long walk without our coats. Without our sweatshirts. Even without our hats. We even double-backed a few houses to shed a layer since it was in the 70's yesterday. Less than 24 hours ago it was in the 70's and now it is snowing!

Anyway, I called Andrew to come look out the window and I exclaimed in a rather excited voice, "Look! It's snowing!", thinking he would share my (feigned) excitingment. But no. In an all too grown-up tone, he replied, "Aw, man. And I thought it was spring!"

We haven't been up to much this week. Sunday, we did get together with some friends for dinner. They have a 4yr old boy and a big house - so Andrew is in heaven whenever we visit. And we had some other friends over for dinner and cards tonight. The rest of the week has been pretty quiet due to spring break. No MOPS, no library days, no Bible Study, no gym time, nothing. It's actually been kinda nice. I have the house in a decent state... laundry isn't piled to the ceiling (notice I didn't say it was done)... we've been able to really focus on potty training... AJ's been happy (he really is at his best when we are mostly home)... I've been able to work on the-craft-that-must-not-be-named, etc... So, I can't say we haven't been doing things - just not 'scheduled' things. We haven't been bored.

Tomorrow - we will venture out of the house for a few groceries & maybe hit the library anyways just to play. We will also be packing up to head south this weekend for Easter with my parents. And of course, Friday is AJ's first birthday! (*sniff*) My baby turns one!

Happy Easter!

New Shoes.

Yesterday, the weather was cool but nice, so we went outside for a bit while dinner was in the oven. AJ recently received a walker that I thought he might enjoy using on the sidewalk while Andrew races by with one of his many trucks. But, this kid has never once his is life worn shoes before. In fact, I don't even have shoes for him. So I dug through our hand me down pile and found a pair of size 5 shoes. I think they were too big, yet, but they would work. He was SO funny when I put them on him. He just stood there, bent at the waist staring at them. Then he sat and tried to pull them off. Not in an upset way, but in a "look what my feet grew!" way. But when I got him outside behind the walker, the shoes didn't seem to bother him a bit and he toddled along behind his walker adorably. Sorry, guys... no pictures.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 6:1

WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS
written by Isaac Watts

When I survey the wonderous cross,
On which the prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the of Christ, my God;
All the Vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His .

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did ever such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.