The Adventures of Chase & Owen

A Salad Spinner Art Project

2012-01-25T18:31:00.000-06:00

We made some fun cards last weekend. I make this with the boys every so often and use them as thank you notes, birthday tags, etc. They have fun making them and the mess is usually contained to a small area. Here's how:

First, get out your salad spinner and take a piece of paper that you've cut into a square and put it in the middle.

Use small bottles from a craft store to put paint in. Squeeze paint onto the paper.

Use two colors for variety

Put the lid on and push down quickly on the top of the salad spinner

When done spinning reach in and pull out your art work

Show it off begin another!

Early Saturday Morning

2012-01-21T08:33:00.001-06:00

We get up pretty early around here so we need to find things to do when Mom and Dad aren't quite awake. This morning Owen wanted to play in the sink so I pulled up the chairs and away we went. It was relatively dry for an early morning activity. :)

Owen and Chase play on Saturday morning with a white winter land in the background.

Making a tower

There were not enough dishes in the sink, so when my back was turned (I was actually on Facebook) they got into the kid dish drawer and filled the sink with all these items.

Owen peers up at Mommy innocently.

Bye Daddy!

2012-01-19T15:10:00.002-06:00

On the weekends when Daddy leaves to run an errand Chase and Owen LOVE to stand in the door and way and YELL, "Bye Daddy!" over and over until they can't see him any more. I think it's so sweet. It's almost like game to them. They like to see who can yell the loudest.

games

2012-01-18T08:22:00.000-06:00

Jeff started a very intense game of musical chairs the other night. It was pretty funny. The boys did not like the idea of someone getting out each round. They wouldn't let us take a chair away and we had to always be the one to not sit in the chair. It was a fun way to pass some time and laugh a bit.

My Birthday

2012-01-11T11:36:00.001-06:00

My birthday was Sunday and it was a super great day. I got to do many of my favorite things-including going to church, going shopping by myself, hanging out with my 3 favorite people, having dinner made for me, eating cake and cuddling with jammie clad boys. My boys were so great to me. They sang Happy Birthday 3 times, Chase made me a sweet card, Jeff gave me a sweet card and Chase, Owen and Daddy picked out a cute cake and roses for me.

Owen sat at the table a long time after everyone else was done eating their cake. He loves it as much as I do! He relished in the little tiny pieces, shoving them in his mouth with all his fingers. Chase just ate the frosting and was done.

On Saturday we went to Sophia's 4th birthday party. We had so much fun. The boys were super excited to see their friends Sophie and Gavin.

Owen smiles

Chase smiles-he's looking like such a big boy to me lately.

The kids at the party.

Chase, Gavin and Sophie

Making funny faces!

Owen makes a good funny face!

Cousins!

Gavin, Sophie, Chase and Owen

Kisses for the birthday girl.

stockings

2012-01-10T09:04:00.000-06:00

I saw this stocking and fell in love with it. When my parents were coming for Christmas I remembered they didn't have stockings so I whipped up a couple for them. My mom's looked pretty much like this one, except it said, "Grandma". My dad's was a red version of the above and it said, "Grandpa." I forgot to take pictures of my work! :(

These are a Few of My Favorite Mommy Things

2012-01-09T08:38:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about my favorite things for kids' skin. Today I'm blogging about my favorite things for Mommies.

Amazon Mom

IsABelt-the invisible belt

This is an amazing product! If you don't have one, get one today and it will change your life. Low jeans, pants, etc. can be very difficult to wear when you are a mommy. Because we have to bend over so much and jeans gap, well, you know what happens. This belt holds your jeans up without being bulky. You can wear a shirt over it and not see a huge buckle through the shirt. I have the wide belt version, what is shown here is the narrow. I'd suggest the wide.

Again, you can buy it on Amazon, but I got mine at Hot Mama. Speaking of Hot Mama this is my next favorite thing.

Hot Mama
If you haven't been here, you need to go. The women who work there can fit you in a pair of jeans like no other. They are located in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, MN, Michigan, Missouri, ND, Ohio, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

AmLactin
AmLactin is a wonderful moisturizer used for very dry skin, like heels or calluses. AmLactin® Moisturizing Body Lotion gently exfoliates dead skin cells to help return dry skin to its healthy, natural state. It helps skin lock in and retain moisture through intense hydration. You can buy it at the Target or Walgreen's pharmacy or on Amazon.

Christmas was Great!

2011-12-28T08:22:00.001-06:00

We had just a wonderful Christmas with my family! The boys were very well behaved and took each event as it came. They were so happy to see Nana and Papa and Auntie Kate and Lane. Each day more presents appeared under the tree and they were so patient, never tearing into the gifts or really whining about opening them. I get so excited to have them open the gifts we got for them, mostly because I know they will love them!

Because I had a lot of family in town we had several events. On the 23rd we went to my cousin Kathryn's for dinner with my cousins Phil and James and their significant others. It was so nice to see everyone. The boys had fun with Kathryn's son Blake and they played with his cars. My parents and Kate and Lane arrived late on the 23rd. We spent the next morning with Phil, Amanda, James and Marthe as they came to our home for brunch. Phil and James live on opposite sides of the country; Phil in San Francisco and James in New York City, so we don't see them often. It was nice to be with them at Christmas.

Amanda, Phil, Susie, Kate, Lane, Marthe, James

Owen and Chase before church in their little suits

The Bergers 2011

Boy do these guys love each other. I think this picture and the ones of them hugging are just adorable. Owen yells, "Chasey," when he wants him, just like we do. It's cute.

The boys loved ornaments this year. Chase shows the blue glass ornament that was his favorite. I was so afraid it was going to get broken because he was not always gentle.

Owen shows off his favorite ornament-pink of course! They loved the sparkly things on the tree.

Holding the favorite blue ornament carefully.

We went to church at 3:40 that day and boy was it packed. Chase and Owen sat through their first church service because there was not child care. Chase wasn't feeling the best and he sat very still and colored with Jeff the entire service. Owen was feeling very good and was wiggly. He did great too, but was busy moving around. He liked to stand up on my lap and look at the choir singing and wondered, "Where did the people go?" when they left the stage. At one point he stood up and started dancing, which was sweet.

Throughout the weekend I heard, "Hi Auntie Kate," over and over. Chase and Owen loved having Auntie Kate around.

We had snacks and chili for dinner and fought back the urge to open gifts. Santa made an appearance and Chase and Owen were excited to see him. They dug in his bag and looked for gifts. Santa brought crayons, markers and Cars coloring books and the boys were very satisfied! He also brought gifts for the rest of us, which was so nice of Santa!

Chase and Owen peer into the bag

Chase holds and envelope for Aunty Kate

Owen and Chase smile with Santa and hold their chocolatey sucker.

Owen, Kate, Chase and Grandma.

Daddy

Of course after church, the shirts had to come off and the muscles had to come out. Isn't he tough looking?!

Double trouble-Owen had to get in there and show his muscles too

Christmas morning started around 6:30 with C, O and I making our way downstairs to find Santa had been there. We checked the advent calendar and found baby Jesus in the 25th pocket. Chase carefully placed him in the manger we had padded with cotton and we thanked God for sending Jesus.

Owen looks up with a smile-he doesn't know his favorite cars that he really wanted are inside!

Chase tears open his special gift from Santa-cars!

The boys help Daddy open his gift.

Chase and Owen help Mommy open a new pair of pants

Mommy and Owen open some books. Books were the hot item at our house this year. I think they got around 12. Good thing because they love love reading.

The rest of the family gets up and we open stockings-which is a tradition in our house. Owen had fun passing out gifts to everyone and helped most people open the presents too.

Chase got a head lamp for camping! Owen got one and Daddy got two!

Uncle Lane helps Chase open his new truck from Grandma and Grandpa

Owen drives his new truck and is happy about it!

Owen helps Grandpa open his present.

Chase is so happy to have Nigel the car.

yummy, candy canes!

Mommy sees the gift for Chase and Owen and is excited!

It's a new Car track to go on the wall!!! Owen is thrilled to see it comes with a new car!

Chase is happy and lets Nana and Papa know

Daddy is putting together the new track and the boys wait patiently.

Nana tries to nap and Chase stands by with a sucker.

Owen pokes Nana in the face with the sucker.

Papa Curly reads a new Dr. Seuss book.

Owen and his 5 new cars!

We sent over and the boys started to pull things out of their stockings, giggling with glee. There were lots of fun things and lots of Cars items. They found a little Simba and Nala, which they loved. Jeff got up shortly after this and we opened a few gifts from Santa and each other. The boys got what they asked Santa for! Chase got a black car and a purple car. Owen got a pink car and a blue car (Disney Cars of course).

Papa and Chase play together.

Christmas Eve dinner

When the rest of the family got up we opened presents and enjoyed the time with each other. That night we had our traditional dinner of prime rib. Kate helped out with crab legs and boy were we full! We played some SkipBo after the boys went to bed and ended the night with some new cards Jeff got-"Would you Rather." We had a lot of good laughs over that game.

This and That

2011-12-23T12:30:00.000-06:00

I measured Chase and Owen last week and they've grown an inch since June!

Chase was pushing a car in the basement last night and slipped and hit his head on the concrete. I don't think I've ever heard him cry/scream like he did. Amazingly there is not a bruise yet.

Owen counted to 10 all by himself AND as we were laying in bed he spelled his name all by himself!!! Including saying, double u (W). That's huge for him-that's a really hard letter to say!!!! YEAH OWEN

What They are Saying:

Just from today here are some phrases I heard.

Owen said, "My bottom's bothering me. It's spicy." What?! What does it mean if your bottom feels spicy? I don't think I want to know.

Chase was counting while we played Hide and Seek. Amazingly he made it to 20!!! He said, "1, 2, 3 . . . 19, 20, 89." How he thought of 89, I will never know. I was laughing in my hiding spot!

Chase wore a new belt to church today. He had never worn one so I was telling him about the belt. When we got home from church I took it off him because it looked uncomfortable. He kept asking me, "Where's my seat belt." I couldn't figure out what he was talking about until he pointed at his belt! :) He thought it was a seat belt. :)

Nice Weather

2011-12-21T12:58:00.000-06:00

On Sunday it was 45 degrees outside and we were loving it! We went outside with just vests on and played in the backyard on the play set and kicked around some balls. The neighbor girls came over and Chase acted like he'd never seen another kid before in his life. He was sooooo excited to play with some "friends." He calls every kid his age a friend. These girls truly are friends, though. It was amazing to think that next week is Christmas and we were outside playing in the backyard, without snow!

Owen goes for the ball and Chase sprints across the yard.

Chase runs!

Jeff and Owen look up and wait for the wall to come down.

Chase

Owen in the brush

Owen

Owen saying "Score!"

Christmas Festivities

2011-12-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

The Berger house has been abuzz with Christmas festivities and activities.We've completed many Christmas activities this year, from making gingerbread houses, to Santa's house. The boys have had a lot of fun with these activities and so have I. Even Daddy got involved a few times. We've been reading Christmas books each night, one of the favorites is "Who is Coming to Our House". The boys like to read parts of it to me, which is fun. We try to read a book about Jesus' birth each night and the boys for sure know that Christmas is for Jesus and His birthday. The love to talk about Baby Jesus and say coo and act all cute like a baby when we talk about him. We've had a verse and a little object each day in the advent calendar as well as looking for our Elf on the Shelf-Oliver. Oliver is sure sneaky and likes to hide in a new spot each day. We made a cradle for baby Jesus and put a cotton ball in it each day if we are good, to make sure Jesus will be "nice and cozy" when he comes on Christmas. I love teaching Chase and Owen about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas. Sure the other stuff is fun too, but after the fun is done, after we've talked about Oliver, after we've talked about Santa, after we've made cookies, they still know and understand we celebrate Christmas because of Jesus.

Chase punches holes in the base of Santa's house.

Chase and Owen complete Santa's house with a little help from Mommy.

Chase and Owen do some Christmas color themed paintings

We made spritz cookies and the boys got to help. It was a lot of fun. Somehow they remembered that we used a bowl for the sprinkles, rather than dumping them on top straight out of the shaker.

Owen carefully sprinkles.

Chase has the aftermath of lots of sprinkle tasking on his face.

We made angels and talked about the angel of the Lord appearing to Mary and Joseph.

We made lambs out of our hand prints and talked about the lamb of God.

We made Santa's workshop

And we made a manger for baby Jesus, all cozy and warm.

Friday night we went driving around to look at lights. The boys loved it and didn't want to go home. We saw some pretty amazing displays. There were plenty of oooahhs from the backseat. We listened to Christmas music and Jeff sang along.On Saturday night the 17th, we went downtown with the intent of going to Macy's 8th floor displace of "A Day in the Life of an Elf.", and then to the Holidazzle Parade. The wait to get to the 8th floor was an hour and 15 minutes. Jeff and I didn't even consult each other, we just turned around and left. We went to the Christmas decorations section and looked around. The boys saw a sleigh and Santa. We then tried to find a place to eat and ended up at Jimmy Johns. The 4 of us sat in a booth for 2. We then had 45 minutes to spare so we went to Target and the boys had free reign of the toys section. They have never had so much fun! We just let them look at whatever they wanted. Finally it was time for the Holidazzle parade. It was a little windy, but about 35 degrees, which made it not too cold at all. We didn't have great spots but were still able to see the light coming. Chase got so excited he started screaming and laughing. Owen was with Jeff on his shoulders and then Jeff held him in his hands so he was standing.

Easy Transitions

2011-12-18T21:18:00.001-06:00

On the 10th we moved the queen bed into Chase's room in preparation for Christmas. Since my family is coming my sister will be staying in Owen's room and I thought that by moving the bed to Chase's room Owen could sleep there.

Chase was so happy and excited. I wish you could have seen his face. He said, "I love my new bed" over and over. He slept in it at nap time but I wouldn't let him sleep there for the first night. I just wasn't ready for the transition, boys out of bed at night, etc. We were saying prayers and I asked him what he was thankful for. He didn't say anything so I started praying. I heard him whispering over and over and I asked what he was saying, he said, "Love my new bed!" How cute!

The following night he really wanted to sleep in the bed and so did Owen so we let them. They stayed in there the whole night and called for us to get them this morning! YEAHHHHHHHH. I kept expecting to see them peek around the corner while we were watching TV. When I checked on them they were lying in the middle of their beds with no covers on. They were so sweet. Since last weekend they have slept in their big boy beds with no hint of wanting their cribs. We had kept them in their cribs this long because they said they didn't want to sleep in big boy beds. It was easy for us and we always knew where they would be.

Owen and Chase in Chase's newly painted room on the martress.

Owen's big boy room. Since his room had never been painted Jeff painted it to coordinate with the new bedding. I love how it turned out and Owen was very proud of his new room.

Owen and Chase cuddled up in Chase's bed.

Chasey

Owen

It's been a little strange without the boys in their cribs. I find myself walking into Owens room and turning left instinctively to look for him in the crib. He has awoken in the night looking for his blankeys. They are not as easy to find in a big boy bed.

Floor Surfing

2011-12-18T11:07:00.000-06:00

Jeff created a new game using a long rope. It's called Floor Surfing and boy is it fun!

Chase, actually it was me, put his underwear on backward and his little buns hung out. I had to snap a picture.

Who's Who?

2011-12-16T07:40:00.002-06:00

Can you tell who's who?

Respond in the comments if you know.

(even Jeff and I were confused for awhile)

An Early Berger Christmas

2011-12-15T21:27:00.001-06:00

On the 5th we had Uncle Patrick, Aunt Lindsay and Cousins Sophia and Gavin over for dinner and a gift exchange. It was a lot of fun to be together with all of them, as it had been a little while. The kids are always shy at first but after a bit (like when it was time to go) they were all playing together and having a great time. Jeff and I (mostly I) were stressing throughout the day about the prime rib we were cooking. I'd never done prime rib before and didn't want to mess it up, as this happens quite often when I cook. :) There were a lot of phone calls to my mom that day. We had a nice family meal and then were able to Skype with Nana and Papa. The kids were so excited to open gifts, so of course, that's what we did next. They were all so patient, waiting for each child to open. It was a great night of fun with our family!

Getting ready to Skype with Nana and Papa in FL.

Gavin gets to open first because he is the youngest.

Sophie peeks at her present

All the kids watch Gavin open.

The expression on Gavin's face is so funny, you'd think it smelled bad!

Owen holds his gift and wants his turn.

Daddy and Chase look with excitement at his present.

Pat, Owen, Jeff and Chase

Owen's turn!

Owen and Chase open their gifts and get new shirts! Look at their smiles. :)

Chase's turn to open his gift. Look at his proud smile.

A shirt!

Sophie's turn and she gets hair bows!

One more gift to share.

What is it?

Chase and Owen play with their new cash register

Daddy and Uncle read a book to the kids

Follow up to These are a Few of My Favorite Things

2011-12-14T08:37:00.001-06:00

Gee, I had no idea I would get comments on my last post. How great. I'm glad I could share with you. Many of you wanted to know where I get my products. If you click on the name of the item in the post prior to this you will be redirected to Amazon. I have found that Amazon has the best prices on Robathol, so I recently started buying from them. Prior to that I got it at Target. You need to ask the Pharmacy for it, they keep it behind the counter and not all Targets have it. It might be a good idea to call your pharmacy and ask if they have it. They may be able to order it for you too.

I buy all my other products at Target or Walgreen's. Vanicream comes in a big tub. You can buy it with the pump the first time. After that just get the tub and reuse your pump.

2 More Favorites

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
My friend Ann reminded me of this (thanks Ann). My doctor recommended this as a soap for the boys since it is a non-soap has neutral pH formulations leave no irritating residue and is non-comedogenic. It's excellent!

Amazon Mom
I can not tell you how much I love Amazon Mom. I should really be a spokesperson for them. If you do not know about this, go to www.amazon.com/mom. Sign up for the program. Here are some amazing benefits:
20% off diapers and wipes using Subscribe & Save delivery
Free Two-Day Shipping benefits from Amazon Prime (my ultimate favorite)
Free 365-Day Returns on select products available in the Baby Store

You do not need to be a mom! The best part is that you get free two day shipping on items marked "Amazon Prime". Most of the time you can find what you are looking for with the Prime. Buy it and 2 days later it's at your door. I love this feature because as a busy working mom I can't always get to the store. So, I order something on Amazon and 2 days later-bam-I have it and I didn't need to leave my computer! It's amazing.

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

2011-12-13T13:08:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking lately about all the baby/kid products I like and have used with the boys. I wanted to pass along my favorites.
For dry baby skin/eczema

Robathol

It's a wonderful oil you put in the bathtub. It doesn't have lanolin, dyes, mineral oils or perfumes. Better yet, I believe it was developed at Mayo and is manufactured in Rochester (don't quote me on that though.)It's really helped my boys with their dry dry skin, especially in the winter.

Vanicream Moisturing Skin Cream

This is the gold standard for moisturing skin.

I like it better than Aquaphor. It was recommended by my doctor for the eczema the boys have. Aquaphor is nice, but is so greasy. Vanicream is not greasy at all. I do like to use Aquaphor on patches of skin that have been scratched raw. Chase and Owen often scratch until they bleed. There is something about Aquaphor that helps heal a wound. For that it is great. I will smear it on their legs, their clothes cover it, thus not coming off on the carpet or furniture and it protects all day.

Lansinoh
This is for mothers who nurse, but it's also great for a kid who sucks their thumb. Sometimes Chase's thumb will get sore from all the sucking. I know it's safe to put this on his thumb to help seal it and heal it and it won't be a problem if he sucks it later.

Diaper Rash

Plender's Diaper OintmentThis is seriously my favorite diaper rash cream. I got it in SD when Chase had a very bad rash a few summers ago. It was a little expensive, but after one day, he was healed! The problem is, you can only buy it in SD or Iowa where it is made. I've looked for it online and can't find it anywhere. Bummer, cuz it's great.

Poop Goop
This is a great diaper rash cream or cream for places that are red. I've heard lots of mothers talk about it and recently my daycare provider gave me the hint to use it for Owen. I googled the recipe and this is what I used. It worked very well.

Recipe: You use equal parts of the three ingredients…

1 part diaper ointment

1 part Cortisone Cream (such as Cortaid)

1 part Mylanta

Mix them together and there you have it. We keep it in a little tiny Tupperware container… I use half a tube of diaper cream, half a tube of cortisone cream and mix those together. I add a little Mylanta at a time to thin it out… Works like a charm!

Play Time in Undies

2011-12-09T10:04:00.000-06:00

In late November we spent a day playing in our undies (well, not Jeff or I, just the boys). It was a lot of fun to put our train track under the table and drive our cars on it.

Daddy holds a little skinny Owen. I like how this picture shows Jeff holding up Owen's body with just one arm and how big his hand looks in comparison to Owen's leg.

Little Chase having a snack of crackers. He likes to dig the cheese out and make a big mess. We no longer buy these crackers. :) Look at that cute little tummy.

How to Make an Advent Calendar

2011-12-07T19:25:00.000-06:00

I've had several requests to know "how" I made the advent calendar. There really is no rhyme or reason for how I made it. I just looked at the picture, cut the felt to look like the picture and sewed. I used good 'ol trial and error and a lot of smarts given to me by my sewing queen mother.

1. Get ready for a lot of work.
2. Go to a fabric store. Buy individual squares of colored felt. Buy 3/4 yard of white felt and brown felt. You'll also need a variety of thread colors depending on the colors of felt you use.
3. Order the felt sticky numbers on amazon.com (my favorite story, by the way). Click here to buy.
4. In order to accommodate 2 numbers side by side (like in the number 25) I made my square pockets 3.5 inches square. If you have a rotary cutter and a rotary mat used to measure and cut, USE IT. If not, it's going to be a pain in the butt.
5. Cut several squares of each color.
6. Cut the white rectangle shape for the house. Make it about 24.5 x 26.5 inches.
7. Free style the roof. I cut three separate sections for the roof and scalloped the edges.
8. Cut a rectangle for the chimney.
9. Lay out the 3 roof sections and pin together. Sew each section together. Pin on the chimney and a decorative piece of ribbon at the top of the roof. Sew around the outside of the roof which would sew the chimney and ribbon on. I used a decorative stitch that my sewing machine has to make it pretty.

10. Pin on each pocket (the really fun part). You will need to measure to make sure they are equal distances from each other. Mine are 1.25 inches apart.

11. Sew each pocket on using the same color thread as the pocket color. Or, you could just use white or red or whatever.
12. Using the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, from the felt numbers, trace several more, as you will need more than they give you. Cut out.
13. Stick the letters on the pockets. When you run out of sticky letters use the ones you made and glue them on.
14. On the back of the house sew a small dowel on across the width of the widest part of the chimney. This will keep the house from flopping over on itself (thanks for the suggestion Jeff).

And there you have it. The instructions are not real specific, but are the best I could do. :)

Hope that helps you out! If you have more questions let me know!

A Visit with Santa

2011-12-05T09:11:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we took Chase and Owen to see Santa. This was their first visit with Santa (other than when he was at my parents' house their first Christmas). They were very excited to see him and were not at all scared. They were a little shy though. I think Owen didn't want to turn around because he was so close to Santa's face. They told him what they wanted (Owen a blue car, Chase a green car). They got candy canes and had big smiles on their faces. It was fun to watch our little boys interact with Santa.

We went to the Mustard Seed, which is a nursery and green house where we get a lot of our plants. It is owned by a Christian couple who attend our church. They always have a fun holiday display for kids and families. They also have reindeer. The boys loved to watch the reindeer eat. I had to pull Chase back one time though because he got a little too close and the reindeer didn't like that. He threw his antlers at us.

They have a beautiful old sleigh that Santa sits in.

A real I love you

2011-12-04T21:37:00.000-06:00

Last night I was laying on the floor cuddling with Owen and we were watching the lights on the angel change colors. Chase came over and lay down by me and we began to cuddle. He put his face next to mine and said, "Mommy, love my mommy.". Aww, melted my heart. This is the first time he has used those words, as he just started saying "love". Typically he says, "I love green," or some color he really likes. I'm glad I'm included in something he loves!

My Advent Calendar Project

2011-12-02T19:37:00.001-06:00

So I found an advent calendar I loved but didn't want to spend the money. So, I made my own. Didn't turn out too bad, did it?

The First Snow

2011-12-01T09:21:00.000-06:00

On November 19th we got a few snowflakes. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the snow fell all day, leaving a few inches of snow. Chase and Owen wanted to go out in it. Owen didn't last long as he wasn't feeling well and had been fighting a fever for about 5 days. Chase, however, wanted to stay out forever. We played on the swingset and then moved to the deck where he proceeded to make snow angels over and over. He threw himself on the deck and rolled around in the snow. He displayed pure joy and it was wonderful to watch.

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-29T18:27:00.001-06:00

We went to my parents house in SD for Thanksgiving and had a great time. The weather was mild and we were able to play outside. We walked through a corn field and saw a bunch of corn still on the ground. We went to the creek and threw rocks in, climbed some old trees that were chopped down. They were just huge and the boys had fun exploring on them. My mom cooked a great meal and the boys got special cookies from Grandpa. On Friday Nana and Papa helped Chase and Owen decorate a gingerbread house. It was quite the ordeal for Nana and Papa as they couldn't figure out how to make the walls stay up. Chase and Owen were soooo patient with them!

Drawing People

2011-11-23T08:53:00.000-06:00

Owen's person. He decided to put the eyes where they are on purpose-he likes to be a stinker sometimes. I also think I mismarked the body-I think that's the head.

Chase's person next to my example

Close up of Chase's picture