Patrick's:

Welcome!

2012-12-20T12:41:00.005-06:00

Welcome to all of our friends and family who are coming to our blog for the first time! This blog has been a great way for me to remember moments and update friends and family on life at our house.

I have been slacking at the "Blog!" line on my "to-do" list. There are other more burning things like; kids, meals to be make, cleaning, and more kid's stuff! But, as I remember to find time for this I will keep posting. I debated putting the website on our Christmas card for the very reason of my lack of consistent posts. But I figured, what a better motivator- all of YOU!

So, Welcome!

Check back!
Blogs I have coming:
Arizona
Gramma Jackie
Too much TV!
Christmas 2012

4 Diapers a Day?!

2012-12-05T20:33:00.002-06:00

Could I really be posting this?? Stephen is potty trained!!

Ryan and I went to AZ last weekend and my mom took it upon herself to give her daughter/SIL the best "priceless" gift.... she potty trained Stephen!!!!!!!

I would say, however - potty training is not priceless. Diapers are very expensive and Huggies are even more. We have expensive tushies over here! HA.

In the last 24 hours, we have used 4 diapers!! It has been almost 4 years that we have been full time diapering one or two kids. I went to Target to get groceries on Monday and I didn't buy diapers, thinking that the 30 I have at home would last "awhile." 30 diapers used to mean -- I gotta get to Sam's, quick! Now, we simply need 2 for naps and 2 for bed at night. YAHOO!

Thanks Mom -- I love that you bit the bullet and did it for me! ; )

My Boys!

2012-11-10T08:28:00.003-06:00

These three boys are my world; love them dearly!!

SJ is his Summer 2012 uniform
The blue sunglasses that he got at the Grand Old Days Parade and MN Zoo Sunhat.

We got a family dog from a breeder in southern MN this summer. He was a cute little Golden-doodle! After 2 nights I quickly realized that being up all night with a crying puppy, house training and having to be on alert 24/7 was something I wasn't willing to do for a dog! At least that is where I stand for now... We got Oscar on a Sunday and I brought him back on Tuesday morning. We told the boys that Oscar missed his mommy and they both agreed that he needed to go back right away! ; )

John and Oscar

Stephen and Oscar

Books in the morning

: )

Butterflies at the MN Zoo

Stories with Daddy

Climbing trees

John blowing dandelions

Stevie Joe helping unload the wood from the truck-- he was such a helper!

Sj at Treasure Island park in St. Paul -- this is John's very favorite park

All the accessories! Blue day!

John made us muffins & boy were they tasty!

Hanging out in the bin of extra books -- notice the relaxed crossed legs ; )

Coyboy John!

Being silly in the garage while we took a break from raking

Getting another load of wood from Nana and Papa's woods.

Stephen playing trains!

I guess he was tired?!

John playing trains!

Box fort in the basement from the appliances we bought when we moved in!
Thanks dad for putting it together and cutting doors, windows and spy holes!

Stephen and Daddy taking a break from raking.

Finger hats!! AKA Raspberries ; )

Dad and his sons
We were playing kids games in the park after dark here with our friends in CL.

Fun times we have had this summer and fall!

Pre-School & ECFE

2012-11-09T23:22:00.001-06:00

John started out the year at St. Ambrose but we have moved him to Peaceful Grove in Woodbury since. He loves his new school and his teacher is well versed in boys with loads of energy! ; ) She has 4 of her own! Mrs. Denison is wonderful- there are 10 kids in his class and he goes Mondays & Wednesdays from 8:45-2. We have been carpooling with the Puglisi's which has been really nice on ME!

These are his first day pictures from St. Ambrose:

Add caption

These are his first day pictures from Peaceful Grove:

Super excited for his first day with his buddy, Luke Puglisi.

Ahh! I love this one! Buddies!

"Get our backpacks, mom!" : )

That was the extent of the pictures I got. Once we go to school, the boys agreed that we had taken "enough" and that is wasn't cool to take their picture at school. And so it begins... : (

One story I want to remember:
At Peaceful Grove John has cold lunch everyday. I went to get him a lunchbox at Target and since the school year had already begun there weren't any of the "cool" lunch boxes left. John was hoping for a Spiderman / Cars / Transformers one, even though I wasn't. I got him the generic one that they had left, it was black with a white striped design on the front. John was OK with it, but bummed he didn't get a "cool" one.
The morning of his first day, Luke was over and I asked John to grab his lunch box out of the cabinet so we could put his lunch in it. John reluctantly pulled his LB out. Luke immediately said, " WOW! Cool John!! You have a Spiderman web lunchbox!! You are SOO lucky!!" Praise the good Lord- Yep, John loves his lunch box! ; )

ECFE:
I signed Stephen and I up for an ECFE class at Central Park in Woodbury. I thought it would be an excellent way for him to have something special and a way for us to meet more families in Woodbury. It has been just that! I have had a great time with the moms and SJ has loved having Pre school, teachers and something of his own to look forward to. : )

Snack time!

Stephen helping clean up!

Painting a glittery fall tree

Stephen's teacher's name is Mrs. Susan and she is an amazing teacher! The kids all love her so much; she knows just how to relate to the little ones! ; ) SJ loves the group song time; we sing lots of songs but his favorites are: Baked Potato & Jelly in the Bowl.

Brothers!

2012-11-09T22:46:00.001-06:00

I was looking at pictures tonight, enjoying John and Stephen as brothers -- I want to share some! : )

The boys were saying cheers to their new shoes!

Here Stephen, I'll help you!

And John, I'll help you go right off the sidewalk... : /

Tuckered out from playing in the backyard

Hanging out at the St. Kate's duck pond

Feeding the ducks

Being silly waiting for the tractor to pick us up at the apple orchard.

I found the perfect apple!! No, I DID! ; )

At the MN Zoo looking at the penguins.

MN State Fair -- Fresh French Fries -- YUM!

Playing on the 'Pad

Playing together in the summer sun!

Watching our "dog for the weekend" (Oscar) eat his food.

Dilly Bars on the deck!

Playing in Mom & Dad's bed after a bath

Love that we have 2 boys! : )

Election 2012

2012-11-05T19:38:00.003-06:00

Anxiety. Anxiety. Anxiety. Oy!
Everyone that has political passion- red or blue - has anxiety tonight. This election is so close!
To say I have election anxiety would be an understatement. This election is a biggie and no matter what side you are on, the country is split 50/50 on who we see best fit to run our great country. All I keep thinking is 1/2 the nation is going to be very disappointed come Wednesday.
Tomorrow is the day when we all get to exercise our right to vote! Everyone has the right and responsibility to vote- it should be every ones priority. I know it is mine and I take it very seriously, so please do the same.
I know I want my candidate to win, but what I need to remember is, at the end of the day tomorrow we all need to come together as a nation, rally together as a nation and move forward as a nation- united as one!

Here's to the presidential election of 2012 - CHEERS!

Here is a picture of my mom and I at the Paul Ryan rally on Sunday:

Halloween

2012-11-05T19:18:00.002-06:00

This Halloween was fun! The boys are still learning the ropes of all this holiday has to offer, but year after year they get to do more to celebrate it. :)
We carved pumpkins this year... a first for us!
We carved them the day before Halloween. The comments were of plenty and the over all just was that the insides were gross!

John's first time seeing the insides of a pumpkin... icky!
Can you see the disgust on his face?

Stephen surprised me! He really enjoyed digging out the pumpkin guts!

Show me your hands!

So careful to get each "icky thing" ; )

Careful.... careful.

"Dad, can you help me??" That's when the power tools came out... quickly!

All finished!
John's pumpkin is actually in front of Stephen, and Stephen's is in front of John.

We also went to Great Grandma Evie's to trick-or-treat in her building - this was our third year there!

Isabelle (Angel), John (Farmer), Stephen (Farmer), Katie (Tiger), Abby (Polar Bear)
It was so fun the Beach's could come too!

There goes the troops - on mission, CANDY! ; )

Who needs super heroes when you have Uncle Dan?!

S.L.O.W. D.O.W.N. Says your mother! : )

Great Grandma Evie and Stephen Joseph <3

Fun had by ALL!

Jana set up a little version of the Not So Haunted Forest for the boys to do the Sunday before Halloween. The boys loved the gnomes, songs and little villages!

Smile!! Just starting into the woods!

A little gnome party! Maybe the tea party?

The boys collected little nuts and pine cones before they started out on the path to leave at each little site for the gnomes.... here they are dropping corn and acorns : )

And of course wheel barrow rides!!!

AGAIN!! AGAIN!!!

Wahoo!! The giggles were so fun!

The boys opening their Halloween cards from Gramma Mitty and Papa

After SJ's surgery all he wanted was a pumpkin cake... so John and I made this for SJ. : )

Halloween Dinner -- Mummy's! John wrapped the hot dog's in rolls. pretty cute! ; )

Uncle Dan X 2! Farmers!!

John and Stephen's Pumpkins!

Just keep opening!! Very fun Halloween!

We made it to a total of 5 houses. 5 was PLENTY! Next year 6?? HA!

What's his name??

2012-10-21T13:50:00.001-05:00

This happened over the summer... in July 2012 This is not a story of my kids are perfect .. it is supposed to be funny and show that my kids can listen to me! ;D HA

John had a morning of appointments... my mommy guilt was in full swing. I hated taking him to appointments, even though he thought they were fun most of the time. I promised John a special lunch date of pizza if he was good at the appointments. He was so I took the boys to Carbones by our house -- they have a lunch buffet, so no waiting!
I gave the boys a pep-talk about listening, being quiet, sitting down, no crying... you know all those things that could happen when you have 2 & 3 year old boys alone out for pizza! :)

Well, the boys were on their best behavior. I was impressed- it was so good, that I had never seen them like this... they used their manners, talked with "inside" voices, sat and waited while I got their pizza... and, we didn't even have any spills! As we were finishing eating, I was just about to thank them for their awesome behavior...even with 2 other tables with families with small children who were having a (in my book...) normal chaotic loud lunches.... When a grandma from one of the loud tables came over to our table- walker and all.

"Mom, are these your boys??" She started out...
I knew they had been so good at our lunch, and that her grandchildren (or whoever the kids she was dining with...) were normal loud kids during their lunch. So I respond, "Yes! These boys are mine!"

She got down to John's level and said "You are so cute! Look at your eyes - they are stunning! I have been watching you while you and your brother ate today. You have been a good little boy, and you must be the one who taught your little brother how to be good at a restaurant too!" John was smiling ear to ear....
Then she said, "My grandchildren have not been good listeners like you two have. (As I looked over at their table, there was pizza, pop, napkins and kids everywhere... pretty typical? I think so...) I want to give you money so that your mom can buy you a treat for your good behavior-- here is $2 for ice cream. Good behavior should always be rewarded!"
(**This is something that never happens... never. Ryan and I never take the boys out to eat because it turns into a 3 ring circus, almost immediately. I was taking a huge risk- one I had never taken before by taking them to lunch alone, especially after they had both been in a doctors office for about 4 hours that morning.)
I thanked her and the boys both thanked her. Then she was about to go back to her table when she said, "one more thing, What is your name, little boy??"
John proudly said, "John Roman!" (it sounded more like "Gone Roman" So I repeated it for the lady.)
She looked up at me and was almost yelling happily at this point " WOW!! What a beautiful name!! One you don't hear anymore! Now all you hear are crazy names --right mom?" I agreed and then nervously anticipated the next question she was going to ask as she looked at Stephen...
"And what is your name, little brother?!"
John said, "That's BEEF!!!"
I almost died-- I wanted to laugh, cry and laugh some more.
She looked up at me, puzzled and said, "Beef? Did he say you named your son Beef?!"
I quickly reassured her what she heard was, Stephen Joseph.

She knew she didn't hear that and so did I, but she was glad he had a good "old fashion" name... and especially not Beef!

Everyone gets to name their children what they want-- and we chose "older" names from our grandparents and fathers. I would say they are not popular names among our generation...but we love them and we no longer call Stephen, Beef.

*Where did Beef come from??
When Stephen was a baby, he was quite "beefy" He loved to nurse and you could tell :) He was a happy healthy little chunker!
John was saying very few words when Stephen was a baby-- and the though of him saying Stephen would have been a huge stretch.
One afternoon, I was singing to Stephen "Beefy beefy baby! You are mom's beefy beefy baby!" Out of nowhere, John said "Beef!!" It stuck--- a word John could say? We rolled with it! and, it was pretty cute at the time too! :)

Beef is now retired~ :)

Angel Shoes

2012-10-21T12:18:00.000-05:00

This happened awhile back... but I want to be sure and remember this as John grows up.... :)

Back in July, I was driving the boys home from my parents house - as we got off of 494S at the Valley Creek exit, we waited at the stop light. I thought both boys were sleeping so I was quiet and going through my "to-do" list that I needed to get to while they were napping.
Suddenly, John hollered, "MOM! LOOK!! That's where angels get their shoes!"
Confused and a little upset he yelled so loud, (possibly waking SJ) I said, "Angels? What do you mean John?" As I was searching around for what he could possibly mean.
He was pointing to the GOOD YEAR store sign. Click here for a look at the GoodYear sign
Amazed and silenced by the sweet comment... All I could do was smile.

Yes little John, You are right.... that is where angels buy their shoes. :)

Stephen's Surgery- Success

2012-10-19T11:18:00.003-05:00

Stephen is officially a trooper with a smile!
Wednesday evening as I was packing up John to go to my parents for a couple days, my stomach was turning and I was thinking of every reason to not have to take Stephen for his surgery. I dropped off John and he was happy to be at grandma's; looking forward to waffles in the morning, his new little bed grandma and grandpa got for him and all the 2 on 1 time! I drove home second guessing everything, does he really need surgery? Maybe his ear infections weren't that bad...
I came home and Ryan and I put Stephen to bed.
Thursday morning Ryan and I got up bright and early to get ready. We woke Stephen up at 5:30a to change his clothes and head to Children's. We hadn't told him anything about what was to come, up to this point. So I told SJ that we needed to go to the hospital and before I could say anything else, he cut me off asking if John got sick at Grandma's and if he was OK. Ahh, that hit like a dagger! He is always so sweet and concerned for his brother and everyone else. Off to the hospital.... Our ride there Ryan and I didn't have much to say as we both had heavy hearts.
We checked in and SJ happily got his bracelet (AKA hospital name band) and we were called right back. The staff was so nice and kind to Stephen. They talked me through everything, we met with his surgeon and the nursing staff. I went back into the OR with him. He was so compliant, never cried and just said "HI" to everyone and smiled. He fought the sleepy gas, but as soon as I told him to take a little nap he closed his eyes and I gave him a kiss and was escorted out.
When I met up with Ryan in the waiting room we quickly realized I forgot his puppy at home! Ryan had emails for work that he needed to respond to so I tried my luck at racing to my parents house to get the puppy I sent with John the night before since they were closer then our house. I picked up the dog and as I pulled into the parking ramp Ryan called that Dr. Shefelbine had just talked to him. Ahh! Not the worst thing, I know but I wanted to hear from her how it went... The report was that his tonsils were huge, his adenoids were of significant size and his tubes were placed wonderfully. Great! His surgery was necessary!
SJ was a "wild wake-up" ... I wonder where he gets that from? ME. Waking up from surgery is the worst... They got him settled and we were taken to our room for the night.
Stephen's nurse, Donna was a saint - anything and everything SJ wanted she had waiting for him. All the movies, Popsicles and clean linens and PJs he could dream of. We watched Chicken Run and Fox and the Hound as he ate 9 Popsicles! He was laughing and never cried. So compliant to the blood pressure checks, temp checks, IV checks, and even his oral medicine & ear drops. He then had ice chips and apple juice. He was eager to get out of his bed and play... so we walked down the hall to the toy room. He played in there for 20 minutes and then started asking for lunch. We ordered him Mac and cheese, apple sauce, and ice-cream. He ate everything!! And then passed out for the afternoon. I took a nap with him and Ryan headed to work for a meeting he needed to attend. SJ woke up about 4:30 whimpering a bit from the pain... nothing a popsicle can't help! :) At this point, I asked the nurse if we had to spend the night- he was doing so well! She said that she had never seen a child this age do this well! She thought it was very reasonable to get to go home but to see how the next few hours went and we could make a decision around 9pm. By 5:30 he was asking for more dinner and when we could go play again.... I fed him and we went walking around, robot (AKA IV tower) in tow. Ryan came back and we had the nurse disconnect his IV tower so we could be mobile easier. At that point, I knew I wanted to go home. Stephen wanted to stay-- he loved the Mac and cheese/ice cream/popsicles on tap, he didn't want to take off his "new" PJ's and he wanted to keep watching movies. The joys when you are 2!
We had SJ take a cozy coup down to the pharmacy to pick up his meds and by the time we got back the nurse had his discharge stuff ready. She gave him more meds, we changed him and she took out his IV. The way we convinced him to go home was that he could get the mail alone (without John) when we got home. He stayed awake the whole way and he got the mail. I was shocked he was still up- it was almost 9:30pm! By the time Ryan and I carried everything in from the car, got a little organized we realized Stephen had tucked himself in bed with his puppies. Ryan slept in John's bed and took the night shift- SJ slept until almost 9am this morning!
He had eggs and yogurt for breakfast and is happily watching TV with his puppies.

The nurse was quick to notice she had a little OCD kiddo on her hands... SJ didn't want his jams or his bed sheets dirty. We had them changed a couple times. He cleared his dishes this morning and commented on how nice it is to have a clean table! LOL- I love it!! :)

Right after surgery, first popsicle :)

Mommy snuggling with you in bed

Loving Fox and the Hound

In the Play Room.... his cheeks are red from the popsicles...

Snuggling with Daddy!

"Mom! I can push all the buttons?!!"

Making the rounds

Waving at Mommy

24 hours later... Happily eating his eggs! :D

Stephen Joseph

2012-10-17T20:29:00.001-05:00

Since I clearly dropped the ball on your birthday post... I do have proof that your daddy didn't! Below is an email your daddy sent me to post on the blog:

From: Ryan P. Patrick/US-Corp03/3M/US
To: caroline.patrick@yahoo.com
Date: 06/05/2012 10:09 AM
Subject:
Dear Stevie-Joe,

I can't believe you are a big two year old! This past year has flown by. It has been so much fun watching you develop your personality and start interacting with our family.

This past year has brought a lot of changes for you as well as our family. We moved from St. Paul, to Nana and Granpa's house briefly, and now to our house in Woodbury. You were a trooper the entire time and were always there with a smile and a hug despite all the moving around.

Toys and stuffed animals. You love both of them. You can entertain yourself for hours playing duplos, trains or puzzles. Lately, you have really liked playing outside in the sandbox, jumping on the trampoline and using your pretend lawn-mower to help me cut the grass. Water has also become a favorite activity for you and John outside. Whether that means running through the sprinkler, playing in your little pool, or simply playing with the hose you are a happy, giggly kid. Your stuffed animals are also a favorite - especially puppies! You love puppies! Nana bought you a stuffed puppy when you were a little tyke....after we temporarily lost the puppy once, your mom and I decided to order three more thinking that we could solve that problem should one go missing.....now you insist on sleeping with all four puppies at night!! You also love seeing Sabo (Nana and Grandpa's dog) and Murphy (Dan's farm dog).

Stevie - you are such a great kid, a good listener, loving, and always so happy. Even if you are woken up, you pop out of bed with a smile and a big hug. You are always looking to snuggle and enjoy being held. Most of the time you like to do this with your favorite drink - chocolate milk (A little cocoa mixed with chocolate protein haha!).

We sure love you Stephen!

Daddy

Ryan Patrick, CPA
3M Finance | Traffic Safety Systems
3M Center, 235-3A-09 | St.Paul, MN

I am just going to go through all the basics, little Stevie Joe:

Sleeping:
As I stated in the last post, Nana painted your bedroom into a safari and painted daddy's old firetruck bed into a safari explorer. However, you and John just needed to share a room so now you are camped out with your mattress on the floor in John's room. Daddy and I love that you 2 are sharing a room. It has been a very smooth transition -- not too much goofing around in your room while you should be sleeping. :) You still nap daily, anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours! You both go to bed at the same time which is about 8/8:30pm. Your wake up time however isn't always so stellar. You wake up anywhere between 5-6:30am. You sleep with your many stuffed animals and stuffed dogs.

Eating:
You are a healthy appetite-- I rarely have to coax you into eating (or at least trying) new foods. You are happy to eat what we are serving. I would say your favorite foods are: Cereal (Special K with milk) oatmeal, eggs (scrambled, over easy or hard boiled) peanut butter and honey sandwiches, spaghetti, yogurt, raw carrots and all fruit. You are a big breakfast guy and as the day goes on you eat less -- by dinner time you don't have a huge appetite left.

Language:
I can understand you 100% of the time -- YAY! You have an expanding vocabulary and enjoy talking. I do notice that people who don't know you as well do have a hard time understanding you sometimes. It isn't time to get you accessed for speech yet, but if it continues, I will look into it in the spring. On the subject of language, your singing skills are so fun!! You love to be sung to but even more you love to sing! ABC's, Old McDonald, Down on Uncle Dan's Farm, Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle, and the list goes on. When I put you to sleep on the nights daddy has class, I don't know the "dun-dun" song (Jason Mraz, I'm Yours) daddy sings you -- I sing the "oldies but goodies"... and you always have to sing along with me. (which does not mean you are going to sleep like I wanted!) ;)

Skills and other tid bits:
You enjoy to color with markers, crayons and paint.
You can put on and take off your shoes.
You are known to be a bit OCD -- you make your bed (!!) and clean up your toys.
You drink skim milk.
You can fully undress.
You (almost) always what to help me or daddy with what we are doing.
You prefer to read only books about farms, specifically Dad and Patty's farm.
You need some help getting dressed --but will try until I am able to help you.
You are not afraid to climb to the top at parks, but will only go down slides feet first on your tummy.
You can buckle your own carseat --as long as you are not wearing a puffy coat. :)
You can talk on the phone, as long as it is daddy, mommy, or a grandparent on the other line.
You use your spoon and fork at meals.
You bus your own dishes!!
You are obsessed with potty training, we just can't seem to get full circle on the subject...
You like to help load the wash machine and change the laundry.
You like the show Miss Spider and the Sunny Patch Bugs
You can wash your own hands (as long as you can reach...)
You love to be outside, playing in the sand box or with other kids.
When you see a camera, you scrunch your face into a smile and say, "Cheese!!!"
You seem to have a high pain tolerance.
You are always looking to snuggle with daddy or I.
And, (you got this from me as I was this way as a child too...) you like to be a little "mommy" (always telling people what to do) ;)

ECFE:
I have so much mommy guilt, but heck- what mom doesn't? I have always wanted to have everything "fair" for our kids... but that is just now possible. My friend Melissa has 6 children and she always says, as a mom your job is to provide for the needs of your children, not the wants. I really like this- all kids have different needs, and it is a good check in for me- the needs! :) Anyways, SJ hadn't done ECFE, swimming, or any "extras" in his life so this fall we started ECFE in Woodbury at Central Park. It has been so much fun! He loves "school" - he loves the kids - he loves his teachers - and he loves all the toys! His favorite part would be the group singing time. Ms. Susan sings with all the kids and some of his favorite songs are: Jelly in the Bowl, Hot Potato, Brio Brio (a welcome song).

Temperament:
You are a sweet boy that is happy and quick to please me and daddy. You have soft movements when you are being careful and always want to be clean. You do have a very stubborn side. You are sure what you want and want it now. When John isn't listening to what you say, or takes a toy from you, you are quick to retaliate! : / If I could just channel your passion (anger) into something good, John would have been spared many bites and pinches!!

Health:
You are a pretty healthy guy, at least I like to think that! You are the king of ear infections! You had a set of tubes put in and your adenoids taken out back in 2/11. Those tubes have since fallen out and the infections haven't stopped. Your ear drums seem to rupture easily too. We ran an immune panel on you this summer in which everything checked out fine. Tomorrow, 10/18/12 you will be having your tonsils and adenoids out again and new tubes placed. I am dreading this...dreading this! I don't want you to be sick and in pain, but it is necessary.... :(

Love you silly Stevie-Joe!!

Busy Life, Busy Mom, Busy Dad

2012-10-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

I know I have been MIA all summer. I haven't had a computer that types (just the mouse worked) AND while an iPhone is very handy, in no way is it handy enough to blog on! ;)
After having GeekSquad service my computer 5 times since May, they finally junked my old one and gave me a new one! Yay! I knew there was a reason I bought that protection plan!!

At this point, my blog seems very overwhelming. I know so much has changed and happened for our family over the summer. I have so much to say that I don't really know where to begin.

I will start with myself and our family as a whole:
I have been working on taking full charge as CEO of our house. And this is not in an annoying controlling way, but in the way that I am trying to have as little on our "to-do" list for when Ryan gets home from work and school. In the past I really counted on Ryan to help out with everything, (Laundry, cooking, cleaning, errands etc.) I had my good and bad days and weeks, but overall, I have been getting better at it. Staying home full-time has come as a very slow adjustment for me. And, if I were honest, I am still adjusting. I do still crave the schedule and the pay check, but mostly the adult interaction!!
Our family was invited to join a movement within the Catholic Church, School of Community, this spring by one of our new neighbors. We still feel and know that we are just getting our feet wet in it during our weekly family meetings. However, what we do know is that we have made life long, amazing friends. One of the parts I have found myself building my weeks around is the weekly "mom" meetings. I know there is a huge stigma around SAHMs sitting around drinking coffee all day gabbing with girlfriends and doing Nothing.... blah, blah, blah! However, for 2 -3 hours every Monday we meet, drink coffee (and loads of it at that!) talk about God and being a mom/wife. These are the 2 biggest things in my life right now, duh! And, I know that as I get through every week, these women are praying for me and supporting me as I do my best to be the best mom and wife I can be!
In May 2011 Ryan and I excitedly agreed to co-chair the finance committee for the Nativity County Fair. I went to Nativity for grade school, taught preschool there for 5 years before staying home with our kids, served on the pastoral council for 6 years and much more....needless to say this was an honor for Ryan and I! We co-chaired with another couple last year and this year it was on our backs! There were was a lots of running back and forth from Woodbury to Nativity on short notice, meetings and bank runs in preparation for the fair. It was like having a part time job for a couple months before the fair in September. The fair weekend was crazy busy. We were in the counting room from open to close everyday and JR and SJ stayed the weekend between my parents and Ryan's parents. It was a huge joint effort on every one's part, but all in all we had fun, the boys had fun and I like to think the grandparents had fun on the little sleep they got with their wild grandsons at their house for the weekend! We are looking forward to passing the baton on to our co-chairs.... next year we just need to oversee everything and be available to answer questions -- easy peasy! ;)
~~Ryan's~~ Our cousin, Chrissy and her 4 wonderful children moved up to MN this summer from AZ! I have always loved spending time with Chrissy and her kids every time I went to AZ, but now she is in Woodbury with me! YAY! Honestly, we have both been super busy, she has been settling in to her house, the kids at their new school and her at school as well. I was busy with the kids while Ryan has been at school, the Nativity fair and still getting settled in to our "new" home too. We have had a few play dates, but really we both know that it is just the beginning of play dates! I will continue to hope for a mild winter for you Chrissy ...and me too! ;) Welcome to Minnesota!!
I was in ~~Ryan's~~ our cousin, Lisa's wedding on September 1st. (I would like to say, even though these cousins are on Ryan's side, I do consider them mine too! I just don't want to confuse who's side of the family everyone is on. At the end of the day, we are all ONE family!) First, Lisa had a super fun bachelorette weekend away at her aunts cabin. Honestly, I was very nervous. I had never left the kids overnight, and for sure not for a weekend. I had emails coming in one after the next about the Nativity County Fair and Ryan had finals for his MBA classes that week. However, there was a very loud voice in my head screaming at me that I needed to get away, I needed to go be with my girlfriends and not talk kids, baby's, pregnancy, laundry, mini-vans etc. I just need to talk girl talk for a bit! And that is what we did. We wore comfortable clothes, ate yummy food (duh!) and drank enough to keep everyone smiling happily. We shopped, crashed a band- well, Lisa and Ellen crashed the band (AKA took over lead vocal and tambourine) went for one heck of a walk, stargazed, laughed, cried and sang some more. Just what I needed to fill up my cup. It was the best way I could imagine spending my first weekend away from my kids- with Ryan at home with them! :) While we were shopping on Saturday afternoon in Herbster, WI, I spotted a ring that instantly was calling for one of my fingers. I am not a huge sucker for jewelry, nor do I expect it to be wrapped in a little box at holidays and birthdays, I do like it-- I am still a girl! I took (a few) pictures of this ring I had set eyes on to show Ryan (for a few years from now when things like jewelry could be in our budget) and happily left the store dreaming about the "someday" a ring like that would be mine. Well.... a few shenanigans later, we were back at the cabin hanging out when, Lisa and Alexis (and a dead stuffed squirrel) presented me with the ring from the little shop I had seen earlier in the day! Alexis and Lisa really went above and beyond and I wear that ring everyday as a reminder of many things, but to name a few: friendship, family, girls weekends and Lisa's bachelorette! I realize I haven't even gotten to the wedding-- it was on Sept. 1 at the U of M Campus Club. Lisa and Cliff exchanged vows, snapped amazing in-love pictures, and we danced the night away!
Jana did amazing mural painting in the boys room's over the summer. I wish I could put into words the time, energy, love, and talent their rooms scream when you walk into them. First she did Stephen's, his room is an African Safari. Fully equipped with Dave the elephant (blue sunglasses and all!), zebras, giraffes, Curious George, birds and the vegetation that all looks like you are in Africa! Even more, she and Steve re-painted Ryan's firetruck bed that Steve made Ryan when he was a toddler. They painted it to resemble a safari truck --tan, big wheels and an open back. It is perfect. She then moved on to John's room-- an Arizona desert. More specifically, there are specific cacti that John knows from traveling to AZ to visit Jana and Steve at their retirement home so much in his little life, Pinnacle Peak (or as John calls it, "Cat Mountain") and of course animals: cattle, horse, owl, a red lizard, and a big coyote. Bed time used to be a bit of a struggle...now they love it! Thank you again Jana for turning their rooms into Arizona and Africa, I am still in awe!
Ryan has of course kept (sometime's too) busy. He is still at 3M and is continuing to plug away at his MBA. He took 2 classes over the summer and is in another 2 this fall. I don't have much else to report as work and school quickly take over his life. However, he takes his weekends very serious -- seriously family time. He has been amazing at having as little scheduled on the weekends, and what ever we were doing included everyone- Ryan, Myself, John and Stephen. If we needed to replace deck boards, we all worked on it, raking this fall- everyone helped. Ryan has a special gift of making the "chore list" into family bonding time. I know the boys and I love when Ryan announces another project we need to do. ;)

I have so much to say about the boy's and their summers... I will have to do another post. :)
Check back!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Stephen!!!

2012-06-03T20:38:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday little Stevie Joe!! Daddy and I are going to write you your birthday letter this week.

We had so much fun with you today! Daddy, mommy, Grandma and Papa took you to Grand Old Days today! I have some pretty crazy pictures I will have to post-- you had tons of fun with Papa and Grandma!
After the parade, we came home and took naps and then had a bonfire and dinner followed by more playing in the backyard. Baths and to bed! :)
Your party next weekend with all of our family with be a blast!! Love you, Stephen Joseph!!

Life Update

2012-06-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

I have so many things I want document.
We have been having so much fun adjusting to life at our new house. The boys still call it, "the new house."
This post will be a few randoms... but things I want to remember! :)
Ryan put a sandbox in and Nana and Papa got the boys a trampoline. Our backyard is the boys dream world. ...They LOVE the dirt and patches where the grass isn't growing. We have been doing a lot of baths! TruGreen has been to our house twice this spring already. They have their work cut out for them!! We have very little grass... but, we are rich in dandelions! And, if you ask the kids, they want to keep all the dandelions. :/

Ryan took a day off work to build the boys a sandbox! And I sure love that he did this for the boys!!

Load #1 of sand!

SJ playing in the 1/2 finished sandbox. Ahhh, Fresh sand! ;)

Getting started on the transition zone.

Another load of sand added, carpet added on the wood for saftey.

Done!! Sand fun may begin!!

Trampoline time!! The boys BOTH love this!!

John has been going to school still on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our drive to and form school has been a special little part of my day. The boys and I talk about all the things we drive past. We go around the "turn-about" Circle!! Circle!! Is chanted. Then, the soccer fields, the hockey rink, the bubble, the baseball diamonds. Then, we get to the corn fields, the cemetery, then SCHOOL! :) It is fun to listen to them excited about where we are going and when we are seeing. Once John is happily inside and we are driving away, Stephen says, "Bye John!! Love you John! Have Fun at school John!!! See you soon John! TOOTLES!!" For the first 5 minutes of our 7 minute drive home. :) SJ is sure excited to be able to go to school some day.
We have park that is a few houses away and Ryan and I have been taking the boys there often! Those slides are fun! And Auntie Alana took John there one afternoon. John is so lucky because, Alana let him climb every tree there! Proof? Yes, of course John picked a leave from each tree and Alana saved them all to show me. Lucky boy!

We have been loving (however, this is still an understatement) our new home. Our kitchen is almost done... almost! We got a butcher block counter on our island, Steve built a cookie sheet/bread board cupboard for next to our stove/oven and together, Ryan and Steve took down some of the cabinets for where the fridge goes. We still need to finish painting behind the fridge and put in the flooring under the island. Eventually, it will be done! :)

Easter 2012

2012-05-31T19:20:00.000-05:00

We had a great Easter weekend!
We were all home from Arizona for Easter in our new house and happy as ever to be feeling kind of settled in. Auntie Alana was home from college for the weekend, so we got to have our first over night guest. Little did Alana know her Easter break wasn't much of a chance to catch up on sleep while sleeping at our house. I felt bad for her.
Alana came on Saturday late morning. We had sandwiches for lunch and then put the boys down for a nap. Alana and I watched Bridesmaids while the boys napped and Ryan did house work stuff. While we watched the movie there seemed to be bird chirping in every scene. Thats when I realized (as I was laying on the floor at the foot of the fireplace) that it was a bird in the chimney!! So, what better to do then light a big fire?! That is just what we did! Ha. We finished our movie and the boys woke up so wegot ready to dye eggs. Of course I didn't have any vinegar, which you need for dyeing eggs. So we made the color with lemon juice...it didn't really work, i wouldn't recommend it.
After eggs, Alana did painting and art projects with John while Ryan and I made dinner. The boys loved their time with Auntie Alana! After dinner we did baths, and popcorn and a show. Then we put the boys to bed. Alana, Ryan and I were all so tired, Alana, like all college students, wanted to catch up on sleep a bit, and Ryan and I were still so tired from AZ, moving and knowing it was Easter tomorrow. We put together the boys' Easter baskets, hid eggs and went to bed. Lame? We didn't think so, we were so tired! :)
The boys woke up bright and early, to the tune of 5am. Ryan and I knew we couldn't let them downstairs yet...poor Alana was sleeping on the couch. So, we held them hostage in our room until 7:15. We were impressed that we kept them that long! However, it was still early... Good morning Alana! We videoed the boys looking for eggs and eating candy (for breakfast) and played with the new bubble machine. Alana went home then to catch a few more ZzzZZzzs and we headed to my parents for brunch.

John painting with Auntie Alana

Putting the eggs in the pot to be boiled!

Dinner time!! We were all pretty hungery! :)

SJ with his yellow egg (don't mind his clothes...)

Family shot!

John and his blue egg! (again, don't mind the clothes...)

Popcorn before bed. Yes, John was THAT tired! :)

John finding eggs- He was SO good at finding the eggs!!
And, he thought it was super fun, which of course, it was!!

SJ wasn't quick enough at the eggs, JR seemed to beat him to them.
So, SJ just went tight for his basket. haha

Easter 2012

John opening the plastic eggs filled with gummie bunnies.

Stephen was very excited to have been given SO much candy!

As I type this out...May 29th... We still have both bunnies in our fridge and a bowl of candy in our coubard. They havent had any since Easter morning. It's probably time to throw it out... hahaha!

We picked up all the wrappers and headed to my parents for brunch! Easter Brunch is a fun time at my parents. There were baskets for the boys and they seemed to know just what to do! Find eggs and eat candy! :) My mom and Sara filled dozens of eggs with money for the boys. They bought a BIG piggy bank for the boys to start filling with the eggs they found. AND, my mom told them that when the piggy bank is full, the boys get to go to see Mickey Mouse! haha- thanks mom! ;)
This year it was My parents, Kelli, Dan, Sara, Mike, Mark, Ryan, the boys and I, and Ed and Madeline Shinbach. We had egg bake, porkets (from the meat market in Jordan!!) fruit and mimosas. Everyone ate and laughed. After brunch we went to the McCreadys and jumped in at the tail end of an egg hunt at their house. The boys played outside for a little bit and then we headed back to our house for naps.

Baskets at Grandma and Papa's!

Grandma Madeline showing the boys how the egg wand lights up! :)

Collecting their monies hoping it fills the bank because, Mickey is CALLING! ;)

After the boys napped, we headed to Jordan! Jordan/Dan's Farm on the boy’s top choice of things to do. We went straight to Dan and Patty's farm...and kind of intruded on the Boxted Easter. The Boxted's are always welcoming and thus began the boy’s favorite things....

Uncle Dan took them to plow the field. And, John and Stephen both got to drive!

It was very clear they were driving because the tractor was making figure eights all over...good thing it will be a long time before either of them are behind a car wheel!

SJ waving!

As loud as it is in a running tractor, Dan was still listening to and answering the constant flow of questions! :)

As John got out of the tractor, he pointed across another field and said, "We can't be done, we have lots and lots of work to do still!!!" I am SURE uncle Dan will welcome your eagerness to help in a few years during planting season! ;)
Next we headed to play in the corn bin...It was quite windy and a bit high up for me...

Let's just say, I was freaking out a bit!

Add caption

Luckily, cousin Luke came to my rescue! What a gentleman!

The boys played in the corn until it was in everyplace you never want there to be corn... haha!

We played inside at Dan and Patty's for a bit and chatted and then headed to Grandma's.

I love that at this age, simply sitting on a ATV is enough excitement.

I appreciate this!

I am really not sure which boy this is... but I think it is John.

Way brave of him to get in the middle of this football game!

We all ate dinner and the boys played outside while Ryan chatted with the guys outside and I chatted with the girls inside. We headed home around 8, and everyone was tired! Successful Easter!

Arizona Continued...

2012-05-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

The last post cut off, so I re-posted the pictures again... I hope this shows up?!

Ryan and I on our date! We went to Jalapeno Inferno for dinner after our Friday afternoon massages -- a treat from Nana! It was so nice to have some time off with each other!

Stevie Joe in his new goggles!

Nana and the boys playing hide and seek.
They thought this was the funniest thing ever!! Nana would count and they would run to one of five places (under the table, under the umbrella, behind the couch or behind a cactus-- all obvious places!) and they really thought they were tricking Nana every time! This game went on for a long time, Nana was a good sport! :)

Here is John with his licorice that Papa John bought him! We all shared it and boy was it a good treat!
Thanks Papa John!

Ryan and I hiked Pinnacle Peak one of the mornings. It was so beautiful!
We are only 1/2 way to the top here.

At the highest point! Loved our hike- it was nice to get out, get fresh air, talk and do some hiking.

The Boys, in their AZ uniforms- Swimsuits!

Smile! Morning swim in the pool!

SJ going potty- and water spilled on the ground next to the potty...

Swimming break!
Nana made the boys popcorn to snack on so they would take a break from the sun.
Popcorn always does the trick! Butter and salt- yummy!

We had lots of fun in the pool- it was great to have so much family time to swim and laugh together.

Dad and John in the little pool!

Nana and SJ just about to go for a swim!

Dad on the baby duck floaty and SJ swimming.

Nana and Papa swimming too!!
So much fun to spot airplanes from the pool, especially since there wasn't a could in the sky.

SJ was Captain Goggles!

Nana and SJ in the little pool.

Pool time!! We loved all our time in the pool!

And now for John's golf lesson with Papa and Daddy!

Troon North Course, Scottsdale AZ.

And that my friends is the beginning of John's golfing career! I was actually tearing up watching this. John has asked, dreamt, and pleaded to be able to go golfing with Papa and Daddy- this was a big deal for John (and me too!) :)

We had so much fun with all the cousins!!
We went swimming at LT and had a big pizza dinner, the kids collected golf balls and played in the sand box.
(Katie is missing from the cousin picture...)

Phoenix Zoo!! One of our favorite things to do in AZ. Nana came with to the zoo too!
Notice Ryan's necklace- John made that for Ryan that morning, so Ryan wore it all day, so sweet!!

John and daddy <3

Nana treated the boys to the carousel. John enjoyed waving to Nana every time we went around!

Dad and SJ on the rhino- Thanks Nana! The boys thought it was so fun!

Stevie Joe, mom and dad at the Phoenix Zoo. 18 months

John, mom and dad at the Phoenix Zoo. 3 years.

John in the Nome Home at the Zoo.

Nana and her Grandsons!

After the Zoo, we dropped Daddy off at the airport because he had to get back home and work! Bummer!! Daddy was such a great sport too--because, I had him take home most of the luggage so I wouldn't have to bring it with me when I was with the kids alone he brought it home and even carried on the Mickey Mouse suitcase. What a daddy!!!

Watching Milo and Otis with Nana and Papa

John playing in the sandbox Nana made for him and Stephen!

Wouldn't be a trip to AZ with out a trip to Urgent Care! I thought SJ had an ear infection, but the Dr. said, "It isn't bad enough to treat, and going on an air plane tomorrow is no excuse either. If it is worse, come back tomorrow and I will decide if it should be treated with antibiotics." Umm, we are not on the same page Dr!

John all snuggled in on the plane home!

Stephen all snuggled in on the plane home!

Some of my other favorite parts: (that I didn't have pictures from...)
I went for a girls afternoon out! I met Chrissy and Abby at the mall for an afternoon of lunch, chatting and salsa dress shopping! It was so much fun to be silly and girly- every mom needs to have time to be a girl again! Thanks Chrissy for the girl talk and laughs! And thanks Nana and Papa for watching the little guys!

Nana took the boys and I to a trampoline park one of the nights. We had SO much fun! I would almost say that Jana and I had more fun then the boys! We were jumping, doing mazes, and slides. So. Much. Fun.!! On the way home we stopped to get the boys a snack of teddy grahams, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. They chowed down and fell asleep before we got home. Success!!

As always, Arizona was a blast!!!! We love our trips down there to see Nana, Papa and all the cuzzies! Thanks again Nana and Papa for being amazing hosts to us always!

Spring Break in Arizona!

2012-05-26T13:34:00.002-05:00

I am going to try to catch up on the blog...so these posts are old, but still important! :)

Just days after we moved to our new home, Ryan, the boys and I headed to AZ for a little vacation to visit Nana and Papa! It was a bit hectic to say the least to move and vacation all with in one week, but it was fun- so that's what counts!
Since it has been a while since we went- I will tell the vacation story by pictures....

The morning of our flight I had a big to-do list. I got *most* of it done! We went to pick up John from school a couple hours early. All of his classmates waved him good-bye and we so excited that he got to go on a airplane! We then drove to meet my mom at Lloyd's so I could drop off my car which needed an oil change and a new drive axle. it was a quick shuffle- we moved the boys car seats to my moms car, luggage and stroller. I dropped the keys off and we were off to the airport-- in a bit of a rush, none the less. My mom dropped us off quickly as she was headed to a meeting and we needed to get through security and on that plane! :) As we were checking our luggage I realized that I didn't have my phone. Then I realized Ryan didn't have his either! Now, neither of us needed our phones, however, I was going to be flying home with the boys alone on a night time flight... I needed mine!
So, I looked for a pay phone, entered in my CC # dialed out and NOTHING. I tried this 5 times (each time charging me, but no connection!) So, I looked for a mom or someone who wasn't in a hurry that would let me use her phone. I found a softball coach. She let me call my mom who told me she didn't have my phone either! We left them WAY back at Lloyds! So, Ryan helped me get the boys through security while my mom left her meeting and drove to Lloyd's to get our phones and back to the airport. Ryan went back out and waited for my mom. They connected, got the phones and he made it through security just in time to board with us!

The pictures are getting all mixed up... and it isn't letting me arrange them...so, here is a picture mess?

John enjoying the cookie my mom brought for him! It was as big as his head-- and then he went to sleep! :)

Stephen falling asleep on the plane

Such a big boy on the plane- with his Mickey luggage!

Still tired and just wanting to snuggle with his Pup.

The gear!

Nana and John taking Sabo for a walk.

Ryan on his way to golf with Steve

The boys waiting to Swim! The weather was beautiful!

God? Where is He, Mom?

2012-04-30T20:38:00.000-05:00

Even though I am so far behind on this blog and I have tons of catching up to do... this post couldn't wait.

This morning I was driving the boys to John's OT appointment. They were both chatting and I was mentally going through my 'to-do' list of things I needed to get done today. One very special question quickly caught my attention.
Who is God? Where is He, Mom? I just want to see Him!
Ahh, if only Ryan could have been there. That moment will forever hold a very special place in my heart. The first time John self-inquired about God. Of all the things we have done wrong in his little life, Ryan and I must be doing something right!
Before I could answer him, the questions just kept coming and so did his frustration. He didn't like my answer that God is everywhere; I told him He is in his heart, helping him make good choices, I told him He is in Heaven, all around us in the air and He is at church.
There was silence for a moment - it was really neat to watch him as his little brain wheels were cranking. Then, he said, "Mom, can you get me a kite?" I said, "Why a kite John?" He explained that if he had a kite, he could fly it high, up to Heaven and he would hold on to it so tight so he could climb up the kite and see God.
I love this very special moment for John at 3 1/2. John is a child that needs to take everything apart, see how it works, everything to him is physical and there is not much left to his imagination.

Tonight as we were coloring some homework he had, I asked John to tell daddy about our conversation in the car today. He right away perked up and said, "GOD! Do you know Him Daddy?!" It was a special teaching and learning moment for all of us. We talked about how God is always here to help us make good choices. Right away John said, "He leaves when I make bad ones?" We got to explain that He is always with you, he never leaves.
We have a special bedtime prayer tonight, it had so much more meaning for John, and Ryan and I too.
Ryan and I are going to sleep well tonight, I am just tickled pink!

Moving Weekend!

2012-04-11T19:21:00.001-05:00

Friday, March 23rd. Closing scheduled for 12 noon. Both trucks packed.

Before we went to the closing, we drove one of the trucks to the house, dropped it off and drove back to Jana and Steve's to pick up the other one and drive that one to the closing. That way, after we closed we could go right over to the new house!! :D

I followed behind Ryan as he drove the trucks, just to make sure he got everywhere safely. :)

As we were on our way to the closing, our agent called and said there was a problem with the seller's side and they had just emailed her and told her that they wouldn't be able to close until April 6! Oh Boy!! She said, not to worry (too much) and that she was doing everything she could to make sure the closing went through. So, we ending up having time to drive both trucks out to Woodbury, stop and get the boys lunch to eat during the closing and luckily, Sue called us back and said, "Get over here! I have the paperwork, let's get this signed before they changed their minds!" She was kidding of course, but we for sure hustled over there!

Ryan, the one man moving service! He rocks at moving.
So excited to be at our new house!!!!

I really wish I had gotten a picture of us at closing, but I didn't. :( I twas very uneventful. Our Agent had everything ready and waiting for us. She played with John and Stephen while Ryan and I excitedly signed pages and pages of documents. We finished up and pretty much ran out the doors! HAHA

When we got to the house it was a crazy day! The sellers were going to replace a window and do some other repair work to some of the other windows- so there was a window man here and a repair man here when we drove up. Then ten minutes later, our "locksmith" pulled up to re-key our house. (That is a whole separate blog for that mess.... stay tuned!)
We had 3 workers here, the kids, and a huge house that needed a ton of stuff moved into it! :) Ryan unloaded the trucks for the most part - I'm telling you, he is a one man moving crew! I watched the boys, tried to get some cleaning done, assessed the childproofing that needed to be done, dealt with the guys working on our house, etc. We realized at about 4pm that we had no water. The city had shut it off since the house was vacant so long. No water does not go well with cleaning, kids and moving. I tried calling everyone and anyone that I thought could help, no takers! Then, Ryan made one simple 2 minute call and he had a man from the city over at our house in 20 minutes! We had water then, but still no hot water and only one of out toilets worked. That's when we started to realize we had a plumbing mess on our hands.

John was on his VERY best behavior while we were moving!! He was just as or maybe even a little smidgen more excited to move then us! He set up a station so play at. He did stickers, crayons and opened what ever he could get his hands on to play with.

This is where SJ played most of the time.
Right on the garage floor- he found a bunch of old toys we had packed away.

The boys had a lot of fun playing in the truck. Yes, I know- dangerous! But, it was the safest place for them to be... And, don't you like the cushion at the bottom of the ramp? haha

Here is Ryan Turtling the King size mattress into the house.
Why I wasn't helping? Every time I would help, the boys would both run in different directions. They are fast and then we would be chasing them and getting no moving done. As long as I was "watching" the kids, they were both really good. : /

The window men finished up pretty quickly however, the "locksmith" was at our house until after 6pm... I paid him and then took the boys to get dinner. We went to Chipolte and got food for them and lots of food for Ryan! :) My parents met us at the house after they got off work. Yay! Help!! They helped get things put into places, start cleaning out the kitchen and got our beds set up. While my parents and I did that, Ryan met his buddy, Luke at his parents house to get the last load. There were a few things he needed help moving- dressers, elliptical and some odds and ends. They got back here late, maybe around 9ish. (Poor Luke had just helped his sister move the 2 days before and then came to help us move... or, should I say poor Kristin?! She was home alone 3 nights in a row with the kids! Thanks to you both!!!)
Around 10pm, we were all filthy, tired and the house was no where near "safe" for then kids, we had no hot water for them to take a bath, no appliances to make food on/store in and they were tired! My parents offered to take them to their house for a bath, food and to sleep there. Before my mom could finish her sentence, John was running to their car- At least he yelled, "Bye mom!!" as he ran? The boys slept over there with no problems. Ryan and I worked on stuff here until about 1am and then ran over to Lifetime for a hot shower.

Late night, but we got everything put away that and our cars in the garage! YAY!!

We woke up sore, tired (it was maybe 5:30am) and hungry- but so excited to have a house! :) My mom was pretty sick, so we quickly dropped the Uhaul truck off on University and got the boys.
On Saturday, we mostly child proofed, we only got a little of the unpacking done....
Oh wait!! AND We got our appliances!!!!!

Good-Bye OLD appliances!

The Men from Sears got to our house at about 9am. I was so excited to see them pull up! :D

The boys ate doughnuts and oranges as I dealt with the appliances and while Ryan replaced some of the boards on the deck. That way the boys would then be able to play outside and it would be safe.

Maybe the washer and the hood for over the stove?

New Fridge! :D I <3 it!

It was too big to fit through the doorways, so they had to take it apart!

Back together and ready to go!

Afternoon snacks on the deck! :)

We returned the Penske truck at about 4pm on Saturday.
The boys napped in our truck while we drove the moving truck to Eagan to return it and then we went back to J&S's house to pack more stuff up and bring another load to the house.

The plumber was at our house all day!! We needed a new kitchen faucet, the hose hook-ups to the exterior of the house needed work because when you turned on the water in the house, they would shoot water about 30 feet out of them! LOL, He ran gas lines for the stove and dryer, fixed 2 of the bathroom faucets on the second floor, and the master bath shower faucet. He started on the main floor bath, but we had gone waaayy over our plumbing budget, so he left at about 7:15pm ...7.5 hours later.... woof!

We needed to get a new kitchen faucet, so I ran over to Home Depot for the 12th time that day and I looked at all of the demo models and I picked the only one that wasn't broken! HA It made for an easy choice!! Right away, I thought, Hmmm, how often do things at our house break? Often! So I picked the one that stood up to being a demo. ;D

The first load of wash finishing!!! <3

John helping!!! He had so much fun helping us put things away! :)

More help from the self-proclaimed "Big-boy"

While we were all working on un-packing, SJ was working on being a goof! He was so silly, mostly he was so excited to play in the empty boxes.

Ryan was so good about letting the kids help with every project.
And, yes everything took 4 times as long... ;)

Can we say 2 happy boys?!
They were fresh out of the tub, lotioned, and ready to jump in their beds on there first night at HOME!

We had a bonfire Saturday and Sunday night! It was fun to burn the old deck boards.

On Sunday, my mom came over in the late afternoon and helped us get the bedrooms all put together. She folded about 20 loads of laundry (not kidding!) and we got everything put away and my mom went home then to do her own laundry and ironing. :(

This was Ryan after our long weekend..... He was "watching" the boys while I ran to Target to get some groceries...
: / Poor guy, he was WIPED OUT!

One last picture... this one is my favorite! It is John vaccuming out the cabintes in the kitchen on Friday night....

Moving, Day 1

2012-03-22T22:19:00.028-05:00

Ryan and I started off our days on the right feet! We were both thrilled with everything, nothing could get in our ways! :)
Raining outside? We don't care!
Had my toe smashed in terribly? Don't care!

Yep, that's from the washer/dryer stand... I am telling you, it is cursed!

Our mortgage broker called and said he had a mess? We don't care! (That's his job- we told him to figure it out- our truck was rented, we ARE closing tomorrow!)
We went to Budget to pick up our truck... not there... OK, now we care! We drove to this hoopty place in a back alley. Went inside to get our truck we had reserved almost 2 weeks ago. The man inside said go talk to her and pointed. (real professional!) We went to talk to her and she said, "oh, you want a 26 footer?"
Us, in unison "Yes!" (we were a bit excited! HA)
Her "Yea, we don't have one. It is in Colorado. We can offer you a 16 footer- they are quite big."
"Umm.... NO."
That's when she started to click around on her computer and be annoying. She was not being helpful so we left and decided to try U Haul. We had a lot to get done and we were wasting time... our spirits were starting to fall. (1 hour wasted!)
We went to U Haul, they got us all set up with their 26 footer, more expensive, but at least they had the truck!
As we left there, our spirits were all back to full! :)
Then our mortgage guy called again- he is a mess. We needed to go figure out a bunch of stuff for him that he should have done WEEKS ago- not 20 hours before closing!! (2 more hours wasted)

Here is our U Haul. Finally. Parked at my parents while we tried to get the paper work stuff all smoothed out. Which we did! :) We rock!

Ok, game on, again! :) We went to the storage unit first- it was a pretty quick unload. Ryan stayed by the truck most of the time unloading the carts I packed. He was much better at packing the truck then I was. :)

Unloading the storage unit!!

These are the "sticks" I bought for our last house- right after I bought this bunch of sticks, it sold!! These sticks were very expensive sticks, but well worth our money!! ;) haha

Just about the last load! Wahoo!!

EMPTY!!!!!!!!!!

U haul, fully packed. (Only storage)

This is when we realized we had a bit of a problem! : / The one truck we rented was full. It was only 4pm. We wanted to have everything except for beds and our one suitcase with our clothes and toiletries in it left.

We decided it was time to rent another truck. We had everything at Ryan's parents left to move - couches, 3 beds, dressers, a desk, an elliptical, toys, and randoms... We did an online order for a Uhaul in Eagan. We drove right over- and the man handed us the keys and said, have it back by tomorrow at 8am. WHAT the heck?! We are paying for 24hours, it was 5pm. He said, sorry, that's all the time I can offer. (well that wouldn't work because we weren't even closing until 12noon!) Left there. Drove to Penske in Eagan. We had all of our fingers crossed. I would like to start by saying: Their store, clean. Their service, professional. Their deals, awesome! Their trucks, New and lovely! I was very impressed! ***** stars for Penske! :)

The man there didn't have a 26 footer... he only had a 16 footer left. We had to settle. Anything was better then nothing. He gave us a great deal and was a good sales man. :) We left happy.

We got to J &S's house. We were quite tired by now- but we had adrenaline still! :) Ryan loaded up the truck with all of the stuff we had packed in the garage. I went inside to "finish" packing up the rest of our stuff with the plan to pack it all in the garage once Ryan had emptied it. I got a lot of packing done... but we are down to the ods'n'ends here. Yuck. So, I started the dishwasher, did laundry and then things started to catch. up. with. us. We. were. tired.

I went to pick up the boys and Ryan stayed home to finish the washer/dryer stand. I won't get into it... but this stand is one that has not been kind to Ryan. Poor guy, he has tried very hard, but it has proved to be stubborn and annoying. At one point, I said, "if I come out here in 5 minutes and there is an ax through the middle, I will understand. Love you!" (Clearly there was no ax, but he laughed and kind of agreed! hahaa)

Still Smiling!!

And, it is done, level, sturdy and will be wonderful!!!

I Love it Ryan! Thanks you so much!!

Off to bed... tomorrow will be a crazy day!
Game plan?
Ryan work from home (conference call) 8-9am
I will go get our cashier's check for closing with the boys at bank open- be home by 9am.
9-11am. Move the beds into the garage. Get the boys outside to play before closing.
Noon: CLOSING!!
After closing, we need to bust our buns unloading the trucks, and filling them again. The Penske truck needs to be back to Eagan by 5pm. Woof.
While Ryan in unloading the trucks and re loading them, I will be at the house cleaning it, de-winterizing it, re-keying it and playing with the boys.

Saturday: All of our appliances come between 8-12. The plumber is coming at noon to run our gas lines and get us up and running! We will have a ton of unpacking and organizing to do ... it will be a great day!!!!

We are still all smiles tonight! We are loving this move! :)

VIP (very important preschooler)

2012-03-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

This week John is the VIP!
He had to answer some questions about himself, bring in a picture of himself and a "show and share" item.

The Questions:
1. Who is in your family?
John: My mom, my dad, and my bro-der, Beef!
Me: John, we can't call him Beef... what's his real name?
John: OK. My bro-der Stevie!

2. What is your Favorite food?
John: Mangos! Like Papa!! Eggs, no yellow ball though. Chicky, balk-balk! Smashed potatoes! What's for dinner?!

3. What do you want to be when you grow up?
John: Be like daddy! Have big muscles (as he shows me his) just like daddy! I will work at 3M with daddy! I love my daddy!!

4. What is your favorite thing to do?
John: At school?? I like the muscle room!
Me: What do you like to do at home?
John: Make cookie bars with Nana!! Eat them too!

And the icing on the cake....
5. What is one thing you wish for?
John: TO DRIVE A MONSTER TRUCK! and have lots of bro-ders and just oonnneeeee sister. Just one! (as he shows me the number one with his finger)
Me: (I was competely surprised by this answer.... I didn't even know where to start...) John, do you know what a monster truck is?
John: No, last week one of the kids said that and everyone clapped and cheered. It sounds like a good thing.
Me: (scratching my head...) Umm, ok John. And what about all these brothers you want? And one sister? Why only one?
John: Mom, dad worked at 3M and bought YOU a house. Your job is MOM. You need more kids for YOUR JOB!!

I stopped asking questions... clearly John has it all figured out! OY!

He took his hockey stick Nana and Papa gave him for his birthday along with a hockey puck. He was super excited to show the kids that he now "wishes" to play hockey! (Yes, I edited the answer I sent to school with him this morning!) LOL

Add caption

Pictures....

2012-03-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

These are all out of order... and randoms... I don't have my computer right now, so I am just using ones I snapped on my phone. I just thought I needed some pictures! ;)

I am not sure what SJ's deal was... BUT, This is 3M - where daddy works! :)

Shaving cream anyone?!
John wanted to get in on the shaving cream action... clearly he was a bit confused as to where it should go.... LOL

SJ was hanging out with daddy... so, of course they had an Oreo snack! :)

Papa Steve's "Old Timer" glasses!

John is so cute in these glasses! :)

The biggest Cheesy Ham I know. Biggest.

Stephen's fine art skills... EEEK.

I took SJ to the library one morning while JR was at school.
SJ LOVES books, it was a hit!

SJ "needed" to do the kid computers.
He was nearing a big fit about the computers because I told him he was not going to use them. After I broke down and told him he could, all he wanted to do was try on the head phones. (Notice the computer screen is on the "sleep screen" and there was nothing coming out the of head phones...) One fight I was glad I avoided.

The potty training obsession begins!!! He is obsessed with going potty.
I would say that we are still pretty far from being trained. I have to remind him all the time, and he needs full assistance. If I don't get there quick enough, it is a mess. He is a strait shooter... : /

SJ and his un-ties. Yes, if you are trying to count them... he has on 3 pairs.
If only you could see the back view-- it is cheeks, and all cheeks! :)

More of the triple unties situation! Maybe he has 4 pairs on in this picture??

This is a pretty "old" picture... from a month ago?
The boys wanted to have toasted mallows - so Ryan made a bonfire with I got the boys dressed.
It was super fun, for all of the 3 minutes they lasted! :)

SJ and his mallow. He did not want his toasted! As soon as he though his mallow could possibly be compromised by the flames it was nearing he started screaming in fear it wasn't going to come back. He has his raw.

Too bad this is blurry... It would have been such a cute one!

<3 Brothers <3
They both wanted theirs cold. No one even roasted a mallow after all that!

John and Stephen standing by their snowman!

We all got together for my mom's birthday this year. It was fun to surprise her! We all had pizza, tres leches cake and chipped in on a charm for her bracelet.

Blowing out her candles!

(Her party was the same night we made an offer on our soon to be new house in Woodbury!!) Wahoo!!

SJ enjoying a popcorn snack! :)

JR and SJ were HUGE troopers one afternoon last week. I had to run about 6 errands, yes 6! I needed to get them done and they needed to come with... I totally bribed them saying IF we got them all done and they didn't cry at any of the stops, I would get them an ice cream treat. It worked! ;) And, right after this we went to meet Sue and Ryan at the new house so the boys could run around and play a little bit. It ended up being a fun day- even though I was a bit nervous as it started out.

SJ and his cookie ice cream

John has taken a big interest in Papa Joe's "tree things"
Ever day as we drive on 494 to bring John to school, he always asks what the "things out there are?" And I never knew what he was talking about until it dawned on me! It was the tree tubes Papa invented!! :) He has been asking all about what papa does at work, how he grows trees, how the trees get into that "thing," and so on.
One afternoon, as we were outside, John came running over to Ryan and I and said, "I made a tree thing like Papa Joe for Nana and Papa Steve!! They have a new tree!!! SEEEEE!!!!!"

A few days later and John was checking if his tree "thing" was working.
He looked up and said, "How does that tree get in this THING?!!!"

THE FOOT PHONE!
I wasn't here for the original "foot phone" but... here is Ryan's take on the situation:
SJ had fallen and got hurt, Papa Steve said something like, SJ is hurt and needs to go to the Dr. Suddenly John dialed up the Dr. on his foot and had a whole conversation with the Doctor-- "Doctor! Doctor!! You come here and help my bro-der?! He hurt! You Come?! OK, Good! Bye!"

John helping his brother get out of lot 11 safely.
We went walking up there with Ryan one night after work last week. It is so beautiful up there and the weather sure helped!! :)

Brothers! Cheese!!

Sunny March days!

2012-03-14T14:48:00.001-05:00

This March will be one I will remember! :) It has been such great weather! I LOVE it!!
We have been playing outside just about all day, everyday.
Today, we were all playing outside by 8:15am. John was catching bugs (warning to all bugs: do not come to Nana's house, you will not make it off this property with all your limbs, or even alive for that matter!) and climbing the little tree in the sandbox. :)
SJ has perfected climbing up the ladder on the swing set and going feet first, tummy down on the slide. The yard is littered in balls, bats and little plastic hockey sticks. We did a nature hunt for all of papa's plants that are coming up, SJ even sung them a little song "ni-ni-P-ants" (as John chimed in, "NO! Morning PLANTS!") this went on for a while.
John and Stephen have had almost everyone of their meals this week outside on the deck, and our heat is off, the windows are open and I am thrilled! Spring it here! :D

We did take a little break from our outside fun to drive to St. Olaf to pick up Auntie Alana today- Let's just say, I drove way past Northfeild... and got us very lost. : / However, the boys were screaming with excitement the whole ride down. When we finally got there, we picked her up and headed back to good old Mendota Heights. Alana got the boys a couple new books (thanks Auntie!!) and she read them to the boys- one about starting school and one about little bears. Very cute.
This morning, (early this morning, to the tune of 5:30am) John found some nail polish in the mud room, painted his finger and said, "look mom, Nolly Polly! Ya, Ya likes Nolly Polly!!" : / Yes, John, she does... (luckily it was white polish, and he only got one finger done before I stepped in and stopped all the "fun" ;-)

E-O-N

2012-03-14T14:39:00.000-05:00

Ryan and I have full conversations spelling every word out. F.U.L.L. C.O.N.V.E.R.S.A.T.I.O.N.S.
John has tried to catch on. A few weeks back, it was a Saturday morning and Ryan and I were trying to make our plan for the day. We were deciding between taking the boys swimming or to the zoo. As we spelled everything out, John piped up, "E.O.N.!! Park! Mom, we are going to the PARK! E.O.N!" (All with one hand on his hip, in a very serious manner.) We thought it was pretty funny and very clever at the same time.

Well, since then, if John isn't feeling "heard" he will ~~say~~ yell, "E.O.N.! I want some milk! E.O.N!" (or, a snack, or outside or to go swimming...)
Or, if he wants to feel like he is "part of the conversation" he will chime in as Ryan and I are spelling things out with, "E.O.N., yea, work was good today, yea, it was."

Un-TEEs!! AKA: Unders

2012-03-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

Stephen is obsessed!
He is constantly taking off his pants, pointing to his parts and then bee-lining it to the nearest toilet as if he is about to burst with urine. I am not really sure where this sudden burst of potty training interest came from, especially because he is a bit young for boys to train...and he is terrible with his aim and timing for that matter!
Tonight, he went digging through the dirty clothes pile to find some un-tees. He found a pair of John's Toy Story ones and proceeded to get them on. He put both legs through the waist hole first (good,) but then put both legs through one leg hole and up they went... all the way up past his belly button. Ryan and I got a good chuckle out of it especially because his meaty little buns were sticking out the bottom of his shirt as he ~~ran~~ trotted around proclaiming UN-TEES!! UN-TEES!! with pure satisfaction on his face, it was pretty much a strut around the kitchen, he was wearing John's unders, he put them on him self and he had just peed ~~in the little green potty~~ all over the floor (while sitting on the potty. Like I said, the aim is terrible.) Not five minutes later, he had put on three more pairs of unders he found of John's. By this point, it was a safety hazard-- he was doing a mermaid walk around the basement.
Have a gotten this lucky as a mom?! Am I going to have 2 kids that are super easy to potty train?! If so, I have earned it! HA