Our Family Adventure Through Life

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2012-02-14T22:08:00.004-05:00

Homemade heart pancakes...

...flowers...

...and two kids I kinda really love!

I made a heart breakfast for the kids this morning and they loved it! They both had parties at school, came home with lots of candy and were on a sugar high most of the day!

Party at the Gym!

2012-02-12T22:19:00.004-05:00

Lucy loved the rope!

We jumped and jumped and jumped!

My little monkeys!

Cade had so much fun rolling around in this!

The kids got to run down this trampoline and fall into the foam blocks! It was a lot of fun but really, really hard for the adults to climb out of!

Cade and his best buddy Lance!

We were invited to a birthday party last month at the gymnastics gym here in town. We all had a fun time jumping, running and being silly.

Ouch!

2012-02-12T22:06:00.003-05:00

Nice smile Lucy...

We were suppose to look sad....apparently Lucy was a little camera shy and Cade was talking out the side of his mouth!

This was a little better!

The kids like to do my hair sometimes at night before bed and this night for some reason Lucy brought out a bag of cotton balls and lotion (along with colorful hair extensions) and did the only logical thing and put them all over my leg and pretended was broken. It was a win/win all around - it kept them busy for a good 30 minutes and it felt so good to get my hair done and have a pedicure! ;)

Something is Missing....

2012-02-12T21:54:00.002-05:00

Cade lost his first tooth in January!

He couldn't wait to show it off

I have been soooooo bad about updating the blog lately. We made a trip back to Iowa, Jeremy has been on travel and the kids have been keeping me busy. I can't believe it is the middle of February! The big news in our house happened last month when Cade lost his first tooth and was so excited about it! I on the other hand can't even handle the topic of a loose tooth so I put Jeremy in charge of pulling all teeth starting asap!

Food, Drinks and Lots of Games!

2012-01-11T21:12:00.019-05:00

Homemade unagi
Spring Rolls and Shrimp

Bacon wrapped shrimp

Lucy loved to toast with me! Notice her glass is empty...

We played Just Dance 2 for Kids on the Wii

I'll be the first to admit I was more into the dancing that I thought I would be!

I did have some fun too

I didn't realize I took it so serious until I saw the pictures!

Jeremy and Cade were awesome!

Then it was my turn with Cade

Not surprisingly he did much better!

I'm pretty sure the bag of Doritos didn't left Lucy's hand all night

She had a death grip on them however she was able to multitask and watch tv at the same time.

After this look I didn't dare take the bag from her

One of the only pictures of her without her chips!

Love how they have the same expression

Cade played so hard he got a little hot and felt more comfortable in this...

Can't wait to blow these pics up when he get a little older! ;)

We had a really good night on New Year's Eve staying in with the kids and playing games. We were all exhausted by the time it was over and were even able to sleep in past 7:00am!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-09T20:29:00.003-05:00

Cheers!

Lucy loved the 'champagne'!

Family photo for the new year.

We let the kids drink sparkling apple cider on New Years and I think the whole bottle was gone by 7:30! Lucy probably drank over half herself!

Christmas Morning

2012-01-02T22:12:00.014-05:00

Lucy setting the carrots out for the reindeer

When Santa came to our house a couple weeks ago the kids asked him if he would like to drink hot chocolate with his cookies when he came to our house and he told them he would love it!

Santa and his reindeer must have had a big appetite when they left!

All ready for the kids

Santa brought the kids new Leapsters

She loved opening her gifts

Lucy got a violin and both kids couldn't wait for Jeremy to get it all set up.

She loved playing it

Time for homemade cinnamon rolls and more mimosas for the adults!

She ended up eating the whole thing!

Even though we couldn't make it back to Iowa we ended up having a pretty good time just the four of us. We opened gifts, ate breakfast and played with the new toys all morning long.

My Little Helpers

2012-01-02T21:53:00.006-05:00

Making chocolate crinkle cookies. They loved rolling them in the powdered sugar.

I'm pretty sure half of the frosting went on the cookies and the other half in his mouth!

Showing off their masterpieces

I've been really bad about updating the blog lately. Here are a few pictures of the kids decorating some cookies. I tried to make something each day leading up to Christmas and they both enjoyed helping me in the kitchen!

Santa Was Here!

2011-11-28T22:36:00.005-05:00

Cade and Lucy couldn't believe who walked in our backdoor...

Lucy didn't know what to think at first.

Santa asking them if they have been good this year...

Lucy told him she had been very good....

...she knew she may have exaggerated the truth a little...

Santa also brought gifts

And candy canes!

My friend Callee hired Santa to come over to her family Christmas party over the weekend and asked him to also stop by our house! It was beyond thoughtful of her to think of us and the kids cannot stop talking about it! Cade was pretty serious during his stay and didn't for one minute doubt that he was the real deal. Lucy asked lots of questions and wanted to know if he had brought her the Leapster she wants for Christmas!

Tiiiiimmber!

2011-11-28T22:20:00.006-05:00

We told Cade he could cut the tree down this year!
He was so excited

Lucy insisted she should help too

Jeremy found a little friend
It was a caterpillar

Lucy and Elle
The kids together!

We headed out with Neal and Lauren and the kids for our annual Christmas tree extravaganza! We all ended up with really nice trees and headed out for lunch afterwards. That night Jeremy put lights up on the house and we also decorated tree. I love this time of year and can't wait to start making treats! :)

Carving

2011-11-28T21:51:00.009-05:00

Cade couldn't wait to get his hands inside

Lucy on the other hand could wait...

She really, really didn't like the 'icky stuff' inside!

Wasn't her favorite thing!

Lucy still wasn't sure about the whole thing

Nope...still didn't want to touch it

A day before Halloween we carved the pumpkins. Cade was all about it and Lucy wanted nothing to do with it! I really thought Lucy would love to get her hands dirty but I was totally wrong. Hopefully next year she will be ready to get her hands all gooey!

Lucy's First Day of Preschool

2011-11-06T21:07:00.008-05:00

Lucy started school last Tuesday and she absolutely loves it. 'Loves it' is actually an understatement! She asks me everyday if she can go to school. She is attending the same preschool Cade did last year with the same teachers as well. I asked her a million times the day's/week before she started if she wanted to stay at home with me and do fun things at home or go to school....every time she told me she wanted to go to school. The first day I dropped her off I was expecting her to cry and tell me not to leave but that didn't happen. She kissed me and waved and joined her class like she had been there since day one. I was so use to Cade crying everyday and begging me not to leave and now I have Lucy who is completely opposite. I am very thankful she is loving school but also sad that she is growing up so fast.

Bat Kids!

2011-11-06T20:54:00.004-05:00

I love Lucy's expression in this picture - she is on the prowl for evil in the neighborhood!

I asked them to smile and of course Cade listened to me and Lucy did this! She took her job as Bat Woman very serious!

Ready to take off

I wouldn't mess with her!

Looks like she does have a nice side....sometimes!

The kids were so excited to dress up in their Batman/Bat Woman costumes! The weather was really great (60's) and the kids have enough candy to last a good six moths!

Spooky Halloween Lunch!

2011-11-02T22:47:00.006-04:00

Swamp Water

Callee was the first to taste!

Lucy's reaction!

Cade loved it!
Mummy hotdogs were also on the menu

Sagan on the other hand wasn't so sure!

She finally gave it a try!

I made marshmallows

Callee and I decided to throw the kids a Halloween Lunch/Party! She was in charge of the games and I was in charge of lunch. It was a huge hit and we can't wait to do it again next year!

Fire Pit

2011-11-01T22:58:00.008-04:00

Some appetizers before dinner

Geiger's
Time to look for bugs!
'G' got the kids some glow sticks and they decided they couldn't wait until Halloween to use them!Apparently Lucy thought it was a little bright out! ;)

Jeremy was having some fun with the camera!

The last night Geiger's were here we chilled in the backyard with appetizers, dinner and a fire pit. It was the perfect end to a great weekend. We had such a fun time while there were here and we miss them so, so much.

Lucy's Birthday Party!!!

2011-11-01T22:08:00.012-04:00

All ready for her big party!

She was sooooooo excited!!!

Time for gifts!

Aunt Hillary sent her a Tinker Bell flashlight! Huge hit with both kids!

I bought Cade a new game for his wii so he didn't feel totally left out of the party.

'G' also got him a new game for his leapster which he loved!

We hid the kids downstairs while the adults put the doll house and van together!

She was soooooooooooooooo excited to see her big present!!

This was her big gift from Mimi and Papa and us. She. love. it.

Cade love it too! :)

Lucy had a great 3rd birthday party! It was SO great to have Geiger's here to help us celebrate!

Wheeler Farm

2011-10-20T20:19:00.010-04:00

Lucy was a little shy at first

After a while they were all friends! ;)

She loves Gabe

A photo opt for Papa and G and the kiddos!

She loves Papa too...

He looks so grown up!

The both love Uncle Gabe and miss him very much!

G took the kids through the maze and they all got pumpkins at the end!

One of the top places we take visitors is Wheeler Farm. The kids love it there and and so do we! It was beautiful out and I was able to take some great pictures of everyone. After the farm we split up and the girls went shopping and the boys did some manly things without the girls!

Happy 3rd Birthday Lucy!!!

2011-10-20T15:20:00.004-04:00

I was a total slacker this year and bought donuts for Lucy's 'breakfast in bed on her birthday'! I usually make pancakes, bacon, etc... but I didn't have time so I thought the second best thing would be donuts! As you can see she didn't seem to mind and dug right in!

This past year went by so fast. I remember being in Iowa last year for her second birthday and it was so nice to have all of our family there! This year we were lucky to have Geiger's here which was so nice!

Lucy is still as spunky as ever. She is smart, quick to tell us what she thinks and wants and makes us laugh on a daily basis. She adores Cade and plays with him all day long. She is my shopping buddy, cooking buddy and cleaning buddy while Cade is in school. I know she loves the one-on-one attention and I know I love it even more.

I took her in for her 3 year apt last week and she is in the 50% for weight and 90% for height. They tell me she is going to be tall and skinny. I will take that. I can remember the first 6 months of her life she had a hard time eating and I was so worried it would somehow stunt her growth. Thankfully it didn't and she is developing normally!

Lucy starts preschool next month and she is so excited and so ready! She has 2 Tinker Bell backpacks all ready to take to school. I'm not sure which one she will pick but I do know she will have fun wearing them just like her big brother does everyday.

Life with Cade and Lucy is definitely an adventure! Most days around the house are good, some days are harder than others and days like today I can't believe how incredibly lucky I am to have such a great family. So excited to see what this next year will be like with a 3 year old!

Cake Pops!

2011-10-06T16:33:00.011-04:00

I love this picture! I didn't realize Lucy was sitting there until I was ready to snap the picture.

I told Jeremy I wanted one good picture with the kids on my birthday....

not this one....

...or this one....

...nope....
...not sure what Cade is looking at....

I will have to settle for this one?!?

I made cake pops for my birthday! We all wanted to dive in.
Cheers!

I love how Luc is looking at me!

She didn't want to share at first

She finally came around!

Champagne and Cake Pops = what every girl should have on their birthday!

My awesome friend Lauren stopped by and gave me this book! I have wanted it forever!! It couldn't have been more perfect!

Over the weekend Jeremy made cupcakes from scratch and frosted them with the kids!

I have to say I had a pretty good birthday this year. I made cake pops and they actually turned out pretty good! It was hard to top last year at Oktoberfest in Germany but this was almost as good! The kids really got into it and Cade wrote on my card all by himself. Lucy told me 'Happy Birthday' all day long and Jeremy surprised me with flowers and balloons and a huge 'Happy Birthday' banner in the kitchen. Pretty nice to wake up to! I am one lucky lady!

Tomatoes Anyone?!?

2011-10-05T21:15:00.002-04:00

Jeremy and I canned 28 quarts of tomatoes on Sunday. Somehow only 27 showed up for the picture but I swear we did 28! It took about 5 hours and was sooooooooo worth it! I opened up 2 tonight for chili and they were so good I could have drank the entire quarts myself!

Home Alone with Lucy - Day Two....

2011-10-03T15:12:00.007-04:00

I can only imagine this is what it looked like in the bathroom when she did it!

I seriously found 4 HUGE clumps bigger than this in both of our bathrooms!

I think she was pretty proud her her new cut! I however was not happy about it!

This is what it usually looks like after I braid her hair...

This is all I can now braid on her shorter side!

She looks so innocent doesn't she...

Day two of Cade being in school and Lucy and I having some one-on-one time didn't go that well! We dropped Cade off at school, ran to the store to get groceries for the week, came home and I started to unload the 150 bags out of the car and into the pantry. Lucy is pretty independent and I didn't worry when it was quiet while I was putting things away and I didn't see her. 99% of the time she is either in her room or Cade's room reading books or playing with toys. It wasn't until I was putting my last bag away and Lucy walked out of her bathroom and into the kitchen and told me she cut her hair! I yelled and said "WHAT?!?!?" She whispered and told me again that she cut her hair and I yelled again and said "Did you really cut your hair?!?!" After that she then told me she was just kidding and I immediately went to her bathroom and saw a HUGE clump of blond curly hair laying on the floor! I should have known the first time she walked out of her bathroom and her hair looked like she stuck her finger in a light socket that she was up to something! She apparently was playing beauty parlor by herself and decided she needed and cut and new style!
She must have only cut the middle part of her right side because it was shorter just thinner! I put the fear of God in her that she can't ever do that again!
I'm nervous to leave her alone for very long now! We tend to do activities where she is right next to me at all times! ;)

Cade's Allergy Apt

2011-09-12T09:36:00.008-04:00

He did such a great job siting still for all 30 pokes! The picture doesn't really give it justice - his back was filled with huge bumps.

Cade's allergies have been SOOOOOO bad lately. He has always had pretty bad allergies and I finally took him a pediatric allergist. They tested him for 30 different things and 21 came back positive! The doctor prescribed 3 different meds for him to take each day with an additional 2 he could take on top of that. Jeremy and I decided against the meds and instead started him on the allergy shot. We went in for his first shot session on Thursday and found out he has to have 3 shots in his arm twice a week for 6 months! After that it goes down to once a week and the doctor told us we could give those shots to him at home. He will have to have shots for the next 2-3 years. I am really hoping this does the trick and he can finally start feeling better! Poor guy!

Cade's First Day in Kindergarten!!!!

2011-08-30T16:32:00.008-04:00

The famous 'before school photo shoot' on our front steps

G bought him a new backpack for school!

Any resemblance?

I am going to miss him soooooooo much!

They really do love each other. I know they are going to miss each other so much!

Today was the first day of Kindergarten for Cade. The past two years during preschool he cried every single day I dropped him off. I was pretty confident this year would be different. At breakfast I talked about all of the fun things he was going to do this year, the new friends he was going to make, etc... At the end of our conversation I asked him what he was most excited about and he said, "the end - when you pick me up!" Yikes! I thought for sure he was going to say recess or story time but not that!

Jeremy, Lucy and I all walked Cade to school this morning. I couldn't believe how sad and nervous I was. I wanted to cry the whole time we were walking. I can't believe he is going to be at school every day now. It sure won't be the same around the house without him. I know Lucy is really going to miss having a friend to play with at all times and I know I am going to miss having my little buddy around to keep me company.

When we arrived in his classroom the teacher greeted each student and introduced herself. She seemed like she is going to be a very fun and bubbly teacher! I sat with Cade at his table for a minute and then told him I was going to leave. He immediately got tears in his eyes and asked me for a hug and kiss. This is the moment I could have started bawling. It wasn't pretty and I didn't want to lose it in front of all the other parents who were having no trouble what so ever leaving their child. I tried to let go of him but he cried harder and wouldn't let go of me. Jeremy was standing in the hall watching it all unfold. I tried again to leave but Cade followed me into the hall where he continued to cry so hard he couldn't breath.
It.
Was.
Terrible.
I had to walk back into the class, sit him down in his chair and run out. I hid behind the door and watched him sitting in his chair sobbing so hard he couldn't catch his breath and no one was helping him. I felt completely helpless. The teacher shut the door and I left. It was such a terrible feeling leaving him.

I picked him up 2.5 hours later and his teacher said he did great after I left! Cade told me he can't wait to go back tomorrow! I felt soooooooo much better! I really hope this year goes a little smoother than the past couple of years!

Lucy's Wipeout

2011-08-29T18:49:00.003-04:00

Jeremy and I took the kids on a bike ride Thursday night. We were almost home and Lucy lost control of her bike and hit her head on the pavement pretty hard. She was wearing a helmet and wasn't going that fast but the goose egg on the side of her forehead was huge and she was totally limp in my arms when I ran her inside. I knew it was more than just a bump on her head so I ran her to the ER which is about 2 minutes from our house. We got in right away and the doctor told us upfront that they don't typically scan children but he would do an assessment and see from there. She wasn't very coherent and flunked the test where they make you follow the little light with your eyes. The doctor looked her over for about a minute and said that he wanted a ct scan to see if there was something more going on. By the time they called us back for the scan (about 15 min) Lucy was sound asleep in my arms. She stayed asleep up until the point where I laid her down on the table and they pushed her back for the scan and then she woke up, sat up and threw up everywhere - twice. I was nervous at this point.

I cleaned her up and tried my hardest to make her sit still through the scan. She did and I took her back to her room where she threw up 2 more times and quickly fell back asleep. By this time Jeremy was with us (our friends took Cade to their house) and we were both really concerned. The doctor came in and told us the scan looked normal and that Lucy had a pretty good concussion. He told us that she might be cognitively delayed for the next couple of weeks and have a headache for a while. We had to wake her up every 2 hours that night and make sure she was coherent and could focus and answer a couple of questions.

I think Jeremy and I got about 3 hours of sleep that night. We felt so bad for Lucy. We are so lucky she was wearing a helmet. She woke up the next morning asking for oatmeal and wanting to play outside. I knew at that point she was almost back to her normal self! We had a low key weekend, let her watch lots of movies and gave her whatever she wanted to eat!

Bowling

2011-08-29T18:22:00.003-04:00

Group picture

The many faces of Lucy!

Lauren and I took the kiddos bowling last week! Lucy got really into it and was even a little dramatic about her performance! It was a great break away from the heat we have had the past couple of weeks!

My Two Little Fish

2011-08-29T15:33:00.007-04:00

Practicing his dive

He was pretty darn good at the backstroke!

His first jump off the high board!!!! He paused at the top for about 20 seconds!

I was so proud of him!!!

Lucy's First Swimming Lesson!
She was sooooooo excited to be in swimming lessons with Cade!!

She was really relaxed when practicing with the instructors

She loved jumping in from the side!

She. Has. No. Fear!

Cade took swimming lessons at the beginning of Summer and I thought it would be fun to sign both kids up for a lesson together once we got back from Iowa. This was Lucy's first time in lessons and she actually skipped level one and went into level 2! She is such a little fish and loved every second of it! On day one her instructor came up to me and said the Lucy did really well and has no fear of the water whatsoever! Yup - I know!

Cade graduated to the big pool this year and was in a class of older kids. He learned a lot and had a great teacher. He is now able to swim the length of the pool with no assistance and jump off the diving boards and swim to the side! Both kids passed their levels and are excited to do it all over again next year!

Timpanogos Cave

2011-08-22T22:05:00.004-04:00

About halfway up!

Inside the cave
This is a view of the mountain. The cave is a little more than halfway up!

If you look really close you can see the people walking to the cave! It's a little above the center of the picture.

A couple of weeks ago we headed to the Timpanogos Cave which is a little over an hour away from our house. We've always wanted to do this and we thought this would be the perfect time since Cade could walk on his own and Jeremy could carry Lucy on his back.

We had no idea how much of a hike it was up to the cave! This is a description from their website: "The only access to the cave system is by walking a strenuous 1 1/2-mile-paved trail, which rises 1,065 ft to an elevation of 6,730 feet above sea level. The round-trip hike and tour of the cave system takes about three hours. Mid-summer temperatures on the trail can reach 100 degrees F. However, temperatures in the caves average 45 degrees, so a sweater or light jacket is recommended. Hiking shoes, water, flashlights and sunscreen will make your visit safe and enjoyable." Yup - it was definitely a little strenuous and I have no idea how Cade made it on his own! We ate some lunch afterwards and headed out for a long bike ride. Needless to say we were all pretty exhausted at the end of the day!

Hiiiiike!

2011-08-18T23:11:00.007-04:00

Beautiful views!

Starting our hike

Cade had lots of energy and wanted to run!

Lucy had the best seat in the house!

We took a little break by this creek

Hummm.....looks like Cade was sprinkling something in Lucy's hair. I used extra shampoo in her hair that night! ;)

We went on a long hike in the mountains last weekend. We thought we were headed into a 2.5 mile nice leisurely hike and it turned out to be a 5+ (felt more like 10+ !) mile hike and we only had one big bottle of water between us. The kids did surprisingly well and the scenery was amazing.

Cousins

2011-08-15T21:45:00.006-04:00

Irie and Lucy laughing at one of the many tricks Hillary and I had up our sleeve that day!

Looks like a ad for Gap!

Canaan and Cade enjoying a good laugh!

One of my favorites!

Can you tell they love each other?!?

I love this one too!

Little Miss attitude on the end...

While we were home Hillary and I got the kids together, dressed them up and headed out for a photo shoot. For the past couple of years we have given G a picture of the grandchildren for Christmas and starting last year we took the reins of photographer. While neither of us are professional photographers per say, we thought we could do what it took to snap a couple of pictures of 5 adorable children. I mean, how hard could it be?!? Two days, five kids, a couple of trips to take the kids out for donuts and juice, excruciating heat and two exhausted Moms later we had about 10 good pictures on our hands - we literally took over 400 pictures!
Next year I am bringing vodka to spike in the photographers juice to make for an easier photo shoot!! :)

Petty's Farm!!!

2011-08-07T22:26:00.009-04:00

Cade and Lucy's first stop - the kitty's! Lucy couldn't figure out why some of the kitty's climbed into the bowl to eat their food!

Janet reassuring the kids it was o.k. to pet them!

Lucy loved Snowflake!

Janet plays the accordion like a pro! We would yell out a song and she would play it!

Harlan pulled out a microphone and the kids sang every song they knew while Janet played her accordion! It was SO much fun!!

We headed to the chicken house and Cade picked his first egg! He kept telling me that the egg was so warm!

Us with Harlan and Janet and Mimi! We headed out on four wheelers to explore the farm!

Cade had a permanent smile on his face the entire time!

Lucy and Martin on the four wheeler! Lucy loved every minute of it!

Last month we took a trip to Harlan and Janet's (my aunt and uncle) farm. It was sooooooo much fun! I told my Mom it was almost as much fun as Adventureland! We love, love, love Harlan and Janet and wish we could spend more with them! We played with the kittens, explored the chicken house, rode four wheelers, and belted out some serious tunes while Janet worked her magic on the accordion! Thank you Harlan and Janet for such a great time!! We will always remember our trip to your farm!!!

Adventureland

2011-07-21T20:59:00.006-04:00

Hanging out before their turn on the ride!

Cade was laughing SO hard on this ride!

Lucy had a great time with Mimi!

The kids on the airplanes!

We headed to Adventureland last weekend and the kids had a blast! The adults had a pretty good time as well! Cade and Lucy have talked about it every single day since and ask if we can go back everyday! I remember coming here every year growing up and it's even more fun coming back with the kids!

A Little Vino...

2011-07-17T21:23:00.015-04:00

I feel like I should explain this story before you see the pictures! A couple of days before we left for Spain Jeremy and I saw an episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and he was in Spain. He was visiting a town where they were having a festival where people picked large green onions, proceeded to take the onions, char them, wrap them in paper to steam, and then ate them. While waiting for the onions to finish steaming the people would chat it up with one another and drink wine out of porron (a traditional wine pitcher - a cross between a wine bottle and a watering can!) The people in the show however did NOT have wine all over their bodies like we did!

I called Alicia right after watching this and told her I wanted to drink wine like they did in the show and she just so happen to have a porron at her house!

This was our take on the festival!

**Side note: Claire started screaming histarically halfway through our fun. We had NO idea what was wrong. Andy and Alicia both tried numerous times to calm her down without any success. We died laughing after looking through our pictures of the day! No wonder she was crying so hard! It looked like we were killing each other and blood was oozing out of us! She might be having nightmares for the rest of her life!

It all started off so innocent....

...then again it was Alicia and Jeremy....

And it got crazy pretty fast!

Then it was Jeremy's turn!

Alicia begging for compassion....

I think he was a little too nice!

Time for Andy!

Any guess why Claire might have been crying?!?!

Andy had to calm Claire down so Jeremy took over...

He wasn't exactly nice!

I've never drank that much wine at once in my life!!

I will never forget this! It was fun and even funnier looking back on just how bad we looked with all of the wine on us! Poor, poor Claire!

Spain!!!!

2011-07-12T21:27:00.010-04:00

Can you guess which picture was my favorite?!?!

I took over 300 pictures of our trip and this was seriously my favorite one of Jeremy and I! Andy snuck into the background and we died laughing when we saw him standing behind us! Jeremy is confident we can photo shop him out!

We weren't having any fun at all...

Jeremy really enjoyed his wine this night!

Enjoying one of our many sangria's!

We spent the past week with Andy and Alicia in Spain!! It was SUCH a GREAT trip and I am missing them so very much! The food, drinks, conversations, and day trips were awesome! I will always remember this trip. Jeremy and I are so thankful for their generous hospitality and insights in the Spanish culture. Thank you so much Andy and Alicia for a trip we will never forget!!!

2011-07-12T21:18:00.000-04:00

Andy and Jeremy

2011-07-12T21:01:00.004-04:00

They loved swimming together!!

Jeremy saw a cool picture in a magazine and wanted to try and recreate it with Andy and the kids! Alicia and I were dying laughing the entire time! The pictures Andy took of the kids actually look really cool!

Looks like they were going to have an awesome night together!

I still have NO idea what they were doing in the picture!

It's so sad we only get to hang out once a year and each year we do we have the time of our lives! We love Andy and Alicia and it's so nice to know that our hubby's get along so well.....:)

Paige

2011-07-09T07:44:00.004-04:00

Hummmm.....doesn't look like the kids like her very much...

Us either....

This is Paige. We love her. I use to babysit her and her brothers when I was younger and a couple weeks ago she babysat Cade and Lucy for us! Crazy huh!

It has been SO much fun to see friends and family while we are back in Iowa. I can't believe we only have a couple weeks left. The summer is flying by and we are all having a great time!

Attention All Drivers.....

2011-07-09T07:33:00.003-04:00

Lucy has a new bike and is riding around like she owns the streets! ;)

Lucy loves her new bike and is currently trying to keep up with Cade. I think her top speed is around 3-5 mpr right now. Each day she gets a little faster and a little more daring!

Bike Ride

2011-06-21T22:01:00.002-04:00

The kids were excited!

Uncle Gabe on the other hand didn't know what to expect!

Uncle Gabe was nice enough to pull the kids for me for our 6 hour bike bike today! O.k. so it wasn't really 6 hours - more like 1 hr! The kids adore him and now that we are back the first thing Lucy asks for in the morning is uncle Gabe!

We're Back!

2011-06-21T21:27:00.006-04:00

There was some pretty intense concentration

Irie had enough!

I think Lucy was cheating here!

And so was Irie!

One of my goals while I'm back is to get all of kids to look at me at the same time for a picture! I'm not sure it's gonna happen!

G bought a new croquet set and it was such a hit! The kids all concentrated so hard and it was so funny to watch them! I'm thinking we will have to have this set up all summer long!

Lucy's 1st Dentist Appointment

2011-06-06T23:28:00.005-04:00

It looked fun at first...
And then she had a change of heart!

She watched Cade...
...and didn't look away once.

Until this happened! She wanted nothing to do with the dentist!

We bribed her with lots of candy and she finally let them clean her teeth...

As you can tell she was thrilled to have her picture taken! Her dentist actually went to the University of Iowa Dental School!

Cade loved his first dentist appointment and looks forward to them to this day. I never would have thought that Lucy would hate it as much as she did. She got through it o.k. but I'm already dreading our next visit. On a good note - no cavities for either one!

Random Pictures

2011-06-06T23:14:00.007-04:00

When my Mom was here for Cade's birthday we snuck out for a nice relaxing pedicure!

This was from March - Lucy's first time at the Home Depot class!

She loves putting my boots on and pretending she is me! She can barley take 2 steps in them!

When it gets too quiet in the house I know she is up to something. Most of the time I find her like this - sneaking into Cade's room and playing his Leapster!

When Papa and G were out here they bought Cade a marshmallow gun. This first pic was pretty cool since you can actually see the marshmallow shooting out.

They tried and tried to get one in their mouth but no luck!

I have been pretty bad the past couple of months updating the blog. Here are a few pictures and updates.

Last Day of Preschool...

2011-05-26T22:38:00.009-04:00

Going in for a huge bite

He loved it!
I think Cade looks just like Jeremy in this picture!

There was a huge bounce house for the kids

Cade and Mrs. Melanie - his preschool teacher for the past year who we LOVE!

Cade and Mrs. Sara - Cade's assistant preschool teacher who we also LOVE!

Today was Cade's last day of preschool. It didn't really hit me until tonight that preschool is officially over and we are now headed into Kindergarten. I'm sooooo not ready for Cade to start Kindergarten. Didn't he just turn 2 like last year?!?! Time is flying by and even though most days I am counting down the hours until bath and bedtime, it's moments like this that make me wish I could slow down the hands of time.
I dropped Lucy off at my friends house and Cade and I made plans to get a donut and chocolate milk before school - something we have never done before. I'm sure the people in the parking lot of the gas station thought I was a complete crazy person for taking pictures of my son while he chomped down on his sugary treat and beverage but I didn't care. There was something so innocent and fun about our morning together. I loved every minute of it!
Once we got to school we saw that there was a bounce house, face painting and a couple of games for the kids to play. It was nice to talk to other parents, watch the kids play and have some one-on-one time with Cade. I know Cade and I will both miss so much about this preschool.
Excited and a bit apprehensive about the year to come.

Allergic Reaction

2011-05-23T21:31:00.005-04:00

Her body was covered from head to toe with this rash.

The pictures don't give it justice but she was covered from head to toe with a red rash all over her body. At first Jeremy and I thought is was Roseola but when she woke up from her nap it was waaaaay worse. I took her into a new urgent care here in town and as we were in triage getting her vitals taken the doctor walked by and stopped next to us and asked me if she was on an antibiotic and I told her which one she was on and she instantly told me she was having an allergic reaction! Yikes! She had been taking it for about 7 days and I couldn't believe it took that long for her to react to it. It turns out she has an allergy to sulfa. After 2 rounds of steroids and antihistamines she was pretty much back to normal!

Longest Winter Ever...

2011-05-23T21:13:00.003-04:00

Lucy loved bouncing on the ball

And kicking it too!

The worm
Lucy didn't know what to think of it at first

She thought about it for a while...

...and slowly went in for a gentle touch.

It took a while but in the end she decided she loved the worm!

This has seriously been the longest winter of my life! Last week it not only rained but snowed and the temps were in the low 40's. We are all desperately wanting to be outside in shorts and tank tops and at this point I wouldn't even mind a little sunburn! Last weekend it was finally nice enough to to wear some summer clothes and play outside all day long.

We found a couple worms in the garden and the kids thought they finally had a new pet. In fact, Cade asked our neighbor if he wanted to pet his new worm - the neighbor however declined!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T14:54:00.009-04:00

Kids on the hunt for their eggs

They both ate waaaay too much candy!

I made these cupcake that were suppose to look like little nests.

We had a pretty good Easter this year. The kids had an Easter egg hunt in the morning and we headed over to Neal and Lauren's for dinner. The kids seriously ate more candy than they ever have before! Cade has told me the past two days that he really liked Easter and that he missed it! Humm....I wonder if it has to do with the fact that I let him eat candy all day long?!?

Big Boy Bike

2011-04-18T22:23:00.003-04:00

We bought Cade a new bike for his birthday last month that did not come with training wheels. This was the first weekend it was nice enough to take it out for a spin. I was dreading the process of teaching him how to ride without the training wheels. Jeremy and I each tried to take him out and practice with no avail. The next day we were outside doing yard work and Cade was begging us to take him out to practice riding his new bike. Our neighbor happen to overhear the conversation and I jokingly told him I would pay him big bucks to teach Cade how to ride his bike. He said the trick was to run as fast as you could while holding onto his seat and then let go. I laughed and the next thing I knew he had Cade in the street running as fast as he could up the street! About a million things went through my mind as I watched this including a few choice words and what Cade would look like without his front teeth, a broken arm and leg and not to mention the fact that he would never, ever want to get on a bike again for as long as he lived after he fell off.

In no way am I exaggerating when I tell you that after he let go of Cade he literally took off - literally. Never fell off. Not even once. It was so fun to watch! He rode his new bike the entire day and it is all he wants to do - morning, noon and night. He looks like he is about 10 years old and I'm not too sure I like the new chapter of our life we are about to start. Lucy is out of diapers, Cade is in soccer, we now have practices and games to attend every week, we took Lucy's highchair down this week and she now sits in a booster chair at the table and now Cade rides a bike without training wheels. The baby stage is officially over and I am surprisingly more sad than I am happy. Most of the days around the house seem to last forever and the clock sometimes takes forever to move even a minute. Then there are days like today that I would do anything to stop the clock and keep my kids the ages they are today forever. Sad yet excited to start this new chapter in our life.

Cade's First Soccer Game

2011-04-18T21:52:00.010-04:00

Cade had a smile on his face most all of the game. Even if he wasn't right next to the ball he had a blast running up and down the field.

He actually scored 2 of the 4 goals of the game

This little girl next to Cade was sooooo good. I think she scored 8 of the goals for the other team!

Cade scoring one of his goals

Although he did enjoy playing the game he also had a not so serious side to him too!

halftime orange slices

I laughed SO hard when I saw him doing this right in the middle of the game! I was so embarrassed but my only reaction was to whip the camera out and document it! Apparently he was hot!

In case you were wondering - he was the only player to cool off this way...

Cade only had one soccer practice before his very first game. I was nervous he wouldn't know what to do or where to kick the ball. He was SO excited to put his uniform on for the first time. When we showed up all of the kids looked so small out on the field and they were all there to have a fun time. The game wasn't taken too seriously and Cade had a smile on his face like 85% of the time. The other 15% of the time he was uhh...err....ummmm...cooling off! ;)

Cheers!

2011-04-18T21:44:00.004-04:00

Going in for a big sip of sparkling apple cider!

She drank every last sip

They took the glasses to the tub and filled it up with tub water and did a million 'cheers'!

G bought Lucy a little drink set from Ikea while she was here. The kids love to drink out of them and pretend they are drinking wine and beer like us! As you can see they are a big hit in the tub too!

Papa and G

2011-04-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

I wonder what Cade is thinking in this picture?

Lucy was loving her spa night with G

She watched very closely to make sure G didn't make a mistake

Papa and G came out for a long weekend and we all had a great time! The weather was awful. It rained and snowed the entire time they were here. We made the most of it and played around in the city one of the days, the girls had a shopping day on Sunday and the boys went for a little hike while we were shopping for our bargains!

Guess Who I Ran Into....

2011-04-11T21:19:00.006-04:00

We ran into the city on Friday to run a couple errands and check out the new Whole Foods. We were in the store (Whole Foods) for a couple of minutes and Jeremy turns to me and tells me to turn around and check out the guy behind me. I look and have no clue who he is referring to. He tells me to look again and that he is positive it is Ty Burrell (Phil) from Modern Family! Modern Family is my favorite show and I'm pretty sure I would know if it was him. I look again and tell him he is crazy! He was on his phone and while he did sound exactly like him I wasn't positive it was him. We stalked him - literally following him around the store until he was off the phone and Jeremy walked up and asked him if he was the guy from Modern Family! And sure enough it was!! After they small talked the only thing I could tell him was that I wish Jeremy acted more like him and he told me to be careful what I wished for! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Ty Burrell and I seriously can't believe he talked to us!

Other than the hat he was wearing he looked just like he does in this picture! He actually lives in SLC while he isn't in CA doing his show. I think I will be hanging out at Whole Foods more often!

New Bike

2011-03-30T19:34:00.003-04:00

We had him shut his eyes so he would be surprised

He was sure surprised!

We got him a new bike for his birthday and this one doesn't have training wheels! Wish us all luck!

Kangaroo Zoo and Birthday Cake!

2011-03-30T19:20:00.008-04:00

The kids could have spent all day here. They loved it!

Cade wanted a Star Wars Cake and that meant Mimi did too! :)

They were both really surprised when they saw the cake!

We celebrated my Moms birthday along with Cade's over the weekend.
Her birthday is April 5th and I know she has always wanted a Star Wars birthday cake! ;) Cade loved it that her name was on his cake too.

We Miss Mimi!!!

2011-03-30T19:12:00.005-04:00

My Mom came out here over the weekend for Cade's birthday. We all had a great time with her and the kids miss her dearly. The weather wasn't the best and we only had one day where the weather was nice enough to be outside for a while but we made the best of it. As you can see Cade loved running around the yard with her!

Happy 5th Birthday Cade!!

2011-03-30T18:42:00.005-04:00

Breakfast in Bed!
Chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream, strawberries and bacon.

Every year I make Cade breakfast in bed for his birthday and every year he wants the same thing! He loves this tradition and I'm excited to start it with Lucy this year.

There were days this past year that I seriously thought I could see Cade grow before my eyes. He has definitely matured, grown like a weed (he is 48 inches tall and weighs 48lbs and wears a size 2 shoe) and continues to amaze us on a regular basis. He is off the charts in height and about 85% for weight. When the doctor was looking back at his height chart we both noticed that he has never once even been on the chart - not even as a baby! He is really tall for his age!

He starts soccer for the first time this Spring. I'm excited to see him play on a team and start his first sport. He has never been one to seek out a ball and slam it into a hoop or hit it with a bat. I don't know if he will like sports or even excel as an athlete. One thing I do know is that he loves numbers, math and anything that poses a challenge on paper. Some kids like balls, some like building with blocks and tinker toys and for some reason Cade likes numbers. A while ago out of the blue he started telling us simple math problems and the answers to the problems. I don't know where he gets his love for numbers (I can guarantee it wasn't from me!) and I'm happy he has found something he likes to entertain himself for the time being. I'm not saying he sits around all day long and does long division! He loves to ride his scooter, play with Nerf guns, help me cook and play with Lucy. He is a great big brother and a HUGE help to me during the day. He is my sensitive child - he still cries about 50% of the time when I drop him off at preschool, has to give us all a hug and kiss before he can even think about going to bed, blows me 100 kisses whenever I leave and always tells us he loves us at the end of the day - even before we say it to him. I love you so much Cade! I am so proud of you!

Happy St Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T19:49:00.002-04:00

Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner - check
Jeremy's home brew in the frig - check
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream for dessert - check
Two sick kids who would rather be sleeping than celebrating St Patty's Day - check!

I was so excited to make dinner and have a little celebration tonight but both kids are sick. I took them to the doctor and they have a virus. I was actually hoping it would be strep so they could get on some antibiotics and hopefully feel better soon. UGG! Hopefully they can rest up this weekend and feel better before my Mom comes out next week! Thank you 'G' for the St Patty shirts!!

Vegas

2011-02-27T19:57:00.008-05:00

Lucy was in heaven when she saw Buzz and Woody!

Us inside the Bellagio - At 4, Cade is now over half my height! When did he get so big?!?

Outside the Hofbrauhaus

Lucy was having a great time at first...

and so was Cade....until the unthinkable happened...

she fell asleep!! I can count on one hand how many times she has fallen asleep on me since she was born - maybe twice....maybe. And she stayed like this the entire night! It was such a great feeling!
If you look closely you can see her tongue sticking out!

Since we experienced the real thing in Germany we wanted to see how the American version held up. It was definitely um...uh...Americanized! The food was o.k. and the beer was pretty good but it sure didn't hold up to Germany!

The restaurant had fun loud music playing the whole time we were there. Lucy loved it at first and then she just couldn't take it anymore - she fell asleep! Of all places I still can't believe she slept through all of it. She won't fall asleep on me for anything - she never misses a beat and hates being laid down for a nap and bedtime at night. I'm glad we were able to capture it on our camera so I can look back and at least remember the one time she actually slept in my arms!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-16T09:52:00.004-05:00

I meant to have these pictures up earlier but time got away from me. We had a pretty fun Valentine's Day this year. Cade brought treats to school and came home with a huge homemade Valentine's box filled with candy. He immediately dumped the candy out and sorted out which ones he couldn't live without and which ones he would be willing share with Luc! We spent Friday night with Neal and Lauren and the girls decorating cookies and eating way too much candy - SO much fun!

Wish Me Luck...

2011-02-07T21:37:00.002-05:00

I don't know what is more disturbing - the fact that she is naked with only one sock on or the fact that we let her stay this way for a good 5 minutes before realizing what she was doing!

Lucy ran up the stairs tonight insisting she had to go pee tonight. Jeremy and I didn't pay any attention to it until there was complete silence for way too long. I opened the bathroom door and found her like this. Apparently she is ready to use the potty! I tried to tell her she doesn't have to take off all of her clothes to go to the bathroom but she insisted she wanted to - I didn't have the strength to argue...

Science Experiment

2011-02-07T21:23:00.003-05:00

Cade couldn't wait to feel it

They decided the bathroom was a better place - just in case they had a spill!

Looks like Jeremy got a little sick...

Mimi and Papa sent the kids an early Valentine's Day gift! Lucy got lip gloss, bracelets and a ring. Cade got his first science experiment! He couldn't wait for Jeremy to get home to test it out. Their mission - to make Goo! They had to toss it back and forth from container to container for 10 minutes. They both acted like little kids the whole time they did it and I would even go out on a limb and say that Jeremy might have had a little more fun then Cade!

Cade Update

2011-01-27T20:29:00.007-05:00

Enjoying the weather

He loves pushing Lucy on the swing set!

He really likes playing baseball and can actually hit the ball pretty far!

First stitches!
This happened this afternoon. He was chasing Jeremy and tripped right into the corner of the entertainment center. There was sooo much blood and the actual cut looked way worse (and way deeper) than it does in the pics. Luckily our pediatrician is less than 5 minutes away. A couple of steri strips later and he was as good as new!

Cade is growing like a weed these days. He still really likes his preschool and could spend all day outside if I would let him. He is showing more interest in sports and can't wait to start soccer this Spring. He is already planning his 5th birthday party in March. He thinks he wants to do a Spiderman theme!

Lucy Update

2011-01-27T19:43:00.005-05:00

It's been in the 40's here lately so we bundled up and headed outside.

Notice Lucy's super adorable handmade hat! I wish I could take credit for it but I can't - Lauren made it for her and Lucy refers to it as 'Lauren's hat'!

She looks so old in this picture!

The tutu is from her pj's - she wears it everywhere...

Lucy took matters into her own hands the other day and found a headband and did her hair all by herself - the is what it looks like before I put about a half a bottle of detangler in it...

She was feeding her dog breakfast while I was getting hers ready - luckily she wasn't having pickles like her doggie!

Lucy is still as spunky as ever - she knows what she wants and she knows how to get it! She keeps us on our toes at all times and has to be doing whatever Cade is doing at that moment. She loves to help me clean the house and watch me cook. Her hair is getting longer and curlier if that is even possible and we can pretty much understand everything she says. She loves wearing her tutu and dancing around the house!

Saturday Night!

2011-01-17T21:10:00.004-05:00

Cade throwing the javelin!

Lauren showing her moves!

Jeremy and Neal (and Lucy!) doing the hurdles! They were seriously trying their hardest which made it even more funny!

We had Neal and Lauren and their kiddos over Saturday night to play the kinect. We played some sports and busted a move on Dance Central! It was such a fun night!

Tumbling

2011-01-17T20:57:00.004-05:00

Lucy liked balancing on the beam

She also liked running down as fast as she could and stopping at the end without jumping in!

Jeremy threw both kids in!

She could have hung on this for hours...

Jeremy and Neal broke out some moves of their own!

On Saturday we took the kids to an open gym at a gymnastics place here in town. It was SO much fun and it totally wore them out! Jeremy and Neal also had fun! ;)

When I Grow Up...

2011-01-04T21:51:00.003-05:00

Tonight I was getting dinner ready and Cade and Lucy were running around the house chasing each other, laughing and having a pretty fun time. About five minutes into it Cade stopped chasing her, came over to me in the kitchen and said, "Mom, when I get older I want to marry Lucy!" While it was a little disturbing for the first split second I thought it was really cute that he thought she was fun enough to marry! I'll be sure to remind him of this story many, many times in the future! ;)

Christmas Morning!

2010-12-28T22:37:00.011-05:00

A picture before the madness!

Both kids went for their stockings!

Lucy was amazed by her HUGE pen!

Mimi and Papa got her a new toy puppy and she couldn't have been more excited to get it out of the box!

'G' made both of the kids their own super hero cape!

They both love Curious George and were trying to figure out how to play their new game

Guess who loves Toy Story?!?

I wanted a picture of them in their Christmas pj's

What took months to plan and save up for was over in about 15 minutes! The kids had a fun time opening their gifts and Jeremy and I had fun watching the Christmas excitement through their eyes!

We opened gifts, ate cinnamon rolls, played with toys, and ate Christmas dinner. It seems like it all went by SO fast. I had so much fun baking goodies this past month with the kids, listening to Christmas music and planning for the big day. I can't wait for next year!

Christmas Eve Night

2010-12-28T22:08:00.005-05:00

We made tuna and unagi rolls

I made candied pecans...

Made homemade mozzarella sticks - soooooo good!

I made homemade cinnamon rolls and baked them up Christmas morning

This is what they looked like after I baked them......I seriously gained about 10lbs over the weekend...

Cade set this plate out for Santa and his reindeer

On Christmas Eve night we made a bunch of food, listened to Christmas music and later that night drove around and looked at Christmas lights. Cade couldn't wait for morning to come!

Mele Kalikimaka!

2010-12-24T18:29:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Early Christmas Gift

2010-12-24T15:06:00.009-05:00

This is Cade telling Jeremy that Lucy isn't really playing the game and that she is just holding the controller!

Jeremy giving Cade instructions on how to use the controller

Cade bowling

This is the first year we are spending Christmas NOT in Iowa and while we love spending some quality time just the four of us we definitely miss being with our fam back in Iowa. We woke up this morning all wanting Christmas to be here NOW so Jeremy and I decided to give the kids an early gift - the wii! I think we might seriously be the last family in America to get one but it was worth the wait. Cade about died when he opened it and we all had a fun time playing a couple different games. Lucy tried to get in on the action too but I think she is a little young to comprehend the games. We all let her think she is really playing though! ;)

The Polar Express

2010-12-16T21:51:00.007-05:00

This was the conductor....he was amazing...AMAZING

The kids got on the 'train' to the North Pole (aka the gym)

The kids sat and waited for their ticket to be punched

The conductor giving instructions

Getting their tickets punched

Cade was amazed

We watched the Polar Express (the book version)

and ate cookies and drank hot chocolate!

After the movie Santa arrived and gave all of the kids little bells...just like in the movie!

The conductor was great! He looked exactly like the one in the movie.

The pictures don't give it justice - today was seriously magical! It was the last day of preschool until the new year and to celebrate the school put on a 'Polar Express' day for the kids. The only thing Cade thought that was going to be special was the fact that he got to wear his pj's to school.

His teacher lowered the lights, started The Polar Express dvd and we all watched it for a little while. All of a sudden the lights turned on and Tom Hanks himself (o.k. not really but the second best thing!) appeared as the conductor and instructed the class to take their tickets and get on board the Polar Express train that was waiting outside the classroom!

We boarded the train and headed to the gym where everyone drank hot chocolate, ate cookies and watched the book version of The Polar Express. It's hard to describe in words how much fun I had being a part of this. I watched Cade's expression 99.9% of the time and seriously had that giddy feeling of absolute excitement that you only seem to get as a child. I didn't want to look away from him. The school did an awesome job of putting this on and I know Cade will remember this day for a long time. Every year the holidays around our house get better and better. I am so incredibly excited for Christmas this year!

Here was our conversation when we got in the car:

Me: "Cade, did you have a fun time!?"

Cade: "Mom, it was the best day of my life. Ever."

Peppermint Bark

2010-12-13T23:10:00.006-05:00

Cade helped me unwrap all of the candy canes

They were both pretty excited to help crush all the candy canes!

Lucy was having a fun time until...

...she smashed her finger!

She was o.k.!

Wrapped and ready to go! Can't wait to make something else tomorrow!

Gingerbread House

2010-12-13T22:56:00.006-05:00

Cade and Elle before the decorating

Cade got pretty serious about decorating the house!

Luc liked it too but was more into eating the candy...

Time to eat!

Going in for the BIG bite!

Last weekend we headed over to Neal and Lauren's to decorate gingerbread houses. The kids had a great time decorating and an even better time eating! I still have no idea why Lucy has her shirt off?!!?