2.0.1.2

A little preface...

I struggled for awhile trying to come up with a New Year's resolution for 2012... Before our trip to Vegas I was getting my hair done and my hairdresser shared that her resolution was to be more calm. Which is a perfect resolution for me. Incase you didn't know, I have a tendency to get overly anxious about things, be a little too cautious with Mason (worried I am making him scared of his shadow!!!) , and "freak out" at times when things don't go as planned. SO... my resolution this year is/has been to try to be more calm. I think it has been working! (Bobby might disagree with me a little bit on that, haha!). I find myself on the verge of getting worked up and stop myself to think of this. Like in the mornings when we are in a huge rush for all 4 of us to get out the door. Have you ever noticed that the more in a rush you are the slower everything goes? When we "take our time" it actually takes less time to get out the door.

Vegas:

Over the 6th weekend Bobby & I took a trip to Las Vegas for an extended-weekend getaway. Pictures can be found HERE. We had so much fun - but glad it was just a short trip as there is only so much a person can do there.

MLK Weekend

Bobby had drill the weekend of MLK so me & the boys got to spend some time together. It was so nice that all 4 of us got to stay home together on Monday though!

Scrapping:

This past weekend I went on a girls weekend scrapping! It was soo nice to get back into my paper scrapping after about a year off, where I had only been doing digital. There is just something about the hands-oness (new word) of doing it that way. Plus now I ordered $100+ worth of new stuff so I better stick with it for awhile! :) There were 15 of us - I got to meet some real fun girls who REALLY LOVE CATS (lol) {that is an inside joke}. But seriously, they were some wonderful ladies, it is always great to meet new people! A lot of them were starting Project Life - something I would love to do, but I just dont think this is a good year for it, with Chase having all of his "firsts." So rather than do that - I am going to TRY to put a blog post once a week, and then at the end of the year, I will have our blog published, ((now that I learned how to do that!)) and that will be my version of "Project Life."

While I was gone, Bobby was home with the boys... he is such an amazing father! Saturday he and Mason went to the Sioux vs. St. Cloud game, and stayed at my Grandpas. Sunday they met me in Motley and we got to all ride home together.

Mason = 3 years old!

Today Mason turned 3 years old! Cannot believe it, my little boy is growing up so fast. It was soo funny this morning, we went to wake him up and told him it was his birthday, and his first response was, "No it's not! Pretty soon it is, but it is not now!" That and "Mommy I will not be one anymore and I will not be two anymore, I am going to be TEE!!!" He brought cupcakes to daycare today and got to wear the birthday crown. Tonight we had his FAVORITE dinner (Sponge Bob Mac & Cheese with HOT DOGS) and then all 3 shared his cake for desert.

....now it is time to do some LAUNDRY and off to bed for this girl!

soo behind!!

Yikes stripes it has already been almoset a month since I have written on this! Where does the time go??? Things have been kind of a whirlwind around here it seems... I am back to work, which is probably mostly why it's been so crazy, work has been busy busy busy busy.. 

Halloween: we dressed up as characters from Toy Story - (even had a *dress rehearsal* a week prior with some good friends!!)  Decorated/carved pumpkins. Tried my first pumpkin kit, so had something other than triangle eyes, nose, and mouth --- an Ernie face! Didnt turn out too bad but I do not have the patience for it. We will see if we go back to triangles next year...

Had a week home with both boys. Loved every single minute of it.  Mason went back to daycare Monday, Chase started that Friday. So sad to leave him but we are so lucky that I have known our daycare provider since our preschool days-- 23 years!  

Chase has been adjusting so well to being at daycare. He is only getting up once at night, or I should say early morning...usually at 5:00AM on the dot. He's still in his bassinet in our room - which is handy I dont even have to get out of bed to feed him! 

We had Bobbys mom come stay with us for a week so she could soak up time with her grandsons. 11/11/11 - I feel like we should have done something special - we did go to Texas Roadhouse for our annual Vetran's Day dinner ~ so proud of my soldier husband!  

Saturday Chase officially turned 3 months old. I cannot believe how fast the time flies. He is the most smiley, content baby ever. There are days I go up to check on him while he is napping just to find him wide awake, smiling, playing in his bed. Content as can be! So mellow.

Mason is also getting to be such a big boy -- love the things he comes up with -- like today, at daycare they were all pretending to be cats and dogs, and when we got home, we HAD to make a "kennel" for him -- I used to call them tents but I guess he wanted it to be a kennel!  SUch a great loving big brother, always wanting to give C-monkey kisses and hugs. Knock on wood but I think we can also say he is officially potty trained-- has had no accidents in a very long time and will now come get us when he has to go potty! Yay Mason!!

We had Chase's Baptism on Sunday. Friends and family over for lunch after. We are so blessed to have such great family and friends!

Hoping to be able to relax at least a little over the weekend - like I said it just seems like we have not had a day home just us FOUR in forever! I miss the early days of my maternity leave where we all just sat home and did nothing!!! We are prob. going to go to the UND football game tomorrow, which will be fun, and then hopefully Bobby & I can have a little date night Saturday night, as he will be gone Sunday evening.

It is 9:18 on a Friday night and I am seriously contemplating going to bed. Wow how things change when you are a mommy!! 

music

 

Today marks my last "full" week of maternity leave - I go back to work Nov. 4th. Can't believe how fast it has flown by. Mason is home with us again today  - it is day #12 in a row. How I love love love all the crazy things he says and does - he has really been into singing the past few days, and bringing me his toys saying "listen mommy it makes music!" His favorite songs lately are "Row row row your boat" and "the itsy bitsy spider." So cute listening to his versions. (row row row your boat, gently down the street!).

Love all the funny things he says...so seriously. "Mommy Bubba is sad" (this is his toy horse) Why Mason? "He wants his mommy and daddy back." Where are they? "They are working at the courthouse and naitonal guard."  He is such a sweet, caring little boy.

Chase contiues to grow and grow every day. At his checkup last week he was in the 92nd percentile for weight and 72 for height. He is so unbelievably mellow. Goes with the flow. Doesnt get too worked up when his brother gives him lots of kisses -- sometimes a bit too hard.Tons of smiles and coos. Is rolling over onto his back whenever we do tummy time.

Had a busy past week and weekend: ECFE, trip to Cavalier to see my friend Sammy and tour her new GORGEOUS home, SPA day Thursday, the Barker family over Friday night -- the kids had so much fun playing together! Mason keeps asking when Dillon is coming to play again and stay at his house-- Saturday morning got up early and went to the UND homecoming parade. Then a quick trip to Target, out to eat, and hit the road for Jamestown to our nephew Cole Bugs' 4th birthday party.

Mason and Daddy had such a great time swimming. "Just one more minute mommy."  Over and over again. Poor Bobby threw out his back - really badly - on Friday. He can hardly walk. Went to the ER Sunday in GF on our way home, and after waiting over 2 hours they said he might require back surgery... He is seeing his PCP today - hope they have MUCH better news! 

Bobby is off to Bismark this week for work - left this morning, comes home Thursday night. We will carve pumpkins Thurs night, then he has drill Fri-Sun. We miss him so much when he is gone but appreciate all he does for our family.

today

What a busy day it has been! Bobby is gone to drill this weekend so it is just me and the boys! I love those days where it feels like you got a lot accomplished – I went for an early AM run until the boys got up, and then we ate breakfast in mommy and daddy’s bed and watched Mickey Mouse (Chase played)

Went to the grocery store and store to buy a present for Miss J’s birthday party tomorrow.

Came home and made two pans of bars for church tomorrow (we serve treats)

Played played played! Love this picture of me and Mason – I told him to ‘lay on my back’ and this is what he did! He cracks me up… all the things he says – today my favorites (that I remember) were “yum this tastes like an ice cream cone!” (we were eating turkey wraps), “leave me alone when I poop” (we worked on potty training today), “this is deeeeelicous,” and “mommy I spilled” (see mess below). As much as we miss Bobby, I so love this alone time I get to spend with my boys – I will be back to work before I know it. . .

Then we had bathtime and now both boys are in bed! Another busy day tomorrow- church and birthday party.   Time for this mama to go to bed too -

(AND WHY ARE THESE PICTURES JUMPING EVERYWHERE?!?!?!) 

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Pumpkin Patch

 
  Yesterday afternoon we headed over to the Pumpkin Patch – it was a beautiful fall day, perfect weather for painting pumpkins, going on a hayride, taking lots of pictures, eating grilled hot dogs & chips, a nickel scramble, and of course, the most important part – picking out pumpkins!

  It was held at the park right across from our house as part of a fundraiser the Jaycees are doing to build a playground there. Can't wait for construction to begin!

It was a good thing we live so close to the park and Bobby could carry these all back in multiple loads, because they would not have all fit in our stroller!!!

Chase's new trick!

Chase has been practicing his newest trick the past couple of weeks - SMILING!!

It just melts my heart!

This morning he woke up especially happy so we decided to "play" photostudio - it is our (..ok MY) favorite thing to play! Chase got bored before mommy did though, so we stopped early :)

PS: I am also loving how his hair is getting a tint of RED in it - just like his daddy's when he was little!!! His grandma (Bobby's mom) and great grandma (my grandma) also BOTH have red hair - which means watch out!

It is Bobby's first official week back at work - we have LOVED LOVED LOVED having him home over the past SEVEN weeks! I can't believe Chasers is already going to be 8 weeks old - the time has just flown by! He is such an amazingly good baby - last night he even slept 6 hours straight! Yay!!!

Time for us to go for a walk - can't believe it is almost 90 degrees outside! Seems weird to be wearing shorts and a tank top and seeing the fall leaves and beet trucks driving by!