"Giving Santa the 'Elbow' "

We went to see Santa at the mall a couple days ago and paid $18!!! for this adorable picture.  When we brought it home and put it on the fridge Brent said, "Look mom!  Owen is giving Santa the 'elbow'!"  Haha!  (For all you deprived people out there, that is a wrestling move).  I guess Owen will be getting coal in his stocking this year, huh? :)

Family Traditions: OLD & NEW

Some of my most fondest memories growing up are family traditions we had.  For this reason, I LOVE making new family traditions with my little growing family. 

OLD:

After Brent was born we started the tradition of setting up and decorating the Christmas Tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  So that is exactly what we did last Sunday.  It takes A WHILE because we have an "old school" Christmas Tree where you have to put one branch on at a time.  CRAZY!  Next year, I WILL buy a new, pre-lit tree.  I have to say though, this is a BEAUTIFUL tree.

Owen was ofcourse fascinated with the lights.  And like everything else that makes it to his hand, he tried to eat them.  NOT SAFE, I know. 

I am SO, SO excited about Brent and Christmas this year.  He lives and breathes it right now.  He wants to watch Christmas movies, listen to Christmas music, look at Christmas decorations, read Christmas books, etc.

We "inherited" a Christmas Train from Brandon's Aunt this year and set it up around the tree.  This is definitely Brent's favorite part.  We usually don't run it while Owen is awake because he just pulls the train off and tries to eat it (like I said).  So we put Owen to bed about 30 min. before Brent each night and then turn off all the lights in the house except the tree and lay on the floor to watch the train go 'round and 'round.  So magical!

Here is the finished product.  Notice how there aren't any ornaments the first 3 feet?  Any guesses as to why?  Anyone else do this?

NEW:

Notice the stack of books under the tree in the picture above?  We started a new tradition this year which I got from Pinterest.  I wrapped 24 Christmas books and starting today (Dec. 1) the boys get to unwrap 1 book a day before bedtime and we sit down together as a family and read it.

The first book was The Elf on the Shelf.  Which leads me to our next new tradition...

Here is our elf friend "Alfie".  Brent named him.  If you are not familiar with "The Elf on the Shelf" you should familiarize yourself with it.  Quick summary-the elf sits in a spot all day and watches all the naughty and nice things you do.  At night when you go to sleep he flies to the North Pole and reports to Santa how you have behaved.  When you wake up the next morning you have to go find the Elf in his new spot.  Isn't this the best idea ever!?!?!  Brent was so mesmerized by this elf after reading the book.  He had no idea we were going to have our own personal elf.  So far just tonight, Alfie helped "persuade" Brent to brush he teeth and get into bed when he didn't want to.  I love Alfie!!!

And I love Family Traditions!  And I LOVE Christmas!!!

Giving Thanks

Our family had a GREAT Thanksgiving this year.  It was filled with...



Lots of yummy food!

Which resulted in happy, full bellies :)

Cuddle time with Da

Storytime with Nana

and playtime with cousins.

I am so grateful for my family, friends, my health, and most of all my Savior Jesus Christ.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

YYYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

This is Owen's latest word.  He has been saying it for a little while but now it has become a game.  If you say it to him he will say it back louder, longer, and with more enthusiasm.  Sometimes you can get him to go back and forth for a couple of minutes.  It's so funny.  He strains so hard and gets all red in the face trying to drag the word out as long as he can.  Watch.

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Thomas the Train and a Conductor

I let Brent choose his costume for Halloween this year.  No hesitation, he wanted to be Thomas the Train.  So I decided to dress Owen up as a train conductor.

 Church Trunk or Treat

 It was cold and rainy Halloween night but we went out anyways.  Owen stayed inside with a double ear infection.  Again :(

 Our friends Luke, Carla, and Jake joined us.

Trick of Treat!!

The Vollmer Farm

Fall is SO close to being my favorite time of year.  I just love it when the weather starts to get cooler and the leaves change, and all the festivities that come with Fall.  My dad and I took the boys to this super fun Farm in Bunn called Vollmer Farm this past weekend.  We met our good friends, The Williams, there and had such a blast!

Hay Ride to get to all the attractions.

Corn Box (you know, kind of like a sand box, but with corn :)

Owen's friend, Claire.

They had all sorts of baby farm animals. Smelly, but cute!

Gigantic trampoline.  Fun for big and little kids!

 Brent and his friend, Hayden.

There were some other things we did after dark that I wasn't able to get pics of because my camera is busted and the flash isn't working right now.  Brent went on a barrel zip cord.  We all went through an underground slide.  They set up a movie on the lawn where you could lay down on a blanket and watch.  There were some fires burning around to keep us toasty too!  It was so much fun!  I think we will have to make this an annual tradition.

A sick house

As I mentioned in my previous blog, our boys have been sick for a while.  Owen got sick on his birthday (Oct. 6) and Brent got it about a week later.  Things are just now starting to clear up but we aren't quite there yet. 

We had a special delivery come to our house yesterday for the boys from their Nana and Da.  A white delivery van pulled up in our driveway and Brent looked out the window and said, "who is that?".  Then he watched as the man pulled a bunch of balloons out of his van and Brent yelled, "he brought me some balloons!"  Brent and Owen each received a balloon bouquet with a toy and "Get Well" card.  It was very sweet and they really enjoyed it.

When Brandon got home he asked where all the balloons came from and Brent said, "the man in the white van gave them to me."  Alarmed, Brandon said, "Was your mom with you!?"  Haha it was pretty funny.  He told me we needed to change Brent's story because it sounded really bad.

Another quick funny story.  Last night as we were doing nighttime routine, Brent went on a coughing spell.  He coughed so hard for so long that he started gagging.  I picked him up and started carrying him to the kitchen when he threw up.  He threw up all the way to the kitchen.  I yelled for HELP from Brandon and he came behind us to clean up the throw up while I cleaned Brent up.  Brandon was down on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor and Owen was following behind him crawling.  Then out of nowhere Owen throws up right behind Brandon.  We were like WHAT THE HECK!  Neither of them have thrown up the whole time they've been sick but then do it right back-to-back and in the same spot.  Weird!  And kind of funny when you think about it.
Here's hoping we will have a sick free house by the end of the week!

Niagra-On-The-Lake

Every year Brandon's company has a husand and wife retreat where they send all the Marketing Managers and General Managers off somewhere really nice and "wine and dine" us.  This year they sent us to Niagra-On-The-Lake in Canada.  It is this adorable, vintage town about 30 minutes away from Niagra Falls.  We spent 4 days here with about 15 other couples relaxing and taking in the beautiful surroundings.  We toured Niagra Falls, ate at some seriously nice restaurants, spent one evening at a winery, another at a casino (I know, I don't drink or gamble but it was still lots of fun!), and I did a day at the spa.  Best of all-I got to spend 4 days with Brandon in a really romantic town.  It was so nice!

My parents kept the boys and they stayed sick the whole time.  I felt so bad and missed them like crazy!  When we got home I took them to the doctor to discover they both had bad ear infections (along with other things).  So, we are home and trying to get these boys well.

I am posting the album to the right.  I included descriptions under a lot of the pictures to explain where we are and what we are doing. 

A Whale of a Party

We celebrated Owen's 1st Birthday this weekend with family.  It was a whale themed party with a whale cake (decorated by me) and a whale watermelon (carved by Brandon).  It was a lot of fun and as I expected Owen loves cake!!  Enjoy the album from the party! (to the right)

Dear Owen

       Happy Birthday little one! Your birthday really snuck up on me. For some reason I thought you were going to stay a baby forever. Your first year of life has been the happiest time of my life. Watching you grow, explore and learn has brought me so much joy and satisfaction.

        I love you. I love your cuddles. I love how you squeeze my face with your sharp little nails and leave tiny cuts all over my cheeks. I love how you pull my hair and then laugh at me when I yell "ouch!" I love that gigantic smile that you put on your face whenever I cut my eyes at you. I love how calm and easy going you are. I love that you are just so content and easy to please. I love how you love to eat. It is so rewarding to feed you because you eat everything so enthusiastically :) I love your chunky cheeks and fat feet that I have a difficult time fitting into shoes. I love how you enjoy anything musical. You are such a spiritual giant already, and I love this about you. Whenever we read scriptures, say prayers, or listen to church music you sit so peacefully and listen so intently. I. Love. You. and don't you ever forget it!

Happy Birthday Owen!!

     

11 months and crawling!?!?!?!

Is my little squirt actually crawling?!  Well, I guess you can call it that.  He now gets around with 2 hands, a knee and a foot.  It's hilarious!  I guess I just assumed that crawling was easy and would come natural to a baby.  Owen has taught me otherwise.  All that matters is that it gets him where he wants to go-wherever Brent is.

Owen is 11 months old today.  1 more month and he will be a year old!  CRAZY!!  He is so so much fun.  I seriously have the most fun kids ever (no offense moms :)  Just this morning we were playing outside in our back yard.  Brent was driving around his little truck and I was pushing Owen in the Flinstone mobile.  We were racing Brent around the yard-all of us laughing as hard as we could.  I thought for a moment about all the moms who have to/choose to go to work while other people get to enjoy their children all day. I feel so blessed to be able to stay home with mine.  There is no where else I would rather be!

So, what is Owen into these days??  Oh right, BRENT.  Anything Brent does, says, or touches is wonderful.  Owen is such a sweet little brother.  He is very patient with Brent and all his attempts to drag him, pull him, carry him around the house.  Although Owen develops more and more each day, he has still kept his chill, laid back personality.  He is very vocal when he "needs" to be, but for the most part just chills with a toy on the floor or watches the people around him.  He still isn't showing any signs of "stranger-danger".  He pretty much enjoys going to anyone.  He does however prefer to be on the floor now since his new latest trick (crawling).

Owen sleeps like a champ, eats like an adult, and doesn't have fear of anything yet.  He tries to crawl off the couch head first.  He rolls over to his belly in the tub and tries to blow bubbles.  This usually ends with Owen sucking in a lot of water and me yanking him out of the tub.  He doesn't care though-goes right back for more.  Sometimes if Brent and Owen's naps don't line up perfectly and I have some 1-on-1 time with Owen, I will read some books to him.  He really seems to enjoy this.  He prefers to hold the books himself.  They usually end up in his mouth and then I have to take them back.

I love this kid so much and he is such a special part of our family! Happy 11 months Owen!!

Just recently discovered how much he LOVES to swing!



First attempt at eating corn on the cob.

This chair has been in Brandon's family for YEARS (hence, the duct tape).  No matter how hard I try, it never leaves :)

Brent has been asking for Owen to ride beside him in his truck ever since he got it.  Now he is finally big enough to ride and Brent is thrilled! (so is Owen)

Owen and one of his girlfriends (Claire) having a picnic at the park :)

From Videos

Click on this pic of Owen and it will take you to a short video of him crawling.  Because of the angle it's hard to see his unique crawl.  Trust me, it's different.

A Thomas the Train Birthday

Brent turned 3 on Thursday, September 1. Why is it that every year goes by faster than the one before?? My little Brent has changed so much from 2 to 3 years old. I don't even see a "toddler" anymore. When I look at him I see a "kid". Crazy!
Brent is really into Thomas the train right now. He will sit down and play with trains for hours. It's insane! He also loves cars, trucks, and sports. Pretty much, he's a boy. He loves for us to read to him and is getting interested in puzzles. We spent this last year learning his ABC's and he knows just about every letter and the sound each makes. He is very smart and absorbs things like a sponge. Brent also loves to sing and dance. We will put on some tunes in the morning after Daddy goes to work (Jason Miraz, Maroon 5, Jack Johnson-to name a few) and dance in the living room. I love it when we are out shopping and a song comes on in the store with a good beat. Brent will stop what he's doing and break it down in the middle of the store. He'll say "look at me Mom". And then ofcourse I have to make a fool of myself and join in. Brent is now halfway potty trained. He is good with the #1 but not so much with the #2. Potty training Brent has been much more difficult that I had anticipated but we are getting there. Brent doesn't care so much for arts and crafty things. I have tried coloring, painting, playdough, different crafty things. It just isn't his thing yet.
Brent has been showing a lot of interest in Owen the last couple of months. He gets sad when I have to put Owen down for his morning nap and begs for me to keep him up. Whenever we are about to go somewhere he always makes sure that Owen is going too. He has gotten A LOT better at sharing. We have been encouraging (making) Brent share his toys with Owen pretty much since Owen was born. Even when Owen couldn't hold things. We wanted to start this as early as possible. It still isn't easy, but I see it paying off.
I already love that Brent is my first child because I see such great leadership qualities in him. I feel that he will be a good example for Owen and any other siblings to come. He is so passionate about life and so eager to learn. Brent is very organized and prefers for things to be in a certain order. He is very observant and doesn't miss a thing! This can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Brent asked to have a Thomas the Train birthday party this year (big surprise). We held his party on his actual birthday in the morning so all his little friends and their mommies could come. It was so much fun and I have to say I had a lot of fun planning it! Pretty much all the decor and games were handmade. We had a "bean bag toss" game, "pin the thomas", "hot thomas", and a pinata. There was lots of food, candy and prizes for the little ones and the mommies. Brent has such good friends and I am fortunate enough to be such good friends with their mommies.

We also held a little family party for Brent the Saturday before his Birthday. It was a hurricane/birthday party. All of Brandon's family was in town to get away from the hurricane so we decided to go ahead and have a party for Brent. We didn't have any power and it was raining cats and dogs outside with 40 mph winds. A one-of-a-kind birthday party. We cooked hotdogs and hamburgers in a frying pan on our gas stove and I bought a cake from Wal-Mart and stuck a Thomas Train on top. It worked! We also let Brent run outside and play in our flooded back yard. He had a blast!

I am pinning the album to the right.  The first few pics are of the hurricane/family birthday party and the rest are of his Thomas Friend Birthday Party.

and the flower pot won

Last Friday we had our first trip to the E.R. with Brent.  We almost made it 3 years.  Not that 3 years was a goal I had or anything but still.  Brent was running through the house, tripped (on nothing) and fell.  His face smashed right into a flower pot.  At the time I felt very unlucky because that was the only thing in the floor that he could have possibly hit.  And then he had to go and hit it with his head.  But after speaking with many nurses and a couple doctors I realised we were very fortunate that he hit right in between his eyes and managed to miss both of them.

So after 1 hour at urgent care and 3 hours in the emergency room, we came home with a glued up head and a very, VERY tired mommy.  Brent was such a champ!  He actually held the wash cloth to his wound all the way to the hospital to stop the bleeding.  Thankfully, my dad was able to meet us there and help with Owen because Brandon was 2 hours away working.

It all worked out and Brent is back to his crazy, rambunctious self.  Here's hoping that it won't leave a bad scar and if it does, here's hoping all the chick's will dig his cool scar. ;)

Mobility

Mobility comes in all different ways as a baby.

It seems like crawling would be the simplest way to go.

However, I do appreciate my son's creativity when it comes to mobility.

It looks like he is trying to crawl.

 Or maybe just doing yoga??

Here is some kicking and rolling:

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 I guess it doesn't matter how he gets there.  Just that he does.  This is where I found him the other night while we were getting ready for bed.  I left him for 3 min. to take Brent potty. 

 This is underneath Brent's bed by the way.