Party Weekend!

This past weekend we celebrated Ethan and Ava's 5th Birthday. EThan has been talking about his party for some time now and has been absolutely thrilled that he will be turning 5 very soon. He is so excited to be 5 that he insists on checking all of his clothes to make sure that they read 5t. Unfortunaely I have had to explain to him that I will have to do a little shopping to fill his drawers with 5t clothing and I am trying to reassure him that th 4t clothes still work, despite the fact that he isn't 4 any longer...difficult concept, yes, I know :) It's pretty m..l,;k.huhjhnnknmkm

25 days and counting! It's hard to believe Christmas has snuck up on us so quickly and yet, December is here and my list of things to do is getting longer and longer. We have checked a few things off the list already...

Christmas tree...check!

Christmas Cards sent...check!

Christmas shopping...almost!

This year I did most of our shopping online and it was great! The cyber Monday deals seemed ok and not having to wait in lines was well worth it. I do however love to be apart of all the hustle and bustle of Holiday shopping but when we go, it's nice to not have an agenda of gifts that I need to have bought. So, at some point we will all head down to the mall in DesMoines and take part in the Holiday cheer, walk around, maybe buy a thing or two, and enjoy all the Christmas decorations and Holiday music playing!

This is our tree that we picked up from Lowe's. Can't beat Lowe's $30 tree and service! The boys thought it looked pretty good when THomas pulled it out. They were, however, a bit distracted when THomas told them to help hold it by the some 50' Santa Clause standing nearby. We had to get a picture!

So, with only 25 days left until Christmas, I actually think we're doing pretty well. The shopping is almost complete, gifts will need to get wrapped, Holiday cookies to friends and neighbors will get decorated and baked, we'll make one stop to the nursing home to drop off some Holiday cards we made, we'll visit Santa and finish with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's House. Our tradition is to go to West Branch for a few days prior to Christmas, drive back on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas morning in our home, followed by brunch at my mom and dads. It's a fun tradition that I think everyone will grow to love more and more. And we can't forget that in the midst of everything going on...we have one special Birthday coming up very soon! Ethan is pretty excited to be turning 5 in a few days! December is a crazy month!

Check out this basement!

These final months of finishing up the basement have seemed to drag on however with some help from Thomas's Dad and my brother, Jon, the final touches have come together quickly. The basement is livable and quite comfortable. We have already enjoyed hosting quite a few suppers down there while all the International guests were here for the Summit Conference that our church hosts. We had some men over from Nigeria along with some others from the states. We set up a long table and brought all the chairs that we own down into the basement so that we could fit everyone in. It was wonderful to finally be able to fit everyone at the same table and I also liked that after the meal, everyone got up and sat on our sectional for a more confotable spot to chat and hang out. It was great and I think the kids really enjoyed having so many people in their home. Thomas and I were so glad to have a space where we could enterntain comfortably. The lighting, the sectional, the flooring...everything looks great. Thomas did a fantastic job. Even though everything looks great, Thomas and I still know there is a lot of work to do. The trim needs painting and Thomas needs to do some wiring for the new 50"tv that we bought on black friday. He managed to get a fantastic deal on a television and even though we had no idea we would end up with a televesion that large, it actually fits nicely down there. It seems like we are going to the movies when we all sit together on the couch with the lights turned low. THe boys are pretty excited to have our first movie night with popcorn and hot cocoa! It hasn't happenned yet but I'm sure we'll get there soon. We also had a dance party with the boys and we would never have guessed that our boys love to dance as much as they do! They had us going strong for almost an hour...dancing to all types of music! It makes us quiestion whether or not we should even look for carpet to put down (our intentions were to cover the floor with almost wall to wall carpet). We may have to reconsider...maybe even invest in some wall mirrors for practicing good technique :)

The boys enjoying the couch and ready for MOVIE NIGHT!

Halloween 2011

So, once again, I'm behind...It's almost Christmas and I haven't even posted any of our Halloween pictures yet! Yikes...I have a good reason to be behind...right?!? This Halloween was a blast! I kept saying to Thomas when Samuel was first born that Halloween this year would be great! The kids would be so much fun in there costumes and by then Samuel would be sleeping through the night (as any 3 month baby should be). Well, the boys did have a blast, trick-or-treating on Main Street and again later that evening in our neighborhood and well, Samuel, let's just say he looked cute too...we're still working on sleeping ALL the way through the night for mommy and daddy :)

This year Ethan wanted to be Buzz Light Year and we went on a search to find the perfect costume. Aunt Lauren let us borrow an old costume that was the suit and yet Thomas felt as if something was still missing. So Thomas, being the amazing father that he is, took the time laboring into the late night hours (the night before Halloween and after a few trips to Lowes) constructing some way cool wings for Ethan's costume. They turned out absolutely amazing...better than anything you could buy in the store. I don't know all the technical terms, but Thomas used all sorts of gadgets to get these things to open and close with a simple pull on the string! Amazing...YES!




Simon wanted to try them on as well.



This year Simon wanted to be a DINOSAUR and was able to comfortably fit into Ethan's costume from last year...with a little extra room :) He was probably the cutest dinosaur walking our block! I was concerned that he might not want to wear the hood but he was all about it this year!



We started the day at the library with some friends and from there met up with Thomas and went trick-or-treating at all the shops on Main Street! Such a beautiful day and so much fun. It was a bonus to have THomas there with us! Then we went home for a quick nap and rested up for the evening festivities. After dinner we headed to the neighbors and stopped for an extended stay at Dennis' house (our neighbor who has the model train in his yard) The kids love his train and he tries to have it running any time he knows kids might be walking by. It's great and I think every year, he adds more! Thanks Dennis for some great train viewing!



Here's a good shot of the back of the kids costumes, and the train!



After we did some hard core trick-or-treating, we head back to the house and Thomas ended the day with his now, going on two year tradition, of letting the kids play in some dry ice! They love this new tradition and I think Thomas loves it just as much.

All in all, I would say Halloween 2011 was a success! New traditions were formed and we all had a blast!

Good News All Around!

Here we are, October 24th, 2011 with several wonderful updates...

* Thomas is off crutches! We were beginning to think that this day would never come however last Wednesday when he went in for an x-ray, the doctor said everything looked good and is healing well so she gave him the ok to head out without what has been his "lifeline" for weeks...crutches! He has been taking it pretty slow as not to aggravate his foot and he is sore when he walks on it too much, but all in all, he says it feels pretty good and he is just thrilled to not have to go everywhere with crutches. It's amazing how long this process has been and I'm sure glad I didn't know it was going to take this long when it happened. SOmehow it was better just not knowing and dealing with it week by week. He got his cast taken off (which was a very painful procedure that shouldn't have been...poor guy) and is not wearing a large boot. Next week, he is hoping to wear regular shoes with a small boot over them. Yay for progress! He's already talking spring soccer...

* Thomas turned 30! Yes, Thomas has reached his 30th Birthday and we wanted to make it big! It fell on a Thursday so the boys and I wanted to make his day special with decorations, fun finger foods, cake, and presents. I also had been planning a surprise party for him that weekend. I bought Thomas a nice watch, and a few other nicer gifts this year...hey, why not, you only turn 30 once! EThan knew about the watch and was helping me do all sorts of research! It probably wasn't the best idea to let him in on the secret so after he somewhat spilled the beans, I did all sorts of things to convince Thomas that he wasn't getting a watch. I think he ended up surprised. We had a great day and he had no idea of what was coming that weekend! Saturday morning we went out for a while as people came and arrived at our house to set up. I made a ton of appetizers and finger foods for the party. I made one big sheet cake in the shape of an apple computer with an apple logo on it. It was fun to make! I hid everything for the party without Thomas knowing at all what was going on. We got back to the house and our friends and family were there to surprise him and hang out for the afternoon. It was fun and again, I'm pretty sure Thomas had no idea! I'll post pictures soon!




* The basement is finished! My brother Jon came and finished up all the molding and framed in the windows. I had everything cleaned up so that we could show off the basement for the party. It looks great! Thomas has seriously done an awesome job and I couldn't be more proud of him. There are several things that still need to be done but it is definitely livable and we have already had Mom Fawcett stay on the bed down there (the sectional that we bought also turns into a full size sleeper) and we had friends over yesterday for coffee and enjoyed it down there! It's so nice to have that space useable and I love how the lighting and color came out. It's so warm and welcoming. It's really fun to think of all the work that Thomas and other family members have put into it and now enjoy all their hard work. A job well done!

* Samuel is sleeping through the night...almost! Yes, this needs to be included because it's amazing to get 8 hours of consecutive sleep when all you've had recently is 3 or 4! We don't always go to sleep right away and get 8 hours, but we could! Samuel is going to sleep around 7 or 8 and sleeping until 6...and in his own room. Good news...Absolutely!


*

Samuel and Thomas updates

2 weeks have past and Samuel has quickly approached his 6 week Birthday! You would think this would mean that he would be sleeping longer and taking somewhat consistent naps...Not so! He is very sporadic at this point and I have to say that we are not getting any more sleep than the day we brought him home! Fortunately, when he is awake, fed, changed, not overly tired, ect...He is a very happy boy! He smiles just at the sound of a familiar voice (which makes my heart melt and I quickly forget about the late night hours that I have suffered with him through the night) and has such a sweet expression when anyone shows him attention. The boys love him so much! We have recently gone back and looked through all of Ethan's and Simon's baby photos and videos on our computer and the boys all look so much alike. Of course they all are unique and we can easily tell them apart but there will be no denying that they are bothers. I love that! We have had so much fun with Samuel and I have to say that Thomas and I have enjoyed this baby phase quite a bit. It might be because I have had so much help and I have an idea of what I'm doing this time!

Here's a quick update on Thomas. He went back to the doctor to get off crutches and found that he had re injured his foot and had to go in for surgery the next day. That went well and he is staying off his foot more now so as to not do any more damage. Last week, which was a week after his surgery, he went in to have a cast put on...doctor put that off for another week because there was more swelling and she wants to see the swelling go down completely before casting it. So, this Wednesday, we should have a cast on and then he will probably have another 4-6 weeks on crutches. At his point, that seems like a lifetime, but we know there is an end in sight and this will all be a blip on the screen very soon. I'm sure we will laugh down the road at the season in our lives, but there is no laughing yet!

I managed to snap a picture when they were playing with Samuel on the floor!




Being on crutches hasn't stopped Thomas from doing much. Bless his heart, he is still keeping up with the kids and doing his best to help me out with Samuel. Samuel is a pretty lucky baby because he gets to be held by Thomas on the couch often and loves to fall asleep on Daddy's chest! Maybe this is why he isn't sleeping well in his bassinet...I would much rather cuddle up with Thomas and fall asleep too!


This is Thomas putting together a track for the kids that we picked up at a garage sale this weekend. He was determined to get it together!




Thomas managed to put down almost all the flooring this weekend. His Dad started it for us and Thomas picked it right up and has almost completed the entire basement. We're getting close! I did paint the basement a few days ago and have been really pleased with the color. It's a warm color that has some yellow in it, although very subtle! I think it is very welcoming and bright and perfect for a basement! I would say we have about 2 more weeks and we'll be finished. Perfect timing for our couch to arrive!

4 Weeks!

Samuel is 4 weeks old, eating like a champ, sleeping 5 hour stretches, and becoming more aware of the world around him! What a blessing!

Ada Hayden Park

Yesterday I took all the boys to Ada Hayden Park here in Ames. They have a doc where the kids like try and look for fish and there is a big lake that oftentimes we take walks around. Since I don't have a triple stroller, I brought the single stroller, put Samuel in it and decided that we would walk as far as Ethan and Simon were able to go. We didn't get to far but we did make it to the main landmark of the entire park...the stick maze (or at least that's what I call it). It really is beautfully crafted and the kids love to play hide and seek and all sorts of games inside the maze. I took a few photos and thought it would be fun to post them.




Ethan hiding!



Climbing through the holes







Simon reading about artist, Paul Daugherty and his famous stick maze!

Caring for 4!

We are now on week 3 of having a newborn baby and I would say that we are doing quite well! While a little delirious at times, we are settling in and finding out what our new normal will be with three boys! There has been one unfortunate mishap that has throw us quite a curve ball...last Saturday, Thomas went to go play soccer with some friends at a park and as he was running to get the ball, he rolled his ankle. I was there with them with the boys and noticed him favoring his foot but didn't think much of it as he continued to play. When we were leaving, he said that the pain was getting worse and as he told me that when it rolled, her heard a pop. All signs that something was broken. So that night, at around midnight, he headed to the ER. He came back with his foot all wrapped up and on crutches. Turns out he broke his 5th metatarsal bone in his right foot and has to be on crutches for 3 weeks in a boot! He will then go back to the podiatrist to see how things are healing at which point he will hopefully be out of crutches and just having to wear his boot. This has probably been the hardest for him because he feels terrible that he can't help out much. Poor guy! He really has been so understanding and patient with me as I am caring for all 3 boys and then trying to respond to his requests as well. And as far as the basement goes, my brother is coming tonight to texture the walls! We are so excited to be taking this next step. No more drywall and mudding! It's amazing what Thomas has still been able to accomplish!



Thomas is finishing up some last minute touches before we are able to apply texture to the walls.


I caught Samuel smiling! 3 weeks old today!

He's Here!

That's right, Samuel Thomas Fawcett arrived on July 28th at 5:24am! Yay! We are so excited to have him join the family. A few stats...

Weight: 7 lbs 1.5 oz
Height: 20.5 inches
Hair: Yes, and lots of it!
Total hours in labor: not many! (barely made it to the hospital and pretty sure epidural didn't work...ouch!)


We brought Samuel home from the hospital on Sunday July 31st and he's been doing great. He is a good baby and his big brothers have welcomed him with loving arms. They want to hold him all the time! They are good helpers, with diapers, pacifiers, blankets, etc...

Thomas and I are a bit weary and tired but feel like this is manageable! However, I can't wait until he reaches that 2 month mark when I can get a 6 or 7 hour stretch of sleep! At this point, I would be happy with 4!

Home Grown!

As I promised before, here are some pictures of the garden as of today, July 22nd, 2011. It's quite daunting to me to go out there and harvest anything but I've been picking away at it the last couple of days. It's been so hot and difficult for me to move around (being pregnant) and so I haven't been able to get out there and work as much as I would have liked, but I realize that I need to do as much as possible because it will only get harder from here on out. Thomas and I are predicting that all the tomatoes need about 1 more week and then they will be ripe, right when we get home from the hospital. There are sooo many tomatoes. The boys have picked a few cherry tomatoes already but no big ones. The zucchini and summer squash are taking over. We have had several batches of beans to cook, I just picked our first couple cucumbers today, Swiss chard is beautiful, the peppers aren't fairing so well due to an early on fungus that took a little while to get rid of, the beets are still growing as well as the carrots and the eggplant need some more time as well. It's been fun to watch all of it grow so quickly now that it's really gotten warmer. We were off to a very slow start. Anyway, the boys love being outside playing in the sandbox (with the garden hose) while I work in the garden.





A week ago we had Allen and Elaine and their two kids Owen and Nora here from DC spend the day with us. The kids had a blast in the pool and cousin Grace was even here too with Troy and Leanna. We ate outside together in the backyard while the kids played. It was a bit warm but not too bad in the shade. Thank goodness for all the mature trees on our lot!




Here is a picture of the boys making juice! I wish I could say that I grew these carrots and celery but not so. We did grow the kale and beets which we add to the juice! They LOVE to juice and once I had everything washed and cut up, they took over! They did it all by themselves. Ethan loves the mashing and Simon loves to toss the veggies down the shoot!

So we're are really closing in on the big day and have been putting in some long hours to get things done quickly! Thomas has been working on the basement, finishing up the drywall and mudding process. It's a long process (having to put on three coats of mud and letting it fully dry in between each one) but he's just about finished. Mom and Dad Fawcett have come to the house a few times to help out, which has been very helpful! We have picked out flooring and made a last minute trip to IKEA to get a few things to furnish the room. All in hopes to be finished by August 1st!




The boys and I have helped some too! Sort of...

Simon got a nasty cut on his leg while working. He was pretty proud!




Here we are in the basement window...our favorite place to find frogs! We found a nice big toad the other day when all the family was here! Allen, Elaine, Owen and Nora were here from DC (Thomas' cousin and his family) and Troy, Leanna and Grace were here as well. We had a picnic outside and the kids played in the sand and pool. Fun times!




Thomas took the boys to West Branch last weekend to pick up a bunk bed to finish their room. I worked on some paintings, moved some furniture (not a good idea when 9 months pregnant), hung window treatments and cleaned out their closet while they were away. We had bought a bunk bed that is now going to be used as a reading loft where EThan can escape from little brothers :) if needed. The white bunk will work better long term since they are twin beds so we opted for those. The boys haven't officially moved into the beds because we have to get mattresses but the room is just about finished. Just a few more little things here and there need to be done. I think they're pretty excited...Ethan has spent the last two weeks in his loft reading for his quiet time! No complaints! Yay!





Oh and the garden...it's out of control!!! Pictures coming soon!

And...it's official...July 29th, baby Fawcett #3 should be here! We can't wait!!!

Vacation to Florida

Yes, our "every other year vacation to Florida" has already come and gone so quickly! Boy, this summer is really flying by. We had a blast in Florida and the boys haven't stopped talking about it since (and that was a few weeks ago). A few highlights...

* Flying on the airplane with both boys in their OWN seats! Yay!

* The Indiana Jones and Stunt Car action packed shows at Disney World - Simon loved the gigantic "ball that rolled over Jones" and Ethan loved the fast stunt cars!

* THe dinosaur ride that THomas took Ethan on. He couldn't stop talking about how scary it was and how brave he was for going on it!

* The 3 story beautiful beach house that we stayed at! It had its own pool and game room!

* The beach! The water was crystal blue and there were no waves (being on the gulf coast) which was great for the kiddos to play!

* Thomas and I escaped for a morning stroll along the beach! It felt like our honeymoon all over again! THen again, our life together has been one long honeymoon!

* Hanging out with Nana and Aunt Michelle at the resort! Lots of laughs and good memories!

* Watching the Disney Light Parade and light show on the castle...and of course the fireworks at Epcot!

* Meeting Mickey for the first time!

* All the magical Disney rides!

* Superman Ice Cream!!!


I could go on. It was such a fun trip that we won't forget. I will post pictures via Flickr so that I can include all of our trip! We are blessed with such a great family to enjoy these times together. Many, many memories were made on this trip. We won't forget it!

Summer 2011

The weather this past week has been gorgeous! Temps in the mid 70's and beautiful clear blue skies! We have probably eaten outside on the patio every night (or just about). The garden is growing quickly and the plantar box is exploding! It's been fun to watch and the boys have enjoyed pulling some weeds for me (with only a few minor casualties). Here are some pics of the fun we've been having in the backyard. And countdown to Disney has begun this week! Only 4 more days until we leave! YAY!!! The kids couldn't be more excited. SO much to do before then...

Roasting marshmallows on the backyard fire!





The boys and Thomas had a water fight with some new water guns!




Drinking smoothies out on the patio!







Like I said, the platar box and garden are really taking off. I feel like in a couple of weeks, I'm not going to be able to keep up with it!

30 Weeks!!!

Ethan thought this was pretty funny and we all thought it was hilarious! Definitely worth blogging about! Plus, I was really hoping to take week by week pictures of this pregnancy but things got really crazy and I suppose I missed a couple of weeks. We tried to get Simon to be in the picture, but he wasn't compliant.