tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35385042903972165362024-03-05T11:43:18.419-06:00Fawcett's Blog Spot"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-81238558906973884392013-04-10T14:39:00.000-05:002013-04-10T14:39:14.884-05:00Funny Little MomentsSo I had to post of this morning's happenings! I am a bit weary from the long days with no relief in sight, as Thomas is working very late each night for the spring season. When I hit the pillow, I hit it hard but when I'm with the boys, I'm 110% engaged and if I weren't, something beyond minor would most likely occur. Of course things spill, break, cave, overflow, crack, shatter, etc...but I put most of these in my "minor" category and I suppose this is because they happen every day. Just last night, Simon was clearing his plate, he dropped it and it shattered all over the floor. I already needed to clean the floor because while eating supper, Samuel had dumped his tray of spaghetti all over his head and half of it made it to the floor so the clean up of this shattered and broken plate was only minor as it fit into my nightly routine.
All this aside, this morning was something minor but hilarious! After the initial frustration I had with my little guy, I had to laugh, along with the older boys who couldn't stop laughing! Samuel had taken the broom, which I use nightly to sweep kitchen messes (and broken plates) to clean the bathroom toilet! I was at the table doing school with the older two and he was in the bathroom scrubbing away. He must have noticed that one of the boys had not flushed there treasure down the toilet and so it needed a cleaning! The toilet water was spilling over everywhere and he was standing in a pool of dirty, stinky, murky water and I caught him on camera. I wanted to document his face and the sense of adventure that he displays every day. He, by far, is my most adventurous...and mischievous!
At the table this morning while eating breakfast, Simon said something I also wanted to share. We were eating cereal and after he finished his first bowl of Rice Crispies, he asked if he could have another bowl of "Risp Crispies" or "Risp Cryspies"? One of those phrases you just have to write down! I love these boys!
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6OOLW2neyYP12s7PkKmdrY9Waqtikkb8o-OlRzrA3YuP3tOMLNyYFldAgAmJ6clTnsH1W4rdPUI_Hkh0SxVEULZFkfVjYcgmtY1ExVSZyTmUEhOZlkIEOsTKSEW4BDDEK1sygFQsx_U/s1600/IMG_0540.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6OOLW2neyYP12s7PkKmdrY9Waqtikkb8o-OlRzrA3YuP3tOMLNyYFldAgAmJ6clTnsH1W4rdPUI_Hkh0SxVEULZFkfVjYcgmtY1ExVSZyTmUEhOZlkIEOsTKSEW4BDDEK1sygFQsx_U/s320/IMG_0540.JPG" /></a>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-86080234244518212462013-04-09T15:03:00.000-05:002013-04-09T15:03:32.608-05:00New Chickens!You know it's officially spring when you walk into Teisens (farming supply store here in the midwest) and can hear the baby chicks and ducks in the back of the store. It's an exciting time and as we approach our first year owning our four beautiful and beloved Rhode Island Reds, we decided it's time to introduce them to another breed and increase our flock! We purchased 5 Americaunas at about 10 days old and for right now they are living in our garage under the protection and warmth of a heat lamp (despite warm temperatures just yesterday in the 70's, there is snow in the forecast for tomorrow)! On nice days, the boys and I have taken them outside and let them peck around as they nibble on our hands and feet. They stay very close and don't run off and the boys love to hold them. Simon has grown especially close to one of them, which has been fun to watch. He isn't very affectionate at all and to see him convey sensitivity to anyone or anything is very rare. Samuel is too aggressive with them, or rather clumsy around them, and can't be trusted! As soon as the garage door opens, he runs out of the mudroom to the bin where they are living and reaches in to try and grab them. I think he gets so excited and overjoyed at the thought of handling them but just can't control his excitement. I help him learn to be gentle and he's enjoying just having them around. The Reds chase after him when let out in the yard and he doesn't care for that. The older boys think it's funny, of course!
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz88gs8Fpk5uTDSBIKiQ7EF10ucr8NoEbgYmYBk513kjZ2GJK0qanjZRl8SDIq89p9s8Mp1KhE9Ke-D458j2p4BuZpYR_NHnZI7-Er7CkDynTiEkDMQKgxIGvSAiaMYDtBkvsg1l7g3c/s1600/IMG_3025.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrz88gs8Fpk5uTDSBIKiQ7EF10ucr8NoEbgYmYBk513kjZ2GJK0qanjZRl8SDIq89p9s8Mp1KhE9Ke-D458j2p4BuZpYR_NHnZI7-Er7CkDynTiEkDMQKgxIGvSAiaMYDtBkvsg1l7g3c/s320/IMG_3025.jpg" /></a><blockquote>The kids dressed in their Easter clothes</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypQPX2tnfF-1rLGBb3F1C9BSsLKSslKC3uXbOiPsXp3cF7kZD2ybPb1ye9IeolBDW_mDns64EUOBvUxcqzDV4-FqZDUr6KouCLXXW6cdQ2_kUwS8j4-i6AfSm0O1SJlBdMTSCFSYaklY/s1600/IMG_0536.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypQPX2tnfF-1rLGBb3F1C9BSsLKSslKC3uXbOiPsXp3cF7kZD2ybPb1ye9IeolBDW_mDns64EUOBvUxcqzDV4-FqZDUr6KouCLXXW6cdQ2_kUwS8j4-i6AfSm0O1SJlBdMTSCFSYaklY/s320/IMG_0536.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Simon and his favorite chick!</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDxq3iISwmX_Vd3V8uocD2qYQPzTp6i9ll9kmoNcyB2TlbaJEK6mTVBrb_N62eMnvWtYl-yn1WCosqbGNMau9ZOiDjbRkdBV3WGpQkV1H8mxS3m9tNx9NWBoNH2LpnolzALP6OsPVIkM/s1600/IMG_0535.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDxq3iISwmX_Vd3V8uocD2qYQPzTp6i9ll9kmoNcyB2TlbaJEK6mTVBrb_N62eMnvWtYl-yn1WCosqbGNMau9ZOiDjbRkdBV3WGpQkV1H8mxS3m9tNx9NWBoNH2LpnolzALP6OsPVIkM/s320/IMG_0535.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZXNuH0gbzuSF3d4C3aGU82V7sCgAOzVELfKKZRur19OdhvoMsIHjF2oN8O_1TxAP3uKf4Xcqy2_SHs4JuF3uUp8mj7JChXge9KeVFQp448yhhiyouOBddnc1cKnGv1l3cdS0tS20BFg/s1600/IMG_3061.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrZXNuH0gbzuSF3d4C3aGU82V7sCgAOzVELfKKZRur19OdhvoMsIHjF2oN8O_1TxAP3uKf4Xcqy2_SHs4JuF3uUp8mj7JChXge9KeVFQp448yhhiyouOBddnc1cKnGv1l3cdS0tS20BFg/s320/IMG_3061.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu-Wila7KK9lvNGgoYrgitn6pG_CLJlaWtDoxUs50BCIsoQs-tvY4EnH_hToPy1z0h4J9QaUmqHj0pdQmZUw2smcttcyDR2XqkqKb2Y235v8l3IQ6vKkOdeJS5qD47etWR8ZVqdRaNIY/s1600/IMG_3064.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlu-Wila7KK9lvNGgoYrgitn6pG_CLJlaWtDoxUs50BCIsoQs-tvY4EnH_hToPy1z0h4J9QaUmqHj0pdQmZUw2smcttcyDR2XqkqKb2Y235v8l3IQ6vKkOdeJS5qD47etWR8ZVqdRaNIY/s320/IMG_3064.jpg" /></a>
Each time I walk outside and feel the warmth from the sun, I get antsy about starting the garden. This year, however, I am heeding the words of my amazingly wise husband and not jumping into planting too quickly! He always tells me there is plenty of time and I'm just wasting time by starting things too early! I'll listen, despite my aching desire to hoe the ground, fill my milk jugs and plant my seeds! Until then, I'm soaking up the warmth and watching the kids do all the growing!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-76964770040580389092013-03-19T15:24:00.000-05:002013-03-19T15:44:52.940-05:00Simon is 4!Every time we put together one of the kids parties, I think to myself, how are we going to top this one! Each party seems to get more and more creative and oftentimes involve more and more work on our parts. However this was probably one of my favorites and the best part...it was inexpensive and was fairly easy to put together. I think the simplicity of it was a hit among the kids and also allowed us to move through the party quickly and keep all of their attention. I shouldn't say it was simplistic because we packed a lot of games and activities in, but it didn't require much effort ton our parts. Just a few creative ideas and a steady execution. Simon's 4th Birthday party took place in outer space, which was in our basement. I painted glow in the dark planets and cut out white starts to tape everywhere. Thomas constructed an awesome spaceship made out of some 2x4s and cardboard boxes...everything we had laying out in our garage. He painted it with glow in the dark paint and outlined it with a highlighter. We looked on you tube for some fun games and came up with a few really innovative party activities! One involved air cannons, aliens, and a fog machine. Thomas made 5 air cannons for the kids to use to shoot air at aliens that had invaded (made out of paper cups with neon pipe cleaners) The parents all made one and put them on their head. The kids filled their cannons with fog, aimed and fired at their parents trying to knock over the aliens. It was a hit! The parents even liked the playing with the cannons and watching the fog rings shoot out of them. The next activity was holding moon bubbles made out from dry ice! So easy and so entertaining. Thomas put dry ice in a container with a tight fitting lid and warm water. The container had a tube coming out of it with an attachment that he put in a bubbles and the bubbles filled with dry ice. They were so fun to play with. The kids put gloves on (otherwise the bubbles pop) and walked around holding their moon bubble. Its a neat effect when they pop, spilling dry ice everywhere. NExt we made slime with a simple recipe of glue, water and borax! So fun and so easy. This was a hit and of course an alien piñata that the boys and I had made earlier that week! It was a great party and after the kids had enjoyed enough cake and astronaut ice cream to last them a week or more, they were all pooped and ready to go home! Thomas and I feel like we need vacations after we throw these parties, but they are well worth all the thought and planning that goes into them. But once again, what next? Can we keep up the trend?
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyDjmsCvTOMr4sSHEP2FAGDFUethZ2Kx_y2kvidAzK9Ew_8Lw4bvqS2zfpMMqp8QilDerZHdhf8xNjBZXqinlNNZ2vkHLeaiXG3VRJcq3DEvLN33dqrXTxtivyZaoS91Mi2hI_NlfIE4/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyDjmsCvTOMr4sSHEP2FAGDFUethZ2Kx_y2kvidAzK9Ew_8Lw4bvqS2zfpMMqp8QilDerZHdhf8xNjBZXqinlNNZ2vkHLeaiXG3VRJcq3DEvLN33dqrXTxtivyZaoS91Mi2hI_NlfIE4/s320/IMG_5072.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Outer Space in our basement</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNMltoxu7yTMxEPePPt84n05red09WRrAUCi8bXvsZ9w5bDkNmvdtLAwVSoHuUjab00d3GvIuO0AXhVZLcUDiR2QI7eoI0jFjUtJhMLvg1uouCOILH62TZOy_w67KVsCWLbgFyw6K5pQ/s1600/IMG_5097.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNMltoxu7yTMxEPePPt84n05red09WRrAUCi8bXvsZ9w5bDkNmvdtLAwVSoHuUjab00d3GvIuO0AXhVZLcUDiR2QI7eoI0jFjUtJhMLvg1uouCOILH62TZOy_w67KVsCWLbgFyw6K5pQ/s320/IMG_5097.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Alien Invaders</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMOzkA8zgwgtcWVv0RxXA7r5GhXugD1D4jze__ouQ4H4rO4HNYbi4VLiKPpu5nST_-aaVrVUZqSUWX0CuXhXK6SpJ8FJBywuOJmGAxqEIhOq1ASNLN56kBmdv5VuEC8UkUjNUSPPtjjU/s1600/IMG_5062.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMOzkA8zgwgtcWVv0RxXA7r5GhXugD1D4jze__ouQ4H4rO4HNYbi4VLiKPpu5nST_-aaVrVUZqSUWX0CuXhXK6SpJ8FJBywuOJmGAxqEIhOq1ASNLN56kBmdv5VuEC8UkUjNUSPPtjjU/s320/IMG_5062.jpg" /></a><blockquote>The Birthday Boy and his Rocket Ship cake</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUEow7CahlSwHSkrXtumZLF0-SZO9Pyhi2O-gX_E29GRIv-6ZpCxY-2xxedpAOxW6KbsCIY2xwO6eo26P9MVZbUeyslf9-SeCOE4UifCbVC9d1euftU2kozKej66yO-MT5Hgy3DfKpNs/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUEow7CahlSwHSkrXtumZLF0-SZO9Pyhi2O-gX_E29GRIv-6ZpCxY-2xxedpAOxW6KbsCIY2xwO6eo26P9MVZbUeyslf9-SeCOE4UifCbVC9d1euftU2kozKej66yO-MT5Hgy3DfKpNs/s320/IMG_5115.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Making moon bubbles</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmimIWCglzJ1viv5CSOVe0iW9eBW16lI3VDaVSlk1t8Z52amcfqAr3IGK6H7FXeaOKeSu8KV8l8_B-6gOGIhpeHZFU51b3tD3tbCrjS17Huhegr_x43YeMIDuvFTf1RalBGp2BEpEATJs/s1600/IMG_5101.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmimIWCglzJ1viv5CSOVe0iW9eBW16lI3VDaVSlk1t8Z52amcfqAr3IGK6H7FXeaOKeSu8KV8l8_B-6gOGIhpeHZFU51b3tD3tbCrjS17Huhegr_x43YeMIDuvFTf1RalBGp2BEpEATJs/s320/IMG_5101.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Air Cannons</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYe9WX-EKfRO8H4ER5hp1NMHPUbMPSBYCCYboce6EqL6D4MTzqe4Nu07irEc9wUvKTvbwqgnpmqntfNyNmI5ztglfdF12S1cfwFDRL9K4dzXv5llTo1EZhU42-_yN9jOiKG2VQktHB3s/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYe9WX-EKfRO8H4ER5hp1NMHPUbMPSBYCCYboce6EqL6D4MTzqe4Nu07irEc9wUvKTvbwqgnpmqntfNyNmI5ztglfdF12S1cfwFDRL9K4dzXv5llTo1EZhU42-_yN9jOiKG2VQktHB3s/s320/IMG_5182.JPG" /></a><blockquote>The Spaceship</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1c3NA9nEbgjiHhB6UqXx9q9pnzwG6mMV0ypfR0od6oM3ouXdG3aTZ-XXZGgmf9vx5lMSwOF6vNOEWTwFSNWXFZu7RPHSs4g1FQFpjvJMPFLHmpla4Y-djJ4ge-tjhuIyF0npGSSuJTU/s1600/IMG_5185.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1c3NA9nEbgjiHhB6UqXx9q9pnzwG6mMV0ypfR0od6oM3ouXdG3aTZ-XXZGgmf9vx5lMSwOF6vNOEWTwFSNWXFZu7RPHSs4g1FQFpjvJMPFLHmpla4Y-djJ4ge-tjhuIyF0npGSSuJTU/s320/IMG_5185.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Glowing Goggles</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDkGVkEQtpXMGvCS3vPJjZd5mkAGqm2cuPwFBFH-Tpu11zeAjLz44AOeFOZUJqKVLv31m2dF4Y0ul2kHRyUx2twibxY613L4rCJ6K_EgOkRlmvgVJlHku2xlNr2r2LRiasGPEpuVvmYQ/s1600/IMG_5140.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDkGVkEQtpXMGvCS3vPJjZd5mkAGqm2cuPwFBFH-Tpu11zeAjLz44AOeFOZUJqKVLv31m2dF4Y0ul2kHRyUx2twibxY613L4rCJ6K_EgOkRlmvgVJlHku2xlNr2r2LRiasGPEpuVvmYQ/s320/IMG_5140.JPG" /></a><blockquote>The Alien Piñata</blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfX-lv_Cxdv-FlY_CpXON2XJorxuv9dh0alYj-b6psb3OgPl6iCPGAF-yT8z3lLo1fxecV1kR00bh9qMeR3Mkg0gE9ap7e1OFXTiMcdr21Tkb0kFKQspmgq3V-xzes9UaiT63eYJ86WY/s1600/IMG_5133.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfX-lv_Cxdv-FlY_CpXON2XJorxuv9dh0alYj-b6psb3OgPl6iCPGAF-yT8z3lLo1fxecV1kR00bh9qMeR3Mkg0gE9ap7e1OFXTiMcdr21Tkb0kFKQspmgq3V-xzes9UaiT63eYJ86WY/s320/IMG_5133.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Making Slime</blockquote>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-57219086974033411492013-03-01T15:43:00.001-06:002013-03-01T15:43:46.161-06:00Winter FunI remember a conversation we had a while ago at the front of our decision making process for homeschooling in which Thomas was very adament that should we decide to homeschool, we would most certainly incorporate "snow days" into our year. I hadn't even thought of that before and admittedly, coming from sunny California, I would have to say that they weren't something I was planning on incorporating into our shcooling year. I happily agreed that we would take some days off when the snow was fresh and the sun was out so that the kids could enjoy all the pleasures that all kids get to growing up in the Midwest, and so that Thomas could reminesce and enjoy his trip back to elementary school as well. As for snow days this winter, we've had few until this past week. The snow really came down and we couldn't pass up the chance to...
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0t7GI2hNpemfg1zVvevDmPd53NAMdtBqkT7MS4TA7Tat8nJTp7g0EmwDq0oi2LzoUQ3CrlEdwav-6pEEsYHLjUnKQClisyWLIfFr5rwo-dlO58aPaQS-HyioGkwkxv6bNdZl5pCe7zc/s1600/IMG_0404.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq0t7GI2hNpemfg1zVvevDmPd53NAMdtBqkT7MS4TA7Tat8nJTp7g0EmwDq0oi2LzoUQ3CrlEdwav-6pEEsYHLjUnKQClisyWLIfFr5rwo-dlO58aPaQS-HyioGkwkxv6bNdZl5pCe7zc/s320/IMG_0404.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Build a Snowman</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD9yxpkuUDD__GLGbH8GyTPJ22eFLaE3Eqi7Mp9tkuLQr4B_I8XrAb5dQKCSC42v6kvNgrGMDv0gcfLoWiH233sQuRI2joE4b4k3yiR-2zuD4acgbZuYdTsxyFucDye_NoS3PrJwvh3M/s1600/IMG_2716.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD9yxpkuUDD__GLGbH8GyTPJ22eFLaE3Eqi7Mp9tkuLQr4B_I8XrAb5dQKCSC42v6kvNgrGMDv0gcfLoWiH233sQuRI2joE4b4k3yiR-2zuD4acgbZuYdTsxyFucDye_NoS3PrJwvh3M/s320/IMG_2716.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Finished Product</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCk5qOaDHuqUt10WOmGWAjL2OWQ8sRgvJdUOE7NpypnjuQepq5pJv6Rw8YRZb9dc8YBtqFj6QSuzU_Kh-9uko4Z3XVOLSiRNvwAPRcPOLj7pIBrqcN1EEnH1Q6q2WL73xaYAFnvJ9Ycg/s1600/IMG_2705.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCk5qOaDHuqUt10WOmGWAjL2OWQ8sRgvJdUOE7NpypnjuQepq5pJv6Rw8YRZb9dc8YBtqFj6QSuzU_Kh-9uko4Z3XVOLSiRNvwAPRcPOLj7pIBrqcN1EEnH1Q6q2WL73xaYAFnvJ9Ycg/s320/IMG_2705.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Make snow angels</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8IApwoLu3dHo6k8IfLc-SS8ceBZF6_CswSIHWRQ76v3X72twTtv-M8wgQ0Cfwlvbvexu8iwKJpNdLx9xK7XWl__4SOHlMAEg8OwKvVFmaWewaz26QwBC_IdriwPmfZTxpQP2PyWS9rI/s1600/IMG_2702.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8IApwoLu3dHo6k8IfLc-SS8ceBZF6_CswSIHWRQ76v3X72twTtv-M8wgQ0Cfwlvbvexu8iwKJpNdLx9xK7XWl__4SOHlMAEg8OwKvVFmaWewaz26QwBC_IdriwPmfZTxpQP2PyWS9rI/s320/IMG_2702.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Have a snowball fight</blockquote>
All of which was enjoyed without their little bother Samuel who has clearly let us know that he is not into the snow...yet! Samuel and I watched from the window inside and he was having just as much fun (in his mind) cheering them on. So it goes, I logged our first official "snow day" for the year 2012/2013! It will go down in the record book as Ethan's very first day off of school in which Daddy came home from work to play with the boys out in the snow. Very fun!
After the kids have been out in the snow for an extended period of time, our favorite thing to do is to come inside and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa together. They LOVE this and never forget to ask! We typically curl up on the couch with hot cocoa in hands (I know, a bit risky but worth the risk involved) and read a stack of picture books while sipping. I will so miss this someday!
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPiAosoUVdXfI99ROOWbdX4WLD6Xi9GJ61HITcxmzadtYu69wFPsdiT8Judc4-C0Beh-gBibrr-cUckmWySRBNVD4GiqmH0kih6qIzU-coV7MQrpz-sdSgcD6iU8ScmSkjzJB-NFh8wk/s1600/IMG_2729.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPiAosoUVdXfI99ROOWbdX4WLD6Xi9GJ61HITcxmzadtYu69wFPsdiT8Judc4-C0Beh-gBibrr-cUckmWySRBNVD4GiqmH0kih6qIzU-coV7MQrpz-sdSgcD6iU8ScmSkjzJB-NFh8wk/s320/IMG_2729.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Together on the couch (no cocoa this time)</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNn1ryNfofeXS3ixtwaxBm3O5coIa8lb5lVoUQ6Xkvcyc5FavJIYmlEoQvr5PLENLbIkNMIiNirUh4eThdClrImgoLbde83M5Q_xZKFfLL0Ix9mAIJOjREfOTrUEo3ub6jI9sftluekek/s1600/IMG_0409.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNn1ryNfofeXS3ixtwaxBm3O5coIa8lb5lVoUQ6Xkvcyc5FavJIYmlEoQvr5PLENLbIkNMIiNirUh4eThdClrImgoLbde83M5Q_xZKFfLL0Ix9mAIJOjREfOTrUEo3ub6jI9sftluekek/s320/IMG_0409.JPG" /></a><blockquote>A favorite winter indoor activity; Lego Day!</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPQe3eald1OybKJibacgdFR6VXjPp-OnauiFy-nJPIjFev_BoMXNehG-QfDwTpVW8Ci3GRwOYbiSuSRMSrahQjhMDrCWiLl3zM75WIzz8n1GIbcvhhJ1qG9QXFgfr3rpOehUIS6EnR9g/s1600/IMG_2741.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPQe3eald1OybKJibacgdFR6VXjPp-OnauiFy-nJPIjFev_BoMXNehG-QfDwTpVW8Ci3GRwOYbiSuSRMSrahQjhMDrCWiLl3zM75WIzz8n1GIbcvhhJ1qG9QXFgfr3rpOehUIS6EnR9g/s320/IMG_2741.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Not Sure if older 2 are crying or laughing but I love Samuel's expression</blockquote>
As the weather begins to warm, we are starting to make plans for Simon's space adventure party! He's pretty excited and Thomas and I have been brainstorming some fun ideas! I don't think we'll take it as far as having a slide down going down into our basement but there might be a lot of slime involved AND a rocket launcher! More to come...Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-52792120125381913382013-02-20T14:45:00.000-06:002013-02-20T14:45:01.465-06:00Minneapolis 2013Our yearly trip to Minneapolis never comes at a better time. I am just starting to feel better and really needed a change of pace for a few days and I think the rest of the family did too. We headed to Minneapolis on Friday and came back late Sunday night. We opted out of the hotel that we've stayed out for the past couple of years and found a better deal through Expedia for the same layout. A one bedroom suite with full kitchen and dining area. It was perfect and the best part...we all were healthy! Last year was a rough trip because the boys came down with a bad virus (potentially the flu) while we were there and it was close to miserable for us all. This year was great. We had some all day passes from my sister to the Mall of America theme park so of course we spent much time riding rides. We even left the park to rest and returned later in the evening. The overhead roof was clear so the entire amusement park area was dark as if you were riding all of the rides outside. The boys thought that was pretty cool. Highlights included...
<blockquote><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBwzcDwF5PsWousotggaSZM6wp1EpoFsnirmZs4_w8IbRs0Ojv5rwWPYRuBqlkBc45Fm91LQPVXBOtY3yF04J2RHdlpYdMFNXQoBth3xMAa3P01duhax1FqzFPizK7mSlC2zUG7pxu5s/s1600/IMG_2670.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBwzcDwF5PsWousotggaSZM6wp1EpoFsnirmZs4_w8IbRs0Ojv5rwWPYRuBqlkBc45Fm91LQPVXBOtY3yF04J2RHdlpYdMFNXQoBth3xMAa3P01duhax1FqzFPizK7mSlC2zUG7pxu5s/s320/IMG_2670.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Lego Land</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-4A1xiZyjadxZrwcaB0pbBJr5FEd_bv6VCDdD8fcylaOwrGojU2BmN_r4zIfFKoMVLEnkC4kJPquZ9NMFPb4iqNIwuzlFmuifpkIS38zNuVKHkk65vt8obYRG3Xv3DjKIf2dpgmdV8U/s1600/IMG_2684.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-4A1xiZyjadxZrwcaB0pbBJr5FEd_bv6VCDdD8fcylaOwrGojU2BmN_r4zIfFKoMVLEnkC4kJPquZ9NMFPb4iqNIwuzlFmuifpkIS38zNuVKHkk65vt8obYRG3Xv3DjKIf2dpgmdV8U/s320/IMG_2684.jpg" /></a><blockquote>Checking out the fish at the zoo</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJzJ16TBEK61ej44aILnGkzRT1XAzEO22pX20KH85SKuyhhNtI_flSvcwhiAy4dyN29q-CIQ_cKzYvvDxJDvHrLwqePFXPBUZxy2Q1gEyrsS2pVs6SzNSwtD2BPyO8uvblNOSJSAd4p8/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJzJ16TBEK61ej44aILnGkzRT1XAzEO22pX20KH85SKuyhhNtI_flSvcwhiAy4dyN29q-CIQ_cKzYvvDxJDvHrLwqePFXPBUZxy2Q1gEyrsS2pVs6SzNSwtD2BPyO8uvblNOSJSAd4p8/s320/IMG_2652.JPG" /></a><blockquote>Ferris Wheel</blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lGQT0nifNvMRLfa7AKbFEPlJj59qw8fL7WsbMV019RNTjwS3zDW3lFFPFo22Swg_BOFvpaj9EDJQh3Cj1ygBeuTWXnXE7QpPGYnQvLUwusYeUzcOCVEs_IwCQK_RJGaM5asxvgw4YII/s1600/IMG_2618.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lGQT0nifNvMRLfa7AKbFEPlJj59qw8fL7WsbMV019RNTjwS3zDW3lFFPFo22Swg_BOFvpaj9EDJQh3Cj1ygBeuTWXnXE7QpPGYnQvLUwusYeUzcOCVEs_IwCQK_RJGaM5asxvgw4YII/s320/IMG_2618.jpg" /></a><blockquote>A trip to Cabela's</blockquote>
We had a great time. We ended our trip with a shopping experience like none other. This is our second time visiting a second hand store called IAMUnique and it is true to it's name. Very unique and a bit overwhelming for the kids. They complied with the idea after hearing that they could pick out a toy from among the myriad of gadgets on the fully stocked shelves. It's nothing special, just an over-sized second hand store. I go into overdrive, trying to think of all the items that we could use for the next season of clothing. I usually pick up things for Ethan and this year was able to find quite a bit of summer clothes for him as well as some good books that we all enjoy reading together. It's crazy and a little insane (adding to the chaos was the fact that the day we went was 50% off everything) but worth the trip. We save a lot and it ends up being a good learning experience for the kids (what they can buy at a second hand store with their money vs buying things retail). All in all, a great trip! We're now getting excited for Florida come June! Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-48631940469043558002013-01-21T15:56:00.000-06:002013-01-21T15:56:36.099-06:00Winter 2012/2013We are nearly half way through winter and we're fighting off some major winter blues! It's been a long winter already, probably due in part because I am feeling so sick! Rarely is there a day that I actually get out of my pajamas! We have had a fair share of snow this year which has made it fun for the boys! They have enjoyed playing, scooping, sledding and snowball fighting! I have only been out a handful of times as Samuel really dislikes the snow and consequently I'm unable to stay out long with him. Simon was much like this last year and how done a lot of growing up. He's now able to play with Ethan until I ask them to come inside. He was always quick to start complaining that he's too cold. I'm proud of him!
<blockquote>Here's a picture of Simon in our backyard the morning after a large snowstorm! </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote>At Grandma and Grandpa's house with Grandpas new sled</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote>Here is our chicken coop. The poor chickens didn't come out for days!</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote>The boys in their snow den! </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>Despite the frigid temperatures, we have been able to do some fun things inside. We have played many lego wars and put together all kinds of different lego creations. Among the boys favorite is a castle, Star Wars spaceship, Fire-fighting airplane, and helicopter. Samuel enjoys dumping all the legos! I've taken a hiatus from crafts this winter as I just can't seem to find the energy to come up with creative things to do! It's enough for me right now to try and keep up with the housework and homeschooling. It's been fun though and I've learned to overlook ALOT in our home! I never thought I would be able to see past the myriad of legos strewn all over our living room floor and spilling into every corner in the kitchen, but now at the end of the day, I have one goal. To get to bed with my face washed and teeth brushed. That, in itself, is a major accomplishment! I'm hoping, at 12 weeks this Thursday, I will start to more productive days, meaning more organization and order. I don't think the kids seem to notice at all...as a matter of fact, I think they prefer having all there toys at their fingertips each morning when they wake up rather than put away neatly back into their bins. Sadly for them, these days will change and they will once again have to abide by the "one bin at a time" rule instead of this "free for all" game that I've been allowing for some time now.
<blockquote></blockquote>This last week was such a nice break from the low temps. It was actually 50 degrees the other day. I went for a walk and we all went to Reiman Gardens! It was a very pleasant weekend and a good dose of vitamin D for us all. We went to our favorite park, brought our bikes, and the kids rode bikes until the sun was beginning to set. It was so incredibly amazing to be outside and breathe the fresh air! Oh, how I've missed the outdoors so much! I'm not complaining as I know that it's very atypical to be outside, bike riding, on any given January day in Iowa. I'm very grateful in fact!
<blockquote>Checking out a really cool butterfly at the Gardens</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I6dHk96lFyDHBWEfLY-OtptT6ZzZ6sGv0X4qVLs05JjGQouQYtXpFJTMkMPk2slVQOC-xQUZWFEfbnA2g12uPUC1Kls9BvNDMghxfZwqxR2ZKyp32krLvc6CoXpQZjjKZQPWTYvU2oY/s1600/IMG_2525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9I6dHk96lFyDHBWEfLY-OtptT6ZzZ6sGv0X4qVLs05JjGQouQYtXpFJTMkMPk2slVQOC-xQUZWFEfbnA2g12uPUC1Kls9BvNDMghxfZwqxR2ZKyp32krLvc6CoXpQZjjKZQPWTYvU2oY/s400/IMG_2525.jpg" /></a></div>
I've pulled out some gardening and urban farm magazines from last summer and started to
some motivation for this next year. I have some grand plans for this year's garden and I'm excited to get started! Until then, I will sit back on my sofa in the living room and desperately try to enjoy all the glowing white coming from outside our window!
<blockquote>I had to include Samuel's last picture before his big boy haircut!</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-63072567244120436392012-12-10T21:25:00.002-06:002012-12-10T21:25:48.012-06:00Ethan and Ava's 6th Birthday PartyEthan and Ava celebrated their 6th Birthday this last weekend with some shared friends and family. The theme this year was camping and Thomas transformed our basement into an amazing camping adventure. The adventure included a slide down down the steps into foam pit followed by a trail through many dark tents and tunnels that led to a gigantic tree covered with green balloons as leaves and an impressive indoor campfire! The kids were pretty amazed and I think they all had a great time. When the kids arrived and sitting together Thomas jumped down from the upstairs dressed in an Indiana Jones vest and hat and asked the kids if they were ready for an adventure? Of course the kids were ready for the fun to begin and Thomas and I came up with a scavenger hunt that would ultimately lead them to the basement steps where they would slide down into the forest. The kids found all their clues, slid down the basement slide and used flashlights to guide them through the tunnels. We only had two kids that weren't so sure about entering the caves but they did ok. Once we were safe in a tent, Thomas turned all the lights out and turned on lightning sounds as if we were stuck in a storm. This is when I had a few kids plead to be released back to their parents :) Shortly after, we turned off the sounds, turned on the flashlights and read some stories instead. After that, we continued through the tunnels and made it to the campfire where all the kids bundled up in their sleeping bags with some trail mix and listened to Papa Shiplett and Grandpa Fawcett tell campfire stories. They were great! They had the kids captivated. We ate cake and amazing cupcakes (thanks to Grandma Fawcett who never disappoints with her baking creations), opened gifts and watched a movie under the stars! Thomas and I are exhausted, but it was well worth the effort. It's hard to believe we have a soon to be 6 year old in the house!
Simon and Samuel enjoyed the party as well! Samuel refused to take a nap and wanted in on all the action. I had somewhat planned the party around his nap time so that both Thomas and I would be completely freed up to party with the kids however we were flexible and even though he didn't nap, he was very pleasant for the party and didn't require much added attention. Simon enjoyed the slide so much that we were still sliding days after the party was over. Finally Thomas thought it best to remove the slide since it was becoming a bit of a safety issue as the kids were sending all sorts of toys down the slide and sneaky little Samuel had opened up the basement door and slid down, unattended, several times. Very dangerous! Simon is already talking about his Birthday and how he would love a slide into a prehistoric basement! We're exhausted just thinking about it!
This week, we have been trying to recover from a busy month! We did finally get our Christmas tree purchased and decorated. It's a bit smaller than last year which I think is appropriate for our size living room and it gives the kids a little more space to run around. We are excited for the trip to Grandma and Grandpa's in a couple of weeks along with Christmas morning in Ames! The kids can't wait! In the meantime, I will be baking our Holiday cookies and getting them ready to send to our family and neighbors. It's always fun to get the kids involved although I would say they stay involved for about the first batch out of 20 and that's about it! Their favorite are the date balls because they can roll them around in powdered sugar. I hope to take some pictures and get them posted.
No snow thus far but we're eagerly awaiting its arrival! We had a few flurries the other night and the kids were having such a difficult time getting to sleep because they couldn't stop looking out their window at the stoplight down the street where they could see the snow falling. Unfortunately, nothing stuck to the ground. We're hopeful and optimistic though, that it will be a white Christmas!
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This is the tree, although difficult to see, and the balloon covered ceiling.
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This is the campfire that Thomas built and the picture really doesn't do it justice!
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Here is a picture of the kids blowing out an amazing flower candle that opens up and plays Happy Birthday!
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Here is the slide going into the basement! The lights were all turned off when the kids slid down as well as a wall of streamer and pit foam at the bottom!
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The table of goodies along with the campfire cake!
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The Birthday kids!
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This is the early construction of the tree in our basement!
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-82304639040317560512012-11-26T08:49:00.000-06:002012-11-26T08:49:21.066-06:00Date Night With EthanThis week, we are beginning our homeschooling journey. I am scrambling to try and get things organized but then realize that I've been organizing all summer and we've already started "school". It will be official however this Thursday and to kick of our homeschool year, we took Ethan out on a date to talk to him about how excited we are and our vision being homeschooling his Kindergarten year. We dressed up and took him to The Cafe. He was able to order anything he wanted off the menu (which is rare in his case). He picked orange soda with a steak for dinner. He ate it all and loved it! We talked to him throughout the meal about what his thoughts were and how our home life might look a bit different this coming year. Meaning Ethan will have more responsibility and a few more formal activities to do throughout the day. The curriculum we finally chose is very straight forward and I think that it's probably not something I will stick with but it's a good way to get our feet wet for the first year. After the meal came our dessert and after going over the choices several times, without hesitation, Ethan chose the chocolate lovers cake. It was definitely loaded with chocolate and Thomas and I may have had a small portion of it but Ethan really finished it fast. We were happy to let him. It's not every day you get to choose from a fine restaurant what you want for dessert and have the option of eating the entire thing by yourself. It was a great time and if nothing else, I think it communicated our love for Ethan and excitement around being his Mom and Dad!
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Ethan sipping some orange soda!
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Now that is one big chocolate cake!
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-36405112241496999662012-11-25T16:05:00.000-06:002012-11-25T21:49:44.634-06:00Thanksgiving 2012
I know I say this often, but time sure is flying by! We're almost to December and 2012 is nearing its end. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by. As I reflect, I think it's been an exciting year of firsts! Ethan started school and learned to ride a bike without training wheels, Simon purchased his first pair of big boy underwear and started preschool, Samuel started sitting up, crawling and walking all in the same year, and Thomas and I went on our first trip without any of the kids! I'd say it was a full year of firsts for all of us! What a joy it's been to experience these blessings each day!
Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving in West Branch with Grandpa and Grandma Fawcett, Troy, Leanna, Grace and Grant, Uncle John Fawcett, Tom Stumpff, and Kent and MarKay Stuart. While were were in West Branch we were also able to visit with Allen and Elaine and their children Owen and Nora, and Elaine's parents, Mike and Ginny Zimmerman. We shared a wonderful time together over great food, good conversation, many laughs, along with good memories from watching old home videos. Since the weather has been atypically warm, we were all able to go outside and watch Grandpa and Uncle Jon do some outside chores by the barn. He had quite a to do list and we were able to be there to watch him plow through it with the help of Uncle Jon. Unfortunately, we provided little help however, Thomas and I are doing our best to prepare the boys to be oriented around service and that means helping out grandpa with the farm chores when we're back. Hopefully, we're raising up some helpful, strong hands! We often tell them "many hands make light work"! I remind them of this when I'm picking up the dumped lego bin for the 5th time that day! The boys watched Grandpa power wash the combine as it needed to be cleaned after harvest. We all went to the pond one morning and took down the Teepee. The boys liked helping with this project.
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We also watched grandpa, Uncle Jon, Kent and Allen pull "Hollywood", the pond's floating dock, onto shore, dry it, clean it and store it for the winter.
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The following day, we went back out to the pond and went on an adventure, hiking all the way around it and through the wooded area. Everything is an adventure with the boys...and Thomas! He is always telling a story! I was quite proud of myself as I found a 5 point deer antler on our hike. I found it as I was collecting pine cones for Ethan's Birthday party next weekend. When I showed the boys, they were quite impressed. Even more impressed was Thomas when I showed him. I didn't think it to be much of a big deal until I saw everyone's reaction and so as a result, I became very proud! It's not every hike you find a 5 point antler! I think it will be a nice centerpiece for the camping party, along with the small piece that Thomas bought home off of the buck that he hit with his new truck last week! I have to say, mine is a bit more impressive...and it didn't have such negative repercussions.
The meal that Grandma Fawcett prepared was amazing, as usual. The spread of dishes was so beautiful on the table and everything taste so delicious. My favorite was the turkey this year. I've never seen a turkey come out of the oven and look just like the turkeys you see on the Butterball advertisements. It was fantastic to look at and even better to eat! It was so moist and tender and the flavor was great!
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The pies were wonderful! Uncle Tom made an elderberry pie and it was a nice change from the traditional pies. We all filled our plates with about 3 or 4 different pies as no one could choose just one. Thank you to Mom Fawcett for a wonderful meal!
And lastly, Grandma and Grandpa are always so thoughtful and never let a visit go by without a special gift (or gifts) :) for the kids and I wanted to include a picture of the boys after they had opened up a Christmas village scene of children sledding down a snow covered hill. The figure plays music and lights up and the kids' faces say it all (or at least Samuel's does)!
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-42515774045358695502012-09-30T07:33:00.000-05:002012-09-30T07:33:04.519-05:00FallThis is our favorite time of the year, for several reasons.
#1 We love the way our street becomnes busy on Satruday afternoon with all the fans walking to the ISU game. We oftentimes walk to the game and visit friends who are tailgating. WHile we never usually go to a game, it's always fun to be apart of the pre-game partying! Although, we did run in to an old friend of Thomas' this last game and he gave all of us free tickets. We weren't planning on it, but made the most of it! The kids did pretty well and we made it through about 3/4 of the game before Samuel was a bit crabby and unable to make it any longer.
#2 We llove going to the Apple Orchard. Last year we didn't make it too much but this year we decided to get season passes. THey have added so many fun kid-friendly attractions. It's possibly the best thing to do in the fall in Iowa. Among our favorite activites are the animals, the giant slide, the corn pool, the giant jumping pool, apple cider doughnuts (we never leave without a few) and of course, the apples. We've already been about 5 times this year and plan to go several more.
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The corn pool!
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The Three Billy Goats bridge
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# 3 Jumping in the leaves! For some reason the kids have been talking about this more than ever. Thomas and I always feel a bit overwhlemed this time of year from the amount of leaves that need to be raked, bagged and then stored until a free leaf disposal day rolls around. It's a lot of work but the kids seem to love the tradition. The thought of the very first pile puts a huge smile on their face and hopefully motivates them enough to help out with the whole process. We'll have to wait and see.
We love the fall and are thinking about throwing a party this year. Thomas's Birthday lieks on a Saturday and it would be fun to have a Birthday/pumpkin carving party this October. So, we'll see if we can pull it off but I think the kids would have a blast! The kids haven't decided on costumes yet for Halloween and I'm just hoping one of them will be ok with wearing any of the myriad of costumes we already own, but again, we'll have to wait and see.
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Grandma and Grandpa took us to see Thomas the Tank Engine in Boone with the cousins!
Happy Fall!
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-13151906072711421392012-09-18T15:48:00.000-05:002012-09-18T15:48:20.531-05:00We are 21 days into our homeschooling journey and we're off to a good start. I think we've settled into a comfortable routine, which allows for A LOT of flexibility, and the boys seem to be enjoying the activities that we plan for the day. The boys wake around 7 and slowly, very slowly, get out of bed and head downstairs. I typically am up an hour or so before they awake and have started their breakfast.
usually heads downstairs first and is the one who always asks if his oatmeal is ready? Some days it is, and some days I haven't started preparing it yet, but since we have it every morning, I have it made fairly quickly. Simon isn't thrilled about the idea of oatmeal, but I make sure that his is always ready to go when he comes down so he doesn't have time to think about something that sounds better to him. We wrap up breakfast pretty quickly and the boys get dressed. Ethan is pretty independent when it comes to getting ready and Simon is catching on. He still needs a little assistance every now and then. He has made the switch from diapers to underwear! I'm so proud of him and it was good timing! It was beginning to feel a bit overwhelming having two boys in diapers. We get ready, play for a bit and then sit down at the table for about an hour or so doing various subjects. We try to get Math, History, Language Arts and Handwriting done first. These take the longest and require my attention most of the time. We do some games, fun worksheets, or maybe some sort of craft that I can think of quickly that ties into what we're learning. Simon loves to sit with us and he stays busy either working alongside Ethan or working on his own workbooks. Samuel is usually sleeping at this time for his morning nap but if he's up, he's usually playing independently or on my lap, checking in to what we're doing. Around 10 or 11 we finish up and the boys play, usually outside, depending on the weather. They collect the eggs outside first and then are free to play however they would like. The boys could be out for hours! THey love being outside and if the weather is nice enough, we usually eat outside too! Following lunch is my favorite time of the day, story time. Sometimes, we'll read stories outside but more often than not, we'll be on the couch together reading books. I love this time and can't wait until Samuel is old enough and all four of us can read together curled up on the couch. Then it's quiet time and the younger one's nap and Ethan reads alone. When he's finished up, we work on reading. I enjoy all the one on one time I can get with each boy! It's so special when there's one on one time because I feel like I can really get to know them apart from their brothers. They love each other and oftentimes will act a certain way to go along with how the other is acting or playing so when it's just the one, they are truly themselves and I love this time. That's about it. The boys wake, we play, get ready for Dad to come home and start making dinner. It's a loose schedule, and I think it works well for us! Each day, I'm learning more about how they will best learn and I"m trying to adapt accordingly. It's going to be a trial and error type of year.
This is the cake that I made to celebrate Ethan starting school. He wanted Batman on it.
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We celebrated the first day by going out to Perfect Games that night. Thomas won the jackpot and won the boys 250 tickets!
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Here are the boys playing in the backyard in a teepee that we built together! They love to pretend to be squirrels...or shoot squirrels...Boys!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Aqa0edDW4lpBY5JDXCFdLDvtk5lu3xDihHmKxyZNGonUwRMhcUSs-ahn8yjZaiAgEPGawoeUZKqsUb1SfNo4hbm-SXeerlAY4txRBYoGQ5As8yM-bsBiaAj2DqXs_GGUfITlIDDj0Pw/s1600/IMG_1306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Aqa0edDW4lpBY5JDXCFdLDvtk5lu3xDihHmKxyZNGonUwRMhcUSs-ahn8yjZaiAgEPGawoeUZKqsUb1SfNo4hbm-SXeerlAY4txRBYoGQ5As8yM-bsBiaAj2DqXs_GGUfITlIDDj0Pw/s400/IMG_1306.jpg" /></a></div>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-8401396128798659212012-08-05T07:08:00.000-05:002012-08-05T07:08:03.764-05:00Summer 2012Today marks the 3rd of August! How on earth did the summer fly by so quickly? It always seems like just when you warm up to the idea of getting out and going to take the family to the pool, the summer is almost gone! Time sure does seem to go quickly. Despite the speed at which time seems to travel, our family does a good job at taking moments to enjoy each other, family and friends quite often. We have had so much fun this summer and even though it does seem like our calendar is always full, the fullness and joy of what fills each day is priceless. I really do tear up every often because of how blessed I feel to be married to such an incredible man and be given three amazing young boys. They bring me so much joy and I love every minute with them. I think every season of their lives has been wonderful, and I've always told them that, however this season right now...surpasses them all! It just keeps getting better and better. They are so much fun, each with their unique personalities, strengths and quirks, they all bring so much fun and excitement to the family. Thomas and I comment often of the wonderful "gifts" that God has given us and how we can't imagine life without them. Our journey into parenthood seemed to happen very quickly after we were married and not quite as we would have planned (originally) however, we are so glad we did! Looking back, it's been the best thing for us. Children have revealed in us where we need pruning and where we each need to strive to be better for the sake of each other and our family.<br />
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I love to read and have been reading like crazy ever since I was engaged to marry (I'm not sure why it wasn't really something I enjoyed prior to this however it became such a hobby when I could find a book that would serve as a mentor to me and help me be a better wife/mother) and I am reading a book at the moment by an author whom I adore. Tim Kimmell writes how your children model you and you say you want to teach them kindness, servants to others, thankful, grateful, patient etc...then you be those things as a parent. They watch and observe and too often our children see hypocrisy in our what we say and what we do. Thomas and I are doing our best to be an example to them and then we pray for the rest! They are in God's hands and we thank Him every day for giving them to us a gifts to love and teach and grow into young men! What an honor and privilege. <br />
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So, yes, this summer has been busy. Here's what we've been up to. For 3 years now we have been taking a trip to Minneapolis and staying at a hotel that includes a huge indoor playground and gym with all sorts of balls and trikes. The indoor playground is 3 stories high and has some of the fastest slides that we've ever been on. Last year we actually went hiking one night before we stayed at the hotel however this year, we weren't as adventurous and just stayed an extra night in the hotel. We played at the hotel and went to the Mall of America. It's become a tradition now that the boys are really looking forward to each year. The best part, in their minds, would probably be lego land where they can pick out a tub of legos and piece together any sort of creation they can think of. They were in heaven! The rides weren't too bad either. We did end our trip with a dinner at the Rainforest Cafe (a personal favorite). It's was unfortunate that we were just coming off of some virus (I'm pretty convinced it was the influenza virus) and none of us were that hungry. Nevertheless, it was a good time and the kids loved all there was to see. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the boys on the 3rd level of the play gym!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan enjoying the fish at Rainforest Cafe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon and Daddy riding the Big Rigs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Ethan riding the big roller coaster in Mall of America</td></tr>
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July 4th weekend was especially exciting this year because my cousins Summer and Shannon came out to visit with us. They love the family and we absolutely love them! We went to the pool, the mall, and did crafts together and played music. They are amazing musicians and have really inspired me to ramp up my guitar playing and get some new songs in my repertoire. It was so much fun having them here and time really went by all too quickly. The boys are already asking when they are coming back next year. Maybe a trip to Disney altogether would suffice? Sounds like a good idea to me!<br />
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This last week we were in West Branch celebrating Sweet Corn Fest along with Samuel's First Birthday...once again, where did his first year go? My goodness, my little one is turning 1! It was a wonderful time with so many laughs and good memories made. The boys were able to play with other cousins from out of state. Owen and Nora were there, along with Daniel and Soren Schabilion and Ryker. The boys had a blast picking and eating corn, playing at Grandma and Grandpas, visiting with Grace and Grant and eating Samuel's bear cake. The cake was amazing, as usual. Helen did such a great job constructing a masterpiece out of lots and lots of sugar. The boys all helped Samuel pick apart the cake and eat every last bit of frosting off of it! It was a pretty fun time for all the kids. My parents were able to make it and take part in all the festivities. We are back now and enjoying the ages 5, 3, and 1! They are so much fun to watch when interacting with each other. It really is amazing and wonderful to see the bonds that are beginning to be formed and strengthened. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">riding in the covered wagon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picking corn with Grandpa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">center stage at the cabin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another ride in the wagon with Daddy</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Birthday Boy with his family</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"This is pretty good Mom!"</td></tr>
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We are now looking at the last couple weeks of summer. The sun is still hot and the Iowa State Fair is just around the corned. My garden has needed watering almost every day due to the severe drought that we have been having. It has been a good year for the garden. The beans, beets, and dark greens have been abundant and the tomatoes are beginning to ripen. Most of the ripe cherry tomatoes don't ever make it into the house because of the boys! I love it though! It's the main reason I have a garden!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceIGQER5JEZx58uRK6HlrN1aa1zrJPiJewmtIfOGkVvMIwG6yw4J8Fon8Zed-_pSBQJJTQP_L0dWS3XF1MRmkFDmSh29BMhI7aUiUVg7I-tt7q9iHLNdqoN2sDfPFYhpJX4wcKM243Xo/s1600/IMG_9525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceIGQER5JEZx58uRK6HlrN1aa1zrJPiJewmtIfOGkVvMIwG6yw4J8Fon8Zed-_pSBQJJTQP_L0dWS3XF1MRmkFDmSh29BMhI7aUiUVg7I-tt7q9iHLNdqoN2sDfPFYhpJX4wcKM243Xo/s320/IMG_9525.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching frogs in the backyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden mid summer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqcLcDR48aOco6Lwpthk-BxQ_Ub8Ddg0Wa725mcN18NdneNwiehnlctllcurOZlXwd-n_bzGGdNEOyqptmmFPIYrsfYoiAXxNK1DnhklzBFaazkEDGLK9aVc5YGupkybjqDXlHp_JC8o/s1600/IMG_9530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqcLcDR48aOco6Lwpthk-BxQ_Ub8Ddg0Wa725mcN18NdneNwiehnlctllcurOZlXwd-n_bzGGdNEOyqptmmFPIYrsfYoiAXxNK1DnhklzBFaazkEDGLK9aVc5YGupkybjqDXlHp_JC8o/s320/IMG_9530.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Plantar boxes are home to herbs, peppers, chard, kale and cucumbers. <br /></td></tr>
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One more trip to West Branch in a few weeks for Samuel's surgery and then we will be kicking off our school year. Ethan and Simon are pretty excited although it's not going to look much different from what we are already doing now. I'm excited about the new schedule and staying inside a bit more to snuggle on the couch and read...especially with hot cocoa!Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-73470222883674133632012-07-05T11:46:00.000-05:002012-07-05T11:46:39.562-05:00Spring 2012I am currently typing on our new iMac computer that Thomas purchased for our family about 2 weeks ago. We were trying to manage with a laptop with a broken screen hooked up to a monitor that didn't necessarily belong to us along with not having near enough space for all of our pictures. We had filled up all of our external hard drives and there was no more room for taking pictures on our phones so we decided we could no longer put this purchase off. We needed a new computer otherwise we were going to miss out on taking all the pictures/movies that we wanted this summer! That wasn't an option, so I am feeling very blessed right now with a lovely computer that will hold all the pictures we want to take and more! I haven't been able to blog so I am taking the next week or two to try and get caught up. This brings us to spring 2012.<br />
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It was a very mild spring, beautlifuyl weather and early planting. Thomas was pretty busy through March, April and May. He did have the help from Andy and Logan which was awesome! He worked so hard and we are so proud of him. When Dad was gone, we hung out outside quite a bit in the evenings. There were a few nights that we would walk down to the river by our house and skip rocks or find cool things to look at. I would strap Samuel in the carrier and off we'd go. THe boys love going down to the river and we have even taken their sling shots (from grandma and grandpa) and Thomas has showed them how to safely shoot a rock in the river. They think it's pretty cool!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuORMzq6tJO_CCwETOTFNZ_ZYLQfyci_GEi32Ouaaq-3N4XlEg7GdR-aHWz0u3ZGXHYePcVOSYzLYXKAWidGH0oXuA3KlXSvHACgcivCWSvaFCmHxzowi3aFWulrWOsNNGbLjg11LOfo/s1600/IMG_0695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuORMzq6tJO_CCwETOTFNZ_ZYLQfyci_GEi32Ouaaq-3N4XlEg7GdR-aHWz0u3ZGXHYePcVOSYzLYXKAWidGH0oXuA3KlXSvHACgcivCWSvaFCmHxzowi3aFWulrWOsNNGbLjg11LOfo/s320/IMG_0695.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys and I at the river by our house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcP-8YD1vWHapNxgs2wvk_5HM7z4IXY0U69A7vyKy07FLbLPFozCqFGQqlr_zMOxJuT-dWMDYhThcEOUBt-3iNL4y8CSEBgfuZZ7Amz2rx7I7-VEvZqFNJt5_T5hCiXgV4-7KyyCI5fc/s1600/IMG_0700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcP-8YD1vWHapNxgs2wvk_5HM7z4IXY0U69A7vyKy07FLbLPFozCqFGQqlr_zMOxJuT-dWMDYhThcEOUBt-3iNL4y8CSEBgfuZZ7Amz2rx7I7-VEvZqFNJt5_T5hCiXgV4-7KyyCI5fc/s320/IMG_0700.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, those are slingshots!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyuANMCiDJ7E007f6QgkzVyyvtOy2lzvCtQ1mZfqC_NAG0qpvwqRPTk_vYSXiZCu9mkzbjQBcWfNjnMW6nMlKVS8IQI2wHcaQ_OZCgw-tsF3TFqcYQ3zSwbIlENLZFJ5436YO5Ev4yio/s1600/IMG_0697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyuANMCiDJ7E007f6QgkzVyyvtOy2lzvCtQ1mZfqC_NAG0qpvwqRPTk_vYSXiZCu9mkzbjQBcWfNjnMW6nMlKVS8IQI2wHcaQ_OZCgw-tsF3TFqcYQ3zSwbIlENLZFJ5436YO5Ev4yio/s320/IMG_0697.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan has a good aim!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeK-ybOh050s6v5spuoM_0DbYtAkRZoe6WHW-1dPJJt0i2M2iW-A0WO_m-bIPOVZpm5J3r-i_-LjKBvwc5frh6mcOvFVqxQNNIp13KmaYjtB6Nx-qD0MGvG8wWITC7gT_OD9w1IjhFkHI/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeK-ybOh050s6v5spuoM_0DbYtAkRZoe6WHW-1dPJJt0i2M2iW-A0WO_m-bIPOVZpm5J3r-i_-LjKBvwc5frh6mcOvFVqxQNNIp13KmaYjtB6Nx-qD0MGvG8wWITC7gT_OD9w1IjhFkHI/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UyWRyajyiTmi_m1uvJeQuVfv3toSn4nsxwl1MRHqfkL8OHrHe7MpCwnKBcdEMqtz6-d2Zr0izbpZAkVwCkuMuoA_e7XrNbfWiiCKOvjNNrX-PhPm_lVJNS5zup7Fqo10dG9h41PMGyU/s1600/IMG_0702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UyWRyajyiTmi_m1uvJeQuVfv3toSn4nsxwl1MRHqfkL8OHrHe7MpCwnKBcdEMqtz6-d2Zr0izbpZAkVwCkuMuoA_e7XrNbfWiiCKOvjNNrX-PhPm_lVJNS5zup7Fqo10dG9h41PMGyU/s320/IMG_0702.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samuel loves the carrier! I love being hands free! </td></tr>
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This spring Thomas and I have been talking quite a bit about homeschooling as Ethan is approaching his Kindergarten year this fall. We have decided to take it on a year by year basis and give it try this year. I attended the Iowa Homeschool Conference in June and learned so much and we're pretty excited about getting started. I have purchased a curriculum that I think the boys are going to love. The curriculum is designed to work with multiple skill levels and I think Simon will probably enjoy sitting in on some of the learning. He already loves being apart of what we're doing. The books that are included in the literature collection are some of my favorite classic children's books! I don't really know how all the scheduling is going to work out, but I'm kind of in the "go with the flow" category when it comes to my homeschooling style. We're really looking forward to creating some special bonds between all the boys and doing some special things as a family this year. I have checked out almost every homeschooling book from the library and committed this summer to reading all that I can on the topic. I'm learning a lot and ready to begin.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDIKShBxXygluBtit29T5YZVzO_8S508VhmFL4dkUOf74ni6_lMIpfSoRz8AibVI0zykJ9mOClfpD8UdPFXGbPccgtvnpBzh9lqpVf0s8iYDXNz0nQzR99vOdKTu5mIsHprgo5B5uFqk/s1600/IMG_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDIKShBxXygluBtit29T5YZVzO_8S508VhmFL4dkUOf74ni6_lMIpfSoRz8AibVI0zykJ9mOClfpD8UdPFXGbPccgtvnpBzh9lqpVf0s8iYDXNz0nQzR99vOdKTu5mIsHprgo5B5uFqk/s320/IMG_0241.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working on handwriting! Not sure what Ethan's thinking :)</td></tr>
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This was our first year in a long time celebrating Easter at home. We hid some Easter eggs for the boys and they had a blast hunting for their easter baskets from Grandma. We spent some time with my family and all the cousins in Ames were able to get together and hang out. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wdKNm5pdFMxiBtqkJG_X9l19p9DbdnefW-FsG5PtMLhybqFUGOyt_4nCXps5ILrGiWhVE3RuwlsmK9dnGE5JY2Hm-ZB-bRCcRG-AmLKBf3nAfuMQta6Eo-n7t2lngXQfMB2-VevwxAo/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wdKNm5pdFMxiBtqkJG_X9l19p9DbdnefW-FsG5PtMLhybqFUGOyt_4nCXps5ILrGiWhVE3RuwlsmK9dnGE5JY2Hm-ZB-bRCcRG-AmLKBf3nAfuMQta6Eo-n7t2lngXQfMB2-VevwxAo/s320/IMG_0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing up Easter Egg Hunt in our backyard. Thanks Easter bunny for sending some goodies!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgec_Css6dEIzN_7-uyRZPdvZQn9cEG4-Qzv0H_z2KQAewvWK8y8b5MYddnf67ghyJCPA4yyHP2TmSlfqEjAka2R__o_F9zWdwb4PoGlxJcCsT-ssNWwj0ww5o0OezGLNwaRmKFY-UPSZA/s1600/IMG_0727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgec_Css6dEIzN_7-uyRZPdvZQn9cEG4-Qzv0H_z2KQAewvWK8y8b5MYddnf67ghyJCPA4yyHP2TmSlfqEjAka2R__o_F9zWdwb4PoGlxJcCsT-ssNWwj0ww5o0OezGLNwaRmKFY-UPSZA/s320/IMG_0727.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys love this park (Roosevelt School) and one night we decided to go and play in the puddles. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhksv2_MkZdp9IKePjJXOwQpRNUfkgscIsX2Oko_Q1F1BZlz1pOioy2rl2rGq0xSzzunaOATQQ9JwBmFlLULHINxU03NZxliODY4r1OORHDH37VVyRpjXNh3i2NOtmjCT3NCmkWSZULo/s1600/IMG_0883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhksv2_MkZdp9IKePjJXOwQpRNUfkgscIsX2Oko_Q1F1BZlz1pOioy2rl2rGq0xSzzunaOATQQ9JwBmFlLULHINxU03NZxliODY4r1OORHDH37VVyRpjXNh3i2NOtmjCT3NCmkWSZULo/s320/IMG_0883.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, we are proud soccer parents! Ethan joined Ames Soccer Club this season and had a blast! Simon is anxious to play now too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zrmE-4ko0Zx4zy-xX55_B27ie4zYlvOYnIPLO5PsZyOM6njbGS2Pl6o26ti9hp58PeL55WZAcgl1O94hBK-pcfkKQmHAH5lhCt2Q98JdkB-A1mufmO0LbRuP1C31CSqjVGVY-v-7qWQ/s1600/IMG_0905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zrmE-4ko0Zx4zy-xX55_B27ie4zYlvOYnIPLO5PsZyOM6njbGS2Pl6o26ti9hp58PeL55WZAcgl1O94hBK-pcfkKQmHAH5lhCt2Q98JdkB-A1mufmO0LbRuP1C31CSqjVGVY-v-7qWQ/s320/IMG_0905.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan in action!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnFdqT6xdAiRTYS70D1GS1fEn0a6dIkcYQ1D17RGfRzyo-VjZ3EP0hn9govD3dKMa6KzwWd7FF5qPpcyfOxf6viOdsiE5cDCRbuCkRsOq5XtJe0ijBCFBpy4ioO2Erlzhll4L0IHFLNk/s1600/IMG_0973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnFdqT6xdAiRTYS70D1GS1fEn0a6dIkcYQ1D17RGfRzyo-VjZ3EP0hn9govD3dKMa6KzwWd7FF5qPpcyfOxf6viOdsiE5cDCRbuCkRsOq5XtJe0ijBCFBpy4ioO2Erlzhll4L0IHFLNk/s320/IMG_0973.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun at the park. He LOVES swings!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SjBfl_d4sFpRyzvZC1NKFkMLr8etNkQnr9zfMF9aRSJZ7gYYBK1TPRcA6RLXh95bPNg4tH2UvRPolRPxgqjpLj6rdge_c2n-W-EZ4XTlwTE6_eFR5URCM4vSsIPcxun3tyyfzNlCz2I/s1600/IMG_1017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SjBfl_d4sFpRyzvZC1NKFkMLr8etNkQnr9zfMF9aRSJZ7gYYBK1TPRcA6RLXh95bPNg4tH2UvRPolRPxgqjpLj6rdge_c2n-W-EZ4XTlwTE6_eFR5URCM4vSsIPcxun3tyyfzNlCz2I/s320/IMG_1017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veisha Parade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1X2tmCGYC766_z3nTaDBiqXMKJ51hrytLCrMqJQtkgwL4-WmAIP8bKGxJdIAe10jzH0DtoqnB-wWdtrSDGGQKNXAR4XAXkA4HxIitkzwKb8ZeLxnIjVsSHyT-xNH6XloNiXdyigwmfcM/s1600/IMG_1120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1X2tmCGYC766_z3nTaDBiqXMKJ51hrytLCrMqJQtkgwL4-WmAIP8bKGxJdIAe10jzH0DtoqnB-wWdtrSDGGQKNXAR4XAXkA4HxIitkzwKb8ZeLxnIjVsSHyT-xNH6XloNiXdyigwmfcM/s320/IMG_1120.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No caption needed!</td></tr>
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<br />Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-3888215302530373322012-06-28T07:33:00.002-05:002012-06-28T07:33:39.651-05:00Chickens!So, about a year ago, I got a lot of requests to have chickens and raise them in our backyard. I was pretty sure I did NOT want these birds in our yard as I didn't want the added responsibility and nothing really appealed to me about having them. That was a year ago. SInce then the idea has come up several times and after talking to a friend of mine down the street who has 8 chickens and loves the fresh eggs, I decided to look into it. Thomas felt the same as I did a year ago and expressed that he didn't like the idea much either. After we discussed it over a period of a couple weeks and after a few trips to Theisens to marvel at the cuteness of all those chicks, I was sold on the idea and Thomas wasn't far behind. The practicality of it seemed a little daunting but we jumped right in and figured that the details would all work themselves out after we made the initial commitment. And they did!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Op154iV0nL4RgP7X_RwybrjCfqcHVCi4H6IvcjBh3FzYYjBs0Be0Udc81vprqdjQsLrfKnJFyL8fkeRGERvqFoB4peh_HbnZjFo9PBa3uCgueayAeDyPrrnpWDoM_RVQOmt6a8Gt6Y/s1600/IMG_0770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Op154iV0nL4RgP7X_RwybrjCfqcHVCi4H6IvcjBh3FzYYjBs0Be0Udc81vprqdjQsLrfKnJFyL8fkeRGERvqFoB4peh_HbnZjFo9PBa3uCgueayAeDyPrrnpWDoM_RVQOmt6a8Gt6Y/s320/IMG_0770.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are at Theisen's picking up 6, day old baby chicks! Ethan was pretty excited to hold them. Simon was excited about eating popcorn!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDunIKUs25i2CvltiFnd51im7lJyRNR93XOJAld9d-pVIAdto4LptzaRCg09YsdFfnMfyehgMe0WB6HakoKMDHVf4w3mrlvDgLQtKsxACE68kiok1KPf59I_fmaSHPKsK1obu4y6A2M4/s1600/IMG_0778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDunIKUs25i2CvltiFnd51im7lJyRNR93XOJAld9d-pVIAdto4LptzaRCg09YsdFfnMfyehgMe0WB6HakoKMDHVf4w3mrlvDgLQtKsxACE68kiok1KPf59I_fmaSHPKsK1obu4y6A2M4/s320/IMG_0778.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the first couple weeks, we set them up in a bin in the garage. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 6 baby chicks!</td></tr>
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The chickens lived in our garage for about 2 months. We periodically let them out in the yard when they were little so they could have some fresh air. THe boys loved corralling them and keeping them in our yard. They really do stay together and don't wander to far. They have grown really fast and now, they are about 4 months old and almost full grown. Grandpa Fawcett was kind enough to build us an amazing chicken coop out of some wood that he had. The coop is beautiful and more than we could imagined it would be. These chickens are very spoiled. THey have a ton of space to live in along with their own nesting boxes and roosting bars. They have a window that we can open and a door that let's us get in and out of the coop. There is also a door that raises and lowers so that during the day, they can get out into the caged in run and at night can be closed inside to keep them safe from critters. The other night, the top of their caged in run was caved in which was probably due to a raccoon trying to get them. Luckily we had locked them inside, which occasionally we forget to do. A good reminder that they need to be locked in every night!!! We have had one causality. The boys were playing with them inside the coop and one was trying to escape out of the chicken door. Simon let go of the rope and the chicken was partly outside and got stuck under it. Ethan tried to save it but unfortunately, it lost it's life. THe boys were both pretty upset but we took the opportunity to teach them a lesson about death and as we buried the chicken the boys felt better that she was out of pain. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pEUmS6XAhpNw3H-y518s36BaONtTRkIzyYmeuAOX83C2byDaG2Rv_HpDbCDxV9-BR_xMIv9ZjJwY4BDRIKmGiKHSX_-eIpPCCHUz4qRZO4gxN_J7FhFyrGPPWiOlM5ALOMaDgdazEXg/s1600/IMG_1084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pEUmS6XAhpNw3H-y518s36BaONtTRkIzyYmeuAOX83C2byDaG2Rv_HpDbCDxV9-BR_xMIv9ZjJwY4BDRIKmGiKHSX_-eIpPCCHUz4qRZO4gxN_J7FhFyrGPPWiOlM5ALOMaDgdazEXg/s320/IMG_1084.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan helped set up the chicken coop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC5r4WFTJ49OulGNivrgrc1CfY2eZiEJW-rl4l-9sGzpddgK6qdgaOluXee-I6jk_YZwj29RxsXWtcP9tHeSAXxlB8gtmECToUJ-s-8_tC7A1QEuIbCVBqAHkgNa4hISKqqntEGIpGVA/s1600/IMG_9200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC5r4WFTJ49OulGNivrgrc1CfY2eZiEJW-rl4l-9sGzpddgK6qdgaOluXee-I6jk_YZwj29RxsXWtcP9tHeSAXxlB8gtmECToUJ-s-8_tC7A1QEuIbCVBqAHkgNa4hISKqqntEGIpGVA/s320/IMG_9200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is the chicken coop set up behind our house. We have since built an outdoor run.</td></tr>
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So we on on an adventure with our new "pets". Ethan now tells people that we have "5 new pets". We have not given them names as someday, they might be placed in front of us at our kitchen table. This is what Thomas tells me. I am not opposed to doing it however, I will NOT be eating chicken that night. The chickens are fun to have around and the boys are slowly taking on more and more responsibility with feeding them and changing their water. They should start laying eggs in about 1 month. THat's exciting!!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuorp8FXzpXHuEKLelAVwF49A3g-iv1SJy8kySJbTLE8no2O_Ouvmeiybi9lfOo9avyc-IxMz0UqTMJ1lt_iJKwmZEhekNN9Zw3QNc4PMycc4gm4UB-oMwrbRvVyJSYlV7urZN0lVfx54/s1600/IMG_0864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuorp8FXzpXHuEKLelAVwF49A3g-iv1SJy8kySJbTLE8no2O_Ouvmeiybi9lfOo9avyc-IxMz0UqTMJ1lt_iJKwmZEhekNN9Zw3QNc4PMycc4gm4UB-oMwrbRvVyJSYlV7urZN0lVfx54/s320/IMG_0864.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is random, but Thomas just got his new truck. We are very excited and it is beautiful! We have already had a ride in it! It's even a smoother ride than the toyota. </td></tr>
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</div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-68623433221012809212012-06-28T07:02:00.003-05:002012-06-28T07:03:51.115-05:00Simon Turns 3!Simon wasn't sure what he wanted for his 3rd Birthday so with a little guidance, we came up with an under the sea, disco party! He was very excited about having a "Monstro" cake (Monstro is the blue whale from Pinnochio) and he absolutely LOVES balls so we bought a disco ball, set it on blue, and hung it in the basement. We hung streamers all down the basement steps to look like you were entering the bottom of the ocean and I painted all sorts of sea animals and hung them all around. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The disco ball and cake table</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made a ball themed cake made out of m&m's</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma Fawcett made an amazing Monstro cake. It even had edible teeth!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a picture of the basement steps, walking down under the sea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the cousins!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Birthday Boy!</td></tr>
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The Sanchez family was able to join us along with Troy, Leanna, Grace and Vincent, Jon and Hanna, and Gaga and Papa. Gradma and Granpa stayed with us for the weekend as well. We played games, read stories, made bead necklaces and danced under the disco ball. It was a fun way to celebrate turning 3! It's hard to believe he's growing up so fast. He's a wonderful boy and we love having him a part of our family. He continues to absolutely love playing with balls (basketball is a favorite) and he is adamant about wearing "soccer shorts" He loves wrestling and getting dirty! We love his personality as he is full of energy and loves his big brother Ethan. <br />
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</div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-32795876925514475262012-02-21T21:15:00.003-06:002012-02-21T21:58:52.001-06:00Getting Caught Up!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl_gOOIHjcSsj9EMKaWE70RYOARr_DAHgTToswiRhyrv_xmR4dm0zTUNmzqNG2kVtMS2kZyXiHyZDnzUxQz_K5FD7xpWIj_2aC7vfD5YbeEUGwhesga6vpadHGsjEDcG8vsVezmcui8o/s1600/Fawcett+Family+Pictures-26.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFl_gOOIHjcSsj9EMKaWE70RYOARr_DAHgTToswiRhyrv_xmR4dm0zTUNmzqNG2kVtMS2kZyXiHyZDnzUxQz_K5FD7xpWIj_2aC7vfD5YbeEUGwhesga6vpadHGsjEDcG8vsVezmcui8o/s400/Fawcett+Family+Pictures-26.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711804162605805890" /></a><br /><br />Yes, March is quickly approaching and my last post was before Christmas! Yikes, so much has happened and there haven't been many nights where I don't lie in bed and think about the fact that it's been so long since I updated the blog! I thought the title would be fitting since this will be a post to get caught up on the past 3 months.<br /><br />Sadly, this post and maybe a few to come will be without an photos because we have lost a computer to water damage and haven't gotten the new one set up for uploading photos yet. We should get this set up soon as I feel like there are so many events that have been so fun and need pictures to accurately portray the excitement that we've had. <br /><br />Yes, we have lost a few personal items in our home and even though these were all accidents, Thomas and I are beginning to ask each other why it is that we continue to buy nice things while we have 3 little boys in our home. The computer was spilled on by a pitcher of water and our new flat screen television was cracked by some sort of flying object. The kids aren't aware of when this happened and how it happened, but we are sure that something happened and cracked our screen. At first what seemed to be a minor crack and black spot in the bottom right hand side of the screen has now turned in to a television that will not even turn on. We were all a little shaken up and disappointed but now realize that our next tv must be covered! We should have thought about that in the first place.<br /><br />Ethan had his 5 year check up this morning and is growing right on track. He was a man of few words with the doctor but managed to be polite, answer all her questions, and pass all the tests! He did great and we are so proud of him. Simon was anxiously observing as he knows that his 3 year check up is coming up soon and wants to be well informed of how this goes. Ethan did not have any vaccinations today...Simon has 4 coming up! It's not going to be fun. During his last check up, the pediatrician was pretty impressed that he could say "no thank you" to all of her requests. I told her that he says no so much that I at least wanted him to be polite about it. We'll see how this one goes.<br /><br />EThan had a carnival party in December for his Birthday. He shared his day with Ava and we all had a blast! We had face painting, ball tosses, crafts, a trampoline, and Thomas stole the show! He performed a magic show and juggling act for the kids which in my opinion, made the party one of a kind! It was awesome! I did take a few pictures and will get them posted when I can. Grandma Fawcett made Ethan and Ava's cake. It was a clown cake that THomas had when he was just a kid. It was pretty nostalgic for him and Helen did a great job with the cake and cupcakes to match! What a fun party!!!<br /><br />January was a warmer than usual month. We were actually able to play outside several afternoons and despite the fact that we have had very little snow, the boys have still enjoyed bundling up and being out in the cold temperatures...as long as they know that there will always be a cup of hot cocoa waiting inside for them! I love treating them and it's become such a sweet time with them as we come in, sip on cocoa and read a couple books together on the couch. There is something so precious about it...moments I will cherish forever. <br /><br />The time really is going by fast. Samuel is already 6 months old! He is doing great! He loves to smile and giggle, is quite ticklish, loves his older brothers, especially when they jump up and down and has recently learned to blow bubbles! He is sleeping much better and really loves his bed! He loves baby cereal and so far has expanded his diet to include squash and sweet potatoes. Next on the list...peas, or maybe green beans! I'll never forget Ethan's first reaction to green beans. Hilarious and it would be pretty funny to see a similar response from Samuel. What a blessing he has been and such a wonderful addition to our family. THe boys love him so much and his smiling just melts our hearts!<br /><br />Ethan is now pretty engaged in a kindergarten curriculum and enjoying all that he is learning. I am learning quite a bit too! It's been so much fun teaching him new things and watching his mind take off. He loves all things science and we have been enjoying finding information of certain topics at the library or online together. He is also beginning to read! He is pretty excited that there are a few books in which he can complete on his own. We have started with BOB books and he has already finished the first set! We are so proud of him and love that he absolutely loves to read and be read to. I have developed a new love for books as well. It is definitely a favorite activity that we do together. <br /><br />Simon is now covering some preschool material. He joins us at the table and oftentimes will even join the discussion or activity. He is very quick to pick up on things and oftentimes, when I think he's not even listening, he will fill in the blanks! He loves shapes, colors and is beginning to write some of his letters. He is meticulous and oftentimes I might have to give him a bit of extra encouragement to complete something that doesn't come quite so easy to him. He is very creative and very articulate. He continues to love balls. Anything that is round and rolls or can be bounced. He loves marbles, rocks, any kind of sports ball, and super balls. He pretty much has a collection of every kind of ball you can imagine. THis year, for his third birthday, we are having an under the sea ball party (he also loves blue whales). I will continue to post about the party as I think it's going to be a great one! We have some great ideas on how to transform our basement into an under the water experience. It should be fun!<br /><br />Thomas and I are oh so busy, but feeling more and more blessed every day. We have found new ways to create special times together. ONe of our new favorite things to do together is have a date night in! When we combine our efforts, it's worth the all the hard work to make it happen. I tidy up the basement, set up a nice candlelit table, prepare a special dinner while he puts the kids to bed. We wait to eat until the kids go to bed and enjoy an uninterrupted meal together oftentimes with a glass of wine and soft music playing. The basement seems so serene and quiet and there are no toys in sight! It's a wonderful way to enjoy our time together and reconnect in a way that is practical for our season of life. We do try and get out together once a month though as we both value the kids being used to a babysitter. <br /><br />There is so much going on but so much joy in it all! We love our family. We feel so blessed by each of the children and love them so much. God continues to be faithful to guide us and extend grace to us. We are so unworthy of His love and grace and find so much fulfillment in living daily as His servants!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-64705157167151482602012-01-26T13:08:00.001-06:002012-11-25T21:51:13.775-06:00Christmas 2012A lot has happened since I blogged last. In my defense and what has been the biggest contributor to my lack of posts...Simon spilled water all over my laptop and it is now sitting on a desk in the basement, opened up, drying out and completely fried! Yes, we were able to recover the pictures and some other data and unfrotunatley, this isn't rhe first time our household ahs ruined a cpmuter. So now, we are set up in the basement at a desk with a nice large monitor and a Mac that Thomas used to use until it flew off the hood of his car! It works fine but the screen is shattered. ANyway, it's working great for now and I'm actually liking the fact that it is immobile and can't get spilled on, sat on, jumped on, spit up on, etc...Now, here we are, a month later and I do my best to get caught up with where we are at in life!<br /><br />Christmas came and went so quickly but not wihtout a lot of laughs and good times! The boys had a blast in West Branch prior to Christmas Day with cousins, friends and family. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-26417760752404280122011-12-12T12:56:00.001-06:002012-11-25T21:51:13.771-06:00Party 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.huhjhnnknmkmJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-12631220464646620172011-12-06T06:51:00.003-06:002011-12-06T07:12:14.265-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAVZiwX2yoAGDIgTFMbf26YU6hsLjrQMZhA5k_qj_Ajhv2PXxDUb5TdFJ833_yuG8r8yBEG-_k4Y4wYLwNHaTGYQFsph6hNto-7xTDGSG6WPTzKloviw4zgvO128F1NqN4ARmrbuzUMI/s1600/IMG_8831.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bvEHn_Mauglc_EixGgagIZwVojOFWttZ9qTAe8nAW6rKhh0nMtgJuLFBRXkXBkLeTG3gNPaPRhKxEicLaneFPbm8Af6zGyPIrQc8H73v6IvDgJDZZi-Iz183kSkJWi6Bp0XT7Ior9YA/s1600/IMG_8822.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbjhriyfmIxFY4twIulnAPyiXxxczLv26lWh9M2K_wYIJ9i21UMy9_hp_ROwAz6sPBq94sO1a1ANsXGTD-I6QNgM4ODhELUX3JD269GCpnW-ORUajntRrbdw_7D9tjbg0xwfpIb68d_U/s1600/IMG_8821.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbjhriyfmIxFY4twIulnAPyiXxxczLv26lWh9M2K_wYIJ9i21UMy9_hp_ROwAz6sPBq94sO1a1ANsXGTD-I6QNgM4ODhELUX3JD269GCpnW-ORUajntRrbdw_7D9tjbg0xwfpIb68d_U/s1600/IMG_8821.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbjhriyfmIxFY4twIulnAPyiXxxczLv26lWh9M2K_wYIJ9i21UMy9_hp_ROwAz6sPBq94sO1a1ANsXGTD-I6QNgM4ODhELUX3JD269GCpnW-ORUajntRrbdw_7D9tjbg0xwfpIb68d_U/s320/IMG_8821.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682999324574568610" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">25 days and counting! It's hard to believe Christmas has snuck up on us so quickly and yet, December is here and my <u> </u></span>list of things to do is getting longer and longer. We have checked a few things off the list already...</span><div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas tree...check!</div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas Cards sent...check!</div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas shopping...almost!</div><div><br /></div><div>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! </div><div><br /></div><div>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! </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bvEHn_Mauglc_EixGgagIZwVojOFWttZ9qTAe8nAW6rKhh0nMtgJuLFBRXkXBkLeTG3gNPaPRhKxEicLaneFPbm8Af6zGyPIrQc8H73v6IvDgJDZZi-Iz183kSkJWi6Bp0XT7Ior9YA/s320/IMG_8822.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682999327458832354" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div>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!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><u><br /></u></span></div></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAVZiwX2yoAGDIgTFMbf26YU6hsLjrQMZhA5k_qj_Ajhv2PXxDUb5TdFJ833_yuG8r8yBEG-_k4Y4wYLwNHaTGYQFsph6hNto-7xTDGSG6WPTzKloviw4zgvO128F1NqN4ARmrbuzUMI/s320/IMG_8831.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682999348534350370" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijkWptN6vr92hx5ExJFlZtn6eQK6CulvGaIFwUS3HLltolRoHz0Y9UCBuHY8hnzZUA2yXpeRy-0gOpNa63_ly9FoUOVY8SSfR876gc_5v3KeFZKxQqxj004-1xI84VuQoVKut8hZ-elI/s320/IMG_8827.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682999346998742978" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-2930654223159928362011-12-05T20:49:00.005-06:002011-12-05T21:06:40.157-06:00Check out this basement!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvqVmhu5l7CZkkzA47_QjBTeCeYYMTwFdIUx9Sy3ni9QVfoDlfYVfqNgxUriaOkJn7LkN-KkYws6NrQlB9QH9eie5g2ZBPJb2ws8cadV8RXCKH-buu8PtQH_dQsvGNQqRUZF3Uf-3_sE/s1600/IMG_8720.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnMIwryoRUiyq9nTrjgnELC9r7-adUtfKqvBlVtncbxZDw6lOxpb9a57PHodcFPw2l9UEcS0cy3Jy_hldvhF-qbyLliR_QPg3esT7PX7dRYiEGvXDtHLvyTRgvLVZJAn4JihYLPRmNu8/s1600/IMG_8589.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRnMIwryoRUiyq9nTrjgnELC9r7-adUtfKqvBlVtncbxZDw6lOxpb9a57PHodcFPw2l9UEcS0cy3Jy_hldvhF-qbyLliR_QPg3esT7PX7dRYiEGvXDtHLvyTRgvLVZJAn4JihYLPRmNu8/s320/IMG_8589.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682844928500468050" /></a><br />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 :)<div><br /></div><div>The boys enjoying the couch and ready for MOVIE NIGHT!<br /><br /></div><div> <div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvqVmhu5l7CZkkzA47_QjBTeCeYYMTwFdIUx9Sy3ni9QVfoDlfYVfqNgxUriaOkJn7LkN-KkYws6NrQlB9QH9eie5g2ZBPJb2ws8cadV8RXCKH-buu8PtQH_dQsvGNQqRUZF3Uf-3_sE/s320/IMG_8720.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682844935266560834" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05319026818909213904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-85967157426471652112011-12-02T14:41:00.005-06:002011-12-02T15:19:40.321-06:00Halloween 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWNQGAoMhdL-ttbZWKjVQzjnEBZp8S7dIElzgAu2VQBSAg5ZzCQQQZkNEZKmom8O_6NQfVUpdtKoDReupcXxl3NkALvzY_O1NmIF3x4co68wxPrnF2qnBcInxRjEiyQDSYSH0-gh-HwE/s1600/IMG_8688.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWNQGAoMhdL-ttbZWKjVQzjnEBZp8S7dIElzgAu2VQBSAg5ZzCQQQZkNEZKmom8O_6NQfVUpdtKoDReupcXxl3NkALvzY_O1NmIF3x4co68wxPrnF2qnBcInxRjEiyQDSYSH0-gh-HwE/s320/IMG_8688.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681638855506792546" /></a><br /><br />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 :) <br /><br />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! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJVYeJGZdSQCQmpwH7D9q7rsUf9f_oNQjWmPneaYQ72aEeUDXIBZD2tp0Tq8xetPZiato9fjPykx677f1lgomfWKQ3rbxrhGfQVH0zedoEjCNy1FFLoaVv7NDowe10Yzzu1z96SthpUs/s1600/IMG_8615.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJVYeJGZdSQCQmpwH7D9q7rsUf9f_oNQjWmPneaYQ72aEeUDXIBZD2tp0Tq8xetPZiato9fjPykx677f1lgomfWKQ3rbxrhGfQVH0zedoEjCNy1FFLoaVv7NDowe10Yzzu1z96SthpUs/s320/IMG_8615.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681636455464359698" /></a><br /><br /><br />Simon wanted to try them on as well.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsq9JaRtdv5f-oo1BQndwYby0E4gecAfKz7z9c14QZGwyO5bN7mWtYHIvxBN3qeTrf0WBqrKdRCIZoV2XzKlnZMqP9rZbF5-EHuP-hfUuGpoYPLRYU9LCielUi2Z4wNq54SbtH1cfkSk/s1600/IMG_8617.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsq9JaRtdv5f-oo1BQndwYby0E4gecAfKz7z9c14QZGwyO5bN7mWtYHIvxBN3qeTrf0WBqrKdRCIZoV2XzKlnZMqP9rZbF5-EHuP-hfUuGpoYPLRYU9LCielUi2Z4wNq54SbtH1cfkSk/s320/IMG_8617.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681636457086517842" /></a><br /><br />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! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhB8rR-VFfAInQqsfFU2JYSpwTxOe3fpaqGwnj8nE5lYtHHS9gBzNtM4lgttKPXO3y-9AjWo9yReQbytvdCsUH7dgjuTQ_zxHKOeEekw7T-UzLdHIj22CGw_ZeBMhLYeL7evK27KJGEtc/s1600/IMG_8664.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhB8rR-VFfAInQqsfFU2JYSpwTxOe3fpaqGwnj8nE5lYtHHS9gBzNtM4lgttKPXO3y-9AjWo9yReQbytvdCsUH7dgjuTQ_zxHKOeEekw7T-UzLdHIj22CGw_ZeBMhLYeL7evK27KJGEtc/s320/IMG_8664.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681638851358436962" /></a><br /><br />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! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIOzlZJeVtNuqGE1T2fwNP5fTy0t1K8UUvq1e6sHDO0v4mHNvT6MifTDAv7wryKco8Lpj0ejjL62rMQy5HRDJdw3vnYv2rzzJvWVRzn-zuDj39Qz1qCPkrgKg-EHtQuQFJPL08kCKhqc/s1600/IMG_8703.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIOzlZJeVtNuqGE1T2fwNP5fTy0t1K8UUvq1e6sHDO0v4mHNvT6MifTDAv7wryKco8Lpj0ejjL62rMQy5HRDJdw3vnYv2rzzJvWVRzn-zuDj39Qz1qCPkrgKg-EHtQuQFJPL08kCKhqc/s320/IMG_8703.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681638859849337922" /></a><br /><br />Here's a good shot of the back of the kids costumes, and the train! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIvRwN4uFCFioLSXpz9VVqc2bABZiphsX0uzw-4eZEUNdlsDN7dJZVtbA4GH6J_YGxkZA7tuNLQbW-PNqTHAvElCCzi6hHOn9kRQ7moHpXpsPRCiNcb5tSNjJ2cl_NGg-3ob9-9p6vFc/s1600/IMG_8701.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkIvRwN4uFCFioLSXpz9VVqc2bABZiphsX0uzw-4eZEUNdlsDN7dJZVtbA4GH6J_YGxkZA7tuNLQbW-PNqTHAvElCCzi6hHOn9kRQ7moHpXpsPRCiNcb5tSNjJ2cl_NGg-3ob9-9p6vFc/s320/IMG_8701.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681638872212737874" /></a><br /><br />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. <br /><br />All in all, I would say Halloween 2011 was a success! New traditions were formed and we all had a blast!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-46277417826392436202011-10-24T06:57:00.003-05:002011-10-24T07:27:05.843-05:00Good News All Around!Here we are, October 24th, 2011 with several wonderful updates...<br /><br />* 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...<br /><br />* 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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx5sWmEBozzSCtRsZ495koX1cZgWDxe_AoUGZcjhkX_5AbjdujMdcKXm85JnHTPK-DArj5-qbKjsY9tfwKvsYMkclPt-B7yXy4BMbqfW7kSCmkqH2O09L6lReXH1dbzm2tPbHbC0fRBI/s1600/IMG_8577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx5sWmEBozzSCtRsZ495koX1cZgWDxe_AoUGZcjhkX_5AbjdujMdcKXm85JnHTPK-DArj5-qbKjsY9tfwKvsYMkclPt-B7yXy4BMbqfW7kSCmkqH2O09L6lReXH1dbzm2tPbHbC0fRBI/s320/IMG_8577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667032735556584434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQTVs6cTHxO5b2tRHGgQuHb5cS4lCOrHJyd9_wzu-ZGho74ORn6JZS68N7CDNALkJQqpDkNvHAgkpZRvMTdqEybBLxYfo0lCOgtG-1ZfHwo20e0r5xjB_HI-wTY3CFDHNvrs8ZrRJGmc/s1600/IMG_8569.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQTVs6cTHxO5b2tRHGgQuHb5cS4lCOrHJyd9_wzu-ZGho74ORn6JZS68N7CDNALkJQqpDkNvHAgkpZRvMTdqEybBLxYfo0lCOgtG-1ZfHwo20e0r5xjB_HI-wTY3CFDHNvrs8ZrRJGmc/s320/IMG_8569.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667032730569163618" /></a><br /><br />* 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!<br /><br />* 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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3HcZYWJ7WoVvavW7azMC0MOWejXVd_PWIlG9RQC92IA5EFeU5djCCeTHUdf57QF8VkIzfGiTgkbjs6RNbPc59jMhDq3umk6jCeEwylXNsM-k4jKyD7lviA6FunG7fDOeRA8eYikVW3s/s1600/IMG_8584.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3HcZYWJ7WoVvavW7azMC0MOWejXVd_PWIlG9RQC92IA5EFeU5djCCeTHUdf57QF8VkIzfGiTgkbjs6RNbPc59jMhDq3umk6jCeEwylXNsM-k4jKyD7lviA6FunG7fDOeRA8eYikVW3s/s320/IMG_8584.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667032740046001938" /></a><br />*Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-36743012356405117032011-09-19T07:29:00.003-05:002011-09-19T12:39:58.939-05:00Samuel and Thomas updates2 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! <br /><br />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! <br /><br />I managed to snap a picture when they were playing with Samuel on the floor!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGwUobNfVAFyvPPGj8m44MEWRnXpeUrVKEAxQQlXonk0zArsWnFHcduZ0WDk23H7H3PSw6HlQBMxiPxJqF9H0FBvW_1J1r-xnTcgKDQWm104CZhsHt06JUUUwgZy-llz5WuY1kGCIKf4/s1600/IMG_8269.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGwUobNfVAFyvPPGj8m44MEWRnXpeUrVKEAxQQlXonk0zArsWnFHcduZ0WDk23H7H3PSw6HlQBMxiPxJqF9H0FBvW_1J1r-xnTcgKDQWm104CZhsHt06JUUUwgZy-llz5WuY1kGCIKf4/s320/IMG_8269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654126630311928562" /></a><br /><br /><br />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! <br /><br /><br />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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVBPG7sCXubFVDtznFn96spHXvyWODuX6AK6Fa87wradC3IyGTu_9zEj3gvK3b_WpWze50Vd8FtuL4-SjoxSGB-9FHsKKrHq-bCc8QfyRkyQva4lRyV3kpNf6R6SflZqMdxgDKM2gDg4/s1600/IMG_8281.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVBPG7sCXubFVDtznFn96spHXvyWODuX6AK6Fa87wradC3IyGTu_9zEj3gvK3b_WpWze50Vd8FtuL4-SjoxSGB-9FHsKKrHq-bCc8QfyRkyQva4lRyV3kpNf6R6SflZqMdxgDKM2gDg4/s320/IMG_8281.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654075829646468594" /></a><br /><br /><br />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!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-5633584719489378482011-08-27T09:29:00.003-05:002011-08-27T09:32:15.000-05:004 Weeks!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACpVky3Uu_BjSKL6Rn7Kv_qBUgICKOTXRBqcNZcw-1cycrQ-tZ87Ordfuna8kWLS_qGGLksP7E4_Srxrmz_8XGjmggj-a_PxkK20IqT8CGRijsQUcAlHqDL85xFw87h8nvTZhGZC-610/s1600/IMG_6036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACpVky3Uu_BjSKL6Rn7Kv_qBUgICKOTXRBqcNZcw-1cycrQ-tZ87Ordfuna8kWLS_qGGLksP7E4_Srxrmz_8XGjmggj-a_PxkK20IqT8CGRijsQUcAlHqDL85xFw87h8nvTZhGZC-610/s320/IMG_6036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645543469393756514" /></a>
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<br />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!
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538504290397216536.post-81099782118959335032011-08-26T22:12:00.003-05:002011-08-26T22:25:35.734-05:00Ada Hayden Park
<br />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.
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<br />Ethan hiding!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkkYNj5LckRTNogUtIP7PJDUYhfh06413Xjjb9f63c8hBOr9pePrtE_fJPFsV7L8SX14jTXlOGV-NCjj4U4xQ4tcgXUwvvumJthwr4jP_kjziy77TntYQnc9GqDJ2QWml029ftgieSdE/s1600/IMG_6073.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkkYNj5LckRTNogUtIP7PJDUYhfh06413Xjjb9f63c8hBOr9pePrtE_fJPFsV7L8SX14jTXlOGV-NCjj4U4xQ4tcgXUwvvumJthwr4jP_kjziy77TntYQnc9GqDJ2QWml029ftgieSdE/s320/IMG_6073.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645371087135698770" /></a>
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<br />Climbing through the holes
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<br />Simon reading about artist, Paul Daugherty and his famous stick maze!
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11640745067420288766noreply@blogger.com0