Vaca!!

Matt and I decied to take a last minute, late summer vacation! We had a great offer we couldn't pass up! My parents rented a great cabin in Okoboji, and offered us a room for free! That was a no-brainer!
We got up there late on Wednesday night, so we wouldn't have to rush up on Thursday morning. It was a great ride until we stopped for dinner. We ended up stopping for dinner at a Subway in a Walmart at 8:30. Dinner was fine, but we had two major issues that kind of put a damper on the beginning of the trip. We got up to the cabin around 10ish, unpacked and got in bed!

The cabin was great. It had a loft with a bunk bed, 2 twin beds, and a full sized bed. It even had it's own bathroom! Perfect for our little family. There were huge windows and we were woken up every morning by the bright sun shining in! We got to watch the most beautiful sunrises from our beds!

The first morning (Thursday) was an early one! Everyone was excited to get going. The guys went off for an early round of golf and mom and I took the kids to the grocery store to get donuts and some food. The guys ended up meeting us to help finish up! We unpacked the food and headed off to the pool with the boys, while mom and dad went and got the boat in the water. We met them at the dock, put on the life vest and off we went! The boys all did great in their life jackets, which was an answered prayer! The guys did some swimming in the lake, some tubing, and some skiing! We ended the evening with a grill out at the cabin.

The next morning (Friday) was Parkers birthday! Happy 3rd Birthday Little Man!! He was very decided that he needed to swim at the water park and then take a trip on the boat! After the water park we met mom and dad at Bracco (a resort restraunt) for some chips and dip and to let the boys play in the sand! Then we got into the boat for some boating. I convinced Parker that tubing would be a great thing to do on his birthday and that little boy just melted my heart! He was so brave, was laughing and telling me to go "super fast". We ended up going a lot faster then I thought he'd want to go. He was laughing so hard! We then went to grill out dinner for his birthday! His request "Snake" with peanut butter and jelly! Guess what he got?! Presents and cake followed, and it was a great birthday!!

Saturday we woke up and had yet again a relaxing morning! We took our time, hung out and enjoyed eachother's company. The boys had made friends with the neighbors in the cabin next to us. It's kind of a funny story too! My kids are so so friendly, it sometimes drives me nuts! It ended up that this family lives in the neighborhood next to us, and then it got even funnier when I realized that they live next door to our coach pitch coach! Small world! I had to laugh about how when you go on vacation, it's nice to run outside in your pj's, not wear makeup or do your hair and you just think "Well, I'll never see these people again! Well....ummm not so much here! :) Anyway, there was  a little pond stocked with fish right in the backyard of the cabin, so the boys fished (pretty much every morning). We did a little shopping on Saturday morning, then had some lunch and headed to the lake! It was much busier, and the water much choppier! I took my hand at captaining the boat, while the kids slept under tents made from towels! We stopped the boat for a bit and floated around. Very relaxing. Then we doced the boat to do some shopping and eat! THe night got very crazy when we docked at Bracco for dinner. The place was nuts, and we ended up getting our food to go and eating it up by the pool. I took the boys for swimming, while my dad and Matt got the boat all put back together.

Today we got up and packed slowly to go home. There was a great thunder/lightning storm that completed my vacation! We stopped for lunch at Pizza Hut, where my parents were given the senior discount (without being asked!). That was a great laugh! We all arrived home safe, and were able to watch some of the airshow!

Great vacation and even better memories!!

6 Months Come and Gone!

Happy Little Camper trying out a big boy car seat!

Heh Heh!! ;)

I <3 This!!

Sitting up like such a Big Boy!

Joshua had his 6 month check up this morning. I can't believe how fast  the time has gone! He's been such a joy and the perfect addition to our household! The boys just goo and gah over him all day long, and Matt and I are just in love with this perfect little boy! He's finally sitting up on his own, but still teeters and falls on occasion! His face is so funny once he lands backwards, as if he's completely offended by his own body for failing to keep him upright! He's become quite the chatterer! He love to join in a conversation, and you'll hear him join in to singing as well (just like his big brothers did at this age!). He's not much of a roller, but when he wants something he'll get it! He's definitely one of those kids that knows what he wants, and knows how to push mommy's buttons to get it! He spends the majority of his days being held by mommy, or snuggled up with someone (mostly his bros)! I think Josh is as smitten with Peyton and Parker as they are with him! He loves to just watch them (I'm sure this is not a good thing...picking up on all the naughty things they do!) and just smiles away at them, even if they aren't paying attention to him! He's been our little medical mystery. He's technically and MSPI baby, but not a typical one. He shows different symptoms that most babys don't show. A late symptoms starter (3 months), he's not a puker, and he's not too bad on the weight loss side. He refuses solid foods at this point...no matter what it is! His weight goes up and down. For the most part he's a very happy little guy, especially if mama's holding him! ;) Here's his stats from the appointment today: Weight 15 lbs 11 oz (9.86% :( ) Height: 26.75" (45.76%) HC 44.8cm (69.05%)

Yes She Does!

Such A Happy Guy!

Best Buds!

Can you tell how much they love him?!

This is what I wake up to every day! Aren't I blessed?!

Picking cucumbers from our garden!

Our parsley black swallowtail caterpillar!

Singing in the Rain!

Well, Mr Parker, is definitely becoming his own little person! He's starting to show more independence from his big brother. I'm not too sure Peyton's very fond of this whole idea! He's always been the leader and "controller" of what they do and how they do it! Parker's not too fond of that anymore! :) I can't wait to continue to watch that little guy blossom into the boy God has planned for him to become! He's a feisty little one, who's always hungry! The first thing he says to me EVERY morning when he comes in my room is "I'm Hungry!" He's always ready for the next meal or snack the second he finishes a meal! :) He's becoming quite a sports enthusiast like his brother! He loves soccer and basketball though. When you ask him what sport he wants to play (when he turns 3 he's able to play on a team sport) he says how much he can't wait to "play bowling"! He cracks me up! He'll be turning 3 in a week and he's so excited! He's telling everyone about it, and what he's doing for his birthday. We'll be taking a family vacation with gma and gpa for boating, water parks, fishing, and camping! He's SO excited!

I love this face!

At the StormChasers Game!

So Silly!

Baseball Star

Peyton is still obsessed as ever with baseball! He had a great first season of coach pitch with most of his tball team from last year! It's been nice for him to continue his friendships! This boy has more personality then anyone I know! He LOVES life and every day is a party for him! He's quite a joker and loves making people laugh! I'm so blessed to have him in my life as he puts the laughter in my days, every day! He just turned 5 last week, and let me tell you....this turning 5 thing has made him the most independent little booger out there! Every day I hear "Mom, I'm 5 now so I can..." wipe my butt, get dressed all by myself, make my lunch, put my toothpaste on, brush my hair, put on a band aid, pour my cereal, get my own water, etc...... I love it! He's excited to be starting at a new preschool here next month! We've gotten him a new backpack and some new shoes and clothes! It took a lot of investigating, but we feel this new preschool is going to be great for him and that this is exactly where God wants him! I'm excited for him to make new friends and for all the things he's going to learn this upcoming school year!

Their Favorite Mascot Stormy!

Congrats Baseball Star!

Happy Birthday to My Boys!!

Hot Air Balloon Glow

Happy Birthday To Peyton!

A fight with the concrete!

Always goofing around!



The Sweet Sound of Nothing

I think I enjoy the peace and quiet that night time brings to our house! I keep finding myself sitting on the couch doing nothing more then enjoying the calm for all hours of the night! I also keep finding myself cleaning the aftermath of the two tornado's that blow through my house every day until 2 or 3 am.
No wonder I'm so exhausted all the time!

I took the boys to the zoo today. It was the first break of the heat wave that I felt like we could get out and not fry! It was Josh's first ride on a train, and he LOVED it! He was all smiles! The boys got to watch some animal enrichments since it was members day. A paper mache zebra was put into one of the tiger cages and it was filled with bloody beef! The kids were shouting as the tiger attached this poor zebra! "Rip his head off!" "Look, mommy, he's ripping all the zebra's legs off!" Oh the joy of little boys!

Poor Josh just can't catch a break, and neither can mommy for that matter. He's losing weight, and having bad diapers again. I'm scheduled to see a specialist next week, and praying I get the answers I need to get a happy baby!

Our summer is coming to a close, and school will be starting soon! I can't believe it, but I can't wait! This summer flew by! Here's to the last few weeks of summer, the last few weeks of Peyton being 4 and Parker being 2!