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Saturday, August 31, 2013

So Little Time

I have so many things to blog about and so little time.  
So here's a recap of things in a super quick recap.

My parents picked V & C up at the gas station parking lot just outside of the property lines at Yogi and took them straight to WI Dells.
They had a great week with their cousins.
Here they are ready for breakfast at Paul Bunyan's.


Brecken ready for the day!


This is the very first time he sat in a high chair.
We were at Red Lobster with Laura.
He ended up having to be taken out of the restaurant due to his crying.
It was the morning we came back after Yogi and the poor kid was exhausted.
I knew better than to take him out to lunch, but did it anyway.




At WI with Papa & Mama.




We sent Mark this picture one morning when he asked what we were doing.
"Just hanging out!"


We lunched with Livi every chance we got this summer.


We hiked a bog.
It wasn't nearly as cool as the website said it was going to be.


I wonder how long it will be until those cuties can't hold him any more!


After the bog we stopped at a playground.
It was even more fun than the bog!


Laura and I have this thing about adults posting pics of themselves on fb.
So we started texting each other photos with funny captions.
At the time, it's quite funny.



Victoria getting ready for family pictures.


Christian is ready too.
Thanks for the buzz cut Charlie.


This pretty much sums up his attitude for picture day.
Very very silly.


Christian turned 5.5 on July 28th.


He enjoyed 5.5 candles in his ice cream.


I took my three kids and my nieces to the zoo late in July for Marissa's birthday.


Mark stopped by for an hour or so.


The tea cups were the hit.





They went on the Grog Hopper at least 8 times in a row.



After hours of walking the zoo and going on rides they still spent 20 minutes running around a field before we left.  The endless energy!


They we stopped for ice cream so Marissa could open her gift.


Victoria was working on math in the car.
I love when she does academic 'work' for fun all on her own.


This little baby is growing so big and strong, but when he's sleeping he looks like a little baby again.
I could watch him sleep all night long.
He loves to cuddle up with Giraffey.


In the afternoon we have Study Time.
Christian works on his writing and V works on whatever it is she wants to work on.
Here it was double digit subtraction.





These brothers love each other so much.
Rolling around on the floor proves to be particularly fun for both.


Victoria got her haircut at the place I go to.
We went across the street for some pictures.


I wish I knew how to braid so nicely!


Brecken is the happiest baby I've ever seen.
Just always happy.


He spent a lot of time doing this, this summer.


We went out to lunch with Victoria's first grade teacher (and my friend) at Bon Fire.
I love to watch them together.


I love the way he looks at me.
Ooooh, I love him!


But then, there's the way he looks at her!
I'm pretty sure she is his favorite person.


She would do anything to make him happy.


I did learn how to fishtail braid from youtube.
Victoria loves the idea of learning how to do something from youtube.



Waiting at the dr to find out what bit her on the hand to make it SO swollen.
It was black and blue and she could bend her fingers.
We didn't know that day, but it was a bee from the hive that was in the way in her bedroom!
It would take us three weeks after this to discover it.


Victoria will stop whatever she's doing at 5:30 to come in and help give Brecken his bath.
One night she was playing outside and she came and I told her she should stay out and play.
She said, "It's not like he's going to be a baby forever mom.  I have to enjoy this time!"
Sounds like she's listening to someone...




They love each other so much!



Action shot: Going in for a kiss.



Love those big blue eyes!


Building a log cabin in his undies.


This was after his kindergarten assessment where is was brought to my/his attention he didn't know as many numbers as I thought. Oops!


We're doing less and less of this.
Now that he eats oatmeal and baby fruits and vegetables and I'm back to work I have a feeling this won't last much longer.


Morning photo shoot.
Everyone is always so happy in the morning.


I took about 20 pictures that morning and this is my favorite.
I can feel their love.


Uncle John's new dog Bo along with his newest nephew.



Lunch (with Liv) at the Bon Fire.


Brecken's first bites.




Mama Deb was over and we all took turns giving him his first bites.
In just a few bites he got the hang of it and was actually swallowing some.


Hangin' at Mama Jeanne's one summer afternoon.


At the end of a date night we swung by Walmart to pick up a high chair and Mark stopped to try to win me something.  What a gentleman:-)


Story time!


The night before we left for CO Papa came over to give hugs and kisses.


Mama came over all three nights before we left.


We celebrated Great Grandma's 82nd birthday a week early at Bon Fire before our road trip.




I have a picture of her holding Christian at 2 months wearing a party hat too.


 Mama Jeanne gave Brecken lots of cuddles.


A couple meals later and he loves dinner time!
Now he eats breakfast too.
If someone else is eating and he's not he'll lunge for the food.


There it is, a super quick version of our last couple weeks of summer.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Peaceful

After an incredibly stressful and emotional day.....
Brecken is sleeping soundly on his back which means I can stare at his gorgeous sleeping little baby face.
Just what I needed.

Monday, August 26, 2013

First Day Back

I went back to work today after dropping all three kids off at day care.  I made it to work without any tears.  I enjoyed and was inspired by parts of our staff meeting.  I was the most efficient I've ever been on a work day.  I'm almost ready to actually start planning what to teach!

Brecken took two really naps and ate all his milk.  He was happy when I picked him up.

The craziest part of the day is that there's another baby at day care named Brekken.  What are the odds of that?!?!?

So relieved the first day is over and we're getting into our new groove.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

5.5

In five and a half months I have not uttered the words, "I have to work tomorrow."

But tomorrow, I do have to work.

I'm not sure if I'm in denial or maybe I'm a little bit ready to go back.  I've only cried twice today.  I kept this weekend super jammed packed with super fun things, so that helped.

The other morning in the car I started thinking of all the things I didn't get done that I wanted to.
Then I started thinking about all the things we did do and all the things I did get done.

This summer was different from the few before, but I loved every single minute.

Very few people can say they had a 5.5 month maternity leave.  But, I did.  And I'm so thankful and grateful and blessed for that.  It was the best thing that could have happened to Brecken and me with our rocky start.

Tomorrow I'll be a working Mommy, again.

Everything will change, hopefully we'll find lots of positives about all the changes.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Since We've Been Back

We finally got home on Sunday about 5pm.

Since then, we had a bee fiasco.  I had to actually evacuate the kids.  Mark and his brother were able to handle the situation.

Next afternoon, Brecken and I were in a car accident.

Next morning, Brecken woke up sick.  I think it was all the hotel germs.

Today, I'm sick.

I think I'd like to go back to Colorado.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Unplugged

Unplugged is a fairly knew word people throw around as a verb.  Such as: I spent the weekend unplugged.  I don't get it.  I don't want to unplug.  When I have stuff to do I'm not plugged - if you will - so I don't really see a need nor do I want to be unplugged.  However, I was unplugged (mostly) through our road tripping family vacation.  Until now.  Yes, I loved nights sitting in Golden, CO high up on Look Out Mountain watching the twinkling lights of Denver below us.  It is so beautiful there is makes me get choked up.  I absolutely love it.  However, as I explained to Victoria (who had a hard time saying good-bye to our CO family again this year) we love it sooo much and appreciate all it has to offer each and every day because we're not used to it.  It's new and amazing and spectacular all four days we are there to enjoy it.  The first time we saw an elk we were all squealing in delight.  The last time....we were still squealing even though we had seen more than 100 in the few days.

Back to being unplugged.  There was cell service (for the most part) in each place we stayed from Lincoln, NE to Aunt Joan's in Golden to Rapid City, SD to Sioux City ND.  However, I chose to only use the internet in the car to google whatever we were questioning during conversations or info we needed to know or to check Facebook (over and over and over and over).

I enjoyed the nights of chatting rather than watching TV.  The evenings and days filled with family and experiences rather than internet and Bravo.

Even though I'm plugged back in, I hope to remember that unplugging is good for me and my family.