sneak peek

So...we attempted Christmas pictures today with our little family of four...

and it was a smashing success! My mom is amazing.

Anyway, I, of course, am not going to reveal our final choice but thought I'd give you a glimpse!!
Thought this one was just funny. Esp. of Jayden, our wild child. :)

And one glimpse of how bad it can go when trying to get a 1 year old and a 2 year old to look decent in a picture. :)


Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving all!!! Bring on the Christmas season. I love it, love it, love it!!!

TWO AND A HALF!!!!

Jayden, as of today, is TWO AND A HALF!!! Where DOES the time go, seriously? I feel like we were throwing his 2nd birthday party yesterday. LITERALLY, it feels like yesterday. To think tomorrow he will be closer to 3 than one...it is almost unthinkable. To realize that my tiny 6 lb, 9 oz miracle bundle is now a long, lanky 28 pound 2 1/2 year old is enough to stop me dead in my tracks.

What's he up to?
*he is 2. so he hits his brother a lot.
*he is 2. so he gets time outs for hitting said brother a lot.
*he is 2. so he disobeys a lot.
*he is 2. so he gets time outs for said disobedience.

ok, sorry. i'll be cute and fuzzy now.
*Jayden LOVES music. I mean LOVES music. He can sing many songs, loves guitars, loves drums, loves to dance.
*He is a big big cuddler. We often hear, "Hold me, Mommy" or "Hold me, Daddy" or "Hold me, Grandma" or "Hold me, (insert family member name here)"
*He loves people. He loves to watch people when we're out in public and asks "Who dat?" and "What dat man do, Mommy?"
*He loves his little brother. He really does. He adores Eli. Sometimes this love can turn to violence or just being too rough but it is cute how much he loves hiim.
*He loves Veggie Tales.
*His favorite foods are: yogurt, chocolate milk, eggies (scrambled eggs), pasta, berries, and cheeseburgers.
*He loves to read books and is currently obsessed with Curious George.
*Not working on potty training yet. He seems to be scared of going on the toilet so we're not pushing it.
*Jayden has a lot of fears. He hears loud noises and says,"Scared...what dat noise?" He doesn't always take to new situations right away and can be timid. We are trying to just help work through the fears and reassure him as much as possible. He also seems to be having nightmares. He'll wake up in the night screaming and shaking from fright. He is definitely awake so its not night terrors. We just soothe him till he stops shaking and he goes right back to sleep. Poor little guy. :(
*Like I said, he is a whopping 28 pounds and about 37 inches tall. He is TALL and SKINNY and often gets mistaken for a 3 year old when we're out in public.
*He loves the park and loves his buddy Avery.

And a quick note to our boy:
Jayden....my precious little miracle boy. You are such a delight to be a mommy to. Your smile and infectious laugh light up my life. I love to watch you grow, I love to see how much you love people and how tender your heart is. I cherish the times where you just cuddle up to me and wrap your arms around my neck. Or when you say, "Love you, Mommy" so softly. Your little voice is such a sweet sound to my ear. I love to dance and sing with you and watch your face light up when a song comes on that you love. You are so precious to us, our little firstborn son. We thank God everyday for the miracle of your life and for giving you to us to raise!! We are grateful for the last 2 1/2 years of watching you grow and can't wait for many more!!!

oh the sweetness

So Eli is in the process of dropping a nap. Yesterday he took his morning nap but not his afternoon nap. So instead of napping, he played outside. Instead of being super frustrated, I took pictures of his cuteness.

Multitude Monday

well my friend Andrea has inspired me again with her eloquent words and expression of thankfulness.

so another multitude monday post it is!!!!

let's see...

I am thankful for my dad. so so so so so thankful for him and his extended life. thankful for his ability to face tough tough medical situations and not complain about it. his brave face and unflappable mood has been an anchor for me for as long as I can remember.


For a husband who really truly embodies integrity and faithfulness everyday (and looks good doing it, too!! hee hee).

for hands on help with my kids every single day, whether in the form of Grandma, Oma, Opa, Stephanie, Uncle Matthew, etc. there are no words to express how their help impacts my mood and well-being on a daily basis.
(Eli is on Steph's back here!)

for a Savior, who accepts me just as I am, sins and all.

for the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with my extended family, including my aunt who is currently fighting breast/lymphatic cancer.

for dear dear friends, near and far, whose phone calls, texts, Facebook wall posts, etc. always bless me.



(the picture of me and Ryan is REALLY old. I was pregnant with Jayden then and Noah is now FOUR!! and the one of me and the girls, even older. And the third pic is of Eli and the boys' favorite little friend. Another friendship..the boys' and the mom's..that is a total blessing!)

for little boys with their little feet, little hands, little steps, little words...and big big love!!!

our last few days

Well, the pace of our life refuses to slow. As I like to say somewhat facetiously, "the fun never ends 'round here." I thought things were calming down this past week when all of a sudden on Tuesday night, my dad says, "Man, my chest feels tight. And my leg hurts a lot too." So off to the ER went my dad, brother, and mom. Turns out he had three blood clots- one in his leg and one in each lung. So into the hospital he went!! Thankfully, he was released just a couple days later and now is home recovering. But, let me tell you, we are so sick of that hospital!!!! Even though we love his doctors and the staff is great, we would be happy to never see it again!!

Anyway, we also took some cute pictures while surviving the insanity of hospital life. So enjoy!!!


Fireman Jayden...to the rescue!!

Eli zoned in on Veggie Tales. Man, he loves loves loves Bob the Tomato!!
Jayden enjoying some popcorn on the couch

To top off the week, Friday was our FIFTH wedding anniversary. Here are the BEAUTIFUL flowers Dan got me.

fun slideshow/photobook

Make a Smilebox photobook

seriously busy

We are busy busy busy.

This past week and a half we....

1. celebrated my mom's birthday!


Happy Birthday Mom!! we love you!

2. celebrated Stephanie's birthday!!!

(a somewhat artsy shot of a couple of Steph's presents. She loves LUNA bars and I found that plaque at Hallmark for her. It is a perfect description of our family situation!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!!! We love you.

3.. Eli and Jayden were super cute in their Halloween costumes:


(as I mentioned before, Jayden missed trick or treating cause he was at urgent care. :()

4. watched the stupid Yankess win the World Series and wished it was the Dodgers instead!!!

5. Celebrated the marriage of Ken (Dan's brother) to his beautiful bride, Gina.

(actual pictures coming soon!!)

6. Hung out with little boys, which means a lot of laughter (and also a lot of energy and disciplining these days!!)



7. Became very, very tired
(The great story behind this picture: Dan got almost no sleep on Monday and Tuesday night. So on Wednesday evening he headed to bed around 7:15 while the rest of us watched the World Series. Around 8:50, he stumbled out to the living room, totally grouchy, sat down on the couch, and promptly fell back to sleep. Does he remember any of it? NOPE. The man was sleepwalking and boy was it FUNNY!!)

In my next post, we'll discuss our most recent birthday...me turning 30!!! AAAAAHHHHH....its a scary thing, I tell you. :)

November = lots of blogging

So my friend Emily informed me, via her blog, that November is National Blog Posting Month or something like that. So i guess this is as good an opportunity as any to get back into regular posting!! :)

Let's see...what shall I include in today's post? First of all, please pray for Stellan!!





He heads to Boston on Thursday for a possible ablation next Tuesday. This whole thing is super scary for his parents, I know, and managing all the unknown along the logistics must just be overwhelming.

Second of all, please pray for our household's health. One or more of us has been sick for over 6 weeks now and we are tired of it!!!!

I still need to upload pics of the boys in their Halloween costumes but they shall be coming soon!!!

Oh, and in other news, the boys are dressed in matching outfits today. I used to think this was so silly, but now I find it irresistibly cute!!

And just for fun, check out this shot of Eli almost exactly one year ago! WOW!

Happy Fall!

So, wow, I am really bad about updating the blog lately. I think of it everyday but by the time I get the boys in bed, clean up the house, work on my online class, spend some time with Dan or the fam, etc. I am ready for bed!!

We have been CRAZY busy the past few weeks. Dan's school/work/interning schedule is always sure to keep us on our toes to start out with. We also have been getting ready for Dan's brother's wedding, which took place yesterday. Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Ken and Gina Stephens!! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception yesterday and we are so excited for them! :) Our whole house has also been battling a multitude of sicknesses. Jayden is currently the only one sick and we hope that once he is better, our household will be healthy for the first time in about six weeks. Poor Jayden missed trick or treating last night cause he was at urgent care with a 103 degree fever instead. :(

Anyway, in between all the craziness, we did manage to get the boys to the Pumpkin Patch. So enjoy these shots!!

We started out with the pony ride.

Jayden loved it.

Eli, um, didn't.

Eli liked the petting zoo much more.
Both boys loved the mini school bus you could ride in (side note: these are just like the ones they have outside grocery stores. No need to go to the pumpkin patch for them. Was it their favorite thing? Of course!)

And then we ventured over to the pumpkins. This one is "too big!"
And so is this one.
Then Jayden found a wagon!

And then hay!
So of course Eli had to join in the fun too!
Eli did love the pumpkins, too.

All in all, it was a great trip.

Even though Jayden missed trick or treating last night, my mom took Eli while we were at urgent care and we have pictures of that plus pics of the boys trying on their costumes earlier this week. So stay tuned!!

Oh and if you want a fun comparison, check out our trip to this pumpkin patch last year!