our first snow

Last Friday night it started snowing!!

It was our first snowfall since moving to Omaha and we were all giddy! (Yes, I do realize I will come to hate snow, but for now I like it.) The boys were SOOO excited! This is what we woke up to...and it was already melting.

Blake thought it was going to be too cold so he didn't want to go out at first. Then when he saw Andrew all geared up....he was wanting in on the action. Matt had to work that morning and Claire was napping so the boys and I went out and played! All they wanted to do was throw snowballs.

I just wanted to make a snowman!

It was great snow for making a snowman. (I do know a little about snow...I do have roots in Wisconsin.) :)

The boys could have played out there all day. They were both snotty and coughing so we only stayed out for an hour. Maybe next time, boys!

I couldn't have asked for a better first snow. I've been a wee bit worried about what this winter will hold since last year they had a blizzard, but I enjoyed the snow for a day and then it was gone! I know next time we won't be so lucky!!

the birthday girl

This little cutie turned one today!!

She was all eager to open her presents....
but just for a minute...because then she was off!
She LOVES to be in the basement and wanted to go and do! No time for presents!!
With the help from A & B, the gifts got opened! Her favorite gift was this baby doll from her brothers. When she opened it she let out this big squeal!! She LOVES babies!! Afterwards, her brothers played with her dollhouse while she played with her doll. Yes, this picture will come back to haunt them. I even got Andrew saying on camera, "Mommy, hurry up with the video....I want to play with the dollhouse." ha! After dinner we sang and had cake!
When I told her to blow (to blow out the candle) she blew it a kiss. The boys got a big kick out of that!!
She wasn't sure what to think...
but then she realized her mommy made an awesome cake (with the help of a friend!)

And the girl chowed down!
I didn't want her to eat the whole thing, but by the time I got everyone a piece...she was done!

I can't wait to see how much she'll grow in this coming year!

my little kindergartener

Last week was Red Ribbon Week at Andrew's school. This day Andrew had to wear a tie to school. I think it was tie up drugs or something? Anyway, isn't he handsome? :)

I have to tell this story on him. Yesterday he got his first yellow card. The boy was DEVISTATED! He got to move it back to green (I guess it's like a warning), but it did get on yellow and he had to sit out at recess for 5 mins. Anyway, he was really upset when he came home. I asked him what happened and he said at nap they were listening to music and the song "Rock-a-bye baby" came on. He said he started laughing because it was a funny song....the craddle fell out of the tree. :) He IS right. That song is weird!

random pics from the week....

It's been nice and cool here lately and the boys have been playing outside! A LOT! (which gives me some time to clean!!)

Blake likes to play in the rocks under the patio.

Andrew likes to play football and tackle Blake. :)

And some evenings poor Claire has to stare out the window because she's already ready for bed. Can you find her brothers under the slide?

On another note, Claire has really started walking and probably walks about 90% of the time now.

She's even coordinated enough to carry stuff...unlike her mommy! :)

We've been busy with school stuff the last two weeks. I will say it was nice when we first moved here. We didn't know anyone and could just veg. Life has picked up and we are staying busy these days.

two peas in a pod...

If she's anything like her silly brother....

I'm in trouble!

pumpkin patches

Let me start off by apologizing for all the pics. It was hard to choose what to post!

Last weekend we went to a smaller pumpkin patch with our Sunday school class. The boys had a blast. It was Andrew's first pumpkin patch here.

Andrew was so excited to ride the ponies.

They had a track where you could ride tricycles. Blake waited patiently, but never got to ride because it was time for dinner. (which is why I have all pics of Andrew.)

Yesterday we went back to Vala's.

Here are some pics of what we enjoyed... ALL the boys had a blast on this 4-wheeler looking thing.
Matt was beat when he got off. ha!
Andrew thought this was so funny!
They jumped on this big pillow thing....
slid down some fast slide... jumped in a pile of hay...
stopped for one second to pose for the camera...
and slid into some hay.
And Claire just sat back and took it all in.

We went after school so we didn't have much daylight. There was a lot of stuff we didn't get to do...like ride the hayride out and to pick a pumpkin. And I didn't a pic of all three kiddos.

How sweet is this pic....
Matt waiting on the rest of us while we rode the tractor.

I LIED...I did get a pic of all 3 kids!

It's just not great.

I know people think I live in the cornfield, and there are a lot around here, but I don't live IN them. It's actually really pretty here. And I don't mind the cornfields. For some reason, it's just calming to me!

Anyway, we had a great time at the pumpkin patches. I look forward to going back next year and staying all day!!

11 months!!

Claire turned 11 months yesterday!!!

She is one busy girl these days....

The girl CAN'T sit still!!

And one day when she asks why I don't have as many pictures of her... I can show her why.

She LOVES baby dolls and LOVES to give baby kisses and hugs!!

She's trying hard to walk. The most steps she's taken is probably 11. And just today she's started standing up from a sitting position and taking off. And by off I mean taking about 6 steps. She looks up to her brothers and can usually be found close to them!! Today they were playing some game called Giant Baby! Can you guess who the giant baby was?
She also loves her daddy. She'll push me away so she can go to Daddy.
Makes me sad, but it's sweet.
She loves to be outside. Whenever we head outside she nearly jumps out of my arms to get down.
I can't believe next month she'll be a year! :(

pumpkin patch

On Friday we went to a pumpkin patch with Blake's class. It was quite an event. You can check it out at www.valaspumpkinpatch.com. In Texas our pumpkin patch was a bunch of pumpkins on the lawn at church. It made for cute pictures tho! This pumpkin patch was CRAZY! It's on 152 acres and 55 of that is pumpkins! There was so much to do, but we didn't do it all and hope to go back!!

We did ride the train.

And we rode the tractor.

We fed some animals.
And some animal tried to attack Claire.
Claire kept squealing/screaming (not sure what it was, but she was very excited) at the animals. I think this was her favorite part.

I enjoyed the pig and duck races. :)

Blake had fun, but he sure missed Andrew.
Anything we did he would ask if we could come back with Andrew. We have some friends coming in this weekend and we hope to take them.

under the weather

Some of us have been a little under the weather lately.

(and somehow I felt like this pic was appropriate for this post! it's from a month ago. we got nothing from those clouds, but they sure did look wicked!!)

Andrew's school called me on Wednesday saying he wasn't feeling well. He came home and complained about his tummy most of the day, but nothing ever happened to him....thankfully! I sent him to school the next day, but I sent him in an hour late just to make sure he could eat breakfast okay and nothing was going to happen. He really wanted to go to school and I hated to keep him home if it was nothing. I was a little worried something might happen that afternoon, but nothing ever did....to him!

About 6 PM Thursday Blake started getting sick. Thankfully he was outside looking for something or it would have been all over me because we were JUST sitting reading books!!! Then about 3:30 AM I started getting sick. WHY is it that I ALWAYS get it the worst? I mean, I would rather it be me than the kids, but then it just makes me look like I'm a baby! :) Thankfully Matt was home all day on Friday and he totally picked up my slack! I can't tell you the last time I was sick and Matt was home to help the whole time! I really needed him tho because I couldn't even get out of bed without getting sick!

And poor Claire has been sick with an ear infection. She's almost done with her meds so I'll be taking her back in this week to make sure the meds worked. I think the meds are messing up her tummy...but I won't go into those gross details. :)