New Life

There are some big changes coming for us...I thought a representation on the blog would be appropriate.  Its takes some time to get used to...I hope its still easy for you to read.  More to come...

This week in review

Everything is a bit of a blur this week...here are some photos.

Library story time

Bennett high stepping to the music in the story room.

Logan choosing animals for storytime.

Friends to play...all boys!

Poor Papa!  The boys attacked Papa because they were so happy to see them!  This week was a whirlwind of sad, excited, grateful, and unknowns.  At the end of a week like that, there was nothing better than having my mom and dad come over Sunday to spend the day and bring a yummy dinner for us!  Thanks so much to everyone who has been so supportive and excited...big news ahead...stay tuned!

What Matters Most...

In a season of change and craziness, I am constantly reminded of what matter most...

These three handsome guys.

The boys had fun with the photo booth one night when I was out (running errands or exercising...something fun like that...).  The pictures make me smile!

Maybe I'm biased, but I still think they are handsome.  Call me crazy!

Snowed in...Again!

We were snowed in...again.  Yesterday we got about 15 inches of snow in Eau Claire and today brought another 4 inches so far.  What to do on a day when we're stuck inside and its too blustery for these little ones to handle the outdoors?  A bath.  At 11 am.  It was their idea and it was a good one!  They loved playing and splashing around until they were "pruney".  Nothing like a bath before lunch to make for sleepy boys and great naps.  Mommy like.  :)

These Boys Are Crazy Boys

Love Day

We had a fun time celebrating our love around this house this week.  We started by making cake pops with some people we love: our Young Life leaders!

The girls volunteered to help make cake pops for Logan's preschool class.  It was nice to have fourteen extra hands helping out!

We made a mess...

and some really cute cake pops!

Mmmmm... 

*Actually, Logan does N-O-T like cake pops.  He can't stand them!  But I didn't know that until he tried this one.  Oh well.  The teachers said the kids liked them, but Logan said, "Mommy I didn't have one, I don't like cake pops."

But he loooooves airplane rides!

The boys had a scavenger hunt on Monday morning.  

They loved finding their clues and reading cards we got in the mail along the way...

"Found it!"

Silly (dancing animal) presents.

The boys eating squeezers in their festive colors!

I made this box for Logan's school party.

Logan's Valentine Express

He decorated with extra stickers and did an awesome job!

I asked for Logan to hold up his cool box and this is what I got...

and this.  Nothing like a snake in a Valentine photo, right?!

Logan had so much fun at his party at school.  All the kids were just so excited about their cards from friends (and treats, too!).  We read through them all and talked about how much we love all our friends.  Logan even shared some of them with Bennett because "he doesn't have any friends yet".  Haha.

What joy the simplest things can bring!  Hope your Love Day was lovely!

Mommy-Logan-Days

Last week while John was gone, I had the rare chance to spend a couple days alone with Logan.  My parents offered to have Bennett for two nights so Logan and I could be in Eau Claire for preschool, soccer, and playdates.  It was extra helpful because both boys like to challenge me a little too much these days.  Logan and I rarely have such undivided time together anymore.  Usually, he is off to do "big boy adventures" with Daddy while Bennett stays home with me; he can stay out in the cold longer than Bennett; he now patiently puts up with me putting Bennett down for naps changing diapers, etc.  Having the time together when all I had to think about playing with Logan and spending great time with him was a special treat.

We did preschool, friends, playdates, dinner with friends, the children's museum, soccer, the moose cafe - lots of fun stuff!  It was actually kinda tiring.  About halfway through the second day, I had an unexpected reaction from Logan:

Logan suited up with  his jacket, hat, and shoes.
Logan: "I wanna go save Bennett".
Me: "What?"
Logan: "Mommy, I wanna go rescue Bennett and bring him home".
Me: "Logan, Bennett is at Nana's house and he is having fun.  We get to spend time together...its so special!"
Logan: crying, sobbing, screaming.  "I miss Benny!"

We then called Nana to check on Bennett and learned he was having a great time.  Once I convinced Logan that we were leaving the next day after school to "rescue Benny", he was satisfied.  I mean, come on, what am I??  Chopped liver?!!  The reaction was surprising to me, but I remember other times when Logan is so protective of Bennett (even at the grandparents' houses).  Its really sweet that he missed him so much.  They have been playing really well together!

Thanks to my parents for having Bennett...he's no easy little boy!  Here are some photos from our day at the museum in Eau Claire.

Logan likes playing Dentist.

He was busy at the construction site...

but his favorite was the postal gig.

We always love the water exhibit.  It was so nice not to be patrolling Bennett at the pools this time.

Of course, Logan had to put on a show for me before we left for lunch.  He doesn't take after anyone I know...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Such Dear Friends

We are lucky to have so many dear friends.  This year, we have been lucky to spend lots of time with Mollie and Aubrey.  They are wonderful.  They love us.  They love our kids.  They love God.  It all shows instantly when you meet them and we're blessed to have them in our home often!

Today Mollie made dinner for us!  They came over, finished cooking and spent the whole evening with us.  Dinner was amazing!  Mollie is an awesome cook (she could teach me a lot!).  She even made cute heart-shaped pizzas for the boys!  We talked about conspiracies, life, and we laughed.  A lot.  We love doing life with M & A and look forward to much more time together!

Thanks for the fab dinner and the fab friendship and fellowship, friends.  :)

 

Boys Before Bed

I caught these photos of the boys before bedtime last week and just had to share:

Logan is "fixing stuff".  Nothing like a little drilling to get a kid ready for bed.

Bennett just watched Logan and made it quite clear that he was ready for bed!

A tired boy amidst the toys.

Weekend Visitors

We had a nice quiet weekend at home!  It feels rare for us to have a weekend at home without too much going on.  Besides a couple short commitments, we were free to enjoy the weekend!  The boys played outside, I had my first small group study with the YL girls, and we even had friends over!

Adorable Miss Avery came over and brought her parents, too!  We had a lovely dinner, a great time catching up on all that has been happening in life, and the kids loved playing!

Avery loved reading books on the little Potterybarn chair (I'm sure she'll have her own soon!) and she kept trying to steal hugs from Bennett.  Here he is on an escape route from the affectionate hugger.

Thanks, dear friends, for the lovely visit (and yummy dessert!).

Bennett - 20 months

Can you believe Bennett is 20 months?!  He is still our "baby", but he sure is getting BIG!  We enjoy learning more and more about Bennett as he grows.  He is quite different than his big brother - just making sure we know he is his own person, I guess.

Bennett runs everywhere.  And not your typical run, but a sort of "trot", we like to call it!  This boy runs with style and it often results in a good tumble.  He is constantly keeping up with Logan, so he has to be fast!  Bennett also has some crazy dance moves that I will attribute to Logan.  They love to dance, shake, and shimmy.  It always gives us a good smile!

Recently, Bennett has started saying many more words and phrases!  Thank goodness!  He is not as verbal as Logan was and its been hard at times to communicate with Bennett.  He throws a good tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants, but his verbal skills seem to be helping with that.  I've also noticed that routine is extremely important for Bennett.  Logan was more adaptable, but Bennett needs the routine (as most kids do) to feel secure, happy, and safe.

Some of my favorite phrases from Bennett right now are:
"Help please" - he says this for everything: trying to reach something, needing a new diaper, wanting his socks off, dropping something...you name it.  Its so cute to hear his little voice say "help please...."
"Uh-oh, spill" - he likes to tell us when he spills something.  Logan also likes to tell us when Bennett spills (can you say, "tattle tale"?!)
"Wuv-ooo" - Bennett loves to give big hugs, wet kisses and say, "I love you".
"I want it!" - I hear this MANY times a day...often when I refuse something to B.
"NO" - Bennett says NO to everything.  Even when the answer is "yes", he will first say, "No".
"-mon" - "Come on"
"show you" - I'll show you.

Another big milestone is Bennett sleeping in his big boy bed!  He started tucking himself in with Logan in his big bed after bedtime stories, so we knew he was interested.  We realized we had put Logan in his big boy bed at 18 months and we decided to try to same for Bennett.  We weren't sure how Bennett would do, but he actually sleeps better than in his crib.  We still have the crib up, but mostly use it for "time-outs" now.  It makes his big boy bed and even bigger privilege.  So far, so good with the bed.

Bennett loves to play whatever Logan plays.  They play trains and cars together.  Bennett also loves to play ball.  He throws and kicks really well and can keep himself busy for a loooong time with a ball!  He doesn't really love the snow yet, but I'm sure that will come.

Bennett is a special boy - getting so big and strong!  We love you, B!

Mexico Vacation!

Its about time I posted some photos from our wonderful Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico vacation!  It was the perfect winter getaway: sun and warmth everyday, no clouds, total relaxation, and great company.  We enjoyed time with my parents and siblings.  Its not often we are all together, so it was extra special!  Very special thanks to my parents for a beautiful week in the sun (and so much more!).  Logan was so excited to be at the "Grand Mayan" again.  He remembered all the FUN he had in October when we went to San Jose del Cabo with my parents and Amy for a week.  AND, he was extra excited because this time, we "didn't forget Daddy!".

Logan enjoying a mango smoothie by the pool.

Logan is quite a fish.  He loved swimming with his water wings, life jacket, and learning to float.  Its fun to see him love the water so much!  Bennett loves the water, too...its a little freaky.  He just will walk right off the edge: no fear!

Bennett and Mommy ready for a ride on the lazy river.

Vacation is hard work.  Bennett napped in the stroller almost everyday.  He would ask for a "ride" or "-troller" and then fall right asleep.  We parked him in the shade and he slept while we got a couple minutes of quiet (sometimes).

Sometimes I got to read my new kindle that John gave me for Christmas.  I loved traveling with the kindle!  So perfect for reading in the sun!

We just went off the resort with the kids one night.  Fajita Republic is one of our favorites.  The outdoor atmosphere is really neat.

We were really lucky to sleep in most days while my parents got up with the early risers.  Here's Bennett one morning while I got up with him early.  We watched a little cartoon and tried to stay quiet.  We shared a condo with my parents while Amy, Andrew, Kyle, and Ali all shared their own kid-free condo.

Andrew and Logan showing off their matching shades!

The grounds at the Mayan Resort have changed so much since we last visited 3 years ago.  They have built ponds, lakes, paths, jungle and many more buildings.  It was hard to get our bearings right away.  We took a walk to see the grounds and saw lots of interesting things!  The boys loved having "adventure" walks through the jungle!

If you watched the series "LOST", this might give you an eerie feeling.  We thought this was crazy similar to the "docks" on Lost!  

The boys went looking for lizards everyday...and usually found several!  This is just one we saw on a morning adventure one day.  Logan enjoyed finding the differences and learning about lizards, iguanas, and geckos.

John and Bennett walking through the pools.

The boys loved playing in the fountains.

The water coming out of the fountains was usually pretty warm, so that was a draw for the kids.

Logan loved to run around inside the fountains, then jump off the edge.  As you can see, it was a popular spot for little kids!

Logan swimming on his own!

Jumping in!

Bennett liked playing in the water on the edge of the pool.  It was a little like deja-vu because we traveled to the Riviera Maya with Logan when he was Bennett's same age.  I was pretty pregnant by then, but Bennett enjoyed the very same things Logan did at that age.

I love this photo of Logan!  He loved the beach and the ocean.

Bennett also really liked the beach...sometimes!

Playing in the sand is so much fun!  There is a neat pool that has its own beach and very shallow water.  It was the perfect spot for us to hang out with the kids.

We had some fun writing our names in the sand one morning.

John and Logan flew a kite on the beach.  It took a lot of running up and down the beach to catch the wind, but neither John nor Logan seemed to mind.

Up, up, and away!

We had a really great vacation and a really great time with everyone!  We really needed the break and it was perfect!