Thanksgiving pics posted

OK, I am way behind on all my post lately and am not going to try and kill myself trying to catch up so I will just say we had a fantastic Thanksgiving. The boys did a wonderful job traveling across the country on the airplanes. They had a ball at grandma and grandpa Kley's and they did alot in the days we were there and were such great troupers. They had a great time going on the metro to the Natural Science Museum in D.C. and once there were in heaven. The saw the Dinosaurs which they both are fascinated with, the Sea Life exhibit and the Mammal exhibit. It was a great day as the boy were so happy and enjoyed every second. We would've stayed all day but little legs were growing tired and needed to rest. We will go back again soon when we visit!!

We also had a chance to visit Great Wolf Lodge which is an amazing indoor/outdoor water park family resort and boy did we have a GREAT time. We met up with friends Caryn,Sterling and Keaton's buddy James, also Greg and his boys, Tommy and Will. I have to say this place was awesome and I would've stayed for a week if we could have. Keaton LOVES water slides now and he is not scared of how big there are that's for sure. Even Ryan rode the water slides. The place was so great as it had areas for all ages no matter what the age from age 1 to 70 or older you could find fun!! It was a sad goodbye when the visit was over as we had a great time with old friends and look forward to seeing them again soon.
Unfortunately we all came down with a cold on the trip but truthfully we still had a good time. The trip home was pretty smooth and the boys did great on the plane ride once again.

It was good to be home again but kind of sad it was over. We have alot of great memories from Thanksgiving 2008!!

A good outlook!!

OK, before Thanksgiving Ben and I found out we were having baby boy #3 and i was in a bit of shock with the news that I would be the mother of 3 boys. It was no secret I wanted to be the mother of a daughter but that is not the path god has chosen for us and I have come to see how luck I truly am for having the privilege of raising 3 boys. Many have said, " oh just have one more!" and yes that is an option but not one I really want to do. After the initial shock and bit of sadness of never having a little girl wore off I am now in a really good place and am looking forward to having an amazing life as the mother of 3 boys. May god help me as I may have more gray hair than I care to have sooner than later but such is life.

Thank you to all those friends and family who had such nice things to say and were so supportive of me in my crazy hormonal stage!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Just a quick post to wish everyone a Happy and relaxing Thanksgiving. We are spending the holiday with Ben's family which should be fun. It will be fun to head back east and see everyone. Keaton is so excited to see everyone and looking forward to the museums and water park hotel we are going to. Hope you all fill your bellies and spend time with the ones you love. We are Thankful for all of you in our lives.

Drum Roll Please.... It's a BOY.... Again!!

Yes you read it correctly It's another boy for the Kley's!! We are carrying the Kley name for many years into the future!! Ed, I have done all I can to carry on the name but I think we'll be stopping here!!! The baby is healthy by what we have been told thus far so that is the most important thing! We will go over the results of the ultrasound with the doctor in detail next appt. but the ultrasound tech. said things looked great and the baby was almost a pound already. Keaton was toooo funny as he told the lady he wanted a girl and when she told him it was a boy he said " No, we want a gilr baby, we already have boy babies we need a girl cuz we dont have one of those!!" It was soooo sweet. He then told her "mommy will just have to have another one until we get my girl baby!" Hmmmm...not so sure about that!!

OK, Sorry it took me awhile to share the news but I have been coping with the news that I will have 3 sons. The ultrasound was on Thurs. and the tech was sure it was a boy but personally Ben and I weren't as sure but I guess we will believe her. The view wasn't as clear as it was with the other two boys. It was no secret that I really would have like to have a little pink around the house but that is not in our life plan I guess, as we are the chosen parents of three boys. Please don't take this the wrong way when I say I got really upset when we got home from the ultrasound. I know this is our last child and I really thought one day I would have a daughter and 1 out of 3 babies I thought I would accomplish this but TRUST me it's not that easy. I cried my tears and have now moved on but will admit I am touchy on the whole subject. Don't get me wrong I love this sweet miracle growing inside me very much, it's more that it's the coming to face the fact that I will never have a daughter that I'm dealing with. We did talk about possibly down the road we could adopt a little girl but that is WAY off and not on the table for now. Three boys will be enough for some time I believe. I have been blessed with so much and my boys are a true gift that I am sooooo thankful for so I am really excited to meet the new little guy that will complete our family (or our sports team!!).
Ben is soooo excited as he will really have fun with the boys as they get older as he already is having a great time teaching them all the guys stuff. He has the boys throwing the football and getting good with the lacrosse sticks, Keaton can hit a baseball like a champ and golf fairly well for his age.


Some good things about having another boy:
*I will always be the queen in this house!
*I don't have to buy much of anything!
*Will save a ton on not buying huge wardrobes, prom dresses,ect.
*Dealing with teenage girl hormones (I was told this is not pleasant!)
*Boy Craziness !

Keaton the cleaner

Keeping my house clean has been a battle lately as Ryan is the biggest mess maker I've ever come across. He loves to help clean up but minutes later he loves to dump and throw it right back where it was. Keaton has leveled out but has taken a turn for the better and he is now into cleaning up. Yes, you read that right!! For the last week he has cleaned the basement and main floor toy room up without me or Ben asking. He is so proud and happy about it and I couldn't be more happy myself!!! I have to share as he deserves all the acknowledgement I can give him. Go Keaton, Go!! He's such a great kid!!

Ultrasound Day!!!!!

Ok, while I am at it I have to share that today is ultrasound day for us. At 1:15 or so we will see what we are having and I am SO nervous this time around. Part of me doesn't want to know as I still have hopes for a girl when I don't know. As you know I would like a girl but truly I feel the little peanut is a boy so trying not to get my hopes up to much. This is our last go around and my last chance a little princess to add to my princes. No matter what we will be happy with a healthy baby but I still have hopes. I know everyone else is wondering also and some on pins and needles waiting to find out. I have received lots of inquiries so I'll post as soon as I can and some of you will be getting calls.... Melissa and Jen. Ben and Keaton think girl and I think boy so well see!!! To be continued later.........

Keat goes down for the count and the rest of the family too!

Just a quick add on to the last post. Keaton has now taken the fall and bounced back. I've never seen the child throw up like he did. He was such a trooper. This stomach virus hits fast and furious so watch out. I picked Keat up from school he played with friends in the church yard for 10min. he then complained of a tummy ache and we got in the car and minutes later he was throwing up. Thank god for Kleenex boxes or things could have been really bad. He was sick for about 24 hours and another 24 hours for recovery and this morning back to his old cheerful self. Thank goodness that's behind us. Now we just wait and see what is to come of little Ryan, he is the only one who hasn't gone down yet! If he is going to do it I want it to be now as we are traveling on Tues. to Virgina and sure don't want it on the plane trip or at the Kley's while people are trying to enjoy the holiday!! Oh and just to add that the same day Keaton had the virus my sister in law Jen, nephew Cadence and mother all were down and out that same day. Weird Hugh!!

Holy Sickness

OK, this is not meant to gross anyone out but to warn you to wash your hands and stay away from sickly people..... Warning!!!!!!!! Watch out for the stomach flu everyone, it's one nasty bug and boy did I learn the hard way. Also note to all I recommend not being pregnant when puking your brains out!! Yikes what a nightmare!!! It didn't just get me but Ben also so we were both out of commission with the two boys. We had to call in reinforcements.. IE.. Grandma DeYoung to help take the boys off our hands for the night as we were in no condition to parent that was for sure. Thank god for grandmas!!! It took about 48hrs and we were feeling like a human beings again and another few days to get our energy back but thankfully we are back and in full force. Which was good timing as little Ryan came down with the hives on Wed. and he was covered in blotches from head to toe. It totally freaked me out of course so now we are trying to figure out what caused them. He ate or came into contact with something that caused him to break out , what that could be WHO THE **** KNOWS!!! Thankfully this morning the hives are all gone and he is happy and his himself again so we will go on with life and now just try and figure out what caused the hives!!! Oh, and I forgot to mention Keaton is fighting a runny nose and horrible cough.
I know you all just cant believe how healthy we are over here Hugh!!! Good thing is I think we are on the mend but the bad thing it is just the being I'm sure!!!

It's potty time for Ryan

I had to do a post on this as it's a VERY big event in our house!! Ryan is almost potty trained!!! Yeah Ryan!!!!!! I was really thinking that I would wait till he was closer to 3 to really try and work on this but Ryan decided that the time is now and he is a big fan of the potty. He has been using the potty since 16months but not seriously but that has changed over the last 2weeks. Ryan now tells us when he needs to go and he goes and it's not just pee pee but Poopy too. He gets all concerned if he has a little accident before we make it to the potty and is very serious about taking care of business the correct way. Ben and I are so proud and relieved as I am hoping that he will be fully potty trained before the baby comes. One child in diapers would be great. My little boy is now a big boy and I am soooooo proud of him!!!! I love you Ryan!!!

Halloween and Bunking the boys

Another Halloween has come and gone and boy did the kids have a good time. Keaton started his Halloween fun on Thursday with his class party which I was lucky to be the room mom so I was in on all the action and one tired cookie at the end of the day!!! Keaton was a bat this year and one fine bat he was. I will get some class pics up as soon as I get them on the computer. All and all Keaton's Halloween started off on a great foot.

Halloween day was fun too as I took the kids to daddy's work potluck which had lots of fun food and cool decorations. We enjoyed some yummy lunch and treats and headed home to have some down time before all the cousins came over to go trick or treating with us. We ate some pizza and then headed out. Mommy had to hand out candy this year as I was told to take it easy so daddy was in charge of taking the little men out this year. We were slammed with trick or treaters and they cleaned me out of candy within 45min or less. It was fun to see all the cuties in their costumes. The boys came back with a load of candy and Keaton of course dug right in. Ben and I had to hide the rest of the candy as he was going to make himself sick. Both boys were in need of some down time so we curled up on the couch and had some popcorn (Ryan's favorite snack) and watched Peter Pan for 20min. to wind down and then they both hit the bed hard and slept till 8am, yeah for Ben and I.

Sat. morning we set out on putting the boys bunk beds together with took about 4hrs. Ben did a great job and they are beautiful and the boys love them. Keaton is on the top twin bunk and Ryan in on the bottom full sized bunk. I was nervous how this all was going to work but they have done great. Keaton just loves sleeping up top and Ryan once you get him settled stays in bed and knocks out till morning. I've only had a little visitor in my room in the middle of the night one time this week. I took him back to bed and that was that. In the morning it's fun to listen to them chatting to one another. They are sure growing up fast. It's strange to walk by Ryan's old room now and him not being in there sleeping. I am in the process of moving his things to his new room which is just strange to be honest. It's making it more real that there is another little one on the way and he/she will be here before we know it. Ryan has been my baby but now when I look at him he's just not really a baby anymore. He is talking and hanging with the big boys. Not to mention that he is almost potty trained!! Yippee. I will get my chance at little baby once more ad I know I will have to cherish each moment as time sure does fly by and they grow up way to fast.

Overall our house is filled with nonstop fun and energy and as I may be exhausted at the end of the day and some days about ready to check out but overall I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth to be blessed with so much.

Fall Fun

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of year but recently I have enjoyed it more than usual. Colorado is just beautiful with all the leaves changing and the gorgeous Aspens with their yellow leaves glowing and blowing. All the leaves fell off our tree in the front yard and Keaton was so sad that all the leaves were gone. To tell you the truth so was I!! We had a few cold days but now the weather is absolutely beautiful in the 70's which has us all confused on what to wear anymore. We have been busy and enjoying ourselves this fall. Here is a little hightlights of what we've been up to.

We enjoyed a day at the Happy Applefarm as I mentioned before in a post and the boys had a great time. The boys picked 3 pumpkins, and we had to stop it there as we were running out of hands as we needed to have a hand to help Ryan every few minutes as he stumbled thru the pumpkin patch. The boys really love doing outing like this. Keaton has his first taste of Hot Apple Cider, which was pretty funny. Lets just say he is not a fan yet. Ben and myself BIG fans of Happy Apple Farm Hot Cider so we will continue to try next year to convert him. As long as we live here I hope to keep going back. The drive to and fro are amazing and it's such a fun place to enjoy fall!

Last week we had our first dusting of snow which was so exciting for the boys. Yes, it was a dusting but to them it was several inches!! Ha, Ha!!! Keaton wanted to go out right away so I held him off until at least 10am and bundled them both up and sent them on there way. They moved what little snow there was around and explored as I watched from the window. No way was I going out there, the wind was blowing and it was to darn cold for this mommy!! The boys lasted a whole 10 min. if that and were in and ready for the hot chocolate I had made for them. We sipped hot chocolate and snuggled for awhile till we decided to paint which they just love to do. I'm such a lucky mommy to stay home with my boys and watch them grow and have fun.

We enjoyed a Fall baking day with the cousins in which we made cookies and decorated them and Skyler help bake a cake for grandma's birthday that was that day. The kids had a ball decorating the cat, pumpkin, and ghost cut out cookies. What a fun time.

We missed Boo at the Zoo this year due to Ryan having a tummy bug. We planned to go Sun. night but Ryan came down with a yucky tummy trouble on Sat. night and unfortunately we are still fighting it today. One more day and he's seeing the doctor.

Last night we celebrated my nieces 10th birthday. Skyler turned 10 which just amazes me. Happy Birthday Skyler, we love you lots!!

Yesterday was a full year since Keaton has his health scare so I am thanking god that he has not had any problems since and has been very healthy!! Thanks be to god.

Keaton was delighted as yesterday his class made applesauce but what made me laugh was when I asked if he ate any he said, "I chose not to have any mom! , IT was fun to make but I'm not eating that!" That's my Keaton!!!

Tonight will be fun as we are planning on carving our pumpkin which is always so much fun. . I hope to have some pics to share soon.

Little baby news... I am almost half way thru this pregnancy which is just amazing. I should be able to find out soon what we are having which will be exciting. I am feeling great aside from getting exhausted by the end of the night , which to be honest I did on a normal night!


Well, that's all for now and will hopefully update soon on the fun we had on Halloween. Hope you all have a wonderful spooky night and send some pics of the kids in there costumes as we love to see all our friends!!!

Sleep Over

A cute moment between brothers last night that I had to share. Keaton and Ryan were playing in the living room when I stopped to listen and watch from the upstairs balcony. It was heart warming to say the least.

The boys had all their dinosaurs, stuffed animals and any other animal they could find all piled up. Keaton had Ryan get pillows and he got the blankets and they put a blanket over the animals and then each of them would lay down and say they were having a sleep over. They would get up adjust the blankets and animals and then adjust the blankets for 5 min. and lye back down again and say night, night to one another. It was so cute, and nice to see them enjoying something together.

Good times

Where do I start???? We have been busy around here and just doesnt seem to be alot of blogging time lately. Keaton started back to school in Sept. and we have been adjusting to his new school schedual. He is going three days a week in the afternoon. I have to say I prefer mornings but I loved his teacher last year and she was teaching the 4/5's class in the afternoon this year so I switched him to afternoons but to be honest I prefer mornings as it's really messed Ryan's napping schedual up and as you know NAPPING is important to mommies!!! Good things is Keaton is loving school and doing well. He is a smart little bugger and needs the stimulation and interaction. August and September have been beautiful weather here in Colorado and we have tried to spend as much time outside as we can before it gets cold.

This past Sat. we woke up early and set out to pick our pumpkins for the year at the Happy Apple Farm. The boys love running thru the patch looking for the perfect pumkin. It was a cool fall day so it was perfect for getting our pumkins and drinking hot apple cider. The boys had a ball and Ben and I enjoyed ourselve too. Pictures to come soon!

Little peanut is growing inside me and finally give me a break when it comes to the nausea. I feel pretty good now and was happy to see my little one growing on an ultrasound pic last Tues. I am at about 16weeks now and in a few weeks we may get to see the sex that is if little one cooperates. We are so excited that our little on is growing well and so far looks healthy.

Quick catch up

Time has been flying by and I have not updated in awhile. Alot going on around here as many of you now know we are expecting our third little one in April and and extremely excited about it. I was feeling pretty lousy for awhile but have started feeling much better this past week. The boys are doing well other than Ryan fighting another cold and Keaton a bad cough. I don't think we'll ever escape being sick around here now that school has started. The boys are growing by leaps and bounds. Ryan is really talking now and doing really well on potty training. Keaton is just a little man. He is learning to read which amazes me. He is recognizing sight words and is doing so well and so proud of himself. Keaton and Ryan are a good pair they love to play with one another but of course get on one an others nerves so it's never a dull moment around here to say the least. My darling husband is doing well other than working like a mad man and having little down time with work and home. So to revitalize he's getting a guy's weekend in Chicago with his buddies this weekend. I'm happy for him but I sure would love to jump in his suitcase and fly away with him!!! The boys and I will amuse ourselves and find some fun things to do while daddy's gone.

I want to apologize for not starting my Natal News update as I said I would. Time has flown by and it's just been hard to find time to sit and write much lately. I'll work on that this weekend hopefully.

Recovery

OK, this sickness nightmare started Tues. with Keaton and is still hanging pretty good with me even this morning!!!! Keaton woke up several times on Tues. night crying inconsolably with a sore throat. We were up every few hours consoling him and medicating the poor child. The next morning he still not feeling great but had at least stopped the crying and was drinking and eating a little. Of course later that night (Wed.)Ryan's nose started running and we went down the same road with little Ryan. YIKES!!!! I was praying and washing everything like crazy trying to keep from getting sick however all was for not as on Thurs. afternoon I started sneezing and it was down hill from there. Thurs. evening the sorest throat I can remember having and the next few days were a blur to be honest. I of course can not take anything good to help make myself feel better so I basically had to tough it out with Natural cough drops and Tylenol!! This morning is really the first morning I can say I feel somewhat human. None of us are near 100% but I think were are on our way, at least we better be.

Huna....

Well are you wondering what Huna is yet? It's our beloved daddy!! Ryan will not call Ben daddy, he calls him Huna which is Ryan's way of saying honey!!! He has really become attached to Ben recently and fallows him around the house and if he tries to leave he runs to the door crying " Come back HUNA (honey)!!! This past weekend Ben was in full daddy mode as I've been really sick since Thurs. afternoon. Ryan who is normally a mamas boy found that daddy is alot of fun which is nice as it's great to see him bond with daddy more so mommy can get a break.

Labor Day weekend

Ben and I can say that we didn't just sit around like lazy people this weekend that's for sure. We didn't go more than an hour out of town but it sure felt like it as we had a fun filled busy weekend. Ben started the weekend taking Keaton golfing for the first time on Friday afternoon. He had a great time and said "Mommy, golfing is a blast! I cant wait to go again!" We hung out with the neighbors that night and started the weekend off right.
Early Sat. morning we woke up and headed to the zoo with a few of my neighbors and their families. We had a great day at the zoo and the boys walked the entire zoo and ended the day without even one meltdown or tear. It was one of those days that you wish could happen every time you take the kids out.
Sunday morning we woke up bought our tickets back East for Thanksgiving and headed out for a Colorado Mountain adventure. We ended up in Cripple Creek, CO where we enjoyed lunch and a real 45 min. train ride thought the mountain side. Cripple Creek, CO is close to 10,000ft elevation so lets just say we were really in the mountains and it was breath taking. The boys had so much fun on the train. Ryan was so sweet. He was sitting in between Ben and I and he just would look at us with those sweet eyes and say " This is SO fun mommy/daddy!" He said this almost 50 times. He just loved riding the train.
Monday morning we loaded up the car again and went into the mountains again for a day at the lake. We fished, hiked, grilled and relaxed. Later that night we headed to my parents house for a cook out.
It was a fantastic weekend but I truly am worn out to be honest and glad to be at home today and let the kids just hang out.

Turned upside down!!!

When things happen they seem to happen fast and the ones that take you for the biggest loop are those things in life you least expect. This past Friday was one moment that we least expected and has taken my family by surprise and it'll be awhile till we all get back to normal. What is it that has happened? Hope your sitting down.... my sister Tricia has broken her neck!! Yes, you have read that right!! On Friday evening she and my father and nephew were in a car accident. A 17 year old driver pulled out in front of them and change my sisters life for now and inadvertently our lives too. Thank god it wasn't worse as they were almost T-boned by a U-Haul truck but dad avoided that and ended up in a ditch. Thank god no one was killed and that my father and nephew were unharmed but Tricia was left with a broken neck. At first it looked like surgery but thank god after many CAT scans and tests they decided to wait on surgery and let it be for now and see how the fractured vertebrae heals. So that's where we are now. Tricia is in a crazy neck brace and in alot of pain but she seems to be making improvements so that is positive but the road ahead is long. My heart goes out to her as she will be down and out for some time to come. I can say if I were in her situation I would be losing it. I ask for your prayers for our family and most of all Tricia and Joe as they will need the love and prayers from many to help get thru this hard time.

Slish Splash!!

Keaton is taking really well to swimming. He has always loved water and being in the pool but he always had to have us pretty close. I am happy to say he has really gained confidence in the water thanks to swimming lessons. The picture on the left is of Keaton on the night where they were learning water safety using life vest.His confidence showed when this past weekend we went to my nephew Cadence's 5th birthday pool party. Keaton grabbed hold of some pool noodles and made his way all around the pool both shallow and deep. He tried to shoo us away but we weren't going for it, however he did find the vortex pool fascinating and had to be pulled out as mommy was getting nauseous going in circles for so long!! We are looking forward to the start of the next session of swimming lessons and I can only imagine what he'll want to do then.

Privacy

Ok, Keaton is getting older and yes, sometimes that's hard for me to accept but sometimes he's just to grown for his britches. Lately he has been asking for privacy, yes I know a 4year old needs his privacy!!! Chuckle, chuckle. To me hearing this means he is doing or going to do something that I'm not so happy about or it makes me wonder what he thinks he's going to do that requires me to leave him alone. Today I had to laugh as he asked for some privacy to go to the bathroom which I am fine to give him however when he was taking forever I checked on him and he was pulling up his pants and he shooed me away, when asked if he had washed his hands he informed me he needed his privacy again so he could get away with NOT washing his hand!! I had to inform him that privacy was not for getting out of an important thing like washing his hands, he than said "No privacy than just go away so I can do what I want." OHHHH my things are only going to get more interesting!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!! TODAY IS MY LITTLE BROTHERS BIRTHDAY AND HE'S NOW THE BIG 32!!! I WILL SOMEDAY HAVE TO GET HIM BACK FOR WANTING A 80'S THEMED COSTUME PARTY ON A 90DEGREE DAY!!!

AUGHHHHH!

Let's just say that staying up late and my boys do not go hand in hand. Yikes what a morning we have had and thank god that as I write this I am the only one in the house that is awake!! Last night the neighbors all got together and decided to have some drinks and play yard games and so that equals a late night for all, fun last night, not so fun today!! Theirs lots of kids Keaton's and Ryan's age on our street so they play and run themselves into the ground all night well last night I called it an earlier night (9pm) to put Ryan to bed and Ben was to bring in Keaton to me in a short while however he was playing with his friend Rylee so good that Ben just let them play until after 10pm. In theory doesn't sound to bad except Keaton Woke up at the crack of dawn and by 10am was whining, and complain so much I wanted to put duck tape over his mouth!! "For the love of god child STOP THE WHINING!!" that is all I said to myself all morning long!! After lunch and a painful stop at Target all the boys in my life went down for a timeout nap and all is peaceful once again. Keaton hasn't napped in I don't know how long so I am truly enjoying this moment for all its peace!!! Needless to say I don't think a late night for the boy is in his future our ours as I almost lost my mind. Oh and as a side note to share of the painful morning we went to McDonald's to have lunch and let the boys play since it's so darn hot outside (96) and our beloved Ryan decided right before we were leaving that he would climb up into the play structure and not come down and while he was up there why not take a BIG POOP!!!!!AUGHHHHHHH!!! Then I went to the diaper bag and guess what NO DIAPERS OR PULL UPS!!! Cleaned him up and he had to be at one with nature for the drive home. I guess that sums up our fantastic morning. Oh what a fun Sat!!

Ben's new ride

Well,we bit the bullet and are saying good bye to the tride and true Cavalier!! Yes, we are parting ways after almost a 11 year relationship but it's time. Ben's co-work has a son heading off to college and approached Ben about selling him our Cavalier for his son to take. Ben had been thinking about a new car but we have grown accustome to NO car payments, low tax and low insurance over the last 6 year so it was long consideration. Ben pondered and crunch numbers over the last few months and started looking at all the cars and found his ONE so he is now driving a Volvo S90 T6. Mind you it's used but it's new to Ben and he is excited as it's luxuary car compared to the Cavalier. I'm happy for my honey as he works so hard and is doing so well! He deserves a nice ride to work and a car that he can actually take co-workers out to lunch in. Yeah BEN!

The breakfast strike is OVER! (hopefully!)

Ryan has been on a breakfast strike for a month now. The kid wouldn't eat cereal, eggs, toast, even pancakes! All I could get the kid to eat some mornings was a frozen organic nutri-grain waffle and even than he'd only take a few bites. I am happy to report the strike hopefully is over!!! He has eaten cereal 3 mornings in a row and to top it all off he has added eating his veggies and mandarin oranges at dinner. It's been sometime since that happened also. I guess he knows what he likes however the boycotts are frustrating, as eating little fruit or veggies doesnt make me so happy but hopefully we are back on track. I have really tried hard to have the kids eat healthy but lately I just want the little guy to eat, so seeing him recently chow down half a can of mandarin oranges, 2 servings of green beans, 2 servings of rice and chicken made me see there is hope again.

Brothers

Just a little blurb to comment on my two little men in my life. I can say that I never have a dull moment with two little boys around the house. Some days it's amazing and some it absoulutley painful. I try and focus on the amazing days or I would probly lose my mind!! The boys are beginging to play more and more together. They love to chase one another and giggle and laugh hysterically while doing it, they also love building forts with cushions and blankets in the downstairs family room. They are starting to appreciate one another company alittle more each day. Keaton loves to go get Ryan from his bed each morning and after naps. He runs in like he hasnt seen him in years, it's so cute. It's nice to have a buddy around for each of them and it's nice that they both are learning to share, how to have some patience with someone else and how to negotiate to make things work out.

Now to how they fight like brothers!! Keaton at times likes his space and likes having things to himself and having that pesky brother coming around getting in his way, messing with his things sets off some battles. Now dont get me wrong, no fist are flying it's just the old fashion "MOM, get Ryan , MOOOOOOOM make him go away he's bugging me!" I have to give both of them credit as they both are pretty good natured boys and they tolerate each other pretty well. In the end someone is usually removed or the toy that is being fought over is removed and someones feelings are hurt but at least it's not a bloody nose or black eye... I've heard some not so nice stories about siblings fighting!!

Keaton is such a helper and loves his little brother, he helps him at all the big playgrounds that he's having trouble at, he protectes him when other kids are playing rough at the playlands and he alerts me if Ryan is having a problem or need if I'm not right there. Ryan too loves his big bro so much. He fallows him around imatating him all the time. Keaton does it, Ryan does it!! If Keaton's not around he'll walk around looking and yelling "WHERE'S BROTHER?" It warms my heart the relationship they are building now I am wondering what adding one more would bring to the picture.

The damn is opening!!

Ryan has been chattering for a while now but some we still didn't understand but he sure has turned the corner. He went from simple words and very simple sentences to fully communicating now. It all started with a dinosaur fossil which keeps breaking and he found that he gets much farther getting his dinosaur fixed when he uses he's words that I understand. "Momma, bones are broken! " "Dinosaur bone piece gone,momma!" "Dinosaur please momma, PLEASE get it!" Those are a few sentences that I hear constantly lately !! The cute one tonight was when I gave him some chocolate pudding for dessert. Yummy mommy, it's good!" and another to share is when I stole a small bite of fish off his plate at dinner and he looked at me and pointed to my plate and said "That's your yum, yum mom! That's mine!" Needless to say the damn is opening up more and more. He's been doing pretty well but he's really communicating now and I am understanding his needs even more which is SO wonderful. Ryan is a joy and so much fun! He's so playful and curious and my favorite right now is watching him dance! The boys got moves!!

New pics in the photo collection

Not alot of time to write about our fantastic trip over the Fourth but I posted the photo's and will post about the trip later today hopefully.

One whole year!

It's been a year already and I cant believe it!!! Yes folks it's been a year since we pack up and left our beloved Raleigh, NC and headed out here to the West and made our home in Colorado Springs. Time has been flying by is all I can say. The boys are growing and changing daily into amazing little men, Ben is doing well at work and I am finally adjusting to everything . We finally are adjusted somewhat to the climate. We survived a LONG winter, accepted that Spring starts in June and dark clouds mean nothing most of the time and that we live in a very arid, dry climate and things just don't grow like we were use to!!! We have also come to accept and love that there is NO humidity, no bugs for the most part (NO MOSQUITO'S) I can leave the doors open and the most I get is random fly. We have clear blue sky's and sun almost everyday, it's rare to even see a cloud in the sky until mid afternoon and that cloud is welcome to give your eyes and sun scorched skin a break. The mountains are gorgeous and over so many fun things to do. Overall the move has been great for our family in many ways so we have to be thankful for everything and enjoy life as much as possible as that's what life is I've found.... A Journey that is full of the unknown and that unknown is where you find what you least expected but hold most dear.

The sick bug has bitten not one but TWO!

The nasty sick bug has bitten not one but both of my sweet boys and boy does it have them down and out! Keaton started it out on Thursday and Ryan decided to join in on the fun on Friday. VERY high fevers, body aches, extremely sore throats and the worst cough I've ever heard come from their little bodies. They have been in amazing spirits considering they are feeling so darn lousy. I am going to try and get them in this morning to the Doctors just to have them checked out as the fevers are so high 102 to 103 degrees and I want to make sure they don't have Strep. My poor little bugs!!! I just pray mommy and daddy don't get bitten by this as we are leaving really early for our 4th trip to my parents Lake house on Wed. and the last thing we want is to be sick. Time will tell I guess!!

Adjustment

Well, I often do posts on the boys but here is a post on mommy. For you close friends this isn't a surprise but I 've had a hard time adjusting after the big move. The kids adjusted wonderfully, Ben is to busy to really think about it much and then there's ME! Raleigh was a great place to live and I happened to have great friends, live in a great neighborhood and it was just an ideal situation that we left which made it twice as hard for me to settle in here. I AM HAPPY TO SAY, summer has done wonders to my mindset and I am finally enjoying Colorado and all it has to offer. With nice weather finally here the neighbors are out and we are forming friendships and getting to do things again like doing dinner with friends, playing cards, hanging out outside until midnight having drinks and enjoying the evening ,heading out to explore the mountains, teaching the boys to fish,hiking, visiting friends in Denver to swim and play and most of all making new memories for our family. I was to focused on what I left and not on what I have right here in front of me to build upon and enjoy!! I am more active then I've been in sometime and the boys are enjoying time exploring the wonderful outdoors we have right outside our door! Most of all we are all enjoying having some time with family which is the biggest plus of all. We are even driving to see my relatives that I havent seen in 4 years over the fourth which I would've never done while in NC so right there I should see a plus!!

I guess we all need sometime to adjust and my time just took a little longer than I thought it would. I am glad I've come around to see all the wonderful opportunities and adventures we have at our finger tips. We are giving our children a gift of family, adventure and and the ability to adjust and accept change! We don't know if well stay here forever but while we are here were are going to enjoy and see all we can and try and appreciate the beauty and opportunities we have for our taking.

YMCA

Keeping busy is a must when you stay home with a 2 and 4 year old. We have been doing pretty well but we added something new to our activities and that is we joined the YMCA. They have a child watch program so I can drop the boys off and work out or take yoga and plates classes, swim what ever I want!!! I'm pretty excited about it as I really have worked hard to get back into shape and this will just make things move along a little faster (I hope). Don't get me wrong the boys get more out of it than I do as they have a great kids pool and water slide, inside play and climbing structure, and they offer swim lessons,tumbling, t-ball, soccer,football and basketball. Keaton is going to be very busy. Ryan is going to take tumbling and then just do what he does best.... MAKE MESSES and RUN!!! We are hoping this will keep our family active and healthy so we are trying it out and hoping for lots of good times. Now I just have to wait for Ryan's nose to stop running so we can go again!!

Daddy's weekend adventures

I hope all you daddy's out there had a great day. Our daddy had a fun filled weekend. We joined the YMCA on Friday night which enabled us to go the next morning to their fun pool. They have a water slide and play structure in the pool for the kids. We spent Sat. swimming which was so much fun and to our amazement Keaton was so worn out he took a NAP later that afternoon! That night we headed to the Flying W Ranch and experienced the old west cowboy style. It is a running ranch that has lots of old exhibits to look at and takes you back into the Western days and all I have to say is I wouldn't have done very well back then. I am very thankful to live in this time period!!!! We had a cowboy dinner and then listened to some authentic cowboy musicians. We didn't get to stay to long after dinner as the boys were exhausted and ready for bed. Sunday morning was a daddy's favorite breakfast and then off for a day of fishing with grandpa. We went to the North Slope (http://www.springsgov.com/page.asp?navID=398 ) which is VERY high in elevation and lets just say we were very close to god the whole day. The boys,daddy, grandpa and grandma fished all day and I chased Ryan and kept him from drowning in the lake. Later that day we enjoyed some slow cooked southern BBQ that Ben wanted so badly. Caryn let Sterling know that he used his recipe for the sauce and it took us back to being in the South!! Overall it was a great weekend and we all slept very well as we were all exhausted.

Ryan's growing up not out!!

Ryan went in for his 2 year well visit and the boy is following in his brothers footstep. Can I say TALL and LEAN!! Another bean poll! Ryan weighed in at 24.6 lbs and a whopping 37inches in height!! He is at 20% on the weight chart but a astounding 96% on the height chart. I don't know why this amazes me so much as Keaton has been the same way his whole life. I guess I don't have to worry about the obesity issue now so I should be thrilled. Neither boy has a ounce of fat on them, now I just wish I could say that about myself!!! I knew Ryan looked different and seemed to morph into a little man over the last few months but I had no idea that he had grown close to 4 inches in the last 6months! Wow, that's alot of growing!! He checked out with a clean bill of health other than the battle I continue to wage with him and his dry skin. I finally got a prescription lotion to help. Colorado is soooooo dry and it has been a battle that I have had no luck winning so I am hopeful this lotion will help restore some moisture to the poor kids skin (I may sneak a little myself). I am thankful he is so healthy and that he is growing and learning so well. We truly do have so much to be thankful for.

Our little man is 2!

Our sweet Ryan turned two on the 27th of May but we threw him a big splasin party on the 31st. He had 10 little friends and their parents and fun was had by all. I did a Bee theme for him as he has been smitten with bumble bees for awhile now. Everything was in bright yellow and black and I even made the cake this year. I couldn't find a cake I liked so I took it upon myself to make one and I have to say it turned out pretty awesome!! I made a bumble bee out of vanilla cake and did chocolate cupcakes all around. Ryan kept looking at it and saying BUZZ, BUZZ! Needless to say he was pretty happy to finally get his hand on it. We had a outdoor party with a pool, our bounce house, water table, and sand box. I also handed out buckets with their names on them that had all kind of water toys inside. The favorite was the squirt gun. The kids ran around like maniacs forever squirting one another and even the grown ups got into the fun. Over all the day was wonderful and most of all Ryan had a great day. Our little bug is growing up so fast and I am just trying to make out of each moment.

Happy Birthday Ryan

Our Ryan is 2 years old today! Happy Birthday my little man!!

You sure have grown up fast!!

A trip to the Mountains

I don't even know where or how to start to describe our weekend other than AMAZING!! Ben has working alot of long hours, I have been taking care of kids on my own for long hours and what do you get but two parents who needed a change of scenery!! Late last week we decided last minute we needed to get out of town and that we did. After lots of Internet searching for a place to stay we found Pine Haven Lodge which luckily was right outside of Rocky Mtn Nat. Park. We made the reservation, packed the bags and took off early Sat. morning. It was a easy drive and we were there before the kids even started to get antsy! The drive into the mountains was beautiful and Estes Park (http://www.estesparkresort.com/ ) is such a special place with lots of little shops and not alot of commercialism. Peace and tranquility was what I seem to experience right away. I had a sore neck and back on the way there but I guess I de-stressed once there as the pain seem to melt away. We stayed at Pine Haven Lodge ( http://www.estesparkcabins.com/PH-CabinsAndLodge.HTML ) which is a cute little place that now holds a special place in our hearts as it was our first real mountain experience as a family. Right down the road was Rocky Mtn Nat. Park which is a truly amazing place. The views and wildlife were just amazing. We could have stayed 3 or 4 days longer if we could as we only saw very little of all the wonderment. Keaton loved hiking and hiked almost 2 miles up to the falls. He is a trooper as Ben and I were pooped so I don't know how his little legs handled it! Ryan was in a back carrier and had the best spot of all of us. Keaton also caught 2 fish after lots of time spent fishing. He was SOOOOO proud!!! This trip was nice for the boys and daddy as they really bonded and did lots of daddy and son stuff. Mommy enjoyed herself too as I was just enjoying the scenery and enjoying watching all the men in my life be so happy being boys. I do hope that if any of you who are reading this from afar will seriously think about coming out and experiencing the beauty for your self.

Lots of Pictures from the trip in the photo album! Hope you check them out!

Keaton's a preschool graduate

Keaton graduated this past Tuesday from his 3/4 year old class at preschool and he had a little graduation ceremony which just melted my heart. His class sang songs and did hand motions to the songs. Keaton sang his little heart out! We are so proud of him. Soon after the singing they had a diploma ceremony and he got a diploma and hug from his much loved Mrs. Stratton. It was a very special day for Keaton and our family as he was so proud. We have been blessed to find such an amazing preschool for him to attend. He is now out on summer break and will return to Mrs. Strattons 4/5's class next fall. I am enrolling him in soccer and swimming lessons along with lots of play dates with friends to keep us busy. Our little boy is growing and becoming a big boy way to fast.

Just bouncing around

Last weekend we got the boys a bounce house for the backyard. We are looking into a playset but in the meantime we got a bounce house to occupy our time outside so mommy isnt having to lug everyone out of the house everyday to go to the park. We now have the option to go to the backyard and bouce till their heart are content. This also is a great way to ensure they sleep well at night. The boys love it and so does mommy and daddy!!

Slammed packed weekend! Yikes!

OK, I know we all have had weekends were we need a weekend to recover from the weekend well last weekend was one of those weekends and I still am recovering. Don't get me wrong it was a fun weekend but there was no relaxing about it and this weekend I AM RELAXING!!

Last Friday we took in a Skysox baseball game which for all you in NC it is the equivalent of the the Durham Bulls. We meet a school friend of Keaton's named Andon and his family. It was wonderful weather, grandma had Ryan and Keaton was thrilled to have us all to himself along with his buddy Andon by his side. The boy ate a whole thing of popcorn, hot dog, some soda and even a ice cream bar. He milked the experience for all it was worth. We stayed the whole game as the game was exciting and of course at the end were suppose to be fireworks!! Unfortunately we waited for the fireworks at the end which ended up not happening due to the wind being to high and the Fire Dept. cancelled the show. Good thing is that we got free tickets to another game since the Fireworks were a no go so I guess that means we'll have to go again!! Oh Darn!!

Sat. Ben got up at the crack of dawn and went went golfing with my brother which meant me at home once again with my little men which I will give them credit they were really good boys that morning thank goodness as another day without daddy could have put mommy over the edge!! Once Ben got home I actually went shopping and did lunch with my mother for the afternoon. I bought some much needed summer clothes. I have to mention that I tried on a swimsuit and boy do I still have some work to do before I wear one!!! Once I got home from shopping it was off to my brothers for ping pong nite. I can now play ping pong folks, I'm not good but I am improving! We do this once a month at my brothers and it's alot of fun! Grill out, eat lots of food, drink and TRY to win at ping pong. Not so good at the winning part.

I already shared about Sunday so you know there was no down time either so this weekend aside from my darling husband playing in a golf tournament I hope to actually get some things around the house done and maybe even relax!!

Mother's Day only gets sweeter!

It's amazing how each year Mother's Day becomes more special and I think that has something to do with all the men in my life. This year was no exception as I woke up to a special breakfast made by daddy and Keaton which also included a handmade card by Keaty and daddy. It was to cute I have to say!! We spent the day at the zoo along with my mother, sister and brother and family. We took in all the sites and even got a chance to see the really cool new wild life exhibit that has just opened recently. It was a beautiful day and alot of fun and was ended by a yummy sushi dinner at my favorite sushi spot. If you can believe it Ryan likes Sushi and Keaton loves the soup so everyone enjoyed themselves and it was a delightful day from start to finish. I am truly one lucky lady is all I have to say.

Shush

This morning I walked in to get Ryan and I was Shushed! The little guy slept with his big dinosaur last night and when I walked in to get him out of bed he put his little finger up to his mouth and shushed me immediately. He then said "Dinosaur seping(sleeping) mama, Shush!!" He had his dinosaur on his pillow all wrapped in his blanket and it was sleeping according to Ryan. He than said "Dinosaur up!" and he picked up the dinosaur and was ready to get out of bed I guess. I than was allowed to speak!! Such a cute little guy I have on my hands.

Double edged sword!

Quick funny from this morning. Keaton is learning to spell words however when you hear this you wonder how great is it? He Spelled the word FAT and was sounding it out to show Ben, he than said "What does that mean again?" Ben said "You know what fat means!" Keaton's reply not exactly what Ben was expecting!! "Oh, I know daddy, Fat like what you are right?" To that Ben was a bit insulted that his son just called him fat and quickly corrected him on when and how to use the word. I think it's better in our kitchen saying it to daddy than in the isle at Target announcing to the world that the lady in front of us is huge and has the BIGGEST bottom he's ever seen!!! Yes, the later has happened and I was mortified. Not so sure I want him to now feel oh so confident using the word FAT!!!

CAT,SAT,BAT,THE .........

Ben and I had a holy crap moment the other night as we finished up dinner. It was a good holly crap moment but one that made us realize that our little Keaton is growing up and I may not be able to get away with spelling things I don't want him to hear!! CAT,SAT,BAT,THE,HAT and a few others were words that our little Keaton can now spell. He loves his magna doodle and we often play school time (which is my teaching time with him however he thinks it's fun so I go with it) He has been writing all his letters upper and lower case continually for the last few weeks. He just is fascinated that he can write the letter, and now he is beside himself that he can put those letters together to make words. We were finishing dinner and of course Keaton has excused himself early and was playing with his doodle when he yelled,"Look mom and dad, I spelled CAT!" It is amazing that he has just put this all together so quickly, the mind of a child is an amazing thing. He then proceeded to write more words and I have to say I am amazed by him and so excited he loves learning so much. I only hope it continues.

Summer Cut

Both boys went for a haircut last weekend and I cant believe how grown up they look now, they both look so handsome. Ryan really looks different, the cut aged him as he always has had his shiny, soft baby long hair on top but no longer. Daddy did away with baby hair and hello to big boy hair!! I guess he is ushering in summer by getting both boys a nice short cut plus I think he is trying to avoid having to pay for another 2 cuts in a few weeks. We cant seem to keep up with how fast their hair grows and both of them have pretty think hair so we have to keep up with it or poor Keaton ends up looking like he has a mop on his head.

April updates

Letters and words....that is all the rage around our house when it comes to Keaton these days. The month of April has been an amazing month for the boys developmentally. I just am amazed each day by them. Keaton has learned how to write all his letters from A to Z in capitals and now he has mastered most of the lower case letters. Now that he knows how to write the letters he wants to spell words so he loves to sit with his Doodle and write letters and words. He is fascinated by spelling and it's so fun to watch this all happen and work out in his amazing mind. He graduates from his preschool class on May 20th so pics will come soon after. May will be a busy month as preschool as lots of end of the year events planned so we are really looking forward to all the fun. Hard to believe his first year of preschool is over.

Ryan too is growing leaps and bounds this month also. He is really trying to master talking and is adding new words or should I say sentences to is vocabulary each day. He is into puzzles, cars, trains and of course dinosaurs. He loves drawing and coloring on anything he can so I have to keep an eye on him just in case he finds a lone crayon as the wall can be his canvas without a thought!!! He is a fast runner and loves being outside and digging in the sand. Ryan is my doll baby as I just cant believe he is growing so fast these days. My baby is almost two !!!! Time is just going by to fast lately.

Spring has finally arrived at least I think so in Colorado. It's hard to tell around here as the weather has been very hard to figure out. One day it's 75 degrees and the next its 34 degrees. Thank goodness things have taken a turn for the better and we have been steady in the 60's and 70's for the last 2 weeks. Thank god as I am sooooooo done with winter and soooooo ready for summer. My grass is finally turning green (at least I think so), my trees(the few I have) are getting leaves and I am getting ready to plant flowers this weekend. I am sure my planting will bring on a Spring snow event!!! We are in the process of getting estimates on our second story deck so hopefully this summer we will get our deck built! I hope all friends and family will visit soon!!!

Ben is working alot as my dads company is merging with a Denver based company and my dear husband has taken on a new role which I guess it's called a promotion. With this comes more working hours and lots more responsibilities however he is gaining so much experience his head could spin off at any moment but he loves it. I love it as the pay raise makes him not so grumpy about money and finances!!!

As for me I am still a work in progress. I am continuing to work out 4 to 5 days a week and feel pretty good about my progress. I fit into a size 8 again for the first time since Keaton was born. I have lost a few inches around the waist but the most important things is I feel really good. I will never be bone skinny as that's not my body type or shape but I just want to be toned , feel good about myself and have energy to keep up with my kids and that is the most rewarding things of all!!!

Overall April has been a great month with once again lots of changes!

Another milestone

Keaton has been potty trained for over a year and a half but we have had no luck getting him to not wet the bed at night. The kid sleeps like a rock and just has no idea that he even has to go. We have been putting him in pull-ups for a while now and have been waiting for the day when this would also be over. For many weeks we tried to go with only underwear as Keaton hates the pull ups but when we try to go with out them I seem to be doing alot of extra laundry and making the bed way to much. I had to put my foot down and say enough. "Until you start waking up to go potty at night the pull ups stay!" Probably not what I'm suppose to do but d@@@@ I am tired of changing sheets EVERYDAY!! Well, I think we have finally reached the milestone we were hoping for, Only 2 weeks out and for about a week now he has started to get up at night and go potty by himself!!!!! Yippee!!! I started to notice that Keaton's bathroom light was on in the morning and we had a few visits in the middle of the night where I would wake up and I would see his little shadow standing next to Ben or I but he would then just scamper back to bed when I asked what was wrong. I asked him about it and he said he was going potty but wanted to check on us. I just hope he keeps it up as I am so proud of him. The pediatrician had said that it was difficult for heavy sleepers to know when they had to go while sleeping so just be patient and it would happen and of course it did and as with everything it was on his time table. I guess I should just accept I have little control of such things in life. Personally I'm just happy I'm not washing another load of pee pee sheets!!!!

Dar, Dar MaMa

One word to describe Ryan is AMAZING right now. He is growing, changing and learning new things each day. He and Keaton are so alike yet sooooooo different. Ryan is so laid back and observant. The reason I'm writing is to share that Ryan has such a kind sole in his own way and here's a perfect example. I am feeling lets just say "VERY UNDER the WEATHER!!" My throat hurts, I'm sneeze and I just feel pretty lousy to be honest. Ryan keeps coming up patting me on the shoulder and while I was sitting on the couch he grabbed some blankets and used one to cover me all up and the other to prop my head on!!! He then said "Dar MaMa, Dar, Dar" (there mama, there, there) in his sweet voice and then snuggled himself right on me and put a blanket on himself. We laid there for over 45min. together and watched Mrs. Spider's Sunny Patch in which he giggled alot and I just soaked up the moment as it was a sweet moment. Often now a days he isn't one to sit more than a second so I cherish the times when they come.

Yikes, where did I go wrong this morning?

Well sometimes you just have those mornings where you wonder where and why it all is going wrong. This morning was one of them and I truly am exhausted from it! It was all going smoothly until Keaton attempted to shove a wooden train whistle down his throat while getting in the car to go to preschool. He was blowing that D*** thing all morning and driving me crazy and I told him to put it down and get into the car. Well, he went to get into the car but didn't leave the whistle and needless to say from what I could piece together he went to get into the car with the whistle still in his mouth and hit the seat with the whistle which proceed to go to the back of his throat and this did not feel good as he screamed bloody murder after. The kid is killing me with injuries this week! Yikes. We preceded to preschool after getting him calmed down and making sure he was OK. I then went on a much needed walk with my sister n law Jen and Ryan which was actually really nice, however after the walk Ryan decided it was his time to cause some mayhem. Ryan decided he didn't want to get into the car seat and screamed bloody murder all the way to get Keaton, when I tried to get him out once there he was then mad that I took him out. I couldn't win!!!! He thru his first real tantrum right there in front of the preschool entrance. Lots of moms going by feeling my pain but glad it wasn't them. Of course I was mortified by this melt down but we preceded on to get Keaton. Once back in the car he was fine!!! What the hell !!!! I still don't know what that was all about. Oh and I forgot to share that Keaton's art project that I picked up had green paint on it and Ryan happened to find the one little part that wasn't dry and got it on his fingers and painted the front of my New Shirt!!Ugh!
I had a all ready scheduled play date with Andon and his mom Stephanie so we marched on to the park and had Chic- fil -A picnic and let them run themselves ragged which worked well as Ryan is down and out and Keaton is on his way with mommy right behind him. I am not a napper but I may be today. Hopefully tomorrow morning we'll be back to normal!

Ouch!!!

Well we had a very big OUCH moment Friday night from my little guy Keaton and boy do I mean OUCH!!!! We went out to dinner Friday with my brother and his family at a really cool restaurant called Giuseppe's. This place had great food, and great atmosphere. It's built into the old train station and right next to the railroad tracks. It has old world charm mixed with high class dining but thankfully very family friendly! Trains go by as you eat and to our surprise you could barely hear them inside which amazed me really as we were so darn close the place should have been shaking. The boys loved the place and so did Ben and I. The dinner came to a close and on the way out Keaton had to use the potty. Ben had taken Ryan out already so this was my duty. Well, we are in the stage where he wants to go only in the BOYS bathroom not the GIRLS!! As to not fight the fight and ruin the nice evening I was willing to go get Ben and let him do bathroom duty. Well Keaton somehow in the 2 point 5 seconds that I had turned around and thought he was behind me go his fingers caught in the hinge part of the bathroom door. Needless to say one of the most painful moments in his little life. His finger didn't look pretty when removed and boy did he cry out in pain. Poor little guy is a trooper I tell you that. The end of his pointer finger is pretty nasty and he will most likely lose his nail but all in all he is back to normal. The funniest thing is that after he calmed down a bit he said " Mom, is that why you said not to put my fingers in that part of the door?" Hmmmmmm, I guess they do listen but he had to learn the hard way what I actually meant.

Babies, Babies Everywhere!!

Just a quick note to share that babies are being born one after another over this week. Deb and Wvlad had a boy on the 3rd (Thurs.), Katie and Ron (Ben's sister) had a baby boy on the 5th (Sat.) and Mo and Dave met their little girl (Morgan Rose) today the 7th (Mon.). Needless to say that's alot of babies being born!!!!

Have to share that Katie and Ron were expecting a girl and had a VERY big suprise when little Madeline came out a Connor!!! I have heard of this happening but never knew anyone that it has actually happened to but now I do!!! Our nephew Connor Adams Gambill was born on Sat. by C-section and is said to be a BIG, healthy boy. Havent heard much more but will share when I get more info.

Our first trip ALONE

I have to share that Ben and I spent four days together without the kids!! Yes, you read it right we were without our children. For the first time since Keaton was born we went on a trip with just the two of us and boy was it long overdue!!! We went to a wedding of a childhood friend of Ben's named Brad in Washington D.C. We took off on Thurs. and came home Sunday. We took full advantage of our freedom and hung out the very first night at a place called Kate's Irish Pub which was a place we would hang out at while we were dating many years ago. The next morning we slept in late and headed into Washington to see the Cherry Blossoms which were in bloom. It was a beautiful sight as the Cherry trees were in bloom along with tulips, daffodils and all the other gorgeous trees and flowers. We spent the day walking and taking in the monuments and all the bustle and bustle of D.C. I cant wait for the boys to get a little older so we can take them with us for our next trip to see the sights. The wedding was on Sat. and was a beautiful event. The best part of the long weekend was that Ben and I got to be alone and connect again. We truly had a wonderful time together.

By the way the boys had a great time at grandma and grandpas and were glad to see us upon our return. We missed them too but the time away always makes the heart grow fonder!!

Old fashion hard work!!

Well, after 2 children and neglecting my body for the last few years for the most part I have taken some action to get healthy and in some sort of shape seriously!! After Keaton the body seemed to bounce back pretty quick but after Ryan it just seemed harder to get active and stay active and my body seemed to show that every time I looked in the mirror. I am sharing because If I share what I am doing then I know others will support me, and be looking for some results and that folks is what I need. I am not a dieter so it's old fashion hard work that I am doing ........ That means good old fashion Exercise , that makes me sweat, feel out of breath, and feel pain after but in the end it feels darn good!!! I began my journey about 5 weeks ago and to be honest I am seeing results. My 10's are loose and for the first time in a while I need a belt. I am working off that baby belly which has hung on way to long.
The biggest thing of all of this is that I have taken time for myself . When Ryan naps, I get Keaton doing an activity and I move my butt to a circuit training video, yoga and cardio sculpting. I love yoga so it usually is my last workout as I love the stretch and peace I feel while doing it. Over all I want to be healthy and feel good about my body again. I hope I can make this a life style to keep moving and staying healthy. I will keep you posted on my results.

Computers A OK!!

Well, Ben got around to checking out the computer and it's good as new. Not sure what was wrong as we have yet to get around to that but he said it's good as new so were are back!!!

Happy Easter!!!

It's been awhile since I've last posted as my home computer needs some daddy attention (IE... I think we have a virus-so I wont turn it on till Ben looks at it and he seems not to think this is a priority). I grabbed his laptop and thought I would check my e-mail and do a quick update so people don't think I have given up totally on my blog.

Happy Easter to all. We had a really nice Easter this year. Very different as we have always been with Ben's family on Easter and this year we were home. We had yummy sticky buns that were not part of my diet and exercise I have worked hard on the last month but boy were they yummy. The Easter bunny visited and the boys did a Easter egg hunt and found their baskets. Both boys were SO much fun. Ryan really got into it this year and loved finding the eggs, especially if they had candy or something fun inside!!!! We headed over to my brothers for Easter lunch and had a massive egg hunt with all the kids. We had dyed 4 dozen eggs and they went crazy finding them. We had 3 egg hunts as they had so much fun. I really seem to enjoy holidays more and more as both boys are getting older. They just get it now and are SO excited and seeing the faces of pure joy on their sweet faces so priceless.

I have adorable pics of Easter to come so check back. Not sure when or how to upload as the computer situation leaves me in a spot but I think with a little prodding Ben might help me out.

Growing and Changing

Spring is near and boy do we all have Springs fever. Lots of growing and changing going on in this household.
Keaton just turned four and is just an amazing little man. At his Four year appt. he was 43 1/2 inches tall and 38 1/2 lbs. As you can see his is growing fast and showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. I was so relieved to finally find a great pediatrician!! I have been to several and wasn't happy until now. She felt Keaton looked very healthy and was well ahead of the game for just turning four and didn't see anything to be concerned about health wise but she is going to go thru all test results with fine tooth comb to be sure. This of course makes me feel much better after our scares.
I just registered Keaton for another year of preschool next year since his birthday starts to late to go to kindergarten next fall. He will go three days next year as the boy loves going to school!! He is really come into his own over the last few months. He of course is still the independent, headstrong child he has always been with a side of non-stop energy but at least he is at a stage now where he is accepting (for the most part) that not everything is going to go is way, you can reason some with him and he is coming to grips with the fact that he has a brother who he has too share with and tolerate!! Three's were a very trying age in our home, so I am blessed to see that so far the fours are going pretty well, mind you were only a month in!!!! Keaton is very interested in dinosaurs and loves to read any and everything about them, he loves using his imagination and tells great stories and my most favorite is he is a great singer. Ben and I love to listen to the songs he comes up with daily. Climbing is also a great past time of Keaton's. He loves to go to his favorite park called "The Rock park", this is Keaton's name for the park as it has huge boulder all over the huge park area. He runs from boulder to boulder scaling them and flying his wind gliders off them. Overall I just want to squeeze Keaton and love him to death because he is just a great gift.

I don't even know where to start on what Ryan is doing as it's more what Ryan is not doing!!! Ryan is growing by the minute. Ryan is my little baby but sadly he is far from a baby now a days. He is almost two and showing all the wonderful gifts of a two year old. His latest is to share when he is not happy by blessing us with a mind numbing scream that makes you want to invest in ear plugs. Thankfully it's not to often or Ben and I would be insane!!! Ryan loves and adores his big brother so you shouldn't be surprised when I say that he too loves dinosaurs. He also loves Bee's. It's his favorite word to say and he just saw the Bee movie and didn't move the entire time as he was so beside himself with all those BEES! He is finally getting around to talking more these days. I have called him the man of few words as he just does his thing and could care less chatting about it. He finally has had more to say to all of us as he is learning or at least sharing new things everyday. His new thing is jumping and it's the cutes darn thing to watch as he is so proud of himself. He loves to play outside,digging, playing with balls, hide and seek and has mastered most playground equipment we have come across. There is little that scares the little guy. He jumps into most anything with two feet and doesn't look back. He is working on riding his tricycle and he's pretty darn good at it, play dough, puzzles and coloring is a big hit around our house these days. We have had a few drawings on the walls with crayons (thank god it washes off!), Ryan has also taken to collecting and carrying around all his favorite toys no matter if he has the hands to or not. He has really come into his own the last months and is such a happy go lucky kid.
Overall my two precious sons are growing up and blessing me with wonderful memories to treasure. Children truly are a blessing and a gift.

Peace and Quiet

Sometimes in life you recognize that your having a monumental moment and this afternoon is my moment. Many days as a stay at home mom I am consumed with my children's constant needs and have little down time but after a rocky start of both kids up before 6am (what is going on there????) and Keaton spilling my coffee all over, right as we were leaving to drop him at preschool, I have been given a gift. What is it you may wonder, well.......... PEACE and QUIET!!!! You read it right, my house is peaceful and has been for over close to 2 hours. The boys have been playing together and separate for awhile and I just realized that I haven't had to referee any sharing issues or spatial issues!!! No one is whining or crying it's just a wonderful chatter amongst brothers and mommy that is wonderful tranquility to my ears. It's a moment that could change any second so I better go and continue to enjoy!!! Oh the moments that get you through another day!!

My baby is 4 years old!!

I am having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that my baby is actually 4 years old. We had a big Dino-mite party this past Saturday with family and 9 other neighbor and school friends and boy did we have a houseful and alot of fun. We got wise this year and had a plan of attack as with all these kids letting them run wild was not an option , so we did a sticker foam craft, daddy and mommy made a dinosaur bean bag throw, and we had pin the nose on Triceratops. Overall, I think things went well, the kids seemed to have a great time and Keaton was on top of the world the entire day. It was weird for Ben and I, as it was our first Birthday for Keat here in Colorado, but we couldnt have asked for a better day and a better group of people to share the day with. It was 60 degrees out and sunny and everyone was in good spirits and we had ourselves one dino-riffic day!

Party Party!!

Keaton had his first Valentines party /class birthday party yesterday. I was lucky enough to be the class mom for the morning and boy did we have fun. Daddy then came home and we had a wonderful lobster and New York Strip steak dinner, we then topped off are already full bellies with cake. We had a great night, no meltdowns and lots of laughing.
We are now preparing for the big Dinosaur birthday party tom morning. We are expecting 13 kids and boy are we going to have fun. I hopefully have prepared enough games and crafts to keep all these kids busy or this place will be nuts. Pictures will be coming after the big event. I still am in shock that my little baby is going to be 4 years old tomorrow. Where time has gone I have NOOOOOOO idea. He is such a little man now, and become so independent and grown up. The year should be interesting as the 3's were trying and I've heard and felt already that 4's are going to be even worse. I guess we'll see hugh.

Babies come by Mail !

Keaton has been asking for a baby sister for a few months now!!! Yes, you read that right. Ever since Amelia visited us last month has has been asking even more now for a baby sister to keep. He wants a baby brother Ryan and a baby sister too. Today he asked again for a baby sister and I told him he would have to ask daddy about that and he stated " No mommy, we don't need to talk to daddy about that, we need to talk to the mail carrier about it, daddy has nothing to do with it!!" So folks, as you can see we have not had the birds and the bees chat and my sweet boy thinks babies come in the mail. Sure would be easier than 9months of pregnancy hugh. Thought this was tooooooo cute and others may get a laugh. I am not laughing to hard as he still wants the sister no matter how it gets here.Hmmmm, not sure about that yet.

First parent teacher conference

Today was my first Parent teachers conference for Keaton. It was a new role for me as usually I would be the one giving the conference so this was different, and thank goodness it went well. I cant believe how grown he is and how far he had come over the last few years. The teachers are smitten by him and love his very descriptive and animated stories he loves to tell. I have to take a moment to brag as I feel the need, so bare with me. The teachers said he knows all his letters from A to Z by sight and sound, along with numbers to 20, he can write his name by himself, he knows his shapes and how to draw the shapes by himself. He is very good at following directions and solving problems,escpecially when it comes to working with friends. Of course I could go on but I should stop as not to bore you all. I am a proud mommy as you never know what you may hear and after all he's been through this last year with all the changes I wasnt sure how it would all affect him but overall he seems to be doing great. He is going to go 3 days a week next year with the same teacher (I hope) as he loves school so much. He is growing up fast and I am trying to cherish each and everyday.

We weathered the storm!

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated but boy things have been insane at our house. Last Thursday Keaton came down with a minor cough and didnt think much of it until late Friday afternoon when that little cough turned into a 102 degree fever and a very sick boy. We fought a fever of 102 to 103 for 5 straight days. We headed to the doctor on the 3rd day and found out thru a chest X-ray he had pneumonia in his lungs and the doc also said he felt he had another virus he was fighting. Yikes. May I add that by Sunday night Ryan had a fever and horrible cold too so not only was I dealing with one but two very sick children and on top of that company (Aunt katie , Uncle Ron and Uncle Andy) flying in to see us for a long weekend. May I say, I was put to the test last week. I was really worried about Keaton as his cough was horrible and his fever just wouldnt let up even with meds. Needless to say we weathered the sick storm, had a great visit with family who we pray we didnt infect but will be suprised if we didnt and are looking forward to a healthy week! Oh I forgot to mention that I got a cold and have been fight it but no rest for the weary ya, know!!!

New Photos are posted --Check them out!!

Good times, Great friends, sad goodbyes!!

We were blessed with a long weekend visit from the Mc Cormack family. Mo, Dave and Amelia flew in on Thursday nite and stayed until Monday morning. It was so nice to see friends from Raleigh. It made me feel somewhat normal you could say. Ben and i had to laugh as each time someone has visited us we have gotten a blast of very cold winter weather which seems to make it much harder to entertain as alot of Colorado activities are outside activities. On the brighter side our heater didn't decide to have problems so at least we had heat this time around.

Ben, Dave and my brother Brandon headed to Copper Mountain to ski on Friday and had a great time. Mo and I hung out with the kids and went a little crazy but it was so darn cold out there wasn't alot of options. By the evening on Friday we had gotten about 2 to 3inches of snow which made Sat. morning slow going as the roads needed time to be cleared and now that we have the van we aren't so confident driving in the snow.

We did get a chance to drive by the Garden of the Gods, play at Mr. Biggs which is a kids play land, and have date night (thanks to mom who babysat) at a Sports bar named Frankie's where we watched the playoff game in peace. To bad the Packer lost!!! I wish we could have gotten more activities and sightseeing in but it just didn't work out this time however I know I really enjoyed just spending time with great friends and watching the kids play. Amelia is so sweet and It was fun to get to know her again. I was sad to say good bye when Monday came but I now look forward to the next visit which I hope will be us heading back East soon!!

My Ryan is BACK and so am I!!!!

I don't even know how to express my week last week other than saying CHALLENGING!! I was seriously thinking about heading back to work as it would be much easier than staying home and losing my mind. Ryan has had a cold for a good two weeks and on top of that he was getting his last bottom eye tooth. My normally easy going good natured child was a bear to deal with and it tested every bit of patience I had. He wanted to be held, but didn't want to be held, he wouldn't eat much of anything all of last week which of course as a parent disturbed and frustrated me, he wouldn't play for more than one second without running to me and clinging to my leg and whining. I felt bad for the little guy as his nose was runny, he was sneezy and just didn't feel well but I am human although my children and sometimes my husband think I have an endless ability to tolerate insanity. I felt I was becoming insane so thankfully Ryan awoke on Monday morning to his usual cheerful,funny self. The last few days have been so peaceful (I am comparing it to last we so that doesn't say much) and I actually am enjoying being stay at home mommy again. It was a close one though I have to say, working at McDonald's was sounding pretty good at one point so you know I was close to losing my mind!!!!

Christmas 2007

Santa Claus came to town along with grandma and grandpa Kley and boy did we have a great holiday. Ben's mom and dad flew into town on Christmas Eve and where time went after that I don't know. We hosted Christmas Eve at our house this year as my parents were scheduled to move into their rebuilt house the day after Christmas. I went crazy cooking as I hadn't had any food for days from the stomach flu, needless to say we weren't lacking for anything to eat. All my family joined us and we had a wonderful evening. Keaton and his cousin Skyler spent the night tracking Santa on the computer and it was the cutest thing I've seen in some time. Skyler just turned 9 and still believes so she and Keaton couldn't get enough of watching Santa's journey all around the world. They were begging to go to bed as Santa was getting near!! Keaton and Ryan left cookies, carrots, milk and even a letter for Santa and his reindeer and off to bed they went. Santa scampered around and really enjoyed the goodies and left a letter in return!!! Ryan of course was up at 7am but Keaton must of been really tired as it was almost 9am and we decided we should wake him up. Ryan was indifferent to the whole Christmas morning business however Keaton bounded downstairs with a huge grin and sense of excitement, it was truly priceless the pure innocent bliss he was feeling. Santa had brought the boys a fish tank, play kitchen and lots of other fun stuff along with a tool bench from Aunt Katie and uncle Ron. Keaton was so excited that he just stood there speechless. After a fun morning of opening gifts and having a late breakfast we headed over to my brothers for more good company, more eating and lots more presents. It was a great day had by all and it went way to fast that's for sure. Something also has to be said about being in your own home over the holidays when you have kids. It made it such a relaxing and fun experience.