It's spring finally and the weather is getting nicer. It seems like we are outside most of the day now, which is wonderful. It makes me SO appreciate my "job" and I know how lucky I am to be able to play with my kids outside at the park or in the backyard everyday or walk around the lake with Addie in the stroller. These are the days I will miss and they go by so fast. I try to remember that when I'm SO frazzled with kids and especially a two-year-old daughter. I have been doing this for almost 10 years and can't believe how fast time flies. My oldest "baby" will be ten this year. I treasure these days and have always said I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING.
Everyone sleeps better and seems to be exhausted and ready for bed by 7:30 each night! Gotta love fresh Minnesota air and sleeping children:
It's official...Jer and I are obsessed with coffee. Or maybe coffee machines. Yup, that's four coffee makers that each do different, wonderful things.
I didn't think I would bake another cake for a year after working so hard on Addie's birthday cake, however...
It was a special lady's birthday and she deserves only the best because she is the best. And this might be the last birthday we celebrate together for along time. Unless airfare to Montana gets cheaper. Or we make a new tradition of meeting in Vegas every year around her birthday! I like that idea best.
I love when tulips start making their appearance in March. It's almost like they say, "you've almost made it through hell, um, I mean winter!"
This is just ONE of my Huddy's creations. When he is at home, he just creates. With anything and everything he can get his hands on. He sees a box, even an empty Eggo waffle box, cereal box, you name it, and he is asking if he can have it. With a little (a lot) of tape, paper of all kinds, he makes some creative things. I have to be honest and say that some days this kind of annoys me. I mean, how many people can tolerate having this in their dining room?
And his "art wall":
When Hudsen isn't creating, drawing or singing...he is playing with his best friend and neighbor, Simon. Hardly a day goes by without playing with this little guy. Oh, Simon RUNS from the camera, I barely can get a picture of him!
Simon's little brother Landon is such a good buddy to Addie. They are so cute together and really get excited to play together. TOO cute! Here we are high up at Mayo looking down at the city! A fun little field trip.
Hudsen and Kaden's awesome daddy started taking the boys to high school basketball tournament games. Kaden loves the basketball playing and Hudsen loves the treats! Some good ol' male bonding time going on there. (I enjoyed the peace and quiet)
That same awesome daddy had to go on another international work trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We were bummed that he had to go, but we were also really excited for him because he was going to get to go to a real futbol (soccer for us Americans!) game. He said it was unlike any sporting event he has ever been to. And he's been to a lot! Here are a few pictures he took:
Actual fires are lit in the stands...um, a little crazy!?!?
Oh, and look how nice the weather looks? Yeah, that's because it was summer there. It was really crappy here. Imagine that!
Thank goodness for Skype. In this pic we are skyping cousins Ellery and Griffin. All the kids got a big thrill out of seeing each other!
While the big guy was away, we played! Grandma B. came up and helped out A LOT. St. Patty's Day was kind of fun this year. We decided to dye everything green for supper that night.
I love this pic of me and my mama!
Cheers!
Grandma and her one and only granddaughter. I think Addie was in a "mood" here! That or someone took her snack away.
Kaden was having fun taking pics with my phone!
Here are a couple little people that were VERY excited for their daddy to be home!
Kaden really missed his dad!
We had just about gotten back into our groove after daddy got back and then, boom...I got SO sick the day before spring break started. I had the flu and on top of that got bronchitis. I was one sick chick! Thankfully, my hubby stayed home from work and watched all of the kiddos while I was sick in bed. I actually had just been thinking a few weeks beforehand how nice it would be to just lay in bed all day and read or digital scrapbook on my beloved MacBook, however, I was TOO sick to do anything of the sort. I didn't even want to watch tv. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy (for the record I don't think I have a worst enemy). The boys and their daddy had movie night on Friday night without me. They decided it would be real fun to watch it from inside their fort.
We had to say goodbye to our friends during spring break. The Rafferty's will be missed. Hudsen and Avery have known each other their whole lives and he really loves her! We are happy for them and excited about their journey in Slovakia. We are kind of hoping they don't like it TOO much and come back in two years. ;)
I still wasn't better after 4 days, so my mom offered to come up on Monday so Jeremy could go to work. I jumped on that! We had tickets to a concert on Tuesday that I was NOT going to miss. I rallied, took a bunch of excedrin and went and had a good time. Not a wild time, but I made it through. Zach, Jeremy, my mom and I all went! It was a great concert by my favorite guy Jeff Tweedy. AND, it was here in Rochester!
Wednesday mom packed up the kids in my truck and took them all home with her! I told her it was (almost) better than a Mexican vacation. To be in my house all alone for almost 5 days...heaven. But, then it got eerie. Too quiet. And I imagined that it was 15 years from now and I cried. It is nice to have a little vacation and to miss your kiddos a little bit and then really nice to have them back where they belong.
This was Kaden's to do list at Grandma's. I love that she took a picture of it. He did everything except "go through mom's stuff" Do I really want my son digging through all of my old stuff? Not too sure on that one! Oh, and isn't the list such a mixed bag?? "Cross stitch" and then "see my gun". "Get a beatdown" is our lingo for wrestling/rough housing with grandpa and Zach. What a boy...
This is the boys' idea of "farmin'"! Having a cookout and riding four-wheelers. Doesn't get much better than that.
The last night the kids were in Iowa, Uncle Zach decided to take Kaden camping at the farm. I'm not sure if I would stay in that tent, but Kaden really grooves on all that outdoorsy "guy stuff".
While the kids were in Iowa, I talked Jeremy into starting a project. I finally got my lockers/cubbies for the kids for the front entryway. I couldn't stand another backpack and/or coat lying on the floor. We made them to match my old drawers that we use as a bench. Still not completely done and I have since peeled off the vinyl on the wall. But, it is working. Coats and backpacks are being hung. I'm so happy.
About a month ago when the spring youth activity book came out, I handed it to Kaden and told him to pick something out to do this spring. He chose Archery of all things. Tonight was his first night and he LOVED it. Between the two boys we now have soccer, swimming lessons on two different days and archery. So much for being low-key this spring.
Jeremy goes to Madrid, Spain in May. He has also bought me a plane ticket to go with him. What a hubby I have! My reading material lately has been Spain guidebooks. I'm SO ok with that.
