Playing Together...sort of!

Colt got a new drill set from his cousins for Christmas. He loves loves loves it, in fact that is an understatement. I am pretty sure he has burned that drill out, it was non-stop drilling for the first 4 days....now it only works on occasion (which is nice because that thing is noisy!)

Jax even wanted in on the action. This little baby is moving all around the floor and rolling everywhere to get what he wants!

Byson is never far from one of the kids. He is always wanting to lay next to them, on them or play with them.

Colt showing Jax how to use the screwdriver. Colt thinks he knows everything about all his tools because "Daddy already showed me how to use them in the garage." Colt is starting to want to include Jax in his play time and is all about holding his hand and giving him hugs. I hope they grow up to be best buddies!!

Thanksgiving 2009

We had Thanksgiving with my side of the family this year. Every other year we have Thanksgiving with all 3 of my sisters, my parents and all my sisters husbands and kids. This year it was held at my mom and dad's house and we had a great time! Amy, Andy and girls arrived on Tuesday night then Ann, Sam and girls arrived Wednesday afternoon and finally Marni joined us Wednesday night. Thursday morning we started off Thanksgiving with our own little Mires Turkey Trot. We went to Rooks Park and ran or walked for an hour. After that we came back and had breakfast at Dave and I's, Dave made scrambled eggs and sausage and I attempted to make bread dough pudding only I completely forgot to add the sugar so it did not taste nearly as good as it usually did:) I will probably never live that down. That afternoon we all went back to my parents for our Thanksgiving feast and then celebrated Christmas early with the kids. The younger kids all drew names so they each got to open one present as well as a gift from Papa and Di Di. We ended the evening with a couple fun games and pumpkin and apple pie. Yum Yum! The next day we had a big family picture taken and then that evening my parents watched all the kids while all of my sisters and husbands went to the movie Blindside and then out for drinks and food. Saturday the men went hunting and the girls did a Christmas baking extravaganza with my mom. They made so many yummy things and had so much fun baking with Di Di.

 

 

 

Our saturday morning run or walk at Rooks Park.

 

Mads and Jax.

Aunt Amy and Jax.

 

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Little kids table and Lucy was such a great help with the little kids!

 

Perry and Colt opening up there present.

Opening presents. Jax got a fun toy bird house and Colt received a new drill which he has played with non-stop since he got it.

 

Baking christmas goodies.

 

The men went hunting...notice how many more woman are in this post than men:) They are outnumbered but I think they used to it by now!

Thankful

Thanksgiving Day is here again. Time for my list of things I am thankful for in the year 2009.

1. Jesus -thankful for all he has blessed me with in the past year
2. Dave - the best husband a girl could ask for. I love how he cares for me and the boys, always knows just what I need to hear to make me feel better and tells me he loves my body (even when I don't!).
3. Colt - my first born will always have a very special place in my heart because he made me a mommy! Thankful for his smile that greets me by the side of my bed at 5:30 every morning, the big kiss he gives me every night before bed and his happy, smiling face waving at me through the window as I leave for work in the mornings.
4. Jax - he has shown me that there is just as much room in my heart to love 2 boys equally. Thankful for his smiles when I pick him up, his chubby cheeks that are so kissable and his snuggles everyday.
5. Family - thankful for my sisters, sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws. I love that we can all get together and have a great time no matter what we are doing. Thankful for my mom and dad and all the help they give me with the boys wether it is babysitting so Dave and I can go to growth group or on a date or just taking them for an hour so I can go workout. Thankful for my in-laws and there willingness to always want to help, there phone calls to encourage or support me and the love they always give me.
6. Health - something I always take for granted but now with having 2 boys I realize just how quickly that can be taken away from any of us and it makes me all the more thankful that we are all healthy and alive!
7. My friends - I have the best friends in the world from middle school all the way to present I am thankful for the old friendships I have kept and the new ones I continue to make.
8.God -  for giving me the opportunity to be a wife to a wonderful man and a mommy to the 2 greatest boys in the world. No matter what happens in the next minute, hour, day, or year I will forever be grateful that I got to experience what is means to have a family of my very own.
9. Coffee - alright this might seem silly but I am seriously so very thankful for coffee, especially now that I have returned to work. It is the one guaranteed thing that can help me function day after day with no sleep.
10. Dave, Colt and Jax -  I know I have already mentioned each of them a couple of times but they deserve more than just a line or two. These 3 boys are my world (and to think I only wanted to have girls growing up!) and I would do anything for them. Thank you Dave for your endless love towards me even when I am tired and cranky and not always very nice. Thank you Colt and Jax for calling me "Mommy", for all your hugs and kisses throughout the day and for making my life so rewarding and so much fun.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!! Hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I do this holiday season. 

Check out this song, it sums up my feelings in life right now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6TU4jgUJxA

Hunting Trip Over!!

Dave and my dad returned home today from there hunting trip today. The boys and I were both very excited to see them, Dave is already talking about going next year and wants to bring Colt.....we'll see if that pans out or not. It took them 20 hours of driving to get home but they killed over 50 pheasant while they were there and Dave got a mule deer buck and a white tail doe. We had deer backstrap for dinner tonight and it was delicious!

 

 

Look who is home...we are all so happy!!

Thumbsucker!

He might just be a regular at this too! It's pretty cute (for now!).

What's New.

I have been meaning to write an update about the boys before I forget what they were doing or saying at this age.

Colt : He is talking in full sentences all the time! The kid never stops talking, it can be a bit exhausting but hilarious all at the same time. He has started calling me "Mom" which makes him sound so grown up and when Dave is doing something funny he will say "Dad, you silly boy". He has also learned how to put his socks and shoes on all by himself. He always comes over and asks if his shoes are on the right feet after he is done and if they are not he sits down and fixes them. He is starting to tell me what he wants to wear when he wakes up in the morning. For example this morning he said to me "Mom, I want to wear jeans and my Texas shirt today. Oh and I want to wear my tennis shoes....not my boots." Then as we are heading out the door to go on a run I tell him to put on his black jacket and he looks at me and says "Actually, Mom I want to wear the green jacket." (I forget how much I use the word "actually" until I hear my 2 year old using it in sentences). He is really into reading lots of books right now and can even recite some of them from memory, he loves to run around the house singing at the top of his lungs and jumping as high as he can. He can say his ABC's and recognizes many of the letters when he sees them, he can also count to ten and we are working on getting to 20. He says "1, 2, 3,.....10, 11,12, 14, 18, 20" so he just needs to fill in the blanks and he will have it! He has an obsession with always wanting to shoot birds, deer, moose, etc (wonder where that comes from???) and since his Poppi got him his first (toy) rifle he has been running around the backyard looking for things to shoot. He sleeps with some type of a ball pretty much every night and Dave's childhood cabbage patch doll Hank sleeps next to him with his own ball. He comes into our room every morning before 6am and asks for a banana and milk (who can even think about food that early!!). He is a great helper around the house, he throws stuff away, puts his dishes in the sink, puts his shoes and jacket away when we get home, throws away Jax's diapers, put his clothes (and Jax's) in the laundry hamper, shuts doors, lets Byson outside to go potty, feeds Byson and cleans up his spilled water. For a 2 year old he does a pretty good job of helping out!! Colt is funny and loud and keeps me smiling all day long!

Jax: He is rolling over all the time, the problem is he can only go from his back to front and he only lasts so long on his tummy until he gets mad and wants someone to roll him back over....okay I lied he just rolled from his back to his front and then back again!! First time ever, maybe this will solve some of the sleeping problems at night.  He is grabbing at everything, really starting to suck on his thumb and loves watching Colt run around the place. When Colt is in the room, Jax's eyes follow him everywhere and he smiles at him. He can sit very well supported and can sit for a little bit with no support but he's still pretty unstable and falls over alot. He sleeps pretty well at night, though now that he is rolling over he will wake up around 3am, roll over and then scream until someone (always me) comes and gets him. Since its easier just to give in and feed him rather then soothe him back to sleep I just feed him and we are both back in bed after about 15 minutes. He is not a great napper, he prefers to nap on my chest which is fine unless there is something that I have to get done. If I put him in his crib he will usually only nap for 45 min to an hour before crying, the minute I pick him up he is back to sleep but then cries if I lay him back down. I think I have spoiled him a little with always holding him while he slept when he was little (something I rarely did with Colt) and now he thinks I should always hold him while he naps. Not that I really mind, they grow up way too fast anyway! He knows who is mommy is and gets sad if I walk by him without talking to him or picking him up. Jax is sweet and cuddly and just an all around good little baby.

Life is Good, God is Great, and my 3 boys are Crazy Fun!!

It's Saturday night and I am sitting in bed by myself watching The Notebook on television (this movie always makes me cry but I still love watching it). Jax is sleeping, Colt is staying with my mom (we went over there this afternoon and when I told him it was time to go he said he wanted to stay the night, of course my mom was thrilled!!) and Dave is not going to be home until tomorrow from his South Dakota hunting trip. I made it through my first week back at work in 5 months and it did not go too bad. Both kids are very happy at Heather's house during the day and it works out nicely for me to go during my lunch break to feed Jax and see Colt. That really helps me not miss them as much either because instead of having to go all day 8+ hours I end up seeing them after only 4 hours then go back to work and come back about 4 hours later to take them home. I still miss them all day but it helps ease some of the pain. I don't like being away from my kids, even tonight when Colt wanted to stay with my mom and I just brought Jax home it made me sad. The house was so quiet, there was no storytime, no cuddling on my bed, no nighttime prayers. It feels like something is missing and I am already looking forward to seeing him tomorrow morning. I remember feeling the same way after Jax was born and Colt stayed the night with Dave's parents because we were in the hospital. I missed him so much and even though it was more work both Dave and I wanted him home the next day when we got home. Last February when Dave qualified for a trip to Hawaii through his work we debated about leaving Colt or taking him with us. In the end I just felt like there was no way I could leave him, not because he was going to have a hard time (he would have had a blast with his grandparents) but because I was going to have a hard time. Its amazing how someone who has only been in my life a little over 2 years has already made such an impact on it. I know it is important to spend time away from your kids with just your spouse but I have not been very good about that since Colt was born. It is so hard to want to do "date nights" when I already work all day and am away from the boys. I want to spend every free moment with them and in wanting that I at times neglect my husband...something I am really making an effort not to do! I love my life, I love the place we live, the man I am married to and the 2 little boys that I call my own. God has blessed my family with so much and I know I have alot to be thankful for.

Jax's First "Real" Meal

Yummy!!

I gave Jax some rice cereal tonight and he gobbled it down. He was so ready for real food and did pretty well even with the texture. I think he has been waiting for this day for quite some time!

So happy with a full tummy. I can't believe he is almost 6 months old.

Mission Accomplished!

Dave called this morning and said he had filled his 2nd tag. He got a white tail doe and he said it's nice and fat. It took him about 25 minutes of hunting to kill it. He is having the greatest time, it sounds like Hunters Heaven over there!! My dad and Dave are going to leave South Dakota on Saturday morning and then stop and stay the night with my cousins in Missoula, Montana then drive the rest of the way home Sunday. I am so looking forward for him to be home but I am so glad he got to do this. After seeing how hard he has worked  the last 4 years of building a business and working hard to made it succeed, I am glad he was finally able to reward himself. He has always had big dreams of going hunting to places like this and I hope its something he can continue to do each year. When I talked to him last night he said he can't wait until Colt and Jax can come with him as well. I guess the perk of having two boys is that once they get past the baby stage they will be leaving for weekends to hunt and I will have some alone time:). However, for now I am going to use that as an excuse that we definetely need to have another baby. Did I mention I already want another one (and then another....) just don't tell Dave that:). It's almost Friday, I can't wait. Nothing planned but hanging with my two little boys and hoping the weather cooperates so I can get a couple runs in and maybe a park date for Colt.

While the wife works.............

............the husband gets to play! :)

As you can see from the pictures Dave and my dad are having a very successful time in South Dakota. Dave said it took him about 25 minutes of hunting this morning to find and kill that deer! On top of that they have also gotten a fair share of pheasants. I talked to Dave tonight and it sounds like they are having a fabulous time. He kept saying that he can't wait until the boys are older because he wants to take them back there to hunt.

My first day back at work went surprisingly well. My mom showed up at the house about 6:15 this morning to help me get the boys ready and out the door (love her!), I cried all the way to Heather's to drop the boys off but Colt surprised me by doing fairly well with me leaving. He was very concerned at first but when Heather told him he could wave to me through the window he was happy with that. As I was driving away to the school he is at the window smiling and waving like crazy so that made me feel better. My classes went well and I feel for the most part that I have some good kids so hopefully it will be an enjoyable school year. I went and fed Jax on my lunch break (its only about a 5 min drive from the school so it works out great) and Colt had a great morning and once again was fine with me leaving. He just said he wanted to "wave" as I left so once again when I drove away he was at the window waving and smiling. The day flew by and I left almost immediately after school to get the boys. I was so excited to see them, of course Colt had to ruin my excitement by throwing the biggest fit in the world right before we left Heather's so that was frustrating but Jax was all smiles. I am exhausted tonight, my legs ache from standing all day, my throat hurts from talking and I am ready for bed. Jax and Colt were both asleep by 7 tonight. I need to get my body back in "teaching" shape.

Thankful today for:

1. Dave's mom and sister Kenzie for the fabulous frozen meals they prepared for me while Dave was away.

2. A fabulous babysitter who cares for my kids like I would.

3. Dave's phone call tonight and the excitement in his voice. I am so excited that he and my dad are having so much fun!

4. Jax's smiles and cuddles

5. Story time and snuggles with Colt before bed tonight.

6. My supportive friends who sent me text and emails all day to encourage me.

7. My mom!!!

Back to work.....

 

.....the worst part is having to leave these cute little faces!

I just got done putting both kids to bed and now am trying to get all organized for tomorrow morning. 5:30 is going to come early and I am hoping that will give me enough time to get ready and get out the door by 7:15. Jax has not been sleeping well at night these past couple weeks, he has started to roll over all the time. The problem is that he can only roll one way and then he gets stuck on his stomach and screams until I come and get him. By that time he is usually so worked up he needs to eat to go back to sleep. I thought we had his sleeping figured out but evidently not. Of course it has to happen right as I am going back to work! I am nervous, I have been an emotional wreck all day long. To top it off Dave left for deer/pheasant hunting in South Dakota on Saturday morning and he will be gone until next Sunday. I know other mom's have been in the same situation as me so I am not alone but that doesn't make it any easier. I know it was hard going back to work after Colt was born but I don't remember being nearly as emotional, he was only 3 months old at the time and really didn't even know what was going on. I have become so much more attached to Colt and he is really aware of me leaving right now, even Jax has started to recognize me and prefer me over others when he is upset. I know Colt is going to cry tomorrow when I leave but I also know it will take him maybe 10 minutes to get over it and start having fun. I am leaving the boys with a wonderful babysitter who also happens to be a friend of mine so I feel really good about that. I shouldn't complain, our lives could be so much worse. I am so grateful for all God has blessed me with. I just wish it was me taking care of them and not someone else. For the last 5.5 months I was able to be a stay-at-home mommy and there is truly no better job in the entire world than that!

I want to be like daddy!

Who could it be behind that Cabela's magazine??

It's Colt!!

He's already asking Daddy for a gun for Christmas:)

Zeitgeist Half Marathon

The kids and I have spent the entire last week in Boise while Dave is elk hunting. We have been staying at Marni's house but spending alot of time at Amy's during the day and evening so the kids can play. It has been so much fun!! Today Marni and I ran another half-marathon together. We were both sooooo nervous but took some pictures before the race started.

Finishing strong! This was a much tougher half-marathon than the one we ran in September. In the first 8.5 miles we went up 3 big hills ascending over 1100 feet in elevation. We ran it in 1 hour and 51 minutes just 2 minutes slower than the Richland marathon (which was all flat). Marni could have run alot faster, she was hardly even breathing hard for most of the run and ran back to get me after already getting to the top of the 3rd hill. I told her she could go on but she said she wanted us to finish together. I love her!!

Yea we are done!! The best feeling ever.

We had lots of people there to see us finish. My sister Amy, brother-in-law Andy, my three nieces Madelyn, Elena and Lucy. Both my boys and my parents. We were just missing Dave:(

After the race we went to get lunch. Colt, of course, wanted to sit by Lucy. He loves her and is constantly running up to her and giving her random hugs. She is so great with him.

Dave got home late tonight so we are going to drive back to Walla Walla tomorrow. Looking forward to being home in my own bed and getting my boys to sleep a little better though it has been so much fun to spend the week with my sisters. I just have one more week at home before I go back to work.....SAD!!! Though I am really looking forward to the upcoming holidays. All of my sisters are coming to Walla Walla for Thanksgiving and then 3 weeks after that I get another 2 week break for Christmas vacation (in which we will spend Christmas with Dave's family this year...always lots of fun!). I love this time of year!!

Happy and Nervous

I didn't know exactly how to title this post, but that pretty much sums up my emotions these past couple days. I guess starting with the Happy......life is great, sure we have our ups and downs, sleepless nights, a 2 year old that doesn't always listen, a baby that may cry for no reason, struggles with different things but overall happy is what I feel everyday. Happy that my 2 year old comes into our room every morning before 6 asking for a banana and milk and only wants his mommy to get it for him, happy that we can lay in bed and watch cartoons while snuggling until 8 on a WEEKDAY, happy that I am the one that can provide food for my 5 month old baby, happy for the bonding and snuggling time I get while feeding him, happy that my husband is supportive of me staying home with our kids and tells me on a daily basis what a great job I am doing, happy that we have found a church that we both love and a growth group which is really helping us grow in Christ, happy that my kids will grow up with two sets of wonderful grandparents who love our kids as much as they love there own, and right now I am EXTREMELY happy that my sweet second born son is cuddled up on my chest and sleeping so peacefully (I may never put him down!!). Sooooo.......obviously I have a lot to be happy about and for the most part I know that happiness is a choice and when you are scared or nervous about something it helps to think about all the things that make you happy!

However, I also mentioned the word nervous. I am sure most of you already know I will be returning to work in less than 2 weeks, I realize that is still a little ways away but when I think of how fast the last 5 months have gone 2 weeks is going to fly by. Gone will be the days of snuggling in bed with Colt until 8, feeding him breakfast and getting to eat it with him, feeding Jax and bringing him back in to bed with me, mid-morning runs and park visits with my boys, lunchtime with my husband, play dates with good friends, helping Colt learn his letters and numbers everyday before lunch, feeding and snuggling with Jax while Colt is napping and of course the list could go on but the more I write the more I cry so maybe I should stop with that. But none of that relates to why I am nervous....I am nervous that I can really do it all. Can I really get up at 5 every morning, get the kids and myself ready for the day, drop the kids at daycare, get myself to work, teach all day, pick the kids up, make dinner, playtime, bath time, story time, bedtime.....can I really do all of that well??? Will I still have time for my husband or will I turn into that stressed out, crabby, grouchy person that I become when I have not had enough sleep and have too much to do. If you know me well you know I don't like a messy house, I never leave the dishes on the table after dinner, I pick up the entire house before I go to bed every night, I like to make all the beds before I leave for the day every morning, I hate it when laundry builds up, I have to workout almost daily or I get really crabby and on top of that I do not do well on no sleep. Sure I can get by on no sleep right now because I am home all day, I can always catch a nap when the kids nap, or lay around and relax instead of taking the kids somewhere for the day but once I get back to work the thought of all this is just overwhelming and this nervous ball forms in my stomach (kind of like the feeling I used to get before running the 400 meter race in track in high school!). I know I need to give some of it up, I need to accept my house a little messier, accept the fact that I may not get to workout everyday, accept the fact that maybe the kids don't need a bath every single night but I have never been very good at accepting less than what I expect from myself. I am also very nervous about returning to my job, meeting my students for the first time and getting back in a routine with them. I have been gone for awhile it feels like I will not even remember where to start (though I am sure once I get back on a schedule it will seem much easier). So to sum it up I am very very very NERVOUS!!!

I didn't write this post to gather sympathy or even encouragement but rather just as a record for me of things that have been going through my head recently and things I want to remember in 2, 5, and 10 years. I know I can do this, I know I can still be a good mom, good wife, good daughter and good friend while working and having a family but I also know after having the last 5 months off of work that I am a much better mom, wife, friend, daughter when I can spend all my time focusing only on that. To me there is no job more important than being a mother and this time when they are little and need me 24/7 will soon come to an end. If all goes as planned I will return to work in November and finish the school year, after that who knows for sure but Dave and I are hoping that it works out for me to spend the next couple years at home raising my boys and taking care of our home. Until then I am trying to really really enjoy these last 2 weeks and savor every activity I do with my boys. It will not be long before both of them no longer feel they need me around all the time and I don't want to miss a minute of the time I have with them right now.