Look what I can do!

While I was writing an email, Ryan figured out how to climb inside the box that holds our wood blocks. He was so proud and fit just perfectly! His other new feat: climbing into Alex's bed. It all started yesterday, he had free roam in the house and their door was open, I couldn't find him and there he is sitting on her bed looking so proud and grinning from ear to ear. So that is the new hot spot. And of course, being a boy, he thinks the way to get out of the bed is to just dive off the side so we have to be careful. It is just a toddler bed though so he can sort of just crawl off the side.



And an Alexism for you...we got the kid's Christmas outfits last week, thanks to my Mom, and I was going on about how cute I thought they were and how well they matched and Alex says "Yeah, people are going to say 'Your kids are so adorable!'" So conceited at such a young age! They will be cute though.

Nik is working so awfully hard right now. UPS is of course getting busier by the day with the Holidays approaching and The Barn also gets very busy normally plus they have a Holiday event starting this weekend! He has mostly just been driving for UPS though. It is so nice to have him home at night after 1.5 years of working 6-10pm. All you Moms know that can be a stressful time with dinner cleanup, bath and bed!

**Also want to note that anyone can comment now, I changed the settings!**

Chicken and Fries.

We have been listening to the Zac Brown Band song "Chicken Fried" a lot and yesterday morning Alex said "Mom, can you play that Chicken and Fries song?" Chicken and Fries is what Alex always wants when we get fast food....that may be why she likes the song! (In other news, I hate that she is calling us Mom and Dad sometimes. I told her this morning she is not allowed!)

Ryan had a fever this week of up to 103.6, pretty scary for me and he was such a sad little guy. Hate to see the guy that never sits still just put his head down on your leg and fall asleep. We headed back to the Dr, waited 1.5 hrs in the waiting room. (This is a whole 'nother story, our Dr is getting sooo incredibly busy...we have had to see the other Doctors in the practice for the past few months, so I at least felt fortunate to be able to see him.) Kids are back on antibiotics-a heavy duty one this time and Ryan's fever seems to be gone so I am very thankful for that. We have missed church and MOPS twice already and miss them both (and our friends!) I was able to go meet with the MOPS girls last night to get setup for the meeting this morning so it was nice to get out and socialize and bit.

Ryan has been walking a lot! He has taken up to 13 steps at a time! We are so excited for him and it's so cute.

It's Friday!

And I have seriously wasted this week.

Maybe it's that we are all sick.

Maybe it's the weather (although it has been okay this week!)

I have just had no motivation, have been full of worry about the kids with their colds. What am I thankful for? Nik has driven at UPS all week, and is feeling more and more comfortable with the job and it will result in a good paycheck next week!

So my laundry is waiting, along with a dirty highchair and dishes from last night. Alex is still sleeping, thank God because her little body needs that! I really and truly hope our winter is not like this health-wise. Lord, it would be good if this was it. These 2 colds/coughs have been enough. I think the kids are just passing it back and forth so it is taking them so long to get over it. And I am really praying that we don't have to go back to the Dr's office and I'm also really praying that this is still viral. I don't think another round of abx would be a good thing for them. I'm having a lot of anxiety about them being sick. I don't know why...they aren't that sick...no fevers except a little one for Alex a few days ago---everytime someone has a little coughing spell it strikes anxiety in me. Maybe because I've just been waiting for them to get better and everytime they wake up coughing I realize no today is not the day they are going to get better.

I know this is a whiny post but I am in that kind of mood, trying to turn it around today!

But you would really never know she is sick...(and she didn't cough up a lung this morning, so my hopes are high!)

A picture to go with yesterday's post...

11 Months Old!

My sweet little boy turns 11 months old today, and I feel as though I am going to lose it this morning. For some reason, 11 months seems a lot older than 10 months. Ryan may be our last baby and I just can't stand to see him get any older. (Now I am really crying as I type this.) He is such a loving little guy, craving attention and kisses. I always thought he'd start getting too busy to nurse because he's so active but definitely not the truth! This one may be very hard to wean from nursing when we decide it's time! It's so cliche to say...but where did the time go? I still so vividly remember his birth, our sweet time in the hospital together. Now he's my big boy playing by himself in the livingroom about to fall head first in the kids' big toy bin.

HC Trick or Treat Street

Last night Nik and I dropped the baby off at Grandma and Grandpa's and took Alex to the Hastings College Trick or Treat Street. It's held in the Keweit Gymnasium and the Student Association has all kinds of booths with games for the kids and a costume contest as well. After Ryan came we always made it a goal to get out with just Alex occasionally, so this was one of those fun times. She did great with all the games! At the bowling she bowled a strike with her first try! (She also did well with
bowling at the YWCA's Enchanted Forest...maybe she has a future in bowling?) We hadn't planned on entering the costume contest but so many commented on her costume that we put her in it! Our little pirate won 2nd place for her age group! (1st place went to a baby about Ryan's age in a bug costume, it was adorable, he had like 10 legs coming out of the costume!)I was bursting with pride! We all got to share one of those medium sized Eileens cookies. Yum! Looking foward to a few more Halloween festivities and then Mommy will be Halloweened out! 2 this weekend and 2 more this week!

October-Pumpkin Patch and more.

How is it already nearing the end of October!!! We have already received our first tiny bit of snow. Just flakes, nothing that accumulated but it was quite fun! I love winter. Not so much for summer. I also love to be able to be a stay at home Mom in the winter. Nothing like leaving the kids in their warm fleece pajamas...the "fuzzy, cuddly pajamas" as Alex calls them, cooking, baking, cleaning, and staying in from the cold. Anyone that knows me knows that home is certainly where my heart is!

Kids are doing well, we are all healthy, Praise the Lord. Finally received a dose of antibiotics for all of us and we are 100%. We have plans to all go get poked for flu shots on Saturday and after last winter we are truly believers in the flu shot. It was the first year we all received them and no one even had so much as a cold the rest of that winter. Both kids are GROWING so much, Alex is getting taller and skinnier (loosing that baby fat) as noticed by her Great Grandma and Grandpa! Ryan is just closing that gap of baby to toddler, he is such a joy and I will definitely have my hands full when he is walking. He has taken a few steps already!

Ok, enough of words....I could really write all day. I do want to mention one thing, and that is the new church we are going to. We feel so truly blessed that we have found somewhere we like. I had prayed a lot this fall about finding a church home and God put it in my heart to try LifeHouse, which some of you may have heard about. It is an awesome church starting to do awesome things in our little community. I am really excited to get more involved in it. Since the age of 15...God has been calling me. I haven't answered, but I've listened to the voicemails he's left in my heart. So now I am answering. :) I could also talk more on this but enough you all just want to see pictures I know!

October is, of course, Pumpkin Patch time for those that have little ones! We continued our tradition of going to Country Harvest and fun was had by all! Alex did almost all the activities and it was so fun to see her having fun. There is nothing like seeing excitement in the face of your child. It makes you feel good!









Alex at the Pumpkin Patch last year, getting ready to eat pumpkin icecream!