ABC's

Thought this was a fun way to chill out on a Friday night. Thanks Jess! 

A- My AIR CONDITIONER is set on: 70 degrees but that is because it is a window air conditioner that cools our entire upstairs.

B- My BEDROOM theme is: green but will probably change again since JR has hated it since we did it last summer.


C- The CAR in the driveway is: a Chevy Tahoe (mine) or Chevy 1500 pick up (Justin). Depending on the day you could see either one of them.

D- My DESK looks: like a tornado hit most days.... I end up with piles of unfinished projects that I continue to pluck away at. I try to on have it cleared off and organized on Fridays before I leave for the weekend.


E- The EXACT time I wake up daily is: drive to daycare days 6:45-7, non daycare driving days 7:30-8:00 usually.


F- The FIRST thing I wash in the shower is: My hair


G- My GARAGE is filled with: shelves, JR's workbench, and some other random storage stuff. Planning to have another garage sale soon.... We will see if that happens!


H- My HOUSE is: full of baby stuff!!


I- If you peeked INSIDE my bedroom you'd see: our bedroom furniture, clean laundry, and lots of other random stuff.


J- My favorite JUICE is: probably Apple


K- The best part of my KITCHEN is: My Kitchen Aid mixer! I LOVE it!!


L- The LAST person who visited my home was: Inge, last night before LEEP's 80's Dance last night.


M- The last piece of MAIL for me was: bills, nothing exciting. :(


N- My NEIGHBORS think I'm: are really sweet and helpful!


O- If you OPENED my fridge you'd see: lots of random stuff. Milk, beer, margarine, leftovers, etc.


P- My last house PARTY was: a month or so ago when we had a little BBQ


Q- A QUICK meal I like to fix is: Tator Tot hotdish. The quick part is putting it together, waiting isn't so fun!


R- My favorite ROOM of the house is: our living room. It is where we always hang out. Maddox's toys are in there and it is comfortable...

S- The SHAMPOO brand I use is: whatever smells good to me that day. I like a little bit of everything.
T- My largest TELEVISION is: 52 " in our living room. we have been "TV sitting" for about 4 years now so it has found it's way into our lives.

U- UNDER my bed you will find: anything JR can shove under there.

V- The last time I VACUUMED was: I would have said tonight but then I would have been lying! I will be doing it tomorrow however I think it was probably 2 weeks ago now. Typically it doesn't go quite that long but with vacation, etc. it kind of got away from me..... I did clean the bathroom tonight though!

W- Looking out my WINDOW I see: all my pretty flowerpots and our lawn furniture. I love our backyard!
X- I wish I had X-TRA: moolah! More money would always come in handy.
Y- My YARD is: pretty big and perfect for our family. I will be sad when we leave it some day.

Z- ZZZZZZZ My bedtime is: around 10:45 or 11:00... Don't always make it at that time but I try to watch the news and call 'er  a day.

Family Vacation- Day 1

A week ago we headed out on our first BIG family vacation! We decided to make our trip to Chicago as spread out as much as we could. On Wednesday night we decided to make a stop in Cedar Falls to see some friends we hadn't seen in quite some time.

Carver and Maddox "hugging" it out.

Before we met everyone at Toad's we did a little "sight seeing" around the town to check out all of the changes. One of the big highlights was the new Target in Cedar Falls.

Can I just say that I REALLY would have loved to have that in town when we lived there?!

We only spent about 20 minutes there but it already out does the Mankato store 100 time over! We also stocked up on some Hawkeye gear (football is just around the corner-yippee!) and walked through the mall. Some things haven't changed a bit and somethings are unrecognizable.

When we met for dinner we were lucky enough to see a few of our closest friends. Unfortunately we couldn't get together will of them but it was good to be "home". No one had met Maddox yet so it was fun to hear the reactions. I really wish we lived closer!

Josie, Stacy, Mandy, and Alicia

Visiting and catching up was wonderful. Though we have been gone for 2+ years it was easy to get back to where we once were. I sometimes forget how nice it was to have a group of girlfriends I could just sit and chat with. I think my favorite part of those conversations are the different views that get brought to the table during each get-together.

It was a great way to break up the trip and I can't wait to see everyone again. I hope we can all get together again soon!

Thanks again to Emilie and Van for keeping Maddox for the evening so Mommy and Daddy could stay out a little later

Calvin still lives in the area so we got to catch up with him as well. It was nice visiting as I am not sure if we will get together again before he leaves for Basic Training in October.

5 Question Friday

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it?


I had a "Rainbow Brite" pillow that my mom made for me when I was really young and I DO still have it! Much to the disgust of my husband I still have it "somewhere" in this house but it is for me to know and him to NEVER find out! He would like for it to disappear! I actually still used it up until 2-3 years ago.... yeah disgusting, I know!

2. Do you dream in color?

I've never really thought about it but yes, I do dream in color.

3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller?

Approx. 5'5 but to be honest I am pretty happy with it. I wouldn't mind being a bit taller with longer legs otherwise I like my height. Not too tall I can't wear whatever I want for shoes and not sooooo short people think I am 11. :)

4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be?

Good question! I think it would be nice if it was someone with an accent... I like Gerard Butler's voice or Colin Ferrel. Both have pretty sexy voices!


5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot?

I always (98%) take the cart where it is supposed to go. I actually feel guilty if I don't! I am also the crazy person that pushes them as far in as they can go and will push the 4-5 in the corral that aren't matched up in order to make sure there is enough room for the next people that bring their carts. Maybe I am too nice....

9 Month Run Down

Well over a week ago now, we ventured out to see Dr. K for Maddox's 9 month check up. I think this was his favorite one because NO SHOTS were involved!

Maddox weighed in at 19 lbs. 1 oz which puts him in about the 25th percentile. His height was approx 29 inches (don't have the sheet with me) which was around the 60th percentile.

Apparently we don't need to be worried about his weight because Dr. K said that with as active as he is (no kidding!) he was sure that was what kept the weight down. I did mention that Maddox isn't the best eater early in the day but once the afternoon/early evening rolls around he is ready to chow down.

Here are a few other things he is doing...

He is standing EVERYWHERE! He just crawls wherever he wants and STANDS up! I think he thinks he is actually older than he is.

While standing, Maddox has taken 1 step forward and backward but never more than that. We are NOT rushing him we just know it is coming sooner rather than later! I can tell you this much, when that happens, we are REALLY in for it!

He crawls on all fours, not his hands and knees. I think he learned it from crawling on the grass (he hated the feeling apparently) and then decided that it was faster to just do it that way.

The dog dish is still a favorite spot to play- no matter whose dog dish it is....

This kid jumps around like crazy and he is FAST! Here and gone in 2 seconds flat. (I need to get a video uploaded on what he does in 5 minutes... sometimes it amazes me!)  My mom took care of him on Saturday and by the end of the day she was done.... :) He would be perfectly content bouncing on anything and everything.

We are still trying the sippy cup thing, so far he hasn't taken a real liking but we are trying some more things.

We started him on some "real people" food and so far he has liked most everything. As a joke we let him have pickles but he LOVES those! I was really shocked by that.

Food, in general, isn't hard to get him to eat. His little mouth opens like a baby birdie waiting for a worm... I only struggle when Bear is around chomping at the bit to get a face or hand lick in.... THEN we struggle!

Maddox has a little attitude, not a bad attitude, just the kind that says, "I know what I want and I am going to get it whether Mommy and Daddy think I should or not!"

The word NO means nothing except that he needs to flash a smile- STINKER!

"She has no idea what I am doing right now.... this is too fun!"

BUSTED!

Pestering Bear is now another favorite past time but thankfully he just puts up with it for a bit and then says "see ya!".

Still quite the little champion when it comes to sleeping.... bed by 8:30 pm and I usually wake him up around 7:30 am on weekdays. Takes a morning nap and a longer afternoon nap. (Love him!)

Maddox is still a cuddler.... he loves to snuggle when he gets tired but he also does great putting himself to sleep. I miss the night time rocking sometimes but I know it is good for him to be independent.... (tear- he is getting too big!)

He repeats Da-da very well but, for the record, Ma-ma was his first "word". He knows I want him to repeat it SO bad but he won't. He says it when he should (ie: crying fits, gets hurt, or needs something) but not when I want him to show someone. Uh-oh is another favorite word to babble.

Sometimes I wonder how we got so lucky with such an easy going child. Though he isn't the most patient when it comes to eating, he is very easily entertained. He loves to play with anything and anyone but he is also good at playing alone.

Maddox was an excellent traveler to and from Chicago too. He met SO many new people but didn't freak out a bit! Still has no problem going to whoever wants to take him. He has started leaning towards us and knows when we leave but so far it hasn't been an issue. I do love picking him up from daycare now though, he shows me a big toothy grin and is ready for me to take him from Tracy.

We are so lucky to have a sweet little baby boy like Maddox. I wouldn't change anything for the world EXCEPT him growing so fast! Honestly (not that I am bias) I think he is the sweetest, most perfect, amazing baby there ever was..... I can't wait to see what he will surprise us with next!

Back to the Land of the Living

Sorry about the delay in posting but my family and I have been enjoying a FANTASTIC vacation in Chicago! We saw MANY friends along the way and made even more memories that will last a lifetime. Can't wait to share them with you BUT I will have to get all the pictures downloaded first. What a great relaxing and refreshing week..... JR and I are already talking about where we will head next summer. :)

Kickball and Boat rides

This weekend we were down in Iowa for a housewarming party and kickball game. Friday night we headed down after I got home from work. We enjoyed a nice meal at DQ, still a favorite hometown hot spot, before meeting up with my parents. They hadn't eaten yet so we went to another hometown hot spot, the North Star. Maddox and Grandpa enjoyed their time chilling at the bar (Grandpa says it is never too young to start) and the rest of us sat back and smiled. I think Maddox really likes to hang out with Grandpa.

A friend of ours moved into a nice house earlier this year so we helped welcome him home with a party and a mini kickball tournament. Who would have thought that at 27 years old we would all hang out and enjoy some fun that takes us right back to 3rd grade?! After some fun in the sun  it was time to get to business. Unfortunately with all of the mosquitoes we weren't able to do much later into the evening .

After the party we headed back to my parents to hit the hay. Unfortunately with all of the scary weather we thought was coming it wasn't so easy to fall asleep.

Sunday we headed down to Storm Lake for a little more fun in the sun with a boat ride and swimming in the lake. Maddox really surprised me and he loves the water. He played and splashed like he was on top of the world! Bear even enjoyed his time in the water. It was a great excuse to hang out with Jess and Mitch whom we hadn't seen in a very long time!

With such a whirlwind weekend we got home and called it a day. Just a few more days and we are off to Chicago.

Mommy and Maddox chillin in the lake

Yummy the boat tastes so good!!

After such a big weekend, Maddox was VERY tired!

Timber!

Last night Justin and I were startled by the sound of a very LOUD crack/ boom! At first we kind of thought Maddox had been playing in his crib and fell out. Yes, silly I know but other wise we had no idea what it could be. Now keep in mind we hadn't had any storms last night, and the wind wasn't even blowing so this was rather shocking to us.

We went outside and this is what we found! Darn tree branch broke! Luckily we don't think it caused any major damage to the house and our vehicles are fine, so we fared pretty well. Hopefully it will get cleaned up today while I am at work!

Backyard View

At least it didn't hit my flowers

The Mighty Branch!

5 Question Friday

1. Do you collect anything?

 Willow Tree figurines.

2. Name 3 celebrities that you find good looking.

Justin Timberlake- as if he needs an explanation............

• I just love him.
• I think he is adorable!
• Seems like the boy next door
• Super talented.  

Josh Duhamel

• Something about those eyes....
• he has had me since starring in "Las Vegas" 

 

Channing Tatum:

• Great dancer
• again, the eyes
• his scruffy good looks. great eye candy!

3. Do you have any scars? If so, what's the story behind it (them?)?

 Boy, do I ever! I grew up as a pretty fearless farm girl/athlete so i have more scares than I can count. Some of my favorite stories are:

RIGHT LEG/ANKLE AREA: Cut it on a cultivator shank . For those of you that may not know what that is it just imagine a triangular shaped, really heavy, REALLY dirty, piece of machinery used to till up the fields. Of course I did this in a tetanus ridden barn so of course I not only endured several stitches in my leg in mid- July... I had to get an extra shot as well.

RIGHT LEG/ FRONT OF MY SHIN:Thought I was tall enough to ride a ten speed bike at 7 years old. Probably not the best idea as I sliced the crap out of my leg and I have a scar that is probably 4 inches long, 1/2 wide to show for it. Probably not the smartest idea I have ever had!

LEFT HAND: got cleated in a softball game when trying to tag out a base runner as the catcher. I remember I really tried not to cry but it REALLY hurt. My moms says she knew I hurt because I don't usually react to stuff like that but I headed for the dugout and didn't want to come out. Don't worry though, I went back in an inning later! Yeah, super brave!

1/4 INCH ON MY CHIN:  Fat girl ran me over at the skating rink. Led to me getting 3-5 stitches, darn her! She thought she was SO good at skating backwards but apparently she wasn't!

BIKINI LINE: Probably the scar I am most proud of. It is the scare that helped me become a Mommy. I have no problem telling you about that scar but since it is long, just read here.

There are lots more I could list but those are probably the most interesting ones.

4. What is a food that you like to eat, but others might think it's gross or weird?

 Honestly, I can't really think of anything right now but I am sure there are things that I do other find repulsive. One thing that really gets me is when people mix cottage cheese with ANYTHING! I find THAT disgusting.

5. Have you ever seen a tornado in real life?

Thankfully no! I have hidden in my basement as they touched down around me but no, I haven't actually had the opportunity to see one up close and I think I am just fine with that!

NYC Visit

Well, I am back. The trip was great and the group I went with was amazing! I know people think I am super lucky to do so much traveling for my job (which I am) but trust me, it isn't all a vacation.

This was my favorite photo I took the trip. I had to take it because I want to get it framed nicely to hang in my bathroom.

Our hotel was right on 7th Avenue so we were literally 3-4 blocks from Time Square. We ended up down there every day of the trip and it was a really cool place to people watch. You never quite knew who you would run into or what you would see.

On Friday afternoon while the group went shopping I stood in line at TKTS which is a 1/2 price Broadway Ticket stand. It was EXTREMELY hot but I stood there for 3 hours and FINALLY was able to purchase some. We ended up seeing "Rock of Ages" starring Constantine Morales (old American Idol contestant) and it was really awesome. The show started off a little scandalous but it was full of 80's rock and great entertainment.

We happened to stumble upon a Time Square "museum" of sorts which had a replica of the ball that drops so that was really cool. Something I didn't know is that people can write their hopes and dreams for the next year on a piece of confetti and it will be displayed on a board during the celebration. Paige (the other LEEP staff) and I both decided to take part in it.

"The Hopes and Dreams Wishing Wall"

In order for us to really get around and see everything we decided to take a hop on, hop off double decker bus tour that included an Uptown Tour, Downtown Tour, Brooklyn Tour, tickets to the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building. The bus allowed us a great opportunity to see lots of great things we would have missed otherwise. 

During the tour we saw lots of highlights- Ground Zero, Central Park, Apollo Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the "Friends" building, Rockafeller Center, and so many other places I can't seem to remember right now... 

 Paige and me posing on our double decker bus around the city. We should have been busy taking in the sights with the group but instead we were making sure we got a picture together. :)

This photo really gets me..... These ribbons on the fence symbolize New Yorkers that have been lost in the war. This is only one side of the church but all 4 were covered. It was really a heart wretching sight. 

At Ground Zero we stopped by St Paul's Church where they had set up shop during the clean up for the fire fighter, police, E.M.T.'s, and volunteers to eat, sleep, and "relax" in between shifts. This uniform symbolizes all of the firemen that didn't sleep during those first hours and then days of the clean up. They left this pew the way they looked after the firemen in full uniform, INCLUDING boots, as they lay on the bench. They were going to re do them and then thought better of it as it showed the dedication the volunteers had to finding survivors. THAT was difficult to see even 9 years later....

The Empire State Building

View from atop the Empire State Building

Who would have thought pigeons would be able to fly up to the top of the Empire State Building. Those things are EVERYWHERE!

 

Dinner at Planet Hollywood on Broadway

Since we were on the East Coast my sister and Trent couldn't resist the urge to come and visit their favorite sister and sister-in-law!!! Lucky me!!!!I loved being able to see them face to face and I think they had a good time with our group. We hung out but also did our own things so it was a great balance of work and play.

It was so much fun hanging out with them and they were great with our group. Everyone was bummed when they headed back to DC and I got lots of questions about when they would be coming back!

Lady Liberty in all her glory. She looked beautiful

Solo shot with Manhattan in the background. What a beautiful city! I was right, I do love the East Coast and I really do think I could make a living out there. The fast pace is awesome. I know a lot of people hate that but I actually enjoyed it.

Final shot of the 3 of us be fore we had to bid farewell.....

I know this photo really doesn't mean much to any of you BUT we went to a "Today Show" taping on Monday morning before we headed home. If you look closely at the person in the white shirt directing, you can see Matt Lauer and Ann Curry's heads. We missed them being outside BUT we did make a crowd shot and got our 2 seconds of TV fame! I had my sister/Justin and my mom tape it so I could see it!

One thing I know I didn't mention was that we hit up a flea market Sunday afternoon and EVERYONE got great deals on EVERYTHING! I found a few handbags and trinkets that were pretty sweet. I think we all felt pretty lucky to have found such a great place to shop!
The trip really was a great time. As I said the group was great and we all really enjoyed everything that we saw. I can't wait to take JR there some day.

Standing On the Edge

While Mommy was away I decided to get REALLY good at doing this!

 ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

  

 who me!?

oh and I am finally hearing the sweetest word ever, MAMA!!!

And,it isn't just his babbling....I can finally say he is actually saying it (sometimes) when he wants me or something. He is just getting TOO big.

The Big Apple

So I am off on a LEEP vacation and just thought I would let you in on the view!!

Maddox is hanging with Daddy and Auntie April while I am gone so I hope they are all having fun without me... Now I am off to see what I can do to get myself into trouble.... hmmmmmm I think I see a purse vendor over there....... Enjoy your weekend!

Happy 4th of July Weekend

Our weekend was fun but quite the blur! Friday afternoon I took off from work a little early and Maddox, Justin, Bear and I headed to Iowa for some rest and relaxation. Our visit started with a night at the "clubhouse" and a dance in Armstrong. Basically it was a great excuse to go out and have some fun! Some good friends of ours watched Maddox for the night and JR, JB, my parents, and I headed up to Armstrong for some 4th of July fun of our own. I think we all had a great time and JB got to meet some of our friends from way back which was fun!

Saturday found us up at Fox Lake where we did a little boating, swimming, and to soak up some rays. Justin and JB headed up early with Tommy and got everything ready to go. The rest of us headed up in the early afternoon to join. Maddox had his first experience in the lake and he did rather well in the water!

April and I did have some interesting adventures on the jet ski..... We took off on a ride around the lake and all was well..... Unfortunately we lost our balance and into the water we went. After 10-15 minutes of treading water and trying to both get on to the jet ski we were unable to get things worked out so we had to be rescued (the gale force winds and crazy weeds didn't help matters either!) Thank you again Tommy (and Justin) for coming to our rescue! BUT it took you long enough!!! (:

Sunday we got up bright and early and took Maddox to be part of the annual "Cute Baby Contest" where he received the honor of "Mr. Cool Dude". Of course he wouldn't "perform" and the judges didn't see any smiles or emotion but that's ok.

As per tradition, we headed to the parade where Maddox was very enthralled with the big machinery. I am not sure about the sirens but there weren't really any major freak outs! We went to to the park after the parade and ran in to a few friends from the past. That is always my favorite part of the holiday weekend.

That afternoon we braved the crowds (and the weather) and headed over to Okoboji for some more fun in the "sun". Maddox had a little too much fun and found it to be a perfect time to take a nap!

Finally it was time for my favorite part of the 4th. Our group split up, loaded two boats and scoped out our spot for the fireworks later that night. I really love hanging out in the boat and my highlight is always watching the fireworks sparkle off of the water around us.

Maddox had never been on a boat for an actual ride so I was excited to see what he would do when we took off. He settled into my lap really easily and really never was bothered by the fact he had to wear a life jacket. As the night went on (and of course we were stopped) he was brave enough to stand up and jump around.

Favorite shot of the night.

First try at a family picture 

Best shot, Maddox's face kills me!

The 4 amigos

Monday the 3 of us hung out at my Mom and Dad's for a little bit and I gave Maddox his first ride on a 4-wheeler. And he loved it!

Don't worry, I didn't go too fast!
I can't believe the 4th has already come and gone. Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!!!