Harvest Day

Last weekend we spent a beautiful day in Forrestville for Harvest Day with some great friends.  The first pic is the boys and Sam walking through the woods to get there.

The kids loved taking turns with the corn sheller.

Audrey looks so grown in this pic!!!

The end result....

They also helped this man make fresh apple cider.  It was yummy!!

Audrey wanted a pic on the porch of this colonial house.

Big Boy!!!

Just wanted to share a few recent pics of Wrigley.  It's so hard to believe he will be 3 before too long...(4 mos)  Where did my baby go???  He bring so much joy and stress to my life at the same time, although I am so thankful God put him in my life!!!!  He loves to be the center of attention.  Is such a momma's boy when with me and hardly will leave my side.  His favorite thing to eat is a sucker as you see in this bottom picture. 
Since changing him to a twin bed, sleeping has been a nightmere.  He will not stay in there to go to sleep and always begs to sleep in my bed.....
I try to stick to my guns, but he is always in bed with me before morning....It's so hard because I just need sleep also......
He is all boy in that he loves balls, throwing, hitting, etc...He has many timeouts at daycare for stealing toys and throwing toys lately.  I talk to him each day before he goes.....I hope I survive this little guy!!!He recently got bright red nail polish on my bedroom carpet and then shortly later bright red bug juice!!!

1st day of School....only a couple of months late!!!

 Big 4th grader with Wrigley who didn't want to miss out!!!

 So hard to believe Audrey is in 4th grade and now at Central.  She is in one of the classes with notebook computers.  They are doing 90% of class work on it!!! Makes me feel old.  She does so well.  I am so proud of her.  She is still a great help to me at home and with Wrigley.

 Big 1st grader.  I still can't believe how cold it was the first day of school this year!!

1st grade has been a bit of an adjustment for Em.  Many mornings she has gone to school crying.  She says she doesn't like some of the math and spelling things they are working on.  She has a great teacher, Mr. Vandeloo...he says she is "painfully shy" and seems to lack self confidence.  I have a feeling school is not going to be easy for her....it has always seems a piece of cake with Audrey.  The past 2 weeks have been better...Em is just not a morning person at all and very crabby when has to be woke up......She has many friends and seems very social at home.....

I am Back!!!

 Post 2nd Tri.  In Prairie River Wisconsin (near Chicago)

 This is the group of gals I went with.  Mona, Joyce, and Patty.  I really can't wait to do some tri's again next year.  I really can now understand how it is addicting.

 We went to my parents around Labor Day weekend.  The weather was great and we visited Niabi Zoo.

 Audrey feeding Goat.

 Em also feeding goat.  A lady there shared her bags of feed with us.  The goats were quite greedy, but kids enjoyed it.

 Wrigley and I with birds.  You could buy a cup of nectar and the birds would flock to you.  Was cool and a little scarey!!!  Their claws were shap!!

 Proud Audrey...before she got peed on by one and thought she would die!!!  Was pretty funny!!

On train....

So, I FINALLY Broke down and bought a lap top!!!  I am so excited that I can now download pictures quickly again!! I hope to be a better blogger again!!!  My desktop was 8 years old...I couldn't stand it anymore.   Lovin the wireless net!!!

Jellystone

Cousins Mason and Emersyn

Wrigley was funny mini golfing, he would not let anyone help him and he had no idea how to try to hit the ball. 

Cousins Golfing

We had a great 5 days at Jellystone with my family.  I feel fortunate to be able to have these vacations.

One of the kids and my dad's favorite activity was the water balloon wars..

Cindy Bear airbrush tattoo...

Audrey had a blue flower design that was glittery. Unfortuntely they were short lived after swimming a few days....

Summer Fun

We took at little road trip to the beach in Clear Lake Iowa earlier this summer.  This is Wrigley with friend Mark.....

Tri

My dear friend Sam brought the girls to the Tri to cheer me on.  That meant a lot!!!This was a before pic...

My least favorite pic after getting out after the swim

Audrey with my friend Mona and I after.  Mona is the one that has inspired me to do these tri's.  She completed her first one last year

Girls and I after!!!

Post picture of me and my 3 coworkers who completed with me.....I had a great feeling of accomplishment and can't wait for the next one next month!!!!

Sorry for the abscence!!!

I promise one of these days I will try to catch up.
A lot of my absence is due to my crappy computer at home.  I am contemplating a lap top!!

My life has been so hectic pretty much consumed by work and training for my first triathalon which is June 20th....I think I will be glad when the first is over!!!! For the most part I enjoy the working out, but some days I struggle!!! 

The kids are good.  Also keep me very busy....Having a boy has been such an eye opener.  I love him but he is what I want to call naughty...but maybe I should say curious!!!! He gets many timeouts most days!!!But, I love his snuggles...He loves to kiss and hug me and eventhough I hate him waking up at 530 most mornings, I love the time cuddling in my bed with him sucking his chocolate milk down......

Big 2 Year Old!!!

This was another of Wrigley favorite Elmo Christmas Presents!!!

Of course an Elmo Bday Cake.  As you can tell it was made of 1/2 chocolate cupcakes and 1/2 white.  Wrigley only had a couple of licks and had no interest.  They were yummy!!!

Cheese...It's so hard to believe my baby is 2!!! Time goes so quickly.  I am so blessed to have him.  He is still a very cuddly, snuggly boy.  I often feel like he is glued to  me!!!  Audrey and Emerysn still love him to death and are very helpful, most of the time.  He is starting to get more of a mind of his own though and gets mad if they are overbearing!!!!  He is very busy, busy and I am so pooped after my days with him!!!:)  He loves his chocoloate milk...he can't get enough of it and lately the first thing he says when waking up is "chocolate".  I don't think the girls were introduced to chocolate milk this young, but oh well.  I figure there are worse things.  I love bedtime when I rock him and sing.  He is starting to try to sing more songs with me and also always asks for "more books".
He just got potty trained around his Bday.  I took a 4 day weekend and he didn't leave during those days at all.  My parents were also here and that helped.
I was leary for a long time and kept wondering if I should give up, but now he is 100% trained during the day and I am so thankful.  The girls were closer to 2 1/2.  He hasn't had any accidents the past week.  His new thing is he wants privacy when pooping and tells everyone "out".  Don't you wonder where they learn these things so early?????
He says new words each day.  I can't imagine life without him.  I feel so blessed to have my 3 loves!!!

Visit With Great Grandma Martha

Wrigley and I went to my Grandmas house while in IL for Xmas and took lunch to her.  I think she just turned 94...guess I need to double check that...but for sure is at least 92!!She amazes me.  She still lives alone in a big house.

Xmas in Galesburg

 

Cousins loving playing in the snow, except for Wrigley!!

.

E

Santa came early to our house in MN and then we took the Santa gifts with to open Xmas morning at my parents.  Audrey holding Wrigley with his Bob the Builder Movie.  One of Emerysns only requests from Santa

was Stove Stop Stuffing.....Totally hilarious, I know.  Grandma made her 2 boxes for her with our dinner!!!

Wrigley on his new Elmo couch that pulls out into a bed with sleeping bag!!!

Cousins waiting for xmas dinner..

Early Xmas

We did Chrismas different this year and the kids opened some presents early since we were at my parents

on Christmas and only took the Santa gifts with in the car.  Santa came to our house early so we could then take them with in the car to open Christmas Day.

 

Audrey got a newAmerican Girl Doll, Kaija, with her money from Great Grandma Martha.

Emersyn got a Bitty Baby which she named Ava after her best friend!!:)

Emersyn got a potty chair for Ava.

Wrigley got an Elmo guitar and I think his expression is Priceless!!!