School Days

We have begun a HUGE new adventure in this household.........Nicole started preschool!!! It is amazing how on the very first day I dropped off my big girl and then when I came to pick her up I swear it wasn't my child. It is amazing the independence that comes oozing out of them and the I'm in charge attitude. Trust me she had enough going in and it has seemed to double :) The crazy part is that this is only the beginning. She seems to like school and has already made some friends. It is hard for me to step back and realize this is how it is going to be for the next 17 or so years.

The first week Ryan refused to take a morning nap, I think it was to quite around here for him. He is getting used to it and it is nice to spend some one on one time with him. However, he dreads getting in his car seat all the time to run in and out of town.

Ryan is a crawling machine and he will be walking before long. He has just seemed to grow up so fast. He will be 1 in a couple weeks!!! How can that possible be? This last year we were just so incredible busy I feel like time just slipped past me some how.

We did get to take a little vacation before school started. We went to Colorado Springs and went to the zoo. Which we all loved!! I just love that zoo, I wish we lived closer. We also went to Canyon City and walked over the Royal Gorge. That place has really built up into a tourist attraction. I remember going there when I was younger and you just drove across it and back. Now there is like an amusement park wrapped around it. Wow, is that showing my age ;)

Right now we are waiting for the corn to dry down and Hazen is finishing up with alfalfa. Nicole is excited about Halloween. She heard me talking about taking treats for the Halloween party at school and she got so excited that she gets to celebrate things at school and home. Her enthusiastic spirit never ceases to amaze me. Fingers crossed we have it narrowed down to Super Girl, but that could always change and Ryan is going to be an adorable lion.

Here are some long overdue pics....
1st day of school


My cuties

Ready for Tae kwan do

Me and my little man

Fun times

June/July

New month, new things happening. We are officially done cutting wheat, YEAH!!!! I didn't work at Paoli this year, with Ryan still nursing it was going to be impossible. So I got to take on the task of cooking supper to take out to the field. WOW, I don't think I ever gave my grandma enough credit for taking care of us and getting hot meals out to the field. It is a lot of work when you have 2 little ones that want/need you right when it is time to get everything ready. We survived though and I even got compliments on my meals, so I must have done something right.

Nicole finished up swimming lessons and really enjoyed them. She refused to get her face wet (imagine that). She really liked her teacher and by the end of the 3 week class she was the leader of her class for circling around the pool (holding on to the edge). She wanted to take the class again just as long as she didn't have to get her face wet :)

Ryan can get just about anywhere scooting along and of course rolling. He and Nicole are hilarious as they are already fighting over toys. He definitely knows what "no" means and when he doesn't want to hear it he puts his head down and looks the other way. He likes every kind of baby food he tries and is a pro at the sippy cup. I can't believe how fast 9 months has flown by!!!

Hazen is officially 32 years old!! He had another birthday in the field and fixing a broken down baler. However, he got a nice hot supper, and compliments of Grandma S a birthday cake and homemade ice cream. Now he is super busy with getting up all the alfalfa. We really won't see much of him until September...unless it rains.

Well until next time....


1st day of Swimming lessons


As a mom it doesn't get much better than this :)


Knocking down my cookbooks again!!

My Fabulous Kids

He is such a happy boy...

Trying on new swimming suite


A Blast from the Past

Busy Days

So Nicole was in VBS for the first time, lets just say that she tolerated it. It was a fight to get her there and she was definitely happy for it to be done. She did a great job singing her songs though and secretly I think she had fun. I guess this is one of the disadvantages of her not being in daycare. We are also planning on taking swimming lessons so we will see how that goes since she doesn't even like water in her face. Ryan is growing so quickly, he has his two bottom teeth in now and is very vocal. It is so fun to see his personality bloom. Oh, yeah we got our 4th haircut yesterday!!! He was looking like a little hippy and was not even controllable so it was time. Plus I didn't want the "Oh, she is so beautiful" from complete strangers. We have the 1st cutting of alfalfa up behind our house. Hazen is doing some bank flights and flight lessons. The garden is planted and my flowers are hanging in there with all the wind. Our trees really need to grow quicker so that everything will have more of a wind break.

We had something crazy happen too!! The storm chasers from the Discovery Channel were at my house!!! They were in town and trying to get away from everyone gawking and taking pictures. Hazen and Aaron went up to them and asked them if they needed a place to get away and they said yes. They were out here most of the afternoon. They were really nice and super busy taping things for there show. One of the guys was even the camera man for Dirty Jobs!! This will be one of those stories you tell your grandchildren :)


Mom I am busy....

Can you say we need a haircut?

Cutie ;)

My little cook

My model who picked out everything by herself

Storm Chasers at my house!!!

Precious....

I would love to freeze this moment in time.....

May...

Where to start....
-Ryan ate carrots for the first time. He ended up having hives all over his face. However, since then he has eaten squash, sweet potatoes and bananas and no issues from those. So maybe it was a fluke.
-Nicole is now 4!!!! How did this little precious baby that I swear I just brought home from the hospital grow up so fast?
-My stove/oven took its final stand so it has been replaced with an electric. I only took this route so I could have a double oven. It took some getting used to but I think I have the hang of it now. It is amazing what an oven can do when it cooks like it is suppose to.
-Hazen is hard at work in the field planting corn.
-Ryan can sit up now!!! He still gets a little wobbly but he is pretty much in control.
-Oh yeah, we are sick again... I AM READY FOR SUMMER!!!
-I have taken an interest in doing chocolate molds. I have been messing around with them but I did some 2 tone birthday themed chocolates and I really enjoyed it so I guess we will see where it takes me.
-Ryan is teething. He is drooling like crazy.
-I am not going to work at the COOP this year which is sad, it is a job I have a real passion for. However, it just isn't possible with nursing Ryan. Maybe, next year

This is all I can think of right now I am so tired so I wish you all a good night. Until next time...

Can't you just see the orneriness

B-day girl!!

Fought hard but didn't make it....

She wants this on her wall.....go figure

Carrots, pre hives.

March going out like a lion...

Wow!! Sorry it has taken me so long. We have been battling for almost 4 weeks with colds and nasty stuff. Ryan got put back on steroids. It was horrible, all I can describe his breathing like is when you put milk on rice crispies and a slight wheeze. Wishful thinking but I am hoping we are not heading down the asthma road with him too. Then Nicole was acting weird (breathing wise) so I took her in the following Monday and she livened up like she was just fine. That night she started running 101.5 degree temperature. I called in the next day and we got her on some antibiotics too. So as of now Ryan, Nicole and I are all on antibiotics :(

However, on the up side Easter turned out to be a nice day and as you can see I had to have my matching outfits. I am going to get a new stove/oven in 2 weeks!! (My oven finally hit a wall) I use my oven a lot so I guess now it is time for my creative juices to start moving.

My sweet baby (big girl) is going to turn 4 in 3ish weeks!!! Where does the time go?? We were going to have a 3 Musketeers party but at the last minute she switched her mind and wants a Little Mermaid party. I can't believe it!!! She is not my baby anymore, over the last few months she has grown so much. She took a preschool screening and did fabulous. We even worked on our address and she knows it!!! I was trying to think of a song to put it to and my mom came up with BINGO so now it is easy and super catchy. I know it is time but I am not ready for her to go to school. It seems like kids loose their innocence when they go to school and I just want to hold on to it for a little longer. This world is a hard place and it has been easy to protect her when she has been home with me. I know she will fall in love with school though. New friends, learning new things, new surroundings and growing into a lovely young lady.

Adorable!!

Our Easter cake!!

Chillin with dad in the car

Easter Egg Hunt in town

Do I really even have to say anything?

What we have been up to...

Wow, time really gets away from you!! We have been busy with a whole weekend of our family sausage stuffing last weekend another one this weekend and keeping up with day to day stuff. We had our first official trip to the town library!! Nicole had a blast and is looking forward to going back. Before we went we had to have the talk about what a library is and how these are not our books to keep. I also set a limit of how many books she could check out, thank goodness I did because she would of probably taken every book home if she could. As you can also see below Nicole built her very 1st fort all by herself. This picture I am sad to say is only the half way point, my camera battery died after that picture so this isn't the full deal but as you can see it still was A LOT!!

At Ryan's 4 month checkup he was 15 1/2 lbs and 25 inches long. He's personality is just blooming!! I love it, because he is so expressive and absolutely can't take his eyes off his sister when she is around. He is rolling over now but lets face it he is a boy and when he isn't feeling it he just lays down and cries for someone to help him. He is also sitting up pretty well he just has to get a handle on his balance. When the weather was nice earlier in the week he had his 2nd real out and about day, he definitely doesn't know what to think about Chloe (our dog) or all the new surroundings.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy!! Until later....

1st Trip to the Library

Packed up and ready to go.

1st fort built all by Nicole

Some of the stuff we have been doing.

Thankful

I am so thankful that God has entrusted us with these two beautiful, smart, and wonderful children. Even though I get worn down sometimes, I wouldn't want it any other way.

Vegas

Well Hazen had quite an adventure this last weekend. He ended up going to Vegas to the NASCAR race. He also got to go down on the track and even had a luncheon with the drivers!! He had a wonderful time and is now trying to talk me into going back next year with him.

Long overdue pics

My buster brown

More sprinkles than cake anyone?

2nd time sledding

Sick

1st haircut





My special cheerleader