Baby owes us a Love Sac

A sad day has occurred in our home today. We sold our Love Sac. I had bought it about a year ago at a garage sale for a hundred bucks. Now, yes a Love Sac is a bean bag but this is no ordinary bean bag. It is made out shredded durafoam, like what your couch is made out of. Well, we loved our love sac. It was great for snuggling the kids, for watching movies, watching football and playing video games. The kids loved it too. It was more of a landing spot for them after jumping off the chairs.

Our house is small so we have kept it in the extra room we have. We would pull it out when we really wanted to do some good vegging. But now that we have another little one on the way we needed to sell it so their would be space in his room. It was a hard decision but inevitable. They came and picked it up today. Aidan was watching them take it out of our house and was just sulking on the couch. He was whimpering a little and making sniffling noises. Poor guy. When I saw him do this the tears came a flowin'. Luckily I can just blame the tears on being pregnant and seeing my little boy so sad. Otherwise I would be worried that I was crying over furniture. Aidan, Ryan and I all hugged in the kitchen so we would feel better after our dear loss. We have had fun with it and have had some good memories.

So........................this baby owes us a love sac! We will get another one someday.

Oh and we sold the love sac for $150.00. Not bad huh?

Aidan is growing up!

Aidan has really began to improve in his drawings. Before he would draw something and it just looked like a bunch of scribbles and you had to wait for him to tell you what it was. But in the last 3 months he has really figured it out. He can draw people, write his name and his favorite is to draw monster trucks. It is just amazing to see their development. I love it!





Aidan did a cute thing the other day. He and Lacey were fighting in the living room. I saw him run down the hall to his room. Then he came into the kitchen and said, "I just said a prayer." I asked him what he prayed for. He said, "I prayed that Lacey and I would stop fighting." I was floored. It was so cute! He has such a strong little spirit. He just soaks up the primary lessons, the scriptures and family home evening lessons. I love to hear him apply it in his own life. He is only 4 but you can tell he loves the gospel.


The other night Ryan and Aidan were able to feel the baby kicking. Aidan thought it was the coolest thing ever. He is now constantly running up to me to see if the baby is kicking. He thinks it is a brother. Lacey on the other hand prays that it is "only a girl". She at times can be adamant about the baby being a girl. I still think it is a boy but we will know for sure on October 16th.


So I think I have told you that Lacey thinks that we are suppose to go shopping every time Aidan is at preschool. Well, last night I asked her what she wanted to do while Aidan was at school today. She said, "BUY NEW SHOES"! Is this a girl after my own heart or what?

Hoppin' in the South Part 2: South Carolina

After our day of fun in Orlando, Ryan headed back to work and the kids and I headed to South Carolina. We played for 2 days in Charleston with "Ana Banana", Eliza, and David. We did a little shopping. The deal of the day: a new pair of sandals for Lacey, $1.50. Love that. We also went swimming, watched movies, and played with Eliza. The kids simply loved her. It was good to see how they would act around a baby. They always asked why she didn't talk, why she didn't have teeth and when she would be bigger. They just couldn't get over the fact that she wasn't even one yet. She was zero. They still don't get it. But they constantly said she was "so cute".
We also celebrated David's birthday, ate apple crisp, and watched a movie with rootbeers.

Friday Ryan was overnighting in Myrtle Beach so the kids, Ana and I drove up there to spend the night at his hotel. We found Ryan and his crew on the beach. We played for awhile there and of course Lacey and I collected more seashells. The Captain and flight attendant were so nice to our kids and actually went out to dinner with us. We went to Unos. It was way yum. I was going to withstand the desire for their cookie and ice cream dessert but Ana insisted and I really didn't hold up much of a fight. It is so dang good. It is just a big warm chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce and whip cream on top. It is all stuff I can do at home but it just tastes better there for some reason.

While we were at Unos this guy came around making balloon animals. He said he could make anything so we asked for a monkey and he said sure I can make a monkey and then it ended up being Wild E. Coyote. Then we said we wanted a butterfly and it ended up being Sylvester the cat. I thought it was so funny. He was super nice but it was just funny that he just made what every he felt like instead. The kids loved them and somehow decided to name them "boogie". We had to leave them at Ana's house but they felt they were in good hands there.

Saturday we ate breakfast in bed at the hotel and then headed back to Charleston. Ryan started his last day of work so we raced him back to Louisville. We of course beat him back by 4 hours.

We had a really great time playing around.

Hoppin' in the South Part 1: Orlando

We just spent a week of hopping around in the south. First we flew with Ryan to Orlando. We arrived in the morning and immediately headed to the beach. We were trying to outrun some thunderstorms. Aidan said a prayer that it would stop raining and sure enough it didn't rain on us at all at the beach. It was fun to be playing in the sand again. The waves were kind of crazy but we at least go our toes wet. Lacey and I scavenged the beach for seashells. This was the first time that Lacey began to like it. She didn't want to stop looking for seashells. She especially liked the ones that had purple on them. Now instead of having a bunch of money in her coin purse she has seashells. I loved looking for shells with her and that she finally loves doing it.

As we were walking on the beach we saw the head of a dolphin that had washed ashore. It was very gross. The skin was already gone but you could see its eyes and teeth and then the bones on the inside. It was so stinky and disgusting.

After the beach we ran some errands in Orlando. It's funny that we still have errands to run in Orlando. We jumped in the pool once we got back to the hotel. Aidan now swims without help. We have to still be close but he full on puts his face in the water and swims around. He just started doing it the day before. It is amazing how he just figured it out. He is a little over confident so we have to make sure we are monitoring him still. I am so proud of him though. As we were watching Aidan swim, Lacey decided that she could do it too. Well, after a little more instruction she started to pick it up a little. She could do about two strokes. We couldn't believe it. She sometimes looks like she is drowning but she never comes up scared or out of breath. It is exciting.

We drove up to Sanford to look at our old neighborhood. As soon as we got off our exit, Aidan looked out the window and said, "OUR TOWN!" It made me sad a little bit. We drove past our old house. It was weird to not be living there because it still all felt so familiar. The neighbors we had had while living there actually were the ones living in our house now. We saw the teenage girl in the drive way so we chatted for a minute. We also visited some friends that night. It was nice so see them again.

Simply Adorable

My smart boy, my cute girl, and my new toy

So, I have on our computer a screen saver password so the kids just can't hop on the computer and do horrible things to it that I can't figure out or fix. Well, the screen saver comes on after 2 minutes and then to get back on the computer you have to enter a password. Aidan loves playing on Noggin and we have a fun little dinosaur game that he likes. It is nice that I have to allow him on the computer but sometimes it just is another thing I have to do while I'm in the middle of doing a million other things. So yesterday I was doing something so I told him which letters to push to get him on the computer. He did great entering what I told him. So the silly mom that I am thought, he will never remember this password and he will just have to keep asking for me to let him on the computer. Well, that back fired in my face. Later in the day I had just got out of the shower and saw the kids on the computer. I looked at Aidan and he said, "Look mom I can get on to Noggin all by myself". That kid remembered the password. Then that night Ryan asked him what the password was and he repeated it EXACTLY right all on his own. I don't get it. I worked on our phone number with him for probably a week and a half, repeating it over and over again. I spell out our password ONE time and miraculously it is permanently etched in his brain? I guess the incentive for playing on Noggin is way better than just showing off that you know your phone number. He is one smart chap!

My little Lacey girl got a hair cut today. This is her first one really other than one horrible time I let someone cut her bangs. Both Ryan and I went for moral support. She was crying a lot at the beginning and begging that I let her get a haircut tomorrow instead. Once I told her that girls love to get their hair cut she started calming down. She told me she was being brave like Aidan is when he gets his haircut. Plus I promised her she could pick out a new fingernail polish if she got her hair cut. Her hair looks a lot better and hopefully it won't take me 20 minutes just to comb it out each day.

Lacey is also being potty trained. She is doing super great! Almost 2 weeks now with minimal accidents.

Last night we went to the Texas Roadhouse Grill for dinner. It was so delish! Then we grabbed a slice of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory on the way home. Yummy! Ryan gave me my present last night and lets just say I was blown away! It was Photoshop CS3. How exciting is that? I can't wait to start playing and learning new tricks. It will be so great. Thank you Ryan for such a great present and thanks to all of you who chipped in. It is such a generous gift that I will LOVE and LOVE!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

Yeah for me! It's my birthday today.

I've started this fun day by eating a muffin and hot chocolate, bathing the kids and doing the dishes. I keep making the kids tell me happy birthday but they still think that it is tomorrow because that is what I said all day yesterday. I am so lucky, though, because Ryan gets home around noon so we can do something fun all together. The kids can't wait to go on "a date" tonight for my birthday. I'm not sure where we are going because I'm waiting for my pregnancy cravings to kick in and let me know what I really want to eat tonight.

We took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings a couple of weeks ago and Aidan loved it. On the cups there they have a Buffalo with wings. I guess Aidan doesn't know what a buffalo is because he now calls it the "Flying Moose". That is where he would like to go tonight. Why he thinks that a buffalo is a moose, I'm not quite sure. So now Buffalo Wild Wings will now be called the Flying Moose because Aidan thinks that a buffalo looks like a moose.

My visiting teachers came over yesterday with cookies and flowers. Then at my Primary Presidency meeting the girls brought cake and strawberries and cream in celebration of my birthday. So already I have had a great day and it isn't even 10:00 a.m. yet.

Again, Happy Birthday to me!!!!!

Huber Farm

We picked up Ryan from work Saturday afternoon and drove to Huber Farm. We weren't sure what to expect since we had never been there but their website made it look like a fun place to go. The drive getting there was worth the time. It was in a gorgeous location out in the country with lots of trees, farms, and open fields. I definitely want to go back when the trees start changing colors.

There was quite an array of activities once we got there. We did some things that we have never done before. They had a bunch of animals that we could feed, ducks, goats, ponies, deer and llamas. Aidan tried to feed the animals but he would get so excited when they came up to his hand that he would pull away before they even got the food out of his hand. He fed a couple though. Lacey wanted to feed the animals but she would have nothing of them eating it out of her hands so she just threw the food at them.

They had these 40 ft. long tube slides that the kids loved. We made a family train one time and Lacey laughed and laughed. We also went through a corn maze. Aidan couldn't believe that these plants were where popcorn came from. The maze wasn't too hard so we just ended up running around, hiding and scaring each other.

One of the best activities were these little tractors. The tractors were so cute and the kids drove them all alone over bridges and through barns. Aidan of course was in heaven. Lacey liked it too but she couldn't push the peddle down hard enough with her foot so she had to bend over and push on her foot with her hand to make it go. It worked but unfortunately she kept driving in circles and also crashed into a barrel once.

The other hit of the farm was this huge jumping pillow. I had never seen anything like it but really it looked like a huge pillow that the kids (and adults) could jump on. It was pretty awesome. The kids loved it and I even saw Ryan smile a time or two as he was jumping with them.

We finished the day by picking apples in the apple orchard, drinking apple cider and eating Peach and Raspberry ice cream. It was a super fun day. We can't wait to go back during October to pick our pumpkins.

He works hard for his money

So Aidan has started doing some little jobs that we are paying him to do. He has been saving up his money to buy a new toy. Not sure what kind of toy but something. So he has about $18.00 now. We have paid him to help Ryan mow the lawn. Sadly I pay HIM to let me cut his hair. It is the only way I can get him to stop crying when I tell him I need to cut his hair. He has helped pull out weeds and now I am paying him to shread paper. I have collected quite a pile. But the cuteset job of all is when he was ring bearer for Karen's wedding.

Karen called Aidan and asked if he would be in charge of the rings at her wedding. He said, "If you pay me." She said, "How much?". He said, "Eight dollars". She said, "That's a deal." So he didn't not forget, and we didn't let him either, that she owed him $8.00 for his services as Karen's cute nephew-the ringbearer. Well, before Karen left after she was married she gave Aidan a 10 dollar bill. He was so excited! So if anyone needs a cute ringbearer Aidan charges $8.00!

Because Aidan had saved quite a bit of money he was ready to go to the store and buy a new toy. Before we let him do that, we talked to him about paying tithing. Surprisingly he had no qualms about it. I think mostly because he has absolute no concept of money. So my proud mommy moment came on Sunday when Ryan and Aidan, both wearing their blue suits and red ties, walked up to the branch president and each handed their tithing to him. Seriously I had a tear in my eye. It was just so cute to see a gospel teaching moment in action. Ryan was the one who talked with Aidan about his money and about paying tithing. I really love seeing Ryan being a dad, a good good good dad. It just makes me so happy to have such good people to be my family.

Jumping on

So I am finally jumping on the band wagon and starting a blog. I realize with new things that I don't jump in immediately when all the hype is going on and the item is real popular. I usually wait it out and then jump on once I realize I am missing out on something cool. For example, the ipod. Everyone was getting the ipod and I just wasn't that crazed about the ipod until I borrowed my sister-in-laws and realized why they were so popular; they were cool. So months after the whole ipod craze started I got interested. The same happened with the Apprentice (lost my love for it now though), American Idol, digital scrapbooking, cell phones, Alias (even though it is off air now), and Lost. I still haven't joined the fans of myspace, The Office, Dancing with the Stars and Harry Potter. I think I have tried to like them but they just aren't for me.

So this will be my place to share my thoughts, funny quotes from my kids, cute pictures and scrapbook pages.