Happenings

A lot has happened since my last post.  I turned 33 (getting old and feeling old), but more importantly the boys turned two!  It felt like the boys turning two was such an achievement for everyone in our household.  I remember those challenging days of when they were newborns and it feels a bit like I've won a race or something getting to the two year mark.  They are little monkeys though, and they keep me on my toes.  They get into everything and we feel like our house is on lockdown.  Every cabinet and drawer has a lock on it, every bathroom and closet door in our home must always be closed and nothing can be left on a table or counter.  They love to use anything they can get their hands on as a step stool to get things they are not supposed to have.  Some of their favorite climbing aids are their Little People Barn, any large truck or tractor (even though this almost always results in an accident when the wheels start to roll), the Lego tub,, the other Lego tub, toy bins and stacked up books.  They are crafty and Christian is the ring leader.  He is usually on the lookout for chap stick, it's a prized possession for him.  It helps that they are adorable at this age and they say and do the funniest things.  They are talking more and more, I can't tell who is calling my name anymore around the house.  All three "mom's!" sound the same, weird.  The boys don't know it but we are planning on taking away their binkys this weekend.  We'll see if it really happens.  Foster won't care, but Christian will be pretty devastated.

In way of other news, Annie started a new pre-school and really likes it.  Her class has a guinea pig, a bunny and three Jakes.  She loves going to school and I love having her go to school, so everyone is happy.  Michael is finishing up his 3rd quarter in school.  I can't believe that we have almost been here for a year.  He will start rotations in May, which seems so surreal.  This past year in all day classes has been so rigorous oh him, he is looking forward to a change of pace in May.  It's fun for now with M's rotations approaching to dream about where we will go next, or the possibility of staying here.  Only time will tell, but I have a feeling that time will be here before we know it.  And as for me, I bought a sewing machine in December and I have big plans with it.  I will go to a class in February to learn how to use my machine.  And then I'll go to a beginner sewing class with my friend Cassie in the end of February.  I guess after that I'm on my own.  Michael will have new plaid pajamas to sleep in in no time!  We've been really lucky for our first winter here, so far it's been really mild.  Only a few snow storms and the freezing temps come and go.  I thought the freezing temps would be a permanent fixture.

Here are some new pics of the kids that a friend we met here took for us.  Annie wasn't really in to having her picture taken that day so we didn't get many of her.  But, the boys, they melt my heart, such cute brothers.  They really do love each other.  And, they've just started to say each others names, so cute.  Speaking of cute, when I ask who has a stinky bum they pawn it off on each other.  And when I tell them I need to change their diapers in the morning, F tells me to change C first, so funny.

C

F sharing with C

They loved the dogs

C, love his dark brown eyes

Happy boys

F

Little Annie

Halloween 2010

Our crew

Love his white tuft on top of his head

I wanted to take a bite out of C's little face in this costume

This duck and clown love each other a lot

Little elephant

Our little Main Street had trick-or-treating for the kids yesterday and they loved it.  It's so fun for us to celebrate holidays with the kids as they get older and can understand what is going on a little bit more.  It was also very cut to watch the boys follow Annies lead and figure out that they should put their candy in their buckets and then to figure out that they can eat this candy.  But, the best part about having a 3 1/2 year old and two almost two year olds is that they have forgotten that yesterday existed.  I put their candy away when we got home and they have not asked about it since, it's great.  We thought they looked pretty cute.

What a cute bunch of boys

Pre-school

In the hallway at school

Annie started pre-school today.  She was so excited that I couldn't even get her to say goodbye to me when I was leaving.  It's so nice that we can walk to pre-school in about five minutes and we'll enjoy this until it gets too cold to do so.  The boys wanted to stay and play and cried when I made them leave the classroom. I thought I would be sad dropping her off but she was so happy that I was too.  Annie has needed something of her own so she can get away from me and the boys for a while each day.  She even has some kids in her class that we go to church with, so that was a nice surprise.

Proud new backpack owner

Ready to go

September and October

We've had a busy couple of months.  My sister Kristin came to visit in September to experience the chaos in our house and to see where we live.  She came from So. Cal and was happy to enjoy some our beautiful fall weather and to see the leaves changing.  We enjoyed a day in the city, saw some old friends, saw the lake, went on some serious power walks to offset the donuts we ate all week ( I think I had a dozen Dunkin Donuts in four days, sick!)  and had a really fun week together.  It's nice to get some visitors and to be the hostess.  In Utah we never really had visitors who stayed at our house because we didn't have much room, so this has been a nice change.




Kristin and Annie at Millenium Park, downtown Chicago

Just me enjoying yet another donut (visitors in town always give me an excuse to eat like I'm on vacation)

Me and Kristin, Millenium Park

Michael and Me, Lake Michigan

My cute Fos, Lake Michigan

The kids and I have been seeing our friends the Castleton's every week and it has been wonderful.  We take turns every other week going to the other ones house since it's a little bit of a drive between our houses.  We have made friends here, but these are old friends, so we have history that goes back to our single days.  Izzi and Annie are perfect playmates and the boys and Max look like little triplets, so cute together.

  Max, Izzi, Christian and Annie, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Annie and Izzi, Lake Geneva

Annie and Izzi, Naperville

Last Saturday out town put on a Pumpkin Fest for the kids.  The kids loved it; they had every type of utility truck you can imagine and the kids got to climb all over them.  They also had pumpkins for the kids, stores along main street handing out goodies for the kids, and some dancing ballerinas.  Annie thought they were princesses and was in awe.

This past weekend we had our niece Megan come and stay with us while her dad attended a conference in Chicago.  It was so fun for Annie, nothing like a ten year old cousin to indulge you for the weekend.

Annie and Megan, Lake Michigan

For M & K

Hope this makes up for the lack of pictures of the two of you in my last post.  I think the last one is my favorite!

Summer into Fall

Crazy girl!

Lake Michigan

Me and the boys, Lake Michigan

A & C, Lake Forest, IL

A & F in Lake Forest, IL.  A town perched just above Lake Michigan with some of the nicest homes I have ever seen.

Home for at least two years while M is in school

C downtown Lville

Love the view behind me, looking out from Grandeur Peak

We've been here now for five months and it has been wonderful.  We had a very busy summer full of school, our Thursday farmer's market, visitors, trips into the city, days at Lake Michigan and a much needed trip to Utah to see family and friends.  We have grown to love our little town and really feel at home.  Fall is here, the leaves are changing and many people have warned me about  the cold winter that is quickly approaching.  I keep thinking, how bad can it be?  Apparently pretty cold since some friends have told me I won't want to take my kids grocery shopping in the winter, it's just too cold.  What the heck do people do, become shut-in's?  I'm starting to think so.  So, what else to do than buy my kids the puffiest, thickest, warmest coats I could find.  Michael laughed when I brought home new coats for the boys.  They can't really put their arms down, look down,  see their toes or get up from laying position while wearing their coats, but thy will be really warm when we have to battle the cold.

We were out running errands one day and when we got home I turned around and saw the boys holding hands, so cute.

An alley that had a farmer's market in it from end end to the other, so fun.  Lake Forest, IL

Popcorn party on the kitchen floor

Michael and I hiked Grandeur Peak in Emigration Canyon with my sister Michele while we were in Utah.  It was so nice to see the mountains again.

 

We've made some friends since being here and we had some friends move here from Utah shortly after us. It is nice having some old friends in a place where everything has been new.  Annie starts preschool in two weeks and it cannot come soon enough.  Annie can be my biggest helper and is so sweet with boys most of the time.  But she can also turn our house into utter chaos and have both boys stirred up in a matter of seconds.  She is ready for some time away from me and the boys and I think we will have some pretty peaceful mornings around here too.

Michael is doing so well in school and really enjoying his program.  He has made some changes in his schedule so he can study in the early morning and then spend the nights and weekends with us for the most part.  It has been wonderful, we missed him a lot during the summer when he was always hitting the books.   Yesterday we took advantage of a beautiful fall day and drove an hour north to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  It was a cute, touristy town with cute little shops and restaurants.  Our friends came up with us and between us we had two 3 1/2 year old girls and three boys who look like triplets (our twins plus their little boy).  Of course we got a lot of stares and comments like "wow, looks like you've got your hands full" and people asking if there were twins somewhere in there.  The kids were all so well behaved for the day and the lake was so beautiful with all of the trees surrounding it with their changing leaves.  I love living in a place where you can get to many states within an hour or so drive, it makes taking day trips very easy.

This is downtown Lville.  I love our little town and it's charming buildings.