280.

Fact check: Russ proved me wrong. 280 something's til Dempseys graduates. Stay tuned.

Husbandhastoberightsometimesiguess.

Me.

Rykerisms

Rykerisms

Bye!!!!

Neh-eh-eh-eh-eh!  Horse sound.

Oh oh oh!    Santa Claus

Fall down!  

Sank you.

Sowwy Danny.  Sorry daddy.

Danny

Geese!     Geese.

Weekie wights!  Christmas lights!

Aww ghee.  AJ

2013

Oh you wild one 2013. Just when I thought I knew what card was going to be played you surprised me. What a year...as I reflect on the events of the year I feel tired. Perhaps that's the 4 hours of sleep I managed to get last night?!? Or maybe it's the champagne that I allowed myself to enjoy this New Year's Eve?!?

Either way this year was trying.  Lots of babies, lots of emotions personally and professionally, lots of surprises, lots of craziness, lots of breathing, lots of laughter and lots of tears. I used this quote a lot this year...

This year was like the party-time friend. Super highs, super lows. Not much in between.

I think I'm ready to settle a bit now. And when I say settle, I don't mean become stagnant and boring. I mean more of the...settling that comes with not making a major change like moving, job changing, or baby having. I look forward to nurturing my family, becoming fit, enjoying time with my friends and creating stronger bonds with my soon-to-be-friends and really getting to know Russ again. Dates lots of dates.

So as I sit here on New Years with both boys down, focused on a gassy infant...I feel thankful. Thankful for this healthy family I had, thankful for staying remotely sane considering it all, and hopeful for the future. I saw somewhere that I/we only have 280 weekends until Dempsey graduates high school. Could that be true? If so, I'm gonna soak this time up. It will pass before we know it.

Love to all!

Happy New Year!

Ryker's Birthday Party

What a fun time!!!!  I had all these plans to cook this, make this craft, decorate this way.  AND then I didn't.  Didn't do any of that.  But oh boy we had fun!  We had 3 families come and this was the perfect amount!  We even were lucky to have the Battens come, which was so very great to hangout!  Sure miss my friend Cristy and her kids!  It ended up being completely insane night with a New Year's theme (aka loud loud blowers!) and delicious fondue.  Love this little guy!

Momma

Why is AJ sad you ask? Oh. Because he didn't get to blow the "fire" (candle) out.

The Ship.

 

Holiday Time In Tejas!

We spent a week in Texas right before Christmas, and it was amazing.  And when I say me, I mean Dempsey and I.  Earlier in the year I had plans that it would be my whole family traveling down to Texas, but it ended up just being too complicated.  SO away we went!  Dempsey traveled awesome, she ended up being awake most of the trip.  Awake and content.  I'll take that!  Our first stop was at my Aunt Lisa's house...this included great Auntie time, time with my cousins, and even getting to attend my cousin Emerson's basketball game.  It was so great to be in a gym again, even if I was just spectating.  We then headed to my Aunt Debbie's house, and it was just great.  We hungout as a Harvell family-lots of laughs, food, and just rare time together!

After that I headed into Austin to spend time with my sister and her family, my Aunt Bev, and my parents.  Lots of our time was spent shopping for my sister's Christmas's present, but that led to lots of front seat adventuring with my niece Riya.  We stayed in the car and pretended to go on trips all over the US and World:)  

It was crazy being in a place that was warm before the holidays.  It was hard to wrap myself around the fact that even though it was 70 degrees, Christmas was indeed days away.  My trip flew by and it was the first official Girls Trip! The boys had their official GUYS Weekend.  Everybody was happy!  I'm actually not quite sure the little guys were ready for me to come home!  I was sure ready to see them and have some holiday fun!

Great times.  Great family.  

Love,
Momma

Grandpa's Words

(Guest blog!  The following is from my father and the memories I have asked him begged him to write down.  My father is sometimes known for forgetting memories (and with these kids I get how that can happen!, but what my father is also known for is his words.  I have saved many emails that he has produced to reflect back on during hard/happy/emotional times.  My dad means the world to me, and these reflections are priceless.  Because of this, I'm doing a Megan blogger no-no.  That's right, I'm breaking the rules.  I'm editting the dates to make these reflections fit into 2013, which considering these were received 6 hours past 2013 well...not a biggie. But still, Shhh don't tell the Megan police.)
-Momma

To the Fruvellhoffs and specifically Aylen John, Ryker Lee and Dempsey Snow:
Reflections on this past year:

1. Our special time at the end of 2012:
Aylen John, when I think about 2013, I go immediately to the end of 2012 when you and your brother Ryker came to stay with Grandma and me for a week while your folks went to Aruba. You were “brave.” Your folks did such a wonderful job of preparing you. They made sure you understood that this would be a long date. At the age of two, you understood that your parents were gone but coming back and you never once cried because your parents were not there. You slept in Grandpa and Grandma’s room and occasionally would wake up in the middle of the night frightened but then who isn’t occasionally frightened in the middle of the night. You demonstrated that bravery when we went into New York City with Grandma and Aunt Joan. We went to Toys “R” Us and you asked to go see Geoffrey the Giraffe and I took you to shake his hand. Grandma and I took you and Ryker to see the animated tyrannosaurus. You were so impressed that you asked me to take you back so you could touch it. I did that and you touched its toes. And one of my favorite memories of your trip to us was when I took you to the airport for a surprise welcoming of your parents when they came back from Aruba. Grandma and I told you that you were going with me to see planes. When your parents walked out of the security exit at the airport, you were so happy that you ran in circles and you didn’t stop running in circles. As we waited for luggage, you led your dad, your mom and me in a jog around the luggage carousels at Newark Liberty Airport. You laughed and laughed. I don’t know if you could have done anything better to welcome your folks back home and show them how much you love them.

Ryker, you were only one-year-old when you came to stay with us for that week. Mom and Dad had to remind us that you were older than your one year and that when you woke up at night crying, we didn’t need to immediately pick you up but to let you cry for a couple of minutes as you usually would go back to sleep. Of course I forgot that and, the first couple of nights, rushed in to pick you up and hold you when you cried. Grandma, much wiser than me, reminded me and eventually we got to a good schedule where you would wake up, cry for a couple of minutes and go back to sleep. Then, of course, there was the night that we heard you cry, you stopped, and then we found you missing from your crib. Of all the things that grandparents shouldn’t do, losing a 1-year-old is at the top of that list. Turns out that Aunt Joan also needed to learn to let you cry and settle back down to sleep as we found Joan holding you in the living room. Once awake, you didn’t like to be put back into your crib so we held you for most of that night/early morning.
You missed your parents and one time you cried and cried. Fortunately, you have very smart parents who made a video talking to both you and your brother. We played a video of your mom talking to you and you watched it and watched it and watched it until finally you stopped crying. Grandma loved to dance and sing with you and she would do that many mornings as she was in the kitchen. When we went into New York, you flirted with a young woman in the seat ahead of us on the train. You slept in the stroller on the walk to Toys “R” Us but woke up when we went to see the tyrannosaurus. Grandma held you and you grabbed on to her when the tyrannosaurus roared and you weren’t going to let go. On the way back to Penn Station, your brother took the stroller and fell asleep. I carried you. You saw all the lights from Times Square and along 7th Avenue. You looked and looked. I decided then that one of the next times you come to visit us; we will take you into NY and stay into the evening so you can see the lights.
You were asleep when your parents arrived to our house from the airport. Your mother woke up early the next morning and couldn’t wait to see you as she had seen Aylen John the night before. She may have woken you up that morning.

Aylen and Ryker: Finally when your parents were here and you were about ready to leave us, all of you with the exception of your mother got sick. You were ready to fly back to Colorado and you both were sick and your dad was sick. After saying good bye to you, your Grandma and I talked to your mother a day or two later and decided that I would get on a plane and come out to help out for a couple of days. Your mother was still well but not getting any sleep because you boys were sick. I gladly found a flight and went out to stay with you for a couple of days until your dad got better. I did it because, like your Grandma, we believe that grandparents are “humanity’s ace in the hole.” Grandparents can provide an additional support for parents in raising children. I did this for a couple of days. Your Grandma provided this support for months at a time. If there is anything we do to show you we love you, it is to be there if you need us. That is our commitment to our children and grandchildren.

April 2013: In April, your Grandma and I went to Colorado to see you and to celebrate my birthday and your mother’s birthday early. Your mother and both of you boys picked us up from the airport and we drove to IKEA. While in the car, you mother gave me a gift – an IPOD protective case with pictures of both of you boys on it. I looked at it and was delighted to have it. Your mother knew I wouldn’t understand so I gave the case to Grandma who immediately saw the picture of both of you boys with T-shirts that said, “Big Brother” and understood that your family was continuing to grow. And that is how we learned of the little girl that eventually would be born as Dempsey Snow. Your Grandma is very smart but you probably already know that.

July 2013: You boys and your mother came to visit us over the summer. We went to the shore, we went to see the Statue of Liberty and we went to visit a family friend from Nebraska, Mary Smith. Aylen John, when we went to see the Statue of Liberty, we all got to ride in a ship to the island. Once on the island, we went to see the Statue of Liberty I took you to see the “front” or the face of the statue. It was very hot that day. As soon as we could see the front of the Statue, you said, “OK, I see the face.” You were ready to go back into the shade.
Grandma had a greenhouse that she converted into a breakfast nook for you boys. You would sit out in the nook at a little table and chairs that Grandma set up. After a week that went by so quickly, we flew to Nebraska for a visit. Aylen John, on that trip from New Jersey to Nebraska, you sat with me on the plane. You played the entire time and as a result, you missed your nap. While we waited in the Chicago Midway airport for our flight to Omaha, you were so tired that you became very agitated. Your mother settled you down and then you became agitated again. Your mother knew that you needed sleep. Once on the plane, she had you lay down and you went to sleep immediately. You did not wake up until we landed in Omaha. Because you were asleep during the flight, when you woke, you insisted that we needed to wear our seat belts. Your mother finally convinced you that we had completed our flight. When we got off the plane, you led the way as we exited security. When you saw your dad, you ran all the way up the ramp to the passenger waiting area in the Omaha airport so you could give him a hug. I remember that your dad carried both you and your brother Ryker to the baggage claim area. 

November, 2013: Your grandma had gone to Colorado to help your parents before the birth of your sister, Dempsey Snow. As I said before, you grandma is committed to being there to help out when needed. While I was at the hospital for Aylen’s birth and in Colorado when Ryker was born, I was in New Jersey when I got the call that Dempsey was born. As your parents never knew the sex of the unborn baby, I first learned that this newest baby was a girl after the birth. I started to receive pictures of Dempsey Snow almost immediately. Your grandma and I knew that I had to get to Colorado as soon as possible so I cancelled my planned flight for just before Thanksgiving and booked a flight for the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Your grandma took Ryker for a date and then secretly came to the Denver airport to pick me up. We walked into the house where I surprised your parents and then got to meet Dempsey Snow for the first time.

Here are my memories of the November trip:
Aylen John: I remember you holding Dempsey Snow and being so loving with her. You are a wonderful big brother. I remember you playing Legos with your brother Ryker and me. You have a great imagination and you are so much fun. One day during this visit you went on a “date” with Grandma and me. We drove to Estes Park and we went shopping where you helped us pick out gifts. When you saw a toy you liked, you wanted to get one not just for you but for Ryker also. To repeat myself, you are a wonderful big brother. During this trip, we stopped at a small restaurant where you were very clear that you wanted, “warm chocolate,” not hot chocolate. You told Grandma and I several times and then told the woman who took our order. She made sure that she made up a cup of “warm chocolate.” You helped Grandma pick out “nesting owls” for your mother as a Christmas gift. You helped to remind me to pet the German Shepard in the store only when it was awake and to not try to pet it when it was asleep because it could get startled if it suddenly awoke. Outside one of the stores, you found snow and ice that you could break off and throw at the water wheel. Your aim was very good and you hit the wheel more than you missed it. Finally, you went with us to the Y to visit Art and Joanie and have dinner. You put the empty trays on the conveyor where you were very careful to slide them onto the conveyor and not get pinched. You even got to go back into the kitchen to see the workers empty the trays and send them on to the dishwasher. At the end of the day, you were ready to see your parents. I dropped Grandma off at the Wal-Mart and then took you home because it was right to give you some time to spend with your folks before your bedtime. We had a wonderful day with you. Thanks for the wonderful memories.

Ryker: On this trip, not only did we spend lots of time playing Legos but you loved to watch videos of planes, trains and construction equipment. You would get my laptop and say, “Struction” meaning you wanted to look at construction videos. As you normally were awake by 5:30 a.m., you would snuggle with your mom and Dempsey until you mom was sure that Grandma and I were awake. You then would come downstairs and get Grandma’s IPAD so the two of you could watch videos of construction equipment, planes or trains. This became part of your morning routine.
I also remember that you became a bit frightened of the basement because Aylen John invented a game where monsters came out of the wall behind the mattress that was stored against a wall in the main room. Aylen John organized a group that included your dad, Grandma, and me banging drums and pots to scare the monsters away. I think that you believed there were monsters in the basement. Grandma held you, took you upstairs and showed you that monsters had “all run away to the mountains”. I am not sure you ever were convinced that the monsters were gone from the basement so each morning either Grandma or I would need to meet you at the top of the stairs and carry you down to our bedroom so you could watch videos.

And this brings me to my final memories of 2013. Your mother brought Dempsey Snow to Texas just before Christmas. Grandma and I went to your Aunt Jessica and Uncle Kaval’s house for Christmas. For two days, we got to see Dempsey Snow. On the first night, your Aunt Jessica and I traded walking Dempsey as we believe she had a gassy stomach. About 2:30 a.m., she finally went to sleep and may have slept a couple of hours before waking up with your mother. On the second night, Grandma and I had Dempsey until 2 a.m. While Dempsey fell asleep about midnight, we walked her through the house for two more hours to make sure your mother got a little sleep. Your mother noted that at home in Colorado, it was not unusual for either your mom or dad to be awake until 2 a.m. with Dempsey Snow and then either Ryker or Aylen to come in during the night and want to snuggle. And Ryker usually was awake by 5:30 a.m. It takes both parents to take care of three young children and on only a couple of hours of sleep.
(As a reminder to myself: I need to write to Arjan and Riya about the wonderful memories I had in Texas for Christmas 2013.)
In February, Grandma will be on her way back to Colorado to take care of Dempsey Snow during the day when your mom goes back to work. I look forward to wonderful memories of 2014. Thank you for a wonderful 2013. I love you all.

Grandpa Hoffman

Two.

Love you RykerMan, RykerBoy, 29:)

Momma

My little Dempsey Snow

Snow.  That's my contribution to your name.  I wanted it for your first name, but your mother and I agreed that it would work well as a middle name too... The day after you were born, it truly felt like Christmas morning.  Everything was wonderful.  And, it had been snowing all night, so we awoke to a winter wonderland.  I thought Snow was quite appropriate, and lovely.  

So far, you're practically perfect in every way, as all newborns are... Truth be told, I don't even know you yet.  You are only about 6 weeks old.  You can't talk, walk, play, run, laugh, ask questions about the world, nor tell us about what you're feeling or thinking.  Yet, one of the interesting and wonderous things about being a parent is the fact that I can and do love you, without even knowing you yet.  Someday you'll know what I mean.

Yet, I know that all of that will come in due time.  I know that you will grow and develop into your own unique individual.  Your mother and I often have discussions speculating about what kind of girl you will grow up to be.  You may be a 'tomboy', since you have 2 older brothers who will undoubtedly teach/coerce you to play with things and in ways they they enjoy; you may be big into sports, since we will be raising you in a very active lifestyle (and your mother not-so-secretly would love for you to be her little baller); or you may grow up to appreciate the more 'girly' things in life like princesses, everything pink, babies, dolls, etc... 

Just know that whomever you grow up to be, whatever things you like to do, whatever grabs your interest; please know that we will be doing our best to support you, expose you to different ways of life and hobbies and people, and nurture your interests.  We will love you for who you are.  I can only hope that we will raise you to be a strong, confident, empowered, grounded, ambitious, well- balanced girl.

I'm so happy to have you as a part of our family, the final part.  You add a bit more balance to us, that's what I feel...

I'm so excited to watch you grow up, my little Snow....

Sincerely,

Russell

Teddy bears, blankies, and binkies

Those bedtime comfort things are for the birds. Our Ryke...well he prefers the finer things like this Batman grappling hook (he refers to this simply as Batman) and Russell's travel clock (which Russ hasn't had to use since we had kids because well they are our alarm clocks now).

Oh I love it!

Love,

Momma 

We went on our first family hike today. Oh hiking with littles....first it was packing the bag-diapers and snacks, then getting there-find a spot that you didn't have to hike forever just to get to the trailhead, then nurse Dempsey, hats on boys, Dempsey in the carrier. Boom. Ready. It's true that this will get easier the older they get. And at times it feels like it is way too much work to even bother. But then we reach the furthest point we are going (mind you we've already passed our lunch and our nap times) and I tell AJ "c'mon, it's time to go back now." And AJ stares me straight in the Eyes and tells me, "I'm not coming. I am climbing mountains." I get why we put in the extra work, because we are laying the foundation. We are teaching our family that this IS what we do. We hike. We get outside. We reconnect with nature. Even if it is near to impossible right now daggumit, we are out there!

I did finally convince AJ to come back down by telling him we will be going on many more hikes. And yes AJ, I will bring lunch with us next time so we don't has to leave to go get it.

And AJ told me, "Mom, you know how to catch up to Dad?" "How?" "Run as fast as you can!!!"

 

Then he proceeded to do just that....

Love,

Momma 

First Run

Welp! Waited a little over 5 weeks and decided I couldn't wait anymore! I hit the pavement today for the first time in a long time. It was beautiful!  Amazing how much I needed to feel my heart pound, sweat, and work da body. I'm pretty darn excited to know that after nursing lil Dempsey, my body will be all mine again. Forever! So three cheers for beginning the first workout towards my forever body:)

Yippee!

Love,

Momma

Ryker: My Littlest Man...

2 yrs old, in every toddlerish way.  You are a wildman.  You crave and seek fun and excitement.  You are so cute at this age.  You are such a PITA at this age.  But, your cuteness always wins, always.  

I love hearing your vocabulary grow literally every day.  In fact, it's apparently outgrown my own meager understanding of the English language sometimes... Like last night on the way home from Ace Hardware, you kept saying 'fireflies'.  Even AJ thought that's what you were saying.  And, you kept saying it literally 30 times, trying to make AJ and me understand, to no avail.  The more I think about it, this is quite symbolic of your future... 

Some day, you will do great things, you will build, design, implement businesses, processes, or technology just because you enjoy doing so, in fact doing these things will seem very simple and natural to you... And then you will try to explain the details of these amazing things to your retired parents, fruitlessly, over and over, until you find that it is, unfortunately and sadly, easier just to not bother trying to help us understand such things, except for what we really need to know   :). Please son, go easy on us, but know that I won't hold it against you when that time comes....and I digress...

I also love teaching you things directly, like yesterday when I was folding laundry.  You wanted to help!  So naturally I showed you how to fold things.  Also naturally, you 'helped' a lot by picking up clothes, 'folding' them, and putting them in piles, your own piles of course, or by rearranging my piles as you saw fit.  So cute.  

Something else I taught you was how to 'pull' a laundry basket.  You had decided that the collapsible baskets for each of you kids' clothes should be elsewhere in the room, so you had the initiative to move them.  Yet, the white one was very full and heavy, and you kept trying to pick it up and/or push it to your destination , and kept getting very frustrated haha.  So I showed you that you can oftentimes 'pull' something that is otherwise too heavy to 'push'.  Next thing I knew, you were dragging those baskets all over the room, smiling at me with that big devilish grin while you walked backwards...

Yes, it's fun teaching you little things directly.... Yet I know that you learn the most from me about the world indirectly, absorbing from my example of how to live a life.  The norms that will take root in your subconscious that determine the rules of behavior, how to treat others, how to interact with others, how to deal with adversity and stress, how you acknowledge your own feelings, and how this all translates into your behaviors and outlook in general...

I'm not perfect Ryker, no one is.  That's a good lesson right there.  Yet in life, there are those who keep trying to be 'better', in whatever area they need it, or there are those who don't have any desire to change or improve themselves at all.  Your mother and I proudly count ourselves among the former.  Raising you to see the this choice in your behaviors in life will probably be the greatest single lesson I can help you to understand.  

Well!  This sure has turned into quite a meaningful, introspective post now hasn't it!

Anyhow, I love you to pieces little Rykeeboy.  

Here's some fun Rykisms:

"Danny"

"Sanku"

"Ha!  Funneee!"

Fun adorable fact:  your left ear sticks out about half a centimeter more than your right ear.  So cute.

 

-Russell

Guys Weekend 2013

Meggie is in Texas visiting family down there, and really showing off that little Snowbaby.  Sounds like she's having a good time seeing the Harvells and Bombras.  But that's her story to tell... I'm here to talk about guys weekend!!!

We've been having lots of fun, just us boys.  You know, eating bacon, playing Legos, watching Batman and other superhero movies.  No distractions, no girls (yes, they are oftentimes one-in-the-same for us guys), and no work for Russell for 9 days!

Honestly there have not been many trying moments for me the single Dad the past few days, apart from the usual 'AJ STOP STRANGLEHOLDING RYKER AND SAY SORRY!', or the occasional 'RYKER I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL ME SO PLEASE STOP!'.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Unfortunately it's been a little cold so we've been cooped up in the house so far, though it's looking good out there today, I think I can hear the park calling....

And, I'm happy to report that I've been very productive as well, cleaning, laundry, bottling beer, etc.  

Meg, we're having fun!  And, we're excited for you to come home in 2 days.  Family Christmas together, ahhhhh that'll be nice.

Here's a few pics:

Cheers!

a Girl, my Girl

"it's a boy", "no way it's a girl", "seriously, guys. I'm 99% positive"

I spit it out like it was no one's business.  I knew it a girl no one else was going to convince me otherwise.  The baby's heartbeat was similar to the boys, I carried the same, I looked the same, at the ultrasound I JUST knew the tech was telling me it was a boy-especially because she told me she saw the sex immediately.  The midwife even called her a him.  I had my share of dear ones tell me- "It's so a girl."  I knew they were wrong.  I just really knew it.  

but there were times.  Not a lot of them, but they were there.  Like when the heartbeat would be in the 150s, or when it seemed to increase as the pregnancy went on.  Or when I really wanted something super sweet.  I'd entertain the thought of a girl for a second.  Russ would say things like, "It just would be awesome to see a mini-Megan."  And then I'd start dreaming... a girl, a mini-me.  I liked it.  I liked it alot.  Maybe she could play basketball.  I had visions of her being a point guard, dribbling up the court with her little nike shoes and matching headbands.  I had visions of us getting pedicures while the boys were attending their boy scout camping weekend.  I had pictures of us up on the mountain top after we climbed a 14-er together.  Those articles on how to teach  your girl about her body image-yea I wanted to read them...BUT it's a boy.  

I didn't let myself dream and I sought out others who had 3 boys.  what's it like?  "Oh it's wonderful having 3 boys."  I was prepared.  I was excited!!  You don't have to be in our house too long to realize how different our boys are.  I knew this boy would be totally different than the other two.  

So as you can see, I was convinced.  And when I pushed this little one out, I immediately wanted to know what sex the baby was.  interesting.  Because I have never been so adamant before-I was usually like, "It's a boy. Whatever."  When Russ said "Girl." I didn't believe him.  When the midwife said, "Girl," I almost didn't believe her either.   I think I was in disbelief for the first week.  Every diaper change was mind blowing, especially since she LOOKED just like AJ as a baby. 

After delivering her, I couldn't sleep that first night.  It wasn't because of her, but because of how amazingly excited I was to have a girl, my girl.  She was perfect



.  She was a SHE.  And she was my daughter.  (Yea i know I was on a loop!  Russ had to hear this a bunch in that first week).  I spent hours thinking about our future, her future, all the things that I had pictured with a son were now with a daughter.  AND in the end I am fully aware that my dreams with her might not happen, but I still get to dream/predict/fall in love with potentials!! 
 
 I finally have maybe come down from the high, and just am ridiculously excited for the future, whatever it will be.  I can't wait to help her grow her self-esteem, encourage her to be who she truly is, and just love her like crazy.  I can't think of a better way to be done making our family, and now we can focus on raising them!  There is more balance, and as Russ says, "I finally have another girl in the house."  Since all living creatures (kids and animals) have always been boys.  

If Dempsey was a boy, I would be saying, "Told you."  I would still be in uber love.  But I'm honoring that have a little girl is different and magical in a whole different way.  

So in love, and so grateful!
Momma

(special thanks to Katherine Forbes for the lovely photos- http://katherineforbesphotography.com/blog)
 

OH Christmas Tree, Oh Christimas Tree!

I have super fond memories of going to this lovely place in Lincoln to cut down our Christmas Tree.  We would get all bundled up, hike around, cut it down, go to the cabin to pay, get Hot Chocolate and then buy some cool wreaths!

This is definitely something that I want my boys (eck!!! SO USE TO SAYING BOYS!!!) my kids to know this tradition!  Our friends the Merlers also enjoy this tradition.  A couple weekends ago we headed out to do just that! PICK OUR TREE from a tree farm in Windsor.

It was super duper chilly so we bundled the kids, Russ hungout with Dempsey, and off we went.  We

Ryker didn't dig how cold it was. "NO MAMA"

were instructed that we could only cut down the White-tag Christmas trees.  As I walked with the boys and Grammy I started noticing that there were HARDLY any White-tags.  Like none, ok a couple that were worse than Charlie brown's tree.  What a bummer....!  I was determined that we were getting a Christmas tree, and we WOULD be putting up decorations darnit.  So my friend Mandy and I convinced our men to go to Home Depot.  I don't think I've ever gotten a tree there, but desperate times.  Ya know.

When we got to Home Depot, Dempsey was beyond annoyed that she hadn't gotten fed.  I stayed in the car and fed her, while the boys went in and picked a tree.  Funny how the day turned out!  My desire for this amazing Christmas tree picking out experience turned into a Home Depot run and me not even picking the tree/documenting the picking of the tree!  It's all good.  I'm learning to roll with things these days...because lordy you just never know.

Love our Christmas tree.
Love Christmas time.

Love that we have our forever family now.

:) Momma

Testing, testing. Family of 5.

Ahem. Testing. Yes, hi! I'd like to welcome you to the Family of 5 catergory by introducing a stomach virus to the whole family 3 1/2 weeks after the littlest is born. Sound good? 

Last night was pretty insane. Russ was partaking in the flu fun, then AJ went down around 230a and Ryke joined back in a little bit after. Little did we know Grammy was two floors down "enjoying" the flu as well. I thought my Momma skills might delay or even better crush the virus  for myself, fat chance.  Luckily the Universe hooked us up and "let" Russ get this almost 20 hours earlier than me.  

So we surivived it, and I probably should say are surviving this! I'm up now bouncing a sweet, wide eyes girl who has escaped the flu thus far. I'm pretty darn thankful that Russ has flexibility to work from home, that Grammy was able to assist once she started feeling better, television and above all this tricky flu bug seems to be pretty fast acting.   

Until later, I'm looking for someone that wants to come sterilize this house! Any takers??

Love,

Momma

The years of the immune system...

Poor Ryke is down and out again. He's got some stomach bug.

He went from croup, to a cold, to this bug. Oh the way of life for a little person. Their first year seems to be somewhat protected by breastfeeding with the exception of colds. Then second year is a bit more and I feel like the 3rd year Winter time hits and BOOM. Illness left and right. And each and every time one of these little ones gets sick my Momma heart hurts. I get worried about the other kids, I get worried about me, Russ, others around us. Blast. But I also know that this is the way of life, and hopefully their immune system bulks up and they don't get too sick in school. But until then, I wash their hands, my hands and just cuddle. Lots of cuddling.

Love,

Momma 

Legs

We shall keep on the theme of Ryke for a second. People always talk about the crazy phenomenon that happens when you have a child and your older children suddenly morph into 2x-5x-10x their age. 

The biggest thing I kept noticing in regards to this was Ryke's legs. They just felt like huge cinder blocks that were light poles in length. Even still I'll change him, and feel the need to comment on how big his legs are! I probably need to curb this, as I don't need him getting a complex. But just figured it was worth noting. ;)

(The boys last night as we left for date night. Just some bros on their horses. Reading.)

Love,

Momma

Ryker from a Grandma's Perspective

Guest blog from Grandma:

Oh Ryker man, you can come stay with grandma😘. While not always appreciated he'd come downstairs at the crack of dawn and get nose to nose with me,"train", "struction", "airplane".  If I didn't move fast enough to his liking these were repeated till I got my iPad set up for him.  So cute!

Oh Ryke

I know I've mentioned this before, but seriously we are in full-fledged toddlerhood with Ryke! He has decided that he is most definitely an early riser. 5am. And it doesn't appear to matter what time we put him to bed-7pm or 830pm. So you see the light in this picture?

That's Ryke on our couch watching videos on trains, on the iPad. We shall see if he stays over there, but so far it's great. Russ can sleep an extra hour, and I can nurse without Ryke climbing all over me! Despite his trying times, the kid is still a hoot. Yesterday at daycare he decided to pull the lamp down, which broke the bulb and caused a big mess for Becky. Immediately after timeout he was up to no good again. Have I mentioned Becky doesn't get paid nearly enough?

It's funny because whenever we look into Rykes future Russ and I immediately pictures him in high school/college getting into trouble or being a complete rascal! I will make sure we don't share our predictions with him-we don't need any self-fulfilling prophecies going on!

Oh Ryke!29-crazy man.

Love,

Momma