This is how much fun we have been having over the holidays.

(pic from his bday. first time at water park)

-Seeing friends

-Playdates

-Eating yummy food

Now we are getting ready for a relaxing fondu filled New Years Eve.

An early Christmas gift.......we found out that Brooks is going to have a little Brother to grow up with! I tried to go into it with an open mind but how can you not think that ok you have one boy and now you will have one girl? Well I think that we all knew in the back of our minds that my side of the family doesn't get a girl that easy. It has been 26 years since a baby girl has been born into my side of the family. This little one will be the 14th boy in a row. He will also be the 4th one born within a years time. Now top those stats!.............

The top pic is of a foot.

And the bottom one you can see the side profile, a rib cage, and an arm sticking up.

This one you can see the arm and the hand.

The had is near the mouth.

I couldn't ask for anything more right now. These two boys are going to have sooooo much fun growing up together. The thought makes my heart melt.

Hope you all have a great holiday and see you in the New Year!

The tree is ready.

Now we just wait.

Remember those days?

Well it was ready, but someone can't leave it alone.

He likes to collect the like ornaments and put them in a pile.

The tree is a mess now.

Oh well........

Can't wait for the magic of excitement to sparkle in his eyes.

1 more week of suspense.........will it be a brother of sister????

Can't wait to tell you!

Our first snow day!

I tried to measure how much snow we had got over night and my ruler wasn't tall enough. That is the very tip that you can see.

This is the deep foot print left from sending Matt out to measure.

The trees can't even hold themselves up.

What else is there to do when you have a little dog in all this snow?.......snow-blow her a path in the back yard. We are the house with a track in the back yard that everyone drives by and says what is going on here?.

So we have been inside trying to find new things to pass the time.

Washing dishes........

Trying to make a holiday treat. Why? Why? WHY? Do I even try. Today I couldn't even melt chocolate.

So what else to do but relax?!?

Love that we will have snow for Xmas. Thank you for everything being closed today so we could spend time in our pj's. There is homemade chicken noodle soup warming the house and I have NOTHING to do with it.

One long tribute to a special little man celebrating his second birthday.

You never could have told me the amount of love that you could feel for your own baby.

It has been a great 2 year ride with you Brooks.

You have taught us so much.

It is very exciting to experience things through your eyes.

Get ready here is a look back at the last 2 years........

You came just in time to celebrate Christmas with us.

You where the best present that year!

You have grown so much and changed but those little chicken legs are something I think you will be stuck with. (unless you learn that food is good)

Watching you explore and discover new things is the highlight of many days spent together.

Not everyone can say that they celebrated turning 8 months old on 8-8-08 in Florida.

You where so determined to walk and get where you want to go. Look at you now we can't even keep up. Keep running Brooks!

Your love for the outdoors is something that makes me happy. Being outside you can explore and learn so many things. Dirt is ok with me.

Follow any passion that you have. Do it your best and you shall succeed. If you fall we will be there to help you get up and try again.

Who would have known that you could be such a big helper.

Your favorites are laundry, unpacking the dishwasher, and feeding Morgan.

Soon you will get to try out the BIG BRO role.

I know you will be so much help and love the new baby with all you have.

Explore, take risks, be confident, and just be you.

We love you to the moon and back little man.

Happy 2nd Birthday.

Next Thanksgiving there will be TWO more babies in the family. They will be second cousins(I think) and only a few weeks apart. There is no better time than to be eating for two with so much yummy food around. I will pay for it all later I know.

Family!

After all the festivities of the day we went back to my parents to put little man to bed. So we thought......once he saw his second cousins on my side he was in for the long haul. This kids has NEVER seen 10 in his life. He had sooooooo much fun running around with all the kids. It took days for him to recover.

I think that we have relaxed now and can get ready for the next big event. A 2nd birthday in our house.

Lots to be Thankful for this year:

Cheerios

Trucks

Sid and Super Why (fav. cartoons)

You!!!

Happy Turkey Day!

We had so much fun getting family pictures taken last weekend. My sisters boss is starting her own bus on the side. We made it though with only 1 bag of M&M's.

I love this one because it caught the true being of Brooks.

He always points when he is talking to someone.

It is usually "Grandpa or Tim"

You can see the love in his eyes.

Dad and Brooks did their hair together before the pics. A great father son moment.

We will have to do it again after the next little one joins us. I am so happy to have this time captured with all of us in it. (especially me because I am usually behind the camera)

What do you do during nap times?

(The baby told me to do this one!)

Shelly you may want to close your eyes. hehe

His "big boy" room is getting closer.

This is the duvet cover that I am working on.

It has old sports shirts of Matt and I along with some random fabric.

I am loving it.

Over the weekend we had the privilege of helping out a great friend of the family.

There was a benefit to raise $ to help pay some bills and provided the best services.

They made it very family friendly.

Adult friendly too. (men at the bar)

Face coloring. (hummmmm is this why Brooks colors on his face now? )

Clowns and balloon animals.

That is the face of one tired boy.

He was bobbing and weaving the crowd like he owned the place. He can go so fast and everyone looks at you like you are the one grabbing them in the butt.

We had such a great time.

Wishing them all the best!!!!

So this post maybe information about me that you know or may not. Shelly a friend and blogger tagged me in a tell us 7 things about you. Here I go:

1.) I secretly love Hoda and Kathie Lee on the Today Show. They are my gossip catch up.

2.) I can have the whole house cleaned before 8 AM. The morning is the most productive for me.

3.) This is something that I am trying to work on......I am good at starting projects and getting to the last step and just not finishing.

4.) I drive my self crazy always looking for the best deal and price checking. If it isn't on sale or I don't have a coupon I will wait. Can we say cheap!

5.) I LOVE to go to bed early. I guess that would be why I can get things done in the morning.

6.) My idea of a good day is spending time on the boat with family. I hope this provides many good memories for my children as it did for me growing up.

7.) As I do this post Brooks is coloring behind me at the table. I looked to see how he is doing......and there is marker all over his face. Later in the week I will show you where he got this idea.

I better go and clean him up. I also got to check the marker tops because he will bite the tips off. No veggies here but markers?? YUMMMMMMM.

Fall Fun (or work)!

PS. Today he slept in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Till 630. I will take that any day over 530. Keep it up.

Enjoy your weekend.

I hear scampering upstairs I better go check it out.

So the time change isn't going very well at our house. Little man is up an hour early and I am talking early! (530) It makes for some loooong days when the sun even isn't up. Oh well right get over it and he soon will too.

The other thing going on is getting his big boy room together faster than I would have liked. Over the past weekend Brooks insisted on being in the big bed instead of the pack n play. We where at my parents for the weekend. He napped in there alone and then slept with me the whole night. (Dad was gone. Thanks for protecting me Brooks.) I guess he is telling me that he is ready to grow up. So below are pics of his room in the beginning stages.

Quote on the wall............

Blue and orange stripes going up.........

Pendant banner with him name on it...........done!

Still working on a special comforter for his bed along with other ideas going through my head.

Very excited for his dresser to come this week. It is going to be perfect! (thanks!!!!)

Hoppy Halloween.

Just in case you need a good laugh today.

Check out my little frog.

"wibit, wibit"

(doesn't he look more like a baby again?)

The weather yesterday was amazing. It was 60 and sunny. We played outside all afternoon. Brooks loves the "pum's" that he got with Grandma and Grandpa over the weekend.

"Pum big, ugh"

Doesn't everyone have one of these pics with the over sized sunglasses?

Today we went to my old work (where I sometimes sub).

They have goats to feed and trails to walk.

It is a definite old school experience for the children.

NATURE!

In the woods there are forts that the bigger kids make.

So much to explore.

"Come on Daddy"

For as much as he likes to climb, this stump scared him.

It is a great place and a good fit for one adventures boy.

Maybe next year when are big enough you can stay all by yourself.

But for now I am so happy to share it with you.