new belt!

We now have a yellow belt with a white stripe karate boy in the house!

He passed his "test".

He was so incredibly proud of himself.

Another teary eyed moment in the life of Brooks:)

last day of preschool

Last day of preschool was today.

I am not sure how we got here so fast.

Brooks has 2 years of preschool under his belt.

I know he is ready for more but I definitely am not.  

He has matured and grown so much this year.  

He loves, loves, loves his friends.

And probably his time away from home:(

He will keep us busy this summer for sure.  

Much love Brooks!

Brody big bed

This boy is 2 and in a big bed!

So big Brody:)

One night and one nap down perfect.

Keep it up!!!!!

b turns 2

Oh sweet, sweet Brody.........you are turning 2.

Where or where has the time gone?

I have to to thank for all the fun and happy memories we had over the past 2 years.  

I know we will make many more too.

I actually can't say that I am sad about how attached you are to me:)
You really don't go far from my side.
Always ready with a hug or some thing funny to say.
Well something to say and it is just funny because we have no idea what all the gibberish is about.

Dear Brody,
"My Wish"

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

With much love,

Mom xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoforeverxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Karate boy Brooks

Tomorrow he will get his white belt for finishing 4 classes.

Protect your nose and and your chest he says.

computer back!

Got my computer back!  Yay!  
Will post pics of my little karate kid soon:)

Group pic......please take your eyes off the candy for ONE second! 

Kisses:)

Not so sunny Sunday

Not so sunny Sunday.

But a lot of fun.

Egg hunt for the kids. 

Thanks Shelly for a great time!

Bubble time with dad.

Run, run, run......fill your basket!

Brody you got 1.  He would get so distracted and forget what we where doing.  

He loves his turtle basket though.

Group pic by the mamarazie's.  (don't check my spelling on that)

The sun did kind of come out.

Good timing because the pier was going in today!!!!!!!!

Can we just say it was a great feeling to be at the lake again.

Brody, Em, and I watched all the guys do the lifting.  

Oh and I don't even know what to say about these two lately.

They are TROUBLE.

He has figured out how to talk Gma into almost anything.

(like climbing out on this tree that is barely hanging onto the shore line)

Brooks you are way to smart for 4 years old.

Sorry to say that no one knows anything about fishing except Uncle Tim.  

You better be extra nice to him so he will teach you a thing or two.

Brooks really likes casting.

Maybe one day he will have the attention and patience to be a fisherman?

 Heaven on earth!

Em your crazy cousins will be showing you all about boating, staying up late, smore's, snacks, no napping, oh the fun you three will have!

I had the throw this in there because anyone who knows Brooks could insert any sassy comment right here____________________________________.  hahaha

Bring on the sun:)

vaca week recap

Last week was kind of a blur.......Matt was on vacation with Gpa Paul, Gpa Jeff, Uncle Tim......

We swam.

We went for walks.

Had ice cream.

Rode bikes.

Went to school

Went to the Little Gym.

Swimming lessons.

:)

I had to put this in there because this is what you end up with when men try and take a group picture.  

I mad it extra large so you could try and find them.

hahahahahha

ps.  BIG thank you to Grandma Jane for being Morgan's buddy for the whole week. That was sooooo helpful!

Summer in spring

Oh how we have been looooooving this spring summer weather.

The new thing at our house (for some) is to be shirtless because "it's a nice day mom!"

Thanks Beth for providing Abby with the double stroller.  Works out perfect for a walk with Emery:)

Lots of park visits have been had too.

How can you get any more stylish?

Shirtless at the park......why not?  Oh we will have to have a talk about this before it ends up at school.

(I am not sure how Brody's head fits into this hat already.  It was one of my favs I bought for Brooks. )

P.S.  So much talking from him too and displaying independence which is always fun!

The building block of Energy

B vitamins:  The building block of Energy

In nutrition—more than many other areas—it is sometimes too easy to place flash ahead of substance. Everyone likes to see, talk and think about the newest research and the latest innovations. While this is understandable—newer things are naturally more likely to generate a lot of excitement and energy—a little perspective goes a long way. Sometimes the things that can give us the needed energy are already in reach.

The B-complex is a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5) pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cyanocobalamin (B12). These vitamins are essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, which provide energy for the muscles and brain. The B vitamins also aid in amino acid metabolism and act as coenzymes—compounds that unite with a protein component called an apoenzyme to form an active enzyme. These active enzymes are catalysts in the chemical reactions that transfer all available energy from food to the body. This is part of why the B-complex has come to be known as “the energy vitamin”.

The other feature of B vitamins which helps them earn this name is the support they provide in the proper formation of every cell in the body—particularly in nerve cells. B6 and B12 contribute substantially to the formation of the myelin sheath around nerve cells, insulating them and speeding the transmission of synaptic signals throughout the brain.

In addition to this support of the actual structure of nerves, vitamins B6 and B12 also work with vitamin B9 to aid in the manufacture of three very important neurotransmitters. Two of these are serotonin and dopamine, which work in tandem to regulate mood, motivation and cognitive abilities. Serotonin is a primary contributor to feelings of happiness and well-being, and plays a secondary role in memory and learning. Dopamine, on the other hand, is primarily involved in motivation, attention and working memory while serving as support in the biochemistry of mood and well-being. Together, they function as a complementary pair. The third neurotransmitter—gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA—regulates general excitability in the nervous system, making sure that all nerve cells are primed for full firing.

All of these neurotransmitters are crucial for optimal brain function and depend on readily available B-vitamins as precursors. B-vitamins are so functional in this regard it is even thought that supplementing with them offers potential benefit in moderating the symptoms of ADHD. As might be expected, a symptomatic lack of physical and mental energy—fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, anxiety anddepression—can all be signs of a B-vitamin deficiency. The fact that B-vitamins are water-soluble and are being constantly eliminated makes it especially important to have adequate intake and regular replenishment.

In summary, B-vitamins are as applicable to the physical aspects of energy as the mental. They are critically important not only for physically expediting the metabolism of energy, supporting nerve structure and providing for maximal neural conduction, but also for providing the brain with the chemical signals necessary to make it energized, invigorated and motivated.

(taken from the isotonixblog.marketamerica.com)

Get your Activated isotonic B vitamins here!

Wild water park weekend

Wild water park weekend......

We spend Saturday night at a water park with friends.

Brody and Kolton are only 3 mo apart.

They where so cute together.

Of course you would guess that this one LOVED it all!

This looks innocent and fun......but it always ends bad for us somehow.

There was a big fall into the night stand.

Ok NO more jumping!

They found more trouble to get into.

This ended ok.  

Everyone successfully had fun!

Not sure how you get any cuter:)

circus

We went to the circus this weekend.

Or where WE the circus?  haha

Gma and Gpa Nehmer where our escorts. 

Was a lot harder to get any pictures let alone a good one while the boys where up down and all around.

These are the best I could come up with:(

Brooks rode a "horse" during intermission.  Thanks to Grandpa for cutting into line or we would never had had this moment.

The snacks where maybe a height for then also.  

Pop corn always goes over good.

All in all they did do great.  

From my observations Brody like the motorcycles the best and Brooks says he liked the boy shooting out of the "canyon".

WI winter

Snow and cold.

Just the normal WI winter.

I know this isn't much of a post 

but it just NEVER quiets down over here.

So I guess enjoy until next time (promise really soon....more this week!)

BRB

BE

RIGHT

BACK.....

...NEED A MOMENT TO BREATH.

Brody post

All about Brody post:)

You know how it goes the second child gets trucked along everywhere everyone else needs to go.  

Well the Little Gym lets Brody have his very own time.

He can try new skills, play with friends, and just explore. 

These pic are from their "Show Week."

Gma came to watch all of Brody's skills.

The friends at the gym sometimes are family!

Hi Alex.

Bubble time

Oh and "it's time to put the _____away"  

Thank you Little gym for teaching them how to clean up.

I just have to say this moment for me was a proud mommy moment.  

I was tearing up watching Brody hold his hand out and be so assertive that he wanted a ribbon too.

Oh and then back to momma's boy.  

One baby step at a time.

It is a good thing I need you just as much as you need me Brody.

Can't wait to see what you accomplish this semester as a beastie!