April FLEW by!

Wow... it's been a whirlwind weekend. and month. and life...really! For Easter we had some friends over and celebrated mid-afternoon with a ham feast and easter egg hunt for the kids. It was a really fun day.

From there we really don't know what's kept us so busy but somehow it has been! Somewhere in there we headed to Rapid City and ended up with a Toyota Sienna van. It's the Extra Luxury Edition. Yep.. I think it's awesome...even if it is a minivan. We've had some beautiful days this month and spent time playing outside in the water. Kaden learned to ride his bike with training wheels and was OH so proud to ride it to the park for the first time. I doubt we will go to a park without it now! Kate graduated from stroller to wagon for our park trips. She just climbs around in the stroller so I realized a wagon is much more suited for her! The kids also got to go to their first circus! The elephants were the favorite (possibly because they peed and pooped for them), and they also loved the tigers and cotten candy.

Kaden also got to meet Curious George. You should have seen his excitement! He found every monkey think he had to wear... then he frowned when George came in. He told me George is NOT that big, and he knew it was the real George. Oh well, he still loved it!

Friday (27th) was a day full of happy and sad. In the morning we had our 20 week ultrasound! We found out our baby is totally healthy and the amniotic fluids levels (the worry of this pregnancy)are GREAT. We don't have to have another ultrasound for that until 32 weeks! (What, 12 weeks without an ultrasound? the most we've gone so far is 4!) We also decided not to find out if this baby is a boy or a girl. I am so excited for the surprise. I think Luke is just willing... he'd sure love to know. I kind of think its a boy because the baby is already measuring a week older and is in the 90th percentile. (Following his/her brother, Kaden!!!) Friday was also a sad day when Allison moved out. We were all sad to see her go, especially the kids. Katelyn even through herself on the floor and wailed and cried. We miss her, and were glad to get to share our home with her. It is weird to go back to "normal". Thankfully, we had a busy weekend to distract kids from the sadness. On Saturday Kate turned 2. We spent the day cleaning and cleaning...and cleaning. And making potato salad, and marshmallow fondant, and cakes. That evening my parents came and the kids were so thrilled to see them. It had been since Christmas! On Sunday, the kids and Luke and Boppa went to church while my mom and I made the cakes and wrapped presents. The cakes were the easiest I've ever done, and I kind of think I'm hooked on fondant!!! I made the marshmallow fondant, so it even tasted good. My dad said he likes it better than frosting. I loved how it turned out..and Katelyn seemed to enjoy it too!

We had cake and ice cream first at 3:30pm-right after naps! Then we opened presents and played. Around 5:30pm we had polish dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and chips. It was a fun celebration. We got her a water table, but I don't even have a picture!

Kaden's 3rd Birthday

I am finally getting around to posting pictures of Kaden's 3rd birthday. We had his party 2 days early- on Sunday the 10th- and were able to invite some of his friends that we met last year at the park. When I asked him what he wanted for his party he said only two things: pizza and a Thomas cake.

At age 3 they already know how to pick the more difficult things. That's ok, tho. I was able to precook some crusts (even personal size for the 3 kids old enough to care) and get all the ingredients prepared the day before (after spending the whole day at craft day!) and so putting the pizzas together was a breeze.

I baked the cake in a round cake pan, 11 cupcakes, and a small round pan. I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to do with it.. I was just glad I had talked Kaden out of his 3D Thomas idea. I convinced him it would be MUCH more fun ot have a toy on his cake to play with later. Luke jumped in on the fun too-which made decorating fun to. (Usually it's fun, but more stressful. Luke is more into detail so he helped with getting the frosting spread just right!)


I ended up experimenting a lot with this cake and was totally and completely pleased with how it turned out. I really outdid myself, and I'm wondering what he's going to expect in coming years??? Also, i just have to say- I didn't have to run to the store-or have Luke run to the store once in the whole process. THAT is a real accomplishment for me! (WHAT? I was prepared? SO WEIRD.)


He had such a fun time. First we ate pizza outside with his friends. Then they played in the pool for a long time-with his big slide into it. Then they played in the sandbox...then we had cake and ice cream and opened presents. He was truly spoiled. He got so much Thomas and Cars toys... he couldnt have been happier!

So here starts the tradition I plan to follow for birthdays. Pick your meal, pick your cake, pick your friend. It seemed to go over very well!

Also. he wants everyone to know that since he is THREE now, he no longer wears bibs. I think I'm just as happy to be done with them. At his 3 year check he was back down in the "normal" percentiles for other 3 year olds. High, but normal. At 36lbs 8oz he was at 89th percent of average. And at 39 inches tall he is at 83rd percent average.

Three soon?! OH MY!

(I know you thought this was a pregnancy announcement!)



My baby boy turns 3 in just 4 more days. I can't believe it! He is such a fun kid these days (haven't I always said that?) but really I mean it more than ever! There were times in the last 3 months I wondered if we would survive the 2s. I had heard that 3s were worse-and I was in dread. But then a few people told me that it was just a phase...an "almost 3" phase. I think (and pray) they were right! Or it could be that it's summer finally and we aren't stuck in the house? But I'm going with the 3s not so bad.

This year there won't be grandparents here for his party. We had thought Luke's parents were going to come over the 4th and we could celebrat then. However, Luke's dad had a slight heart attack and some stints put in and that plan was abandoned. Thankfully, Luke's dad is doing great after all the fuss...but Kaden's party was looking a little hopeless! I just couldn't get motivated! And on top of that he was INSISTING that he would have a 3D Thomas the Tank Engine cake. He told everyone. How do you break a heart so set on it? I wasn't sure I was up to the challenge, ESPECIALLY without a Gramma here to help! So I looked all over online and he just kept showing me just what he wanted. Then one day he said "Mom, my thomas cake will go fast!" (or something to that effect...) and then it hit me. He thought he'd be able to play with his Thomas cake. I told him that Thomas cakes don't move. They don't get played with. They just get cut and eaten. He was devastated. Absolutely devastated. So I suggested that maybe we could have a cake with a Thomas toy on top that he could play with. His eyes literally danced. We were saved! His devastation was gone, and my predicament wiped away...all in one little moment. Relief. I can't wait to make his cake now, and I can't wait to share it with you! But for now, it's a secret. :)

Next we went to the store...to look for presents. I was asked to buy presents for Luke's parents since they couldn't come. They wouldn't have time to mail anything and wanted him to have something from him. So we looked at Walmart and, of course, Kaden wanted everything but I just couldn't swallow the rediculous prices! So we headed over to Kmart. (I always wonder why I go to Kmart....) Anyway, if there's one thing about Kmart it's that it lets me down about 99 out of every 100 times I'm in there. You'd think I'd learn, but I don't. And then I hit the ONE time it has what I need and I'm s glad I haven't given up. (Trust me...if we had ANYTHING but Kmart and Walmart and the expensive Teacher's Corner I'd go...but we don't.) Anyway, I found the clearance toy aisle that I never knew existed. It was PERFECT! For $20 total I was able to get Kaden a Cars duplo gas station with 3 of the Cars characters, a Lightening McQeen matchbox car, and a Thomas the Train Memory game. He is gonnna LOVE them! How, you ask, did I buy it without his knowledge...well that was kinda a funny story.

So ...I had walked over from Walmart, WITH my groceries in the back of the cart, as well as Kaden next to them. I refused to go to the car which was at the opposite side of Walmart as Kmart...and I also refused to drive to Kmart when I could just go straight over. They didn't seem to mind the Walmart groceries, or the Walmart cart... Anyway so when I found the toys I distracted Kaden with another toy and put them on the bottom rack of the cart under where the groceries were sitting so Kaden couldn't look down and see them. Problem was, the darn McQueen car kept falling off. We LURCH as the wheel hit it and Kaden would frantically look for the problem. "What was that, MOM?" "Um, I think we just ran over a rock, Kaden....LOOOK AT THIS NEAT THING!" as I handed him some random thing to distract him and get the toy safely back on board. It didn't matter how i put it, it wouldn't stay very long. On top of that we had to go to the very back of the store because Kaden needed to go to the bathroom. REALLY, kid? The timing! So we managed to get back there without him seeing the toy...then i wondered how to get him down from there without seeing? Well i just carried him into the bathroom, came back out to get kate, and reversed it to get it back out. Then right as i started pushing to get back to the front of the store it fell of again. "MOM, you need to drive better!" as he frantically looked for my problem. "Kaden! Look at this!" to distract him....it was a camper trailer dish drainer. He was NOT impressed. By then, I think he thought I was crazy. 100% crazy. We did finally make it to the checkout aisle, where I wondered what to do. I took him out of the cart, stuck him right by the candy, and told him to look at the candy. It worked. He was too busy checking out the candy to see that i'd bought some toys. Then I tried to not buy any. MISTAKE. You do NOT plant your not-quite-3-year-old in front of the candy on purpose and then not buy something. We ended up with a package of mini M&M's...I couldn't bare to pay for anything that wasn't on sale. We made it out to the car without him noticing (remember it was all the way on the opposite side of Walmart...) and home. Then without thinking i got him out of the car and let him play in the yard while i unloaded the trunk. Yep. I opened it right in front of him. I thought he didn't see but now I'm not so sure. Two times now he's talked about the toys that are in the trunk for him! I asked if we bought him toys. He says no, mom didn't buy toys for him, but that he knew there were toys in the trunk. So I took him out to the car to have him show me (acted all confused.) He was so confused when I opened the trunk and they weren't there. "Where'd they go, Mom?" "Kaden, are you SURE there were toys in there?" "Yes...WHERE ARE THEY?" "Kaden, if momma didn't BUY toys, then we couldn' bring them home from Kmart. Did you see Momma buy toys?" "No...... but...." as he walked away. He is still wondering how he saw toys that must have never been there. I can imagine itwill all make sense on his birthday.

We're doing his party on Sunday. He has requested Pizza (how did he know he got to request???) So I think we will just do a family pizza for lunch after church and then have naptime and have a cake and ice cream party after his nap with some friends. It will be fun. I'm so glad it's all coming together. I was starting to feel bad for not being able to get in the groove with his birthday plan!

Kate is ONE!

For the next 2 1/2 months now I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old.

I was welcomed into this "Mom of a one and two year old" phase of my life by Kaden peeing all over the bathroom floor (accident?? I think so.) on the morning of Kate's birthday. Awesome.

Speaking of Kate's birthday. It was a fun party! We had it the day after her birthday so my parents could be here with us. We had a few other people over and had brats (the meat-we didn't eat the kids), polish dogs, hot dogs, potato, pasta and green salads, lemonade, and chips. Of course, it snowed.

I didn't get a lot of pictures, but managed to get a good one (or 2) of the cake. I was proud of it! Just cupcakes made to look like flowers. Then I made a little spot of mud where I wrote Happy Birthday Kate. For months I had looked at cake ideas and didn't like anything I saw...finally found just a picture of this one and knew it was perfect for Katelyn. It took a lot longer than I thought it would to frost and put together, but it was totally worth it!


She truly enjoyed every lick of frosting and can now be considered a frosting-aholic. SHe KNOWS what frosting is now!



She got lots of cool toys too! Ironically-everyone got her Melissa and Doug brand. Kitchen toys and sandbox toys. Kaden is pretty sure it was all for him.

My Favorite Boy is 2!

I can't believe that it was already 2 years ago that my baby boy was born! What a cone-headed little cutie he was! He came out a social butterfly, and sure to make his wishes known! I just love my little 2 year old!
My newborn Kaden!
My One year Old Kaden!
My TWO year old Kaden!!
We had his birthday party yesterday, and it was a lot of fun! We had sub-sandwhiches, pasta salad, watermelon, chips and dip (Luke says it's not a party without dip...I tried to tell him he does a fine job being the dip...he disagrees.) and, of course, cake and ice cream! It was a fun challenge to make his cake, and it took 2 tries to get it to bake to perfection, thanks to my less than perfect oven. Frosting it stressed me out! People-you would LAUGH if you could be a fly on the wall during my "creative moments"! EEK! It turned out very cute and all the food was yummy, even if I do say so myself. We had about 8 people over and partied it up!






Luke built him a big sandbox for his birthday. Sadly, he only had time to get one load of sand before the company closed, but at least it was enough to let the boy play in! The first time he saw the sandbox he RAN to it...looked in...then RAN back to the garage to get my garden tools. So we came in and had him eat some cake and open presents...which we gave him some sand toys. THen it was a quick change into sandbox clothes, and back out to the sandbox til the thunder storm rolled in! He loves it! We made it big...so even when he's 10 he'll fit with a couple friends!