My sweet boy

Asher is going through a huge mommy phase.  I can’t really complain since I’m pretty crazy about that little boy too… but I do feel badly for Chris who I’m sure feels like he plays second fiddle around here.  One day Mommy won’t be so cool, and Daddy will do no wrong – so I’m going to soak it up while I can!  ;)

I signed us up for the Chick Fil A Mother Son Date Knight for this past Saturday and it was so fun to have time alone with him.  Of course, I could have also brought Jesse… but I was hoping for some one-on-one time with AJ to talk and just enjoy him.  One day Jess and I will do that, too!

I told Asher last week that we were going on a special dinner – just he and I.  You would have thought he won the lottery!  He was SOOOO excited.  He came over and put his hands on my cheeks and said, “Oh!  Pretty girl!”  {Melt!}  The day of our dinner he could hardly wait and kept asking how long until dinner. 

When it was time to get dressed he was a little bit upset he couldn’t wear his Easter tie… but I assured him that he looked very handsome. 

They did a great job!  Right when we got there the boys got to pick out a rose to give their moms.  My sweet boy made sure to grab me a pink one!  He knows me so well!  There were fun decorations, a craft for the boys to make a family crest, questions to ask, menus, waiters and waitresses, ice cream sundae bar, limo rides, and of course, the Chick-fil-a cow!

Asher loooooves the CFA cow, but he wasn’t thrilled it was the girl cow.  She was dressed as a princess for the “Mother Son Date KNIGHT” theme… but I think that was lost on a room full of boys.  He wanted to know where the boy cow was.  :)

We skipped the limo ride and went to Barnes and Noble to look at books (a favorite of Ashers).  It was so fun to just watch him, listen, and really focus on just him.  He was silly, goofy, and really sweet.  At the store we were looking at the toys and he was obviously doing the ‘potty dance’ I asked him a few times if he wanted to go use the bathroom and every time he said no.  Finally (knowing wet pants would put quite a damper on our fun evening) I told him we were going to the bathroom.  When we got into the stall he went to the bathroom right away and said (quite loudly), “Mom, you were right!  I did have to go to the bathroom.  Thank you!  You know all my plans.”  I could hear the woman in the stall next to us giggle a little bit.  When we got out to wash hands she looked over and smiled and said, “It’s not often that you get a ‘thank you’!  That was precious!” 

*I know that second picture is blurry, but it cracks me up!  He was doing a little “show” up on the stage.  :)

Like any child Asher has his moments, but he is SO sweet and has such a tender heart!  And I wouldn’t trade that for anything!  We are so blessed with TWO precious boys that we love SO much!!!

Sick! Sick! SOOOO Sick!

We’ve been battling sickness at our house!!

Asher got sick last Thursday evening, 48 hours later Jesse went down and 24 hours later it was Chris’s unlucky turn.  Knowing I would get sick within 48 hours I waited anxiously for my symptoms to come.  At hour 47 I was still feeling good and hoping we were in the clear, but then…. Asher got sick again!!!  Discouragement really set in at that point. 

From all our (ahem) official  research we are quite certain we’ve been struck with the norovirus.  Let me tell you HOW much fun norovirus is….  NOT. AT. ALL.  It’s awful.  It’s highly contagious and extremely resistant to being killed.  For example you can’t clean it with a regular cleaning wipe or detergent, just good ol’ bleach. 

So we’ve lived off crackers, gatorade and toast for almost a week and watched more cartoons than should be legal.   :)  We’re hand-washing around the clock and praying for restored health.

In all of this we’ve been blessed by the prayers of SO many friends and family.  We are so thankful for our “family” here in town, our small group from church who stepped up to offer help and make runs to the grocery store for more gatorade.  And we’re thankful for our family and friends all over the country who have been praying and checking in on us around the clock.

Thankfully, everyone seems to be on the mend and (by the GRACE of GOD I never did get sick).   I don’t think I’ll ever take a normal day of just healthy kids for granted again!!!!!!  (Okay, I’m sure I will, but hopefully I’ll remember how awful this was and think twice.)  Even though I stayed well many things have fallen by the wayside and I need to get back on track.  Poor Jesse has now missed TWO monthly updates (ah!  I feel awful about that.)  I’ll try to hurry and get a (late) 20 month update on the blog.  In the meantime we’ll keep bleaching, and washing, and praying!  Hope you’re all well!!!

C’mon spring!!!

In like a LION!

So far March has come in like a LION with it’s cold temps and Tuesday/Wednesday’s snow storm.  We got 5 inches here and it all fell in the evening and overnight.  As much as I’m done with winter it was beautiful to wake up to a ground covered in a blanket of white! 

Just for fun (or proof that I truly am going stir CRAZY) I took pictures of our yard starting Tuesday afternoon and ending Wednesday morning…

I had REALLY hoped that Chris would get  a snow day so I had everything ready for blueberry pancakes.  Sadly, school was not cancelled, but the boys and I still enjoyed the pancakes! ;)

The boys had fun playing in the snow and I tried to show some excitement about pulling the snow pants and boots back out.  :)  It’s funny how FAST the boys outgrow things.  Jesse had moved up 1 winter coat size and Asher’s boots were SO tight that we barely got them on.  It’s a good thing we’re moving on to spring around here… apparently our winter clothes don’t fit anymore!

And what’s a better way to spend a snowy afternoon than legos with your favorite three-year-old?

Long Days, Short Years!

We’ve all heard the saying, “the days are long, but the years are short” and that seems to be the theme of this winter.  Long and cold days of being cooped up inside has us just about climbing the walls, but when I stop and look back I can’t believe how big my boys are getting.  I wish I could fast forward to spring, but freeze time on our boys!  Asher is growing up before our very eyes and Jesse has only the tiniest hints of baby left! 

This HAS been a long winter and we’ve stayed home quite a bit as we’ve either been sick and not wanted to share our germs, or we’ve been healthy and not wanted to catch others’ sick germs.  How long ‘til Spring?! :)

Here are some random iPhone pics from our long winter….

Top Left: Mommy and Jesse have one-on-one time Tuesday and Thursday mornings while big brother is at Pre-K.  Often we’re running errands or at church on Thursdays for MOPS, but I love the time spent with my littlest buddy.

Top Right: Asher’s first haircut with a SPIKY style!  He was so good so we had to get ice cream afterward.

Bottom Left: Asher has taken to coloring lately and is getting so good at taking his time and staying in the lines.  He looked SO grown up coloring so carefully in his new book from Grandma and Grandpa.  :)

Bottom Right: Jesse has always been our climber… so I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised when we found him one day playing with toys in his bedroom during naptime.  He made a clean escape from his crib (Praise the Lord he didn’t hurt himself!)  We have taken some measures to keep him safely in his crib as he’s not even close to being ready for a toddler bed.  (And neither is mommy!)

You know you’re ready for Spring when a brisk 50 degree day feels ALMOST warm.  We went for a walk and Jesse had his first time outside of the stroller.  Now that he experienced the trike we might not get him back in the stroller next time.  He looked SO big and loved it! 

Asher is getting SO good at writing his name!  It makes me so proud of him, and equally gives me a twinge of sadness when I see how FAST he’s growing up.  Slow down, time!!!!

After Jesse went down for his nap Asher and I made a huge fort.  We watched a cartoon and snuggled to a crackling (ipad) fire as we pretended to roast marshmallows.  I think I see camping in our future!

Look who loves oreos!!!!!!!!!!!

One cool dude ready for Pre-K!

Asher was invited to his first birthday party of a Pre-K friend.  He’s gone to birthday parties for family friends… but this was his first party for someone our family didn’t know.  I went along and it was fun to watch him interact with the other kids.  :)

Still in jammies at lunch time is the norm this winter.  Lots of cozy days at home playing, coloring, and helping mommy clean up the house.  Even on the days when cabin fever is rampant I am reminded of how blessed I am.  So thankful for lazy days at home with my sweet boys. 

Move it! Move it!

Kids dance parties are a regular occurrence at our house these days.  Chris hooked up new speakers in our family room and now that we can really jam the boys love to crank up the music and dance.  The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Veggie Tale Pandora stations are our favorites.  Here are some dance party pics…

This day the boys and I were cutting a rug to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing, “All the Single Ladies.”  Cracking me up!

As you can see, both boys REALLY get into it!  Jesse has a funny little shoulder move that he does every time he dances!  It’s a hoot.  :)

Life Lately

I haven’t done the best job of blogging lately… I hope that means I’m too occupied living life.  :)  But, we are alive and well and keeping busy!

After having a snowy December we bought Asher his own shovel to help out… and then of course, it didn’t snow.  Murphy’s Law, right?  BUT then we got a pretty nice dusting and he could hardly wait to get out there and help Daddy.  It was cooooooooold but he was having too much fun to mind.

Nana was here visiting and she and Jesse stayed where it was warm, but had fun watching!

We had a rite of passage as a family of little kids… we went to Disney on Ice!!!!  It was the most fun!  We shared a suite with our small group so the kids could happily move around and dance during intermission.  We’ve been together as a group for almost 8 years?!  And there are really no words for how thankful we are for these precious friends.

Waiting for it to start and in awe of their surroundings!

Nana was planning to come visit, and then unexpectedly Papa was able to come too!  It was a fun visit and we were thankful for the time with them.  Poor Jesse still asks for them in the mornings.  :)

I have to share a quick funny Asher story – the other day the boys were having a dance party and he came running over to me in the kitchen and said,

“Mommy I just prayed to God!”

“That’s great, Asher!  What did you say to Him?”

“I asked Him if he’d help me be silly while I’m dancing.” 

:) CLASSIC Asher!  He’s a combination of goofball and tender heart.  He keeps us laughing every day and I need to remember to write down more of his Asher-isms. 

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  1 Thess. 5:16-18

Our Snowman!

These pictures are from earlier this winter when we had lots more snow, but I realized I never posted them.  Oops!  :)

Asher has been so excited to make a snowman.  Unfortunately the first few snowfalls were too fluffy…

But we finally got the perfect packing snow!!!

I have to be honest, I put it off a few days because it was SO cold outside!

Thankfully we got a pretty, sunny, not-so-frigid day.

Asher looooooooved our snowman!

And I sure looooooooove that little boy. 

He is growing up SO fast and as hard as I’ve tried to convince him to stay little forever he keeps telling me that he has to grow up and be a daddy.

Thankfully, he HAS agreed to be my buddy forever.  :)

Snow Day

Last winter was so unseasonably warm that we only had one real snowfall.  Quite sad for a little boy who wanted nothing more than to get outside and go sledding and make a snowman!  SO……….. when the forecast was calling for accumulating snow last week I was so excited I could hardly stand it.  The snow starting falling around Asher’s bedtime so getting him to fall asleep took longer than normal, but his excitement was so cute!  I took pictures out our front window right before I went to bed, and then first thing that next morning.  Not a huge snowfall, but definitely enough to play in and make the outside look winter-y!!

Woo Hoo!!  Snow!!!!

Asher came bounding into our room at about 6:30 ready to play outside.  :)  I managed to hold him off until about 9:30 (barely).  Here he and Jesse are checking out the white stuff.

Layers are on and mama was sweating.  It’s so much work to get kids snow-ready!  ha!

Snow angels!!

In heaven!

Not sure what to think, but definitely not hating it.

Trudging along…

Asher had a blast!  It was freeeeeeeezing outside and I could barely get him in.  He and Daisy ran around together and loved playing in the snow.

Jesse spent lots of time falling down and struggling to get up.  (Don’t worry I didn’t let him struggle too much – and to his credit, he got pretty good and getting up on his own.)

At one point he fell down and as he lay on his back looking up at the sky he said, “All done!  All done!”  ha!  :)

The next picture shows when he starting saying a new word……..

“HELP.”  :)  Nothing like a little context to get him saying a few more words!

Here’s hoping we have a winter full of beautiful snow… I know two little boys who would be so happy!