Life Update

I have so many things I want document.
We have been having so much fun adjusting to life at our new house. The boys still call it, "the new house."
This post will be a few randoms... but things I want to remember! :)
Ryan put a sandbox in and Nana and Papa got the boys a trampoline. Our backyard is the boys dream world. ...They LOVE the dirt and patches where the grass isn't growing. We have been doing a lot of baths! TruGreen has been to our house twice this spring already. They have their work cut out for them!! We have very little grass... but, we are rich in dandelions! And, if you ask the kids, they want to keep all the dandelions. :/

Ryan took a day off work to build the boys a sandbox!  And I sure love that he did this for the boys!!

Load #1 of sand!

SJ playing in the 1/2 finished sandbox.  Ahhh, Fresh sand! ;)

Getting started on the transition zone.

Another load of sand added, carpet added on the wood for saftey.

Done!!  Sand fun may begin!!

Trampoline time!!  The boys BOTH love this!! 

John has been going to school still on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our drive to and form school has been a special little part of my day. The boys and I talk about all the things we drive past. We go around the "turn-about" Circle!! Circle!! Is chanted. Then, the soccer fields, the hockey rink, the bubble, the baseball diamonds. Then, we get to the corn fields, the cemetery, then SCHOOL! :) It is fun to listen to them excited about where we are going and when we are seeing. Once John is happily inside and we are driving away, Stephen says, "Bye John!! Love you John! Have Fun at school John!!! See you soon John! TOOTLES!!" For the first 5 minutes of our 7 minute drive home. :) SJ is sure excited to be able to go to school some day.
We have park that is a few houses away and Ryan and I have been taking the boys there often! Those slides are fun!  And Auntie Alana took John there one afternoon.  John is so lucky because, Alana let him climb every tree there!  Proof?  Yes, of course John picked a leave from each tree and Alana saved them all to show me.  Lucky boy!

We have been loving (however, this is still an understatement) our new home.  Our kitchen is almost done... almost! We got a butcher block counter on our island, Steve built a cookie sheet/bread board cupboard for next to our stove/oven and together, Ryan and Steve took down some of the cabinets for where the fridge goes.  We still need to finish painting behind the fridge and put in the flooring under the island.  Eventually, it will be done!  :) 

Easter 2012

We had a great Easter weekend!
We were all home from Arizona for Easter in our new house and happy as ever to be feeling kind of settled in. Auntie Alana was home from college for the weekend, so we got to have our first over night guest.  Little did Alana know her Easter break wasn't much of a chance to catch up on sleep while sleeping at our house.  I felt bad for her.
Alana came on Saturday late morning.  We had sandwiches for lunch and then put the boys down for a nap.  Alana and I watched Bridesmaids while the boys napped and Ryan did house work stuff.  While we watched the movie there seemed to be bird chirping in every scene.  Thats when I realized (as I was laying on the floor at the foot of the fireplace) that it was a bird in the chimney!!  So, what better to do then light a big fire?! That is just what we did! Ha. We finished our movie and the boys woke up so wegot ready to dye eggs.  Of course I didn't have any vinegar, which you need for dyeing eggs.  So we made the color with lemon juice...it didn't really work, i wouldn't recommend it.
After eggs, Alana did painting and art projects with John while Ryan and I made dinner.  The boys loved their time with Auntie Alana!  After dinner we did baths, and popcorn and a show.  Then we put the boys to bed.  Alana, Ryan and I were all so tired, Alana, like all college students, wanted to catch up on sleep a bit, and Ryan and I were still so tired from AZ, moving and knowing it was Easter tomorrow.  We put together the boys' Easter baskets, hid eggs and went to bed.  Lame? We didn't think so, we were so tired! :)
The boys woke up bright and early, to the tune of 5am.  Ryan and I knew we couldn't let them downstairs yet...poor Alana was sleeping on the couch.  So, we held them hostage in our room until 7:15.  We were impressed that we kept them that long!  However, it was still early... Good morning Alana!  We videoed the boys looking for eggs and eating candy (for breakfast) and played with the new bubble machine.   Alana went home then to catch a few more ZzzZZzzs and we headed to my parents for brunch.

John painting with Auntie Alana

Putting the eggs in the pot to be boiled!

Dinner time!!  We were all pretty hungery! :)

SJ with his yellow egg (don't mind his clothes...)

Family shot!

John and his blue egg! (again, don't mind the clothes...)

Popcorn before bed.  Yes, John was THAT tired! :)

John finding eggs- He was SO good at finding the eggs!!
 And, he thought it was super fun, which of course, it was!!

SJ wasn't quick enough at the eggs, JR seemed to beat him to them. 
So, SJ just went tight for his basket.  haha

Easter 2012

John opening the plastic eggs filled with gummie bunnies.

Stephen was very excited to have been given SO much candy!

As I type this out...May 29th... We still have both bunnies in our fridge and a bowl of candy in our coubard.  They havent had any since Easter morning.  It's probably time to throw it out... hahaha!

We picked up all the wrappers and headed to my parents for brunch!  Easter Brunch is a fun time at my parents.  There were baskets for the boys and they seemed to know just what to do!  Find eggs and eat candy! :)  My mom and Sara filled dozens of eggs with money for the boys.  They bought a BIG piggy bank for the boys to start filling with the eggs they found.  AND, my mom told them that when the piggy bank is full, the boys get to go to see Mickey Mouse! haha- thanks mom! ;)
This year it was My parents, Kelli, Dan, Sara, Mike, Mark, Ryan, the boys and I, and Ed and Madeline Shinbach.  We had egg bake, porkets (from the meat market in Jordan!!) fruit and mimosas.  Everyone ate and laughed.  After brunch we went to the McCreadys and jumped in at the tail end of an egg hunt at their house.  The boys played outside for a little bit and then we headed back to our house for naps.

Baskets at Grandma and Papa's!

Grandma Madeline showing the boys how the egg wand lights up! :)

Collecting their monies hoping it fills the bank because, Mickey is CALLING! ;)

After the boys napped, we headed to Jordan! Jordan/Dan's Farm on the boy’s top choice of things to do. We went straight to Dan and Patty's farm...and kind of intruded on the Boxted Easter. The Boxted's are always welcoming and thus began the boy’s favorite things....

Uncle Dan took them to plow the field. And, John and Stephen both got to drive!

It was very clear they were driving because the tractor was making figure eights all over...good thing it will be a long time before either of them are behind a car wheel!

SJ waving!

As loud as it is in a running tractor, Dan was still listening to and answering the constant flow of questions! :)

As John got out of the tractor, he pointed across another field and said, "We can't be done, we have lots and lots of work to do still!!!" I am SURE uncle Dan will welcome your eagerness to help in a few years during planting season! ;)
Next we headed to play in the corn bin...It was quite windy and a bit high up for me...

Let's just say, I was freaking out a bit! 

Add caption

Luckily, cousin Luke came to my rescue! What a gentleman!

The boys played in the corn until it was in everyplace you never want there to be corn... haha!

We played inside at Dan and Patty's for a bit and chatted and then headed to Grandma's.

I love that at this age, simply sitting on a ATV is enough excitement. I appreciate this!

I am really not sure which boy this is... but I think it is John. Way brave of him to get in the middle of this football game!

We all ate dinner and the boys played outside while Ryan chatted with the guys outside and I chatted with the girls inside. We headed home around 8, and everyone was tired! Successful Easter!