Stephen turns ONE~!

I didn't realize how much different it would feel to have SJ turn one then it did to have John turn one.  I am much more sad about the fact that my baby is no longer a baby... he is ONE.  Now, when people ask me how old my kids are I need to say, 1 and 2.  That also means I can no longer use the I am still working on loosing my pregnancy weight.... umm... hello! Your "baby" is one! That excuse has officially ran its term.  I have no excuses left, I just simply need to get back to my pre-pregnancy self.  And, boy am I ready!  It is draining in so many ways to be over weight.  Ugh.  Oh wait!! This isn't a weight blog, it is a blog about Stephen!!!!

We planned a birthday party for Stephen on his actual birthday, June 3rd.  We invited all of our immediate family, spouses/GFs/BFs, and Ryan's grandparents.  Almost everyone came to our house on that hot Friday night!  Ryan L and Jinette came early and helped me wash chairs, set up the table in the backyard, pick up the cakes, watch the boys, bathe and dress them! I thought I was "ready" HA little did I know I needed their help! Thank you!! 

The party started at 5:30 and everyone staggered in as their work week ended.  :)  Sara stayed home because she had a cold and didn't want to spread her illness to SJ because he had surgery this week (Again!)  Alana was working at St. Olaf for their reunion weekend.  She was cleaning dorms to get them ready for the alumni to come and stay in them.  And, Grandma and Papa Brown stayed home at the last minute because of possible sever weather in the western suburbs.  Other then that, it was game on!  Jana provided dinner for everyone of brats, fruit salad, potato salad and baked beans.  The perfect meal for a hot summer night!  John served 'ice tea' to everyone, even if they didn't ask for it.  Stephen was so cute, he wore a shirt that said "Birthday Boy," enjoyed his dinner and loved his cupcake!!!  We opened presents....John opened everyones gifts and sat around and chatted.  It was a perfect night.  Happy Birthday Stephen! XO

Birthday Boy Stephen!

Nummy!  SJ waiting for his "smash cake" A cupcake...

First bites... NUM NUM NUM

Birthday kisses form mommy. I love you Stevie Joe! 

Momma and her boys!

SJ was a little 'heat struck' and full of sugar from the cupcake and frosting.

Washing it all down with cold milk

Big brother John enjoying his cupcake too! 

SJ and his Godfather, Mark.  (With Auntie Jinette in the background!)

John "helping" Stephen open his gifts...

Gifts all around! ....

Grandma and Popa Lais: Wheelbarrow, bath toy and Button puzzles

Kelli and Dan: Elmo Camera and Drum

Mark: Sock and Shoes

Grandma and Bopa Patrick: Swim shirts, Beach Bags, and Professional pictures of the boys

Lauren: "Patrick was a saint, I AIN'T!" Shirt

Alana:  Pat the Bunny Book

Glennie Ann: Card and money for his college fund

Grandma Evie: Card and money for his college fund

Mom and Dad: Sand and beach toys and a toy truck to play with outside.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING AND CELEBRATING STEPHEN WITH US!  FAMILY MEANS EVERYTHING TO US!! XXXOOO

Getting behind...

To all of my mommy blogging friends:  Don't let yourself get behind!! 

I feel so overwhelmed about being behind, I think all day about what I need to type on here so that the boys have an 'up to date' "baby book"  .... BUT, finding the time to catch up is daunting!  I would need to be blogging all day for about a week to update the blog on all of the exciting cute things that are happening at the Patrick's.  Boring for you? Maybe.  But, I love this treasure I have been creating.  It will be something I hope the boys will value as they grow up and start their own families. 

Here is to catching up!!  Jana has John at the MN Zoo today while Stephen and I have a day at home.  I did 3 loads of laundry, cleaned the house, made dinner and now that my 'chores' are done.... BLOG TIME! :D

We're BAAAACCK!!!

We took a break from the Internet at our house... it was a long 3 weeks.... but a good three weeks! :D 

I have tons to update on, and Mr. Stephen is turning 1 this Friday!!  Stay tuned!!  ;D

TWIN'S GAME!!!!

Steve and Jana were on a trip to NYC so Steve gave Ryan and I two of his season tickets- WOWIE!  They are second row behind the Twins dugout.  Right in the middle of the action!! 
It was a cold, windy, rainy morning.  Ryan went to work extra early because he was leaving early for the game.  I was home wondering if the game would still go on with the yucky weather conditions.  I called Ryan to ask what he thought, your kidding right?  Caroline, it's Minnesota! Dress warm! hahaha  Not 2 minutes later, Alana texted me asking if the game would still be on with the weather-- I was glad I wasn't the only one thinking about how frozen and wet I would be in a matter of hours! :)
My mom came over to watch the boys and Ryan and I headed to Target Field! YAHOO!  Steve and Jana treated us to the seats and my parents treated us to the parking and food.  It was prefect!  All we got had to do was enjoy our day together.  :)  Thanks to both sets of moms and dads. 
We parked forever away because we are the worst at navigating through Minneapolis especially through traffic ...  As we were walking to TF, a girl in a big tan truck hollered at us.  I was a bit confused... then I realized it was ALANA!! haha  she was still looking for parking--
Ryan and I got lunch, a steak sandwich and a cheese burger.  Ryan ate most of both of them- they were huge!  I was just trying to watch for the ball I was planning to catch, since I didn't catch the one thrown to me at the last game...!! ;D   Alana and her friend got to our seats about 1/2 way through the 3rd inning.... parking was terrible!  We had a great time!!!  Lots of laughing for us sisters to do.  :D  The boys in front of us caught ALL the balls, and they were not willing to share- I even asked.  lol
Ohhh, AND the weather got soo much better!  There were even peaks of sunshine! :)  I still needed my jacket and blanket for the wind and random rain drops.  I also won't get into who won or lost... it was pretty bad.... but we didn't let that wreck our prefect day out! :)

Guacamole through a ... STRAW???

Alana was home for the Easter weekend, her and Steve were going to grab burritos at Chipolte so Ryan called Steve and invited ourselves along. ;)  It was fun to see Alana, since she is away at school we cherish our get-togethers!  On our way out the door, I noticed the mail man came. Ryan has been waiting patiently for his CPA letter of final approval and I noticed it was in our mailbox!  We were in a bit of a hustle out the door, but I grabbed his letter.  The first thing Ryan said when we got in the car was, did I get my letter yet?? I told him it wasn't there, just bills!  Once the kids quited down, I pulled the letter out of the stack of bills-  Ryan was THRILLED!  And, I was SO happy to be there to see his face as we opened his letter and read it together. 
We go to Chipolte, Ryan and Steve ordered and Alana and I played with the boys.  As we ate, John was very interested in his guacamole- avocados are a staple at our house.  He was sitting between Steve and Alana, so he knew it was game on! haha Ryan and I were not in direct reach.  ;D  John took his straw from his cup of water and plunked it right into his cup of guacamole and started sucking.  We all laughed because his face was turning darker shades of red, but he persisted.  All the sudden, the guacamole began traveling up the straw... and he grew a huge smile of accomplishment.  Oh John, always doing things a little different!  ;) 
Dinner was quick and to the point, the boys last a matter of 10 minutes on a good night!

Easter Weekend!

We had a blast!! On Friday afternoon, I tried super hard to get all of the cleaning done so that we could have the whole weekend to spend as a family.  It was a success- Ryan came home to a sparkly clean house! :) 
Friday evening we relaxed, read books and dad and the boys wrestled.  On Saturday morning we had the fence company come out to finalize our new fence plans!  We can't wait to have a privacy fence- it will be super nice for many reasons- privacy from our neighbors who are outside all day/night, it will keep John in the yard and it will make our yard look more "put together" or organized if you will.  Around 9am we headed to an Egg Drop in Woodbury.  It sounded like fun- a helicopter was going to drop 10,000 eggs onto a field for kids 12 and under to pick-up.  As we approached the freeway exit it was mad chaos! We did a u-turn and headed home. 
We did our family Easter on Saturday afternoon- dying eggs in the backyard ... 

So much for the little wire egg spoon....hands were much better! ;D 

So excited about the egg dying!! Too bad it was chilly and rainy on Saturday.

Very proud of his eggs- this is the finished product. 8 eggs

Even though John looks like he is in pain... he was just saying "CHEESE!"  Stephen sat in the stroller for the egg coloring event- he just watched.  :)

The little boys headed right to the tub and then to bed for naps.  Ryan did yard work and I kept getting things done around the house.  And, most importantly the bunny came during naps!!!  There were plastic eggs hidden in the hallway upstairs and leading down the steps.  As John opened his bedroom door and saw all the eggs, he looked at Ryan and I and said, "OH NO!! MESS!! NO NO NO!"  (I guess he is listening when I say things are a mess....) 

We carried SJ down the steps and look what the bunny left the boys...

SJ thought the pin-wheel was very cool. :)

John and his goods!

The kids were not so sure about the chocolate bunnies.... neither was I!  They looked at them, took a bite each and then went on playing.  I sure dodged that bullet....

 John and Daddy playing T-Ball!  He caught on fast- it was a great toy!

They both loved the bubbles! 

John opening the PBC eggs, lining them up... and then forgetting about them!  hah I was surprised at how uninterested they were in the candy-  :)

SOME of the many eggs John found! He really liked collecting them, but wished they were filled.  He opened each one and looked at Ryan and I sad that they were empty.  Oh the expectations of a 2 year old.....

SJ enjoying his football egg!  A very happy baby!

Our Sunday was super busy!!  We woke up bright and early (as per our usual) bathed everyone and I baked caramel rolls.  We headed to my parents at 9:30a with our rolls and Easter card John made for G & P.  Brunch was egg bake, caramel rolls, fruit, ham, blueberry coffee cake ...

The kids looked for eggs (filled with gum balls and jaw breakers...haha... pre-filled eggs are not made for 2 year olds!) and played with their Easter baskets goods- squirt guns and chalk while we got all the food ready. 

GRRRRR!  The eggs were shaped like little animals- soo much for just solid colored eggs! haha.  They were really cute!

SJ and his egg

Can you tell he has an ear infection??  Poor boy- he was a trooper though!

Ed's beard was... interesting! :)  SJ was intrigued!

Then, it was time to eat- John was sitting at the head of the table, like the king... as always! ;D

SJ got to sit next to the head of the table, in his highchair! :D  This was his first time having eggs!  He loved them!  Eggs, ham and cantaloupe. 

The boys played outside after breakfast while I got to drink coffee and chat with the adults. :) 

SJ and grandma enjoying the sunshine before the Patrick's headed home for naps!  :)

We went home, napped the boys and Ryan and I re-packed the diaper bag.  Then Ryan had some homework to do, so he spent an hour reading his case studies. 

Around 1 we headed to Great grandma and Papa's condo for the Brown side Easter!  It was so fun to see them!!  It had been way too long-- our sick winter kept us from many family gatherings.  The older girl cousins played with JR and SJ while I got to chat with the aunts about music, technology and being a mom! :)  Great conversion!  Then, Ryan took John outside with Papa and looked at his garden.  John loved running around outside and spending time with Papa.  SJ and I stayed inside to talk (surprised? haha - I know what you are thinking- Caroline, talking?!  no way! hah)  and SJ enjoyed a sample of most of the desserts. :)

John and great grandma and papa's, sitting on this little chair with a teddy on it.  He thought it was so silly! He had the girls (Jackie, Alana and Tera) wrapped around his little finger!  He was un-wrapping all the candy he could find, sampling it and then going for the next piece. :)  

Then we got the boys snuggled in their car seats so they could nap and hopped on 169S to head to Jordan.   (By the time I go to Jordan, I was pictured-out  ... I only took a couple at the Brown's and none in Jordan! Oops)  We ate dinner in Jordan, and then there was a table FULL of desserts.  It was a bit ridiculous... but very tasty!  I has a piece of cheesecake that I shared with JR and SJ.  We played outside and hung out.  John went on rides up to the cemetery with my parents until the golf cart got a flat! haha  So, uncle Mark and Tom came to help.   John walked ran thought the cemetery while we were waiting for the rescue crew. :)  He was going from grave to grave kissing them.  (not sure what he meant by it... considering he doesn't understand the concept of graves... but it was still cute!) 

Then he played in the little playhouse and enjoyed an ice cream sandwich with uncle Dan and aunt Terri.  SJ enjoyed playing with cousin Rachel and uncle Dave.  Rachel is pregnant, and having a girl!!!  The Kreuser's have 3 baby boys, so it is due time for a little girl! :)  Jack, John and Stephen we DO love having you too! ;D

Around 8:30 we put the boys in their jammies (we actually changed them in the bed of the truck-- very country like! lol) and headed home after a loong day- John was awake the whole way home, and SJ was sleeping before we pulled out of the drive way. We unloaded the truck and I put the boys to bed while Ryan did homework. 

WOW- I had to do this post 4 times!!!  Each time, it kept getting deleted!  UGH.  So, I shortened it each time I had to re-type it.... and it is still super long. haha

Nothing to Say

I have Easters' post almost done... it is a long one! 
The last month has been a drag!  It has been rainy, snowy, cold and dark with a couple peaks of spring time sunshine.  Maybe I am having seasonal depression??  (along with most of the state!)  We have been busy here with repairs to the house, appointments, school and work.  The saying, if you have nothing nice to say, just say nothing at all fits.  I have nothing fun or exciting to blog about... so I am holding out on the crabby posts! ;)  This spring, or lack there of has been hard after the long cold winter. 
We are having a garage sale this weekend... it was time to de-junk our house AND make some extra cash! That has taken most of my time in the last weeks.  Going through everything and getting rid of things we haven't used since we moved in on Ashland, or things we won't be needing in the future.  :)  *hoping for a good turnout!!*

If you or someone you know is in the mood, stop by this
Friday and Saturday 8-12 for our GARAGE SALE
8 families have added to the sale!!! Baby gear and clothes/Maternity/Women's clothes and jackets and shoes/Men's clothes/Purses/and household items!

Stephen's FIRST Haircut!

A couple days before Easter, Ryan and I were laughing at how long SJ's hair was compared to JR.  John had the clean shave look, and Stephen was rocking an over grown mullet- it was time for a cut!!

On Friday evening we took him to Kid's Hair.  He took his job very seriously, studying every move the lady made, watching her scissors and comb.  But, he didn't move much, needless to say, it went smoothly!  Ryan and I were glad we made it a family affair-

So mellow-  can you tell he has a double ear infection???  He looks kind of sad doesn't he??  :(

Brotherly.... love?

Last week, the boys were in the tub.  One of their favorite things to do!  John was hording the toys and splashing most of the water out of the tub as Stephen was refusing to sit while he was also trying to splash all the rest of the water out of the tub.  It is quite a party here!
Stephen decided he wanted the toy boat, but John wanted all the toys.  I tried to use this as a teaching moment.  Explaining to John how to share and that SJ is a baby and he doesn't know how to ask for a toy...so, let's just give him one!  Well, JR was not taking to the idea of sharing his toys and SJ was done waiting.  All the sudden, SJ lunged at JR and bit his arm- really hard!!

OUCH!!!  After icing it for 20 minutes, it still bruised.  And, every time John went near Stephen for the next couple days he would say, "NO Beef, NO Bite me!!  NICE BEEEF"

Here is John explaining what happened-  NOOOO BITE ME!

I tried to rally after the bite- I put Stephen down for a nap and I told John we were going to dip cookies in milk!  A first for John! :)

He was a disaster by the time he was done dipping his 3 Oreos-- he could have used another bath... haha

Catching up....

I have TONS to catch up on, it is going to take me a bit!  I do have the pictures to jog my memory...but I still want everything to be as fresh as possible!! 

Pray for some time in my schedule opening up....

Go ahead, look him up!!

The Board of Accountancy (finally) reviewed the CPA candidates from last October!  And, that would include RYAN!  :D

This was the last step for him-- he has been approved! 

Since I am sure you want to see it for yourself.... Click on this link and search by last name. 
I'm looking forward to the recognition dinner in May!! 

YAHOO!!

You're going to give me a chicken?!!?!

My mother in law, Jana, has a blog and she has a great entry this week!  Please, if you need a great laugh- this is where you will find it!! :D

Jana's Blog

Jana writes every Wednesday- tune in! 
Lauren, I'm loving your Christmas present that keeps giving!!

Visiting the Easter Bunny and a Night at Carlson's

I took off blogging this week-  I needed it!  As much as I love that I have so many of our memories "on paper" I also was getting sick of sitting at the computer.  So, I took the whole week off and I am not going to look back! :)

On Friday night we went to bed early- the boys were sleeping by 7pm and Ryan and I by about 8:15.  It would be an understatement to say we were all tired. 
Saturday we woke up, tired still- Why?! So, we all had a lazy morning and stayed in our jammies until 11am! :D We had breakfast and read books.  It was nice to do nothing.  At about 11 both Ryan and I got the itch to get moving! Too much laying around... We got everyone ready and headed to the MOA to see the Bunny!!
There was not a line at all!! We walked right in- perfect!!!  Ryan and I drove separate because Ryan was volunteering at STA so he was just going to go strait there from the mall.  We took the double stroller, but I wanted to let John walk.  He has been loving going on walks when he gets to actually walk.  So, this was the first time I have let him walk while we were in public somewhere busy.  I have been practicing having him hold on to the side of the stroller while walking, and holding my hand when we are crossing a street or if we hear/see and emergency vehicle.  It took us almost a half hour to walk one length of the mall- but John was in wonderland!  He was pointing ot everything, laughing and cheering.  He saw the Bubba Gump Shrimp man, and ran to him for a quick high-five. The bunny was on a break when we got there, so the four of us walked around Camp Snoopy Nickelodeon Universe.  John was in complete shock, he has never been anywhere like it.  He was waving at every kid, chapped for every ride and would only hold daddy's hand.  Stephen was thrilled too! He was like an owl- his head spinning in every direction, trying to take it all in.  He was screaming (in a good way!) and "talking" the whole time. 
We walked right in to see the Bunny, he was very friendly- and it was FREE!  You could take all your own pictures- LOVE IT!  I was very curious to see how this was going to play out.  John was scared of Santa (and the Easter Bunny last year)  but Stephen was very intrigued by Santa.  It was the opposite this time!  Was thought it was great, he gave him high-fives and sat right next to him smiling for the camera.  Stephen was un-sure, he wasn't crying, but it was scared- stranger-danger!  The boys got their "treat bags" and we headed to run a couple quick errands at the mall.  We got most of them done but then Ryan had to leave, so the boys and I walked around and had a lovely time.  We even stopped for a kid-size dish of ice cream for the boys to share.  Every two bites John had, Stephen got one.... John thought that was perfectly fair! haha
Then we went home for naps so the boys would be ready for our night.  While we were napping, Ryan was at STA bartending for their auction dinner.  He had an excellent time seeing friends and having some "guy-time" :) 
We headed to Carlson's for a pizza dinner.  Things have really changed since we first started hanging out with the Carlson's-  haha  We now find having a pizza party, surrounded by 3 (soon to be 4) highchairs, talking about Kristin's pregnancy, the best kind of knives for chopping up food for the kids, and singing along to the kids music a perfect Saturday night!!  Thanks for having us over- it was a blast! 

Sunday was date morning -- we dropped the boys off at my parents and headed to mass.  Then went to Dixie's for their brunch- YUMMY!  Came back to our house and did more organizing. At the end of all of this cleaning, our goal is to have everything we own to be in a bin or dresser.  No more "junk-drawers" or any randoms ...  we are making huge progress!  I can't wait to be totally organized! :D

John, "on a ride"  He was thrilled!!!  we just made "motor" sounds and he was screaming and cheering! :) Simple joys. 

Stephen taking is all in- a happy camper!

John loving the bunny!

Lo Lou  John has been saying "love you" So sweet- I Lo Luo too, John!