Fall Leaves

Saturday, October 31, 2015



These are quintessential boy shots. Our boys' personalities really come through here. Both are very physical and high-impact, always testing their limits. They are so happy when they are outside. The first photo could be any one of our days.
 
 
 
Our firstborn is intense. When he talks to you, he has laser focus. When he laughs, his entire body shakes (see above). He puts forth incredible effort in everything he does. He has to do things his own way. Has to. He fascinates us and mystifies us. He reminds me of myself as a child, which helps me to be a better mom to him. He does very well when he receives quality time from mom and dad. I've been impressed by his maturity lately. He easily wakes up, uses the bathroom, and gets breakfast ready for himself and others. He is affectionate with his little sister and anyone he views as helpless (not his younger brother). There's a lot more to him too, but so much we're still learning. We enjoy watching him grow. We love him so much!
 
 
Boy 2 is a perfect middle-child. He makes everyone laugh and does not take himself too seriously. He has learned to assert himself and enjoys both his older sibling and his younger sibling. He has a soft, sensitive side, which in no way makes him less of a boy. He likes dirt and smashing and pushing his brother until he gets knocked down. He is in awe of his big brother. Awe. He reminds me of his dad, which helps me to love him better.
 
 
He sings while he runs around in circles these days. Songs vary from "Truck Yeah" to "Delimber," which sound like "Tuk Zeah" and "Dee WIM er."
 
 
He is slightly obsessed with smashing things. ("I SMASH all the spiders, Mom!) His older brother hands him a stick and tells him to kill the spiders in the outside corners of our home. Boy 2 always obliges; Big Brother watches in amazement and lets Boy 2 know if he misses something.
 
 
Here he is running to retrieve his stick. There is even more to learn about Boy 2. But so far he's pretty laid back and easy to please. He just needs to be fed and hugged. We love him so much!
 
 
Our boys are such a great team!
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Mom, Can You Please Watch Me?

This indicates that the child knows not only how to spell but also how to climb up to the top shelf in the closet . . .
 

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Making Music

Friday, October 30, 2015

I asked him to put on a show for me. This is what he came up with. He quickly discovered that the "instruments" are louder when placed on the wood and moved all of them; but I won't subject you to that. He has a few dance shows that I'll try to get on record too.
 

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Empowerment

Thursday, October 29, 2015

There was a time when the two-year-old needed to be encouraged to say "no" to his big brother. Now he is making up for lost time and is determined never to be a doormat again. He says "no" to everyone and everything. Here he is saying "NO!" to the dinosaurs, who roam about the dark spaces of our home along with the monsters.
 

 
 
He will not only say "NO!" to them, but he will also "rip all the dinosaurs."
 

 
(NOTE: Hamming it up at the end: "Did you like that?")
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Finger Wagging

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

This is the Two-Year-Old's way of feeling in control. He wags his finger at everyone. What a great way to start the day! :)



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Google+

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Google+ makes so much more sense with my new android. I really like the photo assistant:


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Child with Spice

Monday, October 26, 2015

"I drink the HOT water, Mom!" (chili)

Our little spice boy also likes Frank's Red Hot on his pizza or on anything really. I don't think I've ever met a two-year-old who likes hot pepper as much as this one!

I'm not sure why he's under the table. He's either copying his brother, who was just doing this to hide/sneak some tortilla chips; or, he's employing a more effective method of food protection.
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Vacuuming

Sunday, October 25, 2015

The obsession continues:
 

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Baby Girl

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Boys are already vying for her attention: 
 

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Lunch Conversations with Boy 2

Friday, October 23, 2015

Here he is recounting an episode of Curious George. You can get a feel for how much he thinks about things. I like to encourage conversation right now and worry about table manners to a lesser degree, though we are working on those too. I just want them to get used to telling me things. Some times I'm better about listening than others. We had a nice lunch this day:
 

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Fall

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Football, Fleece, Hibernation, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves . . .


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Rolling

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Sweet Pea now rolls from her back to her tummy every time we put her down. She especially likes it when we watch her. If she is awake, she has to be in the same room as everyone else. (Probably normal, but it's still sweet.) Here she is trying to get her toys. The doc wants her to start reaching for objects soon. So far, she reaches for her own hands and launches her whole body toward the objects she wants.




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Five Years!

Monday, October 19, 2015

And just like that we celebrated FIVE years of marriage! I remember almost nothing about the day, except feeling nervous and guilty about not having time for good conversations with each of our guests, many of whom traveled quite a distance to be with us.

"I promise you fidelity in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health,
in loving you and honoring you for all the days of my life."
[Photo Credit: Stacy Rausch]


DH did not sleep well the night before. He and several of his groomsmen were staying at our new apartment. I camped out with my sister and family at my sister's home. My brother was reading our first reading, but had the wrong translation (sorry, Michael!). All of it was surreal. I remember thinking, "This is what we do for other people; now everyone is here for me . . . How is that?" I also remember not enjoying being the center of attention, which came as a surprise. (Obviously, I like to talk; but having 100 people looking at me was different.)
[Photo Credit: Stacy Rausch]

The day was very windy and sunny. Most of our good photos were outdoor photos. The photos tell a beautiful story. I'm so glad we have them so that I can remember how the day actually went beyond what I was feeling.
[Photo Credit: Stacy Rausch]

Our reception site was a farm with lots of space for kids to run.
I was and am still 100% convinced that I could not have found a better man to marry. DH represents a thousand answered prayers, many graces, and simply: God giving me someone I did not deserve. He is an excellent husband and father. He understands me and is a wonderful conversationalist. I never grow tired of talking to him. I definitely scored when I got this man:



To celebrate, we went to Capital Grille, where DH found a Wagyu & Wine deal -- well worth the exceptional fare! We also received a free dessert for our anniversary. So, it was an extra special experience without the extra special price tag.


He's a funny one.
We figured we needed a photo like the one we took at the end of our honeymoon.
Notice the dry-aging beef in the window to the left.
He also surprised me with a bouquet similar to the ones we had as centerpieces. He thought I "half expected" them and made quite a few calls to find just the right flowers. Ironically, I hadn't even thought of flowers as I was trying to get the house clean to watch friends' children in the afternoon. (It's good to be busy -- less time to brood.) So, these came as the very best surprise!



[I like to post our previous years' celebrations because they make me happy when I re-read them. You can definitely tell which years I was pregnant based on the extravagance of the celebration (or lack thereof). Anniversaries: One, Two, Three, and Four.]
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I'm Not Touching You

Thursday, October 15, 2015

I told them to stay off the pink blanket.
So, of course, this is what they did.
 

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The Reason for Safety Caps

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Tylenol's plan for making acetaminophen tasty has backfired. Each of the boys have asked for it and tried to obtain it on their own. Yes I am moving it (again) just in case he tries to saw through the bottle. And this comes shortly after DH telling me that Boy 2's "twos" were not actually that bad. He's a sneaky one that boy! The good news is that Boy 1 appears smart enough now to appreciate that he could get sick and die if he takes too much pain medication. ("I don't want to die, Mom.") So he's a positive influence on his brother.



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Waking Up Before the Sun

Monday, October 12, 2015

And look at how chipper he is!
Someone will not be taking any more naps!!



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Green Bay Fan

Sunday, October 11, 2015

"Mom, can I go upstairs and get Dad's Green Bay Packers hat."
 
Absolutely, son!
 
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The Best Medicine


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Conversation with the Four-Year-Old:

Saturday, October 10, 2015

"It's HURTING! It's HURTING, Mommy!"

"What's HURTING?"

"THE STUFF IN MY MOUTH!!!"

"What's in your mouth?"

"That WHITE stuff."

"Yes indeed. We normally don't ingest that by the spoonful."

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Sweet Pea: Four Months Old!

Friday, October 9, 2015

Sweet Pea's current stats:

Height- 23.75 in., 23%
Weight- 11.31 lbs., 4%
Head- 16.25 in., 72%
 
 
For fun, see Boy 1 and Boy 2 at the same ages.
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Potty Trained!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

After a year of training, we have arrived: Seven days and nights of dry pants!!! As a reward, the firstborn went out with DH to pick out his very own toy. He chose this fancy farm tractor set:
 
 

 

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Sweet Things

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Sibling love.



Happy babies.



 
Snuggles, Sour Cream Cupcakes, & Pink Polka Dots.


Waiting For Visitors.


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Night Time Just Became a Lot More Interesting Around Here!

Tuesday, October 6, 2015


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Forklift Boogie

Monday, October 5, 2015

Truck Tunes has created a monster.
 


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Vermont

Sunday, October 4, 2015

We choose to remember our enjoyable visit with Uncle Jack and these lovely photos, not the person who pulled the fire alarm in our hotel at 3:00am, evacuating the entire building.







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Firstborn Photography

Saturday, October 3, 2015


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Tummy Time

Friday, October 2, 2015

Why must I do these painful exercises?!








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