Goof Balls

We had some fun being goof balls!  Chase enjoys pretending to be a baby as well as wearing sunglasses.

Mommy wears the snake mask with Chase

Mommy and Chasey

While we were being goof balls this is what Daddy was doing. :)

Owen joins in on the fun. BZZZZZZ

Chasey screams.  Look at that big mouth and uvula!

Dancing at our house is an every day occurance.

Good splits Chase

Owen jams

Owen pretends to be a puppy.

Our Schedule

is about to change because I'm done with work for the summer!  :)

Here is how our schedule went this year.  Boys up at between 5-5:30 (although for the past few weeks it's been more like 6:15!).  Mommy gets ready while Daddy does whatever it is he does with the boys.  Mommy comes downstairs between 6:30-45 with clothes for Chase and Owen.  Chase and Owen sometimes eat some cereal (sometimes with milk, sometimes without) or oatmeal with honey.  They like to watch Word World or Clifford as they wake up.  Then they play with their cars, go potty and then begins the chase to get clothes on.  We give the 1 minute warning.  Then another 1 minute warning. Then typically one of the boys is willing to put his clothes on.  Typically the jammies come off and the boys run around the house while I chase them.  Jeff comes downstairs, starts to eat cereal and helps wrangle up a different boy.  I usually get some underwear on and the running starts again.  Then finally I get the shirt and pants on while Jeff is dressing the other boy.  Sometimes there is a melt down about putting clothes on and life gets interesting.  We then round up blankies, a bucket full of cars (seriously, why did I EVER allow them to take cars with us when we leave the house?). So, cars are falling out of the buckets, boys are crying and whining, I'm ready to throw the bucket, cars and all, into the garbage when we finally make it to the van.  The boys get strapped into their car seats and we are off, typically to daycare around 7:40.  On our way to daycare we have to say hi to the goats at the Chaska Lawn and Garden store.  Then we have to say hi to the horses in the pasture a little way down the road. We do the same thing on the way home.  We also look for buses and the boys get very excited when they see one.

For a few days the box of fruit and veggies came with us in the car because Chase loved them!

Owen is ready with his cars.

This summer we will not be doing the above.  We will be "hanging out", what that will look like, I'm not so sure.

Owen Runs!

I feel like you can see what he's going to look like as a man in this picture.

Look at that stride! We have a track star on our hands.

Owen gives his "look" to me while standing on my garden's edge.

Memorial Day weekend was a casual, fun, rainy time. We played inside a lot, did some cleaning, spent the night at Nana and Papa's so Mommy and Daddy could see a movie, and went over for dinner to Nana and Papa's on Monday. 

This spring has been just terrible for weather.  It has rained so much that it's been hard to get outside.  Once you get outside, it rains again!  We've experienced a very beautiful rainbow, lots of splashing in mud puddles, getting stuck in the mud, having mud go into our boots, falling in mud puddles, etc. 

Owen's Week

 Owen had quite the week last week. He had some allergies and his eyes swelled up. We took him to the Dr. to make sure he was ok. He was. Then in Sunday he fell head first off the bar stool onto the wood floor. Boom. Poor guy. He recovered very quickly but would not let us put any ice on his bump. It swelled up right away into a nice purple and red goose egg. After that he and I went outside and played some baseball.  He and Chase are very into "t-ball" and say it and want to play it all the time.  It's pretty funny.  They have some really good hits.  The only problem is keeping them from hitting each other.  Chase hit a ball pretty hard and Owen was only a few feet away.  The ball hit Owen in the chest, but he didn't seem to mind. 



There is always time to hug your brother!

 Owen's goose egg

 A swing and a hit!

Oops, I think he missed this one, or he is swinging backwards (which would be taking after me)

Owen falls to the ground after a grand swing and pouts a little. :)  Nice bump Owey.

Despite the big bump, he is all smiles and sweets.  He's my sweet little boy!

Bjork's visit

My best friend, Lindzy, and her family came to town on the 14th of May.  Lindzy and her husband, Jason, and I went to ISU together.  I went on their first date with them. :)  Before I was married I was called Jason's second wife because I was always with them.  And I swear they let me (or so I thought) have an opinion and say in their lives. :) (o.k. not really, but they let me have a say in where we stopped to have lunch on the way to Ames.) We would do a lot together and I am so thankful and blessed by their friendship!  Well, we all grew up and had kids.  The Bjorks moved back to IA from VA.  Lindzy had her 3rd baby and they came for a visit. The boys had a blast and can't stop talking about Addy and Ela. 

Addy, Chase and Owen have a meal together.

Ela felt a little left out after all the pictures I took of the 3 littles.  I happened to capture this beautiful shot of her bright smile!  She's a beautiful God daughter, isn't she?

The kids were playing construction and trains.

Addy ponders her next creative construction move.

This picture cracks me up.  Pants too big, undies hanging out, skinny little body, hat too small but still looks cute and snot smeared across his face and his big brown eyes gazing at me.  Oh Owen, I love you!

Lindzy and baby Drew.  Isn't he cute?!

Before church Chase and Ela got in some bounce time.

The kids wouldn't put their arms around each other, so I lined them up and got some cute pictures!

Chase, Addy, Owen and Ela

Isn't this sweet? Addy and Owen stare at the video of Ela's music concert. 

Day +1

It's the fist day after Dad's transplant.  I guess he felt like a "wet dishcloth" last night.  He had been given 2 doses of Benadryl, which I think would account for the "wet dishcloth" feeling.  I'm listening to my two little boys play like boys in the next room.  It's so sweet.  We are all praying for Papa and know God will answer!

I talk to him several times a day, typically on my way to work and on the way home.  It's fun to check in and hear about all the people he met that day.  My dad loves to talk and meet people.  :)

Day 0

Transplant day for my dad.  He gets new healthy stem cells.  They call it his Birthday, I guess because his body is being reborn, in a sense.

Thank you for the prayers!

Day -1

So today is day -1 for my dad.  Today begins the stem cell transplant process.  Today he will have massive doses of chemotherapy to destroy the diseased cells in his bone marrow and the rest of his body. This gets rid of the cancer cells in his bone marrow.

Join me in praying for my Dad, mom and for the doctors.  Please pray that the transplant will be successful and the risk of infection will be minimal. 

We are praying for you Dad!

Mommy's Treasures

If you are a mom, I'm sure you'll know what I mean, by saying these are my treasures.  The dandelion above is my first flower given to me, with a huge smile, by my son Chase.  It was so sweet and I love this "flower". 

This card was made by Chase for me on Mother's Day.  Isn't it beautiful.

This butterfly card Owen made for me on Mother's Day.  It's lovely.

I treasure these things their little hands make and give. What a blessing.

Cute Stories

The boys have been really funny lately, their little personalities are sure coming out.  The other day Jeff was helping the neighbors move a large ball and burlapped tree.  The guys were really working hard to get the tree in the hole.  The boys and I were watching and all of a sudden Chase yells, "Go Daddy go!"  It was so sweet, we all laughed and Chase looked so proud.

When coming home from Waconia the other night Owen was asking for something from the backseat.  I said, "No," to which he replied, "Pllllllleeeeeeeeeeease"  He sure knows how to get what he wants!  Of course with that sweet little plea I gave in.

Last night Chase got a big ol splinter in his foot.  It was a very big deal.  He couldn't take a bath, he wouldn't walk on it, needed Daddy, etc.  When I finally figured out he had the splinter he was freaked out.  Jeff had to hold him while I tried to hold his little foot still.  He was thrashing and kicking and screaming like we were cutting off his leg.  It came out very easily, thank goodness.  Through the thrashing it was interesting to watch Owen.  He seemed almost at tormented as Chase and began to cry when Chase was crying.

 The boys like to wear their backpacks while running around the yard. Here are a couple pics of them around Easter.

Chase is not much bigger than the backpack.

He's getting ready to run!

Owen is running up the hill wondering where Chase is.

New Outfits from Nana and Papa Bob

Chase and Owen got new outfits and the minute they saw them they had to put them on.  Don't they look cute!

Chase shows off his best dancing moves.

More dancing

Play fighting

Suddenly there is a big hug in the midst of play fighting!

Owen's best dance moves.  Notice his face.