Summer is here!

I never know what to say on these blog posts anymore.  The kids are growing up so fast and I feel like it takes all of me to keep up with our crazy life these days!

Hud just finished preschool last week (He loved his teacher Mrs. Jackson) and is taking swim lessons and playing t-ball!  He is having so much fun!  I am amazed every day by how smart he is!  We have been working on adding and subtraction as well as reading.  He is such a sweet and ornery little boy.  Although, he isn't so little anymore.  He is no longer in toddler clothes and is very independent.

Alexis is getting to be quite the character.  She is sweet and sassy (my sister Jessica calls her a sour patch).  She is so loving and then will pinch or hit..... She loves doing anything Hudson does.  She also loves coloring, painting her nails, loving her babies, "loving on" the animals, playing with water balloons.... She is a fun one!

I love them both so much.  Hud is 4 and Alexis is 2.  It is such a fun time in our house.  We are finally able to get out and do things that everyone can participate in.  It makes it so much easier when kids can feed themselves and walk on their own.  We have been able to go downtown to the science center and on short hikes as a family.  So many new and fun things are happening.

For the past few months we have loved having my sister and her baby staying with us.  They recently moved across the country from California!  It is amazing having her and CP close by.  The kids love having their cousin to play with!

All in all, life is busy but so fun!  I feel so torn between being in the moment and enjoying time with my family and trying to capture everything via pictures and blogging.  There just doesn't seem to be time for everything.

So, Hudson and Alexis, The reason the posts are getting less frequent is not because I don't care.  In fact, it is because I'm trying to spend as much time with the two of you as humanly possible!  So many things are creeping into our lives that are creating distractions or taking time away from you.  I refuse to add to that.  I love you both so much and can't tell you how much I'm enjoying all our time together.  This summer is going to be so fun!  I can just feel it.  You both are at such fun ages!  I love you, I love you, I love you!  xoxo
~mom

Alexis' 2nd Birthday!

I can't even believe this little girl is TWO years old!

To celebrate, this past weekend we had a family birthday party where we made pulled pork, coleslaw, quinoa salad, and mac and cheese!  DELISH!  My parents, Steve's mom, Jess, baby charlie, and Steve's brother Phil came.  

Alexis LOVES singing Happy Birthday, but if you try to sing it to her…. you better be prepared for some serious tears.  I'm not sure what the issue is, but it's pretty cute.  

Alexis got lots of nice gifts that she loves!  She is such a lucky little girl.

We celebrated her birthday again on Monday, her actual birthday.  It was fun and easy.  We ordered pizza and I made brownies.  She got to open cards and more presents from her mommy and daddy!  It really was a great day!

At TWO years old, Alexis is quite the talker.  Just this past week she started speaking in complete sentences.  Her voice is so sweet and innocent, then her little sassy attitude comes out!  haha  She LOVES her baby dolls and playing with legos.  Bouncing balls is one of Alexis' favorite things to do.  She wears size 2T clothes, 6T shoes and 4 diapers.  She likes wearing dresses, singing, praying, shoes, and eating….everything!  Right now Alexis' favorite food is the avocado bacon salad I make that has a fried egg on top.  What TWO year old likes salads???  THIS ONE DOES!  give her toast, bread, cookies…and she says "no thank you" but give her a salad and she's all about it! Alexis is weighing in at 30lbs and 34 inches tall.  If what they say is true about doubling their hight at two years old to determine their adult height then alexis will be 68 inches tall (5'6").  :)  JUST PERFECT!

Alexis,

We love you so much and have enjoyed you grow into such a sweet little girl!  You are kind and compassionate and confident.  It is wonderful to see your personality develop and evolve.  You are just growing up so fast it is literally breaking my heart.  Slow down my baby girl!  I love you so much!  

Your mommy!

Sick Babies

As a mom, I get so stressed when my littles don't feel good.  We've all heard the horror stories about kids getting sick, something goes terribly wrong, and the next thing you know….  So needless to say every time my kids have a fever/cold/stomach bug I don't sleep.  I pretty much do nothing by take their tempter, write out time, temp, medicine…  I just want them to feel better so bad.  It doesn't help that my kiddos are super pitiful when they are sick.  They both get really sweet and cuddly and then the whimper and cry.  PIT-A-FUL.

So, as I type my little man Hud is laying on the couch next to me, sound asleep with a cool cloth on his head.  :(  I figured this would be a good time to write a little about our fun 1/2 weekend.

Yesterday, we went and had breakfast with Santa and did an Advent workshop.  Steve and I have been trying to figure out how to make Christmas more about Jesus and less about Santa and presents.  This turned out to be a really good start. Breakfast was delicious!  Who doesn't like some yummy golden pancakes?!?!  Hudson didn't waste any time, as soon as Santa got there he got up from our table and ran across the room to sit on his lap.  It was funny.  Steve and I had to chase him with our cameras so we could get a picture of him on Santa's Lap.  Alexis wanted absolutely nothing to do with Santa.  She cried.  She screamed,  She didn't even want to give a reluctant wave from across the room.  Soooo no picture with Santa for her.

After Breakfast we went to the Chapel where the children's minister talked about Advent (To Wait) and how we can prepare our hearts for Christmas.  The kids got to make a picture frame and an ornament before story time.  The story was about Christmas Trees and it's symbolism.  It was very interesting and Hudson really seamed to enjoy it.  It was a big morning.

We ran a couple errands then went to Church.  It was, again, about preparing our hearts for Jesus's birth.  We concluded the evening with dinner out and  DQ Blizzards while driving around looking at Christmas lights.  BEST FAMILY DAY EVER!

It's really no wonder Hud is feeling under the weather today.  We just wore him out! ha

Today we were supposed to go to our Neighborhood Christmas party so the kids could see santa again and get a sleigh ride.  Unfortunately we didn't make it.  No worries though, we have a couple more chances for Hudson and Alexis to see Santa :).

I really hope Hudson's fever breaks tonight so he can start feeling better soon.  It just breaks my heart to see him this way.  At least this is happening now and we are getting it out of the way before the real festivities begin!

Christmas Time Is Here

Where do I even begin?!?!

Photo by Kyle Post Photography

Hudson is doing great a school and just finished his first "season" of soccer.  He loved it!  I just signed him up for swim lessons this winter so hopefully that's a hit as well.

Hudson and Alexis (along with Steve and I) got to meet Charlie (cousin/nephew) for the first time a few weeks ago!  Hudson thought it was great and all to have a new cousin, but Alexis was in heaven.  She treated Charlie like he was her baby and wanted to do everything for him.  It was so sweet.  It almost made me want to have another baby just so she could have a baby sibling to love on.  Almost…..

The Christmas Season is upon us again and the kids are at such a fun age!  This year both kids are participating in Christmas activities and able to communicate with us.  It really makes everything fun and we are able to do so much more.

We hosted Thanksgiving this year so everyone came to our house for the day to eat, play games, and just enjoy each others company.  We ALL ate way too much food.  If I see turkey or any other thanksgiving type food before next year I might throw up.  haha  The day after Thanksgiving mom and I went shopping!  We really never do the whole Black Friday thing, but we did this year and it was so fun!  I pretty much knocked out all of our Holiday shopping in one day!  YEA!!!!!!

I am really trying to teach the kids the real meaning of Christmas and still tie in all the fun traditions (santa, elf on the shelf….) There are so many great ideas on Pinterest about books to read, Advent activities, games….  So far the kids and I made a Countdown to Christmas thankful chain, we read Christmas stories every night, and I've been reading them bible verses of the Christmas Story out of the bible.  They have been asking a few questions, but I think a lot of it is just going right over their head.  Planting Seeds :)

Then HE was 4!

My baby is growing up!  Sniff Sniff

Today, Hudson had his 4 year check up.  He is a beast of a child (and I mean that in the best most loving way possible).  The kid is 41 lbs 4 oz and is 42 inches tall!  That puts him in the 85th %ile for both height and weight!  See, told ya!  He's a beast!  :)

As expected Hudson checked out completely healthy and is a "normal, growing, healthy little boy".  :)  Obviously this news makes me very happy!

Hudson is such a sweet sensitive and funny child!  No one else on earth can laugh, have a melt down, say something so witty and historical, laugh again, then get serious and state some worldly truth all in a matter of seconds!  Oh the life of a preschooler!  haha  It's a roller coaster ride people!  All joking aside though, Hudson is the best little boy a mother could ask for.  He is kid and so considerate.  He is very aware of other peoples feelings.  He is extremely smart and intuitive.  You can see the gears turning in that head of his and see his thought processes.  It is amazing to witness how he is growing and developing both mentally and physically!  He has so much coordination now!  Hud is playing soccer this year at preschool and he is really very good if I do say so myself.

Hudson loves preschool and his teacher Mrs. Jackson.  In fact, when Hud misbehaves at home sometimes I tell him that I will tell Mrs. Jackson what he said/did, because he does a complete 180.  He loves his teacher so much he doesn't want her to know if he does something less than kind.  So, it doesn't surprise me at all that Hudson gets good reports EVERY SINGLE DAY at school!

Hudson loves to sing along to music.  His current Favorite is the song Loving You Easy by the Zac Brown Band.  It's really cute, you should hear it some time!

Anyway, I love Hudson so very much.  I don't think I could ever love another boy as much as him.  He makes me laugh on a daily basis and always brings a smile to my face.  I have loved watching him grow and turn into the sweet boy he is today.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for this bright child!