About Me

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I am a Mom of two young lads, a fitness fanatic and wife to a die-hard Packers/Brewers fan. I worked in corporate america for 12 years. Now I am on a new adventure - raising my sons and working part-time in the fitness industry as a Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor. I hope you stop by and read my updates- family, fitness, or life related!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Turkey Day 2012





We had a great Thanksgiving! I hope you all did too!

It started out as a 60 degree day so as soon as breakfast was over, we took a jog outside as a family. After everyone was showered and dressed, we packed up and headed an hour north into Wisconsin to my brother's cabin. The day was filled with sunshine, cousins playing, fantastic company and food and some great family pictures outside. We got out to play a little football for a few minutes and bam, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped about 25 degrees. Once it got dark, the rain started and it turned to snow. Pretty soon everyone was packing up and heading out to make sure we got home OK in the weather. It was a slower trip home, but we made it. The boys were tired from a fun day of playing and no naps, but stayed awake the entire ride home...except for Liam who crashed about 10 minutes from home. It was nice to be back home that night to get a few things done. Joe actually braved it and for the first time, did some Black Friday shopping. He got a bunch of things on our list, but said he would never brave those crazy crowds again. It was a bit chilly to wait in line outside too- brrrrr!

We had all weekend to get our Christmas decor up and I did tons of cleaning, re-organizing and completed some projects around the house that needed to be done. With the chillier weather that took over, it was a perfect weekend to stay bundled inside and check things off the to-do list. I taught some classes as well, so it was fun to see people at the Y working off some of that holiday indulgence. Everyone was ready to work hard.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I feel very fortunate to be able to see my family for the holidays, unlike families who can't travel or have someone in the military who they don't get to see. Although we rotate holidays- this year is Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with Joe's family, both sides are still close enough to get to see throughout the year. I pray for all of those that spent their first holiday without a loved one, or for those that are sick and spent the holiday in the hospital. I am thankful for good health in our family and pray that continues!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

November- Sunshine, rides and Turkey!

 Boys conquering the park- the end of Nov and no jackets!
 Celebrating at the MOA!
Brothers sharing yogurt!
 
 
Well, here it is the day before Thanksgiving and it's 60 degrees here in MN. We were able to hit a park and run off some energy around the baseball field too. What a fantastic fall and start of winter we have had here. I know it will change quickly, so we are enjoying every minute of it! We are keeping as busy as ever! Braden is still doing pre-school one day a week, we also have a music class for all three of us on Mondays for an hour. Braden loves dancing, singing and playing the instruments. Liam likes to run around the room and play with the toys, not so much sit in the circle and when it's time to put the shakers away he throws tantrums as they are egg shape and look like "balls" - his favorite thing in the world. He doesn't want to give up his ball!

Early this month, we hit the MOA to celebrate Braden being potty-trained. It was a big day for him. We did unlimited rides, and he went on the rollercoaster about 3 times and a ton of other ones too. It was fun watching him get so excited and run from ride to ride.

Mid month, we had an unexpected trip to WI for Joe's aunt Connie's funeral- a very sad weekend for us and the rest of the family. It really forces you to appreciate the loved ones you have, and be thankful for each day here on earth. Things can change so fast, and we all need to slow down a bit in life and make sure we are happy, living life to the fullest and spending time with those we love. It was a flashback of what I experienced with my Mom when I was a young age of 20, losing her to cancer. I really can't describe in words how hard it is to go through that, but as the years have passed I realize how much I have learned. That experience has made me a stronger, more sensitive and compassionate person than I was before. Plus, I learned so much from her that really applies to my current stage in life, even though I still miss her everyday and wish that she was here.

Joe traveled to Miami for work over the weekend, so the boys and I did some fun things- movie night, hit the park and had Cherry Berry. Went to dinner, and they spent a day at my sister's house so I could run a bunch of errands (thank you, Shawn and Kurt) and have a little break from the fighting/whining that was wearing on me a bit after two weekends in a row and long weeks in between. :) I sure love these boys, but I need to make sure I give myself breaks here and there to be a better Mom and come back refreshed so I can tackle the next day again. At ages 3 and 1, it's a lot of work chasing, disciplining, feeding, dressing them and getting them to/from all these places on my own all day long. But, this time will go fast and I will be so thankful I had this time with them. I am already thankful. They change each and everyday.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I truly am thankful for so many things this year: my wonderful husband and adorable two boys. Our health. Our home. My family and my in-laws. My friends- old and new. My job at the YMCA where I have met amazing people and have a community that welcomes me. I am thankful for the nice weather so we can get outside. I am thankful for the angel who is watching over me everyday (Mom)....and the list goes on. I hope everyone can take a moment and be thankful for the many blessings in your life, and if it's a hard year- may there be other blessings that can pull you through the tough times.

Monday, November 5, 2012

My Two Sons

 



 

On the 22nd of each month both Braden and Liam turn a month older. I always write a little update on my blog right around that time, hoping to stay pretty timely so I can have a personal record of what they are up to (think online baby book) and so family and friends who don't live close can get updates too. Well, here it's November 5th and I missed their October update. Oops. Braden was 3 years + 1 month, and Liam 14 months. In these updates, I often talk about each boy separate - Braden gets his own update and Liam gets his own. Today, however; I will talk about my boys together and how they have grown as brothers.

 Looking back, last fall and winter I was always pushing Liam in the stroller, feeding him a bottle or holding him while Braden ran around and was the active one. Fast forward a year, now Liam is upright and moving fast (zombie style) and can try to chase his brother, throws balls and runs in circles. Now they both sit down to play cars and push them down the ramp. They both eat the same things, at the same time. They nap at the same time (thankfully) and Liam goes to bed a little earlier than Braden, but they wake up around the same time. A year ago, I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off- serving different foods, changing diapers at different times, trying to get one to stop crying and trying to play a game with the other one. I literally was running non-stop all day long as they were in such different stages. A year later, things are more align- although they may run at different speeds and in different directions they are doing much more of the same things these days. It's still busy and tiring, just in a little different way. :)

Boy are they different though. Liam has the Irish temper, and Braden is stubborn. Liam is my instant gratification guy. He is hungry as soon as you mention food or he sees it. He eats faster than anyone in the house. Braden isn't a big eater, and takes forever at meals. Liam is the daredevil, Braden more catious. Liam throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way, Braden is pretty patient and might just say "bummer". Both are as active and as busy as can be.Braden can be shy in certain situations (meeting new people) and Liam is usually talking at the top of his lungs. Although different, they do have simularities too. Both are smiley and fun. Both boys love bath time, reading books, throwing the ball and playing cars. The dynamic duo also both have a sweet tooth (so do Mom and Dad) and are ticklish. They both can play on their own, but also crave that attention from whomever is in the room at the time. I see them fighting over toys, or hitting each other, but also hugging and kissing each other or sharing a toy. I see both of them smile when they see the other one wake-up in the morning. It's fun to not only watch your kids grow, but grow together. I love how Liam claps for Braden when he does something good, or how Braden gets excited when Liam achieves a new milestone like walking.

It's a busy time with these two little dudes, but it's a fun time too. Now that Liam is a good walker, we will venture out more places where both boys can play (and I don't have to do as much holding) like the Children's Museum or open gym time. As winter approaches, I am going to get creative on new things we can do together: story time and other field trips. One big win this week is one is out of diapers (except at night)! Woo-hoo! We also start a music class together today.

 It is so clear to me now why I was blessed with two boys. I was a little fearful at first- was I ready for a future of being outnumbered in the house, wrestling matches in the living room, playing cars, trucks and washing sweaty sports uniforms from here on out (half kidding, half serious here)? A world I am not as familiar with sounded frightening at times. I must say that has been a wonderful experience being a Mom of sons so far and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Although they are busy and active, they are very sweet and endearing.  They are full of life, spunk and love.

Brothers til the end.....people may come in and out of these boys' lives, but they will always be brothers. They will always have each other. They will be each other's rock. Each one of them is different and special, but together they make one dynamic duo: my two sons.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween Fun.




 
Happy Halloween! Well the festivities are over. The Halloween celebration started over the weekend for us- with a little event at our neighborhood Community Center. Braden was excited to wear his Spiderman costume, and Liam was our little Bball player. Then on the official 31st, we started off with homemade pumpkin shaped pancakes (and orange colored too!) Braden had pre-school that day, so we got to go see him perform in a little concert. He was surprised with a visit from Dad who got off work early to come! We then had a neighborhood party with pizza, bonfire, and beverages for the adults. Trick-or-treating came later when the kids couldn't wait any longer. Braden ran from house to house with excitement. Liam went to a few houses and then came home. Both boys had a blast and it was super fun watching Braden really get into it this year. Next year will be Liam's time to shine! Was a super fun night for kids and adults. Our little celebration was even captured via the online newspaper here in Woodbury. Link is below:
 
 
I hope you all had a fabulous, fun and safe Halloween!