Braden John: 4 years + 10 months

Braden is less than two months from turning FIVE. With his late September birthday, he missed the Kindergarten cut off and will go next year instead. So, one more year of preschool for Braden. He will attend three days a week starting this Fall which will be a good challenge for him.

Speaking of challenge, Braden is a guy who loves a challenge. He likes things that make him think. He loves games, seek and find books, yo-yo's (trying to figure out how to do it), Rubix Cubes and the list goes on. Braden also loves sports. He played Soccer and T-ball this year. He said he just wants to do T-ball going forward (and swimming lessons) so we will see, minds get changed a lot around our house.  He didn't like soccer as much because he doesn't like to play defense he told me. After watching him at T-ball this summer, I'd have to say he gets the "hard-worker" and "hustler" award. He is very serious when it's T-ball time. He runs over for a drink between innings and runs right back to his spot in the field or bench. He is very focused. I can assume his Dad was just like this in sports at a young age. It will be really fun to watch Braden over the years. I would guess that baseball is in his future, but again we will see.

Braden is a sweet and caring boy. If Liam wants a certain thing and they are fighting over it, he is the first one to give in saying "fine you can have it" when Liam cries. He loves being around people, Braden is never one to play by himself. He always asks if there is a friend around to play with. If he sees kids outside he jumps right in and plays with them. Braden is shy, he won't go up to new people or he sometimes is hesitant to make eye contact with a new person. He takes some warming up, again like his Dad.

It's so fun to watch Braden grow and get more mature, more social, more into sports and it's fun to have conversations with him. He is already stumping me at age almost 5! I am in big trouble.....he will keep me on my toes.

Liam Jude: 2 years + 11 months

It has been a very long time since I have done a monthly update on the boys. So, here's Mr. Liam Stiam's update!

Liam is ALMOST three. This is crazy. We were at the Wash. Co. Fair this weekend and memories came fleeing back of three years ago when I was just about due with Liam and I thought I was going into labor there. It was hot, and I was having some pains. I had to sit down. Well, a couple of weeks later I did go into labor, so Liam will be THREE shortly. Crazy.

What is Liam up to these days? He is hilarious. He is always RUNNING and fast I may say for being a small person. He loves memories- he is always saying, "remember when we had Momma and Liam day and we went to the park and then got a donut." He is always copying his big Brother. Liam loves dogs, jumping, playing in the water, making us laugh and being silly.

Liam has a ton of energy. He is still our emotional man in the sense that he can be happy and laughing one minute, and crying the next minute because something doesn't go his way. He is our thrill-seeker, no fear guy. He is a joy to have in our family and Joe and I constantly are looking at eachother for the funny things Liam says and does.

Anniversary 6.0

Still a bit behind in blogging. :) Trying to pick up the pace a little here, but social media makes it a bit difficult as I feel like I am repeating myself with some pictures or posts. Oh well, blogging gives the more in-depth details for family or friends who live far away who want to keep up with us.

Back in May, we had our 6-year anniversary. It's our tradition to head up to GrandView Lodge for a weekend of fun. We now include the boys in this tradition as they love going there and talk all year long about it. Their favorites are the waterslide, the game room, the candy store and sleeping together in the same bed (this was a first-- and there definitely was not much sleeping thanks to Liam the chatterbug!) :)

We usually get a special Spring rate which includes a cabin by the lake and all your food/drinks for the weekend. It's an awesome family weekend to look forward to each year. The boys are to the age where they remember every little detail about it and get extremely excited- from the "are we there yet"( in the car) to the "can we go to the waterslide again?" (at 7am of course). It is a tradition I hope we continue to keep.

Here are some pictures of our fun weekend. Of course we never took a family picture, but I think you can tell the boys had just a wee-bit of fun (and so did we, just seeing their excitement makes the weekend even better!)

Surviving SPRINter

I am finally back to blogging as I figured out how to load pictures, which wasn't working for a few months! Now, where to I begin. It's been a while!

Well, we are surviving SPRINter in Minnesota! SPRINter is new term they are using to describe what normally is Spring but yes, this year it feels more like winter in April. We had a couple of really  nice days and people instantly came out of the woodwork to take walks or ride bikes. It's amazing how long we go without seeing people out and about and the first nice days, everyone comes out of hiding. I am sure we have plenty of chilly days to come this month so I won't get excited. It is only April, which means up and down weather of course. 

We have been keeping busy the past few months. The boys are growing by leaps and bounds. I don't even know where to begin. I took them to Disney On Ice one night which they loved. It was fun to watch them sprint through the sky-ways just getting to the Target Center. :) We also had a fun time celebrating St. Patrick's Day- the boys woke up to green pee in the toilet and the same little leprechaun made a mess all over the kitchen. What a crazy guy that leprechaun. The boys also helped me hand out candy at the senior party that morning at the YMCA which they loved. They got to wear their fun St. Pat's outfits. Joe and I went out that weekend and didn't quite have green beer, but stopped at an Irish Pub for some drinks and live music with friends.  

This season in particular it seems as if the boys are growing up faster than ever. Liam is a big boy bed, cruises along on his bike and is potty-trained (for the most part). Woo-hoo! Braden can write his name, and just earned his "blue" wristband at the Y so he can swim in the kid-pool up to his chest without us right next to him. This is huge because if I ever take them swimming by myself there's no way I can stay with both of them as they are crazy in the pool and try to swim off.

This summer will be loads of fun watching these two run around. On the two couple of nice days they barely came in for lunch and were outside biking, collecting bugs, playing baseball, golf, frisbee, football and the list goes on. Braden will play soccer and T-ball this summer. Liam is only a couple months short of being able to play the littlest sports league, so we will have to wait until next year. He reminds me daily that he is "two-and-a-half" though and is a big boy! They are playing soccer on Friday mornings at the Y while I work and soon basketball starts. They are getting plenty of running around time on colder days and of course outside on  the nice days.

I am keeping very busy at the Y both with classes and gaining a lot of new clients. It's an exciting and fun time. Joe is also busy at work with some travel in there too. We are making time for our annual trip up north for our anniversary soon as a family and the boys cannot wait. Each year of travel and outings gets a bit easier and more fun. They keep us on our toes and constantly are in amazement at the things they say and do! Easter is upon us, they are pumped for the Easter bunny. I am running a 10k over the weekend and hope to break  some new records of my own- ha, not really. I have been training all winter, so it will just be nice to get outside and let the shoes cruise around the lakes instead of the treadmill.

Disney On Ice

My Little Leprachauns

Warm Day Outside= happy boys!

Puddle jumping!