Hunter Buds

Smiley Nate!

2009-07-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

Little Nate being a "Big" boy as he was getting a chest x-ray for possible pneumonia on our trip a couple weeks ago. We were on an island in Canada and had to drive two hours after a short boat ride to cross the border to get to a U.S. hospital. He was really sick, but seemed to snap out of it after waiting for the ER doctor for two hours. Isn't that how it always works? Notice that he thought he was in Disneyland or something. He was having a lot of fun with all of the nice nurses who were spoiling him rotten. Adam and I were "thrilled" that he was having so much fun! Who wouldn't want to spend time in a hospital on their vacation? We were just glad he was fine.

Chelan Campout

2009-06-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our camping trip to Lake Chelan over the weekend. Sorry, they are mostly of Nate once again because Matthew hates getting his picture taken and Nate is always saying, "cheese"! We had a lot of fun with the two other families we went with who also have two boys. Needless to say, we were very busy and so were the boys. Our weekend was full of boating, sword fighting, swimming, dirt digging, bike rides (a lot of them), eating, wagon rides, botchy ball, wine and beer, and an afternoon at Slidewaters water park. Although we had a great time, my boys had their fair share of incidentals. Nathan was unfortanately attacked by the largest yellow jacket that got under his hat at the water park while he was swimming and I didn't know it until he was absolutely beside himself screaming. I pulled his hat off and the bee fell out. He was stung 5 times behind the year. I felt terrible!!!! Poor little guy. Later that day Matthew fell and scraped his nose leaving him with a fat and swollen lip, and bloody nose. The next morning Nathan fell off the picnic table and scraped his upper lip. I cannot keep up with these boys and when there are 6 of them under the age of 4 running around, it is even harder!!!! We have been pretty lucky up until this weekend, so maybe they got it out of their system for awhile! :) We really did have a lot of fun eventhough we are exhausted.

Ethan and Nathan

Yum Yum! Licorice! Darn it. I got caught!

Bailey Dog

2009-06-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share, mostly for family members, that we finally got Bailey shaved. He had sooooooooo much hair it was out of control, so while we were away this last weekend in California he was bathed and shaved. He is as white as snow now and seems much happier. I think he will be spending more time inside now that he hardly sheds!

First Kiss

2009-06-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

What a day for Nate at the park. Thanks to my friend Mary, she captured this moment between Nathan and her daughter, Teagan. O.K., maybe we prompted them a bit, but it sure turned out cute!

Silver Falls

2009-05-24T19:31:00.001-07:00

Since the weather has been so beautiful we decided to take a hike up Silver Falls! It is so beautiful and a perfect hike for kids. The boys had a lot of fun. Nathan got a ride on Daddy's back while Matthew was the leader looking for bears, spiders, and pirates of course.

Snack Break!

Look at my pretzel! Yum!

Ready to go...snack break is over!!

We could stand behind the falls! Well, not technically but the baracade was broken down.

We are on a mission!

Mater the Tow Truck

2009-05-22T19:32:00.001-07:00

Nothing like a little fun in the sun with Mater!! Matthew and Nathan had some friends over today to splash around in their Mater pool that we got last summer from Adam's Aunt. Needless to say, it was a big hit!

Koren, Matthew, and Max

Teagan and Nathan

Gracie, 9 months....isn't she sweet?

A popsicle always makes things better

Crazy Nate!

2009-05-15T19:24:00.001-07:00

Officially 18 months old as of the 10th!

Nathan is always up to something!! Constantly goofing around and getting into trouble. As you can see from the picture below, we don't own any little girl play strollers so my boys don't know what to do with them!!!

Best Buds

2009-04-28T14:07:00.001-07:00

Need I say more....

Apple Blossom Festival!

2009-04-25T19:14:00.001-07:00

A little Saturday fun starting off with the Apple Blossom Youth Parade, lunch at the food fair, a miniture train ride in the park (which only operates during special events), and some fun and games at the carnival. It was a little chilly because it was extremely windy, but at least the sun was shining!!! The boys had a lot of fun and so did mom and dad.

Ahhhh, the Sun!

2009-04-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to see the warm sun out today. Daddy was away this weekend so we played outside a lot doing some yard work, going to the park, and just hangin' out in the sun. Matthew and Nathan enjoyed eating lunch out today although they were more interested in running around than eating.

Puerto Vallarta

2009-03-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

I have been a terrible blogger lately, so I thought I would give you a glimpse of the boys in Mexico! We had a great time with Grandma and Papa Hunter, and Aunt Janessa this past week playing in the sun. It sure felt great to be warm as it was difficult to come back to the cold. Matthew and Nathan were like little fish as they spent most of their days in the water. More pictures to come!

Happy V-Day!

2009-02-15T21:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks sweets for the Bea-u-ti-ful flowers!

Don't they just look like brothers? Nathan has to do EVERYTHING Matthew does. Eating fishy crackers at 10:00 in the morning. What's a mom to do? Oh well, it was my birthday and I needed a break.

15 Months!

2009-02-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a 15 month update for Nathan:

Words to describe Nathan:

Adventurous, Competitive, Goofy, Smiley, Happy, Outgoing, Loving, and Risk Taker

Words Nathan can say:

Bye-Bye, Hi, Mamma, Dadda, More, Puppy, Ha for "HOT", Baby, More, Papa, Bunny, uh-oh, nigh-nigh, B-(Bailey), Bippy a.k.a "Pacifier", and tries most anything

Favorite Things To Do:

Wrestle with daddy and brother, read books, climb the stairs, race cars, antagonize Matthew, play ball, take baths, and pretty much do anything Matthew does.

Disney World!

2009-01-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

A few pictures from our trip down to Orlando, Florida with my brother Ryan and his family. We had a great time as did Matthew and Nathan with their cousins Sydney and Noah. I think we were all exhausted after enjoying 6 days in the parks which included, Sea World, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and back to Magic Kingdom.

7 Years!

2009-01-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Seven years ago on January 26, 2002, Adam and I tied the knot! Happy Anniversary sweets. I love you! We just got back from an amazing trip to Disney World with my brother and his family, so we will be celebrating number 7 tomorrow night! Stay tuned for Mickey Mouse pictures!

Seeds Christmas Program

2008-12-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

Matthew had his first Christmas program for his preschool, Seeds. They had been practicing their 5 songs they sang for weeks and they did a wonderful job. Matthew had a lot of fun singing with his buddy, Koren eventhough the night started out a bit rough. For those of you who know Matthew, he is still a little uncomfortable with new situations, so I was so proud of him when he made it to the front of the room (with a little help from dad) all by himself. There he was standing up with all the kids and as the room fell silent to begin the program, Matthew's lips turned to a frown and the tears started to flow as he yelled, "I want my daddy!" Being the loving mom that I am, I continued to zoom in on the video camera to capture the moment, and Adam stood frozen thinking, "what do we do." I handed Adam the camera and went up to comfort him and he snapped out of it pretty quickly. I just had to sit right next to him on the floor! Good job Buddy! We can't wait for the next one! (Thanks to my friend Mary, Koren's mommy, for the pictures.)

Pudding Fun!

2008-12-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

Nathan loves using a spoon! I think all of those soft foods he wasn't liking are some of his favorites these days (including pudding)! It gives him a chance to get messy and practice eating like a big boy.

Festival of Trees

2008-11-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

Adam and I attended one of Wenatchee's biggest events last night, "The Festival of Trees." It is a formal dinner/auction to raise money for the Performing Arts Center. I and a couple of my friends designed a Christmas tree to be autioned off at the event. Ivy and Cathy had designed a tree before and asked me to be a part of their team this year. I was honored to help and take part in this event. We put a lot of hard work into our tree over the past few months and we were happy to say that we were very pleased with how it turned out. We designed a children's themed tree which came with many toys and gift certificates. All in all, we were extremly successful selling our tree for $2900 and winning the holiday spirit award along with the People's Choice Award!!! We were so excited! The pictures really don't do justice to our tree, but at least you get the idea.

Pauline and Patrick are two of our great friends who joined us at the event. They own Belly to Baby in downtown Wenatchee and donated many items to this event.

Ivy and I standing in front of our tree.

Had to show off my curls! I thought they were fun! Pauline and I made an afternoon of it and got our hair done.

Our tree being filmed for the slideshow that took place during the auction.

Sorry, the picture is a bit fuzzy!

Our "Holiday Spirit Award"!

The boys standing in front of our tree. There were about 14 trees altogether.

Birthday Boy!

2008-11-10T20:02:00.001-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday Nathan!

November 10, 2007

We love you Buddy!

The 1st year can be exhausting, huh buddy? You have learned and grown so much. It has been a joy having you in our life and we can't imagine life without you.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

It all started with a mini train ride down at the park, a little trick-or-treating at one of the local churches where they had a trunk-or-treat in their parking lot, and the night ended with an adult Halloween party through Adam's work.

Nathan sure loved his Nemo costume

The ultimate Miss Piggy! This is one of our good friend's daughters (Teagan) who is 2 months older than Nathan. Isn't she just too cute?

The Gang!

Ready to fill the buckets! Nathan enjoyed watching everyone else. He didn't care too much about the candy. We just filled his bag for mom and dad. Notice he isn't in charge of his bag. Daddy is!

Buzz Lightyear taking a break from the infamous goggles.

Little break for free hotdogs! Nathan usually doesn't eat these, but I am thinking he liked dancing while he ate since there was a band playing in the background.

Honey Bee and Petunia! I guess that is what we were referred to. Last minute costumes for our last minute babysitter find. (My mom and I made Petunia's head piece-with a little advice from my dad)

Girl Talk

2008-11-04T19:22:00.001-08:00

So, Matthew and I were driving to school today while having our usual conversations about whatever when out of the blue he said, "Mom? Riley said I was cute." Now Riley is a girl in his class whom I've never seen nor met. I got a little smile on my face as I was driving and thought oh, here we go. I said, "what did you say to Riley when she said that to you?" Matt said, "oh, I said thank you!" I told him good job! Then I asked him if he thought Riley was cute and he said, "no mom, she is a girl!" I said, "good job buddy (I was kind of proud that he said that), but then I said, "well girls can be cute." Matthew responded by saying, "no mom, girls cannot be cute - girls are SWEET!" A few minutes later, Matthew spoke up once again and said, "please don't tell my teachers that I said girls are sweet!"

Just one of those stories and moments you never want to forget

Halloween pictures are still to come as my computer issues are still being resolved.

Halloween Preview

2008-10-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a little preview of what's to come this Friday night, October 31st! We went to a Halloween party over the weekend where Matthew had a great time making ghost suckers, hitting the Pinata and getting the candy, playing with the other kids, and eating lots of yummy snacks. Needless to say, we have not been able to take the Buzz costume off since then. Only for quick brakes to cool off since it is not very breatheable.

The Boys

2008-10-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

A Day with Dad

This is what happens when mom leaves the boys behind for a day of shopping in Seattle! It looks like they got along just fine going on a little hike, having fun at Octoberfest in Leavenworth, going out to lunch, and checking out the pumpkins at Smallwoods.

One More to Go!

2008-10-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

11 months!

One more to go and Nathan will be 1 Year!

Yes, Nathan is walking!!! He has been working on this for about 3 weeks and although he is a little wobbly, Nathan is officially a walker. I guess he is either determined to keep up with his brother or eager to find trouble. Either way, he is constantly on the move!

Although it doesn't look like it (we love your stoutness buddy), Nathan is a rather picky eater. He has strong opinions about what he likes and doesn't like and he prefers NOT to eat left overs. He loves any kind of fruit, Dino nuggets, macaroni, peas, string cheese, and nutrograin bars. Some of the things he used to love, but not anymore are: oatmeal, applesauce, yogurt, and pudding. Do you notice a trend? He doesn't seems to care for those softer foods. Nathan still loves bath time and to climb up and down the stairs. He can give high fives, kisses, says bye-bye (sometimes), uh-oh, and mama (sort of).

Number 3!

2008-09-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Matthew!

September 22, 2005

Cupcakes we made to take to preschool with one of Matthew's favorite candies on top, M&M's!

Being the "chef" as he would say on the morning of the Big Day

Lots more pictures to come! The big Buzz Lightyear birthday bash is in just a few days!

Snip Snip!

2008-09-15T21:32:00.001-07:00

Nathan's 1st Haircut

He did such a great job and sat in his chair like a pro! I guess he had 10 months of watching his big bro show him how it's done. I had a hard time pulling the trigger to cut his "baby" hair for the 1st time, but he was starting to grow a mullet!!! We love you buddy!

Double Digits

2008-09-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

10 months old

Where has the time gone? Nathan at 10 months can be summed up like this:
* Loves, Loves, Loves bath time!
* Pulls himself up and walks around everything
* Loves to climb the stairs!!!! He is learning to go down backwards and is doing quite well. He is a little timid going down, which is surprising because this kid literally has NO FEAR when it comes to trying anything else.
* Likes to clap and wave
* Just learned to spit his tongue out on cue tonight when I was expressing that the bath water was icky to drink. He smiled and spit his tongue out right back at me.
* He is our clown and is a total goof ball
* Loves to play with Matthew and wrestle with him
* He is learning to be a slightly picky eater!!!

Puyallup Fair

2008-09-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of the cousins hangin' out at the fair. Matthew and Reece sure were experts at driving the car! They had so much fun as we watched all the smiles and giggles.

Nathan and cousin Avery watched their big brothers from the sidelines!

Iron Girl

2008-09-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mary and I ran our 2nd 10k last weekend in Seattle. It was so much fun as we ran against all women. My goal was to beat my time of 60 minutes and I was successful coming in at 57 minutes and 34 seconds. Thanks Mary for the cute pic I stole from your blog!

We also had a great weekend spending time with my brother Kelly and his family who flew in from Charlotte, NC. It was great getting all 6 grandkids together. It was a zoo watching all those little ones run around. Reece 4 (almost), Matthew 3 (almost), Sydney 19 months, Avery 13 months, Nathan 10 months, and Noah 2 weeks. I will post pictures once I get some from the family. Our camera died once we got there :(.

First Day of School

2008-09-04T21:05:00.001-07:00

Matthew had his 1st day of preschool today. It was a bittersweet day. I was so excited for him and he was so excited, but I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It just amazes me. He got a little smile on his face when he learned that he had his own cubby and hook to hang his backpack. It was cute because the director and head teacher came out after I had left, and told me that Matthew was already introducing himself to the other kids as, "I'm Matthew!" He has come a long way from having trouble adjusting to new situations and not wanting to try new things on his own to becoming very outgoing and loving to learn new things. As he got out of the car he said that he would miss me and that he loved me. A regular old Thursday morning couldn't get any better than that! I am very proud of him and he is only 3 (on the 22nd). :)

Dave Matthew's

2008-09-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th Adam! On Friday, August 29th, Adam and I went to see Dave Matthew's at the Gorge in George and it was awesome. We had a great time with friends and it was such a memorable event. We have been trying to see Dave at the Gorge for about 10 years and I thought it would be the perfect way for Adam to go out with a bang as he heads into adulthood!

If we look a little red and watery eyed, it is not because of the fruity drinks and slushy margaritas :), but we had been inhaling all kinds of good smellin' smoke for hours from the young and the young at heart! :) These kinds of events are always good for a little people watchin' and boy did we see our fair share of interesting folks.

Spiderman

2008-08-06T21:53:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would share a quick picture of Matthew holding his 1st starfish he found at Grandma and Papa Hunter's cabin a couple weeks ago. He was very proud to be a superhero that day as he got his face painted as spiderman at the local street fair.

Fishing in Alaska

2008-07-29T20:47:00.001-07:00

Adam and I headed to Alaska last week on a partial vacation/business trip without kids. Yeah! We did miss the boys though. We had a blast fishing the Kenai River south of Anchorage even though it was 55 degrees and raining most of the day. We did stock up on rain gear before we left. Thank goodness! Adam and I were fishing for King's (shown below) and unfortunately he and I didn't even get a bite, but the other two guys in our boat each caught a 45 pound King Salmon. They were enormous as Matthew would say, so I thought I would at least post a picture of what it looked like even though it wasn't us that caught it. Next time I guess! Adam did have some luck fishing for Silver's after I flew back home a day earlier. He caught his limit and had a great time with his customer and some of the Boston Scientific crew. We have quite a few fillets stocked up in the freezer!

Alaska sure is beautiful and I would love to go back! There is really no other place like it.

Almost 8 months!

2008-07-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

I thought I would do an 8th month update a little early since it isn't technically until the 10th, but we will be in Disneyland!!

Some of Nathan's latest endeavors are: pulling himself up on just about anything he can get his hands on, taking a couple of steps around the table (very wobbly), still smiling all day long, playing giggle games with his brother, still army crawling (very fast these days), reaching to be picked up, loves playing with balls, and loves chasing Matthew with daddy.

Taking a quick break from playing to see what Matthew's Veggie Tales movie is all about.

4th of July

2008-07-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time with the Hunter's over the 4th! We spent the weekend relaxing, boating, taking walks on the beach and digging for crabs, playing games, eating tons of great food (including smores), and lighting off fire works.

Matthew loved his first sparkler. He did a great job twirling it around and around. He was very serious as he watched the sparks very closely.

Our family took one last boat ride before the weekend was over. Nathan looks comfy doesn't he? Those infant life jackets are such a pain. He did fall asleep in no time with the wind in his hair and the warm sun on his face. Matthew was also out with his treasured Spiderman fishing rod in hand.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-06-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our very curious, determined, and smiley little Nathan!

O.k., so my good friend Mary tagged me, which means I have to take a break from writing about my kids and instead write about myself. I usually despise these little things, but I thought I would join in on the fun and maybe you will learn something about me that you didn't know before! Enjoy!

The Rules:

1. Link the person(s) who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

1. I can be a little bit of a clean/neat freak. Not necessarily the deep cleaning, but at the end of the day everything has to go back in its spot and wiped up.
2. My second toe is longer than the big toe and I hate it! Thanks dad! It's also crooked from all the ballet dancing I did growing up. Now when you see me, don't start starring at it.
3. My kids have to be bathed every night. I can't stand putting my kids to bed if they aren't sqeaky clean.
4. The boys have been napping around 1:00p.m. and if they both stay asleep, sometimes I watch Days of Our Lives while eating lunch or checking email. I know it's silly but what else is on?
5. I wish that I could sing ( I can't at all) or dance like the people on "So You Think You Can Dance"
6. I am terrible at getting stains out of clothing, but I have discovered Oxi Clean (I know, I am a little late on that) and Krud Cutter.

Bubble Bath Fun!

2008-06-16T19:48:00.001-07:00

Just thought I would share a few pics of Matthew and Nathan playing with bubbles in the tub. They sure had a great time! This was our first practice round of taking pictures of the kids in the tub to put in their bathroom. I think we need a lot more bubbles, don't you?

Nathan is 7 Months!

2008-06-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

Nathan is 7 months old today and he sure enjoyed his first spaghetti dinner. Some of his current Nathanisms are:

* Still loves to play the spitting game, except now he loves to play it while he eats! This makes for a great big mess!
* Army crawls, but is just about to crawl on his hands and knees. He practices rocking back and forth.
* Pretty much sleeping through the night! Usually gets up between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. to eat and then goes back to bed until 7:30 or 8:00. Just can't quite make it all the way, but we have made great progress!
* Would rather immerse himself completely in the bath tub on his back while he kicks and splashes, rather than sit up. He smiles and giggles as he takes in water. We could never turn our back from him while in the tub because he would be under water! Crazy baby!
* He enjoys eating just about anything I give him. He wants to try everything! His favorites are bananas or anything with banana in it, peas, sweet potatoes, crackers, and Yo-Baby yogurt.

Family Hike

2008-06-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

We decided to hike Saddlerock Rim as a family tonight and we had a great time! It can be a rigorous hike in some parts, but overall Adam and I made it to the top with both kids on our backs. I have done this hike now several times with a group of my girlfriends, but this was the first time Adam and the boys came with me. It was a much different experience with an extra almost 20 pounds on my back! Ugh! I think you can tell by the look on my face that I was a bit exhausted, but it felt great. The view of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee is amazing!

Matthew still loves his binoculars that we got on our trip to Jackson Hole and was adamant that he bring them on our hike. He was such a trooper since he walked all the way back down with wet shorts. I decided to get rid of pull-ups and he is now wearing "big boy" underwear during the day as of today. I will keep you updated on how all that goes. Today was o.k. He was excited about it, but he did have his fair share of accidents! More to come tomorrow as Nathan turns 7 months!

Almost Crawling!

2008-05-29T20:22:00.001-07:00

At 6 1/2 months old, Nathan is pretty much crawling!!! In just the last couple of days he army crawls across the room if he sees something worth playing with and he practices rocking back and forth on his hands and knees. Time to purchase a gate for the stairs and baby proof the house. I thought I had a couple more months!

Nathan had spotted Matthew's garbage truck across the room while Matt was watching a movie :) He made it just in time to play with it for a few minutes before Matthew caught him. We now have to work on sharing Matthew's toys with Nathan. I think Matthew is stunned by Nathan's new attempts in getting around. He is not sure what to think since he is trying to play with all of Matt's Big Boy toys!

I wanted to share a little story that shows what a gentle soul Matthew has. The other day we found a dropped bird egg on our deck (Matt thought it was an ice cream cone:) so we went out there to take a look at it. Adam and I tried to explain what happened to the little bird (still a yoke) inside, but it is obviously a difficult concept for little ones to understand. The next thing we knew as we were making pancakes, Matthew went and found an old Easter egg and stood in the doorway asking the little birdie to come inside his new home. He said, "birdie! I have a new home for you! Please come little birdie! Your home is broken so I have a new one for you. Mom, why won't the bird come to his new home? He isn't coming....he must REALLY be sleeping."

This is one of those stories you never want to forget.

Bedtime!

2008-05-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

The boys are hangin' out together as they get ready for bed on the last night before daddy gets home from his week in San Fran. It has been a great but exhausting week with Adam gone. We are looking forward to his arrival tomorrow!

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T19:52:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! I had a wonderful 3rd Mother's Day today. It all started with a little sleeping in and then I woke up to Matthew saying "Happy Mother's Day mom - I have a card for you!" Nathan greeted me with a smile and a little giggle. His gift to me was sleeping through the night! Yeah! What a son! We went out to brunch with two other families at Mountain Springs Lodge in Plain which was wonderful. The dads then took the kids while us ladies went shopping in Leavenworth. We weren't on any schedule so it was wonderful.

Don't you just love Matthew's "smile"? This is a typical expression when we are celebrating someone else's special day.

See the lovely tulips behind us? Matthew being the loving son he is, decided to pick me one before the picture. What else could a mom do, but where it in her hair.

Nathan's 6 Months Old!

2008-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Nathan is 6 months old today! Where has all the time gone? He has really changed a lot since November 10th and it is fun to see his personality come out. He is a very happy laid back baby. He smiles all day long and really doesn't cry unless he is uncomfortable. Major 6 month milestones or fun facts about Nathan are: *sitting up *still loves to play on his stomach *can spin around really fast on his tummy *eating rice cereal twice a day-soon other baby foods *loves to spit or blow bubbles *giggles *still not sleeping through the night *loves to snuggle *plays with his toes all the time (forget socks) *grabs everything in sight *has two bottom teeth.

We love you Nathan and can't wait to see what you will do and who you will become in the next 6 months!

Jackson Hole

2008-05-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful time in Jackson, Wyoming where we stayed at my parents condo which is located right in front of the Tetons. They have gorgeous views looking all around Grand Teton National Park. We felt very priviledged to stay in such an amazing place. Thanks mom and dad!

Nathan was enjoying his vacation eventhough he had diarhea, a stuffy nose, and a double ear infection (AGAIN!). Yes, our little guy got sick the morning we left for our trip and we had to take him into pediatrics in Jackson half way through our trip to discover he had more ear infections. He was still all smiles and seemed to be having a wonderful time. He was such an excellent traveler.

Matthew was enjoying his time while mommy shopped as he disappeared into the dressing room to try on this handsome Coon skin cap. He was having a great time! What a goof ball!

If you look closely at Matt's head he had a couple of bad falls. The first was when he somehow did a back flip out of our booth when we were enjoying our dinner at Sidewinders in Jackson. The second was when he flew off the end of the couch and hit his head on the corner of the brick floor of the fireplace. I think he kind of liked showing off his war wounds.

While Matthew and I were playing "Hot Lava" in the lawn, I thought Adam and Nathan were barbequing our dinner. Little did I know, Adam was giving Nathan his first smoke. I saw the proof when I uploaded the pictures. Nathan sure seems to be enjoying himself doesn't he?

Matthew was hammin' it up for little brother once again! Nathan just thinks he is the most wonderful person on earth.

The amazing view of the Tetons from our condo. We had great weather the first couple of days which melted a lot of the snow that was still around this late in the year. The rest of the trip was sunny but cold.

Matthew was so excited to fish for the first time. We got him a little Spiderman rod which he loved. That was all he wanted to do for the rest of the trip.

I know what you are thinking....Matthew caught his first fish and it's huge!!!

Since the first couple of days were so nice we decided to take the boys for a bike ride by pulling them behind Adam's bike. Nathan didn't make it too far since he started crying right after this picture was taken. He and I ended up walking, but Adam and Matthew biked 8 miles round trip into Jenny Lake. I think both boys were a little exhausted since Adam was huffin' and puffin' and Matthew was sacked out when they returned. :)

Our first day out we really could have packed up and gone home! Within a couple miles from the condo we saw a mamma Grizzley bear with her 3 two year old cubs. It was amazing! They were about 50 yards from the road and there were local photographers and other vactioners by the dozens pulled over to get a closer look. As you can see in the picture, Matthew had his brand new binoculars ready at hand to use in case he saw something. His famous line for the trip was "guys, I think I see something!!" He was really into scouting out animals. Later that day we also saw a heard of Moose which you never see, elk, buffalo, and deer. The next morning Adam and Matthew spotted a porcupine in a tree! Crazy! Nathan and I missed it since we were still sleeping because we were up all night trying to cope with ear infections. :(

All in all, we had a great time. We went out to eat a lot, Matthew got brand new ski equipment for dirt cheap since he will be taking ski lessons next year at the age of 3, and we saw the Grizzley bears again feeding on fish when we took a drive 30 miles north.

Sick Again!!! :(

2008-04-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here is little Nathan after throwing up projectile vomit at only 5 months old. Yes, my kids are sick again! There is supposedly a 24 hour bug going around that is literally taking entire families out. Adam and I are o.k. so far , but we are not getting our hopes up just yet. This is how it all started: I spent an entire Friday getting Matthew to use the potty while wearing his Big Boy underwear! It was our first major attempt and let me tell you, it is exhausting!! I was taking him every 20 minutes and he did pretty good except for the 4 accidents he had - 2 pees and 2 poops. Lots of clean up! I had a girls night out planned so I sucked it up knowing at 6:30 p.m. I would be out on my own. I left the house that night and everyone was doing well, except Nathan was a little cranky and was getting ready for bed. Not 10 minutes after I left, I get a call from home. I picked up and I could hear both kids screaming in the background. Let me remind you that I was almost at my destination. Matthew was going potty in the bathroom and did great so he decided to give baby brother (who was lying on the floor) a big hug when out of nowhere he vomitted all over Nathan's face and the rug!! Both kids lost it and Adam called out of shear terror. He at first wanted me to come home, but decided that he could handle this and it would probably make for a great story the following day. Matt ended up vomiting 3 more times in the kitchen, but seemed to feel better before going to bed. Adam was able to get both boys bathed and in bed by 7:45. What a dad! I on the other hand had a great time but was definitely thinking about the chaos at home and wondering if I should have cancelled my plans last minute.

Nathan woke up the next morning at 5 a.m. soaked in vomit. The night before I told Adam, "maybe Nathan will get lucky and not get this!!" Yeah right - he only swallowed Matthew's puke. He was a trooper! He got up and wanted to nurse but only moments later all of it came right back up in buckets all over my lap and our bed sheets since I took him back to bed with me. Big mistake! That was the end of all the vomit!!!

This is what happens to Nathan's hair after a rough night being sick or when he is just having a bad hair day. Poor kiddo. We think it is cute though in our unbiased opinion!

Tuckered Out

2008-04-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at home playing on our swing set today. We have actually been out there everyday since the weather has been nice and it is neat to see Matthew having so much fun!

This is what happens after a hard day of playing and NO NAP for Matthew. I found him snoozin' in his chair after watching 3 minutes of cartoons. Nathan was a trooper after having dinner out with some friends. He was such a good boy but crashed hard in the car on the way home.

Play time!

2008-04-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

So, by looking at this picture you would think it was winter, but yes this picture was taken very recently in April! It has been chilly outside but we had to get out and swing on our brand new swing set that daddy built along with both Papa Hunter and Papa Smith. As you can see, Bailey is a very happy dog these days playing with his brothers. I know that I have not posted pictures of Matthew lately and I have tried numerous times, but he has been running from the camera! I will keep trying because he is so darn cute playing on his swing set. He loves the slide! He has had lots of friends over and it has been fun watching all the kids play outside together.

Nathan is waiting for big brother to get ready so they can go outside and play. Stay tuned for more pictures of Matthew and both boys playing as Nathan gets more and more independent! He will be 5 months this Thursday! I can't believe how fast the time is flying.

All Smiles

2008-04-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

Nathan was all smiles as he sat posed for the camera. He is such a happy baby! Nothing seems to phase him even when he was sick last week, although the nights were a little rough since he spent an entire week pretty much sleeping with us. It is amazing how you give in a little easier with the second child. Nathan is now 4 1/2 months old and he is getting better at sitting up by himself for a few seconds before he folds himself in half. His naps are getting longer (Yeah!!), but he is still getting up at night at least once. We are going to try to put an end to that soon! He also loves rolling over and playing on his stomach or sitting in his exosaucer (sp.??) while Matthew teaches him how all the toys work. He has also just started taking an interest in food as he watches us intently as we eat or drink. I think solid foods are right around the corner!

Easter Weekend

2008-03-25T18:40:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend spending it with both the Smith's and the Hunter's. Poor Nathan - his first Easter was spent pretty sick. We later found out that he had come down with a double ear infection. He was a trooper though and enjoyed the festivities when he wasn't sleeping!

Matthew sure enjoyed his Easter Egg hunt with his cousin Sydney. Here they are enjoying some candy they found! The two of them sure are buddies!

1st Prayer

2008-03-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

I forgot to add on my last post that Matthew said his first very own prayer last night. We have been praying with him before he goes to bed and last night he decided that he wanted to say a prayer all by himself. It was the cutest thing! We asked him what he wanted to pray about and he said he wanted to pray for mommy, daddy, and baby brother. So he thanked God for us all and asked that baby brother would sleep good that night. Adam and I were looking at each other smiling because it was so sweet. You would think being that it was his first prayer it might be short and sweet, but he continued on with his prayer praying for our friends Jeff and Cathy, and for their boys Aiden and Ethan in hopes that they might bring him cookies the next time he sees them. This was definitely a great ending to an exhausting day and no matter how frustrating or tiring parenting can be, an evening like this makes us feel so lucky to be the parents of two wonderful boys.

Little Peanut

2008-03-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

Nathan is so taken with his big brother Matthew. I found Nathan just getting the biggest kick out of watching Matthew jump off our ottomen over and over again. It was the cutest thing. He is getting a little bit better sitting in his Bumbo chair, but still slumps to the side after a couple of minutes.

Nathan at almost 4 months has mastered the rolling over technique from back to stomach. He posed for the camera so mom could get a picture. He sure is changing so fast! Don't you just love is mohawk doo???

Rollin' Over!

2008-03-03T15:57:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend Nathan decided with great determination to roll over all by himself and ever since, he can't stop showing off his new skill!!! He is quite good at it if I say so myself. He is also very much into spitting and blowing bubbles, which I think he learned from big brother Matthew. I should add that I found spit wauds in both Nathan's eyes last week as he lay smiling on our bathroom floor. Matthew decided to see what would happen to Nathan's eyeballs if he added a little goop and little brother thought it was great! Nathan is also getting used to sitting up in his new Bumbo chair for short periods of time. He is not quite stable enough to last very long since he starts toppling over after awhile. Nathan is also very intrigued by Matthew's every move and loves to laugh at all of his jokes.

Discovering the Potty

2008-02-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

For my first post, I thought I would generate a synopsis of trying to get out of the house with a 2 1/2 year old and a 3 month old. All I wanted to do was run a few quick errands but getting ready to leave seemed nearly impossible. Everyone was finally fed and had a clean diaper on, and Matthew was armed with his juice and snack (a must have for the car ride mid morning) when he decided to sneak off into the bathroom to try to "go potty." At this point he really has not gone in the potty but he loves being independent in going through the motions of using the big boy potty. This means taking off his diaper, climbing onto the toilet, spending about 2 minutes pushing until nothing comes out and then wiping himself with the toilet paper. Oh, and the most important thing is getting down and flushing the toilet. I found Matthew going through this dailey ritual when I was looking for him to get his shoes on. He was all excited about "going" on his own so I said good job buddy but lets wash your hands before we go. Since nothing ever comes out of his body and I didn't bother to check, I hoisted him up on my knee to reach the sink (before I put a diaper on). He did a great job washing, but when I looked down at my legs I realized I had POOP all over my newly washed jeans. I couldn't believe it and was totally grossed out (2 year old poop is a lot worse than 3 month old poop). I kept my cool, went to change my jeans into the only other pair I have and proceeded to put Matt's shoes on. Then when I went to pick Nathan up to put in his carrier he decided to do a projectile spit-up all over me which he never does! I look down at my pants and shirt, and they were covered in white chunky breast milk. Yum! I decided I didn't have time to change because the next feeding would be right around the corner and I needed to get out of the house. I took the burp rag and wiped myself off, recombed my hair, put some lip gloss on and finally got everyone in the car. Whew! What a day just getting out of the house to run some errands.