The rest of Aug and Sept 2013

-Benson's First Day of Preschool-

Benson started the 3's program at the Eola Community Center on Sept 3. We went for his first day to meet the teachers. He has two teachers this year, Mrs. Renee and Mrs. Sharon. He was very nervous to talk to them and I barely got a picture with them. His best friend Cailyn is in his class this year. He is so excited to see her and his other friend Stella at school. I am interested to see how Benson does this year. He doesn't sit well for me and doesn't really have an interest in projects.  

-Allyson came to visit-

So happy to have Allyson come and visit and for her to meet Finn for the first time! We had a great time having her here. I got in a little shopping and craft time with her which is always my favorite. It was nice to have a little extra help while I was getting my kids off to school. We made our annual trip to the Last Fling, which my kids look forward to each year. They loved all the rides and the yummy food. This is one of my kids favorite traditions we do every year. We love downtown Naperville!

-Herrick Lake-

We took the kids to Herrick Lake and let them ride in the kayak for the first time. They both were very excited and couldn't wait to get out on the water. As soon as Christian got the kayak in the water we found out that they didn't allow personal ones in the lake. So we had to go and rent a canoe instead. 

Addy was not thrilled about the canoe at all. She was so scared and I could here her screaming and crying across the lake. Sitting in the back made her really nervous and every time the canoe would tip she would scream. I convinced her to try again and to sit in the middle. She loved it and went out a few more times! Benson had a great time in the canoe but loved throwing rocks in the water the very best. We packed a picnic lunch and the kids had just as much fun pretending to row the kayak on the grass. Addy begged to hold Finn in the kayak. Such a sweet sister!

-Finn 1 Month Old-

My sweet boy is 1 month old. He continues to be such an easy going sweet natured baby. He is sleeping so well for me at night, around 7-8 hours, and naps off and on most of the day. His stats at his Dr. check up: 10 lbs 14 oz 75%, 22 in long 70%, and his head is 15 in 75%. He is a healthy and growing baby. I am loving every minute I have with him. My transition as been so much easier than I ever thought thanks to this little cutie.

 -First time riding the bus-

Addy rode the bus for the first time. She was so excited and felt very grown up, which made it easier on me to let her go. I wasn't all about the bus at the beginning. After I drove every morning and waited at the school every day at pick up with the boys in tow, I knew there had to be an easier way. Having Abbi at our house every morning before school to help Addy on the bus and to her classroom made it all the easier. The bus stop is at the end of our driveway and I can stand on the porch to see her off.  All kindergartners have to sit at the from of the bus and can only be let off after school if their parents are at the stop.  It really has made my life easier while adjusting to 3 kids!

-Steck Fun Run-

Our family participated in Addy's school fundraiser this year. I didn't think I was going to be able to run it with her, but I surprised myself and did. We chose to run the mile and she did such a great job. She ran the entire time and only stopped when I gave her a drink of water. She was so proud of herself and I loved seeing her accomplish something that she had been really wanting to do. Benson did pretty good and took off running really fast in the beginning, rode with Finn in the stroller for a little bit in the middle, and then ran at the end to cross the finish line with his sister. 

-Andrea came to visit-

We had a great visit while Andrea was here. We got in some serious shopping and made a few trips to downtown Naperville. We ate lots of yummy food and spent the day at Blackberry Farm. Definitely one of my kids favorite places to go. They got to ride the paddle boats for the first time. Chris and Andrea really had to paddle hard and Benson and Addy had a blast on the back of the boat. Love seeing these two cuties so happy! The weather the entire trip was gorgeous. It really has been a beautiful start to Fall.

Waiting for the baby

We were so lucky to have Christian's parents come to help out when the baby came. We hadn't seen them since January, so the kids were really excited! They got here on Aug 3 and if the baby didn't come on his own I was going to be induced on Aug 7. 

Christian had been wanting zucchini bread so the kids and grandma made him some. It was so delicious! Of course they loved the clean up just as much. Playing in the sink with lots of bubbles! Jamie and I did lots of shopping and walking around trying to get the baby to come.  Benson picked out a pair of Jordan's from the Nike outlet that he just had to have. I am such a push over for that kid and his sports addiction. He couldn't wait to get home and make a "big slam dump" with his new shoes! 

 Grandpa took the kids to the city on the train to meet Christian for a White Sox game. This was Benson's first time on the train. He was so excited! He thought when he got to the baseball game that he was going to get to play. He was ready with his mitt and was so disappointed that no one would hit the ball to him. They had a great time and loved riding the train. Both kids fell asleep on the ride home. It was definitely a great day!

Baby Finn finally decided to make an appearance on Aug 10. I was so glad that grandma and grandpa didn't miss his birth! They had to leave the day after I came home from the hospital but enjoyed all the snuggles they could get. It was so helpful having them here taking great care of us.

April 2013- Christian's B-day & Myrtle Beach

Christian turned 36 this year! We had a fun night with just our family. He picked a new mexican restaurant for dinner which turned out to be delicious. We came home right after to open gifts. Addy was very excited about this part. She made him a really sweet card and wanted to give him her money she had been saving. She wanted him to have all of it but I talked her in to just giving him the five dollar bill. Benson and Addy picked him out some new golf shirts and some beach clothes for our trip the following week. I was really excited to give him my gift this year too. Christian had been hinting to me and asking me for his own quilt. I have never taken the time to make us or him anything. I just kept telling him I didn't have time with my work schedule and young women's to sew a big project. I pulled it off and secretly got him a quilt made. He was so surprised and absolutely loved it!  His reaction made all the hard work worth it! After presents we went and got frozen yogurt for dessert. The kids loved it! Benson was pretty concerned though that daddy didn't get to blow out a candle. Happy Birthday babe!

The following week we spent four days in Myrtle Beach. Christian had been wanting to go somewhere for awhile and randomly found some good deals. It was the most relaxing vacation we have had in a long time. No schedule at all! We just got to venture around and check things out and play at the beach every day.

On the first day we went to the store and got the kids a bunch of beach toys and spent most of the day playing at the beach. The kids did not want to leave! They had so much fun running through the water, digging in the sand, and collecting seashells. 

On day two we spent the morning at Broadway at the beach. They had cute little shops, rides for the kids, and some yummy restaurants. The kids of course loved all the rides!

We spent the rest of the day playing at the beach. We found a more private entrance and were the only ones there for the day. Addy caught some really small fish and saved them in her bucket. Every afternoon when we left the beach we would take the kids for a long ride. They would fall asleep within minutes and Christian and I would look up places we wanted to check out. This afternoon we drove to North Carolina to a cute little fishing community. It was so fun to look at all the real estate. Chris definitely is sold on buying a house by the ocean.

That night we ate dinner at a restaurant on one of the piers in Myrtle Beach. We had the best table right against the window. The view was so beautiful. Christian ordered a seafood dish and I had steak and grilled shrimp. It was so delicious! After dinner we walked the pier and the kids played out there until after sunset. The wind was blowing like crazy but we still had a great evening.

On the third day we went miniature golfing. It was by far the hottest day of the whole trip. Benson and Addy loved playing golf with their dad. Benson randomly got a hole in one! He didn't like to play by the rules and would set his ball down anywhere and would hit it as hard as he could. He looked more like he was playing hockey! Addy tried so hard and did such a great job. She almost had a hole in one. She made a lot of the courses in 2 or 3 shots. Not bad for her first time!

After golf we went to a restaurant on the water that was a fresh fish market/restaurant combined. It had beautiful scenery of the ocean and we watched the boats coming in and out the whole meal. Christian had fish tacos that were by far his favorite of the trip. Afterwards we went to an outdoor mall and walked around the shops. We headed straight for the beach for the rest of the day. We played at a park that was on the beach before we went down to the water. The kids loved it! They never made it into their swim suits but didn't even care. We found some kind of jellyfish that washed up while we were playing. The kids thought it was awesome. Benson really wanted to keep it in his fishing net but I wouldn't let him. 

Our last night there we took the kids on a long drive for their nap. We ended up going to Georgetown Historic District. It's an old Jewish fishing community. We ate dinner at Portofinos on the Warf. It was a very fancy Italian restaurant. We were very hungry so we didn't care that we were under dressed. Dinner was by candlelight and the kids did really well. They loved the bread and oil and caesar salads. The kids and I had bruschetta linguine and Christian had clams and linguine. 

We were sad to leave Myrtle Beach the next morning. It was such an awesome vacation and we definitely want to go back.

February & March 2013

We had a long and cold February and March in Chicago. A lot of rain and windy cold days. We stayed inside most of the time.

Addy wanted to make her preschool class treat bags for Valentine's day. She die cut and stamped her own valentines this year. We had so much fun making them together.

Chris made the kids and I green pancakes for breakfast on St. Patrick's day. We decided last minute to spend the day in Chicago and take the kids to see the Chicago river. It was barely 30 degrees and we were freezing out walking around, but we really enjoyed the day! The kids were excited to see all the people dressed in green and wearing crazy things from the parade. Addy got a green shamrock hat necklace that she wore proudly. The kids picked a stuffed animal from the Disney store and Benson went to the Nike store on Michigan Ave for the first time. That boy was in heaven! So many "swoosh" things to look at. He really wanted some basketball shoes right then, but I talked him into getting a dri-fit shirt instead. He wore that shirt for three days straight and I had a hard time getting it away from him to wash it. It is his favorite!

We finally had some sunny days at the end of March just in time for Easter. The kids went to an Easter egg hunt on Saturday and colored eggs that night. Easter morning we surprised the kids with a new wagon and some treats in their baskets.

January 2013 and our trip to Utah

January was not a good month at our house. We were pretty much sick the entire month.  I ended up getting H1N1, which I didn't even know was still going around, and stayed in bed for 8 days straight. I have never been this sick and hope to never experience anything like it again. Christian took off an entire week of work and took great care of the kids and I. Unfortunately, I passed it on to Benson. We caught it very quickly and he was treated the first day. His fever and body ache only lasted about a day and a half, but still had to stay away from the public for 5 more days. Longest 2 weeks for my family!  We were worried about the flu being passed to Addy so we had her treated as well. She never caught the virus! 

 I started doing project life this year and these black and white pictures are some from my cover page from the album. The pictures are all from the first weekend in January.

On the 24th I finally had my 12 week app and the Dr. cleared both the baby and I. We were both healthy and doing well! I was so worried about the baby the whole time I was sick. This was such a relief! Christian and I decided to tell the kids that night about the baby. Addy was excited and Benson didn't quite understand. I showed Addy and Benson the ultrasound pictures and here is the conversation we had.....

Me- "do you know what this is a picture of?'

Addy- "no"

Me- "look at it again"

Addy- complete blank stare

Me- " here is the back, head, feet, arms, ect....."

Addy- "a dinosaur?"

I started to laugh! Seriously so innocent and cute.

Chris- "it's right here in mommies belly"  

Addy- "you have a dinosaur in your belly?"

Haha! How cute is that? I explained to them that I was going to be having a baby. Addy said she understood but wasn't super excited like I hoped. Benson couldn't stay in the room long enough to have a conversation. He was running around like a crazy boy. When I told him he just kept say "no it isn't" and ran away laughing.

That night I went up to bed and Addy was still awake laying in her bed. She said she was having a hard time sleeping because she kept thinking about the baby. ( she really was excited!) She came and got in bed with me. I was laying there with my eyes closed and our foreheads touching. Addy wrapped her arm around me and said " I just hope you have a really good time having your baby. I hope it's really good for you." It made me tear up! She was trying to process all that info, congratulate me, and be the sweetest little thing all at once. Love this girl!

Two day later we caught our flight to Utah. We hadn't been home since last summer and we had news to tell everyone which made the trip a little more exciting. Our first day there Addy and Benson got to meet my sister's new dog. If you know my kids this is a huge deal. Addy had some serious anxiety the whole way home from the airport. She knew the dog was all ready at my parents house. We pulled in the driveway and Addy had Allyson hold the dog so she could walk in the house. Addy immediately ran to my mom's couch and sat on the arm rest. Betsy was running around playing. Addy was shivering, broke out in hives, her little teeth were chattering, but she was so happy to see that dog. After about an hour and a half I talked her into getting off the couch. Within minutes Addy was letting Betsy jump all over her and they were playing. Such an accomplishment! Benson was nervous for about 5 seconds. I think he fed more off of Addy's fear than anything. He was rolling around on the ground wanting Betsy to lick his ears. 

All Addy could think or talk about was Betsy for the entire trip. That girl loves this dog and overcame a fear. I am not going to lie and say I didn't want to pull my hair out! Love my daughter, but there is only so may hours in the day we can talk about a dog.

The following week my family had a surprise 60th birthday party for my dad. It turned out great and my mom did such a good job organizing it and keeping everything a secret. There was a great turn out and my dad was excited to see a lot of his friends. 

We celebrated Benson's birthday a little early so he could spend it with all of his cousins. He picked a trampoline/ bounce place. The kids all had such a great time! It is so fun to see all of our kids together. Benson really latched on to Hayden this trip. He wanted to be everywhere he was and thought Hayden was super cool.

We went with my family bowling the night before we left. The kids had so much fun! Addy loves to bowl and did a really good job. She was doing the cutest cheers for everyone. Benson had fun for about his first 3-4 turns. It took way too long and he wanted to go play video games instead.

Saying goodbye is always the hardest part. We went over and said bye to some of Christian's family and met my parents and sister's in Sugar House for breakfast. 

One of my most favorite pictures of my kids with nanny Jamie. I caught one of the only real smiles from Benson from the entire trip. I torture that poor boy with all the pictures I like to take.

We had a really great trip and loved spending all the time with our families.

October 2012

The weekend before Halloween, Christian and I took the kids to Blackberry farms. We decided to try out a new place this year instead of going to our usual pumpkin patch. The kids had so much fun here! They rode tractors, played on the huge treehouse, rode a zip line swing, went on a tractor hayride and train ride around the farm, picked pumpkins, and had so much fun running around. The kids are both begging for us to go back. It will be a fun place to try in the spring and summer.

Later that evening we went to our ward trunk or treat. It was really cold but the kids enjoyed going around getting candy. We stayed for dinner and the games for the kids.

Our costume choices this year were based around Benson wanting to be "Woody".  Addy couldn't figure out what she wanted to be until Benson chose his costume.  She said to me " I guess I could be a cowgirl but not Jesse!"  Nanny Elaine sewed her a costume while she was here for Addy's birthday. I loved how it turned out and she made the cutest cowgirl!

Benson of course had no interest in posing for pictures. I will take anything I can get with this boy! He was so happy with his costume and wanted to wear it everyday. We definitely got some good use out of it ! Christian dressed up with the kids and his costume was perfect. The indian costume is something that he was suppose to wear at pack meeting with the scouts, but I never allowed! I about died the first time he came out during pack meeting dressed in that outfit .... it was also his last.

Halloween I took the kids trick or treating with a neighbor until Christian came home. The kids really had a great time and came home with more candy than we could eat. Benson is all ready planning his costume for next year!