WOW it has been awhile I guess

Taking a look tonight I realized it had been 2 MONTHS since I had blogged.  Whoops.  Not sure why, I guess it is like anything else, once you get out of the habit, you forget about doing it!  In a need to keep in chronological order, the next post should be Easter.  So here it is.....(well really just pictures, not really a post I guess!)

 Excited about his Easter "basket"

 Rockin' their new sunglasses

 These indestructible NERF swords lasted less than a day before ripping in our house!!  However my ever creative boys simply wrapped them all up in duct tape and they are still alive and going!

 Yea for Littlest Pet Shop, not so much for the bed head hairdo!!

 Still rockin' the shades, ready for church

 Stop outside church for a quick family picture

My beautiful babies before we headed to the Easter Service.  Man I love them!!

Puppy Love

Our poor dog has been having some issues lately due to the fact that the cat has decided she is no longer happy just living upstairs.  Everything was going peachy til a few weeks ago when we were gone for the weekend and we took the dog with us.  I guess the cat figured out we were all gone and it was safe to roam as she pleased.  Before this she would come down at night while we were sleeping but she would head right back up as soon as the kids got up.  Now, she repeatedly comes down during the day and as soon as her paws hit the living room carpet Lucky is up and after her!!  Along with this, Lucky has decided to start peeing and pooping in the house.  We have had him for 3 years and he has been completely trained for 2 so this is frustrating!  Uggg I HATE cleaning up the messes!  We have decided that we are going to have to treat it like sibling rivalry as see if that helps.  After all, sometimes when a new baby is born and older sibling can revert back to old habits, so why not a dog and we have only had the cat for a few months. Part of this is to make sure that Lucky gets lots of extra attention and as you can see by the pictures he is eating it up!!!



Watching t.v. with Carter

Getting some love from Great Grandpa Jack

Happy 84th Birthday Grandpa Jack!!!!

On Saturday we went to Grundy Center to celebrate my Grandpa's 84th birthday with him.  He is such an amazing man who has always been such a steadying force in our lives.  He has been an wonderful role model, a constant source of encouragement, and a great shoulder to lean on over the years! I feel very blessed that we live close to him and are able to spend these times with him and make these memories.  I LOVE that my kids have been able to get to know him and grandma, and have a relationship with them.  As you might have guessed that is who my son Jack is named after.  So happy birthday to a wonderful man and an amazing grandfather and great-grandfather!!  Our lives are definitely richer because you have been a part of them!! If my boys grow up to be even half the man that you are, I will feel truly blessed!

(Please excuse my singing on the video as I was holding the camera!!)

And for an added bonus while we were in Grundy for my little police LOVING 4 year old, a look inside Uncle Ken's police car!  He liked the lights but wasn't to keen on the siren!  I wish I would have gotten more pictures but the camera batteries died.  When Ken first took him out there he was just standing there mesmorized by the car. He was of course most interested in the handcuffs hanging in there, but was even more interested when Ken showed him the leg chains and belly chain!

Oh the funny things I find on the Camera!!

We have two digital cameras!  One is a really nice smaller camera that I refer to my point and shoot one because as long as the dial is turned to auto I know it will take good pictures.  I keep it in my purse because you never know when there will be a photo opportunity.  It is also the one the kids are allowed to touch (of course they are suppose to ask for permission first) and take pictures with.  If we all go to something together we take both of our cameras and I let the kids take pictures with this one.  I love seeing what they take, see what their perspective is.  The other camera is my new one, a Nikon, that is less than user friendly.  I have had it 4 mos now and have not quite figured it all out.  It has a ton of settings and it is harder for me to use.  I LOVE it and it has some great features (well at least the 4 or so I have figured out) but I have a long way to go with it. I guess I should read the manual!  Anyway, sometimes I like to use the point and shoot one if the pictures are really important to me because I know they are going to turn out well.  I had taken it with us to the Blue and Gold Banquet so I was sure to get some good shots.  Long story getting a little longer......when i was downloading those pictures I found these lovely pictures on it.  I have no idea who was behind the camera or what on earth said person and Carter was doing, but they sure made me laugh!!  Enjoy!

Blue and Gold Banquet

Last night we attended the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet.  We attend every year but this year was special because Michael moved from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts during the banquet. The boys also received their Arrow of Light as well!  This is a great accomplishment and he is really looking forward to being in Boy Scouts. He is looking forward to getting his Eagle Scout already and what he has to do to earn his merit badges!  They need around 21 required merit badges to earn their Eagle Scout award, however their are 120 or 121 badges total they can earn.  Although it is very unlikely a scout will earn all of the badges, if you know Michael, you know he wants to try.  So we may be hitting up some of you in the future for help in getting these accomplished.  Most all of these badges have 4 of 5 parts with 2 or 3 subparts in each of those.  In first grade Michael's group started as Tiger Cubs with 12 boys.  Yesterday only 2 of the original boys crossed over in addition to one boy who joined them the second year!   Now of course Jack is excited to become a Boy Scout in the future as well.  He has 2 years left.  Another right of passage I suppose is that both of the boys will be going to camp the 3rd week of July this year.  Michael will go to Boy Scout camp Sunday-Sat, and Jack will be going to  Cub Scout camp at the same camp that Monday-Thurs.  Neither of them have been to camp before but I am sure they will have a great time!!  Since Michael has been away from home before Jason will be spending most of the time he is their with Jack.  Jason is going since he is both of the boys' leader.  I am also proud of Jason, as for they last 5 years he has been Michael's leader and last 3 years Jack's.  It means a lot to the boys that even though he works 70-80 hours a week he still finds the time to do this for them!  Jason is also looking forward to Boy Scouts now too.  He cannot WAIT to take Michael on a High Adventure.  Jason was 13 when he went with his scout trip on a hiking trip in New Mexico.  I look forward to all the adventures having 3 boys will bring us in the future!!

Jack's Cub Scout Den

 Michael's Den

 They boys after they received their Arrow of Light

 Michael "crossing over" into Boy Scouts with the help of the other Boy Scouts

 They are now officially Boy Scouts!

 Jack after the banquet.  In just a few weeks he will be a Webelo!

 All 3 of my scouts

 And a picture with my future scout as well

My Boy Scout!

A Weekend Away

 Michael and Samuel with the ticket Michael won off one quarter in the arcade!! It was over 1000.

 Taking a break from swimming

 Carter looking ever so cute in Samuel's goggles!

 Ummm.....not sure why he is mad

 Hanging in the hot pool!

Watch out Michael here I come.

 CHEESE!!

 Modeling her new swimsuit

 They were just playing despite the look on Michael's face!

Driving the pirate ship

We spent last weekend at the Ramada Tropics Hotel in Des Moines with Jason's family and extended family!  We have been there a couple times before and the kids always love it!  It was  a nice relaxing weekend, we even got to take our dog "Lucky" with us to the hotel.  We weren't sure how it was going to go, but he was excellent and we had no problems with him!  I am sure the cat enjoyed having the house to herself for the weekend.  Even though they have separate areas with different depths, we still make Carter where is orange float vest because he has no fear!  The kids favorite part it the giant "hot pool" as they call it!

Wordless Wednesday--Mud Boots!!!!