April 26, 2007

Well here they are...the official 2007 Team Miracle Monster WalkAmerica T-shirts! I think they turned out pretty cool! I know I posted a slightly different take on them awhile back, but we decided not to go with that company and I did them again this year! This year we went with a light blue shirt and I think they look pretty cool! We're going to be the sharpest looking team out there!!! And I was so excited that I found a way to print the actual size of his feet prints! Usually when you scan something it enlarges it and the dimensions get all messed up...but since my trusty printer broke last week and I had to get a new one and it happened to have a scanner on top (which I really didn't need, but it was cheaper to get the combo!) and there was a cool way to do this...so I was very Happy!

April 25, 2007

This is Braden's buddy Gavin! I was watching him for a little while and Braden just happened to fall asleep right before he came, so Gavin and I got to play cars and blocks!

April 24, 2007

I was working on making our Team T-shirts for WalkAmerica (pictures to come soon) and it involves a lot of scrap paper and a very hot iron...so I kept Braden busy cutting all my scraps and he was so good! He had lots of fun and was even trying to cut it the right way! And since they were cool scrapbooking scissors they left a neat pattern!

April 23, 2007

This might not be exciting to most of you...but to me it is SO EXCITING! I've never claimed to be the neatest or the cleanest or the most organized person in the world (just ask my mommy, it goes way back!) And I didn't take a before shot of my vanity b/c to tell you the truth I was plain embarressed! It was yucky! But now it is beautiful and I'm going to try my hardest to keep it this way! I even pitched a bunch of stuff I haven't used in ages...it felt pretty good!

April 22, 2007

Chris took on the project of cleaning out our garage today...he got most of the junk out into the driveway and got the floor swept before this...
...started happening and he had to run everything back inside...at least our new grass will grow hopefully :)

April 21, 2007

It was so gorgeous today, so after we grilled hamburgers for the first time this year, we headed off to the neighborhood school which has a pretty cool park! Daddy and Braden were pretty worn out by the time we walked home! (and Chris did go down the very narrow slide...it was touch and go, but he made it :)

April 20, 2007

Tonight Braden and Chris were asleep on our bed by 9 o'clock so I met up with some of the neighborhood girls for a little fire pit action! The first of many this summer I'm sure! In the green is our neighbor Jill (who took care of Braden in the NICU) and our other neighbor Amy...we have a pretty cool bunch of neighbors!!!

April 19, 2007

(Ok...this picture is really from the 21st, but I totally spaced the camera today...sorry :)

Chris got some new grass seed down and Braden got so excited when he pulled out the hose...he kept saying 'don't spray me daddy' and then running right into the stream of water...needless to say he was SOAKED from head to toe! Good thing it got up to 80 degrees :)

April 18, 2007

Still nothing to report on this issue...but thought that it was darn cute that he wanted to read the *baseball* magazine (Sports Illustrated) like daddy :)

April 17, 2007

It was so good today to see that our little Aspen tree had made it through our late freeze! I watched as it's first little leaves unfurled themselves today...Spring is finally here!!!

And today...is my youngest brother's 16th birthday...I still can't believe it! He is the baby of the family, it is hard to believe...My mom called me this morning after he drove away to school, all by himself...I think it was a little tough on her!

Here he is almost 3 years ago holding Braden for the first time

And just a week ago celebrating our birthday's together! Hope you had a good one Adam, we love you!!!

April 16, 2007

Braden can find fun in just about anything! My printer broke the other day and I went out to Target and bought me a new one...I really liked my old printer and it has been good to me for about 5 years, so I guess it was about time, but I still hate to do it! So after unloading it and cleaning a place for it on the desk...I found Braden like this...mind you the box is all of about 9 inches tall...and he fit himself all the way in! Silly silly boy!

April 15, 2007

Today was a great day! It was beautiful outside, finally! I can't believe that 4 days ago I posted a picture of SNOW...but I guess that's Iowa for you! Today was spent outside! Braden is SO content digging holes in my tiny garden ( I don't know what he'll do when I actually plant my tomatoes???) He could spend hours playing in the dirt...and he was such a good boy at Menards today that he got a brand new Scooby-Doo shovel to dig with! Chris and I got our new front door stained, finally! Now we just have to find someone to install it and we are all set! No more ugly oval window covered with lace on my front door...blah...I've hated that thing since we moved in! We also got fertilizer for the yard and mulch for the tree and flowers! I REALLY hope spring is here to stay! For dinner we joined some of our neighbors for a grill out on their back porch and had the first YUMMY brats of the season! It was a great day!!!

And today was also my Sister-in-law's 25th birthday...

KT we hope you had a great day! Can't wait to see you!

We love you!

April 14, 2007

Tonight we had a wonderfully yummy steak dinner at Lindsay and Glenn's house! It is sad to say that they have lived in their new house for a *few* months and this is the first time we've gotten down to it...but we'll be better about it in the future! We had a great time and Braden had a great time chasing their new dog Red! Lindsay and I go way back...well almost 10 years (in August!) and now we live 15 minutes away from each other...it's pretty cool!

April 13, 2007

Braden and I cleaned today! Here he is *helping* me vacuum! The kid LOVES vacuums! Notice the really cute dump truck rug I got from Target...I think it is going to be the inspiration to his big boy room makeover! He really likes it!!!

April 12, 2007

Tonight was Braden's last night of swimming lessons! He has had so much fun (and I think Daddy really enjoys it too!) He has improved dramatically in the 2 sessions that he has done! I think it is going to be a fun summer in the water!

April 11, 2007

Did you happen to catch the date on top...that's right...it's APRIL 11 and this is what I saw this morning when I woke up...and it hasn't stopped yet! Silly Silly mother nature! Good thing I'm a procrastinator at heart and didn't plant any of my flowers or veggies yet :)

April 10, 2007

Hmmm...seems like all I do is post pictures of me in front of delicious chocolate desserts...well here's another! Chris surprised me with a chocolate mousse cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory tonight. He said he felt bad that I didn't get a cake of my own! It was so sweet and he even bought candles! So darn it, I just HAD to eat it...I'm going to have to work out for a month straight to get all these desserts off of my thighs :)

Braden helped me blow out the candles...I loke the smoky effect in this picture!

April 09, 2007

Well...today was my 28th birthday! We stayed around Nebraska long enough so that I could have lunch at Lazlo's (YUMMY) before we headed back home! For my birthday they let me choose a dessert of my choice...and this was it...Chocolate Excess!!!! It was sure yummy and it went around the table a few times!

You know a couple of days ago I said that Matthew turning 20 has me feeling old...well I think Adam turning 16 in a week makes me feel even older! I don't know how that can be! So watch out on the roads next Tuesday...because Adam and his Honda will be let loose!!!

April 08, 2007 ~ Easter ~

Well today is Easter...so you are going to get a few more pics than the normal one...I just couldn't choose which ones to put on here...so you get an array! We had a great Easter and we hope you all did too!

This was Braden's reaction to his first bite of a PEEP...mmmm.....sugar! He wasn't too sure of it after that!
Family Picture Easter 2007
Boy did I feel outnumbered and SHORT in this picture!

(From L-R)Matthew, Adam, Braden, Me, Chris

Braden with his Meena C and PopPop Joe
After the Easter Egg hunt at my Grandma's house! This is the first time in a long time that most of the babies have been together...Now Braden feels a little outnumbered!

(L-R) Emma, Teagan, Olivia, Braden

Sweet Emma...She is such a cuddle bug and she was doing so good walking all around the living room...she was so proud of herself!!! Isn't she a cutie!!!

The Easter egg hunt can make you HUNGRY! Chris and Braden were enjoying a little chocolate birthday cake (besides being Matthew's birthday it was my cousin Maresa's 9th birthday too...yeah we really like April birthdays!)

April 07, 2007

Matthew and I got to celebrate our birthdays early since his was on Easter and mine the day after...My mom made a YUMMY german chocolate cake which I love (homemade frosting!!!) and he and I blew out the candles together...awww...such sibling love! It was a good time...I can't believe he is 20...that makes me feel even older!!!

April 06, 2007

This was Braden right before he spilled the blue Easter egg dye all over his new jeans...Mommy was very happy that it all washed out! He was having too much fun...he thought the egg holder was a bubble blower so he was trying to blow dye all over the table...it was quite the experience!

04-05-07

Braden got in trouble again...

That was a JOKE! See his smile??? This is fun for him!!! This is what he looks forward to every night we go to swimming lessons! Oh the joys of being small!

04-04-07

Guess he didn't like the new pasta dish I whipped up tonight? He got two bites down before he drifted off to la-la land at 6:20 pm...and he slept until 8:00 am the next morning...Wish I could figure out what wore him out so much, I'd do it every day :)

04-03-07

Braden asked for a *tent* today in his room...so this is what we came up with?!?!? He played in it for hours though, so I think it served it's purpose!

04-02-07

Ok...well I am going to have to get the real scoop from Braden's Great Aunt Sissy on this little blue vest here...it was given to me when Braden was a wee baby and there is a story behind it! I know that Jamie wore it (he just turned 21) and Mark wore it, I don't know if it goes any farther back than that...Chris didn't *remember* wearing it :) But Braden thought it was pretty cool tonight anyway when we went for a little walk before the cold front struck the midwest...WHERE IS SPRING????

04-01-07

Well today was opening day for baseball...and our beloved Cardinals were up to play in the first game of the season...so we had a Cardinal party at home with just the 3 of us! Unfortunately the Cardinals looked like they were still on Spring Break, but hopefully they'll get back into the swing of things soon!
Dang that's a devilish grin!
This was our attempt at a group shot :)

03-31-07

Today I worked our March of Dimes booth at the Oh Baby Fair at one of our local hospitals! This is for anyone who is pregnant, wants to be pregnant, or just had a baby. There are a ton of different booths that cover so many different topics, it boggles the mind! And let me tell you...there are a LOT of pregnant ladies in the Des Moines Metro area! So Darcy, I and Shonda (snuck out before the picture) manned the booth with information ranging from *Signs of Premature Labor* to *Becoming a new Daddy* and everything in between! We also have on display our Mission Family Scrapbook with Local families featured who have been affected by prematurity! In addition to that we show the teeny tiny diaper that all three of our boys started in and a few of their outfits. It never fails, someone always walks up and says "Oh these diapers are so cute!" and we nicely explain that they aren't that cute when they are attached to very small, very sick babies. Then they reply..."Well they aren't real, so it really doesn't matter..." We just shake our heads and think that unfortunately they are real...and they just happened to be huge on our little guys when they were born...I guess that is why we do what we do, so that others will only have to see those Teeny diapers at our awareness booth, and not on their own babies!
Braden's first diaper!

That's Braden's first diaper compared to a Newborn diaper (not a 1, 2, 3 or 4) but a Newborn.

(Can you tell that Prematurity Awareness is on my mind these days :)

03-30-07

Well it finally happened...I missed a day :( My cameras battery died last night at the swimming pool and I didn't get it plugged in when we got home...then we were outside playing all day and I developed a huge headache and was in bed by 8:00pm...Excuses Excuses...I know...so I thought I'd share the T-shirt design I think we are going to use for our WalkAmerica T-shirts this year! The printer is supposed to get back to me with a quote by Monday, so it could change, but I like this look! This will probably be on the back with Team Miracle Monster on the front!