Cole is One!!!!

One year ago our little buddy joined our family!

Over the past twelve months, I have learned some things about my little boy....

1. He throw things, instinctively
2. He eats, and eats, and eats
3. He loves to cuddle
4. He loves the box of Efferdent in the bathroom (don't ask why I have Efferdent)
5. His favorite place in the world is Lily's room

Our good friend Michelle made his cake....one big one for the family, and a special little cake just for the birthday boy! We think Michelle should enter the Food Network's cake competitions!

Not so sure about the party hat, but LOVE the cake!!!

The best part about being a parent :)

Super Target....not so super

So, remember that great scene in You've Got Mail when Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is in the big Fox Books store eavesdropping on an ignorant sales clerk?

I had such an experience yesterday. Target has a book section you know. I thought, maybe, just maybe, they have Jane Eyre. It is a classic, and new movie.....

One employee tried to help me without luck. She then spoke to another employee, a young man. This was their exchange:

"Hey, do we have Jane Eyre?"

"Who?"

"Jane Eyre."

"Whose that?"

"No, it's a book!" (the employee and I said this at the same time).

"Oh, what? I don't know books dude!"

I was laughing my head off. The first employee then said to me, "You know there is a Barnes and Noble right around the corner."

Right, I thought. So much for my one stop shopping at Super Duper Target.

I wish I could go to Kathleen Kelly's Shop Around the Corner :)

Family Photos

Yeah for professional photographers, and amazing ones at that!

We had an incredible experience the weekend before Ryan took off with Stacey from Labor of Love Photography. If this sounds like a testimonial, it is. We highly, highly recommend her to anyone in our area! I only wish she lived closer to everyone I love. She captured our family perfectly and helped us create amazing memories that we will never forget.

Here are some of our favorites. Enjoy!

There are about 145 pictures total...you may just see a few more show up here from time to time! Happy weekend to all and to all a good day :)

It's Now February!

December and January were great...just in case you were wondering! Life continues to challenge us with new adventures here in Maryland with a new residence in Texas for Ryan followed by a period of military medical service in the Middle East (I think that sounds a little less dramatic than deployment!). Kids truly keep you living in the moment though, and living in their moment to moment experiences leaves no room to build up worry, which is really good for me.

Look at those boys...matching in their army green!

This is Cole's favorite place in our house - Lily's room

We just spend the weekend at Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. We highly recommend the making snow angels, having an ice skating lesson, and our favorite, the sleigh ride on local Amish farmland. Our sleigh driver enlightened us about his views on natural and organic farming...nothing like getting it from the source!

It has been a wonderful winter so far and we are looking forward to Spring! Stay tuned...with Ryan "taking leave" for a while, my updates will be more frequent, I promise!

Grateful Indeed

I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday by far. This year, I have so much to be grateful for. Of all the many blessings I have received this year four take the cake:

1. The healthy and beautiful birth of our little Cole
2. Lily our busy, bouncy, beautiful 3 year old
3. Ryan, my brave and resilient husband
4. The gift and knowledge of my Savior, Jesus Christ

And onto Christmas we go!

This picture pretty much sums up our life....happy Ryan, surprised Cole, and a silly Lily!

Yeah, yeah, I know...I never update my blog!

Hello to all my faithful readers!!! Hello? Hello? Hello? Ok, I think everyone except my Mom has given up on me, so Mom, this one is for you! Life has taken an interesting turn over the last month or so and I have felt like we have been living in limbo land. That is my excuse for not blogging, does it work Mom? I hope so! As you know, we had a terrific time at Disneyworld, a fantastic visit from the Jergs fam, and a very "sweet" Halloween! I love you Mom, and thank you to anyone else who took the time to catch up on our lives (I'm guessing Monica and Liz read it too!)! I am going from the present to the past in terms of pictures here....too tired to change it now!

Candy!

Lie sideways to see the cutest Tinkerbell ever!

It's Tinkerbell and Peter Pan of course!

A visit from the Jergensen Fam!

A little wet....it was the dolphin's fault :)

We loved the Aquarium!

Lily was in heaven with the Jergensen kiddos!

And now.....Disney!

Cousins snug as bugs in their Minnie PJ's! (Thanks to Aunt Amy Lynn!)

Yeah Norway, Vikings, and Trolls!

Oh it's Cinderella herself! Check out Lily's face!

Yup...this pretty much sums up our trip!

Breakfast with Micky and Minnie!

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Overdue Update!

So I really am not that busy...I do have time to update my blog, but I often find myself just sitting still during those quiet moments not wanting to move, think, plan, problem solve, discipline, correct, clean, throw away, organize, sweep, wipe, call, etc. etc. etc. Mostly because of these two cuties:

So the adventure of the day involved a major blow out, followed quickly by a pee fountain cascading onto my nice clean white bedspread....I know, I know, why in the world do I have a white bedspread? I am hanging on to some degree of adulthood in this kid filled world! Luckily, Lily, Cole, and I laughed through the whole thing. We are surviving, even though I am totally dozing off as I type these last few words........hopefully I made sense. I am heading to bed to prepare for yet another day in the land of two little ones (which honestly, I am really loving!).

Here are some updated pics of the little guy. He is quite adorable if I do say so myself!