The Ward Family

Family Pictures

2011-12-08T12:02:00.004-06:00

Breakfast With Santa

2011-12-06T14:46:00.005-06:00

Each year the Junior League of Minneapolis hosts a great Breakfast with the best looking Santa I've ever seen. It's a great way for the boys to see the big guy without having to wait in a long line at the mall. This year Brody was a HUGE fan of Santa and jumped up on his lap. Funny thing was that he asked for a yoyo, which he's never even seen before except that the night before we attempted to watch "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", until the Winter Warlock jumped out...anyway, Kris Kringle was handing out yoyo's to the little children, I know that's where he got the idea from, cute! Cam on the other hand was scared to tears by Santa and wanted no part of it, as you'll see from the picture below! Brody also got to see his little girlfriend Kate, they adore each other and we are excited that her family will be spending Christmas with us.

Brody and Kate

Brody attempting to give Kate a holiday smooch

Brody and Santa

Brody's super excited about Santa!

Family pic

Cam is such a daddy's boy!!

The best picture of the day, poor little Cam!

Underwater Aquarium

2011-12-06T10:39:00.003-06:00

The Mall of America has an awesome underwater aquarium that we met my friend Lynn and her son Matthew at on Saturday. Brody was loving all the big fish and especially the sharks, Cam enjoyed the ride and sat quietly while we went through it. Great place to go in the winter.

Matthew, Brody and Cam

Brody loved this guy and kept saying "he's happy"SHARK!!!!!!!!!!

Baking

2011-12-05T13:45:00.003-06:00

Brody is a big fan of helping in the kitchen, especially when it involves baking something yummy he can decorate and then eat. While we were in the midst of decorating I turned to wash my hands, turned back around and Brody had taken a bit out of the top of two different cupcakes! He looked at me like "what's the big deal"...

Hockey

2011-12-05T13:38:00.003-06:00

In January Brody is going to start ice skating lessons. We figured if we lived in Minnesota he might as well learn to skate so he can play hockey if he likes it! Our neighbors, The Jacobs are big into hockey so they fixed Brody up with everything he needs to skate this year. They even put a hockey rink in their back yard so he can skate with Cole and Courtney! This will be great until he wants to go outside to skate when it's sub zero temps!

Mmm Chocolate Ice Cream

2011-12-05T13:35:00.001-06:00

A picture is worth a thousand words!

Brothers!

2011-12-05T13:33:00.001-06:00

Oct Misc Pics

2011-11-16T16:45:00.002-06:00

I've attached some cute pictures that i took in October!

Cam "say ahhh"This is the way we decorate pumpkins at the Ward House!

What a little happy chunky monkey!

Our awesome new personalized wagon from Radio Flyer!

Cards WIN!

2011-11-16T16:41:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, my brother Geoff is a die hard St Louis Cardinals fan...when he came to visit he brought Brody and Cam Cardinal t-shirts. Guess they were good luck as the Cardinals ended up winning the World Series!! I decided that perhaps if the boys wanted to be a part of a winning tradition we'd need to give up our love for the Chicago Cubs and root for the St Louis Cardinals next year!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:36:00.000-05:00

ARRRRRRR! Brody and Cam were cute little pirates for Halloween. Brody loved trick or treating, going door to do but his favorite was handing out candy to the kids who came to our door!

Love this picture that depicts the personality type of both boys!

This pirate is tired!Comical trying to get a pic of both boys looking at the
camera and smiling.

Brody's First Black Eye

2011-10-29T12:56:00.000-05:00

I took Brody to Little Gym and he was having a great time until he fell backwards off a mat onto a metal bar. I was standing right there and it happened so quick i couldn't catch him. Like anything on the head it instantly swelled and turned black and blue. After a trip to the pediatrician it was determine to be just a very had bruise that lasted for some 3 weeks. He was a real trooper...

Primrose Halloween Party

2011-10-29T12:29:00.000-05:00

Brody and Cam's daycare had a fun Halloween party this year. They had "Trunk or Treat" in which all the class rooms decorated their trunks with different themes and handed out candy. They also had a petting zoo which Brody was a big fan of!

Brody petting the little chicks with crazy hair!Cam and his old teachers rockin' it 80's style!

Brody looking for some treats!

Brody and his teacher Ms Harris

Nebraska vs Minnesota

2011-10-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

What an awesome weekend we had when my college roomies/friends/bro came to Minneapolis for the Nebraska vs Minnesota game. We even sealed the weekend with a win! GO BIG RED!

P80 Crew...Connie, Tiff, Stacey, me and DeniseGeoff is one lucky guy!

Girls Night Out

2011-10-21T12:43:00.000-05:00

My old college roomies and friends were in town for the Nebraska vs Minnesota game. We had a great time out on the town!

Connie, Stacey, Shannon, Jamie, Tiff and I.

Snap Shots

2011-10-19T13:13:00.005-05:00

Cam and Daddy

Brody and Cam...I can't get Brody to smile for the camera!!Brody loves to play with his matchbox cars.
Here he was having a "car parade"This makes me laugh, Brody gets so tire of my camera!

Ball Pit Fun

2011-10-18T21:39:00.003-05:00

Uncle Chad got Cam a ball pit for his birthday...best gift ever! I had contemplated for some time buying the boys one, but never did. If you have a child around Brody and Cam's age I highly recommend one. Both boys play in it every single night...Cam likes to do the superman fall into the pit while Brody loves to jump in. I'm certain this will provide countless hours of entertainment this winter!

As you can see, Cam LOVES the ball pit!They both did the Superman plunge at the same time!

Milk break in the ball pit!

Daddy playing with the boys, winding them up even more!

I missed posting this picture to Cam's 1st birthday...

post cake photo...ridin' his new truck!

Fall Fun

2011-10-15T16:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Cam!

2011-10-02T21:13:00.001-05:00

We had a barn yard themed birthday party for Cam's first birthday! The party started at 11am so we had brunch which included egg bake, bacon, french toast sticks, fruit and of course cupcakes and all sorts of other sweet treats to rot your teeth! It was a lot of fun! Thank you so much to everyone who helped us celebrate a big milestone! Thanks also to friends and family who sent special gifts and cards to Cam, that really meant a lot! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAM!

enjoying his cakeHe's not happy that I made him stop eating his cake,
he kept wiping his ear and they were filled with frosting!

He got tons of fun new toys!

YUM cake!

Birthday boy!

Big Jon and Cam

I like to "try" and get a group picture of the littlest ones...these always crack me up!We had several run always...

The dessert bar! YUMMY!

Blake's 1st Birthday Party

2011-10-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at Blake's 1st birthday party, it was a perfect day so we were able to get outside. Cam is only one day older than Blake so it's fun to see the milestones in each boy! Happy Birthday Sweet Little Blake!

Cam and Blake sitting in the Radio Flyer wagonSomething about this picture scares me, I see my future here.
Brody driving Blake and Cam around while they all get in trouble!

Brody's typical "say cheese" picture...I swear I'll never get a

normal picture of him smiling!

Blake and Cam riding the horse!

Cam enjoying a ride!

Cam enjoying a backwards ride in the wagon!

The day of Blake's birthday party NE played WI, so here Chad and I are

showing our school spirit!

Cam Turns ONE!!

2011-09-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

Our sweetest little guy turns ONE! I can't believe how fast the year has gone. The first 6 months are a blur given the colic and variety of respiratory issues...and the sleep challenges that went with that but we survived! Today Cam couldn't be any happier and brings so much joy to our lives. He loves books more than any other toy, he'll sit quietly and flip through many pages, he also loves to be read to. He also loves anything that his big brother has, would rather try and steal something Brody has rather than find a new toy for himself. He has 4 teeth, two on top and two on the bottom with 4 coming in at the same time. Cam is also a big eater, he doesn't miss a meal and you'll know when he's hungry!! He definitely eats more than Brody does! He babbles a lot, says hi and loves to wave hello/good bye, give big hugs and slobbery kisses! On his 1st birthday i took him to the doctor, he weighed 25lbs, which is 90th percentile and is 30" inches long which is the 75th percentile. One healthy little guy! Happy Birthday Cam...we love you!

Fall Festivals

2011-09-20T20:54:00.000-05:00

A day full of festivals! In the morning Gina and I took the boys to Plymouth for the fall parade, Brody loved getting the candy although he hasn't realized he's got to be more aggressive with the big kids around! Cam sat in the stroller the whole time and enjoyed the show!

Big boy taking it all in!

Brody and Mommy at the parade

Waiting for the parade to start!

Gina and I with the boys

In the evening we joined Lynn and Matthew (Brody's friend from daycare) at the Medina festival. Brody got his face painted, played on the play ground and even got a ride in an old fire truck! Because the evening got so chilly we left daddy and Cam at home.

Lynne, Matthew, Me and Brody

Little Fishy

2011-09-20T13:37:00.002-05:00

We started Cam in swim classes this fall, so now Daddy gets to be in the pool for an entire hour, 30 mins with both boys! Cam, like Brody loves the water!

Maryland Trip

2011-09-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

In September we made the trip to Maryland to see Jason's family. It was fun to introduce Cam to the rest of the family as many had not met him yet. Brody had fun playing with his cousins and of course Uncle Jack. We were also able to see Jason's family friends Connie and Bob as well as Uncle Don, Aunt Martha and his college roommate Dr Mike and his family. It was an event filled weekend for sure. The boys were awesome on the plane, even on the return where we sat on the run way for 3 hours, neither of them complained. On the return we made it as far as St Louis then our flight was delayed again, so it worked out well that we could spontaneously see my brother and family. Brody LOVED that surprise and the end of a long day!

Aunt Martha, Brody and Grandfather John

Brody had loads of fun playing ball with Uncle Don.

A hazy day at the bay...perfect for flying a kite!

Brody with his "say cheese" smile!

Jason, Dr Mike and Jack

Our favorite Aunt Connie and happy Cam

Our surprise layover with Jordan, Julia, Jayce and Jack!

New Swing Set

2011-09-17T15:39:00.001-05:00

We finally got a Rainbow Swing Set for the back yard and both boys are LOVING it! Everyday Brody wants to head outside to play, I dread this winter when it's 0 and he requests a trip to the swing set! We ended up getting the larger version so that it would hold adults, both Jason and i have enjoyed our fair share of swinging, sliding and rock climbing! Brody loves that we can play on it too!

Cam 11 months

2011-08-30T15:45:00.000-05:00

Ohh our little Cam, he's as happy as he can be!! 11 months old with 4 teeth, all in the front...2 on top and two on the bottom! Not much of a talker yet, he's a squealer and he loves to laugh at Brody!

Dad and Ellen's Visit

2011-08-25T15:28:00.001-05:00

Dad and Ellen made the trip to Minneapolis to meet Cam and see the rest of us. It was so nice to have them here...Grandpa Ed brought all sorts of cars so Brody was in heaven!! Brody and I took Grandpa Ed to the Rainbow playcenter to help us pick out a swing set for the back yard, I think that was the highlight of our weekend! Thanks for making the trip to see us!

Denver Trip

2011-08-17T15:09:00.002-05:00

In August Brody and I made a special trip to Denver to see my best friend Mia and her family. It worked out beautifully as our dear friend Tiff was also able to join us as well. Brody had a great time playing with Isla, they got a long so well.

Brody knows a cute girl when he sees one, he was loving Tiff!My friend Ann moved to Denver this summer so it was fun to see her for
an afternoon as well!Brody and Isla in matching PJ'sPlay time!

Sealed with a kiss...

Potty

2011-08-16T19:11:00.000-05:00

We've been working on the potty at the end of the summer and now into the fall. I tried hard for 3 days in August and Brody just wasn't ready! He goes when asked but never initiates it himself, we are hoping that as he approaches age 3 it will be easier. In the meantime he enjoys reading books and sitting on the potty!

Como Zoo

2011-07-20T15:08:00.001-05:00

I took Brody and our neighbor Courtney to Como zoo. They had a lot of fun scoping out the animals but it was SO hot! Nothing that an ice cream cone can't help!

Giddy Up Cowboy!

2011-07-16T19:05:00.000-05:00

Brody and Cam's daycare had western day. So I dressed the boys up in cute matching outfits for the day. My goal was to get ONE, just ONE good picture of the two of them. Impossible, I still don't know how photographers do it! These pictures make me laugh out loud, perhaps I need to invest in some editing software so i could move the boys around and get the "perfect" picture!

Cam 8.5 months

2011-07-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

Attached are some cute pictures of Mr Cam, all smiles! He really is the happiest baby ever. I'm shocked that given his colic issues as a baby that he'd be this happy at 8.5m. We are so lucky!

Here he is sporting my headband...rocker baby!

Loves riding on daddy's shoulders!

Wrestle time with big brother, he likes to pull hair! Ouch!

Cam's First Hair Cut

2011-07-13T16:26:00.003-05:00

Cam got his first haircut, as you can see from the first picture he was in need. It had grown over his ears but its so soft and "pretty" I hated to cut it!

BEFORE

DURING-not so sure...AFTER, such a big boy!!

Cam 9 months

2011-07-07T15:03:00.003-05:00

Cam had his 9 month check up and he weighed in at 23.4lbs which is 90% for weight and 29 1/2 for height, which is also 90%. He's such a chunky little guy, he eats better than Brody does! He's also sprouted two teeth! He's the happiest little guy!

July 4th Weekend

2011-07-04T20:09:00.004-05:00

Jason's good friend Pete, his wife Lia and their two little girls made the trek to Minneapolis from Chicago for the holiday weekend. It was so great to see them. We went to Como Zoo, played in the pool at Pete and Lia's hotel (she's allergic to cats) and had a BBQ on the 4th at our house. A great weekend had by all.

Amy, Lia and I at the zooBrody and Cam at the zoo

Brody and all his little girl friends at the BBQJason and Cam

Pete and Lia are expecting their 3rd!

Fun in the sun!

Cam chillin in the garage

Lia helping Brody with his s'more

Fun At The Cabin!

2011-06-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

We are fortunate enough to have good friends, Jen and Jon who have an awesome cabin in northern Minnesota. They invited our family to join them for a weekend, so we made the 2.5 hr drive up north and had an awesome weekend. Brody had the most fun as Jon entertained him with fishing feedings and boat/jet ski rides. A ride on the jet ski

Jon and Jason were having fun with Brody, pulling his socks to his knees
and then putting on his sandals...too funny! Feeding the fish

Headed to the water to feed the fish

Cam also had fun with all sorts of new areas to explore

Playing on the sandy beach

Brother's First Bath

2011-06-13T15:11:00.001-05:00

Brody and Cam had their first bath together. Cam had a great time but Brody was challenged with sharing all his bath toys with his brother!

Parade and BBQ

2011-06-13T15:02:00.000-05:00

We took Brody and Cam to their first parade, both boys really seemed to enjoy it! Afterwards we went to a BBQ.

Brody chillin' on the steps of the tree house.Cool Dude!

A tire swing attached to a HUGE tree, Brody could have spent all day in it!

Jason and the boys enjoying the parade.

Datus Family Visits MN

2011-06-06T13:31:00.004-05:00

We had a great weekend with Geoff and his family! They made the long trek from St Louis to Minneapolis Memorial Weekend for Cam's baptism. Thankfully the weather was decent so we could get outside and play. We also make a trip to the Mall of America so the kids could check it out. Unfortunately the lines were quite long in the amusement park so we just checked things out. My first trip to the American Girl store, that really makes a gal want a daughter. Although I quickly realized picking out Legos with Jack was a lot easier! Perhaps boys ARE easier!?

Thanks to my brother for making the trip to MN, we really only fought once when I requested plate usage...not too bad considering! Love ya bro!

Cam's Baptism

2011-06-06T10:51:00.004-05:00

Memorial weekend we had Cam's baptism. Geoff, Jenee, Jack, Jayce, Julia and Jordan made the long drive from St Louis to be here for the special event. Geoff and Jenee are Camden's godparents so of course they were coming but it made for an even better weekend with the kids being able to join us. Nana was here as it was the end of her 4 week stint in Minneapolis and she got to spend it with all 6 of her grandchildren! JRo and Jesse are Camden's other set of godparents, we are so blessed to have all 4 people in their lives. Cam was baptized by Pastor John Hierlinger at St Philips Lutheran Church, the same place Brody was baptized. After wards friends and family came over for lunch (made by Nana of course!). Thanks to all who made it a special day for Cam.

Nana/Grandma Pam and her 6 grandchildren

Jason and I

Our family!

Group shot!

Jesse, JRo, Cam, Jenee and Geoff...Cam's a lucky little guy!

Me and Cam's Fairy Godmother, JRo!

Brody 2 yrs 4 months

2011-06-06T09:56:00.009-05:00

Below are some of my favorite pictures of Brody from our family photo shoot in May. He's as fun as he can be at the age of 2...Opinionated at times and other times very laid back. He really enjoys Matchbox cars, building with Lego's and playing outside. He's still a skinny little guy who isn't motivated by food so it won't take long for Cam to out weigh him! He's talking like crazy now, Jason and I are always surprised with some of the new words he's using. We've also been working a lot on manners with him and he's doing a great job!

He loved this red balloon until it popped...

Almost had tears but Brandis (our photog) distracted him. Look at how devistated he is :(

Cam 8 1/2 months

2011-06-06T08:26:00.009-05:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures of sweet baby Cam. He's 8 1/2 months old in these pics, I can't believe what a big boy he is...and SOOO happy all the time (except when we wanted him to smile for pics)!! He's all over the place, he doesn't crawl on all four but does the army crawl and he's fast and into all of Brody's toys which doesn't go over well. We hear a lot of "No Cam, No Cam". He's still a big eater and we've started him on real food, thus far it's been puffs of all sorts, bananas and avocados.

Family Pictures May 2011

2011-06-05T14:49:00.006-05:00

Primrose Fundraiser

2011-06-05T14:43:00.002-05:00

Primrose School does a fundraiser every year to help a charity, this year it was Hope Kids. This organization helps provide fun events for children with terminal illnesses. We were thrilled to be a part of the special event. They had a carnival theme this year and Brody got to enjoy the big blow up jumpers for the first time, danced to the Teddy Bear band, got his face painted like a pirate and ate junk food! Meanwhile Nana and I were busily putting in our bids for the silent action. We definitely ended up with more stuff than we "needed". The highlight was that we won the bid for a Mercedes peddle car for the boys!

Maple Grove Event

2011-06-05T14:35:00.002-05:00

Every year in Maple Grove they do a little event where they bring in random animals that kids can pet touch. This year they had a lamb, bunnies, baby chicks, cow, turtle and a llama. Brody got to pet his first baby chick, those were his favorite.

Girls Day Out

2011-06-05T14:33:00.003-05:00

JRo and I went to lunch in Stillwater and then did some wine tasting. It was a really good time with a dear friend!

Happpy Mother's Day

2011-06-05T14:26:00.007-05:00

There is nothing greater than a homemade mothers day gift; forget flowers, jewelry and chocolate I'll take an art project any day! Primrose, where the boys go to daycare always does a great job at making something each year.

Wisconsin Dells

2011-06-05T14:13:00.003-05:00

We met with our friends Jason, Annie and Bell Leppin at the Wisconsin Dells. They live in Chicago and the Dells is half way between us so it was a great spot to meet at. Brody and Bell are the same age and met when they were just tiny babies so we were super excited to get the families together. Brody and Bell hit it off right away , it make our weekend even more enjoyable knowing they were having fun together! We were happy that Nana was able to join us also, often times she'd keep Cam at the hotel (Kalahari, great resort) so we could take B and B to the pool!

Yard Work!

2011-05-19T21:44:00.002-05:00

As I stated in my previous post, Brody loves being with Nana...even if that means yard work! Nana gave Brody a pair of gloves and they went to work pulling weeds. Brody held them for Nana and then disposed of them in the trash. As you can see he's a big helper!

As a side note, our yard looks incredible thanks to all of Nana's hard work. She's been mowing, pulling weeds and planting flowers. She definitely doesn't get paid enough!!!

Nana's Here!!

2011-05-19T21:33:00.004-05:00

Nana has arrived for a whopping 3 1/2 weeks, we are so thankful that she was able to come while I commute between Minneapolis and Chicago training for my new job. She's a real keeper, we keep telling her she needs to move here but I think Wayne might miss her and she'd get tired of cooking all the meals, doing the laundry and the yard work along with the grocery shopping and errand running. She really does spoil us to no end, we are SO lucky!

Love these pictures of Nana and the boys, she loves to get on the floor with them and play! Brody REALLY likes Nana a lot, so much so that I'm concerned about her departure and how he'll handle it. He wants to be with her non stop!

How about this picture, best one of the group. Impossible to get Brody to sit at his age! Tickles for Brody

Cam is such a little lover!!

Brody and Kate

2011-05-19T21:26:00.003-05:00

We were so thrilled to hear our friends Jeff, Amanda and Kate were moving back to Minneapolis after a stint in Singapore. They came over for brunch and we were so excited to see them, of course Brody and Kate hadn't seen each other in a year so it was also fun to get them together. They had a lot of fun and at the end there were lots of hugs and kisses! It was so cute watching them and of course the parents egging them on!

Look how darling little Kate is!!

If I had a daughter she'd always have a cute little bow in her hair like Kate!

Kisses

Kate had Brody cornered here, priceless!!!

Big hugs!

Cute Pictures

2011-05-19T21:19:00.003-05:00

A slew of random snap shots of Brody and Cam from the first half of May 2011!

Happy Easter!

2011-05-19T20:51:00.003-05:00

The Osendorf's hosted Easter this year and boy are we glad they did! JRo made quite the spread, she's a good little cook! While JRo was putting the final touches on the meal the boys went out and hunted Easter Eggs. Brody was really cute gathering up all the eggs and very serious about it too!

Cam and Uncle JesseBrody hunting Easter Eggs

Self portrait w Brody, sometimes I can trick him into a good picture! Not so much this time!

JRo and I

Cam and Jason chillin'

Brody and his new "polka-a-dot" book from the Os family

Cookies and Candy Oh My...

2011-05-19T20:36:00.004-05:00

Brody and I had loads of fun at Easter making cookies. We rolled out the dough and had all sorts of Easter/spring cookie cutters. Then we decorated them, which as you can imagine was Brody's favorite part, I think he ate more of the frosting than anything!

Camden 7 Months

2011-05-19T20:26:00.002-05:00

You'd never believe today that Cam was a colicky baby for 8 weeks, he's as happy and laid back as he can be now! It doesn't take much to get a cute little toothless grin from this boy. His favorite thing right now is peek a boo and he really loves all his teething toys (no teeth yet just lots of drool). He can't actually crawl yet but he does the army crawl and gets where ever he needs to go! Cam never misses a meal, he's a BIG boy. He weighs roughly 23 lbs and keeps on growing. He eats 3 meals a day and of course his bottles, we're about to get started on actual food and we're going to test out baby lead weaning (thanks Auntie Amy for the reco). Tonight on a whim I tried avocados but he was not a fan, we'll try again soon! He's already wearing Brody's old 12-18month clothing and as soon as this box of diapers are gone he and Brody will be wearing the same size! I think there is a good chance that within the next year he'll be bigger than Brody, look out! We love this little guy and his nickname around here is "Cam-Jammer".

Brody 2 yrs 3 1/2 months

2011-05-19T20:18:00.002-05:00

Brody's new favorite thing is running around after bath time wearing his towel on his head. I think I need to get him a cape! He's the funniest little guy now days and his personality is too sweet. He's adding more and more new words to his vocabulary, loves playing outside and his favorite toys right now are cars. Right now he's transitioning to EPS 2 (early pre-school 2). We always see a lot of changes in him once he moves to the next room so we are excited about that! He also LOVES to sing, often times after dinner we'll do a round table of songs. He picks and we all sing, I really need to get it on video...aside from my horrible singing voice it's pretty dang cute! He's also LOVING Cam but he does get jealous if you are playing with him and you turn your attention to Cam for a minute. Otherwise he's always giving Cam toys and talking to him!

Wisconsin Dells

2011-05-15T12:51:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it, I fell off the blogging wagon for the summer but now I'm back! Ironically my first post includes my friend Annie and her family for our trip to the WI Dells in May, she's the one that recently asked me if I was ever going to blog again...so yes, Annie I'M BACK!

Below are some pics from our trip. Annie, Jason and Bell are old friends that live in Chicago and we met them at the Dells for the weekend. Brody and Bell are about the same age, they had loads of fun playing with each other! Nana was also able to join us for the weekend which meant that the adults got to go out for dinner! Thanks Nana!

Monther's Day

2011-05-13T14:55:00.001-05:00

As a mother, there is no greater gift to receive than handmade items from your children! Forget jewelry and chocolate...give me memories on paper that will last forever!

Wine Tasting

2011-05-13T14:52:00.001-05:00

JRo and I got out of the house solo for some wine tasting. The wine was just ok but the good laughs made up for it!

Happy Gram!

2011-04-29T13:32:00.002-05:00

Good work Brody!

Stroller Ride

2011-04-29T13:26:00.003-05:00

On occasion the little ones get to go for a stroller ride around the school. Ms Shea took some cute pictures of Cam when they were out and about!

Snap Shots of Cam

2011-04-19T13:09:00.004-05:00

Cute pictures from daycare of Cam!

Stylin'

2011-04-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

Cam's teachers are so great about taking pictures of him, I just loved these in his little hat! It's actually Brody's hat and a little big but his other hat is too small and I refuse to buy him a new winter hat in April, although here in MN we might have winter in July at this rate!

Meal Time

2011-04-19T12:53:00.003-05:00

Obviously when you are 19 lbs at 6 1/2 months you don't miss many meals! Cam has pretty much enjoyed all different fruits and veggies and the only thing that sends shivers down is spine are peaches! Perhaps with time he'll grow into loving them but right now he doesn't. Below are some cute pictures they took at school.

Tired Boy

2011-04-18T09:50:00.002-05:00

Sunday morning we were rushing around trying to get Brody and Daddy out the door for swim class. I put Cam in his jumparoo so that he could be entertained in the meantime. After the boys had left, I was cleaning up from breakfast...Cam was still jumping away. Once I was done I went over to find Cam fast asleep in his jumper, at times STILL jumping while his eyes were closed. I suppose he like the motion to sooth himself to sleep! Sweet little baby boy!

RIP Mr Binky

2011-04-18T09:40:00.002-05:00

5 days ago we said goodbye to a dear friend, Mr Binky. He spent countless hours with Brody for 26 months of his life and Brody didn't go anywhere without one! I took Brody in for his annual dental appt on his 2 year birthday, the pediatric dentist took one look at his mouth and said, he sucks a pacifier doesn't he? We knew it was time to take the pacifier away but we had to wait until it was the right time for both Brody and us. Months prior it was removed from his afternoon nap, then we took it away during the car ride so for the last couple of months he only got it at bed time. The slow transition definitely made it easier for him (and us), first couple of nights he asked for it but now he doesn't. I had the joy of throwing them all in the trash on Saturday. Good work Mr Brody!

Fun With Daddy

2011-04-18T09:33:00.005-05:00

Daddy is always so much fun. He finds time for tickles every single night...and now he can give them to both boys at the same time! As you can see, they love it! Some nights Brody wants Daddy to himself and will say "No tickles for Cam"...it's pretty cute!

Cam 6 months

2011-04-18T09:05:00.004-05:00

Our little butterball is 6 months! Weighing in at a hefty 19 lbs 4 oz, this boy doesn't miss a meal! Soon enough Cam is going to out weigh his big brother who's a light weight at 28 lbs @ 2 years. Cam has a had a lot of respiratory issues this winter, we took him to the pulmonologist who confirmed that he has acid reflux but overall his lungs look good. He's been having a lot of issue with diarrhea as well that lasted 3 months so we took him to the GI doc to have that checked. All the results came back negative and the GI doc said that some babies just have an immature GI track and that can happen. Since we've started him on solids the diarrhea has since gone away. Cam is also a challenge at night, he still likes to eat every 3 hours. With all the respiratory issues we've had we couldn't implement the cry it out strategy so he's gotten used to have a lot to eat in the middle of the night, hence 19lbs! He's got the sweetest little personality and is incredibly happy during the day and he LOVES to jump in the jumparoo and play on the floor with Brody!

Cam's Happy Gram

2011-04-08T13:29:00.002-05:00

Brothers!

2011-04-04T21:55:00.003-05:00

Brody is now starting to realize that Cam might be kind of fun. He's being such a big helper bringing Cam all sorts of toys and often times trying to put Cam's binkie in his mouth. Brody also finds Cam quite funny, if Cam is squealing or talking Brody laughs out loud which makes Cam even more excited. I can see they are already starting to develop a very special bond at a young age. It's so much fun to watch them interact...

YeeHaw!

2011-04-04T21:52:00.003-05:00

We turned the basement into a play room and we've got all sorts of fun toys down there. One of Brody's favorite things are the cowboy hats. Often times he'll put one on the minute he gets down there and wear it the whole time!

Camden and Brody - Misc Snapshots

2011-04-04T21:47:00.003-05:00

A few snap shots of the boys, Brody 2 years and Cam almost 6 months.

Brody loves to clean out the pantry and bring us random items.
Was funny he selected two of the heaviest items in there! I guess starting to train
early like his daddy!

Brody pretty much refuses to smile when I get the camera out now...
ohhh being 2 is so much fun!

Cam is the sweetest baby and oh so smiley all the time! He's at a very fun age now!

Cam 5 1/2 months

2011-03-11T10:56:00.004-06:00

Some cute snap shots of Cam, 5 1/2 months!

Happy Grams For Brody

2011-03-11T10:53:00.002-06:00

Sushi

2011-03-07T15:52:00.006-06:00

This past Saturday we met up with the Brennan's and Zastrow's at our favorite sushi restaurant, Akita. Brody was quite an adventurous eater, we were quiet surprised. He even tried a roll, but didn't appear to be that big of a fan and spit it out. He was also very interested in trying out the chop sticks since all the adults were eating with them! We lasted an hour at the restaurant with 3 babies and 1 toddler, not bad considering!

Trying to use chopsticks

Testing our the tempora roll

Cam and Blake (they are the same age!)Megan, her sweet little girl Ileah (3m), me and Cam (5 1/2m)Self portrait of Brody and I

Happy Birthday Caden!

2011-03-07T15:29:00.006-06:00

Last Saturday we went to Brody's friend Caden's 2nd birthday party! We had a great time with lots of other little boys there and one lone girl! Cookie Monster and Elmo made an appearance, unfortunately they scared Brody so there are no pictures. Ryan and Lisa also have an awesome sport court at their house so the boys played basketball and ran around.

Family Pic (of course Brody refused to smile!)

Lisa (expecting a baby girl in May), Jason and Cam.

Birthday boy, Caden and Brody shooting some hoops.Brody checking out the sport courtBrody was LOVING this percussion drum

Camden 5 months old!

2011-02-28T14:28:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that the little Cam-jammer is already 5 months old!! By day he's the sweetest little boy and at night he turns into a little devil, he's a terrible sleeper. He's been a sick little boy for the last couple of months, mostly with respiratory issues. We are headed to see a pulmonologist on March 16, hope they can give us some answers as to what is going on. I feel like he's either got a milk protein in tolerance or acid reflux, something is not right with him. Can't wait to have some answers for the little guy!

Aruba Part 3

2011-02-28T14:09:00.004-06:00

We took my Mom to our favorite resturant in Aruba called Simply Fish for her birthday. It's right on the beach and we arrived just in time for sunset. We each had an appetizer, fish entree and yummy dessert to share! It was a wonderful evening! Thanks to Chad and Kristy for watching the boys while we went out!

Aruba Part 2

2011-02-28T13:28:00.005-06:00

Like always I took a ton of pictures...so here are more of my favorites!

Brody just finished swimming and he was cold and not about the camera!Cam and I headed out for an early morning walk and Nana's headed to the beach!

Brody playing in the sand!

Self portrait of Mom and I at the beach.

Mom and I downtown Oranjastad.

Jason and I got some quality time thanks to Nana!

Great view up here!

Nana, me and Cam

The pool is much more fun with daddy!

A trip around the lazy river.

Aruba Part 1

2011-02-28T02:42:00.003-06:00

We had such an incredible time while we were in Aruba! We were thankful that Nana was able to join as having the extra set of hands was so nice. We spent most of the days in the lazy river or at the beach. The weather was perfect the whole time, sunny with a nice breeze...85!

Pool Time, day 1

Cam is ready for the lazy river!

Brody and I in the lazy river

Brody and Nana headed to the pool

Shuttle picked us up at 3:15 am, we got to the airport at 4:30am and Brody was so excited!

We were waiting for the lizard feeding. Brody was loving chasing them all over!

Brody loves his daddy!

Brody's sharing his toy with Cam!

Brody's 2nd Birthday Bash

2011-02-26T06:05:00.005-06:00

Brody turned 2 on Feb 6, I can't believe how fast 2 years has gone! He's so much fun these days, he's putting together 4 word sentences and talking like crazy. Every day we are amazed with his development.

So on to the party details...this year I had planned to have a smaller intimate gathering but as I started to plan I changed my mind. I love to entertain and now that we have small children we don't do that much so i can use the boys birthdays as an excuse to have a party. It was a jungle theme with all sorts of fun decor. We had some 40 guests including children and parents, because Brody's best time of day is in the morning we had the party from 9:30-11:30. We had a brunch spread which included egg bake, french toast sticks, bacon, fresh fruit, mini muffins and cinnamon rolls, oj, coffee, mimosas and bloody mary's. For dessert we had cupcakes adorned with the cutest fondant cupcake toppers of monkeys and giraffe's and a "candy bar" with M&M's, Mike and Ike's, Skittles and Puppy Chow to name a few.

Brody was spoiled rotten with all sorts of fun toys to keep him entertained for months! It was a great party and we are thankful to have shared it with so many friends!

Happy 2nd Birthday Brody!

2011-02-26T05:55:00.003-06:00

I love this picture, this pretty much sums up how Brody feels when i get out the camera (he refuses to smile)! This was the night before his big birthday bash. They had a party for him at school and made this hat for him, he wore it from the time he got home from school until bath time...too cute!

Cam

2011-02-26T05:37:00.007-06:00

Cam is as sweet as he can be these days...now 4 1/2 months. He's babbling, blowing raspberries and can roll both directions now. He's also drooling like crazy, which I have the feeling he's going to teeth early. Only downer for Cam is that he's been a sick little guy for about a month now. It all started with croup, then he got bronchitis, then right before vacation he got pink eye and now that we are back he's still got issues with his lungs. We took him back to the doctor and were sent home with a nebulizer. We go back on Monday and I'm hopeful that things have finally cleared up. Because he has been sick we haven't been able to get him on a good sleep schedule, so once he's well we are going to have do some sleep training as both Jason and I are exhausted!

Camden 4 Months Old

2011-02-04T06:21:00.009-06:00

Our once colicky baby is as sweet as he can be now!! He's so much fun...he's smiling and has a great belly laugh when you tickle him. He loves to watch Big Brother Brody as well as Dolly the cat, he's very alert taking it all in. A couple weeks ago he had croup, which was no fun at all. He continues to have a cough and yesterday they said he had bronchitus, poor little peanut can't catch a break. I guess that's what happens when you mix daycare and winter. He's growing like a weed and a much bigger boy than Brody was, he's already weighing in at 15lbs 8.5oz and is 26inches long. Won't be long and he'll out weigh Brody!

Random January Pictures

2011-02-04T06:15:00.004-06:00

Some random January pictures of the boys...

Cam nice and cozy on mommy's lap (15 weeks)

Brody loves all his old toys that we got out for Cam. Here Brody is sitting in the bumbo.

Brody refuses to look at the camera and smile so we have to take the snap shots we can get!

Sharing

2011-02-04T06:12:00.002-06:00

We've been very deliberate about teaching Brody the importance of sharing. Right now he's at the age where everything is "mine". The other day we were upstairs playing and Brody decided that he wanted to share his stuffed animals with Cam. Of course Jason and I were praising him about sharing so he kept adding more and more toys to Cam's collection until Cam was maxed out.

Birds

2011-02-04T05:55:00.003-06:00

Pops got Brody a bird feeder for Christmas and it's become a pretty popular site recently. The other day we actually had some pretty birds eating from the feeder and I was able to snap some pictures. I'm not a huge bird fan but Brody sure does like it! They didn't stay too long as Brody started banging on the door but I'm certain they will be back!

Back To Work

2011-02-04T05:28:00.003-06:00

I returned back to work on December 27, it allowed for a good transition week as it was quiet with a lot of people out on vacation and a short week. My second day back was great as Camden (thanks JRo) sent me flowers to work letting me know he was doing well at daycare and that I shouldn't worry about him. Definitely a bright spot in my week and so nice to have such a thoughtful friend! I'm plugging along day by day but being a working mom of two has it's challenges (hats off to you working moms of 3 and 4, I don't know how you do it!!). Each day gets better as I figure out how to manage and balance my new life!

Daycare Drop With Two:
Sometimes I wish someone could video me in the morning once we get to daycare. Picture this: 0 degrees, snowing, wind blowing...I get out of my car, put on my back pack which is filled with all the daycare necessities for both boys, get Cam out of the car, put him in the front right passenger seat, unbuckle Brody (did i mention the temp of ZERO??), get him out of the car, having to hold him as it's snow packed and slick, grab Cam from the front seat. Cam who's no light weight in 1 arm in car seat, Brody in the other arm. Dash to the door in zero temps with snow blowing in my face, get to the first door (praying someone is there to open it for me) put Cam down open door 1, get inside, put Cam down again and Brody, buzz the secure lock, open second door, pick up Cam, take Brody's hand and head to their classroom. As you can I'm exhausted by the time I get in the front door and my work day hasn't really started. I've come to learn that moms AND dads for that matter should be born with 3 or 4 arms, that would really be useful.

I wouldn't change my life for anything except warmer weather and shorter work week...otherwise I'm feeling extremely blessed!

Camden's First Happy Gram

2011-01-28T06:13:00.000-06:00

Brody

2011-01-20T15:22:00.000-06:00

Brody is a real character...he's talking up a storm using 3 word sentences and we have to be real careful about what we say around him as he likes to repeat everything...can you say filter! Recently his favorite thing to say is "Dolly NO" and he shakes his finger at her. I've got to admit that it's all my fault because I tell Dolly no a lot as she begs for treats often! We've got him in swim lessons every Sunday and will continue to enroll him indefinitely...he loves the water! School is going very well, teachers continue to tell us he's doing great and is right on track. Recently we've been very deliberate about sharing because he's into the "mine" stage. So we share everything...the best are the soggy gold fish!

Jason and Brody at swimclassBrody has a sweet tooth just like his mommy and daddy!

Brody chillin on the couch watching Little Einstein

Brody loves to wear our shoes, here he is in Pop's boots...not so easy to walk in!

Christmas Day

2011-01-16T17:39:00.001-06:00

Some family snap shots from Christmas day...wish Cam would have been looking at the camera!

Santa Arrived

2011-01-16T17:21:00.004-06:00

Santa brought Brody a kitchen this year for Christmas and Santa's little elf had to put it together on Christmas eve. No small task for sure, tons of small parts and cheap plastic didn't make Santa's little helper very happy! Brody really enjoys his kitchen but he's a bigger fan of all the fake food that we got to go with it, you know all the stuff that was a fraction of the cost of the kitchen!

Christmas morning, checking out his new kitchen!

Brody sharing half and egg and some ice with his little brother! (don't you love
their pj's, Thanks Nana!!)

Gingerbread House

2011-01-16T17:15:00.009-06:00

This gingerbread house isn't going to win any awards for creativity but Brody had so much fun decorating and eating all the candy/icing! He's got a definite sweet tooth just like his mommy and daddy!

Camden 13 weeks

2011-01-16T17:13:00.004-06:00

Such a happy little boy...a far cry from his newborn stage! Thankfully he's outgrown the nightly crying and is so much fun!

Baking With Nana

2011-01-16T17:03:00.004-06:00

One of the many things we got Brody for Christmas was the learning tower, which is a platform with sides that allows him to be counter height and help in the kitchen. He loves to be able to see and help when cooking. Pops got it all put together just in time for Nana to start baking. As you can see Brody was loving every minute of it, especially the taste test!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-28T14:47:00.005-06:00

Christmas Time With Friends

2010-12-26T13:26:00.009-06:00

JRo, Logan and Landon as well as Chad and Blake came over to help celebrate the holidays! We had pizza and wine and let the kids play.

Cam and BlakeBrody sharing his new toy with Landon

Auntie JRo, Cam, Isla and Mia

Me and Cam

Brody and his favorite Auntie JRo

We missed Disney on Ice but Auntie JRo brought Brody a fun spinning toy from the show!

Uncle Chad and Auntie Kristy always pick the best gifts! Brody

got a talking/dancing Mickey Mouse this year!

Mia and Isla's Visit

2010-12-20T13:50:00.015-06:00

My best friend Mia came to visit us in Minnesota for a week. It was so much fun to finally see her and meet her precious little girl Isla. Her wonderful husband Zums plotted the whole trip out with Jason and surprised Mia and I! We didn't do a whole lot while they were here as it was so cold and we had tons of snow! The beauty of a dear friend is that you don't have to do anything but enjoy each others company!

Mia brought matching PJ's for all 3 kids to wear. Of course we had envisioned wonderful pictures in front of the Christmas tree with all 3 kids looking right at the camera but as you can see that didn't work out! I laugh when I look at these pics, trying to pose and prop them was not an easy job!

Isla was loving on Brody!

Best friends catching up over a glass of wine!

Story time with Auntie MiaMia and Isla

Camden 11 weeks

2010-12-20T12:57:00.008-06:00

What a sweet baby boy we have now, we've turned the corner from the crying nights!!! PRAISE GOD! He's such a sweetie now, he smiles all the time and loves to talk/coo. Why is it that they turn the corner to a happy baby right when it's time to go back to work?! We still have sleep challenges...when he had colic for 6 weeks we held him in the evenings once he fell asleep as we didn't want to "wake the dragon"...now we've created a baby that can't seem to sleep unless he's being held. Obviously when he was crying we had to do it but now reversing that is very difficult! He starts daycare next week and its going to be very hard for him adjusting to not being held, breaks my heart quiet honestly. Speaking of daycare, ughh, it doesn't get any easier with baby #2, I dread next weeks drop off. So hard when they are so tiny...I know he'll be in good hands, both of the teachers Brody had are still in that same room so I do have some comfort in knowing he will be well cared for!

How cute is this hat, I ordered it from a lady on etsy.com that Aunt Amy introduced me to!

Family Pictures

2010-12-20T12:45:00.008-06:00

WOW is all i can say, trying to get a 22m old toddler to look at the camera and smile on command, NOT happening at our house! This was our 3rd reschedule of family pictures so we ended up just doing them at our house. Paula came around 9am and Brody was having a tough morning with tears and all but we decided to give it a shot. The pics are ok considering what we went through to get these, we'll take them. In hind sight the shoot was quiet comical with glass Christmas ornaments being thrown and shattered to tearing the Christmas tree apart, tantrams and tears...ohh Brody we love you but some days you really do give us a run for our money! Next year we'll do it in Oct so we can be outside, hopefully we'll have a more complaint toddler (I know, don't count on it right!!)!

This could have been a really cute pic but Brody cracked his head on Cam's head and
that was the end for the little baby. (last photo taken!)

This is Brody's "ohh no" face...this happened after several glass ornaments were broken!

Bountiful Brunch

2010-12-20T12:27:00.012-06:00

My dear friends JRo and Jen hosted a brunch in my honor last weekend. After having Baby Cam I hadn't been out of the house much for social activities so this was the perfect way to get me back into the social scene! It was so delightful with wonderful friends, both new and old. They had all sorts of delicious treats including mimosas and a bloody Mary bar. I couldn't have asked for a nicer morning! Thanks Ladies! (Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of everyone who came!)

Hostesses JRo, Jen and I

Laura, Megan, Emily and SarahKari, Holly and meSo glad Nancy was in town so she could attend!Story behind "welcome bitches"...I've been know to call my girlfriends "bitches" after
a few cocktails, all in good fun of course!

Crazy Alli, me and Jenny

Laurie, me and Rachel