The Wilson Family

Snow Day

2012-01-22T18:07:00.001-08:00

We have had an extremely mild January up until this mini snow. Lee's Summit was the only school in the area that cancelled school and we barely had any snow. James was just excited to see snow and didn't care how much!

Early Jan choir performance

2012-01-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

Florida videos

2012-01-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

We have been so busy with house projects and painting since returning from Florida so I'm playing blog catch up! We didn't take that many videos but these are the 3 that we captured. Watching them makes me miss the warm, beachy weather.

Key West- Part 3

2012-01-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

We woke up Saturday and had a leisurely morning at the resort. In the afternoon we headed in to town for a glass bottom boat tour.

James really enjoyed the boat ride. We didn't see a ton of fish but he didn't seem to mind. From the boat we head to El Siboney for an early dinner. We got a lot of recommendations from locals to eat at this Cuban restaurant. It was really good!

We rang in the New Year early and didn't attempt the Key West scene. Sunday morning we rode bikes to the Southernmost Beachhouse for breakfast and then headed to the aquarium.

We really enjoyed our week in Key West, but it is so good to be home and back into our regular routine! Happy New Year!

Key West- Part 2

2011-12-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning, we once again got on our bikes and headed into town. We stopped at a wonderful French bakery for some croissants and donuts.

Then we decided to take the Key West train tour. The boys did great during the 90 minute tour of the city.

It was a great way to see the sites and learn some history! James loved conductor Bob and he even got to sit in the captain's seat!
Blake slept through much of the tour.

We met up with the rest of the group at the infamous Sloppy Joe's for lunch. We ordered sloppy joe's (go figure).

James loved the live music.
He stood by the stage during most of our lunch.

Thursday afternoon we enjoyed more beach time before ordering in pizza. Friday morning the guys and Gillian took a deep sea fishing adventure. They caught a ton of fish!

We ended the night at Camille's restaurant where they cooked all of this fish that everyone caught. From what they all said, it was DELICIOUS!

Key West- Part 1

2011-12-29T11:50:00.001-08:00

We headed to Key West Monday morning and had two uneventful flights. The boys did great on both! James loves to hang out in the cockpit before we take off. He is getting spoiled by lots of nice pilots.

It was so nice that Blake had his own seat too.
James was really excited when we finally made it to our hotel!
He went right to the beach.
They also went right to the beach in their pj's after they woke up Tuesday morning
Working hard on serious projects
This is James' "I'm trouble" face! We spent most of the day at the beach and pool.
The whole group before heading to dinner at the "Southern Most Beachhouse Restaurant".
Our family.
A picture from the balcony.

Tuesday morning we rode bikes into town and checked out a French Creperie. It was so yummy and worth the 20 minute wait!

Tuesday afternoon we came back to our hotel to play at the beach and swim in the pool!

Wednesday evening we headed back into town to Mallory square for dinner with some of my dad's business friends. There was a cruise ship getting ready to depart which was fun to watch!

Christmas

2011-12-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas day. We first celebrated Christmas at home with the boys and then around 9:00, we headed to my parents for the rest of the day. James was VERY disappointed and confused there wasn't any snow this year. This was his first Christmas without snow and he questioned whether it was really Christmas all day. His new guitar and firetruck from Santa made up for it though!
Blake was pretty excited about his drum set from Uncle Seth. He was content playing in his highchair for a long time.

The big kids and James.
Blake was not thrilled about the horse.
James' adorable new hat and mittens from Gia and Papaw. It was warm enough to play outside!
Sisters!
Our sweet family of 4!
Blake spent a lot of time in Piper's cage. He loves it in there!
He also loves to climb the stairs!
James was thrilled to get a new grill just like Daddy's!
Papaw and Blake with the doggies. Blake gets so excited when he sees a dog.
Abby and David refurbished a computer for James to have. It is all decked out with a toy story screen saver, games, family photos, and kid music. What a gift!
I think his favorite part of the day was singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and eating cake!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Visitor

2011-12-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Visitor is a true story written by Todd's Grandma Orpha. She went to be with Jesus in 2009, but her memory lives on with her stories, delicious recipes, and handmade treasures that she left us with. She was an avid story teller and this is one she liked to tell frequently.

Christmas at my grandparents home always left me with pleasant memories.

The birth of our Savior was why we celebrated. To this day my grand children and great grandchildren still love to hear this true story.

This was way back in 1926 and it was Christmas day. I was only 6 years old.

Snow had fallen overnight transforming the countryside into a place of beauty. Nothing marred the majestic scenery, the snow lay where it had fallen.

My Uncle Alfred went out to ready the sled as the mode of travel during winter months was mostly sleigh or sleds drawn by horses. We were going to church only a half mile away.
Everyone went to church but grandmother who stayed home with Uncle Albert who was too ill to be taken out into the cold. He was suffering from asthma and had trouble breathing.

While caring for her sick son, grandmother finished the last minute things to complete the dinner or noon meal. Food was simmering on a wood stove and only a few finishing touches were necessary.

Later in the forenoon there was a rap at the back door. When grandmother opened the door she was confronted by an elderly shabby man. Grandmother spoke only Norwegian but understood some English. However, she could tell by his gesture and shivering that he was hungry and cold. She beckoned him in, then seated him close to the warm stove. Immediately she heaped a plate with samples of all the delicious food and filled his coffee cup several time. He seemed to enjoy every morsel.

He stood up as though to leave but their eyes met and without speaking a message came through to her. "Your son will become better and live several more years."

Then thanking her profusely, he quietly left. Almost instantaneously the family came home and grandmother questioned them. "Who was that old man? Where did he go?" There were no answers as they had seen no one.

Uncle Alfred then went out and walked to the road where it was possible to look in every direction. No one could be seen so he started back to the house. Glancing down he was startled! There was the man's footprints at the side of the road.

Checking with neighbors later no one had seen the stranger. Grandmother then knew the Lord had sent an Angel unaware to check her Christmas spirit and give her the message, as Uncle Albert lived several years longer.

-photo taken from Grandma Orpha's farm on the day of her burial.

Cookies for Santa

2011-12-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

Morgan and James sure had a good time decorating cookies for Santa. James was slightly obsessed with sprinkles.

James' preschool Christmas program

2011-12-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

Blake's 18 month check up

2011-12-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

Blake had his 18 month well check this week. He was SO active during the entire appointment. He kept turning the lights off in the exam room. I felt like I was in a room with strobe lights. He would turn them off and I would turn them right back on so I could talk and see the Dr. This happened for atleast 5 minutes! The Dr said he looks great and is right on track with everything.

Height-34 inches (89%)
Weight- 25 lbs 14 oz (48%)
Head- 48.5 cm (69%)

He continues to be our tall and thin boy! So thankful for a healthy check up!

Here are James' stats at 18 months

Christmas Pageant

2011-12-15T08:25:00.001-08:00

James was just old enough to participate in his first church Christmas Pageant. He did a great job and is starting to sing more and more during performances.

Choir performance

2011-12-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

It is nearly impossible to find James in this video because we only had our phones which don't zoom. He also was standing in front of the microphone stand so we couldn't see him well either. I'm posting it anyway because I know a certain Grandma in South Dakota will want to watch it anyway! :)

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had breakfast with Santa at the church. James was very excited to see Santa, but Blake wasn't so happy about it. James has been talking for months about Santa bringing him a guitar. That is the only thing he asked for when he sat on Santa's lap. Blake couldn't get off Santa's lap soon enough. We also got to see some adorable artwork that James and Blake made.

Car rides

2011-12-01T13:35:00.002-08:00

Lately on the way to school James either wants me to tell him what EVERY SINGLE road sign says or he wants to listen to Randy Travis' version of Jingle Bell Rock over and over and over. I'm not sure which one is more torturous. Yesterday on the way to school we had this funny conversation.

James- "Mama what clock is it?"

( The last few weeks he is wanting to know "what clock" it is a lot.)

Me- "It's 8 o'clock."

James- "No Mama, not 8 o'clock. There are only 7 days in the week. You are silly."

Me- "Yes James, there are 7 days in the week, but the time is 8 o'clock"

James- "Mama, you so silly (giggle, giggle, giggle)."

Blake is 18 months

2011-12-01T13:35:00.001-08:00

Blake is 18 months today! We spent the day at home in our pj's. I realized at dinner that I hadn't taken any pictures of Blake so I snapped a few while he was eating dinner. James has a new camera that he LOVES and also took some pictures. Blake you are such an easy, happy baby. Here is what you are up to:
-You always want to be with James. You love playing, wrestling and doing everything together. You love James very much!
-You love being together as a family. When one of us steps away you usually cry.
-You are starting to repeat a lot of words in the last 2 weeks. You can say Mama, Dada, sock, cracker, doctor, ball, drink, puppy. I know your vocabulary is going to take off fast from here on out. You are trying really hard to communicate.
-You are still sucking your thumb and playing with your hair.
-You follow simple commands. If we ask you to get in your chair to eat you can climb up all by yourself. You also like to take your cup to the sink when you are finished.
-You can go up and down the stairs by yourself.
- You are starting to throw mini tantrums when things don't go your way.
-You take 1 afternoon nap at school, but on the days we are home you take a good morning nap and an afternoon nap.
-You are a good eater and usually eat as much or more than James.
- You wear 18-24 months clothes and size 4 diapers when we are out. You are still wearing cloth at home.
-You go to school 3 days a week. The teachers say you have such a sweet personality.
-You go to bed at 7pm and usually sleep until atleast 6:30 am.
-You usually don't like to be rocked unless you are really tired. Usually we have to hold you on your side and cradle you to get you to cuddle.

-Some of your nicknames are Blakey-poo(James' favorite), baby Blake, Blakester, baby.

We love you Blake!

Thanksgiving Recap!

2011-11-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy week getting caught up from all of our Thanksgiving weekend fun! We had a wonderful weekend in South Dakota and it was good to spend time with family. This year we have much to be thankful for; our family, our health, and our happiness, and much much more!(Now that we are home I'm so thankful for 2 boys sleeping ALL night each day this week. We did not get much sleep on our trip and Todd and I were both exhausted). Here is our Thanksgiving recap:

We left bright and early Wednesday morning. About an hour into the drive Blake threw up/spit up in his car seat. We weren't sure what happened but he seemed to feel fine so we cleaned him up and kept going. We stopped outside of Omaha at a local burger joint named Stella's that I found in Midwest Living last year. We ate there last year and loved it so we decided to go back. It's always nice to find alternatives to the interstate fast food options!

Wednesday night we started preparing for Thanksgiving. James helped by making some cute turkeys for all of his little cousins. It is quite possible that he ate more than he made. He kept trying to dip his knife in the frosting...

Justin and Todd even got in on the Thankgiving prep and peeled 10 lbs of potatoes.
Thanksgiving day I didn't snap many pictures but I did get a picture of all the delicious food AND..
A picture of the boys!
Friday morning we headed across the border to Minnesota to visit Todd's dad. James likes to ride Grandpa Brad's 4 wheeler when we visit.

We also got in a couple card games.

Friday night after we tucked James in for bed he got the stomach flu. He got sick twice before bed. He woke up Saturday morning feeling ok, but still not 100%. He seemed to be acting somewhat normal so he went with Grandma to pick out a Christmas tree.

Saturday afternoon we all had fun decorating the tree and the living room with Christmas decor! We were getting ready to have dinner and James got sick again and this time it was when I was holding him so I got covered. Yuck! We quickly rushed to the shower and thankfully he didn't get sick again. We were planning to get the boys dressed up and take some family pictures, but ended up just spending the evening in our pajamas. James felt fine the rest of the evening and we enjoyed our Stemsrud Christmas. Here are some pics/videos from our evening.

The boys got so many fun toys and books. They have been keeping them both really busy this week!

Sock

2011-11-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

Blake is finally saying more than Mama and Dada. He has added sock to his vocabulary. I think it is so funny that out of all the words sock is his third one. Even though he doesn't say much I can tell he is understanding a lot more than a couple of months ago.

Violin

2011-11-20T12:53:00.000-08:00

Miss Alice brought a violin to choir last week and everyone got a turn. James enjoyed it but when I asked him if he liked the violin or guitar better he said the guitar was his favorite.

New toy

2011-11-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Blake got an early Christmas present from Grandma Robin. I think he enjoys pushing it as much as he loves riding on it. It has been perfect for when James is riding his bike. We have also gotten a lot of use out of it since we've had such a warm fall! Thank you Grandma!

I'm Thankful

2011-11-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

Accident prone

2011-11-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

I had to sign an incident report for Blake last Monday and Wednesday at school. Monday he was walking in the hall, wasn't watching where he was going and walked head first into a wall. That ended with goose egg on his forehead. Wednesday he was having lunch and fell backwards out of his chair. This ended with a goose egg on the back of his head. As I've said before Blake is our dare devil. He also doesn't want to miss a single thing! Thankfully, he is one very tough boy and didn't cry for very long after both accidents.

An artist at work

2011-11-09T06:01:00.000-08:00

Blake's 2nd haircut

2011-11-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

Blake got his 2nd haircut last week. He did great and sat still the entire time. I was hoping to keep some of the curls in back, but after the hair dresser trimmed the front and sides we decided it looked like he was growing a ponytail. He is looking like such a big boy with his new cut!

No more sweet curls in back. :(
Look at that sweet profile. Love him!

Happy Halloween from Buzz and Woody

2011-10-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

Package from South Dakota

2011-10-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

Field trip to the pumpkin patch

2011-10-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

James had his first field trip last week to Faulkner's Pumpkin patch. He got to ride the big school bus too. Mommy had to follow behind in her car. He looked like such a big boy riding the bus! We enjoyed Faulkner's, but I wasn't able to snap many pictures because it was so busy!

Conversations with Daddy

2011-10-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

James: I'm a boy daddy.
Todd: Yes you are.
James: You're a boy too daddy.
Todd: Yes I am.
James: Mommy is a girl daddy.
Todd: Yes she is.
James: Blake is a troublemaker daddy.
Todd: LOL!

Firefighter visit

2011-10-16T17:32:00.001-07:00

Blake got a visit from the LS fire department on Friday. I'm so glad his teacher sent these pictures so I could see what fun they had!

New bike

2011-10-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

We have had a handy me down bike in storage for James for quite a while, but between having to keep tabs on Blake and having a really HOT summer we hadn't pulled it out yet. We decided that it was finally time for this boy to learn to ride a bike! Now it is the only thing he wants to do! I hope we have a few more weeks of nice weather.

This video was taken his first hour of learning to ride and now he is a pro. He can ride up and down the street. More video to come.

James' first choir performance

2011-10-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday was James first choir performance. We thought he did great and we are very proud of our singing boy!

Excited to perform

Singing his heart out!

And he nailed it!

I think he was a little star struck. He kept looking up at the tv screen. :)

Brothers stick together

2011-10-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-10T18:08:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun with our company this weekend! Robin, Tatiana, and Shawn all made the long drive down on Friday and stayed until Monday. It was so much fun having them around. James was so excited to see them and all day Thursday kept saying, "Shawn and Tatiana come NOW!" Saturday we visited a pumpkin patch and had lots of fun. There were so many great things to do:

pumpkin picking

Playing in the corn box.(I'm still finding corn around my house)

Shooting corn

Happy boy!

Riding the tractor train.

Doing the zipline.

I was seriously impressed that James wasn't scared at all.

Walking the corn maze

Out of all the activities James' favorite was jumping on the hay bails.

Kleptomania

2011-10-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

Kleptomania - an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, tape.

The kleptomaniac in our house(aka JAMES) is compelled to steal puzzle pieces, rocks, coins, batteries, pretend food, and tot lock master keys. Anything that will fit in his pocket!!! A couple of weeks ago when I was picking James up from school I saw him walking with Ms Shayla from the nap room down to his morning classroom. Come to find out James was returning a bead from their craft project earlier in the day that he had put in his pocket. On several occasions I have found matchbox cars in his pocket that he has taken from school. Of course I explained that we can't take things that don't belong to us and had him return it the next school day. This was all amusing to me until Wednesday night when he confiscated my master tot lock magnet that opens all of our kitchen cabinets. I had been using our spare because I already lost one a couple of years ago so at 7:30 I headed to Babies R Us to buy a replacement. I figured I had accidentily locked my magnet in one of the cabinets. Fast forward to the next morning when I'm getting ready to do laundry. The tot lock magnet was in James' pant pockets. Now I know exactly where to look if I can't find something! I'm hoping that he will out grow this phase soon, but in the meantime watch your purses and wallets next time you are with James!!!

He's listening

2011-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was just asked last week by our parents as teacher educator if Blake will follow simple 1 step instructions. For example, "pick up the ball" or "bring me the ball". I told her no, not yet. She said that even though he doesn't have any words yet that before 18 months we are looking more for understanding of language vs verbal languange. He must have been listening because the very next day I went to pick him up from school and was very impressed with his listening skills. Ms Julie asked Blake to take his sippy cup to the sink. Blake stands up, walks over to the sink and drops his cup. I was absolutely floored! Then, she asked him to throw his napkin in the trash can and he walked over and threw it away. I think our little man is understanding much more than we realize.

Who's coming this weekend??

2011-10-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Apple Pie Day 2011

2011-10-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday was our annual apple pie making day. I think we made about 8 pies this year. I'm looking forward to cooking one this weekend when the Stemsruds come visit! As you can see from the pictures below we had lots of good help!

Snack time with Blake

2011-10-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ferris Wheel

2011-09-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to downtown LS to Octoberfest. Out of all the rides and things to do James chose the ferris wheel.

Almost 16 months and all over the place!

2011-09-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

At almost 16 months Blake is very active. He definitely keeps us on our toes. This is what our active boy is up to!
He moves toys so that he is able to climb on them and reach things he wants.
Turns lights on and off!
Moves chairs to climb/stand on the table. He totally knows he isn't supposed too and gets the cutest smirk while he is climbing.
Sometimes he gets himself into some tight spots and has to have Mommy come rescue him!
Blake is so much more active than James was at the same age. James was wild, but Blake is constantly moving, climbing and being active. The boys are playing more and more together which is so fun to see. Blake is up for anything James wants to do!
Another example of getting into a tight spot and not being able to get out. He is so busy moving that he isn't talking yet. He still only says Mama and Dada, but is really starting to babble and point at things. He definitely gets his point across without words. Blake has all 4 one year molars and has 12 teeth so far. He still takes a morning and afternoon nap when we are home, but only an afternoon nap on MWF when he is at school. He finished nursing about a month ago, but his still very attached to his thumb! Blake is tall and skinny. None of the clothes James wore the fall he was 17-20 months fit Blake. You two have totally different body types. Blake is such an easy, fun toddler to be around and we love him so much!

Last ballgame of the season

2011-09-26T18:48:00.001-07:00

Todd took James to the last ballgame of the season last weekend. James had a great time! These pictures that Todd took are just priceless. They just make me smile! You may be wondering who the lady(Royal's employee) is??? James made a new friend at the game. He is so friendly to everyone and makes new friends everywhere he goes.

Sunbeams

2011-09-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

James LOVES singing. He is constantly singing. To further his singing talents we signed him up for choir this year at church. His group is 3-5 year olds and called the Sunbeams. He practices Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm. This was there first practice:

Visit to AZ

2011-09-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

James and I went to AZ last weekend to visit family. It has been 2 years since he last went to AZ! We had a great time. He was so excited to ride on the airplane and had been talking for weeks about flying the plane.
The people of Southwest were amazing. James got to play in the cockpit before and after the flight. Here he is with the pilot.
Happy Traveler!

He took his new backpack on the trip. He looked like such a big boy walking through the airport!
James and Sarah had so much fun together. They went swimming atleast 3 times.

Friday night we had a birthday party for Shelly. Grandma was over both Friday and Saturday.

Thanks Lynda and Wayne for hosting a fun weekend!

Pool time in AZ

2011-09-12T19:05:00.001-07:00

First day of school

2011-09-07T18:17:00.001-07:00

Today was the boys first day of school! I tried to snap a few pictures before we left the house which was very challenging...

Both boys did great at drop off. Daddy was able to join us this morning too! We took James to his class first. He walked right in, but turned quickly to give us both hugs goodbye.

Next was Blake's turn
He did so much better than we expected. He got down and started playing without one tear.
One last hug from Mama.
Ms Eshelle and Blake!
Looking so big! We snuck out while Blake was playing happily so thankfully there were no tears today. I'm not sure I'll be so lucky next time...

Here are a couple videos from when I picked Blake up and when we got home.

James goes to the dentist

2011-08-31T16:57:00.001-07:00

James had his first dental visit today. He did really well the entire time. We went to an office that specializes in pediatrics so everyone was very kid friendly. Our hygentist's name was Rachel. She did such a good job explaining everything and was really patient with James. He loved getting to press all the buttons for the chair to go up and down.

Checking out the cleaning tools
Counting and cleaning teeth! James picked "cookie dough" for his cleaning flavor!
Everything looked great according to Rachel and Dr Lopez!
James finished his visit riding on the office mascot!

Meet the teacher

2011-08-31T16:45:00.003-07:00

Today was "meet the teacher" at We Care. I can't believe that it is already the beginning of another school year. This is James' 4th year at We Care! As soon as we walked in Blake's toddler room he got a sad look on his face. It is the same room he has been going to for Sunday school and he cries every time. He was really unsure the first few minutes and assumed his usually position of left thumb in mouth, right hand stroking his hair.
He warmed up quickly and started exploring his new room.
Blake will have Ms Eshelle(pictured below and James' teacher at the same age) and Ms Angie in the mornings and Ms Julie in the afternoons. I know they will take great care of him!
Next we checked out James' new classroom. He is "big man" on campus this year!
James meeting his teacher Ms Carrie. James is also in class with some of the same kids from last year including Macie, Chase and Lydia.
James was a little shy at first but warmed up when he saw all of the toys.
I think it is going to be a great year!

Blake's 1st haircut

2011-08-18T15:21:00.001-07:00

Blake had his first haircut last night. I was sad to say goodbye to some of his baby curls, but he had some major wings going on along with bangs in his eyes. We compromised and just cut the top and sides. We left the curls in back for now. Here is his before picture.

Very serious

Being such a good boy on Daddy's lap!

Starting to look like a big boy!

I couldn't believe how well he did.

"Are we done yet?"

First day of school

2011-08-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Todd started his 11th first day of school today! The boys got to have breakfast with daddy before he went on his way. We hope you had a great day!

Blake the monkey

2011-08-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Blake is becoming quite the climber and dare devil! He can now pull out and climb on the chairs from the kitchen table.

He has also discovered how to climb out of his highchair. I'm mad at myself for cutting out the straps that the highchair came with. They were getting disgusting and just in the way. James never climbed out of the highchair, but Blake is a lot more daring!

This morning Blake and James were playing in his crib while I was getting things done. Up until now, this has been a "safe place" for the boys to play together. Blake piled up all the toys/stuffed animals and fell out. I heard a loud thump, thought it was probably James, but was shocked to see Blake on the floor. Thankfully he didn't hurt himself and was smiling and running 1 minute later. Time to lower the crib!

Step Aerobics

2011-08-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Pushing Blake and the truck

2011-08-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Blake thought it would be fun to climb in the dump truck, then James thought it would be fun to push Blake around the house in the dump truck. This kept them busy and happy for a long time!

Birthday weekend part 3

2011-08-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

After a relaxing morning at Jerry and Joan's we spent a few hours Sunday afternoon on Lake Minnewaska. We would love to have a cabin there... Maybe someday! In the meantime we enjoyed the public beach and got a boat ride from Todd's cousin Jeffrey.

Sunday evening we headed back to the farm. We got some good Grandpa and Grandma pictures. It is hard to catch Steve NOT working so we snapped a few in between chores.

We also celebrated Todd's 33rd birthday with some famous Grandma Orpha cake! Thanks to Justin for the delicious cake! We really enjoyed it!

Happy Birthday to the BEST Dad and husband. We love you!

Birthday weekend part 2

2011-08-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

We had a full and fun Saturday in Minnesota. We started our day by driving to visit Grandma Rose(Robin's mom).

From there we headed to Clara City for a quick lunch in the park!

From there we visited Grandpa Warren who recently moved into a nursing home.

We had a nice visit and even got in a card game.
Next we headed to Sibley state park for a few hours of lake time.
Brothers!
Good friends!
After the beach we headed to Jerry and Joan's(Todd's Uncle and Aunt) house for a big barbeque to celebrate Joan's birthday. We had so much fun, but didn't stop to take many pictures.

James loved the gator and tractor!

Blake too!

The boys also had their first trampoline experience!

Birthday weekend part 1

2011-08-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

We headed up to SD/MN for Todd's 33rd birthday celebration on Thursday morning. It was a LONG day in the car and 11 hours of travel. We expected one detour due to the floods but not two. We were still surprised how badly everything was flooded. It was so sad to see entire towns under water.

We also had to make frequent potty stops for James and stopped to eat lunch and dinner. We made it to Sioux Falls and decided to eat at Granite City Brewery! We brought Gillian with us on the trip and she was a big help with the boys. She sat in the back of the car with James and kept both boys entertained.

Blake was so happy to get out of the car and eat!

Friday morning Gillian was up bright and early(before us) to see the horses.

The Stemsruds recently got 2 horses for the farm and Gillian couldn't wait to see them.

Gillian and Tatiana enjoyed riding around the farm.

Meanwhile, James and Shawn played with tractors

and picked tomatoes and carrots from the garden.

Cleaning the carrots with Grandma

This little guy got lots of cuddles from Grandma too!

Friday afternoon we headed to the Watertown waterpark which was a TON of fun!!! We spent a lot of time chasing Blake around. Thank goodness for all the helpful hands!

James was on the go the whole afternoon!

He especially loved the slides. Todd and I took multiple trips down the slide with James!

First Movie

2011-07-26T18:51:00.000-07:00

Todd took James to his first movie at the movie theater today. I was working and my mom watched Blake. They went and saw Winnie the Pooh. James enjoyed the big screen and sat on Todd's lap the entire time. The movie started at 12 so he was also tired. He ended up coming home and sleeping from 2-5pm!

Learning to use a spoon

2011-07-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Blake has little interest in silverware, but I thought I would let him play around with them. So far they are just toys.

Yeah sure!

2011-07-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

James' answer to everything besides no is "yeah sure'! It is so sweet and I'm glad I finally caught it on video. I'm also going to pull this up anytime he says he doesn't like vegetables!

Jam session

2011-07-26T18:38:00.001-07:00

James loves to be just like his Daddy.

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

We arrived home from Michigan last night. We will miss the beach, but it is great to be home. Today we went over to Gia and Papaws for some pool time! Blake enjoyed some ice cream with Papaw and we can hardly get James out of the pool. He loves it so much! Blake also had his first molar come through over the weekend.

Potty Training

2011-07-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

We decided long before we left for Michigan that we would potty train James during our 3 weeks there. We knew that it was either going to be the best or worst idea, but we were all ready for James to be out of diapers. We talked about "no more diapers in Michigan" all the time starting a few weeks before the trip. I think James really got excited about it too! Once in Michigan and in underpants he only had a couple #1 accidents, but the real trouble was mastering #2. It took the entire 3 weeks of some success and some accidents before he finally mastered it! We are so proud of him! The pictures below are from the beach. We brought a portable potty with us to the beach just in case he might need to go! :)

Getting into trouble

2011-07-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Blake is becoming quite the little monkey. He is climbing and getting into everything! He especially loved the cabinets and dryer at the lake house!

Campfires

2011-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

"Have a good day"

2011-07-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

You have to get to the end of the video to hear James' sweet "have a good day"!

Mini Golf

2011-07-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

We took James Mini-golfing while we were in Lexington. He had a lot of fun, but didn't understand the concept of keeping score and taking turns. Thankfully, we had the place to ourselves.

Guitar time with Daddy

2011-07-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

1982 vs 2011

2011-07-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

4th of July

2011-07-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July! The weather was perfect for an outdoor picnic and time at the beach. All of my mom's extended family joined us for our annual 4th picnic. What a fun day!

Such a smiley boy!

It was great having Ashley visit for a few days!

Little guy in a big chair!

Me and my Blake. :)

Loving the grass.

This picture "would" have been perfect if Blake was looking at the camera.

No time to stop and take a picture....

There were lots of babies this year!

Laura, born March 2010 to my cousin Steven and wife Roxanne. Isn't she precious!

Baby Ben, born June 30, 2010 to my cousin Lisa and husband Mike. I loved how his outfit matched Blake's.

My cousin Shannon with her family.

Jack, Gillian, Madison, and Alex

My mom with Aunt Lynda, their Uncle Johnny and first cousins

The whole gang!

Lots of delicious food. I think James inherited my love for a good potluck!

A perfect day for a picnic!

James has loved taking kayak rides.

Just chillin'

A group boat ride with all the cousins

Relaxing for a brief moment

Pancake Breakfast

2011-07-03T03:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday we went to the Lexington pancake breakfast! The firefighter/paramedics are always so friendly and welcoming. They have everything on display which is a kids dream come true! They even got a call while we were there which was fun to watch.

James really enjoyed checking out the big truck!

But, he enjoyed the food more...

Look at all of those pancakes! :)

Such a big boy this year!

I still LOVE our double stroller. I use it all the time!

Here is James checking out their uniforms/equipment.

I think James would have stayed at the Fire station all day if we let him.

Canada

2011-07-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

Canada, here we come! We only had to wait on the bridge for about 45 minutes.

First we headed to the base of the Blue Water bridge to get some photos. Trying to get a good group shot is hard. It was extremely sunny, hot and windy.

Family photo

GG loves Blake

The fish tank was very entertaining

Time to eat fish!

Fried Perch. The Pickeral(which is usually the fish of choice) was sold out.

Another attempt at a family photo. I think it is hilarious how Blake is trying to eat James' head.

The kiddos

Blake enjoyed his first fish fry!

Love this sweet face!

Auntie Ashley with Blake

We drove through a really bad storm on the way back to Lexington.

Lexington Parade

2011-07-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day. Lexington parade this morning, Canada fish fry this afternoon and then back to Lexington for late night fireworks! Whew!

Leaving the house on our way to the parade. James is hiding behind the stroller. You can see his hat sticking up.

Ready for fun!

Todd gave James strict orders to cover his ears during the sirens. James took this very seriously.

The gang

James loved being able to run out and collect candy.

Aunt Lynda and baby Blake

Blake LOVED the parade. He was very interested in everything!

James was all smiles too.

We had a special visit from "the Mayor". He is the commodore of the Lexington Yacht Club. Todd and I are both members.

Todd even got to ride in the Lexington Yacht Club float this year!

Lexington

2011-06-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Lexington on Sunday afternoon and have been having a great time! Here is what we have been up to:

Tennis matches. James loves to "help" out on the courts. Gillian has been working with him on his strokes. She is so good and patient with him.

This is James' ice cream treat from A & W after he took care of business on the potty for the 1st time!!!!! We were so excited and went to celebrate immediately. We have been talking a lot the last month about how there will be no more diapers in Michigan. We decided to tackle potty training here and it has gone very well. James has only had a few true accidents. We brought a portable potty for when we are playing outside and at the beach although he does like to water the grass sometimes!

Lots of running and playing on the
beach

Lots of rocks and buckets
Spending a lot of time in beach chairs. Unfortunately, Blake also would not stop eating rocks and sand on the beach.
Obsessed with climbing on chairs
Opps

We have take a few family bike rides. The boys have done well in the trailer but are only good for about 30-40 minutes.

Todd precious cargo!

We took the crew bowling one evening and it was a blast! James was great entertainment!

Poor boy with the wide feet. Can't even get bowling shoes that fit!
We went strawberry picking at a farm in Deckerville(about 30 minutes north). We went once with James, Gillian, and Jack and then I went back a couple days later with aunt Lynda.
Lots of yummy berries! We had strawberry shortcake almost every night the first week!

S'mores and Bed jumping

2011-06-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

Hagar Shores, MI

2011-06-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

We usually try to get together with our friends the Schneiders for a little summer getaway each year. It is so hard to try to find weekends that work for both of us. We decided we could leave 2 days earlier than planned for Lexington, MI and spend 3 nights on Lake Michigan. Trying to find a place proved to be quite the challenge. Trying to find a rental in May for June, a place big enough for our growing group, and only needing it for 3 nights vs a week was a little stressful. Thanks to Ashlee and Glen and craigslist we found the perfect little place for us.

Our rental house

The kitchen

We arrived Thursday afternoon and everyone was excited to get to the beach. It was a little cool so we bundled the kids up in pants and sweatshirts. They had so much fun!

I love all the squeals in this video!

Friday morning was still chilly so we drove to St Joseph. It was a darling town with lots of family friendly activities. We all enjoyed the carousel and then pizza near the Amtrak.

Friday afternoon and Saturday it was finally nice for beach time!

So much fun that James didn't want to leave...

Our annual Wilson/Schneider family photo... We are officially outnumbered!

Swimming with the Hilbrichs

2011-06-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Fathers Day with a family pool party! James LOVES swimming and the water. Blake is quickly following in his footsteps! Todd is always so great to get in the water and play with both boys. I'm so thankful for the wonderful dad that Todd is to our boys. He is so patient and kind with them. I can't imagine going through life with anyone else. Thank you for every single thing that you do, give and are to our family. We love you!

Couple time

2011-06-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Todd and I just celebrated our 9th anniversary! Sometimes I just don't know where the time went. The last few weeks we have had several fun couple outings. We love our growing family but we truly cherish the moments when we can go out by ourselves for a few hours or get a night away. We often talk about how we didn't truly appreciate our time together as a couple until after we had James.

Early June we went to a Royals game and sat in the dugout suite right next to the Twins dugout. Todd LOVED it! He even got thrown a ball from the 3rd base coach and ended up on TV a couple of times.

The next weekend we had a date on the Plaza. We went to see Midnight in Paris, had dinner at Jack Stack(al fresco), and got cheesecake to share by the fountains!

The rest of the pictures are from our getaway to a local bed and breakfast on our actual anniversary. We really enjoyed it! Thanks to Jami and Andy for the great recommendation and to my parents for keeping the boys overnight. We will definitely be going back!

Days with Daddy

2011-06-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

Daycare for James and Blake ended May 23rd. We had a couple weeks of babysitters and now that Todd is out of school and done with tennis camp he is watching the boys on Monday, Wednesday, Friday while I'm at work. He is currently doing summer conditioning with his team from 7:30-9am Monday-Thursday. I meet him at the tennis courts at 9 and switch cars. I head to work and Todd heads home with the boys. He has really enjoyed the extra time with them. They sing, play guitar, wrestle and do all sorts of boy things!

Swinging buddies

2011-06-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

We are quickly outgrowing our swing set and on the look out for an upgrade. But in the meantime James and Blake love swinging together!

Blake's 1 year stats

2011-06-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Blake had his 1 year check up a while ago and I realized I forgot to post his stats. Our big boy was
30 1/2 inches long (73%)
21 lbs 12 oz (34%)
46 cm head circumference (45%)
He had to get shots but only cried for a minute. He checked out very healthy and right on track for growth and development. We won't have to go back for another 6 months. We also retired our baby carrier and Blake has graduated to his big boy carseat. He is still rear facing, but doesn't seem to mind. It actually makes it easier for the boys to interact with Blake staying rear facing.

Blake's 1 year pictures

2011-06-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

If you want to view Blake's 1 year pics go here.

Click on Jennifer, password is wilson

It's Blake's Birthday

2011-06-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our baby Blake! You have been such a joy and a blessing in our lives. After a long, hard pregnancy I was blessed with a great baby! You have made my transition from 1 to 2 so easy and I'm sure that will catch up with us on number 3! You are so easy going and happy. More about Blake:
-You are taking 5-6 steps at a time. You get the biggest smile on your face when you start walking. You are so proud of yourself.
-You babble and talk to yourself constantly. You say Mama and Dada.
-You have 8 teeth and your molars are on their way. You are chewing on your fingers a lot and I can see that your gums are inflammed. Unfortunately, you chipped your front tooth sometime over the last month. I have no idea when it happened. It is hardly noticeable and just a small chip.
-You are a great eater. You will eat almost anything we give you.
-You sleep from around 7pm-7pm for the most part. Sometimes you like to get up early or cry in the night, but thankfully you sleep through most nights. You usually take 2 naps a day. They usually total about 3-3 1/2 hours per day. You are a good car traveller but you don't sleep as well in the car as James did at your age. If you fall asleep in the car you usually wake up as soon as we turn the car off.
-You are a cuddle bug and so cute at night when you suck your left thumb and stroke your hair with your right hand.
-You are very photogenic and crinkle your nose at the camera.
-You HATE getting your diaper/clothes changed and usually cry during the whole ordeal. It is getting nearly impossible to change you without help.
-You have been swimming a few times and you love the water. Bath time is also your favorite time of day.
-You and James play very well together. You are starting to get very upset when he takes a toy from you. We have even caught the two of you in a tug of war over things. I can tell you are not going to back down easily to your big brother, but that you will be great friends.
- You are very tough. Most of the time when you fall down or bump your head you don't cry.
-You are becoming very daring! Today you decided you could climb up the slide all by yourself.

Happy GOLDEN Birthday Blake!! We love you!

The rest of our weekend

2011-05-31T18:58:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with Todd's family in town. Ashley got down Thursday night and Robin, Justin, Shawn and Tatiana arrived Friday night. Saturday morning we drove to our favorite photographer in Independence and had Blake's 1 year pictures taken. He did so well and we got in more pictures than we expected. Ashley was so helpful with James during our pictures and I was so thankful she was there. The rest of the gang wandered the shops in downtown Independence. We all met up around 11:30 for pizza at Square pizza. We all thought it was REALLY good. Too bad it isn't closer to us. We had a relaxing Saturday afternoon and evening. Sunday we had Blake's party from 11-1pm. After naps we headed to my parents for some pool and grill time. Monday we ran in the Amy Thompson race. Todd and I hadn't done that race since before James and it was great to see the course again. It goes through some beautiful neighborhoods around Loose park. Here are some pictures from the rest of our weekend!

Blake's Party

2011-05-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Blake's 1st birthday over the weekend. He was a happy boy the whole party! These pictures are some of my favorites! We had a monkey themed party for our little monkey! I still can't believe how fast the last year has gone and how fast he is growing up! We LOVE our baby Blake so much!

Last Day of School pics

2011-05-26T05:41:00.001-07:00

James and Blake had their last day of school on Monday! I can't believe that the year is over. It went by so fast. I will miss both of their teachers, but I'm sure next year will be great too! It is so hard to get them both to sit still for pictures and this was the best I got. I just realized I forgot to get one of James by himself. Opps! James and Blake will stay home with Daddy or a babysitter this summer on the days I go to work. Daddy says he is ready to have potty training boot camp with you James. He is determined to get you trained this summer! "No more diapers" is a frequent motto at our house!

First Steps

2011-05-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

After a busy day at work it was great to come home and see Blake take his first steps!

Weekend in Des Moines

2011-05-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Almost walking

2011-05-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

Blake is SO close to taking his first steps. He can stand by himself for atleast 10-15 seconds at a time. I really think he could take steps by June 1st!

Mother's Day Blessings

2011-05-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed to be a mom to my two sweet boys. It is hard to believe last Mother's day I was 9 months pregnant and just mom to one. Blake has made my transition from one to two kids so easy and I'm truly thankful that he has been such great baby. Life with two boys has been busy, fun, exhausting and rewarding. I'm loving every minute of it!

The boys came home from school on Friday with some really cute gifts.

A framed picture of Blake

A flower and picture from James.

James also came home with a note called, "I love my mommy because"...
My mommy's favorite food is donuts
My mommy's favorite color is orange
My mommy's favorite TV show is Dora
My mommy's favorite game to play is Guitar
My mommy's favorite thing to do at home is touch the big spiders
My mommy's favorite restaurant is Pizza
My mommy is 4 years old!

I really got a good laugh from this!

Spring Sing

2011-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

James had his end of the year preschool program at school this week. He and his classmates sang about 7-8 different songs and did a great job. James loves music class! Try to focus on our sweet James and ignore the boy in green picking his nose and the boy in orange with his hand up his shorts. :)

After the program we went back to his classroom to have strawberry bread and apple juice. I enjoyed watching them pray before they ate and all having such good manners. I learned a couple new prayers today!

We are so proud of our big 3 year old!

He was so happy to have Mommy, Abby and Seth in his classroom.

Thanks to Abby and Seth for coming!

James' two wonderful teachers Amy and Katie. They have been so great!

James and his good buddy Chase.

Ballgame and Papaw's Birthday

2011-05-04T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon we went to a Royals game with Seth and the boys. It seems like we always pick cold games to go too. It was around 50 when the game started at 1pm, but was in the 40's by the time we left. The boys both did great for the first 1 1/2 hours and then they had both had enough! Hopefully, next time we go it won't be so chilly!

James enjoys pushing Blake in the stroller.

I love the sweet look on his face here.

All smiles!

The only thing that kept James in his seat was lots of snacks.

Another family photo attempt..

After the ballgame we headed to my parents to celebrate Papaw's birthday! Blake was very entertaining and made lots of silly faces. He wasn't sure about the corn on the cob.. He still has 8 teeth and the molars will probably be in soon. He already has a small chip on one of his front teeth. We have no idea when or where it happened. Thankfully, it is a very small chip and hardly noticeable.

Jam session

2011-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Morgan

2011-04-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday we enjoyed celebrating Morgan's 3rd birthday with the Hilbrich clan. We still joke how our babies were supposed to be March and May babies, but both came in April! Morgan is James' best friend. They play like brother and sister and really enjoy each others company. James is always asking when he can play with Morgan. I told him earlier in the week that we were going to Morgan's party on Saturday. He asked everyday if "today" was the "day" for Morgan's party. He was so excited!

She had a Hello Kitty themed party with a beautiful bouquet of balloons and a pretty Hello Kitty cake!

Singing to the birthday girl!

The kids table

Blake loves being under tables. It's his new thing. Show him a table and he will find is way under it! He spent a lot of the party under the table!

Morgan got some great gifts! James had a hard time just watching, but we didn't have any meltdowns(just wait, there is one coming)

Morgan had a bounce house at her party and the kids LOVED it! What a great idea!

bouncy, bouncy, bouncy

The kids also enjoyed riding bikes and scooters. It was a very active party and James was exhausted from all the activity

This is a video of James leaving the party. He did NOT want to leave or want his picture taken. Thankfully these meltdowns are becoming less and less around our house.

Happy Birthday Morgan!!! Today is YOUR special day!!! We love you!

Easter Pictures

2011-04-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Our singing boy

2011-04-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

James is constantly singing. He loves to sing! Next year he will be old enough to be in the church choir and I think he will really enjoy it!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Weekend Randomness

2011-04-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

We had a great family weekend. It seems like we have had a lot going on lately and been busy, busy, busy. It was nice to have a low key weekend at home. We were brave and went out to eat Friday night for Chinese at Master Wok and for breakfast Saturday morning at the Sawmill. It is always an adventure eating out with our boys, but they actually did pretty well. It didn't hurt that on Saturday morning we were the only ones in the restaurant! On a funny side note James had the most hilarious fortunes from his cookies. Friday night his read, "you will soon be rewarded on your good listening." Ha! If only that was true! Saturday night we had a few extra cookies that we brought home and his read, "A 4-wheeled adventure will soon bring you happiness." He has been begging to get his 4-wheeler out of the garage to ride in the backyard. Todd and I couldn't stop laughing. Saturday morning we passed by the Longview kite festival. Brrr, it was cold outside. I think it was in the low 40s and windy.

Originally we had planned to do breakfast with the Easter bunny and an egg hunt, but the breakfast was sold out so we changed plans. I'm actually glad we weren't at Powell Gardens. It would have been so cold. Seriously, coats/hats/mittens!!!
Saturday evening we went out to Home Depot and for Ice Cream. James tried to convince Todd that he needed to upgrade his push mower to a rider..

James loved his Ice Cream with sprinkles!!!

He thought it was so fun to get to eat it in the car!

Just as one boy is starting to be a little bit neater take a look at THIS!

Blake is so messy when he eats, but you gotta love that sweet face!

Blake is also standing and cruising more and more. We also caught him standing without holding anything this afternoon. Just a sign of what's to come next!

This morning was James' first Palm Sunday to "wave the Palms" during service. Yes, we recorded it of course!

Tonight we celebrated David's 38th birthday. It was a great evening to sit outside on the patio and grill!

Laughing baby

2011-04-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed some time outside tonight. It was a perfect day here in MO!