Sunday Funnies!!

Why won't this thing fit in my pocket??

Lauren's headband tower

My newest craft project was inspired by a friend of Lauren's. This is a headband tower. It is made out of a piece of ducting covered with a piece of fleece. Sounds pretty easy, huh?? Yeah it actually is!! This has already been awesome, because now all of Lauren's headbands are right there out & she can see them. No more headbands in a box in the closet!!

I'm a box.

Christmas at mom's

Here is a shot of my mom & my kiddo's from earlier this month, when we had my family Christmas at my mom's new house.
(I believe that I failed to post them because it was the day of my mom-in-law's Bday party!)

How could you EVER get mad at this face??

Or this one???

Abra-Cadabra!! A magician's story thru pictures...

The car luge!

Ethan playing with the car luge that Uncle Brian & Auntie Jenna got him for Christmas!!

Vikings Football & Feast!!

Vikings Division Championship Game is here!!! I made a feast for Brad & the kiddo's.
Up top: Pulled pork on wheat rolls
Below: Egg/milk free twice baked potato skins

Below: Egg/milk free brownies with milk-free cream cheese frosting & walnuts!!

My little hunnies!!

Touchdown VIKINGS!!!

Ice Storm!!!

This is what happens when Brainerd gets covered in ice.
This is my neighbor Dan, ice skating & playing hockey... ON OUR STREET!!!

Ethan's new SNUGGIE!!

Hate to admit it, but Snuggie fever has taken over my children!! Lauren got one from her great uncle Richard for her birthday, and seems to only take it off for school!!! Ethan has been trying to talk me into making him one for weeks now. So... I made one!!!

He loves it!! It only took about 30-40 minutes start to finish. Not bad considering I hadn't even really thought it out yet! I used a new fleece blanket that he got from Santa Clause, and had not used yet. Super quick I easy and he LOVES IT!!

These are the warmest little goof balls that I have ever seen!!

Daddy snuggling with his little Snuggie Babies!!

Apron giveaway

Found this awesome apron giveaway HERE on Organizing Junkies Product Review. I entered myself, you should go look at the aprons she has on there, they are soooo beautiful!! Good luck!!!

(excerpt from Organizing Junkie)
One winner will be chosen at random from all entries. Giveaway will close on Tuesday, January 26th at 2:00 pm PST. Open to everyone.

The 'Stache

OK people, I don't know how long this one will be on here, I did not get permission from the Hubbie, so LOOK WHILE YOU CAN!!! Brad, while shaving his head, decided to trim up his goatee, and messed it up!! So, before shaving it off, he gave himself a sweet 'stache & I had to take a picture of it!!! Hahahaha!!! He looks like a 70's TV star!!!

Too Cute Tuesday

This is how I found the kids, watching Spongebob & snuggling on the chair!!
They are too cute!!

Ethan being Ethan

Ethan swimming through the living room & the kitchen...

...he's got a mean front crawl!!!

Coon Rapids Alumni Wrestling night!

Here is my awesome hubbie at Alumni Wrestling Night at CRHS

Allergist Update

Allergist Update

Lauren and Ethan were in to the allergist on Thursday for their yearly recheck on their allergies.

Milk results Lauren
RAST blood test - Last year 21.4 / this year 10.2
Skin test - Last year 7 x 7 / this year 7 x 5

Overall, some improvement, but it looks like another year of avoidance in inevitable. She was quite sad at this again. Understandable, no matter how hard we try not to, we always think that "this may be the year that it finally gets better!!"

On a positive note, her lung test was fantastic this year!! She made great improvements on the asthma and no longer takes any meds for this at all.

Egg results Ethan
Rast blood test - Last year .7 / this year <.35! -read as NEGATIVE!! Skin test - Last year 4 x 4 / this year 2 x 2 -read as borderline! Ethan is going to be scheduled for an in clinic food challenge before his birthday, which happens to be ON EASTER this year!!! Yay for Easter eggs!! (if he passes of course!!)

Ethan is actually beginning to show more & more signs of Asthma, unfortunately. Whenever he gets even the slightest bit worked up, runs, plays (like a normal 2 year old...) he starts coughing and can't seem to get himself to stop until I stop him & make him calm down to slow his breathing back down. This plus the fact that he has had so many respiratory issues in the past has concerned the allergist & we are thinking that we will have to get him on some type of controller meds along with his rescue inhaler.

Ethan & Rex

Ok, all together now...
Awwwwwww....

Jenna is the best!!

Today I got a special delivery... My soon to be sister-in-law, Jenna sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers!!! They are sooo beautiful! Thank you Jenna!!!

Jenga Jesus...

Ethan's Jenga Jesus'.

Lauren & Sarah

Lauren & Andy's beautiful girlfriend Sarah at Penny's birthday party on Friday night. Sarah got Lauren this super cute shirt for Christmas, almost matching her own shirt, so they decided that they would have to wear them together to the party!! They are so cute!! Lauren looks up to & loves Sarah so much!!

Baklava!

Today, I made Baklava for the first time!! It actually turned out!! I did learn one thing, it tasted soooo much better the second day!!! I guess anything would taste good after sitting in honey syrup overnight, huh??

Bridal Luncheon for Jenna!!

Today was Jenna's Bridal Luncheon!! Yay!! I threw this lunch for my soon to be sister in law, Jenna, and all us bridesmaids!!
The menu:
Anti-pasto salad
Pizza
Raspberry Cheesecake bites (recipe thanks to Heather)
Fudge (thanks Sarah)
Mocha white chocolate chip cake
Mmmm.....

There was so much to talk about!! We did get a lot of important decisions made!!
Dress color being the most important of them!!!

I can't wait, just over 6 months till the wedding!!

Love you Jenna!! I can't wait till you are my sister in law!!!

Happy Bday!!!!!

I now get to wish my wonderful mom-in-law a VERY happy birthday!!! Tonight we, along with Brian & his fiancee Jenna and Andy & his girlfriend Sarah threw a little get together at Brian & Jenna's house!! It went over perfectly, the food was amazing (thanks Steve for the enchiladas!!!) the company was awesome!!! Thanks to everyone that made Penny's Birthday so memorable!!

Here we all are!! Penny & Steve (bottom right), Me, Brad & the kiddo's (top left) Brian, Jenna & Jaden (top right), and Andy & Sarah (bottom left)

Are we a good looking bunch, or what??

Happy Birthday Penny!! Hope it was the best!!

"Give 'em a ride"

Ethan likes to "give 'em rides" to anything he can fit in the bed of his new little pickup truck, so today, he gave the dice from his new Mickey Mouse Yatzee game a ride.

Winsor Pilates anyone??

Today, the kids & I popped in a pilates dvd before brad got home.
Lauren was ROCKIN" it!! She did so well!!

Ethan on the other hand, was still trying to get the hang of it!!!
Although I have never seen a 2 year old do pilates before, so I think he did pretty well!!

Special Lunch Date with Hannah

This is a picture of Lauren & Hannah from Monday. Hannah & her family had to go to the cities Monday night to fly back to LA, so I took Lauren out of school at lunchtime, and she had a lunch date with her Hannah before they had to go. They were so cute, they got their own table and sat & gabbed the whole time. Hannah was even super conscientious of what she was ordering, so that she didn't order anything that was not safe for Lauren. What a honey!!!
We love you Hannie!!!

Too cute Tuesday!!

Gangsta' Daddy & Ethan at Gpa Mike's House!!

Too Cute!!

When the cat is away...

Ethan will play...
with all of Lauren's new toys the minute she walks out the door to go to school!!!

Lauren & her little Izzy!

Today, we got to go to Uncle "Hey Baby's" house to do our belated Christmas / Hanukkah postponed because of last week's storms. My little brother's roommate is the owner of our old puppy, Izzy. Lauren loves Izzy. She misses her more than I ever thought that she would (we only had little Iz for about a week) Well, today, she got to see her and she would not let her go!!! She held her almost the whole time that we were there!!! We wondered if Izzy would remember how to walk after we left!!

Hannah Day!!!!!!!

Yesterday was Hannah day. There is nothing that could have made my little Lauren happier than going to her Hannah's house to play before they go back to Louisiana for a few months. Soon, Lauren & Hannah can have Hannah days when ever they want!!!

We love you Hannah!!! We will miss you so much!!

Happy New Years!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

As per my resolution for 2010 of being & staying up to date on my blog, I am going to start fresh today!! I will be filling in the posts from November & December in the next few days, but I am not going to risk getting behind on the current stuff.

For New Years, Brad had to close at the store, and the kids & I were invited to a friends house to watch the ball drop!! Together, our 5 kids actually made it to see the east coast ball drop!!
(I think they would have made it to the real thing too)
Here is Chase, Ethan, Lauren, Samantha & Mason just before the ball dropped in Times Square!!

Happy New Year to all my family & friends. 2009 has seen Brad & I celebrate 11 years together, our 7th wedding anniversary, our little man, Ethan turning 2, learning to talk, Lauren turning 7 and starting the first grade. My best friend in the whole world got married & moved off to California and my brother-in-law, Brian got engaged!! Here's to 2010, shall it bring good luck, good health, good times, good friends and a new sister-in-law!!!