Halloween 2012

You can tell I am getting ready for a scrapbook retreat, as I am posting all the things I want to scrap. Trying to get this mama brain to write down details so I can remember when it comes time to journal! 

Anyhow,  I wanted to share some fun pictures from our Halloween fun this last year.  Evan was a Pirate, which was fun because it was the same costume Drew wore when he was 2, Zach was a Rootin Tootin Cowboy, and Drew wanted to be a Spider. So, thanks to my friend Alyson we created a spider costume, fun, homemade, and cheap!  I love that he is creative, I am nervous about what he will come up with this year, eek!  Enjoy some pics..

 

We Started our day at Southwest!  They always have a fun Halloween Event!  Plus the boys get to hang out at Daddy's office.

Sooo Fun, One department had some fun games for the boys!

Off to our 3rd Annual Halloween Eat & Trick-or-Treat Night at The Solstads!

LOL, Emma is always trying to kiss on Drew!

FIRST Picture with Santa!

I know I know, I am jumping all around on this blog... now you get a peak into my brain when I scrapbook because it looks a lot like this.. scattered!  That will teach me for getting sooo behind on updating my blog.. EEK! 

This is the first year I had the kids picture taken with Santa, why you ask?!  BECAUSE IT WAS FREE!!  I just can't see paying crazy money to get a picture with Santa, when he isn't the reason for the holidays season.  Anyhooo.. our church had him come in one evening (12-02-12), so I said why not.  Enjoy a couple pics:

 

This was a POW WOW Evening for the Childrens workers.  We had a fun Gingerbread House Decorating contest. I thought ours turned out pretty cute!  My friend Thais was in my group and she is an awesome cake decorator, so that may have played a HUGE role in this awesomeness!!

Meeting Baby Brayden

I sooo thankful David works for an airline because I was able to fly back to IL (Aug 2012) and visit my BFF Leslie just a couple weeks after she welcomed her, Oh So Adorable, little man Brayden.  He is such a blessing and one she waited a long time for, which makes him even more special.  I got little baby snuggles & kisses and spent some awesome time with Leslie, Renee, and their families.  I don't get to see them enough and I miss them soooo much!  Here are some fun pics from my visit:

Best of Friends: Drew & Katelyn

Evan LOVED Da Puppy!! Can't tell can you?

AWE...

We like to tease Renee about being on the phone.. lol!!

Zach's 1st Year...

Our handsome little sweetheart has already turned over a year old... so, let's see how much I remember from his first year... eek!  Poor third child!

Smiles arrived around 3 Weeks

2 Mos- Sitting in Bumbo

3 Mos- The month of Giggles

4Mos - 17lbs 4.5oz (92%) & 25.5" (68%) 

5 Mos- Our First 2 teeth Arrived

 

6 Mos -Starting to Sit-up, 2 More Teeth (Bottom), Tried First Solids (banana & avocado, FINALLY Rolled Over (after DocVisit)- 19lbs 12oz (83%) & 26 3/4" (60%)

 

2 More Teeth, Eek!

Just Plain CUTE!!

9Mos = 22lbs 13oz (81%) & 28 3/4" (66%) 

 

11Mos - Army Crawls

 12Mos - 2 More, for a total of 10...EEK!! 

Zach is such a layed back sweet little man.  His smile can melt any heart!!  He is a huge flirt and knows how to work a crowd.  He wants nothing more than to hang out with his brothers.  He was a nursing champ, and I just weaned him at 13month. It was such a blessing to not have any nursing issues this time around.  Zach-attack is just such a joy and great addition to our family!  Hid nicknames are:

Zach-Attack
Wacky Zack
Zachy
Turkey
Zach-a-Racka

Drew Turned FIVE!

My sweet Drew-boy is growing up way to fast!  I still remember the LONG 8 yrs it took to hold him in my arms.  During that LOW valley in our lives I truly thought we may never have a child of our own. After many years of clomid, metformin, ultrasounds, a miscarriage, and 2 surgeries we got the best news of our lives... and 9 months later on Nov 26th, 2007 we welcomed our 9lb 2oz boy, Andrew Charles!! He is now 5, and I am continued to be amazed at him, especially his love for Zach, how his brain works, and his tender heart.  He is such a bright, quick witted young man!  He has such a great mix of David and me..  He has really showed signs of loving artistic things this year. I have been amazed at some of his drawings. I will be interested to see how that pans out through the years.

This past year has been a little tough as he has gone through a very shy and scared stage.  I have to admit at first it was really hard for me to understand because he was never a shy kid.  When he started preschool this past fall it took him about 2 months to feel somewhat comfortable.  It broke my heart when his beyond awesome teacher said he was almost having a panic attack.   This is where I PRAISE his teacher and the time she took with him, pushing and loving on him.  It is still a work in progress and we continue to pray for the best approach for him.  We Love him sooo much!!

Enjoy some pics of his 5th Birthday (held on Dec 2, 2012)..

Thanks to Courtney Solstad for this OH SO CUTE CAKE!!

Bye Old Gal... RIP BELLA

I know this is from last summer, but I really needed to honor sweet Bella!  As many of you know we lost our precious Pug Bella last summer to heat stroke.  There are many days I still can't believe she is gone as I look for her at my feet.  She was the best dog anyone could ever ask for, and it was so sad to see her getting older in the days leading up to her passing. She provided so much love and joy to our lives, especially throughout the years we struggled to have a child, she filled that gap soooooooo well! She lived almost 10 years, and I hope they were as full for her as they were for us.  She lived in Washington, Idaho, Missouri, & Texas... such a traveler!  She was the best foot warmer around, and no matter how crazy my day got with the boys she was always by my side.  And.. lets face it she was an ADORABLE gal!  I am sad the boys won't remember her, especially Evan.. he loved that old girl!

On June 26th, 2012, somehow I didn't realize she hadn't come inside with us as we rushed to get ourselves together to go and pick up Drew from VBS.  In the course of the that short hour or so combined with an unusual day of heat when we got home and I realized she had not greeted me at the door, I quickly ran around looking for her.  She hadn't been doing well for a few weeks, so I was worried.  As I looked out the back door I saw her under the boys sandbox panting away.  It NEVER dawned on me she had heat stroke.  She was unresponsive and I went into panic mode, so I quickly poured some water in her mouth, which just made her choke & gurgle a bit. I picked her up and brought her inside. I covered her in wet cool towels and even put ice under her tongue that was hanging out... NOTHING! I frantically called David for help, I couldn't believe this was happening to my fur baby... I was sooooo scared.  The vet got us right in and they tried everything.  They eventually told us she was brain dead and would never be the same.  She was having seizures and just sounded aweful! The vet was amazing and gave us all the time we neededwith her.  We knew the best decision was to put her down, such an emotional sad moment.  I am thankful to know she is running the streets of heaven in no pain.  RIP Miss Bella Boo, we miss you so much!!

Aug 24, 2002- June 26, 2012

Drew's 1st VBS- June 2012

I was beyond excited that Drew was finally old enough to attend VBS!  Our church does it a little different, they call it Backyard Bible Club, but the teaching is the same.  I was thankful my friend Kim Heaton was a host home and some other familiar faces were there helping her out.  He literally cried the first day I dropped him standing at the end of the driveway. Talk about ripping my heart out!! I knew it was the best thing for him and as the week progressed he got more comfortable and even memorized a verse for the last day, whoo hoo!!  It was really cool because the evening of the last day our church had a fun event with a petting zoo, bounce houses, food.. etc... The kiddos loved it!!

We have been praying for Drew quite a bit this past year as he is really going through a tough stage of being shy to new things.  Enjoy some pics from his week (thanks to Kim for taking them)!!

After Party