SANTA!

Alex got to meet Santa for the first time when he rode into Gibson City on the Santa Train!  It was like a double perk for Alex since he LOVES trains and was excited to see Santa!  He wrote him a letter and really listened intently when Santa talked to him.  We had a fun morning together!

Slow Down!

I swear...I wish I could freeze time!  Brecke seems to just be growing up so fast!  I know everyone always says that about their kids, but with her it just seems to be flying by.  I am sure the fact that we are chasing a 2 year old doesn't help, but she just tries so hard to keep up with Alex!

She will be 8 months tomorrow (Monday), and last weekned she decided to start pulling up on everything! Slow down, Brecke!  Mommy isn't ready for you to get so big!

The First Snowfall through a 2 year old's Lense

I had an absolute blast playing outside with Alex during our first snowfall of the year--and really the first snow that he is old enough to play out in and really have fun!  We were supposed to get 1-2 inches and that turned into about 7.  It was a calm day and so we bundled up and headed out for a little sledding.  Now, since we live in the flatest place ever, I had to pull him everywhere!  It was so much fun listening to him giggle and purposely fall off!  We made snow angels, ate some (clean) snow, and I burned about 1000 calories! 

Girlfriends are Forever

There is just something about some time with girlfriends that can reenergize a girl.  I am so blessed that Em, Jane, Aim and I have stayed so close over the years.  It has been 10 years since we met and we giggled about how so many things have changed throughout that time...marriages, deaths, divorce, kids, moves, job changes, more kids...anyway, we have come a long way and grown together. 

This past weekend we all met in Iowa for a short weekend.  We had two babies to introduce to everyone and got to celebrate Em's birthday.

Jake (12), Em, Angie, Brecke (7 mo), Alex (2 1/2), Aim, Owen (4 mo), Ellie (4), Jane, Clay (5), Paige (3)

All Boy!

The Barnard cousins are going to be trouble makers...we can see it already!  Cousin Brody and Alex had a hayday wrestling as they were getting their jammies on the night of Brody's 2nd birthday party.  They just giggled and tackled and giggled and rolled around and giggled!  It was quite the sight (and of course none of us had our video cameras!!!)  I think they are going to be pretty good buddies!

7 Months and Sitting up!!!!!!

Brecke decided to mark her 7 month birthday with figuring out how to sit up from all fours all on her own.  She actually looks like she is doing the splits midway through getting sat up all the way--but somehow she flips that leg around front and she is up!!!  She is really on the move, army crawling to get around.  It won't be long till she is crawling.  I will say it again..."where does the time go??"

Doesn't she look so proud!!!?

Big brother is proud of her too!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was pretty fun this year!  The weather was nice (60s and sunny with little to no wind) and Alex was pretty curious as to what this was all about.  We practiced saying "Trick or Treat" and we also practiced how many pieces of candy we would take at each place (1).  Well, neither of those really happened!  He was still pretty shy this year and of course, everyone encouraged him to take more than one!!

Alex was a cheeseburger and Brecke was a cute little spider. 

The Special Moments

September and October were a bit of a scheduling nightmare for us.  With harvest, Matt's job being busy, me having a big deadline at work, and then our daycare provider's father get sick and pass away, our daily routine was pulled out from under us for quite a while.

Luckily, we have flexible jobs that allow us to roll with the punches and a great Grandma and Nana to help.  My Mom came and stayed a couple of different times to help out.  Of course Alex was in heaven, and Matt and I were just plain thankful.  I am really glad that Alex has these chances to spend quality time with his grandparents.

I can only imagine what he is listening so intently to in this picture.  His Nana is a great teacher with lots of patience and it is fun for me to see him really soak things up!  I can remember that night watching them stroll.  They went down to see the river and on the way back I heard giggles and looked out to see them playing leap frog back up to the house and holding their arms out and flying!!  They BOTH were all smiles. Those are the important moments!!!!

Good Buddies

I just love this picture.  Sydney is so good with Alex and this is such a peaceful picture that makes me smile! 

Matt stayed home with the kids one day and Alex has been going out to play by himself and staying close to the house where we can see him.  Matt captured this moment (he just missed Alex laying on his belly next to her--that would have been cute too!).  Alex calls her "hee hee" for "CC"...cuz Sydney is too hard to say right now!

Happy 6 Months, Miss Brecke!

Our little sweet pea is six months old today...wow!!  How can you not smile when you see this...

Her big bro is just so good with her!!!  I love to see them interact, hold hands, and now she just giggles watching him play!  I can't wait to see who they both become!

Mommy and Daddy love you both!!!!

As a follow up...

Remember, me saying that my house had turned into an implement dealership???  Well, now we are growing things!!

Let me set the stage.  It was actually the night that I posted the blog about all the tractors, etc.  Matt usually puts Alex to bed and they usually brush his teeth upstairs, but for a few nights prior, they had done the brushing downstairs...so imagine Matt's surprise when he walked into the upstairs bath and saw this growing out of our sink!!! 

A certain someone must have "planted" his crop in the little hole at the back of our sink...


This had been growing for awhile...



I still get a good chuckle when I think about it!!!

This is what happens...

So, I have come to terms with the fact that this is what happens when you live with a 2 year old little farmer with way too many tractors, trucks, semis, grain wagons, combines, implements, (you get the picture) in inventory...

This is how we have to "park" things before we go to bed.  Note...we do have the "beep, beep, beep" going on for each of these---AND they must be straight!  Too bad this isn't everything...I might be able to handle it.

My nice sunroom on any given day...

A combine didn't survive the drop off (yes into our bathroom sink).  Please note the color.  We don't have many "Red" machines around here.  Thought it was funny that THAT one happened to be the one that crashed!!!

My master bedroom...random tractors and wagons everywhere...look hard--there is even one under the bed, I am guessing some little guy doesn't even know is there.



A grain wagon that has been backed up perfectly and left.  The semi must have had to pick up another load.  There was some spillage, see the lone corn kernel.  Funny how I find those all over my house too!

  

The top of our stairs outside his bedroom...parked in a perfect row.



Lonely little red tractor under a table in our upstairs hallway...





Our Little Doll

On September 12th, Brecke is going to be Dedicated at our church.  When we joined First Christian, the baby dedications that I saw kind of threw me for a loop.  I was used to witnessing a new baby be baptized. A Baby Dedication is a small ceremony where we express publicly our intention to raise her in the Christian faith and ask our family and our church family to help guide us.  Then as she grows in her own faith, she will ultimately decide on her own when she chooses to accept God into her life and then be baptized.

This is Brecke at 4 1/2 months in my baptismal gown. She will wear it (hopefully her neck doesn't get any bigger). I think she looks absolutely so sweet in this picture.

Finally...he took me!

Well, when I met Matt he went to Cardinals games all the time...and he always talked about wanting to take me...so I waited...and waited...finally, last Sunday he took me!!!  Yes, 7 years later--I finally got to go!! :)  It was a gorgeous Sunday and we actually got to sit in a suite--so there were no complaints.  Air conditioning when you want it and really good bloody marys! It was a fun day with just my hubby, some baseball, and lots of people watching!

From one Semi to Another

Alex didn't want anything to do with harvest last year--come to think about it, by the end of it, I am pretty sure everyone was sick of it! I think this year he is going to want to spend every minute possible around the big machines!  He loved the big semi, as you can tell from the pictures, and pulled on the air horn till there was no more air!!!!!!!  When Daddy said time to go...that didn't go over well.  He is going to be quite the helper this fall!

Our New Semi...or so it feels when you are the one driving...

We broke out the new ride to head to the 2010 McLean County Fair!  Alex has the best seat in the house and did a pretty darn good job of keeping his hands "inside the ride"!!!  It was a fun night to be together as a family!  We checked out all the "moooos, baaaaaas, oinks" and Alex even got to pet the baby pig and eat an elephant ear!!  He thought that was pretty yummy!  Brecke...she just rode along content as could be and listened to all the new sounds!

Congratulations to Matt!

We are very proud of Matt for being named University of Illinois Interfraternity Council's Outstanding Chapter Adviser!!!  It is even more special since the men of Alpha Gamma Rho took the time to nominate him themselves!!! He is featured in the National AGR magazine Sickle & Sheaf; Summer 2010

Thankful to have him...

I don't know how single parents do it--I have the utmost respect for them.  Obviously, they have more patience than I do!! :)  My mom always comments how lucky my sister and I are that we have husbands that are so helpful with the day-to-day caring of the kids.  Well, she is right!  Matt does a little bit of everything...takes night duty, gives baths, makes supper, takes and picks up at daycare--I could go on!  There are many days that I don't know what I would do without him and his helpful, patient hands!  It makes my heart swell with happiness to see him interact with our kids!  I know Alex and Brecke will be better people for having a close relationship with their dad all through their lives!  Thanks honey for being a great Daddy and a wonderful husband!!! :)

A Perfect Summer Night

I couldn't imagine a more perfect June evening!  A cool night, no breeze, (we will ignore those pesky picnic bugs and act like they didn't exist), and a pizza picnic on a blanket with my family!  Alex thought it was great!  Nothing beats a fun summer night!