We have been pretty busy lately. Trying to get ready for Christmas, Wil finished up with classes for the semester, and keeping up with Alex! Looking forward to the holidays. I'm hoping that Alex will be excited with the gifts that "Santa" left him. He loves having the tree lights turned on right away when we get home everyday.
We also got a new truck. Finally got my Saturn Vue. It's much easier to use with Alex than my small Ion. I'm glad we made the switch!
I can't believe that Alex will be 2 in a little over a week. He's grown so fast!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We spent the day getting ready for Christmas. We got our tree and decorated the house. It finally looks festive here! Alex really likes the tree. He runs up to it and raises his arms and says "Daddy made the tree!". He likes to stand by it and has tried to grab a couple ornaments.

We've been mildly dealing with the "terrible twos". He's been throwing some fits when he doesn't get his way. Luckily, they don't last long at all. I hope this phase doesn't last too long. He's obsessed with the movie "Cars". He wants to watch it all of the time and enjoys playing with his toy cars.
No substantial snow yet. We've had some flurries, but Alex loves to see it. I think he's really going to like playing in the snow!

Crazy face!

Pooh was hungry!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a nice Thanksgiving . We enjoyed a lot of good food and great weather. Alex liked being able to play outside! We've spent the remainder of the weekend relaxing and cleaning. Have to make a spot for the tree!

I've turned the comments back on so you can leave comments again. I had turned it off due to a lot of spam. Hopefully they'll stay away!

Hanging out.

Things have been pretty quiet for us lately. Alex is now obsessed with "Cars". We have watched it at least 20 times in the past week. He knows all the characters in the movie and knows what is going to happen in the next scene. He loves McQueen and Mater the tow truck. It is a very cute movie.
Grandma had her 80th birthday this past weekend. We had a party for her and she had a good time. So many people showed up. We sang Happy Birthday and after we were done he said, "I like that song".
Everyone is doing well. Alex continues to amaze us every day. He has a lot to say! He chatters away all the time and just keeps learning. He's good at figuring things out for himself. He wants to do everything on his own too.
Looking forward to a long weekend for Thanksgiving. We can do a lot of playing!

November already?

I can't believe how quickly this year has gone by! Thanksgiving is just around the corner....and we have a nearly 2 year old boy!!!
Halloween was fun. Alex didn't really get it, but he looked very cute dressed up as a Hobo. We didn't go door to door anywhere, but visited family. I think next year he'll understand what to do. It was a cold night too!
Not a whole lot going on. Alex is giving us a lot of joy. He is turning into such a little man now. We are very fortunate to have such a great kid.

Happy Halloween! 

Papa and me! 

This is fun! 

More Fall Fun!

We went to the pumpkin patch last Sunday. Alex picked out his very own little pumpkin and we also got a bigger one to carve. We got there just before they closed, so we missed taking a hayride, but Alex got to see some goats and sheep. He ran around and looked at all the little displays they had and even pet a sheep. We stopped for dinner at Famous Dave's afterward and Alex really liked it.
Yesterday was the big Leaf Crawl and Cousin Robbie's and Betsy's house. I've never seen such a pile of leaves! Alex had a blast playing in them and finding a ton of treasures. He got to see his cousin Rachel and his little friend Bella and Auntie Patty stopped by too. There were a lot of kids and it was so much fun. He came home with a lot of stuff!
Alex is learning so much. He counts things, talks a lot, and has learned some new songs. He knows "50 ways to leave your lover" by Paul Simon and he really likes the song. He sings out the "set yourself free" part. He still loves watching Taylor Hicks videos on YouTube or GoFish. He also knows Old McDonald and stuff like that.
This morning after breakfast he said, "I want to get out and play".

Fall fun!

We're really enjoying the nice fall weather (except for yesterday, it was just too cold!). Alex and I have been hanging out together the last couple of days while Wil has been in Indiana. It's been fun just playing around with him. He is getting so independent. He doesn't really want you to do too much for him anymore. He's very good at reciting most of the alphabet and knows how to count to 10. He has even started counting objects! He likes to eat and really loves fruit and vegetables. His favorite things right now are anything from "Cars" and he likes Jimmy Neutron (He says Neutertron).
We took him out last weekend to try geocaching. We didn't have any luck, but we had a nice day for a drive and wandering around. We tried to go to the apple orchard, but couldn't get near the place it was so busy. Hopefully we'll get there on a quieter day.

First baseball game-Twins won! 

Happy day at the beach! 

Take me out to the ballgame!

Alex went to his first Twins game toda with Daddy, Papa, and Great Uncle Bob. He wore his new Twins Tshirt and baseball hat. It seemed that he had a good time and he actually made it through the 5th inning. Shared a hotdog and some chips and flirted with some girls behind him. I really only expected him to make it through a couple of innings, so I was pretty impressed. Maybe we'll get out to a few more games next year. The "girls" hung out at home and had lunch and it was a gorgeous day!
Alex is getting over his cold/ear infection pretty easily. He's been quite the trooper and generally you wouldn't ever guess he was sick. I managed to pick up something and I hope it goes away quickly.
Other than that, not a whole lot more going on. Alex is really picking up on more words and using some sentences. The other day he said that he wanted to have spaghetti (sghetti) with Mama. It's pretty cool!

Cool new PJ's. 

Fun and busy weekend...

We had a great weekend! Spent Friday afternoon/evening helping Jenny and Jim move into their new house. Alex hung out with Gaga and Papa. They all looked worn out when we got there to pick him up. Alex and I just hung out at home while Wil worked on Saturday. We spent the day Sunday at the Renaissance festival. It was nice weather and we enjoyed walking around looking at everything along the way. Alex enjoyed all the activity and people around. He watched people fencing, the beginning of the joust, and belly dancers (which finally put him to sleep!). We went out for dinner last night to celebrate Nikki's birthday at Pepito's. She snuck into town for the weekend, so it was good to see her.
Alex has a cold and actually has his first ear infection today. We ran up to the minute clinic and it's his left ear. He has to take amoxicillin for 10 days. He took his first dose tonight like a champ! I think he thinks it's a treat of some kind. Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon.

Our 2nd Anniversary!

Where has the time gone? To celebrate our 2nd anniversary we went out to dinner and a movie Friday night. Great Aunt Cathy came over to babysit. Wil and I took off Saturday morning for a drive up north. We ended up in Bemidji. We tried out the geocaching game and had a good time searching for treasures! Go to www.geocaching.com if you want to know more. I managed to slip and twisted my foot at the first site, but was able to hobble around enough to find 3 more caches. We spent a lot of time driving around and enjoying the scenery. We saw 6 deer and a Bald Eagle! It was a good time and so relaxing! Alex stayed with Gaga and Papa. Got a cute haircut and went to the carnival at a local church. He got to ride in a fire truck, played games and met a policeman. It sounds like he had a wonderful time!

Cool rock! 

Smooches by the bay! 

Fall is around the corner!

I had a nice long 5 day weekend at home for Labor day. It was great spending time with my family. We ran around quite a bit and also relaxed at home. We took a drive up to Duluth on Sunday and it was beautiful up there. Alex was great for the trip. We saw a ship come in to the harbor and it mesmerized him. When we pointed out the ship to him he said, "captain!". The bells and horns did not scare him at all. And of course he loved all the rocks and brought a few home. We walked around and had lunch and just enjoyed the day. And now fall is in the air and we're looking forward to that.
Alex is starting to say sentences. He has recently learned "I want to get out!" or "I want to get down". He is growing into such a smart little man!!

I love this Cheerio box! 

Farmer Alex! 

State Fair Fun!

We took Alex to the State Fair today. He really liked all the commotion going on (around his 1 1/2 hour stroller nap). He got to play a little farmer at the Little Farm Hands exhibit. We saw baby animals that were born just yesterday. When he saw the cows he said "Moo" and "Baa" for the sheep. He really liked the french fries and tried a corndog. It was a beautiful day and we had a good time.

In other news, we're attempting to get Alex to use the potty. He will sit on it for a while, but hasn't done anything more than that yet. He sat on it tonight after asking to do so and wanted to read a book while sitting on it. He'll get the hang of it eventually! It's amazing how fast and how much he's growing! He's 20 months old!!

Playing PeekABoo at the fair! 

I'm not supposed to touch this! 

More summer fun!

We went to the Dakota county fair on Saturday. It was a really nice day and we had a good time. Alex was really mesmerized by the tractors and enjoyed watching them drive around. He went on a pony ride and saw some different animals. We spent a few hours walking around, eating some fair food, and enjoying the nice day. The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet. Alex met his Great Great Aunt Edna at her birthday picnic Sunday afternoon. He had fun playing with his cousin Rachel and swinging.

Wil's kids were here visiting for the last week. He went out to Idaho last Friday to see them and they came back here on Tuesday. They missed their flight on Monday by a few minutes so had to come here standby on Tuesday morning. Wil kept them quite busy all week. They spent time at MOA and went up to Albertville outlet mall. Went on rides at MOA and the rainforest cafe. I guess they were pretty much in awe over it all. They spent about all day Friday at Valleyfair and had a blast. Saturday was spent recouping and watching movies. It was very nice to meet them and we're looking forward to them coming for another visit (they still have quite a bit of MOA to see!)

Alex liked meeting his big brother and sister. He doesn't get it yet, but he will. He is doing very well and getting bigger and smarter by the day! He's just a sponge and learning so much. He is now trying to say his ABC's. He'l l just spontaneously say "h,i,k". It's pretty funny. He knows so much already...i'm amazed everyday!

Cannon River Winery 

Hot! Hot! Hot!

What a very hot weekend it has been! Near 100 to 100 degrees for 2 days now. Wil and I got to have most of the weekend to ourselves to celebrate Wil's birthday. We went to the drive-in movie Friday night (Pirates 2=bad movie! and about half of Cars). Then we spent yesterday doing most of the Three Rivers Wine trail. There are 7 vineyards that participate in this and we made it to 4 of them. We started in Cannon Falls, then Red Wing, Hastings, and Stillwater. It was a beautiful drive, we got to try many different good wines, and brought a few bottles home. Today we did the BBQ thing at mom and dad's, but stayed indoors due to the heat. So, it was a very full and fun weekend.
Alex is doing so well. He just keeps learning more and more everyday. He remembers things and repeats everything anyone says. He had a fun time with Gaga and Papa-he also got a great haircut!!

SUPER BABY! 

18 months old!

Alex is 18 months old already! I can't believe it. He had his checkup yesterday and is as healthy as can be. He weighs about 35-36# (on the big person scale now and was moving around) and 36 inches tall! He is proportionately the size of a 3 year old. The doctor was very surprised when Alex started calling out numbers and colors he saw and commented that Alex knows more than he should at this age. He got his last 2 shots until he turns 5.
Happy 4th of July. I think we're going to head to the Zoo this afternoon.

Summertime!

We are enjoying the nice weather. Alex sure loves to play outside. He loves to dig in the dirt, play in his pool, and just explore everything! He is learning so much everyday...it's pretty amazing. He knows his colors and can recognize numbers 1-10. We have to really watch what we say as he repeats everything he hears. Loves books and is remembering some of the words.
Had a nice Father's day BBQ yesterday. I think Wil and Dad had a nice day.

Not a whole lot else going on. Summer is fun!

I'm 30 today!

Wow...that's weird to write! I had a wonderful surprise birthday party yesterday courtesy of Wil and Patty. And I really was surprised!! My family and friends were there, we had great food, and a beautiful day! A festive Luau theme with little umbrellas for drinks and leis! It was so nice. I always know how lucky I am to have the people in my life that I do. But days like yesterday just hit me sometimes and I cannot believe how lucky I am. So many people that love me and care about me. I wish everyone got to feel that way!
I got very nice gifts and some fun money to go shopping with! Alex colored a card for me too! Wil and I are going to take dance lessons as part of my gift, so that will be fun!

So, now I'm 30 and it's not bad. For some reason I was dreading it so much. I have a very wonderful life and nothing to complain about!
Thanks everyone!

Happy Memorial Day!

We had a very nice long weekend. It was so hot, but we had fun! Did some shopping, went for a bike ride, visited Como Zoo, and had a BBQ with the family at Mom and Dad's. Pretty laid back and somewhat relaxing. Alex got some new tennis shoes and a pair of sandals. Size 8 1/2 XW!!!! He's going to have monster feet!
Hope everyone else had a nice weekend too!

Handsome in blue! 

Flower! 

Playing with snakes at class! 

He shoots! 

Summertime!

Well, almost! We've been really enjoying the nice weather. Alex sure loves playing outside....he has a great time helping grandma with the gardening. He just keeps learning so much and amazes me all the time. He recognizes numbers 1-10, knows colors, and just catches on to things. It's so fun. I even taught him to say "Soul Patrol" and after he says it, he says "Tay" (for Taylor- in case you didn't know, I'm obsessed!).
We're looking forward to the long weekend. Hopefully it will be nice so we can be out and about. Haven't been on the bikes for some time now and we also have some landscaping to do in the yard.
Will also post a couple new pictures soon!

B-ball! 

Busy beaver! See the tail? 

Going into class 

First day of "class"

Alex went to his first class with Grandma at Longfellow park on Friday (5/12). He learned about Beaver's. Being a little early meant that he got to run around in the gym for awhile first and play with the basketballs. He really liked that. He got to see a beaver tail and pieces of wood that beavers use. He made a little picture of a beaver dam and wore a tail around. There was one other little girl there and it sounds like they had a good time. Alex is really enjoying being outside and playing a lot! He loves going to Grandma and Papa's house! He's learning so many words and talks a lot.
Yesterday was Mother's Day. We had a nice time doing the BBQ thing. I got a nice breakfast made for me and got to relax. It was a great day.

Nose! 

Busy and productive weekend!

We had quite the busy weekend. Yesterday, we had a yard sale at Mom and Dad's house. We sold quite a bit of stuff (and made about $200 in fun cash!). It was a fun day and almost the whole family was there. Alex loved running around and playing outside all day.
Went to Home Depot today and got landscape timbers to build some flower boxes. Wil washed the deck so we can get it stained and spruced up. We started putting up new black shutters on the house and it looks so much nicer! We only got 2 windows done, but it's already an improvement.
Alex is just loving the outdoors. He could play outside ALL day long! We should really start calling him the Energizer bunny. He is going to start going to a 4 week class at Longfellow Park. It's called Nature Buddies and it sounds like he'll get to see some animals up close. Grandma is going to take him on Fridays. I think he'll love it!

Busy weekend

Spent most of yesterday in mom and dad's attic going through stuff to put in our garage sale next weekend. They kept Alex over night so we could go out. Going out became getting chinese food, watching a really bad movie (Lost in Translation), and falling asleep on the couch at 8:30 and to bed around 9! Sad, huh?? To top it off, on a day we both could sleep in, we were up before 7am. Oh well, it was a nice relaxing evening anyway and we really appreciate those!
Today was pretty laid back. Did some cleaning and then we made a Home Depot run. Trying to get some ideas on what to do with the yard. BBQ's hamburgers and potatoes (which Alex really liked!). It was a nice weekend all around.
Alex is still learning so many new things! Today he learned "elbow". He learned 'knee' about a week or so ago and thought that the elbow was a knee too. So, now he has it straight. He's learning some colors too. Very smart boy we have!
Back to work already tomorrow??? Ugh!

Cool bubble mower from Auntie! 

Chasing the ball