30 October 2009

Big Year, Big Adventures

In an effort to STILL get all caught up, I finally got most of the pictures from October onto the new computer! BUT we still have pictures from the last part of the month on the camera that haven't even made it to the computer yet. So...here are a few from the first of the month. Since Aiden is a whole big year old, he figure he should be having big adventures as well. The fire station had an open house during fire safety week and I thought Aiden would like go since almost every time we go to the commissary the fire truck is there and we have to stop and look! The firefighters are always in the store though, so we never get to see inside. At the open house, the trucks had their doors open and we were free to climb up and explore. Daddy explained to Aiden that the yellow trucks are best, so having his picture taken in the big yellow truck was a must. We also got some goodies and saw the talking fire hydrant...who Aiden was intrigued by but kept his distance from. Here are some pictures from Aiden's first visit to the fire station:

29 October 2009

Lil Punkin


All of a sudden...there it was again!! Aiden was due for having his pictures taken once more! We already had some wonderful pictures that were taken of him by his god mother early in September and I capture so many shots of him that we figured we didn't need to go all out and have too many taken. But I did have a coupon for a local place, so we went ahead and had a couple more taken. I figure, you can never have too many when your kid is as cute as ours! :) Since it was that time of year we had some taken with the fall background and her he is...our cute lil punkin himself...


A couple weeks ago we also took that cute lil punkin of ours to the pumkin patch. Last year, he had no idea what was going on. I have pictures of him sound asleep with his tiny pumpkin in him tiny little lap! This year was much more fun! The first thing we did at the pumpkin patch was venture through the corn maze. Unfortunately it had been very rainy prior to this day, so the maze was VERY muddy. Daddy had to hold Aiden, but it turned out alright because then they could navigate together. Once we made it out, we took a walk past the goats on our way the the hay rack ride that would take us out to the patch. Aiden was interested in the barrel train but wasn't quite big enough to go on his own and neither mommy or daddy thought that they could get back out if they even would have attempted to get in! So we headed out to the patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins. Luckily we were able to get to a wagon before they were gone and as you can see in the pictures Aiden was very helpful in pulling the wagon back from the field. Aiden even got to pick his own pumpkin from a pile of pre-picked ones and did a wonderful job, I must say! We decided to cut our time short and not do the few other things we could have done there that day as we realized it was way past lunch time and nap time. As soon as we pulled out of the driveway Aiden was fast asleep and mommy and daddy enjoyed a quiet ride home!


iMAC = love


Our new computer arrived yesterday, we are the proud new owners of the new iMAC! We don't have any pictures on it yet, but I wanted to see just how amazing working on our blog will now be! I can actually see what I'm doing!! The background actually shows up down the sides and I will hopefully only have to post things one time...instead of posting and then re-posting a few times to actually get it the way I want it! Life is good!! :)

In other news...we have also put an offer in on a new house! So...I will either be a blogging fool trying to keep updates current or I will fall behind and have to try even harder than I already do to get caught back up! The thought of falling behind when I'm not even caught up to where I want to be yet is a little overwhelming, but the good news is I've decided to work from home so I'm looking forward to still being able to do quite a bit of the things I'm used to having time to do. I've come to the conclusion that we are the type of people who just can't sit still for too long! You would think that with Adam reenlisting for stabilization here at Ft Leonard Wood, we could be settled for a while longer. But not us...we've got to keep life interesting. Adam and I have both started new jobs, I'm watching kids in home and Adam is now the NCOIC of the Behavioral Medicine Division at GLWACH (Yes, he works days again!!) And as I stated above, with God's blessings we will be in a new house before the end of the year! We plan to keep our first house and rent it for awhile and I will still be watching the same kids that I watch now in the new house with the possibility of having a couple more since we will have more space. And with having more space and income for our family we will be able to expand it...and we're not talking about another puppy this time! Hey, we figure whats another mouth to feed & a little more chaos at this point!! I have so many great Fall pictures already and I will try to get all caught up soon, before the Holidays really kick in is my goal, but for now I gotta get back to work!!

Much Love from Em & the boys

27 October 2009

Rain, Rain



Mother Nature has decided to shower us with lots of rain here lately, which is wonderful for the plants and animals, but not so much for the mother of a toddler who just loves to be outside! A couple weeks ago I desperately needed Aiden to get outside for awhile and burn off some energy so, rain or no rain we went out to play! Luckily the rain water wasn't too cold considering Aiden did not want to keep his shoes on and wanted to stick his hand up the gutter! He had a blast and when all was said and done, we were soaked but happy! Well, I was happy and Aiden was upset for a while that he couldn't stay out longer! Sometimes we get so caught up in being adults, that we forget about the simple things in life. Aiden was so full of wonder finding joy in something as simple as the rain and I'm amazed everyday at how much he wants to learn. He always wants to be learning about himself and the world around him and I am overjoyed at how often I get to be right there encouraging him and challenging him along the way...even if it means ruining my camera by getting it wet in order to capture the moment!!

26 October 2009

For the Love of Green & Yellow


Big, small, toy or the real thing...he loves them!! John Deere's that is! If Aiden is given a choice of what colors to paint with, green & yellow. Given a choice between 2 shirts to wear, the green & yellow one. And among all the toys played with in the whole house, more often than not its the ones that are green & yellow. Tractors, trucks, farm equipment....our little man loves that John Deere green & yellow! I guess mom and dad have to take some blame as we gave him a John Deere bedroom from day one. Then we began dressing him like daddy...in John Deere shirts, boots and Carhartts. And to top it all off, a month or two ago daddy took him for a ride in one of Papa's real Johnny's for the first time! He loved exploring in the barn and by the corn at Great-Grandpa and Papa's farm. And checking out the cows was a must, but it was truly the tractors that we had to pry him away from. There's a new song by Jason Aldean called Big Green Tractor and we laugh because it makes us think of what a little charmer Aiden already is and how we can just picture him as the guy in the song! I don't know how long this love will live on, but for now its going strong.

Even mommy had some fun at the farm! Adam had to teach me how to climb the round bales and run across them...not as much fun as they all make it sound...but I guess because the more I age the more my imagination disappears, unfortunately! The innocent spiders didn't seem very innocent and prevented me from jumping across more than 2 bales...the city girl in me sure came out loud & clear that day!!



15 October 2009

Lazy Days of Summer...Not So Much!!


If it weren't for all the chilly mornings lately, I wouldn't believe its fall already!! The summer seemed to have passed so quickly, possibly because we were busy doing so many fun things. In June, we were still welcoming the newest member of our family in our home, Lilly, our boxer puppy. Aiden and Lilly have a better relationship than I could have ever asked for. Aiden had his first swim lesson and it was chilly!! The indoor pool where they were supposed to be held had roof issues so instead we were outside and by the end of the week Aiden also had his first ear infection. Aiden does like to swim though, so we will try lessons again another time! Aiden also got his first black eye when he learned to pull himself up and stand at the table...but lost his grip! Thank goodness that only happened once! In July, we spent a weekend in St. Louis. We had a lot of fun at the zoo and the Magic House (children's museum) with the Trickey and McCabe families! With us living away, its always nice to make memories with friends and family whenever we get the chance. On the way home, we made a detour to Grant's Farm. On the last weekend of the month, our home was filled with love! We had a house full of family who all came to celebrate Aiden's Baptism. We are so blessed to have many people in our lives who support and love us! Two days after everyone left, Aiden took his first steps!! I guess he didn't want an audience when he took his first steps!! It wasn't until later in August that he actually started walking though...and now there's no stopping him! Also in August, mommy took Aiden to the sprinkler park a few times and we all spent an afternoon at Splash Zone, the water park by us. We also had some adventures exploring a few different parks. Aiden likes to swing, slide, climb, pick up sticks and rocks, and even tried the monkey bars and rock climbing with daddy's help! Mommy even got a special "surprise" visitor when Lucas spent a weekend with us! It was fun for Aiden to have a "big brother" for a couple of days. In September, went to Illinois to visit, Nana & Kevin got married so it was a special trip! Aiden also got to ride in one of Papa's big green tractors for the first time. Daddy took Aiden for a ride around the farm, the little guy sure does love those John Deere's! He also liked the cows, he got to help feed them and count them one night before bed. He liked to moo at them, but couldn't seem to get them to moo back! When we got home from our trip, Aiden made a new friend, Braylon. Braylon lives in Wisconsin, but was visiting his Aunt Lindsey who is our neighbor. The boys played together quite a bit but as usual with military families, your time together never seems long enough! While they were here, we all did the Paws in the Park 5K to benefit the Humane Society! Aiden rode in the stroller and Lilly walked with Nora, Lindsey's boxer who is like totally her bff that lives up the street!! Our last family summer adventure was to Animal Paradise Wild Animal Safari in Strafford, Mo.


The Animal Safari is so cool!! It is a drive through animal park. You have to stay in your car, but many of the animals come right up to your window! The emus and the camels even tried to stick their heads all the way in, so we had to be sure to keep the windows rolled up unless we were feeding them. Aiden thought it was the greatest thing to get to ride up front on mommy's lap and hang his head out the window! We bought a cup of food and thank goodness we did because there were times that we had to use it to lure some animals out of the middle of the road so we could keep going! Some of the animals we fed were emus, ostrich, camels, deer, donkeys, buffalo, zebras, llamas, goats, a yak and a wildebeest. We also saw black bears, elk, tigers, hyenas, leopards, monkeys and Ligers! Whheeew...I'm exhausted just thinking about all the fun things we did and great memories we made this summer!! If fall ends up being as exciting as summer, I think I might hibernate all winter long to catch up!!

07 October 2009

Over The Top!




For Aiden's birthday, Mommy and Grandma DJ took him to see the "Greatest Show on Earth," The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey "Over the Top" Circus!
We went with the Trickey family, the McCabe family, some of the Wyffels family and the Versluis family! We all had a whole row!! I was completely prepared to leave before the show was over due to Aiden not being able to sit still or being too scared. Neither happened! He loved it!! Right before the show started he got his first taste of yummy cotton candy, thanks to Lindsey and uncle Curtis! For a while he sat in awe with his little mouth hanging open and his hands folded. Then for a while he pointed and sat wondering what was going on!? At intermission he fell asleep and surprisingly stayed sleeping through the noise and bright lights once the show started again. He woke up just in time to see the elephants and the grand finale! I think I enjoyed watching his priceless reactions more than I did the show its self! At the end of the show, grandma bought Aiden a special elephant which he still enjoys playing with almost daily!

05 October 2009

A Pinch to Grow an Inch




Aiden's First Birthday, what fun! It seemed to have snuck up on us quickly. Before we knew it we were making party plans and sending invitations. We had his party on the 6th, a week early, but that made it possible to friends and family to be there. We all celebrated at Millennium Park in East Moline, IL. Daddy helped pick the theme and figured Aiden would ask for none other than a John Deere party. Mommy wanted to make the cake but decided that with being out of town it was too much trouble to attempt something so extravagant! The cake we bought turned out great anyway and was yummy! The weather was perfect and even the "big" kids enjoyed the park and the bouncy castle, Especially Uncle Tony! Aiden got quite the stash of gifts, and even some that he doesn't quite understand yet but will appreciate when he's older! Thanks to everyone for making his day so special!
On the day of Aiden's birthday, he celebrated at home with mommy and daddy. Mommy made a special breakfast and a small cake that you will see...Aiden thoroughly enjoyed! It was a quiet day at home filled with quality time together. What a milestone, a whole year!! Celebrating the year past, celebrating many more to come!

04 October 2009

Wishing for an Update


Lately we've been pretty good about getting pictures onto the computer during the month and then at the end of the month moving the whole folder to the external hard drive, where they're safe, then deleting everything off the camera. Its been working out great for I fear that our computer will not be with us much longer. Either one of them for that matter. Well...the other day I thought "Its not September any more, I need to finish up with that folder & move them to the other hard drive, where they're safe." And that was about the time that the screen went black. So...all of our recent pictures are being held hostage on our desktop while we use the lap top until we can get something figured out. We have some wonderful new pictures from recently that I'm excited to share so my fingers are crossed that I will still be able to!