Happy Fanily update

We are going to have an addition to our Happy Fanily. We are having a baby in February. I am 7 weeks along. I didn't mention it earlier as we were having some complications, but we had an ultrasound today and I got to hear the baby's heart beat. I had to go in by myself and I know that I was holding hands with Jesus the whole time. I asked him to be with me whether there was good news or bad and my was it amazing and refreshing and real! Now we feel safe sharing with everyone our newest blessing.

Boy updates

The boys are really enjoying their summer at home. I keep telling myself that a year from now I will always be home with them, but it just can't get here fast enough!

We've been having weekly play dates at the various parks in town and are enjoying Monday night swim lessons. We've been walking quiet a bit and just enjoying summer. My big brave mommy accomplishment is pushing Tate on the trike and guiding S.Jessen on his bike to the park that is only a block and a half away. The big accomplishment though is that we have to do it on the road as we have no sidewalks! S.Jessen is getting really good at riding, but Tate enjoys being pushed :) It now takes us less than 10 minutes to get there :) They love playing in the sprinkler/pool (for a while) and the sandbox and all that fun backyard stuff, too!

S.Jessen and I have been having great times working on school stuff when he wakes earlier from his naps than Tate. He's really writing all the letters in his name now and I can't believe he can do it! He was just born yesterday! My big education goal for the summer is to get him writing more and to do some beginning reading activities. S.Jessen has already had Bible school and enjoys going to story time at the library! Last year I couldn't get him in the room!Tate still doesn't give a hoot about colors, but does know a lot of his shapes. He has a few colors down, but prefers to guess and drive me bonkers! :) His big summer success is figuring out how to make his thumb go up for a thumb's up. It's too cute! I figured out he knows all the words to nearly all the songs on his nighttime cd. He amazes me in so many different ways than S.Jessen amazes me. I love how different they are and how much I love them so! There is never a day that I am not in awe of them.

Here is Tate. S.Jessen fell asleep and I took his picture so Tate asked me to take his... and he closed his eyes to pretend sleep. What a goof!

The first night of swim lessons was very cold! Tate and Claire get to be together and S.Jessen and Brett's class is after ours, but they don't need us :)

Vegas

Well, Roger and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary in May. We decided it was time to hit the road and go to VEGAS! Rog had never been and I went when I was 21, and that was a little while ago :) We went with our great friends Dan and KayCee that we do not get to see often enough.

The first night we flew in at 11:00 at night. We got freshened up in our room at the MGM Grand, and walked around until 3.

The next day we laid out most of the day at the pool. It felt so nice not worrying about reapplying anyone's sunscreen or whether someone should eat or not. I love our boys so much, but sometimes a mommy needs a break! We sat around and had many a bucket of the Bud Light limies! I highly recommend them! We also watched this guy who looked like a sasquatch (sp?) dancing his heart out. He was covered in gray hair and I am sure he is either the abominable snowman or that damn sasquatch (sp?) those people always see. Look at him, am I wrong?That night we ventured out and ate at a Sushi restaurant. It was pretty great, but their portions need to be much larger for us corn fed. After that, Roger and Dan surprised us with a 3 hour hummersoine (sp?) ride to various hotels. We gambled and drank and had a fantastic time! I was in bed by 10 though, whoops! I partied like a rock star. I couldn't help it....

The next day we walked the Vegas strip for a long time. It was fun to shop and see the hotels in the day light. We went out for a less wild evening that night, but still had a great time! We even checked out the Coyote Ugly bar, but left when they were inviting all the girls to come dance on the bar. Maybe when I was 21, but not now... I'm feeling old!

On our last day Dan and KayCee had to fly out in the AM so we walked around more. Roger wanted to play his last $20 on a Star Wars slot machine we saw. The good news was he won $350! It was a penny slot machine, too! We ended up being up about $200 when we left. I had better luck with black jack and Roger had way better luck with the slots.

It was an awesome trip and we really enjoyed ourselves. We are going to try to make it a tradition every other year! We owe it to ourselves to take some time to have some adult fun without worries.

Twin Lakes

Roger and I finally found out what Twin Lakes is and that it's only 45 minutes from where we live. We've only been living in Fort Dodge for 5 years (Roger 6) and we had no clue what(or where) people were talking about when they said they had a house at the lake. A lot of my students have second homes there and it was nice to see what the place was all about. Basically it's a lake surrounded by homes of all shapes and sizes.

Roger, S.Jessen, and his best buddy Brett (S.Jessen has found a great friend in Brett! They are so much alike, it's nuts!)

This is a nice face S.Jessen was giving, as the water was so cold, he cried the whole time!

Tate just touched his toes and burst into tears! That's him with me after Rog handed him over.

Cool dudes!

Some friends of ours were going to spend the weekend there at a house lent to them. They knew we were actually home for the weekend and called and asked us to come up for the day! It was a super fun time, and we even got out in the boat for a while. The boys tried to tube, but the water was waaay too cold. This was the last weekend of May. We got some good pics though, and it was nice to have a relaxing day even though we knew there was probably 10,000 things we should be doing at home. It's summer, we should be relax and enjoy. We did, too!

Tate and Me, Amy and Claire

Roger and Dan did a nice job playing with the kids at the park while Amy and I snapped pics.

I really could eat Miss Claire. S.Jessen loves her! AND I'm totally ok with it :)

No internet and lost

So we haven't had the internet for nearly 2 weeks and I have been going crazy! Expect serious blogging in the next week! Since my last blog, we've been to Las Vegas, Chicago, and we found out we've got a bun in the oven and we're due in February, yea! More soon!

Blogaversary?

I was just looking back at the blog and can't believe how much the boys have changed over the past year. I also realized it is almost happy fanily's blogaversary. Jenni B. convinced me to joing the blogger world. I really do love having the blog so people who do have time to check us out can :)

On another funny note. Last June the boys were five pounds a part and now they weigh the same. S.Jessen is a super eater now, too. Tate rarely turns any food down though and is never full. We literally have to stop feeding him as he knows no limits. He is stretching out though. Not as much hail damage, mine on the other hand is still there... :)

Fell off the blog band wagon, but we're back!

Apparently I have fallen off the blog band wagon, but I am back ! This is the longest I've gone in between posts, but we have been so busy this past month and some times it's hard to get it together! May flew by so fast and every weekend accept for this one was full!

I am so thrilled that my second year of teaching has been completed and it was so much more fun this year than last. I learn more every year, month, week, day, and it will always get better with more experience. Now I won't focus on that though. I will focus on the boys and all the fun that we will have together!

I will try to catch you up with photos for May.

We were able to do lots of playing outside and barbequing already with Roger's new grill. A 5 year anniversary gift to ourselves. The other one held out quite well , but was ready to be retired :)

The boys are "tater-tottering" as S.Jessen calls it :)

We got to go the St. Edmond ball, a fund raiser my school puts on every year... which is always a good time for us.. They raised the most money ever this year, I think...

Daddy and Mommy ready for the ball

After that weekend was Mother's Day and we went out to eat and relaxed at home. It was nice. I guess I did have down time that weekend, but no time to blog... we also got rid of Tate's nuk and S.Jessen's thumb sucking this weekend, yahoo! This is my in to have two more kids... we had them quit together so the next babe will need a partner to quit his/her thumb or nuk, too. I think it's a great idea :) No there are no more on the horizon yet :)

S.Jessen, Mommy, and Tater reading books :)

My cousin Dustin got married to Alicia the following weekend, and we had a nice time chasing Tater everywhere. Three times he yelled "sh**," but not during the wedding. We were just waiting for him to say his other naughty line, "Oh weanie! Who tooted?" The cussing isn't funny, but that line is...I know I should punish him, but it's so funny! I'm terrible! Oh my goodness do we have our hands full.

The boys before the wedding and during... with my nephews and brother Adam

S.Jessen is a rascal, too! He's taught Tate everything he knows... He completed his first year of preschool! I can't believe it. On his last day of school the parents met with the kids at a park here in town. Super Daddy Roger took him on his field trip to the park as it was too hard for me to get out of work :( I'm glad they got to have that time together though. It was really special. Roger saw S.Jessen blowing on a dandelion and before he blew on it he said, "I wish for ice cream!" Guess what he got on the way home? What a good daddy!

S.Jessen and his teacher on his last day of school

Then, it was Memorial Day weekend and we were helping Nanny and Papa move and visiting with both sets of parents. We still had Monday afternoon to ourselves and we planted flowers and let the boys get really, really messy! They loved it and I loved not freaking out about the dirt. I'd like to try to focus on the fun and let them be kids. Which is much easier said than done :)

Tate on Mommy's last day of school. Roger brought both boys for a visit. We caught Tate on film, but S.Jessen was too busy running around with my students.

And now it is June and the boys and I have enjoyed our first week at home with "no work" as they call it. There will be more updates soon!