Visitors from Colorado!

 Tricia and Lundgren came to visit us Thursday and Friday of last week.  We went to Jeff and Jamie's house on Friday afternoon to swim.  Austin and Colton did a lot of jumping in the pool.  The above picture is a shot of Lundgren teaching Austin the proper 'cannon ball' form!  So cute!  This was about the 12th attempt at getting a picture of this.  Lundgren was a great teacher as you can see from the picture!!  After swimming Tricia came home with me to get the boys dinner and get them ready for bed.  They loved having her there so they could show her all of their toys and, of course, Austin gave her the full tour of the entire house. 

 After dinner Sarah and Zoey came over to hang out with the boys for a few hours so Brian and I could have a night out with our visiting friends.  Austin loved getting to play with Zoey.  She brought her sleeping bag along so the kids laid on the floor and watched the Olympics and ate popcorn.  They had a great night!  Saturday we stayed inside because it was cold and rainy . . . we played with Play-Doh, made cookies, watched The Smurfs, and got all caught up on the laundry.  Laundry takes awhile to get caught up on when you have two little helpers that want to do everything you are doing.  They were very cute and very helpful the entire weekend. 

Here is a picture of Colton at snack time.  I told the boys to go over to the table and Colton went and got on a big chair instead of his booster chair.  He is just trying so hard to grow up too fast! 

Sunday afternoon Austin and I went to Target and he got to pick out all of his school supplies.  After we had everything paid for I told him he was ready for school.  He said, "Will you please drop me off at preschool after dinner Mommy?"  I said, "Not today Austin."  He said, "But mommy, you told me I was ready for preschool now so I want to go there today."  Well, he had me there!  I had to tell him the school will not be open until August 14th for orientation.  So, we are now waiting patiently for August 14th to get here.  His actual first day will be August 16th. 

Good morning!!  Colton has been loving his Cocoa Krispies this week!  He is doing a fantastic job with his spoon.  He won't let anyone help him, he is stubbornly independent lately.  This leads to some frustration when the food falls off the spoon but he gives it his best shot every time.  Last night for dinner we had grilled cheese and tomato soup.  Both boys loved the tomato soup!!  Colton very paitiently ate his soup with his spoon until he saw the rest of us drinking straight out of our bowl.  He looked around the table and then he picked up his bowl and did the same thing.  He definitely catches on quick!

A weekend in Remsen!

Last Friday the boys and I headed to Fort Dodge.  We spent the night at Annie and Papa's house and then headed to Remsen on Saturday morning to see Great Grandma Sally.  We spent the entire evening outside at Annie and Papa's and all of Saturday morning running around outside until we had to get in the car.  Saturday morning Papa helped them climb trees in the front yard.  This was all the further up they went and you can see Colton had some support in the background.  They loved being up so much higher than everyone else!

 Once we got to Remsen, we picked up GG and headed to lunch at the Burger Barn.  It is a drive-in that served up great burgers, corn dogs, cheese balls, and milkshakes!  Turns out Colton loves milkshakes and cheeseballs.  Who doesn't though?  Once he had his first sip of milkshake, he held on to that cup pretty tight.  Grandma Sally very much enjoyed watching the boys eating lunch and having such a good time sitting at the picnic table.  The boys were very entertaining as usual! 

After lunch we went to the Remsen swimming pool.  Both boys were able to go down the waterslide but Colton wasn't too excited about it.  He sat at the top of the slide and didn't want to go down.  Austin stood next to him saying, "Colton you can do it buddy . . . I know you can do it . . . "  It was adorable being able to hear Austin give Colton a pep talk about going down the slide.  I was standing at the bottom of the slide so that I could catch.  Never the less, I ended up going to the top of the slide and bringing Colton back down.  Austin loved the slides and was a very good listener regarding all of the safety rules.

Austin was also able to go off of the diving board!  I had to catch him and he had to go during pool break, so we waited patiently.  As soon as pool break started Austin was headed to the diving boards.  He was one of three people jumping off the boards so he got to go at least ten times!  He was doing all sorts of "tricks".  He was jumping as high and as far as he could.  He was doing "kung fu spin kick moves" too!  So fun!  He told me when time was up, "When I get bigger I will be able to do flips.  And when Colton gets bigger he will be able to go off the diving board with me!"  Colton was not interested in the diving boards but he was interested in the giant popsicle that Judy bought for him after the swimming fun was over!

 After the pool, we headed to Judy and Wayne's farm in Kingsley where the boys enjoyed jumping on the trampoline.  This is Austin, Colton, and Mallory bouncing away.  Mallory and Kelsey taught Austin how to do some different tricks on the trampoline so he had a great time.  He spent a lot of time on the trampoline.  Colton liked it too and enjoyed jumping while holding hands with someone the most!  Colton was less likely to fall over when holding someone's hands.

 From the trampoline Austin went to the four wheeler!  Here is a picture of Austin with Wayne, I think they made 5 or 6 trips around the countryside!  Austin came back very excited every time and told me all about everything he had seen.  He saw some cows in the creek . . . . "They were getting a drink because they looked thirsty and it's hot out mommy".  Every time Wayne gave him the option of "One more ride or the trampoline?"  Austin chose the "one more ride"!  It was very fun for him as he had not been on a four wheeler before.  After the four wheeler, he went straight back to the trampoline for more jumping fun with his cousins.

 Before dinner we went into the garage so the boys could see the newest addition to the Behrens' family.  Below is the yet-to-be-named kitty that is about 5 weeks old.  Colton and Austin loved petting her and she was a very cooperative kitty who just wanted to be pet as well!  So, we spent quite a bit of time in the garage with the kitties.  For dinner we got to sit outside on the deck and for dessert the boys had their own slice of watermelon.  They thought it was great to be able to carry around their watermelon and eat right off the slice.  They both did a great job eating all of the watermelon . . . Colton even ate a bit of the green part with no complaint! 

After dinner Austin and Colton continued to play outside with Mallory and Kelsey.  They hit softballs, jumped on the trampoline some more, and played on the swingset.  They took bubble baths and both went to sleep with no fuss at all.  They had a long fun day of 'firsts'!  Diving boards, four wheelers, and watermelon slices . . . such a great trip. 

On Sunday morning we took GG out to breakfast and then we had to get on the road to head back to Cedar Falls.  The boys slept for about the first 2 hours of the road trip.  We stopped in Fort Dodge for a rest break at Annie and Papa's house and then got back on the road to head home.  Everyone was worn out and happy to get home and see daddy on Sunday evening! 

Yesterday I picked up the boys at Bri's house and they were very excited to see me, of course!  Bri said that Colton had his best day yet . . . he was only sad for a few minutes after Brian dropped him off and then he was all smiles all day AND he took a three hour nap!  He must be feeling more comfortable there and we couldn't be happier about it.  When I picked him up he wanted to rest his head on my shoulder and gave me a big hug!  I loved it because he is normally not very cuddly, I'll take whatever I can get. 

We got home, ate dinner, took bubble baths, and played in the living room until bedtime.  It was such a great evening! 

It was just two years ago today that Austin fell and we had to rush him to the emergency room to get stitches.  Seems like so much longer!!  I still cringe whenever either of the boys get going too fast while running down the driveway, and I probably always will!  Austin has grown up so much and can do so many big boy things!  When he first got his bike, he claimed the pedals "didn't work".  He couldn't quite figure out how to make the bike go anywhere.  Then one day in the last few weeks it just clicked for him.  He jumped on and started riding (with training wheels) and exclaimed, "My pedals are working!  My pedals are working!"  We have been going on lots of bike rides around the block these days!

Yesterday was the boys' first full day at their new babysitters house.  Her name is Bri and she is a very nice lady!  Austin was excited to tell me all about everything.  Austin is very excited because there is another 3-year-old there name Canon for him to play with.  They get along very well and have been able to spend a ton of time outside in the backyard playing 'chase'.  They now have a new addition to the game 'chase', once you are caught, you have to go to jail.  Jail consists of standing by the fence for about three seconds until it is the other persons turn to be chased!  So cute!  So, yesterday when I got there to pick them up Austin wanted to finish up his game of 'jail'.  Another creative name!! 

Colton is a little more hesitant to be there.  He had a couple sad times yesterday where he stood by the window and said "Dada" over and over.  I'm sure spending the last 5+ months with Brian everyday has created a special bond between them.  So, Colton is playing and curious about Bri's toys but he has his moments of sadness too.  Hopefully these will be completely gone by the end of the week.  I think the more time he spends there, the easier it will get.  Colton also has a friend there that is only 7 days younger than he is.  His name is Kolt! 

So Austin and Canon, Colton and Kolt, and a little baby girl (I think her name is Gracie) get to hang out every day! 

Clear Lake, IA

Over the weekend we went to Clear Lake and spent time Jake, Sarah, Zoey, Charlee and Sarah's parents!  It was such a fun-filled weekend.  Austin went tubing for the first time and it was awesome!  When it was his turn, he stood up in the boat and said, "Mommy, I could probably just go by myself maybe."  We did not let him go by himself . . . I don't even know if his 40lbs could hold the tube down in the water!!  He got to go a few times over the weekend and each time it was so much fun!

 Colton was not as impressed with the tubing.  He didn't want anything to do with the tube and he didn't want to jump in the water.  I think he was worn out after all the swimming at the swimming pool!  He almost fell asleep while we were on our boat ride.  He stood up and walked around a little bit but he was pretty content just sitting safely on his mama's lap.

Zoey and Austin, after their tube rides, sat in front of the boat while Brian had his tube ride. 

 Zoey and Austin sat in the tube together but we didn't know if they were quite ready to actually go on a tube ride together.  They were pretty happy just hanging out in the tube.  After the tubing we went back to the dock and the two big kids jumped off the dock over and over again.  They would jump off and then swim to the ladder.  Swimming off the dock was very fun for both of them.  Sarah and I also joined in the fun of jumping off the dock!  The little kids and the dad's got dinner going while we went to the pool for a second time that day! 

 We spent the night at Sarah's parents condo.  It is such a great place and there was plenty of room for all of us.  Zoey and Austin shared the bunk beds (Zoey on the top bunk!)  This was an adventure for Austin because he has never had a sleep over with a friend before.  They were both pretty exhausted from their day, so bed time was quite a success!  The next morning Colton woke me up at 6 and Zoey came downstairs to find us at about 6:15.  So, the three of us sat down to watch 'Strawberry Shortcake' and "Care Bears' while we waited for everyone else to wake up.  This is a picture of the early risers on Sunday morning!  What a great weekend!

Happy Birthday to you . . .

Happy Birthday to Daddy!  Brian's birthday was Friday and Austin took the above picture of Brian making a 'silly birthday face'.  Brian's parents came to town for a few days and took us out to dinner on Friday night for Brian's birthday.  We went to the hibachi restaurnat in Cedar Falls.  They make all the food right in front of you and put on quite a show.  Colton sat in complete surprise and amazement the entire time our food was being prepared.  His eyes were as big as saucers and he seemed to be frozen as he watched.  He was definitely in awe of all the fire and utensil flipping that was going on!  We tried to capture pictures of the boys enjoying the show . . .

When the server asked what we would like to drink Austin said, "I would like a Shirley Temple with 4 cherries . . . no 3 cherries please."Austin had a little bowl of soup that he wanted to add yum yum sauce to.  He also added some of his Shirley Temple to the soup and then ate all of it!  Both boys really liked the soup that was served, it seemed to just be chicken broth so Austins attempt to add something to it seems legit!  Brians face in this picture definitely portrays his excitement as well!! 

 This picture captures Coltons expression pretty accurately.  As soon as the first flash of fire was created on the grill he froze.  See his little right arm is up in the air?  He sat like that for about 5 whole minutes . . . eyes wide and staring, mouth slightly open in awe, and arm frozen in mid air.  He did not know what to think.  We did a lot of clapping and "whoop whoop whoop" so that he would know this was a fun place to be.  When he was offered something to eat he seemed to snap out of it.  He loved the noodles too.  As you can see from his plate, we also brought some food from home to make sure he enjoyed his meal.

 You can see the grill in this picture . . . the chef made a volcano out of onion rings and fire was coming out of the top.  Austin thought the volcano was great and he was very impressed with the fire!

Colton relaxed a bit in this picture and was enjoying the show more.  Once he saw the fire at our table he started watching the fire at all of the other tables in the room.  There was so much to watch and see, the time seemed to fly by while we were at the restaurant!  What a fun experience for these two little guys!

Here is Austin at the end of the meal.  He went around behind the grill and said he was going to make something for us.  He stood there and made a couple sound effects and I snapped a quick picture.  He was very entertaining, as always!  And the below picture is Austin making his 'silly face' again!  After dinner we had cupcakes and sang happy birthday!!  What a great evening and a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa!

Happy 4th of July!!

 We had a few friends over to light sparklers and celebrate.  Charlee, Marlee, Maddie, Zoey and Colton (Austin is behind Colton and ducked down in the water when I snapped the picture).  We had six kids in the pool and there was plenty of room.  They all showed off their swimming, kicking, and cannon ball skills!  Notice Austin in the picture below swimming along behind Colton.

 After the swimming we lit up the sparklers and let the kids run around the yard.  The solo cups were a great idea to help protect the kids' hands from sparks until Austin comes walking up to Sarah and very calmly says, "Look at mine cup."  His solo cup was on fire and he was still holding on to it!  This caused a bit of a panic for the parents and when we got it off and the fire was out, Austin said, "That cup was hot on mine hand."  So, then we talked about how maybe the solo cups weren't that great of an idea for this group.  We also talked about how if any of the girls' cups started on fire they would have been screaming but Austin was Mr. Calm about the entire thing.  He wanted another sparkler . . . and a new cup!

 Austin and Zoey waiting patiently to have Brian light their sparklers so we could get a picture of them together with their sparklers.  They wouldn't take their eyes off the sparklers to look at the camera . . . cute anyway!

Zoey and Marlee are teaching Austin some dance moves in the picture below!  And what a good sport he is!!!

 Colton was not afraid of looking at the sparklers but he had no interest in holding on to a sparkler.  The below picture is about as close as he would get to holding it.  Charlee was brave enough to hold the sparkler . . . the two of them were very serious about it. 

You can see in the above picture where Colton and Charlee get their seriousness about sparklers from.  This is Brian and Sarah very intensely lighting the sparkler for Charlee and Colton to hold on to.  Good teamwork!  The dads also lit some snakes on the driveway, all the kids thought these were great!  There were lots of oohs and aahs and even clapping when the snakes were lit!  Such a fun holiday!!!  Great time to get together with such great friends!!

4th of July weekend in Fort Dodge!

Colton being his usual silly self!  He is making faces at Papa and I as we are sitting on the deck.  He enjoyed going in and out of the house and we had to continually remind him "in or out Colton" so that he wouldn't just sit in the doorway.  Love his energy!!

 The boys building towers with Annie and Papa's building blocks.  Colton loves building up the towers.  Austin would prefer someone else build the towers, but both boys love knocking them over!!

We spent the entire day outside playing.  We had breakfast on the deck, we played with blocks and then we put swim trunks on.  We were already outside playing in the sprinkler at 9am.  They sure enjoyed the sprinkler. 

Colton had to get up real close to figure out how that sprinkler was working.  Both boys chased eachother around the back yard and also played in the swimming pool.   They rode around on the jeep and when Nick and Courtney arrived, Austin also got a ride on the lawn mower! 

As you can see in the picture EVERYONE enjoyed the swimming pool on Saturday afternoon.  It was hot!

Love Colton's smile!

 

 We had lunch on the deck.  Sweet corn!!!  Colton was working hard to hold that sweet corn up to his face.  He really seems to enjoy the challenge of doing it himself and the fact that Austin can eat sweet corn means to Colton that he can eat sweet corn too!  





Carol and Alan arrived with a surprise!!  Carol had a little cooler full of water balloons and an entire bag of them to also fill up with water.  This was the boys first water balloon fight and boy was it a fun one!  Everyone was wet by the time the last balloon was thrown.  Austin and Colton ran back and forth from the deck to the pool which Carol filled all the water balloons.  Of course, the grown ups got in on the fun too and therefore everyone ended up wet by the time it was over.  The boys loved it!  Austin loved squeezing them over his daddy, Papa and Nick's heads.  These are pictures of the boys with their ammunition. 

This is a picture of Carol trying to teach Colton how to squeeze his ballon so it would pop.  He was trying so hard to squeeze it . . . he was grunting and getting red faced but he just couldn't quite get it . . . he loved just tossing them in the yard and watching them pop too!  After a truce was called and the water balloons were put away we ate dinner. 

After dinner Colton was exhausted, he looked more tired than I have ever seen him look.  He was so worn out from all of the fun he had during the day.  Brian gave him a quick bath and Colton was sleeping soundly by 7pm on the dot.  Austin was able to stay up this year to enjoy the homemade ice cream and fireworks in the front yard.  He loved it!  Austin clapped, jumped up & down, and would make sure to point out what colors all of them were.  Nick let off the fireworks and Austin kept telling him "Nice one Nick.  That one was AWESOME Nick!  Wow, that was the biggest firework I ever saw!  I love the red one!"  It was so cute to see his expression and hear him describe what he was seeing.  It was a wonderful day!