Happy Birthday to February!

February is a busy birthday month for our family...extended as well as immediate!

14th - Jorge aka Cupid starts our our busy month on Valentine's Day every year

15th - Jennifer joined in the fun with a big.....29 and holding celebration this year

17th - Phillip and Ashley celebrate marital bliss

19th - Phillip gains grey hairs and turns one year older

26th - I hit the big one...30 (but, if 50's the new 30 that makes me young, young, young)

Karl and I are actually the same age for a day

28th - Karl gains a year on me (all at once)

This is Kaden's smile when you get the camera out. He thinks this is the perfect pose for me. He bugs his eyes and flat lines his mouth...I think he gets it from is daddy....

It's okay, I'm still up and breathing. 30's not quite so bad...can't say that I feel any different (other than the mono). Kaden keeps us going. Really Lyneil has been the one to keep us all up and going lately. We are redoing the kitchen at the present and the house is unorganized, I have mono and Lyneil keeps on going like everything is normal as can be. She is amazeing...super woman. I am seriously going to have problems when they leave. I don't know what I would have done withouth her. Monday she had 9 kids in this house all under the age of 4 and acted like all was well...did I mention our upstairs is 'tow up'? Also, I spent the marjority of the week in the recliner. Mono kicked my tail and that is a huge understatement. Lyneil, thanks! You ROCK!

This is one heck of an awesome Bible Bowl team. We didn't win, but we learned 1 Samuel...

Just an update

Kaden enjoyed being in Texas for a week. We soaked up all the warmer weather and some good ol' outside time.

Grandma Hazel (Karl's grandmother) came up to Moline to visit us while we were ther for a week with Karl's work. We enjoyed all of our time with Grandpa Lloyd and Grandma Hazel.
Kaden and I climbed on every tractor and drove as long as we could stand it.

Kaden in the wheel of one of the big ones.

Da and Kaden checking out the calves.

Last weekend Lyneil and Andy left us with the kids while they were on a date....needless to say, we all enjoyed ourselves!

One day, Kaden and I were downstairs cleaning and he disappeared for a few minutes. His daddy found him and I only have half of a box of klenx left.

Update on Brayson's ears

Brayson is home and doing well. It is amazing. You wouldn't even know the kid had his ears cut on this morning. He is just as happy as can be, playing with Kaden. Thank you God for medicine and Lord Willing, this little boy will be able to feel better, hear better and just grow, grow, grow!

Say a little prayer for Brayson...and his mommy!

Brayson is getting tubes in his ears this morning. Say a little prayer for him every chance you get. I am sure things will come out great, but his mommy is ready for this to be done and over with (like all would be). Just keep Brayson, Andy and Lyneil in your prayers please.

Let's Go Chops...Let's Go Chops

in my mind...the perfect threesome

I love these two boys.

One of our awesome group leaders at church put together a family night last Friday night and we loved it! We got to go see the Iowa Chops play hockey and it was more enjoyable than I could have ever imagined it. The company was great and the game was great, right up to the last minute.

Kaden enjoyed all of it. From going down and giving the players high-five before the game to the fire coming our of the jumbo-tron. He never took his eyes off the game and all of the festivities.

Really, he enjoyed it. Guess we caught him in between the periods and we just weren't up to par with the entertainment...who can compete with a hockey game?

Logan and Kaden shared a seat for a good piece a of the game!

Logan thought the 5 fights we saw were silly...this is his come back...I totally agree!

small package = huge fun

In this small box (approxamately 18 x 10 x 10) came a package of fun for four little boys and one big boy. It was like Christmas morning glorified. Karl came across this deal on the internet and so our living area was transformed into...

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THIS There are 7 tents with yellow connecting tunnels. Karl was super excited. He had the living area cleared and the layout of the design rolling before I came down. The kids loved it. I think Karl and Brayson had the most fun last night. Braxton and Brazos have enjoyed it as well more so today. Look how giddy Karl is. Kaden was thriving off of pure excitement bursting from his dad.
Trial run. The first time was pretty funny to watch. He walked into one (that didn't have a hole)and then stood straight up.
The love of my life. He went through the maze more than some of the smaller kids. I love being married to such an aMAZING guy!!!! Brazos playing ball toss.
Brayson cheesing it up. He just sat and laughted.

Brayson sneeking a ball out.

A trip to Lincoln

Karl, Kaden and I packed up again and drove over to Illinois. Karl's grandmother lives there so we made a trip over to spend the weekend with her. We had a good time catching up on things and she and Lloyd enjoyed watching and playing with Kaden.

On the way there Kaden almost ran the new batteries down on this little piggy.

Grandma Hazel Karl and Kaden

...add Lloyd

Lloyd and Kaden played in the floor...

at the table...they enjoyed each other.

Grandma Hazel and Lloyd got Kaden this car. It has more buttons on it than my car does. He loves it. The seat lifts up and Kaden loves to store things in the hiding place.

Grandma Hazel and Kaden watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs...She kept calling them the little people. Kaden watched about 10 minutes of it and he was done...on to the next thing for him...

He does love to dance and sing. He likes to shake maracas. We have four sets (between upstairs and downstairs). He seems to find them and is just content shaking the hound out of them. His white boy moves are GREAT!

We took his top with us and Grandma Hazel gladly showed him how to spin it on the floor.
Just a side note...Last night on our way to church, my car told me it was cold (-6). The picture is on the way home from church. When we left the building, Grandview (neighboring congregation) was arriving for a baptism....burr....the preacher told the young man, 'the colder the water, the better you receive the Holy Spirit...Whew! Hope he warmed up fast!

This morning on my way to Aspen at 9 am my car told me it didn't even want to start...It was -18...yes...-18. My car didn't want to start...can't say that I blame it...I worked out anyway!