Linton Landing

Cards for Color Matching

2012-01-03T17:14:00.003-06:00

On Sunday someone came out of Bergen's nursery class as I was walking by. They told me he had sorted his fruit loop snack into rows by color. So I peeked thru the window and sure enough, straight little rows. I didn't even know he knew how to do that. I made sure to ask if the teacher had done it. Nope.

I figured I should capitalize on his new skill and a moment of ambition. We made color cards together. Bergen helped with the paper cutter, glue, and sending the cards thru the laminator. The big cards are double sided with a solid color on one side and a pattern on the other. The little cards are also double sided, but the same on each side.

We put them to the test right away. Fishies were way more fun to sort than blocks...of course.

Today we worked on sorting all the cars. I might have to get a purple vehicle just so purple won't be left out :)

I was trying to steer him to the green card, but it was fun to see him make the decision to put the yellow and green car on the yellow card.

This was yet again, a grand idea of mine that really only held his attention for a matter of minutes. But a little bit each time adds up and I'm sure we'll find lots of fun use for them.

Holiday Props Photos

2012-01-02T22:27:00.004-06:00

My Friend Shea is full of good ideas! I mentioned I wanted to have a nativity family home evening with some friends, and she came up with the idea to include doing holiday photos. She setup her camera and lights in our office, made all these cute props, and brought the fun frame. These are some of my favorites from the evening.

Diggers & Rice

2011-12-31T17:47:00.001-06:00

Bergen got these diggers for Christmas. I thought to pull out the play bag of rice that's been sitting on top of the fridge for 10 or more months, to make a little dig site. Best. Idea. Ever! Most my creative ideas hold his attention for 3-5 minutes, if I'm lucky. But this one was a huge winner with over 2 hours of entertainment. Yes, I ended up with a fair amount of rice on the floor, but nothing a little vacuuming couldn't take care of. I'm sure we'll be doing it again soon, although I think I'll try dry beans when I get a chance to get some. Those might be easier to reuse what was spilt on the floor...or gets thrown, yes there was a little of that too. Boys! :)

Love this little wrinkled nose expression.

A Day in the Life

2011-11-21T17:11:00.001-06:00

Just a few random, yet still cute, photos of Bergen.

Apparently this is the best way to eat a package of crackers. Or at least a few now, and save the rest for later.

FINALLY! I think he gets it now that there is in fact a reason to do something SLOW. After this he has been very hesitant to have the mixer going fast. When I tell him I need it to go fast he tells me, "no slow mommy" and pushes the lever to slow.

Some things never change. Boxes are still one of the best possible toys!

Painting is a new activity Bergen frequently asks to do. He likes to do paint, water, paper. We're still working on reversing that order to water, then paint, paper for more vibrant paintings :) I'm very thankful he's willing to wear his apron!

Cutest Mowers I Know

2011-11-17T16:17:00.002-06:00

When I looked outside at my boys working in the yard, this little sight made me smile! And run for the camera! I guess Bergen helped mow most of the yard. I'm glad daddy had him wear "safety" sun glasses, which I think actually only added to the cuteness of the whole thing. Bergen sure loves being outside with his daddy!

Closets Make Good Beds

2011-11-17T16:04:00.005-06:00

Bergen's closet has kind of been a storage place. I'm usually trying to keep Bergen out of it and from pulling messes from it. We decided to clean out the "no longer use items" from the linen closet and put the linens from Bergen's closet into the actual linen closet. What a concept, right?! We also put some of the infant items into boxes and put those in the attic. That made for empty shelves to put toys on and the most exciting part, an empty floor! The closet quickly became a little fort of sorts and Bergen thinks it's awesome to sit it there. So awesome Travis read Bergen stories in there the first day and Bergen stayed laying down there to take his nap. For about a week straight he took just about every nap and spent every night sleeping there. So funny! He's back to sleeping in his bed, but I'm sure he wouldn't refuse the offer to go back to the closet if we offered.

He was so cute I took my chances with the light just so I could get a picture. And notice the no shirt? That's VERY common, probably a little too common :) He frequently doesn't want to wear a shirt. I finally stopped worrying about it because I could put one on him after he was asleep. Except he kept taking it off in his sleep! I guess he's a super hot sleeper. I keep putting it back on because I don't want him to get cold, but only sometimes is it still on by morning. What can a momma do?

Such a sweet sleeping face.

Spiced Apple Cider Doughnuts

2011-11-17T15:48:00.003-06:00

I thought it would be fun to make doughnuts all together. Turns out, making doughnuts while listening to Christmas music, plus a little "ha-bee do you", is in fact pretty fun. Bergen helped mix the dough, and was helping to cut them out...until he noticed the candle. Then for a little while it was all happy birthday business.

Blow it out!

Hooray! I did it! More candle? Yes!

These apple cider doughnuts were each rolled with love in sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Very yummy!..and a little messy :)

We gobbled up every doughnut and every doughnut hole. It's very rare that we actually eat every last morsel of baked good, but these were even better the day after and even several days after that. (I'm sorry to say most things don't end up getting finished before they are rock hard or moldy and the last bit gets thrown away. Unless we make half batches...or maybe I should be giving more away to someone having a bad day!)

I really want to try and make this holiday season feel like a real holiday season. This career path can be tricky which makes it easy to just skip things because daddy is away. This was a very good start to a season of holiday fun together.

Trunk or Treat

2011-11-13T17:41:00.003-06:00

Last year at the trunk or treat Bergen could care less about collecting candy, he just liked running up and down the parking lot. His year he was much better about collecting candy, but don't think he didn't run in between each car. All 5 feet in between each car!

Bergen and mommy.

Collecting candy.

After he'd made the rounds, he was quite content to park it. I thought his park it spot was kind of funny. Once I took a picture I moved him to a safer location :)

Uncle Tyler was visiting us and got to help carry all Bergen's candy.

I was a pilot, Travis was a soccer player, Bergen an elephant, and Uncle Tyler a super "Y" hero of sorts. He was pretty confident about the costume...until we got there. Then not so much :) He didn't want to get out of the car, but kids kept tapping on the window asking if he had candy or not. They were confused. So he finally got out and joined the festivities!

Captain Gina and First Officer Cynthia.

The Egyptian dressed women is a Zumba teacher and normally just has lots of energy. After dinner she got all the kids dancing while the adults were cleaning up. It was pretty cute!

Go Bergen! Go Bergen! Go Bergen!

Great Wolf Lodge Mini Vacation

2011-11-13T17:09:00.007-06:00

We had high hopes of taking a family vacation during Travis's week off work this year, but didn't plan as far in advance as we should've (surprise surprise), so we ended up with a fun little mini vacation to The Great Wolf Lodge. We stayed there two nights. Since it's only about 20 minutes from home, it almost didn't feel like a real vacation because we didn't have all the stress and time that usually happen during the traveling part of vacations. When I talked to Travis about this he said, "yeah, kind of nice huh?!" And actually, yes it was :)

Bergen and I after the first afternoon of swimming, ready for dinner.

I always forget just how incredibly hard it is to get Bergen to go to sleep in a hotel room! He's cute once he finally crosses over into dreamland :) I took my chance of turning the light on just so I could get a picture.

Bergen climbed in here him self. Fits pretty well! Hmm, maybe next time we could zip him up in here to sleep. Joking! Obviously. Kind of. But it does sound kind of nice :)

At night there was a story time for the kids. We got to color these huge pictures while we waited for it to start.

After stories everyone got a turn to take a picture with this cute little, or should I say huge, wolf. This was about as close as Bergen wanted to get.

We were there just before Halloween so Bergen got to do some trick or treating at the shops and restaurants inside the lodge. The Banhans joined us for the second day, and they too got dressed up for candy.

The best part...eating the candy...of course!

Bergen wouldn't wear his trunk that day so I wore it for him. Didn't want it to go to waste!

The biggest part of this place is the indoor water park, and that it's a comfortable 80 something degrees year round. But having just survived a scorching Texas summer, all three of us found it to be a little chilly. Despite the cool temps, we had lots of fun. With the Banhams there with us the second and third days, we got to take lots of turns riding the big slides while others played with the kids.

Bergen liked to squirt water from these jet skis, but he did NOT like the little slides. There were two of them and we sent him down each one once. He refused to do any more than that. The second slide twisted some and by the bottom he had slid around to going head first. I was at the bottom to catch him before falling into the water, but he was still pretty scared. Looking back we should've prepped him a little better before shoving him down the slide. It's not like he doesn't know how to ride a slide, but these are slippery! We probably should've had him lay on his back, feet first to begin with. Note to self for next time!

Bergen was pretty mellow most of the time. I was a little surprised he didn't want to play on the toys more than he did, but then again maybe he was just too cold.

What he did want to do most was sit with us on a tube in the wave pool, or sometimes in the lazy river. It was kind of fun to just relax and float with him. It isn't often we get many moments of him being still!

View from the top of the slides:

Wave pool

Lazy River

Log crossing, snake, beaver, and basketball. Bergen did enjoy throwing balls at the basketball hoops, but would not sit on the snake.

I should've gotten this sooner, because by this time Bergen was pretty much done swimming and not so interested.

One of Travis's slide rides.

It was so much fun to be our little family, and spend some time with friends too. Sometimes it's nice to just get away from all our "have to's" and focus on each other!

Fall Festival

2011-11-13T17:06:00.003-06:00

Some friends told us about a Fall Festival that was going on at the elementary school. I decided to take Bergen, not knowing if this sort of thing would be fun or crazy for me trying to keep things under control. Once we got there I splurged and bought $4 worth of tickets, hoping Bergen would catch on to what was going on. It was good standing in line practice for him, but I tried to pick ones with no or really short lines. I also picked games that involved throwing something. Of course! Why did I ever doubt? Bergen thought it was a blast to try and knock things over, AND to get a piece of candy afterwards, it was a blast! So what did $4 worth of tickets get us? 6 carnival games and cotton candy as big as your head. I don't know how many more years $4 would satisfy a child, but for this year it was a lot of fun!

Playing a game.

Waiting in line.

Sampling his rewards.

Trying out the cotton candy.

Took a little getting used to, but he did eventually finish it so I think it's safe to say he liked it :)

Bergen kept saying he wanted to be a monkey for Halloween. I didn't realize this was a dress up activity until the day of the festival and I hadn't made the monkey costume yet. I crossed my fingers and was happy that Bergen put the elephant costume on from last year and was good to go. That being the case for this activity I didn't stress over making a new costume for the rest of our Halloween activities. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit bursting with joy as we got so many compliments about how cute the little elephant was. Thank you people for boosting my creative crafting ego! Oh and thinking my son is cute too! :)

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-31T18:45:00.009-05:00

It's not fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch...er, pumpkin field :)

Must find the best pumpkin in the patch.

Alright so we didn't really buy a $30 pumpkin, but it was fun for Bergen to pick out a"huuuuge" one and put it in the wagon.

It's a big place, even Bergen's need a ride sometimes.

But that only lasted about 4 rows before he climbed out and was off running again.

Traditional family picture!

Don't forget Bergen cam!

Usually people would want to run away from jail, but not this time.

Blowup slides are great fun for Bergen these days.

But the merry-go-round was by far the winner for fun!

And as much fun as it was to ride, it was that much more fun to push. I loved seeing Bergen's little legs run just as fast as they would possible go, before Travis, and once a man standing by, would snatch him up before he lost his balance due to his blistering speed!

There was lots of characters. Hugging "Maner" was his own idea.

Taking a break to think with dad.

Driving mommy...ah crazy? No, must have been driving mommy home :)

My silly, funny, happy little boy. Love him!

Once the pumpkins were loaded, we were good to go!

Another fun day hanging out together, making memories :)

Autumn Visit With The Olivers

2011-10-28T20:53:00.001-05:00

The end of September Bergen and I made a trip to visit the Olivers in Virginia. We of course love to just visit the Olivers just for fun, but what got us out there this time was to run with Helen and Brant in the DC Ragnar relay race. I am very happy to report that despite getting to the airport just in the nick of time (and by that I mean 3 minutes later than we technically were allowed, but had a kind ticket agent help us and overrode the system so we could check our baggage and get on our planned flight) we had a very pleasant experience. Bergen was so good for me and made it even kind of fun.

Naps on the plane are awesome!

We wasted no time and got right to playing baseball. We all had fun, despite the boys inablility to focus. Call it a controlled chaos game. It was pretty funny at times.

We got to go to Sprouts with Joshua and Nathan. The boys had fun running along the mall on the way to the Botanic Gardens.

What?! We actually got a picture of the three of them! Shocker I know :)

Sprouts was about butterflies, their proboscis, and collecting pollen. This is Bergen collecting pollen.

After Sprouts we stopped at this park for lunch. We were their to watch planes land, but the boys were having more fun throwing rocking into the water.

During the Ragnar race (that's a whole other post), Bergen got to stay overnight at the Ramon's house. Bonnie is my friend Shea's mom. They lived near us in Texas and we spent many a Sunday dinners at their house before they moved to Maryland. After the race Bergen and I stayed with them for a couple of days before going back to the Olivers.

Bergen worked very hard on her dishes.

There's always good food at their house and it was the least he could do to help out.

Bonnie took Bergen and I around Maryland to do some sightseeing. We stopped at this memorial near Point Lookout on the Chesapeake Bay.

We also looked for shark teeth along the Patuxent River.

We met back up with the Olivers at National Harbor. The boys really liked...you guessed it, running around! They also enjoyed jumping off stairs.

This statue is down near the water. They kind of thought it was fun to climb on, hence Nathan's happy face. I think they preferred throwing rocks into the water though.

This hand was pretty cool!

We ate lunch here and played till we were all exhausted. Helen and I think these outings will be fun and good for the boys. You know, really wear them out for a good nap. While they are fun, they seem to be a little crazy at times, and a lot of work, and totally wear Helen and I out more than the boys! Oh well, makes for some good pictures and silly memories.

Week 2 of Sprouts was about trees and owls. We got to make an owl out of cardstock, cork, a piece of an egg carton, and goggly eyes.

Pretty cute!

This is another one of those activities we think will be fun. The little boys attention span is still pretty short and Bergen would rather be, well, running! Thankfully we can buy a little time with snacks, but even that only lasts for so long.

Bergen filling up the watering can in the children's garden. He may or may not have ended up soaked :)

No cousin trip is complete without playing in the tub!

Spreading peanut better on graham crackers together. I love their concentration.

We also got to go to a Home Depot workshop and make helicopters.

When you live far away and finally get together, you want to make the most of your time together. That can make for some long days of trying to all get along. It was fun to see their happy, playing together nicely moments!

Getting to sleep is also something that can make for some challenging times. Especially when mommys are even more tired than the boys. One night I was so fed up with getting Bergen to stay quiet and laying down, I left him on the top bunk bed, took the ladder off, said stay there and goodnight, and closed the door, knowing he would be stuck up there and maybe that would force him to sleep. He cried for a minute then went quiet. I thought, finally! But I was wrong. Bergen opened up the door and came running out oh so proud of himself. How in the world?! I'm still not sure how we quietly climbed down off the top bunk in the dark, but after that funny trick how could I still be mad?

All good things must come to an end. They boys were sitting on the curb so nicely while we unloaded the car at the airport, until we tried to take a picture. Figures :)

Pie, Peas, & Playtime

2011-10-20T18:37:00.001-05:00

Autumn time brings lots of green apples to the store's produce section. I fell prey to their pretty little display of apples and bought some to make a pie. As I spent my Sunday afternoon baking (instead of napping) I realized I'm pretty sure this is the first completely from scratch apple pie. So I had to take a picture of it! It was so yummy I just might give up another Sunday nap to make another...well maybe, those Sunday naps are pretty important.

Does this scene look at all familiar? Cause it should! Not quite 2 years ago Bergen did the same thing. Got the peas out of the freezer, poured himself some, and ate most of them off the floor. I guess some things don't change much.

At least this time he could help clean up. He sings "keen up, keen up, ev-body" as he works.

This is mostly Bergen being silly. Notice his shirt-less-ness? That is not uncommon! He frequently doesn't want to wear a shirt. And if he has a day shirt on, it can sometimes be tricky to convince him to change into the jammy shirt, and if he has a jammy shirt on, it can be tricky to convince him to change into the day shirt. The best tactic I've found is to show him it's dirty. If he can visibly see dirt on it, then he will change, otherwise good luck. He also even more frequently doesn't want to wear a shirt to bed. He says, "no shirt mommy" and shakes his hand at me. At first I tried really hard to get him to wear it, but soon discovered it wasn't that important. I could just wait until he was asleep and sneak it on him. That was great in theory except that he can take them off in his sleep. And if I put it back on again, he takes it off AGAIN. So I guess "no shirt mommy" really mean no shirt :) He must have inherited this trait from his Uncle Andrew.

August Trip to Utah

2011-10-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

The first part of August Andrew was entering the provo MTC. So we decided to take our summer trip to Utah to overlap that, and catch Helen for a couple of days while they were out there too.

It was a nightmare for Bergen and I to get to Utah. The day after arriving in Utah I had this to say about it:

Yesterday's travel experience for Bergen and I included 3 shuttle bus rides, 2 times thru airport security, 6 skylink rides, 3 different terminals, 6 gates, 4 missed flights, 2 delayed planes, one exhausted momma, one exhausted toddler, and almost 18 hours. Halle-stinkin-lujah we finally made it! Crawling into bed at grandma and grandpa's house at 3am never felt so good! I'm still not so sure I've completely recovered, would it be crazy to say I think it might have been a little traumatic? :) At one point Bergen kept running away from me around and around on the moving sidewalks. He could squeeze thru people where I couldn't with all of our bags, and by the time I could get off he was already running down the other side. It took 2 1/2 loops to get a hold of him. So then I was trying to hold him in one arm and pull our bags with the other. He kept trying to wiggle down, was hitting me, and even boxed my ears (kind of funny now). I was trying to tell him I had to hold him because he was running away. Of course he was crying and I just couldn't keep it together any longer. I started crying and for just a moment we were in our own little world. I said I was sorry it was such a hard day, it was hard for mommy too. And he says with the saddest little voice ever, "yeah, hard day." What a sweetheart. So after we both shed a few tears (can't imagine what people thought as we stood in the middle of the airport a complete emotional mess), we put ourselves back together and pushed through the last 2 1/2 hours before we got to board the plane.

There were times that I so wanted to give up, but our suitcase was already in Utah, and I really didn't want to have to start the whole experience over the next day. I can't believe we survived a day like that, but I guess it's days like that that make me stronger. At least that's what I keep telling myself :)

The following evening Bergen and I met the Olivers at a neighbor's "farm in the city" for a few hours. The boys liked the chicken coop. I'm afraid they also liked throwing things from the floor out the window. Pretty sure some of it was probably poop. Boys!

I love this little conversation Bergen is having with the chicken. Perhaps he's telling her two of his favorite foods are chicken and eggs (no joke). Hmmm, I hope that didn't make her nervous.

There was a great backyard space to play ball and ride bikes. This is another great conversation that we caught on film. Again, if only I knew what they were saying :)

In the morning Bergen and I joined the Olivers on a hike up Ensign Peak. I really was worried I'd be carrying Bergen up the mountain and just didn't know if I could handle that so quickly after our traumatic travel day, and almost didn't go. In the end I'm SO glad I did! Bergen did awesome and had a great time. He walked/ran the whole way. What a good little trooper!

This kid just goes and goes...even up hills.

We made it! The monument at the top.

And the beautiful view of the Salt Lake valley.

I remember Grandma Linton getting these wiggle cars years ago, long before Bergen was around. This time was the first time he's been old enough to really do anything on them. Once he figured it out, we couldn't get him off. The very first day he scrapped up both feet riding it. So the next day Grandpa got him a pair of tennis shoes to protect his feet (since mommy wasn't expecting such activities and hadn't packed appropriately), and before our vacation was over he nearly wore holes clear through the shoes!

Needless to say it was by far his favorite thing to do. Any time we went in or out of the house he was trying to ride. One time the only way I could get him off the bike and into the car was to put the bike in the trunk so it could come with us. Another time Travis and I went out to a movie while Bergen stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. When Travis and I got home around 9:30pm, there was Grandma standing in the driveway watching Bergen ride the bike.

This video was at the beginning of the trip. By the end he could go super fast, whip around corners, and almost keep up with the neighbor girls riding their bikes around the cul-de-sac.

We missed getting to go to Oregon for Andrew's mission talk (flights were no good! :( ). Instead we took the last chance to see him by picking him up at the Salt Lake Airport, and dropping him off at the Provo MTC. We had a little time to spare before he was to report so we stopped by to see Grandma Bjarnson for a bit. We then had just enough time to eat so we meet a friend of Andrew's from his Trek experience, and the Tuellers for lunch.

Then it was off to the MTC. We pulled into the parking lot of the MTC with about a million other cars. We rolled down the window and a gentleman asked where the missionary was going. Andrew said Brazil, and he replied with a, "You're supposed to go straight there." Andrew got to tell him his visa hadn't come yet, and he directed us to the drop off line.

Missionaries and missionaries lined the sidewalk waiting to escort the new missionaries. There was so much excitement in the air and emotions were high (ok maybe just my emotions), as we watched young men in suits stepping out of cars, hugging family members, and walking off with more luggage than one person could carry, knowing they were beginning a 2 year journey of service with many moments of the saddest sorrow and the greatest joy as they teach of our Savior and pray that the brothers and sisters of our Heavenly Father whom they will come in contact with will accept the gospel. For me it was an overwhelming feeling of truth that what these missionaries were doing was right. I'm so proud of Andrew for choosing to make this sacrifice that will only bring blessings to him in the end.

Andrew's escort opened the door for him and said, "Welcome Elder!" We got the bags out of the car and took one last picture. Then it was time for the last hugs. What do you say in these kind of situations? I just don't know...so I started to cry a little (tears of happiness really, but maybe a few of sadness because well, let's face it, 2 years can be a long time looking forward). Andrew started to get a little choked up and said, "What are you, my mom?" Well someone had to play that part here and I guess it got to be me :) Travis and Bergen gave their hugs too. The elder helped Andrew...I mean Elder Bjarnson carry his luggage and they were off. I could hear him ask where he was going and Elder Bjarnson excitedly told him Brazil, Brasilla. Travis and I got back in the car to drive away when we noticed Andrew left an envelope in the car. Travis grabbed it, ran up the sidewalk to catch up to them, then ran back to the car. So that was it. We slowly drove thru the rest of the parking lot and back out onto the street. There went our missionary, off to serve the Lord for 2 years.

How did time go so quickly? Is my little brother really on a mission now? Well, yes he is, and as I write this he is sleeping his last night in the United States before flying to Brazil in the morning. It's something our family has talked about for so long, and now it's here, he's out there among the Lord's servants, and it still feels a little surreal to me. I'm so proud of him and what he's doing. He's already inspired me to do something on several occasions. Just by writing us, asking us to help the missionaries, has suddenly made me want to do more than I probably would have normally. I know my brother is out there doing his best to serve and I want to help him, the same way I'm sure the missionaries in my area also have families who feel the same way I do about their missionary. It's hard for me to explain, but somehow I see a little of my brother in all the missionaries now and want to help them.

Grandpa cut windows and a door in this big box for Bergen. Bergen had fun showing grandpa where to cut more "winows" and when it was finished it was a perfect spot to eat lunch. One afternoon Bergen and I were playing in the backyard together. We were playing hide and chase with the box and the deck pillars. It was a fun day with lots of laughter!

The Church History Museum in Salt Lake has a children's section we got to go to. It had fishing off Nephi's boat.

You could put shapes together on a magnetic wall to make humanitarian quilts.

Do some painting.

Make dinner for the missionaries.

Grow a garden.

And build a temple.

The weather was beautiful and the temple is a beautiful backdrop for my beautiful family.

Bergen of course loved the reflective pool!

As always, it's great to spend time with family and we wish we all lived closer!

Looks Like Fall

2011-10-15T21:11:00.005-05:00

While Bergen and I were in Virginia it started cooling off, leaves were starting to change color, and it kind of felt like fall. When we got back to Texas it was almost 90 degrees and we had the AC cranked the entire drive home from the airport.

I decided if it didn't feel like fall outside I could try to make it feel like fall inside. This thing I think people call ambition, came over me and I found a few fun fall decoration ideas. After a trip to several craft stores I went to work. I really wish I had that ambition thing happen more often! I can't believe I actually got so much done in just two days.

I switched the flower arrangements in the entryway and put pumpkins on the candlesticks.

With leftover flowers I made this arrangement for the kitchen table.

I LOVE berries! I found a beautiful autumn berry wreath online but it's not in my budget. To my surprise, I came upon these berries at the craft store and tried my hand at making my own. In about an hour I finished the wreath and LOVE it!

I also ended up with some leftovers from this project (nice surprise!) and put together this arrangement. These pumpkins were supposed to be for something else, but once I put them here, well, they pretty much just needed to stay there :)

Once all that was done I thought I'm on a roll, why not one more project? So Bergen and I went to the fabric store and picked up a few fat quarters. Bergen helped me cut out different sized rectangles with the rotary cutter. Then he helped me sew the ends together, literally. He sat on my lap, turned the wheel to get the machine started, held down the backstitch button when needed, and helped me guide the fabric. THEN he decided he wanted a turn with the foot pedal...and he liked FAST best :) After one super crazy fast seam, I had him put his foot over mine so I still had some sort of speed control, and it all worked out quite nicely. These are the finished little pumpkins. Except Bergen sometimes calls them "punks" while quite frankly, I think is hilarious!

After decorating the inside we decided to go outside. Here's the berry wreath and a new mat, which I think makes a great all seasons mat if I do say so myself!

We got this bench a couple of years ago for $7 at a garage sale. After roaming around the backyard I think it's finally found a good spot to call home. I found these pots on clearance. We've wanted to do something like this for years. I glad we finally did because it makes a huge difference!

Even with our weeds in the flower bed, our house looks more cozy and inviting...like people with some personality actually live here :) Travis picked out the rosemary trees that smell awesome, and I picked out the mums.

I can't wait for the flowers to fill in and for the red mums to start blooming!

So there you go. Fall is here!

Two Peas in A Pod

2011-10-15T21:07:00.004-05:00

These are my two peas in a pod. Bergen loves to hang out with daddy. He will choose working or playing with daddy over just about any other activity!

Bergen helping to hang hooks.

Working on planes out in the garage.

And yes Bergen is soaking wet from the waist down. He'd been watering plants :)

"Happy Birthday to You"

2011-10-08T19:39:00.002-05:00

Once again I'm terribly behind, but wanted to post this video of Bergen singing his version of happy birthday from tonight. It was just so cute! I was cleaning up after dinner and Bergen came up with this activity all on his own, although I did light the candle for him...several times. Ok tons of times :)

NOCC 5K

2011-09-28T23:34:00.000-05:00

In memory of a good friend, Kirsten, who lost her battle to cancer, I got to run with a bunch of friends in the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition 5K in our area. It was such a good turn out. Almost 50 of Kirsten's friends and family members all coming together to remember her.

I got to design the shirts we wore. I asked her husband if he had any ideas or thoughts on what he wanted the shirt to say. He decided to leave it up to me. Hmmm, ok :) I had several ideas but kept coming back to the idea of a dandelion being blown into the wind. Kind of like being spread abroad and continuing on as a symbol of her touching so many of our lives. But I couldn't figure out how to say that eloquently (obviously as I try to explain it here). I was looking at her Facebook page and read "I know our family has been so blessed. I feel the love of my friends, family, Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, more than ever. I know we will look back on this year and recognize it as a time to rise to the occasion and overcome." That's it I thought! A time to rise to the occasion and overcome. So then I went to her blog to see if I could find anything else. I'd looked at her blog before, but it had been a really long time. Much to my surprise (or maybe not really a surprise), was a dandelion at the top of the page. Love it. That's what I had to do. People seemed to like it and hopefully it also helps them to think of Kirsten, her example, and how she has influenced our lives for good.

Travis was at work, but Bergen and Uncle Tyler were there to cheer me on and give hi-fives as I ran past. This race was a good warm up for the Ragnar race in DC the following weekend, which made September a big running month for me!

Backyard Camping

2011-09-28T23:26:00.000-05:00

The weather has finally started to cool off a little in the evenings. We decided to do some backyard camping. Travis and Bergen set up the tent together. Bergen had fun playing in the tent, but when it was time to settle down to go to sleep, he couldn't really grasp that concept. Travis and I both tried our best to keep our patience and encourage Bergen to sleep. We read stories, we laid in the dark, we sang songs, Travis and I got jumped and walked on, and we laid in silence hoping Bergen would get the idea. But at long past 10pm and another (yup there was more than one) escape from the tent by Bergen, I decided if you can't beat 'em, join em. So in the dark I climbed onto the trampoline after Bergen and yes, jumped. At that moment being the fun mommy seemed easier than being the follow through with the plan mommy. Bergen thought it was so fun. After a little bit Bergen and I went in the house and I put Bergen to bed in his room. Then I went to sleep on my comfy bed. But since Travis went to all that work to put the tent up, he didn't want to waste it, and slept out there by himself. Hopefully our next camping adventure goes a little better and lasts a little longer. Course this shouldn't be too hard to beat :)

Handprints

2011-09-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

While doing the dishes, I looked over towards the table. I noticed all these little handprints leftover from lunch. It was a moment that I soaked up the joy of having a little one in the house, knowing that some day he will be big, and I will eventually miss things like these little hand prints on my table. I love my little Bergen!

Jumping in a Texas Rainstorm

2011-09-18T23:31:00.003-05:00

Not even a Texas rainstorm could stop this jumper.

The backdoor was opened and Bergen wanted out. I tried to convince him it was too wet, but then decided, why not? Let's see what happens.

So out he went! And when he was done I was waiting at the back door with a towel to wrap him up.

He was happy, and so was I.

Bubble Bath

2011-09-17T21:59:00.004-05:00

Not sure why, but it took me until this summer to give Bergen a proper bubble bath. He thought it was super cool, and really liked looking at his bubble face in the mirror. He also liked "simming" in it. His little facial expressions just melt my little heart. I think it was a huge success!

The Rest of July 2011

2011-09-17T21:51:00.004-05:00

Time for a little catch up!

One day Bergen was playing with items on the kitchen counter. He eventually ended up with these things in the toaster oven. I thought it was kind of funny, a little bit cute, and such a classic "busy Bergen" activity. So I took a picture!

This was on Travis's birthday. Bergen is just starting to get the idea to say, "cheeeeese" for a picture. I love this one because it shows his big eyes and long eyelashes.

This orange fence can only mean one thing, we are loosing that great empty field next to our house. Yup, that's right, a new house is finally being built on the empty lot. Would it be bad to say I'm heartbroken to loose the view from the side window? I have always loved being in the living room at the back of the house and being able to see the street. I made me feel like we were apart of the neighborhood, even though we were hiding out in the house.

And Travis and Bergen will be very sad to miss this great space for driving RC trucks. They made good use of it while they could!

This is a new one. Bergen carried the little white chair from the office into the laundry room so he could reach the things on the washer. Oh boy!

Cupcakes

2011-08-23T00:35:00.003-05:00

Here's a little something just for me...

So I've discovered I really like making cupcakes, and what's even better than that is getting to decorate them! (Now if I could just figure out how to avoid the clean up!) I'm almost ok with not even eating them, it's just so fun to make them...and take their pictures :)

These cupcakes were for Travis's birthday.

Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cupcakes.

Pretty good if I do say so myself.

I was using a cake recipe and apparently when you adapt it to cupcakes, you need lots more chocolate topping...so half these mousse cupcakes got a strawberry topping. Still pretty good.

And these babies are pretty much amazing!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Meringue Cupcakes.

I made a batch one Sunday and gave away all but three. I was so sugared out from licking bowls and spatulas that I didn't actually eat one myself until the following day. "Holy moly," I thought! I should've kept a few more for ourselves! Guess I'll just have to make them again...sooner than later too :)

Yes, just look at the cookie dough deliciousness!

(safe to eat, don't worry no raw eggs)

So this just might be my new favorite guilty pleasure to fill my free time...now if only I had more free time!

Almost a Missionary

2011-08-23T00:17:00.002-05:00

It was fun to have my brother stay with us for a week before heading off on his mission. This is the second to last picture of us together that we will get for 2 years. Andrew was 10 when I got married, and now look at him at 19...tallest one of all (ok that's not hard to do, but you get where I'm going with this). It will be fun to read his letters and see how he grows and changes over the next 2 years. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the family will grow and change while he is gone too. For example, when he comes home Bergen will be twice his current age, crazy! I'm so glad we got in some quality time together!

But really?! Are you sure he's old enough to be a missionary? He's still just a kid at heart. Bet then again, I guess we all are :)

Pirate Splash Pool

2011-08-12T22:57:00.001-05:00

I think the progress Bergen has made in the water this year is awesome. He loves jumping into the water and "simming" in the shallow water. One day Bergen was playing in chest high water, lost his footing, and went under. Travis and I both hopped over to him and I pulled him out of the water. We were expecting him to be choking, scared, or cry. Nope! Proud as could be with the biggest grin ever he exclaimed, "I simming!" Travis and I couldn't stop laughing.

This summer we've been going to a nearby city pool that has a big pirate themed splash pad! Bergen loves it and I love it. While Andrew was visiting we all got to go. There is also this small slide. Bergen had fun going down it on my lap. The water splashes up at the bottom so he would cover his face and tell me ready before we would go down. Travis goes with his this day and pushes him down on his own. I don't think he was happy about it, but after having gone down by himself the first time, Bergen was ok doing it by himself again. Way to go dad :)

The pool also has a nice diving board. Travis got one advanced dive in before they told him those kind of dives were not allowed. Bummer!

Andrew took a few turns on the diving board too. He was pretty excited about how much better he got...so much so he made sure I got a picture of it!

Bergen likes jumping into the water. He's so excited about jumping he would just jump, whether we were ready or not. We had to have lesson about waiting for mom or dad to be ready :)

Bergen playing in the splash pad. Climbing and sliding on the toys.

Mommy, Bergen, and Andrew having fun in the water.

Andrew making Bergen laugh. Love his happy face!

This is Bergen jumping into the water himself and swimming...well, his kind of swimming.

*Disclaimer: it's hard to take pictures at a pool and not get any "interesting" suits if you know what I mean. So sorry!

Six Flags with Andrew

2011-08-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

Before my brother Andrew leaves for his mission, he got to come spend some time with us in Texas. One of the things he wanted to do was ride the rides at Six Flags. Bergen got to spend the day with a friend, and Travis, Andrew, and I got to run the park little kids.

It was super hot. Really hot. Did I mention it was crazy hot? We drank a ton of water that day!

Andrew and I waiting for a ride.

Andrew and Travis.

Travis and I being silly.

We took a break from the rides for a late lunch. We went to the car, cranked the AC, and rested up for the rest of the day. Travis even took a little nap. Guess all those rides were harder on us than we thought :)

Andrew barley hanging on.

And me having fun with the camera.

Round two on the rides. Travis and I were definitely feeling our age as some of these rides really rocked our brains. It was fun to hang out all day together. Andrew and Travis are the two in white shirts, with their arms up in the air.

Waiting to take the tallest drop the park has. I skipped this one this time, but I did ride Superman, and that was a big accomplishment for me!

Us just before leaving the park. Travis and Andrew were being super silly!

Happy 4th of July

2011-08-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

We had a pretty quiet 4th of July this year. It started off very early with a trip to the airport to drop daddy off at work. Since we were up early, Bergen and I stopped at a nearby high school to eat the free breakfast and cheer on the 5K runners. We didn't know anyone, but it was fun to be outside and listen to the music. Bergen even had fun running the home stretch of the race.

There was an ice chest full of cold water bottles for runners as they crossed the finish line. Bergen was fascinated with this, and one of the workers was fascinated with Bergen. The worker was so nice to Bergen and let him help. People were surprised to have Bergen hand them the water and lots of people thought he was really cute.

After a quiet afternoon at home and a nap, Bergen and I headed back out for the Trophy Club city activities. It was fun to unexpectedly run into lots of friends that evening. There was bounce houses and free swimming. Since it was just me and we were planning on staying late for the fireworks, I didn't want to bother with all the swimming gear. Instead I figured we would just do the bounce houses. I paid the $3 for Bergen's wristband, and he spent all of about 4 minutes in the bounce houses, just enough time to snap two pictures.

After a little while he refused to even go back into the bounce houses (some lady said he couldn't wear the necklace he was wearing and I think she scared him). So we went to the pool area where I knew some friends were. It took all of about 5 seconds and Bergen was off in the water (I barely had time to pull his shirt off), happy as a clam to be swimming! Look at him! Clothes and all :) He didn't mind one bit that I didn't have his swimsuit, yet I sat on the side feeling like a horrible mom, almost in tears, because I had gotten it all wrong. I shouldn't have wasted the money and I should've just planned on swimming. I finally got over it and could enjoy watching him play...but next year we will just do the swimming!

Bergen with his friend Jordan, "simming." His regular diaper and shorts were barely hanging on so a friend let us borrow an extra swim diaper, and that's what he swam in the rest of the evening.

The pool stayed open till dark. After that we got dried off, found a piece of lawn, and enjoyed a great fireworks show. Bergen only had a dry shirt to wear, but he didn't seem to mind...although I still feel kind of bad about the whole thing. Oh well, next time!

Here's a fun picture of us watching the fireworks. I especially love my horns :) Bergen really liked the fireworks. He kept saying, "wooooow!"

Despite Daddy being gone, and me feeling bad about the swim stuff, we had a fun day. I always love the 4th of July.

Eggos Anyone?

2011-08-02T16:51:00.001-05:00

One evening I was trying to finish a phone call, and just stood by while Bergen worked busy as a bee...on a package of eggos he pulled out of the freezer. Yes, he toasted almost every one of them, and some more than once :) Later as I was cleaning it up I thought, "this stack of eggos is really funny." So of course I had to take a picture to remember this funny moment.

Craft Day

2011-08-02T16:25:00.001-05:00

The classic boy interests are definitely on the top of Bergen's list of loves, but every once and a while he like to do things I like to do. He likes to, "cut, cut, cut," and "goo." We worked really hard on these pictures. Bergen even tells me now we only need "lil bit goo" (same goes for syrup on pancakes and french toast). He's always been good with his hands and mechanical things, but even still I'm impressed that he holds the paper in one hand, the scissors in the other, and cuts like big kids and adults do.

The finished products. Kix cereal glued to the paper. Little pieces of paper Bergen cut himself, glued to the paper. And a colored on piece of paper topped with a healthy dose of "goo," of course.

Quiet Doesn't Always Mean Sleeping

2011-08-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

Sometimes Bergen plays in his room before falling asleep for a nap. This particular day I hadn't heard him for a while so I thought he was asleep. I was surprised to suddenly hear him calling for me, sounding a little panicked. I decided to not ignore this one and cracked open the door. This is what I found! He had been quietly putting on lotion, about half a bottle in fact. He had so much excess it was no longer soaking in. It had gotten in his eyes and that's what was causing his panic. Thankfully I was in one of those good moods where I could say, "Don't move! I'll be right back!" And ran for the camera. Sometimes Bergen gets a little confused as to which products go on his body, and which ones go in his hair. Apparently this was one of those times, or he was just having so much fun he couldn't stop after his arms and legs. Turns out it was pretty easy to wash out of his hair, and wasn't even as bad as I thought it was going to be to soak it up out of the carpet.

Each day brings a new kind of unexpected mess that I will get to clean up. When I woke up that morning, I never would've guessed this would be that day's winner. As others have said, his skin does look very hydrated :) Seriously thought, even completely covered in lotion he's cute!

This is How We Roll

2011-07-25T23:11:00.000-05:00

Travis got this bike seat and helmet for Bergen so they could ride together. Bergen LOVES it, for the first part of the ride at least. After a while he isn't so patient with the chin strap and says ouie, ouie! Funny thing is he's fine if he's momentarily distracted with something like, "do you see that duck?" Or, "look at that truck."

One night the boys rode the bike and I ran around the neighborhood. Every time they went past me Bergen would yell, "hi mamaaaaa!" That was so fun!

I've taken Bergen riding a few times myself. He likes holding onto the handles on occasion, which means I have to keep on my toes about which sudden direction he may steer us :) It's been nice to have a good exercise alternative for those days that I just don't feel like running.

Sink Drink + Glasses

2011-07-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

How does he know to do this? We didn't show him!

Bergen doesn't wear glasses too often. But for a couple of days he wanted them every time we went outside. I think he's cute with his glasses and wanted a picture. He thought it was funny to run away. This was the best I could get. Silly boy!

Boys Will Be Boys

2011-07-25T22:38:00.002-05:00

This kid is his daddy's boy! Common words in Bergen's vocabulary include, truck, troller, ba-rey chargit, and ready! Even in 100+ degree weather, Bergen is happy as a clam to be outside doing truck with daddy, sweaty as can be. Most packages that come to us in the mail are RC/hobby related. The other day Bergen helped me bring in a package from the doorstep. He asked me if it was a truck. Later in the day we had a second package delivered. He took one look at that box and mater of factly told me it was a troller. Cracked me up! Neither package was what he thought, but I thought it was really funny that he was certain that's what they were.

Summer Picnic

2011-07-22T23:01:00.000-05:00

In the heat we've been experiencing, there's not much better than a nice, cool, refreshing, yummy Sonic drink. Just ask Bergen. He calls it "uice" and loves holding the cup himself. I just have to watch him closely because he does like to dig his finger into the cup...which make for a real mess! Not to mention the loss of "uice" he actually gets to drink, and the increase in laundry I get to do.

One hot day we decided to get a treat for a picnic together. We found a nice patch of grass in Southlake and ate our 5 Guys burgers, and drank our "uice." Well Travis and I did anyways...Bergen mostly ran around, stopping for only half second breaks to stuff a few little bites into his mouth before taking off full speed again. Both Travis and I had to hold him tight just to get a picture.

Sometimes it's just fun to get out of the house. Even if it's for a fast food picnic in the heat of the summer.

Plays On His Own

2011-07-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

A new milestone has been reached lately. Bergen is able to entertain himself with some constructive play (I sound so technical don't I?). And for anyone that doesn't speak my same "technical," I mean he is actually playing with his toys the way they were meant to be used, using him imagination, and has some sort of goal or story he's working on. It's so fun to watch.

He loads people up into the bus and drives them somewhere.

He carries tools around to fix things, all while having a conversation with himself.

He plays with multiple trucks or cars with some kind of plan.

He does some mixing, pouring, cooking, and dish clean up with his toy food and dishes.

He also reads books, although I not sure if he's reading out loud to himself or if he thinks he's reading to someone else :)

He has two way conversations with himself in the car, asking if you see or want something, then responding with an answer (love ease dropping on this one).

There's been a few mornings and several afternoons, where's he's played with toys in his room for almost an hour before calling for me, or falling asleep. I expect to see the aftermath of a tornado, only to discover he's been playing with just a handful of toys or books, and the room's really quite clean.

And my favorite is when he just runs around the house, busy as can be, playing whatever game or situation he's got going on in his own little world, while I'm busy with chores.

One day I found these train tracks. He set them up all by himself. Not bad for his first attempt alone.

Bergen Cleans Up

2011-07-21T17:02:00.004-05:00

Before Bergen goes to sleep I usually do a quick pick up of his room. That way if he gets up at night, or we have to go in there, we aren't stepping on toys in the dark. I guess I just do it out of habit for naps too. Well this particular day I didn't clean up because Bergen was not quite ready to fall asleep, so I left him playing and hoped he would go to sleep soon. He did eventually climb onto his bed and fall asleep. When I went to get him later I thought something seemed different about his room. I started looking around and noticed he had picked up his room himself! Not a thing was left on the floor. Needless to say it was a very proud mommy moment.

Here's the books back on the shelf and the things he placed on top.

This one took me a while to find. His pants he put back in the drawers. In the jammie drawer, but a drawer none the less.

I love his occasional outbursts of organization!

May 2011

New Way to Cut Hair

2011-07-16T16:25:00.003-05:00

Seems like this little boy needs a lot of hair cuts! I'm always trying to find a better way to keep him entertained, and distracted from the hair falling on him, which he hates. This time around I went with the little dvd player. Worked preeeetty well.

Before...

...and after.

Love this happy face. Love this happy boy.

May 2011

The Olivers Visit

2011-06-12T14:29:00.007-05:00

Three of the Olivers came to visit in May. There was lots and lots of playing, and lots and lots of things to keep the boys busy. In fact, I think Helen and I spent so much energy doing special things for the boys that come night time we were really too tired to spend much time working on our projects. Next time :)

A few highlight activities included making paper towel caterpillars, decorating cupcakes (see previous post), getting Sonic drinks (which Bergen poked a hole in and flooded his lap), taking walks, feeding ducks, playing trains, jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes, swimming, having a picnic, bubbles, squirt bottles, going to the zoo, and doing ink stamps...ok the stamps weren't really a highlight since it was unsupervised and ended up on clothes, bedding, and the carpet, but I can almost laugh about it now :)

Helen and I sewed some play fish and worked a little on our recipe collection. Our list was much longer, but I'm pretty sure that's about as far as we got.

I'm very excited to report we significantly cut down the amount of time it took to get the boys to bed compared to last time we were together! And I'm also excited to report that despite a few scuffles between the boys, Bergen really got to know and love his cousins more. He still talks about them and really likes seeing their pictures.

Feeding the ducks. I couldn't pass out the bread fast enough!

For little ones, it's quite the walk home. Bergen pulled the wagon almost the entire way! He even fell a few times trying to run with it and scraped up his knees, yet he continued to insist on pulling it himself.

We got to visit the zoo all together. Three strollers, three kids, three adults, and it was still a busy day :) We got to spend a few extra minutes with the bats due to some rain. Thankfully it was only a quick down pour and none of us got too wet. I liked watching the boys eat their lunch in front of the roaring lions. I'm not sure if Bergen had a favorite animal but his favorite part about the experience was probably running. Everything is about "running" with him these days!

Sometimes I feel like we live in a zoo. Sure Bergen, climb right in!

We spent lots of time in the backyard, most of it being silly.

Bergen hasn't been doing very well sitting in his seat for meals lately but he did great while Joshua and Nathan were here. I think he ate more that week than he usually does all month :) This was movie night.

And we couldn't end the visit without having some homemade popcorn. It's tradition!

When the kids get stir crazy, I say take them outside! Dinner and bedtime maybe later but look at the fun pictures we got.

It was lots of fun having the Olivers here! Bergen sure enjoyed having Joshua and Nathan to play with. Not only did I enjoy spending time with my sister and nephews, I also enjoyed having another adult home all the time and more than just Bergen and I to make meals for :) Even though we live far away I'm glad we got to spend some time together. The only downside is that it makes me wish we lived closer so we could do it more often. Come back soon!

Frosting Cupcakes

2011-05-29T23:28:00.005-05:00

With the leftovers of Bergen's birthday cake, we let the little chefs make their own magic. There are probably a million things I could say about these pictures, but I will let them speak for themselves.

Nothing like a good sugar high!

Bergen Turns 2

2011-05-22T14:40:00.004-05:00

We have a TWO year old! Crazy! Bergen's birthday was a busy but fun day. Helen, Joshua, and Nathan were here and it was fun to share the events with them. The boys got to frost and decorate their own cupcakes (that's a whole post in and of itself!), daddy came home that afternoon (in a Texas sized rainstorm), and there were lots of new toys to play with! Bergen knew just how to open the presents, and still wanted to make sure he got ALL the paper off before enjoying the new item.

(It's nice to be able to stretch our budget, but I do find it quite comical that Bergen was wearing these shorts, along with many others, last May!)

What do you think? Does he like it? :)

It can be tough to watch others open new things, but Helen's boys were so good about letting Bergen open his presents, and it was fun to watch them all play with some of the things in the days that followed.

Bergen got blocks, felt food, cooking dishes, vehicles, lacing cards, playdoh sissors, and a Chuggington movie. I think he was pretty excited about everything. And I'll just admit now, I'm enjoying seeing his new toys organized in boxes and bins that I may or may not have been planning on for months now :) Helen said she was surprised I didn't have the bins already labeled. I'll take that as a compliment on my organization skills. Haha!

Like I said before, Bergen liked his cake. He kept saying "pain!" (which translates to plane) and "cake!"

He did a great job blowing out the candles. I think he blew them out one at a time for a total of two breaths. Not bad for someone who's only had one prior birthday.

We found Bergen reaching into the fridge earlier sneaking off the skittles. Apparently they were just too hard to resist because Nathan just couldn't help sneaking them too.

Happy birthday Bergen! We love you so much!

How old are you?

Singing Happy Birthday

Airplane Cake

2011-05-22T14:34:00.004-05:00

An airplane cake seemed appropriate for Bergen's birthday this year. So what do I do? I enlist the help of my sister Helen, since she was here visiting, and spend hours and hours staying up way past my bedtime, painting little wooden airplanes, molding airheads into the desired shape, baking cakes, making buttercream frosting (thankfully Helen took care of all the taste testing to ensure we had the correct flavor), frosting the double layer cake, and then decorating the cake. I kept asking why we were doing this because well, at those late hours it just seemed a little crazy and possibly extreme for a little 2 year old, but Helen kept reminding me because we were having fun. And it's true, it was fun to do something special for Bergen, it was fun to spend that time with Helen, and I couldn't have been happier with the results! I only wish Bergen's birthday wouldn't have been a bad weather day because it made getting good natural light to take a picture-perfect picture pretty much impossible. Almost so much so I didn't want to cut it that day just so I could try taking another picture of it the next day. Silly I know!

Like I said, I think it was a complete success and made for one smiley little boy!

Muddy Shoes

2011-05-22T14:33:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned there's no question my boy is ALL boy? He manages to find the mud in the backyard without fail. This time he managed to silently walk into the house, across the kitchen, and almost across the entire living room before stopping and calling, "mama!" before Travis or I knew he was in the house...with about 3 inches of mud caked to his sandals and half way up his legs. *sigh* Just another day in the life of messes we clean up :) Love my buggy!

I struggled to get a good picture, and this just doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea.

30th Birthday

2011-05-22T14:29:00.004-05:00

That's right folks, I'm now part of "club 30" and livin' it up! For my 30th birthday I got myself some bling jeans and a friend gave me Disney channel's Lemonade Mouth soundtrack. Sounds 30-ish in a completely mature, responsible, adult kind of way, right?! :) I'm just glad that even though I've turned 30, I don't feel like an old fuddy-duddy. In fact I'm STILL waiting to feel cool. Hmmm, maybe 35...

Travis got to be home for my birthday this year! A friend watched Bergen and the two of us went to brunch together. It seems so uneventful, but going out to eat for a date has a whole new meaning these days. It means I don't spend close to an hour and a half in the kitchen cooking/helping Bergen "help" me, I'm not juggling (literally) Bergen and his food while we eat, and I get to skip the never ending clean up when it's all over! Needless to say it was a great way to spend a birthday date. Travis got me a cookbook, a watch, and an iTunes gift card (yea new running music...guess that means I better be more consistent about running). It was a great day and I loved spending it with my two favorite people!

The following week some friends got together for a little girls time. It's not every year a girl turns 30, so we went all out for costume bowling on the Wii. It was extra fun to have Helen here for that, and extra nice that Travis willingly stayed home with all 3 boys while we snuck away.

Egg Hunt

2011-05-02T10:58:00.003-05:00

After coloring real eggs, we did a plastic egg hunt in the backyard. (I took Bergen to a neighborhood and playgroup egg hunt earlier in the week. I didn't really know what to expect but until Bergen starts asking to go I have no desire to go to mass group egg hunts, or should I say egg gathering/hoardings again. I wasn't a fan of the kids running through a field putting eggs in their basket just as fast as they could while smaller kids are too slow to get anything and it's over in about 3 minutes. It seemed a little greedy to me. And besides, where's the fun in finding an egg that's in plain sight? Sorry if you like this sort of thing, I just didn't.)

Needless to say the small hunt at home was by far my favorite activity. It was so fun to see Bergen look around saying things like, "hmmmmmm" and "eeeeeggs, are you?" Turns out he was a pretty good spotter, and of course was excited about the "chan-nee" inside the eggs! He's had fun playing with the eggs ever since I bought them, putting them in a "bass-et" and dumping them out, and we've even had a few mini hunts in the living room.

Happy Easter!

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-05-01T16:59:00.005-05:00

Lots of holidays and special events kind of slide by at house when Travis isn't home. Easter was looking like one of those holidays this year. Even though I had gotten egg dye and other Easter supplies ahead of time, we just didn't get to it before Travis left for the Easter weekend. I almost skipped it all and was going to save the stuff for next year, but decided the Tuesday after Easter we really should do it anyway. Bergen wouldn't know the difference and I'm so glad we did!

He really got into it and had a good time decorating the eggs. In fact I think it was just as fun for Travis and I. It turned out to be less messy than I expected even. Other than one bumped cup that splattered our towel, there wasn't much to clean up. Bergen liked the markers, glitter gel, and the dye. To my surprise he wasn't interested in using stickers. I will admit that it was hard for me to want to let Bergen put the pretty colored eggs back into a different color cup. I just wanted to keep them nice and pretty, and he just liked dunking the eggs. Unfortunately I don't think this will be the last time I have to fight the urge to let his creativeness overrule my creativeness :)

What a cute happy boy!

Painting

2011-04-30T22:27:00.002-05:00

Bergen saw me doing some touch up painting in the house and he wanted to help! After using a clean roller on half the house (ok not really half, but a lot) I got brave and did painting with him. The activity didn't last much more that 10-15 minutes, but it was a good 10-15 minutes. He liked hanging them on the fridge when we were done and was excited to show daddy when he got home.

Bergen's New Bed

2011-04-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

The one last safe place...was no longer safe :) Bergen came running down the hall one morning saying "hi dadda!" And then Travis and I figured out neither one of us got him out of bed, which could only mean one thing. The next morning the same thing happened, sure enough he climbed out of bed himself.

As you can imagine, getting him to stay in bed to go to sleep became quite the ordeal. Travis had the thought that if he could get back in bed after he was done pounding on the door, he would eventually fall asleep, right?! I figured he was right, but I wasn't sure I wanted to make that change just yet. I mean come on! That's a big growing up step!

Well, while I was in the shower one morning right before taking Travis to work, Travis switched Bergen's crib to a bed...and then left :) Yes it was so nice of him to do that for me, but I couldn't help thinking about getting to do this transition all on my own, assuming it was going to be a huge fight. Night #1 took an hour and a half. 30 minutes of it was me sitting in the hallway holding his door closed since he can of course open doors. I had avoided using them up until this point, but day #2 I went to the store and picked up a child safety door knob cover. We put it on together and I told him he wouldn't be able to open his door. We talked about how he would have to stay in his room, crawl back in bed, and go to sleep (I'm sure he understood every word I said...just like usual, right?!). I also made a big deal about how cool his bed was! Surprisingly enough night #2 took about 5 minutes and without any tears. I was SHOCKED (in a good way of course)! And from then on out it's been great.

It's been getting better, but at first I would frequently peek in on him and find something like this. Luckily it didn't seem to interrupt his sleeping, nor did my putting him back in bed :)

It's been three weeks in his new bed now. Sure there are still moments that he wants a little extra attention or snuggles at night, but I am so grateful that at the end of the day there's one thing I can count on. That Bergen will go to bed without much trouble. My absolute favorite nights are the ones where he blows me kisses while laying on his bed and says "love you" as I turn out the light and leave the room. Or are my favorite nights the ones where he wraps his arm around my neck as I lay next to him and he quickly falls asleep as I sing primary songs? That's a tough one! I love them both. Great endings to any day!

Joy Rides

2011-04-18T17:07:00.005-05:00

This just happened! I did not know about it! I did not endorse it! Don't think we are crazy! (Even if we really are)

Bergen loves the motorcycles and has been climbing onto them by himself for quite some time. Recently Travis got another bike to sit on for a while and later sell. Well I was getting ready one morning and heard the bike running...and then I heard it drive away...hmmm I thought, Bergen was out there. I wonder who's watching him. So I went outside to check and this is what I found...

He sat so well and was loving it! It wasn't until the ride was over that I saw this makeshift seatbelt. Well, no helmet but at least he was strapped on. Way to get creative daddy!

Alright fine! You can think it, we're crazy!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2011-04-03T13:13:00.000-05:00

It was one of those days where Bergen was going crazy inside. Finally Travis had the idea to pull the kite out. Brilliant! Bergen was as happy as could be to be outside and playing with the kite. It didn't take long for him to get the idea down either.

Waiting so patiently.

Ready to lift off.

Holding the string.

Flying so high.

Success!

Wheelbarrow Rides

2011-04-03T13:06:00.001-05:00

It's the time of year to start spending some time working in the yard. Bergen was a very good helper moving dirt from the front yard to the backyard. I'm pretty sure his favorite part was riding in the wheelbarrow...of which he could get in all by himself!

Pancake Time

2011-04-03T13:01:00.000-05:00

Getting to just mix the batter is not enough anymore. Bergen wants to flip the food. He actually does pretty well. We help him get the spatula under the food, and then he flips it over himself. It's pretty cute and he's so proud of himself! The hardest part of the activity is convincing him to let the food cook long enough before it's time to flip it over.

(March 7)

A Bergen Sized Table

2011-03-28T18:18:00.000-05:00

You say you won't be one of those parents that spoil their children...but I'm afraid we are failing miserably at that! I've been thinking about having a kid sized table to put in our office/craft/hobby room. I'm hoping that Bergen will feel special having his own work/play space and to occasionally do a project on his own while we use our space :) While walking around Ikea I saw this $7 end table and BAM, it hit me, it's the same size as the little kid tables that are at least three times as much. Perfect! So we snagged the table and these cute little chairs to complete the setup.

The best part about Ikea is that everything comes in a box ready to be assembled. Something Travis and Bergen just love doing! After chair #1 was put together Bergen knew just what to do on chair #2.

Oh the concentration! It was crackin' me up :)

This was a great buy. I love it (although it hasn't made it into the office just yet because we are having too much fun with it in the living room). This playdoh session lasted 45 minutes! Even Kellene and I were having fun.

Random: Don's know where he got this idea, but he was hard at work trying to get the playdoh between his toes. It was pretty funny and luckily once he succeeded he hasn't tried it again.

(March 1, 2011)

Playhouse

2011-03-28T11:18:00.001-05:00

We had a lucky find! The end of January some friends of our were moving and didn't want to take this playhouse with them. So the men disassembled it and hauled it to our house. Bergen had fun putting it back together with Travis in our backyard.

Of course Bergen was all about the tools.

Our available space was different than the original space it was built in, so we had to make some modifications to where the rock wall, slide, and stairs were placed. Our home teacher works for a roofing company and offered his help and supplies for the roof. Travis really enjoyed doing some physical labor, Bergen loved working out there, and I think it turned out great!

Between the trampoline and the playhouse we have spent HOURS playing outside in our own yard.

I just love that we have a "fun" backyard...and now is the time to enjoy it before it gets too hot!

Dresser Top

2011-03-10T15:33:00.003-06:00

It's no secret Bergen is a climber. But this one surprised even me! It was quiet so I went looking and here is where I found him. Apparently he stands on the arm of the rocking chair, gets his balance, and then dives onto the dresser and pulls himself over. Crazy! He was very excited to turn the light on and off, and open and close the blinds. I tell you, NOTHING is safe in our house anymore. Especially since he started opening doors the end of February!

(Feb 23rd)

Sunday Best

2011-03-10T15:18:00.003-06:00

For months I've been wanting to take a picture of Bergen in this cute Sunday vest. I finally got around to it...just before it's too small :)

He really didn't want to stand there!

But if Daddy was there with him he was just fine.

(Feb 6th)

Winter Storm

2011-02-05T15:10:00.004-06:00

This week has been the coldest it's been in 15 years. Schools and most of the area has been pretty much closed down for 4 days. Monday I actually did some shopping in anticipation of the storm and I'm glad I did. Tuesday our garage was frozen shut and there was snow and several inches of ice covering the ground. The airport shut down and so did most of the metroplex. Wednesday wasn't much better, and Thursday we got more snow. Travis did manage to slide to the airport on Thursday so he could head to work. The 25 minute drive took him an hour and a half. It's been pretty crazy out there but I'm happy to say Bergen and I stayed nice and warm inside and have survived 5 days without leaving home.

Tuesday Bergen wasn't taking no for an answer to go outside. So finally we sent him out and he was back in about 30 seconds. Ok I know he isn't well bundled, but we didn't want to be out there so that was kind of the point.

The guilt has been eating at me long enough. Today I spend almost a half hour getting us bundled up and we went out to play in the snow. Glad I did too because it's finally above freezing temperatures and the snow is melting fast! Bergen's got 2 pairs of socks pulled up to his knees, a shirt, footie pajamas, jeans, two jackets and gloves (it was the best I could come up with).

And for footwear...to accommodate the extra layers, a pair of 3 sizes too big Sunday shoes I had packed away in the closet. And a good thing too because nothing else was working. I'm happy to report his feet stayed dry AND warm!

He's got the snowball down. See steps 1-4 below: find good snow, pick it up, bring the arm back, and launch.

Humans must be born with this intuition because I did NOT show him! He did it all on his own! I was cracking up and he thought it was really funny to feed me the snow. After this initial test Bergen would put the snow in his mouth but spit it out. Must have been too cold :)

'No-min" building...

...and "no-min" throwing.

We were out there for almost an hour before he wanted to come back in. So glad I finally got the motivation to get us out there and make another fun memory together!

Mommy sure loves her Bergen!

And just like that I've forgotten all about the food that's been purposely thrown onto the floor, the toys that have been dumped out, the fits over not getting to play with a cup and the water spout on the fridge, and the train that made solid contact with my cheek bone while saying prayer. It's nice to have moments to forget these kinds of things...for however long that moment may be :)

Story Telling

2011-02-05T15:02:00.004-06:00

I wish oh wish I knew what this story was about! All I know is that it's pretty funny and if I had to take a guess it was something about driving and maybe an airplane. I grabbed the camera to catch his yogurt face but kept clicking as his story went on. Travis and I just stood there laughing!

January Wrap Up: Makeup - Rice - BIG Mess

2011-02-01T15:15:00.006-06:00

This should probably be 3 separate posts, but the pics are already here so we'll just go with it.

Makeup

Sorry future Bergen, yes your mom let you put on makeup just this one time. In my defense, you did it to yourself. It's not like I sat you up and gave you a makeover :) Ok, yes Bergen has makeup on. Naturally he's very interested in my makeup bag and it's a regular occurrence to keep him out. Well this particular morning I just let it go. He sat on the counter while I was getting ready and instead of encouraging him to play with the toothbrushes and floss I let him do his thing. He followed what I was doing very well. I finished using something, dropped it in the bag, he pulled it out, and copied what I had just done. I wish I had a video of him trying to curl his eyelashes. Now that was some funny scrunched up faces :) Voila! This is his transformation. Eyeshadow, liner, and blush. Can you tell he's very right handed :)

What do you think? Considering, it could've been a lot worse!

Rice

Brilliant idea I had! Ok maybe I read it somewhere, I can't remember. It's like a mini indoor sandbox. Some rice, some utensils, a cup, and some toys to burry. It was a very entertaining 45 minutes! I was even having fun. And then he figured out throwing handfuls of rice off the table was slightly more fun. Bummer :) It was good while it lasted. After cleaning up a blanket of rice on the kitchen floor I discovered it was probably less than 1/3 of a cup that we lost...but 1/3 of a cup sure can cover a lot of area!

BIG Mess

Bergen was having a snack when I got a phone call. I was talking where I could see his head, but I never seemed to notice what his hands were doing. It must have been an intense call, except I forgot what it was all about once I saw this. All the goldfish crushed and scatted on the floor. He was trying to get them into the trash can, right? I'll go with that one :) And even though this NutraGrain bar was on the table, he managed to reach it and mush every last piece of it between his fingers. Oh Buggy! You silly boy! Of the handful of words he says, mess is one of them. I wonder why...or do I? :)

Movie Night

2011-02-01T14:56:00.002-06:00

I wish I remembered to do this more often! I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but Bergen LOVES to help in the kitchen (yes, there was sarcasm there). In fact he's even started pulling out multiple items to be used when making, or when he wants to eat something specific. And he's got all the right items for the job too! Usually I take the hint, although the morning I was getting dressed in the closet and he brought me a pot and a box of macaroni & cheese I held off until lunch to make that. So when I think about it, it works great to make popcorn and spend a few quiet moments on the couch together before getting ready for bed. Bergen sits for a few shows, but without fail he requests to watch trains! So glad I can record them so they are easily accessible for our movie nights :)

I love how he's saying "cheeeeeese", but still watching the TV.

He does excellent with a cup now. Unless he's confined to his seat I still prefer water in it though...just in case. He looks so grown up!

Dance for the Camera

2011-01-12T21:30:00.000-06:00

New Year's Eve was quite the night for us...well not really. In fact it was no different from any other ordinary night. Travis was at work and Bergen and I went to bed as regularly scheduled. Lame I know!

But Bergen was in the dancing mood that day. He must have known others were out partying it up and some were probably even dancing :) He was being so cute I wanted to record him, but wondered if getting up to get the camera was even worth it...since I rarely get what I want because he just wants the camera! For whatever reason I asked him if mommy could take his picture. He stops dancing, learns forward, and says, "Chit-chur?" And runs to the drawer with the camera. After getting the camera I was shocked when he ran back to position and resumed dancing. AND then he even performed for me! What a cutie :)

After his performance he wanted to see it. I think he watched 4 or 5 times on the camera screen pointing and laughing. I think he thinks he's cute too.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

Once again Christmas came to our house a few days early this year since Travis was working. And then the craziest thing ever happened to us. Travis was in Chicago ready to go and got dumped off his trip Christmas Eve! So he miraculously made it home in time for dinner and we got to spend all of Christmas day together as a family...just too bad we had already opened all our presents a few days before :)

Here's our little 3 tree Christmas tree. I always worry that there won't be enough, but by the time I'm done shopping (and pretty much anything Travis and I buy for ourselves in the couple of months leading up to Christmas we just save and say, "here, you can give this to me for Christmas."), and presents have trickled in by mail, I'm always surprised at the big pile of presents. Note to self: don't forget this next year! Course I always say that :)

Us on our early Christmas morning.

Bergen likes to help daddy around the house with the "man" stuff.

And let's face it, I'm doing my best to raise a neat and tiddy child, on some days that goes well and Bergen helps mommy with the "keeping our home nice" stuff :) I love this and so does he. So much so when I can't stand the sound of the running vacuum any longer I actually have to hid it in the pantry.

A fun tent to play in....

...or hide...

...and the tunnel that connects to it for a side door escape route. I was climbing thru when Bergen chased after me and went up and over me on his own. It was pretty funny! This tunnel has already gotten lots of use. Bergen loves to be chased and using the tunnel to chase after him or surprise him on the other end has brought LOTS of giggles and happy screams.

Can a boy ever have too many planes, trains, and automobiles? I was really excited to get him these Chuggington trains! So far it's the only show he really watches more than a few seconds of and in the last couple of weeks he actually asks to watch it. That is he points to the TV or holds the remote, pumps his arm up and down, and says "choo choo."

If a boy can't have too many planes, trains, or automobiles, then he definitely can't have too many dump trucks and lion cars.

So this is a clip of Bergen's style of unwrapping: Get every little piece of paper off before worrying about what the present actually is.

Here it is again. Seriously, why do we wrap their presents still packaged up? We never look cool as we fumble and stumble to get it out! I'm just wondering? :)

I must say I was very impressed with my hubby this year! He did a fantastic job thinking of Bergen and I and actually getting a surprise for each of us on his own. I know he was very excited to give Bergen something that he would like playing with, and it was even more fun because I had no clue what it was. I just meant a lot to me to have him think of us and do something for us all on his own. Thanks hun! (But now you've sent a standard for yourself...hope you're up to again next year! *wink wink*)

What a fun Christmas! Mostly because of Bergen and the excitement I felt as I got things for him, and a secondly mostly because Travis got to be home, and a third mostly because we have awesome friends that brought us goodies and shared time and meals with us that even though we didn't get to be with any of our family this year we were not alone. We miss our family though and wish it were easier to spend time together more often!

Trampoline Time

2011-01-01T16:28:00.002-06:00

Lately Bergen has taken extra interest in the trampoline. He loves "jumping" on it! I love that it's been nice enough weather that the boys can go out there and Bergen is plenty occupied during that getting hungry and tired time of the day, and I can make dinner quickly and peacefully. When they play outside I like to leave the door cracked open so I can hear them. I love it when Bergen comes to the door, leans in, and blurts out a paragraph of something, as if to check in with me and tell me what he's doing. Then he runs off to keep playing. It's so cute!

At the beginning of the winter he was not happy to be wearing long sleeves. He would pull at them and fuss, and footed jammies were also a no go! After Aunt Helen figured out he should see how cute he looked in the jammies and showed him in a mirror, he decided they were in fact pretty cool. Now he's fine with the long sleeves and has even taken a liking to hoodies. He frequently brings me one to put on and it HAS to be zipped up! And sometimes the hood has to be on his head too.

"Hey dad, look!"

"You have a zipper too!"
"Hi mom. I'm just having fun with dad."

Love my boys!

2010's Christmas Card & Letter

2011-01-01T16:16:00.003-06:00

Just for fun, here is one of many pictures that didn't make the card this year :)

And when we finally had a good one, Bergen was MORE than happy to be done and get to play.

Doesn't he look so big?!

Sugar Cookies

2010-12-31T16:38:00.000-06:00

Why have I never done this before? Why do I not have any cookie decoratating supplies? A friend invited us over to decorate cookies. She did all the hard work and had the cookies made ahead of time. I forgot to bring the camera for the actual decorating, but if I had you would be looking at a picture of Bergen with a multi colored frosting face, much like the Thanksgiving pie face :) I must say I was pretty proud of him and his creativity! Can you tell which plate is mine and which is Bergen's? I think of all the kids he stayed at the table the longest and while he did sample plenty of frosting, he worked just as hard at decorating as he did on tasting.

This cookie was 100% Bergen! Frosting sprinkles and all. Not bad huh?

I helped him frost this tree, but the sprinkles were ALL Buggy! (I just realized I've probably never blogged this but I use "Buggy" a lot to reference him, although I don't think I ever actually call him that when I'm talking to him. Hmmm, just a side thought.)

And what's not to love about ALL. THESE. SPRINKLES? I finally started putting these same sprinkles back into an empty sprinkles jar just because he was having so much fun shaking and pouring them.

I'm so glad we got invited to do this! Besides Bergen having a good time, I wasn't expecting it to be so much fun for me. Who knew decorating cookies would be such a creative outlet. I guess I better get a good cookie recipe and buy some sprinkles so we can do it again!

Dear Santa

2010-12-30T20:34:00.000-06:00

We decided to spend another fun evening together this year by visiting Santa. Bergen went as far as he could go by 4-wheeler.

Then we hopped on this reindeer and rode him all the way...

...to the North Pole!

At the North Pole Bergen got to pet Santa's reindeer, take a picture with Santa, and even got a candy cane for the trip home.

So I wasn't planning on making any special trips to see Santa this year, but when the North Pole comes to the nearby Bass Pro shop, and has free pictures with Santa and carousel rides, we decided it would be another good way to spend a holiday evening together. I was expecting to have to be in the picture holding Bergen but he did great. He didn't smile and was a little apprehensive, but he didn't cry :) Maybe next year I'll be thinking a little more and dress him in something less surf and more winter. I can't believe ME of all people didn't think of that! On the way home we got hot chocolate (Which by the way wasn't doing so well in a sippy cup. Poor Bergen got more down his chin than he did into his tummy!) and drove around looking at Christmas lights. It was really fun to see Bergen point and oooo at the lights.

Grapevine Train and Lights

2010-12-30T18:29:00.000-06:00

Bergen really likes trains. I thought it would be fun to take our Christmas card picture with a train. Timing just wasn't working to our advantage and we finally decided to just go one evening with a stool and our timer. We ran into two problems. First, it was so late by the time we got there we had mere moments before it got too dark for a good picture and second, after seeing it on the camera I didn't like what I was wearing. But Bergen had fun seeing the train so that was worth it!

Since we were in Grapevine we put on our coats and walked up and down Main Street looking at the store lights. This area was a neat little light show with music. I think Bergen was in awe. He just started at it with his mouth wide open :)

He also thought these figures were pretty fun. And the best part about it, the doggie didn't run away and was the perfect size to ride!

So the pictures were a bust but it was really fun to get out and do something fun together to get us in the Christmas spirit.

The Rest of November

2010-12-30T16:20:00.000-06:00

Our camera was getting a break the rest of November, because we apparently didn't take many photos. I did however get Bergen helping with the Thanksgiving chocolate cream pie. He's such a good helper in the kitchen, and even better at taste testing! I think this recipe is a winner in his book.

Part of our camera break also included Thanksgiving. Oops! Travis was at work Thanksgiving day but Bergen and I got to have dinner with the Morris Family. They had a brother and sister-in-law that were passing thru on a long layover, and the Banhams (minus their pilot) were also there. They worked so hard on the food and it was all really yummy. Especially since I just showed up to eat! Later that evening we all went to the Nordstroms for a vast variety of pies and games. When the pilots were back home, Gina and I made a second Thanksgiving dinner for our two families. It was all a lot of fun!

Grandma sent Bergen some stickers. Daddy was helping Bergen put them to good use. I thought this was so funny and was trying like crazy to get him to show them to me. He just wanted me...or maybe it was the camera...and was not happy that I kept scooting away from him.

This was the best I could get :)

Time in Virginia

2010-12-29T15:22:00.010-06:00

Not sure what I've been doing lately, but it sure isn't blogging. Maybe I've been busy getting ready for Christmas...yes, let's go with that. Now that Christmas has past maybe I can get caught up in time for the new year :)

We went to Virginia the very end of October and got to stay the first half of November. It was so much fun visiting the Olivers! The best part about being there so long was that we got lots of days to go out, to see sights in DC, and to play. We also got days to stay home and just be us. It took some time, but the boys all got to be their true selves. And even though they are still learning to share and take turns ;), I think it's safe to say they really enjoyed being together! Despite living so far away from each other, I hope there are many more get togethers like this in the years to come.

Bergen, Joshua, and Nathan just hanging out.

All of us got to go to the Air and Space Museum. It was really cool to go up in the observation tower and watch the planes coming in to land.

There were LOTS of planes on display. I think Travis wishes he had a collection just like it...only remote control size.

I don't know why but it's just so cool to all take a bath together. I love each one of their expressions.

Oh yeah, this is why I don't do spaghetti...it's just a little bit messy! But he loved it. At least the first time, second time around there was more throwing involved. Good thing Helen has that nice little vacuum!

Helen and I, and the boys took an outing to the Natural History Museum. There was lots of animals to look at, like this huge elephant.

There were lots of skeletons too. With so much to see, they boys needed a little climbing break.

And the BUTTERFLIES! This was the real reason we went. Bergen was pretty interested in the butterflies, but if I remember correctly he was also very interested in the fruit they had out for the butterflies to feed on. Helen even had a butterfly land on her head. He must have been pretty comfy there because he stay for a long time.

With 3 carseats we had to take 2 cars everywhere we went. One day we went to an outdoor mall but we got there in time for Helen to head back after a couple of stores to pick Brant up from work. Bergen and I stayed for a few more stores, which he wasn't too interested in, but he did really like this. What's not to love? It's something to drive!

Another one of our numerous attempts to take a picture of all of them.

Aunt Helen is SO COOL! Brant was on his way out for the weekend and I was bringing Travis back from the airport. Helen volunteered to keep the boys home and get them to bed on time. They got to make popcorn and watch a movie. Doesn't it just look like fun?! She even got them all to bed in record time (that is a whole other story...getting 3 boys to bed all in the same room can take hours, literally!)

The boys were good teachers AND learners.

Bergen: "Look Nathan! If you climb up here you can reach more stuff!"

Nathan: "Thanks for the tip! I think I can use that elsewhere too."

Nathan and Bergen playing with cars.

We also got to go to the Building Museum. We built this arch together. Joshua found the numbers we needed, Travis and I held up the sides as we went, and Helen was the stacker. It took us several tries until we put Bergen and Nathan in the big basket. We weren't trying to trap them, we just weren't ready for their demolition work yet (oh yeah, and we didn't want them to go swimming in the nearby fountain either). After pictures we let them push the arch down. It was a great idea except...yeah, Bergen got knocked over and buried under the rubble. He wasn't too happy about it. Apparently those blocks are kind of heavy.

The Building Museum also had a play area for the kids. Joshua and Nathan dressed up but Bergen wasn't in the mood.

When we would leave the condo, Joshua would run up the path squealing. It didn't take Bergen long to follow suit. We would be locking up the door and the boys would be half way up the hill yelling just as loud as could be. As much as Bergen likes to run, that was a perfect game. Sidewalks were also a fun place to run, but eventually we would have to get him across the parking lot and into the car.

When we were all together again we decided to spend the evening in Old Town Alexandria. We took a scenic route to Old Town. It was so fun to see more residential areas of DC and imagine how cool it would be to live there. And then we considered our budget and our backyard in Texas and decided we'd just keep dreaming for now *sigh*. Once in Old Town, we took pictures on the docks.

Danced in the gazebo. (Helen's air guitar is AWESOME!)

And rode the trolley up and down the street. We ended the evening with pizza and a satisfying feeling of getting out and doing something fun together!

Nathan and Bergen got haircuts together. What do you think, is he bored? Nathan got to feed himself yogurt to keep entertained. I guess I should've found something a little more exciting for Bergen. The haircut a month and a half after this he did get Smarties :)

Helen and I also got to take the boys to the National Zoo.

We really liked seeing all the animals, but I think the boys also really liked seeing those Veggie Straws go into their mouths. We went through a lot of straws! Pretty sure that's what Bergen is shoving in his mouth, and it looks like Nathan's got a cheek full, and Joshua is just trying to get out of there. If only for once they would all look at us and smile :)

Elephants are always a big hit!

These are my little laundry helpers. It's crazy to think Helen and I used to do this. We didn't try it but we probably wouldn't fit now. At least the kids can still have lots of fun together.

One of our last outings was to the Botanical Gardens. They had lots of fun kid activities that day. Bergen just wasn't quite old enough to appreciate them but he definitely enjoyed the strawberry smoothy sample!

There's lots of paths through the gardens, a perfect place for...you guessed it. Running! Bergen ran up ahead of us and I didn't catch him in time to avoid touching a cactus. I had to pull a sticker out of his finger. Bergen also liked pulling the little boats they made, and splashing his hands in the little fountains.

Ten years ago, with a handful of college roommates who are now my lifelong friends, I made my first trip to our Nation's Capital. Since then my sister and her family moved there and I've gotten to go back and visit many times. There's just something special about it. One day while Helen and I were pushing the boys in strollers down the Mall we commented about how neat a place it is. You can't be there and not feel cool! I hope I get to visit many more times with my family and make good memories, have new experiences, and gain greater appreciations.

Thanks for letting us stay so long! Next time you can crash our place for half a month. Although some cows and tumble weed just isn't as exciting as the Nation's Capital :)

Halloween

2010-11-29T21:23:00.003-06:00

Before I know it it will be Christmas, so it's probably about time I get Halloween into the books. We got to spend Halloween with the Olivers. It was so much fun being together and watching the boys interact with each other.

We of course carved pumpkins. Bergen liked mixing the seeds (afterall, he IS my little baking heper!).

We also went to the ward Halloween party. After dinner there were pictures...it's still almost impossible to get a great picture of the three of these boys together! Do they have some sort of secret pact or what? :)

There were carnival games for the kids to play. Bergen liked bowling, the ring toss, and throw the bean bags into the pumpkin the best.

Then it was time to head outside for trunk-or-treating!

(Isn't this little elephant just so cute? After all my work, I was very excited that he actually kept the hood on and even wore the trunk!)

Being my orderly self I tried to get Bergen to systematically go down the parking lot stopping at each car...but he really just wanted to run. When I finally realized he could care less about the candy, I decided to just let him have his fun :)

I think it's safe to say Woody, skunk, and elephant ALL had a good time!

Pom Poms

2010-11-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

In my craft things I have jars of pom poms and buttons. Bergen likes to play with them, and before I know it, this...

...turns into this...

...which quickly becomes this...

All in a days play :)

Little of This and That Video Style

2010-11-01T21:53:00.001-05:00

It was a very rainy day! Bergen kept standing at the door pleading to go outside, but how do you explain to a one year old that everything is wet and soggy after it's been raining for days. In the late afternoon, after a diaper change and before we put pants back on, I finally figured I would let him see just how yucky it was outside. Boy was I wrong! He loved sloshing around!

I think this is the first and only place Bergen has gotten himself really stuck. And I never would've guessed it would be here. He's pretty good about how ever he gets himself up, he can get himself down...except for this spot apparently. Not even the phone playing music or the camera could lurer him down.

Will need to work on getting a better video of this, but it's still kind of funny. Bergen has discovered he can hold onto the table strap handle and swing himself. When he does something he thinks is good, he claps just like he does here.

We were trying to catch his funny I don't like this food face. Bergen thought we were trying to take his picture. His "cheeeeeeeeeese" face is a fairly new thing.

Little of This and That

2010-10-29T13:44:00.001-05:00

I thought we looked cute all dressed up for church (and I was having a good hair day) I just couldn't pass up the chance to snap a family photo.Bergen CAM...taking pictures of us working on our entryway project.

Travis was standing on the ladder putting nails in the wall. All of a sudden I hear Travis yell, "Holy Cow!" Oh no! What's wrong? He said, "I turned my head and Bergen was eye level with me. It surprised me!" So apparently Bergen knows how to climb a ladder. GREAT! Well at least he also knows how to climb down on his own :)
This is the forte daddy and Bergen built. Bergen has fun playing in these kind of fortes!
Bergen likes to help me vacuum in the house, and this is how he wants to help daddy outside.

After a morning of shopping at Ikea with friends, we got an ice cream cone on our way out to the car. For his first time eating an ice cream cone, he sure picked up on the idea quickly! Bergen decided he was plenty happy to plop down next to the car and finish his half. It's a good thing it wasn't a busy day in the parking lot.

Play Hard Sleep Hard

2010-10-29T13:17:00.001-05:00

After a big day of playing at the park and grocery shopping, he just couldn't stay awake any longer. Bergen fell asleep in the car on the way home but we only had about a half hour before we needed to leave again to get daddy at the airport. Instead of putting him in bed I laid him on the couch while I unloaded the groceries. All I could think was he's getting so big!

It was a little surprising to think he was asleep and then see a little figure come walking around the corner. I loved how when he woke up he just climbed down off the couch, without making any noise, to come find me. (End of September)

Bergen in Tiny Town, TX

2010-10-26T22:51:00.004-05:00

While Travis and I got to ride the dirt bikes, Bergen took turns riding on the dune buggy with us. He also was in heaven just being outside with yards and yards to run, play, and explore!

He could've stayed there all day long. And if it hadn't started raining as we were packing up I don't know how we ever would've gotten him into the car.

The property we were on had lots of old farm items tossed to the side, getting nice and rustic. Being there could be like a treasure hunt in that who knows what you could find. Pieces of equipment, parts of buildings, rusty bikes, tubs, all kinds of fun stuff. Some of it reminded me of the things I saw all the time as a kid...maybe that's why Bergen liked it there so much. He was feeling my roots :)