4th of July fun!

Today is the 4th of July.  All 5 of us went to Larchwood to the new spray park and met Sheila and Madison there.  It was a really fun time.  It was nice how us adults could just sit off to the side while the kids ran around playing and not having to worry about them in deep water.  They had a blast and the playground was right next to it so that was even better.  We had a picnic lunch there too so it was quite a day.  I didn't take Lucas under the sprayers because I didn't want him to get sprayed in the face.  He enjoyed sitting in the grass out in the sun and even managed to catch a little snooze while we were there.  After leaving Larchwood we went to Inwood to see if there were any 4th of July festivities going on since all of George activities weren't going to take place until Saturday and Sunday. Unfortunately there was not much going on in Inwood that we could see so we headed home and spent the rest of the day hanging out at home.  On the way home from Inwood Lucas was having quite a time with his coughing spell which is from is acid reflux.  He got over it though and seemed fine afterwards.

Here's a few pictures from our fun filled day.

Happy Birthday Caleb Benjamin!!!

This handsome little man is 5 years old today!!!  Wow how time flies.  It still feels like yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital and wondering how I was going to tackle raising 2 boys under the age of 1.  Caleb, you are such a sweet boy.  You love your family without a doubt.  You have a tender heart just like your Mama.  You are smart, loving, funny, silly and 100% boy!!!  Isaac is your best friend and you two were made for each other.  You love farming, firetrucks, Super heroes, and getting dirty.  You love helping Daddy on the farm, but you still enjoy helping Mom in the house, especially when it comes to baking!  You are our special little boy and we're glad your ours!

We love you buddy!

5th Birthday party!

Caleb is almost 5 years old!  It's hard to believe how fast time is flying by.  Because his birthday is so close to the 4th of July we usually celebrate his birthday in June.   He chose a farm theme so Grandma Bronson ordered a cupcake platter with a farm scene on it, which was pretty neat.  We decided not to do a friend party until next year since Isaac didn't get a friend party when he turned 5.  We had our usual family party with Grandma and Grandpa Bronson, Emily, Gina, Brad and Caden, Grandma and Grandpa Kooiker, Uncle Nolan and Great Grandpa Winter.  We even made homemade icecream outside so that was pretty fun.  Isaac and Caleb enjoyed helping Daddy wait for the icecream.  Isaac decided to go incognito and attend as Optimus Prime.  Caleb got some fun toys as usual and had a great time.  Lucas was too tired and couldn't stay up long enough for the family picture. 

Little photoshoot outside

It was a nice day outside so I took advantage of it and brought his little pillow outside and got some cute pictures.  Most of the time he likes to frown or be so serious whenever the camera comes out, but once in a while he will give a cute little grin. 

Love this little boy!!!!

First time swimming!

We decided it would be nice to get out as a family and do something.  We decided to go to Sioux Center and go swimming with the boys to the indoor pool.  Isaac and Caleb love going swimming there and there is plenty for them to do.  Lucas was NOT a fan of the water at all.  It was quite noisy in there and I don't think he liked that either.  The water was pretty cool and he cried everytime we put his legs in.  We basically held him the whole time and I ended up changing him back into his clothes and just sitting out in the waiting area until Ross and the boys were done swimming.  I had to nurse him in the locker room which was quite uncomfortable but we made do.  Hopefully his next swimming experience will be more enjoyable!!!

What a great helper!

Ross has been taking Isaac on my days off to get him out of the house so that he keeps busy and life isn't quite so hectic at home.  Ross is pretty good at taking either one or both of the boys for a while which allows me to get things done and to care for Lucas. 

This particular afternoon Caleb decided he wanted to fold clothes and help me out without even being told to do so.  He's a great helper when he wants to be :-)

Wedding celebration

Lucas experienced his first wedding this past weekend.  Ross' cousin Lynelle and Jeremy were married at First Baptist Church and then their reception was at the Forster Community Building in Rock Rapids.  Caleb was staying with Grandma and Grandpa Bronson and wasn't interested in going to a wedding so Ross and I took Isaac and Lucas.  Isaac was very excited to get dressed up in his shirt and tie.  Unfortunately his jeans were way too long and he was having a bit of a time with that and was not going to pose for any pictures.  The wedding was very nice and both boys did well during the ceremony.  Lucas didn't seem to mind the music or noise at the reception so that was good.  Isaac took his buddy Matthew from church out on the dance floor and they had a blast!!!

Here's the only pictures we got from the wedding.  Aunt Erin came home for the wedding so of course we got a picture of her with baby Lucas.

4 month check up

Lucas had his 4 month check up with Dr. Springer.  He had to have another round of vaccinations which included 3 shots and one oral.  He cried and cried as I expected.  Goodness I hate shots.  I think it was worse this time because we had to wait so long for the nurse to come in and by the time they did he was extremely hungry so I had to stop nursing him so he could have his shots.  How mean is that?

Little man is growing fast!!!


Weight: 15 lbs 8 oz. (43%)
Height: 26" (80%)
Head: 17" (85%)

Preschool Graduates

Isaac and Caleb officially graduated from Preschool.  What a bittersweet moment.  They had a cute little program for all the preschool classes together.  They sang a bunch of songs and got their certificate.  I can't believe how fast they are growing up.  They both really loved Preschool and I'm anxious to see what next school year holds for them.  Having them in separate classes was a good thing, but now next year they will be in separate grades so hopefully that goes ok too.  After the program we had cake and juice.  Grandma and Grandpa Bronson and Grandma and Grandpa Kooiker came to the program too.  We then went for pizza afterwards so that was nice.  Lucas did well during the whole thing but started to get tired and hungry at Pizza Ranch so we headed home after we finished eating.  If you can't tell, the boys are pretty proud of their baby brother!

Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day as a Mom to THREE boys.  It's hard to believe I now have 3 kiddos.  Life was busy before Lucas, so it's certainly much busier with Lucas here.  He's now almost 4 months old and growing fast.  He is such a easy going baby for the most part.  He really fits in with the family and the boys love him to death.  Sometimes Isaac loves him a little "too much". 

We went to church as a family and then we went out to eat with Grandma and Grandpa Kooiker to Shari's Kitchen.  The boys love eating there.  Lucas was experiencing an upset tummy while we were there and cried quite a bit.  I hate when he goes through those pain spells and there is not much you can do to help him.  I know it's because of the acid reflux and I know it's getting better, but it's still so hard to watch when he's in pain.  Grandma tried to calm him down while I ate but he just cried and cried.  When I finished eating I took him and held him and he immediately calmed down.  It's as if he just needed me to comfort him.

After eating we walked across the street to the Courthouse and took some pictures.  The older boys even cooperated for the most part.  All in all it was a nice afternoon. I love my family!!!