Belated Bday, Blue and Yellow, and the Places Where Dreams Come True

Happy, Happy Birthday to me, to me! Okay so my birthday was awhile ago, but my present from Spencer was a girls' night away. He used some reward points to get me a room for a night away with my friend Amy. At first we were just going to stay in Columbus but then we had an "ah ha" moment and realized that IKEA had just opened up in Cincinnati (about 1 1/2 hours away), so that is right friends we had our girls' night down in Cincinnati....bonus our hotel was actually on the same street as the store. Can you hear the angels singing? We could.

Before IKEA we went out to dinner, where you can see Amy told them it was my birthday. Fortunately for her I had my camera. Good times. Also interesting piece of info is that after the singing all of the staff but the manager dispersed and he proceeded to ask how old I was and about my high school reunions, and a whole bunch of other random stuff...he seemed to think we were tight because we were both 28...oh wait or was he hitting on me because I am super hot. I think we all know that answer to that.

After the restaurant, we figured we would see if IKEA was still open. It looked like it was, people were still going in, so we followed. We found out in about 10 minutes that it had actually already closed. Oops! We still lingered because there were other people. They didn't technically kick anyone out for another 30 minutes. So we had time to lay out a game plan for the next day.

The next day, and what a day it was! IKEA didn't open until 10 so we had time to be leisurely. When we pulled in, well all I can say is that it was magical. This store has only been open for a couple of weeks so it was a little crowded but who cares. We were both all giggles and excitement, seriously I thought we were both going to explode from happiness...I know what you are thinking, no one should be that happy to be at a store, but we were. I found my dream kitchen and of course we snapped a picture of me "washing my hands". I am pretty sure the couple there at the time thought we were nuts.

We had such a great time, and we both came away with some fun finds, and no one worry, although we wanted to go crazy, we only purchased practical things.

So thank you Spencer for the night away, thank you Tyler for letting Amy join me, thank you Amy for being a great friend and mutual admirer of IKEA, and thank you IKEA for being a place where dreams come true!

Impromptu Birthday Song

Two Cute Girls with my Bday Ice Cream

AHHHH...Choirs Singing

Welcome to IKEA

Oh Sweet Kitchen, See You in my Dreams

Not Quite Our Easter Sunday Best

I had such good intentions of getting not just a cute Easter picture of the boys, but one of the whole family. Needless to say, that didn't happen. We had a rough night with the boys. Cole was up on and off from 10 till 2:30 and then Jack was up from 3:00 till 6. Yuck! Anyway, so Jack wouldn't take the pacifier out and Cole, well as you can see, he didn't really want to pose for pictures. So I snapped a really quick one just to give an idea about how cute their outfits were, and if you can imagine them smiling then you will see that they really did look very handsome. Oh and if you can't tell, Jack is saying "cheese" behind the pacifier, so I kind of got a smile!

Coloring Eggs

Happy Easter!

I am normally not a big color Easter egg person. Mostly because, I don't like hiding them out of a fear of not finding them all, which would lead to an awfully stinky mess. BUT this year Cole really wanted to, so I agreed. It was hard to keep Jack away, now that he is climbing up on chairs and then the table, but we still managed to avoid any big mess. We tried getting fancy by using rubber bands and stickers of all sizes. I even tried making a polka dot egg with little round stickers, but boohoo the stickers pulled up so it didn't work out. I would say though, that our first egg coloring session was a success. We even found all of the eggs after the Easter Bunny hid them.

My First Tag

So I finally got tagged, thanks Melissa...I feel so loved. I figured I would do this really quick and enlighten all of my readers out there (yeah I know all two of you...kidding, I love you ALL).

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Eternal best friend is Spencer, best friend from forever and for forever Richelle Jessie Anne Gray
C-Cake or Pie: Um depends, cake, cupcake maybe, and pie, Marie Callanders Sour Cream Lemon, but other than that notta
D- Day of Choice: Sundays, it is a day of rest and we are all home with no distractions (okay no extra distractions)
E- Essential Items: ipod, comfy clothes, work out session, scrapbook stuff
F- Favorite Color: Probably shades of blue
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Trolli bears
H- Hometown: Grew up everywhere, I claim Camas, Wa, and live in Columbus, Ohio right now
I- Indulgence(s): new shoes
J- January or July: Neither please, okay I guess January, I hate summer
K-Kids: Just the cutest two boys you'll ever see
L-Life is incomplete without: Family and friends
M- Marriage Date: August, 25, 2001
N- Number of Siblings: 3 brothers, 2 sisters, 5 sister-in-laws, 4 brother-in-laws
O- Oranges or Apples: As long as they are not red delicious, apples
P- Phobias or Fears: Something happening to hubby or kids
Q- Quote(s): "Truth is not determined by what people think" - Richard G Scott
R- Reason To Smile: happy marriage, two healthy kids, strong and healthy body
S- Season: Spring and Fall
T- Tag Six: Tara, Mindy, Heidi, Nyree, Debbie, Rachael.
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I have the big dipper on my forearm
V- Veggies or Fruit: Fruit all the way
W- Worst Habit: Burping, I just can't seem to help myself
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds have always given more fun
Y- Your Favorite Food: Chips and Salsa, fruit smoothies
Z: Zodiac: Pisces

Spencer, I love you

Well, baby here I am just thinking about you and with every thought I am reminded how lucky and blessed I am.

You make me happy. I feel safe and secure just at the thought of "us". I hope to never take you for granted, and yet I realize as I am writing this, I already have, and I probably will at some point in the future--hey at least I am being honest!

So here is a little reminder, a "shout out" if you will, about some of the reasons that I will love you, always.

1. you always tell me that I am beautiful

2. you are an awesome dad

3. you don't mind a dinner of rice and peas

4. you will excitedly look at my scrapbook pages

5. you are my own personal piano player

6. you willingly snuggled in a full size bed for 6 1/2 years

7. you always hold my hand, whether clammy or dry

8. you make 9:00 candy runs

9. you like to go grocery shopping with me

10. you think that Hollywood is too skinny

11. you listen to "thunderstruck"

12. you listen to me complain, vent, gossip, even late at night

13. you will just hug me for as long as I need it

14. you are a hard worker

15. you always end a phone call with "love you"

16. you play hide-and-seek with the boys

17. you like to stay in and just veg

18. you are a rigtheous man

19. you are patient

20. you love me, and I know it because you tell me

BLIZZARD 08

So for any of you that read in Cole's blog that we were supposedly going to have Blizzard 08, and that I called the weather people a bunch of drama queens...well okay we really did have Blizzard 08. It pretty much snowed from Friday through Saturday night. When all was said and done we had 20 + inches of snow. It was some kind of record...I won't mention that I think it is ridiculous to get snow when it should start getting all nice, but anyway.

Saturday afternoon we took both boys out. This was Jack's first time to really get to play in the snow. Both Spencer and I figured that he wouldn't care for it much, but we were totally wrong. HE LOVED it. The snow was deep enough that we just dropped him in and he could "stand" there held in place by all the snow. He loved playing in the snow. He also loved to go on the sled with mom and Cole with dad pulling us down the "hill" in our back yard. We had so much fun. I think the only reason that we ended up going inside was because I was freezing.

Family fun snow day.

10 of my Favs

So I was blog snooping the other day and I got this idea from a friend's friend's blog. I thought it was a fun post and I decided that I would got through our pictures and pick my favorite 10. Yeah, if you know my picture taking addiction you know how hard this was for me. I am still debating while I am typing this sentence if I picked the right 10. To be fair I did 5 of Cole and 5 of Jack. Some I knew right away, and others made me giggle or smile as I saw them. I am sure this will be the first of many, my favs installments. You should go through your pictures too.

This was from our first Christmas Card. I happened to get just the right smirk from Cole.

No I am not a bad mom for liking this picture. This is from Cole's first major injury, Cole vs. a ceiling fan. This was the next morning, imagine my shock to see this shiner.

Do I really have to explain why I like this one of COLE (i know looks like Jack huh!)

Aww, my gap baby and his big brown eyes...let us not also forget the trucker hat.

This is one of my all time favorites. It captures the eyes, the lashes, and those blond curls, which are no more. Boo hoo.

New born Jack, all jaundice and with the binkie that would become a permanent fixture. This picture was in his birth announcement.

I know this has both kids in it, but I just love this kissing picture.

Every time I see this picture I giggle. To this day he still loves drinking out of my water mug.

This was from a pumpkin patch, which is one of my very favorite activities all year. He was so happy to be there.

I know I have already blogged this picture, but really who would not love the pathetic look on his face.

Crash and Burn

So funny story...it involves me, mud, ice, a double jogging stroller, and a combine 60 pound weight of my kids.

It has been wretched weather here and that makes outside jogging with kids not very possible. I have way too cooped up with inside exercising. Well on Saturday it was projected that Monday would be in the mid 60's. AHH sweet relief. Right away I started making plans to take the boys out in this double jogging stroller that I had bought from a friend. I bought it a couple of weeks ago, so I hadn't had time to try it out. She had told me that the front tire was a little low and had given me a new inner tube for it. Well Monday morning rolls around and I tromp down to the basement to get it, check the front tire and it seems fine to me, so I break the beast down to fit in my car and tromp back up to put it in said car.

Cole was so excited, and he had picked out a couple of books the boys could read while I was on my run. We pack up the car and drive to a local state park that had a jogging trail that I like to use. Once there I unload the boys, strap them in, get my ipod all ready and start huffin' toward the trail. It was only once I had set stroller and foot on the trail that I suddenly remembered, "oh wait this trial is all dirt, so melted snow and day old rain make mud!" So yeah, I realized I was going to be not only jogging in mud, but pushing a massive stroller with 60 pounds of children in it. Not even a minute into I was having a hard time keeping the stroller on a straight path, and my arms were dying from pushing the thing through mud.

But did I give up? PSHAW! Not likely...do you know me at all? I figured the boys were happy, and i have my tunes blaring, plus this way I will just get a double workout. About a mile into it, it wasn't getting any easier because now I was hitting spots were the trees were shading the path and the snow had only partially melted and then refroze...so yes I was basically ice skating in running shoes, oh and still pushing 60 pounds. Did I give up then...again no!

Accepting the difficulties I decided to plan out a new route. I decided that I was going to cut out the back 1 1/2 mile loop, turn around and then cut through a park and hit a paved road that runs through the actual park...where I might add everyone else was running. Relieved with my decision I turn around and headed toward the path leading to the road. Not more than 10 steps into it I hit another patch of ice...this one got the better of me. YEP that is right I completely biffed it. I went down pulling the stroller backward (probably scaring the pee out of my kids), of course right in front of this guys, who did not offer sympathy or help, just laughed (I know nice!).

I pop right back up, now covered in mud, water, and bruises. Did I stop now, yeah no, I mean I had to get back didn't I, so I might as well have just run it back. But now I encountered a couple of problems with stroller. My fall had popped a bar out of place, so the boys were now laying backwards instead of sitting, don't worry I fixed it. Then I had to give Jack my cell phone to play with so he would stop screaming. Then the front wheel would not run straight. It kept pulling to the right, so I had to use all the strength in the left side of my body to keep it straight. Yes I am still running at this point, but now to add well injury to injury, my shins keep hitting a bar at the back of the stroller while I run so now I can feel extra bruises coming to life.

Eventually I make it back to the car. A little deflated from my earlier joy at an outdoor run. I hurt and I am dirty. But it was all kept in perspective when Cole hopped out of the stroller and said, "Momma that was fun!" And ya know what, I guess it kind of was.