HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONNA! YOU ARE ONE!

Did we keep her alive a year?! Well, Yes we did! Man, Can I believe this one is one year old. No. I am getting older, but really time is flying, I just want it to pause!

This picture was the snapshot I got of her when I walked into her room to wake her at 6:30am singing Happy Birthday!

Two days ago, she took FOUR steps! She is so close to walking. She still laughs at herself like she is the coolest thing that crawled this earth. She still has only the four teeth. Wears a size four shoe and 12 month and some 18 month clothes. She loves to dance, wave bye bye, and knows how to sign "please." Only when asking for icecream of course! haha. She eats table food, but has for the last month or more probably. Sippy cup only during the day, and has been for the last 6 days. On straight rice milk. The only bottle she has is the one at 2am! Whew. Let's hope we can wean that one soon. She is her Daddy's girl! Still likes to jump in on the wrestling when we are all rolling around on the living room floor. And yes, she is spoiled rotten. Shows some drama now and then when she tests the waters with the word no. That is every day really. Her hair is so cute. I cut her bangs for the first time, two weeks ago. Now it will grow!
This is her this morning on the way out the door to the sitter!



We have a birthday party to celebrate on Sunday with friends.

Happy Birthday Jonna Baby! We love you!

Kids.

You know when I first started all my blog writing, I would talk about all kinds of things. Everyday life, thoughts, randomness, work, and my kids. Now, I usually just talk about my kids. Some times are stressful. Some times our pure JOY! Two weeks ago, some of the most stress ever. Walking out of the children's daycare with both kids in arm, telling her we wouldn't be back! For the best interest of my kids. In the back of my mind thinking, "OH CRAP"! But, the big guy upstairs is taking care of us. Ben starts Pre-school in mid August, and Jonna starts a new daycare, which was highly recommended about the same time. And I have great friends to help me out until then, along with an awesome husband who is doing some daddy day care also.But you know, my family is what my life is filled up with and really the most important. A mother said to me a long time ago. You know my kids are my "Legacy". I mean how awesome is that. MY LEGACY! They ARE what I AM now and when I AM no longer here. With that being said, my cup overflows:)!

Jake's sister and her children stayed with us over the weekend, and it was a wonderful visit, filled with GOING BONKERS, Playing outside, bike riding, water guns, ladder ball, and Slip n Sliding. Jonna got her first set of pigtails, with Compliments to Aunt Jessica S. We have a small house, but I have to say the accomodating goes pretty well. I just hope Jessica feels that way :) So Ben slept with us in our bed on Saturday and Sunday night. Both nights, he laid in bed talking to us about EVERYTHING he got to do that day. And his pure joy makes me the happiest Mom in the world. Enough with the cheesy stuff! CHECK OUT what Ben learned to do last night?!




She is such a goofball!


Attempt at a group shot with Ben, Cousin Sydney, David, and Ethan.



Cutest little girls ever! Jonna and Sydney. Syd is 9 months older than Jonna, and has quite a bit more hair than her as you can see.

Pictures!!! Ben's BDAY! and MORE!

HAPPY THREE YEAR BIRTHDAY, BENJAMIN!

My little boy is three years old today! We had some awesome fun this last weekend to celebrate, and I will be posting lots of pictures to share the event! We went to the Lake of the Ozarks at my Uncle Jim's amazing home, went swimming, ate, went jet skiing, ate, watched hummingbirds, ate, slept, ate, went kayaking, ate, watched fire works, and road on the boat. Oh, and we ate some more! Even his Great Gma June was there and he just loved talking up a storm to her. Aunt Jessica and her main squeeze, Greg were even in town from Colorado to celebrate. One thing I do love about Ben having his birthday so close to July 4th is he will get to have fireworks each year in celebration of his big day!

I can't tell you the amount of joy Benjamin had all weekend. He has grown so much, and will just tear up the water all by himself in his life jacket. He prefers now to do it "all by himself". And I even have some pics of him jumping in the water all by himself, and going under and popping back up! He knows he is sooooo BIG!

He got some really cool zhuzhu pets to play with. And a brand spankin pair of tennis shoes, that he has had to take naps and sleep with becuase he prefers to never take them off. As soon as he opened them, he put them on and started jumping high in the air! Saying see how high, MOM, DAD, JONNA! It was awesome, and then he follows up with a comment like, "Mom, you can't jump that high with green flip flops." Which green happens to be his favorite color right now!

He also got a soccer ball from Grandma "oooo-sick" and Papa "oooo-sick". He had been asking for that forever. And he wouldn't let it out of his sight! And several birthday cards from family, and some of them even had "monies" in them. He LOVES to put money in his piggy bank. He doesn't realize exactly where it is going yet. We are filling up his savings.

He talks up a storm all the time, and I love having long conversations with him. He still loves to snuggle with Mom and Dad, and loves to wrestle with his sister. Whether she likes it or not. Jake is working today, but we may take a special trip to the firestation to see him tonight for his big day. Then tomorrow we are gonna have some more cake and icecream to celebrate with friends. I mean why not celebrate a birthday week!?? He will then get his NEW bike helmet and knee pads. He will LOVE them!

Conversation with Ben the day before his bday party. Icing his cupcakes at Jim's house. He is standing on the cooler next to the counter talking to me as he hands one cupcake at a time to me. Every so often secretly gettin an icing lick in here or there.

Benjamin: Mom, I want a motorcycle for my birthday. (Thanks Jake) I want a green one!
Mom: Ben, I don't think we have enough money to buy a motorcycle.
Ben: MOM! (smiling from ear to ear) Go get some money!
Mom: Ben, where will we get money at?
Ben: Hmmmmmm. At the gas station!
Mom: Does the gas station have money?
Ben: Ya, we will drive there!
Mom: How much money does the gas station have?
Ben: (holding up both hands and five fingers) FIVE MONIES!!!!!
Mom: FIVE????! Will that be enough?
Ben: YEP!
Mom: I dunno Ben, I think we may need to wait till the gas station has more money than that.
Ben: Ohhhhh
Mom: But maybe we can get a green motorcycle in another couple years. Okay? How bout a soccer ball?!
Ben: YA! Mom! A soccer ball!


I LOVE YOU BENJAMIN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!