KregAnnaCecily*Oliver

Our January

2012-01-26T21:38:00.000-06:00

When we got home from CA we immediately got busy with life and.. Movie nights,

Fun times with friends at the MOA

Tea Parties

Indoor picnics

Eating snow,

Making snow Angels

Snow Men,

Forts,

Naps and cuddling with all our favorite toys,

And lots and lots of Dance parties!!
I told Susan that give us two weeks after being home in MN and we would be sick, boy was I right! Oliver has had pink eye and Bronchitis these last couple of weeks. We have been staying home a lot, well at least Oliver has. Thankfully Kreg's work schedule is somewhat flexible so he has been a huge help adjusting his work schedule to stay home with Oli when I need to go to School, work, and other meetings. Each Sunday we say whew glad that week is over and now this week will be calmer, but we are proven wrong each week when things pop up and keep us busy, busy! We are happy and well though. Kreg just took the GMAT this week and did really well on it. He has applied to a Masters of Finance program at the University of Utah. We aren't positive that is what we will be doing in the fall, but it might be an option. Kreg is also applying for jobs all over the place and working hard at figuring out our future. We are so blessed and grateful for the jobs we have and are excited for the big things that will be happening this year for our family!!

Welcome to the Car Wash

2012-01-26T21:04:00.000-06:00

Any chance she can practice driving she will!

CC had so much fun with Grandma washing the car in the nice weather! She is just like her Mom and Her Grandmothers, LOVES to make things sparkle!!

San fran, Napa, and Jelly belly Factory

2012-01-09T20:20:00.002-06:00

Riding the Bart into San Fran as a family. Oliver Brooks and Paul Brooks

We went to the park in China town. It was so interesting to see all of the people playing games. They seem to live a much slower paced life.

CC and Cousin Addie playing Grandma Great's organ.

CC dancing along with the street performers. There was even people in the crowd taking her picture!

Oli and CC loved the gian Christmas tree in the city!

On our way home from Napa Grandma, the kids and I stopped at the Jelly belly factory for a tour. It was a lot of fun! We loved the samples and free bag of beans the best!

2011 Recap

2012-01-01T22:26:00.000-06:00

We had big things happen this year, some seem like an eternity ago and some we can't seem to get out of our minds. We were blessed immensely, along with being tried and tested along the way. We have grown closer as a couple and a family, and learned a lot. I hope we can say that every year!

January:Got in a small car accident new years day. Kreg was sworn in as a student attorney, he helped run an immigration clinic for the semester. He loved using his Spanish skills and helping people with their asylum cases. He confirmed his love for litigation. Anna and the kids survived another cold winter, we had fun doing indoor activities at home. Kreg had the car most days so we mastered the art of staying home and keeping busy.

February: A couple of ER trips, Cecily and Oliver become the best of friends now that Oli is old enough to really PLAY. Getting out a little more, lots of trips to MOA.

March: Anna turns 26, the kids were sick a lot this winter. Kreg goes to Boston for a Moot Court competition, his team placed 2nd!

April:Aunt Sarah and cousin Reagan come for a visit! Oli learns to Walk! Finally getting outside to play.

May: Oliver turns 1, Kreg GRADUATES! Grandma and Grandpa W. come for a visit. Cecily and I go to her first musical "Pinkalicious". Cecily has her first field trip and graduates from her 3 yr old pre school class.

June:Gram comes for a visit, trip to Nauvoo. Lots of beach time and swimming. Kreg studies hard for the Bar exam.

July: Kreg takes and passes the Utah Bar. Kreg turns 27. Trip to Duluth for the 4th. Trip to CA, Avila beach.

August: Cecily turns 4. Aunt Paige comes for a visit, Fisher's come for a visit.

September: Cecily starts her final year of Preschool in Ms. Emily's class. Oliver starts his first year of Preschool in Ms. Kim's Class. Cecily starts Ice skating lessons.

October: Trip to UT for Halloween and for Kreg's swearing in. Officially an attorney. Grandma W comes for the big event. The kids dress as Gnomes for Halloween.

November: Trip to Seattle with Aunt Sarah and RJ. continuation of Trip to UT. Holidazzle parade. Anna gets a job at the Gym.

December:Trip to CA, Christmas. Oli got trains and CC got lots of Reading activities and her own digital camera!

We are still searching for the right job/career choice for Kreg, its an exciting time with lots of unknown. We are practicing patience and trust in our Heavenly Father. We are anxious to do what ever he has in store for us and what is best for our family! A few things we are hoping for/looking forward to for 2012
~Strengthening our testimonies and relationships with our Savior Jesus Christ.
~Having Healthy minds and bodies
~Finding a job/deciding whats next for Kreg.
~Cecily going to Kindergarten
~Keeping positive attitudes and outlooks.

No matter what 2012 has in store for us I hope and pray that we can handle all of it with grace and a good attitude and with the right perspective! We are so grateful for all that we are blessed with but mostly for great family and friends!

2011-12-30T19:33:00.001-06:00

Fun times at the park!

Baking with Aunt Paige

Bike riding

Playing steam roll with daddy on the trampoline. this is Oliver's favorite activity ever!

Bombing the kitchen with cars!

My kids love acting like ducks??

What would a trip to CA be without a trip to funworks?!!

We went to see my college room mates Rachel and Megan, CC had fun going on paddle boat rides with Meg and Rob and Addy too!

Christmas

2011-12-26T19:11:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve We always read the Nativity story, the kids had fun dressing as Mary and Joseph all week.

Oli helped grandma set up the Nativity Scene by using the roof as a slide for the animals! We are grateful for Grandma and her example and for always bringing the spirit back into the room, even with our wild kiddos!

Cecily led us in some wonderful Christmas music.

Then the kids opened their Christmas Eve PJs, Cecily and Paige got to work writing a letter to Santa to put next to the cookies and milk they made.

I was under the weather so all I could do was cuddle with my little lovies!

Christmas morning running down the hall to the gifts. CC was to fast to get in the shot.

Checking out their stocking loot.

CC was stoked on her face paints See below for the fun she had with them!

We had a great time in CA and were so blessed to be with family. I am so grateful for Kreg and his family for taking care of me and the kids while I was sick! We love spending time in CA with all the Wagner family!!

Santa

2011-12-19T12:51:00.000-06:00

Christmas has been so fun this year so far! We are went to CA on the 16th so we decorated our house and the week before we left we let the kids open one present per night so they could play with some of their gifts we wouldn't be taking to CA with us. It was such a fun thing to do and it made the fun last longer than just an hour one morning! I kind of loved it so maybe we will do something similar for years to come.
The kids have loved Santa this year. Especially Oliver. He thinks Santa is great and loves to say "Ho HO HO" just like Santa. We have been able to visit Santa a few times at the mall. We had one very indecisive 4 yr old. The first time she went she wanted an Ironing board and Iron, which is super funny to me considering I don't iron. Ever. The next time we saw Santa she told him she wanted a sewing machine. After lots of conversation about this one we decided she might need to wait a couple more years for a sewing machine. She finally decided on a digital Camera, so we visited him one last time in Christmas clothes. She told him she really wanted a camera and none of the other stuff! We also wrote him a letter and mailed it so that Santa wouldn't be confused by all the different requests. We figured to have it in writing would be the best bet!

Oli couldn't take hie eye off of Santa. He was serious about him though.

For one of Oli's gifts he received a stuffed Santa toy from Great G&G B. He was sooo happy about this gift! He even sleeps with him, along with thing 1 and his froggy. He has really taken to stuffed animals lately, its cute!

I have loved teaching the kids about the true meaning of Christmas along with the pagan traditions. Oliver loves to find all the baby Jesus' in Nativities we see around the house and places we go. Cecily has learned about giving to others and even asked me the other day if she could go through all her toys and give some away to kids without toys. It melted my heart. She is such a sweet girl and really thoughtful!

We are now in California spending time with Kreg and Grandma, Grandpa, aunt Paige! Posts to come from our time here in CA!

December so far

2011-12-08T21:45:00.000-06:00

Cecily convinced me to decorate for Christmas even though we are leaving in a week and wont be here for the big day. It was fun to do together and has been nice to have our home decorated a little to get us in the Christmas mood!

We went swimming and to dinner with some friends. We have been keeping busy doing fun things late into the evening now that Kreg works late each night. It makes our days more fun and managable when we are out and about doing fun activities!

CC and I made Flubber during Oli's nap. She had fun playing with it for a good hour.

Playing puppy at the museum

We went to the Children's museum with friends and Cecily had so much fun painting hers and Oli's faces.

Fullfilling the dream of being a bus driver.

My kids both gained the shopping gene from me!

CC fulfilling her life long dream of being a checker. What can I say my kids aim high.

RockStars!

I caught these to being loving. They do so well together. Cecily especially is so great with Oli. She is so sweet and loving towards him. She is always taking care of him and looking out for him. She really puts him first before herself. At the gym when he is sad she will forego playing with friends to be with him so he will be comforted. She is such a sweet girl and a fabulous 2nd mama! Now if she could only have her wish of a baby sister!

CC took out the lenses out of these sunglasses. She said she could finally see after all these years of being blind! ha ha silly girl. I'm sure glad cheapo glasses without lenses cured her blindness!

We are keeping busy with School for the kids 3 days a week, I am working at the gym 2 days a week and we fill the rest of our time with playing, going to the gym to workout, and getting ready for our upcoming trip to CA for the Holiday!!

Shinanagans

2011-11-29T20:43:00.002-06:00

Oliver's 1st time really playing in snow. He learned quickly from his sister that snow is fun to eat!

Since we havent gotten him snow boots he wore his cowboy boots.

Dressing up in Mom's high heels!

Sweet rides on Daddy's feet

I just love these little raggamuffins! They never slow down as shown above...they have one speed. Ask Oli and he'll say FAST!!

Holidazzle Parade!

2011-11-26T20:43:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun going down town to watch the Holidazzle Parade! We dressed warm (could have worn a few more layers) and sat on some random nice lady's twins blanket. The kids loved the lights, music, and the floats! We got hot chocolate and ginger bread men cookies from the Target people. It was a great family outing!

Thankful

2011-11-24T22:06:00.000-06:00

For these 3! We had a nice Thanksgiving Holiday, we went to a party with friends and enjoyed the evening as a family. Even though we are far from family we are so grateful to have each other and great friends to share our time with!

Seattle part 3

2011-11-18T21:12:00.001-06:00

We stopped in at Grandma's house for a bit, I have so many great memories here! CC taking oli for a ride on Great Grandma's soft rug.

The kids had so much fun racing up and down the hallway. The above photo of CC is right before she did a major slide!

RJ came down with a fever and a tummy ache, we tried giving her slushies and ice cream cones to cool her down. CC had to have one too. Poor RJ. She is always a good sport even when she is a sicky.

Grandma and Sarah making Sarah's very first apple pie from scratch.

Oli having some cuddle time with Great Grandma

Twinner girls! Poor Reagan got sick and soiled her dress, she was so bummed to have to change her clothes because she wanted to keep matching with Cecily!

Oli loves the stairs, but they are super steep and freaked me out so we kept the door closed, the girls kept sticking their fingers under the door to tease Oliver. SO he would stick his toes under the door back at them ha ha

Dancing with Great Grandma!

Male bonding over the news and cereal.

On our long car ride home from Seattle I gave the kids candy necklaces, Oli thought using his toes to eat it was the best way! They were a mess but oh so happy!

Seattle part 2

2011-11-16T20:46:00.001-06:00

CC and Great Grandpa watching Cinderella

Oli hiding in the magazine rack. I thought I lost him for a few min. Silly boy.

3 of the Great Grand Daughters...Cecily, Reagan, Havyn

We took a trip to one of our favorti places, The American Girl store. Oli even gets in on the action!

CC and RJ Loving their Girly life!

My Aunt Susan and cousin Kari and her daughter Havyn came to G&G's to visit!

We went to my super talented, crafty Aunt Shari's house for a yummy lunch and craft time. She had a cute nativity for us women to make and then she helped the little girls make fall trees with their hands. They loved it! What a great, hands on Auntie!

The finished product! Thanks Aunt Shari for such a fun day! We loved visiting with you and the kids!

Last bit of UT.

2011-11-16T20:42:00.000-06:00

Off to the mall to meet up with the cousins.

The carousel was out of order so Ashton took matters into his own hands and took the kids for a ride!

After visiting Santa and recieving a free kids meal coupon the kids sat waiting patiently for their Chick Fil A.

CC and Gram took a ride on the Mall's Train.

The little buddies on their last night together. CHEESE!

We had so much fun in Utah and in WA! We are so blessed to be able to visit family! We love you all and miss you lots! Thank you for everything!

18 months

2011-11-14T21:34:00.001-06:00

A year and a half already? Is it weird that I still feel like Oliver is new to our family? Maybe its because I baby him or think of him as my little baby, but I really cannot believe how fast time has gone in the last 18 months.

Oli at 18 month loves:

~Shoes (as shown above) he loves to wear anyones shoes around the house, my high heels are fun because they make noise when he walks. He loves shoes with laces and will spend forever trying to tie the shoes.

~Trains, he is facinated by them. He loves to look for trains in books and loves to run around the house yelling Choo Choo

~Horses just like trains he LOVES horses! He says heeyah, heeyah whenever he sees a horse.

~Kids, he loves going to the gym, school, and now nursery. He did great in nursery on his first time! He was only sad when he had to leave, they even brought him to me with a dirty diaper, when I took him back he said "bye, see you". I can get him to do most everything by saying kids will be there!

~Music, he loves to dance and he is a great one at that.

~CC and Kreg, they are his favorite! He loves mimicking CC in all that she does. Therefore there has been lots of talk of CC needing to be a good example, because Oli is always watching/listening.

~Food, ask anyone that knows Oliver and they will tell you he is an amazing eater. He will eat anything, anytime, All. Day. Long. Oh boy, I'm a little nervous for when he is a teenager.

~Moving. Oliver is very active. He runs laps in our house constantly. He yells "Fast" then takes off running. its so cute. He really doesnt hold still for very long at all, unless he is sleeping.

~Sleep, he is a great sleeper and loves his naps. Thankfully. CC was done with naps at this age, but not Oliver. He takes after me and needs lots of sleep.

~Shows and treats. What kid doesn't?

Dislikes:

~Sitting still. That entails, getting dressed, diaper changes.

~After our long drive to Seattle he now hates his Car seat. He has never been a big fan of it but we are now back to how we were when he was an infant. Lots of fighting us to get in the seat and get buckled.

~Not sure what exactly he is hating at each moment but Oliver is in full fledge tantrum mode. This boy can throw them too! Yells, screams, kicks, hits and throws himself on the floor. CC never did this so I am new to dealing with the outbursts. I try not to laugh and mostly just try to ignore the fits. I can't imgaine what it would be like to want something and have no one understand me. I would probably throw some major fits as well.

What Oliver is doing:

~No more BINKY! He got obsessed with it, but then at the same time if he was upset at all he would throw it, so I was always having to find it (climb in the back seat to get it, he even threw it back 10 rows on the airplane) I was going to get rid of it after we got home from our trip, I figured it would be a few days of sadness. The day after we got home he had his well check with shots, I wanted him to keep it for that but he had other plans. We went to the mall to return something right after his shots and at some point he threw the bink. I didnt realize it till we left. He asked for it in the car and I said "sorry, you threw it so its all gone" He got sad right away and I thought here we go. Well he did great. He only got sad a couple of nights at bed time, for a few min. He has done really well and only asked for it twice the whole week. He did take a friend's and suck it for a second but I took it and he was fine. I am so glad it has fone so well!

~He weighs 22 lbs 10% and is 31and 1/2 inches Tall 27%

~Speaks 50+ words and is putting together 2-3 word sentences. He still uses some signs but uses the words with them as well.

~He loves to climb and be wild. He is all BOY.

We have so much fun with him. He is always coming up with new things and keeping us on our toes!

Seattle part 1

2011-11-11T15:04:00.001-06:00

The kids looked worked after a long 13 hour car ride. They actually did really well. Especially Reagan, the girl didnt complain once! I just love her!

Great Grandpa Reid taking the kids to the barn to get the tractor.

The kids waiting for their tractor ride!

The view of the beautiful trees at Grandpa and Grandma's

The kids loving the tractor ride!

We had so much fun playing with Great Grandpa. He took us for a long ride around his property..CC was tired of riding so she asked Grandpa if he was hungry so that we could get off. ha ha Silly little passive agressive child.

Family Dinner,Surfing, and Wedding Dresses

2011-11-10T22:06:00.001-06:00

All of my side of the family (minus Chris who is on his mission). Love that Oli and Hud are smiling at each other.

Oli and Hud are best little buddies! I'm sure they will be super embarrassed by this photo someday.

Some of the adults went surfing at Florider. Here are the kids posing and attempting to do Hang loose signs.

Dinner at Costa Vida after surfing.

The kids watching their parents surf.

Cecily had another wedding dress photo shoot. Here she is in Gram's Wedding dress.

Cecily in Great Grammi's wedding dress. This dress is so fun! Its a tea length, off the shoulder dress from the 50's!

We were cheering for the kids so they would all look at the camera, Oli got so excited he took off running!

All the grandkids from oldest to youngest which is also tallest to shortest.

Ashton 6, Cecily 4, Colten 3 1/2, Reagan 2, Hudson 1 1/2, and Oliver 1 1/2

Utah Fun

2011-11-05T20:39:00.000-05:00

The kids made uncle Chris a birthday poster and took pictures with it to send to him on his mission.

CC had fun being Gram's stylist

We had a fun day riding the train to SL to go shopping and out for lunch.

CC helped Gram in the kitchen a bunch and the little boys loved to lick the spoon.

Watching movies with cousins.

We even made a ginger bread house!

And expereinced the first snow of the season.

The women went for a sushi lunch and a little shopping, two of my favorite activities, with 3 of my best gals!

Halloween

2011-11-01T14:31:00.002-05:00

Playing in Uncle Scott's bounce house

Pumpkin carving before we left for UT

My cute little Gnomes!

All of the "Reid" cousins! Oliver was eyeing Hudson's sucker the whole time!

Scott and Carly's cute family!

Love these girls!

Helping Gram decorate for Halloween

Love this pic of Gram and Hud!

We had so much fun spending Halloween with all the cousins! We all went up to Scott and Carly's to trick or treat and have dinner. The kids had so much fun getting candy and playing together!

Officially an Attorney

2011-10-31T14:13:00.001-05:00

So proud of Kreg and all of his hard work! (please notice CC's face, I have a million pictures of myself as a kid pulling that exact pose.)

Grandma W. and her first born. ~Notice Oliver in the back running laps around the light pole. We couldnt get him to stop for even a second. He is our wild man...more on that later.

Kreg trying to get Oli to take a pic, Oli struggling to get away and CC trying to boss Oli. I'm sure glad Kreg can just enjoy the moment!

Grandma is a great sport with our wild ones!

(Papa promised CC he would take her to temple square, I sure do love the feeling there!)

We went to Utah to visit family and for Kreg's swearing in. He was sworn in as an Attorney in Salt Lake City on Oct. 31st 2011. We were so blessed to have Susan come out and also have Gram and Papa there to support our family. We have had so much love and support from our families during all of our schooling and are so grateful to them for their love and generosity! It was such a treat to See Grandma W. even if it was only for a few hours! It gets us all so excited for our weeks with her and Grandpa at Christmas!
The Ceremony was at Abravanale hall in SL and because that place is huge I wasnt able to get any pictures of Kreg in the actual ceremony so we attempted to get some outside. Oli was running wild after having to sit quiet for an hour. Papa took us to lunch before we headed over to Temple Square. It was a great day!

Zoo Day

2011-10-17T15:43:00.002-05:00

We had amazingly warm weather last week, like 80's and it was perfect for me! We took trips to the zoo, park, and on walks. I loved seeing the colors and feeling the fall feel with the summer warmth! I tell you I am destined to live in AZ or CA one day!We had so much fun at the zoo. Oli is 5 months older than the last time we went so it was fun to see reactions to the animals. He was very stoic and serious but would get excited when you asked him about the animal. It was a perfect day with just the kids and I!

Dress up

2011-10-16T15:34:00.002-05:00

Cecily wanted to wear my wedding dress, so we had a little photo shoot. Won't it be fun to show her in my dress at her wedding day! Oli wanted in on the action and went to Kreg's closet and said Daddy, Daddy so I put on Kreg's suit jacket he wore to our 2nd reception in UT. They are to cute!

2011-10-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

With Oli and I being sick the last few weeks we have spoiled him with way to many shows. He now begs for shows whenever he is awake. We need to break the habit, but it does make it easier on a sick Mom when he can just chill out and watch some backyardigans and PBS. He seems so big to me lately I am loving his stage he is in!

Bon Fire and Fox

2011-10-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

We went to a little Bon fire party with friends. It was a great way to usher in fall and say farewell to summer. We bundled up and enjoyed the evening. When we were packing up our car to leave Oliver kept saying Kitty over and over, I went to see what he was looking at and found this baby fox. I said nope not a kitty. We cant touch. It made me a little nervous but it was really neat even still. Ont the way to the bon fire we spotted an adult Fox. CC insisted it was the mama looking for her baby. On the way home from the eveing we saw 2 deer run across the road in front of us. I really love minnesota and the fabulous nature in our back yard. Literally. We live in a city but it is amazing the kind of animals that live near us.

All my loves

2011-10-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

I'm in LOVE

2011-10-11T08:44:00.000-05:00

With my Family.....

CC and a couple of her besties

2011-10-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

2011-10-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

We have had some really chilly mornings and evenings lately. we turn on the space heater, bundle up and thanks to Pinterest we have had some yummy soups for dinner to warm us up!

Countdown to Halloween

2011-10-02T14:10:00.000-05:00

CC made a paper chain countdown during conference for our trip to Ut for Halloween and for Kreg to be sworn in as an attorney. The kids and I are also making a trip up to Seattle with my sister and niece! We can't wait!!!

Wheezer

2011-10-02T10:59:00.000-05:00

Oli had a sick cough, I wanted to make sure it wasnt an ear infection so I took him to the dr. She perscribed some albuterol for his wheezing. The dr doesnt think it is a virus and is wondering if it is allergies. I wouldn't be suprised since allergies run in Kreg's family big time but, I am hoping for a virus so we dont have to do the Nebulizer every season. For my own Record the coughing started Sept 27th.

We sing songs and do dances for him so he can be a little happier while he is getting his treatment. Kreg was having his turn performing.

Poor guy feels paralyzed during treatment. He sometimes wants to hold my hand through it, while I sing his favorite songs over and over.

Conference dance moves

2011-10-01T12:51:00.000-05:00

Oli loves to dance, even if its to Hymns sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We are enjoying a Spiritually uplifting weekend watching General Conference.

My beautiiful children

2011-09-25T14:22:00.000-05:00

Thank you to my Friend Rhonda for the amazing pictures of my Kids and their cousin Eli!

So big

2011-09-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

Where did my baby go? He sure is a fun toddler!

Pre-K

2011-09-22T09:49:00.002-05:00

Cecily started her last year of Pre-K last week and is loving it so far!

She is in the 4's Class with Ms. Emily. She has 2 of her good friends Hazen, and Sofia in her class and that is super fun for her! She also gets to see her friends Ella and Ruby on the playground! Cecily goes 3 days a week this year and is learning so many great things, her class room has a smart board so she is already super tech savy!
A few other things about our 4 going on 14 yr old,
She has her 1st major crush on a boy. Sophia's big Brother Ethan. He is 6 and tall, dark, and handsome. I dont like to feed into the crush because she is so little even though its totally innocent. I do however love E to pieces so I dont completely object. I taught E when he was a sunbeam and he was my favorite student for sure. He is such a sweet, kind, repectful boy! What more could a parent want for her child, oh wait maybe for her child to be a good 20 yrs older ;)
Here are a few conversations we have had about E. Just for the record.
When getting ready to go to a party :
CC" mom is E going to be at the party?"
Mom" Yes, why?"
CC with a bashful smile on her face "Just wondering"
mom"why do you think he's cute?"
CC "I just love him!"
Mom "You love him? what do you love about him?"
CC" he is just so nice! Mom when dad asked you to marry him did he get down on his knee like this?" (shows me)
Mom" yes why?"
CC" because E did that when we were playing and he asked me to marry him."
Mom" and what did you say?"
CC" I said Oh YEA!!"
On sunday at church E was not inprimary. CC kept raising her hand to tell the leaders E was missing. She did not like that he was absent one bit.

Another sunday we were sitting 5 rows ahead of E and she kept looking back. I asked her to turn around and stay forward. She replied "I want to look at Ethan!"

Whenever we are playing pretend she somehow will bring up her husband Ethan.
I really try and just ignore it all, its seriously hilarious though.

Other teenage silliness she does,
Lately she has been so worried about what other kids are going to think or say about her whether it is about her hair, or clothes, or whatever. I feel so badly that she is already feeling this way and I am not sure where she gets this idea. She is well liked and I know she isnt teased or anything, I think she is just such a perfectionist that she is already putting so much pressure on herself, and worrying about things like this. I tell her that we dont need to worry or care about what others think but that as long as we and Heavenly Father are happy with what we do and how we act that is all that matters.

DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA.

The other day Oliver and her got hurt. Oli's injuries were much worse than hers, after I figured out that she was ok, I expressed my worry about him. She started crying and said "Mom you arent worried about me?" I told her I didnt need to be worried about her because she was fine, and that made me happy. I told her I loved her and that I was glad I didnt have to worry about two kids.

The next day She, oli and I were playing pass the ball whenever it wasnt her turn with the ball she was a big grouch and pouting. Oh my how do you convince a 4 yr old its not always about them?

Today at Ice skating she did so well, she really focused on doing it all herself with out help. Even to the point of pushing her instructor's hand away and telling them she can do it alone! She wanted me to see her so she probably waved and put her thumbs up to me a good 20 times in her 30 min lesson!

Goodness she is a good girl and so smart. She is always listening to my conversations with other adults or on the phone and quizzing me afterward on what was said. She is so curious and happy. I just cant get enough of her and her extrordinary personality!!

Ring around the Rosie

2011-09-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

Oliver loves playing Ring around the rosie. Singing songs makes him so happy period. He is such our fun little man!

Ashes, Ashes

We all fall down!

Stories please

2011-09-12T21:29:00.002-05:00

We love story time. The kids waiting patiently to be read to. Barnes and Noble does a great job of providing stories, crafts and treats all for free. Oli loves to say story over and over.

Future gold medal Figure Skater

2011-09-09T20:31:00.001-05:00

Cecily had a BLAST at her 1st Ice Skating lesson. I was amazed at her balance. She only fell a couple of times. She just enjoyed every bit of it and talked her teachers ear off like usual. She kept waving and yelling "Hi Mom" to make sure we were watching. After the lesson I asked if she wanted to come back next week and she replied "yes, but Mom can we please get some of those fancy pretty skates like the other girls?" I guess the rented hockey skates weren't her choice in footwear. I told her if we found figure skates really cheap we could get some. I did realize that this may not be the sport for me, I was freezing the whole time we were in the rink. I think we'll stick to dance and gymnastics after this.

2011-09-06T17:05:00.001-05:00

These boots are made for walkin.

This little guy is hilarious! Just in the last few weeks his personality has really blossomed. He is talking so much more and is so funny. He is wild and crazy too.
He knows how to climb on the couch and yells "SIT" the whole time he is running and jumping on the couch. He loves to say "Cheese" and show you his 10 teeth. He just got 5 teeth this week including his molars I had no idea were even coming. He has 4 on top in front, 2 top molars, 2 bottom front teeth and then 2 on either side of those that just poked through but are not very visable.
He loves to sing 3 little fish and patty cake just like CC did at this age. (mom, rmember when we got CC's potraits taken at 18 months and the only way to get her to look at the camera was to sing 3 little fish)
He loves to run fast and DANCE. He has the moves that for sure.
He is so cuddly and sweet and loves babies.

All in all he is our energetic all BOY little man. Kreg thinks he will be our wild one in the family.

Fisher's come to visit

2011-08-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

We went to Minnihaha falls for a picnic and to play!

Kreg's sister Kim and her Husband Craig and baby Eli came to visit us in MN for a week! We had lots of fun showing them around the city and visiting with them. Here are some pictures I stole from Kim because I was horrible about taking my camera(So unlike me). Anyway these are not in order at all.

Oli and E loved playing together. sure wish we lived closer so this could happen more often:)

Eli, Cecily, and Blue at the Mall of America

Eli was doing some intense work on the computer. Hence the Helmet!

The boys playing at the lake

Wading in the water at Minihaha falls

Cecily jumped in on a family photo with some random kids and Dora

Cecily and Mickey Mouse at the Twins game. She took her baby doll and her sling to the game. She kept sitting down to "feed" her baby. People kept commenting about how it looked like she was breastfeeding. ha ha oh CC you're so silly!

Our family at the Game!
We loved playing games at night even if I got a little competetive (sorry Craig)
We loved going to the lake, sculpture gardens, salvation army, Mall of America, the Falls, The game, The park, and pool. Little E look for your late birthday present in the mail next week. Love you all!

Aunt Paige Came

2011-08-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

Auntie Paige came and we had a lot of fun! We went to the lake to swim and build sand castles and ride in the paddle boats it was great! Oli wasnt to fond of the life jacket and CC kept worrying about if we couldnt make it back to the beach and we would have to swim back or that our towels and toys would get stolen that we left at the beach. Silly worry wart gets it from her mama. All in all it was fun to ride around the lake and look at the pretty homes!

CC is obsessed with Paige and follows her everywhere. Paige was great and played lots of games and toys with C girl! Two peas in a pod. It gave me a little time for myself which is always nice. Thanks paige for helping with the kids, cleaning, and making dinner and for the pictures (I was the worst and kept forgetting my camera) you were a joy to have!

We went and saw the Cherry with the Spoon as CC calls it at the sculpture garden. Paige took us out to dinner a few times. Paige, Aunt Kim and I went to see The Help! Paige and I got Pedicures, Hit up the salvation army and went to lunch at the Spaghetti Factory. Yum!

Paddle boat goodness!

We went on 2 for 1 walks and a run, we went to Lake Calhoun and walked around, toured down town, went to the Mall of America, watched scary movie and all in all had lots of fun with Paiger! Love you lady have a fun Sophmore year at BYU!

15 Months

2011-08-14T20:49:00.000-05:00

At 15 months Oliver Brooks is:

~21 LBS 7% and 30.5" 28%

~Wearing size 3 diapers, size 4 shoes, and 12 month clothes

~Has two bottom teeth and his two front teeth, and has two more teeth poking through on top

~Saying: Ball, Baby (dede), bird, Mom, Dad, Oli, Car, Drink, Bink, More, Thanks, Shoe (oosh), Uh-oh, Hi, Again, Sit, Moo for Cow, woof woof for Dog, Horse sounds and bird sounds, mimicks cars and planes.

~He is still my sweet, calm boy always giving loves. He is so easy going and will just do whatever whenever.

~Loves balls of any kind and sports. He is obsessed with throwing things. Had a blast feeding the ducks because it was unlimited bread throwing.

~Loves CC and all kids, he is really good at sharing and being sweet to others

~Is a bottomless pit, he will eat ANYTHING but will always eat fruits and veggies first before other food.

~Still takes a pacifier but mostly just for bed, he has learned to throw it in his crib after we get him out.

~Loves to be outside and loves to climb at the park or walk up and down stairs.

~He is a super fast runner and just loves to take off, he is a huge tease and loves to play games like that.

I just cant get enough of Oliver he and I have such a special bond and feel like I never have enough time or loves from Oli. Both my kids I am obsessed and feel so blessed and happy with my family!

Grammi made me an outfit!

2011-08-13T12:14:00.000-05:00

Cecily is so blessed to have so many talented and craft women in her family! Most recently her Great Grammi Joy made her this fun hankerchief dress and pants. She loves them! She refuses to wear them anywhere because she insists they are dress ups. Well at least I get to see her wear them around!

Showing off the matching purse!!
Thanks Again Grammi!!

Skills

2011-08-10T13:42:00.000-05:00

Cecily showing off her head stand skills

Her painting skills, which she did perfectly I was super impressed with her precise(ness)

She was worried she would get paint on her shirt so she just took it off and covered up in her home depot apron.

Oli working on his pull up skills. He was dying to try it out after watching Kreg do it! Oli loved just hanging from the bar

More of Cecily's big day

2011-08-09T20:42:00.000-05:00

After the party our friends called and told us about a free kids craft going on at home depot. We really didnt have many plans for her birthday beyond the party so She and I ran over to the store to buld a tool box.

She had a lot of fun Hammering

And sanding. She got to keep the apron, it has her name on it. Her plan is to paint to tool box pink and put her jewlery in it. Afterwards she chose to have a corn dog for her b-day dinner and then she opened gifts from family. Spoiled again. We then rode bikes outside and went on a nature walk to the creek and around the lake near our house. We saw a fish, a rabbit, and a baby snail on her walk. She was so happy about everything all day. She never mentioned to anyone that it was her birthday but she told EVERYONE that she is 4. She even told one lade she would be 5 next year. I told her to slow down and just enjoy being 4. She is dying to be older for some reason.

I just can't get enough of my sweet girl! She is so much fun and so smart. She really knows how to push my buttons and I am so thankful for that, I am learning new things from her everyday. She is such a blessing in our lives and I am so happy that 4 years ago she made me a mama! We love you buggy! Happy Birthday CC girl!

Cecily is 4!

2011-08-09T20:27:00.000-05:00

CC sporting her new helmet with her new bike!

She rolled out of bed literally and opened her first gift from Oliver. She just kept saying "Oh my goodness" over and over.

I knew she would be more than excited to have a real dress up wedding dress. (anytime you talk to her about her bride dress ups she would always mention she only had a wedding skirt and not a dress)

The big 4 yr old waiting for her Pool Party to start.

She wanted a princess party but because we were just swimming she ended up getting a modge podge of decorations. She thought it would be best to have blue hats and blue cupcakes for the boys.

Here is the cake I made. I had so many fun ideas in my head for her "princess party" but since we had one day to plan/execute the party we ended up just doing a totally low key swim party. I did do part of the cake I was wanting to do so I was satisfied.

After eating Cecily's favorite pizza, cake and ice cream the kids did trains down the slide.

All the friends that came! We had fun celebrating our CC's birthday with all of her friends! Even though it was a little cold (who would have thought it was going to be cold in August. Oh wait we do live in MN) Cecily had a fun party and got spoiled with gifts! We are so blessed to have so many great friends that care about us. They truly are family to us!

Officially a toddler

2011-08-07T15:20:00.000-05:00

This is what happens when I am busy unpacking from our trip and Oliver finds a fun, green, rubber stamp in CC's room.

He is so mischevious lately and such a tease. I stuck him in the tub so I could scrub him off, I wanted to get a picture first and the little stinker tried to escape. Gotta keep my eye on this one!

More Avila

2011-08-07T14:50:00.000-05:00

We went to the Avila Valley Farm and fed the animals. Such a cute little farm/market. They grow their own fruits and veggies yum!

We played at this cute little park near the beach. Oli loved the rocking horse.

Playing giant checkers.

We hit the beach super early the day we left so we could get some good play time.

There were lots of dogs being walked on the beach in the morning, most of the dogs would run through where we were playing but this one just came right next to me and sat down. It was so funny! We were laughing so hard because it suprised us and the dog was huge but so sweet.

Oliver Brooks and Paul Brooks.

Lovin the swing!

Thank you so much Grandma and Grandpa for such a fun trip to the beach!!

Avila Beach

2011-08-06T12:14:00.001-05:00

We took a fun trip down to the pismo area to Avila beach! We had never been there before but had heard so many great things about it. Plus my college roommate Megan lives in the area so what better excuse to go and see her too! She is the one that introduced me to Kreg so she has a special place in our hearts. Just yesterday I was reading some of Kreg's letters from his mission and in 3 different letters Meg and talked about me to Kreg saying you should meet my Roommate Anna she is so fun, or you would love Anna, ect. So I guess Meg knew it was meant to be before we did ;) Anyway back to the beach.

My little man and me at my favorite place in the world (any beach really)

Just as I thought this little guy loved the beach and immediately ran full blast into the ocean! He was laughing the whole run in.

My beach babe!

Our view from our suite

We didnt take any buckets or shovels but that didnt stop CC, she just made friends with anyone that had sand toys and she was set!

Swinging on the beach

This was right before a big wave came and knocked C down on her bum and then the undertoe got her and forced her into a back roll in the sand. She came up a little worked. I made light of it quickly and she agreed it was funny too, so ofcourse she had to tell everyone the wave made her do a back flip in the sand.

We really loved Avila, it was super family friendly and the Lighthouse was the perfect place to stay. We even got to see a baby whale from the pier that was injured and living near the pier while it heals. So cool! The weather is so perfect and the beach is clean. I cant wait to go back!

Hairspray

2011-08-06T11:26:00.002-05:00

The girls went out for the night to a production of Hairspray by the YES company. It was so fun and a fabulous show!!

Cecily enjoyed watching the show, she loved clapping after each scene and did so with vigor. She couldnt decide who's lap was best to sit on so she switched around a lot, until it got late and she was tired so she settled with me. She had a water bottle and goldfish and couldnt have been more satisfied. The theater was a little chilly so she kept telling me she should have brought her winter coat. At least it was over 90 degrees outside when we left so she could warm right back up. Thanks girls for a fun night!

Sundays

2011-08-05T11:48:00.003-05:00

We have to find ways to entertain the kids on sunday so we do things like play in the flower pots

Taste the dirt

pretend its raining dirt

Play with visitors and their dog

Get loves from the dog (Oli got a little nervous after the big face lick)

I tolk you this guy is strong. He pushed CC all over the yard. I wish I could say she loved it but she would scream NOOOOOO! Everytime he came crawling over, he is fast too so there was no escaping him. He is so cute!

We love sundays in CA so relaxing and fun with family. Grandma really has the PERFECT backyard!

County Fair

2011-08-04T11:10:00.001-05:00

We went to the county fair! Where else can you play in a box full of tried corn,

Ride a tractor,

and a horse,

Pet live farm animals,

Watch baby chicks,

Get sweaty hot in the petting zoo, (Oli gave some goats some open mouthed kisses YUCK)

Get a rejuvinating foot shake

Make new friends and ride rides,

Do obsticale courses ( the friend CC made on this obstical told her she sounded just like britney from the chickmunks, she even yelled to her parents from the top to tell them that CC was britney! We love our little chickmunk cc)

have yummy shaved ice, and be with your family! The county fair of course!!

Soul Brothers

2011-08-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

I'm positive these two had a special bond even before they came to earth. They just love eachother so much and really stick together!

Oh Eli you look a little tense.

They follow eachother and play together, they are so smart too. Eli is hilarious, he is so solid and STRONG! Kim was probably so sick of me saying it but I could not get over that kids strength!

Oli loved giving Eli loves, lucky for E he got lots of open mouthed kisses from Oli

I sure do miss kissing those soft, chubby cheeks! Can't wait for you to come visit me in MN little E!!

Random fun

2011-08-01T22:34:00.001-05:00

We met up with some friends at the park to play in the fountains.

Grandpa set up the tent so we had a girls campout in the backyard.

Whats more fun than cousins? Oli and Eli are 4 months apart but nearly the same size. Eli (the younger of the two) is slightly bigger. They had so much fun playing together! The are great friends, I have never seen babies play and interact so much together rather than just side by side play. They would talk and laugh with eachother, share and steal toys, follow each other around everywhere and just play. It was so so cute to watch the little soul brothers in action! I have a feeling we will have many years to come of these boys playing and causing trouble together;)

Kreg's uncle Victor and his family came for a pool party/BBQ before the headed out on a grand adventure moving to Germany. Cecily and Amy had fun playing together and doing hair.

I wonder what they were talking about, Eli had his own language and Oli seemed to understand.

Aunt Kimi taught CC her first real swim lessons, she is a pro. she swims the length of the pool and can do standing dives, she even dove for rings in the 6 and 1/2' deep water. I have little fish on my hands, Oliver will even "swim" back and forth between people and from the steps to you. He loves to go all the way under the water and kick his lages, he even moves his arms to swim. I think he just see's Cecily do it and wants to do it too. He has No fear that little man.

We kept telling her to do a crazy jump and she just kept doing pencil jumps into the tube.

Best buds!

Happy Birthday Kreg!

2011-07-28T14:51:00.001-05:00

Kreg flew to CA on his birthday, so we did a little celebrating that night. We were so happy to have him with us again! He worked so so hard studying for the bar and then after two grueling days of exam taking he came to Cali to just be with us and RELAX! Boy did he deserve it! Happy 27th Kreg! You dont look a day over 17 ;) Maybe this will be the year people will quit asking us if we are in high school!

Pixie Woods

2011-07-18T22:10:00.001-05:00

Grandpa took us to a fun little amusement park called pixie woods. It is full of different parks, and climbing structures, rides, and exhibits. The kids loved it of course!

CC is a social butterfly, she will make friends with ANYONE!

Oli loved driving the tractor.

Oli also makes friends with anyone, he loved these little elves. He kept saying story, story!

He even gave him loves!

Taking a rest in the hand cart

Checking out the pirate ship

Shooting the water cannons

Oli and grandpa checking out the fire truck.
We even got to ride the carosel, go on a fancy train ride tour around the park and around the lagoon. And then we went on a big boat ride in the lagoon where we saw real turtles and Pirates,. It was a fun day and just the right amount of excitement for the kids!

California 2011

2011-07-15T17:56:00.000-05:00

We love spending time in CA with our family! We have so much fun playing outside, swimming, lounging, and going on trips! Grandma has so many fun toys at her house and we always find a way to get her more toys to store. This cute vanity was given to Cecily from one of the swim lesson kids, Grandma is super excited about storing it:) Obviously CC loves it, she even eats her meals there.

We love rolling out of bed and going straight outside to play

CC thought Oli looked like a girl in this bib so she kept calling him Olivia

When you leave your S.G.'s in minnesota you have to borrow Mom's, at least until Grandpa and Aunt Paige buy you some sweet new Barbie ones.
Many posts to follow about our fun time in CA

Duluth part 2

2011-07-09T17:39:00.000-05:00

We woke up on the 4th and got ready to explore and enjoy duluth. We drove a little north and found a fun little hike and this river. We loved seeing all the nature.

We went to Canal Park to see the shops and the festivities, they had a fun but super hot park to play at. Oli loved driving the boat.

and swinging on the tire swing for the first time.

Kreg found an arcade, the kids loved it and we didnt even have to buy any tokens;)

We went back to the hotel to take naps (oli was testing out a nap in the armour).

Then we headed back to Canal Park to get a spot for the firwork show. Of course we loved watching the works and enjoyed a late night out. The kids were both asleep in the car before we left the parking lot.

Trip to Duluth part 1

2011-07-08T21:06:00.000-05:00

We took a trip about 3 hours north of the Cities to the city of Duluth. The city is essentially a big hill off of Lake Superior. The lake is HUGE and super pretty. We had so much fun exploring and seeing the beauty of the lake and its surroundings. It was our first family vacay that didnt involve visiting family, it was a great experience and the kids did so great the entire time!

We drove up on sunday after church and went straight to the beach, the city keeps the area around the lake very lanscaped and pretty. CC loved these benches.

The water was freezing but it felt good because it was so hot outside. Oliver kept trying to dive in, it was a chore keeping him out of the water.

He loved throwing the rocks on the rocky beach.

CC and I posing while we checked out the light houses on Canal Park. We at a picinic dinner on the beach and walked around to see everything. Oliver loved all of the seagulls and puppies that people were walking. My kids are awesome travelers so it really makes road trips and vacations so enjoyable and easy!

Bye Bye Birdie

2011-07-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

We went to a local production of Bye Bye Birdie as a family. It was at an outdoor ampitheater. Cecily loved it! We love summer and all the fun events!

Cecily has a new love for all things broadway! This makes me very happy. We cant wait for Yes companys production of Hairspray!!

Oliver was only interested in the rootbeer float. He and kreg left early to go play at the park.

A day at the beach

2011-06-28T22:21:00.000-05:00

We had a perfect day at the lake!

Great Friends,

Amazing weather,

and my darling babies!

Thanks Rhonda for the photos!!
http://rhondaharrisphotography.blogspot.com/

Monkey See Monkey Do

2011-06-24T10:25:00.001-05:00

Oli saw Dad take off his shirt and do P90X, So he did too.

CC saw Mom vaccuum, so she did too.

Splash pad and Story time

2011-06-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

These top pictures are from the splash pad, It was Oliver's first time getting to play in the water and he LOVED it! He was fearless and even loved the bigger fountains. Both of my kids are such little fish! We have so much fun in the water and the pool all time, Can summer please never end?!!

We went to and evening story time at a local coffee shop last week, the kids got to wear their PJ's and get free smoothies. The book that was featured was "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". There was singing and dancing and an interactive reading of the story. At the end each family got to take home a copy of the book. We will miss the July event but will go back to the August story time with cousin Eli!! We are enjoying our Minnesota summer!!

2011-06-22T10:21:00.001-05:00

If I ever leave my clothes on my bed CC will find them and try them on. This is a swim coverup that we tied in the back so she wouldn't trip on it. It just happened to look like a black evening dress. She paired it with her white heals and white clutch she had gotten from a birthday party that very day! Have I ever told you she is a DIVA?

Day 5,6, and 7 with Gram

2011-06-21T10:15:00.001-05:00

Gram and Papa got CC and early birthday present! This barbie bike could not be more Cecily! Its glamed out just like her!

Oli and Gram lovin on his thing 1. Oli got this lovey from Geat Grammi and Gramps for Christmas and he LOVES it!

Gram and the kids in the dolly store (American girl doll store)

CC took this wonderful shot of Mom and I. We are so much a like, we even dress similar.

Oli and I on his first ride ever! He couldn't have cared less! We'll wait till he's a little older to do it again.

Cecily just learned about Backyardigans and has watched it a few times so she was super excited when Uniqua was at MOA

Posing for the camera

The last thing we did with Gram before she flew home. We all 3 LOVE sushi so we enjoyed it as our last meal together. CC had a hard time with the size of the rolls, she tried biting through them but the seaweed paper prevented this from happening. She thought she was funny.

We had a hard time getting all 3 of the "Maries" in the picture.

Cecily got Mom and I pretty well.

On saturday we did more shopping, we went to some fabric stores to find some things for my house, we went to the store to get food for sunday and CC wanted to show Gram how she could ride the big girl bikes, Gram decided it would be a great early birthday present. Cecily was so excited she got to take the bike home, she was telling the people in the store all about it. We got food and cheescake from the cheesecake factory and took it to a lake/park near our house. The park was having a hoe down so we ate and listened to the music and played at the park. Sunday we went to church and made dinner and a cake together. We caught Gram up on some of our family home videos, Played games and crafted! Monday we went to MOA and shopped and rode rides. We ate lunch and then ate at the Rainforest cafe for dinner. We had so much fun being with Gram and showing her what we love to do in MN. We miss her so much and were so sad to see her go on Tuesday. Cecily keeps asking when Gram will come back, when I say Im not sure, she replies "Gram is never ever coming to our house again??" ha ha she is so dramatic! We sure hope Gram and all of our family comes to our house again!!
Thank you so much for everything Gram we love you lots!!

Day 4 Nauvoo part 2

2011-06-20T09:33:00.000-05:00

CC practicing her writing skills in the pioneer school.

Oliver and CC loved the horses that took us on a fun carriage ride! Oliver kept making horse noises.

Oliver loves his big sissy but does not love her to touch him. He is always teasing her by putting out his hand as if he wants her to hold it and then quickly pulling it away!

Getting ready for our Carriage ride. Oliver was getting tired so he started to freak out a little.

All he needed was a little cuddle time with Mom and he was out.

Oli and Gram hanging out, outside of Carthage Jail

A picture of Kreg and Cecily through the gun shot hole in the door in Carthage Jail. they thought it was appropriate to have a solemn look on their face.

Cecily and I in front of Carthage.

On the second day in Nauvoo Kreg and I were able to go early in the morning and do a session in the gorgeous templ! Oh my it is such a pretty Temple!! Gram and the kids got breakfast and got tickets for our carriage ride. We had fun looking at some of the homes, learning about bricks, eating lunch and going on the bumpy but fun carriage ride. We went on the same on a couple of years ago and it was fun to hear the neat stories again. We drove to Carthage Jail on our way our home and did the tour there. The missionary that lead the tour did a great job. We were in a group with a bunch of youth and she did a fabulous job speaking with the spirit!

The kids watching a movie and cuddling
We then drove the 7 hours home with a stop for dinner. The kids did really well again until about the last 15 min. Oliver was so tired and so sick of sitting in his carseat that he got sad, but it was midnight so we didnt hold it against him ;)

Day 3 with Gram NAUVOO

2011-06-18T08:53:00.003-05:00

(CC teasing Oli with his binky)

CC and Oli did a fabulous job entertaining themselves on the 7 hour drive to Nauvoo. We left bright and early in the morning so we could have most of the day to sight see.

Our family straight out of the car and to the Temple

Gram and the kids, Oli perfected saying "Hi" on this trip, he said hi to everyone he saw which is a lot of people in such a tourist setting. I love how he says it out of the side of his mouth.

CC helping Oliver stay on the grass for the picture

Cecily and her Mcdouble (inside joke)

Oliver LOVED scalling the stairs at the temple.

The first day we were there the weather took a turn and stormed pretty good, so while Gram was doing a session in the Temple we went to a fun musical show put on by the missionaries, Kreg also was able to get a lot of really neat shots of the Temple during the storm.

Our family at the show

I love this Picture with the flag next to the Temple.

We got into Nauvoo around 1:00pm we went and saw the temple and then went to the visitors center, they had a fun play starting so we went to that. It was a little longer than we expected so Oliver only lasted a little bit so He and I went out in to the center to walk around. Unfortunately it was pouring outside so we just walked around while Oli said "HI" to all of the tourists, it was cute but people got tired of saying Hi back ha ha. After the play we went and got settled into our hotel, We were all pretty tired so we took a little nap and Gram went to do a session in the temple. We then went to the show and went and looked in a few of the fun shops. We saw where Joseph Smith is buried and when Gram came out of the Temple we went and got a late dinner. I really love Nauvoo and love the feeling you get there, It is fun to imagine what life was like for the early Latter day Saints. Just being there is a testimony builder because of the strong spirit you feel! I cant wait to go back!

Gram Came to town

2011-06-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

My Mom (Gram) came to Minnesota to visit us and spoil us! We had so much fun with her and miss her lots already! We have lots of pictures from her trip so I will break them down into different posts. She flew in on Tuesday night, The kids and I went to pick her up from the airport. There was no warm up time with CC she was talking Gram's ear off at the first moment we saw her, Oli was a little more nervous, but that was to be expected. We went home and Gram unloaded all of the Loot she brought us! CC got all of my old Barbies and all of the clothes and accessories, she got all of my American Girl Doll stuff (which we put away till she is a little older). It was like Christmas! Wednesday we went shopping all day it was so fun and of course we were spoiled again, we went to a few different stores 2 different malls and out to eat at the Rainforest Cafe (CC's favorite)! We also got stuff for our trip to Nauvoo the following day. It is always non stop busy fun with Gram and we love it! We love her energy and her cheerfulness!

Oli and CC loved the Rainforest Cafe! They would get so excited with all of the action!CC insisted on wearing her crown that day to the mall, she is such a DIVA!

Log Ride

2011-06-14T14:32:00.000-05:00

My Mom just left today after a week of fun! I will post lots of pictures later but for now enjoy this picture of Cecily and I on the Log Ride at MOA. Thanks Mom for the pic!

I cannot help but laughed everytime I look at CC's face!

Like Mother like Daughter

2011-06-06T12:12:00.000-05:00

We've already mentions that CC likes to clean and do chores just like me but, she also likes to wear her swimsuit just like I did as a kid, All summer long I would live in my suit and I'll be honest I may not look as cute in my suit now but I still love to wear it all summer long its just so comfortable!

Cooling off

2011-06-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

The kids had fun splish splashing in Oliver's new pool. Its tiny and perfect for our little deck!

Splash Splash

2011-06-02T13:51:00.001-05:00

Who doesnt love a few bowls full of water and the freedom to play nudey!

Cecily Graduated

2011-06-01T13:55:00.012-05:00

They started the graduation off with a song program by the Kids. They sang 10 or 11 songs and boy were they cute!

We then moved the graduation into Cecily's class room where they showed off some of their sign language skills and sang their class song "Bumble bees".

Walking across the podium with her diploma

In her robe

CC and her teacher MS. Laurie

Two of CC's Fans

Silly Oli

2011-05-31T18:49:00.000-05:00

We went to a friend's house for a BBQ and they have the BEST backyard, full of fun toys! Oli loved the car. I can't wait to have a yard of our own.

I stuck his leg up so I could push him around in the car, that leg kept dragging so I thought it was safer to have it up out of the way. he loved it and just relaxed to the Max.

Lovin his birthday balloons

He got these sweet blue loafers for his birthday. They are a couple of sizes to big but he loves wearing them around the house. He watches them as he walks!

This kid ALWAYS has a bump, bruise, or rasberry on his face. Poor little guy really likes to protect his hand with his face when he falls.

Cecily had a field trip

2011-05-31T10:44:00.000-05:00

Cecily's class went on a field trip and I got to go and help. It was at a park and they had a blast! They rotated to different stations doing activities and had a teddy graham snack. The favorite station of all was the flying balloon station. The teachers would pump balloons full of air and let them fly into the air while the kids took turns chasing them around the field!

This girl can Hopscotch!

Mom, CC, and her fav Koto. This girl is Hilarious! She is Japanese so she speaks both languages, she kept telling me things in Japanese, I asked her what her favorite food was hoping she would say something Japanese but she answered "bacon".

The Whole Class

CC and her fav boy Tucker

Parachute games

Getting ready to Chase her balloon!

And just because it was cute. The kids in their SGs

Pinkalicious, The Musical

2011-05-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

Cecily and I have been looking forward to our "date" for over a month. Friday was FINALLY the day! We had a blast dressing up in all our pink and going to The Musical based on Cecily's FAVORITE Book Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann. The production was a Stages Theater, A childrens theater in Hopkins. Everyone in the cast was a child actor aside from the parents of Pinkalicious. Cecily was totally glued to the show the entire time! We sat in the second row right in the middle, we had great seats. Cecily used a booster so that she could see a little better and that way the theater chairs wouldnt fold up on her.

In her seat waiting for the Play to begin

CC and one of the Pink Cupcakes

Cecily and "Peter"

CC and Pinkalicious

Sitting on the stage with the set behind her.

She was pretty serious about the whole thing and didnt laugh once but she sure did love it! She got to meet the cast afterward and got to take some pictures with some of her favorite Characters. She and I were a hit in our outfits, I expected all the other Moms to dress up too, but apparently I am the only one with so much spirit! I had fun and loved an excuse to get dressed up. Everyone gushed over how cute CC looked and the ticketing staff kept calling her Pinkalicious! She was so cute and so grown up about all of it. She talked about doing plays when she gets older, I can totally see her doing something like it and would love to support her in that! She would love to dance, sing and act on stage I honestly couldnt think of anything that is more her! I am so excited to have a partner to go to musicals and shows with me!

We finished our date by going to McDonalds for a little Ice Cream sundae. She was just as excited about that as she was the play!

The PARTY!!

2011-05-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

We had a fun party to Celebrate Oliver turning ONE and Kreg graduationg, the Latter may have been a side note :) I planned and with the help of my sister and good friend Kami executed a pretty cute party! I have always LOVED the color combo Red and Aqua, I wanted to do Oliver's room in those colors when he was born but I couldnt find the perfect fabric so what better than to do his first birthday bash in the color scheme! It really turned out just the way I had imagined it in my head. There were a few mishaps(rained out causing us to reschedule, another party happening at the park at the same time We made it work! and A Drink dispenser that kept loosing its nozzle causing aqua punch to spray everywhere), but what party doesnt have those! We had pizza, Chips, Fruit, Potato Salad (made by our good friends the Cardons), Cupcakes, licorice, mints, and aqua colored sixlets. The weather was gorgeous and the kids had fun playing on the grass and at the park! Oliver had so much fun exploring and doing his own thing and ofcourse being sung to and eating mass amounts of his very own smash cake!

Here are some shots of the party. They are a bit out of order.

Dessert and gift table

Food and drink table

Digging in

Watching his cake fall. Oh well I didnt want him eating all that cake anyway

The cake bit the dust

Eating Licorice after his cake fell to the ground

Oliver being sung to

Oliver and his proud parents

Oli and his favorite big sister

Close up of the cupcakes I made

His smash cake and birthday hat

The pretty but crazy drink dispenser. The whole nozzle would come out resulting in juice spilling all over.

Close ups of the treats

Favor bags, to fill up with candy

Happy birthday water bottles

Me filling up cups so no one got juice on them.

The birthday man. He had fun just walking around all over!

The invite!! My sister did so much of the design work and I am to grateful for her! I had the vision and she executed it! Thanks Sarah!

Oliver at One year

2011-05-27T20:02:00.000-05:00

Oli LOVES:

~Whole Milk in a sippy cup, the transition from bottle to purely sippy went like this, "Here is your whole milk instead of formula in a sippy instead of a bottle." "Thanks Mama". I was really worried about it being hard to get rid of the bottle but really it was nothing. He didnt even notice. Probably because he has used a sippy since he was 5 months old.

~His Binky still- This one is not going to be as easy to get rid of, I He needs it for bed time and since he has been sick lately (again) and teething he has been extra fussy so like my Mom says I just plug it up. It keeps us both sane. I need tips on how to get rid of the Binky or maybe tips on how to be ready to get rid of the Binky.

~His sister and following her around. He copies her all day and is trying hard to be like one of the big kids!

~Balls of any shape or size, he loves to throw, kick, roll, shoot baskets, and has even gotten super good at holding the golf club and hitting balls and other objects around the house. Kreg is so proud of his sporty boy!

~strawberrys, watermelon, chicken, anything with cheese on it, brocoli, asparagus, noodles, bread, crackers, clementines, pears, bananas and peaches pureed, and we just found out today plain air popped popcorn!

~Sleep. He takes 2 two hour naps and sleeps a good 11-12 hours at night.

~Being outside. When he is fussy I just stick him on the deck and he will shoot baskets for forever. He loves the park, swimming, riding bikes, and is finally used to the grass.

~Baths he will stay in there all day if I let him.

~Babies, he learned how to say the word "baby" this week and was even kissing on the baby in the walmart ad.

Dislikes:

~Zuchini

~food/drinks that are to cold

~ His carseat. I put him forward facing because I thought it would make him happier in the car but nope, he still gets so mad about getting buckled down.

~Getting his diaper changed.

He weighs 19.1 LBS (5%tile)

He is 29 inches (24%tile) tall

Over all he is my happy, easy going little guy! He had a fun first birthday party with friends, My friend took some great photos of the party that I am still trying to narrow down which ones to blog so look forward to that soon!

I: by CC girl

2011-05-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

I saw this on a friends blog and thought it was such a cute idea.

                                                      I HAVE: A baby doll.

                                               I WISH: We could go swimming.

                                                        I HATE: Being sick.

                                               I MISS: Daddy when he is at work.

                                            I HEAR: When I am a good listener.

                                             I LAUGH: When the balloons POP.

                                I WONDER: If we are going to the Mall of America?

                                       I REGRET: When I am not sweet to my friends.

                                                 I DANCE: When you dance.

                                                I SING: I am a child of God.

                                                   I CRY: When Oli cries.

                                            I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: Art.

                                                   I NEED: Lots of Lovies.

                                            I LOVE: Mommy and my Family!

I can't believe she is almost 4! She is so smart, witty, and WAY beyond her years. This girl is amazing!

Oliver's ONE year Photos

2011-05-19T15:43:00.003-05:00

We just love our little man! Thank you to Rhonda for taking these sweet photos of our baby! We will cherish them forever! She did such a great job, she was even able to edit out the nasty scrape on Oliver's forhead he got 3 hours before the shoot. It was hard work getting any smiles out of him since his head was hurting but we managed and he looks so cute either way!

Fun visit with Grandma and Grandpa Wagner

2011-05-18T15:50:00.001-05:00

We were so lucky to have Kreg's parents come out for his graduation and Oliver's birthday! We had so much fun at the Mall of America, Swimming at the hotel, eating out, and going to the Zoo! Thank you for everything and for coming to share this special even with us! We love you lots and miss you tons!!

Oliver Turned ONE!!!

2011-05-16T15:48:00.000-05:00

I Cannot believe my handsom little man is ONE year old! We had a little celebration with Grandma and Grandpa! Dont let the pictures fool you, he really wasnt fond of the cupcake, he put it in his mouth then spit it our and threw it over the side of his high chair.

So serious opening a few presents from grandmas and grandpas and friends.

We are going to have a big party with our friends this weekend so more pictures to come!

Just to look back a year ago, Oliver and his Mom and Dad just a half hour old

Momma and Oli, LOVE at first sight!!

He is just as sweet and handsome as he was the day he was born

We love you so much little man and are so happy and blessed to have you in our family. This has been our most fun and happy year with you in our lives!! Happy Birthday big boy!

Kreg Graduated

2011-05-16T15:36:00.000-05:00

I am beyond proud of Kreg for all of his hard work and his great accomplishment of Law School! This past 3 years flew by, but at the same time so much happened to our family! We are so grateful for all of the love and support we recieved from all of our friends and family through all of the schooling we have done the past five years of our marriage.

Our Family

Kreg and his parents. I am so grateful to them for raising such a wonderful man that is the best Father and the most perfect Husband!

My favorite boys!

There isnt much of a break from the hard work, Kreg will begin studying hard for the BAR this week, he will take the test in UT in July and then we will go to CA for a couple of weeks to hang out. Kreg has been and continues to search for a job and figure out what is next for family!

Silly Glasses

2011-05-05T18:32:00.001-05:00

Sunny weather

2011-04-30T10:15:00.002-05:00

First off I finally got a picture of Oli's cute little teeth! By how grumpy he has been lately I would expect to see lots more real soon!

We had a warm day so we went to the park with lots of friends! It was so nice to get some Vitamin D!

That is a BIG slide!

I sure do LOVE when these two play together!!

A Delicious Snack

2011-04-29T19:15:00.000-05:00

Oliver has been teething for what seems like a month, He has had a runny nose that causes a cough and he is GRUMPY to the max! Cecily was having a frozen gogurt the other day, Oli wanted it of course, I got him one and he was in heaven!! I think the cold felt good on his mouth and I was happy to get him to eat something!!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

We decided to do a new tradition and Celebrate all the Easter bunny type stuff on Saturday so we can purely focus on the true meaning of Easter and on Christ on Easter Sunday. I really enjoyed it this year and felt like we really kept a good spirit of Christ in our home. We were also able to have a YUMMY dinner with our friends the Lunas. It was such a great way to end our celebration, spending it with good friends. Cecily even got to participate in one last egg hunt she had so much fun!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T20:52:00.001-05:00

Here are some fun pictures of the freezing cold egg hunt and some of our other festivities for the bunny portion of our Easter.

CC with her new barbie and dress ups.

Oli playing in the eggs after the hunt.

He liked carrying around his bucket

I'll post some fun videos later.

Walking footage

2011-04-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

Dancing Queens

2011-04-23T11:29:00.001-05:00

Raw footage of the dancing girls and a funny ending!

Cute little girlies!

2011-04-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

My sister and my niece came this week for a visit and we had so much fun shopping, eating out, playing, and watching movies. We love having visitors!! Oliver and Cecily LOVED having Reagan here to play, I was so glad that CC did so well with RJ, they played well and Cecily was happy to share her toys. Oli adored her and followed her everywhere. I really owe his quick progress at walking to RJ, he wanted to keep up so bad that he just had to walk! She is the cutest little tom boy! With two big brothers its all she knows, its fun for Cecily and her to play together and CC can show her the ropes on all the fun girly things.
I stole the pictures below from Sarah's blog ;)

2011-04-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

Too cute not to share

Walking!!

2011-04-22T19:51:00.000-05:00

This cute boy is officially a walker! He has been taking lots of steps for over a month but last week he just really started walking. I just love that cute hands up in the air, stiff legs, and little wobble walk. He loves his new found trick, the second he is awake he is up and going, he is so proud of himself as are we of course!

Clean House = Happy Mom

2011-04-18T10:58:00.002-05:00

I am a little OCD about cleaning, and you better believe I am hoping to instill this in my children.

Dont worry We make it FUN!

Swimming in the rain

2011-04-16T10:07:00.002-05:00

It was really warm out but it was suppose to rain well what do you do in that situation? Put on your swim suit and grab your umbrella OF COURSE!!

11 months

2011-04-14T11:29:00.002-05:00

One more month and my baby is ONE!!
He is learning and growing so much and is still dealing with being a sicky. Poor guy, its never ending. He had pink eye in both eyes this past week and as soon as that was gone he woke up with a cough. Even still he is my happy patient boy.
Signs he knows: More, all done, eat, thank you, splash, waves hi and bye.
He is really wanting to walk he will take about 10 steps back and forth from mom and dad.
Loves being outside and taking baths. Loves playing catch with the ball and playing with cars.

He is such an easy, chill baby! We have so much fun with him!

Park time

2011-04-13T08:38:00.002-05:00

Doesnt that face make you smile?!

Lovies

2011-04-12T07:28:00.001-05:00

I found them like this. I about died with happiness. They are adorable with each other!

Love that she is decked out in her dress ups and he is in his Jammies.

Oli our outdoors man

2011-04-11T13:21:00.002-05:00

Oli Loves being outside. This week it has been warm so he spends a lot of time on the deck playing. If he isnt on the deck he is most likely at the glass door banging and crying to go out. Its really cute!

He loves balls and loves throwing things.

Loving the sun and the fresh air!

Kreg*Anna*Cecily*Oliver