Hi Cousin Aaron!

Noah LOVES to see pictures and videos of cousin Aaron and wanted to send a message to him too.

Aaron, this song is for you buddy, from your cousin Noah!
Translation (more or less):
Skinny-merinky-dinky-dink Skinny-merinky-doo I love you.
Skinny-merinky-dinky-dink Skinny-merinky-doo I love you.
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening and underneath the MOOOOOOON!
Skinny-merinky-dinky-dink Skinny-merinky-doo I love YYYOOOUUU!!

Merry Christmas

Our family has had a wonderful Christmas holiday! We were able to have Preston's family over a week earlier for a fish fry Christmas party. The boys got tons of clothes and toys. Then we spent several days at my family's home over Christmas where we got to spend time with my brother, Chip, and his wife, Rachel, from Albequerque. Also, we got see a bunch of my cousins that were around and we see very rarely anymore since we're all spread all over the continent. I'm on the young end of the cousins, so they all have family stuff to keep up with too. It's fun to sit back and think about all the get togethers we used to have every year with all my cousins growing up. We would be running amuck around Grandma Kitley's house driving all the adults nuts and fighting over who gets to play pool, who's "it" in hide and seek, and tattling on who was getting into trouble (usually my brother Chip). I miss those partys, but its fun growing up and seeing all of us starting families of our own and being on the parental end of it! It definitely is a different perspective.

The boys got matching Christmas jammies from Mimi and Papa, Noah thought that was great and was trying to snuggle with his brother.



Noah like his new WALL-E underpants and had to strip down and put them on right away. He also likes his new harmonica and all the hot wheel cars and tracks he got. There wasn't anything he didn't get excited about. Of course, after all the presents were opened, he was still asking for more.


We also had Preston read the story of Jesus' birth from Noah story Bible. Noah always enjoys reading out of his little Bible.

Locked and Loaded

So here is what my sister-in-law, Rachel, and I got for Christmas (actually I have to share w/ Preston). Rachel got a Remington 1100 with her initial on it (okay, so the "R" was for Remington, but it works out either way). We got a 357 Mag Smith&Wesson. I'm gonna have to get a bigger purse (haha).

Noah Bowling

We went bowling a week ago with the youth group (for their Christmas party). Noah had a blast bowling. He did the cutest thing everytime he bowled and was waiting for the ball to get all the way down the lane (which took a while). He would put his hands together like he was praying for the ball to knock pins down. We're still not sure exactly what he was doing or where he picked it up at (as far as bowling...he prays all the time at home), but it was adorbale!

Christmas Picture

Here are my two handsome boys posing for the camera. We didn't get Christmas cards out this year with all the busyness of having 2 kids and the holidays. Actually this is the first year in 5 years Preston and I haven't accomplished this task. Oh well, enjoy, next year.

Levi Talking

Okay! So our second son is amazingly laid back and easy going and happy! Those of you that were around Noah when he was this age know how "opposite", to say the least, this is for us. Noah is still my high maintanence child. They compliment each other well. Anyway, here is a short video of Levi talking. And, yes, I know I sound like a goober...but the things we do for our kids right?

Elf Yourself

Nothing gets me quite into the holiday mood than Elfing my family. Enjoy and Laugh!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Seeing Santa Claus

We made a trip to Bass Pro to see Santa Claus. Last year Noah wouldn't get within 20 feet of Santa. This year we really played him up and have already been watching Christmas movies to prep him for Santa. And guess what??? It worked he was ready for Santa this year and when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, Noah said, "I want a gun". I'm so proud! He has a little shotgun at home that shoots suction cups that he had been playing with the night before. Plus, we were at Bass Pro, enough said! Levi did great and slept right through Santa holding him.

Random Post

Preston and I finally got a "date night" in a week ago without either boy hanging on our hip! We went and saw the Christmas Carol in 3-D. We almost never get pictures with just the both of us in it anymore so we took a fun one sitting in the theater with our 3D glasses on. We had a great time and the movie was really neat! We are both looking forward to seeing Toy Story in 3D this summer and taking Noah to his first "in-theater" movie.

Snuggle Time

Noah loves snuggling with his new little brother!

Levi's Lovely Smile

We finally got a good one of Levi smiling. He is so laid back and easy going and he is such a smiley little guy. However, of course, we can't get him to when the camera is in front of his face.

Monkey Island

Last weekend we went to see my parents b/c Preston was going duck hunting with my dad. The boys and I got to hang out with Aunt Tinney (Kristin) and Mimi (grandma). We went to a place called Monkey Island which is only about 10-15 minutes away from where they live. It is literally a "monkey island" in the middle of someone's pond. They place is actually an exotic animal refuge for all kinds of abandoned animals. People come to watch the monkeys play from the side of the road. It was pretty neat! We saw monkeys, llamas, and crocodiles. They have other animals too but you can't see them from the road. The monkeys were putting on a good show for us.

More Halloween Fun

Here is Noah in the big red hat that my dad bought for me when I was in 3rd/4th grade. He wanted to wear it with his Woody costume. These pics are from "Trunk or Treat" at our church on Halloween. He made an adorable Woody and went around saying "There's a snake in my boot!". It was pretty cute.

Halloween Fun

The night before Halloween Noah, Levi, and I had some friends come over for a while while Preston was doing a men's fellowship event w/ church. I had mentioned to my friend,Christine, that I had never carved a pumpkin. So she brought over her pumpkin carving tools and we went to work. Her 5 year old son is Noah's favorite and best friend. Easton is like a big brother to Noah, and I couldn't ask for a better example to Noah than him. Here they are posing for the camera after we finished the "ghost" on the pumpkin.

Just a Few Pictures

Here are just a few pictures of the boys. Levi's got a nice "little" belly on him. Noah loves his new little so much. We were driving in the truck the other day and when we turned around her was sitting up against Levi's car seat just admiring him. Noah loves talking abot how cute Levi is. He is a wonderful big brother.





And, of course, here are the Halloween costumes. Noah is Sheriff Woody and Levi is a Zebra.

Visitors from a Far Away Land

Last weekend we had some visitors from a far away land come to see us. Uncle Chip and Aunt Rachel from Albequerque, NM came just to see us and spend time with their new nephew. We had a great time! We went to the Runge Center in Jeff City (conservation center) and got Noah on the great big bullfrog, which we've never managed to do w/o him wiggin' out on us. It was also Levi's first trip there...yeah, he slept through the whole thing.



The next day we went to Herman, MO which was Octoberfest and visited a winery place since we had never been to one. We also had a good time just hanging out at the house.



Chip decided to join in w/ Noah and do the silly squinty "CHEESE" face for the picture. See any resemblence w/ these 2?

Poop for Pennies!

So I know it probably sounds gross or weird, but for the last month Noah has been earning pennies for pooping in the potty. Just about every kid "regresses" at some point when their potty training. Noah had about a month ago too, a few weeks before Levi was born. We were pulling our hair out because not only could we not get him to poop in the potty (which was the only thing holding him back from big boy underpants most of the summer), but he decided peeing in the potty wasn't important anymore either. Finally, Preston and I decided to try giving him pennies for going poop in the potty b/c he showed an interest in having his own "money" no matter what kind of coin it was. So about a month ago we started giving him about 2 cents each time he did #2 in the potty. It was slow at first, then once the ball got rolling with it and with some additional help from family while I was in the hospital having Levi, we had a break through. Now he poops at least 4 times a day IN THE POTTY!!!! Needless to say he earned enough pennies in the last month to buy his first car! We took him to Walmart yesterday and he picked out his very own '67 Mustang Hot Wheels(Shelby GT). I was very proud ('67 Mustang was my 1st real car). He was super excited! Today he got to wear big boy underpants again for the first time in a few months.

Fall is Here!

Here are a few newer pictures of Levi with his big brother. To explain Noah's goofy faces, he has learned to say "Cheese" everytime he sees a camera pointed in his direction whether you tell him to say it or not. When he says Cheese he scrunches up his entire faces and looks really goofy. I have to try to take the picture when he's not expecting me to now in order to try to get a normal face or smile. He is such a Ham! A few of these are the boys in front of our house after we got our pumpkins for the season.

My Little Painting Picaso

Okay, so here is one of those "Are You Kidding Me!!!!" moments every parent will have with their toddler eventually. Last Friday afternoon Preston and I had both just returned home from different places. I had Levi with me and Preston had Noah and Nick (and boy in our youth group). Preston sent Noah downstairs to play in his play room while he and Nick were getting things ready to go to Fulton's homecoming football game and while I was taking care of Levi so the boys and I could head into Columbia. After about 10-15 minutes I headed downstairs to make sure Noah was ready to go and if you look at the pictures below you will see what I found. Noah had gone into his bathroom and gotten into pink paint and tried painting his bathroom! This was partially my fault because I hadn't moved all the sample paints we used to paint his room with a month ago. He had never even tried messing with it before and all but 2 of the paint containers have big screw on lids that he can't open yet anyway. He found one of the 2 acrylic craft paints with the flip-top lid to use. He poured it into a cup I had used to mix paint with and then found 2 smaller paint brushes to paint with. He had no paint on his hands (luckily), and had proceeded to paint his face, one spot on the jacket he had been wearing, the bathroom door, counter, toilet, bath tub, baby bath tub, waste basket, door frame, sink, and a few other nooks and crannies. Luckily everything that had paint on it was a hard surface (except his jacket) and came off almost entirely. There are 1 or 2 spots that still have some residue but you wouldn't know if I didn't point it out.






Immediately one tip came to mind that my mom gave me a long time ago, "Take the picture first while they are still smiling about what they did, then spank them." This picture was one of those moments for my mom.

Baby's 1st Bath at Home

I don't have any super recent pictures to share yet because my memory card is full on my camera, but I'm headed out today to buy a new one so I don't miss Kodak moments. Here is a couple pictures from over a week ago when Levi had his first bath at home with big brother Noah.
Levi is 2 weeks old today and is absolutely wonderful! So far, he is much much more laid back than Noah ever was. Noah is still the one that requires most of my attention. I love my boys!

Levi Tobias Thompson is Here!

Well, here he is. We welcomed Levi Tobias into our family on September 24, 2009 at 12:30 this afternoon. Everything went as smoothly as could be expected. He and I are both doing great. He weighed 8.12 lbs (our big boy) and 20 inches long. Noah absolutely loves him and just wants to sit with him in his lap and give Levi smoochies. Noah is going to be a great big brother. He can't keep from smiling when Levi is around.

Getting Ready for #2

The last 2 weeks I have been on hypermode trying to get ready for boy #2. It's amazing how much of a different mind set you have when you already have one kid. I was preparing months in advance for Noah. This one...well, reality didn't set in as quickly until I started going to the Dr about every week. I didn't have much to prepare anyway since we're having another boy and have practically everything we need.
I've been wanting to paint Noah's room like the Fisher-Price "rainforest" theme since we moved into the house, but its so detailed we've been putting it off. That is until 2 weeks ago. Noah and baby brother will be sharing a room eventually so I just decided, lets get 'er done. The room is about 3/4 done, the last little bit can be done whenever. The room looks done which is the important part. So here are a bunch of pictures before furniture is put in place and afterwards.