KeepUp with the Thompson's

Deanna Rose Farmstead Day

2011-04-28T17:50:00.001-07:00

We got to the Deanna Rose Farmstead a few minutes early so we played on the playground outside the gate until they opened. What better way to start the day?

Here is me, demonstrating to Noah my professional cow milking ability. Yes, to clarify, it is a fake cow. And yes, water comes out of the utters, but only when you do it correctly.

Checking out the goats. They have TONS of goats.

We fed the little bitty goats bottles of milk. Levi was brave about it until they started jumping on him and fighting with each other over the bottle. So I had to hold him sideways. Oh yeah, and he only put the bottle in his own mouth 2 or 3 times (NASTY).

Levi says,"Where's my gun? Its TURKEY SEASON!!"

Going for a Ride

2011-04-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Independence Mall has a mini train you can ride around the lower level, so Aunt Tinney took both the boys on a fun ride. We would've been broke if they had these kind of attractions when I was a kid. The only mall "attractions" we had to look forward to were Santa and the Christmas train (that went in a small oval) and the Easter Bunny.

Noah was one lucky little boy and got to ride a horse at the Deanna Rose Farmstead for the second time. Later the same day he went on his first official motorcycle ride with Papa K. He held on super tight and had his own size helmet and sunglasses on too.

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Now that the Easter celebration is over, I hae to post all the pics from the boys dressed up and looking for eggs and such. Its not complete till I do I guess.
The boys were all spiffied up for church. Of course, we couldn't get pictures taken until we got home from church. The mistake here is that Levi messed through his dress pants, then messed through his spare sweatpants while at church. He came home bare legged, but we threw on his dress pant long enough to snap a few quick pictures.

Here is the egg hunt. Really EGGciting, I know! Noah was a great big brother and let Levi find quite a few with the help of daddy. Levi could care less about the candy inside, he thought they were shakers to make noise with. I still found 1 or 2 a day later that they never found.

Family Fun Day

2011-04-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

So over the past year or so Jefferson City has been working on building a pedestrian/bike bridge adjoining the vehichle bridge that crosses of the Missouri River. Noah has been anticipating this forever it seems. IT finally opened recently so we threw the family in the Swaggerwagon and headed down to walk across The Bridge. We watched tree stumps float under us and watched a train ride through and under. The train was just about the best part for both the boys. The boys now have the nicknames Chug Chug (Levi) and Choo Choo (Noah), because they both refer to trains differently (the names corresponding with their sound).

After we hopped back in the van, we drove over to show Noah where the original Missouri River Bridge use to be. We had a train pass right in front of us. It was great!

New Season, New Blooms

2011-04-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today we were able to get all our plants, bushes, and other landscaping/gardening essentials. Sutherlands has GREAT springtime sales each year so I always anticipate going. However, in years past the sale is usually 2-3 weeks too early for planting so my plants have to go in and outside everyday until its time to plant. This year the timing was perfect! We were able to buy and plant the very same day (and actually had the weekend free to do it too!). Two summers ago Preston built the flower beds along the front of the house, last year we filled them with dirt, this year we filled them with flowers. I was very excited! We also bought our first bushes and shrubs too.
Here is the progression of planting for those of you that might be interested (a limited audience I'm sure).

Here are the boys "helping" us. Clean up was extensive when we finished.

The planting continues...

The finished product, of course the pictures don't do it justice.

Thats 91 impatience, 45 alyssums, 8 dusty millers, 8 petunias, 6 elephant ear bulbs/stalks, 6 hostas, 4 burning bushes, 3 azalias, 2 red dragons (thats what I call them), 2 lilacs, 2 spikes, 2 hanging baskets (impatience),and a couple others of which names escape me. Not to mention we planted 3 tomato plants today and the seeds for lettuce, carrots, green beans, zucchini, spinach, cilantro, and pumpkins (as an experiment) last weekend. Between the the two of us we made 3 trips to Sutherlands and three trips to Westlakes today. Its a good thing we live close and get reward points from both places!!!

We had major weed problems inside the flower beds due to not having anything in them last year (and it was pasture dirt). So I spent last weekend weeding and prepping them so we could lay down the weed blocker fabric, plant, and mulch today. Needless to say, its been a busy and tiring day. With the warm weather I got scorched too. Preston and I are very excited about it all and have had alot of fun doing it all. The great thing is that for the first spring since moving to Fulton, Preston is not coaching baseball so he has actually been home to help get it all done. He's the BEST! Everythings puney right now but give me a couple weeks and she'll be a bloomin' big!

A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Sue and Short Fletcher for kindly gifting us with the hostas and elephant ear starters! This wonderful couple holds a dear place to our heart and blesses us in so many ways, especially with watching our two onrey boys regularly.

Another Catch Up Post

2011-04-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

March is a very busy month for us. Mainly because of all the family birthdays that we have going on (not to mention the friends birthdays too). So here I am, trying to catch up on my lack of blogging yet again.

Earlier in March we had a decievingly warm couple of days. We were able to meet up with one of Noah's older best buddies, Easton, and one of my best buddies Christine (aka, Easton's mom). We took them for a ride on our church's newer "people mover" since they hadn't been on it yet...really exciting I know. I think if you look hard enough, you can see Levi helping Preston drive it in front of our house.

We took our friends on a ride through town and decided to stop at William Woods Univ and see their horses (its an equestrian school).

We also celebrated Noah's 4th birthday on March 13th (5 days after mine). We kept it very low key this year, I figure we will throw a big party next year with all his friends. Honestly, I didn't want to mess with it this year. We spent his birthday at home (it was on a Sunday)and took him to Bonkers (kinda like tunnel town) the next day. Here he is showing off his 2 big gifts from us, a Red Rider BB gun and his first big boy bike (complete with training wheels).

The day we went to Bonkers, March 14th, we got 8 inches of snow in Fulton, CRAZY!!!

On March 16th our new little nephew, Hunter James, was born to Anna (Preston's sister) and Jake. He is adorable! He had lots of cute blonde hair and was a little booger at less than 6 lbs. Here are pics from us visiting him the day after, on St. Patrick's day, hence the reason we're all wearing green. One of these is Preston and Levi chillin together, kinda funny.

The weekend after that Levi, Noah, and I all shared a nasty intestinal bug that of course took me the longest to get over. Levi seemed to have it the worst simply b/c his "toilet" is his diaper so whatever it didn't hold went everywhere else. We had to say "bye bye" to his "bear bear" because of this. Levi has 2 "bear bears" the one pictured is the one my mom gave me when we found out we were expecting Noah. However, Noah has never cared to snuggle with anything so it got zero use until we had Levi. Then Levi always slept with it (or the other one) and carried it around the house. It had a disasterous encounted with Levi's bug, got washed twice, and finally thrown away because there was no getting the smell out. And we all know, where there's still a smell, there's still something there.

Lastly, we have several pictures from us doing fun stuff outside. Levi is at the age where whatever he sees Noah do, he does. Monkey see, monkey do. This is a good teachable time for Noah to learn how to be a good example for his brother. Anyhow, March warmed up a little off and on and we were finally able to go outside to play.

And in April we were finally able to get out the bike and trailer. Yesterday I rode all over the place with it including the school and the park. Of course, it is Fulton, and nothing is really THAT far away. We have some decent hills near our house though and so it still gives a decent workout. Noah was very excited that I picked him up from preschool on the bike. He LOVES being pulled in this thing and I think Levi is really enjoying it too. This bike trailer is definitely one of the best investments we've made for the boys at this age! The sun was in their eyes so these pics are not the best.

Last but not least, I took the boys to Sault's Drugstore (downtown Fulton) where they have an old fashion soda fountain setup, complete with a train that rides around near the ceiling. We haven't been yet this year so we shared some ice cream and the boys loved watching the train. This was the first time Levi was old enough to even care there was a train and he kept pointing and saying "Chug Chug" as he watched it go around and around. As you can see in the ice cream picture, Levi knows that if he stands there with his mouth open long enough someone will put something in it. He's our little birdie.

Wow! Its been a while!

2011-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

I guess I've been a little lazy with my blogging lately. I will attribute that to being busy with the more important things in life, like making sure I'm not ignoring the boys while trying to blog. Yeah, thats my excuse. Also, I've been bad about not getting pictures taken much lately, especially since getting our smartphones back in July. My computer has been getting some much needed rest. Now that I can do most things internet and camera related on my phone, I've been slacking. Sorry to those of you that care (my wonderful sis-in-law, Lauren, who helpfully reminds me from time to time).

In the words of Noah, "Waaellll" (drawn out "well"), not too much exciting has been going on with us lately. Staying very busy though. Our church has been going through many changes lately and many anticipated changes in the future. All of which are primarily positive. Our senior pastor of 32 years retired in December and the 3rd floor of the church has been under renovations for months and is finally finished (minus a few fixtures). These two events combined have left Preston exceptionally busy. The church has just hired a transitional pastor for a 12-18 month period (approx) to aid the church in continued growth as we adjust to having a loved pastor leave and look forward to what is in store for the future of our church.

Preston's "work" life has lessened to a degree in the last week so we took advantage of a much needed "Daddy Day" on Friday and went to a park that had huge tractor tires to climb on. I was able to snap a few shots of my 3 favorite guys!

Noah still likes to take pictures with his mommy. I'll take it as long as it lasts! He also still loves to pose :p

Levi is finally big enough to thoroughly enjoy swinging and exploring on his own at the playground. Noah loves to monkey around, and LOVES to play with his little brother! Hence the reason he is in a baby swing (next to his brother) instead of a regular one.

Levi loves to do what his big brother does. He sees Noah trying to wear Mr. Potato Head glasses, so he wants to do it too. He put these on by himself and did a pretty good job too!

Levi is developing quite the little independent personality, as you might imagine from an almost 17 month old. We get a kick out of his "goofy grin". If we tell him to do his "goofy grin" he scrunches up his little nose and eyes and gives a big toothy smile to be silly. Noah likes to try and imitate it. They crack each other up!

I can hardly believe Noah will be 4 in just a few weeks! Hehas grown up so much in the last 6 months. I keep hearing people (mostly on FB, but others also) ask why the 2's are called terrible when the 3's seem so much worse. Honestly, the 3's have been waaaay better for Noah (overall) than the 2's. Obviously, there are different struggles, difficulties, and it hasn't been a piece of cake, but we definitely have seen so much growth and maturity (to a 3yr old degree) in him. We get the question "Why?" or "Why not?" constantly now along with "Watch this!", "I HAVE to tell you something!", and "MOM/DAD, Levi's doing...". I love hearing my kiddo say my name, but gotta admit there are some days when I could do with half as much "MOM!"

Noah has also been wanting to help out more and do things himself (responsibility in training). This morning I woke up to him already dressed from head to toe, shoes, hat, and all. The only thing I added was a long sleeve undershirt because it cooled way down, he got spoiled by the nice weather this last week. I went downstairs to get Levi out of the crib and to my surprise Noah had already laid out clothes for Levi to wear also. He didn't do too bad matching things up either. The only thing I would've changed was Noah's red hat with the orange shirt, but hey, after all that who wouldn't indulge that one little fashion faux paux? Anyhow, this is how they looked when Noah was done with them both. (Levi was fussing b/c mommy had just walked out to feed the dog and came back in to take this picture, he couldn't calm down quick enough).

Chocolate Chip Challah Bread

2011-02-01T15:12:00.001-08:00

This bread was super easy considering I have never made bread before. It makes ALOT too! My loaf was at least 18in long and about 6-7in wide. It was very yummy! I got this out of my Food Network Magazine.

Ingredients:
2 packets active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1/2 c. sugar, plus a pinch
7 c. flour, plus more for surface
1 Tb. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. veg. oil
1 c. chocolate chips

1. Mix yeast, pinch of sugar, and 1 cup warm water in small bowl, then set aside while measuring out other dry ingredients.
2. Whisk 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt in large bowl. Pour yeast mixture and stir w/ wooden spoon. Add 1 egg, veg. oil, and 1 cup warm water; stir until combined. Stir in remaining 3 1/2 cups flour until dough starts to come together. Mix in choco. chips.
3.Knead dough on floured surface for about 8minutes until smooth. Place in large oiled bowl and cover w/ plastic wrap for 1-1 1/2 hrs until doubled in size (in warm room/place).
4. Divide dough into 3 equal portions, ball up then roll each into long 2in wide strand. LAy side by side on wax paper and pinch 1 end together.
5. Braid 3 strands and pinch together at opposite end.
6. Keep loaf on wax paper and place on top of baking sheet. Mix 1 egg with 1 Tb of water, then brush over entire loaf. Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
7. Enjoy!

Cheesy Potato Soup

2011-01-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

I had a few people ask for my Cheesy Potato Soup recipe. Honestly, I've never made it before today (other than opening a can of Campbell's). I googled cheesy potato soup and found tons of recipes but of course I couldn't find 1 that met my tastes, my families taste (except Preston, who eats anything, love ya), or had what I had in my kitchen pantry/fridge. So here is more-or-less how I made it.

6 medium potatos - diced
2 chicken boiullon cubes
1 can of evaporated milk, (I'm sure regular milk would do just as well)
1/2 lb cooked bacon, cut up small
1 cup of broccoli, cut up extra fine
4-6 oz of velveeta, cubed
pepper to taste
salt to taste (be careful, the bacon & cheese makes it pretty salty, taste before adding)
flour or cornstarch to thicken as you prefer

I boiled the potatoes, then drained about 1/2-3/4 of the water. Added evaporated milk, 2 chicken boiullon cubes, and velveeta. Heat over medium heat until cheese starts to melt, then add bacon and broccoli. Let everything get warm and melty, stirring almost constantly. Add conrstarch or flour to thicken as you like it, or milk to thin it out. Heat until the broccoli is tender. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Most recipes called for onion (which I refuse to eat, nasty!), celery, some for carrots, garlic (Preston complains I put too much in all the time, you can't go wrong with it in my opinion). Basically, I just took what I liked and what my family (mainly kids) would eat and went with it. It turned out great! It made approx. 3/4 a 5qt pot full, or about 5-6 bowls full.
If you try it, ENJOY!

The Best Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

It has been too long since I've updated my blog. We've done alot since then, but I really haven't taken very many pictures since our trip to WA and NM the first of October. Even then, I had sooooo many pictures it was impossible to narrow them down to just a few.
We have been anticipating this snow for about 4-5 days now and its finally here! We have at least 4 inches and its the perfect sledding and snowball fighting kind of snow. This is definitely been the best Christmas Eve to date!

Here is our own little Winter Wonderland in our backyard.

We ventured down to the park on the 4-wheeler this morning to catch the best sledding snow. Jezebel ran alongside us and we had an amazing time with our own little family! I look forward to seeing these pictures again years down the road when the boys are grown. We had so much fun!

Levi had a pretty good time with the snow, as long as it stayed off his face. He enjoyed the sledding and the 4-wheeling.

Unlike years past, Noah was REALLY into sledding, snowballs, and snow angels. He had a blast!

Mommy and her boys!

Daddy and his boys!

Our Wonder Dog, Jezebel. She LOVES eating snow and jumping 5 feet in the air for snowballs (she really jumps that high, no joke).

Of course, the whole family...and the dog who doesn't sit still :)

Birthday Events!

2010-09-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Friday, Sept. 24th, was Levi's 1st birthday! We started the day with birthday pancakes, then went to a park to play and go for a family walk. Afterwards, we went to the Runge (of course, one of our fave places) and then to lunch where we brought birthday cupcakes. Levi loved his cupcake so much he was aboslutely distraught when we took it away (as you can see in one of the following pictures, you'll know it when you see it). Later that day, we went to Dairy Queen and let Levi ride facing forward for the first time. He couldn't stop smiling and pointing at everything (which he does ALOT). After ice cream (yep, more sugar), he came home and opened one present, his swing. Preston plopped him in it and swung him back and forth in his arms. Levi loved it and couldn't stop squealing with excitement.

The next day, we had his party with all the family that could come. We had an awesome birthday party with lots of nice gifts, hugs, cake, ice cream, and love. He dug right into his cake (after the cupcake practice round the day before). Both boys had tons of sugar over these 48 hours, but it is an extremely rare treat (especially for Levi at this point).

Year in Review...

2010-09-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

So I decided to sit down and pull some pictures in the order they were taken over the last year. Levi has grown sooooo much! It never ceases to amaze me, even after experiencing it with Noah already (and still). I'm not a wordy or descriptive person when it comes time to blogging, I just enjoy sharing our family through pictures and short descriptions. I like it short and sweet. Here are a few descriptors of my Levi: very content, happy, smilely, loveable, content, cuddly, sweet, friendly, content (did I mention content?). Levi can light up a room with his smile. The few times he's fussy is when he is teething or when big bro loves him "too much" (aka knocks him over when huggin him, etc.). Levi does everything at his own pace, such as standing which he did for the first time a week ago (but only holding furniture). Words can't describe how much our family loves him and how much he adds to our family! Noah loves him immensly and Levi wants to be anywhere that Noah is. Enjoy a few of the pictures I pulled from this past year!

Canoeing Down the River

2010-09-19T18:36:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went on a float trip with a bunch of Thompsons. We went down to the Maramec River and stayed in a Ranch House with 16 people. Noah had a blast on his first canoeing adventure! Levi was along for the ride, since he couldn't go canoeing yet. However, Levi did pull up to his feet for the first time by himself while we were on the trip. I know several people who have babies 3-5 months younger that are aready doing that, but I've said it before, Levi is very content and does things at his own pace. Here he is making faces at me through the pack 'n play.

Here we are getting ready to lauch for our first canoe trip with Noah. It took about 3 1/2 hours total. Noah was excited to get going but was white knuckled holding onto the bar in front of him b/c he saw his great Aunt Sandy and Uncle Doug tip over within a minute of launching and then Papa T. and Uncle Jake tipped alongside of them. Sorry to those that went with us, but Preston and I were definitely the "more experienced" canoers. After about an hour or so Noah finally loosened up. We were Turtle Hunting while in the boat. That was Noah's job, to look for turtles that were sitting on treestumps sunning themselves. We saw TONS of turtles and one snake. It was funny because Jake (my sis-in-laws hubby) had just gotten done saying that the water was too cold for snakes, we went around a bend, and what do you know, a snake swimming in the water! Funny!

Here is one stop along the way. The water is springfed so its cold, but it was warm enough outside to feel nice. Noah had fun exploring.

Here are a few family members from the trip.

Noah is looking through the water, at the end of the trip, trying to find good "throwing rocks".

These butterflies were awaiting our return at the end of the float. They were everywhere!

Noah is showing me a butterfly he caught. This is the first one he has caught 100% on his own! It was very monumental that he was stealthy enough to sneak up on it and pick it up by its wings like he was taught to do at the Runge Center a few weeks ago.

Meramec Springs Park

2010-09-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Friday we were able to drive down to Meramec Springs Park. I had never been there before, Preston had and wanted to share it with myself and the boys. We had a wonderful day! The weather was absolutely perfect! We got to feed the trout, learn about the old iron mill and town that used to be there, and go for a long walk along the spring and the river it feeds. It was a great way to start the weekend!

More from the Runge Nature Center

2010-09-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

So, our family LOVES going to the Runge Nature Center in Jeff City. Its free, fairly close, free, lots to do and look at, and did I mention free? Noah and Levi LOVE going so they can play and check out all the little creatures they have there, both inside and outside! Sometimes there are special activities and exhibits too! This weekend they were doing a butterfly theme. They had a little butterfly tent inside so that kids could come, grab a butterfly net, catch 'em, and bring them back to put in the tent. "Noah" caught 3 butterflies, 2 of which made it back inside (thanks dad for the help). One of the butterflies was a new butterfly of the day. It was a comma butterfly which was very interesting, and of course, I didn't get any butterfly pictures either (grrr). Anyhow, both boys had fun playing with different puppets and other hands on stuff they have to do there.

Its Yucky Being Sick!

2010-09-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning, after a wonderful weekend, we were woken up as usual with Noah climbing into bed with us. After we got up, Noah upchucked all over. So I stayed home with Noah while he continued to loose his cookies all morning. In the past, when he's had a stomach bug he gets all the throwing up done and over with within about 6-8 hours. So after around lunch time he finally took a nap, stopped throwing up, and started acting like himself again...so I thought! Around 2:30 it all started back up. Every hour or longer he would lose it. Preston had an all night kickball tourney with the youth, so he left around 4:30. From 9:00pm till 4:00am Monday he was throwing up every 30-60 minutes. That means zero sleep! Preston finally decided to come home and help out (both him and me) so we could alternate sleeping and taking care of Noah. Then Monday he slept on and off all day, slowly getting better and rehydrated while Levi decided to be fussy. As of today, everyone is well, mostly rested, and doing much better! Thank You Jesus!!

Train Ride and Beyond

2010-08-24T17:55:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday we were able to take the train from Jefferson City to Lee's Summit to visit my parents for a couple days. We had been planning to bring my Mustang back to Fulton (finally) and thought this was a great chance to take the train so we didn't have to shuffle vehicles around to and from their house. Noah and Levi had to wear their conductor overalls for the train ride, which Noah thought was great! We had a BLAST!

The wait before the train arrived. Excitement was mounting! His buddy, Easton, and his parents brought us to the station so they had to get a picture together.

THE TRAIN IS HERE!!!!

We had SOOOOOO much fun on the train ride! Within 15 minutes after we departed Noah became "best friends" with two kids around his age. They played together for at least an hour before they had to get off at their destination. We brought books to read with Noah on the train, thinking he would get bored after about 30 minutes, but he never did and we didn't touch a single book (it was a 2 1/2 hr ride). Noah has been talking about the train ride nonstop since we've been back.

Saturday we went to Cabela's with dad because they were having a big sale on lots of stuff. It was PACKED but both the boys had fun looking at everything there. We got to feed some ducks and geese right outside the building and both the boys tried on coonskin caps. Levi's not much of a hat guy.

Oh yeah, can't forget Levi's first ride in the Mustang! He is inside, I haven't had the chance to get one outside the car yet. He loved it, both boys seem to like the road noise that comes with it. It actually feels like your driving a car and not just riding in a quiet bubble!

2nd Day of Preschool

2010-08-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

Well, today was Noah's second day of preschool. He was just as excited today as he was last week. When I went to pick him up I asked his teacher how he did. Her reply, "Oh, he did just fine" (with a suspicious head nod). So I inquired a little more. This time she fessed up that he did get into a bit of trouble (a relief to me she told me, b/c friends from church tend not to tell me, I think since he is the PK). She told me she had to get onto him to "think for himself" and make "his own choices". Apparently, he and his gal pal, Gabby, kept buddying up and he must have gotten in some kind of mischief. I have to say I found it somewhat ammusing, he and I did have to talk about it (luckily it was minor stuff). I had to keep my laughs to myself, but thought it was pretty cute that he had a partner in crime. They are so cute to watch together.

Preshool Orientation

2010-08-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight we got to head out to Kingdom Christian Academy (KCA) for preschool orientation. We were able to get Noah's supplies a few weeks ago (only a fraction of which are in the picture). He has been so excited for months now about going so tonight was very exciting, he starts this Thursday. I can hardly believe it! Myself along with another lady, Kathy, are teaching PE for the rest of KCA's K-8th classes. Kathy has a little girl named Gabby who will be in Noah's preschool class this year. They have had a couple days to play this summer while we worked on the equipment closet and such, and have become very good friends. In fact, their birthdays are only 8 days apart. These two are so funny together, they are two peas in a pod and absolutely adorable to watch. I had to get onto Noah a couple weeks ago when he tried to give her a big smooch. I think I would've laughed if she pulled back and socked him for it! Anyhow, we had a talk later that day about who he was allowed to smooch on.
Thursday this week is going to be an exciting day because not only does he have his first day of preschool but he is also going to go for his first real Amtrak train ride. We get to go from Jeff City to Lee's Summit for a short visit to the grandparent's house. I'll have to make sure I get pictures of that!

Another Zoo Trip

2010-08-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to going back to the zoo again, this time with Kristin. Last time we tried and got rained out. The hippos are always pretty entertaining, two of them were putting on quite the show playing and wrestling with each other while the other two were fast asleep snuggling against each other under the water. It was REALLY hot and humid, Kristin was a good sport putting up with us and our hot fun at the zoo. We were both drenched in sweat within 30 minutes of arriving (around 9:30am).

Campout

2010-07-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

So this last week went got back from all the events of the 4th of July weekend and decided to have a campout. Rather than going to the middle of nowhere we enjoyed one in our own backyard, and it was great! We cooked hotdogs and smores over our firepit. Noah caught some fireflys (HE actually caught one himself). Then to sleep we went in the tent. The smores were a hit w/ Noah, until his fingers got too sticky, then he didn't know what to do and didn't want anymore. We finally got both boys to fall asleep by 11pm...just in time for a nice thunderstorm to come through. We have a nice sturdy tent so we stayed put and stayed dry. It was a lot of fun!

This and That

2010-06-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Noah loves to help me check on my garden everyday. My tomatos are his favorite though because other than my lettuce (which just looks like leaves to him) my tomatos are the only plants growing anything as of yet. He was showing me where my "big" tomato is.

Got these super cute overalls on sale and couldn't help but get a couple pics of the boys in them. Planning on my sis-in-law, Dawn, to get a few better pics of the boys in them next week.

We took Noah to see Toy Story 3 last week for his first in theater experience. We all had a blast! And yes, this was the only picture we were able to get in a dark theater with a bright flash. Wonderful family pic I know. Also, Levi fell asleep on our couch 20 minutes before we left for the movie, we just couldn't keep him awake long enough. He went to the movie with us, and finally fell asleep during it.

The boys having bathtime together. Noah didn't know how much fun baths could be until Levi was able to sit and play in the tub with him. They LOVE baths together!

2010-06-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

After wrapping Preston's fathers day gift (monster buck hunt for Wii) I was left with just the cardboard tube. Anyone w/ a kid knows what that turns into....a toy! It was sword, a spear, and then a drum stick. Noah thought it was a blast to hit the bucket with it. Then mommy showed him how his head could be a drum too. Then we found a sucker to let him drum on...Aunt Tinney (aka Kristin). She's a good sport!

Lots of Happenings This Week

2010-06-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Noah's first driving lesson. We were on a short gravel road exiting a state park area and decided to give Noah his first driving lesson. Can you tell he was having fun? He thought it was fun to try and steer hard left no matter what. Luckily we all lived!

How I found Noah at 11:00pm the other night. Once again wearing Levi's sweater vest and a pair of 6-9 month size jeans...backwards. He's got some scrawney buns!

Of course, the summer doesn't officially start for me until I hit the lake! The boys and I went to Lotawana for part of the weekend to visit Papa K and so I could go to a friend's wedding. While we were there we all took Levi on his first ever swim. He didn't care for the life jacket (it was a touch too big). Once we got it off he turned into quite the little fishy. He really seemed to enjoy, or at least be able to "chillax" in the water. He is a good little kicker too. His brother on the other hand prefers to stay in the boat or on the shore rocks. Noah has always been squirmy when it comes time to water he can't walk or sit in. The funny thing is that Noah would scream and squaller when we tried to get him into the deeper water, but the last day there he went fishing w/ dad and fell head first out of the boat while looking in the water. Dad said that he pulled him out and asked if he wanted to go in or if he was cold (it was early). Noah said, "No, I'm okay. I'm not cold. Lets keep fishing." He won't voluntarily swim, but he will accidently swim. Go figure!

Noah finally got to ride a school bus for the first time. It took us from the Hearnes Center to the Air Show. He had a blast on the bus and thought it was so much fun!

These pictures were in/around a HUGE helicopter at the Air Show. Don't ask me what kind of heli it is b/c I have no clue (thats Preston area of expertise). Noah thought it was neat saying "hi" to the pilot.

The best part of the action that Noah, Levi, and I stayed for was the parachuters. They're the little red specks there in the sky.

The boys hanging out and tumbling around with each other.

Gotta have the baby food all over the face kind of pictures :)

Wet 'n Wild

2010-05-24T17:16:00.001-07:00

Today was plenty hot to pull out our sprinkler and play! The past few years, Noah has never been very excited about having water sprayed, splashed, or dumped on his head, until now. The other day I was hosing some stuff off in the driveway and I sprayed some water his way, he actually wanted me to keep doing it! I was very excited, so we pulled out the sprinkler and soaked ourselves. Levi joined us for his first water experience(besides baths). As you can see in the pictures, he was less than thrilled. He did better when I held him, but still wasn't too thrilled about it. I was drenched! I wanted to get more pictures, but Preston had to go out of town suddenly so I didn't have enough arms (and had to keep the camera dry too).

Rasberries!

2010-05-21T18:16:00.001-07:00

Tonight we went to McD's and were thoroughly entertained by Levi blowing rasberries! He thought it was the funniest thing he's figured out how to do in his whole little life. The video only captured a small portion of him doing this. Of course, as soon as I start videoing him we have strangers come up to admire and talk about him. What can I say, he's a people magnet and a cutie pie!

More Pics

2010-05-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

I love that my boys love each other. Preston and I pray that it lasts throughout their lives, especially while they grow up together. You can see how much Noah is enjoying being a big brother!

Tired of Rain

2010-05-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

It has rained everyday for at least a week now. I am very thankful we haven't had the flooding others have had, however, I'm ready for it to be over. Anyhow, I looked out the back door and couldn't help but enjoy the beauty that comes with the rain. Our backyard seemed as though it had a rainforest effect going on. Everything was extremely green and thick. Even though our little piece of earth is small, I love our backyard view.

Matching Outfits

2010-05-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

We went to The Children's Place this weekend and got a great deal on a these cute outfits. I was amazed we found the sizes we needed for both boys. This is the first matching outfits they've had, and its fun when they're this little to dress the alike. Noah though it was very cool!

My Veggie Garden

2010-05-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

I am making my first attemp at growing a few veggies myself. I am very excited! Noah is as excited as I am too. I planted tomatoes and broccoli from starter plants, and planted 2 types of lettuce and zucchini from seed. I am looking forward to watching them grow and seeing if I actually get anything to sprout up from them. Anyway, here is my garden box.

A Day Together

2010-04-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we were able to catch up with Dawn and Aaron and spend the day with them. We went to the zoo, until it started raining, then ventured on to the Science Museum. Then we got to see them again briefly for lunch this week as they began their travel back to Washington. They played at the park shortly and we were able to snap a few shots of mom and dad with all 3 grandsons.

2010-04-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

This was the first outting of the season on the bike! Levi's very first trip in the bike trailer. He isn't exactly big enough for it, but he had a blast on our short little ride. Everytime I looked back he and Noah were laughing and smiling at each other. It was priceless!

Easter Egg Hunting

2010-04-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Noah looking for Easter Eggs. The Easter Bunny didn't come to our house until naptime Sunday afternoon, so he woke up from nap and desparately wanted to wear his new Toy Story t-shirt and shorts that are way huge on him. Anyhow, this was the 4th egg hunt he had done this year and the only one I have pictures from. He had one at Mimi and Papa K.'s house a week earlier, one at a family friends house, one at Mimi and Papa T.'s church, and then one at our house. Boy was the Easter Bunny busy keeping up with Noah this year. He got as much, or maybe more, candy for Easter as he did for Halloween!

Easter

2010-04-04T14:03:00.001-07:00

Of course, here are our Easter pictures. Noah loves to get all gussied up, so he was having a great time showing off for the camera. All of my guys were quite the lookers today! And yes, I picked out all of their outfits, even my hubby's.

All my Boys

2010-04-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from the past week or so of all my boys, including Preston :) Oh yeah, and one of the only other female in the house, our dog Jezebel.

Noah's 3rd Birthday

2010-03-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Cars cake Noah wanted me to make.

Chuckie Cheese Celebration

Party with all the grandparents, Aunt Tinney (Kristin), Aunt Lauren, Aunt Anna, and Uncle Jake. This party was at our house a week before his actual birthday so they could all make it.

Noah is ready to go turkey hunting with Papa K this spring in the new camo he gave Noah for his birthday.

Noah's birthday day with just our own little family. We went to a supersized playplace in Columbia. It was a very special day and we had a blast climbing through everything ourselves. I love places that let adults have the same (or similar) fun as when we were kids. For me, we had Discovery Zone.

He was having a great time with his gifts from us. He loves his viewfinder and kept pointing out in space at the things he was seeing through it. It was funny. He also got a hotwheels garage that took me 1 1/2 hours to put together and put on the stickers on it. And a helmet to wear with his tricycle and big wheel.

Yes, Noah chose to have pink cupcakes for his birthday (since we had the cake a week early). He is VERY secure in his masculinity :)

Best Buddies

2010-03-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

I don't think Noah could love his little brother more. I'm gonna save these pictures in case they turn on each other later in life!

ABC's Noah Style

2010-03-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

Noah knows his ABC's. However, when he sings the song he usually goes A-B-C-D-O-M-G-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z. He skips some of the letters and then doesn't want me to help him sing it the right way. Anyway, this is how I caught him singing it one day, with his tongue sticking out. He thought it was hilarious, so I captured it for him.

Levi Talking

2010-03-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

The activity center gets Levi talking even more at times. One of these clips is him trying to tell me he wants his pacifier. The other clip is him squealing out of excitement (mostly). We love listening to our 5 month old talk.

Just Levi

2010-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

Noah has had plenty of time in the limelight, so this post is just pictures of Levi. We finally pulled out his activity station, which I've been meaning to do, but we had to make more room in our living room for it. He loves it, and just like it was with Noah, its the pooping machine. I can always count on it to clear some room in his tummy for more food.

Funny Commercial

2010-03-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know this is a weird thing to post to my blog. I can't help it though, I love these commercials. This is my favorite Ally Bank commercial because I love the little chubby boy and the expression on his face at the end. It makes me laugh everytime. Chubby little boys are so cute and funny.

Big Cousin, Little Cousin

2010-02-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Noah and Aaron had a great time together this past weekend. They wore each other out! I wish I had gotten more pictures, of course, but these were a few of my faves!

Cousin Reunion

2010-02-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

These two were trying to do a duet on Mimi's piano. Part way through I asked Noah if he was being Ray Charles, and Aaron, with his few words, said what I thought was "Yeah, Ray Charles!" Too cute! I love these boys!

Aaron was having fun getting pushed/pulled around on the fire truck. Noah just wasn't really sure when to stop.

Crazy Boys!

These two had so much fun this weekend! I don't remember why Noah wasn't wearing pants.

Whose Chasing Who?

2010-02-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

Today Preston and Noah started chasing each other around in the kitchen...but they couldn't figure out who was chasing who so they kept going round and round in circles. They did this for about 5 minutes till Noah decided he needed "saving" by supermom!

Yummy Ice Cream!

2010-02-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

We took the boys to McDonalds th other day and Noah got an ice cream cone that he was more than willing to share with Daddy and Levi. Levi enjoyed his first little taste of ice cream.

Random Pictures

2010-02-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

So here are a bunch of random pictures. I know the main reason people check family blogs is to see pictures.

Wonderful Big Brother!

2010-02-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

I told Noah this morning that we would try to go out and build a snowman sometime today, but that we had to wait until Levi fell asleep. I was doing laundry in the basement and came back upstairs to Noah singing to Levi in the cradle. When I asked him what he was doing he said he was singing songs to help him fall asleep. He kept singing God is Bigger than the Boogey Man and Rock a Bye Baby to him over and over. Both songs are compliments of Veggietales lullaby CD. It was adorable. Levi couldn't decide whether he was more entertained by Noah singing or his mobile. Anyway here it is.

Does it Fit?

2010-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so Tiana (my cuz) put a picture and story on her blog the other night about Clara finding and wearing an outfit from when she was a baby and actually fitting into it still. Well, Noah did a similar thing today so I thought I would post his experience too. This morning I laid out both of the boy's church clothes, told Noah to start getting dressed, then left the room of just one minute. When I cam back in Noah had put on his underpants, pants, and a sweater vest. However, the sweater vest was Levi's 3-6 month size vest. I could't believe he was able to get his head through it b/c they are usually pretty tight! It was on backwards and a bit too short (as you can see). He wanted to wear it instead. I just laughed and said "Too Bad!"

Levi's Look-A-Like

2010-01-28T18:40:00.000-08:00

Noah pulled out his cabbage patch doll to play with and ended up sharing it with Levi. Levi was quite entertained by it to say the least! He was acting like it was his best friend. He kept pulling it in close to him, kissin' it, and talking to it which was quite entertaining to us. Of course, when I went to take video he stopped so I'll try to get that again later this week.

Daddy at Work

2010-01-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

We went to church this week to see daddy "at work". He's had a crazy couple of weeks w/ the pastor out from knee replacement surgery. He's been doing his work plus the pastor's work. We went to give him a break and a smile. Noah and Preston were saying "PICKLES" which is one of Noah's fave things to say for the camera now, while Levi just looked on.

Ice Skating Fool!

2010-01-18T20:13:00.000-08:00

We took Noah ice skating for the first time today (it was actually a youth event and we went along). We weren't really sure how he'd like it. But he actually did very very well. I thought he might get a little wigged out or not be able to walk in the skates easily. He was a pro. He pretty much wanted to hold on to the wall or our hands the whole time, but can you blame him? I was very proud of him! My dad actually popped in last minute to see us and was able to come. Despite a hip replacement, he skated too(probably against the advice of his doctor). Noah said he definitely wants to go again. We all had fun!

And, of course, you have to have video! This was so much fun!!

Jabber Box

2010-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

Levi is becoming more vocal, in a good way. This morning he just sat on the couch and talked to me for at least 10 minutes (proabably more) just like in this clip. Yes, this might be boring to some, but grandparents might enjoy it:)

Spaghetti Night

2010-01-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

We had spaghetti night this week and Noah decided to help me grate cheese.

Levi sat at the table with us for the first time (well, in his own seat).

Noah was showing off his "man" muscles. Notice how he decided to wear his bib. Crazy kid!

Chubby Cheeks

2010-01-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Once again, here is our adorable little snugglybear. Levi loves to have something to wrap his arms around.

A couple of Pitures

2010-01-05T15:09:00.001-08:00

Nothing too exciting for this post except a couple of pictures to add. Noah got to go 4-wheel riding with Papa K. while we were up there for Christmas and had a ton of snow. He thought that was pretty stinkin' exciting!

Also, Levi is getting better and better at holding his head up. I put him in our Bumbo seat this week and he sat in it for about 5 minutes before he got tired and played with a toy in it too! He has no clothes on b/c he had just spit up all over them right before I put him in it. He still quite a chunk so rolling around still isn't on his radar yet, but we're working on it!

Hi Cousin Aaron!

2009-12-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-24T09:40:00.001-08:00

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

2009-12-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

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

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Seeing Santa Claus

2009-11-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-21T10:53:00.001-08:00

Noah loves snuggling with his new little brother!

Levi's Lovely Smile

2009-11-21T10:50:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-10T09:22:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

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.

Aaaahhhh! Vacation!

2009-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Preston and I were blessed with the opportunity to have a vacation for ourselves. My Aunt Jo and Uncle Randy in Colorado went on a 2 week Alaskan tour/cruise and wanted someone to dog and house sit while away. Kristin went for the first week, then we went and covered the second week. Preston hadn't ever been to Colorado and seen the mountains out there so this was a very exciting trip. We did all kinds of things which I will try to show w/ pictures. Things we did not get in pictures include the Denver Mint, shopping (what trip is complete w/o that?), Buffalo Bill's museum and grave, and Water World waterpark. At the waterpark we spent most time in the lazy river and wave pool, but I did find 3 water slides I was able to go down comfortably being nearly 8 mos pregnant. Actually, I didn't see any other pregnant women there, lots with little babies though. These pictures aren't really in any kind of order so I tried to label them briefly. The trip was awesome. Preston decided the Colorado is a new favorite vacation spot.

Mt. Evans behind us. We had a wonderful time getting to spend the day with them and catching up.

Mountain goats at Mt. Evans that my uncle took with his mega zoom camera lens. They were just shedding their coats in time to have to grow them out again. The fisrt snow could happen about anytime they said.

This was a restaraunt at the top of Mt. Evans and was at one time the higest structure in the world. It burnt down in 1979. My mom said she ate there once. Pretty cool.

We got to spend the last day with my aunt and uncle after their return from Alaska. They took us to Mt. Evans (14,200 ft elevation). My Uncle Randy is the one in the background behind us with the mega zoom camera and the green jacket. He took and sent us several great pictures for us from this day. My Aunt Jo is the one in the black jacket and pink pants. We were looking for mountian goats up there, which according to my aunt and uncle you can find most of the time when you visit there.

At Casa Bonita mexican restaraunt in Denver. They have an indoor waterfall and put on a show while you eat. The guy is the "cliff diver" that dives 30ft(?) below into the waterfall pool. He jumped right off in front of the table next to us.

The only elk we saw on the whole trip. Someones front yard in Estes Park.

Sightseeing Vail in the summer. There wasn't anyone around to take our picture and we left our tripod in the car so the picture of us is a split screen (hence one side being lighter than the other).

Golden, CO, Driving up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill's grave/museum, and a sign Preston want to hang in the youth room at church.

Coors Field for a Rockies games.

Loveland Pass and the Continental Divide

Preston with the dogs on the Riverwalk in Estes, big slides my siblings and I went to when we visited my aunt and uncle at the YMCA of the Rockies growing up, Locals Grill we ate at in Estes, and a mountain view from the top of the YMCA Camp.

The dog park in Estes where we took Hoot (the golden) and Charlie (the beagle).

Estes Park

Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater

Catch Up

2009-08-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm trying to catch up on a few of the events this last month. It might be kinda a hodgepodge of stuff. We gave Noah a buzz cut a couple weeks ago. He was in need of a haircut anyway, but the main thing is he has developed a cowlick right in the front. His hair has some wave to is and has gotten really thick so with this cowlick he always looked like he had bedhead. I tried everything to keep it down like water and a brush, hairspray, gel, mousse. It all lasted for maybe 2 hrs tops and then the wave in the front would come back. Here are some before and after pics and how different he looks with his buzz.

We also went up to celebrate Aunt Tinny's (Kristin's) 30th Birthday. We went to Dave and Buster's, the T-Rex restaurant, and Union Station. Union Station has a free train exhibit and Noah is all about "boy" stuff like trains, trucks, planes, cars, etc. We also went and ate at a place called Fritz's nearby that has trains all over. It actually has trains bring your food to the table.

Here is the table at Fritz's. I wasn't thinking and didn't get any pictures of the train above our heads that brings the food. There was a train that ran through the glassed in wall next to the table though (just not in my pictures of course).

Last week Preston and I took Noah to our local fire station since we know one of the head haunchos over there. We thought Noah would LOVE it! Turns out he weenied out when we actually got there. I think b/c everything was so big compared to him even the firemen were big guys. I didn't get but maybe one picture of him smiling, and I had to make him sit on the front of the fire truck for a picture. Once we left he couldn't stop talking about it though. He would go on and on about how the fireman gave him purple and yellow candy, pencils, coloring books, and a junior firefighter badge.

Noah also got to go to his first racecar event. Preston's family came up to Fulton and treated us to a Callaway Raceway race. I didn't bring anything in the raceway with me so I didn't have my camera. I was kicking myself for not remembering to grab it. Preston went out and bought Noah is own earmuffs b/c the races are pretty loud. He absolutely loved it. Noah's favorite was the pink race car, of course. What can I say, my son loves pink. Regrettably no pictures from that event.

Lastly is a short video of my manly son dancing around to The Sounds of Music's yodeling song. He loves it! Once he realizes I'm videoing him dancing he backs off a bit. The little boy I was babysitting that day got a kick out of it too.

Daddy's Birthday!

2009-07-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Preston's birthday. This was an extra special one for him b/c Noah can actually say Happy Birthday and tons of other words and sentences to describe things going on and around him. Ever since his cousin Aaron's birthday a month ago, Noah loves to go around sining "Happy Birthday to you AAAAaaaron!" So we got to insert a new name this time. Now its "Happy Birthday to you Daaaddddyyy!" We took daddy out for dinner to one of our all time favorites, Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse. One of those places where you table is around a grill and they cook/perform all your food in front of you. We had been countless times to places like these, but have never brough Noah since its kinda a special occasion only place for us. He was so excited to see the "big fire" they do on the grill and the onion "volcano" that turns into a "choo choo train". He had fun watching all the other tables do the big fire b/c they were a little bit further away, and then freaked out when they did it at our table. Luckily the "choo choo train" onion was next and that was very cool to him and calmed him down for the rest of the dinner. He had fun overall though. Anyway here are some pictures from Daddy'd Birthday Dinner and a special message to Dad from Noah.

Noah's Clubhouse

2009-07-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Preston made a play house out of this big box for Noah to play in. Then Noah got some new finger paints a couple weeks later. We decided that this was the perfect thing to try out his new paints with. He had fun playing in the paint and seeing what rocks and sticks he could mix the paint up with while I actually painted the playhouse. He did some, but the masterpiece on his body is by mom.

A few new pictures

2009-06-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I don't have much news to write about in this one, we've been very busy the last several weeks. We've had my brother's wedding, vacation Bible school, working around the house (got another room painted finally), and a bunch of odds and ends in between. Here are a few picture taken during the last 2 weeks though.
-So first I'll clarify the belly picture. I'm not the type that usually would post my big pregnant belly online unless it was done professionally, but this was kinda funny. Noah wanted to see who had the bigger baby belly (he has a "food" baby). He loves to show it off to be funny. So Preston captured this Kodak moment. Oh yeah, I was also pushing my tummy out farther too so I look a touch bigger than I actually am.

-Then we took the youth group back to St. Louis to go to the zoo and the City Museum. SO Noah tagged along. The City Museum is kinda like a huge tunnel town/obstacle course/jungle gym all built out of industrial materials. They had this ball pit full of huge rubber balls which was Noah's favorite thing besides all the gigantic slides they had.

-Lastly, Noah decided to be Bob the Builder one had and thought it was hilarious when daddy picked him up by the overalls and swung him around. He had a pullup on that provided some padding, otherwise it looked quite uncomfortable.

Trip to St. Louis

2009-05-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Preston, Noah, and I haven't been on a vacation just the 3 of us in I don't know how long. We decided to take a mini vacation to St. Louis for the weekend. We went to the Zoo, Hard Rock Cafe, Cardinals game (1st time in the new stadium), and the Arch. We all had a blast, and we are all tired now too! We went to the Zoo Friday morning. Noah had been wanting to see the lions all week long and when we got to the lions area they were hiding in the shady den (I don't blame them, it was hot and humid). Noah's favorite animals to see were the zebras, giraffes, and hippos. He loved every bit of the zoo! Here are some of the animals we saw.

We went on the train right before we left which wa cool because he had already gotten to ride the Metrolink the night before and now he got to ride another train. He kept telling everyone when we got back about getting to ride the train with the blue engine and red cars.

The next stop on our list was a Cardinals game that night. For those of you that don't know, Preston is a HUGE cardinals fan. This was Noah's first Cardinal's game and all of our first time at the new Busch Stadium. Noah was a squirmy handful which is all I'll say about that. He was asking to go home 45 minutes before the game started. Other than that it was quite fun! The video is us waiting to get on the Metrolink to go to the game. We had already been on it a couple of times but it was fun each time. Noah loved to talk about how we were in "St. Loueys" (I love the way he says it). He has also started giving us fishy kisses which is adorable! We had to get a picture of him eating a hot dog at the ball game (classic). We were on bleacher seats and were crowded in most of the game. The people sitting in front and around us were pretty understanding of our poking, touchy feely, kicking son.

I LOVE this next picture!

Saturday we went to the Arch down on the Riverfront. We squeazed into one of the egg shaped elevators and went to the top. I was the only one that had been up in the Arch before (this was my 3rd time). Noah thougt it was really cool to look out the window and see the barges, airplanes, helicopters, and trains. We got a couple shots of the new Stadium while we were up there too. It was fun.

Breaking out the Pool

2009-05-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

It was getting so warm and that good ole Missouri mugginess was kicking in last week so Noah and I decided to break out his shark pool. He was so excited that as soon as I had it aired up and filled up he hopped right in when I went to turn the water off. I figured, oh well he's already wet so he played in his clothes. I was surprised because the water was freezing and last summer he wouldn't do anything but let his feet touch the water when it was that cold.

After about 20 minutes we went inside to change into dry clothes so we could run some errands. I stripped him down and walked to his bathroom to hangup his wet clothes, and when I turned around he was gone! He runs so fast now, especially now that I'm slowing down again. He got into the basement (his rooms on the lower level too) and through the outside basement door. When I made it outside he was standing there stark naked in his pool having a ball!

Noah vs. The Lemon

2009-05-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so just about everyone has a video of their kid eating something sour (like a lemon) and making hilarious faces. Here is mine of Noah. He's done this plenty of time before but this is the first time we managed to get it on video ourselves. The silly kid actually likes lemons despite the faces he makes. He ate the entire thing! This video cracks me up everytime I watch it. Hope you get a laugh out of it too!

It's a BOY!

2009-05-08T09:23:00.001-07:00

We are having another boy. I've had tons of people asking me what I thought we might be having and my answer has been the same since before we had Noah. I've always had a feeling that we would just have boys. Well, 2 down and we'll see what happens down the road. We are happy, baby looks good and healthy. Noah's finally gonna have some competition.

4 Generations

2009-05-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Noah has had several haircuts already to this point (by mom). However, this go around he got to go to Norm's Barber Shop in Jeff City. Norm has been around for decades cutting hair in Jeff City. In fact, Preston, his dad, and his grandpa (Noah's great-grandpa) all got their hair cut by Norm. This was a milestone for the family since Norm has officially cut hair for 4 generations. And yes, Noah came out with both ears still attached (haha). For those of you who haven't met Preston's family, I'm sure you can tell which one his dad is. No resemblance at all ;)

Turning into Mr. Little Man

2009-04-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Noah has been going through some big boy changes to his routine. He just got brand new bunk beds, and yes, if you look at the pictures he is wearing big boy underpants! He is by no means potty trained...just potty training. He has been in underpants for 3 full days now except at nap/bedtime. We tried the whole pullup thing but he still new he could go in his pullups and it was no big deal. I got tired of struggling with that so we just went straight to big boy underpants. Considering he just turned 2, he is doing amazingly well. As long as I make sure he tries to use the potty every 1 1/2 - 2 hours he will use the potty w/o any accidents. So far so good on that note...hopefully by September when the next little one is here we will be potty trained! Back to his big boy bed. Words could not describe Noah's excitement about his new bunk beds! Since the beds have been put together he has been sleeping in them everynight (about 1 1/2 weeks now). Nap timeis different though. He starts in the bunk bed, but the rule is if he gets out he goes to the crib. Needless to say he hasn't had a successful naptime in it yet. He has been amazing me the last 2-3 weeks with how much he is growing and how much more responsible he is getting (as responsible as a 2 year old can be anyway). This also provides him with opportunity to be into things more too. He's learning, and thats more than enough to make us proud parents!

Easter Outfit

2009-04-26T17:22:00.001-07:00

Here is Noah in his Easter outfit. He LOVES dressing up in his "fancy pants" and "shiny shoes"!

Animals at the Farmstead

2009-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to a Farmstead/Petting Zoo place that we've been to before so here are some of the animals we got to see and feed. He also got to ride a little tractor and feed fish and pet a whole lot of other animals not pictured.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

We went to my parents for 2 days this weekend just to visit and my mom hid easter eggs for Noah. He got the hang of looking for easter eggs early for when the Easter Bunny comes to our house on Sunday. He had M&Ms inside each (most of which have to come home with us). He had so much fun that we hid them again. This video is the first time he looked for them. We had to give him hints and directions, otherwise he got bored. This video is kinda long so feel free to stop it when you get bored.

Elmo Hat

2009-04-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Noah has an Elmo easter basket that he decided makes a really fun hat. He kept saying "Elmo bunny hat, Elmo bunny hat".

Sleeping in the Car

2009-04-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

We were running errands last weekend and I turned around and found Noah conked out in this weird position. He was leaning all the way forward (as far as he could go) and holding onto his shoes. After the picture, we gently pushed him back into a more comfortable looking position.

Baby Duckies and Chickies

2009-04-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

We went to our local farm supply store to buy Noah some rubber boots so that he could play in the mud. He was very excited about getting boots, but he was more excited when we went inside and found out they had baby duckies and chickies. We went over to the bins, pulled a few out, and held them. He was kinda nervous at first, but then didn't want to leave. He wanted a baby duckie to take home to play with Jezebel (our duck hunting chocolate lab). Preston already has Noah trained to say "Shoot duckies".

Snuggle Bear

2009-03-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

This last week we have been getting home late (past Noah's bedtime anyway) for various reason and so its been hard fitting in his bathnight before bed. So yesterday we decided to just let him get up and take a shower in the morning before we went out and about. He LOVES mommy's extra large towel that he got to dry off with. In fact he liked it so much that he didn't want to put his clothes on for the day, he just wanted to sit snuggled up in the towel and watch Saturday morning cartoon's.

Nap Time Fun

2009-03-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

During the same visit to KC (see post below) Noah took a nap as he usually does in the afternoon. When we are at Mimi's and Papa's house he doesn't fall asleep as quickly b/c of all the excitement. Well, this particular nap time after over an hour of not sleeping once he layed down, he finally fell asleep. When he woke up, this is the mess he woke up with. Apparently he can reach under their crib now. There was a box of greeting cards and a box of 100 crayola crayons. He managed to pull both into bed and color away on the cards and the crib sheets. As far as I could tell, the walls and the crib were still unmarked. The next day, he had an array of itty bitty tiny rainbow colors in his diaper. OH NOAH!

Kissin Cousins

2009-03-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Noah and I were able to go to KC to see Dawn and cousin Aaron for the special occasion of a Bridal shower for our very soon to be Aunt Rachel. We had a great time seeing everybody. Due to various circumstances we have been blessed to see Dawn and Aaron more often than usual within the last 6 months or so. We try never to miss seeing them when they are in town! Anyway, I have a really hard time getting good pictures of Noah anymore because he is constantly moving, turning his head, or just not smiling at the time that I click my little camera button. Needless to say its a big event if I can get a good one of him smiling AND looking at the camera. Well here is a picture of him and Aaron BOTH smiling and looking at the camera. A true miracle!

The two cutest boys ever!

Big Boy Boo Boos

2009-03-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to a conservation center that has all kinds of fun kids stuff and walking trails. Noah had lots of fun in the kids area, so afterwards we hiked out onto one of the trails. Noah started off in the stroller, but we decided he needed to run off some energy so we pulled him out. He likes to say "Ready, set, go!" and then take off running so we let him. Preston and I could both play out in our heads exactly what was going to take place at any moment...and sure enough. He got to running so fast that his legs couldn't keep up with his feet and.....SPLAT! He got his first Big Boy Boo Boos on both knees. He has fallen plenty of times before and gotten little boo boos here and there, but these were the biggest ones yet from him playing like a big boy.

BIRTHDAY BOY is 2!

2009-03-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

So Noah just celebrated his 2nd birthday. He had several little birthday parties over the course of a week. First we went to Chuckie Cheese w/ Aunt Tinny (Kristin). He didn't really know what to think of Chuckie Cheese himself, but he did pray for him that night. He had fun putting stinky cheese on all of our pizzas. He had his own little party with an older couple at our church that absolutely adore him and then came home to a little one with just mom, dad, and baby Tristan (who I babysit). Thats the one with the elmo cupcake. Then we had one more the day after his actual birthday with grandma and grandpa Thompson along with Aunt Toot, Aunt Anna, and Uncle Jake. Thats when we had the real cake and ice cream.

A quick side note, Noah decided 2 1/2 weeks ago to try to start using the potty. So he has his own little Elmo potty seat. He'd been on it probably 30 times before he did a little tinkle, and hasn't done again yet (which was yesterday).

2009-02-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

If you don't catch it, look closer at his shirt. Nuf Said. Due Date: September 24. We thought this might be a fun way to tell you all.