Motorcycle Dude!

SAC

Colin has started his second season of soccer and we are hopeful he will participate more. John decided to be the coach of the team and has now completed one practice (rainforest theme) and really enjoyed it. Colin has 3 other buddies from school on the team and it has helped him get on the field to play. Carson would love to be a part of the team and I had trouble keeping him off the field... "My want to play soccer too."

Stink Bugs

These little critters are everywhere. The boys have been catching them all over the house and they are such a nussiance. The stink bug got it's name because of the pungent odor it gives off if stressed or squished. The bugs are concentrated in PA. NJ, and MD and we have seen our fair share of them.

August 2010

Where has this summer gone? I can't believe it's already Labor Day weekend. Our weekends have been busy and the boys are growing up so fast. They have endless energy and love doing anything outdoors. Carson has recently changed into The Goddard School and it has been a hard adjustment so far, but we hope with time it will get better. Colin is enjoying his new teachers and only has 1 year left before Kindergarten. John is excited football season has started and I have been overwhelmed with work and hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Below is a recap of August.

John and I drove to Charlotte, NC for Shawn and Noelle's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding on the lake and we had a great time. Noelle was beautiful! We got to see Kara and meet her new baby girl, Julia!






Richard and Victoria got married the following weekend and Madi, Ave, Colin & Carson were in the wedding. The girls did a wonderful job walking down the aisle, however, Colin & Carson decided it was a good time to throw a tantrum. They sat outside for the wedding. Although they looked cute, we were disappointed they didn't make it down the aisle. Colin is not a big fan of having attention on him.






Ahhh, The Howard County Fair... Tractors, Animals, Rides and food!!




We took a weekend trip to Rehobeth Beach with the boys and had a great time. We spent most of the day on the beach and had Colin and Carson jumping the waves. We are spoiled with the beach in OBX, as the beaches in Rehobeth are so crowded and have some interesting people watching. John and I even had time to relax when both boys fell asleep on the beach. The Boardwalk that night was fun with ice cream and glow swords for the boys.

CF Walk

This was the 3rd year we participated in the Cystic Fibrosis walk with a dear friend of ours that lost her cousin to CF. Colin also has a friend with CF that we admire for his strength and courage. The CF Walk is for such a great cause and we hope they find a cure soon.

OBX 2010

4th annual trip to the Outer Banks, NC and 4 generations of family. We look forward to this trip all year and we had great weather and a great time. The kids love hanging out with their cousins. Sun, ocean, sand, pool, tattoo's, crabs, movies, food, beer, naps and no work for 1 week.... = FUN!!!!

Camping

John and Colin went on an overnight "intro to camping trip" sponsored by the county. They had a camp fire with hot dogs, s'mores, and marshmallows. Colin wanted to sleep in daddy's sleeping bag while John slept in Colin's. The following morning (up @ 5:30) they went on a nature hike through the woods. Overall, it was a great first experience. Carson and I made it through the night all snug in our beds at home!! We have a family camping trip planned in July with some friends in PA.

Hershey Park

The Ueltschy's and Spitz's took a day trip to Hershey Park over Memorial Day weekend. We were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too crowded. The kids had a great time and we were shocked that Colin thought riding the roller coasters were "AWESOME". Ave and Colin were attached at the hip and rode almost every ride together and Madi didn't understand why she had to ride by herself :-( Carson went with the flow and enjoyed the rides he was tall enough for and took a 45 min Siesta in the shade. Kids slept the whole way home (except for Chatty Carson). We may have to make the trip a Memorial Day tradition.

"Burn Daddy.."

It pains me to put this in my blog, but it is something we will never forget. Carson (a.k.a Mr. Accident Prone / Dare Devil) decided to try and put a piece of corn on the grill like daddy was doing after he was told not to go near the grill. He snuck around John and burned his wrist. It was soooo sad and looked so painful. Poor Carson cried for 2 nights. It itched, it burned, it blistered, it was painful for Carson and for us to see. He has had weekly doctor appointments and they wanted him to see a plastic surgeon, but the burn is healing very nicely and we think there will be minimal scarring. We had morning and evening sessions of wrapping the burn and treating it with ointment and I will tell you, Carson is a TROOPER. The first 2 days were rough and he was well aware of what was going on, but he was so strong and brave throughout the whole process. We have spent lots of money in first aid products this month.

Girls Weekend!

I went to Charleston a few weekends ago and got to spend time with my dear friends from college. Kelly flew in from SFO who I haven't seen in over a year and I am always amused by her wild and crazy stories. She was my date for the weekend and she did my hair and make-up which I love. I got to meet Deanna's new baby, Kelly.. he is absolutely adorable and Trista is so beautiful. They have such a good looking family and I think they should have more babies!! I stayed with Layla and Dustin and we went to Folly Beach to watch them run in a 5K. I had a GREAT weekend and I thank John for being Super Dad and staying home with the boys :-)

2 Stitches

I am sad to report our first trip to the ER for stitches. Poor Carson fell off the couch and gashed his lip. John and I debated on whether to take him, but after the blood and tears we knew he may need stitches. I have such a weak stomach, so John had to take him and he said Carson was such a trooper and showed all the nurses his belly that he is so proud of. He came home with 2 stitches and he gets them out tomorrow. He keeps pulling on the string and says "Boo Boo Hurts". I hope it doesn't scar. His mishap hasn't deterred him from being a monkey and climbing everywhere. You can tell from his picture that he was happy as could be after his trip to the ER. That's my Carson!!

Happy Mother's Day

I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's day. The boys let me sleep in until 9am and they gave me a nice certificate for a massage. Then to my surprise the 3 of them vacuumed the house which was pretty cute. I treated my mom to a nice mani and pedi and the day ended with a lovely dinner. I'm so blessed to have such a great family and I'm honored to be the best mom I can be to my sweet babies, Colin and Carson!

Colin's Birthday Party

We are still recovering from Colin's birthday party 2 weeks ago! It was a huge success and quite the event. All of Colin's friends from school came and family and friends. We had a tractor pinata, moon bounce and water balloons and enough pizza for everybody to take a home a large!! It was about 90 degrees that day and it was HOT!! I think everybody had a good time and Colin was happy to share his birthday with 75 of his closest friends!!

Dear Colin

Dear Colin,
As you turn 4, I look back and remember all the memories we have shared. Thinking back, I cannot imagine my life without you. I knew from the first days of your life that you were somebody special. What I didn't know then, that I know now, is just what a miracle having children are and how much you have enriched our lives.

When we took you home from the hosipital I was definately scared. I didn't know what to do with a little baby, but it wasn't long before you taught me everything I needed to know. I was able to figure out what "cry" meant you were hungry vs. tired vs. a wet diaper, etc. The different stages and milestones in the first year are incredible and there wasn't one you didn't hit. You were walking at 9months and could do you ABC's by 1 year. I was amazed at how smart you were in just a short amount of time.

The terrible two's were hard on us all! There were many time outs and tantrums and there still are ;-) I sometimes think you are too smart for your own good! However, I do believe you know right from wrong and sometimes you just like to push our buttons. You have grown and matured into a sweet little boy. Your teachers at school say you are the class clown which I sometimes find hard to believe as I find you shy like me!! Your sense or humor is unique like no other.

You have given me a greater appreciation for John Deere tractors and country music! You may just be a farmer when you grow up. I'm not sure how long you will want to keep you room green, but I love seeing you develop your own style.

Happy 4th Birthday to my oldest son! You are loved by all of us and are so special.

Crabs with the Girls

Taryn, Seri, Noelle and I got together on Saturday night for some crabs. We had a great time catching up and the crabs were delicious. It was a little cold outside so we all ate in our garage. We missed you Kara! Taryn is showing a little 6-month baby bump and is cute as can be. Loved seeing pics of her new house in Charleston. Noelle is getting ready for her wedding in August and is settling down in NC. Seri and Doug were adorable sharing lumps of crabmeat.

Now, let the stress begin... 2 weeks until Colin's 4th birthday party. He wanted the party at our house so he could show all his friends his "green" room. John Deere tractor theme party..of course! The invites are out to about 75 people and I will be a nervous wreck until after the party. I'll be checking the weather constantly. I'm not a big planner/entertainer, so wish us luck!

Easter Weekend

What a busy weekend. The weekend seemed to start a bit early because the weather has been so nice. We went from winter to summer and it may hit 90 degrees this week. Colin had his first sleepover at Grandma's house on Thursday and I think they both had a good time. Bowman got his electric fence put in on Friday and he has not been happy about it. He's still learning his boundaries, but I think it was good decision. Saturday morning we had soccer practice for Colin. 3rd week and he still has not gotten over his fear of playing with the other kids. It's frustrating at times, but he is so shy and we hope next weekend will be better. We then went to DC for the Cherry Blossom festival with the Moses family and Sanders family. We only stayed a few hours because it was so crowded. Church on Sunday and brunch at Grandma's house followed by an Easter Egg hunt at Courtney's house. The kids got lots of Easter treats and I have been happily eating their candy and chocolate.