New Years Eve 2008

This year we went to a hotel party in Fairlawn. So many of our friends were able to go and we had a great night! It was SO much fun to hang out with just the "adults."

Christmas Day!!

Christmas Day is finally here. It was the first year that I think Aidan really understood Santa. We left him cookies and milk and sprinkled food outside for the reindeer. He was SO excited to wake up and see if Santa had eaten his cookies and put presents in his stocking. He got a TON of toys and has been trying to play with them all.

This year was also Colin's first Xmas. He "tried" to open presents, but I think he just loved the excitement of it all. He was such a doll and just took everything in.

There was a lot of running around to see all the family, which did get exhausting with 2 small kids. I think next year we will need to cut back so the kids can enjoy being at home more.

Lake Farm Park Country Lights

Every year we go to Lake Farmpark in Kirtland for their annual Country Lights. The kids get to make a toy, visit with Santa, and take a horse ride to see the Xmas lights. This year Aidan made a race car and Colin made a fire truck. They both were able to help the "Elfs" build the toy by using the drill and hammer. Aidan then painted and decorated his race car but we left Colin's plain so he could play with it and put it in his mouth...LOL! Aidan sat on Santas lap and asked for a camera and did really well and we even got a good picture. Colin was more interested in eating than seeing Santa. It was a great evening event and we can't wait until next year:)

Xmas Tree Time!!

Today we went and bought our Xmas tree and put all the decorations on. We always decorate as a family and listen to the Charlie Brown Xmas CD(which is my fav!) Last year I bought all brand new stuff after the Holidays so we could make the tree bright, colorful, and kid friendly. Aidan had a great time with the decorations and dancing around to the music. Colin, on the other hand, wasn't too interested. He just wanted to pull on the little bells that are on the tree skirt...hehe

Aidan's Birthday Party

Today we had Aidan's 3rd Birthday party at Pump it Up. He had a great time and so did all his friends. We had a wonderful turnout, about 25+kids. They all got to jump around and then eat cupcakes and pizza. This was the first time we had a "big" party for Aidan and it went over really well.

Silly Aidan

Aidan sure has come into his own. He is such an independent little boy. Last night he got scared in his room. I went in and told him he could come lay with me(Kevin was working) and he said no! I couldn't believe he refused my offer. He has never laid in bed with us, but I thought he would. He just said, "No mommy, I'm ok in my bed." I tucked him back in and he fell asleep. He's also becoming quite the Daddy's boy too. He always wants to know where Daddy is and what he's doing. He runs to Kevin as soon as he gets home and wants to play right away. They have special games that they play and Aidan doesn't want me to be apart of. I'm just happy they have a special bond!

Colin is Standing and Cruising

Well, I don't think it will be long until Colin takes his first steps. His is pulling up and cruising on everything. He loves playing and standing under the high chair. He seems to be quite the little dare devil too. Nothing is out of his reach and he tries to crawl on anything he can. He falls a lot during the day and just gets right back up(after a few tears). There isn't much that stops him.

Aidan is 3!!

Today is my baby's birthday and Aidan is 3. I made him "piggie" pancakes for breakfast and he opened all his presents. I can't believe it's been 3 years since I had him. I remember it all like it was yesterday. We took him to dinner at Texas Roadhouse(his favorite place) with Grandma and Grandpa M. and Auntie Heather. Then we went to see Santa and the Xmas lights at Blossom Music Center. This is our yearly tradition to do on Aidan's birthday. It was a very good day;) His birthday party with all his friends will be on Saturday, Dec 6th at Pump it Up.

Check-Ups for the boys!

Both boys went to the Drs today for their check-ups. Aidan for his 3 year and Colin for his 9 month. Aidan weighs 31lbs, 4 ozs and is 36.25" tall(25th%). Colin weighs 19lbs, 12 ozs and is 28.75" long(75th%). It looks like Colin IS going to be our line backer! They both had to get flu shots and hep shots. Both cried, but got over it quickly. Our Pediatrician is SO great and said both boys are healthy and look GREAT! It's always nice to go to the Drs and get a good report. Aidan is also fully potty-trained now(except bedtime) and we're so proud of him. About 3 weeks ago we stopped diapers and he's been great ever since. He tells us every time he has to go and can go on his own too. I guess one day it just clicks and they get it:) I'm so happy to have one out of diapers.

Colin is growing up too fast!

Colin is now crawling and sitting up on his own. He is also trying to stand and pull himself up. He has a total of 4 teeth now and I can't believe he's almost 9 months. Here are some recent pics of our little guy.

Halloween Fun

It's been a few weeks since my last post and we've been really busy. Halloween was very fun for us this year. Since Aidan is almost 3 he finally got the point of trick-or-treating and really loved it. It was also Colin's 1st Halloween, so that was exciting too:) Below are some pictures of the boys dressed up...which I've been meaning to post for awhile now.

Fun-filled Weekend

We had a jam packed weekend!

Friday night we took Aidan to a football game at Perry High School. It was the homecoming game, so it was packed. Our friends Sarah, Dave, & Maddy met us up there and the kids had a great time playing.

Saturday we took Colin to sign class and he is really taking to it and learning new things. We had a clam bake that evening. It was fun to have some adult time and hang out with our friends. The food was wonderful and we stayed until 2am!

Sunday we took the boys out to Kirtland to a Halloween Fest. Aidan got to trick-or-treat and decorate a pumpkin. It was very HOT, so Colin was a little fussy and didn't get to wear his costume long. He went as a skunk and the costume is very heavy and furry. Aidan is a pirate and was SO cute and looked great.

Pumpkin Picking!

I thought I'd post a few pics of our pumpkins and pumpkin picking. Every year we go to Patterson's Fruit Farm and it's so much fun.

Update on the boys!

So the boys continue to grow and amaze us daily.

Colin said his 1st word on Sunday, which happened to be "dada." He is also very close to crawling. He gets on all fours and moves a step or two before falling. I think within the next week he's really going to be moving.

Aidan learned how to ride his tricycle and can put on his socks and shoes. He is very proud of both of these accomplishments. We also go to a weekly story/craft time at Hawkin School. He loves it there(and so do I). We will be going to the open house at the end of month and hope to get him into Preschool there next year. It's an amazing school with a lot to offer for him.

The next few weeks are going to be very busy ones. We have a lot of Halloween fun planned for the boys and some adult parties for mommy and daddy:) I can't believe how close we are to Halloween already. Aidan is going to be a Pirate and Colin is a Skunk. Both look so cute in their outfits.

Chicago Trip

I am back from Chicago and we had a wonderful time. The food and shopping were amazing and the concert brought back a ton of great memories. It was nice to get away but I missed Kevin and the boys and was ready to come home on Sunday. He had a great weekend with them and we all went to a family party Sunday afternoon.

The first picture is the view from the apartment we stayed at on Michigan Ave and the 2nd picture is all 6 of us girls out on Friday night.

My First Weekend Away

I am leaving for a ladies only weekend tomorrow morning. It will be my first weekend away by myself since I met Kevin! I am going to Chicago with 5 other girls to enjoy some shopping, dining and time away. Kevin will be with the boys all weekend by himself. It will be a first for both of us, but I am looking forward to getting away. I have the house in order, so hopefully things will go smoothly. I'll post some pics once I get back:)

Farm Park

I took the boys to Lake Farm park today in Kirtland. It was a gorgeous
Fall day. They have tons of farm animals, wagon rides and a corn maze.
The boys really enjoyed looking at the animals and being outside.

Click Photo to view more Pictures

Balloon Fair

We went to the Ravenna Hot Air Balloon Fair on Sept 20th. Our friends Karolina, Jim and their kids Michael and Emily joined us along with Grandma and Grandpa Brown. We had a great time and the Balloon's were beautiful. They had fair food and rides for the kids. We stayed until the end of the evening and they had a fireworks display. The kids were great and the balloons got so close.

Cloth Diaper Information

When Colin was born I had been thinking about cloth diapering. I talked to some friends and did some research and decided it was the best thing for us. It is very cost effective and MUCH better for our environment. Once I started I became hooked and wish I would've done it with Aidan as well. It is just as easy as disposable diapers. So, if you are interested I have included a link where you can get more information. This is where I started and this website helped me a lot. I purchased Colin's first diapers from them (Bum Genius 3.0) and they are the best! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

www.cottonbabies.com

Colin Robert

Please click on the picture to view all of Colin's pictures.

Aidan Curtis

Please click on the picture to view all of Aidan's pictures.

Kiawah Family Vacation

We went to Kiawah Island, SC again this year from Sept 6-13th. My parents and sister joined us for the week. It was so nice to get away and relax. We spent a lot of time on the beach and in the pool. We golfed and enjoyed Charleston. We visited the Aquaurium in downtown Charleston and Aidan loved it. It has been our tradition to go to the aquarium and this was Aidan's 3rd time. It's a beautiful place with a ton of sharks, fish, turtles and (Aidan new favorite) Jellyfish. It's always hard to leave Kiawah because we know it means summer is over and Fall is beginning.