Maverick and Everitt's Birthday Party

Last night, we hosted our very first birthday party for the boys! Maverick was SO excited. He was anxious for cake and candles and singing!! He even sang Happy Birthday to himself and Everett. It was a great evening, and we were so blessed to have our family there to help celebrate. And, of coarse, the boys were spoiled rotten!Stan, Carolyn, Oma Carola, Pookey, Gma Sue, Papa Greg, Jesse, Everett, Kathy & Maverick
Maverick showing off his Toy Story 3 cake. It's supposed to be Andy's bed with some of his toys.

I had my first experience with fondant. It went pretty well, and I was pleased with how the cake turned out. I'm just thankful the boys were not home or I think I would have pulled my hair out.

Everett enjoying his "Fun to be 1" cake. He got right into it. Luckily, we got it all on video. Maverick loves watching home videos, so we can watch it anytime you want to visit.

Yum, yum.

Getting every last bite.

Maverick opening his presents. It was so funny because his favorite was the $1 boat from Wal-mart. We were joking we should have all just gone in on it and saved our money!

More fun and presents!

Having cake. Maverick had a bit of a belly ache after all that cake and ice cream, but that's ok. He had a fun night. It was kinda crazy because everyone was gone by 6:47! You know it was a rager.

Darla exposing Maverick to the world of technology and apps. He was having a blast playing with some alley cat. Jesse had to download the app on him phone.

Well, until next year, when the boys will be 4 and 2. Now, that's a crazy thought!

Almost One

All I can say is, "He's just too darn cute!!"

Happy Almost Birthday Everett!

It's hard to believe another year has come and gone, but here we are in 2011!! As fun as it was, I'm glad to get back to normal routine, especially for the kids. This was the first time I didn't see my family for the holidays, so that was tough, but fortunately, we were able to see all of Jesse's family. It was great catching up and laughing until our sides hurt. Always a good workout. We were SO excited to get our first real Christmas tree. Our perfect frasier fur fit perfectly in our front room. We got to pull out our few but meaningful ornaments to decorate. Each year we add one for each child and a family ornament. Each one has a special meaning. I'm particularly a fan of Maverick's bee because it reminds us of when our apt in Vermillion was infested with bees for 6 months...seriously.
We also hit up some holiday parades at Thanksgiving time. Maverick hit the jackpot at the Hudsonville parade. He got a chip clip, candy, a jimmy johns sub and this huge SpongeBob! It was quite the adventure since we had just been at the Grand Rapids parade that same morning and walked away with nothing because this guy sat right in front of us and hoarded ALL of the candy. The candy is meant for the 2-year-olds!!!

We still looked cute at the parade though all bundled up!

Everett is turning into such a big boy. It will only be a matter of time before he takes off walking. Right now, crawling is just so much quicker than taking the time to learn something new.

My new baking apron to add to my collection.

Christmas Eve.

At the bowling alley.

Not sure what Everett is doing, but it's funny.

Always enjoying new trucks.

And, the sit and spin.

Maverick opening his new backhoe. I swear we keep the CAT company in business. We have at least one yellow toy in each size-dump truck, backhoe, roller, etc.

The boys at Maverick's Christmas program.

And, a personal favorite. Let's hope it's just a phase! Either way, it's good for a laugh!

Happy New Year!

A Grand GrandFriend

As I was creating this post almost 2 months ago, our computer was rudely interrupted by a virus. We are back online and trying to focus. Maverick had Grandfriend's Day at school and invited his favorite great-grandma Pookey!! We had fun watching Maverick sing, and he and Pookey decorated cookies. It was a fun time. We're so blessed to be able to spend these times with her!

Pookey, Kathy, Maverick, and Everett

A Great Time in SD

The last week of October we packed up our minivan and headed for South Dakota. We left on a Saturday when Jesse was done with call. We left Michigan at 9:30 PM and entered my parents' driveway at 10:15 AM the next morning. The 14-hour trip went very smooth except for the fact that Maverick was still AWAKE at 3 o'clock in the morning as we went through Iowa City! Luckily, he dozed off, and I think he got about 4 hours of sleep. Everett was a trooper and slept about 10 hours. We were so happy to get to the farm! One of the main reasons for choosing this time of year was so Jesse could go pheasant hunting. He had a great time and got a couple of birds despite the crummy weather. Maverick was barely outside, but he did get the chance to ride in the tractor and on the skid loader. Jesse and his proud catch!
Jesse, my dad, and his friend Ron. Ron had 2 hunting dogs that he brought out which always makes hunting more successful.
Jesse and dad cleaning the birds. They were having a heck of time, but whenever those 2 are together they have a heck of a time. I think Jesse's surgery rotation proved helpful as he was naming all of the parts of the bird and dissecting the heart.

After we celebrated my 28th birthday in SD, we headed to Omaha. A precious picture of Everett and Carlee. We sure missed those kids! They are so good with our boys. It was gorgeous weather, and I even got a slight sunburn. I was very excited.

Those cute cousins!

It was great spending time with my sister Jennifer, and we got a picture because that's what we always do!

Carlee, Everett, and I. Carlee is turning into such a fine young lady. She is such a chit chatter and can keep me entertained all day. Oh, Carl!

While back at the farm, my old college friend Sara came over with her son Lane who is 6 days older than Everett. It was so fun to see them playing together, and it was great catching up. I love friends who you can never see, but pick up the conversation like no time has passed.

And, the roses Jesse surprised me with for my birthday! They were beautiful. I think they were the biggest roses I ever received. What a great guy to remember the roses even when we're away from home!

A Beautiful Fall Day

Today was a beautiful fall day! You wouldn't believe it's October with the temperature in the 70s! We'll take it though. Today we went to church, hit Sam's Club, took naps, and made a trip to the park. The boys even went to bed right at 8:00. If Jesse didn't have to be on call tonight, it would be a perfect day! The biggest difference between South Dakota fall and Michigan fall is the trees. The trees here are absolutely gorgeous! There are so many red and orange leaves. I found a great pile of leaves under a tree and had to snap a few pics of the boys. Between eating the leaves and throwing them, I was able to get a couple of good photos.
Playin' around.

I was so happy with how this picture turned out. I was even happier because my feet didn't end up in it!

On our stroller ride to the park, Everett got ahold of a leaf and started to eat it. He then proceeded to gag on the leaf. Jesse got him out of the stroller, and I dug the leaf out of his mouth. This guy is so funny because he was laughing and smiling the whole time. He is so laid back!

Jesse and Everett just a swingin'.

Jesse and Maverick.

This is the beautiful tree in front of our house. It is so awesome!! When the sun hits it, it looks like it's on fire. It's amazing.

We were cleaning the van and had Mav's carseat out, and Maverick wanted Everett to sit in it. So, he gave it a test drive. Crazy to think he'll be in this size chair in just 3 months. Almost 9 months old!

"I can't wait to get a big boy chair!"

September Recap

The month of September has come and gone, and I am finally updating the blog. It has been a busy month. We have been cruising to 2-yr-old preschool in our awesome minivan, enjoying Jesse's call-free month, and just enjoying the fall weather! Since Everett is sitting up, we were finally able to use the bike buggy at the end of summer. They say this thing can hold 3 kids. No way. I'm not sure who "they" tested it on. Either way, it's only a matter of time until we hear "Mine. Mine. Mine" being screamed from the buggy. Everett is definitely interested in everything that Maverick has. That's when we just put the screen down and say, "What kids?!"
Jesse's cousin Ernie, Aunt Jayne, and Uncle Mark visited from Alaska. It was great spending time with them and catching up.
We also got the chance to take in a Lions game in Detroit with Andy and Amy! It was my first trip to a NFL game. We had a great time, especially when the announcer said, "Receiving for the Lions, Stephan Logan." Stephan Logan was a USD graduate, and my favorite football player of all time!! It was so awesome to see him play in the big league. Man, don't even get me started on him!
Love these guys! So glad we live close to them to hang out more. Can't wait for their wedding in November!

We also had a day visit from Uncle Seth. It was so great to see him. Maverick was SO excited to play.

One morning I was loading the kids up for daycare, and I just cracked up looking at Everett after I put him in his carseat. I just thought he looked so goofy. Speaking of goofy, this little guy just got his first tooth and is crawling backwards!

Too cute.

Our mop-tops first day of preschool. He is absolutely loving school. He enjoys his teachers and friends. It made me feel good today because the teachers were commenting on how Maverick is such a fun kid to have in class. He's always outgoing and friendly to everyone. We must be doing something right.

Maverick showing off our super cool minivan.

Maverick and Oma Carola making whipped cream. Yum!

Taking the time to smell the flowers.

After a hard day at work.