The Mercer Munchkins

Cali Grandparents Visit

2012-02-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

The turn of the year is slightly chaotic for the Mercers with the holidays, then Addie's birthday just after Christmas. About a week after that Kassie and Addie flew to Minnesota for the weekend. A week after that it was Brian's birthday, and then a week after that he had (another) knee surgery putting him on the sidelines for about 2 weeks. Thankfully a week after his surgery his parents flew out to help entertain the kids and give Kassie a chance to catch a breather.

Unfortunately Snowmageddon 2012 also arrived the same night, and the whole family was snowed in for the duration of their visit. But we made the best of it, getting out in the snow when we could handle the cold temps and even hitting up the Denver Aquarium during the Superbowl (and it was awesome!). It was Mason's first trip to the Aquarium and since everyone was watching the Superbowl we didn't have to battle crowds at all.

It was a great extended weekend and the kids (and grandparents) had a blast.

yes, the aquarium also has tigers!

Addie's "Taylor Swift Stage"

2012-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

So one day I was talking with Addie about what she wanted to do that afternoon; color, watch a movie, ride her scooter? She replied "Will you build me a stage like Taylor Swift, with a big red curtain so I can get ready behind it and then come and sing?"

uh...

I was doubtful but with Kassie's encouragement I decided to take on the task (not that afternoon but as a Christmas present).

It was a pretty simple task; take one wooden pallet, cover it with plywood, then take some wood laminate flooring and cover the whole thing. We also decided to build a curtain setup with some PVC and curtains. Kassie found some cool microphone/speaker combos on Woot.com and BAM! we have the setup (a little less grand than Taylor Swift).

So here it is, the Addie Mercer Stage:

Mason Dance Moves

First MN visit of 2012

2012-01-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, Addie has started asking why she doesn't get to see her grandparents very often. She doesn't understand why other kids in her school can see theirs anytime they want. Of course, this broke our hearts. Though unable to visit over the holidays, Addie & Kassie arranged a quick weekend getaway to MN in early January. Addie was SO excited. She especially couldn't wait to see her cousins, Henri & Stella...and their toys.

this is her new look for the camera. I call it the "mona lisa"

coloring with grandma

Addie & Grandma

Addie & Great-grandma

more mona lisa...

bundled up for MN in January!

fun at the trampoline park...

dance party!

you'd never guess that Addie is actually the older cousin! (by only a couple months)

showing Henri how to use her camera-it's was a hit! Here are a few of the snapshots they took:

again, look how tall he is!

couldn't get enough of Stella's dollhouse...still talks about it!

fell alseep on the way to the airport

who can sleep like this?!

sporting her new Hello Kitty gear

Addie's Hello Kitty Party

2012-01-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

Addie LOVES Hello Kitty.
I'm not sure how she was introduced or what Hello Kitty even really is, but she's cute, so we're going with it. So we decided to throw a Hello Kitty themed birthday party for Addie at our house.
For the first time, Addie got to invite some school friends that we didn't know...big step! It was a fun mixture of school, church, & neighborhood friends. We opened up our whole house & let the kids run wild for a couple hours.

pre-partying with Addie & her buddy, Jacob

It also included face painting, courtesy of our neighbor, Paige! (contact her for your next kiddo party!) She did a fabulous job...all the kids loved it! Of course, Addie was Hello Kitty!

Click here to see more pics!

To send everyone off we had Hello Kitty cake pops...yum!

Daddy's special present to Addie-her first skate board! (Mommy has a Hello Kitty helmet & pads on the way)

Happy Birthday to our big girl, Addie!

We love you & are so proud of the little lady you've become!

Addie's 5th Birthday

2012-01-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is 5...that sounds so much older than 4!

Tradition in the Mercer Household is to take off the kid's birthday and spend the day together. Addie's birthday this year landed on a Wednesday so we took the day off work, sent Mason to daycare, and kept Addie home.

She started the day off going to the doctors for her annual physical, which meant get a few shots. She was tough, barely cried, and quickly forgot about the shots thanks to some ice cream at McD's. Well, I shouldn't say she forgot the shots, she was constantly bringing up how tough she was, she wore the band aids like a badge of honor for about 3 days.

After that we headed down to the Denver Aquarium to spend the day with the fishes. Addie loves the aquarium, we spent quite a few hours down there and had a blast!

We then headed home to spend the evening with the Milburn's...what a treat! Addie just loves Katin & Aubrey. She likes to say that Katin is Mason's girlfriend and compares every baby she sees to Aubrey.

It was a great day, but the party was still to come!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day sledding

2011-12-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

This year, Christmas was a perfect sledding day...not too cold, fresh snow, sunny & clear...just beautiful! It was Mason's first time and he absolutely loved it!

a sled ride to the park

his mitten fell off.

Christmas Steve

2011-12-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

Addie is pretty sure that the day before Christmas is Christmas Steve..."and he's a friend of ours!"

We spent most of it at church as Brian & I were on the worship team.
There were 3 services, which started at 3pm with a Family Service for the kiddos. The kids were dressed up as Shepherds, Angels or Kings and paraded through the sanctuary. They were so cute!

Mason all dressed up

Addie's friend, Malachi, as a serious shepherd

Our cute angel

...giving Daddy the stink eye!

much happier having some dinner.

Our tree

Mason, wiped out after 6 hours at church.

Our gingerbread house decorated by Addie & mom.

Addie & the present she picked out to open (of course the biggest one)

trying to look natural despite being SO excited she couldn't stand still!

Addie got a new baby and newborn "doctor stuff"...how fitting, celebrate the newborn King with a newborn doll :)

Merry Christmas stEve!

best buds

2011-12-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

Every sunday night, while us adults have small group, our kiddos play with McKenna & Cooper Boyle...well mostly just play near Cooper, but soon he'll be mobile & running after the other kids.
Here are some shots of the older three:

Family Pictures, 2011

2011-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to ChealseaB! More in our Photo Gallery...

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

For Halloween this year, we had a "special" dinner of Spiders & Blood! (or black spaghetti in hotdogs & marinara sauce)

A little excited for Trick or Treating??

Presenting...Addie as Rapunzel & Mason, the Hamburger! I know, unlikely pair, but oh well :)

With our neighbors, Camden the King & Colsen the Jester

and here's the whole fam, dressed up for the annual Monster Bash

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Each year, we check out new pumpkin patch. This year we went to Anderson Farms...we wanted to check it out after we flew over it & saw their amazing corn maze during our hot air balloon ride...it was so cool!

We weren't disappointed. The kids had a blast-even though we didn't venture in that huge maze. We went in the middle of the week, so it was just us and some kids on field trips.

Mason running for the pumpkins.

Feeding the goats

Mason doing his trademark squat...does he really need to get closer to the ground?

More squatting :)

Sitting on the giant pumpkins

A maze

The wooden train with the school kiddos

Excited to go get a pumpkin!

Feeding the cows-you put a pellet on the bench & the cow sweeps it into it's mouth with it's loooooong tongue! (see the tongue below)

Got some good ones!

Ready for the barrel ride

Not quite a comfy fit for mommy!

Checking out the real tractors.

Mason kept trying to push the buttons & turn it on...he got upset that it wouldn't start!

"Mommy, it's broken!"

Time to go-

so tired!

a good day!

Mason is 2!

2011-10-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Our big boy is now 2 years old! And despite how he looks (and feels), he's actually not really that big of a boy. He weighs in at 28.8 lbs (57%) and is only 33.5 inches tall (28%)...just a short & compact little guy!

For his big day, we took him to the WOW Children's Museum (World of Wonder...not warcraft) and he loved it! He kept running around pointing to different exhibits. He especially liked the train & the car he could ride in.

After his nap, it was cake time! I think Addie was more excited than Mason, but he did like the "tractors" on his cake and the frosting too :)

And some new toys!

Say cheese!

Happy Birthday, Mason. We love you!!

Mountain Drive

2011-10-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

The other weekend, we took our annual drive through the mountains to check out some fall colors. Our favorite route to go is over Guanella Pass. It's a shorter route and not too busy, so we can stop along the way & do some "exploring," which Addie thinks is much better than just walking around :)

Not so into the scenery...

Mason refused to be left out-

Near the top, there is a cute ranch, with a pasture across the road & horses grazing. They were near the fence, so we stopped to see them. They were very friendly & let us pet them. Mason love them , but then got a little scared when we got really close. He was holding onto Daddy with a super grip!

We got back in the car & headed down the back side of the pass. Mason fell asleep, so we stopped near some water for Daddy & Addie to do some more exploring.

The drive ends at Georgetown, which is the prefect place to walk the streets after being the car a lot & get some ice cream before heading back down through Denver. Such a nice way to spend a fall day!

Taylor Swift...for real!

2011-09-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

We took Addie to her very first concert the other day. It was Taylor Swift. We got tickets months ago and then hoped that Addie would still love her music...and boy does she ever! She knows ALL her songs and can sing along to most of them.
We waited until the week before to finally tell her about the concert and she was SO excited. Every day she would ask "How many days until I see Taylor Swift?" (see why it was a good move to wait so long to tell her?!) The day of, she told everyone that she saw about the concert. I was a little bit fearful that she would be let down.
Our tickets, which were the only ones we could snatch up before the show was quickly sold out, were 3rd level & much closer to the ceiling than Taylor. The opening act (NeedtoBreathe) was a little bit of torture for Addie. She liked the music, but couldn't understand what was taking Taylor Swift so long to come out...didn't she know that Addie was waiting?! Also, it had been over 2 hrs since dinner time. You would've thought we starved the child, as she was "SOOOO hungry!"
Finally, she appeared. Addie was in Heaven. She LOVED it. Sang along heartily and enjoyed looking through mommy's binocular to see Taylor Swift (Addie always uses her first and last name) up close.
I gotta say, Taylor puts on a good show-lots of props, dancers/actors, set & costume changes. Definitely keeps it interesting & visually appealing. Despite all the theatrics and loud music, by 9:30, Addie was falling asleep and saying how she wished she was in her bed. We had Mason at home with a sitter, so it was time for us to go. She made it about 2/3rds of the way thru the show.
The next day, Addie commented that she saw Taylor Swift for real, but that she though Taylor Swift would have said her name...sorry kid, mommy & daddy can't make that one happen!

Don't Mess with Mase

2011-09-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

Addie is learning the hard way that you don't mess with Mason.

Mason Learns His Animal Sounds

2011-09-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

Mason has turned the corner on talking. After almost 2 years of not really saying much besides "mama" "dada" "daddie" (Addie) and "no", he's now starting to copy our words and is learning new words everyday.

Here's a video of Mason playing with his animal sound blocks. I love how he gets tripped up when it comes to making the sound of the sheep:

Addie Plays Her First Soccer Game

2011-09-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, after years of anticipating this moment (for me of course), Addie played her first soccer game. We signed her up for Broomfield Soccer Under-5 girls, she's on a team of about 9 other girls and I'm the assistant coach.

The day of the game Addie came to wake us up around 6a with her shin-guards already on, her game wasn't until 2p! We had to hold her back all day, but it wasn't long until we got out to the field. The girls have 30 minutes of practice first, then a game (two 15-minute halves). It was a blast!

scouting opposition

Coach Steve and I getting ready for practice

Addie's first goal in practice!

Voting in team name, Ponies was the winner

The Ponies ready to roll

Pre-game talk, Natalie - Lucy - Ashley - Addie

The opposition was scared and made us wait

it was 3 v 3 so Addie didn't start (she was the secret weapon)

Post-game, Addie was exhausted

Post-game snack!

After the game we went to Golden Spoon for ice cream

Dressing themselves

2011-08-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Addie picked out her own outfit today,

and Mason picked out his shoes!

Morning at the Mercer's

2011-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Mason:

Gets breakfast in his room, dumps it out, tries to feed it to mommy, watches some Curious George and whines about having to have his diaper changed...and whines about too many pictures. When he gets freedom from his room, he runs to mommy & daddy's room, jumps on the bed, then tries to sneak his blankets downstairs with him.

Addie:

Stumbles out of bed, puts on her own clothes, & eats her breakfast in solitude downstairs. Pouts about having to get up & not stay home, tries to force a smile for a picture and finally frowns at too many pictures.

Good Morning!

Mason gets comfy

2011-08-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Mason Hova

2011-08-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few Jay-Z songs that Mason really likes

Big boy bed for Mason

2011-08-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little sad. My sweet little Mason is no longer a baby...gave up bottles a few weeks ago and now we converted his crib into a toddler bed. Feels like just yesterday I was writing a similar blog post for Addie...and I think she was even younger when we moved her up. But alas, Mason is ready. Last night was his first night of "freedom" and he did great. Fell asleep just as we left him!

(These were taken in the dark with the flash)

Sleep tight my big boy!

Mase and Addie show us what they're working with

2011-08-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Addie's been dancing more and more, and a lot of the time it looks like Elaine from Seinfield. I'm not sure if she has rhythm or not. It is undeniable that Mase has the groove though, he's been dancing since day one. Anytime there's music, he's bouncing his head.

Well, Mason showed us some new moves last night:

And here's Addie with her headphones on, check out her face when Taylor Swift comes on (you can't miss it haha)

Mercers Travel to SoCal

2011-07-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

The whole Mercer-clan flew down to SoCal to visit our awesome friends, the Milburns! We stayed at Kristen's mom's place for the entire trip...the Milburns & us had the place to ourselves and we were within a short drive (or walk for those who are healthy and don't have toddlers) from the ocean! It was an amazing trip.

We were there over the 4th of July, so that evening a barge rolled into the bay and launched fireworks over the ocean. It was awesome. Addie was loving it!

The kids were great. Each day we took them to the beach, wore them out, took them home and they slept. We stayed up late each night having great talks and just relaxed the way parents of young kids relax: naps, wine, early mornings, sunblock, naps, and swim diapers.

A great trip. We are so thankful for Thomas and Kristen and their wonderful family. Hope we can get back there soon!

Monday Mugs

2011-07-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

And I had to include some Mater teeth shots from saturday :)

Sunday Shots

2011-06-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

MN trip 2

2011-06-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Mason & I (Kassie) had an unplanned trip to MN in June when my Grandpa Wally passed away. Mason was a handful, but a trooper. He charmed everyone & was a welcome distraction from the weekend's events.

loves the airplanes.

ipad = mom's best friend!

...a little cranky after a long day, but too cute to not get a picture.

It was hard to say goodbye to this much loved man.

Snuggle time with Grandma

First Day of "School"

2011-06-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Addie started Preschool! Well it's technically just the summer fun program at her preschool since we started in June, but to her, this is serious business...complete with backpack & home packed lunch. She was a little nervous on this day, but did great. We are so proud of our little lady!
Here's her on the very first day:

(Distracted by a bug)

MN trip 1

2011-05-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Addie & I (Kassie) visited MN for the Memorial Day weekend & had a wonderful time!

Highlights include a sleepover with her buddy, Jordan-

Nickelodeon Universe (at the Mall of America) with the family (cousins Henri & Stella, Uncle Brandon, Grandma Barb & Grandpa Tony)

(meeting SpongeBob!)

Dinner at "Aunt" Kristen's house-

and lots of playtime with the cousins!

Make Over

2011-05-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Addie has a problem. She's addicted to make up. Really...it's as if she is drawn to it & cannot resist the temptation. She has gotten into my make up a few times over the years, but it's never been a big deal. This past week, she started up again. This time it was bad. It started when I found her looking like this:

The close up is a little scary & she's sad because she got caught, but this little girl is not only wearing lipstick, but mascara as well. Mascara! And it's on her eyelashes! I was actually kinda impressed that it wasn't all over her face, but after a couple pictures, she got a stern talking to and a lecture on how she could have poked her eye out. There were tears & promises that she wouldn't do it again.

The next morning, I'm getting ready for work and find that some of my makeup is missing. It is found a little later in Addie's bathroom. Not a fun morning. We took away her itouch...for a week.

The next day she got caught again. I saw a shimmer on her eyebrows & asked her what it was. She told me that's just the way they look (and now lying too!). No pictures this time. She spent the rest of the night in her room while I found a place to lock up my makeup.

After the hours in her room, she seemed very repentant and assured us several times each day that she would not take mommy's "make overs" (as she calls make up). She would randomly announce, "No more make overs!"

But her addiction got the best of her. She was tired & weak and gave into her temptation. Though most of mommy's makeup was locked up, Addie managed to find a couple items and put them on her eyebrows. The first was some lip gloss, the second was NAIL POLISH! She came downstairs & I could smell something strangely familiar, but couldn't place it. Her face immediately gave her away-her expression of guilt, not the strange crustiness on her eyebrows. She immediately said she was sorry and had an "accident" (aka mistake) & that she just loved makeup sooo much. I had her lead me to the scene of the crime and was horrified to see what she had put on her face! I would have taken a picture if I wasn't so concerned with removing the toxic chemicals from her face. And all the while explaining how dangerous that was & how she could have burned her face (hey, it's possible).

Now this was serious. She couldn't be cut off cold turkey-we had to deter her with a safer alternative. Not wanting to reward bad behavior, I made an agreement with Addie that she had to be good all weekend: listening, obeying, not talking back & no taking mommy's stuff-then we'd go to the store & buy her her very own makeup.

She was SO excited.

She had a great weekend & really did earn that makeup.

She got a little Disney kit with lots of glittery stuff and even a necklace & earrings. Check her out:

(don't mind Mason taking a bath in the background)

Monday Mugs

2011-05-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

Addie gave herself a "make over!"

He's got rhythm

2011-05-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

Mason is quite the little dancer...he doesn't even need music!

Mase Face

2011-05-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

Our little Mason is such a ham...especially when he sees a camera!

and on a cleaner day...

Young Chef

2011-05-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

Addie took a cooking class the other day at the Young Chef's Academy and loved it!

It was just a single class cuz we wanted to try it out. She was the youngest kid by far, but was still able to be involved & help create the dishes. Each month has a theme & this month was breakfast foods, so they made Green Eggs & Ham, and Egg Casserole, & Pepperoni & Cheese Scrambled Eggs. I think we'll look into it again when she's a bit older...and taller!

sick, sick, sick

2011-05-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, Mason came down with a stomach bug...was vomiting all friday night and the next day, then Addie got it on sunday, & Brian sunday night. Even our dog, Polly got it...yuck! Thankfully, Kassie was spared & was able to take care of the crew.

Here are a few picks of our sad crew...wore out and unable to keep anything down :(

Popsicles were our life saver!

Monday Mugs

2011-04-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

Car shots of the kiddos:

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had a busy Easter weekend, with an Easter egg hunt at church on Saturday, along with swimming lessons & a birthday party. Then Easter Service on sunday and another egg hunt at home with our neighbors...whew! The kiddos were going non-stop & didn't slow down for pictures, but here's what we've got!

Addie's pose

She also came up with this pose...

tuckered out!

Ready to find some eggs...

Mason loved the whopper eggs, but the drool was just too much!

our own little 'risky business'

He finally holds still, but closes his eyes!

and our little Easter bunny :)

Happy Easter!

haircuts!

2011-04-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Addie & Mason got haircuts at our favorite place...Pigtails & Crewcuts.

This was Mason's first real haircut! Nothing drastic...just a trim to spiffy up our shaggy boy.

Before:

After:

During:

watching Tangled!

Monday Mugs

2011-04-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Monday Mugs

2011-03-21T08:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!

Addie is super cute today!

...while Mason is being dramatic.

...more cuteness!

...and now content with his blankie :)

Monday Mugs!

2011-03-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Eating breakfast & watching cartoons...

Ready to go & still eating!

Looking so grown up, minus the cinnamon & sugar on her face!

Happy Monday!

Addie-style...

Koala Bear

2011-02-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

Addie learning Japanese

2011-02-21T12:45:00.001-08:00

So Addie, on her own, has been learning Japanese, as you can see by her paintings below:

Well, not quite. Here's Addie explaining what these pictures actually are, or more specifically, who:

Tough Guy

2011-02-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

Mason's has had a rough week & his face is the proof!

First, he was leaning on the glass door when Daddy came to pick him up from daycare, so that when Daddy opened the door, he fell out face first onto a concrete step & scraped his nose.
A few days later he decided to try to go down a stair in the garage like the big kids do...except he's not tall enough and so he fell head first onto the garage floor-earning himself a big goose egg & bruise on his little forehead.

But he's definitely a tough guy...was smiling again in no time, with a little help from a lollipop & a bag of frozen chocolate chips to help prevent swelling :)

Monday Mugs

2011-02-14T17:34:00.001-08:00

Cautious Mason

2011-02-13T17:13:00.001-08:00

Check out how much space Mason gives himself to safely get off the patio

Monday Mugs

2011-02-07T04:36:00.001-08:00

A couple shots from this weekend:

Monday Mugs

2011-01-31T12:02:00.001-08:00

Mason eating breakfast in his shirt & "tie"

Addie is NOT a morning person...at least not during the week. This was all the smile she could/would muster for me today. She's also resembling the Joker after eating her cinnamon/sugar toast :)

vision therapy

2011-01-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

Addie has been in Vision Therapy for the past 8 weeks. We found that her eyes were crossing sometimes (strabismus). She goes to class once a week and learns exercises that force her to work her eyes both independently and together to strengthen them in order to enhance her ability to control eye alignment, eye teaming, eye focusing abilities, eye movements, and/or visual processing. Then, throughout the week, we work on her "homework."

At the beginning of the video, she is doing mazes while wearing her red/green glasses-this works one eye at a time, then we switch the red/greens around. Same with the dominos...while she has the red/greens, she can only see the dots out of one eye at a time.

A-D-D-I-E

2011-01-28T18:10:00.000-08:00

Addie can spell her name!

Monday Mugs

2011-01-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

Better late than never!!

musical Mason

2011-01-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

Mason is such a musical kiddo. He loves any instruments-especially blowing into a recorder like a whistle. He's also started dancing for us. This one is his signature move-he squats down & rocks back & forth. When he really gets going, he squats further down, like a sumo wrestler, and widens his stance as much as he can. We'll try to capture that sometime!

Addie turns 4!

2011-01-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Addie turned four on January 4th...her Golden Birthday!

Sadly, she's too young to really milk that for all it's worth, but we still had a fun day.

Mommy took the day off of work & we had a girls day! It started off with vision therapy (every tuesday) and her 4 yr check up at the doctor.

Our little peanut is in the 39% for weight & 35% for height.

(Addie read while waiting for the doctor)

After that we got Addie's haircut & toenails painted at a cute new place, Pigtails & Crewcuts. She got a cute & trendy A-line cut, which is much easier for mom & dad to manage.

Next we got her favorite lunch, red chicken (sweet & sour chicken) and visited our favorite cupcake shop...Happy Cakes! She was actually so tuckered out that she fell asleep in the car on the way to get cupcakes, but I just had to wake her up...I knew she wouldn't want to miss picking out the goodies! We even devoured one right there in the shop :)

We saved the others for at home with the boys, where we had a candle & sang while she just beamed. I'm pretty sure "Happy Birthday" is her favorite song.

The rest of the evening she played in & colored on her new castle.

A few days later we threw a pool party at the Erie Rec Center. Addie could not wait to swim with her friends! It was a blast. Addie had so much fun & got some great new toys. She even asked to go home because she was so excited to play with her new goods. Thanks to all who were able to celebrate with us!

Mommy only put 3 candles on the cake...oops!

Addie & Malachi!

We love you Addie!

Let it Snow!

2011-01-01T04:55:00.000-08:00

It finally snowed here over the New Years weekend. Since summer, Addie has been asking when she could build a snowman, so Brian & her created a masterpiece in the backyard. The next day was my turn. I took her out to our park & we did a bit of sledding. She is such a snow bunny! She never complained that it was cold, but when we brought her in, she had rosy cheeks and frozen feet. A warm up by the fire did the trick :)

excited for the first real snow!

ready to help Daddy clear the driveway

warming up.

going out for more!

a beautiful sledding day at the park!

Our Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T12:29:00.001-08:00

This year we had a quiet family Christmas, just Brian, the kids, and I.

We were probably more excited than Addie, as it took every ounce of willpower to keep her gifts a secret. We were excited for Mason too, but especially for Addie since this year she anticipated Christmas for the first time.

The big gifts were an Art Easel & a Doll House. We set them up for her on Christmas Eve, then went to bed. I awoke to a little girl standing at my bedside. She leaned in & said, "is it time to get up yet?!"

We all hurried downstairs, anxious to see her reactions. She noticed her dollhouse first and asked, "what is THAT?!" She was all smiles as she checked out her doll house.

Then, as you can see in the video, she had "breakfast" and finally spotted her Easel in the living room. She was speechless! (very unusual for her)

Later we opened the wrapped presents and the rest of the day was spent going from toy to toy, playing with everything!

We had a great day as a family, enjoying good food, music and all the blessings we have. We explained to Addie that we give gifts on Christmas to celebrate the gift of Jesus that God gave us. Addie exclaimed, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!"

The Doll House

the Easel

if there's a box, Mason will stand on it...

new chair

and ball

new blanket for Mason, he's such a blankie guy that he's wearing his out!

Spongebob snuggie for Addie, from Daddy...the kid size is pretty big!

The little people figures disappeared and showed up in the playroom with Addie's other people. Mason was happy to just have new trucks!

Relaxing with the sock monkey

posing with her easel

Addie's new dolls

Admiring her new dolls

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:16:00.001-08:00

the Gingerbread house didn't make it to Christmas

2010-12-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

here's why:

Buckethead

2010-12-21T18:18:00.001-08:00

Mason will not wear a winter hat. He cries, fusses & pulls until he gets it off. Yet, if there is a basket, bucket or bowl around, he'll dump it's contents out, put it on his head & walk around. Such a stinker!

Off to SoCal

2010-12-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Mason & I got to take a little trip last weekend to visit our friends in southern California (Capistrano Beach). We had a great time! Mason was a champ & despite my fears, was a prefect angel for the flight out. He charmed the flight attendant & got extra snacks & was playing peek-a-boo with a fellow traveler, before falling asleep for the majority of the flight.

Once there, we had a great time!

We got to see a Country Christmas themed boat parade,

-a little chilly by the water at night...

(our favorite boat)

played LOTS with Katin (she graciously shared her toys),

went to a My Gym class with Katin,

and got all tuckered out!

tested out the double stroller with lots of walks (with BEAUTIFUL views!),

and of course, had to check out the beach for Mason's first time! It was a bit colder that day, but we still got to dip our toes in.

We had so much fun, we were sad to leave that little bit of paradise & our wonderful friends. Mason didn't do nearly as well on the flight home, but the plane was pretty empty, so at least he didn't bother too many people.

We hope we get to visit these sweet girls again soon!

Addie and the Christmas Choir

2010-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Well, Addie came home from church a few weeks ago all excited about singing some songs. We asked her how the song went and all she could recite was "little donkey little donkey..."

We came to find out that the kids were practicing for the Kids Christmas Concert at Calvary. I (BMer) was hesitant about getting Addie out there, as she was part of the youngest group and she obviously didn't know the words, but Kassie talked me into to taking her to practice the day before and Addie did pretty well. So we got dressed up and headed off to Calvary on a Sunday night, Addie was great, standing in the front row next to her buddy Malachi Britton:

As you can probably tell, she didn't know the words to the second song so she did her best lip-sync impression. All in all it was a fun night, the kids all got cookies afterward so they were pumped!

Here's the words in case you can't make out what they're singing, and don't worry, you're not alone!

Little donkey, little donkey on the dusty road
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load
Been a long time, little donkey, through the winters night
Dont give up now, little donkey,
Bethlehem's in sight

Ring out those bells tonight
Bethlehem, Bethlehem
Follow that star tonight
Bethlehem, Bethlehem

Little donkey, little donkey, had a heavy day
Little donkey, carry Mary safely on her way
Little donkey, little donkey, journey's end is near
There are wisemen waiting for a sign to bring them here

Do not falter little donkey, there's a star ahead
It will guide you, little donkey, to a cattle shed

Ring out those bells tonight
Bethlehem, Bethlehem
Follow that star tonight
Bethlehem, Bethlehem

Little donkey, little donkey, had a heavy day
Little donkey, carry Mary, safely on her way
Little donkey, carry Mary, safely on her way

Monday Mugs

2010-12-06T11:02:00.001-08:00

Grandma visits

2010-11-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

Grandma Barb joined us this year for Thanksgiving. Though we didn't get any pictures, we had our own little feast-yum!

Addie & Mason got to play with her a lot & are now all worn out. Addie especially liked putting together the gingerbread house and eating the candy & frosting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday Mugs

2010-11-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for these little munchkins!

more fun

2010-11-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Addie found a new way to watch TV...

Monday Mugs

2010-11-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

Monday Mugs

2010-11-08T06:08:00.001-08:00

pre-breakfast cartoons

yummy breakfast!

playing in mommy & daddy's bathroom

and Katin was here today!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

This year we had a Sock Monkey and a Bumble Bee ...yes, same as last year, but it was just too cute to only use once!

We all got to dress up for the Boo Bash.

Trick-or-treating with the gang!

Monday Mugs

2010-10-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

Addie, our little gymnast

2010-10-24T20:42:00.001-07:00

Addie started another gymnastics class & loves it! She first took one when she was two years old and a lot has changed since then. Now there is no parent participation, but we get to watch, wave & take pictures :)
Her technique could use a little work, but she sure looks cute doing it!

Who looks like who?

2010-10-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

I guess Mason really is a perfect combo of his mommy & daddy! Addie is pretty close too!

Here was Addie's last meter...she's always been a daddy's girl!

Get your own Look-alike Meter

First Steps

2010-10-23T19:59:00.001-07:00

One week after his first birthday, Mason took his first steps. Mommy picked him up from daycare and he surprised everyone & walked about 3 feet to her!

He has gradually taken more & more steps & will soon be off & running!

Mason is ONE!

2010-10-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

Mason is now one!

After much thought & debate, we decided to forgo a large birthday bash for our little boy. Instead, we opted for a fun family day & since all of our extended family lives far away, it was just the four of us. Brian & I took the day off work and we were blessed with a beautiful fall day!

We started off with some birthday pancakes. Pancakes have become the preferred breakfast on most days when we don't work and it was time for the big boy to join in on the tradition. He loved them & couldn't shove them in fast enough!

Next, after his nap & lunch, we all went to the pumpkin patch! The kids enjoyed seeing the animals & picking out our pumpkins. Mason liked the wagon best. Addie also got to join in with a kindergarten class that was exploring the hay bale maze.

Finally, after an afternoon nap, came the best part...cupcakes!

Mason didn't disappoint. He was all business. It was hard to hold him back until we had a chance to sing to him & blow out his candle. Then, when he had free reign, he turned a little timid...almost as though he thought it was set up :) But once he got a taste of the chocolate frosting, it was on. He attacked that cupcake & after licking the plate, even tried to go after mommy & addie's cupcakes! The videos are a bit long, but mom & dad were trying really hard to capture everything.

Lastly, after stripping off his chocolate covered clothes, but before his bath, it was present time. We had already given him one a week earlier...his alligator walker, which he loves & uses to walk around the house.

He only had one other gift. After making him ride in a pink car seat, use a pink blanket at night and sleep in a fairly girlie room, I just had to get him some boy toys...a car & truck! He loves them & knew how to use them right away, zooming his new wheels around the kitchen.

He finished the day with a bath to get the chocolate out of his nose :)

More pictures of our fun day can be found in our photo gallery

We love you, Mason! You are such a joy & a fun little guy, Happy 1st Birthday!

Monday mugs...almost

2010-10-12T17:24:00.001-07:00

Because I'm posting this a day late, I'm posting DOUBLE the mugs. Here are shots from Sunday and Monday :)

Sunday

Monday morning

Jack in the Box

2010-10-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Not sure what Mason loves more, the Jack in the Box or Addie's laugh...he just adores his big sister!

Monday Mugs

2010-10-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Fall family photos

2010-10-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

We've been blessed to meet some fabulous photographers in the past year. Most recently, a neighbor offered to take photos of families in the neighborhood in order to build up her portfolio. We think she's pretty great!

Happy Fall!

Trapped!

2010-10-02T18:42:00.001-07:00

Mason was left alone in our front room for two minutes max. I found him like this...

ok, that's enough pictures, get me outta here!

Mason the Destroyer

2010-09-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

So Addie was this sweet little baby, always chill, never really crawled, never got into the cabinets, never really made a huge mess. Mason on the other hand is a destroyer. Give him 10 minutes in the play room and here's the result:

Monday Mugs

2010-09-20T04:52:00.001-07:00

Mason, the climber!

2010-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Mason has conquered stairs, so he just had to try the ladder! Can't leave this boy alone for even a minute!

Monday Mugs

2010-09-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

his camera smile :)

this was her "smile"

one last, over-the-shoulder, shot...

Katin visits!

2010-09-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of a visit from Katin...Mason's first friend, born just 10 days after him, and her parents this weekend. We talked them into letting us watch their cutie while they attended a wedding & enjoyed having another little munchkin in the house!

Playing footsie

Most likely, Katin's first hotdog.

tent-time

We love the Milburns! ...and Katin loves plastic golf balls :)

Baby baricade

2010-09-06T07:15:00.001-07:00

Monday Mugs

2010-09-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Early morning mugs, but enjoying the day at home!

Happy Labor Day!

Addie's style

2010-09-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Addie is a big girl now & likes to put her clothes on all by herself. Today, after going potty, she came out like this:

pants turned inside-out!

this is reminiscient of her "shirt-pants" episode