Room Makeover!

I had been wanting to redo our master bedroom for sometime....it was so BLAH. Tan walls, tan bed, tan lamp shades. It was time for a change.



BEFORE

 So, when Jack found out he was going on a business trip to Tucson I decided that was the perfect time to make a change! It wasn't a surprise or anything, he knew I was going to attempt to paint (which he was skeptical of since I despise painting) and knew I was looking for a new bedspread. But that's about it.

I promised him he wouldn't come home to a half painted wall that he'd have to finish, and I stayed true to my word. Since I hate painting, I decided to go simple and just pain an accent wall. It really wasn't so bad once I got going. I even accomplished it without any catastrophe's!

DURING

TA-DA!

I found all the bedding and pillows at Target! Man, I love that store. I had found many pin tuck comforters at other stores but they cost more than I wanted to pay, then I found this one at Target! Perfect color, perfect price! I had seen the white pillow there previously and went to go get it, then I turned around and saw the other two pillows marked half off, SCORE! I LOVE our bed now, and I really do make it every day! We still have to decorate the walls with a shelf and other things I have planned, but for now I love it! Jack was even pleased!

Growing is tiring work!

In February Katy for some reason was having a hard time staying awake during lunch. She had been down to one nap for a little while already, but I guess the change caught up with her! Quite a few days in the month I would feed her lunch first, then be working on lunch for the boys and look over at her leaning on her hand barely staying awake...next thing I know she'd be asleep in the same position. I would have to rush to find rides for the boys to school after that...whew, kind of glad she hasn't done that in a while...well, except for yesterday. Growing is hard work!

 Drowsy.....Going....

 Going......

Gone.

And here are a few other fun pictures from the month........

 This girl loves her banana's!!

I walked in on them (Katy and Jacob) playing one morning. Quiet play moments like this are the best.

Community Helpers Day

There was an entire month devoted to  "Community Helpers" in Tyler's Kindergarten class where they had different people come in and talk about their jobs. One of the presentations was one of the Kindergarten teachers husband, who I believe worked in a medical lab. All the Kindergartners came out of school wearing blue latex gloves and white lab coats that he gave them, it was a pretty funny sight. Anyhow, the end of the learning unit was celebrated with a Community Helpers day for the parents to come in to class and see a presentation from the kids. They recorded themselves reading a writing assignment they completed about what they wanted to be when they grow up. Tyler was trying to explain to his teacher that he wanted to be an engineer like his daddy, but all he could think of was the name of where Jack works, Raytheon. His teacher had no idea what he was talking about so the two of them settled on him writing about how he wanted to be a dad when he grew up. He was frustrated she didn't know what he meant, but was okay with the writing about being a dad. It was pretty cute. So, on the special presentation day he dressed exactly like Jack in a polo and khakis, he was definitely a mini-Jack. He wrote that he wanted to be a dad because he liked to play with and help kids.

 Tyler's class of community helpers. There were a lot of teachers, some doctors, a Tim Tebow, artists, dancer, police man, and a soldier.

 Jack, and....Jack Jr.

A fun shot of Tyler with his best school buddy, Ethan

Super Citizen Award

Tyler received a Buffalo Trail Super Citizen award for being Honest and was so excited for it! We are proud of him, his first of many awards in his school years I am sure!

Snowstorm!!

The first week of February we got a whole lot of snow dumped on us. For a few days we were stuck inside because it snowed, and snowed, and kept on snowing! All in all, it dumped about 22" on us! Yes, I was very well aware it snows a lot here, and I'm totally okay with it, because as you will see in the pictures below it pretty much begins to melt as soon as it stops snowing and the clouds clear! We love it! Nebraska, not so much, it stayed....and stayed....and piled up....and stayed! Blek! But, at least Nebraska was good at plowing ALL the roads so you could still get around. Here in Aurora they only clear the absolute main roads, in the neighborhoods they only plow the path to the schools, and the rest of us our out of luck and stuck. It was a heated subject for me this winter. (Of course, for some reason we must have just brought the snow with us when we moved because Omaha hardly got ANY snow this year! phewy.)

Anyhow, as soon as it stopped snowing we headed outside to clear the mess and had a fun family morning. I got the kids all bundled up, with an Omaha- freezing COLD frame of mind.....but the layers quickly came off as it was pretty warm out!

 All I can say is thank goodness for the snow blower we received as a gift from Jack's parents while we lived in Omaha!

The kids really wanted to build a snowman, and I started trying to build a traditional snowman....but I failed miserably.....so we adapted to my inabilities and made a sitting snowman:)

An Update

Our kids are just too darn cute for words! This picture was taken on Valentine's day before church. Don't you just love Katy's Valentine's Day Sunday outfit? I seriously get so excited each Sunday to get her dressed, I love having a little girl along with my handsome boys! Now, if I could just get her to KEEP her hair bows, clips, or headbands on!

This sweet boy is turning out to be quite the Jack Jr. He LOVES science and math and dreads doing any homework but those subjects. He is excelling as one of the top in his Kindergarten class and is at a mid-1st grade reading level already. I am so amazed each and every time he reads to me. He even forgets he can read, he often asks me what something says and I remind him that he can read it himself. He and Jacob play so well together most days. They LOVE playing Lego's- Lego Star Wars or Lego Ninjago right now. Just recently (mid-April) his new obsession is mastering the jump rope after watching the "Jumpsters" perform at school...in just a week he says his "high score" for jumping is already at 21.

 

Jacob is changing everyday. He is in preschool and loves it! He is doing well with learning his numbers and writing his letters. His speech is getting better each day as well. His teacher tells me that he loves singing in class and loves to build stuff with the "robot blocks" (round, and cylindrical type connectors) and is slowly become less shy. His two good friends at school are Jacob and Kobe. He goes by Jake at school and often reminds me at home to call him that and not Jacob. Every Friday when he doesn't have school he and I have "mommy preschool" which usually consists of a few rounds of Candy Land practicing colors, and Slap Jack. While he is still a moody 3 yr old he is quite the jokester and loves making us laugh. He and Katy like to push each other's buttons, but still play with each other really well when they want to.

Sweet Katy Joy. This girl is changing so much by the second! She says so many words and has quite the feisty personality. She started going to nursery at church at the end of January and completely surprised me! As long as Jack drops her off she doesn't cry a single tear (complete opposite what our boys did in nursery!) She is just a social butterfly and LOVES it in there!

She has learned that with a stool at her feet she can access most anything that she wants. I often forget to shut the bathroom doors which gives her the opportunity to drag the various stools around the house to climb on things, it's only a matter of time before she figures out how to climb out of the crib....I'm not ready yet! She still loves dancing so much. She is always trying to copy what her brothers do. She can often be found fiddling around with her play kitchen toys and offering food to everyone in the family. This girl loves going through her dresser and shoes and brings them around the house until she can find someone willing to change her outfit for her. I think its hilarious how certain "girly" things are just born in girls. Its cute...and frustrating at the same time.

The Little Gym

Shortly after the new year the boys had a "Graduation" from their Little Gym class since the new semester was starting. Katy was probably in EVERYONE's pictures since I couldn't keep her away from all the equipment. She jumps at any chance she gets to go in the class room since she always has to be on the outside looking through the window during class.

During the "graduation" the kids get to show off the skills they have learned and in the end got a ribbon and balloon. Its cute to see how proud the kids are to show their families, even though we sit and watch them every week!

 

I've become good friends with Felisha here. Her son has been in the same class with the boys since last May



One of the teachers, and the owner, Mr. Scott



 

Ta-Da!





The main teacher of their class, Miss Jenn

We just LOVE The Little Gym, it is so worth the trek we take to get there each week! After this "graduation", they moved to the Sports Skills class and had a ton of fun with Mr. Scott as their teacher. Just a few weeks ago they switched again to get a few weeks of Karate class (with Mr.Scott too) before we finish up at The Little Gym because T-Ball season will be upon us.

Tyler Turns 6! YIKES!

After Val and Sean headed back home we headed up to Omaha for a quick visit. While we were there we celebrated Tyler's birthday. I can't believe this kid is already 6! This year Evan had his birthday at our house and Tyler had his birthday at their house!

For his birthday he wanted nothing more but to go to the Pizza Machine! We also invited his old friend from preschool, Liam and his family to join us! The Pizza Machine is a seriously fun, and delicious place, we had a blast!

Tyler was so excited to be JUST barely big enough to go on the bumper cars, he and Evan had a blast knocking each other around.

 My boys have always been to afraid to go up in to play structures like these. But Clara climbed all the way to the top and hung out up there. Bekah had to send Evan after her to make sure she actually came back down, it was pretty cute.

 The buffet at the Pizza Machine is delicious....here's proof.

I think this will be a great picture to give Clara when she gets her drivers licence!

 These boys are crazy! I hope they stay best friends forever! They were really sad to have to say goodbye, they really miss seeing each other so often!