Where has the time gone....

Funny how this blog was something I religiously updated at least once a week for three years and now I never make time for it. I mean, I still have pictures from Easter that I have yet to upload from my camera!

I guess it is a good/bad thing. Good meaning we are so busy that I don't have time to go through my camera and work on this blog. Probably because going from one kid to two kids leaves us with our hands full. I am going back to school so any free lunch periods or time in the evenings that I would have to be on the computer I'm doing homework. And probably because I've taken on a new hobby of bow hunting for Whitetails. So- if I have free time and my homework is done, the kids are busy doing something and I have nothing to cook, clean, or attend to- I find myself hanging out in a tree. Bad meaning I feel like I had quite the baby book going of Adventures with Miley- and poor Cooper is barely documented.

So, here's to old hobbies, may they always hold a special place in my heart and to new hobbies that I soon hope to reap the benefits of by bringing home some meat. Oh yeah- and the kids are doing great! I Love them to pieces. :)

Tap Dance

Miley's First Dance Recital

These videos are taken on the night of her rehearsal. She got a little scared at the recital and froze up for the first part of both her dances. Once she warmed up she started doing her dance and having fun, in the last 15 seconds. But, we are proud of her none-the-less and she said she LOVES dance and can't wait to start up again in the fall! :) And Mommy loves having her little dancer!!!

Trying to Make a Come Back

So, I've been unmotivated and uninspired and probably too busy to blog much. But I'm hoping for a come back. It's been a long winter and I haven't been myself and I'm starting to feel better now and am gearing up for some new adventures.

I got to experiment with a new easy recipe last night which I posted on Mindi's Magnificent Meals. Check it out!!!

Cooper's The Big ONE!!

Cooper James has turned ONE!!! It's so hard to believe that he has been a part of our family for a full year already! He is growing up so fast!

Stats: He is 29 pounds and 31 inches
He has 12 teeth and I can see white buds where his canines will be coming through.
He has been walking since 10.5 months so he is walking quite well now. He is almost running at times and just two weeks ago finally got the hang of standing up from sitting all on his own. He's quite the monkey too, he climbs up on everything. He loves climbing into the fridge and taking out all of our condiment jars.

We had a great first birthday party for him! We did a monkey theme since Coop's nickname has always been 'Chunky Monkey'. I made his cake similar to Miley's cake, a two layer round funfetti cake, I added some extra blue frosting to his cake. We served chili cheese dogs and they were a hit!! I have to say that this being the fourth birthday party we have thrown I finally for it right. We were so relaxed and the meal was so tasty and super easy!

I'm ONE!!

Kelly took some 1 year photos of him. Here are a few of my favorites!

Miley Turns 3

All right, all right- yes, I'm almost a month behind. Just needed a little time off from being creative. But now I'm in the mood again.

Miss Miley turned three at the beginning of January. On her actual birthday she got to spend the day just her and Mommy. I asked her to pick between going to the MOA to go shopping and go on the rides, Chucky Cheese, or swimming and she chose swimming. The YMCA in Hastings was so kind to allow us to be guests for the day seeing as she has taken swimming lessons there. We had the whole pool to ourselves and she loved it. She is quite the little fish. :)

That evening we went out to eat for Grandma Pam's birthday as well. When we got home Miley got to open her present from us and from Brendon and Shelly as they were on vacation over her party. We got Miley her very own digital camera. It's pretty neat! She loves taking photos. And Brendon and Shelly got her an Easy Bake Oven! Let's just say Mommy has had more fun with that, but she sure enjoys eating all of the yummy treats. (Side Bar: I ALWAYS wanted an Easy Bake oven but never got one- this is the BEST part of having a daughter, getting all of the fun toys for her that I never got!)

That Saturday we had the family over for her birthday party. Of course, she didn't take a nap that day so she was a little crabby at the beginning but she soon warmed up and had a blast. She loved when we sang happy birthday to her and of course opening the presents!

This years cake I ordered an edible topper again and made a double layer round fun-fetti cake. The middle was filled with pink frosting and then I pipped frosting on the outside.

Since Miley is now 3 we decided that she is now big enough to learn how to put herself to sleep and sleep in her own bed. She was doing this for awhile when we first had Cooper, but then she got sick and slept in our bed for a few nights and it then became habbit for both of us. She would fall asleep with me in my bed and then I'd bring her to her bed and most nights she'd end up back in our bed. She now has a sticker chart on her door and she gets one sticker for falling asleep in her own bed and another sticker for staying in her bed the whole night. It only took two nights and she totally had this figured out. She loves the reward and I'm not going to lie and say she's been perfect, a few nights here and there she ventures into our room and we tell her that she only gets one sticker and she gets a little upset with herself and says she is going to earn two the next night.

We are signing her up for pre-school in two weeks! I Can't believe it! But we are SOO excited for her. I think she is going to LOVE going to school! We have decided to send her to St. Paul's Lutheran pre-school. We are hoping to be able to send her on Monday's and Thursday's from 8-12:30 or 1. This will allow her to have lunch at school as well. She's turned into a picky eater and we are hoping that sitting down with the other kids and seeing them eat will inspire her to eat what is given to her as well.

Seems like just yesterday....