Minnesota Trip

In September we went up to the Twin Cities for a long weekend. It was more like a college-reunion for Jonathan.

The first evening we met up with Tim (former roommate) and Wendy and their little boy, Trevor, in Mankato. We went out for Mexican which brought back many memories of eating Mexican in Ames. It was a great time of catching up and enjoying chips and salsa.

On Friday it was Jonathan's birthday and we met Matt (former roommate & the groom on Sunday)for lunch in Edina. I think Matt enjoyed being with our boys even though they were getting tired. ;) And in the evening we went to Shane and Heather's for dinner. They have three children and it was great to see them befriend our boys. Shane is the director of youth ministries for the EFCA and Heather stays at home and homeschools her children. It was such a time of encouragement!! The kids enjoyed playing together in the basement and the adults enjoyed conversation over coffee upstairs. It was so relaxing.
On Saturday, we made our way to the Mall of America, but I wanted to stop at Ikea first. It was my first time in Ikea and I loved it. It was a little overwhelming, but fun! Phin fell asleep in the cart so that made it even more enjoyable. We finally ended up at the Mall of America and it was a disaster. I needed a dress for the wedding on Sunday and I couldn't find anything. Plus, the boys were so tired and whiny. It was truly embarrassing. Needless to say, I didn't get a dress at the mall and the boys had plenty of tantrums in a 1 1/2 hour span. We didn't last long at the mall and decided to head over to Jon (college friend) and Anna's house. They grilled burgers and brats and the boys enjoyed playing in the backyard. We stayed the night in their guest room with Phin in the pack'n'play and Asher on the floor in his sleeping bag.

Jon and Anna watched the boys for us on Sunday so we could go to the wedding. I ended up finding a sundress at Target right before we got to Jon and Anna's so at least I had something to wear. We arrived at the outdoor wedding a little late, but we took some great pictures from on top of the hill. The reception was beautiful and we had a lovely time with the other guests at our table. Matt (sang at our wedding) loves U2 so he surprised Jennifer by serenading her with some songs. It was really cute. We took advantage of our childless afternoon and walked along the water in the park. It was a beautiful afternoon for a stroll. We arrived at Jon and Anna's packed up all our belongings and the boys and drove back to Ames. The boys slept for about 2 1/2 hours, which is a record for us.
We had a great fun-filled weekend visiting Jonathan's college friends. We were thankful to reminisce with Tim and Wendy. We were refreshed by our time with Shane and Heather. We were humbled by Jon and Anna and their hospitality. And we were honored to be invited to Matt and Jennifer's wedding. Thank you all for a great weekend!!

First Trip to the Dentist

On October 1st our boys took their first trip to the dentist. They actually had a great time. Dr. Patten put a camera in Asher's mouth and showed him his teeth on a tv. They both took rides in the chair and had their teeth looked at. Dr. Patten said, "No cavities and it looks like they brush well." I laughed at the last part of that sentence since I usually end up helping them finish. They got a new toothbrush and were sent on their merry way. I'm glad it was a positive experience for them!!

Rock Valley Trip

While we were in California, Korrie and Sarita watched the boys. They had a great time together during the week we were gone. But late Friday night, Jonathan and I arrived in Rock Valley. I couldn't sleep because I was so excited to see my boys in the morning. ;) We had a great time on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday
In the morning we totally vegged out. It was great. The boys played and we gave each of them a little souvineer from San Diego. Then in the afternoon we had a birthday party for Phin and Isaiah. Kristin made the cutest cupcakes decorated like baseballs, basketballs and footballs. I brought the drink and ice cream. ;) The boys had fun opening gifts. And each child left with a balloon. The simple pleasures. We hung out with Micah and Kristin and Philip and Liz at Korita's house. We got pizza and let the kids play. It was really fun to be together. We did miss Jeremy and Beth and Levi, but we'll all be together at Christmas.
Sunday
After a never-ending hour-long church service (both boys were not the picture-perfect children I would have hoped for them to be during the service) we headed over to my parents for Thanksgiving lunch. We celebrated Phin and DJ's birthdays too. The boys had fun playing with their cousins Will and Jaelyn. DJ brought his dog, Ruby, over and Phin loved him. My boys were so tired and Phin almost fell asleep behind the wheel a few times while they were playing outside. Before we left Rock Valley, we stopped at DJ and Maria's house to see how it was coming along (they had a housefire in August and are rebuilding on their acerage). It looks like it's going to be a lovely home. She said we could stay any time we wanted to and I think I'll take her up on that, as soon as they get plumbing, electricity and some insulation. ;)
The drive to Ames was pretty quiet. Phin was asleep about 1 1/2 miles away from my parent's house and they both slept for about 2 hours in the car. We had McDonald's in Carroll and then they watched a little Nemo. They sat in the van and kept watching it until we had unloaded all of our stuff. It was a great weekend and we're excited to spend more time with family at Christmas.

Update of the Boys

Since we've been away from the computer for over a month, I thought I'd give you a quick update on the boys and some great pictures from the month.

Asher is doing great. He's still wearing 3T clothes and weighs 29 lbs. He's a very active little boy and he keeps me on my toes. He's becoming more of a leader which is fun to see but it's not always positive (kind of bossy). He enjoys playing with Legos and his cars. His favorite shows are Word World and Curious George. His favorite foods are pizza, fruit snacks, tacos, and juice.

Phin is doing great as well and it's actually his 2nd birthday today. We had a party for him when we were in Rock Valley, but we'll be celebrating all week. ;) He's in 18 month clothes but will probably be in 24 month/2T by Christmas. He weighs 27lbs but is still quite a bit shorter than Asher. He's a sweet little boy who loves to rock-a-bye. He's very kind and likes to share (most of the time). He enjoys puzzles, cars, and following his brother around. He enjoys watching Clifford but can't sit through the entire 25 minute program. His favorite foods are pizza, french fries, meat, fruit snacks and chocolate milk.

They have been so great at playing with eachother. Jonathan and I have started calling them Pete and Repeat. They just spent a week at Jonathan's parents' house and they all had a great time. Enjoy the rest of the pictures.

Jonathan on his 29th birthday.

Phin is such a messy eater. ;)
I have to mop under his chair after every meal.

Asher found some markers and decided that Phin needed a little decorating.
I'm just glad they were washable. ;)

Asher likes to help in the kitchen.
He's usually in charge of pulling all the grapes of the stems and washing them in water.

Asher is dillegently working on a craft.
It's fun to see improvement in his fine motor skills.