my crazy loves

drum roll please

2012-01-27T21:43:00.002-06:00

i thought i would give an update -

drew had to make his musical selection by today

and he decided he wants to play ....

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.
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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

PERCUSSION!!

he's always LOVED the drums

and so has ben ...
tehehe ...

so it's fun to see him deciding to make a commitment to REALLY try them.

a sweet surprise

2012-01-26T22:27:00.001-06:00

as you may remember ...
back in november we had a baby shower because
my sister was due to have her little boy at the end of february.

WELL ...
this weekend we got a sweet surprise ...

owen ryan was born 5 weeks early
he was 4 lbs 13 oz when he was born
but he is healthy
and doing great!

they even let him go home already!!

he may only be 4 lbs 6 oz

but he has already won over all of our hearts
and i can't get enough of him

i can't wait until i get to meet you in person, little guy

until then ...
be nice to your mom and dad, k?!

a one man band?

2012-01-25T21:09:00.002-06:00

last night we went to a music open house
AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL!!

each 6th grader is required to do a music course
so this night gave them the chance to 'shop around'.
they could go from room to room
testing out the different instruments
to see which they liked best

drew went into the night thinking he wanted to do
percussion or saxophone.

after a VERY fun hour with his friends
he is nowhere close to a decision.

he's narrowed it down to:
trombone
trumpet
violin
percussion
or
cello

i NEVER would have expected this
but after watching him play -
my personal favorites
were watching him play the trombone

the trumpet

and the drums

the 3 loudest instruments.
go figure.

hukt on fonix

2012-01-23T22:50:00.001-06:00

alex is hitting one of my favorite stages

he has started sitting down
and randomly writing notes.

he doesn't ask for help -
he just spells everything how it sounds.

SO ...
here was one of the notes he worked on this afternoon
to surprise ben and drew with

and in case you don't know how to read phonetically -

'ben and drew
welcome to
the search
and find.
you have to find
a mini football'

he set up a scavenger hunt
hid a few items
left a few notes
and the prize?
'you GET to play basketball with me'

i just love you, alex.
and i love your notes too.
could you just PLEASE promise me you won't learn to spell anytime soon :)

on fire

2012-01-21T21:58:00.000-06:00

this morning was VERY intense.

ben had a game against the other undefeated team in the league.
the boys didn't really know or care
and i didn't even really care that much
UNTIL their coach opened his mouth.
he was SO over the top for 2nd and 3rd graders.
he was loud.
he was obnoxious.
it was obvious he isn't used to losing
and
he didn't intend to lose today's game either.

THANKFULLY ...
ben's team brought their A game
and
ben was ON FIRE!
he calls himself a mini lebron james -
nothing like a little humility, right ;)
he was taking shots from the outside
and sinking each one.
although their coach told his players to foul ben -
even that didn't stop him!
it was SO fun to watch!

we were ahead the entire game.
i kept the thought that they could come back in the back of my mind ...
but thankfully they never did.

we ended up winning ...

and it was so satisfying!

and what's crazy ...
it's not because they were undefeated and we were undefeated
it's not because it was a good game.
mostly it's just because their coach was just such a jerk ;)
he yelled at the refs.
he yelled at the kids.
he yelled at everyone.
this is 2nd and 3rd grade basketball
those kids are out there for fun
and
there is just no reason for it
and now you know how i really feel ;)

SO ...
way to go, boys!
you played a GREAT game!
i am SO glad you didn't get hurt
and
i just have to ask ONE favor ...
today i was so taken by the intensity of it all that i took no video and FIVE pictures total -
and of those five - ben is not in a single one ;)
way to capture his best game yet, right?
SO ...
next time ... could you just do the exact same thing?!
;)

: : :

* * on a side note * *
i'm gonna brag on ben for a sec
the advantages to having my own blog
on the way out, their coaches asked our coach if ben always shoots like that ...
to which our coach responded ... "pretty much ... yes ;)"
glad they took the time to notice you, ben!
i am so proud of you!

interesting ...

2012-01-20T13:45:00.000-06:00

i think he may be on to something ...

having a ball

2012-01-19T22:00:00.000-06:00

we started the week off with 2 free days off of school

day 1 was spent sick in bed
SO ...
that meant we needed to get in a little fun on day # 2!

we decided on brunswick zone
and had brandon join us

they showed off their mad bowling skills ...

needed 10 balls for 4 boys ...

you do the math ... because i have no clue

brandon ended up winning
and
ALEX came in a close second.

THEN ...
we played laser tag.
brandon won again ...
but guess who came in second ...
ALEX!!
way to represent the little guys, buddy!

our last stop was a new ball shooting game.
we had the entire room to ourselves
and an error in the computer
and an empty gameroom
meant our 4 minute game ran for 30 minutes

it was a blast
literally

the war even moved beyond the guns

and became a complete free for all

they had fun
they left tired
and
we didn't have to be out in the cold

mission accomplished

so random

2012-01-17T21:42:00.001-06:00

drew has decided that he is going to drive a lotus when he grows up -
and price is not a concern because he will be in the NFL

ben went to a friend's today ...
and is proud that he walked on the treadmill and burned 7.3 calories

alex had 2 potato oles left on his plate after dinner
and asked if he could save them to leave out for santa at christmas

and

i am actually going to publicly admit that i am thankful to have a 10 yr old that texts.
stacey and i BOTH got a stomach bug AT THE SAME TIME.
it knocked us off our feet for a good 24 hours
and it was SO nice to lay up in bed,
text a message to drew,
and have something show up bedside moments later.

SO
random
SO
typical
SO
fun

love these boys.

52 week challenge

2012-01-15T19:19:00.002-06:00

this year i have taken on a new challenge

i have decided to do a 52 week photo challenge.
each week there are 2 themes to choose from.
i have to take a picture representing one of the 2 themes
THEN ...
the fun part is there are also 2 kids themes
SO ...
i have brought the kids into this challenge with me.

each week -
i will post the themes we chose
and our pictures

NOW ...
because i have to play a little catch up ...
for my pictures - i am using pictures from the first 2 weeks
and matching them up to the themes
for the boys pictures - i gave them their options
and they caught up by taking 2 pictures

SO ...

* WEEK ONE *

sarah
NATURAL

drew
METAL

ben
PETS

alex
PETS

* WEEK TWO *

sarah
RESPONSIBILITY

drew
RED

ben
RED

alex
RED

GO PACK

2012-01-15T17:03:00.001-06:00

not alone

2012-01-15T16:48:00.002-06:00

remember this post about ben...

well ...
after looking through my pictures
i am happy to say
he's not the only one ...

(see the kid on the right?)

fun cubed

2012-01-14T20:19:00.001-06:00

today brought another exciting saturday of basketball
3 games ... with the earliest STARTING at 9
yikes!

ben's game went well

they won their game thursday 53-13 ...

they won again this morning 46-20 ...

they are on fire!!

* * *

drew's team - on the other hand - hasn't quite found their groove ...

we aren't sweating it ...
just hoping they find it soon ;)

his team has 2 coaches who are on their 2nd year of coaching
and are GREAT!
both recently graduated from st.thomas
and they coach just for fun.
they coached a girls team earlier this season
and
now they have this crazy group of friends

unfortunately they lost both games today ...
but we have a lot of games left
and
they have a lot of fun trying!

* * *
AND
speaking of fun ...
while sitting through 3 basketball games
alex had a little fun of his own ...

he also had 3 suckers ...
some gum ...
some fruit snacks ...
and a bottle of water

a little sugar never hurt anyone, right ;)

seriously?

2012-01-12T08:20:00.000-06:00

can it really be so ???

savoring the moment

2012-01-11T18:08:00.002-06:00

although i'm trying to ignore the inevitable ...
that it really is going to get cold again
and
that snow WILL really come
AND
stay on the ground
i figured i should just highlight what fun we are having

first ... a GORGEOUS weekend.
stacey and i went for a 4 mile run
OUTSIDE
WITHOUT COATS
IN JANUARY
and it felt great!

THEN ...
a 50 degree day.
alex and i went for a run/walk
the boys didn't wear coats out for recess
we got the car washed
and
we played outside
IN JANUARY!!

AND THEN ...
as if we weren't spoiled enough ...
we got ANOTHER beautiful day
with 55 degree weather
which brought the entire neighborhood out
without coats or boots
for a game of STREET hockey
IN JANUARY ... street hockey!!

i am LOVING this.

of course i would still prefer 80 and sunny
and
i do actually enjoy having snow for the boys to play in ...
BUT
for january ...
this is PERFECT.

if january in minnesota could always be like this ...
maybe i could stop spending my november
looking for a place to move ;)

hoops

2012-01-08T18:00:00.000-06:00

although practices started a few weeks ago
this weekend marked the beginning of the REAL basketball fun

on saturday the boys had their first games

ben's team did excellent

ben was a shooting machine

he scored 10 of their 27 points

and their team ended up winning the game!

drew's team also did very well.
they haven't had nearly as many practices ...
but they fought hard!

they lost one
and
they won one

it was drew's first basketball game ever ...
he played hard
and did a great job!

nice job, boys!!

being happy with whatcha got

2012-01-07T16:40:00.001-06:00

we may not have a lot of snow

and this may not be like most januarys

but the boys aren't letting that cramp their style

they're taking what they can get

and making the best of it

time flies ...

2012-01-06T23:15:00.000-06:00

when you're having fun

*just another afternoon of waiting for drew and ben to be done with school*

... and a half

2012-01-05T21:44:00.000-06:00

happy HALF birthday alex ...

i know how excited you were for today
and it wasn't just because you got to take cupcakes to school ;)

NOW ...
when people ask how old you are ...
you don't have to JUST be five.

you are five AND A HALF
and
i'm guessing you aren't going to let anyone forget it

a perfect beginning

2012-01-04T13:51:00.000-06:00

on the morning of new years day
ben and i went to caribou to take advantage of the buy 1 get 1 deal

while i ordered, he went to the big question board
the question of the day was 'what do you plan for 2012?'

i walked back and found this ...

what a perfect kickoff to 2012 ...
even better than my ho ho mint mocha ;)

and ...
just in case there is any question ...
he did not say 'lose 5 lbs' or 'abs like gaga'
he said
'loveing my mom'

hello * goodbye

2012-01-01T21:36:00.000-06:00

last night we said goodbye to 2011

we had a great year to look back on.
we have laughed.
we have cried.
we have loved.
all together.

* * *

as is tradition we started out our night with a candlelight family dinner ...

THEN ...
the fun began ;)

the boys had set up a foosball tournament
for their NEW foosball table!!

i may not have even come close to winning ...
but i just have to say ... i have a bum finger
JUST WAIT, BOYS ...
you should be very afraid ;)

as we played we were surprised to see the amazingly beautiful flakes
that started falling from the sky!

seeing as though we have had no snow
the boys were REALLY excited to get out and play in it ...

so ...
we figured there was no better time ...
it was 11 pm ... we were waiting for the ball to drop
might as well enjoy it!

and
yes ... alex REALLY wore his helmet
yes ... he was REALLY out riding his bike
and
yes ... they had a lot of fun

a little TOO much fun

at 11:50
just as i was pouring some sparkling juice for us to toast with
alex laid down and was O.U.T.
just like that.

he didn't want to be woken up
BUT
that didn't stop the rest of us.

2012 is here
and
we are excited about having another year to
appreciate all of the little moments that are going by WAY too fast!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
from our house to yours!

not forgotten

2011-12-30T09:33:00.000-06:00

chewy is a lucky dog

he got to spend his christmas tormenting my mom's girl dogs ;) ...

and he came home to some special treats ...

ben had made him a card

and together we baked him his very own christmas cut out treats

it isn't quite as fun when you can't eat the dough ...

BUT chewy seems happy ;)

merry christmas, chewy.

you may drive me crazy sometimes ...

but you sure do make a few boys around here very happy!

christmas in pictures ... mostly

2011-12-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

before heading to WI ...
we woke up to find elfred and a note he had written -
he told us that although santa had stopped and brought some surprises,
he allowed elfred to stay one more night so that he could tell the boys goodbye
he said that he had a lot of fun
and hopes that he can come back next year.

the boys loved that he got to stay to say goodbye
AND that santa had lifted his magic so that the boys could touch elfred ONE time ...
to give him a hug.

we finished up the morning opening our gifts

a few of their favorites were ...
*harlem globetrotter tickets
*a titanium necklace
*gander mountain hunting game for wii
*stuffed phinneas, ferb, and perry

the rest of our christmas was spent in wisconsin ...
and i'll let the pictures do the talking ... mostly

i have no idea what i'm doing ... but only 8 weeks left!!!

my mom's 'granite peak' creation for aiden's lego snowboarders

alex got HIS OWN camera!!
for anyone out there who wants to get their kid a camera
i HIGHLY recommend it

as seen on the counter one afternoon ...

what we woke up to Christmas morning ...

thanks, santa.

i hope everyone had a merry Christmas!!!
we sure did! ;)

a sugary send off

2011-12-23T10:11:00.000-06:00

yesterday was the boys last day of school before break
that meant that 2 things
1. yesterday was a LOT of fun
and
2. they consumed a LOT of sugar!

thankfully i was there to enjoy most of the day with them!

i started out the day in alex's classroom for a party
his teacher was full of good ideas

they got outfitted in rudolph antlers

played in some 'snow'
since we are still lacking in the real stuff

made candy canes

made some christmas trees

and prepared to sing 'jingle bells' at the sing along

a few hours later ...

i helped make sundaes for the 5th graders

can i just say ...
with the amount of mountain dew, dr pepper, and candy that was being consumed ...
i am very thankful that i was only taking one of them home with me ;)

drew has such a fun ... good ... group of kids in his class
he has a great teacher who has fun right along with them

and watching how much they have changed in just the past few months
has been a lot of fun

on a sidenote ...
just yesterday we got a letter talking about drew's placement for middle school.
5th grade seems ok ... but middle school?!?!
not there yet.

i digress

we finished the day with the all school sing along

ben's class sang 'deck the halls'
and
drew's class sang 'the 12 days of christmas'

they also did 'jolly old st nicholas' and
drew was selected as one of 5 kids to play the metallophone

and he rocked it.

i'm thinking a future in percussion wouldn't be all that bad.
has to be better than the trumpet.
right?!

as always ... i had fun being a part of their day.
they had fun ...
how can you not when your entire day is one giant party?!
and we are NOW officially ready for Christmas!

star of the week

2011-12-23T09:16:00.000-06:00

this week alex was the star of the week

he had to decorate a 'mini-me'

he had to fill out this 'all about alex' poster

yes ... if he could have ANYTHING in the world ...
he would want hot cocoa.
you'd think i never let him have it?!
AND
i love that of all the things he could choose ...
he wants to be a dad ...
to FIVE kids specifically (one baby)

his work spent the week on the classroom's board

alex also got to be the teachers special helper,
he got to lead the line,
and he got to sit WHEREVER he wanted on the rug!

you are a special little guy, alex!
i hope you had fun being celebrated!

how exciting our life REALLY is

2011-12-22T23:10:00.000-06:00

so ...
although elfred seems to have taken my blog hostage ...
i thought i'd give a quick recap of where the rest of us have been this week ...
prepare to be blown away with excitement.

FIRST ...
stacey ran out of places to build shelves
and cut holes in the ceiling
so he took it upon himself to fix our washer
which was starting to sound like a jet engine each time it hit the spin cycle

he took the complete washer apart ...
replaced a part ...
put it back together ;)
and now it is perfect!
NICE WORK, fletch!

and no ... in case you were wondering ...
he still hasn't shaved the 'stash.
in fact ... now i believe he is working on something he calls ... 'decembeard'
yes ... it's lovely.

meanwhile ...
the boys have been outside enjoying some BEAUTIFUL weather!
although it wasn't 70 ...
it is the middle of december and the kids played outside
without snow gear
and without coming in complaining

complete bliss.

another highlight ...

ben used his behavior bucks from school
to bring us this little gem of a friend ...

it is the perfect addition to our christmas decorations ...
and has taken up a wonderful spot on our counter.

the more i look at it though, i am thinking it would look better at grandma's house ;)
perhaps this should mark the beginning of the best game of hide and seek with the snowman ...
at grandma's house ...
ever.
;)

shhhh ....
don't tell.

elfred's final week

2011-12-22T22:59:00.000-06:00

since i know you are all dying to know ...

yes ...
elfred is still hanging around
and yes ...
he is still very busy.

he has been fishing in the bathtub ...

he has been pretending he was on the final jury for survivor ...
like me ... he wishes ozzy would've gone all the way
and taken the million ;)

he has been baking ...
for himself ...
but he did bring treats for the boys as well ;)

he found the PERFECT spot for spying ...

and he even found a fun way down from his crazy perch ...

the easter egg dipper works REALLY well as an elf zip line device ;)
i mean ... that's what it looks like he used anyway ;)

we sure are going to miss you, elfred.

the elf diaries

2011-12-17T22:32:00.000-06:00

since it's been a while ...
i thought a little update of what we've been up to ...
or rather what elfred has been up to
was in order ;)

the afternoon after the snowball fight
i carefully moved elfred and his snowballs to the table
to protect him from the large and vicious chewy

alex had a lot of fun creating his own snowball scene ...
being very careful not to touch 'fred' ...
and only after he had licked the marshmallows
and stuck them to poor elfred and the fireman was his masterpiece complete ...

the next morning we found elfred playing xbox ...

the boys were nervous that he had beat their high scores ...
but thankfully they were all safe
i do have to say that would have been very impressive though
and perhaps elfred should work on his game and try to do that next year ;)

the next morning ...
we found elfred spending his morning with our nativity
AND
riding a camel!

i guess he must have heard it was 'hump day'
ba-dum-bum! ;)

THEN ...
on thursday he was back to his tricks.
we found him on the mantel ...

and he had left QUITE the surprise ...

the stockings were all down ...
and replaced with our underwear/boxers!!
what a trouble maker!

on friday he got a little held up ;) ...

BUT ...
was already back at this morning ...
the boys woke up to find their noses had been painted RED!!

they scratched a bit of it off
and wondered what was going on
but as soon as they walked into the bathroom and saw this ...

they knew.

AND THEN ...
the real surprise came when they came to tell me ...
so i went to see elfred
and found his nose had been painted too ;)
not sure which of his friends helped him with that
but ... they were even more clever than me ;)
hmmmm ...
perhaps i should enlist this 'friend's' help more often ...

the FORT

2011-12-13T15:00:00.000-06:00

lately the boys have been very busy

any time that they get with friends
they want to go work on their 'fort'.
they've spent many hours working on it
and
i wasn't sure what to expect when i went to check it out
BUT ...
when i finally took my tour i was quite surprised

inside you will find ...
a sink,
cup holders,
a hat holder,
a relaxing area,
and a special seat

when the weather cooperates
it is their favorite place to go

and i think they've done a pretty nice job with the place ;)

nice job, boys!

the adventures of elfred

2011-12-12T14:38:00.000-06:00

elfred has been having quite the fun at our house -
we just never know what to expect when we wake up in the morning!!

a few mornings ago he had us a little worried ...

but since then he hasn't gotten into TOO much trouble ;)

he has found some pretty good hiding spots ...

and this morning ...
we even found him in an all out snowball/marshmallow battle with a rescue hero!

not sure who the winner was ...

but i do know that by the time the boys left for school

each and every 'snowball' had mysteriously disappeared ...

SO ...

if any of you teachers reading this

ended up with a kid on a sugar high at school this morning ...

consider this my apology ;)

oh sweets!

2011-12-09T21:42:00.000-06:00

last night i made cookies

WELL ...

i guess elfred thought the candy cane kisses i was using

looked pretty good

because when we found him this morning ...

he looked as if he had enjoyed a few of the leftovers ...

crazy elf.

you fit right in around here.

citizen barnett

2011-12-08T21:39:00.000-06:00

today was the day to celebrate alex ...

they had a program at school where the principal recognized each 'citizen of the month'

as you can see ...
alex wasn't overly thrilled about getting recognized ;)

BUT ...
he was WAY excited about his medal
in fact he wore it for the rest of the night -
even OVER his coat as we walked through target ;)

AND the fact that he got sherbet as a special treat
made him think he was a pretty cool kid ;)

he even got to celebrate with his friend who is in the other kindergarten class
and was ALSO a citizen of the month!

way to go, alex and oliver!

i'm proud of you!!

someone's been busy ...

2011-12-08T13:56:00.000-06:00

our new friend ... elfred

2011-12-07T22:46:00.000-06:00

you will NEVER believe it ...
BUT ...
a few mornings ago
this little guy showed up at our house

he brought a book with him
and in the book we were told one of the first things to do
was to give him a name.
SO ... right away drew came up with the name 'fred'
and then together they decided his full name should be 'elfred' ;)

the book also told us that he is here visiting from the north pole.
every day he is going to hang out with us
and watch what's going on around our house
the boys can tell him what they are hoping to get for christmas
they can tell him about their day
and
they can watch him
BUT ... strict rules ... straight from the big guy
you know, the one with the big white beard ...
not the little white-ish mustache ;)
they cannot touch him
AND
he cannot talk back.

every night he reports back to santa
and THEN ...
hurries back ...
and we're just starting to see some of the trouble he gets into

this morning ...
we found him in one of the boys dump trucks ...
in the middle of the floor!!

we think he thought it was a sleigh
because he had the thing rigged up to be pulled by a rein-dog ;)

thank goodness he didn't get far
because so far ...
he's quite the hit!

alex spent a good chunk of this afternoon watching him
AND of course
taking plenty of pictures ...

probably a good thing since i'm pretty sure he's already left for the night
and who knows where he'll turn up next!

hoops

2011-12-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

our free time has officially ended

i have FULLY enjoyed being together
having dinner together
and
having nowhere to go

BUT ...
as of yesterday
basketball has officially started
and it's fun to see ben back doing something he loves

this year he's on a team with 5 friends from his football team
so he's pumped

and although drew doesn't know what team he is on yet
he decided to give it a whirl this year
SO ...
let the fun begin.

.typical.

2011-12-03T20:10:00.000-06:00

just

another

friday

night

just for fun

2011-12-02T09:32:00.001-06:00

just for fun ...

i have made some changes and have set up this blog so that now all you have to type is

www.mycrazyloves.com

the blogspot address will still work ...

i just thought this was more fun ;)

AND ...

i have also made it so that

project365.mycrazyloves.com

will take you to my 365 page :)

if you have them bookmarked

nothing really needs to change.

just wanted you to know.

thanksgiving blackout 2011

2011-11-30T21:37:00.000-06:00

as i was updating my project 365
i realized there was one thanksgiving 2011 element i forgot to mention

well ok 2...

first of all ...
on tuesday night alex wasn't feeling so hot
wednesday morning - alex wasn't feeling so hot
finally - wednesday night we had him checked out
and he had strep

SO ...
we decided to hold off on heading to WI
and give him a little bit of time on antibiotics before spreading the love

SO GLAD WE DID
wednesday night proved to be WAY more exciting than we expected

around 10:30 -
drew was asleep
alex and ben were almost asleep

all of the sudden everything went black
COMPLETELY black
as in no matter which direction we looked
pitch black

the only lights to be seen
were random flashlights shining out of windows

it was creepy
but
also very surreal
it is so rare for us to see such a clear dark sky
and as long as we have lived here
i have never seen the entire neighborhood completely dark

we have no idea what caused the outage.
i've heard it was a crash that caused power lines to cross.
we have our own theory that it was the 'griswald' house down the street.
but really ... no clue.
all i know is that it came back on at 12am.

i am SO thankful i wasn't home alone
and i am also thankful we had so many working flashlights
BUT ...
MOST importantly ...
i am SO thankful thanksgiving wasn't at my house.
i most definitely would have been baking and cleaning -
and i'm guessing i would not have gotten very far with either ;)

decking the halls

2011-11-28T22:55:00.000-06:00

as we said goodbye to thanksgiving ...
we said hello to all things Christmas!!

the weather - and lack of snow - was perfect

so we set out to cut down a Christmas tree!

with the help of 3 strong boys
and a sawzall ;)
the job went quick

we took a little time to enjoy some cider

and then headed home for the REAL decorating.

BUT ...
no decorating reveals yet.

not because it's SO different
or amazing
or worth waiting for

more like ...
i was busy cleaning up the 3 ornaments that got broken
and
figured i still have a good month to take a decorated tree picture
so
why rush ;)

SO much

2011-11-26T20:36:00.000-06:00

this weekend i was reminded
just how much i have to be thankful for.

i have a great family ...

AND we get to go bowling every thanksgiving ;)

i have a husband who is my best friend and my everything ...

i have kids who make me laugh ...

often.

alex has learned to tie shoes ...

WHICH means all 3 of my kids can tie their own shoes!

i have a dad that loves giving my boys opportunities to be boys ...

AND ...
FINALLY ...
with the passing of thanksgiving ...
that means there is only one more week left in november ...

goodbye 'movember ;)
it's been fun.

sN*oW

2011-11-20T14:24:00.000-06:00

it may have snowed ALL day yesterday
BUT ...
that didn't stop the boys.

they STILL had their bikes out

AND
were relentless in building a bike jump ...
out of snow!

THEN ...
they were so excited about snow

that they were out playing it in by 8 am this morning

and as soon as we got back from church ...
they were out in it again.

the older boys connected sleds TO THEIR BIKES ...

and then proceeded to give out rides ...

around and around
the circle

making the smaller boys VERY happy ;)

i am not too thrilled about the fact that winter really is coming

and

i am definitely not thrilled that it is cold and not about to change

BUT

given the fact that my house has been REALLY quiet for the past 2 days

and the boys have been busy playing outside THE ENTIRE TIME ...

maybe the cold and snow aren't so bad ;)

movember

2011-11-16T22:14:00.000-06:00

in the name of raising vital awareness and funds for cancers affecting men
stacey has decided to subject us to a quite creepy 'stash for the entire month of november -
or shall i say 'MOvember'

he has gotten together 25 guys from work
including VPs, directors, and his own employees
and together they are growing their mo's
and raising money at the same time
AND the bonus ...
thomson reuters will match every donation he receives!!
SO ...
please take a minute to check out the site below.
even if everyone just donates ONE dollar
it will make my month a little less miserable ;)
http://mobro.co/sbarnett
THANKS GUYS!!

showering bekah

2011-11-14T18:35:00.000-06:00

this weekend we got to celebrate ...

in just a few short months
my sister, bekah,
is having a baby boy!!!

so we threw her a shower!!

we threw together some cute decorations ...

ordered some goodies ...

and had some fun.

we started out by having everyone come share their wishes for baby kalita ...

we also gave each person a baby in an ice cube ...

and told them that their goal
throughout the course of the shower -
was to see who could get their water to break first ;)
the first baby out ... was the winner.

then ...
once everyone arrived ...
we presented ryan with his own 'daddy tool belt'

one can never be too prepared for a diaper change ;)

after lots of chatting and eating ...

we played one more game ...

we had everyone write a message of encouragement
that bekah and ryan can read during diaper changes ...

and then gave everyone more time to visit :)

it was fun to be excited with bekah ...

and to shower her with some love ;)

we are SO excited for you bekah!!!

you are going to be a GREAT mom ...

i'm sure of it!!

some interim fun

2011-11-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

although both of the older boys are signed up and committed
to playing basketball this coming season ...
that didn't stop the excitement
when they found out they could go with their friends
to a free wrestling clinic at the high school

they both knew a few people that were there

and based on the fact that they are still practicing half nelsons
in the living room

i'm guessing they had a lot of fun

i'm still not signing them up for wrestling ;)
BUT
we'll let them have fun while they can

thanks for inviting them, jen!

today ...

2011-11-07T16:33:00.000-06:00

it's all about ...
BEN ...

football's over party #1

2011-11-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

last night we celebrated a great season for ben's football team
with a year end pool party

it was QUITE crazy ...
since all the brothers and sisters were there too!

BUT ...
we - as in the adults - survived ;)
and the kids had a lot of fun

ben got awarded with having
'the quickest feet'
largely based on our game with the crawling team ...

it was a GREAT season ...
i'm actually kind of sad it's over ...
BUT
definitely looking forward to next season!

way to go, ben!

winning their hearts young

2011-11-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

you may remember me mentioning that ben's teacher is a HUGE twins fan!

well ...
at the beginning of the year
she had each of the students write a letter to the twins player of their choice.

ben wrote to justin morneau
his favorite player

my favorite part being 'you are a beast hitter' ;)

and included a picture of he and gardy from his classroom ...

this week ...
THEY HEARD BACK!!

you can see the response under ben's letter above
obviously not from justin - but he didn't care!

they also sent a few 2012 schedules, a twins sticker,
and a bunch of large baseball cards

it didn't matter who wrote it
or what they said ...
the fact that he heard back AND got a few goodies ...
completely made his day!

a sweet night

2011-11-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

by 6pm last night ...

the pumpkins were carved ...

lit ...

and had found their places.

we had 3 very anxious trick or treaters READY to go!

we had our light up alien

pictures do his costume NO justice
but in the dark it is very cool ;)

our party rock anthem groupie

our toothless football player

and a bunch of their friends!

ben even found another LMFAO groupie ;)

together they made their way from house to house ...

raking in the sweets

AND ...
the adults ??
well .. we didn't do so bad ourselves ;)

my favorite house didn't disappoint ...
this year it was hot chocolate and pumpkin liqueur ...
mmmm ...

when it was all said and done
just stacey, the 3 boys, and i brought in ...
19.8 pounds of candy
and
2 reusable coffee mugs

not bad for 2 hours work ;)

we are the champions

2011-10-31T16:33:00.002-05:00

yesterday was the exciting end to football season

drew's team ... the lions ... were in the championship game

he was PUMPED

they got to play on one of the high school fields

they got to be announced over the loudspeaker
AND
introduced onto the field
and for whatever reason drew skipped his entire team
and headed straight for paul hargrove
where he was greeted with a chest slam ;)

they've grown SO much as a team this year
and deserved every minute of the special attention they got!

the game started out with a lions touchdown by tony strand

we played a strong first half ...
but we were up against an undefeated ...
very tough team

we went into the 2nd half with a 6-6 tied score
and VERY high nerves

BUT ...
when tony caught an interception
the momentum changed

it seemed like we were on fire

we had some great tackles

and some great plays
this being one VERY good play that was SO close-
but just not close enough!

we raised the score with a surprise linebacker touchdown

AND extra point

but with a minute left, they came back
and made the score 13-12.
it was BEYOND intense

the longest 1 minute of my life

BUT THANKFULLY ...
our defense held them
and we WON THE GAME!!

and as if that wasn't enough to make these boys happy ...

their coach had championship banners made ...

FOR EACH PLAYER! ...

we ...
not just drew ... i really mean WE ...
have been SO blessed to be on this team
it is a GREAT group of boys
and
it is a fun group of families

the boys have learned so much ...
not just about football ...
but about having pride in your team
and BEING a team
on AND off the field.

you deserve this championship, lions!

we are SO proud of you!!

a corny day

2011-10-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

on friday our friends from wisconsin came to visit
and
we decided to spend saturday at the corn maze

in previous years we've gone down to severs
but this year we decided to try out the twin cities corn maze
because it is closer

and because really ...
i knew that as long as they had a corn pit
the boys would be thrilled

and they were ...

we all were ...

but some of us more than others ...

if you see stacey ask him what being an acrobat feels like the day after ;)

i still believe that a corn pit in my backyard would provide endless entertainment

but i'm also sure that this ...

might get old pretty quick ;)
: : :
after convincing them to leave the corn
we wandered off into the maze

throughout the maze there were questions about the twins to be answered

it's safe to say we were not the winners of the trivia contest ;)
BUT ...
we had fun trying

AND

although some of us are better map readers than others ...

we made it out!

halloween - kindergarten style

2011-10-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

on thursday we celebrated halloween with alex's class

he decided that he wanted to be a football player
and was a hit!

we started the morning out going on a parade throughout the school

we paraded through every classroom
and alex was in heaven!

there are so many older kids that know him
because of drew and ben
that as he walked through everyone was yelling 'ALEX!'
and wanting to high five him.

in true alex fashion ...
he walked up ...
high fived them ...
gave them a nod ...
and then kept walking.

thanks to drew, ben, and their friends ...
alex thinks he is the coolest kindergartener around.
he loves the attention he gets from them
and knowing that they could think he was the annoying little brother -
i love it too.once we made it back to the classroom
we played some games and did some crafts.

i ended up in charge of the donut on a string station
WHICH also meant i got nominated to put vampire teeth in
and demonstrate ...

let me just say ...
it is NOT as easy as it looks!

but it is a very fun game!

we also got to make a very cute pumpkin out of a toilet paper roll

and alex got to be the ghost ...

while the girls tried to figure out which boy was 'missing'

for just a few hours we had a lot of fun ...
got nice and sugared up ...
and ready to REALLY celebrate halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN KBDE!

a new smile

2011-10-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

as of one hour ago
we have a new smile at our house ...

alex has been working on his FIRST wiggly tooth
and on the way home tonight
it FINALLY popped out!

: : :

it's safe to say
he is JUST A LITTLE bit happy

playoff recap

2011-10-27T21:22:00.003-05:00

after going back and forth ...
i finally decided to go to drew's game

they were playing the team that beat them in the championship game last year
so we knew it would be a good game

we started off strong
and
finished the night off with a 19-8 win!

the lions are headed to the championship game!!

over at ben's game ...
things didn't go so well :(

ben played a GREAT game
he probably had the best game of his season
i heard he made some great tackles
BUT
in the end they lost 6-18

he was disappointed
BUT
he knew he played a great game
and
he had fun
for that i'm thankful.

i'm bummed that i missed his last game of the season ...
BUT
there's always next year ...
only 10 more months! ;)

and it all comes down to ...

2011-10-26T10:52:00.001-05:00

we've had a GREAT football season

ben's team is seeded 2nd out of 14 teams.
drew's team is seeded 2nd out of 6 teams.

and it all comes down to tonight.

2 games
2 fields.
2 DIFFERENT fields.
same time.

i HATE that.

GO LIONS
GO TIGERS

if you could both win so that i can watch you all play on sunday ...
i'd appreciate it.
k, thanks ;)

breakfast of champions

2011-10-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

you know it was a fun sleepover
when the boys wake up and have this ...

as their breakfast.

on the plus side ...
i was successful in convincing them to have them for breakfast
instead of drinking them at 11:30pm when i picked them up at skyzone ;)

imagine

2011-10-23T17:35:00.000-05:00

this weekend i went to women of faith.

along with a few friends ...

i laughed, cried, and praised God ;)

He did afterall place angie smith and henry cloud on this tour;)

i have followed angie's blog for quite a while -
but to hear her speak her story
and to see how transparent she is
was SO powerful
and just a LITTLE emotional ;)
God is using her in amazing ways!

AND ... henry cloud.
ah - mazing.
he spoke on multiple topics -
but a lot of his time focused on principles from his book 'the law of happiness'
which i've now added to my list of things to read
he is SO easy to listen to
and if you ever get the chance ...
i HIGHLY recommend hearing him speak!

AND ...
while you're crossing things off your list ...
GO TO A NATALIE GRANT CONCERT!

that girl can sing!

at one point ...
the entire excel energy center went dark
except for the stage
and she sang 'it is well' ...
COMPLETELY ACAPELLA!
WOW.
i had chills all over my body
and tears running down my face
but ...
i did still manage to capture part of it
before my camera battery died ... grrr
just for you ... kind of ;)

you're welcome.

: : :

i started the weekend feeling guilty

that the boys were off school

and were having fun at home with stacey without me

BUT ...

by the end ...

i was SO thankful that i had the chance to go

and am already excited for next year!

i came home inspired ...

encouraged ...

recharged ...

and

SO thankful for the girls in my life that thanks to henry cloud

i now proudly call my monkeys

jump! jump!

2011-10-21T16:23:00.005-05:00

flying high

2011-10-20T18:53:00.000-05:00

imagine my surprise when i went to the skyzone page on facebook
and saw this picture promoting their new location ...

i believe it said something about a romantic comedy ...

based on the fact that half of my foot is cut off ...
i'm guessing i'm the comedy.

1, 2, 3 ... LIONS!

2011-10-17T21:57:00.000-05:00

tonight marked the end of drew's regular season

we played the toughest team we have faced
and
we ended up losing

BUT ...
it was a great game

and more importantly
we finished 7-2 for the regular season
AND
other than our very first game
this is ONLY game we allowed the other team to score!

way to go, lions!!

1, 2, 3 ... TIGERS!

2011-10-17T14:49:00.001-05:00

this past weekend marked the end of ben's regular season

the tigers are heading into the playoffs 9-1
and seed #2

GREAT job playing quarterback, ben and cole
and
GREAT job working together, tigers

you have played a GREAT season
and
i am excited to watch your last few games

LET'S GO TIGERS!

one down

2011-10-16T16:47:00.001-05:00

as of 2 hours ago
soccer is officially over ;)

it took until the last game to see that alex loves defense
he kept asking to play it

he makes a pretty good goalie

and when he decides to play in a game
instead of playing tag ;)
the games don't seem quite so long ;)

nice job, dc united!!

together

2011-10-14T16:37:00.003-05:00

eleven years ago
we were just starting our journey
as a new mr & mrs

we had no idea where the next eleven years would take us

we just knew that we were in it together
and ready for the ride

NOW ...

11 years
3 kids
1 apartment
1 townhouse
2 houses
1 guinea pig
2 fish
and
1 dog
later

we are still in it together

we've had our moments ...
but those moments have made us stronger
and have helped prepare us for the next eleven ;)

happy anniversary
i love you, mr. barnett
and
i love being your mrs

* TOUCHDOWN *

2011-10-12T22:34:00.000-05:00

last night the tigers were at it again

ben had a GREAT game

he had quite a few nice runs

and although at one point he made us a bit nervous with his ball handling

he dove for the endzone

and got his FIRST TOUCHDOWN!!!

YEAH, BEN!!!
and
once again ...
great win, tigers!!!

hand picked fun

2011-10-11T14:08:00.000-05:00

today i went with the kindergarteners to the apple orchard

although it was a LONG drive
the weather was BEAUTIFUL
hard to believe that a few of the kids actually got sunburnt IN OCTOBER
and it was fun for the kids to be able to pick their own apples and pumpkins

ALTHOUGH ...
after looking through all the bad apples
for 3 good apples ...
i decided there is a reason i buy apples at target
;)

the kids LOVED the big tire pile

and the playground

i followed alex and his friends around
and was - of course - more than happy
when alex stopped every few minutes and said
'hey take my picture, mom!'

he played so hard
he even asked if he could ride home with me
instead of taking the bus -
just so that he could sleep ;)

i loved spending the day with you, alex

thanks for being so excited to have me along :)

but of course

2011-10-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

tonight alex was working hard on his homework

i watched him color 5 dogs ... and then move to the next section

i said ... oh look ... i think you forgot one ;)

he looked at me and said
'um ... that is the poodle'

of course you knew what you were doing, alex ...
and of course that's the poodle ...
what was i thinking ?!

could there be ...

2011-10-09T22:12:00.002-05:00

a more perfect place

for a football team

and their families

to have a party

than a house with a moto cross/ATV track

and a dad/coach willing to bring everyone along for the ride?!

thursday night lights

2011-10-07T09:14:00.001-05:00

thursday night brought a fun game under the lights

another lions win

and some new lions hats

complete with their numbers printed on the back

their coach is so good to them
not just because he has given them so many things -
BUT because he has figured out how to build a strong bond between them
and knows that getting them matching hats just helps encourage that bond ;)

even the teachers talked about it when we had conferences this week.
they said that this group of kids is very competitive
but VERY encouraging and respectful.
even when they ran the 1/2 mile run -
the faster boys ran and finished
then went back out and ran with the boys from the team that were still running
to encourage them to keep running and finish hard.
when i heard that they did that
without being asked
and saw how much it meant to drew
my heart just melted

i love these boys
i LOVE their dynamic -
on and off the field
and
i love knowing that
i have 2 boys watching them
looking up to them
and wanting nothing more than to follow
in their footsteps

as seen in KBDE

2011-10-05T21:27:00.000-05:00

* busy *

2011-10-03T23:42:00.000-05:00

and now ...
because soccer and football don't keep us busy enough ...

we have now added preseason basketball to our schedule as well

the good thing ...
alex thinks basketball doesn't start until 2nd grade ;)

the tigerz

2011-10-03T23:33:00.001-05:00

saturday brought another day exciting day of football

the best part ...
to get some practice for next year,
our boys called all their plays
and the coaches stayed off the field!

they did fabulous!

ben had a good run ...

assisted in a few touchdowns

and helped the tigers get another win!

way to go boyz ;)

homecoming fun

2011-10-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

friday night was blaine's homecoming game!
they played park center and won 62-21

ALTHOUGH ...
none of my kids would have known that
based on the fact that they kept VERY busy doing other things

drew was with his teammates and some of their favorite 5th grade girls for most of the game

alex spent most of his time wanting to be a big kid -
thankfully they let him go with them a few times

ben and spencer found $18 laying on the ground
and spent their time spending money ;)

and us ...
we sat with some friends
and spent our time partially watching the game
and partially listening to bits and pieces of the craziness that the 5th graders brought up with them
each time they came to ~~ask for money~~ visit

WAY TO GO BENGALS!

we had a fun night
we watched a fun game
and
the best part?!
we now own three fun pairs of glasses that we really didn't need
but apparently now cannot live without

jaunting

2011-10-01T21:08:00.000-05:00

friday brought the ...

this year was hard because i had THREE kids walking in THREE classes
and i wanted to be with ... ALL THREE!

because they were slightly staggered
i was able to work it to walk a little with each

i started out with alex's class

i figured it was their first year
and i knew alex would want me there

so he and i walked the first mile

and then i met up with ben's class

although i was only with ben's class for a short time
(it was alex's first year and drew's last year ...
so i told ben i'd have lunch with him and then walk with him the shortest time)
it was long enough to talk to his friends
grab a few pictures

and then head out for the final mile with drew's class

he has such a fun group of kids in his class this year
this also makes for a fun group of parents
so walking with them was great!

they laughed pretty much the entire way

and you'll notice they tried using a 9 month 'chic magnet'
but it didn't work quite as well as they hoped ;)

considering how windy thursday was ...
we had GORGEOUS weather.
i got a little exercise
and
i got to spend time with my 3 favorite people.

it was a perfect kick off to the weekend!

spirit week

2011-09-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

this week was spirit week at school

this meant we had crazy hats

crazy hair

and just plain silliness
all . week . long

just in case you hadn't noticed ...
drew is LOVING being a 5th grader

now's your chance ladies

2011-09-28T21:56:00.000-05:00

drew has informed us
that he is one of the 5th grade chic magnets

not sure how long he'll be on the market ...
but last night he told me that he took a personality test
and he is an E and a P

he likes to talk
and
he is good at persuading people to do what he wants

consider yourself warned

little brothers club

2011-09-26T21:43:00.001-05:00

these 4 boys

do a great job of keeping busy during their older brothers' football games

tonight's highlight ??
sweet talking the concessions lady into giving them free popcorn
before closing her stand ;)

cheers to the weekend

2011-09-24T00:33:00.000-05:00

is there any better way to kick off the weekend than
a bunch of friends
some glow sticks
and
an 8 pm mountain dew??

** it's worth noting that there are 4 kids that cannot be seen in the picture ...
but that most definitely contributed to the ~~noise~~ fun;)

self confidence

2011-09-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

as i was laying in bed this morning
the door opened and all 3 boys came walking in
and i could instantly smell them.
i said
'oooo ... you put cologne on?!'

ben and alex:
'we did'

alex:
'the girls are going to LOVE me'

drew:
'i actually didn't.
i'm so good looking, i don't need cologne'

: : :

and there you have it.
no self esteem issues here ;)

a quarterback's diet

2011-09-21T14:23:00.000-05:00

as we were driving home from football
i looked at ben and he was chewing on something
so naturally i was curious

me:
ben ... whatcha chewin on?

ben:
(very matter of factly)
a booger

me:
ARE YOU SERIOUS??? THAT'S NASTY!!

ben:
well ... i'm a quarterback
and quarterbacks need to eat healthy things

oh ben ...
i love you
but can you please stick to healthy green foods
that DON'T grow inside your body?!

hello dolly

2011-09-19T16:21:00.002-05:00

drew (while i was laying in bed next to him) :

mom, it sure would be nice if we could clone you.
then one of you could get your work done
one of you could lay with ben and alex while they go to sleep
and
then YOU could just sleep with me.
i think that'd be perfect.

me too, drew.
me too.

my bad

2011-09-18T20:11:00.004-05:00

today brought alex's 2nd soccer game

it was MUCH more exciting to watch than last game.
it could be that they had NINE goals -
but whatever it was -
their team had A LOT more energy

alex didn't get a goal ...
BUT
i'm thinking that next time
if i put his shoes on the right feet ...

he'll have a better shot.

oops ;)

a 70 celebration

2011-09-18T09:14:00.002-05:00

on friday night
we took a quick trip to wisconsin
to help celebrate someone very special to us ...
LARRY

this year he turns 70

and what better way to celebrate than to get a bunch of crazy people together

of course my kids fit in perfectly ...

throw in an extra special surprise planner ...

just a little food ;) ...

lots of special people ...

and it made for a very special
and very fun
friday night.

we had to rush back saturday morning for football ...
BUT
the boys love every minute they get with aiden

and we were SO glad that we got to help celebrate
so it was worth the quick trip.

happy 70th birthday, larry

you are SO special to us
we love you
and
are so thankful you are in our lives!!

the star of the day

2011-09-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

oh my!

2011-09-14T22:34:00.000-05:00

our 2011 LIONS

and ...
our 2011 TIGERS

if only alex were on the BEARS ;)

fired up

2011-09-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

ben had his 2nd game tonight

thankfully ...
this game was free of ridiculous-ness

ben got to play his friend michael
and
they both played a great game.

in the end -
our team came out with the win
YEAH TIGERS!!

on a side note ...
alex stole my blanket
and ended up sleeping through the entire game

good thing for the 4 jackets that stacey had stored in his car ;)
maybe just for tonight
i'll take back any jabs i may or may not have made at his hoarding tendencies

fall has officially blown in this week
brrrrr.

thirty * three

2011-09-12T21:34:00.000-05:00

happy birthday stacey!!

we love you!!

i remember ...

2011-09-11T23:20:00.001-05:00

10 years ago today ...

i had a 9 month old baby

we had just woken up and i was sitting in front of the tv watching good morning america.

stacey was in the bathroom getting ready

WHEN ...

all of the sudden they cut from their story and seemed confused ...

i can almost hear diane sawyers voice as she talked -

was it a plane? a rocket?

SOMETHING had just flown in to one of the world trade center buildings.

and THEN ...

as we were watching the fire in the first tower

and trying to figure out how they were going to rescue those people

we watched a 2nd plane hit the OTHER world trade center

what was going on???

stacey had to leave for work

but i don't think i moved an inch.

we talked on and off as he drove to work -

as he drove the entire sky filled with airplanes

lining up to land at MSP because the airspace was being shutdown

THEN ...

the unthinkable happened

the first tower collapsed

at that time, the thought of a building like that collapsing because of fire

seemed to be the impossible -i just sat in shock for a second

and then quickly called stacey

and he decided to turn around and come home

i remember the second tower collapsing

i remember watching coverage for the entire day

and

i remember setting the vcr to record all day long

i remember thinking about how our lives would never be the same.

i remember that immediately there were flags EVERYWHERE

these guys stood for MANY days following 9/11 on an overpass by our house

i remember that

i instantly had a deeper appreciation for those who put their lives on the line for me -

police, firemen, military

than EVER before -

and that hasn't changed.

i know that i am SO blessed to live in the country that i do.

9/11 was tragic.

it changed us.

and now ...

it is so sad even talking with my kids about it.

it makes me sad thinking about how this has affected their world.

BUT

i hope that by remembering 9/11

and all of the emotions that surround it

we can teach our kids to see how blessed they are as well.

fall kick off 1pm edition

2011-09-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

our final game of the day was ben's game

it ended up being a CRAZY game

i always have said i am not really a football mom
and i will NEVER be one of 'those' moms.
well ...
i have apparently turned the corner.

this coach that we played was unreal.
he was coaching his kids to do a crab defense
there are pictures below but i will describe slightly first
essentially, on defense AND offense their entire line is on their knees
now ...
they don't just start on their knees
they start on their knees, wait for the whistle to blow, and then crawl full speed
and they never get up!!
it is un-freaking real!
i have never seen anything like it!!
it made me so nervous for a number of reasons
crushed fingers, a helmet to knee, getting kicked in the face ... to name a few of the obvious

it was ridiculous

naturally ...
our parents were not happy.
our coach was not happy.
many people were yelling many things
unfortunately ...
that included me
and if i could take it back i would ;)
i went a little ghetto for a short minute
before quickly regaining SOME composure
and deciding to channel my energy through taking pictures of the ridiculousness
** as a fun side note - i actually even increased my shutter speed because i was so worked up my hands were shaking and i was afraid everything would be blurry! ;)

in the end ...
our boys quickly learned to deal with this type of game
and ROCKED it!!

ben had a nice run of his own

and even though one of the goals
of their crabbing nonsense
was to grab ben's ankles and trip him,
ben quickly caught on
and had some great hand-offs

2 of which lead to touchdown runs by his friend aaron

our boys adapted SO well
they continued playing football the RIGHT way
kept a good attitude

and in the end
won the game by 2 touchdowns!!

ben ...
you had an AMAZING game
you were SO fun to watch
and
as frustrated as i got
i am SO thankful you kept your cool
and helped your team get the win

tigers ...
YOU ROCK!!!

fall kick off 12 pm edition

2011-09-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

next up for the day ...
the lions

by this point it was nearly 90 degrees
and we were all feeling it
the boys in the equipment especially ;)

BUT ...
the game goes on

the boys played a good game
and had some good plays

unfortunately ...
they just couldn't pull out the win

i have no doubt the rest of the season will prove to be great
because they have an amazing team

we just had a rough day today

and on top of it all ...
i had to leave after 30 minutes to get ben to his game!!
have i mentioned how much i HATE missing any of their games?!
we left at the last possible minute
and arrived to ben's game also at the LAST possible minute.

nice try, lions.
we know you have it in you
and i am excited for next weekend
when we can remind everyone how you REALLY play ;)

fall kickoff 9am edition

2011-09-10T22:56:00.000-05:00

today was a busy kickoff to fall for us

alex's first soccer game started us out!

although he was more hesitant than in practice
and didn't seem too interested in touching the ball ;)

he says that he had fun

so the fact that his team lost
somewhere to the tune of 0-15
means nothing

way to start out the season DC UNITED ...
you had fun
and
you can only get better from here!

earning his keep

2011-09-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

for the past few weeks drew has been having a hard time going to sleep

he prefers to sleep with ben and alex
and would rather sleep on a sleeping bag on the floor with them
than in his very own comfortable queen bed

with school starting we began to feel like that wasn't the smartest option
he wasn't getting 'good sleep'
and although i didn't think he'd stay there through high school -
i thought maybe we should try to figure out a way to make him comfortable in his bed

SO ...
we talked about it.
he decided that he would really just like another human in his room
but
that having another brother is out of the question
because 'that would still take another 9 months' (he's so wise)SO ...
since we didn't have any other humans
we found the next best thing

chewy is now drew's 7 pound watchdog.

we set chewy up in drew's room
and he did his job perfectly!!
drew said that he woke up 2 times,
but that he fell right back to sleep because chewy was there
and he knew that chewy would bark if he heard anything.

way to go, chewy!
although sometimes i still wonder how i ever opened up to getting a dog ...
today you've earned your keep.

more than gold

2011-09-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

my favorite part of my birthday ...
even better than 10 free drinks ;)

the special messages that no amount of money could buy
but that make my heart completely full

broken record

2011-09-07T15:55:00.000-05:00

i officially set a new record
among my friends anyway

today ...
i got TEN free birthday drinks from caribou coffee

starting with my favorite pumpkin white mocha
and having just a few other favorites along the way ...
a vanilla white mocha
a cookies and creme snowdrift
a mint cookies and creme snowdrift
to name a few.

thankfully ...
i had a few friends to help share in the fun ;)
because even i can't have 10 coffee drinks in one day!!

and now ...
we'll sit back
wait
and see who can hit 11 first?!

can it be?!

2011-09-06T22:12:00.000-05:00

the day is REALLY here!
ALL THREE of my boys
go the SAME school
at the SAME time

is it REALLY possible that my LITTLE alex is in kindergarten?!

it seems crazy ...
BUT
he was so ready and i am so excited for him!

i got a little nervous at open house night -
but over the past week he has re-warmed up to the idea
and had even gone so far as to say
he was excited about lunch and recess!

he was also excited that drew and ben were there
and that he might even see them!

we were all up by 6:30 this morning
out of pure excitement -
no alarm involved

everyone was showered by 7
and we made a back to school kick off breakfast

i'm pretty sure that by 8
the boys had their new shoes on
their new backpacks on
and were asking if we could leave

we FINALLY left at 9
got to school
got the older boys off to their classrooms
and got alex situated with his new class

he was SO brave
and did an EXCELLENT job!

REALLY ...
i knew he would do fine.
it was keeping myself busy for the rest of the day that i was worried about ;)
SO ...
stacey and i grabbed coffee
i met some friends for breakfast
i went to help ben's teacher from last year in her classroom
and
then i took a long walk

we got back just in time
or WOULD HAVE been just in time
had the bus not been 35 minutes late
to see them coming around the corner

i was SO excited to hear about their day

they all say they had a lot of fun.
drew loves all the kids in his class
ben loved being the teacher's helper,
seeing alex in the lunchroom,
and learning the minnesota twins song
and
alex loved it all -
but mostly the TWO recesses.

they all LOVE their teachers and their classes
and
with the exception of the bus driver
i am confident it is going to be a great year!

no erasies

2011-09-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

yesterday stacey's mom came to visit

the boys were excited to see her
BUT
they were even more excited to see how she got here ...

her very own 'punch bug'!!
i was even lucky enough to drive it!

although it was a quick visit ...
we kept busy
we took her to tavern
we went to target
of course
she got to meet the neighbor kids
and
she got to sit back and experience a typical day in our life.

thanks for coming to visit, grandma!!
we love you

OH ...
and ...
PUNCH BUG!
no punch backs and no erasies.

the great get together

2011-09-03T16:34:00.000-05:00

on thursday we spent the majority of our day at the state fair
and yes i am just now getting around to blogging it ;)
it was that exhausting :)

although we chose a hot day
i can't complain.
it made the crowds minimal
and the lines nonexistant!

we started out our day collecting a few goodies
as we made our way from one side of the fairgrounds to the other

because drew went to the st thomas football camp
and now believes that's where he should go to college
he was very excited about the 'go tommies' bag

ben loved the gardy on a stick

and
alex was super pumped about the free webkinz silly banz
so pumped that he is still wearing them.
ALL of them.

our first real destination was little hands on the farm

although the boys have kind of out grown it
they still look forward to it
or at least to the treat they receive at the end ;)
so we do it.

our next stop was the x-zone
this has to be one of my favorite parts of the day
and i know the boys LOVE it too.
this year they added a trampoline show
in addition to the bmx/skate show
and it was AMAZING!
anyone want to take bets on how long it will be
before i look out back and see ben doing all he can to replicate what he saw -
skiis included ?? ;)

stacey's highlight of the day
was that we got to sit and watch part of a live broadcast of garage logic
one of his favorite talk radio shows

it provided the perfect time for alex to catch a quick rest
and for the rest of us to try
some goodies!!

we tried a few new things this year

a tater twister

deep fried pickles

deep fried mashed potatoes

AND
deep fried cookie dough

BUT ...

we didn't stop there.

no state fair trip would have been complete without

corn on the cob

cheese curds

AND
a bucket of sweet marthas chocolate chip cookies
accompanied by all you can drink milk

we're a healthy bunch aren't we!!

we ended our day with some bumper boat fun

a few crazy rides
for those of us that can handle the fun.
i'll admit that as drew climbed in the front of the roller coaster
i was questioning if i could ;)

and a trip down the giant slide
where alex went by himself for the first time ever
and ended with a little spin out and rug burn at the bottom ...
oops.
thankfully he still says he enjoyed it.

after 7 hours ...
we were tired
and full
but we had a successful day at the state fair

we had our treats, our freebies, full tummies
and a smile.

doesn't get much better than that!

it's true

2011-08-31T23:53:00.000-05:00

it really is that time ...

my seasons change with the rotation of starbucks' menu
and today i had my first pumpkin spice latte
SO ...
fall is officially here.

mmmmmm.

next up ...
candy corn.

kickin it with alex

2011-08-31T22:13:00.001-05:00

although 2 boys in football keeps us PLENTY busy ...
this fall we are adding one more sport to the mix

alex decided he wants to play soccer

tonight brought his first practice

it was our first night of having
3 different boys
at 3 different practices
on 3 different fields
all at the same time

BUT ...
after watching alex play
i know the busyness is worth it

everyone got where they needed to be
when they needed to be there

and i have no doubt that it will be a fun season!

i just wish that i could schedule the games
so that i never had to miss any :(
having to choose where to go when all 3 boys play at the same time is SO hard :(

no turning back now

2011-08-30T21:37:00.000-05:00

as much as i don't want to believe it ...
open house was tonight
and that means school REALLY is right around the corner

all 3 boys were placed with GREAT teachers this year
and i am SO excited

alex has mrs debuhr
yes ... in case you hear ... i did pay him a dollar to let me take this picture

ben has mrs mcpherson
look at this picture
and tell me there is not a more perfect classroom for my ben

and drew has mr enerson
along with 3/4 of his football team ... good luck mr enerson ;)

each of their teachers seem to be great fits for them!

i can't say i am overly excited that all three boys will be at school
AT THE SAME TIME! ;)
BUT ...
knowing that i am leaving them with in the hands of these 3
gives me peace
because i know they are going to have SO much fun
and just like camp ...
they probably won't even miss me a bit.

little boys at play

2011-08-30T21:27:00.000-05:00

continuing on with our 'last week before school' fun ...
we spent today at the childrens museum

it's been a while since i have taken all 3 boys there

so part of me was a little nervous that the older 2 would get bored quickly
BUT
boy was i wrong ...

their imaginations did not disappoint

it's the same little boys ...

just slightly bigger bodies :)

KICK OFF

2011-08-28T22:08:00.000-05:00

our day today was filled with football scrimmages

although we have been practicing for a few weeks
today was the REAL kick off

we started out with ben

he scrimmaged against 3 different teams
AND
what was most exciting ...
for him ... but made me most nervous
he spent half of the game at QUARTERBACK!!

to hear his little voice making the calls
and to see him starting the plays
is REALLY fun
but it also makes me SO nervous!!

#1 goal is for him to have fun
but of course i also want to see him do well
AND
hopefully not get hurt in the process :)

i feel like at QB
he will definitely have a TON of fun
BUT
the pressure to do well is SO much greater
and now he is the target ;)
SO
my need for anti anxiety meds may greatly increase as the season progresses ;)

thankfully ...
today went really well
he did great for his first time
ben even got his first paw print sticker for his helmet
to show that he made good plays and had a good game

it made me SUPER excited for the rest of the season.

and also excited to watch drew!!
his scrimmages began immediately as ben's ended

drew is on the same team as last year
16 of the 18 boys are returning
and they are coming out of the gate strong

drew is on the offensive line

a big offensive line

these 'little 5th graders'
seem so big and so old
as they walk up to the line
confident
ready to go
and
working so well together
i LOVE it!
each time they do it
my heart just melts

drew has come a long way with learning his position
and how to use his size

he helped his team have a great first scrimmage
then ended up sitting with them halfway through the 2nd scrimmage
because the coaches for the other team
decided we were 'hitting too hard' ?! and pulled their players
in 5th grade football?? really??

thankfully we ended with a fun 3rd scrimmage

i'm looking forward to an exciting lions season as well!

both boys had a GREAT kick off to their season
up until today i wasn't looking forward to football
football means that fall is really here
fall being here means school is ready to start
school starting means it is going to get cold
and we all know i don't like cold.
BUT
i do live in minnesota, afterall
and
after seeing their teams today
and seeing how excited they were
i will suck it up
because it's time
and really ...
i'm excited too!

along for the ride

2011-08-27T17:28:00.000-05:00

with just over a week left before school starts
we are feeling the pressure to cram in all of our last minute fun.

one thing we wanted to do this summer
was to spend a day playing at como town

we met up with some friends
and spent the majority of the day hopping from one ride to the next

they all had different ideas of what makes a ride fun
drew loves spinning
ben likes SOME spinning
and
alex is content to just be

so thankfully it wasn't overly busy
and we could ride most of the rides without waiting - multiple times
we even had a barnett only ride on the tea cups!

the older boys favorite ride was the sky gliders

ben looked absolutely terrified
BUT
when you ask him now what his favorite ride was -
sky gliders is his answer

alex had the same mixed feelings about the dragon coaster

he and i rode it together.
he HATED it while we rode
he kept telling me he didn't like it
and really i didn't either
yet now he says he liked it
and is glad he rode it

who knows?

the older boys rode the sky drop over and over

while alex and paige decided the train goes WAY too slow

the firefighter ride was my favorite
because it seemed to be fun no matter how big or little you are!

the boys were WIPED by the time we were done
and football practice came a little too soon
BUT
i'm guessing that in the end -
they'd say it was all worth it

my crazy loves

drum roll please

a sweet surprise

a one man band?

hukt on fonix

on fire

interesting ...

having a ball

so random

52 week challenge

GO PACK

not alone

fun cubed

seriously?

savoring the moment

hoops

being happy with whatcha got

time flies ...

... and a half

a perfect beginning

hello * goodbye

not forgotten

christmas in pictures ... mostly

a sugary send off

star of the week

how exciting our life REALLY is

elfred's final week

the elf diaries

the FORT

the adventures of elfred

oh sweets!

citizen barnett

someone's been busy ...

our new friend ... elfred

hoops

.typical.

just for fun

thanksgiving blackout 2011

decking the halls

SO much

*s*N*o*W*

movember

showering bekah

some interim fun

today ...

football's over party #1

winning their hearts young

a sweet night

we are the champions

a corny day

halloween - kindergarten style

a new smile

playoff recap

and it all comes down to ...

breakfast of champions

imagine

jump! jump!

flying high

1, 2, 3 ... LIONS!

1, 2, 3 ... TIGERS!

one down

together

* TOUCHDOWN *

hand picked fun

but of course

could there be ...

thursday night lights

as seen in KBDE

* busy *

the tigerz

homecoming fun

jaunting

spirit week

now's your chance ladies

little brothers club

cheers to the weekend

self confidence

a quarterback's diet

hello dolly

my bad

sN*oW