April showers...

We have been enjoying the rain for the past couple days.  I LOVE it!  I find the rain to be so calming and relaxing... and fresh.  Our dog, Moon, does NOT enjoy any thunder or lightning.  She literally attaches herself to one of us and just cries and whines...too funny.

We went to the lake house last weekend for some R & R.  It was great!  My mom and dad came down for a quick visit.  Mom enjoyed being entertained by Mack and Dad helped Scott do some yard work.

Mack and I made a fort/tent:

precious...and ornery!

 He looks SO BIG and grown up here...

We went for a walk and enjoyed the playground one evening.  We hope to do this more often.  Mack had a blast!

Moon & Soxy enjoyed the outing too.

     

The Easter Bunny found us while we were there.  Mack enjoyed hunting for eggs and finding all of his goodies.  He was very excited!

Spring is on its way...

The grass is (really) green, trees and plants are blooming, and the birds are chirping. Scott mowed the yard on Wednesday.  YAY for SPRING!   It has been really beautiful - the temperature has stayed consistently around 70 degrees, sometimes warmer.  There has been a chance of rain most days, we are enjoying every moment. 

My two superheroes have been very entertaining:

Mack started riding his small bike inside...

...and his big bike outside.

Whenever we are outside Mack always wants to race.  Here is what it usually looks like:

 Ready, Set, Go!      Dad wins.......     Waaaaahhh!

Ready, Set, Go!      Mack wins.......     Victory!  ;)

Everyday is a new adventure 
that we treasure!

Happy Valentine's Day

Today at school my students started bringing in their Valentine boxes for our class party tomorrow.  WOW!  I have never seen anything like this before!  I saw a robot, a barn, a camouflage heart, a star-shaped guitar...and many more.  In my past experience I have always decorated a white paper lunch sack with my students before our party.  This is a wonderful, very intricate family project-above and beyond anything I have seen previously.  Fun, Fun, Fun!  So...when we got home we (I) decorated Mack's Valentine's box for his party at daycare tomorrow...a love monster. ;)   Last night we baked cupcakes and got his cards ready - He is super excited!

We also got out the finger paints
...always a good time!

     Happy Valentine's Day!  
Wishing you a LOVELY day!

I love...

...God, my husband, my son, my family, friends, reading, scrapbooking, popcorn, weekends, sunny days, movies, baking cookies, the color green, falling asleep w/ Mack, teaching 1st grade, chips & salsa, the lake house, and naps...lots of naps!

Happy Valentine's Day!!  

Those are just a few things that I love.  :)

Mack and Scott have really enjoyed our new football guys...

Mack also loves his Bat Cave...thanks Grandpa!

Whew!  Time is flying!  We are staying VERY busy with school and basketball.  We are so grateful for the mild weather we have experienced so far!  Scott's JV team has their last game on Thursday this week.  Then Scott will continue to assist with the varsity team.  Next weekend is a long weekend because of President's Day...we are so excited for an extra day off! ...Hip! Hip! Hooray!

He is such a boy...oh my! ;)

Happy Birthday Mack!

We celebrated Mack's birthday with family and friends today.  Lots of fun, entertainment, and love. Mack had a blast and was so thrilled that his friends came over to his house.  He changed clothes twice - he wore his Captain America costume, and then changed into his Iowa Hawkeye football uniform as soon as Drew gave it to him...thanks Drew!  (I may never get that thing in the washing machine!)

Pics from the day:

lego ring favors for the kids...so fun to make :)

our dining room transformed into a lego room...

birthday boy...

... so silly!

fun with friends...

cake...

friends and family...

he could hardly wait to open gifts...

check out the football uniform...
with the cowboy boots! lol :)

  

Grandma helping out...

a new bike from Uncle George...

Grandpa had a couple surprise gifts...

Dad and Mack...
these two amaze me...

(a nice perk to living close to family)...We asked my brother to build a lego table for Mack.  This was our big gift for him.  It is tall enough that he will be able to use it for years to come.  You can see that kids of all ages enjoyed it today... including Uncle George and Ike. 

I even spent a little time playing today.  Ike built the house and I arranged the figures to take a fun pic...

Legos will be fun for our whole family!

What an exciting day!  This was a fun and easy theme to plan and decorate for - we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Mack's energy and excitement was priceless.

Tomorrow is officially Mack's birthday.  We will surprise him with a couple gifts in the morning.  We have a basketball game tomorrow evening and will have new toys to put in our backpack to stay entertained. ;)

Have a fantastic week!

New Year...

2012...already?

I can't believe it is here... but am excited about the start of a new year.  The new year means that Mack will be turning another year older.  Hmmm - I am very bittersweet about this fact.  I love all of his new growth and developments, yet always wish I could bottle him up and keep him just as he is.  Needless to say, he surprises us with his new vocabulary and knowledge almost everyday.  And we love every minute of it!  He still likes to choose his clothes and change outfits as often as possible. He really likes to wear gloves...using socks when necessary.  He has a couple costumes that he wears daily. He also has an inherited pair of cowboy boots that get alot of wear. (Thanks Sutton!)  

We will be celebrating his birthday this weekend.  He has requested a lego AND crayon party.  Fun, fun, fun!  We are excited to celebrate with family and some of Mack's friends from daycare.  We are really missing all of our WONDERFUL and AMAZING friends in Las Vegas.  Thank you for celebrating with us in the past, it will be so different without you this year.  

Here is the BIRTHDAY BOY...

    

Did I mention he's going to be...THREE!! 

Christmas 2011...

Christmas was GREAT!  I can't believe how quickly time passes at this time of year.  Too fast for sure!  Mack was thrilled with everything...and received way too much!  He will be rotten!  We opened gifts at our house Christmas morning and then went to Mom & Dad's later in the afternoon.  When Mack woke up he was most concerned with the cookies we left for Santa - he ran to check the plate.  Then enjoyed the goodies in his stocking and finally noticed the gifts under the tree.  His amazement and excitement was priceless!

Mack LOVES his new desk...

At Grandma and Grandpa's...