Two Little Monkeys

{2 years}

2009-04-06T15:13:00.002-05:00

My baby turned 2!!! sniff-sniff
Seems like just yesterday I held her in my arms for the first time & stared into her beautiful big brown eyes. I remember thinking she could not be any more beautiful and was amazed at how much she looked just like her big brother when he was born...only quite a bit smaller! :)
Happy 2nd Birthday lil' Boots. We love you so much!

The news...

2009-03-26T15:17:00.004-05:00

So YES....to everyone that is wondering and asked lately. I am starting a small photography business...YIKES!!! Not what I ever intended to do although I have truely always LOVED photographs! I am truely amazed at all the encouragement from family, close friends, clients, and even other great friends of mine that are photographers as well. Thank you to all the ones that have encouraged me in this opportunity. I am still working out all the final details and am taking a photography class with a good friend of mine. (I realize I have ALOT to learn yet! ) I will only be taking a very limited amount of sessions each month due to my husband & kids are my first priority and also my schedule at the hair salon will be the same. Doing your hair is my MAIN PASSION (other than my 2 little monkeys) just in case your wondering. ;) I love my job-always have.
So because of all the questions I thought I would be brave here and answer YES. I would appreciate any and all of your prayers as you read this. I will post more details soon.

{rainy day}

2009-03-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

{priceless}

2009-02-21T22:24:00.002-06:00

need I say more? :) These are 2 of my most favorite pictures right now. Love these lil' stinkermonkeys.

{sweet baby boy}

2009-02-09T14:55:00.005-06:00

Here is a lil' sneak of a precious lil' boy that is about 4 weeks old. He was full of sweet faces and some of the cutest lil' noises came from his lil' voice. :) Thanks for the opportunity to spend a lil' time w/ you and your sweet family!

{Norah-3 month picture}

2009-02-06T15:13:00.000-06:00

{because I can't enough of her}

2009-01-27T14:32:00.003-06:00

Our 21 month old: cute as can be, a stinker beyond stinkers, funny as can be, a TOUGH lil' girly girl, sweet beyond measurable. We all are so blessed to have her in our lives....she is Bradys best friend, she has daddys heart melting, and her momma is so in love. We love you Harper Grace....you are a funny lil' stinkermonkey that brings so much joy to your brother, daddy & momma. :)

some fav pics for friends...

2009-01-19T14:16:00.002-06:00

she is totally model material..don't ya think?!

A few friends and their sweet families. :)

It's one of those days....

2009-01-16T14:43:00.001-06:00

when you wake up and your shirt is on top of your head.....

another year gone.

2009-01-08T15:37:00.002-06:00

I can't believe how fast 2008 went by for us! I feel like it came and went....just like that. Crazy...isn't it? How the older you get seriously time just goes faster and faster. Anyways....this is a week late...but Happy New Year!
So I think the next few weeks I am going to TRY to post some of my favorite pictures and memories of 2008....:) (if I actually get around to it) I need to cleanup my computer and erase some of the thousand pics I have on here so before I do that I thought it would be fun to go down memory lane and post some pics that I may or may not have already posted. :) And it'll be fun for me and the BLAHNESS {is that a word?} I feel with the winter. Do they have "happy pills" for the winter? I could sure use some. :) partly kidding/partly not :) (I need sunshine and some warmness)

This is how I feel now after the craziness of Christmas get togethers...

2008-12-30T15:35:00.002-06:00

I need sleep...lots and lots of sleep. I am pooped. (my dreams aren't quite "sweet" more like "crazy" on lack of sleep)
oh, and this is my niece again. She helped me surprise my sister for Christmas with this picture. She was more than willing to lay quite still. :)

Give Gobena coffee for Christmas...

2008-12-19T14:45:00.006-06:00

I am going to give a few bags of Gobena coffee for Christmas this year....my friend adopted this sweet little girl from Ethiopia...(and I had a chance to take her sweet picture...isn't she adorable?) They started Gobena coffee to raise money for children as sweet as this to help with food, shelter, and education.

I support Gobena and I hope you will too! (it is really GREAT too I have to say!)

Give GOBENA and help others.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-12-14T23:50:00.002-06:00

Okay, so this picture STILL cracks me up! Such personalities @ one yr old....and into our thirties. 31 to be exact....:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweetest dearest friend of ages! You are still my best friend....secret or not. :) There is none better. Time, distance, whatever it may be...that we hate talking on the phone?! I am still so thankful for YOU for our childhood memories, our teenage talks, our desires to know God more, our laughs, fears, tears, Gloria Jeans, our more grown up conversations. You have been such a part of my life then and now and I want you to know how special you are to me. You are an incredible gal and God has molded me through you. Hope your day was GREAT and hope our SINGING didn't hurt your ears. :) Harper was looking at us like we lost our minds....:)
love ya G....can't wait to spend time with you soon.

one month old...

2008-12-12T21:51:00.003-06:00

I know- can you believe it?...MORE PICTURES!!! She was over today and very sleepy so I couldn't resist. :)

(she can't run away from me yet like my kids)

from summer time...

2008-12-11T11:44:00.003-06:00

I meant to post this video at the end of summer. Came across it recently and thought I'd share. This silly McDonalds toy is STILL in our toy box and comes out frequently and creates dancing sillies and laughs at our house. :)

Why would you think WE were up to something?

2008-12-07T21:49:00.001-06:00

because she is so sweet...

2008-12-01T13:49:00.003-06:00

Norah at 2 weeks old.

This poor girl has had more pics taken of her. :) For my family who has not met Norah yet or has not seen her since she was born....this is a glimpse of her cuteness. It's funny....her mommy who is probably exhausted says she loves the 10 month stage or so....to me, I love it all...but this stage is probably my favorite. It goes so fast. We are excited cuz we get to keep her overnight one night after Christmas! I figure I very rarely sleep through the night anyways due to my sweet kiddos who like to get up, so why not? :)

sweetness.

2008-11-25T21:32:00.003-06:00

a mommy with her new daughter... a proud cousin who is so thrilled with her...

not too much sweeter than a sleeping baby....

big brother toes playing with his new sister and her toes....

a week old....

Thankful.

2008-11-25T15:09:00.008-06:00

My friend Danae "tagged" me on things I'm thankful for. I could list a million....but I guess your to list 5 or 10. :)

1. GRACE. Thankful that God loves us more than we can even understand or imagine.

2. The Greatest Husband Ever. Seriously. He is my best friend, such a good man and an incredible father to our children. He always says that we (us 3) are "his world"....:) He devotes so much time to us and is so unselfish. I don't think I ever realized how selfish I could be until seeing how UNselfish he is. .3. My Kids. There is none sweeter or cuter. I know everyone thinks their kids are cute, right? Eh? :)

4. My Sisters. They make such great faithful friends. :)

5. Family & great friends. Your all so awesome.

6. Caffeine. Will I ever sleep through the night?

7. My hands. Thankful that I am able to make a living doing something I love.

8. Dreams. I am a true dreamer.

9. My church. Thankful to be able to hear God's Word and grow in my daily walk.

10. Everything.

I tag Callie, Kristy, Liv, Tiffany and Toni. Your turn if you haven't already. :)

Norah Lynne

2008-11-14T21:21:00.003-06:00

I am an aunt again. My sister had her baby this afternoon....NORAH LYNNE. 7 lbs. 9 oz, 19 inches long. She has darker hair and is absolutely perfect. She couldn't be any cuter. I was so excited to meet this lil' one....and her big brother is so proud already.

19 months

2008-11-11T20:09:00.002-06:00

21 pounds, talking a little bit, signing, I can undo the child proof locks now, I love to dance, and I'm quite attached to mommy these days. :)

trick or treat?

2008-11-04T14:11:00.003-06:00

Brady was a blue power ranger, and Harper was a lil' ladybug. They had so much fun and it was such a beautiful day!Harper started bawling when I said grandma wasn't home yet. She had the hang of it now, and was so sad grandma wasn't there. It took awhile for her to calm down...but we just sat and waited till she got home.
Corbin was Mr. Incredible...and was darling. It was fun to trick or treat together for a little while.

and there they are....so cute.

Corbin

2008-10-27T16:06:00.002-05:00

Love him, love him, LOVE HIM! This lil' nephew of mine is the sweetest and about to be a big brother in a few weeks! :)

scarlet takes a tumble

2008-10-24T14:48:00.001-05:00

I saw this on my friends blog....and I just HAD to post this. HILARIOUS....make sure to watch the whole thing....I promise it will make your day...and you will burn a few calories @ the same time. :) Brady and I watched this together...both of us cracking up, and I had tears. :)

St. Louis Zoo...

2008-10-20T15:34:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend we took a roadtrip to St. Louis. It was a perfect day...we couldn't of picked a better fall day! It was so fun to get away for the day....at one point in the day I looked at Lance and said giggling like a lil child :"I feel like I'm @ DisneyWorld or something" . Of course he looked @ me with a smile and said "your weird". (It does not take too much for me to be excited....these simple things in life.) He of course is kidding, I'm sure he is so glad I'm not a "high-maintenance" kind of girl. :) Anyways....so we went to the Zoo in St. Louis. Has anyone been there before? I had been there once w/ a friend years ago...I had forgotten how nice it is there. It's FREE for starters...which is a huge attraction for us, not a long drive, the food is good, it's beautiful, lots of good interesting animals and creatures, and they have a TRAIN that goes through the zoo. LOVED the day. It was so great...can't say enough good things about that Zoo. Here are a few pics from the day, I took a million it seems...but here's just a few to spare you. :)

My lil' man one of our favs to see
love my boys...
Brady and his aunt Lori (he had to hold her hand, not mine. :( )
and here we are @ the MONKEY HOUSE. :)
( thought it was a perfect place to get a pic of our monkeys.)

one attempt.

2008-10-15T23:17:00.002-05:00

It seemed like a good idea @ the time. However what I had "pictured" in my head for a good family photo...didn't quite resemble what was in my mind. Why does my family not get so excited about pictures as me? I love pictures. Love them. Almost as much as I love Starbucks. I love pictures of my sweet family....but my sweet family does not love pictures as much as their momma. Here is proof of what an attempt to a family photo of us can be: Now come on. Seriously.

because I was "TAGGED"

2008-10-14T13:15:00.002-05:00

Okay, so Kristy "tagged" me to list 7 interesting facts about myself. I don't believe I'm too interesting, but here goes:
1. I always wash my hair at night
2. I'm addicted to caffeine...Starbucks knows me.
3. I have a tattoo...and think they are cool, I'd probably have more if my hubby liked them.
4. I hate talking on the phone....which can make me a bad friend sometimes. Sorry all.
5. I don't put makeup on UNLESS I leave the house.
6. I secretly wish I was a famous country singer
7. I 'm pretty independent...I even go see movies by myself sometimes. (Yep! ;) )
So now I am going to "TAG" a few of you....JONI, TONI, CALLIE, AMBERLY. I'll be checking. :)

18 months and I am....

2008-10-06T21:59:00.003-05:00

SWEET.

Silly.
a lil bit sassy.
oh and did I mention silly?
definetly I am teething.
and I guess they say I can be "trouble"....
What? Do I LOOK like I did something? My brother gets accused sometimes of doing "things" when in fact ah HA!! It is I.

sent from Colorado.

2008-10-02T13:39:00.002-05:00

Last week one day there was a knock on the door and a man holding a box asked if there was a Brady or Harper here. :) They were thrilled with the delivery....thanks to a very awesome aunt! :) We all have enjoyed them a lil' too much! I even ate one last night @ 4a.m. with a glass of milk when I couldn't sleep.

homeschooling preschool?

2008-09-29T14:33:00.002-05:00

I was on week 2 of school w/ Brady. I'm not a real organized gal, but I'm trying. I was working on the letter "B" with him, teaching him how to write. He recognizes all his letters and numbers...but I was going to "write" them. But he informed me that he already knows all this "stuff"...and apparantly he does. He can write and I didn't even know it. Now what? :)

a new discovery.

2008-09-26T15:04:00.003-05:00

This is something she has discovered on her own this past month. This song was the only one I could think of to put this to. :) Enjoy. :)

weekend fun.

2008-09-22T14:19:00.003-05:00

Tweeter (my sis Ashley) was home for the weekend from Nashville.

The girls and Corbin went out to Chilis for dinner and had a diaper shower for aunt Holz
my sweet nephew Corbin...soon to be a big brother
then on Sunday we went to dads for dinner
the kids had a GREAT time running down the backyard, really really fast...then falling and rolling in the grass due to the fact they couldn't stop. Hence the pictures below of our wild one who loves a good time.

Notice the grass in her mouth...and battle wounds. :)

a big monkey out of his cage.

2008-09-15T14:08:00.004-05:00

our lil' Boots just got some new boots.

2008-09-12T21:21:00.001-05:00

And they are about 2 sizes too big on her iddy bitty feet. Oh well...she loves them and they will fit her next year too! :)

thankful for my fingers & awesome people.

2008-09-08T16:09:00.004-05:00

Hair
I shaved my hair off back in June. It is growing back so fast! I went in yesterday to have it trimmed up and thinned out a bit. I don't know what Heidi does when she cuts my hair but I believe that her fingers contain magic. I am always amazed at what she can do with my hair! When I went in yesterday- it looked okay- when I left- it looked longer, not puffy and looked so much better!!!! Picture below for proof.......She rocks, plain and simple. Plus she introduced me to some conditioner that is the best conditioner I have ever tried! She rocks.

I was catching up on some of my friends blogs this afternoon for a bit...when I came across Toni. I had no idea she wrote this last week in her blog, but it just totally made my day! I was in need of a "pick me up" today....and God just indeed blessed me with her words. I was just saying the other night to Lance that I hope that when I'm older that I will still have an awesome clientele....you know I worry sometimes that my clients won't think I'm as hip/cool anymore...silly maybe, but something I can worry about. But Toni's words just boosted my ego a ton and makes me so excited to go to work this week. I absolutely love what I do for a living and since I will probably never retire....it is words like these that keep me focused. Thanks so much Toni! You are beautiful with long hair, short hair, buzzed hair, and buzzed hair growing out!!! :) Oh and by the way, Toni buzzed her hair off for a very noble and loving reason....her mom. Her mom has cancer and Toni surprised her when she started her chemo. Pray for her mom and family as they are going through some tough times.

a day at the park.

2008-09-08T15:03:00.002-05:00

I'm a bit behind on things I've wanted to post...these are from a few weeks ago. A friend of mine from years ago called when she was in town and we met up @ the park with our kiddos. These kids are adorable and so sweet. And their mommy is one of the coolest people I know, and rates one of the best roommates EVER! Their mom and I lived together for a brief time...when I moved in we didn't really know each other but had some late night talks and some fun laughs in that time. "J" I am so glad you called me and we could get together! It was great to see you and your darling, darling kids. Love ya. :)

our chubby monkey.

2008-09-04T15:13:00.002-05:00

These pictures are from last month that I forgot I had. She is growing up so fast. Friday she will be 17 months old! She finally weighs in at 20 pounds so we got to turn her around in her carseat last month. You would think she weighs alot more than that considering how she always has food in both hands and her mouth. Don't even try to get a doughnut away from her....she'll yell at you. :) A few things we know she enjoys....blueberries, cottage cheese, lasagna, and doughnuts. She is seriously a funny silly chubby monkey. We are having so much fun with her and she makes us laugh all the time. These pictures are quite "serious" of her.....definetly doesn't show her silly personality.

a night with great friends...

2008-09-03T23:30:00.004-05:00

Who needs a beach sunset when you have this? :) What good looking gals in a good looking background, eh?! :)

love these pictures. "G" your kiddos are darling.....absolutely.Our friends breed some of the cutest lil' puppies around...Havenese....hope I am spelling it right. Like "gotta have one of these"....that is how I remember the name. :) Okay daddy...how can you resist saying no to your kids on a dog when you see these pics?! Pretty please? Someday? :)

DARLING 4 wk old puppy, eh?! If anyone is interested I believe their website is abcdoggy.com

and "G" correct me if I'm wrong?!

THANKS SO MUCH for having us and the fun night. It is always sooooo good to see you girls and everyone. SO SORRY about the AFTER DINNER SHOW from Brady. :( He was fine the rest of the night and wkend! :) Love you girls.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to YOU!

2008-08-29T14:45:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my husband! You are my best friend....I truely love and adore you. You are such a wonderful husband and I love watching you with our children. They have the greatest dad EVER. I am so blessed to have you...you are the rock of our family. Thanks for all you do, for who you are, and for the example you are to our children. I LOVE YOU! Thanks for being a family man and always, always putting God and us first. Have a wonderful birthday!

a month of birthdays...

2008-08-28T23:05:00.003-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (belated) to my dad (Aug 9)....and to 2 of my sisters who share a birthday on August 25th. I've been meaning to find a few "old" pics of you girls....but the few that I have of you may be ones that you'd rather me NOT post on here. So you are spared. BUT....I love you all. Since I didn't sing you a bday song....here is a note to you.

Tweeter: you are a beautiful young woman who is all grown up now! I still remember the day you were born....you were such a cute chubby chubby monkey. :) We would all fight over who got to feed you your bottle.
Robin: I look up to you as I always have, and still in my thirties your the one I always go to for advice.
I love you both so much. If I can still find a picture....I'm definetly posting it.
Tomorrow is my hubs birthday! His last year in his thirties! :)

Who are you and what are you looking at?!?

2008-08-20T22:34:00.002-05:00

Just curious to see exactly who reads this blog?! I get quite a few hits on here but only a select few comments and all you fellow "blog stalkers".....come out and tell me who you are. We all do it....blog stalking, I'll be the first to admit it. :) I know alot of you who already read this, but I'm curious anyways. Just leave your name and one or more interesting fact about you that is funny or interesting. I'll go first:

My full name is Heidi Jo....which I went by most of my life. I tend to be described as "quiet" or "mysterious" by people alot, although the people that know me the best would probably say the opposite. I tend to be reserved until you really get to know me. I like to make up random silly songs and can make a song to anything. Just ask my sisters or my fam. I absolutely think it is hilarious when people trip and fall....I can't control myself and I can laugh till I cry. I'm a lil' addictive and obsessive with alot of things depending on the week. Starbucks always....I'm always trying to quit. And to top it off....I have only vacuumed once since I've been married! (my hubby is truely wonderful and I'm pathetic I know.)

Okay so there you have it. COME FORWARD...tell me about yourself! :) Family can be excluded I guess unless your willing....Tweeter you can pass since you can't figure out how to "comment".....:) Oh, and I should mention I don't care at all who reads this....I just gets so many random hits a day and I'm curious to see who you are. :)

2008-08-14T15:05:00.000-05:00

Nasville...

2008-08-14T14:42:00.002-05:00

we ate at some really really good restaurants...and definetly gained a few pounds. stopped in to say hi to Alan our bud....
and Elvis of course...
and we decided we didn't want to look so much like tourists walking around with a camera and all....so we thought the hats might help not make us look so obvious....
yes, I'm pretty much a dork.

so we are thinking about getting a dog...

2008-08-13T23:52:00.002-05:00

Brady has been praying for a "baby puppy" some nights....:) I would be all about it, but his dad is not quite on the same page as Brady and I...YET. He used to say never.....then when the kids turn 18.....yada yada yada.....and now he says MAYBE in a few years. :) Anyways....of course now since I'm a bit "obsessive" about new ideas and such.....this is my new mission. To find out what kind of dog we would ever even get. We decided that IF we do end up getting a dog, we want a BIG DOG. Saint Bernard has come up, but most recently this: a Mastiff
They are so freakin' cool and HUGE! I found this pic on the internet....Lance is convinced it can't be real......what do you think?! Isn't he so cute?! Like a big teddy bear. I think we could call him Bear. :) We want a big dog....a good "watchdog".....but most importantly something that is excellent with children. Any suggestions?

Nashville trip...most memorable moment: HANK

2008-08-12T07:58:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to Rachel!

2008-08-04T15:16:00.003-05:00

To a dear friend, I hope you have a wonderful year of being "30"....I love you tons and am thankful for all of our decades of memories.

Pray before you eat?!?!

2008-08-03T10:44:00.003-05:00

How about after you eat?

Sweet prayers. :) Sweet messy girl. :)

look out everyone....I'm camera CRAZY!!! :)

2008-07-29T16:26:00.003-05:00

So a huge huge thankyou to my incredible husband for allowing me to purchase a new camera!!! I don't really know how to work the silly thing yet...but already I'm IN LOVE with it!!! I'm pretty sure it's fast enough to capture the moments I want to freeze. Since I can't freeze time and my babies are growing way too fast.....hopefully I can get some good shots to look back on. I'm a lil' camera crazy these days (maybe it's because I only have like 2 baby pictures of myself....hmm....what's up with that mother? oh, yeah...I was a "forgotten middle child"....and I still use this excuse at the age of 30) :)

So here are a few pics from the other day @ my moms house. Here is Harper and her 13 day younger cousin Corbin.

They are the cutest...aren't they?! I could squeeze them all day! :)

favorite recent pics...

2008-07-22T10:46:00.002-05:00

I've decided I really, really, REALLY want a new camera. My camera is not "QUICK" enough to capture Harper much and if it does...they turn out kindof of "fuzzy". But these are a few decent ones I have of her recently. The camera is fine for this young man though....apparantly he LOVES the camera! :) So, I'm trying to talk my hubby into letting me purchase another camera. I may win this battle....hopefully by Christmas!!! :)

to build a fort....

2008-07-18T11:21:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I have been told before that I'm not a house cleaner....that I'm too busy to clean cause I'm playing with my kids. But who would rather clean than build a fort? A really cool hiding place. Now that's fun! :)

What have we been up too?

2008-07-15T11:32:00.002-05:00

In the midst of trying to sell our home...we have been working on our landscaping. My husband has been a lil' frustrated w/ my "perfectionism" since I redo, and redo, and again redo things. But...things are finally looking good around here. We still need to finish laying out part of the retaining wall we are working on but hopefully it'll be done by next month. :)

AND THEN....come fall.....THIS IS OUR NEXT PROJECT! THE BACKYARD!!! :) We want to do a block, rock, or brick patio off the deck stairs. (we're undecided) and then another retaining wall in the back of the house. We are also going to plant a bunch of Autumn Blaze Maples in the back side of house. If our house doesn't sell by fall that is. :)
We will take our home off the market probably by fall....and then try to sell possibly again next spring. We shall see. :)

Could a freeze pop make a one year old mad?!

2008-07-09T23:01:00.002-05:00

I think we need an EXTRA LARGE freeze pop for this chubby monkey. They melt too fast!

Happy 4th of July...

2008-07-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

Celebrating the 4th w/ good friends, fireworks, and yummy food! We had friends over for a cookout and then we all headed to our "secret" spot to watch the fireworks! Harper actually sat still on my lap for about 5 minutes....probably the LONGEST she has ever sat. She kept pointing to them and telling her dad about them in her own words and Brady and his friends ate an entire bowl of popcorn during the fireworks.

Could Colorado really be better than this?

2008-06-27T15:48:00.002-05:00

My sister is moving to Colorado today. We are so sad to see her go! My kids adore her and always love when she comes over. We will miss her so much but wish her nothing but Gods blessings. We know she will come home often.....how could she stay away too long from these lil' monkeys?!?!
Okay, so this picture of Brady is what he thinks of people moving away. :)

how sad we are...

2008-06-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

possible arranged marriage? what cutie pies together! :) ^

This week we had our neighbors and good friends move out of town. :( Brady has been really bummed out, yet sometimes I don't think he quite gets it that we can't just go to see Danae and the kids down the street. I think he may think they are tearing down their house and building a new one right there for some reason. :) Anyways....I have known Danae for a long time, but living on the same street for the last 2 years we have gotten to know each other really well and our kids love playing together. I have found a very sweet genuine friend and am thankful for our friendship. I know we will still be good friends even though your not just right down the street! :) Love ya!

a trip to Chicago...

2008-06-23T10:44:00.004-05:00

the sharks were Bradys favorite thing to see
last monday we took a trip up to Chicago to take the kids to the Shedd. (Free admission last week....yipee!) It was fun to get away for the day and we ate at PF Changs for dinner on the way home. :)

I scream you scream....

2008-06-19T23:19:00.003-05:00

we all scream for ice cream. (a lil' too much around here these days )

shaking our "sillies" out

2008-06-13T11:50:00.001-05:00

just to add a smile to your rainy day

Happy Birthday....

2008-06-12T14:54:00.003-05:00

This week 2 of my older siblings had birthdays.....Happy Birthday to you! :)

for our son...

2008-06-03T11:33:00.005-05:00

And what a handsome lil' 4 year old you are!!! :) The past four years watching you grow into

a lil' man has been incredible. Your a funny lil' stinkermonkey who loves to laugh, cuddle with your mommy, and as strongwilled as your daddy. You are growing into such a sweet boy with a heart for Jesus.....we pray for you always. Your dad, mom, and lil' Boots LOVE YOU so much Brady. Your such a great big brother! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! :)

4th birthday party

2008-06-02T17:38:00.001-05:00

Our monkey turns 4 tomorrow! We had his birthday party over the weekend while his cousins were here from MN. He was so excited to have them here. Here's a video from the party. :)

my "surprise" 30th party...

2008-05-27T10:42:00.004-05:00

My hubby and my sisters had asked me months ago what I wanted to do for my birthday....as I recall I said I wanted it to be fun and have a big party....well apparantly they said that I wanted a "surprise"....which I know I did not say, I just didn't want to plan it. Gretchen, you can be the mediator....have you EVER known me to like surprises?!?! EVER?!?! :) Well I'm like an annoying, nosy lil' child and I kept prying. So to be honest, yes I knew something was going on...but I didn't know what. And I was surprised until we walked in....... But thanks for the planning and everything. Just having my family and such great friends there was so great! And my hubby did surprise me THIS weekend and arranged someone to watch the kids so just him and I could go out for a "date night"....that was fun to be surprised with a night with him! :)

so these gals are some of the greatest friends in the world!!! We've been friends since we were toddlers! How special to have these gals in my life.

and my of course my awesome sisters (minus one special sister).....how great they are. :)

and my lil' man nephew kissing Harper! :) Thanks to all my family and my friends for being there!

dedicating Harper...

2008-05-22T11:33:00.002-05:00

I'm a bit behind on things I've been wanting to post....this is from Mothers Day. We had Harper dedicated @ church finally. It was a special day to have it, with some of our sisters there and both our moms. And the four of us matched...NOT planned...we realized it when we got in the truck to head to church. :)

Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

2008-05-21T23:38:00.001-05:00

I just heard tonight that Steven Curtis Chapmans youngest daughter (5 yr old Maria)died this afternoon after being run over in her driveway today. Please PRAY for their family. This video is his song Cinderella that I used in Harpers one year video.
How sad and tragic....praying for their sweet family.

Birthdays this last week...

2008-05-19T12:06:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to my mom last tuesday. And happy birthday to a chubby monkey yesterday. that's funny...this chubby lil' monkey looks like me sort of. Hmmm. This is like a 30 year old picture. :)

Happy Birthday to Holly...

2008-05-02T11:17:00.002-05:00

Along with May flowers brings May birthdays in our family. Happy Birthday to my sister Holly (May 1st)....I love this picture of us....I'm not sure what exactly we were doing! Look at how cute you are. LOVE YOU!

Harpers one year and family pics...

2008-04-29T11:27:00.012-05:00

On Harpers birthday we had Mandy Jo take pictures. They turned out so cute, I had to post them! I've been meaning to post them for awhile, but our internet has been down for over a week...but we are up and running now! :)

Look who else turned ONE!

2008-04-21T22:47:00.005-05:00

my sweet nephew: CORBIN

Corbin is only 13 days younger than Harper! He was due in May but decided he wanted to come early to share a birthday close w/ his cousin. This lil' guy is almost ALWAYS smiling, just like his momma. :) He gets to spend lots of time with us since we watch him one or two days a week while his mommy works. He has the most gorgeous bright blue eyes! (we had a "photo shoot" today....and of course he was very willing to smile!) So I may be a lil' biased, but I think he is so stinkin' cute.....and quite a ham in front of the camera. :)

the princess and the frog attempt...

2008-04-16T22:32:00.002-05:00

Oh how we were wishing Robin was here to help us make the birthday cakes!!! :) Here's our attempt to save a few bucks. I'm thinking we should we start our own cake decorating business. Would anyone like to invest in us?! Here's the babes AFTER the cakes and BATHS.....stay tuned for more first birthday party pics!

Learning to swim....

2008-04-15T21:01:00.003-05:00

Brady has been taking swimming lessons @ Swim America....as of today he "graduated" from the nervous beginner class!!! He was so excited. I had told him that if he gets past these classes from now on without "freaking" out that his reward would be a trip to Toys R Us and he could pick out a new toy. With that in mind today, he decided to go for it....and he passed. So next Tuesday he starts with his new teacher and his swim buddy Jared. His teacher said today that he is a "natural"....once he learns that he can trust you. :) His daddy says he gets that from him. :) I kept saying afterwards, "I'm sooo proud of you!" His reply everytime I said that was "thank you!"

a good friend...

2008-04-14T15:48:00.003-05:00

Just a lil' thanks to a sweet friend, who definetly has seen me at my worst!!! :) It's nice to have true friends that don't care if you open the door w/ teary eyes and black mascara running down your face. :) My family and true friends I cherish you!

her first year video

2008-04-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

This is the video I've been working on for Harper. I have not started a scrapbook yet for her, but I at least put this together. :)

Happy Birthday to our lil' Boots

2008-04-06T00:03:00.001-05:00

2008-04-05T23:50:00.002-05:00

I can not believe that our baby girl turned ONE today!!! When I think of Harper the word that best describes her is joy. She is such a sweet, happy, joyful lil' thing....and a go getter. There is not going to be too much that stands in her way. We love her dearly and are so blessed by her sweetness each day. Happy Birthday our lil' Boots. :)

SNEAK PEEK...

2008-03-30T22:41:00.001-05:00

God is good to me

2008-03-27T01:11:00.005-05:00

Is it spring yet or what?

2008-03-18T11:04:00.002-05:00

So, I myself now have just recovered from the awful stomach flu. What Brady gets, I seem to get. I thought I could of died, seriously. I don't think I've been that sick since I was a kid. It was a quick way to loose an extra 4 pounds though! :)
So these tulips I love.....spring should be arriving soon I hope! Stay in touch, I have some fun videos to post in the next week or so and my Lil' Boots in her tutu I made her for her upcoming first birthday!!! :)

New monkey business...

2008-03-14T00:45:00.003-05:00

Well, I officially have my first TOOTH! Yipee...I've been waking mommy up all night long. And I'm toddling around, walking almost as fast as my brother.
I had the horrible stomach flu last week and I thought it would never end. I lost 4 pounds....and I only weighed 34 to begin with!!! Things are looking good now....we are anxiously awaiting spring! I got to ride my bike outside today for a lil' bit cuz it was actually warm enough.

Seriously...

2008-03-07T21:42:00.003-06:00

I now hold a new pair of incredible shears! I recently attended a hair show in Chicago with some friends from work....and came home with some new shears. These are FO or Fan Out Shears hand crafted from Japan. Incredible sharpness and balance. Some of the worlds most "famous" hairstylists use these shears. In fact Sharon Stone's hairstyle in Basic Instinct 2 was cut with these shears I recently learned. :) So I figure instead of charging my $4o haircut, why not $800 like most of them get?!?! :)

weekend fun...

2008-03-04T11:49:00.009-06:00

It's always great spending time with you's! Here's some pics from the other night. We look forward to seeing you's again! This picture of Riley and Brady is so adorable! They look "smitten" with each other. :)piling up on "uncle Joel"...
"aunt Gretchen" with her kiddos
sweet lil' Jackson and Harper
sweet friends
just look at these studs
and their hot wives.

walk in progress

2008-02-25T15:08:00.001-06:00

This is what she's been working on the last 3 weeks....at 10 months old. She's a lil' "clumsy"....that's why this song seemed perfect for this video. (Fergie- "clumsy") :) Good tune, by the way. :)

12 things to do while your mom has the FLU...

2008-02-25T14:49:00.003-06:00

1. empty the whole entire toybox while sitting inside of it.
2. stay in your jammies the entire day
3. have a cookie for breakfast
4. watch cartoons all day
5. ask your mom if she's getting out of bed today or what?!?!
6. take your mom's temperature and tell her it's only 45
7. make sure the baby doesn't put anything in her mouth
8. take a long nap with mom
9. tell mom "it's not fun to be sick, is it?!"
10. refill and empty the toybox again.
11. ask how many days she's going to have the flu.
12. be sad when dad walks in the door...my 3 yr old freedom is over.

(inspired by a true story) recreated with the help of a 3 yr old....who actually pretty much lived like this for 5 days.

Happy 5th to us!

2008-02-15T21:36:00.002-06:00

So 5 years ago today there was a big blizzard and a WEDDING! I had prayed for snow for our wedding day, and it came abundantly. God has blessed us abundantly in more ways than we could ever have hoped for in our marriage. Through good times, hard times, and just everyday "craziness" there is no other person I'd rather be with. Happy anniversary to us! :) XOXO I love you, babe. Your my best friend. :) Thanks for loving me and putting up with some of my nonsense. And maybe someday I'll sleep through the snoring. :)

XOXOXOXOXO

2008-02-14T15:54:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!! May love surround you not just today but everyday of the year! What are some of your favorite "loves"?!?! These are mine.....
1. JESUS
2. my 3 GREATEST blessings...Lance, Brady, & Harper.
3. just being home with my family
4. my sisters (and all my family)
5. Starbucks
6. chocolate
7. friends that are real and true, and definetly not "high-maintenance"
8. my bed
9. fall weather
10. music that makes ya want to dance and sing at the top of your lungs.
Let's play a game of "TAG"....I tag Joni, Danae, and Callie..... what are a few of your favorite "LOVES"?!?!

Lifehouse's Everything Skit

2008-02-11T11:43:00.001-06:00

Please take time to watch this video/skit and the words. Lance and I had a great weekend alone together celebrating our 5 yr anniversary. (a week early)We had a great time talking and reflecting on God's greatness in our lives. We talked about how truely blessed we are, and not with "material" things. What Christ has done for us is truely amazing. I happened to see this video last night when we got home, and it touched me....especially after our conversation. Christ is really truely EVERYTHING. Nothing else in this world could ever satisfy or fill any void in our hearts. We are so thankful for Christ saving us from our sins, blessing us with each other, and are two beautiful children. There's no other place in life I'd rather be. How about you?

Ten months, and she knows how to work us....

2008-02-07T22:16:00.001-06:00

just look at this sweet face, those eyes....who could say no to that?

oh, she definetly knows how to get what she wants. :) All over mommy's necklace....
and for one of my sweet sisters....can you guess who's baby pics this reminds us of? She actually looks like one of my sisters here. :)

snow day

2008-02-01T20:49:00.001-06:00

This is how we like to spend the day when we are snowed in. My kids are bouncing off walls! I guess there is a time to dance. :)

taking time out for my lil' man...

2008-01-28T15:18:00.000-06:00

A sweet friend of mine awhile ago gave me some great advice to "manage" a 3yr old. The last week or two, her advice came to mind on several occasions. Doing something special just one on one when your 3 yr old is having a "rough" day. And we do have plently of those days it seems. :) So we've played in the snow during quiet times, and to my friends recommendation....a long hot bubble bath. Brady was thrilled and felt so "special" to be able to take a bubble bath with mommy in her big bath. Of course now every day since that's all I hear..."can we have a special treat and take a bubblebath when Harper naps?" Anyways....the sweet advice has been great really! Thanks "L"...:)Thanks for encouraging me...we all need it from time to time. :)There's nothing more important or that can't be done later....these moments are priceless.

SELF CONTROL......

2008-01-22T17:02:00.000-06:00

"LIVE IN SELF CONTROL AS WE WAIT FOR JESUS TO APPEAR." -Titus 2:12-13
Brady was learning about self control in sunday school class last sunday. They brought home a lil' finger (paper) puppet that says self-control on it. This is what our "mischevious" Harper thought of self control puppet man....

Poor self control puppet man! He lost his head and a leg. (for some reason Harper doesn't like to eat cheerios or baby puffs, but PAPER!) She's even eaten a pricetag off a pair of jeans before. And yes, I do watch her constantly...she's just a quick lil' thing and into everything!!!! :)

Ashley and Gregs wedding

2008-01-14T19:33:00.001-06:00

Here's a short video of Ashleys bachelorette party, rehearsal, and wedding. I'm so jealous the "honeymooners" are probably enjoying warm nice sun laying on a beach in Mexico! These are all the pics I got from the weekend....wish I would of gotten more of my sweet hubby dancing! :) We had such a fun time.

9 months and a determined lil' monkey...

2008-01-07T23:29:00.000-06:00

Wow, it's January already! Can't believe it! Harper is now 9 months old....she started crawling at 7 1/2 months, and now she is pulling up....standing up....and the other day she actually took 2 steps on her own!!! We think it could of been just a "wild moment", but it wouldn't surprise us if she starts walking before too long. CRAZY is all I have to say. She's a feisty, determined lil' monkey. I "dread" changing time and getting her dressed....I literally have to wrestle her to get her dressed. I probably burn the most calories then! In fact, today my sister Holly was over and she was kind enough to try to get her dressed. I glanced over minutes later to see Harper playing in her diaper....Holly said " she wouldn't let me get her dressed." :)
Hope everyone who actually checks in and reads this had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. We sure did....Lance and I both took off 10 days of work! We had great "family" time, and actual time alone TWICE in a week! That's a first since kids! We realize we do actually need to take more time out for each other.....:)

a year in review

2007-12-23T23:17:00.001-06:00

We can't believe it's already Christmas and the end of another year! This year has been extra special to us with the birth of our daughter and Brady's long awaited playmate and sister. We feel so incredibly blessed, and are thankful for our complete family. Harper's middle name is GRACE.... her name is extra special to me. I wanted a daughter with a somewhat "unique" name and yet I knew forsure I wanted Grace to be a part of her name. Grace because of what it is. God's GRACE is so evident in our lives....
how beautiful the word, yet even more the meaning of it. We hope you enjoy this short video. HE does make EVERYTHING GLORIOUS!!!!

We've come a long way, baby....

2007-12-14T21:43:00.000-06:00

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY to my "secret" best friend!!!! :) Were we really nerdy or what?! :) Seriously, you are so special to me. I am so thankful to have such a close friend like you for 30 YEARS! I love our baby pictures together! So glad to have these, I will always treasure them! I am so blessed to go thru life with a friend like you....how many memories we've shared, crazy times, lots of laughs, lots of meaningful conversation, and lots of Gloria Jeans's cappuccinos. I love that we don't skip a beat. Hope your day was special....I tried and tried to get a hold of you....your answering machine is not on?! I LOVE YA, girl!

"aunt Gretchen" how my kids adore you...:)

a cold icy weekend....

2007-12-10T10:42:00.001-06:00

Brady eating our cookies and Harper likes to watch cartoons now.
What a great weekend to be stuck at home with a sick little one and all the ice...we decided it was time to make Christmas cookies while we had the chance. It was fun and relaxing in a way, we had Christmas music playing and a fire going. Brady is my helper in the kitchen....but I think he ended up eating more cookies than actual helping! This week Harper came down with RSV and a double ear infection. She ran a 102 temp all week so she slept alot, watched cartoons, and watched us. She's been such a sick little monkey, we are praying she gets better soon! I'm so tired of the sickness! We've had an awful lot of sickness going on here the last few months! Of course the hubby has been healthy, he has an incredible or unhuman immune system I think. :) I'm getting so excited for Christmas...maybe not quite as excited as Brady though. Yesterday he told me that if he's a really good boy maybe he can get a t-r-s-t-u-v-(he spelled)....we apparantly "spell" alot of words out these days since he listens so intently. I asked him what t-r-s-t-u-v- even spelled....he said a "treat". :)

FUN VIDEO of the dancing McGowans....

2007-12-05T10:55:00.000-06:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1176056289
Click on link above to view us dancing elves. Spreading the Christmas cheer! (thanks Callie!)http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1176056289

back home now....

2007-11-29T14:51:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Ours was good and busy. Brady ate turkey for the first time in his life....we told him it was "chicken". After the fact we told him it was in fact turkey, he didn't seem to mind. :) We do about whatever we can to get this kid to eat something decent. On the way to all of our get togethers he kept saying he was going to ask if they had hotdogs to eat! One of my aunts did in fact give in and gave him hotdogs! Anyways...we are home from a quick trip to Minnesota to see my sister. Here are a few pics of my precious nephew and my neices. :) Aren't they cute?!

Brady loves being around his cousins...and Harper was more than entertained. :)

meet HANK.....

2007-11-19T10:47:00.000-06:00

Here's the newest addition into our family... HANK. Isn't he so stinkin' cute? My sister Ashley and her soon to be husband just got him on saturday, he's a Puggle. Brady keeps saying "I sure wish we could get a puppy like that." Harper just kept grabbing his skin. (he's real stretchy.) Their daddy says no right now, but I have a feeling that when his baby girl is able to talk and ask for one maybe the answer will change?! That's what we're hoping anyways. :)

what she's doing now.....

2007-11-15T23:10:00.000-06:00

Harper is sitting up on her own now! She still falls over sometimes, yet very gracefully. :) These pictures of her I love, cause they show her new expressions for the week. She has always sucked on her lower lip, but for some reason this week...she is doing it non-stop. Probably the last "outside" pictures we'll get of her until spring! It's so cold now! :)

Who's the parent?

2007-11-09T21:42:00.001-06:00

For those of you that may think my child is shy....this is my everyday. We have some real silly conversations when we hang out at home in our "jammies". He is quite the character....such a fun good sense of humor he has and shares. I wonder where he gets that from? He may seem shy and mysterious....until you get to know him. Is that me or Lance or BOTH? Ha Ha. :)

7 months old today!

2007-11-05T13:19:00.000-06:00

Harper is now 7 months old. WOW. Time is going way too fast! She's trying to figure out how to crawl, and she almost has it! Although we are not too anxious for the crawling stage...if you know Harper you'll know why we say that. She has to get her hands on EVERYTHING somehow and she's a curious lil' thing. She is going to tear our house apart, go thru every single drawer, empty things, etc. Just wait. The funny thing is she doesn't even really sit up yet on her own....but she doesn't want to! She doesn't want to waste time sitting...could it be she has her aunt Holly in her? Busy busy busy. I'm in trouble. :) She'll keep us moving! How precious she is. Daddy is so in love with his baby girl! :)