the farwell family

FOUR

2011-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Can you believe our little boy is FOUR? I still can't...

Blake turned four on Friday, here are a few pictures of the celebrations that took place at our house over the weekend!

Blake had a 'construction' themed party with his friends on Friday. Complete with hardhats and tool belts. So much fun!

Blake was so excited about this game. Only one of those caution tapes was attached to a trap door that let the candy fall to the ground. Out of ALL 18 pieces of tape, guess who picked the right tape on the very first turn... yes, the birthday boy!

Grandma and Grandpa Farwell and Grandma and Grandpa Glace got Blake this GeoTrax airplane. It's up in his room... with dead batteries. :) He has enjoyed it so much, but I think we need to invest in some rechargeables!

Happy Birthday Blake! We love you so much. You continue to amaze us everyday with your inquisitive spirit. You are such a smart little guy... I love that you can read books to ME everyday before naps! You are such a joy in our lives Blake and I am so thankful God gave us the gift of you 4 years ago!!

the most wonderful time...

2010-12-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas music playing, cookies baking, kids laughing... it is the most wonderful time of the year.

Here are a few December pictures thus far. So much going on and so much to be thankful for.

The first snow of the year and the kids were SO excited! There wasn't too much on the ground but Nolan and I shoveled a pile for them to play and jump in. There's plenty of snow on the ground now and chances for more tonight... Nolan is already planning on taking them out to play when he gets home from work tonight.

Christmas in Eldora with Grandma and Grandpa Glace. The girl cousins... Brenna, Hannah and Ellie.

Don't forget about the boys! Zach, Blake, Boaz and Cainan. (2 more cousin's to add to the mix in 2011!)

Christmas in Kansas with Grandma and Grandpa Farwell.

The Farwell cousins (minus Malia). Kenton, Addie, Nevaeh, Josie, Blake, Koralee, and Brenna. (2 more cousins to add to this mix as well in 2011!)

Christmas in Kansas with Great Grandma and Grandpa Anderson (my dad's side of the family). All of the great grandkids that could make it, along with Santa. No crying when Santa walks in at this house... the kids were thrilled!

Praising the Lord for the gift of His Son and wishing you and your family a very Merry Chirstmas!

no girls allowed

2010-11-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

Blake was content playing in the guest room this morning, Brenna was downstairs with me. The kids rarely play seperately so I asked Brenna why she wasn't playing with Blake, she replied "I can't!" So, up the stairs I go to see what Blake was up to... and sure enough, no girls allowed. :)

I found this sign hanging on the guest room door. He hadn't even asked for help with the spelling... pretty good for 3 years old!

ouch!

2010-11-10T11:28:00.001-08:00

This tough little girl had a bit of a collision yesterday... a collision with the side of the refrigerator.
ouch.

my favorite things

2010-11-06T18:29:00.001-07:00

to the farm

2010-10-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today we headed out to what we thought was a pumpkin farm. Not many pumpkins to be found, but a simple little farm open to the public during the fall. The kids and I were the only people there this afternoon and the farmer gave us quite the tour. We saw roosters, peacocks, fed the cows some squash, fed Wilber the pig some milk, walked through a corn maze, chased kittens, and dug around in a corn kernal sandbox.

The kids had a blast and it ended up being a very fun afternoon on the farm... but we had to stop at Home Depot on the way home to find some pumpkins! :)

baby abby

2010-10-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Meet Baby Abby.

Baby Abby has become QUITE important in our home lately. Baby Abby goes everywhere with Miss Brenna.... to the store, to church, outside to play, all around the house.

Ever since we told Brenna that she was going to be a big sister, she took to this baby doll. It's fun to see her so excited about taking care of Abby (her name selection!). Abby even gets daily pushes on the swing.

Anyone remember Silly Buddy? Well, her former favorite frog has taken a back seat to Baby Abby.

wisconsin dells vacation

2010-09-17T11:22:00.001-07:00

Here are some picture highlights from our family vaction to the Wisconsin Dells.

hiking to find a waterfall

Buffalo Phil's Resturant had a train that delievered our food to us. The kids thought it was SO neat!

astronaut Brenna

Robot World... although Nolan and I weren't too impressed, Blake can't stop talking about it!

Can't go to the Dells without riding the Ducks!

setting herself up for success! :)

We had such a fun and relaxing trip. Our cabin was great, the pool was equally as great and we made lots of special memories.

first day of school

2010-08-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

thrilled about his new backback. thrilled about his new shoes. not so thrilled about getting his picture taken.

This is the best I could do on the morning of Blake's first day of school. He is going to a 3 year old preschool two mornings a week and is LOVING it!

omaha

2010-08-23T10:28:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we made a quick trip to Omaha to visit some friends. Our dear friends Paul and Heather, and son Frederick, have temporarily moved to Omaha while Paul is undergoing a stem cell transplant at the Leid Transplant Center there in Omaha. Paul was diagnoised with a rare form of Lymphoma which is considered in most cases to be terminal. Please keep them in your prayers. The stem cell transplant provides a small hope of survival. When we were visiting, Paul was in the very first stages of 'harvesting'- removing his own stem cells that will be returned later in the process. Paul was feeling quite well while we were there and was able to spend time at the pool with us and give us a tour of the Lied Center.

On Friday when we arrived, we met Heather and Frederick at the zoo. It was a HOT, hot day but the kids loved it. Especially Brenna, as seen by the picture below. She could have spent forever starring at each and every animal.

smile for the day

2010-07-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post for the night. Doesn't this picture just make you smile?

Thanks Uncle Rod and Aunt Annie for the Dora Fairy Princess costume, or as Brenna calls it- her 'butterfly dance.' She loves it!

my love

2010-07-30T06:04:00.001-07:00

Today I've been married to my best friend and love of my life for five years!

Happy Anniversary, Nolan. I love you more than ever!

iowa summers

2010-07-20T07:33:00.001-07:00

water park

2010-07-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have season passes to the water park here in Waterloo. We love it... I actually think I get more excited about it than the kids do! We spend many summer afternoons there in the numerous kiddie areas, in the wave pool, or floating down the lazy river.

Today we stayed home and created a water park of our own.

Best part about our 'water park'? Drinks at the top!

rainy day project

2010-07-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today has been a rainy day. We're talking a flash flood, streets closed, mayor asking everyone to stay off of the roads rainy day. Needless to say, we are staying home today.

A day stuck in the house... what's a girl to do? Well, tear out the old carpet in my son's bedroom of course!

I've got the carpet and tack strips out of more than half of the room right now but am taking a break to nap with my two favorite kids. :) Back to work after naptime...

two

2010-06-30T06:34:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it?! Our little girl is TWO!!

It was a very happy birthday! Here are some pictures from her birthday celebration.

What cake did Brenna pick out at the store? Pink, of course!!

Mommy made a special Dora and Boot's cake.

Opening her presents. Big brother had to be reminded constantly that it was Brenna's birthday and he needed to let her open the presents. Blake was quick to tell Brenna that when it was HIS birthday, she needed to let him open his presents by himself! :)

The lucky birthday girl got to spend her birthday with these special people. Her grandparents!

We love you Brenna! We thank God for the blessing you are to us and look forward to watching you blossom as a TWO year old!

busy...

2010-06-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of a three week BUSY spell in our summer. Sorry for my lack of blogging, I'll try to catch up... in a few weeks. :)

*we've had family visiting and planning on more visitors for the weekend

*brenna turns two today (a post on that to come)

*brenna's birthday party on friday, which means i need to get busy on her cake

*nolan traveled to kansas last weekend for a friend's wedding

*we are planning a trip to kansas over the 4th for a wedding and time with family

*not to mention trips to the waterpark, picnics, daddy's softball games, running and the everyday busyness that goes along with having a 3 year old and a 2 year old!

oh... AND i'm directing our church's VBS which begins in just over a week. whew!

Until I can get caught up, I'll leave you with a few pictures.

I guess this is what happens when I get a distracting phone call while she's playing with markers. :)

This little man got stitches this week. He didn't miss a beat... ran to hop on his bike the moment we got home!

pajama party

2010-05-24T17:41:00.001-07:00

Can you tell they are excited about their new summer pajamas? Brenna picked Dora pj's. No surprise there... she's been asking for purple Dora pajamas for months now. Blake, who at first was a little concerned that they did not have Diego pajamas, was happy to find Mickey riding on a motorcycle. This after bath time picture just makes me smile!

After a fun filled day of pool, picnics and feeding the 'pet' ducks (more on that another day), I am ready to spend a quiet evening at home. Hubby is gone to a softball game and kids are in bed... but not yet asleep or quiet for that matter. They are having a very loud conversation at the moment, across the hallway from eachother and through their closed bedroom doors:

Blake: I want you Mommy!
Brenna: No Blake, Go To BED! (in a very motherly tone)

Good Night All.

hermie

2010-05-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Today we met a new friend. Hermie, the caterpillar. Blake made a nice little home for Hermie and had a conversation with him that went something like this. "Hermie, do you like the fresh, crunchy leaves we got for you? Some day, maybe today, you will turn into a beautiful butterfly. Then you will collect nectar. Yep, that will be your job."

Unfortunately, Hermie really hasn't moved for the last couple hours. Yikes.

mother's day

2010-05-09T18:15:00.001-07:00

I'm feeling especially blessed to be the mom of these two today. Blake came into our room this morning with a card that he typed himself on the computer. What a great way to start the day! I got a good run in and we headed to church. I told Nolan that one thing I want for Mother's day is simply some time to run and some time to bake. Check and check... got both things accomplished and loved every minute of it. Let's not forget to mention the gift certificate to a local spa I got from my hubby! That will be put to good use very soon! :) Thanks honey!!

jealous

2010-05-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

Totally. Completely. Utterly.

JEALOUS!

My husband with George Brett. THE George Brett!

I'm SO jealous.

2010-04-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1

Mom on the Run

2010-04-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Many of you know about my love for running. I run most every morning before the kids wake up and then often run again at night on these gorgeous spring evenings. My husband thinks I'm a little crazy, but I'm going to make a distance runner out of him some day! :) Running is my break away from being 'Mom' for a short time. It's time spent in prayer, praise, worship and I thank the Lord for the time I am able to spend with Him while I am running.

Many of you also know that I have been struggling for the past year with daily headaches and migraines. It's been frustrating and exhausting. After many appointments/tests/doctors I am happy to be telling you that my headaches have subsided (for the most part). I am taking a prescription that has helped tremendously and will continue to take it for 6 months to train my body to not react to stressors with a headache.

For those of you who have been asking about my marathon training, here's an unfortunate update. The prescription that is taking the pain away is also affecting my running. On long training runs (10-20 miles), I was having a hard time regulating my breathing. Typically on a long run, I'm breathing hard for the first mile or so and then my breath would relax for the remainder of the run. This wasn't happening on the medication. I was running 10+ miles and breathing hard the entire run, causing my heart to race. It saddens me that I am having to stop the training but am so very thankful for a cease in headaches. I am a much happier mom and wife without headaches, right Nolan?! :)

I'm still able to run, just shorter distances. I will run another marathon... but not in June.

There you have it! God is good and the headaches are gone.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T12:48:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our weekend . Lots of memories made!

Nolan put Brenna's dress on this morning while I was getting ready for church. She found me in the bathroom and said, 'Benna so pidy!' Yes, Brenna is so pretty and Blake is a pretty handsome young man.

Carefully coloring the easter eggs.

The final product. They were very proud.

Blake got a new umbrella in his Easter basket. They have been playing 'It's Raining' all day!

We are feeling especially blessed this Easter day. He is RISEN! Happy Easter to all of our family and loved ones.

little monkey

2010-03-25T06:45:00.001-07:00

If she can reach it, she will hang as long as she can! She just lifts her little feet off the ground and giggles.

hanging on the swing....

hanging in the kitchen.....

hanging in the bathroom....

Cutest little monkey I've ever seen.

silly kids

2010-02-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

three

2010-02-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

I know, I can't believe it either... Blake is three years old.
Here are some celebration pictures to share with you all.

Both Grandparents were here to help him celebrate. The next morning Blake sweetly told me that his Grandparents "make me so happy."

As requested, Blake got his airplane cake.

A worn out birthday boy...

and we can't forget little miss, who thought it was her birthday and sang happy birthday to herself all week.

A Kansas Christmas

2010-01-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a trip to Kansas over New Year's to celebrate Christmas with Nolan's family. Here are a few pictures of our time at Grandma and Granpa's house, including lots of time with cousins, lots of food, and making cookies with Grandma.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

It was such a joy to see the excitement of Christmas abound in Blake and Brenna today.

Fruit snacks before breakfast? Santa must have thought you were a very good girl.

(he was right!)

Mom got a new camera from Santa!!! Blake was excited as well, as he got to take pictures with mom's old camera all day long.

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope your day was filled with holiday blessings.

Glace Family Christmas

2009-12-23T11:28:00.001-08:00

We're gearing up for yet another winter storm that is supposed to arrive today and last through Friday. It's not looking good for those who are planning on traveling over the holiday but fortunately our plan from the start was to stay home and celebrate as a family. Is it bad of me to say I'm kind of looking forward to this impending storm? I'm SO looking forward to time 'stuck' at home with my husband and kids. No places to be, no errands to run, no set schedule... just time together as a family celebrating the birth of Jesus and the gift he is to all of us.

So, I'm just saying a quick prayer that hubby will get home safely from work this afternoon and then- let the CeLeBrAtIoN begin! :)

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Christmas with my parents in Eldora (I'm a little behind on posting, I know). But here are some pictures from our time there. We had a great time together and it is so fun to see all of the cousins interact and play together as they are getting older.

this is what the adults do after the kids go to bed...

On a different note, Brenna had her 18 month appointment yesterday. She's still just a little peanut- 5th percentile in both height and weight. But, as I've said before, what she lacks in size she more than makes up for in spunk! :) Her vocabulary is really taking off, she surprises me every day. For example, today she was helping me make waffles and I was measuring the baking powder in and said 'One.' counting the first tsp. out loud. She continued to count all the way up to 7- smart little thing!

We hope you enjoy your Christmas celebration with your loved ones. We are thankful for all of you this Christmas.

winter storm

2009-12-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

A winter storm is blasting through Iowa right now... leaving us with 15 inches of snow and counting and nasty wind. With a blizzard warning until midnight tonight, they aren't even letting street crews out to plow yet. The 30-50 mph wind gusts makes for dangerous driving.

All that being said, it's been a great day at the Farwell home. Hubby stayed home from work and I got tons of cleaning and things done around the house. It's been a fun 'Saturday' in the middle of our week.

Blake got to go out in the cold for a brief while to explore the snow and had a blast.

a chocolate pudding kind of day...

2009-11-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

Blake stayed pretty clean... until he decided to lick his bowl clean (notice the chocolate on his forehead).

Brenna was a mess from the start! :)

just because...

2009-11-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

happy halloween

2009-10-31T18:01:00.001-07:00

Blake has had his heart set on being a penguin for halloween for quite some time. Tonight was the big night- cutest penguin I've ever seen!

Ready to eat some fish? Or a great big penguin laugh? Not sure...

Our pretty ballerina stayed home with mom to hand out candy.

Happy Halloween, From the Farwell's

little mommy

2009-10-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Brenna love, love, loves her babies. All of a sudden too, she wasn't really interested in them at all until this week.... and now her babies are all she wants to play with. This morning I was cleaning the kitchen and she came strolling around the corner pushing her baby on this make-shift stroller. Pretty creative- although baby doesn't look very comfortable. Maybe 'Baby Emma' as she's known in our house, would like a real baby stroller for Christmas?

pumpkin town

2009-10-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Each fall a local church opens up 'Pumpkin Town' for the community to attend. This is our second year attending- check out pictures here from one year ago at Pumpkin Town. A little windy and cold, but the kids had a blast. So much fun in fact, that we went back yesterday! :)

Pumpkins. Pumpkins, everywhere!

In the bouncy house!

Feeding the animals.

Sweet little girl, picking up all the little pumpkins she should get to!

i know, i know...

2009-10-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... it's been over a month since my last blog post! Let's just say, in the whirlwind of the past couple months, that blogging has not been at the top of my to do list.

Let's talk about this little girl- can you believe how big she is getting?

Brenna had her 15 month doctor appointment yesterday and is still just a petite little thing. Weighing in at 21 pounds (25th percentile) and 29 inches tall (5th percentile). Although small, she well makes up for it in personality! She is a sweet, but sassy...loving, but determined... cuddly, but strong willed little girl and we love everything about her. :) Her vocabulary is blooming- she says words like hi, bye bye, see ya, mommy, daddy, doggie, ball, all done, up, please, thank you, cookie, ee i ee i oh (old mac donald song), uh huh (yes), outside, and more that I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Blake is 2 1/2 and growing up far too quickly! We visited a preschool this week and he loved it. He participated in the opening circle activities and answered all of the questions the teacher asked to the class. On our way home, he informed me that he was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a trampoline at preschool but he liked it all the same and wanted to go back. Sorry, buddy- not until next fall!

Aren't they getting so big?! That's it for now...

weekend fun

2009-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had such a wonderful weekend with Nolan's brother and his family visiting from Kansas. The weather was gorgeous, company was great, and the kids had a blast together! Thanks for making the trip Rod, Annie and Kenton!

Ready for church!

Brenna giving Kenton a ride.

Kenton and Blake on our way home from Moo Roo... our favorite ice cream joint!

Fun in the tub.

making muffins, a mess.... and memories

2009-08-27T11:14:00.001-07:00

weekend getaway

2009-08-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Nolan and I were able to get away for a long weekend. It was WONDERFUL! We headed to Northern Wisconsin were some friends of ours have a cabin right on Long Lake. We enjoyed 4 days of relaxing, boating, riding atv's, watching bald eagles, napping in the hammock, playing games, roasting marshmallows, and enjoying eachother's company.

the clean up continues...

2009-08-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Many of you have heard by now that a big storm rolled through Eldora Sunday morning. Most every house is damaged, including my parents. They had baseball size hail and hurricane force winds, knocking out 14 windows, holes in the roof and siding, many downed trees and a very large mess. They even have hail damage inside their house... yes, that's right! There are dents in the walls from hail inside their house. We were there to help in the clean up yesterday and I headed back there for the day today. Alot has been accomplished, a lot yet to do- but praising the Lord that everyone is safe and my parents are well.

Here are a few pictures of my parent's house but they don't even begin to show the extent of the damage. The pictures don't do justice!

\

the dirt on brenna

2009-07-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

someone once told me that little boys are so much messier than little girls are....

....they haven't met brenna.

a love for home depot

2009-07-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

Much to Nolan's liking, Blake loves Home Depot. Every time we are even in viewing distance, he squeals with delight saying, "I see it, I see it, it's Home Depot!"

Tonight we went to Home Depot to get some lumber for some storage shelves Nolan is going to build in the basement. As Nolan and a empoyee we loading the lumber into the back of the car, Blake looked at the plain 'ol sheets of lumber and said, "It's beautiful Mommy!"

All I could do is laugh...

making pizza

2009-07-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Pizza making with cousin Malia...

We enjoyed a long weekend visit from Nolan's sister and her family from Kansas. Blake and Brenna loved playing with their cousins, the weather was gorgeous and the adults enjoyed 3 competitive nights of Settlers. (the women of the family did most of the winning :) way to go erika and katie!)

Thanks for making the trip Sapps... we had a so much fun and hope you come again very soon!

sneaky.

2009-07-03T14:29:00.001-07:00

Nolan and Blake were gone this afternoon. I was in the living room reading when I realized the house was extremely quite. I found Brenna in the bathroom....

the party

2009-06-27T18:14:00.001-07:00

the cake...

the girls...

the mess...

the family...

We had such a wonderful time celebrating Brenna's birthday today with my family. It was a perfect day full of cake, gifts, outdoor fun, and time with family. The kids are exhausted and so are mom and dad. :)

oklahoma

2009-06-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past week we made a trip to Oklahoma to see my Grandparents and family. On the way down we stopped outside of Witchita and stayed with some of Nolan's family. This is Aunt Marci with Brenna and Brenna's second cousin David.

We had a great time with my Grandparents when we made it to Oklahoma. We saw lots of family and had a wonderful visit. Two of these pictures were taken on a night we went to a park and Blake got to ride a train and a merry-go-round. He's still talking about that train ride!

Lots of time spent outside. Lots of bubbles popped!

At the park, waiting for the train to arrive. Thanks for the great trip Grandma and Grandpa, it was so great to see you and we love you.

On our way back from Oklahoma, we went to a family reunion on Nolan's side of the family. Pictures to come!!

ONE

2009-06-16T07:17:00.001-07:00

One year ago today, our sweet little Brenna arrived. Happy Birthday Brenna! We love you endlessly!

we love summer...

2009-06-05T07:14:00.001-07:00

because we love.... hiking in the woods,

swimming in the pool,

helping daddy outside,

parades and balloons,

and bike rides too!!

what's daddy doing out there?

2009-05-26T07:22:00.001-07:00

pictures

2009-05-21T10:39:00.001-07:00

just a few random pictures from the past couple weeks...

Blake is thrilled about his new 'work shop' in his room. He likes to help daddy fix things around the house. The other night he was laying in bed and sang songs about going to Home Depot for a good half hour! Dad liked that!

Mmm, spaghetti! Brenna's first spaghetti and she loved it. She's still just a little peanut but will eat anything we put in front of her and often eats more than her brother at supper time.

Brenna's not too sure about the hug, but brother loves to give them.

bloom

2009-05-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

after church today we tried to get a couple pictures of the kids on front of some of the beautiful flowers in our yard, this is the best of our attempt. =)

we're home

2009-05-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of blogging lately- but if you've ever moved with two kids ages 2 and under, you can understand why! We are officially moved into our new house but not even close to feeling settled yet. There are still many boxes to unpack, rooms to paint and not enough time in the day to get everything crossed of our check list.

We are, however, loving our new neighborhood. Everyone who walks by our house in the evenings stops to chat, the neighbor kids stop by to say hi on their way home from school, we had a couple May baskets on our front step, and the neighbors are planning a grill out so we can really get to know everyone. I think we're going to like it here. =)

happy spring

2009-04-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

a big day

2009-04-21T04:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we closed on our new house! We are so excited. I am looking forward to getting some painting done this week before we move on Saturday.

Last night we took some things over and gave Blake the tour of the house. He was giddy as we walked through the house. It was so fun to see him so excited. As we were getting ready to leave for the night, Blake closed the door to the room we were in and said, "I like this house, Mommy."

the farwell life

2009-04-04T17:34:00.001-07:00

Lot's of pictures in today's post... it's been a while! This picture represents our life right now. We are still living in a little rental while we await the closing of our new house... 16 days!! We are not enjoying living out of boxes but it's well worth the end result.

Last weekend we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Blake always has a blast and we even got to spend some time with our friends, the Daleske's. Blake and Elizabeth are good buddies.

Brenna playing with her toy kitchen. She has been changing so much over the last 2 weeks... and started sleeping through the night!! We are thrilled!

Our rental has an unfinished basement and we actually spend a lot of time down there playing. Brenna loves to ride in this little car, if you couldn't tell by the excitement of her face!

Blake is learning to ride his tricycle and doing quite well.

Today we went to and Easter carnival and saw the Easter Bunny. Blake wasn't too interested as he was more interested in the balloons and games set up around the gym. Brenna on the other hand, loved the bunny and it didn't phase her one bit when she was being held by him. I didn't get a picture of Brenna with the bunny but a friend did and I will try to get it posted when I get it from her.

Brenna wearing one of the prizes Blake won at the carnival today.

Go Cats!

Doesn't she look so grown up in this picture?

Next weekend we are looking forward to a trip to Kansas for Easter weekend. I think Grandma Farwell is planning an Easter egg hunt! =)

deep thoughts with nolan

2009-03-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posting lately, but with the move and most of our things being in boxes until we move again in 5 weeks, I've yet to find the cord I need to download pictures off the camera. I'll do some digging this week and hopefully have some pictures of the kiddos on soon.

We've had a little sickness run through our family lately. It has been through everyone but Blake, and we are praying that he doesn't get it. The rest of us are on the mend.

Brenna had her 9 month doctor's appointment last week. She is still a petite little peanut- 10th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for height- but very healthy and doing well. She is finally becoming interested in moving and is starting to scoot around. I even saw her pull herself up to the toy box today! She didn't stay up for very long and I have to say, it looks a little strange for such a tiny little thing to be doing that!

Just wanted to post a quick little update, more to come. Tonight I leave you with a question that Nolan asked me tonight...

"Would you rather I have a rat tail or a unibrow?"

Deep Nolan, deep. I just laughed and laughed when he asked me that..... my answer, "What kind of question is that? NEITHER!"

home sweet home

2009-03-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

We bought a house today and are SO excited!! We finally found the perfect home for our family! It is in our ideal neighborhood, has plenty of room for our family to grow, a fabulous yard and best of all, the only work that needs to be done is if we want to change the color on the walls!

We close on our house in a week... so that means we will be moving into a rental for about a month until we get possession of this house. Two moves in about a month... UGH! But the end result will be well worth it!

all about Brenna

2009-02-23T12:32:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Brenna is 8 months old already! Can you believe it?

Brenna is such a sweet and content little girl and we are so thankful for her and what she means to our family. She loves books and loves playing ball, she loves to dance and loves her bath, she loves her daddy and glows every time he walks into the room. She is such a little joy!

time indoors

2009-02-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

Being stuck inside on cold winter days is wearing on Blake. He loves playing outside and is getting a little stir crazy as the Iowa winter rolls on. Here is what Blake has been doing with his time indoors.

Finger painting some birthday thank you notes.

Coloring and putting stickers on boxes as I was busy doing some packing.

And wearing himself out... at nap time he fell asleep reading his book.

i've been tagged

2009-02-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by a friend to show my fourth picture in the fourth folder on our computer. Here it is.

It's a picture of Nolan clearing out a tree that had fallen from our neighbors yard right into our garden during a storm last summer.

Now, I have to tag 4 other people to show us their fourth picture in the fourth folder. Becky B, Stephanie F, Rachel F, and Annie F... consider yourselves tagged! =)

Blake's Birthday Celebration

2009-02-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a great time celebrating Blake's Birthday with family at my sister Becky's house. Blake's cousin Boaz turns 1 today, so we were able to celebrate with him as well. Here are a bunch of pictures of the festivities... enjoy!

Blake's Wildcat cake- it was my first time making fondant, I think it turned out pretty cute!

Lighting the candles...

and blowing them out.

Blake still wasn't feeling quite up to par, so we don't have any good pictures of him digging into his birthday cake. But, cousin Boaz had no problems making a birthday mess!

Cousins Ellie and Hannah. Ellie enjoyed taking pictures with Grandma Glace's camera. I'm not sure if Grandma knew she was taking these pictures, so it will be interesting to see what Grandma thinks when she uploads her pictures from the night.

The boys playing with Boaz's new toy. Blake, Zach and Boaz.

Opening more presents.

Up bright and early this morning to play with his new toys.

Blake has had a great birthday so far and the festivities continue today... Grandma and Grandpa Farwell are coming to visit!

Happy Birthday Blake!

2009-02-11T06:53:00.001-08:00

Blake is 2 years old today. I can hardly believe it! Happy Birthday, Blake. We love you!

what a difference a day makes

2009-02-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

Blake woke up this morning and was still feeling under the weather. He was content to lay on the couch and watch Diego all morning... very unlike him.

BUT... what a difference a day has made! I am happy to say that Blake's spunk is back. He has been playing, trying to make Brenna laugh, and even attempted to eat something this afternoon (he wanted chicken nuggets).

Brenna is not quite back to feeling 100% but she didn't get the bug as bad as Blake did. She is playing well and seems happy but not eating much yet and needing quite a bit of sleep.

Our little peanut, always happy- even when she is sick!

sickness

2009-02-08T10:28:00.001-08:00

Nolan and I just commented the other day that we have been fortunate enough to have not experienced the stomach flu with either of our kids yet. Not so fortunate anymore- the stomach flu is here in full force.

Poor Blake and Brenna both have the flu, meaning many, many, many loads of laundry and very little sleep for everyone in the house. It breaks my heart that I can't do anything to help them feel better.

update

2009-02-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it's been a while since I've had an actual update on what has been going on around our house. Truth is, SO MUCH has been going on and that is the reason for my lack of blogging as of late.

First things first, we sold our house! We are thrilled to have it sold, but are closing on March 17th... meaning we have about 6 weeks to find a house or find something until we do find our next house. We looked at 5 houses yesterday and one today but haven't found 'it' yet.

Since my last update I have also taught my first college class! I have a great group of students and have really enjoyed teaching. I do love being a stay at home mom, but it's nice to get out once a week to teach.

Blake and Brenna are doing great (although Blake is getting over another episode of croup). Blake will be turning 2 next week! I can hardly believe it. We are constantly amazed at how fast he picks things up. Right now we are learning lower case letters... he's mastered all uppercase and even recognizes several small words. He wanted to wear his dad's sweat shirt in this picture... he looks forward to Nolan getting home from work all day long. Throughout the day he says, 'Daddy at work in white car, be back this afternoon.'

Brenna is doing well. She is a great eater but still just a petite little thing. No signs of crawling yet which goes right along with her personality. She is so laid back and content just to sit and watch Blake running around the house. I will post some pictures of our little peanut soon! =)

last night

2009-01-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine called me on Wednesday and asked if I would like to go to a Christ Tomlin concert with her. I love Chris Tomlin's music, so I excitedly said yes!

It was unlike any other concert I have been too. It was simply amazing as Chris led the entire arena in worship all night long.

Amazing Concert and an even more amazing God! Thanks for the invite Dani! =)

www.onemillioncan.com

I realize that I haven't written any family updates in quite some time, but there is A LOT going on in our lives right now. A post on those happenings to come...

Happy Birthday Nolan!

2009-01-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

WE LOVE YOU! Blake, Brenna and Katie

that's my boy...

2009-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Poor Blake was up most of the night with what we now know is an ear infection. He has been very fussy, clingy and content just to lay on the couch most of the day... very unlike his normal active self.

At bedtime tonight, Blake started fussing and I wasn't sure what he was trying to tell me. He finally calmed down enough to tell me what he needed. 'Purple hat, go cats.' is what he told me. He wanted to wear his Kansas Sate hat to bed and I obliged. That's my Blake!

finding her voice...

2009-01-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

sponge

2009-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Blake is a little sponge these days. He can and often will repeat words or phrases that he has heard Nolan or I say. The other day Blake and I spent some time in the kitchen making cookies while Brenna was taking a morning nap.

When I turned the mixer on, Blake would cheer on the mixer and encourage it to keep going 'round and round.' After the flour was added into the mixing bowl, I turned it on causing a little flour to poof out of the bowl and onto the counter. I look over at Blake who is standing on his stool and he is covering his eyes with his hands, shaking his head and saying, 'Oh my goodness.' I just laughed and laughed.

It wasn't long before Brenna was awake, but we weren't done with our cookies yet. Brenna spent some time in her bouncer and Blake was out in the living room playing with her. From the kitchen I heard Blake say in a very calm and caring voice, 'No, no, no. Brenna obey.' Hmm... where had he heard that before?

New Year's Day Celebration!

2009-01-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Day, we got a visit from Nolan's Brother Rodney, his wife Annie, and their son Kenton. We SO enjoyed our time together!

Blake, Brenna and Kenton enjoyed playing together! Blake and Kenton are going to be great buds growing up.

Brenna and Aunt Annie

The adults also had a great time together. We enjoyed chatting and shared a lot of laughs. After the kids went to bed we all played Settler's late into the night. It got a quite competitive, but Rod and I each got a victory! Sorry Annie and Nolan.... better luck next time! =)

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Farwell's. We hope all of you have had a wonderful day filled with family, friend's and Christ's love.

We have had a such a great day at home, just the four of us. It has been fun playing, laughing and watching our children's faces as they opened thier presents.

Do you recognize this tent from a blog post over a year ago? Yes, I bought this tent a LONG time ago in anticipation of giving it to him when he got old enough! He loves it! All of his Christmas presents and dad made their way into the tent for most of the morning.

Like most 6 month olds, Brenna was more interested in the bows and wrapping paper than her gifts! But once the wrapping paper made it's way to the garbage, she found Blake's tractor that he got this morning.

Our family before the Candle Light service at church last night.

As for my Christmas gifts... my husband is amazing! In May we will be going to see Riverdance on their Farewell Tour when it comes to Cedar Falls for a few days!!!

Christmas celebrations

2008-12-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

The Farwell's have been very busy the past couple weeks... but have created wonderful memories as we've spent time with both Nolan's family and my family.

Last weekend we went to my parent's home in Eldora.

This was Blake's favorite seat in my parent's house. It was out on their 3 seasons porch and he loved to be out there looking out the windows and trying to find the moon. Often it was just he and I sitting out there and I will always remember the time we spent out there. He would just sit and tell me stories about things that had happened earlier in the day and I would listen... I loved our time on the porch.

Do you think Brenna likes her first Cabbage Patch doll? Her face tells all!

This past weekend we headed to Kansas to spend time with Nolan's family and my dad's side of the family. We ended up having to leave Iowa earlier than planned due to a snow storm heading our way, and leaving Kansas one day late due to Blizard conditions in Iowa.

We so enjoyed our time there with family.

Blake and Brenna enjoyed time with all of their Kansas cousins! Can you believe we got them all in a picture together?

Blake and Nevaeh reading a book together.

And of course... presents, presents, presents!

Two Christmas celebrations down and one to go. We are looking forward to spending Christmas day here at our home, just the 4 of us! I'm sure there will be more pictures to share soon!

Merry Christmas from Blake

2008-12-11T07:08:00.001-08:00

Speading a little Christmas cheer from our home to yours! (you'll just have to excuse the sloppy video editing and the random shot of Brenna in the middle!)

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-30T11:29:00.000-08:00

Our family spent an extended Thanksgiving weekend at my parents home in Eldora. We enjoyed time with cousins, playing cards, many wonderful meals, fun with grandparents, and several competitive Wii games!

One morning Blake was looking out the window in my parent's dinning room and yelled, "neigh, neigh!" Nolan went over to see what he was talking about and there were several deer right outside their window. Blake thought they looked like horses and was very excited. He visited that window multiple times throughout the day to see if he could see another 'neigh.' =)

Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures taken throughout the weekend but got a few of bath time at grandma and grandpa's house.

Brenna had a big milestone yesterday while we were still at my parent's house. She started sitting up on her own! She has been loving it and smiles so big like she is so proud of what she is doing.

She's getting so big!

race weekend

2008-11-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my family got together for a fun weekend in Des Moines. My dad, sister Emily and I ran in the Living History Farms race. The race is North America's largest cross country race... meaning 7500 crazy people running 7 miles through 9 creek beds (freezing cold water), up muddy hills, over hay bails and sliding down steep slopes. We had a blast!! Check out some pictures of the race taken by the Des Moines Register here.

This is a picture of us at the hotel before the race... I wish I had an after picture all muddied up!

Saturday evening after the race I was 'trying' to rest on the couch- then the rest turned into hop on mommy. This picture really represents my life in a nutshell and I wouldn't trade it for anything!!!

Blake and Brenna have really started to play together. Blake loves making Brenna smile and giggle. I can't wait until Brenna is more mobile and can really play with her big brother. Here is a picture of Blake reading a farm book to Brenna. He was making pig and cow noises and Brenna thought it was pretty funny.

we love our grandparents

2008-11-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

Nolan's parents came up to visit last weekend. We had such a great time- Blake has been asking about memaw and mempa all day today. On Saturday Blake and Brenna got to spend the evening with both Grandparents. Isn't it fun that Nolan's parents and my parents are best friends?!

thinking Christmas

2008-11-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

It's that time once again to start thinking about writing that Christmas letter and ordering those Christmas cards. I just wanted to let everyone know about Little Divas Designs.

Nolan's cousin is a stay at home mom and designs cards as a side business. She does such an amazing job! Be sure to visit www.littledivasdesigns.com to check out her Christmas designs.

the game continues

2008-11-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

We've had multiple videos on our blog of us playing this little game with both of our kids, but now the torch has been passed to Blake. The other evening we we just hanging out at home and Brenna was starting to get a little fussy. I asked Blake to see if he could make Brenna smile, and without any prompting this is what he did.

a fun visit

2008-11-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

On Friday we had some very special guests at our house. My Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Sandi visited from Oklahoma. It was so great to see them, wish it would have been a longer visit.

Great Grandpa and Brenna

the cutest thing...

2008-11-06T11:20:00.001-08:00

Our friends Chip and Alicia came over for supper last night- we had such a great time catching up with each other. Even though we only live 40 minutes apart, we don't see each other nearly enough.

Blake and their daughter Elizabeth (10 months older than Blake) had a good time together. I have never seen Blake warm up so quickly to someone- they gave each other hugs all night long. How cute!

blake the outdoors man

2008-11-01T12:26:00.001-07:00

Blake loves spending time outside. We have been taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather before winter officially arrives. I heard there are chances of snow next Friday... yuck!

Blake helping Mommy rake leaves.

This afternoon Blake and I spent some quality time together hiking in the local nature reserve. Daddy and Brenna stayed home to watch the K-State football game. We had some great mommy/son time.

He spent a lot of time climbing on logs.

cutie pie

2008-10-28T08:32:00.001-07:00

fall fun and big milestones

2008-10-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful fall day- we decided to take in a local pumpkin fair to enjoy some of our last moments of nice weather before winter. We saw lots of pumpkins, farm animals and Blake even got to jump in a big blow up bouncer. He loved it, and in true 1 1/2 year old fashion... threw a little bit of a fit when it was time to get out!

Blake enjoyed seeing the horses, llamas, goats and turkey... this horse loved kids and came right up to the fence to greet us. Blake was brave enough to pet him and when I asked him what the horse's name was, he said 'Blake!'

Giddy-Up horsey!!

Sadly, we really don't have many pictures of all four of us together so it was fun to snap this one today.

Blake has had a big week. After putting it off and putting it off... we decided it was finally time to say goodbye to the pacifier. He was only using it at night and during naps- but we were afraid that he would have a rough time without it. Surprisingly, it was a very easy transition. He asked about it a few times but we simply told him that his 'paci' went bye bye and he understood!

An even bigger milestone... Blake is sleeping in his brand new big boy bed!! We bought a bed that was in my hometown, and Grandma and Grandpa Glace brought it up for us today. He did get out of bed once but I am proud to say he is sound asleep as we speak. I'm feeling a little emotional seeing him in his big bed... he's growing up way too fast!

5 things I hate to admit...

2008-10-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

This is my very first blog tag. I was tagged by my sister Emily... here we go!

1. I have a very unhealthy relationship with my broom, dust rag, vacuum and Ajax! I like to keep my house nice and clean- which sounds good, but weird that I find myself enjoying it way too much. Nolan often says that if the kids go down for nap at the same time I should rest myself- No way... there's cleaning to be done!

2. I have very little self control. As a physical education and health major and lover of exercise- I try to keep healthy snacks around and feed my family as well as possible. We rarely have sweets around our house... but when we do, look out! Nolan and I ate a row of oreos last night- opps!

3. I am a huge Royals fan! The reason I hate to admit that fact is because they are absolutely terrible and have been for years! Most people would give up on a team like the Royals, not me... next year is our year. (I've been saying that for years, but one of these years it will be true)

4. My oven ruins my cookies! When I have a batch of cookies go bad, I blame the oven when it quite possibly could have been something I did wrong. However, we just got a new oven last week, so the next time one of my recipes doesn't turn out quite right... I'll have to fess up.

5. I like the 'farm' smell. I hear what you're saying... that's gross! But I actually do like it, it reminds me of exploring in the cow pasture when we were young and reminds both Nolan and I of what it was like growing up country. Someday... we'll be back in the country with plenty of room for Blake and Brenna to roam.

Okay... there it is. Now I guess I have to tag two people to pass this on. Annie and Erika- you've been tagged! =)

seeing improvement

2008-10-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

We've had a long week with Blake battling croup. Normally croup last 2 or 3 days... but it's Sunday now, meaning he has had it for 8 days! He hasn't gotten very solid sleep with the coughing, which makes for fussier tired days. We went back to the doctor with him on Friday and she gave him a prescription that seems to be doing the trick... he is getting better by the hour!

This is how we found Blake after his afternoon nap on Saturday...

Notice the shirt around his tummy... silly boy!

Brenna had her 4 month check up on Friday. She weighs 12 lbs 10 oz- under the 50th percentile and is between the 10th and 25th percentile for height. In the doctor's words she is a 'cute, petite little girl.'

We got to see Grandma and Grandpa Glace on Saturday... in fact, it was the first time we had all 6 Glace cousins together at one time! I wish I had a picture of them all together!

Blake spent the day enjoying the weather at the park with daddy and the night enjoying a sink full of bubbles! He couldn't get enough of them and fussed when we said it was time to get pajamas on. Here is a picture of him showing me his 'hammer' (aka Spoon).

a lot to talk about

2008-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about Brenna... she rolled over for the first time today! She was laying on her back in the living room and getting very angry that she dropped the teddy bear she was holding (and trying to eat) to her side. I watched from the kitchen as she worked and worked to get that bear and over she went.
She enjoys tummy time, and Blake is starting to enjoy her tummy time as well. He laughs and laughs when she sticks her head straight up in the air to look at him. She is a strong little girl but I don't think she will be crawling at 5 months like her big brother was!
Brenna is also sleeping through the night! She has been for a few weeks now and we are loving it. She now goes to bed around 8:30 and has been waking up at about 6:00 to eat in the morning- she does go back to sleep though so I can get a few more minutes of shut eye.

This girl loves to giggle, here is a video we took before bed about a week ago. You can catch the same little 'giggle game' played with Blake when he was a babe by clicking here. (thought you might like a little glimpse of the past!)

Now let's talk about Blake... Poor little guy once again came down with croup in the middle of the night Saturday. I was up with him most of the night doing everything I could to help him relax and get good deep breaths. Sunday morning Nolan took him to urgent care while I got a little rest, they came home with a nebulizer and medication. The doctor told Nolan that because Blake has gotten croup multiple times, he thought that insurance would now cover the cost of getting a nebulizer for us to keep here at the house- wonderful news! He is still under the weather today- pretty grumpy and doesn't really know what to do with himself. I'm thinking a trip to get some ice cream may be in order this evening... to relieve his sore throat of course! Oh the things we moms have to go through to help our sick children! =)

I ran my first race since before Blake was born on Saturday! So exciting! I ran in the Iowa's Best Muscle 5K... now, I know I don't have the best muscle, or any muscle for that matter but I did pretty well! I got 2nd in my age group and was the 3rd female finisher overall... not too bad. The race proceeds benefitted the Potter's Hand ministry- a ministry that gives grants to Christian family's to help with the financial burden in the adoption process.

That's about it from the Farwell home for now, more updates to come...

fall means... football!!

2008-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

smarty pants [continued]

2008-09-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Blake got these letters in the mail from his great aunt Trudy. I tried to catch him saying his letters on video but he was too interested in the camera, but here's a little bit! We think he's pretty smart for being one and a half... but doesn't every parent think that!? =)

Chicago Day 2

2008-09-27T19:33:00.001-07:00

Another great day in Chicago! Above is a picture of Michigan Avenue where we spent a lot of my birthday shopping.

Lunch at Ed Debevic's- a 50's style diner where the waiters and waitresses are supposed to be rude. It was hilarious!! Nolan got picked on quite a bit, I think the waitress called him a jerk 3 times while we were there. All in good fun...

An evening spent walking the Navy Pier.

Millennium Park, look closely and you can see the face is 'spitting' water out of his mouth. We sat and watched the faces and colors of the fountain both last night and again tonight. We head home tomorrow morning but sure have had a great time!!

and the answer is...

2008-09-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

The hints that Nolan gave me about my birthday surprise led us to CHICAGO! We are staying at the Kimpton Allegro hotel in downtown Chicago! We are having a blast and enjoying our time together. Brenna came along with us, and Blake is enjoying a weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Glace!

This is the view from the top of the Sears Tower. It was amazing.

And you can't be in Chicago without eating the world famous Chicago style pizza. This pizza is from Giordano's Pizza, voted America's best pizza by NBC's Today Show... we agreed!!! Nolan plans on eating some of the leftovers for breakfast- I think I will stick with something a little lighter first thing in the morning! UGH! More pictures from day 2 tomorrow.

birthday hints

2008-09-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

My birthday is on Saturday, the big 2-5! If you recall from last years birthday post, my husband is very good at planning my birthday celebration. He gave me a couple hints about what we will be doing for this years celebration and I figured it out, can you? (if I've already told you, don't ruin the surprise for others)

Hint #1: Allegro

__________________________________________________

If you can't figure it out from hint #1, here's the second...

Hint #2: Kimpton

I'm so excited, I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to post after the weekend!!!

this weekend in pictures

2008-09-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend and I thought I would share it with you through pictures.

Friday night we went to a birthday party for one of Blake's little friends. It was at his grandparents farm and this is a picture of our family on the hay ride. Blake loved it, Brenna fell asleep.

Saturday we headed to my parents house. My sister Emily and her family were also there. Here is cousin Ellie holding Brenna.

Blake and Grandpa at the park.

Miss Brenna ready for church. Her Great Aunt Warrene sent her the pearl necklace. Adorable!

blake's toy envy...

2008-09-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Brenna's Toy:

Daddy's Toy:

new job

2008-09-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I am officially going to be a Panther once again! I recently accepted a position at the University of Northern Iowa. One of my former professors contacted me a couple weeks ago and asked if I would be interested in coming on board with him at UNI. I was honored that kept me in mind several years after graduating and starting in the spring semester I will become Director of UNI's Kindergym program.

I will be instructing a class of college students, who will in turn will teach and instruct children, ages 2-5, once a week on various physical skills. I am thrilled to be back at UNI and excited to work with college students and children in a profession that I love!

Another great thing about my new position: I still get to be a stay at home mom, the greatest job of all! My position at UNI will take very limited time away from my family- who could ask for more?!

With that, I leave you all today by saying.... GO PANTHERS!

feeling loved

2008-09-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a conversation I had with Blake yesterday after Nolan commented about how much Blake loves his milk:

Me: Blake you sure do love your milk, do you love your milk more than Mommy?
Blake: No
Me: (with a smirk on my face) Blake, Daddy or milk?
Blake's Reply: Mommy!

under the weather

2008-09-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Friday morning Blake woke up at 4:00 am crying and scared. I rushed into his room and noticed that he was burning up. I took his temperature and it was around 103 degrees and I could tell that he had the chills. Poor guy!! I gave him some tylenol and sent him back to bed.
Throughout the day on Friday he played well but still couldn't tackle the fever. It ran around 100 and 102 all day. By Friday afternoon I decided that I should get him into the doctor before the weekend rolled around. After many tears, a strep test, and a pricked finger it was determined that Blake had a viral infection. No medicine- just had to play it's course.

Today was a rough day. Blake just wasn't feeling well and didn't really know what to do with himself. No appetite, very cuddly (very unlike Blake) and satisfied just hanging out on the couch and watching football with dad.

BUT... after about five and a half hours of naps and plenty of rest throughout the day, he is feeling much better tonight- even eating some homemade pizza for supper. He played hard, splashed around in the tub, and is currently back in bed jabbering to himself.... back to the Blake we know and love! =)

This is our happy boy tonight- so glad he is feeling better! It's not fun when someone you love so much is sick and there isn't anything you can do to help. And no- Nolan didn't drool down the front of his shirt... he had just given Blake a bath and usually gets soaked!

two posts in one day!

2008-09-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

I know, two posts in one day... crazy! I just couldn't leave out our precious little girl!

smarty pants

2008-09-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

So, we think Blake is pretty smart... yes we are his parents and we are a little bias, but everyday we are amazed by how much he knows and how quickly he is able to learn things.

Yesterday I was helping him put his shoes on (they are sketchers) and he pointed to the side of his shoe and said 'S'. He knew that the letter on the side of his shoe was an S! He continues to say "S, S, S..." until I say "Yes, that is an S! Good job Blake" Now, he is only 18 months old but I decided to test him out on his letters. I went to the kitchen where we have alphabet magnets. He recognized several of the letters- O, B, S, K and so on....
He also recognizes his name- whenever he sees his name written out he knows exactly what it says!

He has a magnidoodle that we draw and write on- he now knows, recognizes, and says the following shapes: circle, triangle, rectangle, oval, star and arrow.

Aren't kids amazing...