What do Boy Scouts sell?

The other day, we were watching TV and a commercial came on about Girl Scout cookies. Hunter turned and looked at me and said, "Mom, if girl scouts sell cookies, do boy scouts sell milk?" How cute is that? I told him that they didn't and I'm pretty sure they sell Christmas wreaths. But, he is still convinced they sell milk to go along with the cookies.

Haircuts. Before and After.

Hunter Before
Hunter After-looking sharp!
Brody Before

Brody After-He looks so much older!

Hunter's Grass Bee Before

Hunter's Grass Bee After-The best part of this was that it smelt like summer-fresh cut grass! Spring will be here soon...I hope.

Valentine's Day Food

Yesterday I wanted to do something special for the boys. Something that they would think was kind of fun. Something that would show them how much I really do love them. I'm pretty sure Brody didn't notice, but Hunter definitely did.

With each meal, I tried to incorporate hearts of some sort. Let's just say my heart cookie cutters were my friend yesterday. :)

For breakfast, we pulled out our heart waffle maker (a lovely wedding gift) and made homemade buttermilk waffles. Yum!

For lunch we used our cookie cutters and cut the bread into hearts to make heart-shaped grilled cheese. I enjoyed some tomato soup too :)

For supper, we made red heart jello-jigglers. The boys thought this was a lot of fun!

Auntie Melissa brought out Papa Murphy's pizza for supper, but we decided to put our own personal touch on it and cut Hunter's piece into a heart!

I had a lot of fun doing this year for the boys and think it will be something I will keep up in the year. Hope you had a Happy Valentine's Day filled with lots of love!

Frosty the Snowman

Yesterday, the weather was absolutely gorgeous for February in Minnesota! Upper 30's with little to no wind. The boys and I went out to Craig's parents to go sledding for the afternoon. Hunter and I came up with the idea that it might be fun to build a snowman.

The snow was perfect for it and we made quite the snowman! He was even taller than me. However, it had been so long since I've made one, I forgot how heavy the snowballs can get when trying to lift them. It's not as easy as it was in elementary school when you had over 5 people pushing it up. But, we (we as in me) got it!

Hunter was very excited to put the carrot nose and 2 eyes made out of coal and hat and scarf on the snowman. He really could have cared less about building it although he did help. But he was kind of disappointed that our snowman didn't come to life when we put his hat on.

After Brody woke up from a nap, he came outside with Craig's mom. I brought him down to show him the snowman and take his picture with it. Let's say, they didn't bond very well. It was either that he was scared of it or he didn't like sitting in the snow knowing he couldn't get up on his own.

It was a fun filled afternoon! Hopefully we get out more this week! The weather forecast looks great! Who knows, maybe we'll build another snowman.

WARNING: this could get messy.

You have been warned!

Let's just say...supper got a little messy last night.

And we had Mac & Cheese everywhere! Did you know that Mac & Cheese is kind of hard to remove from hair because it is so sticky? One of the many joys of letting Brody become more independent. But at least he looks cute, right?

Surprise Weekend=Success!!!

A busy and fun weekend was had by all. Here is the play by play in detail!

On Saturday morning, Hunter woke up earlier than usual. It was perfect though. I asked him if he wanted to go to Fargo with me to go out to lunch at Space Aliens with our friend, Nate, and then shopping. I told him that I had called Auntie Melissa already and she said she could watch Brody. He was excited that it was a day just for him. We ate breakfast, got dressed and around 9:30 left our house.

We filled the car up with gas, got a car wash (which he loved) and hit the road. He napped on the way up and was ready to go as soon as we got to the restaurant. After ordering our food, Hunter, Nate, and Nate's roommate took off to the arcade. I went to the bathroom and then joined them in the arcade. To my surprise, they had won a jackpot on one of the games! He was thrilled and the tickets kept spitting out. After $4 in the arcade, our food had arrived. After lunch, we cashed in the tickets and had a total of 386. Not too bad. With a little help, Hunter picked out a foam gun, ring pop, two alien parachutes and an alien tattoo with his tickets.

Next, we headed to Hobby Lobby. If you haven't been to one, you should go. It is one of my favorite stores and I had been saving my Christmas money in hopes of going there. We found some great finds! After that we went to Gordmans. Hunter fell asleep in the cart there which I was thrilled about because I knew he would need it to make it through the rest of the night. Next we ventured to Old Navy. We walked in and there were Girl Scouts selling cookies. Score! After buying some cookies, boxers for Craig, and a shirt for Hunter, we made our way to Petsmart. Hunter loved looking at the animals. He made fishy faces to the fish, played with a kitty through the glass and loved watching a rat...yuck. Next, we met my cousin at Michael's and found a fun craft project to make on a rainy or snowy day.

It was a little after 5 by this time and Hunter thought we should go to a hotel room and sleep. He was getting tired. I told him we should probably go and find some supper. He wasn't excited, but finally agreed that would be OK. So, we headed off to meet Craig at Buffalo Wild Wings. We only parked to vehicles down from Craig, but for some reason Hunter didn't spot his truck. We walked in to the restaurant and Craig greeted us at the door. Hunter was soooo excited and wrapped his arms around his daddy! Probably my favorite moment of the day. During supper, we asked Hunter he if wanted to go and see where his dad used to work-the Fargodome. He thought that would be fun.

Excited to see his daddy!

So after supper we headed over to the Dome. In the parking lot a little kid asked his parent if Gravedigger would be there. Hunter looked at us a little confused and asked, "Are we going to Monster Jam?". We told him we weren't and that they were probably just talking about the Monster Jam that was on TV the other night. He agreed we were probably right. We continued walking and Hunter said, "Wow, there must be something going on. There are a lot of people." Still clueless.

We walked in, gave them our tickets and all at once it hit him. We really were there. He saw the souvenirs. He heard the announcers. He saw the trucks on TV's. He was excited! As we walked on the concourse, we came to a corner where you could see the trucks fairly close. So, we stopped and took a quick picture of Hunter and Gravedigger-his favorite truck.

The show began and he loved it. He was so serious. Every now and then you would get a clap or a cheer, but for the most part, he stared and watched the trucks every move. During the races, he told us what ones he wanted to win. He loved the Freestyle round because the trucks jumped really high. After Monster Jam, they had a demolition derby. He didn't understand why the cars kept crashing into each other, but thought it was kind of neat.

After that, we stayed in the stands for a little bit waiting for the crowd to clear out. We were able to see the big tires come off the trucks. For a little boy who likes to know how things work, this was perfect.

Excited for Monster Jam!

Hunter was concerned the night was over and we still had to drive home. But, we told him we had a hotel room booked. He was really excited, but disappointed in me that I did not pack his swim trunks. Such is life.

Sunday, we got up, got ready and headed to the continental breakfast. It was packed and there were a bunch of people in line, so we decided to grab some cereal for Hunter to munch on while we packed up and then headed to iHop for a brunch. After eating, we headed to the mall, did some more shopping and then parted ways after that. It was a great weekend and he was completely surprised. I am still in shock that we were able to pull it off, but am so glad we did. He thanked us over and over again and told us we are the best mom and dad ever. We received many hugs this weekend. It is so nice to know that he is grateful.

Hunter and Daddy



Hunter and Mommy



Gravedigger!




Jumping high in the air!

Big Surprise!

I don't know about you, but I love surprises. And I love making them happen. This weekend, we have a big surprise-well more than one- for Hunter and I cannot wait!

Tomorrow morning, I am going to wake him up to see if he wants to go shopping in Fargo with me and out to lunch. (I hope he doesn't make some comment like, shopping is boring. Or, nah, just you can go.) I have someone lined up to stay here with Brody, so it will be just Hunter and me. I have lunch planned with a friend from high-school that Hunter thinks is really cool since he was in the Army. And, we're going to Space Aliens-a fun place for kids with great food and arcade games.

But wait, it gets better. After lunch, we are going to go shopping. I know I need to hit up Hobby Lobby and Gordmans for sure :). I already have coupons printed and all. Yay! Not sure where else we'll go, but it will be fun. Or, at least for me it will be. Hopefully he doesn't get too bored.

Then, we are meeting Craig for supper! Hunter is missing his daddy a lot lately and thinks the countdown is at 11 days. But surprise! We're only at 1 today and tomorrow it will be 0!!! After supper we're going to ask Hunter if wants to go and see where his dad used to work-the Fargodome. Little does Hunter know that we have tickets to Monster Jam at the Fargodome! I'm pretty sure he will be super excited because he loves trucks. He has gone once before in TX but this show is usually bigger. I guess not everything is bigger in Texas! ;)

But, the night doesn't end there. We have a hotel booked in Fargo so we can spend the night with Craig and have breakfast and lunch with him on Sunday. So, I think it will be a day full of big surprises for Hunter. I can't wait to see his face with one surprise after another! And I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Life is Precious.

I feel like life is something we take for granted. Something we feel like we deserve. And when do we ever take the time to stop, look around us, and realize how lucky and fortunate we really are. Not too often.
Yesterday I went to a funeral for a 4 month old (son of a friend from elementary school). A little boy who had so much ahead of him. He had just had his 4 month check-up last Tuesday and they told his parents he was healthy. Friday morning he was no longer here on Earth because of SIDS.
I can't imagine the pain his parents are feeling right now, nor do I wish I could. I am sure they have so many questions that will never be answered during our time here on Earth.
While waiting for the service to start, I glanced around the sanctuary seeing if I knew anyone. But, something caught my eye. I watched as his parents said their final good-byes before the funeral director closed his casket in order for the funeral to start. I saw them embrace each other, clinging to the memories they had and the fear of how to face the days and years to come. My heart sank and I could feel a tightness in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. I quickly looked away, but I couldn't help but to cry not only for them, but for all parents who have had to endure such pain. I thought about myself. What would I do without my boys? I have no clue. My life would feel empty. Incomplete. Unfair.
Today is also the one year anniversary that a dear friend of mine lost her mother. Her mom was an amazing person. She literally lit up the room with her smile and laughter whenever she entered. She took the time to get to know me and was a friend to me. I know she is missed daily, but especially today. My heart aches for my friend and her sisters today. I can't imagine not having my mom. We've had our ups and downs, but without her, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the person I am today. I love my mom with all my heart and feel so blessed to have her here today.
It's sad that it takes such tragedy to make us stop and think of how lucky we really are. I have two boys who are healthy, fun, loving, great personalities and even though there are some days where I feel like I'm living in a zoo and just want to escape for a little bit or scream, I wouldn't change it. I have a husband who loves me unconditionally for who I am through the good and the bad (I sometimes still wonder what he sees in me and question how I got so lucky). Not only is he my husband, but he has become my best friend over the years. Someone I can trust everything with. I have a family who supports me and is there for me through thick and thin. Who will listen to me whenever I need someone to talk to. Who will help with the boys if I need to run an errand or just need a night out with friends. I have friends who choose to like me (yep, I wonder about them too). Friends who allow me to have fun, but let me be serious and have heartfelt conversations. Friends who will listen to me vent about the little things in life that build up over time.
I am so lucky and blessed. Having people in my life who care about me and love me for who I am is the greatest thing I could ever ask for. Life is precious. We take it for granted. But take the time to look around and realize all that you have going for you. Some days it may be hard to see because there are dark days that block it, but if you look really hard, you will find it.

Future Olympian?

Last Wednesday night we were at Craig's grandparent's for supper. Hunter thought it would be fun to stack up the pillows to see if he could jump over them. He started with three, but after he had no problem clearing those, he added a fourth.
Not going to lie, I was pretty amazed at the air he got! We may have a future Olympian on our hands. Maybe then Lindsey Vonn will notice him. He still wants to marry her.

Missed his landing.

Leaping over the pillows!