I love snow! And 30+ inches of snow makes for a true winter wonderland that any fellow snow lover would appreciate.
Mike went out at around 9:30pm last night to try and stay on top of it, but it was coming down so quickly that it almost wasn’t worth it.
When we woke up this morning everything was covered in a deep blanket of snow and Ethan just kept walking around looking out the windows saying “Oh My Gosh, Oh, My gosh!”
While I made some yummy blueberry muffins Mike went out and started digging us out.
Ethan could not wait to get out there, so I got him all bundled and he had a blast rolling around in the snow for well over an hour.
Jax of course wanted to go out so I sent him out while I sipped a cup of coffee and watched though the window.
At one point the boys had rolled down our side hill and Jax got stuck near the fence line. Mike went in and made his first rescue of the day. Jax is the red blob to the left and E is the blue blob to the right.
After frolicking a bit longer everyone came in and demolished the muffins.
At around lunch time we needed to go and shovel again so I convinced Mike to let me go out and I did the second major round. Shoveling snow is exhausting so I laid down for a nap with the boys. It was so nice!
If you look at the window in this picture you can see how high the snow is. It has a bit of help from our recycling bins and the sand table, but still it’s pretty impressive and it’s even higher now!
After naps the snow had finally stopped and everyone was out shoveling and enjoying the snow. We played, shoveled and caught up with the neighbors.
Jax would not stop eating the snow! He would just lean over and lick or bite it?!?!
Mike’s second rescue mission came when AJ lost his boot in the snow. Michelle went in to get him and got stuck, so then Mike went in to help them both.
In keeping with tradition we got together with the Vander Roest’s and enjoyed yummy homemade pizza and a bottle of wine.
All 5 kids chilled watching a show while the adults ate and drank, it was so nice!
What a great Day Our Crazy Family Had!!
I hope everyone stays safe and warm during this historic snow event that will have everyone stuck for a few days.
Did I mention we are expecting more snow on Tuesday?
Today I did something I haven’t done in a very long time, I built a snowman! We had yet another snow day, with more on the way, and I got the pleasure of staying home with Ethan. His school was closed and there were no spots for him at daycare, so I worked from home and Jax went to Ms. Dawn’s.
I have to say I don’t get to spend nearly enough time with just Ethan and we had such a good time building Frosty. He ended up being taller than Ethan and with wishful thoughts of warmer weather we decided a sun hat would be a good addition to his warm scarf.
In the end his scarf may have been a bit too warm, because by the time we were done playing in the snow Frosty had toppled over, leaving only his nose and my scarf, the hat is still missing in the pile of frosty remains.
With a 12″+ inches of snow forecast for this weekend I am sure there will be another snowman built, this time Mommy won’t build him on a hill, leaning to the side;)
As the cold weather continues I am always looking for fun things to do with the boys. I will be the first to admit I am not the best at coming up with fun things to do, I am just not that creative. When Ethan saw his flip-flops in the shoe bin yesterday he wanted to wear them, I told him it was too cold, but how about a beach party after school.
So after school a beach party we had! Ethan was thrilled to change into his swim trunks and Jax was just happy to be doing the same thing as E. I wasn’t going to change until Ethan commented on how the one thing missing were my swim trunks, so being a good sport I went off and put on my suit as well.
With a beach meal in hand (hotdogs, chips, and apples) downstairs to the basement we marched.
We laid out a big blanket and the boys and I enjoyed a beach lunch followed by a beach dance party complete with Jimmy Buffet. I didn’t have any ice cream in the house, but we did have Klondike bars (thanks to Nana:) And our beach party was complete! Here is a short clip from our dancing portion:)
What a fun way to enjoy lunch with the boys! Summer can get here anytime now.
Today we are having a zhu zhu birthday party. I will let you know how that one goes:) Zhu Zhu is turning 11 in case you were wondering.
In case you have never picked up on it we are big sports fans, and while we love football, Mike’s passion has always been for baseball. He grew up loving the Dodgers and while he still cheers for the Dodgers, he has been an avid Orioles fan many years now. While I enjoy football much more than baseball, the thing I absolutely love about baseball is that my entire family cheers for the same team! My parents, Jeremy and Mike have all had season ticket packages for the last few years and enjoy going to a zillion games a year.
Mike has attended Oriole fan fest for several years and when 4 comp tickets came in the mail we thought it would be a fun thing to do attend as a family this year. I am so glad we went because we had a GREAT time!!!
We were able to get in early with the other season ticket holders (which was nice b/c we hardly had lines for anything) and Mike went to watch the State of the Orioles address with my Dad and brother while the kids and I met up with my Mom. The boys had the best time bouncing in the bounce house, getting the bird’s signature, and practicing their batting skills, but their favorite activity was the face painting and hair spray dye. The best part for Mommy and Daddy was that everything was free!
We finished up things just as the place was getting packed and walked out with two super happy little boys:)
And while they say the hairspray/dye comes out easily, it took two washes each to get it all out.
Ethan was just as excited about the arrival of baby Lucas as the rest of us were. The morning of Lucas birth I was getting ready to head to the hospital and Ethan wept because he could not go, ” I wish I could be a grownup”. It was heartbreaking! He wanted nothing more than to go to the hospital to see Aunt Nicole and meet baby Lucas.
When we visited Nicole in the hospital on Saturday the boys came with us but were unable to go in due to hospital regulations. Fortunately, Nicole had an interior window that looked down into the waiting area of the hospital a few floors below and I held Lucas up to the window and Ethan was able to get a distant glance at him.
They took Lucas home on Sunday and yesterday Ethan was finally able to meet baby Lucas. And I say finally because Ethan made it seem like an eternity! He woke up and the first words out of his mouth were ” when are we going to see baby Lucas?” It was the most precious thing you have ever seen. He was in love the minute he saw him. We had a terrible time trying to take pictures of Lucas, because Ethan wanted to be right there the entire time! Ethan has a very sweet spirit and you see it shine though when he is around babies.
Ethan was very gentle and just wanted to hold him the entire time. When we left he cried saying that he didn’t get to hold him enough and that he didn’t want to go home. Jax was not very interested and other than saying “baby” could have cared less. But rest assured Lucas, your older cousin Ethan has your back:)
Nicole and Jer, thanks for sharing your baby with my baby:)
My older brother Jeremy and my Sister-in-Law, Nicole welcomed their first baby into the world today! Lucas Robert was born this afternoon at 12:28pm weighing 8lbs 13oz and was 21 inches long.
Me with my very first, very special nephew, Lucas Robert! waiting for baby Lucas
*warning this may get a bit deep
As I sit here and think about today, I am overwhelmed with love and joy for my brother and sister Nicole, and their new family. They are embarking on the most wonderful and at times the hardest adventure I have ever experienced. I was so honored to be a part of today and be able to share in this most special event in their lives. I have always had a special relationship with my Aunt Jodie and so when I first found out that Nicole was pregnant all I could think about was how I wanted to be that great Aunt that Jodie has always been for me. I woke up practically bouncing off the walls with excitement and anticipation.
Nicole’s labor and delivery was nothing like my birthing experiences and we all found ourselves in very uncharted territory. When they decided to go ahead with the c-section everything suddenly started happening very quickly.
Jeremy all dressed and ready to go Jeremy and Nicole, ready to become parents!
Nicole handled the news of her c-section and everything else that was thrown at her with such grace and finesse. I never once saw her lose her cool or panic and I am not sure that faced with the same situation I would have remained as calm and in control. I saw my older brother step up to the plate and was in awe of how he supported Nicole every step of the way. He went outside his comfort zone and stayed with Nicole during her epidural, went into the operating room with a confidence that protected Nicole and provided the reassurance she needed to make it though such a scary situation. He actually cut the baby’s umbilical cord and got some great pictures of Lucas over the sheet, and for those of you that don’t know Jeremy, blood is so very outside his comfort zone! I saw Jeremy become the person we all knew he was but hasn’t had the chance to show.
Jeremy and his son, Lucas
Not that there were any doubts, but Lucas is beautiful! He is perfect in every way and aside from my own boys is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen! I look forward to be a part of Lucas life and watching him grow up with his cousins. Ethan was so very sad that he couldn’t come visit. We have already started planning the large family vacations and I can just see the three of our boys running around causing trouble! Thank goodness we all have each other!
Mike and I with our Nephew! Mike with Lucas Three Generations, Robert John, Jeremy Robert, and Lucas Robert
My Parents with Jeremy and Lucas Lucas, as a baby burrito fresh from his first bath
Congrats to Jeremy and Nicole! I love you guys! And to baby Lucas, I promise to be the best Aunt I can be. I will always be here for you and can’t wait to watch you grow and stretch your Mommy and Daddy in ways they never knew possible! Hold on, it’s gonna be one crazy ride!
For Christmas I got an external flash as well as a tripod for my camera. I was very excited about these things, but had yet to try them out. So for fun the kids, my Mom and I had a mini photo shoot one long night after baths. I ended up getting some great pictures!
The kids love the timer! Look how well they sat and smiled. I tried three separate times to get pictures for our Christmas cards and got nothing! I turn the timer on and set the camera on a tripod and they sit and smile like the true little angels they are:) It was very frustrating.
I wasn’t planning on being in the pictures, but since the kids loved the timer so much I jumped in a few. And yes it had been a long day:)
I thought this was a really cool shot. If you look Jax is actually air born!
After Ethan had loss interest I asked my Mom to get a few of just me and Jax, and she got some great pictures!
This one is a bit blurry, but I love it anyway:)
No, it’s not what you are thinking….we did NOT get a puppy, it’s better, Mike’s youngest brother, Jimmy, got a puppy!
Flynn, an Irish Terrier, flew in from Missouri yesterday and Jimmy and Judy brought him over to play last night.
He is sooo cute!!! He has the longest legs and is so small. He’s only 9wks old and went on an incredible journey to get here yesteday. Everyone really enjoyed playing with him and we look forward to watching him grow and give Jimmy a run for his money, and let me tell you, he’s going to!
Like all puppy’s he likes to chew and sampled a few things while at our house including an electrical cord, the metal drawer pull on our dresser, a few toes, Jimmy’s hair, jeans and other easily accessible items.
He really enjoyed playing with Ethan and would follow/chase him where ever he went. He was jumping over things and then would wipe out like Bambi on the hardwood floors.
Puppies are so fun and cute! Especially when they are not mine:)
Here’s one where you can see his whole body. Isn’t he handsome?
For the past several years we have been doing a Crazy Kid photo on Christmas Day. Its been a very fun way to see how we all have changed and how much our family has grown. This year I set the camera up and put it on a timer so that everyone could be included.
We also had a nice picture
And keeping with tradition, one with just the kids
This is the best nice one we could get. Everyone was fried at this point.
And for grins and giggles one of the test pictures
I woke up a touch before the boys did and was just getting ready when I heard my parents come in. They had decided to join us Christmas morning, because it was very hard last year for them to be alone until everyone showed up in the afternoon. We were thrilled that they were joining us and they just waited downstairs while we got up and going.
The boys rushed down stairs and were in absolute awe of the tree and all of its presents. Jax made a beeline for the gifts, but we were able to redirect him to his stocking.
With Christmas music playing I made pancakes and bacon and the guys set up a tent Jax had gotten the night before. After a quick, but super yummy breakfast, it was present time!
I am just going to post a few of the classic opening gift pictures:)
Mike was happy:)
Ethan was so excited about Dragon Castle! We had wrestled it out of its packaging and just covered it.
There was a slight break in the action while they played a bit.
Ethan also loved his Bumblebee Gun!
My Mom and Jax
Look at that face:)
Jax absolutely adores Pop-Pop and I love this tender moment I captured
Playing with some of the new toys
My parents headed out to get stuff together at their house and shortly after they left, Judy and Jimmy showed up for Round 2.
Jax trying to kiss, or maybe eat Elmo!
Uncle Jimmy helping with Turtle construction
Jax relaxing after an exhausting morning.
After spending a bit more time with Judy and Jimmy it was off to my parents house for the Doan/Haslup family Christmas celebration
Mike cooks Christmas meat and was headed to the grill.
Uncle Patrick and Jax
The boys finding Christmas at Grandma and Pop-Pop’s
Jeremy and a very adorable and very pregnant Nicole
Dad and his dog:)
Jax helping Grandma
It is here that I seem to have put down my camera until the Crazy Family Photo Shoot (post to come). It was a great Christmas filled with laughter, love, thoughtfulness and of course food! Thank you to everyone who helped make this holiday such as special one!
Jax was not very interested and other than saying “baby” could have cared less. But rest assured Lucas, your older cousin Ethan has your back:)
For Christmas I got an external flash as well as a tripod for my camera. I was very excited about these things, but had yet to try them out. So for fun the kids, my Mom and I had a mini photo shoot one long night after baths. I ended up getting some great pictures!
He really enjoyed playing with Ethan and would follow/chase him where ever he went. He was jumping over things and then would wipe out like Bambi on the hardwood floors.
