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Sunday, September 25, 2011

family fun & fall

Andrew just adores his cousins.  He loves them all, but we are so grateful that two of them live in town and we get to see them quite a bit.  After a few days, Andrew will ask for Evie and Jayden and say "I miss them!"
We watched the Cyclone game with them a couple weeks ago.  This is what the kids did during the game!  Ha! (And let me tell you, it took some coaxing for them to settle on watching it on the computer, not the big TV!  But there was no way us adults were going to miss that game!  Ha!)
This little girl didn't care the cyclones won in triple overtime (oops, sorry to rub that in your faces again Hawkeye fans!)  She just loved chillin with her auntie Rachel.

The other weekend we took the kids to the Lion King 3D. (These pictures are blurry because they were taken with my phone- and it was dark).
They even had special addition Lion King glasses!
Andrew was thrilled about the movie and popcorn, but I think he was even more thrilled that Evie and Jayden went with us!
What a ham!
The movie was excellent.  It was really fun to see it restored and in 3D!  I am so excited they are releasing it from the Disney vault next month (does anyone else hate the Disney vault!?  All the movies I know Andrew would love now are locked up for who knows how many more years??)  I have found several on Amazon, but they aren't often cheap!
Last weekend we had a visit from my brothers, Tim and Tom.  They came over for brunch because Tom lives in California and has never met Andrew or Kerigan!  So we all got together on Sunday and it was so nice to see them.
Kerigan loves her uncle Tim.  She sat on his lap for a long time!  Every time I am with my brothers I am reminded of my dad because they are just like him!  They both look so much like him, and I love that I have those reminders of my dad.
Kerigan was cashed out!  Ha!
Yummy brunch food my mom and I made!  Egg casserole, cheesy hash brown casserole and monkey bread.  I could eat this stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  Sooooo good!
I just love how friendly Andrew is.  He has never met his Uncle Tom, but somehow he understood the connection because he just jumped right in and gave him a big hug when it was time for them to go.  He was so loving!  That is a trait Andrew has always had- like his grandpa Bill too!  He never meets a stranger!
This is random, but I wanted to put in a couple more pictures of Andrew at tumbling.  He is loving it!  He's really doing a good job.  It has been fun getting him involved in activities this fall.
He loves the social interaction, and just having something fun to go and do!
I think this trampoline might be making its way on his Christmas list!  He loves this thing!  His face just lights up when they get it out!
I finally got my shelves up and decorated for fall!  I am loving the new look in our family room (don't you love how Kerigan is in the middle of the floor?  Ha!)  So we used to have a ten year old TV with the huge box on the back, taking up half the space in here with a big armoire.  I was hating that thing, and we needed more space and more storage.  The armoire is now in the playroom storing toys.  We are loving our finally upgraded HD TV above the fireplace!  Seriously.  On our old TV, our shows were getting cut off on the edges since it wasn't a widescreen!  There's a sign when it's time to get a new one!  Ha!  These shelves were purchased on our trip to Minneapolis last month.  I just love how they turned out.  Gotta love IKEA!  Great price, but they are built so sturdy and look way more expensive than they were!  Can't beat that!  Ha!

And just for fun- a before picture:
The room really needed some height, and a makeover, dont'cha think??  We switched the couches, so the big one faces the TV now, with our coffee table, which we have had, but moved to the basement for the last few years because it was taking up too much space, and Andrew kept bumping his head on it!  Now it fits perfectly in the room, and I got a new rug.  It's been seven years since we've done anything to the house, and I almost feel like we moved!  Ha!  Change is good.

Andrew was so precious as I was getting out the fall decorations.  I was fixing up the mantle with lights and he said "Let's show Daddy!" and he ran upstairs and said to Craig, "Daddy!  Come see!  Come see how pretty!"  He could barely even express what he wanted to say, he was so excited.  It just about brought tears to my eyes.  I told Craig he better act thrilled to death (Ha!) because Andrew was so excited to show him.  Later that night as I was finishing putting things up, Andrew came up and said "Thanks for putting pumpkins mama!"  Melt.my.heart.  At least someone (besides me!) appreciates the decorations around here!  Ha!  It makes it all worth it!

I went on Andrew's class field trip to the apple orchard last week.  I just love being home in the fall and getting to do these fun things that I never get to do when I am working all day.
Kerigan wasn't thrilled about the photo shoot, but we attempted!  Ha!  We are going back as a family later next month, so will have to try the photo shoot again!
 It could have been because her brother was squeezing her to death!  Ha!
She actually did pretty good the whole time.  I was a little nervous about bringing her, but I really wanted to go with Andrew, since I never get to do those things!  She slept most of the time, and only woke up to eat.  She was fussy once, but stopped when we went on the hayrack ride!  She loves the movement.
 The kids looked at animals, jumped in the corn pool...

Went in the schoolhouse...
and went on a hayrack ride...
This is Andrew's best friend Charlie (doesn't he just look naughty!??  Ha!)  I'm sure these two are quite the pair.  They have been friends since they were in the 2 year old room together, and they are inseparable.  I love that he has a special friend he gets to see every day.
This picture cracks me up.  They tried to get a group photo.  I love how Andrew is in the front (right) and he's about the only one looking at me!  Ha!  There were several other cameras to look at.
I had so much fun with my little buddy.  We are all set for the cath this week.  We leave for Iowa City on Wednesday.  Andrew is finished with his antibiotics and seems to be doing better.  We are praying he stays that way for a few more days!!  We haven't told him yet, but we are staying in his favorite hotel (with the waterslide!) on Wednesday night!  We usually stay there the nights before he has caths and surgeries (a trade off for having to go to the yucky hospital!)  We think he deserves to have a little fun!  And we intend to!