2 Peas in a Pod :)

Wanted to do a Father's Day post and didn't make it in time before it was over so wanted to share a few pics of John and Cory.  Cory is crazy about his Daddy and John sure is proud of his baby boy!  John is such a wonderful and fun Dad!  He gets down on the floor and plays and they rough house....he's the total guy's guy but in the same instance a total softy and gives him tons of hugs and snuggles and can kiss boo boo's magically making them better.  I love John's childlike heart and how he always makes time for Cory and first thing he does when he gets home is grab him to play and pretty much takes over (which has been nice for this Momma to get a break:)  Cory has so much fun with him!  He is also a great husband and I love how family oriented he is.  Growing up his family was family-oriented but at the same time they worked long long hours during the week and worked weekends so they always had to miss his sporting events and school functions to provide for their family so this helped him to realise that it is the time that is most important and valuable....not all the other stuff.   John always talks about how involved he wants to be when Cory goes off to school and to try to never miss a sporting event and to have family game nights.  I love how he now gets every friday off work and we have started Family Fun Friday!  We have made a list of things to do and will pick one each friday to spend time as a family. Friday's are so nice to do things because most places aren't nearly as crowded.  We listed the basics like the zoo, pool day at home or aquatic center, aquarium, ka-zoing(a fun place for the kids to play), picnic at the park, etc.  Besides being a great guy, he is also a fabulous cook and pretty much the chef for the family.  I feel so happy to have married my best friend and someone I love being around and spending my life with. 

Cory and Daddy

Like father, like son:)  These 2 can fall asleep anywhere! 

Goofy pic John did as a before/after the insanity workout. 

This was taken a couple months ago but thought it was a funny family pic.....Cory must have been totally bored. 

Lotsa work and a little play :)

This past week has probably been one of the busiest we've had in a while so this weekend I am totally looking forward to doing lotsa play and just a little work.  John will be on a boys trip with his high school buddies this friday and stay the night at Blue River in Indiana and will be back Sat evening so I am going to take Cory to the park to feed the ducks, we will probably have a pool day at the house and jump on the trampoline a lot and maybe take him out for a mother/son date to McDonalds for his first happy meal...lol. 
Oh yeah, we got a trampoline this weekend!  It has been a wish of mine for as far back as I can remember.  In elementary I would pay a quarter every time to the neighborhood kid who used to charge a fee to jump, in middle school my friend Kathy had one so I would be at her house all the time jumping, then even in high school I would sneak over to my friend Kate's house while they were on vacation(with permission from them) and be jumping away in my own little happy zone.  My Mom always said we didn't have the yard space for it so now I am happy to have the yard space and no excuse not to get one.  So I told people we just HAD to get one for Cory when in reality it is totally for me as well but Cory does love it already! 
I planned a playdate at my house this past monday(yesterday) to get some stay at home mom's and their kiddos together that I have become friends with and my sister as well since she is so close now.  We are going to start doing a monthly play group and rotate houses but I think I will do the next one as well because this one was supposed to be a pool party and the rain kinda changed our plans so we played inside but would like to have the pool day before the older kids start back to school in Aug.  The play group was a lot of fun and so nice to connect with other moms who stay home and the kids played so well together!  There were 5 moms and 8 kiddos and I made lunch for us all and it lasted from 10:30am-1:30pm.  I procrastinated the house work so I had to work a lot over the past weekend to get the house clean since it was such a disaster and I had to get all the groceries.  Sunday we helped my sister move the stuff over to her house that she was storing temporarily at our house and took a couple loads in my Dad's van, we also set the trampoline up and had to do pool maintenance and I put together an outdoor storage bench to go in the pool area to store all the pool assesories and toys and keep them out of the rain.  We got the pool all nice and clean and clear blue in color and I can't wait to hop in again.
 Saturday John took a big load of junk to the trimble county dump.  We had things in the garage that the previous owner's left there when we moved in ....like old doors and scrap metal and wood and we cleaned out the 2 storage sheds we have in our backyard and got rid of all the junk in there so we can use them more wisely and free up space in our garage.  We are going to start an organizing project in our garage and get things neat and tidy in there and move some of the big stuff in the storage sheds.  We also had to do yard work which took up a lot of time Saturday since it is about 2.5 acres not including the woods and John went to pick the trampoline up at the store.  I tried to do some landscaping but we have mega work that needs done around the outside of the house and I want to get rid of all the ugly vines that were planted around the front of our house and want to put some pretty flowers there but may wait until next spring since it will be so much work and would rather start it up before summer months when it's not so hot out!  Then Saturday evening we celebrated my niece's 3rd birthday with a pizza party at my sister's new house.  Here's a few pictures of the evening. 

Then this past friday evening one of John's co-workers got married in Louisville so we got to dress up and have a date night while Cory was at Nana and Pap Pap's house.  We can clean up well once and a while I suppose :)

I also put together this little area(below) last week next to the garage door to help with incoming mail so John and I each have a box hanging up and know to look there to sort through the mail.

On top of the goings on around the house, John and I also started up a workout program called Insanity last week.  He got it free from work and was determined that we do it together so now when Cory goes to bed we do the workout of the day and it is fun but boy I am so sore!  I could hardly walk when I got out of bed the next morning...lol.  I should take a before/after pic and see if it is really working.  Have a great week!

19 & 20 months

Happy Memorial Day!  So I haven't done a post in a little while all about my favorite little person so I thought I would catch up on things he is up to now.  He is now 20 months and I can't hardly believe my baby is turning into a little boy so fast!  First off, he slept in til 8am this morning and I actually woke up before him....he is sleeping so great and I love it...has been such a weight lifted! 

It is so fun to see what he's interested in and how much he can say and how he understands a lot of what we say now.  Here are some things he is doing now in a list of randomness!

• Names body parts and points: eyes, ears, mouth, nose, belly, arms, legs, knees, feet, etc.
• Enjoys when I run with him in the jogging stroller now which he used to not care for
• Loves books! 
• I started working on his ABC's and he can point to several of the magnetic letters on the fridge and can say which letter it is. 
• Says a lot of words....too many to list on here but my favorite is how he says "mama" in his sweet little voice :)
• For breakfast he will go to the fridge and point to get his yogurt out and goes to the spoon drawer to get his spoon and asks for his milk.
• If we want him to try something or do something and he doesn't want to, he will repeat "No, No, No"
• He likes to run and twirl around in a circle and climb like a monkey....he now can climb up the swing set by himself in our yard and slide down the slide.
• He just became very interested in coloring so we have our color time and get the crayons out and paper and he likes to scribble.
• He gives the sweetest hugs and kisses and he enjoys cuddle time when he's tired which totally melts my heart!
• He can brush his teeth and his hair
• He can name a lot of different animals and say their different sounds

Tantrums are upon us now!  The first one he did, I didn't know what to do but laugh because I hadn't seen him act like that before (on the ground hollering and kicking legs around)....it was a bit amusing and over something silly like not getting a second pack of fruit snacks.  It tested my patience for a little while there, but luckily those moments are just occassional and seem to be when he is overly tired or overly stimulated.  He's usually happy and a really good boy so I feel lucky since he's pretty easy going for the most part....but don't get me wrong, he has his moments where he can go from calm to throwing a fit in a matter of seconds if he doesn't get his way on something or if he can't figure something out but I think that is typical at this age when they have so much new stuff to learn and testing out the waters of what they can or can't get away with.  I have learned to be firm and stand my ground when necessary(on things he shouldn't do or if he's misbehaving) but to give in to things that maybe I don't want to do but things that would make him happy....like pushing toy lawnmowers down  the driveway 20 or more times ;)

He weighs a little over 30 pounds now and his favorite show is still the Bubble guppies.  We don't watch a lot of TV and actually recently downgraded in our channel selection because we are just so outdoorsy that we werent using most of the channels but the basics so now he just watches some morning cartoons on the baby first channel which is also educational, then we turn it off until the evening where he will watch more of the baby first channel.  He used to watch a little Kung Foo Panda and loved it but when we realized he was picking up on all the moves like a little sponge, we figured that probably wasn't the best show even thought it was a G-rated cartoon ;)


Below is something I did from one of my favorite editing programs, Picasa!  It was so easy you just upload a photo, click on "text", choose the font and size and color and after you have all the words on the pic you want, hit "apply" and "save".  It was something easy and I think I may start doing it as the months go along.  I just put his favorite things in words and some things he says and it looks like a magazine cover:)  

A few updates

1.  Cory turned 20 months this past Wed!  I can't believe he is going to be 2 so soon!  My baby boy is getting so big! I will do a separate post for him since there is sooo much new stuff he is doing these days! 

2.  John and I are going out of town early tomorrow to celebrate our 7-year anniversary!  We met 1st week of college in 2001 and he asked me out on a date after being friends for about a month and we have been together every since:)  Our first date was going to see the movie Sumer Catch!  We met running on the track, which is random but totally fitting for my future spouse...lol.  We are going to Barren River State park to go fishing, canoeing, hiking, picnic lunches and outdoors activities!  We will be back Sunday so Cory will have his first sleepover at Nana and Pap Pap's house!  After 20 months we get a night alone....haha!!  Not that we had to wait that long, but earlier when we had planned for him to stay the night over there he got sick so it didn't work out and with me nursing until he was almost 18 months, I was pretty much his only means of wanting to go to sleep and not in the best of sleep habits at the time.

3.  My sister officially moves in her house in LaGrange on Monday so I am excited!  It will be so great to have lots of pool days over here this summer and she will just be about 5 miles away so it will be so convenient for us to hang out and get the kids together a lot.  Clay will be starting kindergarten in Aug so it worked out perfectly to get him in Oldham County before school.  I am happy Cory can grow up close to his cousins!

4.  Running has brought me back my complete sanity!  =)  I have been back at running and this past week was my first week back from my snowboarding accident and I feel like a new woman!  I truly believe it makes me a happier person and has been a part of my life for so long that without it I feel something is missing.  So John and I signed up for 2 different race series in Oldham County...each series has 4 or 5 races in it and it will lead us up to running the Indianapolis Marathon in Oct!  Excited and pumped!!!

Typical Week!

This was a pretty typical past week and a half other than a few extras.  Friday night I went to a friend's babyshower, Saturday went to see my nephew play his teeball game (1st time I saw him play) and it was sooo adorable.  I almost cried it was so stinkin' cute I couldn't stand it:)  It was so funny when they were all running around the field in their cute little outfits and doing some of the silliest things out there.  I wish I got some photos but forgot the camera!  Then Sunday we went to our neighbor's house across the street in the evening for her Grandson's 4th B'day party.  Cory had a blast with Autumn, their Grandaughter who is the same age as Cory, just 1 month apart.  She is adorable and they were having a great time jumping on the mini trampoline, eating cake and playing with the balloons.  I am happy she hangs out over here a lot so Cory has a little friend in the neighborhood since there's not many, there are at least grandkids:)  I painted my fireplace mantel this week and will post a before/after pic soon. 

Cory has a fun time hanging out at Claire and Natalie's house once a week....this is what bits of my day today looked like with these 3 cuties:

Watching TV

Hanging out in the crib

Horse rides on me!

Taking a break for a picture!

Cory and Claire with Mr. Bear :)

Week in a glance!

We had another great week.  Early in the week we ate at Texas Roadhouse and Cory met a little 16 month old girl and it was the cutest thing to see them interact.  They held hands and she tried to share her sippy cup with him.  When she had to leave he waved bye and gave John a high five right after and a random guy in the booth beside us:) 
Last week Jen and Ken signed a contract for a house in La Grange, I am sooo happy they will be so close!!  We will have lots of cousin and sister hang out time!  It is beautiful 3 bedroom house with a bonus room, 3 and a half bathrooms and finished walkout basement, huge closets, great layout and awesomely landscaped yard with a great garden of flowers and a swing in the back fenced in area. 

Clay had a blast handcuffing Cory last week:)  At first he thought it was fun but then he wasn't so crazy about them and wanted out!

Last week my Dad came to visit and that is fun, he loved coming over when all the grandkids are over and he brings us dinner.   It is fun for me watching my Dad having fun with the kids!

 We had a great visit with Ed last week and his friend Michelle!  They brought there Papillion pup name Happy.  We had a great weekend with them and Ed came all the way from Hawaii so it was great getting to see him and for Cory to meet his uncle! We had fun catching up!  The highlights were going to a Korean restaurant, hanging out in the hottub, going to Henry's Ark to feed the animals, going to the airshow and going to El Acapulco.  They left shortly after church sunday to go to Nashville. 

And lastly I put some lables on my pantry project.  I have been switching my food over to glass jars and I love them.  I'm not complete yet with labeling or organizing but here's a look. 

Easter in Birmingham 2012

We had a great week last week and spent the Easter weekend in Alabama. Here's a look into our week Cory got to have fun with his 2 cousins on Tues! It is great living close to my sister after many years apart and she stays home with her 2 adorable kiddos so we get to spend lots of time together! Even better she has her house up for sale and just sold it last night so they have until May 10th and will move out to Oldham County :) so that will be awesome! We will be able to help each other out a lot more if we need to run an errand, have an appt or whatever comes up it won't be as far of a drive and I am excited Cory will be so close to his cousins while growing up!

For Cory, the Easter bunny came a little early since he stumbled across his present in the guest room...oops. Since he loves any kind of ball ...he got an easter basket filled with different sport balls...basketball, soccer ball, kick ball. The funny thing is he wanted to open it immediately when he saw it and I didn't have the camera out, so I told him to wait so I could get the camera and he had a slight meltdown! Ahh life with a toddler...patience isn't his strong point at this age but it made for some funny pictures.

The day before we left for our trip John mowed the lawn and toward the end we put Cory up there to ride around with Daddy and he loved it! It was cute to see him looking intent like he was steering it and you can just tell how much he wants to be like Daddy since he loves doing everything he does!

When they were finished, he got out his own personal lawnmower and completed the job:)

We got up bright and early Friday and left the house at 6am heading to Birmingham. When we got there, we ate lunch with Mama and Papa, my first set of grandparents, and she cooked a delicious southern homegrown meal. We spent the rest of the day hanging out, pushing Cory in the little red wagon, and going to the park!

Saturday after breakfast and getting ready, we left Mama and Papa's around 10am and went to my other set of grandparents, Grandmother and Grandaddy Meadows. We ate lunch with them and she cooked us a delicious meal and my cousins and Aunt and Uncle came over as well! Cory was such a little ham and had the spotlight all on him which he was loving. As soon as they got there he was all smiles and handed out easter eggs to everyone and kept doing a funny little happy dance when they praised him. (I wish I got it on film!) We had a little easter egg hunt and there was a smartie in each egg which Cory would shake the egg, open and eat the candy and throw the empty eggs in the basket. We also took a walk around their neighborhood and Cory loved the cows!

We went to church with them on Easter Sunday, and out to eat afterward at Ruby Tuesdays before heading out.

We made a stop at my cousin Wendy's house to see her and my other Aunt and Uncle and more extended family while they were all over there celebrating my cousin's daughter Kaylee's 12th Birthday! We just stayed an hour since we had to get home before too late and John would have to get up early monday morning for work. Cory really liked Kaylee and went straight to her when she reached out for him! He also loved their dog Nessie who was the same size as him! :) Cory did so great the whole trip and was so well behaved...he made me very proud!

We got back home around 10:30pm and John had to pack for Maysville Ky, which is about 2 hours away and where he will be working and staying the night Mon-Thur for the next 4 weeks! This isn't a typical thing but they recently added this bank to their list to inspect so he won't have to go there again for well over a year. The good thing is he will be home on Thursdays around 5pm and he will have Fri-Sun off to be home and will go back Monday mornings. I will be staying pretty busy during the days with babysitting tues, wed, thurs and getting the dogs exercized and Cory goes to sleep now around 8pm so it's not really much different as far as our routine goes, but I do miss dinners & movie time together and not having my own personal chef.....I know I have been spoiled! A good thing is I have been going to bed super early so I've been catching up on sleep at least!