Birthday Fun and Farm Fun

What a weekend!  The boys and I headed home because daddy was at state tournament for Heelan soccer.  Daddy left Wednesday and we were home alone Wednesday and Thursday night, mommy is not a fan of being home alone.  So Friday we headed home to the big city of Wesley, Iowa.  It maybe small but it is ALWAYS so good to be HOME and always so HARD to leave.  Friday we got home and settled and then went to Weston's 3rd birthday party at his house.  It was all about Mickey Mouse!  The boys had a blast playing with their cousins, eating, swinging, and playing in the rocks.  We left by 9ish because the boys were getting tired and fussy.   Heelan won their first game 4-0, onto semifinals!  Heelan won the semifinal game 4-3 in double overtime, they scored with two seconds left to send it into overtime!  Onto the state championship game, they have been to state many many times and never made it to this game!

Weston..BIRTHDAY BOY!!

Kids playing in the sprinkler

Tristan may fall asleep on Levi...boys LOVE to swing

Saturday my dad left for Canada so my aunt Pat from Illinois came to stay with my mom.  After dad and Jack(Pat's husband, my mom's twin) left we just hung out as Pat went to the store.  The boys, I and grandma went to the Wesley pool and meet Alison, Walker, and Weston.  The boys were not so sure of the pool at first but after I had them jump to me they loved it.  I will say they probably like throwing toys and others flip flops in the pool more tho.  This was their first time to a public pool!  I think they enjoyed how they could touch once they got used to it. We didn't stay too long because we wanted to go to church.  After church we went out to dinner at Johnny's with Alison, the boys and her parents and mom, Pat, Brandon, Cassie and boys.  Brandon and Cassie thought Weston's birthday party was on Saturday night so we celebrated again:).  Heelan lost in the State championship 4-0 to the defending state champions, it was a great season.


Sunday we got up and went out to the farm, the boys LOVE the farm and the animals!  Levi and Steve were moving cattle and when we went in the barn the cows were mooing very loud and a lot so sort of scared the boys, Tristan more than Landon.  Then we played with the baby chickens and rabbits, they really liked them...more their size.  The also liked the baby kittens, Landon liked them so much he tried to pick one up by the head and squeezed real hard.  After the farm we headed back to mom's for boys to take a morning nap.  After we nap we headed to the pool again to join Alison and Kristy and all the kids.  The boys enjoyed the pool better today.  Sunday night us adults went to Aunt Marie's wake service and then out to dinner.  It was really nice to just hang with my family with no kiddos and catch up on "home stuff". 

Love this photo...grandma Judy holding the chick for Tristan and he thoguht it was soo funny

Landon liked the little chick too

The boys didn't really want to get down along, Landon would but not Tristan

Gracie came out and got the bunnies out for us too, they loved how soft they were

the kiddos swinging

Monday we got up and hung out with mom and Pat before they left for the funeral.  The boys took a nap while I showered and packed up the car to be ready to go as soon as they woke up.  We headed to Jackson's baseball game in Bancroft, even though Jackson's team lost it was great to see him play and he did GREAT!

Emergency Room

This past weekend was suppose to be an uneventful weekend besides going to Maddie's dance recital on Saturday night.  Last Thursday Landon was not feeling well so we took him in and he had bronchitis so we got him medicine and hoped by weekend he would be feeling better but Landon's luck.  By Saturday he had a 106 temp yes I said 106 that is not a typo, we could not get his fever under control and he was soooo lethargic just would lay around.  It was so sad, I felt so bad for him. I texted our doctor (thank God he is just a phone call away for us). He told me to take him to ER right away so we did.  Long story short we were there three hours for them to tell me a temp is normal.  I know that if you have a temp it is normal to be fighting something off but 106?? I don't think that is normal.  I felt like the worst mom ever and that I was doing something wrong.  I don't know if we were giving him enough medicine to keep his temp down but was worried with him already on an antibiotic.  I was so distrait I gave them wrong birth date...it was awful!  The nurse in the ER we had once we got to a room was AWESOME!!! She was so kind bless her heart. Jared had taken Tristan to the car because it was almost 10:30 and hadn't seen the doctor yet.  The doctor comes and goes and when the nurse came back in she said she wanted to recheck his temp to make sure it has gone down some, which it had...thank goodness!  She asked if I needed anything and I just started bawling, she said are you ok,  I said, "yes just feel awful and like a bad mom".  I was having so much mommy quilt it was awful.  She gave me a hug and started crying and said I maybe a nurse but as a mom I would have done the EXACT same thing.  She said I don't want you to leave like this.  I said I was ok and thank you and said I needed to go.  As I walked out of the ER I was crying and telling Landon at least 10 times that I loved him and I would do better next time and won't make him suffer.  (not that I was on purpose).  I just keep telling him I will try to be a better mom and I loved him!!  I felt sooo bad I just keep squeezing him and kissing him and hugging him.  Poor little man.  As we left to go to the store to get more medicine I was reading through the discharge papers that stated again a TEMP IS NORMAL!! I understand that but 106 and my doctor told me to go in.
 
This is when I thought to myself mad this is only the beginning of times like this for their lifetime, but man I am not a fan of feeling like that!  I just keep thinking there is no book on how to raise a child and that you do the best you can and know how.  I couldn't sleep and kept telling Jared how I felt and he would say well you didn't know and I didn't know, he is ok and nothing serious is wrong so he will be fine.  I just said lots of prayers that night and hardly slept between checking on him, his temp and praying my mind was going. 


 He is feeling much better today but still has had an off and on temp but was down to 103-104, which I still think is a little high. I talked to the doctor's office today because Landon had broke out in a full body rash today.  They said it was most likely from his high fever over the weekend try benadryl and if don't go down or away in a 24-48 hours come in.  The nurse I talked was really upset what the ER doctor said and agreed that Landon's temp was too high to not be seen.  She did not like the doctor I saw in ER so she made me feel like I was not the worse parent in the world too, which was nice. 

Weekend get away

This past weekend we went to visit Maren and Jim in Minneapolis, it was Jared, myself, the boys and Janet(Jared's mom).  We wanted to get some shopping in at IKEA and at the Mall of America so we asked Janet to go along because she likes IKEA too!  We had a great time catching up with Maren and Jim and shopping.  The boys did pretty well considering we made them shop til they dropped almost every day!  We left on Thursday early afternoon, the boys didn't have a nap yet so we thought they would be tired...that they were but over tired!  We had just switched them over to their new car seats and they had not adjusted to them yet so they were a little fussy on the way there with no nap and not use to car seats.  Nonetheless we made it there after about 6 hours with a sit down eating in there.  We let the boys stay up and hang with Julianna (Maren's girl) for a bit and then off to bed for a busy Friday of shopping at IKEA. 

Jared reading nighttime story to Tristan and Juliana

Tristan trying to give JP a good night kiss and JP not so sure about it.  Landon is taking notes on how to do it:)

Good morning daddy!

The boys slept great, but Julianna not so well, so about 6:00 I got up and went to rock Julianna for Maren to get some sleep (Jim was out of town until late Friday night).  Friday all kids did pretty good considering we had them in crazy IKEA for about 6 hours.  We got asked a few times if they were triplets:)  Jared, Janet and I got some goods its always fun stuff at IKEA.  Friday night we went out to dinner, Landon and Julianna were a treat at dinner Landon didn't want to sit and Julianna wanted to share her food with all the tables around us(throwing it).  Then back to Maren's to put the kids down and catch up on each others lives.  Jared hit the sack early as well so it felt like college again just staying up late and catching up, except this time was about husbands and kids as opposed to boyfriends and sports. 

A little diaper time before bedtime

Julianna wanted the boys to get their PJ's on

Saturday was the mall day so Maren and Jim were so kind to hang with the boys while they napped feed them lunch and give Julianna nap then head to the mall.  Then we got the kids and they went to pick up a couch at IKEA they wanted with our vehicle.  After us shopping and them taking couch back home and back we went to dinner which tonight it was Tristan that was throwing his food and be ornery.  After dinner, we headed back to the Roche's to put together their couch they got. 

Sunday morning we got up ate breakfast, with no rush to get on the road after boys got up from morning nap we got on the road to head to the outlet mall(on our way home).  There was some great sales this weekend with it being memorial day but was it busy.  By this time the boys were done sitting in the stroller and shopping and when they were out of their stroller they were into everything.  So after closing down that mall we grab some food and got on the road.  The boys did better on the way home.  This was the first time they had really watched any TV/ movies they loved it Tristan kept pointing and saying huh, huh!  We ran into some pretty bad storms, raining so hard we could hardly see, but Jared did a great job! 

One last drink before hitting the road

Monday we had some friends over to grill out, play bags and let the kids play.  It was a great day but our boys were beat and ready for bed early!  An eventful weekend but a very fun and good to get away and see Maren and let our kids play together. 

Hope all of you had a fun and safe Holiday weekend!

Mother's Day Weekend

This past weekend was very nice and relaxing with lots of outside time with the boys!  Yesterday was Mother's Day and for all you mother's reading this I am proud of what you have done or do with all your kids.  I've been a daughter, sister, cousin, friend, aunt, and wife, but nothing has been as rewarding as being a mom!  I have always known all my life that I wanted to be a mom, but I had no idea how awesome it is!  I pray for those who are not fortunate enough to have kids of their own, it breaks my heart.  I can not imagine not having my boys in our lives.  I think daily how lucky I am that i am a mom I am thankful for my mom and my mother-in-law!  I sometimes will think to myself why did God bless me with so much?  Do I deserve it?  That is why I pray daily thanking God for everything he has given our family of four and our BIG family!  My mom and mother-in-law have done so much for us I could not say enough thank you's!  I guess there are not enough words to explain how blessed we are! Thanks! I know understand when my mom, sister in laws, other mom's use to say to me wait until you have your own kids. 
Friday night we went to Townhouse for some pizza(the boys love pizza) with some friends which was nice!  The boys played with the older kids while the adults talked!
Saturday Jared had a game so after nap the boys and I went to that and they beat North 3-0, it was 0-0 at half time and as we walked in they scored their first goal (I think it was us:)).  Saturday night we had some good friends over to grill out and play.   The Burdorf's were in town and Aaron's parents live houses away from us so we get together when they are in town, which is always so nice.  We catch up on the past time and what the future holds in between chasing two sets of twin boys and Jenna and Brody(the two older Burdorf's).  Blake and Bowen(Burdorf) are just 5 months younger then Landon and Tristan.  For the most part they all got along great and no one got hurt.  Except Brody riding the bike into the rose bush...OUCH!! I felt so bad!  Here are some pictures from Saturday night.  Yes we once again tried to do some pictures of the twins, this is getting harder because they are all mobile now.  Might not be the best pictures but nonetheless was fun trying and just shows their personalities and that they all have minds of their own even if they are twins!

Landon eating sand and playing with Bowen (notice their sandbox...later will be a better picture)

Blake, Bowen, Landon, Tristan...not too bad they are all sitting:)

Blake and Bowen clapping because the Burdorf twins are still sitting:)

Jamie and her boys and me and my boys thought we could get them to sit(notice I am trying to pin them down)

The boys were loving Koda

We thougth if we put two in the tub maybe they would stay as you can see Tristan is trying to escape

Even thought we didn't get the "perfect picture" we consider it great because they were all in there with almost 18 and almost 13 months old getting a picture with all boys sitting, smiling and looking at camera is next to impossible. We had such a great time with them, wish they lived here or closer.

Sunday...Mother's Day we didn't do a whole lot besides church and hanging out and doing somethings around the house.   Jared had a lot of homework to get done(He is getting his Master's) so while boys napped I laid out and relaxed and then did some yard work.  (Will post sandbox picture tonight)  After nap all boys came out to help mommy!

Not sure if the twins helped much but daddy did:)

Here is what the sandbox looks like now:)  much nicer than the one below huh?


Love for reading

To say my boys LOVE to read would be stating it lightly!  They are obsessed and would read all day if I let them!  There are many times I will not know where they are and go to find them in their room, reading books.  This night you will notice at bedtime daddy reading to them and then Tristan wanted to take a book to bed so Jared read to him in bed and he was a happy camper!

Landon on left Tristan right

Tristan started by standing up listening to his book then

Sat down to listen and THEN

laid down to fall asleep...precious

My sweet little boys!

Our Farm (Garden)

This past weekend was again lots and lots of outside, if you can't tell our boys love outside.  If I would let them they would live outside, eat, play and sleep outside!  Saturday I had a Jewelry show...an AWESOME one I may add:).  When I got home boys were napping so Jared was relaxing outside, so I got changed and went out to join him.  Once the boys got up we enjoyed some snacks (outside) and then played in the water.  Another thing the boys really enjoy water.  They will play in Koda's water dish all the time, they love bath time and splashing.  So we put the hose on and a sprinkler on, it was cold but they still liked it. 

Landon loving the hose

Dipping crackers in guac...yummy

Landon messy Tristan just woke up

Having fun playing in the water

Landon running through sprinkler with daddy

Tristan going through the sprinkler

Tristan and daddy

Boys playing in their slide rocket ship from my friend Wendy...Thank you!

Sunday we put in the Farm aka a garden.  Our best friends Jeremy and Kris Craighead and us are putting in a big garden and the Craigheads wanted to call it the farm so we went with it.  Hopefully we don't confuse the boys when we say lets go to the farm they don't think we are going home to Wesley:).  But we planted a lot...cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, green onions, yellow onions, beans, peas, banana red green and yellow peppers, radishes, hopefully I am not missing anything.  We are also going to plant pumpkins, watermelon, muskmelon and sweet corn...wish us luck!!  We started this while boys were down for nap and Tristan woke up to help...then Landon woke up to help!

Jeremy and Jared preparing the soil for the "farm"

Great teamwork

Best friends

Koda and Tristan were helping too

"daddy what are we all planting?"

Landon just spotted the snacks...haha

garden is in behind Tristan

"Mom can I have a tomato?"