Lagoon...

The Friday before last I got to take Ashton on a fun date to Lagoon or "Magoon" as he called it the whole time. My friend and backyard neighbor Lindee invited us because it was Lagoon night for Icon (her husband's employer) and he wasn't able to go. Lars stayed home and had fun just being with Gunnar.

I used to love Lagoon when I was a kid, well mostly as a teenager going with friends. I still actually remember the very first time I ever got to go. My Dad took us when I was about 10 or so and I remember being so excited that I couldn't sleep the whole night before. But then gradually over the years I've gotten to where I get horrible motion sickness on rides and really even if I swing on a swing or turn my head fast! But I knew how excited Ashton would be when I told him we were going. In fact I didn't tell him till before school that day because I knew he wouldn't quit asking when we were going if I told him any sooner.

We had so much fun! Ashton and Lindee's little girl Addy were so cute together.

Holding hands standing in line... laughing on the rides together ......and Ashton even leaned back one time to help her with her seatbelt! So sweet! It was so fun to hang out with just him for once. He LOVED all of the little rides...especially this dragon one that Lindee was nice enough to take him on twice since I really didn't want to be sick the whole night. Thanks Lindee! Right before it started up the first time he got really nervous and started crying telling her he didn't want to do it, but it was too late and by the time it went around once he was smiling and laughing and still says it was his favorite. Besides the Terror Ride of course. That's the haunted one, and if you know Ashton and his love for anything scary...he LOVEd it. It's actually really gory and disgusting if you've been on it and paid any attention to it. He asked if Addy could go on it with him, and Lindee and I both said no way! Most kids would have nightmares!

I think we might have to take Ashton back for Frightmares...

What a fun night!

Thanks again Lindee for inviting us and Justin for not being able to go!

Just because...

I'm sick of the 8 cake being my latest post, and I only have about 5 minutes...here are my new favorite pictures of my boys. I found these cute blue doors on my walk yesterday morning, so I had to go take some pictures in front of them ...

8 years for Lars at Thermo Fisher!

On Sept. 17th, Lars had his 8 year anniversary of the day he started work at Thermo-Fisher (formally called Hyclone). Way to go Hunnie! We are so proud of you for going to work every day and working hard for us...I know it's not always easy.

To celebrate I made this cake for Lars. I was so excited that it was 8 years so that I could use my ball cake pan to make the cake (for a minute I couldn't for sure remember if it was 7 or 8, but I was glad that I figured out it was 8 because 7 would not have worked!) . Anyway let's just say it was the thought that counts...

Here is how it turned out... Pretty cute right??

Till you turn the pan this way...

We had Nate & Brianne and kids over to have dinner and cake and everyone pointed out what it really looks like...

Oh well...either way it tasted good and got the point across :)
Yes I'm weird with remembering random dates...I get it from my Mom!

Congratulations on 8 years hun!!!

Binkies, blankies & balls...

These are Gunnar's 3 favorite things lately (besides me :).

He LOVES all of them. During the day (and night for that matter) he always has to have one of his many fleece blankies with him. He calls them his "nigh-nighs" and there is always one draped around him or on his head.

And he constantly wants to be throwing a ball around. "ball, ball, ball, ball, ball!" All day long he runs around saying it.

It's so cute! Gotta have the blankie with it...Oh and of course anything to hit a ball with is even better!

And as I've mentioned before... he love, LoVe, LOVES his binkies. He only gets to have them during naps and at night, but he's gotten to the point where he gets really mad when I won't let him take them out of his crib when he wakes up. I can usually distract him so that he forgets about it, but if anything upsets him during the day, he runs back to his room saying "Bee, bee, bee!" and tries to get them out of his crib. He's gotten SO attached! And to think my kids were never going to have binkies! ha! Ashton never had one, so that was one habit I didn't have to break with him, but now I can honestly see how there are 4 year olds out there walking around with them! Okay not really...that drives me crazy, but it is going to be SO HARD to take them away from him. He loves them so much that he honestly giggles when I put it in his mouth when he goes to bed. I will be so sad for him when he can't have them anymore. Ashton's favorite thing has always been his Lovey and I don't feel like I have to take it away, so I feel bad that I have to take Gunnar's away. But I know that I need to do it soon. He also cries out in the night now if it falls out and he can't find it. That is what is going to motivate me to do it sooner...my SLEEP (or lack of it, I should say)! I know I need to do it, but don't really know how. Anyone have any advice?

My sister Debbi...

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my sister Debbi. I actually never knew her...she was born on December 1, 1972...3 1/2 years before I was born, and sadly she died 17 months later. Actually 17 months, 17 days to be exact and it happened to be on the 17th of May.

Today Gunnar is exactly as old as Debbi was on the day she died. I guess that's why I've been thinking about her so much. Just the thought of losing him right now...I can't even imagine what it must have been like for my Mom and Dad. They were on their way back to Wyoming from New York and she started throwing up in the car. Then when they got back to my Grandpa's house, she was still sick the first day there, then they took her to the hospital. She got very dehydrated and passed away not too much later. The doctors said a virus had gone into her bloodstream and broke down her circulatory system.

This picture was taken in front of Niagara Falls on that trip home just days before she passed away... As I think about her and imagine what my Mom and Dad must have felt in her loss, I hold Gunnar (and Ashton) tighter and for longer. I think a lot of times we take for granted the time we have with our kids and wish we could "just get a break" from them. But what would it feel like if we never had another chance to hold them again? Never hear their sweet voices? Never kiss their sweet soft cheeks? Never hear their laughs? Never read them another book or rock them to sleep? I can't imagine...It is by far my biggest fear.

Debbi had red hair like Gunnar and in some old pictures some of the looks on her face remind me of him. (especially this one!)From what my Mom says she was feisty like Gunnar can be (and my sister Kelli with her red hair). She said at the time that she died she could say about 100 words and afterwards my Mom remembers counting all of them and remembering how she said them. She also told me about the nightmares of thinking she was still alive, then waking up to the sad reality of her being gone.

Luckily my Mom was just barely pregnant with my older brother Nathan and had him 9 months later and she's told me that it's always made her feel better to know that Debbi is in heaven looking out for the rest of us.

I just would have loved to have had an older sister (of course I love my younger one). But I often wonder what it would have been like. What she would have been like, and what she would have grown up to be. This December she would have turned 37!

I still have this Charlie Brown pillow that someone gave to her when she was a baby. Believe it or not, it is the pillow that I sleep on every night and have for years. (don't worry I wash it). Roommates and friends always used to make fun of me for it, but besides it being the most comfortable pillow ever, it makes me somehow feel closer to her. I love it.

Someday she and I will finally meet :)

When you kiss your kids tonight and put them to bed, hold them a little longer, maybe read them that extra book, and when they wake you up in the morning (a little too early)...get up and get them with a smile and thank God for another day with them. I know I will.

Back to Preschool!

Ashton finally had his first day of preschool yesterday. We have both been looking forward to this day for awhile now. Ashton just does so much better when he's busy. And with his school starting so late, it has been tricky to keep him entertained these past few weeks. This year he gets to go 3 days a week...Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the afternoon. He of course wishes it was every day, but he'll have to wait till next year for that.

What a difference a year makes. I remember last year how nervous he was and how there were days in the first couple weeks that he didn't want Lars or me to leave him there alone when we dropped him off.

Yesterday he got dressed and posed for pictures (of course), jumped in the truck and couldn't wait to get in the school to see his old friends and get started.

Way to go Ashton! This will be a fun year!

Me and my big 4 1/2 year old! Time flies...

Gunnar will miss his big brother while he's gone... Now just get those shoes on and let's go!Do you remember the way to your school Ashton???

Fun new pictures...

Saturday Lars was gone again fishing for the day in Idaho (no I'm not the only one that takes off and does stuff...he just doesn't post about all of his fun fishing trips!) So I needed to think of something to do to keep us busy for the day. As we went for our walk in the morning the whole sky was cloudy, so I started thinking it would be a good day to take the boys out and try to get some fun pictures of them. Really we didn't have much else to do and I wanted to play with my new camera. So after Gunnar had his nap I got them dressed up which they loved...(yeah right), and off we went. I promised them we could go to Walmart afterwards and they could each pick out a new toy if they would cooperate and if I got some cute pictures of them.
They actually did pretty well and I love some of the pictures I got of them...and it used up about 2 hours of our day. It was fun!

let me know what you think :)