Stomach Super Bug...

Not much to blog about because we have been passing around the worst stomach bug ever :( It started with Gunnar last weekend...he laid on the couch almost all of Saturday and Sunday, then once he started feeling good by Monday, I got it and had it that day and Tuesday. Then I think it was Wednesday when I thought I was better that Ashton got it. He pretty much just threw up one time (all over his bed...uggh), then I woke up Thursday with it as bad as it had been before and I was so sick until Saturday night. I finally woke up feeling better on Sunday. Lars had a stomach ache on and off during the week, but not much else until Sunday. Then he got it horribly. I really don't know if I've ever seen him that sick. So today we were all feeling pretty much fine, till tonight when Ashton has it again! I want to scream. Especially since my stomach is hurting again. Then after I scream I want to cry.

 

Praying hard all of us are over it by Friday for Gunnar's birthday...

And also really praying for nice weather!

14 years...

The day after we got back from Mexico was our 14 year anniversary...it seems so crazy to me we've been married that long!

Anyway obviously we celebrated in Mexico, so that night

we had Ashton's blue & gold scout banquet...so we laughed that we were sitting there eating burnt hotdogs with all of our neighbors on our anniversary...haha :)

Gunnar took this picture before we left...

I have to say that when I look back over the years I am always grateful that I listened to God and married Lars. He is such a good husband and Dad to our boys.



Happy Birthday Ashley & Beth!

Happy Birthday you guys!

I hope you both have a great day & a great 2014!

I am grateful to have you both in my life :)



First photo shoot in a long time...

I hadn't done a photoshoot in a couple months so it was kind of fun to get back out and take some pictures. Luckily our snow is gone and it was a nice day!

Super cute kids too and I sure love my new camera!

This one did all he could to not smile at me, but eventually I got him...

 These two reminded me so much of my own boys!

Loaves and Fishes community meal...

Last Saturday there was a Loaves and Fishes community meal that a lot of people from my church (and other volunteers) put on once a month. I've wanted to go help at some of the previous ones, but it's never worked out. This past Saturday we had nothing going on and it was a very rainy day...so I told the boys that we were going to go help at it.

At first they were not happy! They live for their Saturdays...just to be able to play all day. But I just explained to them that it was important and what it was for and that yes, we were going to help at it. They in fact didn't stop complaining until we walked through the doors. But once we got in there and it got started they did fine. One of the guys who was in charge got up and talked about why they put on this meal (that anyone can come eat at for free). He talked about a guy that lives in our community that is in a wheel chair and has shortened legs... (we've seen him around) and how at the last meal, he came up to him and told him that this once a month meal was the very best thing in his life. It was all I could do to not cry and I was glad that my boys got to hear him say that. I really want them to realize that this world is not just about us and that there are so many in need!

Anyway we all helped serving food and cleaning up etc...It was a lot of fun. I stationed the boys in the dessert line handing out cookies...

 We were there for about 2 hours and are already looking forward to helping at the next one and more things like it!



1st Place in the Science Fair!

This year Ashton and Gunnar participated in their first science fair...it was fun that they got to do it together, and actually we all kind of did it together. Unfortunately the date of the fair happened to fall on the Friday that we were in Mexico, so we got it all ready before we left and Kelli had to take it in and get it set up with the boys and she got to go walk around and look at all of the projects and stay for the awards.

We were so excited when she messaged me on facebook saying that they got 1st Place! They put it in the 3rd grade category I guess, so it got 1st out of the whole 3rd grade!

Anyway it was a fun project...not something you would typically think of when you think of a science fair, but I loved the idea that Gunnar mostly came up with...

So Lars did all of the actual experimenting with the boys and putting together the graphs and information, then passed it all on to me to put onto the poster boards. I loved doing that part...I told Lars it was like a huge scrapbook page...haha :)

Kelli said it was a little disappointing because Gunnar wasn't able to stay for the awards, for some reason he had to go back to his class instead of going up for his ribbon, but he got it later and he didn't seem to care too much.

I wish we could have been here for it, but Kelli did great and it was neat that they won!

Time to go home...

We had to fly home on Tuesday...we were kind of ready, and really missed the boys but it was still hard to leave.

We got up and for the first time all week I made myself head over to the gym on our resort and got on the treadmill and ran 3 miles. It felt good after not running all week!

After that we walked around for a little bit, then went to our last breakfast. I'd packed up all my stuff the night before, so I just got showered and ready for the day while Lars packed up his stuff, then we had to be ready for our shuttle at 11:00.

Such a fun week with the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation and just spending time together with no distractions.

 We absolutely loved it there!

And I am so grateful to Lars for working so hard, so that we could go on a trip like this. I look at it as an investment in our marriage and money very well spent.

I'm also so grateful to Kelli for being willing to watch the boys for a whole week...It is not an easy job she learned!

That was a long traveling day...it would be nice if there were a straight flight, but that wasn't an option. So we had our layover in Houston again and finally made it home at about 10:30 that night.
 I was so excited to go in and see the boys and kiss on them while they were sleeping. And to see them in the morning. They were so excited to see us and it felt good to be home!

Gunnar was excited to help me make waffles :) And of course loved his shirt we brought him (and didn't take it off for the next 5 days:)...

Ashton even admitted he missed us!



Our last full day in Mexico...

After our fun day in Cozumel, we had one last full day at the resort on Monday.

We had talked about maybe doing another excursion like going to see some of the Mayan ruins that are all around that area, but instead decided we'd rather just relax all day than take a bus ride and walk around all day. So we slept in again and got up and went to breakfast, checked email and Facebook, then decided to check out some of the bikes that they have that you can ride around a trail on the resort.

 That was really fun and we saw tons of these guys...

Beautiful flowers all over...

 In front of the Cenote that was in the middle of our resort...

 After our bike ride, we decided to go hang out at the pool again for awhile. Lars went swimming again while I relaxed :) 

 Then after awhile we got up to leave and finally saw some monkeys swinging through the trees above us. So I grabbed my camera and got a few pictures...they were so high up and moved so quickly!

 This one is my favorite...he had stopped to eat an apple right above me. I love his eyes...

 Anyway after we followed them around for awhile, we went and ate lunch then went back down and walked along the beach again. It is so pretty there!

 Super hero beach volleyball we watched for a little bit...

 Then that night we went to our last nice dinner...it was really good!

Vacation goes by way too fast!