Happy Birthday Mommy!

Yes on Saturday I turned the big 2-9! I have to say this is the only year that I can actually say that I feel older. More aches and pains that I never had before...lets hope it all evens out and the next decade won't phase me.

I had a great day! Grandma and Grandpa Heiple came down for the afternoon and treated us to lunch at Applebee's. It was nice spending time with them and letting them spoil Olivia and Joey. They also spoiled me with some fun birthday gifts. We had a small birthday party for me. Jas, Livi, and Joey made me fun little birthday cakes using cookie cutters and decorated them with frosting and sprinkles.

Later, we went to a party for Brooke. Brooke was in the NICU with Joey and we were celebrating her being home for a year! It was also nice because Brooke and her sister Hadley became big sisters again; so we were able to meet the newest Tweryon...Kamdyn.

After the party, Jas, Livi, and Joey took me out to a nice dinner, brought me to Barnes and Noble (one of my favorite hangouts) and then we came home to open presents. They gave me a new Willow Tree figurine of a little girl and boy. I have a Willow Tree for every stage of Jason and I's life together, and now it is updated to having a little girl and boy. I also got a Halloween Snoopy/Woodstock. I like to collect those every holiday, and Jason has given me one almost every holiday since we have been married. I am a very blessed woman!!!

May God give me many more wonderful years with my family and friends...praise God for 29 terrific years!

First Hair Cut

On Saturday Joey received his first official hair cut. His hair wasn't extremely long, but it was getting close to his eyes and hanging over his ears, so Jas and I thought it was time. Joey did a great job, we distracted him with his bottle and the camera while the stylist was cutting away. Then he received a certificate for his first cut. What a big boy!

A couple of other milestones he has reached are drinking from a sippy cup and he is starting to try to take a few steps. Jason and I will have him try to walk to us and he is actually doing it!

Out for a stroll

The weather has been so beautiful that we can't help but go out and enjoy it! This Friday Olivia, Joey, and I went for a stroll down the bike path with our friends Colleen, Brooke, Ashley, and Becky. The girls loved running around, Joey and Ashley enjoyed the stroll, and Becky and I loved having girl time!

and the 2009 Halloween costumes are...

Olivia as "Cinderelli"

and Joey as Darth Vader (Darth was not feeling the pics today, bribes were needed!)

Our Bella

Ollie got some blog time this week so I felt the need to give Bella hers. She is our little tyrant dog. She looks so sweet and innocent, but she has tricks up her fur. I also feel it fitting to say that she is Joey's dog (we got her when Joey came home and we got Ollie when Olivia was a baby) because both Bella and Joey look for trouble.

Two monkeys

Two little monkeys resting in a bed...

Almost there!

Joey is SO close to walking. He is pulling up on furniture, cruising furniture, climbing up onto and somewhat climbing off of furniture, climbing up stairs, and now standing up in the middle of the floor. He has also been showing a little more desire to walk to places holding onto your hands instead of getting down and crawling. I estimate that we will have a walker by Thanksgiving!

The power of Baby Einstein

Here is a picture of the trance that Baby Einstein puts Joey in. Usually this crazy boy is crawling everywhere and looking for trouble; but the minute Baby Einstein comes on (or just anything with music) he stops in his tracks.

Handprints

A boy and his dog.

A girl and her dog.


The reason my windows always have handprints on them.

Like waiting for water to boil

A lot of people have been asking how our yard project is coming. I am happy to say our yard is FINALLY coming together! Jason has been working hard tilling the dirt, planting grass seed, fertilizing, and watering. Waiting for the grass to grow is truly like waiting for water to boil...boring and frustrating. It is coming in though, slowly but surely. Here are some pics of what it looks like now. We still have some bare spots, but they are beginning to fill in.

Before:

After:

Exercise

Olivia has been into exercising with daddy. She loves to do sit ups, push ups, run in place, and jumping jacks with daddy. Here is a picture of her "exercise outfit."

Congratulations Grandma and Jim

Congratulations to Grandma and Jim for their engagement! Jim proposed to mom on Wednesday, after receiving the news that mom's annulment was official.

Congratulations you two...we are very happy for you!

Sleepy Heads

Olivia and Joey had a tough time waking up on Friday morning. I had to take a picture of my sleepy heads. They snuggled in a blanket on the couch and watched a movie.

There's more than corn in El Paso!

This weekend Olivia, Joey, and I went to the El Paso Corn Festival. We went up on Friday night with mom and Jim and meet up with Grandma and Grandpa Sennott, Kelly and Rick, Jake and Stephanie, Dad and Patty. We all sat down to a delicious spaghetti dinner, then Grandma and Grandpa Sennott treated Olivia and Joey to ride bands so they could ride any ride they wanted! Joey LOVED riding the cars with his big sister and also enjoyed the "horsies." Olivia loved the jumping house, the roller coaster, and the "horsies." We ended the night with a yummy ice cream treat and headed to Grandma's house for a sleepover.

On Saturday, we went back to El Paso for the Corn Festival Parade. Olivia and Joey made a killing with candy! They were 2 out of 4 kids in the area, so they got a ton of candy. They also got a new beach ball and bouncy ball at the parade (they give out interesting things at parades now a days). Olivia and Joey had their first popsicles and enjoyed every bite! Believe it or not, Olivia is 3 1/2 years old and has not had a popsicle. Joey also had his first taste of Tootsie Roll.

After the parade, Olivia, Joey, and I met with dad and Patty for lunch. We ate at my old stomping grounds, Woody's. I waitressed there for three years in college. After lunch, we went out to the farm and rode the four-wheeler. Needless to say, Livi and Joey had a blast!

A BIG thank you to grandma and grandpa for the delicious spaghetti dinner and for treating Livi and Joey to a night full of rides. We really enjoyed ourselves this weekend! Thank you also to Grandma and Jim, Grandpa and Patty, Jake and Stephanie, Kelly and Rick for helping to make the Corn Festival so fun for Livi and Joey.

Rain, Rain Go Away

The past couple of days we have had some wet weather in Rochester, Illinois! It has been nice for our lawn and our grass seed, but not for two ambitious children who need time outside. Nonetheless, we survived and had lots of fun playing inside. We were also able to go house hunting with Grandma and Jim, and then visit the Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat!

Joey keeping daddy and Ollie out in the rain and Olivia holding mommy hostage in the office.