Mason & Lily ~ 4 months

People often ask me who Lily looks like. I think Lily has more Danny and Mason has more April... But overall I think that Mason and Lily look ALOT alike!

Guess who is who?

Lily 5 months

My sweet little Lily is 5 months old (yesterday)

* she loves to smile and laugh, she especially loves it when you hold her and give her undivided attention :)
*she loves to watch Ralph play, and thinks it is funny when he jumps up to get a toy
*she can offically sit up on her own for 5-10 mins as long as she doesn't get distracted by her brother or Ralph off to the side

*she droooools like crazy and loves to be chewing on things.
*she will grab anything I am holding... phones, food etc
* she loves to play in her exersaucer
* she will walk a little bit if I hold her hands

*she is a great sleeper at night, usually 8-10 hours
*naps are a different story, lately I only get 40 min naps :(
* she doesn't like to be rocked to sleep, she wants to be in her bed with a binki
* she loves to take baths with Mason
* she loves to be naked and grab/eat her toes :)

Love you baby girl!

Speaking of Raquel...

I love her! She is my favorite older younger sister :) I planned on giving a shout out to each sibling on their birthday this year... I did one for Brady in January, but I forgot to do Raquel's in June (in my defense I had a 1 week old baby) But better late than never!!!

I have loved Raquel since the first day I met her...

I love to give her hugs...

and run around...

and of course tea parties (check out her AWESOME mullet, be jealous!)

and take baths together

and she makes funny faces, haha

speaking of funny faces, whenever we take family/group type pictures and say "ok now a funny one" Raquel is always the one that does not participate... she always looks cute and makes the rest of us look special!

Raquel thank you for being such a wonderful sister. I love your:
spirit
long hair and green eyes
your laid back personality
your work ethic
your love of books
weird quirks (like being even!)
optimism
blonde moments!

Thanks for being such a wonderful sister, Love you!

xoxoxo

Raquel's visit

My sister Raquel came to visit last month... it was sooooooo nice having her here! She loved snuggling with her babies and was so nice to let me take naps :)

Isn't Lily's face amazing in this one!

Thank you Raquel for coming to visit! I can't wait for you to come back :)

pictures and bows

My friend Jessica who took newborn pictures HERE and HERE took some pictures of my Lily modeling some cute bows, from the belle and the beau.

That is a lot of linkyness (like my made up word!) So click here to see her latest pictures :)

my "sweet" baby

note: if you only have time to watch one watch the second one, it is funny!

Here is Lily being a sweet baby talking to her toys




And here is one where she is not being as "sweet" but still super cute and funny!

crazy animal

This is one of Mason's favorite activities :)

Halloween cont...

Here are some pictures from Halloween day. This was Mason's first year really trick or treating... last year we went to a mall which was no bueno... anyway 10 seconds after we stepped outside it started raining, again no bueno! Mason and his friend Gabe didn't seem to mind though. At first Mason was really shy and didn't want anything in his pumpkin, but then he realized he was getting CANDY and then he participated. So cute! If you look close you can see the rain!

Gabe and Mason showing us his candy

Later on after dinner we finally decided to carve our pumpkin (thanks Ashley!)

Mason liked pushing in the shapes

He especially loved having the candle inside! He started blowing on it and when the candle blew out he said, "ok I want a bite!" I guess he remember from his birthday, haha

I love Lily's face! This is how my kids always are, Mason excited about something and Lily excited that Mason is close :)

Happy Halloween!

Murder Mystery Dinner

Our story is set in the dusty mining town of Tombstone, Arizona, and involves the brutal murder of the infamous outlaw Jesse James, who has been ruthlessly shot in the back, whilst taking a bath in his room at the Crystal Palace Hotel.

DUN DUN DUN...

The suspects:

I won't tell you who the murder was but if you want to host your own game HERE is the link to the website.

Happy Halloween

Here are a couple of pictures taken last week when it was warm and there were still leaves on the trees.

Mason as "Buzz lightyear" (thanks Shauna!)

My 2 babies

Mason really really doesn't like the hat, haha

chubby mermaid

Mason acted like laying next to Lily was pure torture

"Buzz Lightyear to the rescue"

"Falling with style"

Happy Halloween!

Lily 4 months

On October 22 Lily turned 4 months old!

* She loves to laugh and smile
* She loves to watch Mason and looks for him when he is not around
* Drool.... lots and lots of drool!
* She "talks" alot especially to her toys
* She has this funny "yell" it sounds like a lion roaring or something, I have a video that I will put up soon
* She sleeps great at night, but not so much during the day
* In 6-9 month clothes
* Has rolled over 1 time from tummy to back... she has come close to doing it again and has come close rolling from back to tummy
* She loves to reach and grab toys, and get herself in funny positions getting to them :)

Stats:
Weight: 18 lbs 2 oz (above 100 percentile)
Height: 26 inches (97th percentile)
Head: 16 3/4 inches (90th percentile)

Love you Lily!

Happy Birthday Mason

On October 19th my baby boy turned 2! I can't believe how times flies. He started out the day by coming down stairs to some new toys (little dinosaurs and a shake and go race track) and that evening he got some ice cream (which made him super hyper and it took forever to get him to bed!) We celebrated the Sunday after so my sister could be here. We invited Gabe and Daniel, his favorite friends. We had "car cake" and ice cream and played with all his new cars and tons of balloons. Here are some of my favorite things Mason does lately:

*"mom I play go"
*When I leave his room after we put him down for bed he yells "BYEEEEEEEEEE"
*While we were at the pumpkin patch (see below) Mason and I were walking holding hands and he says "mom want treat" you want a treat? "uh huh" but I don't have a treat "mom go buy treat" you want me to go and buy a treat? "Ohhhhhh Kaaay!"
*he loves numbers and when he "counts" he says 5, 6
* he talks all the time and tries to repeat what we say, but most of the time he will only say the first syllable like "Mase" for Mason "ap" for apple "pump" for pumpkin etc.
*he also adds an 's' to most thing he says
* "mom no help, I do it"
* I love how he calls Danny "guy" (he is trying to say daddy, haha) and Lily "bebe"

Stats:
weight ~ 32 lbs
height: 36 inches
both around the 80-90th percentile

Well that is all I can think of right this second I need to right down the funny things he does more often. I love this little boy even though some days he has me pulling my hair out! He is very sweet, loves to snuggle and give kisses. He is a great helper with Lily and is becoming more independent every day.

Happy Birthday Mason!

Pumpkin Patch

Fall in NY is wonderful. The colors, cool crisp air, apple cider and pumpkins! To celebrate fall we went to a pumpkin patch. It was so much fun with plenty to do. And it was nice and spread out so you didn't feel like you were being suffocated by all the people around. We went with our good friends the Yeagers (minus Jeff)

Danny, Lily and Mason

Daniel, Mason and Kaylie

Mason wouldn't stand next to the board long enough for me to take a picture

Checking out the pumpkins while we wait for the hay ride

The hay ride brought us to the pumpkins where you could pick your own. Mason was NOT interested and only wanted to get back on the hay ride.

On the hay ride

I LOVE the lens flare... I have been trying to get a really good one like this for a while :)

Mason was obsessed with this cow "I see cow, I see cow"

my babies

Daniel

Mason not wanting to be on the tractor

going to check out the farm animals

feeding the cow

Newman

Yeager

We walked around the property but Mason did not like me stalling to take pictures. This is him turning around and saying "MOM!"

Pointing to his brain :)

This was Mason's favorite activity, running across this bridge

"I see a stick"

Gap contest

I saw a couple of my friends on facebook enter pictures of their kids in a Gap casting call. I thought it might be fun so I entered a few of Mason and Lily. You can vote once a day until Nov. 17. so if you feel so inclined I would love for you to vote for my kids. You do have to register which of course is a pain, but greatly appreciated :)

click HERE to view our pictures and vote!

Thanks again, oh and if you enter your kids let me know and I will of course vote for them!

Great Grandparents

Danny's grandparents came to visit us the last weekend in September. They were making a long road trip touring the east coast (sort of) They flew into Vermont and saw some sites there, then they drove to Albany and stayed the weekend with us. After they went to Pennsylvania to visit Danny's cousins and finally drove all the way to Tennessee to see Danny's other cousin. We are so happy they took the time and energy to see their great-grandkids, Mason and Lily sure enjoyed them :)

Don't they look fantastic!

Hanging out with Mason

Reading Mason his favorite book

Picture with the great-grandkids

Isn't this sweet!?!

I think Mason was done with us trying to take pictures! This one makes me laugh!!!

Thanks for the visit grandma and grandpa. We sure enjoyed playing card games and going to dinner :) xoxoxo

*sigh*

I LOVE my boys!

Grateful

I think gratitude is a means to happiness. I am grateful for so many things in my life, Jesus Christ, Danny, Mason & Lily, family, friends even my annoying dog Ralph :) I am grateful that I live in NY, Danny and I own our home and we have cars that are working. I am grateful for our friends here in NY that have substituted as our family since most of our families live in Seattle or SLC. I am grateful for Danny's job and that he is willing to go and work so hard for our family, and that I may stay home with Mason and Lily. I am grateful for my faith, the joy it brings and my testimony of Jesus Christ. I am truly happy.

I am SO SO SO grateful for the help from our family members this summer. My mom came out for 2 weeks in June to help with Mason right after Lily was born. My dad came for a week in July to watch is grandchildren so I could take naps (my mom and dad are so smart to split their visits, more help for me, yay!) Danny's mom came for 2 weeks in August and Kent, Danny's dad, joined her for one of those weeks. They helped so much around the house and watched the kids so I could again take some naps. Danny's grandparents came to visit in September which was a joy and the kids love them. AND... my sister is coming in less than 2 weeks!!! If you didn't get that we have had visitors ever month from June - October! I am so spoiled... I didn't even mention all the work each visitor did to help around the house, another post for another day :)

I am grateful for books especially these two at the moment:

Baby Wise by Ezzo and Bucknam, this little lovey has helped me get Mason and Lily to sleep through the night as babies. Mason slept through the night at 10 weeks old, Lily at 6 weeks :) I know some people don't like books like this but our "flexible routine" has helped me sleep and kept me sane (Danny might disagree but whatever).




The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey this book came as an answer to prayer. Danny and I had been praying about our finances and how we might be able to get out of debt and live more providently. I now feel more calm and confident about money and the future. This subject also needs a post for itself in the near future!




Do you use Google Reader? If not I highly suggest it. I subscribe to all of your blogs (unless you are private) and I get a notification (kind of like "following" but better) any way I am grateful for it because I don't have to click on individual blogs to see if someone updated. I also subscribe to photography blogs because I am obsessed, and other mommy blogs that make me happy. Silly thing to be grateful for but I am, ha!

A few other small things I am grateful for: Binky, cribs, nightlights, my camera and video camera, peanut m&ms, space heaters and water (random but I am ALWAYS thirsty)

Thanks for reading... if you still are since this is so long :)

PS did you see the OFFICE last night? It was fantastic!

Apple picking

A couple of weeks ago we went apple picking for family home evening. First we went to a farm with discount apples that were hail damaged but they were closed when we got there. We found another place that was opened until 6, we got there at 5:40 :) So it was a short visit but totally worth it. Mason kept pointing to the "aps" but had to be prodded to actually pick the apples from the trees.

Lily hanging out in the "buddy bag"

Mason found a HUGE apple and started eating it right away

Looking for the best apples

Still going at it :)

Peek a boo

Picking some apples

Apple orchards are gorgeous

Oh she is so yummy

This is a usual scenario... I want to take pictures and Mason wants me to hold him

Mason found that picking the apples off the ground was much easier than plucking them from the trees

Lily had enough, haha

We didn't end up with very many apples because I wanted pictures more than apples, oh well maybe next time :)

Tour of the Albany International Airport

A few weeks ago my friend put together a group to tour the airport. You have to be a school so we called ourselves the "Glenville Preschool" since many of the kids from church do a co-op preschool at their houses. Mason LOVED it! First we got to tour the airport fire house, then we took a shuttle bus to the airport terminal and finally we went up to the observation deck to watch the airplanes land.

Warning there are tons of pictures because 1. there was lots of things to see 2. I am obsessed with Mason and his cuteness!

Listening to the fireman tell us about the fire trucks (it was funny because you could tell he was used to talking to older kids... these 2, 3 and 4 year old kids have very short attention spans)

Mason hanging out in the truck

I never knew airport firetrucks were so different

Here is our only group shot of the kids (most of them) and the fireman and Anjanette :)

Getting on the shuttle to the airport terminal. Mason called it a bus and ran when I told him he could get on

The group on the bus

Red heads :)

Kids checking out the terminal below

In the observation tower. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a plane to land.

Kaylie, Mason and Ainsley anxiously awaiting an airplane

Isn't this picture so cute!

Finally one landed! Mason kept saying, "I see a plane"

And then another one :)

Reflection

At the end waiting for the shuttle bus to take us back to the fire house, I tried to get one more group picture and this is the best I got. Can you see how mad Mason is, haha

This is Mason's exploring face, sucking on his bottom lip

In the shuttle on the way back. Mason is sitting by his friends from nursery

At the fire house getting ready to leave, I love this picture!

This was such a great day! I love exploring new things with Mason, he is so much fun :)

More Lily and Mason mowing the lawn

Here are some more cute pictures of my baby girl

See how her hair glows red

And more pictures of Mason mowing the lawn with dad... first he follows

Then he gets tired and pulls it

Oh what the heck I'll just carry it

Haha I love this picture!

Catching up to dad again :)

Oh I love my little boy!!!