Living in the Moment

Brothers...and best friends

2012-02-14T16:06:00.000-06:00

We always talked about how close the boys might/might not be with a 3 year difference. Austin was a great big brother when Mason was a baby. He made life easier by being very helpful, potty-trained, could verbally let us know what he needed, etc. These 2 are the best of buds these days. They play well together most of the time. Just last week I found them in Austin's bedroom on the bed having a great time rolling around and acting silly. It made my heart smile to hear them having so much fun. Mason typically wants what Austin has. Austin does a great job sharing...if it's food. If it's a toy...not so much. These two have many fun years ahead. I'm so happy they are so good to each other!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T15:42:00.000-06:00

Mason is really starting to get into the picture taking thing. Often times when I'm in the Studio at my desk I look over to my shooting area and he's posing and smiling. It melts my heart! We decided to do some Tom Cruise Valentine's this year for our close family and friends. Here are some of the results. The boys had so much fun!

We pulled up a picture of Tom Cruise from Risky Business online so Austin could see what we were talking about...there is a huge generation gap and he had no idea what I was talking about.

Austin is my poser...and now Mason too. We were laughing so hard at this.

Mason was trying to be just like Austin!

Mr. Serious decided to finally show off those huge 4 teeth he has!

This is the true brother relationship we see fairly often.

It's so hard to get these 2 to smile nicely AND look at the camera at the same time.

Of course when they're in their underwear they do! Gawk!

Although Tom Cruise is a total hunk...we decided he should put some clothes on for his school Valentine's!

Ah, love you!

2012-02-10T16:26:00.000-06:00

The boys have started watching a little bit of TV when they get up from their naps. I peeked around the corner to catch Mason rubbing Austin's head. So sweet!

Couch full of boys

2012-02-05T17:05:00.000-06:00

The boys had their neighborhood friends over today to play. They sat briefly then were back to playing basketball. I have a feeling I'll have a couch full of boys quite often!

He's a poser!

2012-02-03T17:07:00.000-06:00

I was finishing up a few things at my desk and Mason decided he wanted his picture taken. He actually had on a cute outfit. I tried to pull his socks off and he didn't go for that. So I get what I get...and as Austin would say...and don't throw a fit!

I'm pretty excited he's getting into the picture thing!

I love it!

It's the last day of January and it's 54!

2012-01-31T21:54:00.001-06:00

We are IN LOVE with this weather! The sun wasn't out this afternoon but we went outside to enjoy the temperature and get some fresh air!

My little farmer and his boots. The boots keep getting bigger and the boy inside them keeps getting taller!!

This boy is just like his father. He was cleaning up the garage floor!

Little Bubba was enjoying the time outside too.

BEWARE...our Guard Dog...doesn't she look mean?

She will eat you!

hahah

oooo...look at those fangs!

Almost had a smile!

He's so serious!

It always starts out descent but then Mason gets honked...

Grilling Out!

2012-01-30T21:59:00.005-06:00

Today was a LONG day so when Daddy came home I was more than ready to share the boys with him...as he was grilling OUTSIDE! I did have to step out to take a photo of this sweet little boy.

The dog doesn't realize how big she really is so Brian put her in her kennel so she didn't knock Mason over every time. Mason was sweet and fed her through the gate.

Kitty Kat

2012-01-28T21:07:00.000-06:00

Austin came running into our bedroom bright and early this morning. He has just discovered it had snowed a significant amount! He couldn't wait for Daddy to go get his snowmobile so he could go ride it. The last significant snow we had Daddy was away snowmobiling himself. Austin rode around for quite awhile. I know that Shane was smiling down on him from heaven today! This was Shane's snowmobile. He looked like such a stud cruising around! Typical boy...it doesn't go fast enough! He turned too sharp and was riding it on its side and got the biggest kick out of it! OH MY!

I had Valentine Mini Sessions today so the boys spent the morning playing upstairs. Mason got a good nap and then we headed to the ISU basketball game. The boys were thrilled to be able to go down on the court after the game.

Lets play

2012-01-27T21:24:00.000-06:00

I was working on getting some settings right and Mason wandered in at just the right moment! He was super thrilled, can you tell! I was acting very silly just trying to get some sort of reaction out of him!

Mr. Mason is almost 18 months. He's definitely our little lover!

Yep, 18 months and only 4 teeth. I keep checking but don't see any more in his mouth. Lets hope there are some underneath the gums still. He sure doesn't have a problem eating anything you put in front of him!

Our sweet baby boy

Lovely slobber marks all of the back window!

Grrrr.....

ISU Go!

2012-01-18T15:38:00.003-06:00

Tonight we had another ISU basketball game. We also go the pizza the cheerleaders bring up in the stands. Our section is a magnet with all the kids. So everyone takes a piece and passes the box.

Reggie also came to our section. The boys had fun checking him out up close!

Happy Birthday Daddy

2012-01-17T21:38:00.000-06:00

Today is Daddy's Birthday. We met him out for lunch today. His request was a pecan pie so I made one this afternoon. We invited Nana and Papa Bob over for some dinner too. Of course after dinner we had to go downstairs and play ball.

Papa Bob was the Coach.

We went upstairs and had some pecan pie!

Austin led us in singing 'Happy Birthday'. He also picked out the wrapping paper for Daddy today! He chose zebra print and a John Deere ribbon. The lady at the wrapping counter got a kick out of this. I tried to lead him towards the birthday cake or blue wrapping paper. He wouldn't have it!

Mason enjoyed his ice cream!

Lounge Around

2012-01-15T15:07:00.005-06:00

Today we lounged around much of the day. I caught my sister trying to have a photo shoot with Mason. He is so hard to photograph. He doesn't sit still and has a serious expression much of the time.

The boys were playing laser tag.

Ross thought it was time for Mason to start using a fork. So he decided to teach him.

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. I find so many fun and good ideas on the site. We always seem to bake while at my sister's so when I found this I knew we had to make them. I really needed someone to say 'NO', but that doesn't happen at this house in regards to sweets. So we made them...they were out of the oven at 2:30 and the pan was empty by 10. They were ok. Not to die for but good enough that you couldn't stay out of them. You can find the recipe here. They are called Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting.

This is the 2nd time I have posted something and given Pinterest credit...to the person that left the 'interesting' comment but not guts to leave their name on the last post regarding Pinterest....is this considered being 'unoriginal' as well??

Aunt Kerri's

2012-01-14T14:58:00.006-06:00

When Brian heads North, the kids and I head South. Austin took an early nap today so when Austin was down, Mason was up. We let Wags out to potty and Mason loved to help.

As my sister and I were leaving to head to a boxing class the big boys were outside playing. They had to play in the ditch to have enough snow to play with. Plus Ross was carrying buckets of water...at least they were having fun. The boxing class was a lot of fun. It was taught by a professional boxer. I started laughing at one point because I thought I wasn't going to make it. Kerri asked what I was laughing about and I said, "I thought I was going to pass out, but I didn't...let me here a whoop, whoop."

Uncle Mike took Ross and Austin to the hockey game tonight. They had great seats and even got to go on the ice and shoot a goal. Austin was thrilled. He liked everything but the loud buzzer. The Blues won in overtime!

Uncle Mike didn't let me down. He took photos AND video!!

Why the boys went to watch hockey the girls went shopping! We shut down the mall...literally we were the only ones left besides security. My sister couldn't make her mind up on some jewelry! Then she was busy texting and telling stories that she forgot to mention that 'it's a straight shot' doesn't meant keep driving on the current road your own. We ended up about 20 miles out of the way! Opps! We had a good laugh!

Man of the table

2012-01-13T15:24:00.002-06:00

We arrived at my sisters right before we all loaded up again to head to Jenna's friends Regional Championship game. After their win we headed for Pizza. Jenna was nice enough to let Austin and Ross sit at their table. It was fun to watch Austin. He thought he was pretty cool!

It Snowed!

2012-01-12T14:37:00.010-06:00

Poor dog does not like being locked out of the warm garage! I thought she looked so cute with snow on her nose though!

It finally snowed a significant amount after being in the 50's a few short days ago. Austin was dying to get out in the snow. It's not one of my favorite things to do but since Brian had just left on his annual snowmobiling trip I decided I would be a 'good' mom and take the kids out. Especially with this crazy weather we have been having. It's likely it will be gone in a day or two. It took about 15 minutes to get everyone dressed and ready to go out. We lasted maybe 2 minutes. The wind was bitter and it was about 12 degrees out. We did make it around to the front of the house out of the wind.

Lexie was so happy to have us outside to play!

Austin was in heaven running and rolling around in the snow.

Mason was not so thrilled to be outside! Lex tried giving him kisses but that didn't help much either.

This is pretty much how the two minutes went...

It got a little too windy in the front so we headed in for some hot chocolate!

Tears and snot...I thought we should get him inside before it froze! :)

Our little model

2012-01-06T18:21:00.001-06:00

This morning while Austin was at school we ran to my friends photography studio. She had a new backdrop setup that she's been wanting to try out so we made Mason her model.

This is Mason's shy-guy act. He'll even look up and see if you're looking out of the corner of his eye.

Air Hockey, anyone?

2012-01-04T21:51:00.001-06:00

It's amazing what you can find on Facebook to buy! We scored with this Air Hockey table. It's amazing! We have had to much fun on it. Austin is very competitive and we are working very hard to teach him that it's 'ok' to lose. You don't have to win all the time. He's having a terrible time grasping this. I just don't want him to be the sore loser at school, life, sports, etc. This IS a phase, right??

Every.Single.Day

2012-01-04T21:51:00.000-06:00

Austin has this serious addiction to basketball right now. Every single day he MUST wear his Jackie Carmichael jersey. No other jersey will work. It starts to smell so we force him to toss it in the dirty. Then he insists it's clean by the time he's up from his nap. It's crazy!

Painting

2012-01-03T15:33:00.000-06:00

Austin got to paint this morning. I don't know why I don't let him do this more often. My goal in 2012 is to be more right here, right now with my kids. My business has really picked up so I can always think of a million other things to do than be present with the kids. I don't want to have regrets later. So we painted and painted and painted this morning. He created some beautiful masterpieces!

Then it was time to snuggle with Mason for a bit and watch a movie.

Let me hear a whoop, whoop!

2012-01-02T14:26:00.005-06:00

Austin is like clockwork. Everyday after lunch he has to....lets just say, um 'use the bathroom'. He was in a hurry to get down from lunch today, because he had to go. He still hasn't mastered wiping yet so I was called to the bathroom to 'assist'. He said, 'Mom that was a close one. I almost pooped my pants, but I didn't. Let me hear a whoop, whoop'. I couldn't help but laugh.

Austin's Christmas Tunes

2011-12-28T22:31:00.001-06:00

Austin has been singing Christmas tunes for the past month. It's so sweet to listen to him sing. I would love to bottle up this age and stage and open it back up in about 12 years!

Austin's rendition of 'Joy to the World' and 'Rockin' around the Christmas Tree'

'Joy to the World the World is come, let Earth receive her King. Let every heart repair in room.'

'Rockin around the Christmas tree, let the penguin party start.'

Oh...the last one cracks me up!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:02:00.020-06:00

I heard Austin's doorknob turn at 7:30 so I sent Brian to catch him before he reached the living room. We weren't quite quick enough. He brought him to our bed and I asked if he saw anything. He was so excited! He said, 'Santa came Mom...he brought me a football with Mickey hands. He was thrilled. Luckily Mason woke up about 20 minutes later. I would say by their gifts, that they've been good!

Austin had just spotted his received gloves. He was so excited!

Austin's request to Santa was a 'real' football to play with outside and a kick stand.

So of course he had to try it out right away!

Mason loved tearing into his gifts...at his own pace.

His favorite (non-Christmas gift) toy was gifted to us by the Salvator's. Mason is in love with this Santa. He sings and dances. Brian said it's the best free babysitter for Mason! So during the unwrapping he had to go over several times to play with Santa.

Austin loves to dress up in different uniforms. His other request to Santa was a Packers uniform. He was so excited to get this!

He also got this adorable ref outfit. Maybe the whistle was a mistake...

We got the wrapping paper picked up in time for our lunch guests. Nana, Papa Bob, GG and Aunt Mary came for lunch.

We all took good naps and headed to Papa Bob and Nana's for Christmas with the cousins.

Only at Papa Bob and Nana's is their corn allowed in the house. The boys LOVE this!

The boys enjoyed their dinner at their own table.

By this round of opening gifts Mason was ready to go. He had many 'ohhhh's'. It was so sweet.

The perfect shirt for Papa Bob.

Austin got a wallet with some cash in it from GG...he was more interested in the picture of Jackie Carmichael that was also in the wallet! He's obsessed. Some days we have to call him 'Jackie' as opposed to Austin.

Mason got a new shirt from Aunt Tara and was trying to try it on.

The boys both got new toys from Nana and Papa Bob. They had fun!

Nana hid the pickle for the boys so we had to take turns finding it!

What a bunch! Today was wonderful!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T15:14:00.015-06:00

Every Christmas Eve we spend at my parents house. The kids have so much energy prior to lunch. They can't wait to eat so we can open gifts!
The boys with Rossy-Boy.

Before the pretty presents are ripped open we do family pictures. I'm sure the kids love this!

My 2 sisters and Mom and Dad.

Our entire Wilder Family including Grandpa and Grandma.

Austin got a new watch from Granny and Papa. He was thrilled! He wanted it on right away!

Mason got in on the unwrapping as well. It took him a bit to get going but once he did, he loved it.

The boys and their Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Wilder.

Josie got a new hair styling kit and was busy doing Austin's hair. He didn't seem to mind it much!

The boys with their matching ties all ready for the Church service on Christmas Eve. My favorite part is when we light our candles, they dim the Church lights and we sing Silent Night. LOVE it!

An attempt at the grandkids picture!

We weren't able to start our 2 hour trip back until about 9:30. The boys slept the majority of the way and even stayed asleep as we tucked them in their beds. Santa's elves then got busy! We even left cookies and milk out for Santa, as Austin was already tucked in bed.

The beginning of the Christmas Celebrations

2011-12-23T15:05:00.011-06:00

We got to town around 10:30 this morning. The boys were excited to watch Papa's train go around the tree!

We had lunch and the boys decided to not nap very long so we headed over to Great Grandpa and Grandmas for a quick visit. The boys were entertained by the snowman going up and down by the flip of a switch.

My Dad has put these out for as long as I can remember. Mason loves all the 'ho ho's'.

My Dad and I tried to help my Mom made some divinity. That stuff is tricky!

We went out to my sister's house to have a nice Mexican Dinner and play. The cousins love getting together. The boys out number the girls so it always gets a little rough!

Josie loves her Baby Mason!

We headed back to Granny and Papa's to get a good nights rest before Christmas Eve!

Candy Making Day

2011-12-22T20:51:00.009-06:00

Today was our last stay at home day before our traveling begins. The boys and I spent the morning making chocolate-peanut butter fudge, chocolate chip cookie dough fudge, Rudolph's on a stick, and Double Stuff Oreos with white chocolate on a stick.

I had to take this photo...it reminds me of mine Mom. She's a great candy maker!

The boys were actually getting along. Mason wasn't screaming that Austin was sitting next to him. I'm guessing this is because Austin was feeding him candy?

I felt like the Pioneer Woman tonight sending the boys out to deliver Christmas treats. They took some to our neighbors and drove the Gator.

What a wonderful day...

2011-12-20T21:29:00.029-06:00

Our friends Blake and Brooke are going through an amazing time in their lives. God has shown us all how lucky Baby Charlotte is to have such amazing parents. They are the most unbelievably strong team. Their commitment, team work, kind words, smiles and words have touched so many in the last 5 months. Through the most difficult time they have known in their lives they have pulled together and shown such courage and belief that Baby Charlotte will pull through and come home. I was able to join them for a day at the hospital and got to finally meet Baby Charlotte. She has the most amazing, big beautiful eyes with the longest eyelashes! She's so cute! I got to hold her little hand and she even squeezed my finger, like she was telling me she's going to be just fine. It was so neat to watch Blake and Brooke swoop into her room and speak to the nurses and doctors. You could immediately tell the energy in the room was so positive and happy. They checked her all out, talked to her and the doctors. It was so awesome to see. We spent several hours with Baby Charlotte before we headed out for a bite to eat. I'm so glad I got to meet Baby Charlotte today!

GLAPS Christmas Program

2011-12-16T20:53:00.015-06:00

Tonight Granny and Papa Gary joined Papa Bob and Nana and us at Austin's school for his Christmas program. I had a good idea what songs they would be singing as Austin has been doing plenty of practice around home. I had NO idea that he would lead the class and be the little drummer boy!!

Jingle Bells...

Rick and Karen, some special friends of ours also came to watch Austin. Each of the students received a new book from Santa so Karen was happily reading it to Austin.

Nana and Papa Bob

Granny and Papa Gary

Rick and Karen are so sweet. They get the boys a Christmas gift each year. Austin was beyond thrilled with his. He insisted that we call him Kenny Chesney for the rest of the night!

Cookie Decorating with the Cousins

2011-12-14T22:16:00.006-06:00

Tonight after naps we headed up to Aunt Tara's house to ice some cookies. The boys were more interested in eating the cookies than decorating!

Nana and Papa Bob got each family a Disney train to put around the Christmas tree. It's so neat, it even smokes and has a bell!

Cookie Baking Night

2011-12-13T13:05:00.003-06:00

Austin loves helping me bake! Actually, I'm pretty sure he likes dumping, stirring and eating the dough! He comes by this honestly!

YUM! Austin and I wanted to sit and eat the bowl of dough instead of bake the cookies! Brian just doesn't understand!

It's Christmas time!

2011-12-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

I just love this time of year!! Santa came to the Studio for 2 days worth of Santa Sessions. It was so much fun seeing all the different reactions! Mason was not too fond of Santa this year. I just love the kids innocence during Christmas.

Mason caught Santa out of the corner of his eye and screamed! I thought this was a cute photo though. Poor little guy!

Austin was really into Santa this year. It's so cute!

We have had this photo of the boys for the past 3 years! The 1st year Austin and Calem were screaming, last year everyone was happy and this year the babies are screamers!

This big guy has really changed the past few months. He absolutely loves school, swim lessons and Awana. He told me the other night that Awana is his favorite though. He's kind of a stinker to his little brother right now. He knows just what to do to push his buttons!

Mr. Smiley...this is Mason's typical look...he's actually Mr. Serious!

Disney, Last Day

2011-12-05T21:24:00.081-06:00

This morning we got up and decided to have breakfast outside by the water. Brian said 'we can't do this at home so might as well enjoy it here'. We did enjoy it!

We caught the bus to Downtown Disney with Papa Bob and Nana.

We met the rest of the family at T-Rex for lunch. The other half of the family is going on the Disney Cruise and our vacations happened to overlap by a day. It was great to see them as they live in Kansas City and Denver.

The boys loved T-Rex. Austin also had his first 'Build-A-Bear' experience. He made 'T-Rex'.

ALL boys...can you believe it?

Mason loves babies right now so he had fun talking with Andrew.

Mason's hair is getting so long and curly in Florida!

Cousins

Mason fell asleep waiting for the bus...

When we got back we let Austin skip his nap and go swimming instead.

We headed to Epcot for dinner at La Hacienda, Mexico. Austin was very dazed going through the gates so we strapped him in 'just in case' he fell asleep sitting up.

Donald Duck showed up so I took Mason for a quick photo, while Austin napped.

Austin taking his nap...a little late.

We got our 1st PRINCESS autograph on our LAST night!! Mason LOVED her...imagine that!

Epcot was great, we walked around to the different countries with Nana and Papa Bob. We decided to skip the fireworks on our last night and head to bed. I think we were all kind of ready to go home. What an amazing, exciting, wonderful, busy, exhausting trip DISNEY is!

Disney, Day 5

2011-12-04T21:18:00.034-06:00

Today was our free day to go back to whatever park we wanted to. The 4 of us decided to walk back over to Hollywood Studios.

We spotted Stitch and Austin wanted another autograph. Mason was again not too fond!

Next we saw Daisy and Austin wanted her autograph too.

Then we headed for the 3D Muppet show. I think the 3D and 4D shows are so neat. Austin likes to take his glasses off and have my arm by him.

Austin just had to have these Mickey hands. I'm pretty sure they were to torment his brother with.

We did a little shopping and headed back again for naps. When the boys got up Nana and Papa Bob and the 4 of us headed back to Magic Kingdom. We rode the train around the park and then decided to try Splash Mountain. Brian even rode it and liked it. We then headed to Big Thunder Mountain again. Austin really loves roller coasters.
We rode a few other rides and then headed to Chef Mickey for a very late dinner. The boys did great considering our reservation was at 8:40pm.

Mason really didn't cry the entire trip. He only cried when the characters were standing next to him!! He was being so silly tonight by making faces and sticking his tongue out!

He truly loved the characters from afar!

After dinner we got a quick group shot.

Disney, Day 4

2011-12-03T21:19:00.024-06:00

This morning we all walked to Epcot and rode Soarin. Brian does not like roller coasters or evidentially heights as he wanted to keep his eyes closed on this ride!! It was a really neat ride. After an early lunch we brought the kids back for a quick nap so we could hear to Animal Kingdom.

We went on the Safari ride and absolutely loved it. Mason was so excited pointing and talking like he was really telling us something. There was a Rhino chasing us. It was kind of crazy.

Next we headed to the Dinosaurland and Austin and I rode 'Dinosaur'. It was super loud so right away Austin grabbed my arm to put across him and covered both of his ears. The photo they snapped during the ride was hilarious. He was peeking out the corner of this eyes with his ears covered and my arm across him. After the ride he told me he never wanted to ride that ever again.

We spotted Pluto and Goofy and got their autographs. We saw some dark clouds around so thought this might be a good place to take shelter.

Luckily, we missed the rain but got to see a great rainbow!

Then Brian took the boys on the flying dinosaur ride. We started towards the Tusker House and spotted the Bug Life show. It was really neat with smells, water, poking and seats rumbling during the show. Both boys were kind of scared during it. We then made it to the Tusker House and had a nice dinner. The park was getting ready to close but we hurried and were able to ride Expedition Everest. We brought the boys back and put them to bed and us girls headed to downtown Disney for some shopping. We did some damage there and got back around midnight.

Disney, Day 3

2011-12-02T21:20:00.041-06:00

Since the boys get up early we decided to head to Downtown Disney for a short bit to check it out. We shopped and looked around and then caught the bus to Magic Kingdom so we could then catch the monorail to the Grand Floridian for a character breakfast.

We met up with everyone there and had a great breakfast with Mary Poppins, Tigger, Alice from Alice and Wonderland and the Mad Hatter. Austin didn't want to get the 'girls' autograph...but he did.

We then headed back for naps. We took the boat across to Magic Kingdom and then got on the bus. The boys loved the boat ride.

We got the boys dressed and downstairs for a quick photo before we headed to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party.

We didn't have a park pass today but we did have tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party so we could get in the park at 4.

Uncle Clint was the only one brave enough to ride the Tea Cups.

The kids went on some rides and Austin went on his first real roller coaster, Big Thunder Mountain. He loved it!! He sat between Nana and Mommy.

We saw the concert before the parade. Tara, Deb and I ran the boys up while the guys hung back and saved our spots for the parade. The boys couldn't see so I ended up putting Austin on my shoulders for as long as I could. Ouch! He said he wished his Daddy was there because he's taller and more comfy! The parade was absolutely amazing. Mason sat on my lap and actually clapped and waved at the characters. Every other parade he's cried and been so scared of the characters. There was even a float where a character was making gingerbread cookies and as the float passed you could smell them!

After the parade and complimentary cookies and hot chocolate we went on some more rides, watched another show and then ran to the bridge to catch the fireworks. Mason ended up falling asleep and slept through some rides and the fireworks. I ended up riding Space Mountain with Tara and actually like it. My favorite is still the Rockin Rollecoaster. We headed for the buses and finally made it back around 11! What a magical night!!

Disney, Day 2: Hollywood Studios

2011-12-01T21:41:00.024-06:00

Today we walked to Hollywood Studios. It was another beautiful day! We saw Piglet giving autographs with a really short line so we got a quick autograph. Mason is seriously CRYING in every autograph picture! Poor kid. He LOVED the characters from afar but up close he screamed!

We watched the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. The boys liked it! There was a lot of music and dancing. We waited in line to get Buzz Lightyear and Woody's autograph. Brian strolled with Mason and he took a little nap. It was so neat watching Austin with the characters. He was in heaven!

The army man found the boys. Austin was so proud to show off his sleeping brother.

We also saw the Lights, Camera, Action stunt show. Austin was pretty impressed.

We had reservations at the 50s Prime Time Cafe. Even with reservations we had to wait a long time for a table. It just so happened that the Pixar Pals parade was about to start so Tara and I took the boys over to watch it.

Austin loved dancing in the street. He went crazy!

After dinner we kind of all went our separate ways. We really wanted to find Phineas and Ferb so we headed that way. We also got to see Lightening and Mator.

Austin was in heaven!! He was so excited to see Lightening and Mator in person. The look on his face was priceless!!

We just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see them turn on the Osbourne Light Show. There were lights everywhere! It snowed, soap bubbles!

We headed back with 2 very worn out little boys. We bathed the kids and Deb and I went to Magic Kingdom to get some cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We caught the castle light show and fireworks! What a fun-filled day!

Disney, Day 1

2011-11-30T21:09:00.043-06:00

The kiddos started our morning out early, 6am. I must have been excited because I didn't sleep much. So we ate breakfast and waited anxiously for everyone else to get ready. We headed to the Magic Kingdom. It was so neat!

We walked around a bit then rode the Dumbo ride. Both of the boys really enjoyed it. Next we headed for Peter Pan. Austin loved it but it scared Mason a little. We grabbed a quick snack then decided to ride 'it's a small world'. Austin thought it was boring, haha. We headed for Buzz Lightyear and was very excited there was no line! The boys loved it so much they rode it again right away. We headed back to the Castle area and got our picture taken in from to the castle with our special shirts on.

Deb was hoping to get a good Christmas Card photo this year at Disney.

Our matching shirts might have been a little dorky but we had so many compliments on them. Everyone wanted to know where we got them. Tara ordered the American Apparel shirts online and they appliques came from CutiePyCreations.

We came upon a street dance party that was just starting. Austin's reaction was unbelievable!! If nothing else spectacular happens this trip I'm over the moon thrilled with Austin's reaction. It's a moment I will never orget. He danced and boogied the entire time. A couple of the cast members grabbed him and he got to dance in the street. The look on his face was priceless.

As we were waiting for our reservation time at Town Square we got Pinocchios autograph.

Mason doesn't really care for any of the characters. Austin is in heaven here! We waited inside for our table and I happened to notice a Mickey and Minnie Backstage pass area. I went to inquire and it was so neat! WE got to go 'backstage' and get Mickey and Minni's autographs!! We were in a room by ourselves with them!! It was very neat!

After a great lunch we caught the Celebration parade as it was starting.

The two cast members that danced with Austin recognized him!

Again, Austin was in heaven seeing all the characters but Mason was exhausted and less than thrilled!

We got these cute little Santa Mickey hats for the boys for the Very Merry Christmas party.

Ah, brothers!

We caught the bus and headed back for late naps. We grabbed a quick supper and headed to Epcot to check it out. We ended up riding the Finding Nemo Ride and then headed to the Test Track. Brian, Austin and I rode together. I thought Austin might be a little scared but he LOVED it! We ran to catch the light show and fireworks. It was pretty cold out tonight! But the perfect ending to a wonderful day!

Off to Disney World!

2011-11-29T21:04:00.000-06:00

And we are off on our much anticipated trip to Disney World. The plane ride went smoothly and the boys were pretty good. Mason was a little bit restless but did well. We got to Orlando and it was nice and sunny. We caught the bus to the Boardwalk and found our rooms. They overlook the pool. After getting all our things put away we headed out to cruise the Boardwalk.

We ended up walking the entire thing. Deb pointed out Epot and I got a little chocked up as this is my first time to Disney World. I can't wait to see Mickey! We ended up at ESPN to eat for dinner. After dinner we headed outside and a magician found us. The boys were front and center and laughed and laughed. It was super cute.

After some cotton candy...we then headed up for baths and we are pretty sure the boys were asleep in record time.

To the North Pole

2011-11-25T22:16:00.000-06:00

Tonight we took the kids to ride the Polar Express to the North Pole. It was seriously magical! It was just like the movie. Austin watched the movie on the way to Thanksgiving for a refresher so he was really into the train ride. He actually wasn't ready to get off when it was time.

We just happened to know the conductor so we got to check out the engine up close! It was really neat!

Brotherly Love...don't let it fool you. They aren't always this way!

They even came by to punch your ticket. It was just like the movie!

They read the story aloud as we all followed along.

We stopped at the North Pole and Santa got on and gave each kid a jingle bell. I love how Mason is keeping an eye on him!

We had so much fun tonight! It was a great experience and definitely got us in the Christmas spirit! It was incredible to see the kids eyes sparkle throughout the entire experience!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T22:26:00.001-06:00

We have SO much to be thankful for! We were all able to get together again this year for Thanksgiving. It was such a beautiful day out. Thank heaven, as the kids were able to get outside and burn off some energy. I think maybe we don't get together often enough because they go crazy with excitement when they're together!

The grandchildren photo attempt turned out much better than the one in July!

No photoshopping required! :)

Mason was a tad bit hungry and a zombie! This was right before lunch!

Mama and her boys!

And with Daddy we are complete! He completes us and I'm so thankful for him everyday!

I saw these turkeys on Pinterest so Austin helped me make them. We also made pilgrim hats but we forget to get a picture of them. We've been requested to make these every year now. Austin named the Rooster at the farm 'Ralph' so he couldn't wait to tell Papa Bob that he made a whole bunch of 'Ralpheses'.

After lunch the boys wanted to go exploring in the woods. It had a rough start as Ross tried to jump the creek, lost his balance and fell back into his Mom who then fell into Austin, knocking him partially into the creek. Finally everyone made it across, a little wet...but across. Jenna and I decided to watch from the safe side. This was until Kerri convinced me to come across for the great photo op. So here I come with my camera phone! Lovely photo of leaves and branches covering the faces. They were pretty high up in the tree....

Not exactly sure why she was leading...
LOL

After exploring the woods the boys wanted to start a fire. Papa got a 'small' fire started but 'boys will be boys' and of course had to see how big they could get it. They discovered pine needles really make the flames reach high!

Josie is in love with 'Baby Mason' so she was busy taking care of him. They ended up feeding each other Cheerios.

The 2 lovebirds were busy hugging most of the night. They are about the same size and only 4 months apart.

Santa Buns

2011-11-16T22:30:00.000-06:00

Tara and I had a quick Session with the littles with the bigs were at school.

How does this happen?

2011-11-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

Austin really enjoyed his pudding for dessert....

We have a walker

2011-11-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

Mason really started walking today...

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:43:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Mason was originally going to be a monkey but as soon as Austin tried on his costume he wanted to lasso Mason, his cow. So I laughed and then it clicked...Mason could be a cow. I went on a hunt for a cow costume and had great success at a discount price! We got the costume container out about a month ago and Austin found his Daddy's chaps and vest from when he was little. This is all it took-he wanted to be a 'cowboy cop'. We tried telling him that was called a sheriff but he insisted he was going to be a cowboy cop.

We met up with some friends in town and went trick or treating. The kids had a blast running door to door!

This was the party house! We ended here with some great snacks. Their decorations were awesome!

Kruger Pumpkin Breakfast

2011-10-30T20:55:00.009-05:00

With Halloween on a Monday this year and a growing list of 'must-hit' houses we decided to invite everyone over for a Halloween Breakfast. Mason and Rowen are so fun to watch!

Great (x3) Aunt Marion and GG joined us too along with Aunt Jane and Uncle Dave.

GG got all the boys Jordan's to wear to the ISU basketball games.

Tonight after dinner we decided to finally carve our pumpkins.

Mason loved touching the pumpkin guts! He even tried a taste...didn't go over too well.

Lunch at Rader's Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T20:57:00.003-05:00

Today Daddy met us at the pumpkin farm for a quick lunch. Austin was so proud to show Daddy around.

The Spirit of Peoria

2011-10-23T21:15:00.008-05:00

Brian and I waited until the last possible night to take the boys to Peoria to ride the River Boat. We kept putting it off because of weather, farming, etc. We got so lucky tonight. The weather was perfect. We had the gift certificate for a year and we're so glad we didn't let it expire. The boys had a great time!

We ALWAYS go to Mommy's favorite (Texas Roadhouse) when in Peoria but tonight decided to change things up and try 'Uncle Buck's' at the new BassPro Shop. It had such a neat atmosphere! We definitely want to come back over for some bowling!

Our 'New' Firepit

2011-10-22T21:22:00.002-05:00

Austin has been wanting to have a fire so bad. At the old house we had a fire pit hole. We don't have one at the new house. On the way to a photo session this morning I had to swerve to miss this big black bowl thing in the road. An hour later when I went back by, it was still there. To be 'neighborly' I moved it. Ok, so I moved it to the back of my car and took it home. I mean, I didn't want someone to really mess up their car and hit the thing!!

So we setup around the fire and had smores!

We have new shoes

2011-10-21T12:59:00.002-05:00

Ugh, that's my feeling right now. I don't like them one bit. Austin is being really sweet, helpful and supportive of Mason's new kicks. Mason doesn't seem to mind them right now. They look so uncomfortable and it appears we have his shoes on the wrong feet.

Garage Farming

2011-10-20T13:00:00.003-05:00

Since Austin's corn dumping incident in his bedroom a couple of years ago, the corn must stay in the garage. So this is where you will find him much of the time. He likes it to be as 'real' as possible much of the time.

The crops are out!

2011-10-18T14:36:00.005-05:00

The last of the crops are out. It didn't take my Dad long to gather his belongings and move out! We enjoyed having him live with us. We didn't see him much though. He seems to think he wants to come back up next Fall!

Homecoming Parade

2011-10-15T14:36:00.008-05:00

This weekend is ISU's homecoming. We met up with Bridget and Tara and all the boys. They had a blast! We have so much candy now!

Mason chilled on Bridget's lap and enjoyed a sucker!

Tara took the boys up to ride with their Daddy's after the parade. I called Brian to see how he was doing and discovered that Austin went to ride with Papa Gary. He chose Papa over Daddy. Daddy was very sad.

Austin's Field Trip

2011-10-12T13:13:00.011-05:00

Austin's class got to go on a field trip this morning to the Pumpkin Patch. Mason played at the farm with Nana so I could give my full attention to Austin.

He searched and searched for the perfect pumpkin to fit in his little plastic bag.

Who's child is that reaching through to the pig, anyway??

Date Night

2011-10-09T20:52:00.002-05:00

Brian's childhood friend got married today. The farming operation was shut down for the evening. We had a babysitter (my parents) and took advantage of the evening out. It was a nice change of pace...if only for a couple of hours. We went to the wedding, hit up Rosie's with some friends and then the reception. It was great to be out with my husband!

Mason's teeth

2011-10-08T14:34:00.005-05:00

Mason has been a little slower that Austin in nearly every area. It's hard not to compare! He took forever to get his first tooth but now we have 3! He has his other bottom tooth (now 2) and his top left tooth. It looks HUGE...just like Austin's did!

Mason's Appointment for Feet

2011-10-07T14:35:00.017-05:00

At Mason's one year appointment I pointed out the the pediatrician that Mason's feet turn in. I asked if it was something to be concerned about. He agreed that they did turn in significantly and would like to refer us on to a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon in Springfield. It took until now to finally get in. Mason and I went to Springfield for the early morning appointment and discovered that his feet do indeed turn in and measures need to be taken, immediately to correct the issue. The also took x-rays of his hips to make sure the problem wasn't stemming from them. Thank heaven it's not his hips. Weighing nearly 10lbs at birth and being bound pretty tight inside me, most likely caused his feet to turn in and learn to grow that way. They fitted him for the most hideous white, lace up the front, hard soled, open-toed shoes today. I can't believe they don't have anything a little more stylish. I asked if there were color choices and they laughed. :( They want him to wear them as much as possible and he has to wear a bar between them at night to help them to learn to grow in the right direction. I held it together until I reached the parking lot and held Mason so tight and cried. I called Brian with the news and he didn't think it was any big deal. Um, reality check! Baby Charlotte has been in the NICU for 8 weeks and I'm worried about a pair of shoes? WOW!? Really? So I pulled it together and convinced myself that I wouldn't have 3 months of sleepless nights. Mason has been sleeping just fine through the night and I just knew that this bar would keep him awake. We go back next week to pickup the shoes.

So many things to do

2011-10-06T22:46:00.005-05:00

Brian has been telling Austin that he can ride his 4 wheeler in the bean field across from the house. I decided to make time for this because Austin asks every 5 minutes. No one told me how dusty a bean field is. Ugh-we made the trip around the field 1 time and I was done. Mason and I were a dusty mess! Austin loved every second of it! He was thrilled to have the huge field to fly in!

While Austin was busy farming with Dad, Mason and I stopped by the farm.

Deb kept Mason while a friend and I headed South to take some engagement photos. The couple had so hard to reach locations but I jumped the creek and snapped away. It was fun!

I went to get Austin at the field tonight. This is what I saw and couldn't help but capture it!

It's Finally Mason's Turn

2011-10-05T13:25:00.002-05:00

It's finally Mason's turn to ride in the combine. It seems like I can find a million things to do while Austin is at preschool but today I decided to make the time about Mason. He of course wanted to be in charge and 'drive' the combine. This doesn't work well with auto-steer.

Seriously..like farther like son!

The life...

2011-10-03T13:35:00.001-05:00

I took Austin up to ride with Brian before lunch. He just can't get enough. I'm not sure what we will do when Mason's old enough to have an opinion!

After nap Austin goes straight to the garage to 'farm'. He can't get enough. There is corn everywhere in the garage. I've made a rule that no corn is allowed in the house!

Dad stopped by to get a drink in the semi and asked if Austin could go for a ride with him. Austin was thrilled so away they jogged down the lane.

I honestly couldn't tell who was more thrilled! This was Austin's 1st ride with Papa.

See the big and small hand waving...so cute!

Dad...it's where I get it from!

2011-10-02T21:12:00.001-05:00

Growing up my Dad always had a fancy camera and lenses. I guess that's where my passion from photography comes from. He was always taking photos at my sporting events! He was all film of course. Luckily...I'm not!

Cutest little punkins' around!

2011-09-27T21:04:00.000-05:00

I have a new addiction called 'Pinterest' and found this on there. We just had to re-create our own version of it! I'm sure they're just going to LOVE us when they're older. It was so funny, they didn't know what hit them. They were just enjoying their snacks.

This is our LIFE right now!

2011-09-12T14:43:00.004-05:00

The boys and I are settling into our new routine for the next 6 weeks. It's different having Dad living with us but we don't really see much of him!

Busy Day!

2011-09-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

Austin declared he was going to farm with his Daddy in the morning. So he woke up at 6 and away they went. Mason and I ran a few errands and came back to give Bob a ride. Look in my rear view mirror and saw this.

WOW...that at that workin' man in that big green tractor...

The farm is getting a lot of new concrete so we decided to mark it with the boys hands and the year. The 3 oldest did their hand and the babies did their foot! This is going to be so neat to look back on!

Dang, this is Mason...with a missing head.

My mind is completely else where today.

1st Day of Preschool

2011-09-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

Today is Austin's 1st day of Preschool. He's attending the same preschool as last year. He's very excited to go this morning!

We delivered lunch today...what a beautiful day!

1st Day of Harvest

2011-09-06T21:08:00.019-05:00

It's here. Harvest.

Ready or not, it's here.

Austin couldn't wait to get in the tractor with his Daddy. He had swim lessons first and I was able to hold him off until after his nap. He rode for 3 hours. Uncle Clint had to take him to the combine so I didn't have to drive all the way out in the field.

I didn't really know what to do with my time so Mason and I went to check on Farmer Papa Gary. He was unloading the semi. He's also moved in with us for harvest. By 'moved in' he's staying in our spare room, setup his computer, asked for hangers, sugar bowl is out and supplies have taken up residence in the downstairs bathroom. I guess this means he's staying awhile.

The guys had to quit early to work on the dryer. Austin was stalling...of course he wasn't ready to go home with Mom!

Love this one...right place, right time.

Little Mason James

2011-09-05T21:53:00.004-05:00

Testing the Corn

2011-09-05T21:18:00.008-05:00

We are milking today for all it's worth. This will probably be the last time we're all together for awhile. Tomorrow is the start of harvest. Brian was testing the moisture of the corn to see if it was dry enough to combine. This is a moisture tester.

You shuck an ear of corn...

You pour it in and sit really still...Austin had troubles with this one.

Testing...

26.7%...too wet to combine. What a relief! I'm SO not ready to get rid of my privacy fence just yet!

We have our own little pumpkin patch again this year. We decided to test a pumpkin on the front porch to see how long it would last. It's make it 48 hours without the dog taking off with it!

I completely forgot to take Mason's photo by the pedal tractor...so we got that in tonight too. Not sure how safe this photo is but it's what I walked out and saw.

Mason LOVES riding in the Gator! He actually cries when you take him out.

Fall Festival Parade

2011-09-03T16:37:00.009-05:00

Happy Labor Day Weekend...thought we would be at the Lake...but we're at the Fall Festival enjoying the parade. I haven't been back for the festival in YEARS! It was a last minute decision but a good one. We enjoyed time with my sisters and cousin Sarah from Kansas City.

It was fun seeing what had changed...not much. I'm pretty sure this is the same clown that walked the parade from when I was little. I just remember him being a little 'thicker' years ago.

My sister walked with the other teachers. Justin and Josie drove the Gator and tossed out candy.

Mason was anxious to see what was coming next.

Kruger Family

2011-09-02T14:48:00.006-05:00

Tara and I decided we needed an updated Kruger family photo so we arranged everything for a nice 'Fall Photo' before the guys got busy in the field. It was 95 degrees and extremely humid! UGH! We all survived!

2011-08-28T12:06:00.002-05:00

Preschool Orientation

2011-08-27T15:30:00.006-05:00

This afternoon Austin and I went to his preschool Orientation. He'll be attending the same school as last year. He was disappointed that he didn't get to stay today but is really looking forward to school starting again!

Picture Night

2011-08-26T15:30:00.009-05:00

Children of photographers don't stand a chance!

Poor Mason...Austin is forever running his fingers through Mason's curls. Both of my boys love hair. Mason has to play with mine while nursing.

We were all loaded up ready to head to dinner and Jeff showed up. So Austin wanted to feed the cows. He was in heaven!

Happy Birthday Papa Bob

2011-08-26T14:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Papa Bob! We try to get a unique photo of the boys every year for Papa Bob's birthday. This little shoot went pretty smoothly...despite the face that Mason ended up with a mouth FULL of cow poop. It was FULL. Yuck!

Mama and her boys

2011-08-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

Photographers like to sometimes be on the other side of the camera...if not only to let their children know they existed! My photographer friend and I captured each other with our kiddos. I have so many I love but will leave you with these two. My boys...love them to pieces!

Danver's Days Parade

2011-08-21T14:25:00.000-05:00

The kids had a wonderful time at the parade today.

They were anxiously awaiting the line of fire trucks.

Mason sat so still and took it all in.

Austin loves the act of picking the candy up just about as much as the candy itself.

Nana promised them rides are the parade.

Friday night Austin would have nothing to do with the swings. Today, with a little pressure from his older cousin he did it and enjoyed it! We thought for sure he would be sick from them.

Austin and Dalton were busy throwing out 'candy' and the 'parade'.

We went home and later took a Gator Ride. He's our attempt at a family portrait...this was about the 10th try!

How lucky are we. The sky was beautiful, we have each other, our health, we have it all.

God is GOOD!

Happy 6th Anniversary

2011-08-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary! You think on your wedding day that your heart can't possibly love someone anymore than you do on that day. Well...it can and it does. We are still crazy in love, like we were 6 years ago. Tonight we went to dinner at Rosie's by ourselves...it was strange but great. Brian is my best friend, he's an amazing husband, awesome Daddy and he's mine. Some days I still can't believe it. He.Is.Mine. Ah, love this guy!

Danvers Days

2011-08-19T14:23:00.000-05:00

We headed over to Danver's for dinner and Austin wanted to ride a few rides.

He definitely got his money's worth on this roller coaster. It kind of broke down while he was on it so he got an extra long ride. It's not that it wouldn't go...it just wouldn't stop where it was supposed to.

It was such a beautiful night!

Quick little photo shoot

2011-08-18T14:22:00.002-05:00

We did a quick little photo shoot today at the farm.

Daddy and his boys.

Now that's A LOT of Kruger boys!

Happy 4th Birthday Austin Shane!

2011-08-18T14:20:00.064-05:00

Today you are Four.
Four is full of brilliance, cleverness and change.
Four is mature and independent.
Four means inquisitive, intelligence and silliness are part of the every day.
But Four is never shy of a kiss.
Great conversations are all part of Four.
Whether you are a farmer, worker or simply keeping your little brother out of trouble, it is always done with conviction.
You are wonderful, dear Four.
What a beautiful year this will be.

Happy birthday to my beautiful four year old, Austin Shane.

FOUR...where does the time go? Austin has really changed this Summer. He can be serious and silly all during the same story. He's quite the story teller. He has an imagination of no other. He can come up with a story with just about anything he lays his hands or eyes on. Most of his stories have something to do with working or farming. He loves to be just like his Daddy. He doesn't take you seriously if you tell him he looks like his Mama. He playful, gentle, sweet and onry to his baby brother. He's an early riser, like his Daddy...and unlike his Mama. Luckily he gets up quietly, comes to my bedside with the remote. He doesn't speak a word and then climbs in on the other side while I turn on Disney. He rolls over and whispers...'I can't stay long Mom...I have to go to work'. (In a very serious tone.) Then I nod back off for a little bit and he sneaks over to give me a kiss on the head. Seriously this little boy melts my heart each and every morning. I pretend to stay asleep until he asks if we can snuggle. I cherish this morning ritual we have and cling to it as I know it will pass way to quickly.

For breakfast he loves milk with either pancakes, waffles, bread or occasionally cereal. He loves the days when we stay home and play. He's thrilled when Daddy lets him go to work with him. He's a great eater as he loves fruit, sweet corn, tomatoes, bread and meat. He'll pretty much eat anything we put in front of him. He has a love for candy and chocolate...I think this is the 'Wilder' side coming out in him. He loves his swim lessons and his becoming quite the swimmer. He still takes a great 2 to 3 hour nap every afternoon with no fight. His favorite show and movie currently Phineas and Ferb.

We love you Austin Shane!

Austin had a wonderful birthday. We pretty much let him decide the schedule for the day. He started the morning by watching some Disney. Then Aunt Kerri and Ross called him on FaceTime before school. They sang him happy birthday. He loved it! Then we headed to Cracker Barrel (Austin's request) for breakfast. Daddy and Papa Bob met us there for breakfast...Nana came a bit later. Papa Bob brought Austin a balloon and 2 new cars. He was thrilled. He had some pancakes for breakfast but managed to save room for his ice cream. Next we headed to Barnes and Noble so he could look at some books and buy some with his gift card from Aunt Dottie and Uncle Larry. He managed to spend his and Mason's! We then headed to the park to meet up with his cousins. They had fun playing and then took a break for a nice picnic lunch. We headed home for naps and then Papa Bob, Nana, Uncle Clint, Aunt Tara, Dalton, Calem and Rowen came over for pizza and 'baseball' cupcakes. Austin got an ISU jersey from his couins and loved it. I love the look on his face...pure excitement! They had to try them out so downstairs they went. Then we went outside to play some baseball. Austin ended the night with a bath with his little brother.

The following were Austin's party invites.

Lets meet at the Park!

2011-08-17T11:31:00.003-05:00

Today we meant the cousins at the park. This is the perfect park. There's plenty to do and there's never anyone there! It's perfect for the boys to run free and play!

Catching up with the Chickens

2011-08-16T11:30:00.006-05:00

The boys and I stopped by the farm tonight so Austin could see Sally's new babies. They were running around and hiding a lot. But Austin was excited to check out the rooster with Papa Bob.

Mason was intrigued by the pigeons up on the roof!

Austin found some feathers.

Please Help!

2011-08-15T16:01:00.000-05:00

We need help in deciding which one to order for our bedroom...which one would you go with?

Shopping for School Supplies

2011-08-15T11:29:00.002-05:00

Today we finished up our school supply shopping. Austin had only a few things left on his list to get. I can't believe it's time for school to start again already! He's really looking forward to going back to school!

The Boys Birthday Party

2011-08-13T15:14:00.080-05:00

This year we decided to have the boys birthday parties together. It was a tough decision. After cleaning everything up after the party, it was a great decision! haha

Of course with Summer birthdays you get to have the party outside! But 2 hours before the party was to start we had a rain storm. Thankfully the sun and heat appeared to dry up all the rain.

It's not often that we are all together at our house so we took advantage and got a family shot.

Austin didn't want a 'theme' this year so we went with blue and green. This made it really simple to decorate and create invites for each boy. We did separate invites because I wanted Mason's 1st birthday to be special too.

Big thanks to my Sister in law for taking photos during the party. It was nice to be able to enjoy the party without a camera in my hands at all times. I even got to be in a few pictures!

This year we decided to have the Zoo Lady come out to paint faces. The kids loved it!

Mason loved his birthday cake. I made a 2-color layered cake.

We HAD to have a Carol Jones birthday cake so she made Austin's cake. It was delicious, as always!

Tara has made each of the boys a 1st birthday crown. We kept to tradition with Mason!

At attempt at a group shot of all the kids. YIKES!
Yep, that's the birthday boy front left throwing a fit!

We also kept to tradition with the fireworks show. The Dad's did a great job!!

These are the Thank you notes we sent out this year!

Thank you so much to our family and friends that helped to make our boys birthdays so special. We can't believe they are 1 and 4!

Mason FINALLY has a tooth!

2011-08-12T23:07:00.001-05:00

Mason celebrated his first birthday tooth-less! It finally popped through on Friday. The little guy took it well. He slept A LOT on Friday! Good thing...Mommy had a LOT of cooking and baking to get done!

1st Trip to the Dentist

2011-08-12T19:07:00.000-05:00

Austin and I had dentist appointments this morning. He has been with me before to watch and see but today was his big day to sit in the chair. He did very well. In the first photo he said the light was too bright for him and notice his hand on hers. He was a little nervous about what she was doing in his mouth. I finally got him to rest his hands on his tummy and he did excellent.

All done. He has 20 teeth, 10 up and 10 down. The best part? No cavities!! Woo hoo, go Austin!

We hurried home so he and Daddy could go watch the cattle show at the State Fair. What a big boy!

Happy 1st Birthday

2011-08-10T22:09:00.032-05:00

Just yesterday I gave birth to a baby. Today, that baby turned one.
Just yesterday I had a brand new newborn. Today, I have a little boy who is growing and learning day by day.
Just yesterday the world stopped turning for just a moment, just long enough to watch a new soul breathe life into his lungs. Today, the world stopped turning for a moment again.
Just yesterday I watched him swimming in clothes that were far too big for him, his little arms getting lost in the mountain of fabric he was yet to grow in to. Today, I folded away his size 12m clothes for the last time.
Just yesterday my heart witnessed the instant poetic bond between siblings. Today I heard “Mason no!!” from his big brother far too many times.
Just yesterday I felt still in the fragility and innocence this amazing person taught me. Today, I watched him crawl and cruise around the furniture, fiercely persistent without a care in the world.
Yes friends, is was only just yesterday… don’t blink.

**adapted from a blog I follow**

We can't believe our sweet Mason James is 1! Time goes even quicker with the second. It's crazy to think back a year ago and all the craziness that happened at birth! We are so thankful everyday for his great health. You would never know he struggled at birth! He's 30 inches long already (50th%) and weights 21 lbs 14oz (40th%)...so he's definitely tapered off! Of course he keeps up the Kruger tradition with a noggin in the 90th%! He's babbling like crazy and is starting to make lots of different sounds. He loves to make us laugh and loves to snuggle and play...but enjoys his space. He'll let you know if he's had a little too much 'closeness' with a loud squeal! He loves climbing the steps. He's holding on to things and cruising around but has no desire to let go and walk. He loves going on Gator rides...whether big or small Gator. He cries when you take him out of them. His favorite toys are the tractors and balls. His favorite foods are strawberries, bananas, mac 'n cheese, waffles, pancakes, puffs, cheerios, Gerber munches, Mum Mums... cake and ice cream (thanks to his birthday party). He still gets up 1 time at night and loves his blankie. He takes a morning and afternoon nap on most days and will go to sleep when you lay him in his crib. He loves to sleep on his tummy and be covered with his blankie. He snuggles right down and is out. He wakes up so happy too! I just love going to get him!

Mason had quite the 1st birth DAY! He woke up to big brother handing him a bouquet of balloons! He wasn't quite sure what to think. We had breakfast and the 4 of us headed to Peoria. We started out at the zoo. All the animals were out and about so it was a successful trip. Next we swung by the Children's Hospital to snap a photo by the sign. We still can't believe he was in there for 4 days! It seriously seems like it is someone else's story. We went down on the riverfront and took a stroll and watched the barges go by. We decided to eat at just about the only restaurant open...Joe's Crabshack. Mason enjoyed one of his last jars of baby food...he's now given that up completely! His favorite part was the ice cream that Austin fed to him. He couldn't get enough! We made it home in time for naps and then he opened a few of his gifts and then we had a quick dinner before Papa Bob, Nana, GG, Uncle Clint, Aunt Tara, Dalton, Calem and Rowen came over for ice cream dessert. It was a wonderful day and he ended it in the tub with his big brother.

Jumping!

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Austin and Mason love the trampoline. Daddy doesn't think we EVER use it...but he's wrong. We have lots of fun on it!

Juicy Goodness

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Austin Shane absolutely loves tomatoes! He would make a meal of them if we allowed it! He eats them like apples!

SHOW DAY

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Today was Show Day...Pee Wee show day at the fair. It's for the little kids that aren't old enough for 4-H. They are given the chance to get in the ring and show a pig. Austin and Bryan (neighbor boy in 4-H) showed a pig. Our hearts were swollen with pride. We didn't put too much pressure on him to do it this year. Last year we practiced and talked about it for a few weeks before the fair. Then he decided he didn't want to do it. So this year we played it down like it wasn't a big deal. So of course he wanted to do it! All the Kruger boys wore their Farm shirts that Nana had made for them. They all looked adorable. When Austin got up this morning, I asked him what we were going to do today. He said I have to show my pig, Mom! He said he needed a corn dog and lemonade shake-up for lunch and the gift that Daddy promised he could open if he showed, ice cream and a bag of candy. Geez-tall order for such a little guy!

Mason took a little snooze before the show.

Sara gave the boys a few pointers before the show. She told them to keep their eyes on the judge and to keep their pig moving. So Austin got acquainted with his pig and practiced walking it a bit before the show. He was all set with his brush and stick. It was the cutest thing ever!! As soon as he went in the ring his eyes were on the judge. He did an amazing job and walked away with a ribbon, certificate and bag of candy.

Lemonda Shake-ups...one of the best reasons to go to the Fair!

Austin and Dalton checking things out before the show!

After the show, poor Mason had to be Austin's show pig or cow for several days! He was constantly being herded one way or another!

Fun at the County Fair

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We are official fair junkies! We headed back to the fair today to watch the pig show.

This is Miss Sara that watches the kids for us on occasion.

The boys got a little antsy so we took them to the shed to drive the combine and do a few other activities. The air conditioning felt so good!

Of course the boys got their faces painted!

Mason and Daddy!

We went home for naps and came back to ride some rides. Austin is finally tall enough for most of the rides now. I can't believe he's nearly 42" tall now!

Dalton was such a big helper to Austin. He helped Austin get his rug out and even gave him a little push to get going down the slide. The next day Austin and Dalton went on the slide again. Dalton took off down the slide and Austin sat at the top forever saying 'I'm ready'...I had to holler up for him to give himself a push. It was too funny.

The 3 boys waiting in line for the roller coaster.

They ended up having to stop the ride for a little one that wasn't less than thrilled. Once it got going again poor Calem decided he didn't like it much either. As you can see, the 2 oldest boys loved it!

Mason is too little to ride the rides so he just chills in the stroller. He's so content. He has his feet crossed most of the time.

Tractor Pull at the Fair

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Brian has been on a real tractor pull kick this Summer. His friend Jay has been pulling this big green rig this summer. We got some ear phones for the kids this year because some of those tractors are ridiculously loud. Mason wasn't sure what to think of them.

I just love this one. Daddy's side kick for sure!

Austin even got up in the drivers seat to check it out. Of course he tried to grab on the gears and buttons!

Cornbelters

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The Kruger family was invited by the Lay family to attend a Cornbelters game. We shared a suite with them and it was great 'watching' the game from inside. It was more like the girls sat in the air conditioning and chatted as the kids ran back and forth! I had good intentions of getting a good group shot but that didn't happen.

Little Boys

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Last year we got Bob and Deb canvases of the boys in their life jackets for the condo at the Lake. This year we did shots of the little boys. Mason is growing so quickly!

Fun day at Aunt Kerri's

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Aunt Kerri wanted to take Austin to the fair to see the animals...

We decided to stop by Patty-Cakes on our way home to get some goodies. My sister came out with a 'deal'. You bought so many and got 1 free. Of course she had to the extra cupcakes. They were amazing!! This bakery has been on TLC 2 times!

Crop Dusters

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We love the crop dusters!! We can sit and watch them weave and swoop for hours! We had the opportunity to go visit the local hangar and see the airplanes in action. We had a blast!

We got to see the airplanes come in...

The boys had head phones because the airplanes are kind of loud when you're up close.

We were standing right in the hangar when the planes came in.

It was pretty entertaining. As soon as the plane came in the guys would get busy cleaning the windshield, giving the pilot the papers for the next field to spray, fill him with fuel and chemical. Everyone worked very quickly to get that plane out before the next one came in.

These were all the chemicals they mixed and use!

And away he goes...

Nick took Austin over to the edge to watch the plane take off.

The decided to 'hot-dog' it and blew some smoke. I guess Austin was pretty impressed!

This sign greeted you on the way in. It basically says if you have business here then you are welcome but if you don't then please leave! Ha!

I'm so glad we were able to go down and experience this. It was awesome! We even got to go down the run way and watch the plane speed by and lift on! So neat! Thanks Nick!

After vacation is tough...

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This morning I caught Mason at the back door talking to Lex.

I also found Mason this morning with this caked to his face...lovely green snot! Yuck! Since I'm so far behind on blogging...I now know this turned into an ear infection!