A walk in the park...

What is the old saying... it's as easy as a walk in the park? I was thinking about this as the boys and I strolled through Hartman Reserve this last weekend. I was referring to the fact that it should be so easy to find time to make moments like these with our kids... I love quiet moments when there are no distractions and no running off to something and no phones to be answered and no televisions to stomp out our conversation opportunities and to-do lists to live by... I don't even have kids in "school activities" yet and I feel the pressure to protect our family time and quality time spent, simply together. We had one of those moments early Saturday morning at Hartman and I was reminded of just how intentional we need to be to provide these moments in not only our kids lives, but moms and dads too. Even when we're "just at home" I want to work on being intentional about providing an environment where we are together...not one of us in front of one TV, another in the kitchen, and another couple in a toy room. My new goal (or old goal just being revisited!!) is to be aware of the things that distract us from being together as a family. And, taking action to avoid these distractions or redirecting our focus as a family. I want to make everyday be memorable in the little ways... one would think this is a walk in the park. I think it can be... I just need to make it habit- to avoid or limit distractions that intersect with good family time or togetherness. Check back in a few months and see how I'm doing! Seriously, I could use some accountability!!
Here's a few shots from our early morning at Hartman. Our first hike around the park since Austin was here in person and not just in my tummy :) I'm going to turn my computer off now so I'm not tempted to come back to it until later tonight when the kids are in bed- a step towards not being distracted!!!

Today + Austin = 9 Months Old!

Jaxon and Austin really do play well together. Jaxon is usually eager to help Austin find a toy or to make him laugh or to help him from one spot to another. I hope this picture is a feel for what lies ahead for these two... a life-time of being friends and brothers.

Austin weighed in today at 21.5 pounds! He actually lost a little weight :)

Austin LOVES to be outside still. He crawls all over the yard these days looking for something interesting to pull or put in his mouth.

Austin's new thing is "so big". It's so funny to watch him play by himself. He will get excited and then just throw his arms up like this..."so big". When Jaxon plays football and scores sometimes Ausitn does this...we call it his touch down dance :) Of course, two of his favorite toys here...my cell phone and a football.

Austin is walking along all our furniture these days. If you look quick enough, you'll catch him standing by himself for a few seconds. Jaxon was walking at 10 months old...perhaps that is in the near future for this one too??? So crazy to think that!

So Happy and So Big!

This is Austin and a little buddy, Boaz Bartlett. I have a cute picture of them both looking at the camera, but this one really captures Austin's excitment that day to see Boaz. Austin kept tyring to "kiss" and "hug" on Boaz. (a.k.a. sucking on and crawling on him and head banging on him :)

He randomly throws his arms up when eating... food is good!

So, I let Ausitn try to feed himself the other day... it was hilarous. He loved the spoon and the bowl on his tray. He kept looking at me like "can I really stick my hands in this"? Needless to say...we had a mid-day bath after this meal!

Austin is on his way to 1 year old already. Where does the time go? This year has been so great as we've prepared for this baby boy and welcomed him into our lives. Babies are such a gift from Above and this one has blessed our family so much. We love having him here and are just really loving this life with two beautiful, healthy, and growing little boys!

Making Memories...

Making memories is easy...it's the recording, scrap-booking, and picture album part of them that takes so stinkin long! In an attempt to keep up with the wonderful moments in our life, I'm going to try this new thing. I take SO many pictures and the thought of printing them, organizing them, getting them into albums, and spending money on all of that...is well, overwhelming sometimes. It's not that I don't like doing all those things. Actually, if I had all the time in the world and money to spend I actually love to scrap-book and put albums in order. But, my time is pretty valuable to me and I have a lot of other things going on that I don't want to miss...so I'm trying this new thing!
As I posted below...Jaxon & I have been having fun with the movie maker on our computer. We've played around a bit and are sort of figuring things out. My new goal is to put together a short video of the kids 3-4 times a year. Summer season, Fall & Winter, and Spring time. This way I can capture a handful of pictures and moments and put it into an easy to watch video/slide show. I don't have to spend money on albums, don't have to store all my albums, spend money on over printing, and this is something Jaxon and I do together. It was fun to pick pictures out as he sat on my lap or right next to me on his stool. Since this was "our" project I even let him choose some music. I, of course, had a great Keith Urban tune picked out to go along with this video with a great verse that sang something about "these days"...it was great... BUT, this is OUR project so when I ran that idea by Jaxon and then offered him the chance to bring his ideas... he brought me his Larry & Bob CD, Wee Songs CD, and Piano Lullabye CD. Hmmm. Not exactly what I was thinking to really catch my emotions as I watched...but Larry & Bob it is! I apologize for the high pitched tunes with this video, but it forever will leave the imprint that Jaxon had a say in this first completed video! For those of you confused by who Larry & Bob are... they are a tomatoe and a cucumber who find themselves in the hearts and heads of many of our little ones. Incredibly annoying at times, but great role models for our little sprouts! Ha! So...here's to making memories and remembering them! Enjoy!!
(side note: when watching the video it is over at 4:29 min/sec... the music played twice and that is why it says it is 10 minutes long. it's really not. it's over at the 4:29 mark!- a learning step as we go here... :)

Live Hansen Footage

Jaxon and I have been playing around with our movie maker on our computer. He likes to see what we can put together and I like to try and create fun videos of our boys. Here is one of our first attempts as we were learning what we are doing!! (I do not claim to have any creative skills when it comes to this sort of stuff!!!)
This is live footage from the Hansen's this summer! Jaxon is quite the little fish and during the Olympics he insisted I call him Michael Phelps when we were at the pool :) Austin & Jaxon are "playing" more and more together as Austin gets older... and, last...Austin had a great "worm" style of crawling before he went to the full crawl for his natural way to get around. I should've taped him earlier when he wormed his way around the house... now he is crawling and walking along our couch everyday! Enjoy the mini-show!

end of summer and start to fall...

Here are the boys on one of the last hot days... classic picture of our two boys personalities! Jaxon being his silly self and Austin not really caring what's going on around him! (and of course filling his mouth with whatever is in grabbing distance!)



Yes, it's that time of year and I think I heard Dave say "I've got goose bumps I'm so excited football is here!" I suppose only another boy can feel that "goose-bumpy" about football...like his oldest son :) Jaxon sporting his CF gear for the first CF home football game. He was really excited to go with dad and some good friends of ours. Lately Jaxon has been talking about when he can go to Peet and play football. (Peet is the junior high school he will attend...in SEVEN years! Ha!)

Austin is starting to get the hang of feeding himself... he gets frustrated when he drops it before it gets to his mouth :)


Jaxon and Dad took their first "Boys Weekend". They drove up to Minneapolis and stayed downtown, went to a Vikings game, and a really cool indoor park with a pool. Jaxon was SO excited for this weekend!! I think this has started a yearly tradtion with his favorite dad :-) Someday Austin will join them, but for now he gets to hang with mom for some one on one time.



While the boys were gone on boys weekend I let Austin "explore" the house. We got everything out of cupboards that he could reach, we built tupperware towers, played the drums on pots and pans, and pulled out all the bottom pantry food boxes. Honestly, it was so much fun to do with him and see his little face get excited as he found more. Of course, I have created a monster now when I am trying to do anything in the kitchen... but it's so fun to watch him be curious and have fun!

This is Jaxon after his first day of preschool... Jaxon was still napping everyday for anywhere from 1-3 hours...depending on his level of playing for that day! I started to work him into an every other nap day schedule a few weeks before school to prep him a bit. He cashed out on the couch that first night!! He's doing okay with the new schedule, but you can count on a 3 hour nap almost every Tuesday and Thursday right now! And, that's with a 8:30/9:00 bedtime! Play hard, sleep hard! Jaxon from day one!


This week we celebrated my grandma Boots 70th birthday. My grandma has been a special part of my life since I can remember...I have many great memories with her and she has taught me a lot through life. She is one of the most hospitable people I know and I've learned many cooking secrets from her! As I was reading through an old journal awhile ago (6th grade) I had written an entry about my best friends and my grandma Boots made the list! That's the kind of grandma she is :) I hope I look half as good as her when I am 70 years old! I think she's beautiful! Inside and out!



And, of course I had to make my end of the summer salsa, yummy!! Sadly, I didn't have my own garden full of tomatoes this year... but my sister in laws, Heidi and Sara, came in with enough for me to make 1 batch. Thanks gals... I meant to get you some, but it all got eaten already! Next year, I promise :)

Well, even though fall isn't "officially" here, it has began at our house. Fall cleaning, football, baking, new sunday school classes, and so on... makes me feel like making an apple pie...think that's just what I'll go do... Have a great beginning to your 2008 fall season!!!