Christmas!!

Santa was good to my boys once again :)

Notice the ornaments...

The trucks were put together by Sean and Graham on Christmas Eve!

Sean enjoys them as much as his brothers do :)

Always the big brother helper! New hats with cute pajamas!

Who is that Super Hero in my parents' living room?!
Boys like to dress up, too!

My mom got all the little boys these hats with matching mittens!

They are even cuter in person! Look at that smile!

Santa came to my parents' house again this year and the boys loved him!

So thankful to get a good picture of them with Santa, too!

We had a great Christmas this year! We started out on Friday night with an Ugly Sweater party with the Hoffmans! I couldn't imagine a better group to do this with! The time with them flew by, I didn't even get to talk with all of them, and I can't wait to see them again!

On Saturday, we went to Jason and Crystal's new house in Mapleton. They have done a beautiful job making it their home! Great company, great food, a great time had by all!

We celebrated Christmas morning at our house unwrapping presents and playing with new toys, oh what fun!

Then we packed up and headed south to my parents' to celebrate! A great time was had by all, we got spoiled by Nana and Papa, aunts and uncles...and Santa, of course!

We finished up the holiday with the stomach flu hitting us one by one. Not fun at all, and I wished it was just me the entire time. My boys are tough and very brave, and I am so thankful they are feeling better once again!

Now, bring on the New Year!!

And, just a side note to say I am sorry for not sending out cards this year...time got the best of me and I will put it on my "to do" list earlier next year! Hugs and love to you all!

Castle vs. House...

Sean was helping Graham in the garage with insulating the garage door.

Graham cut up the scraps for Sean to play with, and he starting building right away!

"Mom, check out this huge castle I built!"

"See, this is Nana and Papa's house,
and they can drive down the road all the way to Shakopee and come to our house!"
I'll give you one guess as to which house is which!
Oh what fun it is to play :)

Boys Like to Play Dress Up, Too...

Only their kind of dress up includes;

Andrew as Scooby Doo,

and Isaac as a doctor.
...

And Isaac as Scooby Doo,

and Andrew as a doctor.
(His leg really isn't "missing," it is just hidden under that long pant leg ;)

Oh what fun we have!

On a side note; my house does get pretty "tore up" when they dump all the toys out.

It only looks nice when the babes are sleeping and all the toys are put away in the right place!

Some fun this weekend :)

Sean loved unwrapping and "moshing" the candies into the cookies :)

It was fun using the cookie cutters to cut out some cookies...

Then we got to decorate them :)

Isaac knows how to relax...

Andrew loves the chair, too :)

We had a great time this weekend! Ginger came on Thursday night for dinner, and we were highly entertained by Graham...we could just say he is a little stressed out at the moment!

Then, Amy and Emma came up on Saturday to bake. Graham was on call and at the hospital all day, so it was very nice to have some company and adult conversation :) Great time!

We spent a lazy Sunday at home and enjoyed making a messy in nearly every single room of the house! Ah, to be that free spirited...picking up is the pits ;)

We hope you have a great Monday! We plan too :)

Freddy the Elf...

Freddy showed up on the Friday after Thanksgiving!

The boys woke up to find these new pajamas from Freddy the Elf...

(named last year after Freddy from Scooby Doo)

They absolutely LOVE them!
Sean gets up so early as he can't wait to figure out where Freddy moved to overnight!

He got spooked out last year when he thought Freddy could go in his room at night,

but we reassured him that Freddy has to "see" the Christmas Tree

in order to get his magical power. Same holds true this year, too :)

Freddy made breakfast and brought some new plates and new cups this past Sunday!

The note was written especially for our boys and gave them encouragement to behave...

Will it work? Only time will tell...
But the boys LOVE their new plates and cups :)

And the Elf Food..aka donuts :)

Hmmm...

Is this the face of an innocent child?

Hmmm...I don't think so...

Yep...look at his missing bangs...good thing I know a great stylist!

My friend, Julie, was able to fix it up pretty nice the next day :)

He tries to be sneaky, but doesn't finish "hiding" his criminal activity.

Such as, I found the scissors and hair on top of the toothpaste before I went to bed ;)

I think he comes by this naturally, as I remember leaving "stuff" on the step in the garage and the trunk of my car growing up...I was always busted, too!

Lots to be thankful for...

As I look back over this past year, all I can say is that we have a lot to be thankful for!

10. Selling our house in Duluth.
9. Finding, buying, and moving to a new place in Shakopee quickly.
8. Having a pool in our neighborhood :)
7. Friends moving into our town!
6. Being closer to family and old friends, making visits more frequent.
5. Super Target.
4. Vehicles that can be fixed by my hubby!
3. ebay sales ;)
2. My awesome, lovable, super smart hubby! We are so proud of you!
1. All three of my amazing little men; Sean, Isaac, and Andrew. I love you more than words.

We had a great Thanksgiving with both sides of the family. The Sunday before, we hosted Graham's side at our house. It was a great visit with lots of food! Thanks for coming up here, it meant a lot to us. Graham had to miss his first of many (unfortunately) holidays, but he was there in spirit. We went to my parents' on Thursday, and had a great time there, too! Great weather made it possible to spend lots of time outside, lots of great food to eat, and good company. We missed Alli, and we can't wait to see her at Christmas! Family gatherings are never the same when someone is missing...

I went Black Friday shopping at midnight with my good friend, Julie! We waited out the frenzy at Champs with a beer, then got rock star parking, and never had to wait in a line...awesome!! Can't wait until next year! We were home by 3:30am, and I was up by 7:00am with super excited little boys ready to put up the tree! Yipee!! It was a lot of fun.

On Saturday, the boys and I drove up to Cambridge to visit my old friend Sarah and her family. It was so great to see them and meet their newest addition, Betsy! She is beautiful, and I enjoyed being able to snuggle her! Sean loves playing with Annika and Sofie, and he always comments how beautiful they are when we get back in the car. I agree, her girls are beautiful inside and out, just like their mommy :) We are lucky to have them in our lives.

We ended the weekend with colds, laundry, and laziness...just what the doctor ordered :)

Need I Say More...

No Comment :) Ugh!

Oh, Isaac!

Well, it all started about a week ago right after my mom and sister came to visit. Isaac climbed out of his crib for the first time. He only attempted it once last Sunday, then I caught him in the act again on Tuesday. Thursday morning, he surprised me during my morning workout in the basement...by climbing out of bed, opening his bedroom door, crawling down the stairs, and walking into the basement to find a VERY surprised mama!

With all these "minor" incidences, I guess we should have been prepared for tonight. The longest night of our lives. We went through our normal bedtime routine of a bath, snuggle, milk, and to bed. Only this time the door opened up behind me and out runs Mr. Isaac! I have to say it made us giggle. This repeated over and over again. We were concerned for his safety, so we took the front off his crib to make it more like a daybed and turned his door knob so the lock was on the outside. This was fun for a little while, then the crying started, and it was so heartbreaking! I went in to rub his back, and he just continued to sob :( We figured that he was just really scared about his bed being different, as here is our little cub without his den :(

So daddy to the rescue! He was able to take apart the bottom of his crib to make the mattress lay on the floor with all four sides of the crib in tact and still up! Hooray! The den is back, and the little cub is safe, happy, and finally asleep! He was not able to climb out as it lowered it a good amount! Buys us a little more time! Phew...my babies are growing up way too fast :(

Which one of these is not like the others?...

Yup...

This explains everything...

Sean is our organized, friendly, clean little man.

Andrew is our organized, shy, neat, little man.

Isaac is NOT our organized, neat, clean, or shy little man...

more like our WILD little man!

Picture Wednesday...

Sean and Isaac
Daddy and Sean
Mommy and the twins
Mommy and her boys
Daddy and his boys

Catch Up Time...

It has been a fun and busy week at the King house, once again :)

Graham started a new rotation last Monday that has kept him very busy. He is in Med I, which is like Internal Medicine. He says that he is learning a ton, and he is also working a ton. He will have his first day off this Saturday...I can only imagine the spread he is going to be making for breakfast, as it is his favorite meal of the day...lucky us!

Sean has a preschool buddy that has started doing daycare with us. It has been a great addition to our routine. Sean loves having a playmate each day, and it is fun for me to do "school" with them. We love to go to parks and playing outside, so we really try to get out each day. He is excelling in school, and it is so fun to see what he is learning. Now, if I could just take the time to teach him how to tie his shoes...I always remember at 10pm...I need to add it to my "To Do" list!

Isaac is one determined little man. He just learned how to climb out of his crib on Sunday!! Yikes!! He has only done it that one time so far...I am waiting for the day he gets out of it all the time. I hope I have a little while yet! If I turn my back for a second, I can find him doing one of the following; climbing and dancing on the coffee table, climbing onto the kitchen table, opening the bathroom door and climbing into the tub/playing in the toilet, climbing Sean's bunk bed ladder, etc. (all things that we do not want him doing). This little guy makes our hearts stop often! He recently learned how to give kisses, and he still gives the biggest hugs.

Andrew loves building things with Lego's, and then loves taking them apart. He absolutely LOVES to be outside and hates having to come in (sorry neighbors). He will push a truck around outside forever, or until he sees something better that his brothers might have ;) He has a loud and contagious laugh, and he loves to be tickled and cuddled. He isn't that interested in climbing out of his crib...yet...I think he is waiting to see if it will hurt and/or if Isaac will get into trouble before he attempts it! He is our more cautious one.

Me, well, a friend and I are helping one another stay on track with working out. It feels so good to be on a routine. Now if I could get my diet under control...I often tease that maybe I should just workout harder so I don't have to worry about food...sometimes I think it would be easier! I love when we have visitors, and I have been blessed with some great ones this last week (Mandy, mom, and Molly). I did learn the importance of checking in on family and friends this week too, and I think that will be my New Year's Resolution this year. I need to be better at picking up the phone and planning spur of the moment visits...they mean so much.

Hug your babes today for me. I can't hug mine enough. I am so lucky and blessed.

Pictures!

Here are some fun pictures from the weekend. We all had fun at the Zoo, look at all the pointing :) Also, notice where their new play area is now that we have opened up the twins' room for play...Yup, that is the closet! Enjoy :)

Fun Weekend!

I love spur of the moment activities! They always seem to be the most fun :)

On Friday night, my friend Julie came over to cut my guys' hair. It was fun, not only because they all did awesome getting their hair cut, but because she brought her family. We hung out, had a few cocktails and snacks, and our kids always have a blast together.

Saturday, Graham worked on his car in the morning. It has had an engine light on for awhile now, and even after taking it in to have it looked at it, the light was still on. It has been frustrating, but Graham did some research online and discovered a common problem. The part cost $7, and it took him a only few hours. Now the light is off...Way to go, Babe!! Wish we wouldn't have paid for the computer diagnostic...waste of money!

We decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and took the kids to the Minnesota Zoo after lunch. They all had a blast! The twins really noticed everything and there were lots of oohs and ahhs and pointing :) Fun, fun, fun!!

Today, Sunday, has been a great, productive day, too! The time change really played with me all day, so I feel like it should be so much later than it really is. The kids got up at their normal time, only it was an hour early. We rearranged the kids' rooms so that they are more kid friendly. We are tired of having all the doors shut upstairs, and Sean really needed a dresser to organize his clothes. The babes sure love the freedom of being able to play in their room, now :) Then, we ran some errands, had a blast getting blown away at the school park, and treated ourselves to DQ for lunch (special treat these days, reminds me of when I was a kid).

It has been great having this quality time together :) We all needed it :)

8th Anniversary!

Where did the 8 years go?! We sure have made a lot of great memories in our 8 years together...and we celebrated in the most perfect way...a dinner date for two! Perfect! Looking forward to many more to come, Love You Graham!

Halloween!!

What a fun time of year to be a kid! We celebrated Halloween a few times this year and had a blast!
1. We went to Mankato to get pictures with our cousins in our costumes...super fun and totally adorable!
2. We had a fun Halloween Party at the Fellings on Saturday night where we made spooky food to eat and let the kids play their hearts out before crashing...I mean crashing literally here for Isaac as this is where he learned how to climb out of his pak-n-play!
3. The kids woke up this morning to "ghost waffles" and they hit the spot!
4. We made our "ghost bags" for our trick or treaters tonight :) It is a fun tradition that my mom started, and one that I love, too!
5. Sean had a Costume Party at school today, so he got to wear his costume there and be in a parade for the parents :) It was adorable, and I thought Sean looked so awesome!
6. We had a "pumpkin pizza" for dinner tonight before we headed out to trick or treat!
7. This year we went to the Fellings and walked their neighborhood. It is awesome to see all the lights on for the kids :) Their bags sure filled up fast! The twins really didn't know what to think and took turns crying :( Next year it will be more fun for them, too!
8. Enjoy the pictures! Notice that Isaac's socks and shoes are on and off throughout...this is an ongoing issue right now and one that I hope he outgrows very soon!! See if you notice Ron Jeremy...He celebrated Halloween with us a few years back and made a return tonight...and yes, I get to take him home each night...lucky, yes I am ;)

Some Firsts...

We had a weekend of firsts...

Sean had his first sleep over at a friend's house! He had so much fun last night, and he was fast asleep by 7:30pm tonight ;)

Isaac climbed out of the pak-n-play! We put them to bed at our friends' house, and Graham heard a thud. He went to investigate and found Isaac running around the room! Yikes! This changes everything!

Andrew was very close to climbing out of the pak-n-play but was stopped in just the nick of time by Graham! He did figure out how to put puzzle pieces together, and we are way impressed!

Fun and exhausting weekend! Can't wait to trick or treat tomorrow night! I will be sure to post pictures!

Pumpkins...Take Two...

Sean picked out a tiny one to color...
Graham cleaning out the guts while Sean waits...
Here are our NEW beautiful pumpkins :)

(The middle one is fading fast, good thing Halloween is days away!)

Poor Sean...

When Sean went to turn on the lights in his pumpkins tonight, he found a sad sight. Someone destroyed 2 of the 3 by picking out the faces :( The middle one is the only one left tonight. Why do people/kids do things like this? Broke his heart and ours, too. We are going out tomorrow to find new pumpkins to carve again. :(

Pictures...Duluth, Peterson Leaf Pile, Pumpkin Fun, Scooby...

Oops! I had the pictures locked by accident! Enjoy :)

Week Off...

Graham had a week break from rotations, so we decided to take advantage of this time together.

We were able to go up to Duluth for a few days. We had dinner with our old neighbors, what a treat!! So fun to see them! Thanks for making us feel so at home :) We love going down to Canal Park to the Lake Walk. The kids had a blast climbing on the rocks, chasing the seagulls, and throwing rocks into the lake :) To top it off, we stayed at The Edgewater which has an indoor water park. All of us had a blast! Poor Isaac ended the trip with the flu, I guess he went down one too many slides...

We continued on and went to Mankato for a quick trip. We had dinner with some old friends at The Tav, and it was fun catching up on life! Doctor appointments kept us busy the entire next day before we headed home.

Unfortunately, Graham got sick once we got home and it continues to hang on even today :( Not the way we wanted to spend his time off, but thank goodness it happened while he was on break! So, the boys and I headed back to Mankato on Friday to play with cousins, and we had a blast! Leaf piles, Halloween pictures, and pizza...doesn't get much better than that for spur of the moment trip! Thanks, Jo! Can't wait to see the pics...the twins enjoyed sliding in their costumes more than anything, so cute!

We did go to a fun little Pumpkin Patch on Saturday. They had hayrides, pumpkin picking, face painting, and a corn maze. All the boys loved the hayride and couldn't get enough of the big tractor :) Sean picked out 3 pumpkins; 2 littles and 1 medium size. We couldn't wait to get home to carve them out! Graham got creative and used his Saws-All to carve the pumpkins this year...he is my tool guy at heart :)

We even cleaned/organized the garage and can finally fit both cars in!! Huge accomplishment for us, as we use our garage for storage...Just in time for frosty morning windows :)

We are counting sleeps until Halloween! Sean informed us it is only 7 more tonight at supper :) I just love holidays!! We decorate for each one, and the twins notice everything! Ohhs and Ahhs are adorable!

It's Been a Busy Month!

Wow! I can't believe that it has been a month since I posted last! Let me catch you up on The Kings...

1. The boys and I have been spending as much time outside as possible trying to soak in all this beautiful fall weather and temps! Whether it is the park, going for a walk/bike ride, or just playing outside our house, we are happy as clams :)
2. The twins have learned a new trick...to climb as high as they can as fast as they can! This involves tables, chairs, toys, couches, stairs, gates...I am sure you get the picture! It has been a very stressful time for me, as I can't let them out of my sight! I am hoping the "new"ness will wear off...eventually!!
3. Sean is loving his school, his brothers, his friends, playing outside, watching cartoons, doing school work, books, and so much more! He is really loving life right now. Sometimes testing the limits...who am I kidding...this happens regularly ;) We are working hard at writing, coloring, and cutting! He does awesome.
4. Graham has been running all over the cities for his clinicals. Some have been more enjoyable than others. I guess that is a good thing, as it helps him narrow down all the choices of possible specialties. He leaves extremely early every morning and tries to come home for dinner, it just all depends on the rotation he is in.
5. I have kept myself busy playing with my boys, running errands, and the usual house work. A good friend of mine calls herself a "home manager"...I think that is a great title, and I am going to borrow it! Thanks, Julie! I have enjoyed seeing friends, long walks, and great talks :) I can't forget my Caribou fix every now and then.
6. We have had some fun visits this past month, too. Darlene and Ginger came for the afternoon and stayed for dinner. It was fun to catch up and see them play with the boys. They sure enjoyed the attention!
7. Then, we met Graham's sister Crystal and family at Emma Krumbee's for lunch and the apple orchard. It was a great way to catch up and to have them up to our house :) Sean loved the "candy store" on the way and tells me all about it every time we pass the big yellow barn on 169!
8. Some great friends, The Hansons, came up our way and spent the afternoon/evening with us. It was so fun to visit and let our kids play. They introduced Sean to the iPad...big mistake as now he wants one! They are pretty awesome and can do so much! I hope Santa can find one for a steal of a deal somewhere...
9. I was able to help Amy with The Chef's Auction in Mankato, and I had a blast! My sister works very hard and her business is incredible! I don't know how she ever keeps up!
10. We celebrated an old family friend's wedding this past weekend. Riley Hoffman married his long time sweetheart, Chelsea. It was a beautiful wedding and rockin' reception! Great to see our our friends/family. We had a lot of fun! Thanks, Ginger, for watching our crew!

Well, I promise to update more often this month. Hope you are all well. I will post some pictures soon.

Fun Pictures From This Week..

Andrew coloring for the first time! He loved it and was very focused.
Isaac also colored for the first time and discovered that crayons don't taste very good....
or do they?

Sean has always loved to color, so it is fun sharing this down time with his brothers.

Nice hair, bud!

Isaac says "cheese" now when he sees the camara...can you see him saying it?

He was using this calculator as a phone.

NEW SHOES!!

Today the twins got new shoes and Sean got new ones for school.

They all LOVE them and want to where them all the time :)

Preschool!!

All ready to go!! Hard to wait until 12:30pm when you are SO excited!
Arriving on his first day!

Graham was even able to come with us today! What a treat that was!

Isaac and Andrew have to get used to their new schedule too,

as pick up time is in the middle of their naptime...they did great and were excited to see him! Time to go home! We'll be back on Monday with bells on...only 3 sleeps until he gets to go again!

The day has finally arrived...

Sean has been counting sleeps for about 3o nights now...

He was so excited and couldn't wait to go!

He had a great time, made a new friend, sang songs, painted, colored, read stories, and more!

Those that know Sean know that he LOVES to talk, and let me tell you...

he had a LOT to tell us today!

Graham and I keep asking ourselves, "Where did the last four years go??"

I had to choke back tears but was so happy to see him so happy. My heart is full.

Pool is Closed...Summer must be over :(

Last Day :( Andrew didn't want to go...
I have a picture of Sean sweeping like this! Way to go, Andrew!
(Notice the new enclosure...freedom!)

What can I say? Like father, like son...nice one Isaac!

Scooter time!

How many one year olds can fit into the car...that would be two!

Wow! We sure enjoyed our neighborhood pool this summer!

Summer started with a bang with moving down here, and now it has ended with a bang with Sean starting Preschool tomorrow!!

We are so excited for our cousins and friends starting school this week,

and some good friends also welcomed a baby girl into their family, too!

What a great week! Enjoy some new pictures of our boys.