Hello, Again!

I haven't posted anything for a LONG time!!  I broke my camera and had no pictures, so then I thought I would post when I got a new camera, but I didn't.

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  All the good food and family.  First we went to Kevin's parents' home and had a blast.  That following weekend we ventured up to my parents' new ILLINOIS house!!  Yes, that is right, they are back "home!"

This was taken at my in-laws.  My mother-in-law wanted to get a picture with all the grandkids, and so all of the Windish kids and families got little family photos before hand.  Thanks to all the photographers (there were many) we got some great shots.  And Josh did a great job getting all the grandkids.

I was showing my little cheerleader how to do a cartwheel.

And here is Lexi doing her FANTASTIC cartwheel!

 

Here we are at the park.  Aunt Zezee took Lexi to the park to run off a little energy.  I caught up with them later, and Lexi was having a blast!

Max was just doing some light reading on Yia Yia's window seat.

After Thanksgiving, Lexi's birthday party was the big event.  I can't believe my little angel girl is 2 years old!  What an amazing child she is.  She is so smart, funny, affectionate and wonderful, I am amazed daily by all her advancements.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful family to celebrate her special day with us.

A girl can have a birthday without getting some really cool shoes.

 

Lexi was excited about EVERY gift she opened.  It was so sweet, and very cute.

 

 Checking out one of her gifts.

 

Lexi loved her "CindyBella" cake!!  It was quite delicious.

That is the end of our fall fun.  I will post again soon with all our winter adventures. 

New Camera

I broke my camera a few weeks ago.  I now have a new one, and will download pics and fill in the blanks from the last few weeks.  I really need to get back in to the swing of things here. 

Posts from birthdays, Thanksgiving and random events will be posted soon!!

Maybe I took it the wrong way...

I had a woman say the following to me the other day after telling her I stayed at home with my children as opposed to working outside the home: "Oh, it is so nice that you can do that" I am sure she didn't mean anything by it, but I thought I detected a little snub in her voice.
Really, do you think it is so easy? Because instead of that top of the line, high safety rating, new van you drive, I haul my munchkins around in a less than new van, with a little rust...(not that I am complaining, my van is very nice) And instead of the big house you live in, I live in a ranch. The list goes on and on. It is nice that I can do that. It is nice that I can choose to live on less, that I can go without, so I can stay with my kids.
Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with women working outside of the home. I just hate when they insinuate that my family must have a lot of money, or that they are harder workers than me because they work outside of their house. Really? It's nice that you can do that. ARGH!

Sorry to rant, if I offended anyone, please forgive me.

No photo post

I have broken my camera beyond repair. Or, shall I say, my daughter and I have broken the camera. It was a team effort. Instead of run out and buy the most inexpensive camera, I am doing some research to buy one that can stick with us for a few years. All that to say, we won't have photos for a while. I bought a couple of throw aways, so until I get those printed, no pics for us!

Halloween was a blast. Lexi really got the hang of trick or treating and LOVES candy! "Caaaannny, caaaanny!" That is all I hear these days. However, she hasn't had a piece of candy (that I know about) since Sunday when her dad overdosed her!


Well, better go take care of my little monkeys. Happy November!

More than the seasons are changing around here!

Gosh, it has been almost a week now that Lexi has been sleeping in a "big girl" bed. She loves the toddler bed (thanks to Harley and Mandy for that!) and is really liking her freedom to get in and out at nap/bedtime. She sleeps really well in it, and doesn't move around as much as I thought she would. I was just sure I was going to hear a "thump" the first night or two, but so far so good. I can't believe how big she is getting. Lexi really is an angel child, such a blessing from God.




We also carved pumpkins, the first time for both of my children. (Technically, Max got fussy and ended up napping through the carving) Lexi was more interested in drawing faces on pumpkins, and that was fine, it kept her busy.






Here are some pictures from the pumpkin patch. Lexi LOVES pumpkins. They are one of her all time favorite things right now. She really enjoyed the pumpkin patch, to say the least.





I love fall. It is just such a great time of year. The rain is sure dragging down the fun that can be had, but I still appreciate the dulling of all the colors and the excitement of holidays approaching.
But alas, the bittersweet part of all this change is that my babies are changing, too. Max is a week away from 6 months! Can you believe it? I can't! He is such a wonderful baby; a true joy and blessing to our family. Lexi is fast approaching her 2nd birthday. She already tells everyone she is 2. She is so funny and a pleasure to have around. I adore my children and love seeing how much they love each other. Max thinks Lexi is the funniest kid on the block, and Lexi thinks Max is her own "baby". I will end this post (before I get too teared up) with some cute pics of my little nuggets.









Happy Halloween!

Sit-ups, Sittin' up, and Spittin' up!

Not-so-little Max is working on his sitting skills lately. He does pretty well, I think. He loves it, you can tell he feels like such a big boy...and of course he has a better angle on what his big sister is doing. He adores her and follows her every move...woe is me when he can actually follow her physically! However, this sitting up has lead to a higher amount of spitting up. Max is a spitter anyway, so this addition isn't so bad...but it can't feel so great for him, right? I don't know. He sure is cute, though.




As stated above, Max loves his big sister, but his is not a one sided love. Lexi absolutely adores her baby brother. She is constantly hugging and kissing him. I hope this loving relationship continues on in to the future.







I did get my workout in today, so I am feeling good about that. Especially since we are going to a birthday party today, so I am sure I will stuff my face with cake. YUM!

Back to my banking roots.

Today we decided to head over to the open house at my old bank. It was a lot of fun to see some former customers of mine, and some old co-workers. Free food doesn't hurt, either.

On our way there, Lexi mastered "Lauren" instead of "Lowey" and "Lesee" instead of "Leslie". I was pretty proud. As we were nearing our destination Lex says to me, "Mom, Ianna eat suffin" very matter of factly. I wanna eat something, I love it. She is so my child. She also sang "She-Wolf" several times for me. I love that song, and it cracks me up when she sings it. I hope that doesn't make me a bad mom.

Of course, Max just chilled the whole time. He is such an easy going child. We are so blessed to have such fun and funny children.

Now Lexi is telling me "Nowanna pyping" that means she doesn't want me to type.

Gotta go...she wants to "eat suffin" again!

Hope this goes away

Ugh, I have strained a muscle in my back. It is really annoying. So, I am refraining from "essacises" (That is how Lex says it) today. This really bums me out. I really feel like I need to keep this routine up! But I don't want to really hurt myself and then not be able to work out for a long time. ARGH!

Anywho, I am debating on whether or not to head to Boomtown to see my sisters and go to the bank open house. I want to go, but it is so gross outside! I guess I will just play it by ear.

Tomorrow we have a party to go to for a cutie pie named Kouper. He just turned 1! It is a costume party, and I am VERY excited to see all the little peeps in their costumes.

Alright...I am off to do some dishes...isn't the life of a stay at home mom glamorous?? :)

Baker's Dozen

I officially have only 13 lbs left to lose to meet my goal. At this point I am less concerned with the number on the scale, but looking to build more muscle. I can't believe, though, how much stronger I feel in just a few months. You don't realize how weak you are until you decide to get fit!

Today is a boring day at home. We have a TON of laundry (I really don't know where it comes from), and I need to vacuum up all those stupid beetles.
On that note - THEY ARE BEETLES - I hate when people call them ladybugs, the are NOT ladybugs. So there, now I feel better...a bit dorky, but better.

Ciao!

Move it, Move it

For the last 3 and 1/2 months I have been doing WW and working out regularly. I have lost 25 pounds so far, and am kind of stuck. I am really wanting to become a bit more toned...not really sure how to go about that diet wise. Oh well. I am pleased with the progress. However, today I am skipping a workout...maybe. We will see what the afternoon brings. I want to do a little shopping this afternoon for Halloween costumes and a few other things, so I guess that could be my workout.

Change of subject:
Last week my very best friend from High School was able to come over for a visit with her sweet and VERY cute little girl.

It was so great to see Carrie and Maggie again. Lexi absolutely adored her. I really enjoyed catching up with Carrie. It is so nice to have a friend who has known you for ages, it is kind of like going home. Thanks, Carrie!

Wish us luck on the costume hunt!

One last post...Kevin's 27th Birthday

Today was my wonderful husband's birthday. I thank God for choosing Kevin to be my partner through this life on Earth. What a wonderful gift this world received the day my husband was born. He is a truly spectacular man. I could write all night about Kev, but will spare my fingers and my readers' eyes.

A fun time was had by all at the Rader Family Farm. I think it was the most fun we have had in a long time. By that I mean, there was really something for everyone. I totally love the cut outs that you stick your head through. They crack me up. Several years back my youngest sister and I decided that whenever we saw one of those cut outs, we were going to get our picture taken in it. Like I said, they crack me up, especially with my childrens' tiny heads sticking through!

Giving in to Peer Pressure!

At my Mom's group this morning, I was the ONLY mom without a blog. They all seemed like they enjoyed it so much, they sort of convinced me to give it a try. So, here goes. I guess I will just try to write down the things that happen with my little family so we can have a record of it FOREVER!!