SchwenkNews

camping

2011-07-10T18:18:00.001-07:00

I enjoy camping. BUT....I bring ALOT of stuff with me. We have not been camping since Kyle was one and a half. The summer of 2009 I was TOO pregnant to sleep in a tent...and last summer Kaden was crawling and the idea of bringing a baby to a campsite was not my idea of fun. Now...it was time to go camping. Kyle LOVES adventure and needs to be outside. As a mommy of two very active boys I try to find activities that will keep them entertained, safe, and wipe them out for a good night of sleep. Camping was successful at this. We went to Lake Shoecraft near Stanwood. Our friends and neighbors, Nate and Carly, invited us to stay with them at their family property. It was beautiful and fun! We slept in a tent, roasted marshmallows, went in the ski boat, played on the grass, made yummy food, enjoyed a bon fire, etc. All the necessities of a good camping trip.
Our tent is HUGE!
We call it the Schwenke Dome.
It has 3 "rooms" One for Kaden in his pack and play, one for Kyle with a twin air mattress and one for Troy and I on a king-sized air mattress complete the sheets and sleeping bags that zip together for cuddling in the cold weather :)
I have never been accused of "under-packing" :)
We had a great time and we created alot of fun memories. We can't wait until our boys are older and can enjoy camping even more.
Here are some photos of our adventures:

Kaden chilling in his "tot chair"

Morning cocoa---at 6:00am!

Kyle all cozy in his sleeping bag...yes he slept with a winter hat on! It was freezing!

Kaden sleeping in his pack and play surrounded by LOTS of blankets. He wore 2 pairs of Jammies and a winter hat too!

Daddy reading to Kyle with a head lamp

Nate and Ethan by the fire

Troy. Relaxing.

Kyle eating S'mores

Christy and her Riesling :)

Kaden, the flagger

Nate, Troy, Kyle, Caleb, and Ethan on the boat at sunset

The fire pit and chairs. I love the cute little kid chairs!

The Schwenke Dome

Kyle and Ethan

The 3 Amigos
Buddies. Forever.

T-Ball

2011-05-20T08:24:00.001-07:00

Kyle is playing T-ball at the YMCA. He is on a 3 year old/4 year old team. He loves it. Kyle has been hitting a baseball (pitched by daddy) since he was 20 months old....so hitting off a Tee seems too easy for him but he does not seem to mind.
What I like about the t-ball team is that Kyle is learning how to take turns, run the bases, use a mitt in the outfield, have good sportsmanship, etc.
He will have many years of playing baseball ahead of him....so for now....we are enjoying the simplicity of YMCA t-ball

Kyle up to bat

Kaden trying on the batting helmet

On 2nd Base

Silly Kaden- Kyle's # 1 Fan

Our Little Slugger!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-09T07:48:00.001-07:00

Kaden Andrew 7 lbs 11 ounces October 7, 2009

Kyle James 8lbs 4 ounces September 29, 2006

Happy Mother's Day to me!
Being a mom is the one of the best things that has happened to me.
Words cannot express the love I feel for my boys!
My heart aches with love for them and they bring so much joy to my life.
Now that my children are 4 1/2 years old and 1 1/2 years old, I find myself reminiscing about the newborn stage. I love newborns. But....it is also so amazing to watch my children grow and learn new things each day. It is the little things like watching Kaden figure out how to eat with a fork or watching Kyle write his name or ride his bike. These things amaze me. Children grow so fast and before I know it I will be sending these boys off to college. I am trying to treasure every moment, the ordinary days.
So...today I will make toast, wipe runny noses, clean up messes, read a naptime story, comfort a sad toddler who is missing his binkie, remind a 4 year old to go potty before it is too late, hope the sun comes out for at least 30 minutes so they can play outside, encourgae them to eat a vegetable, pretend to be a dinosaur, go to swimming lessons, clean up more messes and tuck them into bed. I am a mommy. It is a hard job. But I am glad I get to do it.

Easter

2011-04-29T07:40:00.001-07:00

Easter is a very significant and meaningful holiday to us. We spent alot of time this week talking to Kyle about Jesus' death on the cross and His Resurrection. We used the Resurrection Eggs to tell the story and attended Easter Church Services in Bellingham at Christ The King Church. God's Grace is amazing and we are thankful that Jesus took our place so that we could have a relationship with God.
We celebrated Easter in Bellingham at MiMi and PaPa's house.
We colored eggs, made a bird nest chocolate cake with coconut died green and used M & Ms as the eggs, we went to church, played outside, had an Easter egg hunt, and enjoyed a wonderful meal with the entire family.
Kyle looked so handsome in his Easter outfit. I was nervous that he would not want to wear it but he actually wore it proudly and even asked if he could wear it to Preschool :)
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

MiMi bought a loaf of bread shaped like a bunny

Everyone rides a scooter in a suit and tie

Kyle and Auntie Sarah

Mommy and Kyle (They picture made me cry--he is so grown up)

We tried to get a photo of the two boys together in their Easter clothes...but this is the best we could get

Family Photo....not bad

Easter morning Surprises

Kyle found MOST of the eggs! (It helps that his brother is only 18 months old and his cousin is only 8 months old)

Happy Kaden ready to find some eggs

Our little Easter gift :)

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-12T14:05:00.001-07:00

Spring Break 2011 we went to Palm Springs to visit MiMi and PaPa. We stayed in a wonderful house with our extended family: MiMi, PaPa, Auntie TT and Uncle Nando and baby cousin Owen, Gino and Ona (sudo grandparents) all together there were 8 adults and 3 kids. It was very fun and wonderful to be in the sunny weather. We went to the zoo, the waterslides, the children's museum, the park, the street fair, played at the pool and enjoyed time with family. It was a great trip. The boys even did great on the airplane. Kaden was "busy" but he was a good boy overall. The down-side to the trip was that Christy got sick. I started feeling dizzy and sick on Thursday. I had extreme dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. We tried to change our flight home but there were no other options so we prayed alot and by the grace of God we made it home without having to use the airline provided "barf bags" Christy went to the doctor on Friday and was diagnosed with vertigo. It is an inner ear issue that causes dizzy spells with nausea and vomiting. It was horrible. I was not able to do much. I could not take care of my kids, unpack, do housework, or drive. Thankfully, the vomiting stopped and I was just stuck with the dizziness. It was ALOT to put on Troy. He had to live up to his vows of "In Sickness and In Health" and he was amazing and supportive. After 5 days of vertigo, Christy went to a Physical Therapist for a treatment for vertigo called the Epley Maneuver and it has made a world of difference. I am still a little bit dizzy but I feel much better! It is amazing how we can take for granted our good health and our "normal" life. I am so thankful that I am feeling better and I pray this never happens to me again. It was not fun. I have been surrounded by friends and family that have helped with the kids, brought us meals, driven me to dr. appointments, and picked the kids up from preschool. My neighbors have watched the boys for me so that I can nap or just lay down without having to worry about them. It has been wonderful. It takes a village! here are some photos from our trip....before Vertigo hit: We snuck away for an afternoon "Happy Hour" and enjoyed yummy drinks and food Kyle had to ride the "carnivore" on the carousel Kyle and the Gila Monster at the zoo Uncle Troy and Owen swimming in the private pool at our house Mr. Kaden :) a photo that will forever be etched in your mind :) Kyle and his goggles Kaden learning to wear his sunglasses Mr. Tall legs at the park Mr. Happy What a great trip. I love my family!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T12:57:00.003-07:00

I am wearing green....are you?

I am 50% Irish.
My mom was born in Ireland

Kyle calls Ireland "Irish-land"
It is cute.

I am making Irish Soda Bread today. Yum.
I plan to serve some green things for dinner: broccoli, asparagus, green milk, pea pods, etc.

Photos of my kids wearing green......to come later

did you know....

2011-03-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

*Mac and Cheese makes a wonderful hair gel
*It is very difficult to find 2 K's, and 2 E's in the entire box of ABC cookies from Trader Joes
*I had to buy two sets of foam bath letters so that I could spell "Kyle and Kaden" on the wall
*I am terrified to take my 17 month old on an airplane next month
*The Imagination Movers CD has some very catchy tunes on it
*You can lose 6.6 pounds in 10 days when you cut out sugar, salt, carbs, and caffeine
*It is very hard to cut out sugar, salt, carbs, and caffeine...all at the same time!
*When you try to do this....even a fishy cracker sounds delicious!

just a few things floating through my head today.

oh, and the house is now decorated for St. Patrick's Day- Kiss ME! I'm IRISH!

confessions of an overwhelmed mama

2011-03-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

confession # 1: I am an overwhelmed mama

-sometimes I put Kaden in the bathtub just so he can be contained in one place for more than 20 seconds

-sometimes I let Kyle watch "just one more show" so that I can get something done

-I used to be organized....then I had kids

-I wish I could be home....by myself....at least 1 hour per week!

-Right now, my house looks like a tornado just hit it

-I love my kids, but being a stay at home mommy is the HARDEST job I have ever had!

No More "Turning" Wheels

2011-02-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

I am a proud MaMa
Kyle is officially a big boy bike rider. He is no longer in need of his training wheels (he calls them "turning" wheels)
He has been ready to take them off for quite a while now, but was lacking the confidence to do it. He is not a big fan of "change" so that was the difficult part for him.
Our neighbor boys (Ethan, Caleb, and Greyson) all ride without training wheels so Kyle was motivated to be like them. :)
As soon as he decided to do it and Troy took them off....he was fine.
Off he went.
He never even fell down.
I can't believe my baby is so big! Way to go Kyle!

Daddy giving Kyle a "pep" talk before he rides

Kyle- sit on the seat not the front wheel :)

Ready to go!

Video of his first time riding without training wheels

Yeah!

3 years later

2011-02-03T12:42:00.001-08:00

I have not blogged in a long time. Sorry for that. I have not really been myself lately....so here I go....trying to be more like myself.

For some reason, I enjoy taking photos of Kyle and then re-creating the same photo with Kaden at the same age. Here is my latest work:

Ethan and Kyle March 2008

Kaden Feb. 2011
Same hat, same monkey shirt

I love my little monkeys!

my little artist

2010-11-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Kyle decided he wanted to draw a picture of our family.
He did a great job!
I am really impressed.
He is not really "into" coloring so he does not draw very much.
I was surprised at the amount of detail he was able to do.

I put a big piece of paper on the floor in the garage.

Working hard on every detail. Check out how long our arms are!

The finished product.

Do we really look like this?

He even got every one's height correct.
Daddy is the tallest and Kaden is the smallest.
So cute!
I am a proud mama (and kindergarten teacher)

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T07:07:00.001-07:00

When I was a child, Halloween was a 1 day event. For some reason, Halloween has become a month-long celebration. My kids have been to parties, church events, birthday parties (Halloween themed), Preschool Harvest parties, multiple pumpkin farms, etc.
Kyle had 3 costumes this year. (I only bought 1)
He was a Jedi at a birthday party and for trick-or-treating....Thanks Tanya for making the costumes for Deek's birthday!
Kyle was a Knight and Kaden was a dragon *these are the "original" costumes that we planned on
Kyle had a Harvest Party at school and could not be anything scary or violent...so I did not let him have his Knight sword or his Light Saber...so he was a lion.
Kaden was a monkey for that party :)
We went to Bellingham to spend the day at MiMi and PaPa's. We dressed in costumes and attempted to get photos with our baby cousin, Owen. It is very challenging to get a good photo of a stubborn 4 year old, a wiggly 1 year old and a 2 month old who cannot sit up :)
this is the best we could do....not bad.

Kyle, Kaden, Owen...our little Halloween boys!

A good one of the two littles

Smiley Mr. Dragon Boy...he ATE (literally) the pumpkin sitting on his left. Took bites out of it and swallowed them!

The Knight Slaying the Dragon
(this was taken before our Church Family Night)

A Lion and a Monkey...ready for preschool party....well...they need to get shoes on :)

All in all....it has been a fun month...but I am glad to see October go and November come!
I am exhausted.
I need a vacation....good thing we leave for Cabo in 1 week!!!! (Minus kiddos)

1 year old photo

2010-10-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

I like comparing picture of Kyle and Kaden when they are the same age.

This is Kyle at 1 year.

This is Kaden at 1 year

similar?
yes. and no.
but both very cute!

soccer

2010-10-17T17:20:00.001-07:00

I have always wanted to be a soccer mom.
Kyle is finally old enough to sign him up to be on the YMCA 3 year olds/4 year olds soccer team.
I pictured....cold, crisp fall mornings, coffee in hand, watching my little guy score a goal or two, bringing juice boxes, orange slices, and granola bars for the kids after the game....etc.
Well.....
The weeks building up to the first day of soccer we got the uniform, the shin guards, the soccer cleats (shoes) and we practiced at home and talked alot about it.
You see, Kyle does not like new things. New situations. So there was some anxiety about soccer. I fully expected the first day to be a disaster. And, oh boy, was it a DISASTER.
Did I mention, most Saturday mornings Troy has Cross Country so I have to go solo and bring my 11 month old baby (who normally naps at that time)
Anyways, the first day Kyle refused to wear the uniform, the shoes, and most of all...the shin guards. He freaked out. When we got to the field he threw a HUGE CRYING FIT and I had to carry him over to where the rest of his team was. Many parents were looking at me as if I was torturing my son. It was very embarrassing. Thankfully, my neighbor was there to help with Kaden and also helped with Kyle and his crying. Kyle spent most of that soccer game crying in the van. So we tried again the next week.
This time my friend watched Kaden so I could focus on Kyle during his soccer anxiety. He made progress. He wore the uniform, the shoes, the shin guards. He even stood on the side lines and watched his friends play the game. He did not want to play or participate at all but I was proud that he was doing better than the week before.
The third week I had high hopes that he would go out there and play. Daddy even got to come since his cross country match was in the evening. Kyle walked out on the field and watched the kids practice but would not play at all.
It was frustrating.
Troy even suggested that we quit. But I wanted to keep trying and see what happened.
The fourth week of soccer...like magic....Kyle went out on the field as if he never had any issues. He kicked the ball, he ran, he scored lots of goals, he high fived his teammates...it was wonderful! We were so proud.
From then on.....we had a soccer player. He loved it!
I love the way he looks over at me when he scores a goal waiting for me to give him a thumbs up and a smile :) It is adorable. Now the season has come to an end. He only got to play in 3 games but I am so proud of him for the progress he made this season!
Hopefully, next year, he will get out there with confidence the first week and remember all the fun he had in 2010!

Kyle and Greyson proudly showing their medals the last day of soccer

Aspiring soccer player

sitting on a ball is the best place to watch a soccer game

a cold, foggy morning. lining up for drills

Kyle got a "coffee" treat (Hot Cocoa with whipped cream) for all of his hard work!

Kyle's # 1 Fan....on a wet soccer afternoon

Buddies.

Kick, Pass, Score!

Guard that Goal!

Way to Go Kyle! We are so proud of you!

twins???

2010-10-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

Kyle, October 2007

Kaden, October 2010

ONE!

2010-10-07T07:30:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Kaden!
We love you so much!
It is hard to believe that a year has gone by so quickly.
You are such a fun, happy baby!

October 7, 2009

7 pounds 11 ounces

12:43 pm

20 inches

Kaden is such a wonderful addition to our family. He fills our home with joy and laughter. Kyle loves his brother so much and they love playing together. No one can make Kaden laugh more than Kyle :)

Kaden has been given a few nick names throughout the year. Kyle likes to call him "Boo Boo" but mommy and daddy don't like that name.

Mommy calls him "Little Bittle" "Kade-man" "Baby Head" "Bittle" "Do-Do" and "My Little"

Daddy calls him "My Monkey"

Kaden LOVES bathtime, eating grass rocks, sand, dirt, etc, playing outside, reading books, playing with balls, his binkie, eating big boy food, wrestling with Kyle and Daddy

Kaden has 12 teeth! (Kyle only had 5 at his 1st birthday)

Kaden is a FAST crawler and is walking more than crawling now

He can: wave bye-bye, blow kisses, sign "all done", puts his arms up to say touchdown, when asked what a dinosaur says he says "roar" (in a cute whisper voice), points up to the sky to show me an airplane, drinks from a sippie cup, eats everything we eat (no more baby food), goes up and down stairs all by himself, squeals with excitement when he sees any kind of animal, plays peek-a-boo, puts the remote to his ear as if it were a phone, blows bubbles in the bathtub

Kaden puts up with alot of "brotherly love"

When he was an infant I called it "death patrol" because Kyle wanted to lay on him, smother him with kisses, carry him, etc. Now Kaden is bigger and can handle the "love"

Kaden is full of wonder and mischief....if we turn our back on him he will be playing in the toilet, unrolling an entire roll of TP, pulling all of the books off of his bookshelf, taking all of his pants out of his drawer, smearing poop everywhere, eating Kyle's paint or Kyle's peanut butter *before he was allowed to eat peanutbutter*, ripping apart newspapers or magazines and eating the paper, climbing in the dishwasher....just to name a few things that have happened :)

We love you so much our little Kaden!

Happy ONE YEAR to you!

4 years old

2010-09-29T06:35:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday Kyle!
I cannot believe it has been 4 years since your birth! Even though your entrance into the world was traumatic for mommy, it was also the happiest day of my life. I have always wanted to be a mommy and YOU made that happen for me :)

9-29-06
9:11am
8lbs 4 oz
21 inches

Things Kyle loves:
running
playing
riding his bike
hiking
boating
camping
motorcycles
playing with his brother
the color pink
super heros
any kind of weapon/playing "mean guys"
baking with mommy
singing
swimming
baseball (you should see his pitching skills)
his "millions" of friends
diggers, dumptrucks, loaders, ALL construction vehicles
preschool!
reading books
going to church
eating "treats"
chewing gum.....I told him when he is 4 he can have gum....so I let him try it last week (a few days early)
favorite foods: strawberries, pizza, mac and cheese, hot dogs, apples, grapes, cheese, chocolate milk, apple juice, spaghetti

Kyle is NOT a fan of: (and he will let you know it)
haircuts
toe nail clippings
trips to the doctor, dentist
new things/new situations

Kyle,
We love you so much and we are very proud of you!
Happy Birthday! I hope your Four-year-old year brings you joy, happiness, growth, and many fun memories
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Preschool!

2010-09-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

We have entered a new phase of life in the Schwenke Household...Preschool.
Kyle, bless his little soul, is not a fan of change or new things....so Mommy was very nervous about this new adventure. Considering the fact that the first day of basketball, soccer, swimming lessons, t-ball, etc all involved crying and freaking out....I was prepared for the worst.
The day began as usual....up EARLY!
I offered to make a yummy, special breakfast...but Kyle wanted "his usual" (again...not a fan of change)
So...I made him his usual order of: toast, peanut butter to dip, sausage (cut up), apple juice, 2 gummy bear vitamins, and fruit
He did not want his photo taken

Getting dressed was not fun. He was anxious about going to school and did not want to get dressed. It was a wrestling match to get him into his clothes. I was upset. He was crying and kicking, I was then crying, I got mad. It was not fun. I was very worried about the events ahead.

I finally got him dressed and convinced him to sit on the porch for a photo with his Star Wars backpack.

He cooperated. Amazingly.

Then I dropped Kaden off at a friends house (thank you Sara) and had some special time with Kyle before Preschool.

We went to Safeway for a donut. Complete with white frosting and sprinkles!
This is pay back for all the moms who did it to me when I was a teacher....sugar them up and then send them to school! While eating the donut we had a nice chat about being a big boy and being brave and going to preschool without crying, etc.

We pulled into the preschool parking lot and he said to me "Mom, I will be brave, you don't need to come in with me"
WHAT???

So he was brave and walked in with no fear. I was shocked.
I thought I was going to have to carry him in kicking and screaming. I was pleasantly surprised!

Here he is in front of the door to his school. I am so proud.

He found his name on his hook and hung up his coat and backpack.

Then he found his name at his table spot and sat down.

See mom, K-Y-L-E is my name.

When it was time to sit on the carpet he had to sit on the number 3 because he is 3. (So are all the other kids in his class) His teacher, Mrs. Bloomingdale is going to be a great match for him. She is a great teacher! She is firm and loving and understands the wiggles that come with teaching 3 year olds and she has alot of experience with boys like Kyle. :)
The parents were allowed to stay for the first 30 minutes of class. I got to see Kyle in action during calendar time and carpet time. He is Mr. Chatty. He always has something to say and does not yet know the importance of raising his hand and waiting to be called on. Good thing he has 2 years of preschool before he starts kindergarten!
Being in his classroom made me miss teaching. It is SO DIFFERENT when you are the mommy and not the teacher. Crazy!
Overall, it was a good first day. I am so proud that Kyle decided to be brave and enter his new phase of life with confidence and ease. I was too relieved to cry. I am just glad it went so well. When I picked him up I did shed a tear or two because I was so proud of him and so happy that the first day was a success.
It is exciting to think about the year ahead and all the fun things Kyle is going to get to experience and learn.
ABC, counting, writing, field trips, singing songs, bible lessons, sharing, playtime, learning how to be a big boy at school.
I can't believe my BABY is in Preschool! Where has the time gone?

Baby Nephew, Owen

2010-09-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

I am an auntie!
Owen Green Olvera
Born: August 18, 2010
8 lbs 2 oz.
20 inches

I made Owen a "Happy 0th Birthday Cake"

Owen and Auntie Christy

Kyle and Kaden are so excited to have a baby cousin!

Uncle Troy

Kyle loves babies! He is kissing baby Owen

Kyle holding Owen for the first time (3 days old)

Kyle holding Owen (17 days old)

Owen chilling in his bouncy seat.....makes me kinda sad because Kyle and Kaden used to use that seat

The 3 amigos will LOVE being cousins: Kyle, Kaden and Owen

Happy Birthday to ME!

2010-08-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 32nd birthday with my family (Troy, Kyle, Kaden and my sister, Sarah) at the Oregon Coast. It was great. We went to the beach all morning. Then Sarah watched our kiddos so Troy and I could go on a date. We had a casual and yummy seafood dinner (my favorite) then we went to Ona State Park Beach and enjoyed a relaxing evening cuddling and watching the waves. Then we went to a wonderful little cafe for coffee and dessert. The evening was perfect!
Kyle and Troy made me a cake.
Kyle actually taught Troy how to bake :)
It was cute.

Kyle helped me blow out my candles...all 32 of them!

No...the fire alarm did not go off in our hotel.

holy cow, Kyle....I think there are enough sprinkles on there!

Kyle carefully placed each candle

Kyle showing daddy how to bake....precious!

10 years!

2010-08-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

On July 28th we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary!
Holy cow! 10 years! REALLY?
How can that be?
We are going to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in November (minus the littles) for some real celebrating.....but we had a nice date night out in honor of the occasion.
We left the kiddos with auntie sarah...they have WAY too much fun with her :)
We had coffee, got a pedicure, went to happy hour at Ivar's in Seattle, drove around the U-District, went to the UW bookstore, went to SPU, took a picture of the house we lived in when we first got married, went to Golden Gardens Beach, went out for Mexican food, sat on the grass at Greenlake and exchanged cards and small gifts. It was a fun date. One that had many special memories from our early years together.
I am a lucky girl. Troy is such a wonderful husband and I love him with all of my heart. I am so thankful I married my best friend.
Marriage is not easy....but with alot of hard work and dedication....it is wonderful!
Can't wait to see what the next 10 years holds for us.

Our toes at Golden Gardens Beach

Ode to our slanty little house at SPU :)

Ivar's Happy Hour

Troy got me flowers

10 years ago...we were so young!

Oregon Coast

2010-08-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

For our last family vacation of the summer we loaded the Minivan and headed to the Oregon Coast. We stayed in Newport, OR. It was fun! But cold. Auntie Sarah came with us. She was freezing...since she is used to Thailand weather. The boys had lots of fun on the beach. Kaden ate at least a cup of sand. We made sand castles...which Kyle liked to stomp on. We went to the Newport Aquarium which was really cool! The boys played in the water and played frisbee and dug holes in the sand and got really dirty! What a fun way to wrap up the summer!
Here are some photos from our adventure:

Mommy hugs on the beach

Auntie Sarah made a sand castle and Kyle was trying to stomp on it

Kaden flying....who needs a kite?

Sandy little buddy!

Not sure if he ate more or got more on his clothes

Kyle looking at the kites....I just love his face in this photo

I could not get him to sit by his name...he is too fast

I could not get him to look at the camera....oh well.

Daddy and Kyle carrying water buckets back to the sand to make a castle

Mr. K-man loves the beach!

Small Group Vacation

2010-08-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

We are in a "small group" that meets twice a month to share life together. All together...there are 10 adults and 10 kids.
We had our 2nd annual small group vacation. This year we went to Lake Wapato (near Lake Chelan)
The Barstad's generously offered us their "cabin" for free! It was amazing.
We had so much fun! (I was terrible at taking photos....because we were so busy having fun)
Here are some highlights:
*swimming in the lake
*going to the water slides in chelan
*wine tasting-the mommies :)
*playing basketball- the daddies
*inner tubing! SO MUCH FUN!
*sharing meals together
*watching the kids play together and have so much fun!
*hanging out by the fire pit after the kids went to bed
*just being together...all 20 of us!

I wish I would have taken more photos to capture the amazing week that we had!
oh well.

the house, the fire pit
amazing!

Kelli reading stories to some of the kiddos

Kyle in his "bad guy" get up

Kelli, Christy, and Lori floating the lake....so relaxing!

Kaden's "play pen"

Thank you so much Dan and Michelle for allowing us to enjoy your house for the week!

Deer Harbor

2010-08-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

Troy's parents (MiMi and PaPa) have a boat. It is a 36 foot Uniflite. We enjoy going out in the boat with them. We went to Deer Harbor in the San Juan Islands at the end of July with them. This was Kaden's first boat trip in the PharmSea boat (it is called the PharmaSea because PaPa used to be a pharmacist)
It was a great time. We spent two nights on the boat. The kids did great! Kyle loved sleeping on the top bunk in the "bunk room" and PaPa made a crib bed rail for Kaden on the bottom bunk. The kids slept great on the boat...it must have been the gentle rocking of the water.
It was "Family Weekend" with the Bellingham boating club that MiMi and PaPa are in. They organized fun games for all the kids with lots of prizes too. Kyle won a big squirt gun!
We went crabbing, went in the "Fast Boat", went swimming at the pool, looked for fish with Kyle's "long net", and just enjoyed time with family on the boat. Auntie Tara (8 months pregnant) and Uncle Nando came for the day. It was alot of fun! We are lucky to live is such a beautiful area and have parents with a boat for us to enjoy the beautiful San Juan Islands!

Kyle ready to go swimming with his noodles and his squirt gun

Kyle fishing with his 'long net'

our little fisherman

crab!

Kyle tying the boat to the dock

riding in the "Fast Boat" with Tara and Nando

Kyle and Daddy driving the little boat

Kyle in his bunk bed with his flashlight

Kyle and Daddy on the fly bridge

Kaden napping in his "bunk bed crib"

Kyle is looking for whales with MiMi

My New Ride

2010-07-23T06:32:00.001-07:00

* I wish I could figure out how to place the photos in the order that I want....Oh well.

Lots of room for everyone.

Kaden is a good car-sleeper

Kyle reading in his new seat....surrounded by all of our "Stuff"
We took a trip to Ocean Shores in our new van. It held everything! Amazingly enough!

Kaden is trying out the power steering

There it is! A beauty!

I am officially a Mini-van Mom!
And proud of it!
We got a 2006 Kia Sedona.
It is gold....so we are calling to "the Dawg van" -- since Troy is such a HUGE Husky fan. We are still looking for purple UW stickers to put on the windows
We got the van in Wenatchee when we were on vacation in Leavenworth.
Troy put HOURS of research into the purchase of our minivan. I am so thankful to have a husband that does all that stuff for me! We are pleased with our decision and are really enjoying the space it provides for our family.

Summer!

2010-07-23T06:19:00.001-07:00

Summer is in full-swing around here. And we are loving every minute of it!
Troy has been teaching summer school but it is really not that bad. He leaves the house around 7am and gets home around noon-ish. So we have all afternoon to hang out as a family and enjoy the summer! Plus...he only has 1 more week and then has all of August off!
We have been busy! Here are some photos of what we have been up to lately!

We have organic produce delivered every other Thursday from Klesick Family Farm. It is so fun to see what we get and make yummy food from the plentiful bounty

Kaden LOVES water. He is a splashing fool! We put the "kiddie" pool up in our backyard almost every day for the boys to play in

The "summer deck" Troy built this deck 3 years ago and we are really enjoying it. I love the pots that I made in the spring. Troy power washed and stained the deck a few weeks ago and it looks brand new!

Troy and Kyle brought these home for me to enjoy (Kyle's favorite color--pink)

Troy doing what he loves....spraying the shore line
He is SO CUTE when he water skis

We went to Biringer farm and picked 17 pounds of strawberries and almost as many raspberries. We made 43 jars of jam....and still have MORE to make! That should last us through December...maybe

Kaden playing in the rocks at Lake Cavanaugh

Kaden riding "a big boy truck" on the beach

Kyle enjoyed being the "flagger" when daddy was water skiing....but daddy never fell in so he did not have a job to do

Kaden floating in his flotilla

Kyle is really into "combat play" So squirt guns are right up his alley

purple lips....time to snuggle in a towel

Welcome Home Sarah!

2010-07-22T21:38:00.001-07:00

After 10 months of living overseas in Thailand....my long-lost travelling sister is finally home!
We missed her so much!
Sarah, we are so proud of you! What an amazing journey you have been on.
It was hard for us to have you gone for that long...especially through holidays and Kaden's birth.
What a joy it was to see you hold Kaden for the first time.
Kyle missed you alot and always pretended to go to the airport to fly to Thailand.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us through your blog, Skype, e-mail, photos, and occasional phone calls.
We love you very much and we are SO HAPPY that you are HOME!

Sarah and her sign and flowers

Sarah meeting Kaden for the first time (Kaden screamed because it was overwhelming)

Kyle fell asleep and held on to Sarah's flowers

Then we made him hold the sign...too funny!

Me and my boys anxiously waiting for Sarah to come up the stairs at the airport

Kaden gave Sarah a "Welcome" balloon....but he chewed it all up before she arrived

The balloon and flowers (all pretty) before the kids got their hands on them

Red, White, and Blue "Welcome Home" cake

more photos

2010-07-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos from our family vacation!

The view from our hotel room at Ocean Shores!

Kyle found a fort on the beach

us.

a morning walk on the beach! (with coffee)

a mama deer and 2 babies right outside our room!

Kyle at the arcade riding the motorcycle

giddy-up!

Caution: Will Eat Sand! (and like it)

Family Time

2010-07-06T14:51:00.001-07:00

Troy had a week off before he starts teaching summer school so we went on a family vacation (just the 4 of us) to Leavenworth and Ocean Shores.
It was a great time!

Kyle and Kaden playing on the beach: in winter hats! It was cold but they still had a fun time!

Our little beach baby!

Playing at the park in Olympia-to break up the long drive

Kyle riding in our "new" minivan! We sure filled it up fast!

Kaden driving the minivan!

Kyle riding the Leavenworth Trolly

Brothers sharing ice cream in Leavenworth

Hiking in Leavenworth

Kaden's first hike in the backpack

Kyle sleeping in the hotel

"K"

2010-06-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

I am such a proud MaMa (and Kindergarten teacher)

Kaden is CRAWLING!

2010-06-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Kaden is officially crawling. He started crawling at 7 months and 1 week old. (Three weeks behind his brother....Kyle was 6 1/2 months old when he started crawling)

My world is now alot more challenging. Kaden is into everything!

He gets faster and more proficient at crawling everyday!

Watch out world....Kaden is mobile!

"Sleep Standing"

2010-06-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Kyle is a HARD sleeper.
He goes to bed about 8:00pm every night.
We always check on the kids when we go to bed.
When we went in to check on Kyle at 10:00pm one night...
THIS is what we found.....

I think he fell out of bed and was climbing back in and just stayed in this position.

Too funny!

He was SOUND asleep standing up.

The latest

2010-06-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is June already. Kaden will be 8 months old next week!
May was a busy and fun month. Kyle started T-ball and he enjoys it. He has been hitting a baseball that daddy pitches since he was 20 months old, so t-ball is a bit "boring" for him. But it is good for him to learn how to run the bases and play in the outfield.

Kaden is Kyle's # 1 fan!

Check out the size of that batting helmet!

We spent Mother's Day in Bellingham. It was a wonderful day. One of my favorite days of the year. We went to church as a family and we played at the park. The boys got me flowers and Troy gave me a "coupon book" with blessings like: washing my car, cleaning the bathroom, etc.

Kaden at the park on Mother's day

Mommy and her boys!

I went to a women's retreat with my church a few weekends ago. Troy got to experience my life firsthand for an entire weekend. He did a great job. The kids were clothed and fed and the house looked pretty decent when I returned. Troy is able to REALLY appreciate all that I do now that he understands how much work goes in to taking care of a baby and a 3 year old all day long.
Being a mommy is hard work! But I love it!

peek-a-boo

2010-05-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Kyle plays peek-a-boo with Kaden.

So cute!

for auntie sarah

2010-05-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Dual Screaming Children....

why do they grow up so fast???

2010-05-11T06:33:00.000-07:00

Kaden is 7 months old already!
Why do they grow up so fast?
It makes me happy and sad all at the same time. I miss having a newborn but it is fun watching Kaden grow and learn new things every day.
Kaden is a character. He has a fun, spunky personality. He thinks Kyle is hilarious and always cracks up when they are together.
At 7 months...Kaden:
*has 2 teeth (on the bottom)
*Can sit up unsupported
*sleeps through the night consistently
*eats baby food
*feeds himself Gerber puffs
*loves bouncing
*wants to crawl but can't quite do it
*growls (it is the cutest sound)
*just learned how to wave bye-bye
*puts everything in his mouth
*goes in the church nursery and plays with his friends
*loves taking a bath with his big brother and enjoys splashing and laughs when water is dumped on his head
*rolls over from back to tummy and tummy to back
* sleeps on his tummy most of the time (with his butt in the air)
*loves swinging in the baby swings at the park

Kaden at the beach (cutest photo ever)

covered in sweet potato and rice cereal

little man

April 15th, our little tax deduction

did he get any in his mouth?

sitting up like a big boy in the shopping cart

more eating (we do this 3 times a day now)

1st trip to the zoo....kinda cold

bouncing!

swinging

We love you Kaden! We are so happy you are part of our family!

2010-05-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!
The boys and I had fun making Daddy feel special on his birthday.
We made him a cake (Chocolate, of course)
We gave him gifts (a new shirt and new shoes)
and we made him a special banner to celebrate his special day.

the cake.

playing with daddy when he got home from work on his birthday

Kaden liked the wrapping paper

"helping" daddy open his presents

giving daddy his gifts

We love you Daddy!

super hero

2010-05-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

My little super hero!

Children are a gift from God

2010-03-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

I have always loved kids.
When I was 5 my little sister was born. I remember the day very clearly. I enjoyed helping my mom take care of the baby. It has always come naturally to me to be a nurturer. I did alot of babysitting in my teenage years. In college, I worked at a child care center. I have an elementary education degree. I taught Kindergarten for 5 years. Whenever there is a baby around, I want to hold it.
So, for as long as I can remember, I have always wanted children of my own.
When I was in college I even subscribed to Parents Magazine and posted cut out magazine photos of babies in my dorm room. I know, I was a bit obsessed.
When I got married, I thought I wanted to have children within a few years....but we got married young and Troy wanted to be on the "five year plan"
I didn't think I could wait 5 years.
But I did....and even longer.
We had been married 5 years and 6 months when we found out we were pregnant with Baby Schwenke # 1.
I was SO excited!
Kyle James was born 9-29-06 (We had been married 6 years and 2 months)
Then....3 years and 8 days later we were blessed with another child, Kaden Andrew (10-7-09)

God is kind of funny sometimes. You see, I always thought I would be a mom of 3 girls. I was used to girls. I like girls. I love to do little girl hair and dress them in cute little pink dresses. I even wore pink to my ultrasound in hopes that I would hear the technician say "It's a girl"
But...God had a different plan for me. And I am thankful.

If it were up to me I would have had 3 girls. At a younger age.
But God knows me and He knew that the BEST plan would be for me to wait and have TWO boys.
I LOVE MY BOYS!
They melt my heart.
It brings tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat as I write this and think of how much I am blessed to have my boys.
Now I spend my days playing baseball, soccer, football, digging in the dirt, playing pretend with swords, "fighting" the fire-breathing dragons, "hunting" animals like elk and deer in our living room, talking about dinosaurs, frogs, spiders, BOY STUFF :)
And I would not have it any other way!

Precious Kaden

Little buns

Such a happy little guy

Super Baby!

Brothers.

Those eyes will melt your heart every time!

Grandma GG

2010-03-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

In Loving Memory of Shirley Grace Keeler (Grandma GG)

Today Troy's Grandma GG went home to meet Jesus.
We love you and we will miss you!

GG holding Kyle for the 1st time

GG and Kyle at Tara's wedding (July, 2007)

GG and Frank at Kyle's 2nd Birthday party

GG and baby Kyle

GG's birthday, 2008

GG and Baby Kyle

GG and Frank at Chi Chi's wedding

Kyle's 1st Sleepover

2010-02-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

Kyle had his first sleep over last week. Caleb and Ethan (our neighbor boys) spent the night
Ethan is 4, Kyle is 3, Caleb is 2.
All three boys slept on the floor in Kyle's room. All three of them have Lightning McQueen sleeping bags. It was pretty cute.
They took a while to fall asleep and I had to move Caleb out of the room because the older boys were keeping him up. But overall they did pretty good.

All tucked in and ready for bed.

Daddy reading a story to the boys

Ethan and Caleb's mom and dad went out on a date while we watched the boys. So really, the did not spend the whole night with us. They just went to bed at our house until their mom and dad got home and picked them up.

Maybe next time they can stay the entire night.

Red and Pink Day

2010-02-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

valentine's day was a bit different this year for us.
Not very romantic :)
We hosted a Valentine's Day party for all the kids in our small group.
We had 8 kids total.
The kids dressed up, I made dinner (all red and pink menu items), we had a dance, crafts, games, decorated heart cookies, and had a movie.
The kids had a blast!
We were exhausted!

Jell-O Hearts

Bradie coloring

Janna and McKaden doing crafts

All the kiddos eating dinner

The spread: Mini Bagels with strawberry cream cheese, purple grapes, red strawberries, red apples, red peppers, red tomatoes, heart shaped grilled cheese sandwiches, pink milk (strawberry syrup), and of course heart shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting and red sprinkles!

Put Me In Coach!

2010-02-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

Kyle joined his first Basketball team at the YMCA in January.
He cried the first day and would not play (or even put on the t-shirt)
but after that he did great!
Watching 3 year olds play basketball is more like hearding cats!
All they do is run back and forth down the court with some of the kids running the wrong way or laying on the floor looking at the lights.
Kyle was one of the younger ones on his team and he is also one of the shortest. But that didn't stop him. He got pretty good at shooting baskets and running fast down the court.
We have to work on dribbling though!
(I have more photos that will post later)
We were really proud of him and it was fun to watch him enjoy his first sports team experience.
I am sure we will have MANY more years of sports teams in our future!

The line up.

shooting

running (travelling)

Kyle and his teammate

Nice shot Kyle!

Good Game, Good Game (high fives)

We are so proud of our little athlete

action shot

Kyle was always ready for action

Girl's Weekend Away

2010-02-28T19:11:00.000-08:00

I took a much-needed Girls Weekend to Camano Island with some friends!
(Tanya, Sara, Kelli, Lori, and Megan)
Kaden was the only boy allowed (since he is still breastfeeding)
but he won't share all of our secrets.
We walked on the beach, ate a yummy dinner (with no kids bugging us), stayed up talking, enjoyed a morning sunrise, coffee, a delicious breakfast, and more talking.
It was a great way to relax and get away! Here are some of the beautiful photos from the weekend:

sunrise

Christy (Kaden), Kelli, Sara, Megan, Tanya, Lori
Good friends.

ready for a chilly beach walk

God even sent a rainbow to make me smile :)

Kaden, 4 months old

2010-02-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Kaden turned 4 months old on February 7, 2010

At his 4 month check up:

He weighed: 13lbs. 6.5 ounces (20th percentile)

He was 25 inches tall (54th percentile)

He has a small head! (Only the 3rd perceintile)

He is a happy little guy. He is smiley and has started to laugh.

He sleeps pretty well. Most of the time he sleeps through the night. Sometimes he wakes up and I just give him a binkie and he goes back to sleep.

He has started teething which has not been fun for him (or me)

But he is doing great and we are so happy he is part of our family!

Blog Update: overdue

2010-02-28T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am way overdue on my blog updates.
So.....here are a few things we have been up to lately....
(see above posts)

Hagan Family Christmas Party

2010-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

I have a really big extended family. Every year we get together in January and August. It is a fun time. I wish we could all be together more often but it is difficult to coordinate this many schedules! Almost everybody was there this year....only missing a few.

Not pictured: Sarah, Rachelle, Shelly, Keegan, and Barry

The original six. Bill, Rosalee, Jim, Sally, Annie, Geri

"The Married-In" Gang:
Jan, Richard, Kate, Rick, Katie, Andy, Elaine, Troy, Ryan, Lisa, Marnie

The cousins: Jimmy, Mike, John, Kyle, Donald, Kelly, Coleen, Christy, Jessie, Ryan
Not pictured: Sarah, Shelly, Patrick

The Kids/2nd Cousins:
Mackenzie, Drew, Keenan, Dawson, Rory, Kyle, Ellie, Catie, Liam, Kaden
Not pictured: Keegan

It is fun to be a part of a big, loving, Irish Family!!!
Grandma and Grandpa Hagan would be so proud of all of their loved ones!

December Fun

2009-12-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Making Gingerbread houses with our friends: Kyle was not as interested as the girls were

Making rolo pretzels

Hand and Foot Reindeer

Troy and Kyle watching the Chirstmas Ship Parade in Everett

Cookies ready to deliver to our neighbors

Gingerbread men cookies

Kyle's cookie

Last year a friend of mine (thanks Beth S.) gave me the idea to start a tradition with my kids to do a fun activity each day to celebrate Advent/Christmas.

Here are some of the things we did this year:

Get a Christmas Tree at Farmer Browns
Decorate a Christmas Tree in your room
Christmas Ships in Everett
Drive around and see Christmas Lights with cocoa
Bellevue Square Mall-Snowflake Lane
Bake and Decorate Christmas cookies/gingerbread men
Hand and Foot Reindeer
Pick toys to donate to needy kids
Watch our favorite Christmas movies
Make a graham cracker gingerbread house
make fudge
make rolo pretzels
read Christmas books
deliver cookies and cards to our neighbors
visit Santa and go out to dinner
do chores around the house to earn money to donate to "The Arrival" at church

I am excited to add to this list each year and create wonderful Christmas memories for our family!

Missing Auntie Sarah!

2009-12-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

Read Kaden's shirt....that is what he wants for Christmas!

Christmas Tree Farm

2009-12-01T15:05:00.001-08:00

Every year we head out to Farmer Brown's Christmas Tree Farm in search of the perfect Schwenke Family Christmas Tree. We load up the truck and fill our travel mugs with hot cocoa. This year is the first time Auntie Sarah has not joined us...since she lives in Thailand. We missed having her there with us.
For some reason we have a hard time agreeing on what the "perfect" tree really looks like. We tend to spend way too much time wandering around the huge farm in search of THE tree. When we find one we like we try to remember where it is and then go see if there are any others better than that one. But we usually want to go back and find the first one and usually can't seem to find it.
This year we were on a mission. It was cold. We had a 7 week old baby with us that wanted to have some mommy milk very soon. We had to make it quick. We found our tree in record time and still had fun! Kyle LOVED measuring the trees with his tape measure and he enjoyed walking through the "forest" (as he called it)
We found a great tree and we can't wait to decorate it!
It was a success!
And I am thankful for my handsome husband and cute helper that did all the sawing and lifting. I just got to cuddle the baby the whole time :)

Fishing with Uncle Nando

2009-11-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

Uncle Nando took Kyle to Whatcom Creek to go fishing on Thanksgiving morning.
Kyle had SO MUCH fun!
The fish are Chum Salmon and they are on their way to the hatchery.
Kyle liked reeling in the fish the best!

FISH ON!

Reeling it in!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Bellingham with Troy's family. It was a great day of spending time with the people we love and eating WAY too much food! We have so much to be thankful for! Our family, our friends, our health, Troy's job, our two beautiful children, our home. We are truly blessed!

Family Photo

Sleepy Boy (after eating all that turkey) :)

The turkey weighs more than Kaden does!

Pies! Yummy!

Christmas Lights

2009-11-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

We were coming home last night from swimming lessons and it was dark. Kyle spotted the first house that is decorated with Christmas lights.
Kyle says: "Look! Christmas Lights!!!"
Mom says: "Yes! It is almost Christmas Time....we get to see Christmas Lights and Celebrate Jesus' birth, and give presents to our family and friends.
Kyle says: "And go Trick-or-Treating"
Mom says: "no, that is on Halloween, silly!"

Dinner Disaster

2009-11-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Sunday. I planned a crock pot meal.
I used a great blog site.....http://crockpot365.blogspot.com
I made Pasta Figole soup.
Before church I put everything together and turned it on. Check. Dinner will be ready at 5pm. Or so I thought......
I even made "homemade" bread in my bread machine (it was a box of bread machine mix)
BUT.....Little did I know that I thought I set the crock pot to LOW but it was actually on the OFF position. AND....I thought I pressed start on the bread machine but I forgot and I just set the timer. SO....at 4pm I realized that my soup was COLD and my bread was still a pile of water, flour, and yeast.
Too bad my mom and dad came over for dinner.
Plan B.....frozen pizza.
Oh well.....we get Pasta Figole soup tonight! :)

When mommy takes a shower.....

2009-11-21T08:42:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when I take a shower....

I put Kaden in his crib (in a bouncy seat) with the bars up so that Kyle would not get him.
I turned on a TV show for Kyle downstairs.
Kyle was glued to Curious George so I took the opportunity to get a quick shower.
When I got out of the shower...this is what I found.

Kyle had come upstairs. Gone into the laundry room and got a laundry basket. Turned it upside down. Then went into the bathroom and got his stool and put it on top of the laundry basket.
Climbed up and was able to reach the baby!
All in a 10 minute period.
Yikes!
He told me he just wanted to give Kaden a kiss.

Next time I take a shower I will put the bouncy seat in the bathroom with me so Kaden doesn't end up "smothered" by his brother's kisses :)

Piggy Bank

2009-11-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Kyle was washing his hands and used WAY too much soap. (It is the Kandoo Bright Foam Handsoap for kids) I told him that he would have to pay for a new soap with the money in his piggy bank since he was being wasteful.
He then told me "I don't have a piggy bank. I only have a cow bank and an elephant bank"
(Because his piggy banks are shaped like a cow and an elephant)
Smart kid.

Kaden's Dedication

2009-11-17T07:46:00.001-08:00

"Children are a gift from the Lord..." Psalm 127:3 a

November 15, 2009 will always be a special day in Kaden's life. It is the day that we had him dedicated to the Lord at our church.
God blessed us with two beautiful children, Kyle and Kaden. We had Kyle dedicated on January 27, 2007 and now we have the honor to present Kaden back to the Lord so that he can fulfill God's plan for his life.
This is a public celebration of gratitude to God for this gift. Our family and friends came to church to stand beside us in support and prayer for our children. As christian parents, we want our kids to grow up under our care in our family as we commit our children to God for His purposes. We want our children to have the building blocks to thrive and grow into the person of God's design.
Thank you for praying for our kids with us!

Kaden's Hospital/Birth Photos

2009-11-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

I went into labor on a Tuesday night (October 6th). It was 14 days before my due date. I was scheduled to have a c-section on Wednesday, October 14th but the baby decided that he wanted to come a week before that! I knew I was in labor in the middle of the night when my contractions were getting stronger and closer together and I started bleeding. I woke Troy up at 4am and told him he better go make sub plans. I took a shower and finished packing for the hospital. Kyle must have heard all the commotion because he woke up at 5:20am. I e-mailed my sister in Thailand and told her that I was in labor. I called my mom and arranged for her to take care of Kyle. Troy went into work at 5am. I took Kyle to my neighbor's house at 6am and then I drove myself (in labor) to the hospital.
They checked me into triage. I was dilated to 1cm. I had an appointment with my OB/GYN that day at 10am. So they told me to walk around to try and see if my body would progress more and then they told me to go to my appointment at 10am.
At 10am they checked me again and I was at 2cm.
Then I went back to triage. I was told I would have a c-section in about 4-5 hours. I had to wait longer because I had eaten breakfast at 6am and they wanted me to have an empty stomach. But Kaden wanted to meet me before that. By 11:30am I was dilated to 5cm and my contractions were STRONG AND PAINFUL!!! Within minutes I had a doctor, an anaesthesiologist, a nurse (giving me an IV), and another nurse prepping me all in my room at once. Five minutes later they were wheeling me into the operating room for my c-section. It was cold in there and I was nervous to get my spinal. I cried. But after it was in I was happy!
Troy joined me wearing his scrubs- he looked cute!
Then Kaden was born about 10 minutes later.
It was all very fast!
We were thrilled!

Just before the c-section

My handsome husband!

Kaden's first minutes of life

Our first family photo

Kaden

Proud Daddy

Kangaroo Care with Mommy

Kyle's first time holding Kaden

Our little guy

1st trip in the car seat. Going HOME!

I was very pleased with my c-section experience. It was a WAY easier recovery for me than the one I had after having Kyle. (I had lots of complications)
We are so blessed to have Kaden in our family!

Halloween

2009-11-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween 2009

Kyle's Halloween Artwork. His best coloring job yet! He really took his time and tried to stay inside the lines. I must say, I am pretty impressed with his work considering he does not sit still for very long and he is only 3 years old. I think his coloring is so good because he is a little bit "OCD" :)

Kaden's Halloween Jammies

Kyle decorating ghost cookies with MiMi

Kyle and his friends at a Halloween Party
(Kyle is the elephant)

Kyle, Max, and McKaden at Trunk-or-Treat at our church.
The kids had SO MUCH fun handing out candy. It was fun to see them serving others and having a blast!

Our little pumpkin (24 days old)

Our little lion- so fierce!

Kyle and Kaden-1st Halloween together

Halloween photo on the porch
Kyle is *trying* to hold Kaden up

Pictures of Kaden

2009-11-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Kaden Andrew Schwenke
2 week old photos

Thank you "auntie" Katie for taking our photos
check out Katie's website:
www.clearlykatie.com

Enjoy!

We love our little guy!

Pregnancy/Family Photos

2009-10-14T15:14:00.001-07:00

Thank you to "Auntie Katie" for taking these photos of our family!
We love them! What precious memories we will cherish for a lifetime!
Good thing we took them on October 3rd since Kaden decided to come a week before he was scheduled to come!

Kaden Andrew Schwenke

2009-10-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

We are happy to introduce to you...

Kaden Andrew Schwenke

Born: October 7, 2009

12:43pm

7 pounds 11 ounces

20 inches

Via C-Section

Mom and Baby are doing great!

1, 2, 3

2009-10-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

We have had these pictures taken every year at Picture People. It is fun to see how Kyle has grown from a baby to a toddler to a little boy!

Happy 3rd Birthday Kyle!

2009-09-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today I became a mommy! It was a very special moment in my life.
Kyle James was born at 9:11am, 8 pounds 4 ounces, 21 inches long.

He has been bringing joy to our life ever since and we are so proud of the little boy that he has become! We love you Kyle!

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Kyle's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-09-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Kyle's 3rd Birthday a bit early this year. His party was on Sept. 11th even though his actual birthday is on Sept. 29th. Mommy wanted to get the party over sooner than later since she is having a baby soon. We had a swimming party at the Marysville pool. They have a kiddie pool. It was perfect! There were 19 kids all together that came to the party! It was great! They all had alot of fun! Kyle LOVES swimming so this was a perfect way to celebrate his 3rd birthday. After swimming we had dinner and cake. We did not have time to open presents at the party but we opened them at home.....a good option, much less chaotic!
Thank you to all of you who came to celebrate Kyle's birthday with us. We are thankful you are in our lives!

Pregnancy Photos

2009-09-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

We had some photos taken at The Picture People at the Alderwood Mall. They did a great job. Here are some cute photos! I love the ones of Kyle and my belly! Precious!

Preggo...

2009-09-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I have been avoiding this posting. I really don't feel cute or enjoy posting photos of my huge belly....but enough of my friends have asked me to post some "belly shots" So....here they are.
As of today, I am 34 weeks, 3 days pregnant.
I am having this baby on October 14th at 7:30am via C-section.
so....I have 4 weeks and 5 days to go!
I am excited to meet this little guy. No, we do not have a name picked out yet. Troy is still deciding. I have it narrowed down to two favorite names. His name will be announced on October 14th after he is born.
I hope to get some professional photos of my belly and Kyle kissing my belly soon. I will post those when I get them.
I already feel sorry for this kid. When I was pregnant with Kyle I took a photo of my belly every 4 weeks. This baby only has 3-4 belly photos so far. Poor kid.
Oh well.

Baby's new Malibu Onesie

Me and my cousin. I am 32 weeks along. She is 36 weeks along.
NO FAIR! I am WAY bigger!

30 weeks

Kyle's New Bike

2009-09-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Kyle got a new "Big Boy Bike" as an early Birthday present from Mommy and Daddy.
We gave it to him in August because we wanted him to enjoy riding it before the weather got too bad. He LOVES it! The 1st time he rode it he did great and he has been zooming down the sidewalks ever since. He looks so grown up riding his new bike. I have to admit I cried a bit when I saw him on it. He is not my little baby anymore!
We have taken his bike with us on a family vacation to Ocean Shores. We took his bike to our family reunion at Auntie Annie's house. He enjoys showing it off to all his friends and family!
Troy has taken Kyle on a few bike rides to the park... about a mile from our house. He did great!
Maybe next year he will be ready to do the STP with Daddy :)

Zooming down the sidewalk

The Biker Gang...Kyle, Caleb, and Ethan

Helping Daddy put together his bike

What a BIG BOY!

Happy Birthday Auntie Sarah

2009-07-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Auntie Sarah!
We celebrated Sarah's 26th Birthday on Sunday. Kyle helped me make a cake. It was my first attempt at making a 4 layer round cake. It turned out pretty good. The frosting was the best part! I have a great french buttercream frosting recipe. Let me know if you want it.
We had a family BBQ at our house. I made BBQ salmon, corn-on-the-cob, cheese bread, salad, and cake.
We opened presents and cards and enjoyed spending time together.
Sarah leaves in less than 2 months to spend a year in Thailand. We are going to miss her very much! So we are enjoying as much time with her as we can now.

The cake.

Sarah and Kyle with the cake

Sarah and her cake

Birthday kisses

putting sprinkles on the cake

Deer Harbour/Orcas Island

2009-07-22T08:15:00.001-07:00

We went to Deer Harbour on Orcas Island with Troy's parents on their boat last weekend. It was a fun time! Kyle had a BLAST! The weather was beautiful (except for the thunder storm on Saturday night) We played at the beach, went in the little boat, went crabbing, fished for little fish off the dock with Kyle's new net, and enjoyed spending time with MiMi and PaPa and Aunt Tara and Uncle Nando!

Kyle's funny face (check out the sandy fingers) Yuck!

Family Sandcastle building...we made an octopus

Troy, Kyle, and Nando on the "Alice" boat

Kyle driving the boat. "I can do it by myself, Daddy! Don't touch the wheel!"

My cute hubby. This reminds me of when we were dating!

Kyle and Aunt T

Kyle and his "long net"

Kyle's favorite thing to do...digging

Dinosaur

2009-07-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

I like comparing photos as the years go by....

July 2009

October 2007

Fun!

Happy Day!

2009-07-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Kyle pooped on the potty for the first time today!
Yeah!
No photos...sorry :)

Not much has changed....

2009-07-09T10:20:00.001-07:00

Kyle loves his blankie!

Age: 34 months (almost 3)

Age: 9 months

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-07T17:13:00.001-07:00

My friend sent me some more photos from the 4th of July....here they are!

Fireworks are LOUD!

Beautiful Sunset

Cuddling under the blanket

Kyle and his buddy Ethan
----------------------------------------------------------

We had a fun-filled 4th of July.
So fun...that I forgot to take lots of pictures.
Here are two that I did take :)

Ryan (Troy's twin) and Mattea with Troy and Kyle at the Yankee Doodle Parade in Everett

Kyle, Janna, and Deek enjoying Root Beer Floats and Cotton Candy at the Fun In the Sun Event in Everett.

The day began with Troy running the Yankee Doodle Dash 10K in Everett. He did great!
Then we went to the Casa De Huber and made Brunch (Pancakes with Blueberries, Strawberries, and Whip Cream)
Next we enjoyed the Everett Parade and Fun in the Sun events in Everett.
We headed home for nap time. Mommy needed a nap too!
It was HOT!
After nap we went up to a friends lake house and enjoyed swimming in the lake, good food, good friends, and fireworks! Kyle told me "Fireworks are not pretty. They are loud and dangerous!"
Kyle stayed up until 10:30pm
It was a great day!

Happy Father's Day Troy!

2009-06-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Troy!
You are an amazing Daddy to Kyle! It is always a joy to watch you interacting with your son. I love the way you play with him and teach him how to do things. Kyle wants to be just like you! Kyle is always happy when he is "helping" daddy with projects like building a deck or putting together a shelf or even sweeping the floor. When you come home from work Kyle lights up and grabs a football and is ready to play with daddy! These photos capture precious moments between you and Kyle over the past 2 and a half years. I am so excited to see you be a daddy of TWO boys!
We love you Troy (Daddy)!
Love, Christy and Kyle

Cute Kids

2009-06-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

We LOVE our "Small Group"
We meet every other Wednesday and encourage eachother to grow in our relationship with God, thrive in our Marriages, and pray for eachother as friends.
Our "small group" is not so small anymore.
We have 5 couples: 10 adults, 9 kids, and 1 fetus.
Here are some pretty cute kids: (1 baby boy not pictured...he was trying to go to sleep)

We are going on a "small group vacation" in August. It should be a BLAST with this crowd!

Big Boy Bed: Update

2009-06-04T07:19:00.001-07:00

Last night (June 3rd) Kyle slept in his Big Boy Bed
ALL NIGHT LONG!

Yeah!

Big Boy Bed

2009-06-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Kyle gets a new room so that the baby can have his nursery.
We spent 4 hours at Ikea picking out new furniture. Thank goodness Kyle was at his Grandma's house. I don't think he could have handled 4 hours in that store! I found the perfect bedding on sale at Target. It is Green, Blue, and Orange Jungle Safari Animals! Kyle loves animals. Especially elephants and monkeys!
We don't even need to paint the room since the walls are green and match the decor! Yeah! That saves time and money.
We are not finished with the room yet, but we got the bed set up. I am happy with the way it looks!
Kyle likes his new bed. But....the 1st night he tried to sleep in it did not go too well.
It was a hot May evening. I put him in bed at 7:40 and he did not fall asleep quickly like he normally does. Was it too hot in his room? probably. Was he a bit nervous to be in a different bed in a different room? probably.
So...I had to go in a few times to "help" him. By 8:40 he told me he wanted to go to his crib. So I agreed and put him in his crib.
He has not wanted to try to sleep in his new bed the past 3 days. He told me that the new bed could be for the baby. He wants to keep his crib.
So....I figure I have 4 more months to try and convince him that his new room is cool and fun and hopefully he will agree to sleep in there one of these days.
Did any of you other moms have similar experiences getting your child to sleep in a big boy/girl bed? Any tips?

Kyle's 1st night in his big boy bed.

Hugging his favorite monkey at bedtime.

Cool new bed, Kyle!
You are such a BIG BOY!

Reading stories in his new bed.

2 year old theology

2009-04-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I were driving in the car today and we were talking about people that love us.

Here is how the conversation went:

Mommy: "Kyle, who loves you?"

Kyle: "Daddy and Mommy and MiMi and PaPa and Grandma and Grandpa..."

Mommy: " What about Jesus? Does Jesus love you?"

Kyle: "No. He is in a book and can't get out"

:)

Guess we have to work on that one a little more.

Spring Break

2009-04-09T07:55:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to Arizona for Spring Break. This was Kyle's 1st time on an airplane. He did pretty good (for a 2 year old). Auntie Sarah got him a toy airplane. Chi Chi let us borrow her portable DVD player (LIFESAVER!) Kyle looked so cute with the i-pod earphones in his ears :)
We hoped he would nap on the plane...no such luck. Thankfully it was a short flight with no problems.

Watching a movie on the plane.

Playing with his toy airplane.

Watching the planes take off and land. So cool!

Mom and Dad made me wear my monkey leash at the airport so I would not run away and get lost.

We arrived in SUNNY Arizona on Saturday afternoon. We stayed in a condo with MiMi and PaPa (Troy's Parents)
We spent the week swimming in the pool, going to the Mariner's Game, at the Phoenix Zoo, at a Train Park, and enjoying the sunshine! Kyle did not like wearing sunscreen...we had to bribe him with M & M's :) Silly boy.

Cool Shades Kyle!

Daddy and Kyle at the M's game. Kyle even got to run the bases at the end of the game.

Kyle and Daddy riding the train.

We had a fun day at the zoo!

Kyle and Daddy playing soccer at the condo.

It was a wonderful vacation!

New Shirt

2009-03-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Kyle got a new shirt!

He is going to be a big brother in October!

March Snow

2009-03-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Global Warming???

"Red and Pink" Day

2009-02-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day
(Only 1 week late)
We enjoy celebrating "Red and Pink" Day (As we call it) by making heart shaped cookies covered in frosting and sprinkles. We make a "RED" dinner consisting of: Homemade (heart-shaped) Pepperoni Pizza, raspberries, strawberries, strawberry yogurt, red peppers, strawberry milk, purple apple-grape sparkling cider in wine glasses.

This picture is precious!
It is a photo of Kyle kissing his "girlfriend" Mattea!
CUTE!!!

Auntie Sarah

2009-02-01T07:08:00.001-08:00

Kyle is lucky to have so many people in his life that love him. Auntie Sarah is one of those people. Sarah is Kyle's 25 year old aunt who lives in Seattle.
Kyle LOVES his Auntie Sarah! They have lots of fun together.
She always takes him on fun adventures. Kyle lights up when Sarah comes to visit. It is fun to watch them interact. Auntie Sarah has a way with Kyle...she can make him laugh even when he is in his "post-nap grumpy phase" That takes skill.
Sarah was in the hospital room when Kyle was born and ever since that moment they have had a special bond.
We are not sure what we are going to do when Auntie Sarah moves overseas for a year!!!

a rainy day

silly smiles

Hat Island Summer Fun

Walking Greenlake

At the zoo

Hiking, 7 months old (Eating carrots)

At the park

10 minutes old.

WE LOVE YOU AUNTIE SARAH!

Monkey Leash

2009-01-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Kyle is a RUNNER!
He takes after his Daddy! He is SO FAST. Honestly, I have a hard time catching him.
So....we put him on a leash.
Target sells these great "monkey leashes"
Thank goodness Kyle likes monkeys. (They also have bears and some other kind of animal)
But Kyle is a monkey kid. :)
It took a while for him to get used to wearing it but now he likes it...most of the time.
We call it "Taking the Monkey for a walk" and Kyle seems to enjoy it.
When we go to crowded places (like the Seattle Science Center) I feel much better knowing I have a hold on him by the monkey tail. I am worried he will run away from me and get lost.
So....I am proud to admit....YES, I put a leash on my child!

January '09

2009-01-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year (14 days late) Sorry!
Things have been a little bit hectic around here.

We enjoyed our Christmas Break. Troy had 3 extra days off because of the snow. I must say, after 19 days of Troy being home...it was nice to be back to the "normal routine" around here.
We celebrated New Year's with friends and stayed up WAY TOO LATE for my liking. Thank goodness for Grandma Sally! She spent the night and got up at 6am with Kyle.
Speaking of that...Kyle has been getting up EARLY! I am talking 5am, 5:30am., 6am.
The kid does not understand the concept of sleeping in/weekends/Christmas Break/or 2 hour late start because of snow.
I went and bought a White Noise Machine (BEST $20.00 I ever spent)
Yesterday he woke up at 7:40. Today was 7:30.
That is much better!!!

Troy is FINISHED with his Masters Program!!!
I am SO proud of him. It has been 22 months of sacrifice but it will be well worth it now that it is done!
Kyle was an infant when Troy started the program. Crazy to think about!
One weekend per month...Troy would have class. Friday night from 5pm-10pm, Saturday from 8am-5pm, and Sunday from 8am-5pm!
Those weekends were LONG for both of us!!!!
Troy took a much needed-much deserved Personal day on Monday to celebrate.
He went to the movies. By himself. He saw a movie that I would not care to see :) He said there were 10 guys (alone) in the movie theatre. Funny.
When he came home....he handed me these.....

They are BEAUTIFUL!
I guess I deserve flowers for helping him get through this Masters Program :)
What a thoughtful thing for him to do.

We have joined the YMCA. (We joined in November...so we are not part of the New Year's Resolution Bandwagon)
It has been great for our family! We go together. Troy runs/lifts weights, Christy uses the treadmill or other machines or does a group class, and Kyle plays in the Kid Zone. He loves it.
We have also used the swimming pool quite a bit. We go to Open Swim/Family Swim. Kyle is becoming quite a little fishy! Kyle is taking swimming lessons again. He LOVES it. We go twice a week for 30 minutes. He is even holding on to a "noodle" and swimming all by himself!

We are looking forward to a fun-filled 2009!

Old McDonald

2008-12-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Troy singing "Old McDonald"

Enjoy!

Snow Day # 2

2008-12-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

We woke up today to a phone call from Troy's school district saying that school was closed! Yeah! Time to sleep in....NOT!
Kyle has no concept of sleeping in. Oh well.
We had such a fun day. Kyle finally decided to wear a winter coat (size 4T) and mittens!
We went sledding with our neighbor buddies Caleb and Ethan. We built a snowman and we went on a walk with the Radio Flyer Wagon. Kyle even decided to "mow" the snow.

Kyle mowing the snow

Our snowman

Going for a walk in the wagon.

sledding

Cute boys sledding.

What a fun day! There is nothing better than playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa, making cookies, and watching movies!
I hope we have another snow day tomorrow!

Snow Day

2008-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

Kyle LOVED playing in the snow yesterday!
He was in Digging Heaven!
Of course, he refused to wear gloves/mittens...so his hands were freezing and bright red!
Oh well....he will learn.
I put him in the back of Daddy's truck and he dug out all the snow. I could not get him out of there! He would have played outside all day if I let him.....but I made him come in for hot cocoa and lunch (I know, I am so mean)
He enjoyed playing with his diggers and loaders on the deck (even after it got dark)
We did not make a snowman.....maybe we will try that today???

Kyle digging.

Playing on the deck at night.

more digging.

clearing off Daddy's truck

He's a digging machine!

Farmer Brown's Christmas Tree Farm

2008-12-10T17:05:00.001-08:00

Making Traditions is an important part of Christmas for us.
For the past 3 years we have headed to Farmer Brown's Christmas Tree Farm to pick out the perfect Christmas Tree.
So we load up the Dodge Dakota with our hot cocoa in hand and head to Arlington. My sister, Sarah, always comes with us.
This year, Kyle loved walking through the many rows of trees. He found big ones and small ones! His favorite part was helping Daddy carry the tree back to the truck. So cute! What a big boy! And such a good helper!
(For some reason, I am not good at placing the photos in the order that I want them to go in)
sorry for that....
so...we are some photos from this year and some from past 2 years too!
(random order)

Kyle-December 2007 (age 15 months)

Annual shot with Auntie Sarah (2007)

1st Trip to Farmer Brown's Tree Farm
(December 2006)
12 weeks old

Our cute little family (2006)

Auntie Sarah and Kyle (2006)

December 2008:

Peek-a-boo

Helping Daddy carry the tree.
It's heavy!

Cute Boy!

I want to carry it Daddy!

Hmmm....how is Daddy sawing it? I want to try!

(maybe next year, kid)

You can't find me! :)

Here's a good one, mom. It's my size.

Look, I am taller than the tree!

Daddy and Kyle smile for the camera

Auntie Sarah and Kyle (2008)

Happy Tree Hunting!

Santa Pictures

2008-12-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the night. We decided to take Kyle to see Santa for his yearly photo session.
I was prepared for the worst.
Getting him dressed was not easy. He wiggled, freaked out, and said "Different shirt MaMa!"
But...I did not give in. He was going to wear the red checked shirt with the gray and red striped sweater on top, cute jeans, and red socks! That is what I bought for him to wear for the photos. If he had his way...he would be wearing sweat pants with a bright yellow elephant t-shirt or digger jammies.
I won this one.
so....we sang Christmas Songs all the way to the mall.
I told him he could tell Santa that he wanted a digger for Christmas.
I told him he could eat a candy cane when he was finished.
I told him that he did not need to cry because he was a big boy.
I still expected tears, arched back, sliding off Santa's lap and running towards mommy.
but...I was surprised.
This is what we got!
Who is this kid?????????
Not my Kyle!!!!!

It only took 6 tries before we got a good one. The first few he was being shy and had his fingers in his mouth. Then he would not smile. But...I played peek-a-boo with him from behind the counter and that did the trick! Mommy knows how to get him to smile :)
Despite the High Waters....it is a cute photo.
I was pleased and proud.
He enjoyed every last lick of the sticky pepperminty candy cane.
The photos are already loaded on Facebook and Costco is printing copies for all the relatives right this very moment.
Mission Complete.
Now....if only I can get him to eat his vegetables!!!!!

Christmas Time Is Here...

2008-12-04T11:37:00.001-08:00

Check out my new blog colors.
Festive, huh???

I finally got Kyle to put on his Christmas PJs. They are pretty cute.
He would rather wear his "Digger Jammies"

I am so excited for the Holiday Season! We are getting our Christmas Tree on Saturday (photos to come). I am slowly getting all of the Christmas Decorations up around my house. There is shopping to do, presents to wrap, cookies to bake, parties to attend, cards to send out.....
'Tis the Season!

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-12-03T08:13:00.001-08:00

I still consider myself new to the "blog world"
For some reason I cannot get my photos to load in the order that I want them to appear on my blog....so excuse the randomness of the photo placement.....

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent the weekend in Bellingham with Troy's family.
There were 8 of us...a pretty small crowd. Poor Kyle has no cousins to play with but he seems to be OK with that. He LOVES to play with his MiMi and PaPa and their dogs, Charlie and Maggie. It is fun to watch Kyle interact with Auntie "TT" and Uncle Nando too!
The food was DELICIOUS!

My 1 glass of Riesling! Yummy!

Kyle enjoying his soy chocolate pudding.

Kyle praying for the meal. Cuteness!

The turkey.

My favorite: Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Smoked Gouda Cheese

with Gravy, of course!

MiMi cooking!

More wine.

PaPa carving the bird.

The Family Photo.

Turkey. Stuffed.

Flowers and Candles. MiMi is cute and festive with her decorations.

The table.

The Apple Pie. Tara did a beautiful job! It was great!

She also made a pumpkin cheesecake with Ginger Snap Cookies for the crust! AMAZING!!!

What a wonderful FEAST!

Now...I am off to the YMCA to work out so I don't gain 10 pounds!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Thankful!

2008-11-25T08:14:00.001-08:00

It is the little things in life that I am thankful for this year:
Warm cups of coffee with French Vanilla Coffee Mate Creamer, cozy PJs, crisp morning air, sunlight beaming through the trees in my backyard. These are things I am thankful for this morning as I type.

My sister sent me some photos. Isn't this one cute???!!!???

My grandma, Doris, is 91 years old. She is a kick in the pants! I love her dearly!
The older I get, the more I realize how thankful I am for my family and friends.

Kyle is thankful for his blankies and stuffed animals! :)
You should see the routine of tucking him (and all of his animals) into bed each night.
It is quite a process!

I am a blessed woman! I have two boys in my life that mean the world to me: Troy and Kyle.
I am thankful for them!

Undefeated

2008-11-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

Troy is a teacher at Everett High School. He also coaches boys and girls tennis.
The boys just finised their season UNDEFEATED!
Way to go boys!!!!

Early on in the season Coach Schwenke told his boys that if they went undefeated he would shave his head into a mohawk!

so...here it is!!

What a cool guy! His boys LOVED it! He had to shave it in front of the entire school at an assembly.

At least they shaved his head on Halloween. :)

I think it looked pretty good.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T08:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!
We dressed up for Young Life Club on Monday. I was worried that Kyle would not want to put his costume on. I was right. It took a wrestling match to get him into the costume. But...as soon as he was in it and had the boots and hat to make the outfit complete...he LOVED it. What a cute little fire fighter we have! I will add more photos after the big night of trick-or-treating but I could not wait to post these photos.

Our little fire fighter!

Too young to drive a fire engine....I will ride my scooter :)

This is the best pose with the pumpkins on the porch that I could get out of a wiggly toddler!

Happy Halloween!

Best Buddies

2008-10-21T16:07:00.001-07:00

Kyle and Ethan are BEST BUDDIES!
Ethan is 9 months older than Kyle and he lives across the street.
Kyle does not have any siblings or cousins yet so Ethan is the closest thing he has to that.
They LOVE playing together.
We took a trip to "The Farm" in Snohomish last weekend. They boys had a great time. They loved riding on the hayride, looking at the animals, jumping in the hay, digging in the dirt, and picking out pumpkins together. It is so fun to have a best buddy right across the street!

Kyle hugging Ethan on the hayride.

Looking at the tractor. Wow! It is BIG!

When they had this photo taken people commented on how nice they were to eachother sitting on the pumpkin. Some people thought they were brothers. (If they were brothers they would probably be pushing eachother off the pumpkin).

Holding hands in the field.

So sweet! Best of Friends!!

Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-21T07:08:00.001-07:00

We LOVE going to the Pumpkin Farm!
We took our 1st trip to Carlton Farm in Lake Stevens on a sunny afternoon at the beginning of October. Kyle loved it! His favorite part was stomping in the puddles with his boots on.

These pumpkins are too big, mama!

Oink! Oink!

Rule: You ahve to be able to carry your own pumpkin to the car.

Kyle loved jumping in the hay!

Don't worry! More pumpkin farm blog entries are coming. We are going again next weekend!

Wacky Wednesdays

2008-10-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

Every Wednesday I watch two little boys: Ethan and Caleb.
Ethan is almost 3 and Caleb is 1.
Add Kyle to the mix and I have three very active little toddler boys!
They keep me on my toes...that is for sure!

Ethan, Caleb and Kyle sitting on the porch waiting for the garbage man to come.

Eating breakfast.

Yum! Yum!

The playroom is always a mess! But they sure have alot of fun!

The garbage man arrives. It is an exciting moment of the day!

By the end of the day I am happy that all 3 boys are fed, clothed, diapers changed, naps were taken (hopefully), and we all had fun.....and I am EXHAUSTED!
We usually go for a walk, read books, do art projects, play in the backyard (digging), take EVERY toy out that Kyle owns and play with them (and try to share them).
Ethan and Caleb are very special friends and neighbors. We are lucky to have them in our lives! It is fun to watch these little guys grow up together.

Happy 2nd Birthday Kyle!

2008-09-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Kyle!

Two years ago today....you were born.
How time flies! Look how big you are now!

We love you so much Kyle!

We had a family party yesterday in Bellingham. All of your grandparents and aunts and uncles were there. We played outside, opened gifts, ate a yummy dinner and had cake.
Mommy made you a Sesame Street Cake...too bad she can't spell "Birthday" :)

Checking out all of your presents!

Your "special" cupcake. Wheat/Egg/Dairy free!

Yum! Yum!

You asked for a spoon so you could shove more in!

It was fun to watch you enjoy your special day!
We love you!