"Puff"

Colton Puff, Coco-Puff, Puff-Puff....are just a few of the nicknames that we use for our baby Colton Bryan!!! (I know someday he will be embarrassed that I talked in public about these cute nicknames I'm giving him, until then....)

This little baby that I held in my arms as a new born almost 1 year ago is now a busy body and full of personality (i just want to scream sometimes: "Somebody, PlEaSe stop the time!!!!)....

Here are some of his latest accomplishments!

* Colton has been saying "Dadda" for some time now, but last week he started saying"Mamama". ( it melted my heart!)

*When playing with a truck or car he makes "car noises" that he learned from his older brother!

*THE FASTEST crawler I have ever met! He is on the verge of crawling on all his 4 but not yet, just really good at army crawling.

*He can pull himself up to a standing position, on just about anything: toy truck, couch, mommy's legs, chair, crib, etc.

* The bottom 2 teeth have been here for quite some time, and now the top 2 teeth are staring to show up!

* Colton has the cutest smile and his laugh fills my heart with joy.

* A couple of weeks ago, he started crawling up the stairs -- scary!

* It is very difficult to change his diaper since he turns over, kicks and sits up right in the middle of the diaper change. To change his clothes, is yet another challenge.

* Colton is very determined. If he sees something he wants, he goes after it no matter what, where or who....A lady from church, after watching him in nursery, said : "He is like a little bulldozer!" Yup, that sounds like my son!
* Cotlon is very expressive; he has the cutest facial expressions!

*Bounces to music.

*Colton enjoys playing with his brother and sister, wrestle with his daddy, and is almost always aware of where mommy is (if not, he wanders around the house looking for mommy)!!!

I ADORE this little man!!

This'n'that

*Kylie and Brayden's friends -- Mya and Lauren, came over for the day on Friday. We made pancakes for breakfast, went to the library, had lunch, played "house" downstairs,watched "Beauty and the Beast", played outside, and had hot chocolate before the girls went home. It was a fun day for all the kids and I was grateful Brett was home most of the day to help me take care of 5 little ones!!!


*Our friend, Mary Ellen, turned 30 this weekend and we went out for her big birthday bash!!! We celebrated with a dancing party at Timmerman's followed by appetizers (late at night) at Champs!! We had a B-L-A-S-T!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is the birthday girl thanking everyone for coming!
Brett and friends during one of the many slide dances of the night.
Girls just wanna have fun!

Brett and I with Sam and Ale.

Yes, I was a dancing fool!!! I should have lost 10lbs on that dancing floor!! It didn't happen, but it should have ;)

Newsfeed

Preschool-
Kylie has been loving preschool! She has made new friends and is loving all the different "jobs" that she is assigned to daily. She is learning so much!
Swimming lessons ended last week and we were both ready for a break from all the runnning around. However, I miss the social time with the other moms (while we watched the little swimmers) and Kylie misses splashing around. Now, we are looking forward to spring swimming lessons.



ART-
Kylie has been doing some cool art projects in Preschool. The bottom two they made at the library. Brayden's creative muse is the bottom picture on the right.

Sleeping buddies-

Brayden has been sneaking into Kylie's room to read books before bed time. Often, he falls asleep in Kylie's room and wakes up in the middle of the night and wanders off to his own bed.

Goggles-

Brayden loves to wear these goggles. He wears them just about everywhere... so cute! :)

Sleepovers, tea parties and the Hawkeyes fight song!

On Friday night, Kylie had a sleepover at her friends' house (Mya and Lauren). She had a wonderful time, painting toenails, watching a movie, playing with her friends, and sleeping in sleeping bags in the basement (what a blast!)

All ready to go!

Brayden was eCsTaTiC when Kylie came back the next day. It warmed my heart!

Colton is getting so big! He is all smiles and chats! He says "daddaddaddaada" alot and is as fast as a bullet crawling around, all over the place! He has been eating table foods for a few days now, which makes life a little easier for moi!

***A few weeks ago, Kylie wanted to have a tea party. She asked if she could invite Brayden to her tea party and of course I agreed! ;). We made silly hats and had snacks with our tea.

We used the tea cups and teapot that great grandma Dodie passed down to Kylie! Thank you gmaThe guest of honor (aka brother Brayden) was....well, like Kylie put it: Brayden is a little rough mommy." I would say, it was more like an elephant in a china shop :). So we decided it would be best if the guest of honor will be using.....

.... a sippy cup instead!

Brayden listening and signing along to the Iowa Fight Song! NO tea parties for me,please. LEtS GO HAWKS!

Fall

Even though the weather has been warm and it feels more like summer, it is the middle of September and school, AWANA and swimming lessons are on their way.
Kylie has started swimming lessons this week, she loves it! She has advanced to the next level and has 3 other children in her group now.
AWANA started last week. Kylie moved from Cubbies to Sparks this year. She had to memorize John 3:16 and learned new words like, everlasting and perish, and I am sure she will be using them in sentences soon. Because she knew her verse, she earned her Sparks membership card. When we arrived home she informed her dad that she has a "credit card"...I'm not sure if she knows what a credit card is, and if she does, she doesn't know it from me.... :)

We have been walking Kylie back and forth to school. Today instead of a walk, it was a waggon ride. I surely thought Brayden will be riding in the waggon both ways. WRONG....he pulled the waggon all the way there and pushed on the way back...such a guy thing!

My sweetheart!

My "twins"!

Enjoying the warm weather...and the fallen leaves!

Simply Elegant

This weekend Galena hosted "Ladies Getaway Weekend '09". The weekend kicked off with a fashion show on Friday night. My friend, Robin owns a clothing shop in Galena (she has the best clothes in Galena, check it out if you don't believe me http://www.simplyelegantboutique.com/ )and asked a few ladies from our church if we would like to model for her store. Of course we all accepted and we had an AMAZING time!!!! We had our make-up done by Robin (who has her own make-up line called :"Patricia") and our hair done by Emily, her store employee.

Here we all are posing for the camera!

There was an actual tent outside the building where ladies were getting ready for the cat walk(23 stores were represented.) We got ready at the store.

The runway - Me and Amy

Cat walk (Amy looks so good in the little black dress with the choker necklace)

My outfit

I wore this coat when I stepped on the runway but took it off to show the rest of the outfit. I think it looks very high fashion.

Me and Ale (she's so beautiful!)

Some of us ladies, dinning at Vinny Vanucchy's.

Later that evening, we went out to dinner at "Vinny Vanucchy's". When we were done, Ale and I went back to the store with Robin and shopped until 11:00p.m. it was fun to have the store to ourselves. I found a pair of LTB jeans that I love! We didn't get home until 11:30 and found Brett and Sam *Ale's hubby* sleeping on the couch! Thank you guys for letting us have our fun!!!

What an incredible night...i am still on cloud 9 from the fun we had!

Preschool

This has been one of the most exciting weeks for my daughter Kylie, and for everyone who loves this beauty to pieces! On Tuesday we embarked on a new adventure when Kylie started Preschool at Our Redeemer. She is loving it so far!

Grandma and grandpa were here to support Kylie at the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
I also think they were here for emotional support for me.
Me with my sweet preschooler!

Daddy, grandpa and I went to pick Kylie up from school (me and gma walked Kylie to school). Me and the boys have been walking Kylie to school for the rest of the week (Wed. and Th). After their naps, we walk back to the school to pick Kylie up. We're planning on walking back and forth as long as the weather permits us.

Kylie telling grandpa all about her 1st day on the walk home.

1st art project in school

Grandma and Grandpa took us out for dinner to celebrate the beginning of an era...from now on, there will be school work to do until my little girl is an adult and hopefully beyond.

Dear Lord, please protect this little heart and mind. I pray her education will equipe her well to face this world and take it by storm and I BEG that her heart and soul will be YOURS! Amen.