Life is Great

Perks of Staying Home

2012-02-18T10:03:00.000-05:00

February was a busy month at Addison's school! I feel like Brody and I were there just as much as Addison! The first activity was "Your a 100 Days Smarter", the class celebrated their 100 days of being at school and of course it was as cute as can be. One of my most favorite parts of coming to Addison's classroom is the excitement from all the kids when they see Brody! I'm not kidding all the kids stop what they're doing and run over to Brody shouting his name and giving him a big hug. I feel so blessed that Addison's teacher Mrs. Davis loves that Brody comes too so its never a feeling of inconvenience that I have a crazy 1 year old roaming around her class room.

All the kids got to explain what part of these 100 days were their favorite and Addison's was doing the Candy Cane math and shapes. After meeting with Mrs. Davis for a conference she explained that Addison LOVES math and is really good at it...who knew! Obviously she gets this from her father!

After all the kids explained their favorite part they each received a special certificate, those kids were so proud of themselves...it made my heart melt!

The next activity was Addison's very first dance...Valentine dance!!! How cute is that? My baby girl is already going to her first dance! One of the boys, Jared Michael brought all the girls a flower and even gave a special girl a corsage! It was seriously the cutest thing ever! Of course the girls were all giddy!

While I know it means alot to Addison to have me and Brody there for all of her different activities, but a special man in her life was able to attend for a little bit too! John is so awesome, he went into work late so that he could be there for Addison for her first dance. It meant to so much to Addi and the best part is John knew that and he made sure to be there for her!

Of course Brody tried to steal the show by showing off all his dance moves to the older kids...they were impressed. He is just too cute when it comes to dancing and of course we had lots of laughs watching him get down with the older kids!

Well, I have to mention that Addison thinks she has a boyfriend...Casen! She's so funny because when I ask her about Casen she says "He's my boyfriend and we're getting married"! Yikes, I need to keep an eye on this little girl, there is no way she's going to be boy crazy like her mommy was!

The last event this month was Grandparents/Special Friend day at school. Well, since Addison's Grandparent's aren't local and I really couldn't think of someone else to go to this I decided Brody and I would attend. I never want her to feel left out just because we don't have any family members here so it was up to me to make sure she knew there was someone there representing the Vranich family! Once again Brody had a blast and Addison was so excited to have her baby brother there to support her. It was a nice time, we went to Chapel and then I even stayed a little longer for Brody to play on the playground with all the kids!

I know there are several times where I complain about basically "working" 24 hours a day, but I wouldn't give up my "job" in a second. This is exactly how I pictured my life being a mother. I always want to be involved in what my kids are doing and knowing what is going on at their school. I truly hope I can do this until they go away to college. I keep promising myself whenever I get down about basically living my life for them I just need to look at all these pictures and remember I'm not only doing things for them, but this is what makes me happy...seeing my kids happy and knowing I will ALWAYS be there for them no matter what!

Reflection...

2012-02-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been wanting to write this since the day after I turned 33 but once again time has slipped away from me. Its probably better because I've been thinking alot about what I wanted to write in this blog entry. Last year was a pretty crazy year. Brody has been such a joy and continues to keep my emotions in check. I had no idea it would be this hard having a second child on top of staying home throughout the complete process. I feel extremely lucky that I get to be a stay at home mom, but I must say its alot harder than I ever thought it would be. I have 2 amazing children that don't get out of control while in public, pretty much listen when the word "NO" is constantly coming out of my mouth and show me constant love even when I've been at my lowest point with them, but I find myself at times thinking..."what did I get myself into"? I sound so selfish when I'm complaining about my kids because I know everyone looking in thinks I have the best kids...I know I do, but I feel extremely overwhelmed and alone at times. I never get to put myself first which I totally understand thats what happens when you get married and have kids. As a woman you hear it time and time again..."take time for yourself", but its hard! Well, I've decided its time to do something for me and that something is going to the gym and getting healthy. Not only do I LOVE going to the gym, but its the one thing that makes me feel good about me and its free daycare for 2 hours if I choose to stay there that long. January 1st wasn't when I created my resolution for the year it was January 30 that I made my resolution of a lifetime. Its time for me to start achieving the goals I continue to put off, my kids are happy so now its time for me to get happy too! I can't even begin to explain how powerful I feel as a woman to take my life back and let my kids along with my husband know that its not all about them anymore...I want it about me too! I'm the luckiest woman in the world to not only have my husbands "blessing", but for him to be my #1 fan. Going back to the past year...I have to bring up the fact that while things have been rocky at times between John and I, we have never been stronger as we are today. I have never felt more connected and in love with my husband as I do today. How in the world did I get so lucky to have him as MY husband...God has blessed me with this amazing man and I can't thank him enough. I would never give up the lows we've had because thank God these lows have made us 20 times stronger. I have never been so happy in my entire life and that is because of John and the love/bond that we share. I of course have to give a shout out to my amazing friends. I seriously have the best friends because not only do they "get me" they have never once judged me for what comes out of my mouth. I know I don't ever have to have a filter because that's exactly why they love me. With their continuous love and generosity they've helped me not feel homesick and have actually made me feel like St. Petersburg, FL is my home. I never thought I would be blessed with these beautiful women and once again I can't thank God enough.
I truly do mean it "Life is Great", there's always going to be something that I'm not happy with (b/c that's the type of person I am) but looking at the overall picture I'm one lucky lady who only continues to be luckier and luckier. I look forward to the year to come and hope I can be in an even better physical/emotional place when I turn 34.

R.I.P Nate Jones

2012-02-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

I got a really sad call today from my mom letting me know that a dear friend of the family, Nate Jones has passed away. I've known Nate for a really long time and even though I don't think I've seen him in about 6 years it still hurts. Nate was dating one of our family members Andrea for a really long time so up until we moved to Florida we hung out quite a bit. Nate had some health issues and while they're trying to figure out what exactly happened, a young 42 year old man passed away leaving behind 3 children. Andrea and Nate stopped dating a couple of years ago, but he was employed with the company my mom works for so she got to still see him. He was extremely kind and loved by all. I'm beyond sad for his family and young children, but can't help but think...he's in a better place. Nate, thanks for all the wonderful memories and for always making us laugh. We'll never forget you!

Birthday Celebration!!!

2012-01-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

I honestly think I just had the best birthday party in my entire life! It was so nice to feel the love from our friends who were able to make it to a little birthday celebration for me and John. We had about 20 friends go to dinner with us and it was perfect in every way. It was awesome to get everybody in one place and have fun with all of them! We started off with an amazing dinner which then lead to some bar hopping and ended the night dancing my booty off! This is exactly what John and I needed, we had so much fun letting loose and spending time together without the kids. I'll admit nights like these don't happen very often (which I'm totally fine with) so we took full advantage of staying out as late as possible and drinking away! Can't say it enough...AWESOME NIGHT!!!!

John Turns 35!!!!

2012-01-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

Holy moly John is 35 (5 more years until he's 40)!!! We are getting old! ;o) We celebrated John's birthday on Sunday with a special cup cake...cake. As you can see the picture below it didn't go all that well, but hey once again, I tried! It was a pretty low key day, John got to go golfing while I ran around with my mom and the kids. That night we all got together and had some dinner and then dug into his crazy/difficult cake.

(the 3 broke so we busted out 3 candles in its place)

It was nice to have family here to celebrate with us, especially since my mom thinks of John as if he were her own son. My mom got John a really nice gift, as of right now John is obsessed with the Packers (even though they didn't make it to the Super Bowl) so she got him a jersey with Woodson's name on the back. John was in love with it and was super surprised! I love when he's surprised. Overall it was a great night and we're looking forward to going out with a bunch of our friends tonight to celebrate with our FL family!

There's Nothing Like Grandma Time!!!

2012-01-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

My mom came for a visit this past week and we had a blast!!! Her visit started off with a little mom & daughter get away, Mom was kind enough to take me to her Premier Jewelry rally in Lakeland (about 45 minutes away from St. Pete). We had so much fun having some alone time and I got to learn more about what my mom does with selling her jewelry and I must say she LOVES what she does along with the other women. We headed back home Saturday afternoon and the kids were extremely excited to have their Grandma back!

I for sure kept my mom busy along with the kids. I wanted to get out and make some new memories for my kids with their Grandma. As always the time went wayyy too fast, but we had a great time. It was so nice to have my mom here and always appreciate it when she makes the extra effort to spend time with my little family. I miss her already and can't wait until the next time I get to see her!

Snow!!!

2012-01-19T14:48:00.000-05:00

We took an unexpected visit to Michigan last week and had the BEST time! There were a couple of factors that I think made this trip perfect. First, I decided I would just make this trip about my dad and no else. It was so easy to just focus on one family member and the best part...we didn't make any plans and just went with the flow. Secondly, my dad had already planned to go to his property upnorth in Rose City with my Aunt Michele so it was a perfect opportunity to go there and see the amazing things he's done with the place. Topping this trip off was the fact there was snow! Addison didn't care if there was a centimeter or 4 inches (she got to experience both). The first day we got there there was very little snow, but enough to get her excited! Later that night the snow began and by the morning the kids had even more snow to play in. The day we left there was even more snow and the kids got to go sledding!!

My Aunt Michele was amazing! She was so intrigued by Addison and Addison was in love after about 1 minute. She was jumping all over Aunt Michele that night and asking her to play with her the whole time, which of course my Aunt gladly granted her that wish! I think the funniest part was when she would go down in the sled with Addi, while her dog Watson was wondering what the heck was going on. They took lots of walks throughout the property that I think left a bond of a lifetime!

My dad was so proud to have us up there and show off all the work he's done. I was beyond impressed and more than happy to be there. I think he was a little worried that I wouldn't think enough was done, but I will tell you...I would live there for more than just 2 days in a heart beat. We seriously had so much fun and loved every moment and memory that was created. I can't thank my dad enough for letting us come with him and let Brody experience his first snow!

BEST TRIP EVER!!!

2011 Vranich Christmas

2012-01-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

I must admit Christmas was a little weird this year. I was pretty sad when I talked to my dad on Christmas Eve knowing I wasn't going to be there to celebrate this special day with my family in Michigan. Then I took Addison's temperature after I got off the phone and it was 103.4 and that sadness went away. I then had a feeling a relief that we were home in Florida since it looked like Miss Addi was fighting a bug. It was so weird how it just hit her like a ton of bricks and she was not feeling well. She fought through it and despite being covered head to toe in a rash she still loved opening all of her gifts from everyone.

Of course once Addi was done with what she had it was Brody's turn. Christmas break with John being home wasn't exactly how I planned it, but we still had a great time being together as a family!

Celebrating Logan D.

2012-01-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

Addison and I went to the coolest birthday party a couple of weekends ago for her classmate Logan. I was especially excited because it was at Practically Picasso! I've always wanted to go to this place to check it out, well it was pretty awesome!!! This was seriously the best birthday party idea ever! All the kids got to pick one piece of pottery to paint. Addison picked a kitty cat and of course decided to paint her purple. She started off pretty good, but the whole 3 coat thing made me take over after 1 1/2. It was alot of fun to see some of her classmates outside of school, they get along so awesome! I can't wait to see the finished products, Logan's mom is going to bring them to school since most of the kids at the party go to LCC.

I think Logan had a great time and of course being the girly girl that she is she had a huge castle cake with lots of princess on it. Its amazing the cakes they can make these days!

Like I said the party was a success and of course now Addison can talk about is what she's going to do for her party and who she's going to invite. I know this is only going to get worse as she gets older, but holy moly I have to remind her everyday her birthday isn't until next month!

Tragedy into Triumph

2012-01-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

I feel like its been forever since I read a book so I finally took the plunge, downloaded a book to my iPad and dove right in...I was able to read it within a week!

The book I choose was Signs of Life by Natale Taylor.

This book was a perfect choice because it was about someone I grew up with (Josh) who suddenly passed away while carveboarding and hit his head when he fell in 2007. While it had been a long time since seeing Josh it brought up so many amazing memories of him along with his sister Ashley and brother Chris. The stinger about this book was he not only left behind an amazing family, but he had just been married for a little over a year and his wife was pregnant with their first child. If that doesn't bring out some emotion I don't know what does.

(Ashley, Chris & Josh)

This book not only made me really sad for all the family & friends involved, but it was actually extremely inspiring. Poor Natalie was so sad through most of the book, but as she began the healing process it was great to see her grow strong and stronger as the days pass. This book opened my eyes to so many things from making sure I enjoy my kids as much as possible, but to also be thankful for all the people I have in my life. I'm so aware that life can change in an instant & this book confirmed it over and over again. I give her so much credit for being able to put this book out for all the world to see. I would highly recommend this book even if you didn't know Josh!

Camera Fun!

2012-01-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

I feel like its been forever since I busted out my camera to take some pictures of the kids just basically doing nothing. Brody and I were playing in his room yesterday and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to capture how big he's getting. I feel horrible that's its almost been a year since I've got this camera and still haven't really read more into the things it can do, but I still just started clicking away. I'm so intrigued with the looks and concentration on his face when he's playing with some of his toys (he reminds me of John in so many ways)! Since he's on the go all the time its hard to get some really good close ups of him looking right at me. I just love his big blue eyes and those cheeks that consume his face so I found myself constantly trying, but they would turn out pretty blurry.

After we picked Addison up from school we picked up our friends Liz and Joey to head downtown to let the kids run around. It was the best idea ever! Brody loves chasing after the big kids, I think the best part is when he tries to climb the tree that Addison and Joey climb. My most favorite part is when he lands in the dirt and he says "kaka" because he has dirt on his hands (once again reminds me of John). I intrigued with watching the kids run around and have to stop for a minute to catch their breathes and the fact they try to include Brody in everything they do kind of warms my heart as well. I didn't realize what an awesome spot this was to get some pretty sweet pictures of my beautiful babies, we'll be going back there very soon!

Dear 2012 Stephanie,

2012-01-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

Well, 2011 is over. It wasn't exactly how I thought it would go as far as some of the goals I created for myself. Luckily Brody's older now and not as needy as he was in 2011 so I'm thinking this may finally be my year to start focusing more on me and getting healthy again. I know my gym Lifestyle has been missing me as well as me missing them. Its about time for me to make that place my second home again and stick to a schedule that will help me lose this Brody belly that won't go away on its own. I actually LOVE working out, its more about getting into it and continuing the process even when the kids get sick or somethings going on that messes up my schedule. NO MORE EXCUSES!!! This is my motto, its time to start eating right, exercising, but more importantly just be happy with myself and how I look as well as feel. I've decided to incorporate juicing, healthy meals with the help of Weight Watchers and then of course exercising to get me where I should be by bathing suit season. I just need to lose these 15-20lbs and then have the ability to maintain this amazing body I'm envisioning! I know I can do it, I've done it before, I'm especially determined since there are no plans to have another baby in the future and this is the body I'm stuck with forever.
I'm coming after you 2012 and I have a feeling this just might be my year! Happy New Year!!

The King is 1!!!!

2011-12-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

I can't believe this hansthum little man is already 1! I swear it was just yesterday that my sister was heading to the hospital to get induced and find out if she was having a boy or a girl! Well, Mr. Kingstyn turned out to be the most gorgeous little red head ever! Looking back on this year I'm so happy I've been able to go out to South Carolina and enjoy amazing moments and milestones. This past week he's been in Michigan/Toledo and was able to hit yet another milestone for all the family to witness...he's WALKING!!! This has been such a great year with him and I look forward to the many more to follow. Happy Birthday Kingstyn Sese loves you so much and thinks about you everyday!!

Downtown Christmas Date

2011-12-14T09:40:00.000-05:00

John was traveling this past Monday and Tuesday so I had to come up with something to keep my crazy monkeys busy after Addi got out of school on Monday. I called my awesome friend Liz to see if her and Joey were available to go to dinner and look at the lights downtown, so that's exactly what we did! We started the night off going to Moon Under Water and got to eat outside in the beautiful weather! The kids were awesome and more than anything were so excited for it to get dark and go see the lights!

(Of course Auntie Liz had to sneak Mr. Brody a lemon, which he sucked on for quite a while)

(the evening couldn't get any better, the horses were out and the kids were so excited...except Brody, once again death grip that gave me some new arm bruises)

Every time I see this tree it reminds me of the Thanksgiving my Mom and Al came to visit and we went to the lighting of this tree ceremony! The best part of the whole night was just watching Brody running around the grass and chasing after the kids. It was hard to get him to leave, but luckily my plan worked and he was worn out by the time we got him home. I should probably say the same thing about Addison, because her and Joey were running like crazy and by the end were sweating up a storm.

(I love this picture of Brody following Joey)

(The lights were amazing this year, they had lights that made it look like it was snowing)

This is another reason why I love living so close to downtown which makes for a beautiful view of the water. There's always something going on and while I wish we could take more advantage of the events, we do what we can and the kids have a blast. I love St. Petersburg, I can see us living here for a long time!!

Yikes...I Tried!

2011-12-13T09:44:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be the BEST idea to make a ginger bread house with little Miss Addi this year, was I wrong! I seriously thought this would be so much easier with the premade box and all you would have to do is decorate it. Well, ours didn't turn out like the box at all!!

As you can see below, we tried but I must say I'm a little ashamed by my lack of creative skills. Ugh, I was so frustrated throughout the whole process. Addi and Brody were in heaven just eating the icing, but I wanted to prove to myself I can be "domesticated". I have a feeling next year I'll just have Addi pick one out that is already made, I just don't know if I can go through this stress again! ;o)

First Santa Visit

2011-12-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

Brody seems to be adapting to this Christmas stuff pretty well. Its been a little cooler where I got to bust out the long sleeve x-mas pjs (how cute is he)?

On Saturday we took our first trip to go see Santa Claus and it was a little interesting. Thanks to our friend Corrine she setup a nice Breakfast with Santa at The Museum of Fine Arts. It was gorgeous inside, we've never been there and for sure plan to come back! Some of Addi's friends were there and got to enjoy a book from Mrs. Claus first, which was interesting because Addison was a little weird about it. She refused to sit with her friends and then refused to face forward when she did. I have no idea why she was acting so strange, but she did eventually warm up and even sat on Mrs. Cluas' lap

Now Brody was a different story! I know he's been a little hesitate about all this craziness going on, I had no idea the kid could squeal the way he did when I tried putting him on Santa's lap. I couldn't help but laugh, but he was seriously scared to death. The most fun he had was playing with the other kids and throwing a ball around. I think it was getting a little too close to his nap or he is just terrified, but when it was time for the kids to get on Santa's lap Addi was all about it and Brody was NOT! I couldn't even get a picture of him screaming because as soon as I tried to put him on his lap he jumped right off. Sooo, John took him and I just enjoyed the excitement of Addison telling Santa what she wanted.

Brody still has two more tries to get this picture for me, but we'll see what happens. I might need to be in the picture with him or else we won't have a 2011 x-mas picture of my little guy with Santa.

Just Call Me Great-Aunt Stephanie

2011-12-11T10:01:00.000-05:00

My niece Gabby (my brother Mike's daughter) had a baby girl at 3:30am, she's 7lbs 1oz and 19 inches long! Please welcome the newest member of our family Zoey Jane!!!

After lots of false alarms Gabby was finally able to have her baby girl early this morning. I can't wait to get the details, but it seems like she's doing good and she'll have some company tomorrow since my dad and brother will get to see her for the first time! From my memory I think she looks just like Gabby when she was a baby, I can't tell if her hair is blond or red, but it seems like we are all having at least one red head baby these days. Gabby started off with red hair, Addi started off with red hair and of course my hansthum little nephew is still rocking the red hair. While I'm wayyy too young to be a great aunt, I'm super excited to have a new member to add to our growing family!

My Little Snow Bunny!!

2011-12-08T09:59:00.000-05:00

Addison is OBSESSED with wearing a hat and gloves since my friend Liz dropped off some clothes for Brody which included a winter hat and some mittens (for Brody). She even wore the hat to school on Tuesday and guess what...when I picked her up she was still wearing it! She's so funny! Today has been the first day that its actually been pretty cold (45 degrees, but high of 66) so I pulled out her winter hat and gloves that we got a couple of years ago when we went to WA. She was of course super excited because they were pink and even more excited when I told her its cold out and she needs to bundle up for the car ride over to school.

Of course we had to add the pink sunglasses too since we DO live in Florida. I loved the looks on the ladies faces when I dropper her off at school...they LOVED it! I'm interested to see what she looks like when I pick her up today!

It's Beginning to Look alot Like Christmas

2011-12-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

I still can't wrap my head around the fact that its already December let alone going to be Christmas in a couple of weeks! John and I decided to get our tree this past Sunday and it went great! Addison is so much fun, I swear everything that comes out of her mouth goes a little like this "ohh my Gosh that is so cute". Whether it has to do with the decorations or all the fun ornaments we've been collecting, that tiny little voice just melts my heart! We had to decorate our house and tree in stages. Friday night I started taking the decorations out, which then continued into Saturday and then Sunday we took the plunge and got the tree a week earlier than planned. Since John had to spend most of Sunday cleaning up the yard and mowing our lawn with a weed whacker the out door lights will not be hung until this weekend. So, while Brody was sleeping we brought the tree in and let it sit a while so that it could "settle". OMG was Brody confused when he got up from his nap! He had no idea what was going on and was not happy about a tree being in our house. He was holding onto John for dear life every time he walked past it, it seriously took him hours to even pass the dining room area by himself. Once he got settled with that and we let him touch one of the branches he was even more confused. It was a look like "why the hell did you just do that to me"? Well, our little cranky butt ended up going to bed a little early that night and while I was at the grocery store John and Addi put the lights on the tree. Brody ended up waking up and now not only is there a tree in his house its all lit up. You could just tell he was so confused, but adapted pretty well. Since we ran out of time Sunday night to do the ornaments we did them Monday night after John got home from work. Well, once again Mr. Brody went to bed early and then decided to wake up after we had the ornaments on...talk about torturing a kid during Christmas. He was so excited to see all these beautiful things hanging from the tree, but all he would keep hearing was "NO". After doing some adjustments as far as how high he could reach, the ornaments seem to be safe. Watching his reaction to all these changes was hilarious! I must say he's adjusted and is now say "yuck...ca ca" when he sees the needles on the floor. We still have to keep reminding him not to touch the branches, but he's learning and in the mean time I just have to watch him like a hawk. I can't wait to see his reaction when its time to throw the tree out and he has all that space back!

(Don't make fun of the leaning star...it adds character)

Addison and Brody received an amazing gift in the mail a couple of weeks ago from my Aunt Michele. They got a really cool Advent calendar that we can keep for years to come. I decided to hang it on the wall, somewhere that Addi could reach with her stool and our little monster wouldn't knock it down. It is the coolest one I've seen. Addi opens the doors each day, the items have magnets on the back and she can place the item whereever she wants. I thought we would get the box out the night before Christmas and place them in the correct place. Anyway, what a thoughtful gift! I seriously love it and love the fact every year when we get it out I can remind them its from their Great Aunt Michele!

Another project that I've been working on since John and I have been together is collecting a small piece of the tree trunk from our Christmas tree each year. I'm missing 2006 because we were in Washington that year. I was struggling with what to do with these in order to make sure they didn't get destroyed and keep my house less dirty during this time of the year. I came up with the perfect idea and bought a Shadow Box from Michael's. They were BOGO so now I have another one for the next 10 years of x-mas trees. I'll post a pic of the final product next time. Thanks to my Aunt Carrie who told me about this idea, because every time I look at these I have the best memories and actually feel amazed how time flies. I write where we live at the time along with the year and as you can see I fill them with hearts because its such a special time.

I'll be the first one to tell you, I've never been this over the top excited person about Christmas (except for maybe when I was younger), but having these kids and watching their reaction to things really brings me back to childhood and makes me excited all over again. Addison is just amazing I love how she comments on everything being so beautiful and how excited she is about Santa coming. I know I keep saying it, but every year gets better and better and its because of my little family! (more pics. of the house to come)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Big Game!!!

2011-12-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

While we were in South Carolina visiting the Small family, the college football game of the year was on...Michigan vs. Ohio State!!! It was so much fun watching it this year because Troy & Lindsey who are huge Buckeye fans were there visiting too (they're from Toledo) so we had some rivalry fun. The game was exciting and extremely memorable. The kids had a blast as well as the adults, loved seeing all that maize and blue. Of course the game ended in the best possible way...we WON!!!

Our Babies LOVE Eachother!!

2011-12-02T09:37:00.000-05:00

Getting the kids together this past Thanksgiving weekend totally exceeded my expectations. Of course our little mama Addi was right on top of when to tell the boys "no" before we could figure out what they were doing, but of course she was all about loving on her baby cousin Kingstyn and still giving her little brother the same attention. They seriously had a BLAST! Kingstyn was still figuring out this whole "why am I not the only baby at my house", but he showed lots of signs that he's going to be an awesome big brother one day. Brody and King got along awesome, while they're still kind of in their own world, they had a blast playing together in the huge playroom. It truly was amazing to see the three of them together as if they were siblings and I continue to tell myself its only the beginning...its only going to get better as they get older. The cousin bonding was a success and I can't wait for the next get together!

Sisterly Bond

2011-12-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

I am the luckiest person in the world to have a sister so close in age. This has especially been even more important as we get older. Its exciting to watch each other grow and share stories of whats going on with our kids and being so close in age we seem to go through many of the same things as we figure out adult life together. As we have our ups and downs because...hello we are sisters we always come out stronger and know that no one will ever damage the bond we've continuously work at and enjoy to have. I love Natalee so much and know she will always be my best friend and be there for me no matter what happens. I can't thank God enough for allowing us to not only be close in age, but to be so similar as well as different in times and more importantly help us continue to grow and realize we'll always be close no matter what obstacle we have to endure. I love you Natalee and thank you for being there for me and my kids 100%, I'm never going to stop loving you and I know we will be inseparable forever!

Brody's New Passion

2011-11-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

Brody was ready to get off the sidelines and participate in something his big sister has been doing for a while now...going to bounce in the bounce house. We love going to bounce houses especially when Addison is on vacation from school so while Addi was on her Thanksgiving break we met up with some friends and decided to do some bouncing. I was a little iffy on whether or not Brody was ready to par take in this fun activity. Luckily the place wasn't very busy so I decided to let him give it a try. OMG!!! This kid was having a blast!! While he wasn't doing much "bouncing", he was doing ALOT of laughing and tumbling forward when he would try to walk. He was cracking me up and I'm pretty sure he peed his diaper a couple of times with all those giggles.

Not only did he get to go bouncing once this past week, but actually twice!!! While we were visiting my sister in South Carolina, John and I decided to take Brody and Addison to a cool bounce place called Monkey Joes (this is where we took Addi for her b'day this past year). While Brody wasn't as excited, he for sure got into it and had a blast hanging out with daddy and showing him his new skills.

This is just another example of how big he's getting. Its actually fun that I can start taking him to these type of places and he enjoys them. Next step is when he doesn't need me to help him and he can do it all his own...where is the time going?!

Guess Where We're Going Tomorrow?!!!!

2011-11-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

To visit this beautiful family!!!!

Can you tell I'm just a little excited! Not only do I get to spend 4 straight days with my awesome sister, but my kids get to see their baby cousin Kingstyn! We are so excited to see how the boys play together and as Natalee put it "its going to be a 4 day play date"! I can't think of ANYTHING better than that. Addi is constantly talking about Kingstyn and how much she loves him and wishes she could see him everyday. Well, at least I can give her 4 days this time around.

I'm really hoping we can get all 3 kids doing the Ramsden scowl at once...I'm sure our husbands would LOVE that! ;o)

Anyway, I'm super duper excited especially since Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE holiday and I get to spend it with some really special people. I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about once we get back!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Playtime

2011-11-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

I love watching the kids play together. Brody especially likes it when his big sister brings out her crayons and markers since it gives him something else to put in his mouth. I must say, overall Addi it pretty patient with Brody constantly stealing the color she needs, but me on the other hand is a little on edge especially when caps come off and I find Brody has written all over himself. Luckily it hasn't been too bad and so far everything has been washable so I let Brody help his sister out as much as possible.

Addison LOVES coloring, I don't think a day goes by that she hasn't drawn or colored a picture. She's been working on spelling her name and has even moved on from drawing people to drawing animals. I love the excitement in her voice when she shows me a new creation and explains how it HAS to go on my wall in my bedroom. Luckily she forgets pretty quickly and I simply put them in my nightstand just in case she asks!

Not only do Brody and Addi like to play, but Roxy likes to get into it too! Every time we all get on the floor to build a castle or just play with toys Miss Roxy is right there to be part of the action. The kids love her to death, Brody is completely intrigued with her teeth, eyes, whiskers and pretty much everything else. Roxy takes it like a woman and lets Brody poke and prod at her as much as he wants. Even though by the time we're done playing and there's enough hair on the carpet to mold a poodle I really do love how much the kids include Roxy and treat her as if another sibling.

Time for a Thanksgiving Feast...LCC Style

2011-11-20T18:58:00.000-05:00

Friday we got ready and headed over to LCC to watch our little Addison put on an amazing Thanksgiving concert which lead to a beautiful lunch for all the students and their family!

I am sooo one of those parents that will absolutely not miss even a moment like this, not only did I have my awesome camera ready, but I brought my Flip Video to capture Addison's 1st little concert. The excitement grew and I saw all the kids lining up in the back of the church waiting to come down to take their spots. This totally took me back to when I was a kid and was excited to show my parents my hard work, from learning songs, to the dance moves. Addison delivered in so many areas.

I was so proud of my little peanut! She did such a good job, I was beyond impressed that she remembered all the words and dance moves to all the songs they sang. It was a little hard for me to not break down and cry because I knew this was just the beginning of many concerts to come and my baby girl is growing up. I want her to be my baby forever and in my heart she will, but I see all the changes occurring and the growing responsibility to mold her into a beautiful caring person. Ever since she started Preschool I've realized how quickly kids can change and I want to make sure my little girl continues to treat people with kindness and respect no matter who she is with an adult or another child.

We had such a great time! I loved seeing the happiness all over her face especially since her daddy and brother were there to support her as well. I was really happy John could attend this, I know he wants to go to everything as much as me but just simply can't. The feast was fantastic and the best part is whatever leftovers we have a team of parents take them to a homeless shelter so nothing goes to waste. I don't even know if the turkey I brought was even opened, but I was fine with it just knowing someone in need would enjoy it. I love LCC and that is why John and I have decided to keep Addi there for Elementary and hopefully Middle school. I have NOTHING bad to say about this amazing school and it would literally break my heart if we had to move her. Friday gave me another reason why we just simply can't leave!!!

Happy Birthday Will & Edith!!!

2011-11-18T19:27:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went out to celebrate my very good friend Will's birthday and his good friend Edith's birthday too. I've met Edith a couple of times so it worked out perfect. We all met at a Mexican resturant to load up on some good food and a shot or two of tequila. It was nice because there weren't a ton of us, but just enough to have a great time socializing with old and new friends.

I truly LOVE Will! He is such a nice guy and is nothing but nice, we get along perfectly! Its nice too because John likes him just as much and they get along perfect (besides harrassing Will about the Gators). I love it when you feel comfortable around a good friends husband and your able to not only click with your friend but their husband too!

I really can't say enough about Liz! She's been there for me since the first day I met her and its nice that we share the same life situation (husband works alot, don't have family in town, we like to work out, our kids get along and we always have something to talk about). She has been such a blessing to come into our lives because she's always willing to drop everything if we need her help and the same goes for us doing the same for them, I would truly do anything for the Masterson's. I think its kind of funny because in a way her and I are very similar, but we get along amazingly. It was fun to finally "go out" with the two of them and not have to worry about what the kids are doing and if they're about to tell on eachother!

John was a great sport since his Oregon Ducks were playing and according to him "this is an important game"! So, while we were sitting around talking and just hanging out, John was sitting by himself keeping an eye on the football game. It was totally fine and once in a while we would check on him, but he was totally fine with being by himself most of the evening (p.s.the ducks won)!

We had such a great time, we have an awesome babysitter that doesn't mind staying as late as we want her too and some great friends to share memories with. Thanks again Will and Liz for inviting us and look forward to next year's b'day outing! ;o)

Silly Boy!

2011-11-17T08:01:00.000-05:00

The other morning when John went to get Brody up this is what he found. Our silly little guy thought it would be funny to just hang out in his crib with this legs hanging over. We were all cracking up not only by him doing this, but just the look on his face like "hey, how cool is this". Now that Brody is pretty mobile he keeps himself busy in his crib if we don't come and get him right away. Most times when I go get him from his nap and I quietly open the door I watch him do a couple of laps around his crib. I'm assuming this is why he throws everything possible out of his crib...he needs more room to get his exercise on! He thinks he's so funny and of course my favorite is when I go to pick him up and he's out of breath.

These are the pictures that I absolutely love, capturing him being so silly and knowing I'm going to be able to show him these and tell him what a crazy little boy he was when he gets older...priceless!!

Poor Sick Girl

2011-11-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

This is how Addi looked most of the day on Thursday since she was throwing up more than I can count. I totally thought that she was in the clear since it had been since Sunday that John got sick, but I was wrong and it was her turn Thursday at 2am! She handled it like a champ and of course once she thought she felt better she would be bouncing off the walls and asking "where are we going". Once her stomach started turning though she was back to being sick girl and spent lots of time on the couch. I hate seeing my kids getting sick, especially when they are throwing up, you feel so helpless and want to do anything to take it away. But, luckily both the kids only had 1 day of throwing up, the rest of it was just recovery and them being mad they couldn't eat "normal" food. I'm PRAYING this stomach bug is long gone and we are trying to get over this nasty wet cough that keeps lingering. We'll get there, I have faith!

This Kid has No Shame

2011-11-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

I'm totally understanding what it means to have a girl and then a boy. Whichever comes first gets the toy hand-me-downs (in this case Brody) and they are totally fine with whatever color it comes in. Brody of course is in a stage of just wanting to touch everything and perhaps get an understanding for their purpose. I love walking in my room and finding him playing with my shoes, I've even tried putting him in some high heels, but he would have none of that!

Back to the toy thing...its been that time to bring the bigger toys out and the majority of these toys are pink! Do you think this crazy little monster cares? NO WAY!! We were at a consignment shop a couple of weeks ago and he was going crazy with a pink popper toy...we'll lucky him because Addi has that same toy! So, I busted that out and I think I'm still hearing the popping in my head even when it stopped. Its cute though, he also discovered Addison's pink stroller for her babies. Brody was all about it and jumped right on board with this toy too. Unfortunately, Addi thought she could still ride in it with no problems...needless to say this stroller has been thrown in the garbage. It not only went in the garbage because Addi tore it, but she decided to run it into Brody and give him his first black eye! Poor little guy has a nice little shiner from his sister (guess it was bound to happen sooner or later). We have another one, but I'm going to try and keep that one in the closet as long as possible!

I honestly could care less regarding what "color" or if Brody is interested in Addi's dolls. I just love his curiosity for these "big kid" toys and I'm so happy we saved them. Yesterday I decided to vacuum and my little guy left my side and ran over to get his vacuum to help mommy out. It was really cute, this little guy is just getting cuter and cuter everyday. I love witnessing the curiosity first hand and actually be there to give him the thumbs up and try it out. This morning I asked him if he wanted more breakfast and guess what I keep hearing all morning...MORE!

Heading to the Park

2011-11-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

After being stuck in the house all last weekend & Monday I decided that Brody was healthy enough to get out of the house and go to the park! You would think we do this all the time, but since its just starting to cool off and my little guy is walking its a lot easier to just follow him around and of course capture the joy on his face. While we were only there about 20 minutes it was a perfect amount of time for him to run around and have lots of fun. It was nice to have the park all to ourselves and to let Brody run around at his own pace. I'm hoping it starts to say cool so we can make it a daily routine, I'm actually really excited to start doing more stuff with him especially since he is more mobile and I don't have to worry about him crawling around in nothing but germs! ;o)

Happy Birthday Allie!!

2011-11-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it, but our niece Allie is 6 years old today! She is getting so big so fast! I remember the day she was born and getting the pictures of this beautiful baby girl. John and I were lucky enough to actually go visit her only 2 weeks later and loved on her as much as possible!

Look at her now! Its so funny how her big sister is the sports girl and Allie is nothing BUT girl. What a great combination to have. We wish we would see both Erin and Allie ALOT more, but with them living in Washington and us having two little kids its hard to make the trip. We're hoping one day we can finally get some kind of routine going, but for now we get to enjoy the pictures they're parents send us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLIE!!! We love you so much and miss you more and more everyday!!!

Holy Sickness! (beware graphic)

2011-11-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

I have no idea what happened, but these past 2 months have just been awful in the Vranich household. Addi is on round two of having some type of stomach bug that she just got rid of last month. As I said in my previous blog Brody graced us with some major puking on Saturday which then lead to John puking all night Sunday and feeling like he was going to die on Monday. I seriously thought Addison and I were in the clear, but Addison woke up at 2 this morning complaining that her belly hurt. 1/2 hr later we're holding her hair back and she's puking. Luckily she's had some practice last month so she's actually able to tell me when she feels like she's about to get sick and we go straight to the toilet. At this point she's not keeping water down but I will try again in a couple of hours. The icing on the cake of course is when I got Brody up this morning he had diarrhea running down his leg along with a beyond full diaper. Luckily John was still home so he was able to pop him in the bathtub and give him a quick bath. However, as I tried to lay him down for his morning nap he decided to join in his sisters fun and puked all over me. Good LORD! I don't know if I can handle 2 puking kids at the same time on my own. I'm praying that maybe Brody just drank too much milk and its a fluke, but like I said that diarrhea was no joke. I'm still keeping the faith that I'm going to bypass this and come out strong, I guess if I'm going to get it I hope for Saturday so then John can be home to take care of the kids...wish me luck!

Sunset Experience

2011-11-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

I am going to try and keep this positive, but I'm still pretty upset with the experience we had on Sunday. Let me start from the beginning...Saturday around 3pm Brody woke up throwing up. We thought it was just a fluke but then after about 15 times we knew he was fighting some kind of stomach bug. We were suppose to get family pictures done Sunday morning, but I had no idea how he would be the next morning so I had to cancel. After making it through the night and he seemed back to his old self again I text the lady who was doing my pictures to see if she could do them later in the day. She agreed to meet us at Madeira Beach at 5pm, I was so excited. So, we got the kids ready and decided to head out a little early to make sure we got there on time, especially with the time change we wanted to make sure we had enough light. Well, the photographer had to cancel on us since she was stuck in traffic (she was at a air show). I was soooo mad, not really at her, but just the fact that we had gotten ready and drove the 30 minutes. On top of that John was feeling a little weird, but was trying to blow it off. Of course once Addi heard we were going to the beach she was beyond excited. We ended up getting dinner and still headed over to the beach to witness a beautiful sunset. What I was the most MAD about was I didn't even bring my camera to still capture this important moment. Besides us looking fabulous, this was Brody's first time really walking in the sand and Addi was so cute with her excitement to be running around in the sand. I'm happy my phone was able to catch some cute pics., but I probably could of got that x-mas card picture I so wanted with my "good" camera. It was extremely gorgeous watching the sunset and actually makes me want to go back and do it again, but this time with my real camera!

"We're Going on a Date"

2011-11-05T09:42:00.000-04:00

The other night my friend Corinne and I took our girls on a date. It was so darn cute to hear Addison talking about "our date" with our friends. I met Corrine through LCC last year, her daughter Ellery and Addison were in the same class. They aren't in the same class this year, but we're keeping the friendship alive! We started the night out going to a birthday/campaign party for a mutual friend and then we took the girls to dinner. They were so good considering it was getting late, they get along so amazingly and Corrine and I were able to actually talk and catch up. The only problem Addi had with this date night was that we didn't invite Jules, the next day she explained "mommy on our next date night can we also invite Jules and her mom, because Jules really wants to go on a date too". It was really cute and of course I was all about including more friends on our girls only date night! ;o)

"Hi"

2011-11-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

Well, this little guy seems to know just about everybody these days. Everywhere we go he waves and says "hi" as if he's known them for years! Its quite funny and luckily everyone loves it so he hasn't been ignored just yet. I can't believe how much his speech is improving and how much he's repeating almost everything we say. Grant it most of what he says are the main syllables, but its quite impressive. He's learning to repeat Thank You and I love you when we say it. My favorite is when I grab the car keys he's already waving and saying bye bye. It blows my mind what a difference from even his 1st b'day to today. He for sure has an opinion on what he wants to eat and when its time to take a nap. I love when I try to feed him something and he shakes his head no at me. Also, he's decided he doesn't need my help when it comes to eating, he NEEDS to do it on his own. Luckily I figured out a trick when it comes to something that requires utensils. I give him his own spoon and ask him to help me guide my hand to his mouth. He has no idea I'm really doing all the work. I like my little guy getting messy, but there's a time and a place for that so he's just gonna have to wait a little longer before eating with a spoon on his own.

He's so much fun to watch playing and trying to figure out how things work. I have to be careful because really does repeat pretty much everything I do. I guess I won't be giving anyone the finger while driving (just kidding). ;o) He is doing great and actually continues to surprise us when it comes to hitting some major milestones. We thought he would be pretty lazy at doing things, but he's for sure proving us wrong.

Love My Little Family

2011-11-04T13:42:00.000-04:00

I've been reflecting on my life a lot lately. My friend Jen posted an amazing blog yesterday that lead me to just explode with love for my little family. One thing that's kind of nice when you get older you start reflecting back on your life and realize what matters the most and really appreciate everything you have.

I can't imagine being with anyone else besides my amazing and supportive Husband John. I can't believe we've been together for over 11 years and we're still going strong. I'll be so honest, not only do I love how awesome we get along but I also cherish our little fights and bickering too. We would never tell anybody our marriage is perfect, we are human and have had our low times along with our awesome high times...which makes me grateful. God tests us all the time and we always come out stronger. I can't see my life without him and feel extremely thankful that I have a man that feels the exact same way. Growing up you never know how your life is going to turn out, you can pray and pray that you have a beautiful life and someone to share it with...my prayers were answered. We are such a beautiful fit and I can't help but shout it from the rooftops that I LOVE my husband more and more everyday.

Not only am I in love with my husband but I also have to say Thank You to him for giving me my two beautiful babies! How in the world did I get so lucky? I don't know what I did to deserve this perfect life, but I'll take it. These three people have opened my eyes to so many things which continue to show me they are what matter. Not money, not fancy vacations, not the materialistic things...its them that I want to see happy. Its been a rough road getting to this place and I know I have a long way to go, but luckily I have my beautiful Jen who continues to teach me and guide me since she's gone through the same things. We all want nice things, but at the end of the day its the people you love that really matter.

2011 Vranich Halloween

2011-11-02T10:16:00.000-04:00

This was honestly the best Halloween yet! What a crazy schedule we had to keep up with, but we did it. Addi loved every second of this experience and is already talking about what she wants to be next year! We carved our pumpkins on Friday (since we learned the hard way last year by carving them wayy too early) and then Saturday we had a b'day party for one of Addi's good friends Carter. Sunday was a relax day to get ready for the festivities on Monday!

I decided to get a babysitter for Mr. Brody on Monday morning so I could enjoy every moment with Addison at her school functions. Unfortunatly it ended up raining that morning, but we made the best of it and only had to miss going to visit the nursing home across the street (the kids ended up doing that later in the afternoon). It was so much fun seeing all the kids in their awesome costumes, I don't think I saw one duplication except for Ellie and George who were Superman and Superwoman. ;o) After the kids did their morning routine it was time to go to a parade for all the parents and kids to see their friends in their costumes, after that there was a party that included decorating some pumpkins and even playing Boo Bingo. Talk about keeping busy for a Monday!

After Addi got home from school it was time for the kids to have a snack and get back into their costumes and head over to my friend Liz's house. Of course she went all out and had lots of snacks for both the adults and kids. I was so gratful that John could make it since it was the last day of the month and he had to finish the budget. With lots of begging and a sad face he was able to drop everything and even make it to Liz's early. I seriously have the best husband (I know I don't say it enough). It melts my heart everytime he walks through the door and Brody drops everything to run to his daddy. While I think he's a mama's boy, he sure loves his daddy more than anything!

We started trick or treating a little after 6 and I must tell you it was nothing that I experienced before. The houses decorated in Old Northeast are just amazing. People go all out and I even got to witness a stage being setup for a band to play later that evening. It was so crazy in this neighborhood I was shocked the whole time. We were out for about an hour and a half and the kids did awesome. They were for sure pooped by the end (I must admit I was too). Honestly I think Addi could of went for another hour if we let her, she was just so excited to get all that candy! This will for sure go down as one of the best Halloween's ever and it was even better to have everyone together along with good friends. Can't wait to see what next year has in store...as of right now Addi wants to be a pink superhero!

Now that Halloween is over I get to look forward to heading to Greenville to spend Thanksgiving with the Small family. I can't wait to see that little stinker below. He's getting so big and so fast! Cheers to the next event and the fun we're going to have being surronded by the Small family which I love sooo much!

What a Little Trooper

2011-11-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

This little guy is seriously amazing! No matter where we go he just goes with the flow. I thought I would be a crazy mess when it came time to take both kids to an even by myself, but with Addi being pretty independent and the love Brody has for getting out of the house its actually not that bad. Don't get me wrong, the part of getting them both ready for a new adventure isn't much fun and I'm swearing John's name wishing he could be there to help. However, once the festivities begin its normally pretty easy. As most people know Brody loves food so I make sure to bring him lots of things to put in his mouth and keep him busy along with his sippy. Once he's ready to get out of that stroller he's all about roaming which isn't always the best because he normally ends up in some dirt and like his daddy is a little upset once his hands are all dirty. Lucky for me most places we go my friends are there and always willing to help me out especially once I'm getting a little frazzled so luckily with that little break, I'm ready to take on my crazy son again.

(Jen is so crazy...crazy in love w/Mr. B)

Yesterday when we went trick or treating it was the same situation. Unfortunately Brody didn't sleep for very long so he was a little "moody", but he was ready to tackle those big kids with no problem. Another nice thing is the older kids just love Brody. They actually want to play with him and understand he's a baby and still working on the sharing thing. I love how much Brody is being exposed to and actually learning. I can't believe how much he's "talking" and repeating sounds.

Once John arrived for the trick or treating he took right over and I got to breathe a sigh of relief. I love it when he comes to save the day (or my sanity). Brody is beyond in love with his daddy and its almost like a whole new energy comes over him and he forgets that he wants to go to bed or even be fussy. We had so much fun trick or treating with this little guy, it was so nice that he pretty much chilled in the stroller except for the last 10 minutes. We decided it was ok to give him a sucker (or two) to keep him occupied. He was so in love with those suckers until the end and then he was beyond ready for the love of his bed. I know I can show alot of frustrations sometimes with my kids, but I know at the end of the day I'm really lucky and they are such great little human beings. I try REALLY hard to keep that in perspective when I'm getting irritated, but when your with them all day everyday I tend to have a meltdown or two. I think I've said it a million and one times how lucky I feel and I'm shouting it out once again. Thanks to my little guy who is so easy going and tends to have very minimal melt downs! I'm beyond lucky to have 2 of the greatest kids ever (I know I'm bias)!!!

(sucker #1)

(sucker #2)

Mrs. Davis' Class Goes to the Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-30T11:11:00.000-04:00

Tear ;'o(

2011-10-29T22:13:00.000-04:00

Once in a while I like to go through my Snapfish account and look at what Addison was doing when she was Brody's age. I came across the first picture and it moved me. I just can't believe that was our big girl right around the same age Brody's at right now. When I look back at these pictures they actually help me live in the moment with both of my babies since I seriously feel like "I just took that picture". I'm just so proud to be the mother of this little girl. I can't thank all the people who are constantly telling me what a sweet girl she is and how much they love her enough. I'm just so happy to have her in my life and the constant "I love you mom" makes me feel even better that we are doing a good job raising this little girl.

Happy Birthday Baby Bro!!

2011-10-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

I CAN'T believe my baby brother is 29 this year! He's doing so many amazing things with his life and I couldn't be prouder of him. He's got a great job that he's excelling at and the most important thing is he has the BEST girlfriend a sister could ask for. I swear our family is patiently waiting for him to propose and make her officially part of our family. She's seriously that great, which through the years and past girlfriends its been hard for his big sisters to approve of. Anyway, this isn't about Kelly but I HAD to mention how much I LOVE HER!

I'm so excited that he's actually coming here to celebrate his birthday with the Vranich family. Addison has been talking about Uncle Graaag for the past 3 days (b/c I seriously have been trying to hold off telling her since she would ask me everyday if he's coming "today"). She looks at pictures of him and explains, "mommy this is your brother, but this is MY uncle". She's truly so proud and I couldn't be happier. Anyway I'm looking forward to my baby brother getting to do lots of golfing with John and then celebrate his birthday tomorrow with lots of my friends and make it as special as possible. I LOVE YOU GREG!!!!

One Lucky Mommy!!

2011-10-21T09:38:00.000-04:00

So, honestly how is this not the most beautiful girl in the world? ;o)

I am so lucky to have little Miss Addi in my life. As she gets older the more I fall in love with her. She is constantly cracking me up, not only is she funny, but she is the most loving little girl. I once again have to express how blessed I feel to have such a special person for Brody to look up to. Addi loves her little brother so much and in return my little guy is a little lover too. I'm constantly telling him he's such a love bug, he loves his hugs and kisses and he especially loves playing with his big sister stealing lots of hugs at the same time. I have such a great feeling about these two and believe without a doubt they will be looking out for each other forever and always.

Anyway, not only did we get some great shots of Brody at the cider mill, but of course we had to take some of my gorgeous Addison. I am so intrigued by her beautiful blue eyes. I wish I could take credit for this beautiful feature, while I believe it comes from my genes I must say its her Tete these eyes mostly resemble. Both Natalee and Addison seem to have these white blue eyes and I love it. I love it even more when they are captured on camera. Addi was so awesome helping me make Brody laugh and once again give him a tight squeeze to tell him he's safe! She once again took some amazing pictures that I will treasure for a lifetime!

My Hansthum Little Guy!!

2011-10-20T09:16:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Claudette Ginter (my nieces & nephew's step-mom) we got some great 1st birthday shots of Mr. Brody. He did so awesome considering he had a double ear infection and little did we know he was also fighting a virus too! We got to do the photo shoot at my favorite place in the whole world...the Cider Mill. I love Michigan Fall and most importantly going to the cider mill. While we were only there during the photo shoot it was awesome smelling the donuts and then seeing the apple cider being created. If I wasn't so exhausted at the end I would of let the kids "run" around, but we'll have lots of opportunities in the years to come to enjoy Michigan in the fall. I'm pretty tempted to bring this cider mill concept to Florida since I still can't find a place even close to what we have in Michigan.

I still can't believe my baby boy is already 1, I love him so much and it doesn't hurt that he's pretty cute too. Anyway we had a great day and captured some pretty amazing moments of the Birthday boy!!!

Let the Juicing Begin!!!

2011-10-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

Well, I've come up with a new way to help me get rid of this baby weight that I gained from Addison (that's right not from Brody, but Addison). I'm totally cool with Weight Watchers and still want to follow this concept, but I'm finding when its time for dinner I've only ate a banana all day we all know that's not good. I never do it on purpose, but it seems to happen more than I want. Then there's the other problem where I haven't ate all day and by 3pm I'm eating everything in sight! So, I'm killing two birds with one stone. I decided to eat a healthy breakfast, juice all day (since my juice is ready to just pour) and then have a healthy dinner. Day 1 began on Monday and it went pretty good. The juice we created the night before was awesome!!!

Day 2 didn't go as great. The juice we put together was awful, I couldn't even try to down it. So, I ate a banana and cheese stick in the morning, but then didn't eat anything else until dinner. Didn't want to go that route, but it was a busy day and didn't have much time to prepare anything. I'm pretty sure I stayed within my WW points though. ;o)

Today seems ok. I had a breakfast sandwich, once again because I wasn't able to eat anything until 10am and I was STARVING. Now I'm sitting here with my second glass of juice which turned out ok, but not as good as Monday. I'm going to stick to this for as long as possible to see if I notice a difference in my numbers, but of course like everything else I do I want INSTANT results. I'm for sure looking at this in a positive way, at least I'm getting lots of fruits & vegetables!

Struggles

2011-10-18T12:18:00.000-04:00

I'm finding myself completely torn on whether or not its time for me to go back to work. I had my first interview today and while I was extremely happy with how it went, I'm feeling as most people do when going on an interview...doubt. I went in there excited and explained how passionate I am doing whatever role I play. There were a couple of times within the interview that I was feeling a little less confident, but I feel that I've done everything I can possibly do to "sell" my qualifications. I'm so lucky to have a husband that stands by me and feels that if it was meant to be it will happen. I completely agree and feel that I will take any extra moment I possibly can to spend with my kids and enjoy the million tight hugs that I get from Mr. Brody throughout the day. I think this whole process has made me realize that being a stay at home mom isn't so bad its actually a blessing that at times I've taken advantage of. If I don't get this job, I'll continue to look because to be honest the extra money and perhaps better benefits than what John's company has will be worth it. Brody's 1 now and I know he knows how much I love him and even if I have to leave him from 7:30-5:00 he's probably going to be even more excited to have time with his mommy once I pick him up. So, I have to say I'm in a good place, going through the pros and cons of working and I just truly believe that God has a plan for me and my family so all I can do is follow my heart and believe that everything is going to turn out how its suppose to!

It's a Small Anniversary!!

2011-10-10T21:58:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it was 2 years ago today that Natalee and Chad were married! What a beautiful day and evening. Natalee made the most beautiful bride and our lives were beyond touched by the love coming from both Natalee and Chad. I could not be happier to watch my sister not only become an amazing wife, but now an astounding mother. The Small wedding was incredible but more importantly their life has been nothing short but blessed!

What I love most about fast forwarding 2 years is...the new red head addition. I love seeing this happy little family and watching my handsome Godson/Nephew continue to grow and be a happy.

I love you guys so much and hope you had a fabulous 2 year anniversary!

Sick Days at the Vranich House!

2011-10-04T10:02:00.000-04:00

Well, with Addison being really sick Saturday night and Sunday morning I had to come up with some fun ideas of what to do with her so I wasn't hearing "where are we going" 100 times throughout the day. I decided it was time to bust out the life size coloring house that my dad had bought her for x-mas last year. I guess it was smart of me to not open it right away because she was so excited that the same coloring house that Grandpa has at his house is also at our house! I went to the store in the morning and bought some new paints, crayons and markers so she could enjoy her day of resting and then playing too when she had the energy. It was a huge success and even Mr. Brody got a kick out of it!

In between coloring on the big house I had also bought some small pumpkins for Addison to paint so we could use them as decorations throughout the house. She was so excited and I must say...John was too! The two of them did an awesome job while I took pictures and observed John's OCD habits of making his pumpkin just right to depict his 2 favorite college football teams.

While this has been a really rough month of sickness for the Vranich house, I must say my kids are pretty good even when they're sick. Addison doesn't let a little bit of vomit stand in her way of bouncing off the walls and begging for chocolate (she's crazy). It was Brody's turn to get the stomach bug last night. ;o( As soon as we put him in the bathtub to clean him up he started going crazy having a great time in the water. I wish I could take an ounce of their good moods even when their sick because now I think I have a sinus infection and of course I feel like the biggest baby! I really hope this is the last week of sickness, I want our fun life back!

Watch Out Paula Creamer There's a New Golfer in Town

2011-10-03T08:25:00.000-04:00

John and Addison went actual golfing on Saturday and it was a huge success!!! Addison had so much fun and was beyond excited to be riding in the cart next to her dad along with swinging her club as hard as she could! John said she was even able to hit it about 40 yards at one time. I'm so proud of her for trying something new and I think the best part for her is she gets so spend some quality time with her daddy all by herself. John seriously wants this to be come a Saturday tradition...of course I brought him back down to reality (she is only 4 1/2). ;o) However, this has actually inspired me to start taking lessons and finally get back out there and play. I can't wait until the day all 4 of us can go out there and play together!

As I said Addi had a blast, she not only had fun golfing, but she also enjoyed the fun things that she found out on the course. I can only picture her trying to get close to all the birds and just enjoying all the new things she doesn't normally get to see while sitting at the pool. I love that she's been so open to this, it makes John excited and happy too since he's been thinking about this since the day we found out I was pregnant with her.

All and all it was a huge success. John said she would play a hole and then she would take a break, play a hole and go exploring, by the end she was down for the count and ready to go home. That tells me she had a great time and can't wait to get back out there with daddy again!

Thank You X's a Million

2011-09-28T19:28:00.000-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been pretty rough on me. Brody has now been sick for 2 1/2 weeks and rather than getting better I swear he's gotten worse. I decided to give his pediatrician a call and schedule an appointment so he could take a look at his ears and confirm whether or not my baby boy still has an ear infection. Much to my surprise the ear infection has actually cleared up, but then we were left wondering...why the heck is he still acting so miserable and why is his mucus still not a pretty shade of clear. After discussing with the dr. what it could possibly be we decided it would be best for me to take him over to All Children's Hospital to get some lab work done, just so that we could rule out anything serious. So, I took my prescription and the information I needed and headed over to the hospital in disbelief that I was actually going to the hospital and of course thinking the absolute worse. As most people know me, I never think in a positive way I'm always thinking the worst in order for me to be prepared in case it truly is bad news. Once I got to the Outpatient Center and checked in I had a REAL reality check. I couldn't believe how ungrateful I've been the past 4 1/2 years of being a parent with some pretty healthy kids. There were kids of all types walking around with their parents, some clearly had cancer, other's just had surgery and were walking around with halo's on their heads and then there were situations where I couldn't help but wonder ohh geez what's wrong with that little boy or girl. Anyway, it was a huge eye opening experience that actually made me happy that all I'm dealing with is probably a little virus that my baby is fighting. On the other hand I was wondering...ohh God am I going to be one of these parents that will have to live at the hospital if these tests come back with startling results (dramatic I know)?

After I got home and got Brody to sleep I couldn't help but sit on Addi's stool and just cry. All these weeks of being emotionally drained from soo many things I had to let it out. I think taking my son to the hospital and watching him have a needle stuck in his very tiny arm and his blood taken away from him was the last straw of me staying strong. There's only so many times I can think "I don't care if something or someone hurts me" and today was the day I had to let it out. Its so hard going from having this happy baby and this happy family to basically being miserable everyday for almost 20 days. I feel like I've been walking around in a haze for a while now and I'm ready to get back to being happy with life and everyone in my life. There is no reason for me to be sad, I have the most amazing husband and the most beautiful children. My life is pretty close to being perfect...I think it was time yet again for a reality check. I already got Brody's test results and everything came back normal, I'm ready to get through this and get back to my happy place. I'm going to work on not getting so frustrated when Brody won't stop crying or taking my frustrations out on his daddy because he only has to deal with this torture 2 hours a night. I need to focus on the happy times we'll have once he is over whatever it is he's fighting...I just really miss my happy baby boy! Thank You God for my healthy and happy family and thank you again for showing me how great my life truly is!

Celebration of Brody in Michigan

2011-09-27T09:33:00.000-04:00

It was time to celebrate Brody's 1st birthday one last time with our family in Michigan! We had no idea what kind of weather to expect since every single day it would be something different. Well, it rained all day the day before the big day and lots of confusion as to where and if we still wanted to set the party up outside. Well, luckily we stuck with keeping the party outside because we had a beautiful day to celebrate my baby boy turning 1. We rented a huge tent that was setup in my Aunt Carrie's driveway and then the kids had a bounce house to play in the backyard. It was a little muddy back there, but I think we made the right decision to keep the tent in a dry area and let the kids just get a little muddy by walking over to the bounce house. We had such a great time, there were about 40 people and while I was looking forward to an intimate setting I still ran out of time to actually sit down and talk to everybody. It was great to reconnect with friends and see family members I don't normally get to see each time I visit. As you can see from the pictures below Brody had a blast digging into a second cake and even with his double ear infection he was still wearing a big smile on his face and got to visit with lots of people that love him! It was a great party, I'm happy that its officially over and we can look forward to the next one most likely with just our little family.

(Another HUGE cake for Mr. Brody)

SURPRISE!!!

2011-09-26T13:14:00.003-04:00

Unfortunately my mom was in Lake Tahoe during this trip to Michigan. She actually returned at 10pm Saturday night so after she dropped her bags off at home she came right over to the apartment we were staying at. What an amazing mom and Grandma we have. Luckily she was still on California time since she didn't get there until after midnight. It was nice to talk for a little bit, but then she crawled into bed with Miss Addison. I was so excited to hopefully catch Addi's reaction seeing Grandma in her bed, but I guess she woke up at 4 and said "Grandma...what are you doing here"? I wish I could of caught that on video. It was really nice of my mom to come over since she really only had a couple of hours to spend with the kids, but you could see the look of excitement in both or should I see all three of their eyes! Thanks for being such an amazing Grandma! Love you mom!!

Friends for a Lifetime!!

2011-09-25T22:10:00.004-04:00

While in Michigan last week of course I had to make a stop at the beautiful Hlavin household! It was a bonus visit this time because Nathan was working from home and to top it off John actually went with me too! How crazy that it worked out both guys were there to make fun of me and Melissa at the same time! ;o) Not only was it a special day because I got to see a very special friend, but it was also Carson's (Melissa's 2nd son) 3rd birthday! We brought Carson a big Mickey Mouse balloon that sang happy birthday to him...needless to say it lasted until just before we left and then it popped. ;o) Anyway, Melissa was able to put a huge smile on my face since my visit didn't exactly start off how I thought it would. I love that she's always available when I have the time to come see her and she's just as excited to see me as I am to see her!

Not only did I get to see my very special friend Melissa, but my old Ceridian friends came to celebrate Brody's birthday with us! I can't believe how long its been since I've seen my ladies, but it was just like old times. I honestly think we could of sat and talked just the 4 of us for hours catching up it. It felt amazing to hug each one of them which reminded me how much I truly miss and love them. Megan, Julie and I actually have something in common regarding our kids. The three of us have 2 kids and the funny thing is they are all within months of each other. Julie has 2 girls, Megan has 2 boys and then I obviously have one of each. Kari has two girls (her oldest being 9, but her second one is turning 4 soon). It was great to see those beautiful kids and how big they're getting. Seeing the three of them reminded me that I also need to make time to see them too when I come home. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Kari and the girls will come out soon, but if they don't I'll make sure we all stay in contact this time because I really did miss them all!

Round 2

2011-09-20T17:46:00.002-04:00

My poor little guy has to go through another round of antibiotics since it doesn't seem like his ear infection is quite gone and he's still got some yummy colored snot coming out of his nose. The doctor decided to try something stronger rather than keeping him on the same thing. It was actually a nice experience for once, I didn't have to go in or anything! I simply called and talked to the nurse who had the dr. call me back, which lead to him calling in the new prescription and us talking about how we're both from Michigan for the 100th time. I actually really like this pediatrician alot, he reminds me of home every time I go in there, but I think its funny how when I bring up Michigan he has this conversation with me like we haven't talked about us both being from the same place. Like I said he's really nice so I let him get away with it. ;o) We leave for Michigan tomorrow afternoon so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Brody at least feels a little better and his ear won't bother him during the flight. I thought he was getting better since he took some good naps Sunday and Monday, but he's back to being the devil! Who could blame him...I know I wouldn't like having problems with my ears. Wish us luck!!!

Brody's 1st Birthday With Our Florida Family

2011-09-18T15:59:00.004-04:00

We had Brody's 1st birthday party yesterday with some pretty special people!! I've met so many amazing friends while doing activities with Addison when she was younger and then even more once Addison began going to school. We've been so lucky to not only meet new friends, but these friends have basically turned into family as well. It was really hard to feel secure with our decision to leave Michigan to come to Florida where we wouldn't have any friends or family, but for the last couple of years I can sleep at night knowing that we have people we can count on if we need them. Not only did I want to celebrate Brody, but I wanted to celebrate the beautiful friendships we've made. I truly feel lucky to have these people in our lives and for the relationships our kids will have as they grow up together. St. Petersburg, FL is for sure home and I have my friends to thank for this beautiful feeling!

(NOW THAT'S A CAKE)

(Brody's checking out all the balloons)

(I was pretty proud of my decorating skills)

(SUCCESS)

My Handsome Little Man Turns 1!!!!

2011-09-16T09:15:00.001-04:00

Holy moly my little guy is 1! I would say where has the time gone, but I at least know where the first 6 months went and so does my back! Honestly, this has been a really tough week since he was sick and then has a double ear infection, but each time I was ready to give him away he would look at me with the biggest cheesiest smile and all my frustrations would go away. Brody has brought so much to my life and while it was really tough in the beginning where I didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel...he's such a good boy. I love everything about him, even when he's throwing everything possible on the floor or yelling at me when he doesn't want something. He's such a boy and I think its great since I already have Addison who is SUCH a girl. I look forward to watching him grow and figuring out how to deal with his craziness. Looking back at the pictures of when he was first born brings tears and smiles all at once. This day was like yesterday where I remember each and every moment. I am truly the luckiest mom in the world and its all because of my beautiful children who in the end are so well behaved and show me how much they love me. I know this little guy is going to be the one who keeps me on my toes, but I'm cool with it. He makes me laugh and melts my heart into a million pieces. Now that I've figured out that its ok to leave my kids for a girls night, I'm actually able to breathe and come home ready to tackle my little monsters again (Thank You John).

Brody! You have brought so much happiness to my life, you are so darn cute and what I love the most is your a mama's boy. This first year has been beautiful, thank you for teaching me patience, for teaching me that it is possible to love two children as much as I loved one and thank you for completing our happy little family. I just want to end this making sure you know how much I love you and how much I look forward to watching you continue to grow into a hansthum man like your daddy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!!

Happy Birthday Shout Out!!!

2011-09-15T15:37:00.002-04:00

Today my step-mom turns...haha! Just kidding, you never tell a woman's age. I would however like to dedicate this entry to my Step-Mom Jane who is celebrating her birthday today. We love you so much and wish we could be there to have a special dinner with you, BUT we will see you next week!!! LOVE YOU!!!

Side Note: its weird that today is the day John and I found out I would be getting induced to have our little guy. I remember that day like it was an hour ago.

The Vranich's Visit the Florida Aquarium!

2011-09-14T20:25:00.003-04:00

I think this face says it all! We had so much fun visiting the Florida Aquarium for the first time. Brody was hilarious the whole time...between trying to grab at the Sting Rays to yelling at the sharks that would swim right by him, he was nonstop excited. Addison was super excited to be there too but she wasn't as outgoing as her baby brother. There was no way she would touch the baby alligator that Brody had no problem grabbing and then when it came to even looking at those Sting Rays she would hide. It was exciting to watch their faces when the fishes would swim right by them and Addi would actually light up when she got to see baby turtles and frogs. Of course we ended our visit with Addison getting ANOTHER stuffed animal (pink dolphin) and then we picked out some rubber snakes for Mr. Brody (which of course are in Addison's room right now). We can now check this off our list and perhaps head back there when we're looking for something to do!

Goooo Blue!!!

2011-09-13T09:38:00.002-04:00

The Vranich family is in full U of M football spirits! I don't know where to begin to describe my excitement to not be pregnant this football season and to not have a new born. I can finally sit on the couch, have a beer and enjoy a good football game. Luckily I'm still excited and in love with my team since U of M is 2-0, but to top it off we have friends willing to watch it with...sort of.

John and I went out this past Saturday to watch the very first night game in The Big House. We were so excited for this game that I invited a bunch of friends (who had no clue what the big deal was) to go out with us and while it was a little different than if we were watching it in our living room I think John still got to enjoy most of the game. I on the other hand was more worried about the latest LCC gossip. ;o) Just kidding!! I had so much fun laughing and hanging out with some great friends. It was a nice combination of looking up at the game to see what was going on and then getting into a deep conversation regarding our kids with my lady friends. ;o) I had such a great night, my throat actually hurt from talking and laughing so much. I can't wait to do it again! GO BLUE!!!

Mommy & Baby Small Come to Florida!

2011-09-12T09:55:00.007-04:00

We had such a blast a couple weeks ago when Natalee and Kingstyn came to visit us!!!! It was Kingstyn's first visit to Florida so we had to make sure he wanted to come back with lots of fun things to do.

I think the best part was just watching Kingstyn and Brody playing together at our house with the toys we have. I'm thinking we probably didn't even need to leave the house since they were basically entertaining themselves the whole time and of course Addison had to get in on the action too. I loved hearing her talk to the boys and constantly saying "ohhh your so adorable"!

Thank goodness our kids wore each other out early enough for Natalee and I to spend some much needed time together. We got to catch up with a little cocktail and a REALLY good movie. It was nice to have the company while John was away on his golf outing and it was even better to not feel stressed taking care of two kids on my own for 3 straight days.

We did eventually let the kids leave the house and enjoy the Florida sun. ;o) We went to this awesome Sprayground that Natalee saw on one of my previous blogs. The boys had a blast, it was really funny watching their reaction when the water would come out of the ground splashing them with water. Good thing they both had their hates on because they got sprayed pretty good a couple of times, for the most part the hats saved them, but there were times I'm sure they got some water up their noses. Addison of course was just running around like a crazy monkey...I would love to have even an ounce of her energy!

Of course there were a million more things I wanted to do, but with the limited time and trying not to get too stressed we spent most of our time just letting the boys and Addison play together. It was truly amazing watching Brody and Kingstyn interact which basically proved what I already knew...they will always be BFFs! I know every time we get them together its only going to get better and better. I'm so thankful Natalee took the time to come out and visit us and spend some much needed sister and children time together. I can't wait to plan the next get together!

Crazy Monkey's!!

2011-09-08T09:25:00.002-04:00

There is no question that my kids are crazy little monkey's. I call them monkey's all the time...I even just got Brody a shirt that says "Silly" and then has a big Monkey on the front. So, when Addison's friend Joey had his birthday party at a gymnastics facility I knew there was going to be some craziness going on and not just from my kids. People think we got Addison a huge trampoline for her birthday a couple years ago, but we all know that trampoline is for John, I'm pretty sure he's the one who taught the kids to be the monkey's they are (since I'm so boring)!

This place was perfect for Brody, I wasn't worried about him wandering around and the kids were so cute playing with him as well. I'm extremely relieved we're past the ity bitty baby stage and he's so close to walking, I love the fact that I don't have to be right by his side and HE doesn't need me to be by him the whole time either. We're moving right along and holy crap we're going to have a 1 year old a week from tomorrow!!!

Candle Lighter!

2011-09-07T15:46:00.003-04:00

Hey, LCC...your killing me!!! Today was another day of yet confusion. Honestly why do I have to like this school so much?! The thing that's killing me the most is the fact that I'm actually CARING about money and how to save every penny. This is my problem, normally I'm very like "ohh I'm not going to worry about the cost because it will figure itself out", now I'm actually kind of sick of living like that and over think every cent that is spent. I don't know if I can let my new psycho way of spending money get in the way of my baby girls education. We'll figure it out and I think God will actually steer us in the right direction whether it be LCC or not.

Back to what this blog is suppose to be about! Addison was one of the kids chosen to light the candles for Chapel today. Every Wednesday the kids go to the church to have about 15 minutes with the Pastor where he teaches them a lesson from the bible. Its really cute to see all the little kids get together, Pastor is so amazing and patient with the kids. Brody and I HAD to come witness Addison's special job of lighting the candle and as you can see she did a great job. It was so cute to see the excitement in her face when she knew we were there, which gave me another flutter knowing I was able to be there for her and not stuck at a job (can you see how I'm so torn).

(she was looking at me and Brody)

After she was done her teacher let her come sit with me and Brody and once again it was the cutest thing. She is so in love with her baby brother, she can't stop kissing him every time she sees him. You can just tell she's so proud of him and proud to be his big sister. We all had a blast, but I'm thinking Brody may have had the best time. He was dancing and clapping the whole time. I wish I could of multi-tasked and took pics. or video because he was totally into it.

I just can't believe what a difference a year makes and how much Addison is learning. She actually gets in the car and tells me all about her exciting day and what she's doing tomorrow. I love it, she's growing up so fast. Here is another item to put in her baby book of firsts!

Why Can't I Just Make One Decision?!

2011-09-02T10:26:00.002-04:00

After typing my blog yesterday regarding the cost of Addison's amazing current school I decided it was actually time for me to take a closer look at what the Florida public school system has to offer. While I've heard from 99% of the people I know "don't do public, they are awful" I knew there were a couple of other "free public/private" school choices. There's Charter schooling, Fundamental and then Magnet. According to friends these schools are much better than Public. I've never been so confused in my life! After going to dinner with my friend Beth last night she informed me that her and our other friend Jenny are in the same boat. LCC is just too expensive and they are looking for other alternatives too. She explained that Fundamental is the next best choice, but you have to enter into a lottery and they basically choose out of the 5 schools which one you get placed in (if you even get in). I'm still trying to figure this thing out, but I think I understand the basics. You know in the end I just want Addison to have a good education, be challenged which will help her learn to the best of her ability and meet some really nice friends and teachers that are going to take good care of her. Its hard for me to walk away from something I'm so familiar with and knowing LCC is the PERFECT school for us, I just don't know if its worth $35,000 just for elementary school and then it goes up again in Middle school. I hate this and wish it could be easy like when I was growing up, lucky for me I had access to amazing public schools and there wasn't ever a question of where I would be going. We'll see what happens, at least I have some friends that are in the same boat and we can get through it together.

Preschool Craziness has Begun!!!

2011-09-01T10:26:00.003-04:00

Its that time of year again...go back to school time. I must admit...I couldn't be happier. While Addison did a couple of weeks of summer camp, I don't think I could hear "mommy what fun thing are we doing today?" again. I'm still hearing it when I pick her up, but at least by the time we get home she's pretty pooped from the day and actually likes just watching a movie or playing in her room.

I can't believe she's officially in Preschool (last year was just for practice). She's going 5 days a week from 8:30 to 3:00, her teacher this year is Mrs. Davis which turns out to be one of the boys mother from her class last year. I was actually really excited since her and I have always got along and I knew she was very hands on when it came to helping Miss Sund. The first day wasn't exactly how I planned, I had to actually drop her off in the car line because I had to go meet with a staffing company to talk about me possibly going back to work (I'll save that for a different blog). I felt really bad since it was such a special day, but I don't think it phased Addi one bit. I made it up to her later in the week by walking in with her. I've figured out though I think the teachers would prefer the parents do the car line so they can get their day going rather than standing around talking to the parents. I know especially with Addison when we walk into her classroom she does her 3 jobs (1. move her picture to the lady bug indicating that shes here for the day 2. take her red folder out of her backpack and put it in the red bin 3. sit in the spot that is labeled with her name...see I told you its totally official school now) and doesn't even realized I left. Its good, I think most of the time these things are harder on the parents than they are on the kids. We've always taught Addison that its ok if mommy and daddy aren't there, we never want our kids to have to go through separation anxiety. Even though I'm home with Brody I have him around my friends and family all the time and he has no problems going to them which is just a huge relief!

Schools been going great (she's in her 3rd week) and I've already noticed a huge difference between last year and this year. They are truly learning stuff and she loves coming home and telling me about things that her teacher taught her. I LOVE LCC and couldn't see her going anywhere else, its such a great school and that is exactly why I may need to start working by next year since Addison's tuition will be $3000 more than this year. YIKES!!! I guess that's the price you have to pay for a good education, she better get a scholarship to college! ;o)

Brody meet Chuck E. Cheese...Chuck E. Cheese meet Brody

2011-08-31T12:29:00.002-04:00

While we've been to Chuck E. Cheese many times within the first 10 months of Brody's existence, I decided it was now time to let him out of his stroller and explore. I was extremely shocked at how much fun he had. I only have pics of him hanging out with Stewart Little, but he went on lots more than just this ride. I actually liked this one the best because the straps were the perfect length where he couldn't go anywhere if I let go. I loved the look on his face when his first ride started, it was a look of worry and then a huge grin which lead him to wanting more and never wanting to leave.

I'm so happy that he liked going there and wasn't scared since this is seriously the best place to go when its too hot to go to the playground or its raining...plus its soooo cheap. I mean as long as you don't eat, how can you beat a quarter for each ride and most of the time Addison just wants to run around like a crazy lady and forgets there are rides to go on in the first place. Once again Chuck came through for the Vranich family!

Moo at Great X!!

2011-08-19T19:49:00.004-04:00

I was looking forward to having a fun week with Addison before she had to head back to school, but unfortunately I was sick most of the week and the weather was rainy and gloomy. Finally towards the end of the week I was feeling better but the weather was still awful so we decided to head over to Great Explorations. We actually had a lot of fun since a couple of friends joined us.

Even Brody had a blast especially since they have a little baby area which is where we spent the majority of our time. The other kids didn't care, they just wanted to run around like crazy animals to get all that pent up energy out since we've all been stuck inside. Of course most things don't happen the way I picture them, but I kept Addison pretty busy despite my other agenda. It really doesn't matter because as soon as we're done with one thing the next comment out of Addison's mouth is "where we going next"?! I swear this girl would go nonstop if we would let her. I'm exhausted just thinking about her energy!

(then I have to worry about this little guy...he's such a charmer...

Addison's friends just eat it up)

Godmother to The King!

2011-08-17T10:09:00.004-04:00

Finally!!! The main reason for my trip was to watch this handsome little man get baptized. Natalee and Chad asked Me and Chad's sister Keri to be the Godmothers. Of course I was beyond excited and gladly accepted!

Kingstyn was so good throughout the whole service and was so darn cute while we were up with the pastor. My favorite is when they lite his candle and the Pastor was actually asking Kingstyn to blow it out, but he just wanted to grab at the flame. Luckily Chad and Natalee were on top of their game and no one was hurt! ;o)

After the service we headed over to Champps for lunch and it was beautiful. I couldn't stop staring at Kingstyn. He's gotten so big so fast, since Brody was a little under the weather they didn't get to play much, but luckily Natalee and King are coming next week so they will have lots of time to play!!!

I love this little guy as if he were my own, I just couldn't get enough of him. Luckily we all headed back to my moms so I could spend some more time with my yummy little red head! I'm freaking out just thinking about getting Brody and Kingstyn together next week...CAN'T WAIT!!

Spa Night & Wii w/My Ladies!!

2011-08-16T13:26:00.004-04:00

After I figured out that I was going to stay the night at my moms while visiting I immediately reached out to my nieces and April to see if they were up for a Spa night. Well, we had one taker and of course that was my girl Autumn. She is so darn funny, while I wanted to throw her phone into the paraffin wax because it was constantly beeping from all of her text messages, her singing and making us laugh made up for it!

We did some paraffin wax on our feet and hands, then moved on to a face scrub and last but not least got some exercise by doing some dancing with the Wii. We truly had alot of fun and made some new memories which is my favorite part.

I've never played the dance game on Wii and ohh boy was it an experience, especially since Miss Autumn was a professional. She was seriously killing us which made me give up in the end. I swear she knew the moves before they were even coming...CHEATER! ;o) It was especially funny to watch my mom do it!!! But, Autumn for sure killed it and while we were having fun Mr. Brody decided it was time for us to stop so that he could be taken care of for the rest of the night (see I knew I should of left him home). ;o)

Everyone Needs a Little Ginter in Their Life!

2011-08-12T08:27:00.004-04:00

I got to spend some time with my niece Autumn and nephew Cameron when I went to my mom's while in Michigan. It was so nice to finally have some time with them without the chaos of some event. While Cameron didn't stay long he was there long enough for us to check out his new car and to give him lots of hugs and kisses. He was so excited to finally get his car so he had to go show off his new ride. I still can't believe how old he's getting!

To say Brody loves Autumn is honestly an understatement. He is beyond in love with his big cousin as he should be because she is sooo good to him. You can just see the love and joy she has for both of her baby cousins which makes me feel blessed to have both of my nieces and nephew so excited to see my kids. I just love my Ginter babies and will continue to do so even when they're old and have Grand kids! ;o)

Ramsden Bonding

2011-08-11T10:17:00.007-04:00

Brody and I came into town for Kingstyn's baptism this past weekend. I was initially going to go by myself, but decided I would bring Brody too since we only have a year left of not paying for his plane ticket. Well, unfortunately it was a bad idea since he got sick the day we were leaving and it was downhill from there. Don't get me wrong he was actually really good for not feeling well, but I lost alot of sleep and it just ended up being a lot more work than I anticipated.
My dad picked us up from the airport and the fun began! We went back to his house for a little bit where I was surprised to learn that my little brother was going to be joining us for dinner. I was a little worried about my little guy making it through dinner since we went right around his bedtime, but he had a blast. He had everyone cracking up and basically continued to eat everything we put in front of him. It was really nice to go out to dinner and spend some quality time with my dad and step-mom. We spent the night at my dads and then we were off to see my mom the very next day!

Summer's Coming to an End!

2011-08-10T09:20:00.008-04:00

Where has the summer gone? While I know I live in Florida and it pretty much feels like summer most of the year I just can't believe its time for Addison to start Preschool on Monday. Beginning Monday it will just be me and Brody from 8:30 to 3:00 Monday through Friday, while I'm looking forward to have one on one time with Mr. Brody, I think he may feel a little lost without his big sister. He loves her so much, every time I bring him out of his room in the morning or waking up from a nap the first thing he does is look for his Addison...did I mention he's saying "Addison" now? We'll get through it and stay busy, but its going to be weird.

We've had such a great summer hanging out with friends, going to the pool and of course coming up with things to do to stay cool when we didn't have water within arms reach. I will say I enjoyed this summer much more than last year since I wasn't extremely pregnant!!

Liz had us over last week for an end of the summer last hooray and the kids got to play on Joey's new birthday present, how cool is this thing? An inflatable water slide, the kids had a blast, I loved looking at Addison's face when she first saw it!

As you can see below Brody even had his very own baby pool to play in. You can't tell but there was a little inflatable slide for him to go down or at least climb on. Addison's friends were kind enough to fill his pool up with lots of toys for him to play with. He's such a trooper when we go to all these bigger kid events. He's so chill and just plays with whatever he can get his hands on and the kids are always making sure he's having fun and they're not running him over.

Like I said it was a great summer, I've met some new friends had alot of fun with old friends and look forward to watching our kids grow up together.

We Had a New Visitor!!!

2011-08-09T20:48:00.005-04:00

We were so excited to spend the afternoon with Miss Heather Hays (John's 2nd cousin from Indiana). I've actually known Heather since she was really young...I think we're only about 7 years apart, but when John and I first got together that seemed like a huge age difference. Heather comes from the most amazing family which consists of some amazing parents Brian and Gretchen and then she is one of 3 girls. Yup! Poor Brian got stuck with 3 beautiful girls. I couldn't imagine being a father fighting off all those men and making sure his beautiful babies meet the right boy to treat them right. Anyway, Heather came to town for a girlfriends wedding and was awesome enough to spend some time with us before heading over to her friends house. It worked out perfect because her flight got in early so we picked her up and headed to a nice lunch before taking her to meet her friend. I'm not lying when I say how nice it was to have some one on one time with her. She's so intelligent and seems to have her head on straight. It was a proud moment to see this young girl I once knew grow into a beautiful woman whose now chasing after her dreams. I'm truly proud of her and can't thank her enough for wanting to spend time with us.

Dear Me...Move On

2011-08-08T20:31:00.007-04:00

I really don't know where to begin with this blog entry. Alot of emotions come over me while typing this but its about time that I get it out and perhaps get the feedback that I guess I need. I feel as though every once in a while I'm tested in regards to who I can really trust and who will truly always be there when I need them. I believe that people can make mistakes and say things that they don't mean, but as I'm getting older along with my children getting older my tolerance for the emotional abuse is growing thinner and thinner. I don't want my children to learn and think that its ok for someone to say awful and hurtful things to them. I'm understanding more and more as the years go by why many of my friends don't have close relationships with their family. I'm not going to get into details, but I'm extremely close (perhaps have already decided I'm there) to throwing my hands up and stop worrying about everybody else but myself...despite what some people may think. When someone tells me that I need to look at myself and means it in a negative way and then goes on to say "everyone else feels the same way they just don't say it to you" its pretty damn hurtful. You know, I think of myself as a pretty nice person who continuously goes out of my way for all people...especially my family. So, to hear a person I thought would be there for me no matter what say such mean things to me for sure makes me think twice about this whole "being close with my family concept". I just feel like I can't win and sooner or later I'm hurt and appalled by the way someone of my flesh and blood could speak to me. You know the saying "You can pick your friends, but your family will always be your family"? I use to think of that in a positive way, but for the first time I'm feeling a little sad and find it easier to just walk away and give up rather than fight for something I've always felt so strongly about. This past weekend I was so emotionally drained that I didn't get to enjoy the main reason why I was there and it makes me really sad and more importantly just disappointed. I need to move on and I feel like me writing this is helping me to move on and explain to myself..."it's ok, you tried and tried and tried, its just not going to work so lets focus on the people and things that make you happy and more importantly the people who reciprocate the love and respect you continuously give". Thank You Self!

KRS is 7 Months

2011-08-04T09:01:00.003-04:00

Holy crap this beautiful little King is already 7 months! He is getting cuter and cuter by the month (since that's how often I get to see new pictures of him)! Of course I see alot of his daddy in him, but there's a little Natalee going on too. I can't wait to see him get baptized on Sunday and be the Godmother to this hansthum little man! I love you Kingstyn!!!!

How...Why...

2011-08-03T08:23:00.002-04:00

I don't even know where to begin to express my feelings in regards to how I feel about my life at this very moment. I was driving over to my friend Jen's house the other day and I looked in the rear view mirror to see the most beautiful things I've ever seen...my gorgeous babies! I love watching the expressions on Brody's face and those big dark blue eyes that are ready to experience anything and everything as soon as I let him go. Just watching his face and even the way his eyebrows go up and down showing that he's taking this big world in and can't wait to be just like his big sister. I don't know where to begin with the words to describe my baby girl who's clearly NOT a baby anymore. She's getting so big and as much as I hate to admit it she is so much like me its scary. The way she talks, her emphasis on words and the way she uses her hands especially when she's passionate about what shes talking about. I love seeing her excitement for life. She loves her family and she loves her friends, she reminds us everyday "ohh I love you so much"! I couldn't ask for two better kids except that they continue to be "good" kids with the help of me and John leading the way.
When I think of John I can't help but smile and get goosebumps. I couldn't ask for a better husband and partner in life. He's brought so much joy to my life and has truly completed me as a person. He's my calm side, my rational side and most importantly helps bring me back down to earth when I'm going a little crazy. I honestly believe that John and I are meant to be together and we "work" because we balance each other out. I don't know what I would do without him and for all of his patience throughout the 11 years we've been together.
While I've said it before and I'll keep saying it...I'm a grass is always greener type of girl, but I'm finally realizing my grass is pretty green and I really couldn't ask for much more out of this beautiful life that I've been blessed with. I have a beautiful immediate and extended family along with some pretty great friends, all there's left to do is thank God for choosing me to have this wonderful life and I really do mean that!

Someones Sixtyone

2011-08-01T08:22:00.004-04:00

My dad celebrated is sixty first birthday yesterday!!! This is very exciting, but I hope he knows he still has at least 40 more years. This has been a rough medical year for him, but he's getting through it and we continue to pray that this is the last of bad news and we can move forward continuing to make beautiful family memories. I love my dad so much, I hate not being there to celebrate days like these, but I'm constantly thinking about him and looking forward to the next time we get to see each other.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Sleepover Success!!

2011-07-31T08:29:00.004-04:00

Addison had her very first friend sleepover at our house this past Thursday. Luckily the little girl was Kayleigh her very best friend who is so well behaved that I would let her sleepover every night if she really wanted to. ;o)

I was wondering how the girls were going to be once it came down to the end of the night. We had a REALLY long day, I truly thought they would most likely pass out while eating their dinner...ohh boy was I wrong! The girls started their day off by going to camp at LCC from 9-1 I picked them up and took them back tot he house to get them ready to meet some friends at the public pool. After I was chasing Mr. Brody around for over an hour the girls were ready to go and we went back to the house to get the girls ready for gymnastics. So not only did the girls get to go crazy at school and the public pool it was now time to run around and do some gymnastics. I'll be honest, I was beginning to feel a little wiped out myself. Once gymnastics ended we headed back to the house again to feed the starving monkey's. After they ate it was time for baths and once baths were done they were on their own. John came home and set up the tent I got to hear about every hour on the hour. They were so cute..."we're going to sleep, play, eat, drink, watch a movie....in the tent."

After we got Brody down for the night, I had to tell them to keep it down a million times, but that comes with the territory of having a sleepover so it wasn't a big deal. Finally at 9:00 we told them they should watch a movie in Addi's bed and then they could go lay in the tent when it was over. We'll about 15 minutes later we found them past out and snoring away. They were so cute so of course I had to take a picture!

The night went better than I thought it would. I was so exhausted by the time John got home so I let him take over for me and I was now the observer. Everything went perfect, Addison did come tip toeing into our room at about 1:30 to sleep with us, I told her she couldn't leave Kayleigh in there by herself. Well, it turns out Kayleigh must of gotten up in the middle of the night to go sleep in the tent. It was really cute. So I crawled in bed with Addi until she fell asleep and then checked to make sure Kayleigh was comfortable and went back to my bed for the night. I couldn't ask for a better first sleepover.

Uh Ohhh Spaghetti O's

2011-07-30T11:00:00.003-04:00

Well, I thought it was time for Mr. Brody to start experiencing more "big boy" food since he's not all about the pureed' baby food or even the chunky baby food. I was especially excited to try out Spaghetti O's since they remind me of being a kid and he LOVED it! I was worried he would have more fun smearing it everywhere possible, but he was actually more concerned with not getting enough in his mouth at once. Seriously, should I be worried that my 10 month old probably eats twice as much as my 4 1/2 year old? I'm not kidding! This kid can eat, I think if we let him eat all day he would...except I don't want another episode like when I first started feeding him jar food. I don't think I'll ever forget that awful night!

I love that Brody is such a great eater and while I think he could go on and on when it comes to food, he does eventually stop and lose interest. Its quite cute to watch him start giving his food to Roxy when he's had enough. Roxy calmly waits for Brody to get bored then receives the sloppy seconds! See, EVERYONE wins...even the dog!

It was fun watching Mr. B eat, smear, throw, inhale and just have plain old eating fun . Of course I let him eat this while John was at work so he wouldn't have a heart attack by the mess. Before I cleaned everything up I had to send him a picture just to give him a little taste of what he was missing and possibly coming home to (don't worry I even had Brody cleaned up by the time he walked in the door). John is pretty easy going except for when it comes to the kids getting messy, its really funny! I don't know why, but I love letting the kids go at it and explore w/o worrying about the mess that will eventually get cleaned up. I keep reminding myself...they're only kids once so I want them to get as dirty as possible...and then put them right in the bath. ;o)

Weight Loss Shows

2011-07-27T08:14:00.002-04:00

You know what would be really helpful is if there was a show for people that just need to lose 10-30lbs. Don't get me wrong I'm all about helping out people that are obese, but perhaps its time for a new show to be created for people like me that just want to lose 20-25lbs, but can't seem to figure out why the pounds aren't coming off. I have been a huge "The Biggest Loser" fan since day one and now that there's a new version of this show on each network, I'm wondering if there's hope for my dream show. People who are stuck with getting back into shape after having a baby or perhaps they had a sudden weight gain (not 100lbs) and its time to take the lbs off (put a check mark in each of those boxes for me). I know I've lost the weight before, but this was before I had two kids. I'm so frustrated but, I keep pushing away hoping I'll get my body to where I want it to look and feel. Let me know if anyone sees this show I'm dreaming of!

Big Boy Brody!

2011-07-26T08:03:00.004-04:00

These past two months have been a huge eye opening experience. Brody has been hitting milestone after milestone. I honestly feel like he just started crawling and eating baby food yesterday. Now he's on to bigger and better things, he hates baby food and needs to eat stuff he can pick up with his fingers (besides yogurt...he LOVES yogurt) and he's now figured out how to climb and walk around the furniture. Things are moving too fast and its creeping me out! I was telling my mom that I can't even say "OMG he's going to be 1 before we know it", because he's less than 2 months away from that. So, now I find myself saying "OMG Brody's going to be 18 months before I know it". Its all going so fast, but I love that I get a front row seat witnessing every moment with him. While I've been waiting for these days of his independence to begin, it makes me a little sad at the same time. Life is going so fast which means I'm getting older too!

The OTHER Addison Turns 4

2011-07-25T10:29:00.009-04:00

Addison made a new friend this year at school and guess what her name is...ADDISON!! Of course "my" Addison doesn't call her just Addison, her name is "the other Addison". ;o) Then I just found out that most of "my" Addison's friends call her Addison Ranch so that must be how they tell the two apart. While the two girls were in different classes during the school year, they've been placed in the same summer camp classes. Not only has Addi made a new friend, but I've also had to opportunity to meet her parents. I LOVE her mom Jenny (who also has a 4 month old little boy named Parker which means that Brody and Parker will also be in the same class when its time for them to go to school) we've been able to hang out a couple of times which lead us to be invited to Addison's 4th birthday party at an Ice Cream Parlor in the Don Cesar. It was so much fun, what child wouldn't like having ice cream at 10am!

On top of having ice cream they also got to enjoy a magic show along with balloon animals. It truly was a cute party and we felt really lucky to be invited.

Addison had a blast and got herself a pink balloon poodle. She deserved whatever balloon animal she wanted, my poor baby got bit by a mosquito that must of been stuck in the car. Of course the mosquito couldn't bite her legs or arms it had to get her on both cheeks! Those mosquito's just love us wayyy too much! She pushed through it and still enjoyed the fun party.

I think the birthday girl had alot of fun too! I look forward to watching our two Addison's friendship grow and also watch Brody and Parker get into lots of trouble!!

Parenting = Lifetime Roller Coaster

2011-07-22T08:53:00.003-04:00

If you like living life as if your constantly on a roller coaster I suggest you become a parent! Every time I think I've figured out my kids they decide to change it up. I'm mostly speaking about Brody. We had a good month where he was taking consistent naps, going to bed without any problems, sleeping through the night with no issues and enjoying toys he probably thinks are new, but we've had them since Addi was a baby. Then BAM...the past two weeks have been awful. He's pissed that he can't climb up everything, he's constantly hearing the word NO because he's in the dog bowls, he taking all the toilet paper off the roll, he's playing with the garbage in the bathrooms...holy crap the list goes on and on. I had to give him an extra bath yesterday because he decided to pull my air freshener off the wall and got the oil all over his hands. I'm all about him exploring, but I seriously have to be behind him the whole time or else he'll find something new that shouldn't be touched by a 10 month old. He's all about playing with the cords coming out of the wall so now I have to think "hmm can I move that over there and then this here" ugh, what a pain in the butt! On top of the exhausting days that I have following him around yelling NO, he is now having issues sleeping. I think he's perhaps getting more teeth or maybe going through another growth spurt because he'll sleep for half the night and then need to be soothed by some mommy love to go back to sleep. I'm beyond aware that this is just another phase, but its hard when you get excited because things are going great and then it has to suck again! Either way, like I said from day 1...he's lucky he's cute! I love my little man, but he sure is making me work these days!

C'mon lbs!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-07-21T08:56:00.003-04:00

I am so beyond frustrated with this whole weight loss I'm going through right now. I really thought the lbs would just fall off especially after I started going back to the gym 3 times a week, but this process is going alot slower than I thought. Don't get me wrong I'm for sure cheating on the weekends, while keeping my Weight Watchers point system in mind. So, I'm not going overboard with stuffing my face, but I'm not as strict like I am during the week. I'm wondering if this is my downfall or if my body is still adjusting to me not nursing anymore and returning to the gym and actually doing more than just cardio. I'm freaking out now, but I'm really hoping with me sticking to the program I can look back in a couple of months and breathe a sigh of relief and I will hit my first weight loss goal. I know it takes time, I'm trying really hard not to be impatient. I'm really serious about getting back in shape and getting my pre-Addi body back, its just taking alot longer than I anticipated. I for sure notice a huge difference with how my clothes are fitting and how I feel about myself, its the numbers that are pissing me off!

Hangin With My Ladies!

2011-07-20T09:04:00.003-04:00

Its taken me about 9 months to get to this place, but I'm finally there...I'm all about going out during the week to have me some adult conversation. I've talked about this in a previous blog entry, but for some reason I was having a lot issues with letting go and allowing John to just handle taking care of the kids on his own while I get out of the house for some much needed time WITHOUT kids. I finally realized that its not only good for me to get out, but its actually good for John and the kids. I feel so much more relaxed and refreshed when I come back home and I'm ready to tackle another couple of weeks before my next outing. I'm obviously not leaving my little family every week, but I find nothing wrong with doing it every couple. I'm just enjoying that I've let go the guilty feeling each time I leave the house to do something for me and that awful feeling like I'm going to owe something to John for "making" him take care of the kids for 2 hours by himself. It sounds so stupid, but that's how I was feeling, up until John and I've reconnected and feel like together we can conquer the world again! I had no idea how hard it was going to be having a 2nd baby in the house especially one that just didn't seem happy for the first 6 months (I guess I should say he just wanted to be held alot, which didn't make my back very happy). I'm so happy John and I can look back at those first 6 months and actually say...holy crap we made it through that horrible time. I don't mind the curve balls that life throws my way as long as in the end my husband and I can look at each other and smile knowing we did it again...we came out of it ok! Luckily for him he has his golf and I have my friends, pedis, massages, hair appts., etc. to help relieve the stress of day to day life. Its nice to throw something new in the mix to get over the feeling like I'm just a robot. I couldn't be happier with where my life is at right now. I can't believe my baby boy is already 10 months and Addison starts all day 5 times a week preschool next month. Life is moving so fast, but John and I are trying to enjoy every moment as much as possible. I'm extremely happy to say that we are in a good place with our children, each other and life in general. Gotta go we have a play date at the pool in an hour! ;o)

Really This Place is Free???????

2011-07-12T14:35:00.007-04:00

I honestly don't know how I'm ever going to top this past weekend! Sunday we met up with some of Addison's LCC friends at an amazing splash park! I've heard people talk about this place, but just kind of brushed it off...until now! I honestly wish we could live there, Addison and Brody had a blast. Brody was able to crawl around until his knees couldn't take it anymore and Addison would probably still be there if we let her.

I seriously can't believe they don't charge for people to play here, they even have an awesome playground that is connected to the splash area so the kids can run back and forth. As if you can't tell already...I'm truly excited about this place, I think the kids might be too. ;o)

Little Mermaid Birthday Party!

2011-07-11T17:20:00.005-04:00

Addison's cute little friend Sailey celebrated turning 4 with a Little Mermaid birthday party, it was the best little birthday party I've ever been too! Her mom and dad did such an amazing job and we had a blast! It was actually nice to have some girl time. John stayed home with Brody so Addi and I could enjoy ourselves at her friends special party. Erica (the mom) set the bar high in regards to having a kids house party, this woman didn't miss a beat. She had little mermaid fins for each of the little girls, they got to make cute little crowns, they made a mermaid snow globe and to top it off Erica's friend has a daughter that looks just like Ariel!!!! It was seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen! This party makes me think twice about having any kind of party at my house, it seems like a lot of work!

The girls had so much fun and even got to take a dip in the amazing pool. The party was sensational, but to top it off the house was extremely interesting. It was built in the 1920s and while I normally don't like "older" houses, I was really intrigued. They're decorating style was beautiful as well, for example Erica had found a table that was made out of old doors, I don't know how to explain it, it was just really cool looking. Their house had a beachy feel to it and I LOVED IT! I for sure like their style and give it two thumbs up! ;o)

We had so much fun as I've said a million times. The Fry family is pretty special. I have a feeling Addison and Sailey are going to be friends for a long time!

I'm Here Too!

2011-07-10T21:25:00.007-04:00

I know I'm not in 98% of the pictures I normally post on my blog or on FB, but I promise I'm around too! Since I don't have anybody to help me document the time I spend with my kids, I've decided to attempt it on my own! The new camera that John got me for my birthday/anniversary/valentine's day/mother's day, etc...has an option where I can actually flip the screen round so if I'm trying to take a picture and be in it I can see how it looks (they probably had women like me in mind when they invented this handy option). Anyway I just figured out that I can do this so I took a couple of pics of me with the kids. I mean they're not the greatest pictures, but its a start. My next task is to figure out how to keep them still enough for me to get in the picture with them. I keep telling myself, celebrate the moment...just celebrate the moment! ;o)

Fourth of July w/Great Friends

2011-07-07T10:28:00.005-04:00

We had a great 4th of July this year. Sunday, the Masterson's had us over for a yummy BBQ and let the kids get wet while running around in the backyard through the sprinkler. It was nice to just relax and catch up with some great friends. It was a little hot outside, but we were comfortable enough to hang out in the backyard to watch Addi and Joey play in the sprinkler. Its funny Addison had no idea what a "sprinkler" was until her school had water day and she was like "what's a sprinkler"? I had to laugh because while I was growing up that was pretty much all we had to get wet (wow! I just made myself sound really old). Anyway we had a great time playing at the Masterson's house and then the next day we hung out at the pool so Addison was able to get her pool fix. The weather has been so gloomy here lately, it was nice in the morning but clouds rolled in around 2 so we headed home and later that evening had a fabulous fourth of July pizza!

(they look like twins)

Happy Anniversary!!!!

2011-07-06T10:13:00.003-04:00

Holy moly, 9 years ago today John and I were married (11 years ago this month we began living together)! Where is the time going? Looking back at our wedding pictures I can only laugh...we look so young and innocent! The more I think about our wedding day I can't help but feel grateful. We had such a beautiful wedding, everything about our wedding was perfect even down to the weather! I can't believe at 23 and 25 we were able to pull this amazing day off (of course w/the help of our parents)!

9 years later we have completed our family with our gorgeous 4 year old little girl and our handsome baby boy Brody . If somebody asked me 9 years ago "what would your life be like 9 years from now?", this is exactly how I would want it. John and I continue to grow every year, we're not always perfect but we sure do love each other a whole lot!

BTV is on the Move!

2011-07-04T11:14:00.006-04:00

Well, our little guy is officially a crawler. He started taking some mini "crawls" while we were in South Carolina and then a couple of days later he got a little faster and coordinated, but then fast forward a couple of weeks and we have a turbo crawler on our hands. This little guy is living up to every boy expectation and likes to get into everything. We are getting to the point where we need to shut the bathroom doors so he won't get into the garbage and not a day goes by where I hear him yelling because he's stuck under his rainforest bouncey chair. He's just so darn cute! My favorite is when I think its Addison running on the floor, but its really Brody slapping his hands on the ground trying to get from point A to B to C...hell I could go through the whole alphabet!

You can tell he's so proud of himself and he's already mastered the sitting from a crawling stance. I even find him doing some pushups sometimes, I think he gets frustrated because he really wants to be standing on his own by now. He's still trying to figure out how to pull himself up onto furniture and even in his crib, so I think he has a couple more months before the attempting to walk begins.

On top of crawling, our little guy is rockin' two bottom teeth. Its so crazy because at this point in Addison's life she had a mouth full of teeth, so I can't help but laugh that this little guy only has two. I like that he's taking his time with everything, I think he knows this is my last baby and I actually don't mind things moving in slow motion!

I'm for sure in love with this little guy and love spending everyday with him (a little break once in a while helps too). He's just so happy which makes me even more happy! Cheers to another milestone met by my baby boy!

Congratulations Erik & Leah!!!

2011-07-03T09:43:00.007-04:00

The main reason for us to come for a Michigan visit was to celebrate Erik and Leah getting married, Leah is John's youngest cousin. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. The church's architecture was amazing and I simply couldn't take my eyes off the ceiling. They had the church looking beautiful with flowers and other decorations. Of course the bride was stunning and the guys didn't look so bad themselves. It was a gorgeous ceremony, we were so happy to be part of their new life together!

Resort Szjana

2011-07-02T09:58:00.008-04:00

I don't know what it is, but whenever I come to Michigan I have the worst luck with weather! We were able to spend the day with my Aunt Carrie and the kids (Tristen & Kirsten) on Friday before heading up to Frankenmuth for a wedding. All, I could think about before we left was how fun it would be to go swimming and hang out by their pool. Well, that didn't happen because it was pouring when my Aunt picked us up! I was so bummed and honestly really sad. Luckily later in the day the rain let up and Addi was actually able to go swimming (I wasn't going to waste my time squeezing my booty in my suit for 30 minutes of being in the pool). Luckily the pool was pretty warm so Addi didn't have to freeze. It was actually exciting to see what a difference a year makes. While Addison has always LOVED the water she had no interest what so ever to go on the water slide last year...well, we simply couldn't get her OFF the slide this year.

I thought I would have to drag her out of the pool, but unfortunately because I didn't have my camera at the time I made her go down the slide a couple more times (when she really didn't want to because she had moved on to other areas) which lead to her hitting the side of her head causing her to be done with the pool activities. ;o( I felt so bad because I knew it was all my fault, but it ended up being perfect timing since the rain was starting up again and the thunder was beginning to roar.
We proceeded to move the fun inside, once Addison calmed down and realized she wasn't going to lose her ear (she banged up the area behind the back of her ear) she had a blast. Aunt Carrie brought out their little dog Sunshine that of course Addison scared the crap out of with her high pitch voice telling her how cute she was. Luckily Sunshine was a trooper and let Addi touch her for a little bit, but then it was back to her safe place she went.

Once we were done scaring the tiny dogs we just hung out in the living room by putting on a movie and relaxing. The kids were so awesome with Brody and loved all the funny faces he made, along with the grunting he constantly did (which I had to explain to Kirsten he's not pooping every time he does that) he's just trying to get his point across!

Kirsten and Addi even did some running around in the spacious living room. It was really cute watching them play and once again I found myself thinking how these two kids (Kirsten and Tristen) were just babies and now they're all grown up. Ugh! I'm getting so old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't thank my Aunt Carrie enough for taking the time out of her busy day to spend the day with us. I know her business is constantly growing and really busy, but she's always willing to put life on hold so we can spend some one on one time together. I just love Kirsten and Tristen and feel blessed to have these kids in my life, I look forward to watching them continue to play with my kids and know they will be awesome big cousins to my babies!

Jones/Ginter Lovin!

2011-07-01T08:07:00.008-04:00

Our third day in Michigan was dedicated to hanging out with my big sis and my beautiful nieces and nephew! We had big plans to go to the beach or even go to the pool in the apartment complex we were staying at, well all of that went out the window after it decided to rain and be nice and gloomy. So, I decided it would be best to head over to my sister's and hang out there and we had a BLAST!!!! Sometimes having no plans to "do anything" is the best idea. It was so nice to just hang out in the living room and watch the kids play. Miss Rylee is getting so big and is just so darn cute! Autumn and Cameron were there to play with us too so we got to spend lots of time with them, I found myself drifting off and remembering when these Ginter kids were babies! I just can't believe how big they are and I know I'm going to be thinking the same thing about Miss Rylee before I know it!

Since Arielle is an adult now she had to work, but her awesome boss (my mom) let her leave at 3 so she was able to come by April's house just in time to play for a little bit and then go out to an early dinner with us. Talk about feeling old...Arielle is going to be 20 in October.

We had so much fun spending the whole day at April's house, it was nice to catch up and watch all the kids play together. Looking forward to the next visit!

Ramsden BBQ

2011-06-30T07:46:00.007-04:00

The next morning after arriving to Michigan my dad came over. He was kind enough to let John borrow his car so then I could use the rental car to go visit my friend Melissa. He also helped me out by entertaining Addison while I was getting ready (Brody was napping). Since we were coming to town I decided to wait and give him his Father's Day gifts when we got there. He is a proud owner of new golf balls and golf glove! Addi and Dad had a blast playing and even came up with some new names for Addison's big eyed stuffed animals, it was pretty cute and my dad seemed pretty proud of the names he came up with (Freddy the Fox, Mickey the something and there was one other one...I'm sure Addison remembers)...OOPS!

I eventually had to go wake Brody up because it was just getting too late and we needed to go! It was actually really cute because after I cuddled him for a couple of minutes I gave him to my dad and he laid his head on his shoulder and cuddled with him right away. It was breathe taking and made my dad a very happy Grandpa!

After I was done visiting with my friend Melissa it was time to head over to the Ramsden house and get ready for some yummy BBQ Stuffed Pork Chops!!! I love these things, they are so delicious and I think only Hollywood Market makes them right! Not only did we get to visit with my parents, but my little brother's girlfriend came over (I just love her) and then the Dupont family joined us too (sister Jackie & her family). I love getting together and seeing everybody, this is the time when I miss living in Michigan. We had so much fun visiting and even got to witness Kelly eat her very first Pork Chop in her whole entire life! It was a proud moment!

Thanks Dad & Jane for hosting a beautiful BBQ, I love you guys!!!!

First Day of MI Trip = Grandma Cheryl Love!

2011-06-29T09:25:00.007-04:00

Once again I must say I have the BEST MOM!!!! We flew into Michigan earlier than we normally do, I loved getting to our apartment at 6:30 vs. Midnight! Plus we had someone very special waiting for us...MY MOM! My mom met us at the apartment and she came baring grocery gifts. My mom went out and bought us several essential Addison groceries (turkey, cheese, juice...) as well as some extras too! It was awesome that she went above and beyond not just with the groceries, but the fact that she was thinking of us and wanted to make sure we had everything we needed to be comfortable for our visit.

Not only did my mom do our grocery shopping, but she even had a sleepover with us! That's one nice thing about having a two bedroom apartment, Addison got to sleep with Grandma and play with her all night and all morning. It was alot of fun having her there and she really made me feel extremely special since I know she's so busy, I just love her so much!

First There Were 2 Now There's 5!!!

2011-06-28T08:57:00.007-04:00

Its hard to believe that just 4 years ago my beautiful friend Melissa and I only had one baby each. While we continue to live a thousand miles apart we always find time to get together whenever I'm back home in Michigan. Now baby #5 has been added to our little group, perhaps you remember a previous blog regarding Mr. Levi. Mr. Levi is the latest baby to be added to our group picture! As you will see in the pictures below, not only has our group continued to grow in numbers but its crazy to see how much Addison and Dylan have changed and of course Mr. Carson too. I love these pictures and cherish them very much, I truly believe that our babies will always be friends and Addison will make sure they all stay in touch (since she's the only girl and we all know girls are much more on top of things than boys). Each visit gets better and better, I love watching the kids play and as they get older its nice to have time to actually sit down and catch up with a very dear friend. I love you Hlavin Family!!!!

Home Sweet Home!

2011-06-27T09:02:00.003-04:00

Normally I LOVE travelling and going to visit family and friends, but I think we over did it by having two trips back to back (SC & MI) because I'm wiped out! We had a great trip to Michigan visiting lots of family and a couple of friends, but I was more than happy to board that airplane to come back home and luckily we won't be travelling again for at least another month. More Michigan details to come...

Father's Day!!!!

2011-06-19T21:26:00.005-04:00

John celebrated his 4th Father's Day this year and of course it was the most special since Mr. Brody has now entered our lives! I'm still getting use to having two kids and to top it off...a boy and girl which means you need two different cards. Well, I was on top of it this year and bought all of my Father's Day cards like 3 weeks early, too bad I totally forgot to get John a card from Brody so Addi's card had to be altered by changing "I" to "we" and Brody also had to be included in the Ladybug storyline...Oops!!! Brody's going to be so mad if he sees that card when he gets older!

I think John had a good day. He received his gift early...a nice golf club that he REALLY wanted (he just needs to figure out how to use it) ;o) The kids let us sleep in until 9:00, then we just hung out at the house relaxing for a little bit, headed to the pool after Brody's morning nap and then ate some yummy ribs. We were still recovering from all the fun we had on Saturday at Adventure Island with Addison.

My kids are super lucky to have such a wonderful dad who's very hands on and wants to be part of every moment in their lives. Not only are they lucky, but I'm pretty lucky too. I love watching John with our babies and couldn't be more proud and honored to call him my husband!!

Cousin Bonding!!!

2011-06-18T08:32:00.009-04:00

Last weekend was all about cousin bonding! What are the chances that my sister and I have babies that are only about 3 1/2 months apart? Well, now that its happened we have to take full advantage of making sure they are BFF's forever and of course we have to start them young.

It was alot of fun watching Brody and Kingstyn hang out together. They were both very interested in each other and wasted no time bonding! Of course part of the process of making sure they're BFF's we had to dress them in the same swim trunks. Its only fair since our mom did the same thing with our cousin Melissa (not in swim trunks but in dresses and outfits).

Not only does Brody love his baby cousin Kingstyn, but of course Addi was wonderful playing and loving all over her him. I mean I'm not surprised since she tells me almost everyday how she misses Kingstyn. She is just so good playing and entertaining the boys, we are super lucky!

It truly was alot of fun having our kids together and while I don't want to wish away anymore time, I'm looking forward to what the future entails and all the memories our kids will have together. Natalee and I will make sure without a doubt there will be a strong bond between our kids!

Of course our vacation couldn't end without Kingstyn getting Brody back for all the pulling and scratching that has taken place for the last 5 months. It was Kingstyn's turn to defend himself and let Brody know how it feels to treat other babies like that! It was just amazing to see the two of them together, I had no idea it would be THIS much fun to have these little guys be so close in age! Can't wait for the next visit!

Brody's First Girlfriend

2011-06-17T08:54:00.005-04:00

While visiting my sister in South Carolina Brody fell in love! Chad's friend Todd came over for a visit on Saturday and brought his beautiful girlfriend Laura. I swear as soon as Brody laid eyes on her he had a permanent smile and couldn't keep his eyes off her. It was actually really cute how he had no problems with her holding him and gave her lots of smiles and eyebrow raises (that's his other new thing, he does this thing with his eyebrows that makes him look like he's flirting).

Laura was great, she was giving Brody as much attention as he was giving her. Todd was a great sport since a charming 9 month old had his girlfriends attention for the day. ;o) How can you not love that gummy smile and that hansthum little man haircut?!

Even Addi had to get in on the action and get some attention from Laura. I love meeting people that are so friendly and outgoing, I felt like I had known Laura for years and that she plays with my kids all the time. Chad really does have some great friends, each time I meet a new one I'm impressed and feel like I've known them forever.

At the end of the evening Brody was willing to share Laura a little more and even let his BFF Kingstyn get some time with her. I explained to Brody, its just the beginning,there will be lots of girls/women in his life, but there will only be 1 Kingstyn!