Botanical Gardens Gardenland Express

Every year the MO Botanical Gardens has a Gardenland Express where they set up a bunch of trains mixed in with flowers. Gaga and Papa got to take Cale and Aiden. Cale had a blast. Here are some pictures from their trip in December

Just cute pics

2 peas in a pod!

Hello handsome boy

This is how Cale hung his picture that he colored the other day! Think there might be enough magnets?

Christmas through a kids eyes!

Christmas Eve at Brandi's family


Aiden has decided he likes drinking water out of Papa's cup, here he is on Christmas Eve


Hanging with the boys on Christmas Eve

The Caubles came to town for a visit



Cale playing with his new train rug from Gigi

Aunt Lisa and Uncle Bill

Hanging with family in Carbondale a few weeks before Christmas

Playing with Mal and Stef at Gigi's house

Giving Gigi her present

Aiden hanging out while we put up the tree



Cale's way of putting the lights on-throwing them on the tree

The Christmas season with the kiddos has been really neat this year! Cale was totally into it this year and loved being involved with everything-putting up the tree, opening presents, sampling Christmas cookies, decorating, seeing Christmas lights, and learning about Baby Jesus and the true reason for Christmas. It's just been so fun to watch him. And Aiden-he just sits around and smiles and just soaks everything in. This holiday season was filled with lots of fun! We went through Tillis Park to see the lights, saw lots of family, spent a mommy/son day making crafts at church for Christmas, ate lots of cookies, put up the tree, put lights outside the house, read Christmas stories, built a few fires in the fireplace, opened presents on Christmas day. It was busy, but lots of fun! Here are some pics from the holiday season.

Cale turns 3

Cale-please slow down! You are growing up way too fast for your mom. Cale...let me just start off by saying you are a delight! Mom and dad can hardly believe it! What a blessing you are. You amaze us as you explore and question your world more, how you just figure stuff out, how you just get things and say things out of the blue. Things we haven't taught you-things you just figure out on your own. You are so smart kiddo! You are one amazing kiddo. You turned 3 on December 2.

At 3 here's what you are up to:

-Imagination-the stories you come up with for your toys are amazing. you can make up a story for anything-your trains, your cars, animals, Toy Story characters. I love to listen to you as you play.

-Bear-we don't go anywhere without him, he's your pal and you must take him everywhere and of course he keeps you company while you sleep.

-You've figured out that there are choices-good and not so good ones that a person can make on a daily basis. We are working together with daddy to learn consequences for actions and somedays you like to push the envelope, but for the most part you are very well behaved!

-You still love to cook and enjoy weekly daddy pancake nights cooking with him!

-You have us laughing everyday with the funny things you do and say.

-We sure do have to watch what we say otherwise you will be repeating us!

-Trains-you are still obsessed with them.

-You love your baby brother and are great with him-the feeling is mutual.

-Still a picky eater-favorite foods-cheese and crackers, pancakes/waffles, peanut butter(crunchy) and jelly.

-You love to play by yourself and have quite the imagination in the stories you come up with, and you also love to play with other kids or family or friends-you just light up when we come into your world and join you with playing trains or imagining together.

-You are a joy to have as a son! We love you and enjoy watching you grow more everyday, learn how things work, and learn about the world around you everyday!
-You are starting to draw shapes-how cool is that. You draw lots of circles for train tracks on your magna doodle and can draw squares and triangles too.
-You still love to snuggle which I love! I know there will be a day when you think that is no longer "cool" so I am going to soak it in as much as possible for now!
-You do this cute little thing where you say "hey mom" and I look at you and you squint your eyes and get the most adorable grin on your face and just smile at me.

We are proud to be your parents my sweet boy and are continually amazed by you!

Here's some pics from your birthday:

Celebrating your birthday at home with left over cookie cake!


Celebrating his birthday and Gaga and Papa's

6 months already

Sweet Aiden. Right now as I type this we just had to do the cry it out method for you to go back to sleep. That is so hard lisetning to you cry, but it only took about 15 minutes and you were out again. Sleep is an issue right now our sweet little baby boy. You did so well with being a newborn that we feel like we are now regressing. Not sure what is going on, but we are thinking maybe teething or that the rice cereal that you are eating is causing an upset stomach. There truly are days that I wished there were a manual to help us make the right choice with you to help you. We are praying this less sleep stage quickly ends-sleep would do all 3 of us some good. You have 2 bottom teeth now. You got your first tooth on 11/23. You also started rolling over at the end of November and are getting stronger in sitting up-still can't sit on your own, but are getting there. You make the funniest noises-you have started this animal growl that is sometimes your way of talking and it's hilarious. It sounds like a roaring lion! You love to bounce and are constantly bouncing when I have you in my arms. You have mastered the skill of moving an object from hand to hand and at this point most toys still just go in your mouth to chew on. You still sleep in the pack n play in mom in dad's room until sleep starts to get a little better. You won't take a pacifier for the most part, which is ok except on long nights like tonight! Your smile-you have the sweetest dimple, oh my, I can't stop kissing your cheeks! You have an easy going personality (except when not sleeping :) ) and smile most of the time. You love to lay and kick, you adore your big brother and just light up when he comes in the room. You like to babble, love to be tickled, and love your bath time. Mom and dad are totally head over heals in love with you and your brother kiddo! We love watching you grow and can't wait to continue to watch you grow!

3 years old

Cale...let me just start off by saying you are a delight! You are 3 now. Mom and dad can hardly believe it! What a blessing you are. You amaze us as you explore and question your world more, how you just figure stuff out, how you just get things and say things out of the blue. Things we haven't taught you-things you just figure out on your own. You are so smart kiddo! And you are starting to draw shapes-how cool is that. You draw lots of circles for train tracks on your magna doodle and can draw squares and triangles too. Your vocabulary continues to increase. You love to cook-especially on daddy pancake night when you and daddy stir and make pancakes together. Your imagination is amazing-you can make up a story for anything-your trains, your cars, animals, Toy Story characters. I love to listen to you as you play. You still love to snuggle which I love! I know there will be a day when you think that is no longer "cool" so I am going to soak it in as much as possible for now! You do this cute little thing where you say "hey mom" and I look at you and you squint your eyes and get the most adorable grin on your face and just smile at me. You are great with and adore your brother-I love watching your relationship with Aiden develop. I am proud to be your mommy my sweet boy and am continually amazed by you!

Polar Express

Cale excited to ride the train!

Inside the train was all decorated for Christmas

The Conductor punched a "C" in Cale's ticket-so cool!

and an "A" in Aiden's ticket

Hot chocolate and cookies. Cale wore his Thomas PJs for the occasion

Aiden checking everything out

The smile says it all

Santa bringing Cale his bell from the Polar Express

Aiden got one too

My boys

Cale turned 3 on December 2 so for his birthday we went to Branson and rode the Polar Express train on December 1. We had a blast! Cale loved riding the train and they did a great job representing the book and the movie with hot chocolate and cookies, Santa giving each kid a bell, reading the book during the train ride, and having characters from the book and movie. Cale could have stayed on the train all night. We stayed at Big Cedar lodge which is always fun and the weather was nice enough that before the train ride we were able to walk around outside as a family. Aiden enjoyed looking around on the train at all that was going on. Here are some pictures from the ride.