All about Jackson & Addison

Steelhead 70.3 & Snyder visit

2011-08-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed up to Michigan for a fun filled weekend. It was dual purpose. One to get in our yearly visit with the Snyders and secondly for Nathan's 70.3 race 20 minutes from our friends home.

We left Thurs at noon and made it in a record time of 8 hours (on the way home 7hrs 15 min!) so the trip went extremely well both ways. The kids were perfect. We rented some redbox, Gram packed a treat bag for them and we took off.

We arrived around 10p Michigan time and the boys (Max & Monty) flew out of their rooms to greet us. The kids were fast friends. Friday we hit the beach (our favorite thing to do when visiting the Snyders!). Saturday we lazed around, went and played in their lake and then went to packet pick up for Nathan's race.

We had been keeping an eye on the water condition of Lake Michigan (where Nate was going to swim) all weekend. When we went on Friday it was a yellow flag which means rip tides & high waves. Sunday morning I drive Nathan over to the race to drop him off, then come back to the house to get ready and get the kids. As I'm driving home Nathan texts me telling me the swim was cancelled. This was Nathan's second attempt at his 70.3 and both swims have been cancelled. We were bummed but also knew that we wouldn't have wanted him out in the water with those waves. They had reached 8ft by Sat. night. And the looks of them on Sunday was not good. There is no way a kayak could have gotten out there as lifeguards.

Nathan had a great duathlon (56 mile bike & 13.1 mile run). I'm very proud of him. With calm waters he would have had no problem completing his 70.3.

We had an amazingly fun weekend with our friends- Chris, Tonya, Max & Monty. Many, many laughs & memories made. Thank you so much for being such fantastic hosts. Love you guys!

Jackson & Max lovin' the splash park!

beach! Addison, Max & Monty are mostly under the water! Nathan would watch Addison being drug by the waves thinking she would come up crying but instead having a huge smile on her face.

SILLY boy. We laughed all weekend just watching this kid. Seriously one of the funniest kids I know!

LOVE this!

Perfect day.

Perfect friend. Except the fact we only see each other once per year. But NEVER have problems picking up exactly where we left off!

He dug a whole till he hit water! Then buried himself.

Monty lovin' that ice cream.

that's ice cream. not paint :)

Here comes Daddy!! We were so nervous we had missed him.

One of our many spots that day

Off the bike feeling jelly in his legs but looking SO strong!

This is right at the finish line!

And these waves & wind are the reason the swim was cancelled.

Best cheerleaders EVER!

SO proud of you Nathan! Love you!

Mighty Max Kids Tri

2011-08-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is Jackson's 2nd year doing Mighty Max & Addison's 1st year! It's one of the best kids triathlon's I have ever seen. They get to go down the water slide to begin the triathlon and they don't hold anything back just because these are kids. They have the huge finish line, they bring the pro athletes to talk to the kids, the real transition, etc... The kids had a blast and I think the parents have even more fun watching. It's fantastic!

Jackson with his big arm pulls!

Jackson about to pass Addison

Addi running out of the water.

Nate helping Addison with transition. Jackson's a pro!

Parker coming into transition full speed!

One of my favorite shots!

speeding into the finish line. poor buddy ran too far- not sure if the volunteers thought he was older and needed to go farther or what?

Finishers!!

GO Snappers!

2011-08-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

This year we signed all the kids (I talk about the Fig boys as they are my own...) up for swim team. I was a little nervous about Addison (since she is only 4) but knew she could swim. We have been doing swim lessons for a month each year and are always impressed at how much they progress. Until this year... one week of swim TEAM and they improved more than a whole summer of swim lessons! It was amazing! Their coaches this year were Mizzou swimmers! The kids LOVED them!

We had our ups & downs of crying and refusing to participate (except Jackson- there was only a day or two when he was hesitant but it was mostly because the others were breaking down!). Overall, it was a fantastic experience & the kids had a lot of fun!

Every Wed night they had a swim meet with other pools. Three of the nights we were at "home" (beach club) and three nights we went to other clubs. It was SO much fun! One meet there was a parent/snapper relay so of course Heather, Nathan & I suited up! And friday was FUN day!

These pictures are all random and in no order!

This is friday fun day- the kids are huddling around to push their teachers in.

Poor Courtney got most of the pushing in! But she knew how to give it back too!

Happy Swimmer!

All smiles from Ashton!

Addi & teacher Courtney jumping off together.

Friday fun day- the only day they let you go down in a 30 person train!!

This is the parent/snapper relay- we've got our team together ready to roll!

I'm in position! Loved diving off the platform to begin!

Heather & her snappers!

Go Snappers! Next year we'll really be on our game!

My Addi swimmer!!

Jackson with his breaststroke. He is such a powerful swimmer!

Ashton waiting for his race.

I think this was Jackson's butterfly race he did at the end of the season! It was awesome!!

Addison in streamline position!

Theres parker swimmin' his little heart out!

Pedaler's Jamboree Weekend

2011-06-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last year Jackson, Nathan & Robb did this two day bike ride to Boonville. Jackson came back and talked about it all year long. We knew the second he came back that this would turn into an annual event on Memorial Day. So, this year we all went- including the Figueiredo's. And, of course, Uncle Robb came back for the fun too.

We leave Saturday morning and make our way 30 miles on the Katy Trail to Boonville, Mo. We stop multiple times along the trail (this is a leisurely ride with 5 adults & 2 kids!). Whether it's needing a drink, pitstop, finding a cave to go search, seeing a snake (dead or alive), needing lunch or just an ice cream cone...

Nathan was pretty proud of his old Tacoma!

Very excited to begin the journey! Here is when we realized Nathan had forgotten his biking socks so we had to head to Cycle X for some shopping first! Heather noted that we always figure out a way to have some shopping into any trip we take!

A bike ride wouldn't be any fun without some adventure packed into it! And this is the shallowest crossing we had!

Ashton sporting his bike jersey and new bike shorts.

Our climbing/cave adventure.

Why are we looking so tired already?! We're not even to our lunch stop yet!

Gram drove over to eat dinner with us and listen to the concert.

Uncle Robb enjoying some snuggle time with Addison.

What would a fun trip be without some kettle corn?!

Listening to the concert.

I'm taking this picture through the screen of the tent. The kids woke up early to catch some cicadas!

Our spot.

This is a shot from our camping spot. We tried to get as far from the concert as possible. The kids had NO PROBLEM falling asleep with the concert. Me, on the other hand... heard every word.

On the way home. This is a beautiful tunnel we went through.

1/2 way point. And some yummy ice cream!

And some music to dance too!

And we're off again...

If the kids were in the trailer they were UPSET. The second they got on the tag-along they perked up and we're laughing, joking and enjoyable. Which means, Mommy always had the grumpy kids!

dead green snake. We are fairly certain Auntie ran over it...

(not sure what happened to the coloring in this pic)

There's happy jackson!

Robb & I took turns with the trailer. It was HEAVY!

68 miles. Memories to last a lifetime.

WE DID IT!! Ready to be home! See you next year!

Jackson graduates Kindergarten!

2011-06-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

SO PROUD OF MY JACKSON!!! He LOVES school and has had such a fun year. We are truly blessed to have the best teachers ever! He has learned & grown in so many ways this year. He is so smart. And I'm one proud Momma.

Ms. Pam & Jackson

Ms. Linda (Pam's Aid)

Jackson's class. What SWEET kids!

Jackson wants to be a scientist to study bugs. He officially knows more about bugs than I do. EEK!

May at Random

2011-06-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun-filled May. I have a few random photo's that I want to stick in here from the beginning of May.

We now have a swing! The kids have been begging for years. It now has a big tire on it. Hours of fun.

Spring program at Church. It was SO great! I'm always amazed at our teachers & students. Hard to see Jackson in this picture. He is straight behind Matthew in the blue shirt & tie.

Me & my boy.

Addison & her friend Hannah. Hannah is the funniest little girl I know. She is a month older than Addison! And you might not see that until she opens her mouth! LOVE HER!

Megan (Norma's granddaughter) came to visit over Mother's Day weekend. We had a great meal at G&G's for Mother's Day. Great to catch up with Megan.

Parker & Addison's Puppet Show.

Jackson has been taking guitar lessons. He loves everything EXCEPT practicing. It is getting better but it is still a struggle to get him to practice each day. Especially now that its summer and he wants to do nothing inside!

THE BEST PANCAKES EVER!!! Lemon Blueberry Pancakes. Nathan made them for me on Mother's Day and we've made them about 5x since then too. I crave them all the time!

Jackson and his lifelong friend Hippy.

Addison looking pretty.

Full of Blessings.

2011-06-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

I watched Oprah's final show. One thing she said struck me. We all have a platform. It might not be a daytime television show. It might be a blog with 9 followers, or a platform of two small people, or a group of friends. But we ALL have platforms that we can use in a positive way to make a difference- no matter how small.

So, this morning I had a little time to blog. I have SO many posts to catch up on but feel I have to say a few words first. Maybe just for myself in 10 years when I go back to read my blog. Maybe just to get inside my head this morning and put my thoughts on paper...

I constantly think about Joplin. Last week I launched into a mindset that I had to get down there and give something. Ended up that it wasn't the time for me yet. And we will certainly go (multiple times) as soon as we get the green light that they are ready for help. I can't wait. I feel helpless.

I am blessed beyond measure, beyond my thinking capability and blessed more than I think I deserve. A good friend (Kristi) after the tornado ripped through TN had a difficult time understanding why it wasn't her & her family & her home. Why had God spared her and not her neighbors? Although Joplin is 4 hours away and I have only seen pictures and video and heard firsthand account I have the same thoughts. Why did God send it (or allow Satan to) to Joplin and not Columbia Mo. And this thinking sends me into a whirlwind of emotions. We will never know while we are down on earth. I have to think its because God has a plan for me. He is using me in ways I'm not aware of yet. I have to be willing to say yes to Him because that is what I am here to do. I still have my children, my husband, my house, my family and all my belongings. My life is extremely easy and full of everything I could ever need or want.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of a mixed up Easter this year. Since Heather, Dad & I are training for KS 70.3 we had a huge bike & run this morning. So, we did Easter this evening at Mom & Dad's house. It was a fun BBQ with the family. Addison kept saying all afternoon "I can't wait for Easter!". Meaning the big egg hunt.

I found this cake idea this past week. Last night Joan helped me make the carrot cake and this morning Robb made the frosting and frosted it like a nest. Then Robb & I decorated it before the BBQ. It was a team effort!

Grandma gave all the kids fun Easter baskets. It was like Christmas in April!

I wasn't too focused on the running children!

Easter Sabbath

2011-04-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

I love Easter Sabbath. It was a bit busy & rushed in the morning (I wanted to sleep in AND fix special breakfast AND dress special AND be on time!). We had a beautiful Easter cantata ceremony for the church service. Uncle Robb came to visit for the weekend. We had a fabulous lunch at one of our favorite restaurants downtown. And we spent time with family.

I am so blessed.

Spring Break Cruise 2011

2011-04-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Each year for our Christmas gift from my parents we take a trip. This year we decided on a cruise. Royal Carribean- Liberty of the Seas. And for the first time we had to go during spring break so the kids wouldn't miss school.

It was the BEST! We went down to Florida a few days before the cruise to spend some time with Grandma & Grandpa (they live in the Everglades for 4 months during the winter).

Six days spent on the boat and we stopped in Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel. Our favorite things were the beach, the characters on the ship (it was a Pixar films featured ship- so Shrek & Madagascar characters were on the ship with us!), the food, games on the ship, waiters, room service, not lifting a finger for a whole week and the sun! It was a perfect week!

We love airplanes.

Billie's Swamp (Everglades). They re-captured this croc while we were there! It escaped 8 years ago!

Airboat ride.

Our Swamp buggy.

Grandma LOVES games. We had a fun time playing UNO attack. Parker was the funniest loser ever!

Our family. Blessed to spend some quality time together.

Waiting to get on the ship!

Walking the plank!

Our boat was spectacular!

Bye Bye Miami!

Life doesn't get much better.

Instead of watching the character show Jackson & Daddy were watching a heli circling the ship leaving Miami.

Fancy dinner every night! The kids got used to ordering a five course meal!

Jackson suited up to rock climb

Parker or Addi snapped this shot!

Yea!!

LOVED the towel characters!

Belize. Perfection.

Puss.

Character breakfast= chocolate on everything!

Our ship is the HUGE one!

Our transportation around Costa Maya.

Costa Maya= fish tacos on the beach. A-MAZING!

bad coloring but love the picture.

Boxing... until we got told they had to be 16 years old.

bye bye blissful cruise.

our cool SW plane on the way home. have i mentioned we're REALLY into planes?!

Gratitude.

2011-03-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

I have started a journey. It began a few weeks ago when I started this book study. The book is called One Thousand Gifts and it challenges you to create a thankful list (of 1000 gifts) of your own. So, I have started my list. I will blog every once in a while (my goal is once per week) about a few of my grateful things. They are extremely random. I have so many obvious things to be thankful for. I love to think of the not-so-obvious things in my life. And to find gratitude in the smallest of things.

Here we go:

A tough girl. That can play with 4 older boys for hours.

Living in the semi-country on 3 acres where my kids can explore and have a creek and dirt and sticks.

Game night.

Sunshine on a cool, crisp winter day. Spring it coming!

Cooking in my big kitchen.

Christian music. I never knew there were such amazing christian artist.

Co-op dinners w/ sister (and neighbor).

Feb.17 2011

2011-02-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Ashton & I were both diagnosed with strep throat. Today, we got to spend some time together. I had been in bed for 2 days straight (not including a few days last week too when I was just thinking I had a cold) and so as soon as the ibuprofen & antibiotics kicked in this afternoon we had to get out of the house. We had a record high of 74 today. We did a short exploring adventure (as much as two sicky's can manage), played UNO (outside), puzzles and built a car something-or-other.

I love this boy SO much! I love that I was too sick to worry about laundry, cleaning or anything else but just laying around and enjoying time with my first born nephew!

Love Day

2011-02-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

In the past, Nathan & I go out to dinner or I make a romantic dinner at home on Valentine's Day (and kids spend the night w/ Gram). This year we decided to switch it up a bit. We did a fancy night at home w/ the family. It was so much fun- and the kids LOVED it. They both dressed up fancy (addison's favorite part) and Addison picked out both Nathan & I's outfits. She has been wanting me to wear this velour/fur dress I have in the back of my closet and so I finally found the perfect place to wear it (home!)!

This is definitely a new tradition!

Menu: Sparkling pink lemonade

Aspargus w/ parm cheese (kids fave!)

Chicken & a simple pasta

bread & butter

Sprinkles Cupcakes. The look pretty. I overbaked them :( booo.

Blizzard fun

2011-02-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

Last week we experienced our first official blizzard (that I know or remember). A state of emergency was declared by our governor. We ended up getting 20" in less than 24 hours. We only went to school 1 day (the day before the storm came) that week. We loaded our cupboards chock full of food. We were prepared!

Nathan cleared the deck & drivepad (our driveway is very long and impossible to do by hand) about once every 2 hours.

I began the snow week with making cinnamon rolls for the entire neighborhood (okay, only 4 households). Everything in the city was shut down. Snow was falling & blowing at a rate of 2" an hour. Chapman's had one 4 wheel truck on the road for a few people that had a real emergency. I can only remember one other day that Nathan did not go into work (and that other day he might have gone to work in the afternoon??). It was a day of building monster forts & spending time with the family.... eating cinnamon rolls.

This is the second time he did this! I was upset because I wanted a nice picture & he has to go & clean it off!

Nothing stops the Figs from cinnamon rolls! A HUGE thank you to Phil for plowing our driveway... at

least 3 times last week. And a week later & it's still a bit dangerous!

BEAUTY!

This is the second day/evening. The kids decided to wait until the sun goes down to enjoy the cold, snowy weather. They were out 10 degree weather for over an hour just playing away. In fact, when they came in Jackson was sweating!

I swear these kids are polar bears!

She loves a good challenge. Tell her she can't get out of her driveway.... well, you see what happens... this is at my house. And tell her that cinnamon rolls just came out of the oven. She'll go to extreme measures!

Daddy/Uncle built the COOLEST, BIGGEST FORT EVER! Seriously, it was a 4 bedroom condo with lofts!

Yum! This is a mix between PW's cinnamon rolls & Nathan's sticky buns. Amazing!

I'm a big girl now.

2011-01-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

If you have ever met Addison you know about her thumb & blankie.

Addison turned 4 on Tuesday. We have talked for a year or so about her turning 4 and that would be the time she would stop sucking her thumb. Addison has sucked her thumb since birth. She came out of the womb sucking anything- until she caught hold of her thumb and she was instantly hooked. One would think that her thumb & blankie are somehow connected because every time she touches her blankie she immediately sticks that thumb in her mouth. She uses it to sooth, comfort and in any situation that she is nervous or anxious. Lately she's been very anxious ta preschool and last week at preschool she walked over to her cubby just to touch her blankie for a few seconds and then rejoined her class.

She had a dentist appointment on Wednesday. Dr. Stevens made it very clear that she needed to stop sucking her thumb. He & I talked about some ideas about how to do it. I knew it would be extremely tough and we'd have to do something mean (nasty tasting something, gloves...) in order to get her to stop. It had become such a habit and need.

I was wrong. I could not have been MORE wrong. She left that office with a matter-of-fact attitude that she was done sucking her thumb. Dr.'s orders. (I still thought "what a great attitude... BUT... ") This is DAY 6 that I have not seen her suck her thumb! I would have bet huge sums of money against this! Even further.... She has not taken more than 3 naps or nights without her blankie in her life. She realized that she cannot sleep with blankie and not suck her thumb. So, on tuesday she announces that she will keep her blankie at the bottom of her bed! And last night she let me sleep with it (all her idea!).

It has warmed my heart- and quite frankly made me teary eyed multiple times this week about how big she is being about this. I have only encouraged. She has been the brain-child about it all. I'm only the proud & supportive mom. I AM SO PROUD OF HER!

Following is JUST A FEW shots of her through the years with her thumb & blankie. This blankie has been everywhere!

I have about 20 shots of this sitting. I'm SO IN LOVE with these shots. And she looks SO MUCH like me as a baby!

Omaha Zoo

Daddy & Addi. Quite the snuggle bugs.

This shot cracks me up. For several weeks/months she LOVED this stocking hat.

In Florida at the "big house"

St. Louis Zoo

ONE PROUD MOMMA!

Addison turns 4

2011-01-30T09:32:00.000-08:00

We did something a little different this year. We had Addison's birthday celebration/party while the big boys were at school. Addison invited 3 of her best girlfriends over (and Parker, of course) for the day. We made & decorated cupcakes, played and then went ice skating!

Jaelyn (cousin), Lily (neighbor buddy), Hannah (friend from preschool) and the birthday girl

Sprinkles!

Happiness/high on sugar. Her hair had been curled the day before so it's looking a little crazy! I had brushed it!

More sugar. My camera is doing something funny with the color here... might be the camera-girl :)

Car full for ice skating!

Let me preface these pictures with this.... Heather & I were supposed to take the kids. My mom was going to join us to help out. She wasn't going to skate because she was VERY nervous about it. She last did it when she was 17 yrs old and it wasn't a good experience. Ashton got sick the morning of the trip so Heather couldn't go! So, I ventured it with my mom who still had a worse fear for the ice than the kids did! It was an adventure!!

prepping for skating.

4- 4 yr olds & a 5 year old!

In the end we decided to get them all these walkers. They were running on the ice with these things! It was easier for all of us! Mom wished she had one :)

We had the ice to ourselves! Which was a good thing b/c these kids were ALL over the place!

This was the day before her birthday. Her actual birthday was at preschool with special cupcakes, gram picking them (Jackson & Addison) up from school and then we had a birthday dinner at Gram & Grandpa's house. It was a special few days for Addison. She feels SUPER big now!

My birthday.

2011-01-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

I usually begin planning my birthday months in advance. This year was no different. BUT... I was very indecisive. So, in an email to the girls with multiple options to choose from I came up with the PERFECT plan. My birthday was on a Sunday this year (PERFECTION!) so I thought of a full day of St. Louis shopping. Everyone has very busy schedules- some months it's impossible to find one night that we can all make it so I wasn't holding my breath that everyone could do that option. BUT I WAS WRONG!! It was everyone's favorite. It was like a mini vacation.

We left at 9am and got to STL in time for lunch at CPK! Shopped till we dropped and then headed to dinner at PF Changs. Seriously, it doesn't get better than that!

Thanks girls for making my birthday 12 hours of perfection!

I'm just going to say a blurb about each person & how we make up the most perfect "mom's group"

Melissa & I

We always call Melissa our Bree Vandekamp off Desperate Housewives. She is always put together, has a pristine home (even with 3 young kids!) and is the perfect soccer mom. However, she has the personality & sweetness of a best friend. She is one that you can call in the middle of a situation and she will be there to help out in every way possible.

Heather. (Thank you for being our perfect driver on some slick roads!) Heather is an amazing support. She's always encouraging. She's my best friend, sister and THE person I can tell anything and do anything with. I start to have withdraws if we don't see each other everyday :)

Kristin & Shana.

Kristin is our comedian. She makes us laugh so hard we are crying & our stomachs feel like we just did an abs workout. Nothing is off limits (much to our husbands demise).

Shana is our girl that is always up for anything! The more the better! She always has the best pair of jeans- and the latest haircut. She is also one that would drop anything to help support one of us.

Deidre. Our DIY girl. If you need remodeling or anything home decorating advice she is our girl. And she will get it done. She has a heart of gold and is a giver. She seems to have more hours in her days. She is constantly tackling another project, buying or selling on craigslist or planning a garage sale.

Girls, you all make my life brighter, easier, funnier, and help me be a better mom & wife. I love you all dearly!

Integrity from a 6 year old

2011-01-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

We just got word of this tonight. It happened at school today and Jackson's teacher told Papa (my dad) when he was working over at the school.

There were some boys that were misbehaving. Ms. Pam saw this (not Jackson) and made them all put their heads down on their desk. A moment later Jackson raised his hand and Ms. Pam called on him. He said "Ms. Pam I was doing that too" and puts his head down on his desk like the other boys.

Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is looking. I would love to say that I, his mother, have taught him this lesson. And I truly hope I have. I think it is the single best lesson we can teach our children.

I really wonder if he would have done that at home for me?! He sure loves and respects Ms. Pam.

Ice Skating!

2011-01-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sunday was our first trip to the ice rink since... high school! Which was a long time ago! Robb & his boyfriend Elder are in town so they were excited to go too. Robb hadn't been since high school either! And it was a first for the kids. Jackson's school is going on tuesday so I thought it would be a good idea to give him some practice.

We all loved it! I'm not sure who loved it more- the kids or Elder- but we all had a great time! I didn't get a lot of pictures with the camera because I was too nervous on the ice w/ it. I got some video on my phone if I can figure out how to put it on here.

Nathan was helping Jackson the first time around the ice and the poor boy could not get the hang of it! He could barely stand on the ice. So, I'm thinking... this is going to be a LONG hour+! I bet he fell over 30 times and probably more. By the second lap around he had improved SO quickly and he was good from there. His biggest problem by the end was trying to go too fast and get off balance.

Addison was the same way. She started out going VERY slow but didn't fall as much as Jackson. By the second lap she was doing it by herself. She LOVED it. And we are already planning a birthday celebration there in a few weeks.

That leads me to the show stopper. I saw Nathan helping Jackson off the ice. He had fallen and hurt his arm. Then he started crying and wouldn't stop. Telling us it hurt really badly right below his elbow. And anytime he moved it he started crying worse. Addison of course asked him if it was "nurse maid" elbow so we quickly ruled that out :) We ended up all packing up (quickly) and rushing back to Columbia (ice rink is 30 min away) to get to the urgent care. I was sure something was fractured or broken. We get into urgent care and as I'm paying he is perking right up and moving his arm just fine. We decided to see the Dr. anyway since we were there & had paid. They took xrays but everything looked fine. This morning he woke up with some pain and I think he must have bruised it (maybe jammed it??) badly. He's already talking about ice skating tomorrow with his school.

Robb & Elder ready to skate!

Addi & Daddy

Jackson anxiously waiting for them to resurface the ice!

Elder loving life!

Addison the ice skater.

Couldn't get a picture of Jackson before he got hurt....

On the way to Urgent Care. Daddy made a really great sling!

NYE

2011-01-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

We have begun a tradition with spending NYE with my "mom's group" friends. It's a group of 6 girls. It's a group of mom's that are so diverse that it's amazing we have so much fun! We laugh more than I ever dreamed a group could laugh. We get together every month or two for dinner and spend the whole time laughing. And NOTHING is off limits with these fab-six.

We began this friendship nearly 6 years ago! Hard to believe girls! So happy to start another year with you girls. I know we will have many, many more laughs in 2011!

We were missing Deidre & Tim this year. We all managed to get childcare (except for Kate who joined us and got spoiled all night) and come together at Heather's house. Thanks Nana & Papa for having a kids party! Oh, and husbands joined, of course! We laughed all the way up until midnight. And at 12:01am Heather kicked us out. I imagine by 12:02am Heather was in her jammies on & in bed!

I made a divine ice box mocha cake... what can i say...

heather, shana, melissa and kristin (dr. kristin as of 2010!)

that's more like us...

funny phil pic

I seemed to hit the jackpot for funny faces!

this is just everyday for Heather!

me & hubs. he cannot take a serious, lovely picture!!

Forts.

2011-01-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

Jackson & Addison have always been into building forts. And I allow them very regularly because they were such a great part of my childhood! Heather & I used to spend hours in our forts. They almost always haul ALL of their animals into whatever structure is made. So, it is a bit of a mess. But... it is Christmas break so..... I suggested we make a boat since we're going on a cruise ship in March. They loved the idea and we had "the boat" in the living room for about a week of break!

One day they wanted to take their naps in it...

The next day they ventured a little bit farther and asked if they could sleep the night in it...

oh... why not... it's Christmas break! And they slept like babies!

Christmas Break...

2011-01-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

We were blessed with a BEAUTIFUL white Christmas this year. It was seriously the most prettiest Christmas I can remember. Huge flakes fell all of Christmas eve and we ended with 4(ish) inches. PERFECTION!

The aviation team putting together the lego airplane.

Final product.

BB gun shooting. Jackson did awesome! (that's what Nate says at least... and I saw the pepsi can with holes)

Sledding!

Mommy & Jackson

This boy could quite possibly live in the snow. He LOVES it and is always the last one to come inside.

Christmas!!!!

2011-01-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning! Santa has come and the house was quiet as a mouse till 8AM!!!

Jackson's BIG gift. A bb gun. Hold the judgement.

Still waking up!

MU hoodie. He grew out of his last one. He wears hoodies every chance he gets! He would sleep in one if he could!

Rapunzel dress up!

New purple outfit. Today, I FORCED her to wear it (for an hour). She acts like she loves it- long enough for me to rip the tags off. Then... NO. She is 100% jean girl. And boy does she love her jeans.

After our morning of opening presents, breakfast and playtime we headed over to Gram & Grandpa's for another Christmas!

The kids are anxious to get started! Almost like they haven't JUST had Christmas at their own house!

The kids & Grandpa have a little game of hiding a big, long, scary snake from each other. They will find it in the scariest places- and hide it in equally scary places! So, for Christmas the kids bought Grandpa a HUGE & SCARY spider! Let the game begin...

Princesses from Uncle!

Uncle & Jackson share a LOVE for airplanes. So, all Uncles gifts revolve around flying & aircraft. This Christmas its Lego aircraft!

Just have to brag on my first totally homemade French Silk. Yes, it was that good!

Joan got me knitting stuff. Nathan had to actually help me get started. I could not figure it out for the life of me! I really enjoy it- just need to find the time to do it!

Fancy Night (Christmas Eve)

2010-12-28T18:22:00.000-08:00

It has been a long standing tradition in the Chapman family that we do Christmas Eve at my parents house (and Christmas Day at the Crouch's). But even before marriages Christmas Eve was the time we had Gpa & Gma over for a special mexican dinner and opened gifts. While we do this Bob, Joan and Robb have had the tradition of going to a nice restaurant. Well, this year tradition fell apart (it was Figs turn to go home to Mass) so we got to experience a FANCY DINNER! Once the kids got wind of this they started getting excited. Addison is SO into clothes and accessories. We took some quiet toys and they were amazingly good. It was a 2+ hour dinner! But came with loads of entertainment... including sorbet to clean our palettes!

Kids getting excited about the evening.

Waiter just told Jackson he can make him chicken fingers instead of rack of lamb...

Looking at her options

The beautiful table...

Love this picture.

Addi & Gram watching the dessert show- Banana's Foster!

The SHOW!

JDC very happy with his choice.

Addi (w/ a ketchup face) being silly with me.

and sillier...

...and sillier...

...and she can't do it any longer... she has to be cute!

The Crouch Family

Jackson's Christmas Musical

2010-12-28T16:57:00.000-08:00

Jackson is in Kindergarten so this was his first REAL performance. It was such a great job done by the teachers and all of the kids. We could not believe how loud these kids could & would sing! I was busy with the flip video so I didn't get many camera pictures. :( I need to get a tripod set up next time b/c I feel like I miss out on the performance with looking through a camera the whole time!

Jackson played this adorable Joseph in one of the songs. He just had to stand there beside Mary... BUT he did such a great job standing there looking sweet!

This is Jackson looking a little bored :)

The perfect day...

2010-12-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting for a weekend day where we didn't have plans. In the past few months we have been so busy and going non-stop on the weekends. Today was perfect. We didn't have any where to go- or anything on the calendar. Which meant: sleeping in, having a nice family breakfast and being able to do whatever we wanted! To make things even better... it snowed last night! Our first snow this season- and enough snow to sled and play!

Uncle & Ashton came over to plow our driveway!

Then the kids & I made granola for all their teachers.

It turned out perfect!

And time to be silly!

Tree Cuttin' & Trimmin'

2010-12-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

You are not mistaken. We were in a time warp. It was June- and now all of the sudden its December.

This year we decided to go traditional with our tree. I've been wanting to do this for a few years and it seemed like the perfect year to start. I searched online and found the greatest farm. You start out with hot apple cider....

...then you hop on the tractor to take you out to the fields of trees.

You search all of the trees looking for the perfect one...

You choose the perfect one!

Daddy cuts it down and you wait for the tractor to come back & pick you up. Lucky for us- our perfect tree was close to the road!

Here it comes!!

Farmer man helps you load it up on the trailer...

You get it back to the prep station where they shake the tar out of it...

....while you warm up with some hot apple cider...

...and look in amazement at your tree being shaken to death....

... they wrap it up for you- and measure it (9 foot- really?!)

And now Daddy hauls it to the car...

...and works his magic...

And then you get it home- and Nathan cuts the strings- and it EXPLODES into this monster tree. I swear this is not the tree we chose out on the farm! But... it's still perfect.

JDC first lost tooth!

2010-09-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

This tooth had been loose a LONG time! One day I had all the kids (ashton & parker) and right before naps I realized it was time. I took some dental floss and tied it around the tooth (this is what we did when I was little!) and I yanked it out. It was so ready to come out and Jackson didn't have a moment of hesitation! The boys and Addison thought he was the coolest ever!

Swimming!

2010-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic year of swim lessons and swimming. Same as years past we took a full month of swim lessons. Which is quite the commitment (nearly every week day) but is always worth it. They build their skills so much quicker than going once or twice a week. A lot of days we stay for swimming afterwards- with a picnic in between.

Jackson & Ashton worked hard on diving and retrieving things from the bottom of the pool (even the 12ft end!). We (j&a) LOVED their teacher. He was fantastic with the kids and always started the class earlier and finished late.

We were not too impressed with Addison & Parker's teachers this year. They didn't expect much out of them and Addison ALWAYS swam better with me then she ever did for her teachers. Addison ended the summer jumping off the diving board and swimming to the side all by herself!

Ashton diving

Jackson & Ashton diving side by side.

Jackson off the diving board

Addi & Parker

Jackson & Ashton's class usually ended with a train on the slide.

Snyder visit 2010

2010-09-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Our fun friends (The Snyders less Chris) came to visit us in June. We had some fantastic days in the sun and water. The pictures speak for themselves.

Addi & Max

Monty- enjoying himself to the fullest. This boy cracked me up the entire time. SO full of expression and personality.

The boys. Ashton has a very big load!

Picnic!

Peddler's Jamboree!

2010-05-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend Nathan, Robb and Jackson had a boys weekend. They went on an overnight bike trip (with about 400 participants) 30+ miles to Boonville one day and back the next morning. It was a super laid back ride with country town stops every 10 miles with a band and refreshments.

We recently bought Jackson a tag-a-long bike. He LOVES it. He says he wants to ride the "tagtail" (his term for it) because he can go farther!

Side note: they took our old camera that is broken so the pictures are sort of weird- or low quality from a blackberry!

Race morning in his new tri shorts! He was SO excited!

Stop one listening to the band.

Robb & Jackson enjoying the break- and the river!

Daddy & Jackson in Boonville for dinner.

Camping! Life doesn't get better than this!

Heading back home on Sunday.

Biggest tree we've ever found! Jackson & Uncle.

67 miles total. I am SO proud of Jackson! The most he had ever ridden was 8 miles. Nathan said he peddled about 75% of the time. The only thing he complained about was his bottom hurting. They came back with many stories, memories and smiles. We are already planning next year! Mommy is joining the party!

The girls stayed home this year and had a "girl day". Addison chose her friend Lily to join us for the evening (w/ her mom Jennifer and little sister Rosie). We went to buy her a new girly movie, went to the splash park, ice cream before dinner and brought pizza back to our house to play. Addison was SO fun to be with and soaked up the attention!

Camping!

2010-05-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year we purchased a used pop-up from some friends. We have been so excited (not sure if the kids or nate were more excited!) to camp for the first time! This was our first weekend out in it! We headed to lawrence, KS for a trial run for our 70.3 race on June 6th. It RAINED the WHOLE weekend! I take that back- it did stop a few hours before we left!

I'm sorry that I didn't get pictures of the outside- or any other pictures of the inside! The kids were SO happy to have their own sleeping bags (another first!).

I forgot the right sized sheets so it was only sleeping bags!

hiding

sleepy!

games in nana & papa's new, beautiful camper

more games...

their favorite place in nana & papa's camper- top bunk!

the racers & cheerleaders

Overall it was a fun weekend. Papa finally got a camp fire going (with A LOT of work by all gather dry sticks!) on Sat. night and we were able to have smores'. We can't wait to go back and have a sunny weekend!

Mother's Day

2010-05-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day this year was a bit different. I would have loved to have a lazy day being pampered- which is exactly what Nathan & the kids would have loved to do- BUT I (along with heather & dad) had a 70 mile bike ride on the schedule. We decided to start it early to get it done. We got home by 2pm and the picture below is how I spent the rest of my afternoon! I came home to a beautiful new hammock (which is what I've wanted for years!), wonderful homemade cards from the kids and a beautiful card from my hubs.

Jackson was SO sweet before I left on my ride. He followed me around the house while I was getting ready so he could spend time with me! It was precious and made me all warm inside thinking that he must really have wanted to be with me!

When I got home Nathan was making his famous strawberry 3 layer cake. It was so beautiful and I'm sad that I didn't get a picture of it! Everyone (mother's on both sides and 3 generations!) gathered for a HUGE meal prepared by the father's in the family. That is a tradition of ours now. It usually happens for brunch but this year with our training had to happen in the evening. They make dinner just as well as they make brunch!

It turned out to be a beautiful and perfect day! I'm the luckiest mom ever!

a cooler day, reading a book, wrapped in a warm blanket and then a little nap listening to the birds sing.... doesn't get any better than that!

Spring fun.

2010-05-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures of the past week. We've been finding all sorts of critters including the snake below that mommy would NOT touch! The kids kept trying to talk me into it. NO WAY!

Then below is a picture of Jackson's new tag along bike. In a few weeks Jackson & Daddy are going on an overnight bike trip! They have been riding a few times a week to try to build miles. The overnight is 30 miles one way and another 30 miles back home the next. Tonight they did 8 miles... they have a ways to go!

Snake!

Addison loved it!

Their first ride.

Uncle & Addi.

Just Addi being cute.

Goodbye Training Wheels!

2010-05-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

For over a year now Jackson has been so scared to take off his training wheels. Ashton did it last summer and he watched him take some tumbles and was scared of it. Then one day about a month ago he decided he was ready. Nathan took him everyday- and started on grass- so he would build his balance quickly. The first night I was nervous about his balance. By night 3 he had ridden around a mile (falling a few times but getting back up and starting again). He was riding by himself by night 5. I was SO PROUD!! And he loves doing it!

Colson's visit!

2010-05-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Colson's came to visit us- all the way from Milwaukee in April. We had a fun packed filled few days. Most of the time we were very laid back- not much planned. The kids had a blast just playing around the house- finding frogs, digging in the dirt, playing games and just enjoying each other. Jackson & Addison LOVED having a HUGE sleepover in Addison's room. We fit (barely) all four mattresses in there and even though they didn't get the most sleep possible they had fun and made some memories!

Here are some memories.

The park.

Cute girls- Addison, Olivia & Sophia

We forced the kids into these "set up" pictures. They did amazingly well for being at a huge playground with all the slides, swings and hanging things to distract them!

Addison & Olivia. Most the time they loved each other like this picture. A few times they argued like sisters!

Kite flying. Sophia helping Addison. She was SO sweet and big sisterly to Addison the whole time they were here.

This is at "tons of trucks" where you can sit on & pretend to drive nearly every sort of truck or tractor known to man. I love this picture w/ Kirsten & Jackson.

All the kids at Tons of Trucks.

In the back of a really cool police swat vehicle.

Easter

2010-05-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

It was nearly like Christmas morning! They were so excited about the Easter bunny! Asking a few too many questions for my comfort level of talking about the bunny. What color, what size, what was the basket like, where did he come in.... how did he know I liked all this stuff....

Out at Mom & Dad's for an Easter bonfire and egg/candy hunt. All the cousins.

Addison hunting

Jackson got a bucket full!

Smores' time!!

First Zoo trip 2010

2010-05-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ashton was on spring break so we choose a warmish day and headed to the Zoo. We usually go at least 2-3x a year. We had so much fun and all the animals were very active since it wasn't too hot yet. Nana, Papa & Gram didn't want to miss the action so they came too. And we're all in some sort of green because it was St. Patricks Day.

Auntie & Jackson

Missing daddy.

Gram & Addi

Nana & Papa always take them on the train. A BIG highlight of the day!

I forgot her name but she was doing tricks for us! It was the BEST elephant show ever! Jackson's favorite.

The Big House. Marathon, FL

2010-03-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

When we refer to going to the "big house" this is what we mean. This is our second year being at this house and we outdid last year! The kids were SO easy. The only exception to that statement was they woke up at 630am every morning. Sometimes with a beautiful LOUD song- in unison. By 7am they were always snuggled in bed with Nana watching a video. And by 830am they had already digested their breakfast and we're headed to the pool. This was our routine.

The first day (Sunday) was looking like the nicest (warmest) day so we headed to the beach for fun.

It was a wonderful week filled with mostly swimming (even when it was below 70 degrees the kids would be between the hot tub & pool- the adults mainly stayed in the hot tub), fishing and playing in the sand.

Indian Reservation.

2010-02-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

Our last morning there the sun FINALLY came out and we had a fun morning playing around the camper and enjoying each other and the sunshine. It was hard to leave but we knew we'd see g&g in a few days down in the Keys. And we were very excited to pick daddy up at the airport.

While at the campground we got to play mini-golf, shuffle board, grandpas home made breakfast and plenty of special conversations. One morning I had to go on an 8 mile run and the kids were up early. Before 8am Jackson wanted to go outside and play and Grandma told him it was too early and he replies "well, my mommy told me I was here to have fun". Not my typical sweet Jackson! G&G put up with our rowdy gang very well!

Addison showing off her wings.

Addi & Grandma. They became very close in these 2 days spent together.

Grandpa & Jackson. Another close pair.

We are definitely coming back!

Everglade fun- Alligator style!

2010-02-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

G&G stay 4 months on an Indian Reservation in the Everglades. About 3 miles from their camper is Billie's Swamp- air boat rides, big swamp buggy rides and some more animals and indian life.

It was SO fun.

Here is our air boat we rode on. The kids were a little nervous about the noise (it was VERY noisy) but ended up being a favorite.

They don't look so excited! Just tired of waiting!

FAST!

The swamp made me feel like I was in the movies. Princess & the Frog?! We found a bunch of Raccoons.

Not sure if you can see the baby alligator on the log. So little.

Our boat driver- Stephen. His sole mission was to get Addison to smile. He succeeded.

Creepy!!

Kuma- the bear.

Addi being silly.

our Swamp buggy!

Florida 10- Part 2 G&G Everglades

2010-02-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

We started our second journey of the trip on Thursday. Headed down to the Everglades to spend some special time with Grandma & Grandpa. We woke up early and met them at the Lion Country Safari. As soon as Grandma heard we were coming she named several "must do's" on our trip. This was definitely one of them. We hopped in their car and drove through a 4 mile park of animals. It was AMAZING! Animals came right up to our window.

The second part of the park is a theme park type where they have rides, fun food and other great things for kids.

This guy was hilarious! He just wondered around- head down and didn't care who was in his way- they had to move.

I couldn't believe it when I saw that Addison was tall enough to ride this ride by herself!! Jackson took her for a great ride! I was a little surprised that she wasn't nervous. Of course, she had a smile the entire ride!

Another ride. A little too small for Jackson.

For $2.50 we got to feed this Giraffe a leaf! Jackson loved it- Addison was too nervous.

Ferris Wheel! The kids LOVED IT! I was VERY nervous when we got up to the top. You sit at the top a while because they have to load & unload people!

I had to keep yelling at them to sit on their bottoms! Ok, maybe not yelling but I was SO nervous and they were SO excited!

Out of a bunch of animals these were Jackson's favorite. He loves parrots or any type of pretty bird.

The Lions were the only ones that had a double fence between us. They looked harmless just sacked out sleeping. They were beautiful.

Florida 10- Part 1 Orlando!

2010-02-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

We (kids & I- daddy to join the second week) started our 2 week Florida vacation on Valentine's Day. Our plane stopped for a load & unload in Birmingham and then off to Orlando. The kids did perfect on the plane. Addison took a nap and Jackson as always is mesmerized by flying and anything to do with airplanes or being in the air.

First stop- Orlando. To visit and spend quality time with my girlfriend Kirsten and her family. She had to work while we were there (saving her time for baby Zander in 4 weeks). So, me and the kids kept Riley (almost 3) home from daycare to play with us. The worst part is that Jackson started running a fever and got very sick within an hour of us being there. He had a low key few days and did exactly what we wanted to do- play with Riley and spend time with them. Riley & Addison HIT IT OFF immediately and played like sisters. By day two they were arguing like sisters too. Jackson, when he felt up to it would referee the two.

on the plane.

Riley- at the park. We packed a picnic too but ate in the car since it was so cold!

Jackson & his girls.

We had planned to take perfect Valentine pictures with the girls & jackson. Got new shirts and matching hair bows. That night (the last one of course) I couldn't get either of the camera's to work- take or focus. The kids were perfect for a long time but still couldn't get a good shot :(

Supergirl turns 3!

2010-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

My beautiful, imaginative, creative, stubborn, lovable, sweet, caring SUPERGIRL turned 3! We had a fabulous party a few days before her actual birth day (which was confusing and made her believe her birthday lasted nearly forever- which of course is exactly how her mommy does it :) ).

We met a bunch of friends at Flipz USA and had a super fun gymnastics party! Addison had so much fun and couldn't stop talking about it.

I didn't get a ton of pictures- I was WAY too busy playing myself! I love that place!

My Supergirl.

She was SO excited to swing on this rope.

Auntie enjoying herself & watching the kids have fun!

Our Parker boy. Always has a great smile to pose.

She loved the balance beam this night. Which is funny because when she took lessons last year she did not like it at all.

Jackson enjoyed himself to the MAX! He was sweating within minutes of being there! I got some great shots of him jumping! I have no idea how he poses so well while jumping so high!

again....

Ashton climbing.

Our friend Kristin & her 5 yr old Jordan. All smiles!

Just precious!

The purple twins.

The birthday gang in the foam pit.

The first birthday cake I have bought instead of made. It made it so much easier! And turned out cute.

Just cake and juice.

Presents! and a bunch of helpers.

Birthday supergirl/princess.

The afterparty... on her new tinkerbell sheets & blanket. We got home and she was ripping her blankets off her bed and putting her new stuff on. She LOVES her new bed! Thank you Allens!

Nerf Gun Fight

2010-01-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

So maybe this wasn't the best bedtime wind down activity! Nathan & I are about as addicted to the fight as the kids are! Last night was Addison first "real" fight. She has the best gun- it only shoots one nerf at a time but its very fast & far! And she was VERY serious about it! Mostly about collecting as many bullets as she could.

Jackson is just plain good. And sneaky! I'll be cooking dinner and dodging bullets!

SO proud of herself!

Daddy is very serious also. He does not cast sympathy votes either!

This week...

2010-01-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to blog about this week. The kids are getting so funny and cute.

Earlier in the week... Jackson "mommy, I want to marry you." Me "Jackson, mommy is too old. you are going to want to marry some young hot chick." Jackson- "mommy, you are a young hot chick." YAY!!!! Jackson is my sweet, loving boy. He has grown up so much these past few months. We can just see him getting ready for school. Also- we went to the dentist this week and he has THREE loose teeth!! He thinks he is SO big now that he has loose teeth! I nearly cried when they told me this... I can't believe I have a boy old enough to lose teeth!

Addison had started becoming "girly" and liking to dress-up. Auntie got her a box of dress up stuff for Christmas. She loves to be in charge (because she rarely is) and have Jackson come to her room and play one of her games. This week she has gotten him to dress up and tonight she got us all to dress up. Pictures below.

This week she also got her BIG GIRL car seat. She is in love!

Mommy, in a fairy dress. She MADE me put it over my head at least. This picture (taken by Jackson) was before I had all my jewelry on).

Yes, this is my BOY!

Addison posing. I was playing with her and I was her "prince". She kept telling me things to do- "prince, can you unzip this. prince can you get this. prince get my..." so cute.

another pose...

Daddy had to have shoes too.

BIG girl seat!

Four Kids & Gingerbread house

2010-01-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Last week Heather & Phil went skiing in Colorado. So, the boys came to stay the week with us. We had a BLAST! It was so fun especially because two days that week were snow days! So, Ashton didn't have to go to school, the preschoolers didn't go to preschool and I skipped work! We stayed home, played in the snow, made hot chocolate and had a super fun day.

When Addison saw all the beds in Jackson's room she began to melt down. She wanted to stay in there too and have a sleepover. Parker over heard her having concerns and spoke up "I'll stay in Addison's room". He had a lot of tolerance for her talking and going in & out of the room. Day two came and he was about to go to the boys room and he said "I'll give her another try". It was so cute. Come night three and he wanted in Jackson's room. Luckily, Ashton stepped up and volunteered to spend the night in her room.

The Fig boys were supposed to spend the weekend with Nana & Papa. Early in the week - for some reason- Ashton said he wanted to stay with us and not go to Nana's. Addison immediately said "I want to go to Nana's!". So, when the weekend came the little ones went with Nana and Ashton & Jackson stayed at our house. It was so much fun to have just two- non siblings. We got out the Nerf guns (and had to invest in a few more) and had a great Nerf gun war. And just had a big boy fun weekend!

Here are some pictures of our gingerbread house making.

I could NOT get them to take a good picture! This might be the best of like 12!

Final Product!

Addison's First Day of Preschool!

2010-01-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

I was a little stressed about this day. Addison has been nervous about large groups of people for awhile. She has never liked the gym play center and hasn't had many opportunities to be without mom or a close family member. We were hyping up preschool and she was getting excited but I was still worried about her actually going!

This morning came- I dropped her off and she did GREAT! No tears (no, not even mommy!). She did stay at the window and wave goodbye- but Jackson usually does that anyway! And it was a bonus today and Gram picked her up and they stayed with Gram for the afternoon. It also helped that Ashton & Parker are staying the week with us- so they were excited for her this morning. She did SO good!

2009 Picture of the Year!

2009-12-31T06:49:00.000-08:00

I am not sure how many pictures I take a year. I am quite certain that 2009 was the year I took the most! I love having memories- and pictures just take me back to the time & place. Like this one of Jackson. He is his very happiest when he is in water. And this year was especially fun because he was able to swim across the pool- therefore, letting him be a diving board champ! Heather captured this picture. I missed this day of lessons. It was fun friday. As you can see our other champion swimmer going off the other diving board! They had so much fun! We are thinking about doing swim team next year (yes, my 5 1/2 yr old might be on swim team!).

This precious picture of Addison was taken by Gram at Uncle Robb's house. She is standing in front of his fish tank. I must admit that Addi is not very photogenic. She either does not want to take the picture or gives this awkward smile. I just love everything about this picture! This was just a regular day- that I threw her hair up in a pony tail. She was wearing her "Go Dad" shirt and we had just gone to his Xterra Race earier that day. It really captures the sweetness in her personality!

Sledding!

2009-12-28T12:09:00.001-08:00

Throughout the Christmas weekend we kept accumulating snow which made everyday a little more special and beautiful! Finally on Sunday morning we had quite a bit of snow and the flakes were still falling. So, we bundled up until Addison was screaming "I'M HOT, I'M HOT!!!" and finally got outside. If you have visited our house you know we have a great hill right out our front door. And just before it gets to the road it slopes uphill to the road. If you can miss the creek in the middle its a perfect sledding hill!

Santa brought them these snow tubes- they are the best sleds yet! Except mommy popped one going over the road the first day!

Adorable pic of Jackson my snow buddy

Addison climbing the hill back up

Uncle Robb getting ready to go down

Addison with a big cheese!

Jackson & Uncle- snow flying up on his face!

Giving Addi a big push! Nothing is too fast for that girl!

My camera fogged up- still a neat picture of me and the kids right before we started rolling!

One of the best parts about the cold!

Addison's last trip down turned into a tumble. She was enjoying Gram- and Gram was enjoying her!

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

This year was especially fun and I think I will say that every year till I have teenagers! Or maybe until the kids stop believing in Santa. There is something so magical about Santa! And it is so fun listening to them talk about him and getting so excited about him. He brings the best gifts....which is a bit difficult for me to reliquish rights on.... but it is so fun watching and being a part of.

We started out the day with our family. The kids woke up at 730am and began talking about Santa and they thought they "saw some lights..." but they didn't hear any bells. Then we went over to have brunch and gift opening at Gram & Grandpa's (Nathan's parents). Then we ended the day at the Figueiredo's for Christmas dinner. I made prime rib and Heather & mom made some yummy sides to go along with it. I also made my first chocolate pie- Chocolate Hazelnut! YUMMO!

Addison's Santa gift- Hot Wheel!

Santa brought Jackson a hockey table! How did he fit it in the bag?!

Addison with all her stocking stuffers- and her new snow tube.

Jackson with his loot.

Santa also dropped by Gram's house- and left more stocking stuff.

The kids & grandpa have this thing going on with this rubber snake- they hide it from each other to find in crazy places. So, for christmas the kids wrapped it up in the box to be a huge surprise.... but right before he opened it up Addison was giggling and told him it was the snake!

Addison had to help unwrap Uncles presents.

Joan has been wanting a "Nook" (Barnes & Noble's Kindle) for a long time. She has been talking about it and Joan never gets this excited about a "thing". So, Robb & us went in together and got her one for Christmas.

the kids with their zhu zhu pets. they LOVE them!

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-24T21:03:00.001-08:00

Our tradition has always been Christmas Eve on the Chapman side and Christmas day on the Crouch side. So, tonight we went to my parents for our traditional Mexican meal. My mom always makes a special mexican meal- enchiladas, chili rellenos.... Every year it just keeps getting better! She told my dad many years ago when Heather & I were very little that she wanted to make traditions so she found the mexican theme idea in a Current magazine- and we've been doing it ever since! Oh, we also have chocolate eclair for dessert! That is Nathan's favorite part!

Nothing better than Christmas with family you love and Christmas traditions!

Mom reading a Christmas book she got for the kids

my love & i

the figs

my princess.

Jackson thrilled with his tank & army guys

Nana, Papa & the kiddos

our fam

my sweet boy

ashton so happy with his huey

me & my sis. my new charm necklace she gave me! I LOVE it!! thanks sister! love you!

Addi being so sweet with grandma

ashton dressed as a snowman

this is her 3rd princess outfit change

grandma & grandpa & the fave four

Christmas 2009 Day 1

2009-12-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

The Christmas celebration began this past weekend. All the Chapman side- Grandpa & Grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins & great cousins. We had a fantastic turkey dinner, opened presents and then came the big surprise. Norma has been planning a surprise for us for months now! She would not even give a hint! We all got in our cars at 2pm SHARP and when we got out of the driveway she gave us directions! We landed at the mall to play glow in the dark putt putt golf! It was a lot of fun! The kids love putt-putt!

Addison got a HUGE box- Pet Shop. She carried the box around the house showing people what she got. It was hilarious.

Grandma & Grandpa got Jackson a REAL handyman set. As soon as we got home him & daddy put on ALL the gear and went downstairs to "work". Jackson came back upstairs with a board with nails hammered in it! He was SO proud of himself!

measuring his board.

SO happy with himself!

Pet Shop! Her pets have played games, taken baths and all sorts of other things. The boys also love her new pet shop which thrills Addison. I love watching Addison play girly stuff because she is usually playing rough boy games instead!

MIZ...

2009-12-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time watching Christine play an AWESOME game! She was the superstar of the day! 16pts, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks! The whole team played great today- and it was fun to watch.

Christine talking to Coach Stein

Truman & the boys

Heather & Ashton

"Don't Smile!!"

Surprise!!

2009-12-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

Last night we threw a nice surprise party for my Grandpa & Norma (Grandma). My grandpa turns 80 in January (but they will be in Florida all winter after Christmas) and Norma turned 85 in September. So, we decided to give them a birthday celebration to remember! One of the biggest surprises was her daughter Kathy & son in law Ed that flew in from Dallas. It was such a fun night! Norma LOVES surprises! She is always talking about surprises and what better than to surprise her in this way! It was fantastic! Another one of Norma's passions is playing games. And that is one of my favorite things to do so I made sure we played some games last night. We played Pictionary and also Taboo.

It was a very fun night spent with the people I love the most. My family. I'm so blessed to have these two people in my life- and even better- my children's life!

Snow? Not so much...

2009-12-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

It seems that everyone around Columbia MO has been getting snow the past few days. Uncle Robb called with a 12" report! We about hopped in the car this morning for a trip to Lincoln!

This morning when the kids woke up we had about a 1/2" (if that) of snow on the ground. You would have thought it was 8" by their reaction! They have been begging all morning to go out so finally after lunch (hoping it would warm up but is only 20 degrees or less with a much lower wind chill!) I bundled them up. I hadn't done any inventory on what winter/snow clothes they had so this is what i came up with. Addison's pants are WAY too short but everything else seemed to fit great! Yay for not having to go out & buy all new snow stuff in hopes that we get a bunch of snow this year!

Jackson immediately fell down and started making snow angels...

Addison followed...

"Snow sandwich" per jackson

They were lapping up the snow... and yes, i let them!!

the snow LOVED the snotty nose!

I finally got them to come in for hot chocolate with marshmallows

Christmas Tree Decorating 2009

2009-12-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

It takes us several hours to put the actual tree up (its a hand-me-down from my parents 8+ yrs ago and I just can't stand the thought of buying a new one!). So, this year we got smart and did it in two nights. The first night Nate & I put it up and the second one was for the kids. They had SO much fun decorating it. Jackson claimed the boy color balls and Addison got the pink & purple ones. Jackson blanketed one tiny section with every ball & ornament he had. We would attempt to sneak them away but he would catch us and get upset! So, later that night Nathan re-distributed. The next day Jackson figured it out...

Addison kept saying "It's so beautiful (bu-ti-fol)". She has to have the lights ON all the time! Nathan also put lights on the outside this week. It's so BU-TI-FOL! I love the christmas season- the lights, the music, the giving, the warm drinks and food, the Salvation Army workers collecting money at each shop, and all that the season brings! I am so blessed to be surrounded by the best friends and family a girl could ever dream!

Addi's year to put the star on!

Kitty wanted to pose in a picture. meow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-12-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

We had a very low-key Thanksgiving this year. The Figueiredo's went to Massachusetts and my parents & grandparents headed to Texas. Robb drove in on Wednesday eve. It was a Crouch thanksgiving! We had a very nice day spent at Joan & Bobs. Joan still made a 20lb turkey- for 5 adults!! And I made sure to make plenty of food- leftovers are the best part of thanksgiving!

my boys.

Addi- appetizers before the big meal.

Addi showing Grandpa her favorite new movie- UP!

Gram & her turkey! Delish!

Just us... and our 20lb turkey!

Table Hockey with Uncle. In which Jackson made ALL the rules. If he accidently hit it in his own goal it DID NOT COUNT as Uncle's point. Uncle lost at least 4 points this way!

the winning picture

Halloween!

2009-11-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

We had a super fun halloween. Jackson was Red Ranger and Addison was Tinkerbell. They both played their parts well. We had many stops and started early. Off to Grandpa Bob's (Gram was in Tuscon), Grandpa & Grandmas, firestation and then to Kristin & Jon's to eat a ton of great food and TRICK OR TREATING! The kids did great- Addison was getting very tired by the end of it but would not skip a house! The most fun was this week at home with ALL the candy.

Addison is the BEST sharer you have ever seen. It is hard enough for me to stay away from the candy myself- but I've got her asking me "mommy, which one is your favorite, this one? this one? do you want one?" when/if I say no thank you she says "here i will put it here until after lunch- then you can have it!". She practically BEGS me to eat the candy!! This is how she is with everything- she LOVES to share!

Carrot cake

mommy the witch with red ranger and tinkerbell

at the firestation- a favorite place at halloween

Grandpa with Grams snack box! Jackpot!

Grandpa & the kids

Grandma & kids

the friendliest hunters you have ever seen!

kids favorite house. most of the littler kids had headed home. addison is still with us- just not up for the picture!

telling us all about her candy.

next morning- candy counting and sorting and trading and looking and loving!

partner in crime!

Superhero Birthday Party -Jackson 5, Parker 4

2009-10-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

This year (second year in a row) we celebrated Parker & Jackson's birthday together. They got very excited about their Superhero Costume party! Joan sewed the capes and then Heather & I attached the initials for each child as their take-away gift. They loved them and were SO FAST while wearing them!

Uncle Robb made the Justice League cake and it was a huge hit- very yummy and the kids dream. I printed off a picture for Parker about 2 weeks ago and he has kept it on his bulletin board this whole time.

When asked what Jackson's favorite part of the day was he said "opening presents, no, no opening my garbage truck". He LOVES garbage trucks and auntie got him one he'd had his eye on for weeks. It was a HUGE hit!

It was a very fun day!

the cousins

the birthday boys

Addison & Jaelyn outside talking

Will the superhero

Jackson & his garbage truck

Jackson's 5th Birthday

2009-10-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

We had a fun packed day on Jackson's actual birthday last thursday. Started off the day with chocolate chip pancakes. Mid morning daddy came home and we took Jackson to pick out his new fish. We brought home two fish (not goldfish as we had intended b/c they grow BIG we learned). Below you will meet them- Goldy & Spot. And after about 30 days we can go back and get more. We are "testing the water" literally. Goldy & Spot are said to be hearty fish!

After lunch & naps we headed to Bonkers for some BIG FUN! A bunch of our friends met us there and we had a lot of fun (once the daycare of 30 kids left!!). After Bonkers we met family at Jackson's favorite mexican restaurant! It was a fun filled day and Jackson was so happy!

This was just the beginning of the birthday celebration!

Meet Goldy & Spot

Getting introduced to Jackson, Addison and Jackson's room- their new home!

Jackson at Bonkers

the boys at mexican

Jackson being very silly- and he hadn't even dug into his fried ice cream!

My 4 year & 364 day old...

2009-10-21T18:55:00.001-07:00

My heart is SO full tonight! Jackson turns 5 tomorrow! I have had such a great time with Jackson tonight. We let him open his present tonight (fish tank) because tomorrow morning we're going to pick out his fish for the tank. So, we wanted to get it set up and filtered tonight.

Out of the blue (as he often does) he says "mommy, thank you for getting me this present" in his sweetest voice ever. Then we were talking about his day tomorrow. We have a lot planned and I'm nearly as excited about it all as he is!

Before he went to bed tonight we looked through his birth book. He is such a sweet child. And has been so easy to raise! My heart is SOOOO full!!

MIZ-ZOU

2009-10-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight Heather & I took the kids to the Mizzou Women's basketball open house. We watched them practice for an hour and then got to talk to all of them and got autographs. It was Heather, me the 4 kids and about 100 senior citizens! Heather won a t-shirt and screamed like she had just won a million bucks! It was hilarious and a few players came up to us and made sure we were coming to the games! They needed our enthusiasm at the games!! The kids had a great time getting everyone's autographs and pictures.

Oh, we have been following the MU team since we became friends with Christine (and now Jessra). We know her family from Texas. The kids LOVE them! And they love our cookies and other cooking. So, we get a long great!

Christine & Jessra on the end.

Christine & kids

Jessra & kids

Addison & Christine

the team & kids

Misc. Oct

2009-10-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

We are having a fantastic October! It is my favorite month of the year! Below are a few misc pics that I wanted to throw into my blog.

Jackson has started a love with puzzles. He does them by himself and we do them together. It is SO much fun! And I love having that time with Jackson.

Addison being good while Jackson & I are doing our puzzle. She has also started puzzling!

My Pie. I'm very proud. It's the prettiest home made pie I have ever made! The crust turned out perfectly!

We had a playdate this morning with our neighbors. Josiah & Jackson are close in age and Lily & Addison are within a month. We had a great time!

Flipz Party!

2009-10-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

This past Sat. night we went to our friends birthday party. Ms. Liza turned 4. The party was at a gymnastics gym for kids called Flipz. It was SO much fun. The adults had just as much fun as the kids! We're planning to have Addison's party there also! I can't wait!

Nathan re-living his high school years

Parker jumping into the pit of fun-ness!

Ashton's fave- Daddy pushing him over & over

Jackson & his girlfriend. She's just not that into him!! Jackson is in love!!

Swing!

posing

swing! her face was plastered with this smile the whole night!

Costume tri-outs

2009-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

As soon as they got their costumes they had to try them on!

Jackson wanted to be "Flash" but we found this costume "Red Ranger" that looked a lot like Flash at Target so we bought it. He thinks he is still flash which gives him super fast power.

Mom found this PURPLE tinkerbell (she didn't want to be Tinkerbell b/c all we found was green ones). She is IN LOVE and kept saying "I can fly!!". It's going to be a fun halloween!

Just a cute pic of Jackson.

Pumpkin Painting

2009-09-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Auntie Heather gave Jackson the idea of painting his pumpkin. They had so much fun doing it- and didn't even get things too messy!

I was very impressed w/ Jackson attention to detail! He did great! after painting his elephant he painted his whole pumpkin yellow.

Redman- Triathlon Club Nationals

2009-09-23T19:06:00.001-07:00

***These pictures are not in order- sorry!

This past weekend we (Nate & I, Mom & Dad and the Figueiredo's) went to Oklahoma City with our triathlon club. I think our club had about 150 racers- and probably closer to 170 club members that went- some just to cheer on other members. It was a very fun weekend- filled with a ton of camaraderie and cheering.

The Ironman & 1/2 distance started in torrential rain on Sat. morning. Nate, Dad & I went to watch it start and it was pouring rain. They had to delay the start to figure out what they were going to do. Rain was covering parts of the bike & run course. And these were racers that were going to be racing for 10-18 hours! The last guy came in at 2am! It gave me chills to watch people finish such an amazing race.

I completed my longest distance yet- Olympic (1/4 of an ironman). I can't say that I had a great day. I learned a lot of lessons that day- firstly, that I wasn't trained nearly enough. It was a tough race. At first I said I wasn't going to do another olympic distance but Heather is already talking about "our 1/2 next year". I'm not saying "no"... but I haven't wrapped my mind around it yet either.

Ashton & Parker found some good ol' OK mud!

Dinner after race day. Wonderful Mexican place overlooking the water- and sunset.

I've never been so happy to see a finish line in all my life. And having 70 or so of my club mates there cheering me on was icing on the cake.

eve before race day. this sun was setting on racers in the middle of their iron distance.

CMC (our club) took 2 big tents for us to hang out & cheer our teammates into the finish.

me & my training partner, sister & best friend. love you heather!

my family. i'm very proud! Phil wished he could join us and will quite possibly be in next year's picture! If he knew he could have walked the swim we probably would have seen him in this one!!