First Full Week

so far this first full week is kicking our behind :).....well, not really just a lot of running around with soccer practices, the kids in two different places, homework, dinner, showers, playtime, bedtime.. it is exhausting and it is only Tuesday - Ha, Ha, Ha....

I am so excited for Case - he leaves tomorrow to go to Ireland with the ND football team. He has been given such a great opportunity and he is enjoying every moment of it. The game is Saturday morning at 9:00am - make sure to watch it or set your DVR and look for Case. Even at 9:00am it could become a drinking game :)... I need to post a picture on here of the jersey he got for me, I love it. But he will be gone until at least Saturday afternoon I believe. But still just to even go over there for a couple of days - WOW - he is going to have one hell of a senior year!!!!!

I hope everyone is doing well - another crazy weekend and this week will be soooo long since it is a holiday weekend coming up. It feels like it should be Thursday but it is only Tuesday and so much to do this weekend.

I can't believe August is gone - it is crazy, and mind blowing how fast time flies by - it really is. As much as you say not to take it for granted, it seems there are days we do just because we always feel like tomorrow will be here - embrace the day, embrace the gift of today and if you are lucky enough to get the gift of tomorrow, embrace that too.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Enjoy this beautiful day!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all,

First Day

well, the first day of school today went on without any problems. Poor Brayden didn't sleep at all last night. He has anxiety about new things and worries like I do. I never liked starting something new but once it happened I was good to go. But he was super excited this morning and so was Logan. Logan normally doesn't wake up with us but with Steve out of town, he got to come with us and say goodbye to Brayden in his PJ's.

I am excited to see what this school year brings for him. It will be a challenging year but it will be a great year for him!

Big 4th Grader

Bray and Logo - they are going to miss each other

Logan wanted his picture taken too

Awe :(


I know I am a sap, but I actually teared up this morning as he was walking into school today. I know it is only 4th grade, God help me when he is an 8th grader - don't even want to thank about it.

I hope everyone has a Great Wednesday!!!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all.

And so it begins...

so Steve has been traveling a little bit more for work. It seems like once a month he has a trip to somewhere. Every time he leaves something always happens to one of the boys to where I have to take them to the doctor. Well, this morning it was no different. Steve is gone and Brayden is sick... thank goodness for Grandmas!

We will see how this single parent hood is - so far, I ain't liking it :)

Tomorrow is the big day - it is the first day of school for Brayden. I am not sure why he is starting so late this year since everyone else has already started. I meet his teacher again, and she is extremely nice. His class will be challenging for him, but I love that! I know he will rise and meet the challenge. He is a smart kid, just have to get him back into the routine of it all. She did say that homework will be at least an hour every night - Great, that means a lot of work for me :) Things you do as parents :)

I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday - it is a beautiful day outside. I hope you are able to be outside and enjoy it.

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all,

Fitting It All In

Well - we did it. Our "Staycation" was a hit and we did it all. It is amazing what you can squeeze in a 5 day period. We hit Kings Island, the Zoo, Chuck E Cheese (yuck!),  bowling, a Red's game, swimming, water parks, hiking, lunches and dinners, ice creams and family over. It was exhausting but the boys had a blast! Getting up this morning was so hard - we put too much emphasis on work and not enough on our families and friends. Steve and I are both dreading working - it probably wouldn't be so bad if we both really enjoyed our jobs but we both have issues.

But that is another topic for another day. This week starts the new schedule of throwing school and homework into the mix of our already busy lives. As much as I love school and homework it is nice to go without. We met Brayden's teacher yesterday and she seems really nice. Being the small world that it is, she is Sean's neighbor - I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing that she knows we are related :) LOL.....

Thank you boys for a wonderful 5 days, you made me laugh, you made me cry, you made me love you even more. I cherished every moment we got to spend together and hopefully next year we will be able to go on a real vacation. You guys are the best! I love you and once I win that lottery I will not work anymore - miss you guys already :(

Here are some pictures of our wonderful staycation in no particular order.

Logan and Brayden at the Zoo

Reading the Map at the Zoo - Logan was our director

My Silly Logan

Watching the monkeys

Logan telling us about the animals - he loves the zoo!

Logan figuring out our next stop!

The Boys  being silly

Logan's 1st Red's game - and NO he isn't picking his nose :)

Logan had a blast at the game! He was so good!

Logan and I

Brayden and Logan - we had amazing seats. 4th row back from 3rd base line.
Thank you Uncle Toby :)

Brayden and I - I am exhausted hence the nice bags under the
eyes - ugh!

Brayden and Gapper

Logan, Steve and Brayden

Our View from our Seats

Logan loved watching the big jumbo tron all night

My cutie!

Brayden and his ice cream!

Logan catching rain drops on his face :)

Logan and Brayden at bowling

Logan and our friend, London

Logan was the ball police :)

Brayden!

London, Brayden and Logan watching the pizzas being
made at Deweys!

Brayden and Logan at Chuck E Cheese. The clientele there on
a Friday night - all I can say is WOW

I hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying this Beautiful weather - it makes me ready for fall. Not winter though, just fall :)

Enjoy the week and have a great Monday!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all!

Fast Week

wow, last week flew by as I am sure this one will too. I kepy meaning to get on her and type about something non-trivial I am sure, but time just got away from me. It was a crazy week, spent most of it getting prepared for a leadership conference here at work. On the most beautiful day that we have had in a long time, this past Saturday, I was stuck indoors at Newport On the Levee for an all day leadership conference. I didn't mind it because it was a great conference, but I wasn't thrilled that it was so beautiful outside and I was stuck inside - boo!

This year, Brayden is lucky and has an extra week off of school. He doesn't start until next week, where most of the schools are starting this week. So lucky for us this is going to be the start of our Staycation! Steve is off all week and I am taking a couple of days and we are just turning our phones and computers off and just being with the boys and enjoying family time. It is rare that we get to do that and we are excited to just do whatever the boys want to do which I know already it consists of the Zoo, Kings Island, Bowling and we are going to head up to Indianapolis for the Children's Museum. I am so excited just to be off and not have to answer to anyone except for my 9 and 4 year old :)

I hope everyone has a great week - it is going to be a beautiful one. And if you are starting school this week, have fun and have a GREAT first day - I always loved the first day! So exciting!

Happy Monday!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

Storms and Little Helper

so last weekend we had some pretty intense storms - they were crazy. We didn't get much rain but the clouds sure did make it look like the end of the world was coming. I loved it. I spent most of the time outside unless it was rainy. I love thunderstorms anyway but I just couldn't get over the clouds and how eerie the sky was.

While this was going on, Logan was daddy's little helper in building our patio furniture. We loved our first set, it was a bar set with 4 chairs but as the kids were born and got old enough to sit in the chairs, it always made me nervous that they would fall and we never had enough seating if we had friends over, so after 3 years of looking for the perfect set, we found one that we both really liked. As soon as Steve started building it, Logan had to run in to get his supplies, his safety glasses, hard hat and his tools - he loves to help Steve. He is always building and hammering. Always coming in with orders from the kitchen saying he has worked too hard he needs some water :) When I told him I wanted to take a picture of him he just starting posing - he is so silly - Love him!!

I hope everyone has had a great week - it has been a busy one for me. But today is Friday - woo hoo! Lunch at Hebron Grille, happy hour and getting ready to spend the weekend with my boys, but of course lots to do - and before you know it, it will be Monday morning - Yuck!

Have a great weekend everyone - I will see most of you Sunday at the pool party :)

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all,