Have I ever told you...

Have I ever told you how awesome you are! My mom that is..... She is the most amazing mom, friend and caregiver anyone could ever ask for. Just to show you how awesome she is, here is what she did for me tonight. I called her to tell her I was done with work early and she said she would bring me a surprise dinner (Eric is working). She showed up at my house with Steak (topped with mush. and onions), Haddock and fresh steamed broccoli which was all amazing. She even brought a few sweet treats : ). She is truly amazing. Anytime I need advice, someone to talk too, someone to watch my kiddos, she is there... and never does she ever expect anything in return. I pray that I can be half the mom and person she is.... I love you mom! You truly are the BEST... xoxo

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Bring on 2011..

Our Boys!

Mouse in my car, U MUST DIE!

So a few weeks back I went to get the double stroller out of my trunk and noticed mouse droppings on a sweatshirt I had back there. I cautiously picked up the sweatshirt to find huge holes chewed in it. I freaked.... a mouse! I took out the stroller saying out loud "if you ate this stroller your dead meat"... thankfully he didn't chew on it at all but I failed to mention to him that he is still dead meat. We set a trap in my car and trunk for weeks and still no mouse. I vacuumed my entire car hoping that I wouldn't see any more droppings and I have not... HOWEVER, on Monday on the way to drop the kids off at moms Owen says "mamma, mouse, catch it........ WHAT!!!!!! You have to be kidding me...... I immediately pull over look in the back seat and ask him where as calmly as I possibly can and he points to his SHOULDER! OMG, no, no way... I get out open his door and start searching for this mouse that he claims he saw and wanted me to catch. Its no where to be found. Its dark when we leave in the morning so I am convinced that this mouse he saw was close enough for him to see. We have not talked about mice in my car with him so I really feel like he saw this mouse. Now I am so paranoid driving that I will see it or that it will climb up my leg... It has to die.... I have had a trap in my car for over 3 weeks and have no mouse............. I am at my whits end with this thing. I have no droppings anywhere so I don't understand, and Eric went to look under my seats to put my mind at some ease and he found a bag of sausage bites that were untouched/unopened that must have fallen out of my grocery bag a few weeks ago. Wouldn't he have ate through the bag and ate some since he has to be starving????

Happy Holidays!

Had an awesome lunch at mom and dads yesterday for Thanksgiving. Then headed to the Olson's for round 2. Always a great time with friends and family : )

The New Ride!

Saying Goodbye!

Eric is kissing his car goodbye! We decided with all the problems and money we have been sticking in Erics car it was time to say goodbye to his 99' Chevy Malibu. We also wanted something with more room so we decided on a 2008 Kia Sedona (van) and we love it. Way nicer and much more room for strollers, car seats, etc. So happy we finally made the decision. We got way more than we thought for Erics car on a trade in so it was worth it. I am pretty sure his transmission was going to go soon. Glad it made it to the dealer for the trade.

Lil' Monster and Pacifier Clip

This was my project for today...

Monster bath wrap for the boys and the pacifier clip. Both had their challenges but I am loving these little projects. Sewing is so much fun : )

Frog Towel Updated...

I decided to add eyes to make the towel even cuter. This was extremely difficult for me but it ended up to look much cuter, I think : ). Just don't look at the back where you can see all the crazy stitches I managed to create, lol.

New Hobby

I purchased a new sewing machine as a birthday present to myself : ). At first, we had a love hate relationship but now I think I got it figured out. I made Owen this frog bath hooded towel as my first little project. I really enjoyed making this, super easy and cheap towel. I hope to make one for Evan too once I get more towels : )

Update

Eric has been busy working at school for his second year as a Special Education Aid and he really enjoys working with the kids. As most of you know he graduated with his degree in Secondary Education with a major in Broad field Social Studies. We are praying that some day he can actually use his degree and teach middle school or high school History but right now this is what he needs to do and we are ok with that. It helps pay the student loans : )

The kids have been growing like crazy. Owen is learning his letters, colors and some numbers. Its amazing to see how much he can remember at such a young age. He went "tinkle" on the potty for the first time on Saturday night. I was so proud of him. He has sat on the potty many time but never actually went so this was a BIG step for him. We have been encouraging him more and more and hopefully it will pay off soon.

Evan is such a little sweetheart too, he is such a smiley and happy baby when your giving him attention. He is getting so big already I forgot how fast time flies when you have little ones. Sometimes I wish I could just push pause and take it all in and other times (when they are crabby) I wish I could fast forward through the tough times but were all learning and growing together and its cool to see how each one of them is becoming their own little person. I am so blessed that they are both healthy. We have a family at work that has a son with a rare skin disease that will most likely take his life and its so heartbreaking to me to have to see your kids in pain and no there is nothing you can do. This particular little boy has to be wrapped in bandages from head to do all the time. It looks as though he has been burned from head to toe but its a skin disease that he was born with. They had the story on the local news and I just so happen to work with his dad. It makes me appreciate how blessed we are that were all healthy.

Keep on moving on.....

I returned to work last week Wednesday and to my surprise I was called into my bosses office and offered an office, a real office with a window and a door, lol : )... I was super excited for the opportunity to move from a cubicle to an office and of course accepted. With this office comes a new challenge in my career one I am very excited to embrace. I will be learning more of the safety and environmental aspect of our company. Including OSHA standards, Workers Compensation, I will also be getting certified to do in house hearing testing for our employees. Lots of things to learn but I am pretty excited to take it all on. I am ready for a new and fresh start in my career. I was filling in when our Safety Manager transferred and at that time got my OSHA 10 hr certificate and took some other safety related courses until we hired our current manager who has tons of experience and an environmental degree/background. I have lots to learn but like I mentioned above am ready for this new challenge.

Back to Work

Today was my first day back to work in 10 weeks. It felt weird and was hard to get back into the swing of things. I got teary eyed in the parking lot but managed to hold it together for the day. It was a very busy and stressful day. Lots of changes going on. Some good and some ok, but that's life in the Corporate world. Glad to have a job but wish I could get paid to stay home with the kids. Hope tomorrow is smoother and less stressful for me. At least the day flew bye : )

Oh, there were lots of treats, hugs, welcome backs and presents for the kids to greet me. My cube was also decorated with streamers and signs. It felt good to be missed and welcomed back.

A little bit of Sunshine

We took the boys to the park today to enjoy the 76 degree weather and the amazing colored leaves/trees. It was a beautiful day. Owen loves it at the park and could spend hours and hours throwing rocks in the lake. I found a lure and $6 dollars washed up on shore. Apparently there was $2 more that I missed and someone else found. I was pretty excited to find money, its not everyday that happens.

We also put together the boys book case we got for them and watched the packer game.

I have to go to a trial for work on Tuesday which is actually my last day off. A bit of a bummer that I have to do that on my last day off with the kids. Wednesday I go back to work, which is going to be hard for me. I hope the kids do OK with everyone. I am sure they will be just fine without me, even if it stinks to say it.

Mickey Mouse OR maybe not....

Yesterday the boys and I were at home hanging out when Alley (our cat) started freaking out at something under the couch where we were sitting. I immediately thought MOUSE! So I got up moved the boys and stood in the living room with the wood stove shovel in hopes it would run out. My intentions were to whack it over the head or just to whack it in general. I never saw it and eventually Alley got lazy and just laid on the floor. If I would have saw it I am pretty sure I would have ran and screamed like a little girl. I absolutely hate mice and tried to kill one once and it freaked me out. So I was freaked about this mouse all day and didn't want to sit on the couch. When Eric got home I told him about the mouse I thought was under the couch. We never looked for it and he went to work. SO this morning while I was still in bed and Eric and Owen were up. Owen came to Eric holding the mouse (it was dead) and said "daddy, Mickey mouse, Mickey mouse daddy". I am so glad I did not see it because I would have freaked out. So that's our Mickey mouse story for today. Gotta love kids :) Oh, and I should mention that I am glad the cats caught the mouse and killed it so I wouldn't have too : )

Apple Pie

I attempted to make apple pie this morning. Here they are. I was worried about making the crust but hopefully they turned out ok. Eric's LOVES apple pie so hopefully they pass the test. We will let you know how they taste : )

Our boys!

Evan

We took Evan to the doctor yesterday for his 2 month check up and he is getting so big. He is wearing some 3-6 month clothes already... AND.... he weighs 12# 3 oz... 23.25 inches long.. He is in the 65% for his age. Owen was and is in the 25% for weight so Owen has always been a little peanut. I think Evan will be much bigger than Owen is.

Owen and I have slight colds were fighting off but other than that were all staying pretty healthy. I am dreading going back to work in a week and a half. I really like being home. It was tough at first but now I really don't mind it. I have really got used to it. If we could only afford for me to stay home... maybe some day!

Good Bye Dial up, hello WIFI...

We FINALLY did it, we made the time to get wifi through Verizon and its awesome. We also got new phones because Eric's stopped working, well it had a mind of its own. Were canceling our land line so if you need us call our cells. We will no longer have a land line starting Monday. Good news! I can download pictures, yah....

Happy Birthday

Happy 2nd Birthday to my little Man... OWEN NEALE....

Were having family over tonight for cake and ice-cream to celebrate. I love celebrating the kids birthdays... Owen and I went our for breakfast this morning and we picked up his bug cake and a balloon. Were all set to PARTY...

Hey Culligan Man!

We have been having issues with our water softener, well it hasn't worked in about a year probably. So I finally called the Culligan man to come and service it for us. I can tell our water is hard because its wrecking our faucets and when I give the kids a bath I can tell on their skin. So I finally called yesterday and they came today. Sure enough he tested our water and he said its "very" hard. He fixed it in a 1/2 hour and was on his way... I am a little more broke then when he came but hey it was cheaper than a new one so its worth it to me. Plus, soft water again, YAH!!!

Whats new with the Olsons!

Well quite honestly not a whole lot. I am still on maternity leave, which I am really enjoying. I have to go back to work Oct. 13th which will be here before I know it, so I am trying not to think about it. Owen is great with Evan, and is slowly learning patience. Evan is growing like a little weed and at times is very needy and demanding, but hey what baby isn't, right?! Evan wakes up every three hours to nurse so were managing to get as much sleep as possible, its amazing how your body can adjust to little sleep. I sure do miss 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep but that will be back before I know it too : )

Owens birthday is on Friday and I think I am more excited than he his. He doesn't really understand it all yet I don't think. All he cares about is the cake, lol. If you ask him about his birthday and his presents all he talks about is "birthday cake". Its cute.

Oh, he also is learning his ABC's and is really good at singing them. He can almost make it all the way through them. He occasionally skips a few letters : ) We have a phonics magnet on our refrigerator that sings them and he started to sing along one day out of no where and Eric and I were so surprised at how much he new. He sure is a smarty pants like his dad.

I am so glad its fall and the weather is cooler. I absolutely love fall, its defiantly one of my favorite times of year. I plugged in my "fall leaves" bath and body wall flower and its delicious. Eric says it makes him want to eat apple pie (b/c he thinks it smells like it). I don't really know that it smells like that but its sweet and spicy a great smell...

Evans Photo Shoot

Evan got his first pictures taken today by Aunt Kelly. We also ordered the announcements and magnets today. The pictures turned out really cute. Here are a few. Enjoy :)

He's Here!

Evan Daniel Olson arrived yesterday at 9:50 a.m. He is 6# 11oz and 19.5 inches long. It was a very intense labor and I am glad its over. I had contractions at 2 a.m. pretty strong and close together (5 or less minutes apart). We dropped Owen off at Grandmas and arrived at the hospital at 5 a.m. and by 9:50 a.m. he was here. Thank the Lord for epidurals! Were all doing great. Owen loves his brother (well see if that changes once we get home : )

Summer Fun!

Ethan and Owen

Letters for the Boys Room

Here are the letters I painted for the boys rooms

What's happening at the Olson's!?

Well, were getting ready for Evans arrival. I have been busy cleaning, organizing and getting clothes washed, etc. It's a never ending process because just when I think I am done, I get the urge to start all over. I had a dr. appt today and I am 1 cm dilated (Yah, it's something). I only have 25 days to go... They are going to induce me on 8/9/10. I am ready to be done but if it means keeping Evan out of the NICU we can keep him in there a few more weeks.

Owen has been talking up a storm. He recently started to hate bath time so that is very interesting. In fact, he hates them so much that he threw up last night in it. NO FUN for anyone. We will just keep trying since I refuse to have a stinky kid, lol.

Eric has been working like crazy. Money is nice I guess but time away from the family is not but I guess you do what you have to do.

I think that's all for now : )

Productive day today

Today we got up made chocolate chip pancakes (pregnancy craving). Headed to the store for some groceries. Eric and I steam cleaned the refrigerator, it literally sparkles its so clean. Eric played outside with Owen while I steam cleaned the kitchen floor. Laundry had been going all day, everything from the sheets to the rugs. Its such a good feeling : P

Mom and I went to get some flowers. I got two HUGE hanging baskets and some plants to plant in my two pots by the garage. The baskets look so good and add so much to the house its amazing what some color can do : ) Mom planted the two pots for me.

We have to go to grandmas to dig out some flowers that she is dividing which is great because I have plenty of room to add to our garden. We really need some mulch but I am too cheap the spend the money on some "wood chips".

Still plenty of time left in the day to enjoy : )

NEW ZOO

We took Owen to the new zoo yesterday. We had never been there but its a very popular place in Green Bay, WI. It was a ton of fun. Owen had a blast. His favorite part was feeding the giraffes and the goats. We spent about 3 hours there and ate lunch at a little place at the zoo.

We went to dinner with the Olson's last night to Ida Wild. Its about 30 minutes south of here. Its a nice place with good food. I had steak and shrimp and Eric had their signature pecan crusted chicken. It was a nice time.

OSHA Seminar(s)

I have completed the OSHA 10 hour General Industry course. WHEW! Its a lot to learn and remember and the books are HUGE. It was very interesting and informative. I have been in a safety administrative role at work for the last few months now and have taken this course along with OSHA recordkeeping which is also a challenging topic once you get into it. Both are very good and if you ever get the opportunity to take them I would highly recommend them. My company paid for me to go and it was money well spent.

Crib recall

Our crib got recalled so we were forced to find a new one. We ended up getting more for the crib than we originally paid for it (bonus). With the new crib we purchased we still got $50 on a target gift card. The new crib is similar to our old but a little darker cherry than the original so the changing table looks a little lighter but its pretty similar in color. We put it together tonight and I have been in mood to get the room ready for Evan. I have lots to do before he arrives : )

No more crib...

Owen decided a few weeks ago that he is no longer sleeping in his crib. He now sleeps in his "big bed" as he calls it and in his new room. He loves it and wont have anything to do with the crib anymore. I cant believe how big he is getting and how much he is growing up. He's not a baby anymore : (

Outside

Owen got to play outside today. He wanted to ride his power wheels four wheeler and finally figured out how to make it go. Now he needs to figure out how to steer it and he will be a pro : )

Owen and his "Sishies"

Owen got two "sishies" aka fishies today at Petco. He LOVES them. They are a type of goldfish but are neon in color. We will see how long we can keep them alive.

Its a...................... boy!

Owen was right he is getting a brother! We had our ultrasound yesterday and mom was able to come with Owen. He loved seeing his brother and at the end was waiving at the baby. It was so cute. I had a strong feeling it was also a boy. The ultrasound looked great and it was so neat seeing baby Evan moving around, sucking his thumb, etc.

Thursday is the BIG DAY!

Thursday is it.... the BIG DAY!!!!!!! BOY OR GIRL......... We have our 20 week ultrasound and YES! were finding out. I know life has little surprises but if you know me you know I "hate" surprises. I open presents before my birthday and Christmas. I cant wait to find out on the day I give birth. Call me crazy, I am ok with that. I am a planner and if its a girl I have lots to do : ) if its a boy then we really will just have to wait for the little peanut to arrive since I have everything I need and all the clothes should be perfect since Owen was born in Sept and this baby is due in August. Just praying for a healthy baby and if its not well take him/her anyway!

Owens first event

We all went to see Disney Live today. Owen really had a fun time. He sat through the entire show and clapped a lot, lol. There were lots of different characters from Micky and Minnie to Handy Manny and the Einsteins, etc. It was a really cute show. We had great seats. My two girl friends and their hubbies and kids came as well. Just got back a bit ago and Owen is out like a light! I am not too far behind : )

Lexie

Friday we took Lexie to the vet. We thought she had ear mites and the stuff we bought from the pet store was not doing the trick so I made an apt. and got her in on Friday. Turns out she has a yeast infection and a bacteria infection in both ears. Apparently, its common. Who knew? She is on an antibiotic for a few days, twice a day as well as drops once a day. She seems to have HUGE relief. She was so miserable shaking her head all day/night and she was scratching them so much that they started to bleed on the tips. I felt terrible. Glad they gave her something for the pain and infection.

Weekend Away

We spent last weekend at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan and had a nice time. Owen had his moments as all 17 1/2 month olds do I suspect. We spent time at the pool and lounging in the hotel and it was really nice just to get away for a while. It is a very nice place and owen loved all the "sishys" (which translates to fishies, if your wondering)

Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning....

It never ends esp. when you have kiddos running around. I cleaned out our spare bedroom this weekend and boy was that a chore. I have to paint the closet and get the room ready for Owens big boy room. We wont move him in for quite sometime but its nice to have time to get things moved out and ready. We use that room for laundry so it is interesting trying to find alternatives since were in such a habit of folding and sorting in there.

Eric is getting anxious to get out to spear that big sturgeon. They got their shantys ready and moved this weekend so now its a waiting game until this weekend.

Have you Heard!!!

Have you heard!!!! Eric and I are expecting baby #2 and were pretty excited. I am 10 weeks and 3 days today so almost through the first trimester. Havent realy been sick except for feeling nauseaus most of the day. Its becoming a normal feeling for me so I havent been thinking twice about it. Hoping it goes away after the first trimester (12 weeks). I cant belive how fast time is going with this pregnancy. I think its because were so busy with Owen and life in general that I really dont have time to stop and think about it as much as I did with the first one... AND YES, I know we will be even busier, I am fully aware : ) Well keep you posted on how things are going.