Easter 2012 - DSM

We had a lovely Easter weekend in Des Moines, and E had a blast playing with his super fun cousins!

ECFE

I signed E and I up for a 16 week ECFE class Jan - May on Monday nights.  ECFE = Early Childhood Family Education and is run through the school district.  The first 30 minutes is free play and this slide was the highlight of the whole semester.  Then we'd do circle time and sing songs and play games and then the kiddos went played with teachers while the moms talked parenting.  Overall I'm glad we did it but decided to pass on the fall class and try swim class or little gym instead.

1st Wild Game

We had fun taking Ethan to St. Paul for the first time to celebrate Uncle Trent's birthday and hit up his first Wild Game!

Ethan's Surgery

Ethan had his big surgery on March 9th. He had a bilateral orchiopexy to correct undescended testicles.  Yes, there were a lot of ball jokes flying around the house that week ; He came through like a champ and happy to report that the goods are in prestige condition now ;)  

The staff at Children's Hospital in Minnetonka were wonderful - he thought it was a pretty fun place to hang out until it was his turn.

It was heartbreaking to see him after surgery - he woke up so scared and mad.  But Elmo came to the rescue and he was a cuddle bug the rest of the day.  Very thankful that he had a speedy recovery and was running around like normal the next day and healed up great!

It's Been A While

Why hello there! Life + keeping up with a toddler has left zero time for blogging this Spring. We were gone 6 weekends in a row which added to the chaos. I miss it and hope to get back to it. The last 4 months have been a blur - I actually had to refer back to my Facebook page and Google calendar to remind myself all that has happened. We're alive and kicking and have a happy healthy little man who never ceases to amaze us!

Life in review since February:

 *My brother Trent moved back to Minneapolis this winter! Had a great job waiting for him and I'm not sure who was more excited to have him back in town - my mom, his fabulous girlfriend Allie, or Ethan ;)

 *Brian's position at RJF was eliminated at the end of February. We took it in stride but never a fun situation, especially have just buying a new house.

 *Ethan had his big surgery on March 9th. He had a bilateral orchiopexy to correct undescended testicles. He came through like a champ and happy to report that the goods are in prestige condition now ;)

 *My twin sister Katie got engaged in March! So happy for her and Sam and we can't wait for their wedding on October 27th, 2012! We are so honored to be a part of their big day - I'll be at Katie's side as the matron of honor, Brian's a groomsmen, and Ethan is the ring bear. Woot woot!

 *Have made 3 trips to Chicago, 2 trips to Des Moines, 2 trips to New York (work), and 1 trip to Okoboji, IA this spring. All were fun, but I hate living out of a suitcase and long drives so pretty excited for a month without travel ahead!

 *Brian accepted a great job offer with Paychex Insurance Agency in May as an employee benefits consultant. So proud of him! He did an amazing job networking and dove into his job search head first. He picked up the slack around the house for me during a crazy few months at my job.

 *My brother proposed to Allie over Memorial Day weekend in Okoboji! We were in on the secret and part of the surprise BBQ by the lake after he popped the big question - so fun! The weekend turned into a mini-vacation with the fam - we had a great time! They're planning an August 31st, 2013 wedding - can't wait!

 *I coordinated a wedding the weekend of June 2nd. It went really well and the bride and groom were awesome - it was a beautiful wedding. Ended the night exhausted to the core. Realized as I was driving home at 11pm that I hadn't eaten since breakfast or used the restroom since lunch. Long day, but the bride and mother of the bride we're happy so it was worth it!

Think I covered the biggies! All is well and feel very blessed to be where we are right now. Hard to believe E will be two in less than a month! He is all toddler and keeping us on our toes - will try and get some more photos up soon!  :::hugs::: Kyle

Random (Feb 2012)

Watching for Grandma's Car

Trip to DSM (Feb 2012)

We headed down to DSM the weekend of 2/18 to visit Brian's family. E was so glad grandma got to be home from the hospital!

These two had so much fun together with bubbles!

Grandma has the best toys. Once he found the car collection there was no turning back. Who needs a lunchable when there are cars?

Silly Ethan!

E and Bella are too funny to watch together - they just crack us up. They like to play tug-o-war with her toys - this video is one of my favorites.

He sure LOVES his daddy, and his giggle is pretty priceless when tickled.

He's a smart cookie - is getting pretty good at his puzzles. Although when he has a piece turned around and just can't quite get it to fit he starts to cry and throws it across the room.

He learned how to use his remote control car he got for Christmas. So fun, although wish it came with a mute button!

60 Years Young + Vday

"Papa" turned the big 6-0 on 6/13/12. Don't they look alike? E is so lucky to have such an awesome grandpa - we love you so much!

Even though it was grandpa's birthday party Ethan got to open his Valentine's presents from gma & gpa Davis.

The v-day card from great grandma Verla was a big hit!

A big thank you to Aunt Katie and Tana for babysitting Ethan for us so we could sneak in a quick Valentine's dinner. Grabbed burgers and beers and a local pub so not our most romantic 2/14 but sure was nice to get out!