a love for pasta

This kid loves pasta. Any shape, size, or flavor. Love. True love. Did I mention the mac n cheese at BW3's? He ate the ENTIRE kids meal portion. Just ate and ate and ate. And he's really good about stopping when he's full or done, I kept waiting for him to start throwing the noodles off the side of the table. Never happened. Not to say he didn't lean back in his high chair and take a few deep breaths every now and then (seriously!), but he loved it. Also worth noting that the mac n cheese there is SUPER cheesy, drips with cheese actually. Much unlike the typical "Kraft" version, which is my favorite...but he seems to prefer the super cheesy version. That's fine. Bring on the velveeta shells and cheese. Maybe his birthday cake should be pasta filled. Ha. Gross.
Also, with this passion for pasta brings a true mess. I remember looking at friends' pictures of their kids eating and making a terrible mess thinking...wow, I DON'T look forward to that. But it's not so bad :) Kind of cute actually.

Needless to say it was bath time shortly after supper.

visit from the VB's

Monday my aunt and uncle, Mary and Roger, were passing through the area and we were able to have dinner together. It was great to see them and catch up!

Sorry for the TERRIBLE photo quality on this. First time using the timer on the new camera and I noticed I had some weird setting after the fact. Shoot!

new kicks

I bought Connor some new shoes a few weeks ago, tried them on, and they seemed a little big. But, as some of you may have noticed...he kind of has fat feed. So, any smaller and I probably wouldn't have been able to get them on.

I tried them again the other morning and he freaked out. Wouldn't even stand up on them. Didn't really cry, just like refused to stand up and continued to reach for them. Completely unsure what I did to his feet.

My mom and I tried them again the other day and he did MUCH better. Bryan got mad at me because I was laughing so hard at him, but it was SO funny. It was like we had put 5 lb weights on his feet. When he walked across the living room he lifted his feet up SUPER high. Anne was there too and named them his moon shoes. Might have to get the little guy some bootcut jeans. Ha.

So, all that hype, and no pictures except one of the shoes themselves. I'll try to capture the fun on video soon.

Aren't they cool? So cute.

state volleyball

This past weekend my co-ed volleyball team participated in the Minnesota state volleyball tournament. Our team has been playing together for a few years now, the guys were reminiscing that they three have been through 14 different girls on their team...not sure if they should be proud of that or not :)

However...the results. After a weekend of a ton of playing, we ended up playing in the championship game on Sunday, but lost. So we are officially the second best co-ed team (just like kissing your sister, as my boss would say) in the state for class B. Or at least it's fun to say. Now we get about a month off before summer sand ball starts in New Ulm.

Sorry for the bad photo, my camera died moments after taking this (old camera, not new).

Front Row: Nicky, me, Kacie

Back Row: Ryan, Aaron, Zach

bath fun

Okay, I know, lots of cousin pictures lately, but we took so many that day! They'll probably both hate us someday for these ones...

whoa...nice smile schmo

brushing our teeth...one of our new favorite activities

Rinse!

Trying to get a group shot in the towels.

Not going so well...

And we're done.

proof...he walks!

Proof he's walking! It's SO fun. He really trys to walk most of the time, but still resorts to crawling as he's still WAY faster at crawling.

So he was a little crabby this day after daycare...didn't take long enough naps. I'll try to get a happy walking video soon.

Yes, this video is nearly the same as the first one, but shows a little of his love for his blankie.

He loves, loves, loves his blankie.

more cousin fun

More pics from playtime with cousin Ashlyn the other weekend...

Okay, yes, I post an excess of photos. I just love all the different expressions :)

Chilling with Uncle Joe

caught up

Finally caught up on blogging (more to come the next few days, can't give you everything at once you know). I'm still sick with a cough...sounds much worse than it is, but gets pretty bad at night. Thank you Nyquil.

I've read some very, very sad blogs lately (one family who's first son was born stillborn and second son was just born with a severe skin disease and it's unsure how long he'll make it, another that I just found today about a dad blogger who has a one year old little girl...the mom died one day after giving birth...I know. I know. (no thanks to Heather and Jen for pointing these blogs out..ok no, I'm not mad, I get sucked into them and check them regularly now). They are just so sad. So, I find myself going into Connor's room when he cries to cuddle him. It's generally only once or twice a week that he cries, and typically just once each of those nights, but, I go in there and just cuddle and hold him. Bad thoughts run through my mind about how unfair life can be...and I don't want to take any moment for granted.

But enough on that. Hope you're having a good week, tomorrow is FRIDAY! Whoo hoo! No big plans that I know of right now. Which is good, too. Hopefully get lots of cleaning done, put clothes away (I'm actually very caught up on laundry but have issues putting it away...so the laundry room is FULL of clean clothes, folded even) and yeah. Hang out.

playing with cousin Ashlyn

The other day my family came over to celebrate Bryan's birthday, here are a few pictures of Connor and Ashlyn playing with his dump truck. Wish I would have taken a video, it was pretty cute to see Connor pushing her around! Not so sure she loved it, but it was cute. Only the beginning of their friendship :)

Mom..what's he doing?

Mom...really...why are you letting him do this to me?

MOM!

Oh thank God, Grandma, you're here. Save me.

Okay..maybe this isn't too bad...

Trying to see who was taller. Ashlyn has amazing posture...Connor...not so much.

fun with the dump truck

So...please don't turn me into social services for the videos I've posted here. Well, the first one is fine, but the second is a little sketchy in regards to our parenting skills...

I don't know, after this night, it just seemed within days he was walking all by himself. So fun!

I know. Terrible. But I bet you watched it more than once :)

Wedding Pics

Well here they are...completely un-edited, non-touched up, etc. But, it was a great day/night.

the blue group. Kill, Chris, Nate and Zach

Kacie and Jess (#2)

Bryan - pro groomsman

ang and krystal

Jess and Joe...and Chris made the picture too.

Zack and Jess (#3)

Kacie and Chris

Jess (#1) and Grant

wedding party

the happy couple

again

groom and his lovely mother (she was my daycare lady when I was a kid)

all the single ladies waiting to catch the bouquet

love Brent's face

Brent and Desirae Wedding Sneak Peek

I know, I'm so behind. And I feel like life has moved so much faster than I have this past week! So much to catch up on. The most exciting of which...I think we can officially say that Connor is walking!! I mean, no, not like he could walk from the car and into daycare by himself, but he's pretty good at going from 6-10 feet on his own! So fun and so cute!!

A pic from Brent and Desirae's wedding the other weekend. I have a few (okay, quite a few) that I want to post from the evening, and then lots and lots of Connor coming soon.

steps!

Connor has taken a few steps at a time for us...maybe twice. At daycare on Thursday they told me if I knew he had taken a few there, too. Then Friday when I go pick him up I see that on their calendar of milestones they had "Connor takes steps!" on Friday. So, I think it's official...Connor can take steps. Ha.

I will try and blog some pictures before I leave for state volleyball this morning, but not guaranteeing anything.

have a great weekend!

busy week

Tuesday our vball team practiced before this weekend's state tourney, Wednesday Bryan had his NCAA pick party thing, tonight Bryan is at cards, tomorrow night Bryan is in the cities at the NCAA tournament games, Saturday and Sunday, I have state volleyball. Definitely not complaining, just explaining for my last of pictures and posting :) I have Desirae's wedding, pictures of Connor in his new car seat, pictures of Bryan's bday celebration with my family, pictures of Connor in general. Except he looks like crap right now since he's sick. I swear we have a few days every few weeks that he's 'healthy'. Poor guy. But, he's been sleeping really well, just looks a little rough :( Calling the doctor tomorrow to see if we should switch to a different antibiotic for his ear infection (and yes...he got another).

So that's about it. Connor is in bed, I should take this time to clean the kitchen floor and vacuum the living room...but...I'm liking the 'peace' right now.

Tomorrow is Friday. Gotta love that.

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend was our good friends Brent and Desirae's wedding. The weather was awesome, the couple looked amazing and everything went great! Of course it was a GREAT opportunity to try out the new camera. So I am apologizing in advance for ALL of the pictures I'm going to post, I took hundreds and hundreds betweent Friday night through the wedding dance. Some still aren't great, but I'm definitely working on it :)

Congrats to the lovely couple...they're on their way to Cancun right now. Dang them. At least it hit 50 today. SO awesome.

Something was funny. Might have been the priest calling Desirae', "Des-ah-ree-ah". Pretty sure Desirae' (RAY) didn't think it was funny. I wouldn't have either. And even after correcting him, the first time he says their name in church on Saturday...he screws it up. At least he got it right the rest of the service.

Grillers

Happy couple

Fantastic bartenders. Sorry Jeff, it made the blog. (why is it that so many people when they see me take their picture request that it doesn't go on the blog?)

Chops. Ha, my attempt at an 'artistic' picture.

Team huddle at the pre-fryer. (I think that's what they call it)

The happy couple again.

Brent made all his attendants their own bean bag boards...which is AWESOME. We love this game, and since all the boards were there, of course we had to organize a bean bag tournament...which...my partner and I won! Thanks Brent!

Some of the action.

The parents of the couple getting into the game.

Alright, that's it from the groom's supper/rehearsal. Wedding next.