The big man with the belly

The countdown is on. We have a few countdowns going on around here at this point in time. First for the big holiday. Only a few more days until Christmas. You may think that a kid under the age of 2 (1 1/2 weeks shy of 2) wouldn't really know who Santa Clause is, but our little guy is really getting it. If he sees a picture of Santa he screams CAUSE CAUSE, over and over until we say oh yeah it is Santa. He still isn't comfortable with the Santa in the mall, but I am not one of those parents that will make my kid sit on Santa's lap screaming so that I can get a picture. Yesterday a lady in the store asked him if he is being a good boy so that Santa will bring presents, his reply was priceless. He said "I good boy.... Santa come." That just melted my heart. Our little man is so very smart. He definitely knows what presents are too. I think he has known that one since last year. With his birthday and Christmas so close to each other he went through quite the gift opening race. He like to pull pull pull on the paper and really loves what he finds. So far the only thing he has opened was the Legos and although the container is entertaining (works well as a helmet for when he fights his dad), this is the first time I have actually seen him play with the contents first. He is quite the goof. Colin and I have been super excited about this Christmas since last year. The wait wasn't that long and these last few days are zooming by. Christmas will always be one of those special times of year that just gets better with every year that has passed. I just want to enjoy the time we have with our kids at home.

Today is Colin's last day of work for the week, the month........ THE YEAR!!!!! We are very excited that we get him home for this great time of year. Not only do we have Christmas, but we like to cram things into one week. Last year we closed on our house on the 27th of Dec. That was a huge moment for us so it is fitting that it happened around Christmas. The 28th of Dec. is our anniversary. This year is the big 5. I can't believe it has been that long. Then we have Jason's b-day on the 30th. That was also the day we moved into our house last year. So, you can see why this time of year we have so many countdowns and so many wonderful things to celebrate. This year we have one more countdown. It doesn't conclude in December, but it is something that we can be thankful for. We are nearly 100 days from having our second little man. The time is flying by with that countdown too. It wasn't too long ago that I looked at that countdown clock and saw 200 days left and thought, boy we don't have much time. Next thing you know we will have two little men at home.

I don't know if I will be posting between now and Christmas, but I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Have fun celebrating and we can't wait to hear about your Christmas excitement. Christmas stories can be the best. Take care and enjoy..................

Sweet kiddo

It seems as though that saying, kids say the darnedest things, is a proven fact. Jason is always full of it. He looks so sweet and cute and then he can say the craziest things. Most of the time I don't know where he gets it from. There are those times when he comes up to me and tells me the nicest things. For instance, I was cleaning house yesterday and Jason ran up to me and said.... "Ma Ma Love" and he gave me a big hug to top it off. That melted my heart. But there are the times when he says things that take me off guard. Yesterday, I got out of the shower and put on my tank top when I heared Jason wanting into the bedroom. When I let him in, he gave me a strange look. Then he looked at my belly and kind of glared before looking back up at my face, scrunching up his nose, and told me "Ma Ma, you fat." After blurting out that fact, he just turned around and went back out to the living room to play with his Legos. This is the second time he has said that. I guess It is probably a little strange for the little man to see such a change in his mom's appearance, but it doesn't change the fact that he said something so strange. Kids don't hold anything back and Jason is no exception.

Nothing is really new here. I am going to bake some more today. I can't help myself. My mixer just calls to me. I think Colin's co-workers like it though. I will try to bring some of the goodies up to Meeteetse and Cody to share with everyone too. Maggie always makes all of these wonderful baked goods for me to enjoy, so this time I think it is her turn to just sit back and enjoy. I hope all of you are doing well and are prepped for Christmas...... it is just around the corner. Take care and I will write more tomorrow.

Bye Bye stinky!!!!!

It might have been a long weekend for Colin..... kind of. He didn't go into work on Friday, but definitely had to work. Friday morning we woke up to the stinky bedroom for the last time. No, we didn't eat beans or anything, it was the carpet. The carpet was so bad that it made the whole house, especially our bedroom smell like dog pee (thanks to the previous owners lack of cleaning skills and two untrained dogs). It was such a strong stink that it could give a person a belly ache. When we awoke to the strong smell on Friday and Colin finally said... ENOUGH!!!! We got up and ready to go and price some laminate flooring. Before leaving the house we took everything out of our bedroom. It was a lot easier than we thought it would be.

Before..............

After making our purchase it was time to begin. We quickly got all of the flooring inside to adjust to the indoor climate (it was inside the store too) so that we could do it all in one day. Sure, that might sound like high hopes, but we were game. After unloading, it was time to take out the stinky carpet.

Some of the carpet stink revealed.

We thought the smell was bad when the carpet was down, that was before we pulled it up. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Some of the stains were so bad and obviously reoccurring stains that they ate through the carpet backer (decomposed it) and the remaining sludge had dried to the sub floor.

It was a smelly, yucky job that most people would even have nightmares about. Colin got the chunks of carpet out of the house while I vacuumed up the mess and sprayed the spots with bleach water. It was a task getting the smell out with nearly straight bleach, but the smell was finally gone. Our floor looked better with just the bare sub-floor than it did with the carpet.

Hard at work.......

There was a small break there so that we could be sure the floor was dry and the planks were completely adjusted to the bedrooms climate. About 2 in the afternoon we go busy. Colin cut the sections while I snapped them in (I had the easiest job by far). Once we got into a groove, the time flew by. I took one short break to make some dinner and it was back to work. Jason was such a good boy letting us do our jobs and only gouging the wall with the hammer in one spot.

The finished product.............

At about 8, thing began to wind down. Colin gave Jason a bath while I cleaned up the mess we made. Once Jason was out, Colin and I finished by puting our stuff back into our room. It was all finished and reassembled by 9. I still can't believe how fast that floor went in. In one day we got rid of the bad smell for good. It rocks.

The next morning I woke up and could barely move. My back was so sore (don't really know why it hurt that bad). Colin picked up my slack by taking care of Jason. I could hold him if I were sitting, but it took me 5 minutes just to get from the bed to the bathroom that is connected to our bedroom. We did make a trip to the dump (to dispose of the nasty carpet) and home depot (to pick up thresholds and molding). After resting for half of the day, I felt much better. I was still sore, but at least I could walk at a decent pace. Colin put in the thresholds and we were done. I still can't believe how good that floor looks and what a difference it makes in our whole house. It cleans up easily and the best part is, you can actually get it clean. Colin and I love it so much that we can't stop looking at it. I think the molding will go up on Friday of this week.

Over the weekend we also had a mini Christmas. Jason enjoyed the Lego's that were added to his collection. The kiddo won't stop playing with them. It is pretty cool to see him build things and tell you what they are.

Jason playing with his big Lego collection.

Colin got a new set of golf clubs and some under armour. My men were so happy that it couldn't have been a better weekend.

Colin's new clubs.

On Sunday I celebrated my gift again by making cookies. This time I made Andes chocolate chip and white chocolate chip pecan. That mixer is getting better every time I use it. I am attached.

My beautiful red beast!!!

I hope all of you had a great weekend and are all ready for the big holiday just around the corner. We are ready for another short week and a very exciting Christmas vacation. Take care everyone and I will have more to post soon.......

Baby.. Baby

Another doctors appointment has come and gone. The baby is growing well and is quite healthy. He has a very strong heartbeat and sure can kick. Jason has started to say that he loves his baby brother. He is really good at saying the word brother now. He runs up to me and asks "Where's baby?..... He hiding.... HA!HA!" I think he really likes the idea of a brother now, but I am sure it won't seem so cool when the little bug comes home with us and doesn't leave.

My belly at 22.5 weeks. Growing fast now.

Jason would tell you that we have another baby in the house now too. He says that Moe is a baby because she has to wear a diaper. You see, Moe is in heat right now. So, to protect our belongings from Moe, she has to wear a doggy diaper. She really hates it. It works well though and it has been nearly 2 weeks so she should be close to done with it. Next month we are getting her fixed so that we won't have to do this again. A funny story about Moe in heat is that she humps everything. I know she is a female, but for some reason that is what she does. Poor Mae takes the brunt of Moe's goofiness. Last night Moe jumped on Mae and Jason pointed and said "Moe ride Mae.... HE HEEEEEEE!!!" He was just tickled that Moe could ride Mae. I know it is pretty sick humor, but boy has it been entertaining.

Moe in her diaper.

I hope all of you are having a great day. We will keep you posted on any new baby updates. Take care and we will talk to all of you soon...........

Cold... BRRRRRR!!!!

Oh, it was a beautiful weekend. The snow began to fall on Friday and the town of Casper began to transform. When it is covered in the white stuff, it can look very beautiful. Our view looking off our deck over town sparkled with Christmas lights reflecting off of the big flakes. It was such a welcome sight. Jason kept on looking out the window saying "Cold...... BRRRRRRR!!!!" But, he knew that it meant he would get to go sledding. The kiddo is addicted now. If he could, he would go sledding every minute of every day. Too bad his nose gets cold. It means we have to drag the poor kid back into the house to warm up before we can go for another run. So we bundled up (I squeezed into my coat...... a bit like stuffing sausage into a casing) and made our way out into the cold. Thank goodness Colin is agile, I just can't get around like normal. When I go down in the snow with my layers on, I am stranded like a turtle on it's back. But, the men were able to get down and dirty, more wet though. I have a few pics of our sledding adventure.

Snowball lesson

Fast learner

Taking a ride with dad

Solo run

I spent most of the weekend baking, making around 100 caramel rolls for Christmas. Colin also gave me my Christmas gift early to help with the process. He gave me a Kitchen Aid mixer. I love it. It cut my work down to almost nothing. Things still got messy, but it sure was fun. I really can't tell you how wonderful that mixer is. We haven't taken any pics of it yet, but it is a fire engine red bundle of power. I can't wait to make many more recipes using it.

Caramel roll marathon

The wind came up with avengence on Sunday, making for terrible sledding conditions. I have to say, I have never lived in a place where the wind comes up like that after a snow. Parts of town were consumed by a ground blizzard, but we seemed to avoid most of the blowing snow. The wind did blow a good portion of our snow away though. I guess that is one of the joys of Casper. Last night we got a couple more inches covering the ground once again. I just hope it doesn't blow away.

Jason and I are pretty excited about this week. I have another doctors appointment tomorrow and Colin has Friday off. It will be so nice to have a long weekend with the hus around. Jason is going to be pumped when he realizes that his dad doesn't have to go to work Friday morning. I will post tomorrow after my appointment. Nothing too crazy should happen though. I hope all of you had an excellent weekend and have a wonderful week. Take care and enjoy..................

Tradition

Digging some air.

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the traditions that come with it. In my family we have traditions throughout the year. Even though I love the fact that every person gets to pick what will be cooked on their birthday, the holiday traditions just stand out.


Some of our traditions are shared by other families, such as puting up a tree and stockings, but we do have one that makes the season for me. Every Christmas Eve my mom cooks chili and oyster stew. For those of you that don't know my mom............. she is a heck of a cook. The lady makes almost everything homemade and it all tastes wonderful. Even though I don't care for oyster stew, the fishy smell mixed with the spicy chili smell make Christmas Eve complete. I have only missed a few of these meals in the past. There have only been tow in recent years, one because I was 9 months pregnant and couldn't travel (Jason was born the 30th of Dec that year) and the other was spent with Colin's family. We have a great time there and seeing the whole family is a lot of fun, but somehow, I always miss the smells of Christmas Eve. This year, we are spending that evening with Colin's family again. It will be a good time with good food, excellent company, and full of gifts, but I will still miss those smells.



Christmas Day has always been important too. My whole family gathers and we have a feast. Not your average feast either, it is HUGE!!! Mom always cooked turkey (my favorite) and everything else that you can imagine. The desert table is full of homemade pies along with other deserts. Sometimes there are only 6 of us, but I do remember Christmas Days with over 20 people. Tables lined up end to end and rolls being tossed the length of the table with skill. This year we are still getting together, but there is another special component added to the day, it is going to be at my sisters house. It should be a lot of fun and I look forward to the extra loud meal with every kind of food you can dream of.

My Grandma Donner started a tradition too. Every Christmas she and my Grandpa give all of their kids and grandkids ornaments. They aren't your average ornaments, she makes them. They are ceramic ornaments each made with love. So, by the time Colin and I had our own tree, I was able to fill it with the ornaments she had given me throughout the years. I am always excited to open the package and see what she has created. It is such a cool gift that always impresses. Jason has already began collecting his, so by the time he has his own tree he will be able to fill it. I just love tradition.


I can't wait to see which traditions Jason and his little brother love. It will also be a wonderful day when we can finally have a holiday at home. I think this is in our near future. Starting new traditions will be so exciting.

Do any of you have traditions that stand out? Please share........... Maybe we can get some more ideas. Have a great weekend everyone and take care.........................

Oh the temper.... Oh the fun......

In the past I have discussed a crazy experience at Walmart, but I have to say yesterday topped it. It all began with what was supposed to be a quick trip. Jason has had a tough week so I have had to cut every trip to the store short to prevent super melt down...... We have only been able to buy a few things each time we go. All I can say is thank goodness we live close to a grocery store.

Yesterday morning we went to Walmart and all seemed to be going well, until we walked past a rack of toys. Jason began to scream MINE!!!! MINE!!!! MINE!!!! When I told him no, he threw his body and had a huge temper tantrum right there. Knowing he was past the breaking point we got into the self checkout line as soon as the fit ended.

It seems as though temper tantrums were the theme for the day though. The man and woman in front of us were in the middle of checking out when the machine advised them to wait for assistance. On a side note, I had better describe this odd couple for you to get the full effect. The lady was about 5 ft tall and 200 lbs with short curly hair and the man was skinny, pretty tall, had a pony tail and appeared to be going through a sex change transition.... which direction? I don't know, but it was somewhere in the middle. I will call him a man just to keep the couple in order. They both had sunken in eyes and looked strung out to no ends. So, now that you have an idea of what we first saw I will return to the story. About 30 seconds after the first request the machine repeated itself saying... Please wait for assistance. The checker watching the self checkouts was assisting another person so she didn't get there immediately. This must not have been to the man's liking because he lost it when that second request came from the machine. He proceeded to grab a 2 liter bottle of pop and throw it across the floor, then he grabbed another and threw it..... You would think that was the end, but no......... the lady that was with him joined in and grabbed some canned goods and threw them. In the end there was pop, canned goods, a case of water, and all kinds of Christmas decorations all over the floor and nothing left in the cart...... Then they just walked out. It was very strange. To top it off, Jason took the rude couples cue and threw another huge temper tantrum. He threw his body to the floor and began kicking, hitting, and screaming. This was not a short lived tantrum either. When I finished checking out, he was still going strong. I struggled for a second to wedge his flailing body into the cart and had no success, that is until the checker lady came over to help me. She had to weave his legs through the holes while I held his arms and legs so that he couldn't kick or hit her. This fit continued until we got to the car.

What a crazy day it was. We had went through so much before 11 am that the rest of the day was kind of a blur of temper tantrums, singing, and dancing. I am just curious to see what other strange Walmart encounters are in our future. Have a great day and watch out if you are planning a trip to Walmart.

Tis the season!!

One of those pictures you show future girlfriends.

It seems as though every holiday season comes with a few guarantees. There is family, food, bad roads, and the ever so loved being sick. This last week we all experienced the sick part, but we are finally feeling better. Despite not feeling well, we decided to get into the spirit of Christmas and set up our tree. Jason loves it. He points at it all of the time and says light.... light..... light. He also learned if he touches it or hits it with something, it moves. When it does move he gets so excited and starts to tell us. If we don't acknowledge the fact that the tree is moving and that he knows what the word move means, it is melt down central around here. We didn't do very much throughout the week since we didn't feel well. I have grown so much that it is getting uncomfortable so I am super tired. It is like I wake up every morning bigger than when I went to bed. Colin even admits that I have grown a lot just since Thanksgiving. So, we just trucked on through the week of sick and no sleep. And by the weekend, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

WOW!!!!! Big tree.

Look.... Light!!!! Light!!!!!

Over the weekend we finally felt well enough to wrap presents and put them under the tree. Even though Jason would love to unwrap them, he is being really good about it. This is a lot better than last year when he started to open presents 3 weeks before Christmas. Saturday night we went to Colin's company Christmas party and Jason had his first babysitter. Kelsey Roberson (a girl from Meeteetse that goes to college here) was nice enough to come over last minute. The two of them had a blast and Jason didn't even care that we were gone. He showed her all of his toys before the coloring began. Then it was time to read books before he crashed out. Meanwhile, we were enjoying a big meal of prime rib and some gambling. They hosted a casino night themed party. It was fun and I have to say, I won much more than Colin. I don't beat him at many things, so I have to relish in that win. Oh, and Saturday we were treated with another standard holiday gift, bad roads. Thank goodness we didn't have to travel out of town. The wind was ripping (60+ mph gusts), the snow was blowing, and the roads were ice sheets. It made for a good time driving around town and all of the work that went into cleaning off the walks was in vein since the snow just drifted back in. It will melt this week.

Which one is mine?

Sunday was a day for relaxation and recovery. We were still a little worn down from being sick the week before. So, it was a day for football and warm soup. This week should be quite layed back too. Jason still has a bit of a cough, due to the endless runny nose. I am just not willing to take any chances of him getting really sick again. So, it will be a time to enjoy the tree and get into the Christmas mode even more. Have a great week everyone and we look forward to your holiday adventures..................

Home at last

Our week long vacation has come to an end. It was full of a lot of fun, but it is always nice to return home. To sleep in our own beds and recover.

It all began last week when we hit the road for M-town on Wednesday. We were fortunate to have good roads despite the fact that the snow was falling. The next morning we made our way to Cody to spend Turkey Day with Colin's fam. There was a full house. His whole family was there to enjoy the good food. Jason had a blast running around with his cousin Johnathon. I swear they ran for about 3 hours straight. We had to pretty much strap the kids to the table just to get them to eat a few bites. It was a lot of fun and a lovely day.

Jason chasing Johnathon. (the only pic that turned out)

The long break offered one last opportunity for Colin to go hunting too. But, the elk had a different idea. So, Colin, his dad and Dave got a lot of exercise in without seeing much of anything. Meanwhile I was able to go to visit the Coales with Jason............ to watch the UW game (things have to get better for UW soon). Jason also had the chance to play with the Franks boys. Mom and dad's house was a wild place with those three boys running all over. Saturday, Mom and I brought the three boys down to the Chocolatier's grand opening. It was Yummy!!!!!!!!!! The kids loved the chocolate and mom and I were oh so impressed as well.

That night Colin and I went up to the Coales to visit and let the boys play. They treated us to a very good dinner of burgers and some fun board games. The excitement really took off when their son, Wild Bill, got into the laundry detergent and drank some (most of it ended up on the floor). Yes, with 4 adults in the house the little man was able to drink detergent. After running around trying to find the number for poison control, we finally found it on the internet. To our suprise it was not in the phone book or on the backs of any of the cleaning products. But, when Sheena finally got through to get assistance, she found out that drinking a little All detergent can give a kid a belly ache, but besides that they will be good. It was a fun and wild evening for all of us.



The next day we went back to Cody to visit with Colin's parents some more. It was a relaxing day and the dogs had a blast running rabbits all over the country. That night we went down to baby Scott Coale's baptism. It was pretty cool and the food after was very very good.

By Sunday night, Colin, Jason and I were all pretty well worn down and coming down with colds. Poor Jason was so stuffy that he couldn't even sleep. It was time to go home. So, Monday morning we headed home. Jason got worse throughout the trip so we ended up bringing him to the doc when we got to town. He has a heck of a cold and even had a rash in his ears. So, our wild man is pretty well layed up for now. Colin and I have a smaller version of what Jason has, but it isn't very bad. I think we just had too much fun over the long vaca. Jason played non-stop and by the end he could hardly stand up because his legs were so tired. It was such a good time, but now it is time to recover. Our pictures didn't turn out (I have no idea what happend) so I don't have any of those. I will write some more and post some new pics when we start to feel better. For now we are going to rest up and try to get well fast. I hope all of you had a great Turkey weekend. Take care, stay healthy, and we will have more stories soon...........

Thanksgiving

When we think Thanksgiving......... we usually think good food and family. Plus as you all know it is a day to give thanks. Today I want to share what I am thankful for.

I give thanks to - my 2 1/4 Moody men. It is such a gift to be able to wake up every morning to someone you love sooooo much and to a smile that can melt a person's heart. The I love you Mommy's and the big squeezes are more than I could have ever asked for. To top it off we are so lucky to have another healthy little man on the way............... I have so much to be thankful for just in my house.

I give thanks to - my family. They have put up with me from the beginning. To have parents that can make me feel better even when I don't think it is possible and to teach me how things really work and who will always take time out of their busy schedules to visit and to lend a helping hand. To a sister that always remembers to call even when things get crazy for her. For nieces and nephews that are constantly learning new things and love to share the excitement. And for grandparents that never fail to bring a smile to my face.

I give thanks to - my friends. Those of you that have been around through thick and thin as well as the new friends. We have grown up, but not apart, just closer. When I need to talk you are always around. Friends that are so close they are like family. My life wouldn't feel whole without such friends.

I think that hits my main points. Everything else is material. Life would be very good even if it meant we were living in a shack, as long as I still has all of the people that I mentioned. So, thank you everyone for being there in the past and for everything that will come in the future. I am so very lucky to have so much. Wishing all of you safe travels and a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! Take care and I will have many stories to share next week.

Is it ok?

Today while watching the UW/BYU game............ some questions came up in our house. Is is ok for game announcers to discuss religion during the game..... in reference to the teams and not in a general manner? For instance, at the beginning of the game they were discussing each coaches strategy.............. Instead of using football terms one of the guys said that BYU's coach would have to be patient, like Job. This was just the beginning. The "church" was constantly discussed and the marriages of mormon members of the BYU team was a main topic. Then the topper came when the discussion of BYU's coming match up with Utah came up. They refer to that game as a "Holy War". WOW!!!!! Isn't that a little much. Really, isn't football a game that should be enjoyed by both sides? Does it matter who is righteous? Can that even be determined my the average mortal man? What do you think? Is it appropriate to integrate religion with sports in this manner?

It is a...................

It has been a few months........ there has been speculation and guesses made on what the new Moody will be. In fact this morning Jason told us it was going to be a girl... girl... girl...... Then he said.... no, it not, it baby, it mommy daddy baby. So the one we counted on making the accurate prediction, decided it was up in the air. Well, today it was the moment of truth............... The baby is healthy and everything is growing well. Each and every piece and part is there and perfect.

The profile

The hand print................

The money shot!!!!

Yes that is right...... IT IS A BOY!!!!!!! Jason is going to have a little brother to pick on. We couldn't ask for more than two healthy kids. WOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying your fall. Have a great day everyone and we look forward to sharing many more stories of the Wild Children in the future. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

Rock on

Every day is a party with the littlest Moody man. Over the weekend he put a small concert on for Colin and I. Using our bed as a stage.................... he rocked on............

The rest of the weekend was a lot of the same, just playing. Sure there was our normal football watching......... Colin wouldn't miss a game. I have to say he was quite excited to see the Broncos play well, to see the Colts lose, but the UW game isn't discussed in our house. There is nothing like quality time with those you love........... Have a great week everyone!!!!

Finger licking good

From the title, you might be thinking chicken, but it isn't. Our little man just continues to amaze us with how much he learns every day. Some of it is from observation, but night before last he did something that shocked both Colin and I. We were eating chicken breasts with fresh broccoli (always have to have a green veggie) and some noodles when Jason asked to pour some dressing on his plate. He has really gotten into the pouring thing. If it is pouring pepper, water into another glass or even the dreaded ranch dressing. Colin and I don't eat much dressing, in fact it has a tendency to get outdated before it is half way gone. That is why we were surprised to see what Jason did with it. He poured the ranch on his plate and then decided that he would just dip his broccoli in it and lick off. But that wasn't enough. He spit out what little broccoli he got into his mouth and began to use his finger as a utensil. He was dipping his finger in the ranch and licking it off. This is very gross for me since ranch and I don't get along the best now that I am pregnant. I have to say that this is something he picked up on his own. He has never seen his dad or I do anything like that................... So, here is a video of the little man doing something that grosses me out so very much.

All is going very well here. The weather has been mild and my foot is finally getting well enough that Jason and I can venture out on short walks...... I think I will be able to take the dogs with us by next week. He and I were both quite excited over this improvement.

As I mentioned earlier he has a growing vocabulary. He has gotten into this super learning stage. One of his new favorite activities is pointing to things and telling me what they are. He can even tell stories that kind of make sense now. Instead of just puting random words that he knows together, he actually makes a point (some of the time). My favorite stories are jokes. He will go on and on and then laugh at the end of his sentence. We still can't understand most of these stories, but it is obvious that we are supposed to laugh with him. He also sings the song, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes.............. I will get that on video over the weekend. It is one video I will be watching over and over again.

Well, I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend. We wish all of you that are traveling (Maggie and Gary) a safe trip. Take care and I look forward to sharing more stories with you next week. So, Go Pokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kids are the best

There have been shows made about things that kids say, such as kids say the darndest things, and it is soooooo true. When a sad face walks into this house, it isn't long before Jason has them rolling. He may not have a huge vocabulary, but he has a way with words. He also acts a lot of things out. Just to give you a taste of what he has said in the last couple of days (sorry if some of them aren't as funny if you weren't there) here goes.

We have this indoor bbq thing that goes on a stove top. It has two parts a pan and a bottom part that elevates it and catches the fat. Jason took this out of the cupboard and put the ring that acts as the base and put it on his head. Sorry I didn't have the camera ready, because that would have been a keeper. He called it a hat and was oh so proud of it. Colin told him that he looked like Don Quijote. This made Jason very angry and he glared before saying...... "It not Don Coat, it hat!!!!!!" So to torture the poor kid I kept on calling him Don Quijote and finally he got so angry he looked at me, put the "hat" on the table, pointed his finger at me and said "It hat!!!! You be bad!!!! Not cool ma ma!!!!" Then he walked away. He hasn't touched the bbq pieces since. What a funny little man.

Also the Moe/Jason saga continues. Our beagle has decided that Jason's bed is her's. So, when we are all fast asleep, she goes into his room, pulls all of the blankets off of Jason and even takes his prized blankies before going to sleep at the bottom of the bed. Then we hear this loud cry. When we go in there we have to take the blankets back and kick Moe out of his bed. For a kid that doesn't sleep well anyway............this is not a good thing. I think that is why he always goes up to Moe and tells her, "Moe, no, bad, you not nice!!!"

Another crazy bed story involves and ongoing problem with Jason peeing through his diaper in the middle of the night. For a couple of weeks he was doing just that a few times a week. So, I would get up and clean up the mess and put him back to bed. Then one night he walks into our bedroom and smacks me on the cheek to wake me up. When I opened my eyes, I saw him holding his stuffed gorilla out to the side by the tip of its little hand with two fingers. As soon as he knew I was awake, he said......"HE PEED!!!!!" before he turned around and walked back to his room. He had peed through his diaper again and blamed it on the stuffed gorilla. I can see him blaming a lot of things on his younger sibling in the future.

The final thing I can think of off the top of my head is Jason's ideas about the new baby. Now that my belly is larger, he knows that something is there. We have told him it is the baby and he knows what a baby is so now he rationalizes it in his own way. He has a belly, but I have a baby. He also talks to it through what he calls the baby button. And with all of this baby talk, he has a new saying. When he doesn't want to do something and throws a big temper tantrum he looks at me and says..... "I not big boy... I baby." And so it begins.

I wish I could remember all of the little things Jason does, but there are just so many that I can't think of them all. I hope this has brought a smile to your faces...... it sure does mine. Once again, I apologize for not having any pics this time, but I am sure I will have more soon.......

Take care everyone and keep on smiling..............

Halloween Weekend

Our extra long weekend had many parts. I will try to recap for all of you that weren't there, but I apologize if I miss anything.


On Wednesday we made our way up to Meeteetse for some trick-or-treating and some chili. Jason had a blast playing with the other kids while we ate and then it was on to the streets for some candy. William and Jason were both dressed for the occasion....... the jungle creatures, elephant and monkey.

monkey man.

mmmmmmmm........... candy!!!! Please open it Grandma.

William as an elephant.

After a quick stop at the Warner house, Jason began to realize that every house we went to had candy. Candy was his new favorite word for the weekend. Him and William ran between houses and knocked on doors and rang doorbells. Both boys brought in quite a haul. I think Jason had enough candy to make it through to next year. There is nothing like a near 2 year old hopped up on sugar.

The next day was my dads b-day........... he turned the big 50. Lucky for Jason and I he had the day off. So, he took care of us for the day, while Colin when elk hunting with his dad. I have to start out by telling all of you how awesome my dad is. He spent his b-day watching Jason and taking me to the doc.................. for a sore foot. I won't go into details on the foot, but after going through a week of pain and not being able to walk very well I had to go in. The good news is that it isn't broken and that the ugly shoe I am now wearing seems to be helping. How man people could make a trip to the doc so much fun. We had a great day of visiting and catching up. I couldn't have asked for more. Thank you dad!!!!

As I mentioned before, Colin went hunting with his dad. For all of you that happen to be looking for a bull, ask Colin's dad to go with you. They walked over 20 miles and came up on so many bulls............... too bad for Colin, he only had a cow tag. Colin may not have gotten a shot off, but they both had a blast. Even though they were tired when they got back to town, they were still smiling from ear to ear.

Looking down at what they had just hiked up.

The next day Colin went out with my brother in law, Dave. Both him and Colin had high hopes. Unlike the previous day, they came up on a ton of cows. Colin didn't get one, but he did get a close up with the camera. It is a great story that Colin will have to tell, but in summary, the elk were coming right at him and Dave and turned right before they got to them. When they returned to town, they were still excited from what they had saw. It was another good day out at the 91 for Colin. I do believe Colin will be going up to hunt over Thanksgiving break, so hopefully he will get a cow then.

Click on the pics and you can see better.... they were so close they stopped because they heared the camera click.

Another close up.

While Colin and Dave were hunting......... Mom and I were getting the house ready for the surprise 50th birthday party. The second dad left the house for work in the morning, mom had cakes in the oven. Then it was time to clean, decorate, cook some more, and set up. It was a good time. Mom is so organized that it didn't even take us all that long. Her house is always clean, which made it very easy. Colin and Dave showed up just in enough time to help unload the tables and chairs. Then it was time for the party to begin.


People began to show up around 6 and dad showed up around 6:30. The look on his face was priceless. He was so shocked that all of his friends (the ones that could make it) had come to celebrate him turning one year older and even more shocked that we had all kept it a secret. There were times that we thought that he should have caught on, but he didn't have a clue. My grandparents came from Deadwood, SD and my aunt and uncle came all of the way from Sioux Falls, SD. It was a good time had by all. The kids played so hard too.

Jason and Lane playing with balloons.

Dad opening presents, with mom.

Guests............

And more guests.......

There was a wonderful turn out and we all had a great time. The tiger below had too good of a time.

If you are wondering where the tiger pics came from...................... my aunt and uncle have great sense of humor. They picked up a random camera sitting on a table and began to take the pictures............. to their surprise, the camera was mine.

The party was a good time for all but left everyone quite tired. But, it was everything we could have hoped for.

The next morning we woke up to some sad news. A friend had passed away in a car wreck in the early morning hours of Saturday. For those of you that don't know how small Meeteetse is, everyone knows everyone. It is a sad loss for each and every person. Just another reminder that life is short and that we all need to live every day to the fullest. Give your loved ones a hug and tell them how you feel..... and please remember to always wear your seatbelts.

It is amazing how so many different emotions can be felt in such a short period of time. I usually don't like to write about anything sad or down, but this was too huge.

We spent Saturday talking with mom and dad and the Coale family. It was a day to reflect and be there for each other.

Sunday we made our way home. Jason was so happy to see his own toys and his bed. It was nice to see everyone over the weekend, but so wonderful to come home. Now we are trying to get back into the swing of things. I hope all of you had a nice Halloween and look forward to your stories. Good luck with the doc Maggie.............. Take care everyone and I will post more as the week passes...............

Wild animals

I know I said that I probably wouldn't post for the rest of the week, but this was too good not to share. Prompted by Sheena's post of her polite little man, Colin and I decided we had better get some of Jason's tricks on camera so that we don't forget them down the road. Our favorite trick is him making his animal noises........ a very tallented man as you can see. Enjoy the rest of the week and........

Happy Halloween!!!! (tomorrow)

Oh Sweep

The fun never ends in our house. I say that so much that it is probably hard for anyone to believe. But, it is true. There were so many different things going on over the weekend that the fun never ends.

Jason looking a more rocks...... like father like son.

Saturday was a big sports day here in Casper, with the World Series, the state volleyball tournament and the Wyoming game. There was a lot to see. We started our day with one of our favorite activities, a walk. Jason was such a big boy. He walked almost the whole way on his own, he even tried to walk Moe some (a very funny sight).

No, he didn't sit down because he was tired, he wanted to sled down the hill like he did last weekend......... Where are you snow?

Walking Moe........ it started out OK, although she pulled him around.

Things took a turn when Moe wrapped him up..... HELP!!!

When we got home it was time for the Wyoming game. Even though there were some hair raising moments we were oh so happy to see them come away with a win. We had heared that Sammie Perkins was playing in the 2A State Championship volleyball game, so we decided to go on over to the Events Center and check it out. She played very well with 10 kills (the most of anyone on her team) and they won 3 in a row against Mountain View.... It was awesome. Big Horn has a great volleyball team and I have to say they are fun to watch. We also saw Hulet beat Cokeville (for all of you 1A fans). I had fun and I think both the Moody men enjoyed themselves as well. Jason really liked the popcorn. We got home in time to watch most of game 3 in the Series....... GO BOSOX!!! It was better than we could have ever expected. I don't think Jason could ever get sick of baseball........ the kido is addicted. Even though the baseball saga didn't come to a close until last night, I have to say WOW!!! Boston really surprised us. I am glad that the Rockies made it to the World Series, but I wish they would have put on a better show. Colin was oh so happy to see Boston win, but I think he was just in shock that the Rockies didn't win even one. A pretty wild sports weekend indeed.

Trying on the vests, Maggie will appreciate Jason's lack of pants.

Sunday was pretty layed back, there was a lot of football for the men to enjoy and as always went for another walk. So, the weekend ended pretty much as it began with sports on the mind. Now we are prepping for a short week. We are headed for M - town on Wednesday to go trick-or-treat, Colin is going hunting, and we get to spend my pops B-day with him. Yes, on Thursday, he turns the big 50. Colin will be hunting that day, but Jason and I get to spend the day with him and I am sure there will be a lot of adventures to report. Have a great week everyone. Happy Halloween!!! I don't know if I will get a chance to post the rest of this week, but you can be sure, I will have a ton to write on Monday of next week. Hopefully we can see the M-town Warners over the weekend, Jason is itching to show off his costume..... he even makes sound effects...... Take care everyone and enjoy...................

Oh Cool!!!

For the last few days, it hasn't seemed like we have done all that much around here. I am sad to report the snow all melted and it is supposed to be 72 today. We are so picky.......... ready for winter and want a lot of snow to play in. Hopefully we will get more soon and this warm weather will go away.

the last few days we have just been doing some needed maintenance..... cleaning the house...... cleaning the pellet stove......... the regular stuff. Jason even got his flu shot, so now all three of us are rip roaring and tearing for flu season. I have to say, Jason is much more tough than either Colin or I though. We got our shots on Saturday and both of us had sore arms up to yesterday...... today is much better. Jason had his this morning but still hasn't acted like it even hurts. That is my tough little man.

I have to say thanks to Colin for cleaning the chimney out. He went up the creaky old ladder and walked up on the roof like a pro, while the thought of heights made me queasy. Everything around here is hunky dory. Jason and I have spent most of our days playing and cleaning....... although cleaning usually turns into playing. Who knew vacuums could be soooooo much fun. Jason even helped clean the pellet stove. We took off all of the parts on the inside of the stove and got out the vacuum and brush. Both of us were covered in soot and Jason decided to create a new game........... find the drill bits. It probably sounds like more fun than it actually is. While I was cleaning away, he took all of the bits out of the tool box (probably 30 bits) and hid them around the house. When I began to look, Jason followed me around giggling. That is my little stink pot for you. After looking for 45 minutes, I had found them all. I don't think we will be playing that game any time soon.

Jason has also perfected his Dice-K impression........ Now if you say.... Do the Dice-K, he goes right into the wiggle. I love it. It brought good luck the the Bosox last series, lets keep our fingers crossed that it does the same this time. Another tallent he is perfecting is in the word department. Jason decided that his favorite word is "Cool"....... he loves it and has a few phrases that he likes to include it in...... "Oh that Cool"......."Way Cool Mom".........."Cool man, cool"....... and my all time favorite...."That not Cool"....... The funnies never stop here.

Have a great week everyone........... Hang in there Maggie, we are thinking about you. I will have more to post after our big play day today. It should be a blast. We are planning on doing nothing, but play and cook today. Can't wait to get started. Till next time.................

A white weekend

We have been waiting for snow. I watch the forecasts every day just anticipating that day when Jason could really play in some snow. There is a perfect hill in our back lawn for a little guy to sled and there is plenty of room to run. As the snow began to fall on Saturday, we knew we were getting our wish. The flakes were huge. Jason watched out the window wondering about that stuff falling to the ground and we kept on telling him that we would be out to play in it very soon. To pass the time, Colin and I got flu shots (they were giving them for free), we got groceries and then we watched some football and baseball. Bummer about the Cowboys but the Red Sox (Colin's all time favorite) made quite the showing. It wasn't until the next morning that we had enough snow to go and play in it. I will let the pictures tell the story.

Watching the snow fall.

Getting the snow gear on.

Ready MOM!!!!

WOOOOOO!!!!!!!HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Family portrait time.

GO GO BABY!!!!!

Mae was getting her attack on while Moe just wanted to ride so that she could get her feet out of the snow.

Going up the hill for another run.

The snow day was a success. We played for a while before coming back inside to warm up. Jason loved it so much. Hopefully we have enough snow this winter to do that on a regular basis.

After sledding and rolling in the snow, it was time to decorate pumpkins. I carved one and Jason colored both of them. I have to say, most of the marker ended up on Jason. It was a lot of fun and Jason didn't want to quit. The project last over 1 hour...... who knew Jason would have such a good attention span. When we started the project, Jason had to get his senses aligned (HA!HA!), the pictures will tell the tale.

Listening for the pumpkin noises.

Tasting the pumpkin.

Coloring....... Coloring....... Coloring.........

The finished product......... Mission Completion.

Once the coloring adventure came to an end, it was time for another basesball game and some football too (A Broncos fan never misses a game). The question to be answered...... Who will play the Rockies in the World Series.................. Colin was rooting for the Red Sox. What would be better than two of his favorite teams playing in the biggest baseball series there is? Can anyone say, torn. While watching the game, Jason saw Dice-K wind up his pitch......... He was oh so impressed by the arms above his head and the hip wiggle before he threw the ball, so he decided to do his own impression. The video says it all......................

Dice-K impression.

After the Red Sox won and the Broncos did their thing too, it was a complete weekend. We couldn't have asked for anything better. It was a blast and we look forward to many more snow days. Have a great week and enjoy..........................