Merry Christmas!!

Opening a gift from his aunt N.

I know this post is a little late in coming, but we have been very busy! Last week it seemed all we did was go, go, go! But as the year comes to end we are enjoying a little more family time. C was laid off for the week, and all though its not good for the budget its great for me and Z! We miss him when he is gone at work all day! So for the rest of this year (isn't that still fun to say even as we get older?) at least he will be home!
So last week was Christmas and it was great! We started off Christmas eve at my parents house for the Johnson family Christmas, which i always love because i don't get to see any of them nearly often enough. Z had a blast playing with his cousins, and it was the first time as the last time he saw them it was Easter and he wasn't really at an age where he could play yet so this we a real thrill for him. We didn't get home until late (close to midnight) so it was right to bed until Christmas morning! This was the first year that C and i have ever done Christmas morning just us and Z of course, so it was really fun. We all had breakfast and then tore into the presents =) I am a huge fan of Christmas and a giver at that so C and Z made out like bandits! I got a couple of great gifts from my wonderful husband too which i am very grateful for. I got an ihome this year so i finally have a radio! i am very big on having some kind of background noise on nearly all the time so for the longest time it has been the TV but now we are listening to alot more music and Z loves to dance! We spent the whole day together which was my favorite gift of all! The next day i cleaned and packed to get ready to head down to C's parents for the weekend. That was a blast as always! I got to finish an entire book! Have i mentioned how much i love my mother in law? She is really great! Z also had his first ice cream cone down there which you can tell by the pic below he loved!

Enjoying some ice cream...

The kiddo also got some quality time in with his puppies =) all in all it was an amazing Christmas spent with an even more amazing family.

Christmas~time is Here...

This past weekend we went to my parents house for Christmas, and it was great! My mom and i shopped in TC until about 9pm which is funny if you know that we planned on being back to her house by about 1 or 2 in the afternoon.. haha.. But we had a blast! Z did great, we rented one of those cars at the mall and he rode in that nearly the whole time, when he got crabby i let him watch The Backyardigans on my Ipod which i had handy just for that reason. It was so cute that we decided to take a picture, which we immediately got in trouble for, turns out you can't take pictures in the mall, especially in front of the jewelry stores! oops. =) we did get the shot though but its on my moms camera.. After a while Z fell asleep which was so funny because he was still sitting straight up, i had to put my moms jacket next to him and lean him over so he could really sleep. Too cute.

After we got back we wrapped all the presents and had some great family time. I miss that, we don't really get to see my family all that often. The next morning we woke up and had a great family breakfast (with only a few mishaps..) then we opened presents! I love watching the joy on everyones faces when they see what they got. Its not just about getting stuff to me, its about seeing what the other person thinks you would like, i really put alot of thought into gifts that i give most of the time. Its a reflection of a lot of things to me. But i did get some really great things (thanks family =) And i was just overall very blessed to get spend time with my mom and dad, and my sister and future brother in law, and of course my amazing husband and my hilariously adorable son.

Above are a couple of the family photos we took. Every year i like to try and get a few, whether or not they turn out is a whole different story... getting everyone outside, dressed nice, and looking happy is something like pulling teeth i would imagine.. haha..

Zeke

Just a couple of shots of Z i thought were too cute to pass up =)

Just a quick update to let you know that i have not in fact fallen off the face of the planet =)
Things are getting better around here, i am getting better.. well emotionally anyways.. I am so thankful for the wonderful family that i have and the great friends that i get to spend my time with. Things could be ALOT worse that's for sure.. so thanks to all of you who have taken the time just to care, it means more to me than you know.
On to better things, the kiddo has a new favorite person (?) and word, Elmo.. couldn't come at a better time actually as i let C talk me into getting him the Elmo Live for Christmas, he actually chose to watch an Elmo DVD [that we borrowed from our wonderful neighbor] over Sponge bob, which is a HUGE deal! haha, I'm actually pretty excited that he is choosing the more educational show for once! Oh something that i am pretty excited about and anyone who doesn't like TV as much as i do look away now, i am going to get a Tivo for us, i really took time to think about it, which i never do... and decided that i would be a good investment for us. Now there will be no more arguments over me choosing TV over other things (to be fair its not all TV in general, i just have my shows and i don't like to miss them... ) and i can save the educational cartoons for Z so that if he really wants to watch something when nothing is on then i am set! Okay i really ought to get off here since this was just supposed to be a quick update! And we are going to be running late for Church!

Oh the weather outside is frightful....

It has been snowing here almost non-stop it seems.. The first few days of snow were wonderful, we were able to go out and play in the snow and the kids and i both loved it! However, this week (and the week before...) we have not been able to go out at all, we have tried, but the poor kiddos can't walk in such deep snow so they fall face first and get mad because they can't get up in all their snow gear! (sound familiar?) It would be so funny to watch if they weren't so mad about it! So we have been spending most of our days inside.. okay all of our days! We were able to make it out to the library the other day but other than some weekend shopping we have cooped up in this house for too long! I think it may be starting to get to me... i have been pretty restless this week,,, i have the urge to just run.. However Doctors orders are i must rest.... that's a while different story that i would write about if i even knew what the heck was going on! however.. i don't... but i will let you all know as soon as i do.. whenever that may be..... So for now i am off to talk with my husband, at least if i am going to be inside i can have some adult conversation!

Busy Days....

I can't believe it has been a month since i have been on here! I guess we've just been busy!! Doing alot of Christmas shopping, which i love! some people don't care for it but i find nothing more enjoyable than being able to pick out the perfect gift for someone i love. Shopping for Z has been a blast too, i know we are overdoing it and i don't care! Is that bad? haha.. i just want to be able to give my son everything, and since i know that we will have more (at least one) kids in the future i know most of the stuff will get tons of use! I have had all my decorations up since just before Thanksgiving and my tree up since the day after... I love the holidays!!

Thanksgiving was not what i was really hoping for but at least we got to see family. I had really hoped to be able to see my family this year but no such luck, however i do love my in-laws very much so it was still a good holiday.. My mother in law bought a HUGE turkey to feed 4 people and a toddler and made a roast to go with it! However since we did celebrate at our house i got to do at least some of the cooking!!! (if you knew my mother in law you would know what a treat that is =) The following day we were able to visit with my brother in law and his fiance which was nice, J and i went to TC and did some shopping which i can never get enough of!! Then Sunday we went out and got our Christmas tree! I think i will take a cue from a dear friend (yes you =) and post a picture on here, that is if i can get my son to leave the decorations alone!!! The first few days he did very well just looking, but as time goes on he becomes bolder and now he will just look at me and pull them off!! So none are in the same place as i put them! Oh well, someday i am sure i will look back and wish he was still that small... He is just getting so big and getting to the point where he is adding words to his vocabulary at least every week, the other day C and i took him to the library and he said Bee & Bird, He also started bending his knees a little and saying ready then running all the way across the room, it is hilarious! Oh he also closes his eyes super tight now when he is being shy or nervous, or if you tell him its time for "night night" but only if he is super tired.. The other day i had a Doc. appt and i took him with me, when they had to take my blood pressure Z got so mad at the lady he was screaming and hitting her and trying to take off the cuff, it was adorable! haha, he was trying to protect his mommy,, My sweet boy! He is just the greatest.

18 months..

Somehow we went from this,

To this, in only 18 short months.

Z had his 18 month check up yesterday and he is doing great! He weighed in at 23lbs 10 1/2 oz and 32 3/8 inches.. Oh and just for the record, he is in the 20th percentile for weight, 50th for height, and 60th for his head..He has always had a big head. =) He had to have a couple shots, which i hate only because now i have to hold him still.. It gives me flashbacks from when i was a kid, i specifically remember getting out of the room and running down the hall before someone caught me then my mom holding me.. I wasn't a big fan of the needle.. Then i grew up and i now i give blood on a regular basis.. haha.. how things have changed! I just can't believe that my little baby boy is already 18 months old. They love him at the doctors office, other than crying when he gets poked he is just a little (okay big) bundle of smiles and laughs for the nurses and the doctor! Oh he does have eczema which is no good..Its just one little spot behind his knee, But we picked up some eucerin creme on the way home and C put it on last night and it already looks 90% better!

Here Comes the Snow!

The Snow is officially here!!! And we are having the time of our lives!! Z and R and I have been outside sledding for the past two days, and could not be having more fun! These two love the snow! The little hill outside our house it turning out to be one of the best things about this place, in the spring and summer when Z was too small to listen it kept him from going too far away and now that winter is here it is proving to be the perfect sledding hill for the kiddos! It's just the right height that they can climb all the way up and slide down all on their own.. However we only have one sled so that is on the list of things we need now, i would like to have a couple more so that when we have play dates everyone can sled, I also need to find some snow pants for Z, he has been going out in jeans the past two days i just have to limit the time we are out there and change his pants as soon as we get inside! Its still worth it though! And nap time seems to be lasting a little longer too! Other than the snow fun we have been having there are no other updates.. Z has his 18month checkup this week which i am not looking forward to.. But other than that we are just having fun!

Playground Fun...

Just a couple more pictures from out adventures outside before the snow... There is little playground just a short walk from the house that up until a couple months ago didn't really offer much for the kiddos, but as they have gotten bigger they can now hold their own and play with the bigger kids... But the favorite is the slide!

The last of the snowfree days...

The snow is officially here!!! I Love Snow! There is after all a reason (aside from all my lovely friends and family) that i live here! But before we get into that i wanted to share a few pics from the last couple of weeks when we had the most amazing weather, all leading up of course to snow.. =) Z and i were lucky enough to make it to the park a couple of times and the lighting was just right for some really great pictures.. I didn't get all the shots i wanted but it was tons of fun none the less! Z is really discovering his love of swings and slides,, a little too late i am afraid but there is all sorts of new stuff to look forward to! But for now i think all he wants is some lunch so i am off to cook!

A walk in the park..

A couple of weeks ago we decided to start taking weekly walks down by the waterfront, it didn't last long because the cold came too fast, but it was still fun! Z is so great about staying with us (most of the time) and we had some great photo ops =) The one of us under the willow tree is my absolute favorite! I love willow trees, when we do eventually buy a house we will have to have one, even if i have to plant it myself.. And as anyone who knows me knows, i am not much of a gardener... haha..

So on our first walk through the park, Z had his first drink from a water fountain which was the most adorable thing ever, he loved it! C took a video of it but you don't get to see Z smile and laugh after he gets some water..

Hayride at Bills

I guess you could call this a belated blog.. =) We took Z on his first ever hayride last month!! It was so much fun! We Got there just in time to hop on the wagon and i expected Z to run around like a mad man but he was so good! He sat on mine and C's laps through almost the whole thing and he kept looking around checking out the beautiful scenery, and it was beautiful! We even got to stop and see some cows which Z loved! When we got back to the farmers market Z got to pick out a pumpkin and have some apple cider. He loved it there, actually we all did.. It was just so much fun for something so simple. I think it will be a yearly tradition now! I only ever went a couple of times as a kid that i remember anyways. Check back soon for more on our adventures!

Oh how time flies...

This is a pic from our hayride which i promise to write all about tomorrow!

I feel like it has been forever since i have had a chance to get on here... Time really does fly.. (and i am having fun =) We all got sick, again, some kind of stomach bug.. i would not wish that on anyone,, it was awful enough for me but i felt even worse for Z.. Poor kiddo.. But we are all better now!! Gearing up for the holiday season!! YAY! I am the BIGGEST fan of Christmas!! I look forward to it all year! Maybe even more than summer which is really saying something because i do love summer! I can't believe we already have snow on the ground.. It always makes me so excited! At the same time i am nervous because that also means a whole lot of time inside with the kiddos.. at least this year we can go out, even if just for short periods of time... I am looking forward to taking the kids sledding down the hill and teaching them how to make snowmen! And i am resisting every urge to get my Christmas decorations out,, which is not easy when i see the snow.. But i have a tradition that i like to keep,, the day after Thanksgiving we always go and get our tree then i decorate it.. I think when Z gets old enough that he would be able to help that i will have to get him his own tree to decorate,,, ha ha,, i am just too picky for my own good... it only took C a couple of years before he figured out i would rather do it all on my own...

But before all the wonderfulness of Christmas, we have Thanksgiving! I really feel that it should be all about the big family get together but this year we are doing it here, and it will just be us and C's parents.. not all that exciting but i am grateful for the family that we can be with. The next day though, we will be headed up for the sault to visit with A & J (my brother in law and his fiance). Oh on a side note, no more Mexico trip for us =( A & J decided to get married here instead, because her father couldn't make the trip.. Which from a financial standpoint its a relief but at the same time i am still bummed.. Okay, i had better get some reading time in before the kiddos get up from naps and the chaos starts all over again! But i will be back tomorrow.. i always forget how much i enjoy this until i get back to it!

.....

So its been a long couple of weeks, since C got out of the hospital we have all gotten sick, C a few different times.. Then we were just exhausted.. But things are starting to pick up again and with them my mood! We went to our first ever wed night service at Harbor Light and we really enjoyed it! I wasn't sure what to expect but it was very small and they had several groups for discussion at the end which i didn't really get into too much but i think i will be able to warm up a little more over the next few weeks as we plan to go every week now. Oh and they had nursery for Z which i love! They open up two rooms so there is tons of space to play and there were quite a few other kids in there which made it all the better for Z, he really needs to spend time with other kids, he does see R almost every weekday now but she is more like a sister at this point so the excitement comes and goes.... Z did start doing something new though, he holds his finger up to his lips and goes shhhh... =) too cute, he learned that from Lorelei a little girl he has play dates with every once in a while.. they are only two days apart so they are very close in alot of things.. All though she talks alot more than Z, he knows words but he just chooses not to say them.. It drives me crazy! I am too much of a worrier... i need to work on that! Anyways things are going very well and i feel like they are just going to keep getting better!!!

A Beautiful Mess

The kiddo cleaning up one of the many messes we face....

Beautiful..,, That's a word that i have a hard time relating with... but i am getting better... And i am working on finding that beauty in all the messes that currently rule my life, but such is my life with a little one i guess,, =)

My newest goal is to get the kiddos and myself outside as much as possible this next couple of months, which i think will be great for all of us. Oh and speaking of goals, (i know i am all over the place here...) I am so close to hitting my first weight loss goal!! I am so excited and proud of myself, and taking the advice of a friend i plan to celebrate as soon as i hit that goal!

Hmmmm... lets see.. normally i feel like i have too much to say and right now i am just feeling content... which is a very nice quiet time.. and i think i will go and enjoy it!

Trips to the library....

Here we are!

Picking out some books...

Reading..

So right now one of our favorite things to do is to take trips to the library, i wish we could go more often, Z and i both love it! Its such a great chance to get out of the house and see some new things. Not to mention we both LOVE to read! I love that he gets that from me! This sweet little boy will sit in his room in his "reading corner" which is made up of a little shelf full of books and an elephant chair i got him a while ago, and read until he has looked through all his books. Its so much fun to watch! So it only makes sense for us to go get some new ones every once in a while.. and so we do! Our first stop is always the kids area where he plays, picks out a few books, and then reads some. Then we head upstairs so mommy can pick out a couple too! Not that i always get the time to read them but knowing that i have them always makes me feel happy.. I am one of those people who just loves books, i will actually run my hand down the row and just pick up whatever and read it cover to cover.. most of the time.. if its incredibly dull then never mind.. =D So there it is, i hope that over the years Z continues to love reading as much as he does now!

First Trip to the Dentist!!!

Zeke has officially made his first trip to the dentist! He did so great!! I don't think i could have been more proud! And of course the good news is his teeth are just as wonderful as they look in that handsome little smile he gives. After we went to the dentist we took went out to lunch with B and my mom which turned out to be a little stressful as the little man of the hour was getting a little tired.. but still fun =D after lunch we took a walk downtown and had some ice cream and went into the toy store which Z loved. We also found him a little hat that he wears nearly everyday now. It just too cute.. all in all it was a great day! I am so greatful for the wonderful people in my life who make these little outings possible. Thank you all, i love you! Well now the day is done and my little man is ready for bed time so off we go to bed......

My Love

Can i just say a few words about the amazing man that i call my husband? I can not believe that i am so blessed, he may drive me up the wall some days (okay sometimes most days =D ) but he always makes sure that i know that he loves me. I am not the most secure of people, God knows, but he always makes sure that i know that i am loved and wanted and beautiful, even though i truly do not believe it these days, when he says it i almost do.. Anyways i have to get dinner started since we have a ton to do tonight but i just have been thinking alot the past couple days how lucky i am and i needed to say it out loud, later tonight i will give updates on what else we have been up to, busy busy!

Words

So yesterday i was standing in the entryway and as A and R were leaving and i said bye bye and Z copied me! That was another first!! It seems that this whole talking thing is just going to happen all at once and it is so much fun! Z just walks around talking all day long.. i love it! The other night we were getting ready to put the little one down for bed and he ran away and grabbed his sunglasses and brought them to C to put them on (so cute by the way because when he wants something he will bring it to you and say ughh, with kinda a question like inflection) after C put them on he said "yeah dude" and i swear Z said it too! That's the way his talking has been going lately its sounds more like real words and less babel. Too Cute.

As for me, i went out with a couple girlfriends the other night which was wonderful, we had some great experiences. I am going to miss them so much when they are gone... then last night we had a couple drinks with some friends that turned out to be quite an experience.. and tonight C and i are going out with another couple for a double date! I love this, my whole mood has lifted and i feel so great! Oh and the gym finished moving so i went yesterday and plan to go every weekday for the next few months at least! I have started pushing myself a little more so i am incredibly sore but its the good kind! I love this feeling. I love that we can do this in the summer.. i think that God gave me a love of Christmas just so i can get through those long winter months, although i think that is probably true of alot of people!

Summer Sun

Unfortunately our gym is in the process of moving and i am finding out that i feel much better on the days that i get to go, However we are trying to get out a little more which has made somewhat of an impact. This past weekend we spent 3 days at C's parents house, Which is always fun but it did rain all day the second day and didn't clear up the third day until we left! It was still nice to see the family though. Oh and we have the date now for the wedding (A&J) March 5th we are going to be in MEXICO! It will be the first time i have ever left the country unless you count that one trip through Canada (i don't)... So lets see,, Oh how do i forget the best thing of all?? Z started talking this weekend!! So far he has said mama, daddy, and hi but this weekend he added in ball and doggy, which was so amazing to me! I was actually starting to get worried as he is almost 15 months now and hadn't really started talking but we were down by the pond this weekend with the dogs and there was tennis ball laying on the ground Z walked over to it, pointed and said Ball. Then he picked it up and said it over and over again! The most amazing part was that he knew what it was! I am just so proud! =D Oh and he walks up the the dogs and points and says doggy they proceeds to have a lengthy conversation with them.

Spin in circles

Z's new favorite thing to do is spin in circles then stand still and watch the room spin, repeat over and over again for hours of fun. Its hilarious to watch.. and to join in on sometimes =) He is such a little goof. So today we are off to the beach! We almost had a scare and thought C was going to have to work but thank God he declined, so we do get to get out of the house today!! Z just went down for his nap so i think i am going to clean up a little then pack so we are ready to go! Oh that reminds me i need to charge the camera battery!! I am so looking forward to this trip! Lets see... Oh my mom got herself a kitten who just happens to be absolutely adorable!! His name is Mr. Wickett, how cute is that? She and my dad stopped over last night for a few minutes so Z could see Mr. W, it was so much fun to watch, Z would pinch his nose and then try to pet him, and when he got down Z kept walking up and talking to him.. too funny. This is his first time ever seeing a kitten and i think he liked it!

There are no words

No really there are none.. This little boy is just the most amazing gift. It really doesn't matter how down i am (and i am alot these days...) He can always make me smile! He is just such a little goof ball! Right now he is taking a nap so i can have a few mins of quiet which i quite enjoy.... although it gets boring kinda fast,,, haha... So lets see there are no real updates here. We haven't done much... This in itself could be the reason for this lingering depression.. But we have plans which is something! This weekend we are off to the beach just the three of us which should be alot of fun.. We had a blast last time although Zeke has a thing for eating the sand so that tends to be a little bit to handle.. And this time i plan to have the battery on the camera charged so we can actually get some pictures! Oh and i have been going to the gym at least every other day which has been great, we go at night (so we don't have to leave the kiddos with a sitter) And the guy that works there is really great, he has helped us with all the equipment we use and given us tons of great tips. So far i feel the same.. But i am still hoping!! Its gonna be ALOT of work i know that but i figure at least i am taking steps to get there, and the good news is that since i have started already when we do decide to get pregnant i can continue to work out throughout and that should make a HUGE difference!! Oh one more thing, no luck on the house hunt, did i mention that we are house hunting?? Well we looked at one that certainly had promise but it would have required and addition that we just don't want to have to do.. it was a great house though.. i think until we do find something it will always kinda be on the back burner..

A Day at the Beach

This was the weekend i have been needing! We went to the beach with a couple of friends and their little girl (she is 2months younger than Z) And i got to watch my husband and son dig what i am sure will be the first of many giant holes together =D , We all went swimming, And C and i went for a walk downtown with the lil man. Oh and i also took Z to the farmers market! I have been wanting to go forever but something always comes up and we never get to go! This was a fun trip though because i turned my back for a second and the little man swiped and apricot! He then took a bite and tried to put it back! I gave it back to him and he proceeded to eat the whole thing!! I guess i just never even thought he would like them... Turns out they are a new fav! It was just a great weekend where we actually got to get out of the house. Normally we don't do alot because C works all week and when the weekend comes he is ready for some downtime, meaning not running around as i would love to do!

First Time

This is my first ever Blog! Its actually kind of exciting!! I have such a wonderful life and so many things to say about it! This Morning was very slow Z (my son) C (my husband) and i all got up early. I made breakfast and lunch for C and he was off to work.. Meanwhile Z and i just layed around and watched cartoons, rainy days make that too easy!! Z is down for what i hope to be a long nap so i can take a quick shower today! (No one tells you how much you will truly appreciate a shower after you have a baby!) Which by the way we are talking about having another, Z is already 14months old and he needs someone to play with on the days that i don't watch R. First though the big thing is finding a house to buy, which reminds me i should call the realtor today,,,, After we find a house and have the space we plan to try. I am really hoping for a girl but at the same time i would love to have two boys to play together!!