10 years....

Nicole and I at Mandarin Lounge for Reunion


Holding Elijah (less than 24 hrs old)



Sadie picking daisies with 'Great Gram' as she called her



Asher likes the hydrangeas

my fish!

Ella and Asher:)

watching Hermes at Debbie's clinic

The kids and I made the ever familiar KC to STL trek last week. The reason for going to St. Louis was to attend my 10 year high school reunion, with the added bonus of seeing family and friends:) We had a great trip and here are some of the highlights-

*spending 1.5 hours at BJ's moms vet clinic 'My Zoo' in Columbia where Sadie walked (dragged) a ferret on a leash and the kids enjoyed playing with (tormenting) Hermes the tortoise.

*meeting baby Nicholas!! My cousin Laura's 1 week old sweet baby boy! At this stop my kids played with her 3 year old, Brendan, in his great play room:)

*swimming, swimming, swimming, in my parents lovely in-ground pool. The kids love playing at Nana and Papa's.

*a visit from college buddy, Nichole, which included a walk to the Malt shop, trying on dresses for weddings, and sweet kisses between her niece Ella and Asher!!!

*a morning with my Grams and her oasis of a backyard, my kids getting into everything in her house (they like the 1960's Barbie stuff), and eating Grams delicious chicken salad and strawberry pie

*shopping trip to Kohls with my mama to find a great dress then famous footwear for amazing shoes (which were more than I ever pay for shoes, but hey, they will last forever, actually came in my size, and are super cute)

*trip down to Jefferson County for dinner at Bandana's with the fam, my 'Meet and Greet' at O'Aces for part of the reunion weekend where I talked to people I literally hadn't for 10 years!, then a chocolate grasshopper snowball at S-n-J's!!!

*Alison (BJ's sis) had baby Elijah Friday night at 11:54!!! I got to see him for awhile on Saturday and cuddle him, talk to him the way that people only talk to newborns, and spend time with BJ's family:) I am so excited to be an aunt!!

*The Melting Pot in Granite City, Illinois with Mom, Lace, grandma Marcia, and my kids where we wandered through booths filled with creative peoples handiwork! Sadie and Asher got a duct tape rose, Sadie got a headband with crocheted flower, some gently used books, lots of suckers, listened to talented musicians, then ate at a local pizzeria.

* The 10 year reunion at Mandarin Lounge in Central West End.....very classy and the weather was perfect! It was so great to see the people that I did not keep in contact with and of course always more comfortable chatting with your closer friends. So glad that Nicole 'Trumbo' Spradley and I went together. Was sad that nobody danced, but enjoyed the nacho/taco bar and the playlist that sounded like it came straight from highschool.

*on the drive back to KC on Sunday the kids and I spent time at BJ's parents house and got to eat lunch with them and see the horses. The kids also like to play with Molly's old toys:)

So there you have it! We were very happy to be back home and spend time with BJ last night. The kids light up when they see him:)

crasher asher

Our little guy is at the age where he is always crashing into things!! 2 weeks ago he had a shiner and cut on his right eye after hitting the edge of the bathtub wall and right now he has a scrape on his forehead from tripping and falling on concrete at the park today! It seems as though he has a scrape or bruise somewhere on his body at all times (usually somewhere on his face).

Asher is such a round little thing.....big, blue round eyes, round buddha belly, round chubby feet, nice round head, and he still has kankles:)

Even though he is more of a toddler than a baby, he still likes to snuggle and I enjoy our quiet times of reading a book and singing a song before nap and bedtime. Normally though, he is on the go! Asher has entered his 'billygoat' stage where he likes to climb up on everything!!! I was out of the kitchen for 30 seconds the other day and when I came back he was on the kitchen table! I then realize he is strong enough to push our heavy wooden chairs away from the table all by himself, even better if sis left it pulled out, and then heaves his way up onto that chair and then the table if he is lucky enough and mom isn't right there:) Or he likes to climb up on the kid-sized card table by our front window and look out onto the cul-de-sac like the neighberhood watch.

Poor little guy got about 10 teeth in the past 2 months...whew! We had some rough nights and some very, very crabby moments, but I think we are through. Hopefully his incisor will come in without so much of a fuss! He has also been very clingy to mommy, especially in large groups of people. We had a large Memorial Day BBQ (30ish people) and he would not leave my side and crabbed a whole lot, then at another large get together this past week he was pretty clingy and irritable. And his other new 'not so fun' behavior is being SUPER jealous of Sadie! She still likes to cuddle up on my lap and have me read to her, but he wants none of that!! He immediately starts to cry and tries to pull her off of me and then there is the hair pulling and biting that has occurred:( I admit she isn't always the best at sharing, but poor thing has been bit by him 3 times. whew....the adventures of mommyhood!

Of course our little guy brings us so much joy! He LOVES music and claps or dancing immediately when he hears it. His new favorite is a Sesame Street dance-along video where he loves Big Bird and the 'Oinker Sisters' song 'I've got a new way to walk' and Asher walks around stomping one foot really high. It is adorable:) He loves saying 'uh-oh' and 'dog' and calls me, BJ, and his blankie 'mama', he knows the word food and bath (both things he loves), and I swear he said Elmo yesterday.

Asher Michael is such a sweet little boy and I couldn't imagine life without him!!! He will be 16 months tomorrow and I love this stage of life with him:)