Flag Football

The Vikings

Ryan and Brandon were so excited to start flag football again this year.  Their team name. .  The Vikings (they are NOT happy about that).  Practices have been two nights a week and then they have games every Saturday.  Nate has been helping out with the practices so the boys have enjoyed having "guy nights" on Mondays and Wednesdays. 

Brooklyn and I have enjoyed watching the games. . .maybe I should say I enjoy watching the games. . .Brooklyn seems to sleep through the whole game which disappoints the boys because they think she would REALLY like the game.  Oh, and I'm supposed to try to dress Brookie in purple so that she matches their team's jersey color. 

Anyway- the boys have improved a ton since last year.  Ryan enjoys playing quarterback.  Hmmmm. . imagine that. . .the boy who wants to be in control of all situations likes playing quarterback!  Brandon plays on defense and also loves to "hike the ball" to his brother.  

Hornet's Nest

So the boys discovered a HUGE hornet's nest in our tree in front of our house.  We showed it to Nate when he got home and I know that the minute he saw that thing he was freaking out.  A can of wasp killer was not going to do the job. . .greater measures were going to have to be taken to get rid of this thing.  Not an ideal situation when you're scared of bugs.  I know I shouldn't talk since I'm not the insect killer at this house, but funny nonetheless.

Nate came into the house and immediately started watching UTube videos with the boys about how to destroy a hornet's nest.  The boys particularly liked the video where the people clipped the nest into a garbage can, dumped in some gasoline, and started the whole thing on fire. 

Nate decided we would probably have to go the route of clipping the nest into the garbage can and then opening the lid a crack and spraying wasp spray into it.  Luckily, Nate's friend who had the tree limb clipper came over to help.  The boys got all suited up so they could help.  As soon as the hornet's started coming out of the nest, I had two little boys banging on the front door.  They finished watching from the front window, but declared Nate and his friend Ed. . .superheroes!!

These videos are funny. . .if you have time, watch them :)

Brooklyn at 1 Month

So, YES, I have been a total slacker and this is probably the picture that I have of Brooklyn around 1 Month old. I think I had a camera permanently glued to my hand when we had Ryan and Brandon, but with this baby I'm always wondering "Where's the camera?" and then I get busy with something and the moment escapes me.

It's funny because in my head I didn't think adding one more child to the family would have that much of an impact. . .I thought it would happen rather seamlessly, but I think because of the age gap between the boys and Brooklyn it's been a bit more difficult that I anticipated. We're thrown back into nap schedules, feedings, and a mommy who's been picking up all day after two messy boys while trying to do laundry and fix supper. 

We've had a lot of help and I'm so grateful for that. Our family has been extremely blessed by our amazing church family. They've helped me out tremendously with meals so that I have more time take care of Brooklyn. Nate's mom, grandma, and aunt have been coming over to help keep up with cleaning.

What's new with Brookie?

• She eats every three hours; day and night.
• She simply goes to sleep if there is too much action around her. Getting passed around too much or seeing too many faces results in a complete shutdown at this point. It's pretty fun for whoever is holding her though because she'll just cuddle up in your arms and sleep away.

Brooklyn's Baptism

Auntie Jo and Uncle Josh with Brooklyn

Grandma and Grandpa

Brooklyn was baptized at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church on September 28, 2011. A new life being given the gift of faith through the beautiful blessing of baptism. What a truly special day!! Knowing that your child is entrusted to God is such a joyous feeling.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

What did we do when Grandma and Grandpa came in September?

• Snuggled and cuddled with Brooklyn
• Took flag football pictures and played with Nerf guns in a dart zone
• Went for a motorcycle ride (Nate, Grandma, and Grandpa)
• Threw Grandma a birthday party
• Baptized Brooklyn
• Played Lego Creationary
• Took McDonald's to school and ate with Ryan and Brandon

A Look at Ryan at the start of 1st Grade

• Easy-going. . .Ryan is a happy, go-with-the flow kind of kid. He has a great attitude (unless he's really tired!)
• Wants to be in control ALL the time. . .this may come from being the oldest (by 6 minutes), but Ryan wants to control all situations and be the boss. Most of the time Brandon is ok with this, but it can wear on Bran's nerves after a while. Ryan has also decided he wants to be the boss of me too. . .that doesn't go over so well.
• Favorite color is still blue. . .He picked out all blue shirts when we went Back-to-School shopping.
• Wants to be EXACTLY like his dad. Ryan has always gravitated a bit more toward Nate, but just this past year Dad is WAY cooler than Mom.
• LOVES being a big brother. Ryan loves to help with Brooklyn and is a great help to me when I need it.
• When asked to make a decision, Ryan will make his choice and then ask, "What did my brother pick?"

A Look at Brandon at the start of 1st Grade.....

• Is all about having fun!! Brandon is always up for a good time as long as he's playing with friends, swimming, boating, or playing sports.
• Has already lost 8 teeth. He must be the richest kid on the block :)
• Favorite color is still red. I'm not sure this will ever change. I took the boys school shopping and Brandon came back with an entire pile of red clothes.
• Loves a good joke.
• Enjoys football and soccer. . .Brandon attended our church soccer camp this summer and he's now in flag football.
• When asked to make a decision, Brandon always answers with "What did my brother pick?" and then Bran makes his choice (usually the same one as Ry).
• Makes friends easily, but has a little bit of anxiety about new situations.
• Drama Boy. . .Brandon still seems to need a great deal of attention when he hurts himself, doesn't get his way, or is being bossed around by his brother.
• More of a follower. . .Bran definitely let's Ryan take the lead, but Bran often gets frustrated when he's pushed around too much and then WATCH OUT!!!! It's not a pretty sight.
• Very Passionate. . .When Brandon is super excited about something you can tell. He starts talking really fast with the biggest smile on his face and then his voice gets louder and louder.
• Although Bran still usually comes to Mom first, he's growing up and wants to hang out with dad a whole lot more. Pretty soon. . .I'm gonna get ditched!