THE BARBERS

laugh

2012-02-15T12:50:00.000-08:00

I came across this today...I liked it. :)

a funny for your monday

2012-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Just a funny from the Barber household for your Monday...

This morning when Keatin woke up, she stumbled out to the kitchen with her blankets. I scooped her up, gave her some hugs, and said "good morning." She was cuddling on my shoulder and below is the conversation that followed.

K - (whispering) Hey mom, you know what I was doing in my bed?
M - What honey? (thinking she was going to say sleeping or laying quiet or something like that)
K - Tooting. (big smile)

I died laughing. :) Josh told her that was a good spot to do her tooting. :)

wow

2012-02-11T12:43:00.001-08:00

If you have children...or work with children...or even if neither apply to you, go to this site - wow! :)

http://childsown.wordpress.com/

(hi)

2012-02-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

WILL...

...and KEATIN...

...just wanted to say hi. :)

snowy omaha

2012-02-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Now that it is almost a week ago, I am FINALLY getting the pictures up...urgh, that just describes my week!

We were in snowy Omaha last weekend...G'ma Barber had a BIG, BIG birthday we needed to celebrate. :)

And while we were there, it snowed...and snowed...and snowed! Like 10 inches worth of snow!

Keatin didn't mind at all - she was able to play outside 3 different times! We had to cancel/reschedule some of our birthday plans, but everything worked out great in the end.

We stayed at Jen & Joey's house, but headed over to Bri & Tyler's house on Saturday morning for a birthday breakfast...and of course, to play in the snow. While daddy, grandma, Bri, Tyler, and Keatin were outside building a snowman...

...Will and I watched from the window.

Grandpa Barber came stayed inside for the most part as well, and even let Will try on his hat. Handsome boy, huh? :)

Jen & Joey have a big bay window in their living room...a perfect spot for coloring. :)

As Will was napping on Sunday morning, Keatin insisted on heading back outside...and shoveling...like she wanted to shovel. Who WANTS to shovel? :)

Jen, Joey, and Keatin played outside for probably 45 minutes! They shoveled...

...threw snow...

...and even buried Joey in the snow!

Not sure if it was the aunt or uncle, but later Keatin told me her favorite part of our trip was licking the snow...hmm, who showed her that. :)

We had a great weekend - we were 4 tired puppies Sunday night!

[words to live by]

2012-02-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

I feel like this week has just been SO busy...and I am tired! Kids, both at school and at home, have been very draining.

I have pictures to upload, but Blogger is being a little stinker...will work more on that tonight.

Until then, I came across the following...and it was just what I needed. :)

Words to Live By

Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.

It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only God knows what is best for you.

Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not give up when you have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
It is fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been,
but also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

weekend

2012-01-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Friday evening...5:30ish

Saturday, 12:00 pm

Saturday, 4:30 pm (Valley West Mall, Des Moines)

(Those pictures are the epitome of Will...babbling and LOUD! Kind of looks like a little lion.)

Sunday, 5:00 pm

(Keatin is honestly a GREAT big sister...but every once in awhile, things are TOO quiet...and we find things like this.)

(His daddy's son.) :)

[saturday]

2012-01-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

We had a nice Saturday...

Josh had to work until noon, so Keatin, Will, and I did some good playing in the morning.

Keatin is still loving on her dolls...

...and who doesn't love jumping on your bed when your mommy is changing the sheets??? Will had a blast trying to jump...or walk for that matter. :)

Saturday afternoon, we decided it was time to test out the snow and go sledding. We "tested" the baby sled inside first...Will was thinking he would like this sledding business...

...and I know he looks a bit unsure in this picture but let me tell you what, he LOVED it! I honestly had to drag him inside arching his back and crying after his poor little cheeks were freezing cold!

Keatin went down a few times, but she wasn't a huge fan.

And here is our sledding king! Being the mom...I, of course, thought this was too dangerous for Will to do by himself. Josh assured me he would be fine...this baby sled doesn't tip...and Will LOVED it! Not a lie when I say he went down the hill 5-7 times all by himself!

walkin' will

2012-01-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what a few days can do when you are learning to walk!

This man is on the move...and Josh and I decided yesterday that we can "officially" say Will is walking. YIKES!

Josh, Keatin, and I were sitting at the kitchen table yesterday and Will was in the living room. I could hear him coming around the corner, down the hall...walking the whole way. It was a flashback to the first time I remember him CRAWLING around that same corner.

Sometimes I get that lump in my throat thinking about how fast my babies are getting "big"...but then I smile. :) I L-O-V-E being their mom. :)

getting close

2012-01-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

The Barber residence will soon have 2 children walking around...ah! :)

blocks & bearcats

2012-01-16T19:34:00.001-08:00

Happy Snowy Tuesday! Woke up to some snow this morning...it is probably only 2-3 inches, but this is the most we have had this winter.

Keatin and Will are still LOVING the blocks they got for Christmas from G & G Petersen. We spend lots of nights building things around Keatin, listening to Will cry while we make him wait, and then letting Will knock them all down with a smile on his face. :)

On Saturday morning, we headed to Maryville, MO to watch the Northwest Missouri State men's basketball game. Our good friend Ben is the head coach, and Josh has really been wanting to make a game. It is about a 3 hour trip...we had to make 2 quick stops on the way down, but the kids were AWESOME travelers. :) We were able to hang out and play with Ben's 2 sons, Peyton & Tate, and his wife Michelle for several hours before the game. At the game, the kids really did great as well...and the Bearcats won, so yipee!

Will was mesmerized by all the action - he loved it!

Keatin does not like going to games at Hilton, but she really liked the Bearcats game - much smaller arena...

Tate - right before he fell asleep and slept the whole game.

Peyton & Keatin. :)

Back at the McCollums - Will loved the boys' little chairs!

Sunday morning, we all headed to church - check out Josh and Peyton...TWINS!

It was a great trip - thanks to the McCollums for having us!

what is better...

2012-01-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

...than reading a pink purse book with your big sister in a tent...

...or feeling happy enough to give a cheesy grin...

...or play peek-a-boo with your mama...

...or learning to eat yogurt like a big boy???

Ah - the simple things in life. :)

Birthday Party Bliss

2012-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you to our friend, Morgen, for having your 5th birthday...and because of your AWESOME party on Saturday afternoon, Keatin was in birthday party bliss. :)

As Keatin would say, "just the girls" headed to Morgen's party...which was held at the Cardinal Gymnastics Academy at ISU. Keatin was told to wear her comfy clothes...she picked her pink leotard, underwear and all. :) (I TRIED to convince her she could take her underwear off...she left it on...and it peeked out of her leotard the whole time - ha!) The party consisted of letting the kids loose inside the ISU gymnastics team work-out/training room. Two of the team members were on hand to supervise and help kids for an hour and then at the end, we all went to a meeting/conference room for cake and gifts. I will admit, I am new to the children's birthday party scene...but WOW - this was AWESOME! I am not kidding when I say Keatin ran around, on things, off things, into things, and across things for AN HOUR STRAIGHT. Her little face was lit up the whole time (can you tell I had a blast just watching her??) :) I am a dancer at heart, but I can tell why kids buy into this whole gymnastics scene.

As I tucked Keatin in for her nap this afternoon, she said:
"Mom, where is my leotard?"
"In the wash - it is all sweaty and dirty."
"Oh - Mom, on my birfday, I am going to wear my leotard." :)

Testing out one of the balance beams for the first time...

Running into the foam pit.

Loved the tramp once she got the hang of it. :)

Hanging on the uneven bars.

Whew! Sitting still for a picture. :)

Cupcake time...notice the frosting to cupcake ratio - ha!

And this guy...not kidding folks, may be walking by the end of the week. This morning, he stood himself up in the middle of the kitchen...just to stand there. And I was in my bedroom after lunch and Will was playing with Keatin's dollhouse in her room, he WALKED across the hallway to find me! Life is going to get PRETTY CRAZY around here! And just in case you were wondering...who needs toys??? If your mom has a kitchen washcloth/towel drawer, life is good. :)

[2011 to 2012]

2012-01-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

2011 was a year of...

new-ness - learning how to be a mom of TWO kids...SO GLAD I am, but whew - not always easy

sleepless nights

a family mini-van (still crazy to me...I swore I would never have one of those)

my baby getting BIG...and going to preschool...how did that happen???

same jobs, but changes in both positions...busy and stressful at times

celebrating 5 wonderful years of marriage

trip to Jamacia in July...with no kids...for 6 days...it was hard, but SO nice

newborn Will...to, according to my Baby Center weekly e-mails, "toddler" Will - YIKES!

sick kids

lots of walks and bike rides as a family

turning 30

Last weekend when my parents were here, my mom asked me what my resolutions were for 2012...and I honestly hadn't thought about it. My immediate response was maybe to run several 10K races...maybe even a 1/2 marathon??? And I would like to do those things (if my back and body will hold up)...but made me think even more...what do I want to strive for in 2012??

a still mind - at times, I am a worry-wart...anal...overthink...overplan...I would like a calm, still mind at those moments when worrying and stressing will do no good

a gracious heart - Lord knows, I have SO much to be grateful for in my life...and kind of going back to stressing too much...embracing a gracious heart and just being thankful for the good things I have

a positive outlook

patience...especially with my own children

kindness

wisdom...knowledge to help me be THE BEST wife, mom, friend, co-worker I can be

and maybe the completion of the ever-growing to-do list in my mind...or wait, that is me overplanning. :)

Truly, a happy 2012 to everyone! May it be a year filled of all the things that make you happy!

christmas on new years

2012-01-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

We had a belated Christmas celebration at our house over New Years weekend with G & G Petersen and Jen/Joey. It is so much fun to have family come to our house...it gets chaotic, but I LOVE how much my kids LOVE having them here!

Everyone rolled into town last Friday...just in time to see ISU lose their bowl game...boo. :( After supper, it was time for MORE PRESENTS! Pictures below. :)

This is Keatin's Tangled doll and matching dress-up dress...but Will LOVED crawling and sitting on the box...we saved the box (even when it was empty) all weekend long!

After presents, it was time for baths. Keatin always wants to read books after her bath...and on this night, she picked her main-man, Joey. :)

Watching funny you tube videos with Jen and Joey...

Eating snacks with Grandpa...

After everyone headed home on Sunday, we tested out the new block set Keatin and Will got from G & G Petersen...they are a hit! :)

"Hey everyone! Have a great night!"

good-bye

2011-12-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

On Monday, we said good-bye to all the grandmas and grandpas in Storm Lake and headed back to Ames. We really had a wonderful visit, but there is just something about heading home...being in your own house and sleeping in your own bed.

We gave Grandma Petersen some big hugs...

...and squeezed in a Petersen family photo (minus Jen & Joey, who we will see TOMORROW)!

Back in Ames, we unpacked, ate a yummy steak supper, and then...more presents to open! Getting a cute picture of these 2 together is getting more and more difficult... :)

Will was digging into his presents from mommy and daddy (new clothes)...

...and Keatin is loving her new/new-to-her present...her own computer (AKA - an old Mac with lots of preschool games from my principal/her daughters)! (Here she is opening the keyboard).

Ah - the best part of the day...clean, good-smelling, sleepy kids. :) Thanks G & G Barber for the matching jammies...we love them!

CHRISTMAS 2011

2011-12-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011 has come and gone...whew!

We had a wonderful time celebrating in Storm Lake with family...and are so lucky to be able to see both sets of grandparents in one trip...and not only see them, but they really are the greatest...and even though Keatin and Will are little, I ABSOLUTELY love the way Keatin's eyes light up and the way Will wiggles out of my arms when they see their grandparents.

Our Christmas Day was jam-packed and busy...but so fulfilling at the same time. I can say this is the first year I really saw Christmas through my children's eyes...or, for sure, Keatin's eyes. :)

It all started before 6 am when Keatin woke me up...but I convinced her to stay in bed until at least 6:09 am. :) We came racing out to see if Santa had come...and I am not joking when I say she just stood in front of the fireplace for 2 minutes, staring at her stocking and the partially eaten cookies/carrot...

...and once the shock wore off and we woke everyone else up, there were presents to be opened...

...and leftover food to be eaten - ha! :)

Santa was SO smart...he knew Keatin would love a Tangled Rapunzel doll...

...and Grandpa enjoyed brushing her hair with Keatin. :)

Will enjoyed his new car/steering wheel toy from G & G Petersen...

...but smiled even bigger when he finally got himself up on the fireplace. :)

Then...over the river and through the woods to G & G Barber's house we went! We were all dressed up and ready to open more presents...

...but we had to take a few pictures. The dogs were first - Crimson (our dog), Abby, Lucy (Paul & Dee's dogs), Bendyr, and Lily (Bri & Tyler's dogs).

After that important picture was over, we propped our camera for a pretty decent shot of all the Barber clan...

...and then one of the grandkids/grandparents.

Finally! Presents! Will got this blow-up Santa balloon from Santa...and he was so enthralled with it. Honestly, it was a CRAZY BUSY day...and Will was in such good spirits the whole time. (Now today...urgh...a completely different story, thanks to 2 more teeth that are trying to make an appearance.)

After playing that hard, a man needs a drink! :)

And who would have thought...a box full of packing peanuts kept these 2 entertained forever! Thank heavens for packaging!

Whew - time to eat...

...and then some more playing before naptime.

After naps, Keatin tested out her new Hungry Hungry Hippos game (LOVES IT!)...

...and Will got a tan with the dogs in the sunshine. :)

We ended our Christmas Day by hopping the van and driving to LeMars for the extended Petersen family Christmas party. It was really fun to see family members that I haven't seen in a LONG time...and of course, Keatin found some play pals. :) Here she is with some of my cousins kids!

I had the bath stuff and jammies all packed to bring along so we could get washed and cuddled up before driving back to Storm Lake...but I left that bag by the back door at my parents house. :( We survived without it. :)

What an awesome Christmas!

~ a theme ~

2011-12-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

I have loved looking back on all the photos I took over Christmas.

And as I browsed, I noticed a theme.

All the photos below were taken of Will at some point on Christmas Day.

Do you notice the theme? :)

Did you catch it????

Christmas in SL - Day 2 [X-mas Eve]

2011-12-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of our Christmas adventures in Storm Lake was Christmas Eve. Keatin did rounds with Grandpa Barber at the hospital in the morning...otherwise, we just kind of hung out until...

...Christmas Eve Mass! Ready to head out the door...45 minutes before church was scheduled to begin. :)

We survived church...but it was exhausting! After a yummy supper of lasagna and my mom's strawberry rhubarb pie (Josh's FAVORITE), we washed the kids up and prepared for Santa. This is the first year Keatin really understood this whole Santa business...and it was so fun. :) She helped get Santa some milk and cookies, and picked out a big carrot for the reindeer. She even wrote Santa a note so he would know who all the goodies were from! Off to bed Keatin and Will went...dreaming of Santa. :)

Two thumbs up for the Big Guy!

Christmas in Storm Lake - Day 1

2011-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Storm Lake...One day down, 3 more to go. :)

Day 1 consisted of...

1 - Watching Alicia Keys & Elmo sing Christmas songs on the Sesame Street website. :) (Josh made a comment about singing with Elmo as the high-point of someone's career.) :)

2 - Helping put "sparkles" (AKA - sprinkles) on Grandma's cookies & Mommy's bars...minus a pair of pants. :)

3 - Having G & G Barber over for supper...so we poured some wine. My mom likes to tease me about how I never finish a glass of wine...so funny her, she poured me the glass on the left and herself the glass on the right. Ha ha, huh? :)

4 - Wearing matching sweaters...not on purpose. Don't these 2 look all cheery???

5 - Eating some of those cookies that had WAY TOO MANY sprinkles on them. All the adults could barely choke them down because of all the sugar. Will, on the other hand, inhaled two. :)

6 - The big event of the day/night - heading to Santa's Castle in Storm Lake! (I spent years going to Santa's Castle when I was growing up - it is a big display of antique, animated Christmas characters). Both sets of grandmas & grandpas joined us, and I think both kids enjoyed themselves...minus the waiting in line for over an hour to see Santa. :( HOWEVER, in the end, it was worth it because...(drum roll please)...Keatin actually sat on his lap! And not only did she sit there, there was no tears, she talked to him, and after we left, she told my mom how "that Santa was a nice guy!" Ha!

Yes - Keatin is laying on the floor. Hey - we were resorting to all sorts of techniques to keep her entertained while waiting. :)

And there she is - on Santa's lap!

This may be where Santa is telling Keatin that he will bring her "pink clothes, pink princesses, and a green car." :) (This is all she has talked about since we have left...so, of course, Santa went shopping this morning to make sure she would receive these items.) :)

What a great, exhausting day! Christmas can wear you out - ha! I may have fallen asleep on the couch last night before 9:30. :)

the 4 amigos

2011-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we headed to Cedar Falls for a quick visit with the Carlsons. (And it was quick...when all 4 children wake up by 5:03 on a Sunday morning and one wakes up vomiting in their bed, you can make it back to Ames by 9:00 am!) Ha!

But on Saturday, when everyone still had energy and no sickness yet, I decided that Keatin, Will, Lane, and Emerie were the "4 amigos." :) (I don't think the 4 amigos really exist, but these 4 had so much fun together.) :)

We look forward to playing with Lane and Emerie again soon!

[happy 1st birthday will]

2011-12-18T18:58:00.000-08:00

It was obviously a busy week around here...poor Will, took me 7 days to get all these pictures uploaded!

We celebrated Will's 1st birthday with a Snowman Party last Sunday. G & G Petersen, G & G Barber, Bri & Tyler, and the DeWilds were here to help us celebrate our little man's 1st year. :) A good family friend made Will his own snowman cake and 2 dozen YUMMY cupcakes. Josh was truly contemplating not letting Will dig into the cake because it was SO NICE...but we did and he really only smooshed a small corner of it. :)

My attempt at decorating for the Snowman theme... :)

Cake time!!

Will wouldn't really touch the cake until I gave him a spoon...and then he started digging. :)

Not TOO messy...but dirtier than his sister got on her 1st birthday!

The damage...

After Will got cleaned up and put his "1" shirt on, it was present time! Will had LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of help opening presents - aka: Keatin. :) But he didn't seem to mind... Jen & Joey sent one of those musical cards...Will was captivated by it, and still is. (Need something to keep your baby still while you change their diaper??? Try a musical birthday card.) :)

FUN helicopter toy from the DeWilds...

Sweater from Jen & Joey.

And the big hit - Thomas!

Mommy & Daddy's gift - a musical/bouncing zebra.

A quick birthday photo of the 4 of us - Happy 1st Birthday William! You are SO loved by so many people - I love thinking about days like this when family and friends travel/get together just for you! :)

singing & dancing

2011-12-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

THE GIFT

2011-12-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Becca & I took Keatin, Will, Jack, and Reid to an event at their church called "The Gift." (We attended last year as well...click here to travel back to December 2010, 2 days before Will was born.) Josh & Lyle were working and we debated about not going...4 little ones, 2 adults, crowded Christmas event...but we went anyways, and I am so glad we did!

First, Becca took Keatin & Jack outside to see the live nativity, and I hung inside with the sleeping Reid & crawling Will.

Then, we all headed into the cookie decorating room...and our 3 "big" kids LOVED it! Jack & Keatin needed some help getting frosting and sprinkles...and my crazy Will had his eyes on the cookies, so I just plopped a plain cookie in front of him. I swear he had THE WHOLE THING eaten in under a minute!

Aren't they just so cute sitting at this little table together???

The rest of our time we spent eating lunch and playing in the HUGE jump house...and on the inflatable slide...video below. :) Josh showed up at the end to help load all the kids back into carseats and vehicles - we appreciated it!

|Barber/DeWild Crew|

2011-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Josh/I/Lyle/Becca have been friends for a long time...

Keatin joined us...and she had a lot of fun times with the adults...alone. :)

Then, over the last 18 months, THREE little boys have joined our crew - whew! And Keatin has gladly taken them all under her "mothering" wing.

The DeWilds purchased a mini-van about 2 weeks ago...and we watched Jack and Reid while they went off to sign the final papers/get the van. When they showed up, Jack had almost the same clothes on as Will...and I just couldn't resist getting a picture of the "matching" boys. :)

Two teething boys in yellow shirts. :)

And here is our mother hen...cuddling Mr. Reid. :)

I believe this is the 1st picture of our 4 together - and I don't think I did too bad of a job! Ha!

one year appointment

2011-12-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

Josh took Will to his 1-year appointment at the pediatrician's office this morning. Poor, poor boy - he had 5 shots. :( And he did NOT like it when I peeled off those 5 band-aids tonight.

Josh said he was a trooper and Dr. Paschen reported that Will was "perfect." :)

1 YEAR OLD
Keatin: 20 pounds, 8 ounces | 31 inches long
Will: 22 pounds, 7.5 ounces | 30 inches long

I was not surprised AT ALL that Will out-weighed Keatin at one year...but it did surprise me she was a little bit taller/longer!

william paul

2011-12-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

I have lots of pictures and updates for this blog...but this post is for my William Paul, my one-year-old. :)

Dear Will,
My little man...
Bugaboo...
Wild Will...
Handsome boy...
You are 1 today. One year ago, you blessed our world...and made me a mom of TWO. Wow. :)

When I was pregnant with you, there were moments - right up to those last days - that I thought you were a girl. I think when I pictured being a mom, I pictured being a mom to little girls. I guess I had no idea how much I needed a boy, a son...how much I needed YOU in my life. What a precious gift you have been and continue to be.

Last night, I was watching you in the bathtub and I got all teary-eyed (which, of course, your daddy laughed at me about). :) You make me smile, you drive me mad...but my heart loves you SO much...and I am so lucky, happy, and blessed to be your mom Will.

pictures [my favorites]

2011-12-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, we had Will's 1-year/Keatin & Will Christmas/Family pictures taken. :)

And I am SO happy...there are some really great ones that just capture US...Keatin's "drama" face...Will's handsome-boy look...and (miraculously) a couple keepers of all 4 of us. :)

Below are some of my favorites...yes, I realize it is 15 pictures. :)

chaos

2011-12-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sure this comes as no surprise to anyone with small children, but my house gets a little loud...and crazy...and chaotic at times. :)

And what is a poor, sweet, old dog supposed to do in times like that??? She is a smart gal and found a good hiding spot. :)

And speaking of crazy times...Keatin loves to color...and I am pretty sure that EVERY TIME we get out the crayons, Will's eyes light up...and he is like a little speeding train with one thing on his mind - get those crayons in my mouth! I pull them out over...and over...and over again...and in the midst of trying to pull one out the other night, he threw his arm up...and below is what happened. :) I swear...I do supervise my children!!!

Speaking of Will's mouth...(drum-roll please)...he is cutting his 1st tooth!!! Yes, the boy is 12 days away from being 1...and he is FINALLY getting a tooth! Woo-hoo!

Disney On Ice

2011-11-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

As a special treat to our big girl, Josh and I decided it would be fun to take Keatin to Disney on Ice at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Saturday night. THANK YOU to G & G Petersen for watching Will for us...it really was just SO fun to do something specifically for Keatin and just with Keatin. Can't speak for Josh, but I had the most fun just watching the show through her eyes...seeing what made her smile and made her laugh...but maybe that is the mom in me. :)

Keatin has a history of not loving big arenas (EX: UNI Dome or Hilton Coliseum). I was relieved that after a few minutes of hesitation, she was smiling and good to go! Check out her grin in the next 3 pictures!

And the show begins... We saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy...

Scenes from Alice in Wonderland...

Peter Pan...

And Josh's favorite of the whole show - Lion King...

We saw Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs for awhile...

Then on to my favorite, Aladdin...

The Little Mermaid...

And the moment Keatin was waiting for the WHOLE show...Rapunzel & Flynn Rider from Tangled. :)

The show closed with ALL the Disney Princesses/Princes!

And a few video clips I took over the course of the night!

SO much fun...I think I will always remember the joy in Keatin's eyes and on her face. :)

x-mas decorating [with a 1-year-old] :)

2011-11-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

Before I even get to the Christmas decorating, look what my sweet Keatin brought home from preschool. When I showed it back to her and asked her what it was, she said "I made that turkey and I really love my mommy!" (Validation to me that she must have really said it and her teacher didn't just write it on there...right?) :) This is hanging on my kitchen cabinet...I just had to put it up. Daddy was a bit disgruntled when he saw the picture... :)

OK - Christmas decorating. :) Josh had to work all day on Black Friday and I was NOT going shopping with my 2 "helpers" in tow...so we just kind of hung around the house all day...which was fine since Keatin was still feeling under the weather from having the stomach flu while we were in Storm Lake for Thanksgiving. Yeah, not fun at all.

Decorating for Christmas takes on a whole new meaning when you have an almost one year old around/"helping." I honestly didn't even know if we should put the trees up this year, but Josh called me a Grinch and told me we were putting them up. :) And so we did! I convinced Keatin to get off the couch and help me hang up only unbreakable ornaments on the tree.

At first, Will was just sitting on the floor playing with the tubs of Christmas items...but once I turned the lights on, he was VERY interested in the tree. :) It is close enough to a chair in our living room that he can balance himself on the chair and still "investigate" the tree.

Once we had the tree up, it was time to try for a cute picture...I don't think we did too bad!!!

Hmmm...until we tried the solo cute pictures...this is what I got from Will. (I know, I know - so wrong, but makes me laugh so hard.) :)

Here is a good one!

Back to the dilemma of decorating with a one year old who pulls EVERYTHING off shelves and tables that he can reach...where to put the Christmas stockings when you don't have a fireplace mantel to put them on??? How about really high up??? Like in a doorway!!

We also got the tree put up in our basement, so the Barber residence is officially bursting with Christmas cheer! :)

And just because it was cute...her is a short video of my dancing boy. :)

just because...

2011-11-27T17:25:00.001-08:00

...I don't get to compare my two wearing the same clothes very much...or I guess next to never!
...even though people STILL ask us who Will looks like, we know that in a lot of ways he looks like his big sister.

When I put this shirt on Will the other day, I knew Keatin wore it several times the Christmas she was 16-17 months old...and I found the blog post that proves it! Click here if you want to check out Keatin sporting the PEANUTS X-mas onesie. I had fun looking at both my cuties in the same shirt! :)

[1st haircut]

2011-11-27T13:50:00.001-08:00

Will is getting his 1-year pictures taken next week...and of course, he needs to look all handsome...thus, it was time for a haircut! He had a few long pieces on top and behind his left ear, a really long patch that was starting to curl up and look a bit girly at times. :) (Don't worry little man - we still loved ya!)

Aunt Bri did a great job trimming our handsome boy up on Thanksgiving morning. Will tolerated his trim quite well, although he kept batting at the back of his head like "what is that thing tickling me?" :) SO...Will's little patch/curls are now in a Ziploc baggie, waiting to be put in his baby book. :) Will - you are all grown up!

Pre-haircut...evidence of the long patch of hair behind his left ear. :)

Ready, set, cut as fast as you can!!!

All done big boy! :)

J&J...and giggles :)

2011-11-20T12:32:00.001-08:00

Keatin's BFFs (aka - Jen & Joey) were here over the weekend. Joey, Jen, Josh, and Lyle went to the Creighton/Iowa BB game at Wells Fargo on Sunday...go Jays! :) I think the most "exciting" thing we did while Jen & Joey were here was go to church...but we always have a great time with them, and I LOVE the way Keatin...and now Will...love playing with them!

Jen & Joey, Keatin & Will...just chilling on the couch. :)

And just a few giggles from our Will-man to brighten your Tuesday morning!

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

spoon - slide - sneaking

2011-11-13T18:51:00.001-08:00

Happy Sunday! It was a NICE weekend at the Barber residence. :) Here are a few of the things we were up to!

Although Josh thought I was crazy, I gave Will some pudding and a spoon on Friday. Lately, I have been feeling like Will is the poor 2nd child who doesn't get all the attention to detail and utter devotion that Keatin did at this age...which I know makes TOTAL sense (duh, we have 2 now)...must just be some mommy-guilt or something. :) ANYWAYS, back to the spoon...I felt like I let Keatin dig in with a spoon the summer before she was one...so decided it was time for Will! He was a little hesitant at first, but did a pretty good job for his first go-round! Pics below. :)

Saturday afternoon, after naps and before church, we braved the cool weather (but not freezing cold weather) and headed to the "yellow slide" park (as Keatin calls it). Will also enjoys this park because he can throw itty-bitty rocks on the slide...or try to eat them when mom/dad aren't looking. :)

I don't know what it is about this picture...but we LOVE his cute little face!

As of today, Will has become my sneaky boy too! I re-arranged the furniture a bit in our living room yesterday, and Will realized he can SQUEEZE himself between the couch and side table...and he kept trying to sneak back there! The 1st few times were cute...then he realized how to tangle himself in the lamp cord. HMMM...not so cute. :)

will - 11 months

2011-11-13T18:28:00.001-08:00

WILL - all week I was talking about how on Sunday, you were going to be 11 months old...one month away from being 1 year old...HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE???!!!! We had a great night of just playing around and you were so happy/giggly - we love it!

At 11 months...

Wear size 3 diapers.
Wear 12-18 months clothes. Unless it runs big, most 12 month stuff is too small.
Drink one bottle before bed, but once you are done with formula...that bottle is going too...and I don't predict it will be a big deal at all. You have started drinking some whole milk.
STILL NO TEETH!!!! I am wondering if you have a tooth delay. :) HA - is that possible? You were running a fever off and on earlier in the week and I was CONVINCED you had teeth coming through...nope. :(
Go to bed around 8 and get up between 6-7 am. Nap 2 times a day...around 1 hour in the morning, and anywhere between 1.5-2.5 hours in the afternoon.
Starting to get the hang of signing "more." This would be SO much better than your usual technique of wailing when you want more food. :)
Crawling like a crazy man! Today you fell directly on your forehead 2 different times because you got going so fast, your arms couldn't keep up with the speed! We watched daddy play volleyball this afternoon, and you walked down the whole length of the bleachers just holding on to the side of them.
L-O-V-E to have your forehead/cheeks kissed. You lean in to mommy and daddy's face over and over again to get more. :)
So happy you are here in our lives. :)

what to do

2011-11-10T08:04:00.001-08:00

What to do on a cold evening...
when it is now dark outside by 5 pm...
and your baby is (please God) cutting some teeth (see below)...
and your 3 year old is just too cute sometimes (see below)...
and you have cooked, eaten, and cleaned up supper all by 6 pm????
You go to the mall in Ames (which is HORRIBLE & small)...but it does have a little indoor play area...and your kids have A BLAST. :) SO much fun to just watch these 2 have FUN. :)

On a different note...our kids were with G & G Petersen last weekend while we had 4 friends come into town for ISU tailgating. It was COLD, but lots of fun. :) I missed the kids, but it was also just SO nice to have adult conversations, not have to worry about naptimes and mealtimes, and stay up late playing games...and we didn't even have to be quiet. :)

Leaving you with a random video of Will waving HI and bye-bye. :)

baggie painting

2011-11-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

Keatin really likes to paint...and she is very trustworthy when I get the paints out. I can get her all set up with paper, paints, cup of water, wet rag, and a paper towel at the kitchen table and she is good to go! So, when I saw this baggie painting activity, I thought I would give it a whirl. It was SOOO easy...I used the printable leaf template and all. :) And honestly the only mess was on my hands when I dug the painted leaf out of the baggie! (I actually did this when we had a co-workers 2 kids over last weekend - a kindergartener and another 3 year old - and all the kids really liked squishing the paint in their baggie.) Keatin loves that little leaf she painted...she is still dragging it around the house. And this is totally something you could do any season of the year with any shape and any paint colors! I am sure we will try it again this Thanksgiving and Christmas season...

pumpkin carving

2011-11-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

We FINALLY got around to carving our pumpkin! (It may or may not just have been last night...) :) :)

I was really excited to do pumpkin carving with 2 little ones this year...and I thought FOR SURE my wild Will would be all about putting his hand in the yucky pumpkin. I was wrong...he could have cared less. Exhibit A is below. :)

Keatin, however, was very helpful and told Daddy all about how she carved pumpkins at preschool. That preschool...they beat us to it!

Will thought about joining in...but just kept crawling. :)

Josh told Keatin that we were going to put a candle in the pumpkin when we were done...so she dug these candles out of our junk drawer. :)

Exhibit B - still not helping, preferring to eat the corner of our plastic baggie drawer. :)

Even got the eating on video!

The finished product! Don't I have a creative husband???? :)

After we cleaned up the kitchen, we headed downstairs to play. Keatin found a pad of sticky notes...she loves sticky notes. SO...I took advantage of the "cool" paper and asked her to write her name for us...and she did SO good. God - she really is growing up, isn't she? (Sigh.) :) Keatin wrote all these letters by herself (needed slight help with the N) with only a few verbal reminders/cues from me - yeah big girl!

(And after looking at Barber Pumpkin Carving 2011, I just had to look back at 2010 and 2009!) :)

Sunday

2011-11-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

OK...back up to Sunday. :) Lyle, Becca, Jack, and Reid came over for supper. I made chicken tortilla soup (yum) and then Becca and I took the big kids (aka - Keatin and Jack...can I really call them big kids???) went to a small trunk-or-treat at STA, our church. SO good to see them all again and of course, it was fun to love on Baby Reid some...although, as you will notice from the pictures below, someone else in my family hogged him most of the time. :)

Keatin and Reid. Reid is wearing Will's sleeper...OMG, Will fit in that once upon a time????

The ladybug and frog, ready to get some candy!

Keatin wanted to hold Jack's hand some...but after awhile, Jack thought he was too big for that!

We were out getting candy all of 10 minutes...but it was perfect for these 2. :)

halloween

2011-11-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

It actually feels like we have been celebrating Halloween for weeks now - whew! Trick-or-treating was Monday night in Ames. Keatin had a GREAT time and Will tolerated it until he got cold. Keatin enjoyed getting the candy, but I honestly think she had more fun just looking at all the other "kids" (that is what she calls them) in their costumes.

We propped our camera on our stroller before we left and tried to take a family picture. If you zoom in, don't laugh too hard at poor Will. :)

Trying to get a quick shot of our ladybug and monkey...that didn't go too well either!

Out and about!

This pirate ship is in someone's yard in our neighborhood - crazy, huh?

Checking out the candy when we got home...

And then we proceeded to wait for other kids to come to our door...Keatin sat like this for quite awhile. Too cute. :)

And then Will joined in. :)

We hope you all had a very safe and Happy Halloween!

trunk-or-treat

2011-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon, St. Cecilia Church/School (where Keatin goes to preschool) held a trunk-or-treat in the school parking lot. For those who have never heard of it, basically people open up their van/car trunks and hand out candy from there! It is actually a pretty big deal...people had decorations, lights, and games set-up and someone even had bite-size cupcakes baked for all the kids! (Yes - they were safe.) :)

Our friends from Des Moines (Megan, Troy, and Baby Mia) actually made the trip up to Ames on Sunday and joined in the trunk-or-treating fun. (Troy and Keatin were born 3 weeks apart). The weather was GORGEOUS on Sunday...like 75 degrees...like warm enough that Keatin was sweating in her costume and I didn't even leave Will's on him the whole time. Who would have thought one would have to worry about their kids sweating in their halloween costumes - ha!!! There is another trunk-or-treat this weekend at St. Thomas (where we go to church)...will have to see if we are ready for some more trunk-or-treating fun!

Keatin and Will...getting ready to hit the trunks!

Troy, Will, and Keatin...Troy was a police officer...which is perfect b/c his dad is a cop in Des Moines!

I kept trying to tell Will that trunk-or-treating was fun...at this point, he wasn't digging it. :)

But once I let him out of the stroller for a bit...so much better. :) (And yes - his eye may look droopy in this picture...we have been battling some eye goop/eye infection for a couple days now!)

All done and getting ready to hop back in the van...I love these 2 pictures. :)

halloween trial run...and walking?

2011-10-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, we decided to do a little "trial run" with our Halloween costumes. Do I have the cutest little lady bug and monkey, or what? :)

And take a look at what this guy was "testing out" the other night...seriously???????

"snuggle me"

2011-10-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

When Keatin is tired or wants some extra love, she will say - "Mom, will you snuggle me?"

Well, Friday morning, as Josh and I were running around getting ready for work...and Will had just fallen over and knocked his head on my dresser...we plopped these 2 up in our bed with their blankets, turned on Tangled, and heard Keatin say - "Will, you want to snuggle me?" :) Fully expecting him to be on the move and want off the bed...he just laid there on his big sister...and snuggled. :)

[happy 5th]

2011-10-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

To my wonderful husband...happy 5th. :)

5 years ago today, this was us...can you believe it??? Although so much has happened in the last 5 years, I was thinking about our wedding day this morning...and I can SO vividly remember being on that alter with you, holding your hands, looking into your eyes, and knowing this was IT. Words cannot describe my love for you, the way YOU complete me. I know I have said it many times before, but thanks for choosing me...and I love you. :)

And as I was sifting through old photos...I just could not resist. :) For those who don't know, although we have only been married 5 years, we have known each other for 15 years...and I included a few pictures to prove it!

Our high school graduation - May, 1999

A friend's wedding - July, 2000

This photo says 1997 in the corner...that might be correct. :)

Senior prom - May, 1999

preschool field trip

2011-10-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

Keatin had her 1st preschool field trip yesterday! Josh was able to attend as a volunteer and they all went to Center Grove Orchard/Pumpkin Patch. It was a CHILLY morning...but let me tell you, it was all Keatin could talk about last night. :) I wasn't sure what Josh would think about it, but he told me - I am glad I went...it really was fun. :) Below are a few pictures he snapped on his phone!

Josh and Keatin were paired with one other little girl...Nina. Josh said she was really sweet and kinda shy at first, but then all she wanted to do was hold Josh's hand. :) Here they are on the bus...riding the bus is what Keatin spent most of her time talking about - ha!

my 2

2011-10-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

My 2...Keatin and Will. :)

Most days when we get home from work/the babysitter's house, these 2 are beat. They are hungry, they are cranky...especially Will.

Tonight, while I was whipping up a delicious supper, I broke out my best parenting skills and turned on a movie...praying these 2 would give me 3 minutes to just get the kitchen pulled together. Keatin yelled at me to come see Will "cuddling me"...and they were truly cuddling...and Will didn't seem to mind! In fact, he laid against his big sister for several minutes.

So, instead of running around the kitchen like a crazy woman, I grabbed my camera...and smiled with my 2. :)

new baby

2011-10-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

There is a new baby in our midst. :)

Our good friends, Lyle and Becca, welcomed their 2nd son - Reid Thomas - into the world this morning. Keatin and I just HAD to go love on Reid a bit tonight...and he was just so gorgeous. :) He was actually kind of crying when we walked in, but when Keatin held him...he just laid there so calm.

Congrats to Lyle, Becca, and Big Brother Jack!

(will - 10 months)

2011-10-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

William...you are 10 months old today. :) I was watching you tear around the house tonight, and couldn't remember what our family was before you...which is a good thing!

At 10 months...

Wear size 3 diapers.
Wear 12-18 months clothes.
Have basically weaned yourself off bottles. We still give you one before bed, but otherwise you get all your milk out of sippy cups. You eat lots of "big people" food and are basically weaning yourself off baby food as well.
STILL NO TEETH!!!!
Make lots of babbles/noises...and "ma-ma" on occasion. :) Your favorite noises to make are a high-pitched squeal, a low-pitched growling-type noise, and a "hmmm."
Go to bed around 8 and get up between 6-7 am. Your new "trick" is sitting up in bed...and sometimes you do this in the middle of the night, and then scream because you apparently don't know how to lay yourself back down. DUH!
You clap and wave when prompted.
You are VERY QUICKLY learning what "no-no" means. In fact, I have caught you shaking your head no-no when I am changing your diaper and you don't like it. :)
Crawling like a crazy man! Pulling yourself up to standing on everything...and lots of times let go, and just lean against items with no hands. I predict you will walk before you are 1!
Just tonight, caught you crawling up the bottom stair...check out the video below. :)
So happy you are here in our lives. :)

hey

2011-10-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hey! Here we are...just playing and hanging out.

Have a great week!

(And if you want one more thing to read...I found this short post when I was blog hopping the other day, and I just really liked it...put this tired mom's thoughts/mind/attitude in perspective.) :)

1st

2011-10-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

OK - I know this sounds crazy, given that Will is almost 10 months old...but this morning when he was fussing at 5:15 and I went in his room to put the pacifier back in his mouth, I found him sitting up at the foot of his crib. This was the 1st TIME EVER that I have found him in any position besides laying flat on his back! I keep waiting for the morning that I will find him laying on his tummy, little butt up in the air, cuddled up in the corner of his crib...guess I will keep waiting, but baffles me all the same. :) (BTW - at 5:15, I promptly laid him back down, threw the blanket up by his cheek, and prayed he would fall back asleep...he did.) :)

noodles

2011-10-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

The noddle tub... We have had this for a long time. It has had beans, noddles, and various other sensory things in it. The tub spent the summer, kind of forgotten, on the back porch. I cleaned it off the other night and took it downstairs in preparation for winter. WELL...let me just say...Will playing in the noddles is SO different than Keatin playing in noodles! Josh and I just had to laugh...and Crimson loved it because she ate all the dried noodles that were flying all over the basement floor. :)

center grove orchard

2011-10-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Remember the AWESOME pumpkin patch we took Keatin to last year??? (Click here.) :) I remember last year thinking to myself - next year we will an almost 1 year old with us! On Saturday, we went back to Center Grove Orchard...this time with Will and the DeWilds...and we had a BLAST again. :) I told Josh...we may have to go back one more time before Halloween - ha! Below are some photos/a video of our day - enjoy!

[the girls]

2011-09-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last night, the elementary school in our neighborhood had a Farmers Market...so we decided to walk up there for a bit and check it out. Keatin got her face painted and mostly enjoyed playing on the playground equipment...but I did snag her and we took a quick picture together. :)

Happy Friday!

KC

2011-09-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

Josh and I were in KC this past weekend for one of his college roommate's weddings. We were without kids (they were at home with G & G Barber) and besides doing wedding stuff, got to visit my cousin Emily and her adorable daughter Maren. Maren was born in February, so about 2 months younger than Will. We enjoyed some playtime together and even a cup of coffee! Hope we get to see them again soon!

After the wedding ceremony...aren't we good-looking? :) Ha!

the many faces of will

2011-09-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how else to describe these photos...so here are the many faces of our little man Will! He is ON THE MOVE LIKE CRAZY and is always making a funny face/funny sound.

And my apologies for the lack of blog posts...been CRAZY around here. Work is BUSY BUSY BUSY...Will was sick with a high fever for 5 days...Josh and I were out of town at a wedding....AAHH! I hope life settles down soon!

But in the end...when I get to see these cuties and their faces...life is good. :)

~ 9 months ~

2011-09-16T13:18:00.001-07:00

Will - you were 9 months old on Tuesday, and I got to take you in for your 9 month appointment that morning! Here are your stats:

9 MONTHS OLD:
Will - 20 pounds, 11 ounces | 29 inches long
Keatin - 20 pounds | 27.75 inches long

At 9 months...

Wear size 3 diapers.
Wear 12-18 months clothes.
Nurse before bed, eat 4 bottles and/or sippy cups of milk a day (depending on your mood/interest level), eat baby cereal, fruits, and veggies, and lots of table food. I think I will start cutting back on the number of bottles you get per day soon.
STILL NO TEETH!!!!
Say "ba-ba" and "da-da" and lots of other babbles/noises...but no "ma-ma." :(
Go to bed around 8 and get up between 6-7 am (getting better about not waking up for your pacifier during the night). :)
Still in love with your BFF - your blanket. :)
Are SO content most of the time. We had company over the weekend, and 3 different people told us what a happy/content baby you are. :)
You turned 9 months on Tuesday...and by Wednesday, check out the video below...YOU ARE CRAWLING!!! (And not only do you crawl, but you can pull yourself up to your knees and ALMOST to your feet...it seems to have all come together for you in the matter of days!)
So happy you are here in our lives. :)

a little tailgating

2011-09-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

So...the Barber clan did a little tailgating last weekend...Go Cyclones! :)

Our good friends, the Carlsons, came into town from Cedar Falls...and Lyle, Becca, and Jack joined us as well. It was a GORGEOUS day, and the perfect day to be outside tailgating. I didn't get too many photos taken...but here is what I have...and shock, they are all of the kids. :)

Isn't this the cutest little group of tailgaters you have ever seen? :) (Keatin, Emerie, Will, Lane, and Jack)

Tailgating is hard work for babies! Will and Jack took a snooze together for awhile... :)

Oh - guess I did get a picture of one adult...Lyle. :) 2 smiling boys. :)

game day

2011-09-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Who's ready for the big ISU/Iowa game???? :)

And just a little joke I got through e-mail today...

An Iowa fan and ISU fan are in 3rd grade. Who is bigger? The Iowa fan, he is 18. GO STATE!!!

first day :)

2011-09-07T13:51:00.001-07:00

It has happened...our baby girl is "big." Big enough to go to school. :)

Yesterday was Keatin's 1st day of preschool. My principal let me come to school a bit late so both Josh and I could drop her off on the 1st day. Before we left the house, we had to snap a few pictures on the front step...made me think of ALL the "first day of school" pictures we will be taking over the years...made me smile. :)

Here is our BIG girl...not sure why the baby dolls had to join us, but wasn't going to fight that battle. :)

Waiting for daddy outside "my school." :)

Keatin found her hook and the "special necklace" (AKA - a name-tag) her teacher made her...who knew yarn with your name on the end would make a kid so happy!

Found her name on her giraffe circle spot - SO excited she had a giraffe. :)

Checking out the room... This is where mommy and daddy left her with some hugs and kisses...no tears! I think it was a successful day - she asked me this morning if she could go back, so I guess that means it wasn't awful! I can't wait until she goes a few more times and can really tell us about her friends, what she is learning...things like that!

watch out!

2011-09-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Watch out! Our Will-Man is THIS CLOSE to crawling and pulling himself up - AAHH! He already loves to stand next to things when we put him there...and he is pretty good at keeping his balance. The world as we know it around our house is about to change!

And just because these 2 are so cute... :)

swinging will

2011-09-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

We are in SL for the long Labor Day weekend. Been overcast most of the day, but we did sneak away to the park for a little bit this morning. My little man has found a new love for swings...check him out! :)

couldn't resist :)

2011-09-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Keatin had her Back-To-School Night for preschool on Monday evening...and she was SO stinking excited! Not lying, she walked around the house with her HEAVY backpack on for 30 minutes before it was even time to go! And I just couldn't resist taking a few pictures of her...I know it wasn't her first real day of school, but I bet it kind of felt that way to her!

random

2011-08-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

Looked at my camera this morning, and guess I have a few "random" (look Aunt Jen...random) pictures and videos to share!

I think these are from last Sunday...Will was kind of fussy around supper time, so I laid him out in the living room with his BFF (aka - his blanket). :) Here is how I found him a few minutes later...sometimes, a man just needs a little snooze!

Last night, Josh and Lyle were golfing...so Becca & I took Keatin, Will, and Jack to Lincoln Highway Days in Nevada. We ate some food and then just walked around, checking out all the attractions. Keatin got to jump in a jump house, and then she spotted this clown...who I thought she would be deathly afraid of...but she wasn't and wanted her face painted. Too bad we went home right after that and took a bath!

32.1 - 40 - 20 - 0

2011-08-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

I am adjusting to being back at work...thus, the lack of pictures and blog posts. My apologies. :)

In the craziness of going back to work last week, Keatin had her 3 year old doctor appointment and her 3 year old dentist visit all in the same day - whew!

Weight: 32.1 pounds (26.12 pounds @ 2 years)
Height: 40 inches (35.75 inches @ 2 years)
Number of teeth: 20 (16 @ 2 years)
Number of cavities: 0 :)

At the doctor, she braved her flu mist and one shot in the arm...and at the dentist, she shocked me by letting them clean her teeth!

Will (8 months)

2011-08-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

Will - you were 8 months old on Saturday - holy cow! I am a few days late saying Happy 8 months, but then again...I totally missed 7 months when I was in Jamacia, so I guess late is better than never. :)

At 8 months...

Wear size 3 diapers.
Wear 9-12 months clothes, although your 9 month onesies are getting REALLY snug.
Not sure what you weigh...but you have GOT to be pushing 20 pounds. :)
Nurse before bed, eat 4 bottles and/or sippy cups of milk a day (depending on your mood/interest level), eat baby cereal, fruits, and veggies, and really any table food that is soft enough. We had cinnamon rolls over the weekend...I think you would have ate a whole roll if we would have let you! And you are getting SO good at picking up food with your fingers, not just the palm of your hand.
You have NO teeth. PLEASE just pop through already!!!!!!
Say "ba-ba", much to the happiness of Becca (who I believe taught you this)...but much to the dismay of mommy and daddy who are ALWAYS trying to get you to say "ma-ma" or "da-da." You stinker! You also just "talk" by being REALLY loud (it is like you have to compete with someone around here or something) or by making this high-pitched squeal/screech (it really is adorable). :)
Go to bed around 8 and get up between 6-7 am (may wake up 1-2 times in the night, but we just plug you up with your pacifier). :)
LOVE your blanket, like I mean LOVE it. You cuddle with it when you are upset or tired...you just like to nose dive into it when you are playing...or you even just like to eat it!
Sit up, but do not crawl or ROLL FROM YOUR BACK TO TUMMY!!! You are crazy! However, when you are sitting, you are now almost always reaching/grabbing for toys and getting up on your knees...and then falling on your belly, which doesn't really seem to bother you. Now you just need to learn to scoot around once you are there instead of flopping over onto your back again.
When we are out and about, people always comment on your smile...and it is great. I LOVE it and I still call you my smily-boy. :)
SO loved and SO glad you are our son. :)

readin' keatin

2011-08-12T04:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I could hear Keatin talking...I assumed she was playing with Will. But I found her in the corner of her room, reading books to herself. Just thought it was too cute to pass up. :)

last week

2011-08-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

This has been my last week at home for the summer...tear. :) At times, it has been challenging being at home with 2 little ones. However, I would not trade these last 2-2.5 months for ANYTHING. I have tried to do some fun things with Keatin and Will this week to celebrate our last days together. THANKFULLY, the weather has cooled down some and it is actually tolerable to be outside!

On Tuesday, we went to a "new" park by daddy's work...after we took him some Starbucks. :) Will enjoyed "digging" in the rocks with his heels - it was funny to watch!

There was a fun slide that Keatin enjoyed...and tried to make Will enjoy. :)

He decided he liked just waiting at the bottom and watching his sister...love his face/cheeks. :)

One of the things I wanted to do with Keatin this summer was take her to the zoo in Des Moines...and Wednesday was the day! I invited my principal's 3 daughters (Emma, Grace, and Josie)...and they were the best! Not only did they have fun exploring the zoo, but they were the best helpers with Keatin and Will. Honestly, if Keatin grows up like these girls, I will be a lucky mom!

Notice Emma holding Keatin in the next 2 pictures??? Keatin LOVED it TOO much...I had to pull her down after awhile. :)

When I told Keatin who we were going to the zoo with, she was SO excited and said - "Yeah - just the girls...and a boy." Ha! Our boy was the perfect companion. :)

Grace, Keatin, and Emma

Keatin, checking out the giraffe..
Josie and Keatin, petting the goats. Keatin wouldn't touch these at the Omaha Zoo - here, she ran right up to them!

After lunch...a full belly. :)

Josie and Keatin!

And she even got to milk a cow! Only at a zoo in the Midwest, right? :)

We have laid low today...who knows what tomorrow will bring? :)

photos

2011-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Our photo gallery with K and E Productions is ready to view - yipee!

www.kandeproductionsonline.com/photocart

Gallery: Barber family

Password: jmkw2011

I think they turned out well...but also make me chuckle because you can very easily see when one child was happy, one child was not, and when everyone was just getting hot!

Enjoy!

video sneak peak

2011-08-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

The photographers that took our pictures 2 weeks ago put together a little video.

Want to check it out??? Click here!

did you know...

2011-08-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

...this girl is 3??!! :) We had a birthday party for Keatin on Saturday afternoon at a wading pool in Ames and a bunch of her friends were able to join in the fun!

Will splashed around in the water for quite awhile...he was a good boy and had fun celebrating with his sister. :)

Keatin usually steers clear of this big sprinklers...but on Saturday, she was messing around with them. Must be because she is older. :)

The boys...don't they look like they are having so much fun?

Singing "Happy Birthday" to Keatin!

Blowing out her "3" candle (which BTW...was left over from daddy's 30th birthday - ha!). Isn't her friend Tyler's face in the background priceless?? :)

Everyone enjoying their cupcakes...several kids had more than one!

Opening some presents! Keatin got WONDERFUL gifts from all her friends...we have spent a lot of time already playing with them!

Here is the birthday girl on Sunday morning...it may have been all of 630-7 am when this picture was taken! :) Mommy and daddy had a few presents for their girl...

A new bike helmet! (Not sure if this one really fits or not...still have the receipt...maybe Grandpa Petersen can help us out!)

Can you tell this big girl is excited about her big girl backpack??? :) This lady is headed to preschool!

After opening gifts, we headed to church. Keatin LOVES church, so she probably thought it was a special birthday treat - haha! When we got home, we tried to snap a few pictures of all 4 of us with the camera on the ladder. :)

After a good nap, this birthday girl felt like opening some more presents...and G & G Barber had stopped by for a few hours to help celebrate! We got Keatin this dress in Jamacia...she loved it and put it on right away, although I think it is a bit big because we spent the rest of the night looking at her nipples. :)

Her first ball and bat set from G & G Barber...it is a ladybug...perfect for a little girl, huh? :)

G & G Barber and the birthday girl...

I made Keatin a coffeecake for breakfast on Sunday morning. Here is a video of Josh/me singing to her. Yes - you can laugh at our awesome singing! :)

Keatin - we had so much fun celebrating YOU this weekend! WE LOVE YOU!

3

2011-08-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful baby girl is 3 and we have spent all weekend celebrating! Keatin - celebrating your 3rd birthday made me think back on 8-7-08...and 8-7-09...and 8-7-10!

Keatin - we love you to pieces and still remember the first moments we laid eyes on you. You have had our hearts ever since. :)

More pictures to come!

- hips -

2011-08-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Although it seems like ages ago, it all came flooding back to me today when I took Keatin to see her pediatric orthopedic doctor in Des Moines...told she was born with 2 dislocated hips...having to go to this exact same office when she was 5 days old...having to watch her SCREAM until she was purple when they fitted her with the harness. Urgh... The good thing is...that was ages ago and as of today, she never has to go back to see Dr. Lindamann again! :) She was given a clean bill of health and x-rays proved her hips are developing normally...not that I suspected anything different. :) I guess I am SO happy I was that new mom 3 years ago with the screaming baby in the harness...because you would never know now that she was born with dislocated hips! After our appointment, we went to Norwalk to see our friends Todd, Megan, and Troy and both Keatin and Will had lots of fun playing at their house.

I just couldn't resist posting the next 2 things...

My mom sent me this card in the mail the other day...just because...or just because it reminded her of Miss Keatin??? :) Please tell me my daughter isn't the only one who, on certain days, could be described by the front of this card. :)

Will has yet to say mama or dada...but he has perfected squealing and screeching...thanks to a good role model. :) It gets a bit loud around here sometimes. :)

PICTURES!

2011-08-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Last week, we FINALLY got Will's 6 month pictures taken...and Keatin's early 3 year old pictures...and some family pictures as well!

We met up with the same photographers that have done Keatin's pictures in the past...they are SO good and SOOOO good with very opinionated almost 3 year olds...urgh. :)

Anyways, we got the pictures accomplished on a VERY hot night...and a few of the images are ready for a sneak peak. YIPEE! Just click here or go to the KandE Productions link on the right to check them out! I will share all the images when they are ready! Can't wait!

good saturday

2011-07-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

We had a good Saturday. :) Josh didn't have to work and we didn't have any plans. SO...we did lots of fun things!

Josh suggested we go to The Berry Patch to pick blueberries. It was a gorgeous morning, so as soon as we got organized and ready...off we went!

At first, Keatin was a GREAT helper and had lots of fun filling her blueberry bucket.

But those blueberries were SO yummy...she soon sat down with Will, ate all her blueberries, and let mommy and daddy finish picking on their own. :)

After we were done picking blueberries and a quick trip to the grocery store, I suggested we take Keatin and Will to Little Tykes time at the Nevada pool. We piled into the van again and we were off! Keatin and Daddy did lots of swimming...

...Will did a bit of swimming, but then passed out...

...so Daddy and Keatin went down these BIG slides together!

Will was ready to go after his snooze at the pool! After we ate lunch, we headed outside to play a little bit and kill some time before trying to lay both kids down for a nap. We plopped Will is his walker on the front sidewalk...and I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures. :)

We had a good Sunday too. :) Makes me a bit sad to know these summer days are coming to an end. But my heart is so full after 2 days like this. :)

just us

2011-07-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday! It has been a great one here...photos to come later. :)

Just a few shots of "us" this past week...

K & W snuggling on the couch...these 2 still L-O-V-E each other. :)

Did you know it has been really hot here? A couple nights after supper, we have filled up the pool and turned on the sprinkler to cool ourselves down! Look at Keatin's technique for getting a drink of water. :)

(See how the picture is hazy??? That is the HUMIDITY AND HEAT!!!)

Did you know one week from tomorrow I am going to have a 3 year old???? Where has the time gone!!??

the z-o-o!

2011-07-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to take Keatin to the Henry Doorly Zoo this summer. We tried to get there in June, but other things came up. So what better time to go than 5 days after we get back from Jamaica during the week when it has been over 100 degrees every day? Ha! (Oh - and our drive to Omaha took almost 5 hours because of ragbrai traffic, a truck accident, and construction on I-80...urgh!) In the end, we had a great weekend in Omaha! G & G Petersen were there because of the start of Ragbrai, so Will stayed with Grandma Petersen while the rest of us headed to the zoo.

Sunday morning at the zoo...we explored the Jungle first...

Keatin really liked looking at the "grilla." :)

I love this picture. :)

My college classmate Sarah and her daughter Rory met up with us at the zoo...the girls had fun exploring together.

Keatin liked the jaguar...like in her Dora book!

Keatin asked to see 2 things at the zoo - penguins and giraffes. We found them both!

The aquarium was the last place we visited - so cool!

Keatin LOVES these 2!

Sunday afternoon, Joey took us to his parent's house/pool. It was refreshing and Keatin loved it! Will and I spent most of our time inside their house...but everyone else had fun! Here are a few pics of Will splashing around before he hit a wall. :)

that kid

2011-07-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

SO...my lovely Miss Keatin was just "that kid." You know...that kid you see at the store or somewhere out in public who is COMPLETELY throwing a tantrum, not listening to their parent, screaming, and carrying on...and on...and on. Yep - that was her as we tried to get her haircut. I guess always having Aunt Bri trim your hair at home doesn't prepare you to go into a salon. Of course I had Will with me as well...so I set him down to play while I tried to convince Keatin to get into the chair...and then he promptly fell over and whacked his head on the floor...so then they were both SCREAMING. I just wanted to crawl into the nearest hole. :)

In the end, the nice haircut lady and I convinced Keatin to get into the chair and get her hair cut...with the help of some suckers.

Ugh...I need some wine. :)