Super Busy Busy Busy Week

The boys had quite a social agenda this past week :):):)

Saturday: Zoo, Steak and Shake, and Party City
Sunday: Sade's party
Monday: Met Clifford at the Library, playground, dairy queen visit
Tuesday: Daycare, Dinner with Cousin Heather
Wednesday: playdate at the playground, lunch date with Me :), "washed" our outdoor toys with sponges and dishsoap (that little tractor and cozy coupe car "needed" to be washed)
Thursday: Spiderman at Dinner, Watched Softball Playoffs
Friday: Hung out at Aunt Sarah's garage sale

More to come.....busy week again this week :)

I love that we had so much to do--did not list all the other stuff like taking our daily walk, hanging out, playing star wars (and spiderman, batman, diego, etc.), playing on the neighbor's swing set, jumping on the neighbor's trampoline, etc. It was a GREAT week :) I am wiped out!

SPIDERMAN

Big News at the Boyer Household!
Spiderman showed up at Applebee's Thursday Night!!! He was sighted on the roof first so we ran outside to check him out! Jack and Luke could not believe their eyes! Spidey then came inside and visited with all of the kids--including Jack and Luke. Jack was extremely impressed with Spidey but Luke was scared to death! :) Jack got a hug before we left!

Too Cute Not to Blog

we have so much fun playing with our friend sade:) we went to a great park this morning and played our day away.

Cousins

Cousins! :)

I love my cousin Heather. I don't get to see her very often but she headed down my way earlier this week! I have not seen her in over 2 years :) It was wonderful to have supper with her and her friend--and as a bonus my boys were SUPER well behaved!

CLIFFORD COMES TO VISIT!!!!

What an exciting morning we had--Clifford the Big Red Dog came to visit our little public library! They were having a book fair with great deals (buy one, get one free) and had Clifford there to get pictures with. It was super cute--when Clifford showed up, he greeted the few kids who were there in the book fair. Then Clifford, who could not see too well, needed to be led out to the lobby so Jack grabbed his hand and took him out! It was adorable! Luke was a bit unsure of Clifford and would not sit with him by himself but was okay to sit on Momma's lap by Clifford! I think these pictures are totally scrap worthy :):)

A New Hobby :)

So I have a new hobby :) the white plates are from the dollar store in town (great find if I do say so myself) but I wanted colored plates/bowls, etc to spice things up! I have been finding fiestaware dishes at the local flea market very cheap so I am now collecting peices to add to my collection. I got the yellow and blue plates (a total of 16 pieces--some dinner, some salad and some "tea plates") for $16.00!!! I am thrilled! I set the table a few weeks ago for dinner with Gary and Linda!

We spent some time at "AJ's Family Fun Center" today :) Jack loved it...Luke not so much. Luke is much more apprehensive when it comes to new activites and by the time we left, he was warmed up and wanted more.



Jack had a VERY good time driving the go-karts. He was a very serious driver and did a good job..... the one way thing was due to the guy telling him to go that way :)

We also hit the arcade for game time....Josh had as much fun as our kiddos! :) And we all know I am a big kid so I had an absolute blast! :):):)

The Zoo

My MIL, Linda, and I took the boys to the zoo today :) It was a delightful way to spend a Saturday! Jack's favorite was the sting rays (which we paid an extra dollar so he could see them and pet them), and Luke's favorite was the Tiger (which he cried and ran back when we left the exhibit). I loved the goats as always...but the dark haired one behind me ate a HUGE chunk of my hair right as this picture was being taken! Naughty goat! My Mom in Law loved the Pygmy goats and has her sights set

Give Me Patience!

oh give me patience please! i lost them tonight when luke dumped water ALL over the bathroom floor and jack laughed. i lost my patience and temper. luke got a small swat on the butt (which i do not do) and both boys got sent to time out. i also took a time out after i wiped up the water. i had to decide if i was really angry at the boys or angry at myself for how i reacted. in the end, i had a good chat with each boy individually and once we got that out of the way, we were able to have a nice time before bed. we read several stories with daddy (who came in from mowing), had a snack and enjoyed each other's company. oh i need to work on my patience!

Sore Shoulder/Back

Last week and this week I have suffered from insomnia. Who knows why but I get like this every few months. Last week was worse and therefore I slept on the couch or floor every night for an entire week......the end result was a VERY SORE upper right shoulder. I think I have pulled a muscle in the shoulder blade area. It has gotten worse this week and now I am at a point where the pain is interrupting my sleep and quality of play with my boys. Any ideas or suggestions? I am using icy hot and my husband says to try and rest it. I need more ideas please!!!

Additional Prayers Please

I recently caught up with a friend of mine from college, Katie. Katie and I both went through the education dept at Hope --I was on the LD route (learning disabilities) and KT was on the EI (emotional impairment route). She is loving, graceful, kind, energetic, compassionate....etc. I learned through our reconnecting that she is going through a rough time right now. Katie, and her husband Dan, are pregnant with their first baby after a miscarriage. It has been determined that the baby, Noah, most likely has Down's. This in itself is tough for a parent but Katie and Dan are ready for that challenge. What is heart breaking is that Noah has another condition and the doctors have given Noah very little chance of survival. The cavities around his organs and brain are filling with fluid and they expect the fluid to go into his heart. This breaks my heart. Please help me pray for their family. I pray for God to bring them comfort and to care for their family in the way that only he knows how.

I am also praying for a colleague that recently had a stillborn at 7 months and for a friend who after MANY years of trying has finally conceived. I pray for my colleague to learn on God for support and strength. I pray for my friend to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

Thanks for listening and praying with me.

Out of a Funk :)

I am trying out a funky new background to help me get out of my funk :) Lookin' good on the blog (or at least I think so) will help me smile and feel a bit better after my heck of a day! :)

Grateful

I am grateful today that I was being watched over by my guardian angel.

Today, as I was driving to work for a meeting, I ran through a stop sign, slipped in between two big trucks with trailers and smashed into a different stop sign. I am not sure what exactly happened. I was kind of "foggy" in the brain today for one. I also remember thinking about a friend and work while listening to classical music. All of the sudden I was in the middle of an intersection--an intersection I drive through EVERY DAY during the school year--and saw cars coming in both directions with the two trucks turning in the way that I was heading....to avoid hitting them I slipped through them and smashed right over the stop sign! The last time I was in the middle of an intersection during an accident it was because my little car got crushed and I was on the receiving end of the accident.

As I sat there on the side of the road, on top of the stop sign, I couldn't help but remember the awful AWFUL accident from before. I am so grateful this accident today was no where near as bad as that accident. I am so grateful that I did NOT hit any vehicles. The corner that I went through is a very dangerous corner. Vehicles on the cross road drive very fast and are not known to slow down at that particular "hidden" intersection. I am grateful I did not injure anyone. I am grateful I was not injured. I am grateful that the bystanders today were incredibly kind to me, as were the first responders and the deputy. They were all so nice to me and just kept checking to see if I was okay (Perhaps they kept checking because I could not stop crying....could not help it--I am very tender hearted and felt terrible). I am grateful my truck was not too badly damaged and that my husband was so supportive of me. He encouraged me to calm myself down and drive on to my appointment. He encouraged me to let it go and accept that it was an accident. I am grateful for my mom and mother in law who both talked me through the ordeal and love me unconditionally.

I need to stop feeling guilt. It was an accident and I need to just make sure it does not happen again.

Misc Updates on the Boys :)

Been a while since I have updated you on anyone but me :)

Luke:
working on potty training and LOVES to use the potty! He stayed dry Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday!!!!! (Tuesday he was at daycare and did not even try) He is not dry during naps or bedtime but I would not expect that :) Luke is not yet letting us know when he needs to potty so I am still encouraging him to go quite often. I do not consider him potty trained until he lets me know he needs to use the potty :) on a regular basis! He is on his way--we will see if this continues on the right path. Seems like Jack was on this path when he was this age and then we moved....and he stopped potty training. I am not sure if he stopped because of his age or because we moved :) I am going to let Luke decide if he wants to continue--he has to want to potty train, right? He is also NUK FREE! Woo Hoo! We gave up the Nuk on Tuesday and that was 5 nights ago :) Naps are harder for him but we will survive! He even made it a night at grandma's house NUK FREE and DRY PANTS! Way to go Luke!!! :)

Jack:
Jack's imgination is VERY active! He loves to play pretend--with his cars, with his batman figure, with his "Darth Mater Light Saver", with ANYTHING he can get his hands on! He is vey lovey dovey right now as well. He tells me at least 10 times a day that he loves me and gives me a hug/kiss. He has a beautiful, wide-across-the-face smile that just melts my heart. He is trying to develop his own sense of space. He shares his toys and "space" with Luke but often will ask Luke to let him play by himself for a little bit. Jack also is pretty responsible for an almost 4 year old. He helps with turning on/off hoses when we are working outside, helps set/clear the table, will turn off the TV after his one alloted show, etc. He is also going through some "trying to gain independence" stuff...he likes to test the boundaries and rules just to see how far he can go :) He is at a great age--full of sass and love :)

Josh:
Josh is Josh :) He is working very hard and trying to squeeze in play when he can! He loves to be outside with the boys--hitting baseballs, throwing the football, fixing gutters, etc. Josh is also playing a summer softball league--they are doing AWESOME :) I think they are 2nd in their league. He has played very well---he has a lot of hits and has even had some grand slam home runs! :) The boys and I try to get to his games as often as we can but sometimes they are too late for us to make it.

Me:
You all know about me :) Grad class starts up again this coming weekend....which means 2 weeks of STRESS and HOMEWORK before 3 weeks of relaxation time before school stuff gets started again....... crazy how time flies when I am enjoying my summer :) I am working full time starting in the fall so please pray that the transition goes smoothly for me!

Happy Sunday to you all!

Super FUN!

We had a super fun time last night :) We went on a double date with our neighbors, Scott and Shan! They are great friends! We started the evening with a tasty dinner at Honey Creek, and then headed to AJ's for some go-karts, batting cages, arcade games, etc.

The go-karts were super FUN! I may not be allowed to get my go-kart license renewed (if there were such a thing) as when I was pulling out of the "pit", I also ran over the fella working there! What a hoot! I felt a little bad but at the same time was giggling too hard to feel too bad..... :) Josh said I am a very agressive g0-kart driver..... I am not aggressive, I just defend my territory :) I kept the fella behind me BEHIND me and made sure to try and pass others as I could!

In the arcade, Shan and I totally spent time re-living the 80's. We used many of our tokens playing Ms. Pacman and Centipede. I was rad at Ms. Pacman and Shan was totally gnarly at Centipede! We used many of other tokens playing skee ball and air hockey! The boys spent "their arcade" time out in the batting cages but were able to sqeeze in a round of skee ball with us!

We rounded out the evening with dessert and good company :)

Night 3 of Nuk Free

Luke has now moved from crying for his Nuk to crying for other "things". Tonight he is crying, rather hard and loud, to sleep in Mama's bed. Oh that poor young boy--what have I done to him by giving him a Nuk to begin with and now taking away his special link to his mom :):) Just teasing--I think it is HIGH TIME to get rid of the darn rubber nipple! Yes folks, that is right-I called it what it is--a rubber nipple! :) He will survive--I just hope I do too!

PS Nap times are MUCH harder...I am going to guess the reason is because he does not sleep as hard and therefore thinks about it more. He falls asleep--he just does not stay asleep! I rocked him today after the first hour he napped and then sacrificed myself to sleep another hour on the floor with him :) They go to Grandma's tomorrow..... not sending a nuk.... hope Grandma is okay with this :)

Blessings :)

I am grateful for the blessings in my life :) I am especially grateful for Josh, Jack and Luke!

Patches O' Boyer

Just call me Patches O'Boyer! My entire upper back is covered in patches and tape. This irritating annoyance is part of a much larger process. 5 years ago, I began having small allergic reactions on the top of my hands and on the upper side of my wrists. The first year was just a minor irritation. The rash is at its worst in early to mid spring, eases up through the summer and gets bad in the fall...... It also has gotten worse over the years. The long of the short is this year it got to a point where I actually went to a regular doctor, a dermatologist and now an allergist. I had the "scratch test" done and even though it showed I have allergies, they were not the kind the doctor thinks is causing my odd arm stuff..... so hopefully these patches show something. Slathered under the patches are smears of vaseline with chemicals in them. I had them put on Tuesday and they stay on until Friday afternoon. I am not allowed to shower or get wet in any way in that time! That is why I hope this test shows something...it has been a day and I already feel stinky! :)

Going Nuk Free

I realized that Jack gave up his Nuk cold turkey when he was 2 years and 3 months old. He was sicker than sick with nasty fever blisters coating the inside of his mouth and throat. His mouth made it so he was not able to suck on his Nuk. He could not suck when he was sick and when he was feeling better he took one look at his Nuk and said Nope!

Luke is now 2 years and 1 1/2 months. This gives me only a little bit of time before Luke hits the age when Jack gave up his Nuk. My goal was actually to have it gone by the time Luke was 2 but that did not happen. Luke is only allowed to have it at bed. I think I am a big wimp! :) It is so easy to plop it back into his mouth when he wakes up in the night! We tried to get rid of it a few months ago and I totally wimped out! I gave in after 20 minutes of crying but I am going to blame that on grad school related stress and lack of sleep!

Last night, spur of the moment, I decided it was the night to say goodbye to Nuk! Yesterday was a special day for Luke and that encouraged me to make the big jump! He had his very first "Day" at daycare!!!!! Bear with me as a I follow this tangent..... when it is is YOUR day at daycare this is a BIG deal! You get to be line leader, pick a special plate at lunch, pick the movie before rest time, and overall just get to be extra special! Luke has always been too young to have a day and yesterday was his first time having A DAY! In honor of the specialness, I decided to get rid of the nuk and start to focus our efforts on potty training!

Luke cried last night for almost an hour but fell asleep with NO NUK! I held strong and did not give in when he was whimpering in the middle of the night. Today at nap the going got quite rough-20 minutes of crying and only a 45 minute nap before he woke up and cried for an hour. I held out--no Nuk and did not get him out of bed until 2 pm (normal get up from nap time).

I don't want to make Luke grow up faster than neccessary but I do want him to let go of some of the baby ways :) Nuks are for babies and Luke is certainly not one of those any more! Potty training--well that is just an attempt. I know when he is ready, he will train himself :)

Celebrating Good Times!

In the past, we usually have traveled for the Fourth of July. In fact, I cannot recall a Fourth of July in over 5 years when we did not travel somewhere...... This year we decided we needed a weekend at our own house :) We had a very low key day....in our PJs! It was heaven! At dinner time, we grilled up hotdogs and burgers and ate with Josh's family and our neighbors. We sqeezed in some dessert, some fireworks, sparklers and just good clean fun :) It was a great way to celebrate the Independence our country has and the freedoms we are so blessed with!


Lining up for sparklers :)


The kids had a great time :) Luke would not sit for a picture..... ;)

The Gardens

Wow! I am enjoying our return to Michigan more and more all the time. It is amazing I lived here for my entire life and still visit places that I have never visited before or visit a place and experience things I have never experienced before. We visited Frederick Meijer Gardens back in April for the first time (Jack and I with my parents as Luke was sick). I went for my second visit on Friday. This was the first experience for Josh and Luke and a return visit for Grandma Tractor. It was WONDERFUL! We spent the morning exploring the Gardens and I saw so many things that I did not see on my last trip. We trekked out to the "farm gardens" where we saw veggies and flowers! We also go to see lots of beautiful animal statues! We played in the Children's Garden, in the "sand box", wandered through the forest gardens...etc :) We ended our morning with a picnic. It was a wonderful WONDERFUL wonderful morning.

Playing archeologist with Dad!

Having a tea party under the tree house in the children's garden :)

Friends!

We had a play date today with some friends! Jackie, a friend and colleague, invited us over to play with Sade (almost 2) and Ky (9 weeks)....well Sade plays but Ky just lays there and looks cute! The boys had a lot of fun playing with "new" toys and really liked Sade. It was a wonderful way to spend a rainy day!

The Flea Market

My boys love to head to the Flea Market on Thursdays :) It is a tradition we share with Grandma Tractor! We try to get there weekly if we can! :)