So, I started doing this blog a while ago when I was a stay at home mom thinking it would give me something super fun to do. Maybe keep me in better touch with family and friends. Well the joke was on me because as you can see I don't keep up with this at all! There has been so much change since the last post I did. We currently live in Fort Wayne Indiana. Jared is working for Trugreen and as of right now I am at home with Jaxon. Madison is in Kindergarten and loves it. We just went to her book fair and it was so great to see her interact with her school friends and just laugh with them. She really loves it here and asked if we could stay here for good. I am not sure that will happen because we tend to move when Jared's company says too but I do hope that there is a chance we will be here for a bit. We started venturing out into Fort Wayne and realized how family oriented it is. There is so much to do and inexpensive. We recently took the kids ice skating for the first time and they loved it! To be honest, Jared and I thought we would embarrass the kids but we actually did well and didn't fall. Madison worked really hard at learning the technique and by the end of our time there she was able to skate on her own without hand holding. She was super proud of herself. Jaxon loved it also. He has now decided besides football, basketball and baseball he would like to play hockey. For now, the kids are happy with us being here and Jared really enjoys what he is doing and I cant complain :)

 

 

Well.....I finally decided to come back to the blog. The weather is finally getting nicer and the kids would rather live outside right now. Madison just finished up with pre-school but still has one more year. That was really hard to explain to her since most of her friends will be attending kindergarten. But she is slowly grasping it I think :) She is growing up so fast I cant catch up. The things that she says and the stories that she tells you cant help but laugh and smile. Within three weeks she grew, gained 5 pounds and two shoe sizes. One day she was a 7-8 and the next she is a 10!
Jaxon is slowly starting to talk. He says up to be picked up and "ease" for please. He says the same thing for cheese when taking pictures. His doctor is having him evaluated to make sure there is nothing behind him not talking. He will be two next month and they say that he should be speaking at least 50 words. Jax understands commands and when he wants something he just points to it or he will bring you to show you what he wants. So we will see, but I am sure that he is just doing everything on his own terms. Jared is still loving his job with Target. He just started at his store in Springfield. I think that commute is kind of hard for him but he is suck a trooper he really doesn't complain. He has to be there around 4 so he has to be up at 2 in the morning and that way he can leave around 2:40ish. He gets off around 2 so the kids love that.
   We recently just took the kids to Hey Days in Heyworth where we live and the kids had a blast. Jax had a hard time waiting in between rides so he of course threw tantrums and made huge scenes but welcome to the terrible twos! Madison was in heaven and she literally will try anything at least once. If she is scared you can see it in her face and she will come off it saying she will not do that again!!!  Now that the weather is getting nicer we are able to enjoy it together. I look forward to the summer!

Well, it has been a super busy couple of weeks. Jared has started a new job with Target. He will be a manager with Target in Springfield. He is super excited and seems to really be enjoying the training. We are super proud of him and hope he will enjoy doing it. It is really nice knowing that we will be in Illinois for a while now. So hopefully we will have to do one more move in about a year and then that will be it.
     My Brother in law and his girlfriend had their son. His name is Landon Karter and he was due on the 29th but he was born on March 23rd at 1:23 pm. He is so cute and such a good baby. Ashleigh did very good during the delivery and it was so special for me to be able to be there at the hospital. The kids are loving having their cousin come and visit. Madison acts like a little mommy with Landon and loves to sing to him and hold him. Jaxon doesn't really know what to do with him so he just pats Landon's head. 
     My mom and sister were visiting the same day that Ashleigh went into labor. So it was a little rough at first but we were able to work it out. It was a great visit with them. I love when they can come down and visit us because we always have a great time!! The kids had a blast. They got to go swimming and shopping with grandma Tammie and Aunt Ashley.
     Madison started at a new preschool here in Heyworth. She is going to Gods Garden at the Christian Church. She has been ready to get back into school but I cant say the same for her brother. She did so well and is super excited to go again, but Jaxon was very upset on the fact that sissy was leaving him. Hopefully he will get better about her leaving in the morning!

                                                   


          

Well, happy Monday I suppose. I am so ashamed of myself with how I have not been updating this blog of ours very often. Things around here have been kind of busy for us. I got the great opportunity to go down to Southern Illinois University Carbondale with one my best friends Emily. We went down to stay with our other best gal pal Chelsea. All three of us were roommates the last semester of college. So Em and I drove down there to hang out and see all of the changes that Southern did. I was always in love with the campus especially because that is where Jared and I met. But they have done amazing things with the library and just the whole campus in general. Jared stayed back and hung out the kids for a few days. I am very appreciative that I got the chance to do it. It was so much fun but I wont lie I did feel very old there! Plus after the second day I have anxiety about not having Maddy or Jax with me. The following weekend we had a baby shower for my brother-in-law Ryan and his girlfriend Ashleigh. They are expecting their son Landon on the 29th of March but I think that he will come out sooner. The shower was great and was a pretty good turnout. We had mostly family and then Ryan and Ashleigh had some of their friends. We are super excited for Landon to get here. We also got the chance to see Lightening McQueen, Mater, and a new car Finn from the Disney movie Cars. McQueen was at State Farm where Bob and Lori work. So they were nice enough to take all of us to see that car. The kids went crazy especially Jax. Then we headed over to the corporate office of State Farm to see Mater and Finn. It was really fun and I enjoyed it also. Nothing better then seeing your kids faces light up. Jared has been busy also with surgery, interviewing for jobs as well as coaching 7th grade basketball here in Heyworth. So hopefully we will here something for Jared within the next few days! Jard just recently had his second sinus surgery. We were a little skeptical because the first one really didn't help so we were wondering why this one would but so far so good!  Once Jared finds out what city or town he will be working in then I will venture out and try and find that dream job! I am super excited but sad at the same time. I love being at home with the kids. I probable could still stay home but I think that Madison will like going back to daycare after preschool and Jaxon is too much of a mommy's boy so he NEEDS to go! But until then I get to spend everyday with the loves of my life!

So Valentines Day is gone and over with but it was a good one. Jared and I got to spend it as well as our anniversary on Thursday and this past weekend so on Monday it was all about the kids. We had gotten them bikes. Madison has never really wanted one but we thought it was about time for her to have one. Jaxon has always wanted one but he is kind of too small still but we figured that we could not just buy one. That would not go over so well with either one of the children. So when the kids came down stairs we had them close their eyes and Jared went out and got them. They were so excited since it was considered a surprise!! They looked so adorable on them. Maddy jumped on and just went around in circles. Jaxon is still a tad bit too short so he was happy to sit on it and have one of us push him. It was such a special way to spend the day. Then that night Gram was nice enough to come over and watch Jaxon while the rest of us drove down to Jacksonville IL to watch my brother in law Spencer play basketball. It is only about a hour and half drive so not bad at all. I haven't been able to watch him play like the other family members so it was super cool to see. Madison came with us because she was practically raised watching her uncle play. She is so good at the games and loves to yell out Spencer's name! It was also nice because Spencer's girlfriend Rachel was there so we got to chat. She is such a blast to be around and always nice to get to hang out with her. She is really good with the kids so Madison liked playing with her. Jaxon isn't able to go to the games because unlike Madison he cannot sit still. He likes to scream and do what he knows he is not suppose too. He would rather run around the stands and lets just say I would rather him not! Plus it gave Gram some time to play with him and get him comfortable with her. So I would say that this was a successful Valentines Day!!!

So the last few days have been super busy for us. Our 4 year anniversary was on Thursday and Jared and I went out for dinner. It is always nice to have a few hours to ourselves. Then on Friday we left and drove to West Des Moines to go thru our old apartment and do a walk thru and make sure everything was taken out and cleaned up. Saturday we headed over to Omaha to spend some time with our friends out there. I was so happy that I got to spend time with Megan, her daughter Hailey and our good friend Lauren. It was such a blast but I missed the kids so much. Bob and Lori(grandma and papa) said the kids were super good and had a blast. Madison came right up to me and told me that she was a super good girl and would like a toy for it! I started to laugh and she said "really, mom, really I am not joking!" So now I am truly worried about what our future is going to hold with her. She is too smart of a 4 year old and has a attitude like a 14 year old. Jared just said that she hasn't fallen far from the mommy tree.

Well I thought that I was going to keep up with this whole blogging thing and I have already slacked! Story of my life! Well we are still in Heyworth IL. Jared is still in the process of finding a job. But I am not really worried about it. We are so lucky to have this time right now with our family. I am trying to stay busy by taking care of the kids, and doing all the everyday things that need to be done. The kids are having a blast here living here although Maddy tends to ask when are we going back to our brown house. But being here they get to see there aunts,uncles,gma's, and gpa's a lot more than they have been. Madison is in heaven here except she misses her preschool and gymnastics but she will be back in both pretty soon. Jaxon is still not talking even tho he has said a few words. I think he knows how to just chooses not to. He follows commands and does things on his own and prefers it that way. Plus Madison talks so much like her mommy that who needs to say anything besides her.  So while we have been here we have gotten a ton of snow so at first the kids were not able to go out side due to the temps but once it warmed up a bit Madison finally got her snow fort! Madison and her daddy love to go play outside. Jaxon is still getting use to the idea of snow !