the coming of fall brings another Anniversary!

Its crazy to think that September 29th, 2012 was our 5 year Anniversary already! Also, it landed on a Saturday this year! So we didn't have to worry about whether David should take the day off of work or not! So this year we decided to do things a little differently! We decided to get a babysitter for the morning, well most of the day, and go up to Flagstaff with out the kiddos! (first Anniversary without them!) Went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast then went to the mall to just hang out and look around. The mall may sound boring to you, but when David and I were first dating we would always go hang out at the mall, so I guess it was more for remembering, but also David decided to SPOIL me! So I went in with no bags and came out with a bunch of new clothes and a new jacket! Its funny seeing what new trend will be in style and this year its those blazer type jackets and pea jackets again! Which I must confess I really like both! So now I own both! Then we went and picked up the kiddos around 3 and headed back to our place. Oh we also bought a new WII game!! DONKEY KONG! I know we are nerds! lol So then a normal day until the kids went to bed and I made a separate meal for us, and we got out our nice dishes ect and candle light, the usual romantic meal... then just relaxed playing pool, WII, ping pong and watching a movie! Overall it was a really fun day! 

So for fun here is a picture on our wedding day! I thought to take one of us on our Anniversary but we are both more willing to take pictures of our kids then us! So no pictures of us...

Then here are the beautiful flowers that were waiting for me when I woke up! I don't know how he sneaks them past me each year, but once again I was surprised! 

The card with us on it I made on Shutterfly for David and the other is his card to me!

Close up of the beautiful flowers!

This was either before or after our Anniversary! Sadly I don't remember but full moons are always beautiful and I actually got a few good pictures!!

 Then just a few random pictures of Charlies eating his Oatmeal one morning! He was super comical so I just kept taking pictures of him!

Random picture of Sophia looking out at me..

We also finally accented two walls in the kids room! Well actually Charles room was pretty much redone! Now it looks like a little boy room! Also Charles picked out the trains on the wall! He was super excited saying Choo Choo Choo CHoo!!!

Random pic of Charles

Charles and our neighbor Tyler! Tyler is soo cute he goes to Head Start with Sophia and the days I pick them both up after school he goes telling ever little kid their that Charles is his little brother! Which Charles doesn't mind at all!

Next is Sophia's new room! Purple looks super good in her room! They messed up on the paint so it ended up being a purple/pink color, but it ended up looking really good!

Sophia's first painting is framed in her room! Along with a picture of her coloring it and the date!

Sophia, Charles and Tyler were doing circles with their trikes!

Also on another random note, so my dad visited a week or so ago now and David called RACHEL and then I hear Charles go Rachel! (WACHEL is more what it sounds like!) but ever since then Charles calls me Rachel!!!! It sounds super cute, but at the same time I can't get him to call me MOMMY anymore! He thinks he is super funny too! So a few days after that happened he kept calling me Rachel instead of mommy and I go Charles no i'm mommy and he looks at me and goes mommy and I go yup Charlie i'm mommy!  then he cocks his head to the side and goes NO WACHEL!!!  what a little stinker! 

summer coming to an end

So a lot seems to have happened since I last posted! The biggest thing though is Sophia starting head start! All summer I was so excited Sophia got accepted into head start, and thinking how good it will be for her because she learns SO much from other kids! Well don't ya know the first day of school I CRY! lol, I had way harder of a time with it then she did! That first day I was like maybe she doesn't need to go to school, what am I going to do without my Sophia! ect ect probably all the normal thoughts when a kid starts school. Even though its only for three hours it seemed like such a big deal! and I guess it was, but after the first day you could tell how much she enjoyed it! Also, they hired a personal aid (don't know if thats the right wording but it will work!) for Sophia who is with her the whole time and gives her extra attention. Which of course Sophia loves! So overall it doesn't seem like as big of a deal as the first day, although I can honestly say if she came home all sad and the people at school said she seemed upset most of the day I would have instantly pulled her out! Which David reminds me that her aid would be without a job if I did that! So I guess Sophia going to school is good for more then just her! Also all the kids like her because she is so little! I feel like all her classmates would already defend her if someone were to try and be mean to her! She has won them over already!

Charles on the other hand loves having one on one time with mommy! and we go over early to get Sophia and he plays at the park! Then our neighbor boy Tyler (who also goes to head start with Sophs) comes over usually for a little while and plays! and oh boy does Charles love playing with another boy! Oh and Charles has switched to a toddler bed! Well he was constantly getting in and out of his crib that we figured we may as well convert it into a toddler bed! Which he loves, although he does seem to fall off quiet a bit! He just sleepily gets up and crawls back in bed!

Then our house, we painted the fire place white! Which looks super nice! Then we got a swing set for the kiddos out back, which they both LOVE! 

It seems hard to start over in a new town where you know few people, but we seem to be adjusting pretty well. Starting to make friends at Williams First Baptist Church and starting to get involved, I never thought I would like youth group (not sure why?) but that is what we have decided to get involved with here and I realize how much I like that age! Over all I think the Lord has helped us get established in our new town! Although I still miss Flagstaff and all our friends! 30 minutes away isn't that far, and I am pretty excited for MOPS to start to see a lot of friends again! Also for FCFs womens retreat down here in Williams! So many things to look forward to!

Sophia and her friends Jaelyn and Jordyn!

She was so excited her friends were at her house!

Jaelyn is buried underneath ALL the toys!

random cute pic of Sophs!

I think they were wrestling, but before they were walking around holding hands and I thought oh cute I want a picture, and then they did this when I went to take it! lol There favorite  things lately it holding hands while there walking around.

Sophs all ready for Headstart!

Our fire white fire place! Still needs a few more coats but looking good!

A tree wall decor we bought at target

Our family room re-organized with our new sofa.

Our swing set with a flag stone path!

Charles bed now a toddler bed!

Late post about Charles 2nd Birthday!

So I did a pretty bad job this year with taking pictures of Charles Birthday! I guess because it was just the normal gathering of us, mom dad Sophia and Charles. We had all just gotten over being sick so I guess that was a plus, but my house still seemed to needed to be disinfected, so I guess I was happy with not taking pictures, although it did "look" clean! Ok, so we woke up that morning and sang Charles happy birthday when we woke him, I think at that exact moment he realized something was special about that day and pushed his limits to see what he could get away with! Ya know the normal reaction to a little kid on a day he knows is special! After waking him we made blueberry waffles his favorite breakfast item! Over all a very normal day until before supper when he got to open presents, but again just getting over being sick he slept all day and didn't completely wake up until after his presents were open, so opening presents wasn't half as fun! Then ate supper and cake, David had class that night so he logged onto class while I called Grandpa Anderson and Grandma Backstrom for Charles to get wished a Happy Birthday!

While it was around here that I Think the long nap and cake and ice cream started to kick in! He was literally running laps in our family room and jumping all around! Then while I was trying to find him to talk to Grandpa Anderson he was running around slapping himself in the face and screaming! Pretty sure we must have over done his cake! Lesson learned!!! haha, but overall he seemed to enjoy his brithday and his favorite  gift from my mom was a tool set! Which I thought would be his favorite! So that was Charles BIG Birthday! I know, I over did myself this year! lol, but we think by next year he will enjoy his birthday more, and his birthday will be more for him then for us.  But I have a few random pictures from then that I will add to this post!

So Charles one day decided to see how many boxes he could fit in! Here is the first box!

A different view to show you how tiny that box really is!

Haha here was the next box! Think he will fit!?

Sophs didn't think soo!

SILLY BOY!

He thought he was pretty funny!

That same day he tried walking around with daddy's shoes on!

He managed to walk half way across the room, which was farther then I thought he would get without falling!

That is where he ended!

Finding Nemo Time! That is Charles and Sophia's favorite show! I don't know why, I think it is because we have fish. They never actually watch the whole thing through, which is fine with me, but get super excited when it first comes on!

This was the day after Charlies 2nd Birthday in his room with his new tool kit!

His cool toy that has the ABC's on it! It sings the ABC's and has each letter that you press and it says what it is. 

random day outside

Charlie pointing at the bird that doesn't seem to want to leave! It has four birds and we watched them all fly away from the nest, and either another bird just like it came back or the same one is there! Although David thinks one failed to launch! lol but not sure...

See looks the same as when we first moved in right!? Its pretty crazy, I think there are more eggs in there, that mama is there all day and night again! (or another, i'm not entirely sure!)

Charles getting a closer look and Sophs copying!

my sweet girl!

Charles has discovered Markers! ever since he always points at the table and says color color? Sophs on the other hand wants to throw them and taste them!

Like his beautiful drawing!? On the paper and his arm!

Sophs layed down in the HUGE load of laundry I was trying to fold! Yes kiddos are always very helpful! 

Charlies birthday sticker from auntie Spring! We only waited like a week after his birthday for him to open it!

Charles Nap and Sophs potty

It's not everyday when your kids seem quieter then normal and you go looking for them only to find them being good! haha That was Charles today! So I was looking up recipes online and all of a sudden I was like hmm I see Sophs but where is Charles, he is being awfully quiet! (which usually is never good!) So I go searching for him and found him in his crib! I left and went to David to see if he got in trouble without me realizing or see if he knows why Charles is in there! David was just as curious as me... so I go back in his room only to realize he is SOUND ASLEEP! So I guess he didn't get a long enough nap earlier and decided to crawl in for a longer one!!

On another note, so I am still working with Charles on potty training, not "hardcore" if he goes in his diaper OK, but I prefer he went in the toilet. I guess I want him to get more use to it before I say NO MORE in your diaper! Good idea or bad? Not sure... but that's what i'm doing. Ok so back to what I was going to say... so we were sitting watching Mickey Mouse and I asked Charles if he needed to go pee-pee and he said NO, so I was like hmm I will just ask Sophs and see what she does! Then she gets up and walks away... and i'm like hmmm is she mad? So then I decide to go and follow her, and she went right to the bathroom and asked for help with her shorts! So I put her up and sure enough she went! Which is a HUGE break through with her! Normally she doesn't want anything to do with the toilet she is content using her diaper and going wherever she is! So hopefully my working with Charles has inspired her!

Also Tomorrow Charlies turns TWO!!!!