Where we have been ...

First we will go back to Thanksgiving. We had a lot of family over this year to celebrate with us. Uncle Jim Aunt Connie, Grandpa Schulz, Aunt Joni, Uncle Brian, Brianna, Tyler, Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Brendan, Gramma, Papa and Grandma Shockey made for a full house. It was wonderful!! I love when we are surrounded by family. It turns out I was not on top of the picture taking so I only have a few. A little warning this is a long post.

Liam's turkey on his homemade pumpkin pie

Uncle Jim and Papa "watching" football after dinner. 

Grandpa Schulz told stories that had everyone crying from laughing so hard. After dinner most of the afternoon was spent simply hanging out with family. Truly a great day.

Next we celebrated my birthday with a dinner out the Saturday before when Aunt Lindsey was still here. Then on my birthday it was a beautiful day  in the 50's so I took Grayson and Declan to the zoo for the afternoon. We had a wonderful time visiting their favorites, the aquarium, gorillas, lions and the jungle. 

Declan, Mommy, and Grayson in the jungle

Grayson and Declan at the zoo

Later that evening we went and picked out our Christmas tree. Usually this is what we do for my birthday. We go out to dinner or lunch and then go get the Christmas tree and boy did Tristan and Colin not let me forget that this is what we do on my birthday. Since it was on a Tuesday this year I figured we would get the tree later over the weekend but those two silly boys do not like me changing things on them. It turned out to be the best day to go tree shopping anyway. It was warmer and we were going to be gone the next weekend.

Liam and Declan taking the tree to the car. 

Wednesday night we decorated the tree and our house for Christmas. Tristan and Grayson were so helpful untangling the lights and putting them on the tree. 

I don't think Tristan thought Grayson was much help! After the lights were up everyone got busy adding ornaments and decorating the rest of the house.

Once all of our stockings were hung with care we were not done decorating. We still had two more houses to help decorate. The farm and Gramma and Papa's house. (unfortunately I forgot my camera for Gramma and Papa's house so no pictures) First, we went to the farm to help decorate. The first Christmas without Grandma Schulz will be hard for everyone and we wanted to help make it as festive and joyful as we could. Grandpa Schulz came out to the house too and really enjoyed the day. He kept telling us what a wonderful day it was and he could not believe everyone would do this for him. I am so happy the boys and I were there to help.

Grandpa Schulz and Tristan

Uncle Brendan and Uncle Jim getting the lights on the tree

Of course there was plenty of time to play after the decorating was done. Papa, Grandpa Schulz and Liam played cards. Then Liam showed Grandpa Schulz what the iPad was about.

Grandpa Schulz and the beautiful tree full of angels made by Grandma Schulz

Beautiful Fall Day

Last Sunday it was just that, a beautiful fall day. The boys spent most of the afternoon outside playing so I took some time to snap some pictures. Grayson was particularly into getting his picture taken so there may be a few of him. Here are some of my favorites.

Halloween

We love this time of year. We have so much fun decorating the house spooky inside and out. Most years the big boys know what their costumes will be very early like mid-September but this year they kept changing their minds. So much so that Greg was up until 1:30 Halloween (and his birthday) morning finishing up the handmade costumes he was making for Tristan and Colin. He is one focused Daddy. He wants the boys to love their costumes and have the best Halloween possible each year. They were both characters from Lord of the Rings. Liam was a cowboy, Declan was a wizard, and Grayson ended up being The Fonz. Grayson was not interested in putting on any of the costumes I tried. I think he ended up pretty cute!

witch/wizard

cowboy

Legoless (an elf from Lord of the Rings)

knight 

Now for the most shocking costume of the day was Daddy's. I remember at some point Greg telling me he was going to be a cowboy of some sort so I was totally shocked when I went to help him finish his costume and he came out looking like this.

Mrs. Georgina Shockey

He wore heals! They were maybe a half inch, more than I ever have worn and he wore them for a couple a few blocks during trick-or-treating. When he first came downstairs Declan and Grayson were a bit confused. You could see in their faces they were trying to figure out who this person was. It took Grayson a couple hours to let Greg touch him. Greg got quite a few laughing surprise responses from Gramma and Papa's neighbors. They were shocked and yet very impressed with his go for it attitude. Gramma also had a great reaction sure wish I had my camera ready for that.

After a quick dinner we all headed out trick-or-treating with Uncle Brendan and  joined with Matthew, Ben and Sam T. Grayson and I headed back to Gramma's after two blocks. He was having so much fun and really could have gone longer but every next house or next block he wanted to go meant another block I would have ended up carrying him home. Once we got to Gramma and Papa's house he immediately started emptying his pumpkin bag to see his goodies. He chose one big sucker, which he pretty much sat on the stairs eating his sucker and enjoying the variety of characters that came to the door.

 Ben T, Tristan, Colin, Greg and Brendan split from Matthew T, Sam, Liam and Declan.  Matthew started heading towards home with the little boys.  About an hour after we returned Liam and Declan came home. They were dropped off by Matthew who amazingly found a friends house just in time for Liam's emergency bathroom needs just a block from Gramma's. But I guess, when you gotta go you gotta go. I am not totally clear on the story but it sounds like he may have taken the potty training Declan too. Now that is a good friend.

It was at least forty five more minutes before the big boys returned.  They are getting older and want to go further each year. All in all it was a very successful night. Now after we celebrate Greg's birthday this weekend we will be ready to move on to holiday season. Halloween is the kick off to the holiday season with more fun, family, friends and good times ahead.

Halloween 2013

Me

Heather at the Bob Kerry Bridge before the challenge.

This blog was started to share our family with family and friends we do not get to see as often and it is mainly about our five boys. As I am the one taking pictures all the time, (sometimes to the annoyance of the boys) I do not post many pictures or specific things about myself. However, today I am sharing about me. About two Saturdays ago I participated in a challenge called Battle on the Banks. It was for small gyms in the metro area. It began with people from Iowa and Nebraska set up on the banks of the Missouri River compete to finish a circuit of exercises. You started on either the banks of  Nebraska or Iowa performed five different exercises which included 30 push ups, 30 burpees, 30 sit ups, 30 squats and 30 jump squats then you ran across the Bob Kerry Bridge, find the same five exercises on the other bank and complete another set of 30 of each exercise then run back across the bridge. The first side to have everyone return to their bank "won". There really was not an actually prize other than pride in completing the challenge. Now I am not the most athletic person around but I have been working with a trainer to become healthier and more fit to keep up with my boys. My trainer suggested I try this challenge and I am happy I did. I did not finish first nor did I finish last the most important part to me is that I went down at 6:30 in the morning, started and finished this challenge. I may be tooting my own horn here but I was so proud of myself. Another amazing thing about this is that I heard there will be another one in the spring which I look forward to competing in and doing even better.

Me as I was coming to the finish! (I got this picture from someone there and it's a bit fuzzy)

 Another perk from competing in the challenge, seeing the bridge at sunrise. I can almost guarantee that would never have happened before.