The Sullivan Crew

Em's Race and Daddy Daycare

2011-11-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I (Em) went to Indy to run the Half-Marathon. I was so pleased to get my personal best time--1:47 (8:10 pace)! I felt great!! (Well, other than feeling extremely sore and like I wanted to quit a dozen times, but telling myself that I'm not dead yet, so I might as well just suck it up and keep pushing!) But other than that, I felt AWESOME! Before the race, and several times during it, I caught myself thinking, "Why the heck to people DO stuff like this?!" But as soon as I finished, I remembered why. :) It was a quick trip to Indy; I went down with my two girlfriends on Friday, and we left right after the race on Saturday (gotta love the 6-hour-post-race-drive home!). But I got to stay with my parents Friday night and get my love bucket filled :), AND have a fun time with my buddies!

Back at the homefront, Jaron wielded his magic with the kiddos: a little Mickey-D's, a load of Halloween Candy, and some late-night wiggles yielded the following fun times!

Quad Cities Marathon 9/25/11

2011-09-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Just thought you might be curious about the marathon I ran today in the Quad Cities (border of IL and IA). It was a beautiful route--along the river on both sides, and through an army base. One very powerful moment was running through the army base, and running past hundreds, if not thousands, of white headstones all lined up in a row. It touched me deeply.

So, I started out feeling strong, powering up hills (not too many of them), and staying at a good pace. My goal of qualifying for Boston was revised at mile 15, after I had strong stomach pain for 3 miles. I decided to slow down a bit, and my new goal was now to "Finish". Around mile 17, a drizzle started, which turned into a strong downpour, till about mile 20. It was in the 40's, and I'm known for my lack of thermo-regulation, and sometime around mile 21 I started shivering uncontrollably, teeth chattering. I walked at a water station, and when I tried running again my muscles seized up, and I almost fell over. I hobbled along like this for a short while, when a nice lady spectator offered me a blanket to wrap around me. By then the rain had slowed back to a drizzle, but I was thoroughly chilled. My goal of "finishing" was then revised to "not get hypothermia"...and I met my goal!! I'm sad to say that I didn't complete the entire 26.2 miles--I fell short about 3 miles. It's funny, being dry and somewhat recovered (I can almost walk again :), I wonder if I should've pushed on toward the goal, but in the moment it was all I could do to not fall over. I kept telling myself to run so I could move my body faster and warm up, but my muscles wouldn't go that way!

I crossed the finish line at my goal time, which is ironic, considering that I'd cheated the clock for 3 miles (and that I was hobble-walking across the finish line w/a blanket wrapped around my shoulders!). But I'm alive, I didn't get hypothermia, and am very humbled by the experience.

So that's how it was. Will I run another marathon to redeem myself? I told Jaron that I've been effectively cured of all desire to run a full marathon, but he said something like, "It's okay, Honey, you don't have to make that decision right now." Sly dog.

Another highlight, besides running through the army base, was thinking of something that I'm thankful for at each mile marker. I was almost moved to tears at some mile-markers, as I reflected on how blessed I am with amazing family, friends, health, and my faith in God. It was also a nice way to get my mind off the "how many miles are left" thoughts that are so pervasive in a long race like that. :)

I loved having Jaron, Spencer, Mikey and Trevor greet me after I finished. They missed me when I hobbled across the finish line (no pics of that--phew!), but they found me a few minutes later huddled in the foyer of a restaurant (over a heater) trying to warm myself up. They each gave me such sweet hugs and told me in sweet voices that they loved me. It really took all my discomfort and disappointment away (at least for a moment). I love my darling husband and my wonderful sons so much!

Paging Dr. Sullivan...Anybody Seen Dr. Sullivan??

2011-09-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Jaron and I were blessed with some awesome friends this summer, Dierdre and Andrew Davis, who are not only amazing people, but who also have a sweet wakeboarding boat! Jaron's passion for wakeboarding, which had been dormant for many-a-year, was rekindled full-force this summer (with a vengeance!). Jaron and Andrew were like peas in a pod, taking off to go wakeboarding whenever their work schedules allowed (which meant early-early mornings, or late-late nights, usually!). We have loved being with our friends, having "family time" on the boat, and getting to watch some Uh-MAZE-ING tricks like these:

I made this imovie for Jaron for his birthday (Sept 7).

Texas Summer Vacation!

2011-09-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Early this summer we got to spend a glorious week in Texas! We had so much fun with Jaron's family: We stayed in a fun hotel in Galveston and played at the beach and the pool, gave Jenna and Jared a baby shower, spent time in the Haley's lovely home, and romped with bunnies and chickens at Mammy and Pappy's. We felt sad that Landon's family couldn't join us! But overall we had a wonderful time--Thank you Sullivan Family! We love you!!

Look at our Gorgeous Friends!!

2011-08-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

When we went to Texas this summer, we were sad that our best friends, the Allred's, were out of town, and we weren't going to be able to visit them. Lucky for us, though, we schemed a plan to meet "halfway" between their vacation spot, Colorado, and our drive home. That's how we ended up partying it up in Wichita, Kansas:

Jared and Janene got ahold of our camera and left us a few "surprises"!

Best Buds Spence and Carson

Mikey and Tanner

Trevor and "Bwin-wee" (Brynlee)(SO sad that we didn't get a pic of her cute face!!)

We were lucky to have joined rooms, so the kids went NUTS running from room to room, playing tag, building forts and jumping on beds!

We love you Allred's!!

April in Arizona

2011-06-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

Back in April, Jaron went to a conference for work, and I tagged along (thanks to Nana for staying with the boys!). We had a lovely "getaway". We stayed at a nice resort in the foothills of Tucson, did a little mountain biking and hiking, and greased our tubes at the scrumptious "In-N-Out". I sure have an amazing husband, and it was so fun to have an extended date with him. Can't wait to do it again!

Catalina State Park. Right near our hotel. I spent half a day hiking around while Jaron went to conference meetings one day. Rough, I know.

"Together we stand, Divided we fall"...cause I'll be darned if I'm falling off into the cacti! Mountain biking was pretty intense, because if we weren't careful we'd be eating cholla or prickly pear! Check out these Dr.Seuss-looking cholla bushes. (Those are thorns, not fuzzies):

Thanks for a wonderful trip Darlin'!

Spencer's Piano Recital

2011-06-26T19:40:00.001-07:00

Spencer worked hard this year at practicing piano. He doesn't always love practicing, but he sure brings joy to the home when he plays! We're so proud of him for being so dedicated!

Dread-locks

2011-04-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Excessive use of winter hats and sleeping on pillows MAY cause up to 12 dreadlocks on a single head. These are not life-threatening, but are likely to cause severe irritation of the scalp when attempting to comb through them!

The recommend course of action is to immediately cut (with scissors or a Suck-cut) the mad nappy-ness.

After you have shed the mean case of bed-head, you will likely feel light and free, and may even attempt daring acts such as scaling the pantry shelves to get your paws on the chocolate chips.

Spencer's Baptism!!

2011-04-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

We're ba-aaaak! We're pleased to announce our return to the blogging world after a forced hiatus due to the loss and (thankfully!) recovery of all the pictures on our hard drive.

So now it's business as usual!

There's so much to catch up on, but rather than letting myself be paralyzed with guilt, I'll just trudge forward as if we hadn't experienced a 3-month hiccup, and hope that maybe someday I'll get around to publishing Christmas, and Spence and Trevor's birthdays.

Last week (March 26th) we had the wonderful experience of having Spencer baptized and confirmed in the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. Spencer has been the light and joy of our lives. He is a great example of kindness to his little brothers and his peers. His teacher has told me that the other children look up to him, and we are so grateful that he has been a positive influence on their lives. In addition to being a great friend, story-teller, and example, Spence has a desire to know God and to make good choices. We're glad that Spencer wanted to take this step to help him draw closer to God.

We were grateful to have Nana and Opa, and Chris and Deanna and their girls be there for the baptism. Opa gave a simple yet powerful talk about the Holy Ghost, and Jaron's confirmation blessing was sweet and touching. It was a peaceful, love-filled morning, and we wish we could have shared it with all our family and loved ones!

Don't be fooled by the sour face. Trevor really was excited for Spencer--he just needed a nap!

Where's YOUR Husband??

2010-12-03T18:43:00.001-08:00

It's 4:30 am and 20 degrees outside. Do you know where YOUR husband is...??

I woke up this morning to discover Jaron's car still parked in the driveway. I double-checked the bed, but he wasn't in it. After checking downstairs to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep studying, I realized that Jaron had done the unthinkable: He actually RODE HIS BIKE to work!! Call me a wuss, but I stop running outside when the mercury dips below freezing, and when we consider the extra windchill one would experience on a bike...well, let's just say that my "low" limit would be more like 50 degrees!

I think Jaron deserves this week's official "I'm Too Sexy For the Cold" award.

Trip to Chi-Town

2010-11-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

A.K.A. Chicago.

A couple weeks ago, we took a little family vacation to the "Windy City". We went to a couple museums and stayed in a hotel with a pool. We had so much fun together!

During the 4-hour drive there, we told the boys about skyscrapers. As we got closer to the city, we went through a town with some 6-story office buildings. Mikey saw those tall buildings and said, "Look Mom! Skyscrapers!!" Boy, was he in for a treat!

Chicago Children's museum:

We worked together as a family and built this super-tall skyscraper!

Trevor taking in the view:

I love this guy!!

Look Mom! I'm the Sears Tower!!

We didn't get many pictures at the Shedd Aquarium because it was EXTREMELY crowded, AND a couple of us were REALLY tired from staying up too late at the hotel, so we cut our visit here short. But we LOVED the 4-D Diego movie, especially the part when we got sprayed with water!

I love this giant statue of "Man Hugging Fish" outside the Aquarium.

We Heart IOWA

2010-11-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

From fall leaves to pumpkin patches, from Big 10 Homecoming parades to corn up to your eyeballs, there's a lot to love here in our "North Texas" land! :-)

HALLOWEEN!

2010-11-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Elmo, Darth Vader, Batman, and Plain ol' Mom and Doctor-Dad hope you all had a great Halloween! Four Halloween parties (not counting the actual Halloween night) gave us PLENTY of candy to send us on sugar-highs all through the holidays. Jaron's work puts on a trick-or-treat / party every Halloween:

We also LOVED having Nana in town for the week!! Trevor puts on a good "stink-eye", but don't be fooled!! He has been asking for Nana at least 20 times a day ever since she left!

Gotta Love that Mikey

2010-10-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

We're driving to church yesterday, on a beautiful winding road lined with autumn-colored trees. I was enjoying the view, and the rare peace within the car, when I heard Mikey share my reverence for nature's beauty. He said, "We sure are lucky to have so many trees..." (I was thinking, "Awww, what a sweet thought")

"...so that we can get lots and lots of paper!"

Way to be practical, Mikey.

Success

2010-10-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

A truly successful day, by my standards, is when I haul a basket of laundry to the basement, wash and dry that laundry, then fold AND put away all the said laundry...before any more laundry piles up on the floor where the basket should be!!

Let's just say, I have not experienced success in a long, LONG time.

Best $3 Ever Spent

2010-10-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Trevor loves anything with wheels: cars, motorcycles, tractors and busses. He calls them all the same thing: "Kaa". Lately he's developed a greater love for busses because we walk his big brothers to the bus every morning and pick them up in the afternoon. And Trev gets to see lots of city busses driving around (and he squeals "Kaa! Kaa!" from the backseat every time we see one). I found the Score of all kid-toy-scores a couple weeks ago at a consignment store: a Little Tykes Bus, complete with passengers and battery-operated sounds. Trev has been inseparable with the bus ever since I bought it (over 2 weeks ago).

At the dinner table...

Along the lines of Trevor loving anything with wheels, he was thrilled to discover that his PJ's can hold several cars.

At a recent apple orchard visit, Trev wasn't at all interested in the apple-sampling or the warm apple turnovers. He ran right up to the tractor-trailer, sat down, and waited until it was time to go on the tractor ride. Mind you, he's never been here before, but he instinctively knew that the tractor ride was for him!

Date With Mikey

2010-10-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

Mikey loves Kindergarten, but like his older brother, the transition to full-time school hasn't been entirely smooth. It's pretty exhausting for this tough-guy, and we've had our share of meltdowns after school. I felt like so many of our interactions were negative (me disciplining him, or prodding him to hurry up for school), and I've missed cuddling up with him to read or talk every day; there just isn't always time after school when we have homework, extracurriculars, and a 7 pm bedtime. So when I heard about a "free Friday" at the "local" (1 hr away) zoo, I jumped at the chance to have a date with Mikey. I took him out of school early and headed out to see the animals. We had a lovely time. Lots of giggles and cuddles. I'll cherish this date for a long time (especially during those "meltdown" moments!)

Mikey's Gone Pro

2010-10-13T11:04:00.001-07:00

We had one of Jaron's friends over for dinner the other day, and he was admiring Jaron's handiwork on his skate ramp. He asked Mikey, "Do you like to skate on the ramp?" To which Mikey responded, "I'm not bery (very) good at skateboarding, but I'm a PROFESSIONAL at tying shoes!!" (with much emphasis on "professional"!)

After years of velcro shoes, I finally broke down and got him a pair of lace-ups. We had a couple of shoe-tying lessons during General Conference (2 weeks ago), and look at Mikey now! Way to go Mikey!!

Family Race

2010-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for bragging a little: (after that last "spiritual" post I want to remind all my loved ones how prideful I can be!) Last weekend, the boys and I ran a race. I ran the 5K, and the boys ran in a Kid's Race (a sprint around the track), competing against their age-groups. Here's the brag: Spencer, Mikey and I each finished first in our age categories of our races! I love being in the "Over 30" age-group b/c I don't have to keep up with those young-bucks to stand out! I was so thrilled, that I vowed to keep running until I'm in my 80's just so I could always come in first place (and only place!)!

It was also a great bonding moment for the boys and me (Jaron had to work). I loved sharing something that I love so much with them, and for them to actually experience the stress and exhilaration of a race for themselves. They talked for days about how fun their race was (and how FAST their mom is--just kidding!!). Sadly, my camera ran out of batteries after taking only one (blurry) picture, so I have nothing to show!

A Bit of Heaven on Earth

2010-10-05T18:12:00.001-07:00

Heaven is manifested all around us--the beauties of nature; the kindness of a stranger; the wisdom and thoughtfulness of a friend; the unconditional love we receive from family; moments when we pause to listen to and connect with the true Source of Light and Love.

We got to do some connecting this weekend, during General Conference (aka "Jennifer" conference, if you're Mikey). I made some delicious food (if I do say so myself)--cinnamon rolls that were to DIE for, and some scrumptious Cafe Rio knock-off dishes--to tempt my family to cozy up with me and listen to 8 hours of talks from inspired servants of God. Not that they needed much bribing--the kids have come to look forward to the bi-annual General Conference weekends as special time with family (crafting, eating, coloring, drawing), and and even a little listening to the inspired messages.

We have a tradition where, at the start of each talk, Jaron or I will pick a word (like "families), and every time the speaker says the word, the kids can get a candy from a bowl up by the computer. It keeps them (and us) from falling asleep (which is no easy feat after all that good food and cozy-ness!), and helps them stay at least a little attentive to the speakers. This year, we kept forgetting to mention a "keyword", so the kids just took the initiative to reward themselves with a candy whenever they thought they deserved one. The candy bowl emptied pretty quick this year.

The weather was also gorgeous here, so in the mornings before the sessions started we'd go for a "bike ride" (mom huffing it on foot to keep up with the youngsters on bikes), and then settle in at 11 for some good food and inspiration from the internet. Jaron also took advantage of the before-and-between session time to paint his skateboard ramp. And can I just say that I am SO grateful for the internet?? When I was a child, we'd go to the church to watch the satellite broadcast of Conference. Since the church building was 25-ish minutes away, we never had time to go home and relax or eat in between sessions, so we'd haul our food to the church (sandwiches again...yum), and of course be in our "Sunday best" (which really means "un-comfortable") all day. I much prefer cozying up on the couch in my sweats and slippers, cuddling all my boys while I watch and listen.

There were a lot of powerful, peace-inspiring messages given. I'm glad I can go to the LDS website and re-watch or listen to all of the talks, so that I can really let them sink in better. But I wanted to share on this post something I liked that President Monson said:

"My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing. I love the words found in Psalms: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; … I will call upon the Lord … so [I shall] be saved from mine enemies.”³

Add a Note

The Lord loves us, my brothers and sisters, and will bless us as we call upon Him."

I agree wholeheartedly with what President Monson says--that Heavenly Father is the God of ALL His children, and that he'll nourish and guide us more abundantly than we probably recognize. I have had too many specific, heart-wrenching prayers answered in clear and powerful ways to ever deny that God is Real, Present, and Ever Ready for us to seek Him so that He can bless us. May we all seek Him a little more intently, because surely He is all around us and has the power to open our spiritual eyes to recognize Him.

I also came away from this Conference weekend filled with love for others and desire to serve others better! Let me start by saying that I'm SO grateful for all your friendship!! I feel like I'm the luckiest gal because I've always been surrounded by good, fun, inspiring friends. If you're reading this blog, you can be sure that you've touched my or Jaron's life in some way, and from the bottom of my heart, I (and we) thank you!

Talents

2010-09-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

At church on Sunday, Mikey's teacher gave a lesson on talents. She had the children list some of their talents, then sent a card home with each child's talents on it.

Among Mikey's talents??

"Kung Fu Master"

...Enough said.

After church, when I saw the card:

Em: "Mikey, how did you learn to become a kung fu master?"

M: "Spencer taught me...Wanna see my super high kick?"

Glad he's getting a lot out of church.

**********************************************************************

A couple days later, Mikey was riding his bike alongside me as I pushed Trevor in the jogging stroller. This is the conversation we had:

M: "Bike riding really makes your leg muscles strong, right mom?"

E: "That's right, Mikey."

M: "Yea, and I have really strong leg muscles for kung fu, so I can kick really high."

E: "That's great, Mikey."

M: "I also do exercises to get strong...I do sit-ups to make my arm muscles and head muscles strong...I do push-ups to make my legs and stomach strong...and I do jumping around on the couch because it makes me sweat."

Lesson learned: You can be whatever you dream with a little exercise.

THE Highlight of our Summer!

2010-09-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

No question. Hands down. The most, MOST fun we had all summer was when the Haley Family drove cross-country to visit us for a week in August!! And it's not just because of all the REALLY fun things we did, like: skateboarding, waterslides, Children's museum, kiddie carnival rides, Wii, the beach, eating "restaurant style" waffles every morning, eating "Chicago-style" pizza, going out for ice-cream, the parent's double-date to downtown, staying up late playing games, and my morning walks with Jaimie on beautiful trails...

No, it was our absolute most favorite week of the summer because we got to do all those fun things with Aaron, Jaimie, Dallon, Dawson and Easton! It meant SO much to us that they made Iowa their family vacation destination (shows how hard-pressed they were for excitement!).

We know that it's not an easy drive, and on top of that, Aaron tore his ACL just a few days (or a week?) before they were supposed to come! They almost didn't come, but Aaron--who earns 5,000 brownie points, in my opinion, for making the trip with a painful leg--decided to "take one for the team" and make the trek anyway! And we're sooooo grateful that he did!

Before we dive into these incredible pics (have I enticed anyone else yet to come for a visit?) I need to give credit where it's due. The following barrage of pictures would literally not be possible without Jaimie's incredible photography skills AND her willingness to send me a CD in the mail of these superb vacation photos (thanks again SO much!!).

I love little Easton, he's such a sweetheart!

Jaron worked with the kids on "dropping in" on our ramp. They had a blast, and I breathed a sigh of relief when there were no broken bones!

We went to our local community pool. It's a fun one w/waterslides and a splash pad. I love these pictures Jaimie took:

I love this picture of Jaim and Aaron!

We had tons of fun at a nearby lake ("the beach"). Jaimie headed up the traditional sand-castle building, which turned out to be another grand one!

After a long day at the beach, we enjoyed delicious chicago-style pizza.

Fun at the Children's Museum:

...and getting ice cream...

...and at a local park with "carnival rides" (Trevor's favorite is this fun train!)

Then it's back on the skateboards for more fun..

...and a little "down time" playing Wii.

Before our double date with Jaimie and Aaron, Jaimie did a little photo shoot with us big-kids, and I think they turned out great!

Jaim and Aaron made time on their way out of town to watch Jaron compete in a road-bike race (which he did awesome in!!). Thanks for going the extra mile guys! We love you and have been missing you ever since you left!!

And the Winner is...

2010-09-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

JARON!!! (Who else?? :-)

For Jaron and Emily's Birthdays (both at the beginning of September--Happy late Birthdays, by the way!!), Jaron got a new "toy"--a Cyclocross Bike. My take on it is that it's a cross between a streamlined, skinny-wheeled road bike (which he has already mastered), and a mountain bike (which I guess is next on the list of bikes to conquer). He's excited to be able to use it to commute to work, come rain, snow, or ice storm!! He's most excited, though, to use it to "punish" the competition in cyclocross races, which is exactly what he did in his first-ever Cyclocross race this week. Post-call no less (was that 2 hrs sleep you got??). And yes, I'm bragging up my Honey. And what exactly is a cyclocross race, you may ask? Just imagine a course similar to cross-country running: Gravel, mud and obstacles are all par for the course. Jaron's course was a mostly gravel 12-mile course, with hills, twists and turns. He loved it, and can't wait for his next race! And I say way-to-go Sweetie!

p.s. I didn't come away empty-handed for my birthday either--Jaron installed the beadboard in our kitchen for me! (And did lots of other sweet and wonderful things, which I will not mention here.)

Por Fin!!

2010-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

(Translation: "Finally!!")

Before:

After:

(Notice the authentic "Spencer Sullivan" and "Mikey Sullivan" artwork--my favorite touch!)

Before:

After:

And the Kitchen is (almost) done!! (Just a little beadboard to mount on the wall, and we'll be set!) 6 months later, 9 coats of primer/paint/polyurethane on the cabinets, installing hardware, 2 coats of paint on the wall, new counters and appliances, and lots of love, is all it took!! Needless to say, we're all happy as can be with the results!!

1st Day of School

2010-09-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

How many times in our lives do we use the expression, "I can't believe how time flies!" Well, I'm gonna use it yet again here, because we now have TWO of our babies in school! Such big boys--a Second Grader and a Kindergartner! Spencer has the same teacher he had last year (he's in a 1st/2nd combined class), whom we absolutely LOVE, Mikey is having a wonderful time in Kindergarten. They get to ride the bus this year, which is also fun for them (and for me--saves an hour of driving each day!). Here's a picture of the boys before they head off to school.

Mikey's 5th Birthday!!

2010-08-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Mikey is such a big kid!! For his 5th birthday, he wanted to have "a knight birthday party, with an obstacle course, water balloons, and cake". And that's just what we did!! We invited his guests to make their own shields, gave them their own swords (foam ones, thankfully), and sent them out back for some real knight training! Here's some of the highlights:

Mikey's cake turned out awesome...of course that's cause I didn't make it!!

Knights-to-be making their shields (personalizing the "crest" on the shield):

Time to head out back to train on the "sweet" obstacle course Jaron made for the kids:

They had to "joust" the balloons (w/a water noodle) and slay the dragon (toy) to rescue Buzz Lightyear!! (in his laundry basket dungeon!!)

The water balloons came in handy when that dragon wouldn't die and we had to splash him off the fence!! (Don't be deceived by his size, he was vicious!)

The Knights all did a fantastic job of saving the Kingdom!!

Back inside for some Knight food:

We love you Mikey!!!

Springtime Catch-up

2010-08-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Right after school got out, the kids and I went to Indy for a week to visit Nana and Opa. Deanna and her girls came out from Cinci to join the party, and we had SO much fun with them!! We went swimming, did a LOT of jumping on the tramp with the sprinkler underneath, went bike riding on a beautiful trail, ate delicious food, and played at the Children's Museum. I love this pic of Nana reading to the kids, because they love the time they get to be close with her, and be spoiled by her reading LOTS of books with them. The cousins (including Chief the dog!) got to sleep all together in the living room--they loved that!!

I love this pic of Kate (Dee's baby) because 1)she's adorable! 2)gotta love those thighs!! 3)I've never known a baby to do the splits!! It was fun cuddling her and squinching her thunder thighs!

Bike riding on the Monon Trail.

Fun at the Children's Museum.

Gotta love a clown!

One day this spring, I couldn't find Trev anywhere, and after looking frantically for a while, I finally found him bouncing up and down on his bottom on our front door-step. He must've snuck out the garage and walked around to the front door. I thought he looked so cute there, so I ran inside for the camera.

Spence Played "Pitching Machine" baseball (his 1st year), for the "Cleveland Indians". He was one of the youngest on his team, and he did an awesome job! It was exciting to see his progress with hitting and fielding over the season. He got so good that whenever we play baseball in our yard, it's no fun playing with Spence anymore 'cause he's always hitting home-runs!

Mikey played soccer in a "3-4 year-old" league (even though he turns 5 in August). As you may imagine, there is a HUGE difference between a young 3-year-old and an old 4-year-old when it comes to playing sports. Needless to say, Mikey had his time in the limelight for a full season. I kind-of felt bad for the younger kids who didn't get much ball-time, but half the time half the team was getting snacks from their parents or oblivious to the game going on...so I'm sure they didn't care too much.

Here's Mikey (black shirt #9), going for a goal!

Have I mentioned that we really love to bike ride?? :-) Here's a trail close to our house, and the kids found a frog one day in the creek. I made them let it go before they got any ideas about bringing it home for a pet.

A Few of Our Favorite Things

2010-08-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

There's so many things I love about my children and being their mom, so I wanted to highlight a few in this post.

1) Mikey's kisses.

Every day when I dropped Mikey off for school last year, he would step out of the car and then turn around and blow me a kiss, then wait for me to blow him one and catch it on his cheek. Then he'd walk a few paces, turn around again, and blow and catch one more time. Two kisses. Each morning, without fail. It melted my heart each time, and I'll really miss that when he starts riding the bus to Kindergarten in a couple weeks!

2) Spencer the Robot.

Spencer played a Robot in his class play last year. He gave a stunning performance--not a line spoken, but his movements were so convincing!

3) Bike riding with my boys.

During the summer, I love to take the boys on bike rides (translation: I get my exercise by running, while they ride furiously ahead of me). We've explored lots of trails and routes this summer. One of our favorite "running" routes is to a fun park and back (with some bonus exercise playing at the park).

4) Popsicles.

Since we live on a hill (a "Monster Hill", if you ask my kids!), we usually have a big surge at the end of each bike ride, so the boys have learned that if they make it to the top of the hill (by any means--riding, walking, limping--it doesn't have to be pretty), they'll get a popsicle. It's their reward for exercising with Mom. (Trevor's just a free-loader in the jogging stroller, but he gets a popsicle anyway since he's so darn cute.)

5) Trevor's Ice Cream Face.

Did I mention that he loves ice cream? And we sure love his messy ice cream face, so it's a win-win situation for all of us! (Notice how he eats from the top AND bottom of the cone...that's the secret to a truly messy ice-cream face!)

6) Camping with Trevor.

Actually, this is the exact opposite of my "favorite thing", as any parent of a one-and-a-half-year-old could guess. But I guess he was still pretty fun, even if it was at the expense of getting a good night's sleep. Here he is, having a hey day in the tent at bedtime:

(p.s. We did have a fun trip, other wise--Jaron tried his hand at fly fishing, we cooked s'mores, and we even did a little midwest rock climbing!)

Nana and Opa Visit!

2010-05-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, Nana and Opa came for a visit. Since they live 6 hrs away, we get to see them fairly often (once every 2-3 months), and we love it!! We kept the boys out of school one day so they could play with their grandparents, and these are some of the fun things we did:

We walked to a nearby park, had a picnic and played on the playground.

After the park, we walked over to the Children's Museum, and had tons of fun there. The kids especially love the "airplane" exhibit.

Here's Trevor flying an airplane:

Back at home, Nana and the boys spent a lot of time out in the yard. Trevor especially loved swinging with Nana.

The boys LOVE having Nana and Opa tuck them in at night--they get a MUCH longer storytime than Mom usually gives them! (Maybe that's because Opa tells 'whoppers' instead of reading stories, and those can get quite elaborate!)

Time with Opa wouldn't be complete without a game of "TickleBee" (notice Trevor running away in the background? :)

Before leaving, Opa paid Mikey's preschool class a visit and gave them a harmonica show! He also gave each of the kids their own harmonica, and then let them have at it. The kids went nuts when they heard Opa playing; I couldn't resist taking a quick video with my camera. You can barely hear the harmonica over their laughter! (p.s. The "woof" sounds are coming from the harmonica player!)

We sure had fun with you, Opa and Nana! Come back soon!!

Life is Beautiful

2010-05-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped up a wonderful week: Jaron had the week off, and we got to spend lots of time with him!!! We stayed home most of the week, mostly because I needed to study and take a Personal Trainer Certification exam (which I did, and passed! phew!), but we managed to squeeze in a fun camping trip this weekend (fishing, rock climbing, hiking). Jaron also made some serious headway on stripping and staining our deck, and rode his bike a bunch. It was really fun having Jaron be a part of our daily routine--helping the boys get ready for school, walking Mikey to preschool, eating lunch with Spencer at school, and being there to play with when they get home. Jaron commented that he really enjoyed being with the boys at different times of the day, since he usually only sees them when they're tired and ready for bed. I know that they loved having Daddy around too, and we'll really miss him this week when he goes back to work!

Now that my months of studying-every-spare-minute are through, I feel light as a feather, and in honor of my recent light-ening, I vow to post like a mad-woman to get "caught up" on some of our family's highlights from the past several months. Beginning with this gem, which I entitle:

"What Happens When You Turn Your Back For A Second!"

I had just given Trevor his bath and put on his PJ's when I had to run downstairs to take muffins out of the oven. Suddenly, I heard the boys squealing and laughing upstairs, then yell, "Mom! Trevor is playing in the water!" I felt annoyed because I had asked the older boys to close the bathroom door when they went in to take a bath so Trevor wouldn't get in (because he LOVES to splash in the bathwater!). I ran upstairs, ready to reprimand the kids, took one look at this scene, then turned right around to get the camera, laughing to myself the whole way. When I came back in to take pictures of Trevor, he giggled and splashed--so pleased with himself and his cleverness! He's definitely entered the "mischievous" stage, where we have to know where he is and what he's up to at all times! But his cute-ness makes up for the headaches he gives us!

Texas in February...

2010-04-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Still trying to catch up here...Waaaaay back in February, we took a trip to Texas to visit our family and friends we've been missing dearly! (By "we", I mean myself driving 17 hrs straight-through-the-night with our three angels, staying for almost a week, before Jaron flew down to meet us and drive home with us.)

We started out visiting Aaron and Jaimie, whom we've missed SO much! Our boys had so much fun playing with their cousins, soaking up outside weather (since it was Feb, we hadn't been outside without full snow regalia for months!), and getting loved on by their Aunt Jaimie. Jaimie really has a big heart, and a talent for making even little events so special. We were there during Valentine's Day, and Jaimie and Aaron made a scavenger hunt for the kids to find Valentine's goodies. They were sent all around the house, yard and neighborhood before they found their sweet baskets! Thanks so much, Jaim and Aaron, for making that such a special experience! Another highlight was going on a "date" with Jaimie (Aaron was SOOO nice to watch all the kids AND put them to bed!). We spend literally hours at Jason's Deli, eating and mostly chatting--catching up on the lost couple years since we left TX. Growing up, I was always sad that I never had any sisters, but I feel SO blessed now to not only have incredible sisters-in-law, but to have skipped all the cat-fights and skipped right to the friendship and bonding. I love you Jaim!

Jaimie and I before our "date":

Aunt Jaimie making homemade suckers with Mikey:

Dallon, Dawson, Spencer, Mikey, Easton and Trevor at a putt-putt/go-kart place:

(ps--I totally smoked Jaimie in the go-karts, don't let her tell you otherwise!)

Dallon, Dawson, Spencer and Mikey playing at a park:

Our next stop was to visit our dear friends from Med school, the Allred's. Spencer and Carson have known each other since they were 1, and they're such good buddies! This is a waterfall along a beautiful trail that we rode bikes on:

I didn't get many pictures at the Allred's, but I had so much fun staying up way past my bedtime, chatting with Janene. She's an amazing friend and mother, and I'm always inspired to be a better person when I'm around her!

The final stop on our Texas tour took us to Mammy and Pappy's home and Rodeo Arena, where we got to cheer on my hottie husband as he showed a bunch of cowboys what this city-slicker can do! He won his division in a Team Roping competition, bringing home a sweet belt-buckle; an 1847 (I think?) replica black-powder pistol; and enough earnings to pay for his plane ticket! I told him he may want to consider switching professions! He was really awesome! Here's Jaron and me with his team ropin' partner, and their buckles.

The Allred's came to cheer Jaron on (thats Pappy in the background, with Mikey, Tanner, Janene, Jared and Brinley on the bleacher):

Watching Jaron rope was pretty exciting...However, we absolutely LOVED spending time with Mammy and Pappy. They have a way of making us feel loved and having fun with us, regardless of how busy they are (which is usually on the 'extremely-crazy-busy' end of the spectrum). We never leave their place feeling under-loved! And our kids rarely get a chance to be under-spoiled either! They gave Spencer and Dawson be-lated birthday gifts: real "Lil Banshee" bow-and-arrow sets! They were a hit with the BIG "lil-banshees" as well as with Spencer and Dawson!

Thanks for the great memories everyone!!

Celebration of Trevor (be-lated)!

2010-03-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Still trying to catch up...

On January 14, Trevor turned ONE!! He is such a special boy, and has brought so much joy and laughter to our home. His big brothers just adore him. They've loved having him get older and be more interactive. One of the cute things Spencer and Mikey do with Trevor is play "Team Goo" ('Goo' is Trev's nickname), which is basically a "Let's copy Trevor" game, so they'll go crawling around after Trevor from room to room, flop around and giggle like him, making Trevor laugh and laugh from all the attention.

Some of the things we love about our little Trevor are: how he loves to laugh and to get people around him to laugh with him; how expressive he is (a blessing and a curse, depending on which emotion he's choosing to express at the time!); how he cuddles up to us; his affection for his brothers.

Some of Trevor's favorite things are:

1) Balls. "Ball" was his first word. Trev has a 6th-sense (like Mikey did) of knowing where any ball is in the house at all times (we looked all over the house for Jaron's missing juggling ball one night, with no luck. The next morning as I was fixing breakfast, Trevor crawled into the kitchen with the missing ball in his hand--happy as a clam!). And he'll be the first to spot any spherical object in the store, out the car window, or on a walk ("Ball! Ball!")

2) Cars. Trevor loves to "drive" his toy cars all over the floors and furniture.

3) Bath time. I've given up worrying about getting water on the bathroom floor. I just let him splash his heart out (which he does most vigorously!) until there's more water on the floor than in the tub, and then I know it's time for him to get out. Pretty much from the moment I put him in until I take him out, it's an all-out splash fest (which makes washing him quite interesting!).

4) Mama. (and Dada!) But I have to say, this little guy is a Mama's boy. He's recently been giving any one besides Mom or Dad the "stinkeye" if they reach out to hold him. Sometimes Mom and Dad get the stinkeye too if we try to suggest it's bedtime before he's ready (along with a vigorous head-shake "NO"--I told you he was expressive!)

5) Outside. Trevor got a taste of the world that exists beyond the front door when we went to Texas (more on that later) a few weeks ago, and was actually able to play in the grass. Ever since, if he hears the garage or front door open, he makes a B-line from wherever he is in the house (I've never seen a kid sprint-crawl so fast!), and tries to squeeze past our legs just to dash outside. Can't wait till it's actually warm enough for him to play outdoors here in "North Texas"!

We love Trevor so much! Happy Late Birthday!!

Celebration of Spencer!

2010-03-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Since I'm waaaaaaaay behind on blogging, I'm not going to overwhelm myself by trying to recap ALL the fun events I haven't written about. I'll just touch on a couple highlights of winter, the first of which happened shortly after Christmas. On January 3, Spencer turned 7!! We had a fun family party, going to Chuck-E-Cheese and eating a lemon-berry baseball cake (his choice!). I want to make this post a "Celebration of Spencer". These are some of the things that make Spencer such an outstanding boy:

1. He is, and always has been, sensitive to others' needs. He is aware of when others are hurting or sad, and tries his hardest to help them.

2. He is a great example to his younger brothers. He loves teaching them and helping them. He loves making them laugh. Spencer has an amazing ability to motivate Mikey to clean a room or get a chore done (a HUGE accomplishment!) by making a game out of it.

3. Spencer is a good student. He loves to learn, works hard at school, and takes pride in doing good work. He has become an excellent reader. He has also been taking piano lessons (from a not-so-skilled-or-patient mother!), and even though he doesn't love it, he is consistent with practicing and has moments of enjoyment...like playing the "Harry Potter" theme song at a ward talent show recently!

4. Spencer is an inventor! He is constantly building things with legos, blocks, K'nex, Tinker Toys, or scrapwood from the garage. He likes to create little worlds, cars and planes, and "robots". He also loves building forts out of couch cushions and blankets. He seems most fulfilled when he's creating things. He likes to hum to himself while he works, and I love hearing his happy-creating tunes!

5. Spencer is an artist. When he's not building something, he's usually drawing. He mostly draws things that he makes up himself--little characters--and will tell a story about them.

6. Spencer loves to play sports and romp around outside. He loves to ride his bike, play football, baseball, and skateboard.

7. Spencer loves people. He loves to talk and express himself, and he also loves knowing what's going on in others' lives. I've loved this past year of his life because I feel like he's become more of a friend--someone who is fun to talk to and joke with. It is so nice to have him around, especially since Jaron is gone so much. I sure love my buddy Spencer!

8. Spencer continues to develop a love for God. He has a sense of God's love for him, and he has moments of desiring closeness with the Divine.

9. Jaron and I feel SO incredibly blessed to have Spencer in our family! He makes us so happy!

Mikey is a Prodigy

2010-03-08T17:17:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Jaron was hanging out with the kids, quizzing them on math problems. Spencer was answering lots of them, leaving Mikey feeling left-out. So Jaron decided to make the problems harder...and all of the sudden, Mikey became a whiz at math! Spencer couldn't believe that his 4-year-old brother knew multiplication and division problems! Perhaps Mikey had a little inspiration...or maybe he really is a genius...I'll let you decide! I'm sad that I only captured the tail end of the "Advanced Math Games" on video. This had been going on for about 10 minutes or so before the part I recorded.

What You've Been Waiting For

2010-03-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Two mighty "Captain Underpants". Comin' atcha in full force!

We're BAAA AAAK!!

2010-03-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Jaron worked his magic, gave our "unfixable" camera a couple good whacks, and...voila! We're back in business! Way to go Honey! (Anyone need some bones fixed while he's on a roll...?)

Mullet Time

2009-12-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun one from the archives: Jaron and Em schooled the competition at the Orthopedic "Mullet Contest" last spring (of course, we were some of the only few that went all-out...). You can't see it here, but not only does Jaron have a sweet mullet, but it's even "dove-tailed" in the back. I know, I know...we're a HOT couple!

Bad Luck!

2009-12-28T19:32:00.001-08:00

Our third camera in less than 2 years has gone the way of the buffalo...(four, if you count our video camera too). It met it's fate on our kitchen floor. I was making Christmas goodies with the boys, and I let them have turns taking pictures of each other and the treats...I guess I should have made them use the safety strap! It's been a few weeks since this happened, but I've been too sad about it (and the fact that we went all Christmas without picture-taking!), that I haven't wanted to post. We'll be back up and running soon, but until then, you can shed a tear for us and the bad luck we've had with cameras.

Let It Snow!

2009-12-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

Snow day!!! We were all SO excited to get our first snow day yesterday (which has turned into another today!). We had our first big snowstorm, with over a foot of snow. The boys made a "fort" in the front yard, complete with a tunnel, stairs, slide and sitting area. I didn't get a photo of the finished product, but here's them working on it. I mostly wanted to capture how the snow piled up on each tree branch. There's something magical about waking up in the morning, and it's still dark, but it's sort-of light outside because of all the white snow. It was fun to be outside in the cold, play in the snow, then come in and get cozy with hot chocolate and marshmallows. As long as we don't have to be out in it for too long, we really love the snow!!

Some Fall Pics

2009-11-12T19:31:00.001-08:00

Just Because...

2009-11-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

...He's so stinkin' cute!! (And I can't believe he'll be 10 months on Saturday!!) He's crawling, eating all sorts of food (both on and off the floor), and laughing a ton. Such a happy boy. We love our little Trev!

Trevor's latest pastime: eating leaves and sticks. I'm all for it cause, hey, a little roughage does a body good!

A rare shot of Trevor actually CLEAN in his highchair (and the chair is actually clean too! Don't know how we managed to pull that one off!). Who can resist those blue eyes??

Best Bubbas! Bathtime is a crazy wet party at our house. Trevor's arms go flying to splash the water the moment we set him in. Then, of course, his big brothers can't be outdone, so you can imagine the state of our bath-mats after a bath session. I know they look like little angels in this photo, but don't be deceived---they're really crazed splash-monsters!!

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Nov 7!

2009-11-09T18:58:00.000-08:00

...A big day for me...I ran a Half-Marathon in Indy. My 7th Half, and I finally broke 1:50! It was a personal victory, and not an easy run. But a huge motivator for me was knowing that my wonderful boys and Honey would be cheering me and hugging me at the end! I feel so blessed for my sweet boys, especially for Jaron, who is always encouraging me to do things I enjoy, to set goals and achieve them. I loved training for this race.

With Spencer in school and Mikey in 5-day morning preschool, it was the perfect set-up for me to take Trevor for morning runs (until the weather got colder). I love being out in nature, especially sharing it with my family. I feel like Trev and I shared many special mornings running together. Trevor loves the jogging stroller--he gets excited when I put him in it, and I don't think he ever fussed during any of the runs I took him on (not even my long ones!).

I've also felt SO blessed to have a body that can run and exercise and experience life in a different way than I would if I couldn't use it. I want to remember to treat my body well so that I can keep experiencing life and bonding with my family in special ways!

HALLOWEEN!

2009-11-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Halloween-week was a non-stop party! From pumpkin-carving to school parties, a ward party/chili cook-off, and an Orthopedic dept. party, the boys had a blast collecting and gorging themselves on candy! Spencer's costume was a black hooded robe with red fire-and-skull trim. For one party he called himself a "Fire Lord", then another time he was a "Sorcerer", all with the same outfit. Mikey was Spiderman and Batman (different costumes for different parties). Trev was...what else? Our little Puppy Dog! Holidays get more and more fun for Jaron and I as we re-live the excitement through our kids (and get to mooch off their candy!)

Batman and Puppy at a school party.

Dr. Sullivan with Puppy, Sorcerer, and Batman at the annual Ortho Dept trick-or-treat (all the children of Ortho staff trick-or-treat the staff offices and clinic receptionists, then get cookies, punch and balloons at the end). There was a line of Ortho families with their kids, weaving through the halls of the Ortho offices. Jaron had a chuckle as we were walking in line when he heard Mikey sing to himself (which isn't very quietly if you're a Mikey voice), "Fowow the Pwophet! Fowow the Prophet! Fowow the Pwophet, he knows the waaaaaay...!"

Sorcerer and Batman with their trick-or-treat bags and pumpkin flashlights (thanks Mammy!), ready to hit the neighborhood. We didn't trick-or-treat last year since we had gone to so many parties during the week of Halloween, and I was pregnant and tired, so we stayed home (I know, I'm such a neglectful parent!). So Mikey doesn't remember trick-or-treating when he was 2, and this was like his 'first' time. He had SO much fun, running from house to house, saying "Twick o' Tweet!", and "Fank you!", and before they could close the door, he was off like a bullet to the next house. He kept up that pace for about 10 houses, then decided that eating the candy would be more fun than hunting for it.

Jaron did the pass-out-candy duty this year. He went all-out with his scary witch-nose, scary beach hat, and detached leg-and-foot-bones sticking out of his jeans. I'm not sure how scared the trick-or-treaters really were, but he gets points for creativity!!

Trevor is 8 Months!

2009-09-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Wow-ee! How our little angel is growing! He turned 8 months this week, so I thought I'd post some pics for all to adore! Some of his recent milestones are: eating a variety of baby foods (he eats a TON, and we wonder how he can stay so small!), sitting up, rolling everywhere (even out of his doorway and into the hall!), and army-crawling backwards. Trevor loves interacting with people, especially with his big "Bubbas". He also loves blowing raspberries ALL the time, especially when he's hungry (it's really funny)! Trevor absolutely loves being outside; he gets so excited and kicks his legs wildly and starts breathing heavy even when I open his window to look at the trees with him! With Spencer and Mikey in school, and since the weather has been gorgeous, I've taken Trevor running in the jogging stroller a lot lately. It is a special time for me to be with by baby and surrounded by the nature I love, and I like to think that he enjoys it too (since he never cries :-).

Here's some pics, not the Jaron's 'sisters-and-mom's-professional-quality-photos', but they do the job! This first one is kind of silly, but it shows off his HUGE blue eyes.

I love this little guy!

This is Trevor's reaction when Spencer entered the room! (he's laughing)

Spencer loves to play with Trevor and make him laugh. He's such a fun big brother!

Spencer thought it would be so cute to give Trevor a "halo" and take a picture. I love the face Trev pulled for this one!

Happy Birthday to US!

2009-09-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

Such a fun time of year, when Jaron and I get to celebrate our birthdays together!! (Sept 6, 7). He had the whole weekend off, including Memorial Day, so we really lived it up! On Saturday, Jaron took Spencer and Mikey to the Iowa Hawkeye football game, and Trevor and I did some serious shopping at a nearby outlet mall (talk about DREAM birthday for me--lots of stores...very few kids!) I have to insert here that Spencer, Mikey and Trevor are SO lucky to have such a wonderful Daddy. For a variety of reasons, but last Saturday illustrated just one. Jaron had been on call Friday night, got basically no sleep, and then spent the whole day Saturday with his boys at the football game and playing afterward. Despite working a lot, Jaron has so much fun with his children and really makes it a priority to make meaningful memories with them. I love him for it!

On Sunday we had a nice peaceful Sabbath, some not-so-peaceful Blockus-playing, and a delicious ice-cream cake.

On Monday, since Jaron had the day off, we decided to explore a rock climbing site here in Iowa, about an hour from our house. Who would've thunk that there'd be climbing in Iowa?? But there was, and it was actually good climbing, and the boys and I had lots of fun! We went with our friends who have 3 boys too, so there were always enough adult hands to help belay or hold a baby or play with bigger boys. Everyone got a couple chances to climb (except the babies), and Spencer was thrilled to make it to the top of this wall! We were all so proud (Jaron especially!).

Here's Jaron belay-ing Spencer at the start of the climb:

This is the entire wall that Spencer climbed. Of course it's a lot bigger when you're on it!

Classic Mikey expression, after finishing his turn climbing / Tarzan swinging:

Happy Birthday to the love of my life! You are truly an amazing man--kind, unselfish, sensitive to others, fun, witty, crazy, intelligent, sweet, honest, and oh-so-handsome! (Doesn't he look great for 30??!!)

Happy Birthday Mikey!

2009-08-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Mikey has turned 4!! We just adore little Mikey; he has such a sweet, yet spunky and silly personality. He has been a great blessing to our family, making us laugh when we get too serious, giving cuddles and kisses without reservation, and using his super-hero skills to ward off any imaginary threat to the home-front. I love this picture of Mikey because it captures his essence: happy, playful, rough-and-tumble, sweet little guy.

Mikey was really lucky that his cousins (Morgan and Rachael), their dog (Chief) and parents (Chris and Dee), AND Nana and Opa all got to come out for his birthday celebration. It was a short visit, but we squeezed as much fun out of the time as we knew how. (Thanks so much for making the trek out here guys!) Here's some of the fun we had...opening presents...

...Eating Spiderman cupcakes and ice cream...

...Taking a ride on the "Little Hawkeye Express", and other "fair" rides at a nearby park...

...Getting spoiled by daddy, whose present to Mikey was a homemade tree-swing. Of course, Daddy had to 'jumar' (rock climbing term--look it up!) up to the tree branch to hang the swing, and that was an adventure in and of itself. Lots of fun for the kids (and for the people driving by--'What in the world are they doing?!!')...

(Spence 'jumared' all by himself up to the tree branch too!)

...And for the grand finale of fun-ness, the kids discovered another use for Jaron's half-pipe! Take a look:

(It might be too small to see, but Mikey discovered that being in his "birthday suit" really gave him the advantage!) Who needs a waterpark when all you have to do is build a skate ramp?!

Fun in Texas

2009-08-24T17:37:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of August, we took a road trip down to Texas. We had SOOOOOO (x 100!) much fun with the Sullivan's! We spent a few days at the beach in Port Aransas, got to visit our best friends from med school, swung by the Haley's in San Antonio, and spent some time in Stephenville at Mammy and Pappy's house. There was way more fun than I can convey in one measly post, but here's some highlights:

Pappy, Em, Mammy, Jaron, Trev, Mikey and Spence at the beach.

Jaron taking Mikey out to catch some big waves!

Of course, there was time for dummy-ropin' too!

All the cousins at Jaimie and Aaron's in San Antonio.

Getting spoiled by the Allred's in their pool.

Pappy took us out to lunch at the hottest new restaurant in Stephenville: McDonald's. The kids got to eat inside a giant football! Thanks Pappy!

Helping feed the horses.

Thank you so much Sullivan's, Haley's and Allred's for a wonderful vacation! This is what we thought of it:

Bye-Bye Summer!

2009-08-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

WOW. Who knew summer could fly by so fast?? It's already back-to-school time in Iowa, and I'll miss having my boys around. Spencer and Mikey are both going to school this year, Spence in 1st grade, Mikey in 5-day Preschool. Jaron and I are blessed with extraordinary boys--loving, thoughtful, and lots of fun to play with! I loved having my boys around all summer, and having lots of adventures with them. Here's a sampling of some of the fun we had (and more yet to come!):

Spence and Mikey love to invent and create, so here's a sample of some of the home-projects they did. From top left, clockwise: plastic cup-with-string-telephone; "school" workbooks (they earned money for completing each one--BIG motivator!); "snakes" made from painted cylindrical wood pieces, string and beads; a "jet pack", made from an oatmeal container, paper towel tube, and string; in the middle is the remnant of Mikey's "binoculars", made from T.P. rolls. Not pictured (just made today), is a rocket ship, constructed out of a box (it even has seats! Spencer's idea). I love how innovative the boys are; they constantly challenge me to "think outside the box".

One of my FAVORITE things to do with the boys this summer was running on the beautiful trails around Iowa City. It was gorgeous and green, and fairly mild all summer, so we got out a lot. Spence and Mikey would ride bikes while I tried to keep up, pushing Trevor in the jogger. Every time we'd go I'd think, "I've GOT to get a picture of this scenery!" This is the one time I actually remembered (this trail runs along the Iowa River):

There's a few lakes really close to our home, and we made it out a few times. Beautiful landscape, but notice Spencer's blue lips? Our Iowa mild summer is to blame for that.

Spence and Mikey took swim lessons. Spencer learned a lot--backstroke, diving, treading water, and swimming in the deep end, and Mikey had fun bopping about in the kiddie pool.

Fort-making is a staple at our house.

One of 3 public pools in our community--this one's a mile from the house, so sometimes the big boys would ride bikes here (me huffing to keep up).

And quicker'n you can say Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtle, our school year has begun! Here's our big boys posing with their packs on the first day.

Milestone

2009-07-12T19:01:00.001-07:00

We've been having a BLAST this summer, the boys and I. Unfortunately, after a trip to visit my family around Memorial Day, I haven't been able to find our camera, but we just got a new one, so I'll start taking pics to catch up on the fun we've been having.

I was so broken-hearted to not have a camera to capture a very special moment for Spencer: his first piano recital! I've been teaching him for about a year, and throughout the school year he would practice most mornings before school for 15 min. Most times he'd complain and I'd have to pull out some serious incentives, but it's worth it for me to have a well-rounded son! Our library hosts many fun summer activities for school-age children, one of which was a Talent Show. Spencer said he wanted to play the piano, so we prepared two songs, which involved lots of practice (more than the usual 15 min). I'm so proud of Spencer for being brave enough to play, and for being so diligent with his practicing (because he really doesn't love it, or even like it on most days)!

He was spectacular at the Talent Show; he was calm even though there were 80 people in the room (I counted), and he played flawlessly. I wanted to run up to him and smother him with kisses and hugs, but I held back. Fast forward a couple weeks to today. Spencer spontaneously, without any bribe or coersion, sat down and played the piano for a full 20 minutes!! And it's not even one of our practice days! This is a serious milestone for him, to play for sheer pleasure; to get so absorbed in the playing that he loses track of time. It reminds me how much I love music, and how I love to get lost in it. It was a special moment for me.

Oldie but Goodie

2009-07-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Since our camera has been lost for a couple months *sigh*, I was looking through old pics to see if I could post one and trick everyone into thinking it was new! I came across this SWEET moment captured with my creative older boys. This was taken around the new year, just before Trevor was born. This is what happens at our house when you take a nap and assume your mature young adults will play appropriately and NOT get into trouble... I came downstairs to find two "SPI's" (translation: SPY's) dawned with camo-skin gear, "bee-noculars" (painted on) for special night vision, and wielding special spy sword/gun contraptions (paper towel tubes). I can't believe I didn't post this sooner!

Our Angel

2009-05-31T18:26:00.001-07:00

I was talking to Trevor in a public place the other day and a lady asked me, "Oh, is his name Angel?" I wondered what in the world she was talking about, until I realized that I must have been calling him "My sweet Angel", like we do so often. Other favorite nicknames include: Sweet Pea, Sweet Poopers, Puppy Dog (or Pup), Goo (and Gooey--both Spencer's inventions), and little Bubba. We sure love our little Trev! He is 4 months old now, and had a really special moment with Daddy today at his baby blessing. Unfortunately, I had lost my camera, so didn't get that one documented, but here are some recent pictures of Trevor:

He likes reaching for things, although usually his fists are still clenched, and it's pure luck if he actually gets what he's reaching for.

If he's not sucking on his pacifier, he's got a finger or two or even both fists shoved in his mouth!

It's hard photographing a baby!

He's been rolling over, but we have few witnesses--he usually waits till we turn our backs!

There goes a thumb...

Sweet little Angel!

The Finished Product

2009-05-31T18:02:00.001-07:00

Who's that Hottie by the half-pipe? Oh, lucky-me! It's my husband!! Here's just a few photos of Jaron's masterpiece. You can check out his facebook page for the full album.

Just to give an idea of the amazing leveling job Jaron did:

Mikey's Quotable

2009-05-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is no joke (and not for the weak-stomached): Mikey came out of the bathroom tonight, and I asked, "Mikey, did you wash your hands?" "Yup," he said. "With soap?" Pause. "Weow (well), I just used my magic powers." "Magic powers?! Was that the soap?" "Yea, it was the soap!" Hmmm. "Um, Mikey, can you SHOW me the soap you used?" "It was just wike (like) this..." Whereupon he flashes his hands out and makes a woosh-ing noise as he shakes them vigorously. Wow. I had NO idea my little superhero had such amazing powers! I've heard of water-less hand cleaners, but this is REALLY cutting-edge! Not to mention creative. How many times before this has he been super-charging his hands clean?!! Needless to say, I helped him funnel his super-powers back to the sink with the soap dish this time.

The Neighbors You Wish You Never Had...

2009-05-03T19:31:00.001-07:00

What would you think if you saw the following going on in your neighbor's garage / yard?

So the secret is out: We have a die-hard skateboarder in our family! Now all the neighbors know it, like it or not! Actually, Jaron has been doing an amazing job putting together his "mini-ramp" in some of his spare moments. I'm proud of how well he's done, having drawn up the plans, gathered all the materials and thrown this thing together so well (it's even level on our sloped lawn!). He's had a little help from some fellow high-school boarders (or do they still call them "thrashers"?), and from our buddy Aaron who lives in a home nearby for persons with Downs. I'll have to have Jaron write more later about his first-hand experiences with the ramp, but I think he's had lots of fun building it (he prefers it to post-call sleep most days!).

Our boys also love the ramp, especially in this "skeleton" stage. They have a blast climbing on it, and in this picture I think they're "fishing" off it with the neighbor kids.

Bring Your Family to School Night

2009-05-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Spencer's school hosted a "Bring your family to school" night, showcasing each grade's accomplishments in art, singing and P.E. We're so proud of Spencer for being such a good Kindergarten student! I couldn't resist sharing this video clip of the Kindergarten singing. Spencer is in the back row (he was excited that he was tall enough!), and he's definitely a cutie, but if you want the "America's Funniest" version, check out the kid down one row and to the right of him (our right). I crack up every time I see it!

During the P.E. time, the Kindergarteners showed their parents some activities they do with water noodles (like playing tag and sword-fighting). Mikey was DYING to get in on it--he hated just watching from the side. He'd scoot closer and closer away from the sidelines and toward the action. An astute P.E. assistant noticed this little brother and invited him to join the older kids, handing him his very own noodle! Mikey was ecstatic!

Spring Fun

2009-04-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a few things we've been up to so far this spring:

The day before Easter there was a free egg hunt/play-in-the-inflatable-bouncers in the park. It was warm and wonderful! Here's a pic of the "big boys" before the hunt. I don't have any of the actual hunt because many more kids showed up than they were anticipating, and it lasted all of about 15 seconds! But, hey, any candy is better than no candy, right? After the egg hunt in the park our boys were super lucky to have the Easter Bunny come (a day early!). They loved hunting for their baskets, which had fishing poles in them, and then finding eggs all over the yard. Spencer, bless his heart, exclaimed in excitement, "This is the best Easter ever! And we don't even have to go to church on Easter!!" (Another one of those, "I'm failing as a parent" moments :-)

We colored eggs with our good buddy Dylan. His dad is an Ortho resident with Jaron, and his mom, Nancy and I are good friends. Even though Dylan is just two, he LOVES being around my boys, and Spence and Mikey LOVE having a side-kick who adores them and laughs his head off at any silly thing they do. (I forgot how wild 2-year-olds can be; he got more dye on the counter and his shirt than on the eggs!)

We went to a party for residents' families at a gymnastics place. The kids loved jumping in to the foam pit. Notice Spencer's blue shirt...In the second picture it's barely a spec engulfed by the foam...see if you can find him (to the left of the girl in pink). So fun!

Marvelous Mikey:

I realize that I've been slacking big time at taking pictures of Trevor. He's just too adorable to capture on film, but I guess I should try anyway, right? I promise I'll post more on him later...

Spencer's Quotables

2009-04-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

I was at church today with the boys (Jaron was working), and had an experience with Spencer I just had to report.

It was during the Sacrament, and I noticed that Spencer was drawing in his notepad. In an effort to help him feel the purpose of, and reverence for the Sacrament, I leaned over and whispered, "Spencer, isn't it so wonderful that we get to think about Jesus during the sacrament?" To which this all-wise 6-year old responded, "Yea, yea mom...I already know to think about Jesus so I don't have to think about it anymore!"

Strike one.

I tried to recover as I looked around the chapel, noticed the 12-year-old deacons passing the sacrament, and asked Spence, "Hey buddy, do you think you'd like to pass the sacrament someday?" He looked up at me and whispered, "No way!" I was a little taken back, "Well, why not Honey?" "Because then I'd be the last one to get the bread!"

Strike two.

"Well Spencer, would you rather be the Bishop? He always gets the sacrament first." This one made him think for a moment, and then he said, "Nope. Not that. I wouldn't want to sit in front of everybody."

Strike three.

And with that, the sacrament was over. Spence went back to drawing his rocket ship, and I was left wishing Jaron was there to share the special moment with me ;-).

Trevor is sitting!!

2009-04-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

...With the help of the Bumbo! What a great invention! It makes us feel like we have a super-advanced 10-week old to see him sitting up like this! We sure love our little guy!

(After a several minutes the little baby muscles get tired and this is what happens:)

We love Mammy and Pappy!

2009-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

Last week we were so lucky to have Mammy and Pappy come visit from Texas. We had a lot of fun with them, talking, playing, showing them around town, showing them the beautiful Iowa farmhouses, eating out, shopping...basically getting spoiled by getting to be with family! This post is mostly for Jaron's siblings, who may love hearing a smidgen of a song they grew up with. And Pappy, if you see this, please don't feel embarrassed--we really cherish this special gift you gave our boys!

Mommy, I saw Spiderman at the zoo!!

2009-04-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

...And the grocery store...and at Joyschool...and riding his bike in the neighborhood...and at the post office...and at church...well, that's where Mommy puts her foot down. I don't know where our little Mikey has gone, but we sure have been seeing a LOT of Spiderman lately! Such a fun age!! (Oh, and the Des Moines zoo was fun for the kids, even in our crisp Iowa spring air!)

Trevor, say "Cheese!" (or "milk"?)

2009-03-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

Check out our little Trevor! He started smiling and cooing last week, and we're absolutely crazy about it!

Here's the wind-up: He hears us calling him and his face lights up.

He's going for the hit: He starts cooing!

It's a home run! Let the smiles begin!

Fix- It guys

2009-03-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

Jaron and his trusty assistant fixing the window of the Saturn.

Car Tales

2009-03-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

You know you're officially grown up when your dream car is a minivan with automatic sliding doors! Yesiree, Jaron and I have officially crossed the threshold of true adulthood; we bought a minivan last week. It was an adventure. I had found a great deal on craigslist.org from a private seller in Chicago, so we made the 6-hr trip, hoping that this would be the one for us. And, luckily, it was! So now I'm not "just" a mom, but a true-blue soccer-shuttling/carpool-carrying/ grocery-getting mama! I feel really grateful to have found a super deal on a really nice car, and Jaron's glad to be done car shopping. Now all we have to do is sell our "3rd" car--a '99 Saturn station wagon. Jaron has demonstrated his mechanical genius by fixing numerous things with this car, including a water pump, automatic windows (nothing a little wire won't hold together) and other complicated-sounding things an auto dunce like me can't remember. (Anyone out there want an 'adorable' and affordable car...?)

Winter Fun

2009-03-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's some things we've been up to this winter:

Mikey's Joyschool class went on a fieldtrip to the firestation. Mikey got to go in a real firetruck and talk to real firefighters!

Jaron and the boys made a bona fide snowman (snowballs for eyes, stick nose, smoking a candy cane pipe, and hard candies for buttons...oh, and mama's scarf).

Spencer and Mikey are taking swim lessons at our local Rec Center. Here's Spencer with his buddy, Jordan.

You'll notice that the majority of our winter activities aren't actually outside, so we have tried to discover all the fun indoor things Iowa has to offer. There's a great (and free) Natural History museum downtown, and a good sized children's museum. And when we just want to stay home (which is more often for me lately with a baby in tow), we have fun swinging on our basement trapeeze, building couch-cushion forts, and making soups and homemade goodies. Jaron and I agree that, while winter can get stinkin' cold here, it's also fun to have a change in seasons. We like the cozy feeling of being in a warm home with family, sipping hot cocoa after playing in the snow.

Trevor at Home

2009-02-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here's some peeks into the Sullivan household since Trevor has joined us. He's such a joy! We feel so blessed to have his sweet spirit in our home!

I love reading to the boys, and since I'm holding/nursing/burping the baby a lot, there are lots of golden reading moments at the Sullivan's! (Jaron's taking this photo from upstairs looking down at us in the living room--you gotta kinda tilt your head to see it well.)

We LOVED having Nana stay with us for a week right after Trevor was born! I think she loved it too, especially when I would ask her to be on "Trevor duty" to burp or rock him!

Trevor, about a week old, and Nana Runyan.

Okay, I love this one! I was in the kitchen cooking and had just put Trevor on his Boppy pillow in the living room, when I heard Mikey say, "Mommy! I'm holding baby Treb!" (He calls Trevor "Trebo" or "Treb".) I ran into the living room to see what was going on and found this--Mikey had slid Trevor off the Boppy and was holding his hips and legs. Not too bad, but we've had talks since about only Mommy and Daddy picking up the baby!

Trevor is lucky to have such a sweet Daddy! And I'm so lucky too to have scored him! He's been able to be home more lately, and he helps out SO much with the kids. I've been able to take several outings by myself already with Jaron caring for the boys at home. I hope I can help our kids appreciate what a fabulous dad they have (though I'm sure they'll figure it out on their own)!

Big Brother Spencer REALLY loves his little bro. Spencer is SO helpful whenever I need a hand. He loves playing with Trevor, although he's getting anxious for the baby to interact more. But he loves holding Trevor, talking to him and being silly for him (no courtesy laughs yet though).

Gotta Love Those Boys!

2009-02-15T18:50:00.001-08:00

Everyone asks how it's going with 3 boys in the home...Well, Jaron and I can honestly say that we're loving having a precious third, and our two "big boys" are keeping us laughing, frustrated, and warm-hearted...sometimes all at once! I have to share a "warm-heartening" experience I had with them not too long ago. Since Trevor has been born and I've been in the night-feeding routine, I'm not such the early riser and will squeeze all the minutes of sleep I can get out of each morning until either Trevor or the boys' frolicking wakes me up. On one such morning, I went down to the kitchen to find Spencer and Mikey, food storage buckets pulled up to the counter, unloading the dishwasher. They looked up at me with huge smiles and announced proudly, "Mom! We're doing the dishes for you!" I was so touched by their sweetness that I didn't have the heart to tell them that they had just unloaded a dishwasher full of dirty dishes! (I distinctly remember forgetting to start the dishwasher the night before!) Not many days later my "helpers" were back at it. This time I heard Spencer coaching Mikey with sweeping the living room floor and washing the mirrors. I was nursing the baby when they ran in to tell me the good deeds they had done. "And Mom, " said Spencer, "don't worry about us using the cleaning stuff (the cleaning solutions I won't let them touch) because we washed the mirrors with water!"

What can I say? Gotta love those boys!!

Trevor's First Photo Shoot

2009-02-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

Our friend Rachel Eng took pictures of Trevor (and Em) when he was a few days old. She also took shots of the birth. She's an amazing photographer and we're so grateful that she offered to do this for us! Here's a sample, and if you want to view the whole photo shoot (set to music), you can go to:

http://racheleng.com/juliet/index2.php

Enter "Sullivan" for the password. Enjoy!

Enjoying the snow

2009-02-07T09:18:00.001-08:00

After being in Texas for 4 years, the snow has been a big change. We have enjoyed it so far, even though it has been cold (It was hot enough last Saturday that I went cycling, like 38 degrees or something!). After we shoveled the driveway I made a jump to pull the boys off on their sleds. Spencer couldn't wait to test it out, but after the first time off I quickly realized that I needed a down ramp. "Dad, that was awesome! But, my bum really hurts." No problem, the modifications just added more dimensions to the thrill and entertained the one that was in between turns.

EM's up and about

2009-01-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd take a second in between cat-naps to tell Jaron how lucky I feel to share our three beautiful boys with him! Each one of our boys is so special, and I feel so grateful for each one of them! Jaron is an amazing father, best friend, and true support. We were lucky that he's had some paternity days off from work, and he's been a champ as "Mr Mom", not only keeping the boys alive and out of danger but showing them a great time and keeping the house in order too! Now that's talent! I've loved having cuddle time with little Trevor--I just can't get enough, even if it's several times a night. Now that I'm on numero tres, I know that these precious (and exhausting) moments won't last forever, so I want to cherish them instead of begrudge them. It's been nice to hear from all you friends and family--thanks for your prayers and support! Family sure is a beautiful thing!

Emily had our baby!

2009-01-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

Trevor James Sullivan

Born 1/14/09

Weight 7 lbs 14 ounces

Length 20 inches

First words: "Its me, I'm a bobble head!"

Spencer grows up - 6th birthday

2009-01-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Emily spent quite a long time preparing so that Spencer could have a really special birthday party. I have been on a lighter schedule, so it was nice to help out some also. The theme was Star Wars, and Emily made an awesome cake as seen to the left (held by the sexy princess Leia).

We had a sharp shooting contest, but I did not volunteer to be shot since I still have bruises from the Thanksgiving paintball fiasco.

After the party Spencer took all of his gifts back to the store, cashed in, and then went to the local tatt shop. Can you believe kids these days? I was irate and just about duked it out with him at the door when he walked in (but then I saw his guns and decided that wouldn't be the best decision). Actually one of his friends gave him a book with 500 tatts, so we went to town while mom was gone getting her hair done. She stopped by the house on her way to Walmart. Spencer had a long sleeve shirt on, and ran out the door to go with her. While in the store waiting in line, the next thing she knows Spencer has one sleeve pulled all the way up and is flexing and dancing around in line to show off his artwork. I wish I could have seen her face. It probably would have looked something like mine below.

This one's for Janene

2008-12-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

Some of you, including a very persistent friend of mine, have been asking for a photo of my pregnant belly. I don't know what's the fascination with large round-ness, but since it's Christmas I guess I'll indulge you. This was taken yesterday, so I'm about 3 1/2 weeks from my due date.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2008-12-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

Jaron and I have loved this Christmas season. We've noticed an increase in love and the spirit of giving, both in our home and in the community. We're so grateful for the birth of Jesus Christ, for His perfect love and healing that still touches the world thousands of years later. We hope you all had a wonderful, peaceful, and love-filled Christmas as well! Here's some of the highlights of our Christmas day (photos of our beautifully "white" Christmas forthcoming...)

Our sweet angels posing by the tree on Christmas morning.

They became not-so-sweet after Santa brought them some dart guns.

Mikey's breakfast of root beer and Pringles (stocking treats)!

Adventures in Babysitting

2008-12-21T19:11:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season to be giving, right? Well, Jaron and I thought we'd start a Christmas tradition of offering our babysitting services to the families we Home and Visit teach...all on the same night! In a community with lots of graduate students and residents, free babysitting is a hot commodity! So we considered it a big party, and I planned to decorate Christmas cookies and watch a Christmas movie with all the kids. Well, it was a great idea, and then all of the sudden we had 13 kids in our home, 4 of them one-year-olds (who don't all do stairs, and we don't have baby gates yet!), and a lot of noise. Oh, and I can't forget to mention that when Jaron came home from work (which was when the kids started arriving), we realized that he HAD to shovel the ice from our driveway and sidewalk--it's a city ordinance that it must be done 24 hrs after a storm or we get fined. SOOOO, the kids start rolling in and Jaron has to run to Lowe's for an ice-chopper, and I'm giving Spencer any incentive I can think of to help with all the madness (he did an amazing job, by the way). Since the parents all dropped off/picked up their kids at different times, I would joke with them not to pay any mind to the "controlled chaos" going on in the basement or kitchen. None of them seemed too concerned, though; I think they were just grateful to have a night out and that their kids actually survived the ordeal! And Jaron busted out the scraping and shoveling and was able to help out inside before anyone got mortally wounded. It was certainly a party, and while pretty crazy at times, it really was fun, and it made us feel good to do something for other families. (ps...please noboby call CPS on us for exceeding the 5:1 child-to-caregiver ratio!)

Winter FREEZING-land!

2008-12-21T19:02:00.000-08:00

So today we went to church (Emily and the boys--Jaron was on call). I step out of the car and am almost blown over by an arctic blast. Check it: -25 degrees with the windchill today! (and I'm talking about the Ferienheit, not Celcius degrees here). I opened the back seat door, bundled the kids up, and told them to run for the church doors as if their lives depended on it. A second later I hear a "thud" and then a wail and a "Mommy! Help me!!!" Spencer had slipped on the icy pavement and couldn't get his legs under himself to stand up (probably cause the wind kept blowing him back down). I reached out to give him a hand, trying to steady my large-belly body on the ice so I don't go down too, and thankfully we both made it. We ran (or shuffled over the ice) as fast as we could into the building, with me chanting over and over, "I love Iowa...I love Iowa...I love Iowa..." I think I finally thawed out sometime during the second hour. That's what I call a Winter Wonder-land! At least we'll have a white Christmas!

Thanks for the visit, Hamilton's!

2008-12-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

We're so glad our Texas buddies from Med school (who are now in Ohio), met up with us at my parent's house in Indianapolis. It was great to spend a couple days with them and their adorable boys!

Thanksgiving in Indy

2008-12-04T17:48:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful time with my family at Thanksgiving! I felt so blessed that, after it looked like Jaron was going to have to work all week, he was able to arrange to get the whole week off, so we had a nice, long trip! All my brothers, their spouses and kids were there, as well as our special friends from med school, the Hamilton's (see other post). We ate good food, enjoyed fun company, watched movies, read, slept, had a date, and recharged our batteries. One highlight of the trip is that my brother, Chris, brought out several paintball guns. The adults had a paintball adventure on Wed, but the kids got their turn Friday. It was Chris's bright idea to let the kids have the guns (with adult supervision, of course) and let loose on the dads who would serve as moving targets for the novice sharpshooters. I'm not sure if any of the dads really expected their kids to actually hit them, but Jaron's several welts prove that his sons are quite good shots. At first the dads just ran from tree to tree. This then evolved into a contest of "who can scale the tree fastest without getting shot", all while paintballs whizzed around their heads. Us wiser (and pregnant) adults had the time of our lives laughing at those lunatic dads, but I think we also secretly admired the length these brave men will go to to show their posterity a good time. That's true love right there.

Leaves, Glorious Leaves!

2008-11-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

We had fun a few weeks ago raking our leaves and playing in them.

We bagged 20 bags that day...but notice how many leaves are still on the trees? We're still working on getting them all up weeks later!

"Daddy, I'm so gwad you'w here wif me"

2008-11-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

Mikey crawled on Jaron's lap during dinner one night and told him this. It had been a while since we had had quality daddy time, and Mikey wanted to make sure Jaron knew he was loved!

Halloween Fun at Home!

2008-11-16T05:16:00.000-08:00

The fact that it's taken me until November to post all our Halloween adventures should be indicative of how BUSY we were during Halloween week! Phew, I'm still exhausted! At home we had fun carving pumpkins (Emily's isn't carved cause I saved it to bake "Dinner in a Pumpkin" on Halloween night).

Cleaning the guts...

Final products with Daddy...

...and with Mommy.

Halloween Fun at the Museum!

2008-11-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

The Museum of Natural History puts on a free Halloween party each fall. In one building, the kids get to play a live game of "Clue", going from room to room, interviewing Ms. Scarlet, Prof Plum, et al., to discover who stole the candy. Spencer LOVED being a detective! In the 2nd building, the kids got to play games, earn candy, and do Halloween crafts. It was all so fun, and best of all it was FREE!

"Pin the Eyes on the Spider"

"Pin the Mouth on the Bat"

Outside the Museum, having a good time!

Halloween Fun at the Hospital!

2008-11-09T19:18:00.001-08:00

The Orthopedics Department at the hospital puts on a trick-or-treat each Halloween. The kids got to dress up, meet Daddy, and go around to the different reception desks and office areas in Orthopedics and get some goodies. Lots of other resident families were there too. After the trick-or-treating we went in the "party room" and had cupcakes, cookies, gathered party favors and played with balloons. It was so fun, especially the part about getting to have Jaron there!

Jaron's a doctor, Mikey's Raphael, Spencer's Luke Skywalker, and Emily is...a pumpkin??

Jaron helped the kids maneuver through the Ortho offices.

Spence and Mikey go for the good stuff! All the secretaries were so nice! They loved seeing all the kids in costume.

Halloween Fun at School!

2008-11-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

Spencer's Kindergarten class had a Halloween party, and Mikey and I went to "help out". As you can see from the pics, Mikey, or should I say, "Raph" (aka "Raphael"), as he now insists to be called, made himself right at home with all aspects of the party--the snacks, photo shoot, and parade. Mikey didn't think twice about stepping right in with the big kids. He even used his super-Teenage-Ninja-Turtle skills to fight off the evil Darth Vader and Venom at various times during the party. And Spencer, or should I say, "Luke Skywalker-as-a-Jedi-Knight", loved having his little bro there.

Mikey and Spencer at Spence's table, enjoying a Halloween snack of spiders and ghosts.

Spencer's class picture. Luke Skywalker is front left, and Raphael is center back. (Spencer's teacher is back row, 3rd in from the left. She's really great.)

Luke and Raph on the march around the basketball court. I don't know who that nice guy helping Raph is...

Our Sweet Boys

2008-09-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some old pics and wanted to post a few of my favorites of our boys...since I'm not that great at posting them as they occur! (More great recycles still to come...)

This is Spencer suiting Mikey up for a ride on their "Rocket Ship". Several months ago, when Mikey broke his leg, Spence was such a good big bro and created fun games for Mikey since wasn't as mobile. Notice the Mickey Mouse booster chair, the rocking horse behind (where Spencer would take his seat after buckling Mikey in with his Sunday pants belt), Mikey's shield, and Mikey is wearing a clip-on tie. These are all essential elements to a successful flight on the Ship (and it was a success!).

Need I say more?!

We love our Spencer and Mikey!!

Happy Birthday Em! (Sept 6)

2008-09-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

It was my birthday too this weekend, and I got the BEST present a child could ever give a mom (at least that's my perspective after struggling with Mikey for many months)...Mikey has been going Pee-Pee on the Potty!!! Seriously, it's a dream come true for Jaron and me. On labor day (Mon), I went to the store to buy diapers, and decided then and there that that would be the last pack of diapers I would ever buy for Mikey. I mean, heck, the kid can ride a bike without training wheels--what's the big deal with a Potty?? I talked it over with Mikey, and we bought stickers, candy and prizes and got to work (he's all about the stickers and candy and prizes). So he's had some accidents, but for the most part he's been going in the potty and loving all the praise and treats he's getting (and of course big brother gets some too for being a good cheerleader).

And let me add here on a serious note that I really do believe in miracles, big or small, and this comes in direct answer to prayer. Jaron and I had been praying two weeks ago for 2 specific things relative to our kids--for Mikey's success on the potty and for guidance with Spencer's fits and emotions. Both have been MUCH better this past week, with Mikey actually agreeing to go on the potty and Spencer being MUCH more pleasant (and me being inspired to love and spend meaningful time with him). I'm grateful for answered prayer (which, it's ALL answered, by the way).

Happy Birthday Jaron!!! (Sept 7)

2008-09-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

I just want to declare to the world how wonderful, amazing, and awesome my sweetheart is! Through our 7 1/2 short years of marriage we've had thin and thick times, experienced breathtaking sights and a handful of frustrations, and I am grateful for every moment of it. Jaron is my best friend, he inspires me constantly with his example and empowers me through his love and confidence in me. He is also the most amazing dad to our kids. His patience exceeds mine, and his love for romping, teaching and playing with the kids leaves no doubt in their mind that their Dad adores them, even if he's not around as much as he'd like to be. I love this man so much, and it seems so fitting to have his birthday right after mine--It's the best present I could ever ask for!!

(Photo taken last spring in Costa Rica)

Fun on Labor Day

2008-09-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

We've had a fun Labor Day, enjoying some time with Jaron (who took a 2-hour nap after being on call all night and then spent the afternoon with us). We took our bikes to a nearby trail and rode for a while. The biggest news of the day is that Mikey learned to ride WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS! These kiddos really can do it, if given the encouragement and patient teaching (thanks to their Daddy). Jaron's given Mikey a few lessons before today, but today he really got it, and toward the end of our ride together he had gained enough confidence that he told Jaron, "No Daddy, I can do it by myself now!" (The pictures aren't the best, but let me assure you that Mikey looked like a stud pumping away on his Huffy special all by himself!)

Iowa is fun

2008-09-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of fun here in Iowa City. I don't think I've mentioned some of the fun things we did this summer, so I will now (our camera was broken so I didn't get pics of all of them). Every 4th Friday our mall (which is a 10 min walk from our house) has a "Family Night" when the Children's Museum, Carousel, and kids' meals at the food court are free, along with free popcorn and a clown that makes balloon animals. They also have a couple hours of discounted skating at the ice skating rink, so we've now experienced this Family night twice. Last month I took the boys ice skating, thinking it would be really fun (which it was, in a "wow, that was fun after-the-fact" kind of way). For starters, I assumed they would provide double-bladed skates for the little guys, I mean, who would expect a 3-year-old to skate on one blade? Wrong-O. They only had single blade skates, but I decided to try it anyway. Before I could finish putting on my skates my boys darted out into the rink and were prostrate on the ice and wailing. But I picked them up, secured one of them to the wall, and tried helping the other skate. We rotated like this off and on for a while, which was pretty exhausting for mommy, especially for a mommy with a protruding belly. I have to say that it was fun to see them, over the couple hours we were there, gain more confidence and better balance. Before the night was over Spencer learned to skate by himself, doing a kind of shuffle motion with his skates, his arms out like an airplane and his bottom thrust back for balance. Mikey never left my side, but we took lots of breaks in the hockey "time-out" box (I needed my recovery time). I'd try convincing him it was fun to watch the other skaters, but he much preferred skating with Momma.

Some of the other fun things we've done are going to a free concert in the park (which they have weekly in the summer), lots of bike rides and jogs on trails, lots of playing on playgrounds, getting sand to add to our backyard sandbox (aka "Treasure-Digging"), and camping at a state park. The camp-out was last weekend with our ward. It was really fun to get to know our ward family better and for our boys to have one last campout of the season. Jaron brought the boys' bikes and his skateboard, and after the campout was over he and Spencer rode the scenic loop around the park, with Mikey and I driving the support vehicle. The park was really hilly, but the picture below doesn't do justice to the steepness of hills Jaron and Spence flew down (with Jaron's little skateboard wobbling like crazy!). At the bottom of the hills I'd open the trunk of the wagon and they'd get a ride to the top of the next hill. Almost as nice as skiing!

"Come Here Witto Buckin' Bull!"

2008-09-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

That's what Mikey was saying over and over as he reached for and fed the Jersey calf at the petting farm. His Joyschool class (a co-op preschool I'm teaching with 5 other moms) went there for a field trip and getting-to-know-you activity. The kids had a blast, though I could tell they were overwhelming the owner as she showed them around the farm. Could her anxiety have anything to do with my sweet Mikey chasing her little lambs all around? ("Oh, no little boy, please don't scare them like that!") He was just being friendly, I mean, who doesn't like a game of tag? So although we didn't spend too long at the Petting Farm, we ended the outing nicely at the nearby dairy with some free ice cream cones (part of the field trip package).

Spencer Starts School!!

2008-08-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

All those sleepless nights when Spencer was a newborn, how I longed for the time when I could get a little "break" from being an over-time mom. Now my first "break" has come, with Spencer starting Kindergarten, and I've missed him like crazy (Note picture to left).

Since I did home-preschool with him and Mikey last year, we've never really been apart, and Mikey misses his "Bubba" and so do I. But we're adjusting, I'm enjoying quieter rides in the car and one-on-one time with Mikey. And Spencer is loving his school. If you ask him what his favorite thing about school is he'll probably tell you it's the lunches! I've bought his lunch several days this week and Spencer thinks he's going to a restaurant each day! Chicken nuggets, hamburger, pizza, desserts...it's heaven to a growing, hungry boy!

I'm so proud of Spencer and love him so much. He's growing to become a kind, loving brother and son. I also love his excitement for life, his vivid imagination (he loves to "build" things in our garage or yard and to draw anything that he imagines), and his sensitivity to others. I'm sure he'll do great in school this year!

Mikey Turns 3!!

2008-08-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Mikey's birthday was August 16th, but we celebrated it a couple days early so Jaron would be home with us (he was on call on the 16th). We had just gotten back from our trip to Texas (which was a blast and wonderful to be with Jaron's sister Jenna at her reception!), so we hadn't had much time to shop. First thing in the morning we headed out to Wal-Mart, I did some grocery shopping while Jaron took the boys to check out the "big-boy bikes". I hadn't finished my produce shopping when I hear, "Beep! Beep! Wook (look) OUT!!" and "Varooooom! I go so fast daddy!!" Here comes Mikey, tearing through the apple and orange stands on the smallest "big-boy bike" they make. Mikey beamed ear-to-ear as he pumped his little legs harder and harder on the pedals. The customers beamed (and chuckled and pointed) as they saw this little speed-racer on his new big-boy bike. As soon as Mikey saw me he exclaimed, "Wook Mommy! I got a new big-boy bike!!" He was so proud, and I felt one of the many joys of parenthood: arguably having more fun watching my child enjoy his present than he was actually experiencing himself.

As I'm writing this, I realize that I haven't taken any pictures of Mikey's bike yet (shame on me), but we did capture the "Dino-Cake" (Mikey requested it--and it's RED, not pink!).

IOWA PARTY!!

2008-07-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Jaron officially started residency, hence I (Em) have taken over the blogging indefinitely. The boys and I wanted to celebrate Jaron's first day, so I went to a consignment store and bought us all "Iowa Hawkeye" shirts and whipped up (with what I had in my kitchen) an "Iowa" rice-crispie frosted cake. After getting to the hospital at 5:30 that morning, Jaron came home after 8 pm. We partied hard for about 20 min until Jaron said he had studying to do, and that has pretty much been the tune we've been singing all week (minus the daily parties). But we (and especially ME) are so proud of Jaron for getting here in his career and we especially love that, although he's been busy, he finds simple ways to show us that he loves and cherishes us. WE LOVE YOU, JARON!!

House in the Projects, pt 2

2008-07-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

Here's some more before and after pictures of the dining area, kitchen, and another one of the Great Room.

Coralville House Project ("Before" and "After")

2008-07-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

I don't mean "Livin' in the Projects" here, but the fun of moving into our new house in Iowa and working Nana Runyan like crazy so we could have some fun color on our walls. It's taken me a while to post these, and not much has changed since Nana left 2 weeks ago, but I thought I'd give y'all an idea of how much "fun" we had (and "fun" IS the operative word here, since each new project I was scheming in my mind I would present to Jaron as "Wouldn't it be FUN if....", such as "Wouldn't it be FUN if...we hung shelves in the garage

....we replaced all the light fixtures in the house

....painted our 17-foot walls--you paint, honey, I'll hold the ladder...)

Anyway, enjoy these "before" and "after" pics of our Great Room, the Boys' room, and in the next post, our dining area and kitchen. (We haven't hung any pics or decor yet, so it's pretty much just paint at this point).

The Sullivan Crew

Em's Race and Daddy Daycare

Quad Cities Marathon 9/25/11

Paging Dr. Sullivan...Anybody Seen Dr. Sullivan??

Texas Summer Vacation!

Look at our Gorgeous Friends!!

April in Arizona

Spencer's Piano Recital

Dread-locks

Spencer's Baptism!!

Where's YOUR Husband??

Trip to Chi-Town

We *Heart* IOWA

HALLOWEEN!

Gotta Love that Mikey

Success

Best $3 Ever Spent

Date With Mikey

Mikey's Gone Pro

Family Race

A Bit of Heaven on Earth

Talents

THE Highlight of our Summer!

And the Winner is...

Por Fin!!

1st Day of School

Mikey's 5th Birthday!!

Springtime Catch-up

A Few of Our Favorite Things

Nana and Opa Visit!

Life is Beautiful

Texas in February...

Celebration of Trevor (be-lated)!

Celebration of Spencer!

Mikey is a Prodigy

What You've Been Waiting For

We're BAAA AAAK!!

Mullet Time

Bad Luck!

Let It Snow!

Some Fall Pics

Just Because...

Nov 7!

HALLOWEEN!

Trevor is 8 Months!

Happy Birthday to US!

Happy Birthday Mikey!

Fun in Texas

Bye-Bye Summer!

Milestone

Oldie but Goodie

Our Angel

The Finished Product

Mikey's Quotable

The Neighbors You Wish You Never Had...

Bring Your Family to School Night

Spring Fun

Spencer's Quotables

Trevor is sitting!!

We love Mammy and Pappy!

Mommy, I saw Spiderman at the zoo!!

Trevor, say "Cheese!" (or "milk"?)

Fix- It guys

Car Tales

Winter Fun

Trevor at Home

Gotta Love Those Boys!

Trevor's First Photo Shoot

Enjoying the snow

EM's up and about

Emily had our baby!

Spencer grows up - 6th birthday

This one's for Janene

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Adventures in Babysitting

Winter FREEZING-land!

Thanks for the visit, Hamilton's!

Thanksgiving in Indy

Leaves, Glorious Leaves!

"Daddy, I'm so gwad you'w here wif me"

We Heart IOWA