Photo Shoot

I love taking photos and I hop onto some of your blogs and it makes me want to just go photo happy because you take such great pictures! Well today the lighting in my bedroom was good and Colton was really happy so we played dress up and started snapping pictures. Here are a few of my favorites. I will have to catch Lydia again because today she wasn't too motivated. I had to bribe her with smarties. It hit me after looking at these pictures how big she is getting. We are talking about sending her to a speech intensive preschool this fall. When I was told she could even ride a bus to preschool, my little heart hurt a little bit. Guess I really am a mom.

And the Winner Is. . .

On Friday night Mike went to a computer party. Once a month a bunch of guys get together, hook up their computers and play games against eachother on a big network. It's crazy- these boys play until 3 in the morning. Thank goodness it is only once a month. The winner of the main game at the end of the night wins a traveling trophy- the Golden Gun. It is a coveted trophy and has only been won by a few people. They also have a trophy for the short bus competition where they will play a game with their keyboards backwards, using their left hand with the mouse or some other handicap. After a grueling night, Mike managed to be the first one ever to win both competitions in one night! He was so proud.
The next morning, I had a speech competition for Toastmasters. I had already performed my speech in front of my club and they voted me to move on to the next level, which is against people in and around Lafayette. Well, after much practice, I won that one! It was great fun. Now I will move on and compete against people in all of Northern Indiana in April. Wish me luck!

It was a fun weekend of success!

Great Grandma Kowney

Over the weekend we went to Iowa for Mike's great grandma's funeral. I only met her once, but she was a sweet old lady- always sending cards and making blankets or other crafts to send. Her father was bootlegger. She spent her wedding night in the same room as her sister-in-law and lived in a garage for a period of time with her new little family. She saved $15 to buy a car that let fumes in through the floorboards. Quite the lady. Cousins
Finding some entertainment during the viewing.
4 generations of Hansen's. Top left- Mike, top right Mat (Mike's brother)Bottom left is Mike's uncle, middle is his grandpa holding Colton and Mike's Dad Marty on the bottom right.
Grandma Kowney Thanksgiving 2007

Hip Hat

I hate spending money. It's a complex or phobia or something. I understand that it takes money to live, so we spend what we have to, but I have a hard time spending money on myself and I love to feel like I've got a bargain. Yard sales are the best! Because of these things I find myself needing to update my wardrobe or accessorize or something- in order to maintain the level of hipness I had as a teenager. (Yes I know I am 24 and no longer a teenager, but I would rather look like I was 18 than 38) So with my birthday money, I was selfish and I actually spent it on myself. I went on a little shopping spree once the kids had gone to bed and bought new shoes. (the first pair in 5 years!) Some jewelry and this new hat. In highschool I loved to find different hats to wear- cowboy hats, bucket hats, a beret, but I think somewhere along the line I either lost the confidence to wear them or decided they were too "loud" for my more reserved, more mature motherhood style. I told my mother-in-law this and she said, "You can still wear cute hats you know." She really made me think, and I am glad she did. So this is my new loud, hip hat and I love it! I wear it every chance I get and when I wear it, I can't help thinking to myself, 'you are one hot mama!'

Largest Children's Museum in the World

Yesterday I moped around and today I didn't have anything on my schedule, so I decided last minute to go to the childrens museum in Indy. I needed to get out of the house. It is awesome! There is something for everyone! I think Mike's favorite was THE actual batmobile in the new comic book section. He even asked me to take his picture with it, and if Mike asks me to take his picture, you know he must really think it is something.
Lydia loved the carousal. She patted the horse and would cluck to make it go. This fine horsemanship knowledge is thanks to all the lessons from Grandma Hansen. I thought is was funny that Mike ended up on the smallest pony on the whole thing- the little white one all the way to the right. Good thing it wasn't real or I think that pony would be done giving pony rides after Mike rode it.
Colton loved the baby area. He sat in this little contained, padded pen and grabbed everything. And my favorite was just spending time with my family. I plan to go back again in a few weeks with a friend, so I'll have to snap some more cool pictures then.

Sick Sick Sick

Our family has been fighting some form of sickness for about a month and a half now. Colds, ear infections, the flu- you name it, we've had it. It seems each time we get our hopes up that all of us might finally be better, someone sneezes and our hopes are dashed again. We are planning to go to the Kentucky temple and make a weekend of it, so we are really hoping that we are all feeling up to it by then.

The amazing thing is, even though you may be sick, your life still moves forward. Here are some of the things we have been doing:
Building Snowmen and throwing snowballs at the window and then watching it all melt the next day. Lydia kept wondering where her snowman went.
We took the kids sledding and though I reminded myself several times, I still forgot the camera. This was Colton afterwards. He staying in his car seat the whole time. We hauled him (rather- Mike hefted him) up the hill where he stayed cozy while the parents took turns riding down with Lydia and then carrying her back up. No workout video needed that day! We even let Colton ride down with us once- still in his carseat- oblivious to the danger we were putting him in.
Mike introduced Colton to Oreos. Needless to say, he liked them.
Lydia somehow managed to spill her milk- all over her face!

We haven't managed to snap pictures yet, but Colton has become good at blowing snot bubbles. Lydia is all about Elmo right now, but not potty training. And while all this was happening, I turned 24. Not my best of birthdays- Lydia was throwing up, however it seems birthdays are less exciting the older you get. This was exciting, but not in the way I had hoped.
One thing we are all excited about around here is Lydia's speech. She is finally trying to say words! We have had a breakthrough with words like clock, gospel(don't know why she decided to say this one) and of course, Mcdonalds (her favorite) Today she even said Colton for the first time! Up until now when you tell her to say Colton, she will respond, "Baby."

Colton's eating

Colton is now eating real food and he loves it and I love that he loves it!
I changed my background because I needed something livlier. I am starting to grow weary of winter and am ready for some color. I can't wait to go outside in shorts and no shoes. I love summer.
I got the flu this last week. No fun at all. Gratefully Mike was here to nurse me back to health- just in time for my kids to get it. Still not fun, but the end is in sight.