Santa Pictures

Grady with friends Caydence and Caden waiting patiently in line to see Santa
Grady and Santa

Grady looking excited to get his bag of candy from Santa

Bryce was not fond of Santa, this was the best we could do...

Two pouting boys but Santa and I look like we're having fun!!

Every year Santa makes a visit to one of our friends houses where we all gather and await Santa's arrival. It's pretty cool and the boys always have a great time. When Santa walked in the door Bryce was waving and giggling but the closer he got to Bryce the closer Bryce got to me. His thighs were wrapped securely around my side and his hand was grasped very tightly on my shirt as we approached Santa for a picture. Santa's so sweet and innocent why are small children so scared of him... Grady was curious and asked him where his mouth was at. Santa chuckled and said its in here somewhere!

Tractors, Dump Trucks, Trailers, OH MY!!

The boys wanted trucks and tractors for Christmas

and boy did they rake 'em in!!

The top picture is at one family Christmas and the bottom is at another.

I'm thankful that my boys can have presents to open each year!

Daycare Christmas Party

Had a busy day Sunday with the Sunday School Program first and the Daycare Christmas Party that evening. We had a pot-luck and gifts for the daycare party with a few Christmas carols. Such a great day I hope you enjoy both blog posts. Santa pictures to come as he was in town for the weekend as well!!!

This is a picture of the majority of the kids that go to our in-home daycare.

These are the awesome daycare providers Miss Karen & Mister David with Bryce

The kids sang a few Christmas carols before opening gifts

Bryce and one of his MANY 'mother hens' ~Aspyn~

Bryce got some pretty cool vehicles

Grady and Carley, she got him this sword and chest armor

Grady and Zach testing out their swording abilities

A Christmas Carol by the kiddos!!

Sunday School Program

Grady was the second to youngest kid at the program and did a

FANTASTIC JOB!!!

He even had a line to say just a few minutes in to the program.

He couldn't have said it more perfect, "At last its Christmas Day"

was his line! They were presents for the first part and got hand bells

for the second part. They all did a great job. Grady chose front and

center both times, no one placed him there :-)

If you didn't know he's the one in blue and white stripes.

Present

The BEST present anyone could ask for!!!

Grady has a Sunday School Church Program this coming Sunday

so more pictures to come!! We have been practicing his line all week

and just got his costume done tonight! Isn't he the cutest little

present you've ever seen! He's pretty stoked to get to wear it!

Happy Birthday Brad

The Birthday Man Himself! Happy 30th Babe, I Love You!!
(And our friend Brett, silly fellow)

My brother Simon and I

Some of the party freaks!!

Quite a few people showed up to help him celebrate

More peps

The dangers of Karaoke

Some of my 'Besties' from work!!

Last weekend Brad and I became Godparents to our newest neice Mia, she was baptized just one day shy of a year from Bryce. Hard to believe our little monster was this little a year ago!

Brad's parents Greg and Cyndy, his brother Tom and his wife Ashley, baby Mia and Us

The Polar Express Train Ride

Last night Grady, I, my friend Korina and her two girls Aspyn and Breckyn went to Kearney to ride on The Polar Express Train. It was a trolley that drove around town while an elf read us the story of The Polar Express. The kids wore their pj's, ate cookies, and drank cocoa just like in the story. There was even a conductor that yelled "All aboard" and away we went for 45 minutes of fun! The conductor even punched our tickets numerous times like in the story. It was so great! The train took us to 'The North Pole' where Santa hoped on our train and handed each kid a bell.

I had been prepping Grady for a few nights prior to last night about what we were going to do together. So he had been watching bits and pieces of the movie The Polar Express. The first night he lasted about 10 minutes of it. The second night he told me he didn't like it. The third night it was on but he wasn't paying much attention...or so I thought! On our way to school the morning of going to see the real Polar Express he says...As we were driving over the viaduct in town where you can see many trains, "Mom will there be a conductor there that yells ALL ABOARD" He yelled it so loud it scared Bryce. I didn't think he liked the movie and he pulled the word Conductor out like nothing. I asked him what the conductor does and he said "drive the train" Wow! What a kid! He also kept calling it 'The suppress Train!'

The first thing Grady saw was the conductor and yelled "CONDUCTOR" with such excitement! He got his picture with him and politely asked "Can we get on with you!" The conductor was more than happy to take a picture with this eager little boy!

Our crew

Punching the ticket just like in the story, it was so cool!

Grady was watching out the window most of the time but he was at least having fun!

Santa gave Grady a Hi-Five on the way out of the train

Having a Great Time together!

We spotted a reindeer sleigh just down the street and the kids had to try it out!!

The Reindeer came all the way from Lincoln, NE and their owners were allowing free pictures! Very nice people. I chatted with them a few minutes!

Where's the White Stuff

Got some good deals at Old Navy over the weekend. Now we're just wishing it to snow!
Have I mentioned lately that I want time to stand still in the moments we are currently in, in life! My boys can be hand fulls most days but I love the littleness about them and don't ever want it to change. I know time has to go on so I am trying to cherish all the great moments we have together now. I love you boys! My boys!

Grady is obsessed with making 'this face' for pictures

Tried to catch Bryce in his new coat and boots but he was running away from me! This is the best shot I could do ;-) He's a little speed demon these days!

Love the Heat

Love this time of year for the warmth of our wood stove! I'm just thankful that Brad likes to cut wood and I don't have to! ;-) The lights went out in the entire town of Ravenna last night. Some of my friends said today that it was 60 degrees or less in their house for the 5 hours they were without power on a 20 degree evening. I didn't have the heart to tell them it was 82 degrees in my house and we slept with the windows open to cool things off!!

HOT

While cooking the other night Bryce was trying to reach where I was stirring and the such. I told him NO! HOT! Bryce NO! I picked him up so he could feel the heat and I repeated myself. I looked at him, he looked at me and said "Hhhh...Tttt" I kissed him and said YES Baby HOT!

We had the wood stove going last night and as he got close to it I yelled NO! Bryce HOT! He looked at me and said "HOT" in a breathly type of way. I again kissed him and made a big deal out of it.

In a matter of days my baby learned the word 'hot' but has yet to say 'daddy' or 'mommy' like he used to...

Happy yet sad for his little self!

Crab Legs

A few weeks ago we had Husker Football and Crab Legs at our house!! The crab needed to thaw before we cooked them so we had them in the box on the porch. The boys were meandering around and stumbled across them that morning. I heard their giggles not knowing for sure what they were in to. The giggles were almost over by the time I found my camera but the video is still pretty cute!

Shout Out to Daddy!

I captured this picture on my phone yesterday afternoon when my boys were feeling better and rough-housing as usual! Cute right!! Well, I believe it was the calm before the storm...

This morning as I was getting ready Grady told me his tummy hurt and I didn't believe him as yesterday I heard that and he was fine pretty much all day. It wasn't seconds later and there was puke everywhere. Before 8am we had a pooper and a puker on our hands. Well, I have a boss that minds if I make it to work or not so daddy was elected to stay home with the puking and pooping tykes today! Grady puked most of the day and Bryce as of current still has the squirts. Not cool at the Rasmussen house this week so if you were thinking about coming over...DON'T! Seems to be the 'in thing' around here to share and share alike, germs that is! Hoping tomorrow is a bit better, I have a meeting in Kearney and daddy has houses to get built before it snows.

Thanks Daddy, WE LOVE YOU So Much! You are a brave man to have stayed home today!

Sick Day-HA!

Sunday Brad was sick ALL day so I took the boys to town to let him rest. We played at a toy store, walked the mall, and hit up Target. All in all it was a good day. Nobody was sick but dad so even better UNTIL...about 2am Sunday night. I was sicker than sick. Brad and I both stayed home Monday sleeping all day long and not really saying a word to one another, we were sick and I mean sick. I went to work Tuesday and shouldn't have as I had to leave early because I was feeling ill then picked up Bryce and daycare reported he had been crying on and off all day. Needless to say I thought today would be a good day to stay home and recoup as Grady woke up warm and telling me his 'bones hurt'. Bryce had a bad runny nose all day and come 9am Grady wanted to play outside. I think my boys were playing hookie because they were all over each other all day long that is except for when Grady went outside to play. 7:30 pm and they were both sound asleep tonight I'm hoping I don't hear them until 7:30 am which would be normal but not much is normal around here these days!! Just hoping the germs are gone, gone, gone. I washed everything I could think of today!

Oh!! And I got my basement picked up, organized, and some what clean. I was super excited to get that accomplished today while Bryce was taking his afternoon nap. Also got some pictures hung I've been wanting to do but haven't found the time. Oh time, where have you gone in the rush and sounds of small pitter patter steps around the house!! Some day I will have so much time I know I will be wishing I had these days back...That's why I held Bryce for his morning nap, yes all almost 2 hours and snuggled Grady this morning while Bryce played around us!

Brassiere

Let's hope this kind of wardrobe piece doesn't happen again in Bryce's future...EVER!!

I couldn't resist a picture as he got wrapped up in the straps the other morning. He wasn't complaining by any means because he had No Idea what he was wrapped up in! He was giggling so loud he woke up Grady! Oh, how I love my littlest man!!!

On that note, Grady asked me the other day (when he saw me changing my shirt) if I was wearing a brassiere. I laughed and asked him what that was he said it again and pointed to my bra! How on earth he knows what the word means I'm not sure but I have one idea where he heard it...Daddy!

Fall

I love Fall for these reasons...

I DO NOT like Fall for these reasons...

We had a very large blanket of leaves all over our sidewalk and yard when we arrived home yesterday from work. Not excited about that one bit! I was hoping for a windy day today to blow them into someone else's yard ;-) Turns out it was windy today hehe!!!!