Grandma Mari's Birthday Party!

Happy Birthday to you....Sunday night after Gina's shower we all headed to mom and dad's house to celebrate mom's birthday (by having her make us supper!) :) Kyle and Steph supplied the dessert...ice cream cake- yummy!

Andi helping blow out the candles.

and of course helping lick off the candles.

The ice cream cake was a huge hit....and the blue icing was Andi's favorite. Lucky for her..no one else liked theirs!

TJ always enjoying some dessert.

We always end the day at grandma mari's on a good note- with popcorn!

I think that Andi stole papa Harold's spot too!

sleepy TJ felt like he needed to take a short break on the floor in the kitchen.

The day (and weekend) proved to be too long for my kiddos...who literally crashed before we headed home. By the time we were ready to leave- there were 3 sleepers in the living room :)

Gina's Baby Shower

Sunday afternoon was Gina's 1st baby shower. Besides being a little warm (for us preggos, anyways) it was lots of fun. We had lots of family and friends who were able to attend and Gina and Jason got lots of goodies to move to IL with them for the baby!

Thanks to Stephanie we got some great shots of the day!

Grandma Mari, Gina & Grandma Lola

Grandma Mari, Great-Granny Dot, Gina & Great-Grandma Barb

preggo sisters (for a couple more months!)

"sisters" pretty much ;)

Everyone decorating onesies for Baby Pollard. They all turned out really cute and very creative!!

Aunt Gina cutting a piece for Andi...

and Andi enjoying it!

ready to begin...

what a serious face?

monitors- they will actually need with their new house :)

the diaper bag!

afghan and clown doll from Great Granny Dot

the first (of many) camo outfits for Baby Pollard, I'm sure!

surprised?!

the pack-n-play

TJ before the shower....being nosey in Gina's baby book and trying to open the present from Debbbie....this is why "boys were not allowed" Andi was pretty upset when she saw some "Papa Tom and when her dad and TJ were still there when other guests where arriving but she calmed down after awhile :)

Sand and Water Table Fun

The last nice afternoon that we had (although it was plenty windy) I put water in the sand and water table for Andi and TJ to play with. It was later in the afternoon and Travis was gone until later that night so I figured I would let them play and then give baths...

They absolutely LOVED it! Andi started playing right away and making "dirt pudding with worms" but TJ was a little hesitant. He kept looking at me like "really, really I can play in this mud and not get in trouble?" It didn't take long to convince him and then the fun really began!

too busy playing to stop and pose.

I finally got them both to look at me...I wish I would have had a "after photo" of them ...this is in the very beginning!

Andi being a big "helper" trying to wipe TJ's face off..

he finally stood still long enough for her.

Andi checking out what TJ is up to.

both of them fitting in the little play set.

Andi "calling" TJ over to play with her some more...

My big kids...

So here are some pictures of what else has been going on around our house this week...

We have been talking about moving TJ into Andi's room for when the baby comes and I finally convinced Travis that we needed to change the pink and green walls to something else. So on Tuesday we decided that we should go ahead and get started :)

Andi posing in "her room" for the last time.

Andi helping paint the new "blue room"

pretty proud!

Travis doing most of the work...

Yeah for the blue room!

For the last couple of nights Andi has been sleeping on her mattress on the floor of TJ's room..tonight we got the other bunk bed from grandma mari's house and set them up.

Yep, that's right my kiddos are sleeping in bunk beds tonight! They really aren't as high as you would think that they would be. And they both did a great job sleeping in bunk beds at the lake so we thought we would give it a try.

So far so good..poor TJ, in the beginning didn't really know why he was stuck in Andi's room. He would get out of his bed and just stand by it like he was confused but soon got the hang of it and fell asleep in his new bed on his new pillow.

We still have a ways to go but I just wanted to let everyone know the progress...and yes if you come to visit you will probably get to see the "blue room" at least a couple of times :)

Still sleeping...I can't remember the last time either one of the kiddos slept so good! It is nice (but a little crazy, lol) to be up by myself in the am!

TJ woke up this morning at 6 and was standing at the gate. I went into the room scooped him up and told him to lay back down and he did- no whining or anything and has been sleeping since!

Opening Day

Monday was opening day of Turkey Season. Andi caught her dad leaving early and made it a little difficult on everyone. She was super worried that her dad was going hunting by himself.

Even when he explained to her that he was a "big kid" and could go all by himself and be okay she still wasn't sure but then informed us that when she got to be a "really big kid" then she could "drive to Leonard, then get out, then go hunting all by herself!"

So after a few minutes of explaining he was going to be okay again at 4:30 in the morning, Travis left and I got to deal with her! Next she was worried about Travis leaving in the dark, and then finally she cried/whimpered herself to sleep in my bed because her dad was gone.

Lucky for us, everything turned out okay. Travis got a turkey early and got to go hunting with Adam. I think that made Andi feel better :) She was all charm when he got home, gushing over his hunting clothes. "Dad, I really like your hunting hat, and I really like your hunting shirt, and your hunting pants!" Geez-she knows just what to say!

what is it?!

Opening morning turkey!

TJ going for the head- yuck!

dusting the turkey?

Spring Game

Saturday morning we woke up to rain and couldn't decide whether or not to chance it at the MU's spring game or not. We had already told the kids, so Andi was excited even though some of her favorites (Chase, Macklin, and Willie Moe) weren't going to be there.

It poured on us almost the entire way to Columbia. We had our windshield wipers on as high as they could go and still could barely see. Luckily it stopped almost entirely by the time we got to campus and only drizzled if that the rest of the afternoon.

We had lots of fun at the game even though we didn't get there until right as it started. Andi took right up where she left off at the last game- yelling and cheering for the Tigers and Truman. It didn't take long for TJ to start cheering and dancing either! I am thinking we will have lots of fun at the games this year!

We left the scrimmage a little early to head to Travis' Aunt Tresia's house to get ready for mass and Caden's baptism in Booneville. Andi, who is getting harder to pull a fast one on, was extremely upset because we were leaving and the game wasn't over yet!

Both kiddos were worn out but squeaked in 2o minute naps on the way to the baptism. Lucky for us it worked out in our favor and they were a little slower, a little calmer in church!

The baptism when beautifully and were were honored and excited to be Caden's Godparents! :) And of course we had lots of fun afterwards hanging out with the Wassmann/Schuster clan!

The night ended just as it started, Andi talking 100 miles a minute (until she finally fell asleep at Moberly) and us driving in the pouring down rain. We got home a little after 11:30 and thankfully had the entire next day for everyone to recoop!

TJ fell asleep while we were trying to get everything loaded for our long day!

cheering, eating and watching the game- can't wait for the real season!


cheering with the cheerleaders and band.


Gabbert throwing long

Truman, the real reason we go :)

our "dorky boys!"

The Schuster & Belt Families on Caden's big day! Don't you just love all of the kiddos expressions!

my only photo of the baptism (thanks to Debbie)