Birdhouse

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-08T11:00:00.003-06:00

We had a really fun Family Home Evening this week. We decided to decorate the house for Christmas while watching Elf. The boys got so excited when they say the Christmas tree in its box. They were all great helpers and it turned out beautiful. Of course somehow all of them ended up with no shirt on but that is pretty typical here. Enjoy!

Our new Christmas calender to count down to Christmas.
Vance hanging the stockings while watching a little bit of Elf.
Kael helping out.

Merek helping by taking the ornaments off as the boys put them on.
Evidence right there!
This one is a little blurry but I thought it was a cute one of the little guys. If you look close you will see that Kael has a little crackage! So funny!
I had to get the top of the tree of course.
I think they did a great job and it looks beautiful!!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T21:37:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween!! We had a great Halloween this year with amazing weather. The boys loved dressing up and loved that Daddy did as well. This year we were all Super Heroes!! Vance was Spiderman, Kael was Buzz Lightyear and a pirate, Merek was Jack-Jack, Curtis was Wolverine, and I was Super mom. Vance thought it was the coolest time ever because he got to have a party at school and go trick-or-treating around the neighborhood while the little boys had to go to bed. Curtis talked everyone at work into dressing up as a Super Hero retirement home, hence the white hair and rainbow suspenders. We hope you all had a great time, I know we did!

Our little Incredible
The whole Family
So sweet
Vance pinning Humpty on the wall
Kaels turn
A little closer picture of Vances face pain I did
The boys pumpkin. Vance got to carve his first pumpkin this year and was thrilled
Of course we couldn't do pumpkins without Sparky
The Wolverine
Grandpa Wolverine
The boys with dad at work
Fun little face
Going fishin
Bowling
Is that a bean bag or a really big M&M
Toss that bag
You can't see it but behind Vances head are three bowls and Kael had to guess which one had the candy under it. When she said where is the candy he pointed right to the big bowl of candy as you can see in this picture. SO FUNNY!!
Ring toss
Look at that form
Future football players

Vances first day of School!

2011-08-02T11:36:00.008-05:00

Today was the day! Vance started Kindergarten today and boy was he excited. He was so strong and sure. I am so proud of him and it always puts a moms mind at ease when their child is confident and happy to be at school. Of course I cried after I left the classroom but I didn't show him that. It reminded me of the day Vance went to nursery. He saw the door open and ran straight into the classroom without a backward glance. He will do great and I know that it is the right time for him to go. Time has flown by and I am sure it will continue to do so.

How soon it went from this to...
This!
Two brothers, one wants to be just like the other, can you tell?

So excited!
His backpack!
Two thumbs up lets go!
So sweet with little Merek.
In front of the school.
Can we go in now please mom!
Walking to his classroom.
Here is my seat.
and my name tag.
Saying hi to Cooper as he comes in the door.
His little table.
Using the glue.
I am going to write my name.
There it is.
My family.
so colorful
This is a little backpack that they can open with their families picture in it in case they feel sad and miss us. Such a great idea!
Sitting down for a story, the Kissing Hand.
Getting his sticker.
He gave it me with a kiss and then.
Sat down to start his day!! So big. I love this kid.

Funny moments

2011-07-30T23:14:00.002-05:00

Tonight we had several funny moments with the boys and I have to write them down or I will forget. We were in the van and the AC was on because it was pretty warm in the van and after a bit Vance says "Dad can you turn down the air because I am cold and there are things sticking out of my skin!" Curtis then said "Those are called goosebumps bud. Do you know why? Because when people would pull the feathers off of a goose the skin looks like it has bumps on it." Vance said "But dad I have never eaten a goose feather!" He was a little confused about it all but it sure was funny.

Later we were sitting on the lawn having a fun family dessert when Curtis said he was smelling something stinky. Vance immediately said "It's not me!" Curtis turns to Kael and says "Kael are you poopy?" and Kael says with "that" look on his face and says "No!" while he is filling his diaper. He continued to deny being poopy for the the next 20 minutes and wouldn't let us change him.

So Merek likes to suck his thumb when he is sleeping but has recently started sucking it in the middle of the day at random times. So I decided to put his thumb in my mouth when he tried to suck on his thumb. Well he just thought that was so funny and kept pulling it out of my mouth and sticking it back in. Then when I wasn't paying attention he tried to suck on his thumb while it was in my mouth! Slobbery little kisses. It was pretty cute.

The boys are just growing so fast and we are enjoying their sweet little personalities, for the most part! LOL

Update

2011-06-05T22:42:00.003-05:00

I posted four new posts for everyone to enjoy! Sorry it has taken so long to get them on here. Enjoy!

Boys

2011-06-05T22:24:00.008-05:00

Just some fun pictures of the boys.

You want me to what? Smile? HA!
All bundled up for the soccer game.
It's pretty bright out here.
Like my hat? I do!
MMMMM
Dad you are in my way. I want that, whatever it is.
Vance wrestling with Daddy
Sweet Kael!
Finally a smile!
See....
Mommy and Kael
Mommy and Vance
Who gave you licorice? Oh that's right, DADDY!!
Making a mess in the play room. So fun.
Sweet smile!
Merek with his tongue out. One of his favorite things to do.
Our little monkey!

Fishing

2011-06-05T22:06:00.006-05:00

This weekend was free fishing weekend here in Colorado and we took the boys. They gave away free fishing poles at Quail lake so of course we had to go and get some for the kiddos. Vance was very impatient about wanting to catch a fish but of course it wouldn't happen as quickly as he wanted. Merek had to be put in the play pen to keep from eating the sand and rocks. He got a good mouthful before we could put him in. Kael fished for about a minute before he walked straight into the lake so we took off his shoes and let him play. He had a blast walking up and down the beach hitting his pole on the water. I was ready to give up and move to a different spot when I started to reel in my line and a fish pulled against it. I don't know how long he was on my line before I pulled him in but it was our only catch of the day. We tried to get Vance to reel him in but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. Silly kid. It was a pretty good size fish and it just made out trip. We had a great day fishing and are excited to do it again.

Vance is all ready to go. Bring on the fish!

The little guys.
Look at that face. So happy to be here.
I am going in.
Playing in the water.
Kael and his pole
What!
The view! Isn't it amazing?
Mommy and Merek in the shade.
Mommy's fish!
Daddy trying to get it off the line.
Ick I had to hold it for the picture. It has been many years since I held a fish and it wasn't very fun I can tell you that!!
Another view!

Our Project

2011-06-05T21:47:00.006-05:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we decided to take on a project: Re-paint the main floor. Oh boy was it a lot. We worked late every night but I am so happy with the way it turned out. We will start with the before, and these are the very first pictures of the house right when we bought it, and then the way it looks now. What do you think?

Looking into the Dining room
The kitchen, oh the border!!
The living room.
The new Dining room
The tan on the wall is very subtle but it is there.
The three colors up against each other.
The kitchen
Overall

The living room

Hope you all like it!! LIE if you don't!

Soccer

2011-06-05T21:29:00.005-05:00

This was Vances second year of soccer. He really enjoyed himself this time around. His coach was really great with the kids and he actually learned some really useful things. It was still really cold out so he spent most of his games bundled up. I think we will try fall soccer from here on out. The best part for Vance was getting his trophy. He is so proud of it.

So serious.
Smile Vance!
Look at that motion shot! So great!

Coach John giving him his trophy.
Now we get a smile, sort of!

Our new yard

2011-05-06T20:30:00.009-05:00

We just got our sprinkler system and our sod put in today and we wanted to share the before and after with everyone to show how amazing it looks now. These are starting from the beginning.

Backyard view

Front yard view
They vibrated the ground and blew the pipes in. Crazy!

There is the sod on the pallets.

Tada!! Isn't it great. I love it!

Backyard

There it is folks. Just beautiful!

Easter

2011-04-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

Our Easter was so much fun this year. Every holiday just gets more are more enjoyable as Vance understands more. He is always so excited about every little thing and makes it so fun for his brothers. We were visited by the Easter Bunny on Saturday morning and he was very generous to our boys. They were so excited about all the chocolate, not to mention the bubbles!! We enjoyed a fun morning of dying eggs and then going to our neighborhood Easter egg hunt. They had one for each age group and it was so cute. Then we went and had a fun family lunch together which is always fun. In the afternoon we went to Vances first Soccer game of the season and endured the cold, wind, and eventually the snow. It was a crazy weather day but Vance did great and scored three goals. Way to go buddy. Afterward we enjoyed dinner and then we all fell asleep pretty early because it was a very busy day. On Sunday we had a yummy family breakfast of biscuits and gravy. Crystal wasn't feeling well so the boys made toast and cut it into hearts for her to eat. They are so amazing. We had a great time at church and Vance came home telling us all about Jesus and how he died so that we can live forever. He is a sponge absorbing every piece of information that he can. So smart. That night we had a great steak dinner, that was Curtis' choice, and had a treat afterward. We had a great Easter and we hope that you all did too.

Vance coming down on Saturday morning looking for his easter basket.
(Sorry so fuzzy)Kael looking at me and I am sure thinking "What do you want me to do?"
Oh lets run around.
Kael-"Look there is something in this football" Vance-"Nope nothing under here!"
Ahah~
Candy!!!!
Kael dug right in. He grabbed the first thing he could and opened it up without looking at anything else in his basket. Vance however had to look at every single thing before he chose a candy.
See it! It is yummy.
"I can use this as a light saver!" Yes that is what he said.
Dying eggs, I only got a picture right at the end but there they are.
Vance enjoying washing his dyed hands.
The Easter Bunny's. Kael was not too sure about them.
Kael waiting for his Easter egg hunt to start. You can see Vance in the window behind him.
Here he is up close.
What do you want me to do again?
Oh yes put the eggs in my basket.
Doing good.
Phew that was tough.
Yes it is my turn.
Vance looking for eggs.
Run Vance run!
He ran past so many eggs because he only wanted to get the pink ones and then he just started grabbing any eggs. So cute!

The Brodericks Come to Town!

2011-04-25T22:29:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago the Broderick Family came to Colorado. It was so much fun to see them. Unfortunately the weather was cold and windy so we didn't get to do many things out and about but that ended up being the best thing. We really enjoyed just chilling and spending time with each other. The kids couldn't get enough of each other. Our sweet little babies were just going all over the place. I think Darron had a good time even though the Wii wasn't working and that is what he told his mom he was looking forward to most of all. So honest! We hope that they can come back again soon and that we will actually be able to go outside next time. Love you guys!

Darron and Ari playing with the Aircraft carrier (I am telling you a toy for all ages! Thanks Taryn.)
Sweet Ari
Gentry bug looking for whatever he can.
Joe and Alethia trying to help us figure out these tablet things from Mom and Dad Birdno. Fun times.
Kael enjoying the Bumbo. He actually got stuck and stood up with it stuck on his bum! So cute.
Alyse... Need I say more!
Oh that face. The weather made his nose a little red.
So sweet.
Darron showing us his magic towel.

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A!!

2011-04-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

We went to Oklahoma for Darrons baptism and while there we threw a surprise party for Alethia. It was all so much fun I can't wait to use some of those amazing ideas for my family activities in the future.

Alethia's face when she walked in.
The decor!
Don't you love it?
So amazing, Ella you are a genius!!
Yes I got up on a ladder and taped each one of those Lanterns up on the ceiling. I was scared to death but I did it!
The fans.

Darron's birthday cake that Alethia and my mom made. Isn't it amazing!! So much detail this doesn't even do it justice.
Happy birthday Darron. What a great day it was. Thanks for sharing it with us all.

Family Fun

2011-04-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

Our St. Patrick's Day dinner was green alfredo with asparagus. YUM!

What is there to say but "PRECIOUS!" Gotta love the Fo-hawk.
Kael showing us his Ipod skills.
Family bowling. The first game Crystal won but the second game... well you will see. This was the stance that Vance took after each shot. Hands on the hips.
Throw that ball boy.
Kael trying to roll his ball.
Vance and his granny throw.
OOOOOO!!!!
Curtis and his mad skills.
See that score... yes that is Vance beating both of us 72-43-42.
And the final score. Vance wins!
Vance loves his Merek. So sweet.
Kael stepped away from his lunch and Merek took full advantage. He grabbed that meat and went for it. Kael doesn't look too concerned does he. Don't worry I took it away right after I took the picture.

Birthday to Birthday

2011-02-26T11:01:00.001-06:00

It has been a busy couple of months. I decided to catch up by just doing a slide show with all the events of the past two months. We start with Curtis' birthday go through Kaels' birthday. There are a lot of fun pictures so I hope you enjoy.

Kael

2011-02-15T23:50:00.004-06:00

Today my baby you turned two. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. It really feels like yesterday that you surprised us all and made an early arrival the day after Valentines day instead of the last week of March. I should have known then that you would always do things on your own terms and in your own time frame. In the last year you started walking, said your first words, and became a big brother. You are truly a sweet little guy. I know it has been a tough year with a lot of changes but you have always had this incredible smile that could make anyone just melt in your hands. Your little personality is bursting at the seams to show the world what you can do. You love to do whatever your big brother Vance is doing and following him in whatever ways you can. I love it when I walk in the door after running to the store and you throw your arms out to me and run to me and yell "Mommy" like you haven't seen me in a month instead of 20 minutes. You get this sly little smile on your face when you do something that you know you shouldn't but you don't regret it because it was fun. Everyday you walk up to your baby brother and give him sweet hugs and kisses and it makes my heart melt seeing it because not that long ago you were my baby. You have been forced to grow a little faster than I would have wanted but you have been amazing. I love you with all my heart my sweet Kael. I knew from the first moment I was able to hold you that you were a very strong little boy with an amazing spirit that would teach me so much in my life and you already have. I know you are to little to read this now but someday you may look at this and I hope you will know how much you mean to me. There will never be a day in my life that I won't look at you and be grateful that you are my little man. Thank you for choosing our family and for being patient with your mommy that is still learning how to do this job. You are amazing! Happy Birthday my sweet boy. I LOVE YOU KAEL KAEL!!

Seven years

2011-02-13T00:21:00.000-06:00

Seven years ago I found my soul, my reason, my friend, and then I married him. My mama didn't raise no fool! I couldn't have made a better choice. I have been blessed with an amazing husband and three sweet little boys. We have spent five and a half of the last seven years in school. What a ride that was. I am so grateful for that time. It was the hardest time of our lives but it truly made us a stronger couple and a stronger family. I remember walking into the temple with you on our wedding and then sitting in the sealing room and listening to then President Ballard as he spoke to us. He told me to take your hand in mine and to look at it. He said that those were the hands that would one day bless our children, baptize our children, give them the priesthood, and help them get to the temple. One of those blessings has happened and I look forward to those remaining blessings that we can share together in the future. You are the best man I know and you give everything you have to take care of me and our family. You work so hard to make a good life for us but most importantly you are in tune with the spirit and you guide our family in the direction we need to be going in so that we can be an eternal family like we were promised on that day seven years ago. Thank you for being my companion on this journey through life. I couldn't have asked for a better partner. I love you with all my heart my sweet Curtis. Happy Anniversary.

The boys

2011-01-06T12:42:00.003-06:00

The boys are just growing so fast and I wanted to put on here some of the things they have been up to.

Vance

Learning his numbers
Coloring very meticulously
Playing with Kael
He loves holding Merek
Doing anything with Daddy
Playing on his Leapster 2
Pretending to be a super hero
Coming up with new adventures
Learning to play new games like SORRY, Guess Who, and Qwirkle
Always saying something clever
Being a huge helper to mommy

Kael

Singing his ABC's
Playing with Vance
Coloring on whatever he can find
Doing whatever Vance does
New sayings like "No not you!", "Yes food", "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, Down pees!"
Finding new places to explore
Wearing everyones clothes around the house
Kissing and playing with Merek

Merek

Ate his first rice cereal on Christmas day
Hearing his voice by cooing, laughing, and chatting
Sucking his thumb on occasion
Playing in his Excersaucer
Tummy time
Chewing on anything he can
Trying to grab everyones food
Tickle bug

Thanksgiving to Christmas

2011-01-06T12:33:00.001-06:00

I have a lot of catching up to do so I will start from Thanksgiving. We went to Oklahoma and spent Thanksgiving with my family there. It was so much fun getting to see them all. We were able to get Family pictures while we were all there and I can't wait to see how those turned out. We also had my nephew Gentry's baby blessing. I can't say how grateful I am for my family and all that they do for me. I love them all so much and miss them everyday. We were able to go to the Science museum with the McAdams' clan and it was really a great time. Vance was just fascinated by so much. After we came back life went on as usual until we got the news that my Great Grandma Gay had passed away at the age of 1o2. She was an amazing woman and I truly enjoyed being able to help my mom with her life sketch because I learned so many wonderful things about her that I wouldn't have known otherwise. We went back to Arizona for the funeral the week before Christmas and spent some time with both our families while there. Grandma and Grandpa Birdno were so kind to let all my family that could stay there in their home. It was great to have them near to my so thanks Mom and Dad. The boys got to open their presents from the Birdno grandparents and we headed back to Colorado to start our Christmas.

The boys on family picture day. Kael's hair is crazy but what can you do now.

On black friday we went to the store at about 11 am and Kael was so tuckered out that he crashed in the back of the cart. People thought we had dragged him out of bed super early for all the specials that day. So precious.

Opening our family gifts with my family. Aunt Ella, Emarie, Isaac, Darron, Aunt Alethia, and Alyse.

Aunt Nana
Uncle RJ and Aunt Ashley
Aunt Holly and Kelsie
Mimi and Papa
You can see Uncle Sam and Olivia in this one too. Vance got a cool set of Toy Story 3 games.
At the science museum the kids had a ball at this thing.

The dropping balls
Making paper cups fly
Merek chillin as usual
Cute little Liv!
Vance on a Segway, not as easy as it looks.
Me
Curtis
Vance and Emarie in a space shuttle.
Aunt Ella and Curtis enjoying the puzzles/brain teasers.
The water table
Sweet girls, they just loved Merek to pieces!
On Santa's lap telling him what they wanted for Christmas.
Daddy helping Kael make his gingerbread house.
Vance and Grandma Birdno making his house.
Sweet smile dad!
I saw that sneak!
So much fun.
There goes another one!
MORE!!
Presents

What this isn't mine?
No it is mine!
Chucky truck!

Christmas was so much fun this year. We enjoyed a quiet time at home with the boys. Vance was so excited about Christmas this year which made all of us more excited about it. We are truly blessed to have our sweet boys and enjoyed every minute we could spend with them. We played games and ate fun foods and watched great shows all day every day! It was definitely a Christmas to remember. Vance just kept saying all day "This is the best Christmas ever!" After Christmas we had my sister Ella and her family stay with us for a couple days and it was a lot of fun. All the kids had a ball together and Vance can't stop talking about his cousins. I forgot our Camera in Arizona after my Great Grandma's funeral so we only have video of Christmas. It is a little long but hope you enjoy it.

Merry Christmas Family and Friends!

2010-12-25T00:13:00.004-06:00

The Birdno Family 2010

Another year has come and gone with never a dull moment for sure. This year began with many ups and downs as we traveled back and forth from Arizona to see family. We celebrated 6 years of marriage in February. We also bought our first home in March. We are grown-ups now J. We have been blessed to be able to see both of our families this year and look forward to many more exciting trips as a family.

Curtis really enjoys his new job. He loves the people he works with and really enjoys making a difference everyday. Not long after we moved to Falcon he was called into the Elders Quorum Presidency. He doesn’t need to find things to keep himself busy that is for sure but he always finds time to play with the boys.

Crystal was called to teach the Young Women and truly loves her calling. She attended Young Women’s Camp in June and learned so much. She gave birth to Merek David in August on his due date and has been busy taking care of all her boys since.

Vance turned four this year and became a sunbeam. He has developed so much. He loves to play in his back yard, especially in the sand box daddy made. He is an extremely loving and helpful big brother. He loves to play games, build with his blocks, dress up as a super hero, play dinosaurs, and attempt to read and write.

Kael turned one in February and seems so big now. He started walking and talking this year. He also made the leap to big brother as well, which he has taken to very well. He loves to do whatever Vance does and can’t get enough of his brothers. He loves to sing and dance and is often found doing so in around the house.

Merek came into our lives in August and is four months now. Time flies by when you are having fun. He loves to laugh at his brothers. He can almost sit up and loves to play in his excersaucer. His laugh is contagious and can be heard almost all day. He is such a sweet and happy boy.

There is our life this year. We are so thankful to our Father in Heaven for the blessings we have been given and for our Savior Jesus Christ for his example and love. We are grateful for this time of year that we have to serve one another and remember the Saviors birth. We love you all and hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Love

The Birdno Family

Curtis, Crystal, Vance, Kael, and Merek

The current comings and goings of the boys!

2010-11-22T09:17:00.004-06:00

I really wanted to put an update on here while I remember some of the sweet things Vance has said recently.

M: What did you learn in primary today?

V: About the Sacrament.

M: What about it?

V: That we take it to remember the Jesus died for us so we can be a forever family.

M:Oh that is great.

V: Yeah now I know about Jesus, Super heroes, Ninja turtles, and the Sacrament.

M: HEHEHE That is great!

V: Mommy, Perhaps we should get another Ice cream for me!

V: Chill out mommy it is just Kael.

M: Hmmm

V: What are we doing?

M: Getting daddy a drink because he doesn't feel very well.

V: I took a bite of his ice cream so I need my own soda.

M: We'll see

V: Oh mommy I am so Frustrated!

V: Can I have another Portilla? (Tortilla)

Kael is also saying a lot now. He also wants to do everything that Vance does. And I do mean EVERYTHING!

K: All done

K: Pees

K:Das all

K: Les Go

K:D Apple

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-08T15:01:00.015-06:00

I guess it is time to put on pictures from our halloween adventures together before it was Thanksgiving! We had a great time this year. Vance was so excited about it for weeks before it happened which of course made Kael excited, although he wasn't sure why he was excited. Vance wanted to be Superman at first, then a cowboy, then a cowboy with super powers, until he finally decided to be Buzz Lightyear. Kael was a pirate and Merek a little dragon. We first did Boo at the Zoo and enjoyed trick-or-treating around the zoo. Then we carved our pumpkins and finally had out ward trunk-or-treat along with the community center's games. It was all really fun, although we did miss Curtis. He was in Iowa for a classmates wedding. So there you are. Enjoy our pictures.

Hurray for pumpkins
Cute boy
Now that is excitement!
He had to strip down to paint his pumpkin but he had to keep on his cape. Silly guy.
Kael painting.
Cheese!
Bigger cheese!
Cutest cheese!
Vance painting his stem

Kaels' pumpkin

Vances' two-faced pumpkin.
On the porch! Scary monsters.
The "B" pumpkin!
Of course the traditional ASU and IOWA pumpkins.
Our pre-Daddy leaving Halloween pizza. Cute huh!
B00 at the Zoo.
He couldn't wait to get his chin curl
And of course Kael had to have what brother had so here is his Stach!
Sweet Merek bundled up.
Some beautiful fall colors
Animals
Huge python!
He didn't even wait for the wrapper to come off and yes that is a toothbrush, one of 4 actually!
Merek
Vance and the Storm Troopers.
Jack Sparrow and a hesitant looking Buzz
More Star wars.
And of course Darth Vador
Traditional Mummies and Witch fingers.
The night of the Trunk-or-treat.
So precious
Oh those eyes!
And sweet Buzz
Fishing

Bowling

Throwing the bean bag in the ring!
Apparently dropping instead of throwing the ball in the bucket.
Our patient dragon.
Guess where the spider is.
Trunk-or-treat
Our neighbors as Max the bunny and of course...
Harry Potter!
Jack Sparrow and the not so merry Pirate Kael

This last weekend we had the chance to go to the Denver temple and so we went to dinner at IHOP. Some fun pictures at dinner.
Daddy and Vance
Kael
Mommy and Merek, in cognito!
Merek and Daddy
Vance with his drumsticks
And of course sweet Kael and his "CHEESE"!

I also need to put down Mereks' stats so I won't forget them:

Wt: 11 lbs 8oz

Ht: 24 inches

Smiling

Laughing

Grabbing at things

Recognizes all our faces

Trying to sit up, silly guy

Sleeps through the night, OH YEAH BABY!

Cooing and jabbering all time.

Loves his tummy time

Time flown by

2010-10-23T09:44:00.002-05:00

We have been a little busy around here so I am sorry that it has taken so long to post these pictures. I figured I should do it before Halloween so I wasn't even more behind. We have been enjoying each others company mostly so these are just some fun pictures of our time together. We did take a trip to an apple orchard and when Aunt Amie was here we went to the Olympic Training Center. That was really fun. We loved having her here to visit. Thanks Aunt Amie! Anyway enjoy our fun pictures.

Joke time

2010-10-08T19:50:00.002-05:00

So Vance really likes to tell jokes and gets on this kick of non-stop Knock-Knock jokes. To try and stop him from his Knock-Knock jokes I threw in this one and this is his response:

M: Vance, why did the chicken cross the road?

V: When there weren't any cars.

M: No not when did the chicken cross the road but why did it cross the road.

V: Because it's a nicken.

M: What?

V: It's a nicken that's why.

What an answer. He came up with it all on his own. Silly guy!

Our Boys

2010-09-23T23:22:00.001-05:00

Here is a sweet picture of our boys for all to enjoy. Aunt Amie took this for us while she was here. Thanks Amie! I had to post it for all to see.

Baby Blessing, Family, and more!

2010-09-12T21:13:00.009-05:00

We have had a busy couple of weeks and I know many have been anticipating pictures so here you are. We had several events over the last weekend. I had a birthday! I am so glad that I got to spend it with my parents. It was so fun. And that was the kick off to the weekend. It was Merek's baby blessing and it was wonderful.

We had my mom with us for 3 weeks and we are so grateful to her for all her help. She is amazing. THANK YOU MIMI!!

Merek looks so happy in his Mimi's arms.
Curtis took the boys to a Minor League ball game and they had a blast.
Big bright eyes.
OOOH look at my hand!
Silly big brother.
We made "Birds nests" for the new neighbors and had a ball doing it.

Over the blessing weekend we had a lot of family here and Holly and Hans surprised us and came as well. We decided to go and have a picnic at this great park we found in Manitou Springs and when we got there they had a little arts festival. It was fun to walk around with the kids.

Merek protecting his eyes from the sun.
The giant bubbles for the kids to play with.
Did I say the kids? Okay everyone had fun with the bubbles.

Grandma and Grandpa enjoying a little Merek time.
Sweet boy.
Vance waiting to get his face painted.
Tough guy face.
All done. Pretty scary huh?
Merek's big day! The whole family. What good looking boys.
Sweet baby.
Oh big brothers kisses are the best.
He sure loves his little guy.
The star of the day.
Mimi and Papa with us.
Grandma and Grandpa with us.
My whole family that came.
Sweet Kelsie and Zach!
Oh what a face. I love this kid.
Sleeping boy
Look at how long he is. He is just growing so fast.
What?
Look at how alert he is.

Week One in review

2010-08-22T18:18:00.008-05:00

So we have had our sweet Merek for almost a whole week now and it has been wonderful. The boys just love their little brother and can't give him enough kisses. This little guy is pretty resilient because Kael doesn't always control the speed at which he comes down to kiss and he has knocked heads more than once. But overall they are very sweet and as gentle as possible. Vance tells me all day "Ah isn't he cute!" He also keeps saying "Can we keep him forever?" So sweet. We love our awake time and seeing his sweet little eyes. Daddy is sad to go back to work tomorrow but it was great having him here with us this week. Mimi is here and is amazing. We are so thankful to have her here. Thank you Papa! Enjoy our pictures.
Sweet moments.
Vance loves holding his Merek.
Kael being cute.
Eyes!
Monkey toes!
All that dark hair.
Cute boy
Getting dressed to go home.
Not too happy about clothes.
Toes!
My going home outfit.
Look at how little I look in my car seat!
Sweet brothers welcome us home.
They love him.
Karate chop action!
Sleeping
My first smile!

Hello world
Cheese.
Cute Merek

Daddy and Merek
On their way to church today they boys both brought something for brother to keep while they were gone. Vance gave him his bears and Kael gave him his blanket. So sweet!
I didn't get a picture last week so this is Kael's second week in Nursery. But boy is he handsome. Vance was so good and helpful.
Silly Kael wouldn't look up long enough to get his face.
Brother with his gifts.

So since this is kind of like my journal I am going to go ahead and post the birth story. I know not all are interested so you can leave now if you don't want to know but for those that do here you go. At 1:30 am on Monday my water broke and we got ready to go to the hospital. We dropped the boys off at a friends (Thank you Julianna) and arrived at the hospital at about 2 am. They checked me and I was about a 4 1/2 and so the night began. My contractions didn't really start until about 2:30 am and continued through the night. By about 6:30 I hadn't progressed past the 4 1/2 so we decided to get the epidural before they started the pit. I got the epidural at around 7 and was immediately at a 6 so that meant they didn't have to give me the pit after all. In about 20 min I was at a 10 and ready to push. We pushed for quite a while and they the doctor came in for the final pushing and he arrived at 8:24 am. I was so lucky to have a relatively short (for me anyway) labor. He is perfect and we are enjoying every moment.

Merek David Birdno

2010-08-16T17:30:00.006-05:00

Merek has decided that his due date was the perfect time to come. He was 8lb 5 oz and 21 inches long. He loves to stretch out and show us why he hurt Cryssy. Here are some photos.

Happy Birthday Vance!

2010-08-12T15:59:00.016-05:00

Our little Vance turned four yesterday and I am completely in shock. He is growing up so fast and we are so proud of the little guy he is turning out to be. He is so smart and keeps us on our toes all the time. He is excited to go to school next year and he wishes that he could go this year. He loves playing ball, playing outside, singing (obviously), playing games, coloring, cooking, going to the library, telling stories, reading stories, playing with Kael and Daddy, pretending, and many many more things. He is full of energy and has a little bit of an attitude but keeps it under control most of the time. He love life and doing everything he can to enjoy it. He really is the sweetest boy and loves to give hugs and kisses which I will gladly take for as long as he will give them to us. We enjoy everyday with our sweet Vance and hope he had a wonderful Birthday. We love you Vance!

He is so excited to be at Chuck-E-Cheese he can't take his eyes of the fun games.
Kael is pretty happy too.
Grandpa and Grandma playing Skeeball with Kael
Vance playing a fun game.
Daddy and Vance on a roller-coaster ride.
Vance ditched dad and went on his own roller-coaster.
Lunch at the place of Vance's choosing... CICI's. He loves this place because they have Mac-n-cheese pizza.
Kael loved it too if you can't tell.
The boys found a puddle outside to splash in.
Vance's rocket pinata that Mommy and Daddy made for him. Thanks for the help Grandpa and Grandma.
Vance's birthday cake. He wanted a Buzz cake and this is what I came up with this year. My creative juices are a little tapped out at the moment but he loved it and that is all that matters right?
His Buzz candle.
Hitting the pinata.
Or trying to anyway.

Grandpa's turn.

Good one.
Kael was so excited and did pretty good hitting it.
We had to let Daddy have a turn because it just wasn't breaking after quite a while of whacking.
Hurray candy!
Look at my sucker!

Vance opening his presents from Grandma and Grandpa.
A cool I spy game
And....
Nerf guns!!
They had a ball with those things.

Kael enjoying some cake.
Vance wanted to eat his cake like a puppy so there you go.
Oh silly boy.
Daddy and Grandma
Grandpa
Vance enjoying his Birthday breakfast of his choice: hashbrowns and eggs.
Opening his presents from Mom and Dad.
A blue Lightning Mcqueen.
A night!
BUZZ!
Kael looking on with somewhat less than a happy face.
And the big one....
A castle
Oh so cool!
I love it!
Kael enjoying the flags.
Lunch at Chili's
Oh yum!
Showing me his little lance
Kael would only smile for Daddy.

This is a video of his reaction to the pinata. He is so funny.

Vance

2010-08-09T10:01:00.003-05:00

My 4 year old just told me all about calories. He said "Mom did you know calories are little balls in our food and that they are burning all the time in our bodies? They give us energy!" He is so smart and pays attention to everything. I have no idea where he learned that. Here is a video of a song he made up for us. So cute!

What have we been up to?

2010-08-03T17:33:00.003-05:00

So we were lucky enough to have Mike and Janette come into town and they wanted to help us paint our house so we did. It was a task and yes I am 38 weeks pregnant but I was very careful.

Here is the before....

And here is the after. What do you think? I love it. Thank you so much mom and dad!

A close up of the porch. It looks really good but man it was a pain to paint that thing.
Kael decided to help us pain by stepping in the paint and getting it all over himself. He had a ball.
Vance was really helpful too but you can't see his paint as much because it is a little blurry.
We had some delicious steak one night and here is Vance gnawing on the bone. He loved it.
Grandpa in a silly hat.
Kael decided he wanted to start saying "Cheese" so here is the picture.

And finally this is my 38 week picture. There you go.

The whole month of June and some before and after!

2010-07-06T10:24:00.013-05:00

I have to apologize for how long it took to update our blog. We have been all over the place the last month and I have been sick for the last couple weeks so I wasn't feeling up to doing much. Anyway, it is here now and that is what is important right? So we start this post with pictures from our Memorial Day camping trip. We had a blast camping with our friends the Valdez family and the Swanson family. The boys thoroughly enjoyed getting super dirty and running free in around the forest. Curtis got to shoot some fun guns and obviously has the mark to show for it. It was a great trip. Then Grandma Birdno came into town to watch the boys while I went off to Young Women's camp. They had a ball with her while I was away. Curtis thought I had the camera so there are no pictures of their week together but it was eventful. I had a blast at camp and was so excited to see my boys at the end of the week. They picked me up at camp and we headed straight for Arizona and the Birdno family reunion. That is what I am calling it anyway. We hadn't seen Curtis' sister Michelle and her family for 3 and 1/2 years so it was a reunion to me. I was sick that week so I really didn't get many pictures so I am sorry about that but we did get family pictures while we were there. The boys played outside all day with their cousins and we played pitch, I made jewelry, Curtis made some pens, we went on several outings, and overall just enjoyed being together as a family. Thanks Mom and Dad for everything it was great. This weekend was the 4th and we went to the Falcon Freedom Days for a bit and Vance learned how to stack cups. It was really hot so we didn't stay long but we did enjoy some fun family fireworks on Saturday and a BBQ with friends on Sunday. It has been a very busy month and hopefully we can keep up to date a little better before the baby comes in 6 weeks or less. Crazy! Anyway enjoy our pictures.

Kael enjoying some yummies.
Dirty face...good, licorice...good, camping...good!
Vance cheesing it up for the camera.
Curtis watching the other guys shoot.
Kael feeling like a big boy.
Sugar coma? Maybe. YUM!
Curtis' turn shooting. I literally took this picture, looked away at the boys and turned around to see Curtis coming toward me with his hand over his head and this....
What thing to do our first day camping.
All cleaned up.
My patch job.
Kael looking at Daddy's owie.
Kael in Daddy's hat.
So cute.
Vance reading Kael a book.
So sweet
Excited to see Grandma at the airport.
What a look.
Finally a sweet smile.
Grandma is here.
Loves and hugs.
Lunch at Olive Garden, Vance was going at it with both hands.
Good stuff.
Playing on the fountain at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Oh so fun to be wet.
Splish splash rocks!
Grandma turing a pen.
Our family picture
All the grandkids, minus Breanna.

The whole clan together! Aren't we adorable!
Playing in the bounce house, thanks Bryce and Marci.
Aunt Amie making sure Kael is safe with the big kids.
Sweet big brother helping Kael.
Fun fun!
The little ones loving jumping.
Vance takes a turn.
Aunt Cami taking some pictures.
Lynneah looking unsure.
Landon and Mikayla helping Lynneah jump.
Kael wanting to give Vance a hug.
Oh sweet loves.
Cute boys.
Kael doing his shrug. It is so funny to see him do it over and over. His little chubs rolling over his no-neck. So sweet.
How can you not just melt at this face.
So silly.
Vance doing his best shrug.
Tough face dad. You can see the scar is healing nicely.
Oh I love this boy.
Crackalakin!
The boys enjoying the sand box daddy built them.
So fun.
They really play well together.
Hi Kael!
Vance learning to stack cups.
Pretty good.
I am the master!

Vance

2010-06-10T11:55:00.003-05:00

So he says some of the funniest things and I just had to put this on here before I forget. Yesterday morning was a little chilly and Vance came in early, with a dry pull-up I might add, as usual. So he went to go potty and I went to quietly get him his underwear in the room and gave them too him to put on. I said "I am cold and want to go and lay down in my blankets to warm up" and Vance turns to me and puts both hands lovingly on my cheeks and says "Oh it's okay sweetie it isn't that cold." I don't know about you but having my almost four year old be so affectionate and calling me sweetie was enough to melt my heart. WHAT AN ANGEL!!

All the great things in life

2010-05-27T09:27:00.016-05:00

So I know I am a total slacker but here I am now updating our blog. Hang in there because there have been many adventures. Our yard was a little out of control when we bought our house so we have been working hard to tame it and make it presentable. Every weekend that we have had good weather we have been our slaving away and the reward is amazing. It feels great working toward making our house look beautiful. We love it. We recently took a family trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and just had a ball. It is an amazing zoo that is nestled up right in the mountain. The views are amazing and it was a great work out because it is almost all going up the hill. So fun. As many of you know Vance was in soccer this spring and just had a ball. He finished up his season last weekend and they got a medal. He is so proud of his medal and is excited to hang it up in his room. Kael loved to get down on the field and kick the ball around. I wish I would have gotten some video of it because he was really good. Coach Leu was impressed with his skills as were we. But he really enjoyed watching all the kids running back and forth kicking the ball. Vance enjoyed kicking goals but he really like being the goalie. He was really good at it too. I think he only let in two goals the whole season. He is a doll and we really enjoyed watching him play. He is already excited about the next sport he gets to play. The boys are growing so fast and are just so fun all the time. Kael thinks he is a big boy and loves to get in and play with Vance and his big friends whenever they will let him. He will talk when it suits him and that is how it goes with him. He adores his daddy and wants to run to him everyday when he gets home from work. Vance loves his little brother and is excited for the new baby to come. Vance has been coming up with some of the funniest things lately. He is hilarious. Here are some of the most recent sayings:

M: Vance you are crazy!

V: Mommy that is a fact.

V: Mommy I have a name for the baby.

M: Oh what?

V: Simon, like on the chipmunks. I am Alvin, Kael is Theodore, and the baby can be Simon.

One day we were driving to church and we are listening to our Josh Groban cd and I hear "You're still you, after all, you're still you." he was singing along with the song.

Then last week we were listening again because it keeps the boys calm in the car and an italian song comes on and Vance starts singing along in italian! It wasn't super clear but he was trying and it was great!

For those of you that know me and my family you know that we are music and musical junkies. We enjoy a good movie with good music and one of those movies is "That Thing You Do." Well one day Curtis and I were talking in the van and we hear in the back seat from Vance "A man in a really nice camper wants to put our song on the radio!" Now remember Vance has never seen this movie but that is just one of the most classic lines from the movie and apparently we have been saying it and he picked it up and said it. What a crack up.

Some good friend of ours Kristen and Mckay invited us to join them in an FHE activity at the local traveling carnival. Vance was so excited about the rides but not so much for the play zones they had there. There is a picture below of him climbing up a chain bridge but before he went across he looked up very seriously at Kristen and said "Are you sure this is safe?" He was worried about his safety on there but would ride any ride there with no hesitation. What a punk.

V: Mommy you are a neat lady.

M: Thank you sweet boy.

There are many more I am sure but I am drawing a blank of course so if I remember then I will post them. Here is the real reason you check out our blog PICTURES! Enjoy.

Here I am at 27 weeks, CRAZY! Baby boy is doing great.
So this is a shot of our flower bed before we started working on it. Not such a great photo but it is what we have.

This was the tree that was out of control in the front yard so it was where the big brown spot in the next pictures is.

Our new flower bed

View without the tree there.

Another view of where the tree was and the flower beds.
Ready to go to the zoo.
The giraffes were so close.
Looking cool.
The Lions
A monkey of some sort
A moose. I don't think I had seen one before. Vance said he was a baby because his antlers were so small
A porcupine in a tree. It was so funny to see it in the tree.
The mountain lion
So you see the great big bears in the back of the picture and what do you think Vance was looking at? The fish in the water. WHAT!
Kael was such a trooper. No nap but enjoyed himself all the same.
A bald eagle
Some places you have to either climb the stairs or take an elevator to go to the next animal so here we are in the elevator because of the wagon.
Kael getting a drink.
MMMM!
One of the views we had.
Spring is finally here.
I don't know if you can tell but there is a cheetah in there.
Kale eating his ham. It looks like he has one of those lip holes. SO CUTE.
Vance and his look.
A walabee
One of the peacocks that are wandering around the zoo. It was up in a pine tree for about 20 minutes calling around. It makes a really funny sound. I didn't know peacocks could fly so it was funny to see it in the tree.
Some sort of cool castle that is up above the zoo on the mountain.

A view of one of the trails you can see that we really are on the side of the mountain.
Vance left the zoo with only one animal on his mind. The Hippos. He said they were his best friends. So silly.
He made fun of me because it didn't go and see the hippos because their home smelled like stinky fish and I just couldn't handle it.
After we left this is what happened. The zoo was great and the boys were worn out afterwards.
Vances soccer picture.
SO cute.
Kicking the ball.

Kael watching brother go for the goal
GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!!!!
His goalie stance.
Watching that ball really closely.

We had several games on days when it was freezing outside but we bundled up and enjoyed it just the same.

Vance and his team talking to Coach Leu.
During the game sometimes he would get distracted and just stand and watch what was happening.
Getting his medal
SEE!
Making out with all kinds of lute!
Sharing a drink with his brother. So sweet.
I am a big boy too.
Mmmmmm refreshing.
On the Carousel. Kael is not so sure about it once it starts to move.
Vance and his buddies Christian and Lincoln on the train.
The play zone that he wasn't too sure about.
Climbing the rope ladder.
The dreaded bridge that he made sure was safe.
The slide at the end.
He really enjoyed the boats and ringing the bell.
Mckay, Lincoln, and Christian on a big boat ride.
Vance enjoying himself on the big boat.

Coming out of the Monkey house and not really liking the tumbler. Daring in some things and not in others.

Our crazy life

2010-04-20T09:29:00.006-05:00

We have been busy around here but I thought I would just make a quick post with some cute pictures for you all to enjoy. Vance started soccer last week and he loves it. Kael is of course walking now and just enjoying life. We have been working hard to get our yard under control before spring hits too hard and that has involved a lot of cutting and trimming. So enjoy these pictures of our cute boys.

Vance smiling at the camera?
Dinner with Curtis' Uncle Lynn and Aunt Heather when they came down here to visit their cousins in Greeley. It was so much fun thanks you guys!
Vance is so happy to have his "Cool" glasses on when we went on a picnic.
Kael enjoying the sunny day.
Us on a picnic at the park. It was a little windy.
Kael enjoying his food.
And this face is just classic! Love it.
Curtis and Vance cutting down the dead tree in the front yard. Vance is showing us his guns.
Being really helpful.
And all the tree scattered about the yard. But now we have some firewood for an emergency, even though it isn't much it is there.
Vance in his soccer stuff.
Showing us the "Thumbs up" he was so excited.
Gearing up to save the goal.
Running and having fun.
Learning to Dribble the ball.

PS. His coach reminds me of my dad in so many ways. It cracks me up everytime I talk to him. LOVE YOU DAD!

Here is a video of Kael walking so everyone can enjoy. He is all over the place now and just loving it.

This is a video of Vance at Soccer practice. Enjoy!

What is it?

2010-04-08T21:37:00.003-05:00

So I am sure you have all been dying to know what we are having and today we finally found out. After 21 weeks of waiting and praying we found out today that we are having a boy! That is right boy numero tres! I can't believe we are going to have three sons! Crazy the way life goes. So for all of you out there that were hoping for a girl sorry but not this one. We are really excited for this little one to come. Although Vance is a little heartbroken that he won't get a baby sister but he will be happy when he has another little buddy to play with. All is going well. The baby and I are both strong and healthy. Moving right along! Our due date is August 16th, yikes for a summer baby! Anyway that is our good news.

On a side note, however just as important as the above, Kael starting walking yesterday. I mean really walking. He has been kind of debating whether or not to let us see him for several weeks now and yesterday he just went. A video will soon follow this post but I thought I would post it anyway so I wouldn't forget this momentous occasion. Love you all!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T16:21:00.009-05:00

Our family enjoyed a very fun Easter this year. On Friday our Community Center had an Aquatic Easter Egg Hunt and we signed Vance up to go and participate. He was so excited to swim for one thing but got even more excited when he got to see the "Brother" and "Sister" Easter Bunnies, according to him. We had a fun time gathering eggs in the pool. Mom was trying to keep us all afloat because Daddy had to stay a little later at the clinic so he was very sad he missed Vance getting the eggs but he say us get to play in the pool afterward. We decided to have our Easter on Saturday to try and make Sunday all about the Savior and so we asked special permission from the Easter Bunny to have our baskets brought then and he graciously agreed. Vance came down from his quiet time and immediately saw his basket hidden behind the couch. He was so excited about his shovel because now he can help mommy and daddy in the back yard. He also got sunglasses, a kite, a rubber duck, and a new shirt to match brother. Of course there was candy and he loved that too. Kael slept for a long time and didn't see his basket until after dinner, hence the diaper attire. He also got a kite, rubber duck, sunglasses, a new shirt and he got bubbles as well. Vance and Daddy had a fun Easter Egg hunt in the front yard while Mommy stayed inside with the sleeping boy. Vance insisted on hiding some eggs and having Curtis find them. He thought it was great. We enjoyed a nice dinner of Biscuits and Gravy, Curtis' favorite. The boys loved it! Sunday was a wonderful day. We dressed in our Easter Sunday colors and went to the Church house to watch Conference with some members of the ward. The boys did great and it was a different experience watching it in the chapel in your sunday clothes. What a wonderful Conference we had. Vance was excited that he knew a few of the songs the choir sang this weekend. Anyway, we hope you all had as wonderful a weekend as we did. We love and miss you all! Enjoy our pictures.

Vance and the Easter Bunnies!
Mom red faced from trying to keep an egg hunting Vance from going under while holding a bag and Kael.
Dying Easter Eggs
So many fun colors.
Vance in his undies dying eggs, I just didn't want to try and clean dye out of his clothes.
Daddy's egg Creation!
Vance's egg dipped in all the colors.
Daddy eating mommy's girly egg.
Kael eating a hanger!
Vance running right to his basket.
Look an egg!
My pink rubber duck, the duck had to be pink, the bucket had to be pink, and the grass had to be pink. What can I say the boy likes pink!
OOO there is something chocolate in that egg.
OOO is is a marshmallow YUM!

The video of Kael and his basket and the spoils of the day.

Vance and his new cool shades!
Daddy searching for his eggs.
Vance on his hunt.
Look at all these!
Yes!
Dinner yum!
Look at my food and my huge fork!
What a face!
OH MOM!
Our family Easter picture.

My handsome boys!

An update

2010-03-26T15:12:00.002-05:00

I thought I would just put a little update on here for all our avid readers. We are settled well in our new home and the boys love being here and having a yard to play in (when it isn't snowing or cold). Curtis is enjoying his job and really doing well. Crystal just got a new calling in the Young Woman as Mia Maid Advisor and is really excited for this new opportunity. She is feeling great and can't wait to find out what we are having. Vance is just growing so quickly and is loving using his imagination. His new favorite thing right now is Ninja Turtles. He loves pretending to be the "BLUE" one by sticking two swords down the back of his shirt and pulling them out randomly to save my life. He is still just a great big brother to Kael and is really excited when Kael takes the occasional few steps here and there. He loves spending time with Daddy out in the yard trying to tame our trees and other various shrubbery back there. He even has his own gardening gloves. He loves it. Kael is so funny. All you have to do is smile at the kid and he starts laughing and his laugh is so funny. He is getting to the point where he will refuse to eat if I don't give him a spoon also even though it stays in one hand and the other hand puts food in his mouth but he loves it all the same. He is getting really close to walking now. He takes several steps now before he falls down. He now just stands up and starts trying to walk instead of just crawling every where first. He is doing better with words and can say "Pees" please, "an oo" Thank you, "beh" Bread, "Mommy", "Daddy", "Broder", and "ees" Cheese. There are others as well but they are not as consistant as these are. So there you have it folks that is what is going on here. We are loving our home and our sweet boys and just plain enjoying life. Oh and here are some things that Vance comes up with for your enjoyment:

-"Mommy this is the best food you ever made. Thank you so much!"
-"Oh hello my little stinky boy!" He says this to Kael in the morning since Kael is often stinky when he wakes up.
-He will say something that I am not sure what it is and I ask him what does that mean and he says everytime "It means in Spanish Arquo!" What! Who knows.
-"Mommy did I take a nap?" He says this every morning when he wakes up. No it is just bed time not nap time silly!
-"Mommy where is daddy?" "He is at work" Face fallen he says "Oh no but I love him and miss him so much!"
-"Ok here is the deal, first we are going to have Family Home Evening and we will have two songs, two prayers, Mommy talks, then we will play the fishing game and have a snack. Sounds like a deal?" He says this every night. We have tried to explain FHE is only on Monday but he wants to do it every night. He is so funny
-"Sounds like a deal?" This is what he says when he has a plan for me
-Any time he sees a little kid anywhere we are he says"Oh look mommy there is my friend can we play?" He loves being around other kids whether older or younger he is completely content.
-Looking at the ants in the back yard "Oh look mommy these are my beetle ant friends can they come in?" Um no please.
-"Mommy I love you!" And he gives me a great big hug with his eyes closed tight. My sweet boy
-"Hey you little Bunk kink!" this is what he says to Kael and we don't have a clue where he got this from.

Our New HOME!!!

2010-03-07T08:43:00.002-06:00

Well we did it. We made the big step and bought a house! Crazy stuff for sure. We love our house and we are so excited to start this new chapter in our lives. We are in the outskirts of Colorado Springs which is really nice. We are enjoying the improvements that we are making and plan on making in the future. Enjoy these pictures of our home.

Six years

2010-02-19T09:08:00.004-06:00

Last week Curtis and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. I didn't write then because we had a really busy weekend what with the anniversary, valentines day, and Kaels birthday. I thought I should write about Kael first and now I can write about our special day. Six years ago we were sealed for time and all eternity in the Snowflake Arizona temple. We were so blessed to have so many friends and family there to share our special day with us. I remember how amazing that day was. I couldn't imagine at the time how much our lives would change in six years. Two children and one on the way, two degrees, and three states later we are finally settled down and enjoying life. Not that we didn't enjoy the last six years but now we feel a little more secure in life. Our families have been so supportive through all the changes in our lives and we are so grateful to them and to our Heavenly Father for all he has blessed us with. Our sweet boys are the greatest blessings we have received and couldn't have asked for anything more. They keep us smiling and laughing all the time. We are very excited to welcome this new little one into our family in August. I love my Curtis so much and I am so grateful that he chose me to spend the rest of eternity with him and our family. He is really the best man I have ever known. He is so hard working and dedicated to us. I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father. I love you sweetheart. Thank you so much for the last six years and I look forward to the rest of forever with you.

Happy Birthday to my Kael!!!

2010-02-15T22:24:00.005-06:00

To my sweet Kael on your birthday:
One year ago today you came into the world. You came a little earlier than expected but I have come to find that all the things you do in your life are on your time and no one else's. You were so small and sweet but those eyes captured my heart and held it. You had such strength from the beginning and it has continued to grow everyday. I couldn't wait to bring you home and get to know you more. From day one your brother has adored you and now we can see how much you adore him. You would follow him anywhere. You love dancing and playing with Vance, especially when you play cars. He can always make you smile and would carry you anywhere we would let him. You crawl and climb wherever you can and I am sure you will walk when you are ready. Your eyes can make anyone smile and you smile can make me cry. I love all the cuddles you give me and appreciate all the slobbery kisses. You are growing so fast and will soon by walking away and creating your independence. But for now I will hold you when I can and love you always. I love you my sweet little Kael. Happy Birthday!
Love Mommy

Things I can do:
I can crawl
I can walk along the furniture, or anything for that matter
I can stand alone when I think no one is looking
I can say Dadda, Momma, Broder, thank you, and love you, again on my own terms
I can eat just about anything, and do
I can keep up with my brother in just about anything he does
I can stack things
I can climb the stairs
I can climb in the bath tub
I love cars
I love my brother
I love my family

Oh and I am going to be a big brother!

One More Thing!

2010-01-28T21:42:00.002-06:00

I just got this picture of our family from Christmas. Enjoy!

Short but sweet

2010-01-28T20:36:00.004-06:00

Sorry it has been so long since we have posted but there has been a lot going on here. I just thought I would post a little bit about what we are up to. Vance is loving playing with his toys again now that we are finally home for a while, hopefully. He is excited about getting settled and making new friends. He is full of surprises and loves to play with his brother and carry him around. So fun. Kael is still refusing to try walking which is ok with me he is growing up too fast as it is. He loves to eat and chat. He can say Mama, dadda, broder, and cacka (cracker) but he won't say it for everyone. He will follow Vance around the house all day. Those boys are going to be thick as thieves someday really soon. Curtis is hard at work just moving right along. He is now seeing around 21 patients a day and his goal is 25 so he is pretty close. He is walking everyday, even in the snow and cold, such a trooper. What a great guy he is. I am just enjoying being with all my boys. They are so good to me and I love them so much. I finally got all our Christmas decorations down and am trying to prepare for the next couple weeks which will be pretty busy around here. My Grandpa Bryant passed away a few weeks ago and so we were able to go back to Az for a couple days and spend some time with my family once again. I am so glad that I was able to spend some time with Grandpa in the last year and that he met my boys. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and the knowledge we have of the life that comes after this one. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing family. Anyway, enjoy just a few pictures until I can get our internet working better.

Happy Birthday to my Sweetheart

2010-01-05T15:16:00.002-06:00

Well today is my amazing husbands birthday. The boys and I are in Arizona and so we don't get to spend today with Curtis but we want everyone to know how much we love him and miss him. He sacrificed us for a week so I didn't have to travel to and from Colorado Springs by myself twice. I just thought I would take a few to list some of the things that I love about my Baby!

1. He is totally a babe!
2. He is the most hardworking man I know.
3. He is the sweetest Dad in the whole world.
4. He loves helping people, which is perfect for what he does.
5. He is so funny.
6. He is always supportive of you no matter what.
7. He takes the time to listen even if he is really busy.
8. He will sacrifice whatever he needs to in order to help you out.
9. He is always trying his best to help whenever he can.
10. HE TOTALLY ROCKS!!!

So in a nutshell he is the best in the whole world!! I love my Curtis and I am so thankful that he chose me to share the rest of eternity with him and that he has blessed my life with two amazing boys. So here is a shout out to my favorite man in the world. I love you baby! Happy Birthday from all of us to you. See you in two days.

Here is a quick one

2009-12-16T16:27:00.004-06:00

Here are just a few pictures of what we have been up to here in the Springs.

Kael after enjoying a meal of noodles and spaghetti sauce. Always fun.
Gotta love that little smile. What an angel.
Vance decorated our tree this year. He has always been one to group like things together so why should the tree be any different.
Man this kid "Cracks" me up! Oh I am so cheesy. But this is how he wanted to decorate the tree.
Our furniture in our front room.
The other side with our nativity.
Vance in the bath with his glow sticks.
Kael playing in the bathroom with daddy after his bath while Vance is finishing up.
Kael can climb all the way into the tub so we have to keep an eye on him all the time.
We passed the Wiener Mobil on our move up to Colorado. I had to take a picture. SO funny.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T16:59:00.002-06:00

It has been a crazy couple of weeks since we last posted on here but we are now in Colorado Springs and absolutely love it. We are so glad to have had Curtis to help set things up before he had to start work and I don't know what the boys will do when Daddy is not around. We have been truly blessed to have him at home with us for a few months. We will never have a time like this again and we are cherishing them let me tell you. We did spend Thanksgiving here on our own and just enjoyed the view of the mountains and the time at home. Our sweet boys are our two greatest blessings and are so grateful to have them and their sweet spirits in our home. Vance was so excited to come to Colorado and has been such a helps since being here. He is growing so fast and learning so much. He loves his little brother and plays with him so well. Kael is also growing quickly. He is now 9 months old and just got his first tooth on the day before Thanksgiving. He will follow Vance around the house all day. He loves to laugh at the things that he does. What sweet boys we have. Our internet goes in and out so I will have to try another day to put pictures on here. I will hopefully be able to post them soon.

2009-11-04T00:46:00.002-06:00

Halloween, first snowfall

2009-11-03T21:20:00.008-06:00

Our Superman!
Kael was all about the candy this year. What a goof.
Vance before the Trunk-or-Treat. He was thrilled to be a part of Halloween.
Our special Halloween lunch Monster fingers and Mummy dogs!
Superman getting ready to save the world.

"Daddy throw me so I can fly!"
Yeah!
Special Halloween breakfast: doughnuts!
Vance visited Grandma at school for the Halloween parade and was the star
Vance in his original Halloween costume "Cowboy Vance." He got to dress up for Pre-School and just had a ball.
My pumpkin this year. I just had to it was so funny.
Not too bad
The first snow of the year and our first snowman. Don't mock the size I had no gloves so that was the biggest it could get.
Vance trying to roll a snow man.
Vance snow angels
Ready to go!
A picture of the snow falling.
Vance painting his pumpkin, talk about precautions.
One color at a time
Doing so well
Kael enjoying watching his brother
Cute boys.
Vance painting a reindeer and he chose the colors and the way to paint it. I was impressed. It looks really good.
Putting his face on his pumpkin.
What to choose.
The final product. The one to the left is Kaels and the right is Vances. It has two faces.
Number one

Number two.
Just a cute picture of Kael

Colorado

2009-11-03T21:07:00.002-06:00

Here it is ladies and gentlemen the clinic! Isn't is awesome! We are so excited about this new step in our lives and we took a few pictures of the "Park" that Curtis will be working at so that our families could see the beautiful environment we will be moving too.

The clinic itself
The creek or stream
The view of the mountains
Looking across the park
Another great view.

A quick update

2009-10-26T09:27:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick update for all our faithful blog readers out there WE GOT A JOB! That is right it finally happened. The Birdno family will be setting down roots in the beautiful city of Colorado Springs! We are very excited for this new step in our lives. We have been so blessed to be able to stay with various family members during our time in job limbo and we are so thankful to both our parents and my sister for letting us impose on them for a while. The boys are growing so fast. Kael is starting to crawl even though he can get anywhere he needs to by army crawling. He is getting his first two teeth at the same time, I know it is just as fun as it sounds. Vance has been enjoying Pre-school here in Show Low and is anxiously awaiting Halloween this year. He is having a blast here and will miss it I am sure. He loves going into see Grandma at school and visit her class. He thinks he is just as big as those 3rd graders. I will post some pictures very soon I promise but for now that is our good news.

The Many Adventures of the Birdno Clan!!

2009-09-13T19:37:00.018-05:00

So we have been on quite a few adventures since we last posted on here. After we left my parents house in Kentucky we stopped in Oklahoma for a week and spent some time with my three sisters and their families. Vance had a blast running around and playing with all of his cousins and Kael was just refining his sitting up and eating skills. While we were there I celebrated my 27th birthday, wow old lady! It was really fun to be there with my family and here are some of the pictures we took.

Vance, Kelsie, and Olivia sharing some apples and laughs.
Vance showing his butterfly net skills.

Curtis pondering the many mysteries in life.
Kael trying out his sea legs. He loves to stand up.
I don't know what this was about.
Isaac showing us how many pretzels he can fit in his mouth at once.
Vance looking at his little cousin Zac after our picnic lunch.
Playing at the park
Sweet little Zac.
Kael chillin.
On our way home from the park Kael fell asleep in the car and this is what he looked like. So sweet holding on to the turtle. Sweet boy.
Vance and his pirate shirt.
Kael enjoying his rice cereal and apple sauce.
The kids eating their dinner outside because it was beautiful.
Kael and his cereal face.
Kael helping daddy apply for jobs.
Oh this is hard work.
My sweet boys!
Vance riding a tricycle for the first time.
Kelsie, Alyse, Vance, and Olivia swinging in the hammock. They were all four born within eleven months of each other.
Vance on the swing set.
Ella and Sam enjoying some hammock time.
Handsome boys.
What an angel.
Vance and Alyse playing Botchy Ball.
Aunt Lethi holding Kael at the library. He looks so relaxed.
Aunt Holly putting on a puppet show with a little help.
Me and Kael at the library.
Aunt Lethi and sweet Ariana.
Zachary relaxing while his mommy was entertaining the kiddos.
Kael enjoying the show.
Aunt Holly flying on the magic dragons with the kids.
Alyse, Vance, and Kelsie put on a puppet show for us.

Vance, Emarie, Kael, and I spent some time at a park while Ella took Isaac to a dr's appointment and Vance and Emi found every butterfly in Norman I think. They had a ball chasing those butterfly's all over the park.

Kael was so patient and just relaxed in his seat because it was too windy for him to be out.

While Isaac went to Scout's we had a little picnic on the lawn of the church. Kael just loved being out on the ground.
He even tried to grab his own snacks to feed himself.
How about a drink? He grabbed Vance's cup and tried to help himself.

Cheesy boy.
We picked Curtis up from the airport after his interview in Colorado Springs and went to this mexican restaurant for my birthday. Vance enjoying a lemon like he always does.

Kael just enjoying the view.
My handsome man.
Me
Party time!
Homemade lasagna and french bread, now that is what I call a party. Thank you so much Ella for making this amazing dinner for me.
Vance enjoying the great outdoors.
My delicious gourmet mint brownies for my "Birthday cake" that Alethia made me. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!
Yay for movies!
Ella practicing her pyrotechnics with this fork.
DANCING TIME!

On Friday morning we headed for Arizona to see Curtis' family. The boys did so good the whole way there. I couldn't believe how good they were. We arrived just in time for the Sweet Corn Festival and Rodeo in Taylor. Vance found his new favorite thing COWBOYS! It is all he talks about. Grandma just had to get him his own boots and what good is a Cowboy if he doesn't have a hat so that had to come along too. After he got his boots and hat we said "Are you our little Cowboy?" and he firmly told us "No that is Kael, I'm a big Cowboy!" Then we had to go to Wal-Mart and we had told him that a cowboy tips his had to a lady and says "Howdy Maam" so what do you think he did all throught Wal-Mart? Oh yes he tip his hat and said "Howdy Maam" to every woman that he saw! WHAT A CUTE KID! He still does it when he puts his hat on and that is first thing in the morning. He even got out of his bath and came downstairs and asked where his boots were and when I turned around he was naked with only his Cowboy hat on and searchin for his boots. What a hoot. Anyway we have been really enjoying seeing our family here. Enjoy just a few pictures so far.

Our sweet Kael is now seven months old. Can you believe it SEVEN! He can of course sit up and is pretty mobile when he is lying down. He loves to talk all the time and is such a happy little guy. He loves his brother so much and can sit and watch him all day. He is now enjoying a good variety of veggies to eat and has now enjoyed some puff treats. GROWING LIKE A WEED is about all I can say for this little guy.
The boys first, of many I am sure, wagon trips together. Kael was tickled pink to be included as you can see.
Bye boys!
Vance and his cowboy hat after church. Rule number one is no cowboy hat to church and rule two is no hat at the table.
My sweet guys. I love this picture even though Vance didn't want to smile it was still a sweet picture.
Grandma, Kael, and Aunt Amie enjoying some time after chruch.
Kael and his sweet smile. Such a happy boy.
Vance in his boot and hat. What a sweet Cowboy!!!

Sorry

2009-09-07T01:14:00.001-05:00

So I know that I am lame for not having posted in a couple weeks but we are kind of in a transition period in our lives. We are currently living in Arizona and waiting to hear back on a few jobs as well as continuing to look for jobs. I will post pictures and things at another date but I just wanted to let everyone know that we are still alive and well and that we love our families so much for letting us stay with them during this time of the unknown in our lives.