Luksan Life

Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T19:30:00.001-05:00

What a great day! Abel and I had short days at work and then we went out to dinner with the boys. Life can't get much better than hanging out with my guys!

Brodie's Valentine "May the force be with you" glow stick light saber

Isaac's valentine, "blowing kisses your way" bubbles

Isaac wearing his valentine head band from daycare

Isaac telling me "no more cheese"

Playing with the crazy bubbles from Isaac's Valentine

Isaac quotes of the day

2012-02-13T17:09:00.002-05:00

Isaac sneezed this morning and said, "I tooted in my nose" :)

This afternoon Isaac was coloring a Valentine's card for Daddy. He had an orange marker, but insisted it was red. I showed him a red marker and compared it to the orange. I said, "look, this is red and this is orange." He looks at me very seriously and says, "look this is red and this is red." I gave up trying.

Bowling!

2012-02-12T14:13:00.001-05:00

We took the boys bowling for the first time today. It reminded me of when I used to go bowling with my grandfather. I still remember the first time I bowled a 100 and Grandpa had my name announced overhead. What great memories. Today, I didn't quite get a 100 :). We all had a great time! Isaac wasn't too fond of the bowling shoes, but he loved rolling the ball down the ramp. Brodie did a great job of taking turns and following all the rules.

Time to pick a ball. Can you guess what color he picked?

Dad explaining how everything works

First time!


Isaac's turn!

So excited to get another ball

Mommy and Isaac watching to see how many pins he's going to get

Valentine's project

2012-02-08T13:41:00.001-05:00

I had such great plans for the day :). We were going to make and mail valentine's, cook a little, clean a little, and do some laundry. So far, we shopped for supplies for the valentine's project, we started the valentine's project, the boys got bored and stopped the valentines project, we ate lunch, took Brodie to school, and Isaac is now in the crib, not sleeping. So much for my productive day. We at least have enjoyed the morning and enjoyed the sunshine shining in the windows! Hopefully the afternoon will be a bit more productive.
Brodie made me smile when he saw a clipping from the newspaper from our wedding on the refrigerator. He said, "Is this where you got married?" I replied, "yes." He then said, "Mommy, you look so young." I asked him, "does Daddy look young?' and he said, "no he just looks cool, like he always does" I think I would have to agree with that!


Working on valentine's (I think Isaac is actually coloring the paint instead of the paper :)

On the mend...

2012-01-29T21:06:00.001-05:00

The boys are starting to feel better! There are only a few coughs left now. We had a relaxing weekend. The boys had fun making a dinosaur at Lowes, but other than that we didn't do too many crazy activities. I had time to sit back and look at the boys this weekend. They make me so happy and amaze me. Isaac continues to talk so much. He doesn't talk like a baby anymore. He is even starting to change my favorite phrase, "hold you." He used to say this when he wanted to be held. But recently he has started to say "hold you, me." It won't be long before he says "hold me."

Brothers!

Brodie learned a new Bible verse last week at church about not being afraid. Isaac was in the kitchen with me this week and said he was scared. Brodie heard he was scared and came into the kitchen and said, "Isaac, I know something you can think of when you are afraid and said the following:

We are so thankful for great Sunday school teachers that really make the Bible real in the boys lives! Brodie loves going to church and is still asking when he gets to go back to Bible school (I told him a couple of months ago he had to wait until the snow was gone, but that hasn't worked out so well for me this winter:)

Cough, cough, cough...cough, cough, cough

2012-01-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

I am home with sick boys today. Isaac has a fever and an ear infection and they both have a ton of nasal congestion and never ending coughs. I'm not sure how either of them slept through the coughing last night and I'm not really sure how much Abel and I slept :) They are happy, for the most part, as long as we don't do too much. So, far no rash for Isaac which is a relief after he had those awful hives last year after his first round of antibiotics. Please keep the boys in your prayers for a fast recovery!

Lazy Saturday

2012-01-21T21:01:00.002-05:00

Wrestling with Dad

Playing swords

Light saber fight

We've had a lazy Saturday with Abel on back-up call. The plan was to take down the Christmas tree and instead we ended up opening most of the boxes of toys. It has been a great day! I love the sound of all of my guys laughing!

It's snowing....

2012-01-13T17:15:00.001-05:00

Back to the grind

2012-01-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

Now that Grandpa and Grandma are gone, Christmas is over, New Years is over, and college football is done, we are back to work :)
We haven't gotten hardly any snow yet, but we are supposed to get a little tomorrow, so I am hoping we have enough to play in!
Brodie is learning how to spell new words everyday and is writing better all of the time. He will now spell 'n-o' instead of saying no :) Isaac is starting to talk in mostly sentences, although he still refers to himself in the third person ('Isaac wants to eat' or 'Isaac needs to go potty' - no he doesn't go potty on the potty chair yet, but likes to try). Isaac copies Brodie and will say random letters whenever he picks up a piece of paper :)

Family Fun in Vermont!

2012-01-05T20:38:00.003-05:00

Grandpa and Grandma Buman came to visit after Christmas and we had a fantastic time! Isaac keeps saying 'come back Grandma and Grandpa.' The boys got to spend the night at the hotel with Grandpa and Grandma one nightand Abel and I got to go out on a date! I can't remember the last time Abel and I went to a dinner and a movie! We all had a great time! We also had a fun New Year's Party, made a gingerbread train, opened presents, and mostly had fun together!

Decorating a gingerbread train with Grandma

Finished gingerbread train!

Leaving to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa

'I love tractor books'

Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T22:07:00.001-05:00

Bed time on Christmas night

2011-12-25T22:14:00.004-05:00

Does he look sleepy to you?

At least one boy is asleep

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:37:00.001-05:00

What a fantastic day! The boys had so much fun playing with their presents from Santa (Brodie didn't see them when he first came downstairs and was a little worried he was on the naughty list) and then opening presents from Grandpa and Grandma Luksan (thank goodness they mailed some presents, otherwise there wouldn't have been any under the tree :) I think we all fared very well! But best of all, we got to celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus! Isaac kept singing 'happy birthday' today. We are so blessed!

Isaac helping to make sugar cookie dough

'HoHoHo' straws - the first presents of the year!

Car tracks from Grandpa and Grandma Luksan!

Decorating the cookies (sleeve is already dirty :)

Isaac helping to decorate cookies

The final product - all ready for eating!

Christmas morning!

Isaac got tractors!

Brodie got a spider man shooter

and Darth Vader mask

Isaac tackling spider man

Isaac in the Darth Vader mask

Isaac helping to clean up!

Isaac kissing the tractor

Countdown to Christmas!

2011-12-22T15:18:00.001-05:00

We have been busy these last few weeks since returning from Nebraska. It is hard to believe Christmas will be here in 3 days! We've been to work Christmas parties (not so fun according to Brodie), a daycare Christmas party (much more fun), a Frosty the Snowman play, rode a carriage pulled by a miniature horse, saw a magic show, and made a wooden engine followed by a coal car and caboose at Lowes. We now have to get busy making Christmas cookies (the sugar cookie dough is in the fridge) and wrap some presents! What a fantastic time of year!

It was a cold, but sunny day :)

Brodie being bored at my work party :)

Birthday celebration in Nebraska

2011-12-16T22:02:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Isaac's birthday when we were in Nebraska. He loved the tractor theme! He now thinks any candle is for his birthday (which is not so good at Christmas time :) For some reason, I am having a difficult time arranging the photos. So please excuse them for being out of order.

Opening birthday presents

Sharing some cake with Grandma

Birthday weekend!

2011-12-11T21:27:00.001-05:00

We had a great, busy weekend! Brodie played basketball Saturday morning, followed by making a coal train at Lowes, and then riding on the Polar Express to the North Pole. Brodie had practice at church in the afternoon for the Christmas program. Isaac had to throw up in the evening to add a little excitement for the day. Overall, I think it was a good birthday for Isaac and Abel.
Today Brodie was a shepard in the Christmas program at church (of course, I remembered the camera at the practice, but not the show). We had a relaxing afternoon of cleaning and laundry.

We're ready to get on the Polar Express

Brodie has his PJ's and robe on - ready to go to the North Pole

He wanted to make a cute face (like the one on his passport)

Singing Christmas carols on the Polar Express

Saying hi to the elves after getting off the Polar Express

The boys have the bells

Brodie getting dressed for the Christmas program

Christmas program rehearsal

2011-12-08T21:44:00.001-05:00

We had so much fun with our cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents in Nebraska!

Eliana loves me :)

Beautiful Cassidy!

So handsome!

Fun at the Luksans!

Isaac getting love from Jade

Turning on all of the Christmas lights!

Gabe punting a football

Tractors and 4-wheelers!

2011-12-07T21:07:00.001-05:00

Isaac loves tractors!

Brodie and Emma!

I'm ready to go Grandpa

Brodie and Ellie

The boys had a lot of fun riding on Grandpa and Grandma's tractor and 4-wheeler when we were back in Nebraska. Brodie loved going fast! Isaac wasn't sure what he thought of an actual moving vehicle :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-04T22:09:00.001-05:00

We had a great December weekend! Brodie had his first basketball practice yesterday. They learned how to dribble. I think dribbling in basketball is harder than soccer (that reminds me; he is supposed to be practicing his dribbling :) We then went to Lowes and made a caboose of a train (hopefully we can make all three parts this year because Isaac keeps trying to hook his wooden caboose up to a plastic engine). We then went to a Christmas event at a local Catholic church. The boys got to make Christmas decorations, visit Santa, write Santa a letter, and other fun activities.
Today we put up the Christmas tree and decorations! We did the first step in making our salt dough ornaments. I love this time of year. Now we just need some snow!

Practicing shooting before practice (yes he did make a basket)

Making a Christmas card

Getting ready to make an ornament


I love my Daddy!

And then the camera battery ran out - with the lens open.

The guys putting up the tree

Adding the flour for our ornaments

Isaac's turn to add some salt

Rolling out the dough

Adding the holes

Ready to bake

10 Days of Fun in the Midwest!

2011-11-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

We had such a good time back in Nebraska. They boys are still trying to get back adjusted to regular life :). We had a ton of fun playing in the leaves at Grandpa and Grandma Luksan's house. There was a huge pile that the kids jumped and played in.

Playing with Grandpa Luksan

Got to have the pacifier in to drill

Getting some leaves for the pile (and a football)

Getting the pile just right

Watch out Brodie

It was a beautiful, fun fall day. Stay tuned for more Nebraska news....:)

Home!

2011-11-28T21:01:00.001-05:00

We had a fantastic week in Nebraska! It was so good to be back home! We are happy to be in our Vermont home tonight and are looking forward to sleeping in our own beds. We are off to work tomorrow, but will hopefully add new pictures soon.

Riding bikes in November?

2011-11-13T09:18:00.001-05:00

It was warm and sunny this week and we took advantage of it! The boys had fun on their bikes. We found a little hill that they went down over and over again. Brodie had fun going down the hills with his feet off of the pedals.

Ready to ride!

and they're off....

Brodie having fun going down the "hill"

Isaac's turn

Good thing he has training wheels :)

Brodie loves to look at at his Daddy's books. I'll be cooking and Brodie will be very quiet and I will find him looking at Abel's books.

I am so thankful that Abel has the entire weekend off and we are enjoying a lazy weekend! I love family time!

Is the weekend really over?

2011-11-06T20:38:00.002-05:00

As I am thinking that the cleaning never ends and the dishes just keep on getting dirty, I am reminded that I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and a warm house to live in. I am thankful again that I have people in my lives that make that house dirty. I am thankful that I have food to make my dishes dirty and that God blessed me with a love of cooking (too bad I don't enjoy cleaning as much as I enjoy cooking :). I am so blessed! (The house is still not completely clean and there are still some dirty dishes, but I am content!)

URI season :(

2011-11-05T14:37:00.000-04:00

I think we've all had the upper respiratory infection now. I don't have a voice, Isaac's nose is running non-stop, Abel's hopefully on the road to recovery, and Brodie is the only one who acts like nothing is bothering him :)

I am thankful for our extended family back home! We've gotten so much support from all of you since we've been married and went down this med school path. We love all of you and are looking forward to seeing you soon and hopefully moving much closer to home! (Even though Brodie keeps saying that he wants us to move to Mexico, we are really trying to find a job in Nebraska or Iowa :)

Hair cut

2011-11-04T20:14:00.002-04:00

The guys in this house all got a hair cut tonight. Isaac did such a great job of holding still after watching Brodie. This was Isaac's first real hair cut and Abel did a fantastic job cutting his hair. The boys really enjoyed cutting Daddy's hair.

Brodie says "Daddy, your hair looks great; I think we're done."

After everyone's hair was cut, Brodie jumped off the stool and face planted into the toilet. So our fun night ended with a bloody nose. We ended up letting the boys have a little candy since Brodie was so brave with his nose and Isaac was very worried about Brodie. :)

Chocolate high?

November 4th

2011-11-04T07:40:00.001-04:00

We had a fun night last night. We watched Oskar, one of our friend's little boy. Brodie and Isaac had a blast playing with Oskar (and all of his toys). Isaac didn't want to leave and threw a temper tantrum as we were walking out the door to go home.

I am thankful for my wonderful children! What a blessing Brodie and Isaac are to my life. They make me smile everyday! I am supposed to be instructing them in the ways to grow up and be responsible men, but I think they are molding me into a better person each day also. Thank-you God for the wonderful blessing of my boys and allowing me this time in their lives as their mother!

November 3rd

2011-11-03T07:05:00.001-04:00

Still no snow for us yet, but I'm sure that will change soon. The boys and I will head out soon. I hope everyone has a fantastic day!

I am thankful for a wonderful husband who I love more everyday and that I truly consider my best friend. I am so proud of all the hard work he has put in the last 7 1/2 years! I am so blessed that he is such a wonderful father and loves our children so much!

Sunny November Day

2011-11-02T15:59:00.001-04:00

It has been a good day off from work. Brodie went to his last day of farm school. He had fun as always. It is a nice sunny fall day here. We might try to get out and play when those boys wake up. Abel has been working a lot (over 1/2 the senior residents are on a missionary trip) and he is sick, so I am hoping he sleeps well tonight and feels better!

I am thankful for Jesus. I am thankful that God cares about my life and the life of my family. I am thankful that Jesus has paved the way for my sinful life to go to heaven!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T19:44:00.002-04:00

It has been a good Halloween. The boys had a party at daycare and then we went out to a few houses and got candy tonight. It sure didn't take Isaac long to figure out what this candy thing is all about.

Halloween preview

2011-10-30T16:34:00.001-04:00

We went trick or treating at the mall tonight. We had a great time. We met another family originally from Nebraska. Their kids are about Isaac's and Brodie's age, so the kids had a lot of fun!

We've had fun making the boys costumes. Brodie is a skeleton (the bones glow in the dark) and Isaac is supposed to be a farmer with a tractor. Hopefully Daddy will be able to apply Brodie's face paint tomorrow because Mom is not very good at it. Isaac had just woke up from a nap and wanted nothing to do with his tractor. Hopefully he will wear it tomorrow, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Brodie paining on a leg bone


The left leg bone even has a fracture on it if you look closely :(

Starting the process of getting ready

Brodie really thought a skeleton should have blue hair

Isaac's tractor that he refused to wear

Crazy kids :)

2011-10-29T14:19:00.000-04:00

I think he likes his pirate patch :)

We are having a fun week. I love my crazy boys. The pirate eye patch was not originally a part of Brodie's skeleton costume, but I have a feeling it may become the most important part.

It's almost Halloween!

2011-10-23T21:59:00.003-04:00

We had fun getting ready for Halloween this weekend. Abel and the boys carved one of the pumpkins today. Brodie wasn't quite as grossed out by the pumpkin innards today. We also put some more time in on the boys costumes. They have a little more work that needs to be done, but they are getting closer to being finished. Here are some sneak peeks at the boys working on their costumes.

This was actually taken a few weeks ago when it was warmer out :)

Brodie helping to rake the leaves

Getting ready to carve the pumpkin!

Brodie cutting off the top

Isaac getting in on the action.

Isaac checking out the innards

Scuba Brodie

2011-10-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

The boys are learning about the ocean at daycare this month. They made scuba goggles and Brodie loves to pretend he is swimming in the ocean. They have been working on letters and numbers again now that it is fall. I am amazed at how fast preschoolers learn. Brodie writes his name every time he sees paper and a pen. During the last week, his name has went from barely legible and the letters written all over the page, to nearly legible written in the correct order. He is always asking about letters and words. I may have a hard time keeping him out of kindergarten next year.
Since I am talking about how proud I am of Brodie, I don't want to leave Isaac out. Isaac was walking between one of his parents legs this week and heard some passing of gas. He started laughing and said "Daddy/Mommy toot." (I'm sure you can guess which parent's name he said :) We are so proud :) On a more serious note, I forgot how fast these nearly 2 year old's learn to talk in sentences. He is always talking and unfortunately will repeat just about anything one of us says.

Trying to calm down before bed

Brodie scuba diving in the ocean

Leaf Peeping

2011-10-16T14:09:00.001-04:00

Isaac was apparently bored by the leaves :)

We had fun driving in the "mountains" yesterday and checking out the leaves. Everyone keeps saying the leaves aren't that great this year. This was our first official year of leaf peeping and I was impressed. The boys had fun walking through an old covered bridge and I just had fun checking out all of the colors in the leaves. It rained before we got home yesterday and I think the rain knocked off some of the leaves because toady the trees look a little baren, so I am happy we got out yesterday!

The view

2011-10-12T15:24:00.002-04:00

The leaves are the brightest I've seen them in Vermont and I am loving them. I think they are going to keep getting better and better. I had to pull over and take this picture on the way to pick up Brodie from school today.

Hello Grandpa

2011-10-10T21:44:00.001-04:00

Isaac took my phone and was repeatedly "talking" to Grandpa. I didn't get the best video, but you get the idea :). He was putting the phone up to his ear and talking to Grandpa before I got the camera out, but after I got the camera out, all he wanted to say was "cheese" :)

Horse drawn wagon ride!

2011-10-10T21:05:00.002-04:00

It was another beautiful weekend in Vermont! It was a little busy, but we had a lot of fun! Brodie had soccer in the morning on Saturday, a wood project at Lowes, and a birthday party at noon. Of course there was the come from behind win for the Huskers Saturday night!
Sunday we had church in the morning and went for a long drive looking a the leaves for hopefully our last fall in Vermont. The leave are in the early stages of turning in this part of Vermont. We may have to go out driving again this fall.

Brodie's fish died this weekend and he has been very upset (he even slept with his tiger again this weekend, which he hasn't done in a long time). We went and got a new fish tonight and he is so happy. He named the new fish "James."

Dumping the new fish into the fish tank

Brodie and James

Brodie picked James from the store because he was looking at him

We went on a wagon ride pulled by horses through Shelburne Farms tonight. It was a gorgeous night with great views! The boys got to pet one of the horses after we were finished. Isaac touched him and said "hot," and then he started blowing on the horse to cool it down :)

Now I'm going to cheer on the Lions!

Harvest Festival!

2011-10-02T14:48:00.003-04:00

We went to the harvest festival this morning with Grandpa and had a great time! Brodie's favorite part was going on the hay rack ride through the spooky forest. We then got to pick out a pumpkin to take home.

Isaac's favorite part was the tractors!

We had a great morning and now the boys are napping. We are having so much fun with Grandpa, but the weekend is just going too fast!

I love my Grandpa!

Fun with Grandpa!

2011-10-01T14:56:00.001-04:00

Grandpa Buman is in town for the weekend and we are having a ton of fun! The boys can't get enough of Grandpa and would really prefer that Mom and Dad just leave for the weekend :)

Getting ready for bed

I tried to read to Isaac, but he said "no, Grandpa sit right here" and pointed next to him, so I had to go find Grandpa to read to Isaac :)

Listening to story time

Wrestling with Grandpa

Beautiful Fall Weekend!

2011-09-25T20:35:00.000-04:00


This was all under water this spring.

The weather was perfect this weekend. I wish the fall could last a lot longer here. Vermont is wonderful in the fall! We went on the 'Light the Night' walk this weekend. The boys loved the balloons and light up necklaces. We didn't walk for long because it was late and it was raining, but at least we got a balloon this year (I nearly had to pay $100 for it, but that's another story :).
Yesterday Brodie had a blast playing soccer and the boys had fun making a wooden fire truck at Lowes. Today we played outside and got a lot of bike riding in. We rode near the water front and it was fun to see the locations that had been under water this spring.

Inside fun!

As usual, Isaac is still eating after we are all finished. Reminds us of Grandpa Luksan

We've got our balloons and are ready to walk!

If anyone wants to visit us, fall is a great time to be in Vermont :)

Apple picking!

2011-09-18T20:50:00.002-04:00

Since we missed the harvest festival yesterday, we went to a local apple orchard for their harvest festival. There weren't as many tractors to climb on, but we still had a good time and picked some apples at the same time!

Brodie wanted to make sure I got a photo of the baby ducks

Isaac was done with the pictures :)

New bike!

2011-09-17T14:12:00.001-04:00

We unfortunately lost Brodie's bike when we left it down the block when we were running home in the rain. We went back after it stopped raining and his bike was gone. Brodie was so sad. He is very lucky that Grandpa and Grandma felt sorry for him and got him a new bike! He has now decided that he really doesn't like his old bike, but he does love his new one. His new bike is very fast and is a Husker bike (not really - it is red though). Thank-you Grandpa and Grandma!

Brodie played soccer again this morning and he learned how to pass. Unfortunately, I left the car door open during practice and the car battery was dead after practice. Luckily someone was nice enough to jump the car, but we did miss out on the Harvest Festival. Hopefully we can have some fun outside this afternoon!

Burlington Waterfront 2009-2011

2011-09-11T14:30:00.000-04:00

2009

2010

2011

Saturday!

2011-09-10T16:04:00.003-04:00

Waiting in line to check in.

Warming up.

Learning the rules.

Practicing dribbling.

Isaac was happy until a little boy came back to get his toy

We are having a great Saturday so far! Brodie had soccer this morning and loved it! Isaac wasn't too fond of watching Brodie play soccer, so he and I went to the park. From a distance, it looked like Brodie's coach was doing a lot of talking and a lot of drills, so I wasn't sure if he would like it, but he had a great time. He can't wait to go back next week. He learned how to dribble and trap the ball this week. He was really hoping that Emma was going to be there also.

We went to Lowes after soccer and the boys both made police cars with a light on top.

Isaac is getting pretty good at hammering!

Here are a few pictures from us playing outside last night.

They do share every once in awhile

We love to eat!

2011-09-07T12:45:00.002-04:00

It amazes me how different the two boys eat. Isaac loves fruits and vegtables and Brodie would be happy if he didn't eat them ever again. I made eggs goldenrod (toast with eggs and a white sauce) for lunch today. Brodie ate 2 helpings, but Isaac spit out his only bite. He ate my veggie burger instead. Brodie tried the veggie burger, but decided it was gross. That's about how it goes for every meal, Isaac will eat the veggies, Brodie will eat the meat and most of the time they will both eat some fruit.

They do both love cookies! It has been raining all day, so we went to a local bakery this morning that has free cookie decorating on Wednesdays. I've heard of this before, but haven't ever tried it. I will definitely go again! The boys each got 3 cookies, got to pick their color of icing, and also got three different kinds of sprinkles. It was so much fun!

On the way home, Brodie was climbing in the car with rain boots on. I told him not to put his feet on the seat, so he proceeded to try and climb from the back seat to front seat. He got muddy foot prints on the seat of course. I told him that he was going to have to clean it up (apparently I was quite dramatic). Isaac then kept yelling, "clean it up" over and over again. He didn't really know what he was saying, but Brodie did not appreciate Isaac telling him he was going to have to clean it up. Brodie kept saying "I know Isaac; I know." I thought the entire thing was quite amusing :)

Running in the Rain

2011-09-04T21:42:00.001-04:00

Brodie after his run in the rain

We've had a great weekend so far and we are looking forward to one more day off from work! We went for a walk tonight to deliver some cinnamon rolls to friends that had taken Brodie to and from Vacation Bible School. I checked the weather before we went for the walk and it wasn't supposed to rain until the middle of the night. It sprinkled for a few minutes at the beginning of the walk, but then it stopped and it looked like it was going to clear. Well.... it cleared long enough for us to get all the way to our friend's house (they weren't home) and then it began to pour. We were drenched before we were half way home. It was warm, so it actually wasn't too bad. It was coming down pretty hard and there were a few thunder clashes that were a little loud. Isaac didn't like the rain and thunder very much. He was better after I was carrying him. So, I was carrying Isaac and Abel was pushing Brodie's bike while Brodie was running. We actually had someone offer to give us a ride - we must have looked pretty pathetic. Overall, it was quite fun.

On another note....Isaac has decided he wants to pick out his clothes in the morning like his big brother does. He does not like clothes without pictures. It takes me longer to find something for him to wear in the morning than his brother because he does not communicate as well as his big brother about what he wants to wear. He is very good about communicating what he doesn't want to wear. He refused to wear his Husker gear yesterday. Apparently we are going to have to get some Husker gear with footballs on it. Yikes!

Go Big Red!

2011-09-02T21:59:00.003-04:00

We are so glad that it's college football season again! We are excited that we should get to watch the game also tomorrow!


Brodie at 11 months of age


Isaac at 20 months of age

Here are a couple of pictures of Brodie and Isaac in the same shirt. Of course Brodie was quite a bit younger when the picture was taken because he was a little bigger :)

Barbecue and hike

2011-08-31T13:46:00.002-04:00

This weekend our daycare, Acorn Alley, had their first annual summer barbecue. One of Brodie's friends that recently moved to Florida was at the party, so we had a great time seeing her and her family. Next time I think we should visit them in Florida :).
There was a slip n slide at the party that all of the kids really enjoyed. It was a beautiful day to be outside before the hurricane reached us. Abel only got to come for a short time. He had to show up late because he was on call at the hospital and then got called back in once he finally made it to the party. We are so excited because he gets the entire next weekend off!!! This will be his first weekend off since we went to Mexico!

Brodie and Katie

The boys had I had a fun time on a hike today. The boys loved looking for stuff to throw. Thank goodness there weren't a lot of other people out on the trail!

Attitude!

2011-08-29T21:54:00.002-04:00

I think that Isaac may have a little more attitude/stubbornness in him than Brodie did at this age. Or it could just be that he has a big brother to annoy. Isaac can very easily say "sorry" if he wants to, but forget it if he is mad. Today he hit Brodie with a bucket (twice). When he stopped crying, after being put in time-out, I told him he had to tell Brodie "sorry." He looked at Brodie, stuck out his tongue, and made a spitting/raspberry noise. It was so hard not to laugh at him. I had to put him up in his bed and he still refused to say "sorry." He finally told me sorry because we had to leave the house and I gave in. The last time we didn't give in a few weeks ago, he didn't say "thank-you" until 45 minutes later. I think we may be in big trouble :)

Irene

2011-08-29T07:14:00.003-04:00

We survived the tropical storm in Burlington without any power outages. It doesn't look like the rest of the state fared so well. We haven't been out yet today, but from inside, it just looks like a lot of debris outside. Well, I better get the boys up and get to work. Happy Monday! Oh and also, it's football week. Go Big Red!

2011-08-27T13:06:00.003-04:00

We were driving around, trying to get a ton of stuff done this morning and Isaac started singing "row, row, row your boat" (OK, so he really says, row, row, row, STREAM). It was so cute and made me smile and remember to enjoy every minute, even if we were shopping :) The video isn't very good because I was trying to tape him with the camera at a stop light and he thought I was trying to take his picture (he says "cheese" at first), but at least you get the idea.
We are off to a barbecue with the daycare group this afternoon. We've got to get some outside time in before that hurricane heads north!

Growing up

2011-08-24T13:53:00.005-04:00

It is so nice having my Wednesdays off again. The boys and I went to Costco today and I started thinking about previous trips to Costco. It is amazing how much easier it is to take the boys this year. I remember going last winter to Costco and it seemed like a major event to take both boys by myself. Today it was a very smooth, fun shopping experience. I may not be saying the same thing when I am putting us all in winter gear and driving in the snow :). The boys are at such fun ages now! I hope I continue to enjoy them this much at every stage. I am so blessed!

VBS!

2011-08-21T14:18:00.012-04:00

Brodie went to Vacation Bible School this week and had an awesome time. He loved every minute of it! He can't wait to go back again. It was fun to see him come home each night and tell us what he did. At first he would say, "nothing" when we asked him what he did, but then eventually he would tell us Bible stories and Bible verses he had learned. I don't think he thought of it as learning, rather he was really having fun experiencing the stories (and maybe the candy they gave them to participate :)

Brodie with all of his stash for going to VBS all week!

The boys prize for bringing in the most
school supplies for the missions part of VBS.
As you can tell, he was very happy the boys beat
the girls :)

Isaac checking out the bubble machine before the VBS program started.

Video cam

2011-08-14T19:39:00.003-04:00

Brodie and Isaac love to talk to Grandma and Grandpa on the computer. It is nice that they can see and talk "in person". Here is a snapshot of a recent talk. Isaac is enjoying some corn on the cob and Brodie is laughing at something Grandpa or Grandma said.

Mexico over the years!

2011-08-14T14:58:00.016-04:00

Here are some pictures from our previous family trips to Mexcio. I promise I will stop talking about Mexico after this (no promises that Brodie will stop taking about it :)

2006:

Emma dancing on the sunset cruise :)

Life as the only Buman grandchild.

2008:

Me and Brodie 2008

Me and my boys 2011

The gang 2008

The gang 2011

2011-08-14T14:29:00.010-04:00

What a week! We have so many wonderful memories! Brodie can just not understand why we can't go back to Mexico. He told me yesterday that my hotdogs are gross and that Grandma and Grandpa's hotdogs are good. Apparently everything is better in Mexico (or better with family :)

Aquarium!

2011-08-13T14:51:00.015-04:00

We went to the aquarium in Mexico and we all had fun! The kids loved feeding the sea lion and turtles. Isaac enjoyed the "petting zoo" the best I think.

I miss my talks with Emma! She has grown up so fast. I feel like the time just flies when we live so far away.

Cousins!

Great friends! They had so much fun (and a little head butting) together in Mexico!

Brothers!

Beach time!

2011-08-10T08:30:00.012-04:00

We had a ton of fun at the beach in Mexico. The sand was fun to play in and so was the water. I think I had more fun in the sea than Brodie or Isaac did. It is just so beautiful!

On another note; Isaac keeps saying "pooping" just before he starts pooping. When he's done he sometimes will say "diaper" and grab my hand to change him. This morning I thought I would try and put him on the potty chair when he said "pooping." Well that did not go so good. He did not like the potty chair and I think I scared the poop right back up into him :). He didn't poop for the next 1/2 hour. Oh well, maybe we'll try again another day.

Fun at the pool!

2011-08-07T15:48:00.006-04:00

We spent a lot of time at the pools in Mexico, but we don't have a lot of pictures from the pools. Apparently, we were having too much fun to take pictures. Brodie loved the lazy river because he could touch all of the way around. His head was the only thing above water when he was touching, but at least he could touch. His cousins convinced him to put his head in the water (even though he claimed the first day he would "never" put his head under :). By the last day, he loved putting his head under and couldn't understand why anyone would be nervous to do the same.

Pirate sunset cruise!

2011-08-06T13:26:00.016-04:00

We went on a pirate sunset cruise and fun was had by all (at least all that were not sea sick :). The kids were in a dancing contest and all won prizes. Rob got pulled into the entertainment also and represented Nebraska well. I was a little nervous Isaac was going to fall into the sea, but luckily there were no casualties.

Rob showing off his leg muscles as the pirates cheer.

Home with a sick boy :(

2011-08-04T14:48:00.005-04:00

Brodie was being very helpful for Mommy yesterday and put Isaac's shoes on before we went outside. He couldn't find two black shoes, but he did find two Isaac shoes :) Isaac didn't seem to mind.

Brodie has a fever today, so I am home with the boys. Brodie feels pretty good when he has medicine on board, but a little cruddy when his temp is up. Hopefully he feels better tomorrow because I should probably work just a little this week. At least this didn't happen last week in Mexico!

Pillow fights!

2011-08-04T10:23:00.014-04:00

We spent a little time inside in Mexico and the kids found some activities to make life fun inside also. They played a lot of catch and there was a lot of pillow fighting going on also.

I'm not sure what Ellie is doing to Isaac in this picture :)

Happy 4th Birthday Brodie!

2011-08-02T10:04:00.006-04:00

I took the day off for Brodie's birthday and we are having a great day! Here are some more pictures from Mexico. This part of the pool was Isaac's favorite and sometimes the other cousins would come play with him.

Mexico!

2011-07-31T13:21:00.008-04:00

Checking out the ocean view with Grandpa.

The view from the condo.

First time down to the beach!

Abel getting pummeled by a wave :)

We just got back from a week long, fun filled, sun soaking, water fun vacation in Mexico! We had a wonderful trip with the Buman gang! We did a lot of swimming, went on a pirate sunset cruise, ate a lot of delicious food, went to an aquarium, and most importantly laughed and played a lot with family! We are sad to be back home, but it was nice to sleep in our own beds last night! Brodie is already saying that he can't wait to go back to Mexico and back on vacation (us too). Don't worry, there are more pictures to come :)

Blue macoroni, colorful shirts, and more water fun!

2011-07-11T20:49:00.011-04:00

Abel and Isaac 2011

Abel and Brodie 2009

Abel and Brodie 2010

Abel and Brodie 2011

Brodie wanted blue mac and cheese this weekend and he was so proud of it. Of course, Isaac thought it was fun to pose for the camera also. We made some colorful ice cubes with food coloring yesterday. The boys "colored" some white shirts with the ice cubes today. The ice cubes didn't last very long because it was over 90 today! They are so excited to wear the shirts.

We went back to the waterfront again yesterday. We tried going to the area with rocks that we have went the last 2 years. There was a lot more water this year. The boys didn't think the rocks were near as fun this year since they had been to the beach the day before :).

Isaac has been saying "2,3" after I say "1". Today, I would say "1, 2, 3" when we were getting ready to go down the slide and then he would say "4,5." Apparently someone else has been counting at daycare :).

"Just put your feet in the water"

2011-07-09T20:55:00.011-04:00

We went down to the water front this evening. Brodie wanted to go down to the beach. It was a little cool out and a little late, so I said we could go to the beach, but "you can only put your feet in". Thirty minutes later Brodie was covered in water from head to toe. We all had a lot of fun!

We went to Lowes today to make a tow truck. Isaac got it in on the fun today. It was pretty impressive to watch Isaac hammer in the nails. He completely hit one nail in all by himself (after I set it up). Brodie did awesome also. He is learning to follow all of the instructions to get to the complete product.

Summer fun and good help.

2011-07-07T21:03:00.005-04:00

The boys have been enjoying their new sun glasses. They think they are pretty hot stuff with their sun glasses on.
Isaac was a very good helper for Mommy today. He was helping me unload the dishwasher. He thought that everything should go in the silverware drawer. :)

Water fun!

2011-07-05T15:10:00.005-04:00

It has been so warm, so we have gotten out in the water. Brodie is much more comfortable in the water this summer, but now Isaac is a little nervous and not sure what to think about the water. :)

July 4th Parade

2011-07-04T13:33:00.004-04:00

We had fun at a Fourth of July parade today. It was sunny and warm - just about right for the fourth! I used my new fryer and made homemade donuts today also. They aren't quite as good as Mom's, but they still taste pretty good. I may have to try and find a doughnut cutter, so I don't have to use one of Brodie's play dough pieces to cut out the centers :).

Hiking!

2011-07-03T21:31:00.009-04:00

We went on a hike this evening and had a great time. It was only a 1.5 mile hike to a look-out near Burlington. It was a great night besides the bugs. Brodie was our leader and did a great jb following the signs for the path. Isaac wanted to do everything Brodie did and walked most of the way. I was a little nervous we were not ever going to make it to the end, but we finally did and it was worth the walk and the bugs (well maybe not the bugs :)

Football fun

2011-06-29T20:34:00.010-04:00

Can you see the ball way up in the tree?

Brodie and Abel were having fun playing football this evening when the football got caught in the tree. Brodie thought is was very funny that the ball was stuck and so much fun trying to get it down. Brodie thought it was very cool checking out the car engine tonight also.

2011-06-27T20:54:00.005-04:00

We've had a fun week. It was raining for the strawberry festival again (we went in the rain last year), but we held off until the afternoon and there were a few rain drop free moments. We didn't do much with the strawberries, but the boys did have fun riding a pony and playing on the playground equipment.

We ate a train cake that Grandpa and Grandma Luksan got us for National Train Day. Brodie really thought that it was coming in the mail, but his mother was very glad that it didn't show up in the mail box. Isaac is actually the one that is really into trains now. He always has a train in his hands and loves to lead the train around and around and around the train tracks. Who would have ever thought we would have got so much use out of trains and train tracks!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T20:42:00.003-04:00

Abel coming home on Father's Day morning. We were so excited to see him!

We had a great Father's Day. Abel was post call, so he was a little tired. The nice part was, we had the entire day before to decorate the house and get ready for Abel.

2011-06-18T13:30:00.002-04:00

We had fun at one of the local outdoor concerts this week. The weather was perfect and the music was good. The boys thought they were pretty cool with Daddy's sunglasses on :)

More biking

2011-06-15T20:43:00.007-04:00

We've really enjoyed the outdoors recently. We've all took our turn with a cold, but have still managed to get some playing in outside. Isaac now thinks that he belongs on a bike with the rest of the family!

Photo Day at Daycare!

2011-06-08T20:38:00.010-04:00

It was photo day at daycare today. Brodie did fantastic. He listened, followed directions, and even had a few real smiles. Isaac on the other hand did not want anything to do with getting his picture taken. Of course, as soon as we got home, he wouldn't stop smiling when I brought out the camera :). He loves to play with trains and cars now. He doesn't quite understand that the cars don't hook up to the trains yet, but loves to try to get all the vehicles attached.

It was hot here today. It was in the 90's, so we decided to cave in and put in the window air conditioner. Daddy had a lot of help this year! We also had a lot of fun with squirt bottles outside!

Bike ride!

2011-06-04T20:48:00.007-04:00

We went on a family bike ride again today. Brodie did much better on the hills today, but he was still a little nervous going down hills. He didn't fall off, but decided to jump off his bike at one point when he thought he was going too fast and was going to crash. Amazingly, he landed on his feet and hands and didn't get hurt. We kept telling him not to jump off again because he might get hurt, but he didn't understand because he didn't hurt near as bad jumping off as he did crashing the day before.

2011-06-04T07:39:00.008-04:00

Isaac's "where did it go?" pose

It was nice and warm at the beginning of the week and we all actually got a little tan. I'm sure it will be gone by the time we go to Mexico :). We had fun with water balloons, squirt bottles, and bikes. We went on our first family bike ride last night and it overall went well. Brodie did a good job of listening when to stop and crossing the streets. He had a wipe out going down a big hill. He got right back on the bike after only a few tears. The fall made me think of Jodi and I going down the big hills at Pioneer's Park when we were kids.

It's the weekend!

2011-05-29T14:29:00.009-04:00

"cheeeeese"

The rain let up for a short while again, so we went out on the bikes (apparently Lake Champlain is twice it's usual size and it is usually the next biggest lake in the US after the great lakes!) I have been trying to get a good picture of both of the boys together for a Father's Day gift, but I am not having any luck. Isaac like to give a cheesy smile and say "cheese" now, but the boys never look at the camera at the same time :)
We also had some fun with squirt bottles after lunch. It is actually kind of warm out!

Farm Fun

2011-05-28T13:31:00.004-04:00

We went to Shelburne Farm today and what a difference a year makes. Last year Brodie was running from the chickens and this year he was chasing them and holding them. Isaac liked the chickens, but wasn't sure that he wanted to hold one. It was sunny out and the boys loved running around. Hopefully we can go on a bike ride this afternoon.
Happy Birthday Grandma Buman - we love you!

Isaac chatter

2011-05-24T21:06:00.002-04:00

I always like to talk about the funny things Brodie says, but lately it has been Isaac that is making me laugh.
Isaac loves to stomp his feet in the puddles and calls any accumulation of water a puddle. This weekend when we were walking by lake champlain, which is at flood levels, Isaac started getting excited and kept saying, "puddle, puddle, puddle." Well I guess you could consider that a very large puddle :)
Isaac loves animals and insects and gets so excited when he sees one. After the bunny, cat, dog, ant, ect walks away, Isaac shrugs his shoulders and says "where did the {insert animal name} go?" Although all you actually hear is the animal's name and "go." Tonight when we were walking, he would see an ant, say "ant," stomp on the ant with his foot several times, and then shrug his shoulders and say "ant, go?" When we walked away, he would repeatedly wave and say, "bye ant."
Isaac talks non-stop now. You can't always understand what he is saying, but he sure seems to think he knows what he is talking about. He is starting to get very good at saying please and thank-you without being prompted also. His big brother is sure to correct him if he forgets.

Big Truck Day!

2011-05-21T19:05:00.014-04:00

Picture of the Burlington Shipyard that we took last September at the Light the Night Walk.

Picture of the Burlington Shipyard in the background.

Breakwater Cafe and play area from last September.

Picture of the Breakwater Cafe in the very back of the picture.

Brodie still loves to throw rocks in the water.

Isaac thinks he can do everything Brodie does.

I love my guys!

We went to Big Truck Day today and the boys had a blast climbing on trucks, buses, and tractors. This afternoon, the rain left us and we went to the waterfront. It is a little more exciting (scary) going on a walk by the water when it is crowded with 2 kids that can walk/run!
It is amazing how full of water the lake is. The water comes up to the edge of the Echo Center where we like to go play and the parking lot is covered by water. They've had to change the route for the marathon this year because it is covered in water.

Outside activities!

2011-05-18T20:21:00.010-04:00

Brodie and the fish having a stare off this morning.

"Are you coming Daddy?"

The lawn mower quite working :)

Trying to fix the lawn mower.

No luck...dragging it back home

Brodie found Great-grandpa Stranathan's binoculars today and so we went on a walk to check out all of the birds in the trees. He also discovered blowing dandelion seeds today. Isaac tried to get in all of the fun also.
We went outside when Abel got home also. Brodie and Daddy went for a bike ride and Isaac was mowing again. The lawn mower broke down and he had to drag it bag home :).

A few hours of sunshine

2011-05-17T21:16:00.010-04:00

Rain, shine, or lake in the lawn, we make Isaac mow the lawn :)

Isaac got sent home from daycare with a fever yesterday, so I stayed home with the boys today. I think Isaac is feeling better. He was much happier today than this weekend and his fever was much better. We had a little break from the rain this afternoon, so we went out and played in the puddles.

Kids Day in Burlington

2011-05-14T15:08:00.008-04:00

It was Kids Day in Burlington today. We had fun at a parade (and collected too much candy). We then went on a long train ride. The main activities were actually moved away from the water front because the lake water is so high. It is actually pretty impressive how high the water is. So, we missed out on some of the other activities, but we did enjoy the first part of the day! Now, it is supposed to rain until next Saturday. Anyone want to visit Burlington? :)

Bike time!

2011-05-09T20:45:00.004-04:00

Brodie got a new bike (with training wheels) this weekend and did awesome riding today. He only had a few falls and jumped right back on.

Evening walk.

2011-05-04T10:59:00.008-04:00

Last weekend, we spent every possible moment outside. Thank goodness we did, because it hasn't stopped raining since.
We went on a walk Sunday afternoon. Brodie kept picking me flowers (dandelions). He then fell and scraped his knee. I don't think he would have even noticed the scrap last year, but this year he didn't think he could walk. We had to stop and get a band aid, which helped a little. We will have to make sure take band-aids along on our walks from now on.

Puppies!

2011-04-30T21:08:00.006-04:00

We got to walk our friend's dogs (or puppies as Isaac calls them) today. The boys loved it! Isaac laughed the entire walk the first time. He decided he wanted to walk one of the dogs on our second walk. I think the dog actually walked Isaac. Brodie is getting much better at walking the dogs. Daddy even admitted that maybe it would be nice to have a dog someday.