MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

OH! What a Christmas to remember!! For LOTS of reasons, but geez, this blizzard!! First time in my lifetime we've actually rescheduled our Christmas get-togethers because of weather--or anything for that matter! It all turned out to be a great Christmas after all, and of course, doesn't change what we are truly celebrating--Happy Birthday Jesus! Thank You So Much!! =) At any rate, we were able to have our Christmas celebration with my Mom & Dad last Sunday, so we got one in before the blizzard! That was so much fun, very relaxing and enjoyable! It's always so much fun to go home & hang out. =) So instead of having our traditional Christmas Eve at my Grandma Della's house & our Christmas evening at my Grandpa & Grandma Stone's house--we've just spent alot of time at home with the boys! Special times! =) We took the boys to the movies for the first time as a family on Christmas Eve; Went to see Alvin & The Chipmunks 2--how cute was that!! The boys loved it, and even COLBY sat for the entire movie!! =) Thought we'd be chasin him up & down the aisles, but he was just enthralled! It was amazingly fun; however after the movie we came out to a blizzard! Truly! Just never know in Nebraska! =) Actually can't believe it's not been on Christmas before! We did go over to Grandma Dellas & had some soup with a few family members that were around in town; we'll have our Christmas next week with everybody! =) But at least it got the boys out of the house & down the street for awhile, burned off alot of energy playing with Samuel & Joseph, my cousins. =) Came home Christmas Eve night & just relaxed; Nate's parents made it down in the afternoon, so they stayed with us for the night. After everyone went to bed, Nate & I opened our gifts to each other; what a fun sweet time. =) And the diamonds didn't hurt my feelings a bit! =) It was a special time! We got the kids' presents all set for morning, and then went to bed. Christmas morning, drifted in, we all got up and spent the morning enjoying watching the kids open & play with their presents. That's always such a neat time! We were able to get halfway across town to Nate's Grandma Emily's house and have Christmas dinner with the ones on his side of the family who were here in town & able to make it over! What a jot across downtown!! So many drifts & people stuck! Nate helped a couple of guys get a van unstuck, but I tell ya--if we'd have stopped everytime we saw someone stuck, we never would have made it for dinner!! If we hadn't had the Tahoe, there is NO WAY my van would have made it thru! What a whirlwind adventure! So we got home from dinner, put the kids down for a nap, and just relaxed the afternoon & evening away! The kids played nonstop all evening! Lovely! And looking forward so much to all of us just being drifted in together tomorrow. =) I will get some pictures uploaded, and will really try to get back on track with my blog and keeping up with the kids! They do such funny things and say such hilarious things anymore!! It's a hoot!! Until then; Merry Christmas to All, and to All A Good Night!! =)

Time flies!

Seriously. Can't believe it's been so long since i've blogged. : ) Goes to show how busy we keep around here. Nate & I just got home this afternoon from a long overdue mini-vacation to KS City for a few days! We had a great time. We spent all Saturday riding roller coasters & laughing like kids at World's of Fun. I just never tire of that place, and as for my husband--well, I think we've created a monster. : ) He loves the coasters just as much as I do, and it's so much fun to laugh & scream & experience that stuff together!! We just had a ball! Completely pooped out at the end of the night, but well worth it! It was beautiful outside, and I must say that getting to wear jeans to WOF and not be hot was a major plus. : ) How awesome! Gotta luv goin in Sept vs July! LOL. They started their Halloween Haunt stuff this weekend, so it got a bit interesting after dark, lol. Lot's of interesting characters wandering around, lots of "fog" and strange noises in the night. : ) Oh well, good excuse to hold on tight to each other's hands. : ) We went back & crashed at our hotel and then on Sunday we slept in (who-hoo!) till 8:00 and then had breakfast, got ready, and headed out to a Royals' game!! How fun!! 82 degrees & beautiful! Seats straight up from 1st base, free t-shirts, a home run, and a win!! Not to mention ice-cream-in-a-helmet and "take me out to the ballgame"!! : ) Such fun. After the game, we just happened to find a shopping mall : ) and then ate a nice supper out and even went bowling! : ) just nice, fun, relaxing stuff. went back & took a dip in the pool & hot tub, and just chilled. Got up this am and had breakfast at our fav KS City diner-"The Waffle House" and then headed for home!! Stopped a few times along the way and were home by afternoon. SO GOOD TO SEE OUR BABIES!! : ) They were nappin when we got home, so we had the ultimate pleasure of goin up and getting them when they woke up! : ) So excited!! Such GOOD smooches & hugs!! They were glad to see Mommy & Daddy--however, they had SO much FUN with BooBoo & PaPaw for the last 3 days!! They didn't even miss us till we were already back. : ) The way it should be!! So fun!!
Other than our little getaway, things have been normal and good around here!! Crazy busy with the two little guys, who aren't so little anymore.
Colby is now 2 and weighs in at 35 lbs!! SO busy, we call him a little tornado! You don't believe it? Take him home--but just for a little while--and see!! haha!! Such a passionate little pistol, oooh! Love him sooo much!! He's hilarious, comin out with new words all the time & jabberin away. Doin everything brother does, and sometimes more. : ) Loves to run, jump, play ball, swing, slide, play in sand/dirt, play with his uncle & cousin, check out the cornfields, watch for firetrucks, chase the puppy, and about anything and everything else a 2 year old little boy does!! : ) Such a joy!! Perfect in every way!!
Ryan's almost 4 (Oct 18th!!) and weighs in at about 39 lbs! Strong & healthy, SMART & happy!! So meticulous and proper, yet all boy too. : ) Any type of construction machine, digger, tractor, combine, train, plane, or automobile gets his attention!! Transformers too!! Daddy's proud of that one!! You tell him somethin once, he'll know if for life!! Such a brilliant handsome and ornery boy, perfect in every way!! : )
Our little family is thriving and healthy, strong and happy. : ) We thank God every day for each other and our home, jobs, families, and friends. It feels good to actually have a chance to sit down & put all this on "paper"!! : ) I will try to get back in the blogging habit, i do enjoy it. : ) For now, here's a link to a bunch of adorable pictures!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=125940&id=597382119&l=130b8df113

I'll have to write down some of the funny things the boys have done this last couple of weeks, but it's bed-time for now!! Here's my link to my facebook photo album, where you can see all the latest & greatest!! :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112537&id=597382119&l=7309143fb3

My babies!

So tonite has just been one of those nights when everytime I look at the boys, I just want to cry!! Happy tears, of course. I've been a mushy-mommy today. :) Some friends of ours had a baby yesterday, and as I was online looking at their new precious pictures, it just took me back to those amazing precious times in the delivery rooms when the boys were born. It made me get all weepy!! :) Like right after Ryan was born, after a long tough delivery--and Nate looked up at me with tears in his eyes, and said "It's a boy!!!" Almost with joyous disbelief! The most amazing moment. And when Colby was born, and my Mom looked at me, grinning through tears and said "He looks just like Ryan!!!" And he sure did--only difference, was Colby didn't have the little cone-head! :) But it was amazing how identical they looked at delivery. :) Same dark hair & skin, 9 pounders, lol. And when the nurse laid Colby in the warmer and Nate started talking to him-he turned his head to his daddy--and he was only seconds old. :) Oh! I'm crying again!! Just such neat moments, and I can't believe their baby-hoods are pretty much over. What an amazing adventure already so far. They are such amazing boys and we love them so much. :) They are the lights of our lives, and they are just perfect. Hilarious, Adorable, Ornery, Loving, Silly, Beautiful, Precious, ....and the list goes on and on. So tonite is just a tribute to our amazing babies. We thank God every day for the opportunity to be here with them. : )

Ryan Thomas Smolek Born 10/18/05

Colby Lee Smolek Born 09/08/07

So what's happening in the Smolek world!?!? : ) Always something!! This is a busy crazy week, not unusual, just different! Last Friday our sweet nephew Noah had his tonsils & adenoids out, and so Mom & I went to Lincoln for that--he's doing GREAT, Praise God!! : ) Such a good boy, he'll feel so much better now. So glad!! Whew!! Then Saturday, Mom & I and Aunt Jeanie & Aunt Laurie loaded up and headed to KS City for some serious girl time!! : ) We spent all day Saturday shopping at a great outdoor mall in KS City, KS and bummin around! It was wonderful! Went back to our hotel and rested up for Sunday...our day at WORLD'S OF FUN!!! We were in the park the whole 12 hours they were open--can you say we were tired!?!? But oh my gosh! How fun. We rode the coasters about 25 times & just had a ball. It was awesome & much needed. Talk about crashin Sunday nite! Monday we got up and moseyed home..did a bit of shoppin along the way! So!! I had a wonderful amazing great time, but boy was I ready to get home and smooch on my babies--all 3 of them!! :D They did great, had a fun weekend with Daddy. Ryan said "No girls allowed, Mom"....but he sure hugged his momma when I got home!! : ) So good!! And Colby says.."Momma!!!" and so happy!! :D But as excited as they were about the stuff I brought them home, I don't think anything topped the big suckers BooBoo brought them!! : )

I worked today, and it was very very busy, which was good--it kept me awake!! : ) I get to be home tomorrow with my bebes, and then I work Thurs & Fri this week. Trying to decide what fun to do over the weekend with the boys, might take them to Lincoln to the Children's Museum...one of their FAV places!! :) We'll see!!

Colby has been jabbering away so much today--I think he's come out with a whole new set of words again!! "Joe" (blue's clues), "Mickey" (as in mouse..) "Diego" (...!) are just a few I've noticed since I got home! So funny to hear these little words just pop outta his mouth, plain as day!! : ) My little pistol, ornery as the day is long....and even cuter!! : ) Love him SO much!

Ryan's been "busy, Mom...working" with his construction equipment. He "made" me a pink house outside the other day (aw!!) and had to "level out the sand" on our new patio!! Such a big boy, So proud of him and how polite he is! Bought him a new Hot Wheels at HyVee tonite, and he says several times "Thank you, Mom! I like this alot!!" : ) Good boy!!

So I will get some new pics up, either tonite or tomorrow sometime!! Hope everyone is doing welL!!!

The longest post in history.......

I really do mean to get back into my weekly posts, if only to keep myself up to date! ha! It's fun, we're busy, boys are good--it's summer! too blasted hot for my tastes--surprise surprise, huh! but still summer non-the-less! and that does mean some fun!! My boys were extra spoiled yesterday--My Mom & Dad, otherwise known as BooBoo & PaPaw, took the boys to the fair!! While I think Colby must've been havin a tired day cuz he didn't have much fun this time, Ryan had the time of his life!!! Literally, I think. He got to ride his very first roller coaster--with BooBoo--and LOVED IT!!! Even put his hands up and went "Who-hoo!!" Now that's my baby!! He just beams talking about it! And he rode the ChooChoo--drove, actually, in the engine! And on the carousol he named his horse "Paco" (???dunno!!!) and "he went really high up, Mom!!". Saw all the animals and tractors and trucks--climbed up on the tractors & skid steers with PaPaw. Talk about a happy, TIRED, happy boy!! : ) Colby did enjoy seeing the outside stuff, but was ready to go! He loved it all last year, but I guess it just wasn't his thing this year. Too much to do outside the stroller, ya know!! : ) So I've got pictures from that!

While they were at the fair, Nate & I were at a wedding of our dear friends, Heath & Michele! It was such a nice wedding, very relaxed & lots of fun. I had the honor of being her personal attendant, and so I got to be there to help her get ready and all the stuff that goes along with being the bride!! It was a very special honor, and we just enjoyed the day so much. : )

Here on the homefront, besides tryin to keep cool, we're workin on a little project out in the back yard. We've decided we want to have a small patio area where we can put a table & just hang out while the boys play outside. So that's what we've been workin on in our spare time! Can't wait till it's done--we're almost there! Takes awhile when it gets done in pieces between the boys' needs! : ) So once that's finished, it'll be onto the next project! Who knows which we'll pick...lol.

Oy!!

I know, I know. I haven't posted for ages. It's just been so crazy busy around here, and to take more than a few minutes at a time to sit at the computer, just doesn't happen often!! :) Usually nap time would be my blog time....but I admit, I've been giving in and having a few of those lately too. : ) Time flies when you're havin fun. And that's what we've been doin!! Thank God for keepin these boys so happy & healthy. It's been a blast takin them outside & to the park, swimmin in the backyard kiddie pool, we even got to the water park one night last week. :) Otherwise, between normal day to day stuff, and pickin up some extra time at work--it's just crazy that it's July already!!
That means only about 8 wks till Colby turns 2!! My baby!! Yeah, my 34 lb almost 2 yr old!! Some baby!!! What a hoot, he's talkin all the time now and HAS to be by his brother. :) He's a hugger!! And Ryan will sometimes get enough and say "I don't want you right now Colby!! Stop hugging me!!" lol. And Colby just eggs him on....such a smartie pants!! Thinks that since he had a cookie for breakfast at Grandma's....that now he goes to the cupboard and says "oootie, oootie" and please!!! right away when he gets up!! ha! try to break that one! : ) We usually end up with an animal "cookie" or graham cracker to start with instead. :) He's hilarious. I've taken zillions of new pics, I'll post my link to my facebook photos so you can see them easier.
Ryan, too is a hoot. He'll be 4 in October, and the other day when we went to Walmart to pick up a gift, said as we pulled into the parking lot "We gonna get pictures taken today, Mom?" I told him no, not today--thinking he didn't want to. We haven't done any for almost a year anyway. But then he says "But please Mom. I want to sit up on that thing and hold the 4". Seriously?!?!! So in our monster truck t-shirt & shorts, we got the best picture of him, ever!! : ) Can't wait to get them back--only hope we can convince Colby to let us get some taken of him! ha!
Ryan's on a weekender at Grandpa Jack & Grandma Angie's house as of tonite, he could hardly wait to get out the door. Yeah, I still cry when they leave. :~)
He's got such an imagination--always "pretending, Mom" about one thing or another. Has decided that "bon-gars is my favorite store, Mom" and we have to stop in there quite often to check out the farm toys. :) He's all boy--and loves his machines!! :) Has been wearin his CAT hardhat that my grandpa leil gave him--all over the place. :) It's awesome.
These boys make our lives so wonderful. We are so happy to have them as our babies!! We've been married for 5 wonderful years now, but by far the best 3 1/2 have been the latest. Nate's comin up on a year of workin out at ADM already. He really does like it alot, and keeps so busy--very nice change of pace. I've been at Women's Health now for almost 5 years--hard to believe!! So we're just movin on day by day, blessed far beyond our imaginations could have guessed. : ) Feel free to check out my facebook photo albums, and look at all the fun we've been having!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103020&id=597382119&l=d3a0df7176

Hello from Smolek-land!! We are doing fabulous, and having fun! It's sooo nice to finally have weather where we can just go outside any time of day!! We've already spent hours in the backyard over the last couple of weeks, and even a couple of trips to the park!! The boys were thrilled yesterday at the park, when we got to see a baby birdie hoppin around. It even let me pick it up, so they could pet it. Talk about excited!!

We took the boys to the circus last week, they had a BLAST!!! Just a nice small 1 ring circus in a real circus tent, complete with cotton candy!! Oh, and acrobats, horses, clowns, fire, and all sorts of fun stuff for the kids to watch!! Ryan was absolutely GLUED to it, belly laughing and loving every minute. Even Colby sat still almost the whole time, watching!! He would giggle and clap along with the rest!! The only part he didn't like was the blowing fire tricks. Kinda freaked him out, and it was hot!!! Otherwise, we did well and went home happy & exhausted. :) Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take flash pics in there, so the ones I tried just didn't turn out. But it was still great! Bought a couple of toys for souvineers, so the circus lives on!!

The boys are always up to new tricks, and make us laugh every day. Colby is coming out with new words all the time, new favorites are: cheese, apple, hat, shoe, booboo, and several others! He knows lots of his parts; nose, eyes, ears, mouth, tummy, butt, toes and the ever famous peepee!! He can point out about anything you ask him to look for in a book, and loves to make animal sounds. He did somethin kinda funy last weekend--was chasing his great grandma's little dog around, saying "Meow! Meow!"!!! I thought it was hilarious, he thought it was a little cat!!

Ryan's always up to something, expanding his vocabulary; "Totally awesome, Mom", and when I was making our bed: "Why are you folding the bed, Mom?" and when I asked him why he threw his banana peel on the floor: "Monkey's do that, Mom". Oh that kid is a hoot. Um, also--he was at the sitter's one day and told her he was goin potty. When she went in there, he said he'd pooped! So she got him down----looked in the pottty---and there was a handful of dirt outta the plant, in the toilet!?!?!?!? What!??!?! Silly boy!! Why he did that, I'll never know. :) He helped Daddy plant some shrubs out front, and has had to go "see if they're growing yet" every day since!! Helps me water them, too!!

Here are a few newer pictures, enjoy the cutest boys ever!! : )