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!! : )

Can you believe I actually didn't really take any pictures this week?? Shocking, I know!!! Last weekend I had a continuing ed conference in Hastings, and then I worked Mon-Tues-Wed, and got ready for my garage sale Thurs-Fri and so I was busy busy girl!! : ) Of course, the boys did tons of adorable stuff, and I saw it & loved it just the same. :)

Colby is startin to really come out with new words, and ohmygosh, I just love hearing that sweet little boy talk!! How fun! And Ryan thinks it's just so funny!! :) We're now adding in the BEST one-- "Yuv You!!!" Oh!! To hear your baby say he loves you!! The very best!! Not to forget about such important words as "tractor (tack-uh!) !! It's so neat. He's just amazing!! Smart and handsome!! And even better, taking Loooooooong naps now!! He's in for 2-3 hrs now, sure beats those old 30 min naps, hahahah!!! :) Mommy gets stuff done again! yeah!! lol. We've been playing outside tons, and he's decided he's big enough to climb up the swingset and slide down the slide ALL BY HIMSELF!! Loves it!! Just giggles! I think he would live in the sandbox if I'd let him. :) He practically swims in the sand, lol. Silly boy. That's the one thing I've seen him do for more than 10 min at a time. He just loves it!! And everything Ryan does, Colby wants to do too!!!.....

Except for pottying! Ryan is totally, officially, completely, independently POTTY TRAINED!!!! He's been wearin undies all the time, even to bed and nap, without accidents!! He goes on the big potties at church, Menards, Walmart, Joy's house and everywhere!! So very exciting!! So very proud of him!!! All he had to do was decide, and it was done!! Good boy!! He's forever into his construction equipment, and blew my cousin Mitchell's mind the other day when he told him about an ARTICULATED DUMPTRUCK!!! Can you tell he's been watching and learning from the "All About John Deere for Kids" DVDs I have been renting him from the library? LOL. He's such a character. We took the boys out to the Powerhouse to look at the fast water the other day, and they had a ball throwing rocks down into there. Ryan told me when we left, that next time we went there he was gonna watch for the whales!! haha!! :) Such imaginations!!

So all that....and MORE happened this week. Isn't is wonderful to have a place to write down such fun stuff, so I can share it and not forget it myself!?!? :)

P.S. I just want to state again, for the record, that I have the best hubby ever. :P He's the sweetest, kindest, most helpful, loving husband and daddy--and I thank God for him everyday. :) He works hard to take care of us, and loves more than anything his special times with the boys, being it baths or bedtime snuggles or a trip to Menards. :) What a guy. Just feelin thankful for him again tonite!! LOVE YOU HUN!!!