Slacker

I realize that I'm totally slacking on posts this year... I've realized sadly that I have a hard time posting without pictures and my picture taking this year is lacking severely. So here is an update on us without pictures. =)

We are doing great! Nathan and I are doing very well in our marriage! I can't believe that we are in our sixth year! God has been good to us and we are continually growing closer together, challenging each other and becoming more of a team. I love spending time with him so much and I'm thankful for all he does for our family. What a catch!

The boys are good. Ezekiel is talking up a storm and all of a sudden he's pretty social. He will actually talk to people he hasn't met before and can interact with other kids pretty well. I'd say that's pretty good for such a reserved kid! He is so sweet too! He comes up to me all the time and says "Mom, I love you so much. I just really love you." He is so amazing! I love it! He loves his little brother and is pretty protective of him. When Isaiah cries, Zeke wants to help him feel better. He shares his toys and tries to make Isaiah laugh. He is such a great kid.

Isaiah is an extrovert for sure! He talks non stop. Says Mama when he's mad puts his arms up to be held by strangers... He's super wiggly all the time! That kid never stops! His smile melts my heart and he snuggles so much! He is mobile now. He army-crawls and has started getting up on his hands and knees when he stops, but hasn't figured out how to actually crawl yet. He is learning how to use a push walker... it's cute because he walks on his tip-toes with extremely stiff knees. He's eating 1-2 meals of solid food now and has started demanding to eat what I'm eating. He sucked on my steak for a while the other day and absolutely loved it! He cried when I put it back on the plate!

I've been trying to train for a marathon, but have been having some major set backs. My knee and ankle joints started swelling up pretty bad so I took two weeks off running then started up again and now it's my hip. I'm pretty discouraged, but hoping to still be able to at least finish the marathon. I guess we'll see. As for now, I'm just thankful that spring is coming. This cold weather is effecting me too much and I can't wait to take the boys out for a bike ride and go for more frequent walks to parks. We just need to get past this 40 degree weather!

Thats all for now.

1-1-11

Happy New Year!!!

I can't believe we are already in 2011. It's amazing how fast time flies by. My baby's are growing up!!! Ezekiel is 2 and a half and Isaiah is 6 months already!

Zeke went to visit Grandpa & Grandma Allen while Nate & I had a great time with Amit & Betsy last night playing "Would You Rather" to ring in the new year. I have to say, it was way harder to stay up until midnight this year than ever before. New years day Nathan hung out with Isaiah so I could sleep in. :) Then he made me a breakfast burrito! What a guy!

We were able to talk about what our family values are and who we are as a family which was great. I'm looking forward to our new adventures this year! I'm looking forward to seeing how God works in us to help establish us as a family and help Nathan and I become more unified. I really think this year is going to be legendary!

Boyz

It's catch up time again!

With all the cold weather lately, we've been practicing the art of bundling up. Isaiah is super cozy!

Isaiah is getting in some quality Dad time.

Two of my handsome men opening their first Christmas gift together.

The cutest thing ever... Little babies falling asleep all by themselves. :)

Peek-a-boo!

The last day the farmers market was open in 2010.

Aren't they cute!

This had to be documented... Isaiah can suck his toes.

It's pretty stinking cute.

One of those wonderful times when your baby actually wants to snuggle with you. Man, I love those moments!

Best Buds!

Since November, we've been busy getting ready for Christmas. We've done lots of baking... We got all of our shopping done relatively early and Ezekiel made his first Gingerbread House! He loved it!

Ezekiel has been growing and changing. He's wearing 4T shirts and pants now and is officially 2 and a half! He is talking in sentences and has a really great sense of humor. He's totally a sponge now so we have to be super aware of what we or anyone else says around him... it will be repeated. He talks constantly! He likes to practice his alphabet and numbers. He will sit down with me and ask: "Mom, what game should we play?" or he'll say to his dad when he comes home from work: "I'm so glad you're home Dad. I'm so glad you're home." When I come out of my room wearing something I haven't worn in a while or something new he says: "I love your outfit Mom! I love your outfit!" He is such a sweetheart! He's pretty much 100% potty trained... We still help him every time, but accidents are few and far between. I'm so thankful that he is a thoughtful quick learner. Zeke loves to help his brother too... sometimes. He is having some issues with jealousy and has been learning about feelings... I'm trying to help him understand that other people have feelings just like Zeke does so he needs to be sensitive to that. I think it's kind of a hard lesson, but he's catching on slowly.

Isaiah is sitting very well on his own now. He still throw's himself forward or back sometimes, but mostly he sits very well. He does not like being on his belly... Sometimes he surprises me by being ok with it, but most of the time he starts crying if he rolls onto his belly. It's pretty tough at night because he starts tossing and turning and wakes himself up by ending up on his belly. He is getting better and better dexterity. I'm always pretty impressed at how good he is at getting a hold on things. We got him a walker a while back and he's pretty much mastered it already. He loves having the freedom to move around the room as he pleases, however, with that mobility, we have to re-childproof the house because he can suddenly get into things... Isaiah has a wonderful little personality. He has bright blue eyes and loves to smile at everyone. He loves being with his mama and is good at showing love to people. He gives the sweetest hugs! I absolutely love being his mom and I love seeing how much he looks up to his big brother. It's amazing how much he loves being around Zeke and trying to keep up with him. It's going to be fun this summer when they can actually chase each other around.

Nathan and I are doing great. We are learning more and more about each other and how to run a family. Nathan is a great husband, dad, protecter, provider and friend. I'm so thankful for him everyday.

Cookies!!!

I was looking around online trying to find a recipe for cookies that don't contain flour, sugar or dairy and I ran across this blog. I ended up tweaking it a bit and came up with this!

Raisin Spice Cookies

1 c. Almond Meal

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 Tbs unsweetened Apple sauce (for a chewier cookie, use 1 tbs Apple Sauce and 1 tbs avocado.)

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1/3 c. Raisins

combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. whisk together egg, vanilla and apple sauce. mix in dry mixture and raisins.

Place tablespoon sized portions on an un-greased cookie sheet (it should make about 20 cookies) and pat down to the preferred shape (they hold whatever shape you give them at the start). Place in the oven at 350 for 8 minutes or until the edges look crispy.

They are so good! the raisins and apple sauce sweeten them just enough! I feel great feeding them to Zeke too! He also thinks they're a smash hit!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. Almond Meal

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 Egg

2 Tbs Unsweetened Apple Sauce

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 c. Chocolate Chips

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. whisk together egg, vanilla and apple sauce. mix in dry mixture and Chocolate Chips.

Place tablespoon sized portions on an un-greased cookie sheet (it should make about 15-20 cookies) and pat down to the preferred shape (they hold whatever shape you give them at the start). Place in the oven at 350 for 8 minutes or until the edges look crispy.

I prefer the raisin ones. They taste like a breakfast muffin or something. I really like them. :)

Selfish Parenting

Isaiah is 20 weeks old today or close to 5 months... He still has bright blue eyes and has such a sweet personality. He's funny, loves to laugh and smile and loves getting his mama's attention! These days when we put him on his back he starts playing with his feet. It's pretty cute. He's getting better at sitting.... he isn't nearly ready to do it on his own, but he wants to and his muscles are developing. =)

He still hasn't rolled from back to front, but I think it's because he doesn't like being on his stomach. He's very good at rolling from front to back and does lots of baby crunches. Isaiah is very vocal. He likes to compete with Zeke for noise levels and attention. I think both boys have been dealing with jealousy issues...

I've realized during the past week and a half why I haven't potty trained Zeke yet. The reason is that I can no longer change his diaper when it's convenient for me. I can't make him last just a little longer at the grocery store or take a little longer on our walks in the stroller or go for a long run. I also hate cleaning up that kind of mess so why would I want to initiate that kind of mess happening in my house for a week plus???

Well, I finally broke down and tried it. A week ago last Monday we started potty training Ezekiel and he is doing amazing! The first 3 days were a mental hell for me trying to read the signs and figure out what Zeke's own personal pee dance looked like, but now we're a pretty good team. Zeke isn't fully trained yet, but he's pretty great at going potty on the toilet. I feel sane again and now I don't have to change a 2 year old's diapers. I think that is pretty awesome. Way to go ZEKE!!
In other news, Nathan and I are participating in a 30 day diet that is supposed to help your body heal from processed foods and so much more. The reason I wanted to do the diet was because I felt like we were too focused on the carbs or grains in our diet and not focused enough on veggies and foods that were good for us. Now we have seven days left. I've lost 15 lbs and I'm pretty sure that my mental function has improved. Nathan and I actually have the energy to have a conversation after the boys are in bed. My cravings for sugary foods have decreased and I've realized that it isn't impossible to make meals every day. I think this diet has shown me that I'm more capable than I thought I was and I've made some pretty awesome foods. Now I'm nervous for Thanksgiving which is the first day off the diet. I don't want those 15 lbs to reappear in the first day! Zeke has been on the diet with us, but not so strictly... We haven't had any bread in the house for the past 23 days so yesterday Zeke came up to me with his shoes and said "We better get going to the restaurant so we can buy some bread. We better get going!!" It was so cute! So I broke down and bought a loaf of bread for Zeke. He's pretty happy. Thankfully though, on this diet, Zeke has discovered that he absolutely loves broccoli, fresh bell peppers and cucumbers. =)

Nathan and I just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! I'm so thankful that I have such a wonderful partner in my life. God has blessed us in our marriage and with 2 amazing little boys and we couldn't be happier.

Team Turgeon & other adventures.

Jesse & Abby got married! They had the most beautiful wedding. These two are so perfect for each other and we really couldn't be happier for Abby. Congratulations you guys!!!

In other news, Isaiah is 3 and a half months now! Time is flying by! He smiles and giggles when I tickle him in the ribs. He is such a happy boy and getting more and more adorable every day. When he gets sad, he sticks out his lower lip before he cries! It's so cute! He rolls over from front to back and tries to sit up, but it just turns out to be a baby crunch. He's so tough! I'm so blessed to have such wonderful, adorable kids.

Zeke has been putting sentences together really well. He loves to lower his voice and say "Hey Mom! What you doin?" Then if I don't answer right away, he'll just repeat "hey Mom, hey Mom" He does the same thing when his grandparents are around. "Hey Grandma! Where are you Grandma?" He is great at drawing. He holds his pen just right and does little circles and then fills them in. Right now, he's practicing the alphabet. =) R is for Rhinoceros!

Nathan is still enjoying his job and has been working on the back yard fence with Tino on the weekends. The fence is looking great!

I've been busy with the kids... Isaiah isn't sleeping well at night yet. Mostly because he's teething I think. He started cutting teeth this weekend so hopefully after these ones come in he'll have a break for a while. We'll see. So I've been tired. Tino & Donna were here over the weekend so I was able to get a few naps in which is really rare! Thanks Donna for watching the boys for me so I could sleep! I already miss it!

I got to go to Amy's Baby shower last weekend! We're so excited for Amy and Matt! You guys are going to be great parents and we can't to wait to meet your little baby Bryner!

I started a Belly Dance class a couple weeks ago! Jem does it so I thought I'd give it a try. The first week was humiliating and frustrating... It's hard to be that coordinated! The second week I actually did ok. We'll see how it goes this week. Jem is amazing at it though. She's been doing it for 4 years I think... I only hope I can do as well as she can some day!

This is as far as my brain will go today. So I shall stop.

Seahawks Win!!!

Our littlest fan encourages the Seahawks to beat the Bears 23-20.