Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
An Early Christmas Surprise!
This is what their M&M's said:
Coming Soon....
Make Way for Baby...
Baby Ladd #3...
Due in August!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Trip to FL
What a special trip we had to see Mommom Nijole and Rawy in Florida this year!! Because we are moving to Nebraska just after Christmas, we felt like it was ok to take the kids out of school a little earlier than normal. We headed to Englewood, FL for a much needed 2 week vacation....time to rest up before the Christmas festivities begin AND the big move! What was even more special about this visit to FL was that we got to see Kevin's brother Jason and his family (wife Karry, kids Aidan (8), Ainsley (6), Hudson (4), and Wilson (2)). We haven't seen Jason et al. since before they moved to Iwakuni, Japan (Jason is a Marine Corps F-18 pilot). Even more interesting, we hadn't met their youngest, Wilson, because he was born while they were stationed there. SO, needless to say, we were thrilled to have some beach time with both Mommom AND the now Phoenix Ladds!! Harrison and Emerson played so well with their 4 Ladd cousins. They spent the days body surfing (which was cool since Ma and Rawy's house doesn't typically have any waves on their beach), boogie boarding, playing in the sand, hunting for sharks teeth, fishing, and of course countless activities that Mommom had all planned out. Oh, and let's not forget the many many warm-up showers in the outdoor shower of the house where Kevin, the kids and I stayed! Thank goodness for that shower! We had a good several days getting reacquainted with the entire family and couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather. We certainly hope that we don't go another 4 years without seeing them!
After the Phoenix Ladds hit the road home, we decided on a spur of the moment Disney trip. Emerson happened to see a commercial on tv for Lego Land that had just opened in FL and asked if we could go. When we looked up the location on the map, we realized it was only another 20 minutes to Disney. We gave the kids the choice of which to visit and they chose Disney. Fortunately, Ma is a member of AAA and a resident of FL so she decided to give this as another Christmas gift to us. Amazing!! (Thanks Ma!) The next morning, we woke up bright and early and jumped in the car. The boys and I sat in the back and slept most of the drive. Kevin drove and had some quality "talk time" with his mama. Win-win. We stopped for breakfast just before we got to Orlando so we would all be nice and full. As we got closer and closer to the park, you could feel it....and see it. Even the posts that hold the power lines up in the air were shaped like Mickey Mouse! I'm not sure who was more excited...the adults or the kids! We parked the car, took the tram up to the monorail, and then the monorail right to the front of the park. When you check in, they ask if this is your first visit to Disney. Ma made sure that they knew it was her grand kids' first visit and they gave them each a button to wear that said "My 1st Visit!" I think the walk up to the front of the castle is emotional for anyone. Excitement, happiness, and for me nostalgia. The last time I went to Disney World was with my parents and my little sis. My mom was pregnant with my twin brothers, though we didn't know it yet. I remember making a wish at the ride "It's a Small World" with a coin my dad gave me. I wished for twin boys. Guess I should tell me Dad that the boys were really my fault. LOL! Anyway, as we walked up to the castle the emotions just washed over me. I was fighting back the tears and Kevin knew it! I was so thankful to Kevin that he agreed to take the boys to Disney and that he understood what it meant to me. I was so happy to be back in a place where I had such happy memories from my own childhood. And I was incredibly happy to provide my own children with happy memories of a day at Disney.
We did just about every ride we could that day. Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain (totally not Harrison's favorite since he rode in the very front, by himself, and just after he had downed a bunch of water....yuck.), tea cups, It's a Small World. you name it. We saw some of the shows that Kevin could remember seeing as a kid, but many I didn't remember. We had lunch and Mickey Mouse ice cream treats, and chocolate covered rice krispie Mickey's as we left.
When we were finally getting to our "max steps" for the day (that's what Kevin calls it), we headed back to the front of the park. We went through a couple of shops to grab some small souveniers....for Emerson, a Mickey Mouse Christmas ornament and Phineas and Ferb pins, and for Harrison, a Mickey Mouse Ears hat ornament and a pair of Mickey fleece-lined Crocs (perfect for tired feet!). As we were leaving Main Street, we turned one last time to say "goodbye" to the castle. We turned just in time to see them light it up with thousands of Christmas lights! Spectacular! Again, here came the tears. My sweet hubby just giggled but was sweet and knew it was partially because I was so happy, partially due to new pregnancy hormones, and partially because I was oh so tired! Have I told you lately how much I love that man?!
We stopped for a quick dinner and then headed home. What a fantastic first trip to Disney! I hope the boys remember that day vividly for many, many years.
The day after Disney was a day of recouperation for all of us. I know Ma was tired, and I was too. Kevin and the boys spent much of the day on the beach fishing and looking for sharks teeth. I pretty much laid on the couch. I felt SO tired and SO nauseas. Thank goodness the nausea didn't start until the day AFTER Disney! I was able to get most of our laundry finished and bags packed so we could leave to head home the next day.
Our flight home was uneventful, and we made it home safe and sound. This is surely a trip we will remember for a long time.
After the Phoenix Ladds hit the road home, we decided on a spur of the moment Disney trip. Emerson happened to see a commercial on tv for Lego Land that had just opened in FL and asked if we could go. When we looked up the location on the map, we realized it was only another 20 minutes to Disney. We gave the kids the choice of which to visit and they chose Disney. Fortunately, Ma is a member of AAA and a resident of FL so she decided to give this as another Christmas gift to us. Amazing!! (Thanks Ma!) The next morning, we woke up bright and early and jumped in the car. The boys and I sat in the back and slept most of the drive. Kevin drove and had some quality "talk time" with his mama. Win-win. We stopped for breakfast just before we got to Orlando so we would all be nice and full. As we got closer and closer to the park, you could feel it....and see it. Even the posts that hold the power lines up in the air were shaped like Mickey Mouse! I'm not sure who was more excited...the adults or the kids! We parked the car, took the tram up to the monorail, and then the monorail right to the front of the park. When you check in, they ask if this is your first visit to Disney. Ma made sure that they knew it was her grand kids' first visit and they gave them each a button to wear that said "My 1st Visit!" I think the walk up to the front of the castle is emotional for anyone. Excitement, happiness, and for me nostalgia. The last time I went to Disney World was with my parents and my little sis. My mom was pregnant with my twin brothers, though we didn't know it yet. I remember making a wish at the ride "It's a Small World" with a coin my dad gave me. I wished for twin boys. Guess I should tell me Dad that the boys were really my fault. LOL! Anyway, as we walked up to the castle the emotions just washed over me. I was fighting back the tears and Kevin knew it! I was so thankful to Kevin that he agreed to take the boys to Disney and that he understood what it meant to me. I was so happy to be back in a place where I had such happy memories from my own childhood. And I was incredibly happy to provide my own children with happy memories of a day at Disney.
We did just about every ride we could that day. Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain (totally not Harrison's favorite since he rode in the very front, by himself, and just after he had downed a bunch of water....yuck.), tea cups, It's a Small World. you name it. We saw some of the shows that Kevin could remember seeing as a kid, but many I didn't remember. We had lunch and Mickey Mouse ice cream treats, and chocolate covered rice krispie Mickey's as we left.
When we were finally getting to our "max steps" for the day (that's what Kevin calls it), we headed back to the front of the park. We went through a couple of shops to grab some small souveniers....for Emerson, a Mickey Mouse Christmas ornament and Phineas and Ferb pins, and for Harrison, a Mickey Mouse Ears hat ornament and a pair of Mickey fleece-lined Crocs (perfect for tired feet!). As we were leaving Main Street, we turned one last time to say "goodbye" to the castle. We turned just in time to see them light it up with thousands of Christmas lights! Spectacular! Again, here came the tears. My sweet hubby just giggled but was sweet and knew it was partially because I was so happy, partially due to new pregnancy hormones, and partially because I was oh so tired! Have I told you lately how much I love that man?!
We stopped for a quick dinner and then headed home. What a fantastic first trip to Disney! I hope the boys remember that day vividly for many, many years.
The day after Disney was a day of recouperation for all of us. I know Ma was tired, and I was too. Kevin and the boys spent much of the day on the beach fishing and looking for sharks teeth. I pretty much laid on the couch. I felt SO tired and SO nauseas. Thank goodness the nausea didn't start until the day AFTER Disney! I was able to get most of our laundry finished and bags packed so we could leave to head home the next day.
Our flight home was uneventful, and we made it home safe and sound. This is surely a trip we will remember for a long time.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving and here come the holidays...
We had a really beautiful Thanksgiving dinner here at home this year. It was my turn to cook for us and the Newsom's, so I spent the few days before Thanksgiving prepping everything for our meal. In addition to our 4 and the Newsom's 4, Amy's mom Rebecca was in town with her boyfriend Riley and his 2 kids Montanna and Cody, so we had a total of 12 for dinner. Here's what the menu looked like:
A Brined 22 lb. Turkey
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Fried Okra
Deviled Eggs
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Pecan Pie
Banana Creme Pie
Ultimate Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
After dinner and dessert, Kevin made a nice warm fire in the fire pit out in the back yard. That night, everyone went to bed with full bellies!
Instead of heading out to tackle Christmas shopping at 12am like we did the last few years, Amy and I decided it would be better to catch a couple z's first. We planned to meet at 5am and head out then, but she texted me at 3:00 am saying "I'm awake and gonna head to Walmart, Wanna go?" I texted her right back since I was laying in bed awake like a kid on Christmas Eve. I got up, got dressed, and picked her up by 3:30! I got ALL of my shopping DONE and was home by noon! Once home, I showered up and Kevin, the kids, and I headed over to the Newsom's for some LSU/Arkanasas football....we showed up bearing leftovers.
On Saturday, we ran out and picked up a $40 fake Christmas tree at Walmart. We decided to go light on the Christmas decorations this year since we will be in FL for almost 2 weeks before Christmas. We spent the evening watching "Christmas Vacation" and decorating the tree. Both boys loved going through their boxes of ornaments they have collected over the past years. Each year I give them both a new ornament. I try to give them one that reflects either something they did or loved for that year. This year Harrison got a fishing lure ornament that I bought for him on our vacation to Idaho. I chose this because of the "big" fishing trip he went on with Kevin while we were there. Emerson's ornament this year was figurines from a show that he loves called Phineas and Ferb. It has Phineas and Ferb in a little roller coaster car...very cute. They both loved decorating the tree so much that Emerson was asking to decorate some more the next morning! I have a feeling this is going to be another amazing Christmas season!
A Brined 22 lb. Turkey
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Fried Okra
Deviled Eggs
Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Pecan Pie
Banana Creme Pie
Ultimate Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
After dinner and dessert, Kevin made a nice warm fire in the fire pit out in the back yard. That night, everyone went to bed with full bellies!
Instead of heading out to tackle Christmas shopping at 12am like we did the last few years, Amy and I decided it would be better to catch a couple z's first. We planned to meet at 5am and head out then, but she texted me at 3:00 am saying "I'm awake and gonna head to Walmart, Wanna go?" I texted her right back since I was laying in bed awake like a kid on Christmas Eve. I got up, got dressed, and picked her up by 3:30! I got ALL of my shopping DONE and was home by noon! Once home, I showered up and Kevin, the kids, and I headed over to the Newsom's for some LSU/Arkanasas football....we showed up bearing leftovers.
On Saturday, we ran out and picked up a $40 fake Christmas tree at Walmart. We decided to go light on the Christmas decorations this year since we will be in FL for almost 2 weeks before Christmas. We spent the evening watching "Christmas Vacation" and decorating the tree. Both boys loved going through their boxes of ornaments they have collected over the past years. Each year I give them both a new ornament. I try to give them one that reflects either something they did or loved for that year. This year Harrison got a fishing lure ornament that I bought for him on our vacation to Idaho. I chose this because of the "big" fishing trip he went on with Kevin while we were there. Emerson's ornament this year was figurines from a show that he loves called Phineas and Ferb. It has Phineas and Ferb in a little roller coaster car...very cute. They both loved decorating the tree so much that Emerson was asking to decorate some more the next morning! I have a feeling this is going to be another amazing Christmas season!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Happy Halloween....in November!
So it decided to snow here in CT a couple days before Halloween. Lots of towns were again without power (Hurricane Irene had also hit us this year leaving many without power for over a week....not us though!). Because of the snow, and the lack of power to areas in Norwalk, the mayor "recommended" that Halloween be observed the Saturday following October 31st on November 5th. This year Harrison was Harry Potter and Emerson decided to be Toad from Super Mario Brothers. Originally, Emerson really wanted to be a character from a show that Daddy likes called "Dr. Who" that plays on the BBC Network. He wanted to be a "Dalek", a mean robot that goes around saying "EXTERMINATE". Let me just tell you how difficult it is to find a costume for a kid from a show that doesn't really play in this country. :) SO, after some convincing, he decided on Toad. The Newsom girls, Jasmyn and Jayda, came over to trick or treat with the boys too. The haul wasn't as big as it usually is, but they still got plenty of candy. Here are a few pics....
Daddy and Emerson carved these pumpkins for Halloween too. Daddy carved "Bowser" from Super Mario Brothers on Harrison's pumpkin and "Boo" from Super Mario Brothers on Emerson's pumpkin. Pretty good job, Daddy!
Daddy and Emerson carved these pumpkins for Halloween too. Daddy carved "Bowser" from Super Mario Brothers on Harrison's pumpkin and "Boo" from Super Mario Brothers on Emerson's pumpkin. Pretty good job, Daddy!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Where in the world are the Ladd boys????
So sorry to the lack of posting. As it turns out, kids get busier as they get bigger! (Hey, if I'm taking over this blog, that's gonna be my story! lol) So from now on, Mommy is taking over! :) Here are a few peeks at what we've been up to over the past few months (along with my promise to be better at blogging!!)
May 2011, My Graduation from Nursing School
Jessy & Carl came and brought Trey and Riseley
Georgi & Jon came and brought Lexi and Emma
Dad came too!
We had a great New England clam bake in the back yard the afternoon of graduation and then on Saturday we took the kiddos to a Bridgeport Bluefish Baseball game!
In June, Kevin was away for work for a month! The last week of June we decided to head to see him in Omaha, NE. We had a blast! We went to the Omaha Zoo, spent a lot of time at the hotel pool, went to a place called "The Pizza Machine" (kind of like a Chuck-E-Cheese), and we even went to CoCo Keys one afternoon.
I also went to my cousin George's wedding in June. He married Karen, who we just love. It was too bad Kevin couldn't make it since he was in Omaha, but we had fun just the same. Here's a pic of the groom from the reception, the Mother of the Groom (Aunt Lori) with the Best Man (George's son "Little George), and some of the cousins, and Uncle Matt, that were able to make it to the wedding (at a bar afterwards!)
In June, I took, and passed my boards! I'm officially a RN!!!
Once back from NE, we headed to McCall, Idaho for our summer vacation together. What a much needed break for us all! Melissa and Lawson were even able to meet us for the week! It was a beautiful place and one we'd love to return to!
In July, Harrison went to Camp Jewell for a week of sleep away camp. He was so excited to go away by himself for a whole week and had a blast (even though I worried about him being there without knowing anyone). He made lots of new friends and is dying to go back next summer for TWO WEEKS! Emerson is pretty interested in going next summer too. We'll see....
When Harrison got home from camp, it was his birthday! We took Mommom Lenor and Poppop Ladd to a Yankees game! Happy 8th Birthday Harrison! Where does the time go???
August brought me and the kids down to NC for a week and a half. We were invited to stay down at the beach with "Nona" (Kathy Hartenstine), Melissa, Chris & Lawson, Julie, Tim, Kyler & Brady. What a blast we had! The house and company was perfect! Nothing says "summer" like a NC beach! In addition to hitting the beach and pool every day, we went to the Fort Fischer Aquarium. Oh, and Julie and Tim got engaged!! So excited for them! They make a beautiful couple and Kyler and Brady are lucky to get another "Mama" to love them! Congrats Julie and Tim!
We also decided to put our house on the market at the beginning of August because...
Kevin flew back to Omaha in August to be presented with an award for all of his hard work (and a month away from home working 20 hour days/7 days a week!) We are so proud of him and apparently so is InfoGroup!
At the end of August, the boys headed back to school! Emerson is now in 1st grade in Mrs. Kovlakas' class (we <3 her!) and Harrison is in 3rd grade in Ms. Dean's class. Both boys are reading like crazy! Harrison has recently read "A Wrinkle in Time", some of the "Warrior" series books, some of the "How to Train Your Dragon" series books, and he's now reading "Rifles for Watie". He was selected to participate in his school's "Academically Talented" program (he's the only one from his class!) and the Strings program. He just got his violin last week! Emerson just started his 1st year of Cub Scouts. He is a Tiger Scout and LOVES it!! Here are a few pics. I'll have to get a pic of Harrison with his violin and post it soon. He starts his lessons on Monday!
That about sums it up! I promise to be a better blogger....or at least TRY! ;)
May 2011, My Graduation from Nursing School
Jessy & Carl came and brought Trey and Riseley
Georgi & Jon came and brought Lexi and Emma
Dad came too!
We had a great New England clam bake in the back yard the afternoon of graduation and then on Saturday we took the kiddos to a Bridgeport Bluefish Baseball game!
In June, Kevin was away for work for a month! The last week of June we decided to head to see him in Omaha, NE. We had a blast! We went to the Omaha Zoo, spent a lot of time at the hotel pool, went to a place called "The Pizza Machine" (kind of like a Chuck-E-Cheese), and we even went to CoCo Keys one afternoon.
I also went to my cousin George's wedding in June. He married Karen, who we just love. It was too bad Kevin couldn't make it since he was in Omaha, but we had fun just the same. Here's a pic of the groom from the reception, the Mother of the Groom (Aunt Lori) with the Best Man (George's son "Little George), and some of the cousins, and Uncle Matt, that were able to make it to the wedding (at a bar afterwards!)
In June, I took, and passed my boards! I'm officially a RN!!!
Once back from NE, we headed to McCall, Idaho for our summer vacation together. What a much needed break for us all! Melissa and Lawson were even able to meet us for the week! It was a beautiful place and one we'd love to return to!
In July, Harrison went to Camp Jewell for a week of sleep away camp. He was so excited to go away by himself for a whole week and had a blast (even though I worried about him being there without knowing anyone). He made lots of new friends and is dying to go back next summer for TWO WEEKS! Emerson is pretty interested in going next summer too. We'll see....
When Harrison got home from camp, it was his birthday! We took Mommom Lenor and Poppop Ladd to a Yankees game! Happy 8th Birthday Harrison! Where does the time go???
August brought me and the kids down to NC for a week and a half. We were invited to stay down at the beach with "Nona" (Kathy Hartenstine), Melissa, Chris & Lawson, Julie, Tim, Kyler & Brady. What a blast we had! The house and company was perfect! Nothing says "summer" like a NC beach! In addition to hitting the beach and pool every day, we went to the Fort Fischer Aquarium. Oh, and Julie and Tim got engaged!! So excited for them! They make a beautiful couple and Kyler and Brady are lucky to get another "Mama" to love them! Congrats Julie and Tim!
We also decided to put our house on the market at the beginning of August because...
Kevin flew back to Omaha in August to be presented with an award for all of his hard work (and a month away from home working 20 hour days/7 days a week!) We are so proud of him and apparently so is InfoGroup!
At the end of August, the boys headed back to school! Emerson is now in 1st grade in Mrs. Kovlakas' class (we <3 her!) and Harrison is in 3rd grade in Ms. Dean's class. Both boys are reading like crazy! Harrison has recently read "A Wrinkle in Time", some of the "Warrior" series books, some of the "How to Train Your Dragon" series books, and he's now reading "Rifles for Watie". He was selected to participate in his school's "Academically Talented" program (he's the only one from his class!) and the Strings program. He just got his violin last week! Emerson just started his 1st year of Cub Scouts. He is a Tiger Scout and LOVES it!! Here are a few pics. I'll have to get a pic of Harrison with his violin and post it soon. He starts his lessons on Monday!
That about sums it up! I promise to be a better blogger....or at least TRY! ;)
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