The Murphsters

Dress-Up

2012-01-18T23:39:00.001-06:00

Maddie loves to play dress-up these days. You can see she has interesting taste. :)

Snow & Fun with Grandma and Grandpa

2012-01-17T22:20:00.004-06:00

The kids were so excited about the snow we got last week. They got to play in it a little with my mom and then went out again this weekend. Justin's parents were here helping us finish the other part of the basement!! THANK YOU! The kids had fun making sugar cookies with grandma and eating the icing!

Quote of the Day

2012-01-16T15:56:00.001-06:00

Clayton: "Mommy, did you have a power sneeze?"
Me: "WHAT?"
Clayton: "When you sneezed steam came out like the power plants"

Monday Funday!

2012-01-16T15:42:00.003-06:00

I have been bad about posting and even worse about typing anything. We have been super busy, which I think I say every time I post. I just got back from a week in St. Louis working. Then we had some basement finishing that happened this weekend thanks to grandma and grandpa. We have lots of plans this week and then we head to Indianapolis on Saturday for a little overnight trip to go to the Children's Museum. The kids are really excited.

Today is a holiday for me! Love these days when I can half ignore my i-phone and email. We started out the day with some painting. Then we headed to the barber to have Clayton's hair cut/fixed. (That will be another post) Our next stop was the bowling alley to have some fun with some of the mom's in the Peoria Mom's Club I belong to. (GREAT ORGANIZATION!) I didn't get great pics at the bowling alley as it isn't easy bowling by yourself with a two little kids. Clayton did awesome! He got second place beating 2 adults and another toddler. :) Mommy won :) He starts his All Star Sports class this evening. No pressure, but a scholarship would sure be nice.

Maddie wasn't especially excited to have her pic taken today. Had to get one though of her in the cute vest from grandma and grandpa and her awesome Toms she got for Christmas from Anna Banana and Uncle David!

Fun Winter Day With Mimi!

2012-01-12T13:33:00.003-06:00

Normal January Day

2012-01-10T19:26:00.001-06:00

AFTER!!!!!!

2012-01-04T13:51:00.001-06:00

Love my new appliances! I have to say I don't know how I cooked without gas before.

Before

2011-12-19T18:47:00.002-06:00

Cheeseball in a Party Skirt

2011-11-13T09:19:00.000-06:00

First Painting Project

2011-11-06T10:50:00.002-06:00

So I needed a plant stand for our Peace Lilly since we don't have any half walls like we had in our old house. I found this one at a garage sale for $5, but it was green. Sherwin Williams was having a 40% off sale this weekend and I am testing colors for our walls and bought a sample. Their samples are usually $5 but only like $3 on sale. I was able to use my left over sample to paint the stand a really nice cream. So my first painting project was a whopping $8!!! Love it!

Big Dog, Little Chair

2011-11-02T06:25:00.003-05:00

We were all in Clayton's room reading last night and Keely was tired. She didn't want to get on the bed, shocking. :) So this is where she picked. I don't think this is what Pottery Barn had in mind for their toddler chair. She is so funny. Love you Keely.

Motor Mites

2011-10-31T15:47:00.004-05:00

I just can't say enough about the community we have moved into. It is a stay-at-home-mom Dream World and awesome for the family too. Once work slows down we will be able to enjoy soo many more activities. We have been here less than 3 months and I could be busy every single day with a million things. One great thing the Peoria Park District does is, Motor Mites. This is an awesome idea for the winter months, or rainy days. On M, W & Friday they have a kids open gym with tons of scooters, mats, slides, basketball hoops, and much more. You can bring your kids, they can play and you can chat up other moms! GREAT FUN FOR ALL!

More Pics from Galena Halloween

2011-10-31T15:45:00.002-05:00

Not the best pics since they came from my phone, but thought I would add. Hope Miss Sue at the Owners Club doesnt mind her clown pic :)

Halloween Fun!

2011-10-30T21:55:00.008-05:00

We continued the tradition of spending Halloween weekend with my family. This year we relocated the fun from Savoy to Galena. The kids were able to go to a AWESOME Halloween party at the Owners Club where Aunt Anna and Uncle David just had their big party. :) The kids had so much fun decorating cupcakes, seeing the other kids dressed up, playing games, eating snacks and doing crafts. We also went to the biggest Halloween Parade in Illinois, in Galena. It was crazy how many people were there. The kids loved it and Uncle David helped Clayton score some candy. Of course we had to have an adult activity so we hit the Galena Brewing company afterwards a few beers for the adults and some fun music for the kids.

Can't go to Galena without seeing Great-Mimi and Great-Papa. We all went to the farm so Justin could help get the blind up and do some target shooting. Maddie and Clayton had fun exploring in the yard and playing with Great-Mimi. I think Maddie rearranged her chair, arm covers about a million times. Clayton got to snack on venison his favorite!

Clayton would be upset if I didn't mention Billy the Bull, his and Mimi's good friend & Farmer Thoele's Pumpkin. Let's just say Anna and I were about to loose it as mom was hanging out the window yelling at this HUGE bull, talking like they were old friends. :)

Thanks mom and dad, we had a blast! Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

I Don't Like My Room

2011-10-25T07:19:00.003-05:00

Clayton has decided that he doesn't really like his room and doesn't want to sleep there. Ha, I wish it was my room since it is the only one we have completly finished right now. So it is both funny and scary where I find him sleeping these days. Here are a couple of pics of his recent nap locations. Maybe they should build toddler cribs for this phase. :)

Crafting Project #1!!!

2011-10-09T13:23:00.009-05:00

What a great weekend! I can't even begin to say how much I love being closer to my sister and brother-in-law! Anna was able to come over yesterday and stay the night. The kids loved playing with her and we got to have some sister time too! We did our first craft project. (Credit goes to Deanne Panther for the idea!) This is super easy, super cheap and tons of fun!!! We can even take our berries and flowers off after fall and put something Christmas on it, with a different ribbon to re purpose it. Mine is a cream since my door is darker. Anna's is on the right, she went with a darker burlap because her door is cream. Pics arent the greatest, they are from our cell phones. All you need is:

1 1/2 yards burlap (Whatever color works for your door)

10-14 inch Styrofoam wreath

Box of 100 pins with a head so it wont go all the way through

Ribbon to tie the wreath up if you want

We got the 3M hooks at Michaels and they had the nice bronze finish on clearance

Go to the link below for pictures on how to make the pieces

http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/2011/07/burlap-bubble-wreath-tutorial.html

Justin & I

2011-10-03T06:36:00.003-05:00

So the focus of this blog is usually the kids. Lets be honest, I know that is why most people check it. They want pics and fun news about Maddie and Clayton. :) I thought I would take a second to share how busy and great work has been for Justin and I though.

Justin started with BNSF last October! Wow, it is hard to believe it has been a year. While the journey was a bit longer than we hoped, our destination is incredible! We love being back in Illinois and LOVE the Dunlap/Edwards area. Justin has been really busy at work and loves the new challenges that working for the railroad bring. The claims he sees are very different than the insurance business, that is for sure. We love to hear his stories and Clayton is over the moon that daddy works for Sir Topham Hatt! Justin has worked so hard that he was given a promotion back in September. We are so proud of him and thank him so much for all his hard work so we can be back in the IL! Oh, and thanks Uncle Warren, you have a great company!

Yes, besides staying home with my adorable kiddos, I am also working. Things have been nuts. It was official on Friday that Ingersoll Rand the parent company I worked for, sold off their Hussmann division to be a stand alone company. Hussmann manufactures the refrigerator units you see in a lot of grocery stores. Next time you are in Hyvee look! :) It is cool to work for a company that really does have an effect on our everyday lives. It is amazing the technology and innovation that is needed to keep food costs down and keep food fresh from "farm to fork". I am now working as a HR Specialist for Hussmann and couldn't be happier. (Just celebrated 5 years with them in September. Time flies!) The next few months will be filled with work and possibly travel, but I do enjoy using my "adult" brain. I couldn't be luckier though to be able to spend all this time with Clayton and Maddie. I can't imagine not being able to see them grow, learn and play together everyday.

Well, that is enough. :) More posts to come on the kiddos!

Family Fun

2011-09-28T09:56:00.003-05:00

I can't take credit for the idea, my great friend Megan got us a subscription to Family Fun magazine. It is a cool magazine full of ideas that are actually reasonable to do. The kids loved making these and they were super easy. All you need is a canning jar, masking tape and acrylic paint. Total cost because I bought smooth canning jars was $3. I had the ribbon laying around so I through it on. Just put masking tape on the jar in any shape to make eyes, nose and mouth. Let the kids go to town painting and then let it dry. We put tea lights in them and lit them last night. The kids love it!

Crafty Sarah

2011-09-27T14:51:00.003-05:00

I really don't have enough to do in life, so I have decided to be crafty and do home improvements. :) Dear lord, I am crazy. I am actually loving doing this stuff and it kind of gives me a break from reality. So stay tuned, I have lots and lots of ideas. The pic here is my ugly laundry room. I have already taken down the boarder, but it is small and not enjoyable to spend the amount of time I am usually in there. :)

Also working on some fall crafts, some with the kids and some on my own. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Fun Fun Day at Tanners Orchard

2011-09-25T07:43:00.006-05:00

We spent a great Saturday at Tanners Orchard! It was a bit cool, but that also meant there weren't a million people. The kids loved it! They enjoyed seeing the goats, playing on all the equipment, eating yummy cider donuts, playing in the pumpkins and much more. Clayton's favorite was the barrel ride, I think he would have done that all day. Maddie loved playing in the wooden trains.

We also got quite a bit done yesterday. I was able to finish the work on the holes left in the wall by the previous owners decorations in the kitchen. Then I painted it. I also got the first layer of the boarder down in the laundry room. It didn't come down as clean as I hoped, so more work to do. I am hoping for a great before and after to show you!

We finished off the night with a fun fire pit so it has already been a great weekend. We are headed today to Lincoln to have lunch with Justin's mom for her bday! Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

PS Did I mention how happy we are here! LOVE IT!

Whirl Wind Week & Weekend

2011-09-19T13:35:00.002-05:00

Wow, it has been a hectic and fun week/weekend. The kids and I started off the week playing at the park with a neighbor. I flew out to Charlotte, NC for work on Tuesday and the kids got to spend a fun day at home with Justin. My parents came in on Wednesday night and stayed till yesterday. (Yes, best mimi & papa ever!) I flew back in Friday afternoon and then Justin picked me up and we drove to Chicago for one a wedding. We had so much fun as you can see below, Justin was in the wedding. Great couple, great food, great dancing oh and of course great drinks. :) Clayton & Maddie had a blast with Mimi and Papa. They went to the park, had picnics, got ice cream, Papa Murphys pizza, road bikes and much more. My mom and dad hadn't been gone for 2 minutes and Clayton was asking when we could go to their house. :) While I was gone, Clayton started pre-school. (tear) That will be another post. They are growing too fast!

We have a fun week this week too. Story time, Kate & Nora are coming and much more!

10 Years Later

2011-09-15T05:55:00.004-05:00

Wow, what a difference 10 years can make. We were excited back in August to get together with two of my great friends/roommates from college. Instead of going to Murphys and drinking Long Islands, we were all running around after the 5 kids we have between the 3 of us. We had so much fun in Lincoln seeing Marissa and Jeremy. (They just moved back from Germany!) The kids had a blast seeing the balloon glow. Just wish we could all be together more often!

Daddy Fashion

2011-09-14T18:32:00.002-05:00

Daddy is teaching Madeline all about fashion and updos while mommy is away for work. :)

TROUBLE! :)

2011-09-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

We love these 2 so much!

Fun at the Dairy Farm

2011-09-10T23:54:00.003-05:00

The kids and I had a blast on Friday going with a local moms group to a dairy farm. They got to see and touch sheep, cows, chickens, a dog, kittens and got to see some beautiful horses. We are loving our new neighborhood and are so happy about the move.

We had a busy Saturday too. I drove to Bloomington to buy a vacuum, so glad that is over. :) Then we headed to see baby Nora for a bit and then to Nora Beeler's 1st Birthday party (confusing). The kids had so much fun playing outside and running around with the other kids. Of course the cake was great too!

To top it off it was a great day of football and Justin & Clayton are all ready for the Bears game tomorrow! We love the fall!

CLOSING DAY-FRIDAY!

2011-08-11T13:42:00.017-05:00

WE ARE MOVING INTO A HOUSE!!!! If you are reading this we probably already closed since we are doing it bright and early Friday morning. We are excited can you tell?!?!? Here is a rundown on our new digs in Edwards/Dunlap Illinois.

We are in one of the best school districts in the state

We live 1.8 miles from the Shops at Grand Prairie

There is still a brand new library really close

We feel like we are in the country (horses, cows and barns right around the corner)

There are TONS of young families in the subdivision

We have a great size yard with a vegetable garden

We will have bedroom doors to shut again!!!!!!!!!!! BEST PART

We already have Clayton signed up for preschool, 2 days a week for a couple of hours.

I can hardly wait to get there. I have found so much for the kids to do. We only wish we could transplant Bob and Donna with us. :)

I am guessing my posting won't improve much until we have settled in. I have lots of projects, etc planned. Plus we owe about a million people dinner and drinks for the last 10 months so I will hopefully be entertaining a lot! Hope everyone enjoys the last days of summer.

Oh My Son

2011-08-05T14:29:00.002-05:00

So Clayton got a book from his Mimi from our vacation to the beach in North Carolina. It is about loggerhead turtles and how they come to the beaches in North Carolina to lay their eggs. It is written like a journal from a women who is on the "Turtle Team" that helps to protect the nests, etc. So he has insisted that we read this book every day for nap and night, even if we read another book first the turtle book must be read. I love the book, but twice a day everyday is a bit much. So today I was tired and thought I could do some mommy editing to make it just a little bit shorter. HA I am reading along and he says "Mommy, you missed the part where they talk about the Star fish being able to regrow his legs". Seriously? He knew exactly where it should have been in the story. So much for editing. :) I love how he loves to read! Thanks Mimi, he is for sure your little Scientist!

Can We Go Back

2011-08-04T08:09:00.007-05:00

After a long week and a half. I think most of us wish we were back at the beach. I was looking at pictures trying to pretend I was there again and wanted to share some more. If you need an explanation of why we love this vacation so much or how wonderful a family we have, look at this first picture. Every night we all sat down at one table for dinner and enjoyed every minute. Yes, all 14 adults and 2 children! Also had to include a pic of Clayton and his very expensive swimming instructor. :) Last but not least a pic that shows how much my kids LOVE the ocean! Happy Thursday!

Saying Goodbye to St. Peters

2011-08-03T19:08:00.007-05:00

So, I am really behind on posts. I don't know where to start and then the fact that my camera is a goner doesn't help. Thankfully my memory card was salvaged, I just haven't gotten an adapter to load from that to my computer. So, I thought it was long over due (2 months) that I did our say goodbye to St. Peters post.

I lived in STL for 8 years, Justin for 5 years, Clayton 3 and Maddie about 6-12 months depending if you count living there 1 week a month for 6 months. :)

I am much better at lists so we will do a list.

Here are a few things we will miss about the STL!

Friends! We met and became friends with some wonderful people who supported us through some horrible times. We can never thank them enough. We will always stay in touch!

Grandma Diane, I mean she even loved Keely! :)

Sue Sue, when the kids went to a babysitter it was SueSue. They love her tons and of course Bruiser Bear the dog.

The library was 1 min away, that was awesome.

The zoo, the parks, the museums, all the great things to do that you don't necessarily get in a small community

The Cardinals! Who would have thought I would be at the World Series game that yes the Cardinals lost, but Boston broke the curse. We sat in awesome seats my company gave us, took both kids to their first games.

Our house, it wasn't the biggest or the greatest, but we had fun there! Clayton said it was his favorite. :)

Shopping :) Oh I miss my PotteryBarn

Cheap gas

Low Sales taxes

Voting in a Republican State

The Arch

25 cent sodas when the Cardinals scored 6 runs

St. Louis Childrens Hospital (Yes, I will still be calling them)

What I won't miss!

It was 108 there regular temp yesterday. (My theory I can always add clothing when it is cold, but I can only take off so much and not get arrested) I HATE the summers there. I know it sounds crazy but there can easily be a 15 degree or more difference between Peoria and there.

I do not care nor will I ever care where you went to highschool. I went to University of Illinois and if you ask me where I went to school that will be the answer.

Personal Property Taxes

Being far from so many friends and family! We have been able to spend so much more time in Galena with my parents and grandparents!

Sunshine Slowdown (Seriously, people cant drive when the sun is out?)

Traffic

I am sure I missed a million things, I am tired, but wanted to get this on. So we closed on our house on June 7. It had been a long 8 months. The wonderful BNSF paid movers packed and moved all of our stuff into storage that week. Wow, all I know is my parents had already said they wouldn't move me again so the movers were a blessing. (Side note in the 8 years I lived there I was in 4 different apartments and a house. All of these moves seemed to happen in the STL summer heat. I was crazy!) I don't think I can ever move without movers again! Stay tuned to our stuff coming out of storage soon!

Clayton Family Beach Vacation 2011!

2011-07-24T13:10:00.001-05:00

We are sadly home from the beach. We had so much fun on vacation. We have the best family! The kids loved the ocean. I will get more pics up soon. My camera took a dip in the ocean. :(

Camping

2011-06-20T13:25:00.003-05:00

The kids love pretending to camp in their "tents". They usually have all their friend, stuffed animals in the tent with them and bring all their plastic fake food too. :) Maddie wrecks the tents a lot. It is so fun to watch them play together. They usually do a great job until Maddie starts just taking Clayton's stuff.

Clayton's Photography

2011-06-20T12:41:00.001-05:00

Clayton really likes taking pictures himself now. Warning, if you don't like your nose, don't let him take your picture. :)

Easter, Yes it was Couple of Months Ago

2011-06-16T07:22:00.004-05:00

We had a great Easter at Mimi and Papa's. The whole family was there and we had a Easter egg hunt, decorated eggs, went to an Easter party and much more. Clayton and Maddie loved the decorated cupcake. Enjoy the pics. I am trying to catch up! :)

Maddie's 1 Year Pics

2011-06-14T09:19:00.003-05:00

I am super excited about Madeline's 1 Year pics. They turned out great and we got some good pics of Clayton and all of us!

http://tstoff.photobiz.com/cart/event_login.cfm?eventID=750310

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I know I know, Where have I been?

2011-06-02T15:29:00.002-05:00

I have been absent from the blog, jeez only one post in May. I now have 2 theories on why people aren't blogging. They are either prego or moving. Don't worry I am only doing the second one. The movers are here, it is official on Tuesday that we will be "homeless" and no longer residents of Missouri. Oh it is so crazy. We are excited, nervous and all kinds of other emotions. Who knew 8 years. Yep, I have lived in St. Louis for 8 years. Ask any of my Aerotek counterparts and they would have said I wouldn't be here for more than 6 months. It is no secret I have my issues with St. Louis, but it is a good place and I have had lots and lots of good times here. I will be spending a little time posting about it so we have it for our blog book, but for now the focus is the movers getting all of our stuff packed and to storage and enjoying the weekend. We have tickets to the Cards/Cubs game Saturday behind the dugout. Good way to end our time here!

Happy Girl

2011-05-09T15:17:00.002-05:00

If that doesn't make you smile, nothing will!

Happy Monday!

2011-05-09T11:03:00.014-05:00

The weather is warm and we can start wearing new clothes. Hope everyone has a good week!

Man Time on the Deck

2011-05-02T09:41:00.001-05:00

Our 1 Year Old

2011-05-02T09:36:00.001-05:00

Taking pictures with 2 children is so much harder. I am finding out I didnt do a good job of taking pics on the kids birthdays. I did do a video of all of Maddie's Birthday decorations, but no pics. Here are a few good family pictures on her big day!

The Flower Girl Might Just Walk Down the Aisle

2011-04-28T00:11:00.004-05:00

Yep, that's right! On Wednesday, April 27 our little girl took her first big girl steps! I have to say while this makes me a little sad to see my baby growing up, but I am super excited! I do smile at the idea of not feeling I need to wash her hands every 2 seconds because they are always on the ground! It was sooo cute she walked to mama! I love her and Clayton is excited he might have a flower girl to walk with at Anna Banana & Uncle Davids Wedding!

Talking Todder Tuesday II

2011-04-26T14:43:00.002-05:00

So my dad said that I wasn't telling everyone "all" the things Clayton said. I think he thought I was editing. :) I will share some things from the last week that will show this is not true! :)

Clayton: Mommy there is Boo Boo Butt
Mommy: Clayton we don't say that. You can call her Boo Boo Bear
Clayton: Daddy tells me that (meaning not to say that), but you laugh when I say it
NICE

Forgot this one from a couple of weeks ago
Mommy: Clayton do you want to get a new room and move to a new house? We are selling our house in St. Louis.
Clayton: No, Daddy should sell his "work house"
Oh don't we wish it was that simple

Clayton got a bubble maker from his Super Aunt Jane, Uncle Bill, Chris and Sean. He LOVES it. We were driving home from the post office after picking it up and he told me it was a sump pump. :)

We went on a walk today, thank goodness it was nice enough to get outside. I would like to live in a desert for awhile. Clayton wasn't listening to me and we needed to get back to the car. Once we were in the car:
Clayton: Mommy I wasn't listening
Mommy: I know, how come
Clayton: I was too busy

Scary thing, he is just like his mom! Hope everyone is having a good week.

Talking Toddler Tuesday

2011-04-19T12:40:00.002-05:00

It is time for confessions. I am super bad when it comes to baby books. I consider myself organized and OCD, but for some reason struggled with updating baby books. I will say I justify this or make it ok in my head because I keep this blog and do a decent job with pictures so the kids will have these to look at someday. I am super excited about the new sites that turn your blog into a book. I had thought about trying it on my own, but anything that slaps it in a book for me I am grateful for!

So, I decided I need to start blogging about things that the kids say and do so we will have that to remember too. So here are some recent highlights:

Clayton: Mommy we have to take care of babies
Mommy: Yes we do
Clayton: I take care of Boo Boo and you take care of Daddy :)

Yesterday we were walking out the door to go to run an errand. I had both kids and the dog and Keely was pulling. I was getting frustrated and Clayton says "Mommy I have your back".

Clayton sometimes forgets to use his manners and I will say "Clayton how do we ask" so now every time he asks for something it goes like this:
Clayton: Mommy can I have some milk
Clayton: How do I ask?
Clayton: Please can I have some milk
(Seems like a lot more work, but hey if it means he uses his manners I will take it)

Mommy and Daddy were "discussing" something the other night and Clayton says "Daddy calm down" HA

Maddie Boo can't talk yet, but Clayton sure talks for her sometimes. She is so funny and is starting to really let us know what she likes and doesn't like. She is not afraid of anything. She got a Little Tikes rocking chair for her birthday and she loves to get in it and stand up. Oh boy!

Ok, well more funny stuff to come, and some birthday posts too! Sure hope this weather gets better!

Birthdays, Birthdays and More Birthdays

2011-04-14T13:24:00.008-05:00

There are many days that I could describe life with a Berenstain Bears Book Title. Right now it would be "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday". :) Don't get me wrong, we have had a blast. I just dont want to see a cake, ballon, or a child that has had too much sugar or received too many gifts for awhile.

This will be multiple posts as even though the kids share their birthdays over a week period I try to give them their own day. This year Clayton picked out his theme. Of course Thomas the Train and we did the classic Madeline party for Maddie Boo. Even with the craziness that is our life right now, we managed to make the invites, get the custom made cakes, decorate the "work house" for both bdays and Justin even made Ribs for the family birthday celebration in St. Peters.

We are now settled back in and making the last push at selling the house. We have a deadline of April 29, and if it doesn't sell we are pulling it off and trying to rent it out. It is time for the Murphys to be in a house and settled in! Clayton starts swim lessons tonight so we have a lot of fun things going on.

Hope everyone is enjoying this great spring weather!

Super Aunt Barb

2011-04-07T07:05:00.001-05:00

This trait came from Super Aunt Barb, and yes she did suck on a piece. Yuck!

Lots of Fun, Lots of Pictures

2011-04-04T15:23:00.007-05:00

We got to spend a long weekend in March at Mimi and Papas! We had so much fun. Clayton watched basketball with Uncle David (See Boo Boo in the corner of the pic), we took gator rides, Maddie loved rocking in the rocking chair at Mimi's house, Clayton helped clear brush at the farm, cleaned out the birdhouses (Clayton liked watching the mice run out) and he has a new best friend MAMA KITTY. Yes that is right the kid who has hated cats his whole life now loves one! Mama Kitty belongs to Clayton's Great Mimi and Papa. She is one spoiled farm cat. She has a "nanny" when my grandparents are out of town who comes to feed her and pet her. She has beds in the barn and corn crib. Clayton got to feed and brush her. Clayton talks about Mama Kitty all the time now and can't wait to get back to Galena for Easter so he can see Great Mimi, Great Papa and Mama Kitty.

Great Weekend

2011-04-04T07:46:00.004-05:00

We had a great weekend. Justin has been on call for the last 2 weeks helping to cover for a co-worker one of the weeks while he was on vacation. So we were excited to be able to relax and do some fun things. On Saturday we met Anna Banana and Uncle David in Bloomington and went to the Childrens Museum. It is fantastic! There is so much to do for everyone including Maddie's age all the way up to Uncle David. :) The highlights were definitly the water and paint play. However Clayton really got into making pizzas and grocery shopping. Hum, mommy would love to pass on that job duty to him! We then went for a yummy lunch at our favorite Irish pub which is about 10 steps from the museum. Can't beleive the weather out there yesterday. I am ready for Spring, but not summer yet! We got to enjoy it though with some walks and playing outside. This starts our Birthday week extravaganza. I can't beleive by next Monday I will have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. Ok, makes me want to cry. Growing up TOOOOOOOOO fast. Have a great day everyone!

Mommy's Prize

2011-03-23T00:10:00.003-05:00

I am just weeks away from Maddie being on cow's milk fulltime. I have been much more emotional about it than I thought I would. It is crazy that I have been breastfeedng/pumping 23 of the last 36 months. I have to say a HUGE thank you to my mom for doing the same for my sister and I! Until you have been there done that you have no idea the time and effort it takes. It truly is like having a part-time job on the side. I wouldn't think twice about it though for health and bonding reasons. I love my babies so much and I have already seen the benefits!

On a side note, it costs on average $1500-$2000 to formula feed a baby for a year. Thats right I saved $4,000. As Clayton would say, "Do I get a prize?" :)

Madeline's Last Photo Shoot

2011-03-22T14:11:00.003-05:00

A little behind, but here are some pics from Maddie's last photo shoot! Isn't she cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (We are a little biased)

Madeline

2011-03-17T08:25:00.006-05:00

Yikes, I have not been good about posting on Maddie and all the new things she has been up too. Hopefully some day she will forgive me and we won't have to spend too much money on therapy. :) We can't believe our little girl will be turning 1 in a couple of weeks. She is such a spunky little thing and is already testing her parents. Here is a run down on our Maddie Boo:

She eats EVERYTHING. I have been telling her she will get to the day were eating everything will mean bad things for your jeans fitting, so she should enjoy it now. She loves, waffles, macaroni, green beans, peas, cheese oh and her favorite ICE CREAM. Of course we don't just give her ice cream, but if she sees one of us eating it, you would think she is going through withdrawals the way she carries on trying to let you know she wants to suck the spoon.

When I say she eats everything I mean even things she shouldn't. She will kill me for putting this on here. She is a bug eater. Not only does she want to put them in her mouth, but she goes looking for them. So weird. So needless to say I have to keep an eye on her ALL the time to make sure no Asian beetles are getting munched on.

Maddie likes to destroy Clayton's train tracks, his towers, his puzzles and so on. I am pretty sure that is her way of playing with him. Big brother doesn't really appreciate it though.

Our little girl is definitely a lover. She likes to give kisses now and also pats you on the back when you rub hers. She is for sure a mama's girl as sometimes no one else matters. (Can't say I don't like this :)

She now has a vocabulary the consists of mama, dada, dog dog, bye bye, hi and good girl (this one is questionable but it sure sounds like it)

Maddie can crawl like a champ and cruises on furniture, I think she knows that once she walks she won't be carried around as much so she isn't quite ready to start running on her own.

As far as toys, activities, etc. She loves taking baths with Clayton. Likes playing with her princess castle. She thinks the pack n play should be called JAIL and wants nothing to do with it. She can have her socks off in 2 seconds and thinks they are fun to throw. She loves the microphone Clayton has and pushes the button for the music. She is a little dancer for sure.

We just love our little girl so much and love to see how she and her brother are becoming best friends. We are trying to get all our cuddling time we can these days knowing she will be growing out of that way too soon!

Our Little Bowler

2011-03-13T21:14:00.005-05:00

When you have nothing to do on a Saturday night, what do you do? Go Bowling! :) Clayton had a lot of fun and beat mommy and daddy! He especially loved that he had a yellow ball!

Mommy's 2 Little Book Worms

2011-03-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Girl!

2011-03-02T09:24:00.001-06:00

Best Buddies!

2011-03-02T09:21:00.001-06:00

WARM!!!!!!!

2011-02-20T14:50:00.003-06:00

So while we are SOOOO ready to move, there are 2 things (Among others) we will miss. It does get warmer faster here in the spring. Also, there is a great Tot Park near our house. What a great idea, the equipment is all lower to the ground and their aren't big kids running them over. Plus, the ground is a solid rubber surface, so not a mess in the spring. It got close to 70 degrees today so we headed out wanting to enjoy it while it lasts since it will surly get cold again. The kids had a blast. Clayton told me he is going back after his nap. Maddie loved the swing although she was a little tired as you can see. It is nice to all be together in our own home for a week. Justin is off on Monday and Tuesday! :) We had an open house yesterday and are hoping with the warm weather their are more people out looking. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thomas!!!!!!

2011-02-16T22:26:00.002-06:00

Justin and I surprised Clayton tonight and took him to see Thomas and Friends in Moline. He was really excited and had a blast. I think Maddie had just as much fun. We were in the 4th row and they both were dancing and clapping their hands. I totally recommend. Great first show to go to and not obnoxious either! Clayton enjoyed his big treat of M&Ms too. He was such a good boy, told us Thank You and we got out of there without him asking for a single piece of souvenir junk! :)

Snow Pals

2011-02-10T08:03:00.003-06:00

Wish I would have gotten a better picture, but these two had a lot of fun in the snow. Clayton loves to throw the ball to Keely. Keely doesn't so much like putting the ball in her mouth when it is covered with snow, but they ran around the yard until I made them both come in. :)

Laundry Basket Fun

2011-02-10T07:51:00.003-06:00

These two love going on laundry basket rides. :)

Mission Almost Accomplished

2011-02-03T16:29:00.004-06:00

As my sister and I discussed the other day, she will probably be the only one to understand this. After the ice/snow we had I contemplated having someone else do our sidewalks and driveway. This was not a nice powder snow, this was ice, ice, ice and then some snow that is really ice. Oh, and I am currently acting as a "single parent" to a 10 month old, 2 1/2 year old and 80 pound dog. I was kidding myself though. I wasn't going to have someone else do it I was. I am cheap, I got some exercise without exercising and most important my OCD kicked in. I am disappointed in myself, I didn't get the driveway as perfectly clear as the sidewalks, but considering this was all done by hand no plow or salt, not a bad job! I just needed one more day to get it clear. :) Clayton enjoyed carrying around the chunks that I was shoveling. Make sure you scroll down to see his AWESOME snow angel!

My Little Snowman!

2011-02-03T10:18:00.004-06:00

We have been stuck inside the house since Monday morning, so I decided it was time for some fresh air. I bundled Clayton up and he was eager to get out in the snow. Keely is a wimp and only lasted a little bit so she and Maddie Boo sat in the kitchen and watched out the door. Clayton did a little shoveling. The ice is making it hard to get it off the deck. He then made some fantastic snow angels! He would have stayed outside all day if I would have let him. Hopefully this will make for a great nap!

Monkeys in the Closet!

2011-02-02T12:08:00.002-06:00

Madeline's 9 Month Photos

2011-02-01T14:22:00.002-06:00

http://tstoff.photobiz.com/cart/event_login.cfm?eventID=644992

Enter your email and the password is: maddie

Enjoy!

So the Ice Begins

2011-01-31T15:35:00.002-06:00

You would say that we are lucky being in St. Louis there isn't as much snow. It is worse though we get ICE. It is hard to video, but you can hear the ice falling. Cheers to being locked in my house for three days. :)

Just some Cute pics from this Week!

2011-01-26T15:59:00.002-06:00

The kids are playing with each other more and more. They especially seem to like playing with the blocks. Ignore the lack of clothing. :) Maddie Boo is also enjoying real food. She was enjoying some pancakes for breakfast!

YIPPEE!

2011-01-24T10:22:00.006-06:00

Over the last 48 hours I have posted 2 videos, 10 picture posts and downloaded all of the pictures off my camera and onto Shutterfly. We are talking about 100s of photos from all the way back to January 2010. Sure, I didn't close a huge business deal, but this is HUGE! I know my friend Megan will appreciate it!

So, this pic of Maddie Boo is from yesterday! Yep, not 3 months ago, yesterday! Happy Monday!

Go Buckeyes!

2011-01-24T10:14:00.002-06:00

Bad timing on this post after the loss on Saturday. This was back in September at the Illinois/Ohio State football game. Maddie decided to score some points with a former Ohio State football player/great papa! She was too cute. Yes, they won then too.

The Girls!

2011-01-24T10:09:00.003-06:00

This picture is a little old, but oh I love my little girl! We are going to have so much fun doing mommy/daughter things!

Keely Snuggles!

2011-01-23T16:14:00.002-06:00

I have put up about 9 postings in the last 24 hours, trying to catch up, so keep scrolling down! :)

Sledding

2011-01-23T16:07:00.002-06:00

We weren't able to have a full family sledding contest this year. Anna did win, but Justin would say that was because he stayed behind with me to take care of the kids. :) Clayton got some practicing in! He still talks about playing in the snow with Mimi and throwing snow balls at her. :)

More Christmas in Galena!

2011-01-23T15:18:00.005-06:00

Clayton got up pretty early on Christmas Day and both he and Maddie liked looking in their stockings. Clayton was glad the reindeer had eaten their carrots and that Santa had enjoyed the cookies he left. We spent Christmas Day at my grandparents and had some delicious Prime Rib! With the train table Mimi, Papa, Mommy and Daddy got Clayton and then all the track, trains and accessories he got from everyone else, I think he has a whole railroad! He loves playing with it so much and asked if he could bring his table to the "work house" aka Galesburg. :)

Christmas Eve

2011-01-23T15:10:00.003-06:00

On Christmas Eve, we all went to church (Wont get into that story). Then we all came over to my parents and had some super yummy soup my mom made, lots of drinks and got to all hang out. Of course we continued the annual tradition of Great Mimi reading the Night Before Christmas! We all have so much fun together, wish we could do it more!

Meeting of the minds. :)

Christmas in Galena-Post 1!

2011-01-23T14:53:00.005-06:00

Anna and I always remind my parents we are so happy they moved to Galena. There is so much to do and it is always so pretty up there regardless of the season. Before Christmas we went to the Eagle Ridge Inn to look at the life size gingerbread house and get Starbucks. Clayton drank his weight in chocolate milk too! Clayton loved watching the bakers repair the gingerbread house with icing. It was super fun to see.

Um, Scary! These two in a car was interesting, Maddie Boo slipped under the car a couple of times. Hope Clayton is more careful in about 14 years!

Dancing Star

2011-01-22T20:42:00.002-06:00

Maddie Boo LOVES to dance. I will have to catch her in action when she isn't in her chair, but here is a preview. Daddy wasn't happy with the shirt action. :)

Macaroni!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-22T20:29:00.002-06:00

It is hard to beleive that Maddie is already 9 1/2 months old. She is starting to eat some "pick up" food. She seems to love everything. Oh and she has an ice cream addiction. Enjoy the video!

Jumping Around-Visit with the Beelers, Steffens & Locks

2011-01-22T20:23:00.003-06:00

After the holidays we were able to get together with Megan, Marissa, Amanda and their families. The Locks came all the way from Germany. It was so much fun to get all the kids together since they are so close in age. Kate decided she didn't want to be in the pic and Nora was to small for the couch madness, but here is a pic of everyone else. We decided next time we need some adult only time! :)

Flash Back to Christmas at Braeuninger's

2011-01-22T20:09:00.005-06:00

We had so much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas. Aunt Heather came from Texas and we got to see the whole family! Clayton got to go look at Christmas lights with Grandma and Aunt Shannon. He also built a cho cho train gingerbread house with Aunt Shannon ( Really Aunt Shannon did most of the work). :) Maddie had so much fun opening her first Christmas presents and they were both soooo spoiled.

What Should I Be Doing Right Now?

2011-01-17T14:49:00.002-06:00

I am sitting in a small cabinish house on a lake. It is FREEZING cold outside. Clayton is asleep in his tent. Keely and Maddie Boo are asleep on the couch behind me. Here are the things I should be doing:

Working, although I did that all weekend and this morning (Plus it is a holiday!)
Posting pictures on the blog since I am way behind
Downloading pics on Shutterfly
Begging people to buy my house
Making dinner since it is way easier to start that during nap time
I am sure I could find some cleaning or laundry to do
Emailing people I haven't talked to in forever

The list could go on and on and on. BUT, I have to be quite since their are no door sound barriers and you know what I DONT WANT TO DO THOSE THINGS! I am going to make some me time. I haven't watched the news since the first week in October. I wonder if I can watch Brian Williams on NBC.com. I miss him! :)

Lesson today. Stuff can wait, I need a break for 5 min!

9 Months Old Already!

2011-01-10T11:40:00.000-06:00

Maddie Boo is 9 months old already. We had her pictures taken this weekend. She also went in for her 9 month appt. She weighed in at 14 pounds 15 oz! She is getting so big so fast. More on all her new adventures later!

Clayton's First Football Game!

2010-12-24T10:17:00.003-06:00

Clayton went to his first U of I football game this fall. It was the Illinois vs. Ohio State game and it was actually a close game. Clayton was a little tired/getting sick and it rained. We had fun though! I think there had just been a bad play when I took the first picture. Go Illini!

Grants Farm (Cramming in Posts)

2010-12-24T10:05:00.002-06:00

Well, I am cramming in as many posts before we hit 2011. We went to Grants farm this fall. The kids had a blast. Clayton loved the carousel. He may look like he enjoyed feeding the goats, but he had a huge melt down. He will tell you to this day about how the goats were eating his legs. We got to see some beautiful Clydesdale's. Oh and every adult gets a few free beers! Always a plus! :)

Flashback-Kate's 2nd Birthday

2010-12-15T07:25:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving weekend, on our way home from Justin's parents we got to attend Kate's 2nd Birthday. I realized I didn't get any pics of Kate. She is the one by the closet in the pic of all the kids. :) I was pretty much trying to keep up with my children. Kids birthday parties are like a workout! Both Maddie and Clayton had a ton of fun playing with everyone and Megan had a yummy activity of decorating donuts. Clayton loved that!

Santa at Cabelas!

2010-12-14T16:09:00.005-06:00

What we learned about Santa this year:

1. Clayton is big talk and no follow through. He talked a big game about sitting on Santa's lap and then wanted nothing to do with it.

2. Even if he didn't want to sit on his lap, he had no problem giving him his list or taking a candy cane!

3. He liked the reindeer better than Santa.

4. Cabelas is the place to go. No line and free. (No Santa did not have a gun, although he was in a camo lounge chair)

Cookies Take 1 & Take 2

2010-12-14T15:22:00.010-06:00

Clayton and Daddy made some sugar cookies a couple weekends ago. See first 2 pics. They had a few issues and ended up with more of a blob of cookies than anything else. You can see they still celebrated their baking! This last weekend we had a retake and things went much better! Clayton liked to sneak tastes of the icing and of course wanted to use yellow, his favorite color. He liked the gingerbread man cookie cutter the best.
It is so funny to watch these two together.

Eating Food Food for the First Time!

2010-12-09T22:00:00.006-06:00

I am a stickler (ha, I am sure hard to believe) and didn't feed my kids anything but breast milk until the were 6 months. So finally in October Maddie got to have her first food, some oatmeal! Clayton wanted to participate. It was pretty funny and I think she seemed to like it better the first time than he did. The first picture is pretty classic. I think she was excited. :)

Can you say ham?!?!?

Madeline's Baptism

2010-12-09T21:50:00.006-06:00

Back in time to September, we had Madeline baptised. It was a very nice service and our families were able to be there and we had a great lunch afterwards. Maddie wore her Super Aunt Barb's dress and looked adorable. Big brother loved having everyone around.

Christmas Traditions

2010-11-29T21:15:00.004-06:00

I am back to blogging. Life is crazy, but trying to keep things as normal as possible for the kids. We continued our tradition this year of going to a tree farm to pick out our tree. Again we had intentions of cutting one down, but picked a pre-cut one instead. Oh well, it was fun anyway. Clayton loved running around and Maddie liked touching the trees. The decorations are up at the house, but I haven't finished the tree yet. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Justin's family and we have a ton to be thankful for. Hope everyone has a great holiday season.

My goal is to catch the blog up on the last couple of months this week. Stay tuned.

Just Another Friday Night at the Murphys

2010-11-06T20:10:00.002-05:00

Fun With Kate and Nora

2010-11-02T22:45:00.005-05:00

We were so excited that our friends Megan, Kate and Nora could come down for the whole day today! We had soooooo much fun. Clayton and Kate played and played. They also made their own pizza for dinner. Maddie loved watching all the action. I don't think Nora was overly impressed, but we hope she had fun too!

Um, Matt and Justin, Megan and I decided we need a moms only day next time. :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:21:00.001-05:00

Fun With Daddy

2010-10-25T13:36:00.003-05:00

When Daddy isn't away working for the cho cho train company, we are having tons of fun this fall. The weather here is unseasonably warm. It is in the mid 80s today. We came home from Galena on Friday and were able to have some nice family time and get about a million things done too. Here are some pics from one of the outdoor projects. Madeline is a good supervisor. :) I say that, but based on these pics there was a lot of fooling around going on!

Halloween Party at the Library

2010-10-21T22:01:00.001-05:00

I took Clayton to the Halloween Party at the Galena Library today. He was soo cute as you can see. This isn't his full Cho Cho Conductor outfit, but we imprivised on the fly. He got to hear all kinds of scary stories and was super excited he got a ghost treat bag!

October in Galena

2010-10-12T06:49:00.008-05:00

No, we have not disappeared. The kids and I have been in Galena for the past week and my camera battery died so I have been bad at not only taking pics but also updating the blog. I have about 10 posts I need to do, but don't have the pictures now to do them. I wanted to get these up though. We went out on a boat last weekend and the fall colors were amazing. The camera doesn't even begin to do it justice. We are having a blast up here and really love when daddy gets to come see us on the weekends. The fall is so gorgeous up here, hence why Justin and I choose to get married at that time. We got to celebrate our anniversary this weekend with a nice evening out. Mimi and Papa are great babysitters! Clayton and Maddie are having tons of fun. Lots of trips to the park, wagon rides, seeing the moos, playing at the farm, checking out books at the library, going to see the cho cho, and seeing (Great Mimi, Great Papa, Great Grandma, Super Aunt Barb, Super Uncle Dale, Aunt Anna and Uncle David). I even got to go in on Saturday and have coffee and do some shopping with my mom and Aunt Barb.

No new updates on the house really. We have had people come look at the house so that is a good start. I keep reminding myself that we have only been on the market for 2 weeks. It is hard though when we are not all under one roof.

I will get some more posts up one I have my camera battery back working. Hope everyone has a great week!

YIPPPPEEEE!

2010-09-28T16:12:00.003-05:00

It seemed like it took forever to get everything finalized, but we are finally on the market! I am soooooo excited! I can smell Illinois it is so close.

Sir Cabot

2010-09-25T10:58:00.004-05:00

Clayton and Sir Cabot have been doing a lot

together lately. On this day Clayton decided

that he needed to go on a bike ride with him.

Go Cougars!

2010-09-25T10:48:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Clayton went to his first high school football game. There is a small Lutheran High School down the road from us. Papa and Daddy took Clayton and he had a blast! He was a typical kid at a game and liked to watch all the people just as much as the football. They marked his hand when he went in and he thought that was cool. You know it is fall when the Friday Night Lights are on! We can't wait to get settled when we move and go cheer on the home team!

Catch Up Wednesday!

2010-09-22T21:34:00.003-05:00

We have definitely gotten busy. It has been hard to find time to keep up with the blog. Justin has been off this week and will be off next week too, which has helped to get things done around the house and give him some fun playtime with the kids. October 1 will be here before we know it. We are going to Grants Farm this weekend and possibly catching a high school football game. (More on that Later)

I have a bunch more updates to do including pics from this last weekend, but I did post some pics tonight so be sure to scroll down and see! :)

Clayton Reunites with his Bouncy Chair

2010-09-22T21:31:00.001-05:00

On the same day, Clayton can act all grown up and then want to be a baby too! He used to love this bouncy seat and would get in fights with the monkey on it. Silly boy. :)

Little Man

2010-09-22T21:27:00.003-05:00

Clayton still loves his Super Moo Cow towel, but he also thinks he needs to be a big boy like daddy. He is such a skinny butt that he can use a hand towel. :)

After Bathtime Smiles

2010-09-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

Dip Mommy Dip

2010-09-22T21:16:00.006-05:00

One of Clayton's new things
is that he thinks he needs to
dip everything! Looks like he
liked the "pudding dip"!

The Big News!

2010-09-14T22:19:00.002-05:00

Well, I have left a picture trail the last couple of days to tell the story of our new big adventure! First the train, then the state of Illinois and finally the biggest clue a for sale sign. So this adventure started a month or so ago when Justin applied for a claims position with BNSF (Burlington Norther Santa Fe Railroad). Long story short, many interviews later he was offered a position with them based in Galesburg, IL. Oh, how ironic. Justin is very excited about this new opportunity. We were able to get our house ready for the market over Labor Day weekend when my parents were here and we have been waiting for everything to be finalized. We hope to have the house on the market this week and Justin will be starting his new job on October 1! We are soooooooooooooooooo excited to be moving back to Illinois. We are not sure exactly where we are going to choose to live. We are leaning towards the Dunlap area. To top things off and this is way more than the icing on the cake, I will be staying home with Maddie, Clayton and Keely. MY DREAM! I hope to be able to do some work for IR from home too, but I will for sure not be going into an office and there will be no daycare! I have to say my husband is the best!

My advise, make your new years resolutions in July! I said I wouldn't live in St. Louis for 10 years and I will be out of here before I make it to 8! I will say there are many people and some things I will miss here. Mostly people. I will talk about that in a later post. For now we are on cloud 9 and in a tornado at the same time!

Have a great week and Illinois get ready the Murphys are coming home!