The Rosenberg Family

Snow...Finally!

2012-01-22T19:32:00.000-06:00

The boys enjoying their sled ride down the Geers' stairs!

Out in the backyard rink!

Lukie out back on the ice rink

Chase being silly

I feel like we've been waiting forever to make this post, it finally snowed! Right after school we headed out to play. The boys had a great time sledding and making snowballs with their new snowball makers. The next day we went out on the ice rink that has been sitting as a pond in our backyard since Thanksgiving! The ice was finally frozen and ready to skate on. The boys and the neighbors had a great time breaking in the ice. Can't wait for more backyard fun!

Chase's Stick & Puck Hockey

2012-01-22T18:57:00.001-06:00

I was amazed at how fast Chase has become on skates

Such focus

Here are the 4 "hockey" players

We had to capture this photo because they were all in their Blackhawks jerseys, each with a different player!

Chase started Level 2 hockey the same night that Luke did. It is defintely a step up from the last class. I think he's going to continue to enjoy himself and learn more skills along the way. We are so proud of him!

Luke starts Little Rockets skating

2012-01-22T18:41:00.004-06:00

Starting off very slow...

Taking a break to make snow angels, it's all about having fun!

Being "towed" off the ice!

All geared up and ready to go

A rare pic from the first class with both Luke & Ryan standing

Being taken off

Ryan & Luke after their 1st session

Having watched Chase skate for awhile now, Luke was finally ready to give it a try. He is in a class with his buddy Ryan, a learn to skate class for 3-5 year olds. Blake and I were both anxious because if Luke doesn't like something, he's done, there is no going back. When we saw him struggling on the ice, we thought, oh boy, this is it, he's done. But he surprised both of us by flashing us his sweet smile and giving us waves all throughout the class. It helped that Ryan was right there with him. Can't wait to see what this will bring!

Getting the Beloved Hockey Gear

2012-01-06T09:17:00.001-06:00

Unpacking the gear

One of my personal favorites, I think he looks so cute!!

Look at my tough guys!

All geared up, just need some ice!

Both boys are signed up for skating starting in January. Chase has passed into level 2, which is full pads with sticks and pucks. Needless to say he is totally excited. Luke has expressed an interest as well. He is in a program called Little Rockets where he has to wear full gear as well. On this day, we gave them all of their equipment, Chase has literally been wearing the pads since he got them...to McDonalds, to library story time, even trying to convince us that he should wear them to sleep. You think he's excited, or what?!

New Years Eve 2011

2012-01-06T08:44:00.001-06:00

Eating dinner with all of the kids

Getting ready for the BIG countdown, it was actually only 8:00 but they didn't know that!

Happy New Year!

For New Years Eve this year we didn't have to travel to Canada to see the Howards!! They are back in the state and we traveled to their beautiful new home in Green Oaks (near Great America) to ring in the new year with both them and the Ninos. At first the kids were shy but then they loosened up and had a great time with each other.
The adults enjoyed themselves too. Liz made a fabulous dinner and the 6 of us ate in peace while the kids played downstairs. We did a mock countdown, put the kids to bed and had fun talking and playing some games. Blake and I made it to midnight and as we were heading up to bed, everyone else headed out to the hot tub, boy, are we old!! In the morning we had another great meal and then headed home. Thanks for the great start to 2012!

Firezone

2012-01-06T08:34:00.001-06:00

Driving the firetruck

The 2 firemen, Chase & Anthony

The 3 firemen

Blake bought a Groupon to Firezone, a kid friendly play area where the kids can climb on fire trucks, go into an ambulance and a house that has you practicing getting out of a house safely if there is a fire. All of the kids there got to wear fire coats and slide down the fire pole. It was a fun experience for the boys and it was great to see our pal Anthony again.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-06T08:23:00.000-06:00

The kids reaction to seeing their gifts, priceless!

Lukie rocking out on his new guitar

Chase opening one of his favorite gifts, his "Hockey Guys"

Blake posing with his Bears Gnome, the gift the boys bought him

Playing Hockey Guys at the kitchen table

At Aunt Dana's house, Chase, Casey, Luke & Corey

Luke and Grandpa Dom (check out the flashlight headband!(

Our Christmas day was a long one but an awesome one, it started at 5:27 when Chase came into our bedroom! He did lay with us for about 30 minutes before asking if we could go wake up Luke and see if Santa came. The boys were SO excited, it was awesome.
After we opened gifts at our house we headed over to Blake's sisters for Christmas Breakfast. It is a tradition that Blake's family does where we cook eggs, pancakes, bacon and toast for a large crew of Blake's family, it is very nice. The kids opening their gifts afterward and we headed home.
My mom and Dom came for dinner. My mom made a wonderful meal (my favorite!) and we hung out for the remainder of the night. It was definitely a Merry Christmas in the Rosenberg house.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-05T16:29:00.000-06:00

Leaving out cookies for Santa

Sprinkling reindeer food

Or dumping the reindeer food!

Decorating cookies with Savannah, my cousin Heather's daughter

Having a great time!

The tree AFTER the boys went to bed

Even Buddy was good this year

Christmas Eve this year we went to my aunt and uncles house. Before we left we set out our cookies and milk and left out the reindeer food, just in case we fell asleep in the car on the way home. We had a great time with my family, I wish we saw them more often. Our meal was delicious and the boys received some very awesome toys, including the exciting Bey Blades. The excitement in our house that evening was pretty big, I wasn't sure if the boys were going to fall asleep!

In the Kitchen

2012-01-03T20:26:00.001-06:00

Excited to start making our homemade pizza

Serious concentration from both boys, they loved this

Mmm, yummy!

2 thumbs up!

Luke approves!

Blake was out for the evening so the boys and I decided to try making homemade pizza. I was a little nervous since I wasn't very sure how successful we'd be but have no fear, the pizza turned out delicious and the boys were so excited to be helping, especially Chase. He told me that he might want to be a chef AND a football player when he grows up!

Mixing the frosting for the cookies

The boys were very particular about the toppings that went on their cookies

On Christmas Eve the boys and I made some cookies for Santa. We had a great time mixing up the frosting but even more fun decorating. The cookies were good to eat, even Santa ate them!

Luke's Christmas Program

2012-01-03T15:40:00.001-06:00

Singing with his class, see how many girls there are!!

Enjoying some yummy Christmas cookies

Lukie's last day of preschool before winter break was his Sugarplum Soiree. The 3 year olds performed 5 different songs for us, one cuter than the next. Afterward we had some delicious cookies and then headed out. It was precious and I'm so glad both Blake and I were able to go!

Chicago Wolves Game

2012-01-03T14:24:00.002-06:00

The boys rocking out to the music

Luke with his headphones on, this was the only way we could stay in the arena, he is still so sensitive to loud noises

To kick off the beginning of winter break, we went with the Geers to a Chicago Wolves game. The boys are members of "Skates Kids Club" so their tickets were free! The kids had a GREAT time there although the beginning was rough with the fireworks. Tyler, Ryan & Luke are NOT fans of loud noises, we were always on the ready to cover their ears in case they scored! It was a fun time, can't wait until next year!

Grand Bear Lodge, Starved Rock

2012-01-02T14:51:00.001-06:00

Going down the slide

Chase & Harriet, the kindergarten class pet

Ryan & Luke going down the slide

Luke jumping over the waves

Luke & Ryan with the big guy

A few weeks back our friends the Browns invited both us and the Geers to their parents condo for the weekend. We went down Friday evening after school and spent 2 nights there. The kids had a blast the first time we went into the water park. The wave pool was a huge hit as well as the kiddie pool. Payton was the lone brave kid to tackle the water slides. We also went to the arcade & indoor carnival. We loved watching the Polar Express with the kids too, it was very magical and got us into the Christmas spirit. The entire weekend was pretty relaxing and enjoyable, so thankful to the Browns for the invite!

Video's from Santa

2011-12-18T20:44:00.000-06:00

Chase's Video:
http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/gbNAGmRjnwIPckL-SJfmklw

Luke's Video:

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/g6CrDSAraq0tIHiJPzbtd9w

Luke's Thanksgiving Feast

2011-12-14T20:50:00.001-06:00

The performer before show time

Grandma Eilleen came to the performance too

Luke singing "Hello Mr. Turkey, how are you?"...I must have had this song in my head for 2 weeks straight with all of the singing that he was doing in the house!

Luke's Thanksgiving Feast was very cute this year. The kids started with 2 songs and were SO quiet since there was a live audience. After their singing the kids ate their "friendship mix" and wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a priceless moment!

Chase's Soccer

2011-12-14T20:27:00.001-06:00

I'm a bit behind with this one considering soccer ended months ago, but I actually captured Chase in action on the soccer field and had to post this. He'll start soccer up again in January but it will be indoor, looking forward to another fun season!

Fall Hayride

2011-12-12T20:36:00.001-06:00

Roasting hot dogs

Tyler & Chase

Ryan & Luke

On the hay ride

Being silly once the ride was over

This fall we once again decided to go on a hayride through the park district. They provide the fire, hot chocolate and hayride, you do everything else. Our neighbors were in a pinch for a sitter for the evening so we brought Tyler and Ryan along too.

The boys had a blast playing football with some "big boys" that were there with their families. We ate up our dinners quickly and then headed out into the woods. The boys had excellent behavior on the trip and were big troopers, it was one of the first "cold" nights of the season. We ended the night with s'mores cooked over the fire, delicious! We're looking forward to doing it again next year!

Trick or Treat?

2011-12-05T20:54:00.001-06:00

Buzz Light Year...To the Rescue!!

Cathy and all of Luke's friends there

My 2 favorites!

Our trick or treating crew, it was a pretty big group at first but we quickly separated the big kids from the little kids!

Buzz & Woody aka Ryan C. and Luke

You can see the energy level has dropped quite a bit, the candy containers

are full and the kids are tired!

A quick rest to count the candy, they all look so cute!!

Officer Casey taking Luke by the hand, unprompted, so sweet!

Checking out the goods!

Luke's parade at school

Halloween this year was on a Monday but that didn't stop us from going out and having a great time. We invited the Geers, Browns, Chrustowskis, my sister-in-law, and the neighbors from across the street. Needless to say the kids loved their adventure trick or treating, I was amazed at how much Luke was into it this year. Last year he cried and demanded to be carried the whole time. This year he was really excited, probably because he has a total sweet tooth! We came back to our house to eat and inspect the loot. The kids were wiped and so were we but everyone had a good time!!

Pumpkin Time

2011-12-05T20:34:00.001-06:00

Before

Artists at work

After

Once again this year the boys were anti-carving and all they wanted to do was paint. In the end, they had a great time and loved being creative. It's fun to do something like this instead of our usual rough and tumble play!

Fall Fun

2011-10-30T11:43:00.001-05:00

Leaf Jumping

Hockey!

At the pumpkin patch

I wish I had taken video of this, Luke couldn't control his laughter

All 3 of my animals :)

Lukie loved this chick, he was talking to her so sweetly

So, it has been a long time since my last post and now I realize that I'm so far behind!! We've done a lot of fun things this fall, the pictures above are just a few of them.

Soccer Party

2011-10-30T09:46:00.003-05:00

The team (minus several players!)

Showing off their medals with the coaches

To wrap up the boys soccer season we had a party at our house the afternoon of the last game. The boys had a great time playing both inside and out. The highlight was definitely the boys vs. the Daddies. I think the Dad's won...

Blake's Urbanathalon

2011-10-16T07:36:00.000-05:00

Rob, Kevin & Blake before the race

After...proudly wearing their medals!

On top of one of the many cabs that had to be climbed over

Let the race begin!

Over the taxis and buses

On Saturday Blake and our friends Rob & Kevin completed Chicago's Urbanathlon. It was a 9.75 mile race through the city and along the lake front with 7 obstacles throughout the race. The obstacles varied from climbing through tires, going over marine barricades and under nets, doing sets of monkey bars, as well as some of the obstacles shown in the videos. The most difficult by far though was climbing up and down the stairs & ramps inside of Soldier Field. Blake and Rob even finished in 2 hours, a shorter time than Blake had expected. I was so proud of his hard work and for finishing the race!!

Chicago Marathon

2011-10-15T20:57:00.001-05:00

Our friends before they started the race

The Geers are so talented they were able to do so many things while running the marathon, they started on the "l".

Posing with the infamous kite that we carried around all day so that they would see us up ahead.

Kevin took some time to smell the flowers.

Allison was thirsty so she stopped for a drink.

Terry, Kevin's dad, being the marathon pro that he is even stopped for a bite of pizza!

Kevin & Terry running

Allison running

Last weekend we headed out with the Browns to support the Geers in the Chicago Marathon. The day was gorgeous for watching a marathon, a bit warm for running in one though. However, all 3 of our marathoners did an amazing job, it was so inspiring to watch all of these people accomplish such a huge goal. We're so proud of them!!

Bears Game with Chase & Casey

2011-10-15T20:44:00.002-05:00

Before the game, each one of us had a twin # on our shirt

Outside of Soldier Field

Hanging out in the seats

This is a little footage of Chase & Casey playing their own football game

A few weeks back Blake and I decided that Chase was ready to go to his first regular season Bears game. He really seems to enjoy watching the games on TV so we invited our nephew along for the event. Luke and Cassi stayed home with Aunt Dana and they had their own fun at Chuck E Cheese! The boys had a great time and were able to see a pretty amazing game. There was a lot to cheer about since they won! I do think the day was a bit overwhelming for the boys when the Bears intercepted the ball and scored. The crowd's enthusiasm was a bit much but they settled in and had a great time. The candy that we bought them didn't hurt either!

New Kitchen Counters!

2011-10-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

The new look!

So after a very successful "do it yourself" kitchen cabinet make-over, we decided to try the next step of re-doing our counter tops. After some hesitation we did it and boy, it was a lot of work for nothing. They ended up feeling rough and uneven and didn't fit in with the feel we wanted for the kitchen. So, we decided to go for it and invest in some nice counter tops. I'm so glad that we did! It makes the kitchen look so different and a lot nicer. We love the way it looks!

Lukie Starts Pre-School!

2011-10-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

Checking out the outside play area at the orientation!

So happy that Mrs. Cecola, one of Chase's teachers is Luke' teacher too!

Walking to the building on the first day of school

Luke and Miss Kristin, his other teacher

Luke is off to a great start with preschool this year. He has officially been going for a month now. He started off so excited to go the first week and then decided he didn't want to go and gave Blake a VERY hard time at drop off. His teachers insisted that he was fine once Blake was gone though. This week was better, still a little hesitant to go in but no crying.

Luke is excited to share who the snack helper is each day (he keeps telling me it is the same girl!) and actually tells me more than I expected. He has 18 kids in his class but there are only 5 boys which I'm fine with since he's surrounded by boys at home. His teachers say that he is so good, which for us is quite a relief since he can be such a stinker at home sometimes!

Chase's 1st Day of Kindergarten

2011-10-04T20:22:00.001-05:00

Payton, Tyler and Chase

Walking to school

So we officially have a kindergartner in our household now! Chase has been in school almost 2 months now and seems to be loving it! He loves going to see Miss Gibson each day and is making some great new friends. He is a lot more talkative about school than I ever expected him to be, which of course, I love. His favorite part of school is PE with Mr. Jayne and he thinks it is pretty cool that he can check out 2 library books everyday by himself. We're very proud of his behavior at school. His behavior at home on the other hand has been very unusual for Chase. He is defiant about almost everything, from not eating dinner to not getting dressed. Although this past week things have improved, I'm hoping that it is just a transition to a different life for him. On a positive note, one thing that I do love is that all last year I couldn't get him to wear anything but warm-up pants and t-shirts. Now that he is in school, he wants to wear jeans and Polo's, he looks so cute!

A Day in the City

2011-10-02T20:15:00.000-05:00

Having a great time playing with the fire truck

Climbing down the fire pole like a "real" firefighter!

Climbing up the big obstacle course

Our musician!

Driving Thomas

Swimming in the hotel pool

Right before school started Blake and I planned a family fun day in the city. Well, the Air and Water show got rained out so we headed to Navy Pier to the Children's Museum. The boys had a good time enjoying all of the things the museum had to offer. Afterward, my sister met us and we had lunch and then some down time back at the hotel pool.
My sister graciously watched the boys (Luke came down with a nasty fever!) while we went to Northerly Island to see the Train Concert. We loved the venue, we can't wait to see a show there again! All in all, we had a nice day and night in the city!

Feed My Starving Children Packing

2011-10-02T20:01:00.001-05:00

Graham & Kristy, Blake & I, Allison & Kevin

At the beginning of the school year we recruited our neighbors and headed out to a Feed My Starving Children packing. We'd gone to a benefit in the spring with our friends Trevor and Jackie and we learned a lot about the organization and how much it does to help children all around the world get meaningful, nutrious meals. We knew we wanted to do "something" and although it was only about 2 hours of our time, it felt good knowing that we helped make some meals for children that don't have enough food to eat. It is truly unimaginable considering where we live. It is definitely something we'll go back and do again, especially when the boys are big enough to join us.

Napa Valley & Sonoma, California

2011-09-30T21:26:00.000-05:00

Arriving in San Fran (Alcatraz is behind us)-I was surprised at how cool the weather was, about 60 degrees which seemed cold since we had just left the 90s!A cool view from one of the steep streetsThe Golden Gate BridgeOur B & B in Napa-The Candlelight Inn, what an amazing place!This was waiting for us in our room, Liz had called ahead!Our quaint room The entry way of the B & B, it was beautifulOur breakfast area, we had 2 absolutely delicious meals hereThe awesome poolHeaded out for dinner on our first night Our 1st winery on our limo tour ended up being our favorite

Liz & I in the limoThe vinesThe vines at Robert Mondavi We rented bikes in Sonoma and did our own winery tour

After a few wineries!Our last night

For our 10th Anniversary we celebrated with our good friends Kris & Liz by heading out to California for a few days. The trip was "kid free" and such an amazing time away, just what an anniversary trip should be! The pictures sum up most of the vacation, a great time was had by all of us!

Summer Fun & Accomplishments

2011-08-15T20:48:00.026-05:00

So with tomorrow being my last official day of summer, I figured I should post a variety of pictures from all of the fun we had the second half of summer!

Backyard pool fun-Payton, Chase, Hope & Pike
Casey & Chase crashed on the couch

At the Kane County Cougars game during the National Anthem, what patriotic little boys we have! We had a great time with the neighborhood crew as well as the Dolans.

On the field

Petting Jake the Wonder Dog!

Chase running around the bases (in the Bears jersey)

Luke & Blake

Rain Forest Cafe with all of our friends from Cathy's house

Another big rain storm left our backyard flooded for hours. The boys had a FANTASTIC time playing in the rain water although afterward they went straight to the tub! It still amazes me how deep the water gets in our backyards.

"Surfing" on our sandbox cover

Lukie

Blake & Luke fell asleep one night before bed time on the couch together

Another successful garden, our zucchini's were enormous!

Chase attended a summer "Sports Camp" for one week from 9-12 each day. The kids learned all about baseball, soccer and basketball. Chase and Payton had a great time together.

Our kitchen cabinets before...

And after...Blake and his mom surprised me by painting our cabinets for my birthday while we were away on vacation. I love the new look, it was just the update the kitchen needed without breaking the bank. We can't wait to put knobs on the doors!

My project over the summer was to turn Luke's room into a "big boy bedroom". In the end, this is how it ended up. I think that he really likes his Toy Story room.

Chase's T-Ball

2011-08-15T20:41:00.003-05:00

Receiving his trophy & hand-shake from "Coach"

This summer was our family's first t-ball experience. After lots of laughs at the beginning of the season, the boys ended up learning a lot, getting a better understanding of the game and had a great time (even during the really hot games!) Coach Dad had a great time too!

Luke's 1st Cubs Game

2011-07-20T21:37:00.006-05:00

Ready to go into the stadium

The fam and my sister Katie

Blake and I were sitting around a few weeks back and decided that we needed a family day out together so we decided we'd take the boys to a Cubs game. Chase has gone twice before with Blake and done awesome so we thought we'd roll the dice with both of them. Who knew that it was going to be 98 degrees outside when we bought the tickets???
We ended up heading to my sister's new apartment before the game, which happens to be just a few blocks from Wrigley. We hung out for a little bit with Katie and her roommate and stepped out into the heat for the afternoon. For being such a hot day, the boys did great. The Cubs however, didn't. The game was painful and disappointing. Luke could have cared less (he clapped when people around us clapped but we were surrounded by Phillies fans so that didn't work) but Chase kept asking if the score had changed, which of course we answered with a "no." We did stay to see the Cubs get there first hit of the day but left early because nap time had already past and the heat was making some little ones cranky. Despite the game, we had a great time together.

Turkey Run Camping Trip

2011-07-20T19:21:00.010-05:00

How many men does it take to put up a tent??
Aahh...duct tape solves every problem!

A common site around camp, little boys going potty

Swimming at the State Park pool

All tucked into their Spiderman sleeping bags with their lanterns

Graham, Kevin & Blake

Kristy, myself & Allison

A few weeks back we decided to take our family on a camping trip with the Geers and the Browns, way more experienced campers than the 2 of us. After some anxiety about whether or not we should go on the trip (mainly because of Chase's bedtime issues/fear of monsters) we packed up 2 cars and took the 3 hour car drive to Indiana to the Turkey Run State Park. The men rode in one car with all of the kids and the women were together with baby Brady, we definitely got the better deal! When we arrived we set up "camp" with our tent giving them men some problems. They initially set it up at home and it took less than 5 minutes however at the campsite took A LOT longer! Once the duct tape worked its magic, we took the kids to the park, roasted hot dogs & ate s'mores, a very typical camping tradition. Once the kids were in bed though the adults roasted chicken teryiaki kabobs on the fire, they were delicious!!

The next day we had breakfast and headed out to the State Park pool. The kids had a blast jumping in the water. Afterwards we went on a hike. First of all, Blake and I are not hikers, not since the hike we went on on our honeymoon that took way to long. We haven't really given the boys a lot of "nature experiences." After this trip, we realized that we are missing out. This park was beautiful, rocks to climb, amazing cliffs, lots of bugs, and water to splash in, it really doesn't get much better! I wish I had my camera, it was so peaceful. We also went on a trip down river in a canoe and tubes. The kids loved the freedom to tube down river without having to be tied to an adult. All in all, we had a great time and wouldn't have made it without the guidance of our friends. Great memories were made and I can't wait to do it again next year, but probably not sooner!

July 3rd & 4th

2011-07-06T22:09:00.009-05:00

Hanging out at Shell Lake
Graham & Blake

Kristy & Brady, check out those ear muffs!

Chase's reaction to the fireworks, whoa!

Luke, of course, inside watching a movie

Helping Grandma feed the fish in her pond

This year for the 4th we headed to our neighbor's house for a BBQ. Afterwards, we went to our friends Kevin & Allison's parents house for swimming and fireworks. Kevin's parents live on a small, private lake in Naperville and they set off fireworks there. It was unbelievable how big the fireworks were when we were directly underneath them, very cool. Luke didn't like the noise and spent the evening inside but Chase loved them!

The following day we headed to Blake's parents to celebrate his dad's birthday. The cousins got to play together which is something that everyone loves!

Garage Sale

2011-07-06T21:58:00.007-05:00

Blake, Kristy & Kevin~manning the tables

Payton, Chase, Tyler & Ryan

The boys with their Mater teeth

The boys first lemonade stand!

So we had our first garage sale with our neighbors over the 4th of July weekend. Being a garage sale newbie, I relied a lot on my friends to guide us with pricing and calm me down when I felt like the sale was total chaos! In the end, the sale was a success for us, we sold a lot of big items and donated the rest. It feels great to have cleaned out so many unnecessary items in our house, it is like a weight lifted off. We're going to use the $ we made to buy a new patio set, can't wait!

June 2011

2011-07-06T21:28:00.012-05:00

Safety Town~Chase was hesitant about going at first but ended up loving all of the things he learned and shared with us nightly about all of the safety tips he knows now! Chase went to Safety Town with his buddy Payton so that was special for the 2 of them.

Our garden at the beginning of the summer, it seems so small compared to now!

Some of our delicious strawberries, they are tart but good!

A T-ball shot, more pictures to come!

Water park fun

Good-Bye Training Wheels!

2011-07-06T21:17:00.004-05:00

Big news in the Rosenberg household, Chase is an official 2-wheel bike rider now! Chase's friend Payton was learning how to ride and that was all of the motivation that Chase needed to try it out. The video below is his very first day trying, about 10 minutes into it. Now, we go on bike rides around the block & he is so proud of himself. I was honestly a little anxious about him riding, shame on me for doubting him!

Warrior Dash 2011

2011-07-06T20:44:00.011-05:00

The Warriors~Josh, Dave, Graham & Blake
Blake with the boys right before the dash on Father's Day!

You can see all 4 of the guys in this pic

Disgusting but so fun!

Luke really isn't too sure about Blake, Chase wouldn't get near him!

Eating a gigantic turkey leg

On Father's Day this year, Blake ran his first 5K run in the Warrior Dash. Obviously this isn't a typical race, it involves things like climbing over cars, jumping over fire, climbing over walls and of course, running in the race. The race ends with the massive mud pit with barbed wire draped over the top. The race's theme is: Mud, Sweat, Beer. At first I thought he was nuts to run in this race but at the end, I agreed to do it with him next year. He had a great time because the race was a no pressure. He ran with our friends Josh, Josh's friend Dave and Graham. A great time was had by all, I can't wait until next year!

Hollywood Studios-Star Wars Weekend!

2011-06-27T09:41:00.021-05:00

This was the first thing we noticed as we were walking up to the park, you can imagine the excitement of seeing a "real" Storm Trooper on the roof of the entrance!
The boys with Woody & Bullseye

Pictures with Captain Rex, Ahsoka & Commander Cody, we kind of stumbled across this, got into line and then our FAVORITE Captain Rex came out, the boys were so giddy & in awe of the characters...Blake & I couldn't believe all of the adults behaving the same way!

Riding on Chewbacca's vehicle

Having lunch with Special Agent Oso, Handy Manny & the Little Einsteins!

This chic was some Star Wars woman that was walking around and giving everyone the creeps, the boys are still talking about her today!

Posing with Jango Fett, Luke wouldn't smile, he was in "serious shooting" mode

Exhausted!

The Parade, Toy Story was definitely a highlight!

We were able to go to a Playhouse Disney show, they had puppets for all of the boys favorite characters, it was very cute & air conditioned!

Pictures with the Star Wars

We had been waiting the entire trip to go to Hollywood Studios because we knew that it was the last day of Star Wars weekends there so we were getting literally the last opportunity to meet some of our favorite characters. The boys LOVE Star Wars, although they have never seen the movie...just hearing about it from other kids & reading library books about them is enough to hook the boys!

The day couldn't have been more crowded and the heat was almost unbearable (98 degrees & high humidity). We had a good time despite the craziness and were able to go on the Toy Story Mania ride we'd heard about, as well as have Blake & Chase go on a simulated Star Wars ride. If you ask the boys if they had fun on their vacation, this is the day they talk about, no mention of Mickey Mouse, just Captain Rex!

Clearwater Beach

2011-06-22T20:48:00.008-05:00

Digging in the moment we put our stuff down!

Burying Lukie in the sand

Luke Playing in the ocean

First time in the ocean for the Rosenberg boys!

Chase in the ocean

On our last day in Florida we were exhausted from all of our park visits so we decided to head out to the Gulf of Mexico to Clearwater Beach. We heard this beach was beautiful and it turns out we heard right. The beaches were white sand and it was very clean. We'd talked with the boys about going to the beach but I knew Chase didn't really get the idea when he said,"Can I jump off of the side and you can catch me?"

The boys were very surprised and disgusted with the salt water...it really does taste gross. Chase absolutely loved playing in the waves and Luke was hesitant at first but eventually warmed up to the waves and playing in them. We were so surprised at how warm the water was, it was honestly the temperature that I would bathe a newborn baby in! Although Blake hates the sand, the day couldn't have been any better and was the perfect last day for our vacation.

Disney World's Animal Kingdom

2011-06-17T15:43:00.010-05:00

A meerkat on watch on top of a termite mound
Safari pictures

playing the drums

This was the coolest tree, it had animal shapes carved into it

Our day at Animal Kingdom was a hot one! We were really looking forward to going on the safari ride and it turned out to be just as neat as we anticipated. Being so close to the animals with nothing separating you from them was very cool and we were able to see so many animals! We did take the boys on a water ride (Luke barely made the height requirement) that they were excited to go on. However, once we got wet, Luke cried the rest of the time, oh well, the 3 of us had fun!

I was so impressed with this park. I loved the jungle feel that the park presented, it is going to be a let down when we go to Brookfield Zoo after this trip! The last picture is from the parade. It was so awesome. Unfortunately, I can't upload any video for some reason right now, I'll add some soon!

Sea World

2011-06-16T15:44:00.009-05:00

Waiting for the dolphin show to begin

Our second day in Florida, we went to Sea World. Years ago Blake and I went to Sea World in California and loved it so we wanted to go back with the boys so they could share in the excitement. We saw a lot of great attractions like the dolphin show, sea lion show, sting rays, sharks, alligators, and penguins but our favorite was the Shamu show.

We made the decision to sit in the "splash zone" because we thought it would be great to see the whales up close as well as to cool off, we were hot. The show itself was amazing, it is so neat to see these massive animals up close. However, when it came time to the splashing, Luke didn't think it was so great. In fact, he screamed and cried so much that he actually made footage on the parks big screen, what fun, huh? In all, Sea World turned out to be a great day together!

Lake Buena Vista Resort

2011-06-16T14:51:00.009-05:00

Kitchen & dining area
Family room (with all of our stuff in it!)

The boys bedroom

Our bathroom

Our bedroom

The pool~what an awesome pirate ship, there was a water slide inside that Chase went down!

The day we arrived in Disney, we figured it was too late to head out to a park so we went down to the pool, which ended up being an almost everyday occurrence! At first both boys were very hesitant in the water but once they got comfortable with the surroundings, they had a blast. Chase turned from a nervous little guy around the water to a boy with confidence, he spent a lot of time swimming under the water. Jumping off of the side of the pool was the favorite thing for them to do, as well as "go in the hot pool", the hot tub. I think every single night we heard Chase say, "Can we go to the pool tonight? Please?" :)

Disney World's Magic Kingdom

2011-06-16T09:34:00.018-05:00

Shooting lasers on the Buzz Lightyear Ride, we rode this ride twice because

it was a lot of fun for both boys, as well as us!!

On the boat, ready to go see "A Small World"

3D Glasses to see the Mickey's Phil-harmagic Show.

The show was awesome, although it was our first clue that Luke wasn't going

to do well in these types of shows because it is truly a 4D show, because when

there is water on screen, you get wet. Blake & I loved it!

Cinderella's Carousel

Blake & Chase flying on Dumbo

At this point in the day, both boys were very grumpy, but of course,

neither one would pose with him so I was their stand in, I mimicked them pretty good!

Waiting for the electric light parade to begin!

We loved the parade but Luke is so sensitive to noise, he looked like this through pretty much the entire parade and several other times throughout our trip!

One of my favorite shots

The parade during the day which got the boys so excited because we were able to see so many of their favorite characters, they had no idea what a treat they were in for!

The electric light parade at night is my favorite things about the Magic Kingdom.

Watch this for video for no other reason than to see Luke's reaction the the Captain Hook & Peter Pan float, remember the noise sensitivity is huge with him!

With our first full day at Disney ahead of us, we decided to head straight to Magic Kingdom. We received lots of advice from friends that had been there before so we had an action plan, first stop, the Buzz Lightyear Ride. After that, we realized when trying to go onto another ride that Luke wasn't quite 40 inches so that meant that he would be limited to a lot of the rides in the park, which in the end, wasn't a big deal because he was too scared of most of them anyway!

We made our way through the park, riding on all of the traditional kid rides (Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, etc.) and saw our favorite Disney characters. With the head rising, we decided to head back to the hotel for naps so that we would make it for that evenings parade and fireworks.

When we returned, we found a great spot for the parade and met some fun people waiting for the parade to begin. The boys were in awe of the parade lights, it truly is a "magical" experience. We made an effort to stay and watch the fireworks at Cinderella's Castle but with Luke's fear of the sound, it was just too much for him. The day at Magic Kingdom was a perfect one!

Calvacade of Planes 2011

2011-06-16T09:20:00.001-05:00

Ryan & Luke~so stinkin cute!
The Daddy intimidators

Check out Luke on the bottom!

We ventured out again this year to the Clow Airport and Charlie's restaurant to enjoy the Calvacade of Planes. Once again, we had a great time walking around and watching the parachutes as well as all of the unique planes & helicopters. The Geers and Browns went with us to breakfast first and then walking around afterwards, it was a great morning!

Backyard T-Ball

2011-06-16T09:09:00.003-05:00

This summer Chase is getting his first taste of playing baseball. On this particular day, we had just come home from Chase's first T-ball practice and all he wanted to do was play ball. Of course Luke got in on the action as well. If you watch the video, you'll see that Luke has a very unique way of approaching the ball, it was hilarious!

Blake is coaching along with our neighbor Graham and his son Payton. We're hopeful that the season is fun and that the boys learn a little bit about the game along the way. Can't wait for the first game, it should be fun!

Chase's Preschool Graduation

2011-06-15T20:35:00.007-05:00

The graduate!

Getting ready for the ceremony, he was very excited that he was
sitting in the back because he was tall!

Chase & Anthony

Mrs. Cecola, Chase & Ms. Janet

At the end of May Chase had his preschool graduation ceremony. Chase was very excited about it because he had some "surprise" songs ready and he also had his cap and glasses to show off as well. It was my big moment of seeing how much he has grown and that next year is the start of many years of school & work ahead!

2nd Annual Rosenberg Road Rally

2011-06-15T17:01:00.008-05:00

Our team: Mike & Julie, Kris & Liz, and Blake & me

One of our tasks, taking a picture on the bridge over Rt. 59,

Kris & Mike hiked it all the way up there!

Another task: Liz on the bar at Tommy Nevins

The start of our Minute to Win It competition after the Road Rally:

Allison vs. Blake in the cup game

Dana vs. Janelle in the cup pyramid stacking game

Allison trying to get an Oreo cookie into her mouth without using her hands

Celebrating Kevin's birthday at the end!

At the end of May we held our 2nd Annual Rosenberg Road Rally. Once again we had an awesome time, racing to be the team that figures out the most clues about places in the city of Naperville in the 2 hour time limit. We added an extra "Minute To Win It" portion after the race and it was hilarious. The winners this year were Susan & Colin and Melissa & Lynsey. Susan & Melissa are co-workers of mine, we're out to get them next year!

Run Like A Mother 5K

2011-05-25T20:46:00.011-05:00

Ready to run!

My friend Amy sons, Charlie, Jack & Chase before the race

Almost there!

Just crossed the finish line!!

Me, about to cross the finish line

The Brown Family

After the race, I was so excited. What an awesome crew to run to!

On Mother's Day this year I accomplished one of my life goals, to run a 5K. I'm not a big athlete, mainly because I'm clumsy and enjoy watching sports more than I do playing them. However, I read about this race in the newspaper and it was right up my alley. It was for runners of any ability but catered to beginners. The race was called "Run Like A Mother" and was for women only that didn't have much time for themselves so when they ran, they had to run like a mother so they could get onto something else! There was a Sunday night training for 6 weeks to get you ready so I signed up with my friends Kristy & Amy.

I asked Chase if he wanted to race too because there was a kids 1 mile fun run. I told him that we could train together, although we never actually ran more than a block or 2 together. I usually "trained" with my friend and neighbor, Kristy. My goal was to run the entire thing, which was big because I never ran the entire distance of the race prior to that morning.

Chase's race was first and I had told him that he didn't have to run the whole time and he would stay on the track so he would be able to see us. Little did I know that the kids route left the safety of Neuqua Valley's track! Needless to say, he followed the rest of the kids and made it back in 9:40!! I was so impressed with his mile time! Watching him race made us SO PROUD of him. He told me he "walked a little" but I thought for a 5 year old that has never ran before, he did fantastic. He was so excited and can't wait to do it again.

My enthusiasm for my race was big after watching Chase. The day was gorgeous and the women all around me running gave me motivation and I actually had fun running! I reached my goal and didn't walk, it felt great to accomplish something all by myself and for myself. For most people a 5K run isn't a big deal but to me it was, so I'm motivated to try again sometime! I think this will be a Mother's Day tradition in my house.

Mother's Day Tea

2011-05-25T20:33:00.004-05:00

So proud of this little boy!

Chase's "mad" face for Little Bunny Fu-Fu

The Wednesday before Mother's Day, Chase's preschool class had a Mother's Day Tea for the kids and their moms. It was very cute, the kids sang songs for us, we ate some yummy treats, Chase "read" me the alphabet book that he had made throughout the school year and the kids gave us gifts. Chase made me an imprint of his hand that he painted. I of course love it! It was a great memory to share with him!

Random April Pictures

2011-05-15T20:30:00.009-05:00

On their new scooters from Grandma & Grandpa

A visit with Grandpa over spring break, we had lots of fun bowling together, going to dinner and just hanging out. We can't wait to go back this summer to fish!

Hollywood

Summer in April? One weekend the weather went into the upper 80's so we couldn't resist breaking out the water squirters and having a blast with the neighbors!

Chase, Anthony & Luke at the Wheels All Around

(driving a back hoe!)

Dressed up for a 50's Sock Hop dance at school, it was so much fun!

Chase skating, he's getting good almost ready to start a real hockey class!

Over spring break we took the boys to the DuPage Children's Museum, they loved "building their towers!"

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-15T19:26:00.008-05:00

Showing off his eggs

On the hunt

On the balance beam

With the bunny

This year we went to an Easter Egg Hunt with Casey and Cassi at their gymnastics studio. We had a great time with our cousins hunting for eggs, playing on the equipment and just playing together. The trampoline was a favorite thing to do too. I think we just might do this every year!

Easter 2011

2011-05-15T17:53:00.007-05:00

Dying eggs

Finding the eggs on Easter morning

Opening baskets

Coming downstairs

It seems like every year just gets better! The anticipation of Easter this year was big. The morning was even better! It started a little rocky with Buddy finding an egg and eating it as we came down stairs but after that, the boys were really excited. The bunny brought all kinds of goodies including candy, books and butterfly nets.

Later in the day we went to Dana's house for a delicious Easter lunch. Both of our families were there so it we got to see everyone in one shot. The grandmas hid eggs in the backyard and the kids had a blast hunting all over again, especially since their cousins were with them!

Imagination Movers Concert

2011-04-03T15:58:00.004-05:00

The Birthday Boy

Waiting for the show to start

On Luke's birthday we went as a family to the Chicago Theatre to see the Imagination Movers live in concert. The Imagination Movers is a show on Disney Channel with 4 guys in a band that help their friends solve problems. Lukie loves the show because of the music so we thought going to see the show on his birthday would be a special treat. Surprisingly Chase was rocking out a lot more than Luke was but after some time, Luke warmed up and both boys had a great time. Blake and I even had fun, it was such a neat experience for them!

Luke's 3rd Birthday

2011-04-03T14:42:00.005-05:00

A Buzz Light Year car, so cool

His first horn

After we got home from the Imagination Movers concert, we had a low key night at home. We did cake and presents. It was a great time with just the 4 of us. Just like Chase, Luke has changed a lot this year. We've gone from diapers to big boy underpants, from a crib to a big boy bed and he has also developed a very independent position in life! He is such a snuggle bug and loves to be held. He likes almost anything that his big brother does or likes, he has a passion for music, especially anything with a guitar, he loves to watch movies and is more stubborn than both Blake and I together. I love his sweet little voice and the cute face to match it. Lukie has helped make our family complete.

Boys Birthday Party

2011-04-03T14:10:00.011-05:00

Ryan

He always slides down backward

Luke & Reese

Isn't she so cute!

All of the kids coloring

Casey disguised as a monkey!

I love the tongue on Luke!

Look at that goofy smile!!

We decided it was time to have our first friend birthday party for Chase & Luke. We held it at a place called Little Monkey Bizness. The place was great because it just held our group and gave the kids time to play ( in jumpy houses, slides, cars...all great kid stuff!), they did a small art project and then had pizza & cake. We had a great time because we had some time to talk to friends, play with the kids and best of all, there was NO clean up, it was great! Plus, almost all of the kids we invited were able to come. It's amazing how many different "groups" of friends the kids had there, everyone from daycare, to preschool, to the neighborhood to our friends kids.

Chase's Last Soccer Game

2011-04-03T13:57:00.008-05:00

Silly faces

Anthony & Chase

Chase finished up his first ever soccer season in March. Blake and our neighbor Kevin were the coaches. Although there were high expectations at the beginning of the season, we ended the season with 0 wins but a lot of laughs and fun. In the end, only a few goals were scored by our team (Chase actually got one!) but the experience was so positive and has brought soccer into our world, literally into our family room with Chase shooting the ball each night into his net!

Happy 5th Birthday Chase!

2011-03-06T16:48:00.009-06:00

Chase's 1st piece of gum!!! He has been waiting 5 years

to enjoy this! House rules are no one gets gum until they're 5.

Watching Chase's birthday video

The new Blackhawks goalie helmet!

On Friday, we celebrated Chase's 5th birthday. I can't believe that my baby is almost a kindergartner. Chase has changed so much in the past year. He is more confident and less afraid in all situations, he can be shy & quiet in new situations but boisterous and funny in others. We had a conference with Chase's teachers and they told us how he is a great listener and always tries his best. He loves his Star Wars guys, playing soccer (inside the house of course) & watching sports with dad. He loves to play with his friends because they are so important to him. He has become very opinionated about his clothing, wanting to wear only warm up pants, t-shirts and "short pants" as he calls them. Lukie is his side kick around the house, he shares and cares for him in a special way. We are so blessed to have him as our son and be with his bright personality everyday!

Chase's Swimming Lessons

2011-03-06T16:35:00.002-06:00

So we were finally able to convince Chase to start swimming lessons again. We had started them last winter and they were great, until they weren't. He got scared because the level of difficulty began to increase and the thought of going under water terrifies him. After many discussions about this summer & swimming with his friends (many of whom are already great swimmers and aren't afraid), he finally changed his mind.

Although we've only had 2 lessons, I've seen such a big change in him. He has a great attitude, he doesn't seem scared, more excited & ready. I hope this pattern continues so that this summer he can feel more confident at the pool instead of needing me by him constantly. The one video shows him jumping into the water with his instructor a considerable distance away from him. For Chase, that is huge and I'm so proud of him for just going for it!

Chicago Wolves Game

2011-02-21T16:03:00.006-06:00

Loving every minute of the game!

Hiding out in the bathroom where things were a little quieter. Luke had

this pose a lot throughout the game!

I know this is a blurry pic, but I couldn't resist this picture of Ryan, our 2 year old neighbor,
as you can see, he wasn't a big fan of the fireworks or the game either!

Skates!

Cheering on the Wolves

A few weekends ago we went with our neighbors to our first family sporting event where you are actually supposed to stay in your seat the whole time. Chase had a fantastic time, he was shouting and cheering on the Wolves, he couldn't get enough, Blake was so proud! Luke on the other hand was ready to leave before the game even began. The Allstate Arena and fireworks make for a VERY loud beginning to the game. Luke was entertained by looking around for Skates, food and some books we brought along. Somehow, we made it through the entire 3 periods and a good time was had a by all!

Snowmageddon

2011-02-03T14:44:00.010-06:00

Starting the driveway

Big drifts in our backyard, Chase thought it was cool

that his swing was buried

Inside fun

The Browns little baby Brady

Ending the night with a movie

Blizzard 2011 ended up being a great 2 days for us!! I felt like it was Christmas morning with the excitement that the huge amount of snow brought. The boys were so anxious to get outside but we were trying to wait for Blake to come in from snow blowing. He ended up clearing a lot of neighbors driveways & sidewalks so we was out for several hours. When we finally did get out, Luke was finished after about 10 minutes! I couldn't believe how deep the drifts were. Blake and Chase ended up going sledding with our neighbors and we had a great lunch at the Geers and dinner at the Browns! Although the snow was a lot of work to clean up, I'm so glad that we got to experience a huge snowfall like this! Plus 2 days off of school mid-week didn't hurt either!

Sled Dogs at the Arboretum

2011-02-03T14:36:00.003-06:00

On Sunday we headed out to the Morton Arboretum to see the program that they had with sled dogs. It was cold so Luke didn't want to stay out for long but Chase had a great time petting the dogs and then actually seeing a race demonstration. Chase couldn't believe that we had been dog sledding before when we were in Alaska, it was great for him to experience something different!

Ear Infections

2011-01-31T21:41:00.002-06:00

When Chase was little, he got an occasional ear infection and after a quick round of anti-biotics it was done. Luke on the other hand, is a different story! He got the first infection in November, we got him on the anti-biotic and it was done. Then, in December, after he squirted a little body spray in his ear, there was another trip back to the doctor with a stronger, not as delicious tasting medicine. Unfortunately with this anti-biotic, he ended up throwing up his last dose (and dinner) and since then has been unwilling to take any kind of liquid, chewable or melt-away medicine. Now, the end of January we've got another pretty bad infection and are struggling getting him to take the medicine. We're literally holding him down together and forcing it in...getting him to swallow it and not spit it out is a whole other issue as well. I know for certain he won't get his entire dosage because some of it was wasted attempting to mix it in with some chocolate milk that he never drank. I'm anxious that this infection is going to go untreated and then here we go again, I'm hoping that the stronger, larger dose is enough to beat the infection for good!

Toy Story 3 on Ice

2011-01-31T18:41:00.008-06:00

On Saturday we took the boys to see Toy Story 3 on ice. It was a really good show, we will definitely go see another one again if the the boys are interested!

Chase's First Soccer Experience

2011-01-31T18:22:00.005-06:00

Playing goalie

Tyler, Payton & Chase

We are currently in the midst of Chase's very first soccer team. Blake and our neighbor Kevin, are the coaches of Chase's team which makes it that much more fun. Prior to the season starting they had a few practices for the boys to get to know each other and learn a few basics about soccer since this is many of the boys first time playing. The coaches went through a learning curve on how to work with 4 year old boys...when they asked the kids to dribble the ball down the field, they literally picked up the ball and started dribbling it like a basketball, hilarious! Chase has a connection to almost all of the boys on the team, they are either neighbors, friends from playgroup or from preschool, it is very nice for us!

We went into the first game very optomistic until we quickly realized that the other teams have either been having practice since the summer or they have older siblings that they've learned from. We've had 3 games so far this season and finally celebrated our very first goal. Needless to say we've gotten smoked every game so far but the boys are having fun and are somewhat oblivious to the loses.

Chase seems to really be enjoying all that he is learning. He's insisted on wearing his jersey day after day, practices skills in our family room and has become more aggressive since the first game. He has played goalie twice and loved it, I was impressed with how well he paid attention to the ball and the game itself. Some of the boys on the team are distracted by all there is to see and do besides the game, it is a sight to be seen! We're hoping by our last game, we might get to celebrate our first win!

New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-03T16:47:00.007-06:00

In the Geer's basement, watching movies :)

Waiting for the countdown to begin

If you look at the clock in the background, you'll see the boys

truly rang in the New Year with us

Kevin, Graham, & Blake

For New Year's Eve this year we headed over to our neighbor's house for a night of delicious food, fun games & good company. We had planned that after the boys played for awhile they would fall asleep watching a movie and we would be able to stay up and have adult time. Well, movies were watched but sleep never came! For being so late, the kids did remarkably well and they all slept in the next morning!

The year 2011 brings some big milestones for us. Chase will turn 5 and start kindergarten. I can't believe that he will be going to school all day like a big kid. I think he's ready and will do great. Luke will turn 3 and start preschool. With Luke, I don't feel as confident about his school going experience...I'm anxious about his listening and willingness to behave appropriately. He is a very stubborn and short tempered little guy, I'm not sure how this will fit-in in a school setting. Blake and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in July. We're hoping to have some kind of get-a-way with just the 2 of us, either over spring break or sometime this summer. We're also hoping to take the boys to Disney this summer. It will be our first Disney adventure and I think it will be a wonderful time to take the kids. I'm hoping this year is as happy as last year, we have so much to be thankful for!

New Year, New Project!

2011-01-03T16:42:00.003-06:00

Worker boots and tools!

Blake has started on his new project, finishing the basement. Right now he's started framing the walls and he's had a little helper who is anxious to jump right in and be a worker just like Dad.

My Big Boy

2011-01-03T16:33:00.003-06:00

Proud of his potty chart!

Posing in his "big boy bed"

The end of 2010 brought a lot of changes in Luke's life! He transitioned to a big boy bed at the beginning of December when one morning he was in his crib and the next he was standing next to me in the kitchen! The first night was definitely a lot of testing so the 2nd night we laid down the law and...it worked!! Being so strong willed I thought this was going to be a really tough transition but he's done great and we've had no problems since night #1, hooray!

The day after Christmas we started on the second step to big boyhood and began potty training. I think he was ready because he has done great since we've started. It has been 1 week and I feel confident that we can go out to public places and not be panicking that he'll have an accident. He tells me when he has to go and we've had very few accidents, yay for Luke, I'm so proud of him!

Brookfield Zoo Lights

2011-01-01T15:34:00.005-06:00

Eating dinner

Ryan, Tyler, Payton, Chase, Cassi, Casey, & Luke

The Brown Family

The Geers Family

We decided to head out to the zoo to see the lights along with the rest of the zoo-goers. We went with our neighbors and had a good time, it was just very crowded. The weather was relatively warm though so the kids were as excited as ever. A good time!

December Pictures

2011-01-01T15:21:00.009-06:00

Our original play group from when Chase was an infant. The kids are in order from

"oldest" (January) to "youngest" (May). All of the kids will turn 5 this year! This was

our X-mas get together at a place called Monkey Bizness.

Yes, Luke decided to stamp himself

The boys built a "wall" between the kitchen and play room

Being silly in the tub

Bears game with Josh & Kim

Poor Buddy was being such a trooper!

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-26T16:31:00.011-06:00

The X-mas tree before the opening madness began

Shovels from Santa to help Dad outside!

This was Chase's favorite present. He wore this most of the day,

including in the car. It makes Darth Vader type noises and it

gives quotes from the movie...such a boy!

Excited about his robot shirt

I love the expression on his face here

One of their favorite gifts were the lightsabers from Grandma Barb.

Not only do they light up but they also make a sword-like noise when they swing!

Luke's version of "I'm a Little Snowflake". He honestly is so musical

and loves his new Toy Story guitar!

The cousins singing "Frosty"...check out the boys'

new shirts, Chase's Lego Star Wars & Luke has a guitar shirt

Christmas morning...

Christmas this year was what you imagine your Christmas is going to be like when you're married with kids. The boys were so excited about the magic of Santa...Chase was literally 2 inches from my face while I'm sleeping and he shouts "Santa came...he left me a present in my room!" Santa left both boys books on their beds this year, I think he's going to do that every year from now on.

It was so much fun rushing down the stairs to see what was under the tree and in our stockings. We took our time opening gifts from Santa, each other and other family. They were fascinated with a gift until it was time to open the next one. The clothes were tossed aside without a second glance but they were excited to wear their new clothes so at least that was a win :) Chase's favorites were the Darth Vader helmet and Star Wars/Super Hero guys. Luke loves his guitar and dinosaurs. Blake was thrilled with his Blackhawks tickets and I love date night/dance lessons every Thursday in January!!

After our gift frenzy we headed over to Aunt Dana's to have Christmas breakfast. It was fun to see the kids and enjoy a delicious breakfast. The boys got a truckload of clothes and these fun remote control cars. We then headed home and had dinner with my mom and Dom. My mom made us a great meal and I didn't have to do any work! The boys got scooters & these awesome books that have my mom and Dom's voices recorded on them, something that we'll always treasure. It was a GREAT holiday!!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

2010-12-26T16:02:00.006-06:00

Milk & cookies for Santa

Carrots & reindeer food got set out before we left for

my aunt & uncle's house

Our family

My cousin Heather, baby Savannah & Nick

My cousin Robyn & Brian

Me & my cousins

Christmas Eve turned out to be very low key and enjoyable. Since it was snowing all day, we decided to head out to the sled hill in our neighborhood. It was Luke's first time sledding on a true hill and my first time out in awhile. We had a great time even though one of our sleds broke. Our neighbors, the Geers, came out and joined us and a fun time was had by all.

For Christmas Eve, we went over to my aunt & uncles house. We had a nice dinner and even had time to play a game! Of course the kids did not fall asleep on the way home, Chase was especially jazzed up about Santa coming.

Chase's holiday party

2010-12-26T15:43:00.004-06:00

Daddy, Chase & Mommy

Chase & Anthony

Playing the tambourine

Singing Frosty

Chase's last day of preschool before winter break he had a holiday party that Blake and I were both lucky enough to go to. We got to eat some delicious snacks and then were entertained by a lively group of 4 year-olds. Chase was very excited that we were there and we were so proud of him!

Rosenberg Ice Rink!

2010-12-23T18:53:00.013-06:00

Connecting the boards

The rink's frame

Filling the pond after a snow fall

Daddy & Chase out for the first skate of the winter

So excited & proud of himself to be skating on his own

Luke's 1st time out on the ice

I love this picture...

Cleaning the ice with the "home-boni" that he made,

it's not perfect but it does help some

Luke trying to stand up in skates

Chase practicing

We are so excited that our ice rink is finally up and running. Although the idea for the rink came when we bought the house, actually getting it to work has been somewhat of a challenge. Blake did a lot of research on how to build the most useful & practical backyard rink so after several trips to Home Depot the building of the boards began. Once the frame was done, shortly after Thanksgiving, we laid down the first piece of plastic that you actually fill the water up in. Our neighbors were great with pitching in to make the process easier and more enjoyable, we love our neighborhood!!

Unfortunately, our plastic had a tear in it somewhere and our entire backyard was basically a huge sheet of ice for a while because the water had spilled out. After purchasing another piece of plastic, Blake had to break out all of the frozen water from the first attempt in order to lay the second piece down, it was quite a project. Then, since our backyard isn't level, Blake had to go back out and build more to the original frame because one side of the rink was about to overflow with the water and the other side didn't even have water in it. Needless to say, all of the work was totally worth it. Although we've only been out on the ice once so far, it was a lot of fun to have an outdoor winter activity to do besides play in the snow. Our neighbors, the Geers, came over and the boys and dads skated together. I'm fairly sure that this will be the first of many years the rink is built. I'm hoping it makes great childhood memories for the kids and adult memories for us!

Larsen X-mas Lights

2010-12-23T15:58:00.004-06:00

So last year Chase was the ring-bearer in my cousin Robyn's wedding and he walked down the aisle with two adorable flower girls. The house pictured above is their home. It is in Elburn which is a little bit of a hike but definitely worth it. The house even had its own radio station that explained how many lights are on the house and how long it takes to decorate. We waited in a line of cars to get close enough to really enjoy the show and it was amazing. Each song was choreographed with the lights to make an amazing show. We'll go back next year for sure!

Polar Express 2010

2010-12-23T15:43:00.005-06:00

Our tickets

We continued our yearly traditioin of riding on the Polar Express again this year. The "big kids" now remember what it's all about and look forward to drinking the hot chocolate & eating the cookies. The biggest event though is definitely the visit from Santa. The video is cute because you can hear Chase ask for a Star Wars although he wasn't asked what he wanted...he did correct Santa though. He told him he wanted the Star Wars guys, not the movie!

Santa Visit

2010-12-18T17:48:00.004-06:00

Chase & Grandma

Making a gingerbread ornament for the tree

My mom invited us to her library for a "Christmas Around the World" theme. It was set up very cute with crafts for the kids to do, a Christmas tree decorated for every country, a holiday puppet show, a jazz band that the boys loved, and the unexpected visit from Santa. We really lucked out, we ended up being 3rd in line to see the jolly man and I was so grateful that I had my camera. Chase was totally excited and marched right up to Santa, told him his name and said "I want a Star Wars for Christmas." Immediately after Chase, Luke went up with no hesitation and said the exact same thing. It was so cute and I was so proud of them for being brave! After that we had some punch and cookies. I think this trip will become a new tradition!