Baby Rueter

I feel terrible that I have yet to write about the little peanut that will be joining our family in December. I have been keeping a journal. I just find it really difficult lately to balance everything I "want" to do versus everything I "need" to do. We found out in April that I was expecting our third blessing. Kyle and I were hoping for this to happen sometime in the summer, but God has different plans! We were very excited and found it so hard not to tell the boys. When it finally came time to tell everyone about our exciting news we decided to do it with a photograph. I can't take credit for it because I saw it on Pinterest. It turned out very cute and we got tons of compliments! Thanks Christy! :) Since telling the boys that they are going to be big brothers they have been pretty excited too. Macalan doesn't hesitate to tell me in that honest kid way that my belly is really growing. Lots of mornings when I go to get Sutton from his bed he says "baby here yet?" They are both a little impatient, but we keep telling them the baby will come when Santa comes. My official due date is December 20. Both boys were born earlier than their due dates so we'll see! Macalan told me we need to hurry up and decide what kind of a baby we are having. So today when we went to the doctor the boys heard the heartbeat for the first time. Both of their eyes just lit up. It was precious. My doctor asked them what kind of baby it sounded like and both of them said a girl. We'll find out on July 24th! Stay tuned!

Macalan's 4th Birthday

This post is long overdue! Macalan turned 4 on April 25. He was lucky enough to have 3 different birthday celebrations with his family. We wouldn't normally do that many parties, but that's just what we could work out this year when coordinating with both of our families. He has been obsessing over super heros lately so that is the theme we went with. I kept it very low key, partly because I had to plan for 3 parties, but also because I've done the more over the top parties and they never notice or care about the extra effort I put in to it. :) Macalan was thrilled with his new bike, which now he'd rather push around than ride. Those darn brakes give him some trouble. I also had some super hero capes custom made for each of the boys. They love running around with those on! He received a few other odds and ends, but those were the things he really enjoyed. I can't believe another year has come and gone. How did my baby get so big???!!! With each passing year I love him more and more, which I never thought was possible. He continues to be our smart, very verbal, stubborn, and silly boy. I can't wait to see what he learns and teaches us this year!

Reindeer Dash

Macalan has been asking to be in a race since he watched Kyle do the mud run this fall. We decided to let him give it a try at the YMCA's annual Reindeer Dash. He ran about 200 yards in the Santa Sprint with Kyle running right along side him holding his hand. It was so fun to see him running with that big smile on his face. He did tell Kyle that he was tired part way through, but he said he wants to practice for another race!

Afterwards we went inside to enjoy some healthy snacks and hot chocolate. Macalan even got a medal for participating, which he was so proud of. We also visited with Santa. When I say we visited him it was more like Sutton running up and saying "hi" then running away and Macalan staring at him and whispering to me what I should tell him. The boys loved all the craft projects they were able to make. They both made some cute reindeer antlers.

It was a fun day to spend together and I can't wait for us to do more races together as the boys get older.

Happy Birthday Sutton!

This weekend we celebrated Sutton's 2nd birthday with our families. He doesn't actually turn 2 until November 2. We had a Mickey Mouse themed party. He loved having everyone around and really enjoyed the new gifts. We laughed so hard when he opened a present that had clothes in, preceded to pull everything out and name it, and then toss it behind him.

He was adorable when he tried to blow out his candles. I love the picture I got of it! We even made it through Happy Birthday without Mac crying! That was thanks to his cousins who prepped him ahead of time and reminded him to cover his ears. Kyle and I were talking afterwards and it's hard for us not to cry during the song, but that's because we are so grateful that we've had another year with our kids. They are so precious!

It was another great birthday. I'm looking forward to what this next year of his life brings!

In the words of Sutton, "Hap Birtday to me!" He has a hard time pronouncing the whole phrase. :)

Pumpkin Time!

Last night we walked down to the local pumpkin stand and picked out our pumpkins. Macalan was so excited. Every time we walk by the spot where they usually put the pumpkins he would ask when they were coming. When they finally arrived yesterday we couldn't wait to go get some!

Both the boys enjoyed chasing each other around the trailer and Sutton kept saying "apples!" :) I'll to have to post more pictures after they've been carved up. That's always an interesting process. :) Happy Fall!

First Day of Preschool!

Today was a big day at our house! Macalan's first day of preschool! I wasn't able to be there to drop him off, but he is attending the preschool at the same school I teach at so I was able to see him afterwards. He looked so cute walking down the hall in the line with his back pack on. :)

I did notice that he had tears stained on his cheeks. His teacher said when he realized Daddy was gone that's when the tears started. He told me "mom I cried a little bit, but then my teacher said I could pick up the carpet spots." I guess picking up the carpet spots is an awesome job in the land of preschool!

Overall I'd say the day was a success. He was full of stories at dinner tonight and he made sure to tell us that he got to have Teddy Grahams for a snack. We're excited to see how the rest of the year goes for him. Hopefully he'll make lots of great new friends and continue to have lots of fun!

Solo Road Trip to South Dakota

Recently the boys and I traveled on our own back to see my family in South Dakota. I had a very good friend who was going to be in town so I needed to get back and see her.

All was well on the ride there if you don't include the one stop we made in which Sutton decided to stick his hand in Macalan's stream of pee. I had no choice but to bring us all in the same stall and I could just see this happening even before it happened. Oh well! Nothing a little soap and water couldn't cure.

When we finally made it there we were all ready to get out of the car, but all in all the boys were troopers and didn't give me too much trouble on the way.

I had a great time catching up with my friend. It's so great to have friends that you can go four years without seeing and pick up right where you left off. :)

We also had lots of fun out at my brother's place. He has several horses and, much to my dad's delight, Macalan has developed a new found love for them. My dad surprised him with his own rope and my brother's wife gave him an old cowboy hat. He was all set to be a cowboy! He had a blast "trying" to rope the fake cow. He and Sutton went on a few 4-wheeler rides. Sutton perfected his horse noises. He now makes the cutest noises when you ask what a horse says.

I was able to "attempt" to ride one of the horses. It has been way too long since I was on a horse and this horse knew it! She refused to listen to me and enjoyed ramming my leg into one of the gates several times. After a few choice words she started listening a little better.

We had an excellent car ride home and we were happy to see daddy again. It was only a couple of days after this trip that we packed up to head to Texas. More on that later. :)

Iowa/Illinois Vacation

This is a little late considering we traveled to Iowa and Illinois for a little family fun at the end of July, but oh well! We started off the 9 days or so that we were gone with a trip to Des Moines. The first night consisted of going out to eat and then to Prairie Meadows (a horse racing track). The boys loved watching the horses race. Sutton really enjoyed running around saying "hi" to everyone. Macalan loved it when his cousin Allison pretended to be the gate and he was the horse who would come charging out of it!

The next day we headed to Adventureland. It was a great morning to be at the water park. This proved to be another example of how Sutton is the gas and Macalan is the break. Sutton was happy to stick his head in everything that would spray him and he really wanted to swim by himself. He refused to be in a floaty and got very upset when he was held in the water. Macalan on the other hand wanted nothing to do with anything that would spray him and was content to sit in the floaty and get pushed around the lazy river.

Later in the day (after the boys had 3 hour naps) we headed back to check out the rides. Now here is where Macalan shocked us. He was asking to go on rides that I would have never dreamed he would want to go on, including the log flume. One ride that we went on he put his hands up like it was a roller coaster and afterwards said, "That wore me out!"

The next day my dad and niece joined us and we headed to Illinois where Kyle's family has campers at a campground. The boys had so much fun with their grandpa, grandma, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Kyle and I took advantage of the extra help and went to the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport several nights in a row where we saw some great performances.

One of the days we traveled to Bourbonais, Illinois to see the Bears at training camp. It was a very annoying/long car ride with lots of construction, but eventually we got there. Despite the extreme heat and two little boys that hadn't napped and were too young for the play area, we made the best of it and got some good autographs and pictures. Sutton got to meet Staley Bear and get a picture with him. Macalan reverted to his introvert ways and said he was "too scary." I've never been totally die-hard when it comes to football, but it was pretty neat to see those guys in action and I know it meant a lot to Kyle. He kept stealing the camera away from me for fear that I wouldn't get the right shots. :)

I'm so grateful we had that time to make so many terrific memories with our boys!

4th of July

I haven't been very good about blogging lately. I guess we've just been having too much fun!

The 4th of July was pretty quiet and relaxed this year. We enjoyed the parade in St. Peter with a co-worker of mine and her family. Macalan wasn't too sure about the loud fire trucks, but he LOVED collecting all the candy! Sutton was happy to sit and watch the floats go by and munch on Fruit Loops. Afterwards we enjoyed a picnic in the park and some playtime at the playground.

Later in the day we headed to Vernon Center to their fun, small town parade. There was a fun band playing after the parade and some different food vendors so we hung around for a little while, but when 7:00 rolled around we realized we'd done everything there was to do and decided to head home.

We don't live very far from Vernon Center so after bath time we popped them back into their car seats and drove to a good spot to watch the fireworks. They weren't the best I've ever seen, but good enough for the boys and it was fun to just be together as a family.

POTTY TRAINING UPDATE:
Macalan has been doing really well with potty training. He has been holding it a majority of the time until we have him try and he's even started telling us when he has to go on occasion! The first time he did this was in the middle of church on Sunday. I rushed him to the lobby and we made it in time! He was so proud of himself and so were we. I haven't been brave enough to put him in undies yet. Maybe in the next week or two. I'm just grateful we've made this much progress!

The rest of our summer is going to be very busy. It seems like we are going to be gone somewhere new each week. At least it's all fun stuff!

Tubes

After what seemed liked a forever long waiting game, Sutton finally got tubes yesterday. I'll try to summarize the story as simply as possible.

Back in March we took the boys to the Baby and Kids Expo where they were doing free ear screenings. I opted to have their ears checked and fluid was discovered in Sutton's ears. We went back a month later to have them re-checked and the ENT seemed to think he should gets tubes put in. We agreed to the procedure, but when I met with Sutton's pediatrician at the pre-op he thought we were jumping the gun a bit. I was happy he said that because I felt sort of funny about it too, but figured the ENT knew what he was talking about. We pushed it off another month and a few weeks ago he still had the fluid.

With concerns for what the fluid might be doing to his hearing and possible speech delays everyone agreed it was a good idea to get the tubes put in for sure. We were hoping maybe he would start talking more and stop all the cave man grunting and 'roid rages. He tends to get easily upset (a huge personality change considering we used to call him our resident pot head) which results in toys being thrown across the room and lots of screaming. We can only assume that he does this out of frustration because he can't always tell us what he wants or needs.

Well surgery came and went and, so far, he hasn't been phased. When I went back to see him afterwards he was a little fussy, but nothing some apple juice and food couldn't cure! By the time we got home he was running around and playing just like usual. We'll see what the next few days bring. I'm hoping to at least get a few more words strung together so I can at least prevent a few more toys from being hurled through the air like rocket propelled grenades!

I wish I had pictures to post of him on surgery day, but they are all on Kyle's phone. He looked so cute in the little gown with his chubby little legs! So we'll have to settle for a picture that shows what his face usually looks like just before he gets upset. :)

Play dough and potty training round ??

With all the icky weather this week we had to find something to do to stay entertained. We made a really great homemade play dough today. The boys had fun playing and I didn't feel like I needed to do the finger sweep quite as fast when Sutton tried eating it!

This week I've taken on potty training Macalan AGAIN! Hopefully this time sticks. He's had more accidents than successes and I'm starting to run out of fun things to entice him to sit on the potty. We aren't above bribery either. Kyle bought a bunch of the new cars from Cars 2 to try to get Macalan interested. Each time he goes on the potty he gets to pick a new car. I plan on having him go 2 times, then 3, etc. as he gets better so that eventually he won't need the extrinsic reward. Sutton has really enjoyed sitting on the potty chair when it's not in use by Macalan so with any luck he'll be ten times easier to get into undies!

Speaking of Cars 2, we are really excited for the opening on Friday! We've made plans to go with one of Macalan's daycare buddies so it should be fun. I think we're more excited than Macalan is. Although he did get pretty excited today when he saw there was only 2 links left on his Cars 2 paper chain count down.

I included a picture of the new cars he has earned so far with potty training.

Father's Day

We spent a pretty low-key Father's Day together today. Of course the boys were up super early so I let Kyle sleep in while we got his presents ready to go. Earlier in the week I had Macalan paint on a rather large piece of paper (which Kyle had already seen because I had no where in the house to hide it while it was drying), I also made a DVD of some of my favorite pics from the last year with some great "daddy songs," I also gave him 2 8x10 collages of the pictures I managed to get while he was working late on Friday (thanks Katie and Audrey for providing assistance with this).

True to form he cried a little bit while watching the video we made. Kyle has always been a tough, yet very sensitive guy. A trait that I love and I know he has passed on to our boys. While watching the video with him and the boys today I couldn't help but continuously look over at them and think "I am blessed." I know what a lucky woman I am to have such a great husband and father for my kids. He is always going above and beyond to provide for our family and to secure a good future for us and our kids. He helps me be a better mom and person each day and has supported me in all of my personal and professional goals.

Life isn't always perfect and we've certainly had our ups and downs. I thank God every day for blessing me with such an amazing family, especially for a husband who will hold my hand through the good and bad times and lead by example for my children.

Happy Father's Day Kyle! We LOVE you!

Wedding Dress Party

Last week I had the opportunity to take pictures at a wedding dress party. All the guys were gone fishing so the ladies decided to have a party. It was such a fun idea. Those who came either wore their wedding dress or brought it along to show off. Here are just a few pictures from the party.

Let summer begin!

Our first fun trip of the summer was last weekend. We headed to Iowa (technically Illinois) to a campground that Kyle's family stays at. Macalan tried out fishing for the first time and he actually touched the worms! I was shocked because he tends to be more like me, sort of a scaredy cat about those things. He seemed to enjoy it so hopefully we can take him more often throughout the summer.

Sutton had a fever for most of the trip, but with lots of cuddling and naps he did just fine. I was surprised at how much fun the boys had playing with whatever random stuff we could find to entertain them. Who knew a garbage can lid, sand, and a few trucks could provide hours of entertainment!

When we arrived home my sister and niece came up to go to the Taylor Swift concert. It was a great show. It was probably the most entertaining concert I've ever been to. It was my niece's first concert so I was so happy to experience it with her. I was surprised at how many girls were just sobbing throughout the show. I'm used to cars, bugs, and dirt so this took me off guard. As much as I would love a little girl someday, I'm perfectly happy with my guys! :)

Memorial Weekend

I was so happy to have a long weekend to spend with my family, but the fact that I still have 8 more days left of school kept sneaking into my memory. I did my best to push those thoughts aside and just focus on having fun with all my boys. We spent Saturday getting things done around the house and took in the matinee showing of Kung Fu Panda 2. Macalan did just fine throughout the movie, but kept asking when Cars was going to be on. He saw the preview for it before the movie started and thought that's what we were going to see. Sutton made it about half way and then started to freak out. I tried just standing in the back, but he wanted to run. I took him in the hall and the person taking tickets said we could get our money refunded if he wouldn't sit through the movie. I would have never thought of this, but it was great to get 2 of the tickets refunded. Later that day we spent some time at a going away party for our neighbor who is headed for Kuwait soon. God bless all those men and women who fight and have fought for our country.

On Sunday I attempted taking the boys to church by myself. NEVER. AGAIN. They did okay for the first little bit, but it wasn't long until Mac was asking when it would be over and Sutton was throwing every possible distraction I gave him on to the floor. Later he began crawling across the chairs and he and Mac got into a shouting match saying "yeah!" and "no!" very loudly. Thankfully they stopped that after only a couple of rounds. Whew! We made it through and even though they may have not deserved a donut, I certainly felt like I earned one so we stopped off at the commons area of our church for a quick bite. It was an interesting experience and I learned never to attempt that on my own again. If I do I will most certainly utilize the nursery.

Later that evening some friends came out with their kids and we all enjoyed grilling out, watching the kids play, and making s'mores. It is always so fun to see our boys interact with their little friends.

Today was spent just lounging around. Eventually we did go for a short walk and played on the deck for a while. It was so hot! I went from turning the heat on Friday night to cranking the air today. Only in Minnesota! I did have plans to go to town and take the boys pictures. That was foiled when Macalan decided to push Sutton off the last two stairs (I feel bad for Macalan on the day that Sutton decides to seek revenge). He landed on his face and thankfully only bit his top lip. However, it swelled up quite a bit and I really didn't want pictures of him like that. I'm going to have to put him in full pads and a helmet next weekend just to be on the safe side. The last time I attempted pictures he tripped and cracked open his chin.

We also made a Cars 2 paper chain because ever since the movie on Saturday Macalan has been harassing us about when he gets to go see it. The paper chain didn't really work either. He still asks and gets upset when you tell him he won't get to see it for about 24 "sleeps." I really want to say, "learn to read a calendar and tell time! It isn't happening until we say it is!" Obviously that would be a poor parenting choice to actually say that, but he really is starting to get a tad bit annoying about it.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

15 pounds & 9+ inches

I wasn't sure what to title this blog post so I decided to keep it simple with the amount of weight and inches I have lost over the past 3 months. Normally I dedicate this blog to being about my boys and the adorable, silly things they do. However, in order for me to feel like I can do my best at being a mom to them, I need to feel happy and content with myself. So this post is all about how I have achieved amazing results with weight loss and overall better physical health.

It was about 3 months ago that Kyle and I decided we needed to make a change in the way we were living our lives. We both felt so out of shape and crappy about ourselves. We were devoting all of our time to our jobs and the needs of our kids that we were forgetting about our own needs. Both of us were always tired and lacking energy. We had a membership to the Y that was never being used, except for the occasional trip to the pool with the boys, which I rarely participated in because that meant I had to put on a swimsuit!

To start off we knew we needed to start with the basics: stop eating crap, control portion sizes, and start doing more for exercise than just chasing the boys around the house and wrestling them to get their diapers and clothes on :) The other HUGE factor in our weight loss equation was being introduced to some health products that one of Kyle's former football teammates was selling. He had called Kyle several times and explained the products and how great they were. We were pretty skeptical to try them and it wasn't until Kyle had done lots of research that we finally decided to try out a few things. After trying some meal replacement shakes and bars, as well as the snack bars we were sold!

One of the most popular products sold by Advocare (the name of the company that sells these products) is the 24 Day Challenge. This is the product that completely changed my viewpoint on weight loss. In the past whenever I had tried to lose weight I would start exercising more and eating better. However, I never saw the results fast enough to keep me motivated to maintain my good workout and eating habits. With the 24 Day Challenge I was able to see results within the first few days! I was so excited to step on the scale each morning and see what the change would be from day to day, Normally stepping on the scale was about as fun as taking two kids to church by yourself while one screams at the top of his lungs and the other throws fruit snacks on the floor (true story). Now I anticipate the next time I get to step on and see how much weight I've lost.

By the time Kyle and I completed the challenge I lost roughly 12 pounds and more than 5 inches. Kyle lost 17 pounds and 7 inches.The great thing is that we were able to continue taking some of the same products that we took while on the challenge. This enabled us to continue our weightless and stay focused on making healthy choices. We also tried out more of the seemingly endless products that Advocare has to offer.

One of the best things that has come from all of this are the compliments I receive on just about a daily basis (sometimes multiple times a day). So many people have noticed a change in my looks and in my attitude. I have more energy to get up every morning and workout on top of work full time and take care of my family. Several weeks ago I traveled home for my niece's graduation and on a whim I decided to try on my wedding dress that was hanging in the closet of my old bedroom. I really didn't have any expectations, but I couldn't believe it when I tried it on and it was too big! I would have never thought that after 6 years of marriage and 2 kids that I would have lost so much weight that my dress would be too big!

Because people noticed the changes in both Kyle and myself we have had friends, family, and co-workers try some of these products. Everyone has had great success on the challenge and loved the other products they have tried. We are both so happy to share the products with others and get them feeling better about themselves again. Being introduced to Advocare has opened so many doors for us.

I know I sound like an infomercial right now, but I really felt the need to share our good fortune with others. If we hadn't been exposed to Advocare and all that the products and the company could do for us we would most likely be back to our old habits of dieting and exercising for a few weeks and then eating horribly and being lazy again. I have never felt so energized and happy with myself. I especially love how Macalan likes to follow me into the basement and attempt to do some of the exercises with me! :) It's pretty cute and I'm so glad that we are setting a healthy example for our kids.

If you're interested check out this link!
https://www.advocare.com/11027698

Graduation Weekend

This past weekend I FINALLY graduated with my masters from Concordia University! We headed up to St. Paul on Saturday morning to get checked in to the hotel and get everything settled before the ceremony. I was really glad I participated in the commencement ceremony. It felt good to get a little recognition for all my hard work. However, I know I could have never done it without the support of my family and friends!
Sutton looked a little surprised to see me afterwards with my cap and gown on. Once he realized it was just me he had a fun time playing with my tassel. Trying to get a family picture was pretty much impossible!
Both my family and Kyle's mom and niece were able to make it up for the celebration. It was nice to have everyone together. After dinner Macalan and Sutton finally got to go swimming. I told Macalan that the pool wouldn't be open for him to swim until mommy graduated and everyone ate dinner. I had to tell him this little white lie because he kept hounding us to go swimming! :)
He had a great time and both boys were exhausted by the end of the night. Sunday morning we all took a really nice walk by St. Paul's Cathedral and in the neighborhoods surrounding the area. We couldn't believe what nice houses there were!
It was a great weekend full of family fun! Not to sound greedy, but I particularly enjoyed the monetary gifts I received! :) On the way home we stopped at the outlet mall in Medford and I did a little shopping. I had to because I have been swimming in all of my clothes. I can't even tell you how good it feels to put clothes on, that are a 1-2 sizes smaller, and have everything fit awesome! I would never trade my boys for anything, but pregnancy really did a number on my body and it feels amazing to be in what is probably the best shape I have ever been in! I will post more about this in a future blog.

Now I need to go get registered for my doctorate program. Yeah right! Well, maybe someday! :)

The Gas and The Brake

Recently Kyle came up with a really good car analogy for our boys. It truly sums up their personalities. We've decided that Macalan is, and will probably always be, the brake. Sutton on the other hand is the gas. Here are some of the reasons why have come to this conclusion:
*Macalan is more timid and shy until he has a chance to assess the situation and warm up to new people.
*Sutton will pretty much go to anyone and is very relaxed.
*Macalan HATES bugs.
*Sutton thinks they provide some added protein that apparently I am not providing him in his diet (he likes to eat them). GROSS!
*Macalan is usually very cautious and is willingly to ask for help when he needs it.
*Sutton will dive head first off of the furniture and is hard to keep up with.
*Macalan likes to stay clean, just as his mommy does :)
*Sutton will trample through and play in mud whenever the opportunity arises.

I think these few reasons I was able to come up with prove how Macalan is the brake (always cautious) and Sutton is the gas (on the go and not afraid of anything). I can already envision Macalan as the bookworm and Sutton as the guy doing keg stands. Maybe I shouldn't be "labeling" their personalities already, but it's really hard not to! They are each their own little men with their own personalities and I love them SO much!