Alger Family

Fast Forward to Summer

2011-06-27T12:54:00.008-05:00

It's been a few months since I've made a post. A lot has happened since February, so here is a quick summary of what we have been up to.

Brady celebrated his second birthday in April. His favorite birthday gift was an Elmo helium balloon from the dollar store. To celebrate, we went out for pizza and got Rita's for dessert.

The boys and I took a trip to St. Louis and Kansas City at the end of April, where we visited with friends and family. It was quite the challenge flying with the boys by myself, but I enjoyed watching Brady on his first plane ride. The boys had birthday parties in each city, and really enjoyed seeing everyone. While we were in St. Louis, Logan celebrated his fourth birthday.

After returning from our trip, we had a third birthday party for the boys at our house with all their friends. It was a red fish blue fish theme, and the boys had a blast.

We made a BIG announcement in May. Our family is expecting baby number three, and can't wait to meet the new member of the Alger family in January. After a rough first trimester, filled with nausea, I'm excited to be in my second trimester in hopes that I will start feeling better soon.

Enjoy all the photos.

Logan enjoying the park.

Brady at the park.

Brady's first plane ride to St. Louis.

Uncle John teaching Brady his tricks.

Brady wanted to join the zebras at the STL Zoo.

Easter at grandma and grandpa's house.

Hanging out with grandma, grandpa and the cousins.

My favorite picture of our time with the Sobeys. Logan and Jenna couldn't get enough of each other.

Birthday at grandma and grandpa's.

Brady with grandpa and great grandpa.

Logan's best birthday gift ever.

Red fish blue fish party.

Water balloon fun.

I LOVE My Boys

2011-03-01T14:52:00.004-06:00

I love my boys. They make me laugh and smile. Brady and Logan love to be goofy, and they surprise me everyday with the things they learn. Logan loves to ask questions and learn about everything I do. His favorite question is "Why?" All day long he asks why I am doing things and why things are the way they are. I must answer the best I can, because he remembers every word I say. Brady is my expert climber. He is figuring out how to reach anything he desires, and he has amazing balance. He has also become a pretty good basketball player. If Brady is outside, you will find him with a ball, shooting hoops in our little basketball net. He will stand there for ever, shooting ball after ball.

The boys and I had a good Valentines Day. We celebrated with heart shaped strawberry marshmallows and dressed in red. Although Chris refuses to celebrate such a commercialized holiday, he surprised me with a new red pot with red and white tulips for our front porch. Logan enjoyed his preschool Valentines party. Between the party, grandma and grandpa's goodie box and a box of treats from Mary and Carl (our old neighbors), the boys have enough treats to last them for months.

Lately, I've had the desire to create things. I've been spending my nap times baking, painting and sewing. It's been fun to explore my creative side again. My favorite creation is my giant pear painting. I really wanted a pop of color for our kitchen, but couldn't find what I was looking for, so I created it myself. Check out the photo below.

We have a praise! Someone made an offer on our house, and we are getting close to closing on it. Chris and I are feeling relieved that we will soon be down to one mortgage payment. Although we don't understand why it took so long to sell, we are praising God for his faithfulness. We have been truly blessed through the whole moving process, and can see God's hand in all that we have been through.

Brady, the basketball star.

Logan and I on Valentines Day.

Brady making a noodle necklace at Logan's preschool Vday party.

My serious little man stringing noodles.

My pear painting and pink cupcakes for a girls night.

My little taste tester.

Logan and Brady's first slumber party with their friends, Jack and Ethan.

My climber. I have no idea how he balances on the wobbly toy.

Snow and Stuff

2011-01-23T20:25:00.005-06:00

We have had 2 snow storms in Jacksonville, bringing us a few inches of snow. Our neighbors told us that snow is rare here and this is an unusually cold winter for Coastal Carolina. The city is not prepared for weather like this, so when it snows, the whole town shuts down. After the last snow storm passed by, they closed the base where Chris works, so we all enjoyed two snow days together. While it was fun, I'm excited for it to warm up again.

I already had to say good bye to one of my good friends. I knew I would meet tons of great military people, who would eventually have to move to another base, but didn't realize it would be so soon. We met Lacey when we moved into our apartment, and enjoyed hanging out with her and her husband Jerrod. They received orders to move to Maryland, so the boys said their farewells to their favorite babysitter, and I now have a friend to go visit near Washington DC.

Brady is doing more and more these days. He has several words in his vocabulary, and he is so smart. Check out his video below.

Family snow day.

Playing in the snow for the first time this winter.

Brady Bear is so amazed by the snow.

Our snow covered home.

Logan helping daddy.

Snow in our backyard.

My last night with Lacey, before she moved to Maryland.

Some of Brady's words.

Christmas

2011-01-23T13:28:00.009-06:00

We had a great Christmas this year. Being with all our extended family would have made it even better, but we enjoyed spending a quiet time together as a family, followed by a visit from my parents.

The boys made things fun this year. They are both great ages to watch opening presents and participating in the other fun traditions. Logan was overjoyed to receive the remote control train that he has been asking for since August, and Brady loved his tool bench.

We really enjoyed the visit from my parents. Logan and Brady were so excited to have grandpa and grandma here, and they were spoiled the whole time. It was fun to show my parents around town and take them to the beach.

In front of our Christmas tree.

Logan's preschool Christmas program.

Logan excited about the gifts on Christmas morning.

Brady was very serious about opening gifts.

Brady's new weed eater.

GeoTrax Train.

Celebrating Christmas with my parents.

Brady was very nice to share his new Rudolph chapstick with everyone.

On the beach with grandpa and grandma.

Royals fans.

Christmas is Almost Here

2010-12-13T14:31:00.005-06:00

Christmas is almost here, and we have been busy with celebrations and activities. Chris and I had a good time at our church life group Christmas party this past weekend. It was our first time out without kids since June.

We went to the Marine Christmas party yesterday. Logan and Brady saw Santa and had their picture taken. Brady was not so happy this year, as you can see below. Logan didn't want to sit on his lap, but he let Santa know that he wants Team GeoTrax for Christmas. Chris and I have been hearing about Team GeoTrax (a toy train) for months now. Logan talks about it all the time, and even prays for it every night before bed.

We started on our Christmas cookies already. I have had lots of help from Logan. Every time I get out a recipe, he grabs a stool and wants to help. Logan decorated Santa's cookies with lots of sprinkles and icing. Yum.

With so much focus on Santa and presents, Chris and I decided to start a new tradition with the kids this year. We have been talking more about the true meaning of Christmas with the boys, and chose to get them each three gifts to represent the three gifts that Jesus received. Hopefully this will give our gift opening some meaning and put more focus on Christ when we explain it to the boys.

My Body for Life challenge is over. I made it through the full 12 weeks of eating healthy and working out. Now that it's over, I plan on keeping it up, but allowing for a few extra treats during the holidays. I was able to lose quite a bit of fat and change my body shape. It's feels so good to be healthy.

Crying or no crying, you must have a picture with Santa.

The Marine Christmas party.

Daddy must play this game every night.

Mommy and Logan time.

Logan's cookies for Santa.

Brady was mad he couldn't touch them all.

Matching sweater buds.

Settling In Again

2010-12-13T14:10:00.004-06:00

We are finally feeling settled in. Chris and I have been working hard on unpacking and organizing. It's so nice to be able to hang pictures on the walls and make this place our own.

Our first house guests came a few days before Thanksgiving. The Sobey family, our good friends from Lee's Summit, stayed with us for a few days on their way to South Carolina. Logan and Brady were so excited to see their friends, and I enjoyed seeing my best friend, Stacia. We took them to the beach and enjoyed a beautiful 70 degree day playing in the sand.

It was a little hard being away from family for Thanksgiving. We missed seeing everyone and all the traditions. Our new friends, the Hornsby Family, had us and another military family over for a potluck Thanksgiving meal. Having friends to spend the holiday with was such a blessing.

Logan with the Sobey kids.

A family beach photo.

Jen and Stacia.

One of the many military helicopters that fly by every day.

New House New School

2010-11-10T12:11:00.005-06:00

We moved again! It's so nice to be back in a house. We moved in over a week ago, and love being here. God has really blessed us with with an amazing home, and we look forward to having people stay with us. With that said, I'm missing my friends and family so stinkin much, so start booking your flights. Seriously, let me know when you would like to visit. Did I mention we are just a few minutes from the beach? I included a few new house photos below.

Logan had his first day of preschool yesterday. I can't believe he is that old. He loved school, and is ready to go back. When we got home, Logan walked around like he was big stuff and Brady followed him around. It was too cute.

Our new finished house.

Logan is showing you his new playroom.

The living room and kitchen.

The master bedroom.

Logan's room.

After giving the tour of the house, Logan wanted me to take more pictures of us.

Spaghetti and chocolate pudding face.

The Children's Museum in Wilmington.

Halloween boys.

Mr. big boy. First day of school.

2010-10-02T15:00:00.005-05:00

If you can't tell, we are super excited about our new house. It's pretty much the highlight of our day, to drive by and look at the work they have done. There are less than 30 days until we close on our new home, and we can't wait to move in. Chris and I dream about the things we can do when we have our own place again. Not only are we excited to have our friends and family come visit and vacation here, but we hope to use our home to serve others in the community. I look forward to hosting playgroups for other moms and kids and having families over for dinner. Jacksonville is full of military families that move often, and we are hoping to be a stable force in an unstable community.

One blessing about living in a small apartment for three months is we have been able to sight see every weekend. Instead of focusing on yard work and house chores, we have been exploring our surroundings. Two weekends ago, we took a trip to New Bern for their 300 year anniversary celebration. The celebration was small, but we enjoyed walking around the town and learning about it's history. Last weekend, we drove to the North Carolina Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. It was a beautiful drive up one of the barrier islands. The boys loved seeing the fish and other sea creatures that are native to NC.

On top of everything we have been doing, I have decided to take on a challenge to become fit and healthy. To do this, I started the Body for Life program, which involves strength training, cardio exercise, and eating a balanced diet. The program last for 12 weeks, and today is day 18. By week 12, I hope to have developed healthy eating habits that I will continue to live by and to have more energy. I figure that if I blog about my challenge, I will be more likely to stick with it. Now that you all know, I can't quit.

You can check out our house and trip pics below.

It's really looking like a house now, with siding and stone.

Brady has never seen so many ducks at once. New Bern is pretty cool like that.

Logan totally thought this was Lightning McQueen.

Pretty Pine Knoll Shores.

Logan and Chris watching the fish.

The NC Aquarium.

Wilmington, Earl and More

2010-09-04T13:04:00.004-05:00

We took a trip to Wilmington, NC last weekend and discovered a neat train museum. Logan was so excited to see trains and watch model train sets. Wilmington is a beach city with lots of shops and things to do. It's about an hour drive from Jacksonville, which makes for a great day trip.

We survived our first hurricane! Jacksonville was under a hurricane warning a few days out of Earl's arrival, but we were downgraded to a tropical storm warning before it reached us. We experienced some strong winds, rain and a power outage, but nothing major happened in the city. After Earl passed, the boys and I went out to the beach and found some great shells and other sea life.

Our new house is now completely framed and boarded. The roof, windows and doors are on, and they are working on plumbing and wiring (the picture is before some of this was complete). Our prayers were answered yesterday when our mortgage broker re-ran the numbers and told us it is no longer necessary to sell the Lee's Summit house before the end of the month in order to be approved for our new home. We still pray that we find a buyer soon, but are comforted knowing that we will not lose our new home.

Watching the trains at the Wilmington train museum.

The boys and I walk to the park a lot during the week.

The trees are amazingly tall here.

Our new house is going up fast.

Playing at North Topsail Beach.

Our Apartments with Earl closing in.

Preparing for the storm.

We found big shells, coral, sharks teeth, sea glass and starfish.

The coolest kids in North Carolina.

Settling In

2010-08-21T16:05:00.003-05:00

Hi from Jacksonville, NC. We have been here three weeks, and are starting to learn about our new home.
One really sweet thing about living here is we are close to a beach. We are within a 20 to 30 minute drive of three different beaches, and are already taking advantage of it. Logan and Brady were excited to see the ocean for the first time. They were a little cautious of the water, but loved playing in the sand. Brady had his first taste of sand when he promptly grabbed it and put it in his mouth. Instead of spitting it, he tried to chew the sand, and I had to watch him closely from then on. Logan enjoyed collecting shells in a bucket and building sand castles.
Since we were without kitchen supplies for our first week here, we had to eat out almost every meal. We have most of the major restaurant chains here, along with some great local restaurants. Bojangles has become one of our favorite places to eat, with it's famous chicken and biscuits and sweet tea.
The boys are starting to adjust. They really enjoy going to the park next to our apartment, which has several walking trails surrounded by tall pine trees. They are also excited about the apartment pool and playground. Logan and Brady each got a fish (in place of Laney) and love feeding them and watching them swim. Logan named his fish Blue Fish (so creative) and Brady named his (red) fish Stop (it's his favorite word).
We have started to attend a Baptist church, which is close to our new house. Chris and I found a Sunday school group to join, and are enjoying getting to know some new friends. I was already invited to a few play dates with some moms in our group, which we really enjoyed.
We are excited to learn more about our town and watch as they build our house.

We moved!

2010-08-03T11:44:00.009-05:00

It's been a while since I've been able to post. We have had a very busy summer so far, and we look forward to things slowing down soon.
Our lives have been changing so quickly, we haven't even had a chance to take it in. Chris got an interview for a Sports Director position at Camp Lejeune, NC in June. Within a few days he was offered the position and we accepted it. He is so excited for this move, which is a big step up in his career. Chris will be in charge of planning sports and youth sports for a community of around 50,000 Marines and their families (a community of about 140,000 people). He will also be in charge of the gyms, along with recreation equipment rentals. This is the perfect opportunity to use his college degree and make a difference in peoples' lives.
The past 6 weeks have been full of packing, moving and seeing all our friends and family. After accepting the job, we were told that Chris had a start date of August 1. We quickly put our house on the market, and started packing our things. Within a week, we put in an offer to build a new home and found an apartment in Jacksonville, NC (the town that surrounds Camp Lejeune) that we could rent for three months while they build our house. Unfortunately, our boxer, Laney, could not make the trip out here and stay in the apartment with us, so we had to find a new home for her.
The boys and I took a trip out to St. Louis to spend some time with my parents and see everyone before we had to move. We also tried to pack as much friends and family time in as we could, while we were still in Kansas City. It seems like we were going non stop for the last few weeks, but it was totally worth seeing everyone.
The moving truck came and took all of our things several days before we could move into our new apartment, so we traveled to my parents' house to stay for a few days, before making the rest of our trip out here. God really blessed us as we traveled to NC. The boys did well, and both cars made it safely.
We were able to move into our Jacksonville apartment two days ago, with one little challenge...our things have been delivered to Camp Lejeune, but will not be delivered to the apartment for seven days. Thankfully, we brought our air mattresses with us, and some extra clothes and towels. I am not too excited about having no place to sit and no kitchen supplies, but it has given me a new respect for the military families that have to go through these moves on a regular basis.

Checking out the beach after Chris's interview at Camp Lejeune.

Saying bye bye to Laney dog (Brady says it best).

Stopping by on our way out of town to say bye to our BFFs, the Sobey family.

Stacia and I.

Logans BFFs, Jenna and Beca.

A traditional Alger/Sobey dinner.

Another BFF of Logan's, Trayton.

Logan's first train ride at the STL Zoo.

Slip and slide time with grandma and grandpa and cousins.

Pea Pod get together in KC.

Pea Pod get together in Springfield.

Stopping to see another train.

Visiting with great grandma and grandpa.

Marrah girls.

Marrah family visit.

Logan's Birthday

2010-06-01T15:46:00.005-05:00

We just celebrated Logan's third birthday with a party at our house. Chris brought home a moonwalk from work, and the kids had a blast jumping in it. I did my best to make a Thomas the Train cake, which was requested by the birthday boy. It was fun to have my aunt and uncle and cousins join us for the celebration. They, and my grandparent,s made the trip here and back from St. Louis all in one day.
It's hard to believe our little boy is three. He is growing up so fast. Enjoy the party pics below.

Mason (our nephew) jumping in the moonwalk.

Logan blew out all his candles for the first time.

Stefani, Kelly and Ted

Logan playing with his new ball set and my cousin Mandi walking around with Brady.

Easter

2010-04-27T16:02:00.004-05:00

We traveled to St. Louis for Easter this year. The boys really enjoyed seeing their grandparents and family. Logan was excited to look for eggs with his cousin, Kenzie at great grandma and grandpa's house. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

Our One Year Old

2010-04-27T15:08:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it's already been a year. Brady turned one on April 14, and he is becoming such a big boy. We celebrated his birthday this weekend with friends and family. He had a Hungry Caterpillar themed birthday, and I really got into it. I spent hours making a caterpillar cake and his apple cake. He loved the frosting, and made a huge red mess of his little apple cake. Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to the party. We enjoyed visiting with all of you.

Chris and I dedicated Brady to the Lord this past Sunday during church service. It's important to us to raise him in a Christian home and teach him about God and the importance of having Him in our lives. We pray that some day Brady will accept Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.

Enjoy the birthday photos below.

March

2010-03-20T14:18:00.002-05:00

Spring is here. Or it was here, until today. It's the first day of spring and we woke up to 3 inches of snow with more on the way. We have been so excited for some warm days. The boys love going for walks and playing at the park. I took Brady's 11 month pictures at the park this week, and you can see them below.
My mom came in this week. She wanted to spend her spring break with the boys. Logan and Brady had fun playing with grandma while I enjoyed a few days out shopping by myself. It was a great break for all of us. My dad came in on a train Wednesday night. Logan couldn't stop talking about watching papa get off a train. We will have to let him ride it some day.
Chris surprised me with a romantic get away to a bed and breakfast on Thursday night. It was just what we needed. It was our first night together without the kids since before Logan was born.
There is no news about Chris's job situation. He continues to apply for any position he can find in or close to his field. We pray something will come along soon.

Brady 11 months

Logan watching trains in the park

Green pancakes on St. Patrick's Day.

Mom do I have to eat these?

Shoulder Surgery and Some Cute Pics

2010-02-19T17:20:00.004-06:00

Chris had shoulder surgery last Tuesday. After injuring his shoulder when he was little and then again in college, he was finally able to have it fixed. The recovery process is long, but Chris is really pushing himself in therapy and determined to get better quickly.
Brady turned ten months! He is really into eating lately and never seems to get enough food. Brady is now crawling all over and pulling up on everything.
Logan is amazing us with his ability to quote movies and books. He will quote whole scenes from his train movies and remembers everything he sees and hears. We may have a little actor on our hands with the way he likes to pretend.

Brady at 10 months.

Brady's first tattoo.

The boys playing in Logan's room.

Brady chilling with uncle John.

Brady and Logan playing in the bath.

Logan giving Chris a hair cut. Ouch.

Brady Is On The Move

2010-01-18T15:22:00.005-06:00

Brady turned nine months a few days ago. He has been army crawling everywhere, and picks up speed every day. I find myself chasing him around the house all day long as he points out areas that are not baby proof. Brady is such a different baby than Logan. Logan would sit quietly and play with toys. Brady is into everything and pulls up on all the furniture to reach for anything he can get his hands on. He also loves the sound of his own voice, so he screams and babbles.

Brady nine months

Brady quite often has bed head spikes.

He loves to get on his hands and tippy toes.

Are you supposed to be in mommy's cook books?

Brady and Logan playing together.

This is our crawler and screamer.

Our baby has way too much energy.

Christmas Highlights

2010-01-06T11:30:00.006-06:00

We had a great Christmas this year. Our family has been so blessed. My parents traveled in on Christmas Eve and spent a few days with us. They enjoyed watching the boys open gifts and play with their new toys. It snowed so hard that we had to push back our Christmas celebration with Chris' parents, but were able to reschedule for a few days after. The boys enjoyed seeing their grandparents and playing with their favorite cousins, Kaden and Mason.

A few days before Christmas, we found out that Chris did not get the job in NC. We know that this is not where God needs us at the time and pray that He will soon show us His new direction.

Grandma and Logan making cookies for Santa.

Logan discovering the presents on Christmas morning at 5a.m.

Chris and Brady at 5a.m. Christmas morning.

Brady and Logan looking in their stockings.

Brady's new baseball toy.

Jen playing our new Wii.

Logan's first snowman.

Brady looking at all the snow.

Grandpa and Grandma with Brady, Kaden, Mason, and Logan.

Happy Brady in his new snowman shirt.

Christmas Time and an Interview

2009-12-11T11:10:00.009-06:00

The Christmas Season is really exciting this year. Logan understands more and he is excited about all of our Christmas activities. We took some family photos with the boys in their matching Christmas sweaters while we were at my parents' house and they looked so adorable. Last week, we went with Chris's parents and our nephews to see Santa at Bass Pro. I'm amazed that both boys didn't cry. Logan is also learning the real reason for Christmas and you can see his video below.

Chris had an interview in NC on the 16th. He was one of four people being interviewed for the Beach Resort Manager position. We hope to hear back from them in the next week or so. Please be praying that God will open and close doors to lead us in the right direction.

Brady 8 months

Funny Logan Videos

2009-11-22T14:38:00.003-06:00

I just wanted to share some funny Logan videos from this fall.

Logan loves this song.

Attack of the Laney Beast.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Halloween

2009-11-10T19:00:00.004-06:00

This year we spent Halloween with Chris' parents. My mom and his sister, Mel, and her boys joined us as we walked the neighborhood trick-or-treating. The boys had a blast together and collected lots of candy.

Changes

2009-11-10T18:48:00.002-06:00

Our family is preparing for some changes. Chris just recently expanded his job search outside of Missouri. Until now, he had been only applying for positions that were close to home, but we haven't received any offers, and there are not many recreation positions that can support our family on in MO. A woman he knows from Marine Headquarters called him the other day to tell him about a position in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune, and she encouraged him to apply. He has an application in for the Beach Resort Manager position on base. The job sounds nice and he has a pretty good chance of getting an interview. We would really appreciate your prayers about this situation. It's hard to think that we would be moving away from our family and friends. Even if he doesn't get this job, the search will continue and there is a really good chance we will be moving.

Fall Activities

2009-10-19T20:01:00.008-05:00

Our family is having a great fall. We are loving the weather and spending a lot of time outdoors.

Brady just turned six months last week. He is becoming such a big boy. Logan and him are starting to play together, and they make each other laugh. Brady is working on sitting up on his own and likes to stand while we hold his hands.

Logan is enjoying jumping in the leaves and helping Chris outside. He is developing such an imagination and loves to pretend he is a train conductor.

We visited the pumpkin patch today. The boys had a blast. Logan enjoyed all the activities, while Brady watched.

Brady six months

Playing in the leaves in our backyard

The Pumpkin Patch

Family Time

2009-09-13T15:48:00.002-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time with family lately. The last four weekends, we have been seeing our parents and grandparents. Logan and Brady love seeing the family.

Today we spent time together at the park, where I took Brady's 5 month pictures and Logan, Chris and my dad played on the playground. I can't believe how big my boys are.

Logan Learns about beer from Grandpa Weis.

Brady Bear

2009-08-23T17:47:00.009-05:00

Our Brady Bear is growing so fast. He is now four months old. I realized that there are so many photos and videos of Logan by this age, and not so many of Brady. This week I focused on getting a few good videos of Brady. He has mastered raspberries and loves to talk to stuffed animals.

Brady 4 months

Chris and the boys

Great grandpa and the boys

Brady telling the caterpillar what is up.

Blowing Raspberries

More Summer Fun

2009-08-01T12:58:00.004-05:00

Here are some more photos of the things we are up to this summer. Logan has really become interested in trains. It's all he talks about. We took the boys on a boat ride, and it was Brady's first time on the water. Logan had a blast at the MOPS pool party. And we took a trip to KC's Science City.

July

2009-07-24T19:28:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy July. We celebrated Chris' 27th birthday, and Brady turned 3 months old. Chris and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary early on the 4th of July, by going back to the place he proposed. This time we really watched the fireworks under the arch. Two weeks later, we were back in St. Louis again for my 10 year high school reunion. This also became a mini family reunion because John and Sara were "home" too. It was the first time we were all together in over a year, so we took some family photos. Check out our new photos below.

Brady 3 months old.

My photo shoot of Logan and Brady.

Our family photo.

The kids.

Logan at the Science Center.

Becka, Jenna and Logan having an indoor picnic.

Summer Time

2009-06-23T17:42:00.007-05:00

Summer is here and we are keeping busy. I've been doing several activities with the boys, so we can get out of the house.
Brady is two months old and has started to smile and coo. He went on his first play date with his new buddy, Henry and slept through most of it.
Chris and I took Logan to our community pool and he had a blast. We also went to Down Town Days, where Logan got to see the LS fire station, and sit in the fire truck. Brady enjoyed sleeping in the stroller while I pushed him around.
I joined the leadership team for my MOPS group, and will be designing and managing the LSCC MOPS blog. I'm excited to get to know some of the moms better while using my design skills.
Chris is busy with all the summer sports and activities for the marines and managing the pool on the base. His hours are a little crazy in the summer time, with so much going on.
Enjoy our photos below : )

Brady 2 months old.

Playing at Summit Waves.

Brady and his new friend Henry Hagenhoff.

The Pea Pod girls at Amy's baby shower.

Logan at the Lee's Summit Fire Station.

Chris and Logan in an old Army helicopter at Down Town Days in Lee's Summit.

The Birthday Party

2009-05-25T20:09:00.005-05:00

We had a party for Logan's 2nd birthday this weekend. It was a blast! We got a moonwalk, and the kids loved jumping in it. My parents and grandparents came in to help celebrate and Logan's best friends, Jenna and Rebecca, added to his excitement. It was an Elmo party, with the number 2 as the number of the day. We had "2" cake, cupcakes and cookies.

Our Big Boy

2009-05-15T13:14:00.006-05:00

Logan turned two on May 1st. His party is later this month, but Chris and I celebrated with him on his birthday. We took him to his favorite restaurant, Pizza Street, where he ate four pieces of pizza and some ice cream. He got a basketball hoop from us and thought it was the best present ever.

Brady has been an amazing baby. He doesn't cry unless there is a reason, and he lets us sleep up to four hours at a time some nights. Logan is adjusting to the big brother roll pretty well and is being a big helper to me.

Both of the boys are getting big. Brady just turned one month old yesterday. I took Logan's two year and Brady's one month pictures with our new camera and posted them below.

P.S. I have photoshopped Brady into our Blog header, but hope to replace us with a real family photo soon.

Logan's birthday gift.

Singing Happy Birthday to Logan.

Brady's first party.

Logan helping Daddy cut grass.

Two year photos.

One month photos.

Brady Matthew is Here

2009-04-23T14:21:00.006-05:00

Brady Matthew was born April 14 at 3:15p.m. He was 7lbs 15oz and 19in long. I had an 18 hour labor, making it longer than when Logan was born. Everything went well with no major complications. Chris and I are so excited to have our little guy here.

Our first week home has been pretty busy. Although, we haven't accomplished much, we have barely had time to relax and sleep. On Monday, I took Brady to the doctor, where we discovered he had jaundice. His levels were almost critical, and we had to start supplementing formula at every feeding, after he was breastfed. It became difficult to wake him up, so we had to strip him down to his diaper to keep him awake through the feedings. It has felt like all we do is feed him, since by the time we have finished the process, it's time to start all over again. Every morning we had to take him to the hospital to test his levels. We are thankful that today's levels went down significantly, and we will no longer have to bring him back for blood work.

Brady looks so much like Logan at this age. A comparison shot is below, showing their going home from the hospital pictures, and it's hard to tell who is who.

Logan is having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to not being the center of attention, but is doing great with Brady. He loves to hold him and give him kisses. I hope they can be great friends later on.

Brady is on the left and Logan is on the right.

Spring Break

2009-03-22T14:32:00.016-05:00

My mom came in for her spring break and helped me clean my house. It looks amazing! Logan loved having grandma here and, as you can see below, she spoiled him like crazy. Yes, you can see Logan eating Cheetos in her car. He had orange finger prints all over the inside.

Grandma watched Logan while Chris and I went to Brady's last ultrasound. I am 36 weeks and he is measuring around 6lbs 2oz. My doctor told me that she would allow me to be induced a week early, so we have tentatively planned for going into the hospital on April 9th.

This weekend, Chris and I took Logan to Bass Pro to see some animals and fish. He loved it, but was a little scared when the big fish swam too close.

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Eating Cheetos in Grandma's car.

Logan and Grandma

Logn at Bass Pro

Snow

2009-03-03T13:26:00.005-06:00

We got 6.5 inches of snow this weekend. Logan wanted to go outside and play, so we bundled him up, and Chris took him out. He lasted about 15 minutes until he got too cold. I took pictures of them from the warm house.

Logan riding a rocking horse. This was Chris's when he was little.
His great grandpa made it for him.

February

2009-02-21T15:31:00.005-06:00

This month we traveled to St. Louis to surprise my mom for her 50th Birthday. John flew in from Chicago, which made it extra special.
Logan is still enjoying playing on his potty, but refuses to actually use it. He is really trying to be a big boy and likes to do things that Chris and I do. Below you can see him swiffering the floors and playing with a big basketball. When Chris turns on sports, he gets excited and watches them with daddy.

John surprising Mom.

Logan playing on the potty.

Logan helping swiffer the floors.

Logan with his basketball.

Random Fun

2009-01-30T16:07:00.003-06:00

Logan had fun trying on some of my hats and glasses the other day. He even wanted me to take his picture. I love the swim cap on him. It brings back such good memories of when I used to live at the pool.

January

2009-01-27T12:07:00.004-06:00

January has been a long month at home. We haven't been out much, due to the cold weather and sickness. Two weeks after my virus, Logan came down with Croup and an ear infection. It took about a week for him to recover and he is doing much better now.
Chris and I have been enjoying watching Logan's language develop. He is starting to repeat everything we say. I included a video of Logan repeating his ABCs. Some of the letters are pretty clear and others are just funny.

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T14:00:00.003-06:00

Our New Years Eve was very low key this year. We went out to dinner with our friends, the Hooks, and played games. After noticing that we didn't get a family Christmas picture during the holiday, we posed in front of our tree for a New Years Eve shot.
New Years day was more eventful than we expected it to be. I had to make a trip to the hospital after getting really sick. I was severely dehydrated and the blood tests revealed that I was far from normal. After staying the night in the hospital and being hooked up to an iv, I felt better and was released the next day. The doctor thought it might be a virus and told me to take it easy for a while. We are thankful it wasn't serious and that baby Brady (if you didn't know, we decided on our boy's name) is okay.

Christmas

2008-12-30T13:20:00.007-06:00

We have been very busy during the Christmas season. Every weekend in December was full of traveling and spending time with friends and family. We made 2 trips to St. Louis and a trip to the lake. On Christmas Eve, my parents and Chris's family celebrated at our house. Logan had a blast playing with his cousins and opening gifts.
On Christmas morning, Logan woke up to find a cozy coupe car sitting by the tree and we have not been able to get him out of it since. It was so much fun watching him open gifts this year because he was so excited about everything he got.

Christmas at the lake. Chris's great grandma, grandpa, and mom made this a 5 generation photo.

The Pea Pod girls, Katie and Ellie, Stacy and Luke, Me and Logan, Page, Erika and Natalie. (We missed you Amy)

Half of Kaden, Logan, Mason and Kathy on Christmas Eve.

Logan and me opening gifts on Christmas Eve.

The best Christmas Gift ever from mommy and daddy.

Logan showing grandma his Christmas toy.

The box was a hit until we opened the sit and spin : )

Probably not the safest toy to give a 19th month old, but it was sure fun.

Santa

2008-12-12T10:36:00.006-06:00

Just as we suspected, Logan was not excited to see Santa this year. As you can tell from the photo below, he screamed when I sat him on Santa's lap. He did have fun in the Crayola Land surrounding Santa. After, seeing Santa, I took him to see the big train by the Crown Center Christmas tree and he loved it. We ate at Fritzes too, where a choo choo train delivered our food.

Logan and Santa

November 2008

2008-12-01T15:34:00.004-06:00

Surprise! It's a boy. We had our ultrasound the day before Thanksgiving and found out that we are having a little boy. As much as I was hoping for a girl, we feel blessed to have a healthy baby boy who can be buddies with Logan. Our big boy is growing up fast and has started the process of potty training. He shows his potty signs in the video below.

We spent Thanksgiving in KC this year. Kathy fixed a great meal, and we stuffed ourselves silly. The day after Thanksgiving, we were able to catch up with Chris's grandpa and took the four generation picture below.

Logan, Chris, Kathy and Grandpa Williams

Now that it's winter, I'm feeling pretty crafty. I've started knitting scarfs and made the ABC pillows shown in the picture. The pillows are for Logan's new bedroom, and they go with his alphabet bedding.

Chicago Trip

2008-11-10T13:20:00.006-06:00

We just got back from visiting John and Sara in Chicago. It was a great little vacation. The weather was perfect and the trees were beautiful. Logan experienced a lot of firsts on this trip. This was his first vacation, first plane ride, first train ride and first bus ride. It was nice visiting with my brother and sister-in-law and seeing their condo for the first time. While we were there, we ate some Chicago pizza, saw the zoo, walked along the lake and went shopping. Logan was very amused by uncle John's high tech trashcan and coo coo clock.

Chris and Logan on the plane.

Chris and Logan on the bus.

The Alger family in Chicago.

The lake with a great view of the city.

Logan and uncle John.

Halloween

2008-11-07T13:49:00.011-06:00

We had a busy Halloween week. Our play group had a Halloween party and all the kids dressed up. Logan was a monkey this year. He pretty much picked out his own costume by pointing and making monkey sounds as I walked past the monkey suit in the store. We went to Pumpkin Palooza at our church where Logan played games and won candy for mommy and daddy. Then, on Halloween night, we went to Trunk or Treat and a few neighbor's houses. It was a fun, but busy week.

Play group Halloween party. Logan with his friends, Rebeca and Jenna.

Our little monkey.

Fall is Here

2008-10-20T14:21:00.005-05:00

Logan and I just got back from a week at my mom and dad's. While Chris was on a business trip in Baltimore, we hung out in Fenton. Logan enjoyed spending time with grandma and, grandpa and I got a little break.
Today we went to the pumpkin patch with our play group. We picked out a pumpkin and went on a hay ride. Logan saw a lama for the first time and enjoyed milking a cow (a wooden one, that is).

Logan sharing his cell phone with Laney.

A spoiled little baby at grandma's house.
Only a grandma would let you turn on and off the water and make a mess.

Mommy and Logan at the pumpkin patch.

Logan not liking the hay.

Milking a cow.

Driving a tractor.

Second Trimester

2008-10-05T11:27:00.003-05:00

I'm officially in my second trimester of this pregnancy. Chris, Logan and I were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time this week. The morning sickness is getting slightly better, but it has not completely gone away.
To celebrate, Logan has prepared a dance to his favorite song. You can watch the video below.

September Update

2008-09-25T10:26:00.007-05:00

I haven't been able to blog lately, due to the awful morning sickness I've been having all day, every day. Hopefully it will end soon :) Since my last post, a lot has happened. We found out the due date is April 18. Logan finally mastered walking. We started a major construction project in our basement. My cat, C.J., had to be put down.

Logan often walks around making monkey sounds like this. He is just like his daddy.

Logan attempts to help daddy in this basement by banging things with his hammer.

In loving memory of C.J. What a precious sweet kitty. Last time we were in STL, Logan walked all over grandma and grandpa's house calling for the kitty. It was sad, but cute.

Big News

2008-08-20T12:17:00.003-05:00

I'm pregnant! Logan is going to be a big brother. We just found out this weekend, so I'm only 5 weeks along.

This weekend we went to the St. Louis Zoo. It was Logan's first time and he loved it. He really liked the apes and sea lions.

Our playgroup went to Oceans of Fun this week. Below, Jenna, Logan and Rebecca are ready to go.

Back at the Lake

2008-08-14T11:11:00.006-05:00

Logan went on his first tube ride and loved it. Chris said he laughed every time they hit a bump. Check out Logan's "vintage" life jacket. It's my old life jacket from the 1980s.

They are just screaming across the lake here, not. I think the pontoon we were on had a top speed of 15mph.

The Wedding and Stuff

2008-08-08T11:26:00.010-05:00

Chris and I went to Meaghan Brown's wedding this past weekend. I've pretty much been looking forward to it all summer. We haven't been doing much lately, so to get dressed up, leave Logan at home and have a nice dinner and drinks is a huge deal. It was really good to see some of my old friends from FH too.

Chris and I having a good time.

Me and the beautiful bride, Meg.

Lorraine, a good friend from FH and I.

Adam and Asher.

This is just a random photo of Logan brushing his teeth like a big boy. I bought him a new hat and he won't take it off.

Our Big Boy

2008-07-28T10:38:00.002-05:00

Logan learned how old he is last week. He is getting so big so fast.

Having Fun in the Sun

2008-07-13T18:20:00.003-05:00

Laney and Logan love to stand at the walk out and look outside. I gave up on keeping the glass clean.

Grandma brought a pinwheel for Logan when she came to visit. It's now one of his favorite toys.

This is pretty much a normal day for Logan and I. It's nice that he enjoys such cheap entertainment.

Chris celebrated his 26th birthday this weekend. I made him a big chocolate doughnut cake because that's pretty much his favorite food. What a dork ... my husband can never take a serious picture.

We went to Longview Lake today with the Sobey family. It's probably the dirtiest lake in America, but we had a great time.

Minivan

2008-07-04T12:17:00.003-05:00

The Rossows came by to visit yesterday, since they were passing through KC. I couldn't help but take a photo of my first friend to own a minivan.

Day at the Pool

2008-07-03T11:00:00.005-05:00

Stacia, Sarah and I took the kids to the pool this week. It was the first time Logan seemed to enjoy being in the pool. I think I look part Chinese in this photo, but everyone else looks good.

Summer Fun

2008-06-30T16:03:00.010-05:00

Logan wanted to mow the grass like daddy, so he got out his mower this week. Laney loves to chase the mower when Chris cuts our grass and she did the same with Logan.

Stacia and the girls came over for dinner this week and the kids watched Sesame Street together. It's so much better when you are three inches away from the screen.

Logan created his first painting. It was a huge mess, but lots of fun. Part of his technique involved spinning on top of the paint with his diaper butt.

I'm determined to help Logan overcome his fear of pools. He didn't do too bad, but would only let me put two inches of water in the pool.

Jen's Career Change

2008-06-26T09:33:00.003-05:00

I just recently made the decision to become a stay at home mom. As much as I love being a graphic designer, I was really feeling led to stay at home with Logan. After discussing this decision with Chris, we set a date for me to put in my resignation. I was set to give my two weeks notice on a Thursday. On Tuesday morning I stayed home from work with a migraine and started to think twice about my decision. I began praying that God would give me peace about my decision and let me know that this is where He wanted me to be. In the middle of my prayer I received a call from work, and they told me they were terminating my position. Wow, I couldn't help but smile as they told me this news. God had never given me such a quick and clear answer. I'm not going to lie, it hurts to be let go from my job, but knowing this is where God needs me is comforting.

Playing with Laney and Blowing Kisses

2008-06-23T16:11:00.004-05:00

Logan learned to blow kisses. He especially likes to do this to random people in the store to get their attention.

Laney is excited to have a new friend. Logan plays with her and is always trying to give her his toys. Fortunately, Laney knows which toys are hers and which toys are Logan's and she will only play with her own.

Logan's First Birthday

2008-06-15T20:59:00.003-05:00

We recently celebrated Logan's first birthday. It was a Curious George Theme party where we invited friends and family. Logan had fun playing with friends and opening gifts, but started to get tired when it was time for cake.

The Alger Family

2008-06-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

We are excited to start keeping you updated on what's going on with us.