Chelsea, Logan & Aiden

Fun in the Snow!

2011-12-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's official...

2011-08-15T14:42:00.001-07:00

My first born is a kindergartner! How did this happen?

Family Pictures 2011

2011-08-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Annie Gerber Photography for taking these pictures! (www.anniegerberphotography.com)

Bradon's 6th Birthday

2011-08-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my sweet little Bradon is 6 years old! We had so much fun at Chuck E Cheese!

Best Friends

2011-08-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I took Logan and his best friend, Evan, to see Cars 2. They had so much fun and actually sat through the entire movie! I love that these two are so close!

Easter

2011-05-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter... I'm a bad mommy and didn't take very many pictures! Oops!

Oklahoma- Part 1

2011-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

We had way too many pictures from our trip to post all at once, so there are 4 parts to this for anyone who cares!

The boys and I had quite the adventure at the airport. We left at 5am and got to Oklahoma City at 2pm. After that, we rented a car and drove another 2 hours to Tulsa! Yes, I am crazy for traveling with 2 kids by myself and having a layover each way AND having to drive after our long flights. Nobody ever said I was a sane person. We had so much fun though!

Fishing and Riding Horses- part 2!

2011-05-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

My great aunt & uncle have the best house ever... we went fishing and then the boys rode horses! Logan never wanted to leave! We can't wait to go back to visit!

Oklahoma- part 3! Great Great Grandma!

2011-05-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

I LOVE my great grandma. I wanted my kids to get a chance to meet her, so that was the inspiration behind this trip! I have a lot of great family who lives in Oklahoma and I wanted my kids to meet everyone! I have great aunts and uncles, my great grandma, my brother and sister in law, and my niece living there... It was great to spend time with everyone!

Every family member that goes to my great grandmas house takes a picture on her front porch... it's tradition! I may not have the best pictures, but something is better than nothing!

Oklahoma- part 4

2011-05-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

My brother took us to his school to take a tour- Logan was in heaven! There were a million pictures of airplanes, but I narrowed it down to 3 of my little pilot!

We're alive...

2011-04-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

I doubt that anyone is really looking at my blog any more since I haven't posted in 6 months.... However, I am just putting it out there that my little family of 3 is alive and well! I've just been busy with school and being a mom. Life never seems to slow down or to get easier!

Logan is such a busy boy these days! He has a busy schedule which consists of: play dates, sleepovers, playing way too many hours of xbox, consuming massive amounts of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, and school. He's sweeter than ever and I'm loving this age! I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

Aiden is at a really fun age now too. He loves to spend his days pretending to play xbox with his big brother, giving fishy kisses to anyone/anything that doesn't run away from him, and napping. He's living the life!

As for me... I'm just about to go crazy. Nobody ever told me being an adult was going to be so tough! I want to go back to being 5 years old. Between school, clinicals, and my kids I feel like I spend 24/7 wiping poopy bums (too much info? clinicals and kids don't make for a glamorous life, people!), feeding people, cleaning up after others, or doing homework. I'm ready for summer break! For now, I'll just keep reminding myself that my life isn't that bad and there's always someone out there with far more difficult lives than I have.

Halloween Fun!

2010-10-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

We had a great month with all of the Halloween fun! We carved pumpkins, went to Mother Nature's Farm, and went Trick Or Treating with my sister and her family! I love this time of the year....It's so fun to see my boys get so excited over the holidays!

Zoo

2010-10-13T07:24:00.001-07:00

My friend, Jill, is in town so we decided to take the boys to the zoo! Aiden wasn't in a mood to have his picture taken, but he had a good time too! I am so glad that the weather is almost nice enough to go to the zoo....it's still a little warm for me!

Preschool!

2010-08-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

It's official....I have a preschooler! I found a great preschool and Logan and I both love it! Logan had a great first day and was so excited to tell me all about his day when I picked him up. It is so cute to see his first craft projects and to hear him tell me about red circles and the number 1. I love that he is so excited to learn and he loves his teacher too. It's a nice break for me too!

I am proud to report that I didn't cry as he got out of the car and went into school for the first time. The teachers come get the kids from the car and walk them to class so I didn't get to walk him to class. He looked so excited to go so that kept me from crying! He was such a brave boy and didn't even care that I was just dropping him off.

I love that Logan is growing up to be such a great kid. He's loving and sweet and he will be just fine going to school without his mommy!

Aiden's 1st Birthday!

2010-08-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Aiden turned 1 last week... I can't believe that its been a full year since I was blessed with this sweet little man coming into my life. I don't know what I would do without this little guy. He is the perfect fit in my family of 3. Logan and I love him so much! It makes me incredibly sad that a year has flown by but I am also proud of Aiden and excited to see him grow up! Happy 1st Birthday, Aiden!

Pity Party, Table of 1

2010-08-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

Why didn't I get the memo that life is rough? Why didn't I get the memo that the life of a single mother of 2 small children was damn near impossible to survive? Maybe I threw it out with the junk mail...

I am trying to see the silver lining of my situation. Sometimes that is easier said than done though. Things have to look up soon, right? I sure hope so!

I am moving into a tiny condo in a couple of weeks. I am scared to death to live alone with my kids but at the same time I am excited to make the move. My own space, my own schedule...In a way it's the start of a new beginning. Life didn't hand me what I wanted so I am just going to have to go find it for myself!

Back to the silver lining- Logan and Aiden. Those two boys are perfect and healthy. They are the best part of my day and I love them dearly! I think those two sweet little men are going to get me through this and everything will work out.

4th of July

2010-07-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Bowling!

2010-07-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

This was a great way to spend our Friday night! Logan ran up to the lane and threw the ball. He was pretty good.... He may have done better than his mom! Okay, he beat me both times! In my defense, he got a ton of spares! All of that running wore him out and he slept like a baby!

Swimming and Splashing!

2010-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I took the boys swimming yesterday. It was really the first time that I have taken them both swimming all summer... Aiden had a blast splashing everyone but he hated sitting on the raft. I couldn't get Logan to hold still for a picture but he had a good time jumping into the pool. His new water shoes make him jump far. They're magic, just ask him!

Amazing Jakes

2010-07-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

My parents were brave enough to take 5 of the grandkids to Amazing Jakes for Mike's work party. They all had fun... except for the Frog Hopper ride when Logan decided that he didn't like that ride! I think his face says it all!

Chuck E. Cheese's aka Nastiest Pizza Ever!

2010-07-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

Lacey, Brandon and I decided to take the boys to Chuck E. Cheese's for some nasty food and some fun! It was quite entertaining to watch all of the boys playing air hockey and playing there. Good thing the boys had such a good time because the food was NASTY!

Aiden

2010-07-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

These pictures just make me happy so I thought that I would share them!

Sea Life Aquarium

2010-06-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to be brave last week and I took my boys to the new aquarium that just opened in Tempe. It had a lot of really neat things to look at but there were SO many people everywhere! It was really hard to push a double stroller around that place! The boys loved it a lot. I can't wait to take them back when its less crowded!

Private

2010-05-22T01:27:00.000-07:00

It's time to go private! Leave me a comment or email me if you want to be able to see my blog.

My email is chelsea_holgate@hotmail.com

Back to normal, hopefully!

2010-05-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

I have been really sick for the last 2 weeks. I was tired, weak, dizzy and had a pulse of 30-40. Long story short, I ended up having surgery for my heart issue. I spent a week in the hospital trying to figure out the best plan to get me better. I am so glad that I went through with the surgery to fix my slow heart rate.

I was quite chatty during the procedure. I remember that I kept lifting my head up and trying to see what the doctor was doing! I was told to lay down and to hold still because sitting up would cause me to bleed- the dr was in a main artery in my leg. They gave me 5x the amount of medication usually needed to sedate someone my size and I was finally out! I vaguely remember waking up in recovery and telling my sister that she sucks at life... oops! The nurses told me the next day that I was funny and that they couldn't believe I said that to my sister! I really am thankful that my sister drove 200 miles in all to sit at the hospital with me. Just for the record- she doesn't suck at life!

Also, I just wanted to point out that Mike is a saint. He has been at home with my kids for 9 days in a row, without any help. He even said that it was a "low stress job"... I disagree. I am grateful that he has been so great and hasn't complained once! My boys and I are very lucky that Mike was there to take care of them while I was so sick!

I hope that this is the last time I'll have to have heart issues. So far, my heart is beating perfectly and everything is back to normal! Well, I can't lift my kids for 1 or 2 weeks, but besides that everything is back to normal!

Looking at the bright side...

2010-05-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

I am 23 years old and I may need a pacemaker... life really sucks sometimes! I was admited into the cardiac ICU on Thursday because my lazy heart decided that it only wants to beat 30 times per minute now. I had several tests done and was monitored 24 hours/day for 4 days and the conclusion was that I need surgery which could possibly result in a permanent pacemaker. Needless to say, I am not happy. However, this experience has taught me one thing- I have a great family to rely on.

My mom rushed to the ICU at 1am to be with me when she found out that I was being admitted. My sister stayed up all night sending me text messages to entertain and distract me. Mike took care of both of my kids by himself for most of the 4 days (my mom helped when she went home from the hospital). That was probably the toughest job of all... Aiden is solely nursing and Mike couldn't do much in that department! My dad came to help me torture the nurses during the day. My family helped so much and I am very lucky to have them!

As for me, I am trying to see the glass as half full. I decided to come home to wait for the surgery schedule to clear up instead of waiting 4 extra days in the hospital. I am supposed to go back at the end of the week to be admitted for surgery. I am seeking a 2nd opinion in the meantime. I am not allowed to drive or work until my heart is working properly.... I guess I will just have to be positive and hope that the doctor reviewing my chart for the 2nd opinion comes up with a better solution!

The picture is one that my sister took as we were spooning in my hospital bed...yes, we are weird and we got a lot of funny looks. Did I mention that my door was open so everyone could see us?

Hospital trip

2010-04-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

Aiden was having some trouble breathing so I had to take him to the hospital. His oxygen levels were really low and his lips were blue so the doctors decided it was best to admit him overnight. They hooked him up to monitors and oxygen and he was good as new! He did great throughout the night. They woke us up every 2 hours to evaluate him and every 4 hours to do breathing treatments. We didn't get much sleep but he feels a lot better! They had to shove more tubes in his nose which was upsetting, but it made him better.

It was kind of like a vacation for me. The tv doubled as a computer, there were movies on demand through the tv, and I got all of the juice and goldfish crackers that I could eat! Aiden was really happy 99% of the time and it was nice to hang out with him. Too bad we had to spend time together at the hospital, but it was a good experience for having to be there. Plus, he looked adorable in the hospital gown!

I am just happy that he was well enough to come home today and that he seems to feel better! I hope he stays healthy. There's nothing worse than having a sick kid!

2010-04-14T08:28:00.001-07:00

Poor little Aiden has been having a tough time breathing. He was having an especially difficult time last night so I took him to urgent care. They had to shove tubes down his nose and throat, they gave him a shot, oral medication, 2 doses of an inhaler, a breathing treatment, and then they did a chest x ray. My little guy was crying through all of this torture and there was nothing that I could do. I tried to comfort him as he was strapped down to this contraption and the nurse tried to tell me in a polite way not to talk to him. "You know, sometimes it makes it worse for the baby if they hear their mom. They don't understand why their mom isn't picking them up"-nurse. I had to stand there and watch as my baby cried for me.

After all of that torture, they said that he had inflammation in his lungs and a double ear infection. They sent me home with an inhaler and told me to bring him back in the morning for another steroid shot.

The doctor said that Aiden is the happiest baby that he's ever seen. He was all smiles until they strapped him down! I am glad that he is so happy when he is sick, but I still feel horrible for him!

Hoppy Easter!

2010-04-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

Another Zoo Trip

2010-03-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

I love having a zoo membership! My mom and I took the boys to the zoo this morning. The weather was perfect and all of the animals were out. We had a lot of fun with the boys. My mom tried to bribe the zookeepers to keep me but they refused- Smart people! My mom seems to think that the zoo is uphill both ways and I have to agree with her! Pushing a double stroller in that place is nearly impossible! We got a good workout and the boys are both taking a nap now. It was a good morning!

Food!

2010-03-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

My sister was nice enough to make Aiden a lot of baby food! The peas are his favorite! He really enjoyed eating her yummy food the other night! Can you tell? Thanks for making 30 jars of food Lacey! You are a great sister and aunt!

Saguaro Lake & The Great Flood of 2010

2010-03-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family invited us to go out on their new boat with them. I thought it would be a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon with Logan so I said yes! Little did I know that I would be a victim of The Great Flood of 2010. The boat flooded (somewhat)... Good thing that it has a pump that could get all of the water out before the boat went down! My sister drove straight into a wave and that resulted in about 15 seconds of freezing cold water rushing into the boat. I was up front with Logan and Bradon and we all got soaked! Luckilly, I was able to hold on to both of the kids so they didn't get washed away! 5 minutes prior to the Flood I had fixed Bradons life jacket that was on wrong. Then, I held on to him to keep him in the boat. So, Lacey & Brandon- I saved your childs life and you owe me! You're welcome!

Lazy mornings

2010-03-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

We are all still in pajamas and it's 10:23am! Logan's best friend is over playing in the sandbox with Logan. Aiden is hanging out in his swing and I am on the laptop! It's a nice, lazy day!

Zoo with Grandpa!

2010-03-16T10:16:00.001-07:00

Mike was brave enough to go to the zoo with 4 of the grandkids AND Lacey and myself. Could he have been in better company? I think not!

I think that he had just as much fun as the kids did! He took Logan to feed the giraffes and to touch the stingrays. It was a lot of fun! Lacey and I didn't think it was so much fun as we were both pushing double strollers uphill! That's exhausting!

Huntington Beach... picture overload!

2010-03-03T00:16:00.004-07:00

We ended our California trip with a visit to Huntington Beach today. My aunts kids haven't ever been to the ocean so we decided that we had to go. All of the boys wound up having a lot of fun in the freezing cold water! It was a lot of fun to see the kids have so much fun doing something so simple. I love the beach and I can't wait for warmer weather so I can take my kids back!

Disneyland!

2010-03-03T00:09:00.001-07:00

I can honestly say that this was the very best Disneyland trip ever! The kids were so excited to see Mickey Mouse. They all went on rollercoasters, and were troopers being at Disneyland for 10 hours without naps! We had a blast and I am so excited that I was able to take my kids on their 1st trip to see Mickey!

We went with my Aunt Juli, her 4 kids, my sister and her family. We all had so much fun! I can't wait to go again!

Knotts Berry Farm

2010-03-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family, my aunt and her kids, and my kids and I all packed up on Saturday and headed to California. We started off going to Knotts Berry Farm on Sunday. Everyone had a lot of fun there! My sister and I were in heaven when we discovered FUNNEL CAKES! (Lacey has the pictures of that... it was the highlight of our trip!). We have very fond childhood memories that include funnel cakes!

Giveaway!

2010-02-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

My friend is having this giveaway on her blog... I think these are adorable! I think I just may have to order one for myself for being super mom!

Big boy car seat!

2010-02-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am the kind of mom that absolutely hates toting my kid around in an infant carseat. I only used one with Logan for 2 or 3 months before switching him to a normal big carseat. I finally got fed up after nearly 6 months of lugging my fatso Aiden around in an infant seat. I got a great deal on a car seat at Babies R Us so I decided today was the day that he gets to graduate to being a BIG BOY! This is a picture of him going for his first ride in his new seat. It must have been comfortable because he fell asleep in it!

It's Official...

2010-02-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

I am now the owner of a zoo membership! I have wanted one for a while and my sister and I decided to get a membership while we were there on Friday. I am excited to take my boys to the zoo as much as they want over the next year. As you can tell, Logan is a big fan of the zoo. He loves to ride the camels, feed the giraffes, and to sit in Monkey Village and watch the little monkeys run around.

We had a great time with our 4 little monkeys. Aiden hung out in his stroller most of the time and he just looked around. Bradon, Jace, and Logan ordered us around telling us where to go. They found a tractor and thought that was the coolest thing at the zoo! Logan and Jace fed the giraffes and loved it. Bradon said the giraffes tongue looked gross and wanted nothing to do with it! Overall, it was a fun day!

Not so sneaky...

2010-02-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Logan likes to stay up late to play with his toys. He thinks that he can hide under his blankets and pillows and he is magically invisible to me. He has no idea that he really isn't very sneaky... I know that he is under his covers playing with his trucks! I went to do the nightly routine of taking 5 or 6 trucks out of his bed and to cover him up and this is how I found him. He was fast asleep hiding under his pillow and he has his cement truck right next to him. I LOVE having boys!

2010-02-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

I had a fear when I was pregnant with Aiden... I feared that it wasn't possible to love anyone as much as I loved my 1st born. I didn't know how any mother could love anything more than her first child and I was very nervous that I would have trouble bonding with Aiden. I am relieved to know that it was a ridiculous fear. I love both of my children more than I could have imagined! I am incredibly in love with BOTH of my boys and I couldn't be happier! I am just very grateful that I have both of these little men in my life.

Can you tell that I had fun shopping at Babies R Us today? My fatso 5 month old is wearing 18 month clothing! I love every last bit of my 22 pound chunky baby! And look how sweet his big brother is! I am one lucky mommy!

Fire Station Tour

2010-02-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

The boys and I went on a tour of the fire station this morning. Logan was so excited whe the fireman opened the door and let us in. He immediately started to make siren noises and told the nice fireman that is the sound that a fire truck makes! We got to look around the inside and then we went into the garage to see the big trucks. Aiden hung out with the firemen as Logan and I crawled up the huge stairs to get inside the truck. Logan was in heaven! He is obsessed with all big trucks right now.

Determined

2010-01-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

The other day Logan asked me for some "Cantatope" (aka cantaloupe). I told him that I would cut it up and give him some in a minute. I went down the hall to go to the bathroom and this is what I saw when I returned! That litttle man is determined to get his way no matter what! He is so stubborn/independent. I don't know where he gets the subborn trait from- maybe his daddy?

I know, I am a good mom... I took pictures of my child playing with a knife. It was only a butter knife and I was supervising it at this point!

Rolly Polly

2010-01-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Aiden started to roll over last week. As you can tell in the picture, his big brother is so proud! I am a proud mom, but once again... it makes me sad to see my kids growing up so fast! The days of laying him on the floor and walking away are over. Now that is more like hide and seek because Aiden wiggles around and then I have to look for him!

1st food!

2010-01-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Aiden is such a big boy now! It makes me sad that he is hitting milestones. I feel like he just needs to stay a little baby who needs his mommy-forever. This probably explains why I waited so long to start him on solids! I couldn't wait to start feeding Logan real food. This time around, it makes me sad to see my baby growing so fast! Aiden is probably the last baby I will have and I just want it to last forever!

2010-01-17T17:43:00.002-07:00

Aiden is so happy and adorable! I could hold him all day long and just stare at him! I love my babies!

Disney On Ice

2010-01-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

My friend, Lisa, took us to Disney On Ice on Friday Night. Lacey and her family came with us too. The kids had a really fun time! Brandon and I spent most of the night secretly hoping Tinkerbell would trip... Um, did I just say that?

Logan's favorite part was when Mater and Lightning McQueen came out with all of the other Cars characters. I can't tell you how many times he has made me watch that movie! Thanks Lisa for taking all of us and for putting up with us all night!

Dessert

2010-01-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

My mom makes Cranberry-Strawberry Jelly each holiday season. My step dad always gets into her stash and eats it by the jar. He seems to think it's a great dessert. Tonight we ate dinner and Mike went to get into her stash... she told him to stay out of it and he hesitantly refrained from eating it.

About an hour later, Logan went to the fridge and got the jar of jelly out and grabbed a spoon. He sat down in front of the tv and turned on his cartoons and dug in! He is just like grandpa!

Don't mind the messy face... he really enjoyed his dessert!

Aiden's 1st Food...

2010-01-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm a good mom, I swear! He was watching me eat a popsicle and he wanted a bite. He enjoyed it and that's all that matters!

Aiden's 1st tooth!

2010-01-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am on of those mothers. I document everything!
Look closely, it's on the bottom!

My little Aiden got his 1st tooth last night! I can't believe how big he is getting! Time flies when you have a perfect baby!

I got really lucky with this little guy... he rarely cries, he sleeps through the night, and best of all- he is a happy teether! Logan was horrible when he was teething. He would cry so loud that my sister would kick us out of the house so we didn't wake her family up! Lacey and I would take turns walking up and down her street at night to calm Logan down. My parents probably wanted to kick us outside some nights too, but they invested in ear plugs instead! I am so glad that Aiden is happy when he is getting teeth. Lets hope it lasts!

Park Outing

2010-01-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

We went on our 1st family outing to the park. My friend and her 2 boys went with us and we had so much fun! Yes, I did put my son in that NASTY swing!

Logan's Christmas

2009-12-25T09:17:00.001-07:00

Logan was so excited to open his presents this morning. He got a ton of stuff! He must have a been really good this year because Santa spoiled him rotten! He got 2 Zhu Zhu pets, puzzles, movies, a trike, a tool belt, new Jordans (Daddy started a shoe fetish at a young age!), a Play Doh kitchen, books, a football, board games, a barrel of monkeys, and 2 trains! I am sure I forgot to list some stuff, but you get the point! He is spoiled!

I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas!

Aiden's Christmas

2009-12-25T09:12:00.002-07:00

Aiden has no idea what is going on, but he surely loves his presents!

Meet Squirt & Brownie....

2009-12-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Squirt and Brownie are the newest additions to the Holgate Family. Meet our Zhu Zhu Pets.... Logan named them all by himself! My friend, Lisa, came over last night to let Logan open the gifts she got for him. He had so much fun playing with these until 11pm with Lisa. Thanks!

Side note- These have several warning labels stating that you should not sleep with them because they can get tangled in your hair... Logan kept sneaking them into bed with us. Any bets on how long it takes for them to get caught in my hair?

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Logan, Aiden, and I headed over to Chrystal and Dustins house this morning for some fun. Logan got to open his gifts from them and he LOVED the football that he got. Logan and Dustin stood at the top of the stairs and threw the ball down to Chrystal. Then she would toss it back up to them. Logan got a little crazy throwing the ball down and Chrystal almost took a few balls to the face! That kept them quite busy for a while! Thanks for the fun!

We came home exhausted from their house and we all took a long nap! After nap time, we had my aunt, cousins, and grandma over for dinner!

More lights

2009-12-20T09:48:00.003-07:00

My boys love to look at Christmas lights so we went on another outing to look at some! We went to Dairy Queen and then to see lights. It was the perfect way to spend Saturday night!

2009-12-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

Nobody ever told me that being a parent was so much hard work. Nobody ever told me that being a single parent to 2 small children was nearly impossible.I know that I am not a perfect mother.... I am exhausted 24/7, I am cranky due to the lack of alone time/showers. It's incredibly hard to be a mom.

My mom was a single parent for a long time and now I have a lot more appreciation for all that she did for us. I guess you never fully understand until you walk a mile in someone elses shoes. I've walked a lot of miles in her shoes over the last 3 years. Thanks for all of your hard work, Mom. I am sure that you wanted to leave us on a street corner at times and head for the border. (Or am I the only mom who feels like that sometimes?!)

I truly believe that the greatest thing to happen to my mom (besides giving birth to her 3 kids) was Mike. He came into our life when I was young and I have been very close to him ever since. Mike always treated us kids like we were his own. He never calls us his "step" kids, nor has he ever treated us differently than he treated his own son. I thank him for that.

My point is that I am very grateful for my mom and Mike. They are currently keeping me from going crazy. They are both amazing grandparents who love my kids very much. My mom and Mike babysat Logan for me last night so I could get out of the house with only 1 kid. This was a lot of help to me.

Mike got up this morning and took Logan to the park and then to the gym. This gave me a few hours to myself and I was able to wrap Christmas presents and just enjoy a quiet house while Aiden was asleep. Being a single mom is nearly impossible and these two make it a lot easier for me. Thank you both.

Love,
(your favorite daughter) Chelsea

P.S-
My kids are very lucky to have several grandparents who are amazing. Thank you to all of their grandparents for loving/spoiling my kids so much!

Bass Pro Shop & Santa

2009-12-17T10:28:00.002-07:00

I thought that it would be fun to take the boys to see Santa the other night. Operative word- thought. Logan kept yelling "Naughty Santa" as he tried to get off his lap.

It was all fun and games as we explored Bass Pro Shop until it was time to see Santa. We took pictures in front of all of the creepy stuffed bears, admired the huge fish, looked at the waterfall, and explored everything else there. My aunt Juli came along for the torture- um... I mean, fun!

Logan told me that he NEVER wants to sit on Santas lap again... he only wants to look at him! Lesson learned!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-13T21:15:00.002-07:00

I am not a fan of the holidays... the music especially. However, these two little guys make me love this time of year! I love an excuse to dress my kids up and make them pose for pictures!

Prescott Trip!

2009-12-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Logan and I took a day trip up north to play in the snow! I haven't spent a whole lot of 1 on 1 time with Logan since Aiden was born so I decided to take him on a trip yesterday. We went to see Steve and his parents. Then, Steve and I took Logan to play in the snow. The boys ganged up on me and threw a lot of snowballs at me! We had a lot of fun until Logan started screaming because his hands hurt from being so cold. In my defense, I put gloves on him and he took them off!

After we played in the snow, we went back to visit Steve's parents for a while. Then we met up with my parents, who were also up north, for dinner. Dinner was really good and I even beat Steve at a game on the kids menu! It's rare that I beat him at a game so I had to point that out!

I had a lot of fun spending the day with Logan. I can't wait until we can go play in the snow again! A huge thanks to my sister for babysitting Aiden!

Temple Lights

2009-12-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

2009-12-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that Logan doesn't like to have his picture taken? He was biting my hand! That's as good as a family picture gets in this house. Pretty sad!

A Day In Logans Shoes...

2009-12-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

Logan has always loved shoes (thanks to his daddy)... his new obsession is wearing mommys shoes! He was getting ready to stand up to prance around the house in my shoes. He wouldn't let me take a picture (smart kid) so I had to sneak this picture as he was putting them on.

My Little Reindeer

2009-12-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

2009-12-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Logan is such a sweet big brother. He loves to be right next to Aiden and he is constantly kissing him or asking to hold his brother. I took this picture last night... the boys were watching tv together. I thought it was sweet that Logan got off of the couch and sat on the floor next to Aidens bouncy chair so they could watch cartoons together. Logan told me that Aiden is his best friend.

Oh, don't mind Logans messy face.... he really enjoyed his chili for dinner!

Where's Logan?

2009-12-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Logan was in my room watching a movie and I went in there to check on him. I walked into my room and couldn't find him. I yelled "Logan, where are you?" His response, "under Aiden's blanket. Come find me!". He was in the crib having a great time hiding from me!

Block Party

2009-12-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

We had a block party on Saturday... here are some of the pictures of our fun night! Don't my kids look thrilled to take a picture with their mom? The boys had a lot of fun and looked so cute all bundled up!

Ellie & Aiden

2009-12-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Aiden and Ellie had a fun day together yesterday.... They are both so cute! Thanks to Ellie for coming to visit her favorite aunt!

Rain!

2009-11-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

It finally got cold outside today AND it rained! That's not something we are used to here! Logan had fun playing in the rain with his pink umbrella!

Logan's 3rd Birthday!

2009-11-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

The 1st thing Logan wanted to do on his birthday was to hold Aiden.... He's such a sweet big brother!

I can't believe that my first baby just had his 3rd birthday yesterday! Why are my kids growing up so fast? I remember the day he was born and the overwhelming amount of love that I felt when I saw him for the first time. Was that really 3 years ago? It's amazing how much he has grown in the last 3 years! I am so glad that I am his mom. My kids are the best things to ever happen to me even if Logan is a sassy little thing at times! That's when I pack his bags and send him to his Aunt Lacey!

Steve and his parents came down to see the birthday boy yesterday. They came with a lot of fun toys for Logan. Teresa and Logan had a lot of fun playing with his new dump truck, crane, and tractor. They dug up some dirt in the backyard and loaded all kinds of treasures into his trucks! They also rode wiggle cars and had all kinds of fun. Steve Sr held Aiden and they had fun watching football together. I think he even joined in on the digging fun in the backyard.

Steve Jr. made Logan his birthday cake this year. It was a nice break for me! He made Logans favorite kind of cake (chocolate) and even used some green frosting. Green is Logan's favorite color! The cake was really good and Logan had 3 or 4 pieces. Who needs breakfast/lunch when you have cake?

My parents were putting Christmas lights up yesterday. That is always a lot of entertainment for everyone watching them do the lights. Steve, his parents and I all had some good laughs at my parents expense. You'll really have to come witness this next year... it's quite hilarious!

Okay, enough of my rambling now.... Logan had a great birthday and I just wanted to thank everyone for making his 3rd birthday so fun!

Black Friday shopping

2009-11-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

Doesn't Aiden look thrilled about his 1st Black Friday shopping trip with his mommy? We got some great deals and I am just about done with my Christmas shopping already!

Yes, I am aware that I do not have "natural beauty" and I don't care! I went shopping looking like that!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T17:17:00.002-07:00

We were able to spend Thanksgiving at home this year. My brother and his family were able to be here for the holiday and he invited some of his Marine friends who weren't able to make it home. Most of my family came over here for the madness that comes along with the holidays! (My sister may have ended up wearing mashed potatoes thanks to me).

We had two 25 pound turkeys and a ham... not to mention all of the other side dishes! It was a lot of fun and I cant wait for next year! It's a good excuse to eat 3 slices of pie when I am supposed to be attempting to lose this baby weight!

My little turkeys were exhausted from all of the fun. They both slept like babies! Well, Aiden is a baby but you get the point! (Do you like the placement of Logans hand? He's such a boy!)

Logans early birthday party

2009-11-27T17:07:00.004-07:00

We celebrated Logans 3rd birthday a couple of days early this year. We let the boys roast weenies over an open fire... don't worry, the weenies were just hot dogs! They thought it was a lot of fun to burn the hot dogs to a crisp!

Logan had fun playing with his friends/family and all of the boys had a great time playing with all of Logans new stuff! There's never a dull moment with 5 boys ages 4 and under!

Thank you to everyone who came to our very last minute celebration!

2009-11-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

My camera is still broken so here are some pictures off of my phone. Hopefully I will get a new camera soon... (hint hint Mom!)

Happy birthday Jace!

2009-11-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Jace's 2nd birthday! We all went to Chick-fil-A for lunch. It was a lot of fun until a million other kids came and took over the play area!

Lacey's 26th Birthday!

2009-11-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late on blogging about this, but it's better late than never, right? My sister had her 26th birthday on Tuesday... Yes, her age does round up to 30! (You're welcome, Lacey)

Lacey wanted me to babysit so she could go to Home Depot to pick out paint for her living room. I told her that I would only babysit if she wore a Home Depot hat and apron and took a picture with an associate. She agreed. She ended up getting a picture as instructed but she forgot her apron! I guess she was embarrassed enough just asking the gentleman to pose for a picture so I'll let her off the hook for forgetting the apron!

After her photo shoot at Home Depot, she returned to my house to a child (Jace) who had a 104 degree fever. Poor little guy had an ear infection and didn't feel well! We cancelled our dinner plans and she headed home to be with her sick baby. Birthdays aren't quite the same when you are ALMOST 30... are they Lacey?

I was a good sister and I made her a lemon birthday cake. She requested that specific cake and I was skeptical because I'm not a fan of lemon. The cake turned out really well. I am actually making another one tonight because I liked it so much!

I hope you had a good NEARLY 30th birthday Lacey! Aren't you glad that I keep pointing out that 26 rounds up to 30?

Halloween

2009-11-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

These are the best pictures I got from Halloween! I accidentally dropped my camera and it no longer works. These are the only pictures I got before it died! Oops! I will hopefully be getting a new camera soon!

The joys of boys!

2009-11-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

I got lucky with this little guy! He is such a happy and easy baby! He loves to eat and talk to his mom these days! I can't believe he is already 10 weeks old! Time flies when your 3 year old is driving you nuts! Oops, I mean time flies when you're having fun!

Logan is testing me lately. His new favorite thing to do is to use Aidens swing as a urinal. I put Aiden into his urine filled swing 2 times and then discovered the pee! Sorry, Aiden!

I asked Logan about peeing in the swing and this is how it went:

Me: "Logan, did you pee pee in your brothers swing again?"
Logan: "Yeah, it's naughty!"
Me: "Why did you do that?"
Logan: "Because mom. I tooted"

Good reason! I'm glad that he was able to clarify that for me!

Pumpkin Baby

2009-10-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

This was the first try... he was NOT a happy camper!

The second try was much better!

Santa Baby

2009-10-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you let a nearly 3 year old pick out an outfit for his brother! Logan must be in the Christmas mood!

Another zoo trip!

2009-10-11T11:57:00.002-07:00

Teresa, Steve Jr., and Steve Sr all came down from Prescott to go to the zoo with the boys. Aiden slept through the whole thing again. Logan didn't miss anything though! He went on 2 camel rides with his grandma, and 4 or 5 carousel rides too! I think we saw just about every animal there.

By the end of the day I was convinced that every path at the zoo was uphill! (I may have threatened to kill my father in law if he picked one more path that was uphill!) Pushing that double stroller around the zoo for several hours is a great workout!

Logan is still talking about the stinky camels that he rode with Grandma! He can't wait until he gets to ride the camel with Grandpa on our next trip!

Painting

2009-10-11T11:48:00.001-07:00

Teresa bought some paint for Logan to make a mess with! I thought it would be a much more fun mess if Bradon and Jace got to paint with Logan! Jace is quite the little artist. He decided that he didn't want to limit himself to painting on paper so he recruited his big brother to be a human canvas. Jace made quite the pretty picture on Bradons back! Thanks for the fun paint Teresa! Grandmas always buy the fun messy stuff that moms wont!

We LOVE Prescott

2009-10-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

The boys and I headed up to Prescott on Monday to spend a few days with their grandparents. My mother and father in law were nice enough to entertain us Monday-Wednesday and we all had a great time- Thanks Teresa & Steve!

It was a little chilly outside in the morning so I was able to dress the boys in their cute winter outfits! I may or may not have had my AC in the room set at 60 degrees... I like to see the boys bundled up!

Teresa and I took the boys swimming. Aiden wasn't a big fan of the water so he took a nap in his carseat and I headed to the jacuzzi! Teresa took Logan swimming and then they joined me in the jacuzzi. Logan had so much fun swimming!

I love it up there and I was so sad to come back to Mesa. I wish I lived up north... the weather is so much nicer there! I love seeing green landscape other than an ugly cactus! Maybe one day I'll live somewhere with better scenery and cooler weather than Mesa has to offer!

Logan is still talking about all of his adventures with Grandma and Grandpa and he can't wait until they come down to go to the zoo!

Zoo Trip

2009-09-30T13:09:00.002-07:00

Amie and I took the boys to the zoo today... it was Aiden's 1st trip and he slept through the entire thing! However, Logan had enough fun for both of the boys!

There is a new exhibit where you can feed the giraffes and Logan loved that! After that, I took him for a camel ride.... those are smelly animals! We carried that scent with us for the rest of the day!

We had a lot of fun and I can't wait for the weather to get even cooler so we can go back!

Halloween costume

2009-09-23T17:35:00.002-07:00

Here is Logan's Halloween costume. Aiden is going to be a fire hydrant and I'm working on my sister to make her boys a dalmation and another fireman!

Constitution Week Celebration

2009-09-23T17:30:00.001-07:00

Each year Gilbert does a constitution celebration. There was a big carnival type celebration on Saturday. It was complete with the bouncy house things, food, lots of people, and fireworks. Logan loved being outside and he thought the fireworks were the coolest thing ever! Thankfully there was a nice breeze and the weather wasn't too hot- we all know how I handle being in the heat!

Big helper

2009-09-10T10:52:00.005-07:00

My mom and Mike are always telling Logan that he is a big helper. Well, yesterday Logan decided that he needed an outfit that held all of his tools. This is what he and my mom came up with! Logan and I went on an ice cream date and he wanted to wear this on our outing! He even kept the goggles on!

2009-09-10T10:45:00.006-07:00

Logan was giving me a lesson on how to properly lick a sucker... "Like this, mom. Tongue... Lick. No bite" Thanks for the lesson, Logan! I'd be lost without him!

So Sleepy...

2009-09-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

How does this child fall asleep in such uncomfortable positions?

Cousins

2009-09-08T13:13:00.003-07:00

Little Miss Ellie came from California to visit! She is a few weeks older than Aiden and she seems so much bigger! Logan loved holding both of the babies!

1st stroller ride

2009-09-08T13:06:00.004-07:00

I took the boys out to go for a walk around the block. Logan doesn't typically like to sit in a stroller so it surprised me when he refused to get out! We went for a walk and then we returned home so I could feed Aiden and Logan refused to get out of the stroller. He sat there begging to go on another walk the whole time I was feeding Aiden. I went to put Aiden back in the stroller and I noticed Logan was fast asleep. I let him nap there for a little bit and then we all went to bed!

We love bath time!

2009-09-08T13:04:00.001-07:00

As you can tell, the boys love to take baths together! Well, Logan loves to take a bath with his brother... Aiden isn't such a fan of it!

Logan's Fort

2009-09-08T12:56:00.002-07:00

Logan's newest discovery is building forts out of couch cushions and sheets. Each afternoon he rips the couch apart and asks me to make a fort. I'm not the best at constructing these, but he doesn't know that!

2009-09-04T18:45:00.002-07:00

I was feeding Aiden the other morning when I noticed that the house was way too quiet. I finished up and headed down the hallway to see where Logan was. Just as I turned the corner to go into the boys room, Logan came running out with a huge smile on his face. He had put on a pair of pants all by himself and he was quite proud. I'm just staring at the pants (which look like spandex on him) trying to figure out what the heck he had on. He then announces "Aidens pants, Mom. Cool, huh?". I looked at the tag and they were size 0-3 month. He sure did have Aidens pants on! He decided that he wanted to wear them all day long. Every time I looked at him I had to laugh so I let him wear them.

All of the pictures are action shots because Logan decided that he didn't want to hold still for me to take a picture.

1st real bath!

2009-09-04T18:30:00.002-07:00

Patiently waiting...

Today was Aidens 1st real bath... no more sponge baths for this boy! Logan was such a big helper! He helped me wash Aiden as the poor little guy screamed! Hopefully he learns that bath time is fun soon!

Cute little fireman

2009-09-04T18:27:00.004-07:00

This is what I get when I ask Logan to smile...

I think he's the cutest little fireman ever!

Maternity pictures

2009-08-31T20:05:00.002-07:00

Here are some of my maternity pictures... I had these pictures taken just a couple of days before I had Aiden. Annie Gerber took these for me and she did a great job as usual! Thank you so much Annie!

1st bath (kind of!)

2009-08-30T14:51:00.006-07:00

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Aiden had a partial bath today... I can't wait for that icky cord to fall off so he can have a real bath! He wasn't a huge fan of the sponge bath. He was starving so he decided to eat his hand while I washed him. He is warm and happy with a full tummy now!

Brothers

2009-08-29T16:19:00.002-07:00

Can you tell that Logan loves his baby brother? He always wants to hold Aiden and kiss him. Logan follows me around the house asking where his brother is if I'm not holding him. I hope he is always this great of a big brother!