January 19, 2010
Happy New Year! Our year is off to an exciting start. We found out yesterday that we are having a (drum roll please)........ GIRL! We are all very excited. Steve is a little nervous about how this might affect my shopping habit, but I've assured him that I will use restraint. She looked very healthy in the ultrasound and measured within 2 days of my due date (June 5). Now it's time to start decorating the room and getting things ready- bring on the pink!
We had a wonderful holiday season and especially loved the time we got to spend with our famlies. Despite the nasty winter weather we were able to make it to my sisters for a few days. The boys especially love it there! After Christmas we spent a week in Colorado with the Van Horns. Carter did awesome skiing! Although Austin's attention span was pretty short, he spent some time on the training hills and even got to go on the chair lift with daddy a few times. I posted some new videos of them skiing so you can check out their skills.
Of course the boys made out like bandits at Christmas and we are very thankful to everyone for that. We are especially enjoying the bounce house that they got. We set it up in the basement and send them down there anytime they need to get some energy out! When the weather cooperates, the boys are both enjoying school, too. Carter already hates getting up in the morning, but he constantly talks about the fun stuff they are doing at school. When I pick Austin up, he always runs to me and says "Mommy, I missed you!". Of course I miss him, too but it is sure nice to have a little break! Carter is also playing basketball again with Steve as his coach. He's quite the little player. Austin watches his every move so I'm sure he'll be a pretty good match someday!
As you can tell the boys are keeping us busy and we are looking forward to the fun changes in store when we welcome our little girl into our family!
November 18, 2009
We have had a fun fall so far! Carter still loves school and was especially excited when he was the first Star Student in his class. Austin still makes a big fuss when I drop him off at school but he has a blast once he gets going. His teachers think he is a riot! Carter had a great soccer season and is now starting basketball with daddy as his coach. A few special things we did this fall include going to an ISU football game, going to Wisconsin for Steve's cousin's wedding recpetion, going to watch Nic and Mike play football, riding Thomas the Tank with Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann, spending a weekend with Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy, spending a day at the Omaha Zoo with Erica, Mark and Cora, and going to an ISU basketball game. One of the most exciting things that happened is that the boys finally got a girl cousin, Lauren. The boys love her, and we are looking forward to having her at our house everyday starting in a couple weeks! To top it off, we also found out that we are going to be having another baby!!!!!! The boys are very excited! We went to the doctor last week and were able to hear the heartbeat. What an amazing sound! My due date is June 5 so we will keep you posted with updates.
We are looking forward to a fun-filled holiday season. Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann are going to visit for Thanksgiving since we are stuck in Des Moines (Steve is on call). For Christmas we will be heading to Paullina to celebrate with the Bindners and then heading to Colorado for a week to celebrate with the Van Horns. Carter is pumped to go skiing again and Austin is gearing up to learn how to ski! Steve may need a little more patience with Austin than he did with Carter but it will be fun! We hope you all enjoy the holidays and we look forward to seeing most of you soon!
September 3, 2009
Wow, what a busy summer! We had so much fun. It's hard to believe that the school year has already started! Carter loves optional kindergarten and is having a blast going every morning. Austin will start school next week, and go 2 mornings a week. We went to meet his teachers today and he walked right in and made himself at home. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be the class clown!
We were lucky to have some special family time this summer going to Okoboji for a long vacation over the 4th, spending a weekend in Minnneapolis and going camping with friends twice. We also had Marcus and Drew stay with us a for a few days and Carter and Austin got to spend some time away from mom and dad at the Fausts and Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy's. I really missed the boys while they were gone, but it was a much needed break. The boys didn't even want to come home! Carter enjoyed a couple of Y camps this summer and we spent a lot of time in the backyard swimming and playing in the sprinklers. Carter and I also got to spend a week together at VBS. Austin's new favorite thing this summer is driving the power wheels jeep. He is a riot in that thing! He actually is a really good driver, but he only has one speed- FAST! Both of the boys love to play baseball so we spend a lot of time in the yard hitting balls and playing catch. Carter has been working on his basketball skills and even got to go to ISU basketball camp this summer. He's pretty excited that he can make it on the "big" (10 foot) hoop now. Another fun thing is that Carter started riding his bike on 2 wheels. He is cruising all over the neighborhood now! Austin's big news is that he has moved into his big boy bed. He decided he wanted a Cubbies room so we are in the process of getting that done.
The boys have definately grown up over the summer. Austin talks non-stop about anything and everything. He has started going potty in the toilet but isn't quite sure he's ready to completely get rid of diapers yet. He is a social butterfly and is friends with everybody. Carter turned 5 in August and had an awesome time celebrating. We had a barbeque with family and friends for him and Steve and Carter had a lego party with his friends. We are very lucky to have so many speical people in our lives to celebrate with!
We hope that you enjoyed your summer and that your fall is off to a fabulous start! There are a lot of new pictures and a video of Carter on his bike!
May 4, 2009
Sorry it has been so long since we have updated. Life has been busy! Since I updated last, Carter finished basketball and has since started Jr. Menace soccer , football, science class and swimming lessons. He is really catching on to soccer this year and has scored several goals. He had his first football game yesterday and scored 2 touchdowns! Over the last several months we have been going swimming as a family quite a bit so Carter has really improved in the water. He is much more brave and can even do his face floats and back floats all by himself. He was very excited that they got to swim in the deep end today. In March Carter got to spend a little time at the school he will be attending next year (South Prairie Elementary- Dallas Center Grimes). He is gearing up for Optional Kindergarten. His teacher said he did a great job! Another exciting new thing is that Carter's best friend, Thomas, is now coming to our house everyday. The two of them are a crack-up so they have been having a ton of fun. Austin loves Thomas ("Momas") almost as much as Carter so he is very excited about it, too. Austin is quite the little fireball. He is kind of a neighborhood bully, but his charm seems to outweigh it, so all of the kids love him. The other parents in our neighborhood are convinced he is going to be a D-1 running back! He pretty much does whatever Carter is doing whether that be singing the Star Wars theme song, driving the jeep outside, or playing sports. He seems to be 1 going on 5! Speaking of that, we are very excited to celebrate his birthday next week- we can't believe he is going to be 2 already (even though he has definately already hit the "terrible twos"!) We are really enjoying watching him grow. His vocabulary has grown tremendously recently and he seems to say whatever he hears. I call him our narrator because he tells us everything we see and hear everywhere we go!
Over the last few months we have gotten to do some fun things as a family. We spent some time visiting Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy in Minneapolis over Carter's spring break. Carter even got to spend a couple days there by himself! The boys had a blast at the Mall of America. Carter even went on the big roller coaster with daddy and Grandpa! We spent a Saturday night at the Van Horn progressive party traveling to all of the cousins' houses. It was a blast! At the end of March we enjoyed having a group of 6 Pi Phi's and their families over for dinner. Who would have thought that 8 years after college we would have 12 kids running around at our parties?! For Easter we had the Faust clan, Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann in town. It was really fun to celebrate together. Recentely we've gotten to visit the Fausts in Paullina for Drew's 1st Communion, gone to an I-Cubs game with 2 other families, and we visited the zoo. Now that the weather is warming up we are spending as much time outside as possible. We are lucky to have such a fun neighborhood with so many kids to keep us all entertained! We hope you enjoy the new pictures and we're hoping to see you really soon!
January 18, 2008
December was a crazy but fun month for us. I can't believe how quickly the holidays came and went! We enjoyed celebrating with our friends and family. The boys especially enjoyed all the special events and parties! Carter was so proud at his school and church Christmas programs (I put a video of him singing on the "Video Clips" page) It looks like he is going to follow in my footsteps and be in show choir someday! He held back a little on the spirit fingers during the program, but you should have seen him in action when he was practicing at home! Of course, the boys got way too many gifts for Christmas and we are grateful to everyone for that. Austin wasn't so sure about Santa as you will see in the pictures, but Carter couldn't wait to discuss his list with Mr. Claus. In fact, he has already started his list for next year!
Carter has been playing basketball and loving it! We just started a new session last week. He was very excited that his team is the Cyclones! Austin does his best to get out on the court with brother including doing all the stretches and warm- ups with the big kids. I've been brushing up on my wrestling skills trying to keep him on the sidelines! Carter makes us laugh everyday; It seems like he never stops talking! As I am writing this he is running around the house with his football helmet on and black electrical tape on his cheeks as his "eye black". He has quite the imagination! Austin follows Carter around like a shadow. He is talking up a storm, just like his brother. His favorite words are "nope", "go go" (garbage), "backpack", and "batman". He also thinks it is really funny to call us "Jamie" and "Steve". Austin is truly a walking wrecking ball. He is so crazy and fearless that it seems like he always has bumps and bruises. He has a purple bruise on his forehead right now that is about the size of an egg! The good thing is that when he does have a wipeout, it doesn't seem to phase him. We usually don't even know the extent of it until a few days later when the bruises show up! He recently showed us that he can fart on command so of course we took some video. (Check it out on the "video clips" page) He is all boy!
We hope that your New Year is off to a good start, and that you are all staying warm! Enjoy the new pictures and videos!
December 8, 2008
Happy Holidays to everyone! We are all looking forward to Christmas, especially the boys. Carter has been counting down the days "patiently" waiting for Santa to come and deliver his extensive list of gifts. We'll see about that! We're also excited about getting to spend some time with our family and friends over the holidays. Carter has been pracitcing his songs for his school program and church program. It is so cute to hear him sing "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree". We can't wait to see him perform! We haven't been to visit Santa yet, but I'm sure we'll cross that off of our to-do list soon. Now that Carter has taught Austin to put on the Santa hat and say, "HO HO HO", I think he's ready! I'm sure we'll have a fun update after the holidays, but for now, here is what has been going on with the Van Horns.
October was a fun month for the boys. Carter finished flag football and Jr. Menace soccer. We enjoyed a few ISU games, even though it wasn't reflected by the score! The Homecoming game was especially fun since we got to tailgate with so many friends that were back. We went to the Deal Fall Festival, and enjoyed the hay rack ride and picking our own pumpkins. Trick-or-treating was so much for the boys this year. Carter was Iron Man and Austin was Superman. They got way too much candy!
Carter started cooking class and basketball, and Austin started mommy & me tumbling in November. They are both enjoying it! Although is was very cold, we went to the last ISU game. We didn't last long but still had fun since the Fausts and Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann were there, too. I got to go to school with Carter for Mom's Day. It was so fun speding time with him while he showed me all of the fun things they get to do. It is amazing how much Carter is learning. He surprises us everyday! Austin is starting to say quite a few words and mimics everything Carter does and says. He really knows "what he wants" and isn't afraid to let everyone know. He is definately at a fun but difficult age. I'm sure he will keep us on our toes over the holidays!
Enjoy all of the joys of the holiday season. We look forward to seeing most of you during our celebrations!
October 10, 2008
It has been a long time since I posted anything on the website because we have been so busy with so many things! Austin is now 17 months and is no longer a baby! Carter turned 4, started school, flag football and soccer. We went on a couple weekend trips in August and we've been going to all of the ISU games. This is a little bit about what has been going on.
Carter turned 4 on August 3. He had a firefighter birthday party with his friends. The firetruck even came to our house for a surprise visit! The icing on the cake was that his cousins Marcus and Drew were able to stay with us for a few days and be here for his party. We also had a Cubbies birthday party for Steve and Carter with our family and friends. It was a blast! We made a weekend trip to Chicago to see the Cubs play the Cardinals (W in extra innings!) and visit the Ganeks. We also spent a weekend in Minneapolis visiting Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy. Carter didn't think the Twins game was quite as exciting as Wrigley but we still had fun. Carter even stayed with Grandpa and Grandma for a few days after we left. After starting off the ISU football season with a fun tailgate with the Campbells and a win, we headed up to Okoboji for Labor Day weekend. The weather was beautiful so we spent a lot of time at the pool and in the boat. Carter even got to go tubing with daddy! After labor day, the craziness began. Carter started preschool 5 afternoons a week, soccer 2 nights a week and football on Sundays. He loves all of it! Of course, Austin gets to tag-a-long everywhere so he stays busy, too. He pretty much runs everywhere and is always yelling! He has started saying lots of words and is picking up new signs everyday. His favorite sign is still "milk" and his favorite words are now "Batman!" and "Go Cubs Go!" Steve and I always seem to be running from one thing to the next, but we did take a break for a weekend and go to the ISU/Iowa game with Angie, Doug, Sara, and Andrew. We were very thankful that Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy could spend the weekend with the boys. Even though the wrong team won, it was a blast!
One of the highligts of our September was going to our nephew, Mike's high school football game. Carter has his football poster hanging in his room and even wears a #22 Wolverine jersey just like Mike so he was very excited to see him play. Plus we got to see all of the Fausts and Grandma Ann and Grandpa Roger at the game. Mike was the star of the game and they ended up winning in overtime! Now, everytime Carter scores at flag football he says he is, "just like Mike!"
We are looking forward to a fun fall and hopefully much more of this beautiful weather! Hope you enjoy the pictures!
July 15, 2008
We've been having a busy summer so far so there are a lot of new pictures. Our big news is that Austin finally started walking! Once he decided to do it, he got the hang of it pretty quick. Now we can hardly keep up with him. Austin is a little dare devil so we definately have to keep our eyes on him. The boys and I have been keeping busy this summer swimming, running in the sprinkler, playing in the sandbox, and just playing outside. Carter went to a Heroes Camp in June and he'll be going to a Sports Camp next week. He also started T-ball last week. He made quite an impression at the first practice by running around the bases after a hit and sliding head first into home plate! He also attended a Butterfly class at Aunt Sara's store and brought home his very own caterpillar. In only a week it made a chrysalis and became a butterfly. We released it on our vacation at Okoboji. He was pretty amazed by the transformation! Carter has also been making a lot of friends in our neighborhood. There are several boys his age so they keep busy playing pirates, power rangers, knights, etc. and entertaining the neighborhood. Of course, he still spends a lot of time with his best buddy, Thomas. Carter even had him over for their first sleep over last weekend. Carter had his first sleep over without us in June when he went to stay with the Fausts (his cousins) for a few days. He must have had a good time because when I called him to say hi, he didn't even want to talk to me! Austin is keeping busy, too. He loves to play in his coupe car and be outside. He is very animated so he keeps us entertained.
We have made a few trips since I updated last time. We were in Paullina for my nephew, Nic's, graduation over Memorail Day weekend. We also spent a couple days in Okoboji while we were up there. In June we went on a camping trip in Wisconsin with the Van Horn clan. The camping and canoeing part of the trip was pretty much a disaster due to a big storm, but we ended up staying in a hotel and really enjoying the weekend together. We did get to spend one night in the tent and the boys loved it. I'm sure we'll do it again, but next time a little closer to home (the backyard!). We spent the week of the 4th of July at Okoboji with my parents and my sister's family. It was so much fun! We spent our days at the pool and in the boat. We also went to Arnolds Park, fed the deer, visited Grandpa Roger while he was volunteering as a trail rider for the sheriff, went to a concert, and watched the fireworks over the lake. The boys loved it all, and it was great for Steve and I to relax a little. We're looking forward to celebrating Carter and Steve's birthday next month as well as making some trips to Chicago, Minneapolis and hopefully back to Okoboji before the end of the summer sneaks up on us. We hope you are all enjoying your summer, too!
May 21, 2008
AUSTIN IS 1! We had so much fun celebrating his birthday (twice). We were up in Paullina for my Mike's confirmation on Austin's birthday so we had a small celebration there with the Fausts and Grandpa and Grandma Bindner. We had his real birthday celebration on the 17th with a bunch of our family at our house. Austin loved all of the attention and activity! He did quite a number on his cake. In fact, he is still working on it, a few days later! Not only did we celebrate Austin's first birthday this month, but we also celebrated his baptism. It was a special time with our family. Austin wasn't so sure about the water at church, but he did enjoy being able to spend time with his cousins, grandparents and aunts and uncles afterwards. He is such a busy boy, going non-stop. He hasn't decided that he's ready to walk yet, but we're sure it's going to be anyday. He is really into Copper and loves to "bark" with him. He also loves to climb so we have to keep a close eye on him!
Carter has been busy, too. He is finishing up swimming lessons at the Y. He is making so much progress in the pool and has overcome his fear of putting his head under. Now we can't get him to stay above the water! Carter also had his last football game and his last day of school last week. I know he will miss school, but he is doing some summer camps with his teachers and he is looking forward to going 5 days a week next fall. He's already making plans for next football season, too. I told him he'd better concentrate on soccer and T-ball for now since he will be playing those this summer!
We are looking forward to a fun-filled summer starting with a trip to Paullina and Okoboji for Memorial Day weekend. We'll be celebrating Nic's graduation and spending some days on the lake. Hopefully this crazy Iowa weather will cooperate! With so much going on, there are a lot of new pictures so hopefully you will have time to check them out!
April 20, 2008
Spring is finally here! After one last snow (well I hope it was the last one) on April 12, we are finally enjoying spring weather in Iowa! The boys finished up swimming lessons in March and Carter is now onto flag football. His team is the Hawkeyes which he is very excited about! He is also still going to science class at the Y. He has been learning about weather and he has turned into quite the forcaster! Despite the cold weather we had a lot of fun in March. We decided last minute to go up to the last ISU basketball game. The boys had a blast! We all had fun celebrating Easter although the egg hunt was a little chilly. The Houses, friends of ours from North Carolina, were in town for 3 weeks in March so we spent a lot of time hanging out with them, too. The preschool had Dad's Day the first week in April. Steve spent the whole morning at school with Carter. He was so proud! Carter was also very proud to have his first overnight at Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy's house last weekend. He was such a big boy! He was also excited because he got to go see the Backyardigans Live with Grandpa and Grandma. What a fun weekend!
April is turning out to be a busy month and it looks like May will be, too. Austin is getting baptized next weekend and he will be turning 1 on May 10th! It's hard to believe! We will definately have more updates and lots more pictures coming soon! Happy Spring!
March 6, 2008
February was such a fun month (other than the week that the boys and I had the flu!) We enjoyed celebrating Valentine's day with the boys. Of course they loved all of the gifts and candy. Plus Steve and I had a "romantic" dinner at home with our 2 favorite boys! (We wouldn't have it any other way:-) I also had a great birthday, despite turning the big 3-0. Steve planned a little party to celebrate, and to my surprise my sister and her family and my parents came down for the weekend to surprise me. It was great! Carter was very excited to have all of the boys here for the weekend, too. Everyone enjoyed using my birthday gift, our new Wii. What a riot! Carter has spent many hours becoming a Wii expert- he can even beat me and Steve!
Carter is still enjoying school, science class and swimming lessons. Austin is still not so sure about swimming but he seems to enjoy it more now that Steve and I are both swimming with him. I included a couple new videos of Austin. I can't believe how big he is getting! We hope you enjoy the new videos and pictures!
February 6, 2008
Austin is on the move! He is crawling like a maniac and pulling up on everything. He's starting to cruise around the tables and is getting pretty daring. He's a tough little guy and doesn't mind taking a few nose dives or getting a few bumps if it gets him where he wants to go. He got his first goose egg on his forehead tonight and it didn't even faze him! Thanks to me, Austin got over 50 cold sores on his face, lips, tongue, and in his throat at the beginning of January. I felt so terrible! The poor little guy was a trooper though and you'll see in the pictures that he was still a happy boy through most of it. Now that he is recovered and moving non-stop, he is sleeping and eating like a champ. He got his first two teeth in the last week so we've even started giving him a few table foods to try. So far, he loves everything we've given him! We go to the doctor next week for his 9 month check-up.
Carter had an exciting January because I babysat his best buddy, Thomas, and his little sister, Kiersten for 3 weeks. Our house was pretty crazy, but the kids had a ton of fun! Carter also got to play more basketball. He even made some baskets in his games and learned all about "shirts and skins". He finished up tumbling and is looking forward to starting his weekly science class.
Steve is staying very busy at work. He went on a couple of trips last month including spending a week in Phoenix right before the Superbowl. He got to do some fun things including driving a dune buggy in the desert, going golfing, and spending time with Cargill friends. I'm not sure where the meetings fit in, but he assures me there were some. We're glad to have him back!
Carter is really looking forward to Valentine's Day and his school party. Having a 3-year-old makes holidays so much fun! We hope you all get lots of love on Valentine's Day, too! (Be sure to check out the new video clips!)
January 8, 2008
We had a crazy but fun-filled December and are doing our best to recover from it! We had some great times with friends and family celebrating the holidays. We enjoyed having the Pi Phis over when the Ganeks were in town as well as having the Phi Delts over when the Podsiadlys came to visit. Our get togethers are just a crazy as they used to be but in a little different way now that there are so many little ones running around! We spent a weekend in Paullina with the Fausts and Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann. It was fun to be able to make it to our traditional Bindner Christmas again this year! Carter had a blast with the boys and became Drew's shadow for the entire weekend. He learned a lot of things (mostly good!) While in Paullina we drove up to Sioux Falls for an afternoon to celebrate Christmas with the Bukovichs and Auntie Cyn. It was wonderful to finally meet Cora, Austin's new playmate. Plus, Carter got to take a trip to the fire station with Fireman Mark. He is totally into firemen right now so he was in heaven!
We celebrated with the Van Horns in Des Moines before heading out to Colorado with them to go skiing. Carter loves hanging out with Uncle Andrew and Uncle Doug (Aunt Angie & Aunt Sara, too), but he had an especially fun time in Colorado with them because Uncle Andrew brought his Wii. He is quite the bowler! The highlight of our Colorado trip was that Carter learned to ski. We spent 2 days at Copper Mountain. He was pretty worn out, but he still did great! There are a couple videos of him on the "Video Clips" page.
Austin had a special first Christmas. We are so grateful to be so close to our family this year so we could all enjoy it together. Austin even started crawling over the holidays although he's still perfecting it! The boys got way to many gifts and are still a little overwhelmed by all of the new things to play with. They are loving every minute of it! We hope you are enjoying your New Year, too!
December 5, 2007
We are having so much fun celebrating the Christmas season with the boys! Carter is at such a fun age to enjoy it, and Austin loves all of the lights, music and decorations. We are especially excited that we are near family and friends to celebrate, too!
As I looked back through the pictures, I realized November was a busy month for us. We enjoyed the last of the ISU football games, partied at Aunt Sara and Uncle Andrew's "re-do" reception, and celebrated Thanksgiving at our new house with the Van Horns. Carter started basketball with daddy as his coach. He is really enjoying it (daddy is, too). He also loves preschool. I got to spend a day with him at school for Mom's Day. It was fun to see all of the fun things they get to do. He has his Christmas program this Saturday. Austin is almost 7 months old already. His new thing is that he gets to eat baby food now. He loves the cereal and veggies, but he's still getting used to the fruits. He also started sitting up on his own, and he is really becoming mobile on his belly. It looks like he's going to be crawling in no time! Another exciting thing is that I have truly become a "mom" because we bought a van! I thought I would have a hard time getting used to the fact that I was driving a van, but I love it! Carter is loving the DVD player, too!
We have enjoyed getting together with so many friends recently including the Pi Phi's last weekend, and we are looking forward to a party with the Phi Delts while the Podsiadlys are in town. We hope you are all enjoying your holiday with friends and family and we look forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks! Happy Holidays!
November 1, 2007
We survived our last month of Steve commuting to NC- whew! We're glad to have him home. He started work in Des Moines on Monday. The new plant is getting up and running and he's already facing some tough challenges. Not to mention that he's been working on a very long "honey-do" list at home. I'm trying to take it easy on him!
The boys had a fun Halloween as pirates. Carter enjoyed his party at school and brought home a big treasure of candy from trick-or-treating. His flag football season is now over and we're getting geared up for basketball. Carter is also taking a tumbling class that he's really getting into. At almost 6 months, Austin is starting to get quite a personality. He loves to jabber, roll everywhere, and put everything in his mouth. His favorite thing to do though is watch his big bro! He'll start eating baby food soon which will be a fun adventure!
We hope you are all enjoying your Halloween candy and that you take time to reflect on all that you are thankful for in this season of Thanksgiving. We know all of you are on our list!
October 1, 2007
The boxes are gone and we're finally getting settled into our new home! It will be nice when Steve is done working in NC and can move in with us instead of just visiting on the weekends, but we're making it work. It's been a long time since I updated the pictures so you'll see pictures from our trip to Okracoke in the Outer Banks, NC, some ISU tailgates, and our move. I can't believe how much Austin has changed in the last month! Carter is growing fast, too. He started preschool and flag football this month. We hope to see you soon- our door is always open!
August 13, 2007
Our home-finding trip was successful! It was a little stressful since the day before we left for Iowa we were putting our NC house on the market and hosting Carter and Steve's Fiesta birthday party, but it was worth it. The party was a ton of fun and we are very excited about our house. We only have an old picture of the outside of the house since the inside is not quite done yet (on the Pictures page). They figure they are about 60 days out on the house, so we are still not sure of our move date. Once they name a replacement for Steve we will know more. The house is in Urbandale (on Tanglewood Drive & 156th St.), in a great neighborhood very close to a new elementary school. We had a fun week in Des Moines with our family and friends. Carter got to go swimming and to Chuck E Cheese with his cousins, to the zoo and golfing with Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann (he hit so many balls, he got a blister!), and to the state fair twice, once with Thomas Campbell and another time with Grandpa Brad and Uncle Andrew. Even though Steve, Austin and I spent most of the week looking for houses, we all got to spend some quality time with our family. So far, things are going pretty smooth so hopefully our house will sell quickly. We'll keep you updated!
July 16, 2007
IOWA or Bust!
Yep, that's right, we're moving back to Iowa! Steve accepted a position as the Superintendent of the new refinery that is being built in Des Moines. We are expecting him to start in Des Moines sometime late September. We are a little in shock, but very excited to be moving closer to our family and so many friends. In fact, we already bought ISU season tickets- Go Clones! I don't think Carter quite understands, but he's been wearing his winter coat around the house preparing for the cold weather. I'm planning to hibernate since it's been very easy to get accustomed to the warm climate down here in the south! We don't have any definite plans yet, but we'll probably be heading to Iowa for a home finding trip sometime mid-August. Then once we find something we'll know more specific moving dates. We're really looking forward to it!
We had a fun 4th of July with Grandpa and Grandma Van Horn visiting. There are a lot of fun new pictures to check out. Austin is growing so much. He weighed 11 pounds 1 ounce at his 2 month check-up and was a very big boy getting his shots. Carter is fired up for his 3rd birthday in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure Steve is as excited about the big 3-0, but I'm planning a fun fiesta party for the two of them anyway!
We're looking forward to seeing a lot of you soon! Check back for moving updates and enjoy the pictures (there are 2 galleries up on the pictures page)!
July 2, 2007
Despite the heat, it's hard to believe that it's already the 4th of July. We're doing our best to make as many trips to the beach as possible this summer. Carter loves it, and Austin has been a real trooper. Carter has even started boogie boarding, with daddy's help. We also got a little pool for our backyard that Carter is really enjoying. Although we've spent most of our free time at the beach or in the pool Carter has also found time to continue to practice his golf swing in the backyard and shoot a few hoops. We also enjoyed a week of Vacation Bible School at our church. Carter made some friends in the preschool class and was a maniac when they would turn on the music for the kids to sing and dance. I taught the science sessions so Austin got good and spoiled by all of the wonderful ladies there.
We're thanking our lucky stars for our 2 wonderful boys. Carter has adapted to being a big brother like a champ and Austin is such a great baby. He recently started smiling and is adapting to our on-the-go lifestyle very well. Another great thing is that both of the boys got Steve's sleeping habits. Austin slept 7 hours straight both nights last weekend!
We're looking forward to celebrating the 4th of July with Grandpa Brad and Grandma Tammy this week. We hope you all enjoy your holiday, too!
June 10, 2007
Austin is 1 month old! We can't believe how time flies. He is doing very well. He weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces at his doctor appointment on Friday and is 20.5 inches long already. He is a great sleeper at night and is very alert during the day. If I could only get him to sleep during Carter's nap everyday! He started rolling over from his tummy to his back the night before his 2 week birthday and has done it several times since. We can't believe how strong he is! Carter is having a lot of fun being a big brother. He loves to help any way that he can, but his favorite thing to do is sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to Austin. Austin really responds to him, too, and usually stops crying when Carter starts singing.
Carter is also enjoying his new golf clubs from Uncle Todd. It took about 2 days for him to get the hang of it, and now he is hitting the balls all the way across the backyard. I think it's time to start using wiffle balls before we break a window! As if he's not busy enough playing all his other favorite sports, Carter decided he wants to learn to play Lacrosse, too. We're having a lot of fun learning with him!
We have made a couple of day trips to the beach and hope to spend many more days there this summer. Carter asks us if we'll take him to the beach everyday! He seems to have endless energy there jumping over the waves, running in the water, and playing in the sand. He's hoping to catch some fish and go boogie boarding next time!
We were excited to have Aunt Angie and Uncle Doug come and visit last month. Carter was so proud to have them come to his end of the year school program, too. Hopefully we will see more of you soon!
May 19, 2007
Hooray! Austin David was born May 10 at 9:53 am! He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. It seems that Austin was ready to face the world because the labor lasted less than 1 hour! We came home from the hospital on the 12th and he is doing fantastic. He is already getting on a good schedule and sleeping pretty well. Big brother Carter is doing great, too. Austin really responds when Carter talks to him, and Carter is already trying to teach him how to play basketball! Grandma Ann and Grandpa Roger came down to help out, and we are so grateful. Carter especially enjoyed having them here! We feel so blessed to have our 2 wonderful boys, and we can't wait for all of you to meet Austin!
May 6, 2007
Thursday is the day! If things go as planned, baby boy's birthday will be May 10! My doctor has decided that we're going to be induced on Thursday and he promised me that once they start the meds, it shouldn't take more than a couple hours to meet our baby boy (he is really gonna pay if he's wrong!) We're all very excited and anxious to meet him!
Carter is looking forward to Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann coming down this week to spoil him rotten. He's gotten to do some other special things lately, too- pick strawberries, hang out at the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, swim in his pool, run in the sprinkler, camp out with daddy in the tent in the living room, feed the animals at Jambbas Ranch, and go bowling and mini golfing. His other big news is that he can now make baskets on daddy's big hoop outside!
We hope you enjoy the new pictures! Plan on checking back for new pictures at the end of the week!
April 26, 2007
We hope you enjoy the new videos of Carter. The Snow Fun video is from our huge "snow storm" in February, but the rest are from the last few weeks. Carter is getting to be such a big boy! I also added a couple of new ultrasound pictures to the Photo Gallery. We were reassured that it is a boy today. Yes, that is what you think it is right below the word "BOY" in the picture! The other ultrasound picture is of the baby's profile with his head on the left and his hand up near his mouth. We even saw him stick out his toungue during the ultrasound! According to his measurements he weighs 5 pounds 11 ounces. The doctor said I'm already 3 cm dialated so hopefully we can hold out at least a couple more weeks until Grandma Ann gets here! We're looking forward to meeting him though!
April 18, 2007
It seems like time is flying. Only 4 more weeks until my due date. We have the bags packed and the nursery ready (I put a couple pictures on the "Pictures" page). My doctor did an ultrasound at my appointment yesterday. We could see the heart pumping strong, little hands and feet, and best of all the baby is already trying to breathe! Now, hopefully we can hold out for a few more weeks before he decides to pay us a visit!
April 4, 2007
We can't believe we've only got 6 more weeks 'til we'll have another little bundle of joy around here! We're all getting very excited (and a little nervous). Carter loves talking to his little brother about how he is going to teach him to play basketball! We pretty much have the nursery ready so now we just have to prepare ourselves!
Spring has officially arrived and we are loving it. Steve has been working very hard on the yard. It is starting to pay off, too. Our new tree bloomed beautifully and the new grass is all coming in! Carter has been working hard on improving his basketball skills. He probably shoots hundreds of baskets a day! His new thing now is working on his left handed dribble.
Carter is anxiously awaiting a visit from the Easter Bunny. He had an egg hunt at school, and we also did one with the MOMS Club. As you can see from the pictures, his egg hunting was very successful. A 2-year-old can never have enough candy, right?! We hope you all have a very Happy Easter!
March 1, 2007
Carter was such a big boy for his eye surgery! He was a little scared when it was time to go back for his surgery and a little groggy waking up, but he did great. He was back to his normal, crazy self after getting home and taking a nap. He did develop a little fever over the last day, but the doctor doesn't seem to think it's related to his eye or the surgery. We go back to the opthamologist on Tuesday for a follow-up appointment and then hopefully we'll be in the clear.
Carter is still really enjoying school. He had a great time celebrating Valentine's Day and loved getting all of the candy and surprises from his friends and some of you! We had a lot of fun making his Valentine box (check out the pictures), and I even got to spend the day at school with him. His favorite thing to do at school is go to the gym, of course. They have little push motorcycles for them to ride and he is a motorcycle maniac! Imagine 12 2-year-olds in a gym riding around on little motorcyles- it's crazy!
The baby is doing very well. I had another ultrasound today to check his growth, and he is measuring exactly to the due date- May 19. He is already 2 pounds 11 ounces. With only 11 weeks left we're hoping to get the nursery done soon!
Hope all of you are surviving the blizzards and staying warm. We're expecting tornadoes today so we're in for some exciting weather, too! I finally got some video clips on so hopefully they will work for you- enjoy!
February 6, 2007
First of all I want to let you know that we all survivied the North Carolina blizzard of 07! We got a dusting of snow last week and it caused total chaos, but it was all gone by the end of the day. Carter and Copper both loved it and even had a snowball fight. Copper turned the snowball fight into a wrestling match and won hands down! I got it all on video so hopefully I can figure out how to get those on the website soon.
Carter has been keeping busy with school 2 days a week. He also spends a lot of time playing with his train table, playing basketball and riding his motorcycle (bike). I can hardly keep up with him on our walks now! He constantly tells us about all of the things he is going to teach his little brother (yes, he calls him his brother now). It is so cute when he talks to him and gives him kisses (zerberts!) We are amazed at how much he grows up everyday! He got a big boy bed last month and now has a Hawkeye/Cyclone room. He is quite a fan! We're all getting used to the big boy bed, but he's doing great with it. Our other news is that Carter is going to have surgery on his eye onthe 27th. He has what's called a chalazia (like a stye) on the inside of his eyelid that needs to be removed. The surgery is very low risk, but being a hormonal pregnant mom, I'm emotional about it, of course. We'll all just be glad when it's over!Hope all of you are staying warm and doing well! Hugs and kisses from all of us for Valentine's Day!
December 28, 2006
We hope Santa was as good to all of you as he was to us! Carter had so much fun with Christmas this year and he is having a blast with all of his gifts. His excitement was enough gift for Steve and I this Christmas, but we were lucky enough to get another pretty special one. We found out today that we are having a, drum roll please..... BOY! We are all very excited and anxious to start planning. Now the Bindner clan will be complete with it's own baseball team (one more boy makes 9 grandsons!) The ultrasound picture is on the Pictures page. It's pretty hard to see anything, but the doctor put a mark right on the family jewels and is 100% sure it's a boy. Carter continues to say he's having a sister, but I think he'll be glad once his little buddy arrives.
I'm still working on figuring out the videos. Hopefully we'll get some new ones up soon. Carter is getting to be such a big boy! Enjoy the pictures and have a very Happy New Year!
December 12, 2006
We've been anxiously awaiting this day because today was ourultrasound! The baby looked fantastic! We could see all four chambers of the heart, both kidneys, etc., but we couldn't see if it was a girl or a boy. Although the baby was very cooperative showing the doctor everything she needed to see, he/she kept those legs tightly closed when we wanted to take a peek. We're going to try with another ultrasound in a couple of weeks and hopefully we'll be able to see then. We're just very grateful to have gotten such a good report!
Our long trip back to the midwest was a blast (well most of it!) Aunt Sara and Uncle Andrew officially tied the knot. It was a lot of fun even if it did take most of us a few days to recover from the celebration. (It's a long story for those of you that haven't heard!) We spent the rest of the trip touring northwest Iowa and treking up to Minneapolis. Carter had a blast playing with everyone and getting a little extra special attention. We really wish we could see all of you more often!
Carter is very excited for Christmas as you will see in the pictures. He talks about Santa constantly and was one of few kids to enjoy sitting on Santa's lap at our MOMS Club Christmas party. He even gave Santa a hug and kiss when he left the party! We're all looking forward to celebrating a fun family Christmas in our new home. We wish all of you Happy Holidays!
November 11, 2006
Carter is going to be a BIG BROTHER!
We are very excited that we are expecting a new baby on May 19! I am about 12 weeks pregnant now so we are already a third of the way there. Carter is pretty excited about it although I don't think he quite understands it all yet. He loves looking at the ultrasound picture and calls it his baby sister. We don't know if it is a boy or a girl yet but we hope to find out at the next ultrasound. We'll keep you posted with news!
Carter had a fun-filled Halloween as Moe Doodle (character from the Disney Channel for those of you that don't have toddlers). Moe is a drum player in a band and is quite the breakdancer so we have been getting an ear-full and seen plenty of breakdancing routines in the last few weeks. It is such a riot! We also had a great time on our trip back to the midwest a few weeks ago. We enjoyed spending time with our families in Minneapolis, Ames and Des Moines. Plus it was great to see so many friends. We hope to see everyone again (plus some) when we're home for Aunt Sara and Uncle Andrew's wedding in a couple of weeks.
September 11, 2006
Our big news this month is that Carter started preschool. He is going to Masters of the Arts Academy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. His first day was a little rough (for both of us), but he is starting to have a lot of fun. He will even be taking tumbling class while he's there! I hope to start subbing at the high school on the days he is in school. Other than that we have been spending as much time as possible swimming, playing outside, and going to the beach. Carter loves the ocean! We were excited to have a visit from the Podsiadlys last month. It's fun to have friends so close! We hope to see most of you, too, when we're home in October and November! Oh, one more thing-
GO CLONES!
August 15, 2006
We can't believe it! Carter is 2! We had a great time celebrating his birthday (daddy's too). Aunt Kris, Uncle Kent, Nic, Mike, Marcus and Drew came to visit. Carter loved having all of the boys around, and we got to do a lot of fun stuff. We spent a day at Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington. We visited Duke and even got a private tour of Cameron (where they play basketball) from a security guard. We also went to a Durham Bulls baseball game. Carter's favorite part of the game was seeing a bean ball! Their visit was a blast!
At 2, Carter's favorite things to do are visit Daddy at Cargill (he calls it Carg), swing on his new swing set, ride his bike, swim, play baseball, play with his cars, trucks and airplanes, and of course shoot hoops. His favorite show is the Doodlebops on Disney. Moe, his favorite character, breakdances so Carter has started trying to breakdance,too! He has also started singing songs (well, kind of). His favorite is "Take me out to the ballgame". He's a riot!
We miss you all and we hope to see you soon!
July 11, 2006
Summertime is so much fun with Carter! We spend a lot of time swimming, running in the sprinkler, going to the park, playing baseball, taking walks, playing basketball, and going to the beach. His favorite is definately the beach even though he's not too sure about swimming in the ocean yet.
Carter is still growing like a weed. People can't believe he's not 2 yet (only 3 more weeks)! We're looking forward to celebrating Carter & Steve's birthday with my sister and her family when they come to visit. He says new things everyday that usually make us laugh. His favorite phrase now is, "Hey you!" Another exciting thing is that he learned to ride his bike on his own last weekend, with training wheels of course. He pedals around the driveway like a big shot now!
We enjoyed celebrating the 4th of July here in North Carolina. Wespent the afternoon at Fort Bragg where they had concerts, a carnival and paratroppers. Carter got to see 6 jumpers land right in front of us. He thought it was great! That night we watched the fireworks here in Hope Mills. Now everytime we go through Hope Mills Carter wants to see fireworks! We hope you all had a great 4th, too!
June 14, 2006
We had such a great time during our trip back to the midwest. It was fun to spend so much time with our family and get together with so many friends. The Podsiadly wedding was a blast, of course, and Carter got to spend time getting to know our family again. He even spent a day with Aunt Kris and a night with Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann! Carter got to do so many fun things on our trip. He went to the amusement park at the Mall of America, drove Grandpa Brad's tractor and motorcycle, swam in the pool at Grandma Ann's, rode in Grandpa Roger's boat, and watched his cousins play baseball. We hope that you enjoy the pictures. I will put new videos clips on next time I update, I promise!
May 16, 2006
We're finally home sweet home and all settled in. We're loving our new house and neighborhood. Steve has the garage just the way he wants it and I've got everything just where I want it inside. Carter loves his new playroom and our backyard, espeically since Steve built him a sandbox! Copper is loving the yard, too and trying to get to know everyone that comes down our street. I put a bunch of new pics on the pictures page. There are a lot of Carter being goofy and some new ones of the house now that we've put our touch on it. You'll have to imagine a desk in the office (Steve has plans to build that).
Carter's personality is blooming. He has started to put together sentences so he is talking more than ever. He loves mimicking us, so we really have to watch what we say! His favorite phrases are "Oops days" (oopsy daisy), "do it" (I can do it), "meep meep" (out of the way), and "Is!" (there is is). He still loves playing any type of ball and has even started playing balf (golf) and tennis. He also loves coloring and playing at the sink.
We're looking forward to seeing everyone soon when we're home at the end of the month!
April 8, 2006
A lot has happened since our last update. Our house in GA sold, Stevestarted his new job in NC, and we bought a new house. We close on our house on the 17th and will be moving on the 21st. There are pics of the new house on the pictures page. We're really excited to get going, but we're not looking forward to the boxes! We've already spent a couple of weeks in Fayetteville getting acquainted with the area. Carter seems to like it, especially the Children's Museum. We're already talking about our day trips to the beach, too.
Carter hit the 20 month mark this week, and is already showing signs of the terrible twos. I guess it's good to know what you want and stand your ground to get it:-) His favorite things to do are shoot hoops, hit baseballs and clean. A kid after his parents' hearts! We're having so much fun with him and can't wait to get out and play in our new backyard. We hope that you can all come visit us in NC!
March 1, 2006
Well, here we go again! We just found out that Steve got a promotion and we're moving to Fayetteville, North Carolina! He will be the refinery superintendent, another words, the Big Dog. We're really excited for the new endeavor, but sad to leave our home and friends here. Fayetteville is only an hour or so from the coast so I'm pretty fired up for that! We will probably be heading out sometime in April so we'll keep you updated!
Carter has become such a big boy. He says tons of new words everyday so Steve and I have really had to start watching ourselves! His favorite thing to do by far is play outside. He loves swinging, sliding, shooting hoops, playing ball with Copper, going for walks, playing at the park, sweeping, and visiting Lucy, the dog next door. In fact he throws a fit when it's time to go inside. Tonight we finally drug him in kicking and screaming at 8:15!
We hope that you're all doing well, and that you all start planning trips to North Carolina this spring!
January 21, 2006
We can't believe that the holidays have already come and gone. Carter has already hit the 17 month mark! He is at such a fun age, and he is definately keeping us on our toes. He started back at school, playgroup and everything else that keeps us so busy last week. He was very excited to see all of his friends again! He is keeping very busy at home, too, playing with all of his new Christmas toys. Most of his time though it spent shooting hoops on his basket in the living room. After he makes a shot he says, "Swoosh!" It's a riot! He loves watching daddy play ball twice a week and can hardly wait 'til the game gets over to run out onto the floor and grab the ball. Like father, likeson!
Carter continues to talk non-stop and we are understanding more and more of what he's saying. We're really glad that we taught him sign language. It has made communicating with him so much easier! His favorite word is still "ball" but he has also started yelling, "Copper" and "Steve" whenever he wants their attention. I have no idea where he learned to do that!
Last week Carter got in his eye teeth so now he is loving eating more than ever. I'm just not quite sure where it all goes! His faves are definately pizza ("Peez"), M & M's, mac and cheese ("Cheese"), fruit, fruit snacks and hot dogs. He is getting good at using silverware butsometimes he just can't get it in fast enough and uses the 2 hand shovel technique!
Steve is getting ready for his big trip to Russia next month. Carter and I are not looking forward to the month without him, but it will be a great experience! Then, we'll start gearing up for our trip back in June for the Podsiadly wedding. We can hardly wait!
December 28, 2005
It's official- Carter loves Christmas! He had so much fun opening gifts and playing with all of his new toys. Little does he know, there is much more to come! We are looking forward to our trip back to the midwest in a couple of days. It was fun to celebrate Christmas as a family at home, but we really miss being with all of our family and friends.
Carter is talking up a storm. His favorite word is definately ball! He isreally into all sports, trains, trucks, airplanes, and pretty much any toy that makes noise. Another words, he's all boy! He is a sweet boy though and loves giving hugs and kisses. He even kisses his toys and books!
Sorry I didn't get new videos on. We have been pretty busy getting ready for our trip and playing with all of Carter's new toys. I'm sure we'll have some good clips to share with everyone after our trip! Enjoy the pictures! We hope to see you all while we're home!
November 30, 2005
We can't believe Christmas is almost here! Another year has flown by and we have so many wonderful memories to cherish. We had a Thanksgiving to remember. Kate & Pods came to visit and we alsocelebrated with the Davis' (friends from the MOMS Club). We ate (and drank) way too much! Carter loves his "Aunt Kate" and "Uncle Pods" and can't wait for their wedding in June!
We have an exciting month ahead! We're going on a field trip to visit Santa with Carter's class. He's not quite sure about Santa yet, but he's starting to warm up to him. Carter has even learned to say, "Ho Ho Ho!" He will also be performing in the school Christmas Program. We are looking forward to spending Christmas at home together but also visiting family and friends back in Iowa and Minnesota at the end of the month. That will be Carter's 7th airplane trip!
We hope to see you when we are home! Have a very happy holiday season!
October 31, 2005
Even though we have so many things to be thankful for, it's easy to figure out who tops our list: CARTER! He fills our home with so much love and happiness and never ceases to amaze us. He has mastered walking and now is training to become a track star. His body gets going faster than his feet sometimes, but he has become pretty resilient. Carter definately reminds us of the Energizer Bunny; He just keeps going and going and going! He's usually busy with his mower, popcorn popper, the broom or vacuum, basketball, baseball, books,puzzles, Copper's water, the pots and pans, jeep, or stuffed animals. Carter even has a leash on his stuffed "Copper" and walks him around the house. Boy does that drive Copper crazy! With Carter loving Copper soooo much we just couldn't resist dressing him up as Charlie Brown for Halloween. You'll have to check out the pictures!
Carter did a lot of fun things in October including going on a field trip to Burt's Pumpkin Farm with his class, having Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann visit, going trick-or-treating, partying with his class on Halloween, and carving pumpkins. Grandpa Roger and Grandma Ann spoiled him rotten of course and he loved the extra attention. His Charlie Brown costume got him quite a bit of attention, too, and he didn't mind that either! Carter is developing quite a little personality. He is saying a lot and we can even understand some of it. He has even started talking on the phone! He also loves school. His teacher says that he is a good listener and follows directions very well so I guess he's taking after his mommy:-) We'll see how long that lasts!
We want you to know that we are thankful to have such wonderful family and friends like you and we hope you all have a very Happy Turkey Day! We wish we could celebrate with you back home, but we'relooking forward to celebrating here with "the Podsiadlys"!
September 30, 2005
We can't believe that Carter is almost 14 months old already! He is growing up so fast and learning so many new things. For starters he is officially a "schooler" now. He attends Children of Christ Preschool on Mondays and Tuesdays while I do my internship at Flowery Branch HS. He loves being around all of the kids and is learning a lot. Our refrigerator is already covered with his fabulous art projects! He still enjoys playing with his friends at Gymboree and is quite the little monkey on all of the climbers. We are also in a playgroup with 4 blondie boys that know how to have fun (us moms do a pretty good job of that too)! As you can see Carter has a pretty rigorous schedule but he seems to love every minute of it. He has really started running around like crazy and is also geting pretty good at signing. Make sure to check out the video page so you can see him in action!