It has been awhile since I have update the blog so here is what is new with the  boys.

Mr. Nolan seems to be growing up so fast and wants to do everything that his brother is doing. He is beginning to understand more of what we are saying and will answer you by shaking his head or pointing his finger to what he wants. Nolan enjoys playing with Peyton's Thomas the Train set and his Lego's. That is where he is right now playing with his Lego's. Nolan is starting to get his eye teeth in and so he has had some restless nights.  If Nolan knows that someone is going outside he will grab his coat and shoes and then will start crying if he can't go out with you. Then to make him feel a little better I usually let him wear his coat around the house.  

 Now, on to Mr. Peyton. He is saying more and more words and sentences each day.  He works with a Speech Therapist two days a week and has come a long way in such a little amount of time. He will say his ABC's as long as you say them with him. Peyton will dance around the house while strumming his guitar. Peyton recently has learned knock knock jokes but sometimes forgets to tell you the punchline. He loves his Lego table and he sits there and builds for quite awhile.

 Nolan helping me in the kitchen with the dishes....

 What a great hat...

As soon as Peyton saw Nolan wearing my colander he had to have it on his head too.

Enjoying the outside weather

Today was so nice that Peyton wanted to ride his new bike. He received it from us for his birthday gift. He has been practicing a little bit downstairs in the playroom but this was he first time riding his bike outside.

After the bike we went for a walk and ended up playing at the park.

The holidays

Christmas at the capitol.

We traveled to Pierre again this year to look at all the beautiful Christmas trees. It is fun to look at all the different ways people decorate the trees. It even gave me some ideas for next year. Now, all I have to do is remember them. The boys had fun running around the capitol and trying to get ornaments off the trees. Needless to say we carried the boys or held their hands during some of the viewing.

After the capital  we came home it was time to open our presents. This is so we don't have to pack up all the gifts to Iowa/Minnesota. Peyton got pretty excited about seeing the presents under the tree and  did really well handing out the presents.  

Hockey anyone? I think this toy will be going downstairs in the playroom.

Later on that week we traveled to Iowa/Minnesota. We spend Christmas Eve at Jason's mom house. Jason and the boys ate their traditional oyster stew. Nolan ended up finishing the rest of Peyton's bowl. I think that Nolan is going through a growth spurt because we can't seems to fill that little boy up.

Before the boys went to bed we put cookies and milk out for Santa. The next day at 5:00 a.m. Peyton woke up everyone to let us know we should open our gifts. I am told Jason did the same thing when he was a little boy. Oh the joys of Christmas....

Peyton and his Thomas the train set.

We also got together with some of my extended family. My cousins and their families came to have a meal with us. Here some kids playing a  matching game.

 We also ventured to Bridges Bay Water park with Grandma S., Joann, Evan, Makayla, Grandpa and Grandma T. Nolan was more into walking around and going down the slides than the other times we have gone to water parks. He would go up the pirate slide with Makayla and then she would help him get on his bottom and then Jason or I would  catch him at the bottom of the slide. Peyton loved going up and down the slides all by himself and playing with his cousins Evan and Makayla.

Relaxing on the lazy river.

Grandma S. and Nolan.

Last summer while in Spirit Lake Jason went to garage sale near my parent's house and bought a portable ice shed. Ever since then he has been waiting to go ice fishing. On the second day he call me and was so excited about all the fish he was seeing swim by his hole. He thought I should bring Peyton to come and look at the fish. While there we didn't see any fish but it was fun to look at the bottom of the lake.

Jason has been busying hunting deer the total is one 4x4 buck and 2 does. He has also butchered the deers himself. Which has been a new part of the experience for him.

The kids have gotten into decorating the house for Christmas. Nolan liked playing with the large orament that we hung outside.

Peyton really got in decorating the Christmas tree. He brought the bathroom step out to make sure that he could reach as high as he could. That is where he decided to hang all of his oraments. We have seven oraments all right next to each other.  It wasn't bad for his first time  helping with the tree.

Right now Nolan enjoys putting items into a container. Here he is putting the oraments in and out of the holder.

 

We also put a little tree in Peyton's room.

Our First snow fall

 We received this snow a few weeks ago by now most of it is gone. The kids were so excited that I told them if they were good and eat allof your lunches then we would go outside. I haven't seen them eat so fast before that day.

 Nolan, did pretty good walking around in the snow. This was only the second time he fell. He did a face dive right into the snow. I brushed his face off and then he was ready to go run around with the older kids.

Our Garden is done..

I can't believe that it is nearly the end of October and we still had garden produce until this last week. Jason pulled the tomato plants today that was the only thing left in our garden.

Nolan enjoying one of his last tomatoes for this season. It was fun to watch Nolan in the garden this year if you couldn't find Nolan he was probably in the garden eating a green tomato. If he wasn't eating a tomato then it would be a green pepper or a raspberry in his hand. By the end of the garden season Nolan realized how much better red tomatoes tasted.

 

Peyton this garden season liked finding the red tomatoes he would look at the tomato on the plant and see if it matched the color of his red boots or his wagon. Peyton also loved eating green beans, peas, red and black raspberries out of the garden. He was a little helper with carrying tomatoes to the wagon and pulling weeds.

This is a look at our pantry. I was pretty busy canning this year. As Jason said I went a little crazy canning. It was fun trying new recipes like sundried pesto, apple cider and bbq sauce. Now all we have to do is enjoy this products before next year.

Look at my outfit!

So lately Peyton has been picking out either his shirt or pants but today he decided that he and Nolan needed to wear Peyton's church ties with sweat shirts and pants. They only wore the ties for a few hours and then took them off for the day.