Our Handsome Boys

Yesterday daddy wore a tie to church and our boys wanted to dress just like him. The "getting dressed" routine took much less time than usual because they were so excited to get handsome. The shirts stayed tucked in for a total of about 5 minutes.

Jojo's Preschool Christmas Program

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Thanksgiving Weekend

We hosted our first Thanksgiving in our new home this year. Lawrence decided he wanted to cook the whole meal, and it was fabulous! We were blessed to have my parents, some cousins visiting from Georgia, as well as our good friend Carma join us for dinner. It was such a fun, relaxing day. Then we continued the tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree today. It's so fun now that the boys are old enough to not only enjoy the process, but actually be helpful. :-) We are blessed.

I love that my son's school teaches the kids The Pledge of Allegiance.

Afternoon entertainment.

Day Off

Now that AJ is in kindergarten, we really miss the lazy days at home, just playing in our pj's all morning. Last Thursday he had a day off and we did just that. One of AJ's favorite things to do is play school. He has adjusted to the role of "smartie" (as his teacher calls the kids) amazingly. He writes messages on our white board using "brave spelling." The teacher in me is so thrilled to watch him learn how to read & write. We attended our first ever parent-teacher conference last week and it was very interesting sitting on the other side of the table. I miss the classroom, but I absolutely love the privilege of being my boys' first teacher.

Jordan is 4!

Poor guy had the flu on his birthday, but we still celebrated, and it was fun to have Uncle Brian in town from Chicago. Happy Birthday, JoJo! You're such a big boy now, and we love you to pieces!

Halloween

We had fun trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood this year.....and our cousins joined us! We ate birthday cake since JoJo had the flu on his real birthday. We also started a tradition of giving out hotdogs and hot apple cider instead of candy. This wasn't very popular among the littlest trick-or-treaters, but the tweens loved it!

Ahoy!

I'll admit, we get excited about Halloween around here. This pumpkin design is perfect for our pirate-loving boys. I just love seeing life through their little imaginative eyes. They had the most fun changing the facial pieces around, and then making their own silly faces. They get excited about seemingly simple things, but to them life holds so much wonderment. It's good to be back home. These guys are my pride and joy.

Birthday Fun

Wow, did I ever feel loved on my birthday! I celebrated with my boys......yummy chocolate cake and birthday song. The next night I was treated to dessert with my mom and sis. Then came my big birthday surprise from my husband....a girls weekend in LA with my good friend from college. I was glad to also visit some extended family while in CA. I boarded the plane Wednesday evening and returned 4 days later a much more relaxed and refreshed mom & wife. Thank you honey for this incredible gift! (And thanks to Liz for showing me a great time.) I truly felt overwhelmed and grateful.

And no, I didn't accidently insert a picture from last winter.....this is the first time I recall getting snowed on on my birthday. Gotta love Minnesota! The trip to 85 degree weather couldn't have come at a better time.

First Day of Preschool

JoJo started preschool this week. He is such a big boy! Being the middle child with his little brother so close in age, I sometimes wonder if he feels lost in the shuffle. I was so proud of him on Tuesday, so confidently marching into his new classroom. No tears.

You can see Micah in this picture mimicking his brother, wanting so much to be big. The adjustment this fall has gone really well, and I love our new schedule. With AJ in full-day kindergarten and JoJo in preschool 3 mornings a week, Micah is finally getting some one-on-one time with me! And I love the feeling of more freedom. Feeling very thankful tonight.

First Day of Kindergarten

Big day in the Wang household.....our oldest son is headed off to kindergarten! No tears this morning, just big smiles. Mom & Dad held it together too! I wasn't sure how I would feel about this milestone. I expected a little sadness, but I feel sincerely happy! And I'm so proud of AJ. I am confident that he will have a great year. He's ready to grow up. Just not too fast, I hope. :-)

State Fair 09

We love the State Fair!

Grandma Tuesday

Nearly every Tuesday since AJ was born, my mom has come up from Rochester to spend Grandma Day with her 6 grandkids. Yesterday we spent the last Grandma Day of the summer at Como Zoo. I'm amazed at my mom's energy level and love showered on the kids. They get "spoiled stupendously" and I get a break. Thank you, mom, for how you serve our family so selflessly. I love you!

I Like to Move It!

Celebrating A-ma's birthday at Pine Beach

Running in the Rain

Oh, what to do on a rainy day?

Our plan was to go to Chutes and Ladders today. Plan B took effect when the rain came pouring down. The rain didn't slow these guys down one bit.

Adventure to Chicago

Pine Beach 2009

We had a blast at Pine Beach last week. For the 5th year in a row we vacationed with the Wangs, and it's always a highlight of our year. AJ got 3rd place in the fishing contest, we took a day trip to Lake Itaska, and the boys spent hours just playing with their cousins. Building sandcastles, riding bikes, playing at the fort, feeding the animals, etc. They were in heaven. And I actually almost finished an entire novel!