Christmas Photo Shoot 2013

My sister and I set up shop to take pictures of my little ones for a Christmas card, plus I needed updated photos of Mr. B and some of little Miss L for my wall.  Breck is so used to this process he just puts up with us.I'm constantly tell him to make a "normal" face as gives a fake grin, rolls his eyes, or gives a big hearty fake laugh.  I guess looking back it makes for good pictures and really shows his personality.

As for Miss Lundon, she just let us do our thing without much of a fuss.  This was only because she had a clean diaper and full belly so life was good.  During this shoot she was about 1 month old.  And since I am terrible at posting lately, she has since grown A LOT.  Its so fun to see how much a month can change our little ones. 

We got some great pictures to remember just how little my little ones were the Christmas of 2013.  I realize how quickly time goes by and am trying so hard to cherish every single second with my little people. 

Here looking back to 2013 in the Barrick household:

January: Celebrated New Years with the Selly's visiting and surrounded by lots of friends.

February: Lots of ice fishing, sledding, snow forts, and fun outside.

Breck is learning to skate and is almost potty trained.

March: Took Breck to his first concert "The Okee Dokee Bros" Lots of singing and dancing!

Trip up to Crookston to see family and celebrate St. Patrick's Day. 

April: Breck's 3rd birthday! Met friends at Edinbourgh Park for a day of fun, family birthday party monster themed, a new big boy bike and a big snowstorm that dropped a foot of snow.

May: Practiced riding our new bike, spent mother's day planting a new tree, and a new fish (that lasted a week). Announcing we were expecting a baby!

June: Summertime!  Lots and lots and lots of swimming.  Trips to the Children's Science Museum, Movie matinee's and lemonade stands!

July: Watercade fun with the whole family home! Jerod's birthday and new lawn mower, camping for the 4th of July, found out we are having a baby girl in November!!

August: Celebrating Grandpa Tom's Birthday, drive in movie night with friends, and fun day with kids at waterpark and dinner out to celebrate the last days of summer before school starts.

September: Trip to Selly's and sleepover with the girls at their new house. Pontoon rides and sleepovers at grandma and grandpas.

October: Breck took part in the Grape Stomp at the Crow River Winery. Trick or treating and pumpkin carving.

November: Baby sister was born!  Celebrating Thanksgiving with lots of family!

December: Christmas! Lots of family celebrations. 

Wow. where did the year go!

 

Merry Christmas to all! And hope 2013 treated you all right.  And 2014 treats you even better!

My BIG boy

When did my little boy turn into such a big boy?

In the past month a lot has changed for this little guy...

becoming a big brother,

sharing attention,

being a big helper,

and much more.

After having Lundon, Breck wasn't quite sure about her.

But after a couple weeks of change we are finally in a routine!

I LOVE being home with these two babes.

It's so fun to hold a new baby,

and play games and craft with my big boy.

Breck is so funny.

He knows that mom has to share her time so he will find something to do while he patiently waits for his turn.  His newest thing is to put a movie on his DVD player and put on his headphones. 

He giggles out loud at the funny parts, which just kills me!! Love that laugh.

He has been enjoying his advent calendar

(enjoy it while you don't have to share it with your sis)

Every day we check the pail to find candy and a slip of paper that gives us fun activity to do.

Today is: Have an indoor snowball fight...we'll see how this goes and I'll post!

We have also been enjoying our Elf on the Shelf named Alf! or Chippy! or Water! whatever he feels like it should be for the day.

This thing REALLY works.

We were having a few behavior issues, but have seen less and less since Alf has arrived.

Alf has hid in our jars, the Christmas tree, upside down in our chandelier, and today is lounging in our door frame in a toilet paper hammock!
*who's having more fun mom and dad or Breck

We have also enjoyed our first snowfall!!

Breck and I played outside while Miss Lundon slept cozy inside the house.

NOW it's feeling more like the holidays.

I'm not sure who is more excited for the snow...

me or Breck!

He was laying down for a nap when it stared snowing big snowflakes.

What's a mom to do but wake him up to see...

it backfired a bit, as he didn't want to lay down again.

You win some and lose some!
SO WORTH IT to see that face.

So Thankful.

How did I get so lucky to have two beautiful kids.

The first few weeks...of firsts!

 Having baby # 2 is still like having your first born!

It all comes back to you quickly, but we are still shocked, amazed, and in awe of everything she does

(just as we were with Breck)

We are in complete love with this little girl.

It's true what they say,

it's like she has always been part of the family and our love just GREW.

Here is Lundon having her first bath.

She loved it.

We put her in the warm tub and she just laid there looking around.

Of course "big brother" had to help and scared her a couple times..poor thing, get used to it.

She is the MOST easy going, laid back, nicest baby ever.

(I'm pretty sure Breck was the same way. Am I that lucky to have two great babies.)

She sleeps, sleeps, sleep, for three hours at a time,

then on the dot she wakes up to eat 3 oz, 

then back to sleep.

She will sleep laying in her crib, in her sleep and play bassinet, in our arms,

on the floor, just about anywhere in any condition-meaning even with a big brother bugging her:

squeaking a dinosaur in her face,

covering her with kisses,

Christmas music blaring,

screaming, laughing, and playing!

Lately she has been more awake and we get to see her pretty dark blue eyes.

She is just so sweet.

Her birth weight was 6lb 13 oz

We brought her home at 6lb 3oz

Her 2 week check up she was 61b 11oz

Her 3 week check to make sure she was gaining weight was 7lb 2oz

She has been making silly faces at us since we met her.

If we talk to her she will flash us a smile.

(Yes, I know, they say its gas...i disagree)

I call her my "pretty girl" and she will smile so big!

She may grow up to think that's her name :)

Enjoying (sleeping through) our first Thanksgiving!

My mom and I got this outfit before she was born.

It was suppose to be a shirt and had some cute pants with it,

but when I went to put it on her pants went up to her chin.

So I made it into a dress with some cute tights.

My little peanut.

Grandpa Tom took a picture with his oldest grandchild Miss Ellery 12 years old

and his youngest Miss Lundon 2 weeks old.

What joy she has brought to our family.

One of my most favorite things are her squeaks and purrrrs

ALL day and night long.

Introducing the newest member of the Barrick Bunch...

Miss Lundon Janie

Born November 12th 2013

~11/12/13~

6:31pm

6lb 13oz 20 inches

Beautiful, healthy, happy

WE ARE IN LOVE (once again) ALL OVER AGAIN!!

Big brother Breck stayed with grandma and grandpa Smith until it was time to meet his little sister.

My sister also joined us, as she captured the moments up to meeting Lundon for the first time.

Priceless.

I love these pictures best because I was a little out of it after having Lundon and don't really remember as much as I would like. But looking back at these pictures tell me the story of one of the best nights of my life.

 It took Breck a little time to warm up to his new sister.  He also wasn't so sure of his mom for the first few days as I was in bed, wearing "funny clothes" and hooked up to machines.  I would ask him for a kiss and he would whisper "when we get home I'll kiss you". Broke my heart.  Luckily after a little time he is now back to being my snuggle bug and the BEST big brother who smothers Lundon with kisses!

It's true: when you have a new baby your "other baby" looks like a big kid!

When did he grow up so fast?!

Loving my new growing family!

How did I get so lucky?!

Two nights of HALLOWEEN fun!

 

Forgive me for being to lazy to re-upload pictures when they all got thrown together in a random order for this post. Just go with it :)

 

We spend two nights celebrating with Halloween fun.

The night before the big day we carved our pumpkins.

This may have been the first year Breck really got into it and was so excited to create a jack o lantern.

 

 

He dug right in and got all the seeds and guts out all by himself.

He didn't mind the feel...he just thought it was funny to make a silly face!

Lately he will do anything to make others laugh.

I believe we have a class clown on our hands :)

This year we decided to try something new rather then the traditional carving.

Thanks to pinterest we drilled holes in our pumpkins.

It was kind of fun because Breck could help out.

Jerod makes it look easy, but really Breck was so anxious to drill holes and pull the trigger that it got a bit crazy as pumpkin was flying round the dining room!

 
 

I think they turned out great!

 

 

 

This boy was pretty proud of his creations!

He had a blast and I had a blast capturing the moments of such excitement.

 

On Halloween we tried to eat dinner quickly to so we could hit up all the people expecting a visit.

Of course this three year old had other plans and refused to eat his food.

 (which never happens. He usually is on his fourth piece of pizza before I have finished one piece)

We kept saying he can't go trick or treating till he was done!

 

When he finally finished we jumped in the car to get make some pit stops at the grandma's and a couple family friends houses.

As his bucket began to fill up he says to us

"why do people keep giving me candy"

So we explained Halloween to him once again....

I'm pretty sure next year he will finish his pizza a bit quicker now that he gets it :)

 

 

 

He was so excited to wear his costume. For weeks people kept asking what he was going to be. He would tell them he was a pilot, but would come out "pie-wet"

They would say "oh a pirate"

and he would say it again "no a pie-wet"

Finally he would say "an airplane"! Poor kid. But so dang cute!

 

We stopped to see grandma and grandpa Smith.
Grandpa of course was dressed up silly.

Breck is so used to him being silly he just hugs him and says "oh grandpa" then puts on a mask with him to play along!

 

Then off to grandma and grandpa Barrick's house where he helped grandma hand out candy to trick or treaters!

 

Then we went home and did some trick or treating in our neighborhood.

We have neighbors that were waiting for Breck to show up along with special treats just for him!

So spoiled. But with his personality, they just love him. Who wouldn't :)

He was such a trooper.

Even bundled up with layers, snow boots, mittens, and hat, he walked most of the way and never once complained when it started to get cold and rainy.

He never even asked for a piece of candy. SO when we got home (around 815, which is bedtime) I made him have a piece of candy before bed!!

 

I love all these fun moments with this little guy,

and the big guy too.

Soon, very soon, we will be adding another little one to the mix.

I hear life may change a bit,

but I am so ready to have another little one to LOVE up and make all these fun memories with us!

Grape Stomp 2013

A couple weeks ago a bunch of my girls friends and I decided to sign up our little people for the Crow River Winery Itty Bitty Grape Stomp!

The day started off cool, wet and rainy,

but just as the stomp was about to start the sun began to shine!

Here Breck is getting his toes oiled up before the big "race"

When I stuck him in the barrel he wasn't very happy as the grapes were FREEZING cold

and so was the temp outside making for a unhappy boy.

But I made him stick it out and stomp stomp stomp for the whole five minutes ;)

As soon as he saw the juice start to fill up the bucket he thought it was pretty cool and started enjoying the whole thing! They had music playing so he danced around in the barrel stomping the grapes.

He was a purple stained mess...

and so was I, as I helped move the grapes around!

Each participant got a medal at the end of their stomp!

He was pretty proud.

That face says it all :)

We tried to get pictures with all the kids that we went with,

but like always

one was looking up, one down, one trying to give a thumbs up...

It was a blast.

The moms think next year we should do the "adult grape stomp competition" along with some adult wine tasting after :)