Ace's 40 v.4

MOVING INTO ADULTHOOD
It really is hard to believe that this was us starting our married life almost 15 years ago.  I would just like to point out that Ace was already losing his hair by then, so he can't blame the loss of those locks on me!  I'm sure I've contributed to a few lost ones since then, but up until that point, someone or something else gets the blame!

Aaron and Nate look so darn young here.  Nate was Aaron's best man at our wedding, and the two of them have a great relationship.  However, I can remember when that was not quite the case.  When Ace and I first started dating, the two of them were at each other's throats all the time.  It was a little crazy!  I think it took Ace finally going away to college to help strengthen that relationship.

Two years into our marriage we moved into parenthood.  Aaron is an amazing father and it's abundantly clear who the boys take after ~ definitely not me.  I have jokingly mentioned that you really should find out what your spouse was like as a child so you can mentally prepare for what your own children might be like.  Oh my...Ween, I can see you had your hands full :)  However, don't those babies of ours just look so sweet and innocent?

To celebrate Nate's 30th, the two brothers took a trip to Vegas together.  I'll never forget the phone call home with Aaron telling me he'd done one of the stupidest things in his life.  I really wasn't too sure I wanted to hear what he had to say!  The dare devil in him (and Nate) decided to take a ride on the X-
Scream and the other three thrill rides on top of the Stratosphere!

Again...my dare devil husband water skiing with no hands!  Thankfully we didn't need to see the dentist either after he held the handle in his teeth :(  My boys definitely have more of their father's personality than mine.  I can only imagine the pictures that will surface some days of the things they have done that would scare me to death!

It's the little things

Little things that make us smile #9~

Watching your odometer click over a major milestone

I swear this is one of Ace's favorite things ever.  Sometimes I get a call just to let me know what "magic" number his car, Brownie, just hit.  Now Brownie is quite elderly, a year older than Carter in fact.  We believe in driving our vehicles until they die...literally.  Brownie's closing in on 200,000, so each milestone on the odometer is a pretty big deal I guess.

Apparently he just hit a big one this morning on the way to work :)

Ace's 40 v.3

THE TEENAGE YEARS
Aaron's confirmation picture makes him look a little bit angelic, but I'm not so sure his mother would agree with that description of his teenage years!  Now that I think about it, would any mother describe their teenager as angelic?  I know we are pushing on the teenage door here at our house and my oh my...I understand why God gives them to you as sweet, innocent little adorable babies.

How many of you knew that Ace was the Lynx mascot for Webster City High School?  He was a multi-talented lad.

I look at these pictures of Ace with all this dark hair and hardly recognize him!  I was telling Austin and Carter to enjoy their hair while they had it :)  For some reason though Ace is hiding the pictures of him with some pretty large specs on!  He's only letting me share the contact look.

His first car.  I can remember going to Hy-Vee while he was working and breaking into his car and decorating the inside of it with a couple of my friends for his birthday! 

We started dating the summer before my senior year after taking a school trip with a group to England.  It's such a crazy story that I may have to share sometime in the future.  This picture was before Homecoming that fall.  I sure had some big hair...and Ace still had some :) 

You'll start seeing the hair loss pretty soon as he moves into early adulthood!

Birthdays Galore!

It's quite the birthday month for our family!  My dad's is #4 for celebrating this month.

I think it's pretty cool that the two most important men in my life celebrate their birthdays two days apart.   Dad, I hope your day is simply amazing and everything you hope it to be.  I love you!

It's also one of my BFF's birthdays today too :)  Happy Birthday Dawn!  I can't wait to celebrate our birthdays together next year!

Ace's 40 v.2

CHILDHOOD

I've heard stories of Aaron's childhood that really make me wonder why I didn't think how it would potentially transfer to our own children :)  Hmmm...climbing on top of the fridge, taking the radio and other things apart and not quite getting all the pieces put back together, tormenting the babysitters, hiding out in the back of his parents' vehicle when they went somewhere and he didn't want a babysitter, and much more.  Somehow he still looks innocent here, but I'm not so sure!

Riding the carousel at Adventureland with Nate...

Looking very serious in his red bibs...

Getting ready to head off on the first day of school with his brother...somehow Nate looks a lot more excited about this than Aaron.

I'm loving the slicked over hairdo!

It's fun to look back and see how he has changed throughout the years.  

The Big 4-0

Happy 40th Birthday to my amazing husband!

It's a little crazy when I think back and realize that we started dating when he was 18.  (Of course, I was and continue to be the MUCH younger woman!)  We've known each other and been together for most of the past 22 years.  Holy buckets!  It's a little crazy when you realize you've spent more years of your life with someone than without.

I can say without a doubt that Ace doesn't let any grass grow under his feet.  He is constantly on the go and enjoying every opportunity that life has to offer.  There's rarely a situation that he can't turn into a fun time.  He's definitely the life of the party.  I can only hope and pray that he has at least another 40 years to live it up.

In honor of Aaron's 40th birthday, I'll share 40 different pictures of him throughout the years spread over the next week or so.  Enjoy!

THE EARLY YEARS

It's a little crazy for me to see this picture of Aaron as a newborn as it's abundantly clear who our boys looked like when they were born.  Both Austin and Carter's newborn pictures look identical to this.

He was a kitty cat lover and a mover and shaker from early on.

You just have to love the fashion of the early 70's!  He was such a dapper little fellow.

Oh my goodness how I see a strong resemblance to my nephew Danny in this picture!

Happy Birthday Ace!  I hope you have an absolutely amazing day.  May whatever wish you make when you blow out your candles come true.  I love you!

It's the little things

Little things that make us smile #8~

Blowing out all the candles on your first try!

This one's for the hubby that is going to have an enormous amount of candles on his birthday cake tomorrow.  I hope know you will be full of enough hot air!

It's the little things

Little things that make us smile #7~

Getting your ID checked when you are way over the legal age.

Those delightful people just make my day!  Since I now have two children in double digits, it's less likely for those kind souls to think they need to humor me and ask to see my ID.

Double Digits

Happy 10th Birthday to my sweet Carter!  Our lives were forever changed by this bundle of joy on February 12, 2002.

It really is hard for me to believe that my "baby" has hit double digits.  How in the world have we moved into this stage in life?  I had a hard time wrapping my head around it when Austin turned 10, but now that Carter is there too, oh my!  Where has the time gone?  

It seems like just yesterday we were bringing this sweet little guy home from the hospital, kissing those chubby cheeks, playing peek-a-boo and celebrating his first birthday.

Not that long ago I swear I was spending hours and hours outside with him playing ball, riding bikes, pulling him the wagon, digging in the dirt, and pushing this little darling on the swing.

He has always been the master of facial expressions.  From the time he was little, he could convey a million messages with those eyes and sweet little grin.  I'll never forget the day he was wiggling his eyebrows telling me he was talking in "eyebrow speak".  I just wanted to gobble him up!

Despite my attempts to hold onto my "baby" just a little bit longer, I am enjoying watching him grow and become his own person.  As independent as he is, he never lets me forget he still needs his mama.  Every now and then I still get asked to lay with him for five minutes before bed.  I remember those nights when he was younger and we had to lay with him before bed. I thought those would never end.  Then they did :(  I know I didn't appreciate those moments nearly as much as I should have.     

Children really do grow up too fast.  Sometimes it feels as if these last 10 years have passed in the blink of an eye. However, when I really take a moment and reflect, there are a million amazing memories that we have packed into those years that clearly play as delightful movies in my mind.  I will cherish those forever as we move into the next phase of adolescence.  It could be quite the ride!

Happy 10th Birthday Carter!  We love you so very much!

Drama Queen

Grandma Ween is a drama queen!

She has quite a passion for the theater and is going to flex her dramatic skills this weekend and next at the Webster City Community Theater in the production of "The Dining Room".  Aaron and I are excited to go and see her in action this Friday night.  However, she did warn me that it was probably not appropriate for the boys to see as it's not exactly a PG show, and Grandma says a bad word.  Heaven knows they've never heard any bad words from their parents...wink, wink!

According to the Webster City Theater website, "The play is set in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household.  The action is a mosaic of interrelated scenes--some funny, some touching, some rueful--which, taken together, create an in-depth portrait of a vanishing species:  the upper-middle class.  The actors change roles, personalities and ages as they portray a wide variety of characters, from little boys to stern grandfathers, and from giggling teenage girls to Irish housemaids."  Hmmm...does that mean Grandma Ween has multiple personalities?  We'll just have to wait and see!

Break a leg Grandma Ween...but not really ~ the wrist was enough last year!

It's the little things

Little things that make us smile #6~

A snow day  

I know those of you who aren't educators don't have the same appreciation for these days, but there's nothing better in the dead of winter than a snow day to grant a little reprieve from the daily grind :)

According to Mr. Pasricha in The Book of Awesome, there are three types of snow days.  The pre-planned snow day.  Your town gets hit by an ice storm and four feet of heavy packing snow.  It's going to take a couple of days to dig out, so somebody makes the call to cancel school in advance.  This is definitely a good snow day, but it zaps out all the anticipation.  

The high-probability snow day.  This is where it's snowing hard and heavy the night before.  There are reports of black ice and cars in the ditch.  People hunker down with hot chocolate and are glued to the tv for updates.  You're almost positive it's going to happen, so you go to sleep getting all excited for that early morning phone call (or text these days) telling you school is cancelled.  The night before is almost as fun as the snow day because you are planning what you are going to do at HOME and not work the next day!  

The surprise snow day. This here's the Mighty King of Snow Days.  This is where nobody expects a thing the night before.  Suddenly the next morning, you are gleefully surprised with that early morning phone call (or text) and you get to go back to sleep dreaming about how lazy you are going to be all day long!

Now that February is here, bring on a glorious snow day baby :)  I could use one!

Happy Birthday Tim!

It's too bad he has to be in sunny Cancun celebrating today!  He'll try to tell you it's for work.  Don't let him fool you...I'm sure he's living it up!  He really should've taken me along. I think it's wrong to celebrate your birthday without your favorite sister!

Things that make you go hmmm

So I'm was home with a sick Carter and it was pretty quiet around here...until I heard a strange noise coming from a bathroom that had no one in it.  For the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was.  Since the hamsters "sleep" in there so we don't hear them, I figured it must have been one of them on their wheel.  However, I knew it wasn't the same sound.

After about 20 minutes I couldn't stand it any longer.  I decided to sit in the bathroom until I could figure out what in the world was making that noise.  The culprit...

Yes, this little pretty thing was hiding behind the door playing with the door stop!  I'm sure she thought it was quite humorous that I didn't see her hiding behind the door until her little paw slipped out to whack the door stop.