search and rescue.

was in full force this morning as we went looking for the other parts to "tommy"

dillon took his new mega block toys in his room last night when we read books and then this morning as we tried to put "tommy" back together--we were missing some pieces.
it was a bit of chaos until we found all of his body part. dillon drove his bike around yelling for him. i finally stepped on him and brought him back to life. and everyone involved is happy!
that was @ 6:30 this am and by 8 am we were having dance party 2011 in dillons room. pres was still sounds asleep and dillon was ready to dance!
he makes me dance on the chair while he wiggles around the room.
((i am ready for drew to be home))
now it it 7:17 and my house is quiet. wow. i love it.
we have had a wonderful weekend. the kids and i got to spend a lot of time with gandma and gandpa (that is what dillon says). thanks for much for helping out as i ran around. as we drove away today as greg was putting dillon in his seat--dillon looked up and said gandma's cookies?!?!? wow--i did not even prep him to say it. that sweet tooth proves he is mine!!!!
dillon had a hair cut.
then jenn my beautiful sister in law got her hair done-as a practice for her upcoming wedding! she looked amazing--sarah you did a great job! thanks for letting us hang out and eat all of your mints!

i have been working on new baby.infant.girlie headbands. i love them.
this is what i hate about creating. i do something new--then i can not stop and it is all i want to do. for some time. then i want to do something else.
my mind is constantly thinking about what i can create next...it does not stop. i think.brainstorm.buy.buy.buy.create.move on.then have tons of leftovers. i should have a shop just to sell all of my stuff. it is the worst habit ever.



my parents headed off to AZ today. they are staying for a month--to try it out. so excited for them. they are already in CO.
drew comes home tomorrow and if i have not mentioned...i am super excited.
i miss having someone around after the kids go to bed. someone to help me play tickle monster. someone to snuggle with. someone for dillon to maybe actually listen too!. and just to be home.
i miss him. can you tell.
had to add some pictures of my little munchkins!
what would i do without these two???

good night all.
xoxoxo

happy happy happy

happy birthday to my favorite 31 year old man!

((yesterday))
i am late. of course. it is surprising that i got these pics. great ones @ that taken and uplaoded yesterday. it has been a rough week here @ the barkers!
but back to the birthday.
happy birthday to my wonderful husband.
we love you so very much.
thank you for loving us.
supporting us.
laughing with us.
making us laugh.
the hugs. the snuggles. the kisses.
and just being you.
we love you. happy birthday!!! xoxoxoxox

as you can see pres wants to be in charge! (( thats my girl.))
and dillon is wining that he is not---daddy's boy.

not a good time to get sick. and that is exactly what is happening to me. i am praying that my kids stay healthy! we do not need more sickness in and out of this house. everyone around us has been getting sick and i thought we were getting away with staying healthy. i guess not.
dillon is off @ gramma becky's for the night. when i was leaving he yelled "go ride mommy" he was really ready for me to leave. so preslee and i left. and came home and had a girls day. wow how different it is to be home with just one. a 6 month old @ that. after a nap. bath. a litte playing...there was not much time b.f she wanted to go back to bed.

drew is off in the black hills to a weekend with the guys. (bachelor party) they left this am and have arrived @ their cabin and are so excited to go out and ride the next couple of days!
i am so happy that he got to go---but get so worried about them!

what have we been doing?!?!
dillon has been.
stunt riding. his bike goes wherever he goes.
i am getting a bit sick of carrying it up and own the stairs.
getting into my makeup. he thinks it is super fun to do that.
being a bit of a stinker this week.
but still making me laugh so much.
loves to hang out with his sis in her crib.
is missing his "mimi" (paci--only gets it @ night/car. or when we give in)
is waiting to spend time outside.
loves his new bobcat calendar. he wants to read it all day.
it is amazing the stories you can come up with to read along with a calendar.

pres is.
learning to sit up.
loving the time spent with her brother.
is chewing on everything.
sleeps like an angel.
rarely cries. so content.
hates to eat solids. ((so not ready to eat them yet))
is growing in to such a little girl.
has the best belly laugh. and dillon is the best @ getting her to laugh.
loves to take baths.
hates to be on her belly.
oh how i love this time with her. but it is going by way to fast. i can hardly believe this might be our last baby. i do not think i am ready to say goodbye to this stage!


last weekend.
i headed to mnpls to celebrate w.jenn on her bachelorette party.
we had such a fun time!
did not get much sleep.
we were woke up early sunday with texts and calls in our room
about getting home b.f the storm.
friday night i spent with my sister shopping and out to eat.
sat morning we spent time with the kids and
to jakes hockey game! good game buddy! xoxoxooxox


random updates.
watching the bachelor this season. oh how i love the show. not the biggest fan of him though.
real housewives of miami started. crazy people. first of all. they are not housewives--most of them are not even housewives. it is so crazy!
also thinking that people use people. people are rude. people do things that are not fair.
have you ever felt used? it is an awful feeling. being grateful. i do not get how people do not have that part of them to be grateful---be thankful. it is easy!
you do not need to show it with things. or anything material. but WORDS. they work wonders.
((wow i feel better))
another random thought.
this blog was started as more of a blog to myself. a log of my life. how i feel. what we are doing. and now with 2 kids it is becoming far from that. i love what it has become..b.c without it i would never have anything to refer to when i am thinking...when did i do that?!??
but i also love just writing random thoughts. and feelings.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
hugs
meg

just skip

when it has been one of those days. try skipping! it works.
sitting here relaxing. b.c it has been one of "those" weeks. i need to get outside and SKIP!
terrible two's have hit our house! and i keep hearing the 3's are worse! i can hardly wait.
or waddle. i was chatting with one of my best girlfriends today about our weeks. she is also a stay @ home mom and i was telling her about skipping and she was talking about waddling. her son was waddling to his room and he wanted her too--so she did and they just laughed! those are the best moments. the moments you never want to skip.
so if you are having a bad day. skip or waddle!
how can you resist laughing......
i cant.

we are working on sitting up!
it is amazing how we go from being the content little girl laying on the floor watching.
then rolling. we do not do that much anymore. and now we are working on sitting up.
she is doing so well. ((sometimes))
so fun to see how much she has changed!!!

this week has flown by. ((i only say that now b.c i am looking back)) each and every day i did not think that. we have gotten out and done fun things out of the house each day! the weather here is so nice! i saw 48 this week. we can not get used to it ..b.c here comes the snow!

dillon's new favorite thing is puzzles.
i am just amazed @ how easy they are for him now


i have been taking any time i have to work on pLum stuff. i have a booth @ a "girls night out" coming up in 2 weeks. and need some new things in b. salon
and i have so many ideas in my head for spring.
i had been thinking of making felt flowers for a long time and this week finally did it.
i like how they turned out! perfect for spring/summer. they can be so many fun colors!!!
need to go shopping!

had a perfect morning today.
errands.
library.
and to lunch with some friends!
and home for nap. the perfect day as far as i can tell.
this afternoon dillon showed me how he "stunt rides"!!?!?!? really where did he learn this?
well i taught him the word stunt after he showed me his moves.....
but where did he learn the moves?
but being the kind of mother and person i am. i encourage all craziness. ((to a point)) i love it.... and make him do it over and over again. he puts his glasses on and stands on the seat of his 3-wheeler and bends over to hold the handles and makes motor cycle noises.. but the best part is then he puts one leg out @ a time and does his stunts!!!
then he makes me do it. i just love it!
and tonight
out for drinks with one of my dearest friends!
happy birthday to you miss megan! love you!

we never got our valentines done and delivered. i of course bought the stuff and had great intentions....but then never finished them. so maybe i will have to try again next year!!! i can always hope!

we were a part of the fishing tournament here in DL last weekend. my brother in law came and we had so much fun! we did not even get a nibble but we had a good time!. need to upload those pics soon! we had a breakfast party in our garage in the am. so much fun! we are excited for next year already!!!

yesterday we had MOPS. and we made it through w.dillon in the daycare. he had a hard first 40 minutes but they kept trying and then moved him to the same room with pres and then he was ok. so i am just hoping that when we go back we can again make it through. so nice to be with all the other moms. and meet new people.
tomorrow i am off to mnpls for my sister in law's bachelorette party! i am so EXCITED to help her celebrate. i love her so much and am so excited for the upcoming wedding!!!
and of course i am in mnpls i of course need to see my sister and her family too! i am so excited to see all of them! wish we lived closer.


these are some of my favorite pics. i just love the real laughter--the fun they are having!
last week we had a friend over. it is so funny--these two had so much fun in the toy room filling the house with the balloons and playing in them. taking them out and putting them back in. i have never heard either of them laugh so hard and have so much fun playing together!

enough rambling.
good night
xoxoxooxox

feel like i am camping

our fridge.freezer went out sat.

noticed sunday am. bought a fridge. that is another story.
did not have many choices. cupboards too low for what we wanted.
thank god that we have one of each in the garage. but not in the attached garage---i get to run across the driveway when i need anything. milk. one egg. and what is happening is that i bring something in and forgot something almost every time. (((loving it that is -12 out too!)))

dillon, breck and audrey's birthday party was so fun.
saturday we had a pool party.
thank you so much to everyone for coming to help celebrate.
the kids had a great time. could barely pull d out of the pool.
after alomost 4 hours in and out of the pool we went home for quick bath and bed!


we had such a great time celebrating dillons birthday on thursday too.

it started out with the yummiest pancake "cake" in the am. complete with candles. and presents.
a day @ home w. mommy and pres. playing together all day. and more presents.
ZORBAZ for dinner.
grandma, grandpa and auntie jj came with us. then back to our house for presents and cake.
and one happy little boy. and tired too! it is hard being 2.

one important fact dillon informed me of.
"elmo no diapers". is pointed that out to me this morning as we watched sesame street.

superbowl weekend. went to jj and mikes to watch the game! thanks for having us over.

during the game preslee was so
EXCITED she ROLLED OVER!!!! (finally)
she also
had her 6 month check up.
17lbs. 10oz. 79% in weight & 39% in height
growing so much!

kids in bed. drew in GF for his sig ep meeting.
me. i should be sewing.
so here i go.
hugs

being 2

our baby boy is 2. HERE he is the day he was born.
i can hardly believe it. no. actually i can not believe it. he is such a great little boy. yes. very spirited. lets be honest. sometimes down right naughty. but could i love him more?!?!? there is no way.

he loves......
and what we love about you.
thomas the train or as he so lovingly calls him "tommy"
eat "iiicccee"
to get his own water
to read books. or be read too
always have something in his mouth.
talks our ears off non stop.
a master @ puzzles.
loves elmo.
still loves to snuggle.
oh how i will miss that someday when he is too big.
love when he gets up he yells mommy. and when i walk in he says "i waked up mommy"
how much he loves his little sister and is such a great big brother.
loves to wrestle.
loves bobcats and can not wait to ride again with papa.
talks non stop about john deere tractors. grandpa's tractor is his favorite.
does not go anywhere w.o his "b"
still loves his "mimi" ((but we only get it @ sleep time now))
loves to dance!!! dance party here everyday!
loves to play "tickle monster"
told me yesterday "missed you" when i came in the door.

on his official birthday and his 1 year birthday!

ready to have a great birthday with our two year old!
started off great with some presents and a yummie breakfast of a
blueberry pancake cake and candles!!!!
we love you dillon lewis xoxoxoxoxox
happy birthday

my baby girl

you turned 6 months old! (yesterday)
happy half birthday to miss preslee jae!
we love you so much and could not imagine our family without you as a part of it!
you are such a happy little girl.
you have the cutest chubby legs.
i love to cuddle with you
you sleep like an angel. ((sometimes all day and night))
you smile with those big dimples and make us all smile.
you even smile in the middle of the night if you wake up. all you want is to give us a quick smile and your "mimi" and you are back to sleep.
you love to play hide and seek.
be tickled and show us your adorable laugh/giggle.
you are a fashionista. with a closet full of clothes! (your love)
you are not rolling over. you get so so so close and roll back to your back. you are just not ready and love to have everything done for you. you love to tease us.
your bother loves to help you roll over. even when you do not want to.
you love to sing and play.
and we can not wait to see how you change over the next months and to watch you grow!
it is amazing that 6 months ago that THIS was you.
it goes by way to fast.
i love you my darling!
xoxoxoxo mom

we had a fun day @ home.

a girlfriends little girl came over for a little while in the am. now i know

how it would be with a almost 2 year old and twin 5 month olds.

most of the day was spent driving trains, trying to get pres to roll over, racing cars, chasing the cats and listening to dillon talk talk talk. it is so funny how much each and every day he learns so much and talks so much more. i need to start writing everything down.
he makes me laugh all day.
preslee must be growing. she wants to sleep all day long. but is so happy when she wakes up. eats and plays for a a little bit and then wants to go back in her crib.
we tried oatmeal tonight. since she could not do the rice i thought we would try oatmeal.
we will see how she sleeps.

So EXCITED it is only a couple of months away from the memory makers "the big book of scrapbook pages" to come out in print! i am so excited to see my work in this book.
there is already pre-order online.
the second page in the pile is mine!!!! oh how i wish it was on top!

today when drew went on the daytona website and saw our picture on the top.
this picture has been used in advertising for years! it is so fun to see our picture in books and online! here is the book it was in!

tonight.
mamma "race car" that is what i heard as i was laying dillon down for bed.
we had read books,
got his sip
snuggled
his "b"
his other "b"
and his bear--
i thought it was all ready for him.
he kept saying race car.
so to make it easy i thought i would go grab one. hand it over and everything would be good. trying to be super mom i brought in "tommy", a car and a other little truck. he took them all looked @ them and looked back @ me and told me "race car".
i tried again with a actual "race car" he still was not satisfied..but then he looked @ me and said "water race car".
now why did he not say that right away. all he wanted was his race car cup. as i walked out i heard him throwing out all of the other toys. he is now sound asleep with his race car cup!
***
trying to get orders done for pLum while watching criminal minds.
they are in NORTH DAKOTA tonight. so fun to hear them talk about all the towns i know!
***
we had such a great weekend @ our girls weekend. and got so much done. even made a dance video. yes--really. we ate well, laughed hard and had so much fun! thanks girls!

better get back to work!



love this picture of dillon. he is checking out the tractor birthday supplies. he carried it around all day last week!!!

today

it has been one rough week.
so cold. so we did a lot of the same thing over and over..... a big house crazy right now. all of us!

could not stay @ MOPS. dillon had a bit of a breakdown. so it did not work out so well.
we need to work on this "being with mommy" all of the time stuff. a bit attached.

we had a great weekend.
family was here to help celebrate preslee's baptism. we had a great time with great company and food. thanks to everyone for coming.
it was fun to have her in the baptismal outfit that i also wore.
even better most of the pictures i have seen of me on that day i am screaming just like her in some of the these.... like mother like daughter!!!



it has been so cold this week we have not been out much.
-17 below this morning. and that is w.o wind chill. YIKES!
playroom is a disaster. but has some fun new toys for mr. dillon. he got a new desk and bench from nana and papa for his birthday and some hockey gear from ana and family.
now i need to pick a color to paint his new desk. i think orange is the way we are going to go.
i love how bright and playful our playroom is. so much color-such a fun place for us to be!
the only thing it isn't (besides clean) is big enough. it is so full. i did get rid of some things. but most i do not want to b.c i know preslee will love it. so i am keeping it around.
but when she is done with the toys---we will be having a major overhaul of the room. but then it will just be full of bigger kid toys!!!

got our whole deck shoveled off sunday night and monday morning. with the help of my parents. what a job! our deck is high off the ground and long so all of this snow is not so good for it! so all winter i say i am going to go out there and shovel it. but do i ever do it? no. so with some willing helpers we got it done in no time. a great workout too!



we are having a 2nd birthday for dillon with two of his friends this year! it will be so fun to get all of his little friends together. and the parents too! for a fun pool party!
this week i have been making hats and thinking of ideas. but how much of all of the ideas will i actually get done?!?!! probably not much! but i am having fun thinking of everything we could do. all that matters is that the kids have fun. i do not think they are going to care about the things that i am stressing over a bit.
time to relax. i am off to a girls weekend in the am. i am oh so ready for a couple of days away from everything. girl time. relaxation. sleeping in. scrapbooking and
just being with a house full of girls!!!
so off i go to pack! packing less and less every year i go. lets see if i can keep that up!

have a great weekend everyone!
hugs

mb