Sunday, March 15, 2015

Happy Spring!!!

As most of you know, it's been quite the busy winter and spring. In the end of July, an amazing opportunity arose at Carolinas Hospital System, wherein my previous Director of Case Management resigned. With my Bachelors prep and military leadership experience, I was selected among the group of applicants to move into the Interim Director role. Although it was quite rocky and very challenging for the first several months, I finally began to gain footing around December and it's been a smoother past several months.


We had an outstanding Christmas and managed to see all the family over the weeks of December. Elijah and Noah had a fun filled Christmas season, with the kick off of our Elf on a Shelf tradition. Snack, as Elijah named him, arrived during the first week of December and the mischief began almost immediately. Snack got into the Christmas cookies, the stockings and even tamed Elijah's big dinosaur one night. The boys loved running down each morning and searching for Snack and the note he almost always left. It was sad to see him go on Christmas Eve, but he must have given a great report to Santa, because the boys received a plethora of awesome gifts!


Christmas morning!!!! Elijah insisted on wearing his Snack PJs




Sharing a brotherly moment with their Polar Express train from Papa Choo-Choo

Noah LOVES to dress up, especially as a fireman



So some of you MAY not know, the Bowerman Boys received an extra special gift this Christmas as well. Although a surprise, we were overjoyed to announce to our entire family on Christmas morning that we are expecting in August! As I write this, we are 16 weeks and looking forward to meeting the 3rd Bowerman Boy!!!!!!

Less than a month after learning of our new addition, I accepted the position of full-time Director of Case Management! As I said, it's been a really busy and exciting winter! The boys and I have missed our Monday and Fridays together, but the position was just too good to pass up at this point in my career. We've been making due ever since and getting along great with the time we have together. We try to make the most out of every weekend, all while managing the first trimester of this third pregnancy. 

We took a long weekend to visit our good friends from Fort Sill, OK, the Palkas. They recently relocated to Camp Legune, in North Carolina. Julie and David have two girls, Ellie and Kate, and a new little boy, Luke. They're a wonderful family, great friends and we really enjoyed our time together! 



It only took 20 pictures to get 1 of all the kids looking!




Elijah and Mommy
 The months of January and February were a bit of a blur, so bear with the random assortment of photos. We stayed very busy, between work, the kids school being delayed/cancelled for coldness...without precipitation and Noah's multiple minor procedures. Noah underwent a lacrimal duct probe and was found to have a very blocked duct in his left eye. It's been great since the procedure and no more goopy eye in the mornings. Unfortunately, in the pre-op visit, the doctor found that one of his ear tubes had dislodged and he had an ear infection. After 3 rounds of antibiotics, without resolve, we went back to the ENT and were scheduled to have his tubes removed and replaced with T-tube (they stay in place longer than the regular short-term tubes kids normally have placed).


Playing at their sand table, hand built by Caitlyn and her Grandfather

"Test-driving" the tractor at the tractor store, where Matt's new chainsaw was started up for the first time!


Pre-op tear duct probe


With the weather gradually warming up here (78 degrees today), we've been spending every minute possible outside. Noah has really taken to golfing and sweeping. You may have noticed a stick in Noah's hands in just about every outdoor picture.....it's a broom or golf club. He's pretty good at swinging and he may have a future in it! We will have to enroll him in the Bill Bowerman Golf School for Future Professional Athletes. I'm sure he'll do well!






Daddy rides!!!! The boys certainly love their Daddy

The newest way of super cleaning


Dino hunting


Cleaning at school!

I couldn't resist the Top Gun shirts! Matt added the aviator glasses and the pictures speak for themselves

"Iceman"


Big brother behind the wheel, surely driving Noah to his next sweeping duty assignment

Nap attack!



Caitlyn was working on her Anatomy assignment, which entailed performing a digital surgery. Elijah quickly donned his physician jacket and jumped into action! The next Dougie Howser!

Pre-op tubes




I continue to do my Reserve duties, despite the time commitment and overall inconvenience. Fortunately, the pros of military health care cost and the big picture of retirement is well worth the annoyance. While I'm away, Matt runs the house and keeps the boys alive, but he certainly has amazed me with his ability to not only keep the boys alive, but complete chores and tasks, go on adventures (i.e. book store trip and the parks too), but Matt does it with ease and pictures/videos galore! He's amazing and can truly do it all. I'm so grateful to have such a supportive husband and great father for our boys.....all 3!





Happy Sunday/St. Patty's Day!!!!!
Hope to update you all very soon with some more archive photos from Matt's collection. And of course, I'll try to throw in some bump pictures :)

Happy Spring!!!!!!




Friday, November 28, 2014

Where does the time go???

My boys are growing up with every passing day! I marvel at how they are so independent and smart.


Since my last post, we've been so many places and enjoyed so many wonderful days together. In July, we took a visit to Indiana to see Lala, Papa, Great Aunt Susie, Aunt Cindy and many other friends and loved ones. We made time to see the Indianapolis Zoo and many other exciting things.




Elijah is so fascinated with Choo choo trains and Papa has one heck of a train layout. Papa showed him how to operate  and "wake up" the choo choo trains. Elijah wanted to stay down there all day with Papa. I'm so thankful to have such a great family on both sides that are so engaging with our boys. 
We have Noah, Lala, Aunt Cindy, Elijah and Great Aunt Susie all in one place. It was such a blessing to have the group together in one place. 

It was sad to leave, as we enjoyed our time so much, but we did enjoy coming home to some serious summer weather. Around here, summer means OUTSIDE and we enjoyed every minute of it!






A few weeks of playing outside and it was time (LONG overdue really) for a fun packed visit from Grandma and Grandpa. We had a lot of fun around the house and outside, but really had an "Ed-venture" at the Columbia Edventure Children's Museum.

This is Eddie, the worlds largest child. You can actually crawl inside and learn about the human body. We were there the week when normal schools were back in session. We were pretty well the ONLY people there. It was a wonderful time for all. 
We learned all about fires, fire trucks, fire hoses and more. 
Grandpa did such a great job of teaching Elijah all about the fire hose and how to operate it. He helped turn it on and off and even helped him sound the alarms.
Grandma and Elijah learned all about cars and gas. Then they ran over to the grocery and learned about the farm and how we get food in the grocery stores, as well as how the grocery store clerks ring up our things. It was such a stimulating place for all of us and we learned so much!




Swab for the S.S. Shrimpy
Golf outing with Grandpa at Traces Golf Course in Florence


Elijah has been loving his new 3K class at All Saints Day School. He learns so many new and exciting things each day. The class has Spanish class twice per week, gym, library time and they sing songs all day long. Elijah loves singing songs when he's home, like R-E-D red, R-E-D red, I can spell red, I can spell red. The songs are so catchy, Matt and I find ourselves walking about the house singing them out loud.

Elijah's first day of 3K at All Saint Day School


We also had some new friends move into the neighborhood, only two doors down. The family has four boys all under the age of five. They boys have SO many cool toys and love sharing with Elijah. We certainly do love playing with friends and wearing each other's children down for naps (hehe).


About that time, fall began to set in and we spent more and more time outside. That's just about the time of year where outside it enjoyable without an immediate source of water. We enjoyed long walks, friends and then some.

Just a little body painting



We also spent a day at the Columbia Zoo with our good friends, the Scotts. They have a little boy, Liam, who really enjoys walks at the zoo, just like our boys. We saw Lions and Tigers and....well no bears, but Turtles! Oh MY!





Well that brings us ALMOST up to date. Just last week, we traveled to Virginia to spend an early Thanksgiving with Juju, Trink, Lala and Papa. Uncles Rich and Kyle joined and we really had a lot of fun playing and catching up with one another. It's been several months since our last trip to Virginia, which was shortly after Juju had his accident. Elijah is so in love with Juju and everything planes. It was a blast, as always, and we always look forward to our next visit!

Lala and E-bug on a Dinosaur hunt
Elijah sporting Uncle Juju's Air Wisconsin pilot hat







Hay rides at the Leesburg Petting Zoo
Uncle Juju's war face  

Elijah playing a little self taught guitar, just like Uncle Juju
Lala and Noah sharing a laugh and a snack

After a long Monday drive, the boys made it back to school just in time for their Thanksgiving celebrations! Elijah had a big feast at the day school, filled with fun, food, pilgrims, a tee pee and a TURKEY! He enjoyed it and I loved leaving work to go soak up a few minutes with my loves. Not many thing warm your heart the way your child can when they say to their teacher, "Look LOOK my MOM is here!!!!!!" It really made my day and I even snagged a few minutes with my little Noah Bear. He shared his cookie and a plethora of sweet kisses with me. He's such a loving and joyful child. 



 Yesterday was Thanksgiving!!!! I can't believe how the year has flown past! Just like last year, our South Carolina family invited us into their home to share an incredible Thanksgiving meal. We really enjoyed the entire Spinazzola Family, including Aunt Carol, Uncle Mark and Sara Elise (CC). We have missed them all so much this past year and the boys really light up when they're around. It's funny we get to spend the holiday with people for which we are so very thankful. Elijah and Aunt Carol are like "two peas in a pod". 
TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!                                          






Elijah and Andrew, Carol's 4yr old nephew
Two peas in a pod

Hope you all have enjoyed the updates and are very well in this wonderful holiday season. Hope to spend time with each and every one of you in the very near future. Sending love from the Bowerman Family!