These are some pictures from the last week - I've tried to get both of them in one picture and it is nearly impossible! The picture of the three of us in bed is how we've spent much of the week - they haven't felt well since Friday so we've slept and cuddled a lot in our room. We are on the mend but unfortunately are still quarantined to the house since we are contagious. We are at 5 days of not getting out and about and I already have some serious cabin fever but am trying to not spread this to anyone else either. This is the sickest the boys have ever been and having sick kids sucks! Linc was interested in trying on Sean's new ski goggles and looked pretty cute in them but Carter wouldn't let us take a picture, I had the camera and Sean took them off too so he wouldn't be documented in them.

This is the best way for everyone to get to ride in the car at once!

Look close - this is Carter being Handy Manny (pen behind his ear)

Sometimes it is just easier not to have a shirt on this one!

Here are a couple of pictures of the boys from this week. We have a pretty busy social schedule this week and are looking forward to seeing lots of our friends! Carter has been driving us crazy wearing a pen behind his ear and carrying a little notebook when he can find one to be just like Handy Manny. He tries not to move his head so it doesn't fall off and ends up looking like a goober - Sean thought this was a bit embarrassing when he took him to church on Sunday! He also found a Sharpie and thought that was much better than a pen so all of our Sharpies have been hidden! Carter got a treat of going out for ice cream tonight and said "Mom this is delicious" while he had it ALL over his face, it was pretty cute. He's also been trying out the word "ridiculous" and says it just like my niece, Marah, did Ridiclious. Yesterday he finished his daddy's sentence when Sean said "what the" Carter finished "hell" - I tell you all my mouth is CLEAN these days, it really, really is as for Sean that is another story. I only cuss when I drink now - just like all of you who only smoke when you drink :)

Linc continues to try to eat every product in the house that is not food. We currently have a yard stick holding the drawers in our bathroom shut in order to protect the toothpaste, the floss and such. He's figured out how to open the doors and stick his hand into the cabinets and get things out even with the child locks on! Seems like the phrase "Lincoln get out" is pretty common around here. He did get a little revenge on Carter (Carter has a lot coming to him from Linc) today and jumped around on him while Carter was trying to nap - he thought he was extremely funny.

Caffeine shock???

And I wonder - can one have caffeine shock? I guess I don't get much of the stuff lately because the Espresso Truffle I had at 8 may have me up until 8 in the morning! I feel mor energized than I do most days at 9 AM. Note to self: not a good evening choice.

Been playing around...

We've been playing around at the Hogan house and getting back into our post-holiday groove! The boys are keeping pretty busy with all of their new Christmas gifts. Carter spends most days with the phone and screwdriver from his tool bench in his pockets, he even snuck them into the mall the other day, I'm sure I looked horrified when I realized that he was carrying them in the mall as they aren't to leave the house. The playdough picture is the mommy & daddy that Carter built, I was a little perturbed that he'd picked blue for me but at least he got the lipstick right - mama's got to have her lipstick and most of the time her sunglasses too. Both boys have decided that they like apples in the last week which is fantastic - one healthy food down, just a few hundred more to learn to love! Linc wants so badly to be a big boy - today he was practicing kicking the ball (the one he couldn't play with last night, per Carter) and then decided to play a fun game of crawl under mommy's clothes and hide. He also got his molars - yes the ones he's been working on since the beginning of November when we were in Iowa, we are so glad they are here and can stop causing him pain. Not much else is new here, we are off for family hair night tonight - I know it used to be just hair day for me but now I'm taking them all in tow so they can get their hair cut too - too bad mine takes a tad longer and I'll have to stay and be pampered! I love hair day!

Another year...

Welcome 2009! Wow it is the year - the one that I'll turn 30 in! My mom was quick to remind me that I was on the 6 month countdown at Christmas and then my s-i-l, Lindsay mentioned that she was on countdown as well, oh well I'll take another year especially if it is as good as 2008.

It is hard to believe that we started last year with a baby-baby and a 2 year old! We are now onto such bigger things with both boys. We no longer have bottles in the house or diapers for one of them (woohoo!).

Carter has grown up so much this year, he lets his little personality shine at home and loves to make Sean and I crack up - usually saying and doing things he knows he should not or his favorite imitating daddy (he knows that any expression Sean uses isn't a 3 year old expression so he likes to say them to see if he can get a reaction). He's entirely too perceptive for his or our own good! This year he learned how to ride his tricycle, quickly followed by his bicycle and then got the battery powered truck that he loves taking his little brother for rides in. He is very mischievous with Lincoln, especially since Linc started walking but can be so incredibly sweet with his little brother when he wants to and is so proud of Lincoln when he learns something new.

Lincoln conquered all the baby milestones in 2008 and now is an official member of the toddler gang. He is obsessed with electronics (in particular the telephone, no play phone will do), he loves to get into everything - especially the dishwasher and kitchen drawers and loves to grab something and see how far he can get with it. He also loves to mimic his brother and tries so hard to be a big boy. He is a bit of a toothbrush bandit, collecting and testing all the toothbrushes in our house, so if you visit you should keep yours safely tucked away. Linc loves to give snuggles and suck his thumb.

We were able to go on a few adventures this year, Sean and I took a trip to Seattle in April which was lovely - the boys didn't even miss us and had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa while we had a great time discovering the city. In July the boys and I went with Mimi & Papa to the Graf reunion in Wisconsin and got to catch up with the extended family. That left Sean home for almost a week alone so he visited some friends in San Antonio for the weekend. We then went on the annual Hogan vacation to the Ozarks and enjoyed the lake (I hadn't been in the lake in years and it felt so good!). Sean and the Hogan boys ventured to Chi-town in September to cheer on their Bears and we were able to squeeze in a few Iowa trips in there as well. I made a short weekend trip to visit my Texas girls that was super refreshing so all around we had a fun year.

So from the Hogan house to yours we wish you a wonderful 2009 full of laughter, adventure, health and love. We are so fortunate to have a large, loving family and wonderful friends scattered all over the country - each of you mean so much to us! Happy, happy 2009.

Home Sweet Home!

This is Carter's snapping demonstration

Cute matching pj's from Aunt Lindsey!

Even cuter girls!

The Little Hogan 6 pack

Linc driving!

The boys were rather obsessed with Red Dog - Linc was interested but got the tears flowing when Red Dog barked

Cookies, milk & a movie

Lincoln's Flinstone car that all the kids enjoyed - especially Carter

and Marah

Sean, Gwen & Michael

Carter's first pair of snow boots & first real adventure in a winter coat!

Linc & his polar bear from Papa - I suggested the name Nice for it

& Naughty for Carter's although he rejected these names!

We are officially home and back to the blog. We had a wonderful Christmas and were able to see most of our family while we were in Iowa. The boys really enjoyed opening too many gifts and playing with our families, they got lots of attention and more love. Thank you to our family for all of your help with the boys!

Carter thinks his cousins are so wonderful and loves to play with them, especially the older two who know about all sorts of school age things! He received a remote controlled (or tramote as he says) The King car from Grandma and Grandpa Hogan and kept calling it - the stupid car and I thought he was being ugly about it and then he came and announced "it is not being a stupid car anymore" which I think means they figured out how to use it - mostly the big girls running the remote and Carter chasing after it. He'll probably be asking to go play with the cousins soon and I'll again have to explain that Iowa is a bit of a drive.

Lincoln still just tries to stay out of the path of the moving kids but did seem more comfortable than on our last trip (aka was not attached to my hip!) but he did go to sleep at 8 each night and not stay up like the bigger kids. We've been working on identifying body parts with him and on the way home he did something "amazing" according to Carter when he showed us his nose, ear and eye. They were really great little travelers and we didn't have too much "sass" on the drive and they both slept alright for being away from home which makes this mommy really happy.

We'd been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my best friend, Katie's little girl and are very happy to report she has arrived! Tayah was welcomed on the 23rd and after a little observation for having an awfully hard time arriving will be ringing in the New Year at home. We can't wait to meet you, Tayah.

Happy New Year to all our friends and family!

Bath time fun & other pics

This is Carter's new way to sit, with his feet against the other side of the tub - like he can occupy the whole tub
One of Linc's many faces

The glare

This was a "mom, take my picture" picture

This is the most accurate Carter has ever been in taking a picture! And he's tried many, many times

This was him reading on my bed side table last week

Another face

Serious bubbles!

The boys are getting used to taking baths in our tub which is kind of nice for us since we have carpet instead of their cold, tile floor and they have been pretty excited about their baths so I've taken some pictures. The pictures of Lincoln are to show some of his funny expressions, he makes the funniest faces. Sometimes it looks like he's just bit a lemon, sometimes it is an intense glare. He's just started to swing his arm when he trots around which is kind of funny. We went to a cookie exchange this morning, and I let each of the boys have a cookie while we were there and when I looked back Carter had taken the Hershey kiss off his cookie and was exchanging it for another cookie with a kiss. Never a dull moment with these two!