R.I.P. Icenhour Adventures

The time has come. As much as I don't want to say bye to my blog, I have to :(

I am just tired of soooo many things on my To-Do list not getting done that I'm taking things off. This working mom just can't take it anymore. So, Icenhour Adventures is one of the many "to-do's" that has to go.

I don't think it will be greatly missed (sorry Nana!) but it has been fun while it lasted. For now, Facebook will have to do.

So, if you want to see the photos (and very short stories) that should have been posted here - just go here. Find me on Facebook.

So long, blog. We had a good run :)

Blog Neglect

So, I was reminded today by a sweet friend that blogging is the best way to keep up with our friends from afar (aka, South Carolina!) She is having a baby in a few months and was encouraged by one of our other friends (who is now a blogger) to start her own blog. I hope she does :)

I still do like blogging better than posting on Facebook - but really I don't have time for either! So, I'm going to try harder to keep the 'ole blog up to date and, well, Facebook will keep getting neglected as it always has been. Oh well.

My sweet, little family really has had some fun lately and I've got the photos to prove it - just don't have the time to post them. So, here's one. The fair. We do love the fair and all the greasy, fried food that comes along with it.

Michael Dean was so brave this year. Even after skinning his knee (and arm, I found out a few days later...bad mommy) he just kept trucking. Literally. He loved the monster truck ride! I hope to get more pics up here soon...bear with me.

Play-Doh!

I found this monster set of cookie cutters at Goodwill ($4!) a few weeks ago, so we pulled out the Play-Doh and had some fun. Of course, Michael Dean found the 2 choo-choo train shapes immediately and only wanted to make those. I tried my best to get a giraffe, bell, his initials, and Santa Claus on the table. But, all he wanted were the trains :)

Good times.

A Full Weekend

This past weekend was jam-packed! It started Friday evening with a small birthday party for Papa (Donnie's dad) at our house. Then, on Saturday our good friends, Sean and Marianne, came over with their 2 boys, Conner and Owen. Conner Michael (as Michael Dean called him, because he has a buddy at school named Conner Walker and was totally confused by the 2 Conners!) is a few months younger than MD but is obsessed with trains too. So, the 2 of them had a ball playing trains together. And, Marianne was sweet enough to bring some special desserts for the kids so the picture above is the boys enjoying their cupcakes "with sprinkles"!

On Sunday, we went to a birthday party for a boy in Michael Dean's class at school - Nicholas. See, Nicholas is MD's partner-in-crime. Well, the teachers have to keep them separated, some, at school so I guess you could say that! Anyway, I've never really seen them together, outside of school, and MAN do I have a different kid around Nicholas! MD was brave, ran right into the water at the Splash Pad, went through the entire jungle gym and down a big slide all by himself, and ran way off from me - which is totally unlike him. It was fun to watch - it was like watching another kid all day!

Then, to top the weekend off, we got a new bell for MD's train bed! Whew, that was crazy excitement for MD Monday night. He LOVES it...and did surprisingly well by not ringing it all night long.

Good times. Really. Our weekends are never quite long enough. Sigh.

Work in Progress...

Donnie and I are putting a deck on the back of our new house! It's pretty darn exciting.

One of our amazing friends has offered to, pretty much, build the whole thing. So, Donnie and Richard (and his son, Alex) have been working hard the past few days to get this thing done. Yeah! We're hoping to start using our new deck soon, so Phase 2 photos should be posted soon :)

Putting the kids to work!

Time for a break :)

Grandpa Jeff's Train Bed

My dad was an amazing handyman. And even though his daytime profession was in Engineering, he was an amazingly creative handyman. He built some beautiful wood furniture and anyone who was able to get one of these pieces knew they were very lucky.

About 20 years ago, my dad made a very cute train bed for some family friends. It was intended for their son and ended up bunking all 3 of their sons over the years. Well, when I found out I was going to have a son, we started trying to track down the "train bed" and soon after, our friend, Lisa, immediately offered it back to the Brezina family. So we snatched it back.

We've been waiting 3+ years to put this bed back together and introduce Michael Dean to his Grandpa Jeff's "choo-choo train" bed. This past weekend we were finally able to do that. And, man, was he excited!! He couldn't wait to get it together and play in it. Surprisingly, he sleeps real well in it, too.

So, to my sweet daddy: I'm sure you never dreamed this bed would ever live under your grandson's little body, but now it does! Thank you for being so talented and creative. I benefit from it every day, and now your grandson, who favors his Grandpa Jeff in so many ways, does too. We love you and miss you, Grandpa Jeff.

Trying out his new "big-boy" mattress

Helping daddy put his new "choo-choo" train together

Chugga-chugga. Woo-woo!

The Last 2 (well, 3) Weeks as Told by Courtney's Camera - PART 2

Gosh, it seems like ages ago, but it really was only 3 weeks ago - my sister's wedding at the beach! They hired this great photographer to shoot their wedding and she was kind enough to provide me some photos, below. OK, it was me.

Before that, though, we got in some more family time. But, this time it was at the beach!

Proud to be a Gleek, on the beach, with my sweet family.

Uncle Bob hunting for seashells. I had to explain what they were...he doesn't see many of those in Colorado. Tee hee.

We miss you, Uncle Bob :(

Our only day, all together, at the beach and it POURED the whole time. Urgh!

Donnie didn't seem to mind the rain

Huddling under a tiny awning, trying to stay dry. Didn't really work.

Aunt Jonda showing off her pro Cornhole moves for MD

Nap on the beach. Does it get any better?

The new Myrtle Beach Boardwalk! Very nice, but that place needs some more shade. Seriously.

Finally, the wedding...

On the way down to the wedding...in a crowded elevator

My beautiful niece.

Aunt Jonda and her ringbearer

Mr. and Mrs. Joey Buchanan

The fam (minus Uncle Bob, Aunt Maureen and Christy - they had a 6am flight that morning!)

The Last 2 Weeks as Told by Courtney's Camera - PART 1

Michael Dean's 3rd Birthday Celebration(s)!

Since MD's BD fell on a Wednesday, we headed out after work/school for a short choo-choo train ride...

...and lego excursion at the Mills

MD's BD party at school (Nana and Daddy were there too)

The best part about the birthday party (for MD)!

FYI: Lots of Thomas the Trains were harmed in the making of this birthday party. Sorry, little fella.

Engineer Nana and Conductor Uncle Bob

Alert: Adults in the kiddy boucy house!

And, MD not too happy about it


Movie Night with some Great Friends!

(The boys were there, too)


A Little Family Time

The whole family actually all together (my big bro Bob and his family were in town all the way from Colorado!)

Siblings

What, MD liking a swimming pool?!

Uncle Bob and Aunt Maureen playing with the chocolate cookie in MD's belly (literally)

Thomas the Cake

So, after a few pretty late nights, here it is! The finished product. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I did pretty darn good, didn't I?! I was real happy with how it turned out...and so was Michael Dean. I tell ya, though, it almost hurt to have to cut into that little train. I felt like we had become pretty good friends.

His birthday party turned out just great. A lot of friends and family were there and I think all the kiddos had a good time.

We are so blessed to have such great people who care about our son. He's simply amazing and we love celebrating him with anyone who wants to celebrate him with us!

Cheesing it at up his party :)

The gifts aftermath...

Happy Birthday, My Sweet Little Boy!

Today, my son turns 3. Man, only 3 short (sometimes long!) years ago Donnie and I became parents for the second time (the first time was to our furbaby, Mila) and it changed our lives forever.

Each day is something new. Literally. Just yesterday we were working on not spitting at mommy and today MD is cutting with big-boy scissors. Every day is an adventure and I am so thankful I get to experience all of this.

I love Michael Dean so much, it makes me tingle. He's a part of me. He came from my sweet husband, Donnie and me. He is my family. He motivates most of what I do. I never thought I'd have a son, but thank God He gave me one.

Happy Birthday, my love. Thanks for making me smile :)

Uptown Boy

This past Sunday my mom and I had the grand idea to head uptown to Discovery Place for the afternoon. See, they were having a FREE day (for a whopping 5 hours) to celebrate their new renovations. We figured it would be crowded, but we had NO idea just how crowded it would be. The line was wrapped around the building. Seriously. We asked a mom near the front of the line how long she'd been waiting. She looked at her watch and said for about an hour and a half the line had been moving pretty well. But they had been stuck in their current position for an hour. That's 2 1/2 hours, folks! Seriously, I can't even get my kid to play cars with me for 5 minutes without him getting distracted. I don't know how all those parents did it with their little ones in 100+ degree weather.

Needless to say, we didn't wait. This was only the 2nd time Michael Dean had been uptown (the first time was for a birthday party in a men's salon!) so we tried to make the most of it and just played in all the (working) water fountains. It did turn out to be a fun time!

Just a little touch

Almost...

Well, at least mom is smiling. (All the people had MD quite intrigued.)

Making a wish

It's Sad...

...that digital cameras weren't really around yet back in 2001. That I didn't really get into photography until January 2001 when my world crashed (for not only 1 but 2 really BIG life-changing events) and I bought my first "real" camera as a distraction. Because most pictures of my dad are just that. Pictures. No digital files. Not even any negatives (without digging for hours through tons of little plastic negative holders.) So, I'm left with either scanning worn-out photos or taking a digital picture of a photo and trying my best to work some Photoshop magic.

I think of my dad every day. I'm always thinking of how proud of me he'd be. How shocked he'd be that I actually had a child - this amazing little boy that resembles his Grandpa Jeff more and more each day. I think about all the furniture he'd want to make for my new house. I think about how much better my car would run if he could have maintained it all these years for me, rather than the 15-minute jobs I get about every 4 months at Meineke. (No offense, Lenny has treated me pretty well over the years.) I think about how different my world would be if he were still here.

So, Father's Day. It's a very mixed-emotions day for me. On one hand, I'm sad that I can't go to the store and pick out the perfect Father's Day card then search for his 127th tie or popcorn tin or remote caddy or some random "dad" gift he'd cherish forever, then be able to hand it to him and get one of his huge hugs and a wink.

And, on the other hand, I have this amazing father-in-law who loves me. I mean, really loves me. And not just for his son's sake. He treats me like a daughter. He cares about me. He makes sure his son is treating me right. He takes care of my son and loves him (and all of his grandchildren) with everything he's got. It's an honor to honor him on Father's Day.


Then, on the other, other hand, there's the father of my child. My sweet husband, Donnie. He's such a good dad. He does all the things I can't do. He has the energy and child-like mind to play with our son when I've just had enough. He likes to get dirty and touch bugs and swim when I just don't want to. He can handle the full-blown, make-you-want-to-break-something tantrums that send me into a corner crying myself. He loves MD so, so much and it too is an honor to honor him on Father's Day.

So, Happy Father's Day (yesterday) Dad, Dad-in-law (Papa) and Daddy. My life just wouldn't be complete without each of you.