Sandbox

This spring, after looking around our new backyard, Mommy decided that what we really needed was a sandbox. So she got some plans from the internet, modified them to fit the space in our yard, and got to work. She had to buy some new tools to get the job done, but that was half the fun. Daddy dug the hole and helped mommy get in in place before he filled it with over 700lbs of sand. Evan and Bennet love inviting their neighborhood friends to come play in there big blue sandbox.

Happy 36th Birthday Daddy

We love our daddy and hope he has a wonderful 37th year

Snowzilla

Mommy attended a funeral in Utah with James this year, but she left Evan and Bennet with Daddy. The trip to the airport was a bit scary as there was ice and snow on the roads, but the real weather came to Virginia after Mommy landed in Utah.  After a two and a half day blizzard, all of the roads, schools,  places of work, and airports were closed.  Evan and Bennet wanted to make sure that Daddy didn't get bored (it took mommy three extra days to get home) and led efforts to play in the snow. Bennet took Daddy for long walks and Evan showed Daddy how to build a snowman with the new snowman kit that they got for Christmas.

Evan is 6 years old

We celebrated Evan's Birthday with two party hats and one chocolate surprise cake.  Evan liked the suprise so much he didn't even bother eating the cake, just the candy. When it's your birthday, that's okay. Mommy also brought chocolate cupcakes to school to celebrate with his class. He really liked passing the cupcakes out to all his friends and having them sing to him.

Merry Christmas

This year we enjoyed our first Christmas in our new house. Grandma was here at the beginning of December and helped us get into the Christmas spirit by baking cookies with the boys.

 

In our new house, we have a nice big living room to put up our tree in. It is nice to be able to decorate it all the way around.

Aunt Emily spent Christmas Eve with us and spent the night so she could be with us Christmas Morning. We had a great time opening presents. Bennet let Evan be the designated present opener, which suited him as he only had eyes for the candy Santa left in his stocking.

Daddy made a delicious traditional Kraczek christmas breakfast. Later we headed up to Maryland to have dinner with our Kraczek cousins. It was a very merry Christmas.

Visit from Grandma

Grandma Heather came out to help after James was born. Unlike Evan and Bennet, James decided to come early not late. Instead of having to go home right after the baby came home from the hospital, Grandma was able to spend time with the new baby the whole time she was here. James and Grandma became fast friends. James' first smile was for Grandma after about a week of her being here.

Sweet Baby James

James Stanley Kraczek was born at 3:19am, Nov 11, 2015. He weighed 7lbs 6oz. He was exactly a week early. Both of his older brothers were so late that Mommy had to be induced, so when this little one decided to come on his own, it took us by surprise. Not only did he come early, he also came quick. As a result, mommy thought longingly of an epidural as she stared at the emergency room sign across the street and clutched baby boy Kraczek in the front seat of the Mazda where he was just born.  We called an ambulance and, after waiting for ten minutes, the pareamedics took us the remaining 400ish feet to the hospital. Luckily, there were no complications and Mommy and little James were just fine.

Big Brother Evan loves having a new little baby around and is so sweet to James.

Big Brother Bennet doesn't really care that there is a new baby around as long as he still gets the attention he wants. He loved that Daddy took time off from work to help mommy with the new baby and only wanted Daddy to be the one to play with him.

We love our new baby boy and are so excited he is part of our family.