So blessed!!

To have these two little cuties in our lives!!! We hope everyone had an amazing CHRISTmas!!! We were able to spend some time with family and eachother and love on our boys. We have lots of fun pictures and things to post, but limited time (with nap time coming to an end;) so we'll just leave you with a sweet picture Uncle Nathan (Ethan) took of the boys on Christmas eve. I love this picture of them together!!!!

if you get a chance...

read this amazing post. I have been reading this blog for several months now and am constantly blessed by her words and how God is using her. I pray it blesses you!

Conversations with Ian...

Today I had to leave work early and pick up Ian from school because Hudson wasn't feeling well. While we are driving in the car heading to the pediatrician, out of nowhere, Ian and I have this conversation...

Ian: "I see angels, mama."

Mama: "You do? You see angels, baby?"

Ian: "yeah! They're my angels." pause.... "Jesus loves me."

Mama: "oh, yes He does, Ian. I'm so glad you know that!"

Now, how amazingly insightful are even the youngest of His children?!

**You should also know in the same car ride a few minutes later, I smell the aftermath of potty training gone awry, and Ian and I have this conversation...

Mama: "Ian? Did you go poo poo in your pants?"

Ian: "yeah...I should go poo poo on potty."

Mama: "yes, you should."

Ian: "Jesus poo poo on potty, mama."

pause....stifle laughter (because he is serious;)....pause....

Mama: "yes. yes, He did, honey. I'm sure Jesus did poo poo on a potty, and you should too."

Ian: "yeah, I go poo poo like Jesus."


This gives new meaning to the book Everybody Poops

Pumpkin Patch and Trunk or Treat

I LOVE Halloween - it is probably my favorite holiday. I love all of the cheesy decor and fun costumes. I love pumpkins and doing activities with my classroom. It just really feels like fall when Halloween gets here (even if the weather doesn't cooperate;).
A couple of days before Halloween, the boys and I took the day off and met our friends Lori and Cole at a pumpkin patch. It was kind of a random place - but we had fun! The following night was my school's Trunk or Treat and my sister and brother-in-law came into town and hung out with us.

The boys "posing" for pic in front of the haystacks and pumpkins


When we finally talked Ian and Cole into going down the big slide it was their favorite part! We had a hard time getting them to get off. Here's Cole leaving his momma behind!






Afterwards, we ate pizza and watched a little Backyardigans. I'm pretty sure it was the "Riding the Range" episode...I hope;)

Hudson, my little monkey, at Trunk or Treat


Ian loves the candy part of Halloween!!!




I love his expression in this picture!


My big pirate!!

Ian and aunt Lori

Hudson and aunt Lori

Random

Yes, try not freak out - I AM actually making two posts in one day!!! (I'm on such a role I may even go for a third - so hold on to your seats;)

Here are just some random and silly pics of the boys over the last TWO MONTHS... and of course, there is no rhyme or reason as to the order - because I am apparently blogger, picture ordering illiterate ;)



Smokey and Ian ~ it was their night for neighborhood watch duty

The cutest Elder boys ever!!!!

This is Ian SO proud to have his Shrek underwear on - we're still working on getting to keep them on all day:)

Smokey, our first child, still in denial....


Hudson loves him some sweet potato


Hudson after bath time


Pick me up! pick me up! PICK ME UP!!



Ian found his bunny ears from last year in his closet and had to try them out


...on Hudson too

Grandpa comes to visit

I realize that it has been nearly 2 whole months since our last post - I would go into a long explanation about why but I'll just sum it up with ~ the days are sometimes long but the weeks and months go by so quickly. Anyway... Grandpa (Steve's dad) came to visit the boys in September and we had a great time visiting and going to the zoo. Aunt Lisa and cousin Karlly came with us too. Here are some pics of our time together ~

Ian loves to invite people back to his crib (or toddler bed;) and read with them or play cars. Here's Ian and Grandpa reading together.


Later that day, we went to the zoo - for some reason we don't really have many "ZOO" type pictures, so I just had to throw this elephant in there for proof.

Hudson, chill as always, practicing his yoga while we walk the wildlife terrain.

Steve and Ian climbing what I'm pretty sure is termite poo...

Yea!!! We made it to the top!!!
Another picture of cutie Hudson just hanging out...

The next day, after Grandpa survived the zoo with us, he came back for some more lovin' from the boys.

Generation Elder
Ian, Grandpa Mike, Steve, Hudson

I just love this sweet picture of Hudson and Grandpa!!

Brothers

I know that I'm stating the obvious here, but I love that my boys are brothers!! I think that it's so amazing to see them together and how they already have this bond.

Ian quickly took to the big brother role. We were kind of worried that having another baby would be really hard for him to understand ~ and I definitely think that having our attention divided has been an adjustment for him, really for all of us. But I don't think he realizes why - that it is another baby needing some of the attention he use to get.

From the day we brought Hudson home Ian watched out for him. He offered him his cell phone to make any important calls he might need to make, asked him to watch movies with him, covered his toes up when the blanket would slip down. He often reminds me when I am carrying Hudson to "be careful with that baby, mama". He also tells me to "mama, get Dusson at Amber's house" whenever I pick him up from school.

They already love to laugh together! It's awesome!! Hudson cracks up at Ian dancing or playing peekaboo with him...and Ian loves to make Hudson laugh.

It makes my heart just swell whenever Ian leans in to hug on Hudson, and Hudson will reach his sweet little hands up and hold Ian's face.

I pray for their relationship to only grow stronger and closer together! What an amazing life long friend God gave us when He gave us our siblings!!!

Powerful

If you've never checked out this blog before....I encourage you to...

Dr. Drama

If you've ever wondered who the dashing mom, with a toddler by one hand and an infant carrier in the other, in your local pediatrician's office who has her shirt on inside out is.....


that would be me!



*the best part is ~ this is the 2nd, yes I said 2nd, time this month that I have ventured out into public with my tags flapping in the wind (literally today I'm sure). The first time was at my school's staff development....even better ;)

Last Hoorah!

**Disclaimer ~ once again, I cannot get the pictures in the correct order I would like. I even uploaded them in reverse order thinking that would work!! wrong!! So, please excuse my upload sequencing ignorance;) and if anybody knows someone offering a class - hook me up.***



Last Wednesday, my last official day of summer vacation before I reported for duty, the boys and I met some of our sweet friends at Fort Worth Museum's Kidspace and Dinosaur Exhibit.

We had a great time playing with the trains, grocery shopping, rolling the balls down the huge funnel, driving the car at the ATM, and checking out the LONE dinosaur.

When they say Dinosaur Exhibit there's a reason it isn't plural! Literally, there was only ONE dinosaur in this place. Well, to be fair, there was some random dinosaur head out in the hallway before the actual "exhibit". And sadly, I didn't even get a picture of the SINGLE T-Rex!!!

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more to this section, but the kids didn't seem to notice. They had a blast!! Here (again, in random order;) are some pics from that day.


Cutie pie Hudson chillin' in the stroller - he's as shocked as I am at the uno dinosaur!!

Will and Cole making some important plans

Cole, random dino head, Ian


this was, by far, Ian's favorite area - I'm hoping he still enjoys grocery shopping when he's 16 and I can send him for us

he wanted to put EVERYTHING in his basket! and did not understand that we weren't really buying it when we "checked out"


driving up to the ATM to get a little cash for their night out

Will, Cole and Ian giving us their dinosaur roar (is that what dinosaurs do...roar?)


Hanging out in the dino pool - aka the dinosaur footprint


ahhh.....the dino head is after me.... sorry, i don't know, i didn't know what to write here!;) it's late and staff development is making my brain like goo!


Hope everyone is having a great last few days of summer!!!

I speed!

This is what Ian runs around saying from one of his favorite movies "Cars". Here are some pics of him in his new bed, that he LOVES and has to show everyone who comes over.



cars jammies and all.....

He and Lightning have the same cheesy smile here
Sweet Dreams!

Catching up

I don't know how summer went by so quickly!!! It's not that we were doing SO much ~ really just trying to stay cool.

Here are a few pictures of some of our summer fun. They are completely out of date order but I'm too tired to try and drag them all around the page ~ which by the way, blogger needs figure out an easier way for arranging photos...either that or if anyone has any helpful hints, that would be awesome!?!

So obviously, in no particular order...enjoy!


Hudson working out at the "gym"


Cole about to conquer the slide
why can't i have those eyelashes??


Eating some yummy pizza!! (and Ian pronounces pizza just like it is spelled)


Ian's into non-fiction...Cole's into fiction


we know we are hilarious! (just like our mamas;)


Sweet-E !!!

just a playin'

"just me, my sunglasses, a cold "shosh" (pacifier), and a nice smelling blankie - that's how i roll..."

one of the three times Hudson has had some "tummy time"


cruisin' the strip in the wagon
4th of July fun with Scout!!

it took him several tries to figure out how to use this water gun;)


watching fireworks!!!

That's pretty much it!! Oh, and uncle Nathan or as Ian says "Ethan" came to visit this summer. You can check out some cute pictures he took of the boys on his website from his visit.

http://nathanbrainard.com/gallery/album56

and as always, you are forewarned that there our SEVERAL to look at (just a little over a hundred;)

Hope everyone had a wonderful summer!!!!