it has been a while

and i could try and recap, but instead i will say happy thanksgiving! thankful for these boys!

Coming soon to a kitchen table near you (me)

After a year of talking about it, I finally did it! I committed a day to building the framework, buying the dirt and seeds and putting it all together. Here's to some winter/spring veggies

Beach House

Two weeks ago, the boys and I headed over to the beach with some friends for a quick mid-week get-a-way. The house was ginormous...Shep was a little confused as to how to find his bedroom at first, but he soon got the hang of it. Brennan really enjoyed all the extra space to crawl around in. I think the kitchen and dining area was the size of my entire house. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the house, but here are some cute ones of the kids.

                                                   Bath time is always more fun with friends

Gratitude

10) for two really fun weekend getaways
11) having a husband and two boys to come home to after two really fun weekend getaways
12) for a 3yr old and a 1yr old
13) for the hope and anticipation of more children someday
14) friends who I can pray with and be vulnerable with
15) recognizing my sin and starting to hate it
16) for getting through a tough discipline stage with Shep
17) learning that when I raise my voice, it just makes things worse
18) embracing the dirty, poopy, smelly diapers that need to be washed every three days; because it saves
      tons of $
19) really getting into the swing of our new cash budget, and thankful we put forth the effort to get it  
      together
 

Success

Someone had a birthday

B turned ONE on Sept. 6th. Labor Day (no pun intended). I was out of town for the weekend and returned late Monday afternoon. And yes I left my husband and two children for three days. And no I don't feel guilty...at all. I had a great time! But yes, I was excited to see them all. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. But I digress...

So, since I was out of town, we didn't do anything to celebrate yet. We are having a small family party this afternoon. The birthday boy's older brother is super excited! And the birthday boy sure does look cute in his party hat.

Quote

"One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time." 
— John Piper

Perhaps he should add blogging to his list as well...

Gratitude

I have been meaning to start this list for quite some time. I have lots of friends who have done this in one form or another and I think it is a great idea. For starters, we all need to be reminded of the little things in life that are blessings and gifts from the Lord. Even the ones that don't always seem like blessings, i.e., your children playing and laughing in the same room keeping each other up way past their bedtime, or crumbs all over your kitchen floor after a meal, or bug bites all over your son's face after making mud balls with his cousins. You get the idea.  I need to be reminded that my boys love one another which is why they are laughing and having a good time, that there are crumbs on the floor because I have enough food to feed my family, and that those bug bites are scars from a fun evening bonding with cousins who love on my boys.
So here I go. I'm going to start with the basics

#1- I am much more of a sinner than I realize, but God's grace is bigger than I can fathom
#2- my children who are teaching me more about myself everyday
#3- Robbie, who I would not want to do life without
#4- for the big mess of water that shep is making on my kitchen floor right now, while his dolphins swim in their "pools"; which also happen to double as my mixing bowls.
#5- for the blue volvo, our first family car, that my husband is now driving. may it make it thru the end of this year!!! please!!!
#6- for our white honda van, our second family car. such a luxury!
#7- for the gray infiniti, that was sold to purchase the honda
#8- for my hubs who gave up his infiniti for the benefit of our entire family
#9- that I finally started this list

half naked wrestling

Its starts like this...boys jumping...

and usually ends with a face like this.

I can't commit

to a blog template that is. I keep changing things up but I never really like what I change it to.

Photo update

3 years

Sheppy you made me a momma 3 years ago. You turned my world upside down and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with you. Now 3 three years later I am not sure what I would do without you. You are growing into your own little person with your own opinions, needs, and wants. I am fascinated by your brain and your ability to learn and retain information. I am sure all kids have this, but it is really cool to see it first hand. To watch your brain string two things together and see how it all makes sense is so gratifying.

As a big brother you get lessons in sharing everyday. Several times a day. I knew that once Brennan started crawling things would change. I often hear a screaming "NO BRE-YAN" from the other room as Brennan is crawling to get your trains or your trucks. Sometimes you spend a good 10 min. roaming around the house looking for a safe spot to play where your brother won't be able to get your things. I can't say that I blame you, I wouldn't want someone messing up what I was playing with either. But these lessons in sharing and selfishness need to be learned. And they will probably need to be learned over and over again. These things are good reminders for me that I need to be in prayer daily for you and your brother. For your hearts.

So, there are the hard times, but then there are the sweet times. Like when you see that Brennan has dropped his toy and can't get to it, you go and get it for him. Like when you sing bed time songs to him. That just melts my heart. Like when you get him to dance in the car with you while listening to your favorite Veggie Tales song.

You are growing up so fast and in the midst of doing everyday life, I am trying to savor these last years that you will be at home with me, having you all to myself. Even if there are some days here and there that I would like to share you =). Your daddy and I love you Shep!

10 months

I know parents say this alot, but it really does go by fast. I was talking with a mom friend the other day who recently had her second child and while she was explaining the ins and outs of her new ones personality, I kept thinking to myself Brennan was just like that; wanting to eat all the time and was so fussy from 5-7 every evening. How can it be that that time period is over already? How can it can that he will soon be 1 year old and those fussy evenings are a thing of the past? Just as the Lord protects moms' memories from the pain of childbirth he also must protect our memory of those first several weeks with a newborn, otherwise I doubt anyone would have more than one child. But we do and somehow life goes on, so fast.

Brennan really is a delightful little guy. Easily pleased with his blankie or food. He is my eater. And coming from a mom who has always had to coerce food down my older child, that is truly a gift to me. He has yet to turn down anything I give him.

He started the army crawl around 8 months and then perfected the "all fours" crawl in the middle of his 9th month. We are now pulling up on furniture and standing, with the desire to start cruising, but lacking the coordination.

Brennan, you LOVE your brother! You follow his every move and chase him around the house crawling as fast as your little legs will take you. It is so cute to watch. You just want to be near him. You have also taken your fair share of beatings in the last few months, but you hang in there like a champ. It is mostly pleasing to you when your brother tries to wrestle with you, although you let him know when you have had enough with a really loud cry.

I can't imagine life without your big ear to ear grin. We love you "B-man".

brotherly love and outdoor play

shep lives to be outside he can stay busy for a really long time. and he loves it whenever grandma is outside in her garden. he knows exactly what to do when she is planting something knew. We planted a few vegetables and he always remembers to go check on them and make sure they have enough water. give this kid a bucket and a hose and he is set.

one of the sweetest things to watch as it develops is the brotherly love. shep can get brennan laughing like no other. and if shep is anywhere around brennan's eyes are fixated on him. it is precious to watch them interact with one another. i pray that they will always be best friends. they will get to learn valuable lessons of sharing, being considerate and kind to one another and ultimately learn the value of true friendship. it is so sweet to watch.

i wouldn't have it any other way

my boys are thumb suckers and i love it. not only do you not have any of those middle of the night wake ups because they lost their paci, but they just look so darn cute.