Birthday Boy Blog

Up next, we celebrated out little man turning FIVE!!! YIKES. I cannot believe how fast five years has gone. I know, I say that about EVERY birthday the kids have, but this little guys first 6 months were LONG, and at that time, I couldn't imagine we were both going to live to see Birthday #5! God is good though, and we both survived and he blesses us everyday with his adorable personality and cuteness. I am thinkin' God knew that when he created him.... :)

We had his little friend b-day party early, before school was out, so we could make sure his friends were there before everyone scatters for summer break. He has been wanting to have a party at Scotty's playhouse (an indoor play area) for a while, so we got on the books. The night before, he woke up at 11 pm screaming in pain and we were up ALL night with a massive earache...hmmm...party in a few hours? I got him in ASAP the next morning, and sure enough, ear infection, and a nasty one at that. Well, as you know, thanks to good drugs, anything is possible and an hour before the party (and after a good nap), I drugged him to the hilt, and he totally enjoyed his party!! YAAAHHHH!

He wanted to have a BEACH party, which was fun. We found cool plates and gummy fish and cute treat bags.

It was really bright and sunny in there, so my pics didn't turn out the best, but it was fun! Even Kendyl got in on the action!

On his REAL birthday (which was, by the way, a little confusing to him :) ), we had family over and he opened his gifts from all of us...

Look at this smile...or Horton smirk as I call it:
He is really into these "big boy" Lego sets these days...

This was his FAVORITE gift this year...a new BIKE! Grammy bought this for him, and Grandpa and Grandma bought him a new helmet. The training wheels are off and he is cruising around like a pro already!

This is HILARIOUS! I love it!!!

And we enjoyed a yummy BIG cookie and ice cream:

All in all, a wonderful 5th birthday. Sigh, he will be leaving home soon. What am I gonna do then?

Proud Mommy moments

So I hit the floor running when I got back from Missouri, and haven't slowed down since. Summer was in full swing and I had to jump in! Had a WONDERFUL time catching up with cousins, laughing until my sides hurt (they know why:)) and getting NO sleep at all. It was super fun. Enjoyed meeting Doug and his boys, and the wedding was perfect! Best wishes to them!

BUT, let me catch up on what happened before I left! School came to a close, and the boys all had a great year. Jared got his academic medal...for his almost 4.0 all year long....

This kid works his BEHIND off for the grades he gets, and we couldn't be more proud of him!

Then, my little 2nd grader got his recognition. They had a small awards ceremony for just their class, which was fun. Their teacher gave them individual awards that matched a certain candy bar...Justin got a Cow Tail...SUPRISE! He and his teacher talked horses and stuff all year long. He will certainly miss having that connection with her. I bet I will find him in her room alot next year, chatting about horses.

And last but not least.....our BABY graduated from Preschool. AAAAAHHHHH!! Where did the time go? He is headed to Kindergarten already. Can't believe it. He had a great year with his wonderful teacher, and I will miss working with her and visiting with her everyday!

What a big boy. Oh, how life travels TOOO fast. My babies are moving up the ladder of life way to fast for me, but I am trying to savor each moment while I can. All I can hope for is that I have trained them well to survive in this crazy world and that they treat everyone they come in contact with with respect and love. But most of all, I hope I have instilled in them that God loves them more than anything, and that he will never fail them. Good job boys!

Almost on my way...

So I am frantically packing at the last minute for a trip to Missouri, to see my cousin Sara get married! I am SO excited for her! Although I haven't met him yet, Doug seems to be just the right guy, and he sure has made her happy.

I am so glad that she found somebody to love her the way she deserves to be loved, and I hope that they have MANY happy years together! She has been down a long, hard road, and has grown so much....we are pretty proud of her. Their new little family will be super blessed, I just know it.

I am running ragged today trying to get all of those "Mom" details in order, so poor Jeremiah won't be completely lost while I am gone...trying to remember everything I do in a day is a little crazy! Feed the birds, water the hanging baskets, etc. etc. ! He will be busy working on our front entryway, so Grandma will get in a lot of quality time with the boys!! Thanks Grandma Rita! I will sure miss my babies while I am gone. They wear me out on a daily basis, but there is certainly something missing in my heart when I am away. Love you guys!

Toddler Tidbit

Me: Standing in my bath towel at my mirror, combing my wet hair...

Travis: Laying in my bed, looking in the bathroom door, watching me...

He says: Mommy, guess what?
I say: What Honey?
He says: When you comb your hair, the skin on your arms flaps back and forth!
I say: Thanks son...for noticing that.

Such honesty. Gotta luv it.

Today's dream...

This is it. This is the look I want. If you need me, I will be somewhere staring at this today...

Big Day...

Wow. In exactly two hours and 11 minutes, I will officially be the mother of a 12-year-old. YIKES! Where has the last 12 years gone? No. Wait. Nevermind. I don't even want to TALK about it. Today, it makes me cry. How could it have slipped by so fast...did I enjoy it enough? Did I cherish it enough? Some days I think so, and other times I doubt it. But, no time to perseverate on such things...for tomorrow he is another day older, and I have to pay attention, or that one will slip away as well. We have witnessed so much in these last twelve years...he has been our "practice" kid if you must...trying out discipline styles, bedtimes, privelages and etc. What a good sport he has been too! Couldn't have asked for a better firstborn. He was a dream the minute he arrived...worked like hell to get him here though...on a sunny Friday afternoon at the beginning of Memorial Day weekend.

So, on this sunny Memorial Day weekend, we gathered to wish him a Happy 12th Birthday!

Birthday cake, made by Mom...proudly decorated by two little bro's

Grandpa Steve was there...

Uncle Mark and Aunt Kelly...

And we couldn't forget Uncle Ken...

And Kendyl Grayce opted for Rice Cereal with Applesauce rather than BBQ'd chicken...

His family, of course, spoiled him with some really great gifts, and I think he was happy with it all. Great gifts for a great kid. Couldn't love him anymore don't think. He is truly a joy (even though I feel like duct taping his mouth shut sometimes) and we couldn't be more proud to be his parents. Thank You Lord, for loaning him to us...we are eternally grateful.

TROUBLE...

Meet Tucker. I sorta forgot to mention that he arrived. Probably because I wasn't OVERLY thrilled about the idea. We have fought this dog issue FOREVER....and I seem to never win! We get dogs and then we give them away, because we realize we are not dog people. Then, after awhile, the boys start begging for a dog again, and I have to remind them that they didn't like the last dog, why should we get another? My angle doesn't seem to be working!!!! I was adamantly against getting another puppy, so that much we knew. We got a phone call about Tucker, who was in need of a new home, and I reluctantly said we could TRY it out for a week to see how it went.

Of course, he HAD to be cute and easy to love. Dangit. Of course, the boys HAD to fall in love with him instantly. Dangit. Oh well. I give up. It seems he will work out here I guess. I must admit, not having to go through the puppy phase has been nice, except we have not quite figured out his signals/signs, so he has had a few accidents. While insanely irritating, I try not to hold him too accountable considering there are so many doors and levels to this house, he probably doesn't know where to go. We are going to get him an outdoor kennel built, since he was an outdoor dog before, then we won't have to stress about the issue. He is soooo good with the boys, doesn't jump and I have only heard him bark ONCE in the last three weeks. I would say he is a pretty good dog!

The only problem we have with Tucker is that he LOVES the water!! Makes sense, since he is a Golden Retriever, but it can really be an issue when that water involves a MUD PUDDLE! He has had a few baths since he has been here, and that is quite an undertaking! Then, I have to blow him dry because it takes so long for him to dry out! We are seriously considering shaving his underbelly and the backs of his legs...less hair for dirt/pine needles to stick too! All in all, he is a good fit. I guess he stays.