life is beautiful

happy summer!!!

June 9, 2015firsts, summer

after a horribly rainy end of spring… and memorial day weekend

this happened!

happy summer! the sun is here to stay!

{or at least it has for a good while}

this summer is going to be an exciting one! little sister will be on her way soon, so for now we are getting a lot done around the house… enjoying lots of playtime and trying to start good habits like going to bed like big boys!

for almost the last 3 years jack, you have had someone lay with you till you fell asleep. when we moved to the new house the same started happening for you, samuel. you two were a mess if we were to leave your room while you were awake. with two parents and two kids it seems like not a big deal, but knowing another little one will need our attention in the evening soon, as well as us needing the extra sleep… we thought we needed to try a new routine. we practiced reading two stories and saying prayers in your room and then lights out and hugs and kisses. if you went to bed on your own you got a happy face for that night. 🙂 if you did it all week, we came up with a simple reward to celebrate! we have been so proud of you two for trying so hard its almost normal now! the first week your reward was picking your breakfast for saturday morning.

jack, you chose chocolate chip pancakes….

samuel you chose a donut…

it has been three weeks of success so far and we couldn’t be a more happier family at bedtime! sometimes i realize we create our own problems and it can easily be fixed if we stay consistent. daddy and i are so excited that the rewards have been so simple… choosing breakfast, movie nights, and playing at the park!

cheers to less drama in the evening!!

xxoo

{closing out our spring season}

June 9, 2015kids

“love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.” ~ greg, age 8

oh jack anthony, we are so proud of you for all the success you had in your first season of baseball. you really grew to love the game. you grew to love the challenge and the best part was seeing your admiration for the coaches. we were very blessed to be apart of such a great team!

it was definitely a season to remember. we are already looking forward to next year!

we love you buddy!

xxoo

on the go post…

May 11, 2015celebrations, kids, pregnancy

also known as all the pictures off of my phone… which really isn’t on the go. it’s mostly at home 🙂 i loaded these up and realized my phone is really helpful for documenting our messiest one. oh samuel, with you there is never a dull moment or a clean one… we recently picked up a booster seat and it’s totally changed your eating habits. food is at least contained to just your spot now…

we rarely buy you guys toys because for one we don’t need them, but i couldn’t pass up this amazon deal for blocks. and it currently is played with every day… and the teacher in me love, love, loves toys like this.

we already had a set from when i was a kid that we are using as outdoor blocks and it was the test run to approve buying more blocks for inside. i took this picture because i couldn’t believe how dirty these kids get every evening. they have a blast out on the drive way but late sunsets means late baths…. means late bed times. it should be a fun summer 🙂

papaw and nana came up the other weekend to watch one of jack’s t ball games. luckily when they got to town, mama and daddy were able to sneak in a day date. we didn’t get a picture together but i guess the next best is with our drinks and yummy food…

daddy had to head out of town for training after a long fun filled weekend. it made for a long week with you two overtired boys. luckily abbie, felicity and little joseph made their first trip out to visit us. it was an unexpectedly quick visit but i am so so happy they did it! looking forward to the next time!

mamas roommates for the week when daddy is gone …

the sun came out for like four or five days straight. it was beautiful! we soaked up every bit of it along with the cool front that came with it. lots of playing and eating outside, daddy did a half marathon -trail run and we did some much needed yard work. looking back at these pictures i want it all back. we have had predicted storms for up to a week lately. such a bummer to see…

a cutie for my cutie…. “here mom you hold the peel.”

after another busy weekend together, daddy’s first project started and he had to be on location. his hotel was only a little over an hour away. these kids love hotels and we didn’t have anything to do that monday, so a slumber party at daddy’s hotel it was. these kids were so excited and honestly so were their mama and daddy, because when the kids are happy, we are happy 😉

in the business of all the fun with you boys, i’m anticipating all things girly. i recently got some things to play with for anna kates room. it’s my first time to work with this paint and it is quite fun. i’m just doing small things, which is a lot less pressure and these little cans can really get the job done.

may has many celebrations going on! the first weekend in may our church had first communion celebration and may crowning for mary. jack wasn’t able to take flowers up like the class did but i promised him we could get some at the store to honor mary in our home. so he reminded me monday morning what we needed to do. he was very excited to put these up for her.

{oh this library here, how much we love it.. the views and the activities are so much fun}

a few ball games here and there and every where between…. and then a special mothers day!

the boys made me breakfast, were super at the beautiful morning mass and were very patient during a long wait at a nearby restaurant…

but this place had a place to play so it was worth it…. happy kids = happy mama.

so it can sometimes be crazy busy, crazy messy, and crazy emotional but i wouldn’t trade this for the world. feeling super blessed to be carrying our third little blessing ~anna kate~ 29 weeks this mothers day.

xxoo

lil slugger…

May 10, 2015kids, sports

jack’s first season with t-ball is almost at an end. we were lucky to have some of his favorite fans join us at a few of his games. it has been so much fun to watch him work hard at something new and just having fun with friends….

we have one more weekend of games {as long as they don’t get rained out}. i’m sure this is just the start of it all. you are already begging for flag football in the fall. 😉 for now we are taking it one season at a time little sport…

xxoo

{b is for bluebonnet}

April 15, 2015{photography}, kids

oh how this is my f a v o r i t e part of spring!

sibling picture didn’t really happen this year…

maybe next year it will happen with another little sweet face…

{24 weeks}

we just checked on this patch the other day and it’s already gone! can’t wait to see it bloom again next year. as always, it was beautiful while it lasted!

xxoo

i’ll eat you up, i love you so

April 15, 2015hobbies, kids

complete opposite, you two are….

yet the best built in friends you could ever find…

your hobbies these days… carrying backpacks {everywhere}, ditching naps, playing on the driveway for hours with bikes and blocks. drawing on each other with chalk, carrying your many stuffed animals from room to room around the house, picking me flowers and sometimes just weeds { thanks sam}.

samuel, your newest phrase is “i uv it!” with your hands raised….

jack, can you slow your growing down a bit… you are more than ready to get this wedding season started.

you two are inseparable, the best way i have learned to punish one or the other is to just have you separated from each other… it’s been working like a charm because you quickly miss each others’ company…

oh man, i could watch you two all day, then again… i realize i am so lucky i get to!

love you boys!

xxoo

{alleluia + a birthday}

April 15, 2015celebrations, firsts, friends, kids, pregnancy, sisters

easter weekend was not as sunny as we hoped but we made the best of it! we were so blessed to go to the co- cathedral downtown as we have the last 7 + years and see some of our closest friends. god is so good and allowed us to run into some of our favorite priests as well 🙂 it was so good to catch up.

jack, you made your first wish in a fountain. one of those moments i realized, “oh goodness you have never heard of this before!” so you and samuel were excited to pick out a coin from your backpacks and throw it in. afterwards you asked me what you wished for. i’m not too sure you caught on to who was doing the wishing 😉

the next day we enjoyed a little more sunshine the forecasters didn’t predict. we hid some empty eggs in gramps and granny’s backyard to practice hunting 🙂 you guys loved it!

that night before it got too late, we started decorating eggs. i think it was too late for samuel, he fell asleep watching “woof” aka 101 dalmations. jack, after a long day, you were in a daze. you enjoyed dyeing the eggs alot more than coloring them.

alleluia! HE is risen as HE said!

easter sunday morning was filled with excitement over what was in your easter baskets and excitement that we all got out of the house happily dressed in time for mass 🙂

boo the rainy weather, indoor pics just aren’t as springy….

even though i was bummed about the weather, i wanted to run out in the “mist” to catch a pregnancy picture. ha this is oh so natural… i didn’t even think of the background. oh wells we tried! everyone says poor number three….

samuel loved his “mi mi” egg. he did not want to let go of that little minion. sorry buddy it wouldn’t smell too good after a while.

the winlands came by to celebrate with us! they brought eggs for the big kids to hunt. that was a site to see 🙂 teenagers running around the wet backyard all in search of those golden eggs…

jack, you got some good practice in with your new jump rope … while granny and bailey had some good laughs.

after a great sunday afternoon nap, the sun came out and we enjoyed trying to walk off all that easter candy …

it was so nice, daddy was able to schedule some houston meetings on monday so we stayed one more night. the next morning was aunt dana’s birthday. erika and bailey kept the boys for us so we could enjoy a little shopping and a yummy lunch! it worked out so perfectly!

a very happy birthday and many blessings to you, dana, in this next year! thank you for letting me spend the afternoon with you on your actual birthday. i love being able to visit you and granny together, it’s a one stop shop and i always leave with a very full heart and extra laughing lines 😉

xxoo

here we go again! {another catch up post}

March 31, 2015celebrations, cousins, kids, pregnancy

here i am! i promise i wish i could write up each day we have together, but it might get a little repetitive 😉 and you boys and a very growing baby girl take almost all my energy. i miss staying up late. i miss playing around with all of our pictures. but for now we can just get a big post of like three weeks in one! 🙂 unfortunately it’s not that exciting because by the second week the stomach bug caught our house and clouds filled the sky. this mama almost thought there wasn’t an end in site, or even a glimpse of sunshine.

we have been to houston and back a few times. first trip was to celebrate samuels one whole year in glasses. samuel your doctor could not have been more pleased! she said she wishes all her two year olds loved their glasses as much as you do. you got a slightly different prescription in the right eye. we ordered you a new pair of glasses, as you were definitely ready. the first pair of glasses has seen better days. we don’t know how you saw through all those scratches.

back home, we are still loving every bit of library, especially the story time that you boys attend. you mainly love checking out movies but we still do enjoy a few good books.

our so called spring break week was spent very close to home. we were suppose to see our cousins but the bug got us and got us good. it took a good week plus a few days for everyone to get it and get over it. the only excitement we saw was on st. patrick’s day – which included a trip to the near by sonic and our neighborhood park.

jack it was your first time to swing on your own! you did not want me to push you at all. i was very excited for you.

samuel, sweet thing was just so happy to sit and swing, just a little. it has been so long since we had our swing set, everything is new to you again.

daddy was hard at work on a beautiful weekend. he made two gates for our deck to help keep the kids safe and the animals off 😉 i am so proud of him! now we’ve got some painting to do. 🙂

the bug continued to drag on… so there was a lot of this…

and this when we were feeling a little better…

then finally… after a good nights rest in our own beds, the sun came out and you kids were finally back to your sweet, silly- selves!

since we survived … {and i missed the wonderful halfway- twenty week – pregnancy picture} i was able to get a twenty-two week picture 🙂

oh girl, i am growing. i would love to say it’s you growing sweet girl, but i am feeling it everywhere. i am so scared of this hot summer ahead of us. i may be caught playing in the sprinkler with the boys. they are so excited about you. jack is so interested in what you might look like and what you can hear and feel. i am one lucky mama…

your big brothers are 24/7 entertainment…

and finally to end this extra long “catch up” of a post 🙂 another tee-ball game on a beautiful saturday morning….

and a quick little trip to bc for bailey’s f i f t e e n t h birthday!! so much fun!

it was a fast trip for just mama and samuel ( and anna kate 😉 ) but as soon as we got back, you brothers were inseparable….

and ready for new adventures again! or maybe just library 😉

xxoo

put me in coach!

March 12, 2015kids

last weekend was your first opening day jack!

we got up early to celebrate your first game day. your team was first in line for the parade for opening day…

even ‘ballepeno’ threw out the first pitch and joined in…

we went back home for the afternoon. the sun was actually out so you and samuel stayed out the whole afternoon. right before your game you took a little power nap. daddy had to wake you up to get ready again!

you were so excited and did such a great job out there! i love watching you focus so hard!

samuel had a fit that you and daddy were out there and he couldn’t be. of course i resorted to letting him play on my phone so his crying would stop. i went to grab a picture of your littlest fan doing his normal thing… and he decided to pretend to be cheering you on instead. this kid is a character…