Working on a Dream

Happy 5th Birthday Benjamin!

2012-02-02T07:52:00.000-05:00

Benjamin - you are a five year old today! How can it even be possible that the last 5 years have flown by but yet is seems like you have been in our lives forever. Mommy and Daddy often talk about how we don't remember life before Benjamin. You give us many reasons to smile everyday. We are so glad to have you as our son!

The last year you have truly grown into a little boy who is very outgoing and very eager to tell us (and others!) a story or what you learned at school. In fact, you recently transitioned to more advanced Pre-K class at school and your new teacher had to ask you to be quiet (not once but twice) on your first day!

You are very loving and are always ready with a hug, kiss, bump and a high five when we drop you off at school or say good night to you. You are caring and concerned for your brother -- we have even seen you come to his defense on the playground!

The things that you have learned in the last year have been nothing short of amazing! You can write all your letters -- upper and lowercase, can recognize and spell about 250 site words, are reading beginner books and can do basic addition and subtraction. You are fascinated with the solar system, dinosaurs, and the human body. (We were not prepared for the things you have learned this year and got a kick out of your correcting us - there really are only 8 planets now -- Pluto is now a "dwarf planet.")

You have adjusted well to moving into a new house this year and have made several friends who will be in elementary school with you in the fall. We have a swing set (with a "rock box") and you would be content to play outside every day - rain, sleet or snow! Our new house has a level driveway and basketball goal; you have been able to add basketball to your list of sports. Your love for baseball has continued with two seasons of t-ball under your belt! You are ready for coach-pitch baseball now!

Being constantly on the go requires a lot of fuel -- you eat more then we do! You are a great eater and love your fruits and veggies. If asked, you would say your favorite food is pizza or Mexican food.

Benjamin you are a thoughtful, caring, independent little boy. As we say good bye to Benjamin, the newborn, baby, toddler and pre-schooler, we look to the next year and are so excited to see what is in store for the school-aged Benjamin -- a "Bigger Boy" (as Benjamin would say).

48 Months:

50 Months:

51 Months:

52 Months:

53 Months:

54 Months:

55 Months:

56 Months:

57 Months:

58 Months:

59 Months:

60 Months:

Happy Birthday Benjamin, we love you!

(At this exact moment (7:52am) 5 years ago, we met Benjamin for the first time.

Just a Typical Friday at our house......

2012-01-27T22:36:00.002-05:00

clowning around!

We went to the library near our house and instead of the usual story time, they had two clowns from the Ringling Brothers Circus reading a book and performing. (The circus is coming to town in a few weeks). The boys wanted to sit in the back and leave early. And, Benjamin told me that he was not going to laugh. Ethan agreed with him. They had so much fun and we got to bring home clown noses!

Hope you have time to clown around some this weekend!

What we have been up to......

2012-01-24T21:43:00.002-05:00

Things have been moving at warp speed at our house. Brian was home for a long time over the holidays and we enjoyed every minute of it. We took the boys bowling for the first time. They loved it -- but, what's not to love about "gutter guards"?

We also enjoyed a very nice dinner with Gebee at Buckhead Diner. The food was great and the guests at my table did not spill anything or fight with each other (great job boys)!

I took the boys down to Uncle Evan's with me. After a trek through Ikea (I really love that place), all the boys felt they needed to relax a little!

We have been working hard to get things back to normal here after the holidays and have started tackling some of the projects around the new house. Don't worry, you will start seeing more of us on the blog......

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T21:36:00.000-05:00

We have truly loved spending our first Christmas in our new house and loved having our family here to spend the holidays with us. The boys helped to decorate the tree this year -- the total number of ornament casualties totaled only three.

The tree in the dark (FYI: I still love my camera!)

The boys in Benjamin's Santa hat:

Ethan was so excited to put cookies out for Santa. He and Benjamin wrote notes for Santa and each pick the cookies they thought Santa would like the best.

Christmas morning. The boys waited patiently for Papaw, Ms. Sharon and Uncle Evan to get to our house (the boys woke up at the standard 5:45am and we did not open presents until 9:00am).

Before the chaos:

Benjamin and Ethan helped to sort every ones presents. (You know, to see who got more presents from Santa...)

Ms. Sharon, Papaw and Uncle Evan debating opening gifts.

We were so glad Gebee was able to spend two nights with us -- the boys loved waking up and seeing her! We also got the chance to spend time visiting with Uncle Randy, Aunt Kay, Jason and Matt. Here is Gebee with 4 of her grandsons. (Of note: the boys are wearing house coats and slippers from Uncle Randy and Aunt Kay and Spiderman Jammies from Gebee!)

We hope that your holiday season has been filled with family, fun and food as well as a few surprises!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2011-12-29T21:17:00.002-05:00

Wow it has been a busy 2 weeks! As I get current with the blog, you all get a peek into our holiday fun! It is a long-standing tradition for us to bake and decorate Christmas cookies and then take them to our friends and neighbors. This year, the boys had so much fun decorating cookies and even more fun "delivering" the cookies.

The end result after a day of fun in the kitchen:

After a day of cookie baking, Brian and I took the boys on a carriage ride. The boys had so much fun and learned a lot about the horse taking us on the ride. The unusually cold weather made it seem like it might actually snow (note: it did not snow!)

Looking back, as we near the end of the Christmas season, it is possible that we had just as much fun preparing for Christmas as we did on Christmas!

Do you Hear What I Hear?

2011-12-15T21:51:00.002-05:00

.....said the mom to the blog readers....

The boys had a Holiday Concert at school last night. Benjamin sang great and was so proud of himself (and we were proud of him!). Ethan got stage fright at the last minute and spent all the time before he sang sitting in my lap. Ethan sang the song with his class but would only do it if he could stand next to his buddy (the one his is facing in the video). Here are clips from each of their songs. (To be able to hear them, you will need to press stop on the holiday music on the right side of the page.)

Enjoy!

Brunch with Santa

2011-12-04T14:36:00.002-05:00

A small miracle happened this morning. No one cried at the sight of Santa this year and the boys both agreed to sit on Santa's lap. The boys told Santa what they wanted (Benjamin - "Batman race car" and Ethan - "Race Car"). The boys even told him that they would leave milk and cookies for him and carrots for the reindeer. We were rewarded with a candy cane and an amazing brunch.

Gebee came along to witness the miracle!

After brunch, we had to check out the nature trail.

And, here is a rare picture of me and the mister. (Now that we know how to work the timer on the camera - thanks Evan!, there will be more pictures of the two of us!)

We hope your weekend was full of holiday spirit!

What we have been up to......

2011-11-30T10:16:00.003-05:00

A little bit of reading the newspaper and discussing current events.... (actually, they were talking about all the toys in the ads and what Santa might bring us.)

We also took a field trip the Center for Puppetry Arts a few weeks ago and saw "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." (Though the boys sat thru the whole performance, both of them were scared of the abominable snowman.) After the show, we got a behind the scene tour of the Center thanks to a friend of Evan's and we made a Rudolph puppet of our own.

Uncle Evan gave the boys a mass quantity of glow sticks and the boys wanted to use them all at one time.

We are gearing up for Christmas at our house and this will be a big weekend for us. We will be having brunch with Santa! We are working on our lists for Santa.

Let the Holidays begin...aka "Thankful Tuesday"

2011-11-22T22:00:00.003-05:00

We are getting in to the holiday spirit around here. This weekend, Gebee and the boys made our place cards for Thanksgiving Day Dinner. (You will notice that they are not place cards, but cups. We are going to fill them with sugared pecans at each place setting).

As Gebee's health is slowly declining, we are truly thankful for the time we get to spend with her. They boys look forward to hearing her silly songs and listening to her read them books. They also love doing "art projects" with her. I am thankful to be able to hear stories from when Brian was younger and when Gebee was growing up and to be able to get her "go-to" recipes. And, I know that Brian is just thankful to have his mom around. We love you Gebee!!

The end result.....turkey cups. Benjamin did not think that the candied pecans would taste good -- he was wrong!

Earlier in the week, we meet Uncle Evan at Bass Pro Shop for a Christmas craft. Uncle Evan surprised us with a cookie cake that said "Happy Thanksgiving Benjamin and Ethan." The boys were thankful for a very cool treat with their name on it. And, though we did not get to see Santa (believe it or not, he was on a dinner break!) I am thankful for the fun times I get to spend with my brother.

I think that Ethan would be thankful if Santa put this little baby under our tree!

And, Benjamin is practicing for when he drives a real monster truck!

We are looking forward to hosting turkey day in our new house and getting to spend the day and weekend visiting with friends and family.

Holiday Photo Shoot

2011-11-14T14:07:00.004-05:00

I always take the boys' picture for our holiday card. And this year is no different. Just a different location (since we have moved). Here are a few that did not make the cut...but are cute in their own way.

And, by the end of every photo shoot, we all become a little agitated!

Enjoy!

Halloween Fun with Two Buddies

2011-11-01T13:47:00.004-04:00

As we recover from a busy, fun, sugar-filled day yesterday, the boys are still talking about what was their favorite part of Halloween. Benjamin's class had a Halloween festival yesterday morning. Ethan and I got to help out at a pumpkin painting station. Ethan was such a great helper that he was also able to do a few of the stations!

Ethan has a ricekrispie treat on a stick -- it's about to meet melted chocolate....

We went back to school in the afternoon for a costume parade and class parties.

My race car driver and astronaut ready at home for trick or treating.

Papaw joined us for a little candy.

Uncle Evan showed up just in time to teach the boys to sprint to each door. He told them the faster you move, the more candy you get. The boys paid attention to this!

We hope that you had a wonderful Halloween!

Just Treats For Halloween

2011-10-19T20:22:00.002-04:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Happy Fall Y'all!

2011-10-05T10:49:00.003-04:00

The last few weeks have been fun and very busy for us. We are getting more and more settled in the new house. (Who knew that rug shopping for the family room would take 3 weeks?? Only to go back the very first one we found!)

The boys have really enjoyed the cooler weather -- playing outside almost every day. T-ball started a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, Benjamin has been sidelined until next week with an injury (nope, not a t-ball injury but one from skee-ball at Chuck E Cheese!) to his finger.

Here is Ethan hitting, not off the tee, but from a coach pitching to him!!

My proud buddy running to first base!

We lost our old golf cart (it got negotiated in the sale of our old house) and after much craigslist searching, found a great golf cart for us!

This a green space right across the street from our house -- it seems like it was made for two little boys! Lots of grass to run and rocks to jump from!

We have also enjoyed snuggling on the couch in the morning and watching a show.

Stay tuned for a few pictures of the house decorated for fall. We also have an exciting adventure planned for tonight. Brian has a HUGE meeting today with a potential HUGE customer. Be thinking about him this afternoon -- Good Luck Brian!!!

"The Coolest Places at the New House" by Benjamin and Ethan

2011-09-22T21:07:00.003-04:00

As we spend time getting to know our new house, the boys have not wavered in what they think is the best place in the house -- but it is not in the house......

It is the swing set. In fact when were negotiating on the new house, the boys kept referring to this house as "the swing set house."

This is the second best place outside -- the hill that leads to the backyard. (I am sorry for the shaking on the video). To hear the video turn the music off on the right-side of the screen.

We look forward to much more fun in the yard and the hill will be so much fun in winter during our one snow a year!!

Beach Trip 2011

2011-09-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

In the midst of selling our house, buying a new one and moving, we decided that going to the beach would be a good idea! (We had a planned beach trip with Papaw and Uncle Evan.) So, the minute we retuned the U-haul from moving into our new house, we packed up the SUV and left 12 hours later for the beach. It was so nice to be able to relax and spend time with family! Thanks for the trip Papaw!

Ms. Sharon joined us on our trip. We think she had fun playing in the sand with the boys!

Mmmmm.....fresh fish sandwiches on the beach! Papaw decided that he was going to try the lobster tails!

Uncle Evan got in some great playtime with the boys!

Brian and Ethan went on a crab hunt. The minute that Brian caught this crab, Benjamin took off running and Ethan wanted to help hold the net.

The next day, the net must have had a hole in it -- no crabs that day!

Benjamin spent a lot of time digging "water craters" and sitting in them.

The boys really enjoyed being in the ocean more this year -- minus the getting salt water splashed in their faces!

Wordless Wednesday -- We Have Moved!

2011-09-07T06:45:00.000-04:00

A Fun Visitor and creative use for a couch....

2011-08-10T17:40:00.002-04:00

We are still waist-deep in moving boxes (we have not even moved yet!) and there have been few opportunities for pictures lately. Here are a few from last month when Brian's nephew and his family came to visit. They have a son that is only 3 months older then Benjamin. The boys had so much fun playing with him. We only wish that he lived closer to us!

We took Aiden to the Mayfield Dairy and the boys all got Supercow ice cream -- and here is Benjamin showing you his blue Supercow tongue!

Ethan making his mad face for no real reason:

The boys hanging with the cow:

Ethan has discovered that the couch makes a great parking lot for big wheels:

Stay tuned on Friday for breaking news on the new house!

Summer Time and the Livin' is Easy....

2011-08-01T06:46:00.002-04:00

...well not really easy livin'. Ok, maybe easy livin' for two certain little boys. In the meantime, Brian and I have been up early and to bed late trying to get things ready for our move that will happen in the next few weeks. Our house closes at the end of this month. Our contract fell through on the new house we few in love with. It was short sale that ended up not being short or a sale! So, moving on. We now have a contract on another home (actually it is only about 10 houses down from the original one we had a contract on!) and hope to close on it the end of next week.

So, the boys have enjoyed lots of playtime around home and love being our helpers (Ethan: "Mommy, do I need to help you pack the kitchen sink?").

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to the local rock quarry:

Our view from the observation deck. The boys see something different every time we go there!

Here are the boys getting a little practice cutting with scissors.

Don't you just love the tongue sticking out while he is concentrating on his cutting???

I am off to wake my packing helpers for another day of playing and packing......Hope you have a great Monday!

Impromptu Photo Shoot

2011-07-17T21:37:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Ethan requested to go see the Red Caboose in a town near our house. It was a nice cool day -- a great day for a photo shoot.

The boys' reactions when told this was a photo shoot:

Ethan loves to make silly faces (which makes a photo shoot all the more fun!).

The Red Caboose was nice diversion from the packing up our house and trying to figure out where we are going to live!

4th of July Fun

2011-07-09T21:04:00.005-04:00

Whew! We have had a lot go on here in the last 10 days. We now have a contract on our house and will close on August 15th. We are still working a new house! I assure you, we won't be homeless! We spent some time washing and decorating our golf cart for the annual neighborhood 4th of July golf cart parade.

Ethan is testing out the decorations:

A great helper:

Ethan decided that decorating was too much work and he needed a break!

The boys getting ready for our test ride:

On the 4th of July at the Parade:

Benjamin all decked out (right down to the Uncle Sam Hat tattoo on his leg):

"Why do we have to smile again??"

Finally, ready to get the parade moving!

We hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July! We have started packing up the house -- it's hard to believe that in 5 weeks we have to have it all done!

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

We had a fun Father's Day with Brian and my dad. The boys joined Brian in watching golf (and you can see that Ethan is still recovering from his virus):

Then, the boys and I took dinner to my day. Evan met us there. It was a relaxing afternoon of playing and visiting.

My dad and Benjamin spent some time playing the "slap" game.

Happy belated Father's Day to all daddies!

Catching up....

2011-06-26T20:34:00.002-04:00

Wow it has been a while. I am sorry that I have not posted in a while. We have several irons in the fire, including trying to sell our house (it has been on the market a while but recently we have an increase in showings - requiring us to leave the house often). Two weeks ago Ethan was sick -- a virus that caused mouth sores and a few on his face. The sores made it difficult for Ethan to eat. Thankfully, I was off that week and Brian and Benjamin were my helpers to get Ethan back on his feet. Ethan lost about 3 pounds (a lot for a little guy) but we loved taking care of him! Here Benjamin is entertaining Ethan with a game on the i pad.

Earlier this month we went to the Heritage Environmental Center and the boys learned about the North and South Poles. The learned to walk like penguins:

The boys also got to ride in a bob-sled:

Now that Ethan is healed and I am off this week, we are looking forward to spend some quality time at the pool. The boys have had a few swim lessons and are getting a little more comfortable in the water. Hope that your summer is going well!!

Tow Mater and Ride 'Em Cowboy

2011-06-02T21:19:00.007-04:00

We spent part of Memorial Day Weekend at Uncle Randy and Aunt Kay's house in the North Georgia mountains. Gebee came along for the fun and she enjoyed the cool breeze on the front porch.

The weekend was jam-packed with fun. The boys had a chance to get dirty, ride on big machines and ride on a big animal!

Benjamin and Ethan helped plant the garden. (I think that the boys were expecting the plants to grown while we were up there!)

Ethan started getting tired and wanted to just ride in the Gator.

The of a hard day's work:

Earlier in the day, Uncle Randy and Matt fired up all the big machines (let's see if I can get them right -- I was corrected on the names of the equipment several times by Benjamin and Ethan) -- tractor, back hoe loader and dump truck.

The boys pointed out that the dump truck looks like Tow Mater!

Matt and Benjamin surveying the land:

Sunday morning, Matt and Uncle Randy went and got their horses. They boys got to ride Seth, Uncle Randy's horse.

The boys and daddy right before the boys became cowboys!

Ethan learned how to clean his boots:

We hope that you had wonderful long weekend. Our was full of fun and family!

Let's Play Ball & Stomp Rocket

2011-05-30T15:37:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago I took the boys to a Gwinnett Braves game (they are the farm team for the Atlanta Braves). We were lucky enough to have seats behind home plate. Papaw went with us and it was so neat to be so close to the game. We were able to make the same calls the home plate umpire made. They boys loved all the activity between the innings. Ethan was VERY sad that he could not get on the field and "hit that ball." This was our view:

Benjamin eventually looked more like he was enjoying the game once it started.

Ethan gave our seats two thumbs up!

Us watching as a player hit a home run:

Me and the boys enjoying a fun outing:

As the cooler weather continued, we also brought out a new toy -- THE STOMP ROCKET. We have not see the buddies laugh so hard in a long time. This air-powered rocket provided us so much entertainment.

And, now here we are just a mere two weeks later and it's too hot (95 degrees) to out and play in the middle of the day. We hope that everyone is enjoying the long weekend. We enjoyed spending part of the weekend with family in the mountains -- those pictures are coming soon!

End of Soccer Season

2011-05-28T10:08:00.002-04:00

Whew! What a busy few weeks we have had. And now, I have some time to catch you all up on what's been going on with us. Soccer ended. The boys had a lot of fun on the field together. Here they are at the last game and getting their trophies (which are now displayed in the boys' bedrooms).

Benjamin kicking a goal!

Ethan "warming up."

The trophies:

More to come soon -- I promise!

Strawberry Pickin'

2011-05-06T21:56:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to Washington Farms, a strawberry patch near-by. In past years, we went to the farm and just bought strawberries by the gallon -- we did not pick them ourselves. This year, we decided to try our little hands at picking. It seems like I have excellent strawberry pickers on my hands (after a few tips from Papaw)!

Benjamin loved seeing his bucket fill with strawberries!

We had to remind Ethan not to pull too hard to get the strawberries....

Enjoying the fruits of their labor:

As a kid, my parents would take me and Evan to pick berries (strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) and my mom would always remind us that we could not leave until we had filled our gallon bucket. I don't think that we will have a problem getting the boys to fill their buckets!

Silliness and Smiles

2011-05-03T22:40:00.000-04:00

After cleaning the pictures off my camera today, I found a few that will brighten your day!

Easter

2011-05-02T22:24:00.004-04:00

We had Easter at our house and there were a few things that we did to prepare for our family coming over. About this time every year, the boys talk about planting seeds and growing thing at school. This is the second year that we have grown grass seed in egg shells. But, this is the first year that we used them as place card holders at Easter dinner. The boys helped water the seeds everyday for almost three weeks. They loved seeing the end result!

We knew that everyone would want deviled eggs -- we just added a little color to the eggs!

Evan and Benjamin are checking out some Easter basket goodies.

The hunt is on. The Easter bunny and Brian hid eggs in the yard. Ethan was fast but took time to open each egg as he found it and preceded to eat the candy out of it before moving on. End result for Ethan: less eggs but great sugar high!

Can you see all the eggs in Benjamin's basket?

The usual suspects:

So glad that we could share Easter with our family! It was a great day!

The Life of Two Little Boys

2011-04-23T14:14:00.003-04:00

I was off this week and we were so busy, it seems like going to work may have been more calm. But I do love being home with my boys!!

Tuesday my mom would have been 60 years old. The boys and I met my dad and Evan for lunch at a Mexican restaurant (my mom loved Mexican food). I know that she is watching the boys grow up from a far and I know that she would have really interacting with the boys. Here we are at the Mexican restaurant.

After lunch, I took the boys to a pre-school class at an environmental center. We learned about the Wetlands. Ethan had a role in the band as crocodile.

Benjamin was also in the band with a turtle shell maraca!

The boys have also enjoyed riding their bikes this week.

We are off to dye Easter Eggs! Look for a post with our results......

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

2011-04-19T22:54:00.002-04:00

We took the boys to eat breakfast with the Easter Bunny. The breakfast was awesome according the boys (Chick-Fil-A Chicken Minis). The Easter craft (decorating foam eggs) was great. The Easter bunny?? Not as great. Benjamin just wanted to wave to him. Ethan told us that he would give the big guy a hug or high five if the Easter bunny had Jelly Beans to give Ethan.

The all-important Bunny Ears!

The Big himself. He walked so fast by us and did not really stop for any of the kids. Guess he had to get back home and finish the Easter Baskets!

Ethan, when he realized that the Easter Bunny did not have Jelly Beans for him:

Hope your day did not look like Ethan's!

Photo Shoot - Spring Edition

2011-04-08T13:20:00.002-04:00

We got dressed in our Easter outfits and went up the club house to take pictures. Usually, Ethan is the ham that keeps wanting me to take pictures of him -- not this time. Benjamin was working the camera!

Nice Easter picutres gone crazy:

Cleaning off the Camera

2011-04-06T22:40:00.003-04:00

I just had time to clean off my camera and realized that you have not seen pictures of Ethan's birthday at school or what we did the rest of the weekend.....

Here we are singing Happy Birthday to Ethan:

Look closely to see the humor in this one! Ethan loves to play with his tools and "hammer" things. He did a great job cleaning up at school and picked out this "blue, sparkly ring."

Benjamin is designing the fastest race car out there!

We took the boys to the Kids Build It Clinic at Home Depot this weekend. They made flower boxes. Ethan loved the chance to use a real hammer. There are no pictures of Benjamin (he was there the whole time) due the fact that as he hammered in the second nail he got an on-the-job injury (he pounded his finger with the hammer) and we finished his project while he nursed his injury.

Fishermen's Tales

2011-04-04T14:59:00.003-04:00

On Sunday morning we got up and went fishing. We took Gebee with us and went to the same place that Brian went fishing when he was 3 1/2 -- Rainbow Ranch. It is stocked (guaranteed success)rainbow trout pond. The boys had so much fun once we got started.

Ethan felt that 10 am was a little too early to be fishing.

Benjamin was not so sure about this whole fishing thing....

Then, they got fishing poles!

Such a handsome smile from our serious kid. He loved being there!

I was not just behind the camera -- It was a good thing we were both there to help the boys.

Proud Fishermen:

Our field trip got a thumbs up by all!

Next time we will try a regular lake and see what success we have!

Happy 3rd Birthday Ethan!

2011-03-31T08:12:00.001-04:00

Ethan, it is so hard to believe that you are 3 years old! The last three years have flown by and it seems like you have been part of our family forever.

Over the last year we have enjoyed watching you grow from an energetic toddler to an independent and helpful little boy. You love your family and are very eager to give us hugs. You always have a smile on your face (as seen by these pictures). You love your big brother and try often to be like him and want to share everything with him. You are our little ham and love being the center of attention. We love the fact that you try to make us laugh all the time!

You take 3 hours naps and wake up ready to go. We often hear "Ok, so , let's play a game" from you. You were very easy to potty train at 2 1/2 years old as you wanted to be a "bigger boy." You are so full of energy and don't stop running and laughing all day. You love to play outside and just started playing soccer this spring. You can spell your name, know your address and can spell about 10 words. You know your colors, understand about 60 words in Spanish.

It seems like you grow each day and we loved getting to help you grow! We are so thankful to have such a wonderful little boy as part of our family. We are excited to see what the next year holds!

24 Months:

25 Months:

26 Months:

27 Months:

28 Months:

29 Months:

30 Months:

31 Months:

32 Months:

33 Months:

34 Months:

35 Months:

Happy Birthday Ethan!

At this minute (8:12 am), 3 years ago, we met Ethan for the first time!

Two Boys and a Gebee

2011-03-26T14:49:00.002-04:00

To hear the conversation and giggling, you will need to stop the music on the right hand side of the page. Enjoy

A Day in the Life of Two Buddies

2011-03-23T21:41:00.002-04:00

Though no day is like the next at our house, I thought that I would show you our day today in pictures.

Jamming to music (Old McDonald) in the cardboard castle that Gebee got the buddies for their birthday. The boys are still trying to decide their "style" as they decorate the castle!

Benjamin eating fruit -- yes, they both still love fruit and would eat 3 times the fruit they eat if we would let them!

Ethan patiently waiting for Benjamin to finish lunch (Benjamin takes a very long time to eat). Ethan is sitting in "Brother Wilson's" lap (Wilson was a Christmas gift from Papaw). Ethan told me recently that Wilson is his other brother and needs to sit at the table and ride in the van with us.

I had a conference call with work today. I had to ask (bribe with a trip to the Mayfield Dairy for ice cream) the boys to play quietly for 30 minutes. They did great! Here we are enjoying ice cream and great weather this afternoon.

By the way -- the ice cream was Supercow......for my two superheros!

Hanging out with the Mayfield Cow:

Brian found a small park in our neighborhood that has a flat oval sidewalk that looks like a racetrack. The boys had learned to peddle their bikes here! We spent some time at the racetrack after nap.

Papaw came along -- though he did not bring his own bike!

Oh -- there was also a haircut for the boys (no pictures - sorry). We rounded out the day with Papaw treating us to Mexican at our favorite place!

Benjamin and Ethan's Birthday Party

2011-03-20T14:01:00.007-04:00

Last weekend we had a big birthday party for Benjamin and Ethan. We had lots of friends (19 kids and a grand total of 42 people), fun crafts, great weather and snacks. The boys wanted a race car theme and we had race car stuff everywhere!

Here is the sidewalk up to the house:

The "Pit Stop" had checkered-flag Chex Mix, stop-light rice krispie treats, juice (fuel) or water (coolant).

Everyone got a Pit Pass and a race car tattoo at the Registration table.

The tags for the goodie bags:

We colored race car pages and made license plates for our bikes or big wheels.

The cake had a drag strip on it and race cars. Benjamin loved blowing out the candle. Ethan took his time!

Lots of new stuff:

The most talked about gift was the bikes that Papaw gave the boys:

Ethan felt safer starting to ride in the grass -- though it was very hard to peddle.

The boys also got a large (they can both fit in it) cardboard castle to color, Buzz and Woody, a race track, gym bags for their soccer stuff, books, money, race cars, and some outdoor summer toys. It's like Christmas all over again! The boys had so much fun having all their friends over for the party -- Ethan asked me if we could have another party next weekend!

A Few Random Days in March

2011-03-15T21:49:00.001-04:00

We ate at a local sport's bar and stumbled on "The Balloon Guy." He entertained the boys by chatting with them and creating Batman and a race car. The boys took great care of their balloons and they lasted for days!

We have been practicing soccer as the season starts soon.

And, leave it to Ethan (Evil Knievel as we call him at times) to discover how fast you can go down the hill on the tricycle.

Our neighbor gave us a Superman costume and the boys love taking turns dressing up!

Benjamin is getting ready to take on the bad guys!

The Deep Water Unit

2011-03-13T21:30:00.003-04:00

Yes, that may seem like a strange title for a blog post..... we learned the hard way what a few drops of water on a lap top will do. We had to send my computer to Apple's "Deep Water Unit." (They make it sound like I took my MacBook scuba diving - which I did not!)

But, now I sit on the couch with my MacBook back and fixed -- love those smart Apple dudes!

So now on to the catch up -- This is what my sweet guys did for me on Valentine's Day -- Brian help the boys write on cards for me.

Part (yes only part) of the boys' stash from their Valentine's Day party at school. And, take note that Benjamin made a Valentine for us and wrote his name on it!

These are Benjamin's hands and they are for me to wrap around me so that his hands can hug me anytime! How Cute!

The two red carnations are from the boys and the big vase is from the Mr. I am so glad that I have such considerate guys in my house!

Look for more catch up posts soon!

Yes, we are still here!

2011-02-21T20:38:00.003-05:00

Sorry friends it has been so long.....we have several big irons in the fire right now (more to come on those later). But I am back!

About a month ago we took a little weekend trip to visit some friends who just moved to South Carolina. They have a son who is 2 months older then Benjamin and at little guy whose 18 months. The 4 boys had so much fun playing together. Benjamin and Ethan loved driving the jeep!

Here are the 4 cutie pies!

Recently, it has been really warm here and we have taken this opportunity to get some practice in for the up-coming soccer season. I think that the boys both understand that you don't touch the ball and only kick it! It will be a very exciting season as both boys will be playing on the same team. Soccer starts in a mere 3 weeks.

Our cleats (cweet shoes as Ethan calls them) are cleaned and our shin guards are ready to go!

Happy 4th Birthday Benjamin!

2011-02-02T07:52:00.000-05:00

Wow! Benjamin, how is it possible that you are already turning 4? It seems like just yesterday I was up all night on February 1st because I knew you were coming the next day and I was so excited to meet you that I could not sleep!

This year has brought so many new and exciting things for you. We have watched in amazement as you have blossomed into a very extroverted, funny and boisterous little boy. You love your family and we often hear you telling us "Remember what I told you? I'll be your best friend." You play so well with Ethan and love being his brother (though there are moments that you remind Ethan that you are the BIG brother and try to tell him what to do!).

You are such a wonderful helper to us and take pride in your work. This year, you have learned to dress your self and even snuck downstairs after your nap and had dressed your self! You have learned to trace all your letters and can write a few letters on your own. You are able to spell and recognize about 30 words (including your current favorite - Batman). You can understand and speak about 60 Spanish words and phrases and are quick to translate for our friends who do not know Spanish!

We love how social you have become! In fact, when we pick you up from school we always hear how helpful you were to new friends in your class and we hear about who your best friend is. You enjoy talking to people any where we are and can hold a great conversation!

Though you eat a lot, you are so active and stay very skinny. Last fall you played on a T-Ball team and had so much fun. You hustled after every ball and loved batting! You would much rather be outside in the yard or at the park then in the house.

We are so glad that you are a part of our lives and we love to see you growing up before our eyes. We are looking forward to seeing what this year holds for you!

36 Months:

37 Months:

38 Months:

39 Months:

40 Months:

41 Months:

42 Months:

43 Months:

44 Months:

45 Months:

46 Months:

47 Months:

Note: At this minute (7:52 am), 4 years ago, we met Benjamin for the first time!

Since we last chatted...

2011-01-31T21:26:00.003-05:00

... we have been busy:

making snowmen from the 8 inches (yes, I said 8 inches) of snow we got 2 weeks ago

conducting important strategic planning sessions ("Daddy, what color marker should I use next?")

driving (and riding in) the Big Wheels Papaw got us for Christmas

And, creating masterpieces out of Play-Dough.

We hope that everyone is staying warm and enjoying time with their families!

Looking to Warmer Weather

2011-01-16T07:40:00.002-05:00

As I was looking through pictures from the fall, I can across these. While we still have about 5 inches of snow on the ground in the backyard, it has been in the mid 40s this weekend. But looking at the boys on the leaves makes me think back to much warmer days. Hope you enjoy them too!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2011-01-10T20:29:00.002-05:00

Last night after only 1 hours of snow the roads were covered and I knew we were in for some fun day today! We awoke this morning to find about 8 inches of snow on the ground.

The boys started off the morning by watching a DVR'd Christmas cartoon. They are snuggled under a sleeping bag that Uncle Randy and Aunt Kay gave them! (Thanks guys -- the sleeping bag came in very handy today.)

What a pair of cutie pies!

They fell asleep as soon as their little heads hit the pillow tonight. We are looking forward to another fun snow day tomorrow after a long winter's nap tonight!

My Winter Vacation by Benjamin and Ethan

2011-01-02T20:25:00.003-05:00

We got to spend a long time (12 days) home with mommy and daddy. On New Year's Eve, it was very nice outside and everyone was well so we went to the park. We got a chance to run around and play on the slides.

We also got to test out the cool wood airplanes that Uncle Evan got us. Daddy made the plane do big loops.

It was really windy but warm --- see our crazy hair??

And, here are our 2 favorite parents!

Earlier in our vacation, we were both not feeling well. (Between us we had 3 visits to the doctor, 3 medicines and a new machine for breathing treatments for Benjamin.) It was very cold outside (mommy took our pictures in the snow) so we did a lot of this:

We can't play unless Ethan's Gigis are nearby!

And we have been wearing the capes that Santa brought us -- we think that Mrs. Claus must have made them! We like running very fast so that the cape flies behind us!

We loved being home with mommy and daddy and seeing all our family over our vacation!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T18:02:00.000-05:00

We had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house and we were fortunate to be able to celebrate with family (though we really missed Uncle Randy, Aunt Kay and Matt and Jason). It was a relaxed laid back holiday and the boys got more toys then they know what to do with, as seen below!

Uncle Evan spent the night with us on Christmas Eve and he and boys awoke to hear sleigh bells and Santa's "ho, ho, ho" as he was leaving. Evan got the boys an art easel and it has made for fun on a cold, snowy day.

Gebee got here in time for a little breakfast and they boy are telling her about the note that Santa left them.

Papa and Ms. Sharon looking on as the boys unwrap lots and lots of presents.

Uncle Evan handing out gifts -- hey, he looks a bit like Santa in his red sweater.

The boys got big wheels, batman capes, puzzles, games, and tools, among many other things. When I asked the boy what toys they liked best, Ethan told me he loves his green drill and hammer. Benjamin told me he loves his batman motorcycle and cape. Brian and I loved spending a relaxing time with the family. And, we will see Uncle Randy and Aunt Kay in a few days -- weather permitting!

It's Snow Much Fun at Home with Mommy and Daddy

2010-12-26T14:49:00.003-05:00

For the first time since 1882, we had snow on Christmas Day. The boys loved watching it fall and when they woke up this morning, they cared none about the toys from Santa (don't worry, that post is still coming), they just wanted to get outside.

Our resident snow man -- he would have been bigger is Ethan had not kept "crashing him down."

At 3pm, the grass is still covered in snow -- maybe we should go back out after nap!

Dinner "Down The Town"

2010-12-14T21:30:00.002-05:00

Saturday the boys, Brian, Papaw and I piled in the blue van and took a trip "down the town" (when Benjamin was younger, he would tell me he wanted to go see Uncle Evan "down the town" -- downtown) to have dinner with Evan. It was great to see Evan's tree and spend sometime with him. Evan also had a gingerbread house for the boys to decorate. Nate and Papaw helped with the decorating!

The final product -- it now sits on our kitchen table.

The boys loved looking at the ornaments on Evan's tree.

A rare site -- all of us in a picture at the same time. Thanks Nate for taking the picture!

And, Evan, thank you for inviting the unruly bunch of us -- I am sure that you are still finding gumdrops under your couch! We loved coming for dinner!

Breakfast with Jolly Old St Nick

2010-12-13T18:48:00.002-05:00

The elves at our house have been busy "making" toys (aka ordering them online) and preparing for the holidays. The elves want to apologize for neglecting the blog.

A few weeks ago, we ate breakfast with Santa. The boys were so excited by this concept, as they would not have to sit on his lap --- just talk with Santa. (We have never had luck getting the boys to sit on Santa's lap.) As we sat and colored and ate, we talked about what the boys wanted to tell Santa. The boys also brought a few pictures they had colored to give to Santa.

The boys are talking about what they want Santa to bring them (Benjamin: "Batman wrapping paper" -- aka anything wrapped in Batman paper. Ethan: "Chocolate Toys, pancakes and cupcakes" -- aka anything that you can eat and is sweet.)

We hope that you have already talked with or sent a letter to Santa -- I heard that the elves are working over-time these days!

Hot Chocolate

2010-12-06T23:02:00.003-05:00

We had big plans one night last week to introduce the boys to hot chocolate. We let them drink in the family room (yeah, I know we have lost our minds) and we read "Twas The Night Before Christmas." The boys loved drinking in the family room much more then they loved the hot chocolate. Benjamin was fascinated by the story. They have asked to eat/drink in the family room again, but I have heard no mention of hot chocolate!

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With a current temp. outside of about 22 an a wind chill of about 15, now seems like a great time for some more hot chocolate! Stay warm!

A Duet

2010-11-29T10:53:00.002-05:00

Monkeys in the Zoo

2010-11-20T13:24:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we took the boys to the zoo. They had a special running last weekend that allowed us to get in for $5 each. We took Papaw with us and Evan met us there (thanks Evan for getting up early on the morning after your trip to Spain!). Before we met Papaw, we did something that we have only let the boys one other time in their lives -- eat Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast. Ethan, as it turns out does not care for doughnuts (is he really my child???) and loved his hat. Benjamin loves the "stuff" in the doughnuts.

The boys and Papaw are visiting with the flamingos, while standing like flamingos.

They had a 5 minute train ride around the zoo and there is no way the boys would leave the zoo before riding on the train!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Last T-Ball Game

2010-11-16T06:12:00.002-05:00

The season has come and gone. Benjamin's last game was last Saturday and he loved playing t-ball. I am certain that we will be at a loss on what to do this Saturday morning. Benjamin hustled after every ball -- even the ones not so close to him. And, when he hit the ball, he ran!

Ethan loved to warm up with the team. Ethan woke up on the morning of the last game and asked Benjamin if he could play with Benjamin's team for the last game. The loving big brother that Benjamin is said, sure you can. Ethan then asked me to find HIS Owlz shirt. (Of course he did not have one). We found an Owl shirt in Ethan's drawer and he was happy.

Ethan likes for us to take his picture and then he looks at it and laughs.

When the game was over, everyone got trophies. Benjamin has carried his around since Saturday!

Lucky for us -- there is spring t-ball.....only a few months away!

NEWS FLASH: Do you know what time it is?

2010-11-14T18:18:00.002-05:00

....time to be done with diapers at our house??

....time to have only big boys at our house??

....time to wear big boy underwear??

YES!

Ethan is wearing big boy underwear all day and for naps. We will try wearing big boy underwear at night time in a few weeks.

The Morning After

2010-11-01T11:10:00.007-04:00

The boys had Halloween parties at school on Friday. Papaw and Brian were in attendance. It was the kick off to a candy and sugar-filled weekend. The boys has so much fun wearing their costumes at school -- Benjamin did not have time for a picture, as Mickey Mouse was at his party!

The boys also participated in the neighborhood costume contest -- they did not win but got MORE candy.

Papa came dressed as a Cowboy.

And, Uncle Evan as a mechanic.

What a savory bunch of characters!

Gebee came to help pass out candy. Here Benjamin is telling Brian how much candy he got.

And, somewhere in all of the Halloween fun, we went to a birthday party this weekend. Yep, more sugar and candy!

So in honor of our weekend -- the boys and I are at Monkey Joe's ( a jump place) hoping that they can burn off some energy.

Sleeping Buddies

2010-10-29T08:50:00.002-04:00

You know that I love a great picture of a sleeping baby. Well, the boys are no longer babies -- so I present to you.......Sleeping buddies!

Ethan was moved to a big bed about 2 months ago and loves it! He loves having so much space to move around and lots of space for all his "friends." We are beginning to look for a quilt and matching sheets for his new bed. You can also see that he still sleeps with his "Gigi." In fact, Ethan had become so attached to sleeping with Gigi that we were worried about what would happen if Gigi got lost. Uncle Evan was so gracious to buy a back-up Gigi. Ethan figured this out and now has to sleep with both of them.

To the right of Benjamin's pillow, you will see a farmer and pig -- Yes, he still sleeps with "Farmer" and "Dirty Feet" every night. (We struggle sometimes in the middle of the night when Farmer and Dirty Feet fall between the bed and the wall.)

The boys are getting so excited about Halloween and pumpkin carving -- pictures to come early next week. Have a great weekend and we hope that you sleep well tonight!

Weekend in Review

2010-10-26T17:42:00.000-04:00

We had a fun weekend at home. We had some friends come visit for the weekend from South Carolina. They have 2 little boys (a 17 month old and a 3 1/2 year old). All the boys got along very well. Benjamin loved having a playmate his exact age. Ethan love not being the littlest in the group.

We went to our neighborhood Fall Festival -- the boys loved the inflatable jump house...

Benjamin was skeptical about petting the bunnies but after seeing Ethan in the bunny pen, Benjamin wanted in!

We also grilled out and spent most of the day on Saturday outside....making great use of our toys in the backyard. (Check out Benjamin in mid-jump -- I still love my new camera!)

The boys getting ready to race.

We are now turning our focus on this weekend -- t-ball, a b-day party and most importantly -- HALLOWEEN! Look for trick or treating pictures next week.

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-23T14:23:00.003-04:00

Last weekend we celebrated Brian's birthday with a trip to the pumpkin patch. Though we got two pumpkins, we go more for other activities -- hayride, ponies, apple sling-shot, apple picking and boiled peanuts eating...... Papaw joined us this year and has as much fun as the boys!

We were surprised by the fact that both Benjamin and Ethan wanted to ride the ponies. Last year, only Ethan rode the ponies. Perhaps it was the recent gifts of cowboy gear that made the boys want to ride this year!

Brian helping Benjamin with the apple sling-shot. Just for the record, they did not hit the target -- but make note that Ethan and I hit the target twice!

Ethan and Brian on the hayride, discussing the very large pumpkins out in the field.

Happy Fall Y'all!

A Day at the Park

2010-10-21T12:56:00.002-04:00

I am starting to catch up on all the things we have been doing -- Whew, it has been a busy few weeks. Two weeks ago, we went to see Uncle Evan and enjoyed a trip to Piedmont Park. The boys love this park. Uncle Evan looks as if he had fun too -- don't you think??

Benjamin always wants to drive the fire truck:

Evan challenged the boys to a slide race -- Evan won!

Those sure are three handsome boys!

We rounded out our trip with a pizza dinner on a patio -- the boys loved getting to eat outside and it sure was great to spend time with Evan! Thanks for a fun afternoon!

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys

2010-10-07T20:49:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Randy and Kay came for a visit. They were able to catch Benjamin's T-ball game and the spend a few hours with us at home after the game. Randy and Kay came complete with very cool signs to cheer Benjamin on at the game and a surprise when they got back to the house -- New Cowboy Boots! When we were in visiting Randy and Kay in the mountains, Benjamin kept telling Randy how much he liked Uncle Randy's boots. And even told Randy: "When I get more bigger, I am going to wear boots like that."

Ethan has a walk about him now when he wears his boots -- like he was made to wear them! He has a big, confidant stride.

The next morning, putting on boots was the first thing the boys wanted to do -- this was of course after we had to tell them that they could not wear them to bed....

We also were going to mention to the boys that they should wear them with pants -- but hey, you have to pick your battles!

Yep, you are correct -- your eyes are not deceiving you -- Ethan is wearing underwear. We have been working on potty training all week. We are not there yet but he is coming along. Ethan just turned 2 1/2 last week (this is when we started with Benjamin).

Early Halloween Treat

2010-10-06T12:48:00.002-04:00

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Summer Vacation 2010

2010-10-03T20:25:00.002-04:00

I know that the boys have shared the highlights of their vacation -- here are a few of mine.

Don't they look so big??

We had planned to stay a week at the beach, but for several reasons, came back a few days early. We were able to get Ethan into his real big bed -- Ethan and Benjamin slept in the same room at the beach and slept in twin beds. So, we moved Ethan to his big bed.....he did great. Look for pictures of Ethan as a bigger boy!

My Summer Vacation by Benjamin

2010-10-01T21:28:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago mommy and daddy took us on a trip to the beach. I had so much fun. The car ride was very long but I got to play with new books and watch new DVDs. I liked getting to eat in restaurants every night (I thought I would get to pick what I wanted to dinner even when we got home!).

The best part of the trip was playing with mommy and daddy -- mommmy stayed with Ethan in the condo while he was sick. Daddy helped me build 100 sandcastles, all of them were crashed down by the waves!

I really liked walking on the beach after dinner (it was very late -- past my bedtime). We saw people looking for crab holes in the sand.

Mommy says that we are going to back to the beach in the spring......I sure hope that comes soon!

My Summer Vacation by Ethan

2010-09-28T20:38:00.003-04:00

Last week mommy and daddy took us to the beach. It has been a long time since we have been to the beach (two years to be exact). Here I am on the way to the beach - -see I have my sunglasses on --ready for the beach???

I got sick the day after we got to the beach and took lots of naps for 3 whole days. I also did not eat much (but I sure loved laying in mommy and daddy's big bed in the condo and being held). After 3 days of being sick and sleepy, we had to see a doctor. One shot (it really hurt a lot) and some medicine and I was good as new. The next few pictures are from when I started feeling better. I loved building sand castles and watching the waves crash them down. I also like getting in the ocean.

Here I am being a cowboy on a really huge turtle!

I still have a little fever here and look a little skinnier

The night before we left, we got to walk on the beach after dark -- I saw a full moon! And, got to stay up past my bedtime!

I hope that we get to go back to the beach soon so that I can make more sandcastles!

Play Ball!

2010-09-20T11:41:00.002-04:00

Saturday was Benjamin's first T-ball game. He was so excited about it and talked about the upcoming game for several days prior. Here are some pictures from the game (as a proud mom, I took about 150 pictures -- no joke). I won't subject you to all of them!

Ethan was supposed to be cheering Benjamin on -- so much for that!

Benjamin and the 3rd base coach --aka Dad! Look at that smile on Benjamin's face.

Benjamin played the pitcher position in the field. He did a great job and listened to the coaches. Benjamin also hustled after every ball -- even the ones that went past him into the outfield!

At the end of the game the coaches gave out two medals for great listening and Benjamin got one. He wore it the rest of the day! We can't wait for next weekend's game!

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream

2010-09-17T12:17:00.001-04:00

for Ice Cream!

We took the boys out for ice cream the other night and here they are waiting patiently for their special treats. Brotherly love at its best!

The boys are great about putting on their own shoes. Usually they will ask us if their shoes are on the correct feet. I told Ethan his shoes were on the wrong feet -- he told me they were not. So, here is is with his shoes on the "correct" feet.

Still waiting... Oh, also note the hat -- lately it has been an almost permanent fixture on Benjamin's head. It is the baseball cap from his t-ball team -- The Owlz. He has his first game on Saturday -- look for many pictures to come!

Here it is...

What a great treat!

We hope that you are enjoying the tail end of summer as much as we are!

I am a Bigger Boy Now

2010-09-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

Ethan has has a bit of a complex lately. He wants to be bigger, like his brother. It seems like Benjamin gets to do all the fun things (including play t-ball). Ethan used to tell us "when I get more bigger, I' m gonna play t-ball." Now he is telling us that he IS a bigger boy.

Over Labor Day weekend, we enjoyed a few cooler mornings and tool the boys to the BIG park. Benjamin has gotten very good at crossing the disks on chains. Here is Benjamin:

And, Ethan's attempt (you know he IS a bigger boy now!):

And, here is my little buddy, when he realized that he can not cross the disks without help. Very frustrating!

And the boys on the big swings, look at those smiles!

We have had many talks about being a bigger boys and both boys always start the sentence with "When I get more bigger..." Boy hear this: Please do not get more bigger so fast!!