Blog Feed: A Dollop of My Life

Introducing Mr. Tyler Paul.

Published on 2013-05-19 18:43:00

If you follow me on facebook and twitter, then you probably already know that we welcomed baby Tyler into the world early this morning. He weighs 6lbs 15oz and is 19.5in long. He. Is. Perfect.We're all a little tired, but that's too be expected after

Last Day of Preschool

Published on 2013-05-17 21:40:00

(Technically the boys still have 1 day of school left, but since we're in a ready and waiting mode for baby Tyler's arrival, I figured I'd take pictures on their second to last day of school just to be safe).

Silly Faces by Brayden (and 4 Yr Old Stats)

Published on 2013-05-15 07:29:00

I am in love with this goober. He is confirming my long held opinion that the ages 4 and 5 is my favorite age. Love you to the moon and back, Brayden!Brayden had his 4 year old well check yesterday and checked out fabulously! He was SO brave during h

Brayden's First T-Ball Game.

Published on 2013-05-14 08:00:00

We FINALLY had a beautiful Saturday morning this past weekend, and Brayden was able to have his first t-ball game. He was so excited!a little pregame cheer (Brayden is #3)I have to say, watching t-ball with a 2.5 yr old at your side and being 37 week

37 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-05-13 08:35:00

Not sure you can tell from this picture, but he has dropped a bit. How Far Along: 37 weeks, 3 days(If you are like me and like to compare, I found my 37/38 week updates for when I was pregnant with Brayden and Connor. Here's:Brayden at 37.5 weeks Con

A Blessed Mothers Day.

Published on 2013-05-12 20:33:00

If you talk to me or read my blog, you'll know that I don't hold back on the fact that motherhood is the hardest thing I've ever experienced. But I'll also be the first to tell you that it's also the most blessed thing I could ever, and have ever don

Dates with My Boys.

Published on 2013-05-11 22:59:00

This past Thursday was a special day for me... I got to have two different dates with my boys! Such a special treat right before we welcome Tyler into the world. Thursday at lunch Connor had a little Mother's Day picnic at school. He was SO excited a

Easy Canvas Prints: A Review & Giveaway

Published on 2013-05-08 00:00:00

***DISCLOSURE: THIS IS A SPONSORED POST. ALL VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN***If there is one thing I am embarrassed about, it's that I rarely get the pictures I take developed.I know, I know.You would think with all of the pictures I take of the boys

36 weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-05-07 06:00:00

How Far Along: 36 weeks, 4 days Size of baby: over 18 inches long, 5.25 pounds (about the size of a watermelon-- just hearing that kind of makes me want to cry. As much as I love being pregnant, I loathe labor and delivery, and the bigger these apps

May Snow and First Fish: Weekend in Review.

Published on 2013-05-05 22:00:00

We have had a relaxing, non-stressful weekend. These tend to be the best kind, especially when they are preceded by busy, travel-filled weekends. I think all of us here at our home needed some down time, which was exactly what we received.Friday we w

A Plantation Wedding {My Sisters Wedding, Part 2}.

Published on 2013-05-02 07:00:00

(To see part 1 of My sisters wedding, click HERE). Saturday was a beautiful day. I'm pretty sure we could not have even ordered more perfect weather for an outdoor wedding. The humidity was relatively low, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the set

A Plantation Wedding {My Sisters Wedding, Part 1}.

Published on 2013-05-01 07:00:00

I've been nagged by several friends to see these pictures. It's hard to wade through over 500 pictures, edit the ones I like, get them all uploaded, and still keep up with everything else in my life. My apologies for these being "late". Hopefully the

a bit of a scare at 35 weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-04-30 07:00:00

How Far Along: 35 weeks, 4 days Size of baby: over 18 inches long, 5.25 pounds (about the size of a honeydew melon-- feels a lot bigger than a melon!!!)Total Weight Gain/Loss: 27 pounds (as of 4/28/13). Apparently I lost a pound in the past week. Ei

Farm Friends 2013.

Published on 2013-04-29 06:30:00

For the past three years, we've attended Farm Friends, an event put on by the 4H club in NWA. It is my boys most favorite thing to do-- Brayden literally talks about this ALL year long. I wasn't feeling that great this year, plus it's hard for me to

Baby Showers and Sickness.

Published on 2013-04-28 13:44:00

We had great big plans for this weekend, that came tumbling down Thursday night when I fell ill and then realized that Tyler wasn't moving as much as normal. It was a bit of a scare to say the least, but thankfully everything checked out fine (they m

Better Together Than Apart {Love and Marriage Series}

Published on 2013-04-24 07:30:00

Interview with Brayden {age Four}.

Published on 2013-04-23 10:09:00

This is my third time to do this interview with Brayden in about a year and a half (you can view the first one here and the second one here). It's amazing how much Brayden has developed in just that short of a time span. I just love his little person

34 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-04-21 21:14:00

How Far Along: 34 weeks, 2 days Size of baby: almost 18 inches long, and almost 5 pounds. About the size of a cantelope.Total Weight Gain/Loss: (as of 4/17/13) 28 pounds.

Hey Mom! Look at Me!

Published on 2013-04-18 07:00:00

On Sunday I had my camera out trying to capture a few shots of the cousins before my sister Megan left again. Out of the blue, Connor said, "Hey Mom! Look at me!" And started posing for me so I could take his picture. I love this sweet boy!

On Staying Connected as a Couple {Love and Marriage Series}

Published on 2013-04-17 08:00:00

It's Wednesday, which means that it's time again for another post in our Love and Marriage series! If you have missed either of the other posts I've written, you can check them out my first post HERE and my second post HERE. I don't know about you, b

On Using Hot Rollers.

Published on 2013-04-17 06:30:00

BlogHer asked me to watch this video tutorial on hot rollers and share it with my readers. This is a compensated post. Oh yes. We're going there. Because I want to, and I figured if I actually learned something from this tutorial, you might too.Hot R

33 Weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-04-16 08:35:00

(not really sure why this picture is so fuzzy, or why I look like I'm hungover. I didn't realize it looked like this till I uploaded it, and I'm not sure I'll get another chance to take a picture today so this is what we've got to work with.)How Far

Preschooler Summer Fashion {A Gymboree Review}.

Published on 2013-04-16 08:15:00

***Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.***A few weeks ago I was contacted by Gymboree and asked if I might be interested in trying out a few items from their new summer line of boys clothes. I didn't have to think long on that one, as we're big fans

Mudbug Madness.

Published on 2013-04-14 22:36:00

For the past year Drew has been dreaming up a family crawfish boil. It finally came to fruition this weekend, and I'm pretty sure it was everything he dreamed it would be, plus some.the boys were both so excited to help clean off the crawfishUncle Pa

Pics of Zoe Grace.

Published on 2013-04-12 07:43:00

My sister and niece have been here visiting all week. We've had a load of fun, although when all 3 kids are whining it's left Megan and I a little unnerved to say the least :) Thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures of little cutie Zoe Grace.

The Hardships We've Had in Marriage {Love & Marriage Blogging Series}.

Published on 2013-04-10 08:00:00

Today is my second post in the Love and Marriage Series. I hope you had fun reading all of the love stories last week... I know I sure did! Be sure to check out the other bloggers that I'm collaborating with in this series:

He's Four. {Happy Birthday Brayden!}.

Published on 2013-04-09 08:00:00

Dear Brayden-- Four Years ago, you came into our lives, and swept us off our feet. You gave us the title "Mom and Dad"... and we admit, we were smitten from the start. These past four years have been so so so rich and blessed. And YOU are one of the

32 Weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-04-08 14:00:00

(I feel like he looks really low in this picture. Also, how classy is it that the elastic waistband is showing on the back of my pants? haha!)How Far Along: 32 weeks, 3 days Size of baby: 19 inches long, 4.5 lbs, about the size of a honeydew melonTo

Brayden's 4th Birthday Party.

Published on 2013-04-07 17:53:00

We have had some of the best spring weather this weekend, which is a much needed answer to prayer. In between the cold weather of last week, and the rainy weather that this next week is bringing, we began birthday celebrations for our resident (almos

First T-Ball Practice.

Published on 2013-04-05 07:45:00

Last summer, Brayden started asking when he would be old enough to play t-ball. And football. And basketball. Pretty much any organized sport, B has asked to play.My mom has told me I was the same way. And in some regards, I think Brayden is just fol

An Intro to Us {Love and Marriage Blog Series}.

Published on 2013-04-03 08:00:00

Today is the kick off for the month long Love and Marriage blogging series. I'm teaming up with Jenna from Jenna's Journey, Mandy from House of Rose, Shay from Mix and Match Mama, Jenn from Knee Deep In Munchkinland, and Megan from In This Wonderful

31 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-04-01 14:00:00

excuse my awful hair. I had it up in a messy pony tail while I was cooking and just completely disregarded it when I had my picture taken by Drew.

{Happy} Easter 2013.

Published on 2013-03-31 20:38:00

Happy Easter! He is risen and alive... that is the best news of all this weekend! We've had a full, busy weekend with our boys, celebrating Jesus. I have loved watching both boys truly grasp the meaning of Easter. Nothing makes a momma heart more hap

Pirate Night.

Published on 2013-03-28 08:39:00

Drew and I took the boys to Chick-Fil-A the other night for Pirate Night (this also proves I am officially old, as it was my birthday night and we ended up at CFA to pretend to be pirates). I knew the night would be a hit, but I underestimated just h

Love and Marriage: A Blog Series.

Published on 2013-03-27 08:00:00

There are moments in my life that I feel a gentle nudging to go a little deeper, to do something a bit more, and yet I sit stalled, because I'm not quite sure how to start the engine of progress. That's where I've sat the past several weeks with blog

Blissdom 2013 {the thoughts and inspirations}.

Published on 2013-03-26 07:00:00

There are moments in my life where I sometimes have such a stirring on the inside of me but I'm not even sure what it's for. That's how I felt before I attended Blissdom last week. In many respects I wasn't even sure why I was going. Blogging for me

Blissdom 2013 {the pictures}.

Published on 2013-03-25 10:00:00

Last week I left my home in the early morning hours on Thursday. I was heading to Texas with a local friend to attend what would be our first blogging conference. I was excited, scared and nervous. I wasn't sure what to expect. I was worried that I w

30 weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-03-24 21:23:00

How Far Along: 30 weeks, 2 days Size of baby: 18 inches, 3.2 pounds- about the size of a head of lettuceTotal Weight Gain/Loss: (as of 3/20/13) 24 pounds. Can yall believe I only gained 1 pound in two weeks??? I was really happy with that, especially

Cute, Easy Curls.

Published on 2013-03-21 23:11:00

I'll admit it. I get hair envy quite frequently. It's not that I don't have good hair, because really, every hair stylist I've ever had raves about my hair. It's just that sometimes I just don't know what to do with my hair. I've gotten so used to ju

Finding Worms

Published on 2013-03-20 08:00:00

Growing up, I played with all kinds of bugs and creepy crawlers. You could frequently find me outside catching some sort of critter. I firmly believe that God was preparing the way for me to not be freaked out by the many gross things that boys find

29 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-03-19 07:00:00

How Far Along: 29 weeks, 4 days Size of baby: 17 inches long, 3.1 pounds heavy (my bladder concurs!), about the size of a butternut squashTotal Weight Gain/Loss: (as of 3/8/13) 23 pounds. I'm almost certain it's at least 5 more pounds than that. We'l

A Spring and Winter Weekend.

Published on 2013-03-17 21:58:00

This weekend was the most bizarre weekend. Friday and Saturday, we had spring- almost summer- like weather. It was beautiful, and my boys were so happy when I told them they could wear shorts and sandals the entire day, whenever, and wherever they wa

Life Lately {a phone picture dump}.

Published on 2013-03-15 08:30:00

(Apparently word on the street is that Google Reader is leaving us this summer. I don't use a reader for the blogs I read, but if you do, and you happen to read my blog with Google Reader, then you might want to consider going ahead and switching now

28 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-03-12 21:19:00

How Far Along: 28 weeks, 4 days Size of baby: 17 inches long, 2.9 pounds (about the size of a head of cabbage)Total Weight Gain/Loss: (as of 3/8/13) 23 pounds. Mercy me.

Weekend in Review

Published on 2013-03-11 12:47:00

We had a fun-filled weekend this weekend, and since it didn't end until late last night, I'm a bit late in getting these pictures up.Saturday morning the weather was absolutely gorgeous. It felt like spring, the birds were chirping, and my boys were

27 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-03-05 21:02:00

This is by far the roughest picture of myself I've ever posted on my blog (with the exception of my post-labor pictures, but at least then I had a much better reason for looking like a mac truck hitting me!). For whatever reason, I never got around t

Preparing Their Hearts for Easter.

Published on 2013-03-01 11:03:00

Aside from Christmas, Easter is hands down one of my favorite holidays. Easter is all about redemption; the Savior who was born, died, and He rose again on the 3rd day. He is alive, and His death and resurrection assures eternal life to anyone who pl

I'm OK With Having 3 Boys.

Published on 2013-02-28 06:30:00

When I'm out and about, especially if my boys are with me, I get an inevitable eye roll when I reveal that our next child is a boy. Eye rolls. About the gender of a baby.

A Snow Day {FINALLY}.

Published on 2013-02-26 22:22:00

After almost a year and a half with little to no snow, I'll admit that I was getting a bit antsy for some of the fluffy white stuff. Besides having fun, I was annoyed that I bought snow boots and gear for the boys, only to not be able to use it. Such

26 Weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-02-26 06:00:00

excuse my hot mess of a hairdo. I forgot to take a picture in the morning, so this is post nap on Sunday afternoon.How Far Along: 26 weeks, 4 days Size of baby: 15 inches, 2.2 pounds, about the size of a cumcumber(cleary I'm getting ripped off at the

Baby Showers and Swim Parties {Weekend in Review}

Published on 2013-02-24 22:38:00

We've had quite the eventful weekend this weekend, filled with loads of fun, as any eventful weekend should.First, I have to be honest and say that Friday, the start to our weekend, was less than perfect. It was one of "those" days. If you're a paren

Phone Picture Dump.

Published on 2013-02-21 21:28:00

I have way too many pictures that I've taken lately on my phone, but have either forgotten to upload them or just not had the space for it in my posts. I know these pictures aren't the best quality, but they are such a great little snapshot of our ev

25 Weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-02-19 06:30:00

I feel like I look like I'm holding a basketball under my shirt in this picture. haha!How Far Along: 25 weeks, 4 daysSize of baby: 9.2 inches, 2 pounds, about the size of an eggplantTotal Weight Gain/Loss: (as of 2/8/13) 18 pounds

Good Times, Old Friends & Toothbrushes.

Published on 2013-02-17 21:56:00

We are alive and well, healed from all of the sickies from last week. Let's hope it stays that way for a while... life is a lot more fun when you don't have the flu or other common winter illnesses :)We had the blessing of hosting some of our very de

Little Lovies: A Favorite Things Valentines Day Swap. {What I Got}.

Published on 2013-02-14 06:30:00

You may remember that a few weeks ago I told y'all my friend, Laura, and I decided to have a Valentines Day swap with our favorite things. This was my first time participating in something like this with other bloggers, and I must say, it was a lot o

I Pick You. A Valentines Day Photographical Satire.

Published on 2013-02-13 06:30:00

24 Weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-02-11 08:17:00

How Far Along: 24 weeks, 3 daysSize of baby: 9 inches, 1.7 pounds, about the size of an eggplantTotal Weight Gain/Loss: 18 pounds. EEEK. I told yall I had gained more than 10 pounds. And mercy, I need to back off the cookie dough or this momma's gonn

Connor Sings the ABCs.

Published on 2013-02-08 06:30:00

Lately I had started getting concerned about Connor. He just didn't seem to care or want to learn colors or letters. The funny thing is, not 4 days after I was starting to voice some of my concerns, did Connor start coming up to me with toys and voic

A Couple of My DIY projects.

Published on 2013-02-08 06:00:00

Kelly, from Kelly's Korner, is having a link up for DIY projects today. I was on a roll with DIY projects when we moved into our house almost a year ago, but since I've been pregnant the roll kind of stopped. Here are some of my favorites that I've d

I Would Have Never Made It As a Pioneer Woman.

Published on 2013-02-06 21:24:00

Oh Yall. We're going on day 4 of being stuck inside with the sickies. Brayden and I have the coughs like chronic smokers. Connor has the coughs too, but he has fever as well. So I took him to the doctor today thinking he probably had a sinus infectio

Practice Makes Perfect.

Published on 2013-02-06 07:00:00

I mentioned previously that Brayden got a pair of baseball pants last weekend. It was a steal of a deal on craigslist. He was beyond thrilled, and has asked to wear them every day. He kind of reminds me of that kind on the old movie Little Giants, wh

23 Weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-02-05 07:00:00

How Far Along: 23 weeks, 4 daysSize of baby: 8.5 inches, 1.5 pounds, about the size of an ear of cornTotal Weight Gain/Loss: ~10 pounds. (it's probably more than that, but I only check at the doctors)

Lazy Days & Baseball Pants.

Published on 2013-02-04 13:33:00

We had a good, relaxing, lazy weekend here at our home. It was so relaxing in fact, that I didn't even pick up the computer to blog. :) I love weekends like this, and am relishing in them as much as I can, as our spring schedule is filling up fast.Sa

Tackle Football.

Published on 2013-01-31 08:00:00

Brayden is slightly obsessed with all things sports. If he's outside he's either pretending to be a pirate, or he's playing some sort of sport (his favorites are football, baseball and basketball). The other day I walked outside and he informed me he

Sweet Brothers.

Published on 2013-01-30 08:30:00

Brayden and Connor are at a really fun stage right now. They're just becoming the best of friends and it makes my heart melt. Of course, we have our quarrels too, and it's not just Brayden who is starting the fights these days ;) Oh yes, Connor can d

Tasty Tuesday: Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Published on 2013-01-29 07:30:00

I don't know about y'all, but sometimes our food menu just gets in a rut, and we end up eating the same things over and over and over again. I was on the lookout for new soups recently, and my good friend emailed me a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup

22 Weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-01-28 07:00:00

mercy, this picture is awful, but I forgot to take one in the morning before church, so you get me all tired sleepy eyed after naptime. How Far Along: 22 weeks, 3 daysSize of baby: 8 inches long, 1.2 pounds heavy. About the size of a PapayaTotal Weig

Just Another Weekend

Published on 2013-01-27 16:48:00

We've had a pretty mundane weekend in our neck of the woods. Lots of errands and chores to do, so we stayed close to home and didn't have much on the agenda. Connor took advantage of the nice afternoon yesterday by riding his bike in the backyard.The

Let's Take Pictures Together Mom!

Published on 2013-01-25 07:00:00

Brayden is really into taking pictures lately, and will often ask me to take pictures of him and Connor, or of stuff they are doing. The other day he asked me if he could take pictures of me, and instead I offered to take pictures WITH him. He laughe

The Terrific, Terrible Twos.

Published on 2013-01-24 07:00:00

I have a love hate relationship with the two year old stage. On one hand, they are equal parts baby and equal parts toddler. This means that they still think that you hung the moon and want you to snuggle and play and kiss and hug. And then they turn

What Will They Remember?

Published on 2013-01-23 07:00:00

I never really wrote a post recapping 2012 or looking forward to 2013. I didn't really have the time, or take the time, to devote to it. I do know that 2012 was a hefty year. In many ways, the Lord poured blessings on our family in ways I never reall

Dear Brayden, They Were Right.

Published on 2013-01-22 06:30:00

Dear Brayden,They told me that the days would be long. I didn't believe them. But I was wrong.These days have passed so quickly. They told me that the years would be oh so short. I laughed. And again, I was wrong.These years have been the shortest of

21 weeks {a pregnancy update}

Published on 2013-01-21 07:30:00

How Far Along: 21 weeks, 3 daysSize of baby: 8 inches long, 1 pound. About the size of a spaghetti squash.Total Weight Gain/Loss: 10 pounds.

Weekend in Review: Bullet Point Style.

Published on 2013-01-20 19:42:00

We've not had a very eventful weekend. Which is nice, and you won't find me complaining. I thought I'd share some of the highlights, in bullet point form.Saturday morning Drew took Brayden to complete his registration for t-ball. We are all so excite

Our Favorite Soup Recipes.

Published on 2013-01-17 20:25:00

Hey Yall! I'm linking up with Kelly tomorrow to share some of my favorite soup recipes. We're big soup eaters at our house, especially in the winter. It's perfect for the cold weather, makes a ton (so I can freeze and save for later) and everyone is

20 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-01-16 06:30:00

Don't forget to check out the info on the Valentines Swap I'm co-hosting with my friend Laura. I'd love for you to join in the fun! You have till Friday to sign up. Just click HERE to read all the details. How Far Along: 20 weeks, 5 days (I have an e

There I was, 20 Weeks Pregnant...

Published on 2013-01-14 21:57:00

Some days I wish my life were created into a documentary. Not because it's all that interesting, but because some of the things that happen to me really are simply unbelievable. Today was one of those days.Neither of my children have ever left somewh

Little Lovies: A Valentines Day Favorite Things Swap.

Published on 2013-01-14 08:14:00

Good Monday Morning yall! If you're like me, you're dragging. :) It comes with the Monday morning territory in our

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2013-01-13 14:14:00

We've had a pretty laid back weekend. No running around. No errands (per se). Just us. It's been nice, especially after a crazy Christmas vacation and ringing in the New Years sick.Saturday morning Drew took the boys to the healthclub so that I could

Pics of Zoe, the Cutest Niece Ever.

Published on 2013-01-10 07:00:00

One of our Christmas presents to my little niece was a little princess skirt. I loved it and knew I had to get it for her. I think Zoe liked it too. Here are a few pics I took of Zoe after she got her skirt. We were so bummed to not have a big bow to

Tractor Rides on the Family Farm.

Published on 2013-01-09 15:17:00

I have lots of fond memories growing up with my moms side of the family. My moms family is Italian, so family events were loud and large. And they were almost always at the family farm in New Orleans. Our family still owns some of that land, and my U

IT'S A....

Published on 2013-01-07 13:11:00

Growing up I knew I wanted to be a mommy. And I was a little non-traditional in the fact that I dreamed of being an all-boy mom. I just love having sons. Sure, having a daughter would have been fun too. And truth be told, I really didn't care either

19 weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-01-07 07:00:00

How Far Along: 19 weeks, 3 days (this picture isn't the best... Connor was screaming and I was in a hustle to get out of the house for church. I didn't realize my hands/arms were covering my belly until I loaded the pic tonight. Oh well.) Size of bab

Big Boy Beds and Sharing Rooms. It's Time.

Published on 2013-01-06 19:53:00

We have had a pretty boring weekend. Connor is recovering from what was most likely the flu (I never had him checked, but he had every symptom that the CDC says is associated with the flu, so we treated it as such), and I am keeping them away from al

Braydenisms & The Pledge of Allegiance.

Published on 2013-01-04 08:09:00

Brayden has been saying and doing some of the funniest things lately, and I needed to record them all so I don't forget.* I cleaned the bathrooms and forgot to flush the toilet after I had scrubbed it. Brayden went in there to go to the bathroom afte

Christmas Pictures.

Published on 2013-01-03 06:30:00

I realize I'm a few days late and a dollar short with these pictures, but I honestly have just now had time to sort through the massive amounts of pics I took over Christmas. We had a great Christmas day. It was pretty laid back: cinnamon rolls (we p

18 Weeks {a pregnancy update}.

Published on 2013-01-02 06:30:00

How Far Along: 18 weeks, 5 days (I need to get my act together and post these sooner!)Size of baby: 6 inches long, weighs .5lbs, about the size of a mango.Total Weight Gain/Loss: 5 pounds was the last I checked. I should know next week how much I gai

A Happy, SIck New Year.

Published on 2013-01-01 20:12:00

We had big plans last night to go out to dinner with friends (we live life on the edge, yall!). That all got changed when Connor came down with a fever around 5pm. Bummer. Drew and Brayden ended up going to our neighbors and having a small party ther

A trip to Gigi and Poppa D's {Christmas, Part 1}.

Published on 2012-12-31 06:30:00

We didn't have a white Christmas this year. White Christmas' just aren't in the cards when you travel to Louisiana. But we did have a lot of fun with my family, so I think we ended up faring well despite not getting the fluffy white stuff.Fun little

A Laid Back, Snowy Weekend.

Published on 2012-12-30 19:44:00

We are slowly coming out of the post-traveling funk. I feel like I just draaagggg for several days after traveling. And it doesn't help that I'm pregnant, so even doing mundane every day tasks can zap me of any energy I may have.Friday we had a few f

Brayden's Pre-K Christmas Program.

Published on 2012-12-29 08:30:00

The last day of of the semester for Brayden's MDO preschool there was a Christmas program that the 3 and 4 year old classes performed in for the parents.For the few weeks leading up to his little program, Brayden and I practiced his songs with youtub

17 Weeks {pregnancy update}.

Published on 2012-12-27 20:36:00

We're officially back from Christmas vacation. Our travel plans were delayed thanks to a Christmas snow storm that hit Central Arkansas on Christmas night. We weren't quite sure what to expect today when we left Baton Rouge, but are ever so thankful

9 Years as a Mrs.

Published on 2012-12-20 11:11:00

9 years ago today, I became a Mrs.(photo credit: Tammy Belin)I said it then, and I will say it now. Marrying Drew was the best decision I have ever made.The past 9 years have been: fun, happy, hard, filled with laughter (and tears), filled with the h

Connor's First Trip to the Dentist.

Published on 2012-12-20 06:30:00

This week we had a milestone for Connor: his first dentist visit. Brayden was so excited to show him the ropes of going to the dentist.When we got there, they both wanted to see the gorilla that sits outside of the door to the office. Brayden even as

16 Weeks {Pregnancy Update}.

Published on 2012-12-19 06:30:00

We took this picture on Sunday. It's hideous, I know. Gotta love the t-shirt and sweats days :)How Far Along: 16 weeks, 5 days.Size of baby: the baby is the size of a Turnip, measuring approximately 5 inches long and weighing approximately 5 ounces.T

In Honor of the Sandy Hook Victims.

Published on 2012-12-18 00:00:00

P&G eStore {Review}.

Published on 2012-12-17 06:00:00

As a busy mom that is on the go a lot, sometimes it's just a little stressful heading to the store with both kids in tow. Trying to grab what I need while simultaneously keeping my kids at bay... yeah, it gives me stomach ulcers. Which is why, whenev

Annual White Elephant/Ugly Sweater Party {Weekend in Review}

Published on 2012-12-16 21:57:00

For the past several years, our community group (which is a loose term, since we've grown and split almost 7 times over 10 years) has gotten together at Christmas time for a white elephant party. Last year we added ugly sweaters to the mix. It is by

Christmas Card 2012.

Published on 2012-12-13 06:30:00

We cut back on how many Christmas cards we sent out this year. I SO wish I could send a card out to each and every one of the people who read this blog, and to every single friend and family member, but if I did that, we might go broke ;) So from our

One Day I'll Hate It, So Today I'll Try to Love It.

Published on 2012-12-12 13:27:00

This year I have had the opportunity to be a part of a BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) group locally. I'll admit, I was a bit nervous about joining at first.... most of the people I talked to either HATED it or LOVED it. There was no in between. I start

15 Weeks {Pregnancy Update}

Published on 2012-12-11 06:30:00

How Far Along: 15 weeks, 4 days.Size of baby: as big as an apple, measuring about 4 inches long and weighing about 2-3 ounces.Total Weight Gain/Loss: 4 poundsMaternity Clothes: maternity tops for the most part, and a combination of maternity/non-mate

Arms & Parades {Weekend in Review}.

Published on 2012-12-09 19:42:00

Well, this weekend didn't go quite as planned, but such is life. We still had a good weekend all in all, and that's about all anyone can ask for.Friday night we had some friends over for dinner. It's always fun enjoying another couple's company, and

A Slithery House Guest.

Published on 2012-12-04 07:00:00

My Monday this week started off like most typical Mondays... a bit of a lull followed by a rush to get out of the door on time. I was trying to pick up a few odds and ends before I brought the boys to school. Thankfully the boys were in the living ro

{Pregnancy Update} 14 Weeks.

Published on 2012-12-03 08:00:00

How Far Along: 14 weeks, 3 days.Size of baby: as big as a naval orange, 4.5 inches long and weighing 2-3ouncesTotal Weight Gain/Loss: 4 poundsMaternity Clothes: maternity tops for the most part, non-maternity pants. My regular pants are starting to

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas {Weekend in Review}.

Published on 2012-12-02 19:09:00

I have to giggle at the title of my post. I've had that title in my head all weekend, and yet, in all reality, it really doesn't LOOK like Christmas, as we're all sporting t-shirts and shorts on December 2nd. At least our activities resembled Christm

A Phone Picture Dump.

Published on 2012-11-29 14:30:00

I have way too many pictures on my phone right now that I need to document, but have been so busy I haven't taken the time to transfer them over until now. I love having a camera on my phone. They're not the best quality, but they capture those quick

Multiplying Love.

Published on 2012-11-28 08:27:00

In an earlier post I mentioned the way that my love for my kids wasn't divided when Connor was born, but it was multiplied. I got a comment from a blog friend who is expecting her second. She's in the throws of second pregnancy questioning. Been ther

13 Weeks.

Published on 2012-11-26 10:05:00

(this picture was taken at the end of the day on Saturday, a day when I had eaten 2 Thanksgiving meals in 1 day. Thus, my belly looks a lot bigger than it really is. Atleast that's my story :) )How Far Along: 13 weeks, 3 days.Size of baby: The baby i

Thanksgiving 2012: Highs and Lows.

Published on 2012-11-25 21:36:00

We had a good Thanksgiving, albeit a rather uneventful one thanks to two sickies. I was super bad about not taking pictures, so my apologies to my readers and specifically to my future self, who will more than likely be bummed I didn't get picks of t

Thankful in All Things.

Published on 2012-11-21 07:00:00

photo credit Mr T in DC via Flickr

12 Weeks.

Published on 2012-11-20 07:00:00

I actually hit my weekly milestones on Fridays, but because life is super busy, and because I rarely wear makeup on the weekdays, these will most likely come on Mondays (it's on Tuesday this week because I wasn't about to steal Connor's thunder on hi

Connor is 2.

Published on 2012-11-19 10:00:00

Two years ago, my life was changed forever, as we welcomed our second son into the world. I'll admit, at the time I was overwhelmed by fear. Fear that I may not be able to do the whole two kid thing, fear that I wouldn't be able to love another littl

Birthday Parties and Parks {Weekend in Review}

Published on 2012-11-19 06:38:00

We have had a great weekend, full of food, friends and laughter... the best of weekends for sure. The big headline was definitely Connor's 2nd birthday party on Saturday.If you know me at all, you know I am a type A planner. I have everything on list

A Few of the Details, and a Picture.

Published on 2012-11-14 07:00:00

Thank you so much for all of the sweet comments yesterday! We are so very excited. There were a couple of questions thrown my way (mainly when I was due), so I thought I'd fill in some of the blanks that yesterday's announcement didn't fill. When am

A Little Message from the Big Boys...

Published on 2012-11-13 07:00:00

Brayden is beginning to teach Connor the ropes of being a big brother. You know, like giving hugs, kisses, and the occasional punch in the gut ;)Yep. You're reading right. Connor won't be the littlest in our family for much longer.Our family is EXPEC

Life Lately.

Published on 2012-11-11 19:51:00

I realize that I kind of fell off the bandwagon this week in regards to blogging. My apologies.The break, although not necessarily purposeful, was much needed. My mind has been wandering lately, and I felt like it was good for me to unplug (well, not

Batman, Football & Campfires | Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-11-04 21:23:00

We had a fun filled weekend this weekend. I'm pretty sure that it met every one of Brayden's dreams. He was one happy boy when I put him to bed on Sunday night.Friday was the annual toy land that Walmart puts on in November. We've been the past two y

The Guest Bedroom Update.

Published on 2012-11-02 09:24:00

I actually finished (well, partly finished) the guest bedroom a few weeks ago, but have just not taken the time to take pictures of it.I still have a few things I'd like to do, but we ran out of our blow money for the house, so we're back to saving u

Pumpkin Carving 2012.

Published on 2012-11-01 07:36:00

Brayden is really getting into all of the holiday festivities this year. He's already asked several times when we could get a Christmas tree. So B was a bit excited to find out that we were going to carve another pumpkin this year (you can see last y

Trick-R-Treat 2012.

Published on 2012-10-31 21:11:00

We've had a fun, candy-filled day. Both of the boys had so much sugar, I was afraid they'd go into a diabetic coma. Just a warning: this post is probably going to be boring unless you are related to us. But I love looking back at what we did, so want

Braydenisms and 3 Year Old Fashion.

Published on 2012-10-30 20:55:00

Brayden is in a really endearing stage right now. Don't get me wrong, he still presses my buttons better than any other person on earth, and most days we have our quarrels. But he also keeps me rolling with the things he says. I haven't decided yet if he knows he's being funny, or if he's just got the cutest little imagination... perhaps it's a combination of both. I've written most of these on facebook, but wanted to document them here so I wouldn't forget.Me: Brayden, for dinner, do you want n [..]

AWANA Costume Night.

Published on 2012-10-26 07:30:00

Well, it's the moment Brayden's been waiting for since I got his costume at Rhea Lana's a couple of months ago... costume parties galore.This year Brayden is Spider-Man. I enter this season slightly sad. No more really cute Halloween costumes where people think your kid is adorable (I mean, Brayden IS adorable, but Spider-Man doesn't catch the oooo's and ahhhhh's quite like a tiny cowboy or monkey).Last night Brayden had costume night at AWANA, and he was beside himself with excitement to dress [..]

2012 Pumpkin Patch Fun.

Published on 2012-10-24 21:37:00

One family tradition Drew and I started when Brayden was a baby, was to go to the Pumpkin Patch in the fall. Since Drew is off of work this week, we took the opportunity to go on a weekday to miss the crowds. We practically had the whole farm to ourselves. The boys had so much fun playing games, picking out a pumpkin (we waited till the very end of the season this year, so the picking was sparse), going on a hayride and mule train ride, and posing for pictures at all of the little stations. (To [..]

Showering Rachel and Thatcher.

Published on 2012-10-23 08:00:00

Last week I attended a shower for a good friend of mine, Rachel. She's having her third baby, and her first boy in just a few weeks. I can't wait to meet little Thatcher and see his sweet face! I loved getting to catch up with friends, pig out on some good food, and see lots of cute baby stuff.Me and Rachel. Can't wait to welcome her into the "mom of boys" club ;)these little containers had ties in them... for the little man!my favorite part of any shower... FOOD!all the shower peeps. Rachel is [..]

Weekend in Review: Family Pictures, Goose Eggs & Hiking.

Published on 2012-10-21 19:54:00

We've had quite the weekend this weekend, and I feel like I need to sleep for about 48 hours to recuperate. Too bad sleeping for even 12 hours hasn't happened in years. I digress....Saturday morning Drew headed out to help some friends move. For some reason solo Saturdays seem so much harder than the week days. I've yet to figure out why. Brayden was actually unusually compliant. I think the Lord knew I needed a little reprieve :)I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins for breakfast on Saturday. I [..]

A Few of My Favorite Charities.

Published on 2012-10-20 08:47:00

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is hosting a link up for people to share some of their favorite charities. I thought I'd share three of our family's favorite organizations, both locally and nationally. COMMUNITY KIDS CLOSETThis is by far one of my favorite organizations to donate to during the fall and spring. It's local to Northwest Arkansas. Basically they run a clothes campaign (they accept monetary donations as well) for kids living below the poverty line in our local school system. They provid [..]

The AWANA Handbook and His Best.

Published on 2012-10-18 07:30:00

This year we decided to try out AWANA. Brayden has always had a love for memorizing scripture, something that I have wanted to encourage and cultivate, and capture while he is still young. AWANA seemed to be the perfect solution for that, because, if I'm honest, I'm not the best at remembering to work on him with memorization and educational activities. I was kind of nervous that he might not like it, but considering he cried when the first night was over, I'd say it's been a smashing success.In [..]

No More Washing or Bandaids: An Update on Connor's Finger.

Published on 2012-10-17 08:30:00

Yesterday we traveled to the orthopaedic surgeons office for another check up of Connor's finger. I feel like I'm on a first name basis with the staff. We've been there 3 times in the past month. I also feel like we should just start auto deducting Drew's paycheck to Walmart (that's the only place we shop for groceries and lifes necessities) and the doctors.

Silent Auction Item {5 Hours Babysitting from Professional Nanny- NWA only}

Published on 2012-10-16 20:22:00

You are bidding on a babysitting package from Molly McCaskill, a professional nanny in the Northwest Arkansas area.

Brayden's First Razorback Game.

Published on 2012-10-16 07:44:00

I decided to forego my traditional weekend in review and instead post two separate posts for the weekend happenings. I grabbed a Hog nose for Brayden at Walmart on the way to the game. He LOVES it. He was also heartbroken when we got to the stadium and he realized he had forgotten it in the car. There were lots of tears.Saturday we loaded up ourselves and my Uncle Paul and headed down to U of A for the Razorback football game. I have to admit I was a little nervous going into the game. Brayden c [..]

Silent Auction Item {Custom Wooden Wreath}.

Published on 2012-10-15 21:38:00

YOU ARE BIDDING ON ONE (1) CUSTOM WOOD WREATH. The wreath is approximately 22 inches in diameter and constructed from solid oak board. You will choose all colors (ie: team colors, holiday colors, etc). Available patterns include polka dots (shown), chevron or stripes. Suggested retail value is $60. HOW TO BID:Place your bid in the comments section of this blog post.Leave NAME, EMAIL, and BID.All bids must be made in $1 increments. If the last bid is $9 then your bid must be $10.Bidding will clos [..]

Silent Auction Item {Personalized Custom Rubber State Stamp}.

Published on 2012-10-15 16:44:00

This week I'll be participating in a Silent Auction that benefits Julee and Preslee Turner. I have loved seeing the blog community come together and shower love on someone in such a heavy time (Julee recently lost her husband Matt in a tragic car accident). It's times like these that make me proud to be a blogger and be included in such an amazing community.At first I couldn't figure out what I could donate to a silent auction. Then I thought of something perfect. Isn't it adorable?!

The Nightly Water Washing.

Published on 2012-10-11 13:01:00

By far the hardest thing thus far with Connor's finger injury has been the nightly soaks that are required. At the beginning of all of this amputation fun, we were told that the best way for us to really keep Connor's finger tip clean and avoid infection was to soak it in a solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water.... for 15 minutes.Sounds easy enough, until you throw into the equation that we're dealing with a 22 month old. And if you know anything about 22 month olds, then you know that [..]

Perspective {Weekend in Review}.

Published on 2012-10-08 17:38:00

Like most in our community, I'm still in a state of shock regarding the tragic loss of Matt Turner. My heart just aches for his sweet wife Julee, and their precious baby girl, Preslee. This weekend has left me with a lot of perspective. Perspective that life is short and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Perspective that I am incredibly blessed, and instead of focusing on the little things that may annoy me, to focus on the great big things that bless me every minute of the day. Perspective th [..]

The Corn Maze 2012.

Published on 2012-10-04 21:26:00

The past two years our church has had a family night at a local corn maze. You can read all about our trip to the corn maze last year. We headed to the corn maze again last night and had a blast! I have loved experiencing these things with Brayden again this year... he remembers from last year and just gets over the moon excited about them!I figured pictures in their little photobooth should be taken first, since the boys were both still in great moods. Not sure it really helped that much :)bles [..]

A Few Updates and I'm Guest Posting.

Published on 2012-10-03 07:26:00

I'm in a serious blogging rut. Partly because we have been so busy, but partly because I just don't have a lot to say at the moment. I promise I'll do a better job-- especially since we have some fun things planned for the month of October with our boys!Speaking of boys, I forgot to update yall on Connor last week. His finger is doing well, and all stitches are out. He's getting better about sitting with us at night to clean it (we have to soak it in a hydrogen peroxide solution for 15 minutes e [..]

Razorback Parties, Trails and Pictures | Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-09-30 16:11:00

What a fun weekend we have had this weekend!Saturday morning I had a photoshoot. I was nervous all week because the weather forecast had called for rain, but luckily it was just really overcast, which is actually great for pictures. I took pictures of some really dear friends of ours... they turned out awesome! Isn't this family the cutest???this was the setting that I had to work with. Love this little gem hidden within the city!Later Saturday morning I met up with Drew, and together our family [..]

Bikes, Blues & BBQ.

Published on 2012-09-27 14:34:00

My boys, like most boys, are motorcycle fanatics. Especially my Connor. He can spot a motorcycle from a mile away. Last year we brought the boys to the local bike festival, Bikes Blues and BBQ, and figured we'd start making a tradition out of it with them. So we packed up last night and headed down to Dickson Street.Connor and Brayden were SO excited about it. I had told Brayden earlier in the day we would go when Drew got home from work. Several times throughout the afternoon B would come up to [..]

Playin' Trains.

Published on 2012-09-26 13:07:00

One of Connor's favorite things to do is play with his "choo-choo's". I love sitting in the playroom watching him play. He'll just sit there and talk to himself as he pushes and pulls the engines across the tracks. (these are obviously taken before his finger injury. It kind of makes me sad seeing his finger all healthy in this picture).I love how meticulous he plays. He's SO different than Brayden in that regard, and I love it. I love that he is his own little person.his favorite part of the tr [..]

22 Months.

Published on 2012-09-24 20:22:00

This post is a little late thanks to our eventful week last week. But I wanted to take some time to document Connor at 22 months (he also gets the honor of being my 1000th post!) Connor weighs about 30 pounds. He wears size 2T or 3T tops, and size 2T bottoms. We have to roll his pants up a lot because his legs are a lot shorter than how big his waist is ;)He's starting to show some interest in the potty. I'm not pushing things, just like I didn't with Brayden.He LOVES LOVES LOVES Brayden. In the [..]

Ella's Carnival Party.

Published on 2012-09-23 19:21:00

Well, I meant to blog about Ella's birthday party this week, but the loss of a finger tip kind of bumped it down the priority list :/ We didn't do much this weekend that was very blog worthy, so instead of my typical weekend in review post, I'm going back to last weekend to one of the biggest highlights for us: our little friend Ella turning 3!We went to Ella's birthday party last week and it was a BLAST! Her mom, Rebekah, and I are friends, and they just moved back to NWA... we couldn't be more [..]

A Visit to the Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Published on 2012-09-19 19:14:00

Today was Connor's 22 month birthday. Visiting the orthopaedic surgeon was NOT what I had on my to-do list for today, but things have changed (in case you missed it, C severed the tip of his finger in a freak accident at MDO this week) and I think our lives are going to look a little bit different for the next several weeks.(sidenote: there are two gory pictures below. I'm just telling you now so you can prepare. If you saw the pics from the previous post, these are not any worse... I promise).I [..]

Connor's First Trip to the ER.

Published on 2012-09-17 21:27:00

Well, it finally happened. After 3.5 years of being a boy mom, I found myself today in the ER with a bloody gory mess of a boy after a little incident at MDO. Who knew it would be my little Connor who would be my first trip there with a child??? I'll just go ahead and forewarn you that I'm including some pretty graphic pictures of the trauma. Not because I want to gross people out, but because this blog is my scrapbook, and I want to remember the details, even the gory ones, of today (I'll post [..]

Weekend in Review: Rain, The Hogs & Silly Brayden.

Published on 2012-09-16 20:03:00

After our first week of full fall activities, we had a relatively calm weekend.Friday we had a steady, hard rain for most of the day. This meant that we were stuck inside all day. I officially declared it movie day. We spent most of the day watching movies or coloring. At one point Brayden asked for chocolate cookies. I obliged.Coloring time on daddy's table from when he was a little boy. I've moved the table out of Brayden's room into the kitchen. I think we'll use it more if it's in there.swee [..]

Chicken Spaghetti {Recipe}.

Published on 2012-09-14 08:04:00

One sign of fall means that our fall community groups and bible studies start back up. I'm just going to be honest... feeding lots of people is not really my specialty, and kind of gives me hives just thinking about it. It just is so daunting finding a meal that more than 10 people will all agree is good.Thankfully this chicken spaghetti is always a crowd favorite. It also makes a GREAT freezer meal, so I usually try to double the recipe and then freeze the other half so that I have a meal in th [..]

Mid-Week Rambles.

Published on 2012-09-12 20:59:00

Remember when I said that this was our first full week of our fall schedule? It's been good so far, but I'm about pooped and we still have a few more activities up our sleeve before we find weekend reprieve. I'm thankful for each activity in our life right now; we are a good kind of full.Today was my very first day of BSF. I've been nervous about this all summer. After several friends had suggested I atleast try BSF, and I was strongly encouraged by the teaching leader (who we had been serving w [..]

How to Back Up Your Blogger Blog (new interface).

Published on 2012-09-10 19:52:00

Earlier today I wrote some simple instructions on how to back up your Blogger blog using the old interface. Here are some instructions for the new interface .1. Open up your Blogger Dashboard. Click on the little drop down menu that the red arrow is pointing to: It will open up this drop down menu:2.Click on SETTINGS.This will bring you to your settings basic menu, which looks like this:3. Click on OTHER in the settings menu (down in the bottom left corner of your screen) This is what the screen [..]

How to Backup Your Blogger Blog.

Published on 2012-09-10 15:18:00

Over the past two weeks I have had several friends who have had the blogger heartattack... their server goes down, and just like that, they think that all of their blogging work has disappeared into a cyber black hole. I've had the same thing happen, and honestly, that pit in your stomach feeling is NO fun.Thankfully, Blogger gives you an option to backup your blog! It's SUPER easy to follow, even for the technologically challenged. Here's what you do:1. Open up your Blogger dashboard. This is w [..]

Embracing the Little Joys.

Published on 2012-09-10 09:30:00

"The holy grail of joy is not in some exotic location or some emotional mountain peak experience. The joy wonder could be here! Here, in the messy, piercing ache of now, joy might be-- unbelieveably-- possible!"~Ann Voskamp Sometimes I feel like my life is a long journey that is flying by at the speed of light. I often tell my friends not to wish away the moments they are in now, because when we look back, we'll realize that we overlooked some of the best moments of our lives. And as much as I s [..]

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-09-09 19:21:00

We haven't done anything super noteworthy this weekend, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't even get my big camera out! So this one may be a bit short and sweet (with really bad phone pics). You've been warned ;)Friday we had a huge storm that came in and it finally took away the high humidity and temperatures and replaced it with fall weather. It's been glorious! Since it was storming we spent most of the day inside. The boys played dress up and asked to take a picture... I mean, I [..]

The Expectations of Motherhood {A Guest Post}.

Published on 2012-09-07 07:36:00

Hi A Dollop Of My Life readers! My name is Lindsay and I blog over at You Are The Roots. I'm a first-time mom married to my high-school sweetheart, raising our sweet 14-month old little boy, Ethan, down in southeast Florida. I'm so excited to be here on Lindsey's blog today -- thank you so much for having me!Being Ethan's mommy is nothing short of wonderful. Each day is a new and unpredictable adventure, packed to the brim with laughter, tears, fear and that butterflies-in-the-belly feeling of l [..]

A Few Brayden Short Stories.

Published on 2012-09-05 08:00:00

One morning as I was attempting to pull myself out of bed, Brayden ran in the room with 403281 questions on his mind and his mouth rambling 900 words per minute. One of the first questions to pop out of his mouth at 6:15 in the morning was about this wedding picture of Drew and I (it's my fave):The conversation went like this:B: Is that at your wedding? With daddy?Me: yes! That's at my wedding. B: I was there?Me: No, you weren't there. You weren't born.B: Oh.... (thinking for a bit)... I was at [..]

Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner {Review & Giveaway}

Published on 2012-09-04 08:00:00

Recently, I ran out of shampoo and conditioner, and instead of going to the store to stock back up on the same brand I had been purchasing, I decided to deplete the large stash of travel sized samples I had collected over the past 2 years. I was busy comparing all the different brands, when I received an email asking if I would like to try one of Dove's new conditioners.Um... yes, please! I tossed my sample containers aside, and traded them for this beauty:Considering the fact that it's summer a [..]

Labor Day Weekend.

Published on 2012-09-03 20:46:00

We have had a laid back, relaxing weekend. It's been so good, and the best part is that it's still not over, since Drew has off until Wednesday. I figured I'd share with you a few things we've been up to this weekend.Friday we ran errands as a family. One of the first things we did was to stop by a wooded area for Brayden to release Tiny Tim, our resident turtle. I was really scared that the release would be mildly traumatic, and involve some sort of tears. But Brayden was really OK with the fac [..]

Tiny Tim the Turtle.

Published on 2012-08-31 07:30:00

Last year in school, Brayden learned the song "Tiny Tim."There was a little turtle.His name was Tiny Tim.I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim.He drank up all the water.He ate up all the soap.And now he's sick in bed with a bubble in his throat. POP!It's one of his favorite little tunes, and he often walks around the house humming or singing it to himself.This is why I was a crazy mom, and stopped in the middle of the road the other day, turned on my hazards, and ran like mad towards [..]

How to Use Bokeh in Photoshop {A Photography Guest Post}.

Published on 2012-08-30 08:00:00

I have another guest post for you guys today that I think my fellow photo junkies will enjoy. I'm not really sure how I found Becky's blog (www.thejavamama.com), but I've loved following her stories and pictures. She has a precious little boy named Connor (great minds think alike!), who has the cutest head of curly hair I've ever laid eyes on. Becky's a fellow photo junkie like me, and thought she'd share a little tutorial on adding some bling to your pics. Enjoy!Bokeh can be a fun effect on a p [..]

Homemade Salsa.

Published on 2012-08-29 07:43:00

If there was one party staple that people literally beg me to bring, it's my homemade salsa. This stuff is AMAZING, and SO easy to make. My favorite part about it is that you don't have to put it in a blender. Just chop, combine and let it sit for a few hours, and you are ready to have an amazing fiesta. This recipe is actually built off of a recipe that a friend of mine gave me years ago. I've tweaked it over the years to adjust to our taste buds, and this is the final result. Homemade Salsa28o [..]

First Day of MDO.

Published on 2012-08-28 08:30:00

Yesterday was the boy's first day of MDO for the school year. I don't know who was more excited, me or them. It's crazy to think how much they've changed over just these summer months of being off. We were all ready for them to be back though... don't get me wrong, I love my boys to death. But the time away is healthy for all of us.On the way to school this yesterday morning, Brayden asked about some of his friends that had been in his MDO class last year (specifically Collin, Marlow and Ben). H [..]

A Visit from the Great and the Grands {Weekend in Review}.

Published on 2012-08-27 07:45:00

We had the extra special treat this weekend of hosting my Great Uncle Mike and my parents. We were all very excited to see everyone, but none was more excited than my Brayden and Connor. They were over the moon happy to wake up on Friday and be greeted in person with 3 of their very favorite people in the world.Friday morning Uncle Mike and my dad brought Brayden and Connor for donuts. Brayden was so excited when he came home and told me he got one with SPRINKLES. He also excitedly told me that [..]

New House: The Laundry Room.

Published on 2012-08-24 07:00:00

Oh friends. You just thought I was done with my new house tour. But I saved the best for last.At our last house we had a laundry closet. I always said I wanted a laundry room, and the Lord was good in providing for me in that department in our new house. Meet my laundry room.The door you see there goes to the garage. To the right is a sink. I'm planning on putting a cute canvas/saying over the sink. Haven't quite decided which one yet. I would like to eventually put a shelf over the tops of the [..]

Just Some Randoms.

Published on 2012-08-23 07:00:00

Thought I'd dump some of the recent phone pics on here. Have I mentioned I love having a camera on my phone? Great backup on those days when I don't want to lug around my big guns.The boys are almost always in some sort of superhero gear. This particular morning I needed to get ready so put on Toy Story. Connor plopped down to watch, superhero gear and all. Melted my heart. The other night Drew yelled at me to come to the kitchen quick. This guy had hopped in when he opened the door. I SO wished [..]

DIY Antique Window Picture Frame

Published on 2012-08-21 07:00:00

Well, I finally finished my antique window picture frame. And if I do say so myself, it's pretty fabulous.Here's the deal. When I looked on pinterest and the internet, there were a tons of pictures of these antique window turned picture frames. But no tutorials or help on actually how to convert it. And not that I'm saying that what I did should be the gold standard, but in an attempt to at least help other sisters (or brothers) out, I thought I'd outline what I did. It started out like this. We [..]

On Being a Boy Mom as a Girly Girl {Guest Post}.

Published on 2012-08-20 08:30:00

I've started asking a few of my bloggy friends to guest post for me. I think it's good to give another perspective on this whole mom thing, and I happen to love the perspective that a lot of my blog friends bring to the table. If you're interested in guest blogging, feel free to shoot me an email at lifesdollop@gmail.com . Jenna is my guest today. We've actually gotten to know each other in real life as well as in the blog world... my boys LOVE spending time with her boys (Brayden calls her olde [..]

The Fair and A Trauma {Weekend in Review}.

Published on 2012-08-19 16:49:00

Well, we've experienced a lot of high's and lows this week. The highs included rain, low(er) temps and some fun family outings. The low was most definitely Brayden's worst trauma to date: a toe injury that has left him hobbly for a bit while he recovers. More on that later.Friday night it was SO beautiful. It was seriously the first time all summer we've been able to be outside without breaking a sweat. So we celebrated by going to a local trail and taking a little family stroll. Brayden rode hi [..]

Embracing the Dirty Moments.

Published on 2012-08-17 06:45:00

"Momma, momma... he's drinking the water!!!" said Brayden in a frantic voice, rushing into the kitchen with despair that Connor was doing something he clearly shouldn't be doing. I dried my hands off and rushed outside behind Brayden to find Connor. As I rounded the corner of the yard, there he was. Connor, in all his toddler glory, was shoveling dirty, nasty, stagnant rain water and pouring it into his mouth and down his shirt.My first reaction was to say "sick!" and yank the shovel out of his [..]

Fried Food, Dr Pepper and Walmart.

Published on 2012-08-16 07:00:00

On Tuesday I attempted Walmart (and a haircut at Walmart for B) with both boys. By myself. I'm not even sure why I thought this was a good idea, since we had to wait for about 30 minutes for B's haircut. And that was BEFORE we shopped for groceries. It was pretty likely that an implosion of some sort was imminent during our trip at that point. I still thought the trip was doable though, so after the haircut (to which Brayden was SUPER picky to the lady and told her how to gel his hair... [..]

Numbers 95 and 72.

Published on 2012-08-15 07:00:00

impressive musclesplease notice this outfit. He wears it every. single. day. I seriously cannot wait until he outgrows it. number 72 is a lot harder to capture. Had to go with action shots.equally impressive musclesthey drive me batty insane. And then I see pictures like this and my heart melts into a million pieces. This is why I do what I do people.I tried to get him to do the Usain Bolt pose. haha!in case you can't see it, that's a jelly bean in his hand. My vain attempt tempting the boys to [..]

I Always Said I'd Never Be That Mother.

Published on 2012-08-14 06:30:00

Years ago, before I had kids, I could hand you a list of things I would or wouldn't do. Because, you know, I was the best parent that had ever graced planet earth, and by gone, I knew I could nail this whole parenting thing right smack on the nail head.And then I had kids, and the whole world laughed at me.I went from saying my kids would never, ever watch tv. Or if they did, it would only be for educational purposes, and never for longer than 20 minutes. Oh how I suffer from foot in mouth. Unle [..]

Farmer's Market, Rhea Lana's & a Baby Shower {Weekend in Review}.

Published on 2012-08-12 21:09:00

Remember in my past two weekend in review posts, where I mentioned that my fall schedule was filling up fast? Yeah, I wasn't kidding. This weekend has been JAM PACKED with activities and events, so much so that I'm not sure I can even keep my eyes open to type up a post. But seeing how I'm the sentimental kind, I'll try ;)This entire past week I've been working at the local consignment sale that I shop at, Rhea Lana's. I've bought my boys clothes there since Brayden was born. Honestly, it's the [..]

Serving Your Judas (and a few other things)

Published on 2012-08-10 10:51:00

In a conversation during bible study the other night, someone said:"Your quest to become more like Jesus is not complete without a Judas."

Grasshopper, Grasshopper What Do You See?

Published on 2012-08-08 06:30:00

I see little boys chasing after me!This summer has been both incredibly hot, and incredibly dry. It's been an unfortunately combination to say the least, and has left us with little time to spend outdoors, since I am deathly afraid of heat stroke and dehydration. The plus side to the drought is that we have had an abundance of grasshoppers. A crazy abundance in fact. yes. This is gross. Yes. I encouraged it. It won't kill him. And they love them. My boys have delighted in being able to walk in t [..]

Meal Planning.

Published on 2012-08-07 06:30:00

This summer I'm in a bible study that's all about embracing my job as a woman to be a Keeper of my home. It's a study I did last summer, and I learned so much from it last summer I wanted to do it again this year. You can read HERE about my experience last summer.This past week we went over being a manager of your home. I was asked to share with the group how I go about planning our meals as a family. This is something I've always done. It helps us stay on budget with our food, and makes things [..]

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-08-05 18:00:00

We've had another leisurely weekend with absolutely nothing on the agenda. It feels nice to say that, especially considering our fall calendar, which is quickly filling up.Friday I went out for a girls night to dinner and a movie. We saw Step Up, and it was my first 3D movie experience. I can honestly say that my favorite part of the night was not the movie itself (although it was good), but 3 of my best friends dancing (one of whom is 25 weeks pregnant) after the movie was over. The little teen [..]

A Stirring to Make the Rest Count.

Published on 2012-08-02 19:23:00

Have you ever been in a place in your life where you feel the Lord gently stirring your heart? A place where you feel like He's drawing you more into His will and bringing you further away from the world and all it's distractions? I'm there. I've been there for the past couple of weeks, but over the past two in particular, the Lord has impressed upon my heart a burden that won't go away.It started several weeks ago when something just didn't feel right. I mentioned it to my best friend, Katie, o [..]

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-07-30 07:00:00

We've had a laid back, lazy weekend, which was just what the doctor ordered. Watching my fall calendar fill up quickly has made me keep most of the rest of our summer weekends empty.Friday my cousin, Sarah, watched the boys for us so that we could go on a much-much needed date. We went and ate Mexican food and then caught a showing on the new Batman movie. It was so good to get out as just the two of us! Since Brayden loves to take pictures with my phone, I snagged our little photog and

Winners of I Love You All The Time.

Published on 2012-07-29 21:13:00

Oh yall. I am just failing on the timely blogging these days. Unless my posts are scheduled, chances are they will be late. Same goes for email responses (which are never scheduled, but it seems like I've been HORRIBLE at responding to my blog and business emails). SO sorry to not post this when I said I would. But, as I like to say, better late than never :) The winners were drawn via random.org:

How I Display Pictures (So Far Anyway).

Published on 2012-07-27 09:17:00

I'll be honest. I'm TERRIBLE at getting pictures developed. Which is slightly ironic seeing how I take SO many pictures of the boys on an almost daily basis. It's just a lot easier for me to edit, upload and blog about them than it is to edit, crop, upload, and order them. BUT... when we moved into the house I promised myself that I would start hanging some of our favorite pictures of the boys. I don't have a lot up yet, but I thought I'd show you what I have so far and then some of the ideas I [..]

Your Ideas for Handling a Strong Willed Child.

Published on 2012-07-26 09:04:00

After my post where I sent out an SOS cry for help with handling some of the -ahem- issues we're dealing with with Brayden, I received a SLEW of helpful emails, comments and facebook messages. So many in fact, that I'm almost positive I cannot send thank-yous to all of you who have weighed in on the subject (my post was even spotlighted on BlogHer!). Thankfully with as many that have responded, I felt relieved to know there were other mommy's who have been here in this battle. Some of them were [..]

3 Years. 4 Wheels.

Published on 2012-07-25 08:01:00

He's 3 years.With 4 wheels.Watch out world."Aint no stoppin' him nooooowwww!"

20 Months Old and Sweet as Sugar.

Published on 2012-07-24 07:30:00

This is a day (or two... or three... or four) late and a dollar short, buuuuuuttt..... better late than never.I I can't believe Connor is almost 2. He is just the sweetest, sweetest, sweetest little boy. He loves hugs and kisses, and will run to me with the biggest grin just to get some snuggles. I love it, and try to cherrish every moment he wants those hugs because I know all too well that soon he'll be in the throws of three year old tantrums and think I'm not the coolest anymore :/(this pict [..]

I Love You All The Time: A Children's Book Giveaway.

Published on 2012-07-23 10:00:00

A few years ago, when I was first dipping my toes into blogging, I met Laura. Not in real life, which would have been awesome, but rather, online. We instantly hit it off. There have been times when I think "surely we're sisters separated at birth." We are THAT like minded.Laura and I share a mutual love of photography. Last summer she emailed me to tell me that she felt like the Lord was telling her to give up the money she had saved so that her husband could have it for a dream he had. I have [..]

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-07-22 20:24:00

I love weekends like this weekend. With not much on the calendar, we were able to relax and enjoy each others company. Perfect.Saturday morning I ran in a local race called Race to Remember. My friend Katie had mentioned the race several weeks ago on her blog. The entire premise of the race was to remember babies who have left this earth too soon. I wanted to run for Katie's little girl Reese, but I also wanted to run for my best friend Mary Virginia's little girls, Mary Grace, Madelyn, and Cath [..]

Entryway: Update and Opinions Needed.

Published on 2012-07-20 06:30:00

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner today for Show Us Your Life. My entryway hasn't changed much since it made its blog debut earlier this year.The reason is because I'm kind of at a stall. I really like the wall color, the bead board and the picture ledge. All of those things are great. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE my antique window turned mirror. But what do I do with the rest of the walls?So bare. Makes me sad :(What about the picture ledge? Do I put pictures on? And if so, how?this is an upclose of t [..]

In Answer to Why I Pray for My Child.

Published on 2012-07-19 13:27:00

This morning I woke up like always, sat in bed reading my bible and then prayed for my day. Then, like most days, I turned on my tablet to check my mail. And I came across a comment in response to my post about my strong willed child (by the way, you guys rock at giving us advice. We've already implemented several things that were suggested, and while he's still had a handful of epic tantrums, I've also seen twice where he CHOSE to do good instead of melting down. It's a start, and I'll take sma [..]

My Strong Willed Child: A Cry for Help.

Published on 2012-07-17 13:05:00

Today we met with friends at our local splash park. We ate chicken nuggets, sipped on snow cones and ran through water fountains like there was not a care in the world.Then it was time to leave. And all hell broke loose.Leaving places has been an epic battle lately. Most who read this blog know that our first born is quite the strong-willed character. If there was a spot on the spectrum of strong will that exceed actual strong will, I'm pretty sure Brayden would be placed on that spot. If ever t [..]

Splash Park Fun.

Published on 2012-07-17 09:30:00

Last week after we went to the Oklahoma Aquarium, we ended the day when we got back in town by heading to the local splash park before going home. I rarely bring my camera to the splash park because of fear that something will happen to it in the water. I was so happy to go at dusk when the lighting was perfect, and snapped away as my boys enjoyed cooling off.nothing like a good shot to the rearBrayden's facial expressions crack me upWe ended the evening with snow cones. Something that my boys h [..]

Phone Pic Dump.

Published on 2012-07-16 10:30:00

I love having a phone that takes halfway decent pictures, but I always forget to post them. These are a few of my favorites taken over the past two weeks.These first two might be my all time favorite. The boys are really starting to develop a little brotherly friendship and it melts my heart. Don't get me wrong, they still fight like crazy. In fact, I'm pretty sure my new title should be umpire or referee. But when they play, they are so, so, so sweet. It reminds me of all those sweet ladies who [..]

Weekend in Review. Alternately Titled: Relaxation and I Could Kill My Dog.

Published on 2012-07-15 21:17:00

We have had a relatively relaxing weekend. I didn't touch my big girl camera the entire weekend, which means not many fun pictures of the boys, unfortunately for you. I do have a few good stories to share, so I'll write the post anyways :)Friday morning we went to a little playdate with some of our friends who just recently moved back to the area. It was really fun catching up and watching the littles play. Brayden may or may not have played dress up with his friend Ella. I am banned from sharin [..]

An Update on My Everyday Mantle.

Published on 2012-07-13 07:32:00

If you're a regular here, then you probably know about most of what's going on with my mantle. But since I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner for Show Us Your Life this Friday, I figured I'd compile what I've done with my mantle so far. Since this is my first mantle I've ever had, I've never decorated it for holidays or anything. This is my everyday decor. my moss letter (click HERE to read my post on how I made it-- it was SUPER simple!), inspired by Pottery Barn. I love this piece!My rustic lant [..]

The Oklahoma Aquarium.

Published on 2012-07-12 07:30:00

Drew had a couple of days off last week after the 4th, and we really wanted to do something fun as a family. Problem is, when it's 105 degrees outside, your options are pretty slim. Our neighbors had recently recommended the Oklahoma aquarium to us, and we decided it was probably our best option considering the heat, so we packed up and headed to Tulsa for the day.When we got there it was about lunchtime, so we unpacked our trunk so the boys could sit in the back and eat their lunch. They were s [..]

This Boy.

Published on 2012-07-11 07:30:00

This boyhe melts my hearthe drives me crazyhe makes me feel like I live in a zooBut I love him fiercely, all the same.

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-07-08 20:28:00

We have had a fun-filled, non-stop weekend, and I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that it's not even 7pm and my bed is calling my name. I'm pooped :)Saturday morning we had a birthday party for our friend Philip. It was a super hero party, which Brayden was SO excited about (he'd asked if his friends last weekend were going to have a spiderman party, but considering they're girls, that one didn't pan out too well for him ;) ). The boys had fun playing in the water with water baloons, and ch [..]

A Creekside 4th of July.

Published on 2012-07-06 12:55:00

Hope yall had a great 4th of July! We spent the day as a family and for the most part, aside from a few implosions from the kids, it was fabulous.We spent the morning at the splash park. I wish I had brought my camera. They played Disney music through a sound system, and Connor broke it down like nobody's business. We enjoyed snowcones at the splash park, and then finished up the morning with a quick run to Sam's for some pizza and a few grocery items. We all had great naps this afternoon, and t [..]

New House: Bathrooms.

Published on 2012-07-05 21:48:00

I'm not going to lie... my bathrooms are pretty boring. At the last house, I never decorated our bathrooms because they were so small (well, actually our master bathroom was bigger than our new master, but whatev), and since I've been all dreamy about home decor lately, the job of decorating/redoing the bathrooms seems so big I'm sure it will happen anytime soon. Also, these pics are taken on my phone because my lens on my camera was just NOT cutting it. I need a wide angle lens in a baaaad way. [..]

Great Verse for Boys.

Published on 2012-07-04 08:26:00

One of the things I am passionate about as a boy mom is raising boys who grow up to be MEN. I often pray for my boys to become men of great influence-- not just wordly influence, but spiritually influential as well, growing the Kingdom through whatever they set out to do. I pray for them to be courageous and brave, to be warriors for Jesus (Brayden's full name actually means "Brave Warrior") and to stand for what is right. The other day as I was perusing pinterest, I saw a sign that had I Corint [..]

Weekend in Review: Fourth of July Edition.

Published on 2012-07-03 09:54:00

We had a fun filled weekend, and I'm just now getting to write about it because for some reason our internet was down last night and prevented me from uploading pictures.Saturday we had TWO birthday parties. The first one was for our little friend Sophie. The party was outside, which I was kind of worried about (obviously not TOO worried about it since I totally forgot sunblock-- whoops!) considering we're dealing with record heat here. The boys did really well though, and had a blast playing wi [..]

Look Mom! No Training Wheels.

Published on 2012-06-29 12:16:00

A couple of weeks ago during Brayden's friend Avery's birthday party, Brayden saw another little boy riding his bike without training wheels. For a boy who likes to blaze the trails as a leader, he most definitely is persuaded by seeing others his age doing something he hasn't tried yet (and yes, this slightly freaks me out, but I try not to let my mind go there yet). So we came home and tried taking off his training wheels on his big boy bike. And he freaked. Which is slightly frustrating, cons [..]

Girls Trip 2012.

Published on 2012-06-28 13:31:00

Last weekend I traveled to Branson with some of my besties for a girls getaway retreat. The trip was a blast, but I came home exhausted and to a busy, full week. Thus the lack of blogging this week. Not to mention I've just been in a kind of blah mood, which means that my creativity right now is lacking. What isn't lacking, is the laughs I get when I see these pictures. I am so so so blessed to have girlfriends who love the Lord, love me, and love to have a good time. I pray that each of you are [..]

My Refinished Mirror.

Published on 2012-06-21 07:47:00

Remember the post about my living room, where I said I was going to refinish my mirror. Well, I did it! I was SO SO SO thankful that it was an easy project. After my chevron stacked frame, I'm not sure I have enough in me for something that's difficult and requires much though :)So basically, I read and watched all of the tutorials that I could find on All Things Thrifty. I seriously love her blog, and her tutorials are some of the best I've found when it comes to refinishing furniture. This mir [..]

Sleep Eating. Connor Style.

Published on 2012-06-20 07:50:00

Connor frequently falls asleep while eating. It always reminds me of all of those videos you watch on America's Funniest Home Videos of kids whacking their face in a plate full of spaghetti. It's a bit pitiful, yet it tickles your funny bone to the core. Even Brayden thinks it's hilarious (which makes me laugh harder). I finally realized I could take video with my phone, so you may be getting to see some more live clips of our lives around here. First up: Sleep Eating, Connor Style.

Summertime Yummies.

Published on 2012-06-19 10:18:00

One of my very favorite things about summer is eating Popsicles outside after dinner. It's a special treat to the kids if they eat everything on their plate. The other day we were restocking our supply, and Brayden requested the "brown popsicles" aka fudge pops. I was a bit hesitant since fudge pops are even more of a mess than popsicles. The boys have LOVED them, and even though it is a big mess to clean up, I love having the pictures of their fudge smeared faces to remember :)his "don't mess w [..]

{DIY} Stacked Chevron Picture Frame.

Published on 2012-06-18 07:53:00

One of the very first pins I ever pinned on Pinterest was this one. It was love at first sight. Stacked frames make me swoon. Source: etsy.com via Lindsey on PinterestThen I found similar frames that had chevron. And I swooned even more. And nearly fainted at the price tags. But oh... they are SO cute! Source: etsy.com via Jenni on PinterestFor the record, I have since found out that the reason people charge so darn much for these frames is that they are a pain in the rear. Lesson learned.If you [..]

Father's Day Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-06-17 21:44:00

A shout out to all the baby daddies out there... this one's for you! ;)Saturday morning we woke up bright and early (not that that's really a change to our schedule... our children wake up before the roosters) and headed down to Fayetteville to meet up with our good friends, the Allens. Katie and I left for a mountain biking excursion while the daddies stayed home with all of the children... 5 children to be exact, all ranging from 4 to 10 months. The boys did awesome and the girls had a great t [..]

New House: Connor's Room & the Master Bedroom.

Published on 2012-06-14 21:57:00

You guys... I finished my chevron stacked frame tonight! After much bickering, internal strife over not knowing how to even start a chevron taping job, and questioning whether I really had it in me, I am here to tell you that I feel much accomplished and am VERY happy with the final product. I'm hoping to have pictures and some instructions (as I a hard time finding anything that was remotely helpful when it came to taping chevron print with painters tape) sometime next week. For now, I will sho [..]

Hanging Out with Aunts and Gigi.

Published on 2012-06-14 07:17:00

I totally forgot to share the rest of the pictures from our time with my sisters, niece and mom from two weeks ago.... my mind is burning at both ends! I'll just caption each picture as I go instead of doing a run down and then posting pics. We brought the boys to a creek one day to play.I love seeing pictures of Brayden throwing. His form makes me smile. And yes, I realize this is the ball player in me and that not all moms smile when their boys throw. I'm weird. ha!Oh how he loves his Gigi.sho [..]

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Silouette.

Published on 2012-06-13 13:20:00

Meredith's Wedding. aka A Post With Pictures of Me with Makeup On.

Published on 2012-06-12 14:19:00

One of the (many) reasons I rarely put pictures of myself on the blog is because I am mostly behind the camera. Coming in at a close second in reasons why I am never in front of the camera may be because I rarely, hardly ever, wear makeup or get done up. Let's face it: a mom with two kids 3 and under means that I am often faced with the dilemma to either shower and put on makeup, or rest my feet for 30 minutes while my children nap (we all know that taking a shower while my children are awake w [..]

Weekend (& Monday) In Review.

Published on 2012-06-11 14:39:00

Salutations from the beat up wanna be mountain biker. Seriously.A little history: When Drew and I were dating, way back in the day, we used to mountain bike. Actually, the correct terminology was more like "Drew mountain biked and I came along for the ride." I enjoy mountain biking, but truth be told, I've never been phenomenal at it. After Drew was deployed back in 2005/2006, my bike sat lonely and alone in our garage, collecting dust and cobwebs. A deployment, a small bout of infertility, two [..]

New House: Kitchen.

Published on 2012-06-07 08:00:00

I found 10 minutes of my day where my kitchen wasn't an absolute disaster and took advantage by taking pictures.Our kitchen is pretty simple. It's not huge, but it's not small either. I don't feel cramped in my kitchen anymore, which is a really nice feeling.This is the right side of the kitchen, looking in from the back hallway.And the left view. For the record, I thought I would LOVE having a gas stove. I do not. We're currently saving up to convert back to an electric stove. I mean, the stove [..]

DIY Moss Letter.

Published on 2012-06-06 08:01:00

One of the things I fell in love with on pinterest was the moss letter. I had originally seen it on this pin for a mantle.Source: thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

{FREE} Arkansas printable.

Published on 2012-06-05 15:28:00

One thing I was wanting for our house was a simple printable of our state. I love Arkansas. Which is ironic, considering years ago when my family moved from Louisiana I swore that I hated this place and would leave the minute I had the opportunity. Now that I have kids, I really can't think of a better place to raise a family. Anyways, I thought it would be cute to have something up in the house with our state on it, so I decided to make my own. I figured others may enjoy having something simila [..]

Memorial Day.

Published on 2012-06-05 08:08:00

We headed into Memorial Day pretty pooped from the weekend. Despite our fatigue, we were determined to make sure that the actual day of Memorial Day would be a good one.My Uncle and his family came over to help with the festivities. Drew manned the grill, making kabobs and grilled chicken breast. My Aunt Kelly and cousin Sarah made potato salad, and we completed the meal with a green salad and finished everything off with two yummy desserts. We were stuffed!Zoe didn't get to eat the yummies, but [..]

Birthdays, The Lake & BBQ.

Published on 2012-06-03 21:44:00

I'm playing major blog catch up this week, so bear with me as I try to sort through the bajillion pictures I took. Thankfully I actually took pictures so I could recall what we did... even though Memorial day weekend was only 1 week ago I am already fuzzy on details because we crammed a ton in 3 days.Saturday we celebrated the 3rd birthday of one of Brayden's very best friends, Avery. The party was at a local park, which Brayden and Connor both LOVED. playground jail :)my little dude, complete w [..]

New House: The Living Room.

Published on 2012-05-31 09:30:00

It's been a bit since I've revealed more of the new house. I suppose blog posts about the new house are very similar to packing.... you get to a point where you are comfortable where things are at and just kind of quit. ha! Sorry about that!Here's a reveal of our living room. It's kind of a work in progress (well, that kind of applies to most of the house). I am going to redo the mirror (spray painting it ivory and then glazing it), and I am making the letter M on my mantle into one of those coo [..]

Meet Ms. Zoe Grace.

Published on 2012-05-30 11:40:00

I'm drowning in 2039483 pictures from Memorial Day Weekend. We've been having a blast hosting my mom, sisters and my little niece, Zoe Grace this week. I've gotten some sweet, sweet pictures of the cousins together-- Brayden most definitely loves having a baby around the house, although he's not quite sure why she cries :) Thought I'd give you a little sneak peak at the cuteness... I'll be back soon!

Kansas City Family Vacation: Day 2: Coco Key & Union Station.

Published on 2012-05-26 21:08:00

(You can read Day 1 of our Family Vacation here and here)We all woke up on Saturday (day 2) of our Kansas City vacation exhausted, but ready to hit the ground running regardless. For the 2nd and 3rd night we stayed at the Holiday Inn Coco Key Resort. The hotel was awesome and the water park even better. It was perfect for the boys-- they had a small zero-entry pool that had two slides, water buckets that dumped, and several fountains. Then in the bigger part of the park was a HUGE playset. Think [..]

The Boys Side-by-Side at 18 months.

Published on 2012-05-25 07:53:00

I love putting pictures of the boys at the same age next to each other so that I can see their similarities and differences. Here's Brayden and Connor, both at 18 months. Don't even get me started on Brayden's blonde hair.... I get teary eyed just thinking about how light it used to be :( I can't believe my babies are getting so big!Connor @ 18 months Brayden @ 18 months

Kansas City Family Vacation, the T-Rex Cafe.

Published on 2012-05-24 07:30:00

After the entire day at the Kansas City zoo, we were all pretty pooped and VERY hungry. Drew and I were both a bit leery about going out to dinner with two boys who were tired, but since we were pretty much going to have to eat out regardless, we threw caution to the wind and made the 30 minute drive to the T-Rex cafe.When we got to the entrance of the restaurant I knew it was going to be a hit. Brayden was in awe of the dinosaurs and kept telling Drew to "wook Daddy! Wook!"We walked inside and [..]

Kansas City Family Vacation, First Trip to the Zoo.

Published on 2012-05-23 07:30:00

For the past 3 years we've been well intentioned with going to the beach for a summer family vacation. Problem is, something always came up. Family changes, babies being born, babies too little to travel with, job changes, etc. This summer was no different. Drew recently took a new position at work. The move was a good one, but it meant that he couldn't take off for a solid week straight. I did not want to skip another summer without a getaway trip with the boys, especially after Drew's completi [..]

First Day/Last Day of School.

Published on 2012-05-22 07:47:00

It's crazy to me that we're already through with the "school" year. I snapped a few pics before Brayden went to school last week on his last day. They had a water day that day, thus the play clothes he was in. I think we were both sad this year to see "school" come to an end; He's been asking for his friends and teachers already and we're only on week 1 of summer.

18 Months Old.

Published on 2012-05-19 08:00:00

This little booger has sure grown up fast. It's bitter sweet, watching him enter into this new phase of toddlerhood. In some respects, I don't really want him to leave the infant stage (although I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that I am definitely over teething). Connor becomes more and more of a toddler each day. It's amazing the things he's picking up on, and Drew and I are constantly laughing at how silly he has gotten. His little personality is really starting to shine and I LOVE IT. He i [..]

Favorite 3 Year Old.

Published on 2012-05-17 14:56:00

I'm bogged down with business this week (and my internet didn't work yesterday). Thought I'd tide you over with a pic of my favorite 3 year old :) Hope yall have a great weekend!

Just Some Randoms...

Published on 2012-05-15 13:35:00

Camera Info: I've had a few people ask me about what kind of camera I use. I have a Canon 60d camera body, and also have a Canon 24-70 f2.8L lens on that body that I shoot with almost 100% of the time. I also own a Canon 100mm macro lens. Rarely do I use it, just because it's not an ideal lens for shooting kids with. If you'd like to know how I ended up deciding on this camera set up, you can read the post where I detailed my gear in depth, and also read how I edit most of the pictures you see o [..]

Weekend in Review: Mother's Day Edition.

Published on 2012-05-14 12:02:00

I guess the sign of a good Mother's Day weekend is barely enough energy to type a blog post, right? :)I did get some rest thanks to my awesome husband picking up a shift here and there in the mommy department. He's a keeper for sure.Friday night we didn't do much but hang around the house. After the kids went to bed (late I may add) I buckled down and started cleaning our wood floor. I say wood loosely, because it's actually the pergo stuff, that's fake wood and apparently you can't mop it witho [..]

Tried & True: Recipes We've Loved from Pinterest.

Published on 2012-05-11 13:04:00

Well, it's official. I've been bitten by the Pinterest bug. I actually don't waste near as much time as I thought I would with it, and it's been very helpful in not only organizing ideas for our new house, but also adding a little diversity when it comes to our nightly meals. I thought I'd share some of our faves (and not so faves). Crockpot Jambalaya: Two Thumbs Up.Source: americanfamily.com via Lindsey on PinterestThis was a fave among all peeps in our household. Even a neighbor was invited ov [..]

Choosing What to Do About School.

Published on 2012-05-09 07:35:00

You know when you're little and you swear on your bottom dollar (or perhaps it's penny since you don't have many dollars when you're little... at least I didn't) that you'll do things in life a certain way? I know when I was little that I always swore my kids would never go to public school, they'd be homeschooled all the way through to college and that if I didn't homeschool then I'd probably send them to a private school.Enter reality.I said those things before I had kids. And for some reason, [..]

Weekend in Review, Part 3: Fun with Friends at the Lake.

Published on 2012-05-08 08:58:00

Our weekend wrapped up with a trip to the lake with friends. It was Connor's first time out in the water, and also his first time in a life vest. I was worried that he'd be imploding the entire time, but other than him fussing over the rain in his face (yes, it rained. A lot at one point. But we remained patient and the Lord blessed us with an amazing evening after it passed), he did great.Brayden LOVED it, especially when he was able to drive the boat.Little cutie with his hair all wind blown f [..]

Weekend in Review, Part 2: Playing at the Creek.

Published on 2012-05-07 16:17:00

After Drew's graduation on Saturday, all of our guests left town, leaving our little family with some free alone time, a rarity these past few weeks. I had heard that the local splash park was open for the summer, so we quickly changed and went to the splash park. A certain 3 year old (and perhaps a certain momma too) was very disappointed when we got to the splash park only to find it closed. Guess the info on it opening so soon was just a rumor.We decided to not let our party completely fizzle [..]

Weekend in Review Part 1: MBA Graduation

Published on 2012-05-07 08:03:00

Whew. If you see me downing coffee by the gallons this week, it's because I'm trying to recover from our fun-filled weekend. It was NON-STOP fun the entire weekend. I've been praying it would make the boys sleep better, but after them both waking up this morning at 6:30, I've decided my children have endless amounts of energy and will continue to wake before the roosters regardless of activity level. (sigh). Because of our weekend so jam packed and me subsequently taking a billion and one pictur [..]

John 3:16: Brayden's New Memory Verse.

Published on 2012-05-03 06:41:00

Drew's been working on Brayden with a new memory verse, and yesterday he finally nailed it all by himself. He's memerized others from his sunday school lesson, but most are just a few words long. I am so proud of you Brayden! Please excuse the intermission burp :) (If you're viewing this is in a reader/email then you may have to click over to my actual blog to view the video).

So There's This Boy...

Published on 2012-05-02 06:28:00

So there's this boy...... He kinda stole my heart. :)Can you blame me though?

Farm Friends 2012: Better than Last Year.

Published on 2012-05-01 15:15:00

For the past two years I've brought Brayden to a little shindig down at the U of A called "Farm Friends." You may remember last year's Farm Friends experience, when it was an epic (and by epic I do mean EPIC) fail. I attempted to attend farm friends, which is held in an equine center (read: dirt floors and nasty, unclean farm animals), with two children 2 and under. Connor was screaming half the time because he was hungry and needed milk NOW, and Brayden was running from pen to pen, squeezing he [..]

Weekend in Review: Race for the Cure.

Published on 2012-04-30 19:35:00

I have been absolutely terrible at keeping up with life lately, thus the late post about the weekend. Better late than never though, right :)Friday we had a wisdom shower for Matt and Pauline. I told Drew before we went that I felt slightly inadequate to go to wisdom shower... eight and a half years in and I feel like my list of wisdom looks more like a list of "what not to do" in marriage :) One of the best things about wisdom showers is that you walk away encouraged even if you're not the one [..]

Fingerpainting.

Published on 2012-04-25 21:00:00

Brayden's great-great Uncle Mike and Aunt Rina gave him a giftcard to Target for his birthday, so we headed over there the other day so B could pick out his gift. He picked out a pretty awesome outfit-- it will make a blog debut soon I'm sure. But after the big present he still had a few dollars left on the giftcard. We decided finger paints might be fun so we picked them up and headed home. Both of the boys loved it and it was suprisingly not too stressful for momma either :)Thanks Uncle Mike a [..]

New House: Brayden's Room, The Guest Room, and an Addition to Entryway.

Published on 2012-04-23 20:17:00

Sorry I got off the new home posts bandwagon for a bit. Life has been chaotic at best, and I've just not had the time (nor the energy) to take pictures of the house. Plus, I kind of wanted to wait to get Brayden's big boy bed before I took pics of his room. So here we are.This is standing in the doorway (I SO wish I had a wide angle lens)view to the left from the doorway. One of the things we loved about this house is that it has one LARGE closet that spans the width of the room, but has two doo [..]

{Untitled Weekend}

Published on 2012-04-22 21:41:00

When I left on Friday, Brayden was still sleeping. He called me a few hours into my trip. Our conversation went like this:Brayden: Mommy, you left us. You left us cause your friend is sad?Me: Yes Brayden. Aunt Mare is sad and mommy needed to come be with her.Brayden: Why is she sad momma?

Life

Published on 2012-04-20 08:16:00

John 16:33

Brayden's 3rd Birthday: A Super Hero Swim Party.

Published on 2012-04-19 08:16:00

Well, if you read the title of this post then I guess you figured out that I convinced Brayden to forego the pink princess party for something a little more manlier :) It wasn't that hard to do, considering the boy has an obsession with all things super heroes. We have all kinds of masks and capes laying around the house, and I never really know when batman may come running around the corner to "shoot the bad guys who are running away," so a super hero party seemed only fitting.When I started pl [..]

Interview with Brayden (3 years old) and a Giveaway.

Published on 2012-04-18 08:04:00

I did this interview a few months ago and wanted to see how B's answers might have changed since then. 6 months doesn't seem like much, but I feel like Brayden has grown so much that this might be worth a shot.What is your name? Brayden Thomas (kinda still sounds like Beyden though).How old are you? I'm this (holds up 3 fingers). What is your favorite color? pencils (meaning that's what he likes to color with-ha ha). When I re-explained the the question, he said "I like red or yellow." Who is yo [..]

Brayden's 3rd Birthday.

Published on 2012-04-17 07:30:00

For Brayden's actual birthday we asked him what he wanted to do as a family. He decided he wanted a superhero cake and pizza.thumbs up for yummy cake!The big surprise of the day was a new "big boy" bike. A Buzz and Woody bike to be exact.Drew put the bike together the night before but wanted me to wait to give it to him until after dinner. This was B running out of the house to get his new "prize". Daddy helping B get on the bike for the first time. He barely, barely reaches the ground, so we ke [..]

Peeps.

Published on 2012-04-16 11:24:00

I mentioned in my post about Easter baskets that I was going to put Peeps in the boys baskets. When I got to the store I had two options: either a LARGE box of Peeps or a stick of Peeps. Neither is what I had in mind, but considering I didn't want to get a large box of sugar laden little chicks, I opted for the Peep pop. It was a hit, wouldn't you say? :)what do you think he's looking at?well, it's brother of course, who was trying to make his move over to his brother's pop since his was already [..]

Easter Pics.

Published on 2012-04-15 22:29:00

Confession. I am seriously behind in blogging (as if you haven't noticed). So instead of weekend in review, I'm just going to start where I left off.***************************This year Drew and I decided that we'd forego the craziness of Easter Sunday church services with a more laid back option of Saturday night church the night before Easter. It was a great service, and meant that we were able to celebrate with the boys on Easter morning without having to rush around getting ready for church. [..]

Weekend in Review, Part II: Pictures.

Published on 2012-04-10 22:09:00

My apologies for not having these up on the actual post. I just was not feeling all that well due to allergies, and instead of sitting on the couch editing pictures, I decided to go to bed early on Sunday. Thankfully I'm feeling a bit better, and have a TON of editing to catch up on. Enjoy some of my faves from this past weekend!I wish tulips bloomed all year long. They just make me smile.He loves the fountain!this is not a posed picture-- he was crawling on the ground away from me and looked ba [..]

Happy Birthday 3rd Brayden Thomas!

Published on 2012-04-09 08:30:00

Brayden Thomas,3 years ago today, you came into the world, making me a mommy for the first time. It seems like just yesterday we were pulling out of the hospital parking lot wondering why the hospital staff would allow us to take such a fragile little life home with us. We didn't feel prepared. I'm not sure anyone can ever be fully prepared for this parenting gig. And you've given us a run for our money the past 3 years to test that fact ;) These past couple of months have been sweet for me as y [..]

Weekend in Review: Part I: Words.

Published on 2012-04-08 21:13:00

This has been a whirlwind of a weekend. I am pooped both literally and emotionally, so editing pictures tonight of our weekend wasn't quite on the top of my priority list. But don't worry, I'll get the pictures posted soon. I did want to document a few things before I forget what I wanted to say :)Friday was an emotional day for me. Arkansas' football program (more specifically, our head coach) is involved in quite the scandal. I've had to sort through a lot of emotions that this story brings on [..]

Captions for the Water Boy.

Published on 2012-04-04 22:02:00

I love that it's warm enough to let the babe let loose and have fun with the water hose.ohhh. so cold.FAHHH-REEZING!run from the water. just RUNNNNN.you have nothin' on me you stinkin' stream of water. BRING IT.where's it going?!?!this water is mesmerizingahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I dropped it!wheeewwww.I am SO strong, I can lift this hose all by myself!whoa. who's controlling this thing anyway?whatcha lookin' at?uh oh. dropped it again.All done. So fun.

What's Going in The Easter Baskets.

Published on 2012-04-03 21:12:00

Growing up we always celebrated Easter. ALWAYS. What is so special to me is that my mom always made sure that the things that were in our baskets, or the hunts that we did, were always symbolic of what Easter was really about: Christ's death and resurrection. This will be the first year that I feel like Brayden really understands what's going on, so I wanted to be sure that I was very intentional about what was in his Easter basket this year (and Connor's as well). After I told Drew what I was g [..]

You Can't Get More Easter.

Published on 2012-04-02 07:57:00

The other day as I perusing the supermarket, I saw a sign that read "More Easter for Your Money." I kept on chugging along the aisles with my two boys in tow, trying to quickly get out of the store without having what has become an almost imminent implosion of some kind because we can't purchase every lollipop and baseball that the stores carry. I came home, unloaded my groceries, put away the toiletries and played with the boys.That was 2 weeks ago.Ever since that time, I kept thinking about Mo [..]

Weekend in Review: Egg Hoarding Parents.

Published on 2012-04-01 22:23:00

Well, this weekend we ushered out March by breaking out tank tops. Who would have thought a year after receiving record breaking snowfall that we'd be breaking spring time temp records? Even my son who can endure anything was about to bow out of the Easter egg hunt on Saturday because it was "just too hot to stand anymore". ha!Friday we had a fun Easter play date at my friend Cari's house. Brayden LOVES playing with his friend Jack. The kids all had fun hunting eggs and enjoying the awesome weat [..]

Our Crazy, Busy, Fun Week.

Published on 2012-03-29 21:45:00

Well, I've about worn myself thin this week. Thought I'd show you a few of the phone pics (I never brought my camera with me when we were doing things, but I now have a phone that has a decent camera on it, so yay for backup!)Monday Brayden had school. Connor and I brought Toby to get his vaccines and annual check up. I switched vets since our old vet was a huge drive from our new home. Unfortunately Connor screamed the whole time, so I was mortified that the new vet would ask me to leave. ha! D [..]

Standing in a Field.

Published on 2012-03-26 23:01:00

So I mentioned in my weekend in review post that the boys frollicked in an overgrown field last Saturday afternoon. The sunshine was perfect and the hill that accompanied the field was even more perfection for my own little Evil Knievel.You know, there are times as a mom that I seriously think I might just need to check myself into an insane asylum. The days are sometimes gruesomely long with whining, manipulation, teething and growing pains. Yet, even in the midst of the chaos, I still manage t [..]

Weekend in Review (picture OVERLOAD).

Published on 2012-03-25 21:50:00

Well, I'm proud to say that I made it through Spring Break 2012 without a mental breakdown. A week with downtime is nice, but when you're stuck inside due to bad weather with two kids under the age of 3, things can go south pretty quick. Thankfully we caught a few gaps of light rain this past week to run errands so things weren't too bad. And the weather cleared up just in time for the weekend, so all's well that ends well :)Friday was pretty laid back. We ran grocery errands. Yall, do you feel [..]

Cooper's 6 Month Pics.

Published on 2012-03-24 21:49:00

Yesterday afternoon the clouds parted and the sun peaked through and we finally got a taste of spring after several long days of rain. I took advantage of the break in bad storms to take baby Cooper's 6 month pics. You may remember Cooper from when we visited him in the hospital or when I showed you some of his newborn pics. These first year pictures are what I gave Katie, my dear friend and also Cooper's mommy, as her baby gift back before he was born. We've waited until the weather got a bit n [..]

New House: Playroom.

Published on 2012-03-22 06:30:00

I'm kind of weird (not that that revelation is new or anything... ha!). I am not a fan of formal dining rooms. I'm just not a formal person and kind of think they are wasted space in houses. Unfortunately down in the south, it seems like any home over 1500 sq feet has a formal dining room, so I knew that we'd have to work around it. When we started looking at houses I had always said that I would just convert the formal dining room to a playroom/office. Converting a room that is open to the enti [..]

Wordless Wednesday: Super Brayden.

Published on 2012-03-21 06:00:00

Stump Jumpin'.

Published on 2012-03-20 08:09:00

Last weekend when we went to the trails, they had all kinds of stumps everywhere. Brayden took advantage of the stumps and learned how to "stump jump." And no, I'm not even sure that's a saying, but I'm liking the way it sounds so I'll stick with it :) I can't believe he's old enough to even consider these daring feats. Where have the last three years gone???

Weekend in Review: Spring has Sprung.

Published on 2012-03-19 09:27:00

I really can't even express the amount of joy I felt this Friday when I realized there was nothing on the calendar for the weekend, and for the first time in over 2 years our family didn't have to work around a studying schedule. To top it off the weather was FANTABULOUS, which means that everyone in our family spent more time outside than inside. It was a good weekend for sure!Friday I hit up Sonic happy hour before heading to a local park with the kids. Apparently every other mom near me had t [..]

Meeting Melissa.

Published on 2012-03-15 21:52:00

Yall, I laid in bed last night to go to bed and suddenly realized that I never blogged about meeting my bloggy friend Melissa from Little Mrs. Married when I went down to Baton Rouge a few weeks ago. Talk about feeling like I've completely lost my mind! Ha!When I went down to visit my family and throw a shower for Megan I knew that one of the priorities on my to-do list was to get a real life visit with Mel. We've been talking through blogs and email for over a year now, and I love meeting my bl [..]

New House: Entryway.

Published on 2012-03-15 09:30:00

Yall, I have to be honest. I feel slightly ridiculous posting these pictures. It's almost as if it's an empty house. But it's not. And soon, perhaps in a year or two, the decorations will be up and it will feel more "homey." I just need to get out of boxes before I figure out how to decorate the walls. One step at a time. That's what I keep telling myself. So, without further ado, I give you our entry way.I LOVE how the beadboard is topped with a ledgePerfect to put pictures up and rotate decora [..]

Short Stories.

Published on 2012-03-14 20:13:00

If there is one certainty in life with Brayden Thomas, is that life will always hold an adventure. There is never a dull moment with my first born son, and I'm pretty sure that that fact will never change as long as he is tromping on the earth. Lately there have been several little things that have happened with him that I've wanted to blog about, but they are more "short stories" than actual posts, so I thought I'd compile them all into one.***********The other day we made our typical trip to T [..]

New House: The Backyard.

Published on 2012-03-13 09:15:00

I know there are a lot of people (namely close friends and family) who are pining away for pictures of the new homestead. Truth be told, we're still unpacking. The main rooms (ie kitchen, playroom, living room) are unpacked, but they are bare to the bone with no decorations. And it may stay that way for a while, as I try to figure out how I want to decorate and then save up the money to decorate. So my goal is that once a room is organized and unpacked, I will take pictures to show yall. And it [..]

Megan's Maternity Pics.

Published on 2012-03-11 19:37:00

I would love to have been given the chance to sit down tonight and write great stories of a fun-filled family weekend. But Friday morning I woke up with the world's worst sore throat, and it's still rearing it's ugly head at me in the epic battle of the throat demon. I've had a strep test done and it came back negative. I decided to try my luck and brave my volunteer shift at Rhea Lana's on Saturday morning. I did well for about an hour, but quickly slid downhill after that, and after I almost b [..]

Tractor rides with Aunt Laura.

Published on 2012-03-09 16:14:00

Brayden and Aunt "Wahwah" having a blast together one afternoon during our recent trip to Baton Rouge:put 'em up!so handsomeshe sure knows how to work the camera ;)she told Brayden to make funny faces...this may be my most favorite pic of them together EVER.they were screaming loud together :) It's so sweet watching their relationship grow. I'm so very grateful that my sons have such great aunts and an uncle that love them so much!

Zoe's Baby Shower.

Published on 2012-03-08 08:15:00

The main reason for our 12 hour trek down to Baton Rouge was to help throw my younger sister Megan a baby shower for her soon to be born baby girl, Zoe Grace (by the way, Zoe is spelled with the two dots over the e, but my computer won't allow me to do that, so I'm just putting my disclaimer out there now that I DO know how to spell my neice's name- ha!).First off, the shower would not have been possible had it not been for some awesome women stepping up to help. A bit thanks to Ms. Jennie, Becc [..]

Meeting Great Grandma.

Published on 2012-03-07 08:30:00

One of the highlights of our trip to Baton Rouge was the boys getting to see/meet their great Grandmother Laura. It was Connor's first time to meet her, and Brayden's second time to see her. Both boys were SUPER hyper from the baby shower, so getting pictures was a hard thing to do, but we did manage to get 2 decent shots.My Grandma is so sweet and always thinks of the neatest things for gifts. This trip was no exception; she gave the boys each a copy of the Poky Little Puppy book, which was my [..]

Playing With Their Auntie.

Published on 2012-03-06 09:30:00

There is no doubt that my boys LOVE their aunties. Both of them, although I'd be lying if I didn't say that Connor was not a fan of Megan's 9 month pregnant belly ;) Just not enough room to sit and read on that lap. He'll appreciate the cousin he's getting out of the deal in a few weeks :)My sister Laura is the aunt that they like to get in trouble with. She screams with them, laughs with them, plays pranks with them, and is all around a goofster. Brayden will often say "you so funny auntie wah- [..]

I Told Him to Say Cheese.

Published on 2012-03-05 20:38:00

I told him to say cheese. This is what I got:a cheera cheese (which is also my personal fave)a tongue out.And then there's this guy.All he knows is sweet.(he's a sweetie boy)He can crank it up a notch too ;)I love them both so much! And now that I (finally!) have internet, you can hope to see lots of posts this week with pictures from our trip to Baton Rouge. Sneak peaks of the house may take a week or two, as we're still unpacking boxes :)

An Update on Life and Rhea Lana's Spring 2012.

Published on 2012-03-03 20:05:00

Well, I feel like I may be seeing the light above the cardboard boxes. Atleast in the playroom and kitchen. I knew I needed to clear off those rooms first if I was going to feel like a semi-sane woman. I love, love, love our new house and feel so blessed that God provided a way for us to get a new home. I can't wait to show pictures. It's just perfect for our little family.Of course, stating that I may be counted as a semi-sane woman might be a bit of a stretch, because in the middle of all of o [..]

One Little Monkey.

Published on 2012-03-01 08:30:00

My sister Laura owns a gorilla suit. For several months we've had fun on Skype with the gorillas. Brayden LOVES to shoot them with his guns. In some ways, it's like real life duck hunt, except it's gorillas and not ducks :)So imagine Brayden's surprise when we arrived at my mom's house last Thursday afternoon and two gorillas were waiting to greet Brayden! At first Brayden gave it a hug and high fives. Then he stood back as the gorilla scratched it's back and offered knucks to B. Then B wasn't s [..]

Trips, Moves & Graduation.

Published on 2012-02-29 20:05:00

Well, I promised an update on Tuesday and of course, as luck would have it, my internet was not working when I got home last night after my 12 hour road trip back home. Bummer man, he delivers well, does he not?We (we as in me, B & C) headed down to Louisiana for some time with my family last week. The true purpose of the visit was to throw a baby shower for my very pregnant, almost due, sister Megan. She's due with baby Zoe Grace sometime within the next 2 weeks and I can hardly contain my exci [..]

I'm Alive... I Promise!

Published on 2012-02-27 08:42:00

Just wanted to hop on here and let everyone know that I am alive. I took a little sabatical from twitter and blogging this past week so that I could spend some much needed time with my family. We drove down to Baton Rouge for a visit and also threw a shower for my sister! The shower went so well and I can't wait to show all of the pictures to yall. We've got a big week ahead of us and while I am looking forward to everything, I'm also a little overwhelmed with all we have to do... big changes in [..]

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-02-20 13:09:00

I'm proud to say that for the first time in over two years, we have had a weekend that was not interfered with homework. Do you hear it? The angels are beginning their hallelujah chorus. It's only a quiet hum at this point, but in 2 weeks it will be full blown lungs people. I. CANNOT. WAIT.Saturday Brayden was invited to a birthday party for a classmate of his from Mother's Day Out. It was the first ever birthday party for someone who was HIS friend and not a child of OUR friends. It was a princ [..]

i heart faces {hugs & kisses}

Published on 2012-02-20 07:24:00

When I saw this week's challenege theme was "hugs and kisses", I knew I had to enter this picture from Pauline and Matt's engagement pictures. This is by far one of my favorite pictures EVER. I love that you can't see all of her face, but you can still tell that she's smiling :)Be sure to head on over to i heart faces to see more entries.

15 Months.

Published on 2012-02-19 15:58:00

Lately I've caught myself double taking when people ask me how old Connor is. How can my BABY be 15 months old?! And then I think, "holy cow! Brayden was only 4 months older than this when Connor was BORN!!! No wonder I just about lost my mind!" Ha! Connor has gotten to such a fun stage. He still LOVES me and Drew, can't backtalk that much (although he does throw a fit that will give an Italian Stallion a run for his money), and is starting to really interact with everyone in the family. When I [..]

Love Letter Link Up Winner.

Published on 2012-02-17 22:24:00

Yall, I am SO sorry I am just now posting the winner for the Love Letter Link Up. Thanks to all who participated... I apologize I am slacking lately. Here's the winner, courtesy of random.org :The 6th entry was from Joy at http://mama2camandcassi.blogspot.com/Congrats Joy! Please contact me within 48 hours to claim the Visa giftcard, otherwise a new winner will be selected!Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Baked Cheesy Artichoke Chicken.

Published on 2012-02-16 11:10:00

When Drew and I first got married, I tried all kinds of fun recipes. Cheesy Artichoke Chicken was one of them, and we loved it. We hadn't eaten it in FOREVER, but over Christmas break I pulled it out to make again while Drew's parents were in town. This is a super easy recipe to whip together, but it presents really well, so it makes it look like you've slaved all day on an awesome meal :) My kind of dinner if you ask me :) CHEESY ARTICHOKE CHICKEN 5 large boneless skinless chicken breasts2 jars [..]

From Shaggy to Short.

Published on 2012-02-14 21:15:00

If you hadn't noticed in the pictures of Brayden lately, I had let his hair get pretty shaggy. My intention was to let it grow shaggy in hopes he would have Justin Beiber hair. But the longer it got, the clearer it became that while Brayden is a cutie patootie, his hair just doesn't resemble Beibers when it's shaggy. So I decided it was time to get it cut again.From SHAGGY:"I'm getting my hair cut?!?!?!"The "I'll make a cute face because my mommy is bribing me with a sucker" poseTo SHORT:The "I' [..]

Snow Day

Published on 2012-02-13 17:18:00

Today was one of those dreamy snow days: enough for the kids to play in, not enough for school to let out (meaning momma got a break during Mothers Day Out), and it was all melted off of the roads by 5pm so Daddy got home safely.On the way to school this morning I said to Brayden "Brayden isn't the snow beautiful?!" and he replied "NO! This is just a mess! Look at the mess on all the cars!" That boy cracks me up (and makes me worry my OCD cleanliness might have rubbed off on him. I'm trying to n [..]

Weekend in Review.

Published on 2012-02-12 15:56:00

(Don't forget to link up with Love Letter Linky Up for a chance to win a $30 Visa giftcard! The linky will be open until Tuesday night at 7pm) While I sit here and type, I almost wish that you could hear my home... we were all sleeping and enjoying a nice Sunday afternoon nap, but Connor had different plans and he is kicking the walls through his crib slats and screaming at the top of his lungs. He's in the throes of teething and has decided that if he must be miserable than he will attempt to t [..]

Love Letters to My Loves.

Published on 2012-02-09 20:07:00

A Letter to my Loves for Valentines Day:DREW:11 years ago I told my mom there was only one guy I would want to date, but that he'd never ask me out. I'm I ever so thankful that you DID indeed ask me out, and that the rest, as they say, is history. And like most histories, ours has been filled with the highest of highs and some pretty low lows, especially over these past two years. While some people are torn apart through hardship, I can say without a doubt that anytime we have been through hards [..]

We May Have a Plumber in the Family.

Published on 2012-02-09 09:40:00

So, Connor has a new fetish with pulling at his diaper. This leaves him, um, rather exposed shall we say? ;) At first I thought this was just a one time occurrence, but after about the third time I realized I should probably get some pictures to document what will more than likely be one of many embarrassing photos that Connor will someday kill me for taking.L.O.V.E. his big ol' belly.

Our Love Story.

Published on 2012-02-08 21:18:00

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?Drew and I started dating in April 2001, and got married December 2003. Hard to believe it's been 11 years! 2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}Drew was an RA in the dorm that my best friends roomed in. I met him through them, and for the longest time thought he had a crush on one of my besties. So, being the good friend that I am, I had my besty invite Drew to a date dash... not knowing he really liked ME! ha! He was my f [..]

Love Letter Link-Up.

Published on 2012-02-08 13:38:00

I had all intentions of having this posted and ready to go earlier this week, but as usual, life got the best of me and I am just now getting a chance to share the information with you. Here's the deal: I want to have a blog link-up where we all write love letters. It can be to anyone: your husband, your kids, your mom or dad, your dog... you get the idea. I don't want people who are single to be left out of this shindig, so please be creative in who you write your letter to (and you can have mu [..]

Just Life.

Published on 2012-02-07 21:03:00

Last week I hit a wall. It was a long time coming considering all of the stresses in our lives right now. After talking with two close friends that night that I melted, both of them admitted that they were surprised I had hung on to mental sanity as long as I did. I'm not sure whether I should be encouraged by their admittance or scared by the fact that other people are seeing things before it happens to me! Ha! In all truthfulness though, I am so very grateful for friends who will allow me to j [..]

Weekend in Review in Pictures.

Published on 2011-07-05 14:43:00

(I feel like I should point out that these pics are not edited, so if they look weird with colors and such, that's why) the infamous finger... this is 2.5 days post trauma, so it looks a lot better than the day I cut it. If you can't tell, the cut is

Weekend in Review: July 4th 2011

Published on 2011-07-04 21:58:00

(I'm having issues with my pictures this evening, so I won't be posting pictures until later this week).Oh what a fun weekend it has been! My parents arrived Thursday night, and then my sister Megan, her husband Ben and my brother Jeff all arrived in

The Day I Almost Cut Off my Finger.

Published on 2011-07-04 13:40:00

Well, I may be being a bit melodramatic when I saw my FINGER, but I did almost cut off the tip of my pinky. It was impeccable timing, and as always added a bit of drama to my normal chaos.My family was planning on arriving on Thursday night for 4th o

Jenna's Commenting Challenge and a PS

Published on 2011-07-04 10:54:00

If you're anything like me, you read a lot more blogs than you actually comment on. Some of the reason I do that is because I just don't have a ton of time. But it's partially because I am a confessed blog stalker. That's why I am going to try and pa

Fun Summer Days.

Published on 2011-06-29 16:09:00

One of my favorite things about summer is all of the fun things we get to do. It mainly involves water, since it's so stinkin' hot here (which I know is a relative statement, since those of you living farther south are probably melting at this point!

And People Wonder Why I Don't Shower Often.

Published on 2011-06-27 21:10:00

Let's just be honest... I don't shower much. It's not because I don't really want to, because really, who doesn't like a nice hot shower where you get to wash your hair and rinse off? But honestly, it stresses me out to no end because it never fails

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-06-26 22:48:00

We had fun this weekend, even if the end of it went a bit different than planned (and ended on a -no pun intended- sour note).Friday was the first day I felt 100% better, and despite every longing in my body to be at the pool, I used the day to run e

Sprinkler Fun.

Published on 2011-06-24 14:53:00

Well, we're hitting record breaking temps and it's not even July yet. Makes me shudder at what August is going to bring us. Yowsers. The heat has placed a dilemma on me as I try to entertain a 2 year old who L.O.V.E.S the outdoors. Especially conside

Wrestling with Daddy.

Published on 2011-06-24 07:18:00

Just about every night about 30 minutes before bedtime, you can find 3 boys wrestling around on the living room floor. It's pretty much a tradition around here. Brayden will get his jammies on and then say "wrestle daddy?" and then when Drew says, "o

Brotherly Love.

Published on 2011-06-23 13:32:00

Wordless Wednesday. My Loves.*

Published on 2011-06-23 09:25:00

*alternately titled: I was so sick I felt dead on Wednesday and never logged into my computer so this post will have words.Greetings from the house of the walking dead the recovering sick. I seriously was so sick yesterday it took everything in me ju

Brayden's Singing Debute.

Published on 2011-06-21 10:40:00

A few weeks ago I noticed Brayden was saying things in rhthym. It dawned on me that it was him singing-- for the first time! When I asked him what he was singing he said "Hippy Birday Momma". It took me a second to figure out that he was telling me h

A Few Updates

Published on 2011-06-20 21:49:00

If you tried to get on my blog early this morning and had some trouble, I apologize. I was in the process of trying to figure out how to set my OWN DOMAIN up and failed miserably at my first try. Thankfully I clicked the help button, read a few thing

A Few Updates

Published on 2011-06-20 21:49:00

If you tried to get on my blog early this morning and had some trouble, I apologize. I was in the process of trying to figure out how to set my OWN DOMAIN up and failed miserably at my first try. Thankfully I clicked the help button, read a few thing

Sippy Cup Meets Pavement

Published on 2011-06-20 10:12:00

This is what happens when your 2 year old decides that the sippy cup that's IN the car should be OUT of the car. That's right folks. Brayden decided to chunk his cup out of the open window while we were traveling 30 mph down the road. AWESOME. I

Sippy Cup Meets Pavement

Published on 2011-06-20 10:12:00

This is what happens when your 2 year old decides that the sippy cup that's IN the car should be OUT of the car. That's right folks. Brayden decided to chunk his cup out of the open window while we were traveling 30 mph down the road. AWESOME. I am j

Target Giftcard Giveaway Winner

Published on 2011-06-20 06:55:00

Happy Monday! We're trying to catch up on housework that was put off during the weekend... it's a never ending job isn't it?! Don't worry though, I didn't forget about the Target giftcard winner :) I plugged in all the stuff into random.org, and got

Target Giftcard Giveaway Winner

Published on 2011-06-20 06:55:00

Happy Monday! We're trying to catch up on housework that was put off during the weekend... it's a never ending job isn't it?! Don't worry though, I didn't forget about the Target giftcard winner :) I plugged in all the stuff into random.org, and got

Weekend in Review: Father's Day Weekend

Published on 2011-06-19 20:03:00

Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there. But especially to my baby daddy, Drew. He is the best dad to our boys, and I am so grateful to have a husband who is such a great example of a man for our boys to look up to. The boys just don't know h

Weekend in Review: Father's Day Weekend

Published on 2011-06-19 20:03:00

Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there. But especially to my baby daddy, Drew. He is the best dad to our boys, and I am so grateful to have a husband who is such a great example of a man for our boys to look up to. The boys just don't know h

Weekend in Review: Father's Day Weekend

Published on 2011-06-19 20:03:00

Happy Father's Day to all the daddy's out there. But especially to my baby daddy, Drew. He is the best dad to our boys, and I am so grateful to have a husband who is such a great example of a man for our boys to look up to. The boys just don't know h

7th Heaven

Published on 2011-06-19 14:10:00

My Dearest Connor,How can it be that in 7 months you've gone from being a tiny 7 pound baby to a roly poly 20 pound gummy smiled, chubby cheeked little boy?! My heart delights in you so much.... your smile, your pouty face, your joy, the way you are

7th Heaven

Published on 2011-06-19 14:10:00

My Dearest Connor, How can it be that in 7 months you've gone from being a tiny 7 pound baby to a roly poly 20 pound gummy smiled, chubby cheeked little boy?! My heart delights in you so much.... your smile, your pouty face, your joy, the way you ar

7th Heaven

Published on 2011-06-19 14:10:00

My Dearest Connor,How can it be that in 7 months you've gone from being a tiny 7 pound baby to a roly poly 20 pound gummy smiled, chubby cheeked little boy?! My heart delights in you so much.... your smile, your pouty face, your joy, the way you are

Weekend in Review Sneakpeak

Published on 2011-06-17 21:06:00

(I'm closing the comments down tomorrow for my Target giftcard giveaway-- you don't want to miss it!) This pic is too cool not to share until Sunday during weekend in review. Hope yall have a great weekend!

Weekend in Review Sneakpeak

Published on 2011-06-17 21:06:00

(I'm closing the comments down tomorrow for my Target giftcard giveaway-- you don't want to miss it!)This pic is too cool not to share until Sunday during weekend in review. Hope yall have a great weekend!

Weekend in Review Sneakpeak

Published on 2011-06-17 21:06:00

(I'm closing the comments down tomorrow for my Target giftcard giveaway-- you don't want to miss it!) This pic is too cool not to share until Sunday during weekend in review. Hope yall have a great weekend!

Weekend in Review Sneakpeak

Published on 2011-06-17 21:06:00

(I'm closing the comments down tomorrow for my Target giftcard giveaway-- you don't want to miss it!)This pic is too cool not to share until Sunday during weekend in review. Hope yall have a great weekend!

A Plunge into Technology.

Published on 2011-06-17 13:48:00

I took the plunge. Or rather, I finally waded into the deep end of the technology pool. That's right peeps. I'm on twitter. Oh, stop your gasping... it was going to happen sooner or later. Truth be told, I'm a little intimidated. It's probably the

A Plunge into Technology.

Published on 2011-06-17 13:48:00

I took the plunge.Or rather, I finally waded into the deep end of the technology pool.That's right peeps. I'm on twitter.Oh, stop your gasping... it was going to happen sooner or later. Truth be told, I'm a little intimidated. It's probably the first

A Plunge into Technology.

Published on 2011-06-17 13:48:00

I took the plunge. Or rather, I finally waded into the deep end of the technology pool. That's right peeps. I'm on twitter. Oh, stop your gasping... it was going to happen sooner or later. Truth be told, I'm a little intimidated. It's probably the

A Plunge into Technology.

Published on 2011-06-17 13:48:00

I took the plunge.Or rather, I finally waded into the deep end of the technology pool.That's right peeps. I'm on twitter.Oh, stop your gasping... it was going to happen sooner or later. Truth be told, I'm a little intimidated. It's probably the first

Just a Typical Morning.

Published on 2011-06-17 09:20:00

Since summer has started, we've been a bit lazy around here in the mornings. Which I am completely ok with. We normally wake up early (due to a little blonde headed boy who thinks the day starts before the sun comes up), but we drag around, washing

Just a Typical Morning.

Published on 2011-06-17 09:20:00

Since summer has started, we've been a bit lazy around here in the mornings.Which I am completely ok with. We normally wake up early (due to a little blonde headed boy who thinks the day starts before the sun comes up), but we drag around, washing di

Just a Typical Morning.

Published on 2011-06-17 09:20:00

Since summer has started, we've been a bit lazy around here in the mornings. Which I am completely ok with. We normally wake up early (due to a little blonde headed boy who thinks the day starts before the sun comes up), but we drag around, washing

Just a Typical Morning.

Published on 2011-06-17 09:20:00

Since summer has started, we've been a bit lazy around here in the mornings.Which I am completely ok with. We normally wake up early (due to a little blonde headed boy who thinks the day starts before the sun comes up), but we drag around, washing di

He's a Mess.

Published on 2011-06-17 07:10:00

I frequently find myself saying "you're such a mess" to Brayden. And since Brayden is part parrot, he frequently says "I such a mess Momma". Like tonight, when he put on his daddy's flip flops. He said, "haha, momma, I such a mess."Pretty sure I had

He's a Mess.

Published on 2011-06-17 07:10:00

I frequently find myself saying "you're such a mess" to Brayden. And since Brayden is part parrot, he frequently says "I such a mess Momma".Like tonight, when he put on his daddy's flip flops. He said, "haha, momma, I such a mess."Pretty sure I had t

He's a Mess.

Published on 2011-06-17 07:10:00

I frequently find myself saying "you're such a mess" to Brayden. And since Brayden is part parrot, he frequently says "I such a mess Momma". Like tonight, when he put on his daddy's flip flops. He said, "haha, momma, I such a mess."Pretty sure I had

He's a Mess.

Published on 2011-06-17 07:10:00

I frequently find myself saying "you're such a mess" to Brayden. And since Brayden is part parrot, he frequently says "I such a mess Momma".Like tonight, when he put on his daddy's flip flops. He said, "haha, momma, I such a mess."Pretty sure I had t

Poor Connor.

Published on 2011-06-16 09:58:00

This morning as I was washing dishes, Connor started fussing. I looked into the living room and found this...Poor Connor. Doesn't stand a chance 'round here.

Poor Connor.

Published on 2011-06-16 09:58:00

This morning as I was washing dishes, Connor started fussing. I looked into the living room and found this... Poor Connor. Doesn't stand a chance 'round here.

Poor Connor.

Published on 2011-06-16 09:58:00

This morning as I was washing dishes, Connor started fussing. I looked into the living room and found this... Poor Connor. Doesn't stand a chance 'round here.

A No Fun Night

Published on 2011-06-15 11:19:00

Last night started like any other.10:00pm: watch the evening news.10:30pm: brush teeth, wash face, talk with Drew while laying in bed.11:00pm: go to sleep.and that was as normal as it was going to get.at 11:30 Brayden woke up SCREAMING. I shoved Drew

A No Fun Night

Published on 2011-06-15 11:19:00

Last night started like any other. 10:00pm: watch the evening news. 10:30pm: brush teeth, wash face, talk with Drew while laying in bed. 11:00pm: go to sleep. and that was as normal as it was going to get. at 11:30 Brayden woke up SCREAMING. I sho

Target Giftcard Giveaway

Published on 2011-06-14 10:01:00

As I was perusing back over some previous post of mine (yes, I am sentimental and go back through my old posts to cry about how fast my boys have grown up), I realized that I haven't done a giveaway in FOREVER. And since I really like giveaways, I fi

Target Giftcard Giveaway

Published on 2011-06-14 10:01:00

As I was perusing back over some previous post of mine (yes, I am sentimental and go back through my old posts to cry about how fast my boys have grown up), I realized that I haven't done a giveaway in FOREVER. And since I really like giveaways, I fi

Best Breakfast Muffins EVER.

Published on 2011-06-14 07:04:00

I think I have the opposite of most people in that my 2 year old gives me the biggest challenges at breakfast. The only two things he eats are waffles and oatmeal. So when Mrs. Jana posted this recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins, I tried them.

Best Breakfast Muffins EVER.

Published on 2011-06-14 07:04:00

I think I have the opposite of most people in that my 2 year old gives me the biggest challenges at breakfast. The only two things he eats are waffles and oatmeal. So when Mrs. Jana posted this recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins, I tried them.

Life, PICA and Pictures

Published on 2011-06-13 13:38:00

Well, life has officially hit summer speed-- which is about as slow as a turtle. Only it's not. We still have parties, showers and our regular things we do (church, playdates, etc). I find myself slacking on blogging, and I will try my best to chroni

Life, PICA and Pictures

Published on 2011-06-13 13:38:00

Well, life has officially hit summer speed-- which is about as slow as a turtle. Only it's not. We still have parties, showers and our regular things we do (church, playdates, etc). I find myself slacking on blogging, and I will try my best to chroni

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Published on 2011-06-12 20:38:00

Who has the cutest booty of all?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Published on 2011-06-12 20:38:00

Who has the cutest booty of all?

A Few Thoughts

Published on 2011-06-11 20:27:00

Considering our week/weekend has been either spent with friends/family or the pool, there are few things to write about. And in an attempt to not write a 50 word facebook status, I figured I'd just write a short blog highlighting some of the fun thin

There's not a lot to blog about.

Published on 2011-06-08 22:30:00

I feel kind of weird that I haven't blogged in 3 days, but honestly, there's just not a lot going on right now. We spend our mornings at the pool and our afternoons cleaning house or playing outside. I always used to hate summer and the heat, but aft

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-06-05 21:26:00

Well, I always thought that we enjoy Spring here in Arkansas, but alas, we've completely skipped spring for the dog days of summer. It's only the first week of June and we're already in the low 90s. I know for some that that is NOTHING, but for me, I

Infectious.

Published on 2011-06-04 09:35:00

Because I can't not post this until tomorrow. Because he's got an infectious cuteness that I have definitely caught. Because, not being prideful or anything, but Drew and I make the most adorable stinkin' kids in the world. Because I want you to know

Gums.

Published on 2011-06-02 21:47:00

He's all gums, and no teeth. Just the way I happen to like my little men :)

Feeding Brother.

Published on 2011-06-02 06:39:00

Brayden has really embraced being a big brother lately. From running to get a burp cloth (known as "towels" to him), to getting a toy for Connor while they wait for dinner to be made, and recently, to wanting to feed him (we are almost solely on bott

Brayden Lately.

Published on 2011-06-01 08:11:00

Brayden has been saying/doing some of the funniest things latel, and I don't want to forget them.He frequently asks to pray. This morning he said, "momma! we pray!" and when I asked him to pray to God he said "thank you God for Pappa, Gigi, Daddy, th

Brayden's First Trip to the Dentist.

Published on 2011-05-31 16:38:00

Today I was a proud momma as my big boy had his first dentist appointment. We actually made the appointment 2 months ago-- can you believe that it's that long of a wait to get in to see the DENTIST?! Wowsers.For the past two weeks I've been talking t

Memorial Day Weekend

Published on 2011-05-31 07:53:00

(I wrote this post last night, but it took FOREVER to upload all the pictures, so I'm just now finishing it this morning).As I sit here typing at 9:30pm, I feel as though I may need tooth picks to prop my eyes open. I am POOPED as pooped can be, but

Best Laughing Baby EVER.

Published on 2011-05-27 22:41:00

Forget the baby who laughed at ripping paper. This might be the best thing EVER. I know. I'm a little biased, but seriously?! How can this not make you smile :)

Last Day of "School"

Published on 2011-05-26 21:08:00

Sadly, today was the last day of MDO... what we affectionately call "school" with Brayden, and what I call "5 hours of sweet peace." :) I was sad about it, and not just because this means two whole months without a day where I can look forward to som

Brayden Today.

Published on 2011-05-24 13:38:00

There are some days, like yesterday, that make me want to scream and wish I could go to a happy place that didn't have small children (also known as my closet). And there are days like today. That despite some of the frustrations a two year old can b

Powder, Powder, Everywhere.

Published on 2011-05-23 22:15:00

I'll be the first to admit that I struggle with patience. Like, struggle BAD with it. For those of you who have children, you can go ahead and snicker. Yep, having children has definitely put my patience (or lack thereof) through the ringer. Which is

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-05-23 09:11:00

Well, I had every intention of posting this last night, but if you've watched the news even for a millisecond, then you know that the Northwest Arkansas and especially southwestern Missouri got slammed with some bad,bad storms last night. Thankfully

Summer Lovin'.

Published on 2011-05-20 08:56:00

There is starting to be proof of summer at our house, and it makes my heart happy and full :){corn on the cobb}(it's no wonder the boys are obsessed with their daddy!){cracker jacks}{layin' in the grass- on a blanket of course (shout out Laura- best

Side by Side 6 month comparison

Published on 2011-05-19 20:43:00

I love these side by side comparisons of the boys. I don't feel like they look anything alike, do you?

6 Months Old.

Published on 2011-05-19 14:21:00

My Sweet Little Connor,If there were ever a way to freeze time, I would do it. I said it with your brother, and I will say it with you-- 6 months is by far my favorite stage in infancy and toddlerhood. You are learning so quickly, your personality sh

Just Keepin' It Real.

Published on 2011-05-18 22:00:00

I always laugh when people tell me that I seem so happy. I mean, I AM happy. It's just that the statement almost sounds as if happiness is an aura. Perhaps it is. I don't know. I have always been of the opinion that just because one LOOKS happy, does

Homemade Baby Food: Sweet Potatoes

Published on 2011-05-18 13:37:00

I figured I'd just keep with tradition and show yall some more of the yummy goodness I've made for sweet Connor. He is LOVIN' the food nowadays... so far I think his favorite is pears, although he's eaten everything I've introduced to him. To date he

Wordless Wednesday: Sweet Feet.

Published on 2011-05-18 07:25:00

Naps, Oh Naps.

Published on 2011-05-17 21:52:00

Recently I got an email from a reader about naps. I figured that if one person wrote a question in, that there were sure to be others out there who read my blog and wanted to know about naps, so I just decided I'd write to the masses.Let me first say

Blue Eyed Blueberry Baby.

Published on 2011-05-16 14:00:00

The other day I let Connor munch on a few frozen blueberries in the Munchkin fresh food masher thingy (I have no clue what it's called actually). He wasn't quite sure of it at first, but once the berries started thawing and the juice was flowing, he

Brothers Don't Shake Hands... Brothers FART.

Published on 2011-05-16 07:48:00

OK, for those of you who are socially refined, I probably completely offended you by the title of this post, but I couldn't resist. Yesterday afternoon while Drew and I were washing dishes in the kitchen, we heard a weird sound come out of the living

Weekend in Review: Crawdaddy Eatin' and high-fivin' Jesus.

Published on 2011-05-15 21:27:00

This has been a fun weekend with friends, crawfish, donut dates and more.Friday we just hung out at the house all day. I had to finish laundry (well, let's be honest... laundry is NEVER finished in our house). While I was washing dishes, I peeked int

Eating While Sleeping

Published on 2011-05-14 07:46:00

I've always found those youtube videos of kids falling asleep while eating hilariously funny, so yesterday, when B started nodding off while eating, it took everything in me to not laugh so loud I'd wake him up. I have no idea why he was so tired; he

Mr. Cool: Mr. Potato Head Edition.

Published on 2011-05-12 13:28:00

When B was an infant, we used to put our sunglasses on him and then say "Mr. Cool, Mr. Cool, they call him Mr. Cool." Now that he's old enough to talk, he proclaims this on his own whenever he puts sunglasses on, saying "I Mr. Tool!" It's hilarious a

Wordless Wednesday: Mr Cool with Wrong Feet.

Published on 2011-05-11 13:25:00

Cake Batter Chocolate Bark=HEAVEN.

Published on 2011-05-10 22:30:00

I love chocolate. And I LOVE cake batter. Mix them together, and pretty much it's heaven. I actually stumbled upon this recipe back during Christmas time, but I hadn't actually tried it until a couple of months ago. Since that time I've made it a cou

Endearing 2 Year Old.

Published on 2011-05-10 07:14:00

OK, I admit it. There are a few things I enjoy about the 2 year old stage. This morning was a little glimpse of why I like it.Me: Brayden, what do you want to eat for breakfast?Brayden: Ummmm.... HOTDOGS!Me (laughing): HOTDOGS?! Ewww. We don't eat ho

Brayden at 25 months (2 year Stats).

Published on 2011-05-09 22:22:00

I have no intenion to write a post for every month of the second year of my first born's life. HOWEVER. I feel as though I need to chronicle some of the things that are going on with Mr. B just 25 months into his life.He is talking more than ever! So

Brotherly Laughs.

Published on 2011-05-09 12:34:00

The other night, I was in the living room cleaning up and overheard Brayden and Connor laughing. I ran into B's room and found B pushing the wooden cars at Connor. For some reason it tickled Connor's funny bone, and we all had a good laugh. Just had

Weekend in Review. alternately titled: I freak when I see blood.

Published on 2011-05-08 21:25:00

Well, the title kind of blew my storyline, but I guess that's what I get for wanting people to know about our weekend.The weekend actually was really laid back, with nothing on the agenda. Drew was off on a camping trip all weekend, and I hung out wi

Daddy's Day Off: A Trip to the Safari.

Published on 2011-05-06 13:21:00

To celebrate another class down and the official half-way mark into Drew's MBA program, he took two (well deserved) days off. Wednesday we decided to go to a local safari place here in Northwest Arkansas. Drew and I have been before with my family, a

Facebook Status Friday.

Published on 2011-05-06 07:32:00

Man. What a week. It started out ok, had a few rough dips, and then ended on a good note. I'll let my facebook status' highlight what's happened this week:These were ALL on Tuesday. Perhaps you can see why I wrote the last one :) just had vision

Football, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis ball

Published on 2011-05-05 19:10:00

Brayden has a little picture book that we read quite frequently. He really likes pointing out the objects and telling me what they are. It's one of the few times I can get him to sit still with me, so I cherish the moment. I thought I'd see if he'd "

A Snippet of the Snipping.

Published on 2011-05-04 06:53:00

For those of you who may not have seen all the pics of Connor's first haircut, you might want to scroll down a bit. Or just click HERE. And here's a short clip of the haircut itself. I love this video, because it just shows how chill Connor really is

Haircuts.

Published on 2011-05-03 22:43:00

That's right. It's plural, and it's not a typo. I went to the salon tonight with both boys in tow, with intentions to get BOTH BOYS haircuts. So long to the long baby locks of little Connor.Yes, I was sad. And still am a little. But I am SO thankful

Homemade Baby Food: Green Beans.

Published on 2011-05-03 08:36:00

When people find out that I make my own baby food, I swear I see them flinch. I've determined that the flinching is for 1 of 2 things. The first reason they might flinch is that they too make their own baby food, and we make-your-own-baby-food-makers

A Family Fave. Slow Cooker BBQ Beef.

Published on 2011-05-02 12:43:00

Let's be honest for a a second shall we (as if I am not honest in all of my other posts-ha!). As a mom of two kids two and under, I rarely have time to brush my hair and teeth in the morning, much less cook on a daily basis. So I am constantly on the

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-05-01 21:04:00

What a fun weekend this has been, even despite the NEVER.ENDING.RAIN. I'm trying to keep perspective, as it could be much, much worse. Friday we just hung around the house. Connor practiced sitting a lot (he's constantly trying to pull himself up int

The Best Sound in the WORLD.

Published on 2011-04-29 12:49:00

Facebook Status Friday. I'm Back.

Published on 2011-04-29 07:53:00

First off, I want to say that my heart goes out to all of the people who have been affected by this terrible string of storms that has hit much of the south this week. Every time I'd get in the car and start thinking negatively of the rain, I remembe

Making Baby Food

Published on 2011-04-28 17:09:00

Well, it's about that time. It makes me sad just thinking about it. Connor man is old enough to eat solids. If you remember, his first experience wasn't that great. He just wasn't all the interested. But it's a different story now (probably because I

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Published on 2011-04-28 07:52:00

Strawberries have been on sale the past several weeks, and so the other day I told Drew I'd make him and his coworkers some chocolate dipped strawberries for their morning meeting. This is SO easy to do, and is a hit with pretty much anyone and every

Walgreens Trip: Money Maker

Published on 2011-04-27 22:00:00

When I found out about the Splenda deal this week at Walgreens, I jumped on it. Basically, there was a regional manufacturer's coupon for $3 off of Splenda. Walgreens just so happened to have Splenda on sale for $2.99, so the coupon made it free. Dre

Wordless Wednesday: My Little Model Boy.

Published on 2011-04-27 06:42:00

Connor, the Crazy Haired Child.

Published on 2011-04-26 06:35:00

This is post-bath, the peak of all hair crazies. I just LOVE his crazy hair, and will be so sad when it lays down for good :(

And Then...

Published on 2011-04-25 13:46:00

First, you act all cute and like don't like the camera...and then you blow bubbles and show your mom why you'll never need botox on your lips...and then your brother tries to butt into your mom's photo shoot of you...and then you decide to talk to hi

Flooding.

Published on 2011-04-25 09:51:00

I just realized that I left out the pictures of our church's parking lot from yesterday's Weekend in Review. This rain is CRAZY, and not expected to clear out until tomorrow sometime. I'm ready for sunshine, but trying to be grateful for the rain too

Easter Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-04-24 22:30:00

Greetings from the rain soaked Northwest Arkansas... and Happy Easter! We've had a fun weekend remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and celebrating a RISEN King today. Friday I got together with several of my good friends for a playdate/Eas

Remembering....

Published on 2011-04-22 13:10:00

....The ultimate sacrifice. The God-Man. HE is the reason we celebrate Easter. Not a bunny. Not cute chicks. Not little lambs. But THE lamb of GOD. Today, REMEMBER.

Farm Friends Gone Wrong

Published on 2011-04-22 06:23:00

Every year the U of A puts on a program at the equine center called "Farm Friends". It's a great thing for kids-- basically a lot of the local farmers bring their farm animals, and they set up different stations for petting, milking a cow (the milkin

Recent Pics.

Published on 2011-04-21 16:05:00

These are just a few pics I found that haven't made it to the blog for whatever reason. We obviously take a lot of pictures on the couch-- this is probably because every time Brayden wants to "holt" Connor, he ends up also wanting to "say cheese". LO

5 Month Side by Side

Published on 2011-04-20 12:49:00

I really enjoy doing these side by side comparisons. I know the boys started out looking so much alike. However, as Connor gets older, I feel like they don't resemble each other at all, except for a few facial expressions. I think that Connor favors

Matching Jammies

Published on 2011-04-20 12:38:00

A month or two ago I snagged some clearance jammies at Walmart and bought the boys each a matching set. We've attempted pics of this before, but they weren't that successful. Tonight, however, both of them cooperated. Such cuties that I have! they we

5 Months Old... What the What????

Published on 2011-04-19 22:24:00

I woke up this morning and said "what?!" 5 months. How in the world is that even possible. Seriously, someone put a brake on the warp time machine. This baby is growing up WAY too fast for this momma.Every little squeal, coo, raspberry blow... I just

Look Who's Eating Cereal.

Published on 2011-04-19 06:19:00

I started solids with Brayden at 5.5 months old. He LOVED food (still does), and had a hearty appetite, demolishing anything and everything in front of him. He'd even follow our spoons with an open mouth in hopes to get something more than the mushed

Reflecting on Easter

Published on 2011-04-18 21:07:00

As I have grown older, Easter has held more and more meaning. Perhaps it's because I can fully grasp the reality of the meaning of Easter, that our Savior is not dead, is not held in a grave but is ALIVE. Perhaps it's because as I have gotten older d

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-04-17 22:37:00

Well, it was another fun-filled, excitement packed weekend. I am pooped (what's new 'round these parts?!), but figured if I didn't sit down and write now, I may never get to it this week. So here goes...Friday we kicked off the weekend with a famil

I'm Alive. And Other Random Thoughts.

Published on 2011-04-15 16:07:00

I just realized I haven't blogged since Monday. That's a new first for me... missing a majority of the week. Truth be told, we haven't done anything spectacular this week, yet we've been so busy that I've barley had time to blog, much less sign on to

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-04-11 09:38:00

We had a fantabulous weekend, filled with amazing weather (thank you God for sparing the rain for later!), fun birthday celebrations and friends and family.Friday kicked off the weekend with the most beautiful weather to date in 2011. We had to clean

Brayden's Big Game: 2 year old birthday party

Published on 2011-04-11 09:24:00

Earlier this year, when I started thinking about Brayden's party, I knew I could widdle down the themes to two things: Toy Story or Football. They are the two loves of my first born son, and so I was having a really hard time deciding. So I decided t

2 Years Old.

Published on 2011-04-09 06:18:00

My goodness. Just typing the title of this post made my heart heavy. In many ways, this has been the longest two years of my life. I say that in the most loving, grateful way possible. Seriously, I do. And I am sure that if you're a parent you comple

Last Day to Be One.

Published on 2011-04-08 08:14:00

Facebook Status Friday.

Published on 2011-04-08 07:23:00

It's Friday. Which means Brayden's birthday is tomorrow.Cue tears. Lots. and Lots. of BIG tears.Ofcourse I should also say "cue procrastination", since I have waited until the last minute to do a lot of the stuff I need to do. Considering I never pro

Wordless Wednesday.

Published on 2011-04-06 12:50:00

I'm Busy.

Published on 2011-04-05 23:10:00

As if you didn't know already, I'm busy. I've got a party to plan, shopping to get done, and TONS of photos to edit and blogs to design. I figured I'd just let yall know that I might not be posting much this week. Get ready for the posts this weekend

Weekend in Review... It's a LONG one folks!

Published on 2011-04-03 21:38:00

Somebody get me a footrest... I'm pooped! Seriously though, this was a fun filled weekend, packed with AWESOME weather, fun outings and even a few photoshoots. We were all very excited that the rain we've been experiencing FINALLY left our presence,

Connor's New Fave.

Published on 2011-04-02 21:28:00

After having Connor try to jump on us one too many times, we decided it was time to whip out the Johnny Jump Up this week. I think he's found his first love... the boy seriously cannot get enough of his new jumping toy! And for all of the family who

5QF

Published on 2011-04-01 07:46:00

(Howdy yall! I already wrote my Friday post over HERE, if you're interested... and it even includes a little blog hop I started 3 weeks ago that (I think) is lots of fun!)1. Have you ever had surgery?Nope. I've never (knock on wood) broken anything o

Facebook Status Friday.

Published on 2011-04-01 07:44:00

I know that I am not the only one who is SUPER stoked that it's Friday. And what's even better, is that after a week of HORRID weather, we are looking at clear sunny skies, with the highs in the mid-70s. {cue angelic voice music}. WOOO. HOOOO.Anyways

Some Thoughts on the Paci Fairy, and other things.

Published on 2011-03-31 12:09:00

Apparently the paci fairy is a big hit for all of the parents with little ones who have paci's! I hope that some of my "strife" with the paci will lead to someone else not having to deal with it. Afterall, that's why I blogged about her visits in the

The Paci Fairy Part 3: She Came.

Published on 2011-03-30 14:34:00

Well, the paci fairy made good on her promise, and left an awesome Thomas the Train for our big boy to enjoy now. It was quite a hit. Ofcourse, I don't think the paci fairy thought through leaving a battery powered device outside in the cold all nigh

Walgreens Register Rewards Game

Published on 2011-03-30 07:39:00

I have joined in on the extreme couponing bandwagon, and tried my hand at the Walgreens Register Rewards game. I've read blogs for a while where they tout getting things for free, or nearly free, by rolling register rewards at Walgreens. I've been a

The Paci Fairy Part 2: She's On Her Way.

Published on 2011-03-29 19:53:00

(If you're not familiar with the paci fairy yet, you might want to go back and read part 1 first).After two days of hyping up her arrival, the paci fairy has a date tonight. I don't think Brayden really understood the little talks we had before napti

The Paci Fairy.

Published on 2011-03-28 13:29:00

With the impending second birthday of my first born, I thought it necessary to bite the bullet and invite the paci fairy to our home. For the past year I have said on more than one occasion that I'd be inviting her here and we'd be dropping the paci.

A Letter to LeapFrog

Published on 2011-03-28 06:37:00

Dear Leapfrog, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many ways you've contributed to the increasing knowledge my son has displayed recently. You know, like the colors and sounds of animals and the sounds and shapes of letters. It mak

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-03-27 17:02:00

Oh, what a fun weekend we have had here at our house. For the first time in what feels like FOREVER, we have all remained relatively healthy. For the first time since Christmas we have seen my parents, and were able to not only celebrate my birthday,

A Year Ago Today

Published on 2011-03-27 14:05:00

Last year, on March 27th, I found myself sitting on the floor of our bathroom, staring at a stick. Brayden was in my arms, crying for some reason (who knows why), and I was starting to join in with him. For you see, that stick I was staring at was a

Facebook Status Friday.

Published on 2011-03-25 05:30:00

Well, no one else linked up last week :( That's OK though. I'm a big girl and can handle the fact that I may be the only facebook fanatic that changes her status oodles each day. Here are my favorite status' from this past week:I don't know why we th

Drop the Poo... And Other Things I find Myself Saying...

Published on 2011-03-23 14:06:00

That's right folks. It's time for another round of "things I find myself saying." And yes, there are times I can't believe I am saying this stuff either. Let's just laugh together shall we?Brayden, Connor really doesn't want you to stab your finger i

Parenting Lessons.

Published on 2011-03-21 21:14:00

Have you ever heard yourself say something in regards to your kids and then suddenly think "that's probably what God thinks." It's an incredibly humbling experience, this parenting journey, for as I come across different circumstances that stretch me

4 Months

Published on 2011-03-20 22:20:00

Dear Connor,Please forgive me for getting this post up a day late. I'm sure you won't mind I took a mommy vacation on your four month birthday. It makes me a better mommy, and I want to be the best I can be for you sweet cheeks ;) You are a true

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-03-20 20:48:00

This weekend, I experienced something I haven't been able to experience in close to 2 years. Yes, thanks to my awesome husband, I was able to retreat for close to 24 hours of pure solitude. Well, perhaps pure solitude is not the right word, since I d

Facebook Status Friday.

Published on 2011-03-18 05:30:00

Hey yall! Welcome to the first ever Facebook Status Friday, where you get to see some of my fave status' from this past week, and hopefully other's will join in as well and we can see theirs! This is a really easy hop. Basically, just copy and paste

My Little Shamrocks.

Published on 2011-03-17 21:01:00

(If you missed my post earlier about the new blog hop I'm hosting tomorrow, don't forget to check it out!)Despite the never ending sickness that seems to abound in our home these days, I still dressed up the boys in their matching green polo shirts t

Story Time with Daddy.

Published on 2011-03-17 13:34:00

One of my all time favorite pictures is this one of Brayden with Drew: Now I have one to match it, with Connor and Drew, taken this weekend:Isn't story time with Daddy the best?

A New Blog Hop Idea

Published on 2011-03-17 10:51:00

I've wanted to come up with a blog hop for a while now. I just think they are a fun way to meet people, especially when there are fun questions or the like. Problem was, every time I would think of something and google it, it seemed someone else alre

PJ Colony.

Published on 2011-03-16 16:58:00

Greetings from the first PJ colony of Northwest Arkansas. No. Seriously. We've been in our pjs since Sunday. Showers? Thing of the past. Around here we boast of greasy hair, vomit soaked t-shirts, and huge walmart bags of poo filled diapers. Sound ap

Almost 4 Months Old.

Published on 2011-03-16 10:44:00

Connor officially turns 4 months old this weekend, but the only time we could get into see our pediatrician was last week, so we went last Thursday. He's a big boy weighing in at 15 pounds 5 ounces (75th percentile), and measuring 24.5 inches long (5

GT Blog Hop: Show Off Your Family

Published on 2011-03-15 17:06:00

Today over at Girl Talk they're having a blog hop for showing off your family. If you know me, you know I am awfully proud of my family. I'm very fortunate that we're all super close. I was trying to think of the most recent pic of all of us together

Pictures

Published on 2011-03-14 14:43:00

Sorry to not put any pictures for our Weekend in Review. I am SO exhausted from caring for a sick baby and not getting enough rest myself that I can barely keep my eyes open. Brayden has been able to hold down crackers and gatorade, but still feels p

Toby and B: Best of Friends.

Published on 2011-03-14 14:35:00

In most instances, Toby has learned to keep his distance from Brayden. It's not that they don't get along, but Toby's been pulled, hit and dragged enough to know that distance is in his best interest :)Today's been different though, as Brayden has as

Weekend in Review | Vicious.

Published on 2011-03-13 22:58:00

Whew. I am pooped and it's not even Monday yet. Perhaps I should explain....The weekend started out like any other. Actually, it started out better than a lot of weekends past, as we were able to go on our first REAL date since C-man was born. Bet

How I Save Money

Published on 2011-03-11 14:30:00

Lately I've had a couple of friends ask how I save money, so I thought it would be a good idea to just write a post about the different ways I save and/or get good deals. Truth be told, there's no huge secret in the things I do. It does take a little

Today.

Published on 2011-03-09 22:05:00

(I meant to post this earlier today, complete with a pic of B. Unfortunately the day got away from me, and here I sit at 10pm with no picture, and posting almost before the day is complete. Better late than never I suppose.)Today might be an ordinary

Spring and Summer Clothes

Published on 2011-03-07 20:26:00

If you know me well, then you know that I LOVE a good deal. I call myself a red tag addict-- I seriously am drawn to red tags. When it comes to kids clothes, my love for a good deal is no exception. In fact, I would say that about 99% of all of my bo

i heart faces: best face of february 2011.

Published on 2011-03-07 07:28:00

Since I participated in best face of January, I thought I'd keep the tradition alive and participate every month this year. Hopefully this will stretch me as a photographer, as I FINALLY learn how to shoot in manual.There was no doubt in my mind abou

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-03-06 21:46:00

Well, nothing glamorous to report on this end regarding our weekend. I'd like to say I feel well rested since we didn't do much, but I still feel as though a mac truck hit me. I'm beginning to think that feeling rested is a thing of the past, and thi

Friday: MBA Widowhood, Toddler Beds and Five Question Friday.

Published on 2011-03-04 07:16:00

Ahhh the weekend. I wish I could say I am looking forward to this weekend with great anticipation, but alas, besides a few things we have planned with friends or Brayden's swim lessons, the rest of it I could pass on. You know, like being at the hous

Sweet Baby Will

Published on 2011-03-03 22:48:00

This past Sunday I was able to do a newborn shoot for some good friends of ours, JJ and Cari. This precious bundle of joy is only 5 days old in this picture. Taking pics made me so sad that it's only been 3 months and already I've forgotten how littl

Proof

Published on 2011-03-03 16:17:00

They say that the proof is in the pudding...Around here, I suppose the proof is in the poo.Oh the joys of finding poo shoved in your window by an unnamed two year old. I have no idea why he is so magnetized by poo, but he is.Never a dull moment aroun

First Giggles.

Published on 2011-03-02 05:30:00

Last week Connor started laughing. Pure heaven. I was so excited that Dottie was able to be here to witness some of his first giggles. And lucky for you, we taped some of them. Isn't he the sweetest?! And if you've forgotten what Brayden sounded lik

Baby Workout

Published on 2011-03-01 10:17:00

Who knew that a 3 month old would be so worried about their abs? haha!

There's No Denying...

Published on 2011-03-01 08:06:00

That these two are brothers. (Brayden on the left, at almost 5 months, Connor on the right, at 3.5 months)

Dreams Growing Up

Published on 2011-03-01 08:05:00

This week at Girl Talk we're having a blog hop all about what we wanted to be when we were little girls... 1. What did you want to be when you grew up?I went through phases, but I can say that for the longest time I dreamed of being the first woman w

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-02-28 20:31:00

Well, in case you missed my post on Friday, then you might not know that Drew's mom was able to visit us unexpectedly this weekend. Well, I mean, we had a week to prepare, but that's nothing considering most trips that they come out this way it's wel

FRIDAY!!!!

Published on 2011-02-25 07:28:00

It's Friday. {insert huge sigh of relief}. It's been a long week. Lots of rainy days, which means that by 4pm on said days, there is a whiny, cranky toddler and a momma who might just lose it. OK, OK, I admit. I am almost losing it just about all the

What You're Saying Lately...

Published on 2011-02-24 07:11:00

Dear Brayden,I figure once you read this blog (in book form, if I ever get around to doing that), that you may not care what you said when you were almost 2. But to me, some of the things you say make me smile so big, and I never want to forget them.

Wordless Wednesday

Published on 2011-02-23 15:37:00

Vroom Vroom Adain.

Published on 2011-02-21 21:10:00

Tonight we went to a local pizza place (similar to Chuck E. Cheese) with several other families. It was the first time in a while we have brought Brayden out to one of these places. Typically in the past we just let him sit on the cars and "play," an

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-02-20 21:00:00

This weekend was fairly basic. No frills, nothing super fancy or terribly exciting. But sometimes those are the best weekends, right?Saturday Brayden had swim class, so Drew accompanied Brayden while Connor and I went shopping for a bit. After swim l

Side by Side. Again.

Published on 2011-02-19 23:14:00

Yall are probably going to get sick of these side by side posts, but I do them mainly for myself. When I was taking pictures of Connor today, I couldn't help but think of Brayden's 3 month photoshoot. So here's the boys at exactly 3 months!

Happy 3 Month Birthday!

Published on 2011-02-19 22:52:00

Connor, you're 3 months old today!I can't believe how fast time has flown, and yet when I look at you, you are still so little to me. Perhaps it's because you have a big brother and so you'll always seem like my baby. So what are you up to these days

Side by Side

Published on 2011-02-17 22:23:00

Today, while big brother was at MDO, I got to enjoy a day out on the town with this fella:(Connor at 13 weeks)Taking this picture made me think of this picture of Brayden:(Brayden at 8 weeks)It's so weird, this brother thing. When I look at Connor an

Side by Side

Published on 2011-02-17 22:23:00

Today, while big brother was at MDO, I got to enjoy a day out on the town with this fella: (Connor at 13 weeks) Taking this picture made me think of this picture of Brayden: (Brayden at 8 weeks) It's so weird, this brother thing. When I look at

Little Boys

Published on 2011-02-17 06:00:00

When I was younger, people would always ask me if I wanted kids. I would always have the same response: yes. I want 4 boys. People thought I was crazy. Perhaps I was (and still am). But there's just something about little boys that I bond with. I abs

Little Boys

Published on 2011-02-17 06:00:00

When I was younger, people would always ask me if I wanted kids. I would always have the same response: yes. I want 4 boys. People thought I was crazy. Perhaps I was (and still am). But there's just something about little boys that I bond with. I abs

Brayden's Strider Bike: Best. Thing. Ever.

Published on 2011-02-16 22:30:00

Yesterday, if someone hadn't told me, I would have thought it was Christmas morning. Or Christmas evening really, since the UPS man came during bath time. I wasn't really sure who was more excited: Drew, who was the one who got the package, or B, who

Brayden's Strider Bike: Best. Thing. Ever.

Published on 2011-02-16 22:30:00

Yesterday, if someone hadn't told me, I would have thought it was Christmas morning. Or Christmas evening really, since the UPS man came during bath time. I wasn't really sure who was more excited: Drew, who was the one who got the package, or B, who

Valentines Day 2011.

Published on 2011-02-15 07:49:00

I feel like I must first say that I'm not one of those people who really likes Valentines Day. It just seems like such a cheap way to water down "I love you." I want to be romanced because my man wants to romance me, not because every store in Americ

Valentines Day 2011.

Published on 2011-02-15 07:49:00

I feel like I must first say that I'm not one of those people who really likes Valentines Day. It just seems like such a cheap way to water down "I love you." I want to be romanced because my man wants to romance me, not because every store in Americ

A Valentine to my Valentines

Published on 2011-02-14 13:04:00

As I was perusing the aisle at Walmart today, it dawned on me that I was about to spend close to $10 on paper cards. Cards that would most likely land in the trash, never to be seen again, and therefore the words I write in the cards would only be tr

A Valentine to my Valentines

Published on 2011-02-14 13:04:00

As I was perusing the aisle at Walmart today, it dawned on me that I was about to spend close to $10 on paper cards. Cards that would most likely land in the trash, never to be seen again, and therefore the words I write in the cards would only be tr

They Make Me Smile.

Published on 2011-02-12 21:45:00

Normally I chronicle everything during the weekend in my weekend in review post, but I love this video so much I had to share before tomorrow night. These two make me smile so much. I could literally sit here on the couch and watch this video over an

They Make Me Smile.

Published on 2011-02-12 21:45:00

Normally I chronicle everything during the weekend in my weekend in review post, but I love this video so much I had to share before tomorrow night. These two make me smile so much. I could literally sit here on the couch and watch this video over an

Brayden's Big Boy Bed

Published on 2011-02-12 17:34:00

Well, it's happened. I was trying to avoid this at all cost, but yesterday my mind was made up for me, when, after I had put Brayden in "time out" in his crib for one too many whining incidents, I heard a door open, and out walked B. It happened so m

Brayden's Big Boy Bed

Published on 2011-02-12 17:34:00

Well, it's happened. I was trying to avoid this at all cost, but yesterday my mind was made up for me, when, after I had put Brayden in "time out" in his crib for one too many whining incidents, I heard a door open, and out walked B. It happened so m

Mr. Shy Guy

Published on 2011-02-11 09:15:00

Yesterday while I was playing with Connor, everytime I'd talk to him, he'd smile and then get shy and hide his face. It was too cute not to share.

Brayden and Mommy's Super Bowl Party

Published on 2011-02-11 09:15:00

I meant to post this on Monday, but totally forgot seeing how I was running around Northwest Arkansas with my sick bebe. Since Drew went to a Super Bowl part without us sickies, Brayden and I decided we should atleast celebrate together a little. I m

Brayden and Mommy's Super Bowl Party

Published on 2011-02-11 09:15:00

I meant to post this on Monday, but totally forgot seeing how I was running around Northwest Arkansas with my sick bebe. Since Drew went to a Super Bowl part without us sickies, Brayden and I decided we should atleast celebrate together a little. I m

Mr. Shy Guy

Published on 2011-02-11 09:15:00

Yesterday while I was playing with Connor, everytime I'd talk to him, he'd smile and then get shy and hide his face. It was too cute not to share.

Yesterday's Snow & Today's Sickness

Published on 2011-02-10 21:10:00

Well, it's official. We got the most snow in a 12 hour period that Arkansas has ever had in a 24 hour period. Like, duh. We live in Arkansas. We think we have a good snow year if we have 6 inches during a winter, much less 25 inches (for the record,

Yesterday's Snow & Today's Sickness

Published on 2011-02-10 21:10:00

Well, it's official. We got the most snow in a 12 hour period that Arkansas has ever had in a 24 hour period. Like, duh. We live in Arkansas. We think we have a good snow year if we have 6 inches during a winter, much less 25 inches (for the record,

Snowpacalypse 2011

Published on 2011-02-09 09:26:00

ETA: Drew read this and said I needed to clarify my first sentence. We love Dan Skoff. We really do. And no one could have predicted that the storm turn the way it did. I'm sorry for hurting feelings of meteorologists. It wasn't my intent. I'm just f

Snowpacalypse 2011

Published on 2011-02-09 09:26:00

ETA: Drew read this and said I needed to clarify my first sentence. We love Dan Skoff. We really do. And no one could have predicted that the storm turn the way it did. I'm sorry for hurting feelings of meteorologists. It wasn't my intent. I'm just f

I Take It Back.

Published on 2011-02-08 22:12:00

Right. So remember earlier today about how I told you how productive I was, and how we were all feeling better and happy? I take it back. This afternoon Brayden woke up from his nap particularly fussy. When I went in to get him I asked him if every

I Take It Back.

Published on 2011-02-08 22:12:00

Right. So remember earlier today about how I told you how productive I was, and how we were all feeling better and happy? I take it back. This afternoon Brayden woke up from his nap particularly fussy. When I went in to get him I asked him if everyth

{Smile}.

Published on 2011-02-08 13:52:00

For the first time in over a week, I feel as though I am able to keep my head above water and remain relatively stress free. I have to say, that having a sick baby, especially a little one who is sick, wears on you emotionally in ways you don't even

Connor Today

Published on 2011-02-07 17:07:00

Well, it's been an eventful 24 hours, and I thought I should probably chronicle everything both for myself to remember and to update all of you who I know are praying for us.Yesterday I felt like Connor was not doing any better. Honestly, it's the mo

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-02-06 17:22:00

Well, unfortunately we didn't do much this weekend that was interesting enough to report. Having two sick babies and being stuck inside will do that to a blog post :) Saturday Connor woke up struggling with his cough, and subsequently threw up all ov

The Cutest Little Sick Man You've Ever Seen

Published on 2011-02-04 15:39:00

I got some one on one time with Connor this afternoon while Brayden was napping. His cough breaks my heart, but his smile melts me like a warm knife on butter :)

Groupon Deals

Published on 2011-02-04 10:55:00

Here's some more good Groupon Deals!$10 for a $20 giftcard to Barnes and Nobles! Sweet deal if you like books, toys or music! And if you live local to the Northwest Arkansas area, or Springfield, Missouri, Here's a $10 giftcard for Backyard Burg

Pics Lately

Published on 2011-02-03 19:41:00

before all the snow had fallenBrayden's not been feeling well. While we don't like when he's sick, it's hard not to like the fact that he is SUPER cuddly when he feels under the weather-- a trait that he does not posses when he's otherwise feeling fi

Some Perspective and What We've Been Up to Lately

Published on 2011-02-03 12:53:00

But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!2 Chronicles 15:7 Sometimes as the mom of a toddler, I feel as though I am a broken record. Record me saying "no" and replay it all day, and it's very likely t

Prince Lionheart Balance Bike: A CSN Stores Review

Published on 2011-02-01 16:42:00

Remember this post, in which I listed a couple of things on my want list? Well, guess what? I got one of them!CSN Stores was gracious enough to allow me to review one of their many products from one of their 200+ stores. Drew and I had been talking a

A Day Alone: My Dream

Published on 2011-02-01 07:35:00

Today over at Girl Talk, we're having a fun little blog hop blogging about 'how would you spend a perfect day alone'. I have to be honest here... at this point in my life, my perfect day alone could be spent at the roach motel. You want to know why?

Gettin' Smart. Or Something Like That.

Published on 2011-01-31 14:54:00

Have you ever come across people's blogs and you have a sudden horrid realization that you have a two year old that has not really done that many crafts? Oh wait. That's me. Coming across all of YOUR blogs that make me feel as though my kid is going

i heart faces: best face of january 2011

Published on 2011-01-31 10:44:00

I haven't joined in over at i heart faces in a looong time. partly because, well, my life is craziness right now with two under two. and partly because i have a hard time coming up with pictures that fit into the themes. but this week, i knew i wante

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-01-30 18:39:00

Well, we started off with the weekend not really going to be that eventful, but several things happened this weekend to make it one we will never forget! (And just forewarning you... there are A LOT of pictures and things we did, so it may take

Weekend in Review Sneak Peak

Published on 2011-01-28 20:42:00

For all of you Arkansas fans out there, here's a little sneak peak at how our weekend has started...

I Like It All

Published on 2011-01-28 07:28:00

It's Friday Yall! Woo Hoo! That means it's the weekend, and we actually have temps projected into the 60s this week. It's like our little preview of spring... you know, before our 60% chance of snow next Tuesday. I don't want to talk about the snow.

A Melted Mommy Heart

Published on 2011-01-26 21:30:00

Yesterday, thankfully, was yesterday. I woke up this morning glad that God gives us a clean slate and has new mercies every morning. Both boys woke up in a great mood. I woke up and got ready early since we had a MOPS mom's morning out this morning.

Wordless Wednesday

Published on 2011-01-26 06:47:00

A Random Post about Today and Thankfulness

Published on 2011-01-25 17:18:00

Oh man. Today was one of those days. The minute Brayden woke up I knew it was going to be a pull of wills. He just was testy from the start. Unfortunately for a reason I have no idea why, I woke up with very little patience. As I rolled out of bed, I

Things I Swear By

Published on 2011-01-25 08:59:00

Today over at Girl Talk we're doing a Girl Talk Blog Hop with the theme: Things I Swear By. It was actually my idea, this theme, because it seems to me whenever me and my friends get together we're always exchanging ideas on things we love/hate. My l

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-01-23 20:51:00

There's not much to report on the weekend... we mainly stayed at home. Saturday B had swim lessons again. He was beyond excited. He had been saying "swim swim" all week, and practicing reaching and pulling in the air and in the bathtub. Silly boy. Dr

Passing Time

Published on 2011-01-21 12:45:00

It's another snow day here. Which means I have had to become super creative in finding ways to pass the time with a two year old. We've made tents, read books, made pillow mountains and read more books. I have the stuff out to make banana nut bread l

TGIF

Published on 2011-01-21 08:59:00

For some reason this week has seemed SOOOO long. So TGIF! We don't have much a weekend planned, which is probably a good thing, since we're due to get MORE snow on Sunday. I'm ready for spring. Being stuck inside with a newborn and toddler is less th

Me No Likey The Snow

Published on 2011-01-20 21:54:00

Well, January 20, 2011 can be counted as Brayden's first BIG snow. Last Christmas it snowed, but he was still too young to really understand. This morning was a different story. We woke up to about 3 inches and it ended up dumping another inch or two

Just Being Honest

Published on 2011-01-19 22:28:00

When I started this blog way back when, the purpose was to mainly keep up with friends, not to chronicle my life. As I have journeyed on the path of life, my blog has morphed. I would say that it really took off when I was pregnant with Brayden. And

2 Months Old

Published on 2011-01-19 13:03:00

Dear Connor,You're two months old today! Sometimes I just stare at you and wonder what in the world I'd do without you in my life. Sure, life would probably be a lot less chaotic, but then you smile and coo at me and I just tear up thinking about how

Steal of a Deal

Published on 2011-01-19 10:51:00

OK folks, if any of you purchase stuff on Amazon.com, now's your chance to get a 50% discount. LivingSocial is selling $20 Amazon gift codes for $10. All you have to do is sign up and purchase it! I've already bought mine, but if 3 of you sign up thr

Things I WANT...

Published on 2011-01-17 22:57:00

Perhaps it's because it's the New Year, and everyone has organizational items and new home decor out, but I really have the desire to redo our living room. More so, the floors than anything else. Our carpets are disgusting and since all of the traffi

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-01-17 21:26:00

Ahhh... If I ever get a weekend in review post up on time again, I might just pee my pants you guys! Seriously, life is such a blur right now, time just flies by and I realize it's Monday again. This weekend was a lot of fun though, and I snapped som

Look Alikes?

Published on 2011-01-14 15:24:00

Brayden and Connor at nearly the same age (8 weeks)

Blue...

Published on 2011-01-14 12:51:00

It's his color, wouldn't you say? (about as close to a smile as I've been able to catch on camera. {LOVE} his dimple.(he looks A LOT like Brayden in this picture. I'll have to put this one side by side another one I have of B at the same age for yall

Brayden at 21 months

Published on 2011-01-13 06:40:00

He is...Full of life (though not necessarily showing it off in this picture),Testy, yet has a sweet, gentle spirit when it comes to other people, especially his friends.Funny... and he knows it!contemplative, and loves to figure out how things work.

Thinking about Having Kids?

Published on 2011-01-12 14:00:00

The other day, my friend Laura posted the 11 step program for Those Thinking of Having Kids on our blog Girl Talk. It's so good, that I decided I would share it with those of you who may not join us on Girl Talk. We have no idea who wrote these lesso

Playdough

Published on 2011-01-12 06:35:00

I've tried playdough with Brayden several times before, but none were as successful as yesterday. Perhaps its because we were snowed in (and I type that laughingly-- it only takes an inch to have us snowed in here in Arkansas!) and so he knew it was

I Tried...

Published on 2011-01-11 13:28:00

Several months into my pregnancy, I won a blog giveaway for custom big/little brother t-shirts for the boys. They are adorable, and sadly, Connor's is getting too small. I had tried to do pictures in the past, only to dress Connor 2 seconds before an

Inspirational Quotes

Published on 2011-01-11 09:03:00

Over on Girl Talk, we're doing a blog hop with our favorite inspirational quotes. Here are a few of mine... if you'd like to join along, just hop on over to Girl Talk and link up!From a tv show:"I believe we can be extraordinary together, rather than

Weekend in Review

Published on 2011-01-11 07:38:00

Well, this is way belated, but like always, better late than never!We really had a laid back weekend, with hardly anything on the agenda. Most of the weekend we were either at home hanging out, or running errands as a family. Drew's dad came back int

Things I Find Myself Saying Lately...

Published on 2011-01-10 10:57:00

No, we don't wash our hotwheels in the dog's water.Brayden, please don't throw the basketball at your brother. He doesn't know how to catch yet.That's so sweet of you to share your blankie with Connor, but let's take it off of his face.Please, for th

Things I Don't Want to Forget

Published on 2011-01-08 15:02:00

There are several things that have happened recently that I want to remember. There are no pictures document these occurrences, but they are written on my mommy heart to always remember.Aspirations: The other day I was picking up laundry in Brayden's

Finally Friday!

Published on 2011-01-07 09:47:00

Welcome Friday! I am open armed and ready to embrace Friday, and it's friends Saturday and Sunday. I love the weekends, mostly now because I have Drew here to help corral the troops. Life is just a bit easier when you have 4 hands to do what I normal

First Day of School

Published on 2011-01-06 19:08:00

Today was Brayden's first day of Mother's Day Out. I was a bit apprehensive about how he would do when I dropped him off, since he's had a bit of separation anxiety since Connor's arrival. He clung to my leg for .2 seconds-- once he saw they had a bi

Brothers

Published on 2011-01-05 07:30:00

There's nothing better than window time with your brother on a cold, rainy day.

Go HOGS!

Published on 2011-01-04 08:56:00

We're geared up for game day, and ready to cheer on our HOGS to victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes! Woo Pig Soooie!Brayden has a present for the Buckeyes! About the best I could get of them both "looking" at the camera... LOL!

Weekend In Review

Published on 2011-01-03 21:50:00

This post is a bit late, but better late than never (I find that that is the anthem of most moms of more than one child... things are just a bit slower around here these days!ha!). We had a great weekend, reflecting on the past year and bringing in t

Extreme Couponing

Published on 2010-12-31 20:13:00

Well, I can join the club. I mean, I've always been a coupon user, but never to this extreme. Tonight we bought all of this for $50:Just in case you're wondering what THIS is:- 12 (32oz) bottles of Gatorade. 99 cents off each. so 1 cent each.- 12 box

My Favorite 6 Week Old

Published on 2010-12-31 18:58:00

Connor, you're 6 weeks old today! I must say, you're my favorite 6 week old ;o) You have really gained an awareness of people around you, and will even give us an intentional smile every now and then! Now that you're on Zantac, you really are a prett

I Need to Teach Him to Hit Back.

Published on 2010-12-31 13:31:00

Last night Drew was able to get off of work early and so we decided to make a family date of the evening by heading to Chick-Fil-A. It was much needed for Brayden and I, who have stayed mostly in the house this week. Brayden wanted nothing to do with