Wide eyed

I really should be picking up the house since Lauren is on her way...but sometimes, I just need to get thoughts on paper. Lucky, or maybe unfortunately, for you blogging is my new "paper." I use to journal a lot, but now, blogging works - it's faster:).
This morning I was in complete awe of the buddies. Every day I notice how much more fun life is. Everything is so big, new and wonderful to them. One of their favorite places in the house is our bathroom. I am not sure why but they LOVE to be in there. We keep our bedroom doors closed to keep them out, but when we get ready in the mornings we let them in.
This morning one of the things that made my morning was calling them to me to let them into the bathroom. I was going to get ready to run and needed them in there where I could see them. I called their names and said, "want to come into my room?" I then heard a gleeful giggle and the fastest little pitter-patters you have ever heard. They came around the corner and gave me the looks of, "Really? We get to come in?!" Once in there the excitement begins. First they come in and start squealing - they love how loud they are. Next Owen goes straight for the cabinet doors and begins opening and closing them. Then he heads to the door to the potty and opens and closes it, then to the door for the bathroom and opens and closes it. He's into opening and closing things. He then starts all over again. While he is doing this, Blake chases the sunshine. Yep, it is the sweetest thing. Sometimes he tries to eat it! Then after a few minutes they begin their call to each other to get the other one to come and have some fun with what they are doing. It's really sweet to watch.
I notice this is how they are with everything. They are so wide eyed about experiencing life for the first time. In turn it makes things that much more fun for me and Nate as well. Going to the pool, going on walks, taking a bath, all more fun because of them.
I am so grateful for how wise our God is. People become so calloused towards life and He so graciously allows us to have children and start over with them to remember all of the good and perfect gifts that He, the Father of Lights, gives to us. They are all around us - we just need open our eyes more.

Dada's version of babysitting

I left the room the other day and came back to see Nate's version of "containing" two crawlers...

Mommy's old, but Granma and Granpa are fun!

My parents came down Sunday night to help update our computer and celebrate my birthday (guess which one came for which reason). I am sure Blake and Owen had nothing to do with their decision to come.
We had a great few days and as always the boys had so much fun with them. They thought they were pretty great.
Funny story - on Tuesday for my birthday I got to go to the grocery store by myself - whooooaaaaaa. When I got home, my dad had called because he was having car trouble and so I had to go meet him. So my mom got to watch two crawling 10 month olds all by herself. When I got back a few hours later she met me at the door! She was ready for some back up! She said there is a reason women should have babies in their 20's and 30's and not 50's!
Here are some pics:


SWITCH!!!


FAVORITES!

Smitty would be proud

I think when I was in late elementary school the quintessential cheesy Christian pop song, "Friends are Friends Forever" became uber popular. I am pretty sure it was at the end of most camp videos for the next 10 years (following SC2's "The Great Adventure").
However, I have to give a big ole shout out to my man Smitty, as DC Talk referred to him, because he was so right about friends being friends forever! I am so blessed to have made some amazing Godly friends in my life. Those include friends I grew up with, friends I have served with, friends in Texas, friends across the country and friends in other countries.
Two friends I have had for a long time, Holly and Erin, I also have the added blessing of raising Blake and Owen with. Holly has a daughter, Payton, who is 17 months old and Erin has a daughter, Katelyn, who is 3 months old.
We met 10 years ago this August as freshman at HPU and then went on to live together for the next three years. Crazy to think it has been that long. And I have to give a little credit to my other man, Clee (Erin's brother and Holly's hubby) after all he did introduce me to both of them.
We have been in each others weddings, been there for the birth of our kiddos, celebrate most minor holidays together, and always take each other to eat for our birthday's. I always feel so blessed to have them as friends.
Thanks girls for being so great! My family loves you guys and your families!

With the kiddos for my birthday lunch




Owen couldn't get enough of Katelyn - he did his first real wave at her!


And then giving Payton kisses goodbye - check out the head tilts - look away Clee!

So far, so good!

I turn 28 on Tuesday - 28 people! That feels so old. But I am comforted in knowing Nate will be 30 this summer so I am not that old! I keep thinking about people who are older than me and what they were doing at 28. For instance when my brother was 28, I was graduating college and he had a 4 year old and a 1 year old - he was old. When my sister was 28, I was getting married and she seemed old. I guess now it's my turn.
All of the oldness aside (and yes, I know I will hear people laughing at me for thinking 28 is old - it's not old - it feels as though I am suppose to be mature) I have had a wonderful birthday so far!
I have gotten some pretty awesome presents - some Tom's shoes (thanks Auntie!), money, necklace, sweet cards, etc. But the best was last night. Getting to have a date with my sweetie!!!
I really love my hubby a lot and he is my best friend. This past year has been somewhat hard for obvious reasons but also because we went from being a pair who did everything together to babyland. We had very little transition because we were pregnant one day and all consumed with the boys a second later. We did not have much time to prepare.
Then this past December he started a new position in Conroe. It's great because he doesn't travel any more (if you don't count a 45 minute one way commute). It's great seeing him everyday. But this job is hard. It's not only time consuming but energy consuming as well. Then you add in babies, and life's responsibilities and we are just tired, a lot!
So last night was even that much more wonderful. Yesterday we got to spend time together as a family - just the four of us. So fun! I then got to go and get all prettied up by getting my hair done. I almost fell asleep while getting it cut! SO relaxing! I then got home, changed and Nate had a babysitter, Lauren, lined up! We left and went to a Hibachi restaurant, and then to a movie. But before the movie started we walked around the mall and he SPONTANEOUSLY bought me a coach purse! WHAT! My thrifty nickel splurged - SPONTANEOUSLY! It was so sweet and romantic! He's a planner you know. Then off to get some coffee and to the movie.
It was greatness.
And then this morning - DONUTS!
I am a lucky girl and if this is how 28 is going to be - BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is us on Mother's Day.

Splish Splash!

I LOVE water. I love summer. And I am so excited the boys do as well!

We have started bathing them together - it's like chasing greased piglets! I have a really cute picture of them together, but it kinda shows Owen's business - so we will keep that one off of a public blog :)




In their swim suits ready for the pool! Or at least the baby pool in the backyard on days Dada isn't home. Blake really does like his swim suit (and little swimmers) but was mad at me because I took away his hanger.

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful first Mother's Day with my boys. Pops, Grandma Nancy, Sean, Savannah and Grandma Stroh all came in for the weekend. We got to celebrate a big Mother's Day on Saturday night with everyone over for dinner. Then on Sunday we went to church then came home and all took some naps and then the four of us went to a cute little restraunt on Lake Houston for dinner. It was wonderful and relaxing.
As I look at my sweet boy's faces I am reminded over and over how blessed I am. They are the most adorable, sweet, fun loving, joy bringing kiddos I have ever been around. Just seeing them come into a room makes you want to smile.
Their kisses are sweet, laughs contagious and love never ending. I am so thankful to be a mom!
Me and my little guys

Great Granny Stroh and her little guys

The gang's all here! (except two sleeping little guys!)

Now that is bad hair!

 

But it frames such a cute face!!!

Owen the launderer

Is that even a word? I had a hard time coming up with a title.
Today I was on the phone with my mom when I heard the boys playing at the end of their nap. I walked in and as usual saw them playing with each other through the crib slats. There was squealing and as I went to Owen's crib I found the following:
- Owen in a diaper
- PJ's underneath him
- a hooded towel
- linen pants (that's right, they have linen pants)
- a collard shirt
At first I thought - "Did he get out of his jammies?" Then I realized he had been taking clothes out of the clothes hamper that is next to his bed and pulling them into his bed through the slats.
Now that friends is a brilliant kid. That or a future owner of a laundry mat :).
On another note - Esther had her babies! Esther is the girl I asked you to pray for a few weeks back. Her little girls also have/had TTTS. They were born today. She made it to 30 weeks. They, Amaya and Liana, we near the size Blake was when he was born. One was 2 lbs 5 oz and the other 2 lbs 12oz.
Check out her blog there are pictures!

Monkey Business

These are a few weeks old...but they make me laugh.

Don't they just look like baby monkeys picking at each other.
Happy 10 months boys!

Now that's commitment

For those of you who read this and have never lived in Texas then you don't know about the grand tradition of taking pictures in the beautiful state flowers, bluebonnets.
Taking your childhood pictures each spring in a lovely patch of bluebonnets is one of the greatest Texas traditions. Texans are weird people, you know. We are very proud and will go to whatever lengths for the state we are so proud of.

Side Texas story - right after we moved here in 2006 we were at church on the Sunday celebrating the 4th of July. As we are singing songs to honor this great land of ours - "God Bless America," "America," The Star Spangled Banner," we out of no where hear, "The stars at night are big and bright (clap, clap, clap, clap) DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!" I thought Nate was going to leave the building. He has later come to understand the greatness that is being a Texan and no matter what he says is so glad the boys are officially TEXANS!

So back to the bluebonnets. Last week Nate had told me he would be late coming home, the babies were antsy in the house, and we didn't have bluebonnet pics yet. I had heard of a field of flowers in Kingwood, so I got directions and we went.

When I got the directions the word "ditch" was involved, but so was the word neighborhood. I wasn't worried. But when I got there, it was quite an ordeal especially with two little ones.

Another side note. Most of the time you can only find bluebonnets on the sides of highways. They are wildflowers. When I first told Nate about taking pictures in them our conversation went like this:
Nate: "So...you take pictures on the side of the road?"
Me: "Uhhuh"
Nate: "You just pull over on the shoulder get your kids out and stick them in a median?"
Me: "Uhhuh"
Nate: "With cars speeding by?"
Me: "Uhhuh..."
Nate: "That's stupid."

Luckily for us all the ones I found were in a ditch, but also off a quite side road and in a ditch...far away from the cars ;).

So I want you to know that it took some commitment to get these pictures. We had to park, get out, get the stroller, walk around the ditch, park the stroller, get them BOTH out, carry them BOTH down in the ditch, it was really hot and all the boys wanted to do was eat the grass...but they sure are cute!!!




I did get a few good ones...but I for some reason like these the best. In the end, it was worth it!