Memorial Day 2012

We are so glad Summer is finally here! We woke up Saturday to the banging on the roof (yes we are finally getting a new roof after all the storms that have come through). The boys and I decided to spend the day Saturday at the pool and part of our 2nd family (from baseball & football) were there too. The kids love being able to swim with Nick, Adrianna, Matthew, & Casey! We will be spending most every weekend hanging out at the pool!

Sunday we went to the lake for Papa's BBQ! The kids had a blast! That afternoon we saw some friends of ours (another baseball family) launching their boat and off Sam went to hang out on the water with Coupe and the Kennemers! Jake and I met up with them that night about 5pm at the Morrisons (another baseball family) lake house. Needless to say what should have been an early night home from the lake ended up with us getting home at about 10:30pm and Coupe spending the night!

Monday was spent at the pool with the Dempsey's again!!

We had a great weekend and we loved hanging out with our 2nd family (although we missed the Miller's)!!

2012 Baseball Season

What a great baseball season! Sam did great and loved every minute! We ended the season with a pool party at Brodie's house which ended up being the never-ending baseball party. For a party that started at 1pm who knew we would all still be there at 9pm! We have a great group of friends/family that we have made on this team and can't wait until we are all together for football again!

After the last game Coach John gave all the boys their medals (they got their trophies at the pool party) and then surprised them all with a water balloon fight! What a great way to end the season!!



 

 

 

Busy Weekend for Sam

Sam had a very busy weekend! We started with baseball practice Friday afternoon and then his buddy, Nick, came over to spend the night. This was the first time Sam has had anyone sleep over so he was very excited. Jake was just as excited because he thought it was his sleepover too! We ordered Pizza and the boys played the Wii. They went to sleep about 10pm and slept until 8am Saturday morning!

Sam & Nick after their 1st Baseball Game!

The boys had a baseball game at 12pm so we rushed around getting everyone ready to be there by 11am. We made it and they played great, 21-0!! Sam's girlfriend was at the ballpark watching her older brother so she came over and watched Sam's game. He was so excited to see Lauren. They have known each other since Playschool and as Sam says "Lauren has been my girlfriend since Ms. Margaret's class" (3K)!

Sam & Lauren before the game!

Sunday, Sam had a birthday party to go to for a friend on his baseball team, Coupe. It was a food fight party and the boys had a blast getting nasty! Pics below...

I'm BACK!!!

Ok so I realize that I MUST start blogging again just so I can document what all is going on with our boys! We have been so busy this past year with Sam starting Kindergarten and playing 3 sports (yes, 3) that I have not been blogging but that needs to change! Everything is going by so quickly and some of the things these boys do and say has got to be written down somewhere for them to read because they are NOT going to believe all of it!

Sam loves Kindergarten and his teacher, Ms. Austin. He had done really well in class and I am amazed at how well he can read! We started the year reading 'site' words but now he can read entire books to use without asking for help on any of the words! He loves his sports too! This is his first year to play sports and he chose to play football, basketball, and baseball! He likes football and baseball the best and has already asked me to sign him up for football again for the fall. We are so proud of him for all he has done this year!

Jake is in his 2nd year at CCCE and loves it! He has some awesome teachers and begs to go to 'school' every morning. There really are no words to describe Jake at this age...really no words! HA! He says the funniest things but gets in the most trouble. But he can also be the sweetest little boy ever. His teachers say he is "wonderful" at school which is all that matters! He is definitely going to keep us on our toes as he grows up!!

Here are some recent pictures of the boys! More blogging to come...

Jake's smirk!! Up to no good as usual!!

So proud of my lil man Sam!!

Quick Update

We have had so much going on in the past two months! Here is a quick update:

* Sam Graduated from Preschool!!! I can't believe it but he is finished at CCCE! He had such a great experience there and I look forward to the next 3 years with Jake! Sam had his annual Spring Program but this year he was involved in the 4K graduation...or was suppose to be involved. He walked down the aisle with his class, saw me sitting on the end of the row and instead of going up on stage with his class he scooted in and stood by me. After numerous tries to get him on stage I realized it was hopeless, so he sat with me as the 4K classes received their diplomas. I was able to get a few pictures of him after the program. Below with Mrs. Elaine!

* Panama City Beach Trip 2011! Alan & I took the boys to the beach for a few days after school was out. We had a great time!!

* Bop Had Surgery...Before we left for the beach Bop got sick in Colorado and had to have surgery. Mom flew out while we were in Florida and was unsure when she was coming back. It depended on Bop's recovery and how soon he could fly back to Birmingham. Thankfully he is doing great and made it back home!! Brian & Susan were on a cruise (FUN!) that same week so Alan stayed home from work one day and kept the boys and then I stayed home Tues-Thurs. I had so much fun with the boys that week. We went to the pool everyday and watched cartoons. At night Sam and I would go with Pappy to the SEC Baseball Tournament. On Friday, Pappy took off work so I could work from Mobile for the day. Pappy took the boys to the zoo (yes in the heat) and they had a blast! Bop, Nanny, & Noni were able to come home on Saturday!

* Memorial Day Weekend...We spent Saturday at the lake all day with Grandma, Poppa, Katie, & Parker. The boys played great together! Sam and Alan weren't ready to come home so they "camped out". Jake and I headed back the next morning to get the boys. A few more days at the pool and Mommy had to go back to work - BOOO!

The boys have had a great summer so far and are looking forward to their next beach trip with Noni & Pappy in a few weeks! Sam is already rubbing it in that he and Jake get to go but we have to stay home and work...

Fun Weekend!!

We had a really fun weekend! Friday afternoon Alan picked Sam up from Noni & Pappy's house and met up with Drew and Andrew before heading down to the lake for the night. The guys "camped out" as Sam says in Grandma & Poppa's camper Friday night while Jake and I stayed home for pizza and movie night! Saturday morning Jake and I left to meet up with the boys for a fun day at the lake (much needed). We were about 5 miles from the lake when Jake started coughing. The next thing I knew he had thrown up all over himself and the carseat. I immediately pulled over and luckily I had packed an extra towel and change of clothes for him. I quickly changed him and let him ride the rest of the way in Sam's car seat. I asked him if he was ok and he said "I ok, Momma". I asked if he felt bad and he said "No, Momma, I ok now". I knew he had some congestion that morning and since I was letting him eat in the car I think he just got a little car sick. (Looks like he is taking that after Uncle J too!) We decided to go ahead and go on the boat ride because the other boys were ready to go fishing. Jake perked up and was fine all day. No fish were caught but we all had a great time! Andrew and Sam got along great so I see a lot more fishing in their future!!

Jake, Andrew, & Sam ready to get on the boat! They were obsessed with the minnows!

Jake is not into fishing...he'd rather drive the boat!

Sam is 5!!!!

I can't believe Sam is now 5! We had a great time last week celebrating his birthday (all week)! Thursday (on his birthday) I got him some special "5" birthday cookies to share with his class during snack time, then Noni picked up a few pizzas, grapes, chips and juice so all of his school friends could celebrate his birthday with a pizza lunch. That night his one request was Chuck E Cheese! Noni, Pappy, Alan, Jake, and I helped Sam celebrate with more pizza and LOTS of tokens which turned into LOTS of tickets won! He ended up with about 3-4 "prizes" from all of his tickets.

Yesterday we had his party at Joe Tucker Park in Helena. Finally we were able to schedule an outdoors party for Sam without the threat of rain or snow (yes in March)! The playground was crowded but of course that didn't bother the kids at all! They had a great time and Sam came home with a ton of cool new toys. I'm not sure where we are going to put them all yet because the playroom was already full!

Thank you to everyone that came and made Sam's birthday so special!

Disney World 2011

We had the BEST trip to Disney World last week! On Saturday, Feb 19th we loaded up the car and headed to the airport. The boys were going to be flying for the first time! Jake sat between Alan and Noni and mostly slept or ate his Chexmix. Sam sat by the window with Pappy & me. When we took off ("blasted off" as Sam called it) Sam was interested in looking out the window but once we got near the clouds he closed the window and waited on his peanuts! After 4 bags of peanuts we landed in Orlando!!

We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort in Disney which was fantastic. Our rooms were within walking distance to the pools, beach, and restaurants! We had dinner reservations Saturday night at another resort so we hung out at Downtown Disney until it was time to eat.

Sunday we went to Seaworld! We had the best time seeing the animals and watching the shows. Sam liked Shamu the best and came home with a stuffed Shamu just like Uncle J use to have. Sunday afternoon we headed back to the resort where the boys went swimming! YES, swimming in February because it was 80 degrees and sunny everyday we were there! The pools were incredible for boys. The small "baby" pool was actually a huge pirate ship that had slides and a 20 gallon (or more) bucket on top that filled up with water and every few minutes would dump it out. The boys loved playing in the pool. The other pool had cannons that sprayed water and a waterslide.

Monday we went to the Magic Kingdom. The boys had no idea what to expect and I think it blew their minds. We rode on Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride first and Jake absolutely loved it. He did not want to get off the ride. We went on a few more rides and watched the street parade before we had lunch at Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and friends. Then it was on to Tomorrowland, where the boys rode on the Buzz Lightyear ride and the Peoplemover. After a fun day at Magic Kingdom we headed back to the resort.

Tuesday we went to Animal Kingdom. Sam had heard all about the dinosaurs at the Animal Kingdom from his buddy Tyler, so of course we rode all the dinosaur rides. After a Finding Nemo musical, which was awesome, we had lunch and went on a safari ride. Then later that afternoon they had the best parade and then we had our pictures made with Mickey and his friends. Then it was back to the resort for more swimming!

Wednesday we went to the Contemporary resort for breakfast with Chef Mickey and friends. It was great! The boys ate good and then Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, & Pluto came by our table for pictures. After breakfast we rode the monorail to Epcot. We were all really tired at Epcot so after a few rides we decided it would be best to head back to the resort to rest.

Thursday was our last day so we headed back to the Magic Kingdom to ride everything that we did not get to on Day 1! We started off riding the racecars and the Buzz Lightyear ride at Tomorrowland and then headed for Fantasyland. AC & the boys rode the Teacups which I learned my lesson a long time ago that the teacups are not my thing! We waited in line for the Dumbo ride for what felt like an hour but I'm glad we did because Jake says that was his favorite ride! After a few more rides and an extremely tired little boy (Jake) we headed back to the resort.

On the way back to the resort Sam informed me that once we got back home he was going to be saving his money (change he finds) for our next trip to Disney! They were definitely not ready to come back home after a great trip!

THANK YOU to Noni and Pappy for taking us on an unforgettable trip to Disney!! Sam has his autograph book and pressed coin book ready for our next trip!!

Jake's 2 Yr Birthday Party

Jake had a great birthday party Saturday! We had it at the house with close friends and family. I had a Mickey Mouse theme since we are getting ready for our Disney World Trip in 1 month!! I had planned on having a moonwalk for the kids but not knowing what the weather would do and because we had a few kids not able to make it to the party I decided against it. Instead I pulled the train table out of the playroom and put it in the den and let the kids play with the trains. Jake got some really cool toys that he has played with constantly since the party!

Jake's super cute cake from Edgars!

Jake, Parker, and Owen playing with the trains!

Alan had to hold Jake back because he wanted to dig in!

Jake eating his cake with a fork! The one day he could eat messy and he does not!

I asked Jake after the party if he had fun and he said yes which is all that matters to me!

A reunion of sorts for the 3 Amigos!

Jake is TWO!!!

Two Years Ago...

NOW...

Jake is two years old today! These past two years have gone by so quick but we have loved every minute of it! Having two boys at the house is crazy at times but they are the best of friends and we have loved watching Jake learn from Sam.

• Jake is definitely more outgoing than Sam and is not afraid of ANYTHING! There is not a week that goes by that Jake does not have a bruise or scratch from playing so rough.


• He started playschool this year and loves it. His teacher tells us all the time how good he is and how well he plays with the other kids, which of course is music to my ears!


• He has really started talking more. Some of his words are: Momma, choo-choo, shoes, Batman, No-No, yeah (for yes), cheese, Nana, Roll Out (thanks to Transformers and Sam), Two (when asked his age), Big, Help, Broke, Bob-Bob (Spongebob), Juice, Car, etc...


• Jake loves playing and has such an imagination. I can sit and watch him play all day. He and Sam play well together for the most part but like brothers they fight alot too!

• Since the fall he has been sleeping in a big boy bed! He started sleeping in the bottom bunk of the bunk beds right away and has never wanted to go back to his crib!

I don't have any "stats" from the doctor because they are holding off on their wellness visits until March because of the amount of illnesses going around the past month. Jake was not scheduled to get any vaccines this checkup so I was fine with that! I sure don't want to risk him getting sick!

Jake's birthday party is tomorrow so I'll update after his Mickey Mouse Party!!

Christmas Vacation

I can't believe I am already back at work after a great 10 days off! This was by far our best Christmas because both boys were really into Santa this year. Not necessarily sitting on Santa's lap but they love the idea of Santa and like seeing him from a distance!

Christmas Eve:

Christmas Eve was spent at Noni & Pappy's house with JJ and Issa. We had a great time opening gifts and eating Noni's awesome gumbo! Alan got a gift that he has been wanting for YEARS...a Play Station 3! I can't believe we were able to surprise him! This was the Christmas for bikes! Sam and Jake both got a new bike from Noni & Pappy and loved them!

Christmas Day:

Christmas Morning was so much fun! The boys woke up about 7am and when they went into the den they had opposite reactions. I think Sam was still asleep because he just stood and stared for a second but Jake went running to his new Batman Big Wheel Bike. He jumped right on and started to ride it through the other toys that Santa had left for them. Sam then ran to his new Autobot Transformer Bike and jumped on (pictures below of bikes)! Now both boys have bikes at our house and Noni & Pappy's! I think I know what they will be doing once it warms up! They got a lot of other toys from Santa, however I think Santa is a big Batman fan or at least the boys are because they got ALL of the pieces and vehicles that go with their Batman Cave that they already had!

About 8:30am we loaded up and went to Grandma & Poppa's house where the boys got more cool toys (Sam - Optimus Prime Transformer that talks & Jake -Dancing Mickey Mouse). Jake is so funny with his Mickey Mouse. He wasn't sure about it at first but now he loves to push the button and hear Mickey sing and dance but if anyone else in the room dances he points at them and says "No, No, No" like Mickey is the only one allowed to sing and dance. It's hilarious!

About 11:30am we left and headed over to Nanny & Bop's house for Christmas lunch with everyone. We have always given gifts to the cousins however once you get married you are put in the "adult" category. The "adults" decided to change things up a bit this year and do a Dirty/Silly Santa gift and draw names. At Thanksgiving the names were drawn and now it was time to open the gifts! There were all kinds of gifts given from Obama Chia Pets to a Camo Snuggie to an Oregon Ducks t-shirt (just in time for the National Championship Game!) but the funniest gift was the Strawberry cake from Savages. Doesn't sound very funny but when the gift was given to my uncle who works for Edgars it becomes funny! I don't think he expected to open a cake! We had the best time opening the gifts and I think we found a new tradition! Melissa, I have to give you credit for getting the best Dirty/Silly Santa gift!

After Nanny & Bop's house we headed home. Within minutes the boys had our den looking like Toys R Us exploded! They got so many new toys and could not decide what to play with. I let them keep their toys in the den for a week before they had to go to the playroom...I just needed to know I had a floor under all the toys!

I was off work the entire next week which meant lots of time to play with the kids. Tuesday night Mom, Dad, and I took Sam to an Alabama Basketball game. For those that don't know Sam has been calling people "Catfish Bottomfeeders" lately. I'm not sure where this came from but his usual target for this name is Uncle JJ! Well, we took Sam to dinner at Bottomfeeders in Tuscaloosa and we made sure to take a picture of the catfish for JJ!!

The rest of the week was spent resting and playing at the house! On New Years Eve it warmed up enough for the boys to go on a bike ride in the neighborhood! They love their new bikes!

We had a great vacation but I know the boys were both ready to go back to school today (tomorrow for Jake)!