2011 - Year in Review

January - I gave my notice at my job.  Trip to Children's with Brady for RSV.  Brady's first hair cut.


February - One boy with RSV, another with the Flu.  Mega snow and ice storm.  Last day at my job.


March - Started my new career. 


April - Birthday parties galore.  Easter egg hunt.  Tree fell down.


May - Blake Turned THREE.  Brady hit the 20 pound mark.  We lost Brad's beloved father.


June - I turned 30. 


July - Austin Road trip.  Brad turned 31.


August - Trip to the Circus. Cousins got to play and hang out.


September - Blake's first soccer season. More Brady testing. Balloon festival.


October - Brady turned TWO.  Zoo.  Brady's two day hospital stay. Pirate and Ghost filled Halloween.


November -  Thanksgiving and time with family.


December -  Holiday parties. Time with family.  8th Anniversary.


2011 held great memories and wonderful times.  2011 held life changes.  2011 was a year of great loss.  2011 was a year of worry and hospital stays.  2011 was a year filled with many blessings.  May 2012 bring us all a year filled with endless blessings.  Happpy New Year!

Thankful

I am SO thankful (understatement) for my mom and dad and the relationship they have with the boys and all they do for all of us.  Brad and I got to stay at the Four Seasons to celebrate our anniversary (amazing) and my parents kept the boys for two days and one night.  They took them out for lunch and dinner (no easy feat) on Wednesday and Christmas light looking in Highland Park that night and Thursday morning they went to the Science Place to check out the shark exhibit they have going on.  They spoil my boys rotten, but I love it and love that they enjoy their time together so much.  
Brad and I were able to just focus on the other with no interruptions.  It was heavenly.  However, its funny how the minute we walk out of my parents' door we instantly miss the boys.  Missing the ones you love though can be a good thing.  Makes the time you have together that much more precious and less likely to take for granted.  

Picture of the love birds at dinner

The boys at the shark exhibit

EIGHT.

Where oh where does the time go?!  Today Brad and I are celebrating EIGHT wonderful years together as husband and wife.  We've been together for about thirteen years...almost half our lives.  Its crazy to think about as much as we have been through together, it is only such a small part of what will hopefully make up our lifetime together.  So many more memories to be shared together and that excites me beyond words.  I am so blessed to have a husband that is my best friend and who is such an incredibly amazing dad to our incredibly amazing boys.  A few days ago we were watching t.v. and a Ralph Lauren Romance perfume commercial came on with the couple being all lovey dovey.  Brad said, "Aww, romance." And Blake said, "Like mommy and daddy!!"  I think we must be doing something right.  I love this man more with each passing year.  We might not have all the material riches in the world, but with our love that we share, it still makes me the richest girl in the world. 

I wish I may, I wish I might...

Blakeisms.  I have to start documenting the things Blake says because, well, you'll see...

A few weeks ago at the mall I let Blake throw in a penny in the fountain and make a wish.  I asked him what he wished for and he said, "Lots of food!"  Which is so fitting for Blake who is obviously Brad's son because he wants to eat alllll day long.  And he always has to make sure there is enough food on his plate.  Brad's CLONE.


Then on Christmas I let him throw another penny into the fountain where we had just eaten our holiday meal.  I asked what he wished for and he said, "That you are all my family."  *cue heart melting*


And tonight, Brad was at the park with the boys until it got dark out.  He taught Blake the little poem, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight... And then he said, what do you wish for?  Blake's response..."That everyone's wishes come true."  *cue heart melting into absolute mush*

Happy Holidays

Our family has been really enjoying the holidays.  Its probably my favorite holiday season we've experienced in quite awhile.  The boys are really into Christmas and Chanukah this year and the joy that they have with everything we do fills Brad and I with endless joy as well.  I've been so busy enjoying, I haven't done a lot of "snapping."  Our pictures are pretty few and far between.  Brad at least was smart enough to get some video on Christmas morning though.  By the way, we woke up yesterday to Blake saying, "Santa brought me presents!!  I must have been a good boy this year because Santa brought so many presents!!"  It was ADORABLE. The last few days we've been lighting the Chanukah candles, opening lots of presents, eating latkes, eating lots of ridiculous yummy food, looking at Christmas lights and my favorite of all...spending lots of time with family.  Our holiday has been so great, but has also been an emotional few days with our first Christmas without Brad's dad.  We know he is with us always though and we are so grateful for the many blessings in our lives.  I hope all of your holidays have been as joy filled as ours!

Blake after he opened his favorite Chanukah gift he's gotten (actually favorite of Chanukah and Christmas!)

Blake eating a yummy ice cream treat

Brady with his favorite Christmas gift

 Brady with his favorite Chanukah gift

It's starting to look a lot like...Fall?!

Didn't we have a white Christmas in Dallas last year?  Crazy that its in the 60's here today.  But I'm not complaining!  The leaves on the tree out front FINALLY turned a beautiful yellow and have started a mass exodus off their branches all over our yard and driveway.  We were leaving the house earlier and instead of getting into the car like I had asked, the boys headed to the leaves and started to play.  My first instinct was to tell the boys to stop messing around and get in the car.  But we didn't have to be anywhere at a certain time so I turned the nagging mom button off and let the boys have at it.  The smiles, the giggles, the joy flowing from the boys were so worth those extra minutes of waiting in the driveway.  
I all too often get snippy with the boys because they are dragging their feet.  One of my biggest resolutions this year is to learn to slow down more.  Let my boys be boys and let them enjoy being little and exploring the world around them. I think we could all benefit from slowing down just a little from time to time. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cookie Party

Every year through elementary school my mom and I were invited to a friend's annual mother/daughter Christmas tea.  It is something I looked forward to every holiday season.  I love traditions like that.  And that is one reason why I got so excited to hear that Blake's BFF from school, Sophie, was going to be having a first annual cookie decorating party.  Sophie's mom grew up with her mom hosting the same type of party every year for her and her friends and it is a tradition she wanted to continue with her children.  So special.  Because Sophie has a brother that is Brady's age that she wanted to include too, we lucked out that it wasn't a mother/daughter occasion, but a family occasion, so the four of us all got to attend.  After being so sick for the last few weeks, it was really great for all of us to get out of the house and get to do something extra fun.  We all had a blast.  The boys loved decorating (and eating) the cookies, they had grown up food and drinks too which Brad and I definitely enjoyed and I so so loved getting to catch up with some of the mom friends I made from Blake's school and watching the boys have an absolute blast playing with all the kids.  We even timed leaving perfectly to drive by the annual Frisco Square Christmas celebration and looked at the balloon glow and dancing Christmas lights to music from the comfort and warmth of our car.  The entire afternoon definitely put us all in the holiday spirit!

Waving a white flag

Just thought I'd peek my head out from under the covers to say we're still around, but have been crazy sick.  THANKFULLY just the grown ups (knock on wood).  I went from a flu like virus all last week to over the weekend turning into a sinus infection.  I finally got an antibiotic last night, so praying things turn back to normal soon.  I am so over being this sick.  The boys have been saints.  I have really only been able to take care of their basic needs and not able to really play with them all too much.  Thankful they have each other and thankful they haven't destroyed the house since they have pretty much taken over.  They deserve a trip to Disney World.