Road Trip!

Bradley's birthday was this past week and to celebrate we took a very mini vacation to Austin. We haven't done anything like this as just our family of four and it was so much fun!! I was a little worried how the boys would do in the car and staying for their first time in a hotel, but they both did great! Blake thought it was so much fun to get to sleep in the same room as Brady and kept saying "This is the best place I ever stayed!" Definitely gives us the confidence to travel with them again and I look forward to other family vacations the boys will get to go on to make life long memories.
We started Saturday morning at Zilker park. So much to do and see, but we opted for two of the activities... Barton Springs (a natural springs pool) and the miniature train that you can ride around the park.

I would have taken more pictures but we were swarmed and I mean SWARMED by bees. Two bees even flew in my purse. (one right before the train left the station, so I had to jump to a different seat and leave my purse!) If you know me, you know my fear of bees and wasps. I had a major panic attack and we had to abandon sno cones and book it to the car. So pathetic, but seriously such a phobia of mine. Never been stung either in my life. Crazy. And kind of sad that I'm such a baby!
We got cleaned up and then Brady totally crashed on our hotel bed. So sweet.We went to dinner at yummy County Line BBQ and then the boys went out back and fed the turtles and were in heaven. Even though it was HOT, I so loved watching the boys...they were having the best time.

Then we headed to the capitol and walked around. The boys had a blast and I loved hearing Blake try to say the word capitol over and over again.


As we were trying to head back to our car, Blake saw a group of college age kids playing frisbee and of course he needed to be a part of it. I found the people in Austin were crazy friendly and I love it. One of the guys broke up their game and invited Blake to play with him. So sweet.

We got attacked by bees again on the way back to the car. And got attacked again today. Seriously a) why are the bees attacking us and b) why does Austin have SOOO many bees?!
Today we walked around Austin a bit more and ate lunch and then headed home. We had SO much fun but always feels good to get back home! Especially where there are fewer bees.

Worried Mommy

Two posts in one day. What is going on you ask? Well, to be frank, I'm scared. Terrified more like it. Anxious. Pit in my stomach anxious. Brady, as you know, has a swallowing problem. As much as we've hoped and prayed and waited ever so not patiently, he has not outgrown it. All his liquids are thickened with a special and expensive gel substance you can only get at very few places in the DFW area. Brady has been through a lot to say the least. He's gone through so much that if I ever stop to truly think about it I'll burst into tears. So I choose not to... denial is great. During one of his respiratory illnesses awhile back where he was unable to always keep his formula down, he just started protesting not only his bottle but the formula as well. We were happy about the bottle, it was the easiest weaning off a bottle of a kid I'm sure anyone will ever go through. However, we wanted to keep him on the formula for extra calories. But we tried milk. No go. We tried chocolate milk and every variation there of. We've tried apple juice, orange juice, nothing. Brady ONLY drinks water with his special gel thickener. We tried giving him Pediasure at one point for extra calories and he got so pissed he went on a strike from drinking all together. He will go on an abbreviated strike whenever we try to give him juice or milk. He's one STUBBORN little boy. And only wants what he wants. Which leads me to the point of all of this. The thickener....its been recalled. RECALLED PEOPLE. The only thing keeping my son from having water enter his lungs when he drinks has been recalled. They sell another brand, but its a powder, not a gel like he's used to. We are about a day away from being out of the gel he likes to having to use the powder he's never tried. What if he can tell a difference? What if he goes on a drinking strike? Brad I know thinks I'm crazy and says if Brady gets thirsty enough he'll drink what's put in front of him, but Brady is one STUBBORN boy. Anyways, I'm sure I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but this pit in my stomach I can guarantee won't go away until Brady drinks his first cup of water with this new stuff.
Well probably the pit in my stomach will stay there until we get this whole swallowing issue is figured out. More in the coming months on that...possible surgeries, etc. I will be completely gray before all is said and done....

Show and Tell

One of my childhood friends discovered a passion and a truly hidden talent after the birth of her precious little girl last year. She takes beautiful pictures. Like I can not convey just how beautiful these pictures are. It helps that she has a beautiful subject to practice on all the time! But Kristin is doing what most people are too scared to do...she's trying to turn her talent and passion into a business. Incredible. She put up the offer to her friends and family to take pictures, at no cost mind you, so she can build up her portfolio. I of course JUMPED at the opportunity.
Like anything with small children, you can not predict how they will act. My boys were ALL over the place. They did not want to cooperate, they just wanted to play. We all felt a little bummed at their lack of cooperation. But Kristin worked her amazing magic and produced some really awesome pictures. The chigger bites we got were totally worth it! :)
Kristin's blog is private, until she gets her photography site up and going, so I'm copying and pasting her blog about our shoot. Hope she doesn't mind! But she's also a great writer and loved her recap of our day.... ENJOY!

3 to 1

I was busy taking pics there for a while, and it was lots of fun. Here are some more pics-another long time friend from high school. She might be outnumbered by the boys, but she can definitely hold her own...unless...there's wasps involved. Then she's out. But I was too!

Besides the swarm we had fun. It was hot outside but these boys are cool dudes. And mom, she's got lots of love to go around! Proof is in the pics.

A couple more of those big smiles, because they'll make you smile too!

Life in iPhone Pics

We've been busy enjoying the summer days and trying our very best to stay cool in this ridiculous heat! Haven't been good at updating the blog or taking pictures with our real camera but we have snapped a few photos with our phones that are too cute not to share....

Brady ADORES his brother. I mean he is just crazy over him. My heart is constantly turning to mush over the sweetness between the two of them. Anything Blake does Brady is quick to follow. The other night after having some park time Blake popped a squat to drink some water and Brady promptly followed. Best buds and I love it!
And here is an extreme close up of Brady cuteness!

And here is Blake... GAP's latest sunglasses model...

Next up...sharing REAL pictures my super duper talented friend took of our little fam.

Two-Parter

Last weekend my parents graciously kept the boys for us over night so we could celebrate a good friend's 30th out on the town. My parents always try to do extra special activities with the boys when they keep them and I guess last Sunday they were feeling VERY ambitious...and BRAVE. They took the boys to the movie theater for the first time to see Cars 2. I was super excited for the boys, but to be honest I was very scared for my parents. But they did really well...made it through one hour and fifteen minutes of the movie. Not bad if you ask me! While they were at the theater my dad took the boys in to a photo booth, another first. I got a strip of some great photos but it also recorded their experience as well. Here is the link on you tube. Gotta love technology! What great grandparents these boys have!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVjzHVGktz0

Today we went to the beach. Not a real beach but our neighborhood's Beach Club. June marked 8 years since Brad and I have lived in our house (where does the time go?) and our neighborhood has some great amenities, one being a Beach Club. In those 8 years, can you guess how many times we've been?? ZERO. We are so lame. But the only time we drove by it to think about it, it was MOBBED. So we never tried again, ha! But now that I'm home with the boys every day I really wanted to have a pool nearby that we could frequent this summer. Last night we got new ID cards made and hit up the "beach" this morning. It.was.AWESOME! The boys had sooo much fun swimming, playing on the spray ground and building sand castles. At one point I asked Blake if he was ready to go home and he said, "No, I want to stay at the beach." So cute. If you wonder where we'll be almost any given day the rest of the summer...the beach club is where we're at!!
Here is a pic of the boys taking a water/snack break.

Brady's shirt says Big Kahuna. Are these boys cute or what?!