TTT: Season 3, Episode 30

1. I've long professed my love of Pinterest, the internet "pinboard" that many have become hooked on. I started pinning right around the time that Grant was born and it kept me awake through many, many late nights of nursing. And yes, I'll admit that there are quite a few Pinterest inspired home decor items in our home. Hey, moving in to a new house just shortly before joining Pinterest was just too perfect of a match! But I'm definitely guilty of the long running Pinterest joke summing up to pinning hundreds of things that you never actually do. There's tons of fantastic ideas, just not always the time and funds to make them happen. That being said, I've been trying to go back through and do some of the fun summer related ones that I knew the boys would love back when I pinned them. This past week I had to run to Home Depot for an air filter and while we were there we picked up a large, plastic painter's tarp. The next morning, we folded it in half and taped up the three open sides, filled the whole thing with water and then had a blast on our massive backyard water bed. It kept the big boys entertained for a full two hours, and really, the fun only ended because the water bed got too hot to touch!

2. I mentioned last week that my helper, Angelina, started helping me out last week. She has been coming over for a couple of hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and man, have I ever been grateful for her help! I've been keeping her busy with cutting fabric, a task I had gotten used to doing several times a week at night after Mark and the kids were in bed. She's also been able to help out with editing pictures for me and has been learning the fine art of creating baby linens. Bless her heart, she's done really well with keeping up with my "scattered-ness." I try to have my act together when she shows up, but it doesn't always happen that day. For example, today, right as she was walking in, Rudy went streaking across the room in all his naked glory! He had snuck out of his room where he was supposed to be napping to go to the bathroom and was apparently not able to his skivvies back on. But I've really enjoyed getting to know Angelina so far and am loving that I finally have some scheduled help with my shop!

3. Can we all just pause for a moment in recognition of the fact that the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics is tomorrow!?! yay, YaY, YAAAY! I know I'm really a dork when it comes to this, but I love the Olympics. I prefer summer, but the winter ones are good too. It's all just so fun to me...the competition, the pageantry, the emotion...all of it. Plus, the back stories just add to the drama of it all. It's kind of like an awesome reality TV series that's on every day and night for two straight weeks. And I think all of us at one time or another dream/wish/imagine what it would be like to be completely all-in 100% dedicated to something to point of being the best in the world. (I mean, if being a mom was an Olympic event, I'd at least want to give it a shot. Ha!) But anyhow, I'm going to give the boys a week or so of putting up with my obsession so they can see what it's really about and then I'm planning to have our own little kiddie Olympics. While checking out at Joann a few weeks ago, I spotted play Olympic medals in the dollar bin and knew we just had to have our own version of the games. Can't wait!

Playing on the water bed

I tried to stick a beach umbrella out in the yard to provide a little shade but it still got pretty hot!

My boys have their dad's skin. All three of them! Lucky boys! Sun screen or not, they never burn. Just get darker. Not me. Jealous. So now they all have adorable little white fannies.

Aaaaaand the fourth picture in a row that my kids aren't fully clothed! Hey, it's summer time! Just enjoying a little lunch after getting home from the pool.

My boys. I love this picture. Love. 'Cause this is just exactly how they are. Hanging with Dad on an early weekend morning, this is how I imagine them in my mind.

TTT: Season 3, Episode 29

1. Itellyouwhat, last Friday when I sat down to write my late blog post, I certainly had no idea what I had in store for the rest of the day! With Ben and Erin in town (and other family scheduled to arrive that night), the plan was to take the kiddos over to my parents, have a little double date at a local restaurant, and then head back to my parents where hopefully Pat, Abby, Andy, and nephews would have arrived. Instead, when we arrived at my parents house, I was greeted with an awesome surprise 30th birthday party! Being the goon that I am (and my mind being a million other places than at a party) my first reaction upon walking in the door and seeing a huge crowd of people dressed up in sombreros and fake mustaches was more of confusion that surprise. I spun around to see if the surprise was for someone behind me, and really, it took me a sec to realize it was for me! I was expecting to see some people (the aforementioned Pat, Andy, Abby...) but then there were plenty more who I had no idea were coming out to surprise me. My cousin Mandi, her husband Joe, and their three little ones drove all the way down from Lubbock just for the weekend to be at the party. My cousin Kristen came over from Austin. Our good friends Jared and Katie were in town for the wedding but drove up from Katy for the party. And of course my beloved local aunt and uncle, Kirk and Cathy and cousin Helen were there too. I can only speak for myself, but I think it's safe to say that a LOT of fun was had by all! The house was strewn with fiesta decor and a plethora of pictures of yours truly throughout the years. Plus plenty of good Mexican food from Berryhill, Mexican beer and my dad's margaritas, my favorite German chocolate cake...I know...that totally busted the whole Mexican theme, ha!...and the most awesome homemade pinata ever! You know, I may not get to see my family all that often or my nearest and dearest friends, but can I just say that between this weekend and the one we spent with Mark's family on my actual birthday, it's very safe to say that I have the best family and friends in the whole world. I look at my life and see how richly God has blessed me and am just so thankful. Any chance I can turn thirty again next year!?!

2. So after the huge hullabaloo that was my 30th birthday party, we got to spend an enjoyable Saturday morning with Mandi and her crew, and Erin and Jacob. It was fun to have the kids together and certainly made me reminisce on our days in Lubbock. Then it was time to get ready for Lisa's wedding. As discussed in last week's post, the rain decided to make it's daily appearance right as we were leaving for the church, but luckily it cleared up just in time. Lisa's wedding was beautiful! I did spend a good majority of the time in the back with tweedledoo, but quickly discovered that the back isn't exactly a bad place when attending a wedding mass. I got to see every last bit of it...without having to stand on tippy toes or lean around someone! After the wedding, we headed back to The Woodlands for the reception. It was held at a local Country bar/restaurant that is famous for hosting country artists in a more intimate setting. It was perfect for Lisa's Texas themed reception. We may have pushed the kids a bit by dancing the night away, but hey, we only get to attend a wedding every so often so exceptions just have to be made! Plus, they were having a blast too. Most of all, we loved getting to see Miss Lisa in love. It was so refreshing to see a couple just completely head over heals for each other and completely proud and confident in their love for each other and God. Such a fun, fun night!

3. There's too many other things that I want to talk about so we'll go random for Numero Tres.
- We had so much fun with Ben, Erin, and Jacob. There was that awkward I-wonder-if-its-going-to-be-the-same-as-it-used-to-be question in our minds before they came. It was squashed the second they arrived. We love them. Mwah!
- My "shop assistant" started this week on Tuesday! Yaaaaaaaaaay! Especially since I got like nine million orders over the weekend while I wasn't working. She'll be back today to help again. She's adorable.
- My parents are awesome. They helped me with the boys Monday and Tuesday so I could get caught up a bit.
- I have hormonal issues. No, not of the psychotic nature. More of the dermatological nature. Anyone know what to do with dry bumpy patches on the face that just won't go away? They've been there in varying degrees of bad for a few months. I've tried: coconut oil, cetaphil lotion, neosporin, hydrocortisone, etc. All the usual suspects.
- Kolbe got on our bathroom scale yesterday and weighed thirty-five pounds. That's good for him! I was proud. Until he asked me how much I weigh. I told him one hundred pounds more than that. And his response was, "Wow, Mom. You're real fat." Didn't help with the hormonal issues.
- After the surprise party/wedding weekend, I now have two big blog posts of pictures I want to do. This one and the birthday extravaganza from a few weeks ago. Must. Get. Pictures. From. All. Cameras. Present!
- I know I already mentioned this once, but I love my life. Love, love, love it!

People that are awesome: My cousin, Mandi. She made this pinata for the party! And let me just tell you she did not go cheap on the cardboard! I had to go at it with a real baseball bat! And it was filled with plenty of "granny items", my favorite candies: Riesens, Reeses, Haribo gummies, Coke gummies, and butterscotch candies, lotto tickets, and little mini bottles of liquor. I suppose a little rum in my Coke after the kids go to bed isn't such a bad idea!

Rudy "mustache" you a question....Mom, so when are you going on your date!?! (he was obviously not let in on the secret!)

Helen, Pat, and Kristen...if ever there were three peas in a pod, it could easily be them.

Dancing with my Daddy...there's nothing in the world quite like it!

See! Not such a bad view from the back!

Partying cousins! (one of many, many pictures from the reception...can't wait to see and share more!)

Obligatory picture of Happy Baby! Because, really, he is that cute. And as of today, I think he's officially a walker!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 28

1. Yet another week of lateness...hey, at least this week I'm not a full week late! Our revolving door of house guests was busy spinning yesterday as our best buds Ben and Erin Johnson arrived with one of our godsons, Jacob. This is their first visit down to The Woodlands since we moved here and we're so excited to have them here! Plus, they're coming down to attend a dear friend's wedding along with a lot of our other Lubbock friends and family and we can't wait to see everyone! It's kind of like a Lubbock reunion of sorts, but on our turf! Two of my four brothers will be here, a sister-in-law, two nephews (one of which is our other godson) plus lots and lots of college friends...sounds like the recipe for a fun wedding weekend. We are really loving having visitors!!!

2. We gave Mr. Jacob Grant's room to sleep in so Grant is sleeping down in our room in his pack-n-play. Last night, when Mark and I went in to get ready for bed, our too-loud talking woke the little guy up and he was not having any part in going back to sleep right away. Since Mark had an early morning surgery, I took the fella out to the family room and gave him some milk. With the lights out, we curled up on the red rocking recliner and my baby Grant actually snuggled with me! I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Grant's sleeping habits are definitely a bittersweet aspect of his babyhood. He sleeps like a champ. Just toss him in the crib and he's done. No crying. Just instant sleep. But that's the only way he'll go to sleep. He never nursed to sleep. Never rocked to sleep. Heck, he never even wanted to be held to sleep! So 'sweet' in that he's a super easy baby to put down which is nice with two other little ones needing attention. But 'bitter' in that I've completely missed out on cuddling my baby which to me, feels so essential to being a mama. But back to the rocking recliner. He curled right up and rested his head just beneath my collar, closed his eyes, and went right on to sleep. And for ten wonderful minutes I soaked in all of his baby-ness. Listened to his sweet baby breaths, smelled his fluffy baby hair, felt his soft baby skin. Of course, every time I tried to pat his back or smooth his cheek, he fidgeted and squirmed, so just ten minutes it was, but a lovely ten minutes. He's growing so quickly and it feels like his baby-ness is fading right before my eyes. I'll want to kill for those exact same ten minutes in years to come.

3. Beyond preparing for our friends to arrive, this week has been a whole lot of nothing. The boys and I have felt a bit like caged animals due to one thing:

Last year I think we topped out at about a total of five or six rainy days the entire summer. This year, throughout May and June we had several rainy days but no more than one a week. But this past week has pretty much been non-stop. It's been at least a full week since we last went to the pool. And I won't lie--we've had several movie days recently! I've got active boys. And I'm a pretty stir crazy mama! So, while we do love not having to water the yard, we're not really fans of the non-stop variety of rain. I don't see how people in places like Seattle do it! It has been off and on, but still, at least some every. single. day. And don't you know that in Houston, it makes for one amazing steam pit of an outdoors when it's not raining! Here's to a dryer week...and hopefully a dry wedding for our good friend, Lisa!

I did a bad job of taking pictures this week... just a couple of the boys working on math!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 27

1. This week has been a little bit of saying goodbye to visitors, a little bit of back to life as normal, and with the 4th of July, of course a little bit of celebrating! G-ma left town on Saturday and we were so sad to see her go. Visits from G-ma are much anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed by both the boys and me. What little kid wouldn't love cramming all the fun things you normally do in the summer all in to one week!?! And what mama wouldn't love ending the week with absolutely no dirty laundry to do!?! G-ma is awesome and she sure does love her grandbabies. Now the countdown begins until Thanksgiving when we travel back to Lubbock for our next visit!

2. On Friday we all took Grant to his pediatrician for his one year check up. He weighed 23.5lbs and was 31" tall. Still in the 80th percentile for both, though I think it's funny how he was over twenty pounds at six months and only managed to gain a few more in the second six months of his life. If you were around this child and saw how wild active he is, you probably wouldn't be surprised! At one year old, Grant is quite the little man. He says 'mama,' 'dada,' and 'baba' (bye-bye). He waves, claps, blows kisses, gives high fives, and loves to dance. His absolute favorite activity is climbing stairs. And while he'll readily carry on a conversation with you in baby talk, his favorite method of communication is to scream. The boys steal his toy; he screams. He wants down from the high chair; he screams. He wants a drink; he screams. His shaggy blondish brown hair is wispy with just a bit of curl on the ends. And with just two top teeth and two bottom teeth, he has the most winsome baby smile ever. And oh, those blue eyes! Grant is our best laugher and worst crier. He doesn't cry that often, but when he does it's total devastation. End of the world! And he's by far our best sleeper and eater. For someone with so few teeth, he sure does know how to take down just about anything you give him. He hates purees and has always just wanted to eat whatever we're eating.  His favorites are bananas and peeled grapes. He's got an awesome baby tan and has finally given up his favorite past time of spitting up. Grant has been our slowest to start walking. Both Kolbe and Rudy were full-on walking at this age while Grant still prefers to crawl and does it at lightening speed. He'll take a step or two from here to there but if it's long distance, it's back to being a quadruped. Really, we love everything about Grant. He's just the sweetest, most lovable little guy around and Mark and I are reminded daily how blessed we are every time we catch a smile from our little Grant.

3. Mark had to work yesterday on the Fourth of July (yes, people still need heart surgery on holidays...), but we still had a good time celebrating. We practiced singing patriotic songs, and with the Olympics just around the corner, I'm determined to teach my kids the national anthem by the end of the summer. By the way, I'm beside myself with excited that the Olympics are almost here! Eek! I'm one of those people who are super obsessed, follow every event, and watch every. single. day. Thank goodness for DVR or no one would see me for two weeks. Including my kids. Ha! Anyhow, the big boys had their first experience with sparklers and loved it! Of course they were very cautious with the first few but then once they realized they wouldn't get burned by the sparkles, they were in love. Mark had to head on to bed, but my mom and I decided to load Kolbe and Grant up and take them to see the real fireworks show in The Woodlands. We took a tip from a friend of my dad and just went to the Home Depot parking lot near our house. We were able to see the fireworks really well and didn't have to fight the crowd! Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, especially as a child. I can't wait until the boys get just a little bit older and we can really go all out with the festivities.

PS:
- I had Thai food this past week! We went to dinner with some of Mark's co-workers at a restaurant down in Houston. I went with something garlic-y instead of spicy and loved it!

Two brothers bowling

We love our G-ma!!!

Brusha, brusha, brusha!!!

We've been spending a lot of time at the pool! It's the only place to be other than indoors.

Doing sparklers with my little firecracker

Watching the real fireworks show on the hood of Pinkie's car

My little 4th of July boys!