Superstar!

Dawson is sporting these cute new sunglasses from his Kneaders kid's meal. So adorable :)

Sleepy-head

Apparently, watching Mom loading the dishwasher is not good entertainment. I don't have a single picture of Dawson falling asleep in his high-chair. So, I was excited that Desmond fulfilled this adorable rite-of-passage.

Cousin Oakley

I think Dawson may have his first crush....his adorable cousin Oakley. Who can blame him?

Tooth #5

Desmond's fifth tooth made an appearance on 5/12. He's still working on #6 and it's being a painful one for him! Poor thing...

A Hiking We Will Go

One of our goals as parents is to instill in our children a desire to be active and enjoy spending time outdoors. It was like seeing into the future the other day when I asked Dawson whether he'd rather go ride his bike or walk over to the park and he started whining and said, "I want to sit on the couch and watch Kung Fu Panda!" I can only imagine how it will be when he's 15.  This summer we are going to try to squeeze in at least one family hike per week.


Despite owning our townhouse in Providence since 2007 we had never set foot up Providence Canyon until this spring. We had heard the Conservation Corp had cleared an awesome single-track/hiking trail last summer and decided we better check it out. The weather has been mild enough that we've already used the trail a number of times and it is absolutely gorgeous. This last Wednesday (I know, this post is a bit late!) the foliage was so lush and green it almost felt like we were in beautiful Oregon.


We have two kid carriers/back-packs so the boys get to come with us. The straps on one of the back packs are pretty worthless and I have to jimmy-rig them with some extra cushion to make hiking bearable. Jeffrey gets the nicer pack, but has to carry a 3 year old in it. So, his shoulders are pretty achy by the end, too. 


Once we get going Desmond typically falls asleep and spends much of the hike like a bobble-head doll. Dawson likes us to pick up rocks, flowers, sticks, leaves, etc. for him to hold as we hike. They are both so cute in their little packs. 

Cheese!

Sleepy Des

Bright colors

We are hanging out in the waiting room at the chiropractor, and my boys look so bright and summery. I had to snap a pic!
I love these guys!

Mother's Day Wishes

Here it is again...Mother's Day.


The day we force our husbands into the kitchen to prepare a meal worth a year's wait. Though the thought is sweet, inwardly we cringe as our well-intentioned mates coat the counter-tops and fill the sink with dishes. 
My mom is amazing and deserves to be spoiled rotten on Mother's Day. Along with a thoughtful gift, she is treated to a  feast. The spread my Dad lays out on Mother's Day always makes me grin. Along with a plethora of side dishes he typically conjures up 3 different meat dishes....every woman's dream! It's no surprise that my husband always thinks it's a good idea to visit my parents over Mother's Day. Unfortunately for hubby, this year we are staying in Providence so he'll have to make his own meat platter!


In addition to not making dinner and sleeping in as long as my nursing body will allow, I'm hoping for a thoughtful gift or two. Here are some Mother's Day gifts I would love to receive:


1. A promise of health for my boys throughout their lives.


2. Peace-so my boys need not fear and can be spared the instability and tragedy of war.


3. True Love in my children's future and the ability to accept whomever their soul-mate may be.


4. Productive and intelligent boys; may it be in school, work, a charity, or in their own homes. 

5. A knowledge that my boys will neither bully nor be bullied, and will befriend those in need. 


6. A lifetime of friendship with my children, even when they are teens and could hate me for "ruining their lives."


7. The ability to make my kids love themselves as much as I love them. 


8. An assurance that my kids will always have food in their bellies, clothes on their bodies, and a roof over their heads. 


9. Faithful boys who know there is a higher power at work in all things, and that they are His hands on this earth. 


10. And lastly, for myself, I'd like to receive faith, strength, patience, and love, in order to keep on truckin' along this scenic yet bumpy road of parenthood.


P.S. Honey, if you can't find any of these items at Wal-Mart, a box of chocolates will suffice. :)


Reader, what "gifts" would you add to this list?

Strolling

What do you call your first cousin's son? Second cousin? Cousin once-removed?  Who knows....


We call Adin plain old "cousin" and it is working just great. Today Adin got to come over and play with Dawson and Desmond while Sam and Brandon hit up a movie. We had a fabulous time strolling over to Macey's for some frozen yogurt (the flavor of the day was Apricot Mango and it was DELISH).

Dawson is getting so independent, he got to walk the entire way while the babies rode in the double stroller. On our journey home Dawson met a bus driver and saw inside a school bus! I'm sure he won't find this as exciting in 10 years. We were also blessed to see a  backhoe loader, a garbage truck, a pile of ants, a stick/sword, and a very scary butterfly.

Check out those scuffed-up knees...100% boy.

A walk to Macey's isn't complete without a brief stop at the park. The babies loved swinging while Dawson made "houses" in the wood chips. FYI: I'm a budding expert at sliver removal (thanks for including that in my upbringing, Dad.)

Adin doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. He was having a great time!

My endlessly sunny Desmond.

 What a wonderfully quaint life. :)

And then there were four

Desmond: My baby boy will be 9 months next week! I can't believe it. He is quickly becoming a mini-tornado. He crawls around our house like its nobody's business, pulls himself up everywhere, and bravely attempts to ascend the stairs. Desmond's curiosity is adorable to everyone but Dawson ("He's getting my tractor!!!") 
Desmond has an angelic demeanor. He smiles without prodding and only cries when his big brother treats him like a rugby player. 

Poor baby got a rug-burn on his nose, but he's still all smiles!

Dawson: My big boy turned 3 in April. His chubby cheeks, baby-blues, and bouncy blonde hair make me attack him with constant kisses. Dawson is 110% boy. Our days are full of cars, trucks, tractors, airplanes, dirt, farts (NOT MINE!), and dinosaurs.  He is a sponge with an insatiable curiosity about how things work. It's a good thing I excelled in geology so I could explain how that heap of dinosaur poop turned into a rock!

Out for our daily cruise around the neighborhood.

Me: My days are spent corralling the aforementioned individuals. Being a SAHM is tough! Do I love it? H-E-double hockey sticks, YES.  But the old saying about motherhood is true: The days are long, and the years are short. I spend the day checking the clock, too often counting down the hours until bedtime. Then I wake up and my little baby is wearing a size 3T and I'm left wondering where the time goes. 

Putt-Putt! 

Jeffrey: When he's not at work, my handsome hubby can be found snuggled up on the couch watching addicting TV shows (Vampire Diaries, anyone?) with his lovely wife, playing monsters with our little cherubs, or on occasion, hitting up some mountain bike trails.  I love this guy to death (and beyond!) and feel extremely lucky that 7 years ago God saw fit to put us in SPCH 2110 together ("Interpersonal Communication" now you know where we got our exemplary communication skills)! 

C'mon, Des! It's just a little brotherly love!

In summary: These three fellows bless my life beyond measure!

Back in the Saddle

Has it really been 3 years since I last updated this blog? Yikes!   


Luckily, I've been inspired by a number of friends to dive back in, so here I am! 

(waiting for applause to end....)

My new goal is to keep my blog updated enough that at the end of the year I can have it printed and count it not only as my journal but as my photo album. Because let's face it, the whole process of taking pictures, uploading and having them printed, then annotating them and arranging the whole mess in an album is extremely demotivating. In fact, I have a confession: I have not ordered prints for a year. That's right, according to my photo album, adorable Desmond does not exist! 


That will not fly. 


So here I am, excited and ready for my second chance in the blogosphere.