Embarrassing

OK, so I have to admit it is embarrassing not to have a post since six months ago. A girlfriend just said she checked out my blog to get an update since we had not talked in a while and I had not updated anything since JULY!!! Ooops! I could go on with a list of excuses, but I won't. I'll just give an update and hope to follow up with pictures before too long!

We had a great celebration of Caleb's 3rd birthday in August in Illinois. My mom threw a wonderful Cars party for him for an entire weekend!

We went on a wonderful vacation with my parents in October to Hilton Head Island. We stayed in a beautiful villa on the beach with wonderful views of the ocean and dolphins. We ate lots of great seafood and did a lot of fun and different activities. It is always fun to explore a new place with family.

In November we went to Pennsylvania to spend time with Jeff's brother's family. Caleb and Luke had so much fun with their cousins, Jake and Danny. Luke started crawling at their home and I think he just wanted to keep up with the other boys. Then we all went to Jeff's parent's home in Virginia and enjoyed Thanksgiving at their home. We traveled almost 1900 miles so it was a lot of together time in the car.

For Christmas we traveled to Illinois to spend a wonderful, snowy Christmas with my parents. Caleb went ice skating for the first time, and Jeff and I really enjoyed being back on the ice. Caleb and I decorated a gingerbread house, and we both got really into it and did a beautiful job, if I may say so! =) We had fun making sugar cookies and lefsa (our Swedish Christmas tradition). As soon as we got home Luke started pulling up on everything around the house, and Caleb took the word "challenging" to a new level. His teachers noted in the parent teacher conference that after Christmas he was really different and is asserting a lot more independence.

I feel like lately I am just trying to keep up with the basics of life. Life is full of fun right now with Luke into everything and Caleb challenging everything. If we make it through the day with everyone alright and in bed then it is a successful day! =) I realized this morning that Luke is getting his first tooth, and it was really exciting. You can't see the white of the tooth yet, but it broke the skin and I can feel it. I am planning his first bithday parties and in shock that our baby is almost one. He is saying all sorts of words, but I think Jeff believes I hear more words than Luke is actually speaking! Caleb is full of fun stories and questions, and is looking forward to the celebrations and cake and balloons for Luke's birthday!

The Little Things

I was thinking this weekend how the little things make it all worth while. Caleb is at a challenging stage and Luke is wanting to nurse often, and all of this leaves me tired a lot of the time. However, there are so many precious moments I treasure.

When Luke was a few weeks old I was holding him while he was crying and his head was near my lips. Caleb suggested that maybe Luke was crying because he thought I was going to eat his hair. Too funny! - Friday night we got home and I was trying to get cereal ready for Luke in an unsuccessful attempt to help him sleep through the night. While I was preparing the cereal Caleb started entertaining Luke with a game of peek-a-boo. All of a sudden I hear the sweetest sound in the world - Caleb making Luke laugh for the first time. I went out to the van to get the video camera and was still able to get a couple minutes on video of Luke cracking up over Caleb. This was Luke's 4 month birthday so it was fun to mark it with his first laugh and first cereal, along with the first time he ever had a blow out diaper on Mommy. Unfortunately for Aunt Peg, Luke's first blow out was with her on her last visit...sorry Aunt Peg! - This weekend Caleb told Jeff he wanted Daddy to build him a tree house. When Jeff said he didn't have any trees to make a tree house Caleb suggested that he had a pair of scissors he could use to cut down trees. - Yesterday I was getting Caleb ready for Sunday School. I reached in his underwear drawer and felt a couple underwear were soaking wet. I was talking out loud to myself trying to figure out what happened, and then Caleb told me that the day before when he soaked through his diaper at nap time that he had used the underwear in an attempt to clean his bed. Gross, I know, but after I confirmed that was the only thing Caleb used for clean up then I told Caleb how good it was that he tried to clean up the mess and that next time he could just tell Mommy and Daddy so we could help. It is interesting to get a glimpse of how a young mind works. - Caleb overheard me talking to my mom on the phone this weekend saying that we could all share one hotel room next weekend when we meet my parents. When I got off the phone Caleb expressed his concern that all of us could not sleep in the same bed because we can't sleep with Granna and Granpa on top of Mommy and Daddy in one bed.

There are so many funny things and the sad thing is that I am too tired to remember most of them! I am going to start documenting the comments so I can look back and smile at my sweet and funny boys.

GG & Aunt Peg & Cereal

Caleb is such a big helper these days. This morning I said we needed paper towels and toilet paper so I was going up to the laundry room to get some more. Caleb immediately said he wanted to go with me so he could carry down the paper towels, and this is a fairly typical routine. However, today he took the paper towels and then asked me if the toilet paper was really heavy. I told him it was just really big and not heavy. He took the toilet paper right out of my hands, told me he could handle really big, and then he proceeded to carry both items all the way downstairs for me. What a wonderful son!

We decided to make an extra special treat for Trevor today - Caleb and Aunt Peg filled a kong with peanut butter and put it in the freezer. Caleb was really curious how Trevor was going to get the peanut butter out of the toy.
I guess Caleb's curiosity explains this next picture. By the way, Trevor thoroughly enjoyed the treat!
Trevor is not the only one in our family who enjoys treats. This is a picture of GG treating us to some good burgers and fries when we picked up Jeff from work for lunch.

We had lots of fun times with GG and Aunt Peg this week. I am not sure who was having more fun...GG or Luke????
This afternoon while Caleb was sleeping I came to the realization that Luke is just too hung to withhold cereal from him any longer. This is his first time in the high chair and I am telling him about the meal of cereal that he is about to experience for the first time. He really liked the sound of it all.
This is my sweet little Punker just trying to get the cereal in a little faster. As you might imagine and determine from this picture...he did just great!
Here is precious Luke, satisfied after his first cereal meal. I guess I'll keep it coming his way and hope for more sweet moments like this one!
My mom and I were just talking today on Luke's 4 month birthday day about how "hungry" is one of the main adjectives we would use to describe Luke these first few months of life. He started off on day 1 as a hungry little boy and nothing has changed! We love you Luke! Happy 4 months!

4th of July Weekend

The other Sunday Caleb and I had a lot of fun making a pizza, and Jeff was able to capture our creation!
My best friend from Baylor, Gracie, came up to visit with her husband, Paul, and daughter, Isabela, for the 4th of July holiday weekend. Isabela and Caleb had fun playing on our playground while the guys were grilling.

They had not seen each other since Thanksgiving, but quickly became good friends again!

On Friday we all went to the Farmers Market and picked out lots of fruit and veggies to eat over the weekend. We made a festive fruit pizza with all the berries.
At the market, Caleb and Isabela loved eating watermelon, and it was so much fun watching them!
Then we loaded up and walked to the park.
Caleb quickly showed Isabela how things go at the fountains.
Caleb does not hold back at all!
Isabela enjoyed "baby Uke".We went to Arrington Vineyards on Friday and it was a beautiful evening to enjoy being outdoors. The kids were big helpers pulling all our picnic gear in their wagon.

We found a nice spot on the hill to set up for a picnic.
Luke enjoyed the cool temperature.
Caleb and Isabela played on the hill with their ball toys.

Bubles are always fun no matter when or where!
It was such a peaceful night listening to the live music while visiting and watching the kids play.

After dinner we walked down into the Vineyards.

Caleb and Isabela had fun exploring and finding grapes.
On the 4th we spent the morning at the Monkey's Treehouse, and Caleb knew he liked Isabela when she went straight to the trains to play!
After grilling out a fabulous meal while the kids were napping, we all went to our neighborhood pool. It was raining off and on so we had the pool to ourselves and visited on the covered patio when it rained.

Gracie and Paul had brought us Texas dirt before Caleb was born so his first step on soil could be Texas soil. It took us a little longer with Luke, but Luke had his first steps on that same Texas soil while Gracie, Paul, and Isabela were visiting.
Our friends made it back to Texas today, but we already miss them a lot!!!!

Fun Summer Times!

Yesterday was water day at Caleb's school, and he seems to like the beach ball sprinkler that they have on water days. After school we went to Maggie Moo's for Caleb to get my free birthday ice cream. It was no surprise that he picked the bright blue ice cream with gummie bear topping!
We've been doing quite a bit of walking this summer. Last night after Jeff grilled for dinner we went over to the Warner Park near our house and went on a family walk. It was a lot of fun trying to keep up with Caleb most of the trail!
Caleb and I got up early this morning and worked in the flower bed out front since Luke slept in a bit. These are the boys hanging out together after breakfast. In this picture Luke is showing off how he has learned the past couple weeks to talk and smack his lips together to make kissing noises.
This is Luke making some of his first attempts to sit up. You can see the look of determination on his face!
Everyone has to take a little break to enjoy life after working so hard on new things!
It appears Luke is as affectionate as Caleb...it was so cute as they were giving kisses to each other.
Caleb is learning how to be such a great big brother. He does a wonderful job holding in Luke's paci as we stroll and this morning Caleb thought he'd try his finger paci with Luke. (Thank goodness Caleb just washed hands after going potty!!)

Father's Day

My parents came down from IL and we had a great weekend with them! We celebrated my birthday and then followed it by putting in a completely full day doing yard work. My dad was a huge help doing yard work with Jeff and I while my mom focused her attention on Luke and Caleb. Caleb made ties for Father's Day so here are the guys sporting their ties on Sunday!

After our fun and busy weekend with Granna and Granpa, we decided to take a "night off" and enjoy a pizza and movie night. We seem to do a pizza and movie night about one or two times a month, but it has been a refreshing tradition we really enjoy.

This morning was a really fun for Caleb, Luke and I as we did two things in Nashville that we had never done before. We spent the morning with Rebekah and her children, Caden and Elaina. We met at the Farmer's Market downtown. Caleb had fun picking out fresh veggies and fruits, and this is Caleb with all the yummy food we purchased.
Then we strolled over to Bicentennial Park and let the kids play in the water. Caleb had so much fun running through all the sprinklers! Rebekah and I found a walking trail in the park so I hope this is something we will get to do again soon along with checking out the walking trails!

Community Group Cookout

Luke and I decided we were happiest hanging out in the van with the A/C, so this is where we spent our evening. Just kidding! This was before the cookout just after I fed Luke in the air conditioning in the van. While I was feeding Luke, Caleb had to go potty so we had a first experience with Caleb getting out of the van by himself, going potty in the grass and then getting himself back into the van. It worked! =) I think he really did have to go potty, but Caleb has decided that it is a great thing to have to go potty at the park or on a walk where there are no bathrooms nearby!


There were swings and a rock climbing toy near the pavilion where our community group had the cookout. Caleb had a lot of fun climbing the rock with some of the other boys in our group.He made it to the top more than once. I don't know if I would have been able to let Caleb climb up by himself, but Jeff took him and it was fun to look at him from across the park after he was at the top!
Caleb said his favorite part of the night was chasing and catching fireflies with the other kids. They also had fun kicking soccer balls. Caleb was literally covered head to toe in dirt, sweat and ouchies by the time we got home last night, but he had a blast along with Jeff, Luke and I! The thing I don't understand...how did that not translate into sleeping in this morning?????