A Day at the Arboretum

So the Arboretum is one of my very favorite places - I just love it! I have been anxiously awaiting Spring so that we could take Evan. We barely missed the tulips, but of course it's always beautiful there! And of course, I always go a little camera-crazy while we're there!

Enjoy these pics!





Wheee!! Evan loved being lifted into the air...



"That was so much fun, Daddy - do it again!"



"You crack me up, big brother!"



"It's like I'm looking into a mirror." Seriously... Evan is the spitting image of Preston.




Evan was so excited, he was "bonking" his big brother up side the head!



God is good.



"Hmmmmm.... I think these hands might be deeeelicious!"



Evan loved the Arboretum... the weather was perfect and he loves being outside! And the soft, green grass felt so good on our toes!





So like I mentioned in the previous blog... sitting up is serious business! There were no smiles... but now falling down, that's a different story - that is hysterical! See more pics below...



Oh no, he's going down... help, Daddy!



Almost down, this is great, Daddy!



And we're down... that is hilarious!



And so let's do it again...



ALRIGHT, I know you all are bored to tears... I warned you that I get a little camera-crazy sometimes!! Enjoy these last few pics of the boys!

Sweetie Pie Evan

Oh, what a sweet and funny boy we have in little Evan! He is pure joy! I can't imagine life without him. He turned 6 months old on April 8th and he is just loving life and all of the new tricks he is learning!

Now that we have a little more room, we were able to pull out some new toys for him! One of the first was his highchair. Meals can get pretty messy, so it's nice finally having the highchair put together. And as you can see, he thinks he is the cat's meow in his new highchair! He was so excited the first time we put him in it - yeah, a new toy! He finally gets to eat right beside us at meals - so fun!

He started sitting up at 6 months old and gets very serious when he is sitting... it's like he is concentrating and focusing. I've been able to get a couple of pictures of him sitting, but not many smiling - it's just too serious, no time for smiles, mom! Oh - and he does have two bottom teeth - they came in around 5 months actually... so all of our toys are getting good use, in his mouth of course. And he loves chomping down on the spoon when you feed him.



He still loves being on his tummy and he is the rolling machine.... he'll roll all the way across a room in a matter of seconds. And he's getting good about spotting something that he wants and rolling to get it! Uh oh - need to make sure this house is "Evan proofed".

And the picture below... this is always funny when babies do this... we call it "swimming", he's just paddling away - places to go, people to see apparently!



And here is one of Evan's favorite - his brother. Oh, are we in love with our brother - they are so in love with each other. It's very sweet. Preston is so gentle and so loving and just so proud of Evan. He entertains him while I am fixing his food and fetches me diapers and bibs... he is a great help! And Evan just lights up when he sees Preston... and even cries when Preston walks away sometimes. Preston delights in every smile that he gets from Evan, and especially loves it when he can make him laugh! And Preston marvels every time Evan accomplishes something new, he is excited about every milestone! Oh, pretty soon I'll have TWO wild and crazy boys RUNNING through this house!



Evan's other favorites... his Daddy of course - although he is a bit of a Mama's Boy right now.... I'll take that! I love that I'm able to spend this precious time with him at home; it's priceless. He also LOVES being tickled and loves it when you laugh out loud at him and clap for him... those things will always get a laugh. And I actually found one day that he loves the sound of a zipper... so to get a laugh all you have to do is say "ziiiipppp!" Too funny!

He is loving having his own room and sleeping in his nice, bigger bed! He is my snoozer... takes great naps and sleeps almost 12 hours most nights! We had his 6-month check up and he is a tall guy - in the 90th percentile like his brother. He is still our "Spit Up King" - you can't take the boy anywhere without packing a few dozen bibs and burpies... it's quite the scene. I think he'd weigh 30 pounds if he kept it all inside! The doctor says it should get better by 9 months old... please!!!

Well, of course I am still playing catch up on the blog - so I need to save some of Evan's new tricks for his 7-month update - so much happens in a month - that's it for now!

I'll leave you with my boys...

A Winter-y March

So, I'm still trying to play catch up with the blog... and I just couldn't leave out that we got some absolutely beautiful snow in March - twice! This particular snow was really great - we got so much! More snow than I've seen in a while and I've lived here my whole life! Most the time we get that yucky ice and sleet - but this was snow - beautiful powder white SNOW!

Preston was so excited to play in the snow. It was actually a week before we closed on the house, but school was delayed so we drove up to the house and played in our front yard! Evan was sacked out in the house while Preston and I had a snowball fight and goofed off!

The streets were so beautiful - and all the trees and rooftops were covered - it was very peaceful and crisp! I'm not sure if I could live somewhere that has snow 3-4 months out of the year, but it sure is a pleasant escape every once in a while... we actually had a "season" in Texas! Whoo hoo! You know we'll have a "Summer" season in Texas, why can't we skip that one year - or at least skip the triple digits!

Just as a sidenote - we have seriously had the craziest weather this Spring! First.... two rounds of snow, then I think we have had some of the most severe thunderstorms and wind that I've seen in a while. And since we've been in the house we have had 5-6 tornado warnings - not watches, warnings! The sirens have gone off three times, I think - as the boys and I have had to pile into our front closet! Oh - the joy of Texas weather. It's such a cliche - but it is true... if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change!

Here are some pics of our winter-y weather!

Preston could have played all day...



Can you see the snowball mid-air?



It's hard to see in this picture - but the snow was literally piled knee-deep at the edges of the fence!



And this picture just does not do justice to how beautiful these trees were in the drive up to our neighborhood... it was like a postcard.

The Big Move

WOW - So we'll start with the move... it honestly seems like it was ages ago and it was just March 16th. But when I think back to our closing day and then when we actually moved into the house - WOW, it's almost hard to remember not living in this house!? Weird, huh? Or, maybe that's just my mind blocking out the year we spent in the apartment with two kids, two dogs and waaaay too much stuff! Hmmmmm..... Seriously, we are elated to finally be in the house and it's awesome having more room and a backyard - we are very blessed. And we are so blessed that so many of you have come to visit and we've even hosted a couple of meals already... we hope more of you will come over soon! So here's my attempt to re-cap the move...

Well, unlike the building process, the move happened so quickly. We had our walk through and were going to wait two weeks to close to let them finish everything up and then we decided that we wanted to just go ahead and close (even though we hadn't packed a single box yet) and get moved in before Spring Break! So we closed several days early and moved in on Sunday, March 16th. But then Preston, Evan and I were able to spend Spring Break in our jammies unpacking! My sweet husband was only able to take off one day because, of course, this move fell at the worst time.... tax season! Ugh! But after April 15th was over he took off more than a week and kept busy on my "honey do" list! Thank you, Dad! Thanks for all the painting and the hanging - and yes, for even painting a couple of rooms twice because I decided that wasn't exactly the color I wanted... what a husband.

So, thinking back to that glorious Sunday... what a day! We had movers move in the big stuff and decided that we'd take care of the "few little things" left in the apartment that we hadn't yet packed (okay, more than a little was not packed when the movers showed up!). It seemed like a few things, but then you pack a couple of boxes and look around and all the stuff has multiplied and it's still there! We couldn't believe that all of the "little stuff" left in the apartment filled the U-Haul twice!!! And we're talking about the big U-Haul, not the little trailer hitch that holds a large dog. But I'll tell you - as you can see from his face in a picture below, Preston was born to move - he loved every minute of it and was a GREAT help and I can't even tell you how much he loved that U-Haul... note to self, a good present for Preston this year... a ride in a U-Haul! Everytime he sees one now he reads what state it's from and remembers the good old U-Haul days. He and Evan were both such troopers with many very late nights and weird meal schedules and lots of hard work... I was so thankful to have these easy, breezy kids! Because, moving with a baby takes a little more effort for sure! You just have to sit back and realize that all the stuff in the boxes ain't going anywhere - it'll still be there!

So just when we got everything moved over from the apartment... we remembered, we still have more "little stuff" left in three storage units! Geez!!! Seriously, if I ever talk of moving again - please, please, slap me! Don't get me wrong, we are so thankful to have a warm home and I am so grateful for my very hard-working husband... but seriously, if we move again - everything is staying here and we'll just start fresh at the new place!!!

I was definitely made to relax once I realized that I was being foolish to think that I could have everything unpacked in a week! Really, Amanda.... just the bathrooms alone took forever it seemed like.... seriously, how many lotions do I need? Have you bought stock in Bath and Body Works?? You should! You don't realize you have "collected" so many things until you have to unpack them! And oh, how quickly you then starting chunking stuff! I mean, why did I pack this anyway? You get some perspective after a year in an apartment not living with these things! You realize you don't need them! Getting rid of stuff is so liberating!

And as I was feeling overwhelmed - without even mentioning it, some relief arrived... I don't think we were in the house two or three days before my dearest friend, Susan, came to help! She was such an angel and is truly my God-given sister. We are so thankful for our family of friends. In fact, we called Todd, Susan's husband, at the very last minute on the Saturday before our move and he was so willing to come help Erick load that U-Haul... we could have never done it without Todd or Susan - seriously! I am so thankful for their dependability and friendship!

So it took a little more than a week, but we are pretty settled in now - everything is unpacked and we are slowly painting rooms and decorating. It'll be a work-in-progress for a very long time I'm sure. But it's fun finding new places for things and decorating. We are enjoying getting to know our new home and making new memories as a family. Preston and Evan are just loving it! Evan finally has his own room - I have to admit I was a little sad to see him leave his pack-n-play at the bottom of our bed! But he loves his crib in his pirate room! And Preston is so proud of his "log cabin" room and immediately takes everyone to it when they come in the door. We found a wonderful artist who came and painted both of the boys' rooms. They are adorable. I know, I know... everyone keeps saying - update the blog, we want to see pictures of the house... well, guess what?!? The outside is all you're gonna get! If you want to see the inside you've gotta come visit! That's right... you have to come put up with us!

The last couple of months have really been some of the best in my life... I would definitely do it again. It has been a great adventure for our family and we look forward to many wonderful years in this house. My tales of woe are so insignificant. God is Good and God is Faithful.

Well, I know there is so much more to share, but I think I may need to wrap up this entry for the sake of already rambling on too long! Oh, did I say how much I am enjoying the now 60-second drive to Preston's school! Oh, yes! Especially with gas prices these days! It's fantastic!

Enjoy these few pics!! More to come soon...

Preston thought crashing into all the packing paper was a blast!


Evan and Daddy "working" with power tools to put his new crib together!


Here is Preston soooo proud to be riding with Daddy in the U-Haul!


And the first thing we moved in - Evan and his toys! Here's a birds-eye view of Evan enjoying his time playing while we moved in furniture.


And sweet Aunt Susan and Preston helping organize our clothes! I have never had such a beautiful and color-coordinated closet! It is fabulous - thanks to Susan!

Drum Roll Please - We're Back

Well, hello, hello and hello again! Yes, I am on the blog, finally, and I will attempt to play catch up as I haven't posted since February!! Hey - we've been just a little busy! Hee hee! Let's see how much I can get "blogged" tonight!!! Oh, it's on...

We're Still Here

Sorry guys that I haven't posted in a while - as you can imagine, we've been a little busy! But you are always so sweet to want to see new pictures and hear all about our family! So I just posted a new blog today and it's way too long... so be warned!

Everyone is asking "when are you guys going to move?" Well, the house is VERY close to being finished! We were scheduled to close February 28th, then March 3rd, now it will probably be March 10th. You know, just those silly things that come up at the end... they stained our floors the wrong color and had to re-stain them and then they had to practically paint the whole house again because they didn't mix up the paint well when they re-touched and the paints didn't match! Uh oh! But it's really turning out great and only small details are left. In fact, we're scheduled to have our walk-through tomorrow! Our family is very excited to have a backyard soon and be able to spread out! And I can't wait for the dogs to have a yard! You take for granted the small things you enjoy about a house - a yard, a garage, and just room!

And you also take for granted being able to have people over and have playdates at your house! We can't wait to have everyone over once we get settled in - thank you all for being so involved in our lives and this year-long building process! Pray that we have a smooth and fun move - I'll post again as soon as I can!

Evan Almighty

Well, you can probably tell from the pictures that our little Evan is one HAPPY baby! He is all smiles and laughs all the time. He is just a little piece of heaven here on earth and truly an amazing gift from God. And he is the apple of his big brother's eye. Preston could not be more proud and could not be a better big brother! Preston made Evan laugh at him the other day and Preston was so proud - it was precious. He is so proud of Evan and all of his new accomplishments; he just gushes over him all the time.

Evan had his 4 month check-up and besides having to get 4 yucky shots and a little dry skin, he is doing just beautifully! He is almost 15 pounds and, as you can see, doesn't miss many meals! His favorite thing right now - his hands! I think he is going to be our little thumb sucker... you seriously cannot keep him from putting his hands, fingers, thumb into his mouth. He was even trying to put his foot in his mouth the other day - he'll figure that one out soon I'm sure!

We can't believe that he is already 4 1/2 months old and just not our little newborn anymore! On February 9th he rolled over for the first time. He loves being on his tummy and looking all around the room, so he rolled from tummy to back first. Then, last weekend, in the middle of the night I heard him grunting and went down to check on him and he had rolled himself from his back to his tummy - and of course, now he loves sleeping on his tummy just like his big brother did. As soon as they can flip, they'll just sleep however they want! I try not to worry... although the doctors really want them to sleep on their backs, you just can't control it after they can roll. And it's a little scary because SIDS incidents increase at 3-6 months of age, which is when they start rolling! It just makes you check on them about 12 times a night! And boy, is Evan a sleeper - he's sleeping about 10 hours a night now and wakes up just talking and smiling and sooo happy. And he is so patient to wait for his first bottle until after the hour drive to take his brother to school! I am so thankful for his patient and relaxed nature.

And another milestone this month was solid food! Yummy! You can start them on rice and even baby foods at 4 months now, can you believe it? We haven't ventured to baby food yet (maybe next week), but we have been eating rice for a few days and we LOVE it! And Preston was so excited that Evan can now eat baby food! He is so ready for Evan to jump up and run around with him. Below is a picture of a happy boy getting to eat yummy rice! And the next picture is the very first time he tried rice - he was so intent and serious, can you see him saying, "just give me the bowl Mom!" That is good stuff, he would not let go of the bowl! Then the next time I fed him he kept trying to grab the spoon, so at the end I just let him go to town with the spoon and he licked it clean! It was too funny - he is such a big boy. He and I will sit and relax on the couch and I'll pick up the remote to change the channel and he'll reach out to grab the remote and starts pressing all the buttons and changing the channel! Oh, that's trouble! Soon there will be three men all vying for the remote!

Oh, this rice stuff is so delicious!!

Just hand over the bowl Mom!

Mom tried to deprive me of the morsels of rice that were left on this spoon, so I just grabbed it from her!

Oh, and this is Evan when the rice is all gone.... so sad! Good thing we had a bottle ready!



He has got the cutest little giggle and loves being tickled on his belly and his sides. And he loves being kissed under his neck and getting undressed - they will all get a laugh! Something about taking his clothes off just makes him laugh, it's hilarious.... and he still LOVES being naked and taking baths. He is not at all bothered by things that you would think normally bother babies - he loves baths, loves having his diaper changed, and doesn't even mind when you suction his nose - he's just very content.... well, most of the time! So when does he get upset?? When he's tired!

He reminds me so much of Preston - not only does he look sooo much like him, but they have the same personalities. Preston was such a happy and content baby too. But also got cranky when tired (of course) and fought the sleep! Now, most times he'll just go to sleep when he's tired, but sometimes he will just fight the sleep and put up a fuss until he finally conks out! And when he's asleep, it's best to just let him sleep - like Preston, he's not that happy when you wake him from a good nap. And he loves sleeping in the car, that'll always put him right out. And he loves sleeping in his swing - although with the positions he gets himself into, like the one below, it doesn't look all that comfortable to me??



Oh, and that's a burpy above his head - you always need one of those close, he is the Spit-Up King!

We are very excited for Evan to get his own room and to be able to spread out more in the house. I'm not sleeping all that well because I'll wake at every little movement during the night. And unfortunately, we've all had little colds this week. Erick and I felt pretty yucky this weekend, but Preston and Evan really just have a stuffy nose and have felt great, so that's a blessing. Preston lost another tooth and is enjoying his rewards from the tooth fairy! I think he's lost 7 teeth now??? And he is reading really well now and just enjoying Kindergarten so much.

He is such a fun kid and a great friend. He's never met a stranger and is very social. He is so kind-hearted and is always making cards for friends and teachers and would give them his last nickel if they asked for it. I know that God has such special plans for Preston's life and his compassionate heart - we pray that we are great parents to our sons. I pray they always walk in the truth and know our unconditional love for them. Preston just loves Jesus and the Word of God and I think he is coming close to the age that he will really understand what it means to live with him in your heart. Erick and I just want him to know that all by himself, to have that private relationship with Jesus and accept him all on his own - not just because Mommy and Daddy believe it and take him to church.

Alright.... now that I'm getting all sappy!

Here are some pictures, enjoy! Hopefully we'll be closing on the house March 10th - so, this may be the last update for a few weeks. I guess I should probably start packing! Enjoy these pics! I also got some cute Valentine's pics of the boys done - I'll post those soon!

Yep, still working on this spoon... I'm going to get every last drop!



Boy, you guys are funny!



I AM WAY TOO CUTE to be a Longhorn!



Naked boy equals happy boy!



Don't you wish you could just lay around in your underwear?




Just enjoying some time on the big bed!




Oh, man - Mom put me in this great new invention called the Bumbo! It lets me sit up like a big boy and I just love it!!!



I love it so much that Mom looked over and I was slowly drifting off.... don't worry, Mommy moved me to my bed, a more comfortable position!



I love hanging out in my Daddy's arms.



Ta ta for now!

Three Months Old Already

Our little man is three months old and just growing like a weed! He's got these cute chubby cheeks and chubby thighs too (we're up to 3 rolls), and he is getting so long! I was sad to pack up his 0-3 month clothes today - they're just too small.

Well, you just couldn't ask for a sweeter, more content little baby. He hardly ever makes a fuss at all (not that he'd be any less great if he did!). He just loves "talking" to you and he tells you all about it with the sweetest little noises and faces. Such sweet sounds and gurgles; he gets so excited and will just carry on a whole conversation with you. He loves sticking his tongue out and he LOVES his hands! You can't keep the boy from putting his hands in his mouth... it makes a nice, wet mess! But he loves it. Actually, he loves putting anything in his mouth - his hands, blanket, bib, burpie, sleeve, whatever... and he just grins when you take it away. And he loves being on his tummy and looking all around. His vision and coordination are getting so good.... he can really follow you around the room (and sometimes gets upset when he sees you leave) and he is starting to reach out and touch and play with things. He still loves diaper changes and baths - really. He's got the sweetest smile and his whole face lights up when he smiles. He's starting to laugh a little, almost giggling. It won't be long!

He's still a good sleeper. We've still got him in the bassinet in our room, but we need to move to the pack-n-play because he's getting so big. It will be so nice when he has his own room and bed! He loves being really warm and snuggly at night. They've got these great "sleeper gowns" that we call "baby in a bag". Hee hee! They are thick and warm and are like a sack that just zips up! They're fantastic and keep him really warm!

We are so blessed and couldn't imagine our lives without this new little one. And big brother is so very proud... Evan and I went and had lunch with Preston last week and Preston was excited to once again show off his little brother at school. Preston is always talking about the things that he is going to teach Evan when he's older.... oh, boy - I'm sure we'll appreciate EVERYTHING that Preston teaches him! Hee hee! The joy of boys!

And here are just a few more cute pics of Evan...



Daddy and Evan admiring this cute baby butt!



Male bonding... two sweet brothers.



"What's up with you?"



"Blabber, blabber.... I like making a slobbery mess!"

You Might Be A Redneck

If...... you accidentally hit your mirror on another car and your husband tapes it back on! Yep - we're officially rednecks. I did it - there was this huge truck (like an F-950 or something, seriously) and while it received no damage, just my barely hitting its mirror in a narrow space knocked my mirror completely off. And since it was Christmas time and the dealer was booked - my husband thought.... let's duct tape it! Why - what a great idea! Oh, I'm always so proud to pull up in the carpool line in the truck! Need to get that fixed... it's on my list.

I Can Read

What an exciting few months as Preston has been really learning how to read! And although he's been able to read some for quite a while, he has really become a good reader these last couple of weeks. And he loves it; he's always very excited to read his books every night. Praises definitely go to his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Wonsang. She did not pressure them to read when they first started school - instead, she has been teaching them all the basics and skills so that they can all learn at their own pace. I'm telling you, helping Preston learn to read has really taught us how hard it is to learn English... words sound the same, but are spelled differently, or you've got one letter that can make like five different sounds - and then letters that sometimes make a sound, but are sometimes silent and are just stuck in a word for no good reason! Ha! But it has been great! He has an awesome class with still only 15 kids in the class! Preston still loves going to school every day and he especially loves working on the computers, going to the library and RECESS! Oh, yes - he loves recess, and has ruined three pairs of jeans already at recess... we'll add them to his tab!! Ha!

Our big Kindergartner also loves playing "Tic Tac Toe" and "Hangman" and really any game. He is still our little comedian and loves playing "cranks" on everyone and making people laugh (especially making himself laugh). Yep - he's normally laughing hysterically before he can finish the joke or prank because he's so cracked up with himself! He loves building Star Wars Legos, drawing, and he's really getting into music these days. He's gone back to saying that he wants to be a construction worker again, although "Rock Star" did come up too one day. Hee hee! He's also said Paleontologist for quite some time. We go in phases. And speaking of phases - we are officially out of the "little kid" TV shows. He doesn't want to watch any cartoons really except for SpongeBob. Instead, he enjoys "Drake & Josh", "Hannah Montana" and "The Crocodile Hunter". He loves the physical humor in the first two shows and then of course, he loves anything about animals - especially crocodiles, sharks and snakes.

Oh, and Preston also lost his 5th tooth this week and he's getting a new set of molars! So..... that's one boy with no teeth yet and another one that has already lost five!

And just a little cute story - after the Tooth Fairy gave Preston $3.00 for that tooth he decided that he wanted to take his $3.00 and spend it at school at the "toy cart". So, like a big kid he stuck his money in his pocket excited to spend his hard earned money! Well, then he came home that afternoon and still had $2.00 and no toys?!? So I asked him what he got at the toy cart? He said, well - we didn't get to stop at the cart today, so I'll buy something tomorrow. And so I asked him where he spent the $1.00? And he said - Mom, I gave $1.00 to Mason today (a friend from school). Mason is always really nice and I thought he deserved $1.00. So sweet. I'm always so proud of how generous and giving Preston is, even to strangers. So.... even though there are times where you feel like you're banging your head against the wall because your six year old just won't listen or is as stubborn as a mule, it's times like these that just make you smile because they truly are wonderful and inspiring.