Kitty House

We finally came up with with a solution to our kitty problem. We were torn between not wanting a cat in our house (Carter's allergic - and ooh! that stinky litter box!) and feeling sorry for poor Smokey sleeping outside in the freezing temperatures. My crafty hubby built him a kitty house (with Carter's help, of course)! He installed a pet door to give Smokey access into the garage and gave him this nice, cozy, fully insulated kitty house. He loves it!

Today's High Point - Tonight when I tucked the boys into bed, Bryson told me, "Mommy, you're the best mommy ever." What could be better than being a little boy's hero?

Halloween Party #2!

Today our Mommy & Me group came over to our house for a Halloween party. The kids were so cute dressed up in their costumes. They played and the mommies talked (or tried to, at least!), and we all enjoyed a yummy lunch together. The kids were much more interested in playing than having their picture taken, so this was the best group photo I could get! Aren't they adorable?

A Look Back

The boys are getting so big. Kevin & I were talking tonight about how they will be starting school soon, and it sent me on a trip down memory lane. Looking back at these pictures, I can almost smell their sweet soapy baby smells. Watching them grow up is so much fun, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for their lives. I'm so very grateful He's allowing me to be a part of His plan.

Today's High Point - No cooking! Kevin brought home yummy Chinese take-out!

High Point, Low Point

I've decided to start blogging a high point and (sometimes) a low point from each day. Today's are:

Low Point: Carter started to cry when I dropped him off at MDO today. He told me that his tummy hurts when I'm not there with him. It broke my heart.

High Point: There are really so many, but I'll choose just one. - Carter asked me, "Mommy, did you know sharks have raisin-sharp teeth?" He makes me smile!

The B-O-B-O-B!

We are so blessed to be part of an awesome church. It's incredible and truly life-changing. Our church makes us a better couple and a better family. Although our church is very new (only a month & 1/2 old!), we already have 10 small groups where people can connect. I've made friends with the wonderful women who attend our church, and that has made me feel at home in our new city. Our church has blessed us in more ways than I can count. One of the very best things about our church, though, is that my kids LOVE going. They get excited on church day because they know they will see friends and have fun. They're learning so much in their preschool class; Carter can tell me all about Elijah and Jonah. For the past few weeks, they've been learning to sing "The B-I-B-L-E". Tonight they sang it in the tub, and although it wasn't perfect ("The B-O-B-O-B; yes, that's the book for me! I stand up tall, the word is tall! The B-O-B-O-B!"), it melted my heart. I don't have words to express how grateful I am to our loving Father for giving us a church that my kids really love (and I love, too!).

Pumpkin Painting

Tonight the boys painted all the baby pumpkins they "hunted" at Amy's Halloween party. They must have had at least a dozen between them, so it was a pretty big project! After they painted, they decorated their pumpkin patch pumpkins with the funny faces that Nana sent. Nana mailed us a big gift box full of fun Halloween treats including stuffed bears wearing costumes, stickers, whistles, and these funny faces. What fun!

Pumpkin Patch

Tonight our small group from church visited a pumpkin patch together. The kids loved feeding the animals, picking out pumpkins, and especially the hay ride. Carter & Bryson love their friends so much and always enjoy seeing them. It was so much fun!

Halloween Party

Last night we drove back to our old town to go to our friends Jay & Amy's annual Halloween bash. It was so fun to catch up with Amy, and Carter was so excited to see Zane. I even got to visit with my friend Tiffany and her 4 kiddos, including her newest baby Case. There were lots of games for the kids including pumpkin bowling, and pumpkin hunting (like easter egg hunting but with baby pumpkins!). What a blast!

Halloween Pictures

Yesterday morning I took the boys to the mall to have their Halloween pictures taken. Bryson was supposed to be a dragon, and Carter was going to be a knight. When we got to the mall, they decided to trade costumes (even though the knight costume was size 3-4 years and the dragon was a 2T!). They were both very sure they wanted to trade, so I went along with it. The pictures turned out pretty cute!

Fun with Daddy

This week has been so much fun with Daddy at home. Yesterday he came with us to our moms' group at the children's museum. It was so much fun watching him play with the boys at all of the stations. I'm not sure who had the most fun - Kevin or the kids! I'm still kicking myself for forgetting my camera! Today we all went together to swim lessons, and the boys loved showing off their new skills to Daddy. Kevin took my place in the pool with Bryson, and I sat in the observation room and snapped pictures. Bryson had a ball swimming with Daddy; what a treat! Check out this last picture of Carter - I can't believe he's jumping off the board!!!

Bad Bunnies!

Today I took Bryson to see an otolaryngologist to have his ears looked at. He's been making this yucky squishy sound with his ear lately and telling me that it's "itchy" and "broken". The doctor said that he had quite a bit of wax in his ear that was trapping air and making the sound. He decided to remove it with this enormous needle looking thing, and he had Bryson lay his head on my shoulder and look at a bunny poster that was hanging on the wall. I guess the wax removal must have hurt a little because Bryson started squealing and screaming, "Bad Bunnies! Bad Bunnies!!!" at the poster! He's such a funny boy. After the wax was out, the doctor gave Bryson a sticker and a sucker, and all was right again. :-) Love my baby!

Big Test Day

Kevin took the first of two parts of his plastic surgery board certification test today. He's worked really hard to prepare for the test, and today was a long tough day. The test was 400 questions and 7 hours long! He'll get his results just before Christmas; I'm sure he did great. Now, he's taking a well-deserved week of vacation! Yea!!!

Pumpkin Carving

Last night, we carved our Jack-O-Lantern. The boys were so excited and dancing all around. Kevin also created "Oliver". Yes, my 32 year old brilliant husband made a silly pumpkin and named it. Hmmm. This last picture shows all 3 of our big pumpkins. The one on the end is actually a "funkin". I've never heard of them until this year, but I really like them. They're fake pumpkins that you can use year after year, but it's really hard to see that they're fake (even up close). You can even carve them into Jack-O-Lanterns!

Circus

Today was a super fun family day - we went to the circus! The show was incredible with elephants, tigers, clowns, motorcyclists, and so much more. The boys loved it (and so did we!). Carter loved the clowns; the elephants were Bryson's favorite. For almost 3 hours, the boys watched every act intently and clapped for each of the performers. What a show!

Princesses & Pirates

Our friend Charli had her 4th birthday party today. The theme was princesses & pirates (since she loves princesses but most of her friends are boys), and it was so much fun! The kids loved playing outside on Charli's swingset and with the parachute and bubbles. Carter, anxiously awaiting his own birthday, could hardly wait for Charli to open her presents. :-) It was fun to visit with friends and eat yummy cake! Happy Birthday, Charli!

Pumpkin Pickin'

Early this morning, the 4 of us (well, 5, counting Froggy) went to the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins. Each of us chose our very favorite pumpkin. The boys, given the choice of all the pumpkins in the entire yard, both chose "baby" pumpkins. :-) Kevin picked a bumpy, warty looking pumpkin. This last picture shows my pumpkin - 43 pounds of perfect pumpkin. We'll carve my pumpkin one night this week, and I'll be sure to post the Jack-O-Lantern pictures!

Rain, Rain, Come & Stay

Today was a cold & rainy day. I always love the first cold days after summer. It feels good to get out the warm fuzzy slippers & soft cozy sweaters. Even though I love changing up my wardrobe, I still couldn't bear the thought of putting away my flip-flops. I wore them and regretted it - my poor cold & wet toes! Our Mommy & Me group (which turned out to be just one other mom & her son) met at the mall play area this morning. Sandy is a new friend; she just moved here from a neighborhing state. It was nice getting to know her better; she's such a sweet person & has a cutie of a son. I'm looking forward to a cold & rainy week filled with snuggly blankets & warm mugs of hot chocolate! Enjoy yours, too!

Jesus Loves Me

I sing, "Jesus Loves Me" to my boys every night at bedtime. I have since Carter was very small and before Bryson was born. Today for the very first time, as I tucked Bryson into bed for his nap, he sang with me. It was so sweet, and it made me cry a happy tear. He's growing up so fast, and I'm so glad he knows his Jesus loves him.

First Fly-In

My parents came to town this weekend for a fly-in at the neighborhood where they've just bought their new lot. Kevin & I decided to take the boys to see all the planes (and just to hang out with Mimi & Pop-Pop!). Carter loved it; he was excited by all the airplanes, the yummy hot dogs, and especially the candy drop! An airplane flew over and dropped out bags of candy for all the kids. Carter's little legs weren't quite fast enough for him to snatch up a bag of candy, but lucky for him, Pop-Pop grabbed a bag! After the fly-in, we took my parents out for a ride on the boat. It was a really fun day!

Big Day

Today was a busy, fun-filled day. We started our day with a visit to the recycling center. (Carter is a fan of all things trash and has been begging to visit the recycling center for months!) Next we visited the fire station just across the street and the boys were given a tour of the trucks and were allowed to sit in each one (unfortunately, I missed the photo ops there!). Next stop - the playground! After playing in the park, Mimi & Pop-Pop called to tell us they had just flown their plane up and were at an airport just 5 minutes away. We went to see them at the airport and eat lunch together. After naps, we went downtown to watch a homecoming parade (the firefighters had told us that several emergency vehicles were participating in the parade) and eat dinner at a fun little hole-in-the-wall hot dog place. Whew! What a day! (Carter says it was his funnest day ever!)