Road Trippin'

This picture cracks me up for several reasons. First, Caleb is just too good at mad doggin' the camera. He has this serious, better-get-out-of-my-way look on his face. And, he has his hands on BOTH steering wheels and his big brother is letting him get away with it. What a nice guy Seth is!

Yes, we are leaving tomorrow for a road trip to Colorado. 14 hours of driving bliss with a packed car, two kids strapped in car seats, and a husband who is going to get cranky when he has to drive most of the night because his wife is very, very weak in the night driving abilities. When we first got married, we drove back and forth to California 3 different times straight through without stopping at a hotel to spend the night. This is because we were young, crazy, didn't have enough money for a hotel, and didn't have children. During these three trips, I did not have a good track record of doing my share of the driving at night. I would think I was awake, drive for 10 minutes, then start nodding off. Isn't that the worst feeling in the world!?! To be driving and you can't stay awake? Argh...he even made me get out on the side of the interstate at 3am and do jumping jacks to try to wake myself up. Now, as a disclaimer, when we tell this story now, he always says, "I didn't MAKE you get out." Well, let's just say it was strongly suggested and I wasn't going to argue with a sleep deprived, slightly deranged new husband :~)!

So I will post again when I have pictures of the beautiful Rocky Mountains to share. Say a prayer for us and the road trip. We hit the road tomorrow at around 4pm, and hope to roll into Vail at about 7am. Jeff and Lesli Thompson, our friends from JBU and Hillview Acres, are meeting us there later in the morning, so we can't stop at a hotel even if we want to!

(I will leave you with this one. Serious drivers preparing for the big road trip. And Caleb is either signaling a turn or he just MIGHT be practicing his moves for his upcoming tryout for the Happy Hands Club, Aunt Cindy)

The Boys Photo Shoot at the Park

I recently threatened Steve that I was going to take the boys to a mall photography studio (gasp!) to get their pictures taken because we can't seem to get a good shot of the two of them together. (Talking about a mall studio to a photographer is the same as asking a chef if they want to eat at McDonalds). I mean, we have shots of them rolling around on the floor together, or taking a bath together, or just generally goofing around, but as soon as we put them in some decent clothes and try to get them both to smile and look in the same direction, chaos ensues. It just doesn't work! It is like they smell it coming....."oh, no! A photo shoot, and Mom and Dad want a picture of us together. Let's scramble!" And to be perfectly honest, it is MOM that really wants the framer shot, not Dad. He is perfectly happy with all the casual shots.

So, I made an appointment for Monday with Picture People in the Frisco mall, and Steve said innocently, "Well, what's wrong with the pictures I take of the boys?". So I said I would give him a shot on Saturday, and if we got some good ones of the boys together, I would cancel the appointment. But deep in my heart, I knew what was going to happen.

So we get up, dress the boys in their new matching outfits (when did I become the crazy Mom that dresses her kids exactly alike for pictures) drive to the park, and it begins right away. We put the boys down on some rocks together and tried to get them both looking at the camera, and immediately Caleb is trying to get away. How do you reason with a newly turned one year old who just found their walking shoes that it is time to sit still, look at the camera, and say "cheese"? So they start getting fussy, and Steve is over it after about 3 minutes. This is why we do not do child portraits in our photography business. The boss does not have the patience for it. If the kids start fussing at all, he thinks it is totally outrageous to keep trying to get a good shot. So after about 20 minutes, we did get some good individual pics of the boys. But the only good one of the two of them together is where they are looking up and to the side at me acting like a crazy person and playing peek a boo and "I'm gonna get you" and jumping up and down and singing all at the same time. I just needed to be a little closer to the camera for this technique to work.

So as we are leaving the park, Steve says, "Why don't you go ahead and keep your appointment at the mall?". Seriously people, there are professionals for this type of thing. Don't try this on your own if you want to keep your sanity! Take your kids to a contained environment where they have tons of stuff to keep their attention and someone else get's to jump around looking like an idiot!

Caleb's Big Day

We had Caleb's party last Sunday with a house full of family. Steve's Dad and step-mom were in town, so it was lot's of fun to have them here for the big event! As always, a first birthday party is more for the adults and the memories, as was evidenced by Caleb crying off and on throughout the festivities. It is all just a little much for the little guy! We opened presents....



And we made him wear the birthday hat against his wishes...



And we all sang a rousing version of Happy Birthday, which made him freeze in fear and stare at all of us like we were completely crazy....



However, the cake was his favorite part of the day. He takes his food very seriously, and his cake was no different! I made a cake that was for the adult crowd...


And then Caleb had his own little cake to eat in whatever way he chose. And this is what he did...




By the end, it was just too much trouble to use his hands and he just did a face plant in the cake. He liked that method so much, he continued with it for the remainder of his first cake eating experience. It was a great moment that he can relive later in life in photos and a video. He will love that I am sure :~)

So we had to say goodbye to Grandpa and Grammi on Monday as they headed back on the long drive to sunny So Cal (southern California for those who aren't down with the lingo). It was great to see them as always, and we look forward to the next time we can all be together. They watched the boys on Saturday night so that Steve and I could go out on a date. We had such a great time! We went to a Mexican restaurant in downtown Dallas that had live Latin jazz music. Thanks again Grandpa and Grammi for a great weekend together!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB JAMES!!

This post is a tribute to my "baby" who just turned one last Sunday! This year has literally flown by. I just can't believe he is already a year old. So here are some pictures from throughout his first year of life (although, I sadly admit that as my second child, I do not have CLOSE to the same amount of pictures of his first year that I do of Seth. Even WITH a photographer in the house!)






Happy Birthday Caleb! You've come a long way, baby!!

A Few of My Boys' Favorite Things

Do you remember that line from "You've Got Mail", when Meg Ryan says in her email to NY152, (before she knows it is Tom Hanks) "I like to begin my emails to you as if we are already in the middle of a conversation." That is how I feel about starting this blog. No lengthy introduction, no statement of purpose, no background on me. "I would like to begin this blog as if we were already in the midst of a great conversation..."

One of the things I love about living outside the city and having some land is that the boys have room to explore and BE BOYS! I have great memories from growing up in the country and playing in the creek behind our house and exploring and having adventures (ok, I also have some not so great memories from growing up on a farm like working outside in the 105 degree Texas heat, but we can just focus on the good childhood memories today). Here is a picture of Seth and Steve doing what boys love to do best...get dirty. Seth has no qualms about taking a head-to-toe mud bath or burying himself in the sand box. He loves to ride around in the wheelbarrow while Steve is doing yard work. He is going to be a man's man.

And after my boys get dirty, they love to take baths! Sometimes they end up having 3 baths a day, between romping around the yard, playing in the sand box, riding in the tractor with PaPa, jumping on the trampoline, and just being sweaty little boys. Here is Caleb enjoying a nice soak in the kitchen sink. He has just about outgrown the sink baths, but he is kamikaze man in the bath tub. As soon as his little bottom hits the water, he pops up and wants to cruise all over the tub. I spend the entire bath time ploppping his tushy back down over and over while he squawks his protests at me. He is a mover and a shaker and hates to be confined!