Happy Halloween 2010

We took the kids up to church for Trunk or Treat. I only took a couple pictures because it was kind of hot and the kids didn't want to sit still for too long. I am giving up on my camera for now. I was really happy with the pictures my camera was taking up until a few months ago. The lens has trouble focusing and unless the lighting is PERFECT, it just doesn't take great pictures. So I've decided to stick to auto mode (which I hate because I didn't spend hundreds of dollars on a camera to shoot in auto) until I get a new lens. Ok, enough about my camera... back to the kids!

My Wizard of Oz troop

Glinda the good witch, a rainbow, the cowardly lion, and Dorothy


The girls with their friends Dana the mermaid and Jordan Mario


Erica walking down the inflatable slide, very Glinda-esque (you can see the lady trying to tell her sit down lol)

The kids didn't end up with too much candy, thank goodness. Graham had probably 3-4 suckers while we were there though, and was on a total sugar high the whole car ride home. Eric reminded me that next year Leah's gonna be back there all hyped up on the sugar! No, not my sweet baby! The girls both declared they had tummy aches from eating too much candy on the ride home. HA!

Happy 2nd Birthday Graham!

My sweet baby boy is 2 years old today! The last official update I did on him was 6 months ago and he has grown up so much since then! He still doesn't talk a lot (I joke that he is a man of few words, just like his daddy!), but he is saying more words now, and even starting to put 2 words together. His favorite phrase is "my ____". Usually "my drink" or "my car" etc. He calls Leah "Yaya" and it's just too cute to hear him say, "Hi Yaya!" when he sees her! He absolutely adores his baby sister, and looks up to his big sisters as well. He likes to point out things that are ours and tell us who's it is: "Daddy drink", "Erica barbie". His absolute favorite things in the world right now are dogs and cars. He gets so excited when he sees anything with fur or wheels! Total boy!

At 2 years old, Graham:
eats very well. His favorite foods are fruit bars, cheese, and hot dogs
takes a good 3 hour nap every day
sleeps about 12 hours straight at night
wears size 24 mos clothes
wears a size 4 diaper
wears a size 6 shoe
has 15 teeth
says a few dozen words and can put 2 together
is a very sweet boy that loves to cuddle but is also a rough and tumble boy that loves to get dirty and play hard

We had his birthday party yesterday afternoon. We invited some of his friends from his classes at church. It's just too cute to see these little ones interact with each other! We had a dog themed party and Graham loved every minute of it. Ok, well maybe not the first 20 min. or so since I had to wake him up from his nap for the party. But once he warmed up, he was good to go and had a great time.

As the guests arrived, Natalie painted their faces like a dog



This is what happens when you leave the facepainting table unattended :)


Then they got to pick a stuffed puppy to adopt, and decorate a doghouse for it



My mom made this adorable doghouse cake



blowing out his candles


taste testing


Presents! He didn't get a single present he didn't absolutely love. I felt bad because he'd open a present and get really excited and want to play with it, then I'd have to be the bad guy and take it away so he could open the next one lol.



I saved the present we got him for last, and I think it was his absolute favorite of all.

The box it was in, that is. :)

I think a good time was had by all


Graham, I can't believe you are no longer my little baby, but instead, you are growing into a precious little boy. I love you so much and I thank God everyday that He chose to bless me with such a sweet lovable little man! I wish I could freeze time and keep you at this sweet innocent stage forever. My heart just swells with joy when I think about you! Happy Birthday Graham!!!

Pumpkin Patch

I took the kids to a little local pumpkin patch this morning with our MOPS group. They had a lot of fun running around doing the little activities that were set up. I thought it was funny because the girls were wearing the same shirts they wore last year when we went. And I don't think they look THAT much different, except their hair lengths have swapped! I do think Graham looks a bit older. And of course we've added Leah this year!

This year:








Last year:

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday dear Amber
Happy Birthday to me!

I get to be in my twenties for one more year! That is all!

photo overload: playing catch up

Flyby post with pictures. I'm going through my memory card and posting some pics that I never got around to posting.

Leah chewing on a toy bug. Totally grossed me out and Eric thought it was hilarious.





Leah using her pacifier as a chew toy, as usual


Graham and Leah hanging out.


Graham, where is your belly button?


Where is your nose?


Where is your eye?


Where is your ear?


Where is your mouth?


Where is your hair?


Where are your hands?


Where is your foot?


Most of you know that I have an angel picture of each of my kids. I take them once they can sit up on their own to get the pics done. Well, I decided to try and do Leah's myself and I am really happy with how they turned out. Here are a few that I had a hard time choosing between.







And the winner is:


Pics from the shoot I did for Graham's birthday invitation







Leah eating puffs in the high chair. She looks sooooo small in this high chair!







Our Sunday School class had a costume party and we dressed up as the Scooby Doo gang. I was Velma. I cut my bangs and even colored my hair with semi-permanent color for the occassion. Eric was Shaggy, though because he refused to wear the wig, I called him Shagless all night! Our friends Lauren and Chris were Daphne and Fred. Lauren also went all out and colored her hair red!


The kids have choir on Wednesday nights after Awanas. Each week the teacher gives this stuffed dinosaur called "Singasaurus" to a student who was well behaved, listened, and participated. They get to take Singasaurus home with them for the week. Erica got him one week and he went EVERYWHERE with her. One afternoon at naptime I walked in her room and found her sleeping like this. She had on Natalie's hoodie, and Singasaurus was snuggled up in there with her!


The night Erica took Singasaurus back to church was crazy hair night at Awanas. I let the girls each pick a spray color for their hair. Natalie picked blue and Erica picked pink. I used the leftovers on Graham's. Not that he needed any help in the crazy hair dept. I joked that with his bed head after naptime that day, he'd have the craziest hair there!





I got Leah this onesie for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It says "a cause I can latch on to" lol, so appropriate


Eric turned the big 3-0 on Tuesday! He's sooo oooold! lol I've been giving him a hard time, and I know he's gonna pay me back big time next year when I turn 30! The kids helped make his cake. When I started putting all the candles on it, Natalie said "you're going to burn down the house!" lol, love her!



So that's some of what we've been up to the past few weeks. We also went to College Station for my brother in law's wedding. I didn't bring my camera, but am hoping to get some pics from other people soon. Natalie and Erica were the flower girls and they did so good! I'll save the story for when I can share with pics. But it was a very nice wedding and so great to get to see lots of family we haven't seen in awhile. Congrats Mason and Abby!