The Aldape Daily Buzz!

Favorite Find {A Trash to Treasure Chair!}

2012-02-03T14:57:00.002-06:00

About a week ago I was just heading out from our street when I spied an adorable chair in someones trash pile. The garbage truck was scheduled to come that day and I couldn't risk such a cute chair ending up in the dump, so I grabbed it up knowing I could do something with it. When I got it home I realized that the seat was missing (probably why it was in the trash pile), but no matter, I had an idea in mind. After discovering it was painted with a paint that would not withstand the outdoor weather I outfitted in with some indoor/outdoor paint similar to it's original color. For the missing seat I simply painted a piece of plywood that I found laying around in our garage...and it was already the perfect size, score! I picked up the cute flowers sign at World Market and the pots and herbs/flowers I got at Home Depot. There is still some work that needs to go into our little side "yard", but I am happy with this small improvement...such a happy place to look at now, although I'll be switching out the plants pretty soon for some that prefer more shade. Looks cute for now tho, doesn't it?!!

Blessings,
*Grace*

Climbing Trees {4 Little Tarzans!}

2012-02-02T10:49:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we had a fun sister & sons day that my sweet sister, Gail, hosted. During the course of the afternoon the boys decided they wanted to climb trees, and even though Eli was a bit too little to do it by himself he still wanted to join in on the fun, so I propped him up in the tree. Looking at those 4 little Tarzan boys in the tree was beyond priceless, and I had to capture the moment. Aren't they just precious?!!

Thanks, Gaily and Coley-Woley for hosting such a fun day yesterday!

*Grace*

Candles & Cute Boys

2012-01-27T09:21:00.003-06:00

This past week has been a fun one of experimenting with candle making and hanging out with my little dudes. It's been a wet week and the boys are a bit under the weather, so it's been nice to stay inside, make candles and cookies, play and watch movies, have fires and snuggle...my kind of week! Sometimes it's good to have some days that are just a bit lazy...

Have a great weekend, y'all!
*Grace

And So Christmas is Finally Over...

2012-01-21T12:00:00.002-06:00

...we finally took down our tree! Yes, a month after Christmas and our tree finally came down, haha! :) My boys, all 3 of them, {LoVe} having the tree up, so for the last several weeks we've enjoyed a little bit of Christmas lingering around our home. The little dudes love running into the living room each morning to turn on the Christmas lights, and I've loved watching them experience the wonder of the season far into this new year. But, today seemed like a good day to sort of move on and enjoy the next phase of the year...Springtime is just around the corner! And so the tree has to go...but just up into the attic, ready to be pulled out when the Joyous Season rolls around again at the end of the year!

Happy Saturday!
*Grace*

The Next Step in My Infatuation with Candles

2012-01-17T19:15:00.002-06:00

I love candles, I really do...and the shelves and storage bins in my pantry can attest to this! So, it only makes sense for me to start making them myself! Candle making was one of the things I wanted to start doing this year, and why not start now I say! Usually when I'm all about something I'm all about it right now...I don't know if that means I'm overly ambitious or if I'm just impatient...I kinda think it's both...anyways, I just placed my first order for equipment and supplies for my first batch of candles. I'm really excited to start doing this my own way and can't wait to add my own unique stamp of "Grace-ness" on each candle!

*Grace*

It Felt Like a First Date

2012-01-16T14:56:00.003-06:00

This past Friday night Aaron and I got to go out on an actual, honest to goodness, just the two of us date! It had been too long...almost 3 years too long...since we'd been out for fun together on a real life date (we'd been out together to different group events sans kids, but even those had been few and far between) and seriously, it felt like a first date...the awkward silences, trying to figure out what to say to each other, wondering if the other person liked us...haha, just kidding, but it sure did feel weird since it had been so long!

Our babysitter (sweet Miss Brianna, whom the boys have taken to pretty well) came over to watch our little dudes. As soon as Aaron was home from work we took off to catch a light dinner before going to watch the 2nd Sherlock Holmes movie...it was so good...and all in all the date was awesome!

Oh, and just to brag on my hubby he had flowers delivered to me during the day on Friday before our date...isn't that just the sweetest thing! Funny thing is, around 12:45 early Friday afternoon I had this intuitive feeling that Aaron was going to send me flowers...it just seemed like the sort of thing he would do since we were both excited about our date that night. So, when he got home I thanked him for his thoughtfulness (especially since he sent me a bouquet with two red roses in it for Johnathan and Eli and 4 white roses in it to represent our sweet children in Heaven, so double romantic points for him!). I asked Aaron when he ordered the flowers because I knew it was probably around the time I had my intuitive feeling, and sure enough, he had ordered them a little before he saw his afternoon patients at 1:00...crazy, right?!! Stuff like that has happened frequently with us so I like to think that we're connected in a cool way, haha! :)

Anyhoo, our week is off to a good start after having a nice weekend. We are enjoying this lovely weather and have been outside a bunch as a result. It's so nice to have temps in the 70's in the middle of January...only in Texas, haha!

Happy Monday to y'all!
*Grace*

Unstaged Affection

2012-01-14T12:14:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I was vacuuming our living room when I looked up and saw the boys like this...

...I didn't want to break the spell (sometimes brotherly affection only lasts so long!)...but I did want to capture some photos of such a sweet moment. So, I left the vacuum running in place, since they were sort of zoned out from its noise, and I went to grab my camera as quick as possible. Luckily they were still enjoying the book that Johnathan was "reading" and I was able to get some sweet pics of them together. Despite the fighting that sometimes happens they both love each other so much, and it just makes my heart smile to see them like this!

Enjoy!

Have a Happy Weekend!
*Grace*

My {Own} Quote

2012-01-11T11:57:00.007-06:00

As I've done my post-Christmas clean-up I've been sprucing things up for Spring...almost every area of our home has gotten a few tweaks here and there and I'm loving the refreshed look. I found the prettiest little blue frame at Hobby Lobby and set it in a vignette on my kitchen table. I was trying to search for the perfect quote for Spring but just couldn't find what I wanted...so I made up my own! While the World is Sleeping the Earth takes a Breath and Exhales SPRING...ah, just what I wanted! :)

Here are a few snippets of our home getting ready for the next season!

For decorating I've been enjoying framed photos of my favorite people, jars with various textures and colors of moss, fresh green plants and stacked books! You can't go wrong with any of those!

Happy Wednesday!
*Grace*

3 Arms? :)

2012-01-07T08:26:00.003-06:00

Yesterday Johnathan and Eli were being especially clingy...sometimes not a problem, but when I'm trying to cook dinner it's hard to hold two little boys! Anyways, I was trying to explain to Johnathan that sometimes I just can't hold him and that I need my arms to do other things. I asked him what I was going to do if I have another baby???...I told him right now I have two arms for two boys, but if another baby comes then someone will have to share mommy. And he asks, quick as lightning, "Are you going to have three arms then?"...Hahahaha!!! He's got it figured out! I just need to grow another arm!!!

***And no, there is no baby on the way just yet...thought I'd throw that disclaimer in here for inquiring minds!*** :)

Well, I'm off to enjoy a wonderful Saturday with my boys! Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

*Grace*

I'll Be Home for {{{Christmas}}}

2011-12-30T23:59:00.005-06:00

Christmas morning was great! Aaron and I stayed up fairly late Christmas Eve making sure everything looked magical for Christmas in the morning. We set out the "Santa" gifts, filled the stockings, made a trail for the boys' cars all over the living room and leading to their playroom with green frog tape (painters tape), and set up their spaceship from Nana and Papi in the playroom.

Since Johnathan and Eli are still pretty young they didn't really know what to expect for Christmas morning. The day started off as usual, with Johnathan sleepily walking in to our room, climbing in our bed and Eli wailing to be let out of his crib moments later. They wouldn't have even known it was Christmas morning if I hadn't told them! I know in years to come this will change, but it is sort of nice that they weren't expecting to go see what they got at the crack of dawn or anything. Very nice indeed!

Here is a sampling of our morning, Christmas 2011...

The calm before the storm.
Sleepy Monkey opening his stocking.
Eli was so wrapped up with what Johnathan got it took him forever to realize he had a stocking too!
Going for the candy, of course!
Dots!
Look at those little cheeks, full of sugar!
Superhero Johnathan to the rescue!
Tearing into his gift..."Like a wolverine!"...(Aaron's phrase when it comes to opening presents!)
Sweet little snow baby!
Precious boy!
Johnathan loved opening his gifts!
Look at that sweet face!
Matching brothers!
The aftermath!

Happy New Year's Eve, Y'all!
*Grace*

{Aldape} Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T22:05:00.007-06:00

Since our collective families are now too big and spread out to "do" Christmas on one day we have to spread Christmas out a little...which is by no means a problem...we actually did Christmas 5 separate times this year, phew! Didn't bother us any at all though, the more days of Christmas the merrier!!! Woohoo!

Our first Christmas was down in Bryan, TX with Tio, Tia and Ava (Aldape). We had a beautiful weekend just hanging out, watching the kids play, eating some good food and exchanging our gifts. It was a great time.

Our second Christmas with Papi and Nana Aldape is documented with photos here...(Our own Aaron Aldape Family Christmas will have to wait as far as pictures go...too many pics for one post!).

We also did a mini Christmas with my grandparents on Christmas Eve, Our own "Dr. Aldape Family" Christmas on Christmas morning and Christmas with my folks, sisters, brother, BILs and nephews on Christmas Day evening. Lots and lotsa fun!!! ;)

Here are just a few pics to enjoy!

Happy eve of New Year's Eve!
*Grace*

"The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care"...

2011-12-22T16:22:00.004-06:00

Can you believe it's almost Christmas?!! Goodness, this holiday season is just flying by! Luckily, I just wrapped up my last gift...hooray...and I have my boys' stocking and "Santa" gifts organized so I can just dump them in their stockings/lay them out by the tree and I'm D-O-N-E for Christmas morning. I have my Christmas morning casserole all ready to pop in the oven tomorrow morning and I just finished ironing clothes for tonight's Christmas Eve celebration. And the list goes on! :)

When you're a mom (and honestly, aren't moms the ones that make sure it all gets done??) there is a lot to do around this time of year. It's a whirlwind of shopping and wrapping and making and doing...and somewhere in the middle of all the chaos there are moments of remembrance...moments where the TRUE meaning of Christmas stares you in the face and beckons you to slow down and just reflect.

So, on that note, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Aren't we blessed that the Creator of the universe humbled himself to come to us as a helpless baby, came down to earth to grow up among us and to save us from our sins?!!

Merry Christmas to All, and To All a Good Night!!!

*Grace*

Happy Birthday to Our Firstborn

2011-12-19T20:25:00.003-06:00

Dearest Gideon,

Happy Birthday, sweet son. You are eight years old today, in Heaven years, and we love you so much. Perhaps it is fitting that you went to Heaven during the season when we celebrate the birth of a baby...the Christ...the Light that you live in each day. And just as Jesus' mother Mary treasured the birth of her baby and all that surrounded Him in her heart, so I treasure you. Every moment and each second that I had with you. Happy Birthday, Precious and Merry Christmas.

With all my love,
Mommy

It's That Time of Year Again...

2011-12-16T11:18:00.004-06:00

...where the joyous festivities of the Christmas season are also a reminder of the Christmas that we lost Gideon. His "birthday" is a few days away, the 19th, Monday, and as in Christmases past I seem to get a bit melancholy around this time of the year. Obviously I am beyond blessed in the life that I live, but I can't help but to remember our precious boy and wonder what our lives would be like if he were here with us...for that matter I wonder what our lives would look like if all of our kids were here with us...all 6...it's a lot to ponder.

It's been 8 years since our sweet boy went to Heaven. Eight, long and sometimes extremely lonely years. The heartache of losing a child can never be measured, and for anyone who has gone through it you sometimes wonder how the world can keep going when yours has come to an abrupt stop. Yet the world keeps turning as your own is flipped upside down. In the early months and years of grief I found it amazing that I could keep going, and then the grief became such a part of my life that I actually had a hard time letting it go...I think I wrote about it once here, but I can't remember when. I do remember thinking during my pregnancy with Johnathan when it was going fairly well that it was hard to feel happy because feeling such deep sadness was so normal and the happiness felt strangely out of place.

Another thing I remember being concerned about was the happiness and joy over having two dear, living children was that it would completely replace my longing and desire for the children we lost. I didn't want that to happen, and it hasn't. At all. Sometimes the desire for them is so strong that I find myself completely grief-stricken and at the strangest times too. A song, a scent, a brief memory and then I lose it for a while...and if Johnathan catches me he'll ask why I'm crying and then I get to tell him about his big brothers and angel babies in Heaven. It's a sad but sweet moment. (Interesting side note. Since we are often talking to Johnathan about his brothers being in Heaven because they were born too little and died, he wonders when he sees pictures of babies if they are dead because they are little. Also if I tell him about a little baby he wonders if it is going to die. I think that he correlates the idea of being a small baby with death, and it's sort of sad.)

Grieving a child is never easy on the heart, but somehow even after your heart's been broken in two and your soul feels like it's been ripped out of you there is healing. But the pain is still there, and I'm glad about that...I don't want to ever forget my babies.

Blessed Beyond Measure,
*Grace*

Eli at 18 Months

2011-12-14T14:44:00.002-06:00

Well, looks like Eli is going to need eat some major calories to fatten him up! I took him to the doc for his 18 month check up and he is in the 1st percentile for weight, haha! Talk about tiny! He is only 20 lbs 1 ounce! Such a little dude, he has however grown quite a bit in height since his 1 year visit...he is 31.5 inches tall (the 21st percentile for height), so he's grown about 5 inches in the last 6 months...and his little head is on the bigger side of the scale...19 inches at 61st percentile...so all in all he is a short, scrawny little dude with a big noggin'! Heehee! ;)

Eli's doc wasn't all that concerned about his weight since he is a good eater. She just said I could start adding extra fattening things to his diet...like adding in cream to his mac'n'cheese or real butter into the dishes I'm already serving him...lucky dude! We'll see how he's doing at his 2 year check up, but for now he's fine, just on the smaller side.

He is tracking along fine with all his developmental milestones and aced the autism test...the Dr. said that we could rest assured that he doesn't have autism since he scored a 100 on the test! Phew!

One thing that I thought was interesting on the 18 month check up list that I had to fill out at the doctor's was the method of discipline that we use...the options were verbal, time out, spankings and other...um, sign me up for all of the above! We use whatever method works for the different "offenses" that occur around here. Whenever someone gets hit hard or throws a block at someone's head you sometimes need more than a "no-no, don't do that!"

Anyways, looks like our little man is doing okay. Praise God for our healthy little boy!

Blessings, Grace

Merry & Bright...Our {Home} at Christmas

2011-12-14T08:36:00.008-06:00

Hello y'all, and Merry Christmas! It's hard to believe that Christmas less than 2 weeks away! My goodness, the time has flown! We've been in the holly jolly spirit around here since before Thanksgiving, so I figured it was about time I showed y'all some pics of our holiday home! I had a lot of fun this year decorating, and almost every room in our home has some Christmas spirit. Here are just a few pics of our home at Christmastime...

...I found this branch outside in our wood pile and knew it would be the perfect perch for my little Christmas bird!

I had fun making some glitter letters this year...

..."May your days be merry and BRIGHT!!!"
Our mantel with its large stone surround is the perfect backdrop for some Christmas decorating!
JOY!!!
The Nativity...which Johnathan had fun setting up!
The empty drawer from this dresser became a shelf on the wall...as seen later in this post!
I love our stockings...especially the ones that represent our sweet babies in Heaven...from left to right: Johnathan's, Aaron's, Gideon's, Angel Baby #1, BoBo's, Angel Baby #2, Daniel's, Mine and Eli's stocking. NINE!!!
A Christmas wreath I made using sheet music paper chains.
Just some holiday stuff on a wall in the living room...with the drawer turned wall shelf!
The living room, all decked out for Christmas!
I didn't want to deal with the boys unwrapping presents under the tree before Christmas...so I dragged in a dresser we weren't using and I'm using it as my present table! So far the boys haven't even taken notice of it! ;)
I found these awesome shutter doors in an alley near my sister's house about a month back...they are the perfect place to hang up Christmas cards and photos...just slide 'em into the slot and they are beautifully displayed!
Another view of the living room.

Merry Christmas!

*Grace*

Trimming the Tree...Little Kid Style and Johnathan's Christmas Performance!

2011-12-07T20:42:00.007-06:00

It's been looking a lot like Christmas around here for a while now...I started decorating November 5th because I had a special request from Aaron to start making things festive really early this year. However, no home is 100% set for the Season until the Christmas tree is up! So, this past Saturday we trimmed the tree...with the help of a few extra little Christmas Elves (cousins Miles and Levi) and boy was it entertaining to watch them put on the ornaments! There were lots of ornaments clumped together and the majority of them were about a foot or less from the ground, haha! It was pretty cute and in the end I did rearrange just a few ornaments to make the tree a little more "ornament friendly"...in other words, I moved all the really breakable glass ornaments where little hands can't reach them! Heehee! ;)

Here we are trimming the tree!......

This past Tuesday Johnathan had his first ever performance...the Christmas Program at his school! He was so excited about it and was all decked out for the special occasion. I was so proud of him as he performed two songs with the rest of his classmates. Afterwards we enjoyed the reception in his class room...Eli loved being able to be a part of what big brother does and really liked sitting in the chairs in the class room and enjoyed looking at all the things to do there!

And lastly, here is Dada's little helper, helping to tighten the bolts on the pull-up bar...

...isn't this photo just priceless?!!

Happy Thursday!
*Grace*

Eli can open doors now...

2011-12-01T21:56:00.002-06:00

...and my world just got a little more complicated, haha!

Today I was out in the garage getting the groceries from the car when I saw the door handle leading from our laundry room to the garage moving up and down. Johnathan was at school at the time and my first thought was who could that be, Eli isn't tall enough to do that yet...but turns out he is, just barely...on his tiptoes! ;)

So, today was spent getting Eli out of the pantry, out of the laundry room, out of every room he discovered he could get into all on his own! The pantry is his favorite by far, and he looks so proud of himself when he can sneak in there and get out snacks and rummage through the trash and recycling behind my back! It's pretty cute actually, and I can hardly believe my baby is so big...sniff, sniff.

Happy December 1st!
*Grace*

Happy Birthday, Dada!

2011-11-21T15:18:00.004-06:00

Dearest Aaron (aka, Dada to our sweet boys),

Happy Birthday, sweet husband of mine. I am so blessed by you and I am more than grateful that you're in my life. Our boys are very blessed as well to have you as their daddy, and you don't know how much joy it brings me to see you with them...or to see them imitate something from you, it's priceless! ;)

I love you so much, that goes without saying, and I hope that today is all that a birthday should be for you. May you have many, many, many more!

I'll love you 'til you're old and gray (or bald!) and beyond!
-Your Babygirl

..................(Here are some recent pics from our family. Enjoy!).................

Gettin' Puked On...{Oh, The Glamorous Life of a Mom!}

2011-11-07T12:07:00.003-06:00

Man oh man, we've had the sick bugs at our house this week, and they have been yucky! I don't think I've ever done so much laundry in the span of a few days or have changed clothes (the boys and my own) so many times on a daily basis. Johnathan, who got sick Wednesday with a stomach bug, is finally on the mend. Little Eli though is still in the middle of it...with a sinus infection though...he somehow skipped the stomach bug, but has been throwing up frequently regardless from all the coughing and gagging on the nasty phlegm (otherwise known as "flem" haha, thanks Dad) in his throat. Gross, I know, but I'm just keepin' it real! ;)

It's funny, when Johnathan got sick I was thinking to myself how I had never been thrown up on (besides baby spit up) by my own kids. When I was a nanny years ago I was fully initiated into the Yuck Club by getting puked on and peed on and snotted on by the two little boys I watched. Well, after this past week/weekend I have been reinstated into the Yuck Club by my own dear children, and believe me, it's just as gross when your own kids throw up on you as when other kids do. It's all bad.

On a brighter, less nauseating note...I have been incredibly thankful for our boys' good health even though they're sick. Recently I have become more aware of just how good we really do have it. Sure, our little dudes catch the occasional bug and are prone to allergies, but really, it's not that bad. I know they're going to get better, and I am very grateful that they are overall very healthy little dudes. So even when I'm cleaning up another "mess" and throwing another load of laundry in the wash I'm still thankful for the good health that our boys usually enjoy. That is such a blessing!

This week is off to a rough start, but I am sure that it can only get better! Sometimes the good thing about being at the bottom is there is only one way to go...and that is up! ;)

Happy Monday!
*Grace*

Going Green for Halloween!

2011-11-02T16:40:00.004-05:00

First of all I just had to share some of these cute pics of the boys leading up to Halloween...don't you just love Eli's cheesy grin here?!!

Here is my little monster waiting for Johnathan to share some cookie dough with him...too cute!

Still patiently waiting as Johnathan makes the cookies!

Yay, finally a taste!

I let Johnathan decorate some sugar cookies all by himself...he only ate 1.75 cookies uncooked, haha! ;)
Johnathan dressed up as a "Green Tree" for Halloween...his own idea! And I dressed as a tree hugger! ;)
Hugging my favorite tree!

Eli was just a camo boy!

Daddy and his boys!

My little green tree!

Riding the train at the Matthew Road Fall Festival.

Hugging the Train Conductor, Papi!

Nana and Papi with their grandsons!

Heading off!

That's all for now, y'all. We've got the stomach bug here and I need to go check on my poor baby, Johnathan...:(

*Grace*

Not Me Monday {Halloween Style}

2011-10-31T23:42:00.002-05:00

You most certainly would not have found me digging through Johnathan's treat bag to see what kind of haul he brought home after the Fall Festival we attended this evening. You also wouldn't have heard me thinking to myself...good thing, I mean too bad Johnathan has a dairy allergy and can't eat all this chocolate. And you definitely would not smell a snickers bar (or two) on my breath right now! Oh no, not me! ;)

Hope everyone had a fun and safe night!
*Grace*

Eli's Talkin'!

2011-10-26T15:37:00.004-05:00

Eli, what a fun little guy he is! These days at almost a year and a half he is quite the little talker, which I attribute to his hanging out with big brother Johnathan who could talk the ears off a deaf mule...the boy likes to talk! ;) Anyhoo, back to Eli...

Here are some of the words he's saying these days:

"Mama" (of course!...but he refers to most adults as Mama -even Aaron, haha- so I don't feel too special)
"Bo" (our dog)
"Buh-Ball" (Football)
"Boh-Ball" (Dodge Ball, a game we play frequently!)
"Ball" (yep, he likes anything to do with balls!)
"Bubba" (his nickname for brother Johnathan...which is adorable when he says it!)
"Moh" (more)
"Keh" (catch)
"My" (mine)
"Awa" (agua, water)
"Gay-koo" (thank you)
"Boo" (boo!)
"Ah-nah" (all done)

(Edited to add the following {10/28/11})
"Ep" (help)
"Aw Ih" (watch this)
"Coo coo" (cookie)

He will repeat words that I tell him frequently too, but the list above are common things he will say on a regular basis. It's pretty fun seeing him develop, and to see what new things he is learning. So far he hasn't learned the word "no" but he definitely knows what it means when I tell that to him...not that he always obeys, mind you, but he certainly understands what I mean! And, for any of you new moms out there that might read this, don't think that just because your baby can't talk a whole bunch that he/she can't understand you. Oh no, they understand way more than they want us to think they do! ;) Case in point, the other day Eli walked up to me asking for "awa" (water) and I told him that his water was on the table next to his chair...and what did he do but walk right over exactly to where I had told him it was! Ha! He can't fool me anymore when he is pretending to not understand me! ;)

Hope everyone is having a good week!
*Grace*

{Fall} FUN!!!

2011-10-14T11:42:00.004-05:00

We've been having lots of fun this fall, and we're enjoying the {slightly} cooler weather. It's Texas so it's still hot, just not fry an egg on the sidewalk kind of hot! ;)

In the last couple of weeks we've enjoyed a trip to the Dallas Arboretum, the great State Fair of Texas, a local Autumn Festival close to our home and of course we've been enjoying all the "normal" crazy fun at our own home.

Here are a few pics of the boys enjoying the new season! (Blogger is being weird and won't delete the duplicate photos it loaded up...so just enjoy the pics...several times in a row, haha!)

TGIF,
*Grace*

Autumn...

2011-10-03T09:10:00.002-05:00

I've never been particularly fond of Fall, but for some reason this year is different. Maybe it stems from the fact that we had one of the hottest summers on record and I am just ready for a change, or maybe from the fact that our house is just now starting to feel like home and even though Fall isn't my favorite season it does bring with it a sense of home and comfort. Anyhoo, I came across a quote today from Melissa @ the Inspired Room that pretty much sums up my new outlook on Autumn...

"Autumn is the season to find contentment at home by paying attention to what we already have.

The simple daily rituals of homemaking, baking, nesting, decorating and preparing for the winter holidays ahead create a sense of peace with what we have right in front of us."

I thought she said it beautifully and perfectly. Head over to her blog to gain more insight into the glorious season of Autumn!

Happy Monday, Y'all!

*Grace*

Getting Cozy for Fall

2011-09-28T15:55:00.003-05:00

With Fall (supposedly) approaching I have been wanting to cozy up our home a bit. Since we're fairly new to this house, and there are a lot of blank walls that I have no clue what to do with, I've been struggling with how to make our house more homey. Enter pillows, my go-to home decor element that seems to instantly adds a statement to any room. I've had these on my agenda to make for a while...I got the burlap coffee sacks off of Etsy a couple months ago...but I never found time (or made the time) to make them 'til today. And no, I certainly did not let Johnathan watch a couple hours worth of his favorite Huckle shows while I made them so that he would stay out of my way, of course not! ;)

I got all my sewing stuff out during Eli's naptime and got them pretty much made before he woke up. I am so happy with how they turned out and I love the warmth and texture they bring to our living room. Tell me what you think!

*Grace*

Silly Sleeper

2011-09-25T20:24:00.003-05:00

Last night, during the middle of the night, I was awakened by the sound of Johnathan coughing...just a few little coughs, no biggie. You know how when you're woken up by some kind of noise and you have a hard time recalling what the sound was? Well last night the coughing I heard didn't sound like it had come from the baby monitor that I keep on during the night on my nightstand, but then again, I wasn't fully conscious when I heard the coughs, so who knows.

Anyways, I got up and took a quick trip to the potty and decided to check on the boys before I went back to sleep. Eli was sleeping peacefully in his crib and Johnathan was...he was...where was he???!!! He wasn't anywhere in his room and I hadn't seen him in ours. Sometimes he will sneak in and curl up on some extra throw pillows from our bed that I place on the floor, but nope, he wasn't there. Then, I remembered the cough, how it had sounded like it came from close by but not the baby monitor. And so I looked under our bed, and sure enough, there was Johnathan, all curled up and sleeping like a little cat. Goodness, what a place to sleep! I pulled him out from under the bed and made up a quick pallet for him beside our bed using a throw blanket and those extra pillows. He sort of woke up as I dragged him out of his safe sleeping place, and I suppose I could have just left him there since he was asleep after all, but somehow I just don't think I could have fallen back asleep knowing my child was on the floor under my bed. Although he was no monster, ghost or goblin I still don't want to sleep with anything or anyone under my bed! ;)

These little dudes of mine are always surprising me with their silly little antics, and you can bet from now on when I hear one of them coughing or making strange noises at night I'm going to check under my bed first!

Happy Sunday Night!
*Grace*

My Little Nakey-Nakey

2011-09-18T10:52:00.002-05:00

The other day I went in to check on Eli during his nap and found him stark naked, diaper on the floor, in a deep sleep. He was so cute with his little body all curled up, heiny straight up in the air and arms and knees tucked under his belly. I of course took a picture (but for privacy reasons won't share it here) and just laughed at the sight of my little nakey-nakey sleeping like an angel. I thought I'd have a big mess to clean up (poop or at the very least pee) when he decided to wake up, but thankfully he held it until after he woke up and had his diaper on again! ;)

Anyways, just a cute little anecdote about my little dude. I remember finding Johnathan like this too around the same age as Eli...and it was cute then also! ;)

Happy Sunday!

*Grace*

Bb is for Betsy Bee

2011-09-16T08:18:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Johnathan came home from school so happy and vocal about what he had learned. When I picked him up he told me that he had had such a fun day and said, "I didn't miss you at all, Mommy!"...haha, I was glad though because that meant that he was kept busy and had a good time...it's hard to miss mommy when you're having so much fun learning...although he did say that he missed Eli...and Dada...and BoBo...haha! ;)

When we get home from school we always take out Johnathan's green folder that all his little papers are in. Yesterday he was so excited to show me and wanted to get them out himself and show them to me one by one. He worked on the letter "B" yesterday and kept singing "Buh, Buh, Buh for Betsy Bee"...and it was the cutest thing. Each letter of the alphabet has a cute little animal or bug to go with it so the kids can learn it easier. "A" was Alexander Alligator and "B" was Betsy Bee. He also worked on cutting with scissors, painted a letter B, practiced gluing little bits of paper to the letter and and did some other fun "B" related activities.

Each day I get a little "report card" saying what the class did that day and what Johnathan in particular enjoyed. I love that I feel like I know a little better what he did during the day, and I always love seeing what he liked best about the day. I am saving all his papers in a binder that I purchased yesterday and I know I will treasure looking back through them in the years to come.

I made a cute little "gallery wall" to hang up Johnathan's school papers and special pictures. It also has our calendar and Johnathan's Chore Chart. I love that I did this because it makes it very easy for me to go over with Johnathan what he's learned during school. We practice the alphabet and number(s) that he has recently learned and I really think that this is helping him to retain it. Plus, it's pretty cute! ;)

Happy Friday and Yay for learning!!!

*Grace*

{7} in Heaven

2011-09-14T20:51:00.002-05:00

Today marks the 7th "Heaven Birthday" of our sweet, precious Daniel Cole. I can hardly believe that it's been seven years since we last saw and felt our sweet baby boy. Wow, seven years.

This evening we went on a family walk together and saw a snake that had died on the sidewalk. Johnathan said that Jesus was going to make the snake better and "make him alive again"...oh the wonderful gift of a childlike faith, believing that Jesus can make everything better...just as He is able to do.

We told Johnathan that sometimes when things or people die that they go to Heaven, even though Jesus has the power to heal and even raise from the dead. Then we told Johnathan again about his big brothers in Heaven. Sort of odd maybe, to transition from a dead snake to talking about his brothers that sit in the arms of Jesus, but it is something that he understands and it brings it home a little more for him.

So, sweet Daniel, know that you are talked of and loved and very much missed. I can't wait to see you again some day, to shower you with hugs and kisses and to hold you and never let go. You are and always will be my baby, and I love you so much.

Happy 7th Birthday, Sweetheart. Hug Gideon for us and kiss the Angel Babies.

Love, Mama & Dada and your Little Brothers

Asthma - A Great Way to Bond, Haha! ;)

2011-09-09T08:13:00.004-05:00

When you're little cousins growing up together there are a lot of fun times and experiences to share...trips to the park, hanging out at each others houses, playing at the grandparents together, wrestling and pretending to Nacho Libre (or Kung Fu Panda or whatever character you are really into at the moment!). However, Gwen and I have found that one of the best ways for our boys to bond is through asthma breathing treatments!...totally kidding of course, we would much rather our boys didn't have to deal with breathing issues, but these poor babies are tainted by our husbands inferior genes, haha! (of the 3 brother-in-laws/son-in-laws that have joined the family all 3 of them have a history of asthma, thus the gene tainting, heehee!).

Miles and Eli were pretty cute doing their nebulizer treatments together. Usually Eli hates them, but he did great since big cousin Miles was doing it along with him...

And, not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to bond themselves, Johnathan and Levi were little mischief makers while their brothers were otherwise engaged...look at them! Too cute!

So that's how we roll with asthma. We don't let it get us down, it's just another opportunity to hang out and bond, ha! ;)

Have a great weekend!
*Grace*

A Day of Firsts

2011-09-07T16:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday two of my favorite people had some big firsts in their life...Aaron (a.k.a. "Favorite" to me, Dr. Aldape to others) started his first day in his new practice, woohoo!!! He is officially now a practicing physician...sorta funny how they call it a practice tho...kind of like they still need to do things a few more times 'til they get it right, haha! ;) I can assure you that Dr. Aldape knows what he's doing and is going to be a great physician to those blessed enough to have him as their doctor!

Also, my sweet Monkey Boy (a.k.a. Johnathan!) started his first day of school yesterday. We enrolled him in a two days a week Mother's Day Out that has a preschool curriculum. It is pretty structured but has a fun environment that I am sure he will love more and more as the weeks go by. He liked his first day, but was more than happy to see me drive up in the carpool line to pick him up...and you know what, I was pretty happy to see him too, his big smile shining at me through the glass doors. I missed my little dude a lot! ;)

So, I guess our "fall" has officially started. New schedules and routines to get down and lots of new fun experiences for everyone!

Happy Middle of the Week to Y'all!
*Grace*

Superhero!

2011-09-01T20:45:00.000-05:00

Context: Aaron is out on the couch giving Eli his breathing treatment. Eli is screaming his head off because of said treatment. Johnathan and myself are in our bedroom getting PJs on for the night.

Johnathan: Mommy, what's wrong with Eli?
Me: Oh, he is just crying because he doesn't like his breathing treatment.
Johnathan (donning his hooded towel): I am going to be a superhero and go rescue Eli. I am going to get up on the couch and roar really loud in Daddy's ear and get Eli from him!
Me: Okay, buddy, go be a superhero!
Johnathan: Mommy, do you want to see how loud I'm going to roar?
Me: Sure, bud.
Johnathan: RRROOAAAAARRR!
Me: *laughing my head off!*

Aah, good times with my little dude!

*Grace*

"I want Jesus to snuggle me"

2011-08-28T21:03:00.003-05:00

Snuggle time. Without fail this is the one time of the day where Johnathan is the most peaceful, shows endearing affection and is also very spiritually tuned in. Each night, after book-reading and prayer time with Dada, Johnathan and I snuggle in his bed. This started after he finished nursing (almost 2 years ago now) as a way for us to still connect at the end of our busy (sometimes chaotic) day. Johnathan is a very affectionate boy (one of his love languages) and I love our time together. I sing to him, scratch his back and listen to his sleepy little boy ramblings. We have had some of our most spiritual talks during this nighttime ritual. I remember one time where out of the blue he asked me "how come Jesus died?" I went on to explain why in terms he could understand and you should have seen the amazement on his face when I told him that after Jesus died he came back to life! It was thrilling to see him so excited that "now He not dead, He's ALIVE!" After that conversation anytime we talked about something being alive he would say "like Jesus!"

Tonight was another one of those nights where his concept of Jesus/God blessed me. Usually I will let Johnathan know that I am going to sing him his songs and then we'll have "one snuggle"...which he promptly tries to negotiate into "lots of snuggles", "no" I say, "just one"..."how 'bout two" he says...he is quite the negotiator! Anyways, after our snuggle I told him it was time for bed and he says "but I want Jesus to snuggle me"...I let him know that Jesus is always with him, always there to snuggle..."and God too" he says..."yes" I tell him, "God is always with you too."

Sweet dreams,
*Grace*

A Summer of Reflection

2011-08-27T07:39:00.008-05:00

This summer has been wonderful. A time meeting new friends and connecting with old ones, a beginning of new ventures and the continuation of our family routine. And, for me personally, a time of introspection. A time of self-reflection which if I am honest I really do not like to do, haha. However, for whatever reason I found myself frequently looking into my own motives this summer, was made aware of some character traits which aren't that pretty that I want to change and overall I feel like I know myself a little better after this summer.

I think that some of this self-reflection time came because of my big b-day...I am now 30 years old, and by goodness I do feel as if I am more mature and know more of what I want out of life now. I am sure some of this looking-inward time also came because of some "discussions" that Aaron and I had during the course of the summer. Husbands (and children for that matter) have this unique way of making you see that you're not all you're cracked up to be...IF you allow them to show you...IF you allow yourself to see beyond the pretty exterior you put on for people...IF you allow yourself the possibility to want to change. Otherwise husbands (and children) just make you angry because you think you're in the right and think that they have to change. Obviously we all have areas where we can grow and mature, but often you have to squelch your pride in order to see what areas YOU need to change in. At least that is how it is for me.

Another thing that has helped me is the wonderful book by Ann Voskamp...One Thousand Gifts...I have been reading it slowly, on purpose, because there is so much to gain from it. I don't want to miss what I could learn by reading quickly through it. I am only on chapter 3, and the thing that has stood out so far is learning to live a thankful life. Thanks. We say it a lot, but do we really live out thankful lives? I know that I don't. I'm anxious to see what the rest of the book holds. It's pretty intense, at least for me it is because it is so relevant to my life right now.

Anyhoo, it's been a good summer all around and next week our "fall" schedule starts up more or less. Johnathan starts school at a wonderful little program we found for him so we will officially transition from our carefree summer days to a little more structure. And, the week after Aaron starts work. I think it will be good for all of us to get into more of a routine. I am looking forward to it, and looking forward to all this fall will bring for us!

A few images of our summer...

*Grace*

Hmm, where to start???.....

2011-08-16T08:33:00.006-05:00

Well, since the last time I "really" posted a lot has happened. We moved across state and have started settling in to our new neighborhood. That in itself has been a huge transition and we are really loving our new place...lots of room for the boys to play and plenty of space to host gatherings which we have already enjoyed doing!

Also, on July 22nd I turned the big 3-0...yikes! My sweet sister Gail and loving husband, along with lots of my other wonderful family helped to pull one over on me...a surprise party that (almost) totally caught me off guard...it's hard to surprise me, but they did an awesome job and the party was beautiful! (To read more about it click the photo source below and you will be taken to Gail's blog where she posted about all her efforts to make my party so special!)

My beautiful sister, Gail!

(Photo source here)

My wonderful, ever loving husband, Aaron! xoxoxoxo

(Photo source here)

Also this summer we made a trip down to Corpus Christi, our old home, and spent some wonderful time with our dear Whitehurst family. We had already started to really miss them, so a trip down there was the perfect way to cure the We Miss the Whitehurst Blues! ;)

Now we are trying to really get settled in our new community...trying to find a good church, a good (convenient and low price) grocery store and we are continuing to meet and get to know our new neighbors. Aaron starts real-life working in a few weeks and so we are also very much enjoying some extra time with him before life gets back to "normal" around here.

Hope y'all are all enjoying the last dog days of summer.

Love,
*Grace*

We didn't disappear off the face of the earth...

2011-07-19T00:36:00.005-05:00

We just moved! Wow, almost a month of zero blog activity but our lives couldn't be any busier at the moment. We are in full swing post move around here and boxes are flyin', things are getting organized and life is moving on...just in a new location! We are still waiting on our "real" internet...don't ask me how I'm on now, it's a long story...and hopefully once that is up and running I'll be on this blog a lot more. I have lots of beautiful new rooms to show you in the wonderful house we're blessed to now call our home!

Anyways, just wanted to let y'all know that we're still here and I'll be back soon to show things off! ;)

*Grace*

Celebrating Father's Day & the Crazy Days of Trying to Pack for a Big Move with Two Rambunctious Boys! ;)

2011-06-21T16:17:00.008-05:00

Sunday we spent chillin' out with Aaron and honoring him for Father's Day...the boys gave him plenty of opportunities to demonstrate what a wonderful father he is, haha...they were a tad feisty, but it's no wonder since they've been cooped up a little more than usual as I flurry about the house prepping it for our big move coming up next week. We enjoyed a yummy Father's Day dinner out at Grimaldi's...Mmm, good pizza...and here are some pics of our nice evening.

They gave the boys some uncooked dough to play with while we waited for our pizza to cook...sorta like edible play dough...they LOVED it!

Yesterday the boys had about had it with being cooped up inside...so I took them out for pizza and games at Peter Piper's...they have a fun time and got a lot of their energy out...hooray for all of us! ;)

I'm off to continue moving prep while my little dudes are napping!
*Grace*

For Tio & Uncle Matt

2011-06-14T23:12:00.003-05:00

On the way home from Dallas we stopped at Firehouse Subs and both boys got these cute firefighter hats (helmets?). Of course anytime we see anything having to do with being a firefighter we have a wonderful opportunity to tell the boys about how their Tio and Uncle Matt are firemen...which, of course is super cool for little boys to be able to look up to their uncles like that, to look up to them as heros, because they are! Anyways, here are my two little firemen, obviously not in their full gear since going out to fight a fire in just your undies would be quite crazy! ;)

We love you Tio and Uncle Matt. Thanks for all you do to help the communities you serve and for giving of yourself to protect and keep others safe.

Love,
Grace and your two adoring nephews!

Finding {Home}

2011-06-14T21:42:00.008-05:00

We recently returned home after a house hunting trip up to the DFW metroplex. Aaron graduates residency in a little over a week (yay!) and will be starting up his "real" job with a medical group up there. So we have to pack our bags, box up our life really, and make the move to North Texas. It was odd, trying to find a house that will be home, trying to find a place where we'll make new friends and trying to locate that "perfect" spot to make new memories. Bittersweet, really. Our trip was successful tho, and we found a beautiful place that will become our new home. Home is where the heart is, or so the saying goes, so I think that Corpus Christi will always feel like home to me...so many wonderful things happened here, it would be hard for it not to feel like home.

Since we had blocked out two weeks of time for house hunting but only ended up needing one day for that (yep, found it and leased it in one day!) and only needed a few days for other personal business stuff we had lots of time to catch up with some of the folks we love dearly in our "new neighborhood." We spent time with all the family and caught up with several friends during our trip too. Looking back I didn't take many pics...too busy having a good time I guess...but here are some of my faves that capture our Dallas trip...

Don't you just love the creative way we came up with to strap our new iPad to the back of my seat so Johnathan could watch his movies on the car trip??? I was quite proud of it, even if it was a bit redneck! ;)

Johnathan was totally mesmerized by it!
The boys in a real live dump truck!
Sand for all at Grandpa and Grammy's.
Enjoying the water show at the Fairview splash park.
Me and my sweet boy hanging out at the water show.
The spray shot up about 50 feet! Pretty cool!
Aaron being "Amateur Nacho" at the Nacho Libre party we had at Gwen & Matt's...Eli didn't like the mask too much...:(
"Shh, secret tunnels"...da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da...
Nacho & Encarnación (Baby Cole & his mommy, Gail).
Eli enjoying playing at his cousin's house!
Levi with his "wrestling mask" on! ;)
Eagle powers!
It's hard to be a superhero without your trusty pig! (Greta, this pic's for you!)
Chancho!
The new place we'll call home!

Blessings,
*Grace*

It's Going to Be Okay

2011-05-26T20:53:00.002-05:00

Every night before bed I sing to Johnathan...someday in the future I will do this for Eli too, but right now that little guy conks out while nursing so the singing will come later, when he needs other forms of comfort besides his milkies. Anyways, back to Johnathan...

We had gotten into quite a routine with our singing at bedtime. The same 4 songs, You are My Sunshine, Jesus Loves Me, Gideon's Lullaby & Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in the same order every night. Snuggling after. Then sleep for my sweet boy. Until one night those four songs didn't seem to be enough, and some unknown worry caused Johnathan to cry out for me after I thought he had long been asleep. So, I came up with another song that is now in the number 5 spot on our nightly singing list...it's simple and it just lets Johnathan know that everything is going to be alright and that lots of people love him. It's Going to Be Okay. It goes a little something like this:

It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
Mommy loves you, Daddy loves you too
Jesus loves you, Eli loves you, BoBo loves you too

It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
Aunt Jenna loves you, Uncle Robert loves you too
Arden loves you, Kenny loves you, John and Mear-Bear too

It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
Nana loves you, Papi loves you too
Tio Tia love you, Ava, Aunt Karen love you, Great-grandma Celia & Evelyn too

It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
Grammy loves you, Grandpa loves you too
Princess loves you, Aunt Glo loves, Geenz and Brosky too

It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
Auntie Fay loves you, Uncle Gaffin loves you too
Baby "Cold" loves you, Grandma Pepa love you, Mema & Papa too

It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
It's going to be okay, It's Going to be okay
Uncle Matt loves you, Aunt Gwenny Gwen loves you too
Miles loves you, Levi loves you, EVERYONE loves YOU!

------------------------------------------------------------

Now Johnathan is not a singer, he doesn't go around with a tune on his tongue or anything like that...but sometimes, when he's trying to calm Eli down, he will sing this song, and it is so sweet. His version is...It go be okay, it go be okay, mommy loves you, Uncle Matt loves you, It go be okay...haha! Too precious!

*Grace*

Ryan & His Brother are {With Jesus}

2011-05-26T10:39:00.002-05:00

I have been watching the live feed of this family's story. Sweet Ryan Hamil was found this morning and joined his younger brother in Heaven with Jesus. They were both victims of the storms. My heart breaks for this family. The boys' pregnant mother is recovering from two surgeries she had from injuries received during the storm and their sister is also in the hospital recovering from surgery as well. They still need your prayers.

*Grace*

Prayers for a Boy We've Never Met

2011-05-26T08:45:00.002-05:00

As a mother I really get emotionally involved when I hear stories of other children the same age as my own who are going through tragic situations. With all the recent deadly weather happening in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and beyond one story has stood out in particular. Ryan Hamil. 3 years old. Missing. I am not certain of all the details of this story, but I do know that this little boy went missing during the recent storms in Oklahoma. His family has already suffered loss, and it is going on day two of trying to find this precious boy. Please click the link below and pray for this sweet little boy.

Prayers for the Hamil Family-Find Ryan Facebook Page.

*Grace*

"I'm Sorry, Mama"...

2011-05-25T22:17:00.002-05:00

Today was Eli's 12 month check-up...stats further down in this post...and the visit to the doctor was at a tricky time...10:30 am, typically Eli's nap time and Johnathan's mid-morning snack time. So, needless to say the boys were a wee bit cranky as we loaded up in the car to go to the doctor. Once inside and in the room Johnathan really started to show his defiant side and would not listen to me for anything. As the nurse came in and started to ask all the typical check-up questions I was trying to wrangle Johnathan down without dropping Eli, tried to get him to sit down but he insisted on standing (jumping) on the chair and was overall just being a disobedient boy. When I tried to reason with him amidst answering questions from the nurse and laying Eli down for height/temp check, etc., Johnathan kicked me in his anger!....I think the nurse was shocked because she told him, "Don't kick your mother" just like he was her own, to which Johnathan stamped his foot at with a humph! Oh, boy!

Fortunately, Aaron just so happened to be working with our pediatrician today and so he got to have a nice, long talk with Johnathan about his attitude problem once we all alone in the office room together. The talk helped Johnathan to shape up and afterward he was a sweet boy again. Phew! ;)

Later on in the day I was attempting to take a little cat-nap with Johnathan. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep I heard his small voice, barely louder than a whisper say, "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm sorry I kicked you at the doctor's office. I love you."...my heart melted right there on my pillow. I turned over and looked into his sweet face, told him how much I appreciated what he had told me, all on his own, and then we both turned over and went to sleep...me with such a full heart, thankful that even though Johnathan can be a stinker at times that his little spirit is tender enough to know when he's wrong and to ask for forgiveness. What a lesson to be learning at such a young age!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Eli's 12 Month Stats: Eli is a little short-stack! At 12 months he is 27 inches tall, 17 lb. 11 oz. and I think his head circumference is about 18 inches. He is small-ish, but he is right on track milestone-wise and already thinks he's a big boy. He wants to do EVERYTHING that Johnathan does, wants to eat EVERYTHING Johnathan (or we) eat and is overall a very independent little dude. He is cruising furniture, will walk/take steps with our help and can crawl a mile a minute. He likes to babble and Johnathan will tell me, "Mommy, Eli is talking now"...and then will ask me what he's saying! So, at 12 months Eli is healthy and thriving and we couldn't ask for more!

*Grace*

Happy Birthday, Sweet Eli Robert!!!

2011-05-24T08:18:00.012-05:00

Yesterday was this little guy's birthday...

...and what a special day it was! We had a low-key day and spent it just lovin' on our sweet lil' one year old boy. Of course we had the traditional baby gets to eat cake moment where Eli thoroughly enjoyed getting his fingers (and face and hair) all sticky. It was a wonderful day celebrating a wonderful boy...the littlest light of our life!

We love you, sweet Eli Robert. Our prayer is that you grow up to know Christ as your personal Savior and that you become a man of God.

Pics of Eli's first birthday.....

*Grace*

So Many Questions: A Typical Conversation at Our Home

2011-05-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

These days Johnathan is full of questions...I'm talkin' F-U-L-L of them! One question leads right to another and it takes a lot of answers to satisfy his curious little mind. For example, this is a recent conversation (it really felt more like a toddler interrogation!) that we had the other day:

Johnathan: Mommy, do Eli's ears hurt?

Me: Yes, they do, so we have to be careful.

Johnathan: Why do his ears hurt?

Me: Because he had surgery on them to put a tube in them.

Johnathan: How did he have surgery?

Me: Well, we took him to the hospital and the doctors helped fix his ears there.

Johnathan: How did we go to the "hosipal" (hospital)?

Me: We got in our car and we drove there.

Johnathan: How did we get in the car to drive?

Me: We walked out to it, opened the doors got in and turned the car on with the key.

Johnathan: How did you turn on the car with the key?

Me: I took the key out, put it in the keyhole and turned it.

Johnathan: How did you turn it?

Me: Like this (showing with my hands how I did it).

Johnathan: How'd you do that?

Me: Buddy, I just showed you. I turned it like that.

Johnathan: How???

Me: Sweetie, I already showed you, okay?

Johnathan: Oh.....

------------------------------------------

Seriously, that is a conversation we had, verbatim (to the best of my memory), and we have tons of those everyday. One question leads to about 20 and Johnathan doesn't give up until he has the answers he feels appropriate. It is pretty funny and also, I must admit, does get a little frustrating at times because I can't seem to come up with good enough answers for him and so he keeps asking the same question over and over again. I am glad that he has an inquisitive mind though. It is one of my favorite things about his little personality!

Now Eli, he is more of an action guy and less of a talking guy these days, but I am sure that will change in the weeks/months to come! ;)

Have a blessed Sunday!
*Grace*

The Last Day of School

2011-05-20T08:47:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was Johnathan's last day of "school" at the Parent's Day Out program he has been going to this past year. He has loved it, and has made so many cute little friends and has gotten close to his wonderful teacher, Miss Naomi. So, yesterday was a sad day...but we did get everyone's info so we can become facebook friends and keep in touch that way!

These pics were taken about a week ago at the "Mud & Water Day" party they had at school. As soon as I saw the slip of paper in Johnathan's box to tell us about the party I knew it would be right up his alley...the boy loves mud, water, and anything that has to do with getting wet and dirty! ;) As you can see from the pics below he thoroughly enjoyed it.

It has been a fun year, and we will miss all the sweet friends from the "clock school" as Johnathan calls it. Bye-bye, Clock School!

*Grace*

Surgery for Baby Eli's Ears

2011-05-14T11:30:00.005-05:00

This morning Eli had a minor surgical procedure to put tubes in his ears. The poor baby has had ear infection after ear infection this whole year, and finally when we took him to the doc this past Wednesday he'd had one ear infection too many and a visit to the ENT was warranted. The ENT took a quick look into his ears Thursday and immediately told us he'd need the surgery to put tubes in. Eli's little ears were really bad, and even though we didn't want to have to go the tube route we also didn't want to delay treatment and have his ears rupture. So we had his surgery scheduled, and it just so happened to be today.

We all got up super early and went to the hospital together. The longest part was just waiting for the anesthesiologist to come when the ENT/Surgeon was ready to start everything up. We put Eli in a little hospital gown when it got closer to the time of the surgery and then the anesthesiologist and a nurse came to take him back. Once that happened it was probably about 10 minutes or so and then he was done! Of course he was cranky...poor baby hadn't eaten since the day before and it was about 9am before I got to feed him...for getting up around 5 something that was a long time to wait to eat! Once he had something in his belly he was a bit happier, and as soon as we got him in the car seat he conked out and slept for over an over after we got him home.

Here are some pics of our sweet little guy while we waited for the surgery to start and a few pictures afterward at home.

So happy that our little dude is getting some help for his sweet lil' ears. We love you, precious Eli!!!

*Grace*

To My Little Loves on Mother's Day

2011-05-08T07:39:00.005-05:00

Today is a special day, a day to honor and be honored...although with my early wake-up call this morning I'm not so sure that our boys got the memo to let mommy sleep in today! But that is what coffee is for! Diamonds might be a girls best friend, but I am convinced that coffee is a mother's BFF! ;)

I am extremely grateful for my own mom this Mother's Day. She has been my source of constant support and unconditional love. My example of a godly wife and a gentle, patient mother. Aside from Christ my Mom is who I most want to be like...and not to put her on a pedestal or anything, but I do look up to her like none other. {I love you, Momma! Happy Mother's Day!}

I know that Mother's Day is supposed to be about moms, but where would we be without our kids???...so I want to write something to my sweet babies who made me a mommy.

To My Little Loves,

What a blessing you are, my sweet babies. What joy you bring to my life!
I cannot imagine my life without each of you, and even though there is a sadness attached to some of your lives the joy of simply being your mommy, of carrying your life inside me, for however brief a time surpasses the hurt. I know the hope of seeing you again is a sure thing, and someday when we reunite I will know that you are mine. And as for you, sweet little brothers, you are my daily delight. My sunshine bringers. My life! I love you so much and couldn't be happier to be your mommy. I still can't believe that you are mine. Mine to hold. To hug and kiss. Mine to nurture and protect. You are my babies, and even when you're big, grown up men I think that I will still consider you such. My precious babies. A mother's love never ends, and I am so blessed to be able to give my love to both of you.

With all a mother's love and then some,
Your Mommy

Our Children:

{Gideon}
{Daniel}
{Our Angel Baby}
{Our Easter Angel Baby}
{Johnathan}
{Eli}

My sunshine bringers...

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there and to all women who have given love and have enriched the lives of others.

*Grace*

Too Cute Tuesday: Toddler Talk

2011-05-03T15:32:00.003-05:00

I think that I'm going to try a weekly blog gig where I post cute recent happenings from here at the hive. This weeks Too Cute Tuesday theme is Toddler Talk...the cute, funny, innocent and random sayings from our precious 3 year old boy!

---While observing me one day when I was just absentmindedly looking out the window, deep in my train of thought, Johnathan asked me "What are you looking at, Mommy?" Oh, nothing, I replied...to which he responded with, "Tell me the truth Mommy, what are you looking at!" Haha, cracked me up!

---One morning while I was helping Johnathan into his chair so he could eat I caught him looking down my shirt (naughty boy!)...and he tells me "Cool booboos, Mama!"...haha, thanks buddy! ;)

---Recently while I was getting into the car Johnathan gave me the sweetest compliment, and all on his own too..."You look pretty, Mama. Your shirt is cute!"...Oh, man, melted my heart!

---Johnathan is a hugger, and I can't tell you how much I enjoy this! He loves to hug and kiss me, Dada and brother all throughout the day and will run up to us, give us a big hug/kiss and say "I love you. I love you so much. Squeeze!"...and then he gives the biggest hugs ever! So precious!

---When Johnathan has been a bit on the testy side and has to get spanked or put in time-out or whatever he will often come up to me, after his punishment, and offer up an apology all on his own. It is the sweetest thing because I know that it is coming from his heart. He will tell me, "I'm sorry, Mama. I love you."

---Johnathan still wants to know what kind of day each day will be, and he will ask me at bedtime, "What day is it tomorrow? A park day? A school day?"...etc. He already wants to know what to plan on! Priceless!

There are so many cute, precious things that come out of our little guy's mouth...and some not so cute stuff too, haha! I love how he says some of his words almost as much as what he says...but that is a little hard to capture the essence of in writing. He is a sweet boy though, that's for sure. And I love (almost) everything that comes outta that little mouth of his!

Happy Too Cute Tuesday!
*Grace*

Oh Goodness, I think I Messed Up :(

2011-04-29T14:29:00.005-05:00

Do you ever have days when things just get to you? Not necessarily "important" things, just stuff, normal, everyday stuff?...normal, everyday but today-I-just-can't-take-it-anymore stuff? Do you ever have days like that? Or is is just me?...

Anyways, today was one of those days. Rather, today was one of those mornings. A morning where I really (and please tell me if this is bad) just wanted a day or at least a few hours to myself. Aaron had the day off and went to work out (which I am glad for but also maybe a bit jealous of the 3 hours he had away from home just to himself)...and I was just going about our morning, doing the same things we usually do in the mornings. Getting breakfast for 2 hungry little boys, cleaning up the mess that was made along the way, changing poopy diapers and wiping poopy big boy heinies, washing sticky clothes, picking up toys that the toy fairies must have strewn all over the house during the night and then trying somewhere in the middle of all that to grab my coffee - my cup of sanity for the day.

Eli, poor thing, well he wasn't having a good morning either. He has been exceptionally crabby this week...ear infections don't help much...but has been improving as his meds have started to kick in. But, he did throw a huge tantrum at his morning nap and woke up in an awful mood. By that time the grind had gotten to me. My "relaxing" shower to myself (a real luxury when it happens) was interrupted by his wailing and as I jumped out to get him I noticed an absence of noise from the room where Johnathan had been playing...never a good sign. I deposited Eli on the living room floor (where more, and louder wailing ensued) and found Johnathan on the kitchen counter attempting to reach his chips which are kept on top of the fridge! Crazy boy.

Aaron came home about this time and all I really wanted was to just be able to get dressed and ready for the day all.by.myself (ie. no interruptions)...yeah, that wasn't happening. Eli at this point was non-consolable and was throwing a huge, loud fit. As I was going about getting dressed (I couldn't just wear a towel all day) Eli would wail louder and louder each time he caught a glimpse of me while he threw his tantrum in the living room. Johnathan wasn't really in a bad mood, he was just being a rambunctious 3 year old with his own needs (me) and wants (me) and Aaron, well he had just had 3 whole hours to himself...not really a crime but to a mom feeling a little burned out it sure seemed like one...and all this to say that after about 30 minutes of crying and being needed and not being able to think straight I had just about had it. I can't even remember what Aaron asked me, but it put me over the top and I yelled out, "Will everybody just shut up! Nobody talk to me!"...can you believe it?!! I was so mean! :(

After a few (or maybe 10) minutes I started to calm down. Started to feel bad for being so rude to my sweet boys who just wanted and needed me. My sweet boys. I gathered them up in the living room, all three of them, and I apologized for what I'd done. I let them know how much I loved them and asked for them to forgive me. Of course being the sweet boys that they are they readily did so, and they were more than happy to have their happy mommy/wife back! And I was humbled that such wonderful guys love, want, need and are happy to have me! :)

After my blow-up & then make-up our day was wonderful! We actually had a fantastic day just hanging out doing fun family stuff. We went to Aunt Jen's for my weekly study with my girls, got back home and the boys took their naps (Johnathan got to nap in his tent in our room which he thought was totally cool). After nap time we had our snacks outside in the back while BoBo (our dog) got a good washing from Dada. Then, we "swam" in Johnathan's little 6 ft. pool and then did sidewalk chalk until dinner time. It was just simple stuff, but it was togetherness and that makes all the difference. I am blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful boys, and I really do love them with all my heart.

*Grace*

Getting Sad

2011-04-27T17:22:00.003-05:00

Well today I started packing...let me rephrase that...today I started packing "real" stuff, not just items we aren't using at the moment (like out of season clothes, books, etc.) because I've been packing that sort of stuff for a while now. No, today I started packing stuff that makes our house our home...the kind of stuff that makes our home look loved and lived in. And I have to say, it has made me a little sad. Up until about a week ago I really hadn't had much emotion one way or another about our move that is coming up in exactly two months from today. However, the last week or so the move has gotten a lot more real, has seemed a lot closer (it is!) and I have started to get the moving blues.

Honestly I am really excited about our move, the changes that it will bring and the opportunities that we'll have in our new place. BUT, I also will miss this house that has been our home for the last 4 years and this town that we've now resided in for 5 years now. I guess uprooting yourself is never easy, but in our last several moves I have never felt this way. There was just always excitement over being somewhere different, and this time there is a bit of sadness along with the excitement of new things on the horizon. Probably because we have kids, two beautiful boys who know this house as their home. And probably because this is the first house where Aaron and I have experienced exhilarating happiness...also because of our two precious boys. (Actually, I have written a poem about that entitled I am Not a Home of Sorrow. I am going to hide it somewhere in our home when we leave as a sort of memorial to this house). Anyways.....

I guess getting sad about a big move just goes with the territory you might say. I am just thankful that we do have so much to look forward to when we get to our new destination...Grandmas and Grandpas close by, Aunts and Uncles to visit regularly and lots of Cousins to get into trouble with...this of course will assuage any grief Johnathan might feel over leaving...he can't wait to "move far 'way close to Miles." ;)

Home is where the heart is,
*Grace*

A Most Blessed {Easter}

2011-04-25T07:57:00.014-05:00

We spent our Resurrection Day with our dear Whitehurst family...W's, we love you! It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed every minute of it. Since this post is so picture heavy I'm not going to weigh it down with too many words...I'll just let you enjoy the pics! ;)

Happy 1st Easter, Sweet Boy!

*Grace*

Seeing the Beautiful in the Mess

2011-04-23T07:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I came across this blog post from God Speaks Today...a blog on my sidebar. It really spoke to me and I could totally relate to how she felt. I love her perspective and thought some of you might enjoy reading her post and be able to relate as well. Read it and let me know what you think.

Blessings,
*Grace*

The Aquarium {Again} & Easter Egg Hunt at School

2011-04-21T16:02:00.007-05:00

In our last couple of months here in South Texas I want to soak up as much of the local attractions as possible...so, we hit the aquarium again this week. Sure, we've been multiple times and things are pretty much the same every time we go, but it is still a fun place to be and a great place for my little dudes to roam around. They are actually building a really cool splash park there right now...but it probably won't be finished until we leave...boo! :(

When we showed up there were 3 big school buses there...grrreat, school field trip day...but luckily as we ate our lunch on the aquarium grounds outside of the building 2 groups of kiddos left. Then, once we got inside there was really just one group of elementary school kids and of course they had to all stay together in a pack...so we just sort of followed a little bit after them and basically had the place to ourselves...plus a few older couples and a couple of random people. It's always nice when it's not too crowded and when Johnathan can walk easily to see everything.

Here are my sweet boys enjoying some of the sights at the aquarium!

(Toddler meltdown...3 seems be sorta tough on Johnathan so far!)

Yesterday Johnathan had his Easter Egg Hunt at school...and, being the involved parent that I am, haha, I volunteered to be the parent helper to hide the eggs. The hunt was supposed to be outside on the playground, but some other class got their time mixed with Johnathan's class and hid their eggs during his time-slot...anyways, the hunt ended up just being in an empty class-room and a small one at that...so it went super quick and the only sort of decent pic I got during the hunt was of Johnathan right in front of an empty baby crib...not too picturesque for an Easter egg hunt, so I didn't even bother putting it on here...anyways, here he is, right before giving me one of his cheesy smiles! ;)

That's all for now, folks! Happy GOOD FRIDAY!!!
*Grace*

Just Life...But What a Sweet One it Is!

2011-04-20T08:02:00.000-05:00

Well our week is going pretty normal this week, nothing much out of the ordinary...I love weeks like that! ;) Both boys are well, Eli is sleeping (mostly) through the night, Johnathan is enjoying his days at school and I have been keeping busy with maintaining our home...keeping it mostly organized with just enough mess around to make it look lived in. I used to try to keep our house in perfect order...I would pick up all the toys when the boys would go down for their nap and try to keep it all looking spotless...but honestly, it looked too sterile! So now I just try to keep it clean...you know, clean bathroom/clean dishes (most of the time)/clean floors/etc. and I let some of the "mess" slide...I kinda like looking around and seeing what my little guys have enjoyed playing with while they're down for naps now, sort of a story of what they've done during the day, and then before bed we do a pick-up time because the next day needs a mess story all of its own!

Here are a few pics that I haven't posted yet. I love my life!

Me and my sweet almost 11 month old boy! Man, time flies!
Dada and Monkey at our favorite little hole in the wall place to eat.
Dirty little mess!
I melt when I see this little smile of Johnathan's...so incredibly cute!

Have a blessed day!
*Grace*

Johnathan's 3rd Birthday Celebration!!!

2011-04-17T07:25:00.011-05:00

Well, our precious boy has been 3 years old for about 2 weeks...and although we already had a wonderful time celebrating his birth on his actual birth DAY, we have been planning his birthday party for about a month or so. Saturday night the "party day" finally came, and I couldn't have been happier with the outcome. Johnathan had a GREAT time, lots of his friends were able to make it and overall it was just wonderful, the perfect birthday party for a 3 year old rambunctious boy!

We had it hosted at the CC Athletic Club Gym...they have an amazing gym for kids, full of gymnastic equipment, trampoline, all sorts of bouncy mats, a rope swing...and the biggest attraction (for Johnathan at least) is the foam pit where you can jump in off of the trampoline or rope swing and just fall into mounds and mounds of soft foam! It really is fun...and of course I had to try it...a few times...before everyone else showed up...and I get the attraction! ;)

Here are some of the photos from Johnathan's fun day...

Helping me make all his Lightning McQueen Cupcakes!

Those sprinkles were just too hard to resist!
Sweet birthday boy with his birthday celebration goodies!
I really loved how they turned out...especially with the cute little sticker/toothpick cupcake toppers that I made! ;)
The FOAM PIT!!!
Sweet Eli & Arden.
Even this little guy got to get down and enjoy crawling around!
The gym...pic taken from the upstairs party room that overlooked the area.
In motion!
Jumping on the trampoline...on his way to jump into the foam pit!
Our Sweet & Energetic {3} Year Old Boy!!!
Chillin' in the pit!
Johnathan with one of his friends from school.
Johnathan and two of his little school buddies.
What a sweet big brother!
We tossed Eli into the foam pit too...he enjoyed it for a little bit.
Pizza in the party room!
Daddy and Mommy with our precious boy!
Some of the party guests...
...another view of Johnathan's friends!
Baby brother, loving his pizza bits!
Johnathan & "Arnen!"
Blowing out his candle! {Happy Birthday} again, sweet boy!

*Grace*

The {Giveaway} Winner! ;)

2011-04-15T08:07:00.002-05:00

Alrighty folks, Random.org has picked the winner by randomizing the names from the list of comments...and the 1st place name chosen to be the recipient of a deliciously smelling candle from Tyler Candle Company is:

There were 6 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Emily
Ivy
Dad
goatpod2 (Amy)
Mom
Gail

Timestamp: 2011-04-15 13:06:44 UTC

Congrats, Emily!!!

Let's see what Emily said...

Ooo ooo! I want a candle from the Grace list of favorites! And I love the pics of the boys by the flower pot. So cute.

Why thank you, Emily! And your wish is my command, haha...I'm looking forward to choosing a special candle for you and will msg you about how to get it to you! Thanks to everyone else for participating and stay tuned for many posts to come!

Blessings,

*Grace*

My {400th} Post Bench-Mark Giveaway!!!

2011-04-12T07:04:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked my 400th blog post! Can you believe it???!!! I really do love writing on this ol' blog (and need to get it made into some books soon) and I really enjoy being able to share bits and pieces of our life with you. If you've been on the blog scene for long then you know that giveaways are huge...especially with home decor blogs since they are trying to grow their readership by bringing new people to their blog and to keep the current readers interested enough to keep coming back...and really, they are just fun! So, I'm going to offer up a giveaway too, just for fun, to celebrate my 400th post...which, if you didn't catch yesterday you can read here...or just scroll down...it's all about my wonderfully talented and big-hearted hubby...LOVE HIM! ;)

So, the giveaway-----------------------

--------------a Tyler Candle Company 11 oz. candle! If you've been one of my faithful readers then you know that I just love candles...and I especially love Tyler Candle Company. Their candle fragrances far outshine any other candle fragrance that I've ever tried...and believe me, I know candles...I just packed up 2 moving boxes full of them...yeah, that's right...2 boxes! (Told you I had a candle addiction!)

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is comment on this post by 12 pm Thursday and the winner will be randomly selected this Friday, April 15th. In your comment let me know if you'd like a citrus inspired scent, a berry inspired scent, a scent inspired by baking...think cinnabuns, yummy...or if you don't have a preference then I will choose one for you from a list of my favorites! Happy Commenting! ;)

[Edited to Add: Okay, upon completing this blog post I looked over my numbers again...and maybe I should title this post My {380th} Post Bench-Mark Giveaway!!! Haha! On my blog dashboard when I sign in it gives me my post count, but on my blog's archives the numbers are different...I am guessing that it is counting some posts that I have saved as drafts in the total count...anyways, 380 posts is still a lot, so we'll celebrate that!]

(I am in no way affiliated with Tyler Candle Company. I just happen to really love their candles!)

Now, onto the point of this blog...documenting and sharing our life! Here are some cute pics of our boys from this past Sunday while they played outside. It was a beautiful day and was made even better by these two little rays of sunshine playing outside our home. Enjoy!

*Grace*

The Sacrifice

2011-04-11T10:15:00.007-05:00

Today I have been thinking a lot about the sacrifice that doctors make, and in particular the sacrifice that my dear husband has made. I don't think that most people realize the toll that becoming a doctor really takes on a person...and their family, we're a part of this journey too. The sacrifice is all-encompassing, draining on a person mentally, emotionally, physically & financially too...did you know that on average doctors graduate with $100,000.00 (sometimes much more) in medical student loan debt??? Contrary to popular belief not all doctors are rich and rolling in money, and the ones that are have worked darn hard to get there and have sacrificed on so many levels to get where they are.

Mostly today I have been thinking about the mental and emotional sacrifice of doctors. There are so many tragic situations that doctors face, especially in a hospital setting, and I can't really even imagine how daunting it must seem when those doctors are faced with making hard decisions that will ultimately mean life or death for their patients. Being a doctor in real life isn't like the movies, people don't just walk away from the set after "dying"...no, in real life death is final, and sometimes as a doctor you are not able to save every patient. Sometimes there aren't happy endings, and every time a really tough situation comes along it takes a toll on the doctors in charge.

Can you imagine having to tell a patient in his young 30's that he is dying and that there is nothing you can do to save him? You have to explain to him and his family that the cancer in his body is literally crushing his trachea and lungs and that the only procedure you would be able to attempt would send him into cardiac arrest, killing him. You are the only doctor there, and you have to get your patient, freaked out of his mind and literally fighting for oxygen aware enough and calmed down enough to be able to choose which road to take...to die while an impossible procedure is attempted or to die "naturally" as the cancer chokes the life out of him.

Being a doctor isn't easy. It isn't glamorous. And it is full of hard decisions and tough conversations with real life people. And today I am just thankful that my husband is the kind of doctor that is still full of compassion for his patients, full of empathy for the patients and their families and the kind of doctor that comes home at the end of some days needing to be doctored to.

I am so proud of this man and who he is and what he has become. I love you, Dr. Aldape!

*Grace*

The {4th} Time's the Charm

2011-04-10T13:52:00.002-05:00

Last night was night #4 of Eli re-learning how to sleep through the night. Night #3 was pretty good, but he still woke up a few times, grumbled for a few minutes and then would fall back to sleep. Last night though he only got up once, fussed for less than a minute and then slept until about 7! Hallelujah! I have to say, although the first night was pretty darn rough, I am a big fan of this "crying it out" thing. Seriously, it is amazing how wonderful getting several hours in a row of sleep is! And Eli, man, he is so much happier now during the day and when it gets close to bedtime he isn't totally exhausted like he used to be before...I know his little body was suffering from a lack of sleep too...so we're all much happier now!

It's funny though, now that Eli is getting used to sleeping through the night Johnathan has been having a period of waking at night crying for me. Also, he has been much clingier at bedtime and wants to snuggle for forever...I love my cuddle time with him, but I also love hanging out with my hubby after the boys are in bed, so we're working on that right now. Johnathan's primary love languages are quality time and physical touch, so I'm working on giving him lots of one-on-one time during the day and plenty of hugs and kisses. He is a much happier and well-behaved child when his little love tank is full to overflowing.

I hope that each of you are having a wonderful Sunday. Today we're enjoying a relaxing day at home while Dada is hard at work at the hospital...we miss you, Daddy, and we're thankful for all your diligent work. We took a trip to Target earlier (aka the "Red Circle Store"), and Johnathan got to pick out some new toys with some b-day money and gift cards he received for his birthday. So, we're playing with new Thomas the Train Duplos and Toy Story Duplos today...new toys are always so much fun! ;)

Happy Day!
*Grace*

Night #2 Was A...

2011-04-08T07:51:00.002-05:00

...SUCCESS!!! I hesitate to celebrate prematurely, but I will rejoice in last nights victory! Eli went from 7:45 until 9ish (his usual M.O.) and I had Aaron go in to reassure him (Ivy, thanks for the inspiration for that...I am usually the one who goes in so I think that having Daddy walk in the room helped him to realize that milk was not on the menu). After his first wake up he went another couple hours and then got up again and was a bit more agitated. This time Aaron went in to get Johnathan who had woken up too and put him on the bed we had ready for him on our floor and I went in to Eli and simply told him, "Goodnight Eli. I love you. Time for bed." Then mommy and milk walked out and after throwing a fit (much shorter than the previous night) he slept until 6:15!!! A miracle!

I did nurse him at 6:15 since that is a typical waking hour around here and put him back in his bed. He is just now waking up (it's 8:00 am) and I am very hopeful for another good night tonight! We'll try the same approach...the daddy/mommy team up and see how it goes. Now I just have to train myself to sleep through the night...I was up several times to check on him since sleeping that length of time is so unheard of for him, haha! Of course he was okay, just sleeping like a baby! ;)

There is hope!

*Grace*

Ridiculous

2011-04-07T15:04:00.003-05:00

Okay, so Eli's sleeping habits have gotten pretty ridiculous...no, they've gotten crazy ridiculous and last night I finally had it. Once upon a time when he was about 4 months old or so he would sleep through the night...but that only lasted a month at best and ever since then he has been up about 2-3 times per night. Lately though he has been getting up about every 1-2 hours, and seriously, he's 10.5 months old and does not need to do that. I have been feeling so stuck and have just let him do this because 1) Aaron can't stand to hear him cry and it gives him a huge headache and he loses precious sleep that he needs so he can be alert in order to take care of his patients, and 2) I just feel horrible letting Eli cry and not going to his rescue...so really, I have created this little monster and now I am trying to un-do this nasty little habit of his that is driving me crazy!

Last night Eli went down to bed at about 7:45...about an hour or so later he's up and throwing a tantrum because I won't nurse him. Poor Johnathan was crying "go get Eli, Mama, he needs you" and covering his ears with his hands to try to block out the crying. That is when I decided to I really had to try to correct Eli's bad habit of not sleeping even though I knew it would be a tough road to travel.

I reassured Johnathan that Eli was going to be okay and that we needed to let him fall to sleep by himself. I walked over to Eli's crib to reassure him and then left the room. Eli cried for about 10-15 minutes and then went to sleep. A couple hours later Eli was up again and this time he was really angry. Johnathan woke up again too and was crying for me because Eli was being too loud. I went to get Johnathan and thought I'd try the don't give into the crying approach. Johnathan slept in our bed and Eli wailed in his bed...every hour or so for about 15 minutes each time...the. whole. night...it was awful. No one really got much sleep and Eli apparently did not get the memo that he needed to sleep in longer time increments. Ugh!

Really I was expecting him to throw a huge long fit and then sleep peacefully the rest of the night. That's what I've heard from people who have had to help their babies learn to sleep through the night. That didn't happen and I am nervous about a repeat again tonight. Any advice would be helpful. Some people say to just let them cry and don't go in at all. Others say to go in and reassure them but don't get them out of bed. I am sure there are many schools of thought on this and really no "right way" to do it. All I know is that I am exhausted and my body is totally worn out. Lately whenever I am about to try to go to bed at night I get so anxious because I am so tired but know that I won't really be getting much rest. I thought I could handle it (Johnathan never slept through the night 'til he was about 20 months!) but I just can't. I am too tired and I am desperate!

Tonight Johnathan will sleep on the blow-up mattress on our floor and we'll try this thing again. I hope it takes...and that it doesn't take too many nights before Eli gets the picture. He sure is a stubborn one though, so we'll see.

Exhausted,
*Grace*

Lovin' Their Little Stinks

2011-04-06T09:15:00.005-05:00

Okay, so this may seem weird to some people, and other people (aka, Gwen) understand where I'm coming from when I say I love what I call my little dudes' little stinks. You know, all those little smells that make up your baby. I think that this might be one of those things that only a mother loves...or at least only mothers like me...because Aaron (and I think Gwen's hubby Matt too) think it's crazy, and maybe even gross! But I think it's completely normal and I love all the scents that make up my boys.

Like cute little feet and stinky little toes...

...they don't really "stink", at least not to me, and I love kissing their precious little toes.

I also love when my boys wake up from their naps and have that yummy nap smell about them...it's a mixture of a little sweat and a cottony fabric softener kind of smell...and I love it! I've told Aaron numerous times that I love it when they smell like a nap...and he just rolls his eyes and thinks I'm crazy...am I??? I think not! ;)

There are so many little stinks that I love...the damp smell from having a blast outdoors, the sweet but sweaty nape of the neck smell after playing hard, you know, good little boy smells!...oh, and disclaimer, I said that I love the little stinks...the big ones (you know what I'm talkin' about) not so much. Didn't want you to think that I've completely lost it or anything.

Anyways, I just wanted to post about this to remember my boys' sweet little stinks to look back on when are older and they have big boy stinks that I am sure I will not love so much! ;)

Have a happy Wednesday!

*Grace*

My Baby Boy is {3}!!!

2011-04-02T07:58:00.010-05:00

{Our Precious Johnathan Aaron, 3 Years Old!}

Here he is, our precious 3 year old boy! I know it's seems cliche to say that time flies, but boy, it sure does. It really does seem like just yesterday that we were bringing Johnathan home from the hospital, our gift from God, our sweet, precious baby that Jehovah had given us. And now, three years later, Johnathan is still the greatest blessing and brings us so much joy. Unknowingly he (or God I should say) rescued us from our sorrow from our previous losses and let us experience holding and loving and parenting a child. Every child is a blessing and gift from God, and Johnathan will always hold a special in our hearts as our first joy-bringer. He is a very special boy.

I am really loving this age. Johnathan is still very dependent on me...especially for lots of lovin' which I just love...but he is also independent and loves to do things all by himself. Also, he is becoming such a great helper...the kind of helper that actually helps, haha, and some of my chores are easier now with him tagging along helping me out. Another thing that I love about this stage in Johnathan's life is how chatty he is. Seriously, the boy talks non-stop from the time he wakes up 'til he goes to bed...sometimes it does get a little much for me to take, but overall it is wonderful and I love listening to his sweet little voice...especially when he is telling me how much he loves me which he does frequently throughout the day-----precious!!!

Yesterday was a fairly low-key day as far as celebrating goes. Sometimes the simpler the better and I think that yesterday was about as wonderful a birthday as a three-year-old could ask for. I dedicated pretty much all my time to him...and Eli too of course...foregoing any chores around the house or things that I normally do to fill my days. We played hard, all day, and did things that 3 year old boys like to do...playing blocks, reading new books, watching a new birthday DVD, shooting guns, playing outdoors and sliding down slides, going to watch a cousin play baseball. It was a good day. Of course we squeezed in regular birthday stuff too...cupcakes and candles, opening presents and a yummy birthday dinner...chili dogs! I would say it was a birthday success!

Here is our sweet Johnathan, and baby brother too, on Johnathan's 3rd Birthday!

We love you Johnathan!!! Happy Birthday!!!

*Grace*

My Carbon Copy

2011-03-31T15:09:00.003-05:00

Today as I gathered up my boys and energy to go to the grocery store I had a blog post all lined up in my head titled "It was a Suicide Mission." We were heading out right after lunch...historically for us a tricky time to get out and do stuff since it is right before nap time...and I was predicting the worst. I even had this genius little phrase lined up for my post (predicting I would write this while they quietly took their naps)...their peaceful slumber belied the fact that they behaved like wild banshees at the store...isn't that clever?! Haha!

However, the boys did amazing at the store and not one melt down happened. It could have been because Johnathan found a quarter on the ground as we entered the store and I (bribed) rewarded him with letting him pick out his own small treat...or it could have been from the $5 toy Johnathan just so happened to really want that he saw on the kids aisle that I went ahead and got "for his birthday" but then let him start playing with right away. Regardless, the (sometimes dreaded) trip to the store was more than pleasant. Success!

While we were finding all the items on our grocery list I ran into my carbon copy. Seriously, it was uncanny. Both of us were about the same age. Both of us had an older toddler boy in the shopping cart using one of those cart seat cover things. And, both of us had our same age babies in our BabyHawk baby carriers! It was pretty funny because I've never seen anyone else shop like I do...with a baby attached to me and another in the cart...and I just had to say something to this woman who looked so much like me! We laughed about how alike we looked and gave each other kudos for getting our shopping done with kids in tow. Wishing each other luck we parted ways to continue our shopping.

I bumped into her on our way out and she was all smiles with two happy kids just like me. I wonder if she encouraged her son to behave with the promise of jelly beans in the car too...probably not. ;)

So, now as I write this my baby, who was an angel at the store, is loudly protesting his nap and my sweet almost 3 year old boy is somehow sleeping through it all. Bless him! This just proves that you can't predict what's going to happen even if you do have a catchy little blog post ready to record it all.

Happy Thursday...and happy almost birthday to my big boy who turns 3 tomorrow!

*Grace*

"Arnen"

2011-03-26T08:44:00.005-05:00

There is so much I could say about this sweet girl...Arden...what a wonderful gift and blessing she has been to us these last 5 years. It's funny, when we moved here five years ago I was excited about getting to know my aunt and the fam better...little did we know that they would become some of our dearest friends...it's great when family are friends too, isn't it?! But back to Arden...

She has the sweetest spirit and just adores our boys. She is Johnathan's favorite girl and when I asked him recently who he thought the prettiest girl he has even seen is, without even hesitating he said "Arnen!" He really does love her and I know she loves him just as much too.

Arden is the greatest helper. She really is like a little mother and knows how to handle our boys really well...even when they are in a less than cooperative mood. She is a wonderful playmate and is very imaginative, and we have a great time over at her house hanging out with her.

Arden is a blessing and a dear friend. I've had the joy of meeting with her and her friend on almost a weekly basis to do a study together. I have really enjoyed doing this and have loved getting to spend some quality time with her on a deeper level.

There really are so many wonderful things I could say about this sweet girl, or should I say young lady...but most of all I just want to say that Arden, I love you. Our boys love you and we have been so blessed to have you in our life. You are amazing!

Here is our sweet "Arnen" out on a lunch date with me and the boys.

We {LOVE} you, Arden!!!

With a thankful {heart},
*Grace*

I am Thankful for a Hubby That...

2011-03-22T15:44:00.015-05:00

...loves me, all of me, just the way I am...but also one who will help me with my shortcomings! ;) I'm thankful that I have a husband who is faithful and a forever friend. I am thankful for a hubby who is a wonderful father to all our precious children. And I am thankful that my sweet husband of 8 years is a man striving after God. Happy 8 Year Anniversary, sweet love of my life!

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Today is our 8 year anniversary...8 long (in a good way!), wonderful years! In honor of our 8 years together we took a mini vacation this past weekend...with the kiddos! Nothing like celebrating marriage with the fruit of your marriage, haha! It really was wonderful tho...and lucky for us we had a fantastic hotel room and were able to have some time all to ourselves after the boys went to sleep!

We planned activities that were centered around the boys, and we had a blast too. They were both great and immensely loved our "baycation" as Johnathan called it! We spent most of Saturday at the Houston Children's Museum...which was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! It was totally awesome and had so much to see and do. Johnathan loved it and they even had a special floor dedicated to 0-3 year olds so even Eli was able to have a great time!

Sunday we went to the zoo and had another wonderful day. Some of the animals were a bit sleepy so we didn't get to see them in action too much, but it was a fantastic zoo nonetheless and one of the better ones I've been to. Johnathan especially loved that he and the big lion shared the same name!!!

Besides the museum and zoo we hit some hot spots to eat including the Cheesecake factory and Rainforest Cafe...which Johnathan loved, of course...and we even scouted out a local place to eat that was delicious. On the way out we just had to stop by Pottery Barn & Pottery Barn Kids...I love getting their magazines in the mail but had never been into a store before...they were both just as good or better than looking in the magazines!

We had a wonderful trip and here are a few photos of our "baycation" in Houston...

*Grace*

The Aquarium with Nana & Coloring in the Picture

2011-03-16T11:32:00.005-05:00

On Sunday we had a visit from Nana who got to spend the night with us and was able hang out with us Monday. We went to one of our favorite spots with her...the Aquarium!...and boy, was it crowded! We had forgotten all about the crazy crowds that tend to gather here 'round Spring Break time...but luckily with our season pass we got to skip the line...probably a hundred feet or so...and get right in! Score! ;)

Johnathan loves touching the sting rays!
Waiting for the right moment to snag a ray!
Eli enjoyed hanging out with his Nana!
And Johnathan and Nana enjoyed walking around looking at the sights...
...like the big gator in this exhibit!

This morning while hanging out with Dada, Johnathan realized that the "picture" on Daddy's back was not colored in, haha! He went to get his markers to complete the picture, heehee!
Now that is better! All colored in!

Happy Wednesday!
*Grace*