Zach turned TWO!

I just loved the way Jase's hair looked in this photo.

It was raining and no lightning or thunder so I let the boys play in the rain. They had a blast!

This is a super happy face.

Yes I will continue to dress them identical as long as I can then I will just coordinate them!

Who knew rain could be so much fun.

One evening I had to bathe the kids and get them ready for bed alone so we sat together watching some boob tube waiting for daddy to come home. This is a rare moment in our house.

Zach has some cute tan feet and little toes.

Zach had his second birthday party. It was a small affair but went really well. My friend, Erin and her family came because her husband and Jason wanted to go hunting. Perfect timing! Here is her youngest Bowen super excited about party time.

Birthday boy was really really happy. Check out that pacifier toothy smile. This was pre-first haircut.

Going in for a taste before the party starts.

His reaction to being told No. Yep, this is seen on a daily basis at least once.

Jase eyeing the chocolate dipped rice krispy treats on a stick.

We had a pin the gumball on the gumball machine game to match the gumball machine cake.

Jason cooking up some hamburgers and hot dogs for the crew.

A picture of the cake.

Opening presents.

Some of the audience.

Really really excited to see a tractor in that package.

I love old school toys being cool again. I had to buy this smurf mobile.

Here's that face again, really annoyed with his brother for trying to take away a toy.

My friend Dee's husband and son Corbin. Isn't he cute.

Jase checking out the new gifts.

Zach and Bowen really like each other. It's so funny to see them together. Good thing Bowen is so patient and knows how to play.

Great birthday party to end Zach's second year. Thanks everyone for making it memorable.

clowns

I have been so slack in my updates! Ugh, I want to do them but then I don't have enough photos or I keep putting it off. Kind of like when you want to call a friend and the moment isn't right so then you say you will do it later and then days and days go by. Yeah, like that. We have had family visiting and us visiting family the last few weeks which is always so nice! The boys are getting so big and we have had a lot of time together since they have been out of school for the summer and I did not sign them up for preschool for this school year. I am hoping to get Jase used to the playroom at the gym and that way I can take them there and get my workout in while saving money on preschool, at least for the time being. I really love them in preschool and they love going so it will be great when we can get them back in. Jase is not potty-trained so he is not able to enter a 3 year old class without being potty trained and out of pull-ups at many schools! Yikes. Too stressful so we are taking it easy and he is doing well and will pee and poop on the potty but won't do it if I have him in a pull-up or underwear. Once something covers his privates then he feels like he can go in them. So it will take a little longer than I would have wished but I am okay with it because once he's fully ready it will be easy for him. I am just happy that he doesn't freak when I put him on the potty and will actually use it. He even lets me put pull-ups on him and underwear over them which before he would LOSE his mind if I tried to put either on him. This is big gains for him. Zach cheers him on and will sit on the potty and pretend to go to the bathroom but then ask to be taken off within seconds of being put on. No rush though, he may be my last baby. These two guys may be all that Jason and I can handle!! It's no joke. They both give us a run for our money. They do give us a break though when it's time to go to bed and when they wake up. They don't complain at all and in the mornings they wait till we get them and it can be up to a couple hours after they have woken up. Many times we don't even know when they wake up because they are so quiet. During the day it's a different story but I am thankful that they are able to have fits and freak out because I know it could be a situation where I would wish for my child to just be able to express himself and hug me. So enough of that let's see some pics!

I signed up for a free sample of GoGo Juice and I could not believe the size of the bottle they sent. And you mix it with water which means it provides a lot of juice. The bottle is 32 fl ozs! Go sign up for your free bottle while the offer is still available. Totally natural with no added junk! WOW.


Jason's parents and niece and nephew came to stay with us for several days. It was fun and they did lots of swimming. Speaking swimming, Jase is really good at it. We have a shallow end in our pool so he is able to stand and have his head out of water. But he can jump off the diving board and swim all the way to the other end of the pool all by himself! He even taught himself on how to get things off the bottom of the pool in the shallow end. Is this crazy, or what?! The guy is a fish. And Zach loves the water now too. Well, the water at the steps! He loves to stick his face under and jump up and down and blow bubbles. I need to get videos of this and post them.
Zach saying PeekaBoo all on his own in the middle of breakfast. It was really too funny for him to do that. He is a character.

This guy needed his bangs trimmed so bad but he would not let me. So my mother-in-law and father-in-law helped me get them cut. Next will be his hair but not by me.

Fresh cut bangs! They were playing with play-doh that I made with gluten free flour and natural food dye. The love it but it gets kind of sticky after a few minutes of their warm hands modeling it. Not sure how to fix that! Maybe more of the flour??

Dinosaur in the dough! and I cut straws and Jase said they were birthday candles.

This is Jase smiling for the camera. He couldn't get his eyes off of Thomas and the dough.

Adventures in Thomas.

We were headed to Atlanta when it started raining. Once we passed the rain there was a rainbow behind us. As I was admiring it I noticed there was a second one to the right of it! So pretty. I haven't seen a rainbow in a long time. I spend a lot of time indoors with these two clowns.

Zach with my dad and checking out a picture of himself on my dad's phone. The expression was too adorable not to post.

My sister came to stay with us for a few days. The boys love it when she comes because she does fun things like chase them around the house and she jumps in the pool with Jase. I am not too much fun in the pool since I have to be lifeguard as well and I don't like to get my hair wet. I may have sensory processing issues. Jase and Zach were helping Maria with the foot pedal to the sewing machine. Look at his foot!! I didn't get a photo of Zach doing it but he even used both of his feet.

Sweet!

My mother ordered Jase a subscription to Thomas magazine. It comes every couple of months and we received his last issue this week. He LOVES it! It's a bit pricey but it's something fun for him to get in the mail. We may need to get his subscription updated.

Here he is checking out the stories and ads.

These two videos are mostly of Zach. He is trying his hardest to talk but it mostly doesn't sound like it should. He gets easily frustrated and it's demonstrated in these to videos. At one point in the second video he spits the food out of his mouth he's so irritated with me. He is something else and I will leave it at that!

Baby, Birthdays and crafts...oh my!

A couple weeks ago, Jason's brother and our sister-in-law came to visit us to show off their new baby. We had a great time with them. The boys were so good with baby Brian. Jase touched him so gently with the back of his hand and did gentle tickles on his belly with one finger. It was really sweet. Zach pointed a bunch and tried touching the baby but he made me a little nervous. It is weird to think that Zach is the age that Jase was when Zach was born. I think of Zach being a baby and back then Jase seemed like such a big boy to us.

They thought he was neat stuff. We haven't had a baby this size around them. It made me miss that bitty baby stage.

How does eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich get to be so messy???

Holy mackanoly...the TONGUE!!

Serious business just eating the jelly and peanut butter but no bread.

The boys posing with their adorable cousin. Jase was really loving on him here.

Look at Jase admiring his baby cousin.

Uh-oh baby is starting to cry. Zach is checking it out and Jase's response cracked me up.

We celebrated Jason and my birthday last week. Here is the cake I did for Jason's birthday that the boys could enjoy. It is a gluten free and dairy free birthday cake. It was actually really good. It is found in the specialty food freezer section. You let it thaw for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. I used marshmallow puff creme as frosting which is only visually appealing for a short amount of time. The sprinkles are naturally colored with fruit and veggie colorings.

Gluten free and dairy free pancakes. Jase loved them. Check out Thomas's head.


I get weekly-ish emails from this fellow mom blogger with crafty ideas. In the latest email she had this idea to use clear contact paper and little pieces of this and that to make a wonderful piece of art. Needless to say they loved it and so did I!!!

so big!

Jase was very intent on the precision of each piece he placed on his sheet.

so cute!

Zach's masterpiece

Jase's masterpiece

Week at the Beach

A couple of weeks ago we went to the beach. It's the annual family trip. My family now goes and it makes for a really big group. There were 20 of us!! We had a great time together.
This was taken right when we got to the beach. The camera fogged up because it was too cool compared to the warm, moist beach air.

This year Jase didn't constantly want to run into the ocean which was really really nice. He did alot of imagination play with Thomas. We didn't get pictures of the kids on the beach which is a bummer. I may get my dad to send me some and Jason's uncle and then post some more again later.

A cute family shot of us.

Gimme a break! Jase likes to hold Zach's hand and guide him on where to go. When we are at home he will go upstairs and get Zach and patiently walks him down the stairs holding hands. So adorable.

The boys working real hard on some huge lollipops. They ate the entire things in like ten minutes!!

Our niece, Bailey. I thought she looked so cute in this picture I just had to post it.

We made a trip to the local aquarium and the boys loved looking at all the creatures.

Zach checking out the sting rays.

Zach and Elektra busting a move. He loves it when kids pay attention to him.

This shot is so strange. The fish and I are making the same expressions into the camera.

Zach and I checking out this crab sifting through the sand.

All of us minus Jason's cousin, Robby, who could only stay a couple of days. You wouldn't believe how many pictures we took and only a handful of them had almost everyone looking at the camera. Sheesh.

Another super cute family shot.