New Camera!

Yeah, we caved and got a DSLR! I have no idea how to really use it but I look forward to learning. We decided it would be our joint anniversary present and I know with two busy boys and sports for sure to come...we will get a lot of use out of it!

My Aunt Jane had her 70th birthday party over the weekend at their ranch in Palestine and it was the perfect opportunity to bust out the camera!

Oh, and Mark man is 100% on the move. He still loves to be standing most so I fear walking wont be all that far off, CRAZY!

Anyway, enjoy the pictures to come!

Happy Anniversary!

6 years ago today, Matt and I said, I do! Its been a wild ride so far and I look forward to seeing what the next 6 years and more bring! I found my photo CD and was going through it this morning. Funny to look back and reminisce and see how we have changed in the last 6 years!!

Tonight matt and I are going to go out to dinner...sans kiddos...thanks to the very kind offer of 2 of my co-workers to babysit! They actually offered voluntarily and I gave them several options to back out but they say they are excited so we are taking them up on the offer...even if Z doesn't go to sleep!! Hopefully the boys behave!! :)

Beach Bash X!

We had another great weekend at our 10th annual beach trip for memorial weekend! Hard to think we have been doing this since the first summer after we graduated college! Way to make me feel OLD! We have had some people come and go, but for the most part, we have the same group we did back then! So awesome! Our camera is broken so I am hoping someone got a few good pic of the weekend. We did have an interesting experience with the power....Saturday night when we were out to dinner at a local restaurant, the power went out on the whole island...for several hours! Thankfully there was a breeze which kept outside cool and we made sure to keep the doors closed to keep in all the a/c air inside!

The boys stayed with my parents, and besides Zachary having a hard time going to bed/nap, they were great. I have decided they need to start spending at least one night a month over there now to get used to sleeping there in case of other vacation plans ahead! They didn't say no so I guess that is a good sign.

We are still working on pottying with Z Man. #1...awesome! #2....is well, poopy! I cannot seem to get him on the toilet for it which makes for some very yucky undies. We are persevering and hoping that part clicks soon!

Mark's baptism is this weekend and we are looking forward to sharing this special day with friends and family!

Bathing Suit Shopping....

Not Fun!

Poo

Any tips for going #2 in the potty?? He must have been holding it for the last 3 days and then Monday and today.....eeeeeewww! Cleaning poo out of undies, not fun. Any tips out there?!?

Potty...Day 2!

Well we have survived so far. I must say, I think he is doing pretty good! Today we only had 1 accident! We even had a #2 in the potty (which I think freaks him out a bit)!!! He hasn't quite grasped TELLING me he needs to go (except before bed when he doesn't want to go to sleep, lol) but every time I ask, and he needs to go, he does great! So we will continue trucking along because the kid does NOT want to wear diapers any more. Ready or not, we have a big boy on our hands!

Also, cant share any details yet, but just pray for a friend of mine and that what is meant to be will be! I hope to be sharing exciting news for her soon!!

Oh, and a shout out to my oldest friend, Kelly, who is officially engaged!! Wishing her and Jason a lifetime of happiness and looking forward to the wedding in October! YAY!

Its "potty time"!

That's right...I think I am about to embark on the next adventure in parenthood....Potty Training! I am off Friday through Monday so think it could be a good weekend to dedicate to no more diapers! Man, that would be SO nice. I cannot imagine! Going to stop at Target on my way home and stock up on undies and got a few books to read up on tonight, and then tomorrow COULD be the big day. Z goes #1 at school a lot but sometimes only when asked. And anytime we ask him at home, he goes...So just a matter of him learning to tell us. We were at a friend's house this past weekend and I noticed he was a bit antsy and asked him if he needed to potty...and he went there at their house in their potty so I thought that was maybe a good sign! We shall see how it goes. I guess if it doesn't catch on this weekend, we will try again in a month or two!

Any tips or tricks that worked for your kiddos??

Jean Diapers

Anyone else seen these? Just saw this in my inbox this morning and MAY just have to go buy a pair, they are too cute! ;-)

Happy 7 Months to the Mark Man!!

Full of joy, you are such a sweet sweet boy!

Right now you are rolling EVERYWHERE! Gone of the days of leaving you on the bed or couch to step away for a second, you are all over the place!

You talk constantly too! I love to hear your babbling and I think Zachary is ready for you to talk back to him.

Still no teeth but he drools like there is no tomorrow so I keep waiting...

Such a precious little boy. I truly cannot believe that we are on the downward slide to 1!

girlfriends

Tonight is wine club book club. Although nothing has personally happened to me this week, I am still so very saddened by what the Barkers are going through this week. The funeral will be tonight. My prayers are with them....

I am so thankful for some of my "sisters" who I will be with tonight. I am truly blessed to have such a close knit and dependable group of women in my life. There are a couple of other "sisters" out there who aren't in book club and I am just as thankful for them too (Kerri, Ginny...just had to let them know that!!) :) But I am thankful for this once a month respite that I am given to be with JUST women and talk, rejoice, bi*ch vent, cry, share, pray, and drink wine with...and of course discuss the book we read this month! I am also thankful for the husbands who watch our children so we can have this rare time off and/or parents who are also often stepping in to help out (like my momma tonight!). Anyway, it is a great break from the day to day to just be with my sisters and be girls!!

This month we read The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. Wow, what an amazing book. Here style of writing is just like talking with an old friend. So easy to read and totally relatable to this 30something momma. the story is Kelly's memoir of her and her father's diagnosis/treatment of cancer and everything that goes along with it. it is also just her story of marriage, children, struggles...life! So good and so many times where I was bookmarking and note taking. I am really looking forward to discussing it tonight. If you haven't read it, you totally should. I zipped through it in about a week because I really wanted to read it.

Anyway, I am just glad this week is almost over. The nanny seems to be going well too and I am thankful for that too. More details on all that another time!