June 12th

June 12th fell on a Sunday, and we LOVE the weekends around here.  Once you're working, weekends take on so much more meaning.  There is always so much to do and catch up on, but we do our best to just hang out as much as we can.  We started the day off with church, and every morning the boys sit up on the counter to get their hair brushed.  After church, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were the choice for lunch, but that seems to be the choice for lunch every weekend.  The boys were in a goofy mood today, and I was able to snap some good pictures of them goofing around.  Noah has been great from day one about potty training, and he's completely trained, except for cleaning his bottom.  Billy is giving him a lesson, and I couldn't resist taking a picture of that little butt.  I'm sure I'll hear about that one in the future!  For dinner, Billy fired up the grill.  We had steaks, corn on the cob, and grilled asparagus.  The boys don't eat many vegetables, and won't touch anything green, so Billy and I got to keep the asparagus to ourselves.  While Billy was grilling, the boys played around in the yard and watered the plants.  Noah can do a lot of things to help out and doesn't mind helping sometimes, but Asher is our big little helper.  He wants to do whatever you're doing.  If Billy is watering the plants, Asher has to water the plants too.  If I'm sweeping the floor, he has to sweep the floor too.  But don't try to help the little guy, even if it means getting himself or someone else soaking wet or making more of a mess than there was to begin with,  because you will get a chastising and a your hand will promptly be removed!  As trying as our days can be, they are the best!

Canyon Lake

We had a little adventure this past weekend.  We headed out to Canyon Lake on Friday evening and stayed through Sunday.  I was a little hesitant about going because Asher has been having some issues.  I was especially worried because we were staying in a 3 bedroom mobile home with another couple and their two children.  The last thing any of us needed after an exhausting day was a toddler screaming for hours in the middle of the night.  But I guess Asher was tired enough that he slept through the night so that disaster was averted.  Unfortunately for me, the 1st night there, I tossed and turned for hours before I finally went to sleep.  I think that might have been the most uncomfortable bed I've ever been on.  But the second night, I was also tired enough to pretty much sleep through the night. 

Saturday we rented a pontoon and spent most of the day on the boat.  That was the most fun I've had in a long time.  It was actually relaxing.  For never being on a boat, the boys really seemed to enjoy it.  They were both able to take a little nap, which always helps.  They liked the water.  Noah almost got in but decided against it and rode a jet ski with Billy instead.  Asher got in for a few minutes and wanted to stay longer, but it was tough to hold onto him in the choppy water.  When we weren't on the lake, the boys really enjoyed playing on the playground that was right in front of our cabin.  That was a definite lifesaver. 

Noah chilling on the boat

Billy and Asher

 Asher taking his nap

Billy and Noah splashing the water from the side of the boat

Billy and Noah on the jet ski - They had a blast!

The boys playing together

 Asher loved sitting in the big boy chair to eat

Here's Brian

His wife, Wendy 

And their kids: Austen is on the boat and Riley is riding in the tube with her friend

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

We are expecting a baby girl!  The new addition to our family is due October 28, 2011.  If you remember, Noah was born on November 8, 2007 and Asher was born on October 22, 2009.  You might see a trend going on.  So this little one is expected to arrive right in between her brothers' birthdays.  I have NO idea what it's going to be like to have a little girl in the house.  The first things that comes to mind are the color pink, frilly bows, princesses, barbies, and DRAMA, none of which I'm too thrilled about.  But then I think about painting her little piggy toes, adorable sundresses, sweet-smelling girl hugs, and having someone else  to help settle down the testosterone levels in our house, and I know that having this little girl is going to be more of a blessing than I could ever imagine.  We are so very blessed to have a little girl on the way and to have two boys that are going to be great big brothers to that very lucky little girl.

So now the question is, what am I going to do with my BLOG name???

Father's Day

First of all, I want to say Happy Father's Day to the best Dad in the world!  We are lucky to have a Super-Dad in our lives!  We wanted to show him how much we appreciate all he does so we decided to give him some supplements for all his Super Abilities.  I got the idea and the printables from this website.  When I saw it, I just knew the Super Dad in our life needed something just like it. 

Then I decided to play around with Microsoft Publisher and made him a Super Dad bookmark.

And here we have Noah and Asher, the adorable Super Kids produced in part by Super Dad!

Noah is Riding a Bike!

Last Sunday we decided to go to the pool, but when we realized we didn't have access to any pools near us, we decided to get the sprinkler out and just have a good time in the back yard.  While we were playing around, Asher wanted to go for a ride on Noah's bike.  This is a bike that was given to Noah from his good friend Austen when Austen got a bigger bike.  It's been sitting in our back yard a while not getting much attention.  He generally sticks with stuff he knows, so the tricycle was his ride of choice.  But after Asher went for a ride on the big bike with Billy pushing him, Noah had to take a turn.  The kid was riding the bike around like a pro.  It came out of nowhere and it was one of those bittersweet moments that made me so very proud of him because he tried something new and, as a bonus, did well at it, but sad, at the same time, because I realized how fast he's growing up.  It was just one of those moments that I'll always remember.

Speaking of those moments, I had another one this morning.  Asher was scared to walk near our cat because the cat's been pouncing on him lately.  It was time to get in the car so Noah grabbed Asher's hand and walked through the garage and out to the car with him.  I was behind them watching them walk hand in hand together.  I sooo wish I had the camera, but there was no way to grab it in time.  Instead, I just stood there and let my heart melt a little.

Jan 12th

Okay, so I'm doing this a little backward, but hey, better late than never, right?  I'm looking at these pictures now, and my babies already look so different!  It's amazing how much little ones can change in just a few short months.  Anyway, please excuse the confusion, but I'll be writing my little narrative as if it were still January and I just took these pictures.  It might be confusing for you, but it makes things a lot easier for me in the long run, trust me. 

Since I'm still not working, Asher and I get to hang out quite a bit.  He goes to Ms. Tina's house twice a week so he can have some social interaction and I get some sanity time.  Today was one of our days together.  Asher is on antibiotics again so he started off the day with some medicine.  It seems like that poor kid is always taking medicine.  It was a cold day, at least cold for San Antonio.  It was still in the 30's after noon. We bundled up and headed out to Target first thing in the morning.  What better place to hang out than Target on a cold day?  After Target, we headed home, and I spent some time clipping coupons.  I've become pretty resourceful at using coupons and finding good deals.  It's the least I can do since we still only have one income.  After nap time and a little more play time, Asher and I picked Noah up from school.  He was not a happy camper today and was not the least bit interested in having his picture taken. 

February 12th

I love Saturdays!  We took our time getting up in the morning.  Noah loves to stay in his pajamas on the weekends.  I guess he's finally figured out the value of not having to be anywhere and enjoying some leisure time.  We usually play for a bit and then they'll watch a show or two on television or the DVR.  Noah is as handsome as ever, but still doesn't like to take pictures.  I can barely ever catch him with a smile on his face, so I went ahead and got a cute shot with his "serious" look.  Asher, on the other hand, still hams it up all the time.  Unless the boys are screaming at each other, Asher usually has a big ol' grin on his face.  Fortunately, at this point, the boys are starting to play with each other a bit.  It's not long until some sort of bickering starts, but they can get a few good minutes in.  I'm praying that this is a good sign of things to come.  We were supposed to go the rodeo today, but after driving out there and seeing the line of cars, we decided to turn around and get some other things done.  McDonald's is Noah's favorite so we picked some up and they ate in their carseats.  Then Asher got his first haircut!  It was long overdue, but we finally did it, and he looks adorable!!!  We asked the lady to do some spikes in the front, and it was so cute. He did great too, no fussing, and just sat there driving the Lightning McQueen car.  After that we decided to get some groceries.  The boys always have to drive the car shopping cart at the Commissary.  And we can't forget how much the boys love playing with light sabers right now.  Nearly every day, we all have to get them out and have a good round of light saber wars!

Electric Personalities

December 12th

1. Oh, Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree... love the Christmas season
2. We're all up very early every morning, and Billy seems to be the popular parent in the a.m.!
3. Noah is playing outside in the back of Billy's truck. It was a beautiful day!
4. Asher eats frozen muffins every morning. He stands at the freezer and pulls on the handle until he gets one. Then he starts dancing!
5. Asher has been full of static lately. His hair is always standing up.
6. Billy and Noah.
7. Billy and Asher.
8. Me and Asher.
9. Asher loves to eat and is usually smiling, at least until he's done.
10. Jack, our elf. He comes to visit us every Christmas. He watches the kids and goes to the North Pole every night to report to Santa how the kids have behaved ; )
11. Me and Noah.
12. Our very loveable, but very much a pain in the neck kitty, Mo. He's getting big!

Happy 2011!

Okay, so I've slacked more than ever before on the blog in the last few months.  I can't believe it's been almost three months since my last post.  I had plans to share birthday pictures for both the boys and the 12 on the 12th for November and December, but I haven't even been taking the pictures like I should.  I think I might have taken three or four pictures on Christmas day.  I've been terrible.  But it's a new year.  And with the new year comes new changes.  Here is a list of the new changes that I'll be working on this year.

1. Eat better and eat less (and hopefully lose a few pounds!)
2. Make an effort to actually enjoy my time with Billy
3. Take more pictures, record more events in writing, and keep the blog updated
4. Run at least one half marathon

So there it is.  I could easily add ten more things to this list, but I'm trying to keep things realistic.  I think its definitely doable, I just need to stay motivated and focused.  And for you, the one person who reads this blog, the 3rd one is obviously the most important.

I hope you have a wonderful 2011!!!