Tough Day for Hog Fans

We all gathered at my dad's yesterday afternoon to watch the Hogs take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. I had my dad take a quick pic of us before heading in, because both boys need a family picture for their classrooms at school, and well....we didn't have any that weren't 5 or 6 months old. So, now we do!

The boys played with the tennis rackets...

climbled on the couches...


shared a fudgesicle...

And cheered on the Hogs!!!

But it wasn't enough. Final score Alabama - 24 Arkansas - 20

We didn't let it get us too upset, though. During the game, it cooled off outside, so we grilled burgers and decided to eat outside on the deck. It was soooo nice.

Fun at the Fair!!!

I know two little boys who had a blast at the fair tonight!!

This one just couldn't quit looking at everything and everyone around him. His little eyes couldn't dart around fast enough. He was just the sweetest. He rode in that stroller the whole time without complaining. He loved watching Brooke and his big brother ride the rides :)

And these two monkeys most definately enjoyed themselves too. They rode and rode and rode. And I am soooo proud of Brody for riding all of the things he did! He was really into it this year. It was so much fun to watch.

These little motorcycles were his favorite thing I think. That and the ferris wheel. I can't get over how big he seemed to me tonight. He should be the one riding around the stroller!


He even rode the Tilt-a-Whirl with me and Brooke. I wouldn't say that he loved it, but he didn't cry or ask to get off either. He just sat there with those big eyes. I could tell that it was a little much for him.



He loved the dragon too! Can't you tell by that smile?!

And I think they went down this slide at least 3 or 4 times :)

We ended the night with a ride on the carousel. It was a wonderful evening with my boys. And I always love getting to spend time with my mom and sis.

I just can't get over how good my boys were tonight. I mean, they are usually always well-behaved. But I just knew that Beckett would be wanting out of the stroller or Brody would be wanting to be in the stroller. Or they would be tired or hungry, etc. But they were WONDERFUL. I don't think I heard a single complaint out of either one of them. I am so blessed to have such pleasant, delightful children that I can take anywhere and do anything with. They truly are my best little buddies. I can't imagine what my life would be like without them.

Love you guys! Had a blast making memories tonight!

12 months old!

BECKETT - you are 12 months old!!!

What are you up to these days???

You weigh almost 23 lbs! We just had your one year checkup today, and Dr Bevill says you are doing great. You have a little cold, so he gave us cough medicine to help with that. Also, you and Brody both still have problems with eczema. So, he is referring both of you to an allergist in Little Rock. We hope we can get your skin problems under control!

You are still wearing a size 3 diaper. I just knew you would be in a size 4 by now...but I guess you are just growing taller and slimming up b/c the 3 still fits you great. You wear mostly 12-18 month clothes and are still getting some use out of your size 3 shoes, but I know you will be in a 4 soon.

You ride front facing in your big boy carseat now, and you LOVE it! You are so happy during car rides and are no trouble to take anywhere. You and Brody are Mommy's little shopping buddies! We take the double stroller everywhere, and you both ride in it without a fuss!

We just finished your very last can of formula last week. :( It made me sad. I feel like you are really not a baby anymore when I don't have to mix bottles for you. But I am so thankful that you made the transition to whole milk so easily! You have 3-4 bottles a day. And one during the night. You eat three good meals a day...no more baby food. You love pancakes or muffins for breakfast. And bananas! For lunch and dinner you eat almost anything that we eat. Your favorite would probably be vegetables! You love green beans and peas.

You go to bed around 8:00 every night and get up once, usually sometime around 3:00, for a bottle. But you are a super early riser. We are usually up for the day between 5:30 and 6:30. I don't mind though, b/c you wake up in the best moods :) When you are at home, you will take a morning nap and an afternoon nap. Around an hour long each. But on days you go to daycare, you take one nap, from 12-2. Then you will sometimes take a little catnap when we first get home.


You are soooo close to walking!! You will take 2-3 steps back and forth from me to daddy, but you most definately prefer crawling still. I however, am in no hurry for you to walk full-time. I know that you will do it soon enough, and I want to enjoy you being my little crawler for as long as I can!

We think that you are going to be a climber! Brody never was, so this is something new to us. But you try to climb on everything that you can! You keep us on our toes!

You say Uh-oh, Mama, Dada, Bye, Ball, Hi, and a few other things that we think are Thank You, Bottle, and Brody :) We love to hear you talk! You have the sweetest little voice.

You go everywhere that your brother does. You are right on his heels, every room that he goes into. And if he goes into his room and closes the door to keep you out, you sit outside his door and scream until he lets you in. You are too funny!




Happy One Year sweet man! I have loved every minute of this last year with you! We love you more than words can say, and can't wait to see what the next year holds!!!

Weekend at The Rock

This past May was my 5 year anniversary from graduating Dental Hygiene school! Amazing how fast the time has gone. Those 2 years at UAMS really were alot of fun. And, I have to say, I made some of my very best friends there. Girls who have been there for me in so many ways since I met them in 2003. My wedding...having 2 babies...my miscarriage...three of us had our first babies within a year of each other...our 2nd babies within about 6 weeks of each other! We have helped each other through pregnancies and those first few years of motherhood...because we are doing it all together!

Well, to celebrate, we put together a small 5 year reunion. We originally had about 20 of the 30 classmates agree to come, but due to vacations, family emergencies, sick kids, etc etc...we were down to about 10 once the actual weekend rolled around. But we had fun anyway!!

{Cassie, Lindsey, and myself}

We all met at the Copper Grill in downtown Little Rock on Friday night for dinner.

{Alicia, me, Linds, and Cassie}

{Tammy, me, and Ann}

{Tara and TK}

We talked and ate and relived hilarious moments from school and laughed until our cheeks literally hurt.

Then, the next day, a few of us met back up at Playtime Pizza for a fun day with our kiddos! So many of us have gotten married, had kids, etc, that it was so neat to catch back up and see everyone's families.

.......This is where the batteries in my camera died :(

I had big plans to get tons of cute pictures of all the kids and everything they played, but unfortunately....that didn't work out. Oh well, at least I got to run around with my boys and play and not worry about viewing at all from the lens of a camera. We played all the "Chucky E Cheese" style games, rode go-carts, ate delicious pizza and cobbler, cashed in all 326 of Brody's tickets, and came home with an inflatable bat, a set of silly teeth, and a pixie stick.

Day well spent.

PoOl TiMe!!!

Our 4th of July pool pics!

This little guppy isn't quite the dare-devil that he was last summer. He is a bit more reserved with his sliding and jumping off the diving board...but then again he is also scared of thunderstorms now. He used to want it storm so that we could go hide in the closet and play games. Now he gets scared if it starts to sprinkle. He must be going through a very cautious phase....

And I have a feeling this dude will have no fear. He is dunking his face and laughing a bout it already. Oh my.

Playing on the slide with Mimi.

Beck and his cousin Michaele

Brody trying to convince himself to jump off the diving board.

He didn't.

July 4

Holidays.
I love holidays.
I love the food, the family and friends. I love the decorations and the smells and the smiles.
I love all the cute clothes kids get to wear during holidays. (And by the way, I had the boys the CUTEST little outfits picked out to order on ETSY, but waited too late to order them :( . They did end up having cute little red, white, and blue outfits that they wore Sunday...and would you believe that between church and lunch and then them getting into their swimsuits asap, I didn't get one pic of them in them???! )

4th of July is one of my favorites, I think. I dunno though, I think I say that every holiday. But there is just something about a holiday right smack dab in the middle of summer that makes you smile. The picnics and parades and cookouts and pool parties and flags...you just can't get much more American than that.

And we had a fabulous 4th this year. My stepbrother and his family were in this weekend, so we splashed around in the pool for a few hours on Saturday afternoon, then had dinner at Mimi and PawPaw's. Steaks and pork chops and squash and okra and potatoes...YUM.

Sunday morning we went to church, where I began helping teach the 2 year old Sunday school class!! I am so excited about this new commitment in my life. Those babies are at the most wonderful age...where they really begin soaking it all in like a sponge. They are anxious and ready to learn about God. I just love it!

After church we went to my Mamaw and Papaw's for our annual 4th of July cookout. After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon outside, watching the kiddos, big and small, play in the pool. If that's not all-American fun baby, I don't know what is. (I took most of my pool pictures on Mimi's camera, so I am hoping to get them from her soon...then I will post them, too.)

We just spent today chillaxin' around the house...Brent worked in the yard...I did some much-needed tidying...the boys were just boys...and I love it that way.

We had our final 4th celebration tonight, at Brent's parents (Memaw and Poppy). I love it when holiday celebrations extend on past the actual holiday. Delicious :)

I have started trying to let Brody has a bit more independence when picking out his clothes lately, hence the cowboy boots with plaid shorts and aviator t-shirt. I love my silly boy.

Well, I guess now we enjoy what's left of the summer! We have bookoos of birthdays coming up in our family in the next few months. I can count those at holidays, right??!

Mommy Squared

This weekend, I celebrated my first Mother's Day as a mommy of 2!! I am so blessed!
It really was a wonderful day. I am so thankful to have 2 handsome, healthy, active little boys who call me Mommy. There really are no words to describe what it means to be a mom.

I spent alot of time this Mothers Day thinking. Thinking about the day that Brody was born...when I first became a mom. Thinking about when Beckett was so sick in the hospital when he was 2 weeks old, and when he was having CAT scans done of his little head and eyes. Thinking about how scared I was at the possibility of losing one of my children. That was fear like I have never known before...fear that grips you like a vice and refuses to let up. Thinking about the baby that we lost 2 years ago...who that little person would be today. Crazy that is has been 2 years. Thinking about all of the wonderful memories that I have with my boys already, and dreaming about all of the wonderful memories that are still yet to be made!!

I guess I just spent alot of time thinking about how motherhood just changes you - whether you mean for it to or not. You don't think and worry about the same things anymore. I am no longer concerned with things that I used to be...now my whole world revolves around these two little boys. And I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Now on to our day...

Our little Beckett is an early riser...like he rarely sleeps past 6:30. So, when we heard him cooing and jabbering on the monitor at 6:15 that morning, Brent got up with him so that I could sleep a little longer. That was nice. I don't think I got out of bed until close to 8:00 - I don't know the last time I slept that late. When I did get up, Brody was still asleep, and this is what I found on the couch

Not a bad little face to wake up to on Mothers Day, huh?

So, we all got ready and headed to church.

Me and my little guys:

After church we had our moms over for lunch. Brent cooked for us - chicken and steak fajitas, spanish rice, beans, and chips with cheese dip. It was delicious!

Then Brody helped them open their gifts from us. We gave my mom a new pair of sunglasses and a cute little beach tote. And we gave my MIL new wind chimes.

I also want to say how thankful I am for my mother. We truely are best friends. We talk everyday, do everything together, and I don't know what I would do without her guidance and advice. And she is a wonderful Noni to my boys!


I am also very blessed to have a wonderful Mother-in-law. Believe me, I don't take for granted the fact I have a mother-in-law who loves me and my boys so much!

After lunch, we went to dance recital #2 for Brooke, then headed to church, then finally back home for the evening.

We ended the night with a little guitar playing before bed :)

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!!!