Merry Christmas 2009!

This year for my birthday and Christmas, my dear husband surprised me with a trip to New York City! It has always been a dream to be able to go see all the sights. Especially around Christmas time! Boy did we see everything! From all the sights in Manhattan, to Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx! We were really familiar with the subway system by the time we left!

Rockafeller Center

In front of the big tree

Radio City Music Hall

Christmas Stockings

THINGS 1, 2, & 3!

So you see we have been busy but we have been up to some fun while we're at it!

From our family to yours, have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

Sing along

Jake and Cole are having a good time with the froggie,then a surprise from Jake at the end!

Another year under our belt

We trick or treated the boys this year. It was a strange mix, Joker, Robin, and Superman. Batman was not around this year! Brock insisted on riding his bike along with the wagon that I pulled. He wanted his cape to "float". I knew it would get caught in the wheels but I decided to let him figure this one out. He spent the night doing a standing style ride to keep it from ripping off! Jake wanted to stop and eat every piece of candy that went into his bucket. His face was covered in chocolate when we got back home.

This being Cole's first year to dress up and go out with the big boys to trick or treat, he sat by patiently and accepted his bag of goldfish gratefully!

This is Brock at his last game of the season. (sniff sniff, no more 4 day/week practice!) He is #12, he is quarterback and keeps it for a running play. Please note, this is not ESPN and I am not a professional videographer! Here's to another wrap up to sports. Basketball starts in T-minus one month and counting!

Worth Mentioning

I thought this was worth mentioning in the scheme of all things going on around here. Cole is MOBILE! Just last week he went from flopping around like a frog to making his way across the room by way of crawling. The honorable mention goes to when I didn't realize he could move, he was in the floor, and I went to open Jake's door after he woke up from nap. When we came back 30 seconds later, I found this:

Not only did he make his way over to the table, but he climbed on the shelf and had a seat! How cute!

It's Fall Ya'll!

The little boys got to explore the Pumpkin Patch today. Jake was really excited about all the pumpkins he could carry, throw, step on, and fall over. Cole really liked the straw on the ground. In every picture, he is eating some he picked up off the ground whenever I would sit him down.

Oh and the wagons. I guess they are supposed to be for really big pumpkins that you buy and have to haul to your car. But Jake and a couple of his buddies put as many little pumpkins in the wagon as it would hold and lugged it around the lot! Oh well, makes for some good cheap entertainment! After all the gathering, I asked Jake, "do you want to pick one of the little ones to take home?" He said "naw, but i gotta potty," and pulls his pants down right there and starts to tee tee! I quickly herded him over to the nearest bush where hopefully we were out of sight. (Although I think the cashiers saw us because they were snickering when we finished with the bush).

It was a chilly 45 degrees this morning. FINALLY some fall weather ya'll!

Coley bear. Eating straw again.

Don't you love wagons?

#12

Here's Brock in his uniform before a game. He's been doing great at his games and really loves football.

Momma's boys

Jake's Birthday

Jake had a few friends come over and play for his party...

I made him a "pizza" cookie bday cake.

All his family came to see him.

It wouldn't be a September Saturday in Tallahassee without a shout out to the 'Noles...

Football Season

There's a new football player in town

Brock's first season of tackle football is officially under way!

He has started off the season strong, playing defense, full back, running back, and quarterback already. Today he scored his first touchdown. He is so excited. Here's to a fun season. Go Raiders!

Hey Folks!

Hello to all of you wondering what is up with us... we're here! There is much to update you on:

The boys are up to their usual monkey business

Cole has turned 7 months and is sitting up now (he will still topple easily though)

He is still a precious angel.

He is doing his "frogger"

this is his first stages of crawling- putting his knees up like a frog and bouncing. I am not anxious for him to be mobile. Take your time little boy... take your time.

Brock started his 5th grade year, and Jake stared 3 year old preschool. We're back into the swing of things!

Cole's 1/2 birthday

It's hard to believe it's been 6 months since this little angel was born.

Playing with toys in his bed

Jake, Cole

Reed, Cade

good buddies!

Rock and ROLL

Jake skated today! It was his first time and he was a pro toddler-skater by the end. Yes, he had the skates that go over your shoes, but don't they all start out that way? We went to a friend's birthday party so he got to try it out with all his good little buddies. Cole "hung" out and watched the skaters.

Jake loved to watch the big kids skate. Cole patiently looked on!

The skates came off in the end and were fun to roll around by themselves

Some of the good buddies

Cole is 5 months!

Well he has been 5 months since July 5th, but he crossed a big milestone yesterday. His first solid food! What a big boy! Ok, not really. He's not really sitting up yet so I had to recline the high chair back. But he slurped that baby cereal down in the blink of an eye! He was so ready to eat. Pictures to document the occasion:

This was what was left after his first bowl.

He was so serious about eating, but he was all smiles when he finished the second bowl!

Of course brother Jakey had to put his two cents in. He wondered why I set up his chair for Cole. He wanted to sit in it and eat the baby cereal. I gave him a bite of the baby cereal and he made a yuck face and said "I don't like that". That was the end of wanting Cole's food! (for now)

In case you were wondering...

Between blogging from vacations, I have been doing LOTS of stuff! For one thing, I finished spring cleaning back in May and have struggled to keep it half way decent since then! We have had a few nights of dinner guests, and I have been putting in my few hours at work every week or so. Jake is in most of the pictures because he is who is home with me all day. The baby is around, but he mainly sleeps like an angel in his bed. Bless his little heart.

We got out the fingerpaints today since it was raining. Surprisingly, not too big of a mess!

Jake wanted to wear an apron like me when we were making the cake batter

My version of "puttin' up corn". I had a little dish for dinner and it was delish! The white corn is the best! I had shucked some ears but had not cut and milked it yet in this pic.

My version of turkey meatballs. Nothing special, made with ground turkey. But they are really low in fat and more healthy than regular. They still taste great though!

My version of Strawberry Cake. Technically it is supposed to have blueberries up in the top left corner to resemble and American flag, but I was fresh out. So we had a starless cake. Cake tester Jake gave it two thumbs in (you can see on the left side where he stuck his thumb in before the pic)

Lastly, the blackberries. We tried to go pickin' blueberries, but went to the wrong place. They had blackberries instead which I am not too fond of, but I said what the heck, I'll pick some! Then, we found out the blueberry place was closed. Oh well, I'll have to settle for imported pints at Publix!