Morning (or Afternoon) Goodness

You see that stuff right there? I think its served in heaven. Its that good. Is it good for me? Probably not. And especially not since I also like to put a layer of cream cheese on it. And drink it with coffee. But let me tell you, its soooo worth it. Its great for breakfast...or as an afternoon snack. So, you should get some. You won't regret it. Enough said.

Happy Birthday Car-Baby!

I can't believe you are ONE! (you turned one on July 16th..Momma is just a little late on the post) You have been such a joy to us this past year. Your contagious laugh, your care free laid back attitude (most of the time), your love for your big brother, the way you snuggle, your love of books (mommy really loves that you like to sit in her lap and "read"), the way you light up when daddy walks in the room...I could go on and on about all the precious things we love about you. You are truly a little gift from God. I can't believe that you are almost walking and are even saying a few words. This past year has FLOWN by. We love you so much Carson Jace (Sharson Jace according to Brody!)

We celebrated your first birthday with a POOL PARTY! We joined in with Cousin Cole and had a joint family party for you both. Cole turned 2 5 days after you turned 1! How fun is that!! Trent and Andrea let us use their super nice apartment pool for the party and it was a hit! We all had so much fun relaxing in the pool, splashing and celebrating your life.

Our Party Pavilion

Carson swimming with Nina

You boys loaded up!

Leigh Ann and I worked hard on these cute pirate cupcakes!

Carson was a little unsure at first! Brody was ready to help you out.

Cole knew exactly what to do!

He finally got the hang of it

Opening gifts..a book of course!

Cole checking out his new puzzles!

Summer Rewind

We've had a great summer so far. Trips to the pool, trips to the lake house, a getaway for mom and dad and more. The boys beg to be outside everyday. No matter how much sun screen we put on, these little ones just get darker and darker by the day. Thank goodness they have their daddy's skin! Here's a photo recap of a couple of our summer adventures.

The New Family Lakehouse - June 18-20

Matt and Carson headed down to the boat house to see this...

Brody catching his first fish! 

He was so proud of this big catch..and the many more he caught!

Mom and Dad's Weekend Away in Arlington - June 25-28

For Father's Day, and just because I have a wonderful husband, I surprised Matt with a trip away to Arlington. We left the kids with our parents for 4 days and got some time away just for us. I had a few things on the itinerary, but mostly wanted a relaxing time for us to get away together. 

We saw this monstrosity of a football stadium.

Supporting the former Aggies who now play for the Cowboys. WHOOP!

The LARGEST tv/big screen/whatever in the world! It has to be right?

I was much more impressed with the Ballpark at Arlington. Beautiful :)

We saw Josh Hamilton hit the longest home run in park history at this game! We love him bc he loves Jesus and has a great testimony which he is not ashamed to share with anyone, even the media.

The rest of the trip was spent shopping, eating, more eating and just enjoying some time away without kiddos. Thank you Matty for going away with me!

And last but not least....

Carson took 5-6 steps one night. He hasn't done it since. But I think he'll take off any day now! 

Upcoming posts...Carson turned 1!

Kid Craft Ideas

Calling all crafty, creative moms out there. I already have a few of you in mind so I better get some response from you :)

Brody craves artistic, engaging playtime these days. He wants someone playing on the floor with him, coloring, doing puzzles, going over letters, etc. And I'm stuck in a rut. I feel like we do the same things everyday and he definitely gets bored. He's at an age where I think he would really enjoy doing crafts so I've been researching online. There are so many ideas its overwhelming.

So I'm coming to you for help. I need ideas for a 2 1/2 year old. Letter and number activities, animal activities, painting, glueing, coloring, everything. Anything you've tried that your child loves.

Are there certain links you use to get ideas?

Also, where have you found a good deal on craft supplies? I plan on hitting up Target, Michaels and Hobby Lobby but I don't want to spend a fortune.

Come through for me moms. I won't name names but I expect a comment from a few of you in particular :)

This is my Life

I saw this on Heather's blog and had to share. This is my life...with more swagger.

Its Summer..Its Summertime. ITS SUMMERTIME! (Thank you Yo Gabba Gabba)

This is just a few pictures of the fun we've been having this summer! Today is a rainy, nasty day so we're stuck indoors. The boys just stare out the storm door, watching the rain. Brody says "Its raining. Yuck" and Carson just looks up at me with those big eyes as if he's saying "Mommy, why can't we go out?" So here's what we wish we were doing!

Here's some fun rainy day activities. Building a big boat!
(See those cool underwear? We gave it a try. After 3 weeks and talking to some moms at church, we decided that we weren't ready. We're going to try again in a few months after we figure out what's going on with all of his medical stuff.)


Playing Peek-A-Boo when Mommy comes to get you up.

Kitchen Makeover and a Change

I know you've all been waiting anxiously, anticipating the reveal of our kitchen facelift. I know you have..don't lie. So, I'll get straight to it. Honestly, there's tons of photos. But for the sake of time, you get to see just a few. You'll get the full effect, no worries.

BEFORE

AFTER

Overall, the main changes (in order of completion) were new countertops, painted cabinets, new hardware and tile backsplash. We contemplated changing the floor tile but decided against it for many reasons. (it seemed like a lot of work.)

So, on to the bigger news. After all of the work we have done to our house in the last 2.5 years...kitchen makeover, landscaping, room addition, updating, etc...we have decided to sell it and move on to a new home. This home has seriously been such a blessing to our little family. Matt and I moved in here with just one baby on the way (I was pregnant with Brody). Over the last 2.5 years we have seen both of our boys brought home from the hospital into this living room, sleep in their cribs for the first time in these nurseries. We have loved our first house. And as of today, it is on the market! We are so excited to see what home the Lord is going to provide for us. We're praying its one that we can stay in for a long time and will be blessed with the quick footsteps of more little feet. 

So if you or anyone you know is looking for a great starter home, let us know and we'll put you in touch with our realtor! This post really wasn't a plug for buying our house.