The Porter House

The Fair…

2011-10-15T17:59:00.001-06:00

After Community Helper day, we picked up C from school and headed to the Fair. The boys look forward to it every year. My parents met us there for an afternoon of fun. Paul and Anna stopped in for lunch as well.

It is so nice that the boys are both tall enough to ride most of the kiddie rides without an adult…it certainly allows us to stay at the fair longer!! Ha!

I did end up having to ride one “roller coaster” because Grayson wanted to go while Caden was on something else with Honey and Papa…UGH!!! Rides just aren’t as fun as they used to be…especially those which are constructed in a day or two.

It was rather sunny out, so Caden took Papa’s hat from him.

Here come Caden down the giant slide…

Thank GOODNESS my wonderful husband agreed to go down the slide with Grayson!!

We went to the petting zoo right after this, but I forgot to take pics. Oops!

I think that this ride was the “nail in the coffin” for Grayson. He ended up being sick that night, and I think that this ride had a LOT to do with it. I think he takes after his daddy and Papa in that he doesn’t do too well on rides that spin in circles. Oh well!

A final ride on the elephants, and we were done with riding.

Grayson did sweet talk his way into an airbrushed T-shirt with Thomas the train…oh yes we did! Of course, we let Caden get one too, and he chose an Angry Birds one. It was a day filled with lots of fun!!

Community Helper Day…

2011-10-15T17:39:00.001-06:00

G’s preschool had a community helper day complete with a parade and visit from the Fire Department. All of the kiddos came dressed as their favorite community helper, and they were precious!!

Then here come’s G’s little class…

We cracked up because when G saw us, he immediately started posing for the camera…

After the parade, they took a little break while we waited for the fire truck to arrive…

When the fire truck arrived, the kids got to take turns spraying the hose…

They also got to explore the fire truck…it was a fun fun morning!!! We LOVE our preschool!!!

Soccer…

2011-09-18T09:54:00.001-06:00

After a very short career in T-Ball, we decided it was time to give Rec Sports another try. Yesterday was Caden’s first Soccer game, and it was hilarious!!! Our team had only had a total of 20 minutes of practice before our first game, so I think there are still some fundamentals to cover. For example…you are actually trying to kick the ball towards the goal. I think a good time was had by all, and that is all that matters!!

Grayson was all prepared with his chair and blanket. It got even better when Honey showed up with doughnut holes!

Caden spent the first quarter getting “limbered up” on the side line…

Then second quarter was time for action…

An accidental slide tackle put Caden back on the sidelines for quarter 3…

Having some water with his best buddy…

Huddle time…

Back in for a moment of the 4th quarter…

And then it was over…

A great morning at the soccer fields!!

The Beach!!

2011-09-07T09:18:00.000-06:00

We took our annual beach trip over Labor Day weekend…of course, we made it more of a six day event rather than a mere weekend. There was only one small issue during our trip: Tropical Storm Lee. Thank goodness for indoor pools!!

The boys were able to get quite a bit of swimming in the outdoor pools as well…we would just run out when there was a break in the rain.

The boys also discovered the Lazy River this year. Grayson liked it a little, but Caden LOVED it!!!

See, it was a little on the WINDY side…

As I said before, we spent LOTS of time at the indoor pools.

We also wanted to get some beach shots, but it was never safe out of the beach (double red flags the whole time), so we settled for the balcony instead.

Here’s Paul and his fiancé, Anna…

And our little family…

And a very typical family pic…

Of course there was a lot of hanging out in the condo as well. Grayson decided that his pool toys could double as a resting area.

I’m sorry, but when did he turn 12???

“Hey Grayson, get in the picture with your brother.”

Not quite what I meant…oh well!!!

First Day of Kindergarten...

2011-08-08T06:46:00.002-06:00

I just left one VERY excited little boy at Kindergarten!! It is definitely a relief to me that he was excited...it made the morning much easier. When we walked in the room, a couple of the boys yelled out, "Hey Caden!!" I think he is going to have a wonderful time. Here he is with his precious teacher. He wouldn't look at the camera because he was to busy taking in everything else.
Right after this picture, he took off to his seat to get busy. I cannot wait to hear his report on the day this afternoon!!

Swimming Lessons...

2011-08-01T14:07:00.003-06:00

Guess what??!! I decided that it was time to blog. I know, I know...I've been a HORRENDOUS blogger, but I'll just pick up where we are. One of the boys' favorite things of the summer was swimming lessons. They both did great this year!!
Here's C striking a pose before heading off the diving board...
WEEEEE!!! Notice the perfectly tucked feet...too funny!! TOTALLY fits his little personality.
Here's C swimming the length of the pool after jumping off the diving board. He switched from back to stomach on command as he made his way across...
More swimming on the back...
And then, it was G's turn. He did MUCH better in swimming lessons this year. He was NOT a fan of getting his face wet last year, but he didn't seem to mind it too much this year.
He even went off the diving board. He's getting TOO big!!
Notice the NOT tucked feet...totally fits his personality too!
Swim, swim, swim, little fishie!!!
Here he is about to go and dive for some rings...
I may go back and add some posts from earlier in the year, but we'll see. I may just do a massive cell phone pic post!! But definitely stick around for some new posts, because a certain little someone in the Porterhouse starts Kindergarten NEXT WEEK!!! Wasn't he just born yesterday??

The Lord's Prayer...

2011-05-13T18:55:00.003-06:00

If you listen VERY closely, you can hear these sweet babies saying the Lord's Prayer. Too precious!

Preschool Graduation...

2011-05-13T15:02:00.001-06:00

Look at those precious graduates!!! I cannot believe that C is now a preschool graduate **tear**. They had the sweetest little graduation ceremony. The kiddos all recited the Lord's Prayer along with several Bible verses. It was really precious!!
Almost C's turn to go and get his diploma...

He TOOK OFF as soon as they called his name..
Running...
He was running full steam ahead to get to his precious teacher, Ms. Emily. He ADORES her!!! I wonder if she will go to Kindergarten with us...

Our little family, minus Grayson...

Here is Caden and Savannah...we have a pic of these two together when they are both just a few days old. So sweet...
And here is Caden with Ms. Emily...she was a precious preschool teacher!!!

Toy Story on Ice...

2011-05-06T17:08:00.002-06:00

Mom and Dad gave us tickets to Toy Story on Ice for Christmas. They were supposed to go with us, but then mom fell, so we didn't know if she would be able to get to our rink side seats. Amy and Emma Kate ended up going with us instead. We loaded up the party van and headed to Baton Rouge. It was LOTS of fun, and you can tell from the picture above, that our seats were outstanding!!
Caden, Emma Kate, and Amy...
The aliens made me laugh...pretty sure I couldn't "skate" on my knees!
The kiddos were completely mesmerized the entire time!! They did talk us into some $10 cotton candy and $15 sno cones...

Birthday Party...

2011-04-27T14:24:00.002-06:00

This post may seem strikingly similar to last year's birthday party post, and it is. The boys LOVE Pump it Up, so we're just gonna go with it. This year we had the party late since Frank was gone to SC from January-mid April. We certainly wanted Daddy there for the party!! I think a good time was had by all.
Here is Grayson going into the obstacle course...
Justin and Molly...(she is basically his "mini-me")
ISABELLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We love this little girl!!
Here they are watching the safety video before going in. This is, arguably, C's favorite thing about a Pump it Up party...ha!
Party tables...(notice mom on her walker in the background)
Favors were some bubbles and bubble toys that I had gotten on clearance last summer...
I LOVE the look on Isabella's face right here...I also love the mischievous look in G's eyes...
I don't think she was thrilled with whom was seated next to her...ha!!
Snacks for the grown ups...
Chow down!!
Fun at the party...Thanks, mom for all of the help!!
Time for presents!!
This was about the 3rd present that Grayson opened. It is a Thomas book with little Thomas and friends figurines. He was DONE opening once he saw this. For the rest of the party, he carried his book around saying, "I ready to go home now."
Sweet babies!!

Easter...

2011-04-24T14:49:00.001-06:00

We were SO glad to have Daddy home in time for Easter. It was nice to have my entire little family together at church...not to mention how nice it is to have an extra helper getting to little fellas ready for church.
Daddy and his boys...
We decided to pose outside of my parents' house...
The family...
We all changed clothes, and it was time for an egg hunt!!
Grayson would show us every egg that he picked up...Caden was just on a mission to grab as many eggs as possible!!
Following Daddy to a secret hiding place...
Man on a mission...

Cheesin...

2010-10-10T10:59:00.002-06:00

School Time...

2010-10-10T10:51:00.002-06:00

The boys are going to "school" at my parent's church, and they LOVE it!! Caden goes 5 days a week, and Grayson goes 3 days a week. The times that they are at school, I am at work, so it works out very nicely. This is a picture of Caden on his first day of school.
Here are the boys coming out of school one day. I love how they get excited to see me everytime in carpool line. I'm going to cherish that because I know one day they won't be so excited about the minivan in carpool line!
Grayson had a little bit of trouble for the first couple of weeks of school. He doesn't really like new people, so he was NOT a big fan of the teachers getting them out of the car in the morning carpool line. He would just scream and cry. He told one of the teachers, "No! You stop right there!" I'm happy to report, that he is doing much better! He now happily hops out of his seat to go into school.

Circus...

2010-09-28T10:43:00.000-06:00

My sweet parents took our family to the circus when it was in town. Please excuse the pics, but I forgot to take any pictures before the lights went out, and I have NO CLUE how to take good pictures in the dark! Caden and Grayson both thoroughly enjoyed the cotton candy. It's a good thing, because the cotton candy cost $10 per bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It did come with a complimentary hat, but still.
Grayson is not a big fan of sitting still, but he had a great time!! He yelled WOO-HOO the entire time. It was funny!
Caden is modeling the complimentary hat for your enjoyment!

The Beach...

2010-09-07T05:14:00.000-06:00

We went down to the beach on Labor Day weekend with my family. It was a WONDERFULLY relaxing weekend. I think Dad could have stayed on the balcony all weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect, so no one would have blamed him!
Our little daredevil is not so much a daredevil when it comes to the water...thank goodness! He much preferred just to splash around the edges or ride in a flotation devise. Mom brought this boat for the boys, and it was a huge hit.
Caden absolutely adores sliding. Here he is standing in line for the slide which he did at least 400 times.
Brothers in the boat. Uncle Paul is fun in the pool because he can make the boat go really fast.
Sliding to Papa. CP had a BALL!!!
Graybaby is pouting about something in the boat...hahahahaha!
Okay, all better!
We were at the actual beach for a grand total of about 20 minutes. I literally took over 600 pictures in that time. I just held down the shutter button of my camera and hoped for some good ones. Mom brought sand buckets for the boys, and as soon as she gave them to them, the boys thought it was their job to immediately start shoveling.
None too impressed with taking pictures...
Oooooo...look, Papa covered my feet with sand...
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love how Caden is totally unconcerned with the amount of sand which he just caused Grayson to ingest. He had to get back to the very important business of shoveling sand.
Sweet boys...
Walking with Honey and Papa...
My fave...
They boys had quite the entourage down by the water...
My baby...
My eldest...
Anna and Caden always have a good time together...she "gets" him...
Grayson and Paul are sharing the secrets of life...
Of course, you must at least attempt a small sand castle while on the beach...
Caden did lots of puzzles while we were there. I must brag a bit...last night, Caden did a brand new 100 piece puzzle all by himself!
Here's Grayson pouting again because someone wouldn't let him have chips for breakfast...
Hope you enjoyed our beach trip!!

So Proud, I could BURST!!!

2010-07-26T12:32:00.004-06:00

It has been a LONG 18 months, but all of Frank's work has come to fruition. He is now a 2nd Lieutenant in the MS Army National Guard. He is a Chaplain Candidate...I am SO proud of him! We had a ceremony at church (in the youth room) last night. A college friend of Frank's (Cpt. Andy Thaggard) came to administer the oath of office to Frank.
Disclaimer: Please excuse the nasty green hue in these photos. the room is LIME green...not forgiving!!

The ceremony was at regular youth time, so Frank took the time to share with the group.

The boys...
Frank with his parents...
Here is when he did his official commissioning at Joint Forces Headquarters earlier in the month.
The original swearing in...
Here is the video of Frank being sworn in, getting his patches (and punch!), and giving his first salute.

Here is a video of Frank receiving his first salute as an officer. One of Frank's former youth was able to come and do this...it was really special!

To Infinity and Beyond...

2010-07-02T23:00:00.003-06:00

Grayson had QUITE a fun time in our pool a couple of weeks ago. He is also on a major Toy Story kick. Anytime he jumped in, he first balanced on the side of the pool, raised his arms and said, "To infinity, and beyond!" Priceless!!

Gardening...

2010-05-20T20:51:00.000-06:00

We built a garden this year. And, of course, by "we" I mean Frank. I did however help haul the truck load of dirt from the driveway to the backyard.
Caden helped...

We have growth!!
Here are our first 2 zucchinis. And, yes, that is my hand...no jokes!
Our boys have enjoyed quite a few picnics in the last few months...
All that playing can really wear a kid out!
Seriously, could you just EAT THAT UP?!?!!

Let's go to the zoo...

2010-04-20T20:43:00.000-06:00

On Easter Monday, Mom, Frank, and I took the boys to Memphis to go to the zoo. It is a FABULOUS zoo, and I would highly recommend it. However, unless you like the smell of sour urine, I would skip the bat cave.
I don't know what it is about zoos and carousels, but you've just gotta do it!

This was on the zoo tram just moments before Caden began barfing off the side. Poor baby!! This started a cycle of 2 weeks of stomach bugs in our house. FUN TIMES!!!

Recent Videos...

2010-03-14T17:27:00.001-06:00

It's time to PARTY!!!!!

2010-02-27T20:13:00.000-06:00

This year we decided to do a combined birthday party for the boys at Pump it Up. It was SO much fun, and SO easy!!! Certainly nice to be able to leave the party and come home to a clean house. :) We did a monkey theme...I thought that monkey cupcakes might take over my kitchen.
Here are some of the kiddos watching the safety video...
LOVE this little one's precious smile!!! She has a zest for life like no other!
Sweet brothers...
I love that the little children will follow a complete stranger down the hall...
Graybaby...excuse the HORRID hair cut. We tried somewhere new. Not good.
The food table...
Favor bags lined the tables...
The monkeys are multiplying...
Fishies...
Ima Sue sliding with Caden. Ima Sue came in a little late, and you would have thought a ROCK STAR had walked in. All of the kiddos flocked to her! We are SURE gonna miss Ima Sue next year!!!!
Papaw on the slide...
More Sliding...
Time for goodies!!!
More yumminess...
Papa helping Graybaby do his most favorite thing in the world...EAT!
The birthday boys...
Are these presents for us???
Grayson was quickly convinced about this whole presents thing!

Giddy Up, Cowboy!!!

2010-02-25T19:47:00.000-06:00

While Caden was still in Disney, Grayson had Cowboy day at school. I think he was pretty darn cute!!! The pic above is of his back pocket with a bandanna tucked in.
How cute is that!!!
Now just tilt your head to the left for the full view!

Disney...

2010-02-20T21:20:00.009-06:00

We had a WONDERFUL time in Disney!! The boys were completely mesmerized the entire time!!! The first pic is of the boys waiting for the plane at the airport. Honey thought of everything and even had the boys stuffed Mickeys for the airplane.
It is just magical to finally get to Disney and walk in to see the castle. I'm pretty sure Caden thought he had died and gone to heaven!
Caden is ready to go!! You've gotta love any place that hands out stickers and buttons as you walk in.
Gryason's a bit weary from the trip and not sure of what to think of all this!
We went for a classic first and headed to Dumbo. Caden already has the "wave" down pat! Poor Papa...he's really not for rides that go in circles.
Here we are waiting for Small World...it was one of Caden's absolute favorites! I love the look that my Dad is giving Frank...it cracks me up! PS- holding Grayson while waiting in line for a ride is very similar to wrestling a wild boar. He's cute, but lethal!
We had character meals every day. Caden was beyond thrilled when characters were walking around the restaurant. Grayson was less than impressed. He didn't mind the characters posing with Caden, but if they came to his side of the table, he LOST IT!
You can tell he's loving this!
Next was Hollywood Studios...
One of the ONLY pictures I am in from the trip. And yes, that is just the way I like it!
The lion was sneaking a pic with Grayson.
Caden does love some Little Einsteins!!
I think he's in love!
More wild boar handling...
The Beauty and the Beast musical was really good! Just short enough to keep the boys' attention pretty well.
I just love these little green army men!
I took this one b/c some people say this is what Frnak looks like now that he is clean shaven. :)
Ok...this is the BEST thing. You must go!! Every morning, Mickey arrives on the train to open Magic Kingdom. Just get there about 10-15 mins before opening to see the little show. It was adorable, and totally gets you in the magical mood!!
Super fun!!
Carousel time...
Whee!!!
Grayson is a dare devil. This is on the tea cups. He was ALL about spinning the tea cup!
Now for Chef Mickey's breakfast. We did this breakfast at 11, so it served as our lunch. It worked out really well, and was a nice mid-day park break.
The characters just never get old!!
And finally we got to see Mickey!!
Silly Goofy!
Minnie was the first character that Grayson wasn't TERRIFIED of. I guess he knows what he likes!
He looks scared in this one, but he is totally flirting!
Minnie also insisted on having a pic with Frank.
I know this is a pic from behind, BUT doesn't he look like he's in heaven!! We were waiting for the parade in this one.
I have TONS of pics from this parade, but I just loved Mary Poppins!
Night time photo of the castle. Both of the boys absolutely LOVED the fireworks show every night.
This was our last night. We already want to go back!! Caden stayed down there 3 more days with my parents and had a blast! I have more pics on another camera that I haven't uploaded yet. Maybe one day!

Snow Day...

2010-02-10T19:55:00.000-06:00

We have gotten lots of snow this year. Of course, that is relatively speaking for Mississippi! The boys enjoyed our snow day that we got! We played in the snow at our house for a while, and then we headed to Honey and Papa's to check out their snow.
Throwing snowballs with Papa...
Daddy just Chillin'...literally!
I truly think that Caden was going to try and take Grayson out with this one...
Building the second snowman of the day...
Our view on the road...
Going down the slide at home...It was hilarious! Grayson just had to go down the slide, but when he hit the bottom he didn't know what to do, so he just sat there for a while with his hands and legs flailing in the snow.
It was the best we could do...

Caden...

2010-01-13T14:39:00.003-06:00

Update:
Caden's appointment went great! He is getting worse, but not quickly, so that is awesome!! For those of you who know what this means, his Aortic Stenosis is classified as Moderate, and his Aortic Insufficiency is classified as Severe. We're still just enjoying our bought time until it's time for a valve replacement. Praise God for all of the advanced being made in this field every day!!!

Original Post:
Tomorrow is Caden's annual check up with his Cardiologist, Dr. B. This is the second time that we have been able to go a year between visits, and I, of course, have the usual butterflies. I am so thankful for Dr. B, and so thankful for the strides that have been made in the field of pediatric cardiology even in Caden's 4 years of life. I'll be sure to update tomorrow evening how things are looking with our little man.

Aunt Pat comes to town...

2010-01-10T20:00:00.003-06:00

Frank's aunt from SC was in Columbus for the weekend, so we made the trip up there to visit. We had such a nice time seeing everyone! You can tell in the pic above that Aunt Pat definitely has the "grandmother's touch" on babies! Bishop was asleep on her shoulder in a matter of minutes.

Here's the best pic I got of the 3 boys in their matching jammies. Actually, it's much better than what I thought I would get!

Grayson's face was priceless when Tomekia put Bishop next to him. He was looking at Bishop like, "Um, Mom, he's touching me!"

My goodness, I just can't believe how big he's getting. AND I must get my flash fixed.

Deer in headlights???

GrandPop has always wanted daughters...
We keep telling him that he got the cream of the crop!

Grayson getting in some Nick Jr. before we hit the road to head home. He was SO tired after not having a nap all day.

Remember the sprinkles from the Christmas cookies...
Caden still likes them!!

You can see in this one he's even got sprinkles in his eye lashes!!

Christmas Day...

2009-12-27T16:13:00.000-06:00

Ok, so these first 2 pics aren't from Christmas Day, they are our Christmas card pics. Just thought you'd like to see them anyway!
Christmas was so much fun this year. The boys are at ages where they are really getting in to all that Christmas entails. First thing that morning the boys got to check out the things that Santa left in the play room. I say first thing, but they actually didn't wake up until 9:00!! It was great!
Santa brought a train/lego table, a fire house, and a table with chairs. We have already enjoyed all of them so much.
Grayson has recently decided that he loves puzzles. It's cute to me because Caden has always loved puzzles, so he likes to help little bro.
Grayson cracks us up...the boy LOVES a hat. It doesn't matter how cheap or ugly it is, he loves it!
We then went to Honey and Papa's for lunch, but somehow I didn't get any pictures there. After lunch we headed up to Columbus to spend some time with Nana and Grandpop. The boys always have a good time up there. We also get to see sweet baby Bishop...Caden calls him baby Jesus.

Gift opening madness!

Thought I'd also show some of my decorations for this year...

I clipped all of our Christmas cards into the garland on the mantle this year. I really liked how it turned out!

Christmas in Canton...

2009-12-23T16:01:00.000-06:00

We're NUTS and we went up to Canton the day before Christmas Eve. It was PACKED, but it was still lots of fun.

Seriously, look at that face!!! How can I tell that no...EVER????!!!

Cookies with Honey and Papa...

2009-12-10T15:43:00.000-06:00

We went over to Honey and Papa's house to make Christmas cookies. I laughed because Mom invited us over and then asked if I would pick up the cookie dough on the way! That's my kind of cooking!!!
Here's Grayson's pan. Notice all of the raw cookies have a bite taken out of them...
Caden developed a propensity for sprinkles. He's becoming quite the connoisseur...

Yummy cookie dough!!!

Sprinkle, Sprinkle...

Fun times!!

Cherub Choir...

2009-12-01T14:45:00.001-06:00

This is Caden's first year in Cherub Choir, and he just LOVES it!!! They have their Christmas program the other day, and it was absolutely precious! My parents and Frank's parents were there for the program, too. We went out for pizza afterwards, and Caden was is HOG HEAVEN!
Here are some video from the performance:

He makes me tired...

2009-11-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

The other night Grayson decided that I didn't get him quite clean enough in his bath, so he jumped back in after getting dried off, jammied, and a breathing treatment. Little Booger!!!!

Baby Dedication...

2009-11-23T13:09:00.002-06:00

We went up to Columbus yesterday for Bishop's dedication. It was a very sweet service. I discovered a whole new dimension of difficulty in taking pics...I just thought it was hard to get a pic of my 2 together. Now we have a cousin to add in the mix. I just snap tons of pics in a row and hope that one of them is alright. This one's ok. These boys are going to get into ALL kinds of trouble together, and I wouldn't trade if for the world!

What a PRECIOUS new family!!! We love y'all!!!

Pony Party...

2009-11-23T12:54:00.003-06:00

Jim and JD's birthday party was last weekend. It was a cowboy party complete with pony rides and a petting zoo. The boys had a fabulous time!!! Here's sweet Emma Kate...isn't she adorable!

The birthday boys with Mom and Dad. Nice hat, David.

Caden was a tad apprehensive about petting the animals. I don't think he understood the point. What is the point anyway?

Of course, Mr. Fearless didn't hesitate.

Still not sure about this.

New Stuff at Apple of My Eye!!

2009-11-01T19:51:00.002-06:00

Be sure to head on over to Apple of My Eye and check out the new items! If you know anyone who might be interested, I would appreciate it if you pass the word along!

Trick or Treat...

2009-11-01T15:48:00.003-06:00

We had tons of fun Trick or Treating with some folks from our Sunday school class. We met at the Caldwell's house for dinner, and then it was off for candy.
The kiddos were sure to go in style in their wagons. The boys had a great time. Grayson was WAY more into it that Caden was. Grayson didn't want to miss a house. It was really cute.
The wagon brigade...
Caden thought that staying in the wagon and eating his candy was a much better use of his ime than getting out at every house!!!

Fall Fest...

2009-11-01T15:37:00.002-06:00

We had our Fall Fest at church last Saturday night. It is always a lot of fun!! I didn't get a ton of pics b/c that is getting increasingly difficult as we're chasing little ones around! Contrary to the look on his face in this picture, Caden really does love bounce houses! I don't know why he has a look of sheer horror on his face.
I can just see this one with a lamp shade on his head in years to come. The rings on his head were intended for a ring around the spider game, but Grayson thought that they were far more appropriate as head wear. It was super cute, though!
At dinner we carefully tore some bits of hamburger off for Grayson to eat, but he wouldn't hear of it. He reached out and grabbed the whole hamburger. He is certainly not going to miss a meal!
Playing the Go Fishing game.

Precious Pumpkins...

2009-10-23T21:00:00.004-06:00

WARNING: Tons of pics to follow! I'm not sure if Caden is tasting or kissing the pumpkin in this one...but it cracked me up. He's such a little goob! I love him!!
"Ok, Caden, put your arm around Grayson.":

"Stop touching me!"

Sweet Grabes!!!

What is this?? Are they both looking in the same general direction with pleasant looks on their faces??? AND no one is picking their nose??? Nevermind that someone is about to get beaten with a pumpkin. It's a cute one!

And Grayson is outta here!!! Love Caden's face in this one!

Sweet Boy...

Sweet blue eyes...and that DIMPLE!

Maddie is very in to feet!

Look how sweet...they are playing together...

Until Caden purposely falls off...

So he can watch his brother fall off...BOYS!!! :)

Bishop...

2009-10-23T20:55:00.003-06:00

Meet my precious new nephew, Bishop Daniel Porter. He is the cutest little bit! He was born 10/13 weighing only 4 lbs 14 oz. (No, he wasn't early.)
Frank and I were able to sneak away for the day up to Columbus to get some time to love on sweet baby Bishop. He is just adorable! Can't wait to watch this little sweetie grow up.

After Church...

2009-10-11T18:26:00.002-06:00

Sunday afternoons are one of our favorite times to hang out as a family. The boys especially love that Daddy is home to play. This a very typical scene in our house between lunch time and nap time.
The boys love to jump on Daddy!! And you can tell, they know how to destroy a room!!
This one is for my aunt, Joy. You see that Caden is still obsessed with the flash cards you brought months ago!! I think of you every time I'm picking them up off the floor. ;)
Grayson loves to get into my makeup drawer and make a mess. Here he found my loose powder. He would have gotten away with it, but he left these adorable foot prints on the bathroom rug. I'm pretty sure there is a tube of lipstick in the VCR right now, too!

More Swag Bucks...

2009-10-10T08:21:00.002-06:00

Ok, seriously, in the last 2 months, I've earned $30 in Amazon gift cards. Think of how nice this is going to be in buying Christmas and birthday gifts for the boys when we are really trying to watch our spending! If you haven't already joined, you should really consider it!! You can scroll down and read an earlier post I wrote about Swag Bucks. If you want to join, just click here:

Definitely download the toolbar, and use it as your search engine. I even search for things like Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader whenever I use those...that's how I've earn most of my "bucks." Super easy!! No extra effort...making money for using the Internet like I would do anyway!!

Cute Boys...

2009-10-09T08:48:00.000-06:00

This photo is certain proof of why I am NOT a photographer!! I simply cannot seem to get the boys to even look pleasant at the same time...let alone look at the camera! I snapped these pics before church the other day, and it wasn't long before...
Caden got a bit more comfy in the recliner:

And...
Grayson was off to play in the dishwasher! I seriously can't load or unload the dishwasher while he is awake. It's entirely counter-productive!!

Apple of my Eye...

2009-10-02T20:01:00.002-06:00

Believe it or not, I've FINALLY updated with some new items!!
Drop by and take a look.
Apple of My Eye Gifts

And, I'll leave you with some pics of my little cuties!!

Swagbucks...

2009-09-05T07:46:00.001-06:00

If you haven't joined Swagbucks yet, you simply MUST!!!
What is Swagbucks??
It is really quite simple. Swagbucks is a search engine that randomly awards points when you do your regular Internet searches. You can then trade your points in for prizes. My favorite prize is the $5 Amazon gift card for 45 Swagbucks. This will certainly come in handy for Christmas this year!!!
My favorite way to use Swagbucks is to download the Swagbucks toolbar. That way you can VERY easily do your searches through the Swagbucks search engine (powered by Google).
Wanna join???
Just click the button on my sidebar, and it will take you to the site to sign up! I hope you LOVE it as much as I do!

Sweet Grayson...

2009-08-28T18:22:00.002-06:00

Good gracious I love this little blue eyed guy!! He is such a sweetie, and he LOVES his mama! He takes care of all the other babies in the nursery by making sure that everyone has their pacis. His teacher tells me that he spends a good part of his day picking lost pacis off the floor and returning them to the proper baby. So sweet!

See that blanket?? Grayson MUST have that blanket to sleep. He would just assume have it with him all of the time. In fact, we laugh and call him Linus because he can often be seen with that blanket dragging behind him. When we get to school in the morning, he goes over to his bed and pulls out his blanket saying, "Ban-kee!!" Too cute!!! He is definitely gonna be a precious little teddy bear.

Boys...

2009-08-23T18:05:00.000-06:00

First of all, here is a pic of Caden's new big boy bed. He LOVES it!! He started sleeping in a big bed at the beach, and we haven't gone back. He has done perfectly in it...we're so proud. I thought I would take some cute pics of the boys today after church since they were matching and all. The pics below will show you just exactly why I am NOT a photographer. I can't even get the boys to look at me ONCE at the same time. I think they are pretty cute anyway!!
Here we are trying to pose on the steps, but Grabes isn't having it...

"Hey, Honey, let's just go inside...maybe mommy won't follow!"

Caden is telling us that his shoes are too big and Grayson is totally not into this!

Notice Caden is airborne in this one...
Geronimo!!!

"Maybe if I keep running, she'll go away."
Keep trying baby, but it's not gonna work!

Now this one's gonna run...

SO close to a good pic. At least you can kinda see that they have on matching outfits!

Beach Baby...

2009-07-31T20:14:00.000-06:00

Ahhh...this is nice!! After a very busy summer we were able to wrap it up with a trip to Orange Beach. Mom and Dad went with us, and Paul was actually there at the same time at the same Condo. I am a horrid mother because I didn't take any pictures at the actual beach!! But that really sums up our trip. We only actually went to the beach once. The boys loved the pool so much that we did that most of the time!
This little man LOVES the water. He would stay in all day and night if we would let him!!
The POOL!! Actually it was one of several pools, but this was where we lived for the week. You'll notice there are not many people there...Caden was ready to go out before most people are awake!!
I felt relaxed as soon as I walked in the door!! It was a lovely condo with all of the comforts of home. We only went out to eat once. We grilled out 2 nights and had Paul and his friends over each night for dinner. It was SO much fun!!! I really think Mom and I relax by entertaining others...sick, I know!
We went on a dolphin cruise, and our little marine biologist LOVED it. Caden could have cared less, but Grayson didn't want to miss a second of it. He kept pointing at the dolphins saying, "Look!!" It was super cute!! I felt bad for the boys having to wear the life vests...it was pretty warm!
Frank was able to get some pretty good pictures of the dolphins.

Happy Baby!! I swear Caden was there too...we just didn't get any pics of him on the boat!
This is what Caden was living for the whole week!! You'll notice that Frank is standing at the top of the slide, and my dad is at the bottom. If he did this once, he did it 10,000 times!! He absolutely LOVED it!!!!!
Grayson hung back with Mom and I most of the time. He's my sweet little love!!!!
Lunch time after the pool! All that sliding can make a kid sleepy and HUNGRY!
And thank goodness...Dora also goes to the beach!

Filling the Freezer...

2009-07-01T20:00:00.000-06:00

Caden likes to perch in the rocking chair in the play room. I think he likes it because he can observe most of the goings on of the house from there. He likes to be in the middle of things!! We have had lots of fun putting up veggies this summer. We hope to have a garden of our own ready to go for next year. For this year, the farmer's market had to suffice. I got a few pics of some of our work.
Yummy Cantaloupe...
Mmmm...peaches. These always make me think of my great grandmother, "Thatmama." She always made peach preserves. Don't you just love how certain smells can just bring back such vivid memories. The smell of fresh peaches makes me think of wicker peach baskets on the table of her house in Cleveland. I remember going to stay with Thatmama and Dean when I was little. It was so much fun!!!
Here is some spaghetti sauce, twice baked potatoes, pink eyed peas, and snap beans. We also put up field peas. Frank is especially excited about having the veggies into the winter.
Loved the color of these blanched beans. I also love the fresh smell they leave in the kitchen. It is just a part of summer in the south!

Trying Something New...

2009-06-24T17:23:00.003-06:00

So here is my first attempt at putting a video on Blogger...we shall see if I am successful. If I am, you should see a video of Frank playing with the boys...this is a very typical look at an evening at home.
Feel free to comment if you have any pointers on better ways to put video on Blogger.
There are more posts coming...I have lots of pics, but we've been thoroughly enjoying our summer, so I haven't taken the time to post!

NOLA here we come!!!

2009-06-15T19:17:00.000-06:00

Mom, Dad, Frank, and I took the boys to New Orleans for the day. It's nice to live close enough to make a day trip. The boys were WORN OUT afterward, but I think they had quite a fun time. We started off at the zoo. (Actually we had pancakes at the McDs in Brookhaven first, but who's counting!) Caden was super excited about seeing all of the animals. He's always enjoyed learning about animals and their sounds. He wasn't a big fan of the hat, but I've got very white children, so we must take all of the proper precautions!! :) It was also hot as who-da-thunk that day!!!!
Ah, the smell of elephants in the morning!! Refreshing!
Remember when I said it was hot??? Mom would periodically let the boys enjoy a portable fan. They LOVED it, and we all got a good laugh out of the fact that mom actually brought fans with us!
Caden and Grayson ADORE their Papa!! He would pretty much win out against anyone in their minds (including Frank and I!).
Grayson was HOT, but he was a tropper. I think he had a good time, but how do you really know with a 15 month old?? He did like when we let him out of the stroller to run around. He's our little busy body!!
Caden was super pumped about riding the "carous-wheel". First he wanted to ride the elephant, and he had a ball!!
I love carousels!! They are so happy...they speak to a simpler time. But I digress!!
Then the zoo had the fabulous misting fans. In this pic the boys are all standing under one of them. You can see it in the very top right corner of the picture.
Mommy and Daddy with Caden. Have I mentioned yet that it was HOT!!!
The big boys went on the train ride around the zoo. Caden loved it and told mom and I all about it when they were done.
In the meantime, Grayson was tired and HUNGRY, so mom and I went to find the boys something to eat. We call Grayson "Linus" because he LOVES his blanket. The only time that he sucks his thumb is when he has his blanket. It is so cute!
After the train ride, Caden talked Papa into one more ride on the "Carous-wheel" because this time he wanted to ride on a lion. I think a good time was had by all!!

Let's go to the Aquarium...

2009-06-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

When we left the zoo, we headed over to the Aquarium. Actually we had some Mother's po-boys in the car on the way. YUMMO!!!!! We knew Caden would really enjoy the aquarium, and we were, quite frankly, glad to be in the A/C. What we didn't expect, however, was how much Grayson loved it!!! He was absolutely enamored!
He wanted to see everything. He tried to look and see all he could. We were there a good 30 minutes before sweet Graybaby was completely passed out in the stroller. He slept through most of the aquarium. We'll have to go back sometime so he can enjoy the whole thing...I know he would love it!
Caden loved that lots of the exhibits had buttons underneath them. He love running up and pushing all of the buttons. It wasn't very crowded, so that was very nice for us!
I just liked these birds...I thought it was cute how they were cleaning eachother. They were taking care of one another. We've just gotta do that for each other every now and again. Some spots, ya just can't reach!
When I turned around to see what my parents were laughing at, my first thought was, "Dear Lord, I hope that's not the piranha tank!!" Caden was INTENSE about getting something in the tank. I assumed he wanted to touch a fish.
Oh look, there's a fish...how cute he wants to pet the fish!!
NOPE!!! God love his little OCD heart!! There was a leaf in the tank, and he just HAD to get it out. Good gracious, I love that little guy!!! He makes me laugh every single day!!
Daddy and Caden in the giant teeth...no idea to what this jaw belongs!!
On the way home, we stopped at Gambino's Bakery for some Doberge squares, and we let Caden have a petit four. Caden was just tickled with his "baby cake." He practically licked the wrapper!

Fire Academy field trip...

2009-04-18T13:06:00.002-06:00

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR LOTS OF NEW POSTS!!!
We took the 5th grade to the MS Fire Academy for our field trip this year. It was SO much fun. The kids absolutely loved it! We got to watch the folks at fire academy get drilled on getting all of their gear on in 2 minutes. Poor guys, they had only been there for 2 days, and already they have kids watching them train! There was also a SWAT team there training in repelling.

They, of course, were setting some pretty HUGE fires to put out.

This was at the simulated plane crash area.

It was so cool to watch!

Easter Traditions...

2009-04-13T12:57:00.000-06:00

This year, the church asked that families come the day before Easter to put flowers on the cross. We thought this would be a great tradition to start with our boys. We were just going to leave the flowers there for some of the women there to place as they pleased, but Caden wanted to put one on the cross. I'm glad he did...what a precious picture!!!!! I pray that one day very soon that our boys will begin to understand the importance of Easter.

As you can tell, Caden was absolutely THRILLED to be in the car! We headed up to Columbus on Easter Monday to visit with family and friends. It was a great trip, but we were EXHAUSTED when we got back. I must say, though, it was totally worth it!

Grayson didn't make it all the way to Columbus without a nap. Of course, he didn't fall asleep until we were past Starkville. oh well!

Caden's ready for the trip home with his tee ball glove on his hand. Be looking forward to tee ball pics coming soon!!! We start practice in a couple of weeks...it should be a HOOT!!!

Egg Hunting with Friends...

2009-04-11T12:46:00.001-06:00

We have some of the sweetest friends at church. We do supper clubs, bunko, you name it, we do it! We are so blessed. One of the couples that we are friends with also have 2 little boys. There boys are 2 months older than our boys, so we have lots of fun with them. They invited us over for an Easter Egg hunt at their house.

Hey Jim, where are you going???

Wait, buddy, I'm coming, too!

Busy boys!!

Grayson is the ultimate "egg-napper!"

Sweet, Jim...

Eggs, Eggs, Everywhere...

He's getting the hang of this!!

Easter Pictures...

2009-04-10T12:39:00.000-06:00

We took the boys to Portrait Innovations in Renaissance to try and get some pics in their Easter outfits. I don't know how they did it, but they managed to get some cut pics of my little Easter Bunnies!!

Church Easter Egg Hunt...

2009-04-05T12:22:00.001-06:00

We had our annual Easter Egg Hunt at church, and it was so much fun!!! It is always a little overwhelming, but it's totally worth it! Check out how HUGE that bunny is!! After we looked at the animals outside, we headed into the gym for snacks and crafts. My boys were WAY more interested in the snacks than the crafts!

Mommy feeding the munchkins...

My sweet OCD child carefully picking apart his snack cake. I would like to point out that he chose the white cake over the chocolate and water over fruit punch. THANK YOU, CADEN!!

Then there's this one. He's never done anything carefully in his life, and I don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon!

"Hey mom, think I can fit the whole thing in there at once??"

Grayson hunted eggs first. Of course, it was more Frank picking up a couple of eggs for him.

Checking out the loot...

Then it was time for the "big kids" to hunt their eggs. Caden was totally into it!

Here's one...

Daddy was taking them a little further into the hunt area to look for more eggs.

"Hey dad, let's go over here!!"

I tried to get a pic of the boys with their baskets, and this is as good as it got! Well, I tried!

Lauren's Baby Shower...

2009-04-04T12:12:00.000-06:00

First, let me warn you...the coloring on the pics is TERRIBLE. My flash batteries died, and I didn't have any backups. OOPS! I was quite proud of my cupcakes with chocolate "F"'s for sweet baby Fiona. I'm so glad to finally have a little girl to buy for! Here is a pic of the food table. I think it turned out quite cute. I absolutely couldn't have done it with out Kel!! She's THE BEST!

More food...

We had a fun girls night out to celebrate the coming of Fiona. I can't wait to meet that sweet little girl!! I can also buy HAIRBOWS!!!!!
Sweet mama opening gifts...

Brandi didn't want me to take a picture of her gift, so I HAD to!

Sweet teacher friends...

My baby...

2009-03-28T17:43:00.003-06:00

Poor Grayson...he just gets the short end of the stick while we're in the throws of potty training with Caden. Late this morning (shortly before lunch), Graybaby was NOT happy, and it was time to take Caden to potty. I put Grayson in his bed just long enough for Caden to go to the bathroom. When I came back to get him up, he was passed out...thumb in mouth. Of course, I went to get the camera. Sweet baby!!!
Here's my happy little man. He was enjoying afternoon snack watching Daddy pressure wash the back patio. I sure hope that little dimple on his cheek gets him out of as much trouble as I think it's going to!

Look at that little angel!!!

Lots of Randoms...

2009-03-27T19:03:00.004-06:00

Good gracious I love these little boys!!! Now that we're potty training, Caden spends LOTS of time washing his hands. He also thinks that it is a requirement to brush his teeth after he goes to the potty. Now, considering I take him to the bathroom every 30 minutes, that boy must be up for toddler oral hygiene of the year or something!!

How do you like the way I busted the poor little guy's lip?? When I was getting him ready for bed, I accidentally knocked the tub of Aquaphor (which I HATE...great for eczema, but it leaves grease stains on everything it touches) off the shelf and onto his face. It also busted the lip from the inside. He cried for a while, but then thought it was all in good fun when he got a Popsicle out of the deal.

Play Doh has come a long way since I was a child. Actually, don't get me started on Play Doh when I was a child because I was denied the pleasure under false pretenses...I'm NOT bitter!! My children will now have LOTS of Play Doh experience. Check out this new cool little thing that picks up all of the left over little bits of doh off the table...NEATO!!

Ah, the sheer joy of the pizza wheel!! And check out the caddy that we got for Christmas. Granted, I just got it out of the closet last week. Just don't tell Caden that his birthday present is still hidden in the garage...thus meaning it will probably become his Christmas present next year...hey, times are hard, kid...move on!

My cute sweet blondy! My laid back child, disgruntled, but laid back. He's a funny little dude, and he's a walking machine now a days. With in the week, he has become able to successfully walk all the way across the room.

Now...this is what Frank's parent's got us for Christmas. Caden LOVES IT!! However, it begs the question: "Why do you hate me?!!" Just kidding...anything that brings a smile to that little guy's face makes me happy!

We think Caden needs to be on a new commercial for Apple. At age 3 he can unlock and iphone, scroll through 3 pages of apps to find the game that he wants to play. It is the ULTIMATE item to keep an antsy kiddo occupied in a crowded restaraunt. However, it makes me very wary of how expensive his toys are gonna be!

LOVE this pic!! LOVE those boys!!

Please go to Anthropologie and check out all of their awesome housewares. I'm addicted. In case you want/need to know, I'm now collecting unique measuring instruments and colorful nesting bowls. Now you can all sleep in peace since you know what to get me for my birthday...just under 4 shopping months left!

Please pray for us. We're getting ready to put our house on the market...hopefully by the end of the week. Pray that the house will sell quickly. Pray that we will all still love eachother when the whole process is over!! Folks in the area, don't worry, we're not leaving. We just have a great opportunity to buy my grandparents' house, but we need to sell ours first. PRAY!!!

Graybaby turns one...

2009-02-23T20:29:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Grayson's 1st birthday, so we had family and friends over for dinner and cake. WHEN DID THIS BABY GET SO BIG????? He should still be 6 pounds! We were at the doctor today, and he's over 26 pounds (side note...Caden was 30 pounds at 1 year). He is such a sweet little boy, and he is most assuredly ALL BOY. He destroys anything he can reach! We often call him Captain Destructo.
Love this little man!!! Here are the cakes that I made for the party. I wanted everything to be blue and brown, so I decided to color the cake part blue. I think it turned out pretty cute!!

Now he gets a chance to dig in. Before you go any further, please feel free to think back to Caden's first birthday party. He WOULD NOT touch his cake at all!! My 2 boys could not be more different, and I love that about them!!

Hmmm...I think I like it!

This pic is priceless...it's the utter joy of cake!!!

"YEA Grayson!!!"

Caden is still a MUCH neater eater!!

Love this one...

We needed an immediate sink bath!!

Caden made a great gift inspector!!!

Grayson loves gifts too!!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...

2009-02-15T14:14:00.000-06:00

The picture above pretty much shows you what Caden did the entire party!! He had so much fun!!! On Valentine's Day we had Caden's birthday party. We did a combined party with a little boy in his Sunday School class. I am also in Sunday school with his parents, so they get to hang out quite a bit, and Caden LOVES Jim...it's his favorite thing about going to church. When I ask him if he's ready to go to church, he replies, "Let's go see Jim!"
Both of the boys love Mickey, so we decided on a Mickey party. I thought this was really cute...when we sang Happy Birthday, Caden thought it was the blessing, so he folded his hands. It was precious!! I did matching shirts for the boys as well!!
Since it was Valentine's Day, we had the kids decorate Valentine's bags. Instead of gifts, everyone brought Valentines to exchange. It was fun!

Here are the birthday boys behind the cupcakes...

Food table, minus the heart shaped PB and J's...they were still in the kitchen at this point.

Birthday boys' table. Mickey and Minnie were dining with them...

Close up of the table...

We rented a jumpy that had a slide inside. I truly believe that Caden would LIVE inside this if it were allowed!! He had SOOOO much fun!!

Yummy juice...

Here's Jim...

Grayson was all about seeing everyone at the party. I have to get the picture from my cousin's phone of Grayson eating all of the leftovers from the Birthday boys' table. It was PRICELESS!!

One happy camper!

Some guests...

Cupcake time...

Thank you, Caden for choosing a cupcake with white icing instead of black!!

Sweet Courtney with Graybaby...

Some kiddos eating...

The cutest baby pic of the day!! Isn't she adorable!!

The day was bitter sweet. My grandmother, Mimi, passed away the Thursday before rather unexpectedly, so we had her funeral (which Frank preached) later that afternoon. But as I told someone after the funeral, Mimi would have not been happy with us canceling a party!! She loved her great-grand babies!!

Too random to title...(and a NOT ME!)

2009-02-08T19:12:00.008-06:00

First let me apologize for the RANDOMNESS that this post will bring...I thing the 5th graders are rubbing off on me! Here's my sweet little chunky monkey. Believe it or not, he's actually 5 pounds lighter than Caden was when he turned 1, and I doubt he'll be gaining 5 pounds in the next 2 weeks to catch up. Those blue eyes and gorgeous smile melt my heart every time!! Check out these thighs:
Deep in thought...he must take everything apart. I really think that he is constantly looking for things to destroy. ALL BOY!

Speaking of boys who melt my heart...

My sweet first born...he still loves to snuggle with mama, and I could let him do it all day!! Grayson isn't a snuggler at all, so I cherish my snuggle time with Caden. Here he is showing me how he "fixed" his golf club:
Since golfing will probably be his major sport, we should really get him a more reliable set!! :) We went to the cardiologist this week for our yearly check up. His numbers are getting worse, but they are creeping up (high is bad) slowly enough that we don't have to go back for another year...PRAISE THE LORD!!! Dr. B still thinks (and hopes) that we can make it to late elementary or junior high before surgery (open heart to replace valves). This mama is happy to put it off as long as possible!!
Here's proof to the people whom I tell that if you didn't know he had a heart problem, you would NEVER figure it out by watching him...the boy is fearless!! Instead of sliding down the slide it's WAY more fun to jump from the top...

Nice form...

Get those feet up...

And I totally DID NOT tell him to "do it again!!" as I was trying to get a good sequence of shots...NOPE, NOT ME!!!
Check out more "Not Me" moments at MckMama's Blog.
LOVE this shot...the hair really tells the story!

And now, to introduce you to the newest member of our family, Maddie. She's a 7 week old Maltipoo, and she is an absolute doll!!
Our german shepherd, Britney, passed away a few months ago, and Frank has really be wanting to get another dog. Being the loving, supportive wife that I am, I told him, "ABSOLUTELY NOT!!" I've been looking off and on for the past couple of months, then I found this little sweetie! Her breeder lives a little south of Brookhaven, so she met us on Thursday when we were down there for our appointment. Frank had NO IDEA, it was priceless!!

Even cute little girls get sleepy after eating a birhtday invitation...

Finally, I just wanted to share this blog. This sweet little girl is in heaven today...less than a month ago, her parents took her to the doctor for a simple ear infection. They never could have imagined that something so routine would lead to the discovery of stage 4 cancer. I cannot even imagine their pain right now, but I would encourage you to lift this family up in prayer. It makes me cherish the moments I have with my boys even more...I literally love them so much it hurts, and I can't imagine a day without them. But, I know that they are not mine, but the Lord's!!

Long time, no blog!!

2009-01-31T23:12:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to let you know we are still alive even though I haven't updated the blog in a month! We are doing well...just staying busy and tired. This is a busy time of year for us: Anniversary, Mom's B'day, Valentine's Day, Grayson's B'day, Dad's B'day, Frank's B'Day, and Caden's B'day! Thank goodness my birthday is all the way in July...I'd hate for it to get lost in the shuffle (as the only girl in the house, I feel that I should get at least one day a year to be special!!).
I don't have any new pics of the boys on this memory card, but I'll try and put some up soon. This pic of the shoes is to show you one of my favorite "little things" about being a mom. Nothing makes me smile faster than seeing these sweet little shoes on the floor around the house. It makes me think of the precious little feet that go in them and all the running that they have done or will do.
Now for some updates. Caden makes me laugh more and more every day. The other day, I was bathing the boys when Caden started pouring some on the bath water on the edge of the tub. Some of it was pouring onto the floor, so I pushed his hand more toward the inside of the tub. Frank happened to be walking by, and Caden said, "Daddy!! Mommy pushed me!!" Priceless! We are also in the process of potty training. He's doing really well. He goes on the potty almost all day. His teacher thinks he'll be ready to go strictly to underwear by Spring Break. Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE her!!!!
Grayson is getting more and more mobile every day. He can crawl anywhere he wants as quickly as he wants. He pulls up on everything, and he will even stand unassissted for short periods of time. He has 3/almost 4 teeth all on the bottom, but that's not slowing him down from eating ANYTHING that we put in front of him. He made me believe that kids are just born picky or not. Caden is super picky, but we did the exact same things with Grayson, and he'll eat absolutely anything. One of my favorite things that Grayson is doing now is just how excited he is to see me anytime I walk into a room...he literally trembles with excitement. He knows how to make his mama feel good!!
Caden goes to the cardiologist this Thursday for his annual check up. This is the first time that we have gone an entire year between visits, and I'll be glad when it's all over. I really kinda forget he has anything wrong with him, but as the visit draws near, it's always in the back of my mind. We're praying for a good report, and that we won't need surgery any time soon...this is one thing we are more than happy to be very patient for!!

We had a great Christmas!

2008-12-30T09:08:00.000-06:00

We had a truly wonderful Christmas full of friends and family. The boys are at such fun ages. This was really the first Christmas that Caden really understood what was going on...it was one laugh after another! You can be getting excited about having video added to the blog soon because Frank gave me a video camera! I'm just working on editing the video into smaller "blog friendly" chunks. I know that none of you want to watch all of our video...just the highlights! In this next pic, you can't really see anything exciting, I just thought you would enjoy seeing Caden's rockin' bedhead.

My parents gave the boys a "roller coaster" for Christmas. Mom actually got it a while ago, but we just got it out at her house on Christmas eve. Caden LOVED it. It's just a simple little car that rides down a little ramp. If Caden rode it once, he rode it a hundred times. We're going to be putting it in our backyard...I have a feeling that my boys will be spending LOTS of time outside.

Pushing the car up the hill:

WEEE!!!!!

Uncle Paul is going to help Graybaby race Caden:

Tonight while we were eating dinner, Caden spotted some powdered doughnuts that someone gave Frank as part of a Christmas gift...is this pic incriminating or what?!

A day with friends...

2008-12-29T09:01:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we brought some friends home from school with us. These sweet cute girls' parents had a Christmas party to attend, so we were more than happy to have some playmates come to our house for the afternoon. Caden especially enjoyed it because the older sister is on of his favorite friends at school. I always laugh because Caden will do whatever she tells him to do...I guess he's just starting early at doing whatever girls tell him to!

Here's baby sister...she's an absolute doll!!! It was certainly fun to have some "pink" in the house (even if it was just temporary!).

And, of course, Grayson was sure to be in his chair promptly for dinner time!

Baby in a bag...

2008-12-28T20:57:00.000-06:00

Kel came over one night last week and brought presents by for the boys. It was the start of their Christmas "present fest". They love when "Tellie" comes over to play...she is super fun for them! Grayson had an especially good time because he was quite taken with the bag that Kel brought the gifts over in. So we fulfilled his wishes and put him in the bag. He had a ball!!! Be on the lookout for more Christmas posts to come!

Bad Blogger!!!

2008-12-09T20:18:00.003-06:00

I'm sorry that it has been so long since I've posted!!! I know I'm a HORRIBLE blogger! I hope that you will forgive me. Maybe you'll accept this cute pic of the boys as my penance?? Things have just been CRAZY busy around here...school, sicknesses, part time jobs...you name it, we've done it! Tonight I attempted our Christmas cards. We shall see how they turned out when I go to pick them up tomorrow. Caden was looking at me like I was nuts when I started dressing them up after dinner...that's usually when we put on jammies!
The boys are just growing up too fast, and that's all there is to it. Caden says something new everyday...he's so funny. Today, instead of napping at school, he would yell his teachers name (first and last no less!) and then say, "I NEED SOME BANANAAAAAAAAAS!!!!" That boy ain't right, but we love him anyway. He's gonna be a MESS!! He's definitely "all boy," and that's what all of his teachers (school, sunday school, mmo) tell me...too bad, I'm a teacher, and I know what that's code for! I'll just have to be sure to get them all very nice gifts...love covers a multitude of sins!
Grayson is steadily crawling...too bad it's backwards! Caden did the same thing, so we're thinking Grayson is going to figure out how to "put it in drive" any day now. He cut his first tooth last week, and he is babbling up a storm. We went for his 9 month appt a couple of weeks ago, and he failed his iron test miserably. When we went back for a retest a week later, it was fine, so now he's off formula and onto whole milk. We now easily go through 2 gallons of milk a week at our house. What am I going to do when they are teenagers??? We are also transitioning Graybaby to table food. Bless his heart, he LOVES food!! He literally trembles when you come near him with something that he things he's going to get to eat. Hey, what can I say, the kid loves life, and he's livin' it up!!
Ok...I've really got to go clean the kitchen. I'm going to try my hand at being a mother of 4 tomorrow. We're bringing 2 girls (4 yr old and a 9 week old) home from school so their mommy can get out a bit. Caden's going to LOVE it, but I'm not sure how Grayson is going to feel about his competition in the nursery coming home with us. It should be fun!!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2008-11-17T19:56:00.003-06:00

Since we didn't put up a tree at all last year, I figured we would make up for it by putting the tree up early this year! (Excuse the white balance on these first pics...I didn't take them.) Here's the tree in process:

Bottoms Up!!!

Frank was TRILLED that we found a spot for the tree this year that didn't involve moving the recliner out of the den. Don't tell Frank, but I'm equally excited about that as I sit in said recliner as I type this post.

Caden helped my put the bulbs on the top section of the tree. Because it's a pre-lit tree and it has the "big" bulbs, the bulbs must be taken out of the sockets (?) for storage. It didn't really take as long as I remembered to put them in...good deal!! I store all of the bulbs in a box, and Caden brought it to me saying, "Look Mommy, it's Christmas...a whole box of it!"

I like how it feels on my toes!

When Caden got up from his nap, we were all finished with the tree. He was delighted! He kept saying "Christmas, Mommy, Christmas!"

"Look!"

Flash:

No Flash: Ahh, how I love Christmas!!

And, for your viewing pleasure. Here's proof of why exersaucers have a weight/age limit. Notice that Caden's legs are completely folded up under him. NEVERMIND that he has a 0-3 month paci in his mouth...don't judge me! :)

My first Sippy Cup...

2008-11-11T19:48:00.003-06:00

Grayson has been totally "in" to solid foods lately...his attitude toward the bottle is now "take it or leave it!" I decided that it might be time to introduce the sippy. He liked it as a chew toy. I'm not completely convince that he actually got any juice out of it.
He was distracted by something beautiful. Something that is delightful and trying to steal his attentions away from his new cup...
Something is calling his name...he's not gonna stand for this much longer...

Here's what he wants:
Oatmeal cereal and green peas...NASTY!
He LOVES it!

Now on a different note. I'm afraid the stomach bug (or some other not nice thing) has descended upon the Porterhouse. Caden has had fever since Sunday morning, so he stayed home on Monday. When Grayson and I got home from school, Grayson (NOT Caden!) started throwing up. Caden didn't want to be shown up, so at 4:45 this morning, he joined in the fun. Now Grayson is fine, but Caden just can't seem to shake it. Their sweet daddy is staying home with them again tomorrow. I'm SO blessed to have a husband who is willing to take care of vomiting boys.
Oh...and there's new stuff over at Apple of My Eye if you're interested.

Election Headquarters...

2008-11-04T19:58:00.002-06:00

Here's your place for live election results as the come!!!
I am an election NUT!! I love to see the results roll in...maps, predictions, pie charts. It's thrilling!! Even if your candidate doesn't win, you just have to love a good old fashioned American Presidential Election!
More importantly, I know that regardless of the results, that God has a plan for America, and He can (and will) use whomever is elected in powerful ways!

More Swimming...

2008-11-03T19:30:00.003-06:00

Since Grayson totally doesn't understand the time change, Caden and I have had more time to play together in the evenings just the 2 of us. Tonight, he wanted to "wash hands." This means he wanted to play with the water in the sink. I figured, let's just strip down and make bath night out of it. He had a ball!!!

He could sit and fill this cup and dump it out for HOURS...

Pretty sure his hand is on his hip for this one...

Fill the cup...

Cheesy grin...

Dump it out...

LOVE this kid!!!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-11-01T20:03:00.002-06:00

Well, I would be a horrible blogger if I didn't bring you some pictures of my little Halloween babies, so here they are! We didn't really "Trick or Treat," but we did go to the Fall Fest at church, and we went to a couple of VIP houses on Halloween night.
In case you can't figure it out, Caden was Mickey and Grayson was a bumble bee.
Can you tell where my boys get the blue eyes???
Here's one of Caden enjoying the HUGE slide at Fall Fest. This little boy is fearless! He wasn't interested in the jumpy for kiddos his age, he wanted to hang with the big kids!
Here's the only attempt of a photo of the boys together at Fall Fest.

Cutest bumble bee I've ever seen!

And Mickey...

Back in the Land of the Living...

2008-10-21T18:25:00.005-06:00

We just wanted everyone to know that we are finally feeling better!!! We had some fun playing together tonight in the playroom.

Last week I missed the entire week of school to be home with the boys. Grayson was in the hospital for 2 days because his RSV turned into a bit of pneumonia. He also had a double ear infection...not to mention teething! Poor baby!!

Sweet Caden...he is so funny! We always tell him that he's a funny boy, so now he tells everyone that. He'll say, "Mommy, you such a funny boy!"

Oh how we love Aunt Kel...she brought over Dilly Bars!! Caden thought that was QUITE fun and yummy!

"OOoooo"

Very glad we stripped before he ate this!

Grayson loves Aunt Kel, too!

She's so funny!

Speaking of Kel...Here's a pic of us at the end of her bachelorette party night.

Here's me...I think I'm getting to old for this...fuddy duddy!

And I'll leave you with this cute thumb sucking pic...

RSV season is here!!

2008-10-10T18:37:00.002-06:00

Well...RSV season is here, and it's already struck at the Porterhouse. Both boys were diagnosed today. Since Caden is older, it's not hitting him quite as hard, but poor sweet Grayson is really having a time. We will go back to the doctor tomorrow to have his oxygen levels checked again to make sure that he is holding steady.
These pictures were from a while back, but it's pretty much what our house has looked like today...and for several days to come I'm sure!

Apple of My Eye Updates...

2008-10-02T20:00:00.000-06:00

Go over and check out the new items I posted at Apple of My Eye.

Asthma STINKS!!!

2008-10-02T19:57:00.002-06:00

This is what our counter looks like when we get away for a rare evening out. But, believe me, I'll do whatever it takes to keep my babies healthy and breathing!!!

More "Swimming"...

2008-10-01T17:53:00.002-06:00

Here's another pic from Caden's self proclaimed "swimming" day. I love that Grayson is in the background of this one...he always has a very close eye on Caden. I can just tell that he wants to be in the middle of the action so badly!!
On a side note, Caden may develop some digestive issues soon. Apparently he was REALLY loving the taste of the rocks on the playground today. BOYS!!!

My new fav...

2008-09-28T07:27:00.004-06:00

This one is definitely my new favorite picture of Caden! Now for the background on what he was doing. We were playing out in the back yard a couple of days ago (FABULOUS weather!), and Caden went to get a toy out of this bucket. It had collected some rain water and was pretty dingy, so I got out the hose to wash it out and rinse all of the toys. While I was rinsing, Caden started playing in the water with some of his shovels and his watering can. I decided to put some clean water in the bucket to let Caden play with, and then I went in to bring Grayson out. When I came back outside, this is what I found. Caden was saying, "Mommy, I swimmin'!!" So of course, I went straight for the camera to capture it. I cannot believe how big my little man is getting!!

Four Words...

2008-09-26T19:16:00.004-06:00

Blonde Hair

Blue Eyes

The kid needs his own space...

2008-09-17T19:01:00.002-06:00

I think that Caden feels that his space is being invaded. He likes it when he can find a space that is all his (lots of time, this happens to be the "time out" corner). Here are just a couple of examples from the last couple of days...

Caden in Grayson's Bumbo...Caden hated the Bumbo when he was a baby, but now, it's a hit! The other day I had Grayson in the same spot in the Bumbo, then I decided to let him roll around on the floor. When I took him out of the Bumbo, it tipped over, so it was left upside down on the recliner...then I put G-baby on the ground. Caden then walked in the room, looked at the overturned seat, looked at Grayson now on the floor, ran to Grayson and said, "GrayBaby, You OK??? GrayBaby, What Happen??"And, Caden in his new carseat so G-baby can have his old one. Yes, I know he has a pink paci. I'm a girl surrounded by only boys...don't judge me!! :)

Kelli's Recipe Shower...

2008-09-13T19:25:00.004-06:00

Today we had Kelli's Recipe Shower at Mom's house. It was so much fun!!! Here are some of the pics from the day...

This last one is quite random, but I liked it!

At the park...

2008-08-31T09:58:00.003-06:00

Scroll down for more new posts...

On Friday night, our original plans fell through, (such is life when married to someone in full time ministry) so the boys and I met up with my parents, and we went to Zaxby's for dinner. Then we decided that we would take the boys to the park and Frank was able to drop by for a minute to play before I had to take the boys home for a bath and bed time. This was Grayson's first time in the swings at the park. He was glad to get to do something besides just being held chasing behind Caden...

Here's my pretty blue eyed, BLONDE haired little one...Tire swing fun...

Caden would climb up to the top and then look down to find Frank. He would then say, "Come on Daddy. You can do it!" Then when Frank made it to the top, he would say, "Yea, Daddy! You did it!" I've often said that Caden will never have a problem with self esteem...he often cheers himself on in this same way!

Now that Daddy made it to the top, it's time to slide down...

Sweaty red faced baby...it amazes me how horribly little boys can stink after being outside...no matter how small they are!!!

First Day of School...

2008-08-31T09:47:00.002-06:00

Summer was great, but it had to come to an end. I'm SO blessed to be able to work somewhere that has childcare on site. To make it even better, the wonderful ladies who work in the nursery there LOVE my babies!! I never have to worry whether or not they are being taken care of. I know that they are in the best care possible! I love it, and they love it!! I simply couldn't ask for anything more.
Here are some pics of the boys getting loaded in the car for their first day back. I would post pictures of us getting to school and into the nursery, but it's quite a process for me every day, so no pics have been taken of that yet. I will tell you that it is a site to behold. It is a meticulous process to get both boys out of the car , into the stroller, into school, out of the stroller, and into the nursery...not to mention all of their stuff! Normally I don't have to take much stuff, but on this first day I was having to take their supply of diapers, wipes, bedding, etc. It was a HOOT! You can see the bag of some of Grayson's things on the floor in front of his seat. I looked like a pack mule that first day...

Here's Grayson all buckled in and ready to go...he has no idea what's going on!

Caden was SO excited to go back to school and see his friends!

Trolley Ride...

2008-08-09T09:38:00.000-06:00

After acolyte training at church, the children's director arranged for the trolley to come pick everyone up and go to McDonald's and Bop's. Frank was helping with the training, so we got to tag along for the ride. Caden had a BALL!! He called it a choo choo train, and would say "All aboard!!" every time it was time to get back on the trolley.
He was "glued" to the window the whole ride...

Here's the trolley outside of Bop's...

It's after dark, and I'm still out...YIPPEE!!

Definitely Brothers...

2008-08-08T18:44:00.004-06:00

I don't know what it is with my boys and this face, but they love it!! I don't think that my life will get dull any time soon!!! LOVE THESE BOYS!!!!

The first one is Grayson just the other night...And this is Caden when he was 5 months...

CHEESE!!!!!

2008-08-04T21:42:00.003-06:00

Here's Caden's new "cheese" face. I was taking pictures of him making a mess with Mimi's birthday cake, and this was the face I got when I told him to say cheese! Gotta love it!!!

Grayson's Baptism...

2008-07-31T12:00:00.002-06:00

You can probably guess from the title of this one that Grayson got baptized. He was baptized this past Sunday. It was really special because Frank was able to baptize him...so sweet!! Here are some pics from the day...
"They're gonna do what???"

The big boy with Daddy...

Our family...

Grayson and I with the Pastoral Staff at St. Mark's.