Connor's Big Day

We celebrated Connor's 4th birthday as a family. It had been a crazy couple of weeks and we were right smack in the middle of Sport's Camp, but we had to make his day special. We set out to have lunch at Rainforest Cafe, where we had a blast. (It took a little while for Bryce to get used to animals moving and talking while we were eating, but he came around). Then we headed to Build a Bear where Connor got to make his very own stuff animal friend. He choose a puppy and named him Sparky. Sparky is a true Dallas Maverick fan and is head to toe decked out in their uniform. After a good long birthday nap, we got up and headed to Sport's camp at Northwood. Connor participated in soccer this year and was thrilled when his yellow team sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

We ordered the "Volcano" cake which comes out with a sparkler on it. Connor enjoyed it as I am sure you can tell.
Telling Tony our bear guide how old he is.
Making a big wish on the special heart that went inside "Sparky"
Ringing the "Birthday Bell". I had never been to a Build a Bear and honestly never really wanted to go. But they did a great job making Connor feel special on his big day. The whole family ended up having fun and we will go back again.
Connor with Coach Ben.
His team singing Happy Birthday. That night Connor was so excited that he got sung to 4 times that day. "It was because I am 4" he told me. Hmm I wonder if that means we will have to sing it 16 times when he turns 16. We'll see.....

Connor is turning 4!!

My first baby is turning 4! I can't believe how fast time has flown by, it seems like it was yesterday Daddy and I were getting ready for your arrival. You were my first little man and were such a sweet and easy baby. Daddy and I loved taking you everywhere we went; to the movies(You went to the 12:01am showing of Harry Potter), dinner, friend's houses, youth group, and even camp. We watched you grow from a smiley baby to a giggly toddler. You were and still are always willing to make everyone around you laugh. True to your title as first born you have always been ready to take on a new task and do it right. It has been so fun watching you tackle new things and being so excited about jumping into the next thing. Over the last year I have seen you shine as a little leader. Your need to be independent has shown me a glimpse of a young man who will not follow the crowd or do something just because everyone else is. I love that about you and know that one day God will use that gift. You have really embraced the role as Big Brother and are so patient with your brother(sometimes) and sister. I love watching you play with others, you always have some imagination game to play and are more than willing to make sure everyone is included and knows what to do. Whether you're playing pirates, trucks, legos, or some sport you want to include others, even your pesky younger brother. You get a special sparkle in your eye whenever you try to teach Bryce something or are holding your little sister. I pray that that gift of leadership continues to blossom and that one day God uses it in big ways for His glory. These 4 years have been full of so many firsts for us all and I have loved every minute of them. I love you Connor! Happy Birthday.....

You always have a special hug for Mommy. Just today I almost left without getting that special hug and kiss from you and man were you upset! I pray that we always have that kind of relationship.

Age:3
You are always willing to smile and pose for the million pictures I make you take ALL the TIME. Someday you will thank me (alright maybe not, but I am hoping your wife & children one day will love looking at them)

Age 2:

Just like your Mommy you love being the center of attention!

Age 1:

From a small age you have always been determined the do everything perfect. Even when you started to learn how to walk, you would get frustrated whenever you fell down. I love your determination to try your best and to try new things.

Those first moments together were so special. I'll never forget how I felt the first time I held you and the first night you, Daddy, and me spent together.

Multnomah Falls-Oregon '09

Day 2 in Oregon found us once again enjoying cooler weather!! We packed a picnic lunch and headed up the Columbia River Gorge. We drove up the old highway and enjoyed stopping at the famous Crown Point and then Multnomah Falls, the second largest free falling waterfall. The drive was beautiful especially in Mom's convertible. All the way up the mountain Adam was drooling as he watched biker after biker, I have to admit I wanted to grab a bike and give it a whirl too.

At Crown Point: check out that view!
At Multnomah Falls, can you Texans believe that I grew up here??!
We are just too cute!
"Daddy look at that waterfall, I want to go up there!"
Family pic halfway up to the top (minus Alexis, she kept Gigi company at the bottom of the falls).
Adam at the top of Multnomah trying to get his GPS to work so he could make a sweet Gowalla spot. You won't see any pics of the boys and myself at the top because we had to turn around and head back down. The climb was too tough for little legs and everyone knew we couldn't continue carrying them. 11 swithbacks in 1 mile is quite a climb.

The Oregon Zoo

On Friday we decided to visit the Oregon Zoo, one of my favorite places when I was younger. And since the boys love the Fort Worth Zoo so much we knew it would be a great idea. The weather was absolutely perfect, I was giddy when I saw that it was in the 70's and we all needed our hoodies(by the time we left it was 85 can you believe that fellow Texans?). I love the zoo especially when the animals are out and want to be social. The Oregon zoo specializes in making each habitat realistic for each animal which is so fantastic, but it makes the animals so happy and comfortable that sometimes you don't see them. Fortunately for us, most animals were out and willing to say "hi". Some of the highlights were the giant sealion, otters, polar bears, bats, insect zoo (Connor and Bryce got to pet an Austrailian walking stick), wolves, brushing the goats, and all the fun paths, bridges, and stairs we got to run on.

No one wants to mess with a mean Polar bear, look how big they are. That day one male was wreaking havic on a barrel, it was fun to watch!

Family pic: Will I ever get a picture with everyone smiling?

This is a life size cutout of a male lion, dang! Bryce wouldn't take his picture with the lion until he was sure it wasn't real, it was funny watching his face when Connor went running up to it.

Uncle Mark was so much fun and almost as enterataining as the animals.Ahh the goats. I remember LOVIN' petting the goats and my boys did too. One got a little friendly with Bryce and tried to eat his coat, but Bryce soon forgave him and brushed his hair.Connor was in heaven, he is such an animal lover.

Plane Trips with Little Ones

I was very nervous about traveling with a 4 year old, 2 year old, and a 6 week old especially when I knew we would be spending 4 hours on a plane each way. Luckily this time I had Adam to help with the kiddos and a new attitude. I prayed a lot that God would keep me calm and take away my silly need to control everything and as always God came through.

Here are some things I learned:
1) Lollipops are a must, they help pop the kids ears and keep them quiet the first 20 minutes when nothing is happening. Oh yeah and lot's of snacks! They no longer serve snacks on planes unless you pay(LAME) and so be prepared with loads of food.
2) Separating the kids is a great idea. Adam took Connor and I took Bryce on the way to Oregon and then we switched on the way back. That meant no one heard the word "mine" the whole plane ride.
3) Kids headphones are a great invention, we already had one pair and bought another for this trip. This way the rest of the plane didn't have to hear the Disney movie that was playing. It was also a plus that Adam and I both brought our laptops and each boy could pick a movie to watch.
4) A special surprise, on the way up about halfway through the flight I pulled out a special surprise for each boy. They both got a magic pen coloring book that were each gifted wrapped which made them extra special.
5) On the way back to Texas I knew that my children were exhausted, so I told them that before they could play with any toys or have any snacks they had to take a nap. That actually worked and both boys slept for 2 hours.
6) I put the boys in matching bright colored shirts to ensure I could spot them at all times and so could others around. Yes they looked cute, but it helped Adam and I a lot.

Overall the boys really did a great job traveling(we were so happy when other travelers around us thanked us for having such well behaved children). There were moments when Adam and I looked at each other and just laughed because we looked ridiculous, but we were making memories right? (Imagine watching us going through security with 2 boys, 1 baby, 2 laptop bags, 2 kid backpacks, 2 rolling suitcases, 1 diaper bag, 1 infant car seat, 1 double stroller, and of course 4 pairs of shoes that had to be taken off and put back on. It was quite a show for others I am sure.)

Alexis was perfect she just slept and ate, what a pro. We had one incident when she had a "blowout" and I found myself in the bathroom of a plane trying to wash her and get a new outfit on(I am sure it was funny to watch) the soiled outfit went straight to the trashcan.

Bryce enjoyed the endless supply of snacks, especially when Daddy shared "his" skittles.

Connor loved watching his very own movies.

Lazy HOT Texas Days

104 degrees is just hot! Too hot to play outside, too hot for the pool, too hot for a lot of the things we love to do. So we have been hunkering down inside. The boys have been playing lots of legos, cars, and make believe. We have been having lot's of fun, but can't wait for the degrees to go DOWN! We are all also looking forward to our trip to Oregon and some cooler weather!

Making cupcakes with our friends Brock and Ms Christin!
Alexis is growing like a weed, soon she will weigh as much as her brothers did when they were born.

On my own again

My Mom left this morning and I found myself on my own again with 3 little ones. We actually had a great day on our own. I got housework done and the boys played wonderfully together. Having my Mom or Gigi to the boys around was wonderful and we will miss her. I had a lot of things to get done and actually got some of them accomplished. The boys and I were able to enjoy the things we loved to do together before Alexis joined us like going to the gym and pool. I went shopping for the first time in years without toddlers (Alexis came with us and she is a great shopper). And Adam and I got to enjoy a couple nights out with Alexis in tote (Newborns are so easy when it's just them). Thanks Gigi! We love you and can't wait to see you in two weeks.



Alexis is doing great and growing a lot. Preterm babies are very different and a little bit harder though. It's like having a newborn baby for a month because she has to eat every 3 hours. With the boys I was able to start stretching out feedings by now especially at night, but she is still too small. So I am pretty tired, but hanging in there. Adam will be helping me out in the morning so I can go to the gym, because some days that adrenaline is all that keeps me going.
Adam dislikes the bow, but I love them! What do you think??