Key Moments

Photo Challenge: Heart

2012-02-14T18:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!

We're celebrating tonight with a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's.

And for dessert, here is my first attempt at frosting a cake.

It's heart shaped too in case you can't tell :)

And I totally cannot write in a straight line.

************

I woke up to roses, cards, and little present from Kris.

I like how Kris added the 's' to the word boy :)

He got me an adapter for my car so I can listen to my iPod.

We don't normally give presents, but I did ask for the adapter :)
I didn't get Kris anything, but we did make handprints for him :)

Levi was taking a nap when we made these with Caleb last week.

My whole heart :)

Levi has been a little under the weather, he didn't even get out of his pajamas today.
Which is probably good, because I didn't have a V-day shirt for him, gasp!
But I bought Jacob's last year after the holiday on clearance!

someone decided to add a little green paint to their face

He came home with this. Melt my heart.

He has my hands :)

Oh, and I love how he ran out of room after the C, so he added the O & B at the top :)

I hope your Valentine's Day has been lovely!

Photo Challenge: Blue

2012-02-13T16:55:00.000-06:00

We received a bit of snow today, so we pulled out last year's snow suit and his everyday tennis shoes because that's how we roll.... :)

The blue eyes are lids off my basil and cinnamon spices :)

The nose is a stalk of celery.

The black 'buttons' are lids of spices too.

Oh, and the smile is made of fruit loops.

Jacob was so happy to see the snow. He asked if we could put up the Christmas decorations :)

Photo Challenge: Inside Your Closet

2012-02-12T19:27:00.001-06:00

While this will be a boring post, I thought I would still participate. :)

Here is looking head on from the bathroom into our closest.

Once inside with the door shut.

I have my flip flops and sandals on the back of the door.

Inside looking toward the other end

Kris needs to straighten his shoes!

I probably wear only 20% of what's in here. I need to do some deep purging!

One trick I heard was to face all your hangers backwards, and as you wear something face it the right way.

At the end of the year, anything left facing backwards you should toss (donate).

I'm the type who hangs on to things for 'just in case'. Never know when I'll need _____.

Know what I mean?

My favorite thing in my closet is the hook rack Kris hung for me for my necklaces.

You could use this to hang scarves too. Run to your nearest Walmart and get ya one or two. :)

Photo Challenge: Makes You Happy

2012-02-11T19:12:00.000-06:00

I know I've already posted this picture, but it's the only current one I have of all 3 of MY BOYS!

I could have never envisioned this life... life with boys.

But I wouldn't have it any other way. They=happy!! :)

Get your motor runnin!! Head out on the sidewalk!!

2012-02-09T16:12:00.000-06:00

The weather was nice enough the other day to be outside, so we encouraged Jacob to ride his bike.

He has never shown interest in it since we bought if for him for last year's birthday!

What kid doesn't want to ride a bike? Apparently mine!

Well this particular day showed some improvement! He actually pedaled!

This is huge people! Before he acted like he was sitting on a porcupine!

Now I'm wondering if he's too big for this bike... and helmet!!!

I LOVE the smile on his face!!!

See Jacob, we've been telling you all along you would like it!!!

Dress Up!

2012-02-07T20:49:00.000-06:00

I guess I should have read the photo challenge a little closer.

Some of the items are a little awkward, and I have more interesting photos to share, so I'm jumping off that bandwagon for a bit :)

Beth and her kiddos came over last week and I knew at one point Kate and Levi were in my bedroom.
He came out looking like this :)

She was so proud!

Jacob spent the night with Kate and Luke for the first time Saturday night.
Sad I don't have any pictures of that (hint hint!!) :)
Kris picked him up before church and he was dressed like this :)

He squeezed into Luke's transformer costume.

Sunday night we were back over at Beth's for the Super Bowl.
At one point, Levi walked into the room like this :)

If you haven't caught on, Kate likes to play dress up :)

Sorry, these were taken with my phone. Do you see his pearls? :)

Love my boys!

Photo Challenge: Dinner

2012-02-06T19:26:00.000-06:00

Today's photo challenge is dinner. I give you:

filet, sweet potato and texas toast courtesy of Kris.

I looked for smaller sweet potatoes, but apparently they don't grow them.

Thanks Kris for a lovely dinner!

p.s. I failed the last 2 days of photo challenge because Saturday I didn't leave the house, so I didn't come in contact with a stranger to take their picture. I guess I could have taken a picture of someone on tv.

And yesterday we were too busy getting ready for church so I didn't get a pic of 10am.

Not sure what that would've looked like anyway other than chaos.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Photo Challenge: Hands

2012-02-03T15:12:00.000-06:00

Jacob playing 'Toy Story' Operation

He was getting so upset each time the buzzer went off.
At one point he said, "stop going off!!!" :)

Who knows... maybe one day these hands will literally be operating :)

May he grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed

Psalms 20:4

Photo Challenge: Words

2012-02-02T13:55:00.000-06:00

These words say so much to me.

I feel like there are a couple of areas in my life that I talk about that I want to change.

I pray, but not fervently, get-on-my-knees and pray!

And this week's Bible Study coincides with this as well.

We were studying Hannah and how she prayed so hard to God for a son, so much that she said he is yours God if you choose to bless me. What a sacrifice! I instantly felt convicted on how I pray.
I, too, ask God for things, but what will I give him in return if I am blessed?

They will receive the Lord's blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.
Psalms 24:5

February Photo Challenge

2012-02-01T19:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Heart Month!

I came across this photo challenge on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try.
I just hope I can remember! ha! :)

Today I worked on Valentine's Day cards for Jacob's class.

So here was my view today:

I found this template on Pinterest, where else? :)

I'm addicted, there I said it!

Boys

2012-01-31T15:13:00.002-06:00

Not much going on around these parts.
I can't even think of a unique title to this post.

But I am making sure the boys earn their keep!

"Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up"

Anyone else sing that song? :)

Somehow he made it to the bedroom with an empty wheelbarrow :)

Such a sweet big brother ~~most times~~ :)

Next week I will be pre-registering Jacob for kindergarten

Pass the kleenexes

Another Vday Craft

2012-01-25T15:31:00.000-06:00

Sorry, just a couple of more Valentine's Day decor.

I decided to make the wreath with the styrofoam heart and red felt circles.

I lost count of how many circles I cut, but I think it was around 175 :)

I thought it was too small for the front door, so I hung it on the mirror in our living room.

My thumb is still sore pushing all the push pins :)

It really didn't take that long to do. If you decide to make one, just remember the circles don't have to be perfect. I used the lid off Jacob's vitamins as a template :)

Any imperfections can't be seen, believe me, I had plenty ;)

And Jacob decorated the front window :)

Oh and yesterday the boys were being so quiet in Jacob's room.

I figured I should go check on them and I opened the door and saw this.

Both content, both in their own worlds. Melt my heart :)

My Best Friend

2012-01-22T19:28:00.000-06:00

Last Monday, Caleb came over while his mom and dad were out.

Jacob was so excited! "Caleb is my best friend!" says Jacob. :)

I asked them to say cheese :)

Little brother sure tried his hardest to keep up!

"How many pictures is your mom going to take, Jacob?" :)

"Sure wish I could sit on the bed"

"Guess I'll settle for the floor" :)

I could eat him up!!!!

Come back and see us, Caleb!!!

Valentine's Decor

2012-01-20T08:57:00.002-06:00

Yes, my Valentine's Day decor is up mid-January!

If you recall this post, I was ready the first week of the new year! :)

I printed/cut and hung the free printable banner. I intended to jazz it up as I mentioned, but I could never find those hearts, so I just used twine. And I kinda like the simple look.

I finished the 2nd tissue topiary. I will never do that again! I always pick the very tedious time-consuming crafts! Gees Louise!

And I guess I am becoming more and more like my mother (scary!) :)

I have the sudden urge to hit all the local thrift stores - just to see what I can 'find'! I get so many ideas on Pinterest, and a lot of the projects are from refurbishing old things - i.e. spray painting candle sticks, picture frames, etc... Both sets of candle sticks in the picture above and below were from thrift stores.

I found a picture frame for $.50 so I snatched it up, added a little red spray paint and inserted a free printable.

The middle vase with the red hearts was also a thrift store find for $1.00!

Finding such good bargins is so fun! But I think it's also making me cheap!

It's so hard to pay full price for something if I can find something similar for a quarter! :)

But when there's only one income, you gotta do what ya gotta do!

Mid Week Randoms

2012-01-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

Levi loves to put on a hat whenever he sees one.

And I love it's always on backwards - little monkey!

we received his tshirt from his time spent at AR Children's Hospital.
it seemed so huge when they gave it to us, now it barely fits.

here and here are a couple of posts for anyone new to the blog

He likes wearing my hat too :)

It was bath time the other night and when Levi saw that his favorite show was on, he took a seat :)

Look, it's Super Levi!!

"Don't forget me", says Jacob :)

Love them!!!

Hope you are having a great week!!

Catching Up

2012-01-14T15:16:00.000-06:00

I didn't mean to go a full week without posting....

Here's how our week unfolded...

Jacob started back at swim class.

I went to my first Women's Bible Study at church.

I didn't know a soul, but I completely felt welcomed. And I hope to make some new friends.

I had to buy a new bible because mine is from 1986 - King James Version :)

In order for me to dive deep and learn, I needed a different translation.

Levi got his second haircut. My hair dresser brought her little girl over for a play date and she cut both Levi and Kris' hair, then put color on mine. Can't beat that!

{skyping with my mom}

I decided to do a Valentin'e Day craft. I found this tutorial and thought it was super cute!

The inspiration:

She used 1" fabric squares, but I decided to use Valentine's Day tissue paper.

I found 2 identical candle sticks at a local thrift store and spray painted them black (wish I had taken a before picture). Just picture tacky brass.

I wrapped a square around the tip of a sharpened pencil, then dipped it in glue then stabbed the ball! :)

And did this a bazillion times! :)

I randomly placed a few solid pink squares and ta da!

I kinda wished I had done a better job with the pink, oh well.

One down, one more to go!

Last night was FNO (Friday Night Out) at Church, which basically means free child care :)
We dropped the boys off and went to dinner with our friends Melody & David.

Tonight Kris' mom is watching the boys and we are going to the Razorback Basketball game with Beth & John. Two dates in a row! Yahoo!

p.s. someone tell these 2 to start blogging ;)

Stuck & Wheel

2012-01-07T18:48:00.000-06:00

Levi got a little stuck tonight. :)

Don't worry, no harm done. That's why I have pictures :)

Oh, and his new favorite show :)

He drops whatever he's doing to sit and watch.

His little legs were crossed so I grabbed the camera, but as soon as he heard me he turned around.

p.s. and yes, I watch WOF like an old lady, AND I yell at the tv when they can't solve the puzzle.

Or when they buy a vowel(s) then solve. Drives me nuts!

Who's ready to decorate?

2012-01-05T17:19:00.001-06:00

I've mentioned before that I want my boys to grow up in a home always decorated for the holidays.

{but if they're like their daddy, they probably won't even notice - JK! sorta!} :)

Now I'm not saying I will decorate for 'Flag Day', but I will try to hit the major ones.

Up next is Valentine's Day. I'm finding lots of cute ideas on the trusty Pinterest, so I thought I would share a few.

You know I love a banner!

I found this free banner printable and plan to make one and jazz it up a bit adding this.

I also love a free printable! I saw this one and knew I had to print and frame!

I thought this might also be cute for the mantle.

Can't forget a wreath! This is up my alley, but that's a lot of felt circles to cut!

We'll see how ambitious I get :)

I went to a local thrift store the other day and got both of these for $.75

{not sure if that goes together, just stuck it in there}

I pulled down from the attic all the other V-Day decor and I saw all that I bought last year after the holiday to use this year. Buying for the next year is always a surprise because I never remember what I bought. :)

Oh, and I came across this and just adored it!

Run to your nearest Target and getcha a little mailbox from the dollar bins!!

And lastly, I saw this and thought it was adorable for the back of the kitchen chairs.

My friend Melody and I are going to have a craft day and attempt to make some using this tutorial which is more user friendly. :)

And because I love to reflect, here is last year's picture of the boys on Valentine's :)

{someone pass me a kleenex}

More Silliness

2012-01-04T18:36:00.000-06:00

My mom got Jacob a shaving kit for Christmas.

He begged us to open it! :)

{oh this picture makes me smile!!}

Daddy helped him get started

We all got tickled. So funny!

And as I was pulling the pictures for this post from the memory card, I found this one!

Usually I'm the one taking the pictures, so I was surprised to stumble onto these.

I suppose Kris thought this was a kodak moment. :)

Guess Levi knows where I keep the lunch-lady hair net :)

Never a dull moment around these parts!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T21:33:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

2012 I believe is what they're saying, but in my mind it's still 1998.

{I know I sound like an old lady as much as I talk about how fast time flies}

I think it will be fun on 12.31.2012 to look back and see what I was thinking on 1.1.2012 so here are a few goals I have in mind, and a couple from Kris.

In no particular order:

Save, save, save! Living on one income is hard!

Budget!

Read and study the word!

Speaking of, attend a women's bible study at church

Less internet

More dates with Kris

Eat better / lose weight

Keep a clean car

Get a new job (Kris)

Read the entire Bible

Take a family vacation

Camping/Fishing (Kris)

Meet new people / friends

Serve / volunteer

Curious to see how we do! :)

Silly Boys

2011-12-29T21:48:00.000-06:00

Santa brought Jacob a pair of headphones to wear in the car when we travel.

They are from the movie Cars, the end resembles a gas nozzle so he immediately grabbed a car and pretended to 'fill 'er up!"

And out of the blue one day, Levi started 'cheesing' like this

He makes me smile, that one :)

{his hair is crazy long. time for a trim!}

Christmas Recap

2011-12-28T14:16:00.000-06:00

Jacob came into our room around 7am Christmas morning proclaiming, "Santa was here!!!"

He was so excited!!!

After opening every gift, he would say, "thank you Santa!" :)

Levi is at the age where he loves all things Elmo. So cute!

He also enjoyed walking around the house shaking these m&ms :)

After presents, we had a north pole breakfast :)

{i just made that up, ha!}

I don't normally buy powdered donuts, so Jacob was excited :)

Levi was excited too :)

Sucha big boy!

I'd say they were a hit!

Mmmmm good stuff!

I got this big Buzz at a thrift store for $4. One trip through the washer/dryer and as good as new!

Jacob has slept with him every night! :)

Jacob brought home this bag a couple of weeks ago from school and told us we couldn't open it until Christmas.

Inside were these sweet ornaments. I asked Jacob to write his name on them.

I love the 'b' all lonesome on the angel :)

We had a wonderful Christmas! After the kids opened their gifts and we ate breakfast, we got ready and went to the Christmas service at church. Then back to mom's for leftovers. :)

The next day something got into me and when Levi went down for his afternoon nap, we took down the tree and all the decorations. I have never done it that early before, but I was ready to have the house back.

Now bring on 2012! :)

Christmas Eve Recap

2011-12-26T16:21:00.001-06:00

My parents came up here for Christmas so we celebrated with them Christmas Eve.

Sweet Lukey giving his momma sugars

All the kids had so much fun opening gifts, even Levi

They each helped one another

I loved seeing their excitement

Thanking each other, so sweet :)

Luke showing Levi his new toy :)

My new cake pop pan! I love it! You know I love my 'as seen on tv' products :)

Jacob is showing me his favorite :)

Papaw (my dad) laughing so hard because he couldn't figure out what his present was... handkerchiefs :)

My handyman and his new, longer level :)

Our traditional Christmas hat photo :)

On our way home, I snapped this photo of someone's front window :)

Before going to bed, we left cookies & milk for Santa :)

And ended the night reading "The Night Before Christmas" :)

Up next, a visit from Santa! :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Getting Close

2011-12-22T13:19:00.000-06:00

I can't believe Christmas is only 3 days away. How is that possible?

I have not wrapped one gift. I should have done it while Jacob was still in school, but I didn't.

Now I will have to wait until he goes to bed.

It's going to be so much fun watching him open his gifts. Last year was the first time he really got into it, but this year I think he will explode with excitement. :)

This is Levi's new thing :)

One day I will probably find him naked :)

Henry is glad Christmas is near.

He's starting to run out of ideas! ha!

p.s. have you ever tried writing on toilet paper? not easy.

Christmas Program

2011-12-16T21:54:00.000-06:00

We woke up today finding Henry having fun! :)

It was also Jacob's Christmas Program at school.

Weren't we just at the Thanksgiving one??

I hate that this picture is dark, but I thought it was so sweet they were holding hands walking in.

"Silent Night"

Daydreaming :)

"Feliz Navidad"

Thank you Meme for watching Levi while I took pictures and Kris videotaped :)

We ended the day lining up every stuffed animal we own and tucking them in their spot :)

Antlers & Angel

2011-12-15T14:57:00.000-06:00

Jacob came home from school with homemade reindeer antlers.

I immediately remembered this post from 2008. Made me laugh, and get a little teary too.

I have never been able to find a tree topper that I like.
Let's be honest, I'm not looking that hard either. Not having one isn't going to cause me to lose any sleep. :)

When Jacob came home with this angel, I knew the perfect place for it. :)

Thank you Jacob for the perfect tree topper!

Christmas Iron Ons

2011-12-14T12:58:00.000-06:00

Last year I bought a set of Christmas iron on prints for the boys.

I dug them out this year, and we wore them to see Santa.

But since you couldn't see Levi's because he was trying to scurry away, here is a pic of it.
Don't they look happy? :)

Little stinker! Why couldn't he have been this happy to see Santa?!

I must confess, Henry stayed in the same spot for 3 nights in a row. We forgot! DOH!
But he got busy making snowflakes!!

I think ~~Kris~~ Henry did a wonderful job!!! :)

He worked so hard that he had to call it an early night :)

Snug as a bug next to the fire :)

The boys meet Santa

2011-12-12T11:03:00.001-06:00

We went to see Santa bright and early this morning.

The first ones there, no line!

However, didn't get picture I would've hoped for, but this one just makes me laugh.

Sorry to put you through so much torture Levi, but momma needs a picture :)

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-10T18:28:00.000-06:00

Well it didn't turn at as planned, but what does?

Since I couldn't get a decent picture of them together, we tried separately.

Levi needed distractions, below he is holding chapstick.

I was playing around with the settings on the camera.

These pictures are without a flash. I love the tree in the background, but it made the boys a tad blurry.

Oh well...

I read on another blog about a neat tradition to do with all the Christmas cards you receive.

Each night pick a card and pray over that family. Pretty simple, huh? But what a blessing. :)

Hodge Podge Post

2011-12-09T20:36:00.000-06:00

I've eyeballed a gingerbread house the last couple of years thinking the kiddos would enjoy making one someday. I have never done one myself, so I wanted to experience it too ;)

Not sure why ours didn't turn out as pretty as the one on the box :)

It was pretty messy and ours fell apart a couple of times, but I think Beth and I know what to do different next year :)

saying 'cheese' with candy in their mouths

The other day we woke up to a small amount of snow. It was so cold outside and I had a craving for chicken pot pie. So my super-duper husband whipped one up :) It was DELISH!

And I think it's so funny Kris took this picture himself for blog material :)

I want to start using my crock pot more, and this week I made a couple of dishes in it using these.

There is literally zero cleanup! Go get ya some!

We woke up one morning with Henry zip lining through the kitchen :)

Levi took an extra long nap one day and I went to check on him and found him sleeping like a newborn up on his knees. So sweet with that little rump in the air.

Last week Beth and the kiddos came over after school and we made hand puppets.

Beth and her mini-me :)

I can't believe Christmas is so close. I need to start my shopping!

This & That

2011-12-05T17:29:00.000-06:00

For my birthday, my sweet sissy signed me up for a Birchbox for 3 mos.

Inside were some neat samples I can't wait to try! Thanks Beth!

The first time Levi saw the Christmas tree lit was after waking up from a nap.

He was terrified!! Wouldn't go near it and had a death grip on us.

He's slowly warming up, but thankfully he's not ripping off any ornaments.

I thought he looked so cute in his sweater -sad face and all...

"Henry is such a silly elf" according to Jacob. :)

He asked me why Henry had tape on his lap. I said it was his seat belt. HA! :)

We tried doing Christmas card pictures the other night. Let's just say I had broken out into a small sweat after all was said and done. I know at this age it's impossible to get them both to look at the camera and smile. That is the stage we're at in life right now. And that's OK.

I was very tempted to use this one, but I didn't :)

36 years young

2011-12-02T17:54:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday, 11/27, was my birthday. I cannot accept the fact I am closer to 40 than I am 30 - boo!

I received a wide variety of gifts. :)

*a poinsettia (kris and boys)

*rachael ray skillet (mom)

*the perfect meatloaf (kris and boys)

*snuggie (sister / b-i-l / niece/nephew)

*christmas ornaments (mother-in-law)

*meaningful beauty (mom)

*cash (dad)

Beth offered to watch the boys while Kris and I went out to eat and hit a couple of stores. Thanks Bayeth!

When we got back, we had some cake that Levi stuck his hand in :)

Ironically I sat in that same spot last year on my birthday too :)

***************

And look who helped himself to a bubble bath! :)

Jacob has munched on marshmallows all day :)
Can you tell I'm the one having all the fun!?!?

Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-01T16:08:00.000-06:00

Hey ya'll!

Are you familiar with Elf on the Shelf?

I first heard of it from Beth when she started it one year with my niece Kate.

In a nutshell, the Elf watches over kids and flies back to the north pole each night to give Santa a report.

When the kids wake up each morning, they leap out of bed to go find the elf.

It's your job to move him around. :)

Jacob named our elf Henry and we are having a lot of fun.

When Jacob acts up, I quickly remind him that Henry is watching. :) Genius!! :)

He may stay at our house year round!! Oh, and the kids aren't allowed to touch him or he'll lose his magic.

There are 100s of ideas online on what to do with the elf to make it really fun.

I found this one and when Jacob saw it this morning he couldn't stop laughing. :)

He asked, "who drew that mustache on me?!?!" I said Henry did!! :)

I also saw an idea to put flour on the kitchen counter then rub the elf's arms/legs to make it look like a snow angel. I might try that tonight. :) Isn't it fun!?!?

Christmas Wreath Project for the kiddos

2011-11-29T18:12:00.000-06:00

Let's practice our fine motor skills, shall we? :)

Careful, it's very tempting to eat the materials :)

Steady...

Must admit, a certain 4yr old was not patient enough to finish, so momma had to step in :)

template found here

Pinterest Finds for Jacob

2011-11-27T23:21:00.000-06:00

Pinterest is my latest addiction.
I've come across so many neat ideas for crafts and such.

Recently I discovered a couple of learning activities for Jacob and since he's starting kindergarten next August, I thought I would give them a shot. No pressure, just peaking his interest. :)

Lately he's been pointing to words and asking us what they say.
So when I came across this idea on Pinterest, I knew I had to make one!

please don't judge my drawing skills, i clearly don't have any! i wish i could free-hand and jazz it up a bit, i know it looks sad. :(

I wasn't sure how to explain/teach/educate, but I said each word aloud on the top row, and seriously, after the first time, Jacob could repeat most of them. And each time he got it right, he pulled a car into the spot.

He didn't like using just one car, so at one point the entire board was covered with cars.
So I then asked him to back out a car and tell me the revealed word. And he could with minimal help!

Now I want to find these words elsewhere (i.e. book, magazine, packaging, etc..) and see if he can recognize them. How fun! :)

Next is a fun activity for the Christmas season!
Jacob's teacher at pre-k encouraged us to work with him on his cutting skills.
So when I came across this idea, I knew it would be perfect!
I made our version with a cupcake topper of Santa's face glued to an Excel spreadsheet that I cut to size.
It's not perfect, but it will work! ;)

After each day, he's to cut along the line. Pretty neat, huh? :)

Hopefully all of the ~~hours~~ time I spend on Pinterest will pay off! :)

Thanksgiving {small} Recap

2011-11-26T14:41:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.
We traveled to my parents house and spent a couple of days with them.

I only took a couple of photos while we were there...

My mom had her table nicely decorated.

A couple of desserts on the buffet table.

I think that picture is at least 30yrs old.

I'm glad she still has it, maybe she'll give it to me someday ;)

After lunch, the kiddos played.

And made some crafts.

And that's where it ends.

That's all I have to show for Thanksgiving 2011. :)

**********

I have put away all the fall decorations and Kris has pulled Christmas down from the attic.

Jacob is so excited!

I have a feeling Levi is going to be into everything.

We shall see! Prove me wrong little man!!! :)

how is this comfortable?

Fireman Birthday Party!

2011-11-21T20:06:00.000-06:00

Saturday we attended a birthday party for Jacob's good friend, Caleb.

Melody had the cutest table setting with a fireman theme.

But before the party at his house, we met at a nearby fire station to take a tour! How cool is that?!

All the kids enjoyed climbing in and out, in and out, of the fire truck. :)

The firemen were so nice to all the kids!!

We had a wonderful time!

And just because... :)

Thanksgiving Program

2011-11-18T14:43:00.001-06:00

I just love all the cute little keepsakes Jacob brings home from school.

I can't wait to add this one to his file box.

Today was Jacob's Thanksgiving Program at school, his first ever.

He walked in wearing his hat proud!

"Hey mom!"

He did a really good job singing all the songs.

"Alright, show's over"

Proud of himself :)

Momma, Daddy, Meme and Levi were proud of you too, little Pilgrim!

School Pictures

2011-11-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Jacob's pre-school had pictures made a few weeks ago, and I thought his turned out so cute!

{I apologize for what looks like fuzz on his sweater. Apparently the glass on the scanner needs cleaning! HA!}

They were so kind to let me bring Levi and let him get his picture made with big brother.

I cannot look at this picture and not laugh!!!!

The crinkled nose gets me every time!!!!

Oh boys, momma loves you so!!!!

Storing School Paperwork

2011-11-11T07:21:00.001-06:00

I came across this idea on Pinterest on how to organize your child's {keepsake} school work and just knew I had to make one for each of my boys!!

Now that Jacob is in Pre-K, he brings home lots of cute paperwork, so this works perfect.

Her version is better color coordinated than mine, but it works ;)

I got my file box at Office Depot.

I love the free labels you download to make a folder for each grade!

What's just as cute is a cover sheet per folder/grade!!! Also a free download!!

Jacob had school pictures a couple of weeks ago, the above is a sneak peak. :)

Books are fun!

2011-11-10T16:49:00.002-06:00

We received another package yesterday. I wonder what it could be!?

Two little books!

He asked if Levi could have one. So thoughtful!! :)

There was a nice note inside from 2 little girls from Oklahoma City- so sweet!

Today our doorbell rang again.

He sure is enjoying opening the packages! :)

It's not too late to join the children's book swap if you're interested.

Makin' Muffins

2011-11-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Jacob asked Kris if they could make some muffins. So sweet!

I reminded them they needed their hair nets, per Meme. :)

He's such a good helper

He was so excited. Oh the little things in life :)

Ta da!

Children's Book Swap

2011-11-08T15:34:00.000-06:00

A children's book swap is circulating and I entered Jacob.

I thought it would be so fun for him to receive packages in the mail.

He got his first book today!

He received "The Littlest Pilgrim"

How appropriate, eh? :)

The premise is to send 1 book to a child, add your child's name, then send to 6 friends and they do the same.

In return, your child should receive 36 books for sending 1 - if everyone participates.

I totally understand that not everyone can do this. I bought our book to send online to avoid the post office. I had a couple of friends unable to join, so I'm needing a few more participants.
If you're interested, please email me and I will forward you the directions.

Should be fun!

kestewa@hotmail.com

Final First Friday

2011-11-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

Last night was the final First Friday at our downtown Square.

With the toyland theme, you can imagine how many kids were there! It was very over whelming!
Every parent was constantly making sure they had their kids!
Between all the corralling, I was able to snap a few pics.

Jacob saw this exact same toy in the toy catalog by Target, and naturally wants it for Christmas.
But I can probably guess Santa isn't going to bring it with its $60 price tag.

The Power Rangers were there, not sure if Jacob knew who they were.

Batman was there too!

Got to see a really big crayon :)

Kate sorta got her picture made with Barbie :)

'Big' Little People

We have this same dog at home, but a tad smaller ;)

The highlight {and our main reason for going} was to see Mater!

And McQueen!

They were roped off, so we couldn't get next to them for a picture, but we sure did try!

Jacob asked me if McQueen talked. hehe!
The place was NUTS, but I'm glad they got to see them.

p.s. Thank you Levi for being a great sport and sitting so well in your stroller while momma whipped you around shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and maneuvered you over heavy electrical cords which may have caused some whip lash. You're the best!

Little Climber

2011-11-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

It appears Levi may be our daredevil.

While we were redoing Jacob's bedroom, his train table got pushed around the room.

I made the mistake of having it at the end of the bed, and someone decided to climb onto it, then onto the bed, and then fell off. Doh!

So I pushed it against a wall, but that didn't stop him from climbing onto it, but then he figured out he had nowhere to go.

We have a small chair in the living room, and Levi discovered he can stand on it too!

Well guess what, since that chair is next to the coffee table, let's climb onto it too!

we were on our way to swim class, that's why he's wearing his swim shirt

But sometimes he can melt my heart with his little 'cheese' smile

And can make me laugh wearing his new 'jeans' :)

A case of these were marked down to $9, so I thought why not! :)

I have a feeling this one is going to keep us on our toes!

Weekend Festivities

2011-11-02T15:22:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday evening our church had Blocktoberfest - aka mini carnival.

We bundled up and met the Winberrys there.

Jacob loved hanging out with Caleb.

"Do you think we're tall enough?"

Little brother was getting antsy in the stroller, so we let him stretch his legs.

Riding in the trucks

Me and Melody

Remember riding the motorcycles?? I do! One of my favorites!! Jacob liked honking the horn.

Can you hear it? Reek reek reek :)

I couldn't get them both to look at me at the same time.

Then they spotted a firetruck. Not sure if getting your picture in it was part of the festivities, but we did!

Too excited to look at the camera :)

We ended the night in the bouncy house.
Almost looks like that little boy was knocked down.
Poor little fella. I'm sure it wasn't one of our boys :)

I can't believe it's now November. I put away the Halloween decorations and hung this banner I made using this free printable I found on Pinterest.

I'm all about the banners these days.
And that particular site has a few for the major holidays if you'd like to download like myself :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

Jacob has been asking for days if it's 'time to trick or treat'.

Finally today was the day!

His shirt glows in the dark which he thinks is soooo neat!

I tried to get a picture with little brother in his halloween shirt too, but this is the best I could get.

Finally it was time to put on our costumes!

Aargh Matey!!

Levi looking adorable! He actually kept the hat on longer than I thought he would!

Jacob wore this in 2008 at 19mos (Levi is 16mos and had to squeeze in it. HA!)

Loved that both boys paid tribute to Kris who served in the Navy after high school.

Here's Jacob:

Each year we trick or treat with Beth and her bunch in their neighborhood.

Me and my little sailor man!

Kate was a fairy and Luke was a storm trooper

Tried to get a picture of the kiddos. Luke had already taken his costume off and Levi had had enough. :)

Good times!

Headband & Hero

2011-10-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

Levi loves to snatch my headband anytime it's in arm's reach.

I laughed the first time I saw him do it because he knew just what to do.

I wear it when I brush my teeth to hold my hair back and when I put on makeup.

I guess he picked up on that. ;)

He also snatched the measuring tape.

He walked around the house for a good 10mins before taking it off :)

Jacob got this cape last year at Christmas from Aunt B

He told me he wanted to be a super hero, so I reminded him he had a cape.

He's flying here :)

It was a coincidence they were both wearing blue and gray

Sweet brothers... well, when they want to be ;)

p.s. I caught Levi putting an entire roll of toilet paper in the toilet.

In fact, there were 3!

Jacob's Bedroom

2011-10-27T21:21:00.001-05:00

We are about 85% finished with Jacob's big-boy bedroom transformation.

He's been in a full-size bed for almost 2yrs, but we've never decorated his room per se.

Once it's complete, I will share some pics.

I love reading posts of taking an item and transforming it in some fashion.

I found this lamp base at a thrift store for $3.

I snatched it up figuring it could easily be painted and that is what we Kris did. :)

I bought a lampshade and Kris covered it with the same fabric he used to make a cornice box for the window.

{I had zero patience to wrap that shade!}

The dresser is from the nursery set we bought when he was a baby(crib, dresser, changing table).

We figured he could continue to use it ~~until he's a teenager~~.

{this is actually Levi's. his is a tad different at the bottom- i forgot to take a before pic of Jacob's.

Again, Kris to the rescue, he sanded and painted it.

Red is Jacob's favorite color so I figured this could be the pop of color in his room.

But I tell you right now, I am the one who spray painted the knobs and re-installed. Go me! :)

The subway art in the frame was a free printable I found on pinterest and last week Walgreens had a free 8x10 print special (thanks Mel), so this baby was FA-REE!!

And I already had the frame - it's not staying there btw.

Also in the pic above is a peak of the chair rail Kris installed.

The top color is driftwood grey by Glidden.

I'm seeing grey all over Pinterest, so we jumped on that bandwagon.

I am having a hard time figuring out what to put on the walls.
I want fun, whimsical boy things, so I made a pennant banner and I have a couple of other little things, but his room has a really long wall, and it needs something! I am not a decorator so this stresses me out!

I'm all over Pinterest but if you have any ideas, please share. Pictures would be great too ;)

Pumpkin Patch Comparisons

2011-10-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Just a little stroll down memory lane...

2008

2009

2010

2011

2010

2011

2008 & 2009

2010 & 2011

Love seeing the changes, but the boys are growing too fast!!!!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch on Sunday after church.

This is our 4th year in a row to go to Right Choices.

The older kids liked the corn box

The littlest, not so much

"Why did you put me in this?"

Next up was the hay ride.

No one looking at me...

This is the "I should be napping" look

Lukey being silly

So sweet

She loves her Levi

Me and Beth. Let me stop here for a second:

1). Yes, I am wearing a shirt

2). Why hasn't anyone ever told me these sunglasses are too big for my face? They go above my brows!

Jacob loved this!

Being silly

The slide!

Levi's turn :)

He was not sure about it!

Family shot take 1

Take 2

Cow train ride!

Oh this picture makes me laugh! :)

This one too :)
Kris looks thrilled.

Picture with the pumpkins :)

Since this is picture overload, I'll stop here.

I love to look at the past years and see how much the kids have grown, so I'll do a separate post for it.

Skating Birthday Party

2011-10-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

Saturday was Kate's birthday party at the skating rink.

The cake was all Kate. She loves purple and pink. And she loves all things princess and now skating ;)

Beth made cute favor bags

One of the things inside was a miniature whoopie cushion.

When Jacob pulled it out he said, "oh look a ribbon" :)

As in a 1st, 2nd place ribbon... ha!

Birthday girl! She looked precious!

Jacob had never been skating before.
He loved it for a little bit, then told me he was done and played air hockey the rest of the time.

Luke having fun with Meme

Then it was time for Limbo!

These two are becoming inseparable.

Then it was time for pizza!

Then cake time! This look is priceless! I'm not sure what was going through her head. I'll have to ask Beth.

Making a wish!

Oh, and yours truly rockin' some skates ~~acting like I was 12 again~~!

When Jacob saw me, he exclaimed, "MOMMY, you have skates on!!" So funny!
Oh, and for those that asked to see my hair.. there was not much change, just touched up the roots. :)

Action shot! HA! :)

Kate asked instead of gifts that you donate to Talbey's medical fund.
She made $550!!! Praise the Lord!

Love you and your big heart, Kate!

Happy 5th Birthday Kate!

2011-10-23T08:26:00.010-05:00

H*A*P*P*Y

5th

B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y

K*A*T*E!!!

I cannot believe my favorite niece is 5 years old today!!!

Seems like just yesterday...

funny story: during one of my visits, john took beth for a walk (she had a c-section) and they left me in the room alone with kate. i said sure, go ahead.
but inside i was praying, "please don't cry!!!!" :) i had never been around babies before.
{i know you can't tell, but i was 4mos prego with jacob in this pic} :)

Kate is such a smart, funny little girl. She is the next best thing of me having my own little girl.

I love her to pieces!!!

Happy Birthday Kate!!!
Love watching you grow!!

Love Uncle Kris, Aunt Sissy, Jacob and Levi

Levi's First Haircut

2011-10-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

Levi had a playdate yesterday with Anna, my hair dresser's little girl.

While she was here, she put color on my hair and gave Levi his first hair cut!
Talk about convenient! :)

He did really good. Squirmed a tad, but no fuss which was good.

The rat tail is gone!

But I kept it :)

Lookin' like a little man, no more baby :(

Hey Momma!

And after

Halloween Decisions

2011-10-18T22:03:00.001-05:00

For Halloween this year, Levi has 3 options (not that I'm asking him - HA!).

And as you could have guessed, 2 are hand-me downs.

I promise the child will not always wear them!

We tried them on last night and have decided which he'll be, so I thought I would show you the runner ups.

Coming in at #3 is Super Levi!!!!!

This was Luke's costume. I wish I could find a picture of him in it.

#2 is Scarecrow Levi!

He was done with the costumes by this point.

This one was never worn.

Jacob didn't participate in Halloween 2009 because he was sick, but this would of been him ;)

He is so stinkin' cute! I can't stand it!!!

Can't wait to show you our top pick! :)

Can't forget big brother. Here is a sneak peak of his costume - which he LOVES!

I think he would sleep in it!

Oh I just love dressing them in costumes!! Can't wait!!

Weekend Recap

2011-10-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

The boys and I had a wonderful time at Meme and Papaw's house this weekend.

I could not ask for better travelers! They both did great!!!

Jacob spent a lot of time outside!

And someone got their very first 4wheeler ride!

I think Jacob was telling Papaw to be careful :)

No smiles, but lots of waves!!!!

Sweet brother. When Jacob was riding, he would wave to him too.

My view as we were walking back inside

Here's a funny story about my crazy mother. The woman loves her corning ware.

I opened a cabinet door to get something out, and saw this.

Then I opened the other door

But literally laughed out loud when I saw this :)

Levi is now starting to warm up to grass.

He usually doesn't like walking on it.

I hate that we missed seeing Kelley and her girls.

Between nap time and then her little one getting sick, we didn't get a chance to meet up.

I hope Mady is feeling better!!!

Boys all around

2011-10-14T18:57:00.002-05:00

Jacob got his haircut this week. And there might have been some bribing since he throws the biggest fits.

Uh, how old are you kid?! Luckily Kris said he didn't throw a fit, just did a lot of squirming.

A stylist's dream I'm sure. HA! Right Kimmie? :)

Hopefully we've turned a corner!!! (he has a crazy cowlick!)

In honor of Christopher Columbus, they made these hats in school. I asked for a smile...

Cousin Luke came over this afternoon. He and Jacob played so well together and shared a snack.

{watching Nemo}

Can't forget sweet Levi.

This little monkey decided to start his day today at 4:30AM! This has never happened before.

We've gone sooo long on a good sleeping pattern that it shocked me to hear him crying over the monitor. Once I picked him up he was fine and was ready to play. Don't think so mister.

He's starting to say 'cheese' when I grab the camera.

I was sitting on the floor, so he decided to come sit next to me.

Both my mom and sister told me not to cut the curls, but I gotta do something about the tail.
I mean, look at it.

This was after a bath, so it's a little damp.

You should see it when it's completely wet and it's flowing down his neck. So funny.

The boys and I are heading to my parents this weekend. Kris has to work :(

But if you ask him, he may give you a :)

Kelley, if you're free, I'd love to meet up with ya and your sweet girls.

Sorry for the late notice, it's a spur of the moment trip!

Seat, Curls and Skate

2011-10-11T22:09:00.003-05:00

Jacob thought it was so funny when Levi decided to take a seat on him.
This is Levi's new smile too. Crinkles up that nose :)

And I guess the curls are finally coming off.
I have a play date next week scheduled with my hair dresser and her little girl Anna.
I told her to bring her scissors :(

can those eyelashes be any longer?!

My niece Kate is turning 5 this month!!

I cannot believe it! She is the first grandchild and I remember patiently waiting for her arrival. :)

My sister, Beth, made these cute party invitations.

Aren't the pom poms so cute!?!?!? I love it!!!!

And look at her sweet request. What a big heart she has!!!

Oh, and this is my kinda party! Back in the day, Beth and I and our friends, another set of sisters, used to skate every single Saturday, 12-4pm. My mom would drop us off, and their mom would pick us up.

Till this day, I can hear a particular song and think, "I used to skate to that song." :)
That makes me laugh :)

I just hope I still got my skating skillz :) Can't wait!

Gettin My Craft On

2011-10-10T16:33:00.001-05:00

I found a simple craft project on Pinterest that I thought I would try.

I have a couple of tips to share if you decide to make one:

-Glue your ribbon to the back of your letter before gluing the candy corn. Just makes it easier to do.

-I wished I had spray painted my letter black to go along with Halloween colors because you can see some of it through the candy corn. Oh well...

Ta da!!! :)

please ignore the dirty kitchen in the background :)

Last Thursday Melody had Jacob and I over (Levi was at home napping with Kris) for a play/craft date.

She spotted this craft project on Pinterest and asked if we wanted to make.

source

She had a cute little spread waiting for us.

She has the cutest Halloween decorations throughout her house

Since it was windy outside, we set up shop inside

And here is our finished ghost.

Per Kris, we added a mouth :)

It was a quick and easy project, however, I'm saddened to say our ghost is shrinking.

When we got up this morning, it was slumping. I guess we didn't use enough liquid starch? I dunno.
I even sprayed hair spray on it once I got it home to help hold it up. As I said earlier, oh well... :)

Saturday Scene

2011-10-08T22:07:00.001-05:00

I thought this angle of Levi was funny.

His head looks so big, but I was trying to get a picture of his shoes.
Aren't they precious? Thanks Lukie!

Our neighbors have two huge ~~horses~~ great dane dogs and the fence between us is due to be replaced.

They love to stand on their hind legs and look over the fence. Yes, they are that big!

Well the fence is starting to lean because of this, and now the boards are coming down.

Jacob was playing outside and he came in and said, "mommy, the dog is trying to come over."

***************************

I was so excited to put on a pair of jeans today that are 2 sizes smaller than what I was wearing a couple of months ago. Kris and I have been watching what we're eating and trying to make better decisions. Kris has lost 20lbs and I'm see-sawing between 13-15. It feels great, but I've got a long way to go.

Kris went to the Razorback game tonight and on my way home from my sisters with the boys, I stopped and got Chick-fil-A.

I knew it wasn't a good choice, but I figured I would share with Levi and I didn't get fries.

Anywho... upon coming to a stop after I got off our exit, I noticed a woman with a sign that said 'Tired and Hungry'. I looked in my review mirror, because I knew she would have to cross a couple of lanes to get to me, made sure it was safe, and rolled down my window and held out the bag of food. She came over, took the bag and I said oh, here's a drink too. She said, "God bless you" and I drove away.

I'm not saying this to toot my own horn, but it felt so good to give.

I know some people may not trust people in that situation, but I felt led to help.

I encourage everyone to help when they can.

I knew Jacob would wonder what I was doing, and of course he had questions.

He asked, "where's your food mommy?"

I told him I gave it away and he asked why.

I said because she was hungry. And he said mommy you have to eat.

I said it's ok, I'll find something at home.

Thoughtful boy. I hope we teach our boys the importance of helping others and not to take anything for granted.

Friday Randoms

2011-10-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my friend Melody, I added a spider she saw at Walmart to my wreath.

I had a small, rubber spider before. I like how this one pops! Thanks Mel!

There are a few fundraisers being held for Talbey, and I recently bought the boys a cinch sack from Thirty-One. Proceeds benefiting Talbey.

I love when people take an old piece of furniture and transform it into something of their own.

I came across this headboard for $5 at a local thrift store.

My first instinct was to sand/paint for Jacob's bedroom.

Can't wait to show you the finished piece!

Our church is having a FNO (Friday Night Out) tonight which means the hubs and I have a date!

Whoo Hooo!!!!! :)

Thankful

2011-10-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

I know Thanksgiving is over a month away, but I am feeling very thankful.

Some are big, some are little, but I thought I would list what I'm thankful for:

*I'm thankful Talbey was discharged from Arkansas Childrens' Hospital this week!

THANK YOU JESUS!!!

Please keep the Ahlum family in your prayers as they now adjust to their new life.

*I'm thankful Kris had this week off from work. It has been great to spend time with him.

He is a great handy-man and has done a lot around the house during his 'vacation'. Thank you lovebug!

*I'm thankful Levi is such a sweet precious baby.

He simply lets us lay him down at nap or at night with no fuss.

This I do not take for granted!!

*I'm thankful Jacob is excited about school, swim class. He enjoys learning and that makes my heart smile.

*I'm thankful the Lord has been our provider and has allowed me to stay home with the boys.

*I am thankful for running water.

Kris had to turn the main water line off while he repaired the faucet in the tub (see #2 above).

Of course during that time I needed water, and I was counting down the minutes until it was fixed while so many people around the world live without it everyday. Bless them Lord.

*I am thankful I was raised in a Christian home and my mom and dad helped me ask Jesus into my heart.

Big Helper

2011-10-04T15:32:00.000-05:00

"Let me take a look here, and see what the problem is."

"Yeah, I think the thermostat needs to be replaced, Ma'am."

"Might need to get some help from my assistant."

"That'll be on the house."

Sorry sir, I must pay you with lots of kisses & many hugs for such a wonderful job!

Sweet lil Stinker

2011-10-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack in blogging, no particular reason why... just kinda got into a slump.

We are enjoying some unseasonably warm weather.
Jacob continues to play outside in the dirt which results in multiple baths.

Hair is outta control, I know.

He's doing really well in {pre}school. He is a quick learner, Kris made the comment the other day that he hopes Jacob is not bored in kindergarten. :)

Speaking of his skillz, look what he did on the windowsill in our bedroom:

That is the very first time he's ever done that.

Took 4.5yrs, surprised it hasn't happened sooner, but it will be his last too!!

I texted this picture to Kris at work and his replay was, "well, at least his 2s and 3s are getting better." :)

Even though he can be rotten, he can also be sweet.

I love how Levi is just lounging. :)

Momma loves her boys!

Thursday Randoms

2011-09-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday after church, the sky was very orange-y.

Just before Levi was heading to the bath, I noticed this :)

He finally learned how to hike his leg over and sit on the zebra :)

Jacob and Kris had fun the other day and went to a matinee to see Lion King.

Jacob has seen it 100 times on DVD, and Kris said he quoted it a lot during the movie :)

This picture cracks me up. I immediately asked why his shirt was tucked in. :)

Hope you are having a great week!

Way Back When-esday

2011-09-21T16:12:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd take ya'll back, waaaaaay back to the early/mid 80s :)

I'm between 8-10 years old

Exhibit A:

Attending a mother / daughter banquet at church, and for some reason had to wear a silly hat.

Exhibit B:

Here I am (next to the teacher) standing proud as a Daisy. Did your church have those? :)

Guess we are reciting the Daisy moto? :)

Exhibit C:

After a Daisy, I had graduated to a Prim.

I have zero recollection of this picture. Nor do the props behind me ring a bell.

I do remember this uniform itching me to death!

If the first picture didn't tell ya, I was a very shy kid. Sheesh Kimberley, stand up straight, it's just a picture!!

When I see myself as a Daisy and a Prim, I think to myself, why only one lonely badge? LOL

I'm going to bet I had more, it's just that my mother didn't sew them on for me :)

I hope you have enjoyed a few laughs ~~at my expense~~ :)

Halloween Wreath

2011-09-20T14:08:00.001-05:00

I spend way too much time on Pinterest.

But there are so many neat ideas, recipes, you name it, out there!

Leslie, Melody and myself got together last night for a craft night.

We were each making a Halloween wreath.

This was my inspiration found on Pinterest.

I gave it a whirl and here is the finished product.

Click here for a tutorial.

Thanks ladies for a fun evening.

Spirit Night

2011-09-19T13:31:00.002-05:00

Thought I'd give an update on sweet little Talbey.

The main focus at this point is still his kidneys.

He's able to drink, but still needs a feeding tube.

He has also began physical therapy.

One of the biggest highlights recently was to take a ride in a wagon.

First time to be out of his bed. Big brother Gavin (5) got to spend some time with him pulling him around.

You know Gavin misses his playing buddy.

Here is a cute tshirt they are selling to help with medical costs.

Also there was a fundraiser (Spirit Night) at our local Chick-Fil-A.

The turnout was impressive!! So many are supporting this sweet boy and his family.

I read on the facebook page that the staff at CFA was overwhelmed with how many were there but were very thankful for the organizers/volunteers how helped serve, clean tables, etc...

Here is Talbey and his mom, Kari, who finally got to hold him after 18 very long days.

I wanted to share so you could put a face to your prayer. :)

She is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

She owns a little boutique in town with the cutest things.

One of her most popular items is a hat with rosettes.

At the Spirit Night, a few of us wore ours :)

Levi was in a great mood. I think he's starting to develop his love for Chick-Fil-A like his brother :)

Also, for anyone who's interested, you can find 'Healing For Talbey' on facebook and read all the updates and give some encouragement to the family. There are also a couple of sweet videos.

Thanks always for your prayers.

Silly Levi

2011-09-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

This is how I'm finding Levi most days... with something on his head.

He is lovin' this headset.

May I take your order?

Guess something was funny!

It's turned chilly here, y'all!

I spent a good hour going through both of the boys' closets switching summer clothes for fall.

Thought Levi needed some warmer pajamas and remembered we had these.

please excuse the daycare scene in the background, that's just how we roll right now in life :)

I can't believe it's now almost October!? How in the world??

Can't believe we're discussing Halloween costumes!

Levi is pretty much set. Yes, it will be a hand-me-down.

When I ask Jacob what he wants to be he says pirate. I think I can do that.

Love this time of year!

How Great Thou Art

2011-09-16T07:54:00.004-05:00

Jacob still talks about Vacation Bible School he attended back in July.

I bought both the music CD and DVD to the songs they sang that week.

We (Jacob and myself) have every.single.song.memorized. Not kidding, all 10 of them!

Oh, and there's hand motions, and we know those too!

We listen and/or watch every day!

Funny story: We listen to the CD in the car on the way to school.

When I pick Jacob up in the afternoons he remembers what song was playing from the morning and asks me if we can finish song # ___. How does he remember this?!?! :)

He was singing this song so sweetly, then when I got the video camera out he decided to be silly. Go figure!

I hope this makes you smile as it does my heart!! :)

p.s. please excuse the dirty face :)

15 mos

2011-09-15T08:40:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've done a comparison of the boys at the same age, so here they both are at 15 mos (well, Levi will be 15 mos next week).

See any similarities? :)

Boys having fun

2011-09-13T21:53:00.000-05:00

There's a new sheriff in town :)

Oh he makes us smile!

He's been putting a lot of things on his head and walking around the house. He found one of Kris' ballcaps.

Jacob started swimming classes this week. He loves wearing his goggles. :)

We've been walking in the evenings since the weather has cooled off, and we remembered we had this little car that was Jacob's for Levi to now ride in. He loved it, and Jacob loved pushing him.

Here is Jacob in it back in 2008. This little baby grew up too fast!

Oh I love my boys!

Our Saturday

2011-09-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon, while Levi was napping, I decided to climb into the attic and get down my fall decor.

Our dining room table is rarely used, so instead of placing decor throughout the house, I built a tablescape. :)

I might add candy corn to the canisters. Not sure... The big scarecrow caught me off guard last night, and I had to take a second look. :)

Jacob's new thing is to play outback in front of the shed because there is no grass, just dirt!

A little boy's dream. :) The old me would've told him to get out of the dirt, but I know he is having fun, so he played and played forever... in dirt!

I stripped him down and he went straight to the bath afterwards ;)

My niece Kate is playing soccer, and she had her first game Saturday.

Beth forgot to remind me, so we missed it, but here are a few pictures I stole from John. :)

She scored a goal!!

"Good game, good game"

Later that evening, we went over to their house to watch the Hogs play.

Then we made s'mores!

It was such a nice night!

Catch Up

2011-09-08T11:18:00.000-05:00

Thank you for praying with me for Talbey.

He's been on my heart so much these last 2weeks, so I haven't been blogging much.

It just hits home since I have boys close to his age.

So I have been enjoying every second with them.

I've let the dishes sit and the clothes pile up.

I'd rather be on the floor with them in my lap reading a book and telling stories.

*************

Yesterday, while Jacob was at school, Levi had a play date with Anna.

He loved riding in her Flintstone car :)

these were taken with my phone

Last weekend, Beth, Kate and myself ran to JCPenney.

We had to get a stroller for Baby Tiana. :)

I've been surfing Pinterest for ideas for Jacob's bedroom. He needs a redo so bad.

I thought I'd see if I had anything around the house that I could turn into something else.

I had this cheap picture.

That I turned into a chalkboard :)

There were some imperfections, so I added ribbon around the boarder.

I wrote his name, then he wanted to do it :)

Hopefully he will have a new bedroom before the end of the year ;)

Healing for Talbey

2011-09-07T08:48:00.000-05:00

Last week I asked for prayer in this post for sweet Talbey.

I'm saddened to share he had to have both legs amputated from the knee down.

There was no life in the muscle tissue, and now there's concern did they amputate low enough. The doctors will assess the incision location to determine if the muscle tissue there is healthy, if not, they will need to amputate higher.

He is also battling a fever and on dialysis. Please lift up Talbey in all your prayers.

This sweet boy needs to be on everyone's prayer chain. He needs healing.

Please also lift up Kari and Doug and this new road they are on.

They are strong, but they're also human and I know they are hurting.

They are glad to have their boy, and in their words are "ok with losing a limb to preserve life".

Thank you for joining me in prayer. Talbey has a hard road ahead but I believe God is going to do BIG things with his life.

Look at that sweet shirt

Be healed Talbey

Accent Vlog

2011-08-31T22:30:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the Accent Vlog that's going around in the blog world?

I saw it on Jenna's blog, and basically it gives you the opportunity to hear other bloggers' accent.

It's been so fun to hear everyone, so go to her blog to check them out.

Later she came back and had her husband do one, so I thought it would be fun for Kris and I to do one together.

Here is what you do, say:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting Image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

So here we are (eeek!) :)

Untitled from Kimberley Key on Vimeo.

Very Heavy Heart

2011-08-30T18:18:00.000-05:00

My sister Beth has a good friend, Kari, who is in her playgroup. I've had the privilege of meeting her a few times and she's as sweet as can be. She met us at the movies a couple of weeks back when we went to see The Help - August 16th.

She has three boys - Gavin 5, Talbey 3 and Graham 4months.

Last Thursday, the 25th, Talbey was rushed to Arkansas Childrens' Hospital where he remains today fighting for his life.

They had a hard time determining what was wrong with him and finally discovered it was Septic Shock.

He is now in a medically-induced coma. The latest and biggest threat is circulation to his extremities. His sweet little legs and toes are not receiving enough blood flow necessary and were wrapped by the Burn Unit to assist with circulation and help with infection. Can you imagine?

My heart is hurting because I know Kari and I have boys. They are living in a hotel room and fortunately have family helping with the other 2 sons, but since she is still nursing Graham, she is going back and forth a lot. I know she is exhausted.

There is a facebook page that a family member has created to post all the details. God is answering prayers and precious Talbey is making progress, but its baby steps, and they are not out of the woods yet.

I'm asking anyone who reads this, to please stop what you're doing and bow you head and pray.

I know I'm not very specific in this post with all the details involved and I apologize, I just ask that you join me in praying that his little body be healed! Amen and amen!

Please also lift up Kari and Doug, they are tired... they are hurting. They are holding tight onto their faith and giving God all the glory for all the small, but mighty improvements.

I took these pictures off the facebook page, just look at this sweet face.

Thank you joining me in prayer.

GNO

2011-08-29T22:08:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was lucky enough to attend a much needed Girls' Night Out!

Anita and Mandisa were here at a local church and I went with Melody & Dallas,

And my sissy

I was familiar with Anita's work, but she was much funnier than I expected. I laughed A LOT!!

And Mandisa was wonderful! That girl has some pipes!!!

I had so much fun and I was definitely BLESSSED!!!

So glad I was able to experience this and with such great ladies!!

Reasons to smile!

2011-08-25T18:58:00.000-05:00

I am very happy with Jacob's new preschool.

I adore his teacher, she is a sweet older lady.

He is bringing home papers like this. Oh it makes me smile! :)

He's really good about writing his name. Oh this makes me smile! :)

The letter C is probably one of the easiest letter to write, yet I have to smile because he writes it backwards. :)

Even though I'm smiling, I get a little teary eyed, because it just means he's growing up.

I am forever grateful to the inventor of the video camera because that is the only way I can remember him as a baby. Those days seem so long ago.

Thank you Jacob for always making me smile. Even when you dress yourself :)

Me and my little men

2011-08-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

This is another purchase from the consignment sale.

Jacob loves Cars!!

It's a tad short, it won't be his Halloween costume, but I figured he could play in it around the house.

Why is it so hard to get a 'normal' smile? Silly boy!

Here's a better one! Even though my hair is doing something funky.

Squeezin' my little love!!

Levi and I have a play date this morning with his girlfriend Anna. So fun!!
Have a great day!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-08-24T08:36:00.010-05:00

*I'm loving that the Pioneer Woman has her own show coming to the Food Network!!!!
Set your DVR for this Saturday, the 27th!!

*I'm loving (actually excited) that we enrolled Jacob into a swim class at the fitness center, AND Levi and myself are taking a Baby & Me swim class too!!

*I'm loving that I'm participating in the Rhea Lana consignment sell this week!
Fingers crossed for great sales!!!

*I'm loving that we have made 2 sells off Craigslist these last 2 weeks.
Thank you Lord for sending us a buyer each time!!

*I'm loving the movie The Help!! Saw it last week, it's definitely a must see!!

*I'm loving these veggie chips! And so much better for you!

*I'm loving that Jacob asked us to play Duck, Duck, Goose with him.

Kris and I just laughed!! Jacob too!! I'm sure that was a sight! :)

*I'm loving our canvas!!

*I'm loving that I'm down 8 lbs and Kris is down 9.5 lbs!

We are on our way to being the new, leaner Mr. & Mrs. Key :)

Happy Wednesday!

What tha?

2011-08-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

Confession

2011-08-22T19:42:00.001-05:00

I went back to Rhea Lana!

I'm pretty sure I spent my profit, and then some! HA!

It's all good though :)

The first time I went I didn't get Levi one thing.

Is that bad? Well I don't think so considering the child does not need any clothes.

But the 2nd trip, I figured I would see if I could find some Christmas pajamas in his size.

I'm a sucker for holiday pajamas!

I not only found Christmas pajamas, I found the exact same pair I bought Jacob yesterday!

See!

What are the odds? They are both in excellent condition too!

(The shirt says, "Dear Santa, Define Good") :)

Now I've never dressed the boys ALIKE, this is as close as it'll get (maybe).

I'm not against it, well to a certain age, just not something I do.

Every year since Jacob's first Christmas, I have sent out our Christmas card with Jacob (and now Levi) in front of our Christmas tree wearing Christmas pajamas. So I was excited to find the same pair to keep the tradition rollin'.

p.s. I bought 4 pairs of Christmas pajamas for Levi :)

Playing in the Park

2011-08-22T08:21:00.004-05:00

We went to the park this weekend and enjoyed some (somewhat) cooler weather.

Levi wasn't so sure about walking on turf

Big brother entertaining little brother

Daddy had fun too!

Love his little flyaways! I can't bring myself to cut his hair even though he has a rat tail in the back :)

See? :)

Jacob didn't have his first haircut until a few days shy of his 2nd birthday.

Pretty sure Levi will not last till then. :)

Consigning

2011-08-21T15:02:00.003-05:00

This was my first year to participate in the Rhea Lana Children's Consignment Event.

There is a lot of prep (wash/iron/hang/tag), but I figured I had nothing else to do, plus I'd make a little extra cash.

The sale opened today to the public, but yesterday I attended a pre-sale for consignors.

I thought I would just go 'see what they got'. :)

I came away with all of this!

{2 coats, 3 pairs of practically new pajamas, 4 pairs of jeans, 7 shirts, 3 Razorback sweatshirts and one Polo sweater}

I was so happy to stumble upon this for only $5!!!!

{it's much darker than what the picture shows}

And I'm sure you're saying I turned around and spent all my profit. HA! :)

I have this whole week to make money, so I won't know what I net out with until the end of the week, but I know I would've spent way much more had I bought these in the store.

I can check my sales online and I've already made $67. So here's to more sales this week!!! :)

Silly Boys

2011-08-18T12:09:00.000-05:00

Jacob started his new Preschool this week.

Here he is on his first day. Can't wait to see the difference on his last day.

He's holding his lunchbox behind his back. I asked him to show it to me, this is what I got. :)

At church last Sunday, Jacob got this whistle and Levi thinks it's a passy :)

He also found Jacob's pumpkin and has been carrying it around the house.

I hope he does this well at Halloween. :)

He was on a mission!

Love them to pieces!

More Family Photos

2011-08-16T17:51:00.001-05:00

Back in this post, I gave a little tease on the family photos we had made.

Well the rest are in... would you like to take a look? :)

One of my absolute FAVES! Look at those hazel eyes!!

Happy little fella!

Brotherly Love

I know I'm his momma, but how handsome is he?

I can see it now... the phone ringing in about 10yrs and a sweet girl's voice on the other end asking, "is Jacob there?" :)

I can just hear another little girl saying...

"Oh mom, there's this really cute boy in my class named Levi"

I LOVE the light in this one!!!

Levi would not stand, so he's sitting in all his pictures. Daddy was making him laugh here.

I got a 20x30 canvas of this one.
When the hubs hangs it, I'll take a pic.

Working the camera

Melt my heart!!

If you're in the NWA area, I recommend Bethany at A Southern Eye
She was great to work with!

Being a mom...

2011-08-15T15:56:00.000-05:00

... I

* have known what it means to love so much it hurts

*have prayed harder than ever before

*have said things like, 'because I said so' and 'pull up your underwear'

{Jacob}

*have learned that being a stay-at-home mom means it's OK to stay home

*have caught vomit in my hand

*have learned to pick my battles

*love the smell of baby feet

*can survive on a few hours of sleep

*can change a diaper in the dark (half asleep too)

*have a really high-pitched voice on video

*catch myself staring at my boys

*understand the value of my mom's love for me

*can eat standing over the kitchen sink

*don't judge other moms

*have a living will

*have WebMD as a favorite site

*cry at the drop of a hat

*love being Jacob and Levi's momma

*need to step out behind the camera{more}

I thank God for giving me not one, but two precious little men.
How lucky am I!!

Let brotherly love continue
Hebrews 13:1

My big boy

2011-08-13T19:52:00.000-05:00

Jacob starts a new preschool next week.

He'll be going Tues-Wed-Thurs.

Something new that we'll have to start doing is packing his lunch.

He's excited about carrying a lunchbox.

He also cannot wear sandals/flip flips, so today we went to the shoe store, had his foot measured, and bought a couple pairs of shoes. They were having a great sale, buy one, get one free.

So I bought a bigger size for next year (laces too - we'll have to teach him how to tie his shoes).

His foot measured an 11. Uh, when did he become such a big boy? :(

We also bought one of those kindergarten mats.

He wanted to try it out, on the kitchen floor I might add :)

{fyi - I'm 99% certain he will never take a nap on it}

Somehow he managed to get a chocolate milk goatee :)

The kid has talent.

This time next year we will be getting ready for kindergarten!

Wasn't I just in the hospital having him!?!?!?!