Cookies on a Cold Day

We have been trying to stay warm and entertained over the past few days since it has been sub-zero outside. Carter's school was closed yesterday, so we decided to bake sugar cookies! It is a new hobby for us as I bought 3 lbs of cookie mix at Sam's Club and now am the proud owner of a tub full of cookie cutters for every holiday and occasion. Can you say--sweet tooth? Anyway, Carter had fun mixing, rolling, cutting and frosting our delicious treats and Davis enjoyed the end results.

my little baker man, complete with apron and spatula

Enjoying getting my hands messy

Frosting!

My very own cookie--yum!!

A cookie-loving dog sits by to catch a stray morsel.

I loved every bite!

The finished product! We made snowflakes and airplanes, although here they look more like dead birds and flowers. Guess we'll have to practice some more!

More Than a Desk

When Carter was still a baby, my grandfather refinished this old school desk for him. We had actually put it into the attic and, honestly, kind of forgot about it...until recently. Carter loves sitting at his desk to color or paint & Davis loves to come over and get into whatever his big brother is working on. I know the boys will get hours and hours of use and enjoyment from this very special gift. Thank you, Grandpa Ted!

Mimi to the rescue!

My mom was kind enough to come stay with us and help take care of the boys this past week. Sean went to Las Vegas for a work-related event and I needed someone to watch the boys so I could go to work. Mom cooked, cleaned, did laundry, read stories and kept the boys entertained while I did my work/sleep thing. Also, a big thanks to Aunt Debbie who stayed with mom on Friday & Saturday night to help out.

I feel like a broken record at times, but we are sure grateful for the endless love and support from all of our parents and other family members. They say it "takes a village to raise a child" and I wholeheartedly agree. Without grandparents swooping in to rescue tired mommies and daddies from their daily duties, where would we all be?! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! We are so fortunate to have you all in our lives.

Bed time!

Was I Right?

Remember that cute little storage shelf I posted the other day? Well, here it is a few minutes after the boys discovered that all the little cubbies hold hidden treasures...lovely.

We Have a Dog?

As I have mentioned before, our poor dog has taken a back-seat in the attention department since our boys came into the picture. Luckily, Macey is a sweet-tempered dog and so good with the boys, so we keep her around. I thought I would give her a "shout out" on the blog since she has been particularly good lately.

How could you resist this face? (If you could smell her, you would resist her!)

Just a random photo of Davis without pants on...

Can I have a necklace like this, mom?

My Boys

Love my sweet and handsome boys...wouldn't you?!

Davis sure loves his "Da Da".

Davis 13 months, Carter 3 years

Davis in the Bucket

Davis was very determined to get a toy from the bottom of the big black bucket today. I just happened to have my camera handy...enjoy! He certainly gave me a good laugh and don't worry, no toddlers were injured in the process.

Check out the sweet monster socks. A hand-me-down from Carter.

Finally got what I wanted!

Bend It Like Beilman

Sean has been taking Carter to soccer practice for a few weeks now and he seems to really enjoy it. He is in a group just for beginners in his age group. They have cute little jerseys and run around for an hour playing games and learning the basics about the game. Anything we can do to burn off some of that endless energy!

Sean said the kid with the star cut-out in his hair is really good.

Apparently the coach told the kids to stay on one side of these cones and when he wasn't looking, Carter re-arranged all of the cones to move the line back so they could have more room. Sean said he couldn't help but laugh. Luckily, Carter didn't see him...the last thing he needs in encouragement to be ornery.

Just taking a moment to hydrate.

Party weekend

The boys had two birthday parties this past weekend and boy did we party! Both were at big play places with jumpy castles and slides galore. Since we are stuck at home today with below-freezing temps outside, I am glad we had plenty of time to run off some steam over the past few days.

This was taken shortly before Davis shoved an entire cupcake into his mouth. About half made it down the chute and the other half was crumbled on the ground for mommy to clean up.

I parked him on the floor with a steady supply of snacks so he didn't eat the craft project. What a stinker!

The Cutest Little Storage Solution You Ever Did See

So...I know this is a really dorky thing to post, but I am in LOVE with this new storage shelf for the boys' toys. We used our Target gift card from Grandma Nancy & Grandad today and came home with this:

I will enjoy it tonight because tomorrow, the boys will have it torn to pieces in no time.

Play Date

We got to see Grandad and Grandma Nancy on Sunday. The boys had fun running around the Zona Rosa play area and we all enjoyed a yummy lunch at the Hereford House afterwards. It was a quick visit, but we are really glad we got to see them before we headed home. Thanks for the first-class service to the airport! Oh and by the way, Carter LOVES the new book that Grandad narrated and gave the boys...we have been "reading" it before bed every night. What a great gift!

Giddy-up, bunny!

Davis is definitely feeling better...he ate and ate and ate and then topped it off with an ice cream sundae. There was only one scrap of food under the high chair and the rest went in his belly. What an appetite!

Goin' to the Chapel...

On New Year's Day, we celebrated Josh and Natalie's wedding. It was a beautiful, simple ceremony with just family and couldn't have been more perfect. We were glad to be there to see them so happy & celebrate their special day. What a great way to start the new year!

The Happy Couple

Congratulations you two! We are so happy for you both and all the wonderful things life has in store for you.

Best friends

Mom and me with the beautiful bride

Josh with Grampy and Sean

Still celebrating!

Sister loves champagne! (Who can blame her?)

Neely is Aunt Natalie's niece and Carter's new BFF. She was so cute and set up this little table for the two of them to sit at during the party.

Maya is Neely's little sister and Davis's new buddy. They even had matching outfits!

Five Years

Sean & I celebrated our five-year anniversary on New Year's Eve. A lot has happened in the past five years...one new house, my grandmothers death, the birth of two precious boys and lots of ups and downs in between. I am happy to say that I actually love my husband more now than the day we got married. Going through life's challenges and celebrations together has a way of making you realize how much you need and value and enjoy one another.

We had a wonderful time celebrating with our dear family. Thanks to Mimi & Grampy for watching the boys while we went out & treating us to a wonderful dinner! And, thanks to Josh & Natalie for the extra-special treat of going to Justus for the most delish dinner I have had in a long time. The added bonus was that we got to ring in the new year with Aunt Sister! It was a perfect night! Love you all...especially you, Sean. Happy Anniversary!