A New Blog Addition to our Family

A New Blog Addition to our Family
Capturing our 2010...one photo at a time

Friday, September 21, 2007

An Italian Evening


My mom, my sister, and I are taking a few cooking classes at William Sonoma. Last night was our first night, and it was all about Italian food...YUMMY, We had a great time watching and surprising learning a lot about tachniques and history to go a long with great new recipes. Truly a great evening...my mom and sister, great food, what else could a MOM ask for with an evening off?! Maybe a glass of wine to compliment the company and food :). Thanks, mom, for the great idea!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Happy Birthday, Brayden!!

Wow, my little boy is now 2! It's a whole new world for him now compared to 2 years ago, or even 1 year ago. It's very bittersweet to watch your children grow up...I think the bitter part is really just how fast it goes, and know to seriously cherish every minute. It only seems and feels like yesterday that I was holding and seeing my little boy for the first time, boy, how time flys. Now this year, not only is he another year older and a bit more wise, but he has one more person in his life to watch him celebrate, his brother. I never knew the love a parent has for their own child til I had Brayden, and boy did it knock me off my feet. He is our little "surprise" blessing...I never knew I wanted something so bad, but apparently God did, and gave me the best little boy ever. There hasn't been a day that B-boy hasn't put a smile on our face, even on his most trying days he does something that Wally and I just shake our heads and laugh at. It's so amazing to see him today as a little man who now has his own thoughts, his own voice, his own opinions, and one amazing personality. I can't believe one day that this little snuggle bug will be 15 and will tower over me, be almost as tall as Wally, and have girls calling asking for my little boy...scary to think.

So I wish the HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY to our little boy today. As he enjoys the day, I will constantly be thinking back to just 2 years ago with only hours away from finally getting to meet my baby boy. In fact at this time 2 years ago, 7:35 a.m., we were on our way up to the hospital, and I was crying, scared of not what we were about to become, parents, but scared thinking about having to get this little boy out, and knowing I couldn't just wiggle my nose and there he is. WE LOVE YOU, BRAYDEN, & HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!!!!

Friday, September 7, 2007

Alexander Turns Over

Working on trying to turn over

Yea!! We got it!!

Yea to our little A for accomplishing turning over on his own! He has been working on the little move for a few days and now has mastered it. It's a little hard to get floor time in when Brayden is around because he wants to always be on top of the baby, literally. That doesn't fly too well with Alexander, and tears are sometimes shed. With a big brother who always wants to be right by his baby bro's side, Alexander will one day understand the love and friendship that will always exist between he and Brayden, and can count on his big brother to protect him and be by his side.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Nice Weekend with Family & Friends







My mom, my sister, and I
Brayden loving on Sadie :)

Even though our weekend was super packed, it was a very nice and enjoyable long weekend. Yesterday we got together with my mom, my sis, Rayne, Ron (her husband), and my pretty little niece Sadie for some lunch. It cracks me up now when we go out to eat, before we were just a table of 5, adults only, now we are 5 adults, 2 highchairs, and 1 sling, please. Sunday lunch was great, and the kiddos and baby kept their fussing down to a minimum and actually got in some adult conversation.

Between my mom, my sister, and I, we are 3 reality show junkies, and when we get together our conversation at some point is about the shows we are hooked on. My favorite show right now is LA Ink, and I even got my sister on it, maybe I can get her to go to LA and we can be on the show and get inked by Kat Von D...he-he, just kidding Rayne. But it's fun and funny when we all get together, especially when the kiddos are able to run around, their new thing is to chase each other around... it is usually Sadie chasing and Brayden running away with both laughing (LOVE IT).

Later on in the afternoon, we went to our friend's house Jon & Shellye for some hamburgers, swimming, and playing with their 4 boys (Jansen, Jaden, Avery, and Maddox) and our 2. Brayden loves to play with all of them and had a great time as well as Wally, Alexander, and I, but B was very upset when we left and let Jon and Shellye's neighbors know it. Thanks for a fun evening!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

A Surprise Birthday Celebration...Early

So, today we went spent some time with Wally's family before his mom, Mogda, leaves for Egypt and will be gone for 2 weeks. Plus she wanted to get pictures of all of us together to show family there some more up-to-date pics and a surprise that only Brayden and I were out of the loop on. Now not by her choice, she is leaving on the same day as Brayden's birthday (September 14) , and has felt bad about it since her flight got booked. But like I told her, it's only his 2nd birthday, and there will be plenty more to celebrate, but she has a son that thinks it is funny to give her a hard time. She worries about her mother's health and needs and wants to go back to see her. I hope that when we go to Egypt ( maybe next year) that I will be able to meet her, and know Wally would love to see her again since it has been a long while since he has been to Egypt.

So after dinner, I was waiting for this surprise, I was thinking that it was going to be a family news kind of surprise, so someone was going to announce the were pregnant. It ended up being a dessert feast with all of Brayden's favorites plus the main attraction being a birthday golf cake with Brayden's picture on it, all for my little boy. I was surprised and so was Brayden, at the time I also thought Wally, but he knew ( how does the mom not know about her own son's birthday cake :) ). It is bitter sweet seeing my son turn 2, plus the to watch him compared to him just a year ago. He was standing on the chair all excited about what he was going to eat, knowing it was a chocolate sugar high just staring right back at him. After singing 'Happy Birthday' he even attempted a couple of time to blow out the candle, and finally got it with the help of Daddy, and even surprised us all by say "birthday". Even though, Mogda will not be here on his birthday, he still got a celebration. And if you ask me, Brayden is very lucky, not only to have the family from my side and Wally's side, who love him to death, but he is getting not a birthDAY, but a birthMONTH with all of the celebrations. Thank you so much Mogda!

Both our boys and Wally and I are lucky to have the family that we do from both our sides. Brayden daily will point to the door and say "Grammy" and "Anna", and when they do come over he is full of screams of joy. He is also starting to remember and saying the names of aunts, uncles, and cousins. We truly cherish every moment spent with you all!

I will post a pic of 'B' soon with his cake.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Happy Birthday, Ally!


We had the McGees over for dinner tonight, not only for good company, but also to celebrate Ally's 21st birthday :) ...he-he. Since we were going to miss the get together at their house on Monday, we wanted to celebrate with them somehow, what better way than with some dinner, cake, and wine...oh yeah, and the kiddos.

Ally and I have known each other for, wow, almost 3 years now. We instantly clicked when I first met her, I believe it's because we have the same goofy, corky, and teasing personality, but anyways, we were friends ever since. Although we don't live far, we still don't see each other as often, but hopefully that will change. When we do get together, though, it's like no time has passed. From the moment we get together to when she leaves, we are in constant conversation, bouncing around from one topic to another, and back to the original topic. Sometimes our husbands finally have to step in and call it a night...party poopers. We have a great time with them, though, whenever we see them.

One thing, very cool about Ally and I, is that we got pregnant at the same time (my second, her first). So we were in contact with each other weekly, comparing how we felt, our doctor appointments, weight gain, and the dreadful last month where time freezes and your uncomfortable beyond words. Then on May 9, after having Alexander, Greg and Ally, with her about to go into labor herself any day, came to meet the little boy. She was the last person I expected to come and visit, knowing just how tired she was, but she did (trooper). When Wally and I came home the next afternoon, we got a phone call saying Ally was in labor ...YEA! Abigail Grey McGee finally arrived on May 11. So with our babies being just 2 days apart, you can only imagine what it is like when we get together...talk, talk, talk, and more talk. And tonight mom and dad were so proud and happy to share with us that Abby rolled over for the first time :)...go, Miss Abby.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALLY! Love ya!