Just goofing around

We've been busy. School, music, sports, life.
Fall break is coming up and we are ready for a break. I'm not sure what we are going to do but I'm ready for a relaxed schedule. I'm thinking apple orchards, hiking, maybe a little road trip, possibly some fishing. I just want to be outside. No homework, no computers, no set in stone schedule.
Just goofing around...we're pretty good at that!

Back to the daily grind

Summer is officially over for the boys. School is in full swing! The first day went off without a hitch and now that we are a couple of weeks in, they are settling into their groove.

Oh my...their poor teachers...it's going to be an interesting year! :)

Summer is almost over....

Driving the golf cart is Brandon's favorite thing to do. Well it was until he hit a tree. Someone wasn't watching where he was going and paying more attention to what his "bubba" was doing. The tree is ok, a chunk of bark was taken off. Brandon's fine too, a little bruised and tear stained, but ok.

And Nathan loves the old tractor. He has it all figured out...he said so anyway. He's practically a grown man so he knows what he's talking about.

They start school in just a couple of days. They are excited to get to see their friends but not ready for the homework. Nathan is taking Spanish, honors English, Freshman Algebra, US History and 8th grade Science. He's also in Band, which is perhaps his favorite thing ever.
Brandon has a male teacher this year and he is super excited. 4th grade is going to be awesome!!

Unexpected beauty

The boys and I walk around our vast kingdom pretty much every day, surveying our land. Making sure nothing is out of place or anyone is trying to invade. And it seems like we are constantly surprised by unexpected beauty. We found some morning glories creeping up the fence behind our shed the other morning. A little beetle was hanging out, soaking up some sun, doing what beetles do.
Morning glories seem to make Brandon very happy. He examined every new bud and smelled every bloom with a smile spread so wide it covered his entire face.

In front of our kingdom is a patch of lilies I received for mother's day a few years ago. This is the first year they bloomed. And it's funny because I thought they were a deep red lily but surprise! they are yellow. A little spot of sunshine brightening up our day. Do you see that pink rock sitting next to my yellow lily? That's my favorite rock of all time. It's pink through and through. And when the sun hits it in the late afternoons, it glows.

This little guy was planted three or four years ago with a bunch of his buddies but they never popped up. A couple of days ago they boys and I spotted this little fellow all by himself. Growing little by little, all a lone. But now I visit him every day to make sure the bunnies living under our shed don't nibble on his leaves that are clearly meant to let me know if someone loves me or not. But I would never pick this little beauty, I already know who loves me.

My four legged babies

 Not a morning doggie...

Morning doggie...

The orchard

For father's day we ventured down to my grandparents home and spent the afternoon with my parents in the orchard. Brandon drove the golf cart around in circles over and over and over again. We all sat around talking and eating and laughing. It was a great afternoon. Hot and sticky but fun.

My mom wanted a picture of the four of us, but Brian had other plans. He doesn't like his picture being taken and he loves messing with my mom.
The orchard is one of my favorite places on earth, especially with my family.

Mornings with the boys

This is my favorite way to start the day...

We watch the sun peak over the tree tops, drink our coffee/milk/oj, listen to the birds chirp and squirrels bark and plan out our day. It's the little moments that mean the most.

Life Lessons

 Learning how to drive Pop-pop's tractor.
Cleaning up the orchard.
Lending a helping hand.

Following in some big foot prints.
Knowing what hard work is.
Making me proud.

Hopping around

New pogo sticks.
An unusually warm weekend.
No broken bones, just giggles.
Today was a good day...

Let me count the ways...

 

I love this man of mine.

He makes me laugh every single day,

he kisses me in front of the kids to make them gag,

he keeps us safe, 

he looks so damn good in his uniform,

he's an amazing father,

he loves me for me,

he does the dishes on occasion,

he makes the best coffee,

he sounds like Johnny Cash when he sings,

he's teaching the boys how to be men by example.

I love his mocha eyes and crooked smile.

I even love him when he dumps a cup of ice cold water on me when I'm in the shower.

(not so much, but it's still funny, sort of. After I stop screaming)

 He has a heart of gold.

He's my absolute favorite.

He makes me so very happy to be his wife.

xoxo

Birthday boys

 Every year the boys think of some type of yummy cake for us to make on their birthday. This year Brandon wanted a chocolate cake with strawberries in the center topped off with a whipped cream icing. It was pretty good! Chocolate and strawberries are always a favorite of his. Brandon was pretty excited to turn nine. It may have something to do with the electric guitar he got or the fact that his Uncle Rick and cousin Auna surprised him. They flew out here on Friday night and left Sunday afternoon. Brandon so happy he cried, he felt so loved. It was a pretty special birthday for my little man.

Nathan turned 13 in December. Thirteen. 1 3. My baby is a teenager. I've had nightmares about him turning into a teenager. So far nothing crazy has happen. He still wanted me to make his cake, he still wanted his birthday to be celebrated with his family and he still doesn't mind being seen with me in public. But I know these days are limited, so I'm going to hang on to them with all my might!
Nathan's cake this year was a sweet one. Dark chocolate cake with a coconut filling. Topped with a coconut icing and oozing chocolate ganche. It was good, but it was extremely sweet. Just like him!

The mountains are calling

I love the mountains. I love the smells, sounds, the feel of the crisp air. It's heaven on earth. The boys always have a blast when we go hiking. Brandon skips from rock to rock, Nathan loves to explore every nook and cranny, Brian and I enjoy the quiet and watching the kids enjoy the outdoors. This year we found a cemetery from the late 1800's and the remnants of a cabin with a stone fence zigzagging through the forest. Every time we have taken a trip to the mountains someone has fallen while hiking. The first year Nathan slipped and face planted in the creek, the second time my dad lost his balance while crossing a creek and fell. My mom and I were laughing before he even hit the ground. And this year Brandon didn't technically fall but he dipped his foot in the river while Brian was trying to help him jump from rock to rock. It's probably a good thing we haven't been hiking up a mountain but rather just staying on flat ground. We are a tad bit clumsy in this family!

Love

These are my two most favorite kiddos in the entire world. They make me laugh every single day. They fill my heart to the brim with love and joy. I never thought being a mom would be this great. I'm thankful for their goofy little butts. 

Strummin' and Flippin'

Brandon started guitar lessons a couple of weeks ago. He cannot keep his little fingers off of it. He is constantly in his room practicing cords and learning how to read music. He's going to be a huge star, I just know it! :)

Last week Nathan was the only kid to show up for his Jiu Jitsu class. So he got a private lesson. He learned a few new tricks, got to roll with some of the adults and almost made a grown man cry. Just joking, he didn't almost cry but he was pretty upset that a 12 yr old made him tap out. The guy Nathan is throwing in the picture was a guest of one of he instructors. He was so great. He let Nathan throw him over and over and over again. It's always great to have a fresh set of eyes to give some good pointers and a new body to toss.

I love my boys

 The first day of school is always a great day full of mixed emotions. The boys are excited and nervous. They are full of energy and humor and then I'm over there a hot mess of crazy.

 

I love watching them grow up. I love watching them grow into little men. They are funny and caring, compassionate and loving. They try my patience every day but then turn around and do something that makes me want to hug them harder than ever.

I'm proud of them and all they do. I'm proud that I can say I trust them and the choices they make. I know they will stumble but I know they will learn from their mistakes and grow into someone even better than I could ever imagine.

Walking tall

Papaw decided to make some stilts for the boys....

To say they love them is a huge understatement. They have played on those things every night. I think they have a promising future as the tall guy in the circus!!

Well...

Spring was here for about a week and now it's back to the chilly weather. Baseball practice was cancelled twice this week due to the rain, wind and cold temps. The weekend isn't looking much better for the opening day parade and games. A certain 8yr old isn't too pleased. Plus he caught a cold. Currently he is wrapped in a blanket watching Looney Toons on tv.

Nathan just earned his gray belt in Jiu Jitsu. He was pretty excited about that.
Nathan is gearing up for the next school year, he's going to be in middle school. The middle school counselors have given the kids the low down on what they should expect next year and let them know what type of classes they'll be able to take. The little smarty pants will be in honors English and Advanced Pre-Algebra 1. Plus he'll start Pep Band and can't wait for that.

Brian and I were able to get away for a few days over the kids spring break. He surprised me with a trip to Vegas. It was my first trip away from the kids! But I think I did pretty well. I only called them once (sometimes twice) a day and there were no tears. I think I had a harder time taking the dogs to the kennel than leaving the kids with my parents. I'm not sure what to think about that.
Brian and I had a great time hanging out together, though. I sure do love that man of mine!

Ready for Spring

We are ready for spring! Baseball is starting, Jiu Jitsu is still going strong and warm weather keeps teasing us. We are ready to play outside without freezing, ride on our bikes around the neighborhood, and smelling the flowers.

Going for Gold

Last weekend Nathan and a group of his classmates participated in a Solo & Ensemble contest. They had been practicing for a couple of months and all their hard work paid off. They sounded absolutely wonderful. If they were nervous you couldn't tell it. They warmed up, goofed off, played their music for the judge, goofed off, found out their score, goofed off, got their medal and goofed off some more. They were there to have fun, kick butt and take home the gold. Which is exactly what they did.

Even the moon was smiling

Brandon is 8yrs old! 8 years old. 8.

And how to you celebrate being 8 years old? By making a Kit Kat cake topped with mini M&M's. A chocolate cake with whipped cream icing smothered in candy. Holy cow was that one sweet treat!

Nathan was just as excited as Brandon. Nathan spent his own money on Brandon's birthday gift. Brandon really wanted a watch that was not digital. You know, since he was turning 8 years old, he needed a big kid watch. So, Nathan went shopping and found a really cool Superman watch for his little bro.

 Brandon had a pretty awesome day. He felt special and loved and that's all I can ask.
Later that night I stepped outside to look at the moon and it was smiling. I grabbed the kids and told Brandon that the moon was even happy it was his birthday. A huge orange crescent moon was smiling in the sky. We all thought that was the perfect end to a special day.