The Joys of Boys!

Happy Birthday to my Mason

2011-08-15T16:45:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the world- Mason!

Our baby boy arrives in style- one of the hottest days of the year, 3 days of labor and then on Labor Day weekend no less- I should have know right then that he was taking over!

My baby boy is turning 5 and its breaking my heart into pieces... Its gone by way too fast and part of me wants to keep him little forever.

My dear sweet Cobbies---You have become such a great little guy and I could not be more in love with you. Your stubborn, sweet, kind, bossy, wild and have the most amazing imagination. I love your wit, your spunk and you crack me up to no end!You love to dress up and are always coming up with some crazy character. Keeps the house lively to say the least! I will NEVER forget this- your 1st Easter program at pre school- you were so ticked about your "ruffle" shirt... (Sorry Ms. Valerie, I thought they were beyond darling!)
Your sense of adventure and wonderment of the world are a pleasure to watch! You have opened my eyes to things that I would never notice.
You love your little brothers and Daddy endlessly.

Your birthday always fall on or around Labor Day and its perfectly appropriate as you my friend, are indeed a labor of love who has taught me patience (sometimes) and given me the best gift ever- being your Mom...

Happy 5th Birthday to my Pirate, Police Officer, Army man and most of all- our little buddy. Thank you most of all for just being YOU!

Family Vacation

2011-08-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

Our sweet cottage on the beach

We recently took a road trip with the kiddos to Pirates Pearl Beach in Galveston. We really wanted to get away but really hadn't made any solid plans and since summer was flying by, we needed somewhere close and drive able- and oh yeah--- BEACHY! So this was our pick. Here are some highlights, LOTS of pics and a look at the family fun we had...

Cobbs Cove (wish it was ours)- so fun, immediately made the hubs pull over for a picture.

We spent lots of time just playing in the waves, hunting for shells and making sandcastles. It was perfectly wonderful to be sandy and dirty all day and just chill with my favorite boys....The boys found tons of crabs and carried them around in their buckets all over the beach. They loved seeing them crawl out and back to the water.

No coast trip is complete without a Ferry ride. My boys loved it and were enamoured by huge vessels that passed by. We got to see lots of dolphins jumping out of the water and playing as well. Mason was convinced they were sharks.... Note to self: No "Shark Week" for kids the week before our beach trip...
Of course we had to let the boys do a little a little shopping. They all picked out cork pop guns, Pirate canteens and Mason a new skull cap. Please note Logan shooting the innocent passerby and Brady who has safely tucked his gun into his shirt. Mason has been drinking "rum" from his canteen since the second he got it.... Before we knew it, the time had come to pack up again and head home. (As always, there's NO place like home) but we had a great week and made lots of new memories. I hope your having a super summer and have your own stories to share.

Beach Buckets

2011-08-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

Before.... Plain ole' Target dollar aisle buckets......

After...

I wanted to surprise the boys with buckets of new beach goodies for our coast trip. My crafty friend has this Cricut cartridge that I borrowed and used to make their new buckets extra special! I stuffed them with toy boats, new rattan beach mats, goggles and and other little boy ocean necessities. I didn't get a picture of them all put together because they tore into them so fast- but you get the point. DARLING, In my humble opinion....

We found a lagoon with hundreds of crabs....

Mason proud of his captures! I could not get him to leave- he loved digging in the sand and finding these crazy crabbies.

The twins were in awe of these little critters!

Playing catch up...

2011-08-03T07:18:00.001-07:00

Wow... Well over a month since my last post... Guess you could say Ive been busy... So, here's to catching up now that its August! After our trip to KC, we returned home and straight back to the grind. Just 2 weeks later, we ventured to the lake for the 4th and had a blast. The boys favorite thing to do right now is kayak, so we spent lots of time exploring and looking for gators.... Yikes!! My Mom makes her flag cake every year and its always delicious. How cute is she???
We watched fireworks off the water and it was HOT!!!

The boys hit the dance floor and wowed a crowd of on lookers with their moves....

This is "Precious" the frog who resides in a birdhouse on my Moms patio. Isn't she just ... um... precious??? She has blessed their pond with many babies that my boys love to try and catch. Nana scolds them because shes sure they will squish them... Says they have to be a bit bigger... Ahem..
On another note- Mason received his first set of stitches... 12 to be exact- over his brow bone.... 3 little Monkeys jumping on the bed is all I will say abut that one. AND...... (drum roll please!)- my twins are potty trained!!! Over 2 weeks now in full time undies and doing GREAT!!! Yes, it was a beating, yes I wanted to turn back after day 3 and yes I drank lots of wine!! BUT- its LIFE CHANGING here!!!Logan & Brady kiss diapers goodbye! Whoo-hoo!

Ryan and Jen tie the knot!

2011-06-21T17:53:00.001-07:00

Last week, we traveled to Kansas City to see my little brother, Ryan, marry the girl of his dreams. The weekend was filled with lots of laughter, tears, memories and FUN! I wanted to really enjoy the rare time with my family and not be worried about only taking pictures so I decided to put down my camera and focus on the precious, once in a lifetime moments instead of just being caught up in taking pictures. So- what we have here are just a few that have been accumulated from others. (Lots more to come!!) I'm so glad I let everyone else worry about it and soaked up every moment of Ryan & Jen's special weekend.

My brother (Unca Unca) and Mason at the rehearsal dinner- a fabulous private room at their favorite Italian restaurant. Toasts were made by Jens sister- Katie, 2 longtime friends of my brothers who flew in from San Antonio, my Dad and then my Mom. All my Mom had to do was stand up and whip out her index card and the tears rolled.

Welcome to the family Jen!

She is actually NO stranger to being pummeled by Team Cobbs while balancing in heels- the boys all ADORE her and have penned her as "Jen Jen" since the day they met.

My Mom and I at rehearsal dinner-
We pretty much spent the entire weekend either laughing hysterically or bawling like babies...

With our new Sikkel- officially!

Jen and her sisters, Katie and Meghan. Can you say gorgeous???

Mason with Nana and Poppy- his GREAT Grandparents. Married 70 years!
The big day- kneeling before the Priest for what seemed like forever when you have 3 kids rustling in their Teddy Grahams bags.... Maybe my favorite... The boys kept telling the photographer "All done!" and jumping down. She was not amused....
The happy couple- Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Sikkel
During the Mother / Son dance (appropriately to Brooks & Dunn's Neon Moon)

Ryan and Mom were having a sweet moment when Logan crashed the dance floor and demanded to be held by Nana. Rather than shew him off, they scooped him right up and finished their dance. My tears could NOT be contained!

It was a gorgeous wedding and memories we will not soon forget.

Jens family was beyond gracious and I'm so glad we had an opportunity to meet so many of them. Having all of our Aunts, Uncles and cousins there made it just PERFECT!

Special thanks to The Barry's who took care of the kids so Allen and I could fulfill our wedding party duties. YOU ARE AMAZING and going to be GREAT parents! (It's official- I can announce that there is a "Baby Barry" bun in the oven! ~ Yeah!)

More lake fun!

2011-05-26T16:10:00.001-07:00

The twins recently got a weekend to themselves with Nana and Papa at the lake. Here's a little glimpse of their life in Hawkins. Videos courtesy of Nana...

I think that says it all! Life at the lake is GOOD!

Mason's 1st Camping Trip

2011-05-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Mason took a road trip to Arkansas for his 1st camping excursion with his Nana & Papa. Packing his suitcase was a challenge as he wanted to take tons of gear. He "required"me to include- his army vest, army hat, flashlight, pistol, knife, various belts, tools and special snacks (just to name a few). It was too funny but I gladly obliged because he was just so excited.

They cooked on the grill (inside the tent due to the weather), went on several hikes, explored, met the Park Ranger and just had a great time! He cant wait to go again!

A few videos courtesy of Nana below--- my Mom cracks me up....

Fun at The Heard!

2011-05-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

We spent another fantastic day at The Heard Natural Science Museum this weekend. The weather was glorious and the kids had a BLAST! Truth be told, Allen and I did too! Right now, the Heard is featuring the "Its a Bug's Life" exhibit and my boys went WILD for millipedes, snakes, spiders and everything creepy crawly. We took a hike (see start of the trail above) and I am happy to report that my sweet babies walked the entire way! Mas has no problem with the 2 mile trek on Sycamore Trail but that is quite the distance for 2 year old legs (this was our first attempt here with no stroller, wagon, ect...). The boys all gathered their walking sticks and we let Mason lead the way. Of course he was fully prepared with his compass, binoculars, and whatever else he had stuffed in his vest. The trail was beyond muddy from all of the rain last week so along the way we decided to name ourselves "Team Muddyfoot." The boys thought this was so funny and even brought it up hours later at dinner. At one point, the trail was totally flooded out and we LITERALLY had to toss the kids back and forth to each other over a tree stump we carefully balanced on. Not so easy with 2- 2 year olds, a 4 year old, backpack, camera and slick-as-oil shoes. Logan was not thrilled about it but once we were all safe and sound on the other side he cheered and said "Do it again, Daddy??" It was a solid 2 hours of exploration and non stop conversation with our kids- not another person in sight. It was heart warming to watch them explore deep into the woods and how animated they were over the things that I don't even notice. I love moments like this with my children and they really make me want to take it all in!!!

The boys being silly while I got our lunch ready....

Logan

Wrangling 2 of the 3- per the norm.....

And now all 3 are in Mommy's custody.....

My sweet big boy Mason who insisted on telling us 4,623 times that according to his compass- "There is no North...."

Brady

Logan posing

Mason and Brady

Did I mention how much they all LOVED the bugs??? Brady stole this from another kid- glad a fist fight didn't ensue....

Fossil finding Logan

We could NOT get Mas out of here. Really, thought we were going to have to leave him....

My crew- Team Cobbs... Did I mention- the loves of my life??? Another wonderful day with my family. So thankful for all of these amazing guys!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Being a Mom is hard, really, really hard. It takes patience beyond normal human measure as far as I am concerned. Only after having kids of my own did I ever really appreciate the enormity of this job. Am I making the right decisions? Did I handle that correctly? Should I be doing flashcards and listing to classical music in the car??? Well, maybe (but I'm not- for the record).

My Mom (Saint Nana) is beyond wonderful- loves my boys as much as I do and spends as much time with them as she can. She always has some sort of adventure planned for the kids like road trips, museums, camping, hikes, fishing and much more. She is beyond fantastic in the Nana department and we are so blessed to have her in our lives! Growing up, I have so many fond memories with my Mom (yellow Volvo, Disney, sunglasses at night, Ding How, Scrivener's, Enchanted Rock- just to name a few for you Mother) and now its such a joy to see her doing it all over again with her grand babies. Mom- I love you beyond words and I love how you love my babies! And for the record- Brady's new thing is to say "he wants his Nana"almost every time hes in trouble.

My Nana & Poppy- married 70 years. She is the Mother of 2 boys and the Queen of the Sikkel family!

And then these little turkeys- Mason made me a Momma and then came Logan and Brady who made me a proud Momma of 3 gorgeous little boys. I feel so blessed to be covered in their kisses every day. My boys are ornery, hilarious, fearless, sensitive and more than anything THE LOVES OF MY LIFE! I have no idea how we got so lucky- but I did and cant imagine our life any other way!

Pretty typical- everyone going in different directions and I'm just along for the ride (of my life)!!

Happy Mothers Day to all the fabulous Mommies out there!

Later Gator!

2011-04-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took the kids to the lake for a quick family get-a-way. My Mom had taken Mason to the East Texas Gator Farm before and we knew we had to go back with all of the boys. This place is truly a little boys haven! There is tons to see here including snakes, endangered birds, raccoons, bunnies, wild hogs and of course- GATORS! The man that runs the wildlife park lives on the property and his passion is to rescue gators and other animals that have made their way to the local lakes and neighborhoods. I called him Crocodile Dundee and think hes a bit crazy. Did I mention hes missing his thumb and wears a gator tooth necklace? You get the point. He's actually amazing with the animals and was so patient with the kids (aka- the other animals).

Mason was FEARLESS at every exhibit- reaching right in and grabbing this baby gator out of the tank. He held him tightly while his brothers took their turns touching him. We learned that gators breed like crazy- hence the growing population in the lakes of East Texas. The tank must have had at least 20 babies about this size in it. They don't let them into the area with the large ones until they are much bigger as they tend to eat their young- nice...

We all took a turn holding "Lemondrop" the python. All except my hubby that is- he hates snakes and would not take part in this!

Here's Dundee during the Gators feeding time. He comes out with buckets of raw meat, rings his cow bell and they all come swimming toward him. Did I mention he is craaaaaaazzzy???

We stood above only about 10 feet away during feeding time to watch. The twins were mesmerized- as long as Nana was holding them.

The kids also enjoyed the petting zoo and just in time for Easter, a basket of fuzzy newborn bunnies!

Brady
Bounce houses, tree swings and boat rides made this the perfect day!

Logan

What a wonderful day with my lovies!

Mason's Easter Program

2011-04-21T11:57:00.001-07:00

Mason's Pre school had their Easter program today and it was so much fun! Among the bunnies, butterflies and singing flowers was the "Chick" class. Mason and his friends did great! Their group was the 2nd to come out and they marched out on stage and sang the sweetest little song. The actual chick song did not get taped as I had put my Mom in charge of the twins so I could take pictures and she was fiddling with them and trying to keep them off the stage. She did however get a few others. I made these orange pants for Mason and also made the cracked egg hats for all of the kiddos. They looked just darling! Mason did inform us SEVERAL times that he did not like his feather chick shirt. He said it looked like ruffles and was for girls. He demanded to change shirts the minute his class was done. Oh well- I loved it!

After the program, Mom, John, the twins and I headed back to his class for his class party. The kids indulged in cupcakes, snacks and yet another egg hunt. Such a fun morning and I cant believe that my baby just had his 1st school play! I'm still smiling!

Fabulous Easter Party

2011-04-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

We went to THE most fabulous Easter party over the weekend! My super talented friend Mariah hosted an adorable shin dig that had my kids laughing and talking about the festivities for hours. Above are just 2 of the darling set ups. This is her idea of a kids party and we were so happy to be a part of it!

The setting was a shady park with lots of room for the kids to run, play and explore. My sweet Mason at the "Bunny Hop Station" waiting for the burlap sack races to begin.

Logan carefully examining his bunny lollipop.

Brady is ready to find some eggs!

After the Bunny Hop races. The twins loved the ears....

....Mas was not so much a fan....

After their hunt, the boys wanted to open all of their hard earned eggs. A few were filled with chocolate that ended up melting- the kids could have cared less and licked the wrappers clean! Oh to be a kid again! There were about 18 kids in total and each of us stuffed a bag of eggs and Mariah's parents did the hiding before everyone arrived. Special thanks to them for that!

My babies who are not so much babies anymore (but still are)! Brady (L) and Logan (R)- age 2

Almost! Still trying for that elusive perfect picture! SO in love with these boys!

Here is the Martha Stewart of today (and one of my dearest friends EVER)! Check out her blog, Etsy and FB page and become a fan! SUCH fun ideas!

Fun at the Firestation!

2011-03-25T17:16:00.001-07:00

My boys are infatuated with fire trucks, police cars, guns, pirates, cowboys and trains (just to name a few). On a recent trip to the grocery store (with all 3 kids in tow...), a group of firefighters were doing their shopping. My boys were in awe. We ended up chatting with them for a bit and after Mason checked out all of their "gear", they invited the boys to climb aboard the firetruck. They loved it and Mason has talked about them for the last week. So, while I couldn't promise them this experience on our next grocery outing, I knew I had to come up with something fun! A plan ensued and I made a call to our local Fire Dept and asked if I could bring the boys by. They gladly obliged and I am so thankful for the time the Melissa Fire Dept. dedicated to Team Cobbs. My boys were given a grand tour thru the entire facility, inside and out.

They got to see where the firefighters ride and pushed every button they could get to.

Of course, everyone got a turn in the drivers seat! Mason was so patient and let his baby brothers go first.

Logan was happy to just sit and pretend to drive.

Brady followed his big brother everywhere, copying every move he made.

Mason and Brady, getting a hands on lesson from "the coolest guy ever."

Logan trying to decide where to go next.

This was pretty much my angle from the entire afternoon!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Melissa Fire Dept for an absolutely wonderful day! We appreciate your time and all you do for our wonderful community!

Life at the Lake

2011-03-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

My amazing Mom (we call her Saint Nana) complied a few videos of the boys while they spent some time with her at the lake last week. She took Mas by himself for a few days and then traded him in for the twins. GREAT break for me and as you can see- they had a blast and LOVE life at the lake- it's truly a little boy haven! You really need to watch all of the videos in succession to see how they spend their days. (They are all only a few seconds each but so precious and my Mom is just such a RIOT!)

My boys adore "their 2nd home" and I am so thankful to have this blessing in our chaotic lives!

P.S.- Could my Mother be any cuter??? I think not...

Had to include this pic from their latest trip with Pirate Mason to Louisiana during Mardi Gras.

T-Shirt re-fashion

2011-02-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

Why in the world am I putting a Turkey shirt on here for Valentines Day??? Read on- you'll see!

I have seen several variations of the "hand print Turkey." I knew I just had to try to make these last Thanksgiving. I managed to get all 3 kids hands traced and came up with these. They were pretty simple to make and the boys looked oh so cute.

Well, here it is on Valentines and with places to go and people to see, and obviously the boys had to be styling! So, not wanting to buy anything that the boys will wear once, (the night before) I came up with this idea. I transformed their turkey T's into V day T's.

I simply used a few old baby bibs, cut out hearts, added a bit of stitch witchery and glue (ie: no sewing involved) and VIOLA!!----

Custom Party shirts made with love by Mom (that I must admit turned out pretty cute)... Mason is not a fan of ANYTHING pink, red or remotely"girly" so I tried to make his more super-heroish. He wore it but was not in love.

Logan (yes, a very black eye...)

And Brady. They were much more cooperative and love when I tell them they look handsome.

My love, love, lovies. This picture is almost perfection- dang Brady!

And a group shot! My girlfriend, Mariah hosted a fab party. You can check out all of her fabulousness here.

Happy Valentines Day from Team Cobbs!

Arctic Blast!

2011-02-04T16:03:00.001-08:00

As you may have heard, North Texas had a serious winter blast this week. Monday night the sleet started and it didn't stop for days. Frozen roads, rolling blackouts and frozen pipes galore. Cabin fever set in seriously around here but we made the best of it. After a long week with no school and not being able to leave the neighborhood- we woke to this! A beautiful blanket of snow! About 6 inches in the morning and it didn't stop ALL day! This is really rare here and made up for all the crappy weather. The boys and I ventured out for a snowball fight (Team kids vs. Team Mom.... -I won) and had a BLAST! After all our play, we decided to take a "snow walk" and explore the neighborhood. Here are a few pics from our great, chilly day!

Big Boy and his snowball (he really loved getting the twins)

The twins who I swear had gloves on...

Team Kids

Logan

Brady- his favorite was eating the snow... Geez...

Mason & Brady making snow angels- Logan could NOT be bothered to do this... (shocker)

(And these 3 pics just make me SMILE!)

**On an unrelated note, last weekend Allen and Mas had their "special night" and went to the Mavs game. Just a pic because they look so cute and Mason was so excited to go again.

Looking forward to catching up with friends at a Birthday Party tomorrow and a warm, sunny, precipitation free week!

A Lifetime of Love

2011-01-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine being married for 70 years? Pretty amazing! My Grandparents just celebrated this milestone anniversary and we threw a party in their honor. Our family traveled to Kansas (where it was very cold) so we could all be together for the festivities. Guests at the party ranged in age from 2-90 (haha) and included 4 generations of Sikkel's. Pretty spectacular!

The happy couple of 70 years

Their amazing cake

The decorations of course had to include their amazing heritage. Wooden clogs from Holland and the most gorgeous tulips ever! (Great job, Dad & Cindy!)

This is how we party!

The boys and I made a tree using all of their hand prints and included a special poem for Nana & Poppy. Resembles "The Roots" of our family. Lots of gifts and cards were opened that night and at the end, my Poppy announced that he too, had a special something for his bride. He presented her with a beautiful diamond ring. I think she called him a stinker and reminded him that they "weren't doing gifts" for each other. Yeah, right.

The Sikkel Crew (minus us, who at this point in the evening had to get our very tired kiddos home.) Did I mention that on this evening, Mason spiked a 103 fever???

Queen Nana & her boys!

And yet another attempt at a Cobbs family picture... Ho-hum...

Brady climbing up my Nana's walker... All of the boys did this several times and thought it was oh so fun...

Mason and Cousin Erin. He loves her ENDLESSLY. Their very special relationship is sweet beyond sweet.

My brother and I with his bride to be- Jen. ADORE HER and cant wait to officially make her part of our family this June. (Although she very much already is.)

The King & Queen with the Prince and Princess! (Uncle Mark & Auntie Ria)

Mason and I with "Unca Unca"

This was a very special occasion for all of us. I'm so thankful for my wonderful family and even more thankful for my Grandparents who have shown all of us the power of commitment. They are 2 of the most genuine people and I am so honored to belong to them!

Happy 70th Anniversary Nana & Poppy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Logan & Brady

2010-11-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

Wow- I cant believe my baby boys are 2! I remember the day I found out I was pregnant and then the day I found out there were 2, and then the day I found out they were identical twin boys. Seems like yesterday but so long ago.

We already had a baby- Mason was a little over 1 when we got the news we would be adding to our clan... And adding and adding.... I cried (not happy tears), my Mom cried and my husband stood there in the Doctors office shocked and speechless with his mouth wide open (holding our 1 year old)..... We let it all sink in and started on our journey. I had a HORRIBLE pregnancy, was in and out of the hospital the entire time, was placed on strict bed rest at home and then ultimately I moved into the hospital until the boys were delivered via C-section prematurely. They then spent a month in the NICU where we would make the drive to visit them daily. My sweet hubby would go up to the NICU after work and take the nurses snacks. I called the NICU all night long when I was home with Mason asking about the boys. It was a very stressful time. But, in the big scheme- I can honestly say it was nothing compared to bringing these babies home!

Logan was born 1st and then 1 minute later, baby brother Brady came into the world. It was hard at first to tell them apart but now, they could not be more different! But I must add that even to this day, hubby gets them confused at times...

The boys at 7 months

On their 1st Birthday

Logie Bear

Logan is sly and sneaky but very loyal to both of his brothers. We call him Switzerland because he is always the one who can't choose a side. This kid LOVES to make people laugh. He is my boy that loves to be held- especially when I'm cooking or cleaning (always!)...

Brady Bear

Brady would sit in my lap for hours if I would let him- he kisses and hugs and loves to snuggle with anyone BUT he is also is very stubborn. He's rowdy and not afraid to be naughty right in front of us. Then he does his time out and comes back for more. He LOVES to laugh. He and Mas are ALWAYS in cahoots and that spells TROUBLE!

Our family is complete. It's very fitting that their Birthday falls the day before Thanksgiving this year as a reminder to me just how blessed I am. Things could have been so different. While I never pictured my life like this- I would not change it for anything and am so thankful to be the Mom to these precious babies who have completed our family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Brady & Logan!

Fall so far- In a Nutshell

2010-11-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

So far, Fall fun has not disappointed Team Cobbs one bit! I am so glad to finally have some cooler weather since the holidays are around the corner and I really cant get into it wearing flip flops and a tank. I just love this time of year! I love snuggling with my boys and not having anywhere we have to run off to and just spending lazy days with them. Well, as lazy as one can be with 3 toddlers! So far, here are a few faves:

Mason's date night with Mommy for his 4th Bday

The State Fair of Texas

Kadee Tree Farm and Pumpkin Patch. (How cute is Nana?)

Logie Bear on a tractor

The VERY popular barn jump! They did this FOREVER!

Still trying for 1 good pic! (Please notice Logan's shoe is now OFF!)

Brady cracks me up here. Looks like he's trying to model.

Decorating our pumpkins.... Feathers, eyeballs and glue everywhere...

A visit from the San Fran Cobbs!

Allen and Erick got to go to the World Series. They had a great time and happen to be at the Rangers winning game.

This was the best Halloween EVER! Mason was in Pirate mode all night and the twins insisted on "more knock knock" all the way home...

My clan- 2 Pumpkins and a Pirate. Jack Sparrow to be specific.

and then.....

Ahhh sigh...- my twins got their 1st "real" haircuts. They were in much need but I couldn't bring myself to dot it. Auntie Sally came for moral support and I think they look so handsome!

The agenda for the next few weeks is brutal- Birthday parties, play dates with new friends, out of town visitors and of course Turkey Day (and this is just the fun stuff!). I can hardly bring myself to say it but my babies will be 2 the day before Thanksgiving. My how time flies and I am thankful for EVERY minute of it!

How lucky am I???

2010-10-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

I have the GREATEST Mom ever. She LOVES her grand babies more than anything and sees them often. She lives about 2 hours away and took ALL 3 of the boys for 2 days so I could host a girlfriends baby shower and have some (much needed) time to myself. We call her Saint Nana for obvious reasons.

So on to the baby shower! A sweet friend of mine is expecting her 1st baby (Renee) in December so our work crew decided to throw her a fabulous evening at my place and spoil her. Complete with Jeopardy, baby food taste tests, prizes and LOTS of yummy food!

Mellisa and her bump!

The ladies of MedPro Pharmacy!

Her uber pink cupcake tree!

One of my favorite gals supplied me with over 12 yards of pink tulle to jazz up my VERY boy house! Thanks, Mariah!

The next day, Mom and I met at the Kadee Tree Farm and spent the day playing in the hay, petting animals and even got to enjoy a good ol' fashioned hay ride with the boys. We got rained on a bit but still had a BLAST!

The biggest highlight for the boys was the hay jump. Mason must have done this 100 times. Brady and Logan joined in the fun but were much more interested in the petting zoo.

Baby B and baby L...

Of course, I'm still waiting for JUST ONE good picture of my boys and I. May never happen...

3 week Team Cobbs Re-cap....

2010-09-26T17:17:00.001-07:00

Wow- 3 weeks since my last post. Time to come up for air and do a quick re-cap. Things are always super busy around her but here are some of the fun things we have done over the last few weeks. We've attended 2 super fun Birthday Parties, done several crafts, been to a Melissa HS football game (as in all 5 of us), had a trip to the Zoo and even carved our first pumpkin. Our friend, Erin turned 4 and celebrated by inviting all of her buds to Metroplex gymnastics. The kids (babes included) LOVED tumbling, playing in the parachute and Mason even got to fly on a trapeze. Such a blast. And then our best twin friends, Parker & Piper had a Barnyard Bash to celebrate their 2nd Bday (tear). Check out their amazingly, cute party here....

In my downtime (yeah, right...) I have stole a few ideas from my favorite crafty friend and thought I would share.....

Started with scrap wood....

...And turned them into these cute little festive Halloween blocks. I added some gold glitter to my Mod Podge and they are soooo sparkly when the pumpkins are lit! LOVE THEM!

Meet my Mummy's!

Also from scrap wood. Just sanded, painted and added eyes and cloth. I let Mason tear all of the fabric for this. If my 4 year old can do this- anyone can! You can check out details on how to make (or buy) these cute Halloween decoration on Mariah's blog here.

The kids LOVE it and so do I!

1st pumpkin carving of the season! So fun...

I also made the boys these super cute shirts to wear to the football game last week.

Baby Brady- content as always...

Mason and Buzz, happy to pose....

And then there's Logan.... Don't remember why he was ticked but I snapped a pic anyway since he looked so dang cute in his new football shirt!

Go Cardinals!

Mason's Summer Vacation

2010-08-12T17:47:00.001-07:00

Mason's Nana & Papa took him on an amazing summer vacation this year. My sweet Mom says that this has been "her dream" and was more excited than anyone (I think). Being that Mom and John lived in Colorado for 11 years, she knew all of the PERFECT kid friendly destinations and planned this trip with activities for Mason every day. I LOVE Colorado in the summer, snow capped mountains, a cool breeze and gorgeous scenery. But alas, someone had to stay home and tend to the babes. So off Mason went with his Nana & Papa to explore the Rockies. Here is a quick recap from their week long get-a-way...

*Warning* LOTS OF PICS!

7 a.m and ready to head to DFW

On a train ride thru the mountains. Mason got to meet the Conductor and was very excited about that. Lots of elk sightings on this leg of the trip.

Pooped after a long day... (so sweet)

Boom Days- Leadville, Co.

Boom Days is a Colorado Mountain Festival and celebration of the ol' west (perfect for my lil' cowboy!) Complete with Burro races, gunslingers, gold miners and a Parade. He had a blast getting his face painted (requested a T-Rex), panning for gold, buying Indian souvenirs and jumping in the Pirate bounce house.

He brought home the gold he found! (For his Momma, of course!)

Keystone, Co

Next up was a trip to Keystone for more fun. A chair lift ride, hiking, the super slide down the mountain and gorgeous snow caps everywhere!

Mason with his Nana & Papa (cute overload)

He calls this "The Bad Bull...." I can see why...

Don't worry, while he was gone, these 2 kept me PLENTY busy!

Big Boy Room

2010-08-12T11:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, a month since my last post... I'm so bad... Not really- have just been BEYOND busy. We have had an impromptu trip to the lake, Ive been planning Masons Bday party and he has been in Colorado with my Mom and Step dad (post to follow on his fab trip). I have been cleaning out toys and getting rid of baby stuff like a mad woman and transforming Mason's room into one more suitable for a soon to be 4 year old. This was my big project to tackle while he was gone as I wanted him to be surprised when he got home. He has been in his toddler bed and has outgrown it very quickly. We were lucky enough to have a crib that converted into a full and got a great deal on a new mattress set for him. He has always had a sports themed room and I actually got this big boy bedding LOONG ago when I found it on sale. I knew it would go perfect with his current motif so I have had it stashed away for well over a year. Well, after toddler bed deconstruction, glider gone and a few furniture changes... Viola! Here is his new room!

He loves, loves, loves it and couldn't wait for all of us (as in all 5 of us) to get in his new bed and read a book. He looks so big and grown up. tear...

What the kid REALLY wanted was a Pirate room, but since I refuse to paint the walls black (like he requested), I decided the next best thing would to be to make him a Pirate blanket. All the new stuff and this was BY FAR his favorite! He especially likes the scary one with the sword in his mouth... ahem...

Anyway, had to share!

Summer camp and then some....

2010-07-15T05:25:00.001-07:00

Off to Summer Camp!

My big boy officially started his 1st Summer Camp this week. He is attending at the First Baptist Church of Melissa and had his choice between cooking camp, science camp or music camp. He knew one of his little girlfriends, Erin, would be attending the cooking camp so it was the obvious choice for my Jr. Casanova! He has been so excited and bursts out bed every morning SINGING- "Summer camp, summer camp, Mason's going to Summer camp!" Makes me so happy that he is enjoying it. His teachers seem great (and VERY patient!) and the kids have made some awesome stuff. So far, we have sampled homemade animal crackers, homemade warm pretzels (my fave) and perfect pancakes. He has also decorated his own apron with stamps and paint. They also did a craft one day and he decided he wanted to make his Mama a beaded bracelet. (How sweet is he?? tear...) It nearly cuts off my circulation but I will gladly wear it!

I stayed a few extra minutes one morning and he was SO embarrassed that I was taking his picture... Forcing a smile for Mom. Didn't know this started at age 3.

OK, so I have to admit that I almost cried when I saw this. The kids made gingerbread on this day and then a photo collage to bring home. For some reason- he seemed so big to me. Off on his own, independent, making friends and embarrassed by his Mom...

Happy 4th Birthday Mason!

2010-07-10T10:50:00.001-07:00

I cant seem to wrap my head around the fact that my little boy is 4 years old today. Mason is beyond a joy in our lives and I don't remember much about how life was before him. He is sweet, sensitive, charming, witty, wild and a great big brother. I am in awe every day at how I could be so blessed with such an amazing son. He is my first born, my partner in crime, my cleaning buddy, my silly dancer, my jokester, my Pirate / Cowboy / Police Officer and I love being his Mom.

Looking Back....

Mason Andrew Cobbs- 1 day old

Home from the hospital with our angel we had waited so long for!

Your 1!

I was so excited for your 1st Birthday. I wanted to have a huge bash, which everyone thought was ridiculous but am so glad we did it anyway. You, of course you do not remember a thing -but it was fab! It was a jungle themed party complete with snakes on the walls and monkeys in the trees. You loved your first bite of cake and turned the bathtub green you were so covered in icing! These are the things I will NEVER forget!

Your 2!

At your 2nd Birthday, I was 6.5 months pregnant with your brothers and on bed rest. We had a party at the pool and it was so fun. Your friends came out and you guys ate, played, swam and had a blast! Even with all the new toys, family and friends, you had the most fun pushing around a cooler full of ice. These are the things I will NEVER forget!

Arghhh!! Pirate Mason- Your 3

All of us decked out in Pirate shirts for the festivities!

By the time you turned 3, we had 2 new additions to our family! You absolutely insisted on a Pirate Party and we gladly obliged. Complete with swords, buried treasure and scary Pirate music. This was by far your favorite Birthday yet. Every time one of your guests walked in the house you would take your present and immediately put it in your huge treasure chest. You loved hitting your pirate pinata with your sword and danced around to "My first mate is a monkey!" These are the things I will NEVER forget!

And now, Your 4!

Wow, you have become SO independent, opionated, funny, smart and just dang adorable! You can be as stubborn as a mule but your love for life, your family and friends is evident. You are a protector of your baby brothers and I adore that you love them so. Since you love to "work" and do anything with tools- this year we are having a full on "working bash" to celebrate one of your favorite things. We love and cherish you and are SO blessed to have you in our lives.

Happy 4th Birthday Mason!

4th of July FUN!

2010-07-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Its been a crazy week for Team Cobbs! We started with a visit from Papa Doug who drove from KC to see the boys. He also came bearing gifts and brought me a brand, spankin' new camera! It's pretty snazzy and I LOVE IT! Its an early Christmas gift and I am so excited. I managed to take 546 pictures in just 3 days but now I think I have the hang of this thing. I look like a full on tourist with a camera hung around my neck but don't care! I got some amazing pictures of my sweet boys. So, from now on, this blog with be picture overload- you have been warned!

Mas with Papa Doug

Later in the week, the kids and I traveled to my Moms to spend the 4th on the lake. Her place is beyond great with tons for the boys to do and was the perfect way to spend the hot weekend. Of course, she had flags everywhere for the kids. She even managed to find 3 sparkly star headbands for the boys to wear. (They didn't stay on long enough for even 1 pic.)

The entrance to her dock...

We indulged in LOTS of delicious food- ribs, deviled eggs, burgers, sweet corn on the cobb and of course the flag cake! Looks like sweet baby Brady is ready for his piece!

Mason LOVED the fireworks but the babes thought all the noise was a bit much! They were gorgeous off the lake. Allen bought the boys a huge bag of fireworks for us to do while we were there as well. Remember how fun poppers, sparklers and bottle rockets are?

Kids playing on the dock...

Mason taking a dip on their "beach."

The elusive good shot of the boys and I. Brady looks mad, Logan eating his hand and Mason covered by a walking stick... Go figure...

Red, white and blue skewer snacks. They all loved them!

Mason showing the boys how to use the net. I LOVE this sweet picture!

My brother and his darling girlfriend, Jenn. They are such a HUGE help with the kids and it was GREAT to spend a little time with them!

We had an amazing, busy week and are back in our strict routine of laundry, naps and playtime. Hope you and your families had a great 4th of July- we sure did!

Table Re-Do

2010-06-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

I got this table and chairs about 4 years ago in KC. Its been outside ever since and gets MUCH use from the kids. It was in desperate need of a face lift so I decided that it was high time to spruce it up for the boys. I gave it a good scrub, filled in all the cracks with Gorilla glue and got to work painting. I was determined to do this WITHOUT spending a dime using only what I could find in the garage. This is an old paint that I thought would perk this drab set right up. And it did! I painted one coat of Bayou Blue (does it need another- yes... will I do it- no!), sealed it with a clear coat and then simply personalized the chairs with the boys names. I did however have to call the hubs and ask him to stop and get me a can of clear coat. I really thought we still had a partial can out in the garage. To which he promptly replied- "What are you doing now???"

Before.... BORING!!!

After-- I did almost have a heat stroke while attempting to complete this. Hope the boys appreciate all Mom's hard work!

MUCH improved!

Lake Fun!

2010-06-20T15:17:00.001-07:00

The twins have so much fun at Nana's! They pretty much spend their days playing in the sandbox, taking rides on the boat, swinging and playing on the dock.

They love to bury each other- and Nana!

The boys fought over the hose so much, my Mom got another one so they would each have one... Cleaning the dock is serious business!

Logan after a long day, taking a swing break...

Thanks Nana!

Amazing Men in my Life

2010-06-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Fathers Day is going to be a relatively low key day around our house this year (hubs is working). Saturday is actually our 11 year anniversary and we are lucky to have an overnight babysitter (thanks Mom!) so we are headed out for a much needed night on the town.

On that note, I did want to take a minute and just recognize some of the most important men in our lives....

My hubby of 11 years- A GREAT Daddy who works so hard and would do anything for me and the kids. The boys think he is the best fort-builder, sword-fighter, wrestler, baseball player, Frisbee thrower and the strongest man in the world! He also has the boys pegged for what position they will play in football which I think is super cute since they are 3 and 1!

My Dad, a believer in tough love but also would do anything for us! He recently renovated his entire basement with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and laundry room just to accommodate Team Cobbs so it would be easier when we travel to see him. Thanks Dad!

My Poppy, the boys Great Grandfather. Married to my Nana for almost 70 years. A veteran who is old school beyond belief, Mr. Fix It and would do anything for his bride. He truly is the King of our family! He is so sweet and has a very witty sense of humor- at 90! Love you Poppy!

My Step Dad, John. Loves my boys unconditionally. Fishes with Mason, makes him sword holsters out of old boots and is truly a great outdoors man. Wants to play horseshoe with the boys and show them how to trap a 'coon. Seriously..... Thank you John for ALL you do for the kids. They love you.

And then there are these guys. Mason, Brady & Logan are indeed the loves of my life. Being their Mom is beyond a joy and I just cant imagine my life any other way. So Happy Fathers Day to the amazing guys that make it all possible! We love you!

My "Babies"

2010-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

My identical twins, Logan & Brady have just turned 18 months old. This is so bittersweet for me. They are exactly 26 months younger than their big brother Mason- who I can hardly believe will be 4 in September. I guess its been easier for me to accept Mason as a big boy because he fell into the role so naturally when we brought the twins home. Now, my "baby" boys are running, talking and emulate EVERYTHING big brother does. They want to sword fight, play monster and chase each other around the house. For some reason, the last few weeks have really hit me that there will not be another baby in this house that belongs to me! Part of me is SO over pregnancy and anything related to the non stop maintenance of 2 newborns but part of me is... dare I say.... really.... sad...

The last 3 days I have had the opportunity to soak up every minute with Brady & Logan. Nana has Mason at the lake and they went to the Rodeo last night. So to have him safe and happy really lets me focus on these little guys individually. Their personalities are so different these days. Brady is outgoing, LOUD, talks tons and is into EVERYTHING. Logan is always close to Mama and is the King of Tantrums. The boys will knock each other over and then help each other up. They will get toys and give them to the other. They truly have sweet hearts.

When passing people in the grocery store with the 3 kids, I have VERY often heard, "Oh, poor you" or "Are you trying for that girl?" Well- NOT poor me, and no, WE ARE DONE! I couldn't be happier with my 3 loves and cant imagine life any other way. I'm not sure when I will stop calling these boys may babies because they always will be.

Brady and Logan

"Brothers by chance, best friends by choice."

Brady

Logan

Daddy's helper

2010-06-06T17:38:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, our neighborhood held an annual community garage sale, so I thought that I would take the kids for an early walk before it got too hot and see what we could find. We need nothing and were looking for nothing but its always fun to rummage through everyone's junk! So, one of my neighbors was getting rid of some birdhouses that I thought were super cute but not really my style. She had them in her old house and for a buck each, I thought certainly I could use them somewhere outside. So, with a bit of help from my favorite handy-men, they were cleaned, drilled and hung.

Mason- toolbox in hand- ready to work with Dad.

Massive concentration- holes in trees are serious business....

Out with the old......

... And in with the new! Just outside my kitchen window by a big tree where we get lots of birds.

I did also mange to find a 2nd (ahem...) Cozy Coupe and play gas station for the kids for $10. Now, I don't have to watch the twins pull each other out for a turn.

Easy Summer Salad

2010-06-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

My Mom and John have a pretty amazing garden at their place on the lake. They often supply us with tons of fresh goodies. Right now they have lots of cucumbers and she often makes this super easy, healthy salad for Mason. I started making it at home for all the boys and they all devour it!

Ingredients:

cucumbers, chopped

tomatoes (cherry or grape), chopped

black olives, chopped

feta cheese

Good Seasons Italian all natural dressing (follow prep directions on package)

The dressing calls to be made in a cruet, but if you don't have one, just use a tight sealing container. I just fashioned mine out of an old bottle and it has always worked just fine.

Mix together, drizzle with dressing and serve with grilled chicken. EASY, HEALTHY, FAST and great for summer!

My Mini-Me!

2010-06-03T15:21:00.001-07:00

I have been cleaning out my closet and came across my beloved baby book. I haven't looked through it in forever but took 5 minutes and showed Mason some of my baby pictures. He looked right at this one and said "Why is Brady in your book???" Love that he didn't notice the puffy sleeves he thought his brother was wearing and LOVE even more that my sweet Brady is a mini me as a baby. *Please excuse the 1978 Olan Mills scanned photo*

Goin' to Kansas City.... Kansas City here I come....

2010-06-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a long weekend in Kansas City (my hometown). We took the boys to visit my Dad, brother and Grandparents. We were lucky enough to have my Mom join us on the VERY long road trip and help with the kids. We packed TONS in but had a super time. Here are a few highlights from our Memorial weekend getaway.

Nana, Me, Logan & Poppy

My amazing, loving, supportive Grandparents. Married 69 years and are the King and Queen of our family. The kids loved seeing them but I'm afraid we wore them out just a tad! Now can you see where my darling kids get their good looks and blond hair!

Brady & Poppy

We went to the most darling place while we where there. Its called Deanna Rose Farmstead and was PERFECT for my boys. Tractors, animals, dirt, playgrounds and so much more.

Mason with his "Unca Unca" Ryan and then with my brothers darling girlfriend, Jenn. (Pretty sure Mason has a crush on her)

Mason checked out every tractor on the property and this was BY FAR his favorite part.

It was super hot, so we let the kiddos have Popsicles- they were green for HOURS after...

Bottle feeding a baby goat and playing Cowboy.

Playing at the Indian Tee pee and relaxing with Daddy on a swing.

Sweet shot of Nana and Brady.

Dallas Zoo... Again...

2010-05-24T10:54:00.001-07:00

This weekend, my girlfriend, Intaly and I took the kids to the Dallas Zoo for the Grand Opening of their new Giants of the Savanna exhibit. It was only open to Zoo members so we thought this would be a great chance to check it out- so did the rest of Dallas apparently! It was HOT, packed with people but still so fun. The kids really enjoyed the reptile house (probably because their was A/C inside) and the new butterfly nursery. At the end of the day, we laid out a blanket, had a picnic and let the kids play in the streams in the children's area. Kiley and Mason had a blast exploring and the babies were fascinated by everything around them.

Giants of the Savanna

Mommy & Mason

Kiley & Mason (lady killer)

Trying for just 1 good pic on the darling butterfly bench.

Watching the beautiful butterflies!

Whoa, what a week!

2010-05-21T18:10:00.001-07:00

Its been a crazy week here! First I want to congratulate my darling cousin Kaylan who graduated from SMU last week. She is a music major with the voice of an angel- so proud of her! My Dad came from KC and Erin & Dave came from Colorado to also celebrate with her. Here is a pic of me and the Graduate below.

We had an amazing family dinner at Perry's in downtown Dallas. My gorgeous cousins- Meghan, Kaylan (the Graduate), Erin and myself.

Dad & I

The Sikkel's all met for lunch at my hubby's place one day. The kids completely missed nap and were crazy. Luckily we had the whole patio to ourselves. They danced, ate ice cream and loved all the attention from their cousins! (and Mommy loved the help!)

The elusive "good" picture with the kids and cousin Erin!

While my Dad was here, he blew up our massive Slip N Slide and Mason went crazy for it.

This is what the babes had the most fun doing..... Typical....

Papa Doug (Papa Dug-a-hole as Mason calls him) got to bond with the kids tons this week. They made cookies, took trips to the gazebo, pond, pool and park. We even managed to squeeze in a trip to the Pedi. (Everything is fine, I'm just paranoid...) I think we wore him out plenty and he was ready to head back to his peaceful life in Kansas but we had a great visit with him and the rest of the Sikkel's!

Morning Chaos!

2010-05-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Mornings are crazy around here... Like clockwork, the kids all usually wake withing 10-15 minutes of each other. Since the twins share a room, one usually wakes the other one up. The babies are RAVENOUS when they wake. It pretty much goes- 'Hi Momma- dwink, dwink, dwink..." (means milk). I quickly change their diapers, bring them down to the kitchen and start the coffee before Big Brother Mason gets up.... My babies follow me all around the kitchen opening cabinets (yes, they are baby proofed, they can still get in now), pulling food out of the fridge and tugging at me while I'm trying to get breakfast together acting as if its been days since their last meal.... Mason, on the other hand needs some time in the morning before its even acceptable to hold a conversation with him. Like his Daddy, I would compare it to a bear coming out of hibernation.... A bit grumpy if you will. So I give him his space, let him veg and tend to the babes. About the time they finish, Mason wants to eat, so I then get him situated and try to keep the boys out of his hair so he can eat in peace. On this particular morning, everyone was SOOOOOOOOOOO happy, peaceful and calm. Little Bear Mason included... My hubs snapped a few pics of the boys....

The twins and I watching a Baby Einstein- they LOVE them (Mason could have cared less). I know I look a mess- no hair, no makeup, in my PJ's but whatever, the boys look picture perfect so I had to post!

Brady and Mason, having a snuggle and a tickle. I love when everyone is sweet to each other because it seems lately that I am more Referee than Mom...

Cute Cricut Coasters

2010-05-10T15:12:00.001-07:00

So how cute are these??? One of my best girlfriends, Mariah surprised a few of us with these at our last MOPs meeting on Monday. The girl is Cricut crazy and frankly I'm pretty happy about it since I am often the recipient of some fabulous goodies! They are tiles with cork board backings made into coasters. All four have a different, funky print and of course our initials. Thank you sista for this fab surprise- You made my morning and you KNOW I will break them out at our next "Mommy Conference" aka: Happy Hour.

Best Zucchini Bread EVER!

2010-05-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

My little Chef

Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3 eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 1/4 cups white sugar, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups grated zucchini

Directions:

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

SOOOOOOOOO easy and oh so yummy... The recipe makes 2 loaves, calling to freeze one but my family devourers this so fast, it's NEVER necessary!

Dallas Arboretum F-U-N !

2010-05-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

Isn't this just darling? Right now the Dallas Arboretum is featuring four topiary Flower Houses that create villages, bringing the beloved Beatrix Potter stories to life. The houses of Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, Mrs. Tittlemouse and Jemima Puddleduck were beyond amazing! Named for each of the four Beatrix Potter stories depicted, the thatched-roof, English-cottage Flower Houses invite children to explore inside, where they will find components that help to depict the story's theme, and encourage them to exercise their imaginations and a super sense of fun. We got to see lots of ducks, amazing flowers and vintage decorations- and everything was available to touch and play on (the best part of all). Actually, the best part was laying out our blankets in the shade, letting the kids explore and sharing a bottle of wine while everyone played together (nicely, I might add).

My twins, off to another adventure!

Big brother Mason makin' a SPLASH!

I turn my back on Logan for 2 minutes to find this (no, that's NOT a black eye, just mud!).... That's when we decided that the fountains weren't really bad idea after all.. Little booger...

The "big kids" trowing pennies in- making wishes...

Like little duckies, all following Mama Piper up the sidewalk to the fun...

And the shot of the day (this NEVER happens!)- Logan & Brady. Age 17 months

Meet the Barry's

2010-05-02T17:34:00.001-07:00

My cousin, Erin and her hubby, Dave- married last year.

You may recall Mason was the Ring Bearer in a pretty fabulous wedding last summer. Dave is in the Army and most of his friends serve in one branch of service or another. A few of the guys used swords during the Bride & Groom's ceremony exit and since that day, Mason has referred to Dave as "Pirate Dave." The newlyweds have since moved to Colorado but were back in Dallas this weekend for a quick visit. Mason patiently waited outside for his very own Pirate to arrive and had so much fun with him after they got here. Pirate Dave is like the cool big brother that breaks all the rules but it's OK...

Dave made the swing set into a waterfall and helped Mason build the ultimate sand castle.

Brady & Logan filled buckets, dumped them, filled them, dumped them and filled them again...

Logan & Brady

Sadly, I did not get one single picture of my fabulous cousin, Erin. We were too busy baby wrangling and just trying to catch up!

Sweet Treats

2010-04-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

My kids all LOVE Popsicle's but I hate that they are so full of c-r-a-p. I have frozen plain ol' yogurt before (the Go-Gurts) but that isn't really a sweet treat so I decided it was high time that I make our Popsicles. Have you ever checked the ingredient list of a stinkin' Popsicle?? Its grossly, ridiculously hard to pronounce... So, since I don't want my kids eating things like maltodextrin, guar gum and tumeric (what???) this summer- here's what I did.. A bunch of nothing really--- Fresh strawberries, pureed with plain ol' fat free vanilla yogurt - pour into container of choice and freeze for approximately 5 hours. And Viola! Healthy and delish!

Logan enjoying his sweet treat

Brady- All hail King Popsicle!

Mason and Daddy went out to dinner tonight so no pics of him getting messy this time round... Now I'm off to check out the Ice Cream maker my Dad got us for Christmas and see what I can concoct... Low-fat blueberry cinnamon seems like the front runner! Mmmmm!

Tea Party Fun

2010-04-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

My uber talented, crafty girlfriend, Mariah hosted a Tea Party Play date for the kiddos this week. She makes and sells these DARLING vintage dress up suitcases and wanted some professional shots she could use on her website. So--- an idea was born... I think there were 16 kids total, Moms, Dad's, Auntie's and Tammy her photographer. The kids played dress up, drank lemonade, explored the surroundings and had a great time. Tammy took some individual shots of all the kids and I CAN'T wait to get them back. My boys were the first to go (thank God) and their picture was done on the inside of a rusty old barn. They were MUCH more interested in playing and getting dirty than taking pics but I imagine they will be just amazing (don't you worry, I will post when I get them!). It was a gorgeous Texas day outside and Mariah, as usual outdid herself to make it perfect for everyone else! Here are a few I manged to get with my camera in the midst of the craziness!!

Mason- having a snack, per the norm!

Um, having some cotton candy now...

Brady - animated, independent, full of life and wants to be JUST like big brother.

Logan- Momma's Boy, super snuggler, happy and ALWAYS on the go.

Um, pretty much the story of my life- always collaborating with something up their sleeves!

When he couldn't catch a butterfly (and was totally annoyed about it, might I add), he opted to hit the trees (my typical boy) and fill the net with leaves. He gets this improvising thing from his Momma!

And here I am, as always trying to capture the EVER elusive pic of the 3 boys together. Please note Logan waaaaaaaaaaaaay up in the far right corner... Typical...

Randomness Galore...

2010-04-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Well, its been a super busy week around here. We have had several play dates, another trip to the Dallas Zoo (taking FULL advantage of our new memberships), a super fun BBQ and caught up with some dear old friends. Not to mention the normal insanity of laundry, cooking, cleaning, entertaining kiddos and my part time paying job! Here are a few highlights...

Mason and Aubrey at the zoo- making a wish and making a splash!

The Monorail ride with the kids. They all (um, all 6 to be exact) did great- babes sat in my lap the whole time and Mason and Aubrey listened to the Narrator explain the Wonders of Africa. Very cool.

My sweet Brady, Be-bers, Brady Bear... happy as always!

My lovey Logan hangin' solo chasing the bubbles

Um- just too dang cute for words... Found them snuggled this way after our picnic... Aubrey's Daddy already has his eye on my oh so innocent Mason!

And the crew - my blondie twins on the left and Mariah's in the yellow shirts on right. My son Mason in the red plaid shirt and her sweet Aubrey. Oh, and the Mommies, of course!

And last but not least, some of my favorite gals EVER in the pic below! We treated ourselves to dinner at Sauce on the Square this week and had a blast as always! I feel so lucky and so blessed to have such an amazing family and wonderful friends that I adore and trust so much. I cherish my time with all of them, they are truly a group of talented, kind, creative woman that I LOVE!

The MOB's (name confidential)

Melinda, Candace, Kristi, Intaly, Mariah and Jenny. Click on names to check out their fab blogs.

The Dallas Zoo

2010-04-17T16:47:00.001-07:00

Allen had a rare Saturday off so we decided to take the kids to the Dallas Zoo. Mason has been before but this was our first time to take all 3 of the kids. Our good friends, the Leeson's joined us and we had a BLAST! The forecast called for rain and we did get a little wet at the start of the day but after our picnic, the sun broke thru and it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. The kids enjoyed the monkey's, snakes, kangaroos, tigers and gorilla's. We all ended up buying memberships and I imagine we will be back several times before it gets too hot. We didn't get a chance to do the monorail this time but I cant wait to take them on it next time! A few highlights from our fabulous day:

After a carousal ride

Puppet show by Buford the Buzzard

Sparky, Brady, Logan and I

Mason insisted on pulling the wagon...

Watching the tigers...

2 Moms, 2 Dads, 3 kids each= 10 of us total!

Mariah and I with Brady & Piper

Mason gives brother Logan some lovin'

Mason was the star of the show!

Of course they wanted to ride the camel- too fun!

Cant wait to go back!

Remember when a Fudgesicle made you THIS happy?

2010-04-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Enough Said!

Don't call me Mason

2010-04-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

My child really believes he is a Pirate. He refers to himself as "Hook" or "Pirate Mason." He has even taught the babies to sword fight and can recite every word of the songs "My first mate is a Monkey", "Stowaway" and "Yo-Ho-Ho and a bottle of Rum." He pretends every basket in the house is a treasure box and I find them full of random things in random places. His swing set is now his Pirate ship complete with Chi Chi the Parrot, a telescope and ship's wheel. He always wants me to draw him out a treasure map that he promptly rolls up and sticks down his shirt. It's really quite comical, he has quite the imagination!

Example 1- bathed and in his Pj's with his Pirate costume on and his beloved sword tucked securely in his belt that NOBODY can touch.

Example 2- Fast asleep at nap time with his hook, sword and Pirate belt from his Papa.

Gourd Birdhouses

2010-04-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

My Dad grows these gourds by the zillion in his backyard. He doesnt know what to do with all of them so he had the novel idea of laqureing them, carving a hole and making them into birdhouses. They are really pretty as is but I decided to let Mason add a little artwork and customize it. We will wait and watch this summer and see if any birdies use our gourd as their new home.

The originals from my Dad in KC

Mason adding "his touch"

We shall see if we get any nesters!

Take me out to the Ballgame!

2010-04-08T05:31:00.001-07:00

Mason and Allen enjoyed America's Favorite Pastime when the Texas Rangers took on the Toronto Blue jays at The Ballpark in Arlington. They went several hours before the game so Mason could get the full Ballpark experience. They had hot dogs, watched practice and even got a few autographs. I thought Mason would be wiped out but when they got home at 10:30 that night, but he was so wound up and couldn't wait to tell me about the 4 home runs they saw! In the end, Toronto beat Texas but the boys had a great afternoon together and that's what matters.

On their way- Mas loved his Rangers jersey.

Think he's having fun?

Easter Fun!

2010-04-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

Easter was great fun for our family this year! The kids were excited to come down and see that the Easter Bunny had indeed made a visit to our house and left them lots of loot. I filled their baskets and made "bunny tracks" all over the kitchen table with flour. I learned this trick from my Aunt when Mason was a baby and have done it ever since. Its kind of annoying to clean up but soooooooooo cute! The babies could have cared less but Mason told us several times that "Bunny made a HUGE mess!" Exactly what I want him to think!

Kids loot and bunny tracks...

Brady liked the tissue best of all..

A backyard egg hunt...

"Sunny the Bunny" with Mas & Logan at the Aboretum.

Mason loved the poor goat at the petting zoo!

Brady wants to be just like big brother!

My Mom and I with the babes- rain poured down on us but we stayed and toughed it out!

My favorite picture EVER of the boys! They were wet, starving and TIRED, cant believe this picture really happened!

Dance Machine Mason in the rain- having a BLAST!!! Made being wet all day worth it to see him having such fun and not having a care in the world!

Ring Around the Rosy... and then some....

2010-04-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Big kids playing ring around the rosy.

Spring is here for sure and we have had so many fun play dates lately! On this particular day, we met Mariah, Jenny, Kristi, Intaly and Candace's crew for some fun at Towne Lake Park in McKinney. We all brought picnic's (thank you Intaly for the seriously awesome homemade egg rolls) and scooters for the big kids and let them play until everyone crashed. It was another glorious Texas day with amazing friends and the sweetest kids ever! My pirate/dinosaur/cowboy/son Mason even picked flowers for a few of us. (tear...) I just love this time of year and cant wait until our Easter egg hunt on Sunday.

And a little duck, duck, goose...

Mommy and Logan

With my babes, Brady & Logan

Look at my hair, Mom!

Hangin' with my Big Boy

2010-03-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky to have my Mom so close. She loves to take the boys down to her place at the lake and give me a bit of a break. She usually takes Mason once a month for a few days and this time she has the twins so I could have some special time with my favorite big boy. Before the babies came along, Mason was our entire world- he has adjusted well to having 2 baby brothers but still needs individual attention and this weekend was ALL about him. We ran lots of errands, ate pizza, baked cinnamon rolls, watched Star Wars, planted flowers, played miniature golf, visited Daddy at work and took lots of silly pictures. (Yes, we crammed alot in...) He sat with me through an eye appointment and was sooooooooooo good. So, after we were done he saw this photo booth and wanted to do it- how could we not???

The nice folks at Lens Crafters cleaned and "adjusted" Mason's glasses for him. He keeps saying they are sooooooooooooo shiny!!!

Our fun Photo-booth pics

We love and miss the twins (Mason has asked several times when they are coming home) but its VERY hard to spend an entire day doing fun stuff like this with 2, 15 month old babies in tow. I have cherished every second of my special weekend with my boy.

Random...- A funny Mason quote from today- "Mom, you better shut the sunroof right now, your hair is getting really messed up!" (We have my Moms car and she has the van.)

Here we go, go, go!!!

2010-03-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

I have been trying and trying to get a video of my babes walking TOGETHER for awhile now. One of them always falls, one always heads off in the opposite direction, Mason grabs the camera--- you get the point. Well, my hubs can take all credit for this one- I was not even home last night and look at this!!! Brady and Logan- walking- TOGETHER!! = Perfection! Love it! (Please note big brother Mason cheering them on in the backround)

Backyard Fun

2010-03-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have really been enjoying the gorgeous Spring weather. We have already had a handful of amazingly warm days and this was one of them. I always like to give Mason a choice in what we spend our afternoons doing- the park, the pond, scooter rides or just backyard fun. On this day he wanted to stay home and just play with his brothers (sweet, I know). The kids all really love the sand and water table. Although ours has become just a sand table as when you try to leave water on only one side, it always just becomes a MUDDY mess!!! So rather than fight it, go with it! They have lots of buckets, sifters, NEON rice and some shells I brought back from Mexico. The boys will play in here for hours and while we do buy sand at least every couple of weeks- Its so worth it to watch them being creative, playing together and just doing what brothers do.

This is classic Mason- made a basket-"Ohhh YEEEAAAAH!"

The boys spotted a grasshopper. Mason and Brady tried to go after him but Logan couldn't be bothered long enough to stop his sand scooping.

Brady- 16 months today

Logan- 16 months today

ABC's

2010-03-21T11:40:00.001-07:00

Ho-hum, another yucky day here in North Texas. I'm usually game for just about anything outside but even I cant stand to be out in this snowy, cold mess. The wind is just howling and its pretty miserable. So yet again I'm trying to find things that are at least some what educational that we can all do together and not go cccccrrraaazzzy!!!

So today's activity was based on the good ol' alphabet. Mason is 3 and got this Leap Frog movie for his birthday last year. He has watched it a few times and I thought instead of breaking out Peter Pan again, we would do this instead. Letter Factory is very cool as it has a cute story that takes you thru the entire alphabet. Mason knows parts of the song and even makes the sounds of the letters. So, I decided that we would have Alpha Bits for snack while we watched and I challenged him to find each letter as Lily and Tad explored the alphabet factory. He did a pretty good job and even asked to watch it again. He was very proud of himself each time he found the correct letter. So, all in all- fun, educational and FREE on a cold winter (um, spring?) day.

Searching, searching, searching.....

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-03-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Start with this......

Blech---what a cold, nasty day outside. We went from the sun shining, birds singing, wearing flip flops at the park to this nonsense... What a tease.
So, I needed to find a few activities to keep everyone sane locked up inside for the day. We all love sweets and Mason loves to help with anything so I stole this super cute cupcake recipe from my girlfriend, Jenny. She calls them rainbow cupcakes but ours were more tye dye. I tweaked it a bit because I only had NEON food coloring at the house but they still tasted great and obviously my boys could care less. People, it does not get any easier than white cake mix- seriously, this is for anyone with kids old enough to hold a spoon. I even let the babes (age 15 months) get in on the stirring action. (But to be honest- most of the time Mason and I were making our treats, the twins were strapped in their highchairs, eating a snack watching a Baby Einstein)

My little chef hard at work mixing and blending.

Follow the directions on the super simple white cake mix box (don't forget the whipped frosting)Separate batter into however many colors you want to add the food coloring. Mix until well blended. Layer your colored batter into cupcake pan. Don't worry if it's not perfect, its still fun and they will turn out fine.

Delish!

St. Patty's Day Re-fashion

2010-03-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Mariah decided to throw a St. Patrick's Day party for all the kiddos. Complete with secret leprechauns, green treats and a rainbow with a pot of gold. She is sooooooooo crafty and always has the best parties so about 24 hours before I tried to think about what green all my boys had to wear. Well, as it turns out- not alot. I knew I had these old bibs somewhere that the babies wore last year so I set out to find them. I happened to have 3- don't ask me why, but I did. Just like the picture below. So, I got out 2 white onesies for the twins and a green striped polo for Mason and spruced em' up for the festivities. I sewed NOTHING, I'm a fan of stitch witchery and its soooooooooo easy. So I cut up the bibs, attached the clovers and presto- made with love by Mom and so cute!

The "before" baby bib

And the "after" finished onesies

I so wish I had a pic of Mason, but the only ones of him are with his back turned and running away to find the leprechaun's gold--- so again my life's mission is STILL to get a good shot of my 3 sweet boys together. One can dream....

Sun catcher-Mason style

2010-03-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

This is about as simple as it gets but my 3 year old had a BLAST with it! We bought 3 clear, plastic butterflies at Micheal's and I let him decide what to use to decorate them. It would have turned out better if he would have used bright markers but I'm really trying NOT to control things and let him be creative in his very own way. I did break out some puffy paints and he was NOT a fan. Told me they were MUCH to hard and he didn't like all the splatter. Funny kid... Anyway, I think this cost me about $2.75 total for the 3 butterflies and it kept him entertained for a good, long while. He has given 2 away to his Nana and Papa and mine is proudly displayed in our kitchen window. Again, fun for him and all I had to do was cover the table, break out the stuff and let him go at it. A winner for sure!

Hard at work with his puffy paints.

And his beautiful finished butterfly in my kitchen window.

We call him Bruiser....

2010-03-12T17:25:00.001-08:00

Look at my poor, sweet baby boy. All busted up... My boys are walking and Logie-bear is a combination of trip, fall, crash, trip, fall, crash... He is such a wildman- just goes and goes.. Gets up, brushes himself off and goes again. No family pictures anytime soon...

Logan- aka "Bruiser"

Fun with Fingerpaints

2010-03-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

I am borrowing a great book called "Slow and Steady, Get me Ready" from a MOPs friend and thought today would be the perfect day to try out one of the ideas. There are sooooooooooooo many great developmental activities in this book and it is geared for kids birth to age 5. Fits my clan perfectly! I quickly flipped thru and came to finger painting. I thought that the boys would ALL love this so I got everything ready to go while they napped. I needed to make a pretty good amount of paint and have included the "natural" recipe below. I taped wax paper all over my kitchen table and gave everyone a chunk to work with.

As it turns out, Mason wanted nothing to do with this one. He woke up crabby and was over it before he gave it a chance, but I have PLENTY of paint leftover to give it another whirl with him when he feels like it. Really weird because he loves to finger paint. Whatever, the babes and I had a blast!

Brady (in blue) and Logan making a mess but having FUN!

Paint Recipe:
3 tablespoon sugar, 2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch (I used a bit more cs than this)

Cook ingredients on low heat until smooth and thick- after cooled, pour into jars and add food coloring. The GREAT thing about this is the fact that there is not a single ingredient that could be harmful if swallowed! My babies tasted it a few times while they were painting and I'm just fine with it!

Brotherly Love

2010-03-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

My babies turned 15 months old the day I took this picture. Wow is just all I can say- time flies! I feel like we just brought our bundles of joy home from the hospital to join our family. They are at such a great age and I am having such fun watching them grow and see their little personalities develop. I always feel like they are such a package deal, they share a room, share a dialogue and have such a unique bond that only identical twins can have.

The last few days here in Texas have been just divine and we have been outside from almost sun up to sun down. I was lucky enough to have caught the most precious moment with my own eyes. Logan (on the left in the first picture) dropped his bowl of graham crackers and had a serious meltdown. They fell under the table and he couldn't get to them. Brady, without hesitation, started emptying his bowl and giving all of his crackers to his brother. If you know Brady, this kid can eat. My Mom says "you just cant fill him up" and its so true. But to see him so willingly give his brother his snack was just darling and melted my heart in a million pieces. They are indeed brothers by chance but best friends by choice and I am so proud to call them mine!

Logan (L) Brady (R) - Happy again!

Brady (L), Logan (R) both with full bowls!

Butterflies in the Snow???

2010-03-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

Random- yes, but so are we.... I am NOT a super crafty, creative Mom. Lately I have been inspired by friends to do more than the typical paints, crayons and play doh (our norm).... And oh is my Mason happy about it! He ALWAYS wants to use glue, but more ends up on him, his clothes and the dog than anywhere else. But, what the heck, your only 3 once so why the heck not??!! The weather here in Texas has been a bit um, random shall I say so when I asked him what he wanted to do he said make butterflies---- in the snow. Spring sprung for a few days and now its cold, rainy and ugly again. So, I guess that's where his idea of "Butterflies in the Snow" came from. For the record, I DID let him do EVERY bit of gluing. I drew a line for our pom-pom butterfly and told him to glue on top of the line. I also of course bent the pipe cleaners for him and drew more lines for him to glue over. So glad glue dries clear because what the picture doesn't pick up is how much glue is actually on this piece of paper. Anyway, I say my kid is amazing!!

Working hard- glue, glue, glue....

And his finished product...

Blastoff!!!

2010-02-25T17:46:00.000-08:00

My babes blasting off!

This week we have just been trying to get back into our "normal" routine. After 8 days gone and the kids with my Mom, we were all a bit out of sorts. Well, we are back in the swing of things and wanted to catch up with friends as soon as we could! Not to mention, Mason asking about Aubrey about 300 times in a 48 hour period. So, at the suggestion of Mariah, we set out for a picnic at Rocket Park in Allen. I had never been there before but the kids all dug it. EVERYTHING is spaceship or astronaut inspired and it was very cool to see the older ones use their imaginations- Mason and Aubrey had tons of fun "blasting off" and all the babies just spent lots of time exploring, climbing, swinging and trying to catch bubbles. This park is small enough that we could easily keep our eyes on all 6 kids even when they were all going in different directions. Rocket Park is surrounded by a wooded greenbelt and Mason and Aubrey spent lots of time picking up sticks for their "house" and riding their scooters. My hubby was at a meeting that morning and even swung by to see the kids for a few minutes. We had a picnic lunch and everyone played hard for several hours. When the wind picked up and it started to get cold, we packed up and called it a day. Here are a few pics of our fun...

Logan - Age 1

Brady - Age 1

Logan, Brady & Mason CRASHED HARD on the way home....

Aubrey & Mason cruising around Rocket Park

They are in love and I'm OK with arranged marriages!

Sweet Parker & Piper (Mariah's twins)

Viva Mexico!

2010-02-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

View from our balcony....

Wow, Just back from a WEEK in Mazatlan, Mexico and was it ever amazing! My hubby, his brother Erick and my sister in law (aka: my BFF) Sally joined us and we had a grand time! The week can really be summed up like this: we ate, we drank (100's of Corona's to be exact), we napped, we dipped in the ocean and REPEAT, repeat, repeat.... My amazing Mom, who I am now calling Saint Nana kept my crew at the lake the whole time. Grandma of the Year took all 3 kids to the zoo, the library, on a shopping trip to Lowe's and even out for pizza one night! Can you call this woman amazing??? Last night she told me she was enjoying the silence and I had to ask her to repeat herself as my crew was on volume MAX (back to reality REAALLY quick!)!!!

We are all reunited and it feels so good! I missed my kids so much but I am almost ready to go back!

On another vacation note... I PARA SAILED (pics to come from my SIL)!!!! By myself, over the ocean, a zillion feet in the air. Can't believe I did it and have NO intention of doing it again but can happily cross it off my own personal bucket list!

We just happened to be in Mazatlan over the last few days of Carnival. The parade and pride of culture displayed was beyond amazing. Here are a few highlights. PS- How darling are the dressed up girls? They died with laughter when we asked to take their pics. Thanks to my great hubby who did all communicating!

Splish, splash, I was takin' a bath............

2010-02-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

I love when my boys do as asked... Ask for a wave- get a wave, ask for a bye-bye- get a bye- bye... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, cuteness OVERLOAD!!!

So this short post is just dedicated to my precious, precious babes... Mas will have a solo next....

My 1st official Blog Post!

2010-02-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

I started to wonder why everyone under the sun had a blog- but me... A sign of the times, I'm just lazy or maybe a combination of both. Whatever the case may be, after starting this months ago, stopping and starting again too many times to count- here we go- My 1st official post! You won't see lots of snazzy crafts or delicious recipes on here. You see, I'm not a fantastic cook and I'm really not all that creative unless I have some help. You will however get a look into our lives, which I think is pretty ok if I do say so myself.

Today we veered from our normal Monday routine of MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) and stayed home. All 3 kids are just getting over an ugly bout of RSV and I am just trying to ensure they stay healthy 1 more week! You see, the hubs and I are leaving for our first trip together without kids in over 4 years!! I'd say its time... It is a nasty, cold, rainy day outside so the kids are just hanging in their Pj's passing the time. (We do normally get dressed every day and for the record, I am). Mason can most often be found in his Pirate costume, although today he was calling it his "Night Watchman" outfit and requested keys and a flashlight be attached to his belt. (We watched Night at the Museum for the 678th time last night.)

"Night Watchman" Mason

Today I am busy doing laundry, packing up the kids and packing up the hubby and I. Does anyone have a husband who packs himself? If so, have them drop my Allen a line. I'm over it... Not a small feat to send 3 little ones to Nana's for the week. Diapers, Pull Ups, underwear, snacks, medicine, clothes, pj's, crib toys, diaper bag and the list could go on and on... My wonderful Mom loves my boys with all her heart, she has no idea what shes in for. She lives on a private lake which is normally great, however, she is NOT close to any emergency facility's thus the need to send everything but the kitchen sink. Whats the old saying about not needing an umbrella again???

My happy babes, Logan & Brady, just because I love them!

Kids clothes that really need to be packed!!

Anyway, that about wraps it up on my end... Busy week ahead and then off to Mexico. I'm sure I wont post again until after my trip so have a good week, I will be on the beach, adult beverage in hand soaking up the Mexican sun!