Galveston

Trucks in the sand!

Hudson and Isaac



Notice he's not sitting, he's squatting...I'm not sure he ever sat down in the sand. He is smiling though, so that's all that matters!

All the little ones!

Dana and Adilyn getting water in the bucket.

Daddy playing with the boys.

Kacy and Celisa - cheese!

"Walk with me Daddy!"

Adilyn and Isaac playing together.

My boys!

Crawling by the water and so happy!

Joy!!!

All the kids!

As you can see from the pictures, we went out to Galveston today with the boys and some great friends! This was our first time to take either of the boys to the beach, so going into the day we were a bit nervous about how it would go. We were pleasantly suprised, they did great! Luke loved it! He was in his element in the sand being free and doing whatever he wanted. He didn't mind getting dirty and enjoyed playing with all the sand toys. Isaac was a little unsure about the sand and getting dirty, but after a little time he got comfortable and had a lot of fun digging with the other kids and playing in the sand. The water was another story, neither of the boys were very impressed by that. Isaac hated the seaweed (it was everywhere) and he was scared of the waves. By the end of the day I was able to hold him in the water, jump in the waves and get some good laughs out of him. Luke didn't care too much for being in the water, but he really enjoyed crawling right along the waters edge.

I think all 7 of the kids had a great time together, and I know the 6 adults did, too! I'm thankful that we got to make more memories with our friends today and look forward to many more fun times!

Happy Birthday!

Me and my 1 year old!

Pool time!

Mmmm...cake!

He demolished that cake, and loved every bite!

Who me? =)

A sweet kiss for his sweet friend.

Dylan and Tex became fast friends.

So sleepy after a fantastic party!

This past Saturday we threw the boys a double birthday party! It was a fantastic party thanks to all of our amazing family and friends! We are so thankful we have so many great people in our lives that love our boys and came out to help us celebrate their special day.

It was a swim party, the pool filled up on Thursday, and we broke it in with a bang! Everyone seemed to have a blast playing in the pool and jumping off the diving board! The little ones also got to swing, drive the power wheels, and just run around having fun! Of course no party is complete without cake, I had a smash cake with a tractor and their name on it for each boy, and cupcakes for all the other kids. The party started at 3:00 and the last guests left around 9:30! We had friends that we see on a regular basis and friends that drove all the way from Fort Worth, we all felt so special! Happy Birthday to my boys!

Picture Blog

So much has happened lately, but I haven't blogged about most of it, just due to laziness. Here is a picture blog to let you see what's been going on around here. We are making precious memories...these days are priceless!

Tuesday, May 17, I brought cookies to Isaac and his class for his birthday. It was so fun for me to celebrate with him and his class. He passed out the cookies and then we sang happy birthday to him.

These ladies are amazing! They were his teachers this year, we are so thankful for them! He talks about them daily, he really loves them!

The boys had a blast playing with the water table! Isaac even dumped a cup of water on Luke's head, so he could wash it, and Luke didn't care! They were all smiles and giggles! I love those moments!

The Cavazos family stopped in for a visit last week, and it was SO good to see them! We miss them so much, and we hadn't gotten to meet baby Jonah yet, so this was a sweet time for all of us. The boys had a great time together...I wish they could play together more often.

Jonah, Luke, and Isaac playing together.

Isaac and I went to watch Carson do gymnastics last week...he did awesome! We both really enjoyed watching him.

Luke got his first haircut on Monday...as you can see he was not happy about it. He tried to climb out of the car. She did an amazing job, I don't know how she got it so nice with all his wiggling!

Here he is, after the traumatic experience, he looks so handsome and so grown up!

We started filling the pool on Wednesday morning, this is that afternoon, all the boys checking out the progress.

My little peanut, he's growing up! This was a fun afternoon outside.

We had our first playgroup with Isaac's school friends this week, it was a lot of fun! This week there were 5 boys with 3 little siblings.

I think we have another driver in the family.

Isaac got a shaving kit for his birthday, he loves to pretend he's shaving just like daddy!

He couldn't wait another minute, but none of us could, so we went in with our clothes on.

Latest Sayings...

Isaac has been saying some interesting things lately...some funny, some thought provoking, some embarrassing, and some strange. I've been trying to remember them, so I thought I'd blog about them so we could all get a laugh and so I'd have them written down.

• While practicing with his T-ball set today I told him, "Always watch the ball, keep your eye on the ball." He immediately leaned forward and put his eye on the ball. Not exactly what I meant.


• After passing a man on a motorcycle, who had a tatoo, he said, "Mama, that man has a big stamp on his arm!"


• He is still very into pointing out cars, but is now learning the names...most sports cars are referred to as corvettes, camaros or mustangs. We passed an El Camino sitting on the side of the road the other day and he said, "A camaro truck!"


• While shopping yesterday, Isaac blurted out, "Mama, that man's hair fell out." I quickly told him to be quiet and then tried to explain why we don't say that.


• He is very into motorcycles lately, and I told him can have one when he's 40. I figure he'll be wise enough to be safe or wise enough to know it's a bad decision to have one. So now he tells everyone that when he is 40 he is going to have a motorcycle with a trailer on it. And when we pass motorcycles on the road he always asks me, "Is that man 40?" My response is, "Of course! He can't drive a motorcycle if he's not 40."


• Isaac FINALLY made dirt on the potty! Yay! He's been potty trained for 6 months, but just now started going #2 on the potty last Friday. It took a day and a half of holding it, but then he did it! We made a big deal of it, of course! Unfortunately he started getting a stomach ache from waiting and he had to work hard for it. The next time he did it, he said, "I didn't wait too long this time!"


• We work very hard to teach Isaac to say, Yes. In Dutch, Yes, is Yea. So lately he has started saying Yea when he's around my parents, which is okay, but I want him to know the difference of when he can say it. He does know the difference, but when he's in a mood, he fights me on it. Lately, he has started saying, "Yea Ma'am." He always laughs afterwards. He's so silly.


• If I wear jeans and a shirt that is nicer than a t-shirt, he says, "Mama, why are you dressed nice?" He often tells me when he wants to dress nice, too.


• He told Luke the other day, as he and I walked into the other room, "Luke, keep an eye on Daddy." Ha!


• "WHY?" This question has become a constant in our lives, every story, every direction, and every event is followed by a "Why?" question. Oh, how I'm ready for the why phase to end.

My Big Guy is 3 Years Old

Ready to open his first birthday present...a gift from the Stockton family.

His first bike ride on the new bike!

Yesterday, was Isaac's 3rd Birthday! 3 years...where does the time go? I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday, and I am so thankful for it, it was the day I became a mom! Isaac has always been and continues to be a sweet boy with a big heart. Yes, he has his 2 year old (now 3 year old) moments, but through it all you can still see his kind heart and love for others. He is still timid around large groups of kids, but is opening up more and more in those situations. He loves social situations, especially if he's with me and Carl, he prefers to be out and about or at a party, rather than at home. He loves to play outside, he would live outside if I let him. His favorite activities outside are driving his power wheels Jeep and 4 wheeler, swinging, and riding his bike around the block. Isaac has always enjoyed driving cars, playing in toy cars, etc, and that has not subsided! He has recently started helping us drive in the neighborhood, and now anytime we go anywhere he wants to "help steer." Oh goodness, we're in trouble. ;-) He has decided that when he starts driving by himself he wants a Monster Truck...a blue one, and Luke will have a purple one. Ha! Today he told me that he also wants a Mustang; I'm not sure how Carl feels about him wanting a Mustang, not a Camaro. Isaac adores his brother, Luke. If we go anywhere without him he constantly asks me where he is and why he's not with us. When driving in the truck he holds Luke's hand if Luke gets fussy. He is very helpful when it comes to taking care of Luke, he will bring him his drink or snacks. I've had to tell him lately that he can't share snacks with him yet, but soon. He also enjoys driving Luke around in his Jeep, and is always sure to say that he has to drive in the slow speed when Luke is with him. Isaac is still a great eater; he always has been, and thankfully he is still open to trying new things and is not too picky. I love that he is a better eater than me. He really enjoys going to restaurants, I think at the moment Mexican restaurants are his favorite because he gets to eat chips before the food comes. He also loves Chick Fil A, and any place where we can sit outside. Isaac gave up naps months ago, started napping inconsistently at about 20 months and probably only took a handful of naps the past year. He is really good at staying in his bed during rest time though, he just talks and talks, sometimes for 2 hours. We kept him in his crib until just a couple of weeks ago because of his lack of napping and us still wanting him to have some quiet time. Since we've switched him to his big boy bed he has done great! He stays in his bed until we come in to get him up. Isaac loves to learn: he is always asking me how to say words in Dutch, how to spell words (in English), and any other information he wants to know. He has learned so much at school, new songs and many new things about Jesus. I love hearing him talk about those things! He gets really bothered when things are out of place. Recently, he realized someone he knows well is missing a hubcap on her vehicle...oh goodness, it was tramautizing. He has gotten over the trauma, I think, but he now points out every missing hubcap on every vehicle! He talks about hubcaps and missing hubcaps constantly! Oma and Opa's lamp fell off of the ceiling in their bedroom, and that was horrific to him. He wouldn't go in their room until it was fixed and talked about it for weeks. He still gets excited when he sees the new fan in their room.

Isaac is a sweet, fun, persistent, smart, and loving 3 year old! Watching him grow into the boy he is has been an honor, and we have loved every minute of it! We are really looking forward to what this year has in store for him and us!

Pool Progress

The pool is coming together and everytime they work on it I feel like we are so much closer to swimming! Thursday they did the tile, yesterday they did all the coping and stone work, and today they are doing the plumbing!

Isaac asks me daily, "Is there water in the pool yet? Can we swim today?" I'm thankful he's so excited about it...it's where we will spend the summer! So if you're in the area and have some free time, come on over, we'll be out back and we'd love to have your company! The more the merrier!!!

We have a 1 year old!

May 2011

May 2010

Our Sweet Luke turned one this week, and I think I'm still in denial. ;-) The first year is tough, but it's also so special and sweet. I am in awe of my little one and the toddler he is becoming. He is full of energy and spunk, but also full of love and kisses. He goes nonstop, chasing his brother all day, and exploring all the new things he can find. He is a curious boy, he wants to know what everything is and how it tastes. Yes, how it tastes, everything goes in his mouth...pineneedles, pollen, toys, food, everything! Ha! He also loves to crawl quickly over to give kisses and hugs, but they are brief and he's off again to explore and play. He is still crawling, I think he's decided there's no reason to walk, he can crawl fast and get everywhere he wants. He walks really well when holding someone's hand or pushing a walking toy, but as soon as he's free he sits down and crawls. He is a climber, major climber! Thankfully he's really good, he rarely falls when climbing, but he sure scares me often. He climbs on toys that are meant for climbing, he climbs on kid size furniture, he climbs on the fireplace hearth (argh!), he climbs the stairs (perfectly!), and he climbs anywhere else we will let him. He wants to be independent, he will let us feed him for a little bit, but then he gets mad and wants to do it alone...so I'm trying to find a variety of tasty fingerfoods for him. He has 5 teeth (3 on top, 2 on the bottom), but two more are trying to break through. We are currently weaning him from the bottle, he only gets one before bedtime these days. He is doing great with his sippy cup, he will drink milk and water from it. The pacifier is also being phased out, only at naptime now, which he has gotten used to and is handling well. Luke is definitely a Griffin boy, he loves anything with wheels...he is almost always pushing around a toy car, sometimes small and sometimes 5 times as big as him. He also likes to take things out of containers and then put them back in, so we do a lot of that these days. He still thoroughly enjoys swinging, we spend a good amount of time outside on the swing every day. He has graduated from his infant carseat, not due to size, he still fits in it, but due to the fact that he wants to face the front. He was starting to throw a fit anytime I'd put him in the car, and then I realized it was probably because he's bored and lonely. So we bought him a big boy carseat, installed it next to Isaac's, and now he's a happy traveler again! If he does get even a little bit upset Isaac holds his hand to make him happy...and it works everytime. It is the most precious thing to look back and see them back there holding hands and smiling. Luke adores Isaac, he wants to be with him at all times. He often crawls to hug and kiss him, which looks more like he's tackling him, but it's all in love. Isaac doesn't mind, he's a cuddler, too, so they share a moment before they're off to play. His stranger anxiety is lessening, he does well now with friends and family, which is a huge improvement. But if we see someone new he is sure to give them his serious look and check them out for a while before smiling or waving.

My Luke is still a peanut, but I don't mind a bit. He wears 6-9 month clothes, and is just too cute. Strangers are always suprised by his age, I love to see the look on their faces when I say he's a year old.

Luke's 1st Birthday!

Today is Peanut's first birthday! I can't believe it, where did the year go!?! He is such a joy...we love him so much! I don't have time to write much now, so I will write a full update on him later!

Mother's Day Tea

All lined up and ready to sing.

Showing me the cookie he made (I don't know why this picture is the wrong way, sorry).

Me and my boy!

Today was a special day for me and Isaac, our first Mother's Day Tea at his school. I didn't really know what to expect, but it was much better than I imagined! They started the event with a small program in the sanctuary, during which all of the preschool kids got on stage and sang 4 songs to us, all about Mommy. After that we headed to the classroom for tea, water, and cookies! Isaac made me a cookie with red sprinkles, and made one for himself with multicolored sprinkles. He also made me a beautiful card with flowers (his fingerprints were the petals), and the front of the card read "I love you bunches!" The inside read, "Happy Mother's Day! Love, Isaac" They died carnations pink and blue, the teacher let them choose what color they wanted to give their mamas, Isaac picked a blue one and oh so sweetly said to me, "I love you." Later, he told me he gave me a blue flower because it matched the blue shirt I was wearing.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but this was a special day, one that I will always remember!