Boys in their Chairs

I'm in total birthday mode...even if the boys birthday is still 49 days away! I can't help but get caught up in the emotion of it all- my boys are getting so big so fast!! I'm doing a picture project for their party and have been scouring through my endless amounts of pictures. And then it hit me- I haven't blogged about the boys in their chairs. At least, I don't think I have (although this is my 515th post, so I could be wrong!)...So, now I guess its time to get this one in print. These pictures were probably some of my favorites I have ever put in my scrapbook, and I'm glad I have that tangible copy of these, but getting them in print too sounds like a great idea!

Levi's mom gave Grant this little chair that used to be Levi's when he was a kid. She had it all cleaned and reupholstered and it was the perfect addition to Grant's nursery...and the perfect spot to take their monthly pictures!! Even when Levi was on deployment and we were in Kansas, the chair came with us!! I treasure these pictures so much!

Here is Grant in his chair. What strikes me is that each month he looks totally different! His growth is practically exponential! He didn't have that "baby" look to him for too long. But his personality definitely comes through in each and every picture! Grant's first year was such a blur, yet I remember it like it was yesterday. I barely blinked and he turned one...and now he's almost 5!

And here is Wyatt in his chair. He was so teeny for so long. Most of his pictures were hard to place in order without looking at the dates, since he doesn't change too much from month to month. One thing remained each month though was his super smiley face!! He was such a ham (and still is!) even though he didn't sleep his entire first year of life. And no, I'm really not kidding! But that was the beauty of Wyatt's first year of life- no matter how tortured and sleep deprived I felt, he made me smile through it all, and I loved him more and more each day! And now my littlest boy is almost 3!!!

 I might just have to do a photo shoot in their chair this upcoming birthday, just for memories sake. 

That is, if they can still fit in it...

Wyatt is Potty Trained!!!!

This little guy surprised the heck of out of us! Just when I thought we might not make it to preschool next year because he'd still be in diapers, he potty-trained in a week!! A far difference from the 11 months it took Grant to potty train! We started last Sunday, January 13th, after naptime. And he just went from there. He went Monday without a single accident! He had two accidents on Tuesday and none for the rest of the week! Everytime he said he had to potty and did, he earned a sticker on his chart. Once he filled it up, he knew exactly what surprise he wanted- a race car track he saw at Ross. A random choice, I thought, but he had it all planned out and was super proud of himself!! We are so proud of what a big boy he is!! 

There isn't anything cuter than a tiny tush in tiny underwear!!

Congratulations little buddy!! We are so so so so proud of you!!

Mid-January Instagram Dump

- Grant made a mask from a tortilla

- We made a Lego guy parade!

- Grant and Wyatt put on a concert for me

- Wyatt sitting with perfect hair and perfect posture

- Homework time for Wyatt on the iPad

- The effect of Levi and I have haircut wars with Wyatt

- Grant and Wyatt playing "snow"

- Levi riding the bench with 4 fouls and his little cheerleaders keeping him company

- "Look, I'm a turtle!"

Harpy Collection

Its getting kind of ridiculous how many blog posts I have about Grant's Harpy infatuation, but I just can't get over the cuteness of it all! I've written Harpy Love, Harpy, and I think one more post in my blogland that I can't remember. So what's one more! 

 This past weekend, my mom was in town and we went to one of our favorite antique malls in town. On our way out, I spied a little Harpy figurine (the far left) that just had to come home with us! For $2.50, we would've been crazy not to! At one of our favorite bookstores, we found a tiny harp seal stuffed animal and book set. It was just perfect for my little harpy-loving boy!!

 I love all the little names he's given to each of his special Harpy's! Big Harpy: Little Cold; Medium Harpy: Little Iceberg; Tiny Harpy: Little Ice; All the Harpy figures: Harpy the 1st, Harpy the 2nd, Other Harpy the 2nd, and Big Brother Harpy.; Harpy figurine: Little Snow

I love this little boy and his little sweet spirit!!

Pinterest Project Day

The boys had a case of the sniffles last week. And Grant's school had a massive case of the flu. Being the sick-a-phobic mom I am (I seriously have anxiety just thinking about my kids being sick), I decided to keep Grant home from school on Wednesday. I half expected the day to be a lounging in pajamas watching TV kind of day. Well, turns out the boys instead had an extreme case of the energies that just needed to be harnessed. So what does any other mom who stays home with two rambunctious boys ALL day do- turn to Pinterest of course!

I had already wanted to do some Valentine's Day crafts with my fellas, so it was a good excuse to work on those. I found a few ideas I thought would be do-able, and we got to work! 

We made symmetry hearts and handprint heart trees! The symmetry hearts were made by just painting on half of the heart and folding it, but the boys thought was the coolest thing!!  Of course, sprinkling glitter on it made it even cooler! For the handprint tree, I actually used a potato, cut in half, and shaped with a cookie cutter to make the heart. The boys thought that was weird, but cool! Since lots of painting was involved, inevitably, a bath was involved too! We made bathtub paint. (Ironic how painting led to a bath where they did more painting?!?) But this paint was made of soap, so it was clean and fun!!

And all these projects us took us to lunchtime! Not the grandiose plans I had imagined, but hey, we made it to lunchtime! And then after lunchtime comes....NAPTIME!!!! Success!!

 I am so thankful I get the opportunity to be home with my boys and do projects and play and just spend quality time. Not all our time is quality, that's for sure, so when we have moments like these, I really try to embrace the gift I have been given!! Ya know, like naptime! :)

Grant DID Turn 2

As I mentioned in my last post, I started blogging a month after Grant's first birthday, so it isn't documented on this blog- well, it is now, sort of.  But as I was thinking about it, I realized I never posted about Grant's 2nd birthday. And of course I didn't- because I was in the hospital having Wyatt. And then my posts turned to baby and brothers. So Grant's 2nd birthday will be lost in time, if I don't get it on here. So, I guess better late than never!! 

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 Five days before Grant turned two, we took him to get his pictures taken. (Little did I know I'd be back a week and a half later to do newborn pictures, or else I would've just waited!) He was oh-so-handsome. And although he did NOT want to walk into that photo studio for any bribe in the world, his pictures came out pretty darn sweet! The one on the top right still melts my heart to this day!

We celebrated Grant's birthday on the 14th, which was a Sunday. Daddy was home from work. All his presents from family were delivered in the mail the day before. I had to time to make Grant's cake! (In the back of my mind, I knew Wyatt was coming very soon, so maybe that was another reason.) So Grant opened all his presents! Mimi and PawPaw sent him a fireman jacket, hat, and umbrella, and Mimi made him a robot lovey! Aunt Sara sent him a gardening set and T-ball set. And Daddy bought Grant a fish! I don't really remember what else he got that year. And honestly, I don't remember if we got him anything (well, other than the obvious baby brother!). 

But I did make his second birthday cake. I spent all day on the 14th working on this robot cake. I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like, and although it was cute, it turned out nothing like I was hoping. But oh well, he loved it!! I remember being so dizzy while baking it, frosting it, decorating it. I remember thinking to myself, "I sure hope these boys don't have to share a birthday." 

We lucked out that Mimi flew in town that day. It was definitely God's hand making that happen, since who knows what we would've done with Grant when I went to the hospital for a check up the next day and then never came home. So Grant was lucky to have Mimi there to celebrate with him.

 And well, the rest of his birthday is history. From that day forward, Grant would never have a single birthday celebration. And as much as I wished for that to not happen, I am so thankful that it did because their day is doubly special now!!

Birthdays of the Past

I've always liked doing crafty things. As we were preparing all the events for our wedding, my mom and I made the invitations for wedding showers, bachelorette party, bridal luncheon, wedding programs, etc. It was something personal that we felt the occasion needed! Then, when it was time for my first baby shower, we made those invitations as well. So its no wonder that when it comes to my kids birthdays, I hand make their invitations as well! 

I also have made their cakes too! I hope it is something they will look back on as they get older and appreciate the effort I made at making each of their birthday's individually special, since they have to share! They are by no means works of art, but they are made with love, that's for sure!

With the boys next birthday approaching soon, my mind has been turning for weeks about what kind of invitations and cake I will make. This is the first year they've actually agreed on one theme, as opposed to celebrating two parties on one day. So it will be much easier on me! I won't share any details yet about their party, but it has made me think about their birthdays past ...

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2009

 This is Grant's first birthday invitation. Levi was on workups for a month or so leading up to Grant's birthday. So we decided to have an early party at my parents in KC, and then have another party in Florida on his actual birthday when Levi returned. So this invitation was made sometime in January when my mom was out visiting. We loved how they turned out! And well, since I didn't start this blog until right after Grant's first birthday, here is how it unfolded...

Here was his first go with the cake at his party in Kansas City.

Here was round two in Florida!

Here is the cake I made him for his Florida birthday party:

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2010

Well, this year didn't allow for a birthday party for Grant because I was on bed rest, and then obviously was in the hospital having Wyatt the day of his birthday. But I didn't forget about the cake! I worked all day on the 14th to prepare Grant's robot cake!! (Which is probably why I had to deliver Wyatt the next day, haha!) But it turned out super cute, and although I never got to enjoy a piece, Grant celebrated with Daddy and Mimi on his actual birthday!

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2011

 The next year would be a little more comlipacted. Wyatt was turning ONE and Grant wanted a shark party. How to combine the two?? Well, we couldn't. So Wyatt had a traditional First Birthday and Grant got his sharks! I made the invitation double sided, so it was almost as if each kid was having their own party! It worked great! And were pretty darn cute, if I do say so! Check out their party here...

Here are the cakes from this party....

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2012

And last years party was no different, each wanted their own theme! But I did another back-to-back invitation that turned out great! This party was hosted at our new house in Oklahoma about two weeks after we moved it, so we had a huge moving cram session, but all turned out great!! They each enjoyed their special day, even if nobody had ever heard of the Octonauts and Max and Ruby items just don't exist!!

Check out their party here...

And here are the cakes from that party....

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I hope the boys enjoy their birthday theme this year! I know I'm already having a blast planning and pinning and list making!!! I guess my boys sharing a birthday has turned out to be a great thing afterall!!

December Instagram, Part II

These pictures are probably more for me, then most of you. I use Instagram to help me capture little things that make me say, "Awww!" And apprently, I have them quite often, as I discovered while going through my pictures! So enjoy the photo dump...I sure have! :)

Shed's Antics, Part II

Christmas has come and gone, and so has our elf Shed! He left us smiling and we can't wait til his return next year!!

Belated Christmas at the Farm

December 26th we headed to Levi's parents for a belated Christmas celebration with all the family. This was the first year since we've all been married that everyone was there for Christmas. I guess that's what you call a Christmas miracle!! We started our day by taking a family picture- love tripods!! Only two takes to get this great picture!! Then we opened all our stockings and then headed to the dining room for my mother-in-laws bountiful feast she makes each year! Seriously, you need to bring two plates to the table!! Then it was time for all the kiddos to nap, so the grown ups could enjoy opening our presents in peace! It worked out perfectly- as soon as the last present was opened Piper woke up. So we got the rest of the kids up and they devoured their presents. Grant and Wyatt got a big sit-on digger, Haylie got her play-kitchen she desperately wanted, and Piper got a pretend Dyson vacuum! It was still sunny and bright after presents, so Piper, Grant, and Wyatt (and Levi and Cooper) bundled up to play in the snow, while the mom's got ready for round two of eating. 

It was a wonderful day and we are so thankful we all got to spend it all together!

Snow Cuties!

It snowed on Christmas Day out west at Levi's parents house. We were excited to head there from Kansas City, in hopes of playing in the snow. The farther west we went, the more snow we saw. It wasn't a whole lot left, but enough for some cute kiddos to enjoy some fun in the snow!! It was incredibly cold the first two days we were there, so our snow play was very limited, but Saturday turned out to be the perfect day for playing!! Piper had never been in the snow before, so she was very curious!  Grant has seen snow twice and Wyatt has seen snow once, so they were excited as could be! We luckily bought some snow boots before we left Oklahoma, in hopes the weather forecast came true! And I'm glad I did because some spots were quite deep! Daddy and I bought a sled at Costco the day we left for Grandma and Grandpa's and although their land is as hilly as a sheet of paper, Levi made it fun for the kids, pushing and pulling them around on it!

Grandma and Grandpa bought Grant and Wyatt a toy digger, so we pulled it outside to dig up some snow! It was a HUGE hit!

Grant made snow angels, had snowball fights with me and Daddy, Wyatt shoveled snow all over the yard, Cooper took Piper on a sled ride, and there were lots of giggles to be heard!! The boys are waiting very impatiently to snow at our house. I hope their wishes come true sometime this winter...I'm not waiting very patiently either!!

Christmas Day 2012

Christmas morning, we woke up at my parent's house. Santa came AGAIN, and the boys couldn't wait to see what was waiting for them!! They slept in luckily (must have been all that Christmas Eve fun!), so that was a great way to start the day! They ran down the steps to see new Lego containers, and a few wrapped presents. Grant got a Lego set and a telescope that he's been wanting for a few months. Wyatt got a Lego set and a remote control fire truck. Apparently, Wyatt has inherited Levi's bad Christmas luck gene, where at least one present every year is broken or missing parts. It just so happened that the fire truck was broken. But luckily, Santa had an unwrapped extra fire truck in my parents basement. He must have known about that terrible gene. 

The rest of the morning was spent with Levi and I the boys putting together their new Lego sets. Levi and I both LOVED Legos as kids, so its great to see our boys get into them too! Plus, its a little more fun for us than playing Batcave!!

 After taking off one set of pajamas and putting another set on, we headed over to my sisters house for more Christmas fun! We opened all of our presents over there, kids going first, of course! The boys got a few games, books, Grant got his Switch N Go Dino and Wyatt got Lincoln Logs, plus a few other great toys! Luke got a big dump truck that he was wanting, and Mason got his Tony Hawk skateboard, plus some other great games!! Funny story- Wyatt got an Aquadoodle, and the front of the box shows a little girl playing with it. Wyatt immediately noticed that and said, "Ugh, this is for girls. UGH!!!!!" and threw it behind him. Turns out to be one of his favorite activities so far!

 After the boys ran off to play with all their loot, it was the grown ups turn to open gifts. My sister and I found a wooden plate that my Grandma painted many years ago, and gifted that to my mom. She, of course, was extremely touched, and I'm sure it will be her first thing she takes out each year!! I got my mom a new sewing machine, and Sara got her some new flooring for her downstairs. I think its safe to say my mom was EXTREMELY happy with her gifts! We got my dad a patio heater so he can enjoy his books and cigars and not freeze to death! It was a great afternoon of family fun!! We then munched on our traditional shrimp and crab legs and spent the afternoon playing darts, shooting pool, and perusing lake houses on the internet!! A very Merry Christmas indeed!!