The Mohawk Group

I guess I should start before we actually headed to the lake....

Levi had decided that the boys needed mohawks for the lake. I figured, if there is ever a time in their lives when a mohawk would be acceptable, it would be at the Lake of the Ozarks! So Friday night, we buzzed them up and I have to say- there were ADORABLE! I can't believe I would ever like it, but I did! They loved them too- their personalities definitely mirrored their haircuts!!

And they were so convincing, that just two days into the trip, my sister was persuaded into letting Eric cut Mason and Luke's hair! Her boys were beyond excited!!! 

So, our motley crew of mohawks was born!

But its a good thing school doesn't start for one more month because there is a lot of evening out that needs to be done!!

Well worth it though!

Lake Vacation 2013

The Lake of the Ozarks feels like home to me. Probably because there have only been a handful of years that I haven't vacationed there at least one time in the summer. I'm talking one-handful! There is something so comfy and nostalgic that I can't find anywhere else. It's probably all in the tradition and memories I've made there, but there seems to be nowhere else in the world quite like the lake. (Not that I've traveled the world to know, but I'm just assuming :-) I'm so fortunate that I've been able to pass on to my kids as well. I hope they can look back on our lake vacation someday and feel the same way!

In years past, we've stayed at one of two resorts, both having small quaint old and mildewy vintage cabins. But we decided to try out something different this year- one big house!! A 5 bedroom house to share with our family, my sister and her family, my mom and dad, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin. 13 people under one roof. And a dog.

Could we do it? Would we have fun?

Stay tuned and you shall see.....

Sparkler Cookies

One thing you can always guarantee at Grandma and Grandpa's house is something yummy and delicious for dessert at EVERY meal! Whether it be an ice cream treat from Schwanns, or a special homemade treat, your sweet tooth never leaves unsatisfied! The boys like helping Grandma bake treats from time to time, but this time, they got to help decorate their sweet treats!

Grandma had prepared some star-shaped sugar cookies on sticks for the kids to decorate. They got lathered with frosting with the kids put the red, white, and blue sprinkles all over!

Grant decorated about 8 cookies while taking bites out of at least 4 of them. Smart Grant, to make sure you claimed those cookies as your own! Piper preferred a non-sprinkled cookie, and Wyatt I think just wanted the frosting! But it was a festive and yummy activity the kids are still enjoying!

Oakley Tourists

 Meet Annie Oakly, Buffalo Bill, and Sitting Bull...aren't they so cute!

We headed out to "tour" Oakley while visiting with Grandma and Grandpa! We went to see the Buffalo Bill statue and get a glimpse at the new cultural center. Unfortunately, the cultural center wasn't open, but we got to see the big bronze statue, which is always fun! The boys are always amazed at how big it is! We played around there for a bit before heading to the Fick Fossil Museum to explore everything there. Lots of shark teeth, old farm equipment and relics fill the room. Even though we've been a few times, we always seem to see something new! Grant learned the speckled belly goose is a real animal- there is an Imagination Mover song that says something about a speckled belly goose, so when he found it was real, he was quite amazed!! Wyatt liked doing the dinosaur puzzles at the kiddie table! Being a tourist, no matter how big the town, is always fun!

Levi has this thing about taking pictures of us jumping in front of this statue, and its probably something we will continue to do forever! I think its cute....

 And from our last visit to the Buffalo Bill statue in August 2011...

And just because I can't resist the cuteness from our last "tourist" adventure in 2011...

Grandma's Drive-In

Grandma had apparently been prepping for our weekend visit because she was armed with a super-fun project that was one of the highlights of the weekend!! 

She found four boxes, just perfect for four cute grand-kids, to make their own cars for the drive-in movie! Each car was painted according to a color they previously had told Grandma they liked. Before the actual "movie" started, they had to put their car together, complete with headlights, wheels, and the steering wheel, and then they got to decorate their car with stickers! Grandma even gave them a "wallet" (an envelope) full of real pretend money. Once the movie was ready to start, they had to "drive" to the concession stand to buy their snacks. Popcorn, juice boxes, and fruit snacks each cost $1, which was just perfect since they had $3 in their wallet! They also had to pick up their "speaker" and then drive to their parking spot for the showing of Max and Ruby (Happy Feet wasn't cooperating!).  

The kids got the biggest kick out of it! Piper had to bring her cell phone and Haylie snuck in some ice cream.  Wyatt just started gobbling up his popcorn as soon as he could! Grants legs were a little squished in his car, but he was prepared with his "lawn chair" to sit in! They had so much fun at Grandma's drive-in!! 

The cars were played in for the rest of the weekend and many tears were shed when we left them behind to play with at Grandma and Grandpa's house at our next visit! I guess that means we will get to go to Grandma's Drive-In again soon!!

The Broeckelman Cousins

Each time we get together with the Broeckelman side of the family, we try to get a picture with all the kiddos. It seems to get harder each time, as they all are growing and getting busier than ever!! Even though it takes 100 shots to get ONE good one, its worth it! Because together, they look gosh darn cute!!

I tried my best to get a cute picture of each one alone, but that didn't quite happen, so this was the best of what I got!! They still look super cute no matter how difficult they were! 

And for the two best shots of the day....

 Haylie-3yrs, Grant-5yrs, Collins-5mos, Piper-2.5yrs, Wyatt-3yrs

And even though little Collins couldn't make it in this picture, I just love them standing in the newly harvested wheat field! Grandma and Grandpa's farm is a favorite for all these kiddos!!

4th of July Fun!

We headed to Levi's parents for a fun-filled 4th of July weekend!! It had been since early spring since our last visit, so everyone was very excited for some family fun! We got to the farm late afternoon and headed over to Zach and Breanna's for a BBQ and fireworks! The kids were VERY excited for it to get dark so they could do the fireworks we brought, but they not so patiently kept busy by riding bikes, playing in the rocks, and going for numerous bike rides in Uncle Zach's bike trailer! We had some yummy food and just enjoyed being outside! It was probably in the upper 70's low-80's that evening and it was just beautiful!! Once it started to get a teeny bit dark, we started pulling out the fireworks! I think the sparklers were the most popular with the 5 and under crowd!

We lit off a few more things, like parachutes and some black flying thing that about crashed into the barn next door! Then it was time to head to the front yard to light off the rest of our stash and watch the city display. We also got to witness lots of neighbors doing fireworks as well! The kids got to do some snap pops and drink from the ever-popular Red Solo Cups! I'm pretty sure that cup was the highlight of Haylie's night!!

The city of Oakley put on a pretty decent firework display! After each firework, Wyatt would say, "I think that's the grand finale!" Haylie was commanding the fireworks to do something, we're not quite sure what! And Grant sat and watched with Cuddles, he was a tired guy. 

It was a great start to the rest of a great weekend....

June Instagram

 Summer haircuts, painting in Mimi's "Clubhouse", Thumbsucker, Daddy's mowing shadow, Oklahoma sky, popsicles in the tub, Starkiss, Shirtless Summers, Starkiss!

 Making "juice" in the pool, Mama snuggles, tushy time, Flag Day, Date night, Monster boys, Blue Blanket snuggles, Stylin Wyatt, Brothers playing

Thumbsucker, Wyatt's new "bed", Grant's lollipop, Washing Wyatt's Lovey, highlights, Blue Ice Cream beard, my cutie, sleeping on top bunk, my little monkey man

NKOTB Concert

I have to say, I've been waiting 24 years for this. That's probably the longest I've waited for anything. I missed out on the opportunity to see New Kids on the Block when I was in third grade. My sister got to go, but my mom said I was too young and took me to buy a new toy (I got Cuddles!) instead. I guess that worked out in the end, since Grant and I both loved that bear to pieces. And because I FINALLY got to see NKOTB this past weekend! And let me tell you- waiting 24 years for something really makes it that much better!! I don't think my 8 year old self would've appreciated the concert as much as my 32 year old self!

A bunch of the girls in our squadron started planning this trip back in February. When I mentioned it to Levi, he said, "Are you serious?" He honestly thought I was joking when I said I wanted to go. But he was totally wrong! Not only did I want to go, but so did 7 other girls did too! The concert was in OKC, so we loaded up in a friends car and headed to town, giddy as our 8 year old selves would've been 24 years ago!

The picture of the 3 guys is Boys II Men. The picture of the 4 guys is 98 Degrees. And of course, the 5 guys is NKOTB! Both Boys II Men and 98 Degrees each performed for about 30 minutes. And then there was a short intermission, filled with some rocking 80's/early 90's music!! And then NKOTB took the stage for 2 whole hours!!! They were incredible!! I've only been to maybe 3 concerts in my life, but this was by far the best!! They played every song I wanted them too and did not disappoint!! 

I guess the old saying is true- Good things come to those who wait!  24 years of waiting definitely paid off!! Now, if I can just get Nsync to come back in concert, I'll be complete!

Mini Golfing

The boys have been begging to go miniature golfing at Meadowlake Park since LAST summer!! But since last summer would've melted us right on the greens, we never made it! But we decided to head up there last night since it was a beautiful 79 degrees!!! It wasn't crowded and we made it around all the holes without having to stop! 

The boys have NEVER played golf of any kind. Sure, we own a Little Tikes golf set, but they really have only used the clubs as bats, hockey sticks, or guns (they are boys, right?!). But golfing has not been their main purpose. So when they went to putt for the first time, neither boy had a clue how to hold their club. Levi was quite puzzled as to how they did not know this! (Probably because their mom barely knows how to hold a club!)  So he gave them a few pointers at the beginning and let them figure it out from there. Grant turned to more of a hockey-style, guiding and pushing his ball to the whole. Wyatt preferred a one handed swing. Either way, they putted and putted until that little ball got in the hole! They LOVED it!! We didn't keep score, but I'm sure they would've been in the 100's if we had! 

We had so much fun and I can't wait to do it again!! Maybe at the lake in two weeks!!!

Grant at 5 years 3 months

My sweet sweet boy!! I still can't believe you're getting so old so fast! You're constantly proving what a big boy you are, and while sometimes its hard to accept, I find joy in you being able to do things on your own!

You are such an independent little man. You entertain yourself all day and just keep busy without me having to tell you anything. You are really enjoying being home this summer and each day you ask, "Is it a stay home day?" You would prefer to stay home all day and just play in your playroom and watch TV!

You are doing a great job at the pool this summer! Still a little more cautious than I expected you to be, but you love jumping off the side and trying to touch the bottom with your feet when you jump in. You like to use your diving sticks in the kiddie pool, but its only about 18 inches deep. You do a great job holding your breath and swimming underwater! I think you're going to do a great job at the lake in a few weeks!!

You LOVE playing with your Legos and making lots of creations!! You also love your Tinkertoys, Switch N Go Dinos, and your endless amount of beanie babies!! You play with those things ALL THE TIME!! All your stuffed animals in fact! Your bed is about 1/3 for you, 2/3 for all your animals! The thought of putting them in the toy box breaks your heart because you "love them all so much." It's so sweet!

You have been a very good big brother to Wyatt! He pesters you alot and most of the time you just say, "Stop it Wyatt!" But sometimes you lost control and we've been working on how to solve your problems by showing God's love instead of yelling and screaming. Its definitely a work in progress, but I see such sweet side of you when it comes to that! You're learning!!

You're doing a great job with all your therapies- currently you are doing speech therapy twice a week, occupational therapy once a week, as well as seeing a psychologist once a week. You listen and behave so well during your sessions and we are seeing progress at home! Still not on the eating front, but you're doing better with your writing and your speech. Everything will fall into place eventually! We've been doing homework a few times a week- which includes Handwriting Without Tears, speech practice, Kindergarten prep workbook, and BOB books! You're doing AMAZING with your BOB books! We made a chart to track how many times you've read your books and you like putting a sticker up each time you read! You're currently reading Box 1 and have made it up to Book 3 and about to move on to Book 4. I just love having you read to me!!

You're growing so big! You're quite proud of the little blonde leg hairs you're starting to get! And you're hoping you'll get a wiggly tooth soon. I don't even want to imagine how you'd look with big teeth! You weigh 43lbs, although I'm not sure how tall you are. Most of your clothes are size 5, and some size 6 shirts. You have a long torso and a teeny tiny waist! Most of your swimsuits are size 2t or 3t just so they stay up around your teeny tush! Your shoes are a size 11.5-12.

You're a very sweet little boy! You're always telling me I look pretty or I smell good, or you like my toe nail polish! You like to give me snuggles still, but not so much just sit on my lap for lengths of time. But just this morning after I fixed breakfast and you ran off to play in your playroom, you came back and said, "You know what I haven't done yet today....give you some snuggles!" So we had our moment and you were off and running. I hope that side of you never changes little man!!

I'm proud of the wonderful brother, son, and friend you are! Your kind and gentle heart really shows through in all you do! We are so proud of you big kid and love you so much!!

Wyatt at 3 years 3 months

Oh Wyatt, how do I even put into words how to describe you!! Let's just start by saying you are one in a million buddy!! You are now 3 years 3 months and as feisty as ever!

You've really been enjoying having your brother home this summer! You two just play and play and play! You never seemed to play on your own when he was at school, but now that he's home, you two get into the most elaborate (and messy!) games! Usually involving Imaginext, Rescue Bots, and Switch N Go Dinos. There's always Legos, Beanie Babies, and Tinkertoys in the mix as well! You two have your fights, which we  are trying to teach you how to solve on your own- which usually means Grant giving in to whatever you want. You're kind of a bossy and stubborn little brother. You will never know how lucky you are to have a big brother who is so flexible! But you two are the best of friends!

You haven't quite liked the pool like you did last year. You're still very cautious, even with your life jacket on. And you definitely don't like to be splashed or get your face wet. Last year, you were jumping off the dock three feet into the lake, but I can't quite imagine that happening this year. We've probably been to the pool a dozen times already, so hopefully you'll warm up to it sooner than later.

You are still such a mommy's boy. You need to be near me or on me, unless you're playing with your brother. But you have to sit on my lap to watch TV, play the iPad, eat a snack. You have to sit on the counter while I'm preparing meals or snacks. You like to stand on the toilet seat as I'm getting my makeup on. You're just a mommy's boy and I still love it!

You still suck your thumb something terrible! And recently, you started chewing on your lovey too. But that lovey is practically glued to your hand at all times. It goes in the car with us, and it goes to friends houses, its everywhere with us!! The worst is when I have to wash it and you just cry and cry until its in your hands again! Sheesh, that is going to be one habit hard to break!!

You still love doing your homework and sitting with us while Grant does his summer homework. You aren't quite adventurous as you used to be in school work- I give you something and you say, "That's too hard for me." Or "I can't do it good enough." Hopefully you'll snap out of that by fall, because you're going to preschool!!

You're a shy guy when people talk to you in public. You always want to be held and tuck your head into my shoulder. You still have your moments at church when you don't like going into your classroom. Some days you walk in and don't even look back, other days you cry and cry and cry. You do like the 3 year old room much better than the 2 year old room! I just hope you like preschool next year, since its in the same room! But having your brother with you next year will probably help alot!

You say the funniest things! You've been playing with expressions, and you use them quite appropriately. You talk in funny voices, walk in funny ways, and you're always the first to tell a goofy knock knock joke that never makes any sense, but we all laugh anyway! You are such a goofball!

You are 29 pounds and 36 inches.You wear 3t shirts and mostly 2t and 24 month shorts, although you do have a few 3t pairs. You finally grew into a size 8 shoe. You like sleeping in only shorts at bedtime, which is so adorable! I just love your soft skin! You've been completely potty trained since a few months before you turned 3, including nights. So that's been totally amazing! Lately you've been so busy playing with your brother, you've been having a few small accidents, so hopefully this is not something you make a habit of. 

You are just an amazing, adorable, and big attitude little boy and we love you so very much!

Lego Maniac

Grant discovered a love for Legos after a visit to Levi's parents back in October, where Levi found some of his old Lego sets and brought them home for Grant. He was hooked from the get-go. Then Christmas brought numerous Lego sets, as did his birthday! So now we have Legos practically coming out of our ears, but that's exactly how Grant likes it! Although he hasn't technically built anything from the sets that he has, he prefers to do it without directions, and just use his imagination. 

He recently has been starting his "private collection" as he calls them. I suppose you would say his "specialty" is building airplanes. He also likes to name them, such as the DT3000, or the T500S. I just love his ideas! I'm always blown away by the thought that goes into all his creations! Each piece has a purpose and each pieces is a perfect example of symmetry! I always liked building houses when I was a kid and everything had to be symmetrical (lets face it, everything in my life needs to be symmetrical) so I'm always amazed at how easily he grasps that concept! 

He usually his his "private collection" on display on the top of their bookshelf. Occasionally he will take one down and rebuild it, but mostly he just likes adding new pieces to his collection each day! 

I wonder where his love for Legos will take him!
Here is a small sampling of some of his creations! I love the top picture on the right- the boys got the Lego Hospital set for their birthday and they helped me build it. Both the expressions on their face are hysterical! The others were just creations he asked me to take pictures of! He's pretty proud of his work too!

Happy Father's Day!

We had a wonderful day today! Levi has been working 12-14hrs/day, not to mention he was out of town the past two weekends, so we've hardly seen him at all lately! So today was a nice day to just be together as a family! We went to church, lunch, Levi's favorite hardware stores, played outside, and ended the day at Levi's favorite- Golden Chick! 

We love you Levi and are so thankful for all you provide for us- love, integrity, faithfulness, hardworking, goofiness, protection, hugs and kisses!

(I'll update to this post tomorrow with the boys' Fathers Day interviews....so adorable!)

Dinner at Golden Chick, Levi's fave!

Deanna Rose

One of my favorite places to take the boys in the spring/summer in Kansas City is Deanna Rose! So when Levi went on cross country for the second weekend in a row, I knew we needed to get out of Enid and cheer us up with some Kansas City fun! It's so hard to pack in everything I want to do in just three days! But Deanna Rose was on the top of my list! 

The first time Grant went, he was just a few months over one and he loved it there! Wyatt's also been a few times when he was very little, but neither of them remembered too much about it. I knew it would be pretty crowded since it was such a beautiful day, so we didn't plan on staying too long- just enough to explore everything really quick! We fed the fish, the goats, rode pedal tractors, saw the cows and pigs, checked out the old schoolhouse, walked through the tee-pees, played on the playgrounds, and of course, checked out the gift shop! The boys had a great time, and I'm super happy we made it out there this summer!

Date with My Boys

Our neighbors moved and the boys were feeling particularly sad, so what better way to cheer them up than to have a little date with my boys!! Levi was on cross-country for the weekend, so the boys and I had all the time in the world together! We took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed to Meadowlake Park, again! We first went to Sonic to grab some food and then we had a picnic at the park! After we munched on mozzeralla (or monsterella as Grant calls them) sticks and popcorn chicken, we took a spin on the train, and finished up with snow cones! Cheap dates, just my style! 

And though I spend about 99% of their waking hours with my boys, (and do it mostly all alone!) I wouldn't trade it for anything! To know that I share all the memories they have, to know that I have been a part of almost all their life experiences makes all the crying, fighting, messes, and frustrations I deal with ALL DAY LONG totally worth it! 

No More Guilt

It's funny when I think about all the things I was thinking and feeling right after I had Wyatt- one of them being guilt. I felt like I just flip turned Grant's life upside down, and not in a good way. I just felt like everything that was going on was just ruining his life! He moved into a big boy room, became a big brother, and had to deal with his Daddy leaving on deployment- three huge changes most newly two year olds don't have to handle. I felt guilty for changing Grant's life in all one fail swoop and he was going to hate Wyatt.  

Man, was I wrong!! I have to chalk it up to hormones because when I look back at that time in my life, now over three years ago, I laugh at how ridiculous those feelings were...

...Wyatt was the greatest gift I could've ever given Grant. These two are best friends, partners in crime, two peas in a pod. I am so thankful God gave us two boys who could learn together, share a room together, play together, and grow up together. They are inseparable and I wouldn't have it any other way. Sure, we have our moments of fighting and crying, but those screams and tears are erased in seconds. The moments of laughing and playing never seem to stop, and I hope they never will!

The feeling of guilt has been erased as well. 

I love my boys and they love each other! All is right with the world!

Our Last Evening

Our dear friends and neighbors are moving to Korea in two days! We've been soaking up every last minute with these guys while we can! We have been very blessed to have such wonderful people living right next door! They truly have become the boys' best friends and I am so thankful they were brought into our lives!

Tonight, we headed to Meadowlake Park to ride the train and have snowcones! It was a beautiful day- mid 70's and just a light breeze- so we had to take advantage of being outside for sure! We rode the train a few times last year, but it broke halfway through the summer, plus it was just so hot, that we didn't go as often as we would have liked! So I'm glad we got a chance to ride with our friends before they left! 

All the boys had a great time and smiled and shrieked the whole way through!

 Then we headed to the snowcone hut! The boys chowed down and didn't get too messy! Chasing each other around the park afterwards was a great way to end our evening! We will miss The Kinney's very much!

These boys truly became best friends and we will always cherish the memories we've made together!

End-May Instagram

Another busy month on the Instagram front! I just can't get enough of my boys' cute faces apparently!

 Grant at speech, Grant and Wyatt eating ice cream at Braums, Playing at a park on base, Stuffed animal Picnic, Storm clouds, iPad time, Red Light Green Light, Grant wearing boxers!

 Best Friends at Bible study picnic, playing Moon Sand in the tub, Wyatt giving me a flower, Brothers at Base Picnic, Our Morning Music, Grant and Aiden, Wyatt's a homework junkie, Beanie Babies hiding in my house, more homework for Wyatt

Chilling on a swing munchin on popcorn at Atwoods, Grant being "lifeguard," Grants peanut butter cupcake face, Grant's homework, Summer Homework started, Wyatt throwing rocks, Wyatt being super cute, Surprised when I said we were going to Chuck E Cheese, we made slime!

Crazy Oklahoma Weather!

We have been very fortunate to not have been affected by all the storms that have swept through Oklahoma! And while we've been unscathed, there have been times where we weren't quite sure we would be! I mean, with clouds like this, you can't really feel safe! I took these pictures just as I got home from Oklahoma City, where a tornado actually did hit! I was relieved we left when we did! These clouds were just unreal! 

Thank you to everything who has texted, called, messaged, etc. to check in on us! And thank you God for keeping us safe!!