Pictures from our weekend in Fresno
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Who smells?
The other day, the four of us were all in the car when it started to smell like someone had gas (which isn't unusual between the 3 boys). I said "who's smelly?" After a few seconds, Jack says "me!"
Still battling away here
We are going on one week now of sickness in this house. Ben and Drew are feeling quite a bit better but poor little Jack is not feeling so well. We know he isn't himself when he doesn't want to eat or play. All day he wants me to hold him and he has been sleeping a lot. It makes me so sad to see him like this.
We have one more day of this long weekend which will be spent playing catch up from the last week. Car washes, dropping a load off at goodwill, grocery shopping, updating our emergency kit. Drew will be leaving again next Saturday. This time he will be gone for 9 days, then home for a few days before leaving again for another 9 days. Thank goodness that is the end of his traveling for awhile. He'll be home just in time for Jack's birthday and then staying home for the rest of the month. We'll be going down south the week before Easter to visit the family and meet my new nephew who should be arriving anytime in the next month.
We have one more day of this long weekend which will be spent playing catch up from the last week. Car washes, dropping a load off at goodwill, grocery shopping, updating our emergency kit. Drew will be leaving again next Saturday. This time he will be gone for 9 days, then home for a few days before leaving again for another 9 days. Thank goodness that is the end of his traveling for awhile. He'll be home just in time for Jack's birthday and then staying home for the rest of the month. We'll be going down south the week before Easter to visit the family and meet my new nephew who should be arriving anytime in the next month.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Sick, sick boys
That is what's going on around here. Ben started feeling bad Monday night, Drew Wednesday morning and Jack last night. Oh boy! Hopefully we are on our way to recovery though (Ben's on antibiotics for his ear infection and Drew is feeling a bit better today) and hopefully I don't get sick because someone has to take care of these boys.
So even though I am sleep deprived and a little bummed that our weekend plans might have to be canceled, I am thankful for times like this that remind me of what a mother's love is about. The desire to do whatever you can to make your babies feel better. To hold one them throughout the night with a wet washcloth over their ear to help with the pain. To rock your other baby when they wake up with a high fever, crying out for you. As I type this, the boys and I are all cuddled up on the couch, watching movies. We'll spend the day doing this, reading books and hopefully taking a long nap after lunch.
So even though I am sleep deprived and a little bummed that our weekend plans might have to be canceled, I am thankful for times like this that remind me of what a mother's love is about. The desire to do whatever you can to make your babies feel better. To hold one them throughout the night with a wet washcloth over their ear to help with the pain. To rock your other baby when they wake up with a high fever, crying out for you. As I type this, the boys and I are all cuddled up on the couch, watching movies. We'll spend the day doing this, reading books and hopefully taking a long nap after lunch.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day
I don't remember the exact moment I fell in love with Drew. It wasn't "love at first sight." I wasn't looking for my husband at the time. I wasn't even looking for a boyfriend. Over time though, it became evident that we were meant for each other. Each day we spent together, it became more clear that we had something special. As we celebrate our 8th Valentine's day together, let's take a look back at the beginning of "our love story."
April 2 started out as any other Friday. It was junior year of college and we had just started back that week after spring break. My friends and I were spending the evening at a birthday party at my friend Julie's apartment. Drew was having a "we just ran a marathon last week" party at his apartment with his friends. It was hours later that Drew and his roommates (who were friends with some of my friends) found themselves over at our party. I don't remember how we started talking but next thing I know, we were dancing together. The night ended and little did I know as I went to bed that night that I had just met my future husband.
The next day, my friends got together with Drew's friends and came up with a way to get him and I together that night. They must have seen something between us and knowing how shy both of us are, stepped in to help out. So night #2, my friends and I all head over to Drew's apartment. For 7 hours, he and I sat on his couch talking. I can still remember some of the things we talked about, Drew's nervous little laughs and the butterflies I had in my stomach as he asked for my phone number before I left.
Drew wasted no time using my number and called about 10 hours later. He was so nervous on the phone and couldn't quite get the words out to ask me out. So I ended up asking him if he wanted to meet up. A few hours later, he and I were sitting at an outdoor table while we sipped on coffee and hot chocolate as we learned about each other. This was new for both of us. I hadn't been on a first date in a long time and Drew was not one to date a lot while in college. It didn't matter though. There was nothing awkward between us. From the beginning, we were ourselves and we just clicked.
Our next date came two days later. Drew came by to pick me up and as we drove to dinner, I remember thinking, wow, I really like this guy. He wasn't like the other guys at school. He was kind and considerate. As he dropped me off after dinner, we had our first kiss. It was just a peck but you better believe that I spent the rest of the night on cloud nine.
The following weeks consisted of spending a lot of our time together. Our best dates were the ones were we would just hang out and laugh a lot. Picnics on the beach, trips to the library to study that ended up in us talking the whole time, dinners at my apartment. We were always having fun together. It didn't take long for us to be comfortable enough to start with the inside jokes and teasing. Everything was going so well between us.
A few months after we started dating, our relationship would be tested. Before we ever met, Drew knew he would be spending the summer doing military training while I had already signed up to return as a camp counselor back east. I remember so clearly the day we said goodbye. We stood there in his driveway holding onto each other. As I got in my care and drove away, all I could do as I looked in my mirror and saw him standing there was cry. Our relationship was still new and I honestly didn't know what those 10 weeks apart would do to us.
The whole summer, all I could think about was him. Drew didn't have phone access for the first month so we wrote each other letters. When he finally was able to call me every day, we talked so much that his parents got a nice surprise when the phone bill came. As the time got closer to our reunion, I spent all of my time thinking about what it was going to be like to see Drew again.
He picked me up late at night from the airport. I couldn't afford to fly into Fresno so he drove all the way to San Francisco to pick me up. As I walked down the escalator, there he was at the bottom waiting for me. He had a huge smile on his face. Our time apart didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that we were finally together again. I still remember so clearly the excitement between us as we stood there in the middle of the airport hugging. It was in that moment that I knew I had "the one."
Every day since that day in the airport, I have been reminded of how lucky I am. Our love is a special love that only Drew and I can really understand. It's a love that continues to grow over time. A love that makes us happy.
Drew, thank goodness we happened to be at the same place at the same time. I love you!
April 2 started out as any other Friday. It was junior year of college and we had just started back that week after spring break. My friends and I were spending the evening at a birthday party at my friend Julie's apartment. Drew was having a "we just ran a marathon last week" party at his apartment with his friends. It was hours later that Drew and his roommates (who were friends with some of my friends) found themselves over at our party. I don't remember how we started talking but next thing I know, we were dancing together. The night ended and little did I know as I went to bed that night that I had just met my future husband.
The next day, my friends got together with Drew's friends and came up with a way to get him and I together that night. They must have seen something between us and knowing how shy both of us are, stepped in to help out. So night #2, my friends and I all head over to Drew's apartment. For 7 hours, he and I sat on his couch talking. I can still remember some of the things we talked about, Drew's nervous little laughs and the butterflies I had in my stomach as he asked for my phone number before I left.
Drew wasted no time using my number and called about 10 hours later. He was so nervous on the phone and couldn't quite get the words out to ask me out. So I ended up asking him if he wanted to meet up. A few hours later, he and I were sitting at an outdoor table while we sipped on coffee and hot chocolate as we learned about each other. This was new for both of us. I hadn't been on a first date in a long time and Drew was not one to date a lot while in college. It didn't matter though. There was nothing awkward between us. From the beginning, we were ourselves and we just clicked.
Our next date came two days later. Drew came by to pick me up and as we drove to dinner, I remember thinking, wow, I really like this guy. He wasn't like the other guys at school. He was kind and considerate. As he dropped me off after dinner, we had our first kiss. It was just a peck but you better believe that I spent the rest of the night on cloud nine.
The following weeks consisted of spending a lot of our time together. Our best dates were the ones were we would just hang out and laugh a lot. Picnics on the beach, trips to the library to study that ended up in us talking the whole time, dinners at my apartment. We were always having fun together. It didn't take long for us to be comfortable enough to start with the inside jokes and teasing. Everything was going so well between us.
A few months after we started dating, our relationship would be tested. Before we ever met, Drew knew he would be spending the summer doing military training while I had already signed up to return as a camp counselor back east. I remember so clearly the day we said goodbye. We stood there in his driveway holding onto each other. As I got in my care and drove away, all I could do as I looked in my mirror and saw him standing there was cry. Our relationship was still new and I honestly didn't know what those 10 weeks apart would do to us.
The whole summer, all I could think about was him. Drew didn't have phone access for the first month so we wrote each other letters. When he finally was able to call me every day, we talked so much that his parents got a nice surprise when the phone bill came. As the time got closer to our reunion, I spent all of my time thinking about what it was going to be like to see Drew again.
He picked me up late at night from the airport. I couldn't afford to fly into Fresno so he drove all the way to San Francisco to pick me up. As I walked down the escalator, there he was at the bottom waiting for me. He had a huge smile on his face. Our time apart didn't matter anymore. What mattered was that we were finally together again. I still remember so clearly the excitement between us as we stood there in the middle of the airport hugging. It was in that moment that I knew I had "the one."
Every day since that day in the airport, I have been reminded of how lucky I am. Our love is a special love that only Drew and I can really understand. It's a love that continues to grow over time. A love that makes us happy.
Drew, thank goodness we happened to be at the same place at the same time. I love you!
August, 2004
Monday, February 13, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Melts my heart
I love that these two boys have each other
I couldn't imagine my life without my two sisters
and hope that years from now,
Ben and Jack feel that way about each other
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A mother's love
After her suggestion for doing a month of "love" on the blog, I asked Loree if she would do a guest post. There is no doubt that her heart is filled with a special love for her sons and grandsons. Her boys are all very lucky to have her.
When Drew was a little boy (probably around Jack's age), each morning when he woke up, he would select a small "treasure" to carry around with him that day. It might have been a rock that he found outside or a tiny action figure that fit in the palm of his hand. It would be his "touchstone" for the day. Wherever he went, he took it with him...this "little treasure".
Being a mother and now a grandmother, has brought me a deep sense of joy in my life..... Something that I carry with me throughout each and every day....Just like Drew's little toy that he carried as a child! This joy is one of my "touchstones", one of my greatest "treasures"!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Ben and Jack's list
Straight from the mouth of Ben (this really is what he said and the order he said it in)...
I love mommy the best
and dad, lewey and my brother too
and I love me
I love learning and eating food at school
I love all of my family
I love riding bikes and playing with Aiden
I love to play bowling, play with my tool bench and watching movies
I love Iron Man and Superman
I love Sydney
I love to eat waffles and syrup. Oreos. Chocolate milk
I love Luke and baby no name (his soon to be cousin who doesn't have a name yet)
I love sleeping in mom and dad's bed
I love Ms Bennett, Ms Tina and Ms Ofelia
I love going to gym class
I love fans, like that one (pointing to the ceiling)
If Jack could tell us what he loved, he would maybe say...
I love food
I love eating
I love drinking water from a big boy cup
I love ritz crackers and licking peanut butter off spoons
I love naps
I love my brother and playing with him
I love when Ben's at school and I get mom all to myself
I love to cuddle with mom and dad
I love looking at pictures of babies
I love my dad
I love sitting on Ben's toilet and wearing underwear over my diaper
I love building things with blocks
I love brushing my teeth
I love playing on the ipad
I love mommy the best
and dad, lewey and my brother too
and I love me
I love learning and eating food at school
I love all of my family
I love riding bikes and playing with Aiden
I love to play bowling, play with my tool bench and watching movies
I love Iron Man and Superman
I love Sydney
I love to eat waffles and syrup. Oreos. Chocolate milk
I love Luke and baby no name (his soon to be cousin who doesn't have a name yet)
I love sleeping in mom and dad's bed
I love Ms Bennett, Ms Tina and Ms Ofelia
I love going to gym class
I love fans, like that one (pointing to the ceiling)
If Jack could tell us what he loved, he would maybe say...
I love food
I love eating
I love drinking water from a big boy cup
I love ritz crackers and licking peanut butter off spoons
I love naps
I love my brother and playing with him
I love when Ben's at school and I get mom all to myself
I love to cuddle with mom and dad
I love looking at pictures of babies
I love my dad
I love sitting on Ben's toilet and wearing underwear over my diaper
I love building things with blocks
I love brushing my teeth
I love playing on the ipad
Monday, February 6, 2012
My Ben
I just love love love this little boy
With Drew gone again and Jack to bed early
it was just Ben and I hanging out tonight
We had a blast!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors"
I heard this saying today and it really got me thinking about my role as a mother. About what I expect my children to be. About who they are as individuals.
One of the first lessons I learned as a new mom was that you don't get to control what happens when it comes to your children. They are their own person. As much as I have known this, I don't think I've always understood the meaning behind it. There needs to be a balance between imposing your thoughts, desires, hopes, expectations and knowledge on your children and then letting them figure these things out on their own. I wish I could say that I have been good about keeping that balance. That I have kept the right amount of distance between who I want them to be and who they are going to be regardless of what I want. While I may not have gotten this in the past, I think I am finally starting to understand what it means. The best that I can do as a mom is to love my children, teach them right from wrong, encourage them to always try their hardest, to be there when they need me and to never judge them for who they are. They may not always do what I think they should be doing. They may not like what I hoped they would like. Most likely, they won't think the way I do. They will be their own people. A nice mix of the personalities they were born with, what they have learned from mom and dad and what they have learned from living their lives.
To my wonderful boys, Ben and Jack, I hope that you are able to be the people you were meant to be. I hope that your coloring books are a reflection of that and not what "colors" I thought would look the best.
On sunny days
the boys love playing outside
Looking forward to many more days of this to come
as our weather slowly gets warmer
After Jack went to bed, it was milkshake time
What's not to love about chocolate milkshakes?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Our house was filled
with love tonight
Drew came home just in time for dinner after being gone for a week
we were all very happy to see him
While I was putting clothes away this afternoon,
I noticed that Jack had been missing for a few minutes
I found him in Ben's closet with Drew's computer
Shortly after sneaking off into the closet,
Jack got mad and threw my scale down on the floor
Jack got mad and threw my scale down on the floor
Ben says to him
"Jack, you're going to be in heaps of trouble for doing that"
"Jack, you're going to be in heaps of trouble for doing that"
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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