A reason to laugh

The other day, Ben insisted on wearing his old monkey costume. Sadly, it still kind of fit him, 2 years later.

A reason to smile

Growing boys

I did the boy's monthly weigh-ins this morning and they both have gained weight.

I get excited when Ben gains weight because it means he is getting taller. Our little peanut man has a lot of growing to do. Today he weighed 29 pounds. He started the year around 25 pounds so as you can see, he doesn't grow much.

Jack on the other hand won't stop gaining weight. He was up to 21 pounds today. In the words of Benjamin (and his new favorite saying), oh my goodness. He is on the fast track to catch up with Ben. I can't believe I carry a 21 pound weight around all day.

I'd have to say that we have two healthy boys here.

I'm thankful for...

I am sorry that I never finished my "I'm thankful for..." series. It was a rough week last week and I wasn't feeling up to it. I did want to wrap it up though and just quickly mention everything else that I am thankful for that I didn't get a chance to share.

My family. I have always felt like I got a pretty awesome family. My parents, step-parents, sisters, grandparents, extended family, Drew's family. They have all contributed so much to my life and I am very grateful for them.

Drew. I couldn't leave him out. One of my favorite people in the world. My best friend. Just an all around amazing person.

The past, present and future. I am thankful for the many memories I have, the time I have right now and everything that the future will bring us.

My time with the boys. I feel so incredibly lucky that I get to spend all day, every day with Ben and Jack. I am thankful to Drew that he works hard for our family so I am able to do this.

Lastly, I am thankful for my happiness. I really am a happy person and there are many reasons for that. Pretty much everything that I have listed over the past couple of weeks.

I tried...

To get a picture of the boys together on Thanksgiving but they made it very difficult. These two will not sit still and smile at the same time.

We had a nice dinner, just the four of us. I don't know why

it looks like Drew is about to cry here.

Ben doesn't look too happy either

A lot of catching up to do

I know I have a week's worth of catching up to do and I will do it soon, I promise. Until then, look at this little guy. Could he be any cuter?

This makes me smile

I'm thankful for...

this little face

Need I say more?

I will forever be thankful that Jack became part of our family. The perfect addition.

Now I know my abc's

I'm thankful to be...

a mother

This is not what I envisioned my "job" to be when I was younger. I always had ideas on what I wanted to grow up to be. One of my college application essays described the various jobs I wanted for myself. It went on to say that no matter what kind of job I chose, college would help prepare me for it. Ten years later, I would have to disagree with that.

Nothing can prepare you to be a mom.

You learn as you go. It can never be perfected. It will often be under-appreciated. You will be on call for the rest of your life. It will change your identity. It will change how you see the world. You will learn new things about yourself. Patience. Understanding. Compassion. Sometimes you will feel like a terrible mom. Then your children will remind you that you aren't. You'll look back at your childhood and maybe regret a little of what you put your mother through. Appreciation becomes a big part of your life. Appreciation for those around you to help. For those who want you to succeed. Just as it is your goal to watch your children succeed. You realize that time goes by quickly. They grow too fast. You experience mixed emotions. While you are excited to see the person they are becoming, you miss everything they've already been. Eventually, you just enjoy the person they are at that moment. As a mother, you love your children in ways that no one else in the world can.

I'm not going to lie and say that it's great all of the time. There are times when I've reached my limits. I've had to remind myself that I can do it. Because I want to do it.

I'm thankful for my new identity as Ben and Jack's mom. I'm thankful that I am with someone who brought out my nurturing side and a desire to be a mom. This is the role that I was meant to have. I'm lucky to have it.

I'm thankful for...

the little things in life

From waking up to the two cutest, smiling faces each morning to the wonderful feeling of climbing into bed after a long day, I cherish the small things in my life. Watching Jack smile throughout the day. The quietness during nap time. The proudness that I felt today when Ben said the whole abc's by himself. The excitement that fills the room when daddy gets home from work. Hearing Ben tell me "mum mum is beautiful." The inside jokes that Drew and I share. The rolls on my chubby baby. Getting excited when I get a phone call or text message. The last peek at the boys sleeping in their beds before I go to bed. Cuddling with Ben to read books. The little bit of alone time I get with my husband each day. The dance parties Ben and I will randomly have throughout the day. The look on Jack's face when he watches his mom and brother do silly dances. The look on Drew's face when he watches his wife and son do silly dances. The feeling of accomplishment after finally catching up with all the laundry. Looking forward to weekends. Answering about 200 questions a day thanks to Ben.

These are the little things that make life what it is. The things that give life meaning. These are the type of things that make me happy.

I'm thankful for...

My little miracle

Yes, I consider all babies to be miracles but mine was a special miracle. My baby came into this world with an amazing purpose. I believe that he was given especially to our family for a reason. Everything that he went through to be here was all part of God's plan. A plan bigger than we are able to imagine right now. He started out his mission by teaching us to by thankful for each day we have. To love. To never forget that anything can happen and everything is possible. How can someone so small give us so much, so quickly? How can someone so innocent have such an impact on so many lives? He would have to be special to do those things, and that he is. I cannot wait to see what his future holds. I know it will be nothing short of incredible.

Benjamin, I am thankful beyond words for you.

I'm thankful for...

The internet

Yes, it might seem silly but I really do love the internet. There is so much to explore and I think it's one of my greatest resources. Also, it helps me keep in touch with a lot of people. I can't believe that not too long ago, the only way we stayed in touch with people was to visit them, call them on their house phone or write them a letter. I am so thankful for my computer and everything that I am able to do on it.

And if I ever had to make the choice, I would so choose internet over television.

I'm thankful for...

(In case you missed it in the last post, I am doing 14 days of thankfulness posts)

The girls in my life

I often feel like I live in a boy's world. As much as I love all of my boys, sometimes it's nice to have girly time. To talk to someone who can relate to me. To have someone listen to me (you know how boys are). After all, I did grow up surrounded by girls so it's familiar territory for me. Luckily, I have the perfect girls in my life.

My mom is one of the most irreplaceable people in my life. I don't know what I would do without our daily chats, her constant words of wisdom and her never ending support. In some ways, her and I are very different but as I grow older, I find that we are more similar than I thought. I have the utmost respect for who she is as a person and as my mother. She has taught me that a mother's job is never done. I find constant reassurance in knowing that she is always looking out for me and will do anything for me. Thanks mom. You are the best.

I feel like I am one of the lucky few who has a wonderful mother in law. Even though, I haven't known Loree for my whole life, I find that our relationship continues to grow the longer we do know each other. I have an enormous amount of respect for her also. Thanks to Loree, I have felt welcomed into my husband's family and look forward to being with them. I love that I am comfortable keeping her included in our every day family life. That I am able to call her anytime and talk to her like one of my closest friends. I hope that one day I will have the type of relationship that her and I have with my future daughter in laws.

Lastly, the two people who I couldn't imagine my life without. My sisters. I don't think God could have given me two better people to share the special role of sisters with. We always tease each other about who the favorites in the family are. Honestly though, I couldn't pick a favorite sister if you forced me to. They are both amazing people and bring so much to my life, more than they will ever know or realize.

My sister Stephanie is the best big sister. You will never meet a nicer person. You can't help but smile when you are with her. She could be having a terrible day and you would never know because she continues to stay positive. She possesses qualities that I have never been able to. She is able to see the good in people. She has shown us that she is capable of so much. She is a wonderful sister to look up to. I cherish any time that we are able to spend together. Knowing that she is only a phone call away, I know I can count on her.

Lastly, there's my little sister Sarah. I've always thought that there are two sides to Sarah. The side that most people see which is the sweet, innocent little one and the side that only her family sees. This is the side that she should be proud of. She should be proud of the strong person she is. The beautiful person she is, inside and out. The mom that has become to her perfect baby. I am so grateful that after years of arguing, we have finally reached a point where we know we need each other. Even if it's just to call one another to share stories about what are stubborn little boys did. We know that we can always count on each other.

2 years

and 325 posts since our first post on "the Little Men." It's been a great way to help our families be a part of our lives. I see no end in sight for our blog and as long as I have readers, I will keep posting.

Now on to some randomness...

Why is it so hard to get a good picture of everyone?

Happy Veteran's Day to everyone who has earned the title of being a veteran. I sure am proud of ours and everything he has done for our country and our family. He's one heck of a guy.

We had a wonderful family day today. The boys were both great and very well behaved. It was just an all around good day with the four of us. It's back to work for Drew tomorrow but then we have the weekend to look forward to. Loree and Cary will be coming up here for a quick visit that will consist of about 30 hours of nonstop playing with Ben and Jack.

Tomorrow, I will be starting a "14 days of thankfulness" series. Each day through Thanksgiving, I will be sharing something that I am thankful for. Maybe we'll even get Drew to do another guest post and share what he is thankful for.

Have a great night everyone!