Happy Birthday America!

This year we had the chance to participate in my parents neighborhood parade the weekend before the 4th of July. It was SOOO hot but the kids had a blast!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Molly in her cute patriotic outfit that Aunt Tory gave her! It was a little big so she ended up just wearing the shirt/dress. Next year I bet she can wear it again!

The kids in the wagon that we decorated for the parade. Camille, Molly, Reid and Cason

Riding in the parade. Cason loved yelling, "Happy Birthday America". Molly did not like riding in the wagon so I got to carry her the whole way.

There were bounce houses!

Cason and Molly enjoyed eating a blue snow cone

Molly having fun in the shade!

The actual 4th of July was pretty low key. We went shopping, took naps and hung out around home. Sometimes we can see the Rowlett fireworks from our backyard so we told Cason he could stay up to see them. About 9:15 I decided to drive to a parking lot near our house so we could see the fireworks a little bit better. It was just Cason and I because Molly was already asleep but we had a lot of fun. The two of us set in our car and watched the fireworks that were right across the street. It was perfect!

Happy 4th!

Describing Dada

This Father's Day was pretty low key. The kids gave Toby some ear buds and a new Texas Tech Garden Flag. We went to church and had my family over for some grilling and pool fun!

Toby is truly the best dad to our kids! I am so thankful to have been raised by a wonderful dad AND to have married one too!

Here are some adjectives to describe Toby as a father:
From Cason:
brave, strong, funny, bread winner (these are my words, he actually said that Dada makes money so we can buy a new house)


From Me:
kind patient disciplined intelligent
caring upbeat hilarious calm
sensitive energetic

What We Have Been Up To This Summer

I have loved being at home with my kiddo's this summer. I knew it would be challenging with their ages (and it is) but it is going really well! We don't have any major vacations planned and are hanging out here at home.

Molly has been working on her fine motor skills.

Cason has been working on his lacing cards :)

Funny Story: It was storming one afternoon and the kids had been stuck inside so after their baths we took them for a walk. It was sunny outside so we decided to walk around our entire neighborhood. It is a little over a mile. About half way it started to pour! We walked/ran all the way home and were soaked. Since we were wet we let Cason play in the puddles. He had a blast and I am pretty impressed at the picture taking skills of my husband!

Of course I had to get in on the action too!

We played in boxes and built box cities.

Cason has been his usual silly self.

We have played with water beads. I have seen them on some blogs this summer and thought the kids would love them. I did have a hard time keeping them out of Miss Molly's mouth so she didn't play with them much. And yes, Cason is still in his pajamas in this picture because he had strep throat. Who get's strep in the summer? He missed his little summer camp at church so out came the water beads!

This is a close up of the water beads. They are super cool! They start out really really tiny and when you put them in water they expand to the size of a large marble. They are not sticky and are nontoxic! When you are finished with them you can let them dry up to their tiny size and use them again later!

Kerrville (Home Sweet Home)

  On Mother's Day Weekend my entire family (My parents, my sisters family and of course Toby, Cason, and Molly)  packed up and headed to Kerrville. I grew up in Kerrville and still consider it my home town. I haven't been there in about 6 years. This trip was way over due! We stayed in a villa at a resort in Hunt. It was perfect for us. There were a lot of things for us to do, a fully equipped kitchen, and beautiful views! We were practically the only people out there that weekend.

(I am not sure why this is underlined but I can't fix it!)

Eating at the "villa". It had a table big enough for all of us to sit at!

Grandad and the girls. Molly is very possisive of Grandad. Anytime he held Camille, Molly would fall apart and cry until he picked her up too.

We ate at Mamacita's! This was our favorite place to eat when we lived in Kerrville. It was every bit as good as I remembered it to be!

The gang at Mamacitia's. "Aunt" Beth and Gloria were there too! Just like old times!

Toby, Cason, Brian, and Reid went fishing. This was Cason's first time to fish. He had a blast!

Cason caught his own fish!

They caught 8 fish!

We went swimming at the gorgeous pool. Allison and I had no idea that the girls had matching bathing suits! How cute!

It was SOOOO cold!

There was a lot of outside play time.

Cason and Reid being silly.

cousins

We went hiking several times. Cason and Reid called our hikes reindeer walks because they wanted to see deer. Apparently any type of deer is a reindeer to them.

We probably hiked 2 miles each time we went. As you can see here it wasn't an easy hike. The kids did a pretty good job considering. They had a lot of fun looking at all the nature.

Here is a little Kerrville history lesson for you.  The first HEB grocery store was built in Kerrville. I grew up shopping there so when we ran in to grab a couple of things and I saw these kid sized grocery carts, I HAD to have one! I said it would be my mother's day present. It was the best Mother's Day ever! Besides the grocery cart, it really was a perfect Mother's Day weekend. I spent the whole time focused on having fun with my kids and family. I am thankful we could have this experience.  

Molly's 1 Year Update

I FINALLY got around to taking Molly to her 1 year appointment! Now I can write about her 1 year stats!

Weight: 21 lbs
Height:30 in (75% WOW)
Teeth: 7 with the 8th one making it's torturous way in
Words: Mama and Dada. She also meow's and barks. Does that count?
Favorite Food: Cheese and yogurt
 
Molly is a very active 1 year old! Her favorite things do do are play outside and follow her big brother around. She tries to do everything he does. I feel like she is a lot crazier than Cason was at her age. She loves to climb on anything she can. Then (if we aren't watching closely) she will dive off head first. She just picks herself up and keeps going! Molly loves to wear shoes! When I put her sandals on her she prances around smiling and showing off. She also likes to try to put on my shoes. I think we are in trouble when she gets older!  One of Molly's favorite games right now is to pick up everything she sees and bring it to me. What a helpful little girl!

Molly is officially done with eating therapy! She will eat ALMOST anything you put in front of her. She will even ask, in her own little way, for more food! She out eats Cason most of the time now! Molly is completely off formula! WHOO HOO! We are saving $45-$50 a week now! We are working on getting her to drink out of a sippy cup and not a bottle. She loves to drink water out of a cup but is SLOWLY getting used to drinking her milk out of one. It will be awesome when I don't have to fix or wash bottles anymore!

                                                           Molly's 1 Year Picture

                                                        Smiling on her first birthday!

                                              Pushing her seahorse around her stroller

                                            Playing with water table we got her for her birthday
                                      

Happy Easter!

I am so thankful that our Savior gave up his life to save ours!

We had a good Easter. We had an egg hunt at my parents house with the cousins and went to church this morning. The Easter bunny also paid a visit to Cason and Molly!

1 Year Old!

Dear Molly,
March 28, 2011 was one of the best days of my life. I was nervous about meeting you and worried about what kind of mother I would be to my little girl. I had no idea that the first time I saw you that I would love you SO much. You were so little. You had the tinyest hands and feet and super skinny long legs. The nurses told me that you would be a ballarina one day!
Now that you are offically 1 year old I miss holding the little bitty you. But I am enjoying every minute of watching you grow and change. You are every thing that I prayed for in a daughter. You are sweet, laid back, and funny. You make me laugh every day. My prayer for you now is that you will continue to grow up to be a woman who loves and follows the Lord. I pray that you will be kind, loving, and patient.
Molly I love you more and more every day and I am so proud to have a daughter like you.
Love,
Mommy

Molly's First Year - slide show