the sosbee story

Sleddin' Down "The Mountain" Fun!

2011-02-12T11:39:00.000-06:00

On the fourth snow day IN A ROW, we were able to get out for

some good old fashioned sledding fun. Did I just say that ?!?!

Steve and I have mentioned to the boys not to expect this

every winter. I remember so many times as a child getting way too excited

about the prospect of snow that never came as my face pressed

against the cold window just hoping and praying for

a glimpse of the beautiful white flakes.
Harold Taft got my hopes up way too many times!

Both born and raised here, never in our lives have we ever seen such.

As one of our friends said, our children have a "completely warped view of a typical winter around here."

Anyway.....it was one of those afternoons that we will always "remember when..."

SO.MUCH.FUN.

Daddy and Hayden test it out first.

We have to get creative in these parts for what could be

used as a sled. The inside floor of Lizzie's dog crate Steve

decided would do just fine and we got some great momentum!

The boys had no fear sledding down "the mountain" as they

refer to it in our neighborhood. It is actually a great sledding venue but an

unfortunate location as it is surrounded by the neighborhood traffic circle.

The teenagers especially were getting enough speed to jump the curb and slide

right across the street. Genius, I know.

Fortunately we had a pretty good system with all the parents out there standing

guard in the street and the cars passing through could see all the madness so were extra

careful to wait for the okay as parents held their little sledders at bay.

Hayden at the traffic circle waiting to throw a snowball

at Daddy.

Evan had a good time on it alone a few times but just couldn't

quite manage to stay on or veer off into the bushes.

He was having a blast anyway.

Hayden is already an old pro!

This was a great opportunity to get Evan in his bear hat.

I love this hat and he gets comments everywhere we go.

As a mom of boys, we don't often get the chance to put clothing and

accessory items on our little men that gain comments of

"oh my gosh, soooo cute!"

Steve was hesitant to even encourage this purchase as he saw me

giddily adding it to my online Baby Gap shopping cart.

He told me Evan wouldn't wear it. I told him, "Let me have this

for me!! If he won't wear it, I will take it back."

I am so happy he was wrong.

I also had a great time sledding with my "mini-me".

I love these pics of us together. It makes me smile.

In the midst of the fun, Steve decided to head back home to get a better "sled".

He decided to try out the surf board...oh dear. Here is some footage of the run.

I tried out the surf board too..

One of Hayden's classmates who lives around the corner

happened to be out there too.

They enjoyed a few sledding races together.

Evan gives his brother a shove to help him get started down.

They had so much fun that Daddy took them out again

the next morning before the snow got too slushy.

Good times!

Evan's Hit Single "Singing in the Bathroom"

2011-02-11T23:02:00.000-06:00

This was much funnier to me the day I filmed it but it still makes me giggle.

Let us keep in mind we were on the third consecutive day of being "snowed in"

and Mommy was getting a wee bit delirious, AKA crazy.

I was doing dishes in the kitchen when I heard him carrying on while on "the throne"

with the door open and I just knew I had to capture this one for keepsake.

Watch out, Bieber fever!

One "Back Blog" a Day Post February Challenge.....

2011-02-10T19:18:00.000-06:00

So "back blogged" it is not even funny!

Where did 2010 go for the Sosbee Family? stay tuned....

(for all two of you who are even reading anymore)

These Are Our... DRAGON "TALES": Hopefully, the photostory will upload! Hayden's d...

2010-11-04T18:52:00.025-05:00

Below is a link to the class blog so wonderfully

maintained by Hayden's awesome 1st Grade teacher.

They did a unit on Arthur and Hayden is featured here reading. I love that I can jump

on almost every day and see what they are doing and learning about.

You know our first grader isn't going to provide much detail other than

"recess" when we ask what he did in school that day :-)

These Are Our... DRAGON "TALES": Hopefully, the photostory will upload! Hayden's d...: "Hopefully, the photostory will upload! Hayden's dad was lucky enough to meet Marc Brown when he was in elementary school. Hayden..."

First Day of First Grade 2010!

2010-08-28T21:39:00.015-05:00

Our handsome boy so grown up and ready for another year of elementary school!

He loved the laziness and fun of summer but was excited to get back and see his friends.

We were thrilled his good friend, Kerry, was in his class again this year.

His teacher is great and she updates a class blog everyday with pictures.

It is wonderful to be able to discuss with Hayden each day

and to see what he is learning in the classroom.

Oops, Mommy hadn't gotten another pair of "school shoes" yet as

you will note from the worn out Vans he is sporting.

Oh, how I appreciate the greatness of the good ole'

trusty flip flops that we sported each day of summer!

But alas the flip flops just will not do for school day activities.

last year's First Day pic for comparison- growing boy!

Sadly Evan's first day of Hayden's first day of school was not so joyous...

Now I must not mislead in saying this was Evan as Hayden got out of the car.
This was just how he spent a good portion of the morning as Hayden was away.
I will say that he does miss his brother terribly and would often ask
me when we could go get brother from school last year.
Let's just say he just typically does so much better
when he has his playmate.
Even a fun trip to Going Bonkers that morning was not enough to
make this little boy happy that day.
Oh, my Evan, you look so pitiful in this pictures.
Preschool starts soon for you and you will get to swap play stories
with your brother in no time!

Who says there are no good beaches in Texas?

2010-08-26T00:47:00.000-05:00

Since last summer the boys and I have enjoyed venturing

to the beach park up the road at the lake.

It is free, usually not too crowded, and we enjoy bringing

lunch to enjoy in the sand before we play.

It always makes for a great afternoon together.

We don't have a real beach umbrella so this time I just brought the

Little Tikes Umbrella from the boys' standing sand table.

(classy I know!!)

I figured it would work just as well.

Not so much...

Granted it was windy out that day, (thus the mess you

see all over the place in front of Hayden,) but that thing

became a flying projectile at least 3 times before I finally

secured it. It did the job though. Hayden and Mommy picnicked

quite nicely under it....

Evan, on the other hand, prefers to eat on the go.

The boys quickly started in on their construction project -

a fort and a river.

I know he will be so mad at me one day but

I just couldn't help myself. Older brother's old

swim shorts were still just a tad too big.

Evan had to keep pulling them up but

little boys get too busy when they play to

worry about silly things like exposed behinds.

I kept getting the perfect "plumber shot"

as I watched him run back and forth from the water.
I am sure this pic will come in handy some day :-)

It is kind of hard to see with the bright sun,

but you can see the little "river" they dug

running diagonally along the lower left corner

of the pic.

The little "fort" they master pieced

is the little elevation to the left

of Hayden and was even topped with a tiny leaf like

garnish they had found in the sand.

My little engineers had a great afternoon.

Year End Kindergarten Fun!

2010-06-01T23:43:00.104-05:00

Hayden's Kinder year was wrapped up with some good ole

fashioned outdoor miserable Texas heat fun!

Evan joined the ranks as an honorary member of the class this year.

The kids love him and Hayden's teacher was always smitten

by his big bear hugs. He was kind of the class mascot.

He loved going up to the school with me when I helped out

in the classroom and for parties. Hayden also enjoyed

seeing him and showing little bro off.

Mrs. Hodges class won 2 of the 3 tug of wars.

Perhaps it was the 30 extra pounds of assistance?

This contest involved running back and forth

soaking the sponge and then running across to

squeeze the sponge into the empty bucket

to see which team could fill their bucket first.

Hayden took this competition seriously
and really hussled!

Hayden and his buddy, Kaden - then

Evan right back in the middle of the action.

(He had dropped out for a while because he was

sad they didn't have a baseball hat with his

name on it like the other kids. It was a pitiful

scene there for a while.) Fortunately he made a full recovery.

This pic was actually from field day from a few

weeks earlier but I wanted to show off his mad

shoe kicking skills.

He beat all his classmates by a mile in the shoe

kicking competition.

Look at that shoe fly! That soccer

has paid off apparently. He was so

proud.

The Raptors dominated in Division I Spring Season!

2010-05-26T21:28:00.016-05:00

The Raptors moved up to Division I soccer this season for a challenge and still dominated! They had one loss all season to a team that I am pretty sure had a kid that was "Bending it Like Beckham" by the age of 3. CRAZY!!! Anyhow, these boys get better and better each season. In the fall they move
up to the "big field." It seems like yesterday we were holding up signs for them to make
sure they were kicking the ball down the field in the right direction.

Hayden really excelled in playing the sweeper position this season. He stopped many opposing goal kicks and his coaches, Steve, and I could not have been more proud. He seems to do better in this type of position where he can concentrate and not be stuck in the "mosh pit" of 6 year old boys fighting for the ball.

I didn't even notice Hayden kind of pushing on this kid

until I uploaded it.With the big smile on his face, it looked friendly
enough.

The Raptors

Hayden- a.k.a. " Dominating Sweeper"

End of year kudos from Coach.

Hayden proudly displaying his trophy.

Soccer Shots

2010-05-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

We had Evan enrolled in a great soccer clinic for pre-schoolers called Soccer Shots the past couple of months. He loved it and was so excited to get to put on his big brother's old soccer gear - shorts, socks, shoes, shin gards, and all! They said he didn't need shin guards and cleats but it was so much fun for him to be able to wear it so I gladly put him in it each Monday morning.

He wore it with pride.

Evan happily followed coach's instructions.

Doing a little drill where he was to touch his nose to the ball - great technique, Evan!

Even better, Evan got to be in Soccer Shots with his friend, Will.

I think they both equally enjoyed getting decked out in all the soccer gear.

Too cute this pair.

Evan was frequently seen adjusting his socks making sure they were at just the right height

and folded to his liking....

He made sure he was well hydrated of course and liked to carry Mommy's water bottle

she often uses for running.

(Notice at this age how with these little guys there tends to be a

seamless transition between the bottom of the soccer shorts to the top of the socks.)

It brings so much joy to see my little boy having so much fun.

This is a little video of him kicking a goal.

Hayden Doing a Little Bedtime Reading and Singing to Evan

2010-05-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

Hayden is doing wonderfully with his reading.

This is him doing a little bedtime reading to Evan to the tune

of Wheels on the Bus.

He also did a little improvising to Evan as to what else

the characters might be saying or thinking on each page.

Evan loved it and so did Steve and I.

Spring Break Lake Weekend with the Chandlers

2010-04-04T22:52:00.003-05:00

We took a quick little Spring Break trip to visit my long time friend, Melanie Chandler,

at her parents home at the lake.
Melanie was one of my best friends in high school and we have never lost

touch. Her parents, Betty and Randy, we also now consider friends
at this stage in our lives.
Thank you for a beautiful weekend.

The boys could not wait to get out for a boat ride.

Randy even let the boys drive the boat -

the smiles were non-stop!

And just when they thought it could not get any better, they got a
chance to ride the 4 Wheeler!

Evan just kicked back and relaxed...

A pretty tulip from the Chandler yard and Red Bud Tree from the farm.

Evan finds the perfect walking stick while Betty guides the hike.

Melanie and the boys.

MSilly brothers....

Steve in "Be the Chef" at Benihana's

2010-02-16T00:53:00.000-06:00

By the great suggestion of my sister in law, Melissa,

I bought Steve for Christmas the

"Be the Chef" training at Benihana.

Two of Steve's favorite shows to watch

are Top Chef and Iron Chef so to him this opportunity

made him somewhat giddy.

For those of you that know him, you

might find this interesting as my husband is

known for his extremely ~~picky~~ refined culinary taste.

(By the way, please don't take this as hubby bashing!)

It just makes this whole thing all the more entertaining and

provides a good background for this event.

Steve's idea of a delicious dinner and perfect evening is to

steam a ~~trough~~ bowl of rice and fry up several pieces of bacon then

park himself perfectly centered in front of the television as

he watches the chefs make their best creations with

things like eel and squid while he feasts on rice and bacon....go figure.

Steve, you are darling and so funny!

He was a bit nervous thinking he was going to forget things that
he learned the week before in his training while cooking for us
but he did great! You could tell he was really enjoying himself.

Steve even flipped some shrimp tails into his hat!

Here Steve did his favorite task, "The Train".

Here he is making some quite delicious fried rice. The meal really turned out fantastic.

So proud of our chef -We had a blast and a very yummy meal (really!)

Snow Much Fun!

2010-02-13T21:50:00.000-06:00

After watching the snow fall all morning long, Steve took a break

from working at home. We all bundled up and went down to meet

Hayden at the bus stop after school.

Hayden is off the bus - happy and ready to play!

He told me how they let them go out and play at school that day in the snow.

He was overjoyed with the fun of the day.

Hayden immediately starts chasing E with a snowball.

The boys threw snow at each other all the way down the side walk with laughs and

smiles the entire way .

Snow was literally knee deep for Evan.

Evan had really gotten the hang of this snowball thing.
He is going after brother full force and with a huge one at that!

Love how after so many pics I had failed to realize

his little ear was not tucked under his hat. He was having

too much fun to complain about cold ears!!

Me and my favorite little snowmen.

Steve was so waiting for me to take the camera inside

so he could launch snow at my face.

I took my time - I knew what he was plotting.
He even sent Hayden to do his dirty work
later that night sending Hayden running inside
yelling, "Daddy fell!" I almost ran out in my
pj's but as soon as I saw Hayden's face
I knew better!
Plan foiled, boys :-)

snow angels!

This began day 2 of the snow fun. No school!

I was sad for Hayden to not have his school Valentine Party but

rest assured the principal had a recorded message that the parties

were rescheduled for Tuesday..whew!

Below was the email forwarded to me as well. It made me chuckle a bit.

I think I was the one that was stressing more than Hayden being a room mom and all.

"Parents,
Valentine parties will be rescheduled for Tuesday, February 16th.
Tell your kiddos not to worry.
I don't want to cause any stress for them that will affect them later in life.

Enjoy the Snow!"
Mr. I

The boys took instruction from the
construction supervisor (boy next door)

to build their super fort. They did a pretty

great job as you can see the height was well

above waist level for Hayden.

Hayden hides out behind the finished fort

waiting to launch a snowball as soon

as our neighbor walks out of his front door.

Trouble......What trouble?

taste testing the snow...

couldn't have been happier - such wonderful memories...

..even for old sweet Lizzie

Cupcake Valentine Pops and Evan's Valentine Party

2010-02-13T13:33:00.000-06:00

My sister in law, Melissa, inspired me to make Cupcake Pops.

She had made them several months back and they were so cute and delicious

that I just knew I had to find a good opportunity to make these!

Valentine's Day I thought would be the perfect chance to give these a try.

Bakerella is where the Cupcake Pops were found.

They are tedious but so worth it!

If you want to just do cake pops instead of molding them into cupcakes

you can do that too and takes much less time.

You can get creative and use your own flavors, colors,

and decor to fit your theme and taste.
Bakerella is fantastic!

I solicited my little helper to participate

in the making of the Valentines for his classmates.

He loves to dump stuff in the mixer.

(I wish I could have done them for Hayden's class

but the school only allows store bought treats, bummer.)

Oops, sorry buddy, I forget you can't open the mix
package on your own. I guess this look on your face is
que for me to put the camera down and open the bag
already!

Evan loves to be able to crack the eggs. Normally I won't
allow his to do this because I end up digging out a bunch of egg
shells but he pulled this first one off very successfully!
This was pretty much where Evan's part of the deal ended short of
starting the mixer and licking the bowl. (This was after I emptied the batter into the pan of course for any concerned readers that had one of the delicious treats.)

Fast forward many hours later to the finished project. I was so happy that Michael's had the perfect little heart candies to place on the top along with pink candy melts and Valentine themed sprinkles to complete the look.

After staying up until 2 am, there were still ribbons to be tied and valentines to be secured the next morning. I placed them as little "bouquets" for presentation in little valentine themed ceramic pots.
I loved how they turned out. I was a bit nervous with all the dipping and candy melts involved having never done them before but Melissa gave me some great tips before I got started - Thanks, Melissa!

The Valentine cupcake pops were a hit.

Now if I can just find the motivation to do ever do them again...

Evan and Will as usual ready for the hug pose.
You can't see it but both of their shirts said "Prince Charming."
Fitting title for this pair, huh?

Evan and his favorite girl, Nicole.

Yeah, I was so happy Nicole's Mommy

was able to finally get a good picture of them.

Thank you for the pic, Cookie!

The teachers and room moms always take the
time to make the parties special.

Evan takes time out from the party for some tumble time - why not?

January Birthday Party Fun!

2010-01-30T22:00:00.001-06:00

So January was the month of birthday parties-
Evan had two parties in one weekend for his classmates at preschool.
He so enjoyed spending time with some of his favorite buddies
and finally got to be the one invited to a party without his big brother
(or being the one left at home with Mommy or Daddy).
These first videos are of Evan and Will.
(You need to check out my friend Julianne's blog.)
Her take on Will
regarding Evan is so precious and also gets some cute pics of my E.
It is pretty neat that Evan and Will could be in class together
this year. For those readers that don't know,
Julianne is the older sister of Steve's best friends growing up,
twin brothers Jeremy and Joel.
Joel married us in fact and Jeremy was his best man.
Anyhow, just thought I would include that fun fact
before you could see these little guys together.

Evan simply adores Nicole.
He talks about her constantly.
Evan, Nicole, and Will seem to be quite the little
trio at school together.
I wish I was able to sneak a better pic
that wasn't on my handy iphone camera
but was happy to finally get a picture of them
together. Of course Evan was just delighted to see a pic
of himself with his sweet friend.
You can from their little faces, they had just
enjoyed some good ole chocolate birthday cake.

I love that Evan is still at the age where
he is not ashamed to sport a Hello Kitty hat
or wear Hello Kitty stickers from his party favor goodie bag.
These two always seem ready to pose for a
picture together.

Evan and Nicole looked on concerned with
what Will has to say.

And here is the trio.
Evan had told me recently that Nicole was his "girlfriend"
and Will was his "boyfriend."
Oh, the sweet innocence of three years old!
Anyhow, he enjoyed a truly wonderful weekend
full of bouncing, tumbling, singing, and sugar induced eating coma!

Dads and Doughnuts

2010-01-29T22:59:00.003-06:00

Evan celebrated "Dads and Doughnuts" at his preschool with Steve.

I hadn't blogged this before but getting doughnuts
with Daddy is a special outing and time the boys share with
Steve almost every Saturday morning.
While Steve, being so wonderful, so kindly lets me sleep in
he takes the boys to get their delicious
breakfast, often with the boys still in their pj's.
He also uses the doughnuts as disciplinary
leverage those mornings so if misbehaving
happens in our house (*yes shocking but true!),
no discipline = no doughnuts.
When this happens Mommy knows quickly
as she wakes up to little boys crying in the other room.
It's the rule though, a good incentive for the boys
to behave for Daddy on Saturday morning!

Evan shows Daddy his cute little footprint
bookmark craft. Anything with their
hands or feet is always a keeper.

Daddy gets his usual- plain glazed. Evan goes for the chocolate - that's my boy!

While he is quickly growing into a big boy,
he still has just enough of those "baby hands"
that I am still holding onto.

Evan strategically places his stickers.
Usually when you leave this boy with stickers
he covers his jeans or sleeve with them
so it was good for him to have a focus.

Love to see Steve with a glue stick working their
little airplane craft.

Now this is the most entertaining part.
The way Evan eats a donut is quite the skill.
He does not eat donuts from side to side
but from top to bottom (icing to dough of course).
Often times he only makes it halfway through the doughnut
and then chimes, "Mommy, I'm doooonnne".
I love it!

My boys had a great time together.

Hayden Reading

2010-01-28T16:08:00.001-06:00

Hayden is coming right along with his reading - so proud of him! He is getting better each day.

Christmas Pictures and Outtakes..

2010-01-04T17:33:00.015-06:00

I thought it would be fun to post several of the photos taken

for the annual Christmas card.
The boys agreed to cooperate in exchange for ice cream.

Get your hat on, brother!

the angry chokehold pose

Cheese!

The happy chokehold pose

The stranglehold and kiss pose

Likely plotting their escape ...

I love this one.
Evan was clearly in done mode. Hayden was in goofy face mode.

This one was a keeper!
Can't you just tell from their looks
which one is a little more mischief? - love it!

This one also made the cut-
essence of Evan's sweet little face and expression.

This one was also a keeper.
I love that little dimple
that always shows on his left
cheek when he smiles.

cute goofball

It was so cold and so windy but the boys were great sports
and Daddy really got some good laughs
by flashing his belly.
Who knew that would be so entertaining?
Thanks, Daddy.

The cover shot - genuine happy boys.
I think they were singing some
song they made up called the "diaper song".
It makes them laugh so I just went with it.

Makes me smile.

Photo shoot over- We are free!
We are free!

Christmas Eve Snow!!

2009-12-28T22:07:00.010-06:00

What a beautiful gift to see snow on Christmas!
I always hoped for a white Christmas as a child but never saw one until now.
I was thrilled my boys could experience it.

Daddy was in the mix of all this fun but I never got a shot
of him as I kept having to dodge his snowballs
anytime I was in his vicinity.

Evan grabs a hand of snow to form his perfect
snowball.

A little cold to stop and smile for the camera, Mom.
I appreciated his effort though :-)

Steve had so much fun coaching Hayden
on the art of the snowball fight.
You can see Hayden was having a blast.

Another most special part of our Christmas Eve was
visiting MeMaw and to deliver her
some special framed pictures of the boys.
She has been recovering from
pneumonia for the past few weeks but
is doing so much better and for that we are thankful.
Her lungs are clear but she still has some swelling her in
her feet so we are praying for healing there
so she can return home soon.
We got to stay and chat as her hair stylist came
to fix her hair and give her a beautiful Christmas "do".
She looks lovely, doesn't she?
Oh, how we love her so...
She is a source of some of my happiest and most
precious childhood memories.
If you know MeMaw, you know what it means to feel loved.

.

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-24T10:25:00.001-06:00

Evan in "Close to You"

2009-12-17T22:46:00.001-06:00

The Carpenter's "Close to You"
is our favorite bedtime song.
Melt.My.Heart.

How Evan Enjoyed the Snow...

2009-12-02T01:07:00.001-06:00

I am bewildered as to this child's obsession with being naked.
I guess if my buns were that cute I would probably be running
around the house naked too...

It is amazing how many times a week you hear in the house,
"Evan, where are your pants?! Put some pants on!"
He just randomly appear unclothed, usually after going to the bathroom.

Unfortunately, naked boy only got to enjoy the snow from the window.
By the time he got around to clothes the Texas snow had melted...
We will hope for more this season that will stick!

"Nah, Nah, Nah, Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye!"

2009-12-01T12:55:00.000-06:00

Evan's First Dentist Appointment

2009-11-11T00:19:00.001-06:00

I was very fearful of Evan's very first dentist appointment.
Before we even left the house he was screaming,
"I don't want to go to the dentist!! I don't want to go to the dentist!"
I just knew we were in for quite the morning.
All the bribery in the world was not convincing
this boy that a trip to the dentist would be worth it....

This was Evan at the dentist. I would not have
believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

He was a perfect angel.
He did everything the hygienist ask of him.
He did not protest one second.
He let her count, clean, and polish his teeth.

He got some cool sunglasses to wear
and was holding his "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" Mouse
that Aunt Melissa had given him.
What else does a boy need?
Mommy could not have been more proud!
Thank you, Lord, for
answering the small prayer of mine.
Physical restraint was not required.
Now, if we could talk about that when I
sometimes just try to get him in his car seat!

Indiana Turkey

2009-11-10T01:18:00.001-06:00

Hayden's Kinder assignment was to disguise his Thanksgiving turkey.
He thought Indiana Jones would be the perfect cover up.
After finding an old back pack to cut up for a jacket and a
small braided belt for a whip he was all set!
We created a leather satchel and everything to complete the look.
Indiana Turkey was one handsome turkey
and he was so proud to take him to school.

Half Marathon!

2009-11-01T00:40:00.002-05:00

Nothing better than seeing my sweet boys cheer me on
at the finish line of my Half Marathon!
They loved taking turns wearing my finisher medal on the way home.
I came in at 2 hr 20 min beating my last years time of 2 hrs 32 minutes.
I am so behind in posting this that since then I ran the
White Rock Half Marathon six weeks later on December 13 coming
in at 2 hrs 15 minutes beating my November time by 5 minutes setting
a new personal record for me!
Running has been such a wonderful outlet for me
and keeps driving me to get stronger.
Anyone want to join me for the White Rock Half next year??
It is such a fun run and so beautiful with
tons of crowd support the whole 13.1 miles!

Halloween Fun

2009-10-31T16:45:00.000-05:00

This sums up all our Halloween fun...

We were thrilled when we convinced Evan it was cool to be Robin so we
had the perfect Batman and Robin duo.

Wouldn't want to meet these boys in a dark alley, huh? :-)

The dynamic duo!

Batman and Robin get ready to race..
One of their favorite things to do is run up and down our sidewalk.

Who knew Robin wore little white Fruit of the Loom undies?

Quite the handsome Batman!

We decided to give our first shot at family pumpkin carving.
I let the boys pick out what they wanted to carve from some
online templates.
Of course they picked the most challenging of all choices,
the Star Wars X-wing starfighter.
I was a bit nervous about carving around the details of the little
wings but the $5 carving kit tools far surpassed my expectations!

Daddy cut the top and we let the boys dig out all the pumpkin "guts"
which they loved.
(We don't normally have the boys shirtless and in underwear
but we figured this project would be messy very fast!)

The pumpkin guts were every bit as entertaining as I thought they would be.

It is definitely an X-wing!
Sadly even indoors it was moldly and so
gross within about 2 days that we had to throw it out
way before Halloween.
I will know better next year on how to keep the pumpkin mold free.

On the day of Halloween, we took a fun
family outing to the Arboretum.

They had trick or treating there that day
which we didn't even know they were going to have.
That of course was an extra fun surprise for the boys.
Evan just dropped to the ground in the middle of the
walkway and starting pulling out the chocolate-
I totally understood his chocolate enthusiasm.

Evan loves to go at his brother's face. Hayden is entertained...most of the time

Yes, I had to get my annual matching tees from Janie and Jack.

Hayden loved the Frog water spray fountains.
Evan... not so much.
It is always sweet to see him run to Daddy though for shelter.

Hayden Singing "5 Little Monkeys"

2009-10-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

This was taken on the way to the State Fair. Hayden loves singing his songs learned in Kindergarten and Evan appreciates his big brother teaching them to him too!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2009-10-28T13:29:00.000-05:00

Steve took the day off work so we could attend Hayden's first
Kindergarten field trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

We were assigned to this adorable little crew to supervise.

The boy huddle clearly having a blast.

The boys found the smells
of the animal covered wet grounds gross
yet entertaining at the same time - so cute!
We all enjoyed a trip in the hay wagon around the farm.

Hayden and his buddy, Kerry.

Apparently the peace sign is popular with the kids.
I saw it several times that morning when trying to snap shots.
You could not catch these boys not smiling.

To say that it was muddy was an understatement - we could barely walk without our feet sinking into the mud. We all left with what appeared to be mud shoes. Hayden hiked his pants in the patch to try and keep his jeans out of the mess.

The "mud shoe".
Steve got a stick and tried to help several kids
scrape some of it off with some success.

Hayden picks out his perfect muddy pumpkin.

Pumpkin was a bit misshapen but had
a very proud owner none the less!

Daddy of course felt the need to give the
last bit of the feed to the beloved longhorn
or should I say "Longhorn!"

Me and my "mini-me" - so happy I got to spend that morning with him!

Hayden and his teacher who we love.

We had a great day- mess and all! :-)

Back to a new season of Soccer!!

2009-10-09T22:18:00.008-05:00

So we have had another great season of soccer (realizing it is now almost over as I post this.) The same group of boys have stayed together for many seasons and, well, the Raptors dominate!
In all seriousness it is a very special group of boys. Hayden adores his teammates and looks forward to games and practices each week (on the special occasion when it hasn't
rained this fall).
The coaches are wonderful with the boys and have truly made it fun
for them. I think that is why they keep coming back season after season.
Kids need to be kids and I am so thankful a positive and encouraging spirit
with the boys has remained consistent each season.

A little pre-game warmup.

One of the first games they played the Longhorns.
Steve was only a tad jealous that the uniforms
did not belong to our team of course.
Oh, well, Hayden has his number 12, right?

Hayden sometimes makes the funniest little faces when he goes in for a kick.
Go Hayden, Go!

Hayden's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-28T11:43:00.000-05:00

How have the almost past 6 years gone by already? Is it really time for Kindergarten?!!
Hayden was so proud and eager for the day. I, on the other hand, shed many
tears the night before. What a glutton for punishment was I to start
looking at old videos from when he was a baby the night before his first day?!
This post includes a tiny bit of memory lane...

From Hayden first day of preschool - Fall 2005

What a beautiful, sweet son we have in Hayden.
August 2009

He was so excited to sport his brand new Stars Wars lunch box
Aunt La La bought him.

Evan helps Hayden proudly display his brand new Star Wars lunchbox.

Hayden and I in Malibu in Summer 2005...

Me and my favorite kindergartner now.

We all drove together and walked Hayden into the school.
My eyes stayed dry. I think I had gotten it all out of my system...almost. Tears didn't start flowing again until later that day when I was driving with my sister and she asked me to sing the Fred the Turtle song to Evan. That song was my favorite from the first "Mommy and Me" music class I took Hayden to when he was just over a year old.

Hayden and Steve in Laguna Beach, June 2006.

Love, love pics of Steve and Hayden holding hands.
melt.my.heart
I am so happy to know he can always count on his Daddy.
That has never changed a moment the past 6 years
and I know it never will.

I'm okay, Mom, see. You can go.
I am pretty sure that is what he was thinking.
So there we are - on to the next season
of his precious life.
I don't want to forget a single moment of his joy.

Visit to Feed the Animals at Fossil Rim

2009-08-27T22:59:00.000-05:00

We decided to take a fun family outing the Friday before Hayden started Kindergarten to Fossil Rim. We had a blast seeing and feeding all the beautiful animals. It was well worth the trip and far exceeded expectations!

This poor little guy has some brush stuck in his antlers.

Evan was pretty hesitant at first. He said, "Please don't let me feed that!!"

About midway through both boys were comfortable with the animals
and ready to feed them all.

The giraffes were exceptionally beautiful and gentle.
They were the one animal they said you could let
eat the food directly out of your hands.

This giraffe we fed right through the sunroof.

The zebras were actually pretty aggressive. One started
pulling at our back windshield wiper when we didn't feed one.
This one stuck his head right in the car - it was a little scary and
a whole lot of hilarious :-)

These are the kind of memories you cherish forever - so happy!

Bed Time "Jesus Loves Me" with Evan

2009-08-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

Hayden and Evan in Daddy's "Happy Birthday" Song rehearsal

2009-08-26T12:10:00.001-05:00

Evan pulling up out of pool

2009-08-02T19:11:00.001-05:00

Evan being instructed by our friend, Erika, during his first official swim lessons this summer.

Summertime Water Slide Fun!

2009-07-11T10:43:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun celebrating a friend's birthday!

They had a super cool inflatable water slide/pool and the boys could not get enough.

They would wait for their little friends to come sliding down and
then beat the crud out of each other with the giant noodles -
Oh, for the love of boys - so much joy in beating one another ! :-)
I think it is how they show their love for each other, seriously.

Hayden's Swim Lessons Summer 2009

2009-07-09T10:10:00.001-05:00

Hayden is doing so great with his swim lessons. He is trying so hard and we are so pround of him! He might just be a little fish by the end of the summer.

Where has the time gone?

2009-05-22T14:59:00.003-05:00

On Friday, April 17, 2009, Steve and I went to register Hayden for Kindergarten. I admit I kind of choked back tears as we drove into the parking lot. I can only imagine what I will be doing on the first day of school. Hayden is ready and so excited to start. I don't have much to say here other than our sweet Hayden has blessed our lives and brought us joy beyond expectation - Let the next journey together begin!

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

"Love You Forever"
by Robert Munsch

Blue in the Bluebonnets...

2009-05-21T21:26:00.007-05:00

I know, I know - so behind as usual in the bloggy updates.
Anyhow, I attempted to get some bluebonnets pics of the boys in
their Easter outfits. However, one of them was definitely
not in bluebonnet mode...

Hayden enjoyed running around and exploring..

Evan....not so much.

He wanted no part of it.
He would watch his brother though.

Turning him upside down we finally caught a smile from little "E".

Had to capture those sweet little bruised up boys legs- oh how they play hard!!

Evan finds comfort in Daddy.

Out of Daddy's arms - he is grumpy again....

Well, at least one of them was happy.
So much for brother Easter pics...
Until next year - bye for now bluebonnets.

Easter Egg Hunt in the Very Cool Weather....

2009-04-30T12:16:00.020-05:00

We seem to trend with very cold Easter's the past couple of years.
I had the boys in sweaters last year on Easter Sunday
and for the Good Friday Easter Egg Hunt
this year I again bundled them in sweaters for the chilly morning.
I was a tad bummed the adorable Easter outfits I purchased the week
before had to remain in their respective closets that morning.
However, it was a beautiful day with friends and the boys
are loving the hunt of Easter eggs more and more each year.

We start the morning off with a little play time on the slide.

Hayden and Evan listen to the story of Jesus and the true meaning of Easter.

Hayden enjoys the hunt through the trees.

beautiful sweet boy

happy to find the chocolate...

Evan decided to open the eggs as he finds them....

M&M's are Evan's favorite!

Eating chocolate on the go and egg hunting!

The boys sit and enjoy the treasures found in their eggs.

and of course more chocolate!!

Afternoon at the Arboretum

2009-04-18T14:16:00.025-05:00

We took a little pre-Easter trip to the Arboretum a couple
of weeks ago with friends from church.
There are more photo ops of E as
Steve and Hayden had to meet
up with us later after Hayden's soccer game.
There is little evidence we were actually there with friends
as Evan was too busy off on his own little exploration adventure :-)

And he's off!

Evan wonders why sweet little Caleb is so interested in his shoe.

Evan comes around just long enough
to visit friends as friends have trucks to play with :-)

I love this genuine pic of the boys "wrestling".
It is darling how Evan loves to just run up
and throw himself on top of his brother.
Hayden usually appreciates the tackles often ending
in loud giggles and shouts of happiness
between the boys.

The Sosbee men like to kick back and relax with the shoes off!

Hayden is such a good helper with his brother.
He enjoys helping him get dressed and even helps get
him buckled into his car seat these days.

Little E loves to give great big hugs around the neck.
He is such a busy little monkey so Mommy
definitely covets the time when
he can take a break for some affection.

Rodeo Day at Preschool!

2009-04-18T13:58:00.004-05:00

The children had been learning all about Texas at preschool.
Hayden asked me if we could go "to the place where the men fought for Texas."
I told him I was sure we could make a trip to San Antonio sometime to see the Alamo
and maybe even fit in the Zoo and Sea World too :-)

They finished off their learning series with a little Rodeo.
Mommy helped with the "roping horses" challenge.
(That involved throwing hoola hoops tied to a rope over wooden rocking horses.)
Hayden really enjoyed himself.

The teachers always do a great job with the crafts!

Hayden and I and our best attempts at Western wear....
I realized we really don't have rodeo attire in our home.

Dads and Doughnuts

2009-04-18T13:39:00.007-05:00

Here are a couple of special treasures from the
"Dads and Doughnuts" morning at preschool.

(** You should be able to click images below to see them better to read**)

Though Daddy's eyes aren't brown and the favorite song
"Eye of the Tiger" comes from Hayden and him playing Rock Band
over Christmas too many times to count, overall it is pretty
accurate - too funny!!

Easter Disney Surprise

2009-04-12T14:46:00.001-05:00

After many months of careful planning, Steve wanted to unveil the May trip to Walt Disney World to the boys on Easter Sunday with all kinds of wonderful Disney surprises including Disney themed Easter baskets, books, cups, boxes, and a Disney countdown chair the boys could use to count the days until our very first trip to Disney World together.

Steve put hours into the planning. I know that Disney World contained some of his
happiest childhood memories and I can see how much he wants to create new
happy Disney memories with his sons. I made fun of him at times for
surfing Disney message boards and forums (those exist?!)
but I really was proud of his thoughtful efforts.

I would have posted the footage of the surprise but
admittedly it was not what we had hoped.
The boys had no idea of exactly what Disney World was
going to be so while they said they wanted to go, it was
not the screaming and squealing and jumping up
and down we had at least anticipated from Hayden.

No fears though... following posts will show Disney World the wonderful
and joyful trip that was to come and enjoyed very much by us all.

Evan our "Little Streaker"

2009-03-19T09:34:00.001-05:00

Evan is often randomly seen running around unclothed from the waist down. For no particular reason he likes to take his pants off and "be free" I guess you could say. It is cute....for now :-)

Soccer in Season Again...

2009-03-16T22:46:00.005-05:00

Yep, consistently running about 1 month behind on the blog.
Anyhow, Hayden is back into soccer and LOVES IT more each season.
He is always counting down the days each week until his game and
reminds everyone in town the day of his soccer practice.
His team is doing fantastic! (3 and 1)
They don't "keep score" but you know us parents are always counting in our heads :-)

Hayden has a little pre-game encouragement hug.

The "line-up"

The boys confirm for coach which way the goal is.

Hayden is really going after the ball this season and even scored 2 goals
this first game.

He is a tough one too. Last week he took a ball straight and hard to the
face. I was sure I was gonna see blood gushing from his nose as his coach
carried him off the field.
As soon as he hands him to me Hayden screams through his tears, "I wanna
go back in!" Alright boy, go for it!
It is wonderful to see an activity that creates so much joy for our sweet son.

Goin' on a Hike

2009-02-14T21:07:00.010-06:00

These pictures were actually back from the beginning of January when we
tooka quick weekend trip to visit our friends, the Moores,
who moved up to Oklahoma this past fall.
They have some great land with some hiking
paths and pond just over the back fence of their property.
Hayden was so anxious to go on a little hiking adventure with Daddy.
(Mommy tagged along)

Steve was trying to show Hayden the ropes of picking the perfect
rock skipping rock and how to throw it across the water.

Hayden is searching for his perfect rock...

Hayden decides he is content to just throw rocks in the water -
forget that skipping stuff for now!

The rest of the pics are just my boy truly
enjoying himself in the outdoors.
My men had a great time out there together.

Valentine's Fun - (yes, that far behind!)

2009-02-14T17:02:00.000-06:00

It has been a very busy past couple of months (more to come on that)... I just thought I would try to get caught up on the "back blogging" -- is that a term? :-) These are a few pics from Valentine's...

Hayden sporting his "I Love Dad" tee.

Evan in his "Wild for Mommy" Valentine tee. (I am such a

sucker for Janie and Jack holiday shirts.)

Below are highlights from the boys' parties at preschool.

Nothing like a little sugar cookie and ice cream to enjoy with friends!
Hayden truly enjoys going to preschool. He is so looking
forward to Kindergarten and asks about it frequently.
I can't believe we are going to enroll him in Kindergarten this week.
Where did the time go? I know it sounds so cliche but I really
can't believe my sweet son is going to start elementary school in 5 months.

cute little Valentine plates and napkins I found at Target....

Adorable Valentine place mat craft Hayden did in preschool - love it!
Hayden has really enjoyed having this one at home for mealtime.

We are so thankful that Daddy works close
to the school so he can come and
participate often in these fun activities.

Oh how Evan loved the heart shaped cupcakes Mommy made for the preschool party! He is serious about his sweet tooth (just like Mommy and Daddy)

Little E standing on a chair in his classroom. (of course!)
You can tell he is standing on the chair if you look just above
his head you can see the reflection of his little blue jean legs.
I so admire your cheerful spirit and constant happy energy my precious and beautiful son.

Hayden and Evan in "Eye of the Tiger"

2009-02-09T08:54:00.002-06:00

So I caught this priceless video in the car on the way to church. I got lucky to
have my Flip video in my purse handy.
This is how you know that their Daddy may play a bit of Guitar Hero....
Anyhow, listen for Hayden's take on the lyrics.

This is the actual lyrics..

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival

Hayden's lyrics

"It's the eye of the tiger, it's the prayer of the night.
Rising up to the challenge of our Bible"

Beautiful Blue Eyed Boys..

2009-02-05T23:55:00.004-06:00

I took these pics this afternoon while the boys were loving a
nice Texas "winter" afternoon in the backyard.

Oh, those beautiful blue eyes of both my sweet boys !!!

Christmas Pics

2009-01-20T20:57:00.012-06:00

So I figured now that it is end the of January it is about time

to finally post the Christmas pictures :-)

Hayden was of course overjoyed about the build your own Lightsabre.

Evan was finally more excited about the gifts than the wrapping paper
this year. "Presents!", he would exclaim.

He was so excited about opening the gifts that his little mouth
would open really wide with excitement. This pic
really doesn't do justice to the adorable expression but it was
priceless.

He decided it more efficient to just dump it all out to get to the goods..

So the Coke is typically reserved for a very rare occasion
when his Grandmommy ~~sneaks~~ treats
it to him but we figured the Coke in the little ornament bottle
would be a fun stocking stuffer for him this year.
He was thrilled as you can see.

Hayden was so excited to try out his first
real bike complete with Lightning
McQueen helmet and knee pads.

So this is a totally random pic but was taken at Hayden's preschool
Christmas program. He was really into the singing and all
the motions - so cute!

Confession and Revelation...

2009-01-10T00:18:00.003-06:00

I found myself over the past couple of years feeling something not "quite right" in this seeming rat race of a life I seem to be living as so it feels at times. My life is full of blessings but somehow I find frustration with myself in that I let heartaches and disappointments sometimes overshadow what is good in my mind. This is a confession I must make. I toyed for many months making this post but my hope is that it may speak to someone else that might stumble across this blog that was searching for the same answer.
I have prayed for resolution and peace with this. It has been a while. I wondered why I have felt this way for so long when there is so much to be thankful for. I participated in a small group study this past year on the book Walking with God by John Eldredge. I admit that most of the book seemed a bit "out there" for me but for some reason I felt like I needed to finish it. It was page 184 of the 218 pages that I finally figured out why I was supposed to read it........

" And so, whatever else might be the reasons for our disappointments, there is no question that God uses them to draw us to himself. To wean our hearts from every other perceived source of life, so that we might come to find our life in him.
This may be why every one of us bears at least one major and lingering disappointment in our life. God knows what a danger it would be for us to think we've arrived. I'm remembering a scene in The Legend of Bagger Vance, where Bagger says to Junuh, "Ain't a soul on this entire earth ain't got a burden to carry that he don't understand." It might be health. Or a relationship. It might be a child, or the fact they have no child. Everyone has a cross to bear. Everyone. It serves to remind us every day that we cannot make life work the way we want. We can't arrive. Not completely. Not yet. It we'll let it, the disappointment can be God's way of continually drawing us back to himself.
I know that I faced a choice. I can feel it down inside, and I watch it take place in my heart. I can let my disappointments define my life. Or I can let them take me back to God, to find my life in him in ways I have not yet learned. The rest remains a mystery. But this is enough to know.
And so I break the agreement that I've made, that I need this. I give this place in my heart back to you, God. Fill me with your love and your life, in this very place. "

AMEN!

The NorthPark Trains.

2009-01-06T23:07:00.011-06:00

yes, so behind in posting!!....

On Christmas Eve we took the boys to see the North Park Trains. They loved it of course. I myself was pretty impressed with all the detail and care put into the adorable scenes.

Evan sporting his paper train hat
pointed out to Daddy
his favorite trains.

Daddy lifts Hayden up for a better view.

a sampling below of our viewings...

Backblogged......

2009-01-06T23:02:00.003-06:00

Seriously??! - Is this really something some of us have added to a list of our required "tasks" these days...Somehow, I still feel a sense of obligation to this electronic form of communication. Yes, it is January and yes my Christmas bloggie background is still up and yes I will still be posting more Christmas pics and events through probably the middle of this month... deal with it!! .. he he...

Down the Stairs Christmas Morning..

2009-01-01T10:46:00.001-06:00

The Gingerbread House.

2008-12-29T22:55:00.004-06:00

Hayden loved putting together the Gingerbread House so much last year that we decided we would make it a tradition. This tradition for now is reserved to time when Little E is sleeping because we all know that the construction of edible objects, messy icing, etc. would not lead to a structurally sound house if there was a little "E Monster" involved. We love you so much little man but maybe next year for you....

The basic frame is up! We are waiting for the icing to dry
a bit so we can get down to the real decorating.
Hayden is proud of the construction job so far...

Hayden decorates the tree and snowman while we wait for the icing on the house to set.

Aunt La La did the icing work on the roof and Hayden
carefully followed with the decor - great job, buddy!

Sosbee Snow Village

2008-12-29T22:51:00.006-06:00

This year we had the privilege of having the treasured Sosbee family Snow Village
featured in our home this year.
These are a few of the pieces...

The boys of course LOVED the Snow Village McDonald's.

Steve re routed the wiring in our china cabinet and
made the perfect "home" for it this year. He did
a fantastic job piecing it all together.
Thank you so much for doing this, Steve. I loved it!!
You have such a wonderful enthusiasm for Christmas
and what happy memories you have already made for the boys with everything.

"Happy Birthday, Jesus!" Parties at School!

2008-12-20T21:34:00.008-06:00

Steve and I went Thursday to join the boys at their "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" parties at the preschool.

Hayden enjoying his cupcake.

Mommy and her "mini-me" except with a lot less wrinkles in her mini-me version...

Hayden enjoys a games of pin the star on the star - so cute!

Evan was so happy to see his Daddy during the school day.

Evan and his sweet teacher, Ms. Kristen,
doing a fun reindeer craft.

Notice Little E's poor mangled reindeer at the bottom
of the picture. Evan got a bit too excited with it before
it could dry. He is now looking to perhaps steal another craft bag....

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-18T16:30:00.018-06:00

A morning of trying to get shots of the boys for the annual Christmas card a few weeks ago....

Little E was determined to not look at the camera
but of course adorable none the less!!

"vintage" Evan

Hayden was very cooperative but
Mommy realized I likely would not
get a good shot of the two of them together smiling at me...but it was fun!

Hayden was finally getting bored ..

Evan is flat out just going to run from me at this point

Mommy was so happy both my boys kept their adorable little hats on without complaint.

and the finished product.....

front

back

Sweetest Little Thought...

2008-12-18T11:36:00.002-06:00

Oh, sweet Hayden - the things you think of to ask me these days. I have to write these down to never forget.
I was standing in the kitchen yesterday doing dishes while the boys ate lunch and from no where Hayden asks, "Mom, did you name Evan because it rhymes with Heaven?" I realize that in all reality Hayden is really getting the whole concept of rhyming but to me it was the sweetest sentiment. It felt like no coincidence to me though because in fact Evan means "Gift from God."
As a friend of mine, Shannon, wrote on her blog a couple of months ago, "There are no coincidences, just God." - I love it!
Another thing he ask me in the car the other day really struck me. "Mom, if we start as babies who took care of the very very first babies?" I was able to tell him about how God made Adam and Eve first but I was so awed by such a little mind to think of such. Hayden, you are such a compassionate little soul!

Half Marathon!!!

2008-12-15T18:50:00.004-06:00

So yes I look really scary here but this was one happy girl to finish a half marathon at 2 hr 32 minutes. (This included a 5 minute wait during the race for a port o potty which I am bummed about having to stop for but my bladder was not going to stand for it any longer!) That was a good lesson learned for pre-race water consumption for my next half marathon.

Anyhow, the weather was perfect and the path was beautiful. The energy was fantastic and the support of people all along the Dallas streets was so encouraging. It really was a lot of fun. I am eager to do it again next year!!

It was awesome to see all my boys waiting for me at the finish line. Daddy braved taking them by himself on the train with a double stroller and all down in that crazy crowd to watch me finish. It was by far the best site I had seen all day! We went for a late breakfast afterwards and I gladly finished without guilt a delicious stack of pumpkin pancakes - YUM!!

As part of my goal, I was fundraising for my friend Kristin's Angel Twins, Cathryn and Corynne. You can still contribute to my campaign and your donation is tax deductible at Colleen's Run for the Angel Twins.

This was for you, sweet angels!

Birthday Boys...

2008-11-29T22:57:00.025-06:00

So I catch myself "backblogged" again. November was a big month for my two sweet birthday boys.

Little "E" turned 2 on November 14th. Daddy took a little break from work to meet us at The Cupcakery for some delicious cupcakes and present opening.

His preschool teachers made him the darling crown the day before.
I thought it would be appropriate for our little celebration, too.
He was "King" for the day.

This was the first birthday Evan could really appreciate opening gifts. He is all about trains
right now so he was fascinated with his Thomas the Train wrapping paper.

Of course we got him a little train track! He loved checking it out.

Evan we can't believe how the time has gone already. You are talking more and more each day. I love to hear your cheerful "Hi, Momma!" in the morning and your "I love you, Momma!" at night just melt my heart away. You always keep me on my toes, my little "E Monster." The big hugs that you give us around the neck as you smash your sweet little face into ours are priceless.

their birthday card I made with Sock Monkeys
www.celestialcreationsbycolleen.com

I decided on Sock Monkeys as the theme (perfect for my little "monkeys" as I often call them). I cheated and just found an illustration online. I downloaded, printed, and cut around it. I then just frosted over the paper and put in on the cake. It was removed of course before cutting and made the cake decorating process SOOO much easier!

Evan and then Hayden going down the bounce house slides.

The boys celebrated with some friends together.

Hayden on a car at Chuck E Cheese's the night of his birthday on November 25th.
Hayden you are the sweetest little boy- what a blessing we have in you! You
have been so excited to tell everyone that you are 5 years old and that
you go to kindergarten in just 9 months. I am so proud
that you look out for your little brother and show your love for him and those
around you.
You are learning to read and show us more and more each day
what a big boy you have become.
You will be a wonderful man someday!

Hayden enjoys his super cool Chuck E Cheese light up cup.

Hayden is so into Lego's right now. We are amazed at
how well he is able to look at the instruction booklet
and put the detailed pieces together.

Hayden was the first birthday in his class this year. He got to sit in the middle of the circle
while his classmates got to sing to him and help make his day super special.

We all joined Hayden in his preschool birthday celebration and
we brought cupcakes to share with his friends.

Halloween Fun!

2008-11-08T21:54:00.013-06:00

Okay, so I know I am an entire week behind on this one...(better late than never!)

Evan went as Winnie the Pooh as a honey bee. He wore the hood and everything - I couldn't believe it! Hayden went as his requested super hero, Superman. I admit they were a precious pair.
They really loved the whole knocking on people's doors to get candy
thing. Evan could not understand why he couldn't put his costume on to do it again the next day.

Hayden sported his Texas Longhorn candy basket and Evan loved his Elmo basket.
They especially loved the $1 pumpkin flash lights that Grandmommy had purchased
to carry with them. They put them inside their baskets to help light the way.
Again, why do we bother with expensive toys?

While I am at it, I will cram into this post our other Halloween festivities earlier that week.
Hayden had his sweet friend, Colin, over for a while and I decided to finally experiment
with one of those fun Halloween dessert crafts you see in all the magazines and say to yourself
you are going to do but never get around to. I mean you have good intentions, even ear mark the pages, but then it just gets forgotten about until the next Woman's Day magazine comes out with the next holiday "fun for all" food craft.

The precious duo.

They each kindly took turns pouring in the ingredients I measured out for them.

Hayden was checking out what he calls the "constructions."

We of course had to use "Cars" baking cups.

This is supposed to be a bat.

This is my attempt at a little spider in its web. It turned out
okay but didn't look as near as great as in the magazine.
It was a fun little craft none the less and the boys had fun mixing!

EARLIER THAT DAY.....

This is what happens when Mommy let's it get
"too quiet" upstairs without going to investigate right away.
Thank goodness little E didn't flush!!
It was a brand new roll.

Evan's Name for Pumpkins...

2008-11-02T23:51:00.003-06:00

We are not sure how this came about but Evan is adamant that pumpkins are called ghosts. He will not have it any other way no matter how much convincing we try. He is sure to correct us.

An October Morning at the Arboretum

2008-10-25T20:44:00.011-05:00

Steve took of work Friday for a nice family outing at the Arboretum. It was perfect weather and the boys had a great time exploring and playing in the pumpkins and hay. I was so happy to get pics of them in their adorable matching Halloween shirts from my favorite children's clothing store, Janie and Jack.

Sweet Hayden is having a fantastic time.

As usual, Evan is on the move as Daddy tries to get a pick of us together.

Hayden enjoys taking the time to pose with Mommy.

Daddy somehow manages to get E to cooperate for just a second to snap a pic together.

Daddy helps Evan walk across the tops of the hay bales.

Evan loved throwing the hay around. I think that was the best part for him.

Hayden's First Staple - Ouch!

2008-10-19T22:28:00.003-05:00

Hayden had his first boo-boo requiring one staple this week. He was playing on the playground at preschool and fell back and hit his head after colliding with another child. His Daddy came rushing in right behind me from work as soon as he heard with the Blackberry already to his ear calling the doctor to wait further instruction and asking his symptoms. Apparently I come to find out that Steve dashed through the main office without even stopping to wait for a name tag and sign in -( such a sweet concerned Daddy!)
Steve took Hayden to the doctor while I took Evan back home for his nap. He said he did great and was such a trooper. Of course Daddy took him for a Wii Game rental and ice cream afterwards - nothing a little TLC couldn't fix. He gets his staple out tomorrow. I am so glad. I think seeing the staple bothers me more than the wound. It looks like it would hurt but Hayden forgets it is even there on the back of his head. I guess if we made it to almost 5 years with 1 staple being the worst injury so far we are doing good :-)

Go Texas!

2008-10-04T23:34:00.002-05:00

Nothing like a Texas Skull Cap and
"Texas Fight" from little E
to cheer the Longhorns to victory!
Go Horns!
Texas 38, Colorado 14

Soccer Game Fun

2008-10-04T21:42:00.009-05:00

Go Raptors!

I kept seeing Hayden in his "runners stretch."
(He watched a lot of Olympics with Daddy.)

He kicked that ball with great determination!

I didn't ever figure out what this boy was
yelling at my sweet Hayden about. He
was getting the finger point and everything.

Anyhow, he loves his soccer practice and counts
down to his games each week.

let's play guess which cut was done by a "professional"...

2008-09-19T21:18:00.004-05:00

Let's play a fun little game called "Guess who cut which of my boys hair"

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Which one was done in a salon and which was done by me??
Drumroll.........

Yes, I actually paid someone $20 to cut Hayden's hair!!
This picture was taken even after I took him back to attempt to fix
this haircut.
Not that little E's trim is any sort of masterpiece but oh my goodness
what was that woman thinking??!!!

Let's go back and revisit Hayden's "do". Does it not look
like I brought this in to her and said, "This
is exactly what I want!"
Don't get me wrong, Hayden is precious as always
but what in the world did he do to deserve such a haircut??
On top of that he has his soccer pictures tomorrow.
Thank goodness his hair grows fast!

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-18T12:20:00.014-05:00

So Mommy is a bit behind in posting about the first day of preschool. I am a procrastinator often times. Anyhow, I didn't get Evan's first day art back until Tuesday so my delay paid off :-)

The backpack is virtually bigger than E!

Evan is not quite as excited about the hug as brother.

Hayden helps little E adjust his backpack.
Evan is SO excited about his backpack.
He loves to wear it and refers to
Dora the Explorer by singing "backpack, backpack."

So they are not really walking off to the school bus or anything
but I figured it was a better visual than the garage.

The boys stare at the neighbor kids
actually getting to leave for school through
the front door. They look quite awed by it all don't they?

This is Hayden's kissing hand. This was done based on a sweet
story where a Mommy kissed her child's hand and
whenever he felt scared or sad she told him he could
put his hand to his cheek and would get a kiss from Mommy.

The boys did great on their first day!
I think they are going to have a wonderful year.

Soccer Is Back in Session!

2008-09-15T21:15:00.005-05:00

"The Raptors" are back and ready to start the season strong!

Hayden could not be more excited about counting the
days down until practice and soccer games each week.
Daddy is even doing a little assistant coaching where needed.
It is basically the exact same group of boys and they
really are learning to play well together. We are so
proud of the little cuties.

Hayden has been working some great defense!

Little E intently watches brother from the sidelines with some
delicious animal crackers.
(Yes, poor baby still needs a good hair cut.)

Our Little Fish

2008-09-10T23:26:00.003-05:00

Hayden has done beautifully with his swimming lessons this summer.
We are so proud of him!
He has been really eager to learn and asks
quite a bit to go to the pool around the corner to practice.
This is definitely not the same child who was screaming
last summer just to put his face in the water.

A Sweet Brother Reading Session

2008-09-10T21:48:00.004-05:00

I sometimes find Hayden and Evan up on a bed together playing. It usually involves getting under Mommy and Daddy's covers, hiding, and then throwing or kicking off the covers and screaming in delight. It is one of their favorite games.

On this particular afternoon they snuggled up in Hayden's bed to read a book together. Hayden even let Evan borrow one of his favorite bed time buddies, Corduroy, as you can see tucked under Evan's arm. Hayden is of course holding Bevo. This was such a special sight to see because the boys have done a lot of fighting lately (usually over toys). It was wonderful to not have to "referee" this session and just watch them sharing peacefully together.
I pray they will be best friends for life.

Happy Birthday Sweet Angels!

2008-09-07T22:57:00.023-05:00

Today would be Cathryn and Corynne's second birthday. We celebrated the sweet lives of our friend's daughters on a beautiful hill in our neighborhood and the girls celebrated in Heaven with their Savior.

If you have not yet read their story, I encourage you to visit www.angeltwins.org
and make a donation today.

Gorgeous flowers!

A special birthday cake in memory of the precious darlings.

Hayden is eager to send off his balloon. (done waiting, Mom!)

Pink and purple balloons were released
with their little Angel Twins cards
attached so anyone lucky enough
to find one could read and share their story.

Hayden and Colin (one of Cathryn and Corynne's older brothers)
have become fast friends.

Happy Birthday, Cathryn and Corynne!
Though hearts ache to see you and miss you terribly, we rejoice in
hope that will see you and celebrate with you one day
again face to face.

If you click the You Tube Video at the beginning of this post, the song you are hearing is Little Wonders by Rob Thomas.
It is a song that holds so much meaning to my friend Kristen and
was played at both memorial services for Cathryn and Corynne.
I can't not listen to this song without tearing up.
I hope you might take the time to read it.
Feel free to post comments on what
the song means to you.

To me it is about embracing the little precious moments
because before we know it our time on earth is gone.
In eternity our life here is but a moment.

It reminds me that our trials shape us and to
let them soften not harden our hearts.
It is not to dwell in our trials
but to learn from them
and hold dear to each other and what is precious
in our lives.

It reminds me also of James 1:2-4 when the song talks about letting your troubles
fall behind you and that in the end it's the heart that matters.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4

Little Wonders Lyrics

let it go,
let it roll right off your shoulder
don't you know
the hardest part is over
let it in,
let your clarity define you
in the end
we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

let it slide,
let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine
until you feel it all around you
and i don't mind
if it's me you need to turn to
we'll get by,
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

all of my regret
will wash away some how
but i can not forget
the way i feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away but these small hours
these small hours, still remain,
still remain
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these little wonders still remain

E caught napping "in the buff" - no worries, totally G rated!

2008-08-31T01:42:00.006-05:00

Little E is obsessed with taking his pants and diaper off these days and running around. Hayden never did this so this is new for all of us. It is all fun and game until "accidents" happen. He just doesn't understand what the problem is with being unclothed from the waist below. This happens most often during nap time when he is not ready to go to bed or mad at me for putting him down before he is ready. It is always quite the visual when I go to turn the video monitor to see what he is up to.

We are hoping his little exhibitionist phase will be short lived. We really don't want to see him running in the back ground at a live televised football game someday :-)

I have a friend who had to resort to duct taping her sons diapers closed so as to avoid the inevitable presents that may be left in the crib during nap time.
Hmmmmmm, thought that sounded like a lot of effort but now I can see why this might be necessary. I am completely open to suggestions, folks!

(FYI- You may be wondering why I didn't just take a pic instead of video but my camera makes too much noise when I snap it. Unfortunately, I woke him up anyway trying to be quiet as you can see at the end of this video!)

Love You Forever my Angel baby....

2008-08-15T22:29:00.013-05:00

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) - Chris Tomlin
CLICK PLAY BUTTON ABOVE IF YOU WANT TO HEAR SONG..

Three weeks ago on your Daddy's birthday we found out we were expecting you - what a special surprise and gift God had given us. You were just meant to be we thought!
We loved you before we knew you. I already wondered if you would look like one of your adorable older brothers, if you would be a boy or a girl, and what we would name you. I immediately started making plans on how I would take care of you in my belly and we started looking through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog to see what we could do with your nursery. I planned to take more pictures this time of you growing my belly and to try and just enjoy being pregnant more and treasure feeling you move in the night without counting the days until your delivery.

Thursday morning I saw the sonogram that showed the tiny sac that would be your home within me until April and the tiny yolk that would feed you. We could not see your heartbeat, though. God had called you home.

Thursday night, August 14th, I started the labor pains I felt with your brothers. It was then that instead of being delivered to us, you were delivered straight to the arms of the Lord.

I couldn't sleep much that night. I couldn't stop thinking about you and how much I wanted you back. It was about 4 am that I woke up crying and went to the family room to see it was raining with large drops flowing down the window. I thought of them as tears for you but I know that Heaven has nothing to be sad about - your beautiful and perfect little soul is dancing with the angels now.

Our hearts ache that we won't be able to hold or kiss you in this world but we have comfort that you will be of the first to greet us in Heaven I am sure.

You have already helped us to remember how much we are loved with so many sweet calls and notes from friends and family. You have helped us to remember how precious life is and that we never know what path God may lead us down. It was a miracle that He gave us you if only for a moment.
We are reminded that God can do amazing things even in our darkest hours. Kristen, my dear friend who of all people, lost both her precious daughters this summer (Cathryn just over 3 weeks ago) was the first person to show up at my doorstep with a hug. I am still incredibly awed and humbled that God would work in such a way to show me that He can provide healing and selflessness through even the most broken hearted. He chose Kristen to be my Angel that day. I can't even describe how much that meant to me. Thank you my sweet friend. I am still speechless when I think it was just 3 weeks ago that I stood with you sharing hugs and tears by the side of your sweet Angel, Cathryn. Maybe our darlings have met one another by now....I would like to think so.

I Love You forever my Angel baby. Your little life is written carefully on my heart.

Love,
Your Mommy

I included the lyrics of this beautiful song heard in this post. It gives me a reminder that because of the hope we have in Him, He will have us together again someday with nothing but joy.

To those that read this, I hope you might stay long enough to listen to the end of the song. (if you want to hear song, please click play button at top of post). It is wonderful. Pain brings a different kind of comfort. No matter how broken we are, we always have Hope - I pray you do, too.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forget to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

Haircuts and Popsicles - My plan is foiled!

2008-08-07T22:08:00.006-05:00

As you can see, Little E clearly needs a haircut! The poor guy can barely see. I had what I thought a great idea to let him eat a Popsicle for distraction while I attempted to give him a trim. After just a few seconds I realized he was not going to allow this to happen as he twisted and turned all the while trying to avoid the scissors and enjoy his delicious after dinner treat.

I quickly gave up and decided to let E enjoy his Popsicle and (who am I kidding) avoid an inevitable accidental scissor stabbing. I weighed the risks and it was just not worth it.

He decided to make sure sure I could not disturb him any longer so decided to retreat to his little house so he could enjoy it all by himself. (I wish I had a little house I could go eat a meal in peace in - ha!)

Very dirty and proud little boy. Mission accomplished, Mom!

One of the great mysteries....

2008-08-07T21:19:00.003-05:00

Why does God gives those lashes to baby boys?
No really, us girls would save a ton
of your money on mascara. :-)

Evan in Mommy's Heels ...What a ham!

2008-07-21T14:00:00.003-05:00