Tuesday, August 29, 2006





Here are some more pictures from our trip home for the wedding. The kids had so much fun in my parent's backyard on the slip 'n slide!

P.S. - Would somebody please throw some food Braxton's way?? Evidently, he doesn't get fed at home (look at how skinny he looks in that picture)!

Monday, August 28, 2006


Ahhhh.....the wedding suit!
I promised myself a looong time ago, that I would not be one of those 'mothering wives'. So, when Mike told me two weeks before the wedding that he would be appropriately dressed for the occasion, I said OK. He said he had it covered. I believed him.
Fast forward to the day of the wedding. I had my hair done (big time flashback to my Prom updo - so much fun :)
at 9am. On my way back to the hotel Mike tells me that the kids are with my parents and he is shopping - for a suit. He told me he had it covered, but at this point I couldn't help but get involved. We did some serious speed-shopping - one new suit, a new shirt, a new tie and a new pair of shoes(he thought he would wear reddish-brown shoes with a black suit and blue shirt - don't think so). After begging the local tailor to hem his new suit pants, we were off to the hotel so that I could get ready and we could get the boys down for a nap. A little while later he left to pick up his pants and he arrived back at the hotel just as I was walking out the door to go have pictures taken. I left and he had just enough time to get the kids bathed and dressed and get them to the wedding on time!
So, I have to pause for a minute and say that after all of that, he did look damn good in his new threads!

Sunday, August 27, 2006









What a BEAUTIFUL wedding!! My brother and my now sister-in-law (yeah!!) Carly were married on August 12th. It could not have been more beautiful - she was truly gorgeous and of course Ryan looked all grown up and handsome! The ceremony was outdoors - it was probably in the high 70's maybe low 80's. The reception was a huge party that carried over to the pier at the hotel. We cleaned up the pizza boxes and beverage containers and went to bed around 5:30am. This was definitely one very successful and very fun celebration!
Back to the ceremony for a moment. Many of you know that the boys were ring bearers. Well, after being told many (many) times to stand still and smile, Dalton decided he had had enough (the pictures were taken before the ceremony). As my parents walked out of the room where we were all awaiting our turn to walk down the aisle, Dalton screamed 'I want Nana Bopa!' After being told to go back in line, he answered by throwing himself on the ground screaming and kicking uncontrollably. Needless to say, he got to walk down the aisle after the ceremony was over. He was in the car - strapped into his car seat- during the ceremony. Poor Mike, he didn't know what else to do with him. I was standing up in the wedding, so I couldn't help. Afterwards, when he made his walk he waved and smiled at everyone and was as happy as could be. Braxton on the other hand walked down without any problems. I figured that he would be the one to bail at the last minute. That's parenthood for you - always expect the unexpected! They get to get all dressed up again next month - they will be ringbearers for my cousin's wedding in Virginia!

Friday, August 25, 2006


Meet Mickey! She is the latest addition to our family - she was a stray cat that found us last month while we were delivering the Yellow Pages. There were so many cats and kittens running around but she came up to me and leaned against my leg and looked at me with these sad, sick eyes. As it turns out, she was very sick. The vet said she would not have lasted much longer on her own. She is doing much better now (aside from the fact that she constantly sneezes) and she is very happy in her new home. It is amazing how friendly she is - for a kitten who was on her own for the first 8 weeks of her life, she is very cuddly and extremely tolerant of the boys! I am just excited to have another girl around seeing as all of our kids and animals have been male! By the way, she got the name Mickey because I told the kids that I would take them to the playground at 'Mickey D's'. When I said this, Braxton responded ' You teasa me, Mommy. We going to McDonalds!'




Thank-You, Thank-You and once again Thank-You!!! Courtney, Shannon and Jaime (cousin, cousin and sister) have all come to visit and help me with the babies during the last 4 weeks. I can't tell you how much we appreciate all of your help!!!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006



Happy Birthday, Courtney!!!
We love you!

Friday, August 18, 2006



"Whatever it takes..."
So, this is our new way of brushing teeth around here: 1. The boys sit on the counter next to the kitchen sink; 2. I have to pretend to be Sir Topham Hat - they are Thomas and Lady (Dalton decided Braxton would be 'Lady'); 3. After brushing their 'buffers' I, Sir Topham Hat that is, chug chug chug with them in tow and take them back to the 'engine shed'. Like I said, whatever works!
On a side note - can you believe that their combined weights right now (around 65 pounds) is the amount of weight I gained when I was pregnant with them? Yikes....!

Friday, August 04, 2006
















In the category of....
What were we thinking??!!
We decided to start delivering the Yellow Pages - why you ask? Well, we have been reading Dave Ramsey's book (for about 8 months now) and we decided it was time to be proactive. We are willing to do whatever it takes to pay off debt and get a better grasp on our financial situation. So, off we went with many, many yellow bags filled with many, many Yellow Pages books. Good thing it was only in the 100's that week. We did get some great exercise and it felt really good making some extra money to pay off those annoying bills!!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006









More from NC...







YEAH! Courtney is here! My cousin Courtney flew into town today to come and help me! I love spending time with her and the boys adore her. Plus, it is great to actually get some things done! I ran 4 errands today! Woohoo!
So, here it is - The Big Recap
Some might be interesting, some not so much. I am using this blog to not only keep in touch with everyone, but it also doubles as a sort of journal of the boys' childhood. So, I may throw a couple of items in there just to remember...
OK - I guess I should start where I left off!
We packed the family up and headed to North Carolina for a week of relaxing at the Beckman Retreat. Actually, it is the home of Mike's parents, but it feels like vacationing at a cabin. They live on a couple of acres of land and it is so pretty and peaceful . I love sitting on the porch and watching the kids play. They bought a big pool this year and that was a huge hit with all of us! The boys loved it and so did the adults!