friday fun!

 yes, i think we all know this is my favorite day of the week, besides saturday and sunday of course!! so here are some pictures from our week...

 

 my little loves, they have my heart completely. now when I tell lucas, hold your brother's hand he'll go and find caleb's hand and they'll walk...holding hands. cute as can be. and my heart just stops right there. can love grow any more in that single moment?

 

 preparing for monday. found hospital books in the children's area. finding a george hospital book was a bonus.

 

 i could hold him forever.

 

 our breakfast tradition. smoothies. inspired by auntie jen.

 

how we make our smoothies:
first add some fruit. our favorite happens to be bananas, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, and blackberries. (I buy some of it frozen at trader joes for dirt cheap! at safeway a small bag is almost 10 bucks...at trader joes a bigger bag is only a couple dollars total! what a steal. plus it lasts for weeks!!! we make a special outing, lucas and I, while Caleb does OT about every two weeks.) I'm kinda obsessed with trader joes. Healthy food is so cheap there!!

next we add our yogurt and milk. This week we had plain greek yogurt (hardly any sugar) and get this...23 grams of protein! I personally don't like yogurt, but mixed in a smoothie you can't even taste it. Plain greek yogurt happens to taste like sour cream in my opinion, but it tastes delish in a smoothie! The boys love yogurt which I'm happy about :) Probiotics!!

Last we add our milk and mix it up in a ninja mixer (I found at target awhile back for 20 bucks)

OKay that's it!! Tastes delish. Caleb actually drinks it all! which is huge for him since normally he won't drink anything for breakfast. It's super healthy. And best of all, it is a blast to make. Is it sad that every morning I wake up I'm so excited about smoothie making with my boys??

Lastly, some video clips of the boys this week :) click here It is random and please ignore my annoying voice and Caleb acting like a strange 3 year old for parts of it (hello. tongue thing?) and well, this is mainly for me to remember their sweet voices at this age and their weird antics. (and to try and get lucas captured saying all his animal sounds and some of his words.!!)

Here's how I'd sum up our week.
smoothies. trains. driving. OT. pre op apt. more smoothies and trains. more driving. more OT. and finally, finally, FRIDAY! Our beautiful home day where we do whatever we want. We relax and we play in the backyard and we get excited about the weekend!

So, Happy Friday!

also, I have to say, how funny and how perfect God's timing really is. It's been tough emotionally for me with caleb's surgery looming in just a couple days, I am so grateful for God's peace and for friends and family. Sometimes when you need them the most they appear with offers to bake casseroles or watch lucas, they lift up prayers and they offer hugs, they send care packages and letters. I'm so grateful for angels on earth.




blessings on you this weekend ;)

our favorite way to spend the day.

a saturday beach day.

sun kissed. bare feet. warm sand. mud puddles. water splashes. sunshine. car naps. ice cream treats. baths before dinner. pizza. warm bodies cuddled up on the couch together. just us. finding nemo movie night. more cuddles. bedtime. kisses and hugs. two sleepy boys after a fun day in the sun. my favorite kind of day. heart squeeze moments.

some of my favorite moments captured from our day...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

until next time, our dear beach friend.

and...some video from the day....(**click on this link to see the video...can't get the video to come up on the post; of course it is long, cause, yeah...you know me and my long vidoes!)

and one more video from awhile back...(click here for video **caleb singing to lucas an "i love you" song. and some good ol' Saturday night dancing. they have my heart completely)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

who stole the cookies from the cookie jar??... and how many cookies can little hands hold? #traderjoestreat.

Happy Friday!

Hi five! jump, skip and a hop. Hip shake and a smile. Happy Friday :)

 

some pictures from our week...

 cal poly boys.

 frog hat and trains. (lately lucas can't get enough of this train set uncle c made him. plays with it all day!)

love them to pieces.

 lil gardener on a mission. lucas takes watering very seriously.  (started planting some plants this week!)

 pure determination and focus.

trains. trains. trains. these two little boys are really into trains right now. (can you see them on the table?)

I think this quote sums up our week perfectly :) It was a rough week as the boys' allergies are in major flare up. Caleb's asthma went into overdrive and even though we started him on a treatment right away it still got pretty bad and is lasting awhile. Which meant no OT this week, which means not so regulated. Sleep is not so great either. Naps are short. Certainly these aren't my favorite days and yet they are filled with a lot of cuddles and quiet home days which I like.  I think the three of us drove each other a little nuts (i may have lost my cool a few times this week). Yet when I reflect back on our days this week it is the good moments, the cuddles and the backyard gardening adventures that sparkle their way to the top and the not so good moments of having my heart hurting because Caleb's cough is so thick and persistent that he has a hard time settling into sleep, that kind of simmer their way to the bottom. Our days together are hard and exhausting  sometimes (for me) but they are also so joy filled with moments of laughter and fun. Playing hide n' seek around the house. Lucas trying to count and the way he hides closely tucked into my leg with his fingers to his lips saying 'shhhh' and Caleb's 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10 ready or not here i come, the way he says it so quick and then the pitter patter of feet. These moments rise to the surface and cause my heart to bubble over and spill out with love. It's easy to forget everything that went wrong at the end of the day and to remember every thing right. The sun always rises in the morning and with that the promise of another Hope filled day. I love my boys to pieces.

Happy Friday!!!

life

 

my heart is heavy and my prayers our full for all those affected by the tragedy yesterday during the boston marathon.

 

 My heart is sad and tears fall freely, but I have to believe that in such darkness, there, you will find the greatest light. You will find the kindest souls and the bravest men and women. Something so terrible and sad can take the air out of you and leave you feeling breathlessly heartbroken; but hereos will unfold and so will hope again...in the greatness and goodness of humanity. Love always trumps evil.

I will be holding all the brave and heroic firefighters and policemen and runners, their families and friends, in my prayers. When fear rises up in my heart I push it down with Love. We can let darkness rule our world or we can let light and I am thankful that Light always, always, wins.

some pictures from our weekend....and week...

we've been working on our garden

daddy and his helpers

sweet view from the bedroom window.

 who needs a sandbox when you have dirt?

 

hey there.

and i just had to put this up of caleb.

when mom's not around at the moment; happy to know that he can fend for himself! pb&j sand which making skills. age 3. check.

post church. heavy load. love my boys to pieces.

so as you can see just a lot of gardening going on around here.

the boys have colds. again. and this time it seems more like allergy/cold combo combined with coughs. i'm hoping no breathing treatment for c and that come surgery day they are both healthy, otherwise we'll have to reschedule. (seems as though they have about 4 healthy days before falling sick with colds/allergies/coughs /this has been their cycle since jan.). not that i want time to speed up but i do want this surgery to be behind us and for our little boy to be on the road to recovery. even knowing this surgery is common and done often on children doesn't take away a mother's worry. I simply have to give my burden over to the One who is strong enough to carry it. Which is sometimes easier said than done!

One last thing...I just had to share this ad created by DOVE. It's eye opening and amazing!
if you have time, it's worth watching  DOVE ad beauty sketches


 I hope we can all remember this sweet quote and in doing so;  may the world feel the rain pour of love and kindness in human acts of generosity and giving today and always.

in rememberance.

.
parentingpeace

although my hope in the world and belief in all that is good was knocked down yesterday by images that flooded the screen, i can't help but feel strong and sure that once again we will rise up and good will prevail.

outpouringoflove these images and article made me cry. they capture the esence of humanity. strangers reaching out in love, in a time of darkness and despair. love poured out.

happy friday!!!

enjoying...

messy play in the backyard with shaving cream. barefoot toes on wet grass. weeding and cleaning. having no where to go and nothing to do but to play and enjoy the sunshine.

a quick target dash this morn'...tearing up the shoe isle: matching church shoes and band aids for our slightly obsessed (with band aids) three year old. #band aid support group needed.

naps and play for the rest of the afternoon :) oh how I love our Fridays.

doing the happy friday dance over here :) hop.skip.clap.cheer.sing.dance.repeat.

*****favorite memory of the week...
caleb and lucas playing hide n' seek with daddy. their laughter and gigles. their pure delight. caleb half dragging/half pulling lucas all around the house; holding his hand. it's their new thing. hand holding. all/most of the time. their sweetness. goodness i love them all so much! my heart might very well burst with love for them :) my boys.

details interwoven

I wish I could write what I really mean and feel, though mostly it comes out as random jibber jabber... here are my thoughts on our life right now....the good and the hard mixed up together to create the beauty of life...tears, sadness, joy, peace, and love.

details i ache to hold onto...
two brothers, their bond. their conversation. their hugs. their love for each other. the way lucas talks to caleb and how caleb earnestly tries to understand-then announces for all to hear exactly what he thinks lucas is saying.

the stage they are both in...watching their relationship change and mold and form...from fighting and hitting and biting and crying and screaming one moment- to hugs and kisses, laughter and rough house. from spontaneous hugs and hand holding to giggles and whispers and brother boy language only they understand.

i so dearly want to hold onto lucas' sweet voice as he tries to say 'truck' and 'bird-y' and cling to his animal sounds 'moo' and 'quack quack' (seriously my favorite)...to monkey sounds and dog sounds. how he points out everything he sees. everything and with it an attempt at a word. having a 3 and a half year old and a one and a half year old. It is fun. And challenging and exhausting but oh so worth it.

work. i'm just not into it right now. it hurts every time I have to drive away from the boys, to watch them waving at me happy to be with daddy. I miss them already. It hurts when I have to leave them upset and when I have to pry their arms off of mine. It hurts when I have to kiss their cheeks and hug their little bodies knowing that sometimes they are already tucked in bed when I come home. Tip toeing in their rooms at night and watching them sleep makes me feel like time is never long enough. rocking lucas; back and forth in his rocking chair. inhaling sweetness. cuddled up close. savoring tuck ins with caleb. My babies are growing up and it hurts sometimes. But all this hard is good because it makes me treasure every single day I don't work. Every bath time is more special because I get to be there. Every tuck in I linger over because I am there. It hurts to leave them, but it makes coming home that much sweeter (and I'm thankful it's only 3 evenings a week for only 3 hour sessions. It doesn't seem that long but when they sleep as much as they do with naps and early bedtime it feels as though I'm missing a lot) Find the good in the hard. Be thankful for the struggle. These are the whispered reminders I must hear.

I am painfully aware how short our days together can be. I miss our lingering pajama mornings and early walks of leisure. I miss our home days more than anything-except for when we are home sometimes we just need to get out! The irony in that makes me laugh. I miss more the option of staying home. But we have our Fridays and our Tuesdays and our Mondays (after home OT) and I know that leaving means more help for C. That I can make our mornings special still. We make adventure trips to the park by Miss A's and the boys get a half hour in of play before C's OT. We make trips to a waterfountain or stop by the library on the way home. We eat lunch outside instead of inside. We make smoothies for breakfast and these little things make me stop and treasure today. To not linger over the past and how we used to spend our days but to treasure the present and the memories we are making now. Because soon enough all these days will be memories and I know I'll miss them all-even as I miss them now.

surgery. the date is set. there's not much I can say about it because I feel so mixed up with fear and worry and unsettling dreams that come and leave me feeling tired. But I put my Trust in the One who can carry my burden and I pray that we are doing what will in the end help. That Caleb's little body will finally be able to get the rest it so greatly needs and that his sleep apnea will go away. I pray his body will be protected through the surgery and that his recovery will go smoothly. He has a lot of prayer warriors on his side.

runs. i fell today; a face plant. but it's all good. running keeps me going through it all :)

I'm so happy it's almost Friday! I need some serious family time..

no new pictures- just some of my favorites..

what i'm excited about:
finishing up our garden beds. planting fruits and veggies in them. family time. dinners and baths and naps and walks and backyard play. just spending time with my boys :)

blog lovn' (encouraging words and thoughts that inspire)
four years six months ten days @harpershappenings and parents to admire @ deliberateparenting.net

Happy Friday!

my heart.

check out those crocks.

some friday randoms...

my most favorite moments of the week:
caleb rocking lucas almost to sleep in the rocking chair singing "i love you, from morning till night...there i said it again...lalalala...forgive me for feeling this way...." i love you so much lucas"
oh my heart. does it get much sweeter than that?

pre nap cuddles and snuggles between brothers.

the crocks. (as seen in the above picture)

laughter and little brother boy rough house and hugs (that happen in those rare moments when the boys aren't hitting/biting/screaming/crying/etc...ya know that whole sibling thing)

other randoms...
looking forward to a weekend in slo for the newman fundraiser, catching up with college friends and spending time with hubby while the boys are busy having fun with nani and auntie jen.

we know for sure now that c has sleep apnea (as we had another apt today with the ent specialist) and will be scheduling an apt for him to get his tonsils and anodes (spell check?) out. i want to just get it over with as the thought of surgery isn't exactly a happy one; although knowing this will help him get more restful sleep and allow him to go into a deeper sleep therefore helping him overall is what we have to focus on.

it felt like a busy and crazy week that consisted of travel recovery and c's apt this morning for his sleep apnea. i'm so glad it's the weekend :)


oh yeah. one last random thing.... i fell this week. a lot. once i fell off the bed (i aimed wrong when i sat on it and kind of just plopped on the floor. i was kinda embarrassed, but d happened to be in the other room so i quickly went back on the bed as if nothing had ever happened. 

then i fell again...the second fall was in public. in the rain. and it happened to be graceful (well it probably didn't look graceful) but lucas and I both came out without injuries thanks to my skill when it comes to falling...(and i don't think anyone saw...at least i hope no one saw us)

anyway i'm not sure what's with the clumsies as usually it only happens at one particular time of the month and doesn't happen at all as much as it did, like...way back in high school. but anyhoodles. it caused some major giggles on my part (only there was no one around but lucas to listen to the laughter)

Happy Friday!!

Easter

Easter in photos....

 coloring easter eggs.

 easter egg hunt

 

 (for sure my favorite moment captured! big cous helping lil cous get an egg in the bush. i crack up every time i see it. that is some serious business right there!)

 sweetest moment captured (d is so super sweet with the boys)

 the little cousins

 the big cousins and little cousins together

 it's so weird to look at this and remember as a lil girl it was just us three sisters. my cousin angela (who is my age and grew up like a sister with us). and johnny and jeffrey (our older boy cousins who were/are like brothers to us)! now we've got kids ( caleb and lucas) (dom and soph), hubs (dave), wife(chrissy), and girlfriend(emily) in there...and not everyone is in the pic (cameron and joey are missing!)!

 the boys' favorite moment i think.

 it was a busy and full weekend of preparing and baking and cleaning and getting ready for easter sunday. easter mass was beautiful. i saw people from high school that are now married and have children and i was just wondering exactly when it was that we all grew up? the music was beautiful and of course on days like easter and christmas and special time with family i always think of my nani and poppy and feel them near and see them in my family. in smiles and laughter and time together. today there was a hummingbird outside our yard (my poppy's favorite bird) caleb was able to get super close to it and it didn't fly away. it stayed awhile. moments like that make me smile and remember sweetly my nani and poppy. family traditions continue with them in our hearts.

and a few other pics from my phone...

my cousin angela snapped this on our saturday morning run. it was a gorgeous morning and it was so special to be able to run with her while we were down! 

sweet lucas. another pic captured by my cousin angela. i love this one!  

such a sweet bond they have

 car drive! (so totally not wanting to get in the car anytime soon! lol!)

Happy halfway through the week Wednesday!