My BADGE!

I am So excited because this greeted me in my inbox yesterday! Holy cow, this is it! Am I really going to run, possibly crawl 13.1 miles on January 15th?? There's no turning back and I have great support from my hubby-who's also running, and our two boys!
My weight loss journey and passion for healthy living will come full circle for me on this day. I can already tell you it'll be a very emotional day for me, especially when I cross that finish line...and yes, I WILL CROSS THAT FINISH LINE!!!
Yesterday Jake ran 2 miles with me, he was ahead of Mommy most of the time! What better running buddy could I have asked for! He tells me when I'm going too slow or when I need to slow down, he's like my personal running coach!!

5th Birthday Fun!

There have been a lot of pretty cool parties for this little man...

1st Birthday-Football theme- "wear your jersey and prepare for fun, it's football season and Jake's turning ONE"

2nd Birthday-Lightning McQueen-complete with a McQueen moonwalk and all things Cars!

3rd Birthday-HotWheels-vroom vroom, with a moonwalk and lots of cool games!

4th Birthday-Fire truck party-with a visit from the League City Fire Dept-it was awesome!

and now...by this 5 year old's request, he wanted a party with all things SPORTS! and that's just what he had...it was like a big 'ol P.E class, so yes Mommy had to re-live her physical education background and teach these kiddos how to have FUN!
There was FREEZE TAG!

BASKETBALL!!!

Look at these precious kiddos, all listening to directions for the next game!

Oh my goodness, YES there was dodgeball! Don't worry, they were given strict instructions! no hitting in the face, but this was hilarious to watch because they all just threw the ball at ME!

Yep, Simon Says! Awesome game, right? Who doesn't remember playing this game as a kid!

and now they are all lined up, ready to open presents and eat pizza and cupcakes!

opening presents...what fun! and Mommy trying to keep up!

MAKE A WISH, my little 5 year old :)

Can anything be cooler than scooter races? So much fun! It was like human bowling! They had to race down and knock over the pins with their bodies! HILARIOUS!

and there's baby brother and DeDe enjoying the party too!

These kids had FUN! Especially our birthday boy! We are so happy that his party was all he wanted AND more! He did all of the things that he loves, and these kids were all drenched in sweat by the end! All of the kids seemed to have fun and he sure got a lot of cool gifts! For being an all-boy party(and one girl!), I think it was pretty darn cool!

Happy 33!

Happy 33rd Birthday to YOU! To the best husband, Daddy, best friend, companion, and much more!
Happy Birthday, Brandon!
We have been together for over 10 years! Married for almost 7! We have learned so much and if possible, we love each other more today than the day that we met! He is shy, does NOT like attention, but when it's just the four of us-he'll make us laugh like crazy! He is a fun Daddy! Is his boys' best friend! He is my best friend. I can tell him anything. He is my calm. When I am completely flipping out, he brings me back to reality. He takes care of us. He always knows how to make things right. When I least expect it, he'll say the sweetest things. He loves to make me laugh and smile. Although I am completely INSANE sometimes, he loves that about me! As I have danced like a crazy woman in the living room for 10 years, he's finally starting to join in. He dances with me any time that I ask! Yes, even in the kitchen!
I stay at home and raise our boys, while he's out working hard to make things better for us! All of us! So, although I couldn't afford to get him all of the things he REALLY wanted...like a deer lease, 4-wheeler, golf cart, or a Jeep! I hope he knows how much I truly love him. I could not have asked for a better husband. I know we were made for one another. We balance each other out and I still get those butterflies when he kisses me!

and now it's official...he's 5!

Still hard to believe that this baby boy... Is FIVE YEARS OLD!!!

What's a 5th birthday without icing all over your face?? the Kemah Boardwalk had a Salute to our Military, which was very cool! Our boys were able to thank the men and women that serve our country :)




and now we're still trying to figure out the Ultimate Optimus Prime directions?? HELP??!!!!!

and yes, there's a front and back to those directions...
His day was FUN! He woke up a mini-football cake and balloon from MeMe! A big birthday hug and kiss from his Momma(Daddy was sleeping from work). A birthday hug from his brother and 2 camo cupcakes for breakfast...Yea, why not!!

At school they sang to him, let him pick a prize and sit at the special birthday lunch table! Yay!
He picked popsicles to share with his friends and tomorrow at chapel they'll do something special again! WOOHOO! Lots of birthday fun, but now I have to realize that my "baby" is 5 years old now. He's growing up so fast. So independent. Doesn't need my help for much. Brushes his teeth, puts on his clothes, helps with his baby brother and gives his Momma lots of hugs!

CAMOUFLAGE sweetness!!

These took a while to prepare, but I think they turned out pretty cool! Jake was SO excited and told me I was the coolest Mommy ever for making

camo cupcakes :) Wanna make them too?

I used Pillsbury Classic Yellow cake mix

Prepare batter and seperate into three bowls

First bowl-classic green food coloring

Second bowl-7 drops red, 4 yellow and 2 blue to create brown

Third bowl-mix to brown and add green until you create the dark green color

Icing: Classic White and add green until color desired, I used a ziploc for icing, cut off tip and created swirly look!

To create the camouflage look, take 1 tbs batter of each color and add to paper liner. I alternated dark green, then light green and then brown. And I would change them up as I went along, making brown on bottom, dark green then light and so on. The colors seem to stay the way you drop them, so when you bite into them...awesome, right?! SO FUN TO MAKE!!

busy planning...

for this boy's 5th birthday party!!!

He enjoyed lunch at Joe's Crab Shack today and when we tried to have them sing Happy Birthday...he FLIPPED OUT! Totally like his Daddy and doesn't like the attention!

A bad phone pic, but he was sure lovin' his ice cream sandwiches! *He's a tough guy but still loves to snuggle with his Momma. *He LOVES spending the night at his MeMe's and at his DeDe, Pop and Aunt Paulette's. *He loves to be outside. No matter the time of day, rain or shine, he's going outside! *He still sucks his thumb...shhh, I told him he's gotta break this habit SOON. *His blanket goes with him EVERYWHERE and from this, it is falling apart. *He loves big trucks, 4 wheelers, camo, Bass Pro Shops, and playing catch with a baseball and football. *He also loves to run and play, he can go for hours...


He LOVES to stay up late! If we are awake, he's awake! He does not like settling down and going to bed. He'll hang in there as long as possible and then when he's got nothing left he'll CRASH! As if you haven't noticed, he's got the cutest DIMPLES! Seriously, those are trouble! He knows he's cute just by the way he smiles and looks at you. I tell him all of the time, he can start dating when he's 30 and until then, Momma can be his girlfriend :)
How long do you think he'll fall for that??!

He's a big brother.

At times he can drive his baby brother crazy, but at other times...it melts my heart.

He is his brothers best friend. He is a big helper for me when Daddy is at work.

He has a BIG heart. He will do anything for you, if you ask. He's shy. He doesn't like attention, unless its just the four of us, then he's the life of the party!

Jake,

We love you so much! Can't believe you are turning 5 on tuesday! Time has flown by and we cannot imagine life without you. You are and always will be our baby boy. We are SO proud of you and all that you do. You are a great athlete, and are a very smart boy and I know whatever you do, you'll be great at it! You don't give up easily. You won't stop until you get it right!

We love you sweet man and hope you have a Happy 5th Birthday!

Halloween 2011

Only in Texas, would our boys be dressed like hunters and the man that answers one of the doors be dressed as a cowboy!!! YeeHaw! Happy Halloween! Although this is Justin's THIRD Halloween, this was definitely the first one he actually enjoyed! He was running from house to house, asking for candy and yelling Thank You as he ran to the next one. Then he'd have to check out what he got, and open them as he walked down the street! Ha! By the end, he was SO tired but he kept going....

We did some trick or treating in our favorite neighborhood in our area and these residents go all out with decorations, even the golf carts that cruised through the neighborhood were totally in the spirit! The golf carts were playing haunting music, full of lights and decor and packed with trick or treaters...all very cool! We gotta buy a golf cart, because it looked like TOO much fun!! We especially liked this house....

They had music, scary characters, this bride and groom, and much more Halloween fun! The boys weren't afraid though, they walked straight up to the door and said, Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween 2011! Hope you all made lots of memories, had a FUN time and ate way too much candy just like these boys did :)