When Hello Means Good-Bye

Archive for February 2013

Happy 5th birthday, Brenham

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Brenham Jay,

Happy 5th birthday, son! These letters are always so hard for me to write. I stared at a blank screen for a long time. When I write your bothers' birthday letters I write about the new things they're doing, how much they've grown, what they like to play with and share lots of new pictures. I don't know theses things about you and I don't have any new pictures.

I don't know who your friends are, but I know you play with angels.

I don't know what kind of things you like to do, but I know you have more fun that we could ever imagine.

I don't know what you look like now, but I know you have been made perfect.

I don't know what kind of birthday party you would have wanted, but I know you are having a great time rejoicing in Heaven today and everyday.

And I know that I love you.

And I know that I miss you every single day.

And I know that I will see your sweet face again someday.

Until that day, we remember you and celebrate you and your short, yet meaningful, and purposeful life. Your birthday holds so many memories for me and I'll cherish those forever.

I love you sweet Brenham. I'm so proud to be your mommy.

xoxo

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Origami Owl Giveaway

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

I just received this pretty necklace from a friend of mine at my mom's group.

Renee sells Origami Owl and she helped me pick out the pieces to design my own necklace from the new "Tagged" line.

I'm so happy with how it turned out and I love to wear it as a reminder to myself how blessed I am!

The new tagged line has so many fun word options to choose from like; hope, love, faith, believe and more. Such a great way to make a statement about who YOU are!

Renee has offered to giveaway a necklace to one of you readers as well! The lucky winner can choose between either a 16" or 30" chain, one of the Empowerment tags, the I am, I have, I can, I will, or Be and one of the Inspiration tags, there are 12 options for those.

Origami Owl has so many fun products, it would make a great Mother's day gift for you to give to your own mother or give your hubby a little hint :)

To enter the giveaway (open to U.S. residents only)

1. Click here to go to her Facebook page and 'like' it, then leave a comment letting me know you did.

2. Check out the Origami Owl website here and pick out your favorite item, then leave a comment here telling me what it is.

*Be sure to leave your email address so I have a way of contacting you if you are the winner.

* Giveaway ends on March 8.

Good luck and happy shopping!

*there's also a couple more days left to enter the St. Josephs giveaway!

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Weekend Wrap up {Splash Universe}

Monday, February 25, 2013

We had a super fun weekend!

Kicking off on Friday morning, Grayden was the special helper in class, which means I was the the parent helper and it was also pajama day.

Grayden had been looking forward to that day for a long time!

We had a great morning at school and Sadler had fun with Grandma L. too.

After school we headed to Indiana to meet up with the rest of my family at Splash Universe as a Christmas gift from my parents.

The boys slept on the way down there and once we got to Shipshewana we did a little shopping at the cute little downtown shops.

The kids loved the carousel ride.

We grabbed dinner at a pizza buffet and then checked into our hotel.

We got changed and headed straight to the water park. the boys were so excited to swim!

Both boys loved the water, I was super impressed with how much braver Gray had gotten since the last time we were there, he went down even the biggest slides!

At one point during our time in the water park Robb said something like "if we looked up 'water rat' in the dictionary I'm sure there would be a picture of Sadler."

so true!

He couldn't get enough of the water, if he saw me coming at him with a towel to dry off, he had a fit!

Probably his favorite thing to do was go down the blue slides, I kid you not he had to have gone down these at least 100 times. He always wanted to race whoever was next to him.

He also enjoyed a few laps on the lazy river with Aunt Lisa!

and playing ring-around-the-rosie with Makenna

after a few hours in the water we headed to bed. the boys slept great!

a little morning snuggle

The next day we had a delicious breakfast at the hotel and then played again in the water park for awhile.

After it was time to check out we hit up the bulk food store and the bakery.

Sadler has fallen asleep both times he's been in this bakery. its the strangest thing, the smell of donuts must make him tired.

Fall 2012 and Feb. 2013

Then we hit the road for home. On the way back we made a stop to look at a travel trailer that was for sale and also stopped in GR to do a little more shopping for campers.

We ended up finding one there that will be just right for us.

Can't wait to camp this Summer, we've really missed it the past couple years.

after we left the trailer dealership we headed to Costco and had dinner at Qdoba.

Such a fun day!

The boys were so good! We were so proud of them!

Thanks again mom and dad!

We had a typical Sunday with church, naps and revolution.

Hope everyone had a great weekend too!

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Weekend Wrap up

Monday, February 18, 2013

We had another great weekend!

Friday night we went to Robb's cousin, Jenna's high school basketball game. It was a really good game and we loved watching Jenna!

Saturday morning we did a little family workout :)

After that we showered up and gave the boys baths.

When Sadler got out of the tub I noticed all these bumps on his skin!

My first thought was maybe it was an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin he was on for his ear infection, but it was his 8th day on it and he's been on it 2-3 other times as well and never had a reaction. I called the pharmacist and she thought we should take him in.

Then I started to wonder if maybe he had chicken pox, so we took him to urgent care.

Turns out it WAS an allergic reaction to the antibiotic so we got him 2 new meds and we were all on our way back home to finish getting ourselves ready for the party!

We had a fun night celebrating Makenna's second birthday!

On Sunday we went to church. Robb and I finished teaching our last lesson on the "Five Love Languages" during Sunday School.

Grayden spent the afternoon by my parents house playing in the snow, he loved every minute of his one on one time with them!

We had Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Alyssa come over for a bit later in the afternoon and then headed to the Revolution service.

It was a nice, laid back Sunday!

I've been overwhelmed (in a good way!) by the amount of blankets landing on my doorstep lately, thank you SO much for your donations in Brenham's memory. Just a reminder if you'd still like to donate a blanket to the NICU, we will be delivering them on the 28th, so there is still some time to get it here, just email me or leave a comment with your email address and I'll get you the info you need to send one here.

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instafriday

Friday, February 15, 2013

the last couple weeks in iphone pictures:

I know this is strange, but I do all my laundry on Mondays. I hate laundry, so the thought of doing it everyday makes me cringe, I'd rather spend one day on it and be done with it so I can enjoy the rest of the week. It's such a great feeling to have an empty floor in the laundry room at the end of the day!

I can't make it a day without coffee! It's sad really. I try some mornings to go without but I always end up having a cup by the afternoon, for sure.

This pic reminds me of a few comments I got on IG about doing a hair tutorial. I've been asked that a lot and have considered it, but the only way I can think of to do that would be to make a video and that terrifies me! BUT I just watched a really good hair style tutorial on the BlogHer TV video on the sidebar, so check that out if you're looking for some poofing tips!

Grayden loves getting High Five magazines, he was so excited to see one waiting for him on his bed one night before he went to sleep.

Me and Sadler had an afternoon to ourselves a couple weeks ago while Grayden played by Grandma's house.

I told Sadler it was nap time and he plopped himself on Grayden's bed! So cute!

Sadler had a rough few days last week, he was irritable and not sleeping at night. Turns out he had a double ear infection :( I'm still not used to knowing the signs for those, Grayden has never had one so they are still new to me.

He's so cute, even when he cries! I'm in trouble!

I told him he couldn't have another snack so he cried for daddy! lol

This is my morning cocktail of meds, plus a multi vitamin I take on a second swallow. Funny thing is, I can still remember HATING to swallow pills when I was younger, my mom or dad would try to hide them in my food or throw them down my throat! Now I dont think twice before swallowing the handful.

Play date with Brooklyn and Kinsley last week at the McDonald's play place, Sadler didn't want to pose for a picture!

Mid-haircut!

playdate with Drew.

Gray's enrolled in preschool next Fall, seems like I was just signing him up for 3school!

the boys are chasing a laser pointer around on the floor, easily amused, I was cracking up!

I thought this was the cutest craft Gray made in 'Kid's Club' at church on Wednesday night. The greatest gift of love ever, John 3:16

I love a clean fridge, makes me so happy!

I asked Gray to help me unload the dishwasher yesterday, he took about 2 things out and said, "I don't have the energy for this!' ha! I have no idea where he gets these phrases from! He makes me laugh everyday!

Happy Valentines Day from Sadler

Valentines for all Grayden's special friends at school.

My parents had us over last night for a Valentines Day fondue party. So fun!

The chocolate fountain was a huge hit,

Grayden loved dipping the strawberries

and Sadler just dipped his spoon!

Have a great weekend!

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Full Hands and a Full Heart

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I don't know about you other moms out there, but I have my hands full with these 2 kids of mine!

This week has been especially difficult, but Grayden and Sadler have always kept me very busy and always on my toes.

Sadler is so super busy and can find trouble like its his job. And Gray can go from sweet to sour at the drop of a hat.

We had a play date last week and Gray held on to a toy train, tucked firmly under his arm while he watched TV, just so the little boy we had over couldn't play with it.

Just a couple days ago Sadler made this beautiful work of art on the playroom wall while I was cleaning up after lunch

He also learned to climb out of his crib, so we had him knocking at our bedroom door one morning at 6:30 am. Thankfully, we've been able to buy a little more time by turning his crib around...but that will only work for so long until he realizes he can get out the sides.

I am not ready for him to have the free reign that comes with a big boy bed yet!

After 3school and music class yesterday we grabbed lunch through the McDonald's drive through, the lady at the first window had a little acne that Gray noticed and he shouts from the back "DOES THAT GIRL HAVE CHICKEN POX?" when the window was down. I've never been more embarrassed! I grabbed my debit card from her and drove away as fast as I could!

I don't even know how he knows what chicken pox are!

Also this week, Grayden came upstairs where I was and left Sadler alone downstairs so I asked him what Sadler was doing and he replied "um, I think he's playing with knives" Panicked, because that is something Sadler would do, I ran downstairs to find him sitting on the couch playing with pillows! Good one, Gray. You got me good!

Now, I what you're thinking, 'she DOES have her hands full'! And you couldn't be more right, I'll be the first to admit I do have my hands full, BUT my heart is even fuller than my hands.

No matter what kind of trouble my boys cause, or how many walls I have to scrub, or how many time-outs I give, or speeches I give on manners and politeness, I couldn't love these boys more!

When I overhear Gray reciting Psalm 100 that he learned at Rev Kids this week, or when Sadler wants to hold my hand when we snuggle, I forget all about the troubles of the week and become overcome with gratitude for these precious gifts from God.

They are the biggest blessings to Robb and I and we couldn't imagine life without their sweet faces.

My heart overflows