Marching Right Along

This month has been filled with the start of sports, playing when we can, movies on rainy days with picnic blanket dinners and two weeks in the middle with Daddy out of town for work.  One would think It would be so easy for me but these boys sure do give me a run for my money.  Just when I think I have it all figured out they go and do something crazy. Not to mention the fact that they are each ALL BOY and all running and on the loose but still at a age where they test and I must correct.  It can be pretty wearing some days and I have to remind myself to be thankful for simple accomplishments in the day.  We all ate and bathed, did homework, threw a load of laundry in and an extra is I vacuumed the car out.  The rest will all be there tomorrow all over again.

 

When Brad is out of town and the times we can talk on the phone, we talk about how work is for him and how these little boogers are.  I love to tell and he loves to laugh and listen.  Gavin is our crazy sleeper.  He is a night owl who loves sleep and loves to sleep in.  This is his father exactly! He even gets extremely pissed and cranky if you try and wake him to the point where I am a bit scared.  His mind is always working at night on ways to fight going to sleep.  Here he moved everything to the floor because like other nights, why use a comfy bed??

Morning bed tackles on top of Daddy.

Brad instinctively protects his head.  That is not how he sleeps.  He is covering himself from any head, foot or weapon!

Gavin with Chase started the “Mini Kickers” soccer league.  It is a little fundamentals soccer program for a month or so long once a week and they do drills and scrimmage together.  Gavin is so digging it and once a week is not enough.  This is his first thing I have signed him up for and he has physically and socially been ready for a while.  For a four year old with sports in our area it is limited to a few options though. 

 

Look at these handsome soccer studs. Also, I can’t help but throw this picture in where Gavin was almost one and Bradley was three and on this league.  It was the fall league that Bradley was in so this was October 2010. 

 

Craziness out on the field with 20 preschoolers.  Gavin loved the excitement of getting a new soccer ball just for him and for the weeks prior he was telling everyone including strangers and grandparents, guess what? My mommy signed me up for soccer!!” It was so cute and since he did not know all of what that meant his face lit up to see shin guards on his legs and to have cool cleats too. 

 

Showing off his new shirt right after his first practice.  As we drove away he said “That was cool – let’s do it again tomorrow!”

Bradley has also started baseball this March and since I don’t have a picture of that, here are the boys playing at the park while he practices last Saturday morning.  Brad has taken him to some and I think I have not wanted to embarrass him so no pictures yet but he is doing good and hitting those balls. 

 

Saturday great weather , jumping in undies and pjs in the evening. 

Down to important business of the week when you just have maintenance things that need to get done.  Easton had his six month clean up on St. Patrick’s Day so he was wearing his lucky shirt but it didn’t rub any luck off on me.  He had no cavities which is lucky but I was hoping for a cry free cleaning.  Nope! I had to hold him down and he screamed.  Then the kids just kills me because afterwards he tells the dentist and Daddy, “I did great!” Really, define “great” Easton?  Was that the part when you hid behind me or screaming with the tools in your mouth?  It was all worth it though.  Bradley and Easton have teeth tight together and can be prone to cavities in between teeth so it is important at his young age as he eats like a grown adult to have a cleaning.  Then to hear him tell people seriously using his hands… “I got toofbrush, toofpape and a ticker” made my heart beam.  He still is a no “s” as a first letter peaker ( I mean speaker.)

Then just this week after chic fil a since Bradley got to have some with a friend out before wrestling practice the boys got their hair cuts.  It so needed to be done for Easton so I got an inch and a half off which looks really short right now.  I am holding out for the humidity so his curls will get even curlier.  It will give him more time to grow it long this summer.  Gavin’s hair isn’t always the greatest after those in and out hair cute places.  His blonde underneath the red makes it look choppier than what they even do.  He requested a spike style too.  Easton finally does great and this is his second time not being scared of haircuts and Gavin’s third time.  Gavin gets impatient if they take too long though.  Who would ever guess impatience in him!!

1 Peter 2:2-3“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) . All Rights Reserved.

My oh My – March is almost Over!

Since time is clearly flying and I would like to

spring as I recap some of what we have been up to! We have had a handful of amazing weather days and it really has us all so grateful! I hear the boys saying things like “this breeze is great and this sunshine” or “let’s take advantage of this awesome day and play outside!” It’s pretty cool to hear them be like this.  Until the bees come out I will enjoy it because then they will start freaking.  I hope not but that is the track record. 

 

The end of February we had the boys friend Wyatt over for a sleepover.  They all did great and stayed up until 11 in true sleepover style. 

Over a sprinkled breakfast the boys wanted to show Wyatt their favorite movie.  Dennis the Menace.  He thought it was cool too!

We also sent Uncle Adam off on deployment with some prayers and hugs.  Some tough guys are still taking names even though Daddy isn’t anymore. 

 

Gavin has been all about making forts for bedtime and naps.  He also puts it like a Teepee and drapes it.  As long as he has an air passage we are fine with it but I pondered to Brad if I will ever ever be able to walk into their room without it looking like a few Mexican families live their?  It is constantly covered with a million blankets, stuffed animals and toys.  Gavin’s mind just never rests and he always pulls things out to create. 

Bradley just sleeps through it all. 

One thing about Bubbas is he loves him some Spiderman flip flops.  This nice weather allows me to actually tell him he can.  Normally he is trying to sneak them on over socks in the dead of winter. 

They are sticks and rock finders.  Here the neighbor walked over with his dog Julius while Brad was out working on the cars. 

  

The last weekend of February I got a mini mommy weekend.  I drove to Virginia Beach for two different reasons.  I was going to take my mom to an outpatient surgery and to catch the WAVE women’s conference called “Devoted.”  It was really beautiful and powerful and I got to hang out with my MIL and SIL too.

 

When I got home I became busy with the everyday stuff again but Brad and I managed to squeeze in an overdue date night.  This was the missing piece from our Anniversary date that was snowed out.  We had gone to the movies then but we went to dinner and did a little shopping.  We also had promised the boys we would get their beloved babysitter Jacey here.  They would love to have her here more often and wouldn’t mind kicking mommy and daddy out to see that happen. 

 

 

Bradley lost his other front tooth recently.  Now we tell him he looks like an old grandpa who forgot to put his teeth in. 

 

 

One rainy Friday the big kids had a day off school so while Chase & Gavin were in school I took Sophia and we had a morning of fun.  They were so excited to go to the library, really! I was surprised.

  

This was on Saturday when Daddy and Bradley were at baseball practice.  It was so nice that after the gym I couldn’t say no to the park. 

Too cool for a shirt Gavin. 

The glasses Easton loves.  We were at a Monday night baseball practice for Bradley. 

Gavin’s preschool picture for the 3 year old class.  He is so handsome! He has struggled with colors this year but is doing a lot better.  I found it ironic since he loves to color the most out of all of them.  He could sit for hours and color.  I can tell that he would love to be able to read but he still has a lot more learning to do with his alphabet.  I am glad he still has one more year before Kindergarten.

Happy 7th Birthday Bradley!

On the 19th Bradley turned the big boy age of 7.  It was on a school day Wednesday so we kept it pretty simple and fun but just celebrated his amazing life thus far and all our sweet Bradley Bear is to us in this world. 

 

The table was decorated for him . 

 

It’s too early for pictures mom!! Breakfast before school.  Easton actually stole his birthday chair from him but Bradley did not mind.  He is so kind to his youngest brother. 

 

Daddy actually had an early work day that morning and late coming home so it was just the four of us.  He went to school and I brought him Cake Pops in the afternoon for his class. 

His teacher was so sweet and called him up and talked about how I must have felt when he was a born and I held him in my arms.  He was tickled but also embarrassed to have the spotlight on him since he is so modest and shy. She told the class he was good luck since he had red hair. 

All the kids loved them and the boys were so excited to get to go into Bradley’s class and have Cake Pops.  Gavin says he wants to go to big kid school like Bradley. 

 

Later that day when he got home from school after homework, Liz and the kids popped on over with Sonic food and to celebrate with us.  Sonic hot dogs was this Birthday kids request. 

Next was singing, wishing and cupcake time.  I froze my batter and icing and made more of the same kind he had for his party. 

His face still melts my heart just like when he was a baby. 

Ha-ha- he is trying to figure out the trick sparkler candles. 

Thanks for the great picture Bradley- how you looked and all or even wanted to take it!! Sheesh.  I love him but he is already getting to be a boy set in his own ways, he thinks he understands the world and will tell you all about it. He admits that he is “hard to handle” sometimes too.  But most of all he is a great hard working amazing boy.  We could not be more lucky, privileged or blessed to be called his parents. 

He got some cool new shirts from Sophia and family opened a gift from his brothers.  A Lego Movie book and movie.  Brad and I got him a Batman game for the PS3.  That was all Brad’s idea of course.  He is really into playing Batman in his downtime after school, sports, chores and homework with Brad. 

 

Thank Heaven for our Bradley Bear who is SEVEN! 

Our prayer as he gets older is for him to continue to do good in school, make the right choices as he has been doing.  We pray he continues to love Jesus and want to seek him like he does now and that he will continue to grow in the giftedness that God gave him.  That he will know he is always loved by his Lord and his whole family.  We pray he will be humble and never prideful but assertive and strong and never too shy or meek.  He knows that God has created him to work and be strong and conquer, to never give up and to just love!

We love you Bradley and loved celebrating your special day with you as you turned seven!