LOVE THEM. Live in the present. Remember grace abounds. Feed them real food. Let them see you struggle. PRAY LOTS. don't be afraid to let them fail. Ask for forgiveness. BE STILL. LOVE THEM.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Spring Break

Spring is here and Bradley has been on two weeks of a break from school and Gavin had one.  Tomorrow it all comes to an end and it is back to the daily and weekly routines. For our spring break we did not over do it but we did have fun and loved and learned. 

 

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The week before Easter we died Easter eggs.  I had hard boiled a lot more than 5 but Daddy seemed to think they were his post run snack, hmmm!! It ended up being perfect and we had five.  One for each of us.  They made my mantle look very beautiful for a week sitting in their grassy nests in my candle holders and then after Easter I let the boys throw them over the fence into the woods!

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The boys loved doing this and we did not get any on the carpets so it was a success.  I think it was cold out the day I had time to do it or else we would have been outside.

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Bradley’s was bright green, Daddy’s was the other green,  Mine was the salmon pink color, Gavin made yellow and Easton had blue.

I am trying to think back to what we did the first week of Bradley’s spring break and I am not recalling too much.  I did take them to Discovery Place Kids once that week.  I was fighting the awful cold that the boys were getting over so I think we may have taken it easy.

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On Friday we headed to Raleigh to pick up Mimi from the airport in the evening.  We went early and took the kids to Monkey Joes to bounce for a few hours and picked up our favorite Mexican joint there.

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They boys and I love the really big slide they have there (again with the picture fail).  I could not believe it that this time Easton could climb up the entire ladder and slide down on his own.  This thing literally goes all the way to the top of the ceiling in their building.  We picked up Mimi and headed home to have her stay with us for a week.  The boys were so excited to see her and begin their special time with her.

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On Saturday we went to the park for a Pinehurst event. An egg hunt and Easter Bunny encounter.

While we waited for it to start the boys got creative with their baskets.

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This is Bradley laughing at Easton with his bag on his head. Such a sweet older brother. I am glad he never thinks they are too little to enjoy Gavin and Easton. He includes them in everything.

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We tried on this one but another fail.  At least we are all together!

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Here are the boys getting into their eggs. Bradley for some reason that I will not understand why, did not want to participate in the egg hunt for his age group.  He enjoyed a natural consequence and was not a loud to have any candy that day or of his brothers later since he opted out of the fun he couldn’t have the rewards of it.

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The boys loves him some ‘pops’.

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Our brave guy meeting the big bunny.  Bradley said Hi to him from a far.  He wasn’t afraid but I think he gets shy.  I don’t think he is too cool to be interested because he talked all about the Easter Bunny.  He wanted to make sure we left a window unlocked for him to get in and leave the baskets.  He also wanted the Bunny to bring him a real Cheetah.  Crazy child of mine, the bunny would be eaten we told him.

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The boys had lots of after dinner treats with Mimi around.  They also got to stay up late and play games many nights too. Mimi taught Bradley how to play chicken foot with dominoes and he is really good.  He completely was ‘sharking’ us.  I was impressed since it is a game of strategy like most card games are.

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Reading a new book Mimi got him to his little bro’s.

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Sunday was Easter and the boys were excited to celebrate Jesus resurrection and to have the Bunny come.  Brad and I are so blessed that each of the boys at such a young age love learning about God.  Bradley right now actually loves watching the Bible series and has been since it started.  He asks tons of questions and gets really into it, he closed his eyes when Jesus was getting nailed to the cross though.  Gavin said after church when we asked him what he learned he said “Jesus is ALIVE and he heals us!!” in a very excited voice.  Easton loves to chime in with his brothers every night at dinner to say prayers too.  In fact he always prays for Mimi and he always says, “Fank you Jesus, Amen!”  

Directly after church we got out of the car and went straight into taking pictures against our fence before the boys got chocolate all over them and started undressing.

 

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My heart is so full from these boys! Gavin actually wanted to wear a tie and well Easton’s neck was too big to close his shirt for the tie so it just hung on one side.  Oops.

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Bradley took this picture.

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The Easter Bunny came while we were at church and left three baskets full of fun and yummy things for each of them.  Bradley was so excited and I missed his initial reaction when my camera froze.  He said “This is the best Easter ever” and then like 10 minutes later after he came down from the excitement he said “the Easter bunny didn't bring me that real cheetah” and then Brad had to remind him he just said it was the best Easter ever. Bradley was sweet and read their names and handed them their baskets.  Easton dumped his all on the floor.  He didn't know what to do. 

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After naps we had an egg hunt for them.  Mimi and Daddy hid 50 eggs with coins in them.

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As you would imagine.  Bradley got the most eggs and money and then Gavin in second and Easton with the least. 

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They immediately got all their money and put it in their piggy banks to save it. 

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After a long and amazing day you need an equally amazing bath.  The boys love this foam bath soap so they got some in their baskets.

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Lastly, here are the phone pictures from the past few weeks. Pictures from Discovery Place, shopping with Mimi, eating out and church with friends :)

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Monday, March 25, 2013

A Rojo Rad Party & Last Week

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This past week was typical happenings for us.  Some old and some new things.  Easton found this military gear and has been sporting it around daily.  He doesn’t want to take it off but we don’t mind.  It makes Brad proud and he is just the cutest in it! He puts his sippy cup and toys inside so he is always prepared on the battle field.  A toy gun is included of course!

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Easton also is into acting like a puppy dog currently.  I completely remember that about this time Bradley and Gavin were into playing ‘animals’ too. The down side to this pack is that Gavin and Bradley have discovered the loop and they hook him with a bungee cord and walk him around like the puppy he is acting like.  This puppy needed a break.

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Gavin was also sick this past week and as I am writing this has past it onto Easton and me now.  Here we are torturing him putting eye ointment in from what we thought was pink eye but we took him to the doctors when it wasn't working and he said it was just a viral cold that was in his eye. 

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By Thursday his eyes were clear and he got to go to school in time for his last day before spring break.   They had their Easter party and egg hunt so he came home with lots of fun goodies. They ate candy for lunch that day.  Sometimes I just don’t win the battles!

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On Saturday we helped out our friends Brian and Becky throwing a party for our friends Luke (Uncle Rojo) and his wife Stacy.  They are moving to Tucson and we are all sad over it.  It is the same sad story that we did not spend enough time with them when they lived here and now they are leaving and we want to cram it all in.  I hate that but is the military lifestyle sometimes. The times we have spent with them have been awesome. Including hulk smash with his favorite Woodward red heads and Rojo and Brad signing a letter stating '’we will not fart when we are 70.’ Becky still has the paper. These are among so many other memories we share with them and Brad and Rojo as team mates, I am sure their are many stories I don’t know about and probably wouldn’t want to.  

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The kids loved getting him with silly string.  He was such a good sport and had no clue.  We totally pulled off the SURPRISE!

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Shout out to some amazing selfless wives and moms. Also note that I am not one of the moms with a baby on her hip!

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Rojo being Hulk Smash with all the kids.  One of the many reasons we love him.

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Bradley (shyly) giving him his going away card he made for him.  It said ‘Your name means RED but really it is ORANGE…. You are special to me…..I will miss you in Arizona…’

Stuff like that from my sweet six year old.

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They even hooked him up with booking his favorite band the Java Mules to play.  The instruments and their voices were amazing.  It was blue grass but it wasn’t too country either.

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The fun didn’t stop there.  The kids got to take swings at a piñata.  Rojo really went to work for his own party but that is him.  He loves being with the kids.

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As the evening was winding down Bradley and Ducky made sure to fit in their moment too.  She listened while Bradley explained an entire movie.  You know B, you could have just watched it with her!

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They guys.  Do I dare even call them that.  They are being straight up little goofy boys in these pictures.

To think, these are some of the men defending our country.  They act completely different when doing that?!

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I kept saying to them ‘what are you girls doing?” I would keep seeing them chatting off to the side with each other.  They have missed each other so.

Brad and Brendan

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It was a great week and weekend, minus the sickness.  I hope we can all kick these colds really soon.