Nathan & Meredith's Wedding

So Nathan (my bro) and Meredith got hitched! Hooray! I'm so happy for them both! Their son is only one month older than Jase (FUN) and baby #2 is on the way! Congrats y'all! Everything about this wedding was so "them;" I loved it. I'll have to post a few pics of the details so you get to see how cute it was. And get this--it was my mom's neighbor's backyard!!!!! He has the coolest backyard I've ever seen! I'll say that much! I grabbed a quick photo-op with the groom!
How cute is this?? There were quite a few outbuildings, etc, with pictures strung on them. Look how cute the fabric is on that bench! And the little mason jars everywhere with tea lights in them! Darling! I am in love!

This is Hibbin, their 3 yr old boy (my first nephew). Can we say, "adorable?" Yes, very much so. He is showing me the beignets he's about to eat (New Orleans style fried donuts). That was part of their New Orleans/nature-ish theme. I think I have a pic of them being made later on in the post...

This was taken toward the end of the night. Just feeding each other the cake. They were both so nice about it. The cakes were traditional New Orleans cakes called "dorberge." It's yellow sponge cake cut into lots of thin layers, then filled in between with chocolate custard. Tasty! They were able to have a NOLA (new orleans, louisiana) bakery ship 'em up here frozen. Cool.

Ah, yes. Here it is. How cute is this? The servers were all dressed with black aprons. Cooking hot beignets fresh to order!

Saying the vows...and yes, that is MY son throwing rocks into the pond during the thing. I was so embarrassed. It was kind of funny, though. Of course I did make him stop! (after I snapped a picture, LOL)

Jase would not leave this table of "owl" cookies alone! Oh my goodness. And the blackberries. He was too funny "stealing" blackberries during the entire reception.

Gotta get a pic of Reub with the Jasemeister. Eating owl cookies. Shocker.

This little area behind where Jase is standing is what they used for a "photobooth." Such a cute idea! They had a photographer stationed back there who took quirky pics of all of the wedding guests. We won't discuss my family's photobooth picture, because it was THAT bad. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes when I first saw it. I was in the WORST mood bc I was so frazzled chasing after Jase and having him not listen to a thing I said. I made a poor effort to be funny, and my face is just absolutely hideous. It is THAT bad. On second thought, maybe I should post the picture so all of you could have a real good laugh. I'll think about it. :) Ah-hem.

Well here we are. Pictured left to right: Nathan, me, Michael. The siblings.

Another detail. The drink table. They got these "Blood Orange" drinks from Costco that were out of this world. In fact, note to self: go to Costco and see if they have any.
Jase waiting for his drink :) And a side note--I bet I know someone who would like this fabric--Sharstin? Hee hee.

More cute things. Jars hanging from trees with birdseed and tea lights. Love.

Another picture of the owl table and cute owl cookies.

You can better see the dorberge cakes here. I love how they are displayed on this old, wooden crate.

Overwhelmed.

Ever since my laptop busted I have been slacking BIG TIME on my posts...I used to have it set up on the kitchen table, so when I had a couple minutes here and there I could sneak on some pics...but now it's terribly hard to get online. Reuben is working like a mad dog, so when he's here he's on the desktop computer. Anyways. Blah blah. I have like 1,000,000 pictures to post and I HOPE I can catch up sometime! I just realized I never posted Ian's 4 month stats and now he will be 6 months old in just another week. Good gracious. He is getting so big! Anyways, hoping to find some time to post soon...

For now enjoy this picture of probably the only time EVER you will see both of my boys completely crashed on me. Ha haha! Luckily Reub was around to take the shot! Jase has NEVER fallen asleep on me like that before. I think we were out late for some reason (can't remember now bc this picture is a few months old) so the poor thing was just exhausted! Guess Ian was, too!

Our Summer Fun

Before next year rolls around I figured I better get some summer pics posted on here! I am going to try to cram in as many as I can because it's getting late and I need to get to bed! These may or may not be in order...

Trip to Bear Lake...we met our friends Chris & Kami (and their 2 kids) up at Bear Lake. They reserved a KOA cabin for us. I was definitely wary about this at first, but when I got there it was actually pretty cute! Only downside was community bathrooms. Less than ideal. BUT they were relatively clean and remodeled, so I dealt with it just fine :)

This is the cabin. Cute, right? It had a double bed and a bunk bed inside. Small desk for a computer, free wi-fi, a very LOUD ceiling fan (kind of hot in there during the day but at night it was great), some coat hooks, a garbage can and a broom. Ha ha ha. Oh and a swing on the porch. Ca-ute!
Here's Jase chillaxin' on the beach. He actually fell asleep in this chair (bonus) after a while. Don't ask what happened later. Ok, I'll tell you. It got VERY windy. Long story short, the boys were out on the boat (including Roob) and it was just Kami, her daughter, Jase and I on the shore. I heard Kami yell "Aimster!" and I just knew it. Our BRAND new $80 "EZ up" canopy blew away. OMG. I am sure the sight of me running down the beach after it was pretty hilarious. Needless to say the wind broke the frame in a couple of places. Ah, adventures. Oh, and while the boys were out on the boat, they managed to rip open our tube. So 2 things got ruined at the same time. Wah.
Jase hanging out in Kami's super cool floatie (I want one). Isn't his UV swimsuit so fabulous? Yeah. I hate putting sunblock on him and this helps a lot :)
Had to throw in a pic of the boat. Hee hee. Ok really I wanted you to see how gorgeous the lake is! It's soooo blue (just noticing the picture really doesn't do it justice)! And freezing!
Ah, here's a pic of the EZ up canopy BEFORE it blew to bits...oh, and notice anything strange? Yeah, there are CARS on the beach! WHAT! Only beach I know of that you can actually drive on! Random!
E-boppers chillin' in the bumbo on the double bed. He and I slept here. It was actually pretty comfy. Surprised me.
Jase was totally diggin' the bunk bed. Good thing, too. Because one day I am SURE both he and Ian will have one.
He was so funny on this thing! That's his favorite blanket and "baby" (small bear beanie baby) cuddled up right next to him.
Pic of me and Ian on the boat. We were just pulling into the dock.
Cutie patootles in his beach hoodie. Love it.
Ha ha ha! This face is a crack up. He loves to suck his fingers!

The County Fair

Wow I love blogging but trying to do it with a crying baby and a 2 yr old climbing all over me sure takes the "fun" out of it! ARGH!

We went to the county fair Saturday night with the boys. It was SUPER crowded. The parking situation was pretty bad, but we finally scored a spot in one of the lots closer to the entrance. After we had the stroller and the boys unloaded, a cop drove by and told us that this lot was for police only. What!? Argh! So annoying! We almost left and went home (well Roob wanted to but I refused) until Reuben had the genius idea to take our chances and stay parked there. He had some good points: 1) There were other "civilian" cars in that lot (out of state license plates), 2) No one had any special passes or stickers on their cars, 3) As soon as we pull out one of the 5 million other cars looking for parking is going to nab it, 4) The lot was not marked in ANY way that it was reserved or special parking. So we stayed put! Yikes! I just knew our car would be towed or ticketed. Just in case Roob took a pic proving that the lot wasn't marked. LOL.

We went inside and it was total craziness. We watched these funny souped up tractor races (kind of loud for Ian), then we walked around a bit.Jase saw this huge bungee jump thing and wanted to ride it. I just assumed someone his size could not do it. Well the sign said "20 to 140 lbs" (he's about 38lbs) so Roob and I got in line to wait. And wait we did. I bet it was at least a 45 minute wait (boring!). Here's a pic of Ian I took while waiting in line--he was being so stinkin' cute!Anyways, we were both really worried that Jase's turn would come and he would totally freak out and not do it. Here's what happened next:

I actually stopped recording before the guy made him go SUPER DOOPER high! But I did snap some quick pics to prove it! Jase was LOVING it and yelling "higher! higher!" Both Reuben and I were so shocked! It made standing in line totally worth it! Check him out! My brave boy!He was sooo sad when his turn was over and didn't understand why he couldn't ride again. I had to snag a bit of video of it b/c it was too cute (and sad, aww):



Here's a random pic of Jase standing on a tank! Not sure if we were supposed to be on that or not?? Oh, and by the way, we didn't get towed or ticketed! PHEW!!!

Ian's Blessing

I found his blessing outfit on ebay for a STEAL. It was a cotton/linen blend, and just darling. I loved it. Not too cheesy. Not too girly. Just right. My little E-boppers (that is what we call him these days) looked so cute!We were able to do Ian's blessing on July 4th this year. It worked out great bc the day before we had a family reunion for Reuben's side of the family--so a bunch of aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins were able to stick around for the blessing on Sunday. Afterwards, we had a bunch of goodies and dinner at our place. Reuben's family helped me plan it out. It was a great day! And the weather was gorgeous!

Here's a pic of us on the porch...
Me, Roob and Ian. Yeah. We are sort of like wooden statues in this one...can ya say, "Awkward!"
Ok, I like this one MUCH better. BUT I only posted the pic above bc it was a better shot of Ian. LOL.
And here's my entire little fam...we had to get one with Jasey, too!

The MOVIES!

I have been dying to take Jase to the movies as soon as I thought he could actually "sit" through one. So when I scored free movie passes (btw, Disney makes it very annoying to redeem these things!) for Toy Story 3, I knew it would be the time to try it out! We were lucky the day we went--hardly anybody was in the theater. We chose our own seats (top back row by the aisle) and that turned out to be perfect. Armed with popcorn & drinks, we all took our seats excited for the show to begin. I snapped a couple pics to commemorate this momentous occasion!

Jase watching the previews...(and Ian...you can see his carseat in the upper right)
Mom sneaking in to prove I was also there, hahaha (Daddy was there, too)...
Chowin' down while watching the opening scene!
So I think I can say that Toy Story 3 is my new favorite out of the series! Spanish Buzz is hilarious!!!!!! And I totally cried at the end! OMG! (so did Roob, haha) As far as Jase goes, he was pretty darn good throughout the show! He stood up a lot of the time, but he stayed close (we had to say something to him once or twice). He was so good that we took him to see "Despicable Me" the following week! (super cute movie, too, gotta get me some minions--and Steve Carell did a great job with the character--i loved his voice)

Photo Session

Ah, photos. I am always drooling over everyone else's pictures I see taken by photographers. The lighting is incredible, the editing; perfect, the people; gorgeous, the oufits; A-list worthy. I personally know two photographers and follow their stuff--Wendy & Sharstin. Both do amazing work (click on their names if you wanna see their sites). Sharstin did Jase's 1 yr pictures and they are fabulous! Wendy was able to squeeze us in for a session just last week while she was here for a friend's wedding (she currently lives out of state). I don't do this very often (if I were rich I'd do it every 3 months! ha ha) so when I do I have all these things in my head that I want to bring for the shoot--like creative props (chairs, wagon, stroller, favorite blankets, toys). I also try my darndest to coordinate all of our clothing for group shots. I need a fashion person to do this for me bc I STINK at it. I am so un-fashiony. I always end up "matchy matchy" bc I am at a loss.

Anyways...So d-day comes and it's all I can do to get myself dressed (changed my outfit at least 4x), kids dressed & fresh diapers put on, then out the door. All the while asking myself "why am I doing this?" and fussing at Jase to hurry up. I did manage to grab a hat, a couple changes of clothes for the baby (just in case)...I was in the WORST MOOD! Then once we got there Jase was completely uncooperative (kept shying away from the camera and making goober faces) and I couldn't get Ian to smile for nothin'! What? ARgh! Kids! Then Reuben was going to come, too, but of course I was running late (what's new) and that meant he had to go to a work appt before I got there! Oh well. I tried. So that meant poor Wendy wasn't able to just take pictures--she ending up being like my assistant nanny! (Running after Jase while I changed Ian, etc). And she drove an extra hour just to do this for me. So it felt like the day was a bust and I was so sad that I wasn't able to pull off what I intended to do...that is, until Wendy sent me two preview pics and I cried when I saw them. They are SO GREAT! I am amazed at what she captured with her camera! I can't wait to see the rest--thought I'd share a couple with you for now...

I love the look on Ian's face in this pic. I also love that I am kissing him on his sweet head. I love him so much!
So stinkin' cute! I found this little hat for him for a steal ($2) and the tie is actually one I bought for Jase a long time ago. I think this pic is too cute!

Jase Cuts Daddy's Hair

So Jase haaaaaaates getting his hair cut. Hates it. Roob made a deal with him the other day that if Jase would be good for his hair cut (Roob cut it) then Roob would let Jase cut his. Can I tell you how INTO THIS Jase was? LOL! You'll notice in the video that Jase was pretty much copying what Reuben did and said to him word for word. Adorable!

Ian's First Laugh!!!

This is the CUTEST THING EVER! Get ready to put your cute boots on! I was swaddling up Ian for his nap and just talking to him and I started wiggling his legs. All of a sudden this little laugh started coming out! It was MUCH better before I ran and got the camera (because I could use 2 hands to jiggle his legs)--but I am glad I at least captured something! Enjoy!

Paw Paw Ron's Visit

Ok, wow. I haven't blogged in forever! My laptop went "kaput" on me, so that is the main reason for my lack of online presence. Trust me, I've had withdrawals. I have a minute right now while the boys are both sleeping (woohoo!) so let's see how much I can do before one of them wakes up!

My dad came to visit back on June 12. He was here for a week! It was so fun! But now that it's been so long I'm having a hard time remembering what exactly we did. One day we went on a hike. It wasn't terribly difficult, but I had Ian in the baby bjorn carrier and after an hour or so my back was KILLING ME. I don't think those things are meant for long-term carrying. UGH. Jase was doing OK but definitely walking at a toddler's pace. He started getting hot and tired, and it took a bit of coaxing to get him back down the mountain so we could go eat and get drinks. My coke never tasted so good! Ha ha ha.

Speaking of Coke, another time we took dad to one of our favorite pizza places in town. They have the best Coke, I swear. So I was making all these comments about how good it was and he teased me about it ALL WEEK. Whatever. It really WAS the best fountain coke ever! :) Ahhh.

We also went to the zoo. That was fun. The weather was great and it wasn't too hot. Jase enjoyed the zoo a bit more than he did last year (ie, he rode the carousel and was happy about it). We were really excited to show him the gorillas since lately his favorite animated movie is "Tarzan,"(or as he calls it, "Carzan") but there was only one and he was lying down way back in the corner. Poo. We took the scenic drive home and I think dad enjoyed the ride. All in all it was a good day, but really, the zoo here isn't THAT awesome. I think I am spoiled from the HUGE zoo back in New Orleans. Oh well. But NOLA can't touch our good weather here! :)

I figured Dad could use a break from the hustle and bustle of 2 little kids, so I lent him my car and he went to spend an afternoon at the airforce museum. We all went together last time he came up, but this time I think he was able to enjoy it more without the grandkids. And I enjoyed it more staying at home and not having to fuss at a 2 yr old to "stop touching that!" every 5 seconds. Heh.

I hate saying good-bye at the airport when he leaves bc it's just SO SAD to live far away from family. I hate it! Anyways, since I was, of course, super awesome about taking pictures of everything we did (not), here are a few pics we snapped on the way to bring him back to the airport on the day he left! LOL. I am awesome. I know.

Paw Paw with Jase (2 yrs, 8 mos) and Ian (2.5 months) on the front porch.
We took a few more on the steps with me included, but since the sun was pretty bright out, I was squinty jones magoo and recommended we move over to the shade, pictured below:
One last pic of my dad and I at Texas Roadhouse (was sort of our father's day dinner outing), but I think Dad paid, so that sort of rules it out as "my treat," eh? Heh heh.
Random pic I took of the boys while bathing...(cute how Ian is looking at Jasey)