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)

Jase, 2 yrs +7 months

How cute is my big boy getting? Oh man, I can't even stand it! Good thing he's cute, because he sure can be a little devil at times. He is going through that "independent" stage and "finding his voice," and let me tell you, he sure has found it. I get to hear things like "get away from me!," "go away!," "Nooo, I wanna do it!," on a daily basis. Sigh. But besides all the new-found sassiness, he is just darling and cracks us up! I love his funny personality!I love the look on his face here! He was sitting at his "jasey-sized" picnic table ($50 at Sams, best purchase EVER) while I was snapping pics of him! I've been taking so many of Ian lately, so I thought I better catch up on Jasey!
Hammin' it up on the boat just a couple weeks ago...
Here are some things Jase has been up to these days:

• He finally got over his fear of riding the power wheels tractor (thanks grandma). He goes full speed and all over the yard!
• LOVES to do pretty much EVERYTHING by himself. Even if he can't do it, he still wants to do it. This causes some major headbutting from time to time. I try to let him do as much as possible, but sometimes I just do NOT have the patience.
• Shows ZERO interest in potty training. Ok wait, not exactly true. He has tried to go a couple of times but nothing has happened. I haven't really pushed it too much just bc I am really busy with Ian and don't have the time to dedicate to it just yet anyways.
• Had his first major ear infection last week. What a mess! He had a super high fever (103) for 2 days so I called the doctor. Both ears were infected and both ear drums had ruptured! Poor baby! He was MISERABLE. So was I. We are almost done with the round of antibiotics and ear drops and he's doing much better. But he still has the stinkin' lingering cough (3+ weeks now) that caused the ear infections in the first place! Geez!
• He loves to say "one more time" and "last time" about 1,000 times to get you to do whatever it is he wants you to do like a billion times. But he says the word "time" in the cutest way, so it's entertaining when he does it. :)
  
• He asks you the same question about 50 times in a row (so fun, not).
• He'll say funny stuff like "I lost my mom" or "I lost my shoes" if he can't find me or them.
• He knows all of our full names. So adorable.
  
• He is wearing a size 4T in shirts and 3T in pants now. Size 8 to 8.5 for shoes!
• When Ian cries, he will tell me "Mom, go check on the baby!," or "Mom, go give the baby his nunu (binky)." Sometimes he'll even cover his ears.
• If he wants me to do something and I'm holding the baby, he'll say, "Mom, can you put Ian down?," or "Mom, go put Ian in his seat!" Heh heh. Bossy little thing, ain't he?
• He loves having Grandma Jenith come visit. She comes up every couple of weeks to help me out. Lately he's really been soaking up the attention bc I've noticed he's finally starting to get a bit "jealous" of how much of my time Ian takes up. Of course this makes me a bit sad, so I do what I can to make up for it.
• He loves meeting up with Grandma Connie & Grandpa Larry for dinner! He knows right were they live, too. If I drive by he'll say "Hey that's Grandpa's house!"
• He's looking forward to PawPaw Ron's visit (my dad) in a couple weeks! So am I! We don't get to see PawPaw that often, so when he comes up it's a real treat. Jase even remembered that PawPaw had a Blackberry phone from last November. (Reuben got one from work and he said, "Hey that is PawPaw's phone!") I couldn't believe he remembered that!
• He LOVES playing outside!
• His favorite thing to eat is probably pizza.
• He weighs 38.5 lbs. Not sure how tall he is--for sure over 3 ft though. I need to measure him.
  

Eat Your Heart Out, Baby!

Since my laptop went "kaput" on me, I haven't had as easy access to the computer as I did before (kept laptop in kitchen, our desktop computer is upstairs in our bedroom and Roob works on it a lot). So needless to say I'm pretty behind with my posts! Ian is growing up way too fast for my liking--I get all emotional thinking about it. The only good part is that soon I am hoping he'll sleep a 7 or 8 hour stretch at night :)

Here's some fun things Ian has been doing these days:

• He can pretty much hold his head up all by himself. He loves to be "propped" up so he can look around. We took out the Boppy Seat and he does fairly well in it!
  
• He has gone as long as 6 hrs from feeding to feeding (start time to start time) at night (yes!). But mostly he goes about 4 to 5 hours.
• He coos and tries to "talk" to us! It's so cute! He also smiles a lot these days (see pic above)!
• He likes to be held a lot and be part of the action.
  
• Not such a big fan of the car seat lately.
  
• Will cry if there's a loud, startling noise (Jase's job these days). Ah-hem!
• During the day he usually goes 2.5 to 3 hrs from feeding to feeding, but sometimes he'll only make it 2 hours. Those are the tough times for mommy!
• He likes to cry the most when Jase needs my attention (help!) or when I need to do some laundry, cook, or do bills. Or shower. Or eat. Which is why I eat my meals WAY too quickly these days.
• He wears a size 1 diaper. Currently we're liking the pampers swaddlers. They are so soft and smell yummy (when clean, anyways, LOL).
• He has now officially outgrown "newborn" sized clothes. He outgrew them somewhere about 6 weeks old, I think. So now he is wearing 0 to 3 month clothing and it fits perfectly. I'm not sure how much he weighs now, but we'll find out next week at his 2 month checkup.
• He spits up like a crazy person. So did Jase. All my clothes are ruined by the end of the day. Oh well!
  

Look A-Likes? You decide!

I took this picture of Ian the other day (about 7 weeks old) and I remembered having a similar one of Jase when Jase was about the same age. I had to dig in my ol' files and find it. I think there are tons of similarities and some differences, too. Like their overall face shape (oval-ian- vs. circle-jase, and side curls-jase- vs. straight hair-ian). Check it out!

Ian...
Jase...

Here's another couple "look-a-like" shots...they both are wearing the same Nike hat. Funny how time flies soooo fast!

Ian...(4 weeks old)
Jase...(2 weeks old)

Ian at 4 weeks old!!!

So I finally had some time to do a mini photoshoot with my little newbie. Those little cheeks are sure filling out nicely! Enjoy the pics!