Depth

Ok, so it's been a while since I've posted anything of substance. I promise, I am not a shallow girl who only cares about reading Twilight! :)

On a more serious note...I don't know if any of you have heard of "Baby Grace" or not, but I was reading an article about her today stating that the parents admitted to torturing and killing her. She was only 2 years old. Her body was in a storage bin that was found by a fisherman. This was in Galveston, TX. That is the beach I went to as a teenager. Her parents live in the town I grew up in (Spring, TX). I could actually picture the place where she was found. After reading the horrid details of what happened to the little girl I had to stop and take a minute to be grateful for my children and that they are in a safe and loving home.

There is too much unimaginable abuse and pain in this world and if it wasn't for our Savior and the Atonement, I think I would be constantly depressed. But instead I have hope. Hope that people will choose to do the right thing. Hope that the victims' suffering will end soon. Hope that someday, somewhere, those victims will know what it feels like to be loved and be happy.

I am so grateful that I grew up in a loving home, with parents who sacrificed for my welfare and who strived daily to teach me what is right and loved me unconditionally.

Edward

Ok...so it's been said (and is QUITE obvious) that I'm a little obsessed with the Twilight series. Ever since I found out who is playing Bella in the movie, I can't stop thinking about who will play Edward. I never saw Star Wars with Hayden Christensen, and have in fact never seen anything with him, but I couldn't get him out of my mind as a good possible Edward. So, I looked him up on google and found a TON of really good pictures, but this one caught my eye as what I pictured Edward like. What do you think?

"Edward stood in the halo of the porch light, looking like a male model in an advertisement for raincoats." Twilight, p. 358.

Bella

For those of you obsessed with the Twilight series like I am, you might be interested in seeing who has been cast as Bella for the movie. Check it out!

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html

I was having a little fun with the camera this afternoon...

Tiny toes.

Mad face.

On his tummy.

12 Days Old

Well, Andrew/Drew is almost 2 weeks old! I can't believe it! He's doing great, getting bigger and stronger every day.

My mom was with us until yesterday afternoon. She was amazingly helpful! She was cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, entertaining my kids, helping with the baby, etc. the whole time. We really appreciated it and were sad to see her go. Thanks mom, we love you!

You know you're the mom of boys when...

This is from a Tonka ad that both Brad and I found quite amusing, and true! So we thought we'd share...

You know you're the mom of a boy when...
he surprises you with a bouquet of flowers with the roots still attached!

Your son might be shy, or the type to smother you with hugs and kisses. Either way, the important thing is to keep showing him how much you love him, while letting him express his feelings his way!

You're sure to feel like a real boy's mom...
when you say things like, "No, you may NOT climb the bookcase!"

Boys don't just like to be active, they need to be. Give him the space he needs for his boundless energy -- and structure and guidelines to help keep him safe.

Have you ever heard yourself say...
"No, you cannot place your sister/brother 'under arrest'!"

Boys love to fantasize about being a hero! Vehicle play helps them act out their dreams, letting them race to the rescue and crash into the bad guys' hangout. So give your boy the tools he needs to explore his active imagination!

If you're the mom of a boy...
you probably think "preschool age" means how much you'll age before he enters school!

During a play date, your son and his friend are playing peacefully -- on opposite ends of the room! Chances are, the boys are getting along fine, they're just engrossed in their own play. Despite how it may appear, they're still enjoying each other's company!

Moms of boys...
have homes that are decorated with dump trucks on the coffee table!

Give him a truck, car or train and watch his eyes light up! Boys love anything that moves, and there's no end to the ways they can play with it. Ask him about the different "missions" his vehicles are going on...you'll be amazed at the stories he tells you!

Did you ever think that someday...
you'd know how to make race-car noises -- by car models?

Boys are often slower to start talking than girls are -- but they quickly learn to open up when they spend time with more talkative children. Encourage your boy to talk by asking him questions about his toys and his friends...soon you may have a real chatterbox on your hands!

The Kite Runner

For any of you who might be interested, there is a movie of The Kite Runner coming out in December (I believe).

Click here to see the trailer.

I loved this book...it was very powerful, so I'm hoping the movie will do it justice!

Identity Crisis

Last week I gave Joshy a haircut...his curls had turned into a two-inch halo/afro and just weren't so cute anymore. So, I decided to give him a trim...and when that didn't seem right, I cut more off. So, this is what he ended up with...



After he was all cleaned up, he walked into my room and saw his reflection in our mirrored closet door. He kind of did a double take and then said, "I'm Jakob!" It was really funny, but also very cute to see him realize he now looked like Jakob with his short hair. Such a funny kid!

Sleepy baby...

So, tonight at 7:27pm, Andrew will be officially 1 week old! I can't believe it. Here is a picture of him doing what he does best...SNOOZING!



He is such a sweet, mellow little guy...but since we've only known him for a week, I'm not sure it will stay that way! We are excited to get to know him better and find out what kind of personality he has. Before Joshy was born, I wasn't sure there could be another kid with as unique of a personality as Jakob...BOY WAS I WRONG! They are both such funny characters and so different from each other. So, I am really curious to see what the future holds as far as his personality goes!

Thanks for all the congratulations and well wishes. It means a lot to me to know that so many people care about us!

Big brothers

I don't know what I really expected out of Jakob and Joshy, but I must admit I have been pleasantly surprised by the love and affection they show toward their new little brother! Here are a few cute pictures of them holding the baby.



Even though you can't see the baby, this is Joshy giving him a hug.



Joshy saying "CHEESE!"



Jakob does a really good job holding him!

Putting on the armor of God

Last night for FHE we read about Captain Moroni and about finding protection in righteousness. So, part of our lesson was an activity where we dressed up the boys in "armor" representing the armor described in Ephesians 6:14-? - Loin girting (towel), breastplate (backpack), helmet (steamer), sword (spatula), shield (pie tin), footwear (snow clogs). Once they had all the armor on, we threw cereal at them to show them that the armor was protecting them. Of course Josh just wanted to eat the cereal (Crunch Berries) instead of throw it! But, they had a lot of fun and the pictures are pretty funny...so here ya go!

Welcome Home

Drew and I came home today...just wanted to thank all of you for your congrats and well wishes! We are both doing great!

...More pictures and posts coming soon!!