Wildflowers win my heart...

It's been such a rainy, muddy, stormy Spring here in Texas and we have all kind of loved it! The wildflowers are just so wonderful. Bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, the roses in our front yard, the fields of  yellow on my drive home (bastard cabbage, that's what the naturalist called it at the nature center. Sadly it's invasive and no good, but I can't help but love it)...they just went crazy and now the Firewheels and Black Eyed Susans...wild flowers truly do win my heart. The kids have loved the mud and the turtles and caterpillars, frogs, crayfish, worms, fireflies....they even saw a rat snake the other day and once he knew it wsan't venomous, Sam caught it. Oh my. The mosquitos are swarming now though, and we don't love that at all. Ugh. Anyway, here's to Spring and all its green and rainy wonderfulness (on the other hand, prayers for those who have lost much in the Texas floods this past week, including my little brother whose cabin was flooded. So very thankful he is safe.)

All for now! Jen

To our Ollie, on your 2nd birthday!

Dear Oliver (Ollie, Ollie bear, boo bear, pumpkin bug, etc:),

      Our baby is turning 2 and that is just really bittersweet. A baby no more, really, you are as "go get em toddler" as they come! You pedal trikes like it's nothing, kick a soccer ball like you've watched hundreds of games (because you have:), shout in delight over "BIG TRUCKS" and helicopters, and tractors, etc. Oh yes, full of life, the loudest and most talkative of our bunch (at your age), and the only one to go through a major hitting and throwing stage (which is on the decline, thank The Lord). 

Even though you are full of gusto, you love to "rock a minute" and "look a book" and "nuggle"...and boy are those sweet times. You are seriously adored by each and every person in our family, Oliver, and are sure to be the definition of the baby in a family for a long time to come! :) 

Your favorites at 2:

Favorite foods: "bluederries", bananas, watermelon, oranges, "mogurt", waffles, scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese...you like most things really, but fruit is by far your favorite.

Favorite books: The very busy spider, Richard Scarry books (Grandpa was caught hiding them under a pillow because you want to look at them VERY frequently! Haha), Big Red Barn, Very hungry Catepillar....lots of vehicle books from the library.

Favorite shows: "Lala Bear", "Wild Katts", and "Chugga Chugga (Thomas)". 

Favorite toys: Balls, play doh, your tractor and big trucks, trikes, the neighbors sandbox and firetrucks. 

That about sums it up, you cute little thing. You make us all smile and laugh every day, and I truly can't imagine our family without you!!

We had a fun day celebrating you today. We went to a little goat dairy farm this morning that we had visited before and had such a great time, and then had a little celebration with cupcakes and neighbor friends tonight. All you had was a short car nap today, so you were pretty over the whole thing after cupcakes. Friends went home and things quieted down, and you totally rallied when Mammy face timed and we gave you the huge dump truck she had sent for you. "It's a BIG TRUCK MAMMY! BIG TRUCK! Looka that truck!" You loved it, to say the least, and it was a perfect way to end your big day!

All my love,

Mama

(will download more pics soon:) 

Newsies!!

I can still remember so clearly sitting in the theater when I was 12, totally enraptured with the movie on the screen. Newsies. That was the first of many, many, many, many times my friend Kristi and I watched that beloved musical. We had every line memorized, sang each song with gusto, had crushes on our favorite characters. Together with Annie, it was the soundtrack of my youth. 

So, you can imagine my delight when Sam and Amelia caught the Newsies fever while visiting our best buds in SLC! The movie soundtrack was quickly purchased and we are frequently belting out tunes in the car and house. Then I looked and found that the Broadway musical was coming to Dallas and snatched up some nosebleed tickets for the twins' birthday gift! 

This past weekend was the day and Shari and I took the kids and all SO enjoyed it!! What fun!! Sam was in full Newsies costume, and folks thought that was as darn cute as we did:) My kids are Newsies "super fans". Oh yeah!

All for now, Jen