Are these our children?

What do you think? Are these our children? Do they look like us?

Owen

Dad

Brody

Mom

Fall Fun

This week the boys have discovered the crunch of the leaves. I was sweeping the driveway while they finished their nap after our walk. When they woke up there was no stopping them. I loved watching them play. Who knew a broom and dead leaves would equal an hour of entertainment.

What's mom complaining about? This is fun!

"Brody, grab this broom and make yourself useful!"

"Fine. I'll sweep, but you have to hold the dust pan."

"Lily, do you see what mom is making us do?"

Brody was such a big helper

Owen loved to scoop the leaves and dump them on brother

Divo (is that a male Diva??)

No pictures please!

Let's Go Cowboys!

Todd found these jerseys for the boys when we were at the game. Brody is Romo and Owen is Barber. How stinkin' cute do they look doing their pregame routine.

the walrus and the blue bunny really get us hyped!

Owen stretching out his hamstrings

Brody posing for the ladies

Halloween 2009

We had a busy Halloween LONG weekend. Here's a few snapshots and recap of all the fun!

Owen strutting his stuff at his MDO parade. The photo is not great because I was hiding between pews so the boys would not see me. Ms. Dana said I had to take them home if I upset them.

Brody did his walk while trying to remove his pants. He is not a fan of anything tight around his ankles or wrists. (we've had to alter all our pj's)

Owen decorating cookies during their party

Thursday night we headed to a party at gatti's. Yummy pizza!

an attempt at photograph many dressed up little ones. Notice how happy mine are!

Friday we headed out to MCC. Miss Georgia was a piggy.

Then we headed to Mia's Halloween party. Don't we look like we are having fun?

Pa Doss was so excited to see his super heroes

Saturday we started our trick or treating at Debbie's house (we even got to feed the horse). Thanks for all the treats Debbie! Candy for the boys plus homemade cinnamon rolls, pumpkin bread, and wine for Mommy and Daddy. My kind of treats!

Lillian and Hannah were there to share in the fun

we headed home and Baryn (bat girl) and Braden (bat man) came by to drop off yummy cookies

then we headed out with the Earls to trick or treat in our neighborhood. Lillian was a princess and Jackson was her frog prince. So cute!

The boys did really well carrying their treat bags Grammie got them. They loved digging in every one's treat bowls and transferring candy to their bags. Luckily we don't really know what candy is!

Playing the piano at Sharon and Ken's house with this lovely lady. Thanks for our Halloween books!

Super Heroes are amazing musicians. Who knew?

Then we went to see Kelly and Billy and Frankenstein!

Kelly had really funny suckers! We were all covered in sticky goodness

two tired super heroes. Congrats boys we survived!

Where have we been?

We have been oh-so-busy! Don't get me wrong, we've definitely been having lots of fun too! Here are a few pics from my new fab camera. I'm still practicing taking pics and loading and editing them. I think the guys are lookin' pretty cute! We celebrated our 20 month birthday Monday. (I'll do a little update at the bottom for those who are interested)

So happy to wear our Halloween pj's

Lookin' cute in orange

We headed back to Dallas this weekend. The boys enjoyed so literature on Nana and Papa D fireplace

Did a little accounting and bookkeeping

We went to a small church pumpkin patch to find Nana some good pumpkins for her porch

Owen ran right to this and stuck his face through like he did it everyday of his life. Brody...grabbed lots of little pumpkins and threw them through the holes! Such different personalities!

Owen thought the pumpkins were great!

Brody was very intent on finding the perfect one (we saved this one from sailing through the hole shortly after this picture was taken)

such big helpers!

Owen played ball in the backyard

***Warning! Halloween Preview Below!****

Don't scroll down if you don't want to know what we are going to be!

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SUPERMAN!!!!

Superman is getting lots of teeth so his flying is slightly off as one hand is always in his mouth.

So EXCITED about Halloween!

Batman finally gave in and accepted his outfit

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We are going and growing at 20 months. Just last week all of our vampire teeth arrived! Within three days of each other there were eight little pointy teeth peeking through. The boys are putting words together, such as "bye-bye Dada" and "no no dog". They are too funny. We have a whole list of animal sounds and will actually perform upon request. Owen is our little mimic. I said "bless you" to B the other day in the car and then this sweet little voice "bess you" from behind me. As far a food, we're still pretty much eating the same thing. I'm heavily relying on V8 for our veggie source, but this week is veggie week and we are trying a new one each night. Corn went over pretty well last night. Green beans didn't fair as well tonight. School is going great. Tuesday was "Brody's best day ever" as far as his teacher were concerned. The drop off is still not smooth. As soon as they are distracted I run and hurdle the baby gate at the door. (be watching FUMC moms I might trip very soon). Bedtime is still 8 and we are on a new tooth brushing kick. It starts out as a tooth brushing and then an all-out chewing on the tooth brush followed by screaming as I take them away. Books are at the top of our list and we watch Cars every single day. I have learned this is the answer to how I can get dinner fixed each night. If I need at least 30 minutes of alone time (dinner, shower, laundry) Cars is the answer. We love puddles, planes, and Handy Manny. Tomorrow is the Halloween party at MDO so stay tuned.

The Air Show

Last weekend we went out to the air show in Midland. Todd had to work, so Grammie's help was very much appreciated. The boys had a wonderful time and we really appreciate the Garcia Family inviting us! (pictures aren't great, from my iPhone)

Upon arrival, not so sure

The boys were contained by this little fence. Too bad it didn't block the runway. They really wanted to chase the planes!

Grammie and the two cutest little guys I know

Brody thought the runway light was very cool

Owen thought the light was pretty interesting too. I was shocked that my two tots managed to remove a piece from the light. Shouldn't those things be close to nondestructive?? If anyone asked, it wasn't us!

Our Favorite Friend

This weekend Todd headed to Dallas for the A&M game. The boys and I missed him, but we found someone that brought a smile to our face...

Who's Brody so curious about?

Owen's not sure...

IT'S ELMO!!!
Brody was totally in LOVE!
I might request his teacher wear this costume if it evokes this kind of emotion.

Owen was not so into Elmo. He like him from a distance. Not a fan of his hat though.

We did enjoy Lillian's new swing set.

Thanks for having us to your 2nd birthday Lillian. We had a great time!

P.S. Owen had his first kiss this weekend! Georgia was the lucky lady!

New Furniture

We are back in our routine...finally...I think? The boys went back to MDO and had a great day. They made the cutest chickens on a stick (maybe I should load a picture?) and we now proudly know what a chicken says. And I think they must have learned a chicken dance, because whenever a chicken is brought up or seen, Brody starts bouncing up and down. Who knows?

Last night Todd and I went to "Take the Money and Run", a charity event benefiting the Midland Rehabilitation Center. Me, showered and dressed, with some of the ladies.

Todd's name was drawn out of the hopper and I made a dash to claim this precious table for my boys. They were so excited when they came down for breakfast this morning.

Brody has an interesting chair mounting process. He climbs on the chair one foot at a time and then squats and slowly lowers one foot at a time until he is seated on his bottom. No wonder these little guys are so worn out at the end of the day. Imagine if that's how you sat down each time you sat in a chair everyday!

Guess who Owen spotted right off the bat? ELMO!!!! He was very excited to see his buddy. They are so funny with this table. They have sat at it all day. We read books at the table, had snacks, had juice, played cars, watched TV, watched mom decorate...everything we could do from this spot.

I have no words

Mom: "Owen does that really have to go to bed with you?"

Owen: "Uh, Yes. Why not?"

(Yes, he did make it all the way up the stairs and never missed a beat)

Brody: "Wait! I didn't know we were bring stuff! I've got to go get something!"

18, well...19 months

We had our 18 month well check today (even though we're 19 months old as of last Friday). Lily went with me for our adventure. Little did I know, but today was also the day Dr. Nabulsi received all of his flu shots. It was a mad house! Lily and the boys hung out in the car while I went in to sign in. It was wall to wall parents and nervous kiddos awaiting their shots. They called us in and it was a pretty quick visit. I was pleasantly surprised. The boys were both in great moods. First thing we did was strip down to the diaper so they were pumped! They giggled and ran around and as hard as I tried they touched everything (I doused them is antibacterial gel every few minutes). Owen didn't cry at all during the exam. Brody had more of an opinion of the exam, but in his defense he had a terrible ear infection. We got two shots plus a flu shot to boot (bonus on the timing of the arrival of the flu shots). Here are our stats:

Owen
Weight 24 pounds 9 oz (25%)
Height 2'10" (88%)
Head 19.75 (90%)

Brody
Weight 22 pounds 13 oz (10%)
Height 2' 10.5" (93%)
Head 19 (50%)

We are healthy and doing great! Hopefully we won't be back at that office for a long time!

I couldn't resist a flashback...

one year ago...seven months old

19 months old heading off to MDO

Dallas - Part Two

Well, we have finally returned home to Midland! The boys and I have been gone for ten days. It was great to be at my parents and the four extra hands were fabulous. It was nice that my parents were so excited to see them when they woke up, therefore I got to sleep in ALOT! Grandparents are the best. I know we will definitely miss Nana and Papa. Owen has asked for them a couple of times. I have a feeling their house is quiet tonight. (They probably went to bed early!) In the middle of our visit, they went to Austin to check on my sweet nephew, Jacob. He had his tonsils out. Luckily Vicky and Katie K kept me and the boys company.

I will pick up in Dallas with the boys' haircut. Marsha, who does my parents hair, gave the boys their best haircut to date! Thanks so much Marsha! She even managed to cut the forward fade action Brody had going on.

Brody, true to form, was not a happy customer. Notice the lip.

Nana gave him Fritos as a bribe, but he only enjoyed shoving them in my mouth.

Have you ever? Yes, Owen is asleep.

We stopped by to see our very special friend, Rita. The boys did not want to pose. Can you tell?

Notice Brody's third eye. This is minutes before we leave to go pick up Daddy at the airport. This is before the swelling...CPS!

Owen....no idea what he is doing, but was totally entertained

We had a shower for Sam and Suzanne. This is Todd and his high school buds. Fun times!

Nana and Papa D took the boys to the Arboretum on Sunday. Todd and I joined after brunch with the Easters, but it was insane hot and we didn't stay long.

Owen found the perfect pumpkin

Brody just couldn't decide

We met Lauren at Freebirds. So fun!

Owen's first Freebirds Burrito

This is how Brody enjoyed his Freebirds

This is where we ended our trip...Monday Night Football with the Cowboys!

Tailgating before the game

Chris and Myndi kept us company

Look how huge the TV is!!!! It was hard to watch the real players with that monster so clear right in front of you.

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We had a great time and I have just now noticed no pics with Nana and Papa. I will have to work on that when we go back in October.

Dallas - Part One

Todd and I loaded up the boys and headed to Dallas last Friday. We had a great dinner with Bear and Blaire in Ft. Worth before we continued our journey to see Nana and Papa D. Saturday Todd and I got to escape to the hotel early and relax before we went to our friend Meredith's wedding. (wish I had pix, but my camera was dead, so I'm waiting on Chris...) We had a great time and I know my parents loved having the boys all to themselves. Todd headed back to Midland Sunday and the boys and I stayed behind for a little visit.

The boys loved the shopping carts at Nana's grocery store

They loved the yummy chocolate chip cookies even more

Papa D leading Brody into his worst nightmare (little did he know)

Owen clutching on for dear life...

Oh, maybe it's not too bad (now that Papa D took Brody out and there was no more screaming). Where are we?

Rain forest Cafe! Not so much fun. We order appetizers and the boys food and scarfed it down so we could get out before the animals went wild again. This picture was difficult even though it had been an hour since we left dinner. Brody kept an eye out for an wild animal that might attack. Maybe we'll try again in a year?

Bath time at Nana's is more fun with color tabs

Brody looks like he's on a Caribbean vacation

Owen loves his bath

We had a great play date with Emily & Travis and Candace and Miles today. Thanks so much to Travis for sharing all his toys and slide with us!

Fast Rides and Wild Animals

Last week on a trip to the mall, I gave in...

First we rode together. A buck a ride get pricey!

Brody insisted on having his beverage at all times. Strange.

Owen thought he was the coolest guy in the place

We went to the petting zoo at Septemberfest. Owen thought if he just put his little hand in the bucket the ducks and chicks would just jump on.

I would like to introduce you to Brody's new best friend. He became rather possessive of this little guy.

Owen bahhh-ed at the sheep and told him "NO" over and over again.

Brody took his goat to meet his buddy Hannah

Brody was trying to convince Lillian to pick up the chicken

Lillian thought Brody might like the pig. It was no goat.

Grammie came out and joined us in the rain. She sat with ALL the kiddos while Jennifer and I waited for the Elmo balloons. Aren't they cute?

Two seconds after receiving Elmo, Owen removed his eyes and nose (notice they are in the cup holder while he goes to town removing a leg). Wow!

First Day of Mother's Day Out

Are we going on a road trip??????

Nope. Just Mother's Day Out. That's right. Two nap mats, two lunch boxes, four sippy cups, one diaper bag, one double stroller, two sweet boys, and one nervous Mom!

Brody woke up bright and early and was ready to go

Dad had to go wake Owen up, but he was ready to go once he had his waffles

When I say let's go, the boys head for the door

Owen double checked to make sure the lunch box was packed correctly

Owen is upset they have mixed up their stuff

Such the big brother

Brody went right in and found a seat

Owen found his teacher and a buddy

The boys started Mother's Day Out at First United Methodist this morning. They did so good (so did I) and did not shed any tears when I left. Miss Dana was great and just grabbed them out of the stroller before they ever saw it coming. Apparently, they had a tough morning. My friend, Kenye Kay, was dropping her little boy next door and she said both boys were clinging to the gate with tears. She had a good point, "at least they have each other". Dana said when she pulled out those nap mats, Owen was like "FINALLY" and he crashed. Brody needed a little cuddle time, but who can blame him. They were funny when I picked them up. Owen flashed me a huge smile and ran away. Brody was very engrossed in his teacher singing Itsy Bitsy Spider, but when he saw me he whimpered and ran. I'm such a sucker and I snatched him up. Overall, they did great. Such a big day! I am so proud of all of us and looking forward to trying again Thursday.

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend we headed to Dallas for our friend Ray's 30th birthday! It was a great weekend. We got to visit with my parents (they got to babysit), see lots of friends, and even managed to squeeze in a trip to the Dallas Aquarium. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.

My boys strolling through the Aquarium

the penguins greeted us at the door

Dad and Owen checking our some birds

the boys absolutely LOVED the otters. There were two of them wrestling in the water with a ball. The water level was perfect for the boys because the could watch them under water and then stand up real quick to see them jump out of the water.

The sting ray tank was also a hit. I love when they crouch down. Why is this so cute?

There are these concave windows in one of the tanks, and I was trying to get a pic of Owen. Dad went around and stood in the tunnel behind Owen. I wish this pic had sound! Owen squealed when he saw dad in the tank!

Then we headed to the park with our Great Outdoors yummy sandwiches. I have to tell this funny story. There was a 4 or 5 year old little boys playing at the park. Owen starts walking toward him (I assume he want the ball) and Owen freezes, points, and grabs his hair. This is funny because the little boy had Owen's exact hair! Did Owen recognize the great hair?

This is from last week but I had to throw it in. I had brought the skillet over to the table to refill the boys plates. While we were clearing the dishes, Owen crawled up in the chair and finished off the rice. He can also climb in and out of his highchair by himself. Great!

We got our new nap mats from Nana this weekend. Didn't she do a great job!?!?

Daddy was showing Owen how it works

Daddy making sure the nap mat was safe for our first day of Mother's Day Out tomorrow!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Tonight the Oei's invited us to the Rockhounds baseball game. So much fun! We were in a box and this is totally the way to go. The kiddos ran around inside with their toys watching Disney and the grown ups got to sit outside and enjoy the wonderful West Texas night.

They were so into the game

Owen kept escaping to the box next door. Betsy's nephew, Owen, kept going to retrieve my Owen

Brody thought the mascots were very cool

You have to enlarge the pic, but Owen is on the Jumbo-Tron.

Dad and B boy at their first baseball game

Dad explaining to Owen why we should not be in the neighbors box

Reagan loved playing with her boys

Night Night. Rockhounds win!

look what we did today...

This first picture is most just for a point of reference. (It's also a funny story...the boys knocked over their tee pee and it quickly turned into a ramp/hammock. They are so smart!)

Notice that crazy blond hair...

Brody with his big boy haircut

Owen rockin' a much shorter do!

We went and got our hair cut today. Grammie got the pleasure of joining us this time. I figure if I rotate grandparents they (the grandparents) won't be too traumatized by the pain of watching the boys suffer through such torture. The lady was very impressed Brody was able to scream, suck on a sucker, watch TV and get his haircut. Owen did great. He worked on his sucker and watched tv while only being slightly irritated by the nice lady snipping his locks.

They are so handsome!

Mmmmmm....Peanut Butter

I was enjoying a banana and peanut butter today, and....my peanut butter was high-jacked! Guess who is a peanut butter fan? Owen!

Is this the face of a guilty man?

Little angel Brody was totally innocent

Lovin' it!

Brody was totally occupied with his silly Dada

SOOOOOO good

Not too happy to hear NO from his Momma

Owen has made a friend for life. Peanut Butter is her weakness.

Dad is looking forward to the day the boys can "fetch" us stuff. While we hone those skills, Brody's backscratching skills will have to do.

Chuck E Cheese and 18 Months Old

We turned 18 months old yesterday! One year and a half old! I can't believe it! The boys are wonderful and continue to amaze me everyday. Today, we went to Chuck E Cheese with a few friends. This was our first time and let me just say...WOW!!!! Thank goodness I ordered food. I had to refuel on a number of occasions just to keep up with the two of them. I somehow don't have any pics of our buddies Anna and Brown. I'm sure Penelope and I looked like nuts chasing down four 18 month olds!

Owen and Baryn

Miss Baryn enjoying her beverage

Brody was thrilled when he saw the "horssss". I think he was a little disappointed when he realized it was not real. But he sure did "Nay" a little at his pony.

Owen could have cared less about this fellow. He just rode it to make mom happy.

This is what Owen thought was fun! Can't find Owen...look up the Skee Ball ramp!

Brody and little Miss Georgia. Check out her grin!

A little pizza to go. I wanted to run a couple of errands so I bribed Brody.

There was no need with Owen. He was OUT!

Chowing down!

OUT!

Ruidoso Weekend

***Warning***
Picture Over-Load Ahead!

We got new shoes for school...

and we look like BIG boys! (mom actually took us shoe shopping all by herself)

Thursday we headed up to Ruidoso, New Mexico to celebrate Todd's grandmother's 83rd birthday! Happy Birthday GREAT Nana!

What's everybody lookin' at?

"Look kids a deer!" This big guy came walking down the street each morning. The boys would point at the door and ask deer at least 100 times a day.

Nana's deck wraps all the way around her house and it was a great babysitter. The boys loved to stomp and run on the deck and play with their cars.

We went to the horse races and got right up in the action.

Owen loved the horses and the tractors

Nana showed off her family to all her friend at the Jockey Club.

There was a great park Todd and I walked down to. It had a fabulous playground for the boys.

Todd and the boys took a turn on the tire swing. The boys did not like their first taste of dizzy.

Great Nana with her great grandsons. They loved to crawl up in her lap and read books.

We squeezed in a train ride...

before the pony rides. Brody thought this was by far the best thing he had ever done!

Owen took a little more convincing. He finally got into it and started to enjoy it.

Dad and Owen

Mom and her Owen

Fam photo

so sweet

we love our new shoes! They get very upset if one has them on and I don't put their on immediately

Pa Doss helped Brody find the perfect rocks to throw into the river.

wild bunch of boys

Sunday Fun-day!

We had a great Sunday at the Rogers's house. The boys played in the pool and on their new climber before a nice long nap. And after lunch, we headed right back out there. So wonderful!

The boys love to "lounge" like Momma

My handsome guys

Had a little more trouble taking a picture with Mom

Owen was enjoying his "momma hammock" but we were too late with the camera. Just pretend he's smiling!

Popsicles were the perfect way to end our day.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.