Happy belated x 2...

First of all...Happy Belated Birthday to Dave's sister, Jen. She celebrated her special day on November 4th. This is a special day in our family as it is my Sissy's birthday too. We were fortunate enough to spend time with Jen and her family on her actual birthday. That never happens, but we were in Tampa to meet our new niece, Carmen...what a special family and special weekend. Thanks to Jen, Carlos, Caal, and now..sweet baby Carmen for hosting us for a fast but fun weekend. We wish they lived closer; we always have so much fun with them.

Next...happy belated 5th birthday to Drewman. Wow---I can't believe that you are five, little man. We brought you home from Ft. Walton Beach Medical Center on a blustery December day in 2006. What a sweet blessing you have been to us?! You are full of energy; although, you love to veg out in front of the TV to watch a good movie or "show." You're a tender-hearted boy who is always looking out for others. You are desperate to learn to read, and we practice all the time. You love chocolate milk, all of your grandparents (who adore you as well), your brother, your cousins...Hud, Caal, and baby Carmen, watching football, playing with Legos, cars, and Transformers. You hate going to bed and taking a nap (well, most days you don't like a nap.) You love watching WordWorld, Power Rangers, and Transformers, but you are always willing to let Grady watch his show first...Elmo's World. You love to play with your friends in the neighborhood, and they love to hang out with you too. You're kind, smart, and funny. I love to see you laugh and smile, and you are the most ticklish person that I have ever met. We love you!

Drew at 2 1/2 years old...

And just now..at 5 with your little bro...holding his hand and protecting him as you do best...

Happy belated and happy early birthdays to...

Our sweet niece arrived on September 27th, 2011...Caal welcomed a baby sister, Carmen Louise. Yay...a girl! We are so excited. They are all doing well.

And Happy early 2nd birthday to GRADY JOSEPH! We're headed to Nashville for a wedding in a few hours, so I won't be able to blog tomorrow. How time flies....

Grady - You are a crazy man. We love to call you Gradymeister, and you love to keep us on our toes. You are not ready to give up your beloved paci yet, and frankly, we're just going to let you keep it for awhile. You are headstrong and stubborn..wonder where you got those qualities from?!?! (Can you say...your Daddy?!) Ha! You love Elmo, The Wiggles, any kind of ball, your potty time book, riding on your tricycle, cereal, MILK, yogurt, ice cream, anything sweet (that might be from your Mommy), and your favorite...your big brother, Drewman. You hate showers/baths, being away from Drewman, not getting your way, and eating dinner.

We are so thankful for the past 2 years of your sweet life...happy birthday, little man!

Happy belated birthday to....Jay-Jay, Nonna, & Pops

So...what have we been up to since June?! Well --- We took a long drive to Rochester, NY via Leesburg, VA to see Dave's family, Marty, Jeannie, and crew; We dropped off Drew and Grady with Dave's parents then took a 5 day trip to NYC (just me and Dave--10 year anniversary); Drew learned how to really swim on his own; Grady learned to exercise his right to be either very happy or very mad (hilarious and painful at the same time); Dave is finishing our sunroom into another family room (since we don't have a basement); I'm training for the Atlanta half-marathon on Oct 2; We're waiting for baby Cisneros who will be born on Sept. 27th...yippee, and we're all back at school...summer is over, and fall is here. We're asking for prayers for my grandmother, Grams, as she is fighting off an infection in the hospital right now that has been taxing both mentally and physically on her and the family.

In the meantime Pops celebrated his birthday yesterday on Sept 16th. We celebrated with pizza and playtime with the three stooges...Drew, Grady, and Hudson. He wouldn't have had it any other way. They all love to play with him too. He's also a very good frozen yogurt date...or so we hear from Drew & Grady.Thanks for always making us laugh and for supporting us in all we do...we love you, Pops.

And to our sweet, Nonna, who celebrated a milestone bday (you do the math) on Sept. 11th. Nonna is a doting grandma who loves to play baseball, golf, and just about anything else with her boys. She's definitely not afraid to get down and dirty with them. They are so lucky to have her and so are we.

And a VERY belated to Uncle Jay-Jay who turned 29 on August 22nd...our boys love to wrestle with their Uncle Jay-Jay, and they really love cheering on his beloved Florida Gators with him too. He's got all three boys doing the Gator-chomp. We love having him so close, so all the kids can be together. Happy belated...little bro!

I'm not sure when I'll update again because we're busy fixing up the ol' homestead and watching college football these days.

Hope this finds you doing well.



Happy belated 4th Birthday to Caal...

Our sweet Caal turned 4 yesterday, and we hate that we live so far away and can't celebrate in person. Caal is full of life and full of fun. He's also about to be a big brother...yippee! We can't wait to add another cousin to the mix. This picture was taken at the beach in April, so I know he's changed even more. He, Drew, and Grady are great pals and loved playing the few days we were with them. We can't wait to see him this fall and meet the baby. Sometimes Drew and Caal even talk on the phone...it's precious. Yes, I said precious, but it is.

This summer has been filled with playdates, pool playdates, lazy days, school days, playing, playing, and more playing. I'm wiped out for sure, and once again, I only have respect for the stay at home moms and dads who do this all year long.

We're headed to Rochester this week then Dave and I will be taking a short trip to NYC for our 10 year wedding anniversary. We can't wait...it's much needed for sure. The boys will stay with his parents while we are enjoying some time just to ourselves. That's a rarity these days.

I'll post some other pictures soon of all of our summer adventures.

Happy 91st Birthday to Grams....

I wish I had a picture of my sweet Grams to post on her 91st birthday, but we are in Clearwater with Dave's family celebrating Easter weekend. As many of you know, Grams recently left the home she spent many decades nurturing her family in to be closer to us. She moved to an assisted living home in Roswell about 15 minutes from where we live. I am so thankful to have her this close to me at this point in her life; although, we talked on a weekly basis for most of my life, I have really enjoyed seeing her over the last few months and watching her enjoy this time with my children. She is an amazing woman who has endured tragedies beyond the comprehension of most humans. Her faith in God has never wavered through all that she has endured and continues to inspire those around her.

On another note, my hubby is becoming quite the photographer these days...love this shot below of Drew at sunset tonight.

 Drew and his cousin, Caal -- They are about 6 months apart in age, and it's like they never miss a beat when they see each other every few months. We're in trouble when they are teenagers.

And sweet Grady....just trying to hang with the big boys....as always!

I hope this post finds you ready to enjoy Good Friday and Easter weekend with your friends and family. We'll head back to Atlanta on Easter Sunday and hit the ground running on our last few weeks of school. Enjoy!

Easter egg hunt...

Our neighborhood had an early Easter egg hunt on Sunday. The boys had a blast as usual with their friends. We hung out most of the afternoon with our neighbors...it's a great place to live. We head to the beach later this week to see Dave's family (minus Uncle Mark...we'll see him in May though). We're fully invested in this neighborhood for sure-I helped plan the egg hunt, and Dave is an HOA board member. Wow! --how things have changed?!

Drew with the Easter bunny

Grady and Drew - surveying the scene and not pausing for long to take this picture

Grady after his encounter with a mini cupcake. I think he liked it?!?!

Grady checking out the sights from the playground

Drewman - always on the move