(You know you haven’t posted in awhile when you can’t even remember the password to your blog.)

(Translation: we spend our days at the pool and don’t have time for computers.)

Last weekend, Drew turned 2!  How this day has come and gone just blows my mind.  What a fun 2 years it has been!

Two years ago, I was certain we were about to turn Jake’s life upside down.  Which we did…and nothing but good has come of it!  These two sweet boys are the best of buds (most of the time) and we have loved seeing them grow together!  Drew is quickly catching up to Jake in size and I get asked all the time if they are twins.  Which just cracks me up.

Some words to describe Drew are: joy, delight, rambunctious, easy-going, giggly, focused, monkey, protective, sweet, snuggly, loving, a mess, and persistent!  He has learned quickly how to get what he wants.

Drew has been through a major MAJOR Daddy phase this year.  It has started to get better recently and I have become slightly more than chopped liver.  So cheers to that.  He is such a cuddle bug and I just can’t get enough of him.

He also doesn’t mess around with his queso.  This is one of those times we just rolled with the punches and probably grossed out everyone in a 10 ft vicinity of us.  Drew loves to eat his queso like cheese soup and then licks the bowl to make sure he hasn’t missed a bit.  He has watched his Daddy one too many times.

Drew isn’t the biggest fan of the water but likes to just float around the baby pool with his turtle float.  And of course he needs his shades.  Cool as a cucumber.

We had his 2 year check up this week and he was 27 lbs (40%) and 34.5 inches (60%).  Drew did great and took his shot like a champ.  I’d like to thank the endless hours of watching Doc McStuffins for that one.

Drew’s vocabulary has really picked up…I can’t possibly write all that he says but he is repeating a lot and starting to put phrases together a lot better.  Some of our favorites are: “Peas!” (please…gets us every time), “Tank You”, “Teetle” (turtle), iPad (oh he says this one a LOT), “A Chug” (Chuggington), Maggie, Tucker, “Yesh” (yes), “A Tip Toe!” (Means Read “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”), “Baywee” (Bailey)…

…gosh, I could go on but I got distracted reading my blog from 2011 when Jake turned 2.  My babies are not babies anymore and now I will politely excuse myself to use a box of Kleenex.

…

…

…and we’re back.

Drew is taking 1 nap a day for about 1.5-2 hours.  There are days I think he could probably drop his nap but if you remember, Jake dropped his circa 20 months old.  His BFF’s Blake and Jack still nap at 4.  SO, that being said, Drew can nap as long as he wants! He now knows how to climb out of his crib and after he wakes up says “Myself!” meaning he wants to climb out on his own.  Jake never acquired this skill…let’s just hope all bones and teeth stay accounted for!

Drew’s favorite foods are sausage and cheese.  What else does a kid need?  Never in my life did I imagine going through so many packages of Little Smokies.  He won’t eat sandwiches really so he sticks to peanut butter crackers, cheese, mac & cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, most breakfast foods, pizza (can you see the healthy trend here?), and any type of pepperoni or sausage.  He will not touch any fruit besides the applesauce pouches but we have finally sneaked raisins in his diet and he seems to like them enough.

Jake could just eat crackers all the live long day.

I know I’m leaving so much out but how can you possibly describe your baby boy in just 1,000 words?  We are so PROUD of you, Drew and thank God everyday for your fun-loving self.  I know this coming year has so many changes but it just keeps getting more fun.  Happy Birthday to Drew!

Before I had kids, when I was an amazing mother, I used to think that moms didn’t do that much.  I mean, they just kept their kids alive, what’s the big deal?  I was disgusted when I heard crying kids in the store and couldn’t believe a mom would wipe boogers with her bare hands.

Now that I am eating my own words, I have quickly realized that kids require just a little bit more than that and raising them is hard work!  But I am blessed to reap the fruits of that hard work every day…one hug or big kiss is almost enough to erase the memory of the booger I accidentally ate when Drew stuck his boogery finger in my mouth.

Drew is the biggest mess and the biggest blessing to our family!  He is everything Jake is not and as a result, has really helped Jake come out of his shell.  I think giving him a little brother is one of the best gifts he will ever receive.  And he wasn’t even on sale.

(And no, we weren’t going swimming…just checking the mail!)

The boys love a good carousel.  Not all my friends love taking their kids to the mall but I think it’s the perfect morning!  We get there before it opens and play on the playground, go visit the pet store, eat in the food court, ride the carousel, and call it a day.  I’m happy, they’re happy, win win.

Jake and his friend Corben.  We spent the morning with him at a splashpad and park and they were nonstop.  I’ve discovered lots of good ways to wear the kids out!

We took the boys to a local college baseball game the other night…they were pumped to watch the game but after the first hit Jake clapped and asked, “Is it over now?”.  We barely made it 2 innings and had to leave because they were so bored.  I guess we’ve become soccer snobs for now

When Drew and I picked Jake up from his last day of school, we had the car packed and ready to go for a road trip!  My friend Jessie moved to San Antonio a couple months ago so we were excited to see their new house and play with Bailey.  I was nervous about making the drive with the kids alone but they exceeded expectations.  They made it about 3 hours before breaking down so I will call that a success.

The only problem was that Thursday morning Drew woke up with a 102 fever.  We gave him some medicine and decided to continue on since Jake was so excited.  That also turned out to be a big mistake!

Jessie, Bailey, and Jake on a ride.  I have discovered that I feel differently about amusement park rides than I did when I was 13.  And I loved them at 13

Jake and I were excited to see Shamu…you can tell how Drew felt about that.  I ended up standing with him outside the show because his fever spiked and he wouldn’t stop crying.  This is when I called Seth and said “sorry, but we have to leave!”

On the way out of the park, we let Jake and Bailey cool down at the splashpad.  He had a great time and didn’t understand why we couldn’t play longer. I felt so bad for him!

Miserable Drew

Luckily the day was slightly redeemed by seeing a lot of the Sesame Street characters!  Jake was excited but didn’t want to stand alone with them.

On the way out…Drew was done, Jake was confused, but we had 2 overpriced Shamus to show for it.

Drew and I ended up at a clinic later that evening when his temp got up to 104.5  Luckily nothing ended up being wrong but he felt so bad!

We stopped by to “work” at Grandpa’s office on the way out.

On the way back to Houston we stopped for ice cream and it seemed that Drew had a miraculous recovery!  Sigh.

We had a fun time seeing Jessie and Bailey and are anxious to go back again (with Seth this time) so we can do Sea World right! We miss our friends but are glad they’re only a few hours away!

Jake had his last day of preschool on May 22nd.  He had a fantastic year…it was wonderful to see him grow, make new friends, and learn new things.  He was in the “Teddy Bear” class this year and now won’t stop talking about being a “Busy Bee” in the fall.  It is such a relief that he loves going to school!

This was Jake on his first day of school in September…

And on our last day of school in May!

Drew had to jump in too.  It took us two full years of preschool but now Jake finally wants to carry his backpack.  It’s almost his size!

Jake and his teachers, Trish and Anne.  Words cannot express how wonderful they were. He loved them so much and we are so excited for Drew to have them next year.  They made a sweet little scrapbook for each kid to document the year (which is great because neither boy will ever see a scrapbook from me!).  Jake made so many new friends, played soccer with several of them this spring, and is excited to continue school with them in the fall.

In the meantime, bring on summer!  Except with winter temperatures…that would be nice. I about melted this week when it got up to 95.

And this is just the beginning.

We have just a couple more soccer games left in the season and all the kids are finally catching on.  By catching on, I mean that most are running around in some direction and attempting to kick the ball…sometimes toward the goal and sometimes toward the crowd.  It makes for great entertainment!

Each week one of the players gets a medal…this Saturday was Jake’s turn!  He won the team medal for “accountability” because the team was always able to count on him.  Ha!  So cute. He has played with several friends in his preschool class and of course, his girlfriend, Lexi.  As you can see, she plays with a little more style than we do.

Jake and one of his best buddies, Ben.  It has been so fun to see their little friendship blossom.

Nonnie and Popo came to watch the game and spend the day with the boys.  The kids had so much fun and wanted to show off their new swimming skills.

This picture of Drew just cracks me up.  He had to wear goggles just like Jake and wouldn’t give up this turtle float.

Tomorrow is Jake’s last day of school – I can’t believe this year went by so quickly!

For Mother’s Day we took a mini-vacation to Galveston and Moody Gardens.  We are out of town a lot to visit family but realized we had never really done anything for just our little family.  It was a nice break to get away and do something fun with the kids!  Plus, I don’t think I heard any whining or crying all weekend.  That’s probably the best Mother’s Day present of all!

The boys had a great time playing at the beach.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them so happy.  Jake was all about the water and Drew was all about the sand.  Which was evident from the insides of his swimsuit and swim diaper!

Jake and Drew were so sweet with each other.  They were holding hands unprompted all weekend…that’s true love I think.

We saw a 3D movie called “Flight of the Butterflies” which was actually really good!  I may have even cried a little at the end. Trust me, you would’ve too.  One man dedicated his ENTIRE life to charting the migration paths of butterflies.  I would’ve given up after about 30 minutes…so kudos to him.

We didn’t think the boys would wear their glasses but they were a big hit!

We had lots of fun in the sun at the “Palm Beach” waterpark at the hotel.  Again, we couldn’t get Jake out of the water and Drew just mainly watched.

Hiding from the cold water on the splash pad

Our little sandman

The butterfly habitat in the rainforest was a big hit!  Jake is obsessed with anything that creeps, crawls, or flies so he could’ve stayed here all day.

Sweet Drew was pretty worn out by this point.  He was a good sport!

Again with the love

We had a wonderful time and it’s nice to have a beach so close!  I know that the Mary 2 months from now will scoff at this comment but it is already getting SO HOT in Houston.  It’s in the 90′s today and I could melt.  Melt!

I think we have done more fishing this spring than I ever have in my life! I guess I should get used to this.  The boys love to fish and play in our creek.  My dad came to visit last week so we took him down there to see what we could catch.

I just love this picture of Seth and Drew!  Like father, like son.

And I also love this picture of Drew and my dad!  They are both focusing intently on their job.

Jake just wanted to play in these crystal clear blue waters…

All dressed up for church…they all look so handsome!

We had a great visit and the boys had a blast.  I’m pretty sure my dad went home with a sore back and a headache because it was nonstop jumping and talking to Grandpa (or “Gramp” as Jake seems to have renamed him)

Thought this was so funny of Drew cutting his eyes at the camera.  He is a mess!

First, I had to share this picture.  The boys just love their daddy!  He was traveling for work at the end of last month and when he got home they were glued to him.  Pretty sure he had to use the restroom like this.

(Kidding)

Jake’s soccer “career” has taken a turn for the better and he’s done really well for the past few games!  He hasn’t had much contact with the soccer ball (who says that part is important) but he doesn’t seem to care and loves running around with his friends.

If it appears that Lexi (#5) is giving Jake a back massage during the game, you may be correct.  I don’t know what these two were up to this week!

Watch out David Beckham.  Or his kids.

Seth is the assistant coach for the “Giants” and Jake has really enjoyed him being out there.

Of course Drew had to get his picture too!  It’s tough for him to sit on the sidelines.  I think we may have a second soccer player come next year.

“Goooo Giants!”

(notice Drew in the background!)

And of course, the main reason we finally got him out on the field…an orange snowcone.

Snowcones make everything better.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms and those who long to be one!  I have truly been blessed beyond all belief with our two boys.  It seems easy enough before you have kids, but being a mother has challenged me, rewarded me and brought me to my knees with thankfulness (well…and sometimes straight-up frustration…ha!).

I think it’s easy for moms to feel sometimes that they aren’t doing enough…I fall into this trap a lot.  But then I remember that you can’t take raising two little people lightly!  Raising children is one of God’s greatest mission fields.  Not only do we have to potty train, teach ABC’s, and wipe noses, but we need to train our children to love the Lord, know His Word, and teach it to others.

Yikes.

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,  so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Jake had “Muffins with Mom” at his school this past week and he loved getting that extra time to hang out and show me what he does at school.  And Drew (who is just ITCHING to get in that classroom!) loved playing with Jake and his friends.  They made the sweetest bag for all the moms with their handprints in the shape of a flower.  He said, “Mommy, I made this bag for you!  I used pink because it’s your favorite and now you can carry all your lipsticks in it!!”

It was so sweet and funny because I don’t even wear lipstick.

And of course, none of this would be possible without my own mother, mother-in-law, and grandmothers!  They have shaped me into the woman I am today and are a blessing to my kids as well.

Happy Mother’s Day!

We are still alive…no worries!  Life has been a little busy and I am finishing up my classes this week (anyone else find it amusing that I’ve been a “professor” for 3 years now!?  The poor kids.)

So my first goal next week is to catch up on this blog.

Hopefully…

Drew took a spill this week and has an array of cuts and bruises on his face.  We are currently in the market for a toddler-sized bubble if anyone has a spare!

I wanted to share this wonderfully beautiful post by Ann Voskamp, especially as we approach Mother’s Day.

Enjoy the beautiful weather this week!