My Boys

My Valentines

2012-02-14T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is who I got to spend Valentine's Dinner with....

3 handsome boys!!

It actually was quite a nice dinner(okay--so we were there just before 5:00 but you can still call that dinner, right!?). The boys are getting easier to entertain and Tor and I can actually talk to one another. I left the restaurant without sweating, forgetting something, no crying kids as I ~~lead~~ carry them out and actually enjoying my dinner...talk about a date night. HA!

Happy Birthday, Haiden

2012-02-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

My baby just turned 3.

How is it that there are some things you can so vividly remember that you swear it should have just been yesterday?! But it has been 3 years since we heard "It's a boy!" and our family was complete.

We had quite the string of birthday celebrations for Haiden.

We started on Thursday, the day before his actual birthday. We pretended that was his actual birthday this year due to Torrey's schedule. We had a nice supper as a family at home. Noodles, sauce and bread at the birthday boy's request---this boy loves carbs! He opened a few presents and then we had a little cake!

Good Morning, birthday boy!

(and yes those are Christmas jammies..this kid wakes up wet a lot and we need all the jammies this mommy can get to not have to do laundry more than I have to!

So fun to watch open presents. He was excited about everything!

Ha! A little dance to go along with a truck that makes noise.

Getting some leverage to blow out his candles.

On Friday we sang Happy Birthday a lot and he had a fun little party at daycare. Saturday night was party night! Here is silly man waiting by the window to see who was coming. Both sides of the family got together at my brother/sister-in-laws church. It was great to have enough room for the kids to run(and even the adults to play some b-ball), easy clean up and I did not have to keep my house clean!

He is in to being silly and then wanting to see his picture.

So excited to open presents!! This was a scooter. He kept talking about it while we were getting ready for bed and saying that he was going to ride it when he woke up. I love having little conversations with him. He's so grown up in his talking lately.

Cake time....monster trucks!! Just look at that sweet face. We were singing Happy Birthday to him and he was so giddy with joy and excitement that this was all for him.

Notice the number 3, Yeah. Backwards. I was in such a hurry just to get the candles in before he picked all the stuff off!

And notice the cupcakes with the fun tires on top?! I have my moments of creativity ;)

Isn't it just so fun to blow out candles!?

Every birthday I try to get a picture of us and the birthday boy. It took a couple of silly ones and holding his arms down but we got a true keeper!

Haiden Christian, child of the King. You fill our hearts with joy and laughter every day. You have such a gentle and kind spirit and are quick to say I love you. You have a tender heart and a stubborn side. I don't think there is anything you like more at the moment than to antagonize your brother. That pouty lip you were born with is still here today. When your feelings are hurt or you are sad about something, that bottom lip sticks right out. You are not afraid to speak your mind with attitude in your voice and are quickly figuring out that does not get you want you want and most of the time gets things taken away. You are fearless and have a mind of your own. A mommy's boy most of the time and can be so rough and tumble with daddy. There is not much baby left in you at all, although I look for it every day knowing it will be all gone soon.

I am so thankful God gave you to me to further His Kingdom. You are destined to do great and mighty things and your days are many upon this earth to fulfill the good plans God has for your life.

We love you, sweet boy.

Couldn't Resist

2012-02-05T18:40:00.000-08:00

With the string of Spring like days here we could not resist bringing the stored away bikes, scooters and roller blades for the boys to enjoy the warm sunshine this weekend. It was so fun yesterday to enjoy some soccer in the backyard with Cameron while Haiden napped and then today while we grilled lunch after church. It's weird to think we were playing soccer(and working up a sweat!) on a Saturday in February instead of sledding--but we are not complaining!

(excuse the hodge podge of attire my boys have on--they were so excited to get outside after church they grabbed the first thing they could find whether it fit or not!)

It did not take Cameron long to get the hang of blades.

And yes I know he does not have the full gear on---the grass was right there for him to fall into if needed ;) He was so excited to go outside with them he almost put them on in the basement not thinking how he was going to get up the stairs with them on! Although he would have liked that challenge ;) This was the first time he tried them outdoors and did very well!

And this little man tries his best to keep up with his brother yet is content to do his own thing, his own way. He was thrilled to get to ride his bike!

He told me to run ahead to take his picture(and no Cameron did not fall in the background but it sure does look like he is going to!).

Cameron has been ALL into Legos lately. He has a few little sets from Christmas, but is in love with Tor's from when he was little. These are quite the sets! The little black box you see next to the green square is a battery compartment that can make the windmill that they made spin(as well as airplane propellers!) Am I old if I say they sure don't make things the way they used to!? It really is neat! The two(Haiden has yet to be approved to play with them yet!) have spent hours building and playing.

Why Not?!

2012-01-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

Why not ride your snowmobile around your house?? That is surrounded by neighbors.

Last weekend Cameron was getting over a stomach bug so we could not enjoy the long awaited snow. We had the snowmobile here while Torrey was working on it so of course it made sense to try it out to see how it ran on Friday night!

He only made it a few times around the house before he needed his face mask. It was SO cold!

Seriously there are moments I wonder what are neighbors are thinking. At least it's not loud and he stayed around our house so hopefully they got a little laugh and some entertainment ;)

This little man and I stayed inside where it was warm and played.

He is holding "Free" which stands for Three. No idea where he came up with that name and when he decided this little puppy was his close friend, but he sure does look for him in his bed and likes to carry him around and play. It actually was a toy given to Cameron when he was born and Cam never really took to it. Haiden is much more into imaginary play pretending he is a puppy or kitty than Cameron. I have played kitty A LOT lately and there are times when Haiden insists I refer to him as kitty. Ha! Wierd, but fun ;)

A Morning with My Boys

2012-01-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Phew. We made it.

The weekend got off to an early start on Friday with a snow day. I was able to get a jump on the laundry, get groceries, hang with just Haiden, get Cameron from the bus and actually make a yummy supper.

Yesterday morning out of the blue Cameron woke up with a nasty stomach bug. Ugh. It was miserable watching him all morning and well into the afternoon run to the bathroom or hang over a bucket, sometimes both at the same moment! He was a trooper. So, all 4 of us basically hung out around the house. He woke up this morning completely symptom free, ready to eat and full of energy. Torrey went off to church as he had to teach his Sunday School class and we had planned for Haiden to go with, but he is not so quick to leave me behind lately(which I of course do not shy away from!) so it ended up being a fabulous Sunday morning at home with my boys.

We started the morning with some super hero action.

Can you not just laugh out loud at this?! Bed head, jammies and his best blankie as his cape(with a chip clip to keep it in place-ha!). Not to mention the cheesiest and most adorable smile ever! Oh how I love this babe!

My 2 super heroes sporting their muscles. We were in no hurry to get dressed this morning ;)

Then we had some target practice with a barricade in front of us for cover of course.

This kid does have some aiming skills!

After a nice mid-morning bath, snacks, movie time, lunch and more playtime(we were trying to make up for yesterday--if we could have only gotten sledding in! In the midst of him getting sick he still asked if he could go sledding;), this big guy needed a bit more sleep to recoup from yesterday. And even though yesterday was icky, this morning home with my boys was the best way to end a weekend ;)

Pure sweetness! Isn't is amazing how you can spend so long just staring at your sleeping child. There is just something about it--almost like you want time to stand still and at the same time your mind is reeling as to how my child can be this big? Looking at and studying all the features and how some have changed yet there still remains that baby face I will never forget and will always see every time I look at him.

Picture Recap

2012-01-08T12:49:00.000-08:00

For some reason I can't quite let myself NOT post more of our Christmas together. So, just for the fun of it here are some pics to relive the excitement, joy and love that we experienced over break(and WHY does it seem like the break was SO long ago already?!)

Our little family Christmas ;)

Cameron already knew a few of his presents by getting his hands on them after I put them out. This mommy needs to get a little more creative next year with wrapping!

This sweet boy was so excited with everything, took his time to get all the paper off and actually look at the present before moving on to the next(I think I need to tone down in the present department next year. We are blessed to be able to provide for our boys but at the same time, and maybe it's just this age, I want to stay away from the "gimmies", especially at Christmas.)

So serious about the opening!

YEAH! A racetrack!

Christmas Day at Grandpa and Grandma Vruggink's

Our new favorite board game, SORRY!

And my new favorite family picture. LOVE my boys!!

Never Too Late

2012-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

It's never too late to do a Christmas post, right?! I am not sure where this last week has gone but blogging obviously did not find it's way in! I do want to record our Christmas happenings so I will try to catch up over the next few days about our adventures(as getting back in to school mode gives me any more time...ha!) Anyway...we'll start with the Roby Family Christmas the Friday before Christmas day.

Here are the boys anxiously awaiting the arrival of the rest of the family to get the party started! We had pizza(although I don't think the kids actually tasted it they ate it so fast) before heading downstairs for presents!

All of the boys...with one more added to the bunch in a few weeks! I love all boys!

Haiden was SO fun to watch open gifts this year. He was so happy with everything, wanted to get all the paper off the box before really looking at it and was so much easier to control than last year--ahh the joys of the boys getting older!

A Cars umbrella from cousin Grayson! One more thing he can have of his own and not fight his brother for!

He also was a big(wink wink) helper to others opening their presents. He could only get away with this with the adults though ;) Mommy getting some K Cups and a new crock pot!

He was right by grandpa's side most of the night--and grandpa is moving back home at the end of the month--YEAH!!! He has been living in Ithaca for the past few years and coming home on weekends and the boys are so excited that grandpa will be home when we go to visit(which is kind of a lot, Dad so stock up on that jerky!)

Trying out a cool racing toy. Cars seemed to be the theme this year. As the boys get older it is so nice to get things that we all can play together and share(well, I use the term "sharing" loosely. Many of you know what it is like to have siblings share! We have had some good life lessons on sharing these past few weeks!)

My parents do the BEST stockings. We all look forward to these as really they are not a simple stocking, but a HUGE gift bag filled with all kinds of cool gadgets, things used around the house, treats, lotions, candles, socks, soap, you name it! This year I got this little gadget that is supposed to make your plain coffee with cream into a latte! I'm still figuring it out but it's fun! The boys enjoy the cool things in stockings....like POP!

They were SO excited to get their very own pop! So simple, but so them. Oh, and a shoe horn. Weird I know, but Cameron loves to use the shoe horn and grandpa and grandma's!

One of Cameron's favorite gifts this year were roller blades! We have had them on every day and he has gotten so much better already! Thank goodness for all the pads that came with them, though, otherwise we would have gone through many pairs of pants and band-aides for the palms of his hands from breaking his falls!

We have a long shaped basement so he has been able to get some good practice in! Can you see the smile on his face?

And a little tidbit into my life...here are my 2 older brothers. Not sure what prompted me to take their picture but thought I would share!

Chip(Christopher) is on the left(he is the oldest) and Brandon is on the right. Even though they still pick on me and call me names, I am proud to call them my big brothers. And Dad, don't go telling them I said that!!

From Our Home to Yours

2011-12-25T03:52:00.000-08:00

May you all feel the love of God this Christmas day and throughout the New Year!

Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Now THAT is good news!!

Merry Christmas!

Our Day

2011-12-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

We have had the best week. I do have to say that even though working full time does bring with it a lot of hustle and bustle and rough patches here and there, these breaks are so refreshing to simply enjoy the little things. Getting to walk Cameron into school, being there at the bus stop, not rushing bed time and enjoying simply waking up and staying home has been so relaxing and fun. We have done a little bit of everything...daycare(yes, mommy takes a day for herself to get things done--one of the perks of having an established daycare!), baking, playing, organizing, shopping, wrapping and family time just to name a few! Here is a snapshot of a day in the life of Christmas break.....

The first fun part of my day was waking up with these 2 handsome and oh so big boys!

(NOW they decide to sit nice to one another and both smile AFTER the Christmas cards have been mailed!)

We were going to go decorate cookies later in the day so I thought it would be fun to make some cookies and memories with the boys and make some to bring along! Oh dear. By the time we were done flour was all over them(and I only made them from a bag!), Haiden had way too many nibbles of dough and Cameron wanted to play with the dough. Sweating mother? Yes!

Yes, I know what you may be thinking!! No, I do not have any cookie cutters so I had to improvise. And after this escapade, I will hold off putting them on my Christmas list! Cameron did really well with cutting them out as long as Haiden did not bug him ;)

Showing me his taste test and being the ham he is!

Cameron at work while little man tries to sneak another little piece of the dough..can you see his little finger?!

Then we made a fun fort....over and over again ;)

We ran a few last minute errands and then went to meet Daddy for lunch at Logan's!

Going out to eat is finally starting to become more enjoyable and to the point where Tor and I can actually carry on a conversation(while still trying to hide the salt, pepper and knives from Haiden!)

Then it was off to our annual cookie decorating with the Vruggink cousins.

Concentrating very hard on his creation! Not sure where the cookie is on his plate? I think it might be the big white blob?! I was too occupied with this one.....

Notice the trend in our cooking today? More tasting then doing! Oh this child keeps me busy!!

We watched a Christmas movie before bed(where I actually sat down with them to watch instead of unpacking and packing bags or making lunches) and then I got to tackling wrapping!

Somehow the husband was with me but was doing this...

(I quick snapped this and he asked if I was going to put it on here..ha!) And please pay no attention to my messy house in the background...more on that to come!)

And 3 and a half hours later(while watching my own non-animated Christmas movie)....

And with 3 days to spare ;)

Oldies but Goodies

2011-12-11T04:19:00.001-08:00

Life shall we say has been a little busy lately. This time of year does add a sense of "extra busyness" and lately I have been trying to tell myself to slow down. I have not enjoyed just being with my boys nor have I taken the time to meditate more on what the true meaning this season brings. I live in THE blessing because of the miracle of Jesus and the sacrifice of a God who loves me beyond measure. I have life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows. It's this I have been trying to remind myself of instead of the to-do lists that never seems to end.

So, in this busyness that has tried to push out the enjoyment of everyday life, I have not taken many pictures of things! But here are some oldies but goodies of life with my boys.

I took this picture of the finished masterpiece the day we put it up. Cameron was very into putting ALL the ornaments in the tub up(which means some that should have been donated or disposed of a long time ago!) He did a great job placing them all in one spot--ha! I did manage to get a few up higher ;) I love it.

This is a nightly adventure in our house--wrestling. Have I posted this picture before?! The boys LOVE to wrestle. And yes, usually someone gets hurt and there are usually some tears but not for long. Cameron tries to get me to wrestle and he says he'll go soft on me! Wonder where he heard that from?!

The other weekend we went to Chucky Cheese for the first time. The boys LOVED it! I did not get many pictures. I was working up a sweat trying to keep with with Haiden and stopping him from sticking the coins in the wrong slots.

Second attempt on a Christmas card photo. This session actually went better and we did get a pretty good shot. This one came in a close second but that obviously is not Cameron's natural smile ;)

I hope you all are able to take more than one moment to just give presence this season and enjoy the abundance of blessings all around you everyday--are you looking for them? I am trying to!

A Hunting We Will Go!

2011-11-26T18:36:00.001-08:00

What a glorious few days we have had here in the Vruggink household! A fabulous Thanksgiving with both sides of the family, play time, catch up time, rest time, shopping time and just all in all a great time. We decided to keep up the excitement and head out hunting for our Christmas tree! Last year was my very first year with a real tree and I was not all that amused with the constant dropping of pine needles as soon as we brought it in the house up until we took it out. It was pre-cut, so Tor talked me in to trying to cut one fresh this year. At first I was a little disappointed because I was not seeing "the one".

Haiden decided he needed to bring a long a saw like daddy and he was right behind him not wanting to miss his chance to help! It was so cute to see him strutting all over looking for a tree with a little plastic saw!

He pretty much tried to saw anything he could reach!

And of course Cameron is not into the toy saws anymore and just thinks he needs to use what Daddy does.

After about 20 minutes of "what about this one?" and "this one might work but look over there" and "this one is to fat/short/thin/pokey" we found our Christmas tree...the perfect one!

It was a quick chop down(after Haiden got to "saw" it, a few photo ops, a dropped camera case in sap, then Cameron's turn to saw and a relocation of where Haiden explored off to--ha!) and we headed back(a LONG way) back to the van. Cameron was the photo man(not the most centered pic above but I guess this is what an almost 6 year old sees!) and Haiden tagged along at the top hanging on to his saw and the very tippy top branch of the tree(you know, where the star goes--not sure if it has a name and if it does I cannot think of it!) Anyway, it was too cute but between stops for me to switch arms, let Haiden catch back on and Cameron(well, he actually kept up pretty good on this trip) I did not get a pic of him.

It was a great day to get a tree and we got it up and in the house before the rain came. The lights are on(I am so in love with colored lights for trees now that I have kids!!) and the ornaments are in the box ready to be put on tomorrow! Hopefully pictures of the finished product will be up soon after, but seriously, no promises for this blog lately!

And so far....no needles to pick up ;)

Sign and Seal

2011-11-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you turn your back on a 2 and a half year old...

I guess he was reliving his sign and seal at baptism..pretty good, huh?!

Take 2, and 3, and 4, and.......

2011-11-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Today was a beautiful day! We decided to take advantage of a warm fall day and head out hiking with Torrey's family after church.

So, I thought to myself what a great opportunity to get a jump start on our Christmas card photo. Beautiful scenery, we're outdoors which suits our family and we had oodles of entertainment to help capture the attention and muster up some super smiles from the boys.
We knew a great spot on the trails and got all set up. Scenery-check. Both boys still not full of mud-check. Entertainment-check. We are all dressed and somewhat decent-check.

And this is what I got.
Take 1. Seriously. Haiden was being silly back to the behind the scenes entertainment.

Take 2. Nice.

Take 3. "Haiden, we are not doing a silly picture anymore. Let's take a good one quick and we'll see if Grandpa has a treat in his bag." Yes, we bribe. Hey, we're talking our Christmas card here!

Take 4. Ugh. Haiden was already trying to get down to get his treat and Cameron, well, that's Cameron.

Take 5.....and we're done. And I didn't show takes 5-10. Not any better.
**sigh**

The Best

2011-10-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

The {2} best parts of my day yesterday.....

Having some one on one time with this favorite little person helping me make some muffins.

And then getting to see this in the afternoon...
I was able to get Cameron from the bus stop! As funny as it may sound it was THE highlight of my day!
He thought it was pretty cool, too!
This teacher mommy LOVES days off!

Teachers Really Do Make A Difference

2011-10-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Cameron really likes school. He's never been one to choose to sit and do something "academic" or even coloring and crafts. And oh how I have tried. Working with him this summer to get him on track for Kindergarten was interesting and a lot of bribing took place. Lately, I have seen such a turn around in him. He is showing interest in the world of letters, sounds, reading, counting, measuring and writing. I can't tell you how it makes this mommy teacher heart happy. And the smile on his face when he reads word.....precious.

Everyday I look through his folder and ask him about his day. At first there was not much to hear about other than he had 3 recesses again and to please not pack peanut butter and jelly ;) But lately he has been so excited to share about all the things in his folder.
The other night he was particularly proud of this page where made words by sounding them out(cat, mat, sat). He was so excited to be able to read them and tell us about the rocket he drew on another page and how he did the dot to dot all by himself! He even kept talking about his day at dinner. Yes! Breakthrough!
And then, the best part. We were downstairs as the boys were riding bikes. Cameron spotted a big old box and asked if he could get the markers. Thinking it would be some fun entertainment as he(and of course then, Haiden too) colored I could get a quick run in. Little did I know that he wanted to write words!! He started sounding out the words that he learned that day. He was so proud of what he was doing...sounding out and writing real words! I saw the excitement and smile and decided this was going to be WAY more fun than a run. So, I sat on the basement floor next to him and we made words! It was so much fun. I helped him think of words, even a 1st grade word....flat ;) Of course I had to snag some pictures. Here is the impact of just one of the many ways his teacher is making a difference in the life and learning of my little boy.
And to top it off not bad fine motor skills for writing them like he was writing on a whiteboard! Pretty good Mrs. Sloothaak don't you think?! The "mer" was his sound spelling of mirror. ha!

Out of all the words he wrote, this one by far captured my heart.....
Having this time with Cameron, seeing how much of an impact just one day, one lesson, one moment can have on a child has me challenged me in my own life in the classroom. What am I doing to enrich and challenge my kids in my room? How are my actions and words making a difference in their lives on a daily basis? Am I making a difference? Do they see my passion and love for learning, teaching and desire to see them happy, safe and cared for? Many times I simply don't know. But what I am learning through the eyes and ears of Cameron is that I have at my fingertips daily moments to make a difference in the life of every child in my classroom. What gives me hope that I made a difference, is that I can see it in Cameron and strive to make writing words on a box the hilite of the day for a child in my room. I love what I do. I love that I can be a mom, and finally see that teachers do really make a difference.

All about Tools and BIG NEWS!

2011-10-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

My boys are all about tools. Not the toy ones. Those are "no fun". We're talking the tools that daddy uses. The ones they should not be left alone with and that some might consider dangerous for little boys to play with. Us, well, their a part of our day. Especially the ones that turn on and have something sharp(and why this is I do not know?)!

And when you get the chance to take things apart with said tools and use them all by yourself, it's loads of entertainment.
Last weekend(you know, when it was pretending to be summer again!), Cameron and Haiden were entertained with this old jeep that does not work (and Mommy can't seem to get rid of the clunky thing out of our already overflowing mess of toys!)
Looking for just the right spot to clip.

Little brother of course had to get in on the tool action. And please pay no attention to the fact that he has winter boots on! A battle not worth fighting, but at times I have serious worries about what our neighbors think the way Haiden is attired at moments!

And then when you add to the tools an actual project with Daddy and Grandpa Vruggink, you have a little piece of heaven for these two!
We finally got our front doors hung up this weekend. They turned out okay. I will have to see what I can find at Hobby Lobby to add some pizazz to them, but they look a little blah. And by pizazz I mean something to hang over the doors that is multi-seasonal. Remember, no crafty lady lives here! So no pictures of the blahness. But here is some cuteness at work!

Both boys eagerly searching for something that the tools could be used for!

HA! How many Vruggink's does it take to hang a door?! Many hands make the job easier, right!? Of course with these little hands you have to be on your toes so that they don't cut something a little too quick ;)

And now for the BIG NEWS!!! Are you curious? Cameron can now say.........

"I can curl my tongue!"
Seriously this boy has been trying this for SO long. And now with every bit of concentration and as deep as breath as possible, he can do it! All. Day. Long. And every time he accomplishes this feat it's like it's the first time because someone has to look or he needs to run and find something he can see himself in.
Now seriously, the 3 of you who read my blog did not think any type of preggo announcement was coming, did you! HA! That's not going to happen, but I thought it would be fun to tease:)

Whirlwind

2011-10-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

When I looked at the date of my last post I laughed out loud! Simply put, it has been a whirlwind of activity of things at this household. From taking a little mini vacation a few weekends ago, catching up from being away for only one night(yikes!), Wednesday night church starting(where I TRY to teach 3 and 4 year old's about Jesus--it's quite comical), reading with Cameron...yes he is becoming a reader!!, playing outside in this beautiful weather while it lasts, trying with every last bit of energy to exercise, packing lunches, bags and trying to enjoy every moment of it all, has to say the least, consuming my time.

So as the boys actually sleep in this morning, here are some pics as a quick recap. Hopefully as life becomes more routine, I can keep up with the happenings in this life of mine!

Attempt to get a fun picture of my boys. Ha! This makes me laugh! I guess this captures real life, though!
We took a last minute mini vaca to Cabela's. We headed out early Saturday morning(basically got the boys out of bed, changed them and gave them breakfast in the van!) and came back Sunday evening. It was a perfect little time away. We spent some time in Cabela's but the boys had the most fun at the hotel. They got to sleep in bunk beds, open the door with a card(why is that SO fun for kids) run in the halls of he hotel and play in the water park! It is so much easier the older Haiden gets!
I can't tell you how many times he went down this slide!
Why go down the normal way!?
Ha! These 2 are hilarious! And yes they have suckers to keep them entertained! I had fun walking around with them while Daddy looked for his new gun! This is one store they actually liked being in too and didn't ask to leave!

After our apple orchard adventure, we took on the task of making applesauce! One of those time consuming, messy and not much to show for it things that we have fun doing!
Just look at the concentration!
And the tongue adds some added strength!

And now the boys are awake! So no time to proofread this one!
Time to start our Saturday!

School Pictures

2011-09-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Cameron had his school pictures taken this week so I thought it would be a fun idea to try to capture a quick pic myself just because he was looking so handsome ;)

Well, he wanted some gel to put in his hair. Not a big deal until little brother decides he needs some too. I got at Cameron and Daddy got Haiden. Daddy forgot how little gel you actually need to make a cute statement.
Then Haiden of course needed to get in on the picture. So, my fun idea turned into this....

Nice. So let's quick try again.

Good thing these 2 are cute.
Guess it's the most I can expect from them at 7:15 AM ;)

That Face

2011-09-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Isn't is funny how when some kids watch TV they get that face of total "tuned outness"?! Well, my boys get that face ;) And as I was watching them tonight I felt I needed to capture the moment. So here are my boys' TV faces ;)

Crinkled brow....this must have been during a critical moment in the movie!

Totally zoned out.

One Last Adventure

2011-09-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday we packed up and headed out for one last adventure to CranHill Ranch. This time it was just us and Torrey's mom and dad. And although the weather was not ideal, we still did all that a fabulous weekend of camping can bring(I did not get more pictures of us eating ice cream, holding the bunnies, taking baths or playing at the beach, though:)) But I did get......

one last picture of our summer home...ha! Notice the big blue and gray tarps to block the wind and rain, nice hillbilly look, huh! But it's cozy and we like it ;)

One last "biggest catch" ever.....

one last morning cup of coffee by the fire......

one last kayak ride(amid a few rain drops!)

one last s'more(not sure why his hair is wet and wild in this one!?)

one last slide down the sand hill....

and one last picture of Cameron's first REAL day of Kindergarten. HA! Can you feel his excitement of yet another picture!
One last great family vacation for the summer!
School......we're ready!

A BIG First

2011-08-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

This week, we hit a B-I-G milestone in our house.

Cameron started Kindergarten! Can you sense his excitement?!

Monday night we had his open house(which singing praises and praying out on the playground as a family with teachers and other students....SUCH a calming and awesome way to kick-off a school year!) On Tuesday I was able to go in with Cameron for about an hour for a little taste of Kindergarten.
It was so.much.fun! And I so was "that mom" taking pictures ;)
Finding his very own locker!

Getting to know some new friends before we got started.

I hope he always listens this good! First time listening to Mrs. Havert give the class directions.

He was so independent and really interested in just being there....phew!! But he did like me to come along by him as we checked off each item and held my hand as we walked outside to the playground. I could have frozen that moment!

We got to go on a scavenger hunt around the room and out in the hall. It was so fun to see him excited about where he was, what he was doing and who he was with. We also found out that his daycare friend he has known since 6 months old will be there on the same days, just a different class. They already made plans to play at recess! Cameron wants to show him how to do the monkey bars ;) He could hardly fall asleep tonight he was so excited that tomorrow is a full day of school(which Haiden thinks he gets to go too!)

At the end, his teacher pulled the mom's across the hall and read us a little story. We were all crying at the end! She shared her heart with us--her passion, assurance and love that is already there for our children, prayed with us and most importantly took the time to acknowledge this big step in our lives, the lives of the ones we are entrusting to her and assured us that she will love on them and share Jesus' love each and every day. I left feeling more at ease, calm and excited for this next step and journey in our family.
Clothes are laid out, backpack by the door and lunch is packed.
We are ready for Kindergarten!

Just Me and my Boys

2011-08-26T05:06:00.000-07:00

This summer has been filled with things that just the boys and I do together...playdates, shopping, playing, beaches, lunches and all the other great things about summer......like getting ice cream!

The other night the boys and I decided it was a great night to get a yummy summer treat. Cameron wanted to go to that place with the umbrellas(bowling alley) so off we went just me and my boys. As we were talking about what we were going to get on the way there, Haiden remembered about the gummy fish he had gotten the last time(a WAY long time ago, mind you) and his mind was set. Cameron was looking for a novelty ice cream bar like Spiderman.
Watching the creations being made with all the fun machines and noises. Anything that has motors, gears, noises, switches, tubes, etc....these two are mesmerized.

Cameron had to change his idea and opted for this fun creation. Isn't it cute?

This little one made sure he get his "fishy gums" as he called them;) Doesn't his cheesy smile just make you happy?!

Cameron saved the cookies for last ;)

A mouth full of fishy gums!
And even though Haiden spilled his ice cream on the ground and all over my purse and Cameron thought it was okay to climb the fence, it's times like these when it's only ice cream on the agenda and nothing else, that I have so cherished this summer with just me and my boys!

Still Here

2011-08-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

Yes we are still here! I am not sure where the past week or so has gone! Well, I do...it's just it went by SO fast, again!

We have been having playdates, hanging out with family, spending time at our new favorite summer place(more on that later), errands, lunches and spending some time in school getting geared up for the fast approaching school year. Not yet will I say gone are our summer days, but we are getting close!
These are just a few of the pics I have uploaded and have to do some more yet. One project we have been wanting to do is re-do the front doors. The other night, Tor wanted to see how easy these eyesores came off and of course the boys had to join right in.
They came off very easy which was nice for the boys to be able to help. Now, if I was a crafty, DIY kind of lady, I could think of something really cute and crafty to do with these little plaques. But that I am not, so they are sitting in a pile in the garage!
Any tool that Daddy gets out, the boys have to try it out. Whether they use it like it's supposed to be used, that's a different story!
And this is where we left it. This is what you will see driving up to the house. Nice. Can't quite decide if this is better don't ya think! Adds a little dimension, right?

I wanted to post this so I wouldn't forget. Haiden will call for me in the morning and when I walk into his room I find him like this.
(please pay no attention to the baskets of laundry or camera cord that looks like a big crack in the wall...we haven't paid too much attention to the little things lately!)
He covers himself up and thinks we can't see him. So I play along and ask where Haiden is, when he will be back and sit in the chair and wait for him to "appear"! Funny how he thinks I can't see him. He sits so still, too! Most days when he shows himself he smiles, but this morning he wasn't so sure about it all....
Pitiful, isn't it! But oh so cute!

Big (Little) Boy

2011-08-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Lately when I ask Haiden if he is my baby he will say, "No, big boy Mommy!" When I give him kisses he will wipe them off and say "gross!" I have no idea where he learned that from but it makes me just kiss all over him ;)
Well, Mister 2 and a 1/2 thinks he needs to ride a bike like his brother. So, Torrey got out his little bike from the basement and put the training wheels on. Haiden could not get the bike outside fast enough! Cameron was very helpful in giving him pointers, helping him along and getting excited for him.

All geared up and ready to go!

The sun was out so he needed his shades ;)

We need to work on looking where he is going! He actually can turn and start himself, as long as it is not on a hill!

Still not looking where he is going!
It was a moment watching him thinking of how big he is getting, how much less of a baby he is and really getting to be a big boy like he says. So, I also ask him if he can be my baby some of the time and he says yes. That makes my heart happy!

Family Camping Week

2011-08-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last week we packed up the van, camper and car top carrier and headed to CranHill for our annual week long camping adventure. We were breaking at the seams! The week was fabulous and went by way too fast. The weather was great. A HUGE storm came Tuesday night and I was so thankful Torrey was there to help get things covered and the like and both boys slept through it all! We had really hot and humid weather perfect for the beach, a little drizzle, clouds and just right days. So a little of everything to keep activities new and fun. All the cousins got along so well, food was in abundance and yummy(why when you are camping do you, or I , feel like you need to snack ALL day?!) and there was actually some time for relaxation! Each summer there keeps getting easier and easier. So here are just a few of the pictures taken throughout the week. We took almost 200! Every year I see myself looking at the same kind of pictures but with bigger kids...bunnies, ponies, ice cream, fires, smores, tie-dye, baths, beach...we do it all!

Morning coffee with Grandma. For some reason we got in the habit of waking up, having something sweet like homemade bread, ginormous muffins or cinnamon rolls with coffee before having breakfast.
(Just so you know the cup was empty..almost!)

Fishing almost everyday. We learned quickly that we will be needing another fishing pole for our next visit. Fighting on the dock over whose turn it is leads to some almost kids in the water moments.

A little rain can't stop him!

Watching over the captured turtles. These little friends provide quite the entertainment!

A new favorite of Cameron's is the skate park. He is getting braver going up and down the ramps and is so proud of his 2 inch jumps he can now do!

A fun water balloon fight. Is this not a great action shot of Cameron nailing unsuspecting Grandpa or what?!

Cameron was so much braver in the water! He loved jumping off the dock and even figured out how to do little front flips off of it. He tried a few times to catch a ball while jumping, but then wanted to go back to just jumping ;)

Silly boys!

And oh the ice cream! A different flavor every day! Why does ice cream from your own home town taste so much better when you are away?

And the smores! Finger licking good!

Doesn't this make you want to have one right now?!
So many great memories made and we already can't wait until next year!

"Watch Me" and "Me Help"

2011-07-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

2 weeks of swimming lessons are done! Cameron is much more confident in the water and had a great time. Now the past few times we have been in the water all I hear is "Watch me, Mommy! Watch this, Mommy" "Look what I can do" Want to see me do this, Mom"! So fun to see his new found confidence allow him freedom and so much more enjoyment of swimming. I think next year Haiden might join in and the Mommies can get some pool side chats in! What do you think, ladies?!

Here are some pics from the last day.
I was very impressed with the instructors and how the classes were run. The boys always started out with 5 bobs in the water.

Then it was time to practice floating on backs and fronts.

Swimming back and forth with and without the kickboard. These instructors have some serious wading skills to swim back and forth, stay afloat themselves AND hold on to the little ones!

The hilite was free time. This last week, Cameron choose mostly to jump off the diving board. I was surprised he would do this without his life jacket and goggles. Before he would only go under if he had his goggles on his head. He can even make it to the ladder after jumping!

The other phrase I hear constantly is "Me help too Mommy!" or "Me too, me too!" This coming from my very involved, wants to be in the mix with everything all the time no matter what it is 2 and a half year old. As I was making things to get ready for our family week of camping, he had to be right there on the counter with me. He runs to get his little stool, plops it in front of the counter, puts his big toe on top of the cupboard ledge and hoists himself up. Hence, why I had to move the treats higher up in the candy cupboard. Anyway, here is the little man.
Now how could I say no to this smile! I can just hear him say "Me mix it!"

It's soooo hard to wait to be able to "wick it"!

But it's soooo worth it!

Playdates!

2011-07-29T05:25:00.001-07:00

This summer we have had the best playdates! I have not been able to capture all of them but we have been to parks, houses, the critter barn, pools, cottages, and restaurants. I am blessed to have such great friends to share summer fun with and the kids get along so well!

Last week we went to a cottage on Hutchin's Lake. Thanks Kelli for sharing your time there with us! We have done this for the past 3 summers and it's turning into a fun summer tradition!
Of course Cameron remembered the Sea Doo's and was determined to ride them as much as he could.
We had some nice rides around the lake. I wish I knew more about mechanical things! Cameron constantly is asking questions about how things work, why and what all the buttons and wires are for. He is getting frustrated of my answer of "that's just how they make them"!

Cute boys playing!
It's the perfect spot for a beautiful summer afternoon!

We are almost done with swimming lessons and we have had the best(and HOTTEST) time with Jodi, Jackson, Brenden, Jill, Trey and Rowan. One day after swimming lessons we stayed to let the kids play and enjoy more pool time!
A sweet moment of sharing a snack!

It took a bit to get them in the pool, but they made it. Well, the 2 older ones at least!

Then after a few minutes they made their way to the sandbox.
It's so funny to watch kids at this age play. They talk for a minute to each other and then just play next to one another, talk, play next to, talk, play next to, scream, grab a toy away, cry, play next to.....and so the cycle goes!!
Thanks Jill, Trey and Rowan for sharing your afternoon with us! I hope we can get at least one more play date before *sigh* the summer is done!

Summer Fun

2011-07-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

(Warning...picture overload on this post!)

Oh my have we been enjoying summer! I am not even sure where to start with this post....so I'll just go back to the beginning of the week(and by the way, where did this week go?!)
Cameron started swimming lessons with his 2 buddies Trey and Jackson.
Jackson, Trey and Cameron listening to directions. All 3 have done GREAT and have gotten much more comfortable in the water in 4 short days. They have jumped of the diving board and swam all the way to the shallow with no life jacket! The first day the teachers had them laying on their backs, heads in the water and "monkey, airplane, soldier". 4 more days to go this week! I am glad the hot hot weather will be behind us for this coming week. It might be a little more bearable for the 3 mommas and the 3 little ones left behind!

We also had a great opportunity to go and tour the Holland Police Department with a K-9 officer Torrey knows. I was more excited than Cameron I think!
It took Cameron a little while to warm up to the idea of pictures, but of course this little one was ready! (Sidenote, Officer Scott had just got done explaining that no one steps on the badge on the floor out of respect and honor.....notice whose feet are touching it just to see how far the line can be crossed. Yep, that's him.)
We got a deluxe tour and I don't think I have heard Cameron ask so many questions.
In the swat van(which is really like an armored tank!) So cool!
We also got to meet the K-9 cop. Both boys jumped back when he came out of the cruiser. He was big but so sweet!
Cameron was so excited to see a cruiser and look inside but not quite willing to actually sit in there for a photo op. But, you guessed it, another little person was! Mommy actually got in on this one!
There are SO many buttons and switches....definitely some quick hands from Haiden who was all too interested in pushing!
We were able to see the holding cells, fingerprinting area, the polygraph room..
(Cameron was sill warming up to the photo ops yet) This chair really does look like the ones you see in movies and in such a teeny room!

Of course we took a tour of the shooting range. Very cool.
It's amazing what the officers are able to do and train here and how much time they devote to keeping their skills sharp! Cameron left with some cool stickers, books and yes a casing from a bullet and answers to some questions he asks us ALL the time when he sees a police officer!

And if that was not enough to pack our week, we also had a fun play date at a friend's pool(forgot the camera!), Cameron went to a neighborhood Kid's Club 4 afternoons(like VBS in a way), and we decided to pick blueberries in the humid air not once, but twice! I think the humidity was getting at my common sense but fresh picked blueberries are SO good and it was something we have not done before! The first time I went alone and picked just over 4 pounds. No chances for photos that day! But then I talked Torrey into going and then the photo ops were good!
Is this a good one Mommy? Notice none in the bucket!

Should I eat these or not?

What do you mean I am not supposed to dump them out and step on them?
This time, after a dirty diaper, a trip to the port-o-potty and a few cries the boys were dropped off at Grandpa and Grandma's and we were able to pick over 20 pounds!! YUM! I already made one batch of fresh blueberry muffins!

And last, I want to end with a pic that I have been seeing so much of this summer now that we can be out and about more in the pool and water.
This sweet boy with his goggles and life jacket. We had a birthday party at the beach this week, too! Anybody else ready for a nap!!

Our Summer Spot

2011-07-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed to our summer spot, CranHill Ranch for our church camping retreat. This is trip 1 of 3 and we were very excited! Cameron kept asking "how many more sleeps?" and Haiden was ready for the "i pream"(ice cream) that his brother was getting him all geared up for!

This is our humble summer abode. I love our little pop up!
We didn't put the awning up for such a short weekend and we were in all shade but we hung our little lights up anyway:) Haiden could not keep his hands off the microwave or out of the fridge. I hope the newness of these things will wear off when we go back in another few weeks!
We were right next to Grandpa and Grandma Vruggink. Haiden has always loved going in and out of it.
CHEESE! Then he quick shuts the door!

Cameron got to get some early morning, catch and release fishing(with frozen worms..oops! I put them too close to the freezer in the fridge.)

The boys are up early so we usually have a morning snack before breakfast and it's usually with Grandpa Vruggink. It's kind of become a fun tradition!
Both boys would find every spicket they could and turn it on to make a muddy mess if we would let them. Haiden would always say he needed to "wash hands" and Cameron would of course go along to help in the mischief! Truly partners in crime most days!
A great weekend to get us even more excited for our week there coming up!

Pink Barbie Jeep and a Visit

2011-07-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

Last week my best friend Courtney came for a two week visit and we were able to spend some time together which is rare for her trips here. I was so excited to see her and her kids and just do friend stuff together that we always talk about missing! She is a friend that no matter how long it has been since you have seen them last, you pick right up where you left off and feel as though no time has past. We have been friends since the 7th grade!!

Anyway, I only remembered to get pictures of the kids but hope to get one of us before she leaves this weekend. ;(
We have this pink Barbie jeep that was given to us, and it is a favorite around this house for the boys and for any who come to visit. My boys have no idea nor do they care about driving around the neighborhood in a pink jeep! And of course it was taken for a spin one night when they popped in!
This is Brody. He and Cameron get a long very well...both ALL boy!

And this is Addison. Don't they look cute together! She kept wanting to be by me and Haiden kept saying "my mommy!"
We also went to Meijer together, just popped in on one another to chat and went to Millennium park which I forgot my camera on that one! And with chasing two toddlers and boys around I don't think I would have been able to anyway. SO much fun, though!

A Late Recap

2011-07-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

The week before the 4th we went to Binder Zoo with all the cousins...even Levi from the UP was able to join us in the fun! I wanted to post these pictures just because I actually got some great shots of the boys feeding the giraffes!

In the past I have not been able to capture what this is like but I actually got the giraffe's tongue(that Cameron fondly remembered being long enough to go up their noses) and the boys' expressions! It was really fun!
This was one of the baby ones that was just tall enough to reach the treats(and it's amazing how they curl their tongues around the ropes!)

Of course we have to stop for snacks!
This is all 9 grandkids on the Vruggink side with 2 more cousins to be added in October. Then there will be 11 under 11!

It was so fun to be able to have Levi along with us. He is about 4 months younger than Haiden. Are they cute or what!?
That spot on Haiden's forehead is finally gone. Carpet burn wound from wrestling with Daddy!

The day after the zoo, we packed up and headed to the UP with Grandpa and Grandma Vruggink to bring Levi back and see Tor's brother and sister-in-law who we have not seen since Christmas! I wish I would have gotten a picture of the van and trailer with 4 ATV's, coolers, totes and a bike. We sure did get a lot of looks as we were putt-putting along the highway.
All the guys had a great time waking up in the morning, packing snacks and jumping on the 3-wheelers and quads to explore some trails! We played, relaxed, took walks, had good food and enjoyed spending time with family that we wish we could see more often.

We were blessed to have them ALL sleeping after we stopped for lunch.
So sweet. This made the ride so much easier...for us and them!

Another stop was at the bridge. I am glad that Cameron will remember this now. It is so fun to try to see things through the eyes of a child and get as excited as they are about things as simple as being able to stick your toes in a lake and go over a huge bridge;)

Let's go!

Every morning, Haiden was so happy to not be left behind! You can't see it but he is smiling from ear to ear!

These 2 did not want to get off! We had to be careful because they both know how to turn them on!
CHEESE!!

And this one just gets on and goes. Fortunately he is safe and cautious!

This little one was a little annoyed that he could not drive the big one, so this kept his spirits happy! Fortunately, Levi was willing to share.

We went to a local bear ranch. It was a hot morning and only some were moving, but we still got to see a few up close. Cameron kept asking about when Daddy shot his bear, so we had to "sush" him as we went along the trails! Cameron did get a taste of bear hunting and was able to go with Trent and Torrey to bait bear and go two-tracking.

And after all the excitement and adventure, this is how Haiden felt on the long ride home....
A great mini vacation!

Haiden's First Dentist Appointment

2011-07-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have A LOT to catch up on here, but I thought I would start with Haiden's first trip to the dentist because the pictures turned out so cute!

I thought it was just going to be a time for him to sit in the chair, see a few things, open his mouth and that would be good. Here he is in the chair. Doesn't he look SO grown up?!
He was sitting there so good, we just kept on going!

All the way back and mouth opened wide!
There is a TV to watch so that did help! I really was surprised that he stayed put for as long as he did, was relaxed, listened to the hygienist and kept his mouth open.

She was able to count his teeth(20!), scrape them, floss and clean them with the gritty toothpaste! I think he was excited to have something that was called bubble gum!
He even let brother help with Mr. Slurpee(which he asked for a few times after he found out how fun it was to have water sucked right out of your mouth!)
He got a little restless waiting for the dentist, but hopped right back in the chair when he came in!
I am so glad that this is one battle I do not have to fight with either of my boys and that it's something they look forward to....one thing they take after me I guess! I LOVE going to the dentist, too!

Hopefully up next....Binder Zoo and our trip up to the UP over the 4th!

Birthday Date

2011-06-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year I decided I wanted to do something special with Cameron. We had tried going to a movie in the theater when he was around 2 and, obviously, it did not go well. So I thought it would be fun to try it again now that he has a bit more sit in him. So, off to see Cars 2. It's funny how birthdays turn out to be more for the kids than for the adults as you get older! But, it was fun to see him so excited to try something new and he thought it was pretty cool that he and I could keep it a secret from his brother. He couldn't wait to get popcorn and pop(OH MY! 10 bucks for a small pop and popcorn...good thing we don't do this often. There is no WAY I would pay that again for a LONG time! How can they get away with charging that much! Well, okay so I fell into the trap but only this once. Next time I will sneak more in!)

This was the only picture I could get out of him. He could barely take his eyes off the big screen!
The snacks were gone pretty much by the time the previews were over, but his smile lasted the rest of the night. Looking forward to next year when I can have a double date with both my boys!

The Face of Summer

2011-06-21T04:57:00.001-07:00

Is this not the face of summer for a little one or what?!
Watermelon pieces all over the face and juice running into all sorts of places!

Happy with the little things! I do have to say this boy is quite the cutie pie!

And on another note from the last post about summer friends....while planting some flowers the boys found some new friends to occupy themselves for awhile.....worms of course!
Cameron had the daddy one and Haiden had the baby. They are playing so cute together lately!

Summer Friends

2011-06-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

Even though we love animals, we are not a pet family. Although the boys would LOVE a pet or cat, this Mommy does not need anything more to take care of or clean up after.
So, we have been making due by catching these pesky creatures and taking part of a relocation project after some "play time" ;)
We, well Cameron, puts cheerios in the live trap, sets it and checks it quite often waiting for that little door to be closed on it's next victim!

I love this picture! Look at the chippy trying desperately to find it's way out while the kids try to "play" with it! Notice the stick in the little one's hand while it appears his brother is giving him pointers! (sidenote--yes the chippy's DO make it to the local nature trails as long as Haiden keeps the door shut) We have successfully transported 6 of them so far to new and exciting places, once they start moving again after the shock wears off).

And then from school we have become the owners of a hermit crab, Speedy. Which was fun for the first day or two and now mommy gets to take care of it(which kind of gives me the goose bumps for some reason and I am secretly hoping we can relocate this thing somewhere too).
Taking an up close look.

"If brother(budder as he says) can do it so can I!"

It is only allowed to crawl on the top of the cage after I found it creeping on my table!

Summer School

2011-06-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

School might be done for me(oh the joy and giddiness I feel when I say that!) but for Cameron, it's just beginning!
He's on to Kindergarten in the Fall, which he is thankful for already when he prays before dinner! He has a good start in knowing and writing his letters and numbers but this teacher Mommy needs to be sure he has some mastery in this household! I gathered some things from school and the Dollar Store and told Cameron that while Haiden napped in the afternoons(and I am oh so thankful he still does) that he and I got to spend some special time together practicing letters and numbers. And although it's just the first week, he is actually asking for me to do it! So, we started with the letter a. We sorted them, played hide and seek with them, worked on the computer with them and then got to practice writing them.

And why not practice writing in pudding! (See his open mouth of concentration!) We hit the capitals first.

Then it was on to lowercase....and a lick after all that hard work!

Of course we had to practice his name.

I am so excited to be able to spend this time with just him during our day.
Next week....the letter b ;)

Graduation--way late update!

2011-06-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

Seeing as though Cameron's Preschool graduation was over a week ago I thought I better post something about it quick before the 2 week mark came!

It was a very sweet night. Cameron was SO excited(he even thought that we got pizza for dinner because it was his special day, regardless of the fact that I did not have time to make dinner before we had to go!)
Here is my boy who is looking WAY too big lately.
These pics did not turn out so great which I am pretty bummed about. He put on a little show with songs, motions and verses.
Besides the funny looking eyes don't these little ones seem so proud and happy?! The little boy in front is Cameron's daycare friend. He was in the AM so when he got dropped off at daycare he gave Cameron the scoop on what the snack of the day was!
There was also a little slide show of the places and day to day things the kids did. Once the music started so did my tears!
Cameron with his teachers, Mrs. Kuipers and Mrs. Cole. These ladies have a true Spirit and light of God that shined through to Cameron every day and he was blessed to have them.

Cousin Isaac who was in the same class. These are 2 peas in a pod who you don't want to leave alone for too long! They are just too curious and daring together. I am so glad he gets to see cousins so often!

Now when Cameron prays at dinner he thanks God that he gets to go to Kindergarten. He's going to have to start praying Mommy is ready for that! Kindergarten?!

Just in Time

2011-05-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Preschool graduation on Wednesday, Cameron has this precious face to walk across the stage with....

Nice.

Friday at daycare he was pushing a car around on the driveway and the car decided to go faster than he was and ended up face first on the cement. Sandy said he was quite tough about it and only cried a whimper. It actually looks a bit worse now as the scabs are starting to form. Then he was out in the woods on Saturday and got 3 HUGE mosquito bites on his legs that left big, red welts. We told him those things must have been hungry!
Quite the sight this one, but he still is cute(and looking SO big!)!

Something Wrong?

2011-05-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

So is there anything wrong with letting your child run around outside like this?

It was in the back yard at least!

And he's happy! Who needs to take the time to get pants on when playtime is waiting in the great outdoors?! Oh how I love this no pants, runny nose, dirty diaper(that somehow got on his hand which then got on me!) brown eyed little boy!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

Cuddles and kisses......the best part of Mother's Day....
(maybe I should tell them it's Mother's Day everyday to get them to take pics like this!)

Play Ball!

2011-05-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

We decided to try something new with Cameron this Spring and signed him up for T-ball. He had some practices and was pretty geeked about the whole thing.

Then came game time! Can't you just feel his excitement?!
(And for those of you who know the story...notice who the team sponsor is?! HA!)

If you have not been to a 5 year old t-ball game, it is a complete riot. The kids are SO tootin' cute and the smiles on their faces as they cross home plate is priceless. You cheer for everybody, nobody is keeping score, everyone gets a turn and every player is made to feel good about themselves(not to mention a snack at the end of every game!)

The kids are actually pitched to until 3 strikes and then the tee is brought out. Here is Cameron at one of his very first times up at bat.

Good form, but strike 3!

Here he is making the game winning throw! Just kidding, he barely got it to 1st base but at least he knew what base to throw it to! (Notice his team mate in the outfield not aware of the game!) Being in the outfield is just too far away from the action with these kiddos!

This is Cameron in the outfield.
Can't see the ball and his glove is not even in his hand. BUT, he is looking in the right direction. After I called out and told him too ;)

Old Fashioned Fun

2011-04-24T17:04:00.001-07:00

Last week we went with our church to the roller skating rink. It brought back so many memories when I went in grade school and junior high. The building, decor, snack bar, carpet, black light and even the smell was the exact same.
Cameron has done a lot of things with wheels on them, but never had he tried something with wheels attached to him like roller skates. He was so excited to try. I am not all that coordinated(I can't even figure out how to stop on my roller blades without bailing into the grass) so Torrey took his blades along to assist.
We laced Cameron up and up he stood...well tried to. Funniest thing ever. I was laughing so hard I could barely help keep him up. The rink offered us a little roller walker thing as they saw me laughing trying to walk behind Cameron, hold him upright and keep him focused on what he was doing, not watching all the others zoom by him. Too. funny.
This is how we started out. He could barely stay up let alone figure out how he was supposed to move his legs. But we pressed on.

Then Daddy gave it a whirl. The roller rink had strollers for little ones to ride in and it was perfect for Haiden to be with us, contained and out of the way. He even got raced around a few times with Daddy while Cameron and I were "resting".

Getting the leg action down but still not able to keep upright without hanging on. But he pressed on...to the next bench.

At this point we decided to try roller blades. Maybe those would be a bit more stable and easier to figure out. Cameron was still eager to try and liked that he had ones like Daddy.
Just as funny. Still no real forward motion.

So.....back to the counter for the last resort.
Fisher Price, strap over the shoe, hardly rolling wheels. Now we got it. And even though he wasn't really rolling anywhere, he felt as if he was and was able to actually able to go around the rink without having to stop and pull off. He did manage to still fall and somehow Daddy rolled over the tips of his fingers, but all in all it was great to have some old fashioned fun as a family.

Sweet Moment

2011-04-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Captured a sweet moment between two boys who have only just begun to share in this experience we call Life. Words cannot express what my heart feels when I see them like this.

My Boys

A Little Taste

2011-04-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day! Although we did find fun in the rain and cold this past week, having a day like today REALLY makes me excited for summer. A perfect lazy, warm(okay, hot) Sunday afternoon on the deck. And of course we had to get out the hose and water! So here are some pictures of a little taste of summer and a glimpse of what it will be like oh so very soon!

This honestly was the most entertained the boys were all week! They were content, happy and mostly cordial to one another for almost an hour! Torrey and I could actually carry on a conversation amongst the occasional splashing.

And then we remembered that it was more fun to throw water on themselves and each other! And how the stinging cold of the water from the hose does not phase kids I have yet to comprehend. Can you see the smiles on their faces!!

Isn't it fun to see babies in diapers again?! Haiden was a little confused when we first were going outside. He kept saying "boots, coat on". It only took him a few seconds to remember the sweet memory of warm weather!

(And we did go to the zoo over break but these pictures were more fun!)

Rainy Days and Serious Bedhead

2011-04-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

The boys and I have spent A LOT of time indoors this past week with all the rain, wet and cold. I am amazed at what they can come up with to play when the mounds of toys that they have to choose from just don't seem to cut it any more.

Like a rubbermaid tote.
Stuffed animals out(notice them ALL over the floor in the background...among other stuff, it was a long morning what can I say!).

Kids in.
And on top.
HA! Haiden was SO excited to capture his brother and Cameron was a very good sport about letting him.

And if you so happen to see my children up close in the next few weeks(or have noticed in any recent pictures), please disregard the alarming fact that they are both in desperate need of haircuts. You would think when my child wakes up with this hair do, I would have called sooner.

Still sporting a cheesy smile despite the fact that his hair is MORE than out of control!
Fortunately it did calm down before we went out!

The Beginning

2011-04-08T05:17:00.000-07:00

You would think with having a whole week off of school I would post everyday. Guess that's not the case this week! So now that break is almost up I will start at the beginning and see if I can catch up. We took advantage of a beautiful day Tuesday and did some hiking(nice days were hard to come by this week...not so great with 2 VERY on the go boys). Getting out was just what we needed and of course with any cousins and a Grandpa and Grandma the time is great!

Any fallen tree was a stop for some climbing!

And cute pictures!
Haiden HAS to do as his brother does! Such a cute smile.

Water, sticks, dirt and boys..they all go together. Can you see all the logs in the river? We might have caused a slight dam!

Coming up....bed head, another rainy day and a trip to the zoo!

Both Boys

2011-03-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

There are things about my boys that are complete opposite and some that are similar. For example both boys LOVE to be outside, be rough and tumble, eat fruit and vegetables, wrestle and play with trucks. Both boys have also slept like this...

They both cover their head with their blankets.

Completely covered! I have tried going in and unwrapping them both, but they BOTH manage to get it back over their heads! Totally cash right out.

And of course, living with boys, they both wake up and pick their noses(and sometimes hand their "picks" over to me. HA!)

Caught Haiden in the act just to prove it!
(and we did not have a digital when Cameron did this as a baby so I just have it on film and he hides when I try to get his picture in the morning now!)

Same 'ol same 'ol...

2011-03-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

I know I have been neglecting posting anything and when my sister-in-law mentioned it to me last night(so really this is for you Julie!) I knew I had to just sit down and just post!

But really nothing much has been going on! We finished February with more birthday parties once both sides of the family all got back into town. And other than that it's just been the same 'ol thing! Playing with, corralling, redirecting, feeding, soothing, changing, chasing, and occupying 2 VERY busy boys! We are SO ready for Spring to get outside and just do something different. Lately the boys have been changing it up indoors with riding little things in and around the table, kitchen and living room.

First they make a run through the kitchen...and it's quite surprising how fast they can get those things going!

Then it's back around to make a crash landing off the step and into the loving room in a pile. And sometimes Haiden has some added momentum when Cameron is pushing him!

He's not as innocent as he looks here!

And then of course we have built some cool towers for Rescue Heroes to climb up and need rescuing of course!

And this little person want to CONSTANTLY be eating! Many times he needs to be distracted from the ever present calling of the fridge and cupboards! Haven't figured out yet how to lock the freezer!

This one is not so innocent either!

A Whole Hand

2011-02-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

One whole hand. That is how old my first born is now. This week he turned 5.

I think every morning I see him lately he just looks so much older. Today he actually sat and did a puzzle all by himself. He can get in and out of the van, opening and closing the doors, buckling, all by himself. From head to toe he can get dressed(as long as his pants aren't crumply or his socks on crooked) all by himself. He can clear his place from dinner all by himself. He can now ride a 3-wheeler by himself. So many little things...all.by.himself. I think I have to get used to that concept of all by himself. Maybe.

We had a great day planned. It was quite a whirlwind of activities and the day zoomed by.
Cameron woke up to the house decorated and lots of balloons to play with......well, okay for him they are there to pop. Any way he can.

We enjoyed lounging in our jammies and not rushing out the door before we went and ate a yummy breakfast with Grandma Roby. With donuts for dessert!

After school, Cameron and his cousin Isaac played and before we knew it Daddy, Haiden and his other cousin Teya were home and it was time to eat blueberry pancakes, sausage and juice for Cameron's birthday supper. His menu choices for night.
Of course there was time to open some presents.
Yes, more Rescue Heroes. We didn't even get a chance to open all the presents because we still had cake to get to and we had to be out of the door to go Bounce Party for church(a very timely activity for a birthday!). But there is always time for a wish.
(Side note...trying to get 4 children to eat, only having one open presents, eating cake and then trying to get out the door dressed, cleaned, bathroomed and not crying is a task not easily accomplished without sweating!)

Cameron wasted no time getting to all the inflatables, climbing up the ladder ropes, making it through obstacle courses and running from room to room...all by himself.

We finally made it home and Cameron had his first official sleepover with his cousins. I wasn't able to capture that on camera. My goal was to just get them all sleeping!!

Cameron---you amaze me every day. God has blessed you with another year above and beyond what your Dad and I could have even dreamed of. You are smart, inquisitive, loyal, healthy, strong, observant, and energetic. My first born baby, yet so grown up now.
One whole hand.
We love you sweet boy.

Happy Birthday, Haiden

2011-02-11T04:01:00.000-08:00

My baby is 2.

The day you were born will forever be a memory that I can feel to the very core of me. Memories of the sounds, emotions, events of the day and the eager anticipation to know who God had fearfully and wonderfully made for your Daddy and I to raise for His glory are feelings that can never be replaced. To hear the words "it's a boy" made our little family complete. You were perfect. 7lbs, 11oz and 7:07. Haiden Christian.

This morning when you woke up you looked so big. This is how I felt, too.
Am I really 2 already!
We asked you whose birthday it was and you said "mine". And then when you got to open a present you said "mine" and all the balloons in the house you would point to and say "mine". I think you were excited to finally have a day of your own and not in the shadow of your big brother. You are so blessed to have all your grandpa's and grandma's, aunts and uncles and cousins so close. So on your birthday you had party #1 with the Vruggink's.

I get a party all to myself!
(I had to get pictures of your ever present bed head.)

When we sang happy birthday, you just looked at everybody and soaked it all in. I could see the marvel and wonder on your face of this new experience in life that was all for you. I just couldn't stop watching you. I wanted to sing it twice! You loved to play with your cousins and joined right in.

Mommy and Daddy can't explain the love we have for you words. They just wouldn't do it justice.

As you blew out your candles I made a wish for you. A wish for happiness that comes from knowing and loving Jesus. To be able to feel something different inside of you as you get older and do something with it.
You love trains, books, bockee(broccoli), teets(treats), your brother(even though sometimes you show that by bothering him to no end), your grandpa's, fruit, beans, riding 3-wheel already, toys that make noise or that your brother has, cookies from church, wrestling, "couch"(an old couch pillow that you must have as you watch your video before bed and feel the little strings hanging off of it), to color with markers and play with play-doh. You will come up to me and just want to be held and you pat my back as we often do to you.

Haiden Christian, a child of the King. May God richly bless you in this next year of growing, learning, exploring and changing. We love you, sweet boy.

Happy Birthday

Recap

2011-02-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Seeing as though most have done a snowy day post I thought I should jump on the bandwagon....a few days late. Having some extra time with the boys was so enjoyable, and Daddy got to join us for some of it, too!

Of course the 2 oldest ones had to get out and tackle the driveway. In the top of the picture you can kind of see Tor in a spray of snow from the blower.
Once he found the sidewalk, Cameron got to work!
It's amazing how kids don't seem to feel cold like adults. Cameron can spend hours outside and not be bothered by cold. This mommy and the little one watched from the warm indoors ;)

And then to have ANOTHER day at home was even more fun! So we stayed in our jammies and read books and played ;)

This picture is deceiving, actually. This sweet and peaceful moment lasted about 1 minute! HA!

While Haiden snoozed in the afternoon I actually got Cameron to sit with me and do some work on his letters! Yeah for this teacher mom!

We love snow days!

There are Times

2011-01-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

There are times when you see glimpses of the love my boys have for one another. Moments when you see that they share a bond no 2 other boys have. Times when they truly enjoy being with one another and have fun in their own little way. Chances of me getting this on record are few, as these times quickly come and go throughout the day and some days there are more moments than others. But when I was going through pictures the other day I found it. As I look at both of them I see it.

Haiden's true happiness to be by his big brother and Cameron's delight with this little person.

I know in my heart they will forever be close and share life's greatest moments with one another, all in true brotherly love and friendship. That Cameron will protect his little brother at all costs and show him the way at times. That Haiden will admire, look up to and follow in his bog brother's footstep....but in his own, unique way. Both striving to be mighty men of God with a heart full of His love, seeking His perfect plan for their lives.

Brothers......my boys.

Unexpected Day

2011-01-24T11:06:00.001-08:00

Well today was an unexpected day at home. Cameron developed a fever yesterday so I took the day off of school to have some cuddle time. And actually when Cameron woke up this morning he was back to himself so we have had some fun play time.

My boys can be occupied with play-doh for such a long time! Haiden LOVES it and gets mad when we have to put it away ;)

Side Note---Cameron always has to stand when he plays with play-doh for some reason. I have to continually remind him to watch his feet because so many time he has fallen off the chair!

And how is it that only 2 little boys can go from this..

to THIS!

And this wasn't the worse of it! I can't believe how many times we can't even walk in this room with all the toys everywhere!
But, hey, it was fun just to be home and play(and get a quick load of laundry done!)

Boys Will Be Boys

2011-01-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

My boys can have so much fun together. They can laugh, share, get along and play nice. Most of the time. Other times, they are rough and tumble and want whatever the other one has and more. Whenever Cameron is on the floor, Haiden thinks it's time to wrestle so he will promptly run over and slam himself down on Cameron. Sometimes, he also adds in the "move" of trying to bite(we're working on that as not one of the allowed wrestling moves) which of course puts Cameron in "get him off me now" move and then the crying begins.
Here, however, I was able to capture a mutual desire to have some fun and one of the times where my boys were being true brothers.

Cameron was letting Haiden pull him off the couch.

Then Haiden will topple over him thinking he is all that and more to beat up on his big brother.

Then somehow a toy got in the mix...not sure who had it first or what one of them needed it so badly for?!

And then, as always, what started as a mutual match ended in tears.

(It's hard to tell but Cameron ended up with the toy, and Haiden holding his head leads me to believe there was some bopping on the head action while I was trying to catch this tender moment on film. Whether it was with the toy or the hand wasn't determined. The picture doesn't show---but Cameron is smiling.)

Really?

2011-01-02T11:57:00.000-08:00

REALLY?! Can 2 whole weeks be done already? Do I really have to set out clothes, pack bags and lunches and be out the door tomorrow at the time I have been getting out of bed that past weeks!!
We sure packed this break with LOTS of fun trips, parties and play time. It was fabulous that Tor was able to take a lot of time off which just makes things a bit more relaxing. And although I can't say that we were productive in getting any big projects or that our house is cleaned from top to bottom, we simply enjoyed being together as a family, with family and not tied to a schedule. The one thing missing that we were looking forward to was snow!
We had one last Christmas party(well, at least the last one I took pictures of) with Torrey's aunt and uncle.

Cameron got a cool helmet

And Haiden some things to play with his big blocks

The night before New Years, we took the boys to a hotel with a mini water park. It was very mini, but still a great time. We were bummed that Cameron was not tall enough to go down the big slide and Haiden was not all that interested in the little slide but it was still enough to have fun for the little bit we were there. The best part was that it only took 15 minutes to get there! Cameron was enthralled by the card to get into the room and he was in charge of it. Both boys did great and it was a wonderful little get away.
Cameron immediately found out he could run and jump from bed to bed.

1, 2, 3....go!

And although he could not go down the big slide, Cameron found fun with the little one instead.

He really is doing SO much better in the water than last year and is much more confident and comfortable which makes it more enjoyable for mom and dad!

Cameron was trying to coax Haiden in with him but to no avail.
He's not listening, Mom!

Haiden is really having fun up there despite the look on his face. He was trying to turn the wheel and it was tricky so he was grunting while pulling on it ;)

Well, it's off to pack bags....or maybe just take one more little nap by the fire ;)

Love

2010-12-29T12:40:00.001-08:00

I love this boy in my life too.

Just us Four

2010-12-27T11:19:00.000-08:00

Just the four of us had our little Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. It is so fun each year to see how much more fun we can have with the boys and as we establish some of our own traditions. This year we started the night by making our own personal pizzas and lighting the Advent Wreath.
A side note about this picture that I want to remember: Cameron had gone down for a nap and we had to wake him up. I can tell by his face he is not quite awake yet and making pizzas was the last thing he wanted to do as soon as he woke up but we had to eat to get to church on time. He eventually came around ;)

Haiden was excited about his creation!

Of course Cameron perked up when he got to use the lighter to light the Advent Wreath.

Then it was time for presents! We did not get the boys anything too specific this year. Just some odd and end toys that we thought they would enjoy. Dart guns, trucks, balls, slippers, books, and boots.
Cameron is in to Toy Story lately so he was SUPER excited to get Buzz Lightyear. He is always looking for something to put on his back so he can have wings like Buzz. He has never been in to any type of movie toy so it was fun this year to branch out on some toys.

This boy just likes to open things no matter what it is. He usually wants what his brother has anyway.

Haiden in the background trying to snag a present while I open the gift Cameron shopped for at school ;)

Inspired from Jill to get a cute pic of the boys with their stockings.....not so cute but I tried.

On Christmas morning the boys woke up to this:
Rescue Heroes!

Where to Start

2010-12-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

Oh my, oh me! Where to start for what to post about this time! SO much has happened in the past week that I don't think I can fit it all in. BUT, I will try just because we have had so much fun! This very well might be my longest post ever!!

First I need to show you pics of Cameron's little school program. It was so cute...and short! Just right for little ones. he dressed up as Joseph(or a shepherd depending on when you asked him)

His small little class of 9 ;)

Isaac, his cousin, is next to him in the brown outfit.

Then we had my family Christmas last Saturday. All boys opening up trucks, cars, blocks and ride 'em on toys. So fun!
All the boys waiting to open their stockings. Well, the 2 littlest ones had already started. My parents do the BEST stockings and they are our favorite part of the night(and my mom's homemade goodies!)

Haiden was so fun to watch this year. Much more into the whole unwrapping part than last year. He sat so good waiting and unwrapping.

New farm trucks!!

Then Cameron had his Christmas program at church. The little ones do such a nice job. You could tell they had not practiced with the lights off because when they put the spotlights on them and dimmed the rest of the church they couldn't help but look at them and then get all starry eyed when they tried to find mom and dad!

Can't you just hear them singing this part?!

Looking all around at each other instead of the music teacher.

Now we're focused!

This past Monday morning all the girls and the cousins got together to carry on the tradition of decorating Christmas cookies. Usually the adults end of finishing but as the years go by the kids have that much more patience to finish the job.

Just couldn't resist licking the spoon!

Not looking at the camera but at least I got a good smile on record from my oldest!

Torrey has been taking some time off of work(loving that!) so we ventured off to the children's museum too this week.
Shopping for groceries for our parties;) It really was fun to play with the grocery belt, cash register, phone and calculator they had ;) Cameron was into this for awhile!

Can you see the concentration on his face? ;)

And who can resist a big bowl of water and bubbles! Ellie, Will, Levi and G and G Vruggink came with us to join in the fun!

Making some bird feeders(or at least having a nice snack of cheerios while Daddy and Grandpa made the feeders of what was left in the bowl!)

And this isn't even all that we did! But my babe is waking up and I still have some things to do to get ready for tomorrow. Tonight we are making homemade pizza, going to church and then home to have our own little family Christmas as we have done ever since Cameron was little. Cameron was already waiting by the tree to open "just one" and Haiden got his mitts on one and tore off a piece of paper before I got to him! I can't wait!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!

If you can't see me....

2010-12-08T18:31:00.000-08:00

"If you can't see me, mommy, then I am not really in time out."

And now look at this sweet little innocent face peeking out at me!

Doesn't it just look like he is sorry?!
Precious, boy.

Oh Christmas Tree...Finally!

2010-12-05T17:50:00.001-08:00

We finally got around to getting our Christmas tree this year. I just couldn't bare looking at our old deformed fake tree one more year so decided to give the real tree Christmas feel to our house. Cameron was all psyched up to chop down a tree but it actually was a quick trip(honestly about 15 minutes) to pick one out.

The boys had more fun finding twine and sticks. We pretty much picked the second tree we found and loaded it in the trailer. So it wasn't quite what I pictured in my head about getting the boys all bundled up, taking a wagon ride into the woods, spotting just the right tree, having Cameron help Tor shop it down while I captured the kodak moment and then sipping some hot coco when we returned. But hey, lunch and nap time were fast approaching and the fields were a muddy mess. So the one laying on the ground was the one...HA!
Cameron was so excited to help put it up and I was curious as to how long his attention span would endure and he actually made it through the whole thing with me! It was honestly the BEST time I have had in a long time. Haiden was napping(maybe next year little man can help but for now he little patties are best not touching the ornaments!) so it was just my big boy and me. After finding some gloves to wear to put the lights up ;) Cameron was in charge of putting on the ornaments and I can say that this tree is my most favorite that I have ever put up. I LOVE the color lights. Before it was only red or maybe red and white but for some reason I felt the need to do fun color for the boys this year!

Checking out the assortment. I have an ornament for each boy for each Christmas so far so it was neat to tell Cameron about each one. Of course I got teary eyed when I pulled out his 1st Christmas one that was his hand print in clay!

I could not put the hooks on fast enough for him to hang them. There is no rhyme or reason to where the ornaments are and they only go up as high(except for a few I was able to put on) as he could reach.

I absolutely love how it turned out.
And I love that I got to accomplish something fun with my son, get excited with him and allow his childish anticipation for the season to fill my heart with joy.

I Think We Got It

2010-11-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well I think we actually managed to get a decent Christmas card photo this year! Last year I used one of the boys together in matching jammies and I thought I would try to attempt that this year, but this is what happened....

Don't think these are too "Merry Christmasy" ;)

It DID cross my mind to use these just because these do capture the essence of these 2 boys. But, back to the drawing board.
I also thought I would try to save some money and try this thing that Shutterfly offered. I have gotten Christmas cards (from here) from them before and they have always turned out great, the price was right, usually there was free shipping involved and their site is super easy to navigate. I also did a photo book of Haiden and I LOVE it. I am working on(well, a little behind actaully) on another family album. I have all my pictures saved on Shutterfly and they really have a lot of neat things to offer. So then I started off looking at ALL the different options. Some popped out of me right away like these.....

Believe In Magic Religious Christmas Card

by Tag & Co

Snow Flurries Scarlet Christmas Card

by Fresh Lemonade

This whole post of adding links is new to me and even to get the type to turn up in blue was a huge success to me! Not quite sure how to attempt to get the picture of the card??! Anyway, I had a hard time deciding but another nice feature is that I can create my cards and then save them to go back and look at them a few times to see which one pops out ;) And if the sounds like an advertisement for Shutterfly, it is. But hey, I get free stuff. So soon that bright orange envelope will be arriving here with the final decision and one happy lady for free stuff and a (I think) pretty nice holiday card.

Weekends

2010-11-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

Weekends are the best for this working Mommy. It's so exciting going to bed Friday night knowing we can just wake up the next 2 mornings and stay cozy at home. We have so much fun staying in our jammies, eating breakfast together, playing and running errands if needed. This weekend we had no errands to run and nothing we HAD to do so we just had fun. We started out going to the Holiday Parade in Hudsonville. The great thing about this parade is that it is right at at the end of our street ;)

Cousins Will and Ellie joined us in the candy grabbing fun!

Tried to get a pic of me and the boys but this is all I got. Cameron was too excited being able to actually walk into the street and watch the parade coming.

At night Will and Ellie came over for pizza and playtime. Of course it always involves jumping on something. I love how Haiden has to be in the mix of it all!

And then the boys had to fix something together. Haiden found it fun to spread diaper rash cream over the tractor and Cameron found it fun to watch him and tell me AFTER it was all said and done. He is funny that way...I think he liked to see what his brother comes up with and how he will get in trouble to see if it's worth him doing it or not!

Sunday night we finished up our Jesse tree and Advent wreath at church. No pictures of that. With glue guns, scissors and lots of little objects there was no time to spare. I am excited to start this new tradition in our family next week when Advent starts now that the boys are that much older. And I think we might venture out on a limb and get a real Christmas tree this year!

Not Much

2010-11-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Well I really don't have much to blog about, but I can't seem to go too long without at least posting some pictures of my boys! Honestly, we have just been doing what we do everyday and enjoying the last days of being outside without having to bundle up(although Cameron keeps asking when it will snow, the snowmobile is calling his name).
Here is my little cheeser(and Torrey took this pic so I am not sure what it's about but it's all we have lately!)
Way too big....

And then there is this big guy. Sporting his glasses from Wednesday night church. He learned that God sees everything and is everywhere. On the way home he asks, "Why is God everywhere Mommy?" I love the way he is thinking about things lately. So big....

A Change of mind and A Great Find

2010-10-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

For Halloween, Cameron was set on being a football player. We had found a costume and even tried it on numerous times just for fun. He was all about tackling, falling for the ball and wearing the helmet. When I was looking for Haiden's costume I stumbled across a cape and hat for a wizard costume. We got it out for fun and enjoyed playing wizard around the house. We tried the costume on Haiden and he hated it for the whole 2 minutes I was able to keep it on him. SO.....Halloween night rolled around and we were getting ready to head out the door and Cameron decided he wanted to be a wizard instead. Ugh! So his costume this year was a quick grab whatever I can out of the closet. And for Haiden, I found a great costume for this year and next for $5! And he loved it which made it even better.

Getting ready to head out with cousins Will and Ellie.

Haiden being the typical cheeser while Cameron looks at everything BUT the camera! His costume was seriously not fun....but he liked it and he still got candy so in his world he was great!

Cameron helping brother pick out just the right candy...ha!
Haiden did great all night and did manage to walk most of the time. He caught on so quickly to just keep going from house to house he didn't even stop to try to eat his loot! He was not shy at all to go up to the house and wait for the treats and even got a his own version of "trick or treat"! His brother and cousin Will sprinted to the houses as if the faster they went the more houses would magically appear(hey, Cameron was a Wizard ;))

Ha! Big stuff all in his monkey suit. The banana did the trick for him to enjoy having the costume on ;)

Can you tell which one has the genuine smile?! Funny boys!

Rough

2010-10-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

There are some moments where Haiden just has it rough. At least that's the way he sees it in his little world. Sometimes his brother can look at him wrong and he breaks down crying mad at him and especially when Cameron tells him no can he turn on the tears! One morning at breakfast(and I honestly can't say I remember what morning it was with my memory at the moment) Haiden had it rough! So to make matter worse Cameron got the camera out to relish in his brother's tears and give him all the more reason to cry. Poor thing.

It all started out fine with a nice donut treat. Then it things started to fall apart.

A little upset, but not too bad. Yet.
(notice the tray--he loves to break things apart in little pieces and create a total mess)
(and also notice mommy and daddy in the background leaving these 2 alone for the moment!)

Bedhead, drool, tears and brother taking a picture. Right over the edge.

Getting it together. Maybe he looked down and still saw his donut ;)

Cameron was the photographer for these beauties. Precious brown eyes!

Happy Hikers

2010-10-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

As most people this weekend, we spent much of it outdoors just enjoying being together, playing and not rushing around. Sunday night we headed to a park with Tor's mom and dad for a picnic and a hike. Haiden did SO great and walked almost all the way. He had on these little hiking boots and strutted his stuff taking these big steps and swinging his arms back and forth very big boy like. It was so funny. Of course Cameron was in his glory just being outside and being free to go as he pleased. Here are some pictures from our adventure!

He's got the swing going on!

I can walk myself, Mommy.

Actually wanted me to take his picture and he has a genuine smile!

Found a fun tree to climb and hide in.

Funny boys...but they sure are cute!

It just wouldn't be a complete hike if we didn't take time to play in the leaves. Haiden was all about putting them in a pile but then as soon as we tried to stick him in to take a picture he was not so excited. He also doesn't like to walk in the grass bare foot. Silly boy. Cameron wanted to bring the leaves home and tried to take them in the van with us!

Brothers

2010-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

These two boys capture my heart each and every day...

Just in case

2010-09-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Grandma and Grandpa Vruggink! We miss you and can't wait for you to come home. We are glad that you are having a good time and hope there are some fun animal stories to hear when you come home. When are you coming, home!?

Just in case you forgot what we look like....
(mouthful of apple smile)

(cheeser boy....with a mouthful of apple, too and a new haircut!)

First Day of Preschool--Take 2

2010-09-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here is my big guy on his first day of preschool...again.

Doesn't he look so big and grown up.
So you might be asking...first day of preschool again?
To make a long and emotional story short, things were not going well for Cameron or for Tor and I where he started. It was not a good fit and he simply was not experiencing what school should be. Now we have peace and assurance beyond any doubt that he will now know what it's like to learn, play, explore and enjoy school. He is now attending Hudsonville Christian Preschool 2 days a week for 2 and a 1/2 hours. My heart and mind are so much more at peace and I can say I am now truly excited for him to be at school.
I have learned more about my first born and being a first time parent sending their child to school in the past month than I ever expected. Cameron has more insight into people than I gave him credit for; he knows more about himself than what I thought a little 4 and a half year old could; his desire to learn is greater than I expected and sometimes, yes at not even 5, he knows what he needs more than his mom and dad who thought they had it all planned out. Actually, God knew, too. And now I know His voice a little clearer and what that feels like. Like I said on my first post, Cameron is fine. He figured it out. I just had to listen.

Tough Guy

2010-09-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

Both of my boys have always seemed to be quite tough in the area of owies and being sick. Well, on Saturday Haiden proved once again that yes he is a tough little guy when this got stuck in the side of his heel...

I should have put something next to it for size, but that is about an inch long piece of glass. How you might ask that got in his little foot? Well, it's kind of a mystery.
Saturday morning we were getting ready in the master bedroom. We have 2 sets of bi-fold doors for our closets with mirrors that have a brass border around them(yes, totally 80's) Haiden was walking over to my closet and, because I was right there watching the whole thing happen simply waiting to go over to him and tell him to put back whatever it was that he dragged out of the closet, scraped his foot on the sharp corner of the brass casing. I walked over to him to kiss it better when I saw blood and a big cut on his foot. I scooped him up and ran into the bathroom(after I could get the sticky door open and the clothes from back behind the door, hence the blood over the wall and of course the carpet). Torrey(dripping wet from the shower he bolted out of from the screams of a child) grabbed a towel and put it over the cut to stop it from bleeding. After a few minutes it was still bleeding so Tor looked at it again and finally saw the glass sticking out of his foot(that we were just pressing on to get the bleeding to stop!) I didn't believe him until I saw it. Remember, it simply looked like he scraped his foot! Finally after we got Haiden to calm down and Cameron to stop asking questions and covering his ears waiting for his brother to stop screaming, we could investigate. And honestly, we could not tell how in the world the glass got in there! There was no glass on the carpet, the casing was still around the glass and nothing else was broken. As usual when a big owie happens we call Nurse Tara(sister-in-law) and she took a look at it. We ended up bringing him into the ER to be sure there were no little pieces of glass left in there. So after 4 suckers, an x-ray and some nice bandages, we came home with this...

Isn't this just a pitiful little look on his face?!

X-ray of his precious little foot and chubby ankles.

It looks like he has something major under that bandage but trying to keep a 19 month old not to pick at a bandage requires some major covering!
He was a very big boy throughout the whole process and is finally walking on his foot more today.
Such a tough guy!

One Last Time

2010-09-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

To make the summer complete, we ventured off to our summer adventure land of Cran-Hill one last time. And although it seemed as though it was the middle of fall, we didn't let the rain, wind, and cold stop us from one last time.....

cup of morning hot chocolate......

search for frogs and turtles......

s'mores(who said you can't roast a marshmallow in the rain?!)....

fishing adventure(who needs to cast when all the fish are trying to stay warm under the dock!)....

trip to the playground....

playtime in the camper to get warm and out of the wind and rain for a moment....

and a yummy treat(roasting takes way too long!)....

And despite the cold, we did have ice cream but I missed the photo on that. Our camping spot was quite the site as we had put up tarps to block some of the wind and rain. Both boys did great despite the elements, however, Haiden did think this way about it at times...

But in the end, it was a great little adventure to wrap up our summer, a happy camping family.

A Big Milestone

2010-09-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

We hit a big milestone in our house yesterday, Cameron's first day of preschool. You hear it said all the time about how fast time goes and you're not sure how you got to this point, so one might think you would get used to it but I just don't think you can.

Cameron was so excited...can you tell?!
He was so ready to go and mostly excited about his brand new Sketchers.

He actually went today as well because we are leaving for one last camping adventure. He is so worn out and was in bed sleeping by 8:00, not even wanting an extra story.
Even though he is excited, it's been different than what I think his little mind expected. It's getting used to new people, new routines, new expectations, new experiences and new emotions. I have seen a side of my first born in face of this new adjustment. He has been brave in the face of uncertainty in his little world; a quietness in his observance of others rather than his usual live out loud self. He's not been one to sit on the sidelines and watch as life happens before him. It's only been 2 days and I am so proud of him. This is a whole new world that is opening up for him, and it's a transition for us all. And it's only preschool! And only 2 days!! I guess I don't think I was prepared for this to be such a big transition for Cameron as it has turned out to be(and for me, too).
When he was 6 months old and I had to let him go to daycare, he didn't really know any different. Now, when he can understand and wants me to rescue him, I have to let him go and figure this out. I, too have to be brave in the face of uncertainty and quiet in the moments where I want to fix it all and make it all better, but have to let this part of life happen. And he'll do just fine. That's a side of him I've always seen.

Fair Fun

2010-08-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

The Hudsonville Fair always seems to mark the end of the summer with one last fun thing to do. So, the boys(that includes Torrey, too!) ventured off to the big 'ole county fair. Cameron can go on the rides by himself(thank goodness...Mommy and Daddy can't seem to handle those things anymore!!) and he even got to go stay up late and go to the grand stands to see the off road races and dirt bikes. So cool in his little world. As it was when Cameron was little(who am I kidding, still is!) Haiden loved the tractors and he even had the sound effects to go with them.
He went right for the front car!

The fast turn is coming!!!

Okay, Mommy can handle the big slide ;)

Wow, a BIG one!

If only these levers and buttons would work!!

On a side note.....
When Haiden has wanted a snack I get him a little bowl to put it in and every time as I am getting it ready he scurries over to the rug by the sink, sits down and waits for me to set it by him. I don't know where he got this idea from, but it is so silly to watch him get settled in on the rug and eat. Funny boy! This was in the morning. I love the sleepy look on his face and his big boy jammies. For memory sake a quick snapped a picture ;)

(Thinks he's) SO big!

2010-08-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

I have one little man in the house that THINKS he is so big. What he doesn't realize is that I told him he has to stay little for a long time ;)

In a big boy chair just like his brother and he is enjoying his moment!

This is so cool, mommy!

Play, play, play

2010-08-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Lately we have been all play, play and play all over the place. The last month of summer has been really great just doing all of the things we love one more time before our school routine sets in.....which I think we are all getting ready for.

I love it when I can capture the boys playing nice ;)

The other night we headed out the to beach for a picnic and some fun in the waves!
Well Torrey and Cameron had fun in the waves while I stayed on the beach with this handsome one...

Cameron tried to get Haiden to go in but he was just as happy playing in the sand and running after seagulls!

We have yet to get our patio furniture out yet but I did bug Torrey to put together our fire pit and we got to have a little bit of camping right in our own backyard...s'mores!

(See Haiden swiping a marshmallow when Mommy can't grab him!)

And then today we had another fantastic playdate with some fabulous friends from school. We have gotten together quite a few times over the summer and the kids do great together so we girls can chat. I love that we all have kids about the same age and can relate so well together! I LOVE working and being friends with each and every one of you!

A little squishy but still lots of laughs!!

OH! Couldn't you just kiss 'em and squeeze 'em!

And of course after all the playing there is nap time. Cameron takes one every now and again and today when he got home, he grabbed a blanket, covered himself ALL the way and out he went.
He's under there, sweating I'm sure!

And this little one.....

Family Camping

2010-08-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Cran-Hill Ranch with Torrey's family. Overall it was a great week with lots of great memories made. Cameron and Haiden both came down with a fever bug that for Cameron lasted on and off throughout the week but he was a champ and it didn't stop him(for the most part as long as we kept some meds in!) The weather was beautiful and it rained only the morning we were packing up to leave(of course!) There are many things I could say but I'll just make this post for the pictures ;)
Pretty much a mess the whole week!

Morning coffee with mom.

This kept Haiden occupied many times!

We liked to dig for black sand!

Always time for a swing.

Hi! I see you out there playing!

HA! Arts and crafts taking on a whole new meaning! See the smile on his face ;)

My boy....

Oh dear.......

Torrey turned 40!!

We can't wait till next year!!

Landscape Part 2

2010-07-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

Heavenly day!!! We are finally done with landscaping this year. Our last battle was the backyard in a corner of the house where the grass did not grow nice and it just was blah. Fortunately we have a connection with a friend who works in a greenhouse and has a way brighter green thumb than I do! Here are some before pics as we were getting started.

We started by putting a little stone border. Before there was just that pile of dirt that you can see in the corner.

Tor and I had picked up some plants here and there, returned some again and again and made many trips to the greenhouse and hardware store to redo the underground sprinkling.
But all the work was worth it(and yes I did help lay brick, spread dirt and plant and not just give my decorative insight!!) because now.....

A cute little spot under the sunroom window.

All the plants are really little and I am excited to see them grow(as long as I remember to water them..which that is not my favorite thing to do!)

I am finally starting to see this house as more of our home. Just doing the work with Torrey and adding our own bit of taste makes it seem more like ours.

Thought I would share a few pics of the boys since they are way more interesting and cute than landscaping!

I don't know where he gets it but this little man is already into doing tricks on his bike. He will also ride it sitting sideways and standing up. I don't know where his pants ended up for this one?!

And this picture just makes me giggle. Cameron was shooting his dart gun(this time not at his brother or me) and decided he needed to quick write a note and his name. He sat for a whole 10 seconds and was off again. He has to be quick when he has his dart out because his little brother nabs the darts and bites the ends off. It's a game to him because he knows it bugs Cameron!

Just the Big Boys

2010-07-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Cameron, Torrey and his dad left for a "big boys" camping and 3-wheeler adventure on Thursday. Torrey remembers so well doing these things with his dad and he could not wait until Cameron was old enough to go. I had to reason with him last year yet that Cameron was not quite old enough to rough it! So finally this year off they went up north a little ways to Hesperia.

They made it there before the rain came...but then it hit pretty hard but that didn't stop them!

The tent leaked so they had to make due with some tarps and a quick stop at Dollar General for a drop cloth!! If mommy was with them it would have been a stop at the Holiday Inn!

And of course beside riding 3 wheeler through the mud they had to do other big boy things like shoot bb guns at pop cans.

And build fires....

And chop wood.
(Side note: These are also known as the "things to do when mommy is not here"!)

Telling stories by the fire during a dry moment. Cameron is drinking a pop (so he can shoot them, you know!)

One of the puddles they went through!
(Another side note: I take no ownership of what my husband chooses to wear when I am not with him. And then he tells me he went in a store with this on!)

Such a boy trip! Cameron said when they were eating under their little canopy when it was raining, "It's a good thing mommy and Haiden aren't here!" HA! I am so glad that he was able to take such a fun adventure with his daddy and be one of the big guys!

Morning, Grandpa!

2010-07-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, Grandpa! Do you notice anything different about me?

I got another haircut and my mommy said that you would like it. She likes it too, but says it makes me look too old, so in the fall we will let it be a little longer. I like it because now I am not so sweaty. I sat really good in the chair! Mommy kept giving me treats, it was great! When I got home I touched my hair to show daddy and Cameron said he thought it looked nice.
Even though I look WAY TOO BIG(emphasis added by mom) in this picture mommy says I am still her baby.

And Cameron says: Hello Grandpa! You are my best friend buddy! Where are all my donuts?

Mommy says: Have a good Monday! Hope this started your day off well!!

Brotherly Love

2010-07-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

I am so glad I was able to capture Cameron and Haiden in one of their brotherly love moments. Cameron can be so sweet, gentle and helpful to his little brother and most days Haiden will offer up some love as well, but he does like to tell his brother no a lot!!

Cameron was trying to help little brother load a little shooter toy. Haiden would get the toy and back his little buns up to sit in Cam's lap!

So precious!

Then the other morning Cameron picked up a book and starting "reading". This was a book we read a lot when he was younger(like he is that old already!) and I was surprised at how much he remembered of each page. He even "read" all the extra tidbits of info we would tell him about each page. And then to see little man sit there so enthralled about what his brother was saying! Oh I love these boys!

What a cheezer!!

A Picture of Summer

2010-07-09T17:34:00.001-07:00

Doesn't this just have the look of summer?

Oh how I love this little boy!

And who couldn't love this big goofball....

Project Landscape

2010-07-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much we feel like we have accomplished already this summer now that the boys are a whole year older! A big project that we have wanted to get done since we have moved in(almost 5 years ago...but who's counting?) is landscaping in the front. The only thing we had was an outline of where things once were, rocks, weeds, dirt and plastic tarp. It was nothing that made you feel at home when you pulled in. So this weekend we managed the feat of keeping the boys occupied and planting, planting, planting. Here are some before pics.

We had the plants set where we wanted.

It was just blah... especially this eye sore at the end of the driveway.

I have wanted a new mailbox since the first day we moved in and have tried to put planters on the porch to make it somewhat fun but finally....(drum role please)

TAADAA!!
Tor really worked hard to get all this done(and clean out the garage because we would not leave it open for how messy and junky it looked!)

He also put it one new door.

This door was forest green with little decorative squares on it(like our front door you can see below) and now it actually matches the house!

Of course we had little helpers along the way. Haiden is only in a diaper because it seriously was before 8:00!!
The boys were in their glory being outside, dirty and working with their daddy.

We have some finishing touches, but for the most part it really makes us feel more at home. Now for these beauties to be ripped out and replaced(to be done by someone else I am happy to say).
They SO stick out like a sore thumb! All in good time(just not another 5 years!)

And I just had to share this picture of the best daddy and his boys who adore him, follow his every move and are his little shadows.
Mowing the lawn is quite the entertainment around this house(not to mention my 4 year old knows how to start the mower better than I do!)

Up and Running

2010-06-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Finally my computer has a charged battery so I can post. Since a lot has happened lately this will be a random post filled with it all! The boys and I are getting settled into our new routine and are having so much fun together. Can it really be July already!?
Mommy turned 32! This is the best picture we got! One wanted the cake and the other wanted to play with the candles. And this was after getting caught in the storm out at the beach!

Our big man completed his first round of gymnastics complete with a trophy and ribbon. He was so proud of himself and excited to show us all he learned. He even remembered all of his balance beam "routine". This is something we will continue as he really likes the tumbling, bouncing, falling and jumping. Who would have guessed?!

And then we went camping! Last weekend was our first time at Cran Hill Ranch. It really is our favorite place in the summer. The boys did great and we enjoyed all of our summer fun!

Ice cream(before the s'more of course!)

How to not make a complete mess while eating an ice cream cone with a one and a half year old is beyond me?!

And catching frogs and turtles......

Jumping off the dock.......

Watching the animals......

Bathtime in the sink!

Eating stones in the middle of the road(okay so not part of our annual summer fun but it kept the kid content for a long time!) And NO he did not swallow any of them!

Riding bikes through puddles after the rain! I still can't get the dirt out of Cameron's shirt!

All tuckered out from all the excitement.

Popsicles

2010-06-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

Popsicles are the BEST in the summer! Especially sitting on the front porch after dinner enjoying a beautiful summer night! So far, the beginning of the summer has been fabulous!

Haiden kept trying to pick up the little pieces of his popsicle that fell out but they melted too quick ;)

I love this side by side profile shot(except the red spot remnants of a mosquito bite on Haiden). They look so different to me, especially how blonde Cameron is getting already this summer!

Off and Running

2010-06-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

YEAH!!!! SUMMER!!!!!

Summer is here and we are OH SO EXCITED! I feel like I want to do everything all right now...playdates, beach, parks, picnics, shopping, wrestling(yes a daily activity around here), camping, baking, snuggling and lots of kisses for owies that I can give now that I am home.

Our mornings have started out early and we need to get into a being at home routine but we have hit the ground running!

We got Cameron a "yeah it's summer" glove and baseball and we have spent a lot of time playing ball already.

This little one is BUSY! In to everything and anything he can get his hands or mouth on. He found out how to get sticky notes apart. Now I have many pads of them ;)

Cameron and I will have some just us time when Haiden takes his afternoon nap. Puzzles, marbles, games and crafts are great things when little hands and feet are not there to nab and destroy things!

Wrestle time! Any time Cameron is on the floor Haiden takes full advantage and tries to bounce, crawl and sit on him. Most of the time his big brother is a good sport about it....at least for now. Haiden says "ha, I got him, Mom!"

And of course what would a kick off to summer be without a meal with corn on the cob(or as Cameron likes to say corn from the cob)?! Haiden was all over it!

Happy Summer!

A Helper and the Future?

2010-05-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting to some projects around the house and it feels great! Some of the landscaping in the back is done and we were able to stain the deck this weekend. Cameron was a big help(really) and was all about using all the equipment. Haiden was napping. More teeth are coming in and he has not been himself this weekend so he and I have been enjoying some extra cuddle time.In the picture below you can kind of see the color of the house. It is not done yet but what is I LOVE! It is going to look like a totally different house.

Cameron is hard to see in this picture--he glows in th sun just as much as his dad with his pale skin ;)

Today we ventured with both boys to get some more things for the house. A new mailbox, house numbers, a front and back door and a new light and clock for out on the deck. After the painters are done, we will get the patio furniture out and have meals outside. Summer is almost here!

This picture is a glimpse of what our future might look like....
What a cheeser!

And after a hard days' work, naps are needed ;)

Sundays

2010-05-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Aaaaaahhh, Sundays. I love waking up Sunday mornings and knowing that we can start our day without rushing or thinking about all we need to get done. To simply be a family, focus on only that and not getting this or that done or rushing off to run errands. Of course our day still starts at about 6:30 most times and that's okay.

So here is a glimpse of our life before heading out to church this beautiful Sunday.

Cameron starting the day just chillin'

Haiden being his content self playing

And me actually being able to sit down with a cup of coffee and spend time in the Word. The one thing that truly revives and strengthens me.
Last full week of school here I come ;)

New Toy

2010-05-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

The other weekend we got a deck box to put our outdoor toys in. While I was out the boys decided to put it together. Photos courtesy of Cameron ;)

"Did you need to keep these parts organized daddy?"

"I think I am missing a few parts??"

So this was all done last weekend and now look what we STILL have in our living room and has become the newest and greatest toy! Cameron loves to put all the blankets and pillows in it and jump into it launching from the couch. He totally disappears when he lands in it because it is so deep. It actually has provided some funny laughs around here! Haiden likes to be in there because he has his brother captive to retaliate ;)

I love the smiley face Cameron has in this picture. True happiness and giggles.

The Greatest Gifts

2010-05-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

There are many gifts that one could consider great. Sometimes the gifts can be big and other times quite little. For me, the greatest gifts that I can enjoy daily, constantly are surprising, gives back more than I seem to deserve at times and only I can have....my boys. God has, and continues, to provide me with more than I could ask or imagine. And He, the one true God and maker of all things good, entrusted me to two boys who I love in a way that is beyond words. A love that I never knew existed before I knew them and can't imagine my life without that love filling every fiber in me. Me. God chose me to be the mother of these two gifts that fill my prayers, thoughts, imaginations, hopes, joy, dreams and desires daily. A gift that makes me smile and laugh like non other and makes me feel complete.

My gifts

smiles

2010-05-01T18:11:00.001-07:00

These boys just make me smile....

Haiden was being silly while we were having our morning snack. Every time I would hold up the camera he would give me a cheesy grin ;)

this and that

2010-04-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing really has happened lately except our daily routine. Because the weather has been nicer we have been going for little walks after supper or hanging out in the yard. Haiden has found a new love in the little motorized quad and has begun to throw some mini fits of frustration and not getting his way(I told him he better get over that soon!) And Cameron has been happy just to be outside and dirty. I don't think I will ever be able to get his socks clean or all the sand out of his shoes!

It's so cute to see his little finger push the button. Of course he has no concept of steering ;)

This one needs some repairs ;)
Not sure what happened to his shirt---but at least he has pants and shoes!

Haiden always has to try to fit IN things--no matter how small .

And here he is after he threw himself on the floor before church for the first time. Torrey and I just laughed at him and had to take a picture. It's just funny to see this side coming out in him(which we better not see too much of!) Where do they learn that?!

my life

2010-04-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

I just have to laugh sometimes at where my life has taken me. Like this.....

HA! Who would have thought(definitely not Grandpa Roby!). I actually know how to shift this thing and am working on remembering how to start one on my own. With these boys(and Haiden already has a love for these) I guess I have to pull up my big girl pants and get used to living life a little dirty(next time I am the one in front!) We had a great night being outdoors and having the first hobo fire of the summer. Cameron found a little toad(that I finally got him to be okay with NOT bringing it in the house) and Haiden had fun going in and out of the little car. But as soon as he heard the 3-wheeler he made a bee line to get on. He has already cried when we have gotten off ;)
For these boys of mine, a little dirt makes life all that more interesting ;)