Wheelers

Jammed Packed Labor Day Weekend!

2011-09-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

Labor Day weekend just screams, "Fill me up and do as much as you can in three days!" We were faithful to oblige, so here are some highlights from the weekend!

Friday night we celebrated my 32nd birthday at my dear friend Amy's house. In lieu of eating out, Amy was sweet enough to open up her beautiful home to host a game night in my honor. What better way to spend the evening eating treats, laughing, telling stories and playing games. I especially liked the idea of game night b/c it offered a chance for fellowship with some of my favorite ladies and we could relax without worrying about taking up a table too long at a restaurant or something. What a great night we had....late into the evening.

Jocelyn, Tammy, Alba, Amy, myself, Sandra, Candice and Rachael

my dear friend Jocelyn and the cheesecake she made from scratch!

My sis-in-law, Candice, on her actual 30th birthday, 2 weeks post baby Abby! What a trooper she was - so thankful she got to come too!

The next morning we anticipated the arrival of the Pereira family. Kristi used to teach with me at NBCA and she and her family now live in Waco. The last time we saw them, Cayden was just 12 months old, so we had yet to meet their sweet kiddos. Mrs. Pereira is a mommy now too and it wasn't that long ago when we were teaching together, hanging out with middle schoolers! What a treat to get to see them, however briefly.

Hermann, Ruby, Kristi and Hudson

Our 3 kiddos....Hud will be 3 in October I think

We have several pics together just like this one! Love her!

After the Pereiras left, we headed to Canyon Lake to meet up with some family to celebrate Grandma's 75th birthday. Since Uncle Bubba's house can accommodate a ton of people, we planned a big sleep over complete with lots of food, a birthday celebration, and game playing into the early morning. I don't remember the last time when I had laughed so hard.

Happy birthday, Grandma!!!

Matt doing the honors

Make a wish!

Cade serving the ice cream

Mck!

Matt and Emily

silly Corey

Ha, I hadn't bathed yet and my hair was kickin'
Matt was giving me a hard time, rightfully so!

We headed home Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a quiet and slow Monday together as a family. Although is was super busy, it was super sweet to get to see and spend time with family and friends!

Fun at the Riedel's

2011-09-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is totally last season, but nonetheless, it's definitely post-worthy material. Let's count those babies ...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!!! Eight kiddos, all together with one (so actually there are 9) not swimming since well, she's like 3 months old! The mommas of these kiddos have been my dearest friends since high school and some since junior high!

sweet baby Anna!

Here's our crew....and Jamie doesn't have babies just yet, so the numbers are bound to grow. I don't know who else will have more babies at this point and for us, the jury is still out. Since Abby is preggers and due soon, so our little brew will be at 10 by the end of the year. We should go camping together...like in 5 years!!!

We had the pleasure of staying that night at the Riedel home. It was the first time we've been able to spend some good time together. Cody (Kim's husband) was out of town, so it was just Kim and I with our 5 kiddos. Luckily, Kim's house is run like a day care in that her house is spacious, and she has the best snacks and toys for any kiddo. For the most part, the kids got along well and we enjoyed seeing them all interact together.

Mck enjoyed mimicking Lizzie

All matching per size (both sets are 6 weeks apart)

this one little baby item was their favorite toy...which, by the way, even little Maddie was too big for it

snuggle time!

Happy 4th birthday Cayden!!!

2011-08-17T19:11:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday little man!! The Jumpy Place!!!!

The birthday boy!

Grandma, Aunt Emily and Granny

Aunt Candice and Aunt Ginger

Cayden and his best friend Gracie

cousin Jon and birthday boy

Uncle Brent and Mck

"happy birthday to you"

kisses please

Cayden and his long-time friend Josiah

Mck got "stuck" on top and daddy just had to go get her

Uncle Corey and Haley

Aunt Emily and the kiddos

Grandma and Granny

A sweet night with the Pooles

2011-08-03T10:44:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago my sweet cousin, Jennifer, and her family made their annual river trip to New Braunfels. This is the first year they've brought their kiddos along, so naturally, we brought ours too. We took them to our favorite restaurant, Logan's, and afterwards headed to the park to let the kids run wild. Since we only get to see them about once a year, we loved the chance to catch up and love on their family. I feel like I could just sit and talk with her about life and marriage and kiddos and nails and toilet training and sewing and well, practically anything. I wish we all loved closer, but until then I will treasure our time together and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Our 4 kiddos..well, until baby #3 comes for Jenn in February

Daniel, Jennifer, Brooke and Dustin
Her kiddos look so much alike - just adorable!

Jenn and I remembered us swinging on a tire swing out at Nanny and Pawpaw's house when we were young...and now our kiddos are doing it too. Love this picture and love the Poole family!

July 4th weekend! Part 2

2011-08-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

headed to the pool!

On Monday, July 4th, we spent the day with our very good friends the Naquin family! It was a special treat since the dads got to come too, which usually it's just Jocelyn and I with the 4 kiddos. We were sure to bring our lunches and camp out at the YMCA all morning, leading up to nap time. Ha, just about everything revolves around nap time!

Jocelyn and Josiah

Josiah - how photogenic is he?!

this is a good napping spot, right?

After heading home and getting our beloved naps in, we met up with the Naquins at Mamacita's for dinner. I think it may have been our first time eating out all together. Joc and I get to go out alone sometimes, we've met at Chick-fil-la several times for family night, but this was our first real dinner out all together. Gotta say, it went pretty well with 2 toddlers and 2 preschoolers. At least they like mexican food, so that helps!

After dinner, we headed to our 3rd stop of the day with 1 more to go. Since we had some time in between dinner and when the fireworks show started, we headed to the park to burn off some energy. We were hoping to get some snow cones, but they were closed. What?!! So sad, but we promised ice cream to the kids once we got settled in later for the show.

The 3 big kiddos holding hands with Mr. Ken on the way to the park

some serious negotiations going on here

looks like they came to an agreement

I'm not wearing a festive shirt like them, so I didn't get to be in the picture :(
secret: Corey's shirt is from last year

Once it was getting close for show time, we headed to Kyle and got a good spot to watch some fireworks. Kyle was the only place, besides I think Georgetown, that was still doing them. Had the show been any farther away, we would've missed them. Nonetheless, we made it there and the kids loved the ice cream, good friends and beautiful fireworks. Too bad you only get to see them twice a year. For months after new years, Cade would include fireworks in his prayers, so hello mom, you can't miss opportunities for fireworks. And, how much longer is he gonna care? So, we made it happen and it was a great show!

ice cream - somehow, he ended up with his own

cute picture...wish it would've come out better

at least I'm wearing red and white!

the Naquin family!!!

my sweet friend Joc

July 4th weekend! Part 1

2011-07-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

July 4th weekend was a busy one...but I guess that's how it's supposed to be. Saturday morning we woke up, packed our bags for the day, trying to remember EVERYTHING, picked up Uncle Marcus at his apartment and headed to Sea World for the day. I like taking Uncle Marcus places (well, any one of my brothers), b/c besides the excellent company, he's a huge help with the kids. He's quick to rescue them from danger, carry either one of them on his shoulders, hold their hands while getting through a busy crowd, doesn't seem to be annoyed by their fits and just all around comes to our rescue too. I've often joked that whenever we go places big like Sea World, we need to invite an Uncle too! :)

We spent most of the day at the water park and later met up with Brent and Candice and their family for the Shamu show. Since it's so hot and we've already seen all of the shows, we tend to camp out at the water park now when we go. Being so hot, this day was no different!

And we're off!!!

yep, that's the kiddie pool, they're not scared!

I don't know, measuring the depth?

Bay of Play...Elmo show!
Can you find the Wheeler kids?

Jon, Noah and Cade

We got a seat at the new Shamu show super early in fear that the stadium would fill up fast. By this point we were done swimming, it was past their nap time which we already planned to forfeit, and afterwards planned on heading home. We just needed to make it through the show!!

Haley bug and Uncle Corey

Their last trip to Sea World before baby Abby arrives!

It was a fabulous day!!

Swimming lessons!

2011-07-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

This year we put both kiddos in swimming lessons. Cade was in a big boy class, alone with an instructor, whereas Mck did the parent/tot class. I only got in the water with Mck once; I enjoyed sitting alone, in the quiet, with a/c, watching both classes. Ha! Cade did great, keeping up with his classmates and learning all the new skills. It was a big change from last year and him clinging to us around our necks the whole time. What a difference a year makes!

Mck on the other hand, was more caught up in watching and wanting her brother, that she sometimes got too distracted and fussed a bit. She gradually allowed dad to put her under, but has yet to jump in or blow bubbles. Who knew that was so important? No worries though, she did great and really enjoys the water.

He's gotten so silly when we take pictures now.

Matt and Emily's wedding!!!!

2011-07-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Rehearsal dinner at Los Cucos in Tomball

Uncle Bubba, Grandma and mom

Mom and cheesy Cade

If only we had Cade in this picture too

Cade and his Uncle Matt

"We're going to the chapel and we're, gonna get maaaaried!"

I didn't get very many pictures from the wedding, mainly b/c I didn't have the luxury of capturing every moment like I wanted since I had the kids to tend to (hello run-on). Luckily, I have several more that I stole from my family and what they shot. Here are just a few from my camera. :)

the guys

kids playing on our phones waiting for the reception to start

mom and grandma

Michael and Katie

My funny guy and his uncle Mike

Cade clung to Emily most of the time...Emily handled it well

My flower girl

Uncle Bubba and Cade

Bye, Emily!! Congrats!

Do we really need to see my face?

Port Aransas Vacation

2011-07-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

We took our very first family vacation in May to Port Aransas. Our good friends, the Woodruffs, suggested the hotel we stayed in. It was perfect in that it was a little apartment-like hotel, complete with 2 bedrooms/2 bathrooms, a living room, full size kitchen, washer/dryer and back patio. It was like our own little living space. Of course the hotel had a pool, four in fact, a water slide and it was right on the beach. We loved, loved it!!!

Here, we stopped at a t-shirt shop to check out the giant shark and take pictures. As you walk through the belly of the shark, you are able to enter into the store...cool, huh? These sharks were everywhere, so we just had to stop and let the kids play. Hello, we're tourists.

Sunscreen!!! This process undoubtedly takes forever, especially for Mck...she likes to wiggle and squirm the whole time. Hold still, sister!

We took so many pictures at the beach, many of which were of the same shot, but different facial expressions. I thought I'd spare you of that and just highlight the big stuff. On the second day, a tractor came through and scooped away all the seaweed. Cayden of course loved being that close to a real-life moving tractor and I was thrilled to be rid of the seaweed. After, we had beautiful, squishy, fuffy sand perfect for making sand castles.

Of course dad did all the work

the best part about building sand castles is knocking them down

Mck, that's what a fish looks like

posing

Mck is transitioning from the beach, having just rinsed off, and headed to the pool. She's rough looking, but oh so cute.

The pool was fabulous and was my favorite part. I'm not a beach girl, unless of course the beach is white and clear, so I loved the pool. Mck kept embarrassing me. You see here, she was fascinated by the water dripping from her bottoms. It looked as though she were peeing the way it dripped from her and she repeatedly kept bending over watching. Mck, stop!!! Well, one time I think she did pee, but still, I was so anxious the whole time. Good times.

Lunch!

Snuggle with daddy

Our beloved Mother's Day Out

2011-07-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Mck's class with her little friends

I can't express enough how much I love MDO!! Cayden has been in the program for 3 years now and Mck just finished her first year. Since I worked there the first year the program started, I got to really know all the teachers, as well as the director. I love these ladies. Some of my favorite things about MDO (besides the obvious) is first for what my kiddos get out of it. My kids spend the day doing arts and crafts that I could never imagine, sing silly songs, hear Bible stories, learn to sit, listen and follow instructions, play with others, receive loving discipline from an authority other than myself, learn about friendships/relationships, and just have a fun kid day. I can't say enough good things about the program. My kids just love "school." Additionally, both Cayden and Mck have met some of their dearest friends at school and I too have made some sweet friends.

Cayden is in a class full of girls...only 1 other boy. Oh, and he's the shortest, cutest kiddo in there!

Mck's teacher and my favorite. We love you Ms. Charolette!

At both Christmas and the end of the school year, the kiddos put on a singing program that brings tears to my eyes every time.

I didn't get any pictures of Cayden on stage b/c Corey was filming it and as soon as Mck saw her brother, she took off on stage after him. I had to grab her off and walk to the back. In fact, I didn't even see him up there. At least I got it on film! Mck loves her brother!

This is Gracie, Cayden's dearest friend and long time school-mate. I sometimes keep her during the week and these two play so wonderfully together. I don't know what it is. He always insists on pulling her backpack from the van to the apartment, getting her drink, they never fuss at each other and sometimes when he wakes from his nap and Gracie is already gone, he cries out, "I want my Gracie." He loves her, really. Shelley and I, Gracie's mom, are convinced they're getting married one day. Ha, who knows!

A Day at the River!

2011-05-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

This was our first visit to the river with the kids. We just camped out and played all morning in the water. Although it was super cold, the kiddos didn't seem to mind and we all had a great time. We've already been back once so far...I see us going all summer long, especially now that we've got rafts!

Photoshoot

2011-05-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

The weekend of Mck's party in Tomball, my Uncle Michael was kind enough to entertain the idea of taking some family photos of us. I don't think he fully understood how hard it was going to be. I mean, it was a muggy, wet day and already, the kiddos were not about sitting pretty. They wanted to run and play and get dirty!! And who wouldn't when you're in nice clothes and you have to reel in all your energy for a sitting position? He did get some nice ones, but the "other" ones tend to get hidden. Nope, I'm laying them out there - take a look!!

Cayden got mud all over Corey, he's saying he's sorry and Mck clearly is ready to get up

Cayden, up here dude!
I like how pale I am and you can hardly tell the difference between my legs and shorts...nice

Cayden's new expression...look for it, he does it often now

No, you may not eat the bluebonnets

that's more of a cry face than smiling face Mck

Ok, more good than bad, but it was a mess of a day. Thankfully we got some good ones...it'll get better, it'll get better! :) Sweet babies!

April!

2011-05-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

So, on the eve of June, I've finally decided I need to get caught up from the month of April. It was one of those months that was full every weekend, but fabulous nonetheless! The first weekend we were invited to a cookout with old friends from Cayden's MDO class last year. It seems that this year we all went in different directions, but yet, we're still close enough to occasionally hang out. It was such a great year that year, (2 year olds) and some of our dearest friends were made from that class year. This year in his new class, not so much. I promise there were adults here at the party, but we were too busy chatting for pictures and the kids were playing so well together. It was like a park in their back yard!

Cayden, the man of the house!

Mck and Gracie, our sweet little friend

Asher and Cayden...old buddies

The following weekend was Jamie's bridal shower in Houston. It's always so fun when we're all together!

There's something special about that bottle of wine...don't know what

We've all been friends since high school and some since junior high

Next comes Easter!! It was kinda our first year to celebrate since last year both kiddos were sick and the year before Mck was just a couple weeks old. What an exciting day! The kids woke up to their Easter baskets with a small array of goodies. Mck thinks her sitting spot is always on top of the coffee table.

cheesy smile!

After church, we headed over to a friend's house for the biggest egg hung I've ever seen, some yummy food and good company.

Mr. Ken giving Cayden a pep talk, and Audrey eating grass :)

looking at a bug together...that's special

And last comes Emily's bridal shower. It was a particularly good weekend for me b/c I got to go alone to Tomball and spend time with my family and mom. It was full of good times eating out and shopping. My favorite!!

Rockin the game - such a great sport Emily!

Mom made her a party veil that she wore during the shower...and later at her bachelorette party!

Her sisters Angela and Kelly, myself and Emily

And she's 2!

2011-04-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

After storytime with our dear friends Jocelyn, Josiah and Audrey, we headed to McDonald's for lunch. Since she already had her birthday party, we thought a last minute lunch would be a treat to celebrate on her actual birthday. I think we've been to McD's maybe 2 other times, so I knew it'd be a hit. Aunt Candice, the cousins and a couple of Corey's friends were able to join us too.

Cousin Haley...not sure what she's showing me

baby Audrey, Mck's little friend whom she often tackles or takes her shoes off

Cayden doing a cool trick! "Look, Mom!"

the cousins minus Jon

It's all for a good cause

2011-04-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

This year, Corey had the opportunity to participate in Relay for Life. As a fund raiser, a booth was set up for the residents in the courtyard of the residence halls. They paid a dollar for a plate full of whip cream to smash in the faces of everyone on his staff, including himself. I was surprised at the eagerness of his residents...it got messy quick!

the scene before it all went down. notice Mck by the trashcan talking with dad.

Here, she's trying to decide one, if she's scared of the messy faces and two, if she still wants to hug daddy who is super messy

one of many plates...what a good sport

At one point, I looked over and saw both of the kiddos leaning over and taking handfuls of whip cream off the ground in hopes of making it to their mouths. I was faster than them! :)

Our Mckinley

2011-04-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

Mck at school eating a birthday cupcake!

And now for that sweet baby girl...here are some fabulous things about Mck that you may not know:

- she likes the idea of and gets so excited about taking a bath. Well, shower at our house. But once she's in there, it's a struggle just to get your hands on her. You see, she will paste herself to the very corner of the shower just far enough away that you can barely reach her. You are then forced to crawl forward onto the wet floor to pull her back toward you. Bath time is drama time. I don't know what it is.

- she will wave, smile and talk to just about anyone. She's much more out-going than her brother and is easily approached. She's just like her daddy.

- she has a super high piercing scream. Her octave is commendable, although I'm not encouraging it. Maybe she can use it later for something more constructive.

- she often, oh about 52 times a day says, "hold you" and I'm personally working on doing just that and putting off whatever domestic chore I might be in the middle of. She won't always want me to hold her and I need to remember that. She wants and needs so much cuddle time and I'm loving that right now.

- she will eat nearly everything. She hardly ever puts up a fight about food...wonder how long it'll last.

- she always prefers playing with cars, tractors, puzzles, trains and blocks over feeding her baby dolls. I know it's b/c of her brother and she just wants to be with him. Since they share a room, it's all kinda meshed together, so she gets to share everything with brother.

- her favorite characters right now are a cross between Dora and Minnie Mouse. She is so cute when she says their names and gets so excited when they come one. Sounds like we watch a lot of tv. Ha, not really, only in the morning during breakfast. She fought me just this morning from taking off her jammie gown that had Minnie on it. I guess it could've passed for a dress.

- she holds her own ground. She will often be seen charging Cayden and being the aggressive one. Cayden is more mellow with her and will play the trapped victim. Mck will run with it and control the conflict. She's rough, and we're working on discipline and obedience. Time outs have been real affective.

Silly girl

thumb in mouth, in her stroller, ready to head to school

Daddy loves her in pig tails, so it's pretty much the norm now. I'm growing her bangs out, so it's a good way to keep them out of her eyes. Little girls' hair can be so much work, but oh so cute!

Our Cayden

2011-04-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

Some fabulous things about Cayden that you may not know:

- he loves to dance. We routinely dance to the Curious George theme song just about every morning. He'll dance to commercials, tv shows and of course music from the radio. He's pretty good, too!

- he's addicted to gum. I don't allow him to have it but maybe a couple times a week. Maybe he's addicted to asking. Grandma started the gum thing. :)

- he loves to push the button to open the door to our building. It's probably equivalent to pushing the elevator buttons at a hotel. Exciting stuff.

- he can be quite the gentleman. He insists on carrying sister's lunch to and from school and pulling Gracie's (his little friend that stays with us on Wednesdays) backpack from the van all the way up to the apartment, all the while wearing his own backpack. He's so macho!

- his very favorite movie right now is the Wiggles and just about anything that has to do with real trucks, tractors or trains.

- he will not sleep with a pillow and sleeps completely covered, head to toe, under his "big blanket."

- he's on a hamburger/french fries kick right now and would probably eat that meal once a week if we'd allow it

- he's left-handed :)

- his favorite places to visit are the Jumpy Place (an indoor blowup slide place), story time at the library when he's in the right mood, school (mother's day out) and CBS.

- his sister is his best friend. Praying it stays that way always.

- he is still singing Christmas carols and makes up his own songs in his sleep about mommy, daddy and sister.

- every night during prayers, he prays for Christmas lights and fireworks. He'd like to go see them tomorrow. At least it's something we can look forward to every 6 months. :)

Putting money into his piggy bank!

Don't be fooled by this sweet picture. After fighting it, he sat down for maybe 2 seconds for this quick shot. As soon as I got the picture, he took off in a fit behind the rope, you know, where you're not supposed to go. You see sweet Cayden, I remember stinker Cayden.

Thinking it through - his escape!

No matter what, he's my favorite little boy!

A night at the theater!

2011-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Every week, the staff or RAs host a program for the students/residents. They range in types from study sessions (which Corey volunteers to tutor his residents in math - any class), talks over random subjects, socials, and community builders, just to name a few. This past week, they had a community builder that consisted of dinner and a movie. This wasn't just any ole' dinner and movie though. The ResLife program rented a huge movie screen to set up outdoors in the courtyard here on campus. They played Despicable Me, served hotdogs, popcorn, brownies, hot chocolate and sodas. It was a pretty nice get-up. Imagine 100 students spread out on blankets in groups, all laying down watching a movie on a huge screen. It was no doubt pretty cool. Corey had the idea of taking the kids and although I don't love the movie, we packed up and headed down with everyone to enjoy the flick.

There are only a few things I'm willing to take the kids to and participate in. Corey loves for them to come and let his residents play with the kids. But for me, he's usually "working" during these programs and I'm steady chasing the kids keeping them off stairs and away from doorways. No small task. I spend most of the time worrying about them, so I usually choose to stay home. I know, lame. But, on this one, Corey was going to enjoy himself, so it worked out great!

We were sure to bring entertainment - balls and cars. We played while everyone set up and prepared for the movie. Before too long, the residents were piling in! We had great weather and it turned out to be a perfect night!

On our way to the movie!

Mck forever trying to keep up with her brother

Ahhh, this is the life!

Looks like snow on the ground....nope

rare shot of me...I'm always the one with the camera :)

our "pad"

This pic just captures Mck's personality. She is quite the social butterfly and loves talking with the residents. "Don't mind me mom, I'm gonna visit with these girls for a minute." I love how the residents enjoy our children.

Until the next movie!

A day at the park

2011-02-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

We recently took a trip (a whole 30 mintues) to New Braunfels to play at Landa Park. Can I just say that I love it there? I'm hesitant to say that because I feel like I'm cheating on San Marcos. But, let's face it, San Marcos doesn't have a cool pool, a train to ride or a fabulous park like this one. Although it was a little chilly, it was no time before we hardly noticed the cold and was able to spend the morning playing at this wonderful park. Oh, and daddy got to come, so it was perfect!

Big girl going down the slide

Everyone gets a turn

Cayden said they were about to crash...that's never good

sizing up the slide

Only his left ear was cold

"I like it here"

this is the worst seat ever - it's plan is to sling your child right off into the grass

There were so many pictures from this day, but these pretty much captured our day. We will definitely be going back!!

One eventful weekend

2011-02-07T18:00:00.001-08:00

Isn't this a face that just makes you laugh out loud? You see, the four of us sit around a tiny, square table for dinner every night. Our elbows could just about touch each other. I spent much of this meal dodging Mck's hands and really, any part of her that just might reach me. After dinner, it's my duty, per se, to clean up the dishes and the kitchen. Corey usually gets off easy since his duty is getting the kids down, cleaning them up and cleaning the kitchen table. I'd say I got off easy this night. I should've gotten the picture of him carrying her across the room to the bathroom. It was definitely bath time. Every kiddo needs a picture like this one!

Clean as a whistle...yes, he had spaghetti too. I feel like he looks like Corey's cousin, Kyle, here.

The evening continued as we were alarmed with the sound of a smoke detector. It's only happened once before and I've no doubt come close to setting the alarm off...for the whole building! I'm terrified and turn into a crazy person fanning the kitchen if I think the alarm is about to go off. I don't know how sensitive the alarm is, but you just never want to be "that guy" who set it off causing the whole building to being evacuated. No thanks! So, Mck is in bed, and the three of us are sitting in the living room. We have 2 options. First, knowing that it's only an alarm caused by burnt popcorn, across the hall no less, I could wake Mck, bundle the kids and head outside in 20 degree weather for who knows how long. Keep in mind this is the evening before the snow. Or option 2 would be to stay inside with the kids (Corey had to head out and take care of it) amidst the smoke, terribly loud sirens and crazy lights. Cayden was really scared, but he soon calmed down and would you believe that Mck slept through the whole thing? She's a trooper. This went on for at least 25 minutes and finally all was quiet again. I suppose it's just another example of campus life. Although, I might add that we never lost electricity or water, so for that, I can be grateful.

The next morning we awoke with the thrill of snow. I'm pretty sure it took twice as long to get bundled up with socks, shoes, jackets, hats and gloves than for how long we were actually out there. This scene lasted maybe 5 minutes. Cayden was not about it and started crying wanting to come back in. Mckinley on the other hand, I think she liked it, but she's definitely more easy going than her brother.

Already, Mck is happy about it and Cayden is trying to decide.

This is me, right out of the shower, no makeup!

The front of our building.

Friday evening I took off with cousin Angie and headed to the Marek's house. My initial plans for coming down were to spend Saturday with my girlfriends in celebration of Jamie and have a mini bachelorette day. We'd been planning this weekend for weeks, and we all had such a great time. I am truly blessed to have such long standing, intimate relationships with these girls, all dating back to high school and junior high. Oh the things we've been through. Today was about Jamie and we spend some of the day at Mad Potter and we all came together and made her a gift. It wasn't finished completely, so there are no pictures. We must have tons of pictures in this very pose dating back nearly 12 years.

Me, Kimberly, Jamie, Abby and Keri

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell everyone that I had it set up to take 5 pictures at a time! hehe

Abby, Jamie and myself

Keri and Kimberly

Afterwards, we headed to lunch at the Galleria and ended our day at Jamie's bridal shop so she could try on her dress for us. Loved it!!! I can hardly wait to share in her day and see her walk down the aisle. There will be tears no doubt.

The weekend followed and ended with a great dinner with my family, a lazy Sunday morning, an easy drive home with Angie and an evening with friends watching the Superbowl (although I'm pretty sure I didn't even watch the commercials this year - too busy enjoying time with the girls). It truly was a great weekend!

I know, I'm sorry!

2011-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is me, checking in. I'm soo behind and although it's the beginning of January, I'm going to update as far back as October and Holloween. I know that some of you have already seen my pictures on Facebook, but there's some family and friends out there that don't use Facebook. So, on that note, you'll get to enjoy all my pictures with my oh so fabulous commentary too! What fun, right? I'm heading out to pick up the kids from MDO, so hold your breath, updates are coming!!!

Seaworld

2010-12-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Dinner that night at Logan's...notice Mck, how could you not?

So, for my mom's birthday, all us kids got together and headed to SeaWorld. Well, minus Michael and Katie of course. We decided to get season passes, so I'm looking forward to more visits, especially this summer. The day couldn't have gone more smoothly or more relaxing. The weather was perfect, the kids did fabulous without their naps and we just enjoyed our time together. Such a great day. Here are some pix!

big kids in the very back

all hands on deck!

I just love this picture. Mck is pooped

the crew minus me - someone had to take the pic. which reminds me, most of our pictures are of Corey and the kids. i'm always behind the camera.

Kid duty...we are taking them EVERYWHERE!!!

they're probably laughing at Cayden for being on a leash. Whatever!

Cayden is scared of the chipmonk

Christmas Cards: mission incomplete and nearly impossible!

2010-12-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

So, tonight I'm just going to get stuff off my chest and mind so that I can close my eyes and rest. Kind of like my own personal journal, so here goes:

Corey and I decided last night that we'd try and get our Christmas card picture shot today. Little did we know that the day would unfold like it has. So, we got up and headed to the other side of campus, near the theater building. It's beautiful over there and with the water in the background, it presented a beautiful place for pictures. Since it was last minute, we chose to use our tripod and take the pictures ourselves. To say the least, we were crazy. Cade was too busy playing with sticks and Mckinley was more interested in exploring her freedom walking around out of her stroller. Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought, "This is a joke, right? Someone is about to jump out and say I'm on Candid Camera; I just know it." Well, someone was watching and thankful for this kind lady who had mercy on us, came over and asked if she could help. I think she was an angel sent from Heaven. Would you believe that the kids immediately straightened up and sat nicely in our laps for several pictures? Not gonna lie, I prayed for help (moreso for patience) and He game through. K, picture done.

By this time it was lunch so I made the kids some quesadillas and fresh pineapple. They kept asking for more and more and I'm pretty sure it was the pineapples that caused Mck to become so fussy. She kept pointing in her mouth crying. I know pineapples are acidic, so that explains it. She fussed in her bed for about an hour; this is a long time when she'd normally go right down for nap without a fight. Ok, it gets better.

Corey comes home from work, we eat dinner and I decide after dinner that I want/need to run to Hobby Lobby to get paper for my Christmas letter and to Sam's for my pictures, you know, the ones we worked so hard for today. I get down the street, 3 blocks in front of the Post Office and someone side swipes me, causing a wreck. I was in the far left-hand lane going straight through the intersection and the car to my right decides to make a left through the intersection. I crashed into the driver's side, busting up my right front bender. Fabulous. No one was hurt and it wasn't my fault, but it is my problem, so enter a new problem to deal with. Luckily, I was able to pull into the fire house and the firemen were super helpful. One of them bent back my fender to allow my wheel to turn so I could continue to drive it. My light is busted and the dent isn't too bad. Also, the police woman who came was super nice and informative. See, there's some good stuff in there. After all that was done, I decided to go ahead and do my errands so my trip wouldn't be a complete waste. On to Hobby Lobby.

My car seemed to be running fine, so I was feeling pretty good considering the circumstances. After I shopped, I got into the car only to find that it wouldn't start. Fabulous. By this time, it's after 8 and I know my kids are in bed so a new problem arose. I needed Corey. Thankfully, he had some kiddos in mind to come over and luckily that worked out. We just needed someone to sit at the apartment while the kids slept so Corey could come assist me. In the mean time, I'm on the phone with the insurance trying to figure out what to do with my dead, busted up car. Corey in all his glory, arrived and figured out that the battery was loose and just needed tightened. I like him. We drove home.

I get home and again decide to work on my little project that seems to be fighting against me. I get the paper and sizing just right, type in how many copies I need, print and head out of the room. Joke's on me. The ink is going out and I've ruined 19 pages of my special paper that took a wreck, a dead car and a special trip for Corey to get. Fabulous. That's OK, I'll just go ahead and write out the addresses on my envelopes....I have 8!!!!! So, I need ink, envelopes and possibly more paper. And my pictures are still sitting at Sam's. I gave up tonight, feeling totally defeated with nothing really to show for it. I will start again tomorrow, or maybe Sunday or maybe Monday.

Now, when you receive your Christmas card in the mail from us, just know that I worked hard on them and it's still very important to me that they go out in a timely manner with lots of love. I hope you like them! Enjoy!!

Ahhh, finally finished!

2010-10-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

This is the image I like to see when thinking of my children...laying joyfully down together and drifting peacefully off to sleep. It never happens, but then, these are my hopeful thoughts. I just finished this gigantic pillow a few days ago. Isn't it great? Look how big it is and how it fits both kids, although they rarely practice the art of sharing. Nonetheless, I have a picture to prove it for now.

I think Cade is showing her how to put puzzles together.

I have spent the last 4 or so weeks working on their room. I had a vision of a coordinating boy/girl room, but still wanted them to have their own wall to dress up. I was shopping one evening with my mom and came across these two differing, yet matching bed sheets. I've learned that sometimes, sheets can make fabulous fabric for decorating and sewing. So, we bought the king size sheets and matching floor rugs and headed home to brainstorm. Mom and I came up with ideas for the bed skirt and closet curtain. I was no doubt intimidated by working with a pattern, but it all worked out. Well, the pattern was for the bed skirt, the curtain was no biggie; it just required doing some simple math.

Without making it too girlie, (if you saw her previous bedroom, it screamed girlie, so this was a little more neutral) I went with orange and green stripes for the curtain. It was the easiest thing I've ever done and still super cute.

I appreciate that the curtain hides her clothes and makes the room easier on your eyes. Girl has some clothes, but really the bottom rod is winter and bigger sizes. We lack storage, so everything hangs in there.

Cade's curtain done in khaki and red. Classic.

He only has one rod. :)

This pleated bed shirt was super easy too. Again, the pattern was scary, but mom walked me through it and it turned out perfectly. Really proud of the bed skirts.

Cade's with red trim and I made it a little shorter since his bed is lower.

Now, this beast took me a long time. Each piece is sewn together one-by-one and therefore, took lots of time. Although it's all straight stitching, it still required some well thought out planning. It's 44x35 and the back comes together like a pillow sham, overlapping in the middle. It's nice and squishy.

At this point, I was pretty much done with my initial projects in the room. The problem was, I still had plenty of fabric left over. What to make? Blankets. What else would I have done with the fabric and who couldn't use 1 more blanket in their stack of 12? Besides, this one matches. I made each kiddo a new blanket with left over fabric and minky. I despise working with minky, so the project was a stretch for me to make. It was nice when it was all done though.

Would you believe that I still had more fabric left over? Seriously. It just so happened that the amount left over looked just like a pillow case. This was all the fabric I had! It was perfect and I couldn't resist making them and adding them to the colorful mix that I had now created. I made little pillows first with the left over fabric from the deck of the bed skirts. Then, I just sewed up the edges of the fabric and slid the pillow in. I anticipate having to wash them, so this was the perfect plan. I am done!

Mckinley's wall

Cade's wall

I don't know where it has come from, but I'm yearning for more projects to do. I've really enjoyed this new hobby of sewing...it's so rewarding! Luckily, I have a great teacher, my mom, whom I call often to help and walk me through the scary stuff, like how to read the language on the patterns. She's encouraging and gentle with me, even when I'm frustrated over something so trivial. One day, maybe I can be as talented as her!

My next project is to make Mckinley a nap mat for school. That's right, she starts Mother's Day Out in November. It will really be a mother's day out when both kiddos are in school for 6 hours Tuesday and Thursday! After that, I hope to make personalized Christmas stockings for my family. I'm sure there'll be other projects too in between!

Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

Corn maze

So, about 2 weeks ago, we headed to the pumpkin patch in Marble Falls with some friends and spent a beautiful, Fall day outside. The morning will filled with several activities for the kids, which in turn, made for some great photos!

Here, the kiddos were racing while pulling the wagon, to fetch their very own pumpkin.

After retrieving their pumpkin, it was time to paint them!

He's a great painter, huh?

Some of the kiddos painting together (Cayden's sweet friend,
Josiah, is in the blue across from him).

The kiddos are listening to instructions on how to shuck corn
(notice Cayden and Josiah...buddies)

she's telling me her fingers are dirty

Here, the kids are pumping water into the trough to push the pumpkin along

I didn't take this picture...I'm pretty sure if I asked him to put his head through this, there'd be no chance of it. Nice surprise to see this pic!

There must have been 7 pictures with the boys and Mck's bottom up in the air. What was she doing for so long? Maybe a bug.

Cayden's infamous smile

Mck loves to take pictures, can't you tell?

Cayden, Josiah and Braden climbing on pumpkins.

So since we had several pictures of Cayden and Josiah, we thought it would only be fair to take pictures of their little sisters together. They're about 10 months apart. It didn't go so well.
"Listen here, let's take this picture and get it over with"

Mck looks huge next to baby Audrey

Cayden likes to talk with his finger...where'd he get that from?

It was a perfect fit for him...we need a tractor this size.

hay ride

Texas State Football Game!!!

2010-09-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Bobcat's first home game was this Saturday night and guess who went, enjoyed it and would probably go again? The Wheelers!!!!! We met up with our sweet family friends the Murawskis. Sandra and Mike have a daughter named Sol, who was in Cayden's class at MDO last year, and a son with the same cool name as our son, Caden. We camped out in the parking lot to cook hotdogs and hamburgers and enjoy the evening. We were prepared and brought all sorts of things to ride, color and do. The biggest challenge was keeping them in the reserved parking space we had; it was a challenge mostly for our wondering children. I was a little anxious not knowing how everything would go, but I was pleasantly surprised. The kids did great!!

Mckinley's home-made game shirt!

Kids just hanging out.

Biker babe

Awe, there's my sweet girl

This bottle of water was such a hit. Cade and Sol had so much fun squirting each other.

The kids look so enthused. "Please mom and dad, take us to the game."

Our whole crew decked out ready for the game!

How sweet is this picture? Cayden and Sol held hands all the way to the stadium. Here, he's protecting her by telling a truck to stop. Such the gentleman.

Cayden really watched closely to everything going on. He got into it too by clapping and saying, "Come on, Bobcats!" Although, Boko (the mascot) did get too close and Cayden wanted to leave. He doesn't appreciate costumes.

Sandra, Caden and Mck sitting together. Mck really likes Sandra and spent nearly a whole quarter sitting with her. I enjoyed it too!

This clapping girl has wet hair from some sweat, but mostly from the infamous water bottle big brother had.

Matching shirts I made for the kids. The front of each have a bobcat on it. I am THAT mom!

Cade and Sol are so silly. Sol thought Cade was just hilarious and Cade so enjoyed making her laugh. They are such sweet friends.

Doesn't it sort of look like he's proposing? Maybe some day. :)

The band!!!

Just thought this was a funny picture of Mck.

Cayden's eyeing the mascot here. "Don't come any closer."

Murawski family

Out with the old, in with the new!

2010-09-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

So, after weeks of waiting, agonizing and surrendering, we are officially moved in on Texas State campus. Our apartment is quaint and quite suitable for our little family. I chose to go out of town the week Corey moved us in, but once I returned, it got super busy around here. You just can't live out of boxes or bags too long. Luckily, the apartment is furnished so that minimized the amount of furniture we had to move, er, Corey had to move. We live in a residence hall, aka, dorm hall. Although, I quickly learned I'm not allowed to call it a "dorm hall;" it's not cool. It's a "residence hall." Don't make the same mistake I did folks!

Some pros:

- Corey is loving his job and I can see a change in him already. He's like a kid who totally thrives in this environment. Me, it's a struggle at times since I'm naturally introverted and not likely to strike up conversations with strangers. Corey will and that person will be his new BFF in no time. He's just cooler than me. :)

- There are people everywhere, all the time. No matter what time of night you walk down to the lobby, you can bet there is someone there either studying, watching the big flat screen or playing pool. So, you never really feel alone or isolated like sometimes I felt at the house. There is always something going on.

- There is another family living here in the dorms with us. They have young kiddos like us, so I'm comforted that there's someone to share the experience with. I'm looking forward to getting to know them more and spending more time with their family.

- Corey walks to work. No more anxious thoughts about him driving to San Antonio, drinking gas and filling up twice a week. He's within walking distance!! He can come home for lunch and be right at the apartment in a moment's notice. I have several stories of me getting sick and then it takes him an hour plus to get home and take over! No more! Not that I plan or want to be sick. :) But just in case. Also, he doesn't have to be in the office until 10am so that also means we could have breakfast together and I could run errands in the morning too. I love having him so close!

- Corey gets a meal plan with his job so that means less cooking for me! "Hey honey, not cooking tonight!"

- We have just signed up for the Rec Center; I haven't had the opportunity to work out or do anything of the sort in a long time. With Corey leaving for work so late in the morning, it gives me the perfect window to head over for a good, sweaty workout. Additionally, I'm playing with the thought of heading back to school to get my master's in education. The deadline is in October, so I don't know if I can get it together in time, but I'm really thinking it through. The education building is across the street from where we live and there's no better time like the present to pursue such a degree. It's the perfect time! So, we'll see.

-Anytime something goes wrong, you just make a phone call and someone will come and rescue you. Since the top of the year, we've had several issues with the house and the repairs really added up. I've enjoyed the ease of making a request to fix the dishwasher and installing door handles. No more repair bills or trying to figure out how to fix stuff.

Some cons:

- Corey does have a sporadic schedule. He has meetings and such sometimes as late at 10pm. Since he works with college students, they run a much different "wake" schedule than what we do, so that's been an adjustment on my part. I don't mind so much, as long as it doesn't interrupt our family time in the evenings. And even then, I can make some exceptions. With being an RD (resident director) he also has on-call shifts, and that just means he can't leave San Marcos.

- We live on Texas State campus. This means teaching Cayden about buses, cars, motorcycles, driving carts and bicycles and how you have to pay attention to EVERYTHING at ALL times. We previously lived on a caul-de-sac (sp?) and never had much traffic. Here, it's constant. To leave the apartment, we must put Mck in her stroller, stroll out of the building, down the sidewalk (where all the traffic is), cross the traffic, and finally walk up a small hill to reach our vehicles. Luckily, we have reserved parking, so that helps. I no longer load my kids from the safety of our garage; it's a thought-out process every time. Oh, and don't forget anything mom, because there's no going back after all that work! Additionally, we are getting used to all the noise of the vehicles going by and the traffic of students right outside our door. Imagine a hotel building with hallways all through them. Ha, they're like that. Our door is right near the lobby, so although it's convenient to get to, it's also a door a lot of people pass by.

- You have to keep your ID handy after hours in order to get into the building. Sometimes my hands are full and I'm exhausted from handling the kiddos (let's face it, my hands are always full) and I have to stop and dig through my purse and then wallet to get the ID out. For the most part, I'm not out alone in the evenings, so that hasn't been too big of an issue. But, it only takes a few times before it's frustrating. Maybe I need a new system.

- The kids are sharing a room now and although it's not actually a "con" it's not without some adjustments. My main concern was how their sleeping was going to be affected by all this. Were they still going to be easy babies and just go down for bed when we said? They've always been very good sleepers, at least 12-13 hours at night and had naps for about 3 hours. What was it going to be like when it was time for bed? Well, it's been a breeze! Mck usually goes down for naps and bedtime earlier than Cayden, so that gives us a little time alone with Cayden. Sometimes when we go in there to put him down, Mck will wake up, but she just goes back down when we leave. It's been great! Yesterday was the first day I had to go back into their rooms because they were giggling. Apparently, Cayden had gotten her a puzzle to play with in her crib, and he was directing her from outside her bars. They were loving it. I had to laugh.

Although it's a radical move, we are completely at peace that this is where we are meant to be. A couple of years ago (you maybe have already heard this story) Corey mentioned this job and I was totally against it. "I will never live on campus and give up the comfort and luxuries my house offers." I never saw myself here and I was totally closed to it. When this job came up again in May, I still was like, "NO" but Corey just wanted to see "what happened." He applied, interviewed, waited and here we are. The Lord did such a change in my heart and it feels so good to be here, like we were meant to be here. It's amazing! It's no doubt a huge jump and leap of faith that all the details will work themselves out, but I'm resting in the peace I have now. It's an adventure and journey that we are all in together. Thank you all for your prayers and support during this process; we are truly blessed to be here!!

Enjoy some pictures of the apartment. I'm sure we'll have many stories and experiences to share along the way.

They each have their posing smile, however crooked they are.

Cayden's favorite spot to watch the buses, police cars (station is across the street), motorcycles and students go by. Kinda perched up like a doggie.

View as you walk into the apartment. We chose to cover the brand new couch they provided; we have kids, enough said.

Kids' room. I'm in the process of hanging curtains over their closets, making coordinating bedskirts and hanging stuff on the walls. Their room took a little more effort than the others b/c I had to combine all their stuff into one room in an effort to keep them separated at the same time.

Wall-to-wall furniture, but it works.

View from kids' room looking into living room.

Our kitchen from the living room leading into our bedroom. Yes, notice the washer and dryer in the kitchen. I don't mind so much; I have more counter space. :)

We have since rearranged our bedroom, but this gives you an idea of what the room looks like.

Laundry on the bed. It's since been put away.

Our closet.....don't be alarmed, I know it still needs attention.

The view from our room into the living room.

Anytime you're close to campus, please come by - we'd love to have you visit!

Pull-up and diaper babies!

2010-09-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

This was one of the last nights in the house and the kids were gearing up for a bath, hence the nakedness. They were cracking us up with all their faces.

Train ride in New Braunfels!!

2010-09-03T12:24:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had dinner at Rudy's Bar-b-que in New Braunfels and then headed over to the park to ride the train. We've been talking about going for months and this Friday night, we just loaded up and headed out. After dinner and before boarding the train, we were all treated with ice cream and watched the ducks in the river. The weather was great and the kids did so well. It was probably one of the smoothest outings we've had (per the kids cooperation and sweet attitudes). It was a great evening!! Cayden occasionally talks about riding the train again, so we'll definitely be back!!

Mck posing with her ice cream stick

Cayden playing with the ducks

Family pose

Mickes!!!!

Daddy and Cayden

Our Growing Kiddos

2010-08-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures of the kiddos! Enjoy!

It's not very often that Cayden takes a picture where his nose isn't squished. This is a good one.

Love this girl!

Cayden's 3rd birthday!!!!

2010-08-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

This year, unlike the other 2, we celebrated Cayden's birthday at home. My favorite thing about it was, we didn't have to travel and Cayden got to invite some of his sweet friends. It's like he's a big boy now because he actually has friends! We just pulled out some pools and borrowed a jumpy house and the kids had a great time. Despite it being scorching hot in July, I found the morning to be pleasant and bearable! Although, I did play with the thought of joining the kiddos in the water!

For whatever reason, we just never changed her into her bathing suit and we look over and she's in the water. She can swim in her clothes, right?

Cousin Noah

Grandma and Granny

Cousin Cody, Aunt Ginger, Aunt Candice and Cousin Krystyn

This is the life

I can stick my finger in that right?

Cousins Haley and Jonathan

So excited about the cupcakes!!

happy birthday!

July 11th morning..."real birthday"

Opening gifts from mommy and daddy, grandma and granny

cheese

4th of July!!

2010-08-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

This year we spent July 4th in Tomball with my family. To start our visit off, we celebrated with my brother Matthew and his new fiance, Emily. The night we arrived, he had proposed to her and I got to take their first picture (it's been more than 5 years)!!! I should've done a whole photo shoot; that would've been fun!

The evening of July 4th, we loaded the van and followed the crew to downtown Tomball for the big show....true to form, we were hanging out in a parking lot!!!

Our cool and multi-functional van

How do you say Twinkies for 4?

Grandma and Mckinley

I have very animated children

tuckered out

Father's Day!!

2010-06-25T13:43:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was Father's Day, but you wouldn't know it by this post. Unfortunately, there are not many pictures with Corey and the kids. This weekend was eventful in that Uncle Matt came over on Saturday and helped Corey put new brake pads on our truck. Who are we kidding....Corey helped Uncle Matt and learned to do them himself for future endeavors. Afterwards, we headed out to the Outlet Malls (it's been literally months and maybe years since we've gone out there) for some new shoes, dinner at Carino's and then games all night long. Uncle Marcus joined us later that night and we all had a sleep over!!!

The next morning, I took the kids to church while the boys played golf and worked on their sunburn. Oh, and Corey got wings for lunch which I seem to always turn down, so it was a treat for him. These are just some pictures taken once the boys got home.

Uncle Matt

How sweet is this picture? Except Uncle Matt needs to open his eyes more. :)

Uncle Matt reading books to the kids

But he forgot how to read...

I had to capture Uncle Marcus' laziness on camera. He claimed he was so tired from golfing that not only could he not get up, he also required a sippy cup so he could just lay there and do nothing, all the while getting a drink.

Children's Museum!

2010-06-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

This place, the Children's Museum, has become one of our favorite places this summer. We purchased a yearly pass and plan to take advantage of it!!! What makes it so fabulous is that the whole place is totally catered to Cayden and even Mckinley. There are several play stations that spark their curiosity and excitement. Each area is made just for him and I don't have to worry too much about what he's getting into or messing up, if that were even possible. Also, it's perfect for hot or rainy days and Mck can do her own thing too. Here Cayden and his friend, Josiah, are playing at the train table.

Building with magnetic blocks

About as close as she'll ever get to riding a horse...

Cayden is shopping with a cart made just for his size

Josiah is checking out and Cayden is waiting for his turn

Josiah taking his job very seriously :)

Ambulance!!!!

Outside there's a water table and let's face, the kids get soaked but have such a blast!

Mck is not walking yet...she chose to sit and relax with her snacks

Cayden's favorite spot!

the Kiddos

2010-06-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

So, here we are, just hanging out at the house. That's how we roll these days, taking new milestones head on! Mckinley started walking last Monday; yep, she woke up and found that her brother wasn't around and decided that it was time to start walking. Corey and I had been coaxing her across the living room, and although she participated, her trusted method of travel was crawling. It didn't help that Cayden thoroughly enjoyed running right in front of her or "accidently" bumping into her. It was just she and I, and the moment happened! She has now mastered eating and walking with her eyes closed...."I got this."

sweaty girl

This is a chair that was built around 1913 by my great-great grandfather that was passed down from my Nanny. Nearly every memory I have of her in her home, includes this chair. It's perfect for the kids due to it's sturdiness and being so low on the ground. The kids often share (if that's possible) it and Mckinley is repeatedly told to sit down while "rocking." I cherish this chair!

Mck enjoying the chair

Just cute

Cayden had this push toy as a baby too. I think one time I hid it from him because I got tired from bending over and pushing him. Sad, right? Another thing that I didn't like was that he initially couldn't figure out how to turn it when he was standing. You see, you can adjust it to either standing and walking or sitting and riding. Either way, I didn't appreciate this toy. Notice how fabulous this toy is now! No more pushing for mommy....Cayden loves to push her around and I'm pretty sure she'd prefer him over me anyway. He's much more crazy and unpredictable.

Hello, love

More good times

Ok, train table. I love and appreciate this table because Corey designed and built this for Cayden for Christmas. I hope to have it forever. The downside is that the green top is made with felt and with Cayden's odd obsession with creams, you can't exactly just wipe it clean. When you try, it rubs little balls and creates a rough surface. Notice the discoloration - that's due to 3 toothpaste and 1 diaper rash cream explorations and 1 baby powder shower. There's no cleaning that up completely!!!

Just this week, we had our final toothpaste "playdate" and the green felt came up! You see, I get lazy. I get lazy in remembering to shut our door which has a special child proof knob, and Cayden just gravitates toward that open door. He's naturally pretty sneaky about it and runs right into his room. Any quiet child is a child that's up to no good (notice the toothpaste on the top left all over the trains and tracks - at least his room smelled minty fresh)! And so it goes...

This time we went with red!!! I love it, but how long will it last? :)

Mother's Day/Baby Dedication

2010-05-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was Mother's Day and also Baby Dedication Day at our church. We invited Brent and Candice and their family to join us. We don't get to see them often, so it was a treat to have them share this day with us.

Rare family picture - at least we're all looking at the camera

The kids stayed in the sanctuary with us while worship went on. Soon after, we were joined with a couple other families up front for the kids to be recognized and handed their own Bible. Pastor Scott said a few words over us and we prayed. They are officially dedicated!

Cayden and cousin Noah holding hands in the parking lot.

After church we all headed to our favorite restaurant, Logan's!

Yeah, another family pic!

Cayden on his four wheeler

My sweet babies

First Days of Summer

2010-05-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's become habit, more so now that it's warming up, that we will cut Cayden's hair and out comes the water! We've just always cut his hair ourselves, saving the time and money. Plus, I don't mind it and he doesn't fight me to sit and be still. This is the first time Corey has cut it, but let's face it, when you're buzzing hair, it's hard to mess it up. So, here we are, cutting his hair and naturally, the hair is sticky and itchy...it's just a matter of time before we're in the water!

She's just adorable!

It's not long before dad is in there too!
Silly daddy!

Cayden's ears look exceptionally big in this picture...must be his new haircut.

Waiting to get in

Not happy about the entrance into the pool and water thrown into her face all at once
- thanks brother

Playdate with Josiah!!

2010-05-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

Cayden's friend, Josiah, lives on the street right behind us making it super easy for him to come play. The boys are just a couple months apart and they play so well together. Josiah has a new little sister too, so maybe one day the boys and the girls can all play together, with their respective tonka trucks and baby dolls. Oh, and I just love hanging out his mom, Jocelyn, so it's a super treat for us all to be together. I'm looking forward to the summer and getting more opportunities to hang out. What sweet boys they are!!

the boys playing in the sand!

I like how my child is laying in the sand....

Josiah!!

Michael and Katie's Wedding (Sunday Brunch)

2010-05-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

So, here we are, the very next morning having only missed seeing everyone for about 8 hours. After Corey and I left Austin the night before, we headed home to sleep, got up the next morning, rounded up our kids from neighbor's houses and got ready to head back to Austin for brunch with everyone. Since the kids weren't at the wedding, grandma (who claims she has Cayden and Mckinley withdrawals) my brothers and especially Michael and Katie didn't get to see them and spend time with them. I didn't know when Michael and Katie would see them again since they'll now be living in Cali, so we knew we wanted to make the trip back up so everyone could love on them.

Cayden and Uncle "Marnus"
(the windows were like mirrors, so Cayden kept looking at himself)

"Cayden, smile!"
(and this is what you get)

Cayden and Uncle Mike

Mck and Aunt Katie
(always been her name, but now it's official!)

I love Cayden's face in this picture

This picture will be framed one day...too cute!

Michael and Katie's Wedding (Celebration)

2010-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

The morning of the wedding was relaxed and full of excitement. We started the much anticipated day by visiting Starbucks for breakfast and sipping on mimosas. There was no rush or any last minute frantic planning. We were all cool, calm and collected. We soon started hair and makeup all the while watching movies and reading magazines. Three ladies came to our room to do our hair - that was nice!

I really like the idea of evening weddings. It seems to drag out the day and you seemingly get to enjoy the day more. My wedding was at 2pm, so we had a busy morning and then before you knew it, we were married and the day was over. I like evening weddings; I just decided. Anywho, once we were all ready, we loaded onto a bus and headed for the capitol to take pictures with the groom, bride and whole wedding party. The bus then drove us to the Allen House until the ceremony started.

Although everything was outside, I can honestly say that there was only 1 time that I felt hot or uncomfortable. The weather was cool and perfect which is a far cry from what we were expecting...the crazy weather channel said to expect scattered thunderstorms throughout the day. Not even a drop of rain!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony (all the while holding back tears), dinner and all the fun of the evening. It was fabulous to have our kids safely tucked away in San Marcos with friends that night, not having to worry about them or play mommy and daddy.

One of my favorite things or ideas that they had there was a photo booth. I took 4 different pictures with people in that silly, cramped thing, but it was so much fun. The nice thing about it was that it printed out 2 copies and you got to keep one and then make a scrapbook page with the other. What a novel idea! I have some crazy pictures! Mom, you know what I'm talking about! :)

Hanging out before the ceremony

Pretty

Aren't they so handsome!?

Uncle Michael, Irene (weird, I never call her "Aunt Irene") and Angie

My date

Bride and Groom leaving

Me and Emily (maybe we'll be sisters one day too)

The after party...it's very late at this point.

Michael and Katie's Wedding (Pictures)

2010-05-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures we took near the capitol before the wedding ceremony!

Michael and Katie's Wedding (Rehearsal dinner)

2010-05-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Friday, April 30th, was the beginning day of all the wedding festivities! It was hard to believe that after a year of planning and parties and showers, the day had finally arrived. At 3pm that day, we had a super quick rehearsal at the Allen House and then later that evening, headed out on Lake Austin for the rehearsal dinner. The best part of the evening was being on the boat, away from people and other crowds. It was just us, celebrating the upcoming wedding.

Super cool and under-aged Marucs

Me and Katie

He's cool too but he may need to be reminded

One of my favorite couples

Mom, Grandpa Gus, Grandma, and Uncle Bubba

More coolness

My Love!

Us kiddos eating bar-b-que

Mckinley's birthday party

2010-04-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

I know this is literally "so last month" but it'd only be fair to include Mckinley's sweet birthday party in our blog. As I was planning the party, my first concern was the weather. Since it was planned at a park outdoors, we had no other choice than to be at the weather's mercy whether it was going to be a good party or a wet party. Luckily, the weather was perfect and we had no rain! Next, Mck wasn't walking yet, so I had to find a way or place to put her so she wasn't crawling all over the ground. Although it's nice to think that you'd want to hold her and squeeze her the whole time, it just isn't practical. So, I brought what we call "the circus" and she was able to play in that in between squeezes.

Many of our friends and family were able to come and celebrate Mck's birthday. The party was complete with hamburgers, hotdogs, bubbles and the playground. It was easy and stress-free. What a great day! Happy Birthday sweet baby girl!

Here she is standing in her "circus"

"Cayden, swallow honey"

Sweet naked birthday girl enjoying her first piece of cake!

My first born, smiling, sort of

A week in Tomball

2010-04-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

The week before Mckinley's birthday party, we (and I mean myself and the kids) spent time in Tomball with my mom. She too had the week off and boy were we busy. The first night we met up with my sweet girlfriends and our combined 6 children. I thought we were crazy being outnumbered by the kids, but things went rather smoothly and we had lots of laughs. I look forward to many more 'adventures' with them.

Our kiddos at the restaurant: Wesley, Lizzie, Mckinley, Harrison, Jaqi and Cayden. I think I was a little stressed out, but Keri totally balanced me out; she's more easy going than I. :)

Adorable Cayden

Lovin' the rolls

Cayden was here too for the picture, but he was big enough to fight against having to sit with the Easter bunny. Mckinley on the otherhand, couldn't escape. :)

These are the kinds of pictures that melt your heart when you see daddys with their babies. Love these two.

Kaitlyn's 1st birthday party!

2010-03-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

Corey and I loaded the van and headed to Pearland. We stayed with his dad whom we hadn't seen in several months. Plus, with our growing family, we hadn't stayed there in over a year, so we thought they were due for a visit. While we were there, Mckinley and I attended Kaitlyn's 1st birthday party. Our girls are only 5 weeks apart and I look forward to seeing the girls become sweet friends like Crystal and I! Happy 1st birthday Kaitlyn!!!

Crystal, Kiersten and Kaitlyn

Birthday girl!

Here comes the cake

Crystal and I took several pictures trying to get them to look at the camera together...
this is the best we got!

Matthew's UT Rugby Game

2010-03-12T12:20:00.000-08:00

One Saturday in February, we dropped off Mckinley at Corey's brother's house so we could venture to Austin for Matt's Rugby game. We knew we'd have to skip Cayden's nap, but it was a price we were willing to pay. Besides, Matt is due to graduate in May (we all have our fingers crossed) and me being the terrible sister that I am, have never seen him play rugby. They played A&M that day, and frankly, they dominated us and we didn't score once. Whatever. Cayden loved having the freedom of running around and the day was gorgeous and we had a wonderful time just hanging out watching the game. Who cares that we had absolutely no idea what was happening. It was the sweetest picture to see Cayden running into the field to greet his Uncle Matthew after his game. It was a fabulous day!

I forget what this is called..."the huddle?"

One of the rare moments Cayden was sitting

Cayden is beginning to wear down

Corey, Cayden and Uncle Bubba

Uncle Matt

Tuckered out!

Sesame Street Live!!

2010-03-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

Corey and I took the kids to see Sesame Street Live! Although I don't remember if I ever went, it seems to be a right of passage for kids these days. Sesame Street is seen on our TV nearly every morning during the hustle and bustle of our morning routine. For whatever reason, the characters completely amuse Cayden and he's fallen in love with each character...as most toddlers do. We went on a Saturday morning and took Mckinley with us despite it being during her nap time. She too was fascinated by it all, although towards the end, she naturally began to get tired and fussy. I loved seeing Cayden's joy and excitement! Here are a couple of shots of our adventure!

Getting ready to head in....we have a lot of luggage to haul around.

Taking it in...

Mckinley is beginning to get restless

The way Cayden watched the whole thing!

Everyday Moments

2010-03-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of our family around the house lately!

Pee-pie with Mckinley

Books with daddy before bedtime

Snuggle time with dad

The wonder of bubbles...

Cayden has a weird obsession with toothpaste...we've had several similar situations

It's messy, but at least they're playing together...

Pretty sure the kitchen threw up trucks!

She cracks me up!

The art of balancing the remote control on sister...all the while in underwear!

He's going to Cali

2010-02-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

Last week, Matthew, my mom, grandma, Uncle Bubba, Corey and myself all headed to Austin to spend Wednesday night with Michael and Katie. Michael and Marcus were due to leave early Thursday morning and head to California. By the way, they did leave early that morning and drove straight there, 36 some odd hours! Crazy! We first visited Michael and Katie at their empty and dismal apartment. Michael packed up nearly their whole apartment leaving Katie behind with the bare essentials. The current plan is for Micheal to start his new job in Cali and then Katie will join him after the wedding. Although I didn't see Michael much, it's still sad that he's not just down the road anymore. Nonetheless, I pray many blessings for him as he takes on this new adventure and direction in his life. I'll have a new reason to go on vacation now and what a great place to visit, San Francisco!!

Notice Mckinley :)

Michael and Katie

My family minus Marcus

Michael with the kids

the Son

2010-01-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Cayden. Cayden is officially 2 1/2 today! The terrible twos. But really, I wouldn't call them that. This year (the 2nd year) has been a little more challenging, but overall, we spend quite a bit of time laughing....with him but mostly at him. The things he says and does are so offbeat and random. I'm reminded that he's still learning what's appropriate, proper manners and knowing how to control his impulses. We've had our share of melt downs and I know more are to come, but that little man makes my day, everyday. He can be such a dancing clown, then a clingy monkey, then he needs his 'independence' and then lots of hugs and kisses. I'm pretty sure I'm begging him for his kisses most of the day.

We have some big milestones coming up in the next few months. I'm pretty certain I'd leave him in his crib till he was 6 (slightly exaggerating) but I know that in order for potty training to be successful, he's got to have access to the potty. Tiny detail. On that note, I'm not ready for that either, so we're staying pretty stagnant over here for a while.

When we got home from all our travels, Corey and Cayden (mostly Corey) made a ginger bread train. Corey built it while Cayden decorated...or ate the pieces. That's how it goes sometimes!

For Christmas, Cayden got a 4 wheeler from his grandpa Wheeler. He's a little short, but he's oh so cute!

the Daughter

2010-01-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

Mckinley. Mckinley is now nearly 9 1/2 months old! I'm pretty sure I was pregnant yesterday. Just a few weeks ago she started crawling. I mean, I think she woke up one day and thought, "Hum, today seems like a good day to start crawling." One Friday morning she just started crawling around, although it was at a turtle's pace. I noticed she was getting frustrated this morning as I was hustling around the house trying to get everyone dressed and together to leave (which is always a challenge when you're by yourself and you have to get there by a certain time). Cayden would follow me to his room, she making her way back there, as I was gathering his shoes, hat and jacket. She excitedly made it back in time just as we were leaving and heading to another room. Yes, very frustrating for her. She just got back up on all fours and her crusty, red knees to once again follow the crowd. I've noticed too that lately she's quick to show her irritation with her brother when he decides that it's his turn for a certain toy. He naturally takes it from her and she screams out in protest. It was a new day and she wasn't having it! As she gets older, I've noticed too that her separation issues are easing up a bit. I'm able to leave her in the nursery or in the arms of others without much fuss. What a year for her, well, for babies in general. Think of all the things they accomplish and how much they change. I wish I could take pictures of my kids all day and record everything they do. But, until that day comes, here are a few pictures of Mckinley. She's a doll and has so many silly expressions!

Squeeze my cheeks please!

Wha, you talkin' to me?
(cement floors due to the water leak)

I worked hard for this ornament. Yes, I'm gloating.

These are beautiful and look like they'll taste great in my mouth.

Allllmost

Love it!

Post Christmas

2010-01-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, the day after Christmas, we loaded up and headed home. Corey's mom met us there shortly after we arrived. We visited and made sure to take a picture of Nannie with Mckinley. Up till then, we had no pictures of the two of them together. This particular picture turned out so sweet. Mckinley's little expression is adorable.

It wasn't long and we headed over to Brent and Candice's house to spend the evening together eating and exchanging gifts. We all got to meet Jonathan and the cousins played very well together. Poor Haley has a little longer before Mckinley can join the ranks with her as she takes on the boys. Although, it'll never be even and the girls will always be outnumbered! They are just about a year apart, so once Mckinley starts walking and getting around better, they're sure to be the best of friends.

All the cousins waiting patiently as gifts are handed out.

Mckinley is barely hanging in there.

Overall, this Christmas was a sweet one. We missed seeing my brother Micheal and Katie at my mom's house and we're still looking forward to Corey's dad coming to visit. Thank you Lord for our family and what a gift they are to us! Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Day

2010-01-01T18:32:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning was sweet as I placed our video camera on the tripod, camera in hand. We all woke up Christmas morning at grandma's house complete with presents, stockings, laughter, tears and good 'ole breakfast. I've recently settled on the notion that Christmas must look a certain way and now that we have kids, we should implement those notions. One of those ideas, a key one, is that we need/want to be home Christmas morning. I love the idea of waking up Christmas morning in our home with our children and celebrating the day together. There are so many different traditions and ideas people may have about this very special day. After this Christmas I realized for my family, that there's a good chance it could look different every year. I thoroughly enjoyed this year and have a hard time giving up a Christmas morning and day not spent with all of my family. That's what it looks like for me; all of the family together eating, laughing, teasing each other and just enjoying the company. I would almost feel lonely on such a day if we were home this year. It most likely will be different as our kids get older, but for now, I'm happy with my big family Christmas, even if it means drama will enfold and we have to make the long drive back home the next day. Merry Christmas!!

Sweet Mckinley eating her bath toy

Cayden looking for more treasures

Great Uncle Michael and Mckinley

Uncle "Marnus"

Matthew, myself and Marcus

See, they love each other!

4 generations

our blessed family

Christmas Eve

2010-01-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

So, however loose this resolution is, I'm going to make it an effort to update our blog every 2 weeks or so. The "so" part could mean every 2 months, so don't hold me to it. I wish I could do this more, just sit here in the quiet and share our lives with you more often.

I might start out by saying that in years past, I've become somewhat of a scrooge during Christmas. This in part was due to Corey's crazy retail schedule during the early years of our marriage and also to all the traveling Christmas time requires. This year, we made only 2 stops in Houston, whereas last year we did 7....five of which were on my side of the family. That just means I have a big messy family. With that said, Christmas this year was smooth and sweet. We loaded our fabulous van (it is fabulous indeed!!) and headed down on Wednesday night to Tomball. The next morning, Christmas Eve, we drove a little south to visit with my dad whom I haven't seen since May. We spent time at his home visiting and opening presents and afterwards we went to lunch. The visit was short, but I'm sure he had a sweet time with his grandbabies. The rest of the day was relaxing and somewhat uneventful. We've gotten into a lovely habit of playing games each night we're there. Between my brothers, Emily, Corey and I, we can sometimes hardly stop laughing. I enjoy their company so much and have loved seeing them love on and play with my kids. All three of my brothers just love their niece and nephew. They are truly blessed to have such sweet Uncles...and soon to be aunt!

Before the gaming began, mom had bought some cookies for Cayden to bake and decorate. It was his first time and he truly enjoyed the whole process. Lately, we've allowed him the habit of sitting on the counters, so that's where he spent most of his time decorating. He always wants up to see what we're doing. So goes the saying "curious toddler." Mom, in all her infinite planning, forgot icing so we made some from confectioners sugar. Who knew? Although a little watery, it worked.

Cayden chose to eat his cookies upside down to better eat the icing. At this point, Christmas Eve, anything goes. It was a sweet memory and I know it was just what mom had in mind!

Happy Birthday

2009-11-18T19:26:00.001-08:00

Happy 30th birthday Kimberly!! This past weekend we headed to Tomball to meet up with my sweet girlfriends to celebrate Kimberly's birthday. This seems so cliche, but really, it seems like we just graduated from high school and we're trying to figure out which dress to wear to prom. Since then, we've been college roommates, had our own short-lived "breakup" (it's never a good idea to live with your best friend - it's better in theory) shared college graduations, were maid of honor in each other's wedding, and we both welcomed our first born and 2nd born just 6 weeks short of each other. It was a sweet season to share as we were both pregnant at the same time, although I had to go first both times. Not fair. Afterwards, I've so enjoyed sharing stories and milestones our babies are going through since both sets are just about the same age. Who could've planned it that way? What a gift she is to me and I am so thankful that I can call her my friend. Happy birthday sweet friend. I look forward to sharing another 30 years with you and raising our babies together.

To celebrate her birthday, we met up for a rare opportunity with Keri, Abby and Jamie at SaltLick Steakhouse. I can't remember how long it's been since we've all been together. Super sad, but Keri jetted out of there before we pulled out the camera. Luckily, we've got a girls' weekend planned in March, just us girls, to celebrate all of our birthdays together.

Toby and Abby

Me and Corey

The girls minus one

All about me

2009-10-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Rules
1. You can only use one word.
2. Pass this along to six of your favorite bloggers.
3. Alert them that you have given them this award.
4. Have fun!

The Survey:
1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Your hair? curly
3. Your mother? gift
4. Your father? balding
5. Your favorite food? cereal
6. Your dream last night? eventful
7. Your favorite drink? tea
8. Your dream/goal? servitude
9. What room are you in? living
10. Your hobby? crafts
11. Your fear? loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Selma
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something that you aren't? tall
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. Wish List Item? cricut
17. Where did you grow up? Tomball
18. Last thing you did? sat
19. What are you wearing? jammies
20. Your TV? football
21. Your pets? obsolete
22. Friends? treasure
23. Your life? abundant
24. Your mood? anxious
25. Missing someone? yes
26. Vehicle: soccer
27. Something you're not wearing: contacts
28. Your favorite store? Lobby
29. Your favorite color? black
30. When was the last time you laughed? Cayden
31. Last time you cried? Thursday
32. Your best friend? Brown
33. One place that I go over and over? refrigerator
34. One person who emails me regularly? FB
35. Favorite place to eat? Olive

So there it is...me in 35 words. Copy and fill in if you dare.

2009-10-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

I created this post several weeks ago, but never posted it. That's how I roll sometimes, you know, getting distracted by my sweet babies and sometimes things just don't get all the way done. Well, here you are. We didn't get to dress the kids up for Holloween since they were both sick. Cayden was going to be Thomas the Train and Mckinley, well, I had a shirt and socks to match. I know, not very exciting. So, we hung around the house and therefore, there are no cute pictures this year. But, we did visit the pumpkin patch in town, so we did get to celebrate October in this way. We picked out a beautiful, big pumpkin that I didn't carve this year because it seemed a crime to destroy it prematurely. Just a few days ago though, Corey and I cut it open to retrieve the seeds. With a little help from my sweet friend, Amy, they turned out great. You can only eat a few at a time though....

Everyday Moments

2009-10-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

Just a few everyday moments around the Wheeler home. Like most homes, there's never a quiet moment and we stay super busy. Mckinley is almost sitting now, but otherwise, she's a rolie polie olie and can be found rolling all over the floor. I may put her down in one spot, and within minutes, she's across the room. Up till now, she's been stationary, so Cayden will have to adjust even more to his little sister.

"Hold ju"

Playing with animals

Daddy, you are so funny.

So beautiful as she sleeps...milk dreams

Just got her 6 month shots. She weighed 18 lbs 8 oz.

Reading a book with Uncle Marcus

On our way to James and Keely's wedding.

On the road again...

2009-10-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

We've gotten into this routine that when Corey gets home, we eat (almost immediately), clean up and get dressed to head out for a walk. Cayden talks about a walk nearly all day long. Are you ready for lunch? "Walk." Let's go change that diaper. "Walk." He's relentless about it, so it's hard for us to say otherwise. Besides, by this time of the day, we could all use some time out doors. Brent and Candice let us borrow their double stroller, and besides it being heavy, we love it. The kiddos fit perfectly and it works out great for us. Although, Cayden has learned to outsmart the straps, so that occasionally becomes a struggle. I hate to think of what it'll be like when the time changes. Can we walk in the dark? Wish we had street lamps at least....

Takin' a stroll!

"Hi sister"

Suburban Farmers

2009-10-09T19:59:00.001-07:00

Thank you Lord for the rain. I know that it's not real convenient getting out and around when it's raining, but I am truly rejoicing. Our water restrictions are easing up and of course, our grass is growing, or rather our weeds are flourishing. One of Corey's favorite things to do is "play" in the yard. He seems to always find things to do or mess with outside. I appreciate that he enjoys doing those things because I'm not about it. For the most part, our yard has been a big dirt pile of a mess. Looking at our neighbor's yards, ours is in really bad shape. How come we have so much dirt? In addition to dirt, we've got stickers and patches of weeds. I'm not so sure Cayden even knows what grass is. Anywho, I'm grateful for the rain and that our yard is now green. With that, comes mowing. One of Cayden's favorite things is a tractor. We had a lot of construction on our road, and for a while, he would look for them and get terribly excited to see them. For whatever reason, this day was the first time he was on the tractor. Oh yeah, we didn't do much mowing all summer, so this was one of the few days Corey mowed. Corey took Cayden up and down our street. Somewhat uneventful, but for him, totally thrilling. Hopefully he'll have many more times to ride the tractor. Bring on the rain!!!

Go Longhorns!!

2009-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

When Cayden was born, my brother Michael got him this jersey; it's a 2T. He's just recently been able to wear it and the day we remember to put it on him, UT doesn't even play that Saturday. Go figure! Nonetheless, we were decked out and looking cute. I know, we should be wearing maroon, for Texas State that is, but really, we go for UT every time. He's stocky enough to be a ball player, but I say, "no way, no football for him."

Matthew got this one for Mckinley when she was born; it's size is 6 months and clearly, she's busting out. She won't be able to wear it much longer, but I can always count on my brothers to keep them in the right gear!

I don't know how many pictures I took to get just the right one when they'd both be looking at the camera. Getting them to smile is just too much to ask, at least at the same time!

What most of my pictures look like...

Cayden does his nails

2009-09-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Cayden can't help but go through everything ...nothing is off limits, even my nail bag. The poor guy spends most of his day watching me, which obviously includes jewelry, makeup, lotion, lipstick (which I do share my chapstick and blush brush), and now my nail stuff. I sat on the floor that evening and filed and painted my nails and toes. Of course, much to Corey's dismay, he mimicked everything I did. I, on the other hand, thought it was super cute. I didn't however paint his toes, but I did allow him to play with my tools in the bag. It was all very new, so he took the whole experience seriously. Corey thinks that
he'll never be able to be the president with
these pictures in circulation. I'm Ok with that -
these pictures are totally worth it!

Notice the intensity on his face. Car goes down, nail polish in hand. Get to work!

What else is in here? Any snacks?

Mckinley

2009-08-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Mckinley is nearly 5 months old. I'm pretty sure I was just 5 months pregnant. Sometimes I think back and wonder if I missed anything during these past few months. Now that I have two kiddos, juggling could quite possibly be my new occupation. Cayden is such high maintenance that I sometimes feel bad that I'm not spending enough time with her. It's as though I nurse her and then have to put her down to tend to her brother. Luckily, Cayden is patient enough, enough for a two year old, to "allow" me to nurse easily. She's so easy going and seems content just about anywhere. Cayden entertains her without him even knowing it. She just giggles and laughs at nearly anything he does. Starting next Tuesday, Cayden will begin Mother's Day Out, so Mckinley and I will have some time together. Although it's super hard sometimes, I'm thoroughly enjoying this season with my babies for I know that it'll be over before I know it. I just need to learn to slow down and give even more hugs and kisses. You should too!!

Mckinley had a blowout and ruined her clothes. Enough said...she's still in a diaper. :)
So instead of changing her into new clothes, knowing a bath was just beyond the horizon, she joined us on the kitchen table as we ate dinner. It's practically tradition for her to sit with us on the table while we eat and she entertains us with giggles. I see three rolls just in her tummy and several on each arms. I love it!!

This is Mckinley once we got home from the doctor's office for her 4 month shots. She weighed 17lbs and 7 oz. I forget her length, but seriously, we're all wondering about her weight, so there it is. At this age, she looks just like Cayden did, especially the matching chin. Thanks daddy!

Cayden's new playground!!

2009-07-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

For Cayden's 2nd birthday, his grandma got him a playground for the back yard. Since we live out of town, he didn't have anything really to play on. Although it's super hot, we have been able to head out back to play a few times. I'm looking forward to the Fall when we can truly appreciate his gift. I'm even a little excited about it. It won't be too long before both Cayden and Mckinley will be playing on it together. Thanks to Uncle Matt, the project went smoothly and was completed within the weekend!!

Goofing off on the job!!!

Just a swingin'!!!

Cayden's 2nd Birthday!!!

2009-07-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Cayden turned 2 on July 11th. We headed to Tomball to celebrate with family and a few friends. I can't even begin to put into words how quickly time flies. We all know it, but really, it's sad how quickly your babies grow up. Although the main reason we all came together was to celebrate Cayden, it was also sweet for everyone to get to spend some time together. Michael and his girlfriend, now fiance, Katie, recently got engaged, so seeing them was a real treat. We're all super thrilled for them and look forward to her being our new sister.

My aunt Irene and uncle Michael have the perfect home for a birthday party. We swam, ate, and played games all day. I personally really enjoyed the whole day with my family and friends. Here Cayden is on top of their rockwall that later turned into a fabulous jumping spot.

Cayden in his swimming "getup"

Cody and Lizzie Riedel and Corey and Cayden

Grandma and Mckinley

I'm pretty happy with the way our cake turned out. It was a group effort, mainly run by Emily, but input was gathered from Matthew, Michael, Mom and Katie. Mom had the 'great idea' to make a cupcake cake ourselves. "It'll be fun," she said. Well, after 4 trips to the store and waiting until 9pm the night before, we set out to make this cake. We wanted it to be a dump truck, and I think we succeeded. Emily did a great job making the cake and managing all the "bakers" in the kitchen. Yes mom, it was a great idea.

Happy Birthday Cayden!!!

Tickle torture Cayden!! Somehow Michael is able to play and hold Mckinley at the same time!

Ok, Cayden is almost 3...or so it seems. It'll be here soon.

July 4th weekend!!

2009-07-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

So, it's still sinking in that Corey is off for such holidays as July 4th and what timing too. Before we had kids, he was always working miserable hours and consequently left me alone on such fun holidays. This year Corey's dad headed our way and we spent the weekend with him and the other Wheelers, aka Brent, Candice, Noah and Haley. Although there were no actual fireworks involved, I appreciated the extra day off, time with family and celebrating with lots of eating.

Noah in the background with Corey and Cayden.

Friday we headed to the YMCA pool for some swimming. Mckinley didn't make it in, but she came dressed to impress. The rest of the day included lunch at Bill Millers, naptime and then we went over to Brent's house for dinner.

Grandpa, Brent, Noah and Haley during swim break.

Boys...enough said!!

When the Wheeler boys get together, there always seems to be horseplay involved. It's just a matter of time before Haley and Mckinley are in there too!!

Not sure if that's fair!!!

Sweet cousins... Noah and Cayden. Cayden just loves Noah and he almost daily asks for "Wowa." Noah brings out the fun, silly side of him and I'm so grateful that his cousin plays such a big role in his life.