The McLaughlin Family

Loving Summer

2011-07-03T16:37:00.001-07:00

Here are a ton of pictures from the end of the school year to current... Jayce's 5k graduation and Gabe's 3k end of year program, and lots of summer fun (in no particular order as always) :)
We are having the most wonderful summer ever... No structure whatsoever, no alarm clocks, no camps, nowhere to be other than church and a few playdates here and there..., it's great! So what do we do? RELAX!!! We wear our bathing suits almost all day long, I've finally learned that trick after years of washing 3 outfits a day for the boys in the summer... just dress them in them in the morning and keep the suits on unless we're going somewhere! They'll dry out! We love going to Nanny's pool and the summer dollar movies, and we've even taken several road trips to mimi's and the beach! My boys have gotten so much easier this summer! All the sudden we can go to Sunday lunch and ENJOY eating out with them, sit through a movie, travel without fits (most of the time), and pool time is enjoyable rather than nervewrecking! Love my boys at this age!!! Not that have not loved their other ages but it's just fun to be able to do the things I had gotten used to just not doing for a few years... a whole new world with them at this stage it seems!
Gabe's fits are becoming fewer and further apart... and we have definitely made improvement in that department...
They tell Jay and I all the time how much they love us and that we are the "best mommy/daddy ever..." They've learned we like to hear that :)

A few updates:
Jayce lost his first tooth while we were at the beach with our good friends the week after school got out!
Jayce learned to ride his big boy bike the Saturday after it got out!
He is swimming great without swimmies or floaties!
Both boys are really enjoying golf with daddy on summer evenings!
Gabe is very excited about turning 4 in a month, much more excited than his mommy is about it!

doing something right

2011-05-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

So after Spring Break, a field trip to pick strawberries yesterday and a parent teacher conference today, I feel like I'm getting a small dose of what this summer will bring... I'm sleeping great, let's put it that way, and that's huge for me! Having 2 non napping, full speed ahead little boys requires some energy for sure, but I am loving their ages MOST of the time... I love when they are playing together, and I overhear little conversations, they don't know I"m watching... Today after hearing Gabe say he'd hurt his leg and had another boo boo (which he literally is covered... another boy thing), I heard him say "Dear Jesus, can you please make this boo boo go away?" Then he turned around and said "Mom, Jesus said that he's going to make my boo boos go away now." I LOVE that he's doing on his own what I've tried to do with him so many times... something is clicking!

Then later, on a not so great note, Gabe had to give up his t ball practice tonight because he did something I'd told him 2 times not to do already that day and the next consequence was to lose tball... well he had to test, so he lost it...Mind you this was going to be my first break at home in almost 2 weeks and I was desperately looking forward to a quiet house for an hour but gotta do the right thing... He starts having a throw down fit and if you've never seen Gabe throw a fit, it is something... really is... He is literally a crazy boy when it's happening, he's jumping, screaming, running in circles... repeating again and again "I want to go to t ball..." It lasts anywhere from 10-30 usually if at home... If out, from the time we get him in the car until we reach home usually...If at home, I try my best to remain calm and pray out loud while he can hear me "Dear Jesus, please help ME remain calm and help Gabe know that he cannot act this way and that it hurts you and mommy for him to do this, etc..." This is something I started doing a while back after realizing we are supposed to pray to the Lord about ANYTHING that is a problem to us, to bring it to Him.. and after losing my temper and way too many times, I realized prayer could be good for both of us... I then continue to pray quietly and busy myself until he's done...I believe in spanking and time out for certain things but when Gabe is having these... with my recent physical issues with back and leg, I'm just not willing to risk hurting myself worse by trying to constrain him or carry him to his room.. he's a big boy and it's literally dangerous for him to flail around in my arms while he's doing this.. so I just walk away and try my best to pretend there is not a crazy 3 year old in my midst! Eventually, he stops, and returns to sweet Gabe where he says he's sorry and wants hugs... crazy....And it's amazing how when I've spent time with the Lord that day, he will give me a peace as I go through it, to remember, it is a phase and just continue to pray that God will help Gabe love HIM and want to please HIM, children obey your parents :)

In any case, he was balling when Jay picked up Jayce for practice... I knew it would definitely make a mark so that's good...But sweet Jayce saw his brother so sad and I saw him start to wipe under his eyes, he said "Now let's wipe these tears off your face little bro, you got to smile for me..." then he started to make silly faces to make him laugh...

It was here, after the craziness of the fit, the frustration that we had yet ANOTHER one just when things started to seem to be better... that I realized, I'm doing something right... Jayce is the sweetest big brother to Gabe and was so trying to cheer him up... and Gabe, he got it and is ready to play Thursday... assuming no fits between now and then... I love them fits and all, this too shall pass...

Happy 6th Birthday Jayce

2011-03-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Jayce,
You are 6 years old today and I CANNOT believe how time has flown by! We pulled out the baby book tonight and it truly seems like only yesterday we brought you home!
You actually looked a year older to me this morning when you came downstairs, you have hit a growth spurt and are super tall and even are losing some of that belly! You're the tallest on your t ball team this year!

You chose tonight to have a small bday family party with only your nanny and grandaddy and mimi and papa, because you said you wanted to "be with the ones you really love on your bday." This was precious and this is so much of why I love you!
You have the most tender heart in the world, you cry every time your mimi and papa leave to head back to Columbia.. you love them that much! You love your family so much! Today you said you were moving to Virginia as soon as you were 27 to live with your cousins :)

I asked your favorite food today, you said candy... not surprising, then you said spaghetti if it had to be a real food... So for your dinner we had spaghetti and ice cream cake for dessert as you do not really care for real bday cake!

Today for lunch I brought you Zaxby's and balloons and we got to have a date at our own table in the lunchroom! You were so proud to hold up your rice krispy treat to show your friends! I left a big cookie for your class to enjoy at snack time and you were super excited about that! I loved the look I got when I came in with your treats! Like you were on top of the world and so proud it was your special day!

Jayce you are so much fun! When you are not here, mommy is not quite sure what to do because the house is SO QUIET! I am so thankful to have such a sweet, funny, talkative, caring, yet ALL BOY and strong willed little boy at that! I want you to use all of these characteristics to serve your Heavenly Father in any way you can throughout your life!

You love Jesus and to talk about him and are full of good questions about Him. You are loving kids choir right now!You are playing t ball this year with little brother on the team! Your best friend in school is Braden you said today... sometimes it varies... along with girlfriends...and girlfriends this year have been :Hallie, Marry Ella, Aleah, possibly now Melana, but you're being shy on this one...You're very funny talking about them, and tell me that sometimes you and your friends trade them and they've never even known they were your girlfriend in the first place :) Please don't be mad at mommy for writing this one day, it's really a cute story!

What mommy might love most about you right now is your adorable smile and laugh when you think something is really funny! I also love the way you raise your eyebrows and give a half smile and shake your head when your brother is being silly! Oh yea, and how much you love that brother! You said to him today, my best friend is someone sitting right here and gave him the biggest hug! He is so lucky to have you Jayce and I KNOW that you will always take good care of him :)

Happy Birthday Jaybird! We love you so much and I thank God each day for the little boy you've become and will become :)
Truly Blessed,
Your Mommy

still here...

2011-02-16T17:45:00.001-08:00

So, it's been so long, I was afraid I'd forgotten how to log in... I've got so many pictures to update... Christmas, snow, etc...
Wanted to jot down a few things the boys have said lately that made me smile...

We are in a love/hate stage... they love each other to pieces, yet cannot be around one another 5 minutes without some type of disagreement... over a toy, whether Jayce needs to help Gabe or he can "do it myself" or sometimes just a real difference in opinion...For example..
Gabe said he wanted me to take him to the zoo to see the dinosaurs... Jayce said "Gabe, they do not live at the zoo, silly..." Gabe: "uh huh they do Jayce!"
Jayce: "Gabe, the dinosaurs all live in heaven now..."

They are growing all the sudden so much and I cannot tell you how many times people look at me in shock like "when did they get so big?" I ask myself the same question. I went to clean out Gabe's closet today after months of procrastination... knowing that this time, putting away the jon jons was not going to be as easy... With Jayce, I could simply move them over to Gabe's closet and still look at them on my other sweet boy... Now, sadly, I'm bagging them up for the attic or consignment sales...very sad :(... I looked at his closet full of big boy button downs and khakis and thought to myself how in the world did this happen so fast? His crib is finally stored away as we made the transition a few months ago to his big boy bed (which he's done amazingly well with)! And it's time to transition his room to a "big boy room." Wow... but I tell him every day, he will always be my baby and he says "uh huh, I'm yours and daddy's baby big boy!" Along with my sadness though, I feel very content with out little family of 4... A few months back, I asked the Lord to please change Jay's heart if it was his will for us to have more (as Jay was not interested) or to change mine... but most likely I thought he'd want to change Jay's :)... Well, to my surprise, he has not changed Jay's and has actually changed mine to being quite content as we are now... If the Lord surprises us later, I know that I'd feel differently but for now, I'm thinking this is as he wants us!

Gabe is actually obsessed with turning 4 and asks about every day "am I four yet?"
I must say though that I am enjoying the freedom that comes along with the older years... and I've decided the Lord works it out for the school years to begin just as nap time ends... that way mommy still gets a break :)

OH, Jayce got his first call from a girl about a month ago... what in the world? 5K? She also gave him a Valentine that said "I've got my eye on you!" Granted she's adorable and I love her but still, he's 5... really? A phone call?

Anyhow, that's a quick random update for now... I'll post pics soon, I have Jay's old computer and am trying to figure out the best way to post them on here :)

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

2010-10-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Don't be too impressed, it has actually been 2 days of staying in bed with flu type stuff and a fever that prompted me to realize I could at least be productive enough to update our blog picture! I loved this one of Jayce tickling Gabe's feet because it SO captures them at this age and how much fun they have with each other!

And, yes, time to catch up... I love the fall... The boys and I did the Florence County Fair for their good buddy Wallace's bday, we met their buddies Landon, Owen and Ian. We had a fantastic time! As nasty as the fair is, I LOVE it, love the smell of elephant ears and funnel cakes, and most of all to watch their faces when they taste that first bite of cotton candy! This year, they got to ride together, which was super for mommy, who does not much like rides or the way I feel afterwards! Glad Gabe could help me out this year!

Also, are pics of Gabe's first field trip to McLeod Farms. We visited a pumpkin patch and he got to pick out his very own pumpkin, as well as sample their homeade peach ice cream! We had a great time! I LOVE field trips!

and Gabe wants to go too :)

2010-09-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

We were singing one of Gabe's and my all time favorites, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!" Last verse, "Let it shine till Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine..." Gabe said, "Mommy, WHERE IS JESUS?" I said well, he is in Heaven. Gabe said, "Well, I wanna go see him tomorrow..." I said, "Well, he is really high up in the sky and you can't really just go on your own..." He said, I can climb up there ALL BY MYSELF!

How do I get to Heaven mommy?

2010-09-09T04:11:00.000-07:00

So, for a 5 1/2 year old, Jayce has always been very intrigued with and in tune to the things of God. We have always talked about God together but only in the past few weeks has he really begun to ask me questions specifically about Heaven and how he can go.
The first conversation started after he was at church and we have this Christian Magician Mark who goes to our church and is kind of famous with the kids around town for doing bday parties and stuff... well, he had visited them on Sunday and did a trick with a deck of cards where he held out the King and kept getting rid of all the others (this is how Jayce explained it at least) and then he asked "Who is the King?" Jayce said the King was Jesus and that all the other Kings are false gods. He went on to say that all the people who believe in these false gods are not going to Heaven but to hell. Sounds harsh, but I confirmed that yes this is true. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven (I am THE way, THE truth and THE light, no man cometh to the Father but through me...John 14:6)
Over the course of a few days, Jayce went on to ask me repeatedly if he was going to Heaven and about numerous other friends and family members and their status. I explained to him that God would cover with his grace any child who was not of age to understand how to make a choice about Jesus Christ. As for all the others, I said that only God really knew their hearts. I said of course that I hope so, and yes they will if they are saved.
He asked me what it means to be saved and how he could know for sure he was going? I explained to him that first he needs to realize that he is a sinner and did he know what that meant (for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...Romans 3:23). He said "Yes, like when I do bad stuff....mommy, do you sin? does daddy?" "Yes, Jayce, we both sin, everyone does... Jesus is the only person who never sinned." I went on to explain that because we are so sinful, we deserve to go to hell. But the good thing is that when choose to be saved, we do not have to pay for our sin by spending an eternity in hell, but we our sins were payed for by Jesus' death on the cross, his blood covers our sins (But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us...Romans 5:8). When we are saved, we get to spend eternity with Jesus Christ in Heaven. I explained that once we tell God we are sorry for our sins (That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved...Romans 10:9) and we want him to be our Savior, and come into our hearts and stay there that He will (For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved...Romans 10:13). And THEN, we can know for sure that we can go to Heaven. "Well mommy, so we don't deserve to go to Heaven?" "No baby, we don't, we deserve to go to Hell because our sins separate us from God but we can go to Heaven because of His sacrifice on the cross for us." "Well mommy, so Heaven is like a gift God gives us?" "Yes, I think you got it, it is a gift!" (...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ out Lord...Romans 6:23)

"Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I do wrong things. I am sorry for my sin. I want to accept the gift you gave us by dying on the cross for my sins. I want you to come into my heart and I want to give my life to you." So mommy, (BIG SMILE)... "Jesus is in my heart now?" Yes baby, HUGE SMILE, Jesus is in your heart! "Well mommy, can Jesus be lots of places at once? Like in Heaven, and in my heart, and around the whole world?" "Yes, only Jesus can be all those places."

Now THIS is a moment I had to record asap so as never to forget all the precious details! THIS as I told Jayce, is what I've prayed for since he was a tiny tiny baby... as he said "even when I was as small as a worm?" Yes, even then!

Some may say Jayce is too young to truly understand this. I do not believe so. I know that for now, he may not be the most mature Christian in the world, but the seeds are planted and his Christian journey has begun. It is my hope and prayer that the seeds planted in his heart will remain throughout life no matter where he goes. I pray they will not only remain, but grow and grow into a life that shows his love for Jesus ("Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.")

First Day of School

2010-09-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Gabe has started 3K half day... remember he did NO mother's morning out! So this is big! I am glad I've waited a few weeks to write just because I might have sounded like I was in a deep depression the first few.... or maybe just one.. it's actually really nice now. I do miss him alot BUT, I am loving having some quiet time in the mornings to work, run errands ALONE, clean out closets that have needed to be cleaned out for 3 years... and just kind of catch my breath after the last 3 years! And, I am SO ready to see them when I do get them! Jayce is in a full day now, which I DO NOT like... I really would love to have him with us from noon on, but that's not an option for 5K.. I miss my other little buddy at lunch but it is nice to have some 1:1 time with Gabe too!

It does help that Gabe LOVES school, he told me "mommy I love my school." His first words to Jay when he sat down at his table for orientation were "Daddy, the girls are so pretty here." I KNOW Jay had to have been just like him as a 3 year old...

Jayce is loving school too although he won't admit it... I just know because he would have TOLD Me if he did not like it, he told me that so much last year! He used to dread going and he seems to look forward to it now. He is making a + s! I am SO excited! Jayce has always been very real world smart but has not cared much for his school work... it's like something has clicked this year and he's really getting it, and he's so proud of himself, it makes me happy! He has had a green card every day for behavior except for one day of yellow for too much talking. We took away tv for the day and have not had a problem since, he loves his Backyardigans. So, we are off to a great start! Hope it continues ! Starting Upward football now so will have some cute pics to post soon I'm sure!

PS The little girl in the pics is Hallie... Jayce LOVES Hallie... don't be mad at me Jayce if you read this years down the road... he is very defensive about it... but he gets this look when he talks about her, he grins so big, gets really shy, and denies everything... but he loves to chase her at recess... and today told me he was her "guard" at recess, walking back and forth in front of her to make sure she didn't get away!

911

2010-09-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

So, how embarrassing it was Saturday that I had a little fender bender... actually I hit a legally parked stationary car in the TJ Maxx parking lot... simply because I was paying absolutely no attention at all... The most embarrassing part however was that I had to call the police to come do a report and Jay brought the boys up there to meet me and talk to the police... Well, see, we are always telling Gabe that if he takes his straps off in his car seat we will take him to the police... So, the first thing he says when he sees me is "Mommy, is that police man gonna take you to jail? Well, I won't let him!" I explained that no, I just had an accident and he wouldn't take me to jail for that... I kind of thought he was over it and then today, during a prayer he wanted to pray for his teacher... it went like this "Dear Jesus, Thank you for Mrs. Thompson, please help her feel better, and I pray for 911, that they won't take my mommy to jail and that she won't get in another wreck, in Jesus name I pray amen." So, I have scarred him for life I think!

However,the other reason I am writing this is I am so impressed with his prayer ! Not only did he pray for Mrs. Thompson to feel better, he started with thankfulness for her! That is how God wants us to come to him, with praise and thanks for who He is and all He has done for us. The lessons learned from a 3 year old are truly priceless.

umbrella

2010-09-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Boys are doing great, school is going awesome! I will post pics as soon as I download them from my camera but wanted to write this story down real quick while I remember! Today, Gabe and I were in the garage preparing for our yard sale... He was playing with an umbrella and was saying "help mommy, they're after me..." loves to play that game... then he switched to "Mommy, I'll come help you... they're coming, I'll protect you under my umbrella..." he ran over and put it over my head. I said, thank you Gabe for protecting me. He continued with his role play and said "I am Jesus, I'll protect you." I thought, how amazing is it that my 3 year old just described so beautifully the love of Jesus. He will protect us from whatever storms we have in life under the umbrella of His love and grace.

2010-08-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

2010-08-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Gabe!

2010-08-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Gabe's 3rd birthday, tears, tears, sniffle, tears, tears... It happens each birthday, mommy gets so excited for them and to celebrate and then come the tears! But this birthday is BIG, 3... I'm looking at the baby strollers in the garage, the swings in the attic... not knowing if I'll ever need them again. I told Jay last night, as we are pondering Gabe starting 3k this year, mind you Jayce will be in 5k a full day, I just cannot believe it is time for this. I have done this thing for 5 years now! It has been so hard some days, but oh how I've loved it! I guess I just thought they would stay little forever somehow. Those stages that seemed they would never end, the sleepless nights, the nursing, the baby food, the spit up, the waiting to crawl, the waiting to walk, the learning to talk... where did they go? I guess because I went directly from Jayce moving on, to Gabe getting into them it was easier somehow. Now that Gabe is moving on and I'm not going through them again, boy that's hard! At the same time, I realize I MUST BE PRESENT and excited in the stage we are in now! 2 boys, ready for sports, more traveling (maybe), movies (or at least sitting through half of them by now), eating out, riding bikes and tricycles around the neighborhood,t-ball, upward football... we've got some exciting things coming up! And I AM excited. But it does not make me any less sad to leave these baby years behind. I have been so blessed to be here with my boys for these past 5 years. I never knew how much a girly girl like myself could LOVE having 2 messy, loud, ACTIVE little boys!!! It can't last forever but oh how I want the memories of these 5 years to stick around for always.

Ok, less about me and more about Gabe... We had an great birthday party this year! I had a pool party for Gabe at his nanny's new pool! We had several of his closest little friends and their siblings and family of course! We had a great time! Gabe LOVES ice cream so I made him an ice cream cake and we had the ice cream truck come to visit the kids too! They played Happy Birthday to you as they pulled in the drive and the kids all got to pick their favorite ice cream treat! So we really sugared them up this year!

Yesterday we spent his actual birthday with the family back at Nanny's house for lunch after church. We tried to do the swimming thing again but Gabe was WORN OUT from the weekend and instead he came home to take a good birthday nap! Last night we went for a bike/tricycle ride and he opened his big birthday gift from us, his own real golf clubs! He practiced his swing with daddy!

Gabe at 3...
LOVES girls ... and thinks they are all "pretty"... He will say, nearly every time we pass a girl "Mommy look at that pretty girl!"

Has a HUMONGOUS crush on "Miss Anna," who is my age, and he sees at the gym...who Jay tells me I must get a picture of as she really must be something the way Gabe talks about her! I'll try to post one on here!

Loves to sing and dance, and THINKS he's got some rhythm!

Loves his "bubby" or "brudder" and cannot stand to be away from him for one minute... Which should make Jayce's full day at school very interesting!

Is a very picky eater... cereal, grated cheese, spaghetti, pizza, yogurt, applesauce, fruit, raisins, and any junk food he will gladly eat... other than this, good luck!

Loves noggin, way more than his brother did at this age... I really have to limit him! Favorites are Dora, Diego, Wonderpets and Backyardigans!

Is pottying MOST of the time, but still struggling with a few accidents a day!

Drinks ALL DAY LONG-could have something to do with his accidents!!!

Sounds so grown up sometimes, telling me "I love you mom"... yet at others, "I love my Mommy"-like this one much better!!! He told Jayce a few days ago, "Jayce you are so weird."

Is the life of the party and total entertainment at most family functions! He LOVES to be center stage! He is truly hilarious!

Is SO PRECIOUS and I want to freeze him in this stage forever! I asked him the other night while rocking him if he could stay little forever and he said "Ok mommy but my muscles are getting big!"

a pencil

2010-07-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

So,I was trying to organize my desk somewhat and came across some notes I'd jotted down on what I intended to blog a WHILE ago... This is why I do this, I had already forgotten these stories and it's only been a month or two... I never want to forget, it just happens... That's why I'm so glad I can look back at these stories so that even as they grow, I can remember the sweetest stories of when they little!

This one was back when school was in... embarrassingly...Bear with me as this is a long story but something that I feel God would want me to share so maybe it can help someone else... Jayce had seen me crying one day, one of those days... I had been struggling with a really bad pulled hamstring that I've now had for almost 5 months... although it is HOPEFULLY on it's way back to normal after much therapy!!! I was in that poor me stage where I was asking why why why... I can't chase my 2 year old around and he's a runner...it was frankly dangerous... I can't run races with the kids and jump on the trampoline with them, I can't even go for a walk around the block or keep up with them as they ride their bikes... the grocery store was way too much walking for me, as was church...I can't work out which is what I love to do not to mention my stress relief and my outlet... why why why Lord??? One day at my breaking point, I opened my Bible just searching for some comfort. The Lord led me directly to these verses... "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 28-30
At this moment, I gave this burden to the Lord and started asking, "Ok, WHAT Lord, do you want me to take from this?" That Sunday, one of my very best friends and SS teachers shared an acrostic that followed right up on this. "JOYFUL"
J-Jeddesin (which I'd never heard of) but it means to get rid of (my burdens, negative thinking, problems, to give them to God)
O-Omit (my worries by replacing them with God's word and choosing to say scripture verses when I worry)
Y-YIELD TO GOD's HAND (this was key, this is HOW I said, ok God, you are in control and I don't really like these circumstances but I CHOOSE to acknowledge your hand and that you have something for me to learn through this)
F-Focus on what's good (OH how many blessings I have and I was not even thanking the Lord for the ways he's blessed me)
U-Use your life as an encouragement
L-Let God be God

SO, Jayce was later asking me what was wrong and I explained to him that I'd had a problem I was very upset about but that I had given my burden to the Lord. He said, "burden, what's a burden????" It just so happens that we were in Gabe's room and he has circus animals on his curtains and I saw a cart with a mule pulling it behind him, I showed him that is his burden he's carrying and that when ours is too heavy, the Lord will help us carry it. Perfect analogy at a perfect time! So, the next day, he goes to school and comes home with a frown on his face. I said, Jayce what is wrong? He said, "mom, I asked God to help me carry a burden today and he didn't and I don't understand why not??" I asked what his burden was and he said, "my pencil was too heavy and I asked God to carry it for me, but he didn't." OK, so maybe my analogy was not so good :)

In any case, I LOVED this acrostic and hope some of you can use it if you've got anything weighing YOU down!

BTW, it is on the mend, not there yet, but it's ok now. God has truly done some amazing work in me through this, as ya'll know on my own I'd be looney by now for sure! I spent 3 months with mono and now 5 months with this..not the course I'd have chosen for myself. BUT, He's helped me focus on the positive and remember what's MOST important in my life!

bedtime prayer

2010-06-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

The other night Gabe was praying and he bowed his little head, clasped his hands and said "Dear God, thank you for me, thank you for my mommy, thank you for my daddy, thank you for Jayce, but most of all thank you for Gabe. Amen!"

Father's Day

2010-06-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic Father's Day! Church, lunch with Jay's family, and their daddy actually gave them their baths and wanted to put them both to bed on Father's Day...that is what makes him a great father! I thought that was pretty sweet! He never reads this so there's no point in going to many details but Jay really is an amazing dad to our boys. I've told him many times that he is one of those dads it just comes so naturally to. It is not something he has to work at, he loves it and it shows! I am so thankful to have him as a husband and even more as father to my children.

Tonight when he was putting Gabe down, Gabe told him "I love my family with all my sweet heart." The boy melts my heart each time he says to me "mommy, I love you with all my sweet heart" but the whole family thing, unprompted... pure sweetness!

"Jonup" and the Whale

2010-06-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Gabe is finally at the point that he likes to sit still through stories, and especially when they are in his Bible. He loves to read from his kids Bible and especially likes to look at the pictures! Last time we were reading about Jonah, or "Jonup" in his words, he said, "Mommy that big fish ate Jonup?" I said yes Gabe and he said "Why, because he was yummy?" in the most adorable way!

Gabe's First Haircut :(

2010-06-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

This was Gabe's first REAL haircut... as in more than just a snip here and there by me...Unfortunately these pictures are going backwards in sequence, didn't think about it until I'd already uploaded them all... so look from the bottom up!
I've included morning of and after pictures of these major haircuts for both boys! I wanted you all to be able to appreciate the hair face each morning when they come downstairs! I'm convinced I could handle a girl after working with their do's all this time!

I would have been balling if I had the time to! I was trying to manage both boys by myself getting haircuts so needless to say I did not have time. I told the lady a half inch to an inch on both, and I"m not sure where she was when I told her but she surely did not pay me much attention! Both of them just look SO old with shorter hair... And Jayce's only has curls now when it's long, I really prefer it longer and thinned out. But, he was ready for a short cut. Every day when I was fixing his hair, he would say "Mom, I don't want curlies, they are so Bor-ring!" (that's just how he says it). I tried to tell him curls are fun and NOT boring! But he persisted and I knew he was hot... The first thing he told mimi about his haircut is that it only took mommy a minute to fix it! He was all about that!

Gabe did really well and looked super cute in the zebra print smock! He was impressed by the cool chairs and kept asking me to bounce him more on it. They both had a special ice cream treat afterwards though from their clothes it looks like most of that chocolate ice cream ended up on their outfits!

This was a big day for me. It all happened so quick and then that night in bed I was lying there, so sad. Did I really just cut my baby's hair? He is almost 3, I realize this, but he is so still my baby. I cannot believe that was his little baby hair and it is gone! I guess it's got to happen some time, I am just realizing all too quickly he is growing up and I am not ready!

more beach pics

2010-06-20T17:50:00.001-07:00

Beach for Memorial Day

2010-06-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

We went to Hilton Head for Memorial Day weekend. Other than a little stomach bug, we had a great time! Funny story about Gabe getting sick... He was throwing up in the middle of the night, about the 3rd time, and Jay and I were making sure he was ok . Jay said, "What's your name buddy?" He looked at Jay with the most serious look and said in the scratchiest voice, "You know what my name is!" That little personality is always shining through, even at his worst!

The boys were very into "surfing" this year like they have seen on the wonderpets. I'm including a few pics of them doing the "funkadelly" as wp call it! Jayce LOVED collecting sea shells and Gabe loved chasing birds on the beach! We enoyed a family bike ride, swimming and the pool and hanging out at the beach for hours!

Mother's Day Pics

2010-06-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from Mother's Day! It was a beautiful day! We went to church, ate at the club, so I did not have to cook, planted flowers, and daddy and Jayce put together a glider for me for the back yard! Perfect day, hanging out with all my boys doing things I LOVE to do!

Easter

2010-04-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

What a great Easter we had! My day started out just perfect, as Jayce rushed into my room to tell me that he had found the basket the Easter bunny had left him. He was super excited, but then said "mom, you know what? The Easter basket is great and all, but do you know the most important part about Easter? It's that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins!" Wow, now that's good coming from the mouth of my 5 year old! I am so thankful to have a child who loves Jesus so much already! Then, on our way to church, Gabe says so sweetly to me out of the blue "You look so pretty mommy!" I melted.
Then we went to church and were reminded of the awesome sacrifice my Savior made for me on the cross, to pay for my sins, to love me, a sinner so much... I am always so moved. Most importantly I am overjoyed on Easter to know that because I have trusted Him as my personal Savior, and he ROSE from the grave and now LIVES, I too will live eternally! This hope brings me more joy than anything else in the world ever could. It is where I find my purpose in life, to live to serve and aim to honor Jesus Christ, to share him with others! I LOVE Easter day as I celebrate His resurrection!
We had a fantastic day with the family... big lunch at Nanny's and Easter egg hunt with the kids! Then we went for our regular golf cart ride to visit all the animals! These memories I will always cherish.

the zoo

2010-04-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Riverbanks zoo in Columbia one day during Spring Break last year! We went with our good buddies Wallace and "Miss Tara" as my boys call her! The boys did super great together... the ride home was a little long after a full and no naps! But, we had a great time! Perfect time of year to go!

t ball

2010-04-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

There is not much cuter to me that seeing my little guy all dressed up in his t ball uniform! He ran down the stairs that first morning entirely dressed even with his hat. He said, "mom I bet you didn't know I slept with my hat last night!" Then, the little pose where he's out in the outfield, looking bored out of his mind, but the little stance, the squat, the cuteness! I love going to Jayce's games and Gabe loves to cheer him on! He'd say "run Jayce run, good job Jayce!" He thought every other player was actually Jayce since they all look so much alike in their uniforms ! I'm sure they didn't mind having him as their cheerleader!

Disney World

2010-04-05T19:38:00.001-07:00

So I'm catching up here... March was a crazy busy month... Disney World, 2 baby showers, t ball started, Jayce's birthday party, and Easter party! Lots of fun but glad it's April! So, I'll try to catch up on everything! We went to Disney with our good friends Jason and Ashley and their children Grace and Evan! We left sweet Gabe behind on this trip with his mimi, and he definitely had more fun there than he'd have had with us! The trip was long, with an uncharged dvd player, the lines were 30-45 minutes per ride, it rained, and I had a stomach bug, but we still had fun believe it or not! Jayce loved being with the other kids and Ashley and I were just glad to have some time away, even if we were walking through rain half the time! The first day we did Magic Kingdom, and the weather held out most of the day... it drizzled but didn't poor until the very end when we'd gotten all the way through the park. The 2nd day, no park... it POURED, so we made the most of the day and headed for the outlets, not so bad after all! The 3rd day, we did animal kingdom without our guys, as they were working in their trade show, but Ashley and the kids and I had a blast! The boys LOVED the dinosaur exhibits and Jayce loves animals period! This was heaven for him! We so loved having some quality time with our Jayce and showering him with all our attention! He is used to sharing and does such a good job most of the time! Fun trip and we will definitely do it again in a few years and take sweet Gabe along!

Jayce's 5th Birthday Party

2010-04-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a great time at Jayce's party! I get a just a little excited about these parties some would say and this one was really a fun theme to do! We had a backyard camp out (not a real one, just for a few hours :))... This year Jayce wanted to have mainly the boys, and we needed to keep it on a smaller scale since we were doing it at the house so this worked out well. We had a tent set up, roasted hot dogs, wore safari/camo hats, and the kids all got a camo bag (the girls in pink of course) to gather their loot from the scavenger hunt we did! We ate "Dirt cake" complete with worms spilling out of the top and this was a BIG HIT! The kids AND ADULTS loved it surprisingly! The kids all got flashlights and bug kits to play with as it turned dark towards the end and to take home to play camp out in their own backyards! At the very end, as I was absolutely exhausted, my nephew said to me, "Aunt Christyn, next year when Jayce turns 6, can we do this again just like this? It was the funnest party I've ever been to!" I know he says this to all of them, but it sure made me feel good inside! I think birthdays should be a big deal and always want my boys to feel SUPER special on their big days! This year was a simple but super fun way to celebrate!

Happy 5th Birthday FIVE!!!

2010-03-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

Jayce is a 5th to those of you who are wondering!!! From the time Jay's family knew I was having a boy, he was nicknamed "five."
Ok, wouldn't be a birthday without me getting all sappy right? I can hardly believe this precious baby boy is 5 years old! Where has the time gone? On the one hand I feel like it was the first day I held him in the hospital and he so gently squeezed my finger as if to say, "I am depending on you and love you already." On the other hand, I cannot remember what life was like before my Jayce! What joy and excitement Jayce has brought into our lives!

Jayce at 5 in a nutshell:
-LOVES his baby brother! He is very affectionate towards him, hugging him and asking him or hugs many times a day! He is very protective of him. At t-ball the other night a teammate was making fun of Gabe's name and he said "Hey, that's my little brother crazy hat!" This is his favorite name to call by the way, which isn't too terribly bad!

-Loves to be around his "buddies." Jayce would have a friend to play 24/7 if possible. He absolutely loves play dates and any social event involving other children! As soon as one is leaving he is asking who can come next?

-Loves Sweets! I might find him at least once a day trying to sneak by me with a cookie from the pantry or climbing on the washing machine in the dryer to reach the hidden candy or hiding in the pantry with chocolate chips! Before you say he is deprived, he is not, I allow him at least one sweet treat a day! He just wants SO MUCH MORE! He might have gotten that sweet tooth from his mommy!

-Loves animals! If given a dollar to pick something out in the dollar tree (another favorite thing of his) he will go to a bag of animals of some type 99 out of 100 times! This could be a problem since Jay and I are not pet people :)

-Has such a tender sweet heart! Jayce is currently singing a song to Gabe that says "I love my little brother..." He told me this morning, "Mommy tank (no h) you so much for giving me a dvd player for my birthday! He is very good at telling us "tank you" even if it is followed by "what are we gonna do fun next?" (His absolute favorite phrase)!

-ALL BOY, no ifs ands or buts! From roaring to growling to chasing girls to making messes to banging pots and pans together from jumping off anything he is not supposed to and making ridiculous messes but he is SO MUCH MORE and SO MUCH FUN! Underneath all those messes lies the sweetest, most precious spirit in the world who LOVES LOVES LOVES his family and his Jesus, most importantly!

-Jayce is truly a delight to me and many who know him!
Happy 5th Birthday!!!

Pictures from his backyard campout to follow... not going to promise when :) I've been busy trying to spend time with them and have had to let some of this stuff go... but I will catch up eventually!!!

We're Pottying!!!!

2010-02-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

So, this week, God's timing has been very evident. For months I have been saying that I know if I just focused on potty training Gabe we could knock it out. Gabe is 2 1/2. He had already been showing interest a while and been at random times, but I simply did not have the energy! I kept saying I had plenty of time... Jayce was 2 when we started and 3 1/2 when we finished... what happened you might ask? Gabe came along and I never had the time or energy to do the consistent training, just kind of waited on him. And quite frankly this time, I could not find a week I was willing to stay home bound and inside with no gym, play dates, or outings for potty boot camp! SO, funny how things work. This week, after beginning my running routine again after a long break, I pulled my hamstring. Thus, needing to stay home from the gym for at least a week probably, and thinking HOW WILL I SURVIVE???? So, that very night, Gabe goes potty 4 times in a row... I was amazed! I decided it was now going to be potty training week officially! What better time, I can't go anywhere without limping around anyhow!

Who knows what will come once we are back to our normal routine, but in the past two days, we have stayed dry really well, only a few accidents! By this afternoon, Gabe was telling me rather than me telling him we needed to go every 15 minutes...

The best part of all is that he loves for Jayce to take him. Jayce takes him to the bathroom, and the conversation goes as such " Now Gabe, stand on your stool, turn around, scoot back, hold your handles, point down, now let's flush, now let's wash hands!" Now, we need an m and m mom! And you can bet they both get one! How great is that! Love my 2 boys!

I pray Gabe keeps up the good work!

Things to Remember

2010-01-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am realizing just how much my boys are growing these days not just by how they look but what they say.

Here are a few examples for Jayce: (and how he is becoming his father)!

Each time I am going to the store, I'll tell him to help me remember the 3-4 things we need to get. Well, BOY DOES HE! And, BOY is he just like his daddy! The minute I start to look at something else, "Mom, that is not on the list!"

Alright and then ya know how there is always some project we moms are working on around the house, always something we think we could do to make it a little better... So, I've been saving the last year or so for mainly house things and I'm always on the "prowl" for good deals and looking on line at sales for a new type of furniture or light fixture or rug, etc.... It hit me that maybe I am a little too much when my 4 year old said to me, "Mom, why do you think we need new leather couches when we already have leather couches? What is wrong with ours? Later, he said, "Mom why do you always want new stuff?" Well, I tried to answer that in the best way for him to understand and boy was it hard! I said, you know how you always want new toys, even though you have old ones???? But, we cannot always get new toys just because we want them. OUCH!

Then, I was all excited about these new plants I'd gotten for a few spots I needed them in the house and Jayce walked in right after I set them up and declared, "MOM, this room is a DISASTER, no more plants!"

the card

2010-01-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

OK, so here is what taking a Christmas card is really like... and it doesn't even include my other memory card full of trying...when at the clubhouse and Gabe was chasing the cat around the whole time... sweet Jayce sure was ready! He tried so hard!

and one more Christmas

2010-01-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

AND THEN, we had Christmas one more time with mimi, papa and Grandma Shirley! We were so excited that they were able to come for a visit the Sunday after Christmas! Grandma Shirley had never been to our house so we were really glad she made it! The boys loved opening MORE gifts and most of all hanging out with their mimi, papa and Grandma Shirley!

Christmas Day

2010-01-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

And FINALLY... Christmas day! I told Jay last night as I got these pictures together, that it's no wonder I was so tired by Christmas! I think I had 11 different events to post pictures from that all happened in a 2 week span! Love Christmas... but also glad to slow down a bit!

All the kids slept together and came down Christmas morning... all but Gabe that is... Jay decided at 1:30 when Gabe was still trying to get out of his pack n play to take him on home.. They arrived that morning to see what Santa had brought and I think we all got a better night's sleep that way than if he would have stayed... traveling days are over until he's transitioned to the big boy bed successfully :)

Happy Birthday Jesus Party

2010-01-05T13:28:00.001-08:00

Here is our good friend Tara's annual Happy Birthday Jesus party! She read us the Christmas story and we all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus! The kids always get a little confused about why Jesus is not at the party, it's so cute!

Jayce's School Christmas Concert and Party

2010-01-05T12:42:00.001-08:00

Jayce did an awesome job singing in the school Christmas concert! My favorite was "Happy Birthday Jesus," and how they get so high when they sing "It's all about YOU!!!" Too cute...

I have really enjoyed getting to be Jayce's room mom this year! It means I get to be at and help with all the parties and get to know all the kiddos... I love to see them in action and feel like I know a little more about what his day is like there! He is pictured with his buddy Nathan who he says is his bestest friend there and also Halley, who he says he wants to marry..(along with 10 others):) It would actually be good though b/c her mom is my hair stylist, maybe I could get a discount if we were family!

Christmas Eve at the McLaughlins

2010-01-04T19:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve... we started with dinner at 4, yummy prime rib Nanny made! Then the fam (excluding us) headed to church for the Christmas Eve service... There is not a nursery however and we did not think Gabe was quite ready for it this year! So, we headed to see our Aunt Will (dad's aunt) in the nursing home for a Christmas visit. That night, we wait for everyone to arrive to do our family gifts... Ended around midnight.. then we do our "thang" once the kids are down.. it is so much fun but a really late night! All worth it when the kids walk down the stairs in the morning though :)

McLaughlin Family Ornament Exchange

2010-01-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

Cookies at the Clubhouse

2010-01-04T19:18:00.001-08:00

So, I was REALLY in the Christmas spirit this year and had a cookie decorating party the same week as the ornament exchange! It was a little crazy this week but so much fun and worth the planning for sure! My boys had such a good time and it was so good to see all the mommies and kids right before Christmas! The clubhouse is such a great place to use as I don't have to worry with my house and it is so spacious it's not going to feel overcrowded, I love it there!
The kids enjoyed pizza, cookies and hikes to see the horses! Hope we get to do this one again next year too!

Neighborhood Ornament Exchange

2010-01-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

We had our first neighborhood ornament exchange with the kids we have gotten to know in our neighborhood! It was so much fun for the moms and kids! We read the best interactive nativity set I've ever seen, "What Jesus wants for Christmas," and the kids really enjoyed opening the boxes to see just what Jesus wants us to give him.. our hearts... It's really a cute set! We exchanged ornaments and munched and munched, decided it will be an annual tradition! I feel so blessed to be in a neighborhood with lots of children and fun parents around!

2010-01-04T19:09:00.001-08:00

Gingerbread House Party!!!

2010-01-04T19:01:00.001-08:00

What a fun way to kick off our Christmas celebration! We had so much fun at the Edwards gingerbread house party! The boys loved making their houses and especially the visit from Santa! Jayce was actually the FIRST name he called to deliver his present, which made him feel especially good! Santa brought him a USC ball/bat and Gabe a new t ball set!

Love Christmas!

2009-12-02T11:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love to celebrate the birth of my Lord! It means more to me now than ever as I try to teach my boys the meaning of the season!

Sunday we started pulling out decorations... I usually like to get everything up that weekend after Thanksgiving but this year things are a little different. One, we are getting hardwood floors put in our den-YAY!!!!-and will be moving out for a week next week... Two, right after getting back from Columbia I came down with strep (which is how I have time to update the blog), so not only was I behind on laundry already, now cleaning, AND Christmas stuff! But, hey, we got the boys tree up in the playroom and a wreath and flag at the front entrance! We might just go lightly this year...

So, Sunday Jayce and I decorated the tree in the playroom with all his special ornaments (and Gabe's). Each year the McLaughlin cousins do an ornament exchange and he has gotten the cutest little ornaments from all his cousins. He loves looking at them and talking about who they are from. I was excited b/c he loves to decorate the tree as much as I do! Jay, not so much... and Gabe... maybe next year!

Mimi gave Jayce and Gabe a special early Christmas gift this year, a nativity set-non-breakable...Jayce loves to play with it on his bedside table!

Here are a few pics of the boys in some Christmas clothes, nothing fancy, just hanging around the house getting ready for Christmas!

Jayce's Thanksgiving Party

2009-12-02T11:49:00.001-08:00

Well, unfortunately these are about the only Turkey Day shots I have... I took my camera to Cola, but had left my memory card here :(

This was Jayce's party at school. I am room mother this year and had the best time helping Jayce's class make pilgrim hats! Jayce and I made pilgrim cookies to take them and they were a huge hit! Tasted good too from the comments! Jayce was especially excited to present these to his class as his teacher told me he'd been telling them about them all morning!

Backyard Fun!

2009-12-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

The boys have loved playing in the backyard before it gets too cold! We had our neighbor Sara over the other day, who both my boys love! Sara also has a big sis who Jayce is especially fond of, Ella! She was not here this day so they took turns playing with her! Races were a big hit, and a great way to be sure they'd sleep well that night! I am loving the new camera Jay got me, I still need lots of practice and to learn the manual, but it takes great action shots! Love that!

How Precious is this???

2009-11-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

As mentioned many times before, Gabe LOVES to sing! I only am sad for him that he does not have much of a chance at winning American Idol if his parents' singing talent (or lack thereof) has much to do with it!

Here's the little performer with 2 of his favorites
"You are my sunshine" and "Twinkle, twinkle"oi

Bible stories

2009-10-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

We are very into reading Jayce's Bible story book at bed time. Jay and I both agree we sometimes get as much out of reading these stories as we think he does! He really listens not only during this time but in Sunday School! The boy can tell me all the details on about any Bible story he's heard!

It is so funny because he will say things out of the blue to let me know he's really been taking it in!

Tonight, as we were leaving church, he said "mom, do I have a birthright?" Totally out of the blue... couldn't tell when we last read about Jacob and Essau, but he sure remembers!

Gabe's Latest Sayings

2009-10-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here is what Gabe has been "talking about" lately...
He Loves to say..

"COOOO Jayce!" (meaning cool Jayce).

"Watch this Jayce, or mama or dada!" He loves to show us everything "coo" he is doing!

"Iwantsooom" (one word meaning I want some)... this is any time that Jayce has something he does not...

"More mama, more mama..." anytime he is out of food... I hear this one quite frequently as I cannot seem to move fast enough to meet his demands!

"Wannagetout!" Still might be his most famous "sentence" as he repeats this one from his high chair, car seat, shopping cart, stroller, or anywhere that he is forced to sit still for an extended amount of time!

Gabe says MUCH MORE than this but these are the ones that play over and over in my head! He pretty much talks all day, repeating anything that I say to him as a question.
For instance, if I say, "there's a truck Gabe." He says, "There's a truck mama?" Never at a loss for words this boy!

Jayce's First Football Team

2009-10-12T17:46:00.001-07:00

bed time prayers with Jayce

2009-10-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Jay and I have started a new ritual of trading off the nights we put each of our guys to bed. For a long time, Jay put them both to bed, as Gabe was usually ready to climb right in and he could take him on his way and get to spend a little time with each. Now, Gabe stays up a little later, and gets to see daddy for a while after he is home. Gabe also now likes to rock and sing more and Jayce loves to read and pray. So, with this taking quite some time to do both, we now each take one. I decided we needed to alternate so we to have some quality time with each one every other night!

I so enjoy reading to Jayce and hearing him pray. Some nights he just wants me to pray but last night he wanted to pray himself. He modeled his prayer after mine, as each night, I start by "Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful day and my wonderful boys you have given me" and I try to start by thanking Him.

So last night as Jayce begins praying, I am thinking how sweet it is that he is following my prayer pattern... "Dear Lord, thank you for .... how sweet.... "MY CRAZY MOMMY... huh?... MY CRAZY BROTHER... at least I'm not singled out... and MY REALLY CRAZY DADDY... and that I'm CRAZY JAYCE!" I guess we are just one crazy fam!

Mr. Friendly

2009-10-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me how friendly and sociable both of my boys have been! I always heard you had one kind of shy one, and one outgoing one... and one really quiet one, and one roudy one! So far, our story has proven both myths wrong! My boys are both SO outgoing and SO LOUD and So talkative! Jay and I both had one yesterday and when we reunited we both were talking about how they are non-stop talkers! Do not like silence one bit!

Well, not only will Gabe greet each passerby on the street, and say goodbye to everything in our house when we leave... he even talks to bugs. The other day, we were on our way to pick up Jayce from school and Gabe was eating his lunch in the car once again...pbandj. He said, mama, look a bug. I said, that bug must want some of your sandwich Gabe. Next thing I know, I see a hand in the back of the car holding a sandwich up to the sky. Gabe said, "Here bug, here's sandwich, eat sandwich." He can share with a bug, now if we could just get him to share with Jayce!

Gabe's 1st Hair Cut

2009-08-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

SO,I finally did it... well kind of... I didn't actually pay for a hair cut... I did it myself! I figured out that while Gabe eats a bowl of oatmeal, it's a pretty good time to get scissor happy on his hair! He never minded and curly hair is really hard to mess up! You can't tell if it's uneven... Anyhow, I cut a good bit but it was not too much I didn't think! Thought it turned out pretty good!

Jayce's First Day of 4K

2009-08-28T20:15:00.001-07:00

Here is Mr. Jayce his first morning of 4K! He was super excited about going this year and early mornings have not been a problem for him! He is "up and at 'em" so far each day! He loves to pick his outfit (I give him 2 choices), and come down all dressed. He "orders" his breakfast the night before and things run pretty smoothly this way! He is loving 4K so far and his teacher, which definitely helps! He comes home each day with a new song or Bible verse, which I love!

Here is my favorite so far, it actually is as good for mommy to hear as for him! It has become the song we chant around the house each time it is needed!

"The devil wants everybody grumpy, the devil wants everybody mad.The devil wants everybody grumpy, and he doesn't want everybody glad. (arms crossed and frowny face)
But Jesus wants everybody happy, Jesus wants everybody glad! Jesus wants everybody happy, and he doesn't want anybody sad!"
Love it! Works like a charm every time, even on myself!

We look forward to a great school year!

I must say though, no matter how many times I do this, I have to cry the first day each year... This year especially seemed hard, it was so quiet once my Jayce was gone... that is until I got Gabe out of the crib... but to think, once they are BOTH gone to school... can't go there yet... At least it is only a half day, and I look SO forward to picking him up each day to hear what he has learned!

Uncle Stephen's Wedding

2009-08-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Jay, Jayce and I took a little road trip, actually long road trip, to Marion, Virginia. Uncle Stephen and Taryn were married there August 8th. We had a great time with Jayce! He really had a lot more fun than he appears to be having in these pictures! He did awesome on the road trip and really enjoyed hanging out with his Columbia "friends." (his endearing term for all his cousins)! Congratulations to Stephen and Taryn!

McLaughlin Family Beach Trip

2009-08-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

So, after much complaining from my cousin Jen, I decided I had better get on the ball with my blog and am trying to get updated! You're welcome Jen!
Last minute this year, Nanny booked a house in Cherry Grove for the whole family! It turned out we had already planned to vacation that week in Hilton Head, so we just changed directions and went with the clan! The boys had the BEST time... We literally did not see Jayce except for in passing as he ran through the room on his way to find another "friend."
We were on the inlet and the boys loved fishing and crabbing off the dock! Grandaddy brought the golf cart and a red wagon for us to ride around in and these both came in very handy! We were so glad Jayce especially had an opportunity to hang out with his cousins, he always has the best time with them! And, we had a pretty easy week with him being so entertained!

Gabe's 2nd Birthday Pictures

2009-08-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

Gabe's 2nd birthday was just perfect! Since his party was not going to be until Sunday, Jayce talked me into letting him open one gift early, on the day of his actual birthday... Jayce carried his present into his room and pretty much threw it in his crib, I did manage to get him out before they both tore into it! Jayce's first words were "Hey Gabe, how about I give you something of mine, and I can have this, so let's trade!" I was thinking this birthday was gonna be a hard one for Jayce!

Turns out Sunday could not have been more perfect... Jayce did just fine at the party, helped him open his presents or opened them for him rather... but he was having too much fun to be jealous for long!

We had a very small gathering at the clubhouse... just family, and it was really nice! We got a honey baked ham sandwich tray, I made fruit salad, and homeade salsa to go with the chips and it... Easy, and GOOD, my kind of party!

Gabe really enjoyed his cake and playing with all his cousins or "friends," as Jayce calls them!

Happy 2nd Birthday Gabe!

2009-08-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

Kind of a random photo of Gabe, but I just love it! Will post more vacation pictures later!

I can hardly believe my baby boy is two! It truly seems like only yesterday I found out I was expecting him... A little scared with a 1 1/2 year old by my side, little did I know the blessing Gabriel would truly be to us! I could go on and on about all the reasons I love this little guy, but will try to summarize below what I love most about Gabe these days...
-He loves to give "sugars" and say "MMM-ahh"
-He loves to give hugs and a little "pat pat" on the back just to let you know he cares!
-He loves to greet and wave to every one who is even remotely close by!
-He LOVES TO TALK... On our family beach trip 2 weeks ago, Nanny commented how much you can tell about people by living in such close quarters... She concluded that Gabe and I were about the only morning people in a house of 17, as we were up and talking first thing, while everyone else was grumbling and stumbling around... On the other hand, they were up past midnight, while Gabe and I were snoring or ready to be!
-He LOVES to Sing still! The ladies in the gym last week told them he was singing -Happy Birthday to mama all last week... we'll see if he'll actually sing to himself today! He also loves to dance anytime there is a beat, and boy does he have rhythm!
-He likes to say the blessing, imitating his big brother's "God our Father" song
-He is very aware when I am stopping to pray with Jayce sometimes (like when we are having a rough morning or I have just lost my temper and need to ask forgiveness)that I am praying and will chime in "AMEN" at the very end...
-He loves to be outside and I have to keep all deadbolts locked to keep him from escaping!
-He loves to sit on the potty (although he has not actually used it yet) and wash his hands!
-The first thing he does when he wakes up is says "Where's Jayce" and before he goes down says (Night night Jayce)
-If we are riding in the car together, and Jayce falls asleep, he will say "Where's Jayce? Night night?"
-Gabe's favorite words right now are "I wanna get out!" But he says it so fast it is like one long word... He still does not like to be confined in his carseat or high chair for extended periods of time and this is how he'll let us know!
-He will say "I"m full" when he's done with lunch now...
-His most favorite thing in the world to do is talk on the phone and every time it rings he says "I wanna talk to mimi," he thinks it is always mimi (who could either be my mom or nanny, since he calls her that too)
-Loves to play ready, set go, or 1-2-3 and let Jay throw him up in the air, he has no fear!

Gabe is so funny, happy, and sweet spirited and we cannot help but love our sweet boy to pieces! Yes, we have our moments, we are two, but would not change a thing! We love you sweet baby Gabe, yes you are still my baby!

PS, will post pic s from our small family birthday party tomorrow... after mono and my sweet grandfather's funeral this week, we decided to just do things on a small scale this year... it won't matter to Gabe, he has fun everywhere... as long as we let him wiggle! :)

Gabe

2009-06-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Gabe's personality is really coming out these days! He is so funny!

His favorite thing to say right now is "how you?" and then he wants you to ask him back and he says "Goo," without the d, it is adorable!

He is still loving to sing all the time, favorites are happy birthday, bible, and jesus loves me!

He has this thing with names that is really funny... It started with him calling his Nanny "Mimi." We will practice again and again and say "Gabe say nanny." He will just laugh and say, no mimi! (which is my mom's name)...
Then he calls all the nursery workers at McLeod Ro-Ro (for Ms. Rosa)... they say he turns it into a game and looks at her and then walks over to someone else and calls them that and just laughs...
Finally, he calls Tara "Christa," only because her cousin Christa was over one day at the same time and I think he just thinks it's easier to say... We will be clear across church and he will wave excitedly saying "Hi Christa!" It is so crazy... We will keep working on getting the names right and in the mean time, thank goodness they are all good sports!

Jayce

2009-06-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Jayce's 4 year appt stats: (only 3 mts late)
41 lbs, height: 41.75 inches
Jay took him to get his shots and he did awesome! I was so chicken, I sent Jay and could not believe how well he did!

Jayce said to me the other morning, as I was going to get Gabe...
"No mommy, wait for me, let me go first! I don't want him to be surprised when he sees you, I want him to be surprised when he sees me!"
He walked right in and said "Good morning brother, how are you today?"

Jay has been taking Jayce out to hit golf balls lately in the yard... and he's making some good contact which is making Jay especially happy! Last weekend they were in the yard when Jayce's favorite neighborhood gal came by, "Ella." Jay called me and said, "Baby, it has already begun..." He said Jayce hit ball after ball, while Ella and her little sister Sara clapped and clapped, and Jayce beamed so bright! Jay said he had never seen that grin on Jayce's face before... think he's in love!
Last night, he made her a "letter," out of a recycled birthday card someone had given him, and included some fake money inside for her and could not wait to take it to her... Yep, it has begun...The good thing is, I would totally approve! She's adorable and super sweet!

Summer Fun!

2009-06-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

So we are having a great summer so far!
We took a beach trip with our great friends Jay, Tara, and Wallace a few weeks ago and all the boys had a blast! The daddies helped them build their first sandcastle!
The biggest challenge was keeping Gabe from stomping all over it! I thought it turned out pretty good for their first one!

I'm posting a cute picture of Gabe eating watermelon. Hooray, we found something else to add to his menu! He could not get enough of that... I told Jay maybe we should just cut a watermelon each night to keep our boys entertained, happy, and quiet!!!

I catch Jayce saying so many cute things these days, and I can barely remember 1/2 of them but here are a few I do recall:
-The other morning, Gabe was still in bed and Jayce said, "Hey mom, where's the little guy?"
-yesterday, I heard him talking to Gabe and he said, "Hey Gabe, you're my little buckaroo!"

Gabe too is loving to talk about and to Jayce constantly
-When he wakes up the first thing he says is "Where's Jayce?"
-He loves to say "Come on Ja-ayce" (2 syllables, with his southern draw)
-Still loves to sing and his new favorite is Jesus Loves Me... Jay has taught him to make muscles and scrunch up his face to say "STRONG" (as in we are weak but he is strong)... He loves this and will do this over and over again, just cackling!

We are enjoying the freedom to not necessarily sleep late, but to get out and about a little later! It should be a fun summer!

Gabe's HAIR

2009-05-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

My good friend Christie has a new camera and is doing awesome with it! I asked her to get some pictures of Gabe and his hair before my husband makes me cut it. I do agree it's getting a little out of control, mainly the mullet in the back... We will do a small trim... I just know they are gonna keep it short the rest of their lives probably once they are older...

Anyhow, I think she got some great pictures!

Jayce 4, Gabe almost 2

2009-05-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post a few recent pictures and write what the boys have been up to...

Gabe and Jayce are both very active and lively at this age to say the least, hence the little time for blogging lately! In the past, I have always said that at least God seems to only make one go through a challenging stage at a time, and how much I was thankful for that... Well, I guess he thought I had too much time on my hands and needed a new challenge! So, they are both a little wild and crazy these days! When friends ask if I am having another, I laugh and say that I think 2 boys counts as 4 already, so I get extra credit! No, really, I am loving them through this stage, the good and the bad... more the good of course and ready for it to get a little easier, but I know it is a phase!

I'm posting a few recent random pics and also some of Jayce's first field trip to the strawberry patch with Mrs. Rogers class! I had so much fun, rode on the bus with the kids and my sister in law was so kind to keep Gabe! I love watching Jayce interact with his little school friends!

Jayce:

The good-
Jayce is hilarious as always and makes me laugh 100 times a day probably.
Example: I just told him he needs to eat his macaroni and cheese and broccoli (leftover lunch) before having any snacks, he said, I will eat the macaroni but the broccoli really gives me a headache mom...
-he showers me with kisses and hugs and roses (from my rosebush outside)
-he loves to play with Gabe most of the time and tells him he is his best friend ever
He told me today that I am the "best parent ever" because I
"make him food, help him play things, help him get ready, help teach him to be good," this made me feel really good that he acknowledged I am doing something!

The bad-

Yesterday he colored on my wall with permanent marker (first time ever, right after having them painted last week)
He dumped water down my oreck canister vacuum (first time ever again, right after I paid 60 dollars to have it repaired last week)...
BUT, I think God is using this to show me things are things... Yes, he was definitely punished and lectured for destroying property BUT, I did feel reminded in the midst of my frustration that I am so thankful for my relationship with Christ as HE is the only one that will remain the same when all else fails...

Gabe
The good-
He is talking up a storm, loves to say
"thank you mommy" when I hand him anything,
sometimes "mommy daddy,"- Jay said last night, I think we have become one person to Gabe

Loves to say "yes" and NOOOOOOOOO (quite good at this one)

He calls cereal "re-al"

Calls his nanny "mimi"- no matter how hard we work on this one...

He is beginning to like to give hugs in the morning time while we're getting ready and it is the sweetest thing!

The bad-

He is definitely having roll around on the ground fits
Also, he will turn bright red and start gagging from screaming so loud and intensely for 45 minutes to an hour at a time when he is mad or restrained in a car seat or store buggy... this does make me feel a little insane!
He gets really mad if I do not:
let him play with outlets
let him play with my makeup, especially the mascara
let him eat toothpaste
let him dump out bags of chips, pretzels or anything else that could possibly make a great mess
let him climb and jump off the couch or any other piece of furniture
let him climb up the swing set in the back yard

Other than this, we are good!

The great-with both of them, the good moments are great enough to makeup for the tough and I am so thankful to be their mommy through it all!

Police Officer Mr. Jayce

2009-04-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

Jayce hopped in the car from school the other day and said (with his handmade police hat on),
"Hello mama, I am police officer Mr. Jayce!" We have been Mr. Jayce for quite some time but now we have added a few credentials to the name! He is really interested in police officers, always talking about them. Not sure if that's a good thing or not?!

Jayce is full of life at 4 I must say! That might be another reason I've not had much time for blogging lately... He had dropped and then picked up his nap again, but we're back to no nap... It's a hard stage because he is getting a bit grumpy and I know he still needs the rest, yet he fights it so bad and it takes me lying down with him for an hour and a half to get him to sleep. By that time, Gabe is usually up and I can't get anything done, so I think we'll just stick this out and hope he adjusts to less sleep soon... He is SUCH a sweet boy when he has his rest! Maybe he'll catch up this summer...

Jayce's favorite thing to do is still to walk around with his backpack filled with everything you could imagine... hair gel, pullups for bedtime, his animals, snacks, toothbrush...even put a ladybug in there last week... he's something!

Gabe at 21 months

2009-04-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

What? We are in the 20's almost 2???? Mr. Gabe is a mess these days. He LOVES strawberries as you can see here! We had a great time with our best friend Wallace, "Wally" at the strawberry patch last week! Thanks Tara for the cute pic!

Gabe's favorite things to say right now are: MINE, re-al (for cereal), baa (for granola bar), appy (for apple),
"Hey", "Hewo," "See yall," "go Outside," "Upstairs," "Bonk Bonk, Ewwie," (his cousins), "where's Wally, daddy, Jayce, bubby, etc..." Ro-Ro (for Mrs. Rosa at the gym), wee wee (yes, big bubby taught him that one)... they are such boys! "whew-wee" when he has a stinky or is about to do one(he actually cares and tells us when he has one, UNLIKE Jayce did), "I see Jayce or I wan see Jayce" "bye bye or night night or hey mommy!"

BIG highlight of our day, or YEAR for that matter- Gabe and I ran 3 errands today with loud talking, singing happy birthday to you , but NO SCREAMING throughout the store! WOW! This is big people!

Also, we have switched his car seat to the middle seat so he sits beside Jayce and it has cut our crying/screaming time down in the car drastically!

The past two days I have gone back to letting Gabe feed himself his yogurt or applesauce and, while it is pretty messy, he actually does get a good bit in his mouth and it's about the only thing that will keep him entertained for longer than 2 minutes, so I'll deal with the mess!

Gabe is just as social as Jayce has always been, he LOVES people! We cannot go anywhere without him trying to greet (often 5-10 times) each person we pass and waving excitedly at them! Everyone says, what a pretty girl!!! Yes, probably time for the first hair cut...we are getting a little mullet... I just need to get a few more good pics first!

Easter and Spring Break

2009-04-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

So, I have been HORRIBLE updating the blog lately! It's been super busy around here! Now that I am "working" part time with my ebay store selling these personalized house flags, I am using all my free time doing that it seems. But, I promise to try to do better with updates here...

We had an awesome Easter! We had church that morning and the boys each had a chance to have their pictures made there. Jayce's turned out super cute, but Gabe was 1/2 children in our church (A BIG CHURCH) who would not allow them to have their picture made... His teachers could not believe he was so uncooperative, but he did NOT want to pose for that camera! Oh well, at least we got a few... This was Jayce's first year in a big boy outfit and he did look super handsome, although by these pictures he had lost his tie and his shirt tail had made it's way out of his pants, and I was too darn tired to fix it!!!! Anyhow, both boys were super handsome in their Easter outfits from Nanny! We had our annual lunch and egg hunt with the "cuzzies" and Jayce was super at getting eggs this year! Gabe was not really into it quite yet!

Spring Break-went to Hilton Head with daddy for a few days and FROZE but had a great time! The boys even ran in and out of the water, crazy!

So hard to believe school is almost out and summer is here! We have been spending our afternoons running through sprinklers and playing with the water hose, amazing the entertainment it provides!

More party pics

2009-03-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my great friend Christie, I have many more pictures to post from the party... She was so kind as to experiment with her new camera at our party!

Jayce's 4th Birthday Party Pics

2009-03-30T18:32:00.001-07:00

Jayce's party was a blast! I did not run around with my camera the whole time this year and just decided to have fun and it was great! Friends will be sending more pictures that are hopefully better than mine, so I'll post more later, but you can get the idea from these! We had so much fun this year... I made the cakes... along with 4 dozen cupcakes and I am caked out! I actually did 3 different recipes for cakes and icings last week trying to decide which I'd use and boy it's hard work! I really enjoyed it though! And, I even passed the test of the McLaughlin's saying my cake tasted good! That's huge! This was also my first experience decorating cakes and while I am certainly no Martha Stewart, I felt like they turned out decent for the first time... The car ride there got my dino a little smudged on the border, and I will definitely invest in a cake leveler next time for my layered cake as it was a little lopsided, but hey, I don't think the 4 year olds noticed and they still tasted good!

Daddy made all Jayce's banners and he especially loved his Land Before Time one!

At the party, we had a dinosaur egg hunt, did a pinata, and played pin the tail on the dinosaur! I am such a game girl so I loved being able to do these this year!

Jayce's main gift from us was his new big boy bike... spiderman, helmet, knee and elbow pads included! He does so well on it already, we were both really impressed!

Gabe went his first day without a nap and was in bed by 6:30 and I woke him at 9:15 on Sunday!

Never would have dreamed such a girly girl could have so much fun with a dinosaur party! But, just seeing how excited he was made it all so great!

Happy 4th Jayce- Bye Bye Jon Jons

2009-03-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday Jayce! I cannot believe you are officially a "Big Boy!" I know, many of you say, he's only 4... but to me a big boy means no more jon jons... sadness! I promised Jay that on his 4th birthday, I would stop dressing him in any jon jons... I had really been saving them only for church as of late, but this is IT... It really hit me hard as I switched out his closet and went from a closet full of them to polos and khaki pants... The one thing that kept me from balling was that I got to move them right on over to Gabe's closet! We are still allowed to do overalls though, as far as I'm concerned!

We are so proud of you Jayce and how much you have grown in the last 4 years in every way possible! You are a sweet child who loves Jesus, mommy and daddy, and your "bubby Gabe" very much! There is something about you Jayce that is so darn lovable! Your Sunday and School teachers both have told us that you are a "teachers dream" and that you "have their heart," and "that smile just makes me melt!" Not only have you turned into such a sweet boy (MOST OF THE TIME)...But you are so very smart, as you recently reminded mimi and papa. You remember details so well and can tell about any Bible story you've heard! You learn you Bible verses so well and are sure to repeat them back to me when it serves you best such as the time you said, "Mommy, I think we need to share a chocolate chip cookie now and be ye kind one to another."

The thing I love most about you right now is your sense of awareness that with any problem we face, we can bring it to God. Whether it's Gabe's boo boo, mommy's tummy hurting, you and I having a tiff, Gabe's screaming in the car, you will almost always stop and say, "Dear God, can you help us..............and you always close with Dear God, Amen. It is the sweetest thing! May you always remember to talk to Him about it all! I love you so much sweet boy, Happy 4th! Mama

2009-03-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

I could eat Jayce up at this age, so hard to believe we are almost 4! He is SO much fun! Energetic as always, but so sweet! He is growing up so fast and says so many funny things, I cannot possibly begin to remember half of them but wanted to jot some down before I forget!

All week he has been singing Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday Mr. Jayce, happy birthday to Isham Jehu Larry (sometimes) McLaughlin and never seems to remember the fifth! But I have to give him credit, what a tough name to remember!

Jayce is SO excited about his upcoming birthday, I feel like we've been talking about it forever! We are having a dinosaur party and he has enjoyed helping me make a practice dinosaur cake (see picture, decorated by Jayce, mommy was not allowed to help much)...but he had so much fun! Today he couldn't wait to fill treat bags for the party and then for his classmates at our school party! It is so fun this year because he really is so excited and keeps saying, "Tank you mama" (the one thing I just don't correct, it's too darn cute) as I do things to prepare for the party.

Jay and I were talking last night about how truly thankful Jayce always seems to be when anyone gives him something or does something for him. For example, Sunday afternoon I returned from Audi with Mickey Mouse pasta and Jayce's eyes lit up and he gave me the biggest hug and said, Tank you mama, I just love this! Then he leans over and kisses the box! Who could ask for a better reaction? We are so proud of Jayce and his daddy said, "Ya know, if I could pick one quality I would want him to have, it is to be a thankful person for his blessings," and he truly is.

Some of Jayce's more grown up sayings these days...
"Hey check this out mom!"
"Come on buddy Gabe, let's do this!"
"Mom, you won't believe this..."

Jayce is quite the negotiator these days... When we go to the store and he sees something he wants (such as the playdough fun set at Hobby Lobby), he will first ask if he can have it. Once denied, he will say that his brother really needs it. Again denied, he will say, "Oh, can we get this for daddy because he REALLY likes these!

What fun Mr. Jayce is... what he calls himself anytime someone asks him his name!
We will post pictures from his party on Saturday...

a Ballerina Bear

2009-03-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

So, my birthday was Friday, the big 32... I really do not feel old, I think having 2 young children helps me to still feel young... This story is actually a good example of how they have a way of doing that for me!

I woke Jayce up Friday morning, and instead of me having to drag him out of bed as I had been that whole week, he jumped out of bed and ran to his desk and handed me the most beautiful package from the "Toy Shop!" I was so excited! I love when the boys get presents to open from there but this one was just for me! He exclaimed "Happy Birthday mama!... I got a present for you! It was as if he had been waiting all morning for me to walk in so he could say that! I said, Jayce, what is this? (as in I can't believe you got me a present). Being the literal fella that he is, he said, "it's a ballerina bear for you!" Sure enough, I opened it and it was the most precious small stuffed ballerina bear I'd ever seen, tutu and all (is that how you spell it girl moms?) She even plays music! I thanked him after he gave me his hand made card and gave him a giant hug and told him this was the best present I'd ever gotten on my birthday, and it really was! Something about my sweet boy being so excited to give me something he had picked out just made my day!

Later on, I thanked Jay, and he said it was all Jayce's idea! He asked Jayce what he wanted to give me and he said a dancing ballerina that twirls around. Jay said he'd been all over town looking for a ballerina jewelry box or something but they are so hard to come by. So in desperation he finally ended up at the toy shop and this was the closest he could find!

I love my ballerina bear!

AND Gabe even sang me happy birthday with a bit of prompting!

I had a fabulous dinner and CHOCOLATE CAKE with my hubby! If only birthdays could be every day!

picking flowers

2009-02-23T17:53:00.000-08:00

I still remember the day I said to Jay, I wonder when Jayce is gonna start picking me flowers... Well, he actually started this process some time ago, but it never grows old! Today, we had just gotten in from school and I told Jayce he could drive his jeep into the back yard from our garage while I was making our grilled cheese. I always watch from my window to see him go in and watch him as he rides in the back yard. Well, today, I looked up and he was nowhere to be found. My heart started racing as I ran to each window panicking. I grabbed Gabe and started to rush out the door only to find him parked near our garage, stooped down and picking flowers. I watched him pick a whole handful and proudly carry them inside for me to put in a cup. I wish I could just freeze him in this stage, I don't want him to ever lose his sweet innocence!ioip

Ways to Save Money

2009-02-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

OK, so while I have a minute, this class Dave Ramsey does is great... I must say though that I was ready for a change... For a while, I have known that my spending habits were not good... It's not that I shopped a lot for myself, but I was spending more than necessary at the grocery store even, and Target just on STUFF... and I knew that I needed to be making more sacrifices if I wanted to continue to stay home... I had struggled for a while with wanting more and more and the more I was in stores, the worse it got... Not that there is anything wrong with this if you have the means to pay for it but I did not and it was becoming consuming to me... This class has helped me to sit back and get perspective on things and realized that in order to one day be able to spend more freely, I needed to be more wise in my spending and savings now.

So, I've taken this on as a new challenge and have been amazed at just how much I can save by making just a few small changes... they are all small, but do add up! I wanted to share a few...

Sams- members mark diapers rather than pampers cruisers...
-pack of 200 for 32.00 will last Gabe 5 weeks versus buying pampers weekly in smaller packs... (saving of about 35 dollars a month)

buying lean ground beef at Sams in bulk... 2.50 a pound
I bought 10 pounds (25.00) but that will last our family about 2.5 months... I would have spent 50.00 at the grocery store buying it each week (25.00 savings)

Milk at Sams is 2.60 for regular and about 10 for 3 1/2 gallons of horizon... we have now switched to regular and saved about 11.00/week (44.00.month savings)

Coffee- this one was hard but I've switched from my gourmet flavored to good ole Folgers and it has been fine, still does the trick! It was 9.00 for a huge container which will last the month, I used to spend 9.00/week on coffee (27.00 savings a month)

Frozen all natural chicken, broccoli, green bean, and sweet potato fries are all much cheaper at Sams too although I have not figured out the exact savings on those....

A huge bag of romaine lettuce (6 heads) is 3.78 at Sams and also the gourmet salad mix is about 4.00 for a huge container that would last a week or more... it is twice
this at the grocery store...

Raisins are a great price there and I just buy them in big bags and bag my own snacks for the boys..also Cheerios, granola bars and applesauce!

OK, so I'm big on Sams..

Also, I have discovered that the Dollar Tree has some great buys...
-antiseptic mouth wash
-adult bath washes... I still get the boys Aveeno
-frozen strawberries and peaches for smoothies (1.00 /lb... savings of 1.29 a bag)... this is even cheaper than Sams
-even Nature's Own Bread for 1.00, it's fresh too... crazy!

Audi is a great place too, lots of brands I've never heard of but they've all been fine...Several great buys I've found are:
olive oil
canned goods
yogurt

Last of all, I'm trying to STAY OUT OF STORES unless absolutely necessary, and just send Jay in between my big shopping trips, it's amazing how much it helps! My goal is to buy in bulk and try to stretch my trips to once a month... we'll see how it goes ! I'll let ya'll know how much I can reduce my grocery bill per month!

a few more things about Gabe

2009-02-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

I forgot a few things...

Says doggy and car or "ca."

If we ask him if he needs a new diaper he will go get it and bring it to us and hold it between his legs when we ask where it goes... Then, if you tell him to lie down so you can change him, he will! It's great... for one second... then the squirming begins of course!

Oh, and we're back to giving "sugars" and hugs more often, thank goodness!

Jayce's "Monies"

2009-02-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

So, Jay and I are taking a new course our church is offering called "Financial Peace" by Dave Ramsey. It is awesome ! Not easy, but it has been life changing! This could be a whole new post which I'll complete later but for now... wanted to write about sweet Jayce again.

Dave suggests you start doing allowances or what he calls "commission" with your children when they are around 4ish. So, with Jayce right around the corner from being 4, we decided it was time for him to start earning some money. He has been very excited about having special jobs for which he can earn a dime, nickel or quarter... whatever I have on hand. He calls each one a "piece of money," which is special because that is what his Grandaddy and also Jay's grandfather would call money when they refer to it. As a whole he calls this his "monies." He is saving his money in a clear jar and we are trying to teach him that at the end of the week he needs to give some, save some and can spend some.

Saturday we went to the dollar tree and he made his first purchase for himself with his own money... a police kit, gun, handcuffs and all... 1st gun other than a water gun...I guess it was bound to happen some time...

Well, last week I told Jayce we needed to wait to go to Sams for groceries until his daddy could bring us cash (a great money saving technique.. only spend what is in your hand)... Jayce runs and pulls out his jar and says, "mama, I will pay for our groceries." It was the sweetest thing ever.

It doesn't stop there, we get to Sams and he starts squirming around in the buggy at the checkout, saying "mama, I have to get my monies out of my pocket." He had actually brought that money with him and fully intended to help pay for the groceries. When we got to the checkout he proudly handed the lady his quarter and would not stop holding it up for her to see until she finally took it after I told her he was helping. We got out to the car and I told him that was the sweetest thing ever and thanked him for helping pay for some of the groceries and he said, "mama, thank you for paying for most of the groceries!"

As tough and wild a little guy he can be, Jayce has the sweetest spirit about him and for him to even realize and be thankful that someone else had payed for most of the groceries (although that would be daddy and not me) really blew me away...

Sunday, Jayce took his first offering to church that came from his own pocket. He was very proud!

Gabe at 18 months

2009-02-03T13:15:00.000-08:00

As I was reading my other fun friend's mommy blogs, I realized it's time to do an update on Gabe again.... He is 18 months, so hard to believe this little guy is going to be 2 before long! Makes me so sad!

Here are his latest accomplishments: ALMOST got his first set of stitches... Gabe fell into the coffee table while I was at Target Saturday and Jay called me to come home, thinking it was pretty bad and we might have to hit the ER...Gabe seems to be a rather clumsy child, and I say that in the most loving way... He has gotten this from me... but he falls all the time... This time, there was alot of bleeding though... Thank God he was ok, and it cleared up... He now has a matching boo boo with his big brother... Jayce had gotten one 2 weeks earlier right above his eye after driving his new jeep into the swing set... boys, boys, boys...

Anyhow, for the GOOD accomplishments...
Gabe is talking so much more now... He will basically repeat any word that we ask him to say after us... He has added to his vocabulary:

"Side" (for outside)
"Peas" (for please)
Jayce and Bubby, love you, bye bye,mimi, mama, mommy, daddy are still frequent
Thank you
MINE (his favorite word to say these days... amazing how early this starts)

Still singing away,
Gabe loves for us to sing "I'm in the Lord's Army" and he will shout "Yes Sir!"
Loves the Barney Song (I love you, you love me, we're a happy family)
Jesus Loves Me
Happy Birthday to you is a definite favorite and
the alphabet song... he will get from a-g by himself and then hum...

Favorite activity: to find anything other than childproof toys(lamp, clock, noisemaker, humidifier, radio) with a cord on it and pull it out of the wall and drag it around the room as if it is a dog on a leash... looking for another outlet to plug it into... NOT GOOD, NOT SAFE, and he absolutely freaks out when I take it away... the fun begins! I'm gonna have to start cracking down on Baby Gabe...

He now does the cutest thing when Jay gets home from work... it used to be that Jayce ran to the door shouting "dad!", but now Gabe has joined him and he runs as fast as those fat legs will carry him to the door and shouts "da!"
In fact, anytime he hears the door open he does this, it's really sad when I'm just putting the trash out...

One thing I have noticed about Gabe is that he is not quite as affectionate with his hugs and kisses as of late... this makes me REALLY sad! You really have to work to get one... If we ask for sugars, he will shake his head and LOVES to play this game, makes us beg! ALTHOUGH, if Jayce asks for them, he will quickly give them to him and in fact he will wait for Jayce to come to the crib to give him night night sugars before he lays down for his nap, it's so sweet! He will say "MMMM-ah" meaning, give me a kiss Jayce!

PS Ate Brocoli last night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took tips from my friend Molly and refused to give him anything else and after much MUCH screaming and kicking and many times of me telling Jayce not to sneak him his grapes, he finally conceded and had some brocolli, we shall try this again tonight...

What no one tells you about being a stay at home mom

2009-01-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Before I write this, let me first say that I absolutely love my job, staying home and raising my 2 sweet boys! I would not trade this for anything, and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to do this...But, for some reason lately I have been thinking alot about how different life has become in the past 3 years in my role as stay at home mom and I thought I would share a few with you... many of you can relate!

sleep is a most precious gift but it is apparently not necessary as many of the mothers in the world have done without it for years!

Yard sales will suddenly become very exciting rather than a hassle, with the thought of making even 50 dollars in spending money!

The girls at the gym will ask you what your big plans are for the day when they see ya wearing a pair of jeans, rather than spandex when you leave

After having children, in order to primp for the day or an evening out, you might have to allow your children to dig through your feminine product drawer and scatter them all about the house in order to apply your makeup... why are they so interested in these things? But, you let them have their fun if you're gonna get ready, knowing there will be time for clean up later and at least it's not the toilet bowl, right?

In order to clean up one area, such as the kitchen, be prepared for the living room to be totally destroyed as you do such...

pottying in private is a fond memory of the past... I never understand why my sweet hubby gets to shut the door, I never do!

The gym locker room will become a spa like environment as you're able to take a 5 minute shower in quiet without a child glued to the shower door and actually wash your hair, and dry it too if you cut the workout short!

And the hair... at most will be washed every OTHER day... and again, blow drying is an extra special treat!

Nap time is not spent lying on the couch eating bon bons but rather cleaning up the mess the children have made all morning long....except for today, I am on strike!

No lunch break, but rather, lunch is normally eaten while standing and you're lucky to get an actual sandwich, rather than the crusts of your child's pb and j!

I would drink as much caffeine in one day as I drank all week pre children... hey it really does help!

Sleeping past 7:20 on a Saturday morning is Heaven!

Your once clean car will become a bowl of cheerios, and at least 5 errands will ride around in your trunk as you wait for the magic moment when the kids are in a good mood for running errands! They will be there a year of more...

You will become a chatter box anytime you are at the gas station, grocery store or any public place where other people can speak adult language!

It IS A REAL JOB, ya just don't get paid!!!

Seeing your child's eyes light up when you or they walk into the room, hearing their infectious laugh, seeing them smile, or feeling their warm hug makes all this SO worth it!

Little Boy Jayce

2009-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

Jayce is loving to dress himself now in case you can't tell here! If we are at home and not going anywhere too terribly important, I will usually comply. I'm just glad to have one less body to dress... The other night Nanny and Grandaddy picked he and Gabe up for dinner and he had on khaki cords, a blue/brown rugby, his yellow rain boots, and a pink clip on tie, for the special occassion... I could kick myself for not getting a picture! He was so proud...

It seems Jayce is growing up just as quickly as I just wrote about Gabe growing... what is up with these boys?!

Here are a few funny Jayce comments as of late:
He calls eye brows "eye growls."
If something seems stuck in his throat, he will say, "mommy it's spiky."
He loves to say "Does that make sense?" after many stories he tells me
"tank you mama." (Some things are just too cute to correct!)
He loves to call me and his daddy and Gabe names such as "banana split and poconut (for coconut) cookie." (don't know WHERE this comes from)

Jayce's favorite activity:
He loves to "take trips," imaginary trips...as I have mentioned in the past... However, he is now not only taking his back pack full of animals and his cup of water, he has to pack a few suitcases to go along..and he is not a light packer, which he gets from his mama! I'm attaching a picture of his last load of luggage.. which he hauled downstairs all by himself...as I showered...
In his suitcase I found 5 pairs of pajamas, a half a loaf of bread which I was about to lose my mind over, wondering where it was..., 3 yo baby yogurts for Gabe, a banana, pullups for nighttime, pampers for Gabe and a jacket for Gabe... Also, he had his tool box full of toys and as always his backpack of animals! The boy must be prepared, again gets that from me, poor fella! He said he, daddy, and Gabe were going camping and that I was not allowed to come because I would be afraid of the bears in the woods! I told him he was probably right...

Last thing, funny story...
As I was leaning over the other night, suffering from my cramps, Jayce asked what was wrong... I told him my tummy hurt because I had cramps... He said, "oh well, mama, I guess you can't get in the ocean anymore... I said why not? He said, "because the crabs got on you in the ocean and you have to stay away from them." crabs, cramps, sound similar... Jay said, I just hope he doesn't go around telling people his mommy has crabs... I hope this story does not offend anyone, I thought it was pretty funny!

It's Snowy!

2009-01-20T17:04:00.001-08:00

Jayce walked downstairs today to peer out the window and said "It's so snowy outside mommy!" We got out for a while with the boys and had a great time! Jayce couldn't wait to make a snow angel... He's been practicing this for a year on our carpet, I think he saw this on Little Bear or something... Gabe and Jayce both liked eating the snow!

Happy

2009-01-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

We finally have a nickname for Gabe that I think will stick and I love it! Over Christmas as I was singing "We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year," Gabe started to sing "Happy... Happy... Happy!" Since then, that is by far his favorite word and he walks around saying it all the time... And, since MOST OF THE TIME he is such, we decided this was a perfect name for him!

Lately I have been noticing MANY changes in baby Gabe... First of all, he is trying to no longer be baby Gabe, but trying to be just like his big brother! Gabe seems to be growing up so much faster than Jayce did and I know so much of that comes from watching his big brother... Here is what he is into lately...

Still loves to wrestle with Jayce and anyone who is close enough to him...He actually gets this feisty (spelling???) expression where he bites his lower lip when he is about to tackle someone... he's a tough little fella!

Climbing... I thought Jayce was a climber but Gabe has shown me I had it easy with Jayce... so far Gabe has climbed out of the tub and up the ladder on the swing set ( was still helping Jayce do this when we moved in when he was two)! He has also moved the stool to the stove and grabbed a cookie off cookie sheet on the stove top, and moved the stool to the desk and climbed on it to get on the computer...The boy is really a little monkey!

SINGING...He sings constantly... and it is truly amazing how well he carries a tune... You can always tell what he's trying to sing by the tune... maybe there is hope for someone in the family to be on American Idol! I keep telling Jay I want to audition and he told me I would be one of those poor people who go it alone, without any family there to support them... how sad is that! But I can't say I blame him... wish I could sing, but maybe Gabe!

He loves to call for Jayce and daddy when he wakes up in the morning!

He is doing pretty well with identifying his head, nose, ears and mouth...every now and then he will mix them up though...

Loves to try to put on his shoes!

He has added a few new words to his vocabulary such as: ball, mimi, now he says mommY instead of mama, "ma' am" for yes ma'am(with a little prompting of course)!

Picky eater... Again, I thought Jayce was picky, but Gabe is truly the pickiest child I have ever seen... It is almost as if he is scared to even taste things that he is not familiar with... He will start making a spitting noise when I hold something to his mouth and will close his mouth so I can't even get it in if he does not want it... His staples are: oatmeal, yogurt, applesauce, bananas, really any fruit, sweet potatoes, granola bars, peanut butter on wheat crackers and if I'm lucky, sometimes on bread... and as always he still loves his smoothies... we are severely lacking in healthy non starchy veggies and protein..This week he did eat some green beans and I was SO excited about that... I have not been able to get any meat or cheese in him... so I try to keep peanut butter in him for protein... I am hoping things will get better soon with the eating... he ate EVERYTHING as a baby... now I cannot even pry his mouth open to get a bite in...

Lastly, Gabe thinks he has turned two although he is more than 6 months away! Gabe has already decided it's time to arch his back while screaming every time I try to buckle him in his car seat! He likes to throw himself down on the ground and roll around when he is mad about not getting something he wants... The good thing is that it passes quickly, if I just ignore it and walk away... it took me a while to learn this with Jayce... The other good thing is that I know from the first time around it is a phase and the good times are far outweighing the difficult at this point, so I am overall very proud of my baby Gabe (he is still this, no matter how he tries to act)!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

What a FUN day! Again, Christmas if my favorite holiday, always has been and I think having children makes it even more special... and this year, having one who can somewhat understand that it's Jesus' birthday and also about our friend from the North Pole was just great!
We did a simple list of gifts this year... In years past, I've tried to do the 3 gift thing, but actually stuck to it this year...
They got a USC/Gamecock Jeep to share, and they LOVE riding in this together!
They got a train set and table TOGETHER...
Gabe got a red pb chair like Jayce's so they don't have to fight anymore
Jayce got a tool set and box like daddy's!

Santa also brought them lots of fun stocking stuffers, among which was a jack in the box (or frosty in the box) for Gabe which he loves and some BIG BOY tennis shoes for Jayce.. his first New Balances... I almost cried to see him put those on... but daddy finally said he needed something other than keds... boohoo....

My favorite part of the day was watching the boys look at all their new things... Jayce first and then Gabe slept late so it was neat to get to focus on them one at a time!
Anyhow, I have TONS of pictures and will attempt to start getting them on here! Again, Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy Birthday JESUS and late MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone! I am slowly but surely making my way through documenting all our Christmas festivities! We had a wonderful Christmas, celebrating the birthday of our Savior! Jayce was very interested in the Christmas story this year and learning more about the birth of Jesus so that was so much fun. He enjoyed me reading to him from Luke 2 and would say, "mommy, can we read God's word now?" How sweet is that?!

Christmas Eve day after naptime, Jay, Jayce, Gabe and I all opened one present... The boys exchanged gifts they had purchased each other at the dollar tree and Loved them and Jay and I did gifts to each other and from the boys... everyone did a fantastic job shopping this year I must say!

Anyhow, Christmas Eve we all go the the Christmas Eve Service and my boys did not quite last the whole time... well one boy did, Jayce, just not Gabe... Granted we were sitting on the McLaughlin pew(the first pew in the church... not where Jay and I usually sit since we are regularly tardy)... and Gabe put on quite a show before Jay decided he had better exit with him...

After church we head to the McLaughlin cabin for dinner... yummy prime rib, potatoes and salad and red velvet cake was on the menu that evening... Then, we all watch as each person opens gifts... This year, the children drew names and the adults skipped that part but it was actually just as fun just being together and we all saved a little extra so I'm all for it next year too!

We put the kiddos to bed, they all sleep together in one room except for Gabe of course... Then, we were up until 3 am doing our thing... Jayce woke me up at 7 to tell me Santa brought him a JEEP!!! I was so sad I did not get to see the look on his face when he FIRST came down... but my mommy alarm clock was not early enough that morning... Anyhow, it was still awesome to see him check out all his other gifts!

Row's Baby Dedication

2008-12-29T12:35:00.001-08:00

Jay's cousin Sam and his wife Jenny had their baby Samuel Rowland the 3rd "Row" baptized on the Christmas before Sunday. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were all honored to attend! Row is a beautiful baby, I know his mommy and daddy are so proud! Aside from Gabe, the cousins all matched, you would think we had planned it... at least he coordinated! As you can see, he was the most difficult of the bunch to get to stay still for a photo opportunity!

The McLaughlin Family Ornament Exchange

2008-12-29T12:22:00.001-08:00

This is one of my personal favorite holiday traditions! We get together with the McLaughlin side of the family 2 nights before Christmas... In years past, all the children brought each other an ornament but this year we simplified and they each brought one ornament to exchange with their cousins... The adults to the chinese ornament exchange each year and I pride myself always in playing this game well! Every else there calls it being flat out mean... they say my evil twin comes out during this game... I just get really excited about Christmas ornaments and when I see one I really want, I aim to win it! Anyhow, I was actually more tame this year... I figured out the trick... Often I buy an ornament I want to keep myself... So now, I just buy two, and leave one at home... that way, it is not the end of the world if I don't win the one I want... I still have one at home waiting for me!

Anyhow, this is always alot of fun for us and the kids! The kids run wild in the clubhouse,and we eat and trade ornaments!

Gabe's Holiday Performance!

2008-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

Here is Aunt Claussen doing her famous "Boom chicka boom" dance and song with Gabe at the annual McLaughlin Ornament Exchange! She has done this with him since he was so tiny but I've never had a camera handy to record it... I am not sure if the volume will work or not but you can read her lips to get the idea, She's hilarious! Enjoy!

Christmas Parade

2008-12-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

Jayce got to walk in the Christmas Parade on Saturday down Evans! He walked with his aunt and cousins with a group from his school and handed out Jesus Loves You tracts and candy. I was so proud of him! His Aunt Liza made sure he kept up and he had a blast! Gabe and our little buddy Wallace enjoyed watching their first parade!

Jayce's Christmas Show

2008-12-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

I was so proud of Jayce on Friday! His 3k class performed first at his school's Christmas concert. They sang Happy Birthday Dear Jesus and Come on Ring those Bells! He did great! He was the only child on stage who clapped for himself after singing, once he heard all the parents start clapping, it was so cute! Then, we got to go to his class party and hand out gift bags to his friends. It was so neat to watch him go around and talk to all the kids... He was definitely a social butterfly, just like his daddy!
There is a really cute picture of his teacher and him... We LOVE her and could not have been more blessed than to have Mrs. Rogers this year!

Running Away

2008-12-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

I remember doing this as a child, but I feel like I was older... Am I that bad a parent that at 3 Jayce is ready for this?! Anyhow, this is his new thing... He puts on his backpack, full of his animals, and his water bottle, steps into his rainboots and tells me he is running away now. First, he said he was running away to Heaven. He said he was getting there in his basketball goal (what an imagination)... I watched him walk out into our garage and try to climb into it... then he decided that would not work and got on his tricycle... Then, it was as if it really hit him, he asked me "mom, what other way can I get to Heaven?" I said, sit down, let's talk a while...

Then, he told me yesterday he was running away to Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

Currently, he and daddy have run away to the playroom and he packed a snack for them and 2 drinks... he's a funny kid!

PS, sorry about the position of my supposed to be vertical pictures... my kodak program is not being very cooperative, so bare with me!

Christmas Cookie Party

2008-12-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Jayce had his sweet friend Bella and her sister Mabry (who is around Gabe's age) to make cookies! We missed those who could not come but had a great time! Thanks to their mommy for bringing them!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

I wanted to post a few pictures of our house while it's decorated for Christmas! Our new addition this year is our reindeer and Jayce LOVES them! He is very into practicing the reindeer names and USUALLY gets them all right! I LOVE Christmas so much and wish we could leave our decorations up year round!

The Isgett Christmas Dinner

2008-12-21T13:17:00.001-08:00

We have had so many things going on lately and I'm making an attempt to TRY to get some pictures posted from them. This was Ms. Carol Ann's (my SWEET mother in law's) annual Christmas Dinner for her side of the family. She fed 75 people shrimp and grits and it was delicious! I stand in awe of how gracefully she does this, when I stress out to get my house straight for a dinner party of 6! Anyhow, it was a great time! She had us all introduce ourselves and take group pictures with each generation of cousins... The challenge... getting Gabe to sit still for a picture! I'm going to try to make flashcards of these pictures to study the names for next year!

Handmade Soap

2008-12-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

So, I had this grand idea of trying to make teacher gifts this year for our nursery workers and SS workers at church... I decided that rather than doing the standard christmas cookies, I would do something different, like soap! So, I picked out fun scents and stamps to personalize them and Jayce and I got to work on soapmaking last night... After we finished our first set, Jayce looked at me and said "Why are we making my teachers soap mommy? I said, for a Christmas gift... He said, "But mom, we already have soap at school and church, they don't need that." So much for my great idea!

Trimming the Tree

2008-12-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

I got a few quick snapshots of the boys BEFORE we decorated our tree...I never managed to get any of the finished product but will post some later... maybe due to my frustrated hubby saying "baby, does everything we do have to be a photo session?" So, I took it easy on them... and what I got was not great, but you can at least see their Christmas pj's and hats!

I started the tradition last year of letting them wear their Christmas pj's early to decorate the tree and we all wear our Santa hats too! Jayce was very into decorating this year and loved to hang his own ornaments especially... Last year, I tried to only use ornaments which complemented my colors in the den, and while it looked pretty, I must admit it just wasn't as fun that way... So many of the ornaments I love and wanted to tell Jayce about just sat in our attic and I felt kind of sad about that... So this year, I decided to do my "boring" tree in the dining room and I pulled all the other fun ornaments out for our big tree and had the best time telling Jayce all about them! We drank hot chocolate, had soup and sandwiches and watched Rudolph... Decorating the tree has always been one of my favorite activities because my mom always made it so fun when I was young... I hope that Jayce and Gabe will feel the same way some day...

Christina Grissett Photography

2008-12-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our Christmas card session the other day.
I have had several people ask who has taken the "good pictures" on my blog l... Somehow they could tell a difference between these and my snapshots... imagine that! Anyhow, just in case you missed by "advertisement" for her earlier, and you are in need of some new fun photos of your angels, her website is www.christinagrissett.blogspot.com... give her a call or email her,she is so sweet and really fun! She is a mother of three and really knows how to make the kids laugh! And obviously,she is a great photographer... check her out!

Gabe at 16 months

2008-12-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Gabe is HUGE! The boy weighed in at a hefty 27 lbs,4 ozs and was 33 and 3/8 inches at his 15 (which ended up being his 16 month) appointment. His height was off the charts percentile wise and weight was in the 95th... Last time weight was in the 50th... When I asked Dr. Whitehead if I needed to start my sweet boy on a diet and maybe switch to 2 percent he said absolutely not, that for Gabe's height he was exactly where he ought to be weight wise... The famous comment these days when folks see Gabe is "wow Christyn, you don't need to workout when you carry him around all day... and it is true that he really is a workout! my 27 pound dumbbell... big ole boy!

Here's what Gabe is into these days... EVERYTHING!!!!

Still loves outlets and stairs( if they are not blocked)

We now have to give him a bath in our jet tub(because it is deeper) because he has climbed out of the boys regular bath tub...

He loves to hum... the boy can carry a tune very well... he picks up whatever Jayce is singing...twinkle twinkle, the abc song, God Our Father prayer song, and Happy Birthday to you!

He is beginning to become more difficult to shop with and since he will not take a pacifier anymore, my new trick is to carry apples or orange slices to quiet him down when he starts to fuss... or bank lollipops if in a pinch...

THUS FAR, he has not bothered the tree...but it has only been decorated one day...we shall see...

Starting to express his opinion when he does not like something by lying down on the floor and screaming... isn't this a little early?? The good thing is, I just ignore him and he stops pretty quickly... and I know this too shall pass...

Overall, Gabe is a joy to be with each day! I am loving him at this age and especially love watching the boys play so well together!

Park Pics

2008-11-24T17:47:00.001-08:00

These are a few pictures from our park playgroup we have been having once a week. The boys love going and always have a blast! Our biggest hurdle lately has been keeping Gabe from eating all the acorns and rocks on the ground!

Dollywood, Tennessee

2008-11-18T17:52:00.001-08:00

I'm finally getting around to downloading our pics from Dollywood, Tennessee or "Tennessee Dollywood" as Jayce called it the whole way there... and it was a LONG way there I must say... We were driving for 8 hours... on the way there, Gabe slept one and on the way home, he slept half of one... so, 7 hours with a one year old awake seems like an eternity I must say! But, he really did better than I expected... Gabe is wonderful in every way but the boy does not like to travel... he normally cries the whole way to and from Columbia so I was a little concerned about our sanity on this trip... but the crying would cease for a few minutes at a time, long enough for a little quiet.. at least it wasn't constant... Jayce did great on the trip, he is finally at a great age to travel. Our biggest problem was him knowing when we would be arriving to see his "friends" ... actually his cousins but he calls them friends, it's so cute!

This was a McLaughlin family trip... all of Jay's sisters and husbands and all the children...7 of them were in attendance... We really had a great time! Dollywood is a neat place, one I would like to go back to, maybe in a few more years... I loved the country feel to it, and the smell of freshly popped kettlecorn was especially nice! Jayce and I got to ride the ferris wheel with his cousin Tucker who was extremely afraid of heights, as I discovered at the top of the ride... Jayce rode the scrambler and some car ride with Jay... Jay and I both anxiously await the day that Gabe can ride with him as both of us tend to get sick these days on rides... I used to be the craziest roller coaster rider in my family, and now I just can't stomach them... so pathetic! Anyhow, thank goodness he will have a partner in crime to accompany him soon!

One thing I am glad we did was request a joining room... for Gabe... Yes, I did take some heat for this arrangement... being called high maintenance and such but I told Jay it is not that, it is about being practical... when you have a baby who is used to going to bed at 7 and being able to nap in a quiet room, he is not going to sleep with 3 people staring at him... So, I thought it was pretty smart... we actually got to sleep at night! Definitely worth the ridicule I endured from the fam!

I posted several pictures from the park... My favorite one is the one of all the kids on the truck right before we went in... I added one of Jayce taking pictures with his digital camera Nanny and Grandaddy gave him (they gave all the grandkids their own for the trip which I thought was so neat). Jayce is SO into dinosaurs currently and there were about 3 dinosaur museums within walking distance of where we were staying we stopped by one on our way out and he was in awe!

Heaven

2008-11-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

I am SO behind... have so much to catch you up on... just got back from Dollywood, TN and will post pictures soon... But, I wanted to document this conversation while it was still fresh on my mind...

Tonight, out of the blue, Jayce said to me "Mommy, where do Jesus and God live?"

I said "they live in heaven."

Jayce: "How do we get there mommy to see them?"

Me: "Well, we have to ask Jesus to forgive us for our sins and ask him to come into our hearts and be our savior."

Jayce: "Well, I want to go there, with you and daddy and Gabe."

Me: "Well, I want us all to go there together too."

Jayce: "Well, will there be animals there?"

Me: "I am not sure but I kind of think so."

Jayce: "I hope so... mommy, if we want to go and then come back down, can we?"

Me: "Once you get there, you will never want to leave, I promise. Everyone there will be happy all the time, and you'll never cry about anything again."

Jayce: "Jesus, will you forgive me for my sins?"
"Mommy and Gabe, come on let's go tonight!"

Me: "Well, I don't THINK it will be tonight... but we actually don't know WHEN it will be...

This conversation with Jayce is by far the best I've ever had with him... I know that he does not quite comprehend the whole concept yet but he knows that he wants to be with Jesus one day and that is my one wish above all else for him! I think this is the proudest of him I have ever been!

Jayce

2008-11-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

Cute things Jayce has said lately...

while asking me for some more pear... he said, "mommy I would like some more parrot now."

I overheard him say to Gabe today, "Gabe, you are one awesome little fella!"
(awesome is his new big word, he says it all the time!)

He loves to call the kids in his class by their first and last name, I think he gets this from his teacher...

So many more things, but I'm unable to remember them at the moment...

Our Little Cowboys!

2008-11-02T18:54:00.001-08:00

Well, we took the cheap route this year and re-used Jayce's birthday attire and let Gabe wear a "handby-down" cowboy outfit... we did get new boots though! Gabe waltzed around all night in his red boots and Jayce had a blast too! The young married department at our church always has a Halloween party down at the M's cabin... We have a hay ride, chili cook off and dessert and costume contest. It's so much fun! All the kids looked adorable and had a blast, although I did not get many pictures once we got there... Trying to keep up now with not just Jayce but walking Gabe was a challenge amongst all those people! Gabe got lost several times, only for us to find he had knocked over a drink or was drinking from another child's sippy cup... He sure is enjoying his freedom! Jayce had a blast dancing with the other kids by the juke box and I posted a picture of him dancing with 2 other cowboys, Dillon and Taylor. Jayce said that his favorite part of the night was the hayride Daddy took us all on, and I agreed that was pretty fun!

Check me out ya'll!

2008-10-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here he is! This boy has really taken off! I procrastinated forever on getting Gabe his own walking shoes... you know the whole 2nd child syndrome... They were so expensive and I hated to bite the bullet... BUT, his size 5 wide foot was not going to squeeze into Jayce's 1st walking shoe which was a 3.5 wide... So, Saturday we took our trip to Stride Rite and let him try them on... He instantly started strutting around that store... too bad they didn't have him on camera, he could have sold some walking shoes for them! He really just took off once he put those power shoes on! He loves to wear them and socks too, which I think is kind of unusual... Jayce did not care for them so much... He is definitely giving me that I'm so proud of me smile now! It's so fun! Gabe has seemed even more happy than usual the past few days and I think it has made all the difference in the world for him to be able to get around more easily...

PS, I told Jay on Sunday morning, I could already tell he was losing weight, his belly was getting skinny... Jay laughed and said, not quite baby, he's got a ways to go!

Here Gabe Comes!

2008-10-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

So, I went out of town this weekend for a girls weekend with a few of my best friends to Seabrook Island, it was SO FUN! Thank you again Molly for letting us stay at your place! It was so nice to get away and just get to talk to adults, without being interrupted every 5 seconds! It's amazing how refreshed a few days makes one feel and I felt SO ready to see my boys.

Anyhow, Gabe decides, just as Jayce decided when he was learning to walk, that a good time to start would be while I was away from him for one of two times a year... So, Jay called Sunday afternoon to tell me he had just walked to him... And, I said "define walk" because he has taken 2-3 steps to me, and he said this was a longer stretch such as 4-5 steps... I could not believe I missed it! He did walk a few to me once I got home and decided today he would take the day off... But, looks like it won't be long before he'll really be trying to keep up with Jayce!

When I asked Jay if Gabe was so happy and excited when he walked, he said no, that he was actually crying and screaming and mad... He said it happened when he put him down (at Nanny and Grandaddy's house) and turned to walk away. Gabe did not like it and responded by walking to him with his arms up, screaming for him to pick him up...This at least made me feel a bit better that I didn't miss his "I'm so proud I walked" smile. Anyhow, I AM so proud of him and look forward to the "toddler stage!"

Gabe is Good!

2008-10-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Our followup visit went well today and the tests all indicated Gabe was alright now... thank goodness! I told Dr. Whitehead that his fever has been gone for days but he still is super fussy and has been having these episodes where he screams like he is in so much pain and is basically inconsolable... He checked his ears again and after removing some wax from his left ear, saw that he has definitely had an ear infection... which has not been detected before due to the wax buildup in his ear. He said that despite our 2 shots of antibiotics already, it looks to still be there and he gave us some more antibiotics for that to be sure we knock this out for good... hopefully! I am so glad things seem to be ok for now, maybe I can finally sleep tonight :).