Bridal Shower

We have officially started the wedding festivities for Carrie Elizabeth and Brandon! This weekend we had Carrie's Champagne Brunch Bridal Shower. Andy and I made most of the food, along with help from Carrie's aunts. The bridesmaids, aunts, and Kay all helped me through a great shower, just the way I imagined it for Carrie. The food turned out good, the chocolate fountain was delicious, the beverages were tasty, and most importantly Carrie was surrounded by lots people who wanted to celebrate her and Brandon's upcoming marriage. The big day will be here before we know it and the boys along with Andy and I can't wait!

Mexican Riviera

Andy and I just got back from our vacation to the Maya Riviera, just south of Cancun. It was wonderful! We met a very nice couple from St. Louis on our bus ride from the airport to the resort and hung out with them several times during our stay. The resort was fantastic and we recommend for anyone looking for an adults only, all-inclusive resort that is the great for rest and relaxation. There weren't a lot of wild partiers or late night activities which was just fine by us. Our room was great and faced the wilderness surrounding the resort. One morning we saw a family of racoon like animals coming out of the trees.

We arrived at the resort and were greeted with cool wash cloths and glasses of champagne. Andy & I knew at that point that we had made a good choice on the resort. We checked in and ate a delicious lunch overlooking the ocean and then headed to the poolside to lay in the sun. It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed a lovely Italian dinner that evening with the most delicious rack of lamb. We headed to bed early since we didn't get much sleep the night before.

It rained almost all day on Saturday. So we headed to breakfast and then to the gym. Andy did his P90x and I did yoga. Yes, we both packed "exercise" equipment, but somehow forgot workout clothes :) We headed to the spa that afternoon for a hydrotherapy session and a couples massage. We met some nice couples at the spa and really enjoyed our time there. It was the nicest spa I had ever been too and the massage was fabulous. The rain let up late in the day and we enjoyed dinner at the Steakhouse and the Casino night including an Elvis impersonator.

Sunday morning the sun was shining and we headed straight for the pool after breakfast. We laid in the sun sipping on delicious beverages and reading all morning, and enjoyed cooling off in the pool in the afternoon. We did pretty much the same thing on Monday and loved every minute of it.

On Monday evening, for a Valentine's Day special we had a private candlelit dinner on the beach. We were greeted by "cupid" and walk under balloon arches to a glowing heart in the sand. The staff setup tables under the tiki huts and draped the huts with white organza and shined red spot lights on them. We enjoyed champagne, wine, live music, delicious food, and a beautiful evening under the stars on the beach. It was perfect. We came back to the room to find towels folded in the shape of a heart and sprinkled with rose petals on our bed. It was the most special Valentines' Day I can remember.

We headed home on Tuesday and had a smooth and uneventful trip. The boys greeted us with homemade Valentine's and lots of hugs and giggles. We enjoyed our time away, but really missed the boys too. We are already talking about where we might go next Winter for our extended weekend of R&R.

Superbowl 2011

Family Photo

Pre game snack

Playing

Adam double fisting his apple juice

We had a few people over to watch the Superbowl again this year. Lucas told everyone we were having a football party. He yelled touchdown and blew his football whistle on every touchdown for the beginning of the game. Adam sucked on empty beer bottles and we all ate too much food. We actually got a good family picture for the first time since Easter. Thanks, to Grandma Kay and Paps for the football jerseys. We have started a tradition of taking a picture of Andy with the boys on the day of the Superbowl, so I added a look back. Enjoy!

2011

2010

2009

2008

Big Boy Day

Lucas has turned 3 and is now a big boy. Somehow with this birthday and the events around it, he has matured and progressed a lot this month. Earlier this week he had a Big Boy Morning with Mommy and Daddy. Adam went to Missy's as normal, but Lucas got to do some special things. First we went to Resurrection Preschool to check the place out to see if it is somewhere we want to send the boys. We talked about it with Lucas earlier in the week and he started out saying little boys like me don't go to school. Then we convinced him that now that he is 3, we need to pick out a school for him. So we drove up and he saw the playground and decided that this was the place for him. We walked in and the teachers called him by name before we could even introduce our selves. He talked them and headed to the back of the room where all the toys are and only paused momentarily to see if we were following him. We visited on the morning of the 4 year old class, so these were big kids to us but they were wonderful to Lucas. One taller boy helped Lucas get a toy off the shelf and Lucas called to us "Hey Mom and Dad, my new best friend got this toy down for me!" Lucas saw the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree in the corner and named all the letters with pride. He spoke to the teacher about his Adam and how he wasn't a big boy yet and couldn't come to school. He did great and it brought tears to my when I saw the little back packs on the hooks and thought about how we have never left the boys with anyone not related to us, besides Missy who is a very, very close friend. We haven't made an official decision yet on where we are going to send the boys, but Resurrection is definitely high on the list.
After our preschool visit we took Lucas to Donut Bank for the very first time. There were so many donuts to choose from he just couldn't decide so he opted for a heart shaped cookie. He was concerned that Adam wasn't getting a cookie and asked if when Adam was three if he would get to come to Donut Bank. Several times while we were sitting at the table he mentioned that there were just 3 of us instead of 4. It was quite obvious that he and Adam will have some adjusting to do once Lucas does start school. Since they are together every day, all day.

Our final stop was Dr. Carmack's for our 3 year checkup. Lucas sat in the waiting room and played on Andy's phone like a big boy. When the nursed called his name, he followed her back and Andy and I followed behind. He was weighed on the big boy scale and they measured him too. He got his blood pressure taken for the first time and was cooperated for the whole exam. When Dr. Carmack came in Lucas didn't recognize her and said confidently, "I'm Lucas and I'm her for my appointment with Dr. Carmack" Lucas sat on the exam table patiently while we chatted with the Dr. and then finally interrupted and said, "Hey, Dr. Carmack, I think it's time for you to listen to my heart now." She let him listen too, and he did fantastic. He told her his favorite food is ravoli with red sauce, and his favorite vegetable is tomatoes (we let slide and didn't explain that tomatoes are technically a fruit). Lucas weighed in at 28.25 lbs -- 15% and 37 inches -- 30%.

This week Lucas has learned to use the mouse and is getting pretty good at it. I teared up at the pre-school and Andy nearly teared up watching play on the computer alone :) Lucas has also been working on learning how to use a scissors. It's amazing how sometimes in one week it seems like he has matured leaps and bounds.