Colton is 8!!!

 

Today is my first baby's birthday! I cannot believe that he is already 8 years old.  I love this boy so much it hurts! He is truly a gift from GOD!! I wanted to write him a quick letter for his big day and of course I had to add a bunch of pictures of him from the last year.

Dear Colton Wyatt,
What a fun 8 years your Daddy and I have had with you so far! You have brought so much joy to our lives that I cannot even describe it in words. I do know that being your mom is a job I do not take lightly and a job I do with such pride!! You are such a bright and loving boy. I am amazed by the insightful and thought provoking things you come up with. I love to spend time just talking to you. You never cease to amaze me with the details you can recite or the stories you tell. When you laugh I can't help but laugh too because it is one of my favorite things to hear. You are a great big brother, helper, grinner and hugger. I love that you still want me to help in your classroom and you still come running when I get there(even when other kids are watching). The big hugs and kisses you give me make my day! I have watched you really mature this year but you can definitely still be super silly. You tell me all the time that no matter how old you get, you will still be my boy! That is pretty awesome! You are very laid back and you are just fine doing your own thing...you have not desire to follow what everyone else is doing. You do have lots of good friends and you are a great friend to have. You are an all around great person! God blessed your Daddy and I more than we ever dreamed he could when he gave us you. You are an amazing son and we are so proud of you!! I love you with all my heart to Pluto and back(as you always say)!!! Happy Birthday big boy!!
Love always and forever,
Mama

 

A little fender bender

Don't Worry--it was minor!

WHOA- I should not have been talking or texting on my phone while I was driving!!!

 

Carter has grown to love his battery powered car that Santa brought him. He knows how to make it go fast but he is still working on the steering part. For some reason, he seems to think that he should be on the phone while he is in his car. He must have seen his Daddy doing that. ;) ;)

Telltale signs you're a mom

You know you are a mom when...
          Yes- I have done all of these or they have happened to me at some point in my motherhood. There are lots more where these came from.;)

• The old french fries on the floor of your minivan could feed a hungry child.
• You find yourself going on and on about how much you love that  food filled, messy minivan(I do love mine).
• Your IPod shuffles to Veggies Tales or Alvin and The Chipmunks' songs while you are in the bathtub relaxing.
• You send the Sonic carhop back inside several times for the right stuffed Tater tot kid's meal toy(we need the whole collection, right?)
• You get sick to your stomach and want to cry when your son comes off the school bus and says someone called him "Ugly and Pumpkin head."
• You secretly want to spank the name caller on the bus.
• You feel lost when you are somewhere without your kids.
• You tear up when your child says the prayer at dinner--it goes something like this "Hello God, Thank you for my meat and noodles and apples and bread and for Sparky(our dog) and for our house and for all of us........" (It took a while but was oh so sweet!)
• You are dancing like a wacko in the bathroom and singing "Pee Pee in the Potty!"
• You hear yourself saying "Because I said so"
• A quiet house kind of creeps you out.
• You get to the cash register with a basketfull of groceries only to realize you don't have your wallet because it is in the diaper bag with your baby......at grandma's house. 
• You are used to having something sticky on your clothes wherever you go.
• You can pull a pacifier, baby wipes, hot wheels cars, a large stock of Dum Dum suckers, baby nail clippers, and lots of crumbs out of your purse even when you having a night out with the girls.
• You find yourself worrying about whether or not your summer baby(who is only 18 months old at the moment) will start kinder when he is barely five or should wait a year.
• You rewarm the same cup of coffee more than once and find that cup still in the microwave the next morning.
• You struggle with whether or not to let your child "play hookie" from preschool everytime he says," I wanna stay home with you." (I may have given into this once or twice)
• You don't mind missing out on a big event to be home with a sick kiddo.
• The books on your nightstand are: The Power of a Praying Parent, Growing Kids God's Way and Bringing up Boys. All of which have lots of yellow highlighter marked in them.
• Hearing a sweet voice say "I love you Mama" can make your whole day!
• You know that you are doing the most important and rewarding job you will ever have!



I am so lucky to be Mama to these three handsome boys!!!

~Cocomotion~

This week I decided to join up with  Jamie to do What I'm Loving Wednesday!

 Here is one of my favorite things to do on a cold day:

I LOVE to use this.......my hot cocoa maker...the Cocomotion by Mr. Coffee....

  Just add any cocoa, milk or water and press on. It turns out frothy, not too hot and extra yummy in just minutes!

...to make hot cocoa for someone who really loves and appreciates it! Oh and he drinks every last drop! =)

BiRtHdAy WeEk

This post made me tear up, well the tears actually fell. A lot of them. As I looked through these pictures of my Colton, I was reminded once again how fast time goes... How quickly my babies are growing up.... How I am soooo not ready for that!!  My first baby will be turning 8 on Saturday. I cannot believe it!! Okay, Okay. I know 8 is still definitely a kid but it just sounds old to me. I can see in small ways everyday how mature Colton is becoming. He is getting to be a big boy. (The silly giggles when he sees a lady in a bikini on the magazine rack at the grocery store and the fact that he has to point it out to his little brother is making that all to clear.) Anyway, Colton informed me the other day that this whole week is his birthday week. So instead of waiting until his actual birthday to post these pics of him, I felt like getting nostalgic and posting pictures from his first year today.  These are all the professional pictures we had taken that year. (I didn't go digital until about 6 years ago and I couldn't scan all my favorite snapshots of him because they have been scrapbooked. No I am not even close to caught up on his scrapbook, but I do have most of his baby pics done. I think I am on year two. =) I have been meaning to put all the negatives onto disks but that is on the bottom of my ever-growing to do list. ) Okay back to my point, I scanned these in and got a little lot teary eyed doing it. Come back on Saturday for his birthday post and you will see the difference. Crazy how fast time flies!!!!


1 day old--hospital picture



1 month

3 months

5 months



5 months--For Father's day



6 months



9 month--someday he will hate me for this=)

9 months-his first Halloween costume



11 months- he loved Shrek. Not sure I am loving the background now.

1 year



Snuggled up...

Well, it is actually starting to feel like winter here in Texas. Our high today was 43 degres. Yes- I realize some of you are laughing because you actually have snow in your yard, but for us that is cold. The moment it gets cold I want to make some kind of soup to help warm us up. =) Tonight I made Taco soup. It is kind of a Frito pieish dish, but I call it soup. It is super easy and yummy too. I am always looking for fast and easy recipes and a friend of mine shared this one with me way back. I thought I would share.

Here it is:
1 lb of ground meat
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 can of Rotel
1 can of Pinto Beans
1 can of Ranch Style beans
1 can of corn
1 pkg. of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 pkg. of Taco Seasoning
1 pkg grated Cheese of your choice

Brown and drain the meat. Add the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then simmer.
I sprinkle the cheese on top and serve it with chips.

Then the best part of a cold evening is this...my boys snuggling up by a fire.

You can tell from the picture, my sweet Carter was actually a little afraid of the fire. Maybe the fact that we kept saying "be careful, HOT" had something to do with it. Poor guy!

My Linus

We always joke with Cooper that he is our Linus. He loves his blanket and his first favorite was blue just like the cartoon character's is. Here is a cute conversation he and I had:

Cooper:  "I like Linus."
Me:  "Yeah. Me too."
Cooper:  "He has a blankie too, right Mama?"
Me:  "Yes- he does. But you have three in bed with you right now and Linus only has one."
Cooper:  "Okay then I am triple Linus!!! "

My very own Linus and three of his blankets. =)

I love the things that four year old minds come up with!!