New Years Recap!

I haven't even gone over our awesome Christmas adventures, but I'm getting there! 

Our New Years' Eve was definitely one to remember! We had to do most of our fireworks with the boys before dark because of really bad storms headed our way. 

They were quite okay with having to do them early though :)

 Here they are going to catch their parachute guys!

 They were pretty proud of them!

We ended up having tornado sirens go off most of the night, and a tornado actually did touch down for a while very close to us that night, all of us were even huddled in the closet. It was nuts!

Later that night we ended up going for a drive to look at {minimal} destruction on our side of town, but a town very close to us was pretty devastated. So sad. But very thankful God kept us safe! We picked up dinner after that and went home to watch a movie as a family. We all fell asleep on the couch around 1130, lamesauce, I know, LOL, but Darryl luckily woke up around 1155 just in time for us to toast our sparkling white grape juice :) A little tradition of ours! The boys were totally out though, and that was just fine. It was a crazy but enjoyable night for our little fam.

Another big step! The training wheels come off!

I can't believe how much year 5 is bringing us with Caleb. It's like he's transforming into such a big boy. I knew he was but it's so amazing to see all of these new things!

Two days ago we went for a bike ride, came home, and told Caleb we were going to make him try to ride his bike without training wheels again. We had tried it about 2 months before but he was sooo scared about it and Daddy got impatient with his crying/whining. Understandably so, since we both can't stand it. LOL

Anyway, the day started off with the crying and then he realized he could do it! He got so good at it!

This picture was the next day--yesterday. He was so confident, didn't cry, and did AMAZING!! 

Such a proud momma I am :)

Here's the pep talk..

 And... he's off!!

Rounding the corner without a hitch!

Lovin' it!! 

 I loved watching his confidence soar everytime he got back on the bike. It was awesome!

 And here's my handsome little guy..he just enjoyed watching Caleb ride his bike without training wheels.. He said "Momma, I don't want to ride my bike without training wheels til' I'm as big as Dayub". (Caleb) LOL!

 Another chapter in my Cbear's life as he's growing! So proud of the big boy he's becoming!

Don't mind my puffiness here! 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant, it's flying by! :)

Goodbye 2010!

2010 was a great year for us! Lots of changes, new things, happening, and just a great year all around.

**Now for a post with a few memories from 2010, wish I could remember them all!**

Snow in Mississippi that stuck! Who'd have thought?

The Saints winning the superbowl! That was a HUGE deal in this house! So much fun.

Taking a trip to Texas to see family and to ride on a REAL Thomas the Train! Huge hit all around and mega memories made with the cousins. :)

Caleb playing tball for the first time ever..SO cute and he loved it so much!

Ayden wanting to play tball so badly when watching his big brother do it..and a couple of games he got to!

Enjoying only being a few hours away from Grandparents so we can see family often, this was new for us!

Making our house a home..I enjoyed doing lots of crafts and painting (Darryl's job actually with that) to spruce up our place! It looks totally different than when we moved in!

Enjoying the summer heat and watching the boys play in the sprinkler, pool, and trampoline!

Planning 2 big birthday bashes for the boys birthdays in June and Septemer...they always take so long to prepare for, but are so worth it!

In August, finding out we were expecting baby #3! And in November finding out that it's a GIRL!

Getting sweet cuddles in the mornings from my boys...I realize that won't last forever, I love that part of the day!

The journey into homeschooling a Kindergartner began this past year.. It has been interesting in the least but we are working with it. Between that and Darryl's insane work schedule, it has been hectic but it works for us! He'll be starting private school for first grade next year. I know I will miss his smiling face during the day!

Also trying to "homeschool" Ayden (aka keep him busy) while teaching Caleb. He is such a busy boy, and doesn't have a huge attention span, so I just try to have alot for him to do! ;) Mostly want it to be fun for him before he HAS to do school.

Caleb asking Jesus to be his Saviour! This is super recent, but so touching to me as his Mama. Such a highlight of 2010!

Enjoying Thanksgiving with family! Going black friday shopping with my mom and the hubs.

Watching the boys light up when putting up the Christmas tree, enjoying light looking with them on a cold night, baking sugar cookies and making a MESS and not even caring, watching Home Alone 1&2 500 times, plus countless other Christmas movies, drinking hot chocolate, finding toys in the tree, and so much more.

I can't sum up all of the great things about 2010! It was a wonderful year, and I'm so excited to see what this year holds!

I don't really do resolutions, but I do have a a few goals for this year..

Clean less...play more. Nothing to read into there..I'm a bit ocd about the house and feel like I'm ALWAYS doing something instead of just enjoying my boys. Of course it has to be cleaned, and food needs to be cooked, dishes need to be done, it's never ending. But as one of my favorite quotes states, "“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you do the work.”
~Patricia Clafford

And it's so true. The boys are getting SO big, and growing so fast. Some of the things they say sends me into uncontrollable laughter, and other times they are driving me batty. LOL But they are the 2 sweetest gifts ever.

Another goal is to dig deeper in the Word and grow closer to God. Things get in the way. Life is hectic, and sometimes even though the things I'm doing are good, and are ways of service, doesn't mean that every ounce of my time should be put towards that, especially if it's getting in the way of my God time. Sometimes I just plainly need to say no.

Dates...and more of them. This will be a toughie. Me and my hubby get 3-4 dates a year, if that. That number is big to us since when living in Germany which literally it was 1-2. I NEED to make it a priority once a month, really it's a need, especially with a new baby on the way. But that makes 3 kiddos to get sitters for, and with family not being super close that's a bit difficult, but doable! 

Spend less time on this here device... yes, the computer.. As some/most of you know, I launched my photography business Erin Phillips Photography in August of last year. It did so well this fall, and I'm so grateful for that! I'm working on marketing and changing a few things up for this year, and very excited about that, but everything needs it's balance and this is included. I was SO busy between homeschooling, holidays, and my business, that this blog went pretty uncared for, and that's ok! But, I don't want to not make time to record our family's precious memories, that's what I LOVE about photography in the first place! And about blogging.. I'm excited about really getting out there in my community, and reaching some people through the photography! Another one of my favorite quotes goes with this..

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~Mark Twain

This post is all over the place, and that's basically how I am right now..but hopefully in the year, I will find the balance I need to find with everything. Being a SAHM is the best job ever, but it can be difficult, and very tiring too! I wouldn't trade it for any amount of money in the world though, and I love my boys more than life itself. Can't wait to meet our little girl either! :)

Happy New year!

A special day for my oldest little man..

Caleb (my 5 year old) has been very inquisitive about death, Heaven, hell, and just everything that goes with all of that. A few weeks back, while I was at a Bible study, Darryl told me that when they prayed Caleb told him that he asked Jesus to come into his heart. I was so sad that I missed that conversation! I'm not sure if he understands the ENTIRE concept. But I do know that he understands that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that if we ask him to come into our heart, we will go to Heaven when we die. Though I was even younger when I got saved, this is so HUGE to me comprehending that a 5 year old can understand! We didn't pray the prayer with him, because he keeps saying he did it and we don't want to push him. I want him to come to do it because he WANTS to, not because he thinks it's what all the cool people (aka--his parents LOL) are doing. 

Yesterday  I was reading him "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" before naptime. He loves that book, especially when Daddy reads it. I just don't do the cajun accent right! LOL Anyway, the very last page is a little girl in her jammies, by her bed, praying. Caleb then saw that picture and said, "She's asking Jesus in her heart like I did, isn't she Mommy?" I said, yep she might be! And he then said, "I'm so glad I get to be with you forever in Heaven.." Talk about melting my HEART! THat was the sweetest thing ever. I'm just so grateful for the faith of a child, and how easy it is for them to trust & believe. 

So thankful for my babies, and for Jesus who gave them to me!

Ephesians 3:20

Memphis trip!

My hubby had to go on a trip to Memphis for some training to be a trainer for his job, so we tagged along! We didn't actually stay in Memphis (thank God!) but we did manage to go to their zoo! It was super nice, not at all what I expected! :)

Our zoo where we live is just gross, so the boys really enjoyed this one!! The weather was perfect too!

They are oh so handsome! :)

The leaves were so beautiful there!!

 We really enjoyed ourselves, and I'm glad we got a chance to get out of the hotel room and explore a bit!

Since we were there for 4 days, we brought school stuff with us! It was nice to be in a different place doing school, but we were all ready to be back to our normal desks at the end of the week!

We played Yahtzee Jr. quite a few times, the boys loved it!

 Here's C working on his math..

 Doing some stencils that were in his surprise box..

Ay LOVED his How to make an A book! It was a hit!

All in all it was a good time, with a few road bumps! The boys were getting sick of being in the hotel, as was I. And man were they ever messy! Lets just say I'm glad I don't have much carpet in my house! LOL

The Circus is in town!

A few weeks ago we headed to the circus nearby! It was SO much fun. I don't bring my big camera in places like this, especially when toting the kiddos around and not having much space surrounding me, but I wished I had because my little point & shoot didn't do well in the dark at all! I only got a few pics that night, and a video at the end, but it was so cute, and so fun. The boys just had a blast watching all the different things, and eating the TEN dollar cotton candy. We are so making this a yearly event! (but bringing our OWN cotton candy next year) hahaha.

Fall is in the air!

The beginning of September started our crazy fall schedule! Darryl's work schedule changed & made things difficult, but workable. BOTH boys started soccer practices/games, morning sickness was VERY prevalent in my every day life, and school was going strong. There was never a dull moment, that's for sure!

Here's Ay man at his first practice! He was shy at first but did really well. :)

Caleb did great also, and REALLY enjoyed playing with all the kiddos. He loves ALL contact sports. Go figure!

This is what Ay did about EVERY practice of Caleb's. He is ALL boy, I tell you. He loves throwing rocks in ditches, and anything with water. And hey, if it keeps him busy, what's the harm right?

 Here are the boys picking only the "Fall" leaves out of the trees. They dragged a patio chair out to the trees and found all the brown leaves they could. LOL! They are too excited for Fall.

The weather started to cool off. Perfect for bike riding and hanging out in the front! My barefoot boys are loving the weather..

They grow up too fast...