Sunshine and Tulips

OK, the other day I woke up to 7'' of snow on the back deck. Today was up to 70 degrees and sunny. I'm not sure what to expect tomorrow morning, a tornado?! Anyways, the boys and I decided to take advantage of all this sunshine and headed out to the State House lawn. This is one of our annual springtime traditions, and we always take pictures in front of the tulips. I must admit that the boys were bribed with Popsicles before this picture, which is why Prince L looks like he has dirt smudged across his face (darned purple Popsicles give me away every time).

I had a hard time getting the boys to pose for pictures with me, because who wants to be seen with lounging with their Momma when they could be running and playing! Poor little Prince M can't run yet, so he's all mine (do you hear the evil laugh?). I swear he'd be running after his big brothers as fast as he could though if only he could keep his balance.

I may have sat Prince M in the middle of the tulip garden for a picture, which is a huge no-no, but don't you think it was worth it?

Usually Prince K and I are the only ones looking at the camera and smiling for pictures, but this time we appear to have been in our own worlds. And (gasp!!) Prince L is actually smiling (sort of) at the camera! I can't give too much credit to Prince M because he's always smiling and looking around anyway, but he sure is cute!

I am already looking forward to next spring for our annual trip to the State House lawn. It will have one handsome man included in the pictures once again, right where he belongs.

We Can Sleep In Peace At Night

All too often we take our freedom for granted. Every night when I tuck the boys into bed I am reminded of how lucky we are to be able to sleep in peace each night. Not everyone in this world is so fortunate. I take heart in knowing that Hubby is taking care of us all (he and all his "army man friends" as the boys would say) so we can continue to sleep in peace each night, dreaming away. These little boys are so innocent, not a care in the world, and I feel so blessed to live in a country that allows them to do so. Thank you, Hubby, and thank you to all our military, for allowing us to keep our freedom so that we may rest our heads peacefully upon our pillows at the end of each day.

April Snow, Brings May...What?

We thought we were in the clear. We have had nothing but green grass and sunshine (oh, and occasional rain showers) for weeks on end. No sign of any snow for quite some time. I thought we were officially into spring weather. Boy was I wrong!
The boys were very excited to see the snow again. Prince L thought that meant Daddy was coming home to drive them on the snow machine. But since I told him that wasn't the case he was willing to settle for playing on the deck while Momma got the baby (and herself) ready for the day. Prince K headed to school with snow pants in his backpack again. Sheesh.

Our poor little plants were so happy with the recent sunshine, and were just beginning to blossom. I'll be surprised if the blossoms survive after this cold, heavy snow. I do have to admit that it's pretty though, even if I was thinking more towards swimming weather than sledding.

I wanted to be sure to capture the snowy scenery to show Hubby since it's been a while since he's seen snow... way too long!

Our New Friends

Daddy sent us a few new surprises in the mail today...
...to keep our "Daddy Dolls" company.

But getting a nice picture of 3 wild boys with their new "friends" appears to be a challenge.

Either way, seeing their personalities come out in these impromptu photos make me smile even if they aren't magazine-worthy. :-)

Pooh Car

Prince M made a wonderful discovery the other day...

...riding toys! He can scoot himself across the floor (very slowly)...

...and is very proud of himself. He only fell off once while Mama was taking photos...

...but he forgave me for not being attentive enough. Good work, Prince M, you're a very smart baby!

Sunshiney Day

I could watch these boys play all day long. Bouncing on the trampoline...
Swinging on their swings...

I am trying to soak in every last detail. These days I am constantly reminded that tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. So if my tomorrow never comes, I want to be sure my boys know just how much I love them, and just how much they mean to me. Little toes and all.

I mean just look at that face. How could I not?

You can practically feel their joy running through your own veins as you watch them. They are a constant reminder that the little things in life really are the big things.

Thanks for the reminders, little boys. Momma loves you.

Lunch Time

After the big boys had their dentist appointments yesterday, I figured we all needed a yummy lunch to fill our bellies. I thought hot dogs and french fries were in order. How hard could that be, right? Wrong! The boys were trying to be good, but the long wait in line for food was too much for their dancing feet to handle, and they were hanging all over the railings in the line like little monkeys swinging in the trees. Prince M recently upgraded to a convertible car seat instead of the infant seat so I was carrying him in my arms. I think he was feeding off his big brothers energy because his arms and legs were flailing around like crazy. He even managed to kick the man in front of us at one point! Thankfully the man was pleasant about it, saying he'd been kicked by bigger people than that before. Hmmm, interesting. So anyway, we survived the line, grabbed our food, and I let the boys choose our table. I then realized the ketchup dispensers are not made for people who only have one free hand... how was I going to get the ketchup into that tiny little cup without spilling it everywhere? Thankfully the man Prince M had kicked was still in a good mood, because he saw my distress and helped me with the ketchup. Ok, now to get the food doled out without spilling anything. Success! And the boys were quietly munching away while I shoveled my food into my mouth and fed Prince M his baby food as fast as I could. It's times like this that I miss having an extra set of Daddy-hands to help me out!

Don't Forget Me

Hello, Daddy! It's your puppy here...
I am trying really hard to be good while you're gone. But I'm getting bored. Mommy says you'll take me for lots of walks when you come home, and even the occasional run. So I'm trying to be patient! I hope you're having fun where you are; I hear there is a lot of sunshine to lay around in all day, and plenty of sand to roll in to get your coat dirty. And mom says they don't even make you take a bath after! I sure wish I could be there with you...

So hurry home soon! Oh yeah, and mom found this sign when she was driving the other day and said she pulled over the van like a lunatic to take a picture, just so you know how much the entire State is routing for you.

Stay safe, Dad, and hurry home soon! Ruff!!! :-)

Love,

Brutus

Popsicles Melting

Today was such a warm, sunny day. When the boys awoke from their naps I announced that popsicles were in order! Nothing clears the sleep out of their eyes better than a nice, cool popsicle... in their favorite flavors of course! Prince M had never had a popsicle before today. I probably wouldn't have given him one at all just yet except he has been so misearble with teething this last week. I thought it would help soothe his sore little gums. I have no idea if it really helped, but it sure did quiet him down for a few blessed minutes. Ah, there is nothing better than silence and sunshine.


No one could bother looking at the camera for a picture, they were too preoccupied with their juicy snack.


And the pup enjoys eating popsicles as much as the boys do!

Baby Love

(chubby hands and elbows)
(notice the little "daddy doll" in the picture below... love it!)

(sweet kissable toes... ignore the toe lint)

(and just look at the curls that are popping out of nowhere!)

9 Months Already

My baby is growing up so fast. When I realized that he was 9 months old already I nearly cried. For some reason 9 months seems so much closer to a year old than 8 months did. Yikes! I am so blessed to be able to stay home with him every day and witness the changes first hand though, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

So here ya go Daddy, check out the changes in this boy since you left.

6 months old...
7 months old...

8 months old...

9 months old...

Yep, That's Snow

How many kids do you see throwing snowballs, while wearing shorts, at the end of April??!

Flowers

When I was little I always loved spring because of the tiny little purple flowers that grew on the hill behind our house. Today I brought the boys to visit their Grammy and Boppa, and as soon as I saw those flowers my whole face lit up. I just had to have pictures of my favorite kids with my favorite flowers! Just look at these little toes wiggling amongst the flowers... I could just kiss them!
Prince M was not very excited, either because he had just awoken from a too-short-nap, or because he didn't want to be seen sitting in a bed of flowers. You be the judge.

Prince L and Prince K were just so happy to be out playing in the yard with their Boppa that they happily sat still for a few pictures. You can tell they were ready to jump up and run as soon as I said the word though, right?

Military Kids Appreciation Day

Today was a very special day for our boys. A day when they could be recognized for the sacrifices they make. They were so excited to go to this "Army kids fun day," partly because they love all that army men represent, but also because it was warm enough for them to run around outside in shorts.
They got candy. Lots of candy. And ran off all that sugar in a field full of other military kids just like them. They played Frisbee, bounced balls, climbed on rocks, and grinned from ear to ear.

Some were more enthralled with the rolling balls than others... but we won't mention any names.

The sun was shining brightly, and I felt like a terrible mom for not bringing along the sunblock. But we soaked it all in while we could. I enjoyed feeling free for the afternoon, able to enjoy the smiles on my kids faces without trying to juggle laundry, lunch, or any other house chore. It's so good to just sit back and cherish these moments with my boys while they are still small enough to want me around.

Just look at those precious faces... I think they deserved all the treats in the world today because they actually cooperated when I tried taking their photo! Thanks boys!

We wish you were here with us, Daddy, we miss you like crazy.