Go Rangers!

In honor of the home-opener, everyone in the fam put on their Rangers gear this morning, and an impromptu photo shoot ensued. :) Then Jordan headed to the game, and I stayed home to clean out the flower beds and watch the boys. Doesn't quite sound like an even trade!

Take a Hint Daddy.....

Just saying........ :)

Two of My Favorite People!

Late last night, as I was perusing the internet because I couldn't sleep, I came across a quote. 'To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident -- it is to have a soulmate for life.' SO TRUE, especially these days. So I thought I would dedicate a post to two of my favorite people in my life: Katrina and Logan. When my sister and I were growing up, we definitely had our moments, like every pair of sisters have. Especially in our teenage years, there were some rough patches. But as we have grown up and blossomed into adults, our bond has gotten unbelievably stronger. I have also grown to understand that we are two completely different people, but so similar at the same time. Over the past five years or so, we have gotten even closer, her even having lived with Jordan and I for nearly 3 years. The bond we share is unbreakable and I know that I can call her when I need her at the drop of a hat. We have learned that as long as we stick together, we can make it through anything, and we have proven that time and again.Needless to say, I was pretty sad when she graduated college last May and would be flying the coop to move out on her own. But I knew she was in great hands, Logan's hands to be exact. They've been together for over two years know, and I can only hope that he will be in our family forever. He is one of the most caring, selfless, and fun-loving guys I have ever met. Not only are these two some of my favorite people, but also Austin's (and soon to be Chase's, I'm sure). He LOVES his Aunt Meow Meow and Uncle LoLo, like nothing else. We love having the two of them come visit nearly every weekend to hang out with us and the boys. I would kinda expect my sister to be good with her nephews, but Logan has been just as committed. Austin just lights up when they get here, and it's kind of a competition to see which one of them he runs to first. :) I can only hope that once my sister has kids of her own one day, I will share a special bond with them as well. But I am truly thankful to have Katrina and Logan in my life. It's nice to be able to hang out with my best friend every weekend. And Logan has become like a brother to me. Jordan and I can always count on them to be there for us, whether it's just to play some b-ball in the driveway, watching the boys for us, or weathering the storm of family problems with us. We are truly grateful to have you in our lives!

The Forgotten Child?

I owe Chase a big apology. Activities with Austin have been consuming my blog lately. Sorry Chase! Granted, Chase does get to spend all day every day with me by himself, so that should count for something, right?! And let's face it, Austin is alot more fun right now. I'm ready for Chase to be able to sit up and really interact with us. But I know that day is coming soon. I feel like he has had a serious growth spurt in the past couple weeks, both length and weight wise. At a Dr. visit last week, he weighed in at 13lbs. already. And he's started to give lots of smiles and coos for Mommy. He's such a laid-back guy and just hangs with me all day as I tote him around to all of my lunch dates and running errands. What a trooper!

Bath time fun!

Sitting in the Bumbo!

Working on some tummy time!

Wagon Washin'!

Yesterday I decided to take Austin outside for a little manual labor. I guess I was afraid that all this baking was going to add too much estrogen into his body or something. :) And it was such a beautiful day, that it was perfect to wash a vehicle........his vehicle in particular. Earlier in the week, he had spilt his juice box and cookies in the wagon, so it was kinda sticky and gross. Needless to say, he got after that little red wagon! He scrubbed and scrubbed! Next weekend, he may get to try his hand at washing Mommy's car. :)

Betty Crocker

After our experience with the chicken spaghetti earlier in the week (see post below), I decided to get a little brave and let him help with some cupcakes. After all, he loves cupcakes! And so does Mommy. :) Once again, he pulled his stool up to the counter. All in all, it was a success and definitely something we will have to continue to do. Of course, I think we need to add in some more manly tasks, rather than all this cooking and cleaner. However, it's a great way to get everything done when I'm alone with the boys. :)

Mixing up the red velvet cake mix (yes, we cheated and used boxed mix!)

Cupcake liners in!

Now the waiting begins!

While we cheated with box cake mix, it was homemade cream cheese frosting for us!

The BEST part of baking!

Adding some sprinkles! He snuck a swipe of icing off the cupcake as I took his picture, that little stinker!

My Little Sous Chef!

In the past few weeks, Austin has been in a very 'I want to help Mommy!' stage. So, I've been trying to think of things he can do to help me. He's already mastered the house cleaning, so now onto cooking! Last week, I let him pull his stool up to the kitchen counter to help me mix up chicken spaghetti for dinner. He loved every minute of it! He got to pour in all of the ingredients, mix it all up, and sprinkle more cheese on top. Success! And all through dinner, he loved to tell me that he made the sketti!! :)

A little bit of salt & pepper!

Mix it all up!

Yummy!