Shaving with Daddy!

Although we have a long time before our boys are actually shaving their faces (thank goodness!), Maddox has loved taking a shower and "shaving" while daddy is actually shaving his head and face!  I snapped both the pictures below at two different showers last week!  His smile is just the cutest and I love hearing the conversation between Zack and Maddox while they are both getting clean!  I know this stage won't last long (considering Zander is bathing on his own now in the other bathroom at the same time the "shaving" is occurring) but I'm trying to soak up the sweet smiles and laughter I hear during bath time!

 We got Grandpa's shadow box in the mail and Dad was able to put his name on it and flag in it! It is so special having this in Grandma's apartment to remember Grandpa's time in the Air Force.

We got to have a girls' lunch on Saturday with Mom's best friend, Ramona.  It is so special to share a meal with people you have known your whole life (or since you were almost three years old in the case of my sister;)).  I loved catching up and having uninterrupted conversations with the ladies in the picture below.

 We are enjoying our weekly visits with Great Grandma.  The boys always request a happy meal (which was a tradition started weekly at Great Grandpa's).  I love that we are keeping the tradition going with my grandma.  The boys definitely keep her smiling!;)

 Maddox didn't want to nap after church on Sunday but mommy wanted to rest for a bit before heading back to church in the evening.  We had some cuddle time that lead to a nap by my youngest! :)

We stopped for our weekly frozen yogurt treat after Sunday night church.  We had neon night.... we loved wearing our neon colors!  We had to send the picture to daddy since we are missing him while he is out of town for work!

 I'm also loving getting snuggles from my little nephew anytime I can!  I've been able to see him a couple times over the last few weeks.... it just makes my day to get newborn cuddles! ;)

A Little Slower Pace!

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I enjoy the laid-back slower pace of January.  Typically, we don't have any major plans on the weekends in January since sports haven't started yet for the spring and we were blessed to see family and friends over the holidays.  The Houston Household has enjoyed spending time together with our little family of four.  Here is what we have been up to since my last post.....

I took both boys to the dentist for their semi-annual checkup.  Both boys had X-rays and both boys had a great checkup!! They really were model patients, and I am happy to report that their teeth are doing great... no cavities!  I only snapped a picture of Maddox with his sunglasses on but both boys rocked the shades for their appointments!

 The boys took the Christmas money they got from GranDan and purchased haulers for their hot wheels cars.  I am thankful the store had two of the exact same truck so there was no discussion about the purchase.  The boys were so excited to hand the cashier their money and put the change in their wallets!

 We were able to go to the science center with daddy on the Saturday before school started back after the Christmas break.  This is always one of our favorite places!

Our oldest got another "Bow Tie Award" for his positive behavior.... this time for helping clean up trash in the cafeteria without being asked!

We saw a double rainbow on our way home one day last week.… the kids were so excited about it.  We have been talking about the story of Noah in Jr. Cubbies on Sunday nights so Maddox was extra excited since we had just discussed God's promises to us and how he is faithful and keeps his promises.  This rainbow is a reminder of that!

We had "Dress Like a Friend" day at school.... I love matching the two people in this picture.... they are two of my favorites that I'm blessed to see at school every day!

 Zander had a school dance last night.  I love the friendships he is making at school.  It is so much fun to watch these friendships develop since I get to see him occasionally during the school day.

 Zander finished out the week with a Taekwondo exhibition.  We got to watch him show off his moves today at their studio and he even got to break a board!! Maddox and his friend, Peyton, watched their older siblings... looking forward to the day they will join them at our elementary school.... it will be here before we know it!  The school provided Taekwondo to the students after school for this week so Z enjoyed practicing his new moves and showing us what he learned.

Hello 2020!

Hello 2020!! And bring on all the fun jokes and phrases about how we will have 2020 vision this year, etc!  I am somewhat in disbelief that we are already entering a new decade!  In the 2010's we welcomed our first pet, our two children, two brother in laws, a niece and two nephews!  This is also the decade where we took some pretty incredible trips.... to the beach (annually), went on a couple cruises, visited some major cities along the east coast, saw the Grand Canyon, went to Jamaica and took the boys to Disney World!  This is also the decade where I ran two full marathons and made a pact with my sister that we would strive to run a yearly half marathon.... our one for 2020 is already scheduled and paid for!  It is hard to imagine that when I entered the 2010's, I hadn't been married very long and now this year we will celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary!  This decade is also when I took on the biggest role of my life.... mom!  It has been the greatest adventure, filled with some of the best memories and some of the most challenging obstacles!  I am so thankful I am looking at two healthy boys who keep me busy on a daily basis!  It is hard to imagine that 10 years from now they will be 16 and 14, navigating the high school years and us approaching the stage of empty nesting.  (I am going to stop there because I refuse to fast forward to that point right now)!  So....to keep things in the present.... here are some of the things we have been up to in the days between Christmas and returning to work in the new year.  We love having Zack home for a few days, to give us some quality family time!  We are so blessed!

We attempted to play Parcheesi, a board game Zander loves.  Maddox might have knocked over the game pieces a few too many times, but I can see where a weekly game night will be fun in the future!

We went bowling with the Williams family and the Kennedys!  This was Emerson's (and Eli's) first trip to the bowling alley!

 I got some smiles from Eli! I love my new little nephew!

We went on a hike and spent time at the playground with Sarah, Luke and Laurel while the daddies did manly things! haha

We got fresh hair cuts for the new year.  The boys enjoyed having their hair styled while they were there!

I got to see the new Little Women movie with my mom, Linds and Eli!  It was fun to pass him around while watching a movie we had watched when we were kids!

 The boys enjoyed bike riding and testing out Zander's new skateboard!

Zack finished working on a board for our wall..... it has his hand print for the O, Zander's hand prints for the V, Maddox's hand prints for the E and Burke's paw print in black at the end! I love it!

We attempted fishing again!  No ducks were harmed during our second attempt.  However, we still haven't caught a fish yet!  These boys need to work on talking quietly and waiting patiently! ;) Also, Maddox's favorite thing to do right now is swing at the playground.  He does a pretty good job propelling himself forward and back with minimal help from me!  I am thankful we have a neighborhood playground that we go to often for his swinging "fix".

We celebrated New Year's Eve at our house (until about 9:00 p.m.) with eight children (ages 6 and under).  We had a blast!! I'm so thankful for these friendships and that the kids were healthy and happy for the festivities! On New Year's night we got together with the Whites again where Chris grilled us steaks and chicken!! We have had fun celebrating the new year!

 Zack snapped a picture of Zander reading to us one morning.  I have loved the leisurely mornings in our comfy clothes, cuddled on the couch!  As you can see, all three boys love being near mommy!;)

Maddox love his new jacket and time outside.  I have tried walking Burke multiple times over the break.  Since I'm still recovering from some sinus issues, the 60 degree weather has been perfect for some casual exercise!

Today we took the kids to the science center. This was our first outing with the four kids and their mommies!   Linds and I would say it was a huge success!! Everyone was typically happy and we timed Eli's eating around the big kids' fun!

 I saw this on someone's page earlier this week.... I thought it was pretty crazy that in my "young" life, I have seen so many significant milestones when it comes to time periods.... ya'll know I love dates so here is to moving into a new decade!  I can't wait to see what life in my late 30's and early 40's has in store!!  I am trusting God as I listen to His will for the next decade!  A goal I have for this year is to be more intentional with the time I have been given... time with God, time with family, time with friends, and time for myself.  The word "time" has continued repeating itself in my devotions and when I am reading scriptures.  I will end this post with one of my new favorite scriptures which ironically includes the word "time" in it......Ecclesiastes 3:11..... "He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."