Lucas Letters

CRAZINESS

2009-09-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

This one is for those who have said it's been too long since I posted. Here's a quick wrap-up of our crazy past few months, we moved and are currently building a house. During the summer we traveled to Arkansas to see family, enjoyed swim lessons, and Ethan went to camp at his school. In August, he started preschool which has been fantastic for him. Lathan is back at a mother's day out program two days a week. Last weekend mom, Laura, and I took the boys to The Great Wolf Lodge in Dallas (which I highly recommend!!). And we are leaving next week for the beach, at Ethan's vacation request this year. Hopefully, I can post more pictures later from the camera. But until then, here are a few.

Mr. Photographers

2009-06-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Little hands found the camera...look at their shots!

NEWS!

2009-05-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

We have news..... our house sold and we are moving at the end of June. Our house was not on the market, but the buyers wanted our particular neighborhood and liked our house. We had plans to move later in the year, but it seems God had something else in mind. So, we are just going with the flow.

Today was our salon/moving sale and it went very well- I'm just glad we don't have them often. Now with that behind us, I'm on to packing the house.

The past few weeks have been a little tough for me as both the boys have had pink eye. Lathan has had it for two weeks with a double ear infection. He then ended up falling and getting an eye injury (same eye as the pink eye) since his equilibrium was not quite right. Even the doctor said "he's had a rough week!" All I could think was, "what about me?" He eye is still not back to normal yet, but we are finally on the mend. But just to keep us on our toes, now Nate also has 2nd degree pink eye. I'm wondering if a nursing degree would have better suited me.

This is random, but here was my favorite conversation from today with Lathan (LJ):
LJ: It stopped raining
ME: Yes it did! Lathan, who made the rain?
LJ: Jesus and the Aggies did!

All I could do was laugh

I'm posting a few random pics from the last few weeks below.

My poor baby!

My mom, Wanda (a friend), and I took Ethan to see Wizard of Oz one evening. He had a blast!

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

2009-04-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I woke up to my alarm at 7:15. I was suprised to find that Lathan was no longer in our bed (he usually comes in our room around 4-5am). I thought my sweet husband had carried him back to his bed when he left for work so I could enjoy a quiet morning alone. As I was sprawled out in bed, I heard a loud "whoo-hoo, yea, wooooooo." I then realized it was my children and they were in the backyard making all this ruckus. Next thing I know, they are in our room with huge smiles, in their pj's that are soaking wet from the sprinklers! All I could do was laugh...what a way to start your day! Just hope my neighbors felt the same.

My handsome Texas men!!

2009-04-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Remi (Laura's dog)

Playing at the park

GET IT

2009-03-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

Somebody help me learn how to rotate my video...I know how to do my pictures, just not videos.

Thankful

2009-02-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

It seems like in this crazy whirlwind of life, I sometimes forget the simple things that I am so grateful for.

~A husband that treats me like a queen.
~Ethan's big smile where his nose crinkles.
~Lathan's bear hugs around my neck....I just melt.
~Playing the piano today- I really miss that!
~A job that I completely love (and getting to work with my mom and sister)
~Living in Texas...cold weather is NOT for me
~Laying on the couch with my snuggly blanket..it's even better when Ethan asks me if I'm cold and covers me up.
~Listening to a child's prayer at night-PRICELESS!
~Date nights
~Having a child that tells me he loves me without prompting.
~Picnics
~My family's health

Artists=less children

2009-02-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ethan and Lathan have become quite the artists!!! So much that they decorated our house with PERMANENT marker!! Between Mr. Eraser and touch-up paint, I have managed to get everything back to normal. The carpet is another issue. We have one last chemical to try on the floor and then it's off to the carpet store for replacement (the steam cleaners have already come and tried as well). Oh and did I mention, this was on a Saturday and they colored their bodies too? I threatened that we would not be attending church looking like that...luckily, scrubbing until their skin turned red seemed to work. So for all who have been wondering...this artwork project has made me reconsider having a 3rd child for a while or indefinately (This has been a ongoing disucssion between Nate and I for awhile). He was happy to hear me say, "you win" for once!

Merry Hallogivingmas-part 1!

2009-02-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

For those who have missed our crazy and mischievous children, here are the pictures that I have been hounded about. We have a new camera with many more pictures, but those will have to wait until I can learn how to download. The boys seemed to really enjoy the holidays. We spent Halloween in Arkansas with family, Thanksgiving in California for a Toyota trip, and Christmas at home. I have several more pictures and stories to tell, but will wait since 3 blogs is such an overachievement for me! And yes...those are my bras! If only you knew how busy these boys keep us!!!

One morning while I was getting ready for work, E thought it would be fun to take a bubble bath in our tub. I was in the closet dressing only to hear.."help mommy." The bubbles we're at the top of his neck and almost overflowing in the floor. It was probably the best bath he's had yet!

Lathan has this obsession with his putting q-tips in his ears and wearing my shoes. Funny kid!

Merry Hallogivingmas-part 2!

2009-02-06T19:39:00.000-08:00

Woody and Buzz Lightyear had a great time at Halloween. I think it was Lathan's favorite holiday-I couldn't keep him out of the candy.

LJ & E with their 2nd cousins, Gage & Caise

Merry Hallogivingmas-part 3!

2009-02-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

We don't see this often...snow in Texas! The boys wanted to stay outside all night!

Lathan was scared of Santa, so we do not have any pictures of Lathan with Santa. Ethan explained to him that he wanted "Blue, Yellow, and Red Race cars" Needless to say, he received several cars. They also received a swing set which he continues to thank Santa for. Too bad Santa wouldn't pay for it!

Hawaii in Detail

2008-10-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

For the full-detailed report and many more pictures of our Hawaii trip...check out the Cochran Family website (on the right) Kerri is a much better photographer than I will ever be!

More Hawaii Pics

2008-10-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

Our last night in Maui we went to a luai. The food was interesting, and the dancing was amazing. If only I could shake my hips like that!

ALOHA!

2008-10-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

Aloha from Hawaii! Our trip has been nothing short of fabulous! Here are few pictures to make you jealous! I will try to post more as the trip continues.

At the airport, waiting with excitement!

All of us (Jeremy & Kerri with us) at arrival of our villa.

Our own private plunge pool.

The evening view from our patio.

At evening at dinner.

The golf views...Nate & Jeremy have really enjoyed playing on these beautiful courses.

Kerri & I at the pool. The weather couldn't be better!

TRIPS

2008-10-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

Ethan's new found (and very expensive) love is flying on airplanes. Yesterday I was explaining to him that mommy and daddy are going on a trip. I told him he would get to stay and play at Nona & Pappy's house while we were gone, but we promised to come back and get him. He quickly agreed until he realized we were going on a plane trip without him. This was very upseting to him until I explained that we would be going on another plane trip very soon with him (thank goodness we have another trip planned).

He loves everything about flying...rolling his "Cars" suitcase like all the other adults, boarding, snacks on the plane, and looking out the window. He is constantly talking about riding on a plane. Last month, I had a business conference in Florida. So, Ethan came with us on the trip. Here are some pictures of his adventures.

Some Random Moments

2008-10-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

Nate and I took Ethan to play golf one afternoon. He is very interested in golf!

One of my favorite pictures of him!

The first day of school...I can't believe we had enough time for pictures.

Our messy peanut butter day! The boys love PBJ!

Creative Fun

2008-09-11T23:12:00.001-07:00

This summer we have really been trying to think outside the box for some of our fun activities. Now that the boys are old enough to play (or should I say...get into mischief) together, they have found some interesting things to do. The picture below is a frog they found in the backyard. They had a blast...I'm just not sure the frog thought the same!

Ethan "skating" in the coke boxes.

This is when we were stuck at home with the stomach bug (which we enjoyed for four weeks this summer...I would never wish that on anyone!!) That is why they are both in diapers...which is funny since they are wearing the same size! And yes, that is CD cases all over the floor, and they are in the entertainment center!

Ethan helped me make brownies one day, and Lathan helped with the tasting!

Cruise in Review

2008-09-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband, (who works very very hard) won a cruise in July through Toyota! We were both thrilled when we found out. I was completely looking forward to going, but sad to leave the boys for almost a whole week. Of course, they were in good hands and were fine. While on the trip, we went to Atlantis, enjoyed reading on the deck, participated in Bingo (which we almost won), saw several shows, relaxed in the spa, and got lots of needed rest.

This is Atlantis in the Bahamas. We spent one day enjoying the facilities. You could really get lost...it is very very big. While waiting in line for one of the water rides, we ran into a family from College Station. Small world, huh? And just for all who are curious....the suite across the towers goes for $100,000 per night with "only" (as they stated on our tour) a four night minimum stay. Nate had to close my mouth after I heard that!

Our dinner was usually during sunset... so during our last evening, we decided to watch the sunset and eat later. The clouds blocked the view of a true sunset, but we loved every moment of it.

Part 1: We're Back!

2008-07-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry we have taken such a long break from blogging. We've been busy with VBS, 2 trips to Arkansas, Lathan breaking (really it was more like a crack) his wrist, taking a cruise (pictures to come later), and 4th festivities. It's been a fun whirlwind with many more summer activities to come! Here's a few pictures for your enjoyment!

Nate took Ethan to play golf with some of our friends (Jeremy and Collin). Ethan absolutely loves golf which will make many many people happy! I continue to ask him if he want to play tee-ball, soccer, or golf next year. Each time the answer is golf, so golf it is.

We had a "little" accident at home one evening. LJ pulled the drawer on the sofa table which caused it to tip over. Unfortantely, his wrist was directly under the table when we picked it up. After an ER and a few doctors visits, we are better. He cracked a bone and had to wear a small cast for a 1 1/2 weeks (children heal much quicker than adults). We were very fortunate as this could have been much worse. He still has a some bruising and swelling after a few weeks, but is starting to use his hand again. Nate was concerned about his capabilities of eating since he is right handed....as you can see from the picture, he had no problems finding a way to get food in his mouth!

Ethan was all smiles at VBS!

We took the boys to the Rodeo last week. Ethan loved watching the horses and clowns. LJ took a nice long nap.

Collin and Ethan on the 4th watching the fireworks

LJ at school during their July 4th parade

Part 2: We're back (trips to AR)

2008-07-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

On one of our trips to Arkansas, Nate and I spent a weekend with Nate's parents in Little Rock. Below is a picture of all the boys at the park. We had a wonderful picnic and a very relaxing weekend.

For the other trip, my mom and I took the boys up to Paragould to see her family.

Some of the many great-grandchildren

A bunch of us went bowling. This is Gage with Ethan..they love playing together.

This is a wonderful discovery we found in Jonesboro...a fantastic park. A bunch of us enjoyed a picnic and then played at the park that also included a water park!

Our visit to the firestation where, Darrak (my cousin) works. The boys absolutely loved it!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-24T20:25:00.001-07:00

Our summer has already been full of fun events. Here are just a few pictures for you to enjoy!

A fishing day at the park-like the advertisement?

Ethan's FIRST fish....he caught a big one!

He has become such the artist...we love crafts!

A spider bite (just thought I'd throw that in)

Bowling with Hayden. Ethan has taken after his Mommy & Nona and learned to love bowling!

Playing in the yard.

I'm sorry I didn't post more pictures of Lathan this time. I have many more pictures to share from our Arkansas trip that I will post soon.

Party Animals!

2008-05-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Lately we have become party animals as this is the birthday season at the Lucas household. It all started in March with my 30th birthday. We then moved on to Lathan turning 1 at the end of the month. We threw a small family party which he indulged in lots of chocolate! He had amazing baseball cakes...I cannot take the credit as Angela is the creative one (I'm actually horrible at making cakes)! There will be a video of this to follow in a few days.
In April, we celebrated my dad and mom's birthdays with casual family celebrations. This was followed with Ethan's dinosaur party at the house. He had a full evening of bouncing in the blow-up jumpers, shooting silly string, and eating cake. His dinosaur cake was quickly devoured, thanks Avery. His evening was topped off by playing Wii with Hannah and Jackson who were able to spend the night.

Our Vacation Wrap-up

2008-04-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

We recently took our family vacation to Arkansas and Missouri. Our first stop was in Little Rock to visit Nate's parents for Easter. This of course, included a hunt (see previous post). Papa & Nana had a great time with the boys!
Then, we were on to Ozark, MO to visit our best friends, Kyle & Alison. They are expecting a little girl on May 13th- Natalia, as Nate calls her. We are anxious to see her and hear what the suprise name will be. While in Missouri, we visited the Springfield Zoo which everyone loved. Great zoo!!! We also stopped by the Bass Pro shop for a quick look-around.
The following day we went to Silver Dollar City in Branson, only to find out it was "family spring break day." Parking was an adventure in itself. Once we made it in and ate, Ethan got to ride on several rides and had a fun time playing. We were all exhausted at the end of the day!
We also got to experience two hail storms while we were there. During one of them, Kyle & Nate decided to spend some quality time in the car wash....it's funny how guys are so protective of their trucks!!
We orginally planned for our trip home to take two days, but the boys were amazing and we made it in one day! We drove through Oklahoma, and I found a great fabric store. We also stopped at a very unique McDonald's for the kids. As you can see in the pictures, it is above the highway...very fun!
Overall, we had a great time with our family and friends. I feel very blessed to have such amazing boys (all three!) to share and cherish these moments with!!
Enjoy!

Easter Egg Hunts

2008-04-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our Easter egg hunts. The boys had a blast!

BIG Moments!

2008-04-01T22:01:00.001-07:00

Lathan had his first haircut even though I hated to cut those beautiful baby curls. We had a wonderful stylist (Auntie L) who did a great job! Lathan sat very still...I expected to really have a struggle with him to sit still. I think he was entranced by everthing. Afterwards, I took the boys to the mall with me and made a quick stop in Victoria's secret. Apparently, a haircut means you're all grown up....as I was shopping, the little stink opened one of the drawers, pulled out a pair of green panties and was waving them around for everyone to see!!! I only saw his discovery after I heard people giggling and watching him. To say the least, I was embarrased and am not sure if I need to be returning to that store with my boys.

I also posted a picture of Ethan's amazed look of his new haircut. I bet all stylists wish they had such animated clients when looking at the end result! Ok..for Ethan's growing moment: This past Sunday he decided to sing with us during service. I thought it was so sweet until I heard what he was singing...."Max, Max, Max." For those of you who do not know- Max & Ruby is Ethan's favorite cartoon. He has even said he wants the next baby (if there is one) to be called Max. Not sure if that will fly. For now we'll just listen to his his sweet singing in church!

The Real Cowboy

2008-03-19T14:01:00.001-07:00

This past week we took Ethan to the rodeo. He was completely in heaven! We decided to leave Lathan at home and spend some one-on-one time with Ethan. Auntie L came with us and we all had a blast together.
Ethan had many firsts...on a bull, roller coaster ride AND roller coaster by himself (which he loved), and ferris wheel. I'm telling you-this child is not afraid of anything. I'm just so thankful we got to spend that wonderful day with him.
I'm going to try to post some videos of our day later on. Enjoy!

MY BOYS!!

He finally said it!

2008-02-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

Lathan has finally started to say mama (of course, I've done a little bit of encouraging!)

OUR LITTLE HOOVER

2008-02-16T21:32:00.001-08:00

Lathan's favorite pastime is eating, and I mean anything! He eats almost everything I put in front of him, as well as things I don't put in front of him. So far, we can account for 1/2 a rubber bouncy ball, a partial page from Ethan's book (we found this in the diaper...no details needed), and mostly the scraps in the kitchen (who says you need a dog?).

I saved the best for last! His crib looks like a beaver attacked it! I guess we should add wood to the list.

Now, who wouldn't love a face like that!

A Few Days with Daddy II

2008-02-16T21:22:00.001-08:00

We took the boys to the park to play!

A Few Days with Daddy

2008-02-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Nate has enjoyed spending his weekend off with his boys.

I guess we pooped him out!

Daddy playing with LJ's hair after a bath...he could really scare someone if I let him out like that!

Here is the evening he came home from work:

Big Steps

2008-02-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official....Lathan has taken his first steps! He walked between Nate and myself yesterday. We all clapped, including Lathan, who seemed to be more excited than any of us!
He hasn't been practicing much since then because his brother decided to share the flu with him. How sweet :) Hopefully we are on the tail end now!

Random Pictures

2008-01-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

X-mas pics as promised

2008-01-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

THE HUNTER

THE NAKED HUNTER

THE ROCKSTAR

Babies turning into boys!

2008-01-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

I will apologize up front as this post does not have any pictures. Our camera is temporarily unavailable. I do have some wonderful pictures I will post soon for you to see. Until then, here are some updates on the boys.
Ethan- He is maturing in his speech everyday. Last week I went from "momma" to "mom" It felt very strange! His new favorite word is "ok" which I guess has replaced his old word "stuck" (I stuck, it's stuck, etc.)
Today we were loaded in the car and were ready to go when he informed me, "mom, door" How sweet of him to remind me to close my car door before taking off :) This morning he also asked to go to a basketball game. I explained that we had to go to school today, but we would go to another game soon. (We have been attending A&M's boys and girls basketball games recently....he loves the yells and the dancing!)
Ethan has also recently become obssesed with Christmas~ He talks about Santa almost everyday and says "ho ho ho" At first he didn't like Santa. Here is our Christmas morning talk:
Mommy: Ethan, Santa came to see you last night.
Ethan: No
Mommy: Yes he did. He came down the chimmney.
Ethan: No
Mommy: Yes, he came and brought you presents because you have been good.
Ethan: Ok
The following day, after waking up from a nap at Nona & Pappy's ranch, he came to the tree and pointed it to it and said, "want more" Yesterday, he said he wanted Santa. I gently had to explain that Santa only comes once a year. These last few weeks have been interesting and fun as he is learning so much so quickly!

Now on to Lathan (LJ). He has become our sensitive child. Just scolding him can make him cry, whereas, spanking Ethan with a wooden spoon doesn't phase him. It's funny how they are so opposite! Lathan has really taken to his daddy lately. He is beginning to talk. So far, the only words he says is "da-da" I find it interesting how a mom can spend most of the time with the children and their first words are "da-da" Everytime I try to get him to say "momma," he laughs at me. He has the sweetest laugh and smile. Lathan now has 3 teeth on top and 3 on bottom with another one poking through on top. He loves to eat!!! I haven't found any real food he doesn't like. He does have a lot of baby food he doesn't care for though...I guess he just wanted to skip to real food! Green beans and spaghetti are his favorites. He is walking holding on to things. He's still a little timid to let go, but it won't be too long before he takes off!! E & LJ love wrestling on the floor. It won't be long before Ethan will be the small one.
As soon as our camera is returned, I will post more pictures of our precious ones!

LONG OVERDUE

2007-12-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

Ok..So I have been a slacker lately. Our computer crashed and we had to purchase a new one, so that slowed me down a bit. After that, I just got plain lazy! I have posted several pictures below that go all the way back to Halloween. After Christmas I will post more again.

As for the boys, they are great and growing up too fast. Ethan is beginning to talk more clearly and is learning things every day. I'm suprised at how much he absorbs...which is kinda scary! Lathan now has 6 teeth (which comes in handy since he loves to eat) and is almost walking! They are beginning to interact with each other more, and wrestling has becoming the favorite activity. I guess that's what happens when you live with 3 males!

Keep watch for more pictures to come!

Fun Times

2007-12-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

Definately a picture to show the future girlfriends!

Ethan & Collin after their Christmas program.

True Texas Cowboys!

2007-12-23T22:51:00.000-08:00

Ethan riding the mechanical bull at the Toyota Christmas Party

At the ranch

HALLOWEEN

2007-12-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

Our little puppy and buzz light year (to the rescue)!

Playing outside

2007-10-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Lathan has turned into a thumb-sucker!

Our friends, Hannah & Jackson, came to visit us. They all took a ride in Ethan's new truck.

He's too cute for his own good!
We are not far from crawling...Lathan is rocking on all four's now.

Zoo Trip

2007-10-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

We orginally had plans to go to San Antonio for the weekend. We were going to take the kids to the zoo and riverwalk. Earlier in the week, Lathan got pink eye and an ear infection, and Ethan had hand, foot, and mouth disease. Needless to say, we decided an overnight trip was not really the best idea. Instead we took a day trip to the Waco zoo. The weather was nice and the boys did very well.
I had them dressed in color coordinated outfits (blue and orange). Nate thought I was a dork, but I wanted to make the pictures cute. Well, my idea was destroyed when Ethan decided he wanted to wear his bright red Atkinson Toyota hat that Pappy gave him. I tried to get him to wear a khaki or blue hat (since Lathan had a blue hat on), but there was no changing his mind. He held on to that hat very tight (see below) all the way to Waco. So Dad, he's definately great advertisement for you! After all the fuss...it ended up being really cute to watch him be a big boy with his hat.

Ethan chasing the pacing "cheetah" (as Nate called it). He loved this one!

Nate is showing Ethan the snakes...my least favorite animal. Of course, I have a son who is especially intrigued by them! I just pray that someday he doesn't pick one up and try to play with it.

Arkansas Trip

2007-09-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

As promised..here are the Arkansas trip pictures. We had a wonderful week visiting all our relatives! Now that we are home, Ethan has started school and LJ has started sitting up (can you believe it?)

Nana & LJ.

Papa & Ethan playing

Mattie & Ethan (3rd cousins). They were born 3 days apart. Below is Kevin (Nate's cousin) and Nate with our newest members...TanaBeth & Lathan!

Uncle Darrell & LJ mowing! Gage & E riding the gator.

This is my Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Jean with LJ. The bottom picture is most of the great-grandkids. We are missing 2 children...notice they are all boys!! I guess it runs in the family!

Cousins

2007-09-16T18:40:00.001-07:00

These are just a few pictures that Laura took when the bluebonnets were out. This is Gage, one of Ethan's favorite 2nd cousins. He loves to play with him.

I am going to try to post our Arkansas pictures tonight!

HUGE SALE!!

2007-09-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here's your chance for all you Mary Kay lovers or if you just like a great sale!! I am selling most of my inventory for 40% off. Listed below are the items I have with their regular retail price respectively. Your price is 40% off that!!! I can also order other items for you as well. I am just trying to clean out and not keep as much inventory. The first six orders will receive a free gift! Happy Shopping!

$18 3-in-1 Cleanser (Normal/Dry)
$18 3-in-1 Cleanser (Combination/Oily)
$22 Age Fighting Moisturizer (Normal/Dry)
$22 Age Fighting Moisturizer (Combination/Oily)
$30 Day Solution SPF15
$90 Miracle Set (3-in-1 cleanser, Age Fighting Moisturizer, Day Solution, Night Solution)
$30 Firming Eye Cream
$22 Visibly Fit Body Lotion
$7 Acne Treatment Gel
$30 Oil-Free Hydrating Gel
$14 Ivory 104 Medium Coverage Foundation
$14 Beige 304 Medium Coverage Foundation
$9 Foundation Compact
$16 Custom Compact
$9.50 Ivory Concealer
$9.50 Beige Concealer
$18 Shade 1 Highlighting Pen
$12 Eye Primer
$10 Chocolate Lip Liner
$6 Coral Glow Nail Polish (DISCONTINUED ITEM)

Little Boys becoming Big Boys

2007-08-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today mom and I took the boys to the pool. We have been swimming several times this summer, but I have not let Lathan get in the water because of sunburns,(our children received my genes of fair skin), nap time, etc. Today he had already had his morning nap so I decided to let him take a dip. I then realized I did not have any swim diapers for him. So what does any constructive mom do...put him in the only swim diapers we have..(Ethan's). I thought they might be a little big and I could layer them above his regular diapers. Boy was I wrong!!! They actually fit him just fine, without any layering. I find it very interested that children two years apart can wear the same size diapers. Like I said before, I wonder how long it will take LJ (Lathan) to surpass Ethan in size.

Now, on to Ethan's big moment today. He finally decided to ride his bike using the pedals. This may not sound like a big deal to most of you, but Nate and I have been working on this goal for several months. I think Ethan understood that it was a big accomplishment as well..he pointed to the pedals to show me!

We are leaving for Arkansas this weekend to visit my mom's side of the family (they have not seen Lathan yet) and make a stop on the way to see Nate's parents. I will be posting new pictures when we get back!

Amazed!

2007-08-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

It still amazes me how God can create two totally different individuals from the same set of parents! Lathan is starting to show his personality more and it is becoming apparant how completely different it is from Ethan's. I started thinking about how different they were after I weighed them (don't ask me why). Ethan is in the lower percentile for weight and Lathan in the higher (obviously). They are 23 months apart...same as Laura and I. And as of today, Ethan weighs 28lbs and Lathan weighs 18lbs. ONLY 10 POUNDS DIFFERENCE!! I'm wondering how quick Lathan will catch up with Ethan (and I'm pretty sure he will). So, I guess you could say when I'm holding them both, I'm getting a good workout on my arms! We also have noticed that Lathan likes to have people around him. He doesn't like to be left by himself, whereas, Ethan plays wonderful by himself. But, Ethan is more of an extravert as far as communicating with others. As a baby, Ethan would let anybody hold him and was happy. We have noticed that Lathan starts crying if he's not familiar with you. No matter how different they may be, I love them both for all their characteristics! Anyways, just thought I would share my random thought for today.

Just a day at the movies!

2007-08-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to take Ethan to the movies to see Madagascar. He has seen the movie several times at home, but I thought it would be a fun mother/son adventure to go to the movies. When we got in the theater, the lights were out and the movie was beginning. We walked halfway up the stairs, excused ourselves around a few other people, and sat in the middle of the row. Ethan climed into his seat and immediately started saying "roar" for the lion and "say-dees" for the zebra. (Mom's horse is called Mercedes, so all horses and zebras are called "say-dees" to Ethan. After about 2 mintes, he was ready to go. I tried to get him to stay until we became a disturbance to others.
As we reached the exit level to leave, he pointed to the lower section and said "sit." So trying to make this fun for him I went along with this. Ethan took us to the FIRST row all by ourselves and said "sit" again. As soon as I got him situated and started to sit down...he got up and began running around. Embarrassed, I quickly gathered our belongings (minus one sippy cup we lost in the chase) and made a mad dash for the exit. Guess I'll be saving our movie days for when he's older! We opted for the mall play area in lieu of the movies today.

Funny Things

2007-08-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

For some reason, both of the boys have been waking up around 4am lately. While I am feeding Lathan in the nursery this is what I hear.... Ethan closes his door behind him, comes to close the nursery door (without peeping in), and then walks to our bedroom to close the door behind him. After putting Lathan back to bed, I return to bed only to find Ethan nice and cozy..sound asleep on my pillow with my blanket. I have been pushing him over and letting him sleep with us for the rest of the morning. But now I am finding myself very tired...he is a horrible wiggle worm in his sleep. My sister can vouch for that as he spends the night with her once a week. Last night, I returned him to his proper place and I rested much better! I don't know what the issue is with doors either. He likes them all closed...even when you are in his room playing with him. He even used to lock Augusta in his room with him to force her to play with him...silly little boy!

Ethan is also very interested in counting right now. This is how we count...1,2,1,2,and so on and so on. Three just doesn't seem to be an option right now! He even repeated Count Dracula (I think that's his name) on Sesame Street with 1,2,1,2,1,2 for the number 6. We'll get there one day!

A Day at the Ranch

2007-08-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

The boys and I were at the ranch hanging out. Mom, Laura, and I decided to take the boys in the mule to the back part of the property. (For those who don't know what a mule is: it's similar to a golf cart, but has two benches, is meant for more rough terrain, and we currently do not have the windshield on it.) So, on our way back to the house, it started sprinkling. Laura is in the back seat with the boys, so mom and I end up being their shield in the front. We look ahead and see the downpour that is blowing our direction with the wind. Laura covered Lathan with the diaper cloth. I covered Ethan's face with his cowboy hat (although, he would have preferred nothing as this was fun to him!). It was raining so hard that mom had a hard time seeing the road even through her sunglasses. By the end of the trip, we could ring water out of clothes. Since Ethan was already wet, we let him play in the rain. You gotta love mother nature!!

The other pictures are Ethan playing with a friend's dog and just chillin!

Some of Lathan's Favorite Things

2007-08-04T12:21:00.001-07:00

This is one of Lathan's first foods. He has tried peas, squash, and carrots (shown)and of course, loved them all. As you can tell, he's not a picky eater!

This is the first time in this toy. He loves anything that lets him stand.

Just playing!

He knows how to make a real good pucker!

Tribute to Augusta

2007-08-01T11:12:00.002-07:00

For those who do not already know, Augusta was adopted by a sweet family near us. They live in the country and have a two year old little girl who adores her. Ethan was beginning to get too rough with Augusta and she seemed unhappy (even though she looks like that all the time.) So we decided it was best to look for a family to adopt her. I have called to check on her several times and she is very happy in her new home. So, for all the wonderful memories we shared with her, here are some pictures to remember her by!

Ethan at 3 weeks with Augusta!

3 Months

2007-07-30T06:31:00.001-07:00

Lathan at 3 months wearing an outfit Ethan used to wear.

Growing

2007-07-29T22:10:00.001-07:00

Ethan is becoming a little fish!

Lathan is now 4 months old and is a very happy baby! He is becoming more aware and loves watching big brother.

Since we just got our new camera

(Ethan took our old camera swimming!), I am going to try to take more pictures and post them frequently. It seems like they grow too fast! If you ever saw Ethan at four months, you would think Lathan is an identical copy...it's scary!