Positive Thoughts and Prayers!

I know it might seem silly to ask for these again. BUT we are going to put our offer in on our dream house tomorrow. It is beautiful on the inside even though it needs A LOT of WORK! The offer is probably way lower than we should offer but with all the work it needs we can't see offering too much more. So please if you can spare them we NEED them! We LOVE this house and can see our family here. We are sure it is our "forever home".

It stinks when that happens!

Cade has been attending swimming lessons for almost two weeks. We have been with the same group of people the whole time. The other parents have heard my son talk for almost the whole two weeks. Yesterday, when Cade was getting out of the pool he was walking swiftly towards me saying "Mama" loudly. The same man who has been there everyday for almost two weeks looks directly at my son and says, "Wow, you have a scary voice. Why do you always want to sound like a monster?"
I was CRUSHED and my heart broke right there. It took every once of strength within in my body not to burst into tears at the moment. I just calmly looked over at him and said, "He had a trach for 2.5 years of his life so this is his ALL the time." I could tell at that instant the man felt horrible for saying that to my sweet baby, but tears were still stinging my eyes. As soon as all the kids were dried off and he came over to apologize saying he felt like he committed a social fopa. I am not sure that committing a social fopa would have been the correct thing to apologize for, more like breaking a mother's heart or maybe even hurting my 5.5 years old feelings. He also apologized to Cade at the same time. Before I had a chance to say "Thank you. It isn't a big deal" (although my heart was telling me otherwise), Cade looked him right in the eyes and told him in is BIG BOY VOICE - "It's okay, It's okay" and hugged him.
My sweet boy - oh how he continues to teach me. Even when my heart is breaking for him - even when I want to scream and yell at those silly adults who make fun of my baby because they don't know. Why not just ask politely about his voice instead of making a joke about it and breaking his mother's heart?

Last year, I cried a week before school started every single night because I was scared to death for Cade to start Pre-K. I was scared all the kids would make fun of his voice. The same thing has now started for Kindergarten. What if they all make fun of his voice? What if he notices like he noticed that man at swimming lessons?

I will be honest, I can't stop the tears that are streaming down my face right now. I am not sure how. All I know is I have one strong, sweet boy.

Fun with Fashion

I have a huge problem! I LOVE buying clothes for my boys. I just recently placed an order with GAP to get Cade a few things for Fall. I can't say back to school, because it will still be way too hot to wear this stuff to school in August!

Anyway, this what Cade did for me while I was trying to get him to try things on!
I love these jeans! I bought him the matching long sleeve shirt but they sent me the wrong one so I had to call them and reorder it. The shirt he has on is from Boden and is super cute too! It starts getting a little silly from here on out! Haha!
See what I mean...
He loves guitars and drums! Everything in my house has been turned into one!
This shirt was his VERY favorite. He is actually kissing it in the picture!
I am not a fan of skulls AT ALL. However, Cade seems to think that skulls are pirates. This shirt was $4.99 plus 35% off so I couldn't resist because I knew he would love it!
BUT this- was my FAVORITE set! He looks so cute in this picture and this hoodie is so soft and cute!

HOME - Pray

A few weeks ago, I joined in with Gypsymama and did a blog post about home for five minute Friday. I will admit when I posted I had just really figured out what home was for us. I had stopped complaining about our house being too small, too cluttered, and well too SMALL. I was getting out of my house funk. I am not sure why but two Friday's ago I decided it would be a good idea for check out realtor.com. I just wanted to see what was in our price range. I found a house that I liked. It would fit us great with no extra growing room, but it would at least fit us and we could possibly get it for cheaper than what it was listed for. This whole thing put me in THE HOUSE FUNK, again! It was horrible, I was crying over this house, etc. I started to just give up the battle again, it wasn't worth the crying and feeling ugly and mean. Then on Sunday (July 17th), my husband had the bright idea to look at realtor.com. I wasn't worried about it, I was okay with whatever he found. Well, he put in a higher price range than I did. He found the MOST perfect home for us! It's 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, it has a pool, and it is in a gated community that I would LOVE to live in. It is perfect and I want it. I know just because I want it doesn't mean I will get it. The house is a foreclosure which makes it WAY cheaper than it would ever have been. Yes, it needs some new paint colors and even a new tub, but it is the perfect home for us. I have been praying over this for a couple of days. I know that if this is truly the perfect home for us we will know when walk into it today. If this house is supposed to be ours then God has a plan for us to get it. I truly believe that. However, I wouldn't be being honest if I said I wouldn't be crushed if we couldn't get it.

This house was being sold three years ago for $700,000. We can't afford that at all. Right now it is being sold for $225,000. We can afford this and possibly get it a little cheaper.
So, I am asking that you pray for us. Even we aren't supposed to have the house, I get it. But I am just asking that you pray for us - that we can get the house. That is available for us and that we can sell our current house. If you do say a little prayer or two for us, thank you so much. I would LOVE this house. It would truly we perfect for us.
Now, I am sure you are wondering why I really want this house, why it is such a big deal for me. Well, I don't think I have ever really posted about the current house we live in - maybe that will inform you why I am in a house funk, why I want a new house, and why I think this is OUR house. My husband, Larry, bought the house we live before we got married. He got a wonderful deal on it and it is about three blocks away from my mother's house. It is a three bedroom two bath house. It is about 1,650 square feet. Now, throw five of us in the mix - Larry, Me, Marissa, Cade, and Colin. Yes, it is too small for us and too cramped. The boys share a room while it isn't a big deal, we are just outgrowing the house.
This is a picture of our house from years ago, that I found on google.
It isn't this color anymore and we have some bushes in front of the house now. But as you can tell we have outgrown it.
So once again I would appreciate your prayers about the "dream" house if you can spare them.

Colin's 2nd Birthday Party

We had Colin's birthday party on Saturday! I felt like a terrible mother because I wasn't much into party planning this summer. I have been working on my Masters class and trying to finish that up so Colin's birthday just crept up on me!

I decided, exactly a week before his birthday, to do a Sock Monkey Theme with a Candy Bar. It was pretty easy to throw together. I ordered a do it yourself set from Etsy and put it all together with a friend of mine. The same friend who helped me put everything together also made his cake. She is so talented and I was so blessed to have her make the cake. You will see in the pictures that it was just precious!

Before the party, this is what Colin was doing!
I set everything up in the living room this year. I thought it turned out pretty cute!
The banner
The pinwheels
Part of the candy bar
More of the candy car
The back of the Birthday Boy's chair
Colin's Cake
Blowing out candles
It was really a cute and fun party! I am so glad I did the Sock Monkey Theme! It was so Colin! And just like we said at the end of the party....

Happy 2nd Birthday, Colin!

Colin you are 2 years old!

You turned 2 on Friday, July 15, 2011. I can't believe 2 years have flown by so quickly. You are growing up so very fast. I am seriously afraid if I blink I might miss something. On Friday, we sang Happy Birthday to you all day and the Imagination Mover's Birthday Song to you. You loved that! Every time we sang you would get this big huge smile on your face and just clap.

For your birthday dinner we had cheeseburgers and french fries. It is one of your favorite meals. We also had some cupcakes. You did not like the frosting but you LOVED the cake! You kept telling Resa (that is what you call your sister these days) More cake please!
Clothes: 18/24 Months & 2T
Shoes: 6.5 or 7 EXTRA WIDE - however you refuse to wear anything but crocs or "flit flops" right now!
Diaper: Size 5
Weight: 30lbs - about although I am not sure because we haven't been for your 2 year appointment yet.
Height: 33.5 inches
Words: TONS and you even have SENTENCES!
Friends: Lyla and JD

Colin it seems like time has flown since you were born on July 15, 2009. You came into this world weighing a whole 6lbs 13 oz. I thought you were just precious and you looked like a real life cabbage patch doll. Now you are two and you have grown so much! You don't walk you RUN every where that you want to go. You love to climb, jump, and dive off of the furniture. It scares me to death. You love to draw and color. You love doing puzzles and my oh my you LOVE choo-choo trains!
You have the most precious little personality! You are always trying to make us smile and you LOVE your brother, Cade. You two are always running - yes RUNNING - around the house like a bunch of wild animals! But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Colin we love you SO much! I am so blessed to be your mommy, Colin. I love you!

AMAZING Customer Service!

My boys have these chairs with their names on them from The Land of Nod.

My mother in law actually bought these chairs for them almost two Christmases ago. I will be honest I had really wanted the Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chairs, but I didn't really say that to her. I just told her I would love for them to have nice chairs with their names on them. So these chairs have been very well taken care of and very loved by my boys. They use them EVERY single day! I will say I was a bit disappointed when they started "falling" apart. The covers started ripping after being dry cleaned twice and the arms started going out to the side more than should. I really didn't want to have to spend $300 on new chairs so I decided I would email The Land Of Nod customer service and let them know what was going on with my chairs. Well, I emailed them and fully expected them to say, "We are so sorry to hear about your chairs, but there is nothing we can do about that." I DID NOT HEAR THAT AT ALL! I can't even begin to explain the excitement that brings to me. They offered to send me two new chairs as well as two new chair covers with my boys names on them. I couldn't even believe it! I was so excited and I emailed them back and thanked them profusely for doing such a wonderful thing for us. They told me in the reply to that email it would be at least 4 weeks before I would receive my chairs or my chair covers.
Today, while I was finishing up some homework and getting ready to finish up Colin's birthday party stuff I noticed the Fedex truck outside the house. I will be honest again, I freaked out a little bit because Larry was home from lunch and I didn't have a clue what I had ordered that would be coming in two big boxes and whatever it was I surely hadn't told him about it!
So I guess at this point you can figure out what these two boxes hold! Yes, you guessed it - two new Nod Chairs! The covers aren't here yet but I am guessing they won't be far behind. The Land of Nod has won my business FOREVER! Their customer service is AMAZING and I will be recommended all my friends to shop there.

So guys if you are in the market for new bedding for your kids, new chairs, storage, etc then go on over to www.landofnod.com and check out what they have!

Swimming Lessons Take 2

I thought I would be so smart and bring my zoom lens for my camera to swimming lessons.

It is obviously that I need to watch a you tube tutorial on how to use it. I my pictures didn't turn out very good at all! I was so disappointed in myself, because I could have had some GREAT pictures!
Yes, see I need lessons - look how blurry!
Getting ready to go by his self
Going...
GONE!
I tried really hard to get one of him jumping off the side into the "deep" end but of course right when he jumped and I snapped the picture some lady put her head in the way, I know she didn't do it on purpose but I was still pretty sad about it!

Swimming Lessons

Cade has taken swimming lessons for the past two summers. He has always been in the preschool class which has been perfectly fine. Last summer, he did so great and was "swimming" without swimmies all the time at the pool. When I say swimming, he could only swim underwater but he could do it. This summer he started off strong, but then got scared all of sudden. It was so strange! If he could touch the bottom of the pool he would swim underwater, but if he couldn't touch the bottom he had to have swimmies on or he clung to us so very, very tightly. I tried everything - yes even prying him off of me and letting him go - NOTHING and I mean NOTHING worked!

I decided on a whim to enroll him swimming lessons again this time - Level 1. He was stressed for two whole days about swimming lessons. It was all he talked about. He even said he didn't want to go a few times. I really pumped him up about them.

When he woke up Monday morning he still wasn't sure he wanted to go but we got dressed and off we went!
You must exercise before you get started swimming!
Walking to get in the pool
(All of these kids are not in his class only two other little boys are in his class)

Our neighbor is actually his swimming instructor. She has done a great job with him the past two days and let's just say that now when Cade gets up in the morning - he is READY to go to swimming lessons! He has stated multiple times how much he LOVE swimming lessons! (Oh and the word LOVE is not a typo - that is what he says instead of loves - hahaha!)

Five Minute Friday: Grateful

It's Friday so you know what that means!
FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY
Here are the rules:
1. Write for five minutes flat - no editing - just write!
2. Use the link at the top and link up with Thegypsymama
3. Go tell the person who linked before you what you thought their words meant to you!

This weeks topic is GRATEFUL

Ready, Set, GO:

Grateful - the word brings so many, many things to mind.
The first thing that popped in my head was I am grateful for my children, oh what wonderful children they are! I am grateful for the screams and laughter that come from them daily because they are so happy and excited. I am grateful for the sweet hugs, kisses, and snuggles. Grateful for those "I love you, Mommy" throughout the day.

Grateful for the amazing husband I am married to. Grateful he puts up with all my craziness and actually enjoys it most days.

Grateful for an amazing mother! I am grateful that she is always there when we need her, and even when we don't "need" her. Grateful that she just pops over to see my babies and although sometimes I think couldn't she just call before she comes - I am grateful that she just wants to do it.

Grateful for my wonderful grandparents! Goodness what would I do without them - especially my grandmother - oh yea I might not be such a worry wart but who cares! :) She is still amazing and loving.

Grateful to God for all my many blessings - that includes those precious babies he has given me.

Grateful - that word just brings up so many things in my head. I am not sure I could list them all. It also reminds me we need to remember that we should be grateful for everything we have - and even the things we don't have.

STOP

Baby, You're A Firework!

We had a fun 4th of July! We celebrated with my mom and step-dad. I love that we live so close and we can just do all kinds of fun things together.

Our day started off with us heading out to annual 4th of July Parade downtown!
The parade starts every single year at 10am. So of course we left our house at 9am to get a perfect spot.
Colin did pretty good waiting in the wagon but then he got a little tired of sitting there so he came out of course wanted to run around like a wild man!

Colin loved the parade for the most part. The only thing he didn't care for was the loud fire engines.
These are few of the pictures I took while the parade was going on. Both boys really enjoyed it and I am always happy to go because it is such a nice family thing for us to do together. Seriously, even Marissa likes it!
My mom, the kids Grammy - we all love her so much!

Every year after the parade we always walk around downtown to get my favorite Kettle Corn. Cade always rides the Cow Train and tries to do anything else there might be out there. Last year, there was a huge waterslide and he was really hoping it would be out this year. It wasn't and he was disappointed.
Riding the Cow Train
Now, since Cade rode this, of course Colin wanted to ride the CHOO CHOO TRAIN! But he couldn't ride it alone so guess who rode with him...
Then, we headed back to go home, eat lunch, swim in the pool, and cookout before the fireworks. However, this what happens when you have been up since 6:30am and having way too much fun in the sun and heat!
You fall asleep sitting up!

I will post more pictures from our 4th but I haven't uploaded those yet!