True Beauty!

So, I don't know how I never realized that I had truly grown up in the most beautiful place on earth! I never really appreciate it until after I had moved away, I'm sad to say. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm just so much older and wiser now...I can truly appreciate these things! :) I guess it's always true, you never really know what you've got till it's gone (or at least really far away!).

Here's the view from our walk down to the beach! I have seen the most beautiful sunsets imaginable from this very spot! Truly a piece of heaven on earth!!!

Play Ball

In my attempts to win back my children's affection (after having neglected them severely this past weekend!), I decided to use the tickets we had bought earlier in the summer to go the the Astro's game last night. Usually this is a Daddy/Son activity...but who says Mommy can't go too...especially if Daddy happens to be out of town!?!?!?

So here we are...enjoying the game in a PACKED park! I don't think I've ever been to a game so well attended...and the fact that we won just added to the crowd frenzy! It was great!!!

Yeah...should have looked at the pic after I took it...it's the only group shot we got and Ethan apparently forgot to say cheese!

Again, a not-so-good pic, but I had to try and capture Ethan clapping. He would clap like crazy squeal with excitement anytime the crowd started cheering! And with the Astros in the lead...the crowd was cheering quite frequently!!! And, never mind that the picture makes it look as though he claps in his sleep - he was awake and LOVING it!!!

Garrett's token picture of the Minute Maid Train! I think we have 10 pictures of this train...just from different angles depending on our seats at the time! We tried to capture the fireworks too...but our timing was way off!

Garrett had to take this picture too...the reader board kept flashing 'ASTROS WIN!!!' and he really wanted to show Dad that they had won. So this one's for you Steve! Sorry you can't read it!!! :)

We're back...well kind of!

In an effort to try and salvage my blog...I am posting. But just a warning...this is going to be quick!

We are back from our trip and had such a wonderful time! But upon returning, I have come back to to one of the busiest weeks of my entire existence! Whew...even my poor kids are feeling it! Poor Garrett, after returning from he and Ethan's millionth trip to the babysitters' or friend's houses (as my friends are watching my children around the clock!), he informed me that he didn't want to go to anyone else's house for at least 10 days after the quilting bee! Poor baby...he broke down and told me this as I'm hanging up the phone from working out tomorrow's line-up of child-care! I don't know how day-care mommies do it...this is about to do me in - and I'm only leaving them with great friends whom we love dearly!!! :)

So, here's my promise to resume writing/posting/catching-up by mid next week! I just have a few huge projects to get through and I'll be officially back!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the chaos of summer! It seems like we are all so busy right now!

Happy #8!

I love you Steve-o!!!
Thanks for eight amazing years!

My baby is back!

I have to admit, I had no idea that teething could be so incredibly difficult! Our poor Ethan has been a complete wreck for about a week and a half! Garrett, when he was little, just sprouted his little teeth and never once complained...I'd just look in his mouth periodically and find that he had new teeth. Ethan, on the other hand, has been completely miserable. Throw a cold and runny nose on top of that and he was a total wreck! But, finally today, he seems to be back to his usual self...silly, happy, goofy, smiley, sweet and cuddly. All the things a baby should be!

So here's to hoping that he'll get a little break in the tooth growing department for a bit. He needs a little reprieve - and actually, I think we all do!

Happy Fourth...only a few days late!

So, I just had to get my frustrated venting session off of my most recent posts...things really are great and I really didn't mean to complain! I think I just use this as a journal/venting place probably more than I should! :)

So anyway...hope everyone had a great 4th! We had a wonderful day, filled with amazing friends, fun all day long and WAY too much food! Let me just say that it is a VERY good thing I still have two more days of working out before our trip!!!

Here are a few pics from yesterday...

We spent the afternoon swimming with friends...Garrett had his lovely floaties on for the picture, but he's almost rid of them! Thank goodness, since in my opinion (and his), he has completely grown past the Elmo phase...but I refuse to buy any more floaties...since he's almost swimming on his own and hopefully won't need them at all soon!

Ethan is loving the water these days...he's either so excited and playing like mad, or he's so relaxed that he's falling asleep - no matter what position he's in! I'll have to get a pic of that next time we go...it is so funny!

Here's Ethan as soon as the fireworks started...hmmm, maybe I should have explained the loud noises to him a bit BEFORE all the loud booms and bangs started! He did like it...he just preferred to be held firmly in my arms instead of lounging in his own chair!Hmmm...that's funny! Garrett also vetoed his own chair idea too and preferred to watch safely tucked away behind Daddy!

We ended the night at the end of our driveway lighting off little fireworks with our neighbors...shhh, don't tell the homeowners association!!!

Garrett, while enjoying the sights...absolutely refuses to take part in anything besides the little pop/snappers. You know...the little things that you throw down on the ground and they snap??? Yep, he looks forward to those all year long! He would have been 100% happy if Steve would have brought home a bag full of those and left the sparklers for someone else to enjoy! But I guess I was the same way as a kid...so I guess my boys do take after me in some small way!

I'm including this one only to offer proof that I was involved in the festivities!

Running in circles...

That pretty much sums up my life right now...I feel like I am running in circles and going nowhere fast! Seriously...I was trying to explain to Steve last night (in one of our rare conversations these days!) that I feel like I'm doing so much to try and please/help/teach/enrich both of our children, but in doing so, I feel as though I am failing them both! Neither one seems to get getting what they need because I am being pulled so dramatically in two different directions! I guess that's what you get when you have children 5 years apart!

I keep thinking that it will be better in the fall (don't things always look better from a distance?!?). Garrett will be in school and will so excited to be learning new things and having all these new experiences. I'll then have the chance to focus on Ethan...just Ethan for a little bit. I have been reminiscing about Garrett at Ethan's age...and all the things that we would go do. But I just can't figure out how to do the library story-times with the two extreme ages...or even simple little things...the pool is even proving to be so very difficult at times.

Now don't get me wrong, I love being a mom! I love it more than anything...and I love having my two kiddos. They are both miracles and the fact that they are even here and that I am here with them is priceless! I am cherishing every moment that I have with them (well, except yesterday...that was just a hard day all around!). And the age gap has been wonderful too in it's own ways!

I guess this feeling of trying so very hard and yet feeling like I'm coming up short is wearing on me. But never fear...I will figure it out - and I'll figure it out soon! I'm not waiting for the fall! Every day is a new day with new things...and with little ones, each day proves to be so different! Ethan is constantly learning something new and testing his boundaries - both good and bad! So hopefully, we'll find a happy medium here soon and we'll be back to our normal, fulfilling days!

Another one...

So, Garrett always is making charts like this...listing out our ages as if they were scores in a game. As if I need a reminder that I am getting older! I'm just glad that Steve is now listed as 30 right along with me...it makes that magical number seem not so bad. So here's what he created on another 'word' typing session, but I find these on scrap papers all around the house very frequently!

Garrett 5 steve 30 Ethan 1 Dani 30

Too Funny!

So, earlier when I was working in the office...Garrett asked if he could 'pretty please' type on the computer? I said sure - I mean, how can you say NO to 'pretty please'?!? I pulled up Word for him, made the font a bit bigger and let him type to his hearts content. A few minutes later...this is what I turned around to find.

Fee fie foe fum

from Garrett the giant little man

This kid just makes me laugh!