That's what he said!

When Lucas was just a wee baby, I stayed home with him for the first year.  He learned by watching and copying everything I did. He was the only kid around most of the time so he really grew up faster than most, in my opinion.  He crawled, walked, and talked at a very early age. Cason is developmentally almost exactly on the same time frame as Lucas, maybe even a little faster.  But, he has Lucas to copy, and follow.  Whatever Lucas is doing, Cason wants to do it as well.  And, therefore, whatever Lucas SAYS, Cason wants to say also.  Yesterday he learned:

HEY HEY HEY
&
YO YO YO

He also now knows how to body slam, and "shake his booty". This should continue to get even more interesting and funny as the days go by!

Miscellaneous... A picture post!

I know you all have been patiently awaiting some new pictures from my fancy-schmancy new camera.  If you are my friend on facebook, then you have already been subject to it's greatness. I am so in love with it and learning more everyday!  Here are some random pictures of what we've been up to lately!

Nice,  lazy spring days, relaxing outside :

Playing in the dirt:

(thooper man looks thooper pissed)

Swinging:

Isn't always as relaxing as it should be, evidently:

Talking on the phone:

Playing with the dogs:

(Lucas loves this one because Sarge is "smiling")

Playing baseball in the yard:

Being silly:

Bubble baths:

Learning new things, like books, puzzles, and crayons: 

Spending time with Granny:



Reading:

Loving:

Helping with dinner:

And, cleanup:

Climbing:

 More pictures and fun to come later this week!  For now, it's back to work I go. Break is OV-A! 

My oldest boy

My oldest boy is:

funny

spontaneous

goofy

smart

engaging

loving

quirky (like me)

creative

 My oldest boy is not:

boring
plain
dull

I had my camera in hand, ready to shoot, and told him to make his favorite faces.  This was all done in a matter of about ten seconds! This boy is so photogenic.  But, I am to blame- he has had a camera stuck in his face since the day he was born and he knows how to work it.

My first haircut...

Our big boy got his first big boy haircut! He walked into the salon looking like a baby, and walked out looking like a real kid! My stylist, good friend and cousin-in-law Abigail did the cut and she did a great job with. She really loves kids and has a little boy of her own, so she knew what it took to get the job done... a blue sucker! By the time we left, Cason, Abigail, her chair, and myself were covered in a layer of blue sticky! Here are a few pics:

Uhh... Mommy? What is going on here?



Needed a little persuasion, after literally jumping out of the chair!



Lucas got a cut also.  He wanted a mohawk, but we opted for a less extreme version.  The hair on top is a little longer than the sides, and looks fun when we "stick it up", but also looks good when combed down.

Before



After (he loves it!)



Movin' on up....

Look! I got a new blog design! Isn't it sweet? I also got a custom signature, see:

Still playing catch up...

I feel old. I have found that if I don't blog daily, or soon after something funny or significant happens... I forget!! I had several topics floating around in my head this week, but things at work have been nothing short of chaotic. You see, I work for the grand ole State of Texas - Department of Criminal Justice to be exact.  And, Texas, you see, is in a bit of a pickle given the current massive budget shortfalls.  For TDCJ that equals... you got it, a Reduction In Force.  That, my friends, is stressful.  Given my current position, in a high profile office, makes it even more stressful.  I was fairly confident from the beginning that my job is safe and had that confirmed this week by my boss. However, that doesn't change the fact that people I know, people I grew up with, and people I work with daily were effected.  Sad business. 

Anyway, everything going on at work, plus everything going on at home (grocery shopping, t-ball meetings, Scentsy activities, etc etc etc...) has left my blog on the back burner. So, heres a list of some things we've been up to lately.  You know I love a good list.

 Lucas and Cody at Cody's party

Heath bought me a new camera!! I am so excited. It is brand-spankin'-new and top of the line. I have been playing with it a lot. The quality of my blog pics is about to drastically improve!

  This little baby right here, complete with an exrta wide angle lens (perfect for baseball shots!), all kinds of accesories, and a sweet bag to hold it all!

Lucas' t-ball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, is fully up and running and we begin practice next week!!  Heath had a coaches meeting at the fields Wednesday night so the boys and I came to town with him and played on the playground nearby.  Lucas and another little boy quickly attached themselves to one another and played what sounded like their version of hide and go seek.  Cason found the slide and absolutely loved it!! I think we must have climbed and slid (is that a word?) and climbed some more. We had a great time, and despite the low lighting/twilight time of day- my camera outdid itself and got some GREAT shots... that I still need to upload to the computer!!!!!!!

Cason is chattering up a storm. He has started saying several new things this week, to include:

backpack

upstairs

outside

love you

(this is so adorably cute, it's just unbelievable)





Tuesday, I took the day off and spent some time with just Heath and Lucas. Sometimes he needs a little one-on-one time. Part of being the older kid, I guess. Afterall, he was our one and only for 4 years! We spent the day in The Woodlands.  We all had a really good time.  Afterwards, we picked Cason up from daycare and spent the rest of the afternoon playing outside at home. ((And trying out my new camera!))

Monday, the boys and I went to the park after I picked them up and played for about thirty minutes...good way to release some energy!

Other than that, our week has been filled with normal, everyday stuff.

a REE-view

I REEcently REEcieved a book that I have been covetting since I first learned of it's being published...written by a dear, sweet friend. (Ok- that may be a stretch.)

Anyone who is anyone in the US who loves blogs, food, and plain old fun stories about a city girl being transplanted to country life knows exactly who Ree Drummond is. But for those of you unfamiliar with Ree, or as she is more well know, The Pioneer Woman, you will definitely want to take a look at her blog and upcoming book. Well, both unfamiliar and familiar will want to in fact. Ree is one of the funniest and industrious ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting...I mean uh, reading about. Connecting with on many levels.  Fantasizing about being best friends with... Ok, I'll stop.  Coming from a background that involved morning lattes and subway rides daily to a life of tractors and cow herding is only the tip of this incredible lady’s story. I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of my copy of Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story.  It was out in time for Valentine’s Day (Feb. 01, 2011),the perfect story to have you swooning for your very own “cowboy.” Take a look at The Pioneer Woman site and the book synopsis below for more great details…




“That’s when I saw him—the cowboy—across the smoky room.”



I’ll never forget that night. It was like a romance novel, an old Broadway musical, and a John Wayne western rolled into one. Out for a quick drink with friends, I wasn’t looking to meet anyone, let alone a tall, rugged cowboy who lived on a cattle ranch miles away from my cultured, corporate hometown. But before I knew it, I’d been struck with a lightning bolt . . . and I was completely powerless to stop it.



Read along as I recount the rip-roaring details of my unlikely romance with a chaps-wearing cowboy, from the early days of our courtship (complete with cows, horses, prairie fire, and passion) all the way through the first year of our marriage, which would be filled with more challenge and strife—and manure—than I ever could have expected.



This isn’t just my love story; it’s a universal tale of passion, romance, and all-encompassing love that sweeps us off our feet.



It’s the story of a cowboy.



And Wranglers.



And chaps.



And the girl who fell in love with them.