Back to School-Back to the Gym ;]

So I'm super proud to say that Derek is hitting the books again for like the 4th semester in a row, A RECORD....! Just kidding :) Well, I'm not. But anyway, he is super smart and has some pretty lofty goals to accomplish :) I needed something to get back to, and since I have taken about a three month break from the gym this summer, I decided that getting back in the gym wasn't a bad idea ;)

Another toot for Derek, hopefully he doesn't read this (HA!), but he has been going to the gym for about 5 months straight 5-6 days a week. He has set goals, made them, set some more and is reaching them. Awesome, huh? I have never been able to say that I have reached goals at the gym.......YIKES. Although his goals would be easy for me (to gain 15 pounds), it is just as hard for him to gain as it is for me to lose! UGH! I wish! Anyway, he has been a little bit of an inspiration for me. Not to mention working all the while ;) He is a buff piece of man meat with a pretty awesome six pack ;)

I also love how good he is at his job :) and he loves it. and so do his babes. Every chance we get, we try to go with him to the fields :)

Brody loves the "big tractors" and wants to be just like his dad. Braylee is just excited to be with her brother.

We took a little hike up to Ross Falls one weekend. My Camera died before we got to the top, but we did get some shots for memories sake. The last time we had hiked up there, was when I found out I was pregnant with Brody. It was fun to remember :)

 And I guess the best part about being the author, is if you hate the pictures of yourself, you don't have to put em up ;)!

Brody and Braylee are growing up so fast ;( I have been trying to be a little better and spend more time with them... just playing... This is what our typical days have been filled with......

We also have been spending a lot of our nights sleeping out on the tramp :) Now that it has been getting cooler a little quicker, it has been so nice! Derek has a fun stars app on his phone where we can see all the stars, constellations, planets, etc.... Sometimes we stay up WAY too late playing on it :) 

 

Braylee is getting so big, well wait, she is getting so old! She will be 10 months in a week or so. She seems to be thinning out a bit lately but still is as chunky as can be :) She signs for drink, bye bye, & points to the light, momma and dadda. She also has been jabbering a bit more lately and says Mamma and Dadda. 

~Her favorite movie is Kids Favorite Songs with Elmo

~Her favorite food is POPCICLES and ICEE's!!! (she's her momma's girl!)

~Her favorite person is Brody (by far), and her Grandpa Bunny :)

~Her favorite toy is basically anything of her brothers, lately airplanes 

~At almost 10 months, she still has NO teeth!

~At almost 10 months, she still DOESN'T Crawl, but would love you to walk her around the house.

Bray girl is the sweetest little thing on this planet. Hands down the best baby :) We love her to pieces!

Brody boy is getting so big and OLD too ;( I cant stand the fact that I only get 5 years at home with him :( I'm pretty sure pre-school is scratched off his list! He is the sweetest big brother. He is constantly wanting Braylee to join in on the fun. Whenever he is going to do something fun, he turns around and says, "What about the little sissy?" He carries her everywhere, brings her toys, and bites off little pieces of his food for her so she, "Doesn't choke and die, mommy." I was driving in the car the other day and packed Brody a sandwich to bring along. Braylee was fussy and I turned around and Brody had pinched off a teeny tiny piece, so small that I'm not even sure she tasted it. It was the sweetest thing EVER.

One day as we were cleaning up our lunch Brody asked me, "Mommy, How does Jesus get all this food to our house?" I was so shocked that he actually thinks about what he says in his prayers when he thanks Jesus for the food :) Oh the joys of raising and innocent 3 year old :)!

Brody is constantly reminding me how tough he is. At least a few times a day. One day he said, "mommy, did you remember that I was tough?" I assured him that I remembered and I didn't think I would EVER forget. A few minutes later he said, "Mommy, your not as tough as Daddy and me, are you?" I again assured him that they are WAY tougher than me, and reminded him how Daddy and him basically take me out on the tramp together almost daily :)

Derek is playing on a city-league flag football team and you can imagine how super excited Brody was for this. His first game was last week and Brody is still talking about how he needs to get a helmet, poky shoes, and some gloves so he can be like those, "football guys." 

Anyway, that is a little update :)

Perspective.

Isn't it crazy how one little story can touch your life and change your perspective? I know that is why these things happen : to help ME. Tonight as I was laying Braylee down to bed and I didn't rush reading her books. Really. I read them to her until she was done. I am usually so ancy to get her to sleep so I can help Brody man get his teeth brushed, stories read, and prayers said. I hate how I rush all of this, what's the rush? I layed by Braylee tonight and sang her to sleep. It was so great. She laid there for a least ten minutes and just stared, listening. This goes by so fast. I absolutely hate it. I am very grateful for 2 healthy children that love me for me and teach me what this world is really all about. I'm going to try and be a little more aware of what really matters. I love material things, tanning, and everything else that doesn't matter. But I love them more. I love my babies and don't know what I would do without them.

Our Daddy, Our Mommy {best friends}

Our Daddy is the best Daddy :]

Our Mommy is the best Mommy :]

And they are {best friends}

{Our Babies} p.s. [I wish my husband was a camera lover]

There is nothing I love more than these two.... I am so lucky to spend all day with them!

Braylee girl just turned nine months old yesterday.... I can't believe how fast it goes. Really. I can't believe that she will be one in 3 months. I just brought this sweet girl home didn't I?

 

Braylee loves to stand up. She is not interested in crawling, but she has a burning desire to keep up with her brother. I guess walking will have to be the way :)

 

I am concerned that I will never get another girl again. I mean, I would love more boys, and surely wouldn't care if the rest were boys, but I love to dress Braylee up because I know I would regret it if I never got another girl! So she loves to cramp my style by ripping off her bows, taking off her bracelets and hating shoes....

Braylee is really into copy lately. If you growl, she growls. If you say momma, she says momma. She is really good at signing drink now, and does it often! I love having these little memories! It wasn't until I had Braylee that I realized how important these little things were and how quickly you forget. I always say, "I wonder when Brody did this?" Sometimes I look back and can find it, but a lot of the time I can't. I hope to be better!

Brody is hilarious. Such a great personality. He loves sports. This has never changed. He has loved it forever. He loves all sports movies, even if they are grown-up ones like Remember the Titans, Rudy, etc. He says the FUNNIEST stuff. The other day he was waving good by to his daddy and blowing kisses, and as soon as Derek drove away he said, "Daddy is so cute, Huh?" I told him that I wasn't sure if he was cute, but he was very handsome ;) He also always runs around saying, "Mommy, you look pretty, SO pretty." Finally Derek got a little intimidated and said, "Brody, you are making me look bad!" 

Derek and I were talking the other day and we both have a little school pride when it comes to our high schools. I said something a little off the wall and Derek said, "You must have graduated from Salmon." Brody got really defensive and said, "No she didn't Daddy!, She is beautiful!" Can you just say, melt my little heart <3.

One more story. This might be horrible parenting, but o-well. We used to tell Brody that he needed to put his seat belt on and keep it on or else the cops were gonna pull us over and take him to jail. I know, I know, HORRIBLE. But it worked. And then it wore off. He could care less. So then somehow we turned it in to the gorilla cops. (He happens to be afraid of gorillas). It started working again. REALLY WELL. He loves to run around naked. I happen to HATE it. But he knows that if he doesn't have clothes on, those gorilla cops will come a knocking! ;) Then our friends and neighbors informed us one time that they have a gorilla costume that they use at Magic Mountain for Halloween. AWESOME. The gorilla lives next door. He is so convenient too. If Brody forgets or slips, that gorilla will nicely poke his head out the door, just a little reminder.! Brody repeats, I'm sorry gorilla, go away. I will be good.

AND for Derek and I. We are good. Derek is loving his job and getting ready to start school again. I think he is secretly excited. If there is one thing I have learned about that man in 5 years, it is that he LOVES change. He simply isn't happy without it. This can be a little nerve racking at times, so I try to help this situation. For example, He always says that he HATES cold cereal. But if I happen to buy a kind that he hasn't had, he'll eat the whole box.

Ive just been loving this..... My garden. Nothing better than fresh veggies :)