aubrey girl

Little Aubrey turned two on June 25th, and Brooke was excited to go to her cousin's birthday party.  Not only was it a birthday party, but it was at the park.  Doesn't get better than that :)  Add to that a sprinkle donut, and I guess it does get better. 

Colby went on his first swing ride, which he loved. His sister and cousins all wanted to help push him.

I can't remember who put this Hello Kitty hat on Colby, but everyone thought it was pretty cute.  With a sister and girl cousins, he is bound to play some dress up in the future, haha.

As we were driving home, I smelled something gross.  I asked Kevin if he could smell it, and he said he couldn't.  I figured Colby must have pooped, but didn't think much about it.  We still had 25 minutes until we would be home.  I continued talking to Kevin, but the smell seemed to be getting worse.  Colby was being quiet, so I actually thought he may have fallen asleep.  I turned around and jokingly said to Brooke, "Can you ask Colby if he had a blowout?"  She looked over at him, and said, "He did, and he's eating it."  WHAT???? I literally jumped up to look over my seat, and saw Colby covered, LITERALLY COVERED, in his poop.  He had his hands in his mouth, and was possibly eating the poop.  I grabbed his hands away from his face, and began telling Kevin that we needed to pull over immediately.  We were on a toll road, so not exactly the best place to pull over.  I grabbed some wipes and began wiping off his face and hands.  Kevin pulled over as quickly as he could, and we determined that we shouldn't get him out because we couldn't clean up his carseat well anyways...so we wiped up as much as possible, then I sat in the back next to Stinky to ensure that he didn't make an even bigger mess.

How does this even happen??  He was so quiet, but now I understand why the stench was becoming unbearable.  He looked pretty pleased with himself, though, so I did take a quick picture. We pulled him from his disgusting carseat when we arrived home, and he went straight to the bathtub.  Kevin was on carseat duty, and he said he basically just power washed the whole thing.  Thankfully, the cover can go in the washing machine, so that was phase two of clean-up.  It's a good thing he is so cute, because holy disgusting, that poop was smelly!

10 years

I still can't believe that we've been married for 10 years.  That just sounds like a really long time! With our anniversary approaching, I started talking to Kevin about how we were going to celebrate.  I wanted to do something unique and special since it was TEN years we were celebrating.  We talked about going on a weekend adventure somewhere, but we had one small problem with this plan.  Colby wouldn't take a bottle!  We tried on multiple attempts, but were only semi-successful and I worried about leaving him for even one night. Getting him to nap and sleep at night would have been pretty rough, so we decided against it.  I think I cared more than Kevin.  His thought process was that although it would be fun to do a weekend away, that just wasn't conducive to our situation right now. We have plenty of time for those adventures in the future.  He was right, so we decided to just dress up and go on a fancy date.  I have always wanted to go eat at the Reunion Tower in Dallas, but they didn't have any reservations available when I called two weeks ahead, and the menu didn't exactly appeal to me...so we opted for The Capital Grille in Dallas.

Since we don't go out often, this was a real treat. I was reminded about how important it is to take time for our marriage.  I loved the conversation and the fact that we were able to eat dinner without any interruptions.

I love this guy and am so grateful for the 10 beautiful years we have had together.  I wanted to make something sentimental for Kev, so I looked back through thousands of photos to find some of my favorite memories over the years.  I printed 70 pictures, laminated them, hole punched the corners, and put a ring around it.  I brought it out during dinner, and it was fun to talk about all the memories associated with each picture.  We had a lot of fun adventures before we had kids, and feel so grateful for the addition of our two sweet babies.  I'm grateful to have Kevin's love and support, and I look forward to many more adventures with him by my side. 

i love to see the temple

I hate to admit this, but until this day (June 24th), our kids had never been to the Dallas Temple.  Brooke has been to the Salt Lake City Temple, and both kids have been outside the Ft Lauderdale temple, but we had never made a point of driving them to see our temple.  This particular Friday, I had to make a last minute trip to the church bookstore to buy camp manuals for the girls leaving the following Monday.  Since the bookstore is right by the temple, I thought it was the perfect opportunity.  The whole way there, we talked about the temple and Brooke was super excited.  As soon as she saw it, she started shouting, "I see the temple, I see it, I see it."  

They did a total facelift to the landscaping around the temple, and even added a water feature on the south side. It totally elevated the whole look of the temple.  I made a comment to the lady in the distribution center about how great it looked, and her comment was something along the lines of "I know, I was never proud of our temple before, but now I am really proud of it." Hahaha, at least she was honest.

As we left the distribution center, I really wanted to take Brooke into the waiting area of the temple.  I wasn't sure what the rules were since we were in street clothes and I had my umbrella stroller with Colby in tow...but I saw another mom inside with a child, so I went for it.  I reminded Brooke to be reverent, but as soon as we stepped inside, she totally changed.  She was so quiet, then made a comment about how it was a special place.  A temple worker passed her and complimented her on being so reverent, which totally made her day.  We didn't stay long, but just long enough to admire the beautiful furnishings and feel of the special spirit there.

I love this picture of her looking up at the temple.  I need to print it for her room as a constant reminder to set her sights on the temple.

I remind these kids all the time that we are a family forever because of the temple.  Such a beautiful blessing and promise!!

june with the littles

During Kevin's week off, we had a pizza/pool party with the Richeys.  It was a treat to swim with Daddy, and Colby must have been sleepy because he was so dang cuddly!!  Kevin was in heaven.

Brooke loves Harvey (who is only a few months younger than her), but she REALLY loves Frost, who is a few months older than Colby. It was fun seeing these two interact and play "alligator" and "shark" in the pool.

Moments to remember from June: hanging in the hammock with Daddy...

Mailing all of Brookie's pacifiers "to the babies".  We had been talking about this for a few weeks, and Brooke was excited about the idea.  We were prepping her for the big day by explaining that there were a lot of babies who didn't have pacifiers.  They needed her pacifiers to go to sleep at night :)  So, we packaged up all of her pact's in a box with a note to the babies.  She helped me take it out to the mailbox, and a few hours later, we went out to see if it was gone (which it was).

The first night was a little rough, but not as bad as I was expecting.  She whined a little about needing her paci, but again, not as bad as I thought because she was really attached to those things.  We told her that maybe the babies would mail her something back as a way of saying thank you.  That was really what calmed her down that first night.  She started naming all the things that the babies might send her, like a Cherry Jam doll, a Cherry Jam microphone, Cherry Jam pajamas, and a Raspberry Torte doll (which I suggested since that's what I bought, haha!).

She slept all night without any issues, but when I went in her room the next morning, she said "Maybe the babies can just mail my pacis back to me."  Hahaha.  She's a smart girl.  I told her that we should go check the front porch.  And sure enough, she had a package waiting for her.  She was ecstatic. She asked for her paci once or twice over the next few days, but she was easily redirected.  This was SO much easier than I thought it would be.  I still don't regret allowing her to have them so long because I think they were super helpful for her (especially after Colby was born and she started having tantrums), but i'm also glad to be done with them.

Colby's thighs are delicious!  Such cute little rolls.

We were picking out fabric at Hobby Lobby, and I got a kick out of the fact that my little princess was over there checking out the princess fabrics.

We had Brooke's 3 year check-up, which was a bit rough, even though she didn't have to get any shots.  She just hates the doctor's office now! It makes me sad, but I guess that's what happens when you have too many negative experiences there.  We went to Kroger after the appointment, and she she was super happy about driving that green car.

This is how I found Brooke one morning.  She looked so big to me, so I wanted a picture to remember that moment.

Our good friend Rachel ordered this dress for Brooke, and she felt so fancy in it.  She also adores Miss Rachel, so she was especially excited to rock that dress to church where Rachel would see her.  It is a little on the short side, but I thought she looked pretty adorable.

Sunday picture with Daddy, in a 12-18 month onesie!  I planned on him wearing that this Fall, but I knew that he would outgrow it if he didn't start wearing it sooner.

We had a playdate with Brooke's new nursery friend Teagan.  She is a sweet little girl, and although Brooke had a rough time sharing at the beginning, these two had a fun few hours together. Teagan's mom and little sister Everly stayed as well, so I was able to get to know them better.

And nothing makes running errands better than ending with a little Cold Stone ice cream.  As you can tell by Brooke's rosy cheeks, it was HOT outside.  I hate that we get so sweaty and gross just out running errands, but that is the reality of a Texas summer.

By the end of June, potty training was in full swing.  Turns out that potty training may be the hardest thing I have done as a parent so far.  It was way harder than I thought, and was a MAJOR test of my patience.  I can look back now (two months later), and say that it was worth it, but at the time I really wanted to throw in the towel.  We used a LOT of rewards, prizes, and treats, but hey, whatever works, right??

endless summer

We have spent A LOT of time swimming this summer!  I was initially a little worried about taking both kids swimming by myself, but once I had a system, it worked out great.  I ordered that puddle jumper for Brooke, and she loved it!  It helped that the first time we tried it out, she was able to jump in the pool with all her bigger friends (especially Mattie-pictured above).  She loved the independence she had, and I loved that she was safe in and around the water without my constant help.  I knew that my hands were going to be full with Colby!  He was content to sit in the pool float we used for Brooke when she was a baby.

Colby really is such a chill baby.  As long as he is in my arms, or near people, he is a happy camper.

Almost every Friday, we had a pool date with the original Arlington friends.  It was great to see my friends every week, and the kids had a fun time playing together. We chatted, swam, and picnicked by the pool. We also met up with our play group (church friends) almost every week.  The Hawkins were part of that group, but we also saw them at other times during the week since we are neighbors :)

One morning, we went to the pool on a whim, and we had the whole place to ourselves!  For almost two hours!!  It's great being there with friends, but I also enjoyed the time to just play with my babies and give them all of my attention.

And when you have friends who take great pictures (Miss Danielle), you get surprises like this in your inbox.  I love that she captured these moments with my Colby boy.

thankful for fathers

The YW were given the task of preparing something for the fathers in the ward, and since I didn't have it ready for the girls to help me with at mutual, Brooke became my assistant.  She lives for stuff like this, haha.  I had all the printables (thanks Pinterest) cut out and ready, and she helped me tape them on and stack them up :) I love having her involved in tasks like this.  I can tell that she feels super important, and I love to "work on projects" together. 

I helped Brooke make a special card for Daddy, and she was so excited to give it to him that morning. She carried it in with a few gifts we ordered from Amazon :) As a side note, this is the first time Kevin has really grown out a beard.  What started as a few lazy days of not wanting to shave, turned into full on beard mode.  He looked really handsome, but I wasn't a fan because it was too scratchy.  He kept it about a week, then shaved it off.  Totally threw Colby for a loop, haha.

It was a fairly low-key morning, and then it was church as usual.  I rather enjoy my time during the second hour with Colby.  It is always really quiet in the Mother's Lounge, and its free from distractions and interruptions.  This boy has my heart!!

Since we were running late to church, I didn't get a picture of Kevin with the kids.  By the time we get home from church, Colby is normally asleep, so I made Kevin duck into the Mother's Lounge after church so I could snap a cute picture.  He really is such a fabulous Dad and our kids adore him!  One of my favorite moments of each day is when Kevin walks in the door.  When Brooke hears the door beep, she takes off running and screams "Daddy, Daddy", then jumps into his arms and gives him the best "wrappy" hug, as we call it.

We celebrated later that afternoon with Papa. Papa loved his present (a canvas of him and Colby to add to the collection, and Colby loved his first taste of corn on the cob.

Kevin is a wonderful Dad to our kids and I know that they will always know how much their Daddy loves them.  Before Brooke was born, I was working on her baby book.  They had pages for both the mother and father to write letters to their baby. Kevin's letter was so sweet, and he wrote that he wanted to always "Preside, provide and protect" (from The Family: A Proclamation to the World).  He does just that, and I am falling more in love with him every day as he magnifies that role!

I am also blessed with a wonderful Dad and Father-In-Law.  They love and support our family, and take their roles as "Papa" very seriously.