Ben's new ride

Well,we bit the bullet and are saying good bye to the tride and true Cavalier!! Yes, we are parting ways after almost a 11 year relationship but it's time. Ben's co-work has a son heading off to college and approached Ben about selling him our Cavalier for his son to take. Ben had been thinking about a new car but we have grown accustome to NO car payments, low tax and low insurance over the last 6 year so it was long consideration. Ben pondered and crunch numbers over the last few months and started looking at all the cars and found his ONE so he is now driving a Volvo S90 T6. Mind you it's used but it's new to Ben and he is excited as it's luxuary car compared to the Cavalier. I'm happy for my honey as he works so hard and is doing so well! He deserves a nice ride to work and a car that he can actually take co-workers out to lunch in. Yeah BEN!

The breakfast strike is OVER! (hopefully!)

Ryan has been on a breakfast strike for a month now. The kid wouldn't eat cereal, eggs, toast, even pancakes! All I could get the kid to eat some mornings was a frozen organic nutri-grain waffle and even than he'd only take a few bites. I am happy to report the strike hopefully is over!!! He has eaten cereal 3 mornings in a row and to top it all off he has added eating his veggies and mandarin oranges at dinner. It's been sometime since that happened also. I guess he knows what he likes however the boycotts are frustrating, as eating little fruit or veggies doesnt make me so happy but hopefully we are back on track. I have really tried hard to have the kids eat healthy but lately I just want the little guy to eat, so seeing him recently chow down half a can of mandarin oranges, 2 servings of green beans, 2 servings of rice and chicken made me see there is hope again.

Brothers

Just a little blurb to comment on my two little men in my life. I can say that I never have a dull moment with two little boys around the house. Some days it's amazing and some it absoulutley painful. I try and focus on the amazing days or I would probly lose my mind!! The boys are beginging to play more and more together. They love to chase one another and giggle and laugh hysterically while doing it, they also love building forts with cushions and blankets in the downstairs family room. They are starting to appreciate one another company alittle more each day. Keaton loves to go get Ryan from his bed each morning and after naps. He runs in like he hasnt seen him in years, it's so cute. It's nice to have a buddy around for each of them and it's nice that they both are learning to share, how to have some patience with someone else and how to negotiate to make things work out.

Now to how they fight like brothers!! Keaton at times likes his space and likes having things to himself and having that pesky brother coming around getting in his way, messing with his things sets off some battles. Now dont get me wrong, no fist are flying it's just the old fashion "MOM, get Ryan , MOOOOOOOM make him go away he's bugging me!" I have to give both of them credit as they both are pretty good natured boys and they tolerate each other pretty well. In the end someone is usually removed or the toy that is being fought over is removed and someones feelings are hurt but at least it's not a bloody nose or black eye... I've heard some not so nice stories about siblings fighting!!

Keaton is such a helper and loves his little brother, he helps him at all the big playgrounds that he's having trouble at, he protectes him when other kids are playing rough at the playlands and he alerts me if Ryan is having a problem or need if I'm not right there. Ryan too loves his big bro so much. He fallows him around imatating him all the time. Keaton does it, Ryan does it!! If Keaton's not around he'll walk around looking and yelling "WHERE'S BROTHER?" It warms my heart the relationship they are building now I am wondering what adding one more would bring to the picture.

The damn is opening!!

Ryan has been chattering for a while now but some we still didn't understand but he sure has turned the corner. He went from simple words and very simple sentences to fully communicating now. It all started with a dinosaur fossil which keeps breaking and he found that he gets much farther getting his dinosaur fixed when he uses he's words that I understand. "Momma, bones are broken! " "Dinosaur bone piece gone,momma!" "Dinosaur please momma, PLEASE get it!" Those are a few sentences that I hear constantly lately !! The cute one tonight was when I gave him some chocolate pudding for dessert. Yummy mommy, it's good!" and another to share is when I stole a small bite of fish off his plate at dinner and he looked at me and pointed to my plate and said "That's your yum, yum mom! That's mine!" Needless to say the damn is opening up more and more. He's been doing pretty well but he's really communicating now and I am understanding his needs even more which is SO wonderful. Ryan is a joy and so much fun! He's so playful and curious and my favorite right now is watching him dance! The boys got moves!!

New pics in the photo collection

Not alot of time to write about our fantastic trip over the Fourth but I posted the photo's and will post about the trip later today hopefully.

One whole year!

It's been a year already and I cant believe it!!! Yes folks it's been a year since we pack up and left our beloved Raleigh, NC and headed out here to the West and made our home in Colorado Springs. Time has been flying by is all I can say. The boys are growing and changing daily into amazing little men, Ben is doing well at work and I am finally adjusting to everything . We finally are adjusted somewhat to the climate. We survived a LONG winter, accepted that Spring starts in June and dark clouds mean nothing most of the time and that we live in a very arid, dry climate and things just don't grow like we were use to!!! We have also come to accept and love that there is NO humidity, no bugs for the most part (NO MOSQUITO'S) I can leave the doors open and the most I get is random fly. We have clear blue sky's and sun almost everyday, it's rare to even see a cloud in the sky until mid afternoon and that cloud is welcome to give your eyes and sun scorched skin a break. The mountains are gorgeous and over so many fun things to do. Overall the move has been great for our family in many ways so we have to be thankful for everything and enjoy life as much as possible as that's what life is I've found.... A Journey that is full of the unknown and that unknown is where you find what you least expected but hold most dear.