The Doley's

Valentine Gifts

2012-02-12T15:26:00.001-06:00

I've been working on Valentines for Noah and Eli's class this past week. Overall I think they turned out really cute!

For Eli's daycare buddies...

Superhero Pops for Noah's daycare class...

Noah's Valentine for his preschool class...

Movie baskets for his teachers with redbox certificates and treats...

Valentine Mini Session

2012-02-10T17:41:00.001-06:00

We went a couple weeks ago to Grapevine to meet up with a friend who used to live in Wichita Falls. Adrian was doing some Valentine mini sessions so I thought I'd try to get a few pics of the boys. Noah did great. Eli was not so cooperative once again! This first one of Noah cracks me up. He was being such a ham!

The sucker was my attempt at a bribe, but even it didn't help too much!

The best one of both of them - I love that they're having so much fun!

Farmer Eli

2012-02-10T15:02:00.000-06:00

We just love this little guy so much! He constantly cracks us up. He is always telling us he want his boots on and wears them non-stop! He also loves to put on a hat anytime he can find one! The other night this is how he came out of his room after dressing himself. Silly boy!

Young Ages - January

2012-01-31T14:40:00.000-06:00

Just a few pics showing what Noah and his class did during January. They had Bear Day and also had a little goat visit them!

Noah and Andew making bear snacks

Bear Cave

Bear Picnic

Mrs. Haskin the Bear

Mrs. Massey with the baby goat

So cute!

Noah went on and on about this day!

Legoland

2012-01-29T14:23:00.000-06:00

We went to Grapevine this weekend. While we were there we decided to take the boys to Legoland. Noah has been asking to go back and he had even more fun this time. I forgot to bring my camera in, but I did take a few pics with my phone. Of course we had to get a picture with the fire hydrant!

Riding the Lego Motorcycle

Metroplex built out of Legos

Noah's race car he built

Racing his race car

Building...

Noah and the Lego guy

Daddy, Eli, and Dirk

Super Cute Valentine Shirts!

2012-01-22T17:37:00.000-06:00

We have some dear friends, the Edfeldts, who are in the process of adopting from Africa. To raise money, they are doing some different fundraisers. One of them is that Beth is making shirts. She has featured on their blog some super cute Valentine shirts for boys and girls. She also has some other designs shown too. She has made shirts for us in the past and they are always so adorable! She is one talented gal! So, if you're looking for a cute shirt for your sweet kiddo for Valentines or even their birthday check out their blog. The address is http://www.anotherpairofshoes.com or you can click on the link "The Edfeldts" to the right and it will take you there. There are some other fundraisers they're doing too that you can check out. If not anything else, read their story and be inspired!

First Wildcats Hockey Game

2012-01-21T23:47:00.000-06:00

We went to Noah and Eli's first Wildcats hockey game tonight. They both had a blast, but Noah definitely had the most fun! Eli wasn't very cooperative for pictures (surprise, surprise) so I only got a couple of good ones of Noah.

Carson and Noah

2012-01-15T21:34:00.000-06:00

Carson put Noah in a Chitenje and carries him around on her back. It was too cute!

Look no hands!

Noah's Birthday Party

2012-01-10T18:21:00.000-06:00

Noah had his 5th birthday party at Gymnastics Sports Center! There were a ton of kiddos that got to come and he had a blast. It was fire truck themed. Here's the birthday boy with his special birthday ribbon on his shirt!

Fire Truck Cake

Close-up

Fire Truck Cookies

Eli and Pop

Sponge Pit

Mr. Jeff in a classic cheerleader move

So fun!

Getting ready to blow out the candles!

Presents!

Silly Friends!

Tree Art Class

2012-01-06T14:53:00.000-06:00

I went to another art class tonight with some friends. It was so great because along with the friends I normally go with, my best friend Carson and her mom got to come too! Here we are with our "masterpieces".

Amanda, Tracy, Me

Kelley, Carson

Me and Carson

Bowling

2012-01-04T23:43:00.000-06:00

Noah wanted to go bowling for his 5th birthday family celebration. He was certain that Mr. Jeff and Mrs. Carson plus Pop and Grammy had to be there! So, we all went bowling that evening. It was a lot of fun. It was Noah's first time and the first time in awhile for most of us adults. He did pretty well when all was said and done. Here are some pics of our bowling adventures...

Pop teaching Noah how to bowl

He actually got a spare on his first time up to bowl

Pop, Noah, and Grammy

Daddy, Noah, and Mommy (Eli would not cooperate to be in this picture)

Pop and Noah

Jeff, Carson, and Noah

Daddy and Noah's shoes - random I know, but I just wanted this pic...

Afterwards we went to Texas Roadhouse where Noah got to ride on the saddle!

He was so tuckered out that he actually fell asleep on Grammy for a bit.

Opening presents...

New Power Tools from Pop and Grammy

Noah is 5!

2012-01-04T16:59:00.000-06:00

I can't believe our little man turned five years old today! It seems like only yesterday we were holding a tiny 4 1/2 pound baby boy in our arms and wondering what life would be like with him. He's a joy to have around - so sweet and tender-hearted. Here are a few of his favorite things to celebrate his 5th birthday!

Noah's Favorite Things:

Color: Red

Number: 11

Sport: Soccer

TV Show: Fireman Sam

Toys: Firetrucks and the Ipad

Interests: Anything having to do with hunting or firemen/fire trucks!

The last few years I have taken Noah to Chuck E Cheese for his birthday lunch and to play. Here are some pics from our adventure.

Game Time!

He loves this ship game...

Shooting some hoops...

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! We love you!

Birthday Invitation

2012-01-01T19:01:00.000-06:00

Noah's fifth birthday is coming up soon. I ordered these invites from Etsy and think they turned out super cute!

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T23:30:00.000-06:00

As we say farewell to 2011 we reflect on a great year. We are blessed with two amazing kiddos. I read a quote on Pinterest the other day that sums up how we feel about them. It said, "How is it possible that out of all the little boys in the world...we got the best ones?" We spent New Year's Eve hanging out with some friends. At midnight all these kiddos were still going strong!

But this one was crashed out!

Happy New Year! May 2012 be just as blessed!

Lark and Roger Visit

2011-12-30T21:30:00.000-06:00

Robert's aunt and uncle came into town this evening. We always enjoy seeing Lark and Roger. They brought their friend, Ana, with them who is from Argentina. It was great seeing them. The boys got to open more presents and then we enjoyed dinner at McAlister's.

Lark and Noah

Eli, Robert, Noah, and Roger

Family Pics

2011-12-30T15:28:00.000-06:00

Leslie Petersen also took some family pics for us. Leslie was so patient because Eli was not a willing participant and was grumpy the whole time! We got the best we could out of the situation. Here are some of the pictures she took.

Noah's Firetruck Pics

2011-12-30T11:08:00.000-06:00

Leslie Petersen took some family photos for us in November to give my parents as a Christmas present. She also took some of Noah at a fire station for his 5th birthday card. He loved being there and they turned out super cute!

Megan and Noah

2011-12-29T22:30:00.000-06:00

We had Christmas with my uncle, aunt, and cousins tonight. I didn't get my camera out very much at all, but I did get this adorable picture of Noah and Megan on the four wheeler.

First Bike Ride

2011-12-27T18:24:00.000-06:00

Noah had his first bike ride today! He had so much fun. The bike came with a little racing kit so he sat it up and he and Eli "race" each other. I got the job of holding the checkered flag. We had to give him a couple of pushes to get him started a few times, but other than that he did great!

The Race

This is what we do when we're getting our picture taken. He closes his eyes and yells Cheese!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T23:30:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning was great! Pop and Grammy spent the night with us on Christmas Eve and we also had Jeff and Carson here. The next morning Mamie Joan and Papa came over Christmas morning. The boys woke up and were excited about their Christmas presents from Santa. Eli's big gift was a Rockin Mickey. Noah's big gift was his bike that he received. They both loved them!

Noah also got some legos and Smokey the Fire Truck

Eli with his Rockin Mickey

Eli with his Mickey Mouse Choo Choo Express

Stockings (and more fire trucks)

Eli and his Elmo microphone from his stocking

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:26:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:41:00.000-06:00

Our tradition on Christmas Eve is to always do our family Christmas with the boys. The past few years we've read the Christmas story from the Bible, but this year we decided to let Noah "read" it to us from his Bible. I went over it with him earlier because he wanted to know what all the words were in the Bible. He did a great job of re-telling the story to us in his own words. It was so incredibly sweet and brought a few tears to my eyes. I am so proud of the little boy he is becoming. He's such a sweet heart. It helped us refocus and remember the true reason we celebrate!

After reading the Christmas story, we opened presents. This year Jeff, Carson, and my parents were all here with us. It was lots of fun to have all of them here. Here's Noah playing the drum he got from Jeff and Carson. Eli got one too and they love them!

Opening another present...

Eli with his new train set from Noah

My favortite present opening moment of the evening. I found a book for Robert awhile back while we were out shopping. Noah and I looked at it and thought it would be fun. It's called Dad and Me. It's an entire book filled with questions for Noah to answer. So, I "interviewed" Noah and he answered all the questions about Robert as it recorded. It was very sweet. It was definitely a hit with Daddy. I love these pics of them. This one is Noah smiling because he's laughing at the funny things he said...

And now he's "embarrassed" by something he put...

And a little hug at the end...

Thanks Carson for capturing those sweet moments for me!

Christmas # 3

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-06:00

After we had Christmas with my grandma we headed to Seymour. Last night we opened presents with my parents and brother and sister-in-law. This morning we opened our stockings and then had lunch with all of our family and exchanged gifts with Mamie Joan and Papa.

Elmo was Eli's FAVORITE present. After he opened it, it was all he could think about.

Noah and some of his Cars 2 Legos.

Uncle Kevin, Noah, and Pop

Aunt Lauren and Eli

This is where Eli wanted to be the whole time - sitting on the four wheeler!

Christmas #2

2011-12-23T20:17:00.000-06:00

Today we had Christmas with Mamie Mary. We went out to lunch at Texas Roadhouse and then went back to her house to exchange gifts. The boys got lots of toys and had a fun time opening their presents.

Pop in Noah's Captain America mask

Catching Up with Friends

2011-12-22T22:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight I went out to dinner with some friends from high school. We always have a great time catching up and I'm so glad we get to do this every year. I love these gals!

Left to Right: Kimbra, Heather, Jessica, Me, Lacy, and Stormie

A Visit to Santa

2011-12-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

We took the boys to visit Santa Claus yesterday. They loved seeing him. Eli is always happy to see Santa and says his name over and over. Noah loves visiting him too. It was so easy to get pics of them because they were so happy to be there.

Love Eli's silly face...

The Whites are Here/Jump for Joy

2011-12-20T10:07:00.000-06:00

Our best friends Jeff and Carson White arrived from Malawi this weekend. They are here for a month and started staying at our house yesterday. We are so incredibly pumped to have them here! The boys are already crazy about them again and get sad everytime they leave to go somewhere. We are so excited and blessed to get to spend this month with them!

Carson and I took the boys to Jump for Joy today to play with some friends from church while Jeff and Robert went to a movie. Eli didn't love the inflatables, but he did like this slide.

Noah happened to see a couple of friends from his daycare. He was so glad to see Hunter and Ethan and had fun playing with them.

Carson and Eli on his one trip down the slide.

Gingerbread Cookies

2011-12-19T21:21:00.000-06:00

Today I made gingerbread cookies with the boys. We started doing this a couple years ago and Noah has always had so much fun. Eli got to join in this year and he had fun as well! I know this is a Christmas activity we will continue each year. We started by rolling out the dough and cutting our gingerbead men.

Eli "cutting" his...

Decorating!

Noah was much more serious...

Eli finally gave up and decided to just eat a leg. He spit it out and said, "Nassy (nasty) mama!"

First ones he decorated...

All his finished products...

First Christmas

2011-12-19T20:37:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we had our first Christmas with the Doley side of the family. Robert's parents and brother were able to come in and spend the weekend with us. We had a great time seeing them and enjoyed the visit. Here are some pics of the boys opening their presents.

Uncle Kelly brought Eli a bear from London

Dalmatian pillow from Gramps and Grandma to go with their new fire truck bedding

Double Decker Bus from London

John Deere Tractor -- the boys loved all the John Deere things they received!

Fire Truck Pillow

They also got Legos. Here's the tall building Noah and Gramps built.

Playing in the tunnel from The Breland family.

Model Train Show

2011-12-17T23:00:00.000-06:00

We went to a model train show this evening with Robert's parents and brother. While we were there we saw Noah's buddy, Blake, so I snapped a quick pic. Noah absolutely loved it!

Young Ages Christmas Party

2011-12-16T17:57:00.000-06:00

Today was Noah's Young Ages' Christmas party. He had a fun and I was glad to be able to take off and help with it. Grammy even got to stop by and then took him to hang out afterwards which was an added bonus!

Bingo!

Gingerbread Boy he made

Young Ages

2011-12-16T14:39:00.000-06:00

A few pics from Young Ages...

Leaf Play Day

Christmas Tree Pics

2011-12-13T14:35:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the pics I took of the boys in their Christmas pajamas in front of our tree. I love these guys!

Had to have one by this tree too...

Love this one -- sweet brothers

More Polar Express Pics

2011-12-05T23:22:00.000-06:00

We also bought the CD with the pics the photographer took at The Polar Express. Here are some of our favs. They were really good at getting the boys to smile and laugh.

The Polar Express

2011-12-05T17:22:00.000-06:00

We went this past weekend to the Polar Express in Lubbock. The boys had a great time and we love making this a tradition each year. Noah had to have the "official" Polar Express conductor hat. He's definitely the cutest conductor I've seen.

Eli and Daddy - Eli's favorite thing to say was "All Aboard"

Mommy and Noah

Noah and the Conductor

Eating some yummy cookies...

Noah and Cocoa the elf who joined us at the North Pole

Eli and Cocoa - he was always too busy looking at all our special guests to look at the camera, but I love it!

Santa Claus!

Christmas Magic

2011-11-29T16:47:00.000-06:00

A few weekends ago we went to Christmas Magic. Noah loved it last year so we decided to go back this year and take Eli. He had fun, but didn't want to sit still too long. Noah got a picture with Mrs. Claus, but Eli (of course) wouldn't sit still for it.

Singing Reindeer Songs

The Snowmen Ornament they made

Pop went with us too

Meeting Santa

Noah and Santa

Santa and My Boys

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-22T16:10:00.000-06:00

Today Noah had his feast at Young Ages. They are always so cute when they sing their songs. I just love seeing him perform!

Red Growling Bulldog - His Indian Name

Mommy and Noah

Daddy and Noah

Pop and Noah

Mamie Mary and Noah

Bullets

2011-11-08T14:19:00.000-06:00

The Bullets' soccer season has officially come to an end. I took some pics for the team. Here's one of Noah and one of the team.

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T21:21:00.000-05:00

We had a sad and fun night of trick or treating. Eli was sick so he missed it which made us sad, but Noah had a blast. We went to his friend, Kaitlyn's birthday/halloween party. All the kids had fun and it was neat for them all to get to trick or treat together!Noah and PopNoah and TuckerNoah and KaitlynEli in his Halloween pajamas

Young Ages Halloween Parade

2011-10-31T17:47:00.004-05:00

We had Noah's Young Ages Halloween parade and party this morning. Here are some shots from it. He was so cute and loved being a firefighter!Noah's ClassNoah and GraysonDaddy and NoahMamie Mary and NoahMe and NoahA quick wave...Cutest fireman I know...Singing some songs with Andrew (the other community helper)Singing (or screaming)Party time!

Camping with Pop and Grammy

2011-10-24T14:04:00.005-05:00

The boys went to Seymour this weekend and stayed with my parents. They had fun roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and having a camp out!

Me and My Boys

2011-10-22T22:55:00.002-05:00

Bullets vs Chaos

2011-10-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

I forgot to take my camera to the game today, but had to brag on Noah. He scored two goals today! We tied the other team 5-5. Great Job Noah!

Jack-O-Lantern and Haunted House

2011-10-15T22:20:00.003-05:00

Today Noah made a Haunted House and a Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween. Pop helped him out and he had a lot of fun! Here's our finished products... Scooping out the seeds... Pop and Noah

Bedding

2011-10-15T22:00:00.005-05:00

We got the bedding in today for the boys' bunk beds. My mother-in-law and I picked it out last weekend and had it shipped here. Thanks Becky for buying the cute bedding for the boys! Eli was loving that apple as you can see... Sweet Brothers!

Bunk Beds

2011-10-11T18:58:00.007-05:00

This weekend we put up the boys' bunk beds. Robert and his dad put them together and they look great! Noah was so excited to try out the top bunk. I tried to convince him not to sleep on it yet (because of course he can't be that big yet), but he insisted. He did great. Eli is still in his crib for the time being, but if he had it his way he'd be up top too! No leaving the ladder down when he's around! Loving the top bunkOur little daredevil who can climb all the way to the top!Cheese! This was the best I could get of both boys... "Asleep"

Buddies

2011-10-11T18:09:00.001-05:00

I took this picture of Noah and Jody the other day. I just love it!

Bullets vs Firecrackers

2011-10-02T18:19:00.004-05:00

We had game number four this past Saturday. Noah played an awesome game of defense and I was so proud of him! Ready to kick it in... I'm sure this was a serious discussion with Cooper...

Visit from the Firefighters at Young Ages

2011-09-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

The firemen came to visit Noah's preschool this past week at Young Ages. Noah is obsessed with firefighters and firetrucks and is already planning on having a firefighter party for his birthday. He loved this visit and couldn't stop talking about it! The card they made for the firefighters...

Bullets vs Coyotes

2011-09-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday we had Noah's third soccer game. It was so incredibly hot! The boys were so tired when they finished that game. The highlight was Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lauren driving in for the game. Noah was so pumped that they came and couldn't quit talking about it! I couldn't decide which picture I liked better so I decided to post both.

Butterfly Art Class

2011-09-23T18:11:00.000-05:00

Some friends and I went to the Red Butterfly art class in September. It was lots of fun as usual and I really enjoyed it. Here's my finished product... Leslie, Kendra, Me Penny, Tracy, Me

Eli and The New Baby Cow

2011-09-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

I had to go to Seymour this past weekend for a shower. Eli went with me and Mom and Dad watched him while I was there. He got to go meet the new baby cow. He LOVED it! He kept saying, "Cow, Cow". Here are some pics of him and his new buddy. Love this one... Sweet boy had to hug the cow...

Bullets vs Angry Birds

2011-09-18T18:38:00.004-05:00

We had our second game yesterday. Noah scored 3 goals! He did a great job playing and staying with the ball. We are super proud. I had to start this post with a picture of our cooperate sponsor! Thanks POP for supporting our team! Eli giving the big boys a high five Headed to score a goal Love this action shot! Good Game!

Eli's Dedication Celebration

2011-09-12T19:06:00.012-05:00

Sunday was Eli's Dedication Celebration at our church. Lots of our family joined us for this event and we shared with them what kind of man we desire for Eli to be as he grows up and the ways that we want to raise him. We are so thankful for our spunky, wild little man. Life is so much fun with him in it! We love you Eli! Eli and Noah Our Family Pop and Eli The Whole GangMr. Eli Noah, Kaitlyn, and Tucker Eli and Noah Love this boy! All My Boys Sweet Brothers Noah and Mommy

Noah's First Soccer Game

2011-09-12T18:38:00.012-05:00

We also had Noah's first soccer game this weekend. He is playing on the Bullets. The first game was hilarious to say the least. Here we are before the game. It worked out great that Robert's parents were in town so they could see a game. World's Cutest Soccer Player Grayson and Noah Soccer Moms -- Me and Allison Daddy, Noah,and Mommy Coin Toss First Kick-Off of the Game

Kite Festival

2011-09-12T18:05:00.015-05:00

We had a busy weekend! Robert's mom and dad came in for Eli's dedication (post coming soon). We started Saturday morning by going to the kite festival at Coyote Creek Ranch Resort. Noah had fun, but it was hot so we didn't stay too long. Here he is decorating his kite with Gramps. Noah and his kite Noah and Gramps Flying the kite...

In the bubbles!

Meet the Teacher

2011-08-26T17:52:00.004-05:00

Noah got to meet his new preschool teacher today. Her name is Mrs. Haskin and she seems very sweet. His first day to start Young Ages will be next Wednesday and he is so excited! We can't wait and are looking forward to a great year!

First Soccer Practice

2011-08-25T17:50:00.003-05:00

Noah had his first soccer practice tonight. He is on the Bullets. My dad was sweet enough to come over and take him to practice so I could keep Eli and a couple of other friends at the house and not have to get out in the heat. Here's Noah all ready to go with the exception of his cleats. He wanted to wait until he got to practice to put them on.

First Day Back

2011-08-22T17:36:00.006-05:00

Our first day back was today! Here are the boys all ready to go. Eli just had to have his backpack on like "Woah".

Family Reunion

2011-08-15T17:30:00.006-05:00

Our family reunion was this past weekend. I didn't take many pics this year, but here are the couple I took. Our attempt at a family pic... Lots of cousins!

Roughriders Game

2011-08-08T16:17:00.012-05:00

Saturday we went to the Frisco with our friends, the Edfeldts. Robert, Noah, Ben, and Tucker went to the Roughriders baseball game while Beth, Libby, Eli, and I shopped around at IKEA. We went to Chick-fil-a first before all of our adventures began. Beth made the boys shirts and they were so adorable! Here's Noah in his, showing off the front side. Tucker showing off the back...Miss Libby Mr. Eli Ready to chow down...The boys ready for the game...Love this one... Libby and Eli at IKEA

Just being silly...

2011-08-04T15:55:00.012-05:00

Just some silly pictures of Daddy and the boys having fun...

Peacock Art Class

2011-08-01T22:14:00.001-05:00

We went to another art class at the Kemp Center with Rachel on Thursday night. As usual it was a lot of fun. Here are some pics of our Peacock painting experience.Kristin, Whitney, Me, and CharisseThe Whole Gang

Austin

2011-07-22T09:17:00.003-05:00

We went to Austin to visit Robert's aunt and uncle, Lark and Roger. We had a great visit with them! They are such a joy to be around and always love on our kiddos so much! Noah especially enjoyed hearing about the Silver Fox that comes up to their house for food sometimes. Roger even printed him a picture of a Silver Fox to take home. Noah displayed it proudly on the top of his dresser. We took the boys to the Children's Museum while we were there. Eli just loved climbing up and down the steps. And sliding down... Noah doing some "construction work" A smile for mom...Of course we had to snap a quick pic of the Capitol since we were there...Lark and Roger's house - don't you love it?! Me, Noah, and Lark at the top of the lighthouse Noah sliding down into their pool... Eli and Daddy "swimming" Uncle Roger and Eli They had lots of fun together! Uncle Roger and Noah Robert, Eli, Aunt Lark, and Noah

Dr. Noah

2011-07-16T22:35:00.008-05:00

Noah is always obsessed when anyone gets hurt. He wants to immediately know if there's blood. The other night he noticed Robert had some blood on his leg from a cut he must have gotten. Noah immediately came to his aide. He went to the bathroom and got a bandaid and the ointment. He began to put ointment on the bandaid and asked Robert to sit on the bed. I immediately grabbed the camera and snapped a quick pic. Of course then he wanted me to take a picture of him being the doctor. He's such a ham! Applying the bandaid... Proud of his work...

Rodeo Parade

2011-07-12T22:34:00.010-05:00

Last weekend Noah went to Seymour. On Thursday night he went to the Rodeo and even participated in the calf scramble. I would have loved to have seen that! We came on Friday and joined him because Robert had a conference in Lubbock. Saturday he was in the Rodeo Parade. He was so excited to get to ride the four wheeler with Pop. They even got to "lead" the four wheelers. Ready to Roll... Leading the pack...Tossing me some candy...

Fourth of July

2011-07-06T15:25:00.006-05:00

Since there were no fireworks in or around Wichita Falls this year due to a lack of rain and grass fires, we decided to find something to do down in the metroplex that would have fireworks. We decided to go see the Frisco Roughriders play some minor league baseball. Mom and Dad kept Eli so he wouldn't have to be so hot. He had a blast on his first solo trip to Seymour. We'd never been to see the Roughriders and we had a lot of fun (despite the fact that we were dripping in sweat). Noah was so excited about the fireworks that he had a little bit of a hard time focusing on the game at hand. He did entertain himself though by talking to the pitchers in the visitors' bull pen, which just happened to be right behind us. Here are a few pics from our time at the game. Our faces were so incredibly red in this first pic that I decided to make it black and white so we wouldn't look so bad!Amanda and Noah Robert, Me, Noah, Amanda, and Brian Fireworks! Happy 4th of July!

Bumblebee Art

2011-07-04T13:02:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night I went to the Kemp Center to another art class with Rachel. I always have so much fun with these and it was great having some other friends join this time! Front: Whitney and Kristin -- Back: Amanda, Charisse, Me, and Leslie

Love These Boys

2011-07-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

I just love these two! We are having such a blast on summer break and they are constantly being so silly!

Decker Family

2011-06-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went to see some friends who moved to Oklahoma last year. We love the Decker Family and have been meaning to go see them. Danny had his 40th birthday so it gave us the perfect opportunity. This first pic is of their girls, Lindsey and Loren, with Eli and Noah. The Whole Gang - Eli, Robert, Me, Noah, Loren, Lindsey, Danny, and Trish Me and Trish Danny and Robert Danny and Trish with the boys

Oklahoma City Family Trip

2011-06-22T18:59:00.000-05:00

We are so blessed to be a part of an amazing young families'c class at our church. We decided this year to do a family vacation to Oklahoma City with several families from our class and it was a blast! We had so much fun hanging out together and are even thinking about making it an annual tradition! We spent our first evening in OKC in Bricktown, eating and riding the boat. Saturday we went to a Railway Museum where we rode a train, went to Chick Fil A for lunch, and then to the Science Museum. That evening the ladies went out to the Melting Pot for dinner. Sunday we went to the zoo, ate lunch, and then the dads went to a baseball game and dinner. We came home Monday, but not before a stop at Bass Pro and lunch at Chick Fil A again. This first pic is of the kiddos that were at Bricktown. A couple more joined us Saturday. FRONT: Noah, Katelyn, Shannon, Garrett, Jalee, Jaxon -- BACK: Lily, Case, Eli Noah and Jalee on the boat Noah with the Conductor Statue at the Railway Museum Noah loved all the Model Trains! Daddy and Eli with the model trains... Train Ride! Jaxon, Shannon, Lily, Noah, Katelyn, and Jalee Jalee, Katelyn, and Noah on the train Noah and the Conductor of our train ride Noah and Tucker as astronauts at the Science Museum Eli at the Science Museum Noah's first ride on a Segway! Daddy's first ride on a Segway! Round and round he goes... Katelyn and Noah with the Robot Noah and Tucker on the Seesaw At the Zoo...Sitting on a rhino... Eli and the giraffe

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T18:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the greatest dad and husband anyone could ask for! We love you!

Iowa Park Spray Park

2011-06-14T18:03:00.010-05:00

We went to the Iowa Park Spray Park with some friends last week. We had never been and Noah had a blast.

Kaitlyn and Noah

Megan's Dance Recital and Graduation

2011-06-12T21:44:00.021-05:00

I can't believe that my baby cousin is finished with high school! Megan has done dance since she was a little girl and we've gone to most of her recitals in the last few years. Sunday night we went to her recital where she did her solo dance. She did a great job and we are so proud of her! She graduated on Tuesday and I went to that. Then we all went to the party that night. Here is a pic of the boys...Robert, Eli, Pop, Uncle Mike, Kevin, Jonathon, and Noah Noah with his flowers for Megan Noah giving Megan a hug after the recital And a pic of each of us with Megan

Noah dancing with Megan and his new "girlfriend" Allie Noah, Megan, and Allie

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Lauren's

2011-06-11T08:51:00.001-05:00

We went to the metroplex last weekend and stayed with my brother and sister-in-law. We went there to go to a friend's wedding and my cousin's dance recital and graduation. We had a blast. Noah loved swimming in their pool and would have stayed there all day if he could. They also enjoyed playing with their dog, Max. Uncle Kevin and Noah Aunt Lauren and Noah Squirting Aunt Lauren with the water gun...He seriously swam for hours! Jumping off the diving board was definitely his favorite thing! And letting Daddy throw him in the air... Eli in Pop's cowboy hat...

Swim Lessons

2011-06-10T15:33:00.009-05:00

Noah started swim lessons last week. These pics are from his first lesson with Kolby. He did three lessons last week and then we went out of town. We stayed at my brother and sister in law's house. They have a pool and Noah loved it! He came back this week to swim lessons and has done great. He even swam some on his own today without a kickboard or a noodle! We are so proud of the progress he is making.

Rangers Last Game and Trophy Ceremony

2011-05-29T00:15:00.010-05:00

Thursday night was our last T Ball game. We also had the trophy ceremony afterwards. Noah was so excited to get his trophy! Here's one last shot of him at bat...

Heading to first... Eli playing on the bases while we waited for trophies...

So proud of himself...

Noah getting his trophy

So proud-instead of saying Cheese he said,"I Love Trophies!"

Coach Jesse, Noah, and Grayson

Quick Family Pic

Rangers vs Orioles Game 2

2011-05-22T23:52:00.012-05:00

The Rangers played the Orioles again on Saturday. This time Mamie Mary got to come and also Miss Amanda. Here are a couple of pics of Noah at bat that Amanda took.

Noah and Miss Amanda

T Ball Team and Individual Pics

2011-05-19T23:28:00.003-05:00

The boys had their individual pics and a team pic taken a few weeks ago. One of the moms took the pics and another made the team pic so cute with the border. Noah is of course being his usual self - a ham with his eyes closed almost all the way closed in both of his individual pics. I still think they're absolutely adorable though!

Puppies

2011-05-15T21:11:00.020-05:00

Saturday Noah convinced Grammy to take him home with her to Seymour. My parents' dog, Sadie, had Brittany puppies last Monday. Dad took pictures for me. Of course, Noah wanted a picture with each puppy individually and they were all so cute I had to post them all! Puppy 1 Puppy 2 Puppy 3 Puppy 4 Puppy 5 And a few close ups...

Spiders, Beetles and Bugs Oh My!

2011-05-14T09:01:00.024-05:00

Tuesday night was Noah's end of year program for Young Ages Preschool. It was called Spiders, Beetles, and Bugs Oh My! It was so adorable! Here are lots of pics from it, starting with Noah marching on the stage. The Itsy Bitsy Spider... Went up the water spout... Down came the rain and washed the spider out... Out came the sun... Five green and speckled frogs sitting on a speckled log... Baby Bumblebee - Ouch it stung me! Squishing up the baby bumblebee... See Mommy, All Clean! My Little Bug Papa, Noah, Pop, and Daddy Mamie Mary, Eli (who fell asleep), Grammy, Mamie Joan, and Noah Noah, Mommy, and Daddy Pop and Noah Grayson and Noah Gevin, James, Grayson, and Noah Mrs. Schmidt and Noah Noah, Daddy, and Eli

Rangers vs Orioles

2011-05-11T08:39:00.002-05:00

Monday night we played the Orioles. As Noah was coming up to bat, he looked up and asked me to please take a picture of him hitting the ball. So, he made sure to give me this quick smile so I could take his picture before he hit the ball. He's such a ham! First hit...
Noah and Grayson were not too interested in the fielding part game. They just wanted to be silly and turn their caps backwards. Noah and Daddy after the game...

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T23:47:00.024-05:00

I have had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Noah was so cute on Friday when we got home from school. We always have a routine of unpacking his backpack. There was a sack in it from preschool. He quickly told me, "Mom, close your eyes. I have to go hide this present for you under my bed!". That night I went to see Something Borrowed with some friends. It was so cute and fun to enjoy some girl time. Yesterday Noah was making all sorts of plans for Mother's Day. He made several cards and once again I couldn't look while he hid it under his bed. Noah knew we were going to my parents' house on Sunday so he called Pop and asked him to make a cake with pink frosting for all the ladies. My dad found one at Sams that night so they got that all worked out! Noah wanted there to be candles so he brought those and the candle lighter. He also prepared a song for us. Then today Mother's Day came. Robert had told me that he and Noah were getting up early. Noah woke me up to tell me bye and said, "Mom we're going to get you a surprise. I can't tell you until Mother's Day." After learning that it was actually Mother's Day he went ahead and revealed to me that he was going to buy me flowers. They left and returned later with flowers, a card, and breakfast. Noah gave me his other present from school which was a kitchen towel with his handprint and a sweet card. Robert told me that Noah had been planning to get these flowers for a couple weeks and that he couldn't get them early. He said he had to buy them on Mother's Day. We had a great lunch at Seymour and Noah informed all the ladies that, "This is the day when wadies (ladies) get to be wazy (lazy)." After lunch he put the candles in the cake. He put five of them. One for each lady and one for him. He sang us Happy Mother's Day to the tune of the Happy Birthday song and then blew out the candles. It was absolutely adorable. Eli just enjoyed having some of the cake to eat! Here are a few pics from the day-starting with one of me and my boys and the flowers they gave me.

The cake with pink frosting...
Blowing out the candles...

Mamie Joan, Mamie Mary, Noah, Mom, and Me

Applesauce

2011-05-07T23:38:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in a post last week, Eli likes to get his own applesauce out of the pantry and bring them to us. I guess that is no longer enough! I went into the kitchen the other night to find that he had put a hole in the top of one of his applesauces. He was slurping it out! I couldn't help but laugh. He was so proud of himself. He is such a mess!

Rangers vs Tigers

2011-05-01T23:04:00.007-05:00

On Saturday we played the Tigers. One of our moms also did some team and individual pictures. I snapped a quick one too as she was taking them. Always a ham...
This is what we like to do lately - chew on the glove... First hit... Running to third...
And finally to home...

Look What I Can Do Mom!

2011-04-29T23:40:00.000-05:00

So the other day Eli walks to the pantry and opens it. He's so proud of himself that he can open the door now. He pulls out an applesauce and brings it to us. Robert got out a spoon and fed it to him. He ate every bite! When you ask him if he wants a snack he simply heads toward the pantry now. I guess he'll be getting his own snacks now. He's getting to be such a big boy!

Rangers vs Twins

2011-04-26T22:20:00.001-05:00

We played the Twins Monday night. Here are some shots from the game - starting with a little practice before the game started... First hit - we're going to have to work on not throwing the bat after we hit!
Noah got to play catcher...Not exactly sure what we're blowing at here... Eli playing peek-a-boo with Pop... Peek-a-boo! This isn't Noah, but I love this slide into home!Batter Up!

Easter

2011-04-25T22:34:00.018-05:00

We had a busy Easter weekend. Robert's parents and brother came in for the weekend. Robert's aunt and uncle were able to come in and join us Friday night and Saturday. Our church hosted a community Easter egg hunt on Saturday. We went to it, but I forgot the camera. It was a lot of fun though and we had a great turn out! The boys woke up Easter morning to see what the Easter bunny had left in their baskets. Then, we went to church and had an amazing worship service. We came home and had a wonderful family lunch. My parents and grandparents joined us for lunch as well. Afterwards we had a short Easter egg hunt in the backyard.

This first shot is of Eli looking through his basket. The Easter Bunny brought him his favorite snack! Noah checking out all his goodies...
Family pic at church I couldn't get a great shot of the boys. Eli was not into it so here's the best I could get...
Hunting eggs...

And Mr. Eli...

Such a ham!

Young Ages Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-22T19:21:00.005-05:00

Noah had his class Easter egg hunt on the Wednesday before Easter. Thankfully I had a parent come cover my class and I was able to go to it. Here he is with his Easter bunny basket and ready to find some eggs! Noah had to find the eggs with his name on them. Max and Noah - Silly boys and such great friends!
"Mom, I found one!" All Smiles! The Whole Gang
Kabree, Shelby, James, Gevin, Grayson, Noah, Lizzy, and Jaylyn The Boys
James, Gevin, Grayson, and Noah

Cross Art

2011-04-21T07:15:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago Amanda and I went to another art class. This time my friend, Tracy, also joined us. It's always fun to meet up with the ladies there and I am really enjoying the classes. Here's my cross I painted... Tracy's, Mine, and Amanda's

Railroad Museum

2011-04-17T23:06:00.016-05:00

Our final stop for the weekend was at the American Railroad Museum in Dallas on Sunday morning. Noah is an avid train lover and this was the perfect thing for him! He loved seeing all the trains. I took a ton of pics there - starting with this one. You can catch Noah peeking out. What they drive on the railroads to do repairs... Freight Train

Red Caboose

All my boys...

"Mom, can you take my picture by the brakes?"

"Can you take my picture in front of the wheel?"

His favorite part - "driving" the train...

Pulling the whistle...

Eli giving it a tug too...

And a few more pics with the trains...

Legoland

2011-04-17T11:25:00.013-05:00

After we finished at Day Out with Thomas we went over to Grapevine Mills. We went to the newly opened Legoland. It was a lot of fun. Noah's favorite was riding the ride where we got to shoot the bad guys and save the Lego Princess. Noah got to be a helper at the first section where they showed how Legos are made. Watching the Lego bricks - each person got their own Lego as well Noah's favorite - the Lego model of the Grapevine Vintage Railroad Train They had an entire display of the DFW area all made of Legos. IT was really neat. This is of Grapevine - featuring the train and Great Wolf Lodge.

Cowboys Stadium

Southfork Ranch - where they filmed the show Dallas

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Racing his Lego car he made...

Eli loved the giant Legos!

Building a train (of course)...

Sliding down the slide in the playzone...

Day Out With Thomas

2011-04-16T09:30:00.012-05:00

After the Museum of Nature and Science we went over to Grapevine to see Thomas. Noah has done this the past couple of years and it's always fun. I could tell this year he was starting to out grow some of the aspects of it. However, riding a train, is still his favorite! Noah and Sir Topham Hatt Noah, Eli, and Sir Topham Hatt

I just love this pic because he's always being a ham when I ask him to smile.

All smiles!

Clapping to the music...

Noah and the Conductor

The Conductor saying hi to Eli

" Let's stop and think about this..."

Our attempt at a family pic in front of Thomas

Children's Museum

2011-04-14T07:05:00.009-05:00

Inside the Museum of Nature and Science there was also a Children's Museum. We enjoyed going through it. Noah enjoyed exploring, and there were even a couple of things for Eli too. This first pic is where they could dig for more bones... Largest Shark Jaw Fireman Noah

Telling us all about the fire...

Water Play

Eli riding the tractor...

The Backyard Play Zone

Climbing the rock wall...

Dinosaurs!

2011-04-12T21:00:00.015-05:00

Last weekend we went to the Metroplex for a fun kids' weekend. We started our adventure at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. They have a really cool Dinosaur Exhibit going on right now. Before you entered the exhibit you got to see this cool life-like Triceratops and T Rex!The T Rex was HUGE! Close-up of the T Rex's head Triceratops Skeleton

Noah, Daddy, and Eli in front of the sign as we entered the exhibit

Roaring like a dinosaur...

Noah the Paleontologist...

Mommy and Eli

Stepping in a dinosaur's footprintEven Eli love the dinosaurs!

Making the dinosaur move

Hospital

2011-04-12T20:41:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, we've spent our last few days in the hospital. Noah was admitted Saturday night with pneumonia. We are so thankful to have friends who visited, brought goodies, and prayed for us during this time. Noah's t ball coach and his son even brought Noah a ball that all the kids had signed. It was too cute. We got to come home this morning and are on the road to recovery! I plan to blog our FUN times from last weekend next!

Our Third T Ball Game

2011-03-31T23:02:00.010-05:00

Monday was our third t ball game. We've been having them like crazy, but they're so funny. After last week's melt down on the field, we told Noah just to go out there and have fun. The weather was much nicer thanks to no wind and he had ALOT more fun! While in the field, he tried to follow Coach Thomas all around the field. He gave him hugs and held his hand. I don't know what he was doing, but it was cracking us up! Another mom on the team started a share site for our team to share pictures. Thanks to that I got to download some pics that Kendra took. They're better than mine and I love them. Thanks Kendra!

Coming off the field... Noah and Grant

Holding Coach Thomas's hand...

On first base...

Leading the team out after the game...

Rangers Game #2

2011-03-31T22:30:00.007-05:00

The Rangers' second t ball game was last Saturday morning. We headed to it, before heading out of town. It was SO COLD! Noah had on under shirts and a jacket and he was still freezing! Playing in the field was hard for him - he basically stood there and cried because he was so cold. When it was time to bat though he got better. He was actually first in the line-up for this game. Here are a few pics from this game...

Getting ready to bat... Team Huddle after the game...

1...2...3...

GO RANGERS!

Eli Walking!!

2011-03-31T21:25:00.004-05:00

Eli has been taking one to two steps at a time for the last month or so. Last Friday night, he decided to try out a few more and walked seven steps to Robert. This week he continues to take more steps. He still loves to get down and crawl too because he's so quick, but he's starting to walk more and more each day. Here's a video I took with my cell phone. It's sideways and I don't know how to fix that so you just have to watch as is!

George!

2011-03-29T23:16:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we went to Lubbock to see George Strait in concert! I have always wanted to see him in concert and for my 30th birthday I got tickets from Robert to do just that. He performed with LeAnn Womack and Reba. It was a great concert! It lasted from 7 until almost midnight. George Strait played for two hours and I absolutely loved it. I didn't have my camera with me so these are just a couple shots of what I could get from my dinky phone camera. My husband is such a sweetheart!