a HOT day in hollywood studios

Hollywood Studios was a fun place, but it was also a labor of love. haha  The boys really wanted to ride the woody and buzz ride, so we waited in line for an hour and a half... and as you might notice in a couple of the pics, the boys don't stop moving, even in lines.  (The 3rd pic down shows them dancing in line.) I never realized just how energetic my boys truly are until this trip. We would get on a bus to head back to our resort at the end of a hot and long day and most kids were falling asleep, and our boys were climbing the walls and putting on comedy shows. whew.  They had much more energy then their parents... that's for sure. :)

Noah was very excited to meet woody and buzz.  They are currently his favorite guys.  He wore his woody "Howdy Cowgirl" shirt for the big meeting, and was so excited. :)

We took in several rides, got some pics with a few favorite characters, ate a yummy lunch at Starring Rolls Cafe, and watched Beauty and the Beast on stage (which was really great!).  We came back that night to watch Fantasmic, a night show with mickey, projections of villains and Disney moments against waterfalls, and fireworks all wrapped into one show.  Great way to end the night...

ox, Jayme

a day in animal kingdom

The first day we went to Animal Kingdom!  Our day started with breakfast with some of disney's favorite characters.  The boys ran and hugged all of them.  They couldn't believe they were meeting these guys. :)  We then went on an African safari, took in a bird show, ate fun treats, earned badges for their adventure books as they learned about the different animals, and more.  SO fun!  The park was beautiful with areas that mimicked Africa and Asia.  We really enjoyed it and I know the boys made some great memories here. :)

One funny, I mean sad thing, was when we decided to take the boys on the ride, Dinosaur. We had heard it was dark, loud and sometimes scary for little ones, but our guys are usually fearless with these sorts of things, so we decided to try it.  I was mostly worried about Noah but just told him to close his eyes if he was scared. Well, the ride scared me!  It was dark, with realistic looking dinosaurs popping out at you, and you couldn’t tell if the truck you were riding in was about to fall or turn or what.  Well, when we got off, our 4 year old was smiling (because he closed his eyes the whole time) and our 6 year old, who I wasn’t worried about even a little was crying and in the fetal position.  Both chimed, “we do NOT want to do that again.”  That was their first ride experience at Disney World.  You’re welcome kids. :)

ox, Jayme

Surprise!! We're going to Disney!

So, last week we took the boys to Disney World for the first time!  We had such a wonderful time... It was such a sweet time with our immediate family, and the boys were in awe of the Disney magic.  (So was I!!!;))  Loved it! In fact, a certain mama may have even teared up a little upon entering the Magic Kingdom... The look on the boys faces were priceless!

The boys knew we were going SOON, but I never gave them a day.  So, the night before we left I gave them these Mickey pajamas and surprised them with the news that we were heading to Disney early the next morning.  They were very happy and excited.  Niko started crying at one point because he was worried that Noah's cough might keep us from going to Disney. :(  I caught a sweet picture of Noah giving him a kiss to help him feel better. :)  LOVE my sweet boys.

I'll be posting pics from our days in Disney in the coming days so you can check back if you wish.

ox, Jayme

My little sunshine

On Oct. 27th, two years ago, I held you in my arms for the first time.  I immediately nicknamed you my sunshine, as you were my light on that sweet day.  We traveled a long road together those nine or 8 months that you were inside of me... the journey started with hospital stays due to dehydration and that fact that I couldn't even hold down water, and then on month 7 I went into preterm labor.  You can't imagine the emotions that flooded me that day... would you be ok, would you be born that day, would you survive?  I already loved you more then words can express, and I could not lose you or bear the thought that you could be born sickly.  So, I did the only thing I knew to do... I prayed to God that he would help you to stay where you were until you were healthy enough to live.

We sat and prayed for 27 days in the hospital... praying for your life, for your health.  On the 27th day, on a very rainy and gloomy day, you were born.  Immediately my world was filled with light, and you still are a light to me today.  Happy birthday my sweet Noah!  You will always be a light and joy in my life!

A little about Noah...

1) You are a super happy little boy, and your laugh is so contagious.
2) Your preschool teacher reports that you are everyone's friend and are very social.
3) You can throw a tantrum like I've never seen
4) You love playing games with your papa after work... monsters, hide and go seek, castles, chase...
5) You almost never stop moving.
6) Your favorite phrase right now is "thats pun!" for fun.
7) You LOVE your big brother and run up to hug him at spontaneous times or steal a toy he's playing with just to get him to chase you.
8) You are such a terrible listener that I thought you had a hearing problem when you were younger, but nope, you just choose to never acknowledge my requests. :)
9) You currently speak with a slight lisp, but gosh it sounds so adorable. 

I love you sweet boy!  My life would not be the same without you!

ox, mama

He's 3 1/2

It's hard to believe my little guy is 3 1/2 already. *sigh* The days are long, but the months fly by so quickly.

He has a super sweet heart and is very caring.

He loves playing "super hero's vs. monsters."

His favorite toys are his super hero's (namely superman, spiderman, and iron man)

This little guy has LOTS of energy, and is always on the go, (unless he's watching tv.)

Even at 3 1/2 he is still getting into things... my makeup, chocolate snacks he finds when I'm out of the room, etc.

His laugh and smile are so contagious.

He has started to tell me at random times of the day, "mama... I love you." (and then my heart melts.)

He is obsessed with the idea of growing up. Some days he tells me he's growing up, gettin' bigger and bigger, other days like today, he said he's not growin' up, he's still little. I'm glad he's still little for now. :)

ox, Jayme

My favorite photos from 2010

We don't usually send out Christmas letters with our cards, so I thought I would create a Christmas letter blog post of sorts, talking about the highlights from our year.

We had such a great year in 2010. Our family truly has so many things to be grateful for... our health, work, our sweet children, wonderful family and friends. Our hearts are full.

Niko turned 2 in February. Along with his growing independence he has developed a growing strong will. haha He keeps us on our toes, but I have to say he is such a joy. He loves rough housing, going on new adventures in the neighborhood, and ice cream.... or anything with sugar for that fact. He asks for a lollipop just about everyday, even though he only gets one about once a month. :) He attends a mother's day out program two mornings a week at a local church preschool. His teachers say he is on the quiet side, but loves to play with the other kids, go out side, and participate in art and singing. He is also the one in his class that already understands the spanish lessons. :)

Noah is almost 14 months... where does the time go. He has to be the cuddliest little thing ever. So, squeezable and soft. :) He is walking like a pro these days, and loves this new found freedom. He is also our little climber... always on top of something. The other day I ran into the bathroom for a quick moment, and came out to find him on the kitchen table. I have NO idea how he got up that high, but in a way I'm not surprised. He is very gentle, sweet, and fairly stubborn, much like his brother. He loves to smile, has 16 teeth already, and is the pickiest eater ever! He is also still fairly small in weight for his age but is average on his height so it looks like he is going to be the tall and lean type. :)

Pablo continues to work hard. He currently works for a company that makes gel mats for industrial kitchens, operating rooms, etc. He was hired on last December to be a project/product manager for their new line of kitchen appliances. The job is a blessing! When he's not working he spends 100% of his time with his family and on his hobbies. He is an amazing father, and husband, and we are so thankful for all he does.

I have stayed very busy this year adjusting to life as a mom of 2. These boys keep me busy like I never imagined. I am almost always searching for new balance in my life, but it's ok that it is not always there, this is just a season. A season that will pass all too quickly and before I know it my boys will have outgrown me and not need me as they do now. I will miss this time one day, and I work hard at embracing it even on the hardest of days. I continue to work as a freelance graphic and textile designer, but this year worked very part time. I also run my little etsy shop where I sell cards and kid's party items. It's fun and the perfect way to keep my foot in the design world!

Well, we hope you all had a wonderful 2010 as well.
Many blessings for 2011.

Love, Jayme (and family)

Rough Housing

If you stop by our house around 6 o'clock in the evening, you will likely see something similar to above. I guess with 3 boys in the house (including Pablo) that's a given. What you can't see in these images is the beating of one another with pillows, the full contact wrestling, and the clobbering of one another. :)