Merry Christmas!

See how they grow...

I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF BEN...

Ian...showing off the gap left from losing his FIRST TOOTH!

November 14...and temperatures were near 70 degrees today. We spent the afternoon in the park...playing and capturing a few beautiful memories in these photos of how fast the boys are growing up. What a great day. :)

Open House

My school boys...growing up so fast.

Ian and Mrs. Hoover

Ben & Mrs. Law

Back to School!

This is Ben the first morning of school. He is a 2nd grader this year! Hard to believe. I never have to worry about Ben. He's very smart and very independent. He's getting so tall and starting to look older in every picture I see.

Here is Ian...his first day of kindergarten! He has the same teacher that Ben had for kindergarten. He was very excited about that! Unlike Ben, he was very nervous about going to kindergarten... (even had to sleep with mommy the night before...I didn't mind though because it helped me as much as it helped him). My baby is in school...thought it would be easier with the 2nd....NOPE! But he really likes kindergarten...so we're off to a good start!

Ian is Five!!

It's hard to believe that Ian is five years old already! I couldn't resist scanning some old pictures of him to show just how much he's changed. What a gorgeous boy...inside and out! :o)

Ian is about 3 days old here and big brother Ben wanted

to feed him of course.

Ian...I love so many things about you. You have a loving spirit that nothing can break and that will serve you well in life. You love to be with your family and friends. Your smile and your hugs are my favorite...hands down. Nothing can compare to them. I know one day you may not hug me with that same childlike innocence but I will remember them and continue taking joy in your smile and in watching you become a happy and successful young man. Happy Birthday baby boy.

Ian's Pool Party!

Ian with his friends...Evan A., Brent, Drew S., Drew P., Ben, & Evan S.

They had a blast!!

"I'll Fly Away..."

Ian: What does Heaven look like?

Mommy: I don't know but I'm sure it's beautiful.

Ian: How do we get up there?

Mommy: God takes us up there.

Ian: Do we go in a hot air balloon?

I don't know...but it sounds like a great idea to me! :o)

The Next American Idol!

I love these pictures of Ian! Everytime we are over at my parents house,

my dad's guitars are like a magnet to Ian!

Pictures from "Seussical"!

I'm Incredible?

Today Ian was asking me to do like three different things at once that would involve me being in more than one room at once. I finally said "Ian, I can't do everything and be everywhere all at the same time." He said "Uh-huh mom...because you are stretchy girl!" (with a smile on his face...ha!) If only I WERE stretchy girl. :o)

"Seussical Jr."

starring Ben Scott as a Jungle Citizen and a Hunter

Performances are:

March 12 & 13 - 1:00 pm School Matinees

March 13 @ 7:30 pm

March 14 @ 3:00 pm

March 15 @ 2:00 pm

**Ben is having a blast rehearsing for the show and I am really enjoying watching him in it. The show is very entertaining and quite adorable. :o)

"For Barack Obama..."

My 4 year old Ian was busy writing a "letter" at the table a few minutes ago. He then brought me the paper and said "Can you please get this to Barack Obama. It's for him...he's the president." I couldn't hold in my laughter as I asked "Well, what does it say?" He said "I don't know what it says...but it's for him." Ahh...the 4 year old mind. :)

Shaving Already?

My parents got the boys a pretend shaving kit for Christmas. They LOVE to use this everytime they take a bath. They slather the foam all over their faces then take it off with the "razor" while looking in the little round mirror. It's hysterical! What makes me laugh the hardest is how serious they both look while they are shaving it off!

Our Day at the Children's Museum

The boys got their picture with "Aslan" from the museum's production of "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe".

What a fun day!

Superpowers??

Ben watched the movie "Hancock" yesterday (I know he's too young to watch it probably...but he did).  When I was putting him to bed last night, he said "Mommy, don't get too close to me. We might lose our superpowers."  :)

Christmas Thoughts...

As I stop for a moment to reflect on this Christmas season...the first thing that comes to mind is "I'm too busy".  By the time Dec. 19 gets here, I will have had 17 performances that have been keeping me gone most nights from my kids.  BUT, last night there was a moment...I had a "moment".  One that stopped me in my tracks.  My high school show choir performed at the nursing home in town for a family Christmas dinner where the residents' families came to share the evening with them.  We sang our normal set of songs in each dining room and each time we got to "O Holy Night"...there were tears from some family members and some residents.  It's hard not to be moved by this scene. My vibrant, beautiful, energetic teenagers singing to these "beautiful" people who were once able to do what they are doing and are no longer able.  Then came that other "moment" where my teenagers surprise me as they always do.  Our performance was over...they were free to leave.  BUT instead...they asked if we could go caroling through the hallways at the nursing home so that the people who weren't able to come to the dinner would get to hear caroling too.  WOW.

So...we sang through the hallways and the looks on some of the residents faces were enough to make us all choke back the tears.  If they had the chance I think they might have told us not to take the days for granted...to live each day to it's fullest...be "in the moment".  I think that any one of them would have been thankful to be busy this Christmas and so I will be thankful to be busy this Christmas.  I'll enjoy being able to share the songs of the season with anyone who wants to listen.  God bless our "beautiful" older generation and God bless our youth.

Happy Thanksgiving...

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

-Thornton Wilder

"Skateboarding...dude!"