iheartFaces-Beach

This weeks challenge at iHeartFaces is Beach Week!





Now, we are about about 800 miles from an ocean beach but we have been blessed to find a beach at a local lake that is perfect for us. That's my T, feeling sad about something, as usual. :-)

E and Z at 8

These guys are 8!! Their first initials are E Z and that's how they've been most of their lives. Sweet babies, sweet boys. Both are so obedient, but follow through is a bit of a problem. However I know that's mostly just part of being an 8 year old boy. There's just so much going on in the world and if you don't stop and watch it all, well, who knows what will happen?

E spends much time building Lego and is a bit of a loner, hard to imagine, right? Z is quite a comedian and loves art. Both spend all their spare time moving and laughing. They have such great laughs and can get each other going till they can't breathe. E is a more typically oldest child, which is weird cause they're only 4 minutes apart. He is more precise, much more of a rule follower than Z and much much more of a cuddler. Z is a bit more volatile, although compared to A, J1 and J2, he's a kitten. His artistic vision is amazing to me. He figured out all by himself that if you make things smaller, they look like they are far away. E figured out addition all by himself. I guess that sums them up right there.

I never wanted twins, I always thought it would be too hard, but now I can't imagine my life without the two of them exactly as they are. My precious, laid back, funny, sweet twin boys. I just didn't know how much I wanted YOU.

Patriotism

is a fun photography blog I love to read. This week they are doing their "Patriotic Story in Pictures" and since I love posting pics of my kids, and I didn't get to post these on Memorial day, here ya go!

Whenever we can pull it together, I like to take the children out the cemetary on Memorial Day to honor our military dead. Most of the men buried in our cemetary did not die in action, but they served our country with pride and honor. I want my children to know, and always remember, that we are only free as long we are willing to die for it. It is an honor and a privilege to do so.

Alamo

A while ago we took the kids down to the Alamo. Well, we actually went down to see my Uncle Vern in the Cardiac ICU. He had a major heart attack and I needed to make sure he knew how very much I love him. He is still surviving and trying to recover. Anyway, because he was in the ICU, we couldn't spend much time with him, so there we were in San Antonio with 11 kids (ours and my nieces and nephews)and nothing to do. Let's do the Alamo!!

It was very fun! Turns out on weekends in the summer they have people in historical costumes that give demonstrations in the courtyard. Fabulous. S was so so into it!! He just loves history, loves weapons, loves war stories. Even J1, who "hates" history, thought it was really interesting. They even got to do a weapon loading drill, with fake weapons, but they still though it was great. We had picked up a scavenger hunt sheet they gave away at the front desk. All the kids were really enjoying finding all the stuff on the list. A1 had decided that the Mexican soldiers would be the perfect people to ask where to find the stuff, so while the other children hung back in fear at the men in dress uniforms with guns, A walked up asked them if they were dead, and when told they were very much alive, then demanded some answers! They were very obliging. Funny guys, they would yell, " Viva (child's name), viva Mexico!" for each picture.

They also got to see some real weapons from the time period and watch one being loaded. It is amazing anyone got killed back then with how long it took to load a weapon!

Under things not to say at the Alamo:
I had bought the boys a bunch of plastic Alamo and Mexican Army soldiers in the gift shop and was distributing them. A couple of the boys complained that they didn't like the Mexican soldier they were given but wanted one who was posed different, to which their loving mother responded quite loudly, "All the Mexicans look alike!!". *blush* In my defense, all the PLASTIC Mexican Army soldiers had come out of the same mold and did look exactly alike. The real Mexican soldiers laughed loudly at me.

Fun trip, lots of learning, highly recommended!

Pages from the birthday party!

A2's MRI came back clear! Her brain and stem are normal. After 5 weeks and 2 days of no seizures, we had one this morning. Followed it's usual pattern, 2minutes in duration, and now she's resting. She's walking now and oh so very very proud of herself. I just love how they think they are so marvelous for being able to walk. I've been blessed to see it 8 times now and it never gets old. She also has 2 more teeth. She believes all men are there for her amusement and to serve her.

A1's latest conversational beauty: "my brain is awesome. But sometimes it's stupid". We're thinking of family t-shirts that have "M***** family, my brain is awesome" on the front and "but sometimes it's stupid" on the back. What do you think?

The big boys are enjoying a break from school. We went to San Antonio to see the Alamo, which S just loved. I'm hoping to get them to Austin this coming week to see the capital building and the Texas State History Museum.

Hope everyone is having a lovely summer (or winter to my Aussie friends)!

T and J2 turn 4

T at 4. Sweet, gentle, protective, energetic, persistent, curious, sympathetic, headstrong, adept at most physical tasks.

What do you like to eat? pizza
What do you like to drink? juice
What do you want to be when you grow up? a frog
How tall is daddy? I don't know
How old is mommy? 8
Favorite show? kipper
Favorite game? superman
Favorite color? green
Favorite person? J2
Who do you love? Mom, Gram, a2

J2 at 4. Active, curious, crafty, passionate, temperamental, decisive, demonstrative, comic, headstrong, deft.

What do you like to eat? pizza
What do you like to drink? milk
What do you want to be when you grow up? a bunny
How tall is daddy?5
How old is mommy? 2 (big grin)
Favorite show? cartoons
Favorite game? ride bike
Favorite color? yellow
Favorite person? Tobies
Who do you love? daddy, mommy, gram, grampa, A2

About 2 weeks ago, these guys turned 4. At one point they were classified as "failure to thrive", but you wouldn't know it now. These two have done all the things the other 5 never did. They were also the youngest to say I love you to me. They can ride faster and kick harder than some of their older brothers and were the only boys to make it to their 4th birthday party in underwear. Keeping them busy and alive has been a full time job, but I wouldn't have it any other way

Bluebonnet Time.

Excuse the repeat pics, these are the pages that go in their albums, so I wanted them all to have a family picture, and one of me and their daddy. Red took the one of Chris and I, pretty good, huh? Princess wasn't feeling the bluebonnets this year. Wouldn't you know her first shoot in them would be when she would decided she didn't like pictures? This is why all the ones with her smiling are in my lap or on her daddy. I love the bluebonnets. Here is the legend of the bluebonnet:

The Legend of the Bluebonnet

The Texas fields are covered
With a blanket of deep blue.
But for a little Indian girl,
This would not be true.

Texas land was buried and dry.
Rains just would not come.
Indians danced and prayed for rain,
And beat upon their drums.

The Chief made a proclamation.
He appealed to one and all.
A prized possession must be sacrificed
Before the rains would fall.

The Indian camp was silent,
While each person searched his heart.
But when it came to sacrifice,
With possessions they would not part.

Suddenly a little girl stepped forth,
Holding her blue-clad doll.
She placed it in the roaring fire
and raindrops began to fall.

The rain brought forth the grass,
Among its blades, flowers of blue.
To be a sign for all the time
Of a love so pure and true.

Author Unknown

There is nothing prettier, or more like home for me, than a field of bluebonnets. I'm glad my kids are patient with me while I take pictures of my two favorite things, them and bluebonnets.