School's Out for the Summer!

I am so thankful that school is out for the summer! I say this now at the beginning of June. In a few weeks, I'll be completely ready to go back to work, so that I can interact with adults and not just my eight and two year old.

We started our summer vacation with our favorite field trip: White Water. We went this past Friday and had a great time. McLain talked me into going Friday when our plan for weeks had been to go tomorrow. He didn't have to twist my arm too much to change my mind. McLain loves the wave pool and would jump over waves all day if I let him. Keaton was excited to go down the kiddie slides over and over, but remained cautious about the wave pool and the lazy river. It's odd to see him timid or fearful of anything, not that I'm complaining.

We are looking forward to more mornings spent at White Water and lazy afternoon's at Mammy's pool. McLain and I are also planning on spending time reading many chapter books while Keaton takes his nap every day. I am intrigued at the thought of doing not much of anything, including not setting my alarm again until August. God bless summer vacation. :)

My Little Man Turned Eight!

On Friday, McLain turned eight. It's amazing how fast he has grown up and how much he has changed in eight very short years. While he is still my cautious, mostly quiet, and very cuddly child, he has developed into a little man with a sense of humor much like his father's. Just like his Daddy, McLain loves to gross me out and make me squeal. He also loves to write me little love notes that make me just a bit sad because I know they'll stop coming one day soon. He adores Keaton and plays with him all the time, wrestling and dueling with light sabers. Currently, he is reading the Harry Potter series, which amazes me because he is only a second grader. Recently, McLain started playing soccer and loves it, especially because Clay is coaching. I think his baseball days may be over for good. My little man has definitely grown up a lot this year. Perhaps, I should invest in that brick to put on his head before I find myself with a teenager. :)

Favorite Photo Friday :)

Hmmmm...So I think I'm going to jump on this band wagon because I think it's cute, being a huge picture fanatic and all. Apparently, I need a theme for this week. I think I'll go with "Sleeping Boys." I love these kinds of pictures because my boys look so sweet, innocent, and QUIET. Let me know which one you think is the best!

Birthdays

These last couple of weeks have certainly made me feel like time is flying by. I turned 31 at the end of January, and Keaton turned two a week later. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that Clay gave me the green light to start working on the addition to our family, and now that little new comer is a very loud and crazy two year old. Did I blink? Happy birthday, Keaty Peaty! Don't have any of those terrible twos, ok? :)

Happy New Year!!!

So long 2008, and welcome 2009! It's crazy how fast time flies, especially when you have children. This past year was filled with a lot of silly laughter, big smooches, and bear hugs. We survived our hectic schedules and the general craziness that is created by a house filled with boys. I'm sure 2009 will be just as wild and fun filled. Happy 2009!

I have made a slide show that includes many pictures from 2008. As I have yet figured out how to get it to post on my blog, I am posting the link. Please view and enjoy!

http://www.slide.com/r/kEZrJnVKzT9M-6_ruM1CUaoYgbUbMbDF?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

Christmas Time

I can't believe how quickly Christmas has come and gone. While the season was definitely hectic, it was truly fun and wonderful as well. We ate lots of junk food, visited Santa, watched endless Christmas movies, participated in our church's Glory of Christmas, and appreciated how awesome God was to send us baby Jesus.

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is getting hot chocolate from Starbucks and driving around at night to look at all the lights. Our favorite house, which looks as if it belongs to the Griswold's, is on Brookwood Drive, and it's so lit up we can practically see it from our house. This year we had Daddy pull over, and McLain visited with the Santa who sits in his sleigh every night. Unlike last year, Keaton is really interested in Christmas lights, which was nice for me as McLain informed me that he was too old for me to point lights out to him. Keaton appreciates my light sightings. :)

The boys were ridiculously spoiled on Christmas day. Mommy, Daddy, and all the grandparents gave them enough toys to last them until they're 20. The most popular present was the pet rat Santa left on our fireplace. Despite my protests, McLain named him Scar and insists that he sleep in his cage right next to his bed. Keaton loves Scar as well and has been busted on multiple occasions trying to free Scar from his cage. Sometimes I wonder what Santa was thinking...

Thankfulness

Thanksgiving 2008

This has unquestionably been a very hectic year for the Brookses, but despite our crazy schedules and the often frantic pace of our lives, I am very thankful for the silly boys I have.

McLain is blowing me away with his sponge like nature to absorb anything new and interesting in school or on the Discovery channel. He is fascinated with everything from F5 tornadoes to Australian jelly fish. McLain also reminds me of myself at his age because his nose is always stuck in a book. He and I love to curl up in the bed together and read for hours.

Keaton is mellowing a bit as he approaches his second birthday. While he is still my furniture climber and mischief maker, Keaton is also a serious snuggler and loves to laugh at the antics of his big brother. He is finally beginning to talk, so I truly appreciate every time I hear him say "Mama" when I walk into the room. It seems that his stubborn nature proved more of an obstacle for his speech than his verbal abilities. I know when he is a teenager arguing with me that I will miss his early quiet days.