So what if I missed a year…Here’s what’s going on RIGHT NOW

Having not blogged in about a year, I’m finding this post to be EXTREMELY difficult! I started drafting one a couple weeks back and then I ended up just deleting it. I started another draft last week and after several revisions, I deleted that one as well. That being said mainly to warn that this post may be a total massive jumble of sentences but I just gotta get thru it! Haha.

I’ll start with my family b/c that’s easy…I’ll just hit the highlights.

Jon –

Remember that toy chest that he started over a year ago? It’s finally almost done! AND, it was actually worth the wait! Yes, I was beginning to wonder (sorry babe!)… The man takes his time but he sure does good work! He had it 90% complete and then decided he didn’t like it. Seriously?! But alas, all that’s left is to stain! YAY! Next project…bunk beds for the boys. I’m thinking if he starts them next week they may be done by the time Jude is in 1^st grade. Hehe.

Here's a picture of the Toy Chest, version A. The lid was wharped a bit from being stored during our move transition.

And, Here's a picture of Version B... Isn't it pretty! I'll post a final picture once it's stained and complete! What'd I tell ya?! Worth the wait!

He’s still very into Ultimate Frisbee. When I first heard of the game, years ago…I thought it sounded nothing short of silly. Now that I have watched Jon play it, they totally don’t mess around! It’s like Frisbee meets football meets soccer meets rugby…yeah, that’s what it’s like! :) He plays every Monday night at the LMRA and most Saturday mornings at Gateway Park. He’s good! Dave played this season (on another LMRA team) so Nicole and I brought the kiddos out to watch the evening they played each other.  

 Cousins

                                    

Jon playing frisbee with Jude

Joel showing off skillz...

The yard work never ends! I thought moving into a brand new house would provide a weed free brand new yard. WRONG! What would I do without a husband that finds lawn care therapeutic?! Answer – pay someone else to be my yard guy, haha. Thankfully, Jon is amazing when it comes to keeping our yard looking good! I bet he’s spent no less than 72 hours (not consecutive ofcourse) pulling weeds by hand!! Outside of that, he’s added borders to block out weeds around our front trees and flower beds & he’s helped me plant several new plants/flowers. Most recently he sought out a couple local places to buy fill dirt and mulch in bulk at a great price! He spent last weekend starting to fill in the dips of our yard to eventually even it out to a flat beautiful “golf course” look and we bought mulch and fixed up the front flower bed. I love pulling around the corner and seeing how it has all come together! Keep up the good work, babe! :)

Here's a "drive by" pic I took a couple weeks ago. This is pre border around the trees in the front, yellow rose bushes, fill dirt in the yard and mulch in front beds... I'll post some more pics soon but it does give an idea of what we're working with. :) I wish I had a pic pre-weed pulling!

Jude & Joel –  

So I’m super anxious about letting Jude go visit Grumpa and Mimi this week. Stan, Jon’s dad, will leave Dumas in an hour or so (around noon thirty) to head this way. He will stay the night with us then take Jude, Ivye and Kathryn back home with him to hang thru Thursday. I’m not positive he knows what he’s getting into! Haha. Jude is such a good kid and I KNOW he’ll have a blast so I hate to hold him back from going this year but ofcourse, I have some “mama bear” concerns… My head is running! What if he gets homesick? What if he misbehaves…will they discipline like we do? Will he feel left out going with Kathryn and Ivye? Is he just too young still? *sigh* Being a mom is hard stuff! I’ve talked with him every night about it and he remains consistent in wanting to go so that brings comfort. He keeps asking if he’ll get to play with the kitties. They’ve had 3 new litters in the last month so there will definitely be kitties…not to mention the donkey, horse, Molly dog and other critters! As hard as it is to let my babies grow up, I know they are… and I’m so thankful for the family and friends that help keep them grounded and loved along the way!

It’s time to potty train Joel! It’s not easy giving Joel the individual attention like we were able to with Jude so Jon and I plan to really focus on him while Jude is gone this week. It would be AWESOME if we could get him potty trained by our Cali trip!

The “Terrible Twos” were easy! The “Terrible Threes” suck! Don’t get me wrong, Jude is HILARIOUS and I love the good days of his three year old little self! BUT Whoever said that year two was the hardest was not a mother to my boys. Jude is TESTING us with everything he has (another reason why I fear his weeklong trip to Grumpa and Mimi’s)! Did I mention being a mother is hard? Haha. I watch Joel studying, just sitting back taking notes and it makes me cringe! So far, routine is the best medicine! Consistency is such a hard battle when you’re a busy family but it’s truly necessary! Any little thing that doesn’t go “his way” is so dramatically the end of the world for Jude! Example - Heaven forbid I help him open his string cheese when he wanted to do it all by himself, even tho yesterday he threw a massive fit because he couldn’t open it alone & needed help. I will say he is coming around more lately (prayers up and fingers crossed)! He understands consequences and he knows he SHOULD be using manners. AND MAJOR MOM BONUS, him and Joel have been playing so great together lately!! {{Heart melts}} I see a lot of Jon in Jude and imagine he was similar growing up…strong willed and stubborn to his core but extremely motivated and smart with a big heart! Joel reminds me more of myself…kinda selfish (note: I absolutely hate admitting that’s a characteristic of mine), very social and a bit hyper sensitive..ugh, yep…that’s me!

Here's a quick video of the boys trying out their new bounce house... we bought it a couple weeks ago and I swear we've already used it enough to get our moneys worth! :)

And me...

I am loving calling Fort Worth home! I don't know why it took me so long to agree that moving from Keller to Fort Worth was best for our family... Jon has been trying to convince me for years! He was totally right (he usually is, shhh!).

I love our neighbors, the convenience to work & the boy's daycare and our new church! It's such a joy coming home each day!


I'm still sewing! Not as much as I would like to most days but I make time here and there to try new things & manage to always have the boys in matchy matchy holiday appliquéd shirts. :) Right now I'm working on stuff for Dave and Nicole's baby boy (Ryker), due July 24!

This week I'm helping my mom out by watching her business (www.mnmshopping.com)  while she's on vacation. It's been kinda fun! I get to play in all her new trendy clothes and post on her FB wall, etc w/o the responsibility of owner stuff like paying rent! :-P

Here's one of my favorites right now, blk & white chevron skirt & Bubble necklace. I wore it on Mother's Day. :)

I definitely don't leave the family much time for boredom! ;-) I tend to pack out our calendar.  Jon jokes with me quite a bit about not being able to sit still! Better than the alternative, right?! Life is too short to waste it on a couch!

I am 100% confident God has his hands on every part of our lives and it gives me such a comforting peace of mind! I've never been happier and I'm not taking it for granted! I work hard to play hard and give thanks for my every day and blessings!

That's all I got for now! Feels good to be bloggin' again!

Hugs,

Brooke

Pumpkin Pictures!!

It was totally my lucky fortune to have called one of my best friends, Brandee, on my way back from my parent’s house Sunday to find her and another girlfriend, Andrea, had just carved a pumpkin perfectly sized for a baby/toddler and they were now taking fall pictures of Dre’s adorable baby boy, Tap, in her front yard! They were so sweet to invite me to come play too…my lucky day! How cute are these pictures?! ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ Sweet Baby Tap ♥♥ Joel was all smiles (and drool) ♥ ♥ Jude wasn't sure at first but after a few pics he ended up asking if HE could get in the pumpkin too... ♥ ♥ Ofcourse we let him...and soon the tears came fearing he was "stuck" in the pumpkin ♥ ♥ Give the kid candy and he's sure to be a hyper happy camper! ♥ ♥ Momma's lil' pumpkins ♥ ♥ putting his chocolate hands in brothers hair...little toot! ♥

I ♥ Bumbo!

Bumbo…One word…GENIUS! I used it with Jude and now Jon and I find ourselves taking it everywhere for Joel! Priced at $10-17 depending on where you purchase, I should probably just buy a spare and keep it in the back of the 4Runner! It’s worth every penny tenfold! Sometimes we think “we probably won’t really need it tonight” when we’re going over to someone’s house…we always regret that thought!
What it does: It allows infants without great head/neck control to sit upright on their own. It’s made of solid yet soft foamy material, it’s super lightweight, comfortable, durable, and SUPER easy to clean!! *No I am not being paid for this blog entry, LOL.* The best part…it can go anywhere baby goes! Hence, the above picture…bath time made easier! :)
Though some think I’m an awful parent for putting it on the kitchen table (there are no straps or fasteners), Joel LOVES being part of our dinner at eye level.

*Yes, my baby is "diaper only naked"quite often in our home*

I’ve heard some mothers use it as a booster seat at restaurants too…I will probably try this!
The ability for me to be hands free for household chores or to play with Joel face to face is wonderful! There’s no product like it! It’s a must for all new parents!

Oh and there’s MORE! There’s a Bumbo tray too!! Not AS amazing as the seat but still, pretty awesome! :) When Jude was old enough to eat small bites of table foods we used the tray a lot. Even before the table foods, we used it for toys.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! :)

A BIG Day for the Howerton Boys :)

Yesterday was a BIG day for the Howerton boys!


Joel rolled over for the first time! YAY!! He’s been SO close for weeks! He would get 95% of the way over and couldn’t seem to figure out what to do with the arm that was then under his body. He seemed to ponder for a bit but then would very willfully just return to his back with a smile. Well…yesterday was the day! He was on his whale play mat and BAM, he was on his tummy pushing off the ground. :)



And for Mr. Jude bug, he is 21 mos old (yesterday). I wish I had a snooze button…time is absolutely flying by! We celebrated with a pizza dinner and a backyard family night! The weather was gorgeous!


To finish the night off, we put the boys to bed at the SAME time in the SAME room (separate cribs)for the first time. I will be honest and admit I was extremely skeptical that it would be any kind of a restful night (for anyone) but…I was wrong! They did so great! They were both asleep within 15 minutes of us laying them down. Jude was a bit fidgety at first and super annoyed that his brother was crying…he said ”no no Goal (Joel)!” before dozing. It was SO CUTE! I had to go out in the hall to snicker with Jon.

A GREAT day! :)

Motherhood is…

I read this confession this morning on another mom’s blog:

“I really, truly, honestly wish someone–ANYONE–would have told me what it was really like having kids. Before I had them.”

I know she was exhausted ending a “less than easy day” and speaking out of complete frustration. I can absolutely relate and in turn, reflected a little on my own life & kiddos. I realize both of my boys are still under 2 so I have MUCH still to learn about being a parent but for all my sweet friends that are yet- to-be and soon-to-be-mothers who really wonder what it’s like, I’m going to do my very best to describe motherhood, thus far for me, for you.

Here goes.

Motherhood is constant middle of the night wake up cries. Just when you think “they had a wild busy day, stayed up late, had a short nap..SURELY they’ll sleep thru the night”…. “Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Poo Poo!”

Motherhood is reading book after book after book after book…after book.

Motherhood is needing more concealer.

Motherhood is having to leave something fun because you failed to bring enough
diapers &/or formula to stay any longer.

Motherhood is finally appreciating your own mother.

Motherhood is being so proud and excited when your child learns something new.

Motherhood is worrying that you’re not doing everything right that you should be to ensure your child progresses “on track.”

Motherhood is kisses for boo-boos and prayers before bed.

Motherhood is hormonal.

Motherhood is having someone to blame for the smell when a toot slips out.

Motherhood is sharing…everything.

Motherhood is giving up spontaneous date nights with your hubby and replacing them with “play dates” with friend’s and their kiddos.

Motherhood is frequent Wal Mart trips.

Motherhood is less trendy and more comfy.

Motherhood is an invasion of toys and safety devices to your once neat and tidy home.

Motherhood is dreading restaurants and preferring to eat at home.

Motherhood is feeling like a failure after repeated lactation consultant visits…wondering if you’ll ever be able to live up to the breast feeding requirements society imposes. And for the record, I did not. One of the hardest things for me EVER was overcoming what I FELT was judgment from so many…mainly mom’s that must have been dairy cows in a previous life ;-)

Motherhood is learning that if you act REALLY excited about something, your toddler will want to be that excited about it too.

Motherhood is house parties over bar hopping.

Motherhood is the easiest most difficult job ever.

Motherhood is submitting your life to your children’s schedule.

Motherhood is “packing up your house” when you want/need to go anywhere out of town.

Motherhood is all of your spending money.

Motherhood is snapping pictures constantly to “treasure this moment.”

Motherhood is not remembering what you did the day before when you used to have an impeccable memory.

Motherhood is finding a balance of your time between jealous siblings fighting for your attention.

Motherhood is trying not to be jealous when your toddler turns into a total daddy’s boy.

Motherhood is being pee’d on and wiping more poop than you ever thought you’d see in your life.

Motherhood is a car so filthy that you are embarrassed to let your own husband see it.

Motherhood is praying that you can raise your kids up in God’s word and be a good enough example that they’ll know and love the Lord.

Motherhood is emotional.

Motherhood is knowing, just from the touch of a forehead, almost exactly what your child’s temperature is.

Motherhood is feet a 1/2 size larger than before, tighter pants and a saggy booty.

Motherhood is fantasizing over reaching the bottom of the laundry pile, knowing full well that it’s never going to happen.

Motherhood is singing all the words to your kids favorite songs even though they annoy the heck out of you.

Motherhood is enduring countless episodes of Clifford, The Big Red Dog (“Ruff Ruff”) in order to get the house somewhat presentable.

Motherhood is never feeling 100% at peace unless all of your children are with you, under your own roof.

Motherhood is almost always feeling mildly sick but never being able to wallow.

Motherhood is a removal of any privacy once had… never using the bathroom or showering in peace.

Motherhood is using your sleeves to wipe snot and your spit to clean a dirty face.

Motherhood is when you are so exhausted, you just want to curl up into a ball when one of your children suddenly farts or burps or does something spontaneously funny. It’s the moment when you dissolve into a hysterical fit of laughter; the kind that you haven’t experienced since grade school. It’s the moment you pause and look at your children and husband, all piled on your bed, breathing hard with rosy cheeks, and think that the only things that really matter in the world are right there in front of you. They are yours, and they are worth every sacrifice and sleepless night!

Rinse and repeat a million times. That’s what motherhood is to me right now…and that’s just off the top of my head! Haha.

XO,
Brooke

Joel Philip Howerton

Only appropriate to make my first post after my "summer break" about Joel, our newest Howerton!! And what better way to tell a story than thr pictures?!

Just before bed on April 28th...our last day with just one sweet boy...
Grandma Judy (Jon's mom)was already at our house to stay with Jude so we could head to BAYLOR the next morning. :)


What better morning to have a baby?! Prince William and Kate's Royal wedding was on TV!! I walked in the doors of Baylor at 5:00am and the nurses already had it on my room TV. :)


A quick picture in between contractions ;-) We knew baby Joel was coming soon!


And...10:47am on April 29th, Joel Philip Howerton was born!! Perfect in EVERY way!!


Weight: 6 lbs, 6 ounces
Height: 19 3/4" long

Pictures from the hospital...
Jude meeting his new baby brother!

Our family...TEAM HOWERTON :)

Look at those precious feet...long and skinny :)

and perfect little hands...

My heart in a picture!!

XOXO

Daddy watching TV while Joel sleeps on his chest :) So sweet!

Jude checkin on his new brother!





Time to go home!! :)