Tuesday, June 29, 2010

My Two Boys are the BEST!!!!

The past few months, I have been much more aware of my children. Since I decided to delete all the stuff that was keeping me so busy, I have been more focused, more aware and have grown to love my children so much more (is that possible?!?!?). Not to mention the fact that I have also been more patient as a mother and enjoy being a mother more. It's a good feeling.
This morning I was watching them. They were getting ready for music camp. I was amazed at how much they have grown in just a month since summer started. Jason teaches at a music camp every year. Xander and Garrett are going with him this year. Xander made FIRST chair in the top band! He is a rising 6th grader and they are all 7th and 8th graders! Go Xander!
Garrett made the second level orchestra. It is the one Jason teaches, so they will have fun! I am so proud of him! He worked really hard getting ready for his audition and did a great job!
They were fixing their own breakfast and making lunches and listening to classical music and joking around and just being grown up! I just watched....
(Going golfing with Dad!)
So, as I am watching them, I realize how much they have grown up and have changed. Xander now is as tall as I am. He wears my flip flops and Crocs. He is becoming a young man. Gone are those chubby legs and cheeks. (Sigh!)
Garrett is getting so tall! He is up to my shoulders now. His green eyes and that dark skin are so handsome!
I just stood and drank the moment in, savored it, cherished it and told myself to remember them right now, as I have done a million times before.....but this time it was almost bittersweet. Childhood is almost over for Xander, my firstborn...I'm trying to decided how I feel about that...am I ok with him growing up? I think so. Am I ready? I don't know...maybe?

(eating lobster for the first time this spring!)
He's changing so fast and his social life is changing too. The other day he told me that the girls told him he had great hair and had put their hands in his hair and were jealous of how thick his hair is. I tried to keep breathing normal. He acted like it was no big deal. Was it a big deal?!?!?
And he does quirky things like clean his room really well when one of his girl friends is coming over to hang out.
Sigh!
I know my first real crush was in 6th grade. James Casiano....he was hot and a football player and I was a cheerleader. The cheer squad leaders made up a cheer for us:
"Jenna's got a boyfriend, his name is James!
Went behind the bleachers at the football game!
What they did, they'll never tell...
But that's why James is playing so well!"

Yeah, I STILL remember it!

(He's the same one that my mom would drive by his house and honk and wave and I would literally crawl under the front seat, wanting to die a thousand deaths! )

I can tell sometimes Xander is torn between childhood and being a young adult. I am torn with him being like that too! I am also amazed and humbled to be in his presence. He is a good young man. A loving and caring big brother, a faithful friend and someone you can really rely on. He is talented not only musically, but smart and funny and creative. Gosh! I love this kid!

And Garrett....
He came in this morning to tell me all his shoes were too small....yup! The ones he was just wearing yesterday. We dug out a pair of Xander's old shoes and they fit. He grew two sizes in one night?!??!??! I sometimes look at him and remember how beautiful he was as a baby. He was so handsome and has grown up to be even more handsome! He is a loving, good boy also. He struggles a lot, but he keeps moving in a forward motion in life! He is always there to give me hugs and kisses and I love him so much!
I can't help but say silent, daily prayers for them as they prepare for missions and life. I remember how hard it was to be a teenager. I pray they will find the inner strength they need to succeed and bless the lives of others.
These are my boys....
Words cannot describe how blessed I am to be their mother.....how much they mean to me...how much joy they bring to me...how they make my life worth living...how I prayed to become healthy so I could raise them...and how I have been blessed to have that prayer answered....I love you boys!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

I was being lazy yesterday morning....I figured it was my birthday, so I was just enjoying the peaceful moment. Soon, I hear "sneaking" - yeah, the "sneaking" of children. It's similar to a thunderous herd of buffalo. There were the "sshhhhhh's" and the "ouch!" and the tripping on something. I started to smile. Suddenly, children jumped up from behind the bed, the closet and from the foot of the bed and sang, "Happy Birthday to you!" It was the best way to start my birthday! I'm glad I was lazy for those few extra minutes and got to experience that awesome moment!
Since we are in summer, by 7:30am, it is HOT and humid! So, for my birthday, they decided to wash the car....fine by me! I'd want to cool down also!

When I see pictures of my childhood, I always remember our car, how our house looked, the flowers, etc. This will be one of those pictures to my children someday!
For being my birthday, it was a busy day! We had to attend a wedding of a friend of Jason's family. After the wedding, I got a crazy phone call from all my aunts. It was a fabulous rendition of "Happy Birthday!" They are having a sisters retreat this weekend and having a great time. It was fun to hear their voices! I love my aunts!
We went to Grandma and Grandpa Day's house for dinner and had a little party.
After that, we went up to Fort Meyer in Arlington and attended a concert of the United States Army Strings and their alumni. It was amazing! Jason's dad served in the Army Strings for thirty years. He retired in 2002. The first half of the concert was the current members.
The Army Strings job is to entertain the President of the United States and special guests and dignitaries. They play for the State dinners and other special functions.
Here are Grandma and Grandpa Day just before the concert.....
Xander and Catherine.....
Aunt Alicia and Garrett....
Daddy and Eleanor....
Savannah......

The second half of the concert included the alumni. There was one gentleman there that was with the original band, which was started in the 1950's!
Grandpa getting ready to play....
One of the most amazing and beautiful things the Army Strings does, is stroll. As dinner is being served and eaten, the musicians stroll around the room playing songs. They played for us last night and strolled. I loved it! They played "Moon River" which is one of my favorite songs.
They also played Michael Jackson songs and the "Orange Blossom Special" too.
The members of the Strings were in uniform. The alumni wore their street clothes.
It was a fabulous concert and they all got together for a picture afterwards! It was the first alumni concert they had ever done and it was fabulous!
Pictures afterwards with Grandpa.....
Somehow Grandpa disapeared, but we were all ready and together, so we took the picture!
We walked out of the concert hall to a beautiful full moon! And even though we got home REALLY late, it was worth it! I had a great birthday and enjoyed it! Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Our Summer Bucket List.....

So, I saw my first firefly tonight....a true sign that summer has begun! Can it really be only 100 days ago that we were dressed like this?!?!?!?
Now we are spending our days like this....
And this.....
We made a list of all the things we wanted to do this summer.
Summer Reading Program
Go to the National Zoo
Go Blueberry Picking
Pick Peaches
Go to Frying Pan Park Farm
Visit the Welters
Natural History Museum
Ben Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
Swimming at the pool
Practice Math and writing
Go to Utah for a family reunion
Go to California to visit Great Grandma Brown
We've started the summer reading program and spent some time at one of our favorite places, The National Zoo! My cousin, his wife and three cute kids came up for the weekend and wanted to go, so we packed up and went! The humidity has hit and we are in a heat wave. Despite all that, we had a great time!
This little guy belongs to my cousin...I fell in love with him! So cute!
Because of the high humidity in the east coast, when the kids walked through the sprinklers, the water just beaded up on their heads....Eleanor thought it was like sparkling jewels in her hair! As you can see by the crown she wore that day, she was delighted!
Garrett is such a good big brother. He is sweet and kind and always willing to help. He insisted in pushing the stroller the entire time we were in the zoo. He made sure Savannah didn't slip in the sprinklers.

One of the mommy gorillas was out with her baby. Eleanor wanted a picture in front of her....
Then this little girl, who had been watching Eleanor, jumped in and asked if she could be in the picture....of course! Her dad apologized and we told him not to worry about it! She was very cute!
Hands down, the elephants were the favorite animals. One was carrying a tire around and they were throwing dirt on themselves. We stopped to rest there and the kids just stood and watched them for the longest time.

Savannah wanted to know how to get inside to see them!

Just resting....it was really hot and humid that day!
Frying Pan Park Farm
Another favorite place for my children...another hot and humid summer day!
Savannah was going nuts over all the animals!
She loved the calves!
There were a lot of questions about the pigs.... they couldn't believe how big they are!
Of course, the pig didn't care. She was too hot to move!
We took a break in the shade of a huge oak tree.


Then, this morning, we were told it was going to be the hottest day of the year so far.
I decided we would leave early and go blueberry picking! Oh! It was heavenly!






Garrett had a butterfly land on his arm. It wouldn't leave him! He stood very still and it crawled on his arm.


Eleven pounds of blueberries! We had fresh picked blueberries for breakfast, fresh picked blueberries for lunch, fresh picked blueberries for a snack and fresh picked blueberry cobbler for dessert tonight. I felt like I was going to turn into Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!
One of my favorite memories of summer was the trampoline...Xander had the hose on and was jumping tonight.....He asked me to take some pictures and here they are....



We are having a great summer so far and are enjoying the time with our dad. He starts teaching at a music camp on Monday. Xander and Garrett will be going with him. They get to attend for free, since he is a teacher there. Eleanor will start swimming lessons Monday morning. I'm pretty sure that if she doesn't have something to do, she will punish me. So swim lessons it is!!! I hope everyone is having a great summer like we are! We still have a lot of fun things to look forward to still!