Drew's Camera

Drew got a digital camera from his Mema and Papa for Christmas which has transformed him into a wonderful little photographer. He has so much fun taking pictures and looking through them. Be careful at our house because he will take your picture and he doesn't care if it is your good side or not. Here are a few of his best shots!

Three is an amazing age!

Can I just say that I love having a three year old? Yes there are days or on some occasions weeks that I wonder if he will drive us insane, but the overall feeling of having a three year old is joy. Lets start with the negative..... up WAY too early in the morning, testing boundaries, sneaking food, messy eater, not listening. However, here are the good things... able to control emotions a little better, playing board games, doing puzzles, art projects, loves mom and dad and tells us often. Another amazing part of a three year old is the balance of independence and dependence. He can run and play and do things on his own, however he still needs to run back for a hug or a kiss. He can do his art project by himself but he still needs mommy to watch and applaud when he is done. He can eat by himself but loves to sit with daddy while he does it. He can play with friends and let mommy talk with her friends but still needs help with getting his plate at lunch and secretly steals a kiss from mommy! I love it. I am soaking this all up because I know soon he won't need me in the same way. Today he told me that when he grows up he wants to be a mommy just like me . I feel so lucky that I am able to stay home and take full advantage of this stage. This is by far my favorite age..... so far!

Blocks, blocks and Bumps!

Aunt Mandy sent Drew some blocks and he has played with them daily for two weeks. We have so much fun with them. I was getting by with building just straight towers until Grandma came for the weekend and she builds entire cities so I have to up my game to keep him interested! ;) Drew tells me what to build and then we build it together. He loves to pretend with the blocks and has a great imagination. This first picture was a parking garage. Then we played dominos with them. I think we played dominos for about an hour! Next we moved on to a car wash and later added a library. Everyone needs a good car wash after they leave the library, right?! Thanks Mandy, Adam, Kyle and Brandon.... he loves your gift!








Here he got so excited about the car wash/library that he threw his head forward and hit the edge of the couch and put a knot on his head! Poor boy.

Cuteness just comes natural for her!
(I don't have any of Drew sitting still because that doesn't happen too often). ;)

I am very aware that parents are more entertained by their children than other people but I still wanted to add a couple videos. Lauren is great at sitting by herself now and Drew is a tractor driving maniac! Enjoy!

Hoovers Wedding

Okay so I had every intention of getting a lot of pictures and a great family picture while we were all dressed up for the wedding. The reality is, we barely kept everyone in building let alone standing still for a picture! Drew had a blast, he ran as fast as he could all over the dance floor. It would have taken some super glue, ropes and a large body guard to keep him standing still for a picture. He loved his outfit because he thought he was going to the bank. Here are the few pictures we got in their wedding clothes. The last picture Drew was trying to get Lauren to show Grammy how we danced at the wedding!

Brother is Funny!!!!

Lauren has been getting a kick out of Drew sneezing for awhile now and I just now got it on video. Before this one, they would stop every time I got the camera. It takes awhile for him to start sneezing again so be patient. She doesn't seem to mind even when it gets a little out of control. I love these kids!

Stages

Just wanted to show her beautiful eye lashes!!!! I LOVE THEM!

Having a family is sooooo much fun!!! Days are full of tantrums, dirty messes, tears, diapers, spit up, clutter, laundry and housework and I love it! I love it because the hugs, kisses, songs, smiles, and giggles make up for any hard parts of being a parent. Don't get me wrong, by 7:00 I am ready for them to go to bed so I can recharge by batteries and get ready for the next day. :) I am a women of many talents now that I have a family. I can finger paint (toddler style) with the best of them, build things with legos and blocks, sing and dance to any child song, play tickle monster, doctor boo boos, cook up a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich, perform surgery to insert batteries to any toy and much more!!!!
Each stage keeps getting more fun than the last. Right now the kids are starting to interact and that makes me smile. Lauren loves when Drew talks to her or even looks her way. When Drew will slow down to look at her he gets excited to see her smile at him. Lauren has already started the "Daddy's home" smiles and kicks, she gets so excited to see him and tries hard to get his attention before Drew can get to him!!! Poor mom just sits there and gets ignored when Daddy comes home, boo hoo for me.:) Both kids are still at the age where Mommy and Daddy are the best and know EVERYTHING so we take full advantage of that because I understand it will not always be the case. Drew is starting to LOVE puzzles and coloring, these are things that before now he couldn't sit still long enough to do. It is fun to watch them go through different stages and sad to see them pass through some of the stages. (True story: As I am typing this up, Drew just came out from his nap, hugged me and said "I love you Mommy!). That is why I love my family!!! I can put up with the days that we have a screaming fit in public when it is followed days of hugs and "I love you Mommy"! Well he is up from nap so I have to get back to building a "BIG HOUSE" out of blocks per Drew's request! I added a couple videos so the out of town people can see a little of Lauren!