The B Chronicles

{ Weekend Recap - 9/25/11 }

2011-09-25T21:53:00.014-05:00

Fall season is in full swing here at the B household. Our weekends are pretty much jam-packed with sports activities but we still fit in a lot of fun. Clockwise from the top:

T is doing a great job as quarterback on his flag football team, with Daddy as coach, and scored the only touchdown for his team.

C went around to all of the dogs at the sports complex and said hello. He even got to walk one which was a real treat.

We stumbled across a cool little comic & games shop near our house. I am sure we will be spending lots more time (and $$) there in the future.

Great way to end the weekend...playing combart army/ninja guys battling bad guys in the Gator.

T & J built this cool-looking structure using these

We celebrated Gigi's birthday with the whole B crew

{ the big K }

2011-08-16T18:41:00.003-05:00

It was a very big day here at our house as our lil' T-Man started his first day of kindergarten. T was very excited to be in a new school, interact in his new classroom, see the class pet (a turtle named Franklin), eat a school lunch in the cafeteria, meet new friends, and play with some of his old buddies at recess. Our neighbor Ron asked him how school went and he replied "Great...I met new friends!". That completely sums it up for our loveable, fun-loving guy!

Little Man on Campus - T had no problem navigating the halls on his own

Our lil' guy all grown up

{ weekly recap - July 18th-24th }

2011-08-14T21:25:00.003-05:00

We love making smoothies for breakfast & for mid-day snacks.

Our current favs...Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie and Peach & Spinach Smoothie.

CJ toted these superheroes around with him everywhere at a friend's

birthday party at the indoor inflatable center. He loved taking them

down the slide.

I don't think we will ever get tired of dressing up like superheroes!

T was on quite the winning streak playing Skee-ball...his new favorite game.

Daddy's birthday dinner at Anthony's with spaghetti & meatballs

We celebrated Daddy's birthday by staying the night at Crown Center

We swam for hours, did lots of exploring, ate lots of yummy treats and

had lots of fun in the city.

The boys were exhausted after a long day in the sun. This is

how they fell asleep...so precious!

Pillow fight!

CJ outside Liberty Memorial

The birthday boy with his two boys outside of Union Station.

Later on we went through the Choppers exhibit which

we all loved.

{ weekly recap - July 11th-17th }

2011-08-12T08:17:00.002-05:00

It was all about CJ since T was away at Grandma's.

We setup a car wash for our bikes in the driveway

The fun part was going through the rinse sprinkler.

Mommy let loose at the NKOTB/Back Street Boys concert with friends.

It was such a blast!

Invented a game of army bowling

Made a trip to Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun on a very hot day!

{ summer fun list - #13 }

2011-07-19T18:13:00.003-05:00

Summer Fun List #13 - Win a prize at the Parkville Carnival

T & CJ were head over heels that they won prizes at this year's carnival. We

intentionally directed them to two of the "coolest games" - the fishing game &

dart game. Those two games were guaranteed to win prizes...which meant

that we were guaranteed not to hear any whining on the way home.

{ summer fun list - #12 }

2011-07-19T17:45:00.003-05:00

Summer Fun List #12 - Go to an outdoor movie

My original intent for this activity was to attend a free outdoor family movie

that many of the local shopping districts offer but instead all we had to do

was just walk outside our front door. Our neighbors were able to score a

movie projector that is just perfect for outdoor movies. After trying out different

surfaces used as screens, we finally found that an plain white bed sheet works

the best and makes it even more fun & nostalgic. We have seen several movies so far and

plan to use it a lot when it gets cooler. It will be perfect on Halloween Night

for the Monday Night Chiefs-Chargers game!

[ summer fun list - #12 }

2011-07-19T08:06:00.003-05:00

Summer Fun List #12 - Pick up some peaches in Waverly

I just love this summer tradition! We always had plenty of fresh peaches from Waverly

growing up as the orchards were on the way to/from my Aunt Mildred's house.

Now my boys love it too...CJ can gobble up a few big juicy ones in no time. :)

{ summer fun list - #11 }

2011-07-19T07:59:00.004-05:00

Summer Fun List #11 - Play croquet with Gigi

We love us a good croquet game! J's family are all fierce competitors so there is

never a dull moment when we are playing. This summer T has really got

into the game playing by the actual rules instead of his own.

{ weekly recap - July 4th -July 10th }

2011-07-16T10:01:00.010-05:00

+ Watergun fight with Gigi & Grandpa...best way to cool off on a hot day!

+ Started off the week with a BANG with lots of fireworks in our cul-de-sac. Parkville is the best for Fourth of July!

+ Boys loved the paratrooper Fireworks

+ Making funny voices in the fan

+ J grilled lots of good food for our Fourth of July bbq including Asian Hamburgers, Mozzarella & Garlic Chicken Sausages & lots of hot dogs for the kiddos.

+ Mid week ice cream treat at Paradise General Store

+ Petted a cute lil' dog

+ Hosted a Snow Cone Party for our friends/neighbors after the Fourth of July parade

+ Dressed up in our knight/dragon gear for a birthday party

+ Indian War Paint (T did all by himself...can't you tell) :)

+ The boys' new custom skateboards arrived in the mail and Momma made sure that they were completely geared up with their protective equipment from head to toe

+ CJ takes his lawn-mowing seriously

+ Ate lots of fresh veggies/fruit from our garden & the farmer's market

+ T made this dinosaur to protect all of the koi fish in the water garden

+ T & Gigi took an unexpected dip in the koi pond

+ Fresh grilled peaches from Waverly & homemade vanilla ice cream...double yum!

{ surprise }

2011-07-11T19:19:00.002-05:00

I got a big "surprise" last week when looking for the boys early one morning. After I heard their snickers, I quickly grabbed my camera and captured this fun pic when they jumped out to surprise me. The box provided lots of entertainment through the day...they ate breakfast in it, they made a big fort around it and called it their army fox hole and they took turns surprising each other. The fun ended when I caught them using the big scissors trying to cut spy holes in the box.

{ summer fun list - #10 }

2011-07-10T18:42:00.005-05:00

Summer Fun List #10 - Decorate Bikes for 4th of July

The boys each decorated their own bikes for the Fourth of July parade. After getting

frustrated with the streamers that just kept on falling on when they would

ride, they both decided that flags held up with lots of scotch tape was the way to go.

{ summer fun list - #9 }

2011-07-08T06:58:00.002-05:00

Summer Fun List #9 - Make Tie-Dyed T-shirts

I have always wanted to make Tied-Dyed T's with the boys so this activity was high on my list this year. It was the perfect activity to do before Fourth of July with the boys & made for easy fashions on the day of.

{ weekly recap - June 27th-July 3rd }

2011-07-04T14:16:00.008-05:00

+ View of downtown from the top of the Ferris Wheel

+ Parkville's Fourth of July Carnival

+ Drive through the West Bottoms

+ We had another visitor this weekend

+ Sushi Night

+ Playing knights & vikings

+ My weekly Farmer's Market yummies

+ CJ curled up on the living room chair to take a much-needed afternoon nap

+ T built a huge fort for all of his superheroes (it is quite the display - it wraps around his room)

+ Saturday morning cartoons in their chairs

+ The boys wrapped themselves as mummies with packaging wrap

+ Sparklers at nighttime

+ The boys new favorite this year - the Smoke Grenade

+ Tested out some fireworks before our real Fourth of July celebration on Monday

+ We attended the International Cop Car Association Show at Zona Rosa - very cool at night with all of the lights going on all at once

+ J tested out his new Royals tank while mowing :)

+ T got most coveted toy - a Super Soaker Water Gun (they have definitely evolved since I was a kid)

+ Spent 4 out of 5 afternoons swimming with friends

{ summer fun list - #8 }

2011-07-03T16:04:00.004-05:00

Summer Fun List #8 - Create a signature summer cocktail

Most of the time my beverage choices are pretty plain & simple, so this summer I wanted to create a new summer cocktail. After seeing a recipe for a Black & Blue Mojito, made with blueberries & blackberries, I decided to change it up just a bit and use raspberries instead of the blackberries. It turned out to be exactly what I had envisioned...refreshing, fruity & delicious...and just perfect for the Fourth of July weekend.

3 raspberries

10 blueberries

couple springs of fresh mint from garden

1 oz simple syrup (I purchased mine from the liquor store for convenience but you can simply make your own)

1 oz lime juice (I used Rose's lime juice)

Using a muddle, smash berries & mint with juice & syrup.

2 oz white rum (I used Oronoco)

Add rum to berry mixture & stir. Add crushed ice to serve.

{ around & around & around... }

2011-07-03T15:34:00.004-05:00

CJ rides his new bike morning, noon & night...in his pajamas, in his cowboy boots, in his rain boots, barefoot...mostly with his shirt off & helmet too (despite my constant nagging)...around & around & around the bases he goes.

[ summer fun list - #7 }

2011-07-03T12:02:00.004-05:00

Summer Fun List #7 - Eat lots of popsicles

When compiling our summer fun list, T was very adamant that he wanted to eat a lot of popsicles. We should have added "Eat a popsicle every day" to our list instead as the boys just can't get enough lately. They like to sneak one in all the time during the course of the day...especially CJ. It just wouldn't be summer without popsicles!

{ summer fun list - #7 }

2011-07-03T11:56:00.002-05:00

Summer Fun List #7 - Attend a concert at Zona Rosa

Zona Rosa has free outdoor concerts every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night June-September which are always a good entertainment option for families. We all loved the tunes of this reggae-style band this evening and the boys were even asked to go up and jam with them. CJ was in complete awe!

[ summer fun list - #6 }

2011-07-03T11:49:00.003-05:00

Summer Fun List #6 - Find a Toad

We find TONS of toads/frogs in our yard, so this task was an easy one. This particular night, the kids found a cute baby toad that all of the neighborhood kids insisted on toting around. Lucky for the toad, he was able to go back home in one piece and still alive!

{ summer fun list - #5 }

2011-07-03T11:43:00.003-05:00

Summer Fun List #5 - Have a water gun fight

The boys absolutely love having water gun fights with the neighborhood kids. I just love hearing their constant laughter when they are running all over the place. This year, T just had to have a big Soaker Gun that would rival all of the bigger kids. CJ is not much in the water guns, but instead uses the hose as a sneak tactic when the kids are not expecting it.

{ summer fun list - #4 }

2011-07-03T11:38:00.004-05:00

Summer Fun List #4 - Visit Ron & Janet's hot dog stand

Our most awesome neighbors, Ron & Janet, have a hot dog stand at Zona Rosa that we all love to visit in the summertime. They serve a mean hot dog!

( summer fun list - #3 )

2011-06-14T17:57:00.006-05:00

We all went fishing at Smithville Lake over Memorial Day weekend. The only thing that J caught was a sunburn.

( summer fun list #2 }

2011-06-14T17:29:00.008-05:00

The brownies on a stick were a huge hit here at the B household and so simple to make. Just whip up a box of brownies, let cool, cut brownies out, insert popsicle sticks and then drizzle with melted candy chips/almond bark and top it off with tons of sprinkles. The boys liked them so much that they wanted to share them with their neighborhood friends.

{ summer fun list #1 }

2011-06-14T07:49:00.007-05:00

We are back with our Summer Fun List with lots of fun things planned for the coming summer months. I had lots of fun creating our list this year as the boys played a big part in coming up with the list and had some really cute & clever ideas. Instead of a standard checklist this year, I decided to be a lil' creative and make 3 "Summer Fun" jars jam-packed with ideas for simple & fun games/activities, tasty treats & fun places to go. More pictures to come...

T received approximately 100 tadpoles from his grandma & grandpa for preschool graduation so him & CJ are playing mommy & daddy to them by feeding them, changing the water and watching them grow. After a month, we finally had one of them turn into an itty-bitty frog that we released in our wooded backyard. One down....99 to go!

{ science city }

2011-02-27T19:26:00.006-06:00

We were very blessed to receive an annual family pass to Science City for Christmas...one of the boys favorite places to explore here in the city. They literally can spend hours there, taking their sweet time at every station, building, creating, discovering, playing.

T is definitely our budding scientist and is very intrigued with anything that has to do with animals. He always spends a lot of time in the animal lab. Here he is examining each & every animal/bug specimen.

One of CJ's fav spots is the dinosaur area where he loves digging for dinosaur bones.

My two lil' scientists!

{ snow day }

2011-01-11T22:44:00.002-06:00

{ Snowball, Snowball, Snowball fight! }

2011-01-10T23:26:00.005-06:00

The boys have been obsessed with this fun book lately, by the ever so funny Jimmy Fallon, so of course, the first thing that they wanted to do this morning was go and throw some snowballs of their own.

Happy & Rosy!

This smile wasn't for the camera. It is T's devilish smile knowing that he has a great opportunity to hit his mama right square with a snowball.

CJ loved the eating the snow declaring that it "tastes like sugar". The boy always has sweets on his mind!

My little snow angels

{ new year's eve celebration }

2011-01-06T08:05:00.004-06:00

Simple celebration at home with lots of sparkling grape juice, champagne, candles & sparklers.

{ summer fun list - #39 }

2010-08-23T21:43:00.002-05:00

{ summer fun list - #77 }

2010-08-23T21:41:00.001-05:00

{ summer fun list - #59)

2010-08-11T09:10:00.003-05:00

CJ's 1st Horse Ride

{ summer fun list - #81)

2010-08-10T21:52:00.003-05:00

My original idea was to dress up as superheroes for the day, but my idea turned even better when we made a visit to our local library earlier this summer. We happened to stumble across a face painting class while returning our books and T was more than happy to be one of their models. He was so excited about being Spiderman & was not shy about acting the part - in the grocery store, the pharmacy, at home, etc. He insisted on keeping the makeup on the entire day - even during his baseball game later that night. :)

{ summer fun list - #43 }

2010-08-03T18:02:00.004-05:00

Our town throws a fabulous small-town Fourth of July parade every year, and lucky for us, the parade starts at the entrance of our neighborhood so we don't have far to venture. As usual, we geared up in lots of red, white & blue, and watched the parade with lots of our friends & neighbors. This year, the parade was loaded with lots of free give-outs, i.e. beads, recycling bags, t-shirts, oscar meyer weiner whistles, bottled water, tons & tons of candy, and ultra-cool headbands.

{ summer fun list - #5 }

2010-07-31T11:36:00.007-05:00

I just love that my boys are lil' book worms!

(2006) The Hello-Goodbye Window - Juster-Raschka

(2003) My Friend Rabbit - Rohmann

(2002) The Three Pigs - Wiesner

(1997) Golem - Wisniewski

(1995) Smoky Night - Bunting-Diaz

(1992) Tuesday - Wiesner

(1989) Song and Dance Man - Ackerman-Gammell

(1986) The Polar Express - Van Allsburg

(1982) Jumanji - Van Allsburg

(1976) Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears - Aardema-Dillon

(1972) One Fine Day - Hogrogian

(1964) Where the Wild Things Are - Sendak

(1958) Time of Wonder - McCloskey

(1957) A Tree is Nice - Udry-Simont

(1954) Madeline's Rescue - Bernelmans

(1953) The Biggest Bear - Ward *

(1952) Finders Keepers - Will

(1947) The Little Island - Brown-Weisgard

(1945) Prayer for a Child - Field-Jones

(1943) The Little House - Burton

* One of our new favorites - such a heart-warming book for my animal-loving boys.

{ summer fun list - #3 }

2010-07-30T20:54:00.004-05:00

One of the best ways to quickly cool off in the sticky, summer heat is to have a quick jaunt in one of the many water splash parks around the area. They are always a big hit with the boys!!!

{ we're back with our summer fun list }

2010-07-29T22:45:00.005-05:00

We're back online, finally, and have lots of fun pics/stories to share! At the beginning of the summer, the boys & I created a "Summer Fun List" filled with 100 simple & fun things to do over the summer. We have crossed off a lot of things off our list so far and have documented the entire project with the hopes of creating a digital photo scrapbook at the end. Here's just a sneak peek...many more to follow.

{ my superhero boys }

2010-02-21T22:13:00.003-06:00

The boys love opening up our dress-up trunk and getting dressed in all of their superhero attire. I just love watching them running around the house, battling the bad guys and saving the day!

{ V-Day fun }

2010-02-16T23:13:00.005-06:00

The boys & I had a great week filled with lots & lots of hearts, friends, yummy treats, hundreds of "I Love You"s and loads of Valentine's Day fun. Here is a sampling of our {heart} day activities...

CJ is quite the multi-tasker
Easy (and way less messy) way to stamp with sponges. Cut your design out of a sponge and attach a wine cork to the sponge with hot glue. I bought a big bag of various sized sponges at Dollar General for $1 and we use them for lots of crafts & fun activities.
Easy painting activity incorporating the alphabet and Valentine's Day
Thumbprint clay magnets made for the grandparents
Yummy sweet treats made for all of our friends. Click here for the recipe.

{ happy belated Valentine's Day }

2010-02-16T22:37:00.006-06:00

My true loves...my boys

I just love this photo booth picture of the two of us taken last month at the Slowdown in Omaha. J surprised me by taking me to see Brandi Carlile, one of our favorite singers/songwriters. One word sums it all up...AMAZING! Amazing voice, amazing show, amazing venue, amazing opening act. Her show was one-in-a-million...and I have a one-in-a-million husband!!

My lil' Valentines

{ happy birthday CJ }

2010-01-08T00:18:00.006-06:00

It is hard to imagine that my baby CJ turns (2) today. I can remember every last detail of the day he was born in 2008 and have cherished every day with him since. Since he was born he has been the most cuddly little being that I have ever encountered. Always cuddling in your arms, giving hugs, or nestled close in your lap. Even when I put him to bed tonight, he just melted in my arms like he did when he was a little baby, except now he can says "wuv u" over & over again when he looks up in my eyes. These three pictures taken just a month ago definitely capture his personality...sweet, ornery, and oh, so cute!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my little CJ!!!

{ sneak peek: Baby R (my precious lil' nephew) }

2009-10-29T21:39:00.003-05:00

Here is just a quick sampling of some cute pics that I took of Baby R two weeks ago when he was just 14 days old. I just couldn't help but smile & go "aaawww" when I was going over all of his pictures. His sweet baby face, his lush locks, the way he curls his lil' hands...I just love him to pieces!!! Thank you C & S for your patience...I know you have been waiting patiently to get a quick glimpse of the pics that we took! I will post more to FB in the upcoming days.

{ sneak peek: K + J = ♥ }

2009-10-15T00:55:00.005-05:00

I had the privilege to take the wedding pictures of this cute couple over the past weekend and had lots of fun. I was a bit nervous as this was my first wedding, but I had nothing to worry about as everybody was so laid-back and so much fun to be around. Plus, I had the support of my sidekick Ariel who helped me tons. :) Thanks K&J for such a great weekend...I wish you all the best!

{ Halloween countdown }

2009-10-07T22:46:00.004-05:00

My favorite holiday is quickly approaching and I have lots of "tricks" & "treats" up my sleeve for the boys in the coming weeks ahead. Today, we made ghosts out of empty cartons that we will line up and light along our driveway on Halloween night. T-man got to draw his own ghost characters and I was pretty impressed with his creations. The two cartons on the right are his...he just drew them in red marker (his color of choice) and I traced over it with black marker. According to T, the top ghost on the carton pictured directly above is a ghost with a mustache..."just like PaPa". :)

Also, check out this ultra-cute Halloween video that J created tonight...love it!

{ sneak attack }

2009-10-07T22:38:00.005-05:00

These days we can never turn our backs for a quick second as this is what happens...

The night these pictures were taken, CJ decided to get BACK into the tub after J had gotten him out of the tub for the first time, got him completely dried off and put his pj's on for the night. What can I say...the boy loves his baths!!!

{ more slimy creatures }

2009-09-13T23:38:00.005-05:00

We have bugs, toads and snakes everywhere!!!

{ tire swing }

2009-09-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

We are lucky to have an awesome tire swing in our neighborhood that is always a big hit during our evening walks.

{ my boys & I }

2009-09-11T21:35:00.004-05:00

The instant I saw this picture that J took of the boys & I earlier this week, I immediately thought of the following poem that I saw in a book a while back & saved. So perfect!!!

My boys,

I wish you rainbows
And lollipops of every hue;
I wish you miles of family walks too.
I wish you bubbles to greet you at your door;
And rays of sunshine to keep you warm.
I wish you puzzles with every piece;
And that you still find wonder in the tiniest treat.
May you always have a bed or ball on which to bounce;
And an old laundry basket to hop in and be pushed about.
That you always find the perfect hill down which to run;
And a still lake to pitch rocks on.
I wish you big boxes in which to hide;
An imagination to fill them with treasures inside.
Let there be birds and soaring planes to watch overhead;
Your favorite song on the radio that makes you bop your head.
I wish you a full belly, and a strong, gentle heart;
And that sticks and stones and words not tear you apart.
I wish you laughs from tickled toes;
And blushing smiles that only innocence can know.
I wish you nights of the most restful sleep;
And days that fulfill your innermost dreams.

But most of all, may you always know,
The memory of my hugs and kisses deep within your soul.

{ lil' vampire }

2009-09-09T19:52:00.000-05:00

{ first day of preK }

2009-09-08T22:03:00.007-05:00

It was a big day here at the B house as our little boy took off for his first day of Preschool. T was all ready to go this morning and was super eager to see & explore all the cool things in his classroom and play with all of his classmates.

T's favorite thing about his 1st Day of School --- "playing in the gym".

{ snips n' snails & puppydog's tails }

2009-08-28T23:51:00.005-05:00

I just love the fact that my two boys love nature & the outdoors...mess and all! They both are thrilled whenever we go outside exploring...searching for bugs & critters, digging in dirt, going on nature hikes and helping me in the garden. They are so fun and I love that I am able to capture them at this age just "being boys".

{ first bridal session }

2009-08-13T23:08:00.008-05:00

I had my first bridal session yesterday with a newlywed of 17 months who wanted to take some quick shots before putting away her wedding dress for good. She came well equipped with her own hairdresser/makeup artist & stylist (sister & mother) and we had an absolute blast driving around town having fun, laughing lots, capturing some great pics.

{ evening hike }

2009-08-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

{ he makes me laugh }

2009-08-11T22:21:00.001-05:00

{ my inner Martha }

2009-08-06T22:23:00.004-05:00

I can't even begin to tell you how many inquiries I have received since I posted my "inner Martha" status on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. Here is what I was working on...just in case you were wondering. :)

For the yummy cake recipe click here.

For the oh, so cute tissue pom-pom balls click here.

{ neighborhood lawnmower races }

2009-08-05T22:56:00.004-05:00

Even though J didn't end up winning, T & CJ were pretty pleased that their driver Ron, sponsored by T&CJ Racing, was the winner of this year's inaugural neighborhood race.

{ the boys of summer }

2009-07-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

{ j's birthday surprise }

2009-07-29T21:28:00.005-05:00

Demolition Derby at the Fairgrounds...good times!!!

{ bye bye baby mullet }

2009-07-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

{ fun at muni band }

2009-07-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

{ summer bouquets }

2009-07-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

{ toys in the tub }

2009-07-21T07:51:00.004-05:00

For some reason, every time I look at this picture I automatically think of the following poem. (except I replace "toys" with "kids")

There's too many kids in the tub

There's too many elbows to scrub

I just washed a behind that I am sure wasn't mine

There's too many kids in the tub

- Shel Silverstein

{ in the garden }

2009-07-20T22:42:00.002-05:00

{ pirate party }

2009-07-20T22:03:00.004-05:00

This summer has completely flown by, leaving me little time to post, but still I have kept up with capturing pics of all of our summer fun. Early in June, our neighborhood had their Annual Block Party and this year's theme was Pirates. We all had a blast dressing up in our best pirate attire, decorating every inch of our house/cul-de-sac with lots of pirate memorabilia, hanging out with the friends/family/neighbors and shaking our booties late into the night.

{ sarah's house }

2009-07-02T13:25:00.004-05:00

I don't watch a lot of TV these days, but one show that I am absolutely hooked on is the home decorating series "Sarah's House" on the Fine Living Network. The show highlights Canadian designer Sarah Richardson through the entire 8-month process of buying an older city home and completely renovating it room-by-room. I just watched the Grand Finale earlier this week and the transformation is unbelievable. I absolutely love the entire look of this home...from top to bottom! Wouldn't you just love to move into a home like this? Can't wait for Season 2!!

Click here to see more pics.

{ adventures in St. Louie }

2009-06-17T16:53:00.008-05:00

After having fun with family at a wedding in St. Louis, the boys, my mom & I extended our stay to have a little fun - kids style. We had a blast hanging out with Aunt Cass & Uncle Scott and taking day trips to both The Magic House and the St. Louis Zoo. They boys just couldn't get enough of all the neat things to do and all of the animals to see and touch. Needless to say, they both came home completely happy and exhausted from all the fun!

{ another visitor }

2009-06-11T22:31:00.009-05:00

J went on a short little walk with W around 10:00 tonight and came home with this...a huge, slimy bullfrog. The boys are sound asleep, so what did we decide to do??? Keep the lil' fellow in our bathroom until tomorrow morning when the boys will be greeted with a big surprise. Yes, we are crazy!

Update: The boys were super excited when they woke up this morning. T yelled "There is a big frog in our house...yoo!hoo!" and C squealed and danced all around. So cute!

{ sneak peek: A + S + T + S }

2009-06-11T21:16:00.014-05:00

Here are a few pics from a quick session I did this weekend with my sister Alysen & her husband Scott (plus dogs Tamba & Sookie). It was hot, hot, hot let me tell ya' but you definitely can't tell from all the pics. They are so photogenic (the dogs not so much) and such a great pair! I just love taking their pics!

{ click on pictures for a larger view }

{ start of summer fun }

2009-06-07T21:47:00.007-05:00

Last week we kicked off our official summer by taking a mini-vacation to St. Louis to attend a fun family wedding, hang out with Aunt Cass & Uncle Scott and take the kids to the St. Louis Zoo and Magic House. It was such a great, fun-filled trip! Here's a sneak peek of our adventures in STL.

{ Go Nuggets! }

2009-05-13T21:24:00.004-05:00

The boys sported their Denver Nuggets gear today in support of our favorite NBA team. We have been have been dedicated fans miles away since we moved back to MO and have been having fun watching them advance through the playoffs. J was lucky enough to attend tonight's crucial game against Dallas while out in Colorado on business and was super excited to be a part of the action at the Pepsi Center once again.

GO NUGGETS! Or as T says, GO CHICKEN NUGGETS!!! :)

{ brock-n-roll }

2009-05-11T07:41:00.003-05:00

Last week, I took both of the boys to the skating rink for the first time and they both absolutely digged it. The setting was perfect as the rink was open just for Little Tots and their parents so we didn't have to watch out for any older kids whizzing by. We danced to some Disney tunes, did the Hokey Pokey, played some limbo and raised our hands high up in the air for some classic YMCA. Fun times!

T picked it up extremely fast. He would get down and shake his lil' booty while skating...too cute!

Taking a break for a quick snack on the rink.

CJ loved wheelin' around on the rink in his red car and looking at all the lights.

{ blowing bubbles }

2009-04-27T22:14:00.007-05:00

I just love watching CJ try to blow bubbles! He is so serious and precise and exaggerates every movement making sure to do it just right...even though he hardly blows any actual bubbles. Just look at him pucker his lips...so sweet! :)

{ sneak peek: J + B }

2009-04-26T22:28:00.008-05:00

My sister A put me in touch with one of her co-workers that was looking to have some engagement pictures done...enter J & B. J & B were such a fun & cute couple to shoot and we couldn't have asked for a more perfect day at Loose Park with all the spring-flowering trees & shrubs in full bloom & color.

Here is a sampling of a few of my favorites from this afternoon. Their goal was to get some good standard engagement shots for the paper, but I was able to capture some awesome candid shots as well. Enjoy!

They brought along their adorable little puppy who was such the perfect poser.

The wind was blowing like crazy during much of the shoot which was driving us all crazy, but in this picture the blowing hair effect totally works. I ♥ this one!

And, of course, who can resist a cute dog picture? Especially a dog that looks like this. In case you are wondering, she is a Goldendoodle puppy.

FACE PAINTING DAY

2009-04-24T13:37:00.004-05:00

J took T to a face painting class earlier this week and T came back with a pretty cool face. J put him to bed that night, so I was surprised to see that the face painting was still on his cheek, all smudged, when he woke up the next morning. Thank goodness for washable paints!

Note: Yes, those are T's feet in the foreground. He insisted that his feet be in the picture for some odd reason.

TOOT TOOT CHUGA CHUGA BID RED CAR

2009-04-24T11:55:00.004-05:00

CJ is such a lil' stud muffin when he is wheelin' around in his Big Red Car. He loves to just cruise around, with two hands perfectly on the wheel, and waves & says hello to people who pass us by.

HAPPY EARTH DAY

2009-04-22T21:34:00.007-05:00

The boys & I celebrated Earth Day by planting two little pine trees for the two of them in our backyard. They both were good little helpers though it did get a little hectic as T was playing "swords" with all of my small garden tools and CJ kept on throwing dirt all over the place. Whatever keeps them happy!

On a different note, we all were devastated to discover that our beloved turtle, Artimus, suddenly passed away late this afternoon from unknown causes. We all are very sad. When putting T to bed tonight, he stated that "he wanted to go see Artimus in heaven this summer"..."we can drive there." My heart just tore to pieces.

SAY HELLO TO OUR LITTLE FRIEND

2009-04-21T21:25:00.006-05:00

Meet Artimus...our turtle friend who has been living with us for the past month. J & T brought him home after finding him in not-so-good condition while hiking in the woods and he has been happily with us since, spending his time hanging out in his posh habitat in our garage and swimming freely in our bathtub. The boys are crazy over their new small friend - T loves to dig worms for Artimus to eat and CJ screams in excitement every time he sees him. Artimus seems to like us too and he remains very tolerant of all the slaps to the shell that he takes on a regular basis. Unfortunately, his time at the B household is coming to an end as warmer days are here and we need to release him back into the wild...if he decides to leave, that is.

Here is Artimus hiding in his shell...

and the reason he is hiding...

FUN SOCCER

2009-04-16T08:14:00.004-05:00

Tips on how to be a good Soccer Player...

GUESS WHAT I AM?

2009-03-28T21:50:00.005-05:00

We love playing games here at the B household and this one is definitely one of the boy's favorites. T has finally mastered the art of giving away clues without blurting out the answer and CJ is quite the animal impersonator.

SPRING IS HERE

2009-03-26T20:28:00.002-05:00

Spring is finally here which means lot of time spent outdoors getting dirty and playing games with all of the neighborhood boys.

SNEAK PEEK: BROTHERLY LOVE

2009-03-19T15:03:00.005-05:00

I just had to share this adorable picture as I am a total sucker for cutesy sibling pictures and this one definitely tops the list. It puts a smile to my face every time I look at it.

Day o' Fun

2009-03-19T10:11:00.006-05:00

We had a lot of fun celebrating St. Paddy's Day this year. The boys received a special gift in the mail from the Carlson's filled with lots of St. Paddy crafts & treats to enjoy...thanks BC! T crafted this cute leprechaun hat and also made tiny shamrock stickers to pass out to friends & neighbors. Baby CJ thought he was pretty funny wearing his shamrock headband, making weird sound effects (which sounded more like a dying duck than an Irish accent) whenever he had it on. I got a little crazy with the green food coloring, transforming ordinary foods/drinks (milk, yogurt, eggs, beer) into St. Paddy Day treats. The day wouldn't be complete without some traditional Irish jigging done BNR style. I don't think any of us will be joining the Riverdance dancing troupe anytime soon but we sure had fun.

Special St. Paddy's Day lunch - Shamrock (green pepper) cheese toasties with green milk

SNEAK PEEK: J + P + G FAMILIES

2009-03-16T23:06:00.003-05:00

I love taking pics of children and infants so I was thrilled when this next family asked me to take family/kid portraits of their entire clan. Of course, the adults are oh-so-cute and photogenic but their three offspring definitely take the show. Just take a look at all of their gorgeous blue eyes...to die for! One picture just wouldn't cut it so I just had to post two pictures of all of them. Such cute families...enjoy!!!

DOING CARTWHEELS

2009-03-12T22:06:00.008-05:00

I have been in a major blog funk lately. I have lots & lots of things that I could blog about (including hundreds of vacation pics), but I have been seriously distracted by all of the disorganization in my house (my closet, the boy's rooms, my office space, my filing boxes, my black hole storage room) and have decided to tackle just a little bit so it won't drive me completely insane. I definitely have the Spring Cleaning bug!

Anyways, back to our vacation pics. J & I took a day trip with the boys to a picturesque beach community called Watercolor. This ultra-cute community had everything you ever dream of...modern, coastal cottages that all had wrap-around porches, amazing hiking trails, top-of-the line tennis center & pool house, kids fishing pond, communal BoatHouse, cute green squares, a full-time "Camp Watercolor" for kids...the list goes on & on. Everyone was smiling & happy and we couldn't help but get sucked into its essence and want to immediately move there. These pics are of us taking a break at one of the many little green squares that they had nestled everywhere. It seem like a good space to do cartwheels so we decided to have a Cartwheel Contest. I think it is obvious who the winner is, don't you...definitely not me?? I thought I was doing a pretty good cartwheel until I saw this picture...haha!

LET'S GO FLY A KITE

2009-03-04T22:22:00.007-06:00

For Valentine's Day we got the boys this cute, little, indestructible kite which seemed like it was made for the beach. We had fun taking turns flying the colorful kite up & down the shore. It seems like the weather was perfect for kite flying on this day, as there were lots & lots of people flying kites all along the shoreline. Baby CJ wasn't quite big enough to hold onto the kite, but had fun gazing at it floating in the sky. T picked it up just like that, though he hated looking up at the kite and having the bright sun in his eyes therefore the need for Baby CJ's oh-so-cool wraparound sunglasses.

FINALLY...SOME FLORIDA PICS

2009-03-03T21:56:00.006-06:00

I am finally getting to all of our vacation pictures after getting all of the sand cleared out of our suitcases and getting us settled into our normal routines after a fabulous week away on the Gulf. Many of the pictures are of us on the beach as that is where we spent the majority of our time. Being that it was just steps away, we didn't have any excuses not to get out and play in the sand and sun. The boys had so much fun building sandcastles, combing for seashells, chasing the seagulls and running amock. This first round of pics was taken the first day we arrived. A thick blanket of fog covered us the entire afternoon, but the temperature was just perfect.

T took his sandcastles very serious

CJ loved dumping the sand in/out of various containers, including his mouth

We just couldn't resist burying T in the sand. CJ loved dumping sand on his big brother.

CJ had fun playing on the beach with Grandpa

J & T tested out the water & waves...

and quickly came running back. Not exactly bath water.

SNEAK PEEK: THE D FAMILY

2009-02-25T21:27:00.004-06:00

I took shots of this amazingly beautiful family this past weekend in Union Station. Baby A is so incredibly breathtaking...I could just hold & look at her for hours!!! She is quite the little model already and has the cutest little expressions which made it extremely difficult to select the final pictures.

FAMILY PHOTO OP AT THE BEACH

2009-02-23T15:46:00.003-06:00

On our last night in Florida we headed down to the beach to take some quick pics during the beautiful sunset. The sunset was blocked in the background but it created an amazing backlit light which is captured in this family photo.

BACK FROM FLORIDA

2009-02-22T14:16:00.006-06:00

We just arrived home after spending a fabulous week in sunny FLO-RID-A with Jason's parents. All of us had so much fun spending hours at the beach, soaking up the sun and playing in the sand. The boys are total beach bums! Here are a few quick snapshots that I captured just steps from away from the condo...lots more to follow. Oh, how nice it is to be by the beach!

I ♥ My Boys

2009-02-14T07:01:00.001-06:00

I ♥ My Man

2009-02-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

My HBSC,

I love...

that you let me sleep in every morning while you make the boys breakfast...your bed-head all day long...the way you make the boys laugh hysterically at the drop of a dime...your yummy margaritas that make me giddy...your whoo-hoo dance...your sense of play & adventure...your taste in music and TV shows (movies - no)...you in scrubs...you more & more each day.

Love,

Your HBSC

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

2009-02-07T16:21:00.004-06:00

Baby CJ loves to climb up on the step stool and look at himself in the mirror. This time I was lucky to have my camera close by and was able to catch him in action. Such cute expressions!!!

VALENTINE'S DAY TREATS

2009-02-06T20:30:00.002-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I found these cute heart-shaped silicone molds in the $1 bin at Target and thought they would be perfect to make heart-shaped crayons for T & Baby CJ to give out for Valentine's Day to all of their friends. This project is super easy and great to do with the little ones. T loved having an excuse to break his crayons and enjoyed putting all of the pieces into the individual molds.

Directions:

Gather crayons & remove wrapping. (Note: Because I didn't want to use our "washable" crayons, I posted an ad on Craig's List looking for unwanted crayons. I received an overwhelming response (who knew?) and ended up getting a huge tub of crayons from a generous lady right down the street for FREE.)
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Break crayons into tiny pieces and drop into mold. (Note: Be sure not to overfill the mold, as crayon will melt and overflow)
Put the mold into the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until the crayons are completely melted. (Note: Place the molds on a separate baking tray to make it easier to remove from oven and to prevent any spills.)
After you remove them from the oven, let them sit for 15 minutes and then place them in the freezer for an additional 10 minutes.
Pop them out of the tray and voila...oh, so cute & crafty crayon hearts.

I also got some cute Valentine's Day treat bags in the $1 bin at Target that I am going to place the hearts in. Total cost of project= $3.50 ($2.50 for molds, $1 for bags)...very thrifty!

SNEAK PEEK: A + R

2009-02-02T11:19:00.007-06:00

I was thrilled when A asked me to take her engagement pictures as she & her family have always been so dear to me. Here is a sneak peek of their photo session on Saturday morning...such a cute couple!

FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

2009-02-01T22:02:00.027-06:00

Here are a few pics from Baby CJ's 1st Birthday Celebration. It was a fabulous party with lots of great food (thanks to my mom) and good times with 20 of our closest friends/family. Baby CJ's favorite part, of course, was eating the cake.

New Year, New Look

2009-01-30T00:49:00.005-06:00

I had intended to change the look of my blog on January 1st, but it took me a lot longer to figure out all of the exact HTML coding as I pulled the layout from a handful of templates. I still have more work to do, and I am sure I will change it around a million times, but I am pretty pleased with the overall layout. What do you think? Just wait until I post some pics...that will really give you the full effect.

Project 31: Day 25

2009-01-28T20:46:00.002-06:00

Sleeping with Cubby & Blankie

Project 31: Day 24

2009-01-28T20:39:00.000-06:00

Arley United Methodist Church

Project 31: Day 23

2009-01-28T20:27:00.003-06:00

Kings of Leon Concert

Project 31: Day 22

2009-01-28T20:18:00.003-06:00

Build-A-Bear Sandwiches

Project 31: Day 21

2009-01-25T16:43:00.007-06:00

His & Hers Art Projects

Project 31: Day 20

2009-01-25T16:42:00.003-06:00

Busy at Work