bath time!

a few pics from the boys' bath times together....i had more but they showed "things" so i didn't want to post them. they LOVE baths together. this is one time where i can already see how fun they are going to have together for many, many years. i love it!

i'll leave you with this little image...i couldn't resist!

"baylor" play group

a couple weeks ago we got together at the rowan's house for a little play date. it was so fun to spend time with my friends from baylor: kate newberry, nancy harrison, liana james and kathryn rowan. these friends have been friends of mine for years. they are so special even though we don't get together enough. i love them and their precious kiddos! thank you to kathryn for having all of us to your house...with friends and 11 kiddos....it was a little crazy! (and nancy didn't even have 2 of hers with her!)

sweet preston took this pic of all of us

the kiddos: back row- caroline rowan (holding benjamin), preston newberry, lilly katherine newberry; middle row- michael rowan, price james, david harrison; front row- samuel and jemma james...annaleigh newberry in the very front. (not pictured: elizabeth rowan, will and charlie harrison)

hanging around...misc happenings at the williams house in january

frigid walk...for some reason i HAD to get out and get some exercise....which is rare so i thought i better do it. well a cold front had just come through and it was in the 30's! we just walked to the end of the street....benjamin was less than thrilled....

donut saturday! this is our tradition...every saturday morning we go get donuts and starbucks. and every saturday samuel eats the tops to three chocolate donuts...
my super hero
my little dresser....he was proud of his "outfit" he put together....sperry's (church shoes), socks, sweat pants, a t-shirt, an orange 12 MONTH-old jacket underneath a tuxedo vest and to finish it off his favorite sport coat. he LOVED it!
benjamin found himself in the glass door on the oven
benjamin learned his first trick...to clap!
i could eat him UP!

a little play time

samuel is really into tom & jerry...he can't get enough! he wants to watch them all the time and we have never heard him last so hard as he does when he watches tom or jerry "get" the other one. have you watched tom & jerry lately? let's just say tom and jerry get drunk on more than one occasion, smash each other with pans, get put through various machines or cut to pieces. it's quite violent! i think we need to find a good balance/ mix of tom & jerry and veggie tales!

benjamin is totally into this book "charlie monkey"....he loves it! we read it everyday!

to infinity & beyond...

well samuel is slightly obsessed with toy story these days. he got woody for christmas and shortly after decided he wanted buzz lightyear. i explained to him that it was just christmas and he didn't need anything more. but like any normal 3 year old, he couldn't let it go. so we decided a "chore/ good behavior" chart was the perfect way to allow him to earn his buzz.

samuel really got into filling his chart....he did chores like feed the dogs and let them inside and out, clean his room, get things for mamma and help with dinner. it also worked as a great disciplining technique...when his behavior was questionable....he would be reminded that a sticker could and would be taken off if he didn't make good choices.

in the end he acheived his goal....filled up his chart and got buzz light-year! he LOVES buzz!

sometimes i think it's hard as a parent to have delayed gratification for/ with your kids...i want him to have what he wants and give him things because i get so much joy out of seeing him excited. but i know it's important for his little, molding character to not get everything he wants when he wants it. i also want him to get a sense of "working" for something. our prayer is that he will find happiness in other more eternal things like being kind, helping others and loving god. i think this is a daily journey for me, too.

happy birthday sugie!

january 14th we celebrate sugie's birthday! we ate dinner at fish city grill and it was yummy! we had fun celebrate mom on her special day! (on the phone with rach)

date with my little man

samuel and i had a little date to see the symphony play a disney themed program. he was excited to get dressed in his "suit" and we enjoyed to instruments and the clips from the movies.

we walked in and immediately saw our good friend, garner mckinney! we were on the same row!

after the concert the musicians came to the lobby and let the kids play their instruments or ask questions about them. they also served cookies and juice for the kids. it was really cute!
the mickey balloon statue that samuel could not stop punching...ahhh boys!

snow day!

yes i am tad bit behind on blogging....but we had a wonderful day (or two) playing in the snow!!

enjoying a little hot chocolate after playing in the cold snow!
i love these boys...

snow man pancakes...yummmy

cousins

samuel's "own" haircut

yes, my sweet samuel decided he was going to use his scissors for something other than paper. here's the story...samuel was helping kyle unload the firewood and he was cutting the paper off of the logs of wood. as he was walking back to the kitchen to put up his scissors (since scissor use is only done under close supervision) he stopped at the door way. my back was to him as i was changing benjamin...i turned around and saw him cutting away at his hair. i screamed "what are you doing!?" he stopped, didn't move and stared at me. kyle came around the corner saying "what's wrong...what's going on?" and then samuel burst into tears. i immediately felt bad for yelling but i was in shock! he just kept crying and crying and would not look at me or let me hold him. i embarrassed him. i got benjamin in bed while kyle tried to console samuel. he was settled down by the time i finished with benjamin so we had a little chat about why we don't cut our hair, i apologized for screaming and then he got "grounded" from scissors for awhile.

he cut right in the front of his head near his cowlick and part but you really can't tell. it could have been a lot worse!

and ps when i told my mom the story she said that i was about the same age when i cut my own hair :)

brothers...you've got a friend in me

Brothers...are as close as hands and feet. ~Vietnamese Proverb

There's no other love like the love for a brother.

There's no other love like the love from a brother. ~Astrid Alauda