Thank God for R&R

I just realized that it's been a ridiculously long time since I've blogged. I've done a lot over the last two months and have not really documented any of it. I suppose most importantly I attended my sister's baby shower in early November. That was quite an event and my sister got so much crap for my new nephew that I'm reasonably sure that child has more shit than all three of mine combined. :P That's probably not true but close. :) It was awesome to see my sister pregnant and so happy.
I went back to Phoenix with my little boys two weeks later for Thanksgiving and spent that time with my family. That was also a very nice trip where I got to spend more time than I usually do with my family. I love them lots and so was grateful for the time we got together.
Now, we're about a week out from Christmas and a lot of construction will be going on tomorrow. My Aunt is driving down to paint the boys room so we can move both boys into the same room and make room for the new addition. Meanwhile my husband, his brother, and his friend will be putting up the swing set in the backyard. Then we'll have all those men move the new furniture into the bedroom. I'm excited to see the finished product. I'll have to try and take before and after pictures.
The only thing I really need done once the other room is completed is to have the crib put together. Then I think we'll be ready to have a baby. Thank God someone is coming to clean my house for me on Monday cause there's no way I could do that right now.
I swear I have been so sore and in a lot of pain during this pregnancy. I finally threw in my wussy card this week and asked to be put on medical leave. It sucks being a spectator in my own life. Meaning I'm watching all these great changes go on in my household... meanwhile I sit on the sidelines. It's been really hard limping around for the last month to try and hold my own. But, I think I did pretty well considering. The unfortunate thing is that the older I get the less tolerance I have for sucking it up. When I had two herniated discs I sucked it up so long I had two REALLY bad herniated discs and obviously needed surgery. My surgeon was impressed with the size of the herniated discs in my back. So, I've learned that if you keep pushing eventually you will seriously injure yourself. Therefore, it's probably more wisdom than anything to figure out when its time to take a sideline. Luckily, the game will be there as soon as I can pick it up again. Today was my first full day on FMLA and I have to say it was so amazing to not be completely sore and stiff at the end of the day. I am still in pain, but not nearly as much as I was sitting in one position for the majority of the day. I ended up going over to my Dad's house since he's on medical leave as well due to shoulder surgery. We hung out and watched cable and relaxed. I took my boys to daycare this morning knowing that I wanted to truly get the R&R. It was bizarrely quiet in my house due to the lack of children, thus the reason I went to my Dad's house to relax. So, tomorrow the house will be a zoo. But, I'll watch as everyone else busts their butt... ironically its usually the other way around. :)

Finding Jesus

I'm going to keep this quick since it's late and I have a doctor's appointment, work, and then hanging out with the boys in my forecast tomorrow. So, I've been thinking about venturing back into Church for awhile now. And the C word is almost like a bad word in my memory bank basically due to my Catholic upbringing. I can't tell you how much I DO NOT want to raise my children in that religion and scare the crap out of them about God and such. HOWEVER, taking my kids to AA meetings on Sunday is not really going to cut it either since they do talk about things in those meetings that is a little too advanced for small children, etc. It's just not an appropriate place to bring up my children. Not that it's bad its just not situationally appropriate for my offspring. Perhaps if/when they have a problem with alcohol then obviously that's the path I'll encourage them to take. In the meantime, I've been contemplating going to a non-denominational church close to home so I can begin to teach my children about the God that saved my butt 7 years ago when I got sober. So, I googled some non-denominational churches where I live and came up with Full Gospel Family Worship Center http://fullgospeldenton.net/. Lucky for me they had a service this evening at 7:00 p.m. and so I was able to go check it out while my hubby watched the boys. I learned that the religious education is free for children, so my oldest would be able to attend while I listen to services. But, the most important thing I saw tonight was a positive and loving message being conveyed about God. Not that everything is warm and fluffy but I want my kids to grow up knowing a loving God not the fire and brimstone one I learned about growing up. I figure if God loves his children half as much as I love mine then the fire and brimstone definition doesn't fit. God should be the definition of love in its purest form and I was happy that the message I heard tonight conveyed that message. That's what I was looking for. I've almost got Darrell dialed into coming to at least one service with me next week. But, the boys are going because I can make them do that. :P The people were extremely nice and I look forward to bringing my runts with me next week.

100 Random Things About Me

1. My favorite number is 7.
2. My favorite color is blue.
3. I love On the Border and have been a die-hard fan for about 12 years.
4. My favorite drink is Dr. Pepper, but since I'm pregnant I prefer Coke (in moderation).
5. My favorite TV shows of all time include Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Law and Order Criminal Intent, and my ultimate favorite is Grey's Anatomy.
6. I have dual citizenship in both Germany and the U.S. since I was born on a U.S. military base in Germany. No, I do not speak German... my parents are completely American.
7. One of my favorite toys to play with as a child was a calculator in the basement of my Grandparent's house, fitting that I now work in Accounting.
8. My God is a lot more tolerant and loving than the one I was taught about in the Catholic church.
9. My Mom bought me a horse when I was 12, his name was Reo and he was a Palomino.
10. My ULTIMATE favorite toys as a child were Barbie's and My Little Ponies.
11. I think Goonies is a timeless classic... I really need to buy that movie.
12. I own 3 computers and 3 TV's. Weird.
13. I think anyone who said that being pregnant is beautiful was on crack and has never been pregnant. It's a very gross experience. Your body does stuff that's definitely not cool under normal circumstances and is totally weird... but the end result is SOOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!
14. When I was pregnant with Dustin I craved Hot and Sour soup the entire time.
15. When I was pregnant with Dakota I craved pasta and listened to Hip Hop throughout.
16. During this pregnancy, the major cravings I've had have been milk and Coke.
17. When I was 16-17 I hated little kids.
18. When I was 16 and 17 1/2 my Mom had two more kids... this is probably why I hated little kids during this time. Hers cried ALL THE TIME.
19. Luckily I love my little brother and sister immensely. :)
20. I don't really eat breakfast foods and freak everyone out at work because I'm constantly eating soup at 8:00 a.m. Sometimes I'll eat pancakes or eggs for dinner or lunch though. I will feed my children Spaghetti O's at 7:00 a.m. because I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. If it's edible at noon, it should in theory be edible at 7:00 a.m.
21. My Dad has taught me what loving unconditionally is all about. I hope to teach my children the same lesson.
22. I lived in Hawaii between the ages of 8-12. I had a great tan for about 3.5 years.
23. I can't sleep without having a MINIMUM of four pillows. 5-6 are preferred. My hubby and I have ten on our bed.
24. My mother and I have a great relationship and I fly out to see her at least 4x a year... unless I'm pregnant then I have to allow some time for delivery and accommodate the no-traveling timeframe.
25. I'm not looking forward to travelling so frequently with three children... that will definitely be a challenge.
26. Loved the movies Avatar, Count of Monte Cristo, and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (with Kevin Costner).
27. Worst movie I ever saw was The Age of Innocence. I don't even remember what it was about I just remember I hated it.
28. When I was in 8th grade, I read all the romance novels from Johanna Lindsey... now that I'm older I think her story lines are horrible predictable and kind of dumb... but I still have to read every one of her books.
29. My favorite reading genre is Paranormal Romance... and yes that definitely includes the Twilight saga.
30. Since I cancelled cable I rarely watch TV anymore.
31. Not surprisingly my favorite possessions are my KINDLE, laptop, and Droid.
32. I suck at crosswords... but I can handle word searches.
33. I suck at pool too... but before I quit drinking... I swear I played better after I drank.
34. It's been 2,590 days since I consumed my last drink (a little over 7 years).
35. My favorite gum flavor is Sour Apple.
36. Drinks 8-10 servings of water per day.
37. Loves that Dakota carries around his Pooh Bear constantly.
38. My favorite sound is my children laughing.
39. My favorite from Dakota are his hugs and his smiles.
40. My favorite from Dustin are the way he tries to share his blanket with me, his smiles, and when he's being sweet to Dakota.
41. Dakota gave Dustin his first loving the other day, complete with hugs and a mock kiss. It was absolutely adorable.
42. Dustin cracks me up almost daily, one of my favorites was when he shoved Dakota into the closet saying, "bye bye Kota, bye bye." (Kota got in is way).
43. My favorite smells are coffee brewing and the smell outside after it rains.
44. I prefer lakes to the ocean.
45. Since I was an army brat, I hate moving.
46. I also hate buttons.
47. My husband and I met officially for the first time at Saltgrass Steakhouse.
48. I prefer spending time with my family versus a ton of friends.
49. I'm definitely a homebody.
50. I miss catching fireflies like I did when I was a kid in Virginia.
51. I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up... I figure as long as I figure it out before my kids grow up I'm good.
52. Despite having a Masters degree and contemplating going back to school to finish my last ten classes so I can sit for my CPA, I dislike school and think it's extremely boring.
53. My kids constantly make me want to be a better person.
54. I try to accept people as they are... but sometimes that's a lot easier said than done.
55. I'm not a morning person even though I have small children.
56. Wishes we could vote certain species ON TO the endangered animal list. I would definitely vote roaches onto that list. I'd be perfectly okay if they disappeared.
57. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I think this is definitely a magical time.
58. My favorite seasons are Fall and Winter. I LOVE cuddling up in warm blankets when it's cold outside.
59. Thinks that no matter how old we get, or what situations we find ourselves in, we will always find that they have similarities to High School and the immaturity we found there.
60. Thinks getting your nails done is a necessity.
61. I voted for the first time in the last Presidential election. I did not vote for our current president.
62. I don't like watching the news because I find it extremely depressing.
63. Milky Way is my favorite candy bar, but sour Skittles or Sour Patch Kids are my favorite regular candy.
64. I eat soup at least 5x a week.
65. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is my ultimate favorite flavor.
66. Love the Longhorns (UT) because I think they have a cute logo not because of some undying love for the school.
67. I love to color and yes I color often. I am very territorial over my markers and my coloring posters. My children are not allowed near them. This is a great hobby when watching TV.
68. I almost always find the need to multitask. Hence, coloring and watching TV, singing and driving, cooking dinner and cleaning up.
69. Loves and hates it when my husband cleans. Love that he was sweet enough to make the effort... hates it because it doesn't really look clean... as in missing half the floor when mopping, etc. So, I feel the need to redo it. Sad but true.
70. The last two times I've gotten pregnant was just after I started working out and had lost weight. With Dakota, I was trying to get pregnant. This one was a surprise.
71. Thinks there are a lot of stupid people in the world. What I hate the most is when I realize I'm the one being stupid. So sad on those days.
72. Thinks sarcasm is a way of life and truly committed individuals use it daily.
73. I used to watch Star Trek all the time in middle school.
74. I swam on my HS swim team. That was a ton of fun.
75. My first job was as a lifeguard and later I taught swim lessons which was a lot of fun as well.
76. I got robbed as a teller at gunpoint. The guy ran in and jumped my counter. He got caught like an hour later. I didn't much like being a teller after that.
77. I made my own bouquets for my wedding out of silk flowers. I still have my flowers from then.
78. I had back surgery on my husband's birthday 3 years ago. I was glad to have that out of the way.
79. Cannot stand Indian food. I have tried on several occasions to like it, but to no avail.
80. I had a cat for 17.5 years from the time I was 8 until I was 26. Her name was McKenzie. I had to put her to sleep 5 weeks before I had my first child.
81. Loved playing outdoors when I was kid in Virginia. Unfortunately poison ivy also loved me. I had it at least 5 times.
82. My favorite day is Saturday because you still have one more weekend day before its time to return to work... although Friday's are a close second.
83. I've been married for five years as of yesterday October 8.
84. I love to stay up late because that's when the house is the most quiet. Although I don't make it very late.
85. My older sister and I practically got into a physical fight over a pair of jean shorts.
86. My sister is naming her son Riley Vaughn Deneau. She's due two weeks after me. Thus, all of the grandchildren will be male.
87. My favorite vehicle I ever owned was my Ford Ranger. I still miss it. Although it wouldn't be very functional at this time in my life.
88. Wouldn't mind driving a van to accommodate my offspring.
89. Favorite metals include white gold and sterling silver.
90. Favorite jewelry would have diamonds in it.
91. My favorite days of the year include 5/8 (Dustin) and 1/21 (Dakota). I'll soon have a third but am unsure what day that will be.
92. Thinks that its silly to make a big deal out of my own birthday when it's more fun to make a big deal out of my children's bdays.
93. Would love to be a stay at home Mom, but would probably last about two months before the staying home part would drive me up the wall.
94. Would suck at being a teacher or trainer because I just don't have that kind of patience except when it comes to other kids other than my own.
95. I hang out with my Dad every weekend and its one of my favorite past times.
96. I believe we should instill nap time during work.
97. Has historically gotten along better with males because they aren't as dramatic as females... so it's probably a good thing I have all boys.
98. Wants to be everything for everyone and feels like she's never going to get there.
99. Gets into trouble for never wanting to cuddle.
100. My son drinks out of the milk carton because he's caught me doing it. :P

The Rudeness of Others

I have to say that I am surprised and amazed at the rudeness of others... especially to a complete stranger. What an apalling lack of manners. Last night I went grocery shopping and had promised my boys that I would take them to the park following my trip to the store. So, we left at 7ish and went to the park. At 7:49 we left the park when I thought perhaps we could go get some ice cream because it was a Saturday night and the boys and I never go out on a Saturday. Thus, observing the 8:00 p.m. bedtime not being an absolute requirement. So, I drove up to the square which has an ice cream parlor and several other shops. Being that Denton is also a college town this is a popular spot for college students this time of year. Well, I saw a pizza shop and asked Dustin if he would like pizza... to which he replied in the affirmative. So, instead of running directly to the ice cream shop we diverted to a pizza parlor. When we stepped inside it was layed out much like a coffee shop. With a small bar (where they served alcohol) and several tables in the middle for customers. I saw a downstairs section where live music was being played... obviously the more "bar" section of the facility. Most of the customers were indeed college kids or what I would presume were college kids. Anyway, I stood in line and ordered the pizza. Then we sat down and waited for our food. Dustin sat down and I placed Dakota in the high chair. I went and retrieved drinks from the soda fountain and returned to my offspring. So our food arrive about 15 minutes later. We began eating when this male was walking out the door turned to me looked at my children and stated, "Seriously? What time is it?" To which I replied that it was 8:15. He told me that I was wrong and I told him that no it was around 8:15. He pulled out his phone and proved to me that it was 8:22 p.m. To this I replied, "wow I was off by 7 minutes." I also asked him if he had created this children with me. Obviously if he had not then it was none of his damn business what I was doing with my children. For the next two minutes or so he proceeded to ask my why I was exposing my children to such an environment. I said, "we're eating pizza and then we are going home." He told me that, "he understood." I still have NO IDEA what the hell he meant by that. He also stated that he taught school at the juvenile detention center in denton. He stated he had two children to which I replied, "why wasn't he home with them." A banter of, "why are you still talking to me... and don't touch me." Yes, he had the audacity to touch my shoulder even after I asked him not to. So while he was spewing his garbage I was definitely replying in kind to his ridiculous comments. AND I didn't even cuss. It retrospect I'm so proud. I also told him that he was ignorant and needed to leave. To which he replied that I was ignorant and that he would see my children in his school. Then he left.

Now... because I am a mother and I was personally insulted on every level by this male I will state that FIRST I had never been to this pizza establishment. Thus, I was completely unaware of the fact that they had a bar downstairs. Secondly, they served pizza... its called J&J's Pizza. So, forgive me for not having ESP when I arrived to know that they had a bar in the basement. THIRDLY, it was BEFORE 8:30 on a Saturday night. It's not like I had my children in a bar at 11:30 p.m. and I was proceeding to get blitzed. This was so far from what he was actually implying it was ridiculous. Because he was all up in my mug I could tell he'd been drinking and can only think that that is the cause for his ridiculous behavior. I had not realized that there was a curfew of 7 or 8 p.m. for children under the age of 5 when they are with a parent. I also had not realized that an establishment that had "pizza" in the name was a place of ill-repute for young children. Finally, I never take my children out on a Saturday night and thought that since we'd had so much fun at the park that we could continue for a little while longer. Obviously this thought process makes me completely retarded as a parent. I suppose there's a reason I don't venture too far from my comfort zone. I must say that being at home is much more comfortable to me. However, my children also get bored being home all weekend and obviously enjoy some stimulation. The Rudeness of Others does amaze me.

It's a boy x2!

Okay, well I'm a little over a week behind in getting this posted. And over two weeks behind in one case. I'm happy to report that my sister is having a boy which she found out of August 16, 2010. My sister and brother in law have not determined a name yet and I will post that immediately once it has been relayed to me. Of course I do not have the gender determination sono pix from her yet but I will also post those once I have those.


From the heading I'm sure you have gathered that we are having another boy as well. It would appear that my husband and I are quite adept at producing male children. In keeping with our current theme with our male children we have determined that he will be name Dalton William.

Darrell Wayne (husband)
Dylan Wayne (step-son)
Dustin Wayde (son)
Dakota Weber (son)
Dalton William (incubating)

Profile Shot

No Clue what this is.

Another profile shot and the foot.

Chow

I regret to say that my Chow Chow has been saying 'Chow' to us a lot lately. She's been running away constantly by either jumping our chainlink fence or by running away when she's let out to go potty. Everytime she came home I would find her in the backyard. So, I figured she just wanted to go out in the backyard. So, I reopened up the doggie door (she got cut off because she can jump the fence). Of course she began jumping the fence and running all over the neighborhood. So, I figured I had to buy her a chain if she really wanted to be outside during the day. Why the hell she would want to be outside during this heat is beyond me... but whatever. I've been doing my best to accomodate her. Of course now she acts like she's going to the slaughter every time we take her outside. I'm completely at a loss because tonight I told my husband to let her off the chain to come inside when I got home from work... what'd she do? Ran away... played in traffic... and the neighbors came by to tell me she was playing in traffic. Now, I'm a horrible pet parent because normally I refuse to go find her when I know she'll come home anyway when I have both my children. I'm sorry running around the neighborhood after a dog with two kids in tow and one on the way is not my idea of fun. So, I tossed the kids in the car and went after her. Finally I found her... but seriously... I have no idea what to do to have her feel she's got some freedom and fresh air and keep her safe at the same time.

We're Both Having Sea Horses!

Well, its official... my sister and I are both having sea horses from the look of the sono pix. My sister just emailed me her new sono pix, so I thought that I would post them here. She's currently 14 weeks and may even have her gender identification appointment before me. That would be so fun for her. I think her sono pix are much better than mine... maybe I should go to her OB... although that's two states away. Pretty sure I wouldn't make that if I went into labor. Oh well! These are pix of my adorable niece or nephew. So weird that I have a niece/nephew... so cool cause I've never had one before. :)

This one looks much more like a baby than the blob photos I posted first. Too cute. It looks remarkably like mine.

I couldn't see what this picture was at first... amazing 3D pic of the back of the baby... so adorable.

Not sure why there's a picture of cord insertion... but I'm guessing that's a good thing.

This one looks very alien like... also very much like mine... they must be cousins.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! All cozied up.

Grandpa's House and Hose Adventures

This morning started off a little rough... we were supposed to have swim lessons for both Dustin and Dakota (these started last Saturday when we were out of town). When we showed up Dustin and Dakota were both not on the lists for their classes. And then I find out that regardless of that fact Dustin's class was not being offered because not enough kids signed up for that time slot. I was livid. I asked the chick what the hell I was supposed to do with him while I took Dakota swimming. So, we ended up just leaving because the whole thing was blown if I couldn't get them both in the water. I do not envy the person I will be speaking with on Monday morning. Due to the fact that I had been telling Dustin that we would be going swimming all morning he was incredibly upset to be told that we were going home. I was still incredibly aggravated. The dog ran away temporarily and when she got home she was covered in mud. Beautiful!! She tracked mud throughout my house. She was also on my shitlist. So, as I lay down to take a nap I started speculating.... why not kill two birds with one stone? I decided that I could give the dog a bath in my Dad's yard (since that's where we always head after our Saturday nap) and let Dustin frolick in the water whilst doing so. He had an amazing time. Dakota did not like the hose and screamed bloody murder when we sprayed him. So, we filled up a bottle of water and he had a blast playing with that. Below are some pix from this afternoon.

Dakota picking up his bottle.

MMMMM, water.

Water was rejected.

Dustin was nice enough to give my car a shower.

He did such a good job.

What's with the tongue hanging out??

A future fireman?

He got so into watering the car.

The infamous Bobot underwear.

My pride and joy.

And then of course once I got the boys inside and bathed we had a wonderful dinner because my Dad is an awesome cook. And Dustin made something else besides a cake with his legos. He made a gun... wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. :) LOL! Dakota also took his first few steps. It was an absolutely wonderful Saturday after all.

July Phoenix Trip

Last Friday night we left to go to Phoenix and visit my Mom, Step-Dad, and siblings. While we were in Phoenix visiting my Mom decided to spoil the kids with some toys they could keep at her house. Dakota now has another walk-n-ride in Phoenix and spent most of the weekend playing with it. Dustin got a big wheel which is significantly cooler than the trike he has at home because this one plays music. Of course Grandma decided he needed sun glasses to accompany his cool new wheels. He had a lot of fun driving around Grandma's spacious downstairs on his new toy. It was a good thing they had these toys because it was way too hot to play outside being that it was like 115 degrees in Phoenix while we were there. We had a lot of fun hanging out with the family. It's always really sad to leave because we have so much fun. I'm looking forward to making another trip in November. My Mom humored me and went with me to buy Hot and Sour soup from my favorite Chinese place while were there. I also went to one of my brother's basketball games and watched him. It was a great time.

Kick, Kick, Kick

When I was pregnant with my first son, Dustin, I first felt him kick on November 26, 2005 at 9:30 in the morning. I was so excited to feel my first child let me know that they were hanging out in there. When I was pregnant with my second son, Dakota, I felt him kick for the first time on July 26, 2008 at 11:09 p.m. I felt him much sooner than I did in the pregnancy than with my first son because by that point I knew what I was looking for. Finally, while pregnant with my third (son/daughter???) I felt him/her kick for the first time last Friday July 9, 2010 at 6:35 p.m. My only problem is that I was on an airplane. That is such a pain in the ass because now I have to freaking remember time zones. Seriously? :) :) :) It's not enough the I memorize the time and the date. So, I felt him/her kick at 6:35 Arizona time, and 8:35 CST. My other two *first* kicks were also CST. :) I'm such a dork its ridiculous.

Sleep... My Elusive Little Friend

Do you ever have those days when sleep seems elusive?? I woke up this morning with a lot on my mind and that was 4:00 a.m. I could not fall back asleep. It was so frustrating, finally I just rolled out of bed and went to work. There have been a lot of changes at work; some people were let go, etc. With that comes a period of transition and readjustment. I myself was contemplating a lot of these changes this morning and I'm pretty sure that's why sleep was so elusive. It was really annoying on the sleep front. I know that I'm being really vague here... but some of the changes have not been announced publicly and I sure don't want to post anything that would cause trouble for myself or others.
I'm excited during this transition phase because I have the opportunity to learn new things and I have been completely craving that for awhile now. So, that is so completely wonderful I can't even describe it to you. At the same time its a bit overwhelming. The moral of that story is... be careful what you wish for becuase you just might get it. :P
On the other hand there has been some discordance with everything as well and its definitely distressing to see those waves move outward among people I care about. I know that sometimes change is for the better. But, sometimes I wish that the waves weren't so large for those people I care about. It's difficult to see people you have been around for awhile feel distressed and extremely upset. On that note... back to trying to sleep. :P

Baby Number 3 - More Sono Pictures

So, on Thursday July 1st I went in for the genetic screening and got some more sonogram pictures. I haven't gotten the results back from the genetic screening but when we did the sono she said everything looked good. Below are the sono pix. :)

Walk-N-Ride

Okay, so we have purchased several toys for Dakota for his first Christmas as well as his first birthday. However, it always seems like these toys seem to be taken over by my oldest son.. I noticed that Dakota was pushing our chairs around the house like he was using a walker. (Not the kind where they sit in them). Anyway, the next day I took him to daycare... and he beelined for the walk-n-ride that she had there. She told me that he pushes it around all day. Obviously I decided that he had to have one. I had never really seen him take an interest in one thing. Therefore, I decided he needed it. In addition, I've also noticed that he's constantly try to steal Dustin's shoes and put them on ihs own feet. So, this weekend was more about satisfying Dakota's needs than anyone else's. Of course once I brought home the walk-n-ride it has been a constant struggle to keep Dustin off of it so that Dakota can play with it. It is seriously too small for Dustin but that doesn't stop him from riding it. Dakota loves to walk behind it and ride it. It's so adorable I had to take some pictures. I also took a video and you can see that Dustin jacks it as soon as Dakota got off. So typical of how things happen here in the Duke household. :P

Look at that smile.

It makes cool sounds.

Reaching for the sky... or the fan. :)

Dustin had just come over and given Dakota a hug. AWWWW.

Dustin was pretending he was a plane.

Look at THAT face.

I'm moving now.

Upclose pic of the spiffy new shoes... which of course Dakota adores. He loves them!! He was staring at his feet for like a half hour when we first bought them. :)

Doing tricks.

Again with the sounds. :)

Darrell's Bday Dinner

On June 19th, 2010 we all went to Red Lobster to celebrate my husband's 35th birthday. I only took pictures right before we were seated, but I figured I would post them here despite that. We got pictures with all four of the Duke's. (My husband and his three boys). My children and my step-son. Of course my Dad was also in attendance because he's at every important occasion. Darrell's friend Scott also joined the special event. :) We had a wonderful time despite the exurberant bill. :)

Scott and Dylan.

Darrell and Dustin.

Grandpa and Dakota.

Get ready for the 'D's... Dylan, Darrell, Dakota, and Dustin... did I mention my Dad's name is Dale? lols.

Again with Dylan, Darrell, Dakota, and Dustin.

Dustin's Bday Party

So, I'm extremely late in posting this because I was so late in loading the pictures from my camera onto my computer. On Saturday May 15, 2010 we celebrated Dustin's fourth birthday. It was definitely hard to believe that four years ago on May 8th, 2006 I gave birth to my first beautiful little boy. He's been such a pleasure and such a joy for the past few years. I'm incredibly lucky to hae been blessed to have him in my life. He has such an amazing spirit. He is so much fun to be around and frequently makes me laugh. His birthday party was a Bobot (Transformers) theme and he loved everything about it. He definitely loved his Bobot gifts. Michelle, Alena, and my Dad all came out to help us celebrate. Here are some of the pictures from his big day.

Dustin opens up Bumble Bee present... (that's a Transformer).

Bumble Bee... he LOVES this toy.

Opening some markers.

Found more presents. :)

Michelle and Alena.

Opening presents.

Bobot theme.

Blowing out candles on the Bobot cake.