Thursday, October 13, 2016

10 years ago...

10 years ago we had just lost my uncle to his courageous battle with ALS.  10 years ago I was living in Arlington with my girl friends and Eric in Norfolk with some roomates.  10 years ago we were young, we will party people, we were about to re-connect at the celebration of life party for uncle George.  I remember getting ready for the event and caring more about what I was wearing than usual,  Sometimes it seems like yesterday and others a hundred years ago but I wouldn't change the past 3,650 days for anything.  We have shared incredible experiences, made amazing memories, and created a beautiful life together.  Love you babe to the moon and back and even more than I loved you then!

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Text From Daycare

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/vtbrooke32/blog.jpgJust received this text from daycare:
"Okay Ryan told me a secret! Haha How in the world he knows what SECRET means...Lynda I have to tell you something that mommy and daddy don't know...."
So now she's getting a little worried...
"He said, every night when everybody is in bed, Emily wakes up and turns into a monster, but nobody knows, but I saw her. She turns into a monster and walks around my neighborhood and eats people...then when it's sunshine outside she returns to her bed."
Where does this kid come up with this stuff?!?! And man I want to remember it all...HILLARIOUS!!! I guess we'll need to talk to Emily about this smile emoticon

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Schools out for the Summer - Ryan's Preschool Promotion

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/vtbrooke32/blog.jpgThis first year of pre-school has been so awesome for our little Ryan.  He is turning into quite the smart, funny, and just lovable little boy right in front of our eyes!!  He was in the Panda class at Open Arms with Ms Libby and Ms Nicole where he learned so much and met so many new friends!!  What a great ceremony and celebration!

Best Friends!!  Ryan and Antonio
Ms Libby
Ms Nicole
Party Time


Ryan 3.5 Emily - Almost 2

Ryan and Antonio

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Pretty Nails

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa379/vtbrooke32/blog.jpgWhen I found out I was having a girl THIS was one of the things I have been looking forward to since that very second!  While the boys got their hair cuts today Emily and I went to get our nails painted.  SHE LOVED it and we had so much fun!!  She kept says "MOMMA, Pretty nails!!!"  Love my girl!!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

15 Months

My baby girl!!

You are wearing size 5 diapers, 12-18 months and 24 months clothes, you LOVE shoes! You are SASSY!!!  Even the way you walk!  You flip your hips, up on your toes, like you run the world.  You are adorable and so snuggly and cute!!  You eat anything and everything you can get your hands on and are starting to use a fork.  Your newest vocab includes pweeeeeeeeeease, nayyyy, no no no no, eeeee eye eeeee eye oh!, banana, quack quack, choo choo.  You are still totally a momma's girl and I am obsessed with it so keep it up!

We went to your first petting zoo and you loved the animals and their food whoops!  You had a blast in the moon bounce with Ryan and Hudson.  Your first pumpkin patch, you don't stop saying PUMPPPPkin haha!

You are the absolute light of all our lives and to everyone you come in the same room with.  Your smile is GORGEOUS and infectious and lights up a room.  You are so stinkin cute and I just can't get enough kisses of those sweet sweet cheeks.  Your beautiful blue eye are as blue as bluest skies and your hair is so pretty and blonde and CURLY!!!

I am way late on this post so I'm cutting it short because it's almost time for your 16th month!!!

Love you so much!  I always wanted a little girl and you are everything I could have dreamed of!




Sunday, September 21, 2014

WHOA!!!

I have been totally MIA from blogging, life has been so super busy these days, in a good way!!!  We had an awesome summer and are just trying to soak up this amazing winter so far this fall.  We had a fabulous weekend, packed full of fun, both kids are already sleeping (not even 7pm yet) which is how I found a few free minutes to post here!!

Where to start...

Eric is doing well!  His job has been keeping him super busy and being that it's football season VTScoop is also running full steam ahead!!  My job is busy busy busy!  Coaching (my other job) is also busy busy and going awesome!!  I am having just a blast coaching and helping people, and making some extra income doing it...doesn't get better than that!  Eric and I went to Columbus Ohio for the Tech vs Ohio State game, it was sooooo much fun!!

Now onto the fun stuff...

Ryan!!  Ryan is everything you would expect an almost 3 year old to be.  He is a total pain in the a$$ a lot but when he's not he is just the sweetest kid that we would literally do anything under the sun for!  He started playing soccer and warms up to it a little more each week.  Watching these kids is soooo cute!!  We went to the farm and slept over there twice and he is a total redneck!!  LOVES the big green tractor, boats, atvs and fishing.  He can sing the entire song to "Big Green Tractor" and "Wagon Wheel."  He has complete conversations and just amazes us with his stories!!  He comes up with the funniest stuff and keeps us laughing.  Such a hysterically funny little dude.  He is potty trained with the number 1's, need to get on the ball with the #2's so when we are called to the top of the wait list for pre-school he can go!  I think he would really LOVE school and all the kids!  I wish I could just record this kid because I don't want to forget anything he says!  Let's see - Size 6 diapers and pull ups and underwear, size 2T clothes for the most part, he's tall, and weighs about 32 lbs because he is a VERY picky eater at dinner (we substitute with LOTS of milk and gummy bear vitamins- thats the same right?), but would eat cookies and brownies all.day.long.  He loves Emily, but is also mean to her, it's kinda funny when they fight, they are like real little people.  Ryan is currently a total daddy's boy.

Emily!  Might be the happiest baby ever, and THAT SMILE, OMG.  She has a full mouth of teeth, blonde hair just long enough for a pony and bows bows bows, size 5 diapers, and eats everything!  She's pretty much running now, is INTO EVERYTHING, put everything in her mouth, and is a climber.  She has some words - "Eeeeye eyye ohh," "Quack Quack Quack," "Momma" all the time, "Ry Ry," "cwacker," "ball" the list goes on!  She is so stinkin funny too.  She is one sassy little thing, also loves Ryan's soccer practice, and has learned her own little temper tantrums where she flails her entire stomach out and just falls.  She sleeps sooooo good, at least 12 hours a night, and also not really a napper.  She LOVES babies - real one especially but also her baby dolls.  When she says "bebe" she always has her tongue between her lips, it is so funny!  She loves Ryan, and fights back when he tries to take something from her, we find ourselves just sitting back and watching when they start fighting.  Em's is a total Mommas girl and just wants me all of the time, I love it!

That's us in a nut shell for now!! 

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Richmond Visit

Eric was out of town for the weekend for a conference in Nashville so I packed up the kids and we headed to Richmond for the weekend!!  We had so much fun spending some quality time with special people in our lives!

First stop- Splash Park with the Tots and Quattlebaums





It was also sooo great to spend time at the pool with all the cousins celebrating Mason's birthday!!!




Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Our Baby is ONE!!!

Emily!!!!

You are 1 year old!!  Can't believe it at all.  Time is flying, I wish you would stay just like this forever!!!  You are the absolute sweetest little ball of smiles I have ever seen.  Yes that is all you do is SMILE all the time.  You are so stinkin cute and I love just looking at you.  Someone told me today that you're a toddler and I almost cried, you will always be like chunky little smiley baby!!!


You are 22lbs - 67th%tile, 30.9inches - 89th%tile, and your head is in the 99th%tile.  You are in size 4 diapers, have 8 teeth, speedy little crawler and walk from thing to thing.  You say momma, dadda, ry ry, and occo.  You blabber all the time too though, but mostly just smile!!  You go to bed between 7-9 and wake up between 6:30-7:30, in your crib, railing down, sometimes sleeping with pink bear.  You eat anything and everything and A LOT of it!!  You still are a 90% momma's girl and 10% dadddy's during the nights and weekends, 100% Mida's during the week, and are warming up to the rest of the population!  You are in that ackward phase where you want to be all over the place but can't quite walk all over yet so you get frustrated.  We've seen 5 steps so far.

Your eyes are the bluest of blue and are super cool looking.  You have the most perfectly shaped head and little button nose.  Your cheeks just scream to be squeezed.  Your smiles, ALL OF THEM, light up any room.  Your giggles are contagious.  And you obsession with me (your momma) is absolutely welcomed!!  You have seriously 5 very defined rolls in your arms and your legs are chunky chunk - I love it!!  You are fiesty at moments and strong willed I can tell.  You are going to be super tough, when Ryan is playing rough with you, you keep going back for more, that's my girl!!


This month you were a FLOWER girl in aunt Whitney's wedding, you were so cute!! You did great at the family vacation for a week at the beach after we just sat your toosh in the sand.  At first you didn't want the sand or water touching your feet, it was hilarious, but by the end of the week we had you out in the water!!!  We also went to the pool for the first time, you love that as well and walking around the edge of the baby pool!

You love being outside just like your big brother.  You love riding in the wagon and looking at Ryan.  Everything he does makes you laugh and it is hysterical.  When we aren't on a walk you both love playing in our water park on the deck and splashing!!  We all three take baths together now, it's so fun and you are such a good girl in the bath tub!
If I could have drawn out my most perfect little girl, it would have been you.  You are absolutely a light to all of our lives and we love being around you and the happiness you bring.  You are such a sweetheart and we love you with all our hearts.  Happy Birthday to our "baby gurrrrl."

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Ry Ry

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

10 Months

Emily-

You are the absolute sweetest and happiest little baby girl there ever was! You are so much fun and so fun to be around and make everyone happy just baby talking to you!!!  You laugh and giggle and thats about it.  Still just sitting, not really moving, and just happy!!

You put EVERYTHING in your mouth, from dog hair you pick off the floor with your two little fingers, to every toy there was.  You also love TV and the little fisher price games we have on our phones!!  You are very easily entertained.
Mida at daycare is obsessed with you, pretty sure she holds you all day because you smell like her every night!!  This month you had your FIRST EASTER, and the Easter bunny brought you all sorts of fun stuff!!  You also got your 3rd tooth, top right (not one of the centers, interesting).  You went on your first all girls weekend to Wintergreen and your first TWO bridal showers haha!!  You are such a momma's girl it is AWESOME!!! 
You are still sleeping well.  Eating size 3 foods and everything else.  So far Mac and Cheese is prob your fave but you also eat chicken, green beans, I think you have even had a grilled cheese ha!  You LOVE to eat!  You are a chunky little monkey and it is so so so adorable!

You are at THE BEST age and it is going so fast.  I am so sorry already I don't have a picture of every little thing you did :(  I love you and your bro so much.  And you LOVE him so much too!!  You laugh at everything he does!!!

To the Moon and Back!!






9 Months

Dear Emily!!

You are 9 months old.

You are wearing size 4 diapers, size 12 months clothes, eating size 2 foods, 2 teeth and teething like crazy, sleeping for 12 hours (7-7), and are just the happiest little ball of rolls I have ever seen!!  You SMILE ALL THE TIME!!  Your smile is contagious and can light up any room.  Everyone loves you so much and would love to hold you, but you, LOVE ME and only me and I LOVE THAT soooo much!!!  You don't really do much except sit and smile, although you did start dancing to the music on your little kitchen.  Other than that you just want to be held and I am happy to hold for as long as I can!

Measurements: 20.64lbs (76th percentile), 28.75 inches tall (86th percentile), and your head 18.5 inches (99th percentile).





 You stayed with Grandma and Papa for 4 nights while mommy and daddy went on vacation.  This was the first time we have left you for multiple nights and the first time we have left either of you to go out of the country!  My anxiety was top notch but you know what, we facetimed aLOT and it was great, feel like we didn't miss a beat!

You are the hit at daycare with Mida "Abuela."  She drops whatever and whoever when you walk in the door and snuggles with you all day, I can tell because you smell like her all night, it's adorable!!  You are taking two naps a day over there, most of the time and I think just enjoys being held and watching the big kids run around!
You are a total second child.  Cool, calm, and collected!  You don't make a fuss, unless the chunky monkey is hungry of course!  You don't cry and when you do it's just the worst thing ever.  Very easily entertained.  You are kinda reserved I have began to notice.  You aren't very risky and cling really tight when you get out of your comfort zone.  You also don't like to be left alone, wonder where you get that from!!

You are the perfect little baby and I wish you would stay just like THIS forever!  I have a feeling you are going to start moving this month, I like you sitting :)  You are a beautiful little baby girl, I can't wait to see what the future holds for you!!!
 

Love you SOOOO MUCH!!

Mom and Dad and Ryan!!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Gratitude...FOR EVERYTHING!!!

Hey guys!!!  I am going to have to quit my 365 days of gratitude.  I told myself I would do it for 365 days but only it is real and is present.  A few times I had to go back over a week to see what I was doing those day and see what I was grateful for because I am completely out of time and just simply forgot to update my blog.

The fact of the matter is I am GRATEFUL for it all!!!

2014 has been am amazing year for me and my family so far!!  My new years resolution including things that got me out of the drama, let go of control and realize there are things out there I simply can not control, and to be HAPPY!!

I have 2 healthy and happy kids that make every day an adventure.  We go from happy to complete temper trantrum meltdown in a matter of minutes.  I love it!  Absolutely love it!  Of course it drives me up a wall sometimes, but one day I am going to miss it, so I am REALLY trying to just enjoy it and take life for what it is!!

Eric is doing great!  We recently joined a country club and are planning to play in the twilight couples golf once a month!

I am doing AWESOME and have actually never felt better about myself on the inside or outside probably ever in my life!!  Eric and I started T25 in January and were quickly addicted, T25 spoke to me, 25 minutes a day I can find that time for myself!  I then became a beach body coach and have had SOOOO much support and enthusiasm that is it unbelievable.  My first challenge was with the 21 day fix, that took off like wild fire, I mean why wouldn't it!  But LISTEN, it actually works.  I have lost 10lbs so far, others in the group had lost 5, 6, 7, 8 lbs, the list goes in.  Of course you get out what you put in!  Anywho I am super stoked about this and what it has done on the outside of me!  On the inside I see myself changing.  Of course with the weight loss I have more confidence, I feel empowered, I feel literally AWESOME!!!  I also want this feeling for other people, becoming a coach is exactly what I should be doing in this life of mine and that feels AMAZING to have finally found that as well.

The dogs are great, rocco pukes a lot but I think he's okay!

Everything is just really really great!  We are so excited about the summer and all the fun things we have planned!!!




Thursday, April 3, 2014

Gratitude ... Day 93 - FIRSTs

Tonight I am grateful to have experience Emily's 1st step into a pool and swim lesson!!  She was a little hesitant at first, I think mainly because it's very loud at the pool, but once she realized I wasn't going to let her go and it's just like the bath tub she was a kicking machine!!!  I am grateful grateful grateful for these experiences, she won't remember, but I'll never forget!!


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Gratitude ... Day 92 - Walking

It's National Walk Day and I am GRATEFUL to be able to participate OUTSIDE and get fresh air!!!

Daycare celebrated:
 

And the whole fam was able to get out for an afternoon 30 minute stroll!!!