oh so long since a post

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I did however, fall on my arm. Thanks to all kinds of legal stuff I probably can't disclose how this all went down, but I am sure that I am allowed to say OUCH!!! Haven't been able to blog in a long time....but sooner or later I'll get back to this when I have use of both hands to type. I have lots of updates: Brendan's last well baby visit, James' latest hilarious statements, my New Year's resolutions, my profound love of my nook, and my newest addition - coupons! But for now I leave you with his cute picture and a promise to blog more real soon!

By the way, this picture is the boy's fall school picture (James age 2, Brendan 15 months....now they are 3 and almost 18 months...EEECK! Slow down time!)

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Good Night!

Christmas is as magical as when you are a kid when you become a parent to a child old enough to understand what you are celebrating. James loved the whole thing and I can't wait for Brendan to get excited too!

We went down to Houston and celebrated with my parents. Their house was decorated so beautifully. There were poinsettias and pine cones and a Christmas village set up. My mom had set up multiple nativity scenes. There were two big Christmas trees and one tiny little tree just for James and Brendan. It was decorated with photo ornaments of the boys and special kiddie ornaments. There was even a little nativity scene just for them. Leave it to my mom to come up with something that sweet. All of our stockings hung on the mantle. The kitchen was stocked with spiced pecans, homemade date loaf and orange slice cookies. It was pure Christmas. What a wonderful memory!

We left out cookies that we had baked for Santa and the boys were THRILLED with the train table and other goodies Santa left on Christmas morning. James and Brendan both got excited opening gifts, although James was really more into it of course. I cannot wait for next year! It will be great!

The day after Christmas we had friends and family over. It was such a special opportunity to get us all together in one place. One of the best parts was seeing James and Brendan with their second cousins who are all near their age. What a rambunctious group of boys we have!!!

We all had such a wonderful time together as a family that we decided to spend every Christmas at my parents' house. It was so special. I know the boys will have fantastic Christmas memories as they grow up!

It's a bird, it's a plane.....

It's Superman!

James had a Superman party for his 3rd birthday and he had a FABULOUS time! Yes, he is only 3, but has such a hard time showing three fingers. Too cute. He has really been into superheroes lately and makes us laugh zooming around the house "flying". So of course we decided that the "real" Superman should be invited. He came and did all kinds of cool things....parachute games, karate, magic tricks, dancing and the coolest balloon animals I have every seen. James wore his new superhero cape. It looked like Superman's but had a J in the shield instead. Very cool! James laughed and laughed. He was SO into it!




Brendan loved the party too, especially the cake and ice cream. He was sitting up at the little picnic table with all the "big kids". I couldn't believe it. He loves to be in all the action with his big brother.





I always love celebrating birthdays and each year it is becoming more and more fun. Thanks to all our friends and family that came over to spend the afternoon with James. And a special thanks to Coach, the Cha Cha King of West Texas and to all the dads who participated in the "tickle tunnel"! You are all good sports! :-)




Still can't believe my little baby is about to turn 3. Where does the time go?

Turkey Time

Loved, loved, loved Thanksgiving this year! We all gathered around our dining room table for the first time since the boys were born. For the past couple of years Thanksgiving dinner has been a meal eaten in shifts while we take turns eating and feeding the little ones. It was SO nice for everyone to sit down together and enjoy being together and enjoying delicious food. James' favorite was the turkey and Brendan ate almost all of the cranberry sauce we had. Here is a little bit of what we are most thankful for this year:

Daniel:
our family
good health
employment in these hard times
rough-housing with the boys
an awesome season for Auburn
rechargeable batteries
old friends
Netflix streaming
iPhone
concerts


Brendan:
his Gund musical stuffed animal collection
his Bubba
Gerber SmartSips
bath time
Mommy cuddles
the play shopping cart that he zooms all over the house

James:
reading books with Mommy and Daddy
trains
his school
parks
his baby (what he calls Brendan)
Yo Gabba Gabba

Lauren:
the health and happiness of my family
having freedom
all the supportive people in my life
coupons and money-saving blogs
my headache medicine
great childcare for our kiddos
coffee
my GPS
trips
my camera
some "light bulb moments" I have experienced this past year
laughter
the power of prayer

Head. Over. Heels. Still.

Next month Daniel and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage. Amazing. I cannot believe it has been ten years since I married my best friend. I still remember my dad walking me down the aisle like it was yesterday, my hands shakily grasping the communion cup, kissing my groom as our breath fogged in the cold air outside the little chapel, our voices echoing over each other "We did it! We did it!". And here we are today. In a way it seems like a lifetime, in others, like no time has passed. I still get a hammering in my chest over him, still blush when he pays me a compliment. I still feel like a teenager in puppy love at times. What a wonderful feeling it is, not just to love someone, but to BE in love! In the last 10 years our marriage has seen 2 college degrees, 1 big move, 1 masters degree, 2 real jobs, 1 car purchase, 1 mortgage, 3 pregnancies and 2 healthy children. There has been illness and injury and worry and grief. But there has been dancing in the kitchen and road trips and holding newborns and laughter. So much laughter. There has been more good than bad by 1,000 times. It has been a journey I wish I could take again. In a way, we grew up together, him and me. We will grow old together too, hand in hand.

The world has gotten a lot bigger in the last ten years, at least to me. I feel so small in it sometimes, which at times is blissful and at times horrifying. I do not know if it is because 3-0 is looming before me, like a dark shadow trailing wherever I go, but I am so much more reflective and meditative than I have ever been. I understand that 30 is still young, but I feel that someone has put life in fast-forward and it is moving so fast. I want to slow it back down. I am just taking it all in. And I am so blessed to have been loved this much. To have found a person to brave this big, sometimes wonderful, sometimes heartbreaking world with. Someone who thinks I am beautiful at 6am before I have brushed my teeth or gotten the sheet creases off of my face. Someone who thinks I am funny and doesn't get annoyed when I get tickled by myself. Someone who sees in me what probably no one else does, and makes me believe that it is all really true. Someone who does without so I can have. Someone who holds my hand when I am scared, tickles me when I am feeling down and listens to me when I am not saying a word.

My feelings are stronger today than they were when I was that 19 year old kid standing there saying "I do." We have faced so much together and come up swinging. We always do. It's who we are when we are together. Daniel makes me think anything is still possible. He makes me think I can do anything. I would marry him all over again in a heartbeat. He's had my heart since I was 17 and I knew he was the one. What are the odds of something like that working out? But here we are and I am madly in love with this man! I was put on this earth to love him and that is exactly what I am going to do. When I was 19. When I am 29. When I am 99. I have never done anything better in my life than marry Daniel Duffy. It has led to everything amazing since then, especially my children who will grow up seeing their parents head over heels for each other. Boys, you should know that your father is a true gentleman. A hard worker. Compassionate. Funny. Caring. Polite. Honest. Dedicated. Loving. Everything I hope you aspire to be. Daniel, you should know that even among the hectic lives we lead, I never for a second stop appreciating you and there is not a day that goes by that I do not thank God for you. I love you now and always. Happy almost 10 years babe!

These pictures are from our anniversary getaway. We went to Granbury and stayed at a B and B. It was so nice to go somewhere just the two of us. We both feel so renewed. We slept in, we read, we sat by the lake, we looked at the stars from the hot tub, we shopped, we drove around, we saw movies. It was so nice. Thanks to Nana and Granddaddy who kept the boys so we could enjoy some time alone. I fell in love all over again!