For Memory's Sake

Brayden has been able to drink out of a cup pretty well for the past few months, just a regular cup with no straw or lid, but in the last month has mastered it. To be on the safe side while we are indoors, he still only gets water in his regular cup to prevent any stains, and will occassionally get a small amount of juice or milk in his big boy cup while he's eating a meal sitting down. He's surprisingly really great at controlling how fast the drink gets to him, how fast he drinks, and when to tip the cup up and put it down. The few spills we have had is when I have filled the cup up too high, or Brayden has accidentally set it down too quickly or not in the right place and it tips. So proud of him :)

All a-what?

Brayden lvoes to say All Aboard, and from what I have heard, always says it at the appropriate times, when he's playing with his train table, when he's "loading" freight onto his trains on his train table, when he's putting people in the trains on the train table, and when he's watching his Thomas cartoons. Always when it has to do with trains, and we hear "all aboard" come out of his mouth multiple times a day.

About a week ago Brayden cracked us up when like any normal day, he went to go sit on Bear's back while Bear was lying down and yelled out "All a-Bear!" Mike and I both looked at each other kind of surprised and I asked Brayden "What?" and he repeated "All a-Bear" with a huge smile on his face like he had discovered this hilarious play on words all by himself, which he did! He says it all the time, at only the right times, when he is playing with or trying to sit on the dogs. So cute to see the way his little mind works!

Pool

Family shot at the pool

I love this picture :)

Bray sitting in Mommy's lap!

Enter Clever Title Here

Family photo!

Uncle Brian and Brayden playing choo-choos....for hours on end!

Last night sleeping as a one year old baby...

About to wake him up (lazy bum slept for forever) for his first morning as a two year old!

Mommy's View

I accidentally took this pic in black and white, but thought it turned out neat :)

Fun cupcakes!

Present Table

Daddy and Bray playing with the water table!

Party Time

I cherish these young birthday parties full of family. I look forward to the fun birthdays we will have in the future with Brayden's friends and doing fun things, but I really soak up these relaxed parties in our backyard :)

I think if you enlarge this picture (click on it) you should be able to see the awesome birthday banner we got for Brayden that is in the background!

Amazed by the dangling Toy Story cut outs!

2nd year in a row that Auntie and I did a "streamer wall decoration" so many laughs while creating this!

"Buzz!"

B-ray

Brayden's present from Mommy and Daddy. Quite the labor of love putting it together!

Tuckered out on the carpet a few days before his birthday

What?!

Yes, I am just blogging these pics from 4th of July. I forgot I had taken them and I just wanted to show off the beautiful lake view we had while watching the fireworks. I took these pictures of course before they started, but isnt it just gorgeous?!

I came home an hour ago, to a completely clean downstairs. When I went back to work after lunch, there was pile of dishes in the sink, dirty kitchen counter, toys strewed everywhere, miscellaneous items out of place, and (even though not downstairs) laundry in the dryer that needed to be folded, laundry in the washer that needed to be transferred, and much more. I came home to clean dishes in the dishwasher, cleaned counter tops, toys put away, everything in its place, and all the laundry that I was doing, done. Sure, Mike was home today with Brayden but did I mention my husband works 12+ hour shifts? Did I mention he's currently going through training that demands 100% of his time, attention and focus? Did I mention he got home after 3 this morning, fell asleep after 4, and got up at 8:30 to take care of Brayden? Did I mention he just found out this week he has to work 8 days straight and is on his 3rd day today of that 8 day spree? Did I mention he switches cities again this weekend and will be patrolling a completely unfamiliar area? Did I mention that since he found out he was switching cities this week and not next he has been feverishly trying to study maps to find out more about his new beat? On top of all of that, and believe me, it is a lot, Mike still finds the time to spend quality time with Brayden, rough house and play with the dogs, and romance me. I give him a lot of "props" on our blog. But just coming home to the cleaned house tonight just made my heart swell and my eyes well up with tears. I hope every wife loves their husbands as much as I am head over heels in love with mine. He is my perfect mate and I am so blessed to call him mine!

Leaving the park

Sarah and I proving that we actually are related! (We actually look alike here!)

Family Slide Fun!

Bye Park! Thanks for the awesome birthday fun!

More Pool Fun

Mike off the diving board

And to prove that I went, here's a picture of super dorky me

Daddy the water horsie!

Me and my TWO year old!

Pool Party!

Ready to go swimming at the pool for the first time!

Testing out the water!

Haha, he got Daddy good :)

Swimming with Mommy!

Happy Birthday!

Pioneer Park in Quincy with the birthday boy!

impromptu "happy birthday" singing and after lunch cupcake :)

My wonderful guys!

Quite the pair :)

We all scream for ice cream!

Banana Split with Mommy and Daddy

Beating Daddy up

Tough guy face

And the title...is quite literal..well..I should change it to Brayden screams after ice cream. I dont think Brayden had ever had that much sugar as was in the banana split he shared with Mike and I, and it apparently didn't hit until we went on our double date and Grandma and Papi watched him (like the smart planning? load him on sugar and dump him on his grandparents, haha!). When we showed up to pick him up around 9:30, we walk up to the house hearing loud screaming and laughing and loud chattering, and walk in to find Brayden literally running around in circles laughing and talking to his grandparents. It was HILARIOUS to watch, you had to be there. But never the less...it will be quite a while before Bray gets that much sugar, or even close to that much again...