The Beaver Bunch

It's Been A While...

2012-01-17T19:31:00.003-06:00

Wow! It's been over 4 months since I've updated our blog. And A LOT has happened! Let's just sum it up by saying we are very glad to have 2011 in the past and are looking forward to great things in 2012!

In July (2011) we moved from Houston, back home to Lubbock. Bryan is now working with/for his dad in the furniture selling business. Bryan's dad has done this for Bryan's whole life and Bryan is really enjoying learning the ins and outs of the business. He is doing really well at the job and is enjoying it a lot. When we moved to Lubbock in July, we moved in with my parents due to not knowing what our financial situation was going to be and for how long it would be this way. While we and my parents were VERY excited to have us back home, the excitement wore of quickly with 7 people living in a 3 bedroom/2 bath house! My parents and I have always been very close but this was going to be a huge test in our relationship. It was also going to be a test to my relationship with my husband and my children. I quickly realized that my kids were getting confused. Who is the boss around here? Mommy/Daddy? Papa/Nana? There were times when I had to remind my Dad that I was there, I was their Mom and I would take care of whatever the case was at that time. We told the kids that yes, we were living in Papa's and Nana's house and they would have to abide by some "different" rules because we were living there. But, WE were still their Mommy and Daddy and WE were "in charge". Let's remember, my parents have not had small children living in their house in 35 years...a few things have changed! Their house is not child-proofed and they have some very nice things in dangerous spots. A decorative plate got broken within days of our arrival :0( Lexi was the only person in the house to have her very own room. We decided this was the best way to transition her...to have her own room at Papa's and Nana's and have it look like and exact replica of her room in Houston. It worked perfectly and she never missed a beat! Bryan and I had the spare bedroom and it was exploding at the seems with the things we needed for how ever long we were there. The boys slept on the couch pullout bed, together. It is a queen size mattress so it was fine for them however, they were right in the middle of the living room and Dad and Mom get up early and weren't used to having to be quiet while getting ready for work in the mornings. The boys started school at the end of August so this made things a little easier with them having to be up in the mornings and then not being in the house to destroy it (not really) for the majority of the day. There were several nights I would be praying and begin crying because while I love and appreciated my parents letting us live with them, I wasn't sure how much longer we could do this. I'm almost positive my parents had the same thoughts, but they would never utter these words. Well...we made it! As of January 1, 2012, we have our VERY OWN PLACE!!! We were/are ALL elated!!! And yes, if you've done the math, we lived with my parents for almost 6 months!!! It is so nice to have our own space, own rooms, own furniture, watch our favorite shows again :0), etc, etc, etc. The other nice thing...our new place is only 3 blocks away from Papa's and Nana's! The boys have already ridden their bikes to and fro (with me following along side, of course).

So, now you're caught up with us and our lives, so to speak. The boys are doing very well in school. I am working 2 days a week at the Kids Day Out that Lexi attends and she and I are loving it. Bryan, as I said earlier, is really liking his new job and doing very well at it. So, Happy New Year, albeit a tad bit late. I hope 2012 is a fantastic year for us all!!!

Birthday Boy!

2011-09-30T14:00:00.005-05:00

8 years ago today I was at a not so routine check-up for my first pregnancy, as I was 4 days past my due date! At that appointment, I found out that I was 2 centimeters dilated but NOT in labor. My blood pressure was elevated to a point that the doctor was concerned about but not worried about...yet. I was instructed to go home and "rest, with my feet elevated". He also said to go to a local store and check my blood pressure that evening and if it had not gone down, I was to call the hospital. Being the good patient that I am, I went straight to IKEA with my parents to do some shopping and then for some ice cream. You see, we were living just outside of Chicago at this time and my parents had come ALL THE WAY up to Chicago from Lubbock (DROVE!) to be there for the birth of our fist born child, their grandson. Bryan's parents were also on their way to Chicago, also for the birth of THEIR first grandchild. They each only had a few days to spend in Chicago with us so this birth needed to happen ASAP. Let me interject here and say that Bryan was NOT on board with the decision I made to go shopping instead of resting, as I had been instructed. He was not at the doctor appointment with me and therefore did not know until after the fact about my blood pressure. Let's just say he was a little mad after finding this out. So, when we returned home I tried to rest but couldn't. When Bryan got home I told him what the doctor had said and what I had decided to do. After dinner, we went to Target and checked my blood pressure on one of those little machines all the kids like to play with. My reading was a little higher than at the doctor's office so we immediately called the hospital and were instructed to come down so I could be evaluated. Bryan and I went alone because we knew we would be sent back home with the same instructions to "rest and keep my feet elevated". We were wrong. The physician on call was not comfortable with sending me back home due to the rise in my blood pressure, and because I as also 4 days past my due date he felt the blood pressure was only going to get worse, not better. So, I was going to be admitted and given cervidil (sp) overnight and induced the following morning! I as excited that this birth was going to happen due to the time sensitive nature of our company but I was terrified at the same time about what was about to happen! We called our parents and told them all that had transpired but asked them to stay home and get a good night's rest and then come up to the hospital first thing the next morning for the long day ahead. My induction started the following morning (October 1, 2003) at 8:00am on the dot. My labor did not go quickly but it was not bad either. I don't remember how long I labored before I got my epidural but I do remember the pain I was having before it and the relief I felt after receiving it! AMAZING!!! I began pushing about 7:00pm and Isaiah Alan Beaver arrived at 7:36pm. He weighed in at 9lbs 0oz and was 20in long. I remember thinking, "Good thing I didn't carry him another week and a half (as was this hospitals policy unless there was a necessity for inducing), or he'd have been close to 10lbs"!!! We had our first child and he was amazing...he still is! I cannot believe Isaiah is going to be 8 years old tomorrow! It's true what they say, "Time goes by so fast"! Today our baby boy is a thriving 2nd grader, loves baseball, basketball and football, likes math, reading and playing board games and his Nintendo DS. He is so much like me it is scary sometimes. He is very emotional, loving, hard-headed, particular, etc...again, just like his mom. However, he is ALL boy! If there is a sport, Isaiah will try it out and probably be really good at it. I don't mean to sound conceited about my son, but he is a natural athlete...and I LOVE it! He is the first blessing Bryan and I received and we are so very proud of the young man he is growing up to be.

HAPPY Birthday, Isaiah Alan Beaver!

We love you, Buddy!
Daddy, Mommy, Sam & Lexi

First Day (week) of School

2011-08-27T22:07:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it through our fist week of school. Isaiah is in 2nd grade this year and Sam is in Kindergarten. The week was met with excitement, anticipation, fear, tears...just to name a few. I took both boys on the first day of school and also picked them up on the first day. This day went very well for both boys. The trouble started on the second day when the boys started riding the bus. Isaiah rode the bus last year (although in a different town) and did just fine. Sam has been MOST excited about being able to ride the bus to school and to get to ride it with his big bubba! We were not completely sure of where the bus would actually stop but caught it right across the street, no problem. When they arrived at school on this second day, Isaiah lost it. He and Sam were in the cafeteria (where all students wait until the first bell rings at 8am) and Isaiah needed to go to the restroom. While Isaiah was in the restroom, Sam decided to move to another table (to meet some new friends :0). When Isaiah returned and Sam was not where he had left him, Isaiah began to panic and cry. They were reunited by a staff member and she then took them on a little tour of the school and then to her office to try and calm them down. From this moment on, Isaiah was scared of getting lost, losing Sam, getting on the wrong bus, not getting off at the right stop, getting left, etc. He begged me on day 3 and 4 to please come pick him up from school early. It was very difficult for this momma not to be able to reassure my little man that he was going to be just fine. We finally got the hang of the bus schedule on Friday and this day went off without any hitch. Isaiah's teacher sent me an email (she and I had been in conversation about Isaiah being emotional about the bus situation) that said, "Isaiah arrived this morning (Friday) with a big smile on his face"! YAY!!! So, I'm glad this week is over and am hoping next week will be the beginning of a wonderful school year for my little men!

We've Moved

2011-07-25T14:07:00.003-05:00

On Monday, July 18, our family moved from Katy, Texas back home to Lubbock, Texas. The move was somewhat uneventful and we all made it safely. I say "somewhat uneventful" because Lexi spiked a fever of 102 the night before we were to head out! She had fever the entire 9.5 hours it took for us to FINALLY get to Lubbock. While I hated that she had fever, it did help to subdue her and she made the trip VERY well. Luckily, the fever was just a little more than a 24 hour annoyance and she has been fine ever since. Lexi, Samuel and myself traveled together in our Tahoe and Bryan and Isaiah rode in the huge moving truck. We (the girls and Sam) left our Katy house right at 8am, while Bryan and Isaiah had some last minute packing of the truck to do and didn't leave town until 9:30am. I was not looking forward to traveling with a 5 year-old and an 18 month-old by myself, so I wanted to leave as soon as possible! Both Sam and Lexi made the trip so well! As I said before, the trip took us 9.5 hours due to food, potty and diaper changing stops, but it seemed to go by quickly (thank you, Jesus)! We arrived at Papa's & Nana's house at 5:30pm and were welcomed by Papa, Nana, Uncle Rob and cousin "Big" Zach. Bryan and Isaiah arrived at 7:30pm and then all the boys (minus Isaiah and Sam) went to unload the moving truck into storage. Bryan said my dad told him after unloading the truck into the storage unit, "Seriously? You did not have this much stuff when we moved y'all to Houston!" Bryan said, "You're right but we have lived there almost 4 years and we also added another human to our family while we were there!"

So, fast forward to today and we are finally settled in at Papa's & Nana's house. It is very tough going from a 4-bedroom, bi-level home to a 3-bedroom, one level home with 2 extra adults!!! We are making it work though. We will be here for a few months and then begin looking for a place of our own. For those of you who do not know, Bryan will be working with his Dad in furniture sales, as well as working on a new ministry opportunity that began while we were still in Houston. This has been and will continue to be a big adjustment for our family but we are very glad to be back close to family and friends. We are looking forward to getting plugged into a local church and the boys are very excited about their new school and making new friends. We miss our friends in H-town but are already planning a visit back! Moving is never easy and this time was no different. However, we are reminded of the Lord's promise..."For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." And, we cling to this promise! We are excited for our new future and glad to be back home in Lubbock, Texas!

Californ-I-A

2011-06-21T22:19:00.003-05:00

Bryan and I had the privilege of going on a much needed vacation the first week of June. Bryan competed in the World 2011 International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Championship in Long Beach, CA. He went as a spectator to this event last year and decided at that time that he would compete the next year and that I would accompany him. So, he made it happen! The competition began on Thursday (June 2) and lasted until Sunday (June 5). Bryan flew to LA on Wednesday because he did not know until Tuesday, which day he would be competing. I flew out on Thursday because Isaiah still had school until then. Luckily, Bryan competed on Friday so I was able to be there and video his matches. He did very well, winning the first match by points and losing the second match to judges decision (which was totally incorrect, might I add). While we had wished he could have "gone all the way" in the competition, we were glad to be free to begin our vacation! We did go back to the tournament on Saturday and Sunday morning to see some of Bryan's buddies compete.

We started out our sight-seeing in Hollywood. We hit Santa Monica Blvd, Rodeo Dr, and made our way up to the famous "HOLLYWOOD" sign, which is NOT easy to get to, by the way! We did some pretty hairy driving uphill on tiny streets to get as close as we could to the sign. Thank goodness for zoom lenses on cameras! We then headed back toward Long Beach to meet up with one of Bryan's buddies and his dad for dinner. You'll see what Bryan and I shared for dinner in the slideshow...beautiful presentation AND delicious!!! The next day we had breakfast down by the beach and then took a stroll ON the beach. Let me tell you, that water was COLD!!! Speaking of cold...the weather was chilly the entire time. It was 65-75 degrees, which I was not prepared for! I wore a light jacket pretty much the whole time, and never got to wear my new bathing suit :0( Oh well! One of the things on MY "to do list" was to see the Staples Center, where THE Los Angeles Lakers play! It was really neat to be able to see it and now to say I've been there. It would have been much better if we could have seen a game but unfortunately the Lakers were no longer in the playoffs. I did not know, but the Nokia Theatre (American Idol) is right across the street from the Staples Center! That was neat to see too. Then, we went back into Hollywood to find the Chinese Theater, where the "walk of fame" is located (a.k.a. the sidewalk with all the stars names, in stars, on it). We walked around, caught a movie, bought some souvenirs for the kiddos and then had a very nice dinner that night. On our last day, we drove up the coast to Dana's Wharf where we were scheduled to go on a whale/dolphin watching tour that evening. We took our time, stopping at whatever we thought looked interesting. The first stop was Huntington Beach and this turned out to be probably my favorite place. It was full of all kinds of beach shops, restaurants and was RIGHT on the beach! The weather was beautiful that day too...by that I mean, warmer! We continued up to Newport Beach and stopped again to see the pier and do some "window shopping". Then, we made our way up to our destination and went on our tour. We never saw any whales, but we saw several dolphins as you'll see in the slide show. It was a lengthy tour (2 hours) and I'll admit, we both got a touch of sea sickness :0( No worries though, we made it without any problem. We drove back "home" after the tour and had a late dinner down by the beach for the last time. It was a WONDERFUL vacation and I loved having my hubby all to myself for almost a whole week! We've been back 2 weeks and I'm ready for another vacay already!

I must say THANK YOU to Grandpa and Mamaw (Bryan's parents) for coming down to stay with the kiddos. It was so much easier to go away knowing what capable and loving hands our little ones were in! They too had a wonderful time! However, Grandpa and Mamaw were worn out and ready for Mommy and Daddy to get home!!!

So, without further delay...here is the slide show of our fabulous vacation!

My Graduate

2011-05-20T10:26:00.008-05:00

Sam graduated Pre-K from Life Christian Preschool yesterday morning. It was a very nice ceremony complete with singing, diploma receiving and a video of their year of school. Sam was in a class of 5 boys so his teacher, Mrs. Mimi, and her aide, Ms. Lauren, had their work cut out for them from the beginning! They all made it and the boys graduated with flying colors. The ceremony was really neat because as they called each child up to receive their diplomas, they also awarded them a character award. This is an award named after a Bible character. The Bible character awarded to Samuel was Samuel. Here is what Mrs. Mimi said to Samuel...

"...One night while Samuel was asleep, Samuel heard a voice. It was God. At a very young age Samuel learned to not only listen, but to obey the voice of God. God used Samuel in a mighty way to share what was on his heart. He knew that Samuel would not be afraid. God could always count on Samuel to serve and obey Him.
Samuel, one day God is going to use you to share the good news to thousands of people. Perhaps as an evangelist. With your energy and excitement, nothing can stand in your way. Keep hiding God's word in your heart. Take time to listen and be quick to obey Him. God will never disappoint you as long as you keep Him first in your life."

I got a little teary-eyed as she read these words. I began to imagine what Samuel would "do" when he gets older and how God will work through him. Samuel IS very energetic and excited and if God does call him to ministry, in whatever fashion, he will do A LOT with this energy and excitement!!! My prayer for Samuel is that he never lose that excitement throughout his life. That he always be the energetic, fun-loving, sweet, passionate little guy that he is. I pray that nothing will suppress his beautiful spirit. He is such a joy and I am so excited to see what his future holds. As for Sam, well he is just excited to get to ride the bus with Isaiah next year, to "Isaiah's school!" Oh to be a child again and not have a care in the world!!!

Here are some pics of this blessed event...

And just because she is so stinkin cute, here's Lexi before heading to the graduation...

We love you, Sam-Sam and are SO proud of you!

Funny Sam

2011-05-16T10:29:00.004-05:00

Yesterday after church, the boys rode home with Daddy. Sam has been practicing his songs for Pre-K graduation (THIS Thursday...sniff, sniff). So, Sam asked Daddy if he could sing one of his songs for him on the way home. Of course Daddy said, "Yes!" Here's how the singing/conversation went...

Sam: "The Lord is my Shepherd, I'll walk with Him always. He leads through green pastures; I'll walk with Him always. Always, always, I'll walk with Him always." (twice through)

<after he finished singing>

Sam: "Dad, what kind of "pasture" are you?"
Bryan: "Well, I'm just a pastor."
Sam: "No, what color of "pasture" are you?"
Bryan: "I'm a white pastor, Sam."

Bryan said it was too cute to correct so he just let it be.

That's our Sam...always a laugh!!!

"5"

2011-04-18T21:44:00.009-05:00

That's how old our baby boy is! It's hard to believe how time has flown by with Sam. When we moved to Houston, he was a mere 18 months old (not too much older than his little sis is now) and now he is 5! Crazy!

Although his actual birthday was Sunday (17th) we had his party on Friday (15th). Earlier in the day on Friday, Sam got his first present...

a new bike from Mommy & Daddy!

Sam learned to ride his bike without training wheels a few weeks ago and he was really hoping to get a new, bigger bike to ride! Glad we could grant that wish.

That evening we had Sam's party at a place called Katy End Zone. It's an arcade type place with games, mini bowling and bumper cars. The kiddos LOVED it (and most of the dads did too)! Here are some pics of the party...

Sam & Bubba before the guests arrived

Sam trying out the motorcycle game

Daddy & Isaiah playing some air hockey

Bumper cars!

The party-goers

The cake (Tom & Jerry - Sam's favorite cartoon)

Mommy & my girl

Sam & Memaw Agnes
(We were SO glad Bob, Connie & Memaw Agnes came!)

What a GREAT party!!!

Sam's actual birthday was celebrated by going to church and then he got to pick where we went to lunch. He chose the "fire place". That is code for Japanese Hibachi, one of our family favorites! Then, we came home to play with all his new toys and ride his new bike. It was a great weekend!

Today Sam, Lexi and I had to go to Walgreens to get something and he proudly proclaimed to the cashier, "My name is Samuel Beaver and I am 5!" He is SO proud of that number!!! He also thought he was going to go to school with bubba this morning and when I told him no, not yet he said, "But Mom, I'm 5 now!" Gotta wait a few more months there buddy.

Happy Birthday, Sam-Sam; we love you SOOOOOO much!!!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2011-03-28T13:28:00.006-05:00

My little D-back...

Baseball season is officially underway! This year Isaiah is on the Diamondbacks (Arizona's major league team name). He is playing machine pitch for the second season. He is a pretty darn good ball player and loves every minute of it!

Papa & Nana drove down to be here for Isaiah's first game and we SO enjoyed their visit. It always goes by WAY TOO FAST when they come and we cherish every moment!

After the game we rested a little and then got ready to take Papa out to dinner for his birthday, which was March 19th. We took him to Taste of Texas...a VERY good steak house here in H-town. We had a wonderful dinner and then took some impromptu family pics outside the restaurant!

Here are some pics to enjoy...

GREAT weekend!!!

Milestone

2011-03-22T19:40:00.003-05:00

Sam has something to show you...

That's right...NO TRAINING WHEELS!!!

As you can tell from the video, he's pretty darn excited about it too!!! My husband has SOOOO much patience and patience is exactly what this took! Bryan told Sam over and over, "keep peddling...don't stop peddling!" Sam was wearing wrist/palm protectors and after about 20 minutes he tells Bryan, "Daddy, take these (wrist/palm protectors) off so I can peddle better." What? Yep, he thought peddling was steering! When we cleared up the peddling issue, he was off to the races. In the video you'll see him go to the grass to stop himself. He hasn't quite perfected his braking yet. All in good time. He is super proud of himself and wants to ride his bike all the time now. Isaiah loves having his little bro riding beside him now too! Here are some pics of the momentous occasion as well...

Here we go!!!

Crash :0(

Being comforted by Daddy :0)

Proud little boy!

Now he will REALLY enjoy the new bike he'll be getting for his 5th birthday next month (shhh...don't tell)!!!

13 Months!

2011-02-28T15:26:00.003-06:00

Lexi is 13 months old! I know, hard to believe huh? Our little girl is growing and changing right before our eyes and we are enjoying EVERY MOMENT of it!

Here are her stats....

Weight: 20lbs (my skinny mini)

Length: 31 1/2 in. (and getting longer by the day!)

Clothes: size 18 month

Diapers: size 3

Shoes: size 3 (sometimes a 4)

Napping: Twice a day (10-12 & 2-4, like clock work)

Sleeping: GREAT! Goes to bed at 7:30pm - 8:00pm and wakes at 8:00am - 8:30am the following morning.

Eating:
Real oatmeal, dry cereals, pb&j sandwiches, cheese & mayo sandwiches, "cheetoes" (Gerber brand; different flavors), diced peaches, apples, Gerber Toddler Meals, Gerber Cereal Bars, Gerber Puffs, chicken, ham, mac and cheese, etc. She is not a big fan of veggies and likes limited fruits but we are still working on these!

Drinking:
whole milk & water - from sippy cups (YEA! NO MORE BOTTLES...EVER!)

Getting around:
Lexi has taken a few "accidental" unassisted steps but is not walking just yet. She gets a little braver each day and it shouldn't be long now before we have a fully mobile toddler on our hands!

Talking:
Ma-ma; Da-da; Bub-ba; Bee-bee (baby); Na-na (Nana); she has started pointing to what she wants or where she wants you to take her if you're holding her.

Favorite Things:
plush baby doll; "Violet" her talking puppy; the tv remote :0); the PS3 remotes :0); playing in the kitchen cabinets/pantry; climbing the stairs (with Mommy RIGHT behind her, of course); being outside

And here are some pics of my sweet little 13 month old...

We love you Lexi Lee!!!

What a difference a year makes...

2011-02-14T12:03:00.006-06:00

Valentine's Day 2010

Valentine's Day 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

Best Husband & Daddy E-V-E-R

2011-02-07T16:17:00.003-06:00

If you saw my Facebook status today then here is the reason why "Misti Beaver has THE best husband in the world"! Well, this is just one of the many reasons!!!

We have been trying to find a Mother's Day Out for Lexi to attend next school year. We toured one at a Baptist Church but I just did not feel right about it. Bryan then went online to try to find others and came across one that looked and sounded great (online) and was closer to our house. Last Friday Bryan was going out to run a few errands and asked if there was anything I needed him to do? I asked if he would stop by this church and see if he could look around at the facility and if there was anyone he could ask a few questions to, as we were not going to be able to tour the facility before registration day (today). He did this and met the director of the program who he was very impressed by. Bryan asked her what their procedure was going to be on registration day and what time we should be there (we knew they started the registration at 8am)? The director told him that there were 4 spots available for Lexi's age group on Tues/Thurs and 2 spots left on Mon/Wed. She said getting there about 9 would pretty much guarantee Lexi a spot. Bryan, "But, doesn't registration start at 8"? The director, "Oh yes, I mean 9pm the night before". Bryan, "Are you serious"? The director, "Yes sir". She then said we would actually, probably be okay to get there about 3am, since there were still several openings for her age group. Oh thanks, that's A LOT better! When Bryan called to tell me about this meeting I could not believe it. I just decided we'd get there when we got there an if she got in, she got in and if she didn't, she'd go on the waiting list. So Saturday evening we are talking about our week ahead and Bryan tells me he is going to go up to this church Monday morning at 3am!!! He said the facility was so nice and the director impressed him so much that he really wanted Lexi to get in there. WOW; okay! So, this morning Bryan arrived at the church at 2:45am. The director had told him that in years past, those waiting would post a sign on the door and list their name, what kind of car they drove and what age group they were registering for. This was their way of agreeing that they would not leave the parking lot but were not going to have to stand outside in a line. Sure enough there was a sign posted when Bryan arrived. He was number 11 on the list...AT 2:45am!!! But, there were only 5 people ahead of him who were registering children for the same age group as Lexi. So, he knew that he would get one of the spots if the director was infact right about the remaining openings. So, he tried to sleep and waited...all night! We texted off and on prior to the doors opening and in one text he told me that there was a lady who got there at midnight with her 6 month old baby and 2 year old little boy!!! This is serious stuff!!! I got a text at 8:21am saying, "She got in"! WOO-HOO! Lexi got the LAST spot available for her age group before they started putting kids on the waiting list. While we were planning for her to go on Tues/Thurs, those days were filled up by the time it was Bryan's turn to register. So, she will be attending Mother's Day Out on Mon/Wed next Fall and we are very excited about it.

One other thing...I asked Bryan in one of our texts if there were any other Dads there and he said, "No, no other Dads". See? Lexi is one very lucky little girl and I am one very lucky Mommy!

So, there you have it. Just one of the many reasons why I have THE best husband in the world!

A BIG Sunday!

2011-02-03T15:39:00.005-06:00

This past Sunday, January 30, was a BIG day for our family. Lexi was dedicated and Isaiah was baptized! I can think of no other privilege than to give back to God what He has so graciously entrusted to us.

Lexi's dedication was short and sweet, but still a beautiful event. Daddy did a wonderful job telling our congregation that we are committed to raising Lexi in a Christian home and to be her living examples of what a Christian should be. We asked for them to hold us accountable to this commitment and also that they too commit to being the examples she needs as her church family, Sunday School teachers, etc. Daddy said a beautiful prayer and the ceremony came to an end. Here is our 3rd precious gift from God on her "Dedication Sunday"...

Isaiah was all set to be baptized when he woke up Sunday morning. He was excited about getting "dunked" in the big, black "bathtub" Daddy had purchased just the day before. In case some of you don't know and are wondering why we are baptizing in a "bathtub", our church meets in a school, so there is not a baptistery. Anyway, we arrive at church and the tub is set up on stage, filled with water. Isaiah is still excited at this point and is proudly showing his friends where he is going to be baptized. Fast forward a few minutes to the beginning of the service, when the baptism is supposed to take place. I go behind stage to find Isaiah sitting in Daddy's lap, crying. Bryan tells me, "He is not going to be baptized today; he's just not ready to do it yet". Of course I was disappointed but completely understood his anxiety. Bryan explained, very understandingly, to our congregation that Isaiah was just not ready to walk out onto stage, everyone starring at him, and get into a huge tub filled with water and be dunked. Everyone understood and our service went on as planned. After the service, I was talking to Isaiah and explaining to him that he was still a Christian even though he did not get baptized that day. I told him that he was a Christian because of the decision he made to trust in Christ and believe that He died on the cross for his (Isaiah's) sins and then rose from the dead so that he (Isaiah) could have eternal life. I told him that getting baptized is something that God asks of him to show others proof of the decision he has made to follow Christ but that his being baptized is not what makes him a Christian. Isaiah said he understood. Sam happened to be standing next to Isaiah during our conversation and when I was telling Isaiah about him believing that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, Sam chimed in and said, (tapping me on the arm consistently) "But mom, He (Jesus) comed back to life"! I said, "Yes, you're absolutely right Sam". Then Sam said, "Yeah, I know everysang (everything). Jesus is our rock and he comed back to life". I LOVE THAT KID. Maybe someone else will be being baptized very soon??? Then, before we left church Bryan informed me that Isaiah was going to be baptized at home, in our garage. "Awesome," I said. The "bathtub" was loaded up and off to lunch we went. Luckily, Papa & Nana and Grandpa & Mamaw were able to hang around long enough to witness the garage baptism. It was a uniquely wonderful experience for us all and an even more so one for Bryan because he got to baptize his firstborn. What a wonderful, wonderful day this was. Here are a couple of pics post baptism...

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6

ONE!

2011-01-31T20:29:00.009-06:00

Happy FIRST Birthday Lexi Lee!

Our baby girl is ONE year old today! The last 365 days have been exciting, nerve racking, joyful, painful, happy, sad, easy, rough and so many more emotions and...I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! My little angel is all I ever dreamed of and so much more!!!

Although today is Lexi's actual birthday, we had her party this past Saturday. Papa & Nana and Grandpa & Mamaw were all able to drive down to help celebrate. We had a small party with family and a few close friends. The theme was "1st Birthday Princess" and it was perfect. Here are some pics of the party...

Whew...that was a fun party!

So, as I'm finishing this post it is 10:17pm. Lexi was born at 10:14pm on January 31, 2010. I can now officially say Happy Birthday to my precious baby girl.

Bye Bye Formula

2011-01-22T11:27:00.004-06:00

This morning I threw away our last can of formula...EVER!!! No, I am not sad about this. Yes, I want Lexi to take "growing up" at a turtle's pace but when it comes to things like formula, water, bottle liners, etc. I'll gladly give them up when she does. For the last 3 weeks we've been mixing her formula with whole milk. We started out with 4 oz of formula, mixed with 1 oz of whole milk. Then it was 3 oz of formula with 2 oz whole milk. As of today, she is at 2 oz of formula with 3 oz of whole milk. She has tolerated it fine and interestingly enough is sleeping better!!! I would not classify her as a bad sleeper at all, but for what has seemed like f-0-r-e-v-e-r she has not been sleeping soundly at night. The last 2 nights however, she has slept from 8am to 8pm without waking. I am SUPER excited about this and pray that it continues. So, bye bye formula and hello whole milk. Next up...sippy cup instead of bottles. She is already transitioning into this and is doing pretty good.

Clapping and Waving

2011-01-10T20:10:00.000-06:00

Look what I can do...

Christmas

2011-01-05T10:19:00.008-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

Wow, what a whirlwind of a holiday season we Beaver's had! We left Houston on Wednesday, December 22nd and returned back to Houston on Sunday, January 2nd. It was a wonderful, exciting, tiring and l-o-n-g trip! We started off in Lubbock for Christmas with my family. It was so neat to be at Papa's & Nana's house for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The kids were thoroughly spoiled by Santa and Papa & Nana!

Here's what Isaiah got from Santa...

A new PSP (among a few other things seen in the background)!

Here's what Sam got from Santa...

Toy Story 3 PSP game (also among a few other things)!

And here's what Lexi got from Santa on this, her very first Christmas...

A LeapFrog Learning Table. She loves it! Of course, she also got several more items!

Here is what the boys got from Papa & Nana...

An air hockey table!!! They were totally surprised and of course, LOVE it!

What did I get from Papa & Nana (a.k.a. Dad & Momma)? I got a new camera that is giving you all these awesome pics!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!

We were in Lubbock until the Tuesday after Christmas and then headed to Burkburnett, Texas, which is where Bryan's parents have moved to. We had our Christmas with them almost immediately after we got there because the boys just couldn't wait! The boys got several items from Grandpa & Mamaw that they loved but the best was saved for very last...

A Razor go cart!

I wanted to upload the video of them finding this (they were sent on a scavenger hunt) but the video was too big :0(. The boys were SO surprised! No, we did not get to bring this home with us! For one...we didn't have room! But, it was a gift intended to stay and G-pa's and Mamaw's for when the boys come to visit. They'll be excited to ride it this summer!

As for my gift from G-pa and Mamaw...I got an Orek vacuum! It also came with a hand vac (perfect for vacuuming my stairs) and a steam mop too! I can't wait to try them all out.

We were in Burk (as we call it for short) until New Year's Day, then we headed up to Duncan, OK to have Christmas with my mom's side of the family. We did not get to attend this annual Christmas bash last year because I was 36 weeks pregnant with our little girl and couldn't leave the Houston area. I hated missing this time with my family and it was very hard knowing they were all together without us! Anyway, we were back this year! It was a wonderful day spent with my Pops & Mems, aunts & uncles, cousins, cousins-in-law, and tons of kiddos between us all! We exchanged gifts and had a wonderful time just "catching up". The next morning, we all met up at my aunt Susan's and uncle David's beautiful new home in Duncan for our famous breakfast feast. A neat thing occurred after breakfast. MY family had our first ever, entire family picture...

Back row: Bryan, Dad, "Big" Zach, Rob
Middle row: Me, Lexi, Mom, Hannah, Crystal, Brittany, Hayley
Front row: Isaiah, Samuel, "Little" Zach

And just because I think it's a great picture, I'll also share this one...

After the picture sessions, we said our good-byes and headed back home. It is SOOOOO incredibly hard to say good-bye, especially since we'd been together for so long this time. The boys had a really hard time saying good-bye to Papa & Nana. But, we reassured them that it would only be a few, short weeks when they would be in Houston with us to celebrate Lexi's FIRST birthday! Yep, you read that right...Lexi will be turning ONE before we know it! Oh, what fun!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's and that you got to share it with those that are most precious to you. 2010 was a great year and we are looking forward to a wonderful and blessed 2011. Here's hoping you have the same!

10 Months (+ a few days)

2010-12-13T13:19:00.003-06:00

Lexi Lee is 10 months old!

I'm not posting a pic because the one above with Santa is the most recent one we have. I have asked for and hinted A LOT to my family that I really want a new, GOOD camera, so hopefully after Christmas I'll be able to put a lot more pics on my blog!

Anyhow, here are Lexi's stats:

Length: 30 1/2 inches (over 95%) -
at her recent Dr visit (bad rt ear infection) the Dr said to me, "Gosh, she looks more like a 15-16 month old than an almost 11 month old"!

Weight: 19lbs 6oz (50%)

Diaper: size 3

Shoe: size 3

Clothes: 12-18 months

Sleep: pretty good. She has been waking anywhere from 2-4am and sometimes will only be soothed by a bottle. I'm hoping we can knock this habit out in the next month or so as she will soon not be on bottles anymore!!! Fingers crossed.

Naps: two per day

Food: 3 meals per day with snacks in between. Also, 4 bottles per day (5 oz). She is enjoying trying some "big people food" too.

"Talking": Lexi's vocabulary is short and sweet. She says "buh-buh", "da-da", "ma-ma", "nah-nah". She doesn't relate these words with any of us as of yet, but I think she may be beginning to catch on. She has started to "copy" some of the things we do which is A-dorable! She smiles at EVERYONE and it's so cute because she wrinkles her little nose when she smiles.

One area that needs a lot of help is Lexi being left anywhere for any period of time. She is a momma's girl if there ever was one. She does okay with a sitter here at the house but taking here anywhere like church is just not good. She is good for the first 15-20 minutes then starts crying for her momma. Poor thing. It's totally my fault because I've never tried to take her anywhere...I've never had to. When Isaiah was born, I had to go back to work immediately for financial reasons. When Sam was born, I worked part-time so both boys never had to get used to staying with someone else, they did it from the time they were born! But not Lexi. Anyway, Bryan got me a gym membership for our anniversary (and yes, I did want one so it was a good gift :0), so hopefully I can get her used to being left with someone else for a period of time. We shall see.

Well, now you're up to date with what is going on in Lexi's world. She continues to hold our hearts in the palm of her little, tiny hand. We are enjoying watching her grow and learn.

10 Years

2010-12-09T14:45:00.002-06:00

On this date, 10 years ago, Bryan and I became husband and wife.

It's so hard to believe it's been 10 years because in my mind, it was just yesterday. I remember EVERY moment of our short courtship, engagement, wedding preparations and wedding day. For those of you who don't know our story, I'll share...

In January of 2000, Bryan was called to be the youth pastor at the church that my dad was the music minister for...Slide Baptist Church. Before Bryan and I had even met, people of the church were already "setting us up". One of the youth girls asked me if I had seen/met the new youth pastor? I told her I had not. Her response? "He's HOT"! I thought nothing of it because he was probably a) not that "hot" b) dating someone c) too young for me (after all I was 23) or d) ALL OF THE ABOVE. Church members were also asking Bryan if he'd seen/met me yet. Of course, he had not. The pastor told him, "You've got to meet Misti. She sings like an angel". Assuming, I guess, that "singing like an angel" was on Bryan's list of things he'd like his spouse to be able to do. So, both Bryan and I decided that if we met by chance...fine, but we were not going to go out of our way to meet the other because if people were "talking it up" so much, it probably wasn't a good thing.

Fast forward to February 14, 2000. Valentine's Day. The church staff was having a Valentine Fellowship and since I had no Valentine and preferred not to sit at home, alone, I decided to accompany my parents (poor me right?). I did not expect to see Bryan there because I figured he had plans that night, for sure. Now, I should mention that by this point, Bryan and I had met, but were still turned off by the idea of everyone trying to get us together. So, we're at this fellowship, getting all the food and games prepared when in walks the youth pastor to "get a few things from his office". After talking to some others, he decided to hang around as he didn't have any other plans that night. At some point, the "grown-ups" decided to play dominoes. As if the night could get any more lame, right? Well, guess who was without a partner? Yep, Bryan and I. So, we decided to be good sports, play along and we'd be partners. We made a great team and actually won a few rounds. The night was winding down and Bryan and I decided to go to the gym and shoot some hoops while the others cleaned up. We played 3 rounds of C-A-T and guess who won EVERY one of them? ME!!! To this day, Bryan will tell you that he "let" me win 2 of those but that's not what you will hear from me OR from any of the adults that wondered in to catch the last 2 games.

After that night, Bryan and I began to talk...a lot. I became more involved in helping with the youth ministry and ALWAYS looked forward to going to church :0). Our first date we laugh about because it was full of BRYAN'S favorite things. We ate at a Japanese Steakhouse (which I had never had before), went back to Bryan's house to watch Bryan's favorite movie, Brave Heart. Yes, you read that right...Brave Heart. Then we made brownies together in his kitchen. Side note here - I vividly remember thinking to myself, "I hope he doesn't leave this mess here in the kitchen". He did. Somewhere along the way we became a "couple" and spent every moment we could together. I remember sitting in my car, outside a coffee shop until 3 o'clock in the morning talking, SEVERAL times. No relationship I had ever had was anything like this and I never wanted to say "goodnight".

Our first kiss was in Bryan's car, in the parking lot of Whataburger. Yep, that's right...Whataburger. We had gone to eat with one of the youth volunteers after church one Wednesday night. We were talking about how the meeting had gone and I guess it was just "time" for that first kiss!

In June of 2000, we had planned a getaway to Wichita Falls for a weekend so that I could meet Bryan's grandparents for the first time. Now, by this point in our relationship, we had "talked" about marriage and all that jazz. Actually, the night before we left for this trip we had a conversation about marriage and it didn't go well. Bryan was telling me how he could not afford a ring at that time and just didn't know how it was going to be possible to get engaged or married anytime soon. I told him I did not need a ring to be engaged. We talked and talked and talked but could not figure out how to make it work at that point in time. So, we decided to just take it day by day and he would "save up" for a ring. Bryan picked me up the next afternoon to head out for our trip. We got about 2 blocks away from my house and he pulled over at a park. He said he wanted to talk more about our conversation the night before. I turned my head to look out the window as I teared up and told him I just would rather not talk about it and just enjoy our trip together. Little did I know that while I was starring out the window, Bryan had DROPPED my engagement ring down between the console and his seat and was fishing for it! He grabbed it JUST as I was turning my head back toward him. I turned to see him smiling and holding out the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! He said, "Misti Lee Haynie, will you marry me"? I was already crying but now they were tears of pure joy! I said, "YES, of course"! That trip was very special and still is to this very day!

We set the date for Saturday, December 9, 2000. I can honestly say that planning my wedding was a blast! I enjoyed EVERY moment of it. I had been in and sang at so many weddings prior to my own, that I knew exactly how I wanted mine to go. I was lucky too that the only thing my groom wanted to do for the wedding was pick out the tuxedos and show up at the rehearsal/wedding. The day came and it was PERFECT! Our colors were red and black. We hardly had to purchase/rent a single thing for the ceremony because the church was already decorated for Christmas with beautiful poinsettia's and lighted garland everywhere. It was absolutely beautiful. My brother, Bryan's uncle, Bryan's youth pastor and my and Bryan's parents all sang during the service. Bryan and I decided to say our own vows. Bryan went first and started to tear up, which made me start to tear up. MY vows were a song that I was going to sing to Bryan so I was thinking, "oh no, no, no; don't cry because I can't sing if I'm crying"! Luckily I composed myself and was able to sing "From This Moment On" as my vows to Bryan. He'll tell you to this day that I took the easy way out because I didn't have to "come up with my own vows" like he did. Yeah, yeah, yeah...whatever, babe!

On Sunday, December 10, we boarded a plane and headed for our honeymoon to New York City, New York. It was AMAZING!!! We have so many wonderful memories of that trip. I only wish I was boarding a plane TOMORROW morning to head to New York City for a week!!!

So, here we are 10 years and 3 kiddos later. I am so proud of us and the life we've made. I love my husband more today than I did 10 years ago and I am so thankful that he chose me to walk beside in this world. Our kids are the joy of our hearts and we are so thankful to God for allowing us to be parents. So...here's to 10 years of wedded bliss and at least 50 more!

I love you Bryan Alan Beaver!

9 Months!!!

2010-11-09T20:46:00.007-06:00

Our little beauty is 9 months old!!!

Here is what she's up to...

Weight: 18lbs. 12oz. (51st percentile)

Length: 30" (above 95th percentile)

Diaper size: 3

Clothes: 9 - 12 month

Shoes: size 3 and she is getting better about wearing them!!!

Feeding: 4 bottles per day (3 - 5oz & 1 - 6oz); oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, veggie and fruit for lunch, and veggie and some "big people food" for dinner. She had a grilled cheese sandwich for the first time and LOVED it :0) She is also eating Cheerios and Gerber Puffs, which she loves.

Teeth: 5 (bottom center and another to the left of the bottom center two, then her top "I" teeth, I think is what they are referred to. We call them her fangs.

Moving: Standing and walking around anything is her most favorite position. She still "army crawls" to get across the room, not on her knees with belly off the floor. Here's a pic of her doing what she shouldn't but always goes for...the cable box!

Speaking: Da-da-da is the "word" most used, for sure. Every now and then I'll hear a "ma-ma-ma" or a "na-na-na-na".

One of my favorite features on Lexi is her eyes. Those baby blues melt my heart. See for yourself...

Now if we could just get some HAIR! I'm still holding out for blond!!!

Lexi Lee, you are our precious baby girl, our little angel, our little beauty. We are enjoying every moment with you (even the occasional wakings at 3 or 4 in the morning)! We love watching you grow into the precious little girl you are and seeing your little personality unfold. We LOVE you!

And just because it's one of my favorites...

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T20:48:00.011-05:00

Halloween 2010

Lexi...our little beaver (or beav-ette)

Isaiah...IronMan
Sam...Wolverine

Lexi's little costume was Sam's first Halloween costume back in 2006. Now, Sam was 2 months younger on Halloween 2006 so, the costume was almost too short for miss Lexi! We managed to get a pic and then stripped her down to her "My First Boo" onesie, which is what she wore to a local Fall Festival we attended on Saturday night.

Fun at the Fall Festival...

Guess who Lexi gave her FIRST kisses too...

Her Papa!!!

Nana & Papa brought a kit to make our pumpkin into a skeleton. Here are Papa and the boys "fixing" him up...

And here are the kiddos with the finished product...

Happy Halloween!!!

8 months

2010-10-05T13:22:00.004-05:00

Lexi Lee - 8 months old

I know, I know, it's been about 4 months since I've posted Lexi's stats! There are many reasons why but I won't bore you with all of them. Instead I'll just say that I will TRY harder to update more regularly. Anyhow, here is what Lexi Lee is up to in this, her 8th month of life...

~ Sleeping very well...at night from 8pm until 7 or 7:30am and two naps per day, both being about 1 1/2 to 2 hours each

~ Eating 3 "meals" per day...breakfast is oatmeal with fruit; lunch is 1/2 veggie and 1/2 fruit; dinner is a mixed meal (apples & chicken; sweet potatoes & turkey, etc)

~ Drinking 4 bottles per day...three 5 oz bottles and one 7 oz bottle at bedtime

~ Wearing a size 3 diaper

~ Wearing size 9 month clothing (12 month pj's)

~ Lexi does not like to wear shoes but this will HAVE to change as cooler weather is coming!

~ Lexi is...

Yep...pulling up to any and everything! She is also crawling (scooting) but prefers to walk around the couch and LOVES to stand.

~ Waves (cutest thing EVER)

Lexi is the sweetest, happiest baby and we love her so very, very much!!!

1st Grade

2010-08-27T16:58:00.004-05:00

It's so hard to believe I now have a 1st grader!

Here is Isaiah on his first day of 1st grade...

Here he is standing by the school mascot statue...a Rhino (a.k.a. Rockin Rhino)

This is not the school Isaiah attended kindergarten at. If you remember my previous post, we moved! We are now in Katy ISD and have heard only wonderful things about it, so we decided to give it a try this year. Isaiah was out of town when I registered him for school. I called him to let him know he was officially a Rylander Rhino and his response was, "a RHINO"? He was a cougar last year and that sounded a little better than a rhino, I guess. We met his teacher the Wednesday before school started and she is very nice. Isaiah said, after now having completed a whole week of school, that he really likes Ms. Kenny. We are looking forward to a GREAT year.

Another change this school year...

Yep! Isaiah is riding the bus (that's him going up the steps). I was very hesitant about this but pulled myself together and decided to let him give it a try. The bus stops on our corner (only 2 houses down!), so it is VERY convenient. Of course, I dropped him off and picked him up on the first day but he has ridden the bus all the other days this week. He made a new best friend on the bus, who is also in 1st grade but a different class. By the way, this particular school Isaiah is attending has TEN 1st grade classes!!! Quite the difference as his school last year has only TWO! Anyway, he told me yesterday that his friend upset him. I asked why and he said, "because he promised to sit in the middle with me and he went all the way to the back". If only all of life's disappointments were this small! They must have resolved their "issues" because they were sitting together again today :0).

We're off to a great start this school year and we look forward to all it has in store!

And just so this post is not ALL about Isaiah...

Waiting for Big Bubba to get off the school bus!

Catch Up

2010-07-20T20:55:00.005-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since my last post, which was a video of Lexi rolling over. She is way beyond this now! Matter of fact, she is a month older, has a tooth, is eating baby food twice a day, rolls over, is on the verge of sitting up unassisted, etc, etc, etc. I'll write more about Lexi in a couple of weeks when she has had her 6 month check-up. Yes, I said 6 months!!! I know, I can hardly believe it either.

Meanwhile, here's what we've been up to:

We have a new house...

This pic was taken on my iPhone so it's not the best quality.
I love our new house. It's 4 bedroom, so all the kiddos have their own rooms.
There is also a huge play room upstairs which serves as play room/office for us.
It's a brand new home, which for those that know me, I'm all about "new"!

Now, there is a reason we moved. July 11, 2010 was the last Sunday at Faith Community Church, the church Bryan has been pastoring for the past two and a half years. Several months ago, we as a church body decided to plant a new church, in a different location. We are now meeting in a junior high school, southwest of where FCC is located. Now, we lived a fair piece north of where FCC is located, so we definitely were not closer to our new meeting place. We needed to be closer to our new location...hence the move. By the way, our new church name is Mission Church and you can check out our website at: missionchurchhouston.com if you'd like. We are very excited about it!!!

Back to the move...
Two days after we moved to the new place, my parents came to visit for their vacation. They also brought Isaiah home, who had been in Lubbock for 3 weeks visiting. So, Isaiah came "home" to a new house. He was very excited to see his new room but had no idea which one was his. He asked, "Sam, can you show bubba where my new room is?" Sam was more than happy to oblige. I am proud to say that we were ready for our company. We worked like crazy not to have boxes everywhere when Dad and Mom came. We did save a few things for Dad to do...hang the living room ceiling fan, pictures, towel racks, etc. My Dad, like me, is super anal about things being hung straight, so for he and I to do these things together (sans the ceiling fan - he was on his own there) was the perfect way to get it done right! Sunday was July 4th, so we went to church, then to a party held by one of our church family's, then to watch some fireworks. Having moved, we had no idea where to go to see fireworks. Turns out, we got lucky and saw some of the best ones we've seen in a long time, right down the street!!! AND, we had a front row view from our car!!! Here's the only pic "I" managed to get on the 4th...

Again, this was taken on my iPhone, so it's not the best quality. BUT, still an adorable pic!
(I'm waiting on my Dad to send me the rest of the pics from their vacation.)

Three days after the arrival of my parents, my brother, his wife and four of their kids came to town. They were on their way to Galveston for their vacation and stayed a couple of nights with us before heading down to the beach. Let me just say that Case De Beaver was filled to capacity for a few nights! It was so nice though, to have my whole family (well, minus one niece) under my roof for the first time ever. Mom, Dad, Isaiah, Sam and I went to NASA with my brother and his family and had a great time. Then, a couple days later the five of us drove down to Galveston to meet my bro and fam again and spend some time on the beach. It was a beautiful day and everyone except Isaiah, Sam and my Mom successfully managed to get scorched by the sun! My pour Dad was in so much pain the next day! Then, Sunday rolled around (all be it, too quickly) and back to Lubbock Mom and Dad went.

So, it's been close to 2 weeks and I think we are finally past our "Papa and Nana withdrawals". Now we are enjoying our new house, new neighborhood and most importantly our neighborhood pool! Although, currently Isaiah is suffering from a pretty bad case of Swimmers Ear so we aren't swimming this week.

Summer...it's a wonderful time of year!!!

Look what I can do...

2010-06-21T07:51:00.006-05:00

4 Months

2010-06-18T10:05:00.003-05:00

Ok, so 4 and a half months really!

Here's what you're up to Lexi Lee...

Weight: 14lbs. 8oz.

Length: 27in.

Diaper Size: 2

Clothes Size: 3-6 month

You are drinking 5oz. of formula every 3-4 hours AND you've started eating rice cereal. You started with one feeding at bedtime and now are having another serving of cereal with your second feeding of the morning. You really like the cereal. Soon we'll try oatmeal (which was and still is a favorite of your brothers).

You went through a rough spell with your sleeping right when you turned 4 months old, waking up once (sometimes twice) during the night. But, I'm happy to report that you are back to your old ways and are sleeping soundly throughout the night!

One thing we realized about your sleeping is that you are a back sleeper. When you started breaking out of your swaddle, we began putting you down on your tummy to sleep. This also was the position your brothers liked best. You did good for a short time but then you began waking during the night. One night I put you down on your tummy and you weren't having it. I was going to get you up, so I rolled you over and when I did, you immediately fell asleep (on your back) and slept the entire night. So, I guess you were trying to tell me something and I finally caught on!

Your napping is a different story! You are not a daytime sleeper (neither is Mommy)! You take little catnaps of 30-45 minutes mostly. Occasionally, you will take an awesome nap (2+ hours) but these are not regular. I think you are beginning to nap a little better now that you are having cereal in the morning. We'll see!

You actually like being on your tummy for longer than a minute now. You'll now play on your tummy for about 5 minutes without getting upset! You've rolled from your tummy to your back a couple of times on accident. You are almost rolling from your back to your tummy too.

You've found your feet and LOVE to put them in your mouth! It is so cute!

You had your first road trip earlier this month. Daddy had to go out of town for a church meeting and Nana flew down to H-town to help Mommy with you and your brothers. Then, you, Mommy, Nana, Isaiah and Sam all drove to Lubbock. You did AMAZING on the 9 hour car trip. You slept, woke to eat, played a little and then went back to sleep. After arriving in Lubbock, you had a rough couple of days. You were in a new place, seeing new faces and sleeping in a different room. After a lot of "trial and error" we finally got you happy and the rest of the trip was a huge success. Your Great-Grandparents (a.k.a. Pops and Mems), your Aunt Susan and Uncle David, and your Aunt Pat all drove to Lubbock from Oklahoma to meet you (and see the rest of us too). You loved all the attention and gave out A LOT of smiles. They were all smitten with you. After 9 days in Lubbock, we headed back home. Daddy had flown to Lubbock to spend the week there after his meeting, so he was with us on the ride home. You were just as good on the ride home, as the ride up to Lubbock. We were SO proud of you!

So, we're back home and you are on your way to being 5 months old! Time is just starting to fly by and we are enjoying every moment of it! We love you precious little angel girl!!!

Mr. Math

2010-05-27T22:05:00.002-05:00

Isaiah had his Kindergarten Awards Ceremony this week at school. He was given the "Math" award by his teacher, Mrs. Beane.

(he had his final baseball game of the season the same night, hence the uniform)

Close up...

Isaiah LOVES math, so I was not surprised that he was chosen to receive this award. We have a little "game" we play where I say to Isaiah, "Okay, you are 23 years old so how old is Lexi?" Then, I'll turn the question around or use his and Sam's ages. It's really fun to "watch" his little mind working it all out. He has excelled in just about every area of school this year. He is reading quite well and has greatly improved his writing and coloring. I still can hardly believe he will be a FIRST grader in a few short days!!!

Isaiah, Mommy and Daddy love you and are so very proud of you!

3 Months...Really?

2010-05-02T14:53:00.005-05:00

Lexi Lee time is going by too fast. You are already 3 months old! What a delight you are precious girl. Daddy said just the other day, "She gets cuter every day!" I couldn't agree more. Here are a few of your stats:

~You are eating 4 or 5 oz. every 3 hours.

~You are still sleeping very well at night, sleeping 8 to 10 hours. You are doing much better napping in your crib during the day. You still love to be swaddled to sleep, so much so that our cousin, Becca, made us an adorable, big "swaddling" blanket. Thanks Becca!

~You are wearing size 1 diapers but I think we'll be up to size 2 pretty soon!

~You are wearing size 3-6 mo. clothes. Some are a little big but you are a long little gal!

~You are continuing to smile, coo and every now and then we think we hear a little laugh. Daddy can't wait for you to laugh out loud!

~You love your play mat and have learned that "batting" at the sunshine face, hanging from the middle, makes fun noises come out!

~You still are NOT a fan of tummy-time. However, you are very good at holding your head up when on someone's shoulder or sitting (assisted) in someone's lap.

Daddy, Mommy, Bubba and Sam love you so very, very much. We can't wait to see what you're up to next month!!!

"I'm Sam and I'm 4 now!"

2010-04-27T13:14:00.004-05:00

Samuel Bryan Beaver turned 4 years old on April 17, 2010. For this mommy, this is incredibly hard to believe! Time has flown by and we are thoroughly enjoying the ride. I vividly remember my 20 week ultrasound when I was told that Beaver baby #2 was a "boy"! I remember saying, "Really?" The thought of having 2 boys never crossed my mind. (I also remember looking at Bryan and saying, "You know that means we'll have to have another one.") Growing up, I always thought I'd have a boy and a girl and be done. I'm SO glad God had other plans for me (us). What an enormous blessing Samuel is. He is the typical second child. He is very outgoing, has high energy and is quite stubborn at times. However, he is also very loving. I could stare into those big, beautiful eyes for hours! I love that Bryan or I cannot leave the house without a hug and kiss from Samuel. I love that the first thing Samuel wants in the morning is a hug and a "Good Morning" from Mommy. I love that Samuel thinks his big brother hung the moon and wants to do everything he does. I love to hear Isaiah and Samuel playing games together and giving each other hugs and high-fives when one of them does a "great job"! So, was I surprised to be told, 4 1/2 years ago, that I'd be having another boy? Yes. How do I feel about that today? Words cannot describe the joy that Samuel brings to my (our) life!

We love you Sam-Sam!!! Happy 4th Birthday!!!

2 Months

2010-04-15T20:55:00.002-05:00

Our baby girl is 2 months old!!! I am a little late in getting this post out but we've been quite busy around the Beaver household. Lexi is absolutely wonderful. She had her 2 month check-up this past Tuesday (also a little late). She weighs 11 lbs. 12 oz. and is 23 3/4 in. long. Her doctor said, "Lexi, are you trying to catch up to your brothers?" She couldn't believe how fast she is growing. Lexi is eating 4-5 oz. of formula every 3 hours. She is sleeping not only "through" the night but 10-11 hours a night!!! The downside is that she does not sleep much during the day. This makes is hard for Mommy to get things done! She is smiling and "talking" a lot and we all LOVE this. One of my most favorite things to do is to lay her in my lap and we just have fun talking and smiling at each other. Lexi is still not a fan of tummy time but we try to do it daily. All in all, we are doing great. What a blessing this little girl is!!!

Spring Break

2010-03-23T16:58:00.007-05:00

For Spring Break, Isaiah and Samuel had the pleasure of going to Lubbock to spend time with their grandparents. Bryan met his mom in Dublin (1/2 way between Houston and Lubbock) on the Friday before Spring Break to "drop-off" the boys. From there, the boys and Ma-maw went to Wichita Falls to see their great-grands and made it to Lubbock on Sunday evening. Bryan and I really enjoyed our time with one child but we did miss our boys!!!

Lexi made her first plane trip on St. Patrick's Day and was dressed in honor of the day.

Everyone thought she was adorable and I of course agreed! She did AMAZING!!! Our flight left Hobby Airport (this will be an important piece of information later in this blog post) at noon and we arrived in Lubbock at 2:30. Because we flew on Southwest Airlines, we had to stop in Dallas but did not have to change planes (thank goodness). Lexi fell asleep just before we took off in Houston and NEVER woke up, not even when we stopped in Dallas. I even had to get up to let the people sitting beside us get off the plane, wait for the crew to get a head count of those remaining on the flight to Lubbock and then change seats (so I could be closer to the front) and she NEVER woke up. I was wishing at one point that she would wake up because the lady who sat beside me from Dallas to Lubbock (bless her heart) did not stop talking from the moment she sat down - REALLY!!! I bet I said, maybe 5 words the whole time! I was very glad to get off that plane!!! Nana was anxiously awaiting our arrival and we were so glad to see her.

The next 2 1/2 days were spent introducing Lexi to some very special family and friends. Uncle Rob (my brother), Big Zach and Hannah were waiting at my parents house before we even got there. Uncle Rob is completely smitten with Lexi and loved holding her! Thursday, the boys, Lexi and I went to Melisse's house to introduce Lexi and to let all the boys play together. Melisse is a very special friend and has two adorable boys, Cayden (4) and Cole (3). We enjoyed our visit and the boys very much enjoyed their play time. Thursday evening, I was fortunate enough to get to go out to dinner with 2 very dear friends from high school. We met at my parents house so the girls could meet Lexi and then headed to one of the best Mexican restaurants ever - Lujan's. We had a great time catching up and I miss these gals SO much. Friday was my Dad's 60th birthday and we went out to dinner that evening with my brother and some of his family to celebrate.

Saturday, we woke up to SNOW on the first day of Spring AND the day we were to go back to Houston!!! Our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:25pm. I had been checking the status all morning as we were preparing to leave. When I first checked it was 30 minutes delayed, then 1 hour delayed, then an hour and a half delayed...all before we ever even got to the airport. Even though the website showed the flight to be delayed, they tell you to arrive at the airport as if your flight was not delayed, so we arrived at 12:30. I asked if there were any passengers on standby that I could offer our seats to because we did not have to get back on Saturday. There were not. So, we waited..and waited..and waited. Luckily, the Lubbock Airport is not very big and there is a "waiting area" by where you check-in for flights. My parents waited with us to spend a little more time with the kiddos and I was SO glad they did. Our flight FINALLY left Lubbock at 4:00pm!!! Let me just tell you that I have the most amazing kids EVER! Isaiah and Samuel could not have been better. They both helped me a lot and were such big boys. Lexi was an angel as well. I fed Lexi just before we boarded the plane and again, she slept the entire way home. I had come armed with the boys PSP's and that was a smart move on my part. The flight was uneventful and went very smooth.

Remember earlier in this post I told you that we left from "Hobby Airport" and that this would be "an important piece of information later in this post"? Well, here it is...

The kiddos and I got off the plane and headed for the baggage claim area to meet Daddy. We were all watching for him and were very anxious to see him! We got down to the baggage claim area and did not see Bryan anywhere. I called him and he said he was down there but was not seeing us anywhere. I told him we were down in the Continental baggage claim area and he said, "Continental"? I said, "Bryan Beaver, don't tell me you are at Hobby Airport"! He was. He had totally forgotten that when we booked these flights, we flew out of Hobby Airport but flew back to Intercontinental Airport! These airports are roughly 45 minutes apart, without traffic! He said he would get there as fast as he could and he did. Did I mention that I have the best kids ever? My sweet little darlings just sat in the baggage claim area for 45 minutes, playing their PSP's and being so good. Lexi had a bottle and went right back to sleep. Bryan arrived in what didn't seem like very long, considering we had been "waiting" a lot that day!!! I will be honest, I was MAD at him initially but couldn't stay that way long. It was an honest mistake and he felt bad enough as it was! We finally made it home and were all ready for a good nights sleep in our own beds!!!

I'm so thankful that the Lord kept us safe in our travels and allowed us some wonderful time with family and friends!

2010-03-11T07:37:00.002-06:00

Lexi had her one month check-up on Tuesday. She is (in the doctor's words) "perfect". Of course I agree!

Here are the stats:

Weight: 10 lbs
Length: 23 in

Eats 3-4 ounces every 3-4 hours

Sleeps very well

Loves her cradle swing

Not really a fan of tummy time yet

When she is in her car seat/carrier she wants to be moving not sitting still

Loves for her brothers to talk to her

Is beginning to smile at us

Now for a couple of photos...

Lexi, you are doing so well and we are constantly amazed at how precious you are! We love you and are so glad God brought you into our lives.

Now, on to month number 2...

Cowboy Up!

2010-03-08T11:30:00.004-06:00

Both of the boys had "Western Day" at their school's recently. Isaiah LOVES to wear boots, western belt and hat so he was very excited about this particular day. Before he walked out the door for school he decided to wear his Sheriff badge. He said his best friend, Luke, also wore a Sheriff badge and that all their classmates called them "The Sheriff Brothers". Their teacher made chili and cornbread for their class to eat. Isaiah did not eat the chili (no surprise there) but actually tried the cornbread (which he won't do at home). I asked him if it was good and he said yes. I said, "See what you've been missing by not eating cornbread?" His response? "Mrs. Beane's cornbread was really good, not like the kind you make." Thanks buddy. Sam had a fun day too. Sam was excited to dress up but when I picked him up that day, his teacher told me the first thing he did when he got through the door was take his hat, bandanna, and vest off. He wanted to take his boots off too because, "they are my Bubba's boots and they hurt my feet!" His teacher managed to talk him into leaving them on. He also had "cowboy grub" at his school - hot dogs. So, "Western Day 2010" was a success.

Here are my little cowboys:

Isaiah "Toothless" Beaver
(his teeth are falling out left and right - has lost 6 so far and has another loose one)

Sam "Wild Man" Beaver (not kidding about the "wild man" part)

YEE-HAW!!!

One Month Old

2010-03-01T12:22:00.003-06:00

Our angel girl is one month old!

Lexi is doing absolutely wonderful. She is the best little baby EVER! She is very quiet, reserved and laid-back (which is WONDERFUL since we have 2 wild boys)! She is a wonderful addition to our family and we couldn't love her more!

They Crack Us Up...

2010-02-27T08:00:00.003-06:00

well, most of the time anyway!

I just want to share a couple of things my two boys have said in the last couple of days that had us in stitches.

~SAMUEL~

Bryan and Samuel went to a book store yesterday to look for a Hank The Cowdog book. Bryan has been reading this to the boys each night at bedtime but he only has 2 books from the series. So, he and Samuel got in the book store and Samuel was walking along side his daddy saying, "Books, books, books" (rolling his eyes, as he was looking for toys). They came to an isle that had toys and Samuel (looking at Bryan and pointing at the toys) said, "Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about"!

~ISAIAH~

The boys are always asking us to "raise your hand if..." kinds of questions. So yesterday, on the way home from school this is what Isaiah asked...
"Raise your hand if you like Spongebob." (I raised my hand)
"Raise your hand if you love Spongebob." (I did not raise my hand)
"Raise your hand if you like Spongebob to entertain your kids so that you can do something by yourself." (CRACKING UP, I raised my hand high)

I hope you all enjoyed these kid-isms as much as we have!

Proud Big Brother...

2010-02-16T10:56:00.002-06:00

Today was my first time to take Sam to school since Lexi was born. Sam was SO excited to know that Lexi was going with us to take him to school! It was somewhat of a chore to get myself, Sam and Lexi ready but we made it without any problems! When we got to the church, Sam was adamant that I not carry Lexi in her carrier, but rather HE wanted to push her in the stroller. So, I agreed and off we went to his class. Everyone he saw (that he knows) he would say, "Hey, my baby was born! Here she is, look at her! This is my sister, Lexi!" He is SO proud of his new little sister and wants EVERYONE to know. I love it!

Another thing Sam is adamant about... Sam does not want to be referred to as "Bubba" to Lexi. To Sam, "Bubba" is Isaiah because that's what Sam calls him. The first time I referred to Sam as Bubba to Lexi, he told me, "I'm not Bubba, I'm Sam!" I told him that he was Lexi's Bubba too. He said, "But, I don't want her to call me Bubba. I want her to call me Sam." I've made the mistake a few times since then and called him Bubba to Lexi. He will either say, "Ugh Mom, you called me Bubba," or he will just cock his head and give me the "stare" until I correct myself! Sam knows what he wants and has no problem telling you about it! I love this kiddo!

This picture was taken the day after Lexi was born and is (and always will be) one of my most favorite photos!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T11:43:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I hope you all enjoy spending the day with the ones you love!

Our Princess is here...

2010-02-02T20:31:00.002-06:00

Everyone, meet the newest member of the Beaver Family, Lexi Lee Beaver. She was born Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 10:13pm. She weighed 7lbs. 8oz. and was 19 1/2 in. long.

Here's the story of how she came into this world...

Sunday started like any normal Sunday. We went to church, had lunch, and came home to have a relaxing afternoon. Everyone at church that morning was asking how I was feeling, how much longer I had, etc. One young girl asked, "Misti, when is your baby going to come?" I said, "I hope today!"

After lunch with some friends, we headed home. I stopped by Michael's in hopes of finding some supplies to make the boys "Big Brother T-shirts" but had no luck. I thought to myself, "Oh well, I'll just go to Hobby Lobby tomorrow." That didn't happen! We had been home for a little while and I decided to go ahead and prepare the boys Valentine's things for their parties next week, so I would have this all done when the baby came and wouldn't have to worry with it. Isaiah helped with his and I prepared Sam's while he watched a movie upstairs. Bryan was at the kitchen table working on our taxes. We completed the Valentine's and I went into the kitchen to put them away while Isaiah headed upstairs to join his brother (by this time both boys had changed into dress up clothes - Isaiah was Storm Shadow and Sam was Spiderman). I was standing in the kitchen, having a conversation with Bryan while straightening up things when I felt a "gush" and COULD NOT STOP IT!!! I said, "Um, Bryan..." He turned to see me standing in an awkward position and unable to move and said, "Yeah?" I said, "My water just broke!" Bryan jumped up and said, "What do you need?" I said, "A towel would be great!" He ran upstairs, telling the boys to change their clothes and that we were going to the hospital for Mommy to have Lexi! For some reason Bryan had been in some sort of denial and hadn't yet prepared a bag for himself. However, Mommy had her things (Lexi's too) and both boys packed and ready at a moments notice. It didn't take Daddy long to catch up though. After I cleaned myself up, best I could, we hopped in the car and headed out. We had arranged for the boys to go to a couple from our church's house in case "this" happened and neither of our parents were here yet. We dropped off the boys and headed to the hospital. We arrived and got all situated. I was checked and was at 3cm and the baby was low. Potocin was started about 7:30 as my contractions were still far apart and was at 4cm by this time. At 8:30 I decided to go ahead with an epidural because the contractions were getting stronger, closer together and the doctor was available to give it to me at that time. At 9:00pm I was completely numb on my right side and very comfortable over there BUT, my left side was a different story! I could still feel EVERYTHING on my left side. The doctor came back in, turned me over to my left side and topped off my epidural (hoping it would all go to the left side). He told me this could take up to 15 minutes to "kick in", that he would come back in 15 minutes and check on me, and that if it hadn't helped he would have to re-do the epidural. He walked out of the room and I felt a very strong contraction, felt Lexi drop down and said, "She's coming out!" The nurse checked me (while still on my side hoping for the epidural to kick in) and said, "You're fully dilated and she is RIGHT there!" It took a few minutes and several more painful contractions before the nurses and doctor got everything prepared for the birth. My legs were placed into the stirrups, handles were raised for me to hold on to while I pushed, and the nurse told me to push with the next contraction. I pushed once, twice and her head was out. I pushed once more and she was born!!! It was SO fast and I was SO thankful!!! My parents left Lubbock about 30 minutes after I called to let them know my water broke and arrived at the hospital at 1:30am!!! My precious mom stayed both nights in the hospital with me and her new granddaughter. Bryan and my dad brought the boys up to meet their sister on Monday morning. Isaiah is completely smitten with her and does not want to be away from her for one moment. Samuel was happy to see her but then was more impressed with my hospital room and what all he could get into while he was there!

Our stay in the hospital was wonderful and my healing process is going very well. Lexi is AMAZING. She simply does not cry (yet!) and is just a pleasant princess!!! She is eating 2oz. every 3 1/2 to 4 hours and sleeping in between. We are glad to be home and all back under the same roof as a new family of 5! My parents are here for this entire week (PRAISE THE LORD) and Bryan's parents are coming to stay next week. I am SO thankful for our wonderful families and their willingness and ability to come help us out as we all adjust to our new lives!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and warm wishes. We are all in love with our new daughter, sister and granddaughter!!!

Welcome to the world Lexi Lee!

38 Week Appointment...

2010-01-28T16:56:00.003-06:00

Today was my weekly doctor's appointment. I was SO hoping I had progressed "some"! Earlier in the week I had a lot of menstrual-type cramping and my tummy would get "hard as a rock" at times. I told Bryan last night that I was going to be a little disappointed if I hadn't progressed at all BUT that I wouldn't be too upset because if nothing else, I have only 11 days until Lexi will be born. So, back to the doctor's appointment. I have progressed to 3cm (from 2cm last week) and she has "dropped" a bit more since last week's appointment too! Yea for progress!!! Secretly I was hoping to be at 4cm and for the doctor to say, "Go on over to labor and delivery and get checked in." No such luck! I had my bags with me so I was ready! And, I'll be ready when the time comes. Another thing the doctor said was that she thinks Lexi will weigh about 8 1/2 lbs. That would exactly split the difference between Isaiah and Samuel! I hope she's right! I'm scheduled to go back to the doctor next Tuesday (2/2) but the doctor told me she wouldn't be surprised if I didn't make it until then! As I was checking out and scheduling my next appointment, the receptionist said, "Do you think you're gonna make it to your next appointment?" I said, "I hope not!" She said, "I don't think you will!" I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Patience...

2010-01-26T16:53:00.002-06:00

Waiting has never been easy for me. And, now that I'm 9 months pregnant it's even harder. However, something happened almost a week ago that put things in perspective for me. We have some friends who were pregnant with their first kiddos - twins. Last Thursday, at 29 weeks pregnant, the mother gave birth to these babies. The girl weighed 1 lb. 12 oz. and the boy weighed 1 lb. 10 oz. They are in NICU at a local hospital and are doing very well considering their premature births. Bryan and I were able to go into the NICU (with the parents) to see the twins. They are SO tiny. Their feet are approximately the size of the tip of your thumb, and your hand would almost cover their entire body if placed over them! As I stood there looking at them, I thought how amazing the technology is that is helping them survive at this early of stage in their lives. What I was more amazed by is the fact that all this technology needed outside the womb is provided naturally inside the womb by the mother. Equally amazing is the amount of growth that happens inside the womb from 29 to 39/40 weeks of pregnancy. At 29 weeks, these babies weighed in at just over 1 lb. At 39 weeks a normal baby weighs 7 lbs or more (more in the case of my two) - only a 10 week span. What a miracle pregnancy truly is!

So, when I am feeling like I can't wait another day for the arrival of my little girl and how big I feel or tired of being pregnant I am , I am reminded of how fortunate I am to still be carrying her and providing for her inside of me! I am happy to wait the 13 days (or less) I have left in my pregnancy to welcome a healthy baby girl into the world!!!

In case you're wondering, the twins prognosis is good. They will have set backs and advances in the days to come, but we are all very hopeful for a wonderful life for them and their sweet parents. Please keep them in your prayers!

37 Week Appointment

2010-01-21T12:31:00.004-06:00

I had my weekly doctor visit today and am 37 weeks pregnant (well tomorrow, technically). Anyhow, here is what my doctor had to say...

As she was measuring my belly...
Doctor: "She has dropped considerably! Look how much room you have up here (pushing softly at the top of my abdomen). How tall are you?"

Me: "5'9""

Doctor: "And, how big was your largest baby?"

Me: "9 lbs."

Doctor: (feeling my belly top and bottom and squeezing the sides) "Well, unless you're hiding her really well, she won't be over 9 lbs."

Me: "Great!" (hoping I'm not hiding her very well)

Now on to the internal exam...

Doctor: "You are already 2 cm dilated and very soft; it could be any day now!"

Me: "Really?"

Doctor: "Yes ma'am! So, I'll see you next week if I don't see you sooner!"

Me: "Okay!"

My next appointment is scheduled for next Thursday, January 28. I know that I can stay at 2 or 3 cm dilated for the remaining 2 weeks and few days until the scheduled induction. But, I also know that I could go into labor tonight! I guess I should get my bag packed!!!

So Very Blessed

2010-01-17T19:31:00.003-06:00

Wow! I am overwhelmed by the love and generosity of the people of our church. This afternoon, the ladies of Faith Community Church held a baby shower for our precious baby girl. It was such a great time of fellowship and fun. We had wonderful hors d'oeuvres, fresh fruit and delicious punch. For dessert we had a beautiful, HUGE Italian cream cake that said, "Welcome Baby Girl!" It was delicious and we will be eating on it for quite a while!!! Then, we played a couple of games that were a lot of fun - thanks Kim. Gifts were the final touch. Let me just say that little miss Lexi Lee is already a very blessed little girl. We got clothes, bottles, pacifiers, bibs, diapers, blankets, a play mat, stroller, mattress and the list goes on and on! The Grandmas got the baby bedding and it is ADORABLE!!! My aunt also made Lexi a quilt to match here bedding and it is gorgeous. It was a wonderful afternoon and I am so very grateful for such a wonderful, loving church family.

My parents were able to come in for the weekend but had to go back home today after the shower. I am so thankful that they are able to come so often and share these wonderful times with us. Now I'm home, propping up my swollen ankles and watching the Golden Globe Awards. I'm looking forward to going through and putting away all of the things we received today tomorrow. One thing we did do before my parents had to leave was put the bedding together. My mom really wanted to see it before she left. It is PERFECT! Here's a couple of pics.

Lexi's Crib & Bedding:

Another view:
(the quilt my aunt made is folded there, laying on the sheet - see how well it matches):

The letters I painted (thank you Sarah for making the bows for me):
These are hanging over the changing table.

Everything is coming together and in 22 days (or less) we'll have our little girl to use all this wonderful stuff on!!!

Lexi Lee you are already so loved and incredibly blessed!

36 Week Appointment

2010-01-14T12:13:00.003-06:00

I went in for my 36 week check-up today and everything is great! My blood pressure is excellent and Lexi's heart rate was just over 140 bpm. I was examined and found that I am not dilated at all but am beginning to "soften," and the baby's head is down. YEA!

I was induced with both Isaiah and Samuel so I really feel like I will be induced with Lexi as well. Isaiah was 4 days past his due date when I was induced (due to high blood pressure) and weighed in at 9 lbs. I was induced with Samuel because Isaiah was a large baby and Samuel was suspected to be the same. So, 11 days before Sam's due date I was induced and he weighed in at 8 lbs. My doctor says Lexi will follow suit and be a large baby so she has no problem inducing me, but I have to be at 39 weeks. This is the hospital policy unless it is medically necessary to induce before this time. So, we discussed induction today and I was told that if Lexi does not come before, I will be induced on Monday, February 8, 2010! This shaves 4 whole days off our little countdown we have going!!! Part of me would like to go into labor since I never have before. But, the "planner" part of me wants to be induced so that I can be "prepared" and our families can be here for the big day! I guess we'll just see what GOD has in store!

I now go to the doctor every week for check-ups. I can definitely tell that I am nearing the end of this pregnancy. I feel HUGE and sometimes Lexi's movements take my breath away for a few short seconds. My ankles are starting to swell a little and it's getting tougher to sleep at night because I have to go to the bathroom SO often!!! While all of these things are annoying, they are also very exciting because they mean the end is nearing. I just can hardly believe that in 25 days (or LESS) I'll be holding my daughter in my arms!!!

Hospital Tour

2010-01-11T08:11:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Bryan and I went to the Labor & Delivery Tour at the hospital where we will be having Lexi. The hospital just opened this new area on December 5, 2009. For those of you who don't know, I love just about anything NEW!!! We were very impressed. Everything was so clean and "fresh" looking. We started out in a big conference room with all the other couples that had registered for this tour. There were some interesting couples! There were even two men who came without their wives!? That is just weird to me! I guess at least they cared! I say this because there was one couple that you could tell was VERY obvious the husband (or Daddy at least) DID NOT want to be there and didn't care about any of it! I hope this is no indication as to the type of father he will be but sadly, it probably is. Anyway, the nurse leading the tour asked us all to go around the room and introduce ourselves, tell who our doctor is, and tell our due date. There were about 3 of us due in the next few weeks, about 3 who are due in March, and 2 due in April. There was a young girl there with her husband (who was pushing her in a wheelchair), mother and mother-in-law. When they came in I thought to myself, "I wonder what she is doing at this tour?" because she did not look pregnant at all. When it got to her turn to introduce herself she said, "My name is ______ , my doctor is ______ and I am due in July but they will be here in June; I'm having triplets!" WOW, 3 at once!!! She is about 14-15 weeks pregnant and has been put on bed rest (the reason for the wheelchair). She is a tiny little thing but won't be for long! God bless her! So, after the introductions, the leader went over things that were kind of a "refresher" for Bryan and I and we laughed and reminisced throughout this portion. We then got to tour a labor and delivery room, the nursery and a patient room. All of these were very nice. The patient rooms are all private rooms and have flat screens and DVD players in all rooms. They are large too which is always nice.

Being the "planner" that I am, the tour was good for me. I kept thinking at each stop, "in 4 weeks (or less) I'll be occupying one of these rooms," or "Lexi will be IN this nursery soon!" It won't be long now and I am SO ready!

Christmas & New Year's (sorry, it's a LONG post)

2010-01-03T13:37:00.006-06:00

My computer has been on the fritz so I haven't been able to blog much lately! Bryan is trying to fix it but I'm feeling like we will probably be sending it back for a replacement SOON!!!

Christmas came and went so fast! If you've read previous posts, you know that we were confined to our home this year for Christmas instead of traveling as we usually do. I never really realized how much I enjoy traveling and being "home" for Christmas. It can be hectic traveling to Lubbock, Wichita Falls, and Duncan, Oklahoma but oh how I missed it this year! So, since we were stuck here in H-town, our family came to us. My parents arrived about lunchtime on Christmas Eve and stayed through that Sunday morning. It was VERY special to have them here and for them to see the boys get their presents from Santa. Santa was VERY good to our boys this year! Isaiah got a PSP and Samuel got a Leapster 2. Then, they both received a brand new NBA basketball goal! Santa WAS good but Papa and Nana were better! As they do every year, they went WAY overboard with the presents (but we loved every bit of it)!!! We had A LOT of fun over the next several days, playing with all the toys received! The day after Christmas, my mom and I went shopping for Bryan's and my "main" Christmas gift(s). My parents decided they wanted to buy us the crib and changing table we had picked out for Lexi. I was VERY excited about this and couldn't wait to get them. We brought them home and put my dad to work ASAP assembling them both. They are perfect and I couldn't be happier with them! I'm waiting until the nursery is completed to post pics so be patient!!!

Bryan's parents arrived on the afternoon of New Year's Eve. We went to the grocery store and got some goodies for the evening. We told the boys earlier in the day that they could stay up to see the ball drop in NYC, but didn't really think they could make it! WELL, THEY DID! We all counted down the seconds and then toasted our sparkling white grape juice in plastic wine glasses. Bryan and I kissed, Gil and Donna kissed and Isaiah and Samuel kissed! Oh, the brotherly love! Then we blew our noise makers! Earlier in the day Samuel had a great idea to make "clock cookies" for New Year's Eve. He had gotten this idea from a Max and Ruby episode (a cartoon he loves to watch). So, I gladly did this for him and they turned out really cute, see:

This pic was taken on my iphone so I could send it to my mom. I apologize for the quality! We had a great little "ringing in of the New Year!" Almost immediately after this, we were all ready for bed. Well, our neighbors were just getting started! As I mentioned earlier, we are usually traveling on New Year's and have never experienced our neighbor's excessive "ringing in of the New Year" as we were so lucky to this year! We expected to hear fireworks lingering into the night and were fine with that. What I did not expect however was for the people who live directly behind us (and that we share a back fence with) to have their entire street over to their house to party it up! They had a DJ complete with sound system and all! We could hear every beat and it got annoying REALLY fast! I must've dosed off at some point (don't ask me how) but was rudely awakened at 2:30am to Beyonce's "If You Like It Then You Shoulda Put A Ring On It!" You see, our wonderful back fence neighbors evidently were hot and decided to open their back door some fresh air! WHAT??? I laid there and listened to several more songs and finally told Bryan I could not take it anymore and asked him if we could call the police. He got up and said he would take care of it. He came back a little while later and said he had gone over there!!! He said there were a lot of kids in the front yard (popping fireworks) and he told them to tell whoever was inside to please close the back door because we were trying to sleep. He said they looked at him with a blank stare and never said a word. Well, they must've told "whoever" because the back door was closed and we were back to the thumping of the bass only. All of this didn't completely subside until 4:30am!!! I was not a happy person!!! I am continually amazed at people's lack of respect for others!

New Year's Day was spent doing not much of anything. I did however, take down and put away all of the Christmas decor. Everything always looks bare for a couple of days following the "great take down!" I do like it when everything is back to normal though!

So, that brings us to today. Bryan's parents left this morning before we headed to church. Now we are all relaxing and watching some football. I'll have to say that I am looking forward to NEXT Christmas and being able to travel and spend it like "normal!" AND, looking forward to the arrival of our precious little girl in just over 5 weeks now!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and that you have a WONDERFUL 2010!!!

Anniversary

2009-12-13T14:29:00.005-06:00

Wow! Where does the time go?

Bryan and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary last Wednesday (December 9th). We actually didn't "celebrate" it until Saturday evening since the 9th was on a school night, and smack-dab in the middle of the week. Bryan did however come home on Wednesday with a dozen red roses and a beautiful card. I am a card "freak" and he knew this would make me very happy!!! I got him a card also. Then, Saturday evening we dropped our kiddos off with a wonderful family from our church and headed out on our date. We ate at one of our favorite Italian restaurants and then caught a movie. We had a wonderful time and I LOVE spending time with my hubby!

Every December 8th, my mind wonders back to our wedding rehearsal and then our wedding on December 9th. I VIVIDLY remember every aspect of these two days! I would do our wedding over and over again if I could. It was a beautiful day and I loved every minute of the planning and preparing for it. I've watched our wedding video several times and I still tear up when I see it. My man looked AMAZING in his tuxedo and I felt like a princess (as every bride should)! The wedding went off without a hitch and our honeymoon to New York City was everything we'd hoped it would be!

Words simply cannot express how much I love my husband. We've been through quite a bit in these last 9 years. About 5 months after we married we moved from Lubbock, TX to Houston, TX. Then on to Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; back to Lubbock, TX and now are back in Houston, TX!!! We've had two wonderful boys and are going to welcome our little girl into the world in February of 2010! We've had highs, lows and many "in-betweens." One thing that has NEVER wavered is our love for one another. We have an amazing marriage and in this crazy world we all live in, that's something that is rare. Bryan is my prince, my best friend, my rock; he is my world! I am eternally grateful to be walking through my life with this wonderful man by my side.

It truly is, "A Wonderful Life!"

Here are Bryan and I on our wedding day (after the ceremony, of course)!!!

And, here we are on our honeymoon (our carriage ride in Central Park)!

Showers of Blessings

2009-11-30T18:47:00.012-06:00

Our family had the pleasure of going "home" for a few days for Thanksgiving and some much needed "family time." Oh how we miss our friends and family back in the Hub City!

I have some very dear friends who got together and gave Lexi and I a shower while we were in town. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends who would do this for me and my little girl! Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!!!

Below are just a few of the items we received...

Then, Monday (the 23rd) was my birthday. Bryan, the boys, my parents, and Bryan's parents all took me out to dinner at one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. I'll admit that we have found better Japanese cuisine here in Houston!!! The company was the best part!!! I received a silver "M" necklace and stud earrings from Isaiah (he picked them out himself) and Santa earrings from Sam (he too picked these out himself)!!! Bryan, my parents and his parents all got together and gave me cash. I received enough to get the tennis shoes I've been wanting for a few months AND an iPhone!!! I got my iPhone while we were still in Lubbock because I just couldn't wait!!! Patience is not a virtue God blessed me with!!! My shoes however, I had to order. I knew what they cost and was hoping they would be on sale on Black Friday. I was RIGHT!!! They were $30 off but they didn't have my size (in the color combo I wanted). So, I ordered them (in Lubbock) at this sale price and they came in the mail TODAY!!! I love them!!!

Thursday was Thanksgiving Day and what a wonderful day it was! My brother and his kids and wife came over along with Bryan's parents. We had WAY too much to eat and LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!! As all of the rest of you are I'm sure, I am SO blessed with the family God has allowed me to be a part of (mine AND the one I married into). After lunch, we looked over the sale ads and mapped out where we wanted to go on Black Friday!!!

Friday morning (Black Friday) my mom and I left the house at 6am and headed to Wal-Mart. I actually prayed before we left the house that we would have good shopping luck - WE DID!!! I won't bore you all with the details of our shopping from 6am to 1:30pm but it WAS productive!!! I was able to get all of my shopping for my brother and his family done as we had to leave it all in Lubbock because we won't be going back for Christmas this year. My mom got her shopping done for the boys and sent it home with me to wrap and put under our tree. My parents will be coming in to town on Christmas Eve so we do have that to look forward to!

Saturday morning came WAY TOO QUICKLY and it was time to head back to Houston!!! We left Lubbock at 8am and pulled into our driveway at 4:50pm. It was a WONDERFUL trip and we made some more WONDERFUL memories! Next year there will be one more little Beaver to make memories with!!! We all can't wait!!!

Under 100

2009-11-05T17:54:00.002-06:00

We are now under 100 days until our little girl is "due" to come into this world!!! I am 26 weeks pregnant and feeling every bit of it!!! My back is hurting, I am tired, and my weight keeps creeping up! But, I know what all of this leads to and I will endure it all with a smile for my little girl.

I had a doctor appointment today and all is going well. Lexi is growing just as she should be and my doctor said I am doing "beautifully." I told her I was glad SHE thought so. I told her I had been having some "cramping" and asked if this was just my uterus expanding and she shook her head, "yes." She said my uterus is "cranky" because this is my third pregnancy and it (my uterus) is not very happy about it. I laughed. She also showed me a couple of stretches to do for my back and said I could continue having adjustments with my chiropractor. I have an appointment with him tomorrow and am really hoping to get some relief. I go back on the 30th for the dreaded Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT). I am not looking forward to it OR to not being able to eat anything after midnight the night before!!!

I did get a bit of "bad" news. We were talking about scheduling my next doctor visit and I informed my doctor that I would be out of town for Thanksgiving. She said that would be my last trip and that after 30 weeks I was "grounded." WHAT??? "What about Christmas travel?" I asked. She said my family will have to come to me after that point!!! This was very hard news for me to hear. My family has a tradition at Christmas time. The entire side of my mom's family gets together at my grandparents house in Duncan, Oklahoma to have a big celebration and exchange gifts. We have done this EVERY year since I was born and I have NEVER missed it!!! Bryan even works his vacation time around this event every year!!! It's a big deal. Of course, I understand "why" and so does the family but it's still very hard to believe we won't be there this year! So, I am REALLY going to enjoy my time at "home" this month for Thanksgiving as it will obviously be my last "trip" for quite some time.

So, 13-14 weeks is all we have left of this, our third pregnancy! I am hoping "13" since the doctor seems to think my little girl will be a big one! I am hoping to be induced at 39 weeks unless Lexi has other plans and should decide to come sooner!!! With my history, I don't think this will be the case. My babies seem to like to stay in the "oven" until they are forced to come out! I'll keep you posted.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T14:56:00.004-06:00

Halloween 2009 was a success in the Beaver household. Isaiah and Sam were both Batman however, they are both quick to tell you that Isaiah was the Dark Night Batman and Sam was the "Regular" Batman. They were NOT the same! If you are reading this then you've already seen them in their costumes in the ginormous photo at the beginning of our blog. Aren't they adorable???

My parents were able to come into town for the weekend. We love SO much when Papa and Nana come to visit! We HATE SO MUCH when they have to leave (as they did this morning). When they leave I am left with two unhappy little guys who say several times throughout the days following Papa's and Nana's departure, "Mommy, I really, really miss Nana and Papa!" I always, always have to fight back the tears (sometimes not so successfully).
While Papa and Nana were here, they got to see Isaiah play a flag football game. Let me just say, Isaiah did not disappoint! Some of you will think I'm just a proud Mommy (and I am) but Isaiah REALLY is good at football. He is amazing at throwing and catching. He has a mean spiral and is simply not afraid of the ball. So, this particular game his coaches decided to let the boys try a passing play. Isaiah was the quarterback and he knew who he was to throw it to. There was some confusion on the play as the opposing team thought Isaiah had handed it off to another little guy (because this is what they ALWAYS do). After a few seconds, Isaiah was told to continue the play. The little guy he was SUPPOSED to pass it to was no longer open so Isaiah looked down the field, found an open receiver, threw a perfect pass and the little guy caught it and ran it in for a TOUCHDOWN!!! It was AWESOME!!! Papa was beaming with pride and shouting, "That's my grandson, the quarterback!!!" We had so much fun!!! Isaiah had been looking forward to Papa seeing him play football for over 3 weeks now and he did him proud! He also made a beautiful, long run and scored a touchdown of his own. He is REALLY loving football. What's next...basketball!!!

After the game we went home to rest up for the Halloween festivities. After dinner, we got the boys dressed up and went to an area church for their Fall Festival. It was not unlike most Fall Festivals we've been to in the past and it was VERY well organized. One of the neatest things they had was what they called, "Trick or Treat Alley." We waited in a line that lead us outside to a row of "faux" walls with real doors. The kids could walk to each door, knock, and the door would open and they would say, "Trick or Treat!" The person on the other side of the door (volunteers from the church) were dressed up and would then hand out the candy to the kiddos. It was like they were really going "door to door." We then played a few of the games, got some more candy and then headed home. I let the boys partake in a "few" pieces of candy but they did not go overboard! We'll have candy for quite some time, I'm sure!

Seeing as how half of this post is about football, I CAN'T leave one more thing out...

We were sitting around the table this afternoon having lunch, while watching the Dallas Cowboys game on tv. Isaiah (like his Daddy) LOVES the Cowboys so he was watching the game very closely. The Cowboys had the ball and ran a play. Isaiah said, "Hey Dad, they just ran a flea flicker." Bryan said, "You're absolutely right, Isaiah." I asked what a "flea flicker" was and it was explained to me. Bryan said last week he and Isaiah were watching football and Bryan said to Isaiah, "That was a flea flicker (referring to a play one of the team's had just run)." Isaiah asked what that was and Bryan rewound the play and showed him. So, Isaiah recognized this "flea flicker" play when the Cowboys ran it today! I was amazed. A few minutes later Bryan asked Isaiah what another play was called that the Cowboys had just run? Without missing a beat Isaiah said, "play action." He was correct!!! I love my little sports fanatic!!!

Hope you all had a safe and Happy Halloween too!!!

Isaiah's 6th B-day

2009-10-11T16:15:00.006-05:00

Isaiah turned 6 years old on October 1. I cannot believe he is 6 years old!!! I vividly remember how overwhelmed I was the day he was born. We were living in the Chicago area and my parents and Bryan's parents had come to town for the birth of their grandson. I was due on September 26, 2003 and on September 29, I went to the doctor for a check-up since I had not gone into labor yet. My blood pressure was elevated and my ankles were swollen. My doctor told me to go home and rest and to call later that evening if the swelling had not gone down. So what did I do??? I went shopping! I was GOING to have that baby while my family was in town. Sure enough, about 7 o'clock that evening, my swelling had not gone down (thanks to me), we called the doctor and were instructed to come to the hospital so I could be checked. Bryan and I went to the hospital alone as we REALLY thought we'd be coming back home. I should tell you that the hospital policy at that time was that I could not be induced unless it was medically necessary until I was 2 WEEKS PAST MY DUE DATE!!! Yes, you read that correctly. So, we go to the hospital and after being checked they tell me that since my blood pressure had not gone down any, I was going to be admitted and the induction would start. SUCCESS!!! I had not started the labor process AT ALL so a medication was used to "get me ready" and it would take 12 hours, then pitocin would be started. So 9am the following morning (October 1) my induction officially started. Isaiah was born at 7:28pm that evening. The process was slow but not painful as I had an epidural and it worked wonderfully. Isaiah Alan Beaver weighed 9 lbs. and was 19 inches long. He was perfect! We were a family of 3! Looking back, I was so overwhelmed with becoming a first time mommy. There were so many "unknowns" and I did not know HOW I was going to do it without my mom or Bryan's mom around to help. Bryan's parents had to leave the day after Isaiah was born for work reasons. My parents were able to stay 2 days after we came home from the hospital but then had to go back home too. I was devastated!!! But, due to circumstances beyond our control, Bryan and I moved back home to Lubbock when Isaiah was 10 days old!!! I was ecstatic!!! Those first few months were hectic but manageable because I had my family to help me through them! The bond that Isaiah formed with his grandparents from 10 days old until 4 years old (when we moved to Houston) is priceless!!! I am so thankful for my Isaiah and for the little boy he has grown into. He is SO much like me, it's not even funny. He is very organized. He loves to help me fold laundry and gets frustrated if he doesn't do it perfectly. His clothes HAVE to match. One day his daddy laid him out an outfit to wear and it was a shirt that was predominately navy blue with black shorts (a HUGE fashion faux pas in mommy's book). Isaiah politely told his daddy that he could not wear those shorts with that shirt because navy blue and black DO NOT go together!!! THAT'S MY BOY! He also LOVES sports. As little guy he never played with cars, blocks or anything like that. He only played with balls. He has so many sport outfits I can't even begin to count them. He was able to put one of these outfits to use last spring when he played t-ball for the first time. He loved it and was pretty darn good at it! He is now playing flag football and loves it too. He is growing up WAY TOO fast but we are enjoying EVERY moment of it!

Happy 6th Birthday Isaiah! Mommy and Daddy love you SO much and are SO proud of you!!!

Lexi's Goodies...

2009-10-06T20:55:00.008-05:00

It's been one week since we found out we are having a little girl. What does one do when they find out what gender their baby will be? GO SHOPPING!!!

My parents were in town for a few days last week (my dad for business and my mom for pleasure) and I was able to spend most of the day Thursday shopping with my mom. We had SO much fun. I LOVE shopping with my mom. We made a few purchases for Lexi but there were so many more things we WANTED to buy!!! I've attached some pics of our purchases below!

Then today, Bryan and I spent the day together looking around at baby stuff. We looked at furniture and baby gear. We found several things we really liked but only walked out with one thing...a precious onesie. I've attached a pic of this below too!

What fun I (we are all) having shopping for our little girl!!! Now we just have to wait 4 months to see it all ON her!!!

Here are our "Lexi Purchases"...

Lexi's homecoming outfit...

A closer view of the top...

First bib...

The onesie purchased today...

Closer view...

Another onesie (Nana bought this one on her own)...

The baby book...

Closer view of graphic on baby book...

Diaper bag...

Pink scripture cross...

Letters for the wall in her room (I'll paint them when we get the bedding in)...

YEP...

2009-09-29T16:29:00.002-05:00

We found out today that baby Beaver #3 is a little GIRL!!!

To say I am excited would be a HUGE understatement!!! I was SO excited and nervous about my appointment today. From the beginning of this pregnancy, I have "felt" I was having a little girl. But, as today's date neared I began to wonder if I really "felt" the baby was a girl, or just WANTED a little girl so badly that I had made myself believe that is what I was having. Bryan thought it was a boy. So, going into the appointment today, I knew one of us would be surprised - I was glad it was BRYAN, not me!!! Isaiah went with us to the appointment today. This was not our plan but we had to pick him up early from school yesterday due to him running a fever. So, we kept him home today, just to keep an eye on him (he's fine and not running any fever today).

Here's how the visit went...

We were called back to the ultrasound room by the ultrasound tech. Since Isaiah was with us she knew I'd had one child and she asked if this was my second pregnancy. I told her that it was my third and we had another little boy. She asked what we thought this baby was going to be and Bryan and Isaiah pipped up, "Boy!" Before I could answer she said, "Well, the odds of that are very good considering you already have 2 of them!" I thought to myself, "Don't tell me that!" So, the ultrasound begins. Isaiah immediately asks, "So, what is it?" The tech explains that it might take a few minutes to determine because sometimes the baby doesn't cooperate. The baby DIDN'T cooperate at first. The baby did NOT want to open it's legs!!! So, the tech began looking at other things like the spine, head, heart, etc. Finally, she went back to try to determine what this little one might be. She looked right at me and in a soft voice said, "It's a girl!" I said, "Are you serious?" She said, "It's DEFINITELY a girl!" I screamed inside so as to keep my composure while still in the doctor's office!!! I turned to Bryan and he has a huge grin on his face and said, "Oh my gosh. I can't believe it!" What was Isaiah's response? He looked at the tech and said, "How do YOU know it's a girl?" I quickly butted in and explained to Isaiah that the tech had gone to school for a long time to know how to do this and she knew EXACTLY what to look for! He was satisfied with that answer. He is VERY happy to be getting a little sister!!! We got quite a few pics and when I have a chance I'll scan them and put them up on here for y'all to see! At the end of the appointment with the tech she asked me if I had big babies. I told her that Isaiah was a 9 pounder and Samuel was an 8 pounder (and he was a week and a half early). She said, "Well, this one is no different; she's a big baby!" I then had to see my doctor so she could measure me and go over the ultrasound pics and info. First thing she did was look at the ultrasound pics and said, "Wow, this is a big baby girl!" So, apparently she is thriving inside of me! I'm totally fine with that and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE bigger babies. I asked about induction and the hospital policy. My doctor informed me that I could not be induced prior to 39 weeks but that at that point if I wanted to be induced I could be. I was induced with both Isaiah and Samuel so I know what to expect with that. We'll just have to wait and see.

It was now time to call the grands!!! I called my mom first and we put the phone on speaker so we could all hear her reaction. Isaiah said, "Nana, Mommy's having a girl!" My mom was/is ecstatic!!! We then called Papa (the same way) and he too was beside himself happy! Bryan called his parents and let Isaiah tell them the news. Grandpa answered and Isaiah said, "Grandpa, what would you like to name your new granddaughter (he asked Mamaw the same question when she was summoned to the phone)?" They too were very happy with our news!!!

We then went to lunch to celebrate before I had to go pick Sam up from MDO. Sam was still asleep when I arrived to get him so he was kind of "out of it" when we left. When we got into the car I said, "Sam, Mommy went to the doctor today and you and Bubba are going to have a little sister! The baby in my belly is a girl!" He said, "Oh, but I really wanted the baby to be a boy!" I told him I was sorry but that he was getting a little sister. He really is fine with this and I know he will love his little sister!!!

I already made a purchase today...a baby book. It is PRECIOUS and it's ALL GIRL! I found it a couple of weeks ago when I was out browsing in a children's boutique not far from our house. They had the same one for a boy (in boy colors, of course) but I was more drawn to the girl one (there's that "feeling" again)!!!

So, today has been a WONDERFUL day and I am so thankful to God for allowing me to have my little princess!!! Now instead of counting down the weeks until we found out what we were having, we will be counting down the weeks until we get to meet our little girl -

Lexi Lee Beaver

Sam's First Day of "School"

2009-09-09T16:18:00.002-05:00

Sam started back to MDO this past Tuesday. He had a wonderful first day! I am looking forward to an exciting year with both of my boys and their school's!!!

SURPRISE!!!

2009-09-07T19:17:00.006-05:00

Bryan turned the big 3-0 on Saturday, September 5th. Bryan does not like to make a "big deal" of his birthdays so we didn't have any "big" plans. UNTIL about 2 weeks before his birthday. A couple of ladies in our church asked me if I was planning anything special for Bryan's 30th birthday. I hadn't and they thought we should. So, I began thinking. I decided to try to pull off a surprise party! Here are the details...

Last Christmas, a couple in our church gave Bryan and I a gift card to a very nice restaurant here in Houston and along with the gift card was FREE childcare for an evening. Well, we had used the gift card already but never "cashed in" the childcare. So, I emailed this couple and asked if we could have the surprise party at their place and I could tell Bryan that they were going to keep the kiddos for us while he and I went out to celebrate his b-day. They agreed and the plan was set in motion. Since we had received this gift card with a childcare pass, Bryan was not suspicious at all as to why this couple was going to watch the kids. Bryan decided he wanted to go out to eat at Taste of Texas (a VERY nice steak house here in Houston). I was VERY convincing all week that this was what we were going to do and he never thought anything else. So, Saturday night arrived and we headed over to drop off the boys. When we pulled up, Mr. Forbes was waiting for us outside. He had hidden a couple of pieces of candy in his yard for the boys to find. This was also so that Bryan and I could go inside first without the boys running in and seeing everything/everyone and figuring out the surprise before it could be revealed to Bryan. By the way, Bryan left the car running (this is when I knew he really had NO IDEA what was going on)! Bryan and I walked in to find Mrs. Forbes and David and Kathleen (whom Bryan thought were going out to dinner with us) sitting in the living room, chatting. We casually walked in and to Bryan's complete and utter shock, out popped members of our church from the kitchen all yelling, "SURPRISE!" Bryan said, "Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me?" All the guests were sporting "Ninja" headbands as a play on Bryan's jiu-jitsu hobby! Bryan and the boys got one too! Here's a couple of pics of his reaction...

Bryan still a little surprised and me laughing!

Bryan telling me, "You're in so much trouble!"

So, the surprise party was a HUGE success and Bryan was very appreciative for all the work we all had done for him. Here are a few more pics...

The cake (the candles spelled out, "Oh no, the big 3-0").

Bryan let the boys blow out the candles.

I had bought a big "30" sign that guests could leave messages on for Bryan.

Samuel with one of his most FAVORITE people...Kafween (Kathleen)!

Isaac and Isaiah.

Keeping with the "Ninja" theme, Bryan received a ninja sword,mask and two daggers set from one of the guests. I bet you all can guess WHO is loving this now - yes, the boys!!!

Me and the Birthday Boy!

I love you babe! Happy 30th b-day!

And, I DID take him out to eat at Taste of Texas (with David and Kathleen) on Sunday night!!! I had been looking forward to that too!!!

My Sweet Boy

2009-08-31T16:36:00.003-05:00

Every night (except Friday's) the boys go to bed at 8:00pm. So, last night Bryan put them to bed and then he and I watched some tv. About 9:30 or so I decided to go on up to bed. I always check on the boys before heading to bed. I stopped in Isaiah's room, repositioned and recovered him, kissed him on the cheek and out I went. Next, I went to Sam's room. Sam has bunk beds and depending how he feels on a particular night he sleeps on the top or bottom bed. This night he had decided to sleep on the top bunk. I stepped up onto the bottom bunk so I could reposition, recover, etc. Well, I couldn't see Sam. Right then, I heard a giggle. I threw back the covers and Sam rolled over to say, "Hey, what are you doin' in here (with a big grin on his face)?" I started laughing and said, "What are YOU still doing awake?" His response, "Silly, Mommy!" I got him situated and as I was kissing and hugging him (again) he smiled and said, "Mommy, we have a great family!" I melted! "Yes, we do Sam, yes we do!"

Then, today as I was putting on his tennis shoes he said, "Mommy, you're the greatest! I love you so much!" Man, I love this little guy!!!

WHAT???

2009-08-28T16:09:00.002-05:00

I picked Isaiah up from school this afternoon. Here's our conversation:

Me: "Hey buddy, how was your day?"

Isaiah: "Good!"

Me: "What all did you do today?"

Isaiah: "Nothing."

Me: "Really? You did nothing for over 7 hours?"

Isaiah: "Well, we did some stuff but I can't remember it all."

Isaiah: "Guess what? Samantha asked me to kiss her and I said, "No!""

Me: "WHAT? Who is Samantha?"

Isaiah: "A girl in my class."

Me: "I'm glad you said, "No!" You tell Samantha your kisses are reserved for Mommy ONLY!"

Isaiah: "Okay, I'll tell her Mom."

I mean come on! He's in KINDERGARTEN. He continued that Samantha also asked Christopher if he would kiss her and he DID! I said, "on the cheek right?" No. ON THE LIPS! Samantha's mom and dad are in for a LONG next 12+ years I'm afraid!!!

My Kindergartener

2009-08-24T16:32:00.004-05:00

I can't believe this day has come! My first born is now in school!!! I was nervous going into this day because I wasn't sure how I would be, emotionally. I've never really been that "emotional parent" so I didn't think I would be affected too much. I was partially correct!

Our morning started early - 6:15am. When I woke Isaiah up he said, "Why is it still dark if it's time for me to wake up?" Good question! Bryan stayed home this morning so that he could see Isaiah off and allow Sam to sleep in one more day. From now on, Sam will be along for the ride as we take Isaiah to school. So, Isaiah and I had a nice breakfast and then we got him dressed for school. He has a dress code at his new school so it's not going to be difficult to get him ready! He decided he would wear his red polo shirt, tan shorts, and belt. We left our house at 7:00am and arrived at the school at 7:35am. He has to be IN HIS CLASS by 7:50am or he will be tardy. We had to take all of his school supplies with us this morning too. Isaiah's teacher, Mrs. Beane, allowed Isaiah and I to go on into the room and drop off his supplies. I was able to capture this picture while no one else was in the room...

We then had to return to the commons area and that is when I got a little teary-eyed. The commons area was sectioned off and labeled by grades. The students were asked to sit in their designated areas until it was time to go to their classes. Isaiah sat down in the midst of all these other kids that he didn't know. He wasn't sad, but I could tell he was overwhelmed. I motioned for him to go sit by one of his little friends from Mother's Day Out but he just shook his head "no." I just watched him and began to think how small he looked among all these kids. When it's just he and Sam, Isaiah seems so much bigger. But, when he's among kids his own age and older, I'm reminded just how small he still is. Soon, another one of his friends from MDO came in and the three of them eventually ended up sitting and chatting a bit. Ironically, these other two kids he knows are both in the same Kindergarten class but NOT in Isaiah's class! I was worried about this too. Isaiah wasn't too worried about it though. He told me, "I'll just have to make some new friends!" I know he will. So, when it was time to go to class, I was able to walk him back. I snapped this pic just before saying good-bye (for good this time)...

Oh, I did NOT want to leave! But, I quietly slipped out and tried not to think about him in a new school, all alone, with a bunch of people he has never met before! It was definitely more difficult than I thought it would be. I managed to hold back the tears but that doesn't mean I didn't want too!

Fast forward 7 hours (and a few minutes) later...

Daddy, Sam and I all went to pick up Isaiah on his first day of school. We waited in the pick-up line until his class came out. He was adorable walking out in their little single file line with his backpack. He spotted us immediately and waved. One of the teachers walked him to the car and helped him inside. He was grinning from ear to ear. I asked how his first day went and he responded, "It was awesome, Mom!" YES! He went on to tell about all they did and the new friends he had already made. I think this is going to be a great first school year for my little man!

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-20T20:59:00.009-05:00

The boys and I had the pleasure of going "home" for about a week. We traveled to Duncan, OK first to see my grandparents. It was my Papa's 84th birthday and my parents and aunt and uncle were also there to celebrate. It was so good to see my Papa and Mema. My Mema had a stroke last October and I (we all) continue to be amazed at her recovery. She is an amazing woman and I love her SO very much! We left there on Sunday to travel to Lubbock with my parents. We were in Lubbock from Sunday to Sunday and it was WONDERFUL! I love going home but it's always so very hard to leave, especially the longer we stay. Our family is so close and we just love spending time together. 500 miles is simply TOO FAR AWAY!!!

We got to see some very special friends while we were home. Monday and Tuesday we spent time with my good friend, Melisse, and her 2 sons, Caden and Cole. Melisse and I laughed because our boys are 5, 4, 3, & 2. Monday we went to the gym, swimming and then lunch. Tuesday we met at a park, had lunch and then went back to their house to swim. Here are a few pics of the boys at the park and then swimming.

Caden(4), Cole(2), Isaiah(5), Samuel(3)

Enjoying a snack atop the slide!

The mist button was REALLY hard to push. They thought if they ALL pushed they could do it!

Bumblebee (a.k.a. Isaiah) & Batman (a.k.a. Samuel)

Darth Superman (a.k.a. Cole)

"Oh no! Batman is in trouble!"

"No match for Bumblebee!" (Notice Cole has now switched to Spider Superman and his mask is upside down!)

I don't think anyone else could fit in the pool!!!

Enjoying a popsicle after their swim!

We had SO much fun with Melisse, Caden and Cole! We miss you all!!!

The night before Isaiah and I left my nephew, and the boys cousin, Big Zach (as we call him) came to spend the night at Papa and Nana's. The boys had a great time with Big Zach and it was great to spend that time with him! That night ALL the boys slept in the same room. Papa was going to sleep in his bed, in his room since Big Zach was sleeping in the room with the boys. However, when Isaiah learned of this, he became sad and said, "But Papa, it's my last night here!" Papa couldn't turn him down! So, Big Zach slept in the daybed and Papa, Samuel AND Isaiah slept on the air mattress. You should know that my dad ALWAYS sleeps on the air mattress with one or both of the boys. At our house, he sleeps with one or sometimes both on the FULL SIZE bed in Samuel's room! He really is a GREAT Papa!!! Here's a pic of the sleeping arrangements on the last night.

Papa, Sam and Isaiah (under the blanket with his arm wrapped around Sam's leg).

You might have noticed that I said the above sleeping arrangements were the night before ISAIAH and I left. That's because Samuel stayed...alone...for the first time ever! I was a little concerned at how this would play out but he did really well. The morning we had to leave we were loading the car and Sam brought his pillow and monkey that he sleeps with out to the car. I explained to him that Mommy didn't need his pillow and monkey because he was staying in Lubbock. He said, "No, I don't wanna stay in Lubbock. I wanna go with you and Bubba!" I asked him why he didn't want to stay and he said, "Because Papa doesn't like me!" I told my dad this and my dad said, "Sam, you know Papa loves you!" Sam said, "Oh yea, I forgot!" Silly Sam. He ended up being fine with staying but was VERY cute when we were saying good-bye. He hugged Isaiah about 4 times and told him he would miss him. He put his little arm around me, started patting my back and said, "I'm weally gonna miss you, Mommy!" I teared up. I told him I would miss him too but would see him in just a few days! It was harder than I thought to leave him. I called later that day to see how he was doing. Mom said he was doing just fine. She told me they had been outside while my dad and Big Zach mowed and edged the front yard. Mom was going in to get Dad some water and Sam said, "Nana, I'm gonna take a haircut and meet you in the kitchen okay?" Of course he meant shortcut!!! Oh Sam!!!

So, Isaiah and I left on Sunday and drove to Springtown, TX to stay the night with my aunt and uncle. It was a nice way to break up the trip and something for Isaiah to look forward to since he couldn't stay in Lubbock with Sam. My aunt and uncle live outside of town on some land and have a beautiful home with a swimming pool. Isaiah was in the pool within 15 minutes of arriving at their house! We had a relaxing evening swimming, eating and watching Spiderman 3. We left the next morning and arrived home to Cypress about 2:30 on Monday. We were VERY happy to see Daddy and he was equally excited to see us! As a surprise to me, Bryan had cleaned our carpets while we were gone so he racked up some brownie points there! Samuel will be home TOMORROW afternoon and we can't wait to see him!

I LOVE GOING HOME!!!

Doctor Visit #2

2009-07-30T18:29:00.002-05:00

I had my second check up this morning and got to HEAR the baby's heartbeat!!! It was a wonderful sound! I was a little worried at first because it took the doctor a little while to "find" the baby and hear the heartbeat. When she did she said, "There's your baby. It sounds like a boy or a girl. I haven't delivered one yet that wasn't a boy or a girl!" She's quite the comic. On another note, I woke up yesterday with a stuffy nose and sinus pressure. Then, this morning my throat was very sore along with the symptoms from yesterday. I told my doctor about this and about my history with strep throat and she immediately wrote me a script for a Z-pak (sp). I filled the script, took my first days dose and am already feeling better. YEA for medication that actually helps!!! I'm beginning to "show" too. This of course is most visible to me as I am very aware of any changes in my body. I'm thankful that I'm fairly tall so I tend not to get terribly big even though my babies do (Isaiah was 9 lbs. and Samuel was 8 lbs.)! I have a long torso too so the baby has a lot of room in there although by 8 months pregnant, it doesn't feel like there's ANY room left! My "week 14" has come early. If you've read my previous post you'll know that I was experiencing some nausea, severe fatigue, and very low energy. I titled that post "Come On Week 14" as this is the magical week when these "morning sickness" symptoms usually subside. Well, 2 days after posting that I started feeling much better! I still get tired at points during the day (what mom doesn't) but my energy is returning and my nausea has subsided! I actually returned to the gym this past Monday after a 3 month "vacation" due to the issues and treatment I was having with my back. I went to one of the classes I enjoy so much and did fairly well for my "first time back." BUT, I haven't been able to go back this week because I am still SO SORE!!! By Tuesday, I could hardly walk up the stairs let alone sit down on the potty! It was quite pitiful. Most of my body has recovered but my thighs and hamstrings are still pretty darn sore. I am determined this time though to keep exercising. I was lucky with Isaiah and Samuel to get back into shape fairly quickly. But I am older now and the body just tends not to respond as well as we age!!!

So, there's an update on me and baby #3.

Baby #1 and #2 are doing just fine too (for those of you wondering)!

Quick funny comment by Isaiah:

Last night Isaiah was trying to get Daddy to shoot some hoops with him and Daddy was not moving as fast as Isaiah would've liked. Isaiah said, "Come on Dad. Basketball's don't shoot themselves!" HE CRACKS ME UP!

Come On Week 14!!!

2009-07-20T18:48:00.004-05:00

Wow, this pregnancy is SO different from my previous two! It is really kicking my booty! About week 6 I started experiencing nausea which I didn't have with Isaiah or Samuel. I also began to feel very tired. I cannot drink any diet drink except Sprite Zero, and a lot of the foods I normally eat are repulsive to me now. I am very rarely ever hungry but do eat because it's necessary for the baby (and me). When I do eat, I get full very quickly and then feel bad because I'm full! UGH!!! All of these things are "normal" I know, but they are NOT "normal" for ME! I cannot stand to be home all day, every day and for the past 4 weeks that has pretty much been my life! I have little to no energy and just generally don't feel well. I am just over 10 weeks (as the counter at the top of the blog page shows) and am counting down the days until week 14. This beloved week is the beginning of the 2nd trimester and is the point at which most, if not all, of the symptoms mentioned above "magically" disappear!!! I pray this is the case for me. Now, I need to say that this pregnancy is by no means horrible, just completely different than I'm used to! The only symptoms I had with Isaiah and Samuel (their womb time was identical) was heartburn. This was wonderfully controlled by Prilosec OTC. But, I had energy, wasn't tired, wanted to be on the go all the time, could eat anything (and DID), etc. When I tell people about this they all say the same thing, "This means it's a little girl this time!" While I would LOVE to take their statements as truth and believe that God shared this information with them before He shared it with me, I'll have to wait until my 20 week ultrasound to confirm it! I'll be honest that from the moment I saw the "pregnant" result on the stick I was (and still am) hoping for a little girl. I have such an amazing relationship with my Mom that I cannot imagine NOT having that with a little girl of my own. That said, I will be completely happy with whatever God has chosen to bless us with. I love my two boys so much and another little guy would fit right in (although I might go insane having to clean up after 3 - make that 4- boys)!!! So, I am rolling with the punches as far as the pregnancy symptoms go and praising God that He has decided to bless our family with another precious baby! I hope week 14 is all it's cracked up to be!? I'll let you know!

Vacation

2009-07-09T16:47:00.011-05:00

My Dad and Mom came to Houston this past week to spend their vacation with us. They did this last year too and we had a wonderful time. This week has been no different - FUN, FUN, FUN!!! We left after church on Sunday to head to San Antonio for a couple of days. My sister-in-law was able to get us discounted 2-day admission tickets (thanks Crystal)!!! We drove to our hotel, unloaded our things and then headed down to the RiverWalk for dinner. It was SO hot but we had a very nice dinner and enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the RiverWalk. After dinner we went back to the hotel and the boys went swimming. The next morning we woke early (2 VERY excited little boys couldn't wait to get to SeaWorld), had breakfast and then headed to the park. SeaWorld is AMAZING. I had never been myself and was really impressed. I loved that we could ride rides AND lay by the pool all in the same place!!! We rode rides (well, THEY rode rides - not me) and splashed in all the water things we could. I was SO glad we had 2 days there because we got to do everything we wanted and even some things twice!!! There was a ride called The Journey to Atlantis. It's similar to the Splash Waterfalls (at Six Flags, I think that's what it's called). Well, Isaiah said he wanted to ride it but I never thought he would. The second day he still was saying he wanted to ride it so he, Bryan and my dad did. I just knew he wouldn't actually get on the boat once he got up to it and saw how high it went, but HE DID!!! We got it on video and bought the picture that SeaWorld took while they were on the ride - PRICELESS!!! Isaiah LOVED it and wanted to ride it again! So, SeaWorld was a huge success and we can't wait to go back! The rest of the week was spent here at the house and around town. We caught some rays out by the pool, swam A LOT and did a little shopping! It was very hard to see Dad and Mom leave but what wonderful memories we made!

Here are some pics of our wonderful time in San Antonio and at SeaWorld!!!

Good times!!! Great memories!!!

Baby Beaver #3

2009-07-02T15:05:00.002-05:00

Bryan and I are preparing to welcome baby Beaver #3 into our household!!!

I had a doctor's appointment today and the pregnancy test I took 4 weeks ago was confirmed!!! I am 8 weeks pregnant. Today I got to "see" the precious little life growing inside of me. It was really neat because the doctor got so excited during the ultrasound. I mean, she does this day in and day out and sees A LOT of babies. But, when my little one popped up on the screen she showed me the little heart beating and then she said, "Oh, your baby is awake! Hello; hi baby!" SHE WAS TALKING TO MY BABY! Her voice raised to a higher pitch and she had a huge smile on her face! It was so neat to me that SHE too got excited at this little life! She gave me a due date of February 12, 2010 but said we'd keep an eye on that because I "tend to have large babies!" For those of you who don't know, Isaiah weighed 9 lbs. and Samuel weighed 8 lbs. Isaiah was 1 day late (passed his "due date") and I was induced with Samuel (at 39 weeks) BECAUSE Isaiah was big and Samuel was looking the same. So, we'll just have to see what happens in the next 7 or so months.

Bryan is now beyond his "shock" and like me is very excited about this new little one. 4 weeks ago when I took the pregnancy test Bryan came in the bathroom (not knowing I had taken the test) and I just pointed at it (still laying on the counter). He looked down and then looked at me and said, "Are you sure?" I said (pointing at the stick), "I'm pretty sure!" His next response? "Well, shouldn't I go get another test or two? Isn't that what you normally do next?" I laughed and told him I would like to take another test but was pretty confident it would come out the same. It did. Recently Bryan told me it took him a good 2-3 days to get over the shock!!!

We told the boys a couple of weeks ago. Isaiah was VERY excited. Samuel was excited too but I'm not sure how much he really "gets." He is excited to be a big brother like Isaiah is. We told them on a Saturday evening and were going to tell our church congregation the next morning (on Sunday). Sunday morning I was helping Samuel out of the car while Isaiah had run off to talk to someone. Isaiah ran back over to me asking, "Mom, what's my baby sister's name gonna be?" I laughed and explained that we don't KNOW that it is a girl or boy yet. However, I'm taking Isaiah's question as a "sign"!!! Ha! Also, about 10 days to 2 weeks after I got my positive result on the home pregnancy test, I stared feeling nauseated. No vomiting but nausea pretty much all day. I didn't have this with Isaiah or Samuel so it's all new to me and I DON'T LIKE IT!!! The doctor prescribed some anti-nausea medication so hopefully this will help. It better, it was EXPENSIVE!!!

So, we are going to be a family of 5! We can't wait!!!

He's A Big Boy Now!!!

2009-06-23T12:56:00.002-05:00

SAMUEL IS POTTY TRAINED!!!

Samuel turned 3 in April and from that time on I've been stressing over him being potty trained. I can't remember exactly when it was for Isaiah but I know it was soon after he turned 3. So, I always figured it would work the same for Sam. I know better than this because they two of them are SO different in many other ways!!! So, Sam has been wearing Pull-Ups for quite some time now but for him, they were no different than diapers. Recently we started putting more emphasis on actually pulling the Pull-Up down and using the potty!!! He knew exactly WHAT to do but simply was not interested in doing it. I was getting VERY frustrated.

THEN I PRAYED!

I kid you not, the VERY NEXT DAY Samuel started telling me, "Mommy, I need to go potty!" And he actually DID need to go! He had a dry Pull-Up that whole day! The next day was going to be a busy one. We were gone away from the house pretty much all day. He told me EVERY time he needed to potty and did not have a single accident. YES!!! Another day with a completely dry Pull-Up. So, the next day was Sunday and again we were going to be away from the house for a bit (to church) and Samuel REALLY wanted to wear "big boy underwear" (Bumblebee to be exact). I was reluctant but decided I would let him try and take his bag with Pull-Ups in it as backup. He did GREAT. No accident! So, here we are on day 5 and still no accidents!!! I hope I don't jinx it but I'm gonna take that leap and say, "Samuel is potty trained!"

I'm SO proud of my little man!

Thank you Lord for answering my prayer. Note to self: Prayer is always a good idea when you're at your wits end. And, if you pray BEFORE you're at your wits end you could save yourself a lot of stress!!!

Daddy's Day

2009-06-21T16:21:00.002-05:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

I'm sure a lot of you feel this same way, but I am so blessed to have an amazing husband who is also and amazing Daddy! My boys love their Daddy SOOOOOOOOOO much and love that there is an actual day to celebrate him. We've had a busy weekend so the boys and I let Bryan open his Father's Day "stuff" from us on Thursday. Mommy got Daddy some new fight shorts that he was really wanting. The pics below are of what the boys made for him at school.

Isaiah's gift to Daddy. I loved this!

Samuel's gift to Daddy. Samuel's teachers went to Isaiah's class to get his prints on the shirt too! It's so cute!

The boys were supposed to be hugging Daddy but somehow it turned into a sandwich of Sam!

My most favorite of all. Happy Father's Day Beav! We ALL love you!

I am so very thankful too for MY Dad. I told him in his card that I love him even more now that I have kids. Doing things with my kids reminds me so much of all the things we did when I was little. My dad and I are so much alike that when I was younger often times our stubbornness got in the way of our relationship. But, now that I'm older and again, have kids of my own, I am aware of how hard it is to be the "parent" AND the "friend". I believe the "parent" part is what the kids need while growing up and the "friend" part is what is needed when you've done all you can and hope it was enough! I'm proud to say that I had a wonderful "parent" in my Dad growing up and I now have a wonderful "friend" in my Dad now that I'm on my own. Thank you Dad for loving me, disciplining me, teaching me, and being there for me ALWAYS!!!

I am MOST thankful of all for my Heavenly Father. Thank you Lord that You love ME, that You chose ME and that You died for ME. I fail horribly at being the child You deserve, but You chose to look into my heart and KNOW that my heart's desire is to love You more and to show Your love to others. Thank you for letting me be a part of Your master plan to use humanity to be your witnesses to the world. My heart's desire is to be better at being this "witness"! I love you Lord!

Austin Day Trip

2009-06-17T08:12:00.003-05:00

My parents were in Austin last weekend (my dad for business) so the boys and I drove over on Saturday to spend the day with them. We enjoy EVERY minute we get to spend with our families and wish we had more of them!!! We spent the day shopping, swimming and dining. We had a wonderful time. Here are some photos of our pool time fun at their hotel.

Isaiah and His Papa!

Samuel jumping in! He LOVES his life jacket (and goggles)!

Isaiah doing the "Vulcan" (never heard of the "vulcan" myself - LOVE the tongue)!

Now, the splits!

My cool guys! Nana bought them matching sunglasses - StarWars!

WONDERFUL memories yet again!

Can I Brag???

2009-06-04T21:06:00.008-05:00

Well I'm going to!!!

Isaiah's t-ball team, the Astros, is in the Rookie CHAMPIONSHIP game tomorrow night!!!

Now, you need to know that our little team only won 1 game and tied another the whole season! But, what a comeback they have made. Tuesday night they played and won 14-10 and tonight they won 15-14. Isaiah plays first base. He got 3 (or 4, I can't remember) outs at first on Tuesday night and 2 outs at first tonight. He almost got an out at home but it wasn't a "forced run" so he needed to tag the runner, not just touch the base first. The amazing thing about this was that the ball was overthrown to Isaiah at first base and he had to go over to the fence to get it. As he turned around our coach was yelling for him to run home. The runner on third had already started to home. Isaiah made it to home base BEFORE the runner (from well BEHIND first base)!!! It was incredible if I must say so myself! THEN, it is the top of the 5th inning and we are at bat. We already had a 1 run lead because we got 3 outs before the other team scored their 5 runs (run limit) in a previous inning. Anyway, in this top of the 5th inning, the other team has 2 outs and we have 4 runs so far. So, we needed 1 more run to keep our 1 run lead. Guess who's up to bat? Yup, Isaiah! We have a runner on 2nd and 1st. We only need the 2nd baseman to come in for us to get our 5 runs and keep the lead. Our coach jokingly told Isaiah as he was preparing to bat, "Isaiah, hit it over the fence!" So, Isaiah readies himself and WHAM! He hits it TO THE FENCE! The 2nd baseman scores and we keep our lead!!! Obviously (by my score earlier in this post) we went on to win the game by this one run!!! Everyone was calling Isaiah the MVP after the game. It was a proud moment for this Momma!!! Now, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging too much but Isaiah is pretty darn good at this t-ball/baseball thing. Every time he was up to bat tonight (and most every other game) he hit a double EVERY time. For those of you who don't know what a "double" is (I didn't either before tonight), it is when you hit the ball and get to 2nd base. Two bases it the most you can run in our t-ball league. So, needless to say, we are ECSTATIC and SO VERY PROUD of our little guy and his Astros team!

I'll be sure to let y'all know what the outcome is!!! GO ASTROS!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: WE WON!!!

WAY TO GO ASTROS!!!

Isaiah receiving his first place trophy!

Our Astros Team!

Good buddy, Jacob (behind his trophy) and Isaiah.

GOOD TIMES!!!

Our Graduate

2009-05-27T09:37:00.004-05:00

Isaiah graduated from Pre-K last night at Bear Creek Baptist Church. It was a wonderful ceremony. I still cannot believe he will be in "real" school next year. He is very excited about "real" school. He asked me last night when I put him to bed, "How many hours will I be at school next year?" I told him 7 hours or so. He said, "Whoa! EVERYDAY?" I said yes. He rolled his eyes and smiled. He is excited with everything to do about school. He is in hopes that one day he can ride the bus to school. Isaiah's Papa (aka my dad) works for Blue Star Bus Sales and Isaiah thinks the school bus is the coolest thing ever! However, my response to this was, "Isaiah, hopefully you will never have to ride the bus to school and mommy or daddy can take you until you can drive!" The thought of him being on a public school bus in Houston is TERRIFYING!!! Actually, the thought of him in the Houston public school SYSTEM is equally as terrifying! Luckily, we are 95% sure he will attend a charter school in Katy. I say, "95% sure," because as of last month he was on a waiting list for this school's kindergarten classes. He is number 5 on the list. I spoke with another mom from Isaiah's Pre-K class this year (who's daughter is also on the waiting list for this school) who told me that both Isaiah and her daughter are in. She said she was told that every child was put on a waiting list while the school waited to hear about a possible expansion of the school and that kids on the waiting list who were numbers 1-25 were guaranteed a spot! We really hope this is true. We should hear by way of letter sometime in the next couple of months. If he does not get in we will be forced to send him to a school around our neighborhood which we DO NOT want to do! Man, this is hard! I had a great public school experience but school is not what it was WAY BACK THEN! I am praying very hard that God allows him to get into the charter school but if God needs Isaiah elsewhere then so be it! Time will tell!

Anyway, we are SO very proud of our little graduate and so excited to see what the future holds for him. He is such a smart little guy and is truly a joy as a child. I'm sure God is going to do great and mighty things through my Isaiah!

Here are some pics of this special event!

Isaiah after receiving his diploma!

Walking out after the ceremony. Such a handsome little guy!

The Graduate and Daddy.

The Graduate and Mommy

Ms. Melissa, Isaiah, and Ms. Dana. The GREATEST Pre-K teacher's in the world!

Next graduation: May/June of 2022!!! YIKES!

Outdoor Fun

2009-05-13T16:23:00.003-05:00

We have had a couple of beautiful days recently - YEA, NO RAIN!!!

Yesterday evening Bryan decided to take the boys outside while I finished cleaning up after dinner. A few moments later I looked out our side window to see just about ALL the neighborhood kids in our yard wrestling with Bryan! So, I got the camera! A few minutes later, Bryan came in asking where his big (and by big I mean HUGE) fighting gloves were? He realized he needed these to help him against all these kids!!! Here' a few pics of this obviously MALE fun-fest!

Bryan IS in there! (No, Sam did not hit Daddy with the bat!)

Whew, he escaped!

And, he's back down (however, it looks like HE's winning this one)!

I knew it was bound to happen - a jiu-jitsu lesson!!!

Don't worry, he didn't hurt Chase!

After the above two pics were taken an argument broke out. You see, Bryan had taught the boys how to score and keep points in jiu-jitsu. Well, one of the boys keeping score was a brother to one of the boys "rolling" (as they call it in jiu-jitsu) and the "roller" was not happy with the brother's score keeping!!! Bryan and my boys had come in at this point but they boys were still on our front porch yelling at each other! Isaiah then took it upon himself to stop this. He opened the front door and said, "If y'all would stop arguing with each other this would all stop!" He then shut the door and the yelling stopped! Good job Isaiah! I'm sure the arguing wasn't completely over but at least we didn't hear it anymore!!!

If these pics look a little "foggy" you should know that I took them through our window! Heck no I wasn't going out there!!! Just think, ALL these boys were inside my house one day not too long ago! It was a stinky, rowdy, messy group but I survived!!! So, this was Bryan's turn and I was TOTALLY fine with that!!!

BOYS, BOYS, BOYS everywhere I turn!!!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:05:00.003-05:00

What an awesome privilege it is to be a Mother. I thank God for my two beautiful, happy, healthy, rambunctious boys! I love them more and more with each passing day. God has truly blessed my life with these two little guys and for that I am FOREVER grateful!

This last Thursday I was able to go to Isaiah's school to attend a "Mother's Tea" with Isaiah. We had a wonderful time of snacking, drinking tea, taking pictures of friends and even a song from the kids to us Moms. On the tables there were cards that the kids had made along with a page entitled, "My Mother Is Special." This was a paper the teacher's had filled in with answers from the kids to questions about their Mom. Here is what Isaiah said:

My mom is special because: she plays games with me.

I like it when my mom: reads me books.

My mom has a pretty smile! I like to maker her smile by: my hugs!

My mom is pretty as a: flower.

My mom is smart! She even knows: EVERYTHING!!! (we'll see if he still thinks this in a few more years!)

These are the things I treasure!!!

On another note, I am so grateful for the Mother that God has blessed me with! I recently completed one of those quizzes on facebook that asked questions about being a mom. One of the questions was, "Who's the mom you admire most?" My answer was, "There is no greater mom than my very own - NO GREATER!" This is SO true. My mom is not only that, but she is my very best friend with whom I share just about everything! I only wish I could be more like her. I hope and pray that one day my son's will feel about me the way that I feel about my mother. She is truly amazing and I am the luckiest daughter in the world because she is MY mother! I love you, Mom!

I am also privileged to know some other WONDERFUL mother's that I call my friends! You are all SO VERY precious to me and I love each of you dearly! I wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day!

The Joys of Being Unsupervised!

2009-05-01T14:34:00.003-05:00

If you're my friend on facebook then you know that I've had a rough last couple of days. I went to bed Wednesday night with a sore throat and woke up Thursday morning much worse. I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with strep throat! I had this ALL the time as a kid so I figured that's what it was even before going to the doctor. So, I called Bryan and told him the diagnosis. He said, "Okay, you need to go home, go up to our room and rest. I will take care of the boys because we don't need you getting us all sick! I will take care of you too!" I have the greatest husband in the world!!! So, that's what I did.

That was a little background info. Here's the part that explains my title:

This morning I had to drive up to The Woodlands for my back treatment. Bryan was still pretty much caring for the boys and decided to take them up to our church with him because he needed to do a few things. This is what I was told when we all returned home. Bryan, Isaiah and Samuel were in the worship center when Isaiah told Bryan he had to go to the potty. Bryan told him to go and then come right back. A few minutes later Bryan realized that Sam was missing and he hadn't heard him in a while. He rushes to the bathroom to find Sam stark naked and splashing around in the urinal!!! I started cracking up! Bryan said he was glad I thought it was funny because he pulled a Bobby Knight and yanked him up and spanked him as fast as he could!!! I then asked where Isaiah was and what he was doing? Bryan said he was standing there watching and laughing the whole time. So then, Isaiah got in trouble for not immediately coming to get Bryan instead of fueling the fire!!!

Daddy and Mommy are going on a date tonight because Daddy (after 1 1/2 days of "Mommy" duty) has decided he needs to get away from our little guys for a while! How sweet of him to invite me along!!!

Milestone Anniversary

2009-04-28T11:11:00.004-05:00

The boys and I traveled to Oklahoma this past weekend to celebrate my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary. Yes, I DID type "65th" correctly. I know this is unheard of in this day and age but they have done it! It was a wonderful celebration of their life together and I am so thankful that we could share it with them.

This is my mom's parents, Salty and Lee Garrett. The two of them are very precious to me. Even though they have lived in Oklahoma all of my life, they have been very involved in my life. My brother and I used to go spend a week or two with them every summer, almost always during the NBA playoffs where my brother would cheer for Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics, and I for "THE" Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers!!! As we got older we even took some of our friends with us when we visited. We still get together at their house EVERY Christmas with the ENTIRE family for a wonderful time of eating, opening gifts and fellowship. They are truly wonderful grandparents and my brother and I are very blessed to have them.

Toward the end of last year, my Mema (this is what we call my grandmother) suffered a stroke. To the glory of God, she has recovered wonderfully. She suffered no problems with her memory or speech. She is currently walking on a walker but hopes to retire that soon. She is amazing and has been such an inspiration through all of this. My Papa (a.k.a. grandfather) has been equally amazing in his care of her. My Papa, bless his heart, was the kind of man that would sit in his lazy chair and bark orders to my Mema like, "Wilma Lee, I need some more coffee (holding his cup out for her to come get)." My Mema would be sitting RIGHT NEXT TO HIM on the couch! He has taken over the shopping, laundry, cooking, cleaning and care for her and has never batted an eye about it. He is the picture of unconditional love. He even still manages to get his golf games in. He is 83 (I think) and still shoots in the high 70's!

Some of my most precious memories involve my Papa and Mema and I thank God for the love they have shown our family over the last 65 years.

Here are some pics of the milestone anniversary celebration.

The cake

The table

The happy couple

Cutting the cake

Me, My TALL nephew Zach, and My beautiful Momma

The family pic we all gave them as their gift.

Happy Birthday!

2009-04-17T07:20:00.008-05:00

Three years ago today we were blessed to welcome Samuel Bryan Beaver into our lives and into this world. He was born at 1:52pm at Covenant Medical Center Lakeside in THE Lubbock, Texas. He was a healthy 8 lb., 21 in. long baby boy and today he is still a healthy 37 lb., 37 in., not so "baby" boy! He is pure sweetness and such a joy to have in our lives. I just simply cannot believe that three years have gone by SO fast! When Isaiah was born I remember being totally overwhelmed with taking care of him and always wondering when he would reach those certain milestones that I could check off in his baby book. But, with Samuel I find myself wondering where the time has gone? Oh, I still keep log of things in his baby book but instead of wondering and waiting I'm writing things down and thinking to myself, "What? Already he's doing these things? STOP, SLOW DOWN!" He adores his big brother (well, most of the time) and wants to do EVERYTHING he does. He has grown into quite the little man and we are all so very thankful for him. Thank you God for precious children and for entrusting them to us to raise! AMEN!

Samuel on the day he was born!

Samuel at one week old.

Samuel today!

"WE LOVE YOU SAM-SAM!"

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

2009-04-12T15:21:00.001-05:00

Easter Loot from Papa & Nana

2009-04-09T16:38:00.009-05:00

My parents (a.k.a Papa & Nana) send boxes full of goodies to the boys for almost every holiday of the year! The boys look SO forward to getting their box, they can hardly wait for the UPS truck to deliever it! So, Papa told the boys on Monday night that he had mailed their box and we should get it on Wednesday. Isaiah had a T-ball game Wednesday night so we were hoping it would be on our doorstep when we got home and THERE IT WAS!!! Isaiah beat Sam and I to the door and we heard him screaming with joy before we even finished getting out of the car! They got plastic sport eggs filled with bubble gum, candy, coloring books, crayons, games, 2 DVD's (Max & Ruby and Horton Hears a Who) and new clothes to wear on Easter Sunday to church!

Here are some pics of the grand box opening!!!

Now these next 3 are FUNNY. I was trying to get a pic of the boys WITH all they stuff they received.

Here's Isaiah looking, but not Sam!

Here's Sam looking, but not Isaiah!

Here's BOTH of them looking (a bit scared might I add) because Mommy took away the dang bunny jelly beans so they would PAY ATTENTION!!! HA-HA-HA!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU Papa & Nana!

We will miss you on Easter Sunday but will look forward to seeing you the following weekend to celebrate Sam's 3rd b-day!!!

Our Little Astro

2009-03-31T12:36:00.004-05:00

Well, T-ball season has officially begun!!! Although the pic above doesn't really "look" like it, Isaiah is VERY excited about finally being able to play baseball!!! We are very lucky to be on the Astros team as there is no shortage of Astros paraphernalia here in Houston!!!

I have a funny story to tell about the night before Isaiah's first game...

Bryan had put the boys to bed and was downstairs watching tv. I was upstairs getting ready for bed. When I came down Bryan was laughing and said let me tell you what our oldest just told me! Isaiah came downstairs and said, "Dad the next time you laugh at the tv could you do it a little quieter? I really need to get some good sleep for my first t-ball game tomorrow!" Bryan told him he would try to be more quiet when he laughed!!!

Also, I asked Isaiah if he wanted to wear his t-ball jersey to school to show his friends and he said, "No. I feel kinda jealous about it!" I LOVE THIS KID!!!

Here are a few more pics. These are of the first game!

YEE-HAW! Rodeo Time in H-town!

2009-03-15T18:17:00.003-05:00

Bryan and I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo last Thursday to see Brad Paisley in concert. This was Bryan's Valentine's Day gift to me (last year we saw Martina McBride). Those of you who know me well KNOW that this was the perfect thing for Bryan to give me! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE country music!!! I had never seen Brad Paisley in concert but love most all of his songs and was excited to see him perform. He was AMAZING! I knew he played the guitar but he doesn't just PLAY the guitar, he's an animal at it!!! He must've played at least 8 different guitars! The stage at the rodeo is not a normal stage and is the same for every performer. It is circular and rotates all during the performances so that everyone in the audience has a view of the performer. It's really kind of neat. Some of you may be familiar with the Houston Rodeo but for those who are not, it's a BIG DEAL! Last year and this year we arrived in time to see the rodeo competitions. I'm not a stranger to the rodeo scene so it was neat to see all the action take place. One of the cutest things (actually the ONLY cute thing because not much about the rodeo is "cute") was at the very end of the competition. There were 4, 5 and 6 year-olds riding sheep as if they were bulls. It was TOO cute. The last little guy even had chaps on and everything!!! Next year we are going to try to take Isaiah with us as he was totally bummed that he couldn't tag along this year. Outside the rodeo arena there is a HUGE midway with rides and totally bad-for-you foods!!! We didn't participate in any of the midway activities this year as it was 40 degrees and raining off and on outside! Even though the weather was like this, there were teenage and older girls all around wearing daisy duke type shorts with boots and their shirts tied up in a knot below their chest!!! REALLY, is this necessary? NO, it's not. Even when it's 80 degrees outside, it's NOT necessary! Anyway, we had a wonderful time at the rodeo and concert. Here are a few pics I was able to get of Brad Paisley performing.

2009-03-05T19:11:00.005-06:00

WESTERN DAY

The boys had "Western Day" at their school today. It was a fun-filled day of riding horses, milking cows, eating roasted wieners out of pie tins and so on.

I really love the Mother's Day Out they attend for this reason and many more. They love going as well and have made some really great friends. Isaiah even has a little admirer named Summer. As you know if you've read previous posts, Isaiah was in Lubbock visiting the grands for 10 days. So, he missed two weeks of school (they go Tuesday's and Thursday's). His first day back was this Tuesday and after I dropped him off at his class I headed to do the same with Sam. We were walking down the hall and I saw Summer coming toward us with a big smile on her face, skipping as she said, "Isaiah's back, I saw him! He's finally back!" Samuel's BFF is also a little girl. Her name is Aimee. He got his very first b-day invite from Aimee. Aimee's mom approached me as we were leaving school one day and said, "Aimee is having a birthday party and I was told by Aimee that I would be in big trouble if we didn't invite Sam!" We will be attending her party this Sunday afternoon. Each Monday and Wednesday night as I'm putting Sam to bed I tell him that he goes to school tomorrow. He ALWAYS responds, "And I get to see Aimee?" The boys DO have "boy" friends but for a mommy, the girls are more interesting!!! Man, they start early!!!

P.S. Sam is still doing GREAT with potty training! We've only had one poopie pull-up in 4 days and that was just because he was at the gym and was too busy playing! YEA!!!

Could This Really Be It...

2009-03-02T17:37:00.005-06:00

We have not been "potty-training" per say. We do have a little potty in our downstairs bathroom for Samuel to get used to using and until today it wasn't working real well. So, after breakfast as I was cleaning up I heard Isaiah ask where Sam was. I had no idea because I thought he was laying in the floor watching cartoons. Then, I hear Sam say, "I'm in here (the bathroom)! I'm just goin' potty!" I dropped what I was doing and ran to the bathroom expecting to find pee all over the floor. To my surprise, Sam met me at the door, pulling up his pull-up, and said, "I went pee-pee in my wittle potty!" He showed me and sure enough he HAD! And, there wasn't a drop on the floor! YEA! I praised him and then gave him a few M&Ms. After snack time this afternoon, I smelled something and asked Sam if he was poopie? He said, "No." I didn't really believe him and was going to change him after I cleaned up from our snack. Again, Sam was no where to be found downstairs after I finished clean up. I heard his little voice come from the bathroom again and this time he said, "Mommy, I went poopie in my wittle potty!" I ran over and he HAD (and pretty big might I add)!!! I screamed with glee and told him how very proud I was! Isaiah came running in to see and then gave him a big hug and expressed his excitement too! Sam said, "Yeah, now I get a whole bowl of M&Ms!" This is true. Pee-pee is rewarded with a few M&Ms and poopie is rewarded with a "whole bowl" which translates into a small snack-size bowl of M&Ms. The bowl is not full but to him it is because it's more than 2 or 3!!! Anyhow, we are VERY excited and hopeful that this is the beginning of potty training for our little guy!

Oh! Isaiah had a milestone as well (while he was in Lubbock). He lost his first tooth! I've attached a pic! I did not attach a pic of Sam's poopie as I was pretty sure you all would not want to see that!

Side note: Yes, I've changed my blog background AGAIN!!! Yes, I do this a lot! I am like this in life as well. I like to change things. Sometimes that's good and sometimes not so good. But I think it's safe to say that changing the background on my blog is "good." However, I do like this one so it will probably hang around until April.

Stolen Goods...

2009-02-27T10:20:00.002-06:00

Well, the unthinkable happened to me while visiting my parents in San Antonio this past week. My dad had a convention to attend in San Antonio and my mom accompanied him. Since SA is only 180 miles away, Samuel and I made the trek over to keep them company while they were there. Sam and I drove over Tuesday afternoon and came back yesterday. Tuesday evening we all went to the convention center for a couple of hours and then took advantage of the beautiful evening and went to have dinner on the RiverWalk. We had a wonderful mexican feast and then rode the river boat. We returned to my car, which was parked in a normal, rundown, downtown parking lot and went back to our hotel to retire for the evening. Wednesday morning was a normal morning UNTIL mom, Sam and I went to get in the car for a day of shopping. I was putting Sam in his car seat and realized that our DVD players were not where not hanging on the back of the headrests as they had been! I asked my mom if she saw them anywhere and she did not. We then called my dad (who had to be at the convention all day) to ask if maybe he'd taken them out so they weren't visible to passers by. He had not taken them out. MY DVD PLAYERS WERE GONE - STOLEN!!! I then had a sinking feeling and lifted up the console lid only to find that the DVD case with all our DVD's was also gone, AS WELL AS BRYAN'S GPS he had gotten from me for Christmas!!! I immediately started to cry as I realized that some horrible person had broken into my car and taken hundreds of dollars worth of MY things. I was so mad, so heartbroken, so sick to my stomach that I could hardly function. My mom went into the hotel to tell the manager who called the police. Whoever this person was, they knew exactly what they were doing. There were no broken windows and upon further inspection we discovered the door handle had been cut and pulled partially away from the door itself. The police officer showed up, took down all my info and then we decided to call an investigator to see if they could collect any fingerprints. This took quite some time but hopefully this will prove to be helpful in catching this horrible thief!!! Sam kept this terrible situation light-hearted. He asked the policeman, "Hey, why'd you take my movies?" The policeman assured him that he did not take his movies but would do whatever he could to get them back. I know these are only material things and I am very thankful that my car was not stolen or that nobody was hurt in this fiasco. BUT, I am still furious about it and very hurt by the whole thing. I know it happens everyday but it has never happened to ME and I don't care for it ever to happen to me again!!! My parents replaced our DVD players that very same day. They felt so bad about the whole situation and said it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't asked us to come visit them. Of course, it is NOT their fault and I don't think the above for one moment!!! But, the new DVD's are wonderful and were very helpful for our 2 1/2 hour trip home. The GPS will take a little longer to replace. In the meantime, my dad MADE me take his GPS home with me until we can get a replacement for ours. This is all just a reminder to me that we live in a sinful world and that Christians ARE NOT exempt from terrible things, as we all know.

Proud Wifey

2009-02-23T14:14:00.007-06:00

This past Saturday Bryan competed in a jiu-jitsu tournament. It was put on by Elite MMA where Bryan trains. He competed in two divisions. The first division was wearing his "gi" (the name for his uniform) and the second division was without the "gi". He ended up winning 2nd place in both divisions!!! He got two silver medals. People ask me, a lot, if I am scared of him "fighting" and I say, "No." Of course I don't ever want him to get hurt but I know that he LOVES doing jiu-jitsu and he is very good at it! He trains EVERY single day and has done very well at it. He seems to have a natural talent when it comes to jiu-jitsu. I am very proud of him for the way he competed in this tournament but more proud for the man he is. He is a devoted husband, father and pastor to our church. His love for God and desire to lead a Godly life inspire me daily. He truly is the most wonderful man in the world and that makes me the luckiest wife in the world!!!

Here are a few pics from the tournament:

Bryan is in the blue "gi". The "model" was completely NOT necessary!!!

Sam was proud of his Daddy too (Isaiah is STILL in Lubbock)!!!

My "Fight Pastor" hubby and his two silver medals! Way to go babe!

Funny Kiddos...

2009-02-19T15:51:00.003-06:00

If you've read my previous post you know that Isaiah is in Lubbock right now, visiting Nana & Papa (my parents) and Grandma and Grandpa (Bryan's parents). He is having a wonderful time and we are enjoying our time here with Sam too. I wanted to share a cute story my mom told me about Isaiah...

Nana, Isaiah and Papa were all watching a movie before bedtime (a nightly ritual while at Nana and Papa's). Papa and Isaiah were in the floor and Nana up on the couch. Isaiah sat up and said, "Y'all know I really miss Sam?" My mom told him she knew he did but that he'd see him again soon. Then Isaiah said, "But, it IS better to watch movies without him because he makes a lot of noise!" That boy cracks me up!!!

Now a cute story about Sam...(I have to be fair right?)

Last night Sam and I had to take a friend to a class she had and then had to go back to pick her up. While we waited I took Sam to Chick-Fil-A so he could play. We found a table in the back directly across from the play area. There was a man sitting at the table next to us with his two children. We made small talk and later the man heard me say something to Sam. This man asked, "Is his name Sam," to which I responded, "yes." He told us his name was Sam too. My Sam got down from his chair, walked right over to this man, grabbed his hand and said, "It's nice to meet you!" Then, walked right back to his seat and sat down. The man couldn't believe Sam was only 2 1/2 (sometimes I can't either). ADORABLE!!!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both ages of my boys right now! I love the way their little minds think and the things they say. I should say MOST OF THE TIME I love the way... Not too long ago Isaiah asked me what the word, "s%*t" means? Chuckling, I told him it really means, "poop," but that wasn't what most people are referring to when they say it. He said, "So, what do most people mean when they say it?" DARN, I knew that question was coming!!! I explained, "You know how we say, "dang it," or "good grief?" Well, some people use that word instead but we don't because it's not nice and doesn't sound good!" He was satisfied with this answer and let's hope it sticks in his brain!!!

Happy Valentine's Day (a tad bit belated)

2009-02-16T16:26:00.007-06:00

Happy V-day from Isaiah "Heart Breaker" and Samuel "Prince Charming"!!!

Well, Valentine's Day has come and gone (as all holidays do) and we had ourselves a great one. The boys had V-day parties at school the Thursday prior to V-day and got lots of Valentine's and candy. Nana and Papa arrived on Friday night about 11:00. Isaiah and I were able to stay awake until they arrived but Daddy had no such luck. Byran apologized to my dad the next morning about not being able to stay awake to see them and my dad's response was, "That's okay. A 5 year old made it but not you!" He was kidding of course!!! Anyway, it was a WONDERFUL weekend! Bryan received a new Bible from me for V-day and I received tickets to see Brad Paisley at the Houston Rodeo in March!!!

Dad, mom and Isaiah left to go back to Lubbock today and it was sad! Isaiah is going to spend 11 DAYS in Lubbock with the grands! Sam gets to go next time. Between me, Isaiah and Sam it was a tear-fest saying good-bye. I have ALWAYS been emotional when departing from family and now I fear my eldest son will be the same way. He was excited to go with Nana and Papa but sad to leave his mommy, daddy and brother. Sam was sad because he wasn't understanding that he couldn't go this time. I was sad because I always am when my parents leave!!! Then there's Bryan...enough said! He is so NOT emotional when it comes to this type of thing it's almost annoying!!! I guess at least one of us doesn't need to break down huh? Anyway, they drove off and Sam turned around to me with tears in his eyes and said, "I weally wanted to go wiff them, mommy." I said I understood and he said, "then can you go catch them?" I "cry-laughed" and told him no and that he would get to go by himself the next time! Heart breaking!!!

So, it already feels really weird to have only one child in the house. We always do a countdown to the number of days when someone is going to arrive at our house so we have now started one until the day Bubba returns home! Bryan's parents will be bringing him back weekend after next. He is going to have a wonderful time we know but we will still miss him a lot. We too will have a lot of fun with Sam and be able to give him some one-on-one time with mom and dad! We are truly blessed to have such a close family (both sides) and for our kids to have such wonderful grandparents who want to spend time with them even when we live 9 hours away!!!

UGG...NO INTERNET!

2009-02-05T14:06:00.003-06:00

Okay, if there are those of you out there wondering, "Why hasn't Misti updated her blog in a while," it's because we lost our "free internet connection" at our house. Whoever was gracious enough to let us use their wireless connection has not so graciously "gone"!!! Anyway, we ARE going to get wireless access of our own but the lovely AT&T people cannoot get out to our place until mid MARCH to install it. So, for the time being I am only able to check email, facebook and my blog (an others) while I'm at the church working on worship stuff for Sunday's! So, I hope to be back up and blogging as usual in March and until then, I will only promise to update as I can!!! Thanks for understanding and keep your blog posts coming because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read about your families and their happenings!!!

Tie Guys

2009-01-18T18:42:00.003-06:00

Papa and Nana got the boys dress shirts and ties for Christmas. They couldn't wait to wear them to church and they got their wish today. If you've read my previous post, you'll notice that they are again wearing white shirts (which I don't recommend) but it's precious nonetheless!!! They are growing SO fast and clothes like these only make them look more like little men and not little boys - sniff, sniff.

Penguin Day

2009-01-16T16:23:00.004-06:00

So, yesterday was "Penguin Day" at the boys school. They asked that we dress our kids in white shirts and black pants so I obliged. I waited until we were about to walk out the door to put their white shirts on (if you are a parent reading this, you know exactly why)!!! If you happen not to be a parent yet here's a few words of wisdom for you: If you put a white shirt on a child before THE MOMENT YOU'RE READY TO LEAVE you'll be changing the shirt or trying desperately to remove a stain and then be late to wherever you are going!!! Anyway, we made it to school with clean, white shirts but they were far from clean when I picked them up later that day!!! I have always thought whoever makes a kids shirt white probably doesn't have kids or has a lifetime supply of Shout (which doesn't always work)!

Isaiah's class had an igloo in it that they got to play in, made a paper plate penguins, and had hot chocolate with marshmallows. Samuel's class made penguin feet (I've attached a photo below of BOTH boys in these penguin feet), made construction paper penguins and waddled to chapel like penguins! I bet that was cute! I REALLY love the boys school and they like it a lot too. Next week Isaiah's class gets to tour a pizza parlor and learn to make pizza - maybe I'll let HIM cook dinner that night and put his skills to the test?!! Later this month they have pj and teddy bear day. All the kids get to wear their pj's and bring their favorite teddy or stuffed animal. LOTS of neat stuff going on!!!

Here are my little penguins

I HAVE to attach this next pic too...

Samuel did not like what we were watching on TV so he went and got the little DVD player and watch "Danger Mouse," one of his favorite cartoons! Nice little set up, Sam!

Sunglass Kids

2009-01-14T08:30:00.005-06:00

For Chirstmas, Isaiah and Samuel both got some money from Bryan's Grandparents - Grandpa Herman and Grandma Margie. So, they wanted to go to their favorite store in the World - WAL*MART. Off we went. I took Samuel alone and he kept telling me he wanted a big race car. Thinking he wanted a race car to race with on the floor, I kept trying to show him the biggest ones I could find. None of these were what he wanted and I was beginning to think this "big race car" didn't exist. So, looking for something else for him we turned down one of the last toy isles and across the isle from the toys were the bicycles and such. He immediately said, "There it is Mommy; I want that one!" I looked up to see a red corvette sports car that HE could ride in and drive. So THIS was the big race car he was referring to all this time. I explained that he didn't have enough money for this (he was given $25.00). It's VERY hard to explain to an almost 3 year old that they don't have enough money for something they REALLY want. I told him maybe he could ask for that for his b-day (not that Mommy and Daddy will have enough money for it either). He seemed okay with this and we found a race car that he can play with INSIDE. He still had money left over so he picked out some sunglasses (Spiderman). He said, "I need some sunglasses so the sun won't get in my eyes!" He HATES the sun in his eyes!

Next, Isaiah's turn. He decided he wanted a Power Ranger toy (SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE). He picked out one that he didn't have (can there be one that he DOESN'T have says Daddy) and then we were off to the sunglasses for him. Sam can't be the only one with sunglasses!!! Isaiah picked out a pair of "Cars" sunglasses and looks really cool in them.

Thank you Grandpa Herman and Grandma Margie for the toys and sunglasses - WE LOVE YOU!

Here's a pic of Sam in his sunglasses. We are on our way out the door for school.

No More Pepper...

2009-01-13T15:57:00.002-06:00

For those of you who came to the blog and read the last post about Pepper (the newest addition to the Beaver family) well, you're now wondering what happened to that post? I deleted it!

Things just didn't work out with Pepper. I feel that I need to tell you that this was BRYAN'S decision. While I am not a dog person, I had nothing to do with our giving Pepper away. Bryan was going crazy with Pepper's whining, crying and barking. Since I'm not a "dog person" you should know that even Bryan said her whining, crying and barking were out of the ordinary for most puppies. Anyway, spending all this time and energy on Pepper was making it impossible to spend any time with Daisy (our chocolate lab). So, in trying to get a "friend" for Daisy so she wouldn't be alone most of the day, we ended up leaving her alone even more because of the demands of the puppy. The boys are okay with Pepper's departure. They know she will be in good hands with another family.

So, Pepper is gone and now Bryan is determined to spend more time with Daisy. Daisy is the BEST dog and we are all (yes, even me) thankful that she is a part of our family.

Priceless Moments...

2008-12-19T07:38:00.003-06:00

I'll start with a little background info. For the past several mornings (EARLY mornings) Samuel has been getting up before everyone else. He gets up, gets his pillow, monkey and puppies (he sleeps with these) and opens his door. He then shuts his door very loudly. He ALWAYS shuts his door when he comes out of his room (funny thing). Then, he comes into our bedroom, throws Bryan's pillow from the bed to the floor, puts his own pillow on the bed, and climbs up to lay next to me. I guess I should also say, Bryan is always gone early to train at the gym thus Sam being able to throw his pillow on the floor! Anyway, THIS morning was a little different and went as follows:

I hear Sam open then close his door. I am expecting him to come in any minute. I wait, and wait, and wait but my door never opens. I lay there for a few more minutes, curious as to WHERE he has gone but not really wanting to get out of bed to check! My mind then starts to imagine him downstairs, tearing into all the presents under the tree and I decide to GET UP! I open my door, walk a few steps to Isaiah's room where I hear movement. I peek in to see Samuel "setting up" his spot. He has his pillow on the floor, next to Isaiah's bed and is trying to position his stuffed animals. He then decides to try to get up on the bed, waking Isaiah. Isaiah says (in a sleepy voice),"Hey, Sam." Sam responds in his sleepy voice even though he's been awake for a good 20 minutes,"Hey, Isaiah." Sam climbs up on the bed and Isaiah says, "You want to lay here beside bubba?" Sam agrees but they have to lay on Sam's pillow. Isaiah covers them up and then wraps his arm around Sam and says, "I love you more than anything in the world, Sam!" Sam responds, "I love you too, Isaiah!"

My heart melted.

I let them go on a few more seconds before I sneaked in and scared the living daylights out of them. Sam had just told Isaiah that I was still asleep so they weren't expecting me at all.

This "brotherly love" must be something they can only express when they are just awaking from a sound sleep because it is not present during the day!!!

Wonderful Week...

2008-12-13T08:51:00.000-06:00

As a stay-at-home mom, I LOVE when my weeks are busy with things. Not to say that I don't stay busy most of the time but I mean, there is only so many times you can clean a house right?

On Monday the boys and I went into town a bit to watch our cousin's little girls. Cora is 2 and Amalie is 6 months old. I must say I had been looking forward to watching them ever since Becca (mommy) asked me to. I love my boys as you all know but GIRLS - YEA!!! We had such a fun time. Cora and Sam are not far apart in age so they play well together, except Sam kept calling Cora, "Becca." He finally had it straight before we left that evening. Isaiah was the "big" kid and they wanted to do whatever he did. I enjoyed cuddling with Amalie and LOVE to see her smile!!! We stayed over for dinner that night and then headed back out to our place. We LOVE having family living here in H-town with us!!!

Tuesday was Bryan's and my anniversary; 8 years! We had lunch together while the boys were in school and then I went to do some Christmas shopping. I LOVE this time of year. I admit I am one of those "crazy" people who LOVE the crowds shopping and trying to find that "perfect" gift for those on my list. I love walking in and out of stores hearing the holiday music playing over the speakers. I truly is "the most wonderful time of the year." That afternoon before I picked up the boys from school I wrapped a few presents to put under our tree. There is a present for Isaiah and a present for Sam and a few others. Isaiah walks in the door, his mouth drops open, and he says, "Is one of those mine?" I told him one of those was his and showed him witch one. He said, "Can I open it - PLEASE?" I said of course not and told him he had to wait until Christmas Day (which at this point was still 14 days away). His smile immediately turned to anger. He folded his arms across his chest and stomped up the stairs loudly (just to emphasize how angry he really was) and didn't come down for a good 20 minutes. I shouted up to him that if that was how he was going to act then I would just take the presents back to the store. No response from Isaiah but must've got Sam's attention because later as I was changing his diaper and he pleaded with me, "Mommy, pwease don't take my pwesents back to da store!" I assured him I would not.

Wednesday was a beautiful, wintry day here in Houston. It actually snowed lightly here at our house!!! Some areas east of the city got 3 and 4 inches of snow that night!!! Wish that had been us! Anyway, the boys and I met some friends at one of our favorite malls to play and have lunch. This particular friend lived in Houston when we first moved here but moved to Austin a few months ago. Her daughter, Emma Claire, is in love with Isaiah so it was too cute to see them walking through the mall hand-in-hand. Isaiah loves the attention!!!

Thursday, I had the privilege of attending a Bible Study taught by Beth Moore. Beth is one of the most gifted speakers I've ever heard. Her insight and the way she presents scripture are truly one-of-a-kind. She spoke about "Preparing for an Advent in Your Life." The scripture reference was Luke 1, speaking about Zechariah and Elizabeth and them not having been blessed with a child - YET. She was talking about prayer and reminding us that God does hear our prayers. She said the moment you pray the answer is given; the revelation may not be given but your prayer has been heard and the answer set in motion. As in Zechariah's and Elizabeth's case, the wait was wrapped up in a bigger work - John and what he was created to do. I was reminded that God's timing is perfect and the wait is always worth it! Waiting is not one of my best qualities. I'm so thankful that I'm not in control and that God is!!!

Friday's are always wonderful because this is Daddy's day off and we get him ALL day! We didn't do much but being together is enough.
That brings us to today and it will be a fun one. Isaiah gets to go to his first jiu-jitsu tournament at Daddy's gym. Sam is going to stay with a neighbor friend. This is a "Friendship Tournament" to raise money for one of the gym's members who has health issues and is in need of financial help. Yes, Daddy is competing in this tournament and we are excited to see that!

Next week promises to be busy as well with school programs and parties. Also, grandpa and grandma are coming to town for Christmas; we are very excited about that!!!

So Very Thankful...

2008-11-30T20:00:00.000-06:00

Well, Thanksgiving is over and now it's on to Christmas. Where does the time go?

We had such a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving in Lubbock, with our family. We were able to spend 4 days in Lubbock. We had Thanksgiving lunch with Bryan's parents and Mema and then Thanksgiving dinner with my parents, brother and his family.

I feel so incredibly blessed to be part of such an amazing family. My family has always been close and I always prayed that God would allow me to marry into a family that also shared this same kind of closeness. God answered that prayer when I married Bryan. My husband is the most wonderful husband in this world! He is gentle, kind, unselfish, funny, witty and the hottest pastor I know!!! He is an amazing son, husband, son-in-law, father, FRIEND. I am THANKFUL God brought him into my life. I am also THANKFUL for his family. I'm THANKFUL for the closeness we all share. My parents and my in-laws are such wonderful examples for Bryan and I and I only pray that we can be half the parents they have been to us.

I'm THANKFUL for my two precious boys. Isaiah and Samuel bring so much joy into our lives. Children truly are a blessing from the Lord. I can't imagine my life without our two little guys. They help us see things from a child's point of view and as an adult, living in this crazy world, that is a nice thing sometimes!!! I remember when Isaiah was born and the few months thereafter when I wondered if those days would ever be behind us. Isaiah was our firstborn and I won't lie, I had a tough time. Don't get me wrong, I loved him but being a new and inexperienced parent was really hard. I always thought to the future with Isaiah - when would he sleep, roll over, sit up, speak, eat REAL food, walk, etc. Of course he did all of those things and more and eventually I felt capable of being his Mommy. Then, fast forward 2 1/2 years and along comes Samuel. I had a hard time right after Samuel's birth just because I was worried about how Isaiah was feeling. I made myself think that he was sad that he wasn't getting all the attention now and that made me really sad. But, Isaiah couldn't have cared less. He loved his little brother and he was going on with his world. Once I realized this, life was much, much easier. With Samuel, all the milestones mentioned above went WAY TOO FAST. I wanted to freeze time. It seems like he was born and now here we are 2 1/2 years later and he is not our baby anymore!!! I am THANKFUL to God for all those hard times but even more THANKFUL for the wonderful boys they are growing up to be. I love them deeply and pray for them daily.

I am THANKFUL for my relationship with God because without Him NONE of the above would be possible. We were all sitting around the table with my in-laws on Thanksgiving and my father-in-law told us he wanted us all to go around the table and say what we were thankful for. Isaiah was thankful for "God," and Samuel was thankful for "Spaghetti!" They had other things they were thankful for all throughout lunch!!! When it got to me I said that I was thankful to God because although I don't deserve anything, He has given me everything I ever asked for in a husband, in-laws, and kids. This is so very true. When I think back on my past and what COULD be my life right now, I am so very THANKFUL that God had other plans. Yes, I have SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR, not only at Thanksgiving but ALWAYS!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. I also wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas season.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

2008-11-19T13:03:00.000-06:00

Isaiah has always kept us in stitches with some of the things he says and now his brother seems to be following suit!

We are slowly introducing potty training to Sam and he is doing good. He knows that if he goes in the potty he gets M&Ms. He doesn't LIVE for the M&Ms and it doesn't necessarily make him WANT to use the potty but he knows when he does go that he gets them. Today he went in the potty and said, "Mommy, you so prowd of me?" I said, "Yes, I am very proud of you punkin!" Then he said, "I get emiems now?" Of course, he did. Later in the morning I had to go potty and he came in just in time to hear me and said, "Mommy, I so prowd of you; you get emiems now!" ADORABLE!!! No, Mommy did not steal any of his reward M&Ms.

Last year in school Isaiah learned a prayer that you sing. Well, Sam heard him say it so many times that he picked it up too. This year Sam is going to school too and his little class says the same prayer. EVERY NIGHT at dinner we have to say this prayer. Sometimes we start without praying and Sam says, "Hey, we din't say da pwayer!" So then we all hold hands, bow our heads and Sam starts...

God our Fader (God our Father - we repeat each line)
Once adin (once again)
We will ask yur bwessings (We will ask Your blessings)
A-amen (Amen)

It is the cutest thing EVER. Then bubba gets to say his prayer and then we can eat!

Now on to Isaiah...

First of all, he hears EVERYTHING so we have to be very careful (as any of you with pre-schoolers know)!!! Yesterday when we got to the car after picking up the kids from school, I noticed Sam had something orange all over the bottom of his shoes. We realized a bit later that it was play-dough. It was matted in the soles of his shoes and even after getting a knife after it, it is still not all out. I was frustrated and said to Bryan, "I think I'm gonna write his teachers a note telling them that we don't pay money for nice shoes only to have them ruined at school!" I KNOW I was only venting but Isaiah didn't know that! Today we had to go to Target and I didn't let Sam wear his shoes until we got to Target because I didn't want play-dough embeded into the carpet in my car!!! I was putting Sam's shoes on as we were all getting out of the car and Isaiah said, "Don't forget to write his teachers a note saying, "We don't pay good money for shoes for you to ruin them with play-dough!"" All I could do was laugh and make a mental note NOT to take Isaiah with me to drop Sam off at his class tomorrow!!!

Another funny thing...
Isaiah is in to Iron Man, Transformers, Power Rangers, etc. One day I took Isaiah with me to Wal-Mart for a few things. I promised him we could look at the toys while we were there. We were in the toy section and looking down the isles. We found the one with all the above mentioned toys he likes and he started shaking his head up and down slowly and said, "Awe yeah, daddy's home!" I burst into laughter right then and there.

I LOVE THESE MOMENTS!!! I LOVE MY BOYS!!!

Blog #1

2008-11-13T13:01:00.000-06:00

Well, we have FINALLY joined the world of blogger's!!! I so enjoy looking at all our friends blogs and staying caught up on their lives. SO, now all our friends can keep up with us too!!! Being a stay-at-home mom, I SHOULD be able to keep this blog updated often but I'm not promising anything!!!

Here are a few recent pics of my boys! I LOVE to take pics of the boys but the older they get, the less often they are LETTING me get pics!!! Isaiah has got to be the biggest 5 year old Texas Tech fan there is!!! He loves to get decked out in his Tech gear as you can see in the picture. He really loves EVERY sport and thanks to Papa and Nana, he has just about every sport gear known to man. The problem: he thinks he HAS to be wearing a certain uniform to play a certain sport. He doesn't think you can play football if you're not wearing a football uniform, or that you can play baseball without wearing a baseball uniform. SO, he changes clothes more than the host of an awards show on television!!! Never a dull moment with Isaiah!!!

Samuel is our easy going child. It's amazing to me how two kids, from the same two parents can be SO different! Samuel likes to read, play with blocks, do puzzles...none of which Isaiah was EVER interested in!!! Samuel will play alone, while Isaiah has to have interaction with someone else at all times. Samuel will set and watch an animated show on TV while Isaiah has to BE that cartoon and act it out (most of the time ON his little brother)!!! The one thing they have in common...aggravating each other!!! I wish I could just walk around with a tape recorder that repeated, "Guys, leave each other alone," so I wouldn't have to SAY it 20 million times a day!!!

No matter how frustrated, upset, or frazzled I get, I wouldn't trade these times for ANYTHING in the world. My boys (Daddy included) mean the world to me and I thank God everyday that He has allowed me to be their wife and mother.

I hope you enjoy our site and come back to visit often!!!