Happy 2nd Birthday to My Boys!

The boys turned 2 today...Easter Sunday! I have a precious 2 year old boy in heaven and a busy toddler here with me. We celebrated Gabe's b-day on Saturday. We had a party here at the house and rented a jump house. I think it was a big hit!
When the jump house arrived Gabe kept looking out the window and saying "dump" and then pointing to himself. "Es, Es, Es!" He had lots of friends and family come to celebrate his birthday with him. He loves Bob the Builder and any construction trucks so we had a Tonka party. All week when asked what he was getting for his birthday he would say, "cupcake." So I ordered a 24 cupcake "cake" from a local store with a construction scene. My dad went to pick it up for us and they could not find our order. Well that's because they were looking for cupcakes. So instead of a cupcake "cake" we got a real cake (The cake was cute given it wasn't what we ordered.) but it was only a 1/4 sheet, which serves 15 people max. We had about 30 people here. The store did give us the cake for free and some extra cupcakes so it worked out. They even put a cupcake on top of the cake. So Gabe got his cupcake afterall.
I think that's the first time we ever finished off an entire cake. I hope everyone got a piece. :)

He had so much fun playing with his friends! He even kissed his friend Ellie when she was leaving. So sweet!
And Gabe got lots of presents. Last year I copied my friend Leilanni and decided to ask people to not bring gifts. At that time Gabe had plenty of toys and really didn't need anything. Well, I caught a lot of flack for that last year and since he is older and understands more about what is going on I decided I wouldn't "deprive" him. Well boy did he get presents! Oh MY! Lots and Lots of gifts.

Well 2 is a big one...but I guess they all are! He has grown so much just in the last 2 weeks even! Everyday he shocks me with a new discovery, word or funny thing he does! He jabbers a lot while he's playing on his own and seems to always have a smile on his face.
We have tried to teach him to pray before every meal and so now he even reminds me sometimes. We'll be sitting there and he'll put his hands together and say, "pwaaayy?" My parents, Nana and Papo kept him last Friday for a little bit so I could get some birthday shopping done and they said when they sat down for lunch he reminded them to pray and then 4 more times while they were eating wanted to pray again. :) So sweet!

Casey and I can't believe it has been 2 years since our boys came into this world and one of them ascended to heaven. When we think back to that day and the week to follow it seems so surreal. I will never forget Casey sitting next to me and holding Nathaniel while they delivered Gabriel. I remember seeing tears in his eyes and a look on his face of overwhelment...not just of being a daddy for the first time, holding his child for the first time, but also grief that this child would not be here with us for very long. He was trying to take it all in. And then the doctors came over with Gabriel and told us to kiss him before they took him to the NICU. That was the last time the boys were together alive. There are no pictures of them together outside of the womb. I'm slowly getting over that.
Casey is such a good daddy. He slept hardly at all those next few days in the hospital. We kept Nathaniel all night and placed him in a bassinett the next morning and watched as a nurse rolled him away. While Casey wanted to be there with me to support me in my overwhelming grief, he wanted to be with Gabe in the NICU worse. And I wanted him there with Gabriel. So he spent hours on end in the NICU and then would come back and tell me about him. He really encouraged me to go up to see Gabe with him. It wasn't that I didn't want to but I was having a hard time recovering from my C-section and the pain medicine they were giving me was making me sick. But when I did finally get up there the evening after the boys were born it was the most precious moment. This child, though he did not know it, would provide Casey and I with a reason to get up every day and provide us with the most incredible sense of appreciation of life and of our Father in heaven. That amidst the most painful experience of our entire lives, it would also be the most joyous. March 23, 2006...the best and worst day of our lives. Thank you, Lord for providing us with the most precious boys in the world! I know they are not ours, but Yours and I pray I am a good steward of this blessing of motherhood you have bestowed upon me.

Singing in the Rain!...well just playing actually.

It was raining today if you hadn't noticed. When Case got home we decided to get our rain gear on and play in the front yard. He didn't mind standing in the rain which I was surprised, after his reaction to the snow...and by the way it is almost midnight and it is still raining. But here are some cute pics. of Gabe playing in the rain. Case has showed him how to pick the berries off of our bushes (don't ask me why). :) Hopefully he'll also teach him not to eat them.

Easter Eggstravaganza

The Highschool down the street had an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday. They also had jumphouses and a REAL Helicopter. WOW! We had such a fun day! Gabe likes planes and helicopters but did not want to touch a real helicopter. He just kept staring at it but didn't want us to get too close.

Snow Day

It snowed in Texas! Can you say, Shut Up? Oh my goodness. This reminded me so much of our winters in Chicago! I always used to LOVE the very first snowfall! It's so pure, white and beautiful. Of course in Chicago it would just keep snowing and would be cold for what felt like forever.
We had so much fun playing in the snow! Casey and I had a snowball fight while Gabe watched. Gabe did not like the snow...at least not enough to get in the snow. He would not touch it or walk in it, even though he had shoes, double socks and double pants on. (we fully anticipated rolling around in the snow, hence all the double layers).

But ever since it snowed he looks on the ground (no matter where we are) and says "noh." It took me a bit at first to figure this out but he holds his hands out to his sides palms up as if asking a question and says, "noh?" I finally said, "Oh the snow." "Jes." "All the snow melted." This is not a concept that 2 year olds understand because he is still asking about the "noh" and it has been a week now. :)

I just love that little boy. Lord, how could you have blessed me with such a sweet, bright, precious little boy? I'm so humble by the calling to be this little boy's mother. Thank you, Jesus!