Football, shoes, and an addiction...

Fall is here, and that means FOOTBALL! We went to watch the Cy Fair Bobcats play the Cy Creek Cougars. We won! Sweet Caden was there too! He is in G's class, and his mommy works with me. They were precious all night - cheering, dancing, and sharing popcorn!

Then G got some new shoes! Hans wanted him to have some Nikes so here he is sporting his new kicks! They are so cute - now with his little ankles socks to match, he looks JUST like his daddy!

I think I need a Pinterest intervention. The following pictures are things I made this weekend. My sister pinned these, and I was soon to follow. I didn't inlcude the broccoli or the parmesan cheese (used cheddar instead). YUM.

Hans bought a smoker a couple weeks ago, and it's awesome! Today, he smoked a chicken. It was so good! To add to our yummy meal, I made these potatoes (thanks to Pinterest). Easy. Delish. Yum.

Pinterest is NOT helping the healthy eating. These cookies might be the best I've ever made. Again, so easy!!

And my OCD. Pinterest is making it worse. I saw this amazing pantry there, and I wanted to try something similar. While I know mine is NOTHING compared to this one, I do love how organized all of our junk is. And, I can finally see the floor! It's pretty exciting, y'all! Thanks to Target and IKEA for the organizational materials :)

So between Pinterest, football, and cooking, we had a great weekend! And those of you out there on Pinterest, stop pinning cute, delicious, and adorable things! I'm out of control :)

HAPPY FALL!

Potty Training 101

Before I talk about the fun that is potty training, here is a little glimpse into our lazy weekend! We spent some time with the Odells (Hansio's best friend and family) to do this season's picks for Fantasy Survivor. We're serious about this, people...there's a lot on the line - free babysitting, free dinners, etc...! Here is Baby Ryan (his forever nickname from G) trying to hitch a ride home with us. I also love Reed in the window!

Baby Ryan and his buddy watching a little Rio.

So let's talk potty training...OH WHAT FUN (insert sarcasm here and if your child was potty trained in less than 24 hours when they were 12 months old, congrats to you. This, however, has not been our case). G will be oh so pleased that I put this picture on here :)

Potty Training 101:

1. Buy wine and keep it on hand.

2. Stock up on your child's favorite snack (in our case, it's jelly beans).

3. Let your BFFs/sister with toddlers know you will call or text... A LOT.

4. When your child rocks the potty training at school but will not (for the love of GOD) pee pee at your house, repeat steps #1 and #3.

And the best (and serious) rule of all....

WAIT UNTIL YOUR CHILD IS READY. Do not force him, yell at him, or cry (too hard). It is YOUR child, and you will find out what works for him. G is a smart kid, and I know he will do this perfectly when he is ready.

(and as I type this....he is getting into a routine and doing so well.)

As tough as this new adventure has been, I have calmed down a bit and learned a lot from him. Look, he even went to HEB with Daddy in his big boy underwear! Small steps....small, itty bitty steps.

And to quote my lifesaver for the week (Lori Kay): "don't you love it when you cry before 7am?"

Yes, I do, LK, and I am so thankful you listened. Sweet G - we are in this together! Love you, sweet boy. I'm with you all the way.

Heroes and Friends

We spent most of our weekend in Humble to celebrate AJ's birthday! Just as this weekend is about remembering 9/11, we remembered the sacrifice AJ's dad made for all of us while fighting for our freedom. AJ has some really amazing parents, and we were SO happy to be there to celebrate him and have some fun! An added plus...Kiki came too!

CAKE!

GIG' EM :)

GIG' EM right back at ya!

My amazing friend, Ivonne! A great hostess....

Water fun! (We laughed because these two were connected at the hip. If they separated, they were calling for each other. I love how close they are)

Someone loves his Mi-Maw!

PRESENTS!

And yet another "gig 'em!"
Man, we make smart boys in this family. Gig 'em, Kiki!

This morning while watching the memorials on TV, Griffin caught a glimpse of the American flag and started reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. We made him do it again, of course, to get it on video. Love the "amen" at the end.

Ten years ago this week, a family friend passed away so I was at my parents' the night of 9/11 to head to the funeral with them the next day. I spent that entire night sitting on their couch with my Dad in his blue recliner watching all the news coverage and talking with him about it. It's hard to imagine that in 10 years our world has changed so much as my Dad passed just 6 months later. But, despite the horrible events, I'm glad I was able to talk about it all with the wisest man I know. I miss you, Dad, and know you are taking good care of all of those we lost that day.

Never forget. And to Anthony and family, we love you and thank you for our freedom.

Almost 3!

We are getting into our everyday routine! School is slowing down a bit, football is starting (gig 'em), and party planning is underway! Can you believe this little dude is going to be 3 in just one month??

Cheese! I'm 3! Or...wait....

I am 2 now....but 3 is around the corner!

There ya go!

Today is the Aggies' season opener! We got ready by throwing the football around and practicing our GIG EMs and WHOOPs!