Bunkbeds!

We've finally joined the ranks!  Who would have known this would be such a big deal in our lives, but it sure is! 

Yep, you guessed it...the Bunkbeds arrived today!  YAHOO!! 

What this translates to is a lot of cleaning, rearranging furniture, assembling furniture and letting the kids help without getting in the way!  Most importantly though, Big D, our middle son is getting a Big Boy Bed!  YEA!!

The Big Guy Lowe did a great job building!

But he did have some help...

Once the beds were completely built, we made them with matching bedding to what G already had!  Pretty exciting!!

Once the beds were made, the boys came in to do the only thing left to do...make a fort!!

They were pretty happy with their results!

Grammie Lowe came over to inspect the new beds and to provide a lap for our youngest to sit in and get some love.

Then it was time for bed...and the boys were looking forward to it!  Exciting times!!!

These boys do seem to be growing up pretty fast though...love these boys!

A bit of a blur...

January seems to be somewhat fuzzy when I look back on it.  Back in November I had some doctor's visits that caused a bit of a stir in my life.  January was the continuation of that stir.

A surgeon needed to be found and The Big Guy Lowe and I were actively looking for the right doctor.  It was so interesting...we had spoken with many good doctors, but when we met Dr. Lee we knew he was the one.  Timing of surgery dates worked out perfectly and all of a sudden it was the day.

Yes, I was nervous, but I was also confident that all would be well.

Grammy HB was over at our home early in the morning so we could leave by 7AM.  I had just told the boys that I had a doctor appointment that morning and that daddy would be going with me.  I didn't want them worrying about me throughout the day...especially our oldest who is very aware.

All went well with the surgery.  I was pretty sick after and don't remember most of that day.  I slept alot and did my best to follow the doctor's recommendations.  The Big Guy Lowe was the most wonderful and helpful sweetheart I could have ever wished for.  He helped me with everything as I was pretty helpless for a few days and then needed regular help throughout the next few weeks.  I love you babe.  I hope you know how incredibly dear you are to me...my love.

We had wonderful friends that brought over meals and even desserts!! (Pineapple upside-down cake, oh my!)  My mom brought meals over that would be easy to take out of the freezer and both Grammy HB and Grammie Lowe have been wonderful about watching the kids as we have had many check-ups since the surgery.

So the rest of January?  Yes, it's a blur.  A blur of doctor's appointments, help from my greatest love, and support and love from wonderful friends and family. 

Thank you all.

Never fear, nerf guns are near!

While I was recovering from my surgery a few days earlier, the boys were out having a great time with their dad.  I'm excited for the memories that our boys will have of time spent with their father.  The Big Guy Lowe always seems to be having fun with the boys, and that makes me so happy.  How can it not, I love all of them more than any words could express.  So when I heard strange noises coming from the garage, I hobbled with my camera to try and find out what was happening.

This is what I found!

Never did Star Wars cross nerf guns with such power!

Once they headed outside, the masks came off though.  We've all wondered how the Clone Troopers actually saw through those things as our boys only thought they obstructed their views.  Hmmmm, something to ponder.

Their leader was out helping them load their ammunition as they ran through the neighborhood.

Yes, a man's work is never done when nerf guns are near by.

Have I mentioned how much I love this man?

Duet

I wish I could have taken this picture as I saw it before the boys realized I was there.

These two little guys were sitting side-by-side playing nicely on the piano.  Every now and then one would look over to see what the other was doing and then go back to their own playing.  Cute brothers.

First day of the year on bikes at the park

Oh beautiful sunshine!

I really shouldn't complain as this year has been quite mild as far as rain goes, but boy, when the sun does come out I just feel like shouting loud and happy!  So, to celebrate, we decided to head to the school with some bikes and a few balls to see what we could make of the day!

While our oldest is an 'old pro' at the two-wheeler...

Our second son is just getting the hang of it, and needs a little help now and then.

He did a pretty good job for the first time riding his bike this year!

Once we arrived at the school yard, we brought out the basketball and shot some hoops.

Our oldest getting a high-5 after making a shot!

Our youngest was not to be out-done though, and found the soccer ball to run around with.

After some time on the court, we headed to the playground.

While this may not look like a huge accomplishment, I just cheered our little guy on.  This was the first time he was able to climb up the stairs without our help.  He was so happy!  He's grown a lot since last year!!

YEA for Progress!!!!

After playing for awhile here, we headed over to the field to try our hand at playing kick-ball for the first time as a family!

(On our way there a few planes were pointed out)

(What can I say, I think my kids are cute!)

Now to Kickball!

 We laughed.  We cried!  What a game!

After something that exciting, the only thing to do was

Swing!

Swinging always makes things better!

Can you see my smile as I'm writing this?  :)

The street we live on...

So much happens out in front of our home.  We love where we live.  We are blessed to have a beautiful home, wonderful neighbors, and boys that get to play together!  Life is good (not perfect)!

Today we started out in the garage...  (did you notice that our youngest was wearing a ski helmet?  Yep, we're all about safety!)

Then we moved down to the street.

Do you see a pattern in these pictures?

I was just laughing and laughing as I watched our youngest son follow his next older brother everywhere he went!  I think our middle son thought it was pretty great having his younger brother so excited about what he was doing!  Maybe next time he'll head out on his two-wheeler and see how fast his brother can keep up then!!  Just love these boys!

Adventures in Mouths

All the boys went to the dentist today.  Because of some concerns we have for our middle son's teeth, we chose a pediatric dentist that is also an orthodontist.  Hopefully this will make things easier for all of us in the long run--even though neither the Big Guy Lowe nor I have ever had braces...we're just trying to be proactive!

What a day we had!

Our oldest started out in the chair.  He was so brave.  It also helped that our dental hygenist was WONDERFUL!!!

He set such a great example for his brothers! 

Next was our middle son.  He loved seeing how everything worked.  The straw that magically sucked up the water was his favorite!

And last was our youngest son.  He wasn't convinced that this was the place for him.  Thankfully, The Big Guy Lowe rose to the occasion (as he always does!!) and sat in the chair with him.

We kept his first visit very easy without anything negative.  Next time maybe he'll open his mouth.  As for this visit, the stuffed animal was the only one to get his teeth cleaned!

What a great visit we had.  Dr. Neil was wonderful and Adventure Dental created a great experience for our kids to remember.  Now if only I could be so brave when it comes to dental work...maybe next time!  :)

One fish, Two fish, Three fish, Four...

So, fish.  From the first day we put them in their new home, the boys were excited to watch the fish explore their new surroundings.  We started with four neon tetras, three fancy guppies, one gold platy, and a danio.  Hmmm, I'm impressed I remember what fish we had.

Opps, did you catch that?  I said had.

One of the main reasons we decided to get fish was because of their low-maintenance reputation.  We made sure to follow all the instructions the pet store gave us.  All I can say is I'm glad the fish came with a 15 day guarantee--because we made good use of it!!

If, by chance, a fish were to expire, we were told to place it is a clear, plastic baggie in the freezer and return it with the receipt that corresponded to its purchase.  So that's what we did.

**Warning**
frozen, expired fish in the next photo...

Can you believe it?  We had fish croaking left and right starting the first day!  At first the boys were a bit bothered by it, but then they started racing downstairs to check to see if we had any more dead fish!  It became an "I spy" type of activity!

So, as of today, we are the proud owners of five fish.  Yes, I said five.

We have one, lone neon tetra,

 two remaining fancy guppies (one shown below), one platy and our newest addition...

a cool, but shy algae eater.

Our house is now complete...until the next trip to the pet store!

Did I mention that the boys are already planning when they will get a 55 gallon tank?  Who would've known our 10 gallong tank would be considered small so quickly!!

Big D is now a Sunbeam!

Today was a big day for the Lowe family!  It was the first day of church in the new year, which means each of the boys move up a year in classes!  The boys were looking so handsome for church.

                                             

Our middle son, big D, officially started Primary as a Sunbeam at Church.  No longer does he get to enjoy the company of his wonderful Nursery Leaders, but he gets to go into the "big class" where he can see his oldest brother!  He was so excited, and so were we!!  Congrats Sweetheart!

Happy New Year 2010!

Another year.  2009 was packed with many experiences and a great deal of growth for all of us!  Hopefully we'll be able to ride 2010 as well...through the ups and downs of it all!

Ringing in the new year is still a somewhat quiet affair in our home.  The Big Guy Lowe and I are always just back from our Anniversary get away--because of that we don't worry too much about the specifics of the midnight hour--as long as we share a kiss we feel we're doing our part to celebrate.  The boys are still young enough to be soundly asleep as fireworks are going off, car horns honking and neighbors cheering in the new year.

But, when the boys do wake up, we make sure we celebrate too!  We brought out our "poppers" and all yelled "Happy New Year!"

The "pop" always takes a bit of getting used to!

A cute bunch of boys and a fun mess to make!

To continue making the New Year fun, we decided it was the right time to complete our family Christmas gift!  It was time to head to the pet store...and pick out our fish!  We had set up the tank on Christmas Eve day, the boys had picked out all the fish paraphernalia, and then we had to hurry up and wait for the tank water to become healthy for the future fish.  That was pretty disappointing, but we did it.

Later in the day, we had a scrumptous Ribeye roast--cooked to perfection (if I do say so myself).  We also made our yummy gruyere potato strata, my parents made the veggies (thank you!), Jaymee made two kinds of rolls, and my mother-in-law made a wonderful dessert!  It was such an enjoyable meal, starting the year with family that we love.  Good food and good people--you just can't beat that combination!

Overall, we are excited to start 2010.  Who knows what's in store for us this year, but we do know we can face anything as long as we do it together, as a family, and with the Lord. 

That's also an unbeatable combination.

Happy 2010!