sooo close!

OK, so football is SO close. As I sit here working in my closet/office I can hear Keith watching highlights of training camp and interviews. I actually missed a Tony Romo interview the other night! That is the best part, I love to get to know the players. It makes the game much more enjoyable when the team doesn't seem like a bunch of thugs. I am so glad that we moved here because now we get to see everything Cowboys on TV. I remember Keith and I were shocked the first time we saw a Cowboys bit on the local news, we were like "this is so COOL!!!" When you live near the team it is always on TV and so it is easy to get pumped up for the season.

So I guess I didn't really have anything to write about except that for some reason I am VERY excited for football season. I think it has something to do with all the changes that are taking place. New QB, new coach, new regime, should make for an interesting if not awesome season. I feel bad for Keith who has been waiting for a good season for over 10 years! I have only been waiting for 6! Keith says that makes me a good fan though because I have never like them when they were really good, except for that brief stint with Quincy Carter where we all got our hopes up.

This just in...

Natalie has informed me that her name is now "Shoe Fix", I am just guessing at the spelling here people. It took me long enought to decifer what she was saying, Nat...I mean Shoe Fix is not the greatest at saying the F sound. So, we shall see how long this lasts, as of right now she won't answer to Natalie. I will keep you all posted!

OK... one more today.

We have a fan in the corner of the living room that we have always had out. For some reason the other day Brady discovered that this fan actually does something. So he stood there and was cracking up as he let the fan blow on his face. He was opening his mouth every time the fan rotated back onto him, like he was trying to catch the wind. It was just too funny, the kid was laughing SO hard. And of course Natalie had to come and see what all the commotion was about, so she joined in too!

Sibling love!

Keith got some cute pictures of the kids. Brady looks like a different kid without his gangly teeth showing! And of course Natalie can never just smile for the camera (I wonder where she got that from...).

My manly man!

So Brady loves to carry things around in his hands. He will find the smallest piece of any toys and just carry it around. He especially loves the small parts to Natalie's ponyville toys or his little screwdriver from his GO Cars. He has also discovered that he can drape things on his arms and carry them around, we have a few book sets that have handles that work well for this purpose. But, being that this a house with females, we also have a bunch of purses laying around. On Sunday Brady found, of course, the girliest, frilliest purse that we have (we actually have 2 so Nat and Brady can match-thanks Grandma Lori!) and carried it around. It is a pretty funny sight, he will drape it over his forearm and hold his hand out like a little lady. He also swings his arm when he walks so overall it creates quite an image!

2 weeks and counting!

Keith and I are getting very excited for the game. It seems like forever since the Superbowl and we are both ready for football season to get up and running again. We watched the training camp opener on T.V. and that was good to get us even more pumped up. It is fun to see all the players, it helps me to get more in to each season.

Meanwhile we are just busy packing and getting ready to move. We move on the 4th and Jason and Erin are coming in on the 2nd. It is going to be a busy few weeks in the Bowers house! In between all the packing and unpacking we are going to try to do some fun things with the whole group. We will be sure to take many pictures.

For those of you unfamiliar with the random names I throw out, here are some pictures to put faces with names. Plus I just wanted to post this pic of Erin because I thought she looked so beautiful at her graduation!

From left to right: Sisters Emily and Erin, Mom Lani, and Step dad Vern

Keith's brother Jason with the kids

My kind of article...

I got home from a day out with Natalie (we went to IKEA and the Wiggles Play Center) and Keith had left this article up on the computer for me. He knows I love things like this. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/072507dnspocowlede.3339767.html

How can you not love these guys!

Pictures

Nothing exciting is going on here except for trying to find time to read the new Harry Potter so I was looking through all of our old pictures that are on the computer. I found some really cute ones that I thought everyone would enjoy. I know it is a lot but as I started looking through I couldn't stop myself. It actually brings tears to my eyes when I see how much they have grown. I just can't believe it!

This is one of my favorites of Natalie. This used to be her "signature look" when she was a little over 12 months.

These need no explanation, they are just plain cute!

My itty, bitty, orange baby!

I can't believe Brady was ever this tiny!

Happy babies!

I hope my kids always love each other this much!

Swimming

It has been really hot here lately so Keith and I finally decided we should drag ourselves down to the pool so the kids can have some fun. Natalie is a lot more brave about swimming this year, she will go off on her own with just a little innertube to hold her up. Brady, on the other hand, is a little timid in the water. The whole time we were in the pool he whines and moans, unless dad goes under water, and then he will crack up. I don't have any recent pics of swimming, but last summer we went to a childrens water park thing and the kids had a blast. The pictures turned out pretty cute. It is crazy how much they can change in one year.

starting him young

Brady can't talk and this has been very worrisome for us. He can only say small words like mama, dada, and not much else. He kind of says thank you also. Today Brady learned a new word...football. Of course it sounds more like bu ba, but we will take it!

YAY...

...our football tickets came in the mail today! We are so excited that we finally get to go to a cowboys game (Keith has gone before so I guess I may be little more excited) together. As soon as I found out that the Cowboys were playing the Colts I begged (seriously, I begged) Keith to surprise me with tickets. Of course, because he is the BEST HUSBAND EVER, he did, and he even bought 4 so we could take friends. We are going with Natalie and Keith's younger brother Jason, luckily enough my sister will also be in town to babysit Brady for us.

I seriously cannot contain my excitement, I am such a dork. Keith thinks it is no big deal because it is just a preseason game and it doesn't matter. I think it is totally awesome because it is a real live football game and we get to see THE Peyton Manning. I told Keith it will be perfect because all three of my boyfriends will be in the same place at the same time, Keith (of course my number 1), Tony Romo (also Natalie's player of choice), and the multi-talented Peyton Manning (I love his commercials, so funny and so cute). I guess I am also excited to see a live game, but you can bet we have our binoculars! :)

Anywho, it should be a great time and you can bet I will tell all about it. Hopefully Natalie has a great time too and doesn't get too tired, we shall see.

Baby Talk

Keith told me that tonight during story time him and Nat were reading a Curious George book and Natalie made the comment that Curious George, "he gets into stuff, just like Brady!" I thought this was pretty funny because this is so true. We can't keep Brady out of anything. He walks around the apartment going from one forbidden thing to the next (from the DVDs to the fan to the front door to the kitchen to the toilet to the garbage can, etc.)

I guess I was impressed by her observation because this is the first time she has ever made a link like that between the characters she sees and real life. She is growing so fast and her mind is getting sharper every day. Sometimes I forget this, she makes sure I don't forget for long!

Playgroup

So, this morning I dragged myself out of bed after 4 hours of sleep so that I could take Natalie to the ward playgroup. We haven't made it to the playgroup in months, and that was when I wasn't working until 3 a.m., so I am very proud of myself as a parent for bucking up so she could go.

I knew I had to take her when I found out what we were doing... we toured one of the many local fire stations. Natalie is in love with firetrucks, really any big truck, but firetrucks are big and red and noisy so they are even better. Needless to say we had a great time.

Nat got to watch one of the firemen put on all his gear, take a tour of the truck -inside and out, and spray water from a hose. She was being very sweet and pretending to be shy, she was 1 of the only 2 girls there. It was cool also because they got a call while we were there so the kids were able to see the truck drive away lights flashing and siren going. On the way home we actually saw the truck at the side of the road at the scene of an accident(not a bad one-thank goodness).

I could tell she was taken with the fireman-I mean she let him pick her up and help her down out of the truck, and she never even looks at strangers let alone let them TOUCH HER-so I made sure to get a picture.

Natalie and Firefighter Gaver

for the grandparents

Because my children have no grandparents (or family for that matter) in the immediate area I decided I will post some of the random, cute, insignificant things that they do on here so that said grandparents can see what they are missing and maybe be guilted into coming to visit. :)

Here is my first of many:

Natalie has become very creative lately in her play. She has finally realized that she has toys and has started playing with them. The other day she decided to play restaurant. She created a whole spread and was even taking orders. (I had the cheese sandwich with broccoli on the side) She actually played with this stuff for the better part of a day! This does not happen with old toys. The only toys that get played with, without being first suggested, are new toys. So Keith and I were very excited to see Natalie using her imagination and actually playing on her own. --when we could actually keep Brady off her "table"!

fun at the park

A while back we went to the park and we had some fun with the camera. It was a beautiful day and not too hot so it was perfect for running around. Keith is going to kill me for posting these pictures, but they are just too fun! Even Natalie caught some air! Brady was still unable to walk so he and I just laughed and took pictures of silly Daddy and Natalie. All in all a great day!

I think every child does this at one time or another...

Quick Family Update

I have decided that I will not try and backtrack to update everyone on what has gone on in the past on this blog. It would take too much time to do it fully so I will just give a brief summary of recent important events. The kids have gotten bigger, Brady is walking-but not talking, Natalie acts like she is 13 instead of 3, Keith lost his job and I gained mine, and we just got shafted out of our dream rental home so we instead signed an 18 month lease on a larger apartment (with a view of a lake!) that will take us through law school. That about sums it up.

Here are some cute past photos, that I may or may not have shared already. Enjoy!