Caroline 11 Months...

Sweet Girl! the love i feel for caroline simply takes my breath away. she is a radiant light...a true and simple joy in my life. My heart actually hurts when i think about her upcoming 1st Birthday in just a month. If your first child's first year of life goes by quickly, your second child's first year of life literally FLIES BY, don't blink......sometimes painstakingly so, because, its honestly not as "leisurely" as it was with Trey, and for that I do feel guilty. I turn around and every day caroline is doing something new, something she wasn't doing the day before. She is a quick learner, probably by watching every move of her brother. For instance, yesterday she had her first taste of a cheerio. A cheerio. It made her smile and proud of herself as she carefully concentrated on picking them up, one by one,  ever so carefully with her dainty little thumb and pointer finger...i just want to press pause. I've been thinking about her "Top 10 at 1" and its hard to just list 10 as she simply loves so much! I am busy planning her 1st Birthday Party! Changing it up a little. Since its July 5th and bc she LOVES being around other kids I"m going to throw her a "Butterfly Garden" 1st Birthday Party with her playgroup and my mommy friends. I am so excited and can't wait to have some fun with her friends and mine!

same pic, just playing with different instagram options. my beautiful, happy girl.

Trey's 10 Favorites at age 3

1. DADDY. It's interesting how relationships evolve, isn't it? I have watched their relationship blossom over the past year and in half. For so long Trey was such a Momma's Boy and in many respects he still is...however, Daddy is at the top and its a beautiful love. Wherever Michael is, Trey follows. They are buddies and its amazing to see how much Trey respects and admires his daddy, his "snuggle me up" buddy.
2. FAMILY: It sounds "cliche" but Trey really loves just being with me, daddy, + caroline. he has def. come out of his shell socially, however, he is not a child who needs or wants alot of kids around. Trey does best and enjoys other children best one on one. He really enjoys just hanging out with us and being together. If one parent is taking  him somewhere he will say, "you coming too, right mama" or "caroline she come too"...he is most himself and comfortable when its just us...
3. JACK B. is Trey's first "real" friend. Jack B. is the first friend Trey really enjoys being around, the first friend he talks about, the first friend he wants to come over to the house, the first friend he mentions to go to the lake with, "I promise I share with him, Mommy" :) the first friend he is protective of and its a mutual love. Jack B. is the ying to Trey's yang...a little more mature, a larger vocabulary, and Trey really picks up on these things and says, "Well, Jack B says......" its really cute.
4. CAROLINE: Trey loves his sister. He is quite protective of her and is always telling her things, " thats not for you, thats "da-j-rous" honey" or '' make a better choice"...he enjoys her company and wants her to sleep in his room :) He also enjoys feeding her...
5. OUTDOORS: Anything related to physical, outdoor activity is where it is at for mr. mjc III. He is full of energy and enjoys nature and most activities. He loves riding his balance bike, enjoying swim lessons and loved his gymnastic classes...i have tried playing a little soccier or throwing the baseball but it isn't too keen on these activities right now.
6. SMALL TOYS: Buzz Light Year ( saved his money and bought himself), Lightening McQueen and Mater ( hasn't seen the movie, just a little much for him right now), A toy hamster Maria bought him, and if we can't find one of them it is a total disaster as he gets so upset until we do.
7. PLAYING PRETEND: This is probably the biggest "leap" i've seen in Trey over the past year. He plays with his "small toys" "friends" all by himself. Talking to them, making up stories, taking bathroom breaks, "momma, lightening mcqueen needs to go potty and me too"! Or he loves pretending he is in a marching band and playing with all his instruements.
8.TV: Trey has always enjoyed TV...more than I prefer, however i'm not against TV just certain programs/movies. So I enjoy letting him watch things like "Veggie Tales" which is probably his favorite right now, "winnie the pooh, max and ruby, mike the knight( a new one on nick that is also his favorite right now), Little Bill and Calloui. others that he likes that i could certainly do without : fresh beat band, dora ( although he is def. liking dora/diego less)
9. BOOKS/Blue "Blankie"/RIDING WITH THE WINDOW DOWN: Trey loves reading and being read to. We read stories over and over and over ....that now when i try to skip parts he says "Momma, read the words" :) Guess I can't fool him anymore. Trey loves his "blankie" its a comfort thing. Trey loves riding in the car with the window down. I only allow it on our street and he constantly says "we are on our steet roll it down"!
10. LAKEHOUSE/Lightening McQueen Car: Trey ask us on a weekly basis if we are going to the lakehouse. He enjoys our time there very much and so do we.  He told us, "i like "ah-stin" bettr"....he also has his car at lake that he spends hours riding he loves it!

Things Trey Does not like:
1. Eating: Trey could care less about food of any kind. Getting him to eat meals is probably the most unpleasant part of my day! Just not on his list of "to-dos".....
2. Loud noises...vacumm, hairdryer...etc.
3. clowns or people dressed up in costumes example: chuckie cheese
4.bandaids, lotion, spray on sunscreen

Houston Arboretum

 we loaded up the kids before it got too hot, which in Houston means you better do something outdoors before 9:30AM or its too hot already! I have been wanting to  go to the Arboretum for a while and Trey just loved it. Bugs and Turtles and a rope course. We of course had to start off with our "map". Trey sits down and really takes it all in and then points to a section and says "take me there"! and off we went. Caroline was a super trooper taking in all in from her stroller! Thanks Honey, for always  going along for the ride. Momma appreciates it more than you know.

thinking we found "something" but we didn't.

snack break!

always making sure Momma isn't too far behind...

Turtles galore! They would come right up to the edge...people must feed them alot...

He Loved the ropes!

perfect place for my climber!

Then we went inside for some more fun and AC!!!!

Memorial Weekend at the Lake: 2012

Trey showing the huge wasp he caught, it was dead of course! he was quite the outdoors enthusiast this weekend catching bugs and using binoculars...

Honey being Happy!

Birthday Flowers...

My best friend, Allison, brought me these GORGEOUS flowers for my birthday along with a photo framed of us and our two girls, Annabelle + Caroline who are only 4 months apart. The flowers lasted an entire week and I was happy to see them every morning.

Flowers from my 3 loves...

flowers from HEB and I adore them. Just don't know what they are!!!!