The Frozen Party

As you know from earlier this week, my Little Lady Love turned 2 this past "Twos-day" (sorry, couldn't help it), and so we celebrated! Her party was originally supposed on to be on Sunday, but alas, Mommy came down with a (what could only be described as violent) stomach flu last weekend, and so some rescheduling was necessary. Since Twos-day was her real birthday anyway, no matter, no mind!

When sitting down to plan this party, there was only one option, and that was FROZEN. At the time, we were singing the songs, watching the movie, and playing with the toys CONSTANTLY (that obsession has since turned to Tangled, but Frozen colors matched my dining room better I digress). Hence, we went Frozen-crazy this week for our sweet Brynnie-doll (she would have it no other way!)...

Cake pops for "friends at school" courtesy of Jenny's Cakes and Baked Goods.
They tasted even better than they looked (or so I found out when I stole a piece from Brynne heard).


 

Happy 2nd Birthday, My Sweet Little Lady Love!

It has been a long time since I've been here, for that I apologize. I have returned today to wish the littlest love of my life the HAPPIEST of Second Birthdays!!

There was one chance for Brynne Irene to come into this world, and God gave a precious gift to her and to me when he brought her to our family. I have longed for the chance to share a mother-daughter bond since ever I can remember, and now that I have it, I never forget how blessed I am to have this sweet child in my life.

You are everything I ever wanted, my Baby Brynne. You amaze and delight me every single day.

I love you more than I ever knew possible, and I always, ALWAYS will.

My Beautiful Birthday Princess at 10 days old, 1 year old, and 2 years old.
I never tire of that smile!

Love,
Mommy

A Mouska-Party!

Since you read this blog religiously (hahaha), you know that Brady's 3rd birthday was the 20th. We had his Very Mickey Mouse Birthday Party this past Sunday, and all of his favorite people were in attendance! He had a Mouska-cake and was wearing a Mouska-shirt to match. Little Sis even dressed up like Minnie! His favorite snacks were on the menu (meatballs, soft pretzels and fruit), and he got a mountain of lavish gifts from his super-generous grandparents and others.

 

Too hungry to wait for people arrive to dig into the food.
It's his party and he can eat before everyone gets there if he wants to!

Meanwhile, Minnie Mouse stole the Birthday Boy's new squirt bottle and lunch box.
Baby's first crime: petty theft.
Good thing she has a good lawyer.

The spread, Brady's faves.
Except for the broccoli.

"Ny Bipday Potty!"

A Mouska-Cake, aka Brady's Dream Come True.
The boy loves cake.
A taste likely acquired in-utero.

I call this one "Pensive Brady"
A photo caught mid-whine.
He wanted that cake.

"Cake! Please!"

Ha Ha!
Incidentally, this one is "Classic Brady."

So excited!

Guests!
And one of them brought a new bike!
Thanks Pawpaw and Grandma Lewis!

Brady's new favorite seat in the house.

Baby Minnie REALLY wants to get on that bike.
Those little legs just aren't long enough yet!

So excited to see Mickey!

And the Captain salutes!

"Gaga! Gaga! Gaga"
When One is upset, One chants for One's Gaga over and over and OVER again.
Or so says the law in Brynne's Kingdom.

 

Time for "pennants"!

His very own iPad mini!
Thank YOU Gaga and Pop!

A DVD player for the car and some DVDs.
The next long car ride will be peaceful thanks to Gaga and Pappy!

DVDs!



Thanks "Aunt Cortee!"

Time to get that cake out.

 

 

 

And after the cake, back to the bike.

It's impossible to hold her off for too long.
She's gotta ride!

"Ny pad! Ny pad!"
When not on his new bike, you'll find him on his pad!

 

As the Mouse would say "That was REALLY fun!"

I can't believe my baby boy is already THREE years old!

Happy Birthday Brady Daniel!

Happy THIRD Birthday today to my sweet, golden, PERFECT baby boy. Every day with you brings so much joy and so much gratitude to my heart. You are the child for whom we prayed in some of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world, to put into words how much I adore you and how much I marvel at your every move isn't possible.

There is nothing I'd rather do today than celebrate you, my firstborn, my son, my mini-me.

The purest love of my life.

Love,

Mommy

He's 31

Today is a special day in the Wheeler house--it is the 31st anniversary of the birth of our patriarch, also known as my amazing husband Jason. Today he turns another year older, and so marks the beginning of the (roughly) 6 months of every year when I am a "year" younger than him (lame inside joke).

Jason. My considerate, uber-patient, witty, introverted, shrewd, athletically-gifted husband. Before he was my significant other, he was my sarcastic, occasionally hot-tempered-but-good-natured best friend with whom I loved to laugh and always seemed to be on "the same page." ("Get off my page", he would say. Another obvious inside joke.) Even though we grew up on the same mountain about a mile from each other (as the crow flies, if said crow flew over a mountain with a county line running across the top of it), we went to different schools and lived in different towns. We had one major thing in common though, one thing without which I would not be telling this story--the sport of swimming. I loved swimming at my grandma's pool in the summer, and so I begged my mom to sign me up for a swim team when I was a child. As fate would have it, the very same was true for Jason. So, sign us up our mothers did. We met on the swim team at age 8, and the rest is history.

Actually, the rest is a little more complicated than that. While I had a crush on Jason from the moment I first saw him (just like every other pre-pubescent girl on our team, I totally married the team stud *high-fives 13 year-old self*), he never noticed me until I was 16 (funny how that happens with teenage boys). Unfortunately, at that point I was already dating a complete jerk somebody else. My sweet Jason waited five whole years for that horrendous mistake relationship to play itself out (I wasn't kidding when I said he was patient) before he got the chance to date me. But he attempted many times to steal me away from my ex waited, and I can't believe how lucky I am that some girl didn't steal him from me snatch him up in the meantime!

Anyway, in honor of my husband, my best friend, the father of my perfect children, I am going to show some pictures of the Jason that few people get the chance to see...

Yes they are blurry. They were taken "in the moment" when the only camera around was my crapberry Blackberry. You can direct your complaints to the RIM corporation, who feels that this lousy camera is an asset with which to sell cellular phones in the current market. Please CC me on your complaint letter.



Work Jason.
Also known as Random Hot Guy On the Side Of  the Road By an Intersection With A Clipboard.

Playing Catch-Up

Since yesterday was the first post in like 3 months, I decided to post some photos "catching up" with what should've been posted while I was wiping noses, rocking sick babies and attempting to disinfect my home repeatedly (while working a stressful full-time job). Here's a photo essay to get us caught up. It will be a big one, so brace yourself!

My Sweet Baby Brynnie Turned One!