Happy 2nd Birthday Samuel David!

Last Friday was Sam's 2nd birthday. I can't believe my baby is 2! We started off the weekend of celebrating with a birthday breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts.




Then we waited for family to start pouring in. Nick's mom (Grandma) and sister (Aunt Katie) flew in Friday afternoon. My parents (Grammy and PawPaw) and sister (Aunt NatNat) arrived later Friday night and Uncle Nate (Nick's brother) and Aunt Nique drove in the next morning.
We had Sam's party Saturday and served lunch and cake. I have always felt bad for not making my kids' birthday cakes, and I have great memories of cakes my mom made for me growing up, so I decided to give it a go this year. It took me the better part of Friday afternoon to complete it, but I had a great time doing it. Maybe I'll be a little faster when I make Eli's cake in March.
After lunch, we had Mr. Shea entertain the kiddos with bubbles, games, and balloon animals. Then Elmo joined the party. The kids were leery of him at first(I don't blame them; a six foot Elmo is sort of scary.), but seemed to warm up as time went on. Sam got tons of presents from our very generous friends and family. All in all, I think it was a success. Most importantly, we got to celebrate our sweet boy!

A few special things about 2 year old Sam:

1. He is obsessed with the movie "The Polar Express." He doesn't watch anything else on t.v., but will sit completely still, watching and quoting this movie.

2. He's one of the most laid back kids I have ever met. He MUST get this trait from his daddy. The only time he gets riled up is when Eli is pestering him or I try to turn off "The Polar Express."

3. Sam is a sweet, polite boy, saying "please" and "thank you" pretty consistently. He also says, "Esh you (bless you)" when he hears someone sneeze.

4. He's in love with his monkey beanie hat and refuses to take it off in the car or inside stores.

5. The first word out of his mouth in the morning is "breakfast." He's a sensational eater.

6. Sam has the biggest brown eyes and chubbiest cheeks ever!

7. As I sit here trying to think of Sam's favorite food, I can't. He loves everything.

8. Every time he sees a McDonald's, he shout's out "not not's!" When we drive past it, he then says, "Oh, Man!"

Sam-speak:
nok = milk
i yuh you = i love you
pess = Polar Express
jerge = Curious George
ammy = Grammy
not nots = McDonald's
omish = Thomas the train

Happy 2nd Birthday to our Sweet Sammy! Mommy, Daddy, and Eli love you very much and are so glad you are part of our family.

PS - Sam also had his 2 year well check today. 32 lbs. (89%) and 36.5 inches (93%)
Growing like a weed and crazy healthy. We are so blessed!

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Happy Birthday Grammy!

Yesterday, my mom celebrated her 55th birthday! She is officially the "Queen of Halloween".
Mom,
We so wished we could have been there to celebrate with you! Hope you had the most wonderful day! We are so lucky to have you as a mom/Grammy. You're the best!! We love you!!

New Mexico

Last week, we ventured out west to New Mexico. Nick had to go for a work trip, so the boys and I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet our new nephew/cousin Caleb so we tagged along. While we were there, we were fortunate to spend time with Nick's college teammate and friend Andy and his family, as well. They opened their home to us the first couple of nights we were there and it was great visiting with them and their sweet daughter Macey. We also got plenty of quality time with angel baby Caleb. He's so tiny and perfect and seems to be a great baby; then again,I'm not the one getting up with him in the middle of the night. =) The boys played at the park with their Uncle Ben, which was pretty special, too. In between visits with Ben, Casey, and Caleb, we were lucky enough to do a few New Mexico-exclusive things like eat at Si Senor (phenomenal Mexican food), pick green chiles, and play at White Sands with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Katie. The boys had a blast and it was a wonderful trip. Enjoy the pics!

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Welcome Baby Caleb!!

Nick's brother Ben and his wife Casey are the proud parents of beautiful Caleb Adam. We are so excited to welcome our very first nephew to the family and Eli and Sam are super pumped to have their first cousin to play with. We thank God that he is healthy and perfect. They live out of state so we haven't got to hold him yet (it's killing me!), but we are planning a trip to visit them in the very near future. I can't wait!!




In other family news, the boys are great; driving me crazy, making me want to pull my hair out, making me laugh, making me fall in love with them all over again everyday. Eli is still loving school and I think Sam would like to go, too. But we're holding off another year. The time Eli is in school is the only time Sam and I get any quality one-on-one time, and I think that's something we both need. Nick's job is great, no complaints there. At least none that he lets me in on. All in all, we're a very blessed family. God is good!

Have a great week!
Aunt April

Ready or Not Pre-K, Here We Come!

Today was Eli's first day of PreK-4 classes at his school. He LOVED it and can't wait to go back on Thursday, so I guess you can say it was a raving success. He's super excited to be in the "big kid class" now. Eli was all decked out in his Buzz Lightyear shirt, Toy Story backpack, and matching lunch box - all of which he picked out himself. (Can you tell what the latest infatuation is at our house?) He looked so handsome and grown up. It got me thinking about next year when he trots off to kindergarten. I'm so thankful that he's growing and thriving, but I'm dreading the day when I'll have to let him go and he won't need me as much. It's not an easy thing for any mother, I'm sure. I get emotional just thinking about it now; I'll be a blubbering idiot this time next year.
Anyway, here are a few pictures from our morning. Enjoy!

Ok,so mommy picked a bad spot to take a picture. Too squinty.

Distracted by the worm on our driveway.

Eli's yearly picture with "Dear Jesus".


In his classroom about to roll out some Play-Doh


Walking with the rest of his class to "Bible Time."


Have a great week!

June and July '09

The Cecavas have had a pretty busy summer so far. I've gotten behind on posting pictures, but I'm going to make an attempt to fit most of the summer into one ridiculously lengthy post. So here goes...


Early in the summer, Eli attended two different Vacation Bible Schools and LOVED them.



Another fun time Eli had, and still talks about, is going to the Rockwall Mudbog exhibition. I'm not really sure what the correct name for the event is, but basically, people jack up all kinds of vehicles and run them through a big mud ditch. According to Eli, it's "fun and loud." Nick and Eli went with friends Kevin and Kort. Here are a few pictures of the mail truck that was converted to a mudbogging machine and of Eli and Kort koozie boxing.







Next, we all headed back to the gulf coast to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my Aunt Bon (Yvonne) and Uncle James. We surprised them with a party out at my Uncle Bubo's house. It was great to get to visit with family and friends, some we haven't seen in years. WARNING: There are a ton of pictures in this slideshow!

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A few weeks after the anniversary party, Nick and I dropped the boys at my parents and took a much needed vacation to Chicago. We saw many sights, ate great (and fattening) food, and met some neat people. It's amazing how much ground you can cover when you're not hauling around two kiddos. My favorite part of the trip was taking in a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. There's something magical about being in such an historic, iconic place. Meeting Ernie Banks ran a close second. We were only there five days, which didn't seem long enough, but we were ready to get home to see our babies. Eli and Sam probably had a much better time than we did being spoiled by Grammy, PawPaw, and NatNat.

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The last major event this summer was Nick's cousin Thad's wedding in Nebraska. We made the trek up to North Platte to witness Thad and Lucinda tie the knot. Eli was the ring bearer and did a fabulous job. It was a gorgeous wedding and a nice time to visit with Nick's family.

Eli and Paige, the flower girl


Nick, Gene, Grandma Rose, Ben, and Casey


Mommy and Eli



Thad and Lucinda


Now that all of the major events of the summer are over, we're just hanging out and relaxing. Our weekends are pretty lazy around here and that's how we like it. Enjoy the rest of your summer and be on the lookout for more frequent posts from the Cecava Clan.

Before I Forget ...

I have tons of stuff to blog about - birthdays, anniversaries, Father's Day, but I just had to jot down a couple of cute things Eli has said the past few days before they totally get lost somewhere deep in my "mommy brain", nowhere to be found.

-Yesterday, as I was buckling Eli in his carseat after a fulfilling dinner at Double Dave's (one of Eli's favorite places to eat), he was working really hard to make Sam laugh and was totally succeeding. Hearing their laughter is so precious. Anyway, as we get down the road a bit and they start to settle down, Eli says, "Mommy, you know what Sam and I want to be when we grow up? Twins!" I thought it was too cute and a little glimmer of the lifelong friendship they are developing.

-A few days ago, I took Sam's mattress out of the crib to change the sheets. In order to make it softer to sleep on, we cut a twin size egg crate pad to fit the crib mattress under the mattress protector. So, when Eli sees the egg crate, he says, "Cool! An egg garden! Mommy, can we plant some eggs in the ground and have an egg garden?" I'm assuming he meant "egg carton" and I guess he forgot that eggs come from chickens. Funny kid.

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Sad Day

It's hard to believe that Michael Jackson is gone. I guess he's one of those people I thought would always be around since his career has spanned my entire life. Both Nick and I, like many of you, grew up listening and dancing (albeit, not so good) to his music. As Nick said earlier, "He was the Elvis of our generation." Listening to all of the tributes on the radio this afternoon reminded me of how many hits he had that I loved. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be "You Are Not Alone." I added it to my playlist down below if you wanna take a listen.
We'll miss you Michael. May you finally find the peace you deserve.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!!

Eli, Sam, and I wanted to wish the best daddy and husband in the world a very happy birthday! You're awesome and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. We hope your day is as wonderful as you are. We love you, babe!!

Happy 18 Months!

It's hard to believe that my sweet baby boy is 18 months old today. It seems just like yesterday we were preparing for his birth, and before we know it, we'll be preparing for his second birthday. Sam is such a joy to our family. He's growing like a weed and I'm curious to see his height and weight measurements at his well check next week. His little personality is starting to come out more and more. Most of the time, he's sweet and cuddly, but if he wants something or doesn't like something, he lets you know it. We're going through this high-pitched screaming/squealing phase. Most of the time, it's his way of alarming me to the fact that Eli is bothering him. I'm hoping it passes quickly =). Sam has recently learned to give mommy Eskimo kisses. He almost headbutts me every time, but it's too precious to resist. He's finally starting to get some hair and will probably be getting his first haircut really soon. Sam loves the water and has been enjoying the pool so far this summer. He loves kicking and throwing balls and can't wait to get outside everyday. He stands at the backdoor crying "Side, Side!!" if he can't go out. He'd live in the backyard if we let him. He's still mommy's little shopping buddy, happy to be strolled around as long as he has drinks and snacks. He's such a precious, happy part of our lives. We love you Sammy and are thankful we have you to hug, kiss, and love on!

Uncle Nate!!

Last Friday, Nick's brother Nathan came into town for the day. He and his wife Monique have been in Japan with the Air Force for the last two years, so we haven't seen much of them for a while. Their new assignment is in Texas so we are super excited to spend tons of quality time with them in the coming years. Here are a few pics of Uncle Nate and the boys.

goofy gift from Uncle Nate

Sam's new best friend

Touch a Truck!

Today our town hosted a cool event called "Touch a Truck" in downtown. There were tons of cool vehicles the kids could touch and climb around in. There was an ambulance, fire truck, digger, hummers, Army vehicles, moving van, school bus, helicopter, smart car, garbage truck, tow truck, DART bus, among others. We had so much fun walking around, looking, learning, and people watching. Eli and Sam enjoyed the bounce houses and free pizza and hot dogs. They had face painting and crafts for the kids, as well. It was way better than Nick and I expected and we can't wait to take the boys back next year.
And yes, I realize Sam isn't in any of these pictures, but he was there with us (PROMISE!), but was too little to climb around the trucks. Poor kid spends half of his life in the stroller!

Eli in the back of an ambulance


Eli getting into the digger

Dallas Zoo

Yesterday, Eli, Sam, and I ventured out to the Dallas Zoo with our good friends, the Penk family. First, let me say that I've been kind of a zoo snob, thinking that the Dallas Zoo could not possibly compare to the Fort Worth Zoo. You always hear how wonderful the FW Zoo is, and I can say from experience, that it is pretty cool. But I was just as impressed (maybe a little more) with the Dallas Zoo. Granted, we went late in the afternoon and didn't get to see all it had to offer, but what we saw was really great. Eli LOVED it!!! He can't wait to go back. We spent the afternoon looking at snakes, lizards, giraffes, butterflies, all kinds of monkeys, pigs, bunnies, anteaters, and a few I can't remember right now. We even rode a zoo animal carousel. After the zoo closed, we ate dinner at the zoo themed McDonald's next door. That was a huge hit, also. Long story short, we had a fabulous afternoon and can't wait to go back!

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