Happy Birthday, Caden Blake!

Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find the delightful creature of a boy.

My sweet baby Caden,
You are the other 1/2 of our hearts, dear boy. Your precious face was very much prayed for, wanted, and desired. You see, you don't know this, but you are a true gift from God. Daddy and I cannot believe how much you have grown. You can count to 100, know your ABC's, can remember the lyrics and sing lots of songs, read lots of books, dance all over the place, and you try to keep up with your big brother. You are my snuggler, my running buddy, my sweet baby. You dance to the beat of your own drum while wearing your "blanket hair" and eating a handful of dry cereal. You enjoy music...a lot and don't really care what genre it comes from. You wear capes and jump from couch-to-couch-to-coffee-table because you want to be Batman. You're my sensitive soul who does love to torment your older brother, but in the same breath, loves to cuddle with him too. You are a pleasure to take out shopping, dining, or anywhere else because you (and your brother) are so well behaved. It makes me beam with pride when strangers stop by and compliment Daddy and me on your behavior.
You are a very picky eater and I hope that changes because with your adventuresome behavior, I think you'd really enjoy eating a variety of other things besides breakfast foods, spaghetti, and organic milk.
I look at pictures of you seconds after you were born and I realize that I definitely cherished every moment, however, I wish I could keep that time in a bottle to hold onto those moments even longer. You are precious and precocious, sweet and cheeky, rough and tumble, and 100% boy. We love you sweet baby. Our prayer for you is this:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for our gift, Caden. Lord, you watched us pray for him and over him. Please keep his feet light, his heart pure, and his hands nimble enough to do Your works and strong enough to keep him climbing to reach his full potential. Thank you, Lord, for that sweet smile, infectious giggle, and those twinkling eyes full of mischief. Lord, please continue to guide and protect him. Keep Your hand on him and bless him all the days of his life. In Your Name, Amen.


Happy 4th Birthday!

;) We love you, Cupcaken.

Eureka! We've Found It!

Brian and I dated for 12 years and have been married for 10 years. In that time, we could never agree on a song that was "ours". A lot of that had to do with the fact that I could pick any song and make it ours and he, well...he couldn't decide on just one. We didn't have a dance at our reception so using that as our song wasn't possible. In all honesty, and disgustingly sweetness, I'd rather have a soundtrack than a song. But, because I'm creating something for us (thank you Pinterest!), we needed to decide on one song that meant something to both of us.
After all this time, we finally found one we can both agree on.

Brothers= Thick as Thieves

And that's Tuesday!

Today we met some friends at The Museum of Nature and Science for the Shark exhibit. Way cool stuff and right up Ethan's alley. We started with a gallery walk that included a man discussing shark conservation. He allowed the kids to touch a couple of shark jaws and a fin. Then, we read up on some interesting facts and got to view regular shark teeth (Mako, Hammerhead, Great White, etc.) and even a few prehistoric shark teeth (Megladon). We ended up watching an Imax movie about sharks that left me feeling sad and a little worried. Now, understand that I'm not a member of PETA, but seeing the list of the really amazing types of shark that are either endangered or critically endangered was astounding. Ethan was extremely unhappy about the impending doom of some of these species. We had to lighten the mood so, we took the kids to play in the Kid's Museum and ended up in the Nature Museum at the Bob the Builder exhibit. That was pret-tay, pret-tay cool. And even though Ethan pretended it was too "babyish" for him, I saw him laughing a few times and he didn't look bored to me. Thank you to Jaques Cousteau's son, Jean Michel Cousteau who is working to educate others on the conservation of the oceans and provided the information and headed up the exhibit.


























When we got home from the museum, Ethan found a box waiting for him on the porch. My parents had given him a gift card for his birthday and he used it to make his very first purchase from Amazon (with Brian's help and my student account, of course). This was his first time to shop online. I was under the assumption that he would have picked out a few toys he had been eyeballing in the store. Nope. That dude picked out a Bear Grylls utility tool and survival kit, an Angry Birds board game, and a Wii game he was wanting. He was so excited to tear into the box and see the results of his online purchasing. Unfortunately, we're still waiting on his board game. Even more unfortunately, Amazon decided to stick one of the Christmas gifts we ordered for him in with his purchase. Yes, even though they were separate purchases on different days, Amazon saved themselves the time and money by shipping all together. Bawww!
Anyway, we have had a very busy, albeit very successful, day today. And I am whipped!

Ohhh Nifty!

I found the CA-UTEST store in the world. Peek...aren't you curious. No really, that's the name of the store. We were at North Park noshing on Maggiano's and decided to walk around after dinner. I spotted it from the Lego store. I went in thinking I was going to find myself in a Children's Place knock-off. Nope. Not hardly. WAY cute stuff for the boys and anyone that has a boy or boys knows how difficult it is to find cute clothing for them. And not only do they have cute clothes, they have a great selection of unique gifts and books for kids. I bought this shirt today to give to Ethan for Christmas. It suits him perfectly I think. Anyway, check it out-they have free online shipping btw!

Thankyouverymuch!!!!

Everyone on Facebook has been posting things they are grateful for every day in November. Well, two things: One, I'm too flighty to remember to post my gratitude every day and Two, I would rather not clog up the feed with it as I tend to get too wordy. So, I'm going to give you all a dose of word vomit right here on the blog.

30 Things I'm Thankful For (Cause there are 30 Days in November, right?!):

1. My faith in God. I am grateful that my faith, although shaken, has gotten me through the last few years. Yes, I lost my daughter. Yes, I was angry with God. But, it was He who held me through it and let me be angry without ceasing to love me. For that, I am grateful to Him.

2. My Husband. Brian is the one who has held me, loved me at my best and worst, and has been my best friend through it all. He loves me like no one else and has 1/2 of my heart.
You looked right through me
When there was no one else
I sat beside you and became myself

3. My Boys. My precious baby boys. Their perfectly round heads and soft round cheeks that fit perfectly between my chin and shoulder as I nuzzle them. They are blessings. And they don't suck as people. I know we're beyond blessed.

4. My Parents. From their impromptu vacations to the midnight visits when we need them. I have the best parents in the world. They've become amazing grandparents to our boys, as well. I am who I am because of them and their expectations of me, as a person. And they don't even mind that my boys have nicknamed them, "Orange Memaw and Black Pawpaw" :)

5. My In-Laws. I hit the in-law lotto. I have the best mother-in-law and father-in-law in the world. Summa y'all in-laws be trippin' but mine aren't. ;) I love 'em. My father-in-law cracks me up and my mother-in-law brings me comfort and love. They're precious. Along with them, I got some amazing aunts, uncles, cousins, and extra grandparents as in-laws too. I love them all. They are such an important part of my life.

6. My Sisters. I don't know what I'd do without my girls. If someone is hateful, mean, or spiteful to me. I call my sisters to vent and usually we end up laughing with a plan to get that person back somewhere down the road. No one understands me like they do. Our wit and humor is one-of-a-kind. They are the best aunts to my boys who love them to the moon and back. I can't wait to be that kind of aunt to their kids someday.

7. Teaching and the Parents that come with that territory: I adore my campus, the supportive parents who I now call "Friends" and the students that pass through the threshold of the classroom day after day. I am exactly where I need and want to be.

8. C.O.R.E.- the school district has generously provided me with the opportunity to seek my Master's Degree. I'm 1/2 completed with the program, and while it's a whippin' sometimes, I am privileged and forever grateful they chose me to participate.

9. My friends- I have some of the best friends. The kind that I can call and vent about work or drama or just day-to-day petty gripes. The kind that respond to those calls with a, "We need a pedi and MiCo night stat." or "Come over for dinner with the family, we're making fajitas!" The kind of friends that appreciate my sick sense of humor.

10. Pedicures- I teach on my feet. I am grateful for pedicures and the way my feet feel afterwards.

11. My Hairdresser, Kim.- Kim is the BOMB. She is young, smart, beautiful, and uber talented. She is going to do big things in her life. I just adore her. She's the best. (Heath Salon and Spa shout out here!)

12.My home- No, it's not the biggest in the city or even the neighborhood that I live in, but it's ours. It's where we brought our babies home...it's where we started our life together as Mr. and Mrs. Brian Hoover. Yes, the time has come for us to move. The day we leave will be sad. But it's our cozy little nook away from the world. The place where our friends love to gather to laugh, smile, and eat.

13. My Teams- My former 4th grade team and my new 5th grade team. I work with some of the best people in the world. The things I've learned from them will carry me for a lifetime. I love them, they way they each have their own individuality, and their warm hearts.

14. Hot showers, freshly shaven legs, and clean sheets- The only way to get some amazing sleep. I am grateful for this combination of things.

15. Cars-I own two new vehicles. This is more than I deserve.

16. A Full Fridge and Pantry- Because we are not guaranteed these things in our lives, I am grateful that God has provided for my family.

17. Reruns of Friends-are what helps me relax and laugh before bedtime. Unagi!Daaaaangaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar! Could I *be* wearin' any more clothes? In the words of A.A. Milne, "Get out of my chair, dillhole."


18. Date Nights- I love date nights with my husband. I love being a mom, but date nights are what help to remind me of what life was like before Legos, Frogs, homework, and Yo Gabba Gabba. No complaints, but it is nice to be boyfriend and girlfriend again. :)

19. Central Market- See my Love Letter to CM


20. Summers in Port Aransas- I can't tell you why I love it there, because I just do. Maybe it's a personal preference, but the peacefulness and laid-back feel of the beach and the place itself brings me great pleasure. I could live there.

21. My camera- I'm not any good at taking pictures and I don't pretend to be. I love my camera. I love that I can document the boys and our adventures as a family. I want our boys to have these pictures to go with their memories.

22. My brother-in-law- Definitely one of the funniest people I know. Plus, he loves my kids as much as my sister, Rosie does. He has their hearts.

23. My dad's advice- My dad has given me plenty of advice to last me forever. But, the things I remember most are: 1) Your family comes first. Everyone and everything else can wait. 2) You and your husband should still treat each other like you're still boyfriend and girlfriend 3) Don't go to bed angry with your husband and don't go an entire day without talking to them. It becomes a habit that you will have a hard time breaking. Love my dad so much.

24. Family Time- I'm grateful that I married someone who deems family time as something of value and ensures that we spend time together. Whether that's within our immediate family or extended family, family time is something to be cherished and grateful for.

25. My job schedule- I am grateful for the fact that my job schedule allows me to be home with my children at certain times during the year. Whether it's a week at Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, a week at Spring Break, or an entire summer- I get to be with my kids more than most people do. Because of this, I feel like I value my time with the Giggle Bros. even more.

26. DVR- What did we do without these? Oh right. VCRs and VHS tapes. Blah! For real. Best invention ever. And yes, it's one of my "I'm grateful for" posts.

27. Toms- I love my Toms. Since we aren't allowed to wear flip flops to work anymore, I have invested in some Toms. 2 pairs to be exact and I'm working on a 3rd. But, they feel amazing so I can be comfy at work and still have cute shoes. Plus, if I buy a pair, they give a pair to a person in need. Win-win. "To tell you the truth, I haven't seen this much do-gooding since ya mutha." (Clueless)

28. Music- There is a song for every feeling, every situation, and every day. I am grateful for the people who make music, people who THINK they're making music, and the people who want to make music. Every day should start like the intro to a musical or with a Michael Jackson song.

29. Humor- I love funny movies, situations, people, etc. I like to laugh. More importantly, I think humor is one of God's ways of telling you to "lighten up" and enjoy this world He has put you in. Besides, if you don't laugh, you'll just cry. I am forever grateful to humor and its place in my life.

30. Pureology hair products- Now,bear with me here. It sounds trite and ridiculous and I don't blame you if you stop reading here.----Ok, so you stuck with me. Might as well. You probably read the first 29 things. Anyway, I love Pureology hair products. LOVE them. They're vegan, they smell wonderful, and they keep my hair healthy and shiny. Why does this go on my grateful list? Because it's a luxury for me. I am grateful that my husband sees how much I love this stuff and is willing to let me splurge on this (and my makeup---which I'm also grateful for, but would be off topic if I went to why I am grateful for my makeup---it's Lancome, by the by.) because he knows it makes me feel beautiful. And, truth be told, I think he uses it too. Shhhhh!


So there you have it. A list of things I'm grateful for summed up in one day. I have many blessings. I have healthy kids, family, a warm bed, food to eat, and a great job that I love going to every other day (if I said I love it everyday, you guys would be begging me to sell you whatever I was smokin'.)and I hope that God knows how much I appreciate His blessings on my family and me.

Hope everyone has a safe, wonderful, drama-free, happy, Thanksgiving! Enjoy every precious moment.

Top Golf

Ethan celebrated his 8th birthday at Top Golf in Dallas. That place was the bomb-we're talkin' atomic here. The party hostess was friendly and smart. It was a tiny bit chilly and quite windy. She, and the rest of the staff, accommodated us by moving the party indoors to continue with the food and cake. The kids had the best time playing golf and hanging out. I would definitely recommend them to anyone. They were amazing!
I asked Ethan if he had a great time and he screamed, "Heck yeah I did!"- Good enough.

Sidenote: Ethan has decided that he enjoys golf, so we're looking into getting some private lessons for him. I may have to join him.

8 Years and a Lifetime of Happiness

Ethan Cole Hoover- Happy Birthday my sweet boy! You amaze your dad and me every day. You're so smart and I can't believe how much you continue to grow and change every single day. Your heart and soul hold so much more knowledge, wisdom, and kindness than people who are much older than you are. Your soft-spot for animals and desire to explore is something I truly admire. Is it okay for an adult, a mom to be exact, to see her son as her hero? Yeah, I'm sure it is because I do. The afternoons I've had to work late at school and caught you rolling down the safety ramp in the equipment bucket while laughing maniacally, are some of my most cherished. I love you, my heart. And while I watch you run down the hallway at school, back pack slung over one shoulder (not both shoulders anymore- because, as you've said to me, "I'm officially a big kid now, ya know!")and excited to start your day- I can't help feel a bit of remorse at not holding you just a bit longer those nights you were up for a 3 a.m. feeding as an infant. But, you probably wouldn't have allowed me to do that. You were born with a strong sense of independence. I'll have to remember that when I choke back tears as I realize, when I pick you up from school in the afternoons, that you now stand with the "big kids" in front of the school and not the side where the little ones are dismissed.
I pray that the Lord guides you, keeps your heart pure, allows your feet, mind, and hands to continue to explore His world. I pray to Him for gratitude for giving me and Daddy the privilege of being your parents. Mostly, I am grateful to Him for giving us you, an amazing big brother to Caden.
Happy Birthday, my sweet little Toodleloop! The world is all yours...