Driveway fun

Our driveway now is a lot longer than the kids are used to. This means we have lots more room for sidewalk chalk, riding bikes, car races, or playing soccer in the front yard, digging in the dirt...whatever, Nolan and William are having a blast exploring the extra space. We have had DAYS of rain, so our backyard is still soaking wet.  Here's a few snapshots of my love bugs :)

Splish n Splash!!!

We are finally moved into our new home...5 houses down from our old one in Bayou View! Whoo hoo!! The kids love it as much as Eric and I do and it fits our family perfectly!! What a blessing :) Nolan & William's favorite part about the new home is the backyard. Eric set up the slip n slide the first night we got them back from my in-laws (who graciously watched them for a few days) and they had a blast. Daddy had just as much fun too :)

                                         

 

Fried Eggs Over Green Chili Burgers

For the past month I have incorporated Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Cookbook into our lives and we are loving some of the recipes. I made his chili burgers on Sunday night and they were a huge hit! I wanted to share the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 small can diced green chiles

1 pound organic ground meat or bison

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 fried eggs

Garnish: Avocado slices

Instructions:

In a bowl mix the diced chiles with meat, cilantro, onion, spices and salt. Form into burgers and grill (I used our George Foreman grill). While the burgers are grilling, fry the eggs. Serve the fried eggs on top of the burgers and garnish with sliced avocado. Bon Appetit!

3 years Old!!

Nolan turned 3 years old today. It has been a busy year, full of tons of firsts, but his biggest growth year physically and developmentally. Nolan is definitely Type I personality...always socializing, having fun, and playing with others. He gets sad if we go to the park or splash pad and no kids are there :) He is still my snuggle bug, always wants to love on you, hug, and sit next to me in the morning while he drinks his milk. Nolan is very chatty at this age and has lots of questions...all the time! He loves his trains and trucks and watching Rory the racing car, Mickey Mouse, and anything Thomas! Nolan loves the pool, and is so excited about riding his new bike. He's a good big brother to William and has a very close relationship with his daddy. He's so special and we are blessed by his sweet ways everyday. He loves his grandparents so much and we are thankful to live so close now.

Nolan celebrated his birthday yesterday at the Kangarooz bounce house with 11 of his closest friends. He had a blast!!!

One Year Old!!

Sweet William turned 1 year's old today. He's such an amazing little guy and I can't believe how quickly his first year has come and gone. Tomorrow we will celebrate his birthday with family and friends and most of them will get to see him walk for the first time. He's such a blessing to our lives.

 Lord, I pray you continue to watch over William as his days increase and I pray you bless him and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands, comfort him when he gets discouraged, and raise him up if he falls. I pray that in these times we live in you watch over him with favor as he begins another year. May he grow in wisdom and stature, and trust in you all the days of his life. I ask this Father in your most precious name. Amen.

William is 11 months old!

William is changing so much at this age, and I think he's really starting to look like a toddler now. I'm sad my baby is growing up so fast, but looking forward to the upcoming year. This is a really hard age for me because William is a constant busy body getting into everything imaginable within reach. If it's not within reach, he's going to find a way to climb up to it somehow...even if it requires using his bumbo seat for a stool. He's taken a few steps, but still needs to hold on for extra support. He's not walking yet! It's kind of a relief, but I know it's just a matter of time before he's skipped over walking to running.

So what's new now? He's clapping, pointing to what he wants, shaking his head "no, no" when I tell him "no", climbing up the indoor slide, getting into the toilet, flushing the toilet, getting into the trash can, climbing in the dishwasher, emptying out any cabinet he can get into, dancing more when he hears songs on the tv he likes, and raising both his arms to praise Jesus! This little boy never keeps still or in the same room....ever!

On another note, William recently developed a case of separation anxiety and we're having a difficult time with him at church on Sunday because he cries for me so much in the nursery :( Overall, William is on a whole other level than Nolan ever was at this age. I'm lucky to still get snuggle time when I give him his bottle or rock him to sleep. He's still very much a mama's boy...but he's starting to want Eric more now. It's so sweet how he lights up when he sees Eric for the first time in the morning or when he comes home from work.
In just a few weeks, our little monkey will be turning one!

Cabo!!!

Eric and I just returned from our amazing vaca in Cabo!! It was our first visit and we stayed at Zoetry Casa Del Mar where we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary and caught up on some much needed alone time and r&r!! We were wowed from the moment we stepped foot onto this 5-star beautiful hacienda-style beachfront boutique hotel! The lush gardens, amazing views, beautiful pools and ocean-view scenery of white sand and turquoise water truly made this all-inclusive paradise!

We were upgraded upon arrival to a Master Suite...which was to die for! There were fresh flowers all over the room, a bottle of champagne already chilled, and a hot bubble bath filled the large Jacuzzi tub, just waiting for us as we opened the door. The view from our room was spectacular and we often enjoyed room service on our balcony taking in the view. The staff was so accommodating and helpful beyond any service at any hotel we've ever stayed in. We felt pampered and like royalty the whole time we were there :)

The food at this resort was so fresh, healthy and organic that we didn't worry about counting calories this trip! The food and presentation was so delicious you would never think it was an all-inclusive resort. The drinks were excellent and so was the Argentina red wine we had for dinner. The head chef went above and beyond and specially prepared the tuna we caught on our deep sea fishing excursion one day, and some amazing cerviche for an appetizer. Talk about superb service!

Eric and I also enjoyed walking the beach...especially sunset time! We met one other couple from LA that we shared a boat with for our deep-sea fishing trip who actually got engaged while we were there. We also loved sailing through the Sea of Cortez during sunset and our meal afterwards at Baja Cantina at the most stricking marina in downtown Cabo I have ever seen!! 

The most work we did the whole time was kayak 3 miles from Santa Maria Bay to Chileno Bay one afternoon. It was the hardest paddling we've ever done with the wind, waves and tough current. The elements were very rough, but we made it and enjoyed seeing the sea lions and sea turtles swimming beside us, and some beautiful tropical fish when we went snorkeling right after.

Overall, this resort is tranquility defined. It is small, sophisticated, and has an old world charm you can’t help but fall in love with. We were so pleased with our overall experience and highly recommend staying if you are looking for a little bit of heaven in paradise! It’s the most romantic place we've ever stayed!!!

You can view our photo album from the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jennyc.robinson/Cabo?authkey=Gv1sRgCL26s-2Vmc2xZQ#

10 Months Old

Sweet William is growing up so fast! I cannot believe my baby is 10 months old already! He has been such a good baby, very scheduled, loving, and such a mama's boy...which I just adore! His newest thing is to wave "hi" and "bye-bye" and is trying to "whoof" like the neighbors dog, or anytime he sees a dog!! He's also started the copying cough or will try to clear his throat if you do...very funny! William is also a speed crawler, and has just recently started pushing the car/walker thing around...so walking is not far out!  He's also gotten really good at patty cake, loves the ABC song or any music he can bounce/dance to, and is such a water baby!! The biggest new thing is that he is fully weaned from nursing now (as of yesterday). He still is one step behind big brother and such a happy baby :)

Summertime!

We loaded up the boys and took them to Sandestin for a few days while Eric and I attended a wedding. My wonderful in-laws came with us and the boys had a blast with them while they helped babysit. William loved the sand, the waves, the pool...you name it...he loved it! Nolan once again did not enjoy the beach. He played in the sand a little, but hated the ocean. He enjoyed the pool at the Grand Sandestin the best and the treehouse he played in with his Papa. It was a nice little break and the kids really enjoyed it.

First beach photo of the summer

We got a happy moment for Nolan on camera!!

Sweet brothers playing in the sand

William & Mama

Nolan and Papa in the treehouse

Nommie and the boys

                                                               

Happy Mother's Day

One of my favorite songs right now by Matt Maher is "Hold us Together". As I'm out running sometimes and the song pops up on my playlist...I think of my boys when I hear this verse and I'm over-flowing with joy for the relationship I know they will grow to have for each other:

"And love will hold us together

Make us a shelter to weather the storm

And I'll be my brother's keeper

So the whole world will know that we're not alone."

Raising up boys in the way of the Lord and providing them with unconditional love like our Father has for us, is the most rewarding job a mother can ever have. I feel so blessed and honored everyday to be their mom and to provide the tools they need everyday to be strong men of God. I thank God everyday for giving them to Eric and I and for the journey we travel together everyday. I want Nolan and William to always be the best of friends and to grow up together in this world knowing how much they are loved and how wide and how deep the love of Christ is for them in this crazy world we live in. This Mother's Day to me is a celebration of the love I have for my family and my 2 precious sons.

"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:17-19