Summer Homemaking Gift Package!

I am hosting a contest on my homemaking blog:



http://homemakinghaven.blogspot.com

I'm celebrating my 100th blog post, so make sure to check it out!!!

2nd Anniversary and Summer Fun!

We are so lucky to have such a fun swimming/play area in our neighborhood. Its two streets down...so close! Briggy and I swing and play there often, but this weekend was the opening of the pool. I was a little hesitant to go because I imagined bazillions of people there, and I'm not crazy about crowded places. But they have scheduled hours so "family time" from 9-12 today was perfect. We even had the entire kiddie pool to ourselves for most of the time we were there. The kiddie area is nice because there is a canopy over most of the pool and a sprinkle-fountain in the center. Briggy just loved it. He splashed and tried to swim and jump out of his tube the ENTIRE time...He is not afraid of the water at all!

We just put Brigs to sleep (7pm) so we will have the night to ourselves to enjoy our anniversary. We decided to do what we did the majority of our honeymoon. Kiss and play Rummy. Yes, Rummy. We played constantly during our honeymoon because the weather was on and off throughout the day...oh and Tom threw in "watch basketball" because we did do that too...what can I say, its the playoffs. Next year I am hoping to get away for the day and do something a little more fancy and romantic, but this year it was nice to just lounge and play with my two favorite guys. (I should say 3 because Oliver makes himself VERY PRESENT! He is constantly kicking me...I mean you can see him jabbing through my clothes and everything...He is super active---way more than even Briggy was--and he wasn't shy in the womb either.....I have a feeling I am going to have another HYPERACTIVE WILD MAN! on the loose. Pray for us!!!

Here are some fun summer pics!! Briggy's first time in the REAL big boy pool!

15 on the 15th!

Today is Brigham's 15 month birthday!! This afternoon he got dressed in one of his 'cool guy' outfits (the Nike jersy top and shorts---one of my great summer steals from last year at Kohls...90% off=$2.80 per outfit!!)We headed off to the only place we ever go...Walmart. Briggy got to pick out a little present and he picked the BIGGEST BALL he could find! He loves balls--I only wish I could get him to SAY BALL! I think I say that word more than anything else...and MAMA..because I would like him to stop ONLY saying DADDA...I'm starting to get a complex! Anyway, Brigs had fun playing with the ball in the store, laughing and giggling like a crazed-hyena...everyone that passed by had to stop, laugh and toss him the ball. I wish I had my camera at the store because he had a great time! When we got home we played BALL BALL BALL for a little bit before naptime....here's some BIG BOY 15th month old PICS!!!!






He loves to throw the balls in the laundry basket! Maybe my little Brigger will be an NBA star someday...Daddy would love that!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you beautiful mommies!! I am so super lucky to have two moms that I love soooo much. Of course my mother, Teresa has always been an example to me of womanhood, motherhood and beauty. And you know how in movies and tv shows no one ever seems to get along with or like there inlaws? I have THE BEST inlaws ever. I don't even like calling them "in laws" because it seems so cold....my "other" mom, Tina is beautiful, smart, amazing and a great example of a strong latter day saint woman. Thank you both for always supporting and loving me as much as you do.

I made a little gift for each mom...well really it was Briggy's idea....He loves his grandmas:



just a nice little picture/frame to cherish the cutest little brigham ever.

My boys were awfully sweet to me today, giving me a very sweet and sentimental card (Tom is really good about that) and two beauuuuuuuuutiful gifts!!





I love my willow tree figurines...I have 8 now!! They are just so precious.
Thank you, Tom and Briggy (and baby Oliver) for being such nice boys!

Splish Splash!

We have been having some cruddy weather out here in Texas. Its hot and muggy, but often rains throughout the day, and we've had some crazy thunderstorms. Finally, today was the DAY! I have been wanting to blow up the little kiddie pool for Briggy so we could play outside. Even though it was cloudy, there was no rain scheduled to pour down on us, so I thought we'd have fun after lunch. Briggy loves the bath so I knew he would love the pool....May 21st the neighborhood pool opens....he's gonna be even more psyched! We had fun splashing around for about an hour.
I just love his swim trunks. Sort of a teal/ocean blue with brown pineapples on them. So cute!

PS--I haven't really posted anything about this, but I've decided to classify Brigs as walking. The past couple weeks he can take 10-20 steps consecutively, and I'd say that was pretty good. I don't know why I figured "walking" meant exclusively walking....because right now he mixes up walking and crawling...but its going down in history...Briggy was walking at 14 months.
I am kind of shocked on how long the process took. A few steps before his first birthday, and then pretty much nothing for two months. I'm not sure when he'll be exclusively walking...but he seems like he's making an effort more to walk to things than crawl...so thats a good sign. Go Brigs!









My little boys pineapple booty! (that mark on his back is a weird birthmark, not a bruise)

Brigham's first haircut!!

I know, you're probably thinking to yourself...."does he have any hair to CUT?" but it really was getting shaggy on the sides and he had a mullet going on in the back. Even the top hair was getting long...its just the front sides that are taking forever to grow in.
We found this really fun hair salon for kids in Mesquite "cool cuts 4 kids" it has tvs, video games and an old-fashioned car for little ones to sit in. Briggy had sooooo much fun! He looks so handsome now with his "clean-cut" daddy hair! I just can't get over how grown-up Briggy's getting!!!

Here are a couple "before" shots:





Having a blast with his "stylist" Jessica. She was really sweet.

Messy Messy

Finger foods are not always fun at the Tillotson household. Well, I guess its fun for Brigham when hes flinging it every which way and rubbing into his hair, but its not so much fun for the mommy who seems to be sweeping and scrubbing after every meal and snack. The past few days have been particularly frustrating, because Briggy is not eating that much...he hides it in the corner of his chair, or wildly brushes it off his tray onto the floor...I'm not sure what his deal is, but he'd rather been fed by me than leaving it up to him....I thought it was supposed to be the other way around...my ALMOST 15 month old little boy would rather be spoon fed yogurt and purees than big boy food...what happened?
These pictures show what insued during lunch time (which was a little later than normal because he over slept...you can see he doesnt look quite himself--a little groggy looking...he either has another little cold or allergies, and just hasnt been quite right the past couple days)
I had to strip this boy down and get all the sticky carrot zucchini cake off of him...he was COATED. Seriously, Brigs..did you have to rub it in your hair, ears and every other crevice?
Here's my little "rascal":







Doesn't he look like a (sweet) evil villan here? the way his eyes look and his pose...it made me think of doctor evil.

Mothers day photo shoot

I needed a cute picture of Brigham holding this flower as part of my mothers day gift to the grandmas. Well, photographing Briggy is nearly impossible--because he moves so quickly, makes scrunchy faces or closes his eyes, and my camera speed is like a turtle. We really need some professional photos taken.

Anyway, here are a couple I took, I gave up pretty quick:









Here's the infamous "scrunch face" it cracks me up--if its bright, or windy...or when he first wakes up and I turn the light on--thats what I'm greeted with. He looks like such a grump!