Happy Birthday Jax!!!

Recently we were able to join the Freedom Boat Club through SquareCow Moovers. Labor Day, my nephew Jax, had his 3rd birthday on one of the boats we rented from them. It was the first day took one of their boats out and we had a blast! It was so nice and the whole family minus my mom was there. Wade and Kimberly did a great job of making Jax's party special for him and all the other kids. You will see in the pictures as to why it was so fun for everyone. This was also Micah's first boat ride. And he was WONDERFUL! I wasn't sure how he would be since he would be missing his morning nap, but he didn't make a peep the whole time. It was a great labor day. Happy Birthday Jaxy!!! We love you over here at the Mills house. :)

This flag was hanging on the boat. It was so cute! Kimberly made it. If you can't tell, it says "Happy Birthday Jax" on one side and the other side it is a skull(I think). And this was the BEST picture we could get with all the boys. It was the end of the boat trip rather than the beginning.

Parker and Lawson waiting on the picture to be taken.

Parker the Pirate

Harley just slept almost the whole trip. She was the only ray of pink on that whole boat. :)

Derek and Parker tubing. Parker did NOT want to go tubing...but we do NOT want him to be scared of anything so we made him. And guess what? He was laughing during it, and when he got done he was super excited about it. Ha.

The first thing the boys did was find a treasure...which was these treasure chests full of gold fish and candy. Good thing they found them because everyone loved that treasure. :)

Micah the Pirate.

Sweet smile...I love this smile!

Me and my baby.

Buddies

Parker and Micah are big buddies. I have mentioned it before but let me say again they really love each other. Micah laughs so hard at Parker all the time and Parker LOVES when Micah is not napping and plays with him in the play room. Parker looks for Micah the minute he gets up and asks where he is. It is so cute. The other day Derek was bathing the boys and he yelled for me to come in there. Parker and Micah were sitting SO close. The had the whole bath tub but instead wanted to be right by each other. So funny...and so sweet. I pray that they always have a relationship like this.

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Favorite things to do while my kids are napping

1. Take a nap. I really struggle with this one. I am SO tempted to lay down for a nap almost EVERY time my boys nap(in the afternoons). It doesn't always happen, however, it probably happens more than it should.
2. Eat my lunch. So, I must confess, I LOVE to wait to eat lunch until after my boys are down for their nap. It is nice, peaceful, relaxing for SO many reasons.
3. Catch up on my DVR shows. 18 Kids and Counting, Army Wives, Project Runway, SYTYCD, and the list goes on.
4. Get online. Facebook, bloglines, gmail, twitter, craigslist(sometimes).
5. Talk on the phone. About the only time of the day I can talk and have uninteruppted conversation.
6. Take a shower. This doesn't happen too often during the naps for a few reasons. #1 I already took one. #2 I am lounging around and not having one that day(gross, I know.)#3 I took a nap instead(you would think I had a newborn or 8 kids...lol!). BUT, usually if I take a shower during nap time it means that I am going somewhere that night like on a DATE with my husband OR to small group, OR to Walmart all by myself. All of which are exciting!
7. Do my Ephesians Precept Bible Study/Quiet Time. Love spending time with the Lord. Need to do it more often...like every day. It changes everything for me.
8. Work out. 30 Day Shred my friends...and I think it is working. BUT it is hard! 20 minutes of a butt kicking work out! Maybe not my FAVORITE thing to do during this time, however, it is good for me.
9. Clean. NOT my favorite thing, but I LOVE how I feel afterwards.
10. Call my husband twenty million times because I am bored. Yeah...that doesn't happen. I am only bored by choice if that is the case. I just didn't have a #10. :)

Top Ten {Tuesday}: Advice Given to Me about having Happy and Good Babies

So, my friend, Amanda(sorta like a famous blogger...ha...seriously though) does this on her blog and I love reading it. I have been entertaining the thought of doing it on my blog because it is so interesting. I am starting today. It is a Top Ten Tuesday list. I will pick any subject I would like and make a list of the "Top Tens". Get it? Anyways, here it goes. Hope you enjoy. :)



1. Order and Schedules. Wow! I am a scheduled person, therefore this is KEY for me and my boys. Someone(my sister, a friend, a book) told me that God created order and not chaos. Therefore, babies need the same thing(please do not comment if you disagree..this is my Top Ten.) I could not agree more!! My boys know when to eat, sleep, and play. And they are more than happy(well, usually) to do it all.

2. Be Consistent! Enough said. Easier said then done, however, it NEVER fails with my boys. NEVER!

3. Do NOT wake a baby sleeping at night. Just don't do it. No matter what.

4. Homebound until the baby is 2 months old, but well worth it. Meaning, stay home, be consistent, keep your baby on a good schedule. Then after the first two months you will be able to go out and about when your baby is happy because you will know when he should be sleeping/eating/awake.

5. YOU(the parent) are training the baby. YOU know what is best...even if that sweet little baby is trying to tell you otherwise. Sometimes, you have to forget about your emotions and base your decisions off of what you know as a parent. For instance, if YOU know he is tired, but HE is trying to tell you otherwise. Do what YOU know. Lay him down. He will go to sleep(hopefully...at least he will be in his bed though. ha)

6. Crying is NOT going to kill him. It is true mommies...we HAVE to let our babies cry it out some. And it won't kill them. They will be ok. And hopefully we will end up with a positive result. Right?

7. Sucking his finger, thumb, or paci is really not that big of a deal...they will grow out of it. Because of this piece of advice from several of my mom's friends and her...I don't sweat the fact that both of my boys suck on their finger and have a lovie. They will grow out of it. No biggie.

8. Be balanced...clean some...and play some. I don't want to get caught up in either one too much. I want to make sure my boys grow up knowing I am a fun mommy, but I am also their mommy and not their best friend. I want them to know I keep a clean house, cook, and help them when they need it. And I will be goofy. :)

9. Babies love bath time. Kinda of random, I know. But, my boys love their baths and so do I. They play together and it relaxes them. Afterwards, I lotion them up and put their pajamas on. They are on the road towards bed time. Love a clean baby!

10. Strive for first time obedience. When I say no to my 2yo I mean no right then...not after the second or third time. This one, is HARD. However, I think he is getting it(not doing it always but getting it...ha ha). And I think it makes things better for me and him.

SuperWoman

Right now, I am reminded that the "superwoman" comes out in me on days that I never thought it existed. Then, of course, on the days I want it to come out..it doesn't. Funny huh? Well, today has been exhausting to say the least. In a nutshell and not much details here is our day:

-Micah was up almost all night.
-Parker pooped in his undies 4 times by noon(due to a virus, he is completely potty trained, however has a hard time with this because he has never experienced it before).
-Had a play date at Chickfila.
-Parker pooped 3 times and Micah once at CF.
-Naps b4 Micah's doctor's appt at 2(smack during nap times!)
-Dr. was good...Micah has no ear infection...just a cold.
-Came home to give Parker his second bath of the day because of going potty in his undies. :(
-Had dinner in the crock pot since noon to only receive a phone call from my hubby saying he wasn't going to be home until late.
-Have two little hiney's to doctor up constantly because of rashes from too much poop!
-Resolve the carpet in play room due to spit up and poop on the carpet.
-Despite everything boys have been very happy today. Their bodies might not feel good but they sure do act happy.
-Boys have been bathed, fed, diaper/undies changed...
-I have wiped kitchen table and counters, unloaded dishwasher, washed dishes, picked up playroom, cooked dinner, and done two loads of laundry.
-To end the day Micah is laying on the floor propped up on a pillow drinking his bottle(he gets a bottle at night now) and Parker is on the couch...all while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Its a sweet picture. Thought about taking one, but too tired.
-I feel like Superwoman. :)

The superwoman in you comes out all of the time when you are a mom. It has to, you don't have a choice...

So Many Words

Just a few minutes ago I was nursing Micah on our couch. I looked up and saw so many wonderful things. So, I took a picture of it and decided to describe it. It might mean nothing to you, but it warms my heart and brings a smile to my face. First of all, I see my sweet 2yo little boy. He is eating his lunch so peacefully and quiet. On his plate is turkey pepperonis, nectarine, baked lays chips, and string cheese(healthy eating, doesn't always happen here). Now, if I would have asked him to eat those pepperonis I think he would have said "no". BUT, because I just put them in front of him and let him decide when he wanted them he was devouring them(such a 2yo thing to do). Then I see the centerpiece on my table, which is full of fresh fruit. I am proud of this. I came up with this idea today. I had a dozen pairs that our friend Jason had picked fresh from a pear tree and given to us. I always have a fruit bowl, but I wanted this certain cylinder as a decorative centerpiece for my table. SO I decided to add REAL fruit and make it decorative and my new fruit bowl. :) My sister complimented me on it the minute she walked in...I am proud. THEN behind the table on my buffet table you can see a bag and container full of things. That is special...that is things I will need on Sunday to be in charge of the nursery/preschool department while my sister is on her vacation. She is in charge of Free Chapel's nursery/preschool. She does an AWESOME job! Especially since I know that is not what she is called to do, but obviously, that is where Free Chapel needs her right now. (BTW, if any of you are interested in taking it over...please contact me or Jeremy Self). One Sunday a month I take over nursery/preschool for Ash and one Sunday a month I take over for Free Chapel Kids so both Ashley and our kid's ministry directors can go to church. This is my ministry right now.
What you don't see in this picture is the fact that my husband is at work, working so hard so that I can stay home with our children and so I can see things like this picture every day. And you don't see sweet Micah. He was eating. :)


Oh, after I took the first picture Parker said he wanted to say "cheese" so I had to take another one. lol

Sleeping Cutie

If you look closely you will see his lovie(spotty dog) and his Little Giraffe blanket. Those are the essentials for bed time.

Here is a picture of Micah. This particular morning he was asleep in our bed(which hardly ever happens) because he had a rough night. I am pretty sure the boy was teething then and now. Poor little guy. Anyways, he looked so sweet asleep I had to take a picture AND I got my mom to come look at him. It was her suggestion to take a picture.

He's on the move, well sorta

My sweet Micah is on the move. So, here is how it went down. When Micah was born I laid him on his belly to sleep. GASP! I know, can you believe it? That is how I roll. Unless one of my babies does not like sleeping on his/her belly I will continue to do this. I am horrible at swaddling, so it is my only option. For my babies, I think they sleep better which means I sleep better. :) THEN, the dreadful time came where Micah learns how to roll over from his belly to his back BUT(the kicker) does not know how to roll from his back to his belly. This means waking up every time he rolls from his belly to his back and crying crying crying until I roll him back over. Whew! Now, that is tiring. So, we passed that moment...I started to lay him on his back with a pillow. He loved it and slept great. Although his hair was a rats nest EVERY TIME I got him up, which required me buying detangler just to get the knots out. Things have changed as of yesterday. I came into his room because he had been sleeping for a while. And he is completely off the pillow. He is on his hands and knees trying to crawl, not being successful because of the side of the crib. He still doesn't see me, and he starts to roll EVERYWHERE in his crib. It is so funny. I start to talk to him and tell him that he obviously has some tricks up his sleeve and he just smiles so big(which means, "yes, I do!"). Micah is 6 months old. So, none of this is abnormally early, but it is just so funny because I remember Parker doing the same thing. For some reason their crib is the place where they feel comfy doing all those tricks. When Micah is sitting on the floor he tries so hard to crawl. He reaches for everything and ends up on his hands and knees from sitting position trying to get to something. Parker officially started crawling at 7 months and got his first tooth at the same time. I really think Micah will be falling in the same footsteps and possibly earlier. Who knows? I am proud of my sweet boy. He is so good, so happy, and just chills. God is so good to bless me with two amazing boys! They are so fun right now. I love it!

Fun Visit from our family in GA---LONG POST!

Hey! So, all the pictures are in the post below. But, I HAD to write about this amazing week we just had. Derek's wonderful family just left about an hour ago on their long trek back home to Georgia. And I am sad... I cannot even begin to tell you how much fun we had. We did everything we could possibly do in about 5 days in Austin. We ate at all the best places, we rode the train at Zilker, we rented a pontoon boat and speed boat and tube at Lake Travis. I cooked dinner for everyone twice. There was ice cream every night, whether it was at my house, Mighty Fine Burgers, or Shakes. We even had a special trip to Hey Cupcake. Yum! The kids played played and played some more. And we cannot forget about going to the pool and just having fun.
Here is who all came. Papa and Mrs. Elaine. Keith(Papa K), Lynn(Mama Lynn), and Lindsey(Aunt Lindsey). Darrell, Bonnie and their 4 kiddos(Laura Kate, Allie, Gracie, and John Marc). Keith, Lynn, and Lindsey stayed with us while the rest of the clan stayed in the RV and cabin that they rented(or whatever) right next to the RV. I am serious when I say I hardly saw Parker. He went to bed later than he has ever gone to bed and probably could have stayed up even later. He was spoiled and you could definitely tell. Micah was along for the ride and did great. He only got off schedule one day that made him fussy. Other than that, he was great and hardly made a peep.
Can I just saw how much I appreciate and love my in laws? When they come they pay for everything(them or Papa). We have tried to offer them money, but they will not accept. Keith mowed the lawn, swept out the garage, and dropped Derek's car off to get many things fixed. Lynn cleaned my house, washed dishes, and washed clothes practically the whole time she was here. On top of the fact that they played with the boys the whole time. AND they brought all of us treats from Georgia. They were great and I am so blessed, my boys are so blessed, and Derek knows he is blessed...it is his parents!! :)
Oh, I haven't talked about Derek much because of course last week was slow for the business but this week they were SLAMMED! They had 6 or 7 moves a day. Derek got a day off to play golf with his dad and darrell and was able to meet us for dinner some. Thanks to Square Cow for even letting him be off that much. Ha! He actually is leaving for a move to Utah today(22 hour drive). He will be gone for 5 days. :( But, guess what? Square Cow bought another truck!!! YAY!!!!

Thats all folks. Sorry so long!! But, I am sure someone will enjoy reading this. Or at least I will when I look back at it months from now. :)

We had a BLAST!

Aunt Bonnie and Micah. So sweet and GREAT picture!

Gracie and Micah.

This picture is a definition of everyone to me from this week. From left to right. Laura Kate(9yo) being so sweet talking and holding John Marc(5 1/2 mo). Audrey Grace(aka Gracie, 3yo) being so sweet holding Micah(6mo) AND chatting with Parker(2yo). She looks like she is crying, but I am pretty sure she wasn't. She has so much spunk. This little girl is awesome! Then Parker talking to Gracie...he loved all of them, but he talked about Gracie the most. Then Allie(7yo) watching and cheering Parker on as he said, who knows what. Probably "No". :)

Wish Parker was smiling in this picture, but I still LOVE this picture. I am going to frame it in my house.



Mama Lynn and Papa K with their grand babies.

Aunt Lindsey with Micah

Aunt Lindsey with Parker. He loves his Aunt Lindsey! But wouldn't smile for us...he just wanted to blow bubbles.

Micah all smiles


Parker blew sooooo many bubbles with Mama Lynn and Papa K. Wow! They ended up buying more at Randalls. These bubbles were the best bubbles I have ever seen. They were so thick and lasted forever. Ok, so when I mean forever. One blew into my house from outside and like an hour later it was still on my table! It hadn't even popped. Ha!

Parker talking with Papa while we searched for Derek's wallet.

Mrs. Elaine talking with Parker. Papa and Mrs. Elaine just recently got married!! Congrats to them!!

Uncle Darrell and Aunt Bonnie with John Marc on the train ride at Zilker Park. I love that Parker calls Darrell and Bonnie "Uncle" and "Aunt". It is just too cute!

Me and Micah. I didn't even know Micah was smiling. Precious!

Me and Laura Kate. How cute are her sun glasses?!

Mama Lynn and Papa K with Parker on the train ride.

Allie and Blake sat next to each other. Well, sorta...they had that "love, but do not sit next to me" kinda relationship going.

Micah and his finger...every time he eats he sticks this finger in his mouth. Never fails! EVERY TIME!

John Marc and his thumb. He was so stinkin' good ALL the time!

Kiddos enjoying some yummy ice cream outside on the back porch. Yum!

YAY!

My cousin and best friend, Stephanie, got engaged while I was in B'ham. I am SOOOO Happy for her! Eric and her dated for 6 years so we were waiting on this. I am so thankful to Eric who did it while I was in town. I think Steph said he thought about that, but if not or if so thank you Eric! Her ring is GORGEOUS! They are getting married in 3 short months. And surprisingly, so far, everything is falling into place. I will be very happy to return for the wedding festivities!!! YAY!!! I love you Steph and Eric!

Steph and Me

Eric and Steph

I can SWIM!

Parker has started swimming on his own. He now jumps off into the pool by himself and kicks his feet until he gets to one of us...and then we turn him around and he swims back. Or he jumps close enough in where he turns back to the ladder all by himself. He has no floaties...nothing...just his really fast little legs. We are still teaching him things, but I am so proud of him!!


This is what he does in the bath tub. He treats it like a pool and goes completely under. I tried to get a picture of it. It is so funny! He ALWAYS does it! Every time he has a bath.

This rarely happens but for some reason on this night Parker was not wanting to go to bed. When I walked into the room this is what I saw. Ha! It cracked me up!

Derek Allen Mills...LOVE him!

On July 5th my husband turned 26 years old. He is WONDERFUL in every way!! He works so hard, and is a great daddy. He is so sweet to me...always has been. I will have to say I got a great catch.
Derek has always wanted drums. So for his birthday this year he saved all his birthday money and bought him some electric drums. Why electric you ask? Because they can be plugged into headphones and no one else can hear them but him. I strongly encouraged Derek to get them because it is a hobby that he could have at home. He plays all the time and is already getting really good. I am amazed! It is the funniest thing. Parker plays guitar while Derek plays the drums to this song. It brought tears to my eyes the other day because it was just one of those moments that I will cherish forever. Micah was on the bed watching it all and just had his old man grin on his face. Oh yeah, I was the singer. Yay for me! Ha ha!
Happy LATE birthday Derek! I LOVE LOVE YOU!

Sweet Home Alabama

Two weeks ago the boys and I headed out to Birmingham, AL for a week trip. It was WONDERFUL! My great friends, Jessica and Evelyn, Meredith and her boys, Mary Ann and Beau, and my cousin, Stephanie all made time for me the whole week. It was so sweet of them and it made my trip great! My mom rode with us down there and my dad rode with us back to Austin. Those drives were not so fun for the boys or me. BUT it was well worth it. These are some pictures of my boys hangin out at their Mama Don and Papa's house. My parents are selling their house so I had to get the picture of them on the stairs and playing there because I am not sure when I will have that opportunity again. :( I probably gained 20 pounds because I ate at all my favorite places. Some of them twice!!! Anyways, I am happy to be home, but so glad we paid a visit to the ole ham!! :)

Ok, so if you think I am a bad mom because of this, oh well. My mom gave Micah his first tootsie roll pop while we were there and he loved it! He was sticky ALL over!! I took him straight to the bath. He obviously did NOT eat all of it, but he probably thought he could have if I would have let him. :)

Micah hangin with Papa on the floor.




Parker hanging out at Jessica's house with Evelyn. I wish I would have gotten more pictures of all my friends and their kids. UGH! I meant to, I just didn't think about it or have time for it.

Seriously?! My child looks ridiculous and could care less. He was having fun. Oh my Word!!

The stair picture. I was by myself so it is not great, but still I had to get it.

Parker was upset with me.