Catching Up...

Christmas this year went by so fast!  The break started off with our school's annual Christmas lunch.  After lunch, Ryan took the boys (by himself!) to the Highley Family Christmas at Uncle Clay and Aunt Marka's ranch in Tishomingo, OK.  I got to stay behind with my friend Sarah as my babysitter and relax.  The boys were able to go fishing for the first time!  As much as I  liked the rest, I missed being with my family.   I'm so glad the boys love it at the ranch.  We plan on sending them there in the summers to come to WORK.  Ryan and I both want the boys to have as many meaningful experiences as possible.  Frankly, there is no where in Conroe/The Woodlands that compares to the ranch were they will learn the value of a hard day's work and appreciate the beauty of God's creation.  Marka and Clay, you probably need to start preparing now for the Highley Boys.   HA!

The serious side to Buzz Lightyear.

The boys riding in their NEW Jeep from Mimi and Poppy. They seriously need to require a driver's license for these things. It make me nervous for when they turn 16.

The rest of our Christmas break was quiet with our family of FOUR.  Ryan and I were purposeful to focus on TIME with the boys since this would be their last Christmas with just the two of them.  Baby sister was scheduled to make her appearance January 10th.  We are so blessed to work at a school with such generous parents.  As a result, all of Christmas presents were bought with gift cards and our Christmas bonuses.  This is just another a reminder of how God takes care of his children.

May your 2011 be filled with God's riches blessings.  Peace, Joy, and Love throughout the New Year.

Stay tuned for pictures of our New Year blessing, Baby Sister!

Christmas 09

Christmas is such a magical time! I love the season. This year we purposely chose to establish what I hope will be long-lasting traditions in our home. On Christmas Eve my parents and brother came into town. I cooked a brisket meal. After dinner we decorated cookies for Santa. If you ever need a good sugar cookie recipe (for cut cookies), I recommend Martha Stewart's recipe HERE. They are the BEST tasting, but cut out very nicely.
Rhett working hard on spreading his icing.

Deacon wearing and eating his sugar cookies for Santa.
The final product!

After we decorated cookies for Santa, it was time for the boys to go to bed while Santa's elves went to work. The boys woke up to a room full of balloons and new toys. It took them a while to understand that all the new toys were for them from Santa. But eventually they got and had fun playing with all their new stuff.


On the 26th we drove to Weatherford, where my parents live so we could cut our trip to Oklahoma down. That night Ryan, Shane, and I went to see the movie Avatar. My jury's still out on this movie, although the boys liked it a lot.

Finally, here is my favorite picture from the holidays:


Stay tuned for some pictures from our trip to Oklahoma!

Lounge Pad

Last year, Ryan received a pretty substantial gift from his tennis team.  We decided to spend it wisely and bought a HDTV :).  The policy in our house is: "Get Something, Give Something."  Since we were graciously given the money for the HDTV, we gave our 27" flat screen t.v. to my brother and his family (because who needs THREE t.v.s?).  Shortly after we bought the new t.v., the t.v. in our bedroom broke.  We decided that we did not need two t.v.s and have gone the last year without a second one.  

Well, our boys have discovered "Finding Nemo," and lucky for us we have it on DVD and DVR.  Unfortunately, in order for them to watch "Finding Nemo," Mommy and Daddy have to watch it, too.  It had become apparent that if we ever want to watch anything not in animation, we needed another t.v.  Problem is, we're cheap!

I've been searching craigslist.com for a while, looking for the best deal.  Finally this weekend I think I've found it.  We bought TWO t.v.s, one 27" and one 32", for $45!  They aren't HD or even flat-screen, but they work and we can hook up our satellite and a DVD player to them.  We put one in our bedroom.  The other we put upstairs in the loft area for the boys to hang.  If you're counting, we now have THREE t.v.s!  Famous last words...

Here are a couple picks of the boys enjoying their new "Lounge Pad."  Notice how they are wrapped up in the quilts their Mimi and Ms. Sarah made for them before they were born.  They love these "bankets."  The t.v. cabinet was given to us from Kaley and Chad.  Now all we need is a second DVD player...craigslist.com, here I come!

   

Parenting 101

I have a feeling Ryan and I will be winning some great Parenting awards in the near future.  Deacon's counting to 12 and saying his ABC's.  Rhett can hold a pen correctly and knows almost all his colors.  And more importantly, our boys know the ENTIRE "Hannah Montana" theme song and love to dance to Beyonce!

Sorry for the blurriness of the video.  I used my phone to take it.  I'm trying to work on clearing it up a bit, but if I can't, you get the idea!

***So, I can't make the picture any more clear.  But if you look closely and listen, you can watch Deacon trying so hard to copy some of Beyonce's dance moves and sing along.  Rhett, meanwhile, just runs in circles.  They are so darn cute!

I see Sharks!

The night before the Twins' birthday we went to Benihana's to eat with the Highley family.  First of all, Ryan has been talking about Benihana's for years.  He raves about it!  I must admit, I was a bit disappointed.  The food was nothing special (good, but not deserving Ryan's raves).  What they lacked there, they made up for in atmosphere and customer service.  The host asked if we were there for anything special and we said, "Yes! The boys' second birthday."  They proceeded to bring each boy a slice of cheesecake and a great chef's hat. 

Doesn't Deacon look OLD in this picture?  I no longer have a baby, but a little man.

 Such a cutie!

Afterwards, we went to The Woodlands Waterway and rode the Water taxi.  If you're ever in the area, I highly suggest visiting the Waterway at night.  The river is lit up by Christmas lights.  It's beautiful and magical!  

Shark Week on the Discovery Channel consumes our t.v.  Ryan is slightly obsessed.  The day before we had gone to the Houston Aquarium.  They have a train you can ride that goes under a tank-full of sharks.  While on the water taxi, Deacon kept yelling, "I see sharks!"  I have another shark lover under my house.  

The night was so much fun celebrating together with family.

Happy Birthday, Twins!

It's been a few weeks, but yes, the Twins turned two on August 15th!  We had a small-ish party in Conroe with close family, my best friend & her two boys, and a coach friend of Ryan's and his wife.  

Because of the quick move, my BIG birthday plan had to be tweaked and scaled down quite a bit.  We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, I made the birthday cakes (one chocolate, one vanilla), the kids decorated party hats, and we opened presents and just played.  

Rhett enjoying him some birthday cake.

Deacon partaking of his birthday cake.  The smile says it all!

We were so busy preparing for the party and entertaining, that we forgot to take any pictures.  I can't believe!  Luckily Mimi had her camera and snapped a few for us to have.  

Rhett's Two-year-old milestones:

1. Favorite song: "The Wheels on the Bus"
2. Favorite toys: Monkey, Choo-Choo Train, Noah's Ark, and Books
3. He's starting to speak in 4-5 word sentences
4. Can hold a crayon perfectly and knows all the basic colors - except red.  I think he's Red colorblind to be honest.
5. Knows the "ABC Song" and is beginning to recognize his letters
6. Can count to 5 sometimes with help he can get to 10
7. Is still my OCD child.  He loves order, won't walk on lines (like on the basketball court), and  can't stand being dirty.
8. He's starting to try to dress himself and has used the potty a hand-full of times but is not interested in potty training yet.
9. He's still his momma's boy.  Gives the best kisses and is such a cuddle-bug.  
10. He loves to say the blessing at eating time and bed time.  He is such a compassionate person.  Will go to comfort you if you're upset.  He bends down and looks you in the eye and sys, "K? Momma, K?"

Deacon's Two-year-old milestones:

1. Favorite song: "The Barney Song" or "I Love You"
2. Favorite toys: Puzzles (he can actually put most of them together by themselves), Choo-Choo Train, Noah's Ark, and Handy Manny tool set
3. He's starting to speak in complete sentences (more than five words).
4. Runs EVERYWHERE with his brother following behind.  Deacon is really the leader in the relationship.
5. Sings the "ABC Song" and is beginning to recognize his letters
6. Can count to 12 by himself.  Is learning to recognize his colors but most just knows yellow and blue.
7. Will play with anybody.  He is friend to all.
8. Has used the potty several times but is not interested in telling us when he needs to go potty yet.
9. He gives the best hugs!  I mean squeeze you to death hugs.
10. He loves to hear/read about Jesus.  He carries Ryan's "Man of Prayer" and asks us to read to him.  He loves going to church.  We love that, too!

The Newest Highley

If you can't tell by the Cubs jersey, this Cabbage Patch Kid was Ryan's when he was a child. Poor little guy, has no pants. Don't ask me why, but someone cut a huge hole in the crotch. Suffice to say, I threw them away. 

The Twins decided that Ryan's CPK needed to be adopted into our family. He has been living with us for at least a month. We decided to make it official. It is with joy and excitement that I introduce you to the newest Highley member:

"Boy" Highley

Born: Sometime in the '80s

Adopted: August 3, 2009

Yes, my friends, they named the CPK "BOY." I couldn't change their minds. When you ask them what the baby's name is, they both yell "Boy." Let's hope their baby-naming skills improve with age. 

On another note, the boys turn TWO next weekend, on the 15th. Here is a copy of the e-vite we sent to friends and family. Don't be sad if you didn't receive one. We only invited people close friends and family in the Conroe area and our parents. Maybe next year we can have a bigger blow-out. 

I know the 5 of you who read the blog are dying for pictures of the new house, moving, and 

an overall update, but alas, time is running away from me. I promise I will upload pictures and get you all caught up on the Highley Family soon. For now, I leave you with this picture of one little mover...