The Mooney Clan

I promised pictures, and there are still more coming, but here are a few to hold you over. These are taken just after their baths.

Justin and I celebrate 15 years today! Wow. It has been so full and so fun and has had so many growing moments. I love this man and am so glad that we have been on this ride together. I would love to write a big long appreciation to Justin on here but as is the case in this life we are living, I have about 3 minutes to get something down on here. I've already pulled the kids off of me, while trying to write on here, about 6 times. So, happy anniversary to my friend and love of my life, the father of our wonderful boys. Looking forward to the next 15.

...new flooring! I have good news. We ripped out our green carpet (it was in the living room and dining room (yuck) and down the hall and the front stairs) and installed flooring that I can wash! YAY. Life is much easier and cleaner now. Thank goodness because a couple days after we had it, one of the little boys knocked over Caden's cup of milk. I was very grateful to be able to just wipe it up. So, thanks to my mom and dad and our friend Tim for helping with the floor. Much appreciated!! The kids are great but at 18 months they are certainly a handful. It's a little more than usual too because, with Justin working all day and then coming home to work on the floors, I haven't been away from them much at all in the past month. My patience is certainly waning. But I'm trying! They are extremely adorable and very funny though! Just not when they are crying because their brother stole their toy or sat on them, or they can't find the 3rd blanket so they figh...

It has been a very full week - as most are, in one way or another. We started out, last week, by getting our evergreen in our backyard cut down. Now I don't have to worry about pine needles in the kids sandbox and in the grass. We will plant more grass so the kids have more play area back there. It'll be a big project but worth it in the end. And less maintenance! "yay" says this yardwork hater. Then my parents came last weekend and we dared to take the kids out to a sit down restaurant for the first time. I'm glad my parents were willing because we could never have tried this on our own. I thought they did really well. We went to Montana's because they are used to kids and because it's always noisy in there. We went earlier than the rush so we would get seated and get our order in before everyone else's got in there. So - we played with them and kept them busy and then when the food came, they sat and ate quite well. We still wouldn't ...

My best 'mother's day moment' from my kids was when Caden came home from preschool on friday with a little craft that he had made for me. He came right in the house and said "Happy Mother's Day Mom, I Love You! This is for you". Even if he was coached by his teacher, it was nice that he said it and that he wanted to say it. It reminded me of the 10 plus years that I worked in a daycare or had my home daycare and we made those crafts and the little cards with the poems and the handprints on it. Now I finally got one made for me!! Love it!

Well the birthday is done and we are moving on. Last night was Caden's first outdoor soccer game and it was COLD. I kept the little boys home so we didn't get to go (although being warm made up for missing it). Caden enjoyed it and enjoyed the hot chocolate when he got home. Things are going well. I took the gate down from around the tv and the kids are listening a little better about leaving it alone. We leave the gate to the basement off now and the kids go up and down at their leisure. It's nice - gives me an occasional quiet moment. We won't take the gate off the front stairs for awhile. Dylan gets the door open and heads out and even locking it isn't reassuring enough for me. So - gate stays. Our street is just too busy to risk it. Not that I'd risk it anyway! The kids are still doing pretty good about not having soothers during the day. Dylan will open the drawer where I keep them every once in a while and he'll whine but not very often. ...

Caden at almost 2 months old Almost 4 years later Caden turns 4 today. I just sat down to write this and as I think about what to say about our oldest son my eyes fill with tears because he means so much to me. I remember being pregnant with him and thinking about what he might be like and who he'll take after. When he was little, just like my other boys, I wondered what he'd be like. I will never forget the way I felt the day he was born. Here was my miracle. In my arms after all the years of waiting and praying. God gave us this beautiful boy and I just love him so so much. I just know I won't do him justice but if you don't already know him, you'll have to spend some time with him and see it for yourself. Caden is a treasure. He has so much energy and life. He is excited about everything. He loves his social life. I can't believe how often he asks to have his friends over or to go to people's houses. And for his birthday he was asking to ...