January 16, 2012

2 Year Celebration!

We had so much fun celebrating TWO YEARS with ISAAC! Isaac's birthday celebration started a few days early while we were celebrating a late Christmas with the McCulley clan. Below, Wyatt is assisting Isaac every step of the way to opening his card and gift from Grandma and Papa McCulley! I LOVE the affection Wy is showing to Isaac and how tolerant Isaac is being in 'sharing' his birthday surprises with big bro....


Papa picked out a cool John Deer for Ike Bear!
Here's Ike giving Papa a "thank you" squeeze
Thursday morning, Wyatt and I snuck in early and filled the floor outside of Isaac's closet (ie his current bedroom!) with balloons and gifts....
Ike hardly had time to open his eyes before Wy was singing and throwing balloons at him!
Here's Ikey with his new spider man boots! He had been tromping around in the mud in Wyatt's oversized pair, so he was pretty excited to get some of his own that fit just right!
We had donuts for breakfast, of course... Isaac's got a thing for sugar, you know! I'm not big on the boys having much sugar, but birthdays are definitely the exception!
and his morning 'conference call' from Daddy! A highlight of EVERY morning!
Mimi and Poppy gave Isaac a super cool new toy and took him out for pizza!
Then in the evening, we picked up Daddy from work and headed down to Fritz's....
Our lil conductor is obsessed with trains so he was on cloud 9! He was determined to call in his own food order....
and then waited, waited, waited for the choo-choo.....
...to finally bring him his meal!
We had to stop over at the candy store to top off the night!
Then on Friday (yes, we tend to draw out the birthday experience into a week-long celebration!) Joe and I took just Isaac to open gym! He had a blast.....


On Saturday, we celebrated with cousins Ashtyn and Dax at Chuck-e-cheez
Isaac was not so fond of Chuck-E but loved all of the games and lights!
And Sunday we just spent the day outdoors...

January 12, 2012

Look Who's TWO!!!!!

Mr. Winsome is TWO!
Isaac has this incredible gift of winning over hearts... even the really hard ones! He can get a grumpy, growly old man who is totally not into kids to come out of his grumpy, growl self and SMILE! :) This is my favorite quality about Ikey Bear and one I can take zero credit for. It's a grace gift, for sure, and one with very good purpose! :)
Unafraid.Unstoppable.Determined.Capable.Strong.Adventurous
Isaac is always on the look out for an adventure or challenge and there's no stopping him once he gets started! When there's a will there's a way. If he wants it, he'll find a way to get it! I love this quality about Ike... he doesn't ask for much, he sets out and finds a way to get it done by himself--from making dinner to cleaning up dinner, scooping his own ice cream, getting the play dough down from the highest cabinet in the house, peeling his own oranges, making me a cup of coffee (just the way I like it!), the list goes on! There's often a mess involved but it's a very small price to pay in helping celebrate Isaac's independence and self-sufficiency!
Lover.Compassionate.Tenderhearted.Flexible.Thankful
Isaac is such a lover! Oh my! He LOVES people--all people really! If there's anyone in our home, he's immediately their buddy... in their lap, trying to eat their dinner, wanting them to read to him. It is really precious! He has a genuine love for others and a tender heart (most of the time!) to go with it. Even when he's on a naughty streak to bite or pull hair, he immediately follows up with a hug and kiss to cover his mistake. Isaac is quick to be at the side of anyone who is sad or hurting. He's a comforter, for sure. And he's THANKFUL! Thankful for life, and thankful for all of the little things that make up this life.... I love to hear him say "thank you!" with his little sign language to go along with those 2 precious words!
Tease.Tantrums.Laughter.Witt.Charm
Isaac is definitely a tease. When he has something that he knows big bro wants and Wyatt is begging for it, Isaac will make Wy wy say "please". When Wy finally gives in and says please then Isaac is quick to respond with, "Nope!". He does it just to push Wy wy's buttons! He will normally relinquish the toy quickly afterward, but knows how to cause a reaction in the meantime! And when he smells stinky and you ask who's got a poopy diaper, he responds with "Daddy" or "Wy wy" anyone but him! He also knows how to manipulate a bit to get what he wants by melting your heart with his charm and precious smile. Every once in a while you see a tantrum--not too often, but occasionally! Most of all, he makes us LAUGH OUT LOUD every single day! :) What a gift he has!


Precious.Kind.Sincere.Snuggler

This little guy is precious! He is one of a kind and certainly irreplaceable! He's a snuggler--it doesn't last long because he's very busy, but he loves to snuggle for a minute or two! Oh, and Ike gives the best squeezes and a thousand kisses when he knows he's done wrong.

Outgoing.Playful.Curious
Spends his days playing, learning, discovering and just being all-boy! He's incredibly outgoing and does not know a stranger!!! He's normally barefoot. Footloose and fancy free is my Isaac. He can be bundled up with a coat, hat and mittens and still be running around outside with no socks or shoes! He LOVES the rain--splashing, running, soaking up the raindrops and letting them tap, tap, tap on his head!



Always my SUNSHINE!
Momma sings this song to Isaac just about every morning! He's got the lyrics down! :)

Ikey bear still loves to eat!

He even cleans out the "bowl" in his bib. He doesn't miss a bite!Isaac is a magnet for anything unhealthy like pop, candy, and sweets! Out of sight, out of mind.... so it's normally out of sight unless we have company and then this boy is like a vulture swooping in for sweet treats. He will literally grab and go, I mean with a fast dash like he's protecting his life--with a mouthful/handful of treats. He will grab handfuls of candy when we're at others' homes and stuff them in his pockets for "later" he tells me. He LOVES SUGAR!
Isaac mimics everything. He's got his little routine like Daddy of Hair gel, smell goods, and deodorant most mornings!

Look at this sweet face. Isaac is back on a THUMB kick. I don't know when we'll ever get rid of it.... I have a feeling braces will be in store! :) And he loves his "bankie"... this blankie, no other blankie is sufficient!

Ikey loves to have picnics on a blanket in the dining room. We've reserved this little tradition for Friday lunches after picking up Wy wy from preschool! I might have to get a more manly picnic blanket! :)
Shoot Guns! Isaac and Wyatt stand at the window while waiting for Daddy to get home each evening and fire rounds at the neighbor boys across the street! They are like wild warriors once Daddy gets home and they are released outside to the war zone! I never knew how much little boys love their guns. I'm learning...

Isaac always reminds us to "Pay" (pray) before meals and at bedtime and anytime before we put Micah in his crib. It's very sweet! He does a big alligator chomp "clap" to fold his hands and then patiently waits for "Amen!"
He likes to prolong the night time routine by saying "Pay (pray) Again!"
Fun Facts About our Two-Year-Old ISAAC...
-has 2 favorite hymns thanks to our Tues morning BSF meetings... O Holy Night and Holy, Holy, Holy! LOVE to hear my boy singing these classics. He sounds so mature! :) He also loves Deep and Wide, You are My Sunshine, and many more! -exploded with WORDS this month! My favorites are: pretzel which he calls a "poke"??? Bootie! Yes, our son runs around yelling "Bootie bootie" and it makes me laugh hysterically! Muff for muffin, Yes (which his always says with a very soft breath in barely a whisper!?!) -is starting to put more phrases together such as "No cool. Tay Wy wy.tay" (Translation: No School. Stay Wy wy. Stay). and "Daddy home. Why?" (On mornings he thinks daddy is supposed to be at work!) and "Hi Mommy" My favorite of all!!!!!!!! -is Witty! When you ask him who's poopy, he always blames someone.... "Daddy!" is his response normally!
Isaac Owen, You are LOVED!!!!

January 8, 2012

McCulley Christmas!

We got to stretch Christmas, 2011 into 2012 this year! The whole McCulley crew came to our house in January to celebrate Christmas together!!!

I kept all of the Christmas decor out (normally it's packed away by Jan 1st and not a day later! :) so it still felt like Christmas for our gathering... BUT the amazing spring-like weather made it feel more like Easter rather than Christmas! It was so great for the kiddos to burn some energy outdoors! Here's Wyatt and his cousin Ellie cruisin' in the truck...

We probably could have had a picnic outside, but we managed to get everyone inside for Christmas lunch and to read the Christas story with Papa...Ikey and Aunt Gigi were best buddies... Oh boy! More fun began with tearing into lots and lots of presents...
Awesome shoot guns from Uncle Jay and Aunt Gigi... leave it to the cop to buy super cool guns for his nephews! :)
So much excitement and fun surprises inside all of the colorfully wrapped gifts!
Here are Wyatt and Ellie duking it out with the boys' new boxing gloves from Grandma and Papa. I think we are going to have to invest in a punching bag so theses boys can punch out their energy on something other than each other! Whew! It can get pretty rough but the boys have a BLAST!
The defense tactics came pretty natural to Ike bear...
I guess the guys were all pictured-out or something, but here's a cute pic of us ladies and the five little cousins!
Here's Isaac saying bye-bye to Rambler! :)
What fun memories...

January 7, 2012

Micah Jay is 9 Months!

This big boy is (thankfully!) still not crawling or scooting, so we've got lots of STILL shots once again! I know my world is going to change very soon, but at least Micah is drawing out the baby stage as long as possible and giving me time to prep for the next one.... I'm not quite ready to release him into the mobile world just yet! ;) I can hardly get enough of this sweet face! He is just simply irresistable, in my opinion. This boy gets so many snuggles and kisses throughout the day and he loves every minute of it! I just want to bottle up his sweetness! It's so hard to imagine him doing anything wrong.... but I thought the same with his big brothers when they were babies too. Ha! Oh, but I'm loving this stage of just getting to ENJOY every minute of life with Micah... without the tantrums or battles or discipline...that's the benefit of being a 3rd born I guess, Mama knows what's coming and can linger in the JOY of today! What a precious and all-too-fleeting season!
Spike! His head was soaked with olive oil in attempt to get rid of the cradle cap, but big bros thought the spike was super cool! :)
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Fun Facts About our 9-Month-Old:
MICAH...
-loves to play and laugh and dance and wrestle.
-is very expressive! He's got so many different faces that make us laugh out loud daily.
-is able to get up on all 4's but has one leg that gets stuck underneath him every time.... he's trying hard to crawl but is not going anywhere just yet.
-is able to stand up on the furniture. Maybe he'll just skip crawling and go straight to walking. He's got some strong leg muscles but not the balance to support those muscles yet
-is starting to eat some table food (sounds like I'm talking about a puppy!). He LOVES new tastes and flavors and makes lots of grunts, grimaces, and puckers while trying to figure out what's in his mouth! So cute!
-all of the nursery workers just love him to pieces. They ooh and ahh over how sweet and happy and perfectly content he is. I can humbly agree! :)
-Micah's Stats: 24lbs 3ozs (73%), 30.25in (95%)
Micah Jay, You are the sweet little beat in my heart right now! Thanks for setting such a sweet tone in our home. You are full of laughter and fun but you also have a very sweet and snuggly reserve that just melts my heart. You are LOVED beyond words! Forever and For Always, Mommy

January 2, 2012

The Mystery Date!

My mama stayed with the boys while we escaped for a day to celebrate our 8th anniversary! Joe planned our date several months in advance and kept it a surprise! We headed downtown for some coffee, a little shopping, dinner at PF Chang's, and finally, the grand finale.............

A CONCERT!

I'm obviously very out of tune with KC happenings because I didn't have a clue what our plans were or who was in town. Joe tried to give me little hints here and there (like listening to a certain CD all day long!) but I was a space cadet and remained clueless.....that is, until we pulled up to Sprint Center and I saw lots of boots and hats! Yep, I knew immediately it was a concert and I was pretty certain it would be BRAD PAISLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure enough! Woo Hoo! And a little bonus of seeing Scotty and Band Perry too. It was soooooo fun and a great surprise...definitely a reminder of what life was like pre-kids.... we used to do that sort of thing (but didn't appreciate it nearly as much as we do now!)!!!!!!

Scotty

Band Perry
and my fav, Brad Paisley!
Loved the show and love the man who was next to me even more! :) Yes indeed, I can say I love him more now than the day I said 'I do' and guaranteed I'll love him more next year than I do in this very moment. As the lyrics go, "And I thought I loved you then." It is a wonderful life! I'm blessed beyond measure....