Mr. Braden Is Potty Trained!

A couple of weeks ago I officially decided that I was ready to potty train Braden. This whole potty training business is like deciding to jump into a cold swimming pool...you just have to do it...and it takes as much effort for the child as it does for the parent. It's NOT fun cleaning urine all throughout the day for a few days...for Braden that was the hardest...until one day it clicked that he has control of his little body and he can hold it!!! We only had ONE accident with #2 and he's done his business (#1 & #2) every day for almost 2 weeks now in the TOILET!

He is a big boy!

It is so funny to watch him stand up and go standing up! It's soooo cute for some reason!...Brielle has been trying to copy him and we keep reminding her that she's a girl and girls don't go standing up.

Running to the bathroom...

He made it!!!! That big smile of accomplishment melts my heart!

(that's what happens to his little eye when he doesn't wear his glasses)

We've been seeing this little bum running around our house A LOT lately! The first week he just ran around the house in his underwear ALL day! He was loving life!

Mr. Braden is officially potty trained!!!

(This video is not related to Braden being potty trained but it is so funny I have to post it! Scott and I were laughing our heads off...we are terrible! and Brielle in the background...I have no clue where she gets the things she says sometimes...she sounds like a broken record...)

Life is good.

The year 2002, was the last time I stepped into the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean is part of me. I have countless memories in the ocean, both the Pacific and the Atlantic. In Perú, we lived 2 blocks away from the beach and the same goes for Miami. I never quite realized how fond I am of the ocean until last week when we took a trip to Ocean City in Maryland. Scott did some research about affordable campsites at close by beaches and found Ocean City. We packed up and left last Monday. It was about a 4-hour drive. The first thing we noticed when we stepped out of the car was the bugs! They were feasting on us instantly! We didn't think to bring repellent but got some as quickly as we could...$9.99 later and repellent in hand, we thought we were safe...apparently these bugs were repellent resistant because we were their feast for the rest of the trip...just imagine yourself biting into a succulent piece of meat...with that same satisfaction were these bugs biting us. Scott went to put up our tent, while the kids, my brother and I went to play at the beach.

Stepping onto the hot sand brought dozens of memories. Brielle and Braden were both in heaven, just as I was as a child in the beaches of Peru. There is something serene and inviting about the ocean. The smells and the sound of the waves brought many happy memories...it almost made me forget about the impertinent biting flies all around us. For a moment I wished I could transfer all of those happy memories to my children so that they can see with their own eyes, feel and experience what the ocean has given me. I guess my stories will have to do. Hopefully we will visit the ocean often enough they'll create memories of their own.

My little old man...:)

Brielle was in heaven...

Eating sand...

There are wild ponies in this area of Maryland. They just run wild around the beach and all over the place. They are beautiful and at first we were mesmerized by them until they started to get too friendly and too close to us and one almost stepped on Braden...we stayed away from them from then on...

Scott got back from setting up camp, we spent a little longer at the beach then headed to or campsite...

We were filthy...

and sweaty...

We had dinner at almost 9pm. Our tin-foil dinner was delicious. The kids were tired and we were all ready for bed after dinner. We were all filthy and had sand everywhere. We headed to take a shower. By the time we got to the shower house I think had 5 bug bites on my legs and 5 on my arms. We made it back to the tent, sighting relief...thinking that we were safe from the fierce bites of these bugs!...we were so wrong!!! About 2 in the morning I woke up itching EVERYWHERE...I was exhausted and all I could think about was my comfy bed, bug-free back in Virginia...Around 2:30am. Scott and I grabbed the kids to go sleep in the car...my brother was in his own little tent, I don't think he got any bugs in his tent like we did.

We got up EARLY the next day, had breakfast and headed to the beach. In spite of the annoying biting flies, and the awful night's rest we had, the simple fact that we were at the beach seem to make it all better.

Scott keeps telling me that he wants to go live in Florida for a few years before we settle somewhere for a while...I'm thinking that might just be a great idea...:)

Is summer really almost gone?

We've been trying to take full advantage of these last few weeks we have with Scott before he starts school again on the 24th. Blogging can be time consuming sometimes, I absolutely LOVE doing it but I've been choosing to spend time with my husband and children instead...which it's a good thing...but I'm feeling behind now...We are headed to Ocean City tomorrow to go camping for a couple of days, so I better do some catching up.

We moved to our new place last Friday...we are friends with the nicest couple from our ward and Eldar (the husband) got accepted to go to graduate school at Cornell so they were looking for someone to move into their condo which is just a few blocks away from where we lived. Scott and I talked and talked and talked about it for quite a few months...I REALLY did NOT want to move, especially after all the work we had put into our place, we painted the walls and it looked really nice, etc. I guess that was the only plus I could find and after discussing how much we really didn't like our 1970's appliances, the hardwood flooring is beautiful but with our kids the noise level was CRAZY!!! Every time they dropped a toy you could hear it a mile away...I'm exaggerating but it was so loud and the trees are beautiful but since we were on the bottom floor it was incredibly dark ALL the time! We had the lights on pretty much ALL day long! And with all of these negatives we were paying $1600 a month!!!

So this opportunity presented to move to the third floor with vaulted ceilings and SOOOOO much light, carpet, brand new appliances and a loft, a LOT more storage and all for $15 less, it's not much cheaper but with all of the pluses that we are getting Scott and I felt like it was definitely a better deal for our family than what we had. The only thing to make this place perfect would be a yard...but then I'm asking too much for this area...anyway, so we are now in our new place...it's pretty much the same set up but with a loft and vaulted ceilings...I will post pictures as soon as I'm done putting up all of my decorations. We are all unpacked, it took us a whole week to get everything organized...I think I'm a little obsessive when it comes to the chaos that comes with having everything scattered all over the place, everything OUT of place!!!! ahhhhh!!! It drives me crazy! So Scott and I pulled full days of working around the house to get everything where it needed to be...poor Brielle and Braden were feeling a little neglected...but we've still managed to have fun...

We've become really good friends with our old neighbors, the Jacob's, they have two little girls and their youngest turned 1 and they had this HUGE party for her. They are from Korean descent and I guess the first birthday is a really big deal for them! It was such a fun party! I loved being exposed and learning about different cultures.

I don't know why I love that picture of Brielle and Bella...Bella looks so poised in her little traditional dress and there's Brielle being crazy!!! Those two are such good little friends and they play so well together! They are taking a dance class together this fall...it should be fun for both of them!!!:) And the other picture with Judy and Abby! Abby is sooo stinkin' cute, every time I see her I just want to squeeze those cheeks!

We got the kids bikes a few weeks ago...it took a little bit for them to get the whole pedaling thing but they both finally got it and they LOVE it!

Moving is not fun for anyone...and it's even harder for kids...but they have dealt with this change soooo well! These two are such good little kids...they find ways to distract themselves and have fun together, even though they fight, they also are such great friends!

We were in the middle of packing and Scott started calling me to bring the camera and take a picture of Brielle!!! This is what she was doing! These kids are so much fun! and of course Brielle doesn't have any bottoms...she loves running around the house in her underwear!

We put Brielle and Braden to work!!! My brother helped us so much too!

Brielle got a waterproof cast and it has been so nice to be able to go to the pool again! We've been going pretty much every day and both Brielle and Braden LOVE it! But especially Braden, he's a fish! He LOVES the water and he is NOT one bit scared of it!

Scott is such a fun dad! I love how he actively plays with them and they just LOVE him! They are such going to miss him when he starts school again...

Braden got a hold of a hose and was loving life...

Then, he decided that putting his head under water was fun, so both Scott and Braden were putting their heads under the water! It was so cute to watch them!

Biking after the pool.

What is up with these faces??? Both of them making the exact same face...

This is what kids do when their parents are unpacking and getting the house organized...Brielle and Braden got a hold of toilet paper and started breaking each square and lined them up on the floor...

A few days ago, we headed to D.C. to visit the National Cathedral! It is an amazing structure!!!

The grounds around the Cathedral are just beautiful!

The architecture is beautiful and so intricate, there are so many details everywhere...you can spend hours just admiring the outside of the building...I was so sad that my battery died and couldn't get more pictures but the inside is amazing!

Tomorrow we are headed to the beach to go camping for a couple of days...it's the last fun thing we are doing before Scott starts school again...we have been so blessed to be able to have Scott around this summer! We've had so much fun! We are going to miss him so much!

One more video of Braden! He just puts a smile on my face!!!