sometimes you just have to laugh...

believe it or not, my sweet little jacob has developed quite the not-s0-sweet little 3 year old attitude! don't get me wrong....he's throwing nothing at me that could even compare to andrew at age 3, but he's definitely trying his best!

the other day both boys were giving me a run for my money...ok, let's be honest....they were driving me absolutely NUTS-O and i was at the end of my rope. it was one of those days when i really felt i had spent the whole day playing referee and losing count of who was in time out more!

after one of jacob's time outs, he put together this ensemble...NO PANTS, HIS RAIN BOOTS AND A CUTE LITTE HAT! it was all i (and andrew!) could do not to laugh....and then i quickly showered both boys with hugs and kisses! they really ARE cute!!!

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hot fun in the summertime...

my lack of posts on this blog is no indication of our summer....it has been busy busy busy....and we're having lots of fun along the way! the boys have been in camp 4 mornings a week, and typically we head to the pool in the afternoon. andrew has been doing private swim lessons and has made great improvements this summer!

here are some highlights of our adventures thus far....

CARS 2...

i was able to score 4 tickets to a private screening of CARS 2 the weekend it opened. i'm not sure who was more excited about this....we ALL know how much i heart FREE stuff! in addition to the free tickets, the kids each scored a CARS 2 tshirt, a color changing water bottle and a snack pack for the movie! despite my thinking that the movie was way over their heads, with the whole espionage theme, the boys seemed to really enjoy it. personally, i think CARS was a much better flick!

BEACH WEEK 2011...and the "I DO's"

as is tradition, we headed down to corolla, nc for a week of sun, fun, surf and....a wedding! yes, this year was special, in that, chris and morgan (my sister's bro in law and his now wife) tied the knot while we were there. it made for an extra special vaca! a few other highlights of the trip were...

*climbing the corolla lighthouse

*andrew swimming in the pool on his own

*watching andrew LOVE the ocean and the beach

*the four cousins having a sleepover every night...

and the BIGGEST highlight of the week, was that this was the first year (in 8 years of doing this trip) that neither my sis nor i had to bring a pack-n-play or diapers!!!!

STEVE SONGS...

another summer tradition of ours, is to see steve songs at wolf trap. i believe this was our 4th year! this time we made our way there with neighbors and we ALL had a blast! we almost didn't go, because the forecast was for over 100 degrees....and it is always 10 degrees hotter and stuffier in those good ol' woods! we made it though, with water bottles & fans in tow...and the temps were actually bearable!

STAY TUNED...

with about 4 weeks of summer remaining, we still have several fun things planned, including a trip to baltimore and also the cameron run water park.

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it's ok to be me...

actually, it MORE THAN OK to be me!!!

this is a very recent (as in within the past 48 hours!) self discovery i've made. you see, people always tell me that i'm so self confident and so sure of myself, but inside that has never really been the case. i'm not sure where it came from, but i have ALWAYS been very self conscious of my body. whenever i mention this to a friend, they'll say something along the lines of, "oh please amy. you look great." or "seriously amy? get over yourself!" i'd smile and shy away from the conversation, but inside, i was still feeling icky about myself and my body.

it wasn't until recently, while out celebrating a dear friend's 40th birthday, that something clicked in me. i was the only one there who had not reached the milestone age of 40. i kept listening to these women talk about how they feel that the best part about turning 40, is that they have "arrived." they are finally good with where they are in life, and more importantly, with WHO they are in life. we joked, that i would get there soon enough! well, thankfully that night was an ah-ha moment for me. perhaps i won't even have to wait until i turn 40!

case in point...i NEVER wear a bikini to our community pool. heck, i'm even self conscious when i wear one at the pool/beach on vaca, when the only people i know there are family!!! i'm not sure why, but i am always WAY too self conscious to pull it off. not only that, but i will evaluate the other women (in my head of course), who may be wearing bikinis. i'll think to myself, "if she can do it, so can i"....but alas, i ALWAYS end up in my tankini! it's no doubt that my belly has gotten flabbier over recent years, and that i have stretch marks to boot! i know.....too much info, right!?!? TODAY i decided that these marks and my belly, are ALL MINE! they are ME....they are marks of my accomplishment of carrying and birthing two amazing children! TODAY, i wore my bikini and i felt good about myself!!! i actually stood in the mirror before heading to the pool and said "I am beautiful and I love myself!"

i'm not sure what exactly changed in my mind as i listened to these wonderful women talk about their love for themselves, but i am SO incredibly happy to have been there!!!

i am who i am...and i love me!!!!

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