More Pictures.

Please enjoy a few new pictures of the boys and the holiday season.

Holiday Season.

Well I wanted to share some pictures.  We had a great CHristmas and now we are just watching the snow come down and down and down. 

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours please have a safe holiday.  Merry Christmas!!!

What was the favorite part of your day?

So at night when as a family we put Braxton to bed I ask both Payton and Braxton what the favorite part of their day was.  Last nights answers were classics.  I asked Payton first and he said egg nog.  The answer made sense since he picked it out at the store when we go went grocery shopping earlier that day.  I asked Braxton and his answer was "I pooped".  I didn't think he heard the question so I repeated it and with a straight face he says "when I pooped, I pooped twice today".  So there you have it...Braxton's favorite part of his day was when he pooped.  LOL  Have to love the life of a two year old. 

R.I.P. Fishy

As you can tell from the header we have lost a member of our family....Fishy.  We don't know what happened but we do know that Fishy gave us great joy to our lives.  Payton and Braxton did not take it as well but we said a prayer and then flushed Fishy.  Fishy will be greatly missed. 

What are the boys up to now?

Well they boys are doing great.  Payton is blossoming more and more.  We are still battling the communication sturggles that go with verbal apraxia.  We have made great strides with this but still have struggling.  Something happened last night that makes me finally realize what Payton is thinking and what is going on.  He stated a sentence last night that Jeff could not understand.  After asking him to repeat it the second time I thought I understood what he said but asked him to repeat it for the third time.  Well from Payton's face he was starting to get upset and I said what I thought it was which was "Save it for later".  He was talking about his leftover pizza from dinner.  When I said it Payton's eyes lite up and he looked at his dad and said "Silly daddy".  So from then I figured it out that Payton knows what he says but does not realize that what I said and what he said did not sound the same.  For those who have kept up with our verbal apraxia adventure.  Payton drops letters at the beginning and the end of words.  Yes it makes it difficult and if you are not around him alot you probably will have a hard time.  The funniest thing is how Payton has adapted himself to helping others figure him out.  When we can't understand he starts to use his hands to explain.  It is so cute and we love him just how he is, verbal apraxia and all.

B-R-A-X-T-O-N!!!!  Is what you will probably hear coming from Jeff and I.  He is always into something and usually getting in trouble.  He is so independent and wants to do everything on his own.  We have figured out that he has the Brown temper and shows it alot.  He loves to copy his brother and loves to be a bully.  Now I know what you are thinking....a crazy two year old...well there is also the cuddly Braxton who loves to clean and pick up toys and give the dogs kisses.  He loves to cuddle with me in the recliner and just snuggle.  He is a gentle giant and we love him.

Well that is the update.  We will have to take pictures of the house decorated.

It's beginning to look like Christmas!

They boys are loving the Christmas decorations and Braxton keeps stealing the candy canes from the tree.  They love this holiday and the love watching the snow.  Good times in our house. 

Decorated

The tree is up and finally decorated.  We have a tradition in our house to get a real tree every year and it really is great.  We love the smell of the tree.   This is the first Christmas in OUR house and we have had to buy some things and figure out how to we want to decorate.  Well we live in a tri-level and so there was a hugh decision on where to put the tree.  I had a vision and I don't thnk it was the same on that Jeff had but he told me last night that he was happy with the decorations and we already have plans for more next year.  Payton and Braxton were big helpers this year and had fun.  They kept telling everyone that we got a Christmas tree.  They are so happy and excited.  We can't believe it is less than 2 weeks away.  Pretty soon we will be getting ready for Braxton's 3rd birthday.  Time does fly. 

The boys have not really asked for any gifts this year.  They are into Clone Wars, Spongebob and still Cars.  They have started to like horses, dinosaurs and geese.  They are a funny duo.  I call them the duo because they sound just a like and when one does something the other has to do the same. 

Lets not forget what the holiday season is all about.  Be thankful and remember that no matter what everyone have blessing in their lives.  We are so blessed to have each other, this beautiful house and a supportive family and friends. 

Where did November go?

We have been doing great and just living our lives to the fulliest.  The boys are all geared up for Christmas and can't wait for the snow.  We have most of the outside decorations out and the boys had fun helping.  They are both getting so big.

October 12th...

Wow what a weekend we had. I thought it was going to be a quiet one but nope it wasn't. It started Thursday when Jeff and Payton had parent fun day at Payton's school. . They got to make their own bird feeder(bagel with peanut butter and bird seed) and play with play doh and few other activities. They had a blast. On Friday I took off early so we could clean out the garage and we accomplished this so now we just have to wait for the trash day and my car will be able to fit in. YEAH it will be the first time ever both cars have been in a garage. On Saturday the dogs had to get groomed and we had the Buoy annual wiener roast and it was fun especially when our friends came to join us. Thank you the Wells Family and Amy C. for joining us. I did get the house mopped and some laundry done. Yesterday was a quiet morning we went out for breakfast and Braxton drank something that didn't agree and he vomited on himself so I had to buy him new pants. And then Grandma L took Payton to town for some fun and Braxton laid down for a nap, Jeff watched football and I got to spend the afternoon with Lisa, Trina and Kim at the outlet mall. It was fun and for 4 hours it was relaxing. Then our normal dinner together as a family and then bed time.

On another note, Payton has taken a huge growth spurt and I feel that overnight he grew 3 inches. I know I am exaggerating but still we had to go and buy him some size 5 pants with adjustable waist because he is tall and skinny.

Well I hope to have an quiet week but is it ever quiet at the PBJJ family's house?

October

Well October has been a cold month so far here. We have had to turn the heat on a couple nights to get the chill out of the air. They boys still love to outside and ride their bikes. They are getting so big so fast. They love to horse play and love to laugh and have fun together. Yesterday in the car Payton asked Braxton if he loved him and of course Braxton said no and then started laughing. Then Braxton asked Payton if he loved him and of course Payton said no and started laughing. Thi is the type of thing that happens all the time. Jeff and I are so blessed to have our boys. They are a true blessing.

Apples, Pumpkins, and Uncle Andy

Well we have had a busy week and looking forward to a quiet weekend. Quiet will not be the word I will use after the weekend I am sure with Payton and Braxton.

Uncle Andy came into town last week to spend sometime and to go to the Bears game with Jeff. We got to spend all day Saturday together and I decided to go to Curtis Orchard and walk to the pumpkin patch and get some yummy apples. We had fun walking to the pumpkin patch and the boys loved picking out pumpkins. We also had to get the apple donuts to take home. Here is one of my favorite pictures.

The boys continue to amaze me. Payton is enjoying school and I got a calendar from his school to get us ready for kindergarten. I say "US" because I think it will be harder on his dad and I to have him go all day then it will be on him. He is getting the necessary speech therapy and he is talking none stop. He is in love with storm troopers and clone war. He loves the house now that we have been in it officially 4 months. He is a great kid.

Braxton, well what can I say about Braxton. He is hyper and keeps Jeff and I on our toes. He loves to ride his tricycle and loves to help with everything. He loves to push our buttons which we are not use to. He loves batman and anything that his brother is into. When he gets in trouble he always ask for someone that is not there. So if I tell him not to do something or tell him to stop he will say " I want to see ____?" Mostly it is papa, mama and cousin Jacob. He is fun to be around. He is definetly an attention getter.

I was telling Grandma Lopez that I felt a switch was turned on Braxton. He use to be so loving and easy going and listened very well but then he turned into a button pushing kid. I am amazed on how much he talks and in reality we are doing the terrible twos for the first time. When Payton was this age was not talking but a few words and was very shy and would keep to himself. We later figured out why and now he has come out of his shell. But Braxton is the complete opposite. I took him to the grocery store the other day and he had to say HI to everyone and even asked a lady "what are you doing" When she said she was working then he asked WHY? He never stops talking which is great but we just weren't use to it and were not ready for it. Yes Payton is consider a special needs kid due to his verbal apraxia but he was so easy at 2 and Braxton is the complete opposite. One may think that I am picking on Braxton and I am not I am so glad that they boys are completely different and love their personalities but I think as parents we were not expecting such a difference between the boys. Braxton is a typical 2 year old and we love it. WE LOVE OUR BOYS!

I hope to update the blog more this weekend if I am able too. Hope you enjoy the blog. It is fun to do when we have time.

Grandpa Ron

Today we remember and celebrate the life of Grandpa Ron. This would have marked his 60th birthday. We love and miss you!

Mid September

Well we have had a productive September at the house. I have a list of things we need to get done and they are actually getting done.

We got the kitchen done and I am so glad that we did. It looks great. Pictures to follow I hope.

Payton loves his school and that is great because we were a little worried.

Jeff is having problems due to the Bears losing to the Packers last night and Urlacher being out for the season.

Braxton is really showing his true personality and we are loving every minute.

Grandma Marj came to visit and we had a great visit. Thank you for spending time with us.

Happy September!

We had a great start to the month. Why you ask? Because I turned 30 yesterday. It was a great day and I appreciate all of the birthday wishes/presents. The weather has been terrific and I am so glad we get a three day weekend. Don't think that we are going to sit and relax we are going to paint the kitchen/dining room and put new flooring down in the dining room and get rid of the carpet. YEAH, since Braxton is always spilling things.

Well that is all for now. I will take before and after pictures and hopefully post on Monday.

School

Well school started for Payton yesterday and I think Jeff and I were more nervous then Payton on how it would go down. Well we got a morning routine down and I took personal time so I could walk him to school. Just love that we are only a block away for the grade school. We all walked to the school and went downstairs to see Payton's room for the first time. We met one of the aids name Eva and she was super nice. Payton put his new storm tropper backpack in his spot and walked with us into the classroom. We said goodbye and he kissed and hugged us and we left. We had more problems with Braxton wanting to stay. We hope Braxton keeps this attitude for years. First day was a success. Thank you Payton for being the sweet and making the transition for Mommy and Daddy so easy.

Friday night...

Well it s Friday night and Braxton is in bed and Payton is downstairs with daddy. I decided to type and just type about how thankful I am for my family but most of all the unconditional love that Payton and Braxton show. As a parent I have made bad choices and have yelled when I should of hugged or laughed when I should of cried(if you are parent you completely understand) but no matter what my boys always have unconditional love. Children are a true blessing from above.

Yeah for hot weather.

Well it was an extremely hot this pass weekend here and for the first time we had summer type weather. I guess we were due. Here is what has been happening...

On August 7th we celebrated CoCo's first birthday. We really got lucky because she has been a great puppy and the kids just love her.

On August 8th marked Braxton being 2 1/2 years old. Can you believe it?

Well Jeff, Payton and Pops took a road trip to go and see Grandma Marj in Wisconsin. It was the first time that Payton has been away from me and yes I cried when he left. The had a fabulous time in Wisconsin and brought back two Lazy Boy recliners that Marj was so nice to give us.

So you may ask what did Braxton and I do while they were up north....Well we went to the St Joe fair and had fun and also had some mom and son time shopping at the local farmers market. It was wonderful.

Well now we are back to normal other than me not getting the wallpaper off the walls in the kitchen/dining room. We have picked out the paint color and my goal is still to paint before I leave on my birthday trip. Well I need to get it done. I will have to take pictures of before and after. It is going to be great.

Well that is all for now.

July 31st

My goodness I can't believe it is going to be August tomorrow. It amazes me how time flies. Well here is a little update. We did get the boys pictures taken last month and I will get those posted. We are 98% moved in and only have to finish the garage when the weather becomes cooler. We have some house projects we would like to get done and I am just to lazy to get them started.

Payton is fully potty trained. We were having some problems with getting #2 consistantly in the potty but now we are good and thank goodness! He will start school at the end of August at his new school.

Braxton is talking up a storm and very very independent. He doesn't want us to help him at all. He will be 2 1/2 years old on the 8th of August. Can you believe it? We can't.

Well that is a little update and my goal as a mother is to update this at least three times a week.

Finally...

I have time to sit down and post about what is going on in our lives. My hope is to continue to post more and more. Ok lets start at the beginning. We moved into our house and yes I love saying "our" house. It is great and so much bigger than our other house. We are functional now and would like to get the rest of boxes put away this weekend. It will be so nice to be done. We have a huge living area and kitchen and it helps alot when little boys want to help.

So here is an update on everyone:

House: Moved in and just have a few more boxes to put away. Love it and so glad we bought it.

Jeff: Sprained his ankle but is doing better. He is trying to get use to having both boys home all day everyday for summer vacation. We are going to the Cubs game this Sunday and he is looking forward to it.


Payton: Out of school and is doing great. Talks a mile a minute and loves lego batman and star wars. Had a hard time realizing that the new house was our home and asked to go home for a few days after the move. He did get an upgrade to a full size bed and is loving it.

Braxton: Is still getting speech therapy once a week and has caught up and no longer gets developmental or occupational therapy. He is so out going and takes a lot of risk. Already had a black eye due to falling down the stairs. He has a hard head and has proven that many times. He loves his new room and loves his big boy twin size bed.

Me: Love work still and enjoying the new house. Looking forward to turning 3o. Saying busy with the boys.

Ok well since the last post we have went to the got a new house, went to the zoo and played in the water with Kolten and Kandince. Here are some pictures.

UPDATES TO COME

UNDER CONSTRUCTION> YOU WILL SEE NEW STUFF VERY SOON>

FINALLY...

we are finally moved into the house. WELL all our items are at the house but they are in boxes. We could not have done it without James, Kris, Kendra, Kasey, Ryan, Matt, Jeff B, Opal, Jacob, Mom, Pops, and Amy. We started at 4:30 pm and got done at 9:30 pm. Once the rooms start to come together I will post some. We love our house and have tons of room which is nice. Post more later. THANK YOU to EVERYONE THAT HELPED.

Update!

We are over due for an update so here we go.

Payton had his 4 year old check-up this past Thursday and all went as expected until he he had to get his last 4 shots until the 5th grade. He got two in each arm and he took them like a champ. He was rewarded with chicken nuggets, fries and a hot fudge sundae.

Braxton is being his typical 2 year old self and likes to help around the house and is very independent. It is fun to see his personality come out more and more.

Jeff and I have been busy trying to get the house packed up because in two weeks we will be moving into our first home. It has been ours but we haven't moved yet because Payton is still in school and we are still under a rental agreement here. As of June 7th we will be completely moved in. Wish us luck.

That is all for now. Hope to type more later.

HOORAY!!!

The House is ours. It was a relaxing time and we just signed our life away. I will post pictures later. We are moving to St Joe.

Wow what a weekend.

Where do we begin? Well we had our Florida family come up to visit us for Payton's 4th birthday. They came in on Thursday night. To see Payton's face light up when he saw Uncle Andy and Aunt Kendra was priceless. Braxton was already in bed. Kendra enjoyed the love that the boys were sharing and all of their questions. Uncle Andy always gets loved but it is by getting jumped on and beat up by a 2 and 4 year old. It was great to see them again.

On Saturday we had a Batman party and we had a blast. Build your own tacos and all of the fixins. It was great. Payton was blessed with a lot of gifts and loved being around all of our family and friends.

Sunday Jeff and Andy went to Chicago for a Cubs game that never happened while Kendra and I were left alone with the boys. We made the day special for the birthday boy by going to church and then out to Payton's favorite restaurant for chips and cheese. It was loads fo fun. We came home and had a dance party with the boys. We were all sweaty and exhausted.

Well I will post tons of pictures later today. Thank you all for our family and friends we are blessed.

First the Muesum and then the Easter Bunny!

On Friday we went our cousins to the Indianapolis children's muesum and had tons of fun. We got to see the batmobile and dinosaurs. We had tons of fun.

Then on Sunday it was time for the Eater Bunny!!! We had tons of fun with all of the family. The boys got to go egg hunting and they had a great time.

The diaper fairy and fruit loops.

Yes the diaper fairy came and took all of Payton's diapers. He is now diaper free and will continue to be. He has only had one accident and have been getting many rewards. Last night daddy showed Payton how to use a fruit loop in the toliet as a target and to hit the target. Well this morning Payton was looking for Daddy so he could play the fruit loop game and in Payton's own words " I WIN!".

Spring is in the air.

Just wanted to share some pictures. All is good with us.

Potty Training.

Our biggest adventure this weekend it to potty train Payton. I bought him Lightning McQueen underpants and told him to keep them dry and clean. He followed it up by saying "no wet no poopy" I said right no wet or poopy on McQueen. Well we put on the underpants and then a pull-up. Well he told us he had to use the bathroom but it was to late he had alredy gotten McQueen wet. Well we put on clean underpants and pullup and then he told me he had pooped on McQueen. I told him that was fine but we have to tell mommy and/or daddy before we get McQueen dirty or wet. We are trying and hoping that by his birthday he will be diaper free. It has been a rough road but we are told it is normal for a child with verbal apraxia so we pray and praise Payton when he is successful and encourage him when he has accidents. It will get better.

Braxton has been showing alot of interest in the potty and will sit on the potty and tell us when he is wet and dirty so we are encouraging him also. I will not be putting Braxton in pull-ups because I think that is where we went wrong with Payton.

Well the weekend was great. Braxton and I started a playgroup on Saturday that is put on by the early childhood master students. We had a great time and he was exhausted at the end of it. Kasey and I went to get a pedicure on Saturday afternoon to have a relaxing hour without the kids and to catch up and had a fabulous time. I think it should be in the mommy handbook that this is a must at least once every other month. We finished the day with a great meal of roast with mash potatoes and rolls. It was great and we even had enough to share with Grandpa and Grandma Lopez. The enjoyed it and we enjoyed seeing them again.

Sunday the boys were sleeping so I went to Church by myself. It was a great sermon and I enjoy going to church. I try to go to the 9:15 service but I am started to think that if the whole family wants to go we might have to go to the 11 o'clock service. I got home and we did housework and had fun as a family. I then made homemade spagetti sauce and meatballs and Mike and Amy came with garlic bread to complete the meal. It was great.

A whole month!!!

Well a whole lot has happened this month. First off Braxton turned 2! Yes on February 8th Braxton turned two. Can you believe it. Well we had a smaller party then last year and he decided to have spongebob party. Can you believe how he has changed so much. This picture was when he was 10 days old and a machine was breathing for him 200 times a minute.

This picture is him enjoying his first birthday cake!

Aunt Opal made him a special Patrick birthday cake. He loved it.

Braxton enjoyed his party and all of his gifts.

• On February 9th Grandma Carol had her 55th birthday and we had a great time helping her celebrate.

• On February 20th Grandma Carol celebrated 25 years with the Kmart Corporation. Yes there is still a Kmart.

• Well now for the biggest news. Our family is in the process of buying our first and only house in St. Joseph. We did a lot of praying and searching and believe this would be the best place for our children to grow up and go to school. Schools played a huge part especially with Payton's verbal apraxia. We love the house and feel that it will be great fit for all of us. It looks like we will be closing at the end of April.

Well that is the news from here. We promise to keep the blog more updated.

Most recent photos.

We promised updated pictures and here they are. Please don't let the smiles fool you...the boys are rotten.

A long time...

and not much going on. Sorry it has been a while since we posted but we will try to get better. We have been busy with just normal day activities. Braxton pee'd on the potty for the first time last week. He really likes the potty and tells us when he is dirty or when he would like to go potty. Payton hates the potty. OH well it will all happen in due time. Really we are getting things ready for Braxton's second birthday. Can you all believe he is going to be 2? Neither can I. We have taken some recent pictures so I will post them later this week I promise.

New Years Resolution!

So it is the 4th of January and the beginning of 2009. As a family we are very thankful for all the love and support that we get from our family and friends and thankful for our health and our happiness. We had a challenging 2008 but we made it through and have learned a lot about our family unit. We set up some resolutions or items in our life that we would like to change or work out for the new year. This year a few of our resolutions were the following:

1. Keep a more tidy and organized house. We are usually good at this but realize that we could do so much better. We will never have a "spotless" house and to be honest I have never seen a "spotless" house but I also don't want to stress out if someone stops by unexpectedly. So far it is 2:30 today and the house is in great shape.

2. Find a church. We were sad when we had to leave Florida because we had found a church that we loved and we as a family felt centered when our week started by going to church on Sunday morning. It has been over a year now that we have been here and we have made this a top priority for us as a family. We were invited by our friends Mike and Amy to come and check out the Vineyard church. Payton and I went because Braxton was under the weather. Payton got to spend the time in a classroom with other 4 year olds and had a good time. I got to have a nice time taking in today's sermon and liked it. Jeff and I were both brought up in a tradition church with an oregonist and traditional hymns but today they had a band and I actually enjoyed it. Jeff said that he would next Sunday and try it out. I think he will like it if he goes in with an open mind.

3. To be more mindful financially. Now we live on a budget and stuff but we would like to cut out some unnecessary spending. We are looking to buy a house and really just need to be more mindful of where every dollar goes. So far so good.

4. To become a healthier family as a whole.

Well an update on the family.

Braxton is talking up a storm and when I look at I him I start to see a boy and not my baby. He is really starting to have his very own personality. He loves to playwith everything that his brother has and we are starting to see when need to buy two of everything so they don't fight. He will turn 2 in 5 weeks. He is still a "ask for forgiveness instead of permission".

Payton goes back to school tomorrow and he is talking so very much. His favorite phrase is "what are you doing" "Can I help" "my turn" He still loves his "Vrooms" which are his lightning McQueen and Mater. He loves to be the big brother and he has started to love video games and is quite good at it. He is doing great in school and still loves to ride the bus everyday.

Jeff is a great stay at home dad. The Bears did not make the playoffs so it is a quiet time for him right now since the Bears and Cubs are not playing.

Well I got a promotion at work and start officially tomorrow. I went from being a customer service rep to a tech sales rep so now I am a sales woman. It came with perks and I will have to do a little traveling which I am looking forward too. It was a big decision but as a family we thought it was a great move for us.

CoCo has gotten big and her favorite thing is playing in the mud outside. She likes to play with Lily or at least she thinks she is playing with Lily. Lily still shows her who is boss and keeps CoCo in her spot.

Well that is the news from here. We hope that everyone is have a great 2009 so far. We are going to post more and also post more pictures. We promise...

Happy New Year!

We want to wish everyone a happy new year. We had a great 2008 and are excited about what 2009 is going to bring. We had tons of fun bringing the new year in with friends. Thank you for the memories.