Brooks

This buddy boy has stolen my heart! He is just the sweetest, happiest little boy! He self-entertains and LOVES his cars! He has started lining up his cars everywhere he goes. I have no idea where he learned that from but it's so cute! He loves snuggly blankets, his burp cloths and his binky (for sleeping only). He's a good eater and starting to say more words. He still has his own language and very few words that he says are understood by most people but I know what he is saying. My heart melts when I ask him if he is okay after he like falls or gets hurt or something and he says, "okay" with like the saddest little voice. I love when he says "guggle gum" for bubble bum. He loves when Russ gets home from work or when he sees Russ in the morning he says "Heeeyyyy heeeyyyy heeeeyyyy" over and over to Russ, and Russ will then do it back to him. It's the cutest thing! He loves a good snuggle. Him and Hallie have become good little buddies but he sure has a hard time sharing his cars with her. He is definitely possessive of those cars! He loves going to bed, I think because he gets his binky at that time and a good snuggle from Russ or I, and sleeps 2 hours in the afternoon and about 12.5 hours at night! He rarely wakes up in the night, but if he does it is because he can't find his binky. Hallie taught him how to climb out of his crib but he doesn't do it unless she encourages him. He can climb out very graciously and keeps in total control why he does it, which is good because I don't want to transition him to a big boy bed anytime soon. He is excellent at making messes but is a great little helper to help clean up as well. He loves everything Hallie has and I am learning quickly that I have to give both of them the same thing or one of them will freak out! He completely understand what timeout means and will sit on the stairs for the full 2 minutes if he is behaving badly. He looks just like Russ and people often comment on how long his eyelashes are. His eyes are a dark hazel color and sometimes they almost look black. His nicknames include B, Brooksie, Brookster, or baby Brooks or baby B. His smile and one dimple can fill the whole room with sunshine and I am forever grateful that he is mine to love forever! Happy TWO years perfect boy!

 Snuggling up to his "puppy" whom he also calls a "llama" because Hallie has a stuffed animal llama that she sleeps with.

 Snuggling with daddy. He snuggled up to Russ for about 15 mins and then threw up everywhere. I was at work when this happened. Poor Brooksie, and poor Russ. 

 Russ decided to capture the vomit in the bathroom. Yuck!

 Helping daddy sand

 Looking like a stud muffin

 Taking off a link to his birthday chain countdown provided by Gigi Nickle. 

 It is very uncommon that he eats anything at the dinner table without some cars on top of the table as well. 

 Lining up those cars

 So grateful I get to be at home and take care of my kiddos. I know them better than anyone else and I am so grateful that I can say that, because I know some parents can't. 

 Making messes!

 He probably shouldn't be rocked to sleep anymore but I don't ever want to give it up. He never fights sleep and as soon as you turn the sound machine on he immediately lays his head on my chest and doesn't move from there. How could I not want to do that twice a day?!? So sweet!

Kids

These kids fill a space in my heart that I never knew was empty. I was thinking the other day about when I feel the spirit most and it is when I am with my kids, particularly when I am putting them to sleep. It doesn't matter whether I am laying with Hallie in her bed or I am rocking Brooks to sleep, I feel closest to Heaven when I am with them. I get this feeling that this is exactly where I am supposed to be and exactly where I want to be. I sure love my kids with all that I have!

Brooks "helping" Hallie with her homework. He is her little shadow and where she is, there he will be as well!

 Snuggles with daddy!

 "Cheese!"

 Coloring in an empty cardboard box!

 They just make me smile. Man they are cute!

 Playing on the "train" they made with chairs!

 They are perfection!

 Snuggles with Grandpa Nickle! Brooks sure has a thing for my dad. He just talks his ear off about all his cars and balls!

 Hallie and Brooks thought it would be funny to bring almost all the toys from the basement and put it at the bottom of the stairs. Yikes!

 McDonalds lunch date with Daddy while Mommy works

 Licking the yummy frosting off the whisk! 

Hallie

Monthly photo drop of Hallie! She once used to be a timid and shy girl and she has turned into an outgoing loves the center of attention and loves to play with friends girl! I love watching her grow and learn. She is learning how to read and I'm convinced she is far above her expected reading level at this point. She learns quickly and feels deeply. She has so many emotions that often times they explode inside of her and she goes from happy to hysterically crying in 10 seconds. She is a lot of drama! She takes great care of her brother and those two have a lot of fun together getting into things they probably shouldn't. Haha!

Hallie was in the bath and wanted a bath bomb. Brooks wanted to throw the bath bomb in the tub. I gave it to him to do that and he, unfortunately, threw it and it nailed Hallie in the forehead. At the time, I thought it was really funny. I didn't realize that it actually hit her as hard as it did. She had a bruise immediately but I thought it was the dye of the bath bomb until it wouldn't come off. Poor girlie!

 Working out with daddy's new rowing machine! 

 A selfie she took

 Helping daddy sand down some holes that Grandpa Nickle left in our walls as he was putting in our under cabinet lighting

 We often take naps together while Brooks is napping. She likes to hold my hand as she falls asleep. So sweet!

 Each day at Hallie's school the students have to answer the "Question of the Day." It's usually just a simple question like, "Do you have have an E in your name, yes or no?" The students are then supposed to write their name under either the Yes or the No column. Hallie's teacher sent me this photo because Hallie decided to write her last name instead. Haha!

 Gymnastics

 She does this every time she has goldfish. She also wants to show me this every time she has goldfish. All she does is just put it on the top of her lip and then with her tongue she grabs the goldfish and brings it to her mouth. She calls it "magic." Ha!

 Ready to play in the snow!

 Warming up for gymnastics by hopping on one foot. She also does the cutest jumping jacks I've ever seen. She does the star arm part but only jumps up an down while doing it instead of spreading her legs wide and then back to the middle and then wide again.

 Kiddos napping is the cutest ever!

 Hallie sent herself some mail from preschool

She was pretty excited when it came!

 It contained some pictures she had drawn

 I have really been trying hard to exercise everyday.  I usually just do a video from home. The kids like to exercise with me. This was Hallie's exercise outfit of choice for the day. Haha!