Happy Birthday Brooks

"I'm TWO" is what you hear a lot of lately around our house, as Brooks hap-hazardly holds up 2 fingers to show his new age.  Sometimes the 2 fingers make it up, sometimes it's a mix of 3 or 4 fingers twisting and turning.  Two.  I can't believe it.  Seems like yesterday I was holding my little ball of total joy in my arms.  With two, many of those hugs and lovey moments get greatly diminished.  I mean, who needs hugs when there's so much to see and do and tear apart!  I've even been allocated to the floor for bedtime book reading......"No, Brooks sit there" he tells me while pointing to the rocking chair, and then directing me to sit beside him on the floor.  My little man is growing up.

Brooks has this overwhelming love for animals.  So much so that we have to hug pictures of animals as we see them in books, bend down to kiss the little beetle crawling across the sidewalk, or blow kisses to the lizard that has escaped in to the house. 

I had to do something for this little animal lover on his birthday.  So we called in the farm animals and had them come to the house!  We invited all the neighborhood kids and a handful of Brooks's little people friends and had our very own petting zoo in the front yard. 

I had done some serious researching of farms, and found one that offered to bring quite a variety of animals.  And boy did they.  The trailer arrived and off jumped the miniature horse and her 2 week old foal mule.  

Then came the miniature cow......I didn't even know miniature cows (called Zebu) existed.  They do.

Then off jumped the pig, who immediately found a cool spot in the grass and was never heard from again. 

They say pigs are smart, and I can see why.  This little dude knew just how not to get any attention by hiding......he should have informed the poor chickens who were being chased around like crazy.

Or the bunnies who I am sure felt like the hour long petting zoo was NEVER GOING TO END.

I didn't really think through the whole goat thing.....my first problem was that I really thought there was going to be only 2 goats, but when an entire herd went flying off the back of the trailer in to my yard, I was soon regretting the fact that a.) we had the yard mowed BEFORE the party and b.) that I allowed the goats to be on my yard at all.....at least now we don't need mowers at all cause all the grass is practically gone!

My favorite was the alpaca, with his pointy teeth and aloof attitude.  He has to be a relative of the camel, and I was just waiting for some poor kid to get spit on or stepped on, but luckily it didn't happen.

So all in all, I hope this is one that the little man will remember, he sure seemed over the top happy, and is still talking about how "animals come to Brooks's house".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROOKS.  YOU ARE SUCH A BLESSING IN OUR LIVES. 

WHERE HAS A YEAR GONE?

This post has been in the works in the back of my little head for the past month, or two.  Not sure where the time goes really, and why since moving back I absolutely struggle with content. I looked down the other day and completely appauled myself.  I had to grab the camera and capture the moment.  This pretty much sums it up and puts all my lack of blogging in to perspective.  I mean if I can't even maintain my toes......

 

I think I've been somehow processing content since our Swiss friend Siro came to visit way back in April. 

Now that is a true friend, who promises to come and visit and actually sticks to his word.  I mean, we live in DALLAS of all places.  I kept cringing at the fact that this guy was coming from Zurich to Dallas......what in the world do we have to offer him here? 

I was reminded of the fact that it took me several months not to drive down the road of concrete hell to the gym and cry.  Or cringe at the scenery as I drove over the lake.  Now I've realized that it's not that Dallas is all that ugly, it's that Switzerland is just THAT beautiful, and once you've seen such beauty for 4 years, it takes awhile for the eyes to adjust back.  A year later and I find myself driving over the same damn going, ah, how pretty!

His visit was a constant reminder of how far we've come in a year since our move back to the US. Let's just say it wasn't a cup of tea this past year, so many adjustments, so much resistance to be here.  I remember a couple months in to it, telling Ryan, you have to take me back there......we can't still be here in a year.  I won't make it a year.  I refuse.  And then one Sunday night a month or so ago, we were retiring for the night and it hit me. It was May 1, 2011.......it had been ONE YEAR. 

Siro helped us to laugh at ourselves, as Americans, and to see why it has been so hard to adjust to the American way of life once again. 

Like Drive Up ATMS.....or actually driving at all. 

Or weather systems that leave you wondering, why do I choose to live in constant fear of being thrown in to the Wizard of Oz?

Or as American parents, do we really need to be THAT concerned about where our SEVEN year old is in the batting order?

It did however make us appreciate our roots.  Like good ole Bull Riding

And REAL margaritas

And the fact that we still have each other, and that we still really like each other :)

I guess you can say it's taken a year to really blossom.  For all of us to put our feet down.  I mean I finally planted that damn garden.  Now if that isn't a sign.....

And the boys, finally I can take them off my worry list.  Chance has become an incredible ball player.  He was named most improved at his last end of season awards ceremony.

And Brooks wont be too far behind him.  We're making Brooks practice daily so he can be assured first place in the batting order when he starts his T-ball a year from September.

 

We'll see where another year takes us.  Happy 1 year anniversary, honey.  We made it even though I didn't believe you that we would.

Uh, Where's November and December?

Don't really know.  Somehow they got skipped over and the pictures have just sat in Adobe waiting to be doctored.  Well the doctor was in today, botox and all making us all look younger and more fab.  The pics are being posted by the minute in the right hand column but here's a quick teaser.

November brought weddings (an excuse to remember that yes I still do own make-up)

A package of letters came from Chance's old classmates in Zurich......from every one of them.  I started balling.

Thanksgiving weekend in Austin with family.  Train rides at Zilker Park with Umpa, Lisa and Matthew.

An updated family pic in Drew's backyard

Crazy boys at Thanksgiving

We surprised Mimi with a tree one night after coming in from a date.  And then had a tree decorating party the next day.  Brooks discovered that balls are much cooler off the tree than on the tree.

December rolled in and the ELF appeared, causing daily mischief until he left back for the North Pole on the 24th to report back any wrong doings to Santa.  Brooks is still on the hunt for that elf, asking everyone he sees ON A DAILY BASIS if they have his elf......."UUUUF?  UUUUUUF?"  It is now almost February.

We had a Christmas tree decorating party of our own, where we blasted Christmas music and danced around the tree in a moment of tribal harmony.  Those come few and far between and are so wonderful when they do happen.

Unpacking the Swiss Christmas tree ornaments brought many nostalgic feelings of our adventure there

Umpa and Lisa came to visit the weekend before Christmas bringing lots of goodies for the boys.

Chance turned 7.  And again for another year in a row, I asked myself HOW COULD I POSSIBLY HAVE A 7 YEAR OLD.  He asked his closest friends, neighbors and cousins to jump the afternoon away at Pump It Up bounce house.  And then we topped off the afternoon with a Mario and Luigi cake.....I mean who else?

After many hours of agony over WILL I EVER FINISH THIS THING, I finally did: and the kid got his book on time

No Christmas is complete without a Cookie Decorating Party.  And no Cookie Decorating Party is complete without icing smeared all over your face.

Christmas Eve brought tenderloin indulgence thanks to Jane's tried and true recipe.

And the loooooooong awaited, looooooooong anticipated day finally arrived.  Apparently that elf made a good report, cause come Christmas morning there was goodies awaiting us all.

Brooks didn't know which to ride, his new bike or his new broom.

Santa brought me things I never even knew I wanted: a waterproof handheld HD video camera.

Nanny, Pappy and Beth stopped by later in the day, snapping a rare moment of Ryan out from behind the camera.

Little man was happy as can be, of course

Aunt Beth brought him a piano that he can sumo squat next to like Linus

The Day after Christmas we hosted 19 people at our house, the Baganz side of course, fitting us all around one large table in our dining room.

After dinner we partook in some White Elephant fun

And snuggle time for Brooks and Pappy

It was nice to have a new addition to the festivities, Beth's new beau Steve

And Ryan got to live out his lost childhood fantasy of being a gangster with the hat he won from the white elephant exchange

All in all I gotta say November and December were pretty darn good.

Aint She a Beaut?

Katherine made Brooks the most beautiful quilt when he was born, and I never wanted to use it cause it was just too beautiful for spit up.  So, she's finally found a permanent home.....it totally makes the room come alive.  And I can finally say that the room is done!  Thank you Katherine, we LOVE IT!

And Little Man thanks you too!