Last Saturday was our 5 year anniversary....I can't believe it! Most of these pics are from our early years at A&M and before we had kids...now we are lucky to be in pictures together because one of us is usually behind the camera.

These last 5 years have come and gone, but I know one thing...I wouldn't have wanted to spend them with anyone else! I guess I knew a good thing when I saw it!!

Cole and Riley- the latest....

ok, ok!! So I'm sitting on the couch while Cole is sleeping on my shoulder and from the kitchen I hear Brian say, "Lauren you got an email from Maranda." I say, Ok, read it to me.." My dear friend Maranda, who by the way doesn't have a blog or I'd link it here (hint hint- this is really easy to do so maybe we can see Jake more too), sends me the message...

" Ok, seriously..we need to see Cole...send pics or post pics on your blog or something...please"

So these are for you Maranda...however, in my defense, I have been trying to get all my dr.'s appts done before my return to work and so I have become a regular at the dentist ( been there 4 times already- going back next week AGAIN), been to the eye dr, the female dr... all these dang dr's are getting expensive...to which the dentist said today, " well don't you know that we have yachts and expensive vacations to go on!". I said, " yeah, I bet- I'm glad I'm helping you to pay for them." he was kidding of course, but I must say, I do LOVE my dentist. How many people can actually say that? (Dr. Councill's office on Louetta- I actually see Dr. Nunn, just in case you wanted to know that).

so that's my story and I'm sticking to it..hope you enjoy the pics. Cole is 10 lbs now and Miss Riley Roo is 25 lbs- very petite for her age, but still cute nonetheless. She's 2 next week!

some things to ponder...

I'm going to leave you with some thoughts as I sit here and type this at 3:03 AM (yes, I know...why am I awake you ask? well, Cole woke up at 1:45 and here I sit...still awake, while the rest of my house is sound asleep- well, except for Sadie who is curled up on my feet under the kitchen desk. )..so here goes:

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Take into account the three R's:
* Respect for self.
* Respect for others
* Responsibilty for your actions.
4. Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you learn how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7 . When you realize that you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Do not bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to acheieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is the one where your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

- The Dalai Lama 2008


** I think 17 and 18 are my favorites...

UH OH!, (not it....)

This was the message we got this week when we got this picture in our email...followed by a happy face!

so don't worry- it's not me, thank goodness! I would fall over and die if it was me again this soon. (don't misunderstand me...I loved being preggo and I love my babies, I'm just saying it would be a shock, that's all.)

CONGRATS to Andy and Candice (scroll down on the blog to see their pic) who found out this week they are expecting!! We are super excited for them and hope and pray for the best for the newest Baby Peterson, who should be due sometime in April!

Andy and Candice...we know you will be terrific parents and look forward to meeting this little one. We pray that God protects this baby and keeps it healthy and growing strong. We are overjoyed and wish we could be closer to share in all the moments and fun times that come with expecting a new baby. I was so excited for ya'll, I cried when I called Candice. We love ya'll!

**on a sidenote...What is it about these things that come in three's? In my experience, I always find out about babies-to-be in threes: Andy and Candice, Brian's cousin Jarod and his wife, Rachel ( due March 28th), and a friend at work (name withheld just in case she doesn't want it mentioned)- due early April.

CONGRATS to all of you and we wish the best for these precious new little ones...we love all of you!

My three loves...

Shake your booty....

Well, I must say that Brian and I are continually amused by our Roo bug. The other night we were watching "American Grafitti" on dish and the satellite signal was lost- (it wasnt even the night of Edouard)...now, I know that we are biased as her parents, but she is quite the character.

I guess what I should preface this video with is that Riley LOVES to dance. Anytime she hears music she, on her own initiative, will start swaying her hands or jumping around...depends on the type of music it is as to what you may discover her doing. In the car, she bounces back and forth in her seat. At home, she jumps all around and spins in circles...and sometimes you get this...(see video).

Although I did prompt her on this dance move, she had Brian and I in hysterics. We were laughing so hard that we were crying. So it didn't really matter that we didn't have the tv to watch, she was our entertainment. ( this went on longer than I actually recorded.) I guess I am just surprised that she knew what I meant when I said, " now, shake your booty". This was completely unrehearsed and never had been done before.

(oh, and yes, I am fully aware the video is sideways- SORRY! I have no idea why, I recorded it the right way, but don't know how to flip it. There is still much I have to learn on this blogging thing...or maybe technology in general. )

my precious little ones...

These were taken Monday...Riley is 23 months and Cole is 3 weeks.

a confession...

well, I have learned, be careful what you say around 2 year olds...

Today upon returning to pick the kids up at Neika's after a much dreaded dentist appt ( that's another confession- I haven't been in 2.5 years- some procrastination during that time but honestly it was because the last time I went I was preggo with Roo,then came Cole. I have always heard it's not ideal to have dental work done being preggo.) but back to the original confession...

I sat down on the couch in their living room to look at some pics she had taken of the kids while I was gone (which by the way, I have tried endlessly to upload tonight only to be told by Blogger that there is an internal error!!) pooh! They are really GREAT! I so hope this isn't an issue with my computer, but rather the website? I don't know how to fix "it".

So I sit down and am looking through the pics on the camera and Riley crawls up in my lap, facin me. She puts her hands straight out onto me and says, "boo". Neika looks over as she sees her hands placed "there" and says, "what did she just say?" I said, she said " boob- just without the b".

Yes! She knows the word boob! So the confession comes that I must have taught her that! I know I did because I told it to her once, maybe twice casually. Now before you go thinking that she is learning slang terms for body parts, I must say that she likes to point to certain parts- normally the nose, mouth, eyes...and then you say the name. One day she pointed to "that" and I said boob- didn't think much about it until today when she said it on her OWN!

At least I wasn't the only victim of this today- not even a few minutes later as she was getting her diaper changed, she kciked her legs in the air, touched her feet to Neika right "there" and said, "boo!" She obviously has learned this part and recognizes it on us. I can say that I haven't yet seen her do it on a man. hmmm.... so be careful what you say to a 2 year old, you just never know when it will stick in their memory and be verbalized.