Movin' right along.....

Well, we are doing well at the Scroggins abode. Drew is beginning to take the steps (no pun intended) to becoming a walker. He has successfully taken about 2 or 3 steps on his own with no help at all. He will walk with you if you hold his hands, but doesn't feel quite confident enough to venture out on his own. He will stand on his own for the longest time and cruise everywhere, but he gets a bit nervous when it comes to making the steps on his own. But I know we are getting there and before I know it, I will have two little ones running around my house. Drew is also quite the talker. He says Mama, Dada, nana (for banana) aqua (for water), brother (for Matt), and will repeat things like bye bye and night night. He is just growing like a weed and can eat his brother under the table.



As for Matthew, he is talking more and more each day. He regularly uses short sentences and his dictation is great. He just yesterday got his mattress (which was on the floor) moved up onto the bed frame. He seems like such a big boy now. He will go down the biggest slide at the playground with no help and climb up the rock wall on his own. He took swim lessons a couple weeks ago and that went well. Well, actually he was freaked out during the lessons. He clung to me like white on rice. However, the Sunday before the lessons he unexpectedly went under the water at my parents pool. This was the first time I had ever seen him nervous around water. The whole week in lessons he was freaked out. However, since then he is doing great in the pool. He will "kick, kick, kick", blow bubbles in the water, and "make pizza" which is just moving your hands in circles in the water. He is having fun in the water again and this makes me happy.



As for our formidable enemy, the fleas. We are doing much better. We haven't won the war yet, but we are certainly winning. We have seen a major drop in their numbers and hopefully soon we will wipe them out entirely. Don't tell PETA. ;-) However, I must say that vacuuming everyday has its pluses and minuses. My carpet looks the best it has ever looked. However, after vacuuming 3600 square feet of carpet...I totally hate vacuuming. As if I didn't hate it enough before. I so want to get rid of our carpet and get wood floors. Well, maybe someday. It is good to have something to look forward to. For now, I would just settle for having no more fleas in my home ever again!!!!!

I have finally gotten around to posting pictures for Drew's party. You will have to scroll down to the blog about his party and view the slideshow. I added a few photos from the PA/DC trip in that blog...so scroll down to check them out. When I have the time and patience I will add more pics from PA. Enjoy. Love from boiling hot Texas.

Drew's First Birthday/Father's Day

Well, things have been busy around here. We have spent most of the last week battling a very crafty foe...fleas. Sadie never had fleas before, so we didn't have her on any preventative measures. Unfortunately for us, since there was no hard freeze, fleas are terrible this year. By the time we noticed that she was itching badly..things had gotten out of control. We got Sadie taken care of with medicine, but then there was the house. We bombed the house 3 separate times. This worked on most of the house....however our bedroom seems to be where the hotbed of activity was going on. We are still trying to rid the room of fleas. I guess since this is where Sadie sleeps, this is where they are the worst. After much research, I have found that the only way to beat these buggers is by breaking the life cycle. You have to basically spray and vacuum everyday for up to 2 weeks. Fun stuff. Meanwhile, Jeff and I are camped out in the guest bedroom.


We were thankful that our efforts worked in the rest of the house...especially since we had Drew's first birthday party on Saturday. We had to postpone his original party date due to my grandmother's funeral. The party was a lot of fun and it was great to celebrate with family and friends. It was a pretty simple and fairly small party that we had at home. We grilled burgers and hot dogs and had an amazing Costco cake!! (pictures coming soon) It was a cowboy party, so we held it at high noon. Our family and friends were so wonderful to come and help us celebrate our sweet little boy and we are so thankful for their generosity.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

After a lot of cleaning up, we got the house in pretty good order again. We went to my mom and dad's house to celebrate Father's Day. We had a wonderful dinner of surf and turf... great t-bone steak and snow crab...very yummy!! We got my dad and Jeff some World's greatest Dad and Grandpa shirt and hats, as well as some tickets to a FC Dallas soccer game in August. I am so very thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing father and such a superb dad for my boys. I couldn't ask for any better for either of these great men in my life. We had fun swimming in the pool at my mom and dad's and a great day with family.

Well that is about it for now. We pray you are all doing well. We ask that you could say a special prayer for Jeff's cousin Andy in Arkansas. He has been in the hospital for 4 weeks now and is unable to keep any food down due to some serious problems with his intestines. This is very serious and he needs some prayers. His daughter is only 10 years old and needs her daddy!! Thanks for your prayers! Love from Frisco, Texas.

Drew is one/Trip to Penn/DC

Well our trip up for my grandmother's funeral was a wide range of emotions. We arrived in DC on Thursday and spend the day with my uncle's family and my mom and dad, and sister. It was a nice day and the trip up was totally uneventful. Drew didn't sleep much on Thursday night, but that meant he would sleep in the car up to PA. We headed up for PA late morning on Friday. It was a decent trip. The boys were great the whole way up. We stopped at a Burger King for lunch. That was interesting indeed. Apparently, the person behind the counter was very rude and extremely stingy. It started out with my sister asking for ketchup. He handed her two and would give her no more. Then Jeff asked for a water. He specifically asked if water cost anything. They guys said no, but charged Jeff 10 cents for a courtesy cup. Not much of a courtesy. I guess he wasn't lying since the water itself was free...just not the cup. Jeff asked the wrong question. Then he came to the table and there was no drink with Matthew's happy meal. I sent him back for a juice. The guy proceeded to tell him that he gave him a cup, which he didn't. Jeff brought back the water cup and the guy argued with Jeff that a juice was 44 cents more. Finally the manager gave Jeff the juice, only after the guy behind the counter slammed 10 cents on the counter and threw away Jeff's "courtesy cup." We were certainly happy to leave there. We wanted more ketchup, but were afraid to ask. Needless to say, I didn't give them a glowing review when I called the hot line. ;-) Stay away from Burger King's in Wilmington, DE.

When we arrived in PA, we stopped by to visit my step-grandmother. It was great to see her and the boys had fun. Drew especially loved playing with her cat Bud Lite. It was too cute!!! We headed to the hotel to change and then off to the viewing. It was wonderful to see family that I haven't see in forever!! I have to say Nana didn't look like Nana to me, but then again, she wasn't there...just her body. The boys (Matthew and his cousin Ethan) had a great time running and playing. It was so much fun to watch Matthew play so hard with another kid his own age. It was so cute. They just followed each other everywhere. Matthew really talked so much more around Ethan. He sang parts of Happy Birthday on his own, sang a song from the Backyardigans, and used several 2-3 word phrases. He is also talking a lot of jargon, which Ethan seemed to understand. It was a good night. However, it was another night where Drew didn't sleep much. I have so many bruises on my legs from running into my sister's cot going to get Drew in the middle of the night.

Saturday was a LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG day!! We had a great breakfast and then relaxed for a little before the long part of the day began. Tania, Drew and I headed to Nana's funeral...only to get lost once on the way (nice GPS Dad). We arrived a few minutes late, but they waited for us, which was nice. It was a great service and my dad did an amazing job speaking. He talked about his daughters fighting like cats and dogs...I guess he meant some other daughters that he must have...Tania and I have never fought. (I write as I get struck by lightning). ;-) I got to listen to the whole service from another room as I chased Drew all around the funeral home. We then headed to the cemetery. That was brief, but nice. We even got a chance to visit Mom-mom's grave site. That was nice. We then headed to a church for a gathering. It was great to catch up with family, some of which I haven't seen in years and years. (Some that I -apparently- haven't seen since I was a child. I don't really remember). But it was nice. Matthew and Ethan stayed at the hotel with Aunt Liliana to nap...that was a great idea!! Drew napped on his Uncle Ken instead. That evening we ate at the hotel restaurant with Kay, mom, dad, Tania, Ken, Liliana, Ethan, and the boys. I have to say the restaurant was not up to par with the hotel. We were happy to hear that they were not owned by the same people. The food was sub par, the service was less than great, and prices were way too high. They even commented on us bringing our own cake...how the "chef" and I use that term loosely, doesn't allow outside cakes. They were kind enough to make and exception, but couldn't offer us a sharp knife for liability purposes. It is a good thing I didn't order a steak...I couldn't have cut it. ;-) Anyway, other then the not so great place...the company was great and it was wonderful to celebrate Drew's 1st birthday. :-)

Now I always said that I wanted to breastfeed my boys for a year. For Matthew he bit me on his first birthday, and that was the end of it for him. Now Drew, I thought would go longer than one year. However, he breastfed the morning of his birthday. However, that night and from then on....he wants nothing to do with breastfeeding anymore. I guess he weened himself. Jeff seems to think he took the one year deadline very seriously...like a one year old could do that, but hey...who knows. I am just thankful that I did make it to a year.

The next day we ate breakfast, drove back to DC and caught a flight home. Now Drew took a partial nap in the car, but Matt had no nap at all. Jeff and I were sure they would sleep on the plane. Well, they did sleep on the plane, but only for the last minutes of the flight as we were landing. Gotta love it. It was a long flight of keeping both overly tired boys entertained for the 3 hour flight. I was so happy when we landed. Matthew never woke up once he fell asleep. Jeff carried him in his seat to the baggage claim. He kept sleeping as we took him out of the seat so I could install it. Never woke up even when I took him out, changed his diaper and outfit and put him to bed. He was wiped out!!!!

All this to say, we are glad to be home. It was great to see family, to celebrate Nana's life and Drew's birthday, but there really is no place like home. (At least when you are traveling with 2 kids age 1 and 2). We would like to send out a special prayer to friends of ours who recently suffered the loss of their new baby girl, and other friends of ours who lost their baby girl at 22 weeks. Our prayers are with them and their families. Please lift them up in your prayers as well. Love from Texas!!

We made it to DC....

Well, we made it to DC with very little drama. The plane was very empty so we got a whole row on the airplane to ourselves. We got to put both of the boys into their carseats, which was helpful. Since it was a 6:30 am flight, we had to wake the boys up super early. This was helpful to us, since Drew slept the entire flight. Matthew didn't sleep on the plane, but was very good the entire trip. When we arrived it was interesting to go from the plane to the baggage claim with 2 kids, 3 carry-ons, and 2 carseats. Then we got the big bag. We looked rather silly with all the stuff, and we packed light. Gotta love traveling with 2 kids 2 and under. This afternoon Matthew took the longest nap that he has ever taken. The boy was pooped. I am glad that we came to the DC a day early, so we had time to recover. We head up to Pennsylvania tomorrow for the next 2 nights. We have the viewing tomorrow night and the funeral on Saturday. We will also celebrate my baby boy's 1st birthday. He turns 1 on Saturday. It seems like just yesterday that he was born, and now he is 1. Time does fly. Anyway, please be praying for my family as we travel and celebrate my grandmother's wonderful 100 years of life. I feel so blessed to have had her for 35 years. Her influence on me is something that will last me all of my life. She was a remarkable woman and I pray that I am half the wife and mother that she was during her lifetime. Thank you for all of your prayers. Love from Virginia...

Six years and counting

Well, Jeff and I are about to celebrate our six year anniversary on Monday. Hopefully we will get to have a date night to celebrate sometime soon, but for now we are happy to celebrate with family swimming at my parent's pool and tomorrow visiting with Phyllis. We are also busy planning our trip up to DC and Pennsylvania for my grandmother's funeral. It is a bit stressful with all the planning, but God will take care of all the details, so I have to give it to Him. Drew will celebrate his first birthday up in Pennsylvania. I still can't believe that my baby is actually going to be a year old. Just today he picked up a crayon and started coloring everything (furniture included), he likes to cruise everywhere, and he is repeating sounds wonderfully and naming a few things like ball, aqua (for water), Mama, and Dada. He is a sweet boy. Matthew is doing great, talking more and more everyday. He is usually sweet to his brother, but communications can break down quickly between my boys. ;-) Anyway, please pray for our family as we travel to the funeral and help us to give praise to our Lord for welcoming Nana home.

Nana has gone home

Well, this has certainly been a long day. This morning we got the call that my grandmother had gone to be with the Lord. She was 100 years old, and was ready to go home, so this was expected, but still hard to hear. I am thankful for the 35 years that I have gotten to spend with her and thankful for the amazing grandmother that she was to me. I pray that I can be as good of a wife and mother that she was in her lifetime to my husband and boys. We also got the news that Nana's funeral will most likely be on Drew's birthday. So, we were left with the task of postponing his party and preparing for the trip up to Pennsylvania. It is a strange thing to lose 3 grandparents in one year. It has been quite and emotional day, but I guess laying her body to rest on Drew's first birthday is somehow fitting...the end of one life and the beginning of another. Please keep my family in your prayers and rejoice with us that my Nana is now feasting at the banquet table of our Savior, she is no longer an alien in this world, but home where she belongs.

Drew is almost one!!

Well, we are jumping ship from babysites to this new blog. Hopefully the transition will go smoothly. The boys are growing like weeds. Matthew is a good big brother...most of the time. He is a bit jealous...especially now that Drew is so mobile. Matthew is talking in a lot more 2 or more word sentences. Even though he is a bit speech delayed, he is catching up fast and I know before I know it, I will want him to be quiet. Be careful what you wish for and all that. :-) Drew is a fast crawler and cruises on the furniture. He hasn't been too interested in trying the walking thing, but over the last couple of days, he has tried with us holding his hands. He is great at mimicking sounds. I think he will talk before we know it. It helps that he has his big brother to help him. Although Matthew knocks Drew down half the time, Drew worships his big bother. He follows him everywhere!!! It is kind of cute, although it means that I am fast becoming a referee more than anything else. A sweet moment can turn bad quickly. In two short weeks my baby boy will be turning one. I can't believe it. It seems like yesterday that I was telling Jeff that my water broke and we were heading to the hospital. Now, he will be one. What a year it has been too...we moved when Drew was only 2 weeks old, I had to learn to be a mom of 2 kids only 17 months apart, we lost 2 grandparents (great-grandparents to the boys), and I am sure a ton more things. Anyway, we are doing great and I will be sure to post pics from Drew's upcoming birthday. Praying you are all doing well. Love from Frisco. Check out some pictures of our recent visit to a bluebonnet field. 2 out of 4 people in my family are native Texans. :-)