Monday, April 27, 2015

Boys of Mine

These two boys…..



Seriously….this picture. Words don’t do it justice.


Deacon is 18 months next week and I can hardly believe it. I was sharing with a friend how I cannot imagine life without him. It seems like I’ve always known him and his brother. The days go by slow, but the years go by fast. I have really been trying to focus on the present and soaking in every moment. I've set down the phone and turned off the screens, so I can really SEE them. I want to be in the conversation and focused on what they are doing and how I can join in. There is so much light and joy in this household that I could easily overlook it while stressing about my to-do list and all the pulls of the day. 

I’m so proud of these boys and so grateful for the responsibility to raise them. My heart oozes with thankfulness and love. God is so good- all the time- He is GOOD! 

Thursday, April 23, 2015

FOUR about ME

Now


This blog is mostly about my kiddos, but I thought this might be a fun change of pace. Here are some fun facts about me.  

Four Nicknames

1. Nat
2. Natsy
3. Bud
4. Nattles or Noodles

Four Jobs I've Had

1. Camp Counselor at Laity Lodge 
2. Accountant for PMB Helin Donovan
3. Accountant for SLRCPA
4. Waitress for Cheddars

Four Movies I've Watched More Than Once

1. Now and Then
2. A League of Their Own
3. Goonies
4. Pitch Perfect

Four Things in My Purse

1. Gum
2. Keys
3. Make-up
4. Checkbook

Four Cars I’ve owned

1. Chevy Blazer
2. Chevy Tahoe
3. Chevy Malibu
4. Pontiac Vibe


(my parents love Chevy, so you can notice the trend above) 

Four Places I've Lived

1. Austin, TX
2. Waco, TX
3. Lusaka, Zambia (6 weeks- surely this counts?)
4. Dallas, TX

Four Places I've Visited

1. Alaska
2. Great Britain
3. Costa Rica
4. Canada

Four Places on My Bucket List

1. Australia
2. Hawaii
3. Twain
4. Austria

Four of My Favorite Foods

1. Ice Cream
2. Central Market Mac N Cheese 
3. Jason’s Deli Turkey Wrap
4. Salad 

Four Things I'd Never Eat

1. Mussels
2. Caviar
3. Sauerkraut
4. Bratwurst  

Four Books I'd Recommend

1. Harry Potter Series
2. The Help
3. Jane Eyre 
4. Mark of the Lion Series (really anything Francine Rivers)

Four TV Shows I Watch

1. Nashville 
2. Parenthood
3. Suits
4. American Idol (sad confession, but JLo, Harry, and Keith are super fun...I promise)

Four Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2015

1. Our trip to visit family both on East and West Coast
2. Noah starting school in August
3. Weddings in October for my best friend and cousin 
4. Bachelorette weekend at the beach


And then

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Noah Says Bike Edition

Big brother- I'm so proud of you. You have mastered Deacon's bike (pictured below) and have moved on to bigger and better things. Daddy pulled out your bike that's one size bigger and you are doing AWESOME. You are becoming quite coordinated and quite confident. *Pictures to come. I will note that you are still cautious like your mama and I love you for that. Dad and I had so much fun cheering you on this weekend as you were mastering turns and going "super fast". Thank you Jesus for our beautiful weather.   

I should put a side note on this post. When little brother hops on a bike in about t-minus six months, watch out world. He’s already trying to ride it standing on the seat. Oy-vei. He's got the daredevil in him. 

Anyways, here are so super cute quotes from the big brother as of lately. 



Me- Noah, tell me a story.
Noah- I don’t have any.
Me-Well....you can think of one.
Noah- I only have one think so I can’t.

Noah- Mom, do you know why I stretch when I can’t sleep?
Me- Why?
Noah- So I can think about things.
Me- What do you think about?
Noah- Nofing. 




Noah- Are these PJ pants?
Me- No, they are sweat pants.
Noah- SO I CAN GET ALL SWEATY? (yes, all boy.)

Noah- Ms. Rachel, why does it rain?
Rachel- Noah, why do you think?
Noah- Oh yeah, I know- to give elephants water


Noah- I wonder if Jesus fell in a rose bush- that’s why he has thorns on his head. 

That's all I have for now- Noah you are full of many questions and so much wisdom- I cannot stand it.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Thankful for Family- Professional Photos

Thankful for these photos. They are priceless memories, and I will forever look back fondly on these little gems. I'm SO thankful for family. 

Sweet Family

First time to meet great grandsons- Noah lovingly calls her GrandmaandAncy

Boysens and Clems

Grammy, Ops and Two Grandboys

He thought she was pretty cool

We are fun.

Four generations- pretty special picture

My sweet husband- LOVE
Peace, Love, and Mondays,
Natalie

Friday, April 17, 2015

Womb Buddies


4 months apart for the bigs. 11 hours apart for the littles.  Best friends since the womb. My heart could not love this picture more.  Enjoy. 

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Deacon Matthew 17 Months!

Well I missed 16 months….let’s just not talk about it.



Weight/Length- 25 pounds- not sure about height- he’s right around the 35/40 percentile. We like to think Obi-D-Kanobi (a new nickname) is pretty much perfect.

Eating- I might need to complain here. This boy would have milk and nothing else for every meal if we let him. He used to be so good about food, but we have definitely hit a road bump. He loves all fruit, PICKLES (obsessed), anything sweet, hotdogs, chicken, corn, carrots, and that’s pretty much it. We find half of his meal not touched or on the floor. For example- last night, he wanted pickles. We told him to eat the hotdog first. He put it in his mouth, and once Matt handed him the pickle- spit the hotdog out to then chow down the pickle. Yes, quite a little toot, but he’s hilarious. He loves to make the AHHHHH noise after every sip of water. He will watch Matt drink something in anticipation of making that noise.



Another thing, he would much rather eat a meal held than in a high chair. Sometimes, he will tell us he’s all done and grab whatever is on his plate, so that he can finish while being held. Second child syndrome? Why yes- we let him get away with a little bit more than we did Noah. We totally pick our battles.

Bedtime/Awake- Deacon sleeps from 8pm-7am- this can vary depending on the afternoon nap. His afternoon nap starts about 1 pm. It can last from 1-3 hours. The co-sleeping has stopped. Once he broke those darn molars, he’s really been good about sleeping through the night. He has 9 teeth. 2 top molars, four front teeth, 3 on bottom. He has the cutest smile ever. We call his front teeth- his chicklets. They are HUGE.



Diapers- 4’s

 Clothes- Deacon is in 12/18 months for shirts, 12/18 months for pants.



Dislikes- Mommy’s tax deadline is probably his least favorite thing right now. I have been working really long hours, so he’s having some attachment issues. If I’m home, he has to be held or touching me. Thankfully it’s OVER and this should all go back to normal. He doesn’t like loud noises. Lawnmowers and loud outside equipment bother him- usually he holds his ears. Deacon doesn’t like to be told no- we has selective hearing just like his big brother (and most men uh hum). Stranger anxiety has shown it's face around new men. While shopping with me, a man tried to talk to Deacon and he darted into my legs burying his face with tears streaming down his face. It was sad, but I know it's just a phase. 

Likes- Bob the Builder and Bob the Tomato from Veggie Tales. He will not watch TV, but he loves these two characters. He can say the word Bob and tries to sing along with both theme songs. Belly buttons- the obsession is still strong. It’s like he has to check to make sure it didn’t go anywhere. He loves to wrestle and has started to BITE. It’s not out of evil intentions. He did it one time and we laughed, so he now does it when he gets all riled up. Both Matt and Noah have walked away with some pretty good battle marks. I confess we have tried the “bite him back” trick. He gets mad about it, but it really hasn’t made any impact. Deacon Matthew loves to build and destroy- poor big brother. He loves any electrical outlet. The Deek is an expert at pulling off the child locks and putting them back on. If it’s quiet, we usually know what he’s into. This boy gives the BEST hugs; he is the most affectionate little buddy I’ve ever met. You will often find him running up to Matt, Noah, or me and just loving on us. Hugs between Noah and Deacon are my favorite thing to watch. We have even had strangers comment on how good they are with each other. I love the sibling bond- nothing more makes me all mushy and gushy inside.  



Favorite memories- Guys, I really forgot how much I love the 16-20th month stage. This boy has new words every day. Deacon is a little sponge- mimicking and communicating with us. My favorite memories of the month are just watching his little brain work. When he’s trying to communicate and we get it, his face LIGHTS up. He loves his daddy more than anything. I took little brother on a date to the grocery store just him and I- every isle we walked down he was calling for his daddy. When we get home to an empty house, Deacon checks every room to make sure his dad is not around. I would call him a daddy’s boy 100% and their relationship just continues to really deepen. As an outsider, I love it. I’m proud of Matt for the father (single father mostly with this darn tax season) he is and is becoming. We just continue to learn the importance of family through the thick and thin. We have experienced a lot over the past couple months and I could not be more thankful for Jesus, our family and sweet community of friends.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Noah Says Anything

Conversations with our three year old lately….

On a bike ride around our local lake…
Noah- Dad, was that a flamingo?
Matt- No, that bird was white.
Noah- Dad are flamingos pink?
Matt- Yes
Noah- That flamingo was white. Dad, Can flamingos be white?
Matt- No, flamingos are pink.
Noah- Dad, that was white. Flamingos can be pink and white, right?
Matt- silence…..


Noah- Mom, I need that roller. My muscles are really sore.
Me- Why are they sore?
Noah- Jesus took them.
Me- Where did he take them?
Noah- For a robot or something. I don’t know.


Me- Matt is my husband.
Noah- Deacon is my husband…
Me- Noah, Deacon is your brother. You will have a wife.
Noah- No, Deacon is my husband. Then walks off proceeding to call Deacon his husband that rest of the night…….
This boy loves to prove us wrong.


One liners.....

Mom, can I marry you when I get big? 

Mom, I can't touch the gearshift or the car will roll away and the policeman will come take me away.

There are more but somehow Deacon deleted them off my phone. After this deadline, I'll figure out how to restore. Womp Womp.

Happy early Monday! 


Friday, April 3, 2015

Snow Days Part II

This was our first taste of snow about a month ago. We had no idea what was to come (6-8 inches one week later), but I call this Deacon’s face of pure joy. I mean- who doesn't love snow! 



Homeboy Noah looks like a hot dog all bundled up. This was his coat from last season. Can we say too small? He is a lover of cold weather- he doesn't get that from his mama. 



Here are my three favorite Clem boys! 


Cutest 16 month muffin around. I’m obsessed.  He looks like his daddy. YES?!?!


And mom in her PJS. Woof. 


These were some happy snow days for the Clem fam!  17 month post to come plus some more professional family pics.  

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Sweet as Pie Brothers

The gift of a sibling is such a beautiful thing. I never knew how wonderful it would be to watch two of our creations love each other so much. I know I said I’d post some more snow pictures, but I wanted to share these.  


My heart explodes as I watch these two brothers develop such a sweet bond of brotherhood. They will forever be brothers, best friends, companions, competitors, compadres, and Clems.




This relationship has really developed over the past month, and they are thick as thieves.



I’ve never seen so much wrestling, laughing, chasing, tickling, teasing, and loving. There are hugs, kisses, and bites to go around. 


I mean seriously....


There is nothing better than being a mother to two sweet as pie brothers.


I melt. 

(Disregard that cage in the background. Ahhhh.... the joys of redoing our backyard. Who puts a cage on an AC Unit? I mean seriously)