We're still here! Don't give up on me. ....though, chances are that if you read this blog with any consistency whatsoever, then you already know that i'm one of the worst about getting updates on here. but here i am, and the boys are down for a nap at the moment. so, i'm taking advantage of the silence and can actually type without twenty little fingers trying to "help" me!

we got the boys their own big boy chairs to read in and to sit in while we are hanging out in the family room. they love them! and i have no idea how they know, but they always go to the one that has their name on it. baby geniuses? i think so!

bathtime is more and more fun every night. they just seem to discover each other a little more all the time. usually, i clean up the kitchen from dinner while michael gives them their bath, and they get some good time with just daddy. its a nice break for me, but on this night i could hear all the giggles and laughter coming from upstairs, and i just had to see what was going on. here are a few pictures of what had them cracking up:
just this past weekend, we headed to missouri to visit michael's family for his dad's birthday. i think Paw Paw was just happy to have us there, that that was present enough. but we stopped in st. louis to show the boys the stadium and let the boys get Paw Paw a Cardinals shirt for his birthday. here is michael in front of the stadium with them. it's really special to me for him to take them to the places that have always been important to him growing up. this is one of those places that his dad took him, and now he gets to pass it on to his sons. we met Paw Paw, Maw Maw, Aunt Chelle and Dresie at the St. Louis zoo before heading to Centralia, and all us had a great time. it is such a big zoo that we didn't have time to see it all, but i think everybody saw plenty. here they are in the petting zoo, brushing the goats' hair. and here is ben with Maw Maw, shaking the water off his hands after he washed the germs off. we did rent a stroller for them to ride in, but as you can see from ben trying to climb out, they didn't stay in it very long. we had a great time celebrating, and now we're just trying to get back in our every-day routine. well, it's off to get some chores done around here without my little helpers while there is still silence!