Why did the frog and the star fish go to the city pool?

To start swim lessons!

Family time

Our beautiful anniversary roses!



















A special Uncle Steve appearance from NYC


















Mom cooked up a storm, that's my girl!

Happy 7th Anniversary!

Bronius and I celebrated our 7th anniversary in the Hill Country this year. In keeping with the tradition of our honeymoon, we just explored from place to place. We started with dinner in Austin at Z Tejas, and as beautiful but ominous storm clouds rolled in, we decided it was time to find our cabin in the country. Not without a pit stop in Dripping Springs however, to "Rolling in Thyme & Dough," a sweet little bakery that has live music only on Thursday evenings.

After that, we found our little cabin in the woods in Wimberley. The next morning, we walked to Cypress Creek, which was a short jaunt from the cabin, for a morning swim. I forgot to pack us water shoes, so we were roughin' it in the creek. I don't recommend experiencing cold, slimy rocks and patches of scratchy roots with your bare feet, by the way. But the water was pristine. We were completed shielded by cypress trees and the water was a refreshing chilly temperature. It was just so QUIET out there. We noticed dragonflies everywhere in the forest. And there were a few fish swimming in the creek. The kids would have loved this place, we're definitely going to bring them back.

Soon after that we enjoyed the "mountainous" views which Wimberley boasts, as we headed to San Marcos to meet one of my world's best friends for lunch. Doris and I met in high school in Florida and fortunately for me, she is earning her Ph D at UT Austin! She and her fiance will be married in Chile very soon. I will have a newborn come December, so I will sadly miss out on Doris' big day. I'm just glad she's in Texas for her studies so I can see her at all! We met at the Root Cellar Cafe. Then Bronius and I saw the movie "Inception" and LOOOVED it. Other than romantic comedies, my favorite type of movie is a Psychological thriller...this didn't rock my world like the Matrix did, but it came pretty close.

After that we drove to Bastrop for a burger at Maxine's on Main (everyone has live music in the Hill Country, at almost every restaurant we came upon) and then walked over to Tommy Gunn's for HOMEMADE ice cream cones and other confections. We would have stayed for the live comedy hour, but this pregnant Mommy was ready to go home to her bed, and truth be told, to get back to my boys. I had so much fun with my sweet heart. We enjoyed being care free and relaxed and just the way we were when we first met, enjoying all the things about life (and each other) that we love to enjoy. I love you, Bronius, happy 7 years! And a special thanks to Senele for taking care of the boys for us!!!!!!

Follow your Footsteps

Dominic shares with us the dance to "Follow Your Footsteps" from VBS. I love how you can see him concentrating on the "footwork" and the hand motions at the same time.

Cannonballs

What does a pregnant Mommy do with 2 boys on hot summer afternoons? Let them do cannonballs, of course!

Highlights for the 2nd week of July

A really fun family nature hike...









With a trip to the splashpad afterwards to cool off...

And a random and small picture of Vacation Bible School which we all LOVED this past week. Mommy helped for the first year for 2 mornings, Milo loved the nursery, and Dominic loved the whole program. I love how the community came together for this. I only wish we could do a school co-op like this all year, that would be awesome. Can't WAIT for next year!





And a delicious country breakfast at Cracker Barrel....


















And a cheeseball in the bath (who loves to line up and count his toys now!)














And literally, a happy camper, who opened up a new tent, camping set and camping book from Uncle Steve for his birthday!

It's a......

We had our big ultrasound today to check up on baby 3's progress and to find out baby's gender, and we have a healthy, growing baby BOY!

Firstly, we are thankful to have another new life being entrusted to us. The fact that the baby seems healthy is another blessing. And add a BOY on top of it all - I am one ecstatic Mama! Now, of course my heart longs for the precious relationship a mother has with a daughter, I'm sure that yearning will never go away. But I want to assure all the people out there who are saying "poor Julia" that I am VERY blessed to have sisters and good girlfriends, so I don't feel deprived. :)

I've been asked if I "knew" the gender of this baby, and with Dominic and Milo it was seriously anybody's guess, but with this pregnancy, I just kept seeing Moms with boys - almost everywhere I went (playdates aside!) I had been just observing them, walking into church, at restaurants, at the library, pool etc...and I kept telling Bronius "that's going to be us. I know it." So I guess I'm not really surprised we're having a third boy, I felt like it had been foretold to me.

The boys are overjoyed (or at least Dominic is), Milo is happy by extension, Bronius is still in some state of shock, and I am just pleased as punch. This is my comfort zone, and everything about my training in motherhood has prepared me for this, so I am READY. Besides, I'm not too sure how interested a little sister would have been in wrestling and in monster trucks...maybe she would have feigned interest like I did with my brother. :)

Maybe God will give us a little girl one day, and I will be over the moon of course. But for the time being, it looks like the Queen of the house is still reigning!

Toy Story party

There's a 5 year old in da house!

Happy Birthday to our Dominic Gabriel!



I can hardly believe that it was a full five years ago that we began our journey as parents. 5 years doesn't sound like a long time, but it has been quite a journey!

Dominic is our spark plug. He is our source of energy, he's our mover and shaker. He will always be the child who challenges us to be more as people and parents...the journey has been exhausting, but still I am so grateful! At the age of 5, we have noticed Dominic is mellowing into a more pensive child...if his body is not in constant movement, his mind is. :) Speaking of constant motion, he loves gymnastics. When he's not at class, I catch him doing front flips off the couch as well as backward hand stands. Yes, the no climbing on furniture rule has been relaxed this summer...until it's less than 3,000 degrees outside at least. Group sports has not really grabbed his interest, he likes individual pursuits at present. We may consider karate in the Fall for him. Another favorite hobby is frisbee golf which he is starting to get into!

Dominic is our Picasso. He is always working on creating or building something, and he is interested in almost ANY small project someone starts, from changing a light bulb to baking muffins. We burn through paint, markers, crayons, paper, glue and the like at the speed of light. Which is why we practice recycling to the best of our ability to teach good stewardship. If only we can figure out how to get his showers down from 15 mins to 5 mins now....


Dominic is our outdoorsman. Sadly with the summer heat, we've not been able to collect sticks and rocks and ride bikes as much, but he still loves to climb a good tree when he sees one. He collects rocks and sticks in bulk (oh how I wish this was an exaggeration) and it has been fun to learn along with him about the different types of rocks (Geology 101 is coming in handy!) He is dreaming of the day when Daddy will take him camping, and he also is obsessed with the notion of a treehouse. It appeased him when we explained we needed a real tree before we could construct a tree house.

Dominic is the big brother I prayed for, for Milo and the others who will follow. He is helpful, sensitive, generous...and during times when I lack the patience to cope with a toddler tantrum, he will jump in with the perfect distraction. Makes me cry every time, by the way. He's such a good boy! He sets a good example and he loves to play with his brother. They make up silly games all the time, and it brings me so much joy. I'm sure we'll have days of fighting ahead, but for the most part, our boys get along like 2 peas in a pod. There was a time last summer when I wondered if they'd EVER be able to enjoy each other's company...I hope I don't wonder about that for a long time!

Dominic is our Benjamin Franklin. He is an inventor. He is CONSTANTLY thinking of inventions. When I took him to KOR school for a tour, we visited different classrooms where kids had created their own inventions. This spurred an obsession with making machines that do different things. I have yet to write them down (since they become VERY lengthy narratives...gee, I wonder where he gets THAT from?) The next one I hear, I'll remember to record it here. :)

Dominic is our contrarian. His nature has always been a little oppositional, he likes to test, he likes to buck the system. But in the past year, he is rarely straightforward about his feelings. I first noticed it when he was watching "SuperWhy" when he was like 3, and some character asked "Will you help me look for the clue?" and I heard Dominic say "mmmm mmmm" quietly in response. For example, "you did a great job picking up your room." "noooo I didn't," in a little sing song voice. If we say "take 2 bites more of dinner before bringing your plate to the sink." "I'll have ONLY one bite." Or for example, "did you have fun at the park?" "mmm mmm," (saying no, with a subtle smile). We ignore it mostly, except for when it borders on back talk or rudeness. It is EXTREMELY annoying and we're just hoping that once school starts, this phase will come to an end. Teaching him can be challenging for us as parents, since he literally will call "black" "white" just to spite us. At least I know that homeschooling isn't for us, at least not this year. :) Please oh PLEASE let this phase be done soon!

We're just praying for people in Dominic's life who can understand his gifts and his brightness and his energy, and the sweetness that only his Mama gets to witness sometimes....and we're hoping for a teacher next year who will be a great match for him. I've been super protective of him because I haven't wanted people to misunderstand him, since he can be a pretty complex cookie. But Kindergarten is a month away, and I realize he will be (mostly) responsible for presenting his image to the world, and I believe he will do us proud. We've poured love and attention into this person for 5 years and I believe the output will be rewarding for all :)

I know I am forgetting SO much more, and pictures will come soon from his Toy Story party tomorrow :) He loves Toy Story, which is another indication of who he is...he loves dreaming of possibilities. He loves the idea that toys can become real to a child who loves them. He loves the story of the nutcracker and the velveteen rabbit and of course he still treasures his teddy bear. I love that he has a nurturing side to him, I think it will serve him well in life and I think it has helped us teach him empathy from a young age.

Dominic, we love you bubbie. You made us a Mommy and Daddy and for that we will be forever grateful. For all the gifts you bring to our family, we are thankful. God bless you on this special day, your 5th birthday, we pray for many happy moments today as we celebrate your life!
Love, Mommmy, Daddy, Milo and baby

Birthday interview to come.....

Highlights from our week

Highlights from this week......

Fourth of July! After we had dinner at our sweet friends home, Bronius played in the symphony this year so I stayed home with the boys and did "pop its" outside and we watched the fireworks on t.v. We got to hear Daddy playing on the radio though, that was cool! Happy (belated) birthday, and God bless you America!


Last day of gymnastics class for the boys at Powersports. But we'll be back in the Fall!
















Reptiles day at the library rec room. Snakes, turtles, lizards galore and man did it stink in there, we won't be going to storytime for a while until the lysol makes its rounds. Milo pet a python, Dominic pet a tortoise, and I saw a Komodo dragon up close for the first time!






























Dominic's birthday present from Senele, a cool desert biosphere where he is cultivating several species of cacti. Can't wait to see what sprouts! Thanks Senele!








More highlights to come this weekend, our big boy turns 5 on Saturday!!!

Rainy day crafts

Dominic painted this picture. I divided the picture into three segments for him by drawing with a pencil, and he did ALL the rest. I'm so proud! When it dried, we hot-glued on some of his favorite sea shells he picked from the beach. Have I mentioned how much I love love love that Dominic loves being creative? I'll take this to being chased with swords and guns ANY day! (course I'm sure that day will come eventually) :)



And here's a silly patriotic "crown" we made today out of construction paper, pipe cleaners and straws. I predict more of this sillyness tomorrow as well, it's a fun way to spend time together when Milo naps :)

Galveston 2010

We just got back from a weekend stay in Galveston with my family. Uncle Steve was detained at the last minute in NYC and could not join us :( but in our midst we had Great Grandma, whose 90th birthday we celebrated, Aunt Les and her dog Howie, my parents and then me, Bronius and the kids. Bronius got to enjoy his version of "deep sea diving" (he found a hermit crab!) and body surfing with Dominic. A highlight for him was buying a few pounds of shrimp from a local fish market, and he boiled them and dipped them in butter sauce to his heart's content. These were his main goals on the trip :) My main goals were about as ambitious as laying on a towel and swimming in the sea and repeating over and over again. I too, was successful in achieving my vacation goals.

The kids had a great time - they got to stay up late to watch a movie AND they ate ice cream BEFORE dinner...wow, we were living on the wild side for awhile there. They loved digging in the sand and swimming in the waves. The seaweed didn't even bother us this time because honestly, after going over 10 years now without living 15 mins away from the beach, I quite frankly am overjoyed that I'm even within driving distance of a beach. I no longer belly ache about the sights and smells of Galveston, because, afterall, we could be landlocked somewhere in the middle of Nebraska or something instead.

We got to stop at the Rainforest Cafe on the way out, and I was as giddy as a 5 year old about that. It reminded me so much of the theme parks in Florida I grew up going to. It's the closest our kids are getting to Disney for a few years anyway, so I'm glad we enjoyed it. The food was nothing to write home about, but the atmosphere was BRILLIANT!








Back home now and back to the daily grind....but life is good, I'd have to sit here for a long time before I could produce any legitimate complaints about my life right now. I'm going to keep coasting while the coast is clear and being thankful to God for how He blesses me, especially when I don't even recognize it! :)

Pictures will come, soon, our disk drive is dead to the world so my genius husband is coming up with some creative solutions so his wife can resume blogging.....I'll be back!

Happy Father's Day, past and present :)

I was sick this Father's Day weekend, so I pretty much failed in the "let Daddy relax" department :( :( :( My big goal was to help the kids create a giant Father's Day card and then get up and make him a big breakfast yesterday, so when I pulled that off, I started to feel better :) We were treated to dinner twice by Senele, and then on Sunday we went to Houston to spend time with Papa, and we enjoyed swimming, movies and the comings and goings of my busy younger siblings and their pets. Sarah, you were missed, and Mom, I hope you had a great weekend with Sarah and the kids!





I am profoundly grateful to my Dad for the many sacrifices he has made to raise a family, and not the lazy way, either. Dad, you're the voice in my head and my inner compass, and I love you so much. I'm so proud of the person you are and so thankful for all that you've given to us your children. Thanks for seizing every teachable moment (despite the countless eye rolls) and always knowing how to make a room full of people laugh! Thanks for bringing life and celebration and gusto with you everywhere you go. We appreciate you more than we can say. God bless you on Father's Day!






And I am equally profoundly grateful for the blessing of an amazing husband, Bronius, who has blessed me beyond measure. It amazes me, the wisdom of God. How He knows how two people will grow together and compliment each other in a marriage, waaaaaay before they can understand it. Well, I see it now. And I'm in awe. Thank you B, for being my mellow jello and keeping me calm, for helping me through the ups and downs of motherhood, for being a true partner in parenthood and for being the perfect Daddy for our boys. I love you for every single thing you do, seen and unseen. For teaching me it's okay to go with the flow when I'm trying to swim upstream, thank you, babe! Happy Father's Day! I love you!