Daddy's Break from School!!!

Scott just finished up with his Summer Session in school and now has 4 weeks off, and the kids and I have loved being home with Daddy. We have just played all week! We have gone to the pool almost every day, Daddy filled up our pool in the backyard, we have gone to kids club, played in the backyard and we can't forget Chick-fil-a (our favorite lunch spot). It has been so nice having him home, I am getting spoiled! Scott took the camera to Drill, National Guard, so I don't have a lot of pictures to post from this past week, but I have a few random ones. My Mother's Day present from Scott this year was tickets to go see my FAVORITE band, The Fray. We went to the concert last night and it was SO MUCH FUN!! They sound so good live, and it was a beautiful night and wonderful to spend it with just my husband and I (thanks Mamaw and Papaw). I have lots of pics from last night, but it is still on the camera so I will post them later. Hope you enjoy random pics of the babies!!! We did a movie night and brought the mattress down from upstairs, we left it for the next morning and the kids had breakfast on it with breakfast trays and watched cartoons. Leah didn't move for an hour!!

Silly Jackson playing in the backyard, the kids do this thing that makes each other laugh, where they call everything a hat...This is Jackson's "basketball hat"...don't ask me to explain the humor of a 3 and 2 year old :)

Leah trying to do "basketball hat," bless her heart she is not quite tall enough :)

This picture reminds me so much of Scott I had to post it. Is that not his Daddy?!?

Birthdays, Anniversaries...What a Week!!

I have alot to catch up on. Friday, July 10th was my 26th birthday and Scott had school all day. I decided since it was my birthday, I should reward myself. My in-laws had given me money to go shopping with, so I cashed the check and spent the money in no time :) Thanks Warren and Janene!! The kids were angels on my birthday, they didn't fight at all and they even took long naps so I could fill up their kiddy pool in the backyard and lay out!! Picture that, me in the kiddy pool laying out :) It was great!! That night, we had Scott's sister Lisa and her husbandMark over for dinner and games, it was really fun and relaxing.
Leah and Jackson, out shopping with Mommy. They are the best of friends!!

On Saturday night, Scott and I went back to the Westin Stonebriar, the hotel we got married. We went to the Melting Pot that night and then went back to the hotel where Chris and Abby met us to talk and have a few drinks. I wore a dress Scott got me for our anniversary that he picked out from White House Black Market, with a beautiful pearl necklace. That is the first time in almost 13 years he had bought me a dress!!! I loved it!! That Saturday night, NJ had the kids spend the night. As you all know, Aunt NJ always has the funnest things planned for the kids to do. She will put up a tent in the middle of her family room, so the kids and her can pretend they are camping out, or build a fort around her coffee table, or take them to train museums in downtown Dallas...whatever she plans the kids think it is the greatest!! Well this particular night, she had gotten the kids, my dad and Stephanie tickets to go to Medieval Times!! I was a little skeptical, I knew Jackson would love it, but Leah is not one for loud noises or the dark. I guess I was wrong, because NJ said Leah cried for all of two minutes at the beginning of the show and then loved the rest!! The Red knight even threw her a flower!! When we got home the next morning she told me, "It was too loud, I was crying...too dark." But they all said they loved the whole night!! The kids are so lucky to have such loving Aunts and Grandparents.

PaPaw with the kids at Medieval Times. Cute hat, Dad :)

Leah in her Red knight hat and Princess Wand

Aunt Stephie and Leah

Cutest Pic

I love this Man!! Happy Anniversary!!

Chris and Abby at the Westin!! Thanks for celebrating with us!!

Abby and Me!!!

Scott and I, notice the dress and necklace he bought me????

5 Year Anniversary!!!

I cannot believe Scott and I have been married for 5 years!! It just sounds so much longer than 4 years! It has flown by, but a lot has happened in the time we have been married.
-We got married July 2004
-Started Nursing School August 2004
-Found out I was pregnant with Jackson March 2005
-Moved to townhouse May 2005
-Jackson was born October 6th 2005
-Graduated Nursing School December 2005
-January 2006 started working as Labor and Delivery Nurse
-March 2006 moved into our first home
-May 2006 Scott graduated from UTD
-August 2006 Scott started Dental School
-July 6th, 2007 Leah was born
That is a lot of big events in the last few years, but now it seems everything is calming down. I would not trade a single thing that we have been through in the last 5 years, good or bad, because it truly has brought us closer together. I really am the luckiest girl in the world to have a husband like Scott. If you have ever seen him with our kids, you know what a wonderful, patient father he is. Our kids absolutely adore him. Most of the time they pick Daddy over me :) My favorite is when he puts Leah to bed, when I put her to bed I sing her one song and kiss her goodnight- when Scott puts her to bed, he sings her like 10 songs!!! Her famous line to Scott is, "I hold you , Daddy." She has him so wrapped, but it is the cutest thing you have ever seen. Scott will come home from a long day of school, and jump right in taking care of the kids. He always helps entertain them while I get dinner ready, gives them baths and helps put them to bed. He is just so wonderful with them.
Not only is Scott a wonderful Daddy, he is a wonderful friend to me. I can trust him with anything, and we have so much fun together. There is no one else who I laugh as much with or enjoy being with as him. I know this is all cheesy, but it is our 5 year anniversary, I can be cheesy just this once!!! Besides, he deserves a little recognition for all he does. He takes such good care of us. We have been a little tight on money in our married life, since one of us has always been at school, but Scott is really good at always finding a way to get us by. I don't know what we will do in a year when he is done with school and we don't live pay check-to-pay check...that is, unless he does a pediatric residency :)
He is so handy around the house (thank you Mark). Scott's sister and I say he caught the home improvement bug from her husband, Mark. He is really good with things around the house, and Scott trys to go over and help him whenever he can on projects and Mark has taught him alot on home-improvement projects. Scott built us the most beautiful covered patio outside, with help from his freinds Jason and Chris, as well as Mark of course. Scott returned the favor by helping Mark build his a couple of weeks later. But we love our patio now!! Scott even hung the best porch swing from it, that we sit on almost every night.
I love Scott for the way he treats me and makes me feel. He really does treat me like a princess. He is a wonderful example to Jackson and Leah on how the person you love should be treated. I could go on and on, but you are all probably pretty bored :)
I love you, Scott!! Happy 5 year anniversary!!! May there be many more!! We went to Scott's summer league basketball game last night, and Jackson met us there later with Grandma Ludlow, so Leah got some alone time with us. we went to the park before the game started.

Is she not the cutest little girl you have ever seen???

Our AMAZING patio Scott built us!! I wish I had before pics

Our new patio furniture...My birthday present, which is tomorrow :)

More furniture pics

My anniversary present to Scott... A new grill...pretty, huh?

I woke up to these beautiful peach roses this morning (my favorite flowers). Thank you, babe!!

By the way, July is a really busy month for us, with birthdays and anniversaries, so don't think I will be blogging this much all the time, I do have two children to take care of :) Luckily they sleep until 10am!! Ha!

4th of July Weekend and My Leah turns 2!!!!

We had one busy weekend!! Megan and Jared came into town for Leah's birthday, so we all decided to go to the Ranger's game. It was REALLY hot on friday, so we decided to just take Jackson and leave Leah with my mom. It was all my sisters, Mel, Scott, Jared and Jackson. It was really fun and there were fireworks after the game. This was the first year Jackson enjoyed fireworks instead of crying when he saw them. But if you put him in Aunt Nj's lap and she tells him something is cool, he believes whatever she says.

Megan, Mel and I Squeezed in the Back of the Explorer

Daddy and Jackson Outside the Rangers Stadium

Daddy, Jackson and Mommy at the Game
Then on Saturday we had Leah's birthday party. It was just supposed to be a simple bbq with family and then go to fireworks. But that morning Scott and I decided it would be a great idea to get patio furniture- THE MORNING OF HER PARTY, like we didn't have enough to do, right?? We did get some beautiful furniture, but I will post pics later. In the rush to get the furniture to the backyard, we left the back gate open and Chloe got out. As most of you know, Chloe always gets out and comes right back, this time she didn't. We tried to look for her, but couldn't find her and it was time for Leah's birthday to start, so we had to wait to look. We ate way too much food and visited with family. The kids had a blast in their pool that Daddy set up for them.

Jackson and Leah Playing in the Pool

Leah then opened ALL of her presents. She got a kitchen set from mommy and daddy, it was actually mine when I was little that my Grandpa Carley made for me and my sisters, Scott and I refinished it and painted it pink, it turned out ADORABLE!! When she opened it, she squealed "IS THAT MINE?!?" It was so cute, she was so excited. She got lots of cute clothes, and TONS of food for her new kitchen set. She no longer has to pretend wood blocks are food :) We went to fireworks in our neighborhood after dinner and gifts, they were pretty good and it wasn't 105 degrees. I guess I should mention we did find Chloe at about 11:30 that night. Someone in our neighborhood had picked her up and called the Emergency Vet by our house, when we called the vet they gave us the name and number of the lady who had her. Chloe is safe at home :)

Monday was Leah's actual birthday, she is FINALLY 2!! Mommy is having a hard time with this :( It just sounds so much older, not like a baby anymore, but a toddler. She is so much fun right now. She is always so happy and loveable. She talks so much!! She can even carry on a conversation!! We got up that morning and I went to get Leah out of her crib, she stood up and put her arms in the air and yelled "I'm 2 again!!" Don't know what the "again" was about, but it was cute. Leah got to choose whatever she wanted for breakfast and she chose Macaroni and cheese, I know kind of gross but it was her birthday. Jackson loved her choice :) We then went to Kids Club, it's the gym daycare and the kids love it. I never thought there would be a day where they would want to go, when I first started taking them, they would cry and I would called down to come get them. Oh, how they are growing up... We went to Chick-fil-a after and Aunt Krista met us up there so the kids could play. Then naptime. Phew, I get a break. Daddy got home from school and we went to Gatti-Town with Aunt Lisa and Uncle Mark. For all of you who don't know what Gatti-Town is, it is a pizza buffett with Dave-n-Buster style games and rides. The kids love it!! We had a lot of fun!!

Ok I know this was a long one, but it was a busy weekend!!

The Ludlow Family!!

Well we have finally jumped on the bandwagon and started our own blog!! I guess we should start but giving a little of our history...

Scott and I were married on July 9th, 2004 in Frisco, Texas. I was thrilled to be marrying my very best friend after 7 years together!! We planned on waiting a little while to start our family since I was starting nursing school and Scott was applying to Dental school, but 1 year and 3 months after we were married we had a beautiful baby boy, Jackson William. He was born at 32weeks and had to spend some time in the NICU, but you would never know it today. Now he is 3 1/2 years old and ALL BOY. He loves trains, cars, airplanes and picking on his sister. He is loving swimming this summer and driving his sister around in his power-wheels hummer.

Yes, that is right, I said sister :) 21 months to the day after Jackson was born, we welcomed Leah Austyn into this world. Unlike her brother she did not come early. She is such a happy, loving baby. Her 2 year birthday is tomorrow and it makes me so sad to think of her as a toddler and not my little baby anymore. She is ALL GIRL. She loves, loves, loves babies, cooking and singing. She knows the words to so many songs- they often turn into one song and you get a combination of the ABC's, twinkle-twinkle and london bridges all in one song. It is actually quite clever :)

Our kids are truly the happiness in our life. We think everythimg they do is the greatest, and they really are the smartest kids ever :) Scott and I celebrate our 5 year anniversary on the 9th, and I still feel like we just got married yesterday. I love him more now then I did the day I married him, and I never thought that could be possible. He is such a wonderful husband, father and friend. Hope you enjoy getting a little glimpse into our lives!!