The Gowder Family

Yellow!

2011-06-29T11:41:00.006-05:00

This week's theme for the Crazy Days of Summer photo challenge is yellow. I don't know why I struggled with that, but luckily Luke wanted to wear his rain boots the other day, so I grabbed my camera!

Water Fun!

2011-06-17T13:12:00.003-05:00

This week's theme for the Crazy Days of Summer photo challenge is water. I LOVE this photo! We got a baby pool for Luke & this was taken the first time he was in it. He had so much fun! Bret was squirting him with a toy & he was loving it! I've got to capture it on video next time so I can get his giggles recorded!

My Photography Blog

2011-06-17T11:17:00.004-05:00

I just started my photography blog, please go check it out!

http://www.laragowderphotography.blogspot.com/

Refreshing

2011-06-15T08:53:00.003-05:00

This week's theme for the Crazy Days of Summer photo challenge is refreshing. I had a great idea for something totally different, but couldn't get it all together. I hope I can use it again later, so I just decided to use this photo of a Coke! It is my absolute favorite drink & I actually work for Coke, so it is very refreshing to me!

My Boys

2011-06-09T14:45:00.006-05:00

Here is one of my favorite photos of my boys. I took it a few weeks ago while we were at the beach. Here is the sooc:

Here is the edited:

I shoot with a Sony Alpha dslr & I edit with Photoshop Elements.

Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge

2011-06-04T16:16:00.005-05:00

I am participating in a summer photo challenge, my very first one! This week's theme is flowers. I took these at my in-laws house. They have so many beautiful roses, I really had a hard time deciding which photo to use, so I'm using a few of my favorites!

I love this one because of all of the beautiful colors on this single rose:

Next week's challenge is "Refreshing". This one will take some thought!

Zoo

2011-06-02T16:43:00.004-05:00

We went to the zoo a few weeks ago. I got several good shots, but this one is one of my favorites. I shoot with a Sony A100 dslr & I edit using PS Elements.

Here's straight out of the camera:

Here's the edited:

Before & After Blog Hop

2011-05-12T09:10:00.000-05:00

I haven't updated in a while, but I have been very busy taking pictures! Here is one from my first shoot. This couple was so much fun to shoot! These were pictures before their prom.
Here's the before:

Here's the edited:

I shoot with a Sony Alpha a100 DSLR, and edited in Photoshop Elements.

365 Project Day #15

2011-01-25T11:23:00.001-06:00

While Jack was riding his bike, Luke was riding in his wagon! He loves to ride! And he loves to watch Jack on his bike!

365 Project Day #14

2011-01-24T13:40:00.004-06:00

Jack has recently learned how to ride without the training wheels. This is his new bike that he got for Christmas. It was really hard to get a good picture, because he can fly on it! I'm so proud of him!

365 Project Day 12 & 13

2011-01-22T16:34:00.005-06:00

Day #12

I just love this picture:

Day #13

We went shoe shopping today for the boys. Jack wanted them to get the same shoes, but it's hard when they are in different sizes (toddler vs. kids), so we got some that are similar & they are both very happy!

I.MET.JACKSON.RATHBONE. (aka Jasper Cullen)

2011-01-20T15:10:00.015-06:00

Jackson Rathbone!!

I love the Twilight books & movies. I am definitely Team Edward, but I am also Team Jasper! I love Jasper's character, a vampire from the south from the Civil War era. A true southern gentleman, if that can be said of a vampire, (which I think it can since it's fiction!) And that smile, wow! Here's Jackson as Jasper Cullen:

Anyway, Jackson Rathbone plays Jasper in the Twilight movies (and he's also been in some other movies & tv shows), and he's also in a band called 100 Monkeys. They are awesome! Their music is very funky. Well, 100 Monkeys came to Birmingham on December 27th. Lisa, Charlotte & I bought our tickets right after the date was announced (like 2 months before the concert!). The band had a promotion on their website for their fans to win meet & greet passes for their shows. I WON!!!! WHOO HOO!!!!!

We got to meet them before the show. Lisa, Charlotte & I were some of the lucky winners! The guys were very, very nice. They are so appreciative of their fans.

Yes, that's me, between Jackson & Jerad! WOW!
(L-R: Uncle Larry, Ben Graupner, Lisa, Jackson Rathbone, me!, Jerad Anderson, Charlotte, Ben Johnson)

My friend, Kathy, met us there with her friend, Martina & we all had a great time! The show was awesome! They are so talented. They switched instruments & took turns singing lead. The crowd was really into it so that made it even more fun! They said they will definitely come back to Birmingham. I really hope they do! Maybe I'll get lucky & get to meet them again!

Sigh! I still can't believe that I got to talk to, touch & hug Jackson Rathbone! Check one off of my bucket list!!

365 Project Day #11

2011-01-20T15:07:00.002-06:00

I took several pictures today during my lunch. I picked this one because of the lights & the doorway. I also like the angle.

365 Project Day #10

2011-01-19T19:26:00.002-06:00

The past few days have been rainy and/or overcast, so I have been trying to find interesting things to photograph. I took this in my office. I do work for Coca Cola (a local bottler), and Coke is my favorite drink, so I took this. I took several shots of different views, but I really liked this one. The depth of field & the focus really make this picture.

365 Project Day #9

2011-01-18T16:17:00.004-06:00

Ok, I'm already slacking a little on actually taking new pictures every day. I'm trying, but it's hard. So, I thought I would use this one of Jack for today. I absolutely love this picture. He looks so grown-up, like he has an attitude or something! I did edit the color saturation a little. I'm really loving that edit now. I love how it can soften a picture.

365 Project Day #8

2011-01-17T16:17:00.004-06:00

I found my usb cable! Whoo hoo! Here's my picture for day #8 (really, I'm working a day behind since I don't usually take the time to do this at night!). I love this picture! I really love pictures that show the backs of heads in kids & babies. They were looking out the window for Callie, our neighbors dog.

365 Project Days #6 & 7

2011-01-17T14:13:00.007-06:00

Day #6
Jack always loved to play in the window sills. I guess they are just the right size & height for little boys. I don't know if he showed Luke how to play in them, or if it's just natural. Here's Luke playing with his trains:

Day #7
I did take some more new pictures, but I have temporarily "misplaced" my usb cable, so I just thought I would use one of my favorites for day #7! Enjoy!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-17T14:02:00.003-06:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas! We saw our families, actually had a white Christmas, watched The Polar Express on Christmas Eve, and played & played! The boys really had fun! The big gifts this year were Legos & a basketball goal!

Our white Christmas was the first in Birmingham (except for flurries), in over 100 years! We didn't go out in it on Christmas day, but we did the day after.

365 Project Day #5

2011-01-14T16:19:00.004-06:00

One of the purposes of this project is to document your life each day. Of course I could take pictures of the boys all day, but I know I need to show other parts of my day & I need to practice photographing other subjects.

So today, I went out at lunch & went to the drive-thru at Zaxby's (yum!). I noticed these lights & I thought they were really cool! I took several pictures while I was waiting (knowing that the other people in the drive-thru line and the people eating inside were probably wondering what I was doing!). But this one is my favorite. I love how there is a shadow of one light on the awning. I did edit the picture a little, just to enhance the color. I'm still learning about editing but I thought it turned out pretty good!

365 Project Day #4

2011-01-14T16:17:00.004-06:00

More ice pictures!

I think we are all ready for the ice to melt!

365 Project Day #3

2011-01-12T18:58:00.003-06:00

the dark side...

Jack LOVES his Legos, especially his Star Wars Legos (actually he loves everything Star Wars!) He had these on the dining table & I wanted to get some pictures of what he had built. He works so hard on them & he really enjoys playing with them when he's done. I liked this picture the best, I don't really know why. Maybe because they look so big when they are really tiny? Maybe because he had the bad guys together?? Anyway, this picture is for Jack!

365 Project Day #2

2011-01-11T13:28:00.004-06:00

Here is my 2nd photo for my 365 Project:

My sweet Luke. I just love this picture! He wasn't sure about the snow & the cold weather. Bret was holding him because he didn't want to be in the snow!

365 Project

2011-01-10T16:16:00.005-06:00

I'm starting a photo project called 365Project, you can read more about it at www.365project.org

It sounds like fun. All you do is take a picture each day & post it. I don't know if I'll be diligent about taking a picture every day & posting it, but I'm going to try! I hope it will help my photography skills. Here's the picture I took & posted today:

Today was our first snow/ice for 2011. I love how the ice really shows on the branches. This is a tree in our front yard. I took it from the porch since our steps & sidewalk were still covered in ice. I put my big lens on so I could really get the detail.

Luke's Birthday!

2011-01-03T10:35:00.012-06:00

I can't believe my sweet baby Luke is 2! He's such a sweet little boy & we love him so much! Here's Luke on his birthday: We had cupcakes that night so we could celebrate. Jack loves to sing "Happy Birthday":

Since his birthday was a few days before Thanksgiving, we decided to have a Turkey party! Isn't his cake cool? Daddy helping him blow out his candles: Luke's cousin, Evan, has the same birthday. He turned 12! Evan thinks it's cool that he & Luke have the same birthday, so we did their parties together on Thanksgiving: Luke's new scooter! He had to show Grandmother (his great-grandmother), that he could ride it: Riding outside with big brother: Happy 2nd Birthday Luke! We love you!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-01-03T10:27:00.005-06:00

I LOVE Halloween! All of the candy, costumes, trick-or-treating. We have some really cute Halloween books that Jack & Luke both loved to read every night: Ten Timid Ghosts, The Little Old Woman Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything, Scooby Doo's Halloween, Dora's Halloween, etc. I always loved Halloween as a kid, so I'm glad my boys love it! Our neighborhood is great for trick-or-treating. We have so many kids & we all know each other, so it's really a great night. Here are some pictures of my sweet little shark, and my very handsome & cool Obi Wan Kenobi!

Some of our neighborhood kids:

Gowder Family Pictures

2010-12-30T16:22:00.013-06:00

My mother-in-law, Lynda, has wanted family pictures for a long time. But it's so hard to get a group together for pictures (especially when most of the men absolutely hate having their picture made!). We finally did it in October. She asked us to do it for Christmas, so Lisa, Lynda & I picked a date & Amy came & took the pictures. We were all nervous about how all of the kids would do. Evan & Jack would be fine since they are older, but LilyAnne, Luke & Max, well it would definitely be interesting! I even warned Amy when I asked her to take the pictures that the kids may be challenging & so would the men! LOL! I guess all of our worrying was for nothing because everyone did great!

Morris Avenue Pictures

2010-12-30T16:13:00.004-06:00

These are from June (I know, I'm slow about posting!). Amy met us down on Morris Avenue in downtown Birmingham. I just love these pictures! The setting there is just beautiful. Here are my favorites:

Picture Fun

2010-12-23T14:30:00.005-06:00

I'm participating in a blog hop. This is a picture of Luke from a year ago, right before Christmas. It's one of my favorites! Here is the straight out of the camera shot:

Here is my edited picture:

I use a Sony aDSLR camera. I've just started to really get into editing & I don't have any fancy software yet, so I just used the Microsoft Photo Editor & tweaked the color saturation until I got the result I wanted, and then cropped in just a little.

Shutterfly Free Card Giveaway!!

2010-11-24T09:04:00.010-06:00

I LOVE Shutterfly. I do all of my pictures on Shutterfly (and cards, and photo books). This year, they are giving away 50 free cards to bloggers! I’m so excited since I have been playing around with some of their card designs for my Christmas card. They have a great selection, really too great because I’m having a very hard time choosing which card I want to use! I guess when I decide which picture I’m going to use, it will make choosing the card a little bit easier!

Here’s a few cards I really like (note: the pictures are not mine, they are just samples):

They have so many cards to choose from. Here are some links to view them:

Christmas photo cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

Holiday Cards: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

They also have very cute invitations:
holiday invitations to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-invitations

Be sure to check out their other items. My favorite thing from them for a while is their photo books. They are very, very nice & very easy to do. You can choose the layouts or use their program that will auto-fill your book for you. I've done several books over the past couple of years for me, and for gifts for the grandparents!
You can sign up here for the free cards: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T13:35:00.003-05:00

Beach!

2010-10-27T13:12:00.014-05:00

We LOVE the beach! We are fortunate enough to be able to go every year in May. It's a work trip for Bret, and his company is kind enough to allow their employees to bring their families. We've been going since before Jack was born & we love it! This year, Grammy & Papa (Bret's parents) went with us & we all had fun. I was a little worried about Luke. Didn't know if he would like the sand (Jack wouldn't put his feet in the sand until he was 4!). Luke LOVED the sand! And, Jack LOVED the gulf! Jack loves to swim in the pool, but he has never really cared about the gulf. Well, this year he was so brave & wanted to play in the gulf! Jack lost a tooth at the beach (2 years in a row), we played, ate great food, and relaxed (well, Bret worked mostly).

Jack loves to be buried in the sand!

Jack showing off his muscles! (With his feet in the gulf!)

Luke loved the sand! Every day we had to bathe him extra long to get all of the sand off of him. He even would get it in his ears!

My sweet boy!

Did you notice the matching bathing suits?

Grammy & I took the boys down to the beach before dinner one night to try & get some pictures. These were my favorites!

Yam It Up 2010

2010-10-27T13:06:00.004-05:00

Jack's school has an annual art appreciation month. They learn & try different art projects at school & they once again had their YAM (Youth Art Month)contest. Last year, Jack made Perry the Platypus as Agent P (from Phineas & Ferb). This year, he wanted to make just plain ole Perry, the pet. It turned out so cute! He was so proud & so were we!

We had to put the Yam Perry with the stuffed Perry to make sure we did it right!

Easter 2010

2010-10-27T13:00:00.011-05:00

I love Easter! We usually have warm weather, I LOVE dyeing eggs, the boys hunting them, Easter clothes, the story of Easter, etc. Here are some of our Easter activity pictures:

Egg hunting at Grammy & Papa's:

Easter morning. What did the Easter Bunny bring?
Jack was still very sleepy!

Handsome boys!

Catching Up!

2010-10-26T13:39:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I'm really not a good blogger! I'm very behind! But, I've started catching up & hopefully will be caught up in a few days!

Children's Hospital Part 2

2010-10-26T13:32:00.004-05:00

OK. I love Children's Hospital, but I would really love to never have to go there again! Two weeks later, Luke was back in the hospital. Bless him! He caught a stomach virus. We didn't think it was bad because he only threw up twice one night. The next day, he drank enough to have about 7 wet diapers. But when he woke up the next day, he was so pitiful. Grammy was at the house & we decided that we needed to take him in. He was so severely dehydrated that his blood sugar had dropped to 30! Yes, 30! The nurses stuck him so many times trying to get an iv going, and he felt so bad that he never even flinched. It was pitiful! The doctors were very worried because he had only thrown up twice & had no diarrhea. They tested him for a few things just to be sure it wasn't something worse, but it wasn't.

They admitted him and after about 3 bags of fluids, he finally starting urinating & drinking. Praise the Lord!

Again, Children's Hospital, we love you & we are so thankful that you are here in Birmingham. But, I would love it if we never met again!

RSV

2010-10-26T12:54:00.017-05:00

Luke had a really bad winter last year. He had several ear infections & was scheduled for tubes on Jan. 19th. A few days before, he was sick with bronchilitis. Our pediatrician told us we had to postpone the tubes. Apparently the anesthesia is really hard on the lungs & with Luke having this respiratory infection it wasn't safe for tubes. Well, the night of the 19th, I noticed he was really breathing hard & fast. I asked Bret to watch him & he said to call the doctor. Well, when daddy says call the doctor, I knew it was bad. The nurse told me to bring him to the ER because he may need a breathing treatment. It was late (10:30 pm), so I packed up a few things for Luke, got myself dressed & headed out to Children's. Bret stayed at home because we didn't want to wake Jack up, & we sure didn't want him to be in the waiting room during cold & flu season. Bret's parents were on stand-by just in case, but we really thought we would be back home.

One breathing treatment done, no change. Luke's oxygen levels were lingering around 90, not good. Two more treatments done over the next few hours, no change. Now his oxygen levels were dipping close to 85. Around 4:30 am (I think), the doctor tells me that they will admit Luke because he will have to be on oxygen. Bret called around 6:00 am & I told him to get Jack off to school & come down to the hospital. He got there right after they got us to Luke's room. Luke's oxygen levels were up & down all day & the doctor told us that when he could go without oxygen for 24 hours, then we could go home.

The next morning, Luke woke up with a high fever of 103.5. Of course, Bret & I were worried, but the nurses & doctor were worried, too. They checked Luke for the flu, RSV, and pneumonia. RSV was the culprit, as well as an ear infection. So, antibiotics were started for his ears, respiratory therapy was started for the RSV, and Tylenol & Motrin were alternated for the fever.

Even with Luke as sick as he was, the nurses & doctor said he was the happiest patient they had on the floor! I know my sweet baby was very sick, but he really was happy! I'm so thankful that he was able to smile & laugh when I know he felt so bad! He even did the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song for his nurses! And every time the nurses or Dr. Salmon came to see him, he had to blow them kisses when they left! Sweet boy!

He was in the hospital for 4 nights! Yikes! That's a long time these days for a hospital stay! We are so thankful that we have Children's Hospital here. They see children from all over the world & they are just awesome! Luke had the best care the whole time he was there!

Of course, I had my camera part of the time during Luke's stay.

This was the first morning, right after daddy got there:

Luke wasn't very happy here when his sweet nurse was trying to get his oxygen hooked up, but at least he wasn't crying!

Bret brought some toys for Luke since he was isolated to his room:

Walking around & playing in the room.

Luke's little friend, James & his parents sent this sweet basket. I just had to take Luke's picture with it!

Luke was such a little trooper, but he did have moments where he was just worn out, especially when his fever would creep back up.

Did I mention how much we LOVE Children's Hospital? While we were there with Luke, I would sometimes walk down to the cafeteria or just outside for a little break while Bret stayed with Luke. I met some other parents who were there with babies with RSV. I also talked a mom who had just found out her 9-year old son had kidney cancer. I was getting on the elevator & this mom got on. The elevator was full, and I think it was all parents or grandparents, no hospital staff. This mom just broke down on the elevator with strangers. It was awful! We all comforted her, cried with her. None of us knew her, but we were all mommies & daddies, or grammys or papas that loved their children, and we all hurt for her. I know Luke was in bad shape & we were scared for him. But, there are so many other children who are so very sick. I still pray for these children because I know that my children could be in that situation one day.

Snow!

2010-10-26T12:50:00.006-05:00

We don't get much snow in Alabama, so even a small amount of flurries excite us. This year we had a good snow! It was really cold, too, but the boys did not care!

Jack's 7th Birthday!

2010-10-26T12:44:00.009-05:00

Wow! Time really does fly! I can't believe my baby Jack turned 7 this year! He decided he wanted to have a Wii party for his birthday! We had a small party at our house with Evan & Owen. They all played the Wii & also their Nintendo DS's.

Jack's teacher made him this cool hat for his special day at school:

Jack with his Madagascar cake:

Even Luke & Ty tried to play the Wii:

Santa Picture 2009

2010-10-26T12:42:00.006-05:00

Grammy & I took the boys to Brookwood Mall for Santa pictures the day after Thanksgiving. That is the best day to see Santa because although the stores are crowded, the line for Santa is non-existent! I guess I'm the only mom that takes the kids that day! Jack loves seeing Santa! But he always gets a little nervous talking to him, but he does better every year. Luke did great! I think seeing big brother talking with Santa first helped him not be scared!

Christmas 2009

2010-10-26T12:34:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics from Christmas. I will have to dig up the ones from Christmas morning, but these are some of my favorites:

RAW(e) Pets & Animals Post

2010-06-22T12:08:00.002-05:00

I'm participating in a post on another blog about pets & animals, so I had to use my sweet Chloe's pictures. We miss her so much!

Luke's 1st Birthday!

2010-04-05T13:15:00.011-05:00

Luke Ryne Gowder celebrated his first birthday on November 24, 2009. We had a Pumpkin Party for him a few days later. He loved seeing everyone at his party & he LOVED his cake! I made his cake this year & I thought it turned out cute. I had made Jack's first birthday cake, so I figured I would make Luke's! I made him his own pumpkin cake. I just happened to find pumpkin-shaped cake pans at Wal-Mart after Halloween. I made a bigger cake for everyone else & just put pumpkins made with icing on it. Jack wanted to blow out the candle for Luke, too! Jack had fun celebrating Luke's birthday, too. He's such a great big brother!

I can't believe he's 1! The first year went by way too fast! Happy Birthday my sweet baby boy! We love you more than you will ever know!

Christmas Card Photos

2010-02-21T19:15:00.004-06:00

I LOVE pictures, especially of my boys. So, when Amy met us to do pictures for our Christmas cards, I knew I would have a hard time picking out the one (or ones) for the card. I was so right! Amy did a great job & I have so many favorites! Here are a few (well, maybe more than a few!)...

Chloe

2010-02-10T12:54:00.005-06:00

Our sweet Chloe has gone to Heaven to be Jesus' dog. She got sick on Halloween with arthritis. We thought she would be fine with medicines, but she just kept getting worse. A few days after Thanksgiving, we found out she had cancer. We were just devastated! Chloe was the BEST dog. We rescued her almost 8 years ago & gave her the best, most loving home that she so deserved. She loved Jack from the moment we brought him home from the hospital, and I think the feeling was mutual. She was the same with Luke. She loved those boys & boy did they both love her! One of the hardest things we have had to do was to tell Jack that Chloe was gone. He did pretty good with the news, but he really misses her. Even Luke, who had just had his 1st birthday, looked for her. It was so sad! I know that she is in Heaven & she will watch over us. We remind Jack of that almost every day, that Angel Chloe is always with him! She will always be a special dog! We love you, Chloe! And we miss you tons!

Halloween!

2010-02-10T12:51:00.002-06:00

We had so much fun on Halloween! Jack LOVES to dress up & to go trick-or-treating! Jack was Iron Man & Luke was a penguin. Jack picked out Luke's costume since he is a big fan of The Penguins of Madagascar! We have so much fun on Halloween in our neighborhood every year. Luke went to a few doors, but he mostly stayed in his wagon, which he loved!

Luke's 1st ER Visit

2010-01-31T17:50:00.006-06:00

We had our first trip to the ER with Luke on October 2nd. He had a freak accident with a chair at daycare & he nearly cut the tip of his little finger off. He rode in the paramedics truck to the ER where I was waiting on him. The paramedic said he slept the whole way down! I couldn't believe it! After about 10-12 stitches, a temporary cast & a 6-hour ER visit, we got to go home. (They took him immediately when he got to the ER, but we had to wait 6 hours since his last snack, meal, etc. before they could sedate him for the stitches.) A few days later, we saw a hand-specialist (Dr. Oakes) and she told us that his finger looked like it would heal very well. They put a new hard cast on him, all the way up to his shoulder! He had the first one for 2 weeks & then another one on for 2 more. He had a red one first, Bret picked that out. The 2nd one was orange, for Halloween!

Luke was so amazing duirng all of this. The cast did not slow him down at all. In fact, he started taking his first steps with the cast! Our biggest challenge was bathing him. We could not get the cast wet, so it took both of us to bathe him. He loved being back in the kitchen sick for his baths! I think he like both Mommy & Daddy giving him his bath, too! He earned the nickname, "Bob the Builder" at daycare. It didn't take him long to figure out he could hit things with his cast & make loud noises, like chairs, the cabinet doors, walls, etc. Luckily, he did not hit anyone with it!

We are so pleased at how his finger has healed. It looks so good! The ER doctor did an amazing job with the stitches & putting his finger tip back on. You can hardly tell now (3 months later) than anything had happened, Praise God!

Catch Up Soon!

2010-01-29T13:21:00.004-06:00

So much has been going on lately & I haven't updated in a while. I promise updates very soon! Here's a sneak as to our latest happenings...

Mummy Jack!

2009-10-30T09:26:00.005-05:00

I just had to take pictures of Jack last week when he had his EEG since he looks like a mummy! He loves going to see Mrs. Sheila, he even took her a surprise, a Halloween card with his & Luke's picture! As much as we love Mrs. Sheila, we hope we won't have to see her again! Jack had another clear EEG, so Dr. Mathisen & I decided to wean him off of the seizure medicine! Yea! It's been 3 years since he had a seizure and he has never had one while on medication. If Jack continues to do well, we don't have to go back to see Dr. Mathisen or Mrs. Sheila again! That's good, but they are both so sweet that I kind of hate that we may not see them again. But, I would much rather Jack be seizure free, and so would they!

Jack's First Day of School!

2009-10-26T16:41:00.003-05:00

I just can't believe how much Jack has grown! He's such a big boy! I love you Jack!

Luke's 6-Month Pics

2009-10-26T16:33:00.003-05:00

Ok - I know he's way past 6 months now. Actully the countdown has begun to his first birthday, only 30 days until he's 1! But, I had to post some of these pictures that Amy took. They are just beautiful!

Summer Fun 2009

2009-10-20T19:30:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I posted so I'm going to do a summer catch-up post. We did a lot this summer! Jack went to the daycare & did so much stuff! They went swimming twice a week, to the movies every week and on a field trip each week. He got to go to the zoo, the McWane Center, a Barons game, bowling, to Noccalula Falls, skating, and a few other places that I know I'm forgetting. He learned how to swim and how to ride his scooter this summer! He is just growing so fast!

Luke had some achievements this summer too! He stated crawling and he got his first 2 teeth! He is growing too fast too! I love every stage, but there are times I wish I could stop time. He is so precious! Jack is so sweet & loving with Luke. He's the best big brother!

Here are some pictures from all of our fun from the summer!

Faith Baby

2009-06-17T16:21:00.000-05:00

I just love Luke's new onesie! Check out http://www.faithbaby.com/ to see the different items they have. They make great gifts!

Last Day of School!

2009-06-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Jack's first year of "BIG" school is over! He loved Kindergarten so much! At first, it was all about riding on the bus. He had been waiting to do that for years! Ms. Lisa, our bus driver, was so awesome! We hope she will be the bus driver next year, too! But, Jack found out very soon that he really loved school. His teacher, Mrs. LaMonte was so wonderful! Jack learned to read, write, to add & subtract, and so many other things! It was so much fun to watch him this year. We sure will miss her next year when Jack goes to 1st Grade! Wow! I can't believe that!

Beach!

2009-06-13T19:38:00.000-05:00

We went to the beach the week of Mother's Day. Luke loved putting his toes in the sand! He wasn't sure about the pool, but he was just happy to watch Jack & Daddy in the pool! Our trip was great except that Jack had strep & we had our first ER visit away from home. He did get better after a couple of days, so he had 1 great day of beach, pool & go-karts!

6 Months Old!

2009-05-24T21:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my baby Luke is 6 months old today! We never thought we could have another sweet baby, but we are so thankful that God had other plans! Luke is sitting up, trying his best to crawl, and he started saying "dada" & "hey" just this weekend! Of course, that made Bret very happy! Our family is now complete now that we have Luke. Jack just loves Luke so much! I know I'm very partial, but I do think that Jack is probably the best big brother in the world! I am so excited about what's to come with both of our sweet boys! Every month on the 24th, I take Luke's picture with his toy George. See how much he's grown since his 1 month picture?

Happy 1/2 birthday Luke! We all love you so much!!

Survivors

2009-04-19T19:42:00.000-05:00

Jack's school is participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. They asked the children to ask for donations & to send in pictures of family & friends that they would like to honor on their picture collage wall. It made me think about how cancer affects so many people, just in our family. In these pictures are me, my mom, my grandmother, Bret's mom, and Chloe. All of us (yes, even Chloe) are cancer survivors. We wanted Jack in the pictures, too! My grandmother & I are thyroid cancer survivors (I am actually a two-time survivor), my mom is a lymphoma survivor, and Bret's mom is a breast cancer survivor. My grandmother had thyroid cancer almost 40 years ago. My mom & I found out the same day that we both had cancer, just different cancers, in 2003. Bret's mom found out almost exactly a year later after Mom & I were diagnosed. Chloe just had a cancerous tumor removed this past February. So, in my family, there are 3 generations of cancer survivors. I think that's pretty cool! Not cool that we all had cancer, but very cool that we all survived! Very cool that Bret's mom survived too! Not cool that Bret's sister, Lisa was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She just had surgery & is about to start her treatments. Since we all have had 100% success beating our cancers, I know that Lisa will too! Just stop & think about how many people that you know of that are survivors, or currently going through treatment. Hopefully in my lifetime, a cure for cancer will be found so our children will never have to fight it!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:17:00.000-05:00

We had a great Easter. The boys had so much fun!

Yam It Up!

2009-04-03T11:52:00.000-05:00

Jack's school had a yam decorating contest. Jack made his yam into Perry the Platapus (from Phineas & Ferb). It turned out so cute & he was so proud of it! Bret & I were just happy it made it to school in one piece!

Luke's 3-Month Pics

2009-03-26T19:37:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few of Luke's 3-month pictures. Amy Steenwyk took them & they turned out soooo good! I'm happy to pass Amy's info. on if anyone is interested!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T13:01:00.000-05:00

I didn't have time this morning to take Jack's picture in his new green & white shirt, so I will do that when we get home. I took this one of Luke over the weekend. Our friends, Lillian & Emil gave Luke this bib & I think it is too cute!

Snow!!

2009-03-01T18:36:00.000-06:00

We couldn't believe how much it snowed today! Jack couldn't wait to get outside to make snowballs & a snowman! Molly Kate, our neighbor, and Jack played in the snow last year, so he wanted to play with her today. All of our neighbors were outside, too so everyone had a great time! Luke really didn't know what to think. He did enjoy watching all the kids playing. Chloe loves to play in the snow, too!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T09:29:00.000-06:00

Aren't my two "heartbreakers" cute? I just had to get these pj's for them so they could match! We hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day!

Twins??

2009-02-10T16:25:00.001-06:00

Do we have twins or what? I can't believe how much Jack & Luke look alike! They even have the same hair line! It' going to be fun watching Luke grow up to see if he keeps looking like his big brother!

100th Day of School

2009-01-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

Today is the 100th day of school. Jack's class did all kinds of things to celebrate. One cute thing they did was to dress up like they were 100! Jack says he would rather dress up like dad! He looked so cute!

First Lost Tooth!

2009-01-27T19:32:00.000-06:00

Jack lost his first tooth! Last night (1/26) while Jack & Daddy were brushing teeth, Jack's first tooth came out! We were all so excited! Jack was so wound up! He put his tooth under his pillow before bed. When he woke up this morning, the first thing he did was look under his pillow! The Tooth Fairy left him $2.00! He couldn't wait to go to the bus & to school to show everyone that he lost his tooth! Wow! He is just growing up too fast!

Pump It Up Birthday Party

2009-01-27T19:25:00.000-06:00

We had Jack's birthday party at Pump It Up on Sunday, January 25th. He had so much fun! Bret got a great shot of me & Jack coming down the slide! We had a Transformers cake that turned out really cool! Jack really enjoyed all of his family & friends playing with him!

Jack is 6!

2009-01-27T19:23:00.001-06:00

January 16, 2009 - Jack turns 6! I can't believe he is so big! We started his day off by giving him a Transformers hoodie so that he could wear it to school. He was so excited! While he was at school, we (me, Luke & Chloe!) made him a birthday cake!
HAPPY BIRTDAY MY SPECIAL LITTLE BOY!

Mr. Smiley!

2009-01-26T11:57:00.000-06:00

Luke smiles all the time! It's hard to catch a picture of him smiling, but I thought this was a good one! I took him for his 1 month check up on 12/30/08. He weighed 9 pounds, 3 ounces & was 22 & 1/2 inches long! I can't believe he has grown that much!

Jack had so much fun being out of school for Christmas break. He really got to enjoy his new toys! I really enjoyed all of us spending time together. Bret took vacation the week of Christmas & most of the next week. I really hate that Jack has to go back to school soon & that I will have to go back to work soon & leave both of my boys! I keep thinking maybe we will hit the lottery! Hey - someone has to win, right?

Christmas 2008

2009-01-26T11:47:00.000-06:00

Christmas was so much fun this year! Jack just gets so excited about the tree, decorations, Santa, etc. Since Luke is only a month old, his first Christmas wasn't all that exciting for him, but it was for us! Jack wanted a Tooty-Tooty Turbo Train from Santa so here is a picture of him with his new train!

We had Christmas with the Turner family at Rob & Patti's house. The kids had so much fun! Santa rides through their neighborhood on a fire truck & gives out candy. I'll post pictures when I get them from Rob! (It was cold that night, & I forgot to take my camera outside!)

On Christmas day, Granny, Grandmother, Grammy & Papa came over & ate lunch with us. Jack played with all of his new toys so much! He was worn out that night!

Baby Luke!

2009-01-26T11:40:00.000-06:00

Luke Ryne Gowder was born on November 24, 2008 at 2:04 pm. He weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces & was 21 inches long. Jack loves his new baby brother! We are truly blessed to have these 2 precious boys!

Waiting on baby Gowder!

2008-11-21T07:46:00.000-06:00

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby boy Gowder! He will be here on Monday, Nov. 24th for sure, if not this weekend! Jack is so excited about being a big brother!