Father's Day

What a blessing it is to have a wonderful father. I know this from experience. That's why I am so thankful that Ryan and Evan will be able to say the same about their daddy.
My husband is a quiet man, but he's strong. He is loyal and loving; devout and kind. He's pretty funny too.

He's tender and kind.

He's not at all squeamish. There is no parental duty that he won't or can't do.

He's present and hands-on. His sons adore him. They seek him out and want to be in his space, on his lap, as close to him as can be. Evan even tries to climb in the pulpit to get to him. He actually made it. Twice.

He loves his family. My sons will grow up knowing how to treat women with love and respect. They'll know how to open doors and pull out chairs. They'll learn the importance of being trustworthy. They'll be able to say that they heard the words "I love you" from their father.

He treats his sons with kindness and love, yet he can be firm and stern. His tone of voice can make Ryan and Evan stop dead in their tracks. He knows that part of loving them means correcting them, teaching them, and holding them accountable. Our little brown boys will one day become black men. Strong ones. Responsible ones. Hard working ones. There is no doubt in my mind that my two little boys will be ushered into manhood properly.

Happy Father's Day, Baby. I speak for Ryan and Evan when I say that we love and appreciate you more than words can say. Thank you for all that you do for us.

Dancey Dance!

Many thanks to my sister for teaching the kids how to do a dancey dance. Check out Ryan acting all shy and then breaking loose! Evan was in charge of crowd control at the end of the video~ Love those two, man!

Party Pics

Couldn't have done it without my love!

Evan didn't care that this one was supposed to be for the bigger kids

Ryan loves to slide too

DJ Lance and Mommy

Rafael playing with the balls. BTW, Pin the Eye on Muno was so much fun!

Evan followed Anthony around everywhere he went before the party started

I think she likes it!

She does too!

Bounceys are always a hit

Huey the Helicopter was for the smaller kiddos

Still waiting on that phone call... :)

Sweet Treats

YGG, cont.~The Guests

What really made Ryan and Evan's birthday party so special were the people who came out to celebrate with our sweet boys. See, that's what this was all really about.
DJ Lance Rock was in the house! Anthony is like a son to Daddy P and me. We were so happy to have him there with us. He was such a huge help and a great sport!

This was Evan's first time seeing Anthony in the full costume; I wonder what he was thinking. Priceless!

My girl Alma and her sweet boys were with us. Rafael and Joseph are former 24 weekers who were in the hospital with R & E. Alma and I hit it off right away and vowed that when our children got out of that hospital they would play together like brothers. Guess what? God made it happen.

Here's sweet Joseph. He recently celebrated his 2nd birthday too.

Church mama Laverne was with us. She came in, carved those watermelons and got straight on Ryan and Evan duty. I could go around and do what I needed 'cause I knew Laverne was there.

Church mama Ina was on board too. Glenn is R & E's best pal from church.

Before the party started Anthony was a do-whatever-you-need kinda guy. He can move tables and read Llama Llama Red Pajama to Evan and Ryan!

Nanny Jackie even came to the party! She may not take care of the boys anymore, but we still keep in touch and she loves these boys!

The mamas were in full effect making sure the kiddos got their food and settled down long enough to eat.

I met Laverne during our final visit back to the NICU last year. Her sweet boy Zion had just been born at 24 weeks and this mama was scared. She needed to see that her boy could survive and overcome prematurity. Look at him 17 months later. Laverne and I still keep in touch and she is such a darling. You cannot tell us that God ain't good.

Rafaelito! This one is going to be a heart breaker for sure!

My grandma even came, and so did Cousin Betty and Fallon, my sister. This day would have not been the same without them.

Thank you to all of our guests who came out to celebrate Ryan and Evan's 2nd birthday. You are the reason why this was such a fantastic party!

YGG, continued ~ All about the Peas

What were the real stars of the show up to during the party?

Waiting to greet their guests

Hanging out with Mommy (and waiting on a phone call I assume!)

This picture cracks me up, because Ryan refused to wear his hat at first and Evan was trying to make him put it on! As usual Evan managed to get his way!

Ready to party!

You put the hat on, Mommy!

Evan enjoyed all the attention and had no problem posing for the cameras!

YGG Party, cont.

Foofa-she's pink and happy

DJ Lance Rock was in the house along with his boombox, another DIY project.

Muno- he's tall and friendly





Toodee-she likes to have fun






Plex and Brobee

The "Gabba Grub" consisted of bar-b-que chicken, ribs, hot dogs, baked beans, pasta salad, and potato salad.

Muno's favorite drink, Dazzle Berrry Lemonade

More decor

Brobee watermelons, thanks to Laverne

Another shot of DJ Lance. The ballon artist did an amazing job on these. The Peas are still enjoying their balloons.

Gabba Land

The banner that almost wasn't when I broke the size dial on my Cricut!

But it all worked out, and I loved how it looked!