7 months

Warning:  Cuteness OVERLOAD!!

Someone is 7 months old today and he's happy about it!  I did his photoshoot today and must have picked the perfect time because he was hamming it up.

nice shot of the crazy 80s wannabe hair

Oh that cute sweet smiley Logi Bear.  How we love love love love love you.  This boy could put a smile on anyone's face!  He is officially over half way to being one and even in the last week we have noticed a big change in him.  He ...

*is talking talking talking and just yesterday added the da da da sound.
*sits up great by himself and rolls around a lot now.  He's just started that marvelous phase where they sit up and play independently but can't go anywhere yet.  Connor totally skipped this stage and I'm so happy Logan didn't!
*moves in a complete circle while on his belly.
*scoots while laying on his back and looks like he wants to attempt it on his belly soon but who knows.
*eats 3 times a day (morning cereal, 'lunch' fruit, dinner veggie with mum mums in between).  He just started the midday meal in an attempt to stretch out those naps!
*naps twice a day and sometimes I can squeeze a 3rd one.  They are still not long naps but he does scatter a few hour long ones every once in awhile so here's hoping it's getting better.
*wakes up once at night to eat.
*loves his ring stacker toy and maracas the most right now.
*chews on anything and everything but still no teeth.
*pulls on anything and everything within his reach.  I've had fistfuls of hair pulled out which is why i'm ponytailing it pretty much all the time now.
*dances.  Seriously he loves a good beat and if Zach drums on the table he immediately starts grooving.  It is so cute!

Just in case you didn't get enough already here's some more pictures of Logan :)

swimming lessons

Micah and Connor finished their first round of swimming lessons for the summer.  They took a class at the swim center again and were in the same class as Isabella, William and Silas and three other children.  Bless those teacher's hearts!!  I absolutely love this picture of the 4 boys and it cracks me up that Silas and Micah are sitting the exact same way!

Micah started off and finished excellently!  He has been so excited about the water and has been practicing holding his breath in the bathtub since swimming lessons last year.  He passed on to Level 2!!

Connor spent the entire day before lessons started bouncing off the walls because he was going to get to be in the same class as Micah.  He spent the entire first day of lessons clinging to the wall and yelling/crying at me that he wanted to get out.  Oh that fickle boy!!  By day 2 the tears were gone and by Friday he wanted to do it all 'by self'.

They are each taking one more week the first week in July and hopefully we can spend some time at friends' pools for fun and practice in between.

sometimes

Sometimes three boys and a bed full of pillows is all you need for an entertaining afternoon!

family and fiesta

We spent last Friday and Saturday in Gainesville hanging out with family and getting ready for Beka and Carpio's second wedding/renewal ceremony/fiesta.  Their first wedding was immediate family only so they had a second one so that other family and friends could celebrate as well.   Any excuse to get two wedding dresses right!?  Totally kidding, but seriously I really want to put mine on right now and sit around and watch TV Friends style.  Anyone remember that episode :)

Moving on...Friday was pretty relaxing considering what everyone was getting ready for.  The guys spent the day watching Andrew hack an entertainment center in half and then putting up the new TV they bought their parents.  The girls hung out, talked and watched children.  Micah,  Connor and Leah played non stop and it was so super cute.  They climbed a tree in the backyard for hours it seemed like and rode the big wheels down the hill.  Elodie, Elana, and Logan say up and stared at each other and jumped in an assortment of jumpy apparatuses.  I think Logan MIGHT have tried to pull Elana's hair out a few times but one can't be sure.

Saturday was a mix of playing in the pool, cooking, eating, cooking again, getting ready for the ceremony and partying it up.  I missed the majority of the ceremony because it coincided with Logan's napping and he wasn't in the best of moods during it.   I just pushed him around in his stroller until he fell asleep.  But what I saw was just as sweet and intimate as the first time around and I loved that their close friends were able to be apart of it this time. Much to the chagrin of my sis and bro in laws I did not break it down on the dance floor.  I swear they are constantly trying to get me to dance.  I mean I broke it down in high school but that was a loooooonnnnnngggggg time ago.  I did catch up with a couple of Zach's aunts and cousins and watch Micah and Connor play corn hole.

It was another whirlwind, jam packed weekend.  We are getting pretty good at those but are definitely looking forward to our next visit being lengthy and relaxing!!

summer fun list 2012

Once again we made a summer fun list for this year.  I found this year on a blog a few years ago and loved the idea of being intentional with your summer time.  Nowadays being intentional with time is a HUGE need in my life.  My life hasn't found it's new normal yet and it makes me frustrated sometimes that I'm not my usual organized self.  I feel like I say/complain about this a lot which probably means that GOD is doing his best to drive it into my head to let go of myself and my need to know and trust Him with my minute to minute.

That said, listing our fun goals for the summer has been a huge help so far when I'm sleep deprived, or overwhelmed with to do lists, out of ideas during a day, or just plain frustrated at all the craziness that we all need a diversion.  Making the list this year was the most fun yet because Micah and Connor were full of ideas.  We, as always, will veer off the list from time to time as things pop up and probably won't get to a few things due to time and travel, but when the boys are sharing I don't want to tell them no we can't add that because who knows what might happen.

The one thing I have to remember is that every summer won't be like this.  I won't always have an infant.  I won't always be planning activities around naps.  I won't always be trying to constantly figure out how to shove the five of us and all our stuff and all our desires in this house.  I won't always be trying to incorporate the needs of a baby and the needs or a big boy into every adventure.  It's a hard to remember sometimes even though I've been through it twice before.  Actually that might be why it's hard because I'm anticipating it so.  Hmmm....Ill have to think on that one ;)

It's good to know though that no matter what is going on in my head as long as I'm present for my baby boys in every activity even if it's just folding laundry and watching Newsies for the 8th day in a row that they'll have a great summer knowing their mama is there with love.

8 years

Well you were 20, I was 21

The year we got engaged On a dock on a lake with the sunset behind      We promised to be true

We got the rings and planned the day and invited all our friends

We said our vows and took the leap now 8 short years ago

We went dancing in the minefields

We went sailing in the storms

And it was harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for

Well "I do" are the two most famous last words

The beginning of the end

But to lose your life for another I've heard is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down

And I believe it's an easy price for the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields

We're sailing in the storms

And it was harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for

That's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me

When I lose loves chains, bind me

At the end of all my faith to the end of all my days

when I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of man

So there's nothing left to fear

So I'll walk with you in the shadow lands

Till the shadows disappear

'Cause He promised not to leave us

And his promises are true

So in the face of this chaos baby,

I can dance with you

So lets go dancing in the minefields

Lets go sailing in the storms

Oh, lets go dancing in the minefields

And kicking down the doors

Oh, lets go dancing in the minefields

And sailing in the storms

Oh, this is harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for

That's what the promise is for 

sunday song

                     "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

[Chorus x2]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
I'll worship Your holy name