My baby is one....

Well, he's growing up. The older he gets the more fun he is. Here are some pictures from his birthday party! Thank you everyone for his gifts. He loves them!

Enjoying the Sun

2 lines on the pregnancy stick!!!!!

There is nothing like those few moments before you take a pregnancy test and you know that in the next '3-5 minutes' your life could totally change. That in 9 months you could have another person living in your house for the next 18 years, another box of diapers each month, 2 car seats (will they fit in my car?), sleepless nights again, and that you could be bringing into the world someone's wife or husband one day. Mike and I talked about waiting until this weekend to take the test but I got antsy, big surprise, and took it Thursday afternoon while he was at work. I read those directions so carefully because I wanted to make sure that I knew how many lines I was looking for. Once I felt confident I would remember that I was looking for 2 lines, I took the test. I didn't have to wait 3-5 minutes. In about 2 seconds I saw one line (means the test is working) and then I wait a second (I think I could have burned that stick with my eyes I was staring at it so hard) and then I saw a second pink line!!!! 'Oh my gosh' is all I could say about a hundred times as I walked all over our bedroom. So this is the fun part (other than having a baby). I put the pregnancy test in a gift box, slapped a bow on top, and gave it to Mike when he came home.

It doesn't seem real to me but I am so so thankful that God would bless us with another little James baby. I can't wait to see what this next one will be like in looks, temperament, and personality. Will he or she be like Nathan or completely different? These next 9 months will be fun chasing around my little 11 month old with a big belly! I don't think they'll be much chasing going on.

Independence Day

I think we forget about what the 4th symbolizes. At least I know I barely think about the independence of our country. Probably because I don't know anything different than freedom. Mike and I finished watching the John Adams HBO series recently and that stuck in my mind this 4th. To think about just how hard many heroic men worked to give us what we have today.

What I usually think of on the 4th is grilling with friends, fireworks, family, etc. And well, that is what we did this year and had a great time! Angie's fiancee was in town and we got to meet him. I'm glad that we liked him and 'approved.' Here are a few pictures to describe our time together.

Mike's Birthday!

Well, my hubby turned 30! We had a week long celebration. Thanks to Jason and Ashley, he played with their wii all week. Then on his birthday which was Thursday, we had a special dinner. Friday, we went out. Thank you Angela for babysitting! Then on Saturday we had a surprise party for him. Thankfully, it was actually a surprise! It was a 70's theme. We had such a good time!

I am so thankful for my sweetheart! He loves his family, is tender and caring to me, helps out with Nathan, and I could go on and on. Most importantly though, he loves God and follows Him daily. I couldn't be more proud and happy to be his wife! Happy Birthday!


Here is a song that Alex and Stephen wrote in honor of him.

Enjoying the little moments

Ok, I know every mom thinks their kid is smart and enjoys their child's personality so I guess that makes me the norm because I do think Nathan is smart and I love his spunky personality. Recently we are starting to laugh at the same things which is so much fun. I know this may sound a little gross but lately when Nathan toots, I have made a big deal out of it and also when he seems to be doing something else in his diaper- purely for potty training reasons. So today when he tooted, he looked at me and smiled and we both started laughing. As I write I can see that this is not proving that my little boy is necessarily smart, at all. But he is such a problem solver which he gets from his father. If the toy can't be reached, he will find a way and move every possible direction until he gets it. And he doesn't forget. If I move him away to play with something else, sure enough, he goes back after he thinks I've forgotten about it. The other day we were on the porch and he wanted to crawl around until we put him down and his knees were on the pavement. Of course, he found a way to move around with minimal pain- on all fours.

Anyways, today was a good day. Several times, I looked at my son with the biggest grin in my heart and probably on my face as well. It was like everything in the world was perfect and my heart was filled with so much love and affection towards him. I love watching him crawl after the ball he just threw, or push the clothes bin all around the house, or try so hard to take a few steps to reach me. Mike always says that life is in the little moments. Today, life was good in these small moments.

A Vacation - TFJ!

Isn't it so good and refreshing to go on vacation, especially when it is with some of your dearest friends. We had another great trip with everyone. This year Steph and Jon came as well! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends who care for my family and who show a genuine interest in our lives. Not to mention we all have a lot of fun together. Whether it be playing cards (although I didn't enjoy losing), eating a delicious meal prepared by Vicki, walking along the beach with my sweetheart, or praying for each other, I must say that I am truly a blessed girl. What a fun time we had! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip.

Do you love me?

How can you not love this little boy? He is the cutest thing in the world.

Another visit from the Grandparents

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Well, it sure has been busy around here. It has been so nice to have family stay with us and I know Nathan just loved every minute of it. It is amazing how babies thrive off of schedules and daily routines. Nathan absolutely loved the time he had with Mom and Ed. He was the center of attention! Nathan got sick after Mom and Ed left and so we babied him, buut now things are back to normal. Which means it is a quiet house with only mom here to play with. He doesn't get all the attention he has been used to. So it has been a bit challenging for him and I but he is such a precious boy and will hopefully adapt quickly.

He has just started to clap in the last few days and he still waves at everything and everybody. What a little blessing he is!

A visit from Grandma

We had such a nice time with Grandma Whitney here! I miss you mom. The trip went so fast. On Friday, we went to the beach and mom got to see her first cruise ship. Hopefully one day we will be able to go on it! Nathan was really good at the beach; he had so much to look at. He kept taking of his little green hat that reminds me of grandpa Howard. The rest of the weekend was spent with Jon and Steph. It makes me look forward to when mom, dad, and hopefully John move down here. Love you mom!

Pool Time

I went to the pool a few weeks ago with a friend of mine and we just dipped our feet in. Nathan must have thought it was too cold because he cried when I stuck his feet in. Last weekend, we went to a neighbors house and Mike took him in. Again, he cried at first but then got used to it. He was never really enjoying himself by smiling, laughing, and wanting to go all the way in, but give him time and he will love it. I have more pictures posted on flicker.

Too Tired

Nathan was too tired to play. We are putting him on a new schedule starting this morning and I guess it had worn him out. I noticed he was playing quietly on the porch and when I checked on him, his head was tilted to the side. I didn't think much of it. Sometimes he does that when he is looking up at the sky or looking for birds. But I noticed he wasn't moving. And yes, my little baby had fallen asleep, poor guy. So I picked him up and put him in his crib. I love these sweet moments.

Growing Up

I just can't believe my little one is getting so big. This was Nathan Sunday evening playing before going to bed. He looks tired, huh? He is such a sweet boy with a fun personality. I am enjoying being him mommy so very much. I can't wait to watch this little guy continue to grow up.