Sweet Baby Sawyer @ 9 months (so I won't forget)

Our sweet Sawyer D. is 9 months old! We love him so much.
When you hear him babbling in his crib and go in to get him, this is what you see:

He is so adorable! He peeks his little head over the bumper. He holds it down so he can get a good look at whoever's coming in. Then, when he sees the door open he starts banging his feet on the crib and shimmying back & forth. Love it!

He babbles a lot now, making dada and mama sounds and at the appropriate times no less! :)
He L.O.V.E.S. to swing. He will swing and coo as long as you will let him. He likes to be pushed pretty fast and he's also content to just sit in a still swing, watching the boys play. He loves it when I grab his feet when I'm pushing him...he laughs and laughs.
He's ticklish on his sides and under his chin. He sleeps well at night & still takes 3 good naps a day. He's super flexible and he has to be with our boys often crazy schedules.
He enjoys sitting on my lap at looking at books, especially books with babies in them. He loves water. He loves to kick his feet as hard as he can to get a splash. He gets very excited when our cat walks by and starts saying "ta, ta, ta" when he sees him.
He is an army-crawling boy. Every once in a while he'll lift up his belly like he's gonna crawl the "right" way, but then just drops it back down. He's pretty efficient at getting anywhere he wants so he seems content right now. :)
We are crazy about this sweet boy! He makes each day exciting and no matter what mood I'm in, I can't help but light up when I see him. I love you sweet-ta-tootie! Pin It

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

We want to wish you a wonderful birthday today!
We're missing you and wishing we could celebrate your day together.
We love you!

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First Day of 1st Grade!

Well, I've gone into this school year kicking and screaming. I know the structure will be good for all of us. I love Providence. I just also really, really love summer.
I am so thankful that we were so intentional about summer this year. Even though it was crazy busy with a bunch of activities, we had so much fun. We had a summer list on our wall so that we could check off all the fun things we wanted to do. And I feel satisfied that we really made the most of our days and made so many memories.
But, it's over and school is here again and I'm going to have a good attitude! :) Have I mentioned that I don't like change?
So today was the big day. My baby's first day of 1st grade.
He was so stinkin' excited he hardly slept all night. He's probably so sleepy right now!
He's getting so tall.
My big first grade boy.
I'm so glad we could all be there for his first day. I hope we can do that every year.
He. is. pumped.
He had to kiss Sawyer good-bye. :)
TROUBLE = Avery, Titus, & Sawyer all in the same class! (and sunny lifting her shirt up :)
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6 Friends, 12 suitcases, and a dream.

Our best friends are leaving today.
We are sad, but also so proud.


They are leaving to go to Malawi, Africa for 10 weeks.
They are leaving everything that is familiar.
They are leaving their family, friends, kids' school, "normal" food, hot water, television, eating out, play dates, etc.....all those things that are comfortable for an American family.
They are leaving it all behind to get on a plane & travel for 42 hours with their four kids to help 'the least of these.'
God has called them to do something big.
And we are their biggest fans.
Hop on over to their blog and read all about their journey.
And while you're at it, pray for them.
Also, buy a super awesome tee designed by Zach to help them provide for these sweet orphan babies.

*Let's ignore the fact that the print looks backward on my shirt...I was taking the picture w/ my webcam. sorry. Pin It

As heard in our car this morning

While driving past a yard with weeds that hadn't been mowed all summer (okay, I really wanted to type "in a coon's age" but don't want to sound too redneck).....

Avery: "Mama, I wish the weeds were that tall in our yard."

Me: "Why?"

Avery: "So I could make some cereal"

Me: "Baby, you can't make cereal with weeds."

Avery: (slightly exasperated) "Yeah, Mom, 'Frosted Mini Weeds?!'"

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A little DIY for your viewing pleasure.

On one of our many adventures this summer we headed to a nearby small town for their "outdoor marketplace." It was so great. They have cute little antique shops & boutique stores that open up and display their wares outside for you to walk around and look at. There were also a few farmers selling their yuminess.
Look at all this great stuff, I couldn't wait to get my hands on something!
One shop even had entire living areas set up outside. Do you see that mantle back there? Lord, help me not to covet.
My fav-o-rite shop was this cutie cute little shop called "retro." The gal that owns it has a great eye for mixing antique & modern. I so wish I had taken some pictures inside. Do you see the little girl selling lemonade? so sweet.
Anyhow, I spied this little magazine rack for $5 and grabbed it up. I had been wanting one for a while and this was in my price range!

I sprayed painted it until my spray paint ran out and then painted it a few coats of glossy white that I had left over from the builders.
Love it. Fresh and clean and I'm forcing myself to keep my magazine stack to only what neatly fits in here.
Now I desperately want to paint those shelves to go with it...but that will be a much bigger job for another day....

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Day o' Indpendence

This is our last week of summer break. I am sad. I don't love change. I love summer. I love hot weather. Looking through all the pictures from this summer is bitter sweet. I am reminded of all the fun we've had.
I realized that I forgot to post about our wonderful day we had on 4th of July.
Our dear friends, Tyler & Kelly were here visiting from Ukraine. They wanted to do lots of "American" things while they were here.
In the morning we went to a Fourth of July parade.
Very fun.
Very small town.
The kids were so excited.
(Ignore that little girl in the background who looks like she hates the world.)
They were so adorable watching for the parade to start. Tyler and Kelly have 3 kids, Hannah (avery's age/soul mate), Joshua, & Caleb.
We waved and cheered for every car, float or horse that passed. so fun!
Sawyer just mostly chewed on things.

Avery loved the band. You want to know something weird? Of course you do. The band had these random adults walking around w/ spray bottles spraying them in the back of the head & on the ankles. It wasn't that hot, it was overcast. They never knew when someone was gonna walk up behind them and spray them on the back of the neck. weird.


After the parade we went to Nick & Emily's house. They were hosting a gathering in honor of Tyler & Kelly. We had a great day of eating, playing, & catching up. Nick made beer brats---serious yum. The kids all played so hard all day.
They got special 4th of July popsicles.
That night we did fireworks.
Who doesn't love a sparkler?

The dads set off bigger fireworks in the street for the kids to watch. I'm sure the neighbors really appreciated it.
We laid the kids down in the living room for a movie so that we could play a game & have grown up talk.
Ummm, yeah, that's Avery and Hannah. They're already betrothed. They are so innocent & sweet. Melt my heart.
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Aunt Hannah

Last week my little sister, Hannah, came to visit for a few days.
We always have a fun time with her. The boys absolutely adore her.
We had fun making lemonade popsicles one day. Very sticky, but fun.

I love that sweet look on Finley's face. precious. Pin It

This picture makes me dry heave a little bit.

This is so cute and so disturbing all at the same time. I love my sweet boy who is a boy's boy.
I hate frogs.
I collected myself and tried not to freak out too much when I walked outside to see this big fat slimy thing right in my face.

I love being a boy mama. Pin It

Swim Ranch take 6

As summer is winding down, I'm trying to go back & remember all the fun things we did. This summer has been a whirlwind. Our busiest one yet. I was too busy having fun to sit down & blog much. But it seems like we had something going on every week.
Here's a run down of some of our activities:
AJ & Avery - all day canoe trip
Vacation Bible Farm - Avery
Piano awards party
Library activities & reading club
Swim at friends' pools
Basketball Camp-Avery
Cartoon Class -Avery
Many Providence Activities: Devil's Den, roller skating, picnic, pool party.....
T-Ball
Splash Park
Swim Lessons

We've taken the boys to Swim Ranch every year since Avery was one. We love it!
This was the 1st year that I had no one in Water Babies.
It was strange not getting in the water w/ someone.
Avery was in lane 2 & Finley was in Lane 1.
It was great b/c they were right next to each other so they could talk when they had a break.

Finley was really excited to get to be in a lane this year.


They both did so great! They each made some good improvements.
Avery was really excited that he passed all his flags and will get to be in Lane 3 next year.
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the shindig

The last part of our vacation was spent in Iowa w/ AJ's fam. His sister Tonya, her husband Dana, & their boys, Drew & Coen all live there.
We were excited to see their awesome, old house that they are completely renovating.
It's dreamy, right? And it has a ginormous back yard. Like, really huge.....with what we'd call in the south, a hollow (pronounced holler :).
It has awesome features like this:
and this:
They have worked so hard on their house. We're proud.
We always have a great time together.
There are 5 grandsons...3 of which were gonna take Grandpa down.

We ate lots of yummy food.
Stayed in a really fun lodge-style hotel w/ a super yummy breakfast (I heart continental breakfasts).
Went to Des Moines' Farmer's Market. Whew, that was overwhelming! It was huge and there were like a gazillion people there.

The boys got to have a special treat --"smoovies." :)
We had a fun picnic in the park and afterward AJ's mom treated us girls to pedicures. yay. :)
This just makes me smile....until I look at the bottom of the picture and see someone's nasty socks laying on the ground. Who wears socks in July?
We took a fun walk around a lake (don't ask me which one). Lots of good (sometimes heated :) conversations.
I am blessed with amazing in-laws who love me like their own.
I love you guys.
Three fist pounds to the chest. Pin It