6 Months- A Half A Year...

Wow, I can't believe that Lauren is 6 months old as of Sunday! A half of a year sounds even older! She has officially outgrown that "infant" feeling and is pretty sturdy. She loves James and when he talks to her she usually just laughs. She goes after everything and can move pretty easily, so that is opening a whole new set of "rules." She goes after the books James is reading and toys he has. I have to just laugh at the look on James' face. He's like, "Um, excuse me!" We will be starting baby food in the next couple of days, so I'm sure I will have some pictures to share of that! She props herself up on her knees which is quite scary to me. I am not really interested in having her crawling anytime soon! I think she will just so she can follow me around! :)
Her big issue is she is still entirely too attached to me. And until you've been around us to experience first hand what this "attachment" is like, you can't imagine! I need to talk to the doctor to come up with a possible solution. It's pretty bad. I can't set her down which means I have difficulty getting things done around the house and when I do put her down she screams, and screams, and screams louder. She doesn't go to other people normally, not even Luke. I'm afraid I have a spoiled child, but not sure how to break her of it.
And she hates the car more now than ever, so I have to decide how badly I need to get out of the house because I know I am going to endure an entire car ride of high-pitched shrills. I am going to have to get a pair of ear plugs for myself soon. I mean, you would think she was being tortured!!! People are always looking at me in the parking lot. I'm sure they think I'm hurting her. Anyway, we do truly love our little Lou-Lou, but are ready for her to spread her wings so to speak and get used to other people. We are looking forward to the next several months when we can enjoy her even more. Luke always says, "I know she'll be sweet...someday."

A Boy's Dream...

We told him to hold on tight. He obeyed... :)

Ok, so one of the great things about having a family full of boys is all of the BOY TOYS!!!! We celebrated Taten and Mason's birthdays over the weekend and boy did they all have fun! Mason has a 4 wheeler and Uncle Andy took everyone for a ride. James loves 4 wheelers so Andy just gained a new best friend! He loved it and of course he loved wearing a helmet too! My mom was a nervous wreck, but the boys sure had a great time!

If You Plant It, It Will Grow

I had to remind him that you can't pull the plants up by the tops!

James has always enjoyed getting dirty and doing things right along with Luke and I so we knew he would really enjoy time for planting. He tried helping us last summer, but often times did more damage than help. :) He helped me plant my flowers will his own little tools. I would dig the holes and he would drop the flowers in. He LOVED it! We are working on the watering part. He wants to "drown" one plant. He doesn't quite get the fact that all of the plants and flowers need water, not just one. He enjoyed planting the garden too. He did a better job at dropping the plants into the holes than dropping the seeds. He wanted to just toss those. I also had to watch them because he wanted to eat them. I was trying to explain to him that you can't eat them until they grow into beans. They look pretty similar to jelly beans, so I guess I can understand the confusion! :) So now we water, weed, and wait for them to grow...

Another Year...

Happy Birthday

Well, I turned the big 2-8 today! Someone mentioned to me that I should start using anti-aging cream religiously on my skin. That's when I realized-I need to get a grip on the fact that I am getting older... :)

First of all, this was one of the best birthdays I have had during my adult years. My girlfriends had a birthday lunch for me today and our kids played together all morning. It was lots of fun! I love my girls and feel so blessed to have them in my life! Then, my parents came over to watch the kids so Luke and I could go out for good, Mexican food. Then, we went and picked out my flowers to plant in my pots! Hooray!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! Oh, and all my brothers and sisters called to wish me a Happy Birthday. I just think that is so special!

I got to thinking today about what I was doing a year ago at this time and lots of things have changed. Luke and I have had another great year and marriage and I love, appreciate, respect, and adore him more than I did a year ago. James has just flourished into an amazing, lovable, sweet little boy and we are really starting to see his personality and independence shine! Lauren blessed us with her birth and taught us quite a bit about the luxury of sleep and quiet and the TRUE definition of patience and sanity! :) We switched churches and love it and have made several new friends. Many other things have impacted the last year of my life, but these are just a few of the highlights. I really couldn't ask for anything more than what I have right now. An amazing husband, two incredible children, great friends, a wonderful church, and a family I wouldn't trade for anything!!!! I really am blessed! If you are reading this, you have had and impact in my life and I thank you for it!

Nothing Runs Like A Deere

James and his cousin Mason

The hat that started the frenzy!

Ok, this entire day revolved around this John Deere trucker hat of Luke's or as James calls it, "The John Hat." He found it in Luke's hat stash downstairs and has enjoyed wearing it and of course we think it's adorable! He made the connection in there somehow to Mason and remembered that Mason LOVES John Deere. So all day he wanted to go to Mason's house so he could show him his "John" hat. So we made a trip to see him and it got better when he got to take a ride on Mason's John tractor! James really enjoys Mason and it's fun to see them playing together. I'm sure they will go on many more motorized vehicle rides together in years to come...

Is It Really Time Already???

Wow, I can't believe Lauren is old enough to hold herself up and enjoy the exersaucer. We probably could have brought it out sooner, but didn't really think about it! She loves it! She has always enjoyed sitting upright so she can see what's going on, so this is just perfect for her! And when she comes out, James hops in! Funny how that works... We brought it out in the garage on Saturday as we were having our garage sale to free up our hands and immediately she liked it! That's a plus for us, although our house has officially been taken over by "kid" things. It's crazy, but I wouldn't change a thing...

Mother-Daughter Breakfast

Grandma loves her Lauren!

All of us girls, my sisters and sister-in-law, took my mom out for breakfast to celebrate Mother's Day. We had such a nice time just being together and with just the babies instead of the usual wild boys :) The older I get and now that I am a mom myself, I am so grateful to have the mother I have. She's the best and we try and tell her that many times other than on Mother's Day! WE LOVE YOU MOM!

A Day in Paradise (for James anyway)

This lion had the largest, fluffiest mane I had ever seen!

All James could talk about leading up to this trip was the tiger. In fact, he woke up at 3:30 that morning thinking it was time to see the tiger. :/ for me...

He especially loved the animals he could pet. He loved this pony and the reindeer and goats. He even tried chasing the deer. He's fast, but not that fast. :)

Lauren went along with us. It was very cold, but she enjoyed herself. You wouldn't know it by this picture...Look at that red, little nose!

James' school took a field trip to a Wildlife center on Friday and he was in Paradise! It was a very cold morning, but he of course didn't mind. You all know how much James loves animals! He was so looking forward to this trip. He loved feeding the goats and even kissed one of them-ON THE MOUTH!!! They say their mouths are clean, but I was a little grossed out!!! There were several exotic animals which he loved, but he did have a difficult time understanding he COULDN'T climb in the cages with the tiger, lion, buffalo, and black bears. And on many of the fences there was a small opening which he tried to squeeze through. Oh, that was a long 2 hours!! They had many of his favorites too like a sheepdog, bobcat, baby cub, and many more. He really enjoyed himself and I enjoyed watching him have a "passion" for things at this young age. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun!

Top Ten...

Happy Mother's Day

My Top Ten Best Things About Being A Mom:

10. Being able to still be in the clothes you slept in at 11:00 a.m. (or 3:00 p.m.) as long as your kids are dressed and looking good
9. Reading the same books over and over...and over again and still reading them because you know they love 'em
8. Having James crawl into bed with me at 7:30 (or sooner :/) and snuggle until I'm ready to start the day.
7. Going to the store and leaving with everything EXCEPT for the 2 things I went there for (but usually having fun)
8. The way my feet now act as another set of hands and my ability to multitask has gone through the roof.
7. Learning to appreciate the times you get to sit down and eat a meal uninterrupted.
6. Looking at James at the end of the day and knowing the dirtier he is, chances are the more fun we had that day.
5. The way Lauren's whips her head around at the sound of my voice and immediately begins smiling (or crying...)
4. Being able to lay my head on the pillow at night and recap the day's events... good and bad...I shared it with them.
3. Knowing that even on the bad days, tomorrow will be a new and fresh one.
2. Having everything else that seemed so important before become nothing more than an afterthought.
1. The joy and pride I have in these two lives that I am blessed to be raising. Words can't even describe how full my life truly is...for I never could have imagined motherhood would be so amazing.

Because of You...

Mother's Day meant a great deal to me this year... it always has and has taken on a new meaning since I had children, but I found myself so grateful for not only my own mother, but my mother-in-law. So much of what Luke and I are trying to instill in our own children and the life we are trying to create for them and what we are teaching them is because of the way we were taught and the examples that were set by our mothers. I am so grateful for the way my mother-in-law raised Luke and the values she taught him. Because of her (and my father-in-law) we are seeing the impact on our own family. I hope someday my children rise up and call me,"Blessed."

Heaven...

He got to wear his first helmet!

Well, not exactly...the weather was just dreadful on Mother's Day, but that sure didn't stop James (or Grandpa) from enjoying the outdoors and the toys that went along with it. James was simply in heaven. He was with Grandma and Grandpa, they let him traipse around outside in the mud, took him for rides on the mower and he found a helmet!!! A real helmet! James loves motorcycles and helmets and often times asks to wear them, but we never know the people he is asking... :) Gotta love the heart of a child. Many of his dreams came true yesterday and I got to sit back and enjoy every minute. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ME!!! There isn't much better than watching your child enjoy and love his grandparents and watch that love reciprocated.