love these...

5

this sweet baby boy had his birthday today. he had been counting down for quite some time and was very excited to open lots of legos! thankfully, we had mawmaw & pawpaw's pool to celebrate at because it was H-O-T!!!


i'll update this post after his 5 year checkup with some stats :)

a year's difference

15 months

this little diva is finally walking everywhere with her 23 lb self! we knew she could do it, but seemed very content just crawling everywhere...not so now. she kind of waddles which makes it even cuter. i know soon enough, she'll be running after her brothers (and the dog!). she's starting to have baby conversations in a language only she can comprehend, but they are very serious talks. in fact, one morning she brought jerry her hair brush, babbled to him with all kinds of inflection, handed him the brush and then sat on his lap for him to brush her hair. she knew exactly what she wanted and was gonna get it whether he understood her or not! she's got quite the personality and is just a fun, happy baby. very laid back still, but also can be dramatic if necessary. she still eats everything and took to whole milk with no problems at all. she's definitely a little beggar when she sees anyone with food. frequently she'll just walk up with her mouth wide open saying "ahhh" in order to get a bite of whatever you have. it's precious and always results in sharing. she loves to swim and doesn't hesitate to stick her face right in the water. not to mention she looks adorable in her tankini! she also loves to ride in her little pink buggy. i think she would let anyone push her around anywhere for hours. i made many laps around the baseball diamond this spring while her brothers played, that's for sure. her obsession with the trashcan has landed us a $40 LOCKED trashcan! well, worth it though, for sure!
other loves...balls!!
ketchup
the dishwasher (and peanut butter...seen here as she finds leftovers!)
her hand & "nee nee"

climbing
and of course, all of the men in her life :)

step of faith

within the last 6 months, God has been working in our hearts in a very big way. one of those being my husband's desire to pursue a lifelong dream of being in the army. although he turned 40 this year, he didn't let that keep him from following the path he felt very much led toward. after much patience and a lot of hard work, he was selected as a first lieutenant in the US army reserve nurse corp. we were able to witness his commission with the support of our family in our home. it was an honor and i look forward to the opportunities God has in store for us as we join with him on this journey.

lucky kids...

who have the best dad ever!!

cindy lou who?!