Can't get anymore 'boy" than this...

Jacob has really been into being everything 'boy' lately. He plays hards and has a blast doing it. Last weekend he wanted to try his bike ramp again. Yes, he is on his sister's bike but it is a little smaller and he felt safer while he tried to get used to jumping again. As you can tell from the photo, he mastered it pretty quick. His laughter during it always makes everyone around him laugh too. As we head into summer I am always taken back to the summer we were preparing for his birth...adding our first child. He is more than we ever hoped for and wow, God blessed us ten fold with such an amazing son.

Baseball game with Samantha

We have a great time last night at the Dbacks game. Although my sweet daughter talked about anything and everything other than baseball. She was watching the bugs fly around the lights, the airplanes fly over the stadium and was diligently cracking her peanut shells. All she cared about was seeing a homerun, everything else was just a bonus. We enjoyed eachothers company so much...it is fun having big girl time together.

What a tropper...

Once again, seems like just when things feel calm and our routine is running smoothly something comes in an messes it all up. I had to rush Ayana to the ER yesterday late afternoon. Her bike had a front flat tire and Shane asked to to bring it from the backyard up to the garage. She managed to fall off the bike, (her helmet was on, thank goodness) and landed funny on her left arm. She was crying and as we looked at it I dismissed it at first. Then she kept crying with more intensitiy and I asked her to move her wrist and she tried only to have that lovely scream that hurts your ears come out. So loaded her up and off to the ER. She cried and cried in the car and I felt so bad for her. I was about 1 mile from the hospital when I heard what sounded like a dirt clot explode as I ran over it, I didn't think anything of it until I was exiting the freeway and had a weird vibration going on in the back left...yup, a flat tire. I assumed it was a blow out and proceeded very slowly off the freeway. As I was going slow I received many gestures (you know the birdy one) from several people behind me as the zomed around me....I didn't take it personally! Once I pulled over about a half mile from the ER I was debating if I should drive on the rim, something my hubby said to NEVER do, or walk her. God is so good and sent me a helper! A wonderful lady pulled up next to me and asked if I needed help. I said I really needed to get to the ER and she offered to take us. I called Shane, he loaded up the rest of the kids in the burb and came to the van to put on the spare. Thanks to my awesome brother in law, Shane picked him up and he drove the van to the hospital. Shane said I ran over a screwed and popped the tire. He fixed it at home and put it back on late last night...I love him!!! Poor Ayana was screaming so loud when we moved into the lady's car...I felt so bad for her. Anyway, we got right in and the doctor looked at her arm and said "Yes, it is broken." She was then able to get some much needed pain relief and she acutally was able to lay in the bed calmly. She only whimpered when they moved her arm for the xrays. After a few hours the doctor came back in and was shocked to tell me it was not broken. He doesn't know how...he swears it had the 'look' of a broken arm. So praising God at this moment! He did say it is a pretty bad sprain and that it could take up to 6wks for her to feel normal again. He also said there is still the possiblilty she has fractured her growth plate in her wrist but we won't be able to determine that until it is re-xrayed later this week if needed. Ayana is still in a lot of pain today so we are taking it easy...watching Nick jr, movies and laying around in our pj's. She is such a trooper and a tough kiddo which is how I knew something was wrong because she falls all the time and never cries the way she did last night. She didn't sleep well last night so hopefully with some rest she will feel better this afternoon. Here she is on the couch this morning...smiling as always, nothing can take that smile away!

Daddy Love

People always say "Daddy's Little Girl" or "Mommy's Little Boy" but in our family it was never that way...until now! Leeah is in love with her Daddy. SHe asks for him all the time. When I go to get her in the mornings it's "da da da?". When we went to lunch with him yesterday and dropped him back at work it was "Daddd-da?" as we drove away. When he is in the kitchen making weekend breakfast treats she is under his feet watching his every move. The really funny thing is these two didn't have a great relationship at first. Shane was not a fan of her crying and neediness as an infant and she prefered me during those times. But recently these two have really begun to bound and let me tell you it is emotional to watch. Shane has a tenderness with her I have never seen and it makes me fall in love with him even more. They played and snuggled on the couch last night...how could I not take a few picture to remember these precious moments.

He always gives me crazy faces when I pull out the camera...I just deal with it!

Flying Lessons

Out at the model airplane air field in East Mesa Jacob got his first flying lessons. He and Shane are part of the club out there and a very nice man named Rick, who also helped Shane learn to fly, gives lessons. Jacob has a yellow slow stick plane but was too nervous to fly it so Rick allowed him to fly a red one instead. Jacob instantly fell in love with flying...like father, like son. It can be so hard sometimes to see our son growing up, but there is tremendou joy in it too. He is becoming more and more confident in all areas of his life which is such an encouragement. Below are a few pictures Shane took from this first lesson.

Letting go and moving on

The time has come...with a baby that is beginning to walk it is time to transition from the bottle to a sippy cup. It is really hard to believe that a year ago at this time I was washing newborn blankets and onesies in preparation for the 'possibility' of a baby coming. Here we are and she is 3 weeks from being 1! CRAZY! Anyway, I have once again bought multiple sippy cups as we figure out what she likes and will not be frustrated by. So far so good...can't wait to see what is in store for us next!

Because my parents think I am cool

First Steps

Leeah took her first steps tonight!!! She was so proud of herself she started clapping. Looks like we are moving right along into the next stage...actually on a certain level it will be nice when she gets really good at walking, I love holding hands and walking with my kiddos. CONGRATULATIONS on this milestone sweetheart!!! We love you!

Happy 11 month birthday precious babe! What a light she is...walking is sooooo close. If she believed she could I think she would take off. She will not eat baby food because she is a big girl and wants to feed herself only. She can say "mama", "dada", "uh-oh", "bye, bye" and "ha" which is her way of saying hi. She snuggles and snuggles and sings her own tunes in the car daily. God is faithful to bless when we are faithful to walk His path.

Easter 2010

This is the day...

...that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Thank you Lord, for your incredible sacrifice for those whom you love. We are humbled and stand in awe at your risen son. You have indeed conquered the grave so that we may have an relationship with you. Praise be the name of the One who gave all He had...His whole life. Amen

Delicious!!

So yummy, I could just eat her up!!! Those eyes...yikes...she is gonna break some hearts!