Loving the Warm Weather!

A lot of my recent posts have been about what we have been doing....but I can't help it - there is just too much fun to be had when you have beautiful weather like this!! So enjoy a few more pictures of how we have spent the last few days....

Taking her brother for a walk

Swinging at the park
Handsome little man!
Playing with "Baby Tessa"!
A picnic with friends
I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather as much as we are!
Have a wonderful weekend and a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Summer Memories

Our neighbor recently purchased this water slide. It's huge and the children on our street had TOOO much fun on it today! It just made me sit back and think about how fun summer is when you are a child. Don't get me wrong, I love summer now too, but there is a certain quality to summer that you experience as a child you just don't have as an adult. Maybe it's the innocence of childhood...I'm not sure. I sat there and watched the children today and my mind started drifting back to all of the fun memories I have of growing up on warm summer days just like today. Watching the children laughing and sliding made me hope that when these children look back they think of days like this....days of playing, laughing, and eating lunches on beach towels. Days when your biggest worry was mom saying it was naptime and your "house" was a fort made out of sheets in the backyard. I feel blessed to have children that let me recapture, if only for a moment, that innocence that makes summer such a special time.

Swimming Lessons

Eva has started her summer swimming lessons! She loves to get in the water and was excited to find out she was in the same group as her friends Maggie and Jaxon! Her instructor is even the same instructor she had when she was in the infant classes! She is doing a fantastic job and mommy could not be more proud!

Enjoying her lessons!
Her group with their instructor!
Eva and her instructor as Eva practices kicking!

"The water is your friend. You don't have to fight with the water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move!"
--Alexsandr Popov

God's Sense of Humor

You know how people say brown is the new black? Do you ever think that age 3 is the new 2? People told me ALL the time, "Just wait until she turns 2" and age 2 was a breeze for us. I was beginning to get a bit of a big head thinking we just must be awesome parents. Oh, how God must have chuckled at us. Age 3 has by FAR been our biggest challenge as far as behavior goes. Eva will become quite stubborn because she wants something and then turn around and throw a fit because she doesn't want it. Irrationality runs rampant in our sweet little angel. I've also learned that a toddler's will is an iron one. Just this morning Eva wanted something in the supermarket. When I told her she couldn't have it she proceeded to pull down her pants AND her underwear and just stand there in the middle of the aisle. I was struck speechless (which is rare). What exactly WAS she thinking? Did she think I would say to her, "OK, now that you are naked for the entire grocery store you can have it?" I have to laugh sometimes because it's really the only thing you can do. Needless to say after we had her clothes put back on and she realized she STILL wasn't getting the item she wanted we proceeded pretty uneventfully through our grocery shopping. Please tell me the rest of you have stories like this -I am not the only one! And just so you all know...this little memory will be recorded forever in Eva's journal I keep for her so that someday when her son or daughter does something like that I can say, "Ah, yes...the 3's"

Also, I still am looking for advice on cake decorating (please read my last post) or anyone that wants a free cake - I can even deliver it!

Boys vs. Girls

I am often asked if I see a difference between raising a boy and raising a girl. The question use to bother me because I view ALL children as a gift from God, each with their own unique personalities. I didn't think it was fair to judge them by gender. I have thought a lot about my views on this topic lately and talked to a lot of people about it. I've come to the conclusion that I still believe all children have their own unique personalities, but certain traits are more common in certain genders. For example, when Eva was a baby I could sit her on the kitchen floor with a few Tupperware pieces and she was content the whole time I made dinner. Jaden, on the other hand, is into EVERYTHING he can get his little paws on. He is SOOOOO curious. Also, Eva would play very quietly and look at books for long periods of time. Jaden is absorbed with anything he can bang, hammer, or will make a loud sound. A nurse once gave me fantastic advice when she found out I was expecting a boy. She said, "Remember that boys are a lot more active than most girls....but don't ever confuse that with being more naughty." That made a lot of sense to me and I've referred to that advice often in raising a boy. Jaden loves to get into things and figure things out...but he is not being naughty - he is just learning! I thought I would leave you with some pictures of Jaden from this past weekend. I took them during the whole 15 minutes it took me to get ready. I would love to hear your views on raising specific genders too!!!!!

"Let's seeee.....mom washes her hair with these things...I'll just set them right here on the shower floor so that when she trips on them she knows just where they are!"

"Hmmm....I know that blow dryer thing is in here somewhere and it makes A LOT of sound!!"

"This is the way mommy puts on her make-up....my future football coach will be so proud!"

"Decisions, Decisions...should I pull just one pair of pants off the shelf or ALL of them?!"

"A boy is Truth with dirt on his face,

Beauty with a cut on his finger,

Wisdom with bubblegum in his hair,

and Hope for the future with a frog in his pocket"

--Anonymous

Welcome Summer

I love summer. I love it deep down in my heart and soul. I love warm days and nights when you can sleep with the windows open. I love hearing the birds sing in the morning. I love the colorful flowers. I LOVE playing outside with my children. There is so much that I love about summer that I couldn't possibly even write about it all in one blog. My husband and I always joke during the winter months when we are getting 6 feet of snow by saying, "Explain to me again why we live in Indiana?" It really is a mystery when we love warm weather like we do. This weekend our family took full advantage of the beautiful sunshine and warm tempertures. Bike rides, swimming, taking walks, making smores, blowing bubbles, cookouts with friends....it was alllll part of the fun this weekend. Matt and I sat this evening and talked about how we feel so blessed when we think about all that we are thankful for in our lives.

Just to share a few snapshots of the weekend with you....

Matt lounging and watching the Indy Race.
Our little ladybug all suited up for a swim....yes, mommy is a little overprotective!
Our little man checking out the babes at the pool
A summer afternoon nap on the back porch...can it get any better?

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

What a beautiful sunny day....finally!!! We got up this morning and took full advantage of it! I bundled Eva and Jaden up in the double jogger and was able to get 5 miles in this morning! What a great way to start the day!! Afterwards we played outside and rode bikes! In my mind, it was the perfect morning (of course it would have been even better if Matt had been here)!!! I'm curious...what is your favorite way to spend a morning? Post a comment and let me know!

"Each day when you wake up ask yourself, 'What good things am I going to do today?'. Remember that when the sun goes down at sunset it will take part of your life with it."

--Anonymous

Miracles Happen!

Many of my readers know what a scare our family had in the past week. For those of you that may not, our doctor brought up a very scary word regarding our little boy...cancer. As a parent, hearing that your little one may be sick is one of those things that literally takes the air out of your lungs.

We were blessed today with amazing news....Jaden is absolutely fine. The doctors at Riley's believe that his abnormal bloodtest resulted from simply growing! The only thing we need to do is let him eat as much as he wants and check back with the doctor in a month. Prayers have been answered beyond our wildest dreams. So many people were praying for Jaden - friends, family, even complete strangers. The power of prayer is unbelievable and our little Jaden is proof of that. To all of you that kept Jaden in your minds, hearts, and prayers during this past week - thank you. You all shined so brightly for our family during our darkest hours.

"When we do what we can, God will do what we can't"

--Anonymous

Out for a Cruise!

Our new neighbors have a very nice little boy that Eva has become friends with. It dawned on me the other day that these two will go to school together, as they are both the exact same age. When we are outside Brady loves to drive on over to our house (which is across the street) on his Jeep. When Eva sees him she will frequently drop whatever she is doing and hop in the passenger seat to go along for a ride (she prefers that he drives). It really is adorable, but it makes me realize that I won't be ready for her to be in high school and driving in real cars with boys for about 30 more years. Just seeing the two of them zip off together for one of their little jaunts down our street and back makes me want to shout out to them, "Drive carefully...wear your seat belts....and have her back by her naptime!!!!"

"When you are a mother , you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." --Sophia Loren

Birthday Boy!

Our little boy turned ONE this weekend!! It was a special weekend celebrating a very special little boy. Jaden had his first piece of cake, took nearly 5 steps, and learned the sign language for "more' all on his special day! It was a big day for such a little guy! Do you ever wonder where the time goes? I love every stage of life that my little ones go through - I love cuddling them when they are babies and I love watching them figure out this great big world they live in when they are toddlers. Each day brings a joy and happiness all of its own. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADEN!!