Many Thanks

"I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy..."
---Philippians 1:3-4

                                                                  

Tanyard Creek

This past Sunday afternoon it was only 89 degrees so we packed up and decided to go hike the Tanyard Creek Trail.  It is about 0.8 miles so we knew Cole could handle it.  Rhonald and I love hiking and although this wasn't a true "hike" it was super fun to be with our kids in nature and watch them learn and enjoy the sights.  It is a very cool trail that leads to a waterfall...Cole was thrilled because he had never seen a real waterfall before.  They also have markers all over the trail with facts about the wildlife, trees or the area.  Cole wanted to read every single marker...there were so many we honestly began shortening them and putting them into "our own words."  The waterfall could not have come at a better time...we were thirsty and hungry so we had a little snack and then Cole dove in!  He had so much fun playing in the cold water on a hot day!  He loved walking around and exploring the things in the water and watching the fish swim by.  Lily really enjoyed herself too.  She laughed and laughed as she watched Cole splash around with Daddy and she really seemed to enjoy being in a new kind of place.  We found out there are several trails like this in our area and now we can't wait to get back out there and try those.  This one was especially cool (and shady).  We had a great time and will definately go back again this fall! 

A Self Portrait

This is Cole's first self portrait.  We do a lot of craft projects but we don't do a lot of drawing.  I thought this was really good for his first try!

Our Week In Review

Our week started off with a bang!  The second Tuesday of every month a group of my friends and I get together for dinner...no kids or hubbies...just girls.  We talk about our kids and hubbies and all things girly.  It is awesome!  My week is ending with a girls day too as I am about to go to a sneak preview of the movie, The Help, with my friend, Kellie.  I cherish this girl time...to be around these amazing women and laugh until we cannot laugh anymore!

Cole is totally in to art right now.  He loves to do art projects and craft projects.  This makes his daddy so proud as he is quite an artist himself.  We have really cut down on TV at our house...like to an hour and a half a day at most so this mommy has to get busy and get creative.  It has been super fun for all of us.  I wanted to find something to hang in our kids' bathroom and I could not find the "right" thing so...I had Cole paint me something.  He was honored and excited and had a blast!  I believe he said "painting is way awesome!"

We were stuck inside a lot this week which was a much needed change for all of us.  It has been raining like crazy and has made us slow down quite a bit.  While we were home we brought out one of our favorite meal time activities and made a "muffin tin lunch."  The theme to this one was "Cole's Favorites" and I let him pick his lunch favorites to put in his muffin tin.  The best part...he eats every single bit of food in there because, for whatever reason, if it is in the muffin tin, it tastes a million times better.

We read and read and read books until it felt like we could read no more...and then, guess what?  We read some more.

We laughed and smiled and made many messes (Lily managed to unfold 3 baskets of clean laundry in a matter of 1 minute).  But she looked cute doing it, of course.

Lily Kate climbed on every piece of furniture we own, as well as, the fireplace, the potty and opened and closed the kitchen trash can 1,000 times.  But again, at least she was looking cute!

Rhonald and I even got to sneak out and have a much needed date night this week.  We had a fabulous dinner and watched a funny movie and walked around the mall.  It was just what we needed...we did not dress up or do anything fancy and it was more wonderful that way!  We just hung out...talked and laughed until we cried.

Last night we were blessed with this amazing double rainbow (both were full rainbows) in our backyard.  This was awesome!  It also opened up a lot of communication with Cole about God and his promise to us and we ended the night reading about Noah and the Arc.  It was a nice, special and quiet time for him and I to reflect and talk and learn together. 

It was a great week....now, off to make Saturday day morning banana pancakes and bacon, watch The Help and have a fun dinner with a few friends....

My Boy

Oh Cole...always keeping us laughing and smiling and, at times, pulling our hair out.  I have realized lately that there are not as many posts about Cole as there are about Lily and there are many reasons for that.  One, he is not doing a new "trick" every day and two, he will hardly let me take his picture anymore.  But, I was able to get 2 this week so I thought I would show him off a little bit.  Cole is seriously becoming such a big boy.  He no longer needs any help going to the potty, he sleeps in big boy undies, he says the most sweet and profound things.  He is constantly asking to help us in any way he can, he takes care of his baby sister each and every day.  He is in this funny stage of telling on himself when he does something that he knows is wrong.  Most days are wonderful days with him.  We have enjoyed working on crafts and art projects this summer.  He still loves to curl up with us to read a good book or watch a movie.  Cole...he will always be our cuddle bug.  Cole loves to help me cook so much!  It is really fun to share this with him and we try to use it as a learning tool as well (counting, measuring...).  Cole has the craziest imagination and pretends all day long.  We are never mommy and daddy and Lily Kate to him...we are always someone else....playing a part in his imaginary world.  He loves Lego's and blocks and building wonderful creations.  Cole prays the sweetest prayers that amaze me every day.  He is constantly reminding us to pray before meals (that is such a crazy time right now) and at night he talks to God with such an honest and open heart.  Cole's favorite song is, "Here I Am To Worship" and he sings it all day every day while he plays.  He loves people and loves to be with his friends.  This is something that so quickly has become important to him.  He keeps me laughing for sure...I adore him with all of my heart.  He is my planner, my saver (you should shake his piggy bank), my sweet boy that sings the "A,B,C's" ever so loudly while he washes his hands so he knows he washed them long enough.  Cole is my rule follower and my tender hearted one.  He may be shy at first but he will be your friend forever.  Cole is such an amazing boy-I love watching him grow up but, like his sister, I wish he would slow down just a little bit.

A Visit With Paw Paw

We were really thankful to be able to have Rhonald's dad come and visit us a couple of weekends ago.  Cole was beyond excited and actually sat by the front door for almost an hour waiting for his Paw Paw to drive up.  Poor Paw Paw...Cole kept him quite busy over the weekend.  They played Spider man and Lego's and played outside (even in the super hot weather).  Rhonald had a few projects he wanted his dad to help him with, which Cole wanted to help with too.  Paw Paw was so patient and allowed Cole to help with everything...even using the power drill (I think he loved having a little side kick around).  For almost 2 years now Cole has been in love with building and construction and everything to do with it.  When he was 2 years old he could name each and every work truck we saw and tell us what they did...amazing.  So, you can imagine how much fun he had using a power drill (with much help from his Paw Paw).  On Saturday, Rhonald, his dad and Cole went to see the Imagination Movers at the Walton Arts Center.  It was basically a rock concert for kids that lasted about an hour.  I have heard that Cole danced the entire time-he came home looking exhausted but was thrilled to have had some "guy time."  The weekend went off without a hitch and it was so nice to make more memories with Rhonald's dad.  Hopefully, after he has some time to recover, he will come back soon!

Ah! The Swings!

My children LOVE the swings...LOVE!  It has been so hot here this summer (over 100 degrees almost every day for the past 3 weeks) that we have not had much time outside...even in the pool.  The other day we met some friends at the library and it happened to be overcast and 90 degrees.  We thought it felt awesome so we left the indoors and headed for a nearby park.  Cole was in heaven to be outside with his buddies (they played hide and seek and dug for buried treasure for the longest time---oh my, I remember when they were all born and now they are sooooo big!) and Lily was in heaven swinging.  She was too little to swing at the park in the spring so this was really her first experience with it.  The amount of laughing and squealing she did was amazing and so contagious!  I could not stop laughing with her.  She was loving it!  And so was Cole...he has swings at home but hadn't used them in so long I think he forgot how much fun it is.  It was a blessing....good friends and a little break in the heat.  Even if it was just for one day it was awesome!

Lily Kate at 10 Months

Time is really flying by and, even though we are having such a fun time with our sweet baby girl, I wish it would slow down a bit.  Lily Kate turned 10 months old today....so hard to believe.  Pictures are getting harder to take of her because she crawls at lightning speed toward anyone with a camera.  She is so super cute and funny it is unreal!  Like I said, she is crawling so fast and she is also cruising around the furniture like a mad woman.  She can crawl up our entire flight of stairs (with someone right behind her of course).  She is IN TO EVERYTHING!  Right now her favorite spots to get in to that she knows she is not allowed are the toilet and the kitchen trash can.  Ugh-that girl wears me out!  Lily Kate still loves to read and look at books.  It is the only time in the day where she will snuggle up with us and as soon as the book is done she is on the go once more.  She loves Cole and laughs the hardest when he is around.  He is still such an amazing big brother to her!  She is babbling "dada" and "mama" but not to us exactly.  She definitely talks a lot and lets us know when she is unhappy about something!  She is sleeping so well (12 hours at night with 2 naps during the day).  This past month Lily had her first tummy bug...yuck!  She is eating mostly table foods with some baby foods mixed in.  She loves everything except pasta...just like Cole at this age.  She makes the worst face and spits out anything resembling a noodle.  She loves banana bread, applesauce, all fruits and sweet potatoes the best.  But she really will eat mostly anything.  So far the dairy foods have been ok.  She does not eat as much dairy as Cole but she can handle some which is such a blessing.  She takes her sippy cup well with water or juice but the second she senses formula in there she throws it on the ground.  She is a stubborn little thing!  Lily can wave and is beginning to clap her hands.  I would have to say her favorite part of the day is bath time.  She and Cole take a bath together and she loves playing with him so much.  She cries when she has to get out of the tub!  Lily Kate has 8 teeth - 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom.  She has been known to bite every now and then and we are working with her one that.  She adores music of all kinds and dances like a crazy person when a song comes on that she likes.  She loves to hear Rhonald play his guitar and will bounce all over the room while he plays.  The song, "If You Are Happy And You Know It..." is by far her favorite and even Cole knows to sing it when she is upset.  She settles down right away and smiles.  She is such a joy - and such a free spirit already.  She is so loving and has brought so much life to our home.  We cannot believe it has already been 10 months...but really, we cannot imagine life without her.