Makayla Grace turns 1!

On October 24th we celebrated Makayla's 1st birthday!  It was pouring rain that day which made it impossible to get the cute pictures I so delicately rehearsed over and over in my head.  I had a tutu made for her and even found a matching shirt that said "Birthday Girl".  I am hoping that next year she will be able to wear it.

We didn't have a huge party or make it a big deal.  It was just us, with a small cake and a few presents.  It was quiet but it was beautiful!  I can't believe that is has really been a whole year since I gave birth to my little girl.  It really is true that time fly's.  She has been nothing short of a true blessing to all of us!  She makes our days brighter and our family seem complete.

My Three Blessings!

On October 9th we got our family pictures done.  It is always a challenge every year to get the clothes together, get everyone dresses and prepared, I am so glad we did it but I am also so glad it is over and done for one more year.  I wanted to post this one of my kids last year, it was taken right after Makayla was born and is still one of my all time favorites. 

This year I was lucky enough to get an equally nice picture of the three of them.  Thank you Rachelle for capturing my family.  You have continued to be such an amazing and faithful friend. 

Here are my blessings, my gifts from God, the reason I work so hard, my joy, my delight my greatest accomplishments....Matthew 10, Mason 6, and Makayla 1.

Matthew ~ you make me laugh!  You make me want to be a "cool" mom.  You have grown up into this young man while I wasn't looking.  I feel like I missed something, like one day I turned and there you were almost as tall as me.  Thank you for your sense of humor, for loving me, for helping me with Mason and Makayla, thank you for being you, for being smart and witty.  You challenge me to be a better mom and I love you in the deepest parts of my heart.  You are my first born and with that title comes a special bond that only you and I share.  I am so grateful that God intusted me with you!  I am honored to be your mom and to call you my son!!

Mason ~ how in the world did you get so cute?  Sometimes your cute face and silly gestures just amaze me.  You are truly one of a kind.  Your sensitive spirit always makes my eyes tear up.  Your compassion for people and creatures cause me to look at you in wonder!  Your love for the outdoors and desire to explore life is contagious!  You and I have become park buddies, what an amazing memory I will cherish forever.  Thank you for your hugs, for wanting to snuggle me, for always desiring to be close to me.  I just love that about you.  A night doesn't go by that you are not begging Daddy or I to snuggle you.  I know that those nights will slowly fade one day, but for now I am going to cherish them.  You have been a blessing since the day you were born.  I love you sweet boy!

Makayla ~ what a gift, a daughter all my own.  Walking through the store the other day I was carrying you, as we were walking I was kissing your head and I caught myself say out loud "You are so cute and you are all MINE!"  Sometimes I still don't believe it.  My mom always use to say "A son is a son till he takes a wife but a daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life"  I am so thrilled that you are mine and you will be mine for the rest of my life.  I can only hope and pray that our relationship grows into something beautiful and wonderful.  You have been nothing short of a true blessing to all of us.  You make us laugh, you make us sit and stare at your cuteness and you have brought pink into our house.  The days are sometimes long, but the years are oh so short.  I promise to cherish every moment with you and to give you everything in life that I wanted as a little girl. 



Mason got a Lizard...

Cousin Zack got a Bearded Dragon Lizard, it was so cool now Mason wanted one.  He saved his birthday money (turning down lots of other things he wanted) to buy his very own Bearded Dragon.  I was secretly hoping that he would get over the idea, that he would move on to something else in no time.  But he didn't...here it is October, 3 months after his birthday and we are welcoming Lizzy to the family.  He eats live crickets and meal worms, he is growing super fast, he is not my idea of the greatest pets but hey he makes Mason light up and grin ear to ear.  So it is all worth it. 

Here is a picture of Lizzy!!

Me & My Daughter

What a good friend I have...Alex is always encouraging me to get my pictures taken, whether it is family pictures, maternity pictures, newborn pictures of my daughter...it doesn't matter she is on me to get them done.  I am so blessed to have a friend like that because to tell you the truth I would probably not do it if it were left up to me.  I know I can't believe I am admitting that. 

So after much encouraging Alex got me to pose with my little girl.  I am so glad that she did.  I know she will only be 11 months old one time and I am so glad that I was able to capture us together at this age!

Mason looses his 2nd tooth!

Mason keeps loosing his teeth, today he lost his second tooth, bottom right.  He now has a wiggly one on the top, won't be long and he will have NO front teeth!

I just love this picture!

Mason & Makayla

Fishing Derby

On September 18th Dave and the boys went to their second annual Fishing Derby.  Mason was old enough this year to fish and was so excited to get to go.  Makayla and I stayed home but from the report that we got from the boys it was a great time.  Each boy caught a fish!

First Day of School

On August 19th, 2010 Matthew started the 5th grade and Mason started the 1st grade.  Matthew's teacher is Mrs. Wright and Mason has Ms. Rossie.  I am excited for this year, the boys weren't so much.  Here are a couple of pics of that morning, we walked to school with the neighbors.

Ice Skating

For the last day of summer I gave in and took the boys Ice Skating!  Matthew had gone last year on a field trip with his 4th grade class, he came home black and blue from head to toe with bruises from falling.  It seriously looked like someone took a baseball bat to his legs!  But he was positive that he was awesome at it, I took one look at the bruises and begged to differ.  "Matthew how could you be good and fall so many times that you would be so black and blue?"  He assured me that everyone falls but that the falling didn't mean that he was bad.  So I let it go...well all summer long Matthew has been begging me to take him Ice Skating again, I admit I was not up for it.  After seeing his legs the last time he went, I was secretly convinced that, he thought he was good but in fact he was awful and this trip to the ice rink would prove to be just as painful as the last.  But I gave in and we went. 

We got there and the boys got skates and headed out to the ice...I was holding my breath, I was so hoping that Matthew was right and I was wrong.
Let me just add a little side note...Matthew continually surprises me, I should have learned my lesson by now to believe him till I prove him wrong, cause so many times I have nearly fallen off my chair in awe of him.
HE WAS RIGHT...that kid was right, he was good.  He was amazing.  This was the second time on the ice and he was really good.  I was so proud of him.  He did fall, but he was a natural.  I was so proud of him, I think we may have an Ice Hockey kid on our hands!

  

Matthew turns 10

Matthew you turned 10 years old on July 21st, 2010.  I am way too young to have a 10 year old, or at least that is what I am trying to convince myself...ha!  Matthew you continue to be such a joy to our family, you continue to make me laugh, you are there to help me with your brother and sister when I need you, you always surprise me with what you know (you are super smart) and I am so proud to call you my son!  For your birthday I offered to give you the money we would otherwise spend on a party, you were in heaven.  You took my offer and we went shopping.  You got a new DSi from Dad and I...what a lucky kid you are.  Here is you on your 10th birthday...