Remember the church lady??....'Saatan?'

Landon's prayer tonight:

Landon:
"Father God, thank you for my Mommy and Daddy and baby brudder. I'm glad they're not from the devil.  Wesley (kid in his class) says his Daddy is from the devil and his brother too. But, you know if they're from the devil. I don't know, but you know. Please tell me God.  Because I want to tell him he's wrong. But, if he's right I don't want to see his Daddy. And thank you for my movie from the Red Box.  Thank you Jesus for forgiveness. Amen"

2 Months Old!

I'm 2 months old today!

Mommy says time is flying by and I'm getting bigger and bigger every day!

Some of my favorites:

~ Sleeping on someones chest

~ Soft blankets near my cheek

~ Smiling at my family

~ Eating my fist (Mommy doesn't like me to do this, but I don't care.)

~ Sitting outside on someones lap

~ Sleeping on my tummy.  (Mommy doesn't it think it's safe, but I still like it)

~ Spitting up all over people ... a lot!

~ Saying "Ah-goooo" and other little coooo-ing sounds

~ I've only had a couple bottles so far but, I drink them easily

~ Bath time!  It makes me really calm and I don't cry until the water gets cold.

When I turn 3 months Mommy will be back at work but, I will be just fine because I have Miss Michelle to take care of me from 7-3pm.  Then when big brother gets out of school Daddy will pick him up and then pick me up and take us home to our Nanny Lanie.  She'll play with us until Mommy gets home after work at 6pm.

Miss Michelle only has 1-2 other little kids who are toddlers so I will get lots of attention! :)  I can't get enough.  Until next month when I have more fun stuff to tell you...bye-bye!

Love, Ryker

Relaxing x2

On the eve of his 8 week "birthday", Mr. Ryker spent a little time on his little activity mat. 

And may I just say, you know you're a mom when you get as excited about little hands finding the hanging figures on an activity mat as a new pair of fabulous shoes.

He seems to like to grab the rattle that's closest to his right hand and will look around for about 30 minutes before he starts to "squawk".

Meanwhile, Landon has taken to a new little "habit".  We've had a red Mickey robe for 3 years now.   A gift to him from a babysitter.

I bribed him ...(yes, I find it to be a very effective parenting technique) several times to get him to use it. Nada.

Then out of the blue he wanted his "rope".  After a great game of charades to figure out what the heck he was talking about...he put it on and hasn't taken it off since.

If you guessed this was a picture of him a breakfast, you'd be wrong.  This is after-school snack.

Barefoot Sunday

It was an absolute first for us at church today.
We walked in wearing shoes and walked out ...like this.

It was Barefoot Sunday at church and we didn't know what we were walking into because we missed last week ...all the boys had colds.

(Photos below courtesy of Claire Deliman from The Grove)

Basically, the congregation was asked to take off the shoes from their feet and lay them at the alter to help the millions of people in Africa who go a lifetime without a single pair of shoes. 

 So, we slid out of our sandals, got Landon from Sunday school and all of us literally left church barefoot...on a day that was 105 degrees.

Before we left, we stepped in paint-soaked sponges and walked across boards to create artwork that will be displayed at church.

I'll be honest...I think we'd all do it again every week.

Tonight, as we put the boys to bed, it was hard not to pause for a moment remembering this morning and thanking God that he allows us to be able to provide more than enough for these little guys.

C is for Circus

For the first time since Landon has been in school, (he's starting his 3rd year at this school) I was able to volunteer in his class! It may seem like something so mundane, but as a working mom it was a huge treat to see how special events go and how Landon interacts with his classmates.

The occasion was Circus Day and all the kids dressed up as someone in the circus.  Landon chose what he referred to as "the popcorn seller". 

Carlos and I teamed up to make the cart.  He covered it with the Styrofoam and the cardboard. I embellished with all the circusy trinkets. 

It was so fun to see him wake up to it being fully decked out.  And yes..I hot glued each little piece of popcorn to the popcorn containers hot glued on the side. (hanging head in shame here)

Footzy the clown was on hand to perform magic tricks for the class and she called up Landon and another popcorn vendor to pass out candy to the class at the end of the show.

The kids also had face painting ..or arm painting but Ryker slept through the whole morning. 

At the end of it all, Landon said his favorite part was decorating the clown cookies...AKA licking the frosting off of cookies.

Hello Fall, I've missed you!

Last year around this time Landon called pumpkins...pumpa-munkins.  And hey, what can I say.  I can't shake it.

I wanted to share another little crafty that Heather and I made in her pretty fabulous craft studio!

 The tags are coffee stained with an M for Monge and a Proverb about Thanksgiving.

We were thinking of making them larger and selling them at the boutique at church.  The jury is still out on that...not sure if we have the time, considering I go back to work on October 18th.

But, just though I'd share.  I plan to make more in various fabrics to put all over the house.  Save your pumpkin stems for me!!

6 weeks and thinking

So, I've been thinking...
much like Ryker....that I need to start blogging again... about the boys, our life, my loves, my hubs...my well, everything.

I know, I know. I'm like a broken record. I start and then stop and start and stop. If nothing else this is a way to preserve the memories. But, also because I love writing and sharing and staying connected and our blog accomplishes all three!

Time is flying! Baby Ryker is already 6 weeks old and growing by the minute.

I look at him sometimes and wonder what's going on in that little, head of his.

And I want to scoop up both my boys and snuggle in bed for hours.

And when I go back to work, I think this blog will be like a cyber snuggle....Looking back at these precious pictures and feeling connected.

So, as I write this on September 22nd, feel free to look back because I'll go back and update as much as I can to preserve the memories and share them with you!

So, check older dates...because I'll work to fill in the blanks and help you know the blessings, the mundane and the milestones over the last year!

3 weeks old....already??

I've been reluctant to begin blogging again because my 'Type-A' personality has me feeling like I would have to go back to May and catch up, in order to begin again.

But, honestly people. When am I ever going to be able to make up all that time and those memories and post them??

And with all the blessings in our lives right now, it's just wrong not to document it all! :)

So, I pop an anti-anxiety pill and forge ahead back into the blog-o-sphere! Here we go!

Today, Ryker turned 3 weeks old. His eyes continue to get lighter and his weight heavier! Right now his eyes look like Uncle Stephen's...a sort of bluish-grey.

Ryker is a bit ravenous when he wakes from his naps. He eats, stays up for maybe 45minutes to an hour and then sleeps for 2-3 hours, then does it all over again.

Landon is an amazing big brother. He's so loving to him and has no jealousy issues toward the baby at all. That said, Landon tends to want to be my shadow these days and isn't afraid to tell me...'Mommy I need you to play with me'.

And hey...I'm not going to lie. It's nice to be "needed".

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.    ~Proverbs 22:6

We love our church!  And we love our boys!

So, understanding that they are ours only because God gave them to us, we dedicated them to Lord when Ryker was just 2 1/2 weeks old. 

Landon had never been dedicated which made it even more special when Pastor Palmer prayed blessings over both of them them and us.

 

Sometimes I think about the joy we'll share when they decide...not because their church, or any religious customs or timetables...but of their own will in their own time, to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. What a day that will be!

Until then, we'll continue to show them how God works in our lives, in good times and in our trials.

~Romans 8:28
"We know that all things work together for good to those who love God."

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom!

An impromptu birthday dinner with Janet, Jen, Jason, Maggie, Elyse and our family was perfect and not to be forgotten the all important ice-cream cake!  ...Everything brought over to us by Jen & Janet

I'm going to go out on a limb and say....she already got her wish before she blew out the candles!

  

Happy Mother's Day!

I love this woman! She's such an inspiration to me. She loves me unconditionally and now she loves my son in a way that is even more special and meaningful than the way she loves me!

This was L today. He marched around the house saying 'Hut 2, Hut 2, Hut 2" holding his blankie that was 'lost' for a week. (It was actually still in the washing machine from LAST week...oops.)

Clearly, this little man's imagination is bigger than the bowl-for-a-helmet he wears and watching this military display is one of the reasons I LOVE being a mom.

Back to Grammy....as a mother, I can now appreciate her in a way that I never understood before having a son. Like the quote I've heard so many times before...having a child is like having your heart walk around on the outside of you.

Mom, I get it now. I really understand and I love you for your example in my life!

Odd Talents or Blackmail Material?

I was going through a few pictures ..and ran across these from late December.

They speak to the fact that living with a 4 year old is an adventure. You never really know what he's going to try to do or say.

Carlos and I looked over at Landon on the couch and saw him ...well...

I'd like to say I was a sophisticated mother who told him to take his toe out of his mouth and remind him that it's rather dirty. But, nope. I grabbed the camera and really couldn't stop laughing at him.

As I was posting this tonight, I showed the picture to Landon and told him he has he has 'issues'. His response? "You mean like Mommy issues?"
(Be quiet, boy, and stop channeling your father.)

So, the way I figure it....if I don't like the girls he starts to date in about 10 years, I've got a few pictures to threaten him with. Just saying...