Summer Catch Up

I am so behind this summer! I wanted to catch up tonight before my sweet nephew is born tomorrow! I'm sure I will want to a do a post on him later this week. It was so hard to narrow down pictures for the blog. I have over 500 from the summer. We have been on the go nearly everyday. If we haven't been out of town we've been at the pool. Wendi and I have taken a couple of trips to Alabama this summer. We load all six kids in the Yukon and don't stop til we get there. We have had so much fun spending time there this summer we have done lots of shopping and stayed up late to play cards. It's super nice to have Jonathan's parents help for the week. It's like a mini vacation.

1st popcicle

1st time in a pool

All cousins close in age need a picture like this.
1st sweet tea out of a mason jar!

At Country's BBQ in Auburn

Lil' Art wanted to get his picture with Jon David on this Tiger.

Jon David's first Birthday party was a light blue and white cupcake theme. His cousin Tinsley made the cupcakes. She is starting a little business. Her cupcakes really taste amazing and look awesome!

I just love this picture of Jon David with most of his cousins.

He loved his cupcake.

Jonathan's sweet brother Brad, his wife Amy and their 2 boys Brandon and Kody came Jon David's birthday weekend to help celebrate. The evening of Jon David's party we (along with the Knights) took them to The Mast General Store and also down by the river walk. We had the best time!

The kids playing at the River Walk

That weekend was also Father's Day weekend. We had bruch with Jonathan's parents, grandparents, and the Knights.

A few days later we left to go camping. It was a crazy week. It rained the first 3 days. Jon David just wanted down. We had to get very creative. We spent lots of time in the camper and the van.

Dad loved getting to spend the week with our sweet boy.

He loved riding around in his wagon.

Everything is more difficult camping. Ex. boiling water for a bath.

I love this picture of our family at the cascades.

Sweet Jayden on 4th of July

Wendi had us over and the kids played in their inflatable, the guys passed football, and we grilled out. It was the perfect 4th!

Mid-July we took Jon David on his first beach trip. We went to Panama City with Jonathan's family.

He like playing in the sand the first day.

Two of my favorite things we did were:1. went with Jonathan's parents to this neat place with tons of stores and ate at the Backporch. 2. Jonathan went on a date to Seaside to see a concert. We had the best time. I am dying to go back there!

Q

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ONEderfully One!

Jon David,
Yesterday you turned ONE! It is a day I have been dreading, but it wasn't sad at all. You had the best day. We spent the morning playing, you took two great naps, family came over to celebrate a birthday dinner with you, your grandaddy showed us the video he made for your first birthday party, you got some sweet books from your Aunt Wendi, Uncle Art and your cousins, and to top it off you had your first ice cream. Blue Bell Bannana Split to be exact. Mommy didn't cry one time. I had a wonderful day celebrating you, the gift God blessed me with!
What a year it as been. We have learned so much together and are still learning new things everyday. I remember the night I had you I couldn't really see you for an hour my eyes were so full of happy tears. I remember everyone who came to see you said you were perfect, and it was the sweetest sound to my ears. I remember bringing you home nervously, hoping I would do everything right. I remember the first several months trying to get you on a schedule and how happy I was when you slept through the night. I remember going through a rough patch and finally realizing you were just plain hungry. Praise the Lord for rice cereal! I remember how you became happier each time you became more mobile. I remember each of your "first" and how proud I would be of you...smiling, rolling over, sitting up, feeding yourself, pulling up, learning how to play with your toys. I remember each of your new tricks...blowing bubbles, waving bye bye, shaking your head, signing please, playing peek-a-boo and patty cake, giving mommy kisses. I remember each of your first holidays and each of our outings from walks, to parks, to doctor visits, to trips to Alabama. I remember each night giving you your nightly bottle knowing the days are ticking down until you don't need it anymore. Most of all I remember (and can never forget) how full my heart feels when I look at you and know you are mine. I cannot thank the Lord enough for entrusting you to us. You have brought us a year of joy, happiness, and laughter. I cannot wait to see how you grow and how the Lord will use you.

I love you,

Mommy

MAJOR Catch-up (10 & 11 months)

I have put several post off lately. We have been busy, and I have been trying to run in my spare time. I'm up to about 20 miles a week. Mostly everytime I have thought about blogging lately I have gotten a knot in my chest. My baby is turning into a little boy before my eyes. Every bottle I feed him I try to take each second it because these baby days are fleeting...I'm in tears already! I can bearly muster the words to blog these days. Jon David will be one in 2 weeks, and it is killing me. I knew I had to get these past few months down before then. He just gets more and more fun everyday and I know this next year will be even better and hold its own challenges, but something about losing this baby stage is harder than I imagined. Being a mom can rip your heart out at times. Who knew you could love so much!

I found this bib at Target this month and thought it was super cute! Yes you are Jon David!

10 months

If I had been better about blogging I would have way more pictures but since I have so much catching up to do. I just selected some of my favorites. Here's whats new this month

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  Standing at the back door and in the tub


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  Goes to the back door when we say where's Maggie or Peyton (our dogs)


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  Starting eating solid foods (Mashed Potatoes 1st)


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  1st 4wheeler ride with Daddy


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  Loves to pat toys, food, Mommy, Daddy


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  Loves to open and shut doors and drawers


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  Cut 5 teeth! (Fever 17 days straight)


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  Loves to watch Daddy mow

11 months

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  1st Easter (and 1st Egg Hunt and Nana & Grandaddy Hall's)


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  Tries to put passy in our mouths


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  Loves Patty Cake and tries to clap the person's hand doing it with him


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  1st busted lip and black eye


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  Gives mommy kisses


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  Turns pages in a book


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  First word other that mama and dada...byebye and you wave when you say it


• 
  
  Moved to a stage 4 diaper and 12 months clothes


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  Climbed the stairs before we knew it


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  Mommy's 1st Mother's Day
  

My sweet boy on Easter morning. I had the best time gathering stuff for his basket. We had the sweetest Easter. We spent a lot of time up in Jonathan's grandparents backyard while the kids played (one of my favorite things ever!) On the Saturday before Easter his grandparents had their annual Egg Hunt which Jonathan used to do when he was little, so it was very special that it was Jon David's 1st one. Then Easter Sunday we went to Jonathan parents church and cooked out that night at his grandparents. I have a ton of great pictures from Easter. I'm sad I don't have time to upload all 200!
We also celebrated my first Mothers Day. We grilled out at Mom and Dad. The guys grilled out for us. It was super sweet! Then the nights grilled out with us for dinner. We have enjoyed several cookout and several soccer games this past month. Praise the Lord for warm weather!

1st Haircut

We are so thankful Aunt Sissa has the gift/talent/ability to do our hair!!!

On Tuesday, August 29 Jon David had his first haircut. He had his 9 month pictures later that afternoon. He really doesn't have much hair but he had two long patches over each of his ears that were driving me crazy!

Note the before picture

He loved getting brushed off at the end. He just laughed and laughed. I actually remembered how much it made him laugh while we were having his pictures made, and the lady used a feather duster to tickle him. The pictures turned out great!

A Birth Annoucement and My Growing Boy!

Meet Miss Jayden Marie. She was born Friday night and Saturday morning James and Annissa (my sister and brother-in-law) got the call they were going to be foster parents to this sweet girl. She also has a 2 year old brother they will get in several weeks.

I could not be any more proud of my sister. James and Annissa started the road to foster care before they found out they were expecting, and they were approved just a few days before they got the call. They didn't even have a thing for her. It was amazing how the Lord provided in just one weekend just about everything they needed. I know they are still looking for a few larger items but they have all the immediate needs covered! As Annissa and I were talking the other day we said how hard it was to leave her at the hospital all by herself. I got to thinking what a special gift this girl was getting to be apart of a loving family even if only for a while. This road will not be easy and will probably be very emotional at times. I know a lot of people have said things to Annissa like "I could never do that" "Don't you know how hard that is going to be" "You're a better person than me." I think they are well aware there will be difficult times, but I know they have been called to do this. I can't wait to see how the Lord uses them in this ministry. Please pray for Annissa and James as they begin this journey and also for Jayden's life.

They were able to bring this bundle home yesterday and I can't wait to get my hands back on her.

Brinlee has a little brother named Caleb who is several months older than Jon David and then when she found out Annissa was having a boy she was a little disappointed. They told her God knows she is a good big sissy to baby boys and then she was just fine with it. They also told her she may have a foster sister sometime. She LOVES this girl!

Ok now to my boy! I have taken so many pics this week. He seems so big this week!

I ADORE this picture!

Jonathan put up his swing this weekend. It was so pretty out. He loved it. He is a little daredevil. He would just laugh when Jonathan would push him higher and higher!

He is everywhere and into everything!

He loves his toys! We spend a lot of time in the playroom these days.

9 months and CRAWLING!

I really meant to do a whole crawling blog several weeks ago. This month I have worked on getting his baby scrapbook as close to done as I can. I am so pleased with how it is turning out. It will go up to his 1st birthday, which I am afraid is coming sooner than I would like. I actually reserved the fellowship hall for it yesterday. I wanted to have it at our house, but goodness between family and friends with several children after we invited a couple families we would be busting at the seems. Anyway back to crawling...we went to Uncle Art and Aunt Wendi's on Sunday February 27 for the afternoon. Jon David was getting up on his knees and leaning toward things. He is very determinded. His Uncle Art said I bet he crawls soon. Well little did we know THE NEXT DAY he was off! It is amazing how my world has changed in the past two weeks. As soon as we put him down he goes straight for the laptops or TV. How do they know exactly what you don't want to them to have? I also cannot sit him on the bed to fold clothes or do simple task. He always has to be placed in something...a jumper, highchair, excersaucer. I know this may sound like I am complaining, but I am honestly very glad he is mobile. He is so content now that he is on the go. For a few weeks before he started crawling he was a little fussy, and I knew it was simply because he wanted to be on the move! It is just amazing how quickly and drasticly things have changed. He is now sitting in his pack-n-play with his toys for 20-30 minutes at a time. He loves to play with his toys.

He also loves books! I try to read to him at least once a day. He loves to just sit and turn the pages.

Oh I LOVE this boy and that smile!

Yesterday he turned 9 months old. He has done so much this past month. He figured out how to splash the water in the tub, and it is thrilling to him. He loves Old MacDonald had a Farm and Peek-a-boo. He loves to try to copy sounds we make, and if one of us laughs he always laughs back. He can stand holding on to something. He loves to play in his playroom. He pulls toys out of baskets and is learning how to use them. He is very intent on figuring out how things work. I am pretty sure his daddy may have been that way. He has learned to put his passy back in which may be the most helpful skill ever. He was sick and almost off the passy but when he got so fussy before crawling I gave it to him, and he has it all day now. Before he only had it in bed. I am really ok with this because he is happy so momma is happy!

Oh those eyes! I secretly love when strangers stop me and tell me how beautiful his eyes are!

I am so thankful for Maggie and Peyton. They are FREE entertainment. When I start dinner I call them to the back door and put him in his excersaucer, and it keeps him content for a while!

On of my favorite things is to see him smile behind his passy. So cute.