August 2014

Zack modeling his fall clothing on one crisp Sunday morning...obviously cooperating for the photo

 Zack loves having Hunter sit on his lap...Hunter sometimes is ok with it

 playing with trucks and balancing on the edge of the table...mad skills

 preping for consigning

 pool with friends

 after nap snack

 movie date with mommy and daddy to see Planes 2

 "helping" mommy repaint his room to make it Zack AND Hunters room

 No fights over the i-pad...yet

 "Mommy look...Hunter like fish"

 This smile

 Stella Grace

 Zack, Hunter and Stella all around 28 weeks

 Best find at the consignment sale...the "big t-rex"

 just chillin and watching TV

 "Mommy take my picture"

 HUNTER DIDN'T EAT THE PENCIL!!!!

 while Zack played t-ball I chased Hunter

 Getting ready for preschool

 very excited about his "big boy school shirt"

 bribes...ahem...gifts for teachers

 they sat and looked long enough for this photo

 Kathryn turned 21 and came to visit...we introduced her to Stella

 and to beer in mason jars and pimento cheese

 on Zack's first full day we took Hunter to the pet store

 we also let Hunter down to run a bit but decided he would rather sit

 Stella is "super super in" as Zack would say

 "Where's Hunter?"

 "There he is!"  at his 18 month check up (2 months late)

 Zack wanted to make a picture for his teachers

 When they re-pave your road at dinner time dinner gets cut short to watch the dump trucks

 ...and you eat popsicles

 best part about mommy's dr appointment is the lollipop

 wanted his ice cream in a cone

 visiting Grandma and Grandpa is supposed to mean a little break...right?

First Days of School 2014

Zack started 3 Year Preschool:

 His teachers are Mrs. Boyd and Mrs, Owens

 He goes 3 times a week.

 He didn't cry when I dropped him off..in fact he barely gave me a hug...I on the other hand was a mess the whole week before school started.

 He got a great report and come home with this fun game that he made.

Hunter Started Begining Preschool:

 His teachers are Miss Kelly and Miss Jenn

He goes once a week

 

 I got to spend his first day with him...and surprise...his favorite part was snack time.  He did cooperate a little and put his piece of felt on the felt board (this was before taking down all the other kids felt).  

 He painted this school bus (with a little help from me)...isn't he the cutest kid in class?

The Lake 2014

I got to spend my yearly visit to my favorite place with almost my entire family!

Being the only mobile children with a house full of adults that think you are adorable was pretty awesome for the boys.  They had plenty of people to play with and had a great time.

I was really excited for Zack since this is the first year I think he will hold onto some of these memories.  He still talks about the cousins, aunts and uncles...not to mention the boats

Look...Adam got to relax!

We didn't participate in tubing because I was too pregnant, Adam was happy with his view from the beach, Zack was too timid and Hunter was too crazy.

Zack got to spot Bethany and Kathryn while they were on the tubes.

apparently it was a boring ride...

Zack LOVED playing in the sand.  And there were surprisingly plenty of people willing to be bossed around by a 3 year old.

We got to meet baby Emma for the first time.  She is basically a year younger than Hunter and was born in Thailand.

Zack couldn't have been happier on the beach...

and Hunter couldn't be happier in the shade on the swing...

that is unless he was playing ball

with daddy...

We also got to meet our newest family member Luxia, She stole Kurties heart and they got married in May.

I mean if this little stinker isn't the cutest thing around I don't know who is.

OK...when did my baby grow up?  Zack was super excited about our first trip to the tee pee this summer and he picked out a candy necklace.

We took Zack to the carnival and he won a free ice cream slip...he didn't quite understand...this is Adam trying to get him to look excited about his prize.

Sweet Emma had a baby shower...it's always more fun when you get to pass a baby around at a baby shower.

Hunter loved the boat too...you can't tell by the expression on his face but after the trip was over he ran back into the water toward the boat and Adam ended up sitting in a docked boat with him for a while.

I love that these lifejackets were worn my by brother, my cousins and countless friends and I...

You can see a little smile here...

Who is this big kid that is driving the boat?  If you notice the boat is actually in gear and Uncle Steve let him drive almost the length of the lake.

recreation of an old cousin photo...minus Karl

Tante Lorie made up a trivia game and it was a blast...

This is our attempt at getting a photo of Great Grandma with the two boys...although it isn't an ideal frame worthy picture it is very true to life and will someday be appreciated...right?

18 Months

Oh Hunter...

 what can I say about Hunter?  He is my mystery kid

 he failed all his developmental milestones except gross motor...in which he is very advanced...

 I told the doctor that I just don't think he wants to stack blocks or wave buy...

 he would much rather destroy, climb and jump off things...Lord help me...

 the doctor looked at me like I was crazy, but look at this kid...

 you can tell he is thinking about how he will get away...

 then he uses his sweet smile to soften me up...

 it isn't easy to have a broken ankle or be pregnant while being this kids mother...but I've learned to embrace it and I make sure to always have mu insurance card ready and I just hope that Zack is ok while I hobble/waddle after him while my friends sit on the bench watching their kids play...

The only way to really contain him is with food or TV...so we are developing some great habits.

It's a Girl

EEEEK!  I was in total shock...which doesn't make any sense because for the past few weeks I knew we were having a girl.  I was almost willing it to be a boy by searching boy nurseries and forcing Adam to talk about boy names.  I am not afraid of a daughter, I am not afraid of a teenage girl (or protecting her from teenage boys), I am not afraid of making sure she has the confidence she needs to make smart choices, I am going to love having a best friend in 20 years who will call me and do girly things with me, I love pink and I love bows.  The main reason for my initial reaction was that I lost who I thought I was.  I was a boy mom, I raised boys, I loved raising boys...I had no desire for a daughter (not that I am not happy about it)...most people I know with multiple boys would LOVE having a daughter and want a little girl...I never felt that need.  I felt that this desire to be a boy mom and my love of all things boy was God's way of preparing me for my life with no girls.

I had this reaction one other time in my life.  On the trip from our house to a friends house the night before we left for China.  I was a teacher, I was an independent woman, I was a homeowner, I LOVED my life...I loved my life married to Adam.  I was leaving EVERYTHING I thought I was and had no idea what I would be or do in my new life...never did I think I would quit my dream job for a guy...and have it be a positive.  Moving to China was the best thing I ever did.  I am a better person because of my experience in the life I never expected.  I'm imagining becoming a mom to a little girl will also make me a better person.  What I realized is things in my life don't make me who I am and those things don't make me who I am going to be.  I am still the person that LOVES raising boys and I will be a person who LOVES raising her little girl.

It kind of annoys me that people say "now you are getting your girl" like I was missing something with my two boys...because they are totally awesome and if they were my only kids I would be the luckiest girl on the planet.  I usually respond with "actually now my husband gets his girl".  The more I think about it the more I know Adam needs a little girl.  He is a great daddy to our boys but he needs that little girl who has him wrapped around his finger...he needs that girl to spoil rotten...he needs that girl to protect and take care of.  Maybe we are an "old fashioned" family but I don't think Adam feels he needs to "protect" or "take care of" the boys...besides the obvious feeding and providing for them. He has very few opinions about what the boys do or wear (as long as they don't wear nail polish or carolina blue...we're good).  I am already looking at girl clothes...infant girl clothes mind you...and saying to myself Adam would hate if his daughter wore this.  Adam would hate those bows as big as her head, he would hate if she wore short skirts or shorts (yes infant girl clothes...it's crazy...short shorts for a baby????).

It didn't take me long to plan her nursery...or big girl bedroom...or teenage bedroom (because she will love the same things I love).  I have learned my way around the girl clothing department and she already has a few bows for her collection.  We need to finalize the name...move Hunter out of her room and repaint...other than that we are good to go!  November will be here before we know it.