Wordless Post!

Grayson is lucky...

to have Griffin for a big brother.

Upon hearing that Grayson was sick with the stomach flu and an ear infection, Griffin replied, "Mom, I think I should give Grayson a hug."

In one more month...

our baby will be a year old!!!

I can hardly believe that; can you? I feel like his first year of life passed me by in a blink of an eye. Now, more than ever, I am thankful that I started this blog. While it has been fun keeping family and friends updated on our life, I primarily started this blog as a way to help me remember the little things in life that make these early years so special. Today I spent a few moments looking at some previous posts, and I was once again reminded at how blessed my family is. Just in the last year, we have made so many memories that some families can only dream about. And to be honest, there was nothing big (well besides, you know, the birth of Grayson) that happened. No major trips, no major job changes, nothing new, big, or fancy. Instead, we created big memories by relishing in the minor things in life. And that my friends, is what it means to be blessed.

In terms of Grayson, the last month has brought more mobility to our blue-eyed little wonder. I can officially say he walks way more than he crawls, and he is much more steady. His happy-go-lucky personality is, for the most-part, back in full swing, and we see plenty of smiles from him throughout the day. While we learned that he still has a stubborn case of acid reflux, we were pleased to find out that it is just a simple fix of continuing his medicine as is and staying on formula for a bit longer. (Most babies outgrow acid reflux by the time they are a year old, but the GI doctor has decided it is best to keep him on the medicine until he is two. We are also keeping him on 50% formula for a while after he turns a year, rather than switching to regular whole milk.)

He eats a lot of normal food too. For the most part, baby food is the thing of Grayson's past, and he basically eats whatever we eat. Currently, he LOVES grilled cheese, turkey, anything spicy, and cheese. Last week he weighed in at just over 19 pounds, and he was only 28 inches tall, so he is still a bit smaller than Griffin was at his age. But once again, that means he is able to wear more of Griffin's old clothes!

Grayson absolutely ADORES his big brother and simply can't get enough of him. Griffin is, by far, the one who gets him to laugh the most. Sleeping is still a little inconsistent, but there have been more and more nights of 10-12 hours of straight sleeping. PRAISE GOD!

Bleesings to you, our littlest one, our baby!

I bet...

you wish you could spend your days off with these two fine young gentlemen!

$16.52

This was the cost of food for Brandon and me this week. Amazing, right? And the final price had nothing to do with coupons. Intrigued?

Check out http://www.eaglebrookchurch.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=98777

As we embark on this challenge, I am excited for what God has in store. I look forward to having a deeper appreciation for how blessed I am. Am I looking forward to having such tasty food leave me with a growling stomach all week? Not really. Am I looking forward to sharing our stories with those around us. Of course.

Micah 6:8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Happy Half-Birthday, Griffin!

On Thursday, my first-born turned 3.5 years old. We celebrated with his favorite treat---sprinkle cookies from Target. Sometimes I can't believe he is only three. Other times, I can't believe he is already three and a half. Time flies!

As I have said before, Griffin is the best big brother one could ever ask for. He is a big help with entertaining Grayson, and he is always right by his side the minute he starts to fuss or cry. He does like to rough house a little t0o rough every now and again, but hey, he is a boy! He continues to LOVE reading, which is just fine by me. Currently, his favorite book is Dinosaurs Love Underpants. We found that he learns letters best by association. As of late, he knows the letter G because of Griffin, E for Ellie, H for Henry, S for Samuel, N for No, and D for Dinosaur. He is also really into sports! If we let him play more often, I think our house would be destroyed by his bat and his ball!

Cheers, little man! We love you:)

I will walk five hundred miles...

(Please disregard my lack of camera skills!)

Saturday Fun

The kids and I, along with Missy and Bel, visited the Children’s Museum on Saturday. Griffin was counting down the days because they now have a pretty neat dinosaur exhibit. Of course I was not surprised to see that his favorite part was playing with the figurine dinos. (As if he doesn’t have enough of those at home!) What I liked best was seeing Grayson explore his surroundings. For the first time, he was able to play, crawl, and stand in the Toddler area. I think you will agree that he thoroughly enjoyed the water table as well! We are so thankful for the year long membership from Grandma Laurie!

It's official...

I am going back to school! Well, once I get accepted, anyway!

After researching different doctoral programs, Bethel University seems to be the program that appears to almost be tailor made for me. In addition to getting my Educational Doctorate, I will also receive a Post-Secondary Teaching Certificate. In essence, 20 credits of my 61 credit program are designed to prepare me to teach adult learners. Considering my career goal is to one day be a professor and work with pre-service teachers, this is exactly what I need! I am also intrigued by the fact that about half the classes are taken online through Blackboard or Moodle. I believe we are in a transitional phase with technology and education, and I am psyched to be a part of online classrooms. Furthermore, Bethel provides me a program that develops both my academic career and my faith walk. I am thrilled to be a part of a cohort where all my fellow students and professors share my same values and beliefs.

I know, I might be a bit crazy, but I truly think the timing is right. After speaking with many people with older kids, their advice was to go back to school now. The longer I wait, the harder it will be for many reasons. First off, Griffin and Grayson still nap during the day, and they also go to bed at a relatively early hour. This gives me time to do homework without having to disrupt their day, and it minimizes the amount of times I have to say, “Not now honey, Mommy has to do some homework.” I also don’t have to worry too much about their extra activities. Currently, Griffin is signed up for some sort of activity one day a week. When he and Grayson get older, they will conceivably have many more commitments. I would hate to miss a tennis match, football game, etc. because I had class. Because my program will take about four years to complete, I need to start NOW! So, wish me luck. While I am excited, I am also a bit nervous. I am not naïve; I know this will be time consuming and difficult. Starting next month poses challenges with child care because we are still in the middle of tax season, and I know there will be times that I have to sacrifice spending time with Brandon and the kids. But, I am confident that one day I will be a professor, and this is the path that leads me there.