Papa and Grandma Visit Part 1

Well, this will probably be picture overload, but that seems to be my style lately. I just get it all done at once! I have decided to be more purposeful in life (very long story) and I would like to get back on track with blogging. Do more craft/project posts, photography posts, and family updates. I feel so behind in everything that my attitude is "why even try?" I start one thing and get interrupted and then start another. My brain has never been so forgetful or ...i guess just gone! Not sure if it has to do with the third child, but I know life has changed and I need to catch back up. I haven't been the friend, or family-member that I need or want to be. I get frustrated at myself for not doing something and once I remember it I still don't get it done! AHHHH! Anyways...long rant. I have a great post about idols, and what has been put on my heart lately from the Lord. To sum that up in two words is...shaken foundation. God is good, all the time:-)

So back to the title of the post! My parents came to visit, and as the boys get older and older it is so fun to see them so excited for family to come out. They got in later one evening and poor Everett just couldn't stay up! Cutie pie though, did let me hold him and snuggle while we all waited. Once the g-parents got here, Logan was a non-stop chatter box. I have NEVER heard him talk so fast and so much! It was so fun to hear what he thought was important enough to tell them. Oh...and Everett is "my (Logan's) Everett" when Logan refers to Everett.

Here are a few shots of Papa and the boys. They did LOTS of wrestling and block playing. Even got on his iPad a few times.

Went out and about on base and around town. My mom wanted to get some pictures near the jets on our nearby base. I don't believe this is one that flies 200 ft above our house. (not exaggerating)

Papa and his newest Grandson (soon he won't be! YEA Jilly!)

Grandma and her little man. He LOVED to cuddle with her and just sit in her lap. He was perfectly happy and spoiled rotten with her here!

We went to the beach! It was pretty good yet warm weather while they were here and of course we had to make a trip to the beach. We decided the bay since the waves would be smaller and the boys had a blast. I even got in the water this time, and got some sun!

Here is Everett after being fed...content and playing in the shade!

Me and my three sons. I am proud to have such handsome and fun boys. I can't WAIT to see who Everett will be and how he will fit right in with the older boys. What an adventure we will have!

Quick nap

Going for a dip!

Got his floaties on...he actually ended up swimming around. I was so proud of him!

The sun brought my freckles out...oh boy! I hope my boys don't get this little gene of mine!

Logan swimming out to Dad and Austin

All Austin wanted to do...swim and be spun around. Thank God for Grandparents!

This was funny because Austin was muttering "Cheese" under his breath the whole time he was shivering.

We wore him out! Nothing sweeter than seeing his face in a deep sleep. I just want to eat him up!

Even Everett got sand on him.

Stay tuned for more! We went blackberry picking, played in a fountain, and hung out in the house!

A little bit of E...

I can't believe how long its been since I updated! Yikes! We have been busy with family, landscaping, and just every day life. Here are some photos until I get some more up!!

Everett loves bath time and has always calmed him down from about a month old and on. Here I was giving all three boys a bath at once, so he got an extra long soak.

I love LOVE LOVE to kiss Everett's cheeks! They are so squishy, tastey, and smell sooo good! I love my little man! I tried Rice Cereal tonight on the eve of his 4 month birthday, and found out he is just not ready for it! I think I will keep him a baby as long as possible:-)

Dreaming of our Deck!

Mike and I have recently been dreaming of re-doing our deck. This is after we have had several branches fall on a section of it, breaking the railing. We had decided to tear down more than half of it and leave a section of it by our back door, while gardening and sodding the area that we are taking off. So...the part that we are keeping we are trying to decided what to do with it!

We could either stain it or paint it and even though we LOVE the stained look, because the wood isn't the best and is fairly worn, we will be painting it! But not just any old paint decor:-) We were thinking of painting it some brown/orange/red tones that will match the brick from the front yard and the brick that we are also bringing in the back yard when we garden the new area. We want to chose about two or three colors and paint the planks shown similar to the photo below. I have fallen in love with the painted look and all the great designs we can do! These are a few photos that I have enjoyed looking at:-)

We are also thinking of painting a "rug" of some sorts! Probably a deep red and yellow stripped or square design with perhaps some antique stenciling that I have! So excited!

Perhaps in our new corner without the deck and our large tree we can hook up a hammock! Doesn't that look cozy to you?!

This is something I would also like to do; set up a bird-house collage on our fence. I have seen many different beautiful birds and we can create as a family some beautiful birdhouses! Either bright colors like this or maybe some white-washed distressed bird-houses?

What does your dream deck look like?

My independent man

I kinda knew from the beginning that Austin, our middle boy who is almost 2 1/2, would have to grow up sooner than "normal". From the start he was forced, in a way, to self soothe, to be on his own, and keep up with his older brother. With Daddy being gone from 6 weeks old to 8 months and again from 1 1/2 to 2 years old, he has had to be more "mature" as I needed him to be. (As mature as a 2 year old could be:-) These past few months he has shown me a glimpse of what life may be like with him in the future. He tries to do things by himself so much and just tries and tries until he succeeds. For example, I have countless times found him on the toilet trying to go potty (diaper off and kiddie seat on) instead of napping, trying to brush his teeth, buckling and unbuckling himself, getting crayons out of a difficult cupboard and setting up a place to color, etc. He has a very spirited personality, yet a sweet and cuddly one when he wants. I love that he still wants to cuddle in the morning and I will gladly sit on the couch with him for 20 minutes scratching his back while he wakes up.

With him being the middle child I don't want him to grow up any faster or feel that he has to do everything on his own. I vow to spend extra time and attention to him since I feel that he will need it. He has no fear with many things such as bugs, heights, food, dirt, and water just to name a few. I often think about what the "no fear" mentality will be in the future and of course think of the awful things that could come of it. I pray that he comes to know the Lord because with his attractive personality he would be an awesome ambassador for Christ. Anyways, I love my little Austin and wish sometimes I could go back to when he was a baby and soak up more of the sweet time with him. I realize with Everett that they grow up so fast and am trying to take it all in ssslllloooowwwwllllyyyy. I love Austin's little face and I couldn't get enough of it this morning, so I thought I would share it:-)

(the middle picture is before his recent hair cut, the others are of his bed hair...NOT the haircut)

ps, while I wrote this, his mischievous or curious side (that comes out a lot) had him putting his yogurt from his bowl to his plate. Now he has yogurt toast.