Trip to Peoria, IL Part 2:)

I had a blast in Peoria to say the least, but most of all, it was such an honor to spend some of the most precious first few moments with Britney, Braden and their newest addition Mason(their first).  What a beautiful baby boy!  Seriously, one, if not the cutest newborns I have EVER seen:)  It was so special to be able to watch someone else in those "fresh" new stages of parenthood, and motherhood.  I have to say it was such a great perspective for me to gain, being on the "outside" this time, looking in.  Normally, it would have been me, on the inside, struggling to find an out.  I will forever be grateful for this trip, as it made me realize how supportive our families can be for one another, and how important sacrifice is within those families.  I loved watching Britney spend almost every minute dedicating herself to Mason.  As it seemed for me in my first few moments with my boys, I stressed about other things, that caused me to fail to recognize some of these tender moments in the beginning.  But Britney, she took in EVERY moment.  I am so proud of her, and I have ALWAYS known she would be THAT kind of mother, the one that sacrificed everything, the one who loved unconditionally, who found joy amidst trial, who found hope when their was doubt, who gave everything SHE had to fulfil the happiness of others, even if it meant sacrificing some of her own.  I love you Britney, and cannot wait to watch you grow and bloom to become the mother you have always been, I have already learned so much from you!  Thank you:)

It was also very special to spend some quality time with my own Mother.  Yet, another beautiful example of sacrifice.  I love HER so much!  Normally it would have been her helping me, and watching me struggle, and this time it was her watching my sister.  I learned a lot by watching, and noticing the small yet simple things that make my mother who she is.  She has more energy than I do!  I kept wondering where all her energy came from.  Then I thought of something, as a parent, you always want your children to succeed, you want them to be better, you want them to laugh & experience joy, and because of this, you will DO anything for them.  They are YOUR babies.  Its the fresh and early moments that we as mothers have with our children that make and give us the energy later on to sacrifice for them.  So dear Mother, thank you for teaching me also about love, and sacrifice, for I know it will be something I learn time and time again, over and over.  It was a pleasure being with you this past week, and I hope we can do it again sometime:) 

Trip to Peoria, IL Part 1

MR. G

I am seriously in LOVE with these pictures I was able to snag of Merrick today!  First off, they were SO easy!  He just sat there!!!  This was the first time I had ever  "sat" him in grass all by himself.  Everytime his hands touched the grass, he made a really funny expression on his face...like "what the....?"  I had to physically put him on all fours to get him to crawl in the grass, but he was such a trooper!  Merrick is now officially mobile all on his own, crawling, even starting to attempt pulling himself up on a few things!  He is such an easy baby!  I was telling my mother earlier, that time has literally FLOWN by with this boy, it almost makes me sad!!!  But every new thing with him has been a joy to discover and watch.  He is now a little over 7 months old, weighing in at 19 lbs.  He has said both "mama" and "dada."  He jibber jabbers in the mornings, and is still sleeping solidly and soundly through the night.  He wakes up happy every time:)  His cheeks are my favorite, especially when he smiles.  HE IS A TERRIBLE EATER FROM THE SPOON, and the MESSIEST!  But definitely the most HAPPY TERRIBLE MESSY EATER:)  We are still working on that one....Overall, he is great, and time is going by too fast!

The Secret Garden

My brother Brian and I had the opportunity to be in a local production called "The Secret Garden."  We were performing at the Regional Theater of the Palouse(RTOP).  Our closing performance was this last Sunday afternoon, and I have got to say I am already missing it!  I am hoping for our cast party I can snag a few more photos of the rest of the cast!  I was only able to get a few here and there.  But here they are!  Brian played the part of Dickon(Martha's Brother), and I was Martha(Mary's Maid).  We met so many wonderful people, and made new friends, and really came to have a great love for the entire cast!  We love you all, and more than anything want to thank our families for being so supportive these past 7 weeks, we could not have done it without you!