41st Wedding Anniversary!

My parents are celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary next Monday, and we are honoring them with a dinner on Saturday night. (We didn't get our act together last year because Isaac had just been born!) Hopefully it will be a really fun, special time with all our family and friends. My parents started dating when they were 14, so it's actually been a LOT longer than 40 years together. They have really been an example of marriage to us and are still totally in love. I had to include their junior prom picture! :)

Long Time Coming

We've had a busy 6 1/2 months since I last posted. Sadly, Facebook gets much more attention than our family blog. This great lapse in time does not mean I haven't had a lot on my mind as a mommy! I love these active, talkative (yes, both of them!), funny boys more than words can even express. I never dreamed I would enjoy motherhood this much. It is such a privilege to spend every day with these boys who will become men before I know it! They are always making me smile & laugh...but I have my fair share of frustration moments, too. I truly enjoy watching them grow and change. I must say I have a whole new appreciation for my mother who was home with us while Dad worked very hard and long hours...it's very rare that Dennis gets to see the boys before bedtime.
We have had a lot of time with family since I last wrote. Time with grandparents (great-grands for the boys) was especially wonderful. We spent several days at Thanksgiving at my grandparents' house in Otto, NC...they fed us so much good food and took such great care of us. Amazing to feel that from your grandparents in their 90s! I think I was really struck by how full their lives have been, and all that they have lived through together--the Great Depression, WWII, and so on. And to imagine being married for 60+ years! With their great perspective on life comes a sense of humor and thankfulness that really inspires me. We also got to visit Dennis' grandpa in San Francisco, which was special because Isaac is named after him. Watching Dennis look at and interact with Grandpa was very touching--I know Dennis could still see glimpses of the Grandpa he grew up with in the frail man before us. We have a lot to learn from this older generation.

"Happy Independence Day, Daddy!"

 
 
 
Dennis taught Ethan to say "Happy Independence Day" and it was so adorable. We had a wonderful day in Augusta with family...grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, great-grandparents...the boys got plenty of attention! We even made a trip over to the Woodbridge Pool where I spent many summer days growing up. Mom and Dad's church had a service and bar-b-que. It was touching to see my grandfather honored for his service in WWII and to hear all of the patriotic music--really makes me thankful to live in such an amazing country that is worthy of fighting for.

Happy Retirement, Frances!

 
 
 
Frances started working for my family before I was born, and she has always been part of my life. I am thankful for her presence in my life for many reasons. For starters, she provided love that was different from what I received from my parents (she didn't HAVE to love me, yet she did!), she was the most dependable and reliable person I've ever known (she missed 3 days of work in 32 years!), and she tells it like it is. She is truly a part of our family.
As the four "kids" (Catie, Chad, Matt, and I) pondered this big event, it felt like the end of an era. We are officially grown up if Frances is no longer at 3 Pine Hill Ct. on Thursdays! We had a wonderful time last weekend with all of her kids, plus some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. What a unique opportunity to celebrate Frances! Thank you, Frances, for all the years you spent with us and for making us feel like your own.

Hair Cuts

 
 
 
Isaac needed his first hair cut a bit earlier than Ethan! The two boys had a great time getting trimmed up last week. They look great...always look older to me, which makes me sad...but definitely an improvement!

What do I do all day?

Sometimes I wonder myself. I try to stimulate my boys as much as possible, keep our house mostly clean, and take care of everyone--including Rocky. Some days I don't know what I've done other than feed and diaper everyone...but most of the time we have some fun activities planned! Whether it's music class, time with the cousins, going to the library, walking around the neighborhood, or running errands with mommy...we have a good time! The pool just opened, so we can add that to our summer repertoire.
Isaac has some new tricks (and so does Ethan--he can now do a somersault!) and we call this his push up time. He loves to look at the world by lifting his own head! We also will spend quality time in our new jogger stroller--my wonderful birthday gift!

 
 
 

Mother's Day...good work boys

I tried really hard to get both boys to cooperate for a photo shoot this afternoon. I think the pictures are pretty hilarious, if not framable! Enjoy!!! (notice: no babies were injured during photo shoot!)