eight already!!

how is it that my first baby, my only little boy, my chubbiest of them all, my non-stop chatter box of a kid is already eight? i wish i could push the pause button on all this growing up business. make it stop. make it slow down for just a year or two so i can soak up every last dirt smudged smile, every snorty belly laugh, every request to cuddle for just a few minutes before bed, every week spent in the same pair of pants, every fantastical lego creature, every thing that tells me he's still my little guy and i still have time to be the mom he deserves. now he's eight and panic is setting in. this milestone of being baptized is such a bitter sweet one for me. how wonderful that my son has chosen to follow the Lord and has promised to try his best to serve Him and be like Him. but this is the crossing over mark, in my mind, from a little boy to a boy on his way to becoming a young man. so strange, and exciting, and scary. this boy, my max, is such a loving, happy, caring, thoughtful and good little person, in spite of my faults in raising him. i look at him and wonder at the miracle that he is so full of goodness and light and joy, that he is infinitely better than i ever taught him to be, that he is too good for me but still i have been blessed to call him mine. we love you max and are grateful for the light and joy you bring to us every day.









max was baptized on the fourth of july, and what a celebration we had. too bad he snuck off with his cousins and i didn't get a picture of him the rest of the day.




thanks so much, mike, for all of the pictures.

ahhhhhhh, stanley

sometimes there's nothing better, or more needed, than a few days at the lake, in the mountains, on the beach. so refreshing and relaxing. that's what stanley is for us, if you can disregard the barf episode on the drive there (nothing like starting a camping trip with dirty clothes), the low 30s temperatures at night and the swarming mosquitos. and we will disregard
cause' this is STANLEY BABY!!!!

reading my mind (except better)

i don't know how erica does it but i swear she's exactly. spot. on.
(every single time)

it's spring time

and chocolate and jelly bean drip time.
this one's for all the grandmas out there.
let's hear it now - aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwww





















did you notice the head bands? yeah, i thought i was pretty clever.
happy spring!

row your boat

whitney singing

woe woe woe
your boat
gently down the stream
mer - lee
mer - lee
mer - lee
mer - lee
life is a BUTT dream ... life is a BUTT dream!

bet you can't guess her favorite part of the song.

style quiz

took the style quiz at sproost.com and was characterized as 50% vintage modern. DUH! anything that says flea market, thrift store or garage sale in the description is a winner. also 25% french eclectic and 25% contemporary. i don't know, but i LOVE this room. what's your style?

a bit of sacrilege

Nik - mom, is it impossible for people to fly?
Me - no. people fly all the time. in planes and hang gliders and...
Nik - no! i mean with nothing at all.
Me - yeah. it's impossible, unless someone throws you really far.
Max - no. Jesus can fly.
Me - yeah, but that doesn't count. Jesus can do anything.
Nik - yeah, like the full splits.