Letters to my two {7 months & 33 months}

Dear Cope,
You are 7 months old today!

You have 2 teeth that are fully in on the bottom. You are sitting unassisted for a little while, then you topple over! You are eating a variety of baby foods. Here is the one that makes mama sad-you officially nursed for the last time the night of July 20. You were ready. I was not. You laugh all of the time. Everyone always comments on your smile and your size. And your beautiful blue eyes.

Teething threw your sleeping off for a while. That's scary for me, because we still have a lot more teeth to go! I left you in your boppy seat (the pink seat) a few mornings ago and ran outside to throw something away. When I got back inside, you were out of the seat, and half way across the room. You also had a nice red spot on your head. Did I feel like a bad mama? Yes, I'd say so. You were still just a smilin' though when I picked you up. You went to the doctor for your 6 month checkup and you went another time for the croup and an ear infection. Sweet boy, you never cried once to let us know your ear hurt. And the doctor said it was pretty infected. We just took you in for your cough and discovered your ear too.

You weigh 20 pounds! No need for me to lift weights..I get a major workout daily with you. When you are in your car seat, oh my word. I tend to get flustered getting it in and out of my car. I have to stand on the running boards(?) and lift you out. In this lovely 100 degree heat! I've started just leaving the seat in and getting you out.

I was at the hospital today holding sweet 2 day old Marion MaDan. I looked over at you so big in your stroller and thought to myself how fast 7 months have gone by. It seems like just yesterday that I was the one in the hospital bed soaking in the newness of you. Thank you, sweet boy for making the past 7 months so much fun for us! I love you!
Love, Mama

Dear Simms,

You will be 33 months tomorrow! We are getting close to your 3rd birthday. You have kept us busy, busy this summer. We are literally non-stop from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed (which is always late). Most days I get lucky and you decide you need a little break and will nap for about an hour and a half. You and I were away from each other for 5 days while daddy was in El Salvador. You were such a big girl. Mama never was good about going away from home for even one night. I was so proud of you, but missed you more than you know! You are growing up so fast right before our eyes. Your vocabulary amazes me. You love to talk and to read. You love getting your book in the mail each month. You always ask if you got an envelope in the mailbox. I realized the other day when we were waiting in the customer lounge at the Toyota place that you have reached the stage of saying whatever, wherever. I was looking at People magazine, and you saw a girl in a bikini, and yelled, "look at that booby holder mama." Mortified, yes! Biting my lip as not to laugh, yes! Looking down so I didn't meet eyes with all of the men around, yes! We love you. You are full of life, energy, jokes and funny faces. You are precious to us! How much fun you are at this stage-always something new you are discovering and we love being your parents and watching it happen! I only wish you'd stay still and let me take your picture. I don't blame you. Daddy runs when he sees me with the camera too! That explains why there is only 1 picture of you. I love you!
Love, Mama

Thankful...

That my husband and their daddy is coming home tomorrow.



That he has such a kind, giving, selfless heart.

For the best mother-in-law in the world. Who graciously took Simms for 5 days. I'm not even gonna act like I could have pulled this off without that generosity. Mothering 2 children is hard anyway. But being a single mama with a baby and a toddler for 8 days, well, I'm just glad we didn't have to go there! Thank you Mrs. Lil! Simms enjoyed her time with you and Papa Doc so much! I am so blessed to have them as my in-laws.



For MY mother and brother who have alternated staying with me while Dru has been gone, because I'm scary like that, and won't stay alone (Cope doesn't count).

For this sweet time with Cope. I have no words for how much I love our baby boy.
Check out those shoes. Had to protect those feet from splinters. And can you see how much he looks like Dru? Wow.

For having Simms back- with all the chaos that it brings with 2. This is exactly how my life was meant to be. I love her so!


For the Lord's protection and guidance over this group as they have ministered in Ahuachapan, El Salvador. They have added on to churches, taught VBS, got a thrift shop up and running and many other things. From what I've been told, they can't wait to go back. I've heard amazing stories. Dru is requesting that Simms and I go back with him. Cope may be a little young for those vaccines. I was supposed to be on this trip. I have a plane ticket just sitting here, but couldn't be properly vaccinated due to nursing.


I can't wait for Wednesday!
And one more of those hilarious shoes:

We Love Lake Martin!

We just returned home today from 9 glorious days at the lake! It was perfect-the weather, time with family, food, fireworks. I hated to come home! Here are some pictures to recap our trip! We are so lucky Dru's parents have such a great place to go to and that they are always waiting with open arms for us to come and camp out at the lake for as long as we want!
We spent LOTS of time in the water!


And LOTS of time BY the water!

We took boat rides daily.

Enjoying lunch at Chuck's!


Simms tubed for the first time! She got thrown off but Aunt Becca kept her above water! Luckily I didn't see it happen! I just saw Becca's arms in the air holding Simms up! She got back on!


We celebrated the Fourth of July!




We went to a fun party to celebrate the Fourth with the ice cream truck and a bouncy house! Simms was thrilled!






The cousins wore matching outfits! And looked SO cute!





We had a GREAT time and ended the weekend with fun friends coming up to join us for a few days! And please keep Dru in your prayers (and the rest of the group on his mission team) as he leaves for a mission trip to El Salvador Wednesday!

Letters to my two {6 months & 32 months}

Dear Cope,
You are 6 months old today! Its hard to believe it was half a year ago that we looked into those blue eyes of yours for the first time. It still melts my heart each time. The past 6 months can be summed up by saying they have been full of joy. You have added so much to this family. We love you deeply and I am so very thankful to be experiencing this love between a mama and her son. It is a strong, sweet love. You are a precious baby boy. Full of rolls, giggles and adorable snorts.
Dimply hands.

Fat feet.

Sparkly blue eyes and blonde hair.

A gummy smile with 2 precious teeth that have bothered you quite a bit.
Loving your sister so much and your daddy too! Selfishly I love that you mostly prefer me though! The days are just passing us by. I cannot believe how fast 6 months have gone by. We love you Bubby!

Dear Simms,
2 years and 8 months tomorrow. Thank you for being the little girl that you are. I will definitely say this year since you've been 2 has been a hard one for us. There were lots of changes in your little life and I don't know that I always did my best in preparing you for them, but we've turned the corner! You love being a big sister. This one took a while. You are very independent.

We are starting to see a sensitive side in you that we haven't seen before. It breaks my heart to see you poke that lip out when your feelings have been hurt. You went to VBS this year. That was kinda hard for me- it was a true example of how fast you are growing up. You help me out so much. You are full of imagination and your newest thing is wanting to play mommy and Simms. I'm of course Simms and you are mommy. We play this a lot. When you say "Amen" after the blessing or your prayers, daddy and I have started noticing you are saying "all the men."

You love to draw. We cover the table in drawing paper now so that you always have a place to go to when you feel like drawing. Your first masterpiece {in your mama's opinion} was a strawberry:

You don't like to give lots of kisses, and when we kiss you usually wipe it off and say, "no. Just a little bits." These "little bits" are you putting our face in your hands and giving us an ever so soft kiss on each side of our cheeks.
I don't ever want to forget that you do that. Its precious. We love you Simms.

Loving Sweet Potatoes...

Cope started sweet potatoes today! He loved them. Ate them all up. But if you get a good look at him, it isn't surprising! This sweet boy LOVES to eat. Nursing, bottles, oatmeal, and now sweet potatoes! If it's providing some nourishment he's all about it, no matter what form it is coming to him in!

He looks excited, doesn't he? I'd been playing this meal up all day!

First taste..Yum!?!?

I'll have some more please Mama....

Thank you, please. (As Simms would say)

Now I just need something to wash it down with!

I guess formula will be fine.

Ahhhhh. Thanks Mama!

Simms loved watching the mess this made, but looked at me several times like I should be doing something to stop it! She and her Daddy are just alike with their OCD tendencies. I've learned to accept AND love those tendencies ;-).