Fun in the sun!

Gary had to go out of town to his yearly Leadership Conference, and was going to be gone for a full week this time. Last year, Mom, Mitch, and I went to Memphis to see Josh while Gary was gone. This year, Josh wasn't going to be there, so we went to the beach instead. Saturday morning, Mom, Mitch, Jake, and I loaded in Mom's car and drove to Seagrove Beach, Fl (about 20 miles from Destin). I do mean LOADED, too! It's amazing what all you have to pack for 5 nights with a 3 year old and a 7 month old! We had a really good time, and I can't wait to go back with the whole family!

Mitch, Jake, and me getting ready to go down to the beach...Jake's first time down.

Jake in the sand. I didn't really know what to expect, but he dug right in. He did great, until Mitch decided it would be a good idea to throw sand at him. Then he was done!

Here's Jake and me late one afternoon on the beach. He was so sweet. He would just lay his little head down on my shoulder and snuggle. He really doesn't like the bright sun!

What a difference two years makes. The last time Mitch went to the beach was two years ago. He hated the sand so much he would not touch it. It turned out to be a great thing, actually. We put out a blanket and he wouldn't get off of it. Great babysitter. This year, he loved it!

He had his dump truck, shovels, and boats, and had a great time playing! One of his favorite things to do was dig the sand and throw it in the ocean.

Jake and Mitch both had a great time in the pool. Mitch has turned into quite the little fish. At the beginning of last year, he wouldn't even get in the pool. At the beginning of this year, he would get in, but wouldn't go under water. I got him this little $0.99 intertube, and it has been the best thing. He just holds onto it and jumps in the water, lets me throw him around, swims all over the pool. He loves the freedom it gives him. I got Jake this little float before we went on vacation. This was his first time in it, and he loved it. I couldn't believe how much that baby loved the water. He would just kick and kick and grin and laugh. It was the best! I am so glad we got to go.

Here's a picture of Mimi, Jake, and Mitch in the pool at the condo. I'm so glad Mimi was there to play with all of us!

My friend and neighbor, Amy, is the one who suggested Seagrove Beach. She was there that week, too, with her kids. She has Thomas, who is Mitch's age, and they are good friends. She also has Robert, who is 7 weeks older than Jake, and I'm sure they will be good friends, too.

Here are Mitch and Thomas playing on the beach with their noodles.

Amy and I got to out to dinner one night without kids. Our moms kept out kids for us. It was a real treat! Here we are getting ready to go out.

I'll miss you, Christy!

One of my best friends, Christy, is leaving me! I met Christy shortly after we moved into this house at a neighborhood Christmas party. It was a "dirty Santa" gift exchange, and every time I would choose a gift, she would steal it from me. I mean EVERY time! She made the comment at one point after she had stolen yet another gift from me, "Watch, we'll end up being best friends because we have kids the same age." How true that turned out to be! Christy has Kendyl who is Mitch's age, Kaitlyn who is 5, and Luke who is Jake's age. We have been through a lot together in one short year. With both of us having husbands who travel alot, we kept each other sane on many nights by eating dinner together and letting the kids play until bedtime. Well, Mike, Christy's hubby, works for Kellog's and he got a promotion...so they are moving to Michigan for his job. I always knew it was only a matter of time, but I never realized how hard it would be when the time came. The moving truck left today. Luckily, they have about 3 weeks before they close on the house they are moving into, so she is only going to her parents (about an hour away) until then. We are still taking one more trip together before they go for good, and I am so thankful for that! I'll miss you and your whole family so much, Christy! I love you all!

Gary finally wore me down!

Those of you who know Gary, know that he has been working on me for years (literally) trying to talk me into getting a boat. He finally wore me down. We got a pontoon boat last week. I forgot to take a picture of it before he took it to the Boat House, but I'll post one after this weekend. Although I wasn't exactly an advocate for it, we are all really excited and are looking forward to taking it out this weekend. We went out of town right after we got it, so we haven't even had it out yet. We did sit on it in the driveway for a little while, if that counts! :) Mitch got a new life jacket today, and all of the other kids already had theirs, so we are all set now! Check back for pics later!

On the Lake

Our friends, Jeff and Erin, invited our whole crew out the lake with them on Sunday, and we had a blast! They just bought a new Cabin Cruiser this year, and we were livin' it up! :) We took our Jet Ski and our "tube" out. The kids had a great time playing, while the adults got to "chill out" and visit for a while. My mom kept Jake so I could relax, too. It was really a treat!


Jack got his license last summer to drive the Jet Ski (you have to 12), so he and Alex were able to go play on it and Gary didn't have to drive them all over the lake. I'm not sure if Jack or Gary enjoyed that more! Jack, Alex, and Mitch all went "tubing"! I couldn't believe Mitch did it. Mitch also rode the Jet Ski, but he would only ride with Erin!

Mitch and Megan (Jeff and Erin's 6 year old daughter) hanging out on the boat

Mitch and Megan "driving" the Jet Ski... Don't worry, it was tied up to the both and they were just pretending! :)

I love this one...It's all of the boys playing together! Mitch was just getting ready to "tube" for his first time ever!

That is what I call good timing. Erin was taking a picture of Mitch, Megan and Alex on the Jet Ski (again...tied up), and Jack jumped into the picture just in time!
Oh...and funny story... Gary is talking about buying a pontoon boat, so when we got back to the dock, I was pointing out the pontoon boats to Mitch and telling him, "If we get a boat, that's the kind we are going to get." That night while I was bathing him I asked him if he wanted to get a boat, and he said "no". Of course, I asked him why not. His response..."Cause it will be a bad boat." Yep...one day on the lake in a Cabin Cruiser and he's already too good to ride on anything else! Boy does he have a lot to learn! :)

Working Hard

The men in my family (which would be everyone except me) have been working hard on the outside of our house lately. Memorial Day weekend, Gary planted lots of flowers and shrubs in our back bed (which was completely empty) and several in the front also.

Here's what he did in the back...

At the time, he was planning on mulching the next week (which was last weekend), but when the weekend rolled around, he wasn't really up to it. I had pointed out to him that if he didn't do it then, he wouldn't have Jack to help him. Saturday, I had a baby shower to go to, and when I came home there was a load mulch dumped in our driveway and all the guys (except Jake) were shovelling mulch! I'm sure Jack loved me for that one! Jack, Alex, Gary, and even Mitch worked all day on that mulch! It looks great, but Gary swears next year, the most work he is doing on mulch is writing a check!

Here are the "after" pictures...

7 months!

Can you believe Jake is 7 months old already? My baby is growing up so fast!

He got his first tooth 2 weeks ago. I didn't even know it was coming in until I stuck my finger in his mouth to check things out, and it was already there! I think he's working hard on that second front bottom tooth, too!

He's VERY close to crawling. He has gone from rolling everywhere he wants to go to scooting. He looks like a little frog... it's so funny! He get his knees up underneath him, but doesn't quite get his whole upper body off the ground, and pushes forward. He's pretty darn quick at it, too! Mitch has discovered the hard way that he can't leave his things laying in the floor anymore. That, by the way, is an unexpected advantage to Jake crawling. :)

He still isn't really sitting up very well, though. He can, he just doesn't like to. That would require that he be relatively still, and Jake wants no part of that! He also puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. Jack says, "Jake is the reason people put the 'not for children under 3' label on everything!"

He loves his brothers! They start talking to him, and he just grins all over himself and kicks and squirms everywhere! He wants so bad to play with them. He still loves his jumpers...the doorway jumper and the Jumperoo...and his Exersaucer (which he also uses like a jumper).

He is around 19 pounds now, and it is time to get him out of the infant carrier (2 months sooner than we moved Mitch out of it). I think we may go this weekend and get a new car seat. Of course, poor Jake will probably get the one Mitch is in now, and we'll get a new one for Mitch, since Mitch is about to outgrow his, too. I guess that will be the story of Jake's life with 3 older brothers, huh?

He LOVES to be kissed! I can't seem to keep away from those chubby little cheeks...they are just so kissable! I guess he didn't have a choice but to learn to love it! Oh...and he still sticks his tongue out all the time!

He is just the happiest little guy...it is soooo awesome!

Here are some recent pics of him...I love that red hair! :)

Zoo Days

I'm still in catch up mode, but I'll do my best to get caught up soon. We have been busy these last few weeks!

A couple of weeks ago, several of us from the neighborhood took the kids to the zoo. With 5 moms, we had 11 kids! By the way, only 3 of the 11 were girls! Here's a couple of pictures Christy took. I, of course, forgot and left my camera in the car.

Mitch loved the elephants and the giraffes, once he figured out they couldn't get to him! One of the elephants was throwing mud and hit Mitch right between the eyes!

We had our own little stroller caravan going! Check Jake out...he's just hangin' out!

Our trip to The Aquarium

Me, Mimi (my mom), Jack, Mitch and Jake all went to The Aquarium in Chattanooga last week. It was the first time we had been, and it was really neat. Poor Jake was just along for the ride, but Mitch really enjoyed it, and Jack had a pretty good time, too. Here are some pics from our trip.

This "wall" was outside the Aquarium. It's steeper and harder to climb than it looks...I didn't make it!

I love this picture of the boys. Where did Mitch learn to stand like a little model...and if Jake had hair, I'd swear Jack was pulling him up by it! :)

Mimi getting some good Jake lovin'. I'm not quite sure what is wrong with Jack...headache maybe? (Have I mentioned that Mitch never stops talking? I wonder where he gets that!) Mitch was having a blast in the rocker!

The penguins were really cool! Mitch's favorite part? One of them pooped in the water right in front of him! Gotta love those boys! :)

Good ol' brotherly love!

Is this not the sweetest picture!!!

I love this picture of me and the boys. I remember when I could rest my arm on Jack (his shoulder anyway), and now he's taller than me...just barely though!

I'm not sure who's enjoying this more...Mimi or Jake!

There was a little man-made "creek" outside the Aquarium, and Mitch wanted to get it in. He had so much fun wading in the water and getting his shorts wet. Fortunately, I brought a change of clothes.

By the way, in case you are wondering...No, we haven't disowned Alex. He just chose not to go since Gary wasn't able to go with us (he had to work). Maybe next time...

Finger Painting

Mitch got a picnic table from Pa (my dad) for his birthday. We put it out on the deck, and he can make as big of a mess as he wants to out there. He finger paints, water colors, plays with playdo (or maydo as he calls it)... He loves it! For his teacher, Miss Regina, he painted a picture frame with finger paints, and even painted some "wrapping paper" for it. It really turned out cute. He was really proud of it, and couldn't wait to give it to "Miss 'Gina". Here's a picture of the artist at work, and the finished product. And yes...he's a little eccentric like most great artists. He's painting in his underwear!

Dennis the Menace

For some reason, Mitch always ends up needing a change of clothes when he stays at his friends Tabitha's house for any amount of time. This time was no exception. My friend (and neighbor), Cynthia (a.k.a. Tabitha's mom), kept Mitch for me for a couple of hours a few weeks ago. When I got there to pick him up, he was in size 24 month overalls (at least they were boys...last time they were girls) and "going commando". You would think I would learn to pack a change of clothes. After eating pizza for dinner, he looked just like Dennis the Menace, running around in the too short pants and food all over his face with no shoes on. I couldn't look at him without laughing. It's just too cute!

Here's one of Mitch and Tabitha "eating" (I use that term loosely).

I'm not sure which one looks more like a "menace" in this one! :)

So Proud!

I know it's been a while again. I keep trying to wait until I can sit down and catch up on everything, but I am now convinced that time will never come. So, I'll work on it in bits and pieces.

Jack was selected to participate in the Duke TIP program. To qualify for the program, he had to score in the 95th% on the national norms of a standardized achievement test. Once in the program, he was given the opportunity to take the ACT. Keep in mind, he is just in the 7th grade. He scored a 21 on the ACT, and qualified for a special award by doing so. Wow! I was impressed! We're hoping for lots and lots of scholarships by the time he takes it for real! Jack has always worked really hard in school and enjoyed learning, and we are so proud! Here's Jack getting his award (and being way too cool)!

I'm a sucker for my boys

I took Mitch and Jake to have their 3 year (Mitch) and 6 month (Jake) pics today. You cannot even begin to imagine how many pictures I now have! I also got the CD with all of the pictures on it. Here are some of them.

Doctor Updates

It is official now...Jake is a BIG baby! At his 6 month appointment yesterday, he weighed in at 18 lbs, 10 oz! (That is almost 3 pounds heavier that Mitch was at 6 months!) He was 28" long. That puts him in the 75th% for weight and 90th% for height. Dr. Moss said everything looked great. He gave Jake a prescription cream for his Eczema on his face because he is scratching it until it bleeds during the night. That cream is amazing stuff...it cleared up almost completely after ONE DAY! But, the best news all day was... NO HELMET!!! :) Most of you know that this was the visit that we would find out if Dr. Moss thought Jake's flat spot on his head (from the torticollis early on) would round out on its own, or if he would have to suffer through a head shaping helmet. Well, once again, God was sooooo good to us, and it is rounding out on its own, and we don't have to put my sweet, happy baby in a helmet!

Mitch also had his 3 year check-up yesterday. He is such a trooper! He weighed in at 32 lbs and 2 oz. and was around 37-38 inches tall (I think - need to call dr. to confirm that one). He was in the 50th% for both. The nurse had to do a finger prick on him, and he didn't even cry! What a tough little guy! Dr.Moss even said that he has all of the appropriate bruises in all of the right places for a 3 year old little boy (complete with black eye and all)!

Funny story....My mom (Mimi) went with me since I scheduled both boys together, and she had Mitch doing all of the stats stuff while I had Jake. She was telling me later that he did the hearing test and his hearing was great. Mitch, with perfect comedic timing, piped up with, "What you say?"! I just love it! :)

6 Months Old Today!

I can hardly believe it! Jake is already 6 months old, and what a joy he is! He is just the sweetest little guy in the whole world (and I'm not at all biased)! When he smiles, it just melts my heart. I have never seen a sweeter smile. I remember laughing at Mitch's smiles, because he always looked like he was up to something (and still does, by the way)... not Jake!

Let's see...what all can I tell you about him at 6 months? For starters, he's always moving. He can't even sit still to eat. Because of that, I am officially no longer nursing. He nursed for the last time yesterday. Way to go me... exactly 6 months! :) It is really a challenge to get him to finish a bottle, especially if he hears any kind of distraction.

He is also very mobile. He will roll anywhere he wants to go, usually under the coffee table. That seems to be his favorite place these days. He's trying to crawl, and he can manage to scoot a little with a whole lot of effort. Mostly he just looks like he is swimming in place.

He's also a little piggy. He eats cereal and a jar of fruit for breakfast, a veggie for lunch, and a veggie and a fruit for dinner, plus his bottles. And he will let you know it when he is ready to eat!

He's turned into a great napper. He takes about a 2 hour nap in the morning and the afternoon, when we are home. When we are on the go, he catnaps in his carrier all day. He is still a great night-time sleeper also. He goes to sleep around 7pm and wakes up around 7am.

He LOVES to jump! He already has a favorite toy (his giraffe). He smiles every time he hears Mitch's, Jack's or my voice. He's already learning that Mimi's house is a pretty cool place to be. Unfortunately for him, he HATES loud noises! Gary and Mitch growling at each other can send him over the edge. He doesn't like his Bumbo seat. And, finally, he reaches for anything and everything, and puts EVERYTHING in his mouth!

I believe that about covers it. Jake has his 6 month check up and Mitch has his 3 year check up on Friday. I'll let you all know what the doc says about my wild men after their appointments!

We got a grill...

...and all it took was a little potato salad!

Hmmm....I know you are wondering what on earth I am talking about. Well, as many of you already know, our grill died on us last summer. So, Gary being Gary, didn't want to settle for a lesser grill. He wanted one of the mack-daddy grills with the smoker, grill, refrigerator, and kitchen sink...you know what I'm talking about. Since we couldn't get that, he decided to just "wait". You've just gotta love him, though. He took out the gas burner, and made it a charcoal grill! :) Unfortunately, it just wasn't the same. The grill was not vented properly to use as a charcoal grill, so for the entire past year, grilling has been an adventure, to say the least!

This morning when we were talking about what we were going to have for dinner tonight, he said the words I have been waiting to hear, "I wish we had a grill." Yeah!!! What a break through! So, I said, "Just go get one today! If you do, I'll make potato salad while you are gone to get it." Guess what...IT WORKED! We had hamburgers on the grill, and he didn't even use a single curse word! :)

The best part, though, was the box it came in. Jack convinced Mitch to let him put him in the box. Mitch spent the next 30-45 minutes in the box. Some things never change....Kids still prefer boxes to toys! He took his basketball in with him and piled all of the packing cardboard on top of him so we couldn't see him and stayed there forever! Oh...to be so easily entertained!

Foreshadowing?

Hmmm... Don't Josh and Leah just look so natural with Jake? That red hair fits right in! :)

Happy Birthday, Mitch!

If the soccer games wasn't enough excitement, we went straight from the game to Mitch's Birthday Party. I can't believe he is already 3! (Well, he will be tomorrow, anyway.) We had his party at the park, and he had such a great time with all of his friends and family. He spent most of the time playing basketball with Jack and Alex and the other big boys. Papa Jack (Gary's dad) pushed Mitch and Gabe on the swings for a little while, but I don't think he played on the playground at all other than that. Of course, he had a Spiderman cake (for those of you who don't know, he is obsessed with Spiderman)! It was a really cool cake... check it out!

Mitch couldn't wait to sample it. And, of course, Daddy told him it was his cake and he could do what he wanted to! :)

We chose not to open presents at the party. It has been my experience that with this age, that is a nightmare! So, after the party, all of the family came back to our house and Mitch opened his presents. Man, am I glad we didn't do it at the party... It took him HOURS to get through his gifts. He got so many wonderful things (Thank you so much to all of you!), and he had to take out and play with each one before he could move on to the next package.

Uncle Josh and Aunt Leah got him this hard hat and safety goggles!

Gary and I got him the Spiderman bike he has been asking for. I think "Mommy" thought he was a little bigger than he actually is. He shouldn't outgrow this bike anytime soon! :)

First Soccer Game

Mitch had his first soccer game this past Saturday! It was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. Mitch had 14 people there just watch him! We had lots of family in from out of town for his birthday, so they got the added bonus of being able to see his first ever organized sports game. Mitch did great! He was right in the middle of it all the whole time! Of course, there was the required inspection of the grass, also. Luckily, he saved that for when he was "taking a break". He really had a great time, and it was so much fun to watch him. I can't believe how grown he is getting. The game was an hour long, and he got a little tired and a little bored before it was over. Here are some great pictures "Daddy" took at the game. He is much better photographer than I am! (Mitch is Number 4, and that is his buddy, Gabe with the long blond hair)

Someone is going to have to tell Mitch to push the other team, not his teammates! (Nice shot, Daddy!)

Long awaited soccer practice!

Mitch had his first ever "organized" sports practice on Tuesday. I use the word "organized" VERY loosely...we are talking about 3-4 year old kids playing soccer, after all. It was so great! Mitch was all decked out in his soccer cleats, shin guards, and socks, and loving it. For the first 45 minutes of the hour long practice, he had a blast...then he came over to me and said he didn't want to play anymore. He said he was tired (and he probably was - it was a school day). For the life of me, I couldn't get the kid back out there. Mimi was there, so she tried, and that didn't work either. Mimi was really funny. She looked at me and said, "I don't know, Nicole. I never had one like that!" Hmmm.... His buddy, Gabe (Lindsay's son), is on his team, so Lindsay finally told Mitch she didn't think he could kick the ball into the goal. That got him back out there...long enough to kick the ball in the goal and come back. I give! But, hey... what do you do? It was a good effort. I got some funny video and a couple of decent pictures (I was a really bad photographer that day). Here are a few of the pics...

Love those cheeks!

My friend, Lindsay, did a little "photo shoot" of Jake for me a couple of weeks ago (Thanks Cee-Cee). Most of you have probably seen them already, but just in case...here are some of my favorites. Have you even seen such kissable cheeks? :)