Little Z

Last summer, we found out our little dog was losing her eyesight.  The specialist said she would be very surprised if Ziva had any eyesight in a year.  So, a year later, this little dog is basically blind inside the house.  Dogs map out familiar areas in their minds (or so we're told) but if she gets off track will now run into cabinets and furniture. Outside she can still some shapes and bright daylight.  It unnerves her to go walking in an unfamiliar area of the neighborhood and will often bark at mailboxes thinking they are people.

So, we'll continue to surround her with the familiar and keep an extra eye on her because she has none of her own.  She still loves car rides and familiar walks.  If the boys are playing outside our yard is a safe place for her to enjoy the warm sun.

We love this sweet dog (none as much as dear Simon)!  She is our precious, little Z.

A Great Day!

When E was three weeks old, I remember thinking about how long it would be until he started school and crying because I was pretty sure I wouldn't survive until then.  Preschool, let alone kindergarten, seemed so far away.  This summer, the idea of kindergarten was like a weight at the bottom of my stomach.  Were we doing the right thing?  Should I just wrap him under my protective wing and keep him home and homeschool him forever?

However, that Tuesday morning came when we walked him to his first day of kindergarten and I remembered that it wasn't my protective wing he was under but the Lord's.  So, now we have one week under our belts, E is learning to do more hard things (we are too), E is loving school and has one of the best kindergarten teachers, S and I are learning a new schedule (Brooks too!), and we are trusting once again in the One that has us all under His wing.

We have lots of reasons for public schooling but I won't pull out my soapbox and share them here.  If you're using other schooling choices I applaud and cheer you on!  We are so grateful to have so many options but also that this is the one God has called us to for now.  I will say it is a scary thing to see your little one looking so much littler as he walks into this big school where you are trusting others to teach and take care of him.  Ultimately though, our trust is in God that He is faithful and working in and through this little boy and our family.

When I picked E up from his first day, he greeted me with a big smile and told me it was a great day!

A Pretty Good 10

So, this past July marks our 10th anniversary.  10 years seemed so long until I really started thinking about it and realized I feel like in some ways we've just started this thing called being married.

To celebrate, we planned a trip of five glorious days to ourselves thanks to my kind parents and the most amazing babysitter.  The theme of the week was "We can do it if we want!" We walked down the street without having to make sure no one was in the way of oncoming traffic.  We also walked into any shop we wanted without having to worry about someone breaking something or setting a silent internal timer to leave the store before the complaining, crying, or general meltdowns began.  We ate when and what we wanted and chose no restaurants that served grilled cheese.

Despite all of the above, one of my favorite moments of our time was sitting by the harbor one evening and hearing our little boys voices over the phone filling us in on their week.

It was a joy to enjoy my husband and to push aside the craziness (and honestly, in the big scheme of things, our lives are not that crazy) to get to know my friend again.

So, when you join two sinners together in this covenant relationship there is no part of it that is perfect.  We always mess it up in small and big ways.  However, we do have a God who is perfect and so are His plans for us.  I'm so grateful God perfectly planned for me to covenant imperfectly with Brooks for 10 years.  I sure do love this man.

Although there is no such thing as a perfect 10 years of marriage, I am so grateful for a pretty good 10.

PS.  My husband is not a thug.  He just plays one when I try to take a selfie with him to make me crazy.  I love him.

Cake Masters

Brooks and E participated in a church men's cake bake off this week with this M&M cake.  They did it all on their own with only a lot little help.

HOO-tel

These boys love a hotel.  We visited my sister's family with my parents this past week.  Five minutes after getting our stuff in the room these boys were making themselves at home.

Ewok

"Mommy, I want to dress like an Ewok!"

Feelin' Independent

The Fourth of July is such a fun holiday!  We are grateful for our independence and are praying for our country and it's leaders but a holiday with hot sun, family, swimming, and patriotism can't be beat.  In our town, the Fourth begins with waiting for fireworks by the lake.

We arrived early to get a good parking spot and let the boys play in the sand by the water.  

6:30 to 9:30 is a loooonnnggg time to wait for with little boys.  We were armed with snacks, drinks and glow necklaces but neither boy had a nap and the five year old broke a glow necklace and squirted himself in the eye with the liquid inside.  Brooks and I almost threw in the towel.

Thankfully, we persevered and once the fireworks started, all worried and irritations of the evening we forgotten in the awe of the show.  Afterward, we could say it was a fun night.

On the morning of the Fourth, we went to Brevard to enjoy their celebration.  

There was ice cream at Rocky's,

and a stop and photo op at Caesar's head.

Later, we enjoyed the generous hospitality of my sister and her family swimming in their pool,

and playing with sparklers for the first time.

So thankful for a beautiful Fourth of July!

Six Faces of Simon

Simon is almost three and a half and changes emotions like a teenage girl.  We sure love this boy!

These Dads

Brooks asked me to update this long forgotten blog.  This is where I keep a record of our families activities and memories all with the intention of somehow printing these out to save for the boys.  

The dads in my life are the best way to reboot the ol' blog.  Brooks and my father (who just turned 79!) are a blessing and gift in the lives of our two boys.  I am so grateful for them and I know the boys are too!

My Own Daddy Warbucks

Brooks was in a wedding this past weekend and got to get all snazzed up for the event.  I think he looks pretty nice all cleaned up.

All on my own

I replaced the motor and circuit board in our treadmill last month all on my own and after a few weeks of non-functioning the treadmill now works!  Afterward, I felt like I could build a car or conquer a lion or something else equally amazing!

Edric

My nephew turned 19 last month.  Amazing!  Ed joined our family in an unexpected way but his little life pulled our fractured family together.   Although afterward we were far from functioning well, God is gracious to bring the best and sweetest gifts through hard circumstances and prevent us from pretending we have it all together.  

This guy is smart, kind, talented, and has a gentle heart.  He has great parents who love him well.  His crazy family are all so proud of him.  I love, love, love this bearded wonder!