A Revelation

Well, something hit me this morning pretty hard...I realized that my baby is no longer really a baby. While he may be a baby in my heart, he is quickly growing up on me. We dropped Nicholas off at school this morning & then Sean & I headed to the park for a MOPS Registration Day. We got there early and played for a while, just the two of us. As he's wheeeing down the big slides, climbing on ladders, and telling me that you don't just climb through the tubes, you can also climb on them...it hit me that he is offically a little boy now. He had on his Cars jacket and his Cars hat and WHAM! there it was, right in front of me...Sean is trying very hard to be like his big brother, and doing a mighty fine job of it. His facial expressions are becoming more a part of his personality then ever before and the things he says are no longer little boyish but, actual sentences and conversations. He's playing big boy games like pirates and superheros and building castles, instead of trying to destroy Nicholas's castles. He's now attempting the standing up when he goes to the bathroom (that is when we make it in time...sometimes playing gets in the way of going to the bathroom) and prefers to use my feet to stand on instead of his stepstool. It's hard to believe my baby is almost 3 and it just hit me that he is really not a baby anymore. I guess just seeing him play on the big structure at the park, by himself, really made it more real. While there are still those moments where he's still my baby, I know that they will not last much longer. The day he stops using the magic fringy on his blanket and doesn't need every animal he owns tucked around him at night is a day that I don't want to even begin to imagine.

A Secret Revealed!!!

Now that I know the word has spread through the family, I can finally share the memory of a birthday to remember! For months I have been praying (very hard) for my baby sister to get pregnant. The night before my birthday, I laid in bed and said another prayer...the only thing that I wanted for my birthday was for my baby sister to become pregnant. Then I pictured her making this big announcement at the birthday dinner she planned. Well, my birthday rolls around and the boys were being their typical selfs, Ray was out of town, and I was treating myself & the boys to Old McDonalds for dinner, it was being kind of a bummer birthday...well, Tracie called as we were parking in the McDonalds/Hastings parking lot to wish me a Happy Birthday. She could tell it wasn't going great and so decided to surprise me with the greatest birthday present ever...I was going to be an Auntie!!! The other great part is that she is due on Nicholas's birthday! Talk about a whopper! She said she was going to surprise us all at the birthday dinner but, felt bad that my birthday wasn't turning out so great so decided to tell me early. Talk about prayers coming true! I sat in the parking lot, in the car and cried. I was so excited for Tracie & Jeff. She is almost 9 weeks along. She's not feeling all that great so, hopefully that will turn around soon. She's already starting the clothing not fitting right...Seester, I hate to tell you this but, it only gets worse from here! As all of us girls who have been pregnant can attest to...It really sucks when you are in the ninth month, you've tried on six shirts and your belly hangs out of all of them, you're already emotional and you are ready for that baby to GET OUT..That's when it really sucks! However, they have already had an ultrasound and baby is healthy with a great heartbeat. Please keep them in your prayers for a healthy baby and a good pregnancy. CONGRATS Tracie & Jeff!

First Day of School

Nicholas had his first day of Preschool today. He was so excited and couldn't wait to get to Mrs. Fry's school this morning. He had asked me to stay for just a little bit before we left for school so, Sean & I went and hung out for 15 minutes or so. Nicholas & I traced our hands and got our picture taken together for their class book. While I was cutting out handprints, Nicholas & Sean played with puzzles. Sean was having so much fun playing puzzles with Nicholas & his friends that he really didn't want to leave. After the handprints were cut out, Nicholas informed me that I could leave. I gave him a huge hug & told him to have fun...Sean was so cute, he gave Nicholas a hug & said "have fun Nicklas". Sean looked a little lost in the car without Nicholas there beside him & was very excited to see him after school. He's going for 3 hours Monday through Friday this year. It will be good for him to have all 5 mornings, compared to last years 3 mornings a week. He loves school and his friends, so I have no trouble getting him out the door for school in the morning.

Labor Day

What a wonderful weekend. Perfect weather in the great outdoors! Ray has been working 40 miles into the Floodwoods, outside of Clarkia, for the past week (he's up there again this week) so, we decided to take the boys up to their campsite for the night. When I was little I used to spend many summers camping up behind Clarkia on my Great Uncle's Land, it's probably been 20+ years since I've last been there but, it's still in the family and we found it! Talk about tears threatening to fall when I walked along the banks of the creek and crossed the wooden bridge. It was so much fun to tell Ray & the boys about all of my memories from camping there and watching the boys throw rocks in the water. We are hoping to talk to my cousins next summer and try to spend a weekend up there. The boys loved it just as much as I did and were excited to stop both Sunday & Monday. When we made it to camp, Ray's boss had his boat up there, so Ray hiked us a mile into Dworshak where they had the boat "parked." It was a good thing we went in, the boat was pretty much beached, and half under water, due to the lowering of the water. The boys had a good time fishing despite not catching any fish & Sean throwing his new fishing pole overboard. We hiked back to camp where the boys mountain climbed and created a fire ring for Daddy's camp out of rocks. Ray took us up the rock pit they are working in and of course there was rock climbing! The boys were pretty pooped when we got back early Monday afternoon (and pretty dirty, too)! I think Ray & I were more tired than them! The boys slept pretty good & each of them only woke up once, Ray started a fire and they fell right back to sleep. Needless to say, we all went to bed VERY early Monday night!