We have a climber...

Jake continues to bring joy to us each and every day. This morning I was making his breakfast and he ran into the kitchen and said... "Mama.... H". He then made the sound for H and said "hot" and pointed up at the stove. I asked him what other words started with the letter H and he said "hat"... "head"... "hug". He was carrying a yellow letter H in his precious little hand.

He is just the sweetest little boy. He says "Mama... hug" at least 50 times a day and he'll throw in a "Mama... kiss" ever once in a while too. He also shares his daily requests for hugs and kisses with his Daddy every day. Week before last we took him to his cousin Gage's football game and he absolutely made my Mama's day. He was sitting in her lap watching the game and he said "Mamaw... hug" and leaned in for a big hug. He has always just leaned in for a hug but yesterday he started throwing his little arms around me when he wanted a hug which is just the best!!!

Last weekend we finally had our family get together for Trip's birthday. I had to postpone and give myself a little time to recover from the nasty walking pneumonia. When we finally got to do it we had such a good time. My brother and his family got Trip a fishing pole and one for Jake too. Trip hasn't fished in years and he had mentioned to my brother that he would be counting on him and my Daddy to teach Jake to fish. Well Russell hadn't forgotten that comment and decided that Trip should be part of that experience too so that's why he chose that gift. Trip was really touched and is already looking forward to fishing with his little boy.

This past weekend we took Jake to visit one of my childhood friends and her beautiful family. Their community hosts a Sr. PGA Tournament every year and they are gracious enough to invite us to attend. Trip really looks forward to watching some great golf and I really look forward to some quality time with a dear friend. My friend has two incredible children... a boy and a girl and her daughter was so sweet and wonderful with Jake. They spent the day doing all kinds of fun things like "painting" with markers and playing with her computerized shopping cart (Jake loved pushing all the buttons!). She even introduced Jake to Play Doh which he really enjoyed.

This Play Doh stuff is awesome Emmy!

I like to drink straight from the cup now... no straw.

Happy 19 Month Birthday to Me!

I splashed lots of rocks in the tunnel on our trail last week.

I love a good snack after my nap.

Here I am practicing with my new fishing pole.

Going for another spin in my car.

Mama... are you taking another picture?

Mamaw... you are so much fun!

Here I am with one side of my family.

Halftime at the football game so we're just watching cars go by...

Papaw loves me so much! I'm his best buddy.

We have a climber...

Happy Birthday Daddy!

WARNING: I'm a little behind on my posts so this one is pretty long.

Happy Birthday Daddy!


Jake had a great doctor's visit last week. He is 31" tall and weighs 21 lbs. He has learned his colors and his shapes plus he knows lots of concepts like big/little, up/down, in/out, over/under, open/closed and on/off. Our Doc calls him our little genius which really tickles his parents :)

Today we visited one of the parks near our house. It was our first time there but it definitely won't be our last. They converted an old speedway in our community and now it has bike paths, walking trails, volleyball courts, basketball courts, roller hockey, lawn bowling, open fields and a fantastic playground.

Wheeeeeee.......

Hey... wonder if I can walk through this tunnel? I might be too tall now.

Check out this cool airplane that I got to "drive".

Hey Mama! We're up here!

Daddy ... you should ask Mama if you can have an ice cream sandwich too. Remember to say "please" and "thank you".

I'll throw this big rock in the water next Daddy.

I love to help Daddy rinse the truck.

We have been on the road again... another business trip with Daddy... this time to Raleigh. We left bright and early for what should have been a 4 hour drive. Unfortunately... just 15 minutes into our trip we came to an abrupt stand still on the interstate. A tractor-trailer had overturned and all lanes were completely blocked. We were parked for a little over 2 hours before they were able to reopen a lane. Well ... believe it or not... about 30 more minutes down the road... another parking lot. This one lasted about a little over an hour and then we were off again. By this time... Trip had already called in to let his co-workers and his boss know that he was going to be really late for the staff meeting and it was a good thing that he had because we ran into yet another slow down that delayed us by another hour! Our 4 hour adventure ended up taking us 8 hours! Thankfully, we had packed a cooler full of water, snacks and sandwiches so we didn't starve or have to eat fast food. Thanks to the food along with lots of toys, a couple of good naps and his portable DVD player... Jake did amazingly well.

Daddy and I are standing on the interstate!

Can I drive us to Raleigh? I'll wear my seat belt.

Jake really enjoyed staying in a hotel again... especially the pool and the elevator. Trip took him swimming both nights that we were there and as you'll see from the pictures and the videos... he loved it. Jake and I had our own little adventures during the day while Trip was in meetings. We visited Marbles Kids Museum one day and Pullen Park the next. Both were great fun and sure to be on our to do list when we visit Raleigh again. They had a huge train table at Marbles and Jake was so sweet with the other kids. If he saw another child that didn't have a train to play with he would find one and take it to them. Trip and I have always believed that he has a tender heart and he continues to reinforce that belief.

Catch me Daddy!

Mama... where is all this water coming from?

I shared with lots of kids and this little boy shared with me.

I loved this giant train table.

Playing in the water is ALWAYS fun!

What color should I use next Mama?

Mama and I built a big house with these giant Legos.

Get in Mama and I'll take you for a drive.

Mama ... do you think Daddy will let me borrow this shirt?

Daddy... can we get a pool at our house?

Again Daddy... again!

Swimming... jumping and dancing...

Mama... riding this carousel is so fun!

I'm so excited! I can't wait to ride this train!

Mama... this has been such a fun day!

Do we have to leave Mama? I'm not even tired yet.

Below are a few more snapshots from our day to day life the past couple of weeks. He still loves to "write" with his "pens" and I'm eternally grateful that Crayola makes washable products. We have always called our little man Jake-a-Pooh or Pooh for short and as luck would have it Winnie the Pooh is his best friend. He has to have Pooh now when he goes to sleep and his Daddy and I have to kiss and hug Pooh good night which we don't mind at all.

No Daddy... I'm not ruining my supper. I'm just having a few animal crackers as an appetizer.

Here I am kicked back in my very own La-Z-Boy!

Wonder what my foot will look like if I color it green?

Mama... no picture please. I just woke up.

Drinking from a cup like a big boy!

Thank you Grandma!!!

Grandma knitted Jake the most precious sweater. It is a beautiful color of blue (matches his eyes) and it has the cutest little owls knitted into it with buttons for eyes. Jake just loves it so we just wanted to post a quick note to say thanks and show off some pictures. It's already starting to feel a little like Fall in the early morning and the late evening so he'll be wearing his new sweater very soon.

Grandma... I'm going to give you a big hug and a kiss when I see you to say thanks for making me such a great sweater.

Don't you just love the way it shows off my eyes?

Look ... the little owls are on the back too.

18 Months Old - Favorite Foods and the Water Hose

Our little boy is growing up! He's already 18 months old. It has been the greatest year and half of our lives and we can't wait to share many more experiences with our little man.

Happy 18 Month Birthday to Me!

I think we should hike this trail today...


Jake is still enjoying his new car. We even bring it in the house sometimes because he just loves to sit in it and "practice" driving.

Where should we drive to today?


Jake has learned to use the water hose and it has provided a great deal of fun for him and an immense amount of entertainment for his Daddy and I. If we had only had the video camera ready yesterday ... we would have been able to show you how he turned the hose on me. He squirted me in the chest and the face before I could scurry out of the way and we all got a good laugh out of it.

MMMM... cold water....

This is great! Now I can fill up my pool whenever I want to use it and I won't have to wait on Mama & Daddy to do it for me.

Mama... you can come back now... I've finished washing out your chair for you.

Fun with the water hose...

Each morning when Jake finishes his own breakfast he likes to "help" Daddy finish his bowl of cereal. It usually results in a little bit of a mess since he's still learning how to keep his spoon flat with liquids but we figure that he has to learn so we just let him keep trying.

Look Daddy... your cereal bowl makes a great hat!

Mama says this is a bad habit but it's so much fun!

I love to help unload the dishwasher!

Jake has somewhat unusual tastes for a toddler. He likes for his food to have some serious flavor. We've discovered that he especially loves Mexican food and olives and he also enjoys a good homegrown tomato sandwich.

Guacamole is one of my favorite things to eat!

Mama... look... the olive is stuck on my finger.

Daddy... I just picked this tomato. Can you please make me a sandwich?