Check out Tyson's Music!

Chase the Age...Tyson's band has finally set up their myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/chasetheage

Check it out and hear some cool music:)

Snow!?!

This is the picture I just took off of our deck. It is the middle of April and it is snowing. Boo! Last Saturday was the most beautiful day. My car read 81 degrees and although I'm sure it was not quite that warm it was definitely warm out. Kai and I had the most wonderful day playing outside, going to watch friends' soccer games (which made me very excited for a few years down the road when Kai is doing sports), going to a birthday party (outside), and going for a wonderful evening walk when Daddy got home. It was a gorgeous day and I even broke out the sunblock for Kai, I should have put some on myself as well as I came home that night with a little sunburn. Contrast that with today that is cold and snowing and just plain gross. Oh how I look forward to spring...wait, isn't it spring right now? Well, I look forward to warmer weather! Today Kai isn't feeling well and I have lots of housework to catch up on so I guess the cold weather is fine. I won't be tempted to go play outside:)

Playing with Daddy

Here are some pictures I took of Kai while he and Tyson were playing. I haven't been able to get many good pictures of Kai lately...he is not all that cooperative with the camera. I caught these while Daddy was making him laugh...I should try this approach more often:)

"I'm Okay Mom"

Here is Kai giving me a thumbs up to let me know he is okay after his first fall on concrete....he had a little bruise and a scab for a couple days but he barely noticed...tough kid!

Happy Birthday To You...

We had planned to have Kai's birthday party at the park. After a sunny week my hopes were high until we woke up to rain. At the last minute we moved it to the church and it worked much better. Gramma and Pa came down to celebrate with us and were a huge help as we prepared stuff. It was a fun party and I'm pretty sure Kai had a good time....he was the center of attention after all:) We had a "ball" theme since that is what Kai loves right now. We had balls all around for the kids to play with and I made him his own little baseball cake to dig into...he didn't really dig into it...apparently he is not big on sweets which is fine by me:) Were were blessed with many friends who came to celebrate with us...we are so grateful for the way the love us and Kai...he is one very loved little boy! Here are a "few" pictures from the weekend:)

(this one is of Kai licking the cake batter that had spilled off the stove. Is it gross that I let him do it again while I took a picture, yes, but it was too funny to pass up:)

Kai is 1 Year Old!!!

This year has flown by. It was a whole year ago that I was adjusting to life with a newborn. A newborn who lay quietly in my arms, barely ever made a peep, needed me for everything and who I loved from before I met him. Now that tiny baby is a little boy who is running, throwing balls (or anything he can get his hands on), babbling constantly, singing in a sweet voice or letting out a high pitched squeal and my love for him has grown as much as he has. He is defiant and stubborn at times but most of the time he is sweet and funny and the biggest blessing a mommy could ask for. My baby turned one last week and a year ago I could not imagine him so big, so independent or so amazing.
So far he has lived up to his name Malakai "My Messenger". God has taught me so much through this tiny child and I know He has so much more to teach me. He has shown me I am capable of patience I never imagined, yet I am so far from where I need to be. I have so many areas to grow as a child of the Lord, as a wife, as a mother, as a friend. Thank you, Lord, for the patience you show me and may I in turn show that to others, especially my husband and son.
A few of Kai's favorite things as he turns 1:

• Balls...he LOVES throwing things and has a great arm!
• Bathtime--as you can tell from the video in an earlier post, Kai has no fear of water and loves the bath. In fact...he has started to get mad when I take him out of the tub:)
• Spinach---no really, he is a little Popeye and loves the stuff!
• Other kids--he loves playing with other kids or just watching them.
• Guitar--he has always loved Tyson's guitar and his love for that grows now that he can get himself to it and has enough control that Daddy lets him touch it gently...he loves strumming the strings.
• Music--he loves music...he dances when it is on and when you are singing to him and stop he will start this sweet humming where you left off:)
• ATTENTION--this boy loves to be the center of attention and knows how to get it. Smiling at the lady in the store, then pretending he is shy by turning his head once he has it. His fake laugh or cough while Daddy and Mommy are talking so we look at him. I guess in general he doesn't have to do much. People love Kai and he loves them. There is rarely a day we don't leave the house so he is used to people and doesn't know a stranger. I love watching him interact with others.

I'm sure there other things I should list but I can't think of them right now.

Kai had his 1-year-old check up this week and here are the stats:

• Weight: 21 lbs 6 oz 31%
• Height: 30.8 inches 79%
• Head: 18.5 inches 68%

On Kai's birthday we came and got him out of bed singing "Happy Birthday"...then we gave him his first waffle with a candle and sang "Happy Birthday" again. Later that day I took Kai to play on the grass at the church near our home, I will put pictures below. When Daddy got home we went to the park and had a nice evening as a family. On Saturday we did a birthday party for him but that is a post in itself:)

Here are some pictures from his actual birthday.

At the park---this was really his first time to play on grass because it has always been damp...he enjoyed it. You will note that none of these are very good pictures and most of them are of him running from me...welcome to my life:)

Here he is opening his fun train from Grandma Julie...he loves it!