Kai's school recital

It was so fun to go to Kai's first school recital. The older kids were all part of a musical but the preschoolers did a song before hand. "The wise man built his house upon a rock..." 

Orlando Vacation!

In February we went to Orlando with Tyson's family. It was such a fun week! We spent four days at parks (Disney & Universal) and the other days just hanging out at the hotel and playing in the pool. It was a wonderful week of fun and family!

Baptisms

It was such a joy and blessing to have our boys baptized! Praising the Lord for his grace in their little lives!

Snow!

This Saturday we decided to go find some snow. We headed up to the mountain and it was dumping snow the whole way. We found a little hill behind an old school house and it was perfect for tubing...for a 4-year-old and 1-year-old. We had a great time playing in the snow, tubing, building a snowman and throwing snowballs. Grady loved the snow and didn't complain at all about the cold (and neither did Kai...who hates the cold like I do:). It was the perfect start to the weekend and on Sunday when we came out of church there was snow on the ground here in Bham. And today we woke up to more snow...yay! This is pretty fun for our family since we haven't seen snow since Arctic Blast '08:)

6 Years

This weekend we are celebrating six years of marriage. Six years of adventures. Six years of laughter. Six years of tears. Six years love. Six years of God's faithfulness. Six years of joy. I can't imagine a more perfect man for me. Tyson is exactly what I need-- God is so good!

I am so thankful for Tyson, for his strength, joy, love, faithfulness and wisdom. He is an amazing father to our sons, an encouraging husband to me, a loyal friend and above all, he loves the Lord more than anything. I don't have words to express how thankful I am he chose me.

A year ago I posted this. Our 5 year anniversary was spent in a run down hotel, in the jungle with a newborn screaming from the heat, our house flooded with sewer water, all of our luggage lost. Tyson was cleaning out the house everyday only to come back to the hotel to shower and put on the same gross clothes he had just been wearing. It. was. miserable. But he did it. He worked hard. He cleaned up all our stuff. He found us a new home. Through it all he looked to the Lord for strength to carry our family through. That is what makes him so strong!

Thank you Tyson for the last six amazing years....I look forward what the rest of our lives bring!

Winning

I mentioned before about Kai's competitive nature lately. Here is a funny example:

Scene: Pulling up to the house from church.

Me: "Daddy beat us home...grrr."

Kai: "Mom, you have you be thankful."

Me: "Huh?" (I mean, this has been a theme we have been talking about a lot...but, huh?)

Kai: "You have to be thankful for what you have. I'm thankful for my toys, the sun, and that I win all the time."

Me: "Yes, its true, we should be thankful."

(We are at the door now and Kai has brought his nerf gun from the car)

Kai: "But I'm still going to shoot Daddy for beating us."

Kai

Kai. Where do I start. This year we have watched you become a big brother, leave a country that had become your home, begin life again in the U.S, move yet again, start a new school, begin to learn to read...and a billion other things. And you have done amazing. You are amaze me, son. You make us laugh. All. The. Time. You say the funniest things (that I am committed to write down more). You are this perfect mix of sword-fighting, ball-throwing, crazy energetic boy with this touch of sweet, sensitive, thoughtfulness.

You love to sing. Always have. But not just any songs. You make up songs constantly. And almost always, they are filled with the name of Jesus. There is nothing sweeter. You sing out these songs filled with truths that amaze me. It makes my heart want to burst. In the best possible way.

You are such a good big brother. You love, you adore your little brother. When he started walking, you were so amazed. You kept saying, in a voice filled with awe "I can't believe Grady is walking." Just as amazed as we were that our baby was so big now. You are learning patience as Grady has become mobile and interested in your toys. You use your words and say things like, "Grady, you are frustrating me," when he wrecks your train tracks. Or you quickly find a different toy to give him when he wants yours. Your new favorite game is throwing a toy across the room and then racing Grady for it...you usually win because you trip him. Most of the time you are gentle, but sometimes you forget...we are working on it:)

You are very competitive lately. The other day you were in tears because "Grady beat you" during lunch. Apparently he ate faster then you (not that hard)...who knew every meal would be a competition!

Right now you love: school, friends, swords, pirates, StarWars (even though you have never seen it...it must be a 4-year-old boy thing), Legos, trains, your little brother, your Daddy and your Mama.

A few of my favorite things you say right now:

"Can I may have...."

"I would appreciate it if..."

"Mom, can you help me ___, I just thought you needed another job."

Oh, so many others I can't think of right now...but I am going to write them down more!

Below are a few pictures of your little (HUGE) personality:)

Carrying it "like the African women."

Grady

Grady Grader-pants. This year has been a year of watching you grow from infant to little person, full of life. You are an absolute joy to us.

You started walking around 10 months. You are now really fast and have us all chasing you around. You are trying to talk (Dada, Mama, Bubba (Kai), and a few others on occasion). You love to make us laugh and it melts my heart. You are silly. You love any piece of clothing you can get your hands on...you put it on your head and walk around like that as long as I'll let you. I cannot fold laundry with you around! You love playing swords with your big brother and love putting hats on and taking them off again. Yet, you refuse to wear hats outside to keep you warm (or socks).

You are a wiggle worm! I thought when you were born maybe you would be my snuggler. I was wrong. Right now all you want is freedom to explore. I'm okay with that...sometimes you lay your head on my shoulder for 3.5 seconds. I treasure those seconds:) You are curious and focused. Boy, are you focused. Once you set your mind to something it is almost impossible to distract you from it. Stubborn, and focused. It is a challenge but I know the Lord can use those qualities in your life. You are also an observer. When in a new setting or large group, you sit back for a bit to take it all in before jumping in.

Also, since I don't keep a baby book (poor 2nd child), I should include some stats from your 1 year check-up.

Weight: 20 lbs

Height: 29.8 inches
Head: 18.3 inches

Right now you love: Balls, cars, food, your big brother, your Daddy(!) and your Mama:)

Pictures below show you and all your little expressions. You make us smile!

Pouty (or contemplative) face

Smiley face

Blank stare face (the is the face he usually does when "observing")

Giggle face

Sweet, twinkle-in-the-eye face

Heck yes (celebration) face

Sad face

Chewy face (this kid is still putting everything in his mouth)

Yelling face (he knows how to get our attention)

Scrunchy, snorty face

Love every one of them:)