Knox-still a mess...

His Daddy will not be impressed with me putting these pictures on our blog...We were wrapping up dinner with friends a few weeks ago and Knox disappeared with some of the older girls. This is how he returned. It was too funny not to document. He loves attention like this, he is such a mess. Recently, in an appointment for Eli's speech I asked about Knox's tendency to talk extremely loud, bordering on yelling. The therapist asked me a few questions about his other behaviors, like, "Is he wild by nature?", "Does he like to jump on furniture?", "Is he often rambunctious?". Of course the answer to these questions was a meek, yes. Of course in this same visit Knox was whispering to Eli about a potato head. Figures. She then told me that his tendency to speak loudy was totally behavioral and I better get it in check. If not, he can potentially do long-term damange to his vocal cords. Wow, exactly what I wanted to hear....

Little boys...

have to be the best! Eli has grown up so much these past few months and I waver between being excited for him and sad for myself. He is now completely potty trained! This has been about a 7 month endeavor and he wrapped it all up at one time. I had a good friend encourage me to night-train him and I was so hesitant to try. He has this conquered too! The entire potty training season has nearly worn me down so I am so thankful it has passed.

Eli has such a sweet, tender spirit. He is very conscientious of all our feelings. He and Knox definitely disagree on some matters, but for the most part he is genuinely a wonderful big brother. He loves to engage our attention and share new finds with us. He is an avid sports fan and will swing a golf club or bat for an entire afternoon. His imagination has really taken off as demonstrated with these pictures of the dinosaurs. He told me that each of them represented members of our family and we were all going on an adventure. His Uncle Evan showed up multiple times. I don't think he could figure out which dinosaur suited him best. He absolutely adores Eban......

5 year Anniversary!

Jerrold & I just celebrated our five year anniversary! We were planning to go out of town to celebrate but Eli had a nasty bout with a sinus infection. We changed plans and decided to stay home in case the boys needed us. It was the best weekend! The boys spent 2 nights with my parents and we leisurely planted flowers, had dinner with our dear friends that introduced us on a blind date (thanks Sara & Charlie!), and even went to the movies. It was wonderful! Our yard has had a total makeover thanks to the vision of my sweet husband. I wanted a nice yard so badly for our family and he delivered. Love it! Of course the grass didn't all grow last weekend...but he did work super hard on all those flowers!

Happy Easter!

We had such a wonderful Easter with our families this year. Everyone joined us at our house on Sunday afternoon for lots of food, sweets, and egg hunting. Eli, Knox, and Blakely had a great time looking for eggs. We were even blessed to have one of our Karen children from church join us too. Tah has come to mean so much to our family! He definitely enjoyed learning about egg hunts, macaroni & cheese, and lemon cake. His family is Buddhist but he is planting many of God's scriptures in his heart. How sweet to share this precious holiday with him!

If they only knew....

These sweet boys are going to have a new brother or sister in October! They are both so excited, even Knox, but I don't think they have any idea what is coming our way. Eli is the sweetest thing in the world talking about this baby. He is 100% sure it is a baby sister because in his own words, "I already got a brother, and I don't think I can have another one." We are really considering not finding out the sex of the baby, but I think sweet Eli may need some time to process if in fact it is another little boy. He and Knox couldn't possibly be any closer so it will be interesting to see the change in dynamics around here. We feel incredibly blessed by our growing family! "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies at the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

Happy Birthday Knox!

Our little boy is 2 years old! We still cannot believe that 2 years have passed so quickly and he isn't really a baby anymore. He now boasts a full vocabulary of words, and the new favorite is "why?". He continues to be a full-spirited child, often rivaling Eli's even temperament. His favorite person is still his slightly bigger brother and he copies EVERYTHING Eli does. They are absolutely the best of friends and at this stage do not argue a lot.

Knox, you are the sweetest boy with all the "I love you's" and bear hugs. We love you to pieces and can't wait to see all God has in store for your sweet life!