It Smells So Good

Nathan (regarding a ripe peach): "It smells so good, I just can't take my nose off it!"

Flashback Friday - Andrew 1 Year Ago

Here are a few shots of Andrew 1 year ago. He has grown so much in the last year!

Nathan and Andrew's Artwork

Here are a few pictures that Nathan and Andrew drew recently.

This one is an army that Nathan drew. All the soldiers are "fighting in a battle."


Andrew drew robots in his picture. There is a "Mommy Robot", a "Daddy Robot", another "Daddy Robot" (don't ask me why there are two!), and a "Little Tiny Robot". Andrew recently started drawing circles for heads and lines for bodies. It's fun to see his imagination.




Here's another by Nathan. Note the house, the rainbow, the mailbox (to the left of the house), and the car in the garage (on the right). Nathan also recently learned how to spell "God", so he wanted to put it on his picture. I have really noticed a difference in Nathan's pictures lately. They are much more imaginative and each have a story to go along.

Our Precocious Son

Elbert and I had a wedding rehearsal and dinner on Friday night. My parents were here babysitting. We arrived back home about 30 minutes after Grandma and Grandpa had put Nathan and Andrew to bed.

The boys were still awake in their room and heard us talking to our friends in the driveway. We looked up at the window in their room and saw Andrew's head peeking out under the shade. It was cute, but we tried to stifle our smiles because Andrew knows that is not something he is supposed to do.

I came inside and walked into Nathan and Andrew's room. Immediately, Nathan emphatically announced, "I am just as disappointed in Andrew as you are Mommy. I tried to keep him from looking out the window, but he didn't listen."

Flashback Friday - Nathan 2 Years Ago

We have had in-home visits from a Parent-Educator once a month since Nathan was about 8 months old. It's a program called Bright Beginnings. It's run through a grant through the local school districts. Nicole comes over with fun activities for the boys, fresh ideas for Mom, and books. They boys are always excited when I tell them she's coming.

2 years ago, Nicole brought over a very messy (but fun) activity for Nathan. We painted with shaving cream. He LOVED it. Grandma happened to be here that day, so she got to experience it, too. I confess I haven't repeated this one, but I should. It's a great sensory activity. Maybe this summer -- outside!

Note how Nathan gets messier and messier as the time progresses...

First Haircut

Unmistakable signs that Evan was LONG overdue for his first haircut...


We didn't cut very much. We trimmed the front so that it was out of his eyes and got rid of his mullet.


Evan is now a really fast crawler. He has perfected the "army crawl". It's all upper-body. His legs weave back and forth behind him as he crawls. He is so fast sometimes that he crawls right out of his pants.

More Nathan Quotes

Last night when we were hugging and kissing before bed:

Nathan to Mom: "I love you more than the other people that I don't know."

How comforting!

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This morning as I was putting on mascara:

Nathan: "What are you doing that for?"

Mom: "To make me look pretty. Do I look pretty?"

Nathan: "It makes your eyes look more mean."

Hmmm....

What Will They Think of Next?

Apparently, it is really fun to stick stuffed animals down your pajamas...


Nathan started it, and of course, Andrew followed.


Bumping bellies... I think they look a little like oompa loompas.

Changing of the Carseats

Evan outgrew his infant seat and had to move up to the next size carseat. Consequently, all three boys got new carseats.

Here's Evan in his infant seat and his "big boy" car seat.



















The "old" carseats....







and the "new" carseats...








Wait a minute...something's not right!

Flashback Friday - Elbert and Kristen

Here's a picture of Elbert and I back in June 2003 (in CA for Alvin and Shaila's wedding). I was 4 months pregnant with Nathan. We had no idea that in 5 short years we would be the parents of 3 boys!

Here we are at a church event in March -- still in love!

Blaming Brother....

About a spot of dirt on the wall in our new porch, Andrew said, "There's a mark on the wall. Somebody did it. Maybe it was Nathan."

Andrew's Birthday Dinner

We were talking last night at dinner about what I want for my birthday dinner next week. Andrew told us what he wants for his birthday dinner.

So, apparently, in September, we are going to have very full tummies.

Andrew wants: "Chicken, Ribs, Roast Beef, Rice, and Beans."

Flashback Friday - Evan 8 Months Ago

Here's Evan 8 months ago. This was his first real bath after his umbilical cord fell off. He hated every minute of it. He screamed and screamed. We, of course, thought it was a perfect photo opportunity!



Fortunately, Evan quickly began to enjoy tub time. Now, he loves his bath. Here he is last night.

Perfectly Content: A Box, Goo-Goo Goggles, and a Book

Andrew sat in the box for a long time "reading" a new book that his Nai-Nai and Yie-Yie gave to him.

What could be better than a fun box, cool glasses, and a good book?

I Didn't Take it as a Compliment

Nathan helped me make Cinnamon-Swirl bread yesterday. After the bread dough had risen, Nathan touched it. He said, "It feels like Mommy's tummy - soft and warm."

Butterflies at Meijer Gardens

I took the kids to Meijer Gardens for the Butterfly exhibit a few weeks ago. They were excited to see the different varieties of butterflies. We had many fly right in front of us. We also saw a baby chick walking across our path.

Andrew was very pensive. He had a serious look on his face as he watched the butterflies.



Evan was excited to sit in the stroller facing forward. He loved watching his brothers more than the butterflies.


Nathan asked lots of questions about the different species. He is very curious.



Getting the three of them to look at the camera is a challenge.


There is a giant Children's Garden outside. Their favorite activity is the sand!


The entrance/exit to the Children's Garden is a child-size gate.

God's Surprise

We were talking at breakfast the other day about how we can't take things with us up to heaven. Nathan said, "But, we can take our bones."

I told him that actually, we can't take our bones. The Bible tells us that we will have new bodies when we get to heaven. He asked me several questions about what we would look like in heaven. I told him that I did not know. God only tells us that we will have new bodies.

He excitedly exclaimed, "God has a surprise for us when we get to heaven!"

Flashback Friday - Andrew 2 Years Ago

Here's a picture of Andrew two years ago. He was 7 months old...just a month younger than Evan is now. He still loves his vegetables. Only now, they don't usually end up all over his face!