Happy Birthday to JD!!

June 10, 2009

JD's birthday is today! Of course I can't believe he's one year old already! None of us can!! This picture was when I was 3 months pregnant with our second strapping boy:



It seems like so long ago now that my hands looked like this!



And my feet lookin like this!



That's not even nearly as bad as they were swelled up when I was pregnant with Wy either.

I'm sorry if this makes some of you cringe...it does me too.


JD still has these long legs!



It's amazing how fast they grow in a year!!




This is Wyatt at 20 months holdin JD who's only a couple weeks old:



Jd at 4 1/2 weeks old:





Jd at 2 1/2 months old:


This was taken before the first taste of sweet taters at about 5 1/2 months:


After the sweet taters:


Outside at about 7 1/2 months:


At 8 months:




And now today he's ONE!!

We had good burgers and brats:



Here's the cake which is nothin spectacular. I actually made a boxed cake! That's how lazy I've been since comin back from the trip!



When the theme is farm you have to have a Farmall. Nothin doin. And a Ford. I'm a Ford girl, sorry!







Help yourself there Wyatt! He kept tellin us it was his birthday too. Last night when we put him to bed he thanked us for his birthday party!









This kid has a serious addiction to dirt and anything that pertains to dirt. I CAN NOT keep this kid clean whatsoever at all. But it's okay. I'd much rather have him havin fun in the dirt than not wantin to get down and play and get dirty. I'll take the way he is any 'ole day!



By 8:15 Jd was gettin real tired. He got a wash with the hose first then a spit bath and he was out like a light in no time at all.



Wyatt kept busy by washing his car:

Take Me Home Country Roads...

Let me just say, first and foremost.... the boys and I had a GREAT time with my sisters, the new babies, and the whole family out there. We spent a lot of time with my sisters which means more than everything to me. Two of my sisters were on maternity leave with these little munchkins:

Baby Devon:


Baby Gracie:


And now let me say this: I. LOVE. MY. HOME. I use the term 'home' as an all-encompassing adjective to describe, well, basically, my whole life.

Home in this context means my husband, washer/dryer, coffee the way I like it, a bathtub as big as a small trough, my truck with big windows and not a 5 speed compact car with a peepin hole for a back window, lakes with hardly any trees, country-actual wide open land for miles and miles, land with no trees and no houses and developments, roads that are straight as an arrow, the speed limit being the maximum speed limit-not slowest speed allowed, a yard that can entertain a multitude of family and friends and dogs, and the pace of life that creates a calm and relaxing environment. The list goes on and on in my head.

Sunday, the first full day of bein back home was a perfect end to our trip to Pa and a perfect beginning of bein back home. We spent the whole day outside with Uncle Mike and Aunt Dee. My cousin Aj and his girlfriend Jordan came over for the afternoon and we played bocci ball. E fired up the smoker and he smoked two racks of ribs that fell off the bone. They were delicious. We had sweet corn on the cob and a whole pan of fried new taters, onions and bacon. It was good to be back home.







The boys were so happy to play in the yard. Wyatt ran races and Jd crawled everywhere.

Then they decided it was hot enough to get in the dog's water.




There really was no point in keepin wet clothes on the boy:

SE PA Trip

Family is very important to me. My sisters and I, even though separated by 1,000+ miles have very strong and formidable relationships. It was so good to be with them. The boys and I stayed with my sister Chelsea and her husband Dan. Chelsea and I had coffee each mornin on their back porch and we spent time with them in the evenings. During the day, the boys and I packed up and went to either of my other sister's houses to spend time with them. Brenna and I took the kids down to Montgomeryville and shopped for our sister Tegan, who had delivered her baby just two days before the boys and I arrived.

Saturday, the first full day of bein there, we all (cept Teg, Noah, Gracie, and Grandpa) congregated at Chels and Dan's house to chow down on good ole cocoa and biscuits. A family tradition for at least 4 generations. When Brenna walked in the door I almost lost it. I didn't think the emotion would erupt so strong and powerful. It took everything I had not to crumble into a blubbering heap of tears. It was so good to see her, Andrew, and for the first time, baby Devon.

Later that day, we all packed up and met Grandpa over at Tegan and Noah's house for pizza. Tegan's blood pressure was still high so she was instructed to lay low for the first couple of days at home. A home-nurse came in Saturday and Sunday to check on her blood pressure. By Sunday, it was much better, so we all met at the lake, along with our good friends the Weigner's. We kayaked, canoed, fished, and grilled. Mark and Karen have been our 'big brother and big sister' for oh, let's see, at least 15 years. They have 4 beautiful wonderful girls.

I'm just gonna post pictures now, since most are pretty explicable about our first two days.


JD hangin out with Uncle Dan. It was amazing Jd stayed there. Of course I had to stay out of sight and earshot in order for Jd not to fuss. He's got the apron strings tied way to tight!


Grandpa and baby Gracie:


JD knew what to do with extra pizza! Give it to Stella, Aunt Teg's dog!


Lake Nockamixon:


Aunt Chels helpin Wy fish with Uncle Dan supervising:


Wyatt, Narae, and Adah wadin:


Uncle Mark pitchin to Wy and the girls playin field:



Uncle Andrew caught fish everytime Wyatt called him on the cell:



JD inspecting Uncle Andrew's fish:


And yes, he tried to bite the fish.


All of the Uncle's (Andrew, Noah and Dan) and Grandpa fishin: