Back from the Beach

We just returned from a great week at the beach with my brother, Tim's sister, their families, and Tim's mom. Six children 3 and under in one house made for a lot of excitment. The beach was beautiful and fortunately, God held off the hurricane until we left. Here are just a few pictures from the week. More will come later. Will and Graham spent lots of time pushing their dumptrucks around the beach.

My brother and Tim made a super cool sand castle and mote.

Tim's mom and sister with her family during our last night at the beach.

I love this action shot!

Facing the Sun

While in Memphis, Patsy took us to a Farmer's Market. Graham loved looking at all of the different fruits and vegetables and watching the pea sheller machines at work. If it had not been 100 degrees with a heat index of 109, we would have stayed longer. On our way home, we stopped by this beautiful field of sunflowers. I wished I could have gotten more pictures of both of the boys, but we were just too hot.

The End of our Trip

After we left Tyler, we stayed for a few days in Memphis to visit Perpy, Tim's mom. She took us to a wonderful park where we fed the ducks and turtles. Graham enjoyed it so much that we visited the park every day we were in Memphis.

Wesley is pulling up and cruising a lot more these days. It won't be long until he's walking.

Daddy met us in Memphis on Saturday after a camping trip he made with some friends. Check out his manly scruffiness. I'm not much into facial hair but I think he looks kind of cute! I was so happy to see my husband!

A Tyler Rose

My sweet friend, Anne, got married in Tyler last weekend, so I made the trip with my boys to be a part of her wedding. It was such a fun time to be with my longtime friends, Natalie and Christine as we celebrated with Anne on her special day. I wish I had more pictures so you could see what a beautiful bride she was. These girls have known me so long and we share many wonderful memories. I'm so thankful for them!
Here we are with our boys enjoying the water at a sprinkler park while Anne enjoyed the water in Hawaii.

I had a great time seeing my family while I was in Tyler. I'm so thankful my boys have such wonderful grandparents.

We were sad Tim couldn't go with us on the trip. I was extremely thankful for my cousin, Andrew. He rode along with us from TN to TX to visit his family as well. He did an excellent job retrieving pacifiers that were thrown around in the backseat and fixing DVD players. I don't know how I could have made the trip without him.

More Pictures from the Lake

Will

Graham sat in the front with Drew, Aunt Kimberly, and Will . Drew fell asleep with Graham snuggled next to him.

Uncle Tim and Drew getting ready to tube. Drew was the only kid brave enough to go in the tube. He is very adventuresome.
Wesley and I enjoying a cool dip in the water.
We took the boys to a beachy area to play while some of us skiied. They had a great time playing in the sand and water. I think they enjoyed that a little more than being in the boat.

A Day at the Lake

We went with my brother and his family today to the lake. We had a great time on his boat enjoying the sunshine, water, and the kiddos. Here's one of the cutest little boys out on the lake today. More pictures coming...

Wesley is one!

We celebrated Wesley's birthday today by going to the first day of Vacation Bible School. Being in the nursery all morning is probably not Wesley's idea of a great birthday, but he was a good sport about it. He took a long nap this afternoon and woke up with some very nice bedhead! He had some fun playtime with his brother who helped me sing "Happy Birthday" to Wesley numerous times today.
After Daddy got home tonight, we had dinner and Wesley opened his present from us.

Graham convinced us that we needed to take Wesley out for ice cream. Wesley fits right in with our family: he loves ice cream!
Happy Birthday, sweet boy! I remember so clearly the day God brought you into our lives, and I'm so thankful for you!

Fireworks

After the parade and dinner, we drove to a neighborhood that borders a park where fireworks were going to be displayed. I was a little unsure about how the boys would do with the noise and being out way past their bedtimes. Wesley was very attentive to the fireworks and wasn't bothered by the noise. Graham kept his hands over his ears most of the time but really liked watching the fireworks. It was a great experience for all of us.

Fourth of July Parade

My brother and his wife invited lots of children in their neighborhood to decorate their modes of transportation and participate in a parade around the neighborhood. Some of our good friends live just a street over from my brother, so they joined us in the parade, too. Graham and Sloan on their bikes before the decorations

Graham and his cousin, Will, have decorated their vehicles and are ready to go.

Summer Fun

Tim has been out of town on business this week, and we have missed him! I was really dreading the week without him, but it has gone by much smoother than I thought it would. We've had lots of fun going to two parks and swimming with friends this week. This morning, Graham and I washed the car and some of his toys while Wesley took a nap. I felt productive and Graham always enjoys being outside and playing in the water. He really likes to clean things. I hope he still feels like that when he's a teen. Here he is with all of his clean outdoor toys (and a picture of Shelby that he found in the garage).
Graham suggested having a Popsicle for a snack after all our hard work. I thought he had a good idea. We love the summer!

Celebrating Wesley's first birthday

We celebrated Wesley's birthday a little early when my mom was here a few weeks ago. We went to the pool and Wesley got some cake for the first time. He loved it!

Our Getaway to Chattanooga

My mom and Tim's mom stayed with our boys for three days and nights while we enjoyed a little time away in Chattanooga. It's a very fun city not too far from Nashville so it made a great place to go for a few days and relax. It is very pedestrian friendly with a beautiful walking bridge over the TN river, a free shuttle bus that took us all around the downtown area, and a neat art district with wonderful restaurants. We enjoyed eating out, going to the movies, hiking, eating leisurely yummy breakfasts, sleeping in, and just being free from responsiblity. It was hard to return to the demands of everyday life, but we did miss Graham and Wesley so much. We were both ready to see them, and I think our moms were ready to see us. Thank you so much, Nana and Perpy, for taking good care of our boys!

Wesley's first haircut

Wesley was in great need of a haircut. I was trying to wait until after he turned one, but his hair was getting way too long. Nana is here this week so she got to go with us. She went with me when Graham got his hair cut for the first time, too.
Wesley was not too happy about the situation.
Graham helped by handing him animal crackers. That quieted him for a few minutes.
I'm so glad we got it cut. He looks so handsome, don't you think?

Unconditional

After a long, frustrating day as a mom of a strong-willed three year old, I was talking with my mom on the phone recounting the day's events. I said, "Sometimes, it is so difficult to love him," in reference to my three year old. My mom was quick to correct me and remind me that the statement I had just made was untrue. Of course, I loved my son-always-and unconditionally no matter how he acted. Yes, she was right. His behavior does not change my love for him. I thought about it for a minute and replied, "Okay, you are right. Sometimes, it's just difficult to like him." Yes, she agreed that might be true.

She reminded me that it is the same with God's love. I mess up all the time, yet I cannot lose God's love. I'm constantly making the same mistakes, worrying, doubting, being discontent, comparing...the list can go on. But, no matter what I do or how I act, God's love is faithful, true, and unchanging. And it is only through His love that I can love my son with that unconditional, unchanging, faithful love.

Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional love.

Another song written by Sarah Groves:

You will lose your baby teeth •
At times you'll lose your faith in me •
You will lose a lot of things •
But you cannot lose my love • •
You may lose your appetite •
Your guiding sense of wrong and right •
You may lose your will to fight •
But you cannot lose my love •