Gone camping

Charles loves all of the new things he is able to do with the boys as they get older.  One thing he has been itching to do all summer is take Chase camping.  A few weeks ago Charles & Chase had the opportunity to go with his brother, Brian, and his little girl Emma (who is 6 months younger than Chase).  What fun they had!!  They left around 3:00 (after Chase was able to get an afternoon nap) and made it to their campsite around 6.  Getting to the campsite involved driving, parking the trucks, setting up the kayaks, and kayaking a little ways before finding a good spot to set up the tents.  Thankfully, Charles' brother had configured his kayak with a motor (don't ask me how but Brian is so handy and can do pretty much anything and everything you could possibly think of) and was able to pull Charles & Chase in their kayak.  That eliminated the work of having to balance the kayak, keep a 3 year old from falling out, and paddling.  I wish I had a picture of that because I'm sure it was a sight to see! :)  Anyways, they had a blast, it was as successful as it could be, but it completely wiped Chase out.  It took him a good 2 days to get back on track but he hasn't stopped talking about it since.  I was able to talk Charles into taking our small camera so here are a few pictures of their adventures:

Getting ready to leave and holding a camping staple: hot dogs :)

In the truck on their way ... he was so excited!

The back of Brian's truck... this picture kind of shows the kayak with the motor

Sitting and waiting patiently until the kayaks were loaded and ready

Chase pretending to sleep :)

Cousins fishing together the next morning

Back at the trucks, getting things unloaded from the kayaks

And this is what Jacob & Sam thought about being left behind.... not too thrilled :)

I guess since the Lord has decided to bless me with 3 boys I need to get used to the idea of camping... for now I'll let Charles go on short adventures and I'll be up to it when someone decides to invest in a camper! ;)  Just kidding... sort of.  I look forward to our camping trips once the boys get to a certain age!

Beach days :)

Going to the beach was something that both of the boys were looking forward to and I'm so thankful that we were able to make it a few times during our visit to HHI.  Being so far along in my pregnancy, the idea of going to the beach was not something that was appealing but thankfully the few times we did decide to go the Lord gave us some clouds to block the sun, which kept it from getting too hot.  The boys loved every second... they loved the wide open space to run, all the sand to dig in, and they loved splashing and jumping in the waves.  I have to say that going to the beach gets easier and easier as they get older because they can go and play and you don't have to worry about keeping up with them.  I was actually able to sit in a comfortable chair during our beach outings and just enjoy the sounds and beauty of the beach and take pictures.  I loved sitting there, relaxing, and just watching the joy my boys had written all over their faces.  Here are some pictures from our beach outings... so much fun!!!

Looking for treasures with Daddy

Busy, busy Jacob stopping for a quick picture with Nana

Digging in the biggest sandbox ever!

Brothers jumping the waves together

Showing Pop-Pop one of his many finds

So proud of his crab leg :)

Everything is better with a brother around to share it with :)  Melts my heart!

Chasing the waves as they go out ...

... and being chased by the waves on their way back in :)

This is what a 2 year old and a 3 year old's version of a sand castle looks like!

They actually took a second to sit down and take a picture!

Our beach time this summer was amazing, regardless of being 34 weeks pregnant.  I can't wait to see how our beach adventures change next summer with a 9 month old added to the picture! :)  Only time will tell...

Where has the summer gone?

Wow!  I can't believe it is August 11th.  The summer is over, Charles is back at work, and we're hanging on for a few more days before we have to find our new normal.  5 days... this time next week I will be holding and loving and taking care of our 3rd child, we'll be a family of 5, and we could possibly be getting ready to come home from the hospital.  Weird to think I haven't even packed a bag yet for the hospital... I will probably get around to doing that Monday night or Tuesday morning. :)  I seriously feel like school just got out for the summer ... I must have blinked because now it's over.  We have had a great summer, packed full of fun adventures, lots of playing, and lots of much enjoyed family time.  Between summer school and the AP training that Charles had to do this summer we didn't have time for much vacation time but we did make it to Hilton Head for a fun getaway.  Charles was down there with us for a week and then when he left to go to his training we stayed behind and enjoyed more time with Nana & Pop-Pop (more pool time was just a bonus).  I loved seeing how much of a difference a year makes when it comes to the pool.  Last summer Chase would barely get his head and face wet without pitching a fit and this summer he was all into jumping in, going completely under, and loving every second (see previous post for video of his counting and jumping skills).  I can't wait to see how far he comes between now and next summer. What an amazing time we had... we swam a ton, went to the beach, read lots of books, and went on lots of fun adventures. To keep this post from getting too long, the following are things the boys enjoyed doing while at Nana & Pop-Pop's house:

We dressed up like a fireman...

... and like a policeman.

We snuggled and watched shows with Pop-Pop.

We read and read... and read some more with Nana.

We loved every second we had with GG & Goomba.  We don't take these times with them for granted and are so thankful for how much time the Lord is giving us with them around!

We played golf with our cousin, Eli.

We did lots of swinging like monkeys on Nana & Pop-Pop's treadmill. :)

We kept each other company during all of our many, many potty trips. :)

Chase jumped and jumped off the edge of the pool until he could jump no more!

Jacob learned how to kick his feet but preferred to just be held tight while in the pool.

We shared mid-afternoon snacks with Nana (translated: acted like little birds who hadn't eaten in days!).

And finally, we enjoyed and loved every second of the trolley rides.  They would have stayed on that trolley all day if they had been allowed.  It's the simple (and cost-no-money) things that they seem to enjoy the most!

We went to the beach a few times but that will have to be a post all on it's own in order to keep this one from becoming too long (which unfortunately I was not able to avoid anyways).  I am trying to catch up so we can pick up with baby brother's arrival as soon as we can! :)  5 days and counting!!!!

Chase's newest trick

We are absolutely loving our time in HHI this week.  It has been a lot of time playing, reading, snuggling, and tons of pool time!  Having a pool in the backyard is so wonderful... we can get a quick swim in when we want or spend a good amount of time out there and not have to go far.  Last summer Chase hated having water in his face, he didn't get the concept of closing his mouth (and not trying to drink the entire pool), and holding his breath seemed like the hardest thing to understand.  This summer, he is practically swimming on his own, goes under water without choking, and has learned to keep his mouth shut.  It's amazing to me how quickly he is picking it up considering he hasn't been in a pool in months!  This video was taken today right after getting home from the beach... please excuse the big boy pants!  He does have a bathing suit but we changed him before getting in the car and decided to let him rinse off in those instead of putting his sandy suit back on.  I love that I also captured how much fun Jacob has in the pool too, as well as how excited he is for his brother's accomplished.

On a side note, the last few days we've really been working with Chase on keeping his mouth closed in the pool.  Well, this morning we overheard Chase talking to his brother while they were in the bathroom and here is what we heard:  "Brother, if I fall in the potty Daddy tells me to keep my mouth and my eyes closed!!"  Jacob's response (his response to anything and everything these days) was "Me too!".  As you can see in the video, Jacob has the closing of the eyes down, but not so much the closing of the mouth!!  I am so happy, however, that we've taught our boys how important it is to keep our mouths and eyes shut if we were to ever fall in the potty.... or while swimming! :)

Happy Father's Day, Charles!

Well, our Father's Day so far has been very low key.  Charles came down with some kind of virus in the middle of the night so the first present he got today was a quiet morning to stay in bed and sleep while I took the boys to church! :)  But honestly, he deserves a day off every now and then.  I quickly forget just how blessed I am to have a husband like Charles.  He is more hands-on than a lot of dads are and he is so quick to help out with whatever needs to be done.  I am so thankful for all that he does for our family and for these boys.  I am so thankful for how much he has grown as a dad and how much he wants to keep growing so that he is the dad that these boys need.  There is one thing my mom tells me my dad has always wished he did differently when we were growing up and that is help with bedtime more.  Bedtime is such an important time of the day for us... it's when we settle down to read Bible stories with the boys, talk about the day and lessons learned, and a time when we all take turns talking to Jesus.  What a precious time it is with the boys and there is not one night that Charles is home where he isn't in there with us, leading his family.  There is a song that comes on the radio a lot by Phillips Craig Dean called "I Want to Be Just Like You" and it brings me to tears almost every time I hear it.  It talks about a dad and how he wants his little boy to see Jesus in him.  It is such a powerful song, especially for a family with boys because it is so true that they watch their daddies and they are learning from everything they do.  Charles will be the first to admit that he doesn't get it right some times but what I see in him and what I love so much about him is that he is the first to admit when he has done it wrong and has such a tender heart, that he wants to get it right for the sake of his 3 boys.  I am so thankful for the husband he is and also for the father he is for these boys.  God is using him to mold our 3 boys into who He wants them to be and I could not ask for a better man to lead our family.  Thank you, Charles, for loving the Lord with all of your heart, for loving me and showing the boys what it means to be a good husband, and for being a dad who strives every day to be the example that these boys need.

Here are the lyrics to the song I mentioned... what an amazing picture this paints of these little ones following in Charles' footsteps and our prayer every day is that the footsteps they follow of their Dad's will lead them straight to the Lord, the cross and His word!!

He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug
He calls me Dad and I call him Bub
With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh
He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you"
I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight
Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light
And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see
He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me

Lord, I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be just like me
I want to be a holy example
For his innocent eyes to see
Help me be a living Bible, Lord
That my little boy can read
I want to be just like You
'Cause he wants to be like me

Got to admit I've got so far to go
Make so many mistakes and I'm sure that You know
Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try
With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right
But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best
Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness
'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees
And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me
Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall
But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all

Charles fell in love with his first born the second he saw him.
Here he is holding Chase for the first time!

Meeting his second son and realizing just how much
your love grows with each child. 

Christmas Eve 2009, after an evening at church, a great family dinner, and a time of thanking God for sending Jesus to the world as a tiny baby.  Charles had just finished prayer time with the boys and was enjoying the sweet time with them before bed.  What an amazing dad he is!!!




And I can't finish this post without a big thank you to my dad.  When I think back over my childhood, the things that come to mind of my Dad are: a dad who took his daughters on "dates", who was always so loving with us and was always telling us how much he loved us, and most importantly, I think of a strong, Godly man who lead his family spiritually.  I will never forget all of our family devotions as well as all the times I saw Jesus in him, through his actions and words.  Thank you, Dad, for being such an amazing father to us!!  I love you so much!!

Finished and ready in record time!! :)

So we bought the play set on Wednesday thinking it would be at least a few days before it was ready to be played on.  Charles was going to start with the wooden border around the play set but decided he would go ahead and set it up first and do the border later.  So, at 11:00 a.m. he began putting it together.  At 12:30 he decided it would be much easier and faster if he had some help so he called his brother.  Brian showed up around 3, they worked and worked and at 12:30 a.m. the play set was finished.  I couldn't believe they got it done in one day... our neighbors were probably hating us Wednesday night but neither of them wanted to stop until it was done.  The boys were able to go out and play the next day and they absolutely love it!!  Definitely money well spent and I know come August and September it will be a lifesaver to have back there.

The finished product :)

Jacob wasting no time!

Chase knew just what to do! 

Chase breaking in the swings!  Jacob is not a fan of the swings yet, but he'll get used to them quickly I'm sure!

      This is by far Chase's favorite thing... he spent well over an hour on one just like this at his cousin Emma's house a few weekends ago.  He has really gotten the hang of it and can go super high! :)

A HUGE thanks to Uncle Brian, Charles' brother, for sacrificing his time to come over and help Charles out.  It really is a 2 person job and was so much easier for Charles having his brother's help.  Now all that is left to do is the border around their play area and lots of mulch.  After that we're hoping to sod this fall and really have the backyard looking great!! :)

What a big boy!!!

 

Yep, we finally made the commitment and started potty training last weekend.  We attempted training him a few months ago, just after he turned 2, but he showed us very quickly that he was not ready!  During one of his diaper changes last week, I made up my mind that I was ready for him to be potty trained and that if he could at least be day time trained before the baby comes in August that would be better than nothing at all.  This time around, he showed us he is more ready now than he was a few months ago.  The first day it took him a long time to even put tee-tee in the potty but on day #2 he would sit down on the potty and go right away.  Thank goodness!!!  We still haven't figured out the whole pooping thing yet.  He will go a tiny bit after each meal but nothing like his normal that he'd do in his diapers so I'm hoping that begins soon.  I am starting to get a little worried about him getting too "backed up" (sorry if that is TMI)!  He is very proud that he is wearing big boy pants all day (except for naps and nighttime) and I am so proud that we have only had 2 minor accidents since starting 5 days ago.  He loves being like Chase so I'm hoping that will only keep helping our case. I couldn't be happier with his progress and I hope it will continue and get easier and easier with each day.
 

On a different note, we bought this play set today for the backyard.  I can't wait for the boys to be able to just go out our back door and have lots of fun playing, especially once Luke comes.