Jack's Last Game

Jack had a great game today!!! He is really developing some soccer skills and improving every week. It is so fun to watch him play!

Reid Walking

My little guy finally took off on his own the other day! He has been able to walk for awhile now but is finally brave enough to venture out on his own without us coaxing him.

Reidy's One Year Well Visit

I must have been in a really brave mood when I scheduled the appointment. I scheduled Reid's one year well visit complete with four shots for a day when Randy was out of town on business. Oh yeah, I just for fun I threw in Jack and Graham's flu shots. Nice, huh? Brave? stupid? it's a fine line. But thankfully my mom offered to come and help me out this time. We weren't really worried about Reid. It is Jack that is the worrier, the dweller, and the one who really hates shots. Also, I didn't tell Jack he was getting a shot until we got there. Really, what could go wrong?

All that said, the visit went very smoothly (you know, once the five of us crammed into that little room to begin with). Reid checked out perfectly as expected. Our little guy is right on track with everything. He isn't talking as much as my other two at this point (he says around 10 words) but apparently they were advanced (ha!) and he is normal so we'll take it. He weighed in at 25 pounds, 11 ounces (93%) and measures 31 inches (86%). 

Jack resisted the shot but did fine and was surprised to learn that just like mommy had promised, it was less than one second and then it was all better. He said it wasn't nearly as bad as he thought. Graham, in pure Graham fashion, barely acknowledged me when I said, "you're going to get a shot now, it's going to hurt." He winced momentarily and then jumped down and was back to the box of toys in seconds. I asked him later if the shot hurt and he responded with a brief look of confusion as if he didn't even remember. Then he said, "a teeny bit." :)

Reid did fine with his shots but Jack insisted on leaving the room for that part. He couldn't stand to see his little "precious" in pain. I love his compassion for others and his love for his baby brother. Such a sweet little man. :)

I am glad we survived and perhaps next time Randy travels I will try to avoid doctor appointments...and field trips.

Zoo Field Trip

Today was Jack's very first school field trip. All of the CCS first graders went to the zoo for the day! He has been so excited for this day to come simply because, well, he loves playing outside and he doesn't like sitting at a table doing work. :) He had a blast with his friends and I enjoyed spending the day with him watching him interact with his peers. I also enjoyed the company of the other sweet moms. Chasing after a big group of boys could be a challenge but was actually so much fun since I was with friends as well. It just made me so very thankful for how hard Randy works in order to have me at home with the boys. It doesn't come easy but nothing is more important than being with my boys while they are young.

Ten Year Anniversary Trip- Vail

Have you SEEN Vail in the fall??! Wow, it is simply breathtaking. We picked the perfect vacation destination for our 10 year anniversary. We have been hoping to take a trip "kid free" for awhile now but considering we keep having babies, that just hasn't been in the cards until now. :) We thought we would go somewhere on our anniversary but January proved to be difficult planning wise so we decided to just go now. I have never left any of the kids for more than a couple of nights and never left Reid for more than one night so that was strange and difficult at first. But it was so worth it for Randy and I to have that time together to reconnect! God truly blessed us with amazing weather, wonderful adventures, beautiful scenery, and just the perfect amount of time away from everything. I feel like our spirits were renewed and I have a fresh perspective on my daily life as a mommy to three boys. Even though our time away was amazing, we were so ready to be home to see their precious faces. I cannot imagine life without my children!!!

Our trip was very adventure filled. We ziplined, rafted, hiked, and rock climbed. The zipline was my favorite. Just letting go and falling off of a 100 ft. drop and soar through the mountains?! So amazing. Randy liked rock climbing the best. Probably because he is really, really good at it. I have no idea how he scaled those rocks so quickly and fearlessly but it was pretty cool. I was happy that I made it to the top but it was not done quickly or fearlessly. :) Our hike was just perfect. We went up about 2,000 feet to a beautiful waterfall just outside of Vail. We met some nice people along the way and enjoyed the scenery. Rafting wasn't great but that's what you get at the end of September. We liked our guide and enjoyed the scenery even though it wasn't as "adventurous" as we had hoped! We enjoyed some amazing restaurants and lots of time just talking, relaxing, and doing nothing. I have a favorite spot where we sat several times to read our Bibles, read books, just think, etc. Can't wait to go back and take the kids with us!