California Here We Come!

We will pull out of here tomorrow morning (after Caleb's kindergarten registration, wow!) and spend 3 long days on the road... Packed lots of snacks and surprises, and dvds... pray for us!
We are going to So Cal for my niece Alysa's wedding! Alysa is so dear to my heart, and we are SO proud of the decisions she's made, and the way her life is glorifying God. We haven't physically met her Kevin yet, but believe him to be the man of God we've always prayed for for her. He even wants to be a Youth Pastor! (Bonus Points).
We won't be able to stay as long as we'd like, but are so excited to be able to reconnect with friends and family again.

Happy Easter!

best of all four




Funniest Easter Pic.
Don't know why they always make pirate faces.

Swimming Lessons

Caleb and Aidan just finished a 6 week course of swim lessons at the Y. Caleb LOVED it, and was very confident in the water (except for the diving board). Aidan, was very moody. Some nights he did well, others not so well. Nothing like the fearless barely 2 year old who last year jumped off the diving board and went down the slide all by himself. Crazy. Enjoy some pics.

Kellan and Ethan's Cowboy Birthday Blast

Enjoy a few fun photos from last Friday night, when we celebrated Kellan and Ethan turning 2. We had the party at the church with some friends, and a fun time was had by all, even Caleb who has been miserably sick for the past few days...

One more thing...

The other day Ethan jerked his head up and bonked me in the chin. It smarted pretty badly, and I exclaimed 'ouch' loudly and teared up a bit, and I quickly walked out of the room. Weston was home, so he called out to ask if I was okay, and all the boys seemed a little concerned. But it melted my heart with Ethan sought me out in the kitchen, and with very concerned eyes asked, "mommy ok?", and then followed with "I sorry." I hugged him, and assured him I was. It was way too sweet, and really choked me up because I didn't know he was even capable of such an sympathetic, self initiated emotion yet.

the Twin Bond

One evening this week, Weston took Ethan and Aidan to the grocery store for some needed groceries. Kellan and Caleb stayed home with me. We hadn't thought about it, but the twins are really hardly ever apart. Seriously, one overnight at about 16 months, and 2-3 quick errands when we've taken only one, and that's it. Their whole lives are spent inseparably together. I can't even imagine what that must be like.

Anyway, when Ethan got home it was SO cute to see him run into the house, and say, "Kelly, Kelly?" (that's what he calls Kellan, so cute). Kellan ran towards him, they half hugged a greeting and leaned their heads together and talked in their twinspeak. I really think they were sharing about what they did while they were apart. And then Kellan helped Ethan off with his jacket. It was incredibly sweet. I love having twins!

Our Little Buckaroos

Ethan
Kellan
Noticed I've had a few posts without pictures, so I thought I better remedy that. These pictures were from the twins' birthday invitation. Pretty cute, huh?

Potty Talk

Hopefully this isn't too inappropriate(at least I am not including a picture), but I just had to record this brotherly bonding talk that Weston overheard as Caleb and Aidan were peeing into the toilet. (Yes, part of the bedtime routine is that they like to do this simultaneously. Is that normal? Other parents of boys reassure me here.)

Caleb: Gotta get the bad guys. (referring to the bubbles they are trying to aim at and 'destroy')
Aidan: Yeah, lets get em!

After a few moments of enthusiastically trying to get the 'bad guys', and after, ahem, running out of ammo, plus not being willing to admit defeat, Caleb confidently told Aidan:
Don't worry, the tornado will get em! and then promptly proceeded to flush the toilet.
Aidan: Yeah, yeah, the tomato will get em!

Of course they celebrated with jubilant rejoicing as the 'bad guys' went down the drain.

Aidan

has had an amazing attitude for the past week or two. We always seriously joke that his behavior goes through these major up and down cycles, of horrible attitudes and then wonderful ones. But this one has been the best yet! Seriously, he's had this incredibly sunny disposition and has been so quick to change from a bad response to a good one the minute we call him on it. It almost feels surreal. Just imagine scenario after scenario like this;

After spotting the fun ride on toys in the mall, Aidan: "Mommy, can we go play over there?"
Mommy: "No Aidan, we are not going to play there today."
Aidan with a smile: "Yes, mam".

Don't believe me, do you? Honestly, time after time, after saying no to his whims and desires, and he has just responded with an, "OK mommy", or "yes mam", or even sometimes a "yes sir" (to me, mind you). Even upon being told to clean up, or stop doing something, he has almost consistently responded correctly.

We've made sure to praise him often, and talk this 'new Aidan' up to others in front of him, but even though there is part of me that has a secret hope that this is it, obedience has just clicked with him, I know that parenting is never that easy. Even today, we started to see little bits of that ugly sin nature starting to show through again. Oh well, back to the trenches. It has sure been fun to enjoy a little break from the intensive correcting though, and to really just get to relish even more in the wonderful little guy that God placed in our family.