dog days

i so wish that we had a dog for bo to play with. he is absolutely obsessed with his stuffed dogs these days. he loves to scoop them all up and carry them around while he acts like a dog. can you tell that he's panting in this photo? his favorite are when the dogs "jump" all over him and "lick" him. that game wears mommy out!

in other news. it's raining again today, so bo had fun getting into his rainboots for our romp outside.

we stomped through puddles, raced leaves in the water. how hysterical was that? bo could not figure out why the leaf kept getting away from him. he was chasing it, but the current was just strong enough to keep it head of him. every now and then he'd scoop in to get it, but his rain boots would slosh it along again. priceless! he also found a pine cone that made a great splash in the water. the poor kid was so glad to be outside that he didn't even mind the light sprinkle. ella, on the other hand, didn't really enjoy the raindrops. we had quite a bit of fun until the thunder started. back inside to read library books!

wedding photos

the photos from my brother's wedding are now online, and they are great!!! there are a ton of them, but the photographers really got some amazing shots!
www.milestone-photo.com
it's the herron-nelson wedding...

bathtime

we had so much fun in the bath tonight. both of the kids were really enjoying it and they played so happily. i let bo get in first and ella was so ready to get in. when i saw her naked little bum peeking out from under the ruffles on her shirt, i had to grab the camera. i wish it were cute for my bottom to be that squishy!

they were both excited to see the camera. bo was half smiling and half whining while he was asking to "turn off" the camera.

they're both looking at the camera and smiling at the same time. that is definitely a rare occurrence these days!
oh, and for anyone keeping track, it rained again today!!!!

can you feel the love?

i'm not sure what to do as a mom to ensure my children like each other! ella is just now active enough to make bo crazy sometimes, but he deals with her pretty well. lately, we have this exchange quite often...
bo: ella, no [as ella touches something bo decides is "his"]
me: bo, it's not your job to tell ella no. who is in charge of ella and gets to tell her no?
bo: no is mommy's job
me: that's right, let's show her how to use the toy
bo: ella, no touch
[and here we go again!]
i'm still working on sharing, so i can't say i blame him, but i'm just not sure what it looks like to teach him that one! ella really does seem to adore him.

here's bo just taking care of some business on the phone...gotta make sure the hat is on too!

now ella wants to know what's going on and be a part of the interaction. where are you going bo?

it's okay ella...i love you...here's a kiss.

do you want to kiss me back?
they are sweet so much of the time...that's really a blessing. oh, and don't let the sunshine streaming in the window fool you...we had a few minutes of sun and then here's the rain. there have been so many consecutive days of rain that we're breaking all kinds of records!

change of plans

we had grand plans for today. a playdate at the zoo with lots of other moms, animals, and one big double stroller. unfortunately, it's now raining. bo wasn't too disappointed about missing the zoo because he immediately ran for his rain boots, but i needed to get OUT! so, i got the kids all geared up for a trip to the library. the rain was basically a sprinkle, and weather.com said "light rain" so out the door we go after breakfast. well, let's just say there was no "light" about it. it was pouring by the time i got out of the neighborhood. streets are flooding; cars are all over the road. let's just say we took a nice 10 minute drive around the block and headed back home. that counts as getting out, right? once we got back inside, i decided a little workout might be fun and decided to "fly" the kids around.

bo was a little too scared to put out his "wings" and while he enjoyed the flying, he much prefers being flipped around until he's "upside down"

ella didn't get to fly quite as high, but i was attempting to get her hair swoosh in this shot. it's really the coolest hair you've ever seen on a ten month old! i guess we'll get to the library tomorrow!

this morning

we were having so much fun playing in bo's room and listening to the veggie tales CD that I couldn't resist snapping a few fun shots.!

bo and ella both enjoy posing for the camera, although my attempts to have bo take his hands out of his mouth where unsuccessful!

sometimes i think it would be funny to have video of the moment after these pictures were taken...ella got frustrated because she couldn't reach the toy she wanted on the ground next to the toybox. she wants to stand on her own so badly, and she gets mad when that doesn't work out for her. bo was asking to turn the camera off and i told him no...let's just say that wasn't the answer he wanted. i'm scrolling through these adorable pictures on my camera listening to both of them complain in their own unique way and thinking...maybe life in pictures would be easier sometimes!

my new outfit

aunt sarah sent ella this adorable outfit in the mail a while ago, and we just got around to taking a few pictures in it!

it's a little big, but it still looks adorable. PLUS it will still fit next summer!!

how cute is she?

the rain boots

there have definitely been a few days this spring that i've been clinging to God's promise that he would never again flood the earth. it seems like it has rained every day since may! well, the weatherman says it's rained 45 days since may 1...that's a lot! bo has been absolutely obsessed with wearing his rain boots. his grammy bought them for him, and he's quite attached.

i'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but he's not always real good about getting them on the correct foot. mommy's just glad he can put them on all by himself!

the other day when we came in after a walk through the mud, daddy told bo he couldn't walk through the house with the boots on because he'd get the "whole house dirty." now, he loves to run around with them on in the house screaming, "whole house dirty...whole house dirty." he is so proud of himself!

i can't stop...

listening to Steve Fee's "Glorious One"...so amazing...
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=38374071

five years...

i cannot believe that i have actually been married for five years! three cross country moves, two kids, and one career ago i was a single woman. some days it feels like five minutes...other times it feels like, well, a lot longer than five years. i really do feel so blessed to have a husband that loves me so selflessly. most of the time i feel like marriage is the great unveiler of who i really am, and i can readily admit that i don't always like what i see. thankfully, i have a husband who is patient and loving and not perfect either! as i watched my brother's beautiful bride walk down the aisle a few short weeks ago, i could not believe the gift of marriage for us on earth. to see a tangible reality of the greatness of Christ's love for us as the church, his bride, is truly overwhelming. whew, i think all this anniversary business is making me a bit nostalgic...oh happy day!

getting started...

i'm totally new at this whole blogging thing, but i'm really excited! most days i think i have too much extra time on my hands, so i'm hoping this will give me something else to do! my life is not the most exciting, but the kids definitely keep things interesting...most of the posts will definitely be about them! check back regularly because i'll try to post often...