Happy 1st Birthday Joel

 On Friday my baby Joel turned 1.  Really?  Has it been that long?  I feel like he was just born but in some ways he seems so much older than 1.  He tries to do everything Colin does so he is in a sense 1 going on 4.    

We spent his birthday at the doctors apt for his 1 year check up.  He barely gained any weight and now weighs 19lbs 11oz but is now almost 31 inches.  Which is now 8% for weight and 75% for height.  Our tall skinny boy.  He has started to sign more, all done and eat which are the basic and most important things to communicate :)  he really does eat all day long :)  Wish i had that metabolism!  But after getting his shot we went and swam in a friends pool where Joel put his face in the water and blew bubbles! 

We had cupcakes for him friday night and let him, Colin open up some presents.  And then on Saturday we had some more birthday fun with my parents, Rod, Ant Ant, Jamie and Benjamin.  Brent made his homemade salsa.

Joel's favorite food right now is cucumbers with a bowl of ranch to dip in. He loves dipping his cukes in the ranch.  Its really cute to see. So he was very excited to see us dipping chips into salsa. He also loves eating with a spoon and fork.  So now we put his food in a bowl and he is pretty good at using his utencils to eat.  Smart boy!

I think that bite was a little too spicy for him :)

 The big boys were excited to help open presents.  They were very excited about Joel's gifts. At one point Benjamin squealed as he was opening the lawnmower "oh thank you!" haha it was so cute.  But don't worry Joel has had lots of playing time with his new toys.  And when Colin has been busy with Joel's toys, Joel has snuck into Colin's room to get at the toys he normally can't play with. 

"my lawnmower"  on sunday Ant Ant, Brent, Colin and Witty went down to the beach while Joel napped and when he woke up he went to all his new toys and would point to the toy and then to him.  He is willing to share but definitely knows what toys are his. 

 Its hard to believe a year ago this was Joel. 

And now he is walking, talking, running around.  He is so sweet and loves to run over to us and give hugs and big slobbery kisses.  He also starting to love books and will come snuggle into my lap and read book after book and will keep signing more when we're done.  Joel has the greatest laugh and we love to hear his big belly laughs when we tickle him.  He also loves to be chased around the house/yard and will giggle the whole time. Joel LOVES Colin and just thinks his big brother is the greatest. The other day Colin was sitting down reading a book and Joel went over and head butted him and began to wrestle Colin.  SO funny and Colin loved it.  They love each other and its so fun to watch.  We love you baby Joel. You have blessed our family so much this past year. We're excited to watch you grow and see more of your personality come out more every day.  Just slow down all this growing up stuff - stay our baby joel just a little longer for mommy ok?

Happy 4th of July

Last year when we were all waiting around hoping for a firecracker baby (who still took another 5 days to come)  we said we'd be at the farm this year for the 4th. But Brent and I decided we needed to get this fence done and made a big push to finish it this weekend.  It really takes maybe 50 times longer when you have Joel running around and wanting to help or get into trouble.  But he did take a 4 hour nap on saturday so we got most of it done.  All that is left is putting up a few more slats and then the gates.  Amazing how we thought it would take 2 weekends but we're getting there :)  On Sunday we decided to take a break from the fence and took the boys to a bike parade in Portsmouth. 

Colin was very excited and kept asking all day Sunday when it was time to go.  Joel wasn't too impressed but loved holding the balloon. I had seen this bike parade advertised last year and it was in the paper this year too so I was surprised when we got there and maybe 30 kids were in the parade.  Some of these kids had amazing decorations on their bikes. I should've taken a picture of some of them.  We got lots of ideas for next year

A fire truck led the parade and the kids took off.  At one point I saw Colin trying to make his way up past the fire truck. He seemed to think it was a race and he wanted to win.  He did crash into a tricycle and a parked car and I had to run to help them up but thankfully no one was hurt.  Colin told me the kid on the tricycle saved his life!  I guess he fell on top of the boy. 

Joel was towards the end.  He was the only stroller in the parade.  Which won him a prize.  We weren't expecting anything but he won this big basket full of goodies.  Helps when you're the only one in your catagory :)  I thought they shouldve given it to some of the other kids who took a lot of time on their bikes.  Colin was excited when we told him they both won the prize and took over most of the things.  There was this huge art box filled with art supplies that Colin loves.  And Joel would just eat the crayons so we happily gave those to Colin. 

There was a little ceremony that we stayed for.  Listened to some songs, ate some cake, drank punch and then came home to a cookout at our neighbors.  Yummy food and Colin got to set off some firecrackers.  Then they all walked over to the playground across the street and watched fireworks go off - illegal ones that someone in our neighborhood was setting off. We could hear the ones going off at Mt. Trashmore but couldnt see them.  I stayed home and put Joel to bed.  A fun 4th and maybe next year we will get back to the farm.

Girls night out

Monday night these wonderful girls and I were able to get out of the house without the kids and enjoy adult conversations and taking out time over a meal without having to keep track of kids. Although I think I got just as messy trying to eat crab legs and send some pieces flying across the room.  I dont know why we waited all year to do this!  Sadly all but Heidi are moving tomorrow. (Heidi - I am excited you'll still be here!)  I'm the only non-navy wife in this group.  It has been such a fun group of women to get to know.  I met them all through Kelly when she moved here last summer. Kelly was such a huge encourager all year.  It was such a blessing to have someone who was going through the same thing I was - adjusting to 2 kids, very active boys, both kids getting up every hour in the middle of the night, you name it I think Kelly went through it all with me.  I can't even begin to say how wonderful it was to have someone going through all that at the exact time I was.  Kelly - do you really have to move?  Colin is very sad that RJ moved to South America (not really - North carolina but to him it might as well be South America. He keeps asking if RJ's train table made it to South America.  He's really worried it got left. Or wanting it to get left so he can grab it up.haha not sure which)  I only just started to get to know the other women and then they move. I wish they all had another year here!  Such is life in a military area.  Thanks to facebook it will be fun to see the babies all grow up and maybe one day we'll be able to get them all together to celebrate their July birthdays again.  thanks for a great night ladies.  It was greatly needed.  And I think i'm still in denial that the rest of you have packed up and left already!

Brotherly love

These boys really love each other.  Even after Joel get wrestled to the ground over and over and Colin's legos get knocked down for the 10th time, they still love to hug and kiss each other.  Colin even prayed the other night that Joel would have Jesus in his heart too.  It was a really sweet prayer and at one point he said "God baby Joel is the best baby and very very good. Please let him go to heaven too." (lately every night Colin asks brent and I questions about heaven. They are good questions and he's really thinking about this which is neat to see. And humbling too to see childlike faith.) But we talked after how you do get to heaven and that as a big brother he can teach Joel all about Jesus so that one day baby Joel can ask Jesus to live in his heart too.  And I do pray that these boys would teach each other about God and help each other grow deeper in their relationship with the Lord (as a side note the other day colin asked me why I prayed to the Lord and not to God or Jesus! ha!)  In fact as I'm writing this Colin walked into the room and saw his lego construction site all knocked down and as he started to cry Joel ran over (or really toddled very very fast!) and gave him a great big hug.  Colin is now laughing.  And all is well again.

weekend fun

This past weekend Brent left on Thursday to go on a "work vacation" as Colin called it.  Jet skis, kayak, boating, fishing, 8 hours of sleep... must've been hard for Brent to leave us.  haha! But he had to go for work - tough job huh?  He had a great time and even though we wish we couldve gone too I'm glad he could get away and relax.  Brent told Colin he was the man of the house and to help mommy when he was gone.  Well Colin loved that fact and changed it to "king of the house man" and he was very excited about getting some new priviledges that the "king of the house man" would get.  Colin even told a woman at the grocery store that he was the man of the house since daddy was gone now and she almost stared to cry thinking Daddy was gone until i told her he was just gone for work. 

But after one night without Brent we packed up our stuff and headed to Ant Ant's house.  Here the boys are checking out her work. Colin loved it. He even got his own set of blueprints that he just loves and is very proud of. 

When we got home sunday night colin was in his room moving furniture around.  When I asked him what he was doing he told me he needed to make it like Ant Ant's work.  So we spent an hour rearranging furniture. 

Reading over his blueprints

Then we grabbed dinner and headed over to Maymont.  A really fun park.  The kids had a blast.

It was so hot.  The kids were glad to get back into the air conditioned car to drive to Ant Ants house.  On the 15 minute drive over Joel puked in the back seat which caused Colin to start too.  I gave Colin a towel to hold but as he proudly told Ant Ant when he got out of the car, "joel puked more than me!"  Got Joel cleaned up and then Colin spent the next 30 minutes puking in Ant Ants bathroom.  haha I'm sure Sarah loved having us there at the point.  I think it was the heat since after they did they were both fine.  Colin also had chocolate milk for dinner and being so hot that might have made him sick.  Who knows about joel. 

Before Colin's birthday he would always tell me he wanted a pirate birthday, a dinosaur birthdya and an underwater birthday party.  We had the pirate birthday before his birthday, an on his actual birthday he had his dinosaur birthday so this weekend we celebrated his underwater birthday.  Sarah had decorated her dinning room and Colin turned the corner and was amazed.  "Ant Ant did all this for me?" I hope he's always so grateful for even the little things as he grows up. he still talks abut how Ant Ant decorated her apt just for him.

We spent time in Ant Ant's pool where colin took his water wings off and went underwater to swim to me a few times. 

And fed the geese

Saw a snake swimming toward us

Colin and his Ant Ant

We had a great time! Joel loved to go over to Ant Ant and smother her in slobbery kisses.  It was his favorite thing to do.  Thanks Ant Ant for letting us come destroy your apartment :)  Colin is excited to go visit Ant Ant by himself soon but on the way home said he didnt want Daddy going on a work vacation anytime soon. 

Dirt

I read this article this morning.  Joel is going to be one happy, healthy kid :) Since he's walking he doesnt do it as much - unless he notices a new dirt pile and then he has to try it.  Whole handfuls - same thing with sand at the beach.  I think he's stopped eating the sand out of the sandbox for now.  But I think there is nothing better than seeing kids sit in dirt and play in it.  Colin and Joel are always so happy and just love being outside looking for bugs, digging in the dirt, making mud.  A few extra baths and laundry is worth it. 

Cute troublemaker

Making 'Snow'

Digging in the dirt

Emptying his sock drawer

Picking 'green balls'

Even though I'm vacuming several times a day now or cleaning just to discover it was all in vain - these things make me smile.  Its fun to watch Joel discover the fun in making styrofom snow or emptying drawers.  He is so proud of himself.  I just can't leave him alone in a room too long :) Although look at his face in the last picture.  I think he picked that green tomato on purpose just to get to Brent.  haha.

Brents new second home :)

I think we've found the perfect museum for Brent.  Monday we went to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame museum with Kelly, Sarah and the kids.  They had a whole room dedicated to the Redskins. Too bad Brent had to work. 

The kids are watching Redskins highlights on 3 different screens.  I can see Brent enjoying hours here :)  He needs to come one a weekday since we had it practically to ourselves.  The kids weren't into knowing about all the players but they did have fun seeing how fast they could throw a baseball, kicking soccer balls into the goal, and throwing footballs.  Colin's favorite part was where he could be a broadcaster and he announced what was happening and it played it back to him. Colin challenged Sarah (or Sampson's mommy as Colin called her) to a basketball game.

I wish i could figure out how to upload videos here.  (Kelly how do you do it on yours?)  but Colin went around singing Hail to the Redskins and I have some cute ones of him broadcasting.  Every time he would say someone fell down - haha no matter what sport he was announcing. Joel was getting really tired so we left for him to take a nap but I can definitely see us going back again and this time with Brent.

Babies (Almost) First Birthday

This afternoon we had the babies 1st birthday celebration.  These women have been so fun to get to know and its been fun to watch these babies first year.  All of them were born within weeks of each other.

It was fun to plan their party.  And still hard to believe its almost been a year. 

Once again, holding Lucy's hand :) 

Colin and RJ had fun in the clubhouse.

And eating cupcakes.  I think Coln ate at least 4. 

I think Joel enjoyed it don't you?  He really liked the part where he could eat dirt and his cupcake at the same time!

Beach trips

It seems each time you have another child you measure success in terms of outings for example "1st time grocery shopping with two kids, etc"  And now that Joel is walking it seems like I'm doing things all over again for the first time.  It adds a whole other dynamic when I have one child on the monkey bars wanting help and another child running in the opposite direction. Thursday I accomplished another outing - the beach.  And to top it off a playground on the beach.  A few friends and I were going to go to this new playground they just opened up at 2nd street and it ended up being Laura and I with 5 kids 4 and under.  She had 3 kids to keep track of - at least one of them was mobile yet.  This playground was amazing. Definitely one we will go again. And they have that soft plastic under the playground which is great for playing on.  It was really interactive and Colin and Joel loved being able to play on so many things.  And its also a short walk to the ocean from the beach.  And with two young kids is great.  I'm glad Laura was with me because we were able to tag team watching the big kids and watching the babies.  We made the kids wear life jackets the whole time and Joel even ventured towards the water more and more and towards the end wanted to get waist deep. Colin rode some waves in and had a blast.   It was fun and I'm sure we'll be going back for more soon. 

And then my dear friend Rachel Ball is in town and we went to meet her at the beach this morning.  Rachel was in my bible study in West Virginia and I just love her. She is the sweetest person I know.  Rachel is always so encouraging, always so sweet and I don't think has ever said a mean thing about anyone.  Brent and I were so excited to get to spend some time with her - and Rachel next time it needs to be longer!!! Everyone needs to have a friend like Rachel.  I tried to convince her to come down here and teach Colin next year so we'll see :) 

Is was great catching up and the boys had fun playing in the water.  Colin made friends with some kids there.  Its so easy for kids to make friends.

Joel was happy watching the water

Then i think the water came up a little too fast for him. haha