Evidence of our Summer Play Group

This picture makes me happy...and laugh!  We definately enjoyed our summer play dates with Mary and Jennie...and their kids.  One day we lined up their crocs and Mary took a picture.  Someday we will look back and remember when their shoes were this little and we sat around as moms talking about motherhood!

Summer isover and school has started up and schedules have changed!  We will always make time for each other...it's just less frequent than it was this summer!

(The only kiddo not represented by a pair of crocs is baby Kiley)

Rec Center Water Park

We joined the rec center for the summer to be able to go and use the pool and water park.  Cody didn't seem to enjoy the swimming pool this summer but he loved the kid area and water slide. I think he liked the freedom of being in control and not having to be helped in the "big" pool.  He wasn't afraid to go down the slides and by the middle of the summer I was more confident letting me go by himself if it wasn't crowded.  We went several times as a family, a couple times just me and Cody and many times with Mary and her kids (with a trip to Cici's pizza for dinner afterwards).  What a fun summer place to go!

Here he is greeting Ty! He gets excited when he passes Ty in the water.

Ready, set, go! He loved this water slide and always had a big smile the whole way!

Charlie was Cody's favorite at the water park.  She will do the slides with him and follow him around...which always makes his day.  Every time we drive by the rec he says "play with Charlie, put on bathing suit".  They have fun together and she looks out for him.

He masters climbing this rope the first day we were there! Again, Cody and Charlie are never too far apart.

Sweet Joy! She likes to stick close to Mary or have snacks on the side but will casually wander around in the water or find a spot to play in.

Splash Park

We spent many of our summer days outside in the water!  Cody loved going to the splash park...especially on days we met Jennie and Mary and their kids. Sarah also took him all the time so he got his does of outside fun this summer! There were two splash parks we would alternate for variety.

No playdate is complete without Mary handing out fun candy! Here he is learning how to eat fun dip.

The few minutes a day he sits still...

Cody relaxes in our bed every night before he gets in his own bed. This started on our trip to Alaska and has continued since.  He drinks his milk and watches a video on the iPad.  This is routine now and if we don't stick to the routine he reminds us.  He is snuggled here anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the night.  This particular night there would be no relaxing until all his gabage trucks were on the bed with him.

He also loves his blue chair and sits in it to watch TV.  This is usually how he starts his day or takes a break from playing.  He doesn't sit too long but does prop up his feet a few times a day!  His paci is still a must when he's tired.  We are trying to put it up during the day and eventually ween him totally but for now it's his comfort "thing".

Sarah and Cody

Sarah (or Seerah as Cody says) is one special girl!  She was Cody's nanny for two years so I could continue to work. I love my job of 10 years and wanted to try and keep it once I became a mom. Sarah was with Cody 20 hours a week and sometimes more. She had a carseat that stayed in her car and she took Cody on fun outings as he got older...especially during this past summer.  We started leaving Cody with Sarah when he was 4 months old up until he was 2 years 4 months old. Sarah recently transfered to Texas A&M to finish out her college career.  We are so proud of her! Cody asks about Sarah a lot and when she comes to visit his face lights up with pure love and joy for Seerah!  Last weekend when she came over he wanted me and Jason to leave! He didn't want to share Sarah with us even though we wanted to visit with her too.  We are so blessed to have been able to have Cody stay at home, in a routine and with someone who truly loves him while we went to work. We trust Sarah and knew Cody was in good hands. Sarah will always be a part of our family!

We love knowing that Sarah truly loves Cody and wanted to be babysitting him.  It wasn't just a job to her!

 Sarah manages to get lots of kisses from Cody!

Cody started pre-school this year and has a new college girl that he has fun with (and another one of our former students), Kaitlyn, coming to keep him once a week! We are forever grateful that these girls love Cody and he loves them.  It's a blessing to be able to work and know he is happy and well cared for!

This smile he gave Sarah shows his love for her!  We miss Sarah!

Lizzie's Mickey/Minnie Mouse Party

This is Cody's friend, Lizzie! She is one of the sweetest little girls we know! Cody went to a party for her and all the kids got to dress up like Mickey or Minnie! It was so cute and he had so much fun! Lizzie's mom and dad (David and Jamie) are good friends of ours and partner in ministry with us.

He wouldn't leave on his Mickey ears and the costume was a little small for him but he had fun and was cute running around as a little Mickey.

Hudson was adorable in his Mickey costume! A princess chair just the right size for a little Mickey Mouse!  I think they all took turns sitting here.

Becca made a precious Minnie Mouse! She is Lizzie's sister and a sweet girl as well.

The whole room was decorated in the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme and Cody did his happy dance and ran around everywhere.  He chased Hudson in and out of this tent.

All the little Mickey and Minnie's.

Paije was one of our former students and is in college now.  She works at this party place and helped arrange a special party for Lizzie.  Cody was so intent on getting a Mickey tatoo and waited patiently while she put it on his hand.

They all got to jump in a bounce house and then had other games to play.  Cody was the youngest kid there by 9 months but did well following what the others did and waiting in line for his turn. He did mess the obstacle course up a little bit which gave us all a good laugh.

They played music and danced until it stopped and then had to freeze.  He was so funny and intent on dancing with this sweet little girl.  He really wanted to hold her hands and she had this cute grin on her face the whole time. 

A tired Mickey after the dance party!

Hudson was quite the hit on the dance floor and showed off all his fancy moves...which were quite impressive! He kept us all laughing!

And a Mickey costume is not complete without gloves and a wand!

We had such a fun time at Lizzie's party and were glad we got to go and show her how much we love her!

Ty and Cody

Cody loves his friends!  He gets excited any time he knows he will get to see "Ty, Charlie, Joy, David or Joshua". We spend most of our play dates and free time with Mary and Jennie and their kids (he hasn't shown an interest in Jennie's baby, Kylie, yet. ha!) The other friends he talks about are "Lizzie, Becca and Hudson". He constantly names his friends and asks to play with them.  He likes to copy what they do.  I love this picture of Ty and Cody at the piano. He is filled with excitement and joy when he gets to play with them and do what they do!

My Hubs

Our friend and fellow ministry partner, Sean, took this picture of Jason while on a youth trip in Colorado this summer! I love it and it captures Jason's love for the mountains perfectly!

Sweet Girls

These girls have been "my girls" since they were in 6th grade...and they all just graduated from high school! Alex, Sarah, Victoria, Emily and Layne...I hope they left for college knowing how much I love them and how much I will miss them. They were the first girls I got to know when I married Jason and started working with they youth. They make me laugh...and cry...and definately make me feel protective of them. They were the core senior girls in our youth group, exeptional leaders and beautiful ladies inside and out!