Family Fun

What a FUN and MEMORABLE week it has been! Alex, Lucas, and I were able to spend lots of time with family, both immediate and extended, and feel so thankful for the opportunity. As always, time went by way too fast, but thank goodness for cameras & being able to capture moments in time.


Lucas was able to spend lots of time with his MeMa and it was so fun listening to my Mom talk about how much he's changed & grown. She spoiled him with lots of hugs, kisses, and love, and it meant a lot to Alex and I to see him get some "Grandma" time :)

We were given a very special treat during our visit- Lucas, Alex, and I along with my Mom and family, were able to meet up at the park & spend the afternoon with Jalen and his family. In the video above, my Mom is pushing Jalen on one of the park's swings and if you listen closely, you can hear Jalen's sweet laugh in the background. He loves his Grandma Sandy!

Jalen also loves Ethan- they are just the cutest little buddies on the playground. They were dumping sand on each other's heads, chasing each other up the slides, and were giving each other a sweet kiss on the cheek before leaving the park. It was such a fun afternoon!

Lucas also met a few new cousins this weekend-the pictures I've included really say it all :) Lucas and Nathan are only 4 weeks apart, but the pictures show just how fast and big Lucas is growing to be. Ethan is still the biggest sweetheart in the world, so kind and helpful, and says Lucas's name in the sweetest way... "Loo Kuss". Makes me smile every time I hear him say it.

In the video below, Nicole and I layed our two boys down next to each other, and at first, Lucas is busy moving his arms and legs as usual and Nathan is laying still and calm, but they soon pick up on each other's energy and personalities, and you really seem them recognize each other is there. SOOO cute! It was a great trip!

He's a Smilin' Man!

He's a smiling boy!!!

Lucas has really come in to his own self and personality over the past few weeks, and recently learned how to express his happiness and excitement-with a smile! Actually, with many smiles :) He finds Dad to be especially funny. When Alex gets home from work, he sneaks up the stairs and crawls on the floor over to the couch so as not to let Lucas see him right away. Alex says his name and Lucas immediately starts searching with his eyes for his Dad. Alex slowly peeks up over the couch and the moment the eye contact is made, Lucas starts kicking his legs like a wild man and the biggest smile spreads across his sweet face.

We've been working on tummy time and really helping him hold up his neck, and one way we practice is by Alex sitting him up against the couch's enormous pillows (see video above). Alex takes Lucas's favorite stuffed animal-a little frog with a bell inside- and brings the cutest smile on Lucas's face.

The first few months have been so special & we've really tried to take every moment in and treasure them. With his many changes over the past week or so, we are getting even more excited for the future and seeing the adorable little guy he's turning in to!

We love you sweetheart.

*Our Little Snugglebug*

It has been far too long since our last post, but as you can tell, we've been a little...busy :) Just a few weeks ago, we were blessed with a little boy- Lucas Alexander- who was brought to us by an extraordinary young lady. Those few weeks flew by, each day filled with eager anticipation for his arrival, and we are happy to announce that he is finally here! Our hearts couldn't be more full of joy, love, and gratitude not only for our new little guy, but for his entire birth family who we love so dearly. ~Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!~

Lucas is now going on 3 weeks old and we can't believe how much he's changed! He's weighing in at a healthy 9lbs 2oz, 21 inches long, and as alive and active as can be. We can already tell by his incredibly "straightforward" personality -wink, wink- that he'll have no problem going for the things he wants in his life. He has the sweetest smile, the most sincere blue eyes, and a head of hair that even I'm jealous of. He's snorting, and kicking, and loves, loves, LOVES to snuggle. My mom gave him a nickname- she calls him her "snugglebug". He knows the moment you lay him down, at which point he'll open his eyes wide open, grunt a few times, and wait for you to scoop him back into your arms until he's completely asleep. And we LOVE it!

Trick-or-Twilight?

This year, Alex and I decided to go as Edward & Bella from Twilight. I think it's fair to say that Alex wasn't entirely thrilled of the idea; playing Edward isn't exactly the most manly of costumes. :) But I absolutely LOVE the movies & the books, and we thought it'd be a popular idea amongst the family, so we decided to run with it. Turns out, we looked pretty close to the real thing. ( See pics!)

We went to the annual Halloween party at his aunt's house & we had so much fun! Right as we were walking up, every girl there immediately knew who we were. As for the guys....well...they thought Alex looked like Tom Cruise from Risky Business. Our adorable nieces dressed up as Sleeping Beauty & Belle; my sister-in-law came as the Octo Mom; there were pirates, and 1920's flappers; football players and mad scientists. It was a lot of fun! Afterwards, we went over to a family member's home and watched scary movies. I don't love Halloween so much for the scary stuff, but I do think it's a lot of fun to get dressed up!

"Other Things May Change, But We Start And End With Family"

Alex and I recently celebrated our anniversary & we both cannot believe how fast time has gone by. Alex surprised me with a dozen roses in my favorite color- fire and ice- and they bloomed into some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. We went to a nice dinner & just spent the evening talking about some of our favorite memories since we've been together. We exchanged cards, and I was so touched by Alex's words. He always speaks directly from the heart, and his words are so incredibly honest. He is such a wonderful man, and he is going to make an amazing father someday.

This past weekend, we were able to spend some time with our cousin who is a Marine and is leaving for Afghanistan soon. We are so grateful for his service and the many sacrifices he makes, as well as his family, so that we can enjoy the many freedoms we have. We were sad to say goodbye, but we know he believes so strongly in what he is fighting for, and we pray for his safe return.



We carved pumpkins on Friday with my two nieces- Alex carved a mummy & I carved a bat. I must admit though- we did cheat :) We bought a carving & stencil kit from Wal-Mart, which really are essential for pumpkin carving. The kits provide the perfect little tools to carve the best images, and we had such a great time. We munched on halloween candy, and spent the time with family just laughing and enjoying each other's company. We love the holidays!

Pumpkins 'n' Bread

You know the fall is finally here when you're bundling up in your sweatshirts and boots & heading to your local pumpkin patch! Alex and I took our nieces, sister, and brother-in-law to a favorite pumpkin patch where there is a giant hay slide, a pool or corn kernels that the kids can dig around in to look for candy, and a giant corn maze that's pretty easy to find your way through, no matter what age. We had an absolute blast!! ( I'm sorry that I don't have a picture of Alex for this post- somebody has to take the picture :). We had such a great time, and it was so much fun to see our nieces get so excited. We were kind of disappointed to find out they had run out of hot chocolate because you can't go through a corn maze & be in your sweatshirts without ending the night with a cup of hot cocoa :).

I am also so proud to present my very first loaf of HOMEMADE bread! We had a very chilly day earlier this week, so I made a homemade chili that slow-cooked for 6 hours, and topped it off with...get ready for it... 6 loaves of homemade bread. That's right-I misread the recipe serving size and thought I was making a single loaf of bread, but it actually called for 6 loaves. So, we surprised family with a hot loaf of bread and I happy to say they all loved it :)