Growing Strong

 The pool pics were taken about two weeks ago, but they were on my cell and it took me a while to get them ready to go.  Justin absolutely loves playing and simply being outside.  He is especially a fan of water and playing in the hose, in fact I can weed my entire garden if I simply turn the hose on for him to play in.  He won't run away or head down the street like he does when he isn't playing in the water.  However he was very nervous at first to go out in just his swim shorts.  He kept looking at me like I was crazy and definitely was concerned that he didn't have a shirt on.  He also really hates to have sunscreen put on.  He gasps and then begins to fuss when I spray his fair skin.  He did end up with a bit of a sunburn last week as I missed a stripe across he lower back; it was right where his diaper rubs and it made me really sad.
     Last week Justin also had his very first experience with swimming.  We met my Sister-in-law Melissa and her three kiddos up at Heise Hot Springs.  It was wonderful.  At first my sweet little boy was a little bit on the nervous side, with all that water, but he was in a little boat that let his legs dangle in the water.  He soon got over his anxiety and really loved splashing and playing with his cousin Jonathan.

 Each evening I talk on the phone with my Mom.  These next two pictures are of Justin fresh from the bath and holding the phone 'talking' (babbling) a mile a minute to my Mom.  We turn her on speaker phone and let him go to town talking to her.  I just had to have these pictures of him actually sitting down in Nathan's lap to enjoy his talk with Nana.
     My sweet little boys new favorite word is "Oops".  It seriously gives me a good laugh when he purposefully throws something on the floor and then says "Oops".  Nathan and I have both had fits of the giggles at the silly moments in which he chooses to try out this new word.  I love that he is talking more and more all the time.  He is a seriously verbal little fella which means I will very soon be able to have someone to talk with during the days! :)
     And the last anecdote about our Justin this week is that he is a super climber.  He not only is getting up on the couch, but this morning he decided that he wanted to get to the metal star I have hanging on the wall, so he climbed up on the back of the couch with just about gave me a heart attack!  He also has decided that empty Diet Pepsi cans pulled out of the trash can are a blast to make music with.  LOL!   Have a great week!

Summer Fun!

Nate is working swings this week and so I feel that I have the chance to work on my blog!  (Boy it is different without him here in the evening!).  Here I am once again with so much to say.  I have got to get better at blogging!  So, I am just going to go by pictures.  The first few are from Justin's first experience with Easter Egg hunting.  He seemed to really enjoy it and loved having cousin Natalie help him out.  There are so many to add this time that I am going to use the small versions, and I am hoping that works for everyone. 

     I am really missing my cousin, Matt, who is on a mission, because he took some really wonderful family pictures of us last summer.  I simply cannot afford to have a professional photographer take an outside shoot of us, but if anyone knows of someone who can do them for around $50 bucks please let me know.  I would really love some new ones on my walls.  My Justin is getting so big and he is in to everything!  Donalee assures me that he is just "busy" and that he is a completely normal little boy. He also is a climber and has decided that if he wants to get onto the back of my very tall couches he can.  This pic is of him getting into the remotes on our basement couch.

As you can see he makes his own path.  He is quite funny when he is attempting to do something and it doesn't happen how he wants it to.  He will have a little fit and start to scream.  Nathan and I both get a really good laugh.  I try not to "rescue" these situations, but sometimes I really want to help him out.  I know it will be better if he figures out a solution on his own.  He lights up our life and provides so much entertainment.  Oh yes!  Justin being busy has been even more of a challenge the last couple of months since I found out on April 4th that I am expecting again.

Basket Fun!

Reading with Uncle Eric.

Sporting my handyman jammies!

We really have been enjoying our summer.  I have had the chance to garden this year which I love because watching things grow really makes me happy.  My strawberries are overflowing and I have been picking about three cups a day for the past week.  We have been eating our fill and I still have some to clean up and make jam out of.  We have even found time to go to the zoo.  Justin really enjoyed it as he was able to make a whole bunch of new furry/feathery friends.

     Nathan's job out to the site has been really wonderful because he enjoys having every other Friday off.  That means we have more time to work on our yard and spend time together as a family.  His hours have also been really nice as I haven't been too terrible active during this first trimester of my pregnancy.  I have been "debilitatingly tired".  But Justin is a really good boy and is an awesome sleeper.  Which is a huge blessing when you don't feel good!

 For the Fourth of July we got together with my brother Kris and his family.  We attempted to get all of my brothers together, but the others were sadly already busy.  We missed them greatly.  We decided that my brother Kris is definitely the one to light off the fireworks because he does a great job and puts on silly sideshows as he does the show.  It reminded me of the days when he was working at scout camp and would be very silly when he would come home to do laundry and get supplies.  I have always loved that side of Kris and I think my son gets a pretty big kick out of it too!
   On the day of the Fourth we went down to the greenbelt and enjoyed a wonderful lunch from BJ's Bayou.  We wandered to our hearts delight and then headed just a little further west out to Reed's Dairy for some killer ice-cream.  We did the tiny bit of shopping that we needed to do (Poo supplies for our house!) and then headed home for our afternoon layabout.  After our naps we had a wonderful supper of sandwiches, chips, and fruit.  It was hot outside, I surely wasn't in the mood to cook!  Then as the sun began to fall we headed out to Menan for the fireworks.  We stopped at my Mom's house on the way through to say "Hi" and then picked up my Mother-in-law and took her with us.  At the park we met up with my Sister-in-law and had the opportunity to sit and talk with her.  The show was glorious and the crowd was minimal.  I love Menan and am so very thankful that we are able to go there for the Fourth.  I appreciate being able to beat the crowds and still enjoy an excellent show.