The Pumpkin Patch

It is one of my favorite activities of the year...I absolutely love it! Even though it was about 80 degrees outside, we spent the afternoon at the pumpkin patch on Saturday with a group of friends. The kids had a lot of fun playing on all the slides, in the sand boxes, seeing the animals, and of course, picking out their favorite pumpkins. I guess I should say that Levi had a lot of fun. Graham had no clue where he was or what he was doing, and Ben got a bit impatient. While out in the field, he just kept screaming, "I want to go home!". The good thing about going when it still felt like summer was that there were hardly any people and there were lots of pumpkins! Here are some pics from the afternoon...

The family in the barn -

On the hayride out to the pumpkin patch -

Levi and his pumpkin -

Levi and Ben and their "baby pumpkins" -

Our 3 little pumpkins -

Handsome Ben -

This is what most of our pictures look like (and our life!) -
With Halloween still a month away, I think we might have to make another trip to the pumpkin patch. Maybe then we won't be wearing summer clothes and have sweaty faces!

Happy Birthday, Graham Oliver!

One year. Really? I'm not quite sure how that could be. I am not exaggerating when I say that it flew by. I hardly remember it happening, and I'm pretty certain I was there for every minute of it. And I do mean every minute. Graham, you are attached to my hip - a permanent accessory to my outfits. Your daddy says you will never learn to walk as much as you like for your mommy to hold you. Somehow I seriously doubt that you'll be army crawling into kindergarten.

I went through the pictures this morning in an attempt to remember the moments of the year, trying to figure out how you are no longer a little baby. Here's your first year in review...

September 24, 2007 -
One month old -
Two months old -
Three months old -
Four months old -
Five months old -
Six months old -
Seven months old -
Eight months old -
Nine months old -
Ten months old -
Eleven months old -
And now, one year old! -

So I guess you really are one. Twelve months have passed us by, and in the midst of the craziness we have fallen in love with you. Graham Oliver, you are an absolute joy. I love the way you grab onto me tightly and lay your head on my shoulder when I get you up in the morning ...how your whole body shakes when you're excited...the little dimple under your eye...the way you army crawl around the house with speed and precision (and the very dirty shirts you have because of it)...how you get absolutely ecstatic when you see grapes and blueberries - you could eat them all day long...your love for Mr. Potato Head - you can even army crawl while holding onto him...how your whole face lights up when you see your brothers...your admiration for doors and your tendency to shut yourself in the laundry room and bathroom...and I absolutely love those big brown eyes.

Your big brothers just adore you too. It's hard to believe, but yesterday you had your first injury caused by a big brother. It was an accident, but a toy smacked you in the nose leaving you to look like Rudolph. A couple of people have commented that you must be used to getting injured by now, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Levi and Ben are both so gentle and protective with you. They watch you closely and quickly make sure I know if you are even 10 feet from the stairs. And you love them just as much. You want to be right where they are at all times. And I'm afraid you are following in their footsteps, as you really want to play with the trains. That doesn't make your brothers very happy because you basically destroy their tracks and throw every train off the table.

We chose a Psalms for each of the boys before their births, and for you we chose Psalms 145.

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
So that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

This passage could not be more fitting for you and our family. God was so great to us this past year. He is indeed most worthy of praise, and His abundant goodness has called for a great celebration. His faithfulness and compassion have been more real to me than ever. In looking back at all He has taught me this past year, I realized that this has been the richest year of my life!

Graham, this is our prayer for you...that you will know the goodness and compassion of our God. That His awesome works will be evident to you. We pray that you will be "bowed down" in submission to His will for your life. That you will "call on Him in truth" and "fear Him". In a world filled with people searching for something to live for and something to believe in, we pray that your life will be firmly grounded in the truth of God's Word and that your love for Him and His love for you will instill in you great passion and purpose.

We love you, little Graham.
Happy 1st birthday!

It's a monkey party!

Our little monkey. I'm not sure when we started using that name for Graham or exactly why, but it is very fitting for him. He doesn't EVER sit still, and he is constantly climbing on things - mostly me! He's long and lean and reminds us of a little monkey. So we had a monkey party for his 1st birthday, and we decided that it needed to be a big celebration. After a year of craziness, we have lots to celebrate! We had a fun party at our house with friends and family - 20 adults and 22 kids to be exact. Thankfully, it was a gorgeous evening so we were able to be outside.

Here's his cake, which obviously I did NOT make. The same cake genius who made Levi's Gordon cake made this one. Seriously, this girl is talented. She copied the invitation exactly.

Doesn't that banana look real? It isn't.


We had such a great time celebrating sweet little Graham. And most importantly, Graham was happy all evening. Somehow he knew the party was all about him. Here's some pictures of the fun (otherwise described as chaos!)...

Isn't there supposed to be a rule about how many kids can be on a trampoline? -
With Grandma and the sock monkey she made him -

With Mimi and Papa -

So happy! -

With big brother Levi -

With Mommy and Daddy after the party had ended -


Graham LOVED his cake. He did exactly what he was supposed to do - he dug in and was covered in frosting from head to toe.



And here he is opening some presents with lots of help -


And at the end of the night, he let us know that he was ready for bed!

Soon you will be one, little man! I'm still going to call you 11 months until the exact day (tomorrow!) because this mama is not ready for you to grow up!

Why I have to watch my words very carefully!

Levi is a little sponge. I guess all kids are, but it has really been amazing to listen to the things this 4-year-old is picking up lately. Sometimes I can clearly hear myself or Michael in his words but sometimes we are both left to say, "Where did he learn that?"

Like the other day when we were trying to rush out for school and I sent Levi to the bathroom before we left. I heard him talking to Ben who was in the playroom so I just assumed he had made a detour. I hollered down the hall and said, "Levi, go potty!" And he responded with, "Mommy, I am going potty. Chill out!" Lovely.

And then there's the new little phrase he says all the time..."Oh my word", always done while shaking his head and giggling just a little bit with a smirk on his face. I never have to wonder where he got that one.

But the funniest one came today while Levi and Ben were playing together in the playroom. I was in the hallway and could hear Levi trying to reason with Ben about something. I was half-listening but then heard Levi say, "Oh, Ben. You wear me out!" I probably don't have to wonder where he got that one either.

I'll post more soon on Graham's 1st birthday celebration!

Go hornets!

This marks the beginning of many, many years of cheering on the boys from the sidelines.

I have a feeling that our weekends are going to be very busy for the next couple of decades.

First Day of School

Yesterday was a big day at our house...Levi's first day of school. Leading up to the big day, he expressed nothing but excitement. He has lots of little friends in his class - many of the same boys who were in his preschool class last year and many friends from church. His new preschool classroom is also the same room he's in for Sunday school so I expected nothing but excitement.

As we were getting ready yesterday morning, it suddenly occurred to Levi that he was going to be at school and Ben would be left at home with all their toys. He was not happy about that. For a while he insisted that Ben go to school also. When he was convinced that this wouldn't happen, he began to hide toys and put things up high to where he thought Ben wouldn't be able to reach them. Levi instructed me as to what Ben could play with and then suggested to me that Ben and I just watch videos and not play in the playroom. I'm not sure if this is typical firstborn behavior or just a sign of his 4-year old selfishness. We've got a lot to work on around here.

After Levi finished roping off the house, we left for school. Here's a picture in our driveway. As you can tell, he was not at all excited about getting his picture taken...

And here he is when we arrived at school. He was a bit more cooperative for a picture. (I hid the name of the preschool to protect my little guy from any sickos out there.)

We walked into the building and right as we walked up to the entrance to his classroom, Levi's eyes began to fill up with tears, and he held onto me for dear life. I was completely shocked. I attempted to calm him down and pointed out all of his friends who were playing happily in the room. He didn't care. As I carried him into the room, he began to scream, "Mommy, don't leave me!" I wasn't at all prepared for this so I wasn't sure what to do. The preschool director kindly told me that I needed to just walk away and leave him. That's not easy to do to a 4-year old! As I drove away my heart was pounding but it was only about 2 minutes later when the director called me to report that Levi was as happy as could be - laughing and playing with all the kids. That little stinker!

When I picked him up yesterday afternoon he was more excited than I've seen him in a long time. He was absolutely beaming and talked all the way home about the songs they sang, the kids in his class, the rules they created for the classroom, his lunch (specifically about the cheetos that 2 of the boys had in their lunch and he really wanted), etc. I told him it was okay that he cried a little bit but asked why he got so upset. Levi responded in a very matter-of-fact way and said, "Mommy, I just wanted you to be my teacher!"

As each year goes by more and more quickly, I am realizing that my time at home with the boys is so short. It will be soon that someone else is getting the majority of their days. These first few years are so critical, and I love that God has given me the ability to be at home with them. As difficult as it is, I wouldn't trade it for anything as I know that soon I will say good-bye to them in the morning and send them off to school where they will be influenced by so many other people. This house will be a lot quieter during those years so for now, I'll take the loudness. We definitely have enough of it!

It was just the first day of Levi's second year of preschool, but for this mom, it's another milestone. And for Ben it's now two days a week that he gets to be king of the house. But, shhh...don't tell Levi. He thinks we're just sitting around watching television.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

I wrote 27 things that I love about Levi for his birthday on April 27th and 20 things that I love about Ben for his May 20th birthday, but thankfully, there's a lot more than one thing that I love about you so I won't make a list for your September 1st birthday.

There are, however, so many things that I want to tell you. I sat down to write in your birthday card a few days ago, and I could hardly think of anything that I haven't already written to you in a past card. I'm a woman of many words, and I often find myself repeating them over and over again. Everything is beginning to sound so cliche. So to honor you on your 31st birthday, I'll put some thoughts out there on the world wide web.

I didn't deserve you on August 7, 1999, and I definitely don't deserve you now. In my marriage vows I told you that you were a perfect picture of God's grace in my life. That has only become more real with time. I remember mentioning to a friend in college that I had a little crush on you and she responded by saying, "join the crowd". I, just like her, never dreamed that I would actually date you and end up married to you. You generally make very wise decisions, but seriously babe, I question that decision. I definitely got the best end of the deal.

You are the hardest worker I know, and the greatest thing about that is that you absolutely never complain. You aren't the kind of husband who whines about your long hours or looks for affirmation for all you do for us. You sneak out of the house early in the morning and do your best to make it home before dinner. After a stressful day at work you always walk into the house as though you have all the energy in the world. We don't get your leftovers - you always give us your best. You never flaunt the work you've done for us. (Unlike me who wants to stack up all the laundry I've done just to make sure you know how hard I work!) You do it all selflessly and without gain.

The boys and I never have to wonder what your priorities are. Your work is important to you, and I know without a doubt that you do your work with integrity, but the boys and I are most important to you. If we need you, you're here. I will never forget watching you talk to the CFO of the largest hospital in Dallas while sitting in our hearth room holding a very sick little boy. You were completely calm and able to do your work well while loving on your little guy.

You know who you are and you're comfortable with it. You don't try to be someone you aren't. That means that you don't care what others think and you never have to work at impressing people. What you see is what you get. And the best thing is that what everyone else sees and what we get are both extraordinary.

Steady Eddie...that's definitely you. And although you think that means you're boring, you're wrong. This emotional girl needs your level head, and I'm so grateful for it. In fact, our family depends on it in so many ways!

Just to affirm the fact that you aren't boring, I have to mention that you are an absolute kid at heart. It cracks me up to watch you play with the boys because sometimes it's hard to figure out who is having the most fun. The other day we were at the park and I couldn't help but smile as I watched you play tag with Levi and Ben. You looked like a little boy as you were running around with that little grin.

You love people. I have never met anyone who doesn't like you or doesn't get along with you. I'm amazed at your ability to find the good in everyone. You love your friends well - even though you are busy with work and family, you always make time for the guys. I love that. And you also have an amazing ability to minister to those who some of us don't exactly want to be around.

Our boys absolutely adore you because you are an amazing daddy. Every morning Levi asks me when you will be home and he continues to do so over and over all day long. Levi and Ben race to the door when they hear the garage. You are definitely loved and shadowed by 3 little boys. They are learning a lot from you, especially what it means to love the Lord and love others. You talk often about the kind of relationship you desire to have with the boys when they are older, and I hope you know that these early years are providing such a positive foundation for those relationships. I have no doubt that our boys will respect and look up to you, leading them to look to you for guidance and friendship.

One of the things that I appreciate the most is the way that you challenge and encourage me. You never allow the truth to be compromised in order to protect my feelings or emotions. You help me to grow because, after all, I have a lot of areas that need a little pruning! I think you're able to do this in my life because you love the Lord first and foremost. Your desire to honor and glorify Him is at the center of all you do for me, our boys and your work.

I hope you know how much I appreciate all you do for our family. I am nothing apart from Christ, and I'm an absolute mess without you.
I love you, Hubs.
Happy Birthday!