Month 7

Dear little man,

Happy 7 months Mr. Handsome Pants!! Oh you are oh so fun. So fun. When you go to sleep we love to watch you. We love how you sleep with your little bum up in the air with your knees tucked under you. We love your little yawns and snores. We especially love that you sleep through the night and you don't need to be swaddled anymore. That's the best.

We love how silly you've become. Everything makes you giggle with delight. And scream. You've learned to scream with delight. It's so adorable. You love when we squeeze your chubby thighs. You love when we kiss your cheeks. It makes you grin ear to ear. You love when we flip you up side down. You've become so social. You squeal when we see your friends. You love to pat their hands and heads. You still love your little friend in the mirror. We went to IKEA the other day and when we passed the mirrors you looked so surprised and thrilled to see your friends there with us. We had to stop so you could have a little chat. Sometimes I have to avoid mirrors because if you see your little buddy we have to stop and play for a long time. :)

I am amazed everyday with how much you learn. I can see it your big blue eyes. You take everything in. In just the past few days you've gotten a tooth, started waving, rocking on your hands and knees, holding yourself up on the edge of chairs, you can walk across the room when we hold your fingers.

We love you Rhett!!

Julia Smash

I don't know how many of  you are familiar with Marvel Comics the Hulk,but when he get mad he yells"Hulk smash!" and then proceeds to do just that.

Jake also likes to yell "Jake smash!" before he tackles me. So fun.

Last night I clearly remember putting my glasses on my nightstand, but when I woke up my glasses looked like this...

Kaput

(Thankfully I have a spare pair)

I haven't a clue how this happened.

Julia smash!!

Unofficial Stalker

I absolutely adore wedding photos. I'm mesmerized with the joy they capture. I remember seeing our wedding pictures for the first time. There were moments captured that I didn't remember. Those are some of my favorites. Honestly if the house was on fire the first thing I would grab (after Rhett) would be our wedding albums. Sometimes I wish I could back and recreate our wedding day because I have so many ideas of ways I'd like to have them shot.

Maybe this is why I love looking at other peoples wedding photos. I love seeing how happy they are. How much unadulterated joy and love they have in their eyes. I love looking at the bride's dress, the groom seeing her for the first time. I love seeing how his hand rests on her waist. I love seeing him twirling her during their first dance and the sparklers showing them the way to their getaway car.

And FB has opened a whole new world of wedding pictures to me. I don't even have to know the bride and groom,I just have to know someone tagged in their pictures. At first I thought it wasn't a problem. Looking at peoples special day when I didn't even know. But now I'm seeing these people who I've "stalked" on FB around town, at church, at the grocery store, pumping gas etc. I the problem is I'm having a hard time telling if I know them or not.


Bahah!! It's becoming an awkward  problem. I just stare at them wondering if I need to say hi because we know each other or if they don't know me from Adam.

I think this makes me an unofficial stalker.
But what bride doesn't want everyone to woo and ahhh and her pictures? 

From Rhett to Dad

Rhett "drew" this for Jake.

(I drew the squiggles)

He loves his dad.

He also chewed on the crayons...he's such a 6 month old.

Rhett's New Favorite Game

We slowly open the door halfway and say Rrrrrhett!

Then we jump out and shout "I'm HOME!!!"

He thinks it's fantastic.:)

He also loves to help get the mail.

And then chew on the junk mail.

He's a big  help around the house. :)

My Casaova

I love my husband.

And I love knowing that he loves me.

He wrote this poem for me.

Love spoken but once is as the ineffectual prayer.

In times of deep emotion its song is heard but soon forgotten.

This is not what I seek.

Our love. My love. As the faithful heart will always find joy in its song.

For it sings of you.

And knows in your love it has found home.

And he got me flowers. 

Can I get a collective awww?! :)

The Most Important Birthday of the Year

Today is my mom's birthday. Every year on my birthday I feel like I should give my mom a present. I haven't yet...but one day I will. If it weren't for her my birthday wouldn't mean very much. She and my dad decided to try and get pregnant when my dad didn't have a job because they knew it was important to start their family. When I was born and my mom and I were getting acquainted in her recovery room she was so excited to have me there with her, that she couldn't sleep. She sang "I am a Child of God" to me. She's always taught me to follow my Heavenly Father. I've seen her on her knees praying when she didn't know I was watching. She as taught me to but others first. Honestly it is so hard to say no to her when she wants to do something for you because she loves to serve others so much it hurts her feelings when you say no. She posses the sweetest smile. Her cheeks were made for her smiles. They are perfectly round when she gives you a genuine one. She always smells like...comfort...I don't know how to describe it any better. She has the perfect motherly shape for hugs. I know she'll hate me for saying that, but it's true.

She came from a broken home, but she has been a bridge with my dad to a better life for me and my siblings. She joined the church even when it meant she was disowned from her family. She served a mission for our church in Brazil. I said my whole life that I would serve a mission, but when it came time to start my papers I said I wasn't going to go. It broke my mom's heart. She cried. Honestly, it made me mad at the time, I thought she was being unfair. But seeing how much she wanted me to go, it really touched me and so I reconsidered. I am so grateful I went. I am so grateful for her example and caring.

She is a beautiful woman. People said she looked like Audrey Hepburn when she was younger. And it's true. She always gets so excited about Christmas and birthdays that she can't help but give us some presents early...and then she goes out and buys more. She laughs the hardest at her own jokes. When we're all together as a family, she loves to have us go around the dinner table and say nice things about her. It's endearing. :) She "cheats" at our family game nights...and we love her more for it. :) She has always loved our pets...probably more than most people do. She "talks" for them. She has a voice for each of them and they love her more than anybody. She can't ever get our names right. Sometimes I'm Julia...sometimes I'm Ginger, our cat. But it doesn't matter. I know she loves me more than anything, and I love her. I love her for being a life line as I've become a mom. I love her for her being her.
Happy birthday mom! I LOVE you!

Love,
Ginger, John, Jane, William, Winne, Rosie, aka Julia :)