Psalm 32:8

This is Zeke's second verse. He loves memorizing and gets so excited when I ask him to say his verse. He is even asking for a new one (this could partially be because he insists he needs 3 of everything and only has 2 verses, ha) Stay tuned for July's verse once he gets it down.

Summer List- Pool

We got a membership to a pool this summer. Spence and I grew up pool brats and really want our boys to be comfortable around the water. We also don't want mama going crazy during the summer ;) We were able to join Brightleaf which is just 5 minutes down the road. To say that it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. is really an understatement. There is a sweet baby pool that is 1 ft and also had 5 fountains spraying from the ground. This is all fenced in which keeps my boys contained. The big pool is an infinity pool (just gradually goes in), doesn't go any deeper than 5 feet and has 2 cool slides (no, my boys aren't enjoying those yet). We go as soon as they open and stay through lunch a lot of days. I even shower the boys there so that I can put them straight down when we get home. I am loving how it is wearing them out, and the tan I am getting isn't anything I would complain about.

The baby pool

Ben yells over and over WATER!

Another view of the pool

Little fountains around the pool, Ben loves walking under them

Z drying out the toys and himself

Adopted for Life

If you have plans for tonight or Sunday am, change them. Russell Moore, author of Adopted for Life, will be speaking at our church. Saturday night services are at 4:15 and 6:00 at the Brier Creek campus and Sunday mornings all over RDU. You can find service times here.
You can also see more about what our church's heartbeat is for orphans here.

Nutella

Confession: I love Nutella. No, like I really love it. I like it on toast, Nilla wafers, bananas, smores, anything really.
Confession: I have passed my love onto the boys. Zeke's fave way to eat it is by dipping mini Nilla wafers into a scoop. Ben's fave way is just all over.

Ben's Nutella Face

Zeke's happy Nutella face

Genesis 1:1

Each month at church, the preschool department has a verse they work on. Zeke started going in January to the giraffes class. We love him going in the preschool area. He gets to go to worship and a large group lesson (with all the preschool), as well as having his class time with the kiddos his own age. In May, I worked with him on memorizing his verse for the first time. He learned it in 3 days (but I just got around to recording it).

Our prayer is that he will hide the Word of God in his heart. We are not trying to teach him this so that he can rotely repeat, but so that once he is older and can grasp his sin and God's grace in Christ dying for those sins that he will choose to give his life over to the Lord.

Growing up revisited

When this is what you find an hour after you put your boys to bed, you know sharing rooms has become and epic FAIL! After fighting the boys into bed, sitting with them until Ben stopped crying, finding them both seperately in our bedroom (this was all in one night), we put Ben back in his room. Since then he has asked to go to his crib. He loves his big boy bed, but he doesn't want to sleep in it. For now, we are going to keep them seperate and hopefully one night he will magically ask to sleep there.

Summer List- Smores edition

Spence got a firepit for Christmas and we put it to good use with the boys. They enjoyed their smores experience (it was Ben's first)

the goods

future pyro (do you see the joy in his face?!)

Roasting and toasting

Zeke tried to catch his on fire

Ben tried to wave his all around (yes he is a lil redneck in just a diaper)

First bites!

BEN! This is how you eat it!

Ben preferred to take his apart (and Z did not like that)

YUM-O!!!

wanna bite?

Just chilling

The world stopped...

You know where froze over, the fat lady sang, whatever expression you choose, it happened Friday night. Do you know how I know? Both (count them, 1, 2) of my children slept from 8pm until 7 am with out waking up once. There weren't any cries out for needing to use the potty or trying to find pacis or even just wanting some company. Instead we all slept. It was glorious, it was amazing.
"But wait", you say... "Aren't your kids 2 months shy from turning 3 years old and 20 months?" Why yes I reply, but this is how we roll in our house (against, my wishes, anyone who knows me knows sleep is my bff).
"Why, Courtney, pray tell how did you get them to sleep?" Oh, it was no big deal, we just played at a park on blow up things all-morning-long, didn't take good naps and then went to the pool until past bedtime. And no, I can't do that everyday, so don't EVEN think of suggesting it.

YaYa and PawPaw spoiled us

PawPaw is obsessed is popcorn, and well, YaYa likes to spoil her boys. They came back from their trip there in May with a new dietary need each day and also cute little containers for it. We do keep things healthier by airpopping it ourselves, which just a little butter and salt. Both boys get up from nap asking for popcorn to go along with their afternoon tv time.

Growing up

Ben's got a new bed! Please notice the wall color though. That is right folks, we are gonna try rooming the boys together. Call us crazy, trust me we already have, but we figure it is better to do it now than when we need the extra space and have to push the timing on it. Night one of staying there was a big fat fail. But we tried again a couple days later and have had some success. We are keeping naps seperate for now (due to Z's preference to play rather than nap)

Big boy bed!

Trying it out

I think it will work

I'm the big boy bed expert, let me check it out

Summer List

I have some cute friends who have made cute lists with their kiddos, example Erin, about what they want to do this summer. I thought I would do that too, but then I realized my kids responses would be "roll cars" and "cereal, milk!" I decided that wasn't that fun of a list, so I would just think of one on my own. Now, I haven't actually made the list, but I know some things I want on it and will be doing a series of blogs that are part of the lists. Going to the beach was obviously one of them. And today's post is another:
SPRINKLER!

Z is telling B what to do

Big belly getting wet

It looks like he is having a conversation with the sprinkler

Zeke loves jumping over the spray

Ben loves mama

So, this is old, but this was Ben's first craft that Ben has brought home. Look at those sweet little hands!

We love our PawPaw

This is my dad playing with all his boys. He was in heaven having them all together at the same time. It was pretty funny trying to watch him impart all his funny weird things on the boys.

Benjamin at 20 months

Ben is 4 months from turning 2. This is a bit crazy for me to think about. I still think of him as such a baby, but he constantly reminds me that he isn't. He keeps us on his toes and we love everyday with him! Currently he:

Enjoys: all things water, all fruit, reading, and going anywhere all the time
Turn-offs: being told no, veggies and not too much meat, when mommy won't hold him
Vices: tackling Zeke, waking up OFTEN-THROUGH-THE-NIGHT still, throwing everything
Strengths: shares pretty well with others, willing to try new experiences, lights up when he sees his family


Favorites of my 20 month old:
Food: all things fruit, any snacks
Shows: likes the characters from Toy Story and Cars, but doesn't really watch the movies
Books: no favorites right now
Toys: torpedo (for the pool), cars, coffee pot and oven mitt from play kitchen
Activities: any water activities, rolling cars, sitting on lawnmowers at Lowe's


How Ben is currently like his:
mommy: wakes up so cranky!
daddy: has the BEST smile
Zeke: in every way he can be, he is in ultimate copycat mode


Scoliosis update: we have Ben's recheck with the pediatric orthopedic surgeon TODAY at 8:45. You can be praying for this appointment for us. And also, check back for an update.
Update: Ben doesn't have to go back for a year!! The doctors were all great and we are so thrilled with the news!


Treasuring moments I don't want to forget:

• Ben is still quite fiery in personality. He knows what he wants and lets you know this as well. One of his most frequent requests is to be outside.



• He has no fear of water. It can be a bit unnerving. He tries to blow bubbles in the tub or pool, he dumps water on top of his head, he dunks his head under the faucet. He is only cautious of the sprinkler, but doesn't seem to mind the fountain at the pool, weirdy

• He loves babies and points them out everywhere we go. This is so bittersweet for me. I have wondered how he would be around babies and seeing that he loves little bitties is so sweet. On the flipside, once they hit about 6 months he doesn't like them so much...



• He has sat on the potty about once a day for the past few days. He tells us as soon as he poops and wants to be changed. I am thinking potty training will be sooner than I had originally thought.



• He tries to count when we play hide and seek and actually can get the order pretty well.



• He is also trying to say the sounds of the alphabet and tries to sing the song.

• He learned last months verse along with Zeke (Z's first one, video coming soon). He doesn't actually say it but can get a couple words and does the motions.



• He loves to sing and likes to go to worship time with Zeke at church.
  

• Ben has begun to start those wonderful 2 year old tantrums. But weirdly he obeys when told to stay in time out until he has finished crying.



• He still is clingy with mom. He follows me around the house saying "hold you, hold you, hold you". Mama, I guess this is my payback for the tantrums I gave you.

• Ben fell in love with his extended family over the last month. He has always recognized and enjoyed time with them, but things have evolved. After staying for a week with YaYa and PawPaw and then a beach trip with Nana and Bampa. He is constantly asking where they are and trying to call them on toy cellphones.



• He also loved spending time with his aunts and uncles. His Uncle Rik and he became buddies while playing on the farm

RSA

While at Marbles playing soccer one day I noticed these were the jerseys for dressing up. YAY! We love you, Auntie Amber and Uncle T!!