Bloggy Break

On a technology break. I will not be blogging for the next week. Look for super cuteness returning in a week.

Summer List- Pelican's

Tori and I have discussed going to Pelican's for about a year. We finally made it happen today. It is located in Cary. It has putt-putt (which I could leave) and New Orleans style snoballs. Never had one? I hadn't either, but we will definitely be having them again. The ice is so soft and there are a ton of flavors to choose from. I forgot to take pictures of the actual snoballs, but when we go back I'll do that next time. Spence got grape, I got margarita, Matt got pink lemonade and hawaiin, and Tori got sour apple. The price is pretty awesome too at $1.50 for a small which was plenty for me to share with the boys.

Pelican's

Wishing this truck came to my neighborhood

Discussing strategy

brothers

Things were going well until we got to this hole...

And Spence hit his ball here...

let's take a closer look

There is also a playground that the boys loved.

They had never been on a tire swing

Matt enjoyed swinging too

Arrowhead Inn

For our anniversary Spence and I went to the Arrowhead Inn for a night. It is gorgeous and amazing. Phil and Gloria are adorable and so accomodating. Our room was wonderful and breakfast was fabulous. If you need a place to get away, definitely check it out.

So pretty!

I would love to come back in the winter and put the fireplace to use.

HUUUUUGE bathtub

Steam shower

Dear Keva

I don't really know how today is gonna go. I know I won't be able to say everything I want to say, so I am going to get it all down here. This is long and filled with pictures, so bear with me (oh and don't hate because there are pics you don't like).

I thought I would start back to when we met... err maybe not. Who wants to remember a tall crazy trendy girl wanting to take my head off? I am so glad that wasn't my only interaction with you. What that first impression has left with me is that you are someone who loves fiercely and will fight for those you love. I know that because I have witnessed it over and over again. When you first joined our small group I was so intimidated by you (see first time meeting), but then I was quickly so happy to get to know you and Trevor and Micah. It was a joy to learn your history and be able to go to you for prayer and support when Spence and I went down the path of fertility. Your wisdom helped me so much and kept "trying" to get pregnant in perspective. I am so glad that you have taught me that you do not have to give birth to be a mom. I learned so much from walking with you through getting Isaac home, and those first few crazy months. You have loved my kids like they are your own. Spence and I have adored being Mr. Spence and Mrs. Courtney to Micah and Isaac. Your boys have been such a joy to me and my boys. Your name is a favorite to be said around our house (and no it is NOT just because it is fun to say, they really do love you).

I have loved playdates and dinners, pool dates and girls nights. We have cried together and prayed together through marriage highs and lows. We have clung to one another unable to even speak through loss. We have walked through 9 months preparing for this day. Thank you for being strong for me when I couldn't. Thank you for crying with me when I needed that. Thank you for showing me your weaknesses and shortcomings and allowing me grace through mine.

I'm not really sure what I will do when I go a week with out seeing you, but right now I am not going to think about it. Instead I will end this letter that I swore I would never write with a slew of pictures that I have collected through out the years.

I love you, Keva (and Trevor, Micah, Isaac, and Chai) thank you for sharing life with us.

Playdate Jan 09

Easter 2011

The hubbies

The wives

Check out Ike and Evan being friends before their mamas were

Keva at staff retreat 08

Keva summer of 10

Best friends

Weirdos

Small group Christmas party 08

Sweet boys on a fun day at the pool

One of my all time faves of Ike

Isaac and Evan (so tiny!)

kids at a cookout

Red and Pink Party 2010 (will never forget this night, ever)

Girls night with Jill

Last Hurrah

With Abby

Out with Michal

MY girls

Cow Appreciation

The boys, Alex Thomas and I dressed up and got our chicken on for our third Cow Appreciation Day! Zeke refused once we got there to dress up, so it was Spence, Alex, Ben and me. Thanks, Alex for joining us!

Ben giving "high fives"

We love Alex

Daddy cow

7

Today we celebrate 7 years of being married. The second happiest day of my life was July 9, 2004. (the first being the day I gave my life to Christ) Our life looks very different from what I thought that day, but it is filled with more than I ever imagined. In honor of our 7 years, here is a list of seven things I love about Spencer.

1. He is the first person I want to see in the morning and the last person I want to see before I got to bed.
2. He is the most fun person I have ever been around.
3. He encourages me in every way, with the boys, with my cooking/keeping home, being his wife, my walk with Christ.
4. He is great at his job. Like really great. He has such a passion for making disciples of Christ. He has been shown great blessings in the area of small groups. This past year, he has spoken at a few conferences, counseled many other churches on their small group ministry, and written two small groups studies that will be published and sold by Lifeway in the fall.
5. He is an amazing dad. He gets up with our boys every.single.morning. Really? Who does that and lets their wife sleep another hour and a half (because our sweet Ben is an early riser)
6. He makes so many sacrifices for our family. He works really hard so that I can stay home with our boys.
7. The man gets HOTTER every stinking year. I mean when we met (at 15 and 16 years old, yeah, we have been together for 13 years. Go ahead "awwww") he was A-D--O-R-A-B-L-E. When we got married I thought he was handsome of course. But now... holy moly girls I got a good one!

Spence, I love you and I am so blessed by the life that we have together. I know that there are days when I am not as thankful as I should be, but please know that I love you and our life so much. You are my most favorite person. I love you always and forever.

Random funny pics

The boys adore playing dress up. We are about to get some fun dress up clothes and then we won't have to resort to WAAAY to small halloween costumes. We did add some fun things from daddy to the ansembles...

A lil snug (supposed to be Ben's monkey costume from last year)

A bit better, but still a little tight

But it's only because his super cool little brother was wearing the BIGGEST costume, along with some snazzy accessories.

Ben at 21 months

Profile of a 21-month-old Benjamin

• Enjoys: throwing balls, art activities, reading books, wearing sunglasses, waking before the sun, being outside


• Turn-offs: being told no, sharing with Zeke, not getting what he wants


• Strengths: super talkative, great napper, physically strong (we call him our Army Ant)


• Vices: temper tantrums when we don't understand what he wants, bossy, still wakes during the night

Favorites of a 21-month-old Benjamin

• Foods- any fruit, most recently watermelon, any snacks, french fries, quesadilla, pizza


• Songs- he has started singing "Hosanna" from our church songs cd, he likes when I sing "Mama said knock you out" (he just doesn't realize how close this is to the truth sometimes)


• Shows- Little Einsteins (but only because Zeke loves it), Tinga Tinga Tales


• Books- any book Zeke wants, and all the library books


• Toys- cars, baseballs and bats, golf clubs and balls


• Activites- going to the bookstore, going swimming, checking plants with daddy

New words:

I don't think he really has any new words, but he is saying some really fun things. He cheers himself on when he does something by saying "Yay, Ben!" He sometimes call to me or Spence 'Hey, babe? Hey, babe?" He loves to pray and insists on praying at meals and at bedtime often.

How Ben is like his:

mommy- wild mood swings

daddy- morning person, loves all sports

brother- he likes anything Zeke likes

Treasuring details of a 21-month-old Ben:

• I am complimented every week when I pick him up from his church class. We are told how laid back and sweet he is. Also, babysitters tell us how easy-going he is. This comes as quite a shock to us since we don't always get to see this side of him.


• He is getting better about leaving his paci in his bed with out a fight. We have been working on having it only at nap and nights with the hope of getting rid of it by his birthday


• He is really having a hard time making choices. He goes back and forth between his options and refuses to decide. This is really frustrating for us, but I know it is part of his becoming independent


• He attempts to name shapes, colors, letters and numbers. This becomes a problem for him when Zeke begins yelling to correct answer.


• He is still a peanut (wearing 18 month clothing, but even some 12 month stuff), but he has grown some. He bumped his head under our table- which of course is how we measure our children.

• He has gotten really good with utensils at meal times and asks for a fork or spoon
  

• He is trying really hard to go to the potty. He sits on it a few times a day. He even pooped in it the other day. He stands up to the potty while Zeke goes and pretends that he is using it too.
  
  

• He really enjoys his food, but doesn't like when it is time to clean up and throws up a fuss about it.
  
  

• He loves all things water and being outside and is quite creative with his play. He actually leads Zeke with playing in this way. But he does follow Zeke on all things pretend play. He runs after Zeke being a racecar, boat, lion or whatever it may be that day.
  

Summer List- popsicles and picnics

These little mini-slow melt-popsicles are amazing. Spence says they are a rip off because you are paying the same amount for half the popsicle. I say they are perfect because it is just the right amount for my boys, AND they don't make too much of a mess.

Zeke loves to talk about what color he has and also the shape.

Ben just loves the popsicle

My mom and dad gave us this super cute picnic table for the boys just before Easter. The boys enjoy having snacks out here when it isn't too hot. It's perfect for a break when we are playing or when Spence is mowing and the boys insist on being out there.

YUMMY snacktime!

Kidsweek (VBS Summit style)

I volunteered for this years VBS. We had a morning and evening session. The morning was perfect for our family. I helped with checking in/out and also with the 3-5th graders. I know some of you are laughing because you know I typically hang with the younger kids, but it was really fun and I truly enjoyed the big kids. Ben hung in childcare all week, but Zeke was allowed to go into a class.
I didn't get any pictures taken during the week as we moved from games to lesson to craft and to snack. I also didn't get any pictures of Matt Allison sporting wings and a tutu.
But I did get a couple pictures at the last day when we went to a park and there were tons of bounce houses. The boys had a blast, I didn't really enjoy crawling through the houses chasing them to be sure they got through a couple :) The boys enjoyed their first snocones and first cotton candy. And Ben enjoyed showing off his muscles after he spilled said snocone all-over-himself.

SNOCONES!!!
Ben the redneck

This may or may not have been his second cotton candy...