sibs

My sister sent me a picture of Abby when she was about Zack’s age. I guess, at times, they do look like siblings.

cuddle

is there something on my face?

Abby, Zack, and Josh caught a little cold at the end of last week. The good news is Abby knows how to blow her nose now. The bad news? Zack is a long way from that. When I walked around the car to grab he and his carseat, this is the face that was looking back at me. Sweet ‘lil Booger .

so full

That’s how we feel after this week. Our tummies and our hearts are full. Josh’s dad from Florida, and  brother and sister-in-love from California, have come to visit us on this GORGEOUS Autumn week. The changing leaves are ushering in a new season, the weather is cooling, and our family is drawing close. Our cups of coffee . . . and the cups of our souls . . . are spilling over.

The boys.

Grandpa Dave works for the Mouse, and we got some fab tees to show for it.

Josh with two of his favorite people, in his happy place . . . on a Mac.

Abby and Grandpa Dave on a Costco run.

Uncle Cam’s look-alike.

There’s no doubt who the fam was rooting for. Maybe Abby can hand her jammies down to her bro for next year’s playoffs.

A little cup of joe, and some giggles, before heading out for a day in Seattle.

If only we could ALL look this cute in our Space Needle pictures.

Abby LOVED being in her backpack today, and didn’t mind the new vantage point from Grandpa’s shoulders.

The kiddos have been amazing all week, loving all the attention and snuggling.

Lunch on the patio at Ivar’s and mom’s obsession with trying to stay as germ-free as possible this flu season. Yeah, I’m a nervous wreck. 

Lacy, Cam, Abby, and Rachel.

Attacked by some clown.

Taking this picture with people we love NEVER gets old.

At this season in our lives, miles and state borders separate us from our family, but our heartstrings, more than ever, are drawing us close.

sunday football

Sure he’s a little young, but that hasn’t stopped his Daddy from dreaming of someday watching football with him.

a dinner in the life…

I’ve been wanting to post some video of the kiddos for a while now, and since both of them have gifted me with a good naptime today, I have a little time to do it. This is a 4.5 min video of Abby’s dinnertime (still in the habit of waiting till the kids are down to eat our own dinner ). Some things to note:

-Josh and I continue to be in the "could-fall-asleep-at-any-moment" period of having an infant, so we both look a little exhausted. But, things are definitely settling down and the little man is doing a great job of sleeping . . . most of the time, through the night till 7am.

-Someone told me that to get a true smile from a toddler in a picture, ask them to say "Sunday" rather than "cheese". I haven’t noticed a difference in Abby’s smiling, but I realized that I have her trained pretty well to holler "Sunday" when a camera is pointed at her.

-Over the last few days, Zack is really beginning to find his voice. This video captures only a little bit of his talking, but gives you a picture of how much he LOVES to interact, smile, and laugh.

-Abby is getting better every day at expressing her love AND jealousy of Zack. We let her know its ok to be frustrated, but she needs to use her words, rather than her hands, to express this. So by the end of the video, she clearly has had enough of mommy talking to brother, but uses her words to share how she’s feeling. I’m pretty proud of her.

Enjoy!

Our little girl after a long day of playing…

Our little guy getting his second wind…

Silly and sleepy mommy and daddy…

brother and sister

So, life is crazy as all get out. But I am finding myself having a little more time to breathe and reflect on our transition from 3 to 4. Abby is still two, so as far as she knows, the sun rises and sets according to her clock, but she is starting to notice Zachary a little more. When the stars align, she even tries to cheer him up and make him laugh. While we’re not rushing it, Josh and I are starting to see glimpses of a precious relationship.

 

Sure, there will be tattling and bickering, but I have a feeling these two are gonna be pretty close.

funny faces

Abby wanted to sit next to her brother in her big girl chair (since I told her she couldn’t sit in his), so I snapped a picture. But at a closer glance, both kids are making a face I have never seen before. Just thought their expressions were pretty cute .

girly girl

Abby planted some seeds in Sunday school, and Grandma Dell sent a beautiful skirt. So we had an impromptu photo shoot.

the best medicine

After our AZ vacation, Josh’s mom (Grandma Dell) came to visit us for a week. Sometime between when we came home from our trip, and when we picked her up from Sea-Tac, the WHOLE FAMILY caught a cold. Poor Grandma Dell was worried that she would get US sick, since she was also feeling pretty crummy. So, we were all able to commiserate, and take care of each other throughout the week. I’m pretty sure that we couldn’t have made it through the week without her, and I have a feeling, while exhausting, her grandkiddos may have been a little healing to her as well .