Downhill All The Way

Get ready for tons of videos! We took Harrison to the dunes, one of my favorite places ever, and I couldn't wait to see what he thought of it. I started taking a ton of pictures, but quickly realized they weren't going to capture his antics very well.

Harrison quickly went from timidly walking along the dune tops to full out rolling as soon as he saw some other kids tumbling down the dunes. Matt would walk him half way up and Harrison would flop his way back down only to ask for "more!"

He didn't quite have the rolling thing down. Instead he had a modified backwards soldier crawl. I guess it provided a more thorough way to pack sand into every crevice of his body.

I'm thinking that after all the rolling, flipping, and sand eating, the dunes were a hit with Harrison. Can't wait to go back!

Sand Between our Toes

It's amazing what vacation does-it brings back out the little kid excitement no matter how old you are. Matt and I were up out of the bed at the crack of dawn with Harrison on the first morning ready to tackle the beach. We just couldn't wait to get Harrison out onto the sand! What better way to begin a week of vacation then a sunrise walk, feeling the sand between our toes and, if you're Harrison, feeling the sand between your teeth!

I just don't understand his intrigue with indulging in a gritty mouthful of the stuff, but he helped himself to plenty of sand during the week.

Life In Boxes

This past weekend has been a whirlwind! Friday was spent on packing last minute items and things I would break if I were to try to pack them on my own, aka (electronics.) Harrison had a blast hindering um, helping Matt take apart large pieces of furniture. His love of screwdrivers (pronounced "scubers") became evident as he kept one clenched in his fist the rest of the day looking for things to take apart. He was quite the little tool man and very cute to watch, until he tried to disassemble the cable boxes.
Finally we were done with everything Harrison could potentially help with and started on things out of his reach, or so we thought. No, ceiling fans are not beyond Harrison's abilities. He climbed up and down the stool handing Matt the various tools he needed. He was quite proud of himself!

On Saturday we had the wonderful help of friends and family, even in the triple digit heat! We put our lives in boxes and locked them in a storage unit for now. For some reason that was harder than I thought it would be.

It's kind of weird not having our things out to use on a daily basis. It's amazing how much you get attached to "things" and if anything this move has made me see how unimportant "things" are and how much more important people are.

We are very blessed and God has provided all of our needs. While our things may be stored away for the time being, we are all safe and taken care of by our Heavenly Father. We are excited to see what's next! In the meantime, our little guy sure loved all the boxes!

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

Tonight is our last night in this house. This house has a lot of great memories and leaving is bittersweet. We know God has a plan for everything and that all will be made known in His time. We take this next step with faith as we follow His leading.

We'll see you on the other side of the move!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths
straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Do The Cool Whip!

When I was younger I would stand on my Nanny's kitchen table with my very own tub of cool-whip. I would devour the fluffy white stuff and love every minute of it. Well, he's not on my kitchen table, and he didn't get the entire tub, but he still had a blast. I think he's a cool whip fan!

Road Trip!

Matt and I have a joke that we can never take a road trip without some sort of mishap. That's ok-it's made life full of adventure and fun stories. When a lot of unknowns come our way we just tell each other we are on a "road trip" so the unexpected and unplanned can somehow seem adventurous and not stressful. I promise there will be blog posts about our last week's wonderful vacation, but for right now we are on another sort of "road trip". We will be moving in just a few days. Our house is covered in boxes and packing tape. So it might be a little sporadic between posts as we pack up and face another "road trip".

P.S. My brave little guy was amazing as we sat through seven hours of traffic on what should have been a two and half hour trip. Above is the "before" shot-he was not so happy at the end, but he was a trooper!

Fishers of Men

And He said to them... "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 4:19

Just A Sip

I can't count how many sippy cups, water bottles, or spill proof cups we have bought this guy. And you can bet he always has one in my bag, one in the car, and one hiding somewhere only he knows. But with all these thirst quenching beverages withing reach, he always wants ours. Doesn't matter if it's melted ice (as pictured). It has to taste better than his.

And because he is just too cute and I admittedly spoil him, I'll be holding the discarded sippy cups while he drains the one as big as he is.

Stuffed Animals

Harrison has never been to a zoo. We went to the aquarium, but not quite the same. This past weekend we went to the Bass Pro Shop. I had never been before and Harrison's Mimi and Papa had been wanting to take him for awhile knowing he would love it. Sure enough, it was a hit! With real stuffed animals everywhere your eyes could look, this guys was having a blast getting in touch with the wild side. He had no fear and would pet, poke, and explore almost every animal. Quite appropriately, he would not touch the skunk! I doubt we saw all there was to see. But to Harrison it was a great day. With how well this went, I'm thinking it's time to plan a zoo trip so he can see the animals in their "before" stuffed state.

Just as long as he doesn't think he can pet the bears at the zoo!

Sonic Good

Harrison had his first Sonic experience! This was one of my all time favorites as a kid. Maybe it was the tater tots and corn dogs, or watching the waitresses and waiters on roller skates, or being able to eat in the car...
...but their is a difference between being a kid at Sonic and being a parent at Sonic!
One look at those greasy tater tots, the orange slush, and after sitting in a hot car with a very active toddler, we took the in-car eating experience to curb, literally.
I don't know how my parents did it with five of us in the car balancing drinks, open ketchup packets, and greasy little fingers! I give my parents much applause to being able to mask any cringes they had during those Sonic experiences!

All in all it was great! This little guy devoured his all American grilled cheese and loved playing around outside while he did! (I loved the fact the crumbs were on the pavement and not in my car!) But I also had a lot of fun remembering being a kid at Sonic and watching my own kid enjoy it now.

Hide It In Your Heart

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock... "If anyone hears My voice...
"And will open the door...
"I will come in."
Revelation 3:20

Loud Noises

Harrison's grandpa brought some "fireworks" to celebrate this fourth of July. I call them fireworks because I honestly don't know their correct name, but they are the paper wrapped poppers you throw to the ground and they make a "pop" noise. Don't I sound educated? Matt had a blast introducing them to Harrison and he quickly caught on to their entertainment qualities!

Extra Sweet

My Grandpa, Harrison's great grand-pa, always had this expression he used when he would eat anything made by one of us... He would say, "Did you dip your pinkie in, because this is extra sweet!"
His expression always bought out giggles because we knew he liked what we made.
I remember being young and just starting to help out in the kitchen...
...pouring, adding, mixing, and making messes!
Now it's Harrison's turn and he thinks he's something helping out. And I bet if my grandpa tasted some of his "help" he would say it tasted "extra sweet"!

Rocket's Red Glare

I think I found my new favorite holiday! July 4th is awesome! I don't quite understand all the history Dad was trying to tell me about why we celebrate it, but I did understand loud music, staying up late, and really fun foods! First we ate a picnic outside and I could walk around while I was eating! I can't do that on just any 'ol day. Then I got to stuff my face with marshmallows...
...and I do mean stuff! After we ate they had some really loud patriotic music and I got to wave a flag all around and yell and cheer! I even got to dance all around and no one told me to sit still!
After the music was over they started the fireworks! They were so cool!

Fourth of July is great! I think we should celebrate this way more often!

Fingerprints

I can see the fingerprints of God, when I look at you... And I can see the fingerprints of God, and I know it's true... You're a masterpiece that all creation... silently applauds...
and your covered with...
the fingerprints of God!