Naunie's coming!!!

this was my mom holding Griffin when he was just a wee bit old when she stayed with us..

I have been telling Griffin for the past 3 weeks that his Naunie is coming to see him and asking him if he is ready for her to come? I think he is ready and so am I. Tyler is even really excited. He loves my mom. The four of us (me, Tyler, Griffin, and my mom) have this special bond it seems. We have this bond between us because my mom and Tyler were the ones in the room when Griffin was born and she also lived with us for 15 days after his birth last May. She became part of our family for awhile and we all bonded in this really neat way during those first 15 days of Griffin's life. She especially bonded with Griffin. I think back on those sweet days in early May 2009 a lot. Those were some of the best times in my life- sharing my newborn baby boy with my mother. She helped me so much and encouraged me so much as a new mother. It is crazy that I have come so far in motherhood now. Things just come naturally now, compared to when everything was new and challenging and scarey at first. I needed my mom really bad then. But I still need her now too. I miss her so much. Her and my dad. I am thankful that she loves us so much that she would want to travel so far to see us and spend time with us. I cannot wait to make another week of memories with her-enjoying Griffin together, cooking in my kitchen with her, playing out in our backyard with Griffin with her, going shopping with her, and having conversations with her face to face in the mornings and all day.
Thank You, Lord, for my mother. She is such a gift from You I know. Bless the time we have together and use us both in each others lives to encourage one another and just love one another this week for Your great glory.

A summer full of trips

house they stuccoed...
tent shower
gotta have the Burts...
building a sidewalk
mixing cement
sidewalk

If you don't know this already, Tyler is a student pastor. He loves his job. During the summer, however, it gets a bit crazy for him. After May, a month full of senior stuff and tons of planning, tying up loose ends for the trips to come, he actually goes on the trips. In June, he took 50 people, students and sponsors to Este Park, CO, to Student Life camp. He came home and then drove to Austin, TX to have our family vacation for a week. Then in July, took another group of 20 to an Indian reservation in Northwest New Mexico for a mission trip. He just got back from another trip to Dallas where he took 50 students to Hurricane Habor, Six Flags, and a Rangers game in two days.
So, all this to say, I wanted to post some pictures of him on the mission trip in honor of all his hard work he has done this summer. He works SO hard in the summers, when most people's summers are more relaxing and less stressful. I am very proud of him. I know God used him this summer so much, and for that I am grateful and it was well worth the time Griffin and I had to spend away from him. We love you, Tyler/Dada! :)

8:30

Griffin has gone to bed at 8:30 pm every night since he was 3 months old. Tonight I realize how blessed we are that he does this. It's just so nice to put him down and he goes to sleep without a peep. Then we get time together as husband and wife. We are hoping he will continue to do this for forever, but I have come to see that after there are two children in the house things can get tricky. But you never know maybe the next baby will be like Griffin. :)

side note: no, we are not pregnant. :)

our own backyard water park

I got this great idea to put Griffin's castle slide in his pool so he could slide down into the water. He loved it!
drinking from the water hose...
let me hold it, Mom..
I'll just water this grass over here for you.
he liked the mud...

this is a classic Griffin expression..

Our friends, Sarah and her baby Ben came over the other day and played outside with us. Ben seems to be Griffin's best buddy.
Can I pour this water on you?
water table time..

Griffin and I loved being outside today for about two hours. We swam, played in the water table, swung, then played with the water hose. Griffin loved drinking from the hose and letting me splash water on him with it. It was such a sweet time with him. A day I'll prob always remember with him.

Thank You, Lord, for our backyard. Thank You, for letting me have so much time to spend with my sweet little boy. Thank You, for the sunshine You've been giving us and the nice, summer days. Thank You, for letting us have water to play in and enjoy. May we always appreciate it and enjoy these gifts You give us, glorifying You in our hearts with thanksgiving.

Sugar Thumb

You would think Griffin's thumb was covered in sugar. He really likes his left thumb.

Family time and hugs

today we just did whatever we wanted. The best thing about it was that we were together. Just the three us. I do not think there is much of anything else better than a day spent with Tyler and Griffin. They mean so much to me and thank God for them all the time.

If you've ever been around Griffin then you probably know that he is extremely social and extremely affectionate. Sometimes I think it might be because I am extremely affectionate towards him ALL THE TIME. Not only towards him but Tyler and I make it a point to show affection towards one another in front of him, because we think it's important he sees we love one another too. So, have I made him into this hug-giving, kiss-giving (not sure when he's kissing or biting sometimes) little boy? I wonder. We went to a bday party the other day and made this little 2 year cry because he wouldn't stop trying to hug him. I am beginning to think of how we are going to teach him not to hug so much? Or should we? How can you teach a 1 yr old not to show love? That is weird. He just gets so excited around other kids and just wants to play with them so badly and be near them and I guess show them he likes them. He's just so funny. He is def more affectionate towards Tyler and I too lately, giving sweet hugs and laying his head down on our laps and wraping his sweet little arms around our necks. So sweet. I will def not be teaching him not to hug us. I have come to wonder if I kiss and hug him too much? But how can you kiss and hug your child too much??? Kissing and hugging and loving on Griffin is the one thing I do best! ha! And the one thing I looked forward to the most while I was pregnant. I have to get it all in while I can before he grows up and I can't as much anymore.

So, God has made Griffin the way he is for a reason. And I am thankful he is a loving child so far. I pray he will be always, that he will be a Godly, masculine man, knowing and always remembering what a biblical man is and striving for that for God's glory.

Sick pic, DC, and blueberries

I got Griffin some frozen blueberries the other day and gave him some today. He liked them a lot. They turned his mouth and fingers all blue.
Loving my MeeMaw in Denver City.
We went over to our friends, the Azams, while in Denver City, and Griffin loved playing with Brady, their two year old. They were digging in these rocks finding rollie pollies.
come out, come out rollie polly's!

They have a 4month old baby girl, Ella, and Peggy and I def enjoyed holding her. She is a beauty.
Mom, why are you holding that baby? can I see her?
oh she was so sweet! Lord, please give me a baby girl someday. Pleeease...... :)
hanging out in Brady's tree house...
Griffin got to go on two tractor rides with his Papa. He enjoyed it quite nicely.
Thanks Papa for letting me ride your cool tractor!
This is Griffin when he was sick two weeks ago. so sweet....he felt so bad. I hope he stays well for a long time.

This is post of pictures on several different occasions. enjoy!

everyones home

we are all home together this week! That may sound like a strange statement I suppose. We are excited to be home together. See during our summers it gets a bit crazy. It seems like every other week Tyler has a trip or Griffin and I have been gone. We are enjoying just being home and enjoying one another as a family.
Griffin has been somewhat grumpy lately to say the least. Pretty sure he's getting some teeth somewhere in that mouth of his, but I can't seem to see any anywhere. He has gotten a bad diaper rash too, since he has been going to the bathroom every hour it seems (teething causes this I'm pretty sure). I'm hoping his little bottom will look better in the morning.
I bought him a new pool today since his other one blew away while we gone. We are going to swim a lot this week since it's suppose to be real hot.
We are looking forward to my mom coming to visit in August and she'll get to hear Tyler preach at The Vine (a church plant in Clovis) on Aug. 1. I counted up today just 3 weeks until she comes!

Quietness

Griffin and I are in Denver City, TX with my inlaws this week while Tyler is on a mission trip. It is so nice and peaceful out here. I love coming out here. There are no car noises, no sirens, no bumping and grinding music- just quietness and stillness. It reminds me that God wants me to slow down and just be still before Him each day. Taking some moments to just praise Him and focus on Him. I am not always the best at doing this. I am praying I will be become better however, for I know it's the best thing for me each day.
Thank You, Lord for Denver City and sweet inlaws that you have given me to come visit.

Happy 4th of July

So I have been missing my family a lot since being back in Clovis. Partly too, due to the fact that I haven't really gotten to socialize this week much with Griffin being sick. And partly because a holiday is coming in two days known as the 4th of July, most people know about it, :) and I wish I could spend it with my family. Blessed as I am, I do get to spend it with family! Tyler's family, which has most def become my family over the last 3 yrs of our marriage. Tyler will be leaving on the 4th to lead a mission trip so Griffin and I are planning on heading to Denver City to visit Steve, Peggy, and Papa Tobe. I'm praying Griffin will be completely well by then. He is doing much better today, but I can still tell his ears are bothering him. Poor little guy. And poor momma, I will say. This week has been a week where I felt like I just really needed my own mom! haha...I just do not like Griffin not feeling well, do not like it one single bit. I hope after this run of teething/sickness that there will a big gap between the next time he gets sick.
Anyways, Happy 4th of July. I have enjoyed watching our American flag I put out blow in the wind this week. It reminded me to be thankful for this country we get to live in each day, and it's just a really pretty flag, ya know?

My sick baby....

Griffin started having fever Tues. morning and has had it ever since. Took him to the doc yesterday and he has a double ear infection. He is also, as the the doc and I discovered, getting two more teeth on the bottom-little red bumps we saw. He always gets fever when he teethes, and now I guess he'll be getting ear infections when he does too. Hopefully not every time though. Our poor little guy. He has been a trooper, however. He tries to play and tries so hard to be happy and normal. He is such a sweet boy. Please pray this fever will vanish soon. Thanks a bunch.
Here are some pictures of him on Monday, the only day this week he has felt good. He loves his hat my mom and dad got him.