Kissed by a stranger

Yesterday was a special day for Griffin. It was the day he got kissed by a stranger. (hopefully the only day he ever will ha!) Yesterday we were eating at this restaurant here in Clovis. Our waitress was so nice and is always our waitress when we eat at this restaurant and is always really sweet and cheerful. Anyways, she has always loved Griffin every time we go there and always messes with him by rubbing his head or touching his nose. Well, yesterday, I guess she decided to take his and her's relationship to the next level. She had been walking by and rubbing his hair, well about the third time she came over she rubbed his hair again and then leaned in and kissed him smack on the cheek. I guess she just couldn't help herself. It was so funny! Griffin just looked up at her and smiled. Talk about charming the ladies early, the older ladies.... I'm thinking that Griffin kiss made her day, because I know they always make my day. :)

Has a stranger ever kissed your baby?

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.