Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy - we better hurry so mommy doesn't catch us on her blog, but we just had to get on here and send you a message... HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to the best daddy in the whole wide world - you really are our favorite person ever. I (jacob) love you so much and thank you for having so much fun with me. I love it when we have our little guitar concerts - you can sing really good. You're a nice daddy, Daddy! I also really really really love our nite nite time activities. I hope you don't ever catch on to the fact that I just really pull your leg a lot of times when I ask for ice milk 10 times each night. I really just want to see your smiling face . I love that most of the time, you lay down with me and tell me stories! :-) I also really like sitting by you at dinner and eating all your food. For some reason, it's just better off your plate than mine. (don't tell mommy though). You are my hero - I hope you know that! I want to be just like you when I grow up. I really do - you are so cool and so funny.

I (big bad jon) love you so much too. That's why I giggle and say "Daaaaaaaaaaa" when I see you. You are so big and strong. You always make me feel safe! I love it when we play ball together - it's really cool. You even taught me how to slam dunk last week. I really felt like hot stuff then. You cheer me on and I just know you'll always be my biggest fan! I love it when we play chase too. That's really fun, but I just can't figure out why you always find me so fast! I'll have to learn better hiding places. I watch how close you and Jacob are and I can't wait til I can get in on those late night stories. Jacob laughs so much - I just can't wait!!!! You're my best big friend, daddy and I am so happy to be your son. Love you love you love you!!!!

Good night Daddy - hopefully mommy won't care that we got on here. It was after all, for a good cause!!! Love you! Oh - we also love love love our Pa and Papaw - Happy Father's Day to ya'll too. Hope you know how much fun we have with you! Hugs to both!

Dear baby Jonathan

Dear Baby Jonathan - I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU'RE ALREADY A YEAR OLD!!!!!! Holy moly, time is flying. I love you so much and I just love watching your personality bloom. Your birthday party was the highlight of last month - so many people came to love on you and to wish you the happiest birthday ever. You love balls, so naturally, your birthday party was "ball-themed." We had all our friends and family sign a big ball that you'll get to keep forever. What a fun day it was! You weren't terribly crazy about your cake - but your big bro couldn't wait to get his hands on some icing. Happy Birthday sweet boy!!!

You are sleeping so much better these days - going to sleep on your own and everything - thank you for that!!!! I'm really thankful!

You are a little bit mischevious, I have to admit. You already know wrong from right in many cases, because when you are just about to do something you shouldn't, you turn and look right at us and give us your little smile that could seriously just melt a person. We try to resist (and most of the time are successful, but it is pretty hard!) You love to pick up all mommy's picture frames and move them from table to table. Remember, those are mommy's pretties: not to be touched.

You are so patient with your brother - I love that about you. He absolutely adores you, but since he's little too, his hugs can be overwhelming for you. Thanks for hanging in there and letting him love on you. You are best friends already - it's so cute to watch the two of you play!!!

I love you my sweet little bug - you're my favorite friend. Love you forever and always!!!

love, mommy

Dear Jacob

Time for your monthly letter from Mommy - little man, I love you! I'm proud of the sweet young guy you are becoming. You are very thoughtful and respectful and most of the time use really good manners. I find myself not having to remind you so many times to say "yes ma'am" and "thank you" and "may I please get down from the table?" You still need reminders, but not every time! Thank you for that!

You started doing the sweetest thing two days ago...your love for music continues to grow and grow and it's so neat. You and your daddy love to have "concerts" with your guitars and sing lots of great old hymns. Your favorite it Victory in Jesus!!! On Monday, you started your concert by saying "oh I need to pray first." So you closed your eyes and prayed "thank you for god thank you for jesus thank you for the children Amen." Before each song of your "concert" you stop and pray - precious. Just precious. I really need to video tape the next concert so I'll never forget it. Here's a few of your prayers tonight...."thank you for jesus thank you for god thank you for mommy and daddy and jacob and jonathan and guitars and toys and hope my brown guitar feels better amen." (your brown guitar is the one we brought you from Nashville and the strings are broken.) What a great prayer!

I love reading books to you and you love reading to me to - you look at all the pictures and tell a great story. You even have some of our favorites memorized like "Brown Bear Brown Bear."

We continue to try to teach you the right behaviors and most of teh time you are wonderful! Please do us a favor and stop screaming "no" to us - that would really help us all. thanks. :-)

Seriously, I love you so much and am so thankful to be your mommy! You're my best little friend and always will be!!!

Love you, Mommy

Poopie in the potty!!!!!

Drumroll please........ Jacob pooped in the potty tonight! We're so proud. He's been peeing in the potty pretty consistently for a few weeks (though he still wears diapers because it's so unpredictable.) I've not been aggressively potty training him - I'm going to try the "Potty train your child in one day" potty party technique. Selfishly, I want to wait until after vacation (10 days and counting...) so we can just use diapers in the car and not worry about having to find a bathroom NOW RIGHT NOW!!!!

So hard to believe my little guy is getting so big! Of course I take pictures of everything, but even I couldn't bring myself to take a picture of the first poopie in the potty episode (you can thank me later for that!!!)

A day at the park!

Wow - what fun we had at the park yesterday!!!! My boys got to hang out with a few of their best friends at the park - just plain ole belly laugh kind of fun! I love to watch my boys go down the slides and swing - it's like seeing life for the very first time. Their smiles are priceless. Here's a few shots from our day!