"Nigh Nigh" Kisses

When it's time for Brody to go to bed...we say, "Are you ready to go nigh nigh?" He immediately blows a few kisses in Mike's general direction (without looking) and runs towards the stairs. Without fail, every night Mike has to call him back to ask him for a hug and a zerbert. Then he releases the squirming toddler who races for the stairs that lead up to his bedroom. As we enter his bedroom, I say a little prayer with him, put him in bed, then blow him kisses and tell him I love him as I leave the room. Last night he was trying to blow me kisses thru the rails on his crib. So I bent down on my knees and gave him a kiss thru the rails (we both had to pucker our lips really hard to get them to meet)! He then went to the next rail and waited for a kiss. This went on until we had kissed goodnight between every rail on the side of his crib. It was so sweet...tears were flowing down my face by the time I walked out of his room! These days are so short and I want to savor every kiss!!!

Boy Toys

There's a big box of toys in the front office at work. It's full of balls, cars, trucks, musical things, big legos, and tons of other toys. You might think that this is Brody's favorite box (or "bop" in Brody language...he hasn't gotten "x" down yet) in our office. The toy box is NOT Brody's favorite box to play in. He would much rather play in the toolbox behind Junior's desk! Anytime he hears Junior open it...he runs over there! This morning I realized that Brody was being really quiet while I was working. Where did I find him? Playing in the open toolbox!
In fact, he carried around a set of allen wrenches all morning. Instead of the toy phone (the one he got for his birthday from RaeAnn...the one that rings and makes noise)....the allen wrenches are his phone today.
One of Brody's newest words that is so cute to hear him say is cricket! There has been an infestation of black crickets lately (not as bad as it gets at ACU...but I can't tell you how many I get rid of every day in our house!). Yesterday Brody walked out of the bedroom saying, "che chet!" He was insistent that I follow him back to the bedroom where he showed me a "che chet" hopping across the floor. Then we had to find "Teh or" (Trevor) and tell him to get the cricket! Brody kept pointing at the cricket so our half-blind dog wouldn't lose it! lol

Blah

For some reason I just can't think about anything to blog about today. Not much has been going on besides the usual day to day life. Monday (while I was at my class), Mike took Brody to the golf course with him. He pushed him around in the jogging stroller while he golfed. I wasn't there, so I can't really tell you what it was like...but it sounds like they both had fun.

I'll post again later when my brain is working better....I just wanted my grandparents to know I'm still alive (sometimes they start to worry when I go more than a day or two without posting)!

XBOX Birthday

Mike received several things for his XBOX on his birthday. Caleb (the resident gamer in our family) was able to find us good deals on stuff for Mike. Tyler and Ann got him a new controller. This means that Brody now has a controller to "play" with while Mike plays a game!
Mike doesn't play much until after I go to bed. Friday night I fell asleep on the couch after we watched the movie "The Lake House". I woke up to Mike playing Tiger Woods '08 (his newest obsession). I looked at the clock and it said 2:52 am!!! What?!?!? I must be mistaken! I asked Mike what time it was and he sheepishly said, "3 am". I don't know if he was just waiting for me to wake up, but as soon as I got off the couch and went to bed...he followed. He was out of bed early Saturday morning to play with Brody (he lets me sleep in on Saturday's) and made it until 10:30 Saturday night before going to bed. I don't know how he does it!!

Week of Healing

It's amazing how fast little bodies heal! If I'd scraped my face up like Brody did...it definitely wouldn't have healed in a week!!


Last Friday: Today:

Picture Panel

We went to a local photographer, Art Sundquist, to have Brody's pictures taken professionally. He offered a package for $29.95 that included the sessions and the picture panel below! Most people probably order other pictures (which are absurdly priced)...but we were strong and just got the panel. I think we have PLENTY other pics of our boy during his first year ;) Here's my pictures of the picture panel...so that you can see them! 3 months old
6 months old
9 months old
1 year old

Happy Birthday!

Your birthday marks another year together;

Such happy times, I couldn’t ask for more,

Spending precious minutes, hours and days

With you, my love, whom I cherish and adore.

I am forever thankful God sent you my way.
Like a gift from up above,

I've cherished you each day

As you've showed me how it is to feel real love.

I know many mountains we've had to climb

and sometimes I'm surprised at the passage of time.
Bigger mountains may lie ahead,

but together there is no hill we can not tread.

We’ve shared so much in love and friendship;

Each year our bond just seems to grow and grow.

I always want to be right next to you;

To touch and kiss you means more than you can know.

You’re always there for me with a loving smile;

I’m never happier than when I know you’re near.

I thought my love for you could not grow stronger;

And yet I love you even more this year.

author unknown

Happy 29th Birthday Mike! I love you!

Close Call

I hit snooze a few too many times and didn't get to the gym until 4:55 am. When I got here Alan, one of our part-time employees, was working out. He's usually gone by 5 am so he can head to work. I like it when he's here working out when I get to work because that means there are already lights on in the building! We're located in an old Catholic church building and it's easy to let your imagination run wild with the creaking of the building or water dripping in the sink. I think my heart rate always increases a little until I get the lights, radio, and TV turned on. Only RaeAnn, who closes at night in the dark, understands the adrenaline rush you get as you hurry thru a pitch black gymnasium to turn on the lights!

Back to this morning....Alan was finishing up his weight workout as I headed to the cardio room at 5 am. I did a 20 minute cardio workout and then went about my usual routine of unlocking different rooms in the building. The last room I unlocked was the tanning room. For some reason, whenever I unlock this room I open the door all the way so that people know it's not in use. This morning as I swung the door open I heard a male voice say, "Hello?!?" I quickly closed my eyes as I panicked thinking, "Who's in there that's about to get me?" (You know boogy men hide in tanning beds don't you?) As I'm sure you've already guessed...it wasn't a boogy man...it was Alan! Praise the Lord he'd already put his clothes back on and was just cleaning the tanning bed!!! That was a close call!

And the Winners Are......

Cousin Julie and Juli Beth! They both picked September 17th as the date they thought Brody's 1st tooth would come in. As of today, September 16th, he officially has a tooth! Today he is 13 months 2 days old...and he's no longer toothless!!!!!! It's VERY hard to take a picture of a tooth in a toddler's mouth! Out of all the ones we took...this one turned out the best (and it's still very hard to see)! Without the flash it was too dark...and with the flash it washes out the picture. Oh well. You'll just have to believe us ;) I circled where the tooth is.
I know you're dying to know what they won.......
If you haven't read this book before...it's a must read! I challenge anyone who thinks Christ was "just a good teacher" to read this book and see if you don't come away with a transformed life! Julie & Juli Beth, if you already have this book....I challenge you to give it to a friend that you know is not a believer. Then pray that God will open their eyes to see the tooth (I mean TRUTH)!

Ouch!

Mike and Brody get to have Father/Son night every Monday and Thursday night while I take an H & R Block tax preparation class. I think they really enjoy their male bonding time. This morning it was dark when I transferred Brody from the crib to the car seat...then back to the crib at work. When he woke up this morning at work, this is what I saw:
Mike said that he was outside watering trees last night and Brody was playing. He turned around to see Brody fall on the stairs going up to the front porch. When Mike picked him up, Brody had a little bit of a bloody nose and scrapes on his face and shoulder (the bruise on his right cheek is from a different fall during our board meeting at work the other day). Mike said he just wanted to be held all night. Poor guy! Today he doesn't act like it hurts...but I don't know how he'll like blowing his runny nose all day. Hope it doesn't irritate the scabs!

___________________________________
I have another story that I can't believe I forgot to post about! Labor Day weekend was also opening weekend for Dove. As we were leaving to help Nancy move, we could hear gun shots in all directions (meaning lots of people were out hunting). We didn't get home until late on Saturday night and Mike wasn't planning on going hunting until Sunday afternoon with Chris. When we got home on Saturday we noticed that Remington (our lab) was limping around. Each step looked ginger and painful! I checked him over to make sure he wasn't shot by a stray bullet and then we decided he must be sore from the bike rides (he ran along on 2 different bike rides) we took him on a few days earlier. He was still limping around on Sunday, so he didn't get to go hunting with Mike (Mike was disappointed).

A few days later, Mike ran into Chris who had a fun story to tell. Chris had been talking with a local farmer who asked him if he knew who owned a big, black lab in the area. Chris told him it was our lab. Apparently Remington heard the hunters and after we left for Nancy's on Saturday morning he decided he wanted to go hunting! He found the hunters a mile and a quarter from our house and hunted with them for 3 hours! They said he just suddenly showed up and started retrieving birds for them! Around around lunch time he got tired and left (they assumed he was going home) and ran the 1.25 miles back home! No wonder he was so sore!

KS State Fair

Yesterday we took Brody to the Kansas State Fair. He had so much fun! He didn't fuss at all (even though we didn't leave the fair until an hour past his bedtime) and was wide eyed at all the action!

The first stop after we arrived was the petting zoo. Rather than spending $1 on food for the animals, we just picked up some off the ground next to the cage and let Brody feed the goats.

After the petting zoo, we went thru the different farm animal buildings (pigs, sheep, cows, etc). This picture is from the poultry building. Brody found a feather on the ground and took off running down the aisle. What we didn't realize is that he was running in excitement towards the open door at the end of the building. Outside!!!!!

After the animals...it was time for tractors! Mike and Brody climbed up in a HUGE combine!
Look of disbelief on Brody's face after Mike tells him that this combine costs $350,000!

The tires on the combine were huge! Brody thought it might be fun to go for a ride inside one of them!

You can't go to the State Fair without walking thru the RVs. Some of them are more elegant than the average person's house....of course, some of them cost more than the averag'e persons house! Mike and Brody check out the flat screen TV in this cozy RV.
After the RVs, we walked thru several buildings full of exhibits and vendors. Every year we buy warm, roasted pecans at the Fair. They are sooooo good! Brody even chewed on small pieces of roasted pecans and said, "Yummm!"

Here's Brody at the kids play area in one of the buildings getting ready to feed his cattle.
After feeding his cow, Brody helped me pet the pig.
Before we left the Fair, we walked around the carnival section. Brody's still too small to ride any of the rides, however, he LOVED the lights, music, and action of the rides! He was bouncing in the backpack to the music and laughing with pure enthusiasm at the rides! I couldn't believe that it was 9:00 pm and he wasn't fussing for milk or bed!

We had a lot of fun taking Brody to the fair this year. Last year he was only 4 weeks old and slept the whole time! We look forward to taking him every year. I'm sure his enthusiasm will only grow!

Muddy Boots

A few months ago I picked up a pair of cowboy boots for Brody at a garage sale. They're still a little big on him...but don't think that stopped Mike from wanting Brody to wear them to go outside and work with him! He looked so cute in them! I'm guessing they'll fit his feet perfectly next summer...just in time for the famous shorts and boots look.

"Da-dee!" Once his boots were on he was ready to go outside...NOW! "Where do you want to go Brody?"
"Owww!!!!"
After they worked outside for an hour or more, Brody had to take off his boots before coming inside. Why? They were muddy. Awww. Muddy boots. The sign of a hard worker. I'm so proud ;)

Friday Night Lights

Last night we went to Dwayne & Rene's for BBQ and then to the high school football game. We were playing Hoisington...so the chance of winning was very remote. You'll have to talk to Mike if you want game details. I saw about 5 minutes of the game before I left the stands to take Brody to the grassy area to play. We were outside and he wanted to run around! He didn't want to sit still and watch a football game! Here's Brody eating cheerios and wearing Chris' hat.

We made it to the end of the 3rd quarter (an hour past Brody's bedtime) before we headed for home. As we were leaving we noticed that many other parents with young kids were going home. Guess we won't get to see the end of a game for a few years! We had a lot of fun and Brody was so worn out that he slept until 7:30 this morning! Maybe we need to go to the game every Friday night!

Climber

Yesterday I was outside watering the trees when Brody disappeared around the back of the house. After a few minutes I followed him around the back to see what he was doing. This is what I found: Yes, Brody has figured out how to climb up on the mower. He absolutely LOVES mowing with Mike and I think yesterday he was having fun just pretending! (Don't worry...they key isn't in the mower...anymore!) I took him off the mower and this is the look he gave me:
Don't worry, Brody! I just wanted to see how you climb up there! Here he goes:

Made it!
How old does he have to be before we give him the key and tell him to mow the yard? Guess we'll have to wait a few years ;)

New Life

Monday was another day of work at the Lodge. It was tree planting day. We needed to transplant some trees and plant the 4 new large trees that we purchased. Our friend, Tom, sent his 6th grader, Luke, over to our house with a tractor that has an auger on the back. When Luke got to our house he told Mike his mom wouldn't be there for 1/2 hour to pick him up and that he could help Mike dig holes! They got quite a few holes dug before Luke had to leave for guitar lessons. When Luke left, he excitedly told Mike that his mom would drop him back off and noon and he could continue helping Mike. He even offered to use the post hole digger to get the loose dirt out of the holes! Talk about a hard worker! Brody was very excited to get to spend another day outside! He was trying to be as much help as possible by throwing dirt back into the hole, then climbing in the hole after it!
We had already watered this hole a little bit before Brody climbed in...so he was a muddy mess!

Last night Mike took Brody outside with him to water trees. Brody was happy to be in the great outdoors. (After dinner he stood by the door saying "Oww"...wanting to go outside. When Mike asked him "You wanna go outside and help me water?", he RAN to the back door!)

Here are two of the four new "big" trees that we planted. The one in the front is a Tulip Poplar and the one in the back is a Red Maple. We bought 2 Tulip Poplars and planted one for Brody and one in memory of the baby that's waiting for us in Heaven.
I didn't think I needed to change Brody's clothes just for him to go outside and help Mike water! I was wrong. I think it's time to have play clothes!
Here are some of the trees that we transplanted from the nursery in front of our house.
This is the response that I got when I asked Brody if he was ready for a bath!