Happy 31st!

My man is getting old! Okay, not really, he's just as old as me now. Aaron was out of town for work on his birthday. He said the folks at work sang Happy Birthday to him and were surprised to hear that he is 31 and has three kids. Good for him, looking like a young 'un.

He got home right at bedtime so we had a late dinner and birthday celebration.

We gave him cowboy boots, which he's been wanting for several years now. Hooray! His parents also gave him a Cutco knife. Wahoo! My parents gave him gift cards for Red Robin and a leaf blower that he's been wanting. Well, his gifters know what he wants!

Aaron doesn't love birthday cake. So he got brownies with Breyer's mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was delicious! Hazel was intently focused on the candles on Aaron's brownie. Lily was too, in fact. She tried to blow them out for him. :)

Aaron is an amazing man. I couldn't ask for a better husband, friend, and father of my children. He is incredible! Happy birthday, Aaron!

I'm so proud of him!!!

My little man is learning to swim. This is really out of his comfort zone. Carter has played in the pool every summer, but at his age, last summer was a life time ago and he doesn't really remember it. It's time for him to learn to swim.

Like I said, it's out of his comfort zone. He cries when his (fabulous) swim teacher takes him into the pool, but he's learning what she's teaching him. He swims to the edge of the pool and walks hand-over-hand to the stairs to get out.

I can tell that, even though swim lessons have been scary for him, he feels a sense of accomplishment and pride for learning to go under water, swim to the edge of the pool, go around the edge of the pool to the stairs, etc. I was worried that he would be scared of swimming and not have any fun. But today we hit the jackpot and he had fun in the pool!...We played tag and he loved it! He floated in a tube and we chased each other all around the pool.

He even goes off the diving board! Not willingly...but he does it, and then swims right to the edge and over to the step. I'm so proud of my little guy! Here's to a summer of fun in the pool!

Father and Sons' outing

Aaron and Carter went on a Father and Sons' camping trip a few weeks ago. Carter loved sleeping in the tent. He got up bright and early at 5:00 a.m.! It was super windy but they had a good time and kept the tent from blowing away.

Carter helped Aaron drive down a dirt road. That was the coolest thing to him. They listened to Alan Jackson's song titled Drive, about a boy who reminisces about learning to drive with his dad as a young boy and then passes the legacy on as he teaches his daughters to drive. Now Carter asks to listen to the driving song.

Traffic stopped for an hour and a half on the way home. People got out of their cars and kept each other company. Some folks got a kick out of seeing Carter ride his little bike along the side of the freeway. Someone even generously gave him a matchbox car.

Staying occupied on the long wait.

Swim lessons!

Lily had a refresher course of swim lessons last week. She is a great little swimmer and had tons of fun with her friends.

Nancy was a great teacher. They reviewed the backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, safety bobs, and breathing.

Aren't these girls cute?

This adorable baby hung out with Hazel during the lessons. I just love this photo of her eating her foot! Her mom says she gets this talent from her dad! Too funny!

Enjoying the hard-earned Otter Pop after the lesson.

She lost it!

Hooray! Lily finally lost her first tooth! She's been waiting soo long to lose a tooth. She's so excited! She's been wiggling it for weeks and hasn't wanted Aaron to pull it out. (I couldn't pull it out if she wanted me to. It gives me the willies.) She's cried wolf a couple of times...tricking us that it fell out. So today before swim lessons her friends, Charlee and Oaklee, ran in to me saying, "Lily's tooth is out!" When I went in to see Lily, sure enough, it had come out. Lily was brave and pulled it out on her own!! She is so proud of herself! I think she's pretty cute with that hole-y smile. I think the bottom left tooth will follow soon.

The renowned tooth.

Lily and I made a tooth pillow the other day. She designed a cute little pillow and then we made it together. It has a pocket on it to put the tooth in. Hopefully the tooth fairy will take the tooth and leave some $$ for Lily in return.

About the same time we were making the pillow, Lily asked me if there's really a tooth fairy or if it's her mom and dad. I asked her what she thought. She didn't really answer me, she just said, "I really need to know." So I told her. And then I explained that this is information for her to know but not to talk about with other kids. Just like her mom and dad told her, other kids' parents will tell them. We had the same conversation about the Easter bunny in April. I almost cried after I told her, but she was 100% a-okay with it. In fact, she liked talking to Carter after that, all grown up like, about whether or not the Easter bunny had come to our house yet. I can't believe how this little girl is growing up.

P.S.

Lily woke me in the night to tell me that the tooth fairy came.

Here she is bright and early this morning, with her tooth pillow, moolah, and Lamby.

Now Carter is anxiously awaiting his first wiggly tooth... It may be a while!

Angel baby

This little girl is such a pleasant baby. I couldn't ask for a sweeter, calmer, more patient baby. She's giggly, squishy, and perfect for kissing. She's a perfect package of sweetness and fun.

Late is great!

My mom-in-law and I have something in common: we can't get to the post office to ship off packages in a timely manner. And this time it made for a really fun birthday and Easter celebration yesterday morning!

Carter (and Lily, I might add) loves this Thomas Lego set. It is so much fun!

Who doesn't love Easter candy early in the morning?

Grandma knows what Carter likes!

Grandma chose beautiful new Easter outfits. I loved having something fresh and new for my kids to wear to church. Thanks, Grandma!

I love, love, love when my kids are dressed up nice before church starts. I think I like it so much because with three kids, everything is usually in disarray. ;) In this moment I enjoy the illusion that everything is clean, bright, and tidy!