Anniversary Getaway

I posted about it being our five-year wedding anniversary a couple of weeks ago. We went on a little weekend trip to St. Louis while my mom and dad came to stay with Jonah. We had a blast, but didn't take very many photos. Or, at least not any with much variety.  

We hit up a couple of our favorite restaurants...Canyon Cafe & Cheesecake Factory (our vacations are always centered around the food). 

We took in an afternoon movie. 

We visited the Botanical Gardens. 

(it was a beautiful morning!)

This is one of my favorite spots in the entire place...near the Japanese Gardens. 

(30 weeks pregnant)

They were setting up for a lantern festival which was set to kick off the following weekend. this was a neat fountain display. 

Can you tell the dragons are made from dishes? 

The long skinny parts are teacups back-to-back and wrapped in plastic. 

 Most of the decorations were lighted. I bet it was really pretty at night. 

 (whimsical cherry blossoms?)

 I thought the globes were neat (also lighted for night viewing) so I made Jonathan pose near them. 

And then he struck a pose of his own in this wagon near the kiddie park. 

 Do you see the geckos that came out to say hi?! When I spotted the first one I thought it was planted there for ambiance...but then his friend came out to say hello as well. 

This was some kind of fruit that grows directly on the tree trunk. I thought it was photo worthy. 

"self-portrait"

Splish Splash, I was taking a...SHOWER!

Our little water-loving boy has made a big transition. He doesn't want to take baths anymore. It was the strangest thing. One day he was completely terrified of the shower head, and seemingly the next he wanted to  use it. He requests a shower every night now. I love this new phase. Showers are faster and easier. There is also much less splashing of water onto the bathroom floor! Other than me scrubbing his tooshie, he can wash & rinse himself now. Hair washing is much less of a battle.

 I bought a little shower head holder that suctions onto the wall...to adjust the shower head to his height. It is the best $4. I spent this week! Now I just need to find the right kind of non-slip surface for him to stand on...he's had a few tumbles. 

 Getting in the shower...reaching for the loofah....and showing off that he is all clean!

Here he is..."saying cheese", wrapped up in a ball (for some reason he does this the instant I get a towel around him), and finally you see him with the towel around his waist. He told me he needed it that way because "that is what Daddy taught him to do."

Summer is HERE.

I took the kids out to breakfast to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation. We had the most fun on the way to the doughnut shop. Jonah was cracking us up in the car. He was in a really good mood and answering any question with lots of excitement. When asked if he was drinking coffee, he replied, "COFFEE...YES!!" And when Ben coughed, he shouted out "good cough, Ben!" 

I am determined to take lots of photos this summer. I only have a few remaining weeks with these dear children of mine. We shall make the most of our time...and document it accordingly. 

Five Years!

This print is hanging in our bathroom. I just love it. 

I can't believe it's been five years. (tomorrow)

I love our love, that's all. 

Good Morning

This is what we wake up to most mornings in our house. The ironic thing is, the more he fusses at bedtime, the happier he seems to be the next day. If he goes to bed without a peep he often wakes us grumpy and is fussy for a few hours. 

I haven 't decided which is worse. 

BUT....most days are like this:

Sweet Summertime

Nothing says summer like Pop Ice Popsicles. 

And nothing says sweet like this kid.

Put them together and you have Sweet Summertime!

Dear Jesus,

Jonah has been more and more vocal with prayer time lately. He has been asking to pray from time to time, and will repeat a prayer we prompt for him. Tonight Jonah prayed his bedtime prayer all by himself. It was one of the sweetest moments ever!!

He said: "Dear Jesus, thank you for a day, thank you for Ewizabeth, thank you softball game. A-Men!"