DANNY WALKS

Danny is already walking?  Why yes, YES HE IS!  Our little man had taken one or two "accidental" steps/stumbles previous to this, but I didn't think they really qualified as actual walking.

Here's the scoop:  Wednesday morning, May 15th.  Danny impressively starts WALKING all on his own while we're playing in the living room.  I start freaking out a bit and Mike runs to get the camera.  I am then able to coax Danny with some toys and he continues to take lil' baby steps.  Mike quietly sneaks up on us, trying to keep himself hidden in the hallway (DB loves the camera and as soon as he sees it he's too distracted to do what we want him to do for the video).  He continues to toddle around the room while Mike is recording.  Success - we got it on video!  Failure - the blog won't upload the video for your enjoyment.  True story. 

Our Danny has been a crazy walking machine since then and he gets more stable on his feet everyday.  He still prefers crawling though, because he gets around much faster that way.  Sometimes he gets so excited that he can walk that he tries to run, but always ends up biffing it (poor guy).  So there you have it, he is following in his daddy's footsteps and walking at 10.5 months!    

First Mother's Day

This year was my very first Mother's Day.  I cannot begin to describe how awesome being a mom is - I love it!  Honestly, when I first found out we were going to be parents, I was pretty freaked out and scared.  Mostly for the whole inevitable child birth thing that I was going to have to go through.  But as the pregnancy progressed, I developed a love for our baby boy and an excitement to meet him and know what it would be like to be his mommy.  Having a child is nothing short of a miracle.  Danny is my little miracle.  He has deepened my wonder and amazement for the love and power of God.  I still have a hard time comprehending how I had part in creating another person, and that he turned out so perfect!  Wow.  My life is so different now that I'm a mom - it's the best.  

A few words that describe MOTHERHOOD:

love

work

spiritual

full-time

amazing

exhausting

rewarding

learning

patience

sacrifice

happy

crazy 

My sweet Danny boy, Thank you for giving me Mother's Day.

   

The Falls: Then and Now

Last week we had a fun picnic and hike at some waterfalls with some friends of ours who have a son Danny's age.  The last time we were there, we had just moved, Mike hadn't started school yet, and we weren't expecting Danny.  This time, we have a baby, and Mike has finished 2 years of school!  It was a really beautiful day at the park and it was even more fun to share it with friends.  Too bad I didn't get any pics of everyone together!  Oh well, next time.  

Here are some pictures of our first trip to the falls 2 years ago.

Ah, what fun memories!  Now here are a couple of pics from our most recent trip.

Mini Fam Reunion and The Beach

A few weeks ago my big brother and his family came home to visit and we were able to spend some time with them, which was awesome because we rarely get to see them.  We also joined some of the fam at the beach for a day and had a blast!  It was so sunny and beautiful - and hot!  Thanks Phong and Melissa for hosting a fun weekend get together for everyone!  We were missing Tanner, though.  Hopefully someday we'll be able to have all the family together again.  

Here a some photos of all the grandchildren together at my parents.  We're an all boy family so far and just found out my brother and his wife are expecting boy #4!

 

Danny experienced sand for the first time and loved it!  Especially eating it, ha ha.  Mike loved riding the quads and I had fun spending time with everyone and watching the cousins play together.  Other than the crazy wind, it was so beautiful and warm.  Next time we'll definitely plan better and camp overnight.  Here are some pics.

 Even though it was 85 degrees, the water was still FREEZING!

 Knobby knees!

    Mustaches for all the boys - they loved them!  Danny didn't even try to take his off.  Hopefully Val got some great pics with her nice camera.

It looks like Mathias is strangling Danny!  Ha ha.  He is actually trying to "help" Danny turn his head toward auntie Val for a picture :)