Oscar Turns 3!!!

Our big kid...woke up on his special day to balloons in the living room and a new POOL in the front yard! Then donuts with friends, and a special dinner full of his favorite things (tacos, candy canes, root beer) at Grammy & Grampy's house....can't ask for anything more! Neither could we...he is such a DELIGHT! (Birthday kid party photos to follow sometime.)

1-2-3 JUMP!

One of Oscar's (and Dave's) favorite games.

Summer Day

Gotta love a lazy summer day spent entirely outside!!!

Paparrazzi!

A game that Oscar and I like to play together is something we call "Paparazzi!!!" It entails him running away from me while I chase him and shoot pictures all the while shouting "Paparazzi!" It's awfully fun. And the results of my on-the-go photo shoot are always exciting.

Old Fashioned Cars

Oscar is just ga-ga for old fashioned cars. Lucky for him, both his Grampy and our neighbors have one! Every time our neighbor, Jon, starts up the engine to work on it, Oscar RUNS to the back door and yells out, "Hey, Jon! Whatcha doin' to your old fashioned car? Can I come see?" Lucky for us, Jon is SO nice and willing to have an audience. :)

Broken Foot

Did you know I broke my 5th metatarcel? (That's the point on the outside of the foot that connects the pinkie toe to the heel.) Well, I did. And, my oh my what havoc a little bone created! I rolled off the steps the wrong way while holding Ruby and while she was fine from the fall, my foot took the brunt. I didn't need surgery or a cast (thankfully) but I did have to toodle around on a walker and an "aircast" for 5 weeks. Mom to the rescue...she came up for basically a full week. I am so thankful to ALL my helpers (and there were many). Dave's folks put in more than their fair share of hours, too. I'm a lucky gal. I'm still sore on bare feet and limp a bit in the morning, but I am MUCH better.

Shamefully Long Overdue Posting

My apologies. I'm sure life as you know it just hasn't been the same since I've been absent from posting photos. Well, I'm back. Hope you'll accept these few random photos as as acquittal.

O's first big-kid movie: Winnie the Pooh (a 3rd b-day gift from mom and dad)

She's almost 11 months now!!!

Another b-day gift from us to O.

Do I have a cute fam or what?!

'Nuff said.

Big Boy in the Houuuuuuuse!!!!

Potty Trained!!!! :) And loving it! (sticker charts above--he chose the themes and I tried my hardest to draw them, although Superman looks like he has a bit of a potbelly)
O watching for Daddy to come home to tell him he stayed dry all day!

Oscarsaurus

Oscar: "Hey, Mommy? Maaaaaybeeee, we should surprise Daddy at the bus stop and I will wear my dragon outfit and jump out and scare him!!!!!"

Me: "Great idea!"

So, imagine us toodling to the bus stop (with a quick stop at Trader Joe's for last-minute groceries)...the amount of joy that he brought to passers-by (and to his mother) was ample. And, boy, was Daddy surprised. he loved it! :)

A Look Back at: Easter

Easter was a lovely time when friends and family gathered at our house for a yummy tapas lunch, chatting, and a good ol' fashioned easter egg hunt. The day started with Oscar waking up to find his Easter NEST filled with all sorts of goodies...including his much-beloved Fire Man Boots (worn daily until it's been sandal weather, and still). And, I feel so blessed to have a son who said, "And now Jesus is with us!" when we said Happy Easter to him. That's right, Oscar. Jesus IS with us! Halleluiah!

Ruby: 7 Months Old

"I know! I'm so old! Look how long I am!"

"It's fun being 7 months old!"

"I wonder what's in store for next month?!"

Mother's Helper

My niece, Claudia, came up for a whole WEEK of fun (Mall of America, Zoo, parks, etc.) She was a huge help--folding laundry, dusting, playing with Oscar...she even learned how to change Ruby's diapers! What did I do all week? Relish in her good company! We miss her!

Ruby Can-Can-Can!

Practicing moves for a future career, perhaps? (Hey, a girl's gotta make a living!)

Ruby's Baptism

On April 2nd, we had an intimate gathering at our home to baptize Ruby. We wanted to baptize her out of obedience to God and to declare to her and the world that we want to love as Jesus loves.

It was such a lovely, meaningful morning. Some highlights include:

Wearing Great-Grandma Ruby's baptismal gown (from the late 1800's). Hand-stiched and beautiful! So special. Grandma Rub's picture below:


Having the ceremony in our home. Made it very personal. Especially when our dear friend (and pastor at our church, Upper Room) Joe McDonald performed the baptism...with water that Dave got from the Jordan River in Isreal (the same river that Jesus was baptized in) when he was there in college with his choir. He brought it
(ps...Ruby totally spit up all over Joe during his prayer!)

Our fathers read from the Psalms:


Wearing Grauntie Rhonda's baptism shoes (she's the one who set Dave and I up):


Everyone read Ephesians 3:14-21 to Ruby together (pretty much sums it up):


" ¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:14-21