summer vacations (contd.)

In mid July we rode family style up to New Hampshire in the Coolong's minivan with with Brian, Jess and Howie. The boys did really great for the road trip and we made it in under 12 hours! Impressive with two babies. We swam, did some sight seeing in Rhode Island where the boys grew up and had a family reunion with Steve's Aunts and cousins. Fun times were had by all :) It was the boys' first trip up north to visit Nana and Bomps.

::love this cutie face::

love this cutie boy too :)

Steve and his cousin Melissa

Howie loved sportin' his shades!

boys and men :) :)

summer vacations.

Back to catching up. We've gone on a couple summertime trips this year. In June Kaden and I traveled to to Arkansas with the rest of my family to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on my mom's side. Steve wasn't able to come, unfortunately, since it's a busy time for work. We missed him being there, but we had a great visit with the fam! We stayed at Uncle Lamar and Aunt Shari's house which is such a fun place to be. We did a lot of hanging out in the swimming pool, eating and laughing/catching up. It was so fun for Kaden to get to meet all them...I love my extended family - they are a gift from the Lord!

Today....

.....was one of those days that I really know and FEEL how blessed I am. God is good. He really is. He wants us to know him and experience him in a real way. His love can be seen and felt in tangible ways. God really met me this morning as I opened his scriptures despite the guilt I was feeling for not having devotions for, I gotta be honest here, weeks. I was feeling condemnation, but genuinely desiring to be met and encouraged in His word. And he was so kind and merciful to show me his faithfulness and his greatness. It didn't matter that I have failed at earnestly pursuing him - he was eagerly waiting for me to turn to him again and embrace me with his love. It was exciting because although I have had the gift of a prayer language for a while now, I think he gave me new words to speak this morning. I had such an awesome time of fellowship with the Spirit this a.m. My soul was refreshed and reawakened and I have been rejoicing in his grace all day. I drove to the oceanfront this afternoon and walked the boardwalk with Kaden enjoying the lovely day and again, prayed and gave thanks for His great love and faithfulness. Tonight Steve is working late at the 'flip' house, and as I perused Facebook I came across a link to a blog written by a young wife and mom in our area whom I've hung out with a couple of times. I don't know her super well and haven't seen her in a couple months, so I looked up her blog to see what she's been up to lately. WOW. As I read I discovered that it was a blog she had just recently created to fill people in on some huge life changing news. She has cancer of the lymph nodes. She's a beautiful 26 year old girl with a husband and a 6 month old baby girl and she has cancer. I was so shocked and so incredibly sad for her. I read through all of her posts and was amazed by her faith-filled words. She was very honest and real about how hard this has been, but you can hear her strength and faith coming through each post...I was so encouraged to see her glorifying the Lord through this awful news. As she faces her fears and all the what if's she is confident that she and her family are secure in the arms of Jesus and nothing can take that truth and the peace that it brings away from her. I feel so sobered and aware of the frailty of this life right now. I feel so aware of the gifts God has given to me to enjoy in this life. I'm so thankful. I thank Jesus for the gift of health, but ultimately I'm thankful to be held in his everlasting arms..thankful that no matter what trials this life brings, no matter how hard or easy it is, and no matter how long or short it is, I get to be WITH him one day and that is what defines me..that is what spurs me on to faith and good deeds while I'm living this life he's given me.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
look full in His wonderful face;
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of his glory and grace.

mr. bright eyes

meeting Nana and Bompa

Steve's parents came to visit 3 weeks after Kaden was born. Their trip was planned for the week before, but the flight was canceled due to bad weather...talk about grandparents anxious to meet their little grandsons!!

They are now the proud grandparents of 4 boys! Steve's sister Becky is due in couple of weeks with grandbaby #5, but the gender is still unknown :) And Jess is prego with grandbaby #6 and due in January! Yay for babies and growing famblys!!

Recently...

(phone pic)

Here are a few recents. Little man is rolling over and sitting up now! He's so proud of himself. I can definitely tell he's happy about his accomplishments :) He also LOVES the water. Pool time is one of his faves. He kicks like crazy and smacks the water with his hands and giggles when it splashes him in the face. SO FUN to watch. If you're friends with me on Facebook, then you can see a video of him in the pool HERE.

this was at 4 months

almost 6 months :) love his little personality. (phone pic)

He won't take a bottle (hasn't since around 2 months old), so I'm trying to get him to drink out of a sippy cup! I tried it today for the first time and he was definitely curious about it. He chewed on it and sucked out of it a little, but mostly he just liked holding it himself :) Such a big boy. I'm just going to keep trying every day at one feeding til he gets used to it.