Digger Party!

The party was at "The Sandbox" - a local park that is just that--a big sandbox! It was the perfect place for digging!

Tucker sat in this same place for an hour :)

Hadley found a toy :) She's so big!

Worker guys...and girl :)

There are a ton of ride on toys at the park as well!

Miles, Max, and Tucker

Adelaide, Clay, Jonah, and Carter

Dirt cake...in the dump truck

We love our little worker guy!

Big thanks to Gigi, Grandpa, and Grandma for helping pull the party together!

36 months!

T H R E E

~3 6 M O N T H S~

How did this happen? It's hard to believe that 3 years ago, I had labored all through the night, not knowing how it was going to be possible to actually get a baby out of my body, all ending with the surprise of our baby BOY coming in to the world. It was love at first glance of course, especially with this lips. In that moment of tear stained eyes and overwhelmed hearts, we had no idea all that the next 3 years would hold...how we'd be smitten, challenged, and stretched...how we'd be more experienced, more patient, and more in love with our little boy.

He turned 1...

He turned 2...

And now he's 3!

Things I want to remember about the beginning of 3...

He hates when things end...playing, shows, anything...it's like a guaranteed meltdown.

He still loves all things construction and is excited about being a "worker guy" for Halloween!

He's starting to love cars and racing, thanks to the movie, CARS.

His favorite books are Roadwork (an old favorite), the Jesus Storybook Bible, and Charlie the Ranch Dog.

He's a great big brother and calls Hadley "sweetie" most of the time. He also tells me often, "Mom, I keep a eye on Hadley".

He goes to preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays and has loved it so far! His teachers, Ms. Becky and Ms. Ann seem to be a perfect fit for him and he loves his best buddies in his class, Max and Miles.

He can play with the same toy or do the same activity for hours at a time... he is "down to business" as we like to say when he is focused in on something he enjoys.

Some funny phrases he says are:

"Yea yea, I know"

"I don't believe it" (about anything and everything)

He likes to sing "Jesus Loves Me", "My God is So Big", and "I'm Free", of course.

He still has a crazy memory, always amazing us with details he doesn't forget.

He seems to be growing a little taller and thinning out. He mostly wears a 3 but some things are a 4. He wears a 10 1/2 shoe.

This age is sweet and challenging. Tucker can melt me and make me want to scream all in the same 5 minutes. I'm going to be praying for lots of patience and perseverance through these critical discipline months. Hopefully the funny things he says, the sweet kisses he gives, and the bond we share will help me forget the times of trial.

Tucker is 3!

Happy Birthday Tucker!

I can't believe my little boy is 3! We are worn out from a fun day of celebrating with family, a digger party with friends, and playing with new toys. More pics soon...

Team Patwa

There are not many people I would wear pink polka dot knee socks--in public--for (at 7 am I might add). But, there's something about Amy--she just brings the crazy out in you...and it takes a lot to bring crazy out in me :)

Saturday was a sweet day as I got to be part of a 75 person team that walked in the Race for the Cure on Team Patwa. We all had one common goal--love for our dear friend Amy and a desire to see her fight this battle of cancer with all she's got. Most days, I still can't grasp that this is reality...that this really does happen to people--people I know and love. But, in the midst of this disappointing, devastating trial my friend is facing, God is using her to stretch my faith and believe that He is GOOD and in control, even when it doesn't always feel like it. I know I'm one of hundreds of people that are being blessed by Amy's spirit and I count that a privilege. I mean, who else would wear a pink wig and fairy wings, dancing around the Race for the Cure as if everyone else is sick but her? Amazing. Inspiring. Beautiful.

Love you Amy!

Touch a Truck!

The people that created the event Touch-a-Truck had to have had little boys just like mine, in mind. Diggers, tractors, and all things with big wheels for kids to climb into and play on? HEAVEN. We went to this event last year and I would have described Tucker as mesmerized. This year was different... he knows what every machine is called...what their different parts do...and he was down to business when he climbed into the different "cabs".

John Deere man!

Tucker and I both fitting into the John Deere tire!

Serious boy on the tractor

There were other fun things to do and Tucker had fun hitting the baseball!

Bobcat!

Pumpkins!

This afternoon we went to pick up a few pumpkins... It was the perfect, cool Fall day and Tucker was excited about picking out pumpkins.

It's impossible to get a picture where they're both smiling, so I'll share a few...

Don't worry--that's a pumpkin stem behind Hadley's head, not a pony tail :)

They happened to be in decked out in their ECU gear...which is apprently not going to give us any good luck in the game tonight :(

A little fun with Daddy...

Taking our pumpkins to the car!

Big helper!

LOVE this time of year... Welcome October!

Hadley Weekly!

Hadley is 37 weeks old!

This week was all about her pulling up! She is loving her toy that she stands up on...and so is big brother! She pulls up on the couch, on the ottoman, on Tucker's tool bench...she would much rather be standing that sitting. She is trying to move a little along the furniture and I doubt it will be much longer before she's quicker on her feet!

One hand!

She wants to do whatever Tucker is doing...

She got her 4th tooth this week which has seemed to bother her quite a bit. She now has the two on the bottom and the two incisors on top--no middle teeth up there yet :)

She's saying "da da" a lot and making lots of other screams and outbursts :)

She also has mastered getting puffs in her mouth all by herself--Yay for high chair entertainment! Going out to dinner tonight was much more enjoyable :)

We are lovin' this age...Hadley is one happy girl!