Vacation Pictures...Finally!

We went on vacation to Lake Michigan in July...so the pictures are a little late, but better late than never I say! The boys had so much fun playing in the lake and in the sand, but most of all being able to spend so much time with their cousins!

This was our first day on our vacation. We found our house, unpacked, and then went to scope out the beach! Tommy started out just getting his feet wet, but in only few minutes time, he was out to his chest just like his big cousins Devan and Ryan! I was a mess, but he loved it!

This was as close as Nathan got to getting in the water. Just seeing it was enough for him!

The beach was so beautiful and peaceful! It was about as great as the ocean, only without sharks and jellyfish!

Tommy and Papaw liked to build sand castles, Nathan liked to knock them down!

Tommy was one of the big boys this year! He wanted to do everything the big boys did! Here he is burying himself in the sand just like Ryan and Bradley!

Here is Nana, Papaw and all their boys! With seven boys, it is hard to get them all to focus at the same time! It definately shows all their personalities!

This was the back of the house we stayed in. It was at one time a Bed and Breakfast, so at least three times a day, we would get calls about available rooms! That was always good for a laugh! It was tempting not to take them and make a little profit on the side!

All in all it was a great vacation, but as with all good things, it had to come to an end! Until next year....

Mayda Kathryn Menefee

Mayda Kathryn Menefee was born on Friday August 17 at 5:40 pm. She was 11 weeks early so she was only 2 pounds 1 3/4 ounces and she was 13 1/2 inches long. Amy and Josh are doing well, just happy she is here and safe. They are trying to work out how best to negotiate their time. Can you imagine having to be away? Three children who all need their mommy, send a little prayer Amy's way. Mayda is breathing on her own and she is already such a strong little girl! She is absolutely perfect and so beautiful, I can't wait to hold her and let her know what a miracle she is! My first neice, and the family's first little girl...a very strong start! She will be so spoiled!




Here she is! After she was born they put her under the billy light so she has the goggles on to protect her tiny eyes. You can see her tiny hand holding on to her daddys finger. She may only be 2 pounds, but she already knows she is so very loved.

Here is her tiny foot! Amy and Josh haven't been able to hold her yet, but they can put their hands in and hold her to let her know they are there. She loves being held!

This is the first picture they took of her without all the tubes and wires! It was the first time they got to see her eyes and all her dark hair! She doesn't look so tiny in this picture, but remember, her head is about the size of a mans fist, so she is still quite tiny!

Some of the pictures are a little painful to look at, especially being a mother. I couldn't imagine being so helpless just watching your own child laying there hooked up to all the monitors and wires. It made me so sad to see the pictures. But when we went to see her, only for a few short minutes, all the sadness went away! She is so strong and so brave, and she doesn't even know what it means to be strong and brave yet! She would get angry when she knew her mommy was going to leave her, and she knew she was able to see and it made her so mad that she couldn't. She is so inspiring and so perfect. I just can't wait to tell her. Please send some love and prayers her way.

Summer Days, Sprinkler Fun

The boys love being outside, which thrills me, because they also love to watch tv and eat. Nathan isn't even a fan of water or getting very dirty, so the fact that he likes running through the sprinkler (ok, so maybe he just walks by) makes it something we will be doing very often!

I was so sure that Nate wouldn't want anything to do with the water, that I didn't even put his suit on. We ended up with wet clothes!

I'll just touch it...it can't hurt me if I touch it...

Tommy liked getting his hair wet. Nathan does everything Tommy does...but he wasn't brave enough to attempt this one!
Nathan loves going up the slide the wrong way, but since he was wet and the slide was wet, he never made it to the top! He just kept sliding down!

His face says it all! Maybe more outside fun tomorrow!

Brothers

Tommy will be 3 in exactly 1 month, and Nathan is 18 months. I was so excited that they were so close in age, because I was sure that they would always be good friends and play nicely together and never be a problem. What was I thinking? I do not know. They are very good boys, but I believe it was Tommy who taught Nate how to take his diaper off and how to get in the freezer, and best of all, how to eat ice cream without a spoon! I just happened to have my camera out one day when they were being very loving with eachother, and Tommy was playing the part of the protective older brother! It was so cute watching Tommy look out for Nathan.

Yes, I, the over protective, some what psychotic mother was sitting behind the camera thinking, "How cute is that!? Tommy is holding Nathan's hand so he won't fall off the table!"

Brother hugs!

We still haven't broken Tommy of his passy, or P.A.W.X. as my family refers to it, but his little face is too sweet to take something away he loves! At least it is for me! For some reason, he only likes it upside down, so much that in a dead sleep he will turn it around if I put it in the wrong way! Nathan watches everything Tommy does though, and wants to be just like his brother....

So we have to keep our hands on two passies at all times. Usually Nate will have his upside down just like his big brother. And Nate has developed a fondness for his blankie, which he calls his puppy. So maybe they are best friends after all.

First Blog! YAY!

So this is my first blog! I hope I don't sound like a dork, I was just really excited to do this! I also thought, what is a better way to update friends and family who are far away, like, I don't know, Germany?! (And I'm addicted to Holly's blog, so I wanted to do it too!)

We recently bought a digital camera from our best friends, Justin and Holly, so now I am addicted to it! I have taken pictures daily since we got it! I am not yet sure how to get my pictures from my digital camera to the computer, so here are just a couple pictures that were already here! (One of them is from Holly...thanks!)

This is one of Nathan's one year pictures taken by Holly! She is so amazing!

This is Tommy as a super hero...he loves to wear his blankie as a cape, ride on my feet, put his arms up and yell "I'm fwying!!"