Painting and Pool

After Grafton slept in this morning and James refused his morning nap, we decided to have our own church time at home then have some fun family time outside.  With all the construction going on at our house right now (we are in the process of adding on to our kitchen, breakfast room, and laundry room) we have lots of scrap wood laying around.  I have gotten all of these fun ideas for wooden stools, picture frames, etc that Eric can make and the kids can paint, so today was a perfect day for our first attempt at being crafty! We set up the baby pool and sprinkler, got out lots of paint and brushes, and as Eric began building stools, the kids began painting on wood.  It was a mess to say the least!  James immediately put bright green paint all in his hair, painted his belly with some brown, and tried to eat the blue....but it has all been washed off now and he had a blast! Grafton was much more controlled with her painting and even made a cute little picture frame that I can't wait to put in her room!  The kids loved playing in the pool, coloring the sidewalks with chalk, and painting the wood, and now they are both sound asleep in their beds.  It was a nice, hectic, and beautiful morning!

Funny moments

I absolutely love the ages of my children right now! They play so well together and literally make me laugh all the time! Grafton says the funniest things (like "disgusting," and "certainly," and "frustrating" to name a few) and James DOES the funniest things (he is our little clown who has never met a stranger!).  Eric and I laugh saying that Grafton will be our cheerleader, athlete and brain child, while James will be the class clown and student council president! I can only imagine where Price will fit it! Here are a few funny moments from the past couple of weeks...

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The kids were playing in the den one morning.  I looked up to find James playing t-ball with an apple and a golf club! The kid cracks me up!

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Grafton and James love to play in the guest room upstairs.  I am not allowed in there while they play, so I sit in the playroom and listen.  After lots and lots of laughter one morning, I walked in to find Grafton and James rolling around on the bed, pillows thrown on the ground and the comforter a total mess.  James got down when I came in and Grafton shouted "Mommy! Leave! You are breaking up James's Party!!!!" Such a mess.

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I was putting Grafton to sleep on afternoon for naptime and she said "Hey James, come get under my pillows....I have a SECRET to tell you!!!" There is no telling what she said to him, but James was elated to have his sister wanting him in bed with her!!

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I was in my bedroom one afternoon while Grafton napped and James played. James disappeared for a minute then suddenly I could hear a noise headed my way.  James pushed a kitchen chair from the breakfast room into my bathroom, climbed on top and started playing with my make up and hairbrush sitting on the vanity! Such an independent and determined kid.

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As we painted this morning, the kids jumped in the swimming pool to cool off and clean off. James kept putting the paint brushes in the pool, and Grafton was not too happy about it.  Finally Grafton stands up, lets out a huge sigh and exclaims "Ugh! I am SO frustrated with all these brushes in here!!!"  My little boss.

Miss Priss on Wheels!

What an exciting moment for my sweet baby girl....she picked out her 1st big girl bike!  Is she really old enough to be riding a big girl bike?! I was planning on getting her one for Christmas, but Eric thought she was ready now since she cruises around on her tricycle like a professional.  So off we went bike shopping, and she literally hopped on this bike and took off down the aisle of the store! She just somehow knew exactly what to do!!  She picked out her helmet and was probably the happiest little girl in the world when I told her we were taking it all home with us.  She has ridden her bike, talked about her bike, or looked at her bike every moment since we bought it Friday! She even rode it to our neighbor's house last night and did such a good job.  I couldn't be more proud of my little princess.  Granted I think I may have shed a little tear over her growing up so quickly, it's like another new little chapter has opened up in her book, but it really is fun to see her try new things and be so excited and proud of herself. Time is just flying by so quickly, and I really hope I am able to treasure all of these "firsts" and special moments with sweet Grafton.

Father's Day Fun

Last night Eric was replacing my mom's brake lights, and Grafton looked at me and said, "Daddy can fix ANYTHING! He is the BEST Daddy EVER! And he is the NICEST Daddy too!" It was such a sweet comment from a very proud little girl with a huge grin on her face as she watched her Daddy help DeeDee.  I have to agree with Grafton, her Daddy is one fantastic guy.  I don't think I could pick a better Daddy for our children- he loves spending time with the children, and he makes the little things just as important as the big things.  For instance, every time Eric cuts the grass Grafton runs out there begging him to let her ride on the lawn mower too and he happily agrees- it's a random special moment for them. And nearly every time we go out to eat, James gets a little antsy after 30 minutes so Eric ALWAYS gets up and walks around with him- another sweet and special time. He helps me bathe the kids, he rocks James every night and puts him down to sleep, he prays with Grafton and cuddles with her at bed time, and somehow he still has time for his wife!  He understands the importance of family and the importance of being present and active in his children's lives.

At church this morning, we were reminded that no matter what fathers surround us here on Earth, we have a heavenly Father loving and caring for us throughout eternity.  What an amazing vision- seeing our Father up in heaven just waiting to hug us and kiss us and fill our hearts with a joy and love that we cannot begin to imagine. While I am crazy blessed to experience such a loving Daddy to my children, nothing compares to what is waiting for us all one day when we meet our God in heaven. 

Swimming at DeeDee's!

About to swim with her noodles 

Just hanging out!

My jumping machine!

Practicing her swimming!

Happy Father's Day!

Hooray!

Perfect ending to a special week

Our week at the beach has come to an end; our relaxing mornings of drinking coffee on the balcony while watching the waves roll in are now filled with our usual hectic schedules; our delicious seafood meals have been replaced by the regular chicken, hot dogs, and sandwiches; and the excitement in the kids eyes when it is time to go down to the beach for another fun filled day is now just a memory. Luckily, God has blessed us with so many of these precious memories from our beach trip this year. I asked Grafton last night what her favorite part of our trip was and I got a plethora of answers.  She said she liked jumping in the waves....she liked swimming in the pool and making new friends....she liked sleeping with DeeDee every night (2 beds remained empty so that Grafton could have this little treat!)....she liked having Daddy home for a whole week....she liked the candy, ice cream, and popsicles she was spoiled with all week.  She couldn't pick one thing- she just loved the whole vacation.

James is so easy going that he pretty much has a blast anywhere he is.  He had fun in the sand, watching the ocean waves, and "jumping" in the swimming pool....but he also was so happy to come home and see the dogs and have the run of the house again!  DeeDee was a big help this week as usual- she had fun swimming with the kids, cuddling with them for naps, sharing her fish with Grafton every night and making beautiful crayon drawings at every restaurant with her, and finally catching up on some much needed rest and relaxation while also getting a great tan! 

And Eric and I truly had a fantastic time just soaking in all the blessings in our life. From watching the kids play together, imagining what life will be like in just a few short months when Baby Price joins this silly clan, laughing at the funny and smart things that come out of Grafton's mouth, getting excited over the new words James is learning (cracker, boom, and pop-i (for pop--ice) were added this week), playing in the bath tub with the kids, reading books or watching cartoons, chasing James around the restaurant or pool or store or basically anywhere, spoiling the kids with treats, and trying our absolute best to make time stand still for just a little while- we felt God's love, His peace, and His presence all week long. No matter what may be going on in our lives, God's blessings are always there and He is always present. We are so thankful for our week, and we are looking forward to the many more fun moments ahead this summer!

Another fun day in the pool

Jumping again!

A little fun while out shopping

Grafton has always loved this playground area

Heading for the tunnel

Last day on the beach!!

My handsome guy

Checking out the ocean

Always so happy

Working hard on her sand castles

Such a beach girl

Playing in the sand

Last beach picture

Thinking about snack time :)

Fun times with DeeDee

Precious Godly moments

Yes I know, could I possibly take anymore pictures of these munchkins?! Like I said a few days ago, most people probably won't want to look at all these pictures, but lucky for us, these pictures represent so many sweet and happy memories of our week.  Each morning I wake up so incredibly thankful for this relaxing, precious week that the Lord has given us. A week to spend with family; a week to step back and remember how blessed we are; a week to take a break from our busy lives and to praise God for the little happy moments like watching your 3 year old jump into the swimming pool over and over and over again, or hearing your daughter say "James don't you want to play trains with me again?!" for the 10th time that day, or chasing your 18 month old all around the beach and pool because he is too active to stay in one place at a time. Probably 5 times a day minimum Grafton looks at me and says "Mommy, I LOVE the beach! Thank you for bringing me here!" and each time it melts my heart.  Tonight we were getting on the elevator after dinner and she looked at James and said "James, can I please hold your hand?" which of course THRILLED James and possibly brought a tear to my eye. I love times like these when I have a few extra minutes in the day to sit back, rest, and be still...for it is these moments when my eyes are opened again to God's presence in every second our life...what a calming and peaceful feeling that brings me.



The plane has arrived!

The airplane water toy that is! The kids have been quite jealous of the water toys they are seeing here, so we went out yesterday morning and purchased the big, inflatable airplane. The kids love it but of course still play with everyone else's toys in the pool!