Awe-thum!!

Parker just lost is third tooth... but this is, by far, the most exciting and noticeable! I hope that his new tooth is huge because that gap is ginormous! He is thuper cute:)

ode to {summertime} joy

This is the week we say goodbye to summer...we are back to school. Oh, summer has been good. I think this has been my favorite summer with the kiddos yet! And the strange thing is that we actually did LESS than in past years. We stayed home so much more. I love being home...and I hope that our kids learn to love home just as much.

Summer has consisted of : swimming lessons. neighbor buddies. vbs. dirt forts. sports camp. slip n slide. bike rides. camping. grandparents. city pools. otter pops. cousins. pokemon. Indiana jones. silverwood. friends. bbqs. lake time. roommates. chronicles of narnia. river front park. our little plastic pool. sun kissed skin. bright white hair. bug collecting. baby dolls.

The good stuff of life.

So thankful our Creator gave us Summer!

1st grade - 1st day. Done.

one last hug goodbye

my big boy

griffin getting in on the action

our first

the whole family

he let me hold his hand:)

in front of the classroom

Our first grader is home from his long day! The day was a success and I'm excited to hear more...but trying not to be pushy. I can be pushy sometimes. I just want to know every. single. detail. Can you relate?

p.s. i will post a few pictures of griff's first day of pre-k soon!!
whoa. did I just say pre-k? holy smokes. 

letting go and losing it

2 year old Parker

I couldn't figure out why I've been such a space cadet. I mean, I often find myself in AmyLand...but this is even more than normal. I told Joel that I couldn't figure it out. An example of my spaciness: I left a full cart of groceries in the Safeway parking lot and didn't figure out that they were missing for close to an hour. Embarrassing. Ridiculous. What is UP?? I'm so distracted.

"Your boys are going back to school!"

There was no question in his voice at all...he knows me so well. He knows my heart and how I roll. Ten years of marriage will do that (yay for us!!). 

Of course. I have to let go again. This is our third year of starting school and each year I have to give up a little more control. First, pre-k...then kindergarten...and now 1st grade. This time it is all day. SIX hours. Lunch at school. Oh my gosh. 

I would love to write a smart post about the beauty of letting go and trusting God with our children. I could. But I would just be talking big. I'm just not there yet. I will be when I need to be, but I'm right in the middle of the process and I just don't have the right kind of words yet. But I can say that I can feel my grip loosening just a bit. Tomorrow will be a big day for me as I have to let go...and maybe just lose it for a while. And then maybe I'll have some pretty words. 

I just love them. I sometimes think that the more that I control, the better off they will be. With Parker, I started on day one and was the perfect pregnant lady. I can recall the TWO servings of dessert I ate during my pregnancy...and the handful of days that I DIDN'T work out. I read every book, did everything right. But I very quickly found that it wasn't going to work. Control just is futile. Parenting is a continual exercise of letting go. 

And this is just first grade! Geesh!

If I really lose it and leave my KIDS at the grocery store, I'll let you know;)