honey and cramer

My mom got married on September 15.  What a beautiful, special, amazing day.  I'd like to introduce Vickie and Cramer Hegeman.  :)

I really can't believe I'm just now posting this.  I think I was just so disappointed not to have any great wedding pictures to share.  Evidently, I was too busy dancing and forgot about my camera.

Thank goodness for professional pictures.  View them here!  :)

I did manage to get a couple of this little man though.  In a tux.  He was quite the hit. 

To say that I am happy for her does not really explain.  I am happy. 
But I am amazed and thankful and proud and excited. 
I love her.  I love him.  And I love them together.
I love to see the way that the Lord has brought them together.
He is writing a beautiful story.  

Welcome to the family, Cramer.
Love you both.

oh yes i did

I pushed this clunky, loud, obnoxiously attention seeking buggy-turned-flinstone-car through Kroger today.  Just because it made him so so so so so so happy. 

first day of "school"

Let me just start out by saying that little man has something they like to call separation anxiety.

I'm not talking about a little fuss here and there when I leave him.  Oh.  No.
I'm talking serious screaming, like the kind that can be heard from the next zip code.
I'm talking it took us months for him to make it all the way through church in the nursery.
I'm talking - his Sunday School teacher said to me, he just doesn't give up!
Kicking screaming grabbing crying red puffy eyes fit.  
Serious separation anxiety here.

So I thought it would be really good for him if I took him to a place he'd never been, to teachers he'd met one time, in a room full of kids he'd never seen, with a nap mat he'd never tried, and leave him for four hours longer than he's ever been left in his life.

Mother's Day Out. 

And guess what?  He cried.  Kicked and screamed during drop-off.  'Bout ripped my heart right out of my guilt-ridden body.

And then.  And then he did okay.  He really honestly did alright.
Report on day one was that he cried off and on throughout the day, but had periods of contentment too.  He napped on a mat.  He ate some of his lunch.  He did a craft and went to chapel.

And when I walked in to pick him up, he ran faster than those little legs have ever run, straight into my arms.  

I think this is going to be good for him.
And for me, too. 

eighteen months

OH little man you are a year-and-a-half.  When I say that out loud, it sounds so old.
But when I look at you, you still seem like such a baby to me.

These last three months have held some challenges for us, little one.
There have been some rough days and mommy is learning so much about loving you better.

You are so smart, so sensitive, and so tender-hearted Luker man.
You understand everything.  You obey instructions well.
You do not like it when someone is unhappy with you.
You are cautious, shy, introverted, and not so much of a risk taker.
You are independent, though, and strong-willed.

You love brooms, trucks, school buses, keys, phones, remotes, blocks, and your Cozy Coop.
You love your daddy, and would choose him over anyone else.

You grab our fingers and lead the way to wherever you want to go.
You love going to get the mail, going to the pool, and going to the park.

You weigh 25 pounds and you're just over 33 inches tall and wear a size 5 shoe.
You're a great eater.  You love fruit of any kind, cinnamon-raisin bagels, macaroni and cheese, anything with peanut butter.  You're not a big fan of vegetables or meat, but that's okay.

You are running.  Praise the Lord because you are running.  
When I see your adorable little toddler run, with a little limp because of the splint on your left leg, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness.  You can run.

You are smart, Luke.  You're always trying to figure out how things work.
Buttons, latches, hinges, moveable parts, lids, holes, zippers, snaps.  You're memorized.
You are funny.

You say bye-bye, more, and you say mama and dada when cued.  You make truck noises and a few animal noises.  Otherwise, you talk a whole lot in your own language.   We're working on this and I pray that God puts words in your mouth so that you can tell me what you need.

You have transitioned to one nap a day and you still sleep from 7 (ish) at night until 7 in the morning.
You take a paci and hold your blanket to go to sleep.  And you rub your hair - always.
You love to snuggle before bed and we always sing the froggy song. 

I love the way you are all boy, the way your hair gets sweaty when we're outside, and the way you laugh when we're being silly.

Though you can be a bit challenging, you are truly amazing and I love you so much.   

picnic lunch

We're still surviving this hot Texas summer.  Pool play dates.  Park in the morning.  Evening walks to the mailbox.  And the occasional picnic lunch with daddy. 

We went out to Adam's community the other day with sandwiches for lunch and sat under a beautiful covered gazeebo.  Luke watched the lawn mowers groom this beautiful field, and then got out for some playtime. 

seven years!

ONE.  TWO.  I've been married to you ...

THREE.  FOUR.  Another year more ....

FIVE.  SIX.  Can you believe this?

SEVEN.  And counting!  :) 

sweet summertime!

Blog posts have been few and far between these days, but it's not for lack of activity!  We're still here, surviving the triple-digit summer by traveling and playing in the water!  Here's an update, Instagram-style!

We started the summer with a few firsts.  

First time in a bouncy house.  First time at the public pool.  And first time on the carousel, thanks to Pops because that thing would have me tossing my cookies right there in the mall.  


Luke and I went to visit my sweet friend Kathryn and her newest little one.  Juggling three kiddos under twenty-six months was busy, but we were together and that is all that mattered!

Luke and Abby in the wagon, then the buggy, then the stroller.
(It was just easier to strap them down, I guess!)
And then there's Kat, holding that sweet little baby through the grocery store!

Road-tripping meant sleeping with mom in the wee morning hours, and I loved every second of it!

(Seriously, the most beautiful little lips I've ever seen.)


And it wouldn't be a trip to the hill country without visiting the Hembergers and letting these two have some playtime!

While at home, we spend very little time outdoors unless it involves the shaded 4x4 section of our backyard .... or the pool, both of which make this little guy insanely happy.

So it's lots of silly games inside to help pass these hot summer days.

Adam and I have gotten more time together than usual, now that Ironman training is behind us.  We went to our first minor league baseball game and had a great time!

This sweet little summertime of ours has been low-key and lazy.
I can't remember a time in my life when things felt more simple, easy, or amazing.

So I'm going to enjoy every evening walk, every fresh strawberry and this family that I love so much.