The Table

We have this table in our living room that Brayden has now discovered as a great climbing place. He loves to climb up into it and just thinks it is so fun! A few days ago, he climbed up into it and slid down in between the couch and the table. He had one foot under and one foot over and just couldn't figure out how to get out. He sat there for a minute, saw a toy he wanted, and tried to reach and reach...and reach. It was so funny, but finally I gave in and slid the table out so he could crawl his way on out.

Crawling onto the bottom of the table

"Look, I made it!"

Stuck!

Father's Day

Jonathan got to experience his first Father's Day this past Sunday. He is such a good Daddy! I often think about how amazing of a man he is, and wonder how I got to be so lucky to get a catch like him. But it is so cool to see, in addition to all of that, what an amazing Dad he is to Brayden. There is a connection between those two that is hard to miss. When Brayden notices that Daddy is home, he stops and looks around for who he knows will be coming around the corner. He lights up when he sees Jonathan, and he giggles when he knows Daddy is going to tickle him or toss him high in the air. It is so cool to see how Jonathan beams when he talks about Brayden to other people, or how he chokes up when he is trying to convey what love he feels for this little guy in some kind of slight comparison to how much God must love us.

To have him as my husband and as the father of my children...I must be the luckiest girl in the world!

Our 6 Year Anniversary

Jonathan and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary on the 20th! It's hard to believe it's already been six amazing years! We went down to Kemah Boardwalk to celebrate. We had dinner, rode the ferris wheel and wooden rollercoaster, ate ice cream, and watched the sunset. It was a really fun night together.

Jonathan whipped out the video camera right after dinner to capture a moment. He always makes me laugh...

Pool Party

This past weekend, we got together with some of our friends for a pool party. The guys had fun playing a "Washers" tournament. Jonathan walked away with 2nd place! The girls lounged in the pool with the kids enjoying the beautiful day while our guys did cannon balls in the pool...so fun!

Pool time

Blowing bubbles

Jonathan playing washers

11 months old!

Oklahoma in June

While Jonathan was away at Beach Retreat, Brayden and I headed to Oklahoma to spend some good time with the fam. We had fun playing at the park, seeing friends, and just relaxing. Here's some pics from our time there:

Fun on the slides

Hugs from Mimi

Sliding with Papa at the park

Exploring the garden with Papa

Nanny feeding Brayden

Brayden had so much fun playing

Peek-a-boo with Uncle Paul.

I had to get a pic of Brayden with Aunt Amy on here...

Jonathan is not going to be happy this made it on the blog, however.I was informed NEVER to dress him up in anything "girly"...sorry! The headband was just too funny!

Beach Retreat 2009

This morning, 324 students from the North campus and over 1700 students from all over Houston from Second Baptist Church headed out to Beach Retreat in Orange Beach, AL. It was an awesome morning of eager anticipation for what God is going to do this week in the lives of hundreds of students. Brayden and I waved goodbye as Jonathan headed out with the buses leading our HS group. It is such an awesome week each year, and I can't wait to hear what all God is doing to set a generation on fire for His name!

For news and updates from Beach Retreat, check out the BR09 Blog.

Amy's Graduation

It's so hard to believe my little sis is graduating from high school! We were so lucky to get to go to Oklahoma to see her graduate. She finished out 14 years at Oklahoma Christian School and will be heading to the University of Oklahoma in the fall. I'm so proud of her and can't wait to see what all God has in store for her!

Aunt Amy & Brayden

Sibling pic

Brayden getting ready for graduation

Family Time!

We've had a lot of great time with family recently. Jonathan's parents - Mike & Dixie - and brother - Philip - came into town for a few days. We had such a great time visiting with them. The guys had a good time not only playing golf and tearing out our back door. Luckily, it was done in order to fix some problems which took many hours of hard work from Graydaddy! Thanks - we appreciate the hard work!!! Dixie and I had fun visiting Old Town Spring. We browsed through antique shops and lots of interesting home decor shops. We're so glad they made the trip to visit!

Mother's Day

It was my first Mother's Day...officially. Last year, I was 8 months pregnant and claimed the "mother" status, but this year, I woke up so proud that I am now a Mom of the best little guy - Brayden. Jonathan was so great all day and treated me like a queen! It was so wonderful! I received my first official piece of artwork made by Brayden - his handprints - which I couldn't believe were as big as they were! He is growing up so fast. He turned 10 months on the 11th. Time is FLYING!

It is so wonderful being a mother - exhausting at times, sure - but it is something that is beyond description and greater than I could have imagined. Being a mom makes me even more thankful for my Mom. I never knew how many hours were put into laundry or how much love was put into each book read or how much prayer was spoken on my behalf - but now that I am a Mom, I feel and understand a new kind of love that I never grasped. It is a love that I am sure I am only grasping at the strings of how great it truly is. It is a Love that is given to me by my Heavenly Parent - God my Father. It is one that I pray that I can model and give to Brayden so that he will know the Love of the Father that was also given for him.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

1 John 3:1

Trip to the Zoo

Today was a beautiful day, Jonathan's day off, and we are all finally better from the stomach bug that hit our family last week...so we packed up and headed down for a fun day at the Houston Zoo. We had so much fun showing Brayden all the animals of the zoo. He was moderately interested in the ones that were awake and moving. The others we would point at, and he wouldn't quite connect that the furry ball in the corner was a way-cool grizzly bear that was super-exciting to see. Ha! We had such a great time together as a family and made some great memories.

Our little turtle

A pic with the bears

My giraffes! (haha)

Checking out the animals

Taking a break on the playground

Petting the goat at the petting zoo

(He kept grabbing the goat's hair,

so we had to make it a quick visit in the petting zoo.)

JONATHAN THE GREAT! My stud.

The lions...taking a cat nap

Chillin' on the froggie