Fireman Adventures

If you have been reading faithfully, you know that Samuel is now obsessed with firemen and anything to do with fires. Ever since we mentioned Halloween and that he was going to dress up he has talked about a fireman. Instead of spending the insane amount of money on the whole fireman costume I went the more practical route and began searching for the fireman rain coat and boots. We found them a couple of weeks ago at Nordstroms but had to order the coat in his size.

Last Friday the coat showed up. The whole family took a walk down to our office since we were trying to convince them to not raise our rent over $200 (didn't work). While Mike and I were talking Samuel opened his fireman coat, put it on and was dancing around the lobby. A moment later I looked over to see him ever so cleverly pull the fire alarm! No kidding.

Sirens blaring, lights flashing, he comes running over to me and clings to my legs. It terrified him! We quickly decided that we had to explain that pulling the alarm was naughty that we could not make the connection that pulling the alarm sends the firetrucks. The maintenance man quickly turns off the alarms and Samuel spends the next several minutes in time out. We head out thinking all is done and go to pick up our mail.

Moments later the fire doors open (the firehouse is right across the street) and out comes a firetruck. Samuel is so excited until he realizes that it is coming toward him. The maintenance man comes out to tell them it is a false alarm and Mike turning every shade of red tells them it was Samuel but that he doesn't know. We all decided it is a good secret to keep. The firemen were great. They came out of the truck, said hi to Samuel and gave him a hat. I am sure it happens all the time but we were both pretty embarrassed. Oh well...I guess my 2 year old could be doing worse things!

Twenty-Seven Months

My Little Man,

This weekend you will turn twenty-seven months old. I will admit that it has been the most amazing, difficult, beautiful and memorable twenty-seven months of my life. Not because we live in a beautiful area of the country, not because your dad and my marriage is the best it has been, not because we now have Liam, but because of you. You bring so much joy to our lives each and everyday. Thank you!

I love watching you grow each day and wondering what you will do next. You take on the world with such an amazing spirit. You are so eager to explore and discover. I hope that you always keep this spirit about you. Your dad and I work so hard to honor your spirit, yet I know at times we fail you and leave you crushed. Don't ever let anyone convince you that your spirit is too much, too active, too adventurous, too daring. I pray that you embrace it. Although following that spirit may be scary and seem impossible at times, follow anyway. When you do, look around and your dad and I will be there with you.

This month you have discovered a show called "Fireman Sam." The first thing you ask for each morning is to watch a show. You will curl up on the couch with crackers, juice and your blanket. Firemen and really anything to do with them have become very intriguing to you. Each time we leave the apartment we have to see if the firetrucks at the station are out. You even have your new fireman boots you wear 24 hours a day. You run around the house in your boots and hat pretending to be a fireman. You often have your hammer attached to your pants, pretending it's an axe. You ride around on your firetruck and make siren noises.
Trust me...it's cute.

You are also learning how to be a fantastic big brother. You are so gentle and loving with Liam. I am amazed at your tenderness and compassion for him. You are always asking where he is at and if he is crying you are right there trying to help. You talk to him, sing to him, bounce him in his seat and even try to give him your beloved "t-t." Daddy and I are so happy that you love your brother so much. Although we know there will be times in your lives that you will "hate" one another we hope that you will always be close. That your brother will be the one person who knows you better than anyone else, the one you can call at two in the morning just because and the one who will be beside you through thick and thin.

Sometimes I wonder who you will be. I wonder what you will do, who you will bless and how people will describe you. I wonder what you will be passionate about and who you will fight for. I can't wait to see...

Love,
Mommy

With My Own Two Hands

I hear this song every time Samuel wants to watch Curious George. I love it...

With My Own Two Hands

Jack Johnson

I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I'm going to help the human race
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you've got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With our own
With our own two hands

With my own
With my own two hands

Fireman Sam

Samuel loves firemen and anything to do with firemen. Including but not limited to firetrucks, axes (which he calls hammers), firemen, hats, boot, coats, sirens, the firehouse, and firefighter Penny!

A couple of weeks ago he got to go with Beth and Craig, Matia and Aaron and Roxy to the Children's Museum. Who remembered that they had a firetruck with real firemen costumes to dress up in. He was on cloud 9!

So this years Halloween costume...you guessed it. A fireman. We have the boots and are waiting on the coat and hat! Yeah!

Goodbye to the Lee's

Monday will be a sad day in Seattle. Our friends the Lee's , Sam, Carol and Jocie, will be leaving! They are the first family from our "group" that has departed and it has been a lot harder than I imagined. We met Sam and Carol early in our Seattle life. Jocie and Samuel met when they were only 3 months old. I watched Jocie while Sam went to classes a couple days a week. It has been so much fun watching them grow up together.

This past weekend we had a surprise going away party at the Starbucks playground. The kids played, the adults ate and we all had a great time!

The Men of Mars Hill Graduate School

(Tucker, Paul, Sam, Mike (with Liam), Brian, Craig (not pictured))

The Women of the Men of Mars Hill Graduate School

(Beth, Jen, Trish, Carol, Jenn, Sarah)

When Mike and I had the kids at our house we had them all paint a picture for Jocie. They were so excited and did a great job. Yes, the picture above is pure kid. We rotated the canvas so they each got a spot but the work was done all by them. At the very end Samuel asked to paint his had and added it to the corner. His signature.

It is hard to believe that we will be without the Lee's. We wish them all the best in Texas! We will miss you guys!

New Friends

With a new year at MHGS beginning, I have the opportunity to meet many new families. There are a ton of married couples this year and an overwhelmingly amount of small kids. Samuel loves the idea since he gets to play with them all!

A good friend of mine, Jessi, had the brilliant idea of creating a co-op. We basically watch each others kiddos and trade points for sitting instead of money. It is great. On Mondays, Jessi watches Samuel while I go to meetings and on Wednesdays I watch Lachlan while she is in class. We also have used the co-op a couple of times when we have been in a bind or would like to have a date night!

Here are a few pictures of some of Samuel's new friends!

Last Wednesday while daddy and Jessi were in class, Samuel, Lachlan, Liam and I went to the aquarium. It was great!

Lachlan was a very happy boy watching all the fish!

This past Friday, Samuel had a play date with both Zach (above) and Grace (below). It went really well. The kids played together and it gave Samuel a chance to work on his sharing. We look forward to more fun times together!

Two Months

Liam

Today you turned two months old. It is so hard to believe that you have been with us for a very long yet very short two months. There are times in the day that it feels like you are so new and yet at times when I forget what life was like before you were here. I find myself wanting to hold onto all these little, precious moments because I know how quickly you are changing and how all too soon you will be a little boy and no longer a baby.

It is amazing to watch you grow and discover the world. You are enthralled with your brother, Samuel and often just watch him as he moves around the room. You are so curious and I wonder how quickly you will start imitating him and trying to be just like him. Samuel loves you more than we could ever had imagined. He sits with you when you are in your bouncy seat or your swing and talks to you nonstop. He is also very gentle and loving and is quick to respond to any little noises you make. He helps by patting your chest, getting you a binky or singing his "oooh ahhh" song to you.

You have has a few more firsts this month. About a week ago you blessed Samuel with your very first purposeful smile. Although I was hoping I would be the first to get the toothless grin Samuel is also a good option. You now smile at familiar faces and have even laughed a few times. You are also beginning to make noises other than crying. Although you don't "speak" much now I am sure there will be more in the weeks to come. Maybe you will be one of those people who is so often quiet that when they open their mouths you know it will be good.

You are still an amazing sleeper and seem to love your sleep as much as mommy loves hers. You are often in bed by 9 and will sleep until about 4am. You then quickly eat and head back off to dreamland until around 7 when Samuel wanders in and wakes us both. You also nap well, but would prefer to do so in either our arms or the Moby wrap. Although I hardly get anything done, I love snuggling with you and holding you close.

The hardest thing right now is the fact that you seem to hate the car. As soon as we put you in your car seat you start screaming. You could be full, dry and sound asleep and somehow you realize where you are and are not happy about it. This is a real challenge since we live about thirty minutes from everywhere we need to go. It has been really stressful for everyone in the car. We often talk to you, Samuel will sing to you and we end up stopping often. I hope this is something you will grow out of...quickly.

A fear that I had before you came along was could I love baby number two as much as I love baby number one. I had been told that at first sight of you I would fall in love all over again and somehow I would have enough room in my heart to love you just as much as I love Samuel. They were right!

Love,
Mommy

Smiles

Much better pictures of the true smiles we get!

Happy Birthday Uncle Caleb

Samuel is big into his harmonica that Uncle Caleb and Aunt Angie got for his last year. He is also big into birthdays. So...when the two of these loves collide this is what you get.

Hope you have a great day Uncle Caleb!

Congrats Uncle Mike

Well, it is official...Uncle Mike is a college golfer. He had his first match this past Wednesday and proved that he was meant to play college golf. He spent the first week of practice competing with 14 guys for one of six spots. He got one and was able to play in the schools first match as the 5th man.

Dad was able to go up and watch the round and was a pretty proud papa after Mike shot a 75 placing him not only first on his team but third overall! To say the least he blew the socks of some very good golfers! He impressed the coach enough that at Sienna Heights tournament tomorrow he will be golfing as Indiana Tech's 1st man.

If you can't tell I am a bit proud of my bro! It is so amazing to see him not only doing something he loves but doing it so well. The only bad thing is that we can't see him doing it! Next year...you can bet the boys and I will be following the Indiana Tech golf team around!

Good luck Saturday Mike! Blow 'em away!

Congrats to the Abbott Family

Congrats to the Abbott Family as the welcome their new little one!

Tansy Alice Abbott
09/07/07
7:59am
7 lbs 11oz
20 inches
lots of red hair and blue eyes

First Smiles

Although it has happened many times in his sleep we had yet to see a Liam smile . The race was on to see who would receive the first one. Samuel was the big winner. He was entertaining Liam with a game of peek-a-boo while Liam was relaxing in the bouncy seat. I was folding laundry when I heard the giggle and quickly looked up to see the smile spread across his face. I guess if I can't have the first one this was the best alternative.

Although we have tried to catch another one for the camera he is pretty tricky. Here is the end of one! By the way this one was directed toward mom!

7 Weeks

Honestly...7 weeks! I say this both ways...at times I can't believe it has only been seven weeks and at others I feel like he has been here forever. Liam continues to eat, sleep and poop! He is weighing in at over 11 pounds now and is still really long! Liam is still the miracle sleeper. He usually is in bed around 8 and sleeps until 1 or 2. He is then up for a quick feed and back to sleep until around 5. He also takes a nice long nap in the morning and if I am lucky Samuel joins him! Here are a few pictures of the week.

Watching his first golf match. Papa and Uncle Mike would be proud!

The brothers...

Samuel checking out his ears. Liam not sure about any of this.

Samuel being his cheeky self.
Liam wondering what kind of family he was born into.

Samuel still silly.

Liam responding with "honestly mom!"

Kisses are always good.

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

Grandma and Grandpa Clark were here to visit for a week. They spent time meeting Liam and keeping Samuel occupied.

It was a busy week for Mike and I. I had new student orientation and the Fall Forward for MHGS while Mike was in his first week of teaching. It was so amazing to have them here and able to watch Samuel while we were both going crazy. Not to mention how much money we saved in babysitting costs!

Here we are on the way up to Wallace Falls.

Every once in a while Samuel would stop, sit down or lay down and say "take a break." So funny!

Grandma and Grandpa were the last of the visitors for awhile. Now onto real life with two little boys! HELP!

Aunt Angie

Friday night Aunt Angie flew in for a visit over the long weekend. Samuel was so excited to see her, especially after she told him she had presents in her suitcase. Samuel had to model the shoes and socks she brought for him...along with his "Fireman Sam" hat! What a cheeseball!

We spent most of Saturday just hanging out and relaxing. Saturday evening Mike and I went out to see Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein, while Aunt Angie stayed with both boys. She did amazing. When I called at intermission both boys were sound asleep in their own beds! It was so nice to get out for an evening..thanks Ang! She is defiantly ready for a few kiddos of her own!

Aunt Angie and her favorite nephews!

On Sunday we went on a hike up to Wallace Falls. It was quite a haul with two little ones. Liam rode up in the Moby while Samuel chose to walk all by himself. Samuel is a monster. He made it 1.7 miles before asking to be carried. Keep in mind it was a trail with a pretty good elevation gain. Some steps we went up were up to his waist but he keep hauling! What a trooper!

When we got to the top we all took a break and had a snack. We also snapped a few precious photos before hiking back down.

Sadly, Aunt Angie lives in Minneapolis and had to head home this morning. She will be missed! It is so nice to see Samuel light up when he sees family members. Luckily we will be able to be in Minneapolis over Thanksgiving!

What You're Missing...

This one is especially for all the people out there who are sad that we are so far away and they can't be with us more often (especially the grandparents). Here is a small taste at what you have been missing...

Are you sure you still want us to come back?

Catch Up

Ok, so I was a bit behind on my postings. I have been a bit busy lately with the boys. I guess I conveniently forgot how hard a newborn is and greatly underestimated how busy raising two boys would be. To say the least, I hardly get time in the day to go to the bathroom much less post pictures!

So, this is what you get...five days worth all at once. I guess it is one way to catch up.
Read away...
I may be better in the future, but don't count on it.
Maybe when they are off to school...

Lachlan's Dedication and Celebration

This past Sunday we had the honor to be present at Lachlan's dedication. Over the past year we have become good friends with his parents, David and Jessi, and have enjoyed journeying into parenthood with them. We look forward to continuing life with them and being there to mark the big and precious moments.

The day was a beautiful celebration.

Complete with an Irish blessing.

Samuel also had a ton of fun, collecting and throwing rocks.

Thanks so much for inviting us to be part of your special day.