Picture overload!!

Grayson adores his baby cousin :)

Granddaddy, Grayson, Emma Claire, Nannie, and Taylor. Just a few more weeks until they have a 4th grandchild! 

Wearing Daddy's shoes

This one makes me laugh--Emma Claire is the poster child for a little sister. The look on her face as she's taking these crayons away from Grayson is priceless! 

Cool dudes...

Our Memorial Day weekend was spent at the beach on a last getaway as a family of four, and we had such a wonderful time. Ben's work schedule is very long and consuming and we don't get to see him very much during the week so it was great to have him 100% of the time for three whole days. The children love, love, LOVE the beach and were in heaven as long as they were playing in the sand and water. We even got to spend some quality time with my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and niece---it couldn't have been better! :)

More of sweet Taylor...

I just can't get enough of this precious niece of mine! My brother told me the other day that he never understood why I always called Grayson "sweet" when he was a newborn---he didn't see how he could be sweet when he didn't do anything but lay there. Now that Taylor, who is "ridiculously sweet" (according to her proud daddy), is here, he finally understands. :) 

First school program!

jamming on the guitar :)

not a good picture (glad I took my zoom lens for my camera!) but Grayson is on the far right

See his spiked 1980's hair-do? :)

Grayson was in his first performance at school last week, and I still can't get over how ADORABLE it was! Each class sang a song from a different decade, and Grayson's class performed "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", with Grayson as one of the guitar players. We almost didn't even go because it started at 6:30 and he goes to bed at 7, but his teachers talked me into it and I'm so glad that they did. Our budding star did great and Ben and I almost burst with pride. It made us very excited for all of the school performances to come in the next fifteen years! :)

My friend Andrea and her daughter Savannah came for a visit for a few days last week and we had a great time. Andrea and I went to middle/high school together and enjoyed catching up while the girls (only 5 days apart in age!) and Grayson had a blast playing together. Thanks for coming, Andrea and Savannah! We can't wait to get together again soon! :)

Meet my new niece!

My brother, Alan, and his wife, Anna, welcomed their first baby into the world this past Monday. Taylor Grace is positively beautiful and perfect in every way. Congrats, Alan and Anna--y'all are in for the adventure of your lives! We can't wait to watch sweet Taylor grow and learn, and we look forward to seeing the cousins grow up together! :)

The one who never slows down...

...and apparently loves buckets! :) It's so hard to get a decent picture of Grayson anymore because he never stops moving!!! Our little comedian is always busy, busy, busy and keeps us laughing all day. He is every bit of a three-year-old and cracks us up with how literal he is. A couple of examples:

While riding in the car recently, I asked him to slide his car seat chest clip up higher. He, of course, asked the inevitable "why?" that follows every single thing I tell/ask him. I told him it was because I didn't want him to go flying out of the car if we were in an accident. His response (accompanied with a confused face): "I can't fly out of the car, Mommy. I'm not a bird!" 

He was telling our babysitter a few nights ago about our cat, Chester. The sitter asked him if he feeds Chester......Grayson's matter-of-fact response: "No, he eats by himself in the garage!". I am still laughing about that one! :)

Grayson is so excited for his baby brother to arrive in a few weeks. He tells me that he loves Whitt at least ten times a day and is always asking if he can pull up my shirt and give him a kiss and a hug. Grayson can push my buttons more than any other person on this planet, but then he will turn around and just ooze sweetness and love. He has definitely given us a run for our money, but my heart is so filled with love for him and his sister that sometimes it feels like it's going to break. :)

More Grayson funnies to come again soon, I'm sure!! 

One of a kind!

Our precious Emma Claire is absolutely FULL of personality!! This child lights up our world in more ways than we ever thought possible. She is a silly, happy, daredevil of a child who knows what she wants and knows exactly how to get it. She is very opinionated about what she wears (hence the boots while naked on the potty--which she drug out of the bathroom and into the playroom) and is already very adept at bossing everybody around. She's much more verbal than Grayson was at this age and she keeps us on our toes with new words and phrases daily. Ben and I thank God every day for our beautiful Emma Claire, and wonder how we ever lived without her. It's hard to believe that she'll be two in only six weeks....as much as I'm dreading the terrible 2's that are quickly approaching/already arrived, I wish I could bottle up her chubby thighs, bright smile, and innocent little face...I know we'll blink and she'll be a little girl before we know it. :)