Speedboat

Ava and Sam actually played together doing this for a long time -- maybe almost an hour! I didn't put our stroller away the other day and it turned into all kinds of fun. First, Sam climbed on it, then Ava thought it looked like the coolest thing ever, so she joined him. And then it became . . . a boat! 

They would get in and rock it -- riding the waves! (It's a three-wheeled jogger, so it was very tippy going back and forth on that front wheel.) Then they would jump out and get in the "water" to swim. I love when they find a shared activity that they can have fun doing together. I don't think Sam totally gets what's going on, but he was laughing and having tons of fun doing what Ava was doing. Cuties!

I thought the goggles were a nice touch. :) Drooly boy! He's working on three more teeth. And he just drools for fun sometimes, I think . . . haha.

But you have to look out!! Gator infested waters! Yikes.

Ava got Sam's alligators and put them there. But, actually, she said they're nice alligators, so I guess we're safe. :)

P.S. Sarah, Chris, & Adelyn -- Sam says thank you for his new gator. He thinks it's funny that it squeaks!

{Share the Love: Adoption Fundraiser}

Hi Friends!

Just wanted to let you all know that the {Share the Love: Adoption Fundraiser} is going on now! All day yesterday, Liz Messer  at I'd Rather Be Elspeth, posted all of the different packages that you can enter to win. Each package has its own post, so if you go to her site you can see detailed info on all of them! The super cape I made is in the Boy Package, and the art smock is in the Girl Package. There are many other packages, too! Here's a little look at all of them, but really, you must go over to her site and see them. The fundraiser will last until August 26th.

Click on the text below each photo to go directly to her site and see detailed info & photos of everything included in each package!

Boy Package 

Girl Package

Fashion Package One

Fashion Package Two

Home Package

Bold Primary Quilt

Bubble Quilt

Jenn Eileen Photography Package

There are so many amazing things to choose from! Please join with me in supporting the Messer family. You can enter to win any of the above packages for just $5 per entry. You can make multiple entries for the same package or spread out your entries if you wish. For example, if you really wanted to win the cute Girl Package, you could enter once for $5, five times for $25, etc. Basically, you can enter as many times as you want to for any or all of the packages!

A little more about the Messers, if you haven't heard their story: 

Their daughter, Micah, was born in 2009 at 29 weeks by emergency c-section. Very shocked new parents, Joe and Liz, had a hard road watching her struggle through her early weeks in the NICU, but God protected her in those early days. Now she has grown into this beautiful, healthy girl!

Because of where the c-section was performed, doctors were unsure about whether Joe and Liz would be able to have many children, so they already knew at that time that they wanted to adopt someday. A little over a year ago, they lost their tiny baby son, Liam James, in Liz's second pregnancy due to uterine rupture. 

I can't help but sit here and cry as I write this -- such suffering in the life of my dear friend is hard to bear. But, I am so thankful for them and their heart for adoption. It is such a blessing to that they will soon be able to provide a home for a little baby in desperate need of loving parents like Liz and Joe -- and a sweet big sister like Micah!

I would love for you to go over to Liz's blog and check out the fundraiser. Any amount of help will go a long way toward their goal. Pray for them, too, as they continue to heal from the loss of little Liam, and as they look hopefully ahead to their adoption!

❤

Today

Today . . . Ava made some "rockmen" -- complete with green grassy locks. Aren't they lovely? At first she told me she was making snowmen, but then she thought for a second and said, 

"No, Mommy. They're rockmen!" 

 I think they're cute. :)

Later on, we painted her toenails for the first time ever! We actually had to go out and buy some nail polish because I didn't have one single bottle. Are you shocked?? Well, maybe you're not. I actually don't mind painting my nails, but I probably haven't done it more than about . . . once in the entire 6+ years we've been married. Anyway, she had such fun choosing a polish color at the store, and Sam had fun riding around in the stroller and waving at everyone he could see! He loves seeing new people. :) Anyway, Ava and I landed on bubblegum pink with glass slipper for a sweet, shimmery topcoat. She said, "It's just like Cinderella's toes!"

What I didn't document in photos today: 

- My less-than-patient demeanor while trying to make lunch for my two screaming children. 

- Sam throwing an entire bowl of applesauce on the floor which then splattered all over the carpet and about 5 feet up the walls. Great.

- Ava being disciplined for being mean to Sam and making the poor little guy cry.

- Sam pushing Ava and pulling her hair in retaliation . . . 

- and later, me reveling in the joy that is naptime.

Just wanted to keep things real. :)

Missing Friends

One of my best friends, Megan, moved away a little over a week ago. If you know me, you know I can be a little quieter (ha) than most, so sometimes I feel like it can take me a long time to really make a close friend. Which, in some ways, I don't mind, but it does make me just that little bit more sad when someone moves away. I miss you, Megan! We are quite different, but I feel we became kindred spirits. :) I think she is my only friend who loves children's literature as much (or more!) as I do. And I just love all the conversations we've had about such things and so many others. 

It still seems funny that they are really gone, but I hope and pray for their family to thrive their new city, Evanston, IL. They moved to pastor a church there, and I pray that their ministry will be truly blessed.  I miss them all -- the whole family! But, I know we will see each other again.

Their son, Drew, is Ava's friend. Really, he was her first friend. Drew is just about 8 months older than Ava, so he's been in her life since she was born! They've had so many fun times at church and weekly playgroup and really are just sweet little friends. I had all these cute pictures of them, so I just had to post them. Memories, you know. :)

At Drew's 1st birthday in 2009. With Sophie, too!

Playing at Ava's 1st Birthday.

Ava, Drew, & Henry playing with balloons at Ava's 2nd birthday party.

Superfriends!

A day in April . . . digging in the dirt and other exciting activities. 

These last ones were all taken on their last day in CO. The kids had fun playing all day while we finished packing up the house!

Ava and Drew were pretending that Sam was a monster trying to catch them. Lots of running and screeching in the back yard! I must say, Sam did an excellent job of growling and chasing them. He's a pro.

But they all got together for a picture for me. Cuties!

Their parting words?

Drew: "Next time you come, let's play swords!"

Ava: "Okay! Swords of truth!" 

^^ (ha! I have no idea where that came from.)

(Hugs)

Ava: "I love you, Drew."

Drew: "I love you, too."

Scott, Megan, Anna, Sophie, & Drew . . . can't wait to see you in December! Praying for you.

Share the Love

     It's been awhile . . . summer has been busy! I'm writing now to let you all know about something near & dear to my heart. My friend Liz Messer over at I'd Rather Be Elspeth will soon be having a fundraiser to support their upcoming adoption beginning on August 13th. There are going to be a lot of amazing things that you (yes, you!) can enter to win! I know many of Liz's friends have made things for the fundraiser, so there will be tons of awesome handmade things to choose from. 

     To get you intrigued, I thought I'd share with you what I made for her. Remember the capes I made for Sam's 1st Birthday party? Well, if you want one for your munchkin, there will be a cool super cape you can try to win. I made a fun gender neutral cape that I'm sure any superkid would love! 

I also made a cute, girly art smock that is almost just like this one that I made for Ava for her 2nd birthday. 

Look at that sassy little artist! :) I made the one for the fundraiser a bit bigger than this, so it would definitely be very roomy on a 2 year-old, but would probably fit any preschool girl up to about 5 (maybe even 6?) years old.

Ava's art smock has gotten a lot of use in the last year. You should definitely check out the fundraiser on the 13th and try to win one for your girlie! 

You can read about the Messer's adoption story by clicking here, and really learn a lot about them by just perusing Liz's older posts. I love reading her blog. There are few blogs I've found out there that are more open and heartfelt. The trials they have endured are full of heartache, and yet I know they always have sought to put their hope in Christ and now hope to adopt in the near future. Go read their story. You will fall in love with this sweet family. Check back again in time for the fundraiser -- let's support them as they get ready to adopt a new little one into their family!

Also, if you act fast, you can still get in on her pre-fundraiser giveaway! Click on over to her blog and enter to win a cute pair of earrings. She'll be picking a winner tomorrow, so hurry on over!