Jumping Jumparoo

I bought a jumparoo for Isaiah today from Craigslist. TJ and Niah cleaned it up, and this is Isaiah's first test drive.

My Matching Cousin

These pictures were taken on August 14, 2009. Henry was only 8 days old and looks so small compared to Isaiah. They both had the same outfits so they really were matching cousins!!!

For those who are not aware... over the past few months Kiahna had been calling anyone who was close to her size, color, gender, etc. her "twin". I tried to explain to her what a twin really was but I lost her at the DNA part, SOOOO i started replacing the word "twin" with the word "matching". Now we say "matching friend" or "matching cousin".

Isaiah--6 Months Old

Isaiah turned 6 months old on August 9, 2009. We were in Arkansas at that time, and so we had his pictures taken along with family portraits. Thank you, Lacey, for a fabulous job!

Where Mommy was a Princess

TJ and I took the girls to the little town of Eureka Springs which is nestled in the Ozark Arkansas Mountains. They have been asking for a long time to see the place where their mom and dad got married--also referred to as "the place where mommy was a princess".

The streets are very narrow, and they flow with the mountains and hills. We parked the cars and then walked to the shops. The shops where NOT stroller friendly, so we had to be selective in which shops we visited. We did visit the candy shop (of course!), and we also visited the China Store where TJ and I had bought our souvenir chopsticks while on our honeymoon. We picked up a new souvenir set for all of us. The girls where really excited about that--they love eating with chopsticks! Even Isaiah got a set, but it will be a while before he will use them!

Most of the houses are Victorian-style houses, and many function as bed & breakfast cottages. This is the cottage that we stayed in for our honeymoon. It's located right next to the chapel where we were married.

I had brought along our wedding album so that the girls could compare the pictures in the album to the "real" thing. Kiahna enjoyed this project the most. She carried the book with her and matched up the scenes.

I was thankful that we could look inside the chapel. It was nice to take a step back in time. Everything was just the way it was 9 years ago. Even though we have changed and our families have changed, it was nice to see that this place was still the same.

The owner of the chapel was still there. She remembered us after we talked with her for a little bit and showed her the pictures. We spent a few hours visiting with her before heading back home.

We are not sure when we will return. Hopefully it won't take us so long to journey back there again...the place where mommy was a princess.

War Eagle Mill

We went to the War Eagle Mill today. I had not been there for at least 18-19 years. I was having a hard time believing that it really had been that long. The mill is the only grain mill currently in operation. The mill is powered by a water wheel that runs from the river/creek.

The girls enjoyed seeing a larger version of our own wheat mill that we have at home. Both mills use the same milling technique--this one is just a lot larger!

After sampling some of the delicious seasonings, dips, jams, etc., we made our way out back to the creek. This is when I realized that during the past 18-19 years, I have developed some prissy character traits. I remember as a teenager, I wanted to SWIM, SWIM, SWIM in the water, and I never once gave thought to GERMS. I also wasn't concerned about the minnows, tadpoles, turtles, snakes, and fish that occupy the waters. This time, however, I couldn't STOP thinking about it.

The girls were a little hesitant at first, but then they started to have a blast in the water. Even Isaiah was having a great time! After swimming we ate our snack and got ready to leave. A storm was rolling in, and we wanted to be in the car before the rain started falling. We drove over the bridge on our way out, and that completed a great vacation day!

Henry has Arrived!

Baby Henry arrived at 1:06 this morning, measuring 8 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches. He was born with a full head of hair and a big appetite. Congratulations, Betsy and Alex! He FINALLY made it!

We're Excited!!!

My sister called around 9:00 PM to let us know that the baby is on its way! I went over to her house to pick up Taya and Gwyneth and bring them back to my parent's house. All the cousins are excited! The kids were too wound up to sleep right away, so I let them watch a 30 minute Pooh movie before tucking them into bed. We then read stories, said prayers for them and for the new baby, took some pictures, and said good-night. They are ALL excited that the baby will be here in the morning. I'm wondering how long it will take them to fall asleep...they are still pretty wound up. I can't blame them. I'm wound up, too!!!

We Made it

We arrived in Arkansas early this evening. We made it safe and sound...now it's the baby's turn.

The kids where ready to jump out of the car as soon as we landed in the driveway. The "cousins" played in the house, they played outside, they just played and played and played.

Isaiah was thankful to be out of his car seat. He tried to keep up with all the activity, but eventually he gave up. I guess he could only take so much!