We are alive!!

I haven’t forgotten this blog. Really. It is frequently in the back of my mind. I’ve even taken pictures for it and have come up with clever blogs in my head, but when it came down to sitting here at the computer and taking the time, I had no real motivation.

I debated whether I should back track all my pictures or not, but have decided to just say where we are today and as I do my best to keep this updated, I’ll add some pictures of the past.

We have a four year old. It has been official since April 1st but it still hits Larry and I in waves of sentiment. Our beautiful baby girl is definitely not a baby anymore. Far from it, actually.

Her views of life are becoming more solidified rather than mere questions. Such as, she knows that the Easter bunny is not real, despite Mommy’s insistence that a giant bunny really did hop into our house and left her all of her goodies, yet she also has figured out that all of the people in the scriptures really did exist. It has been so fun to watch this little girl blossom into someone so unique. She gets very intense and serious with her works of art and writing letters to her neighborhood friend, Abigail. She has an incredible memory of books we have read, people she had met a couple of years ago, to even the places we drive and walk to. One of my current favorite things that Edana and I do together is read. We have been reading Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland at night together and she is slowly gaining a love of listening to books and asks questions of words she will see day to day since we have been reading together.

Our little Eddie is now 7 months old and is so close to crawling! His smiley face brings so much happiness into our family’s life. No matter what mood I am in, I cannot resist laughing at his jabbering and cute belly-flopping to whatever may catch his eye.He is so in love and looks up to his big sister.One of the most beautiful things that I have witnessed is the simple moments of my children laughing together. It may be over the fact that Edana has stuck something sticky on Eddie’s head, but when her brother and her crack up over it together, it is wonderful.

Larry is almost done with this semester. My, what a roller coaster it has been! Between some stressful schoolwork overload and amazing moments for him, like becoming president of the zoology club at his school, he continues to say, “I’m almost done”.Larry has yet again gone gator wrestling this year, and even managed to talk some friends into going with him. He is constantly looking for a new adventure to go on and LOVES it when he finds one his family can join him in.
Recently we have gone and watched as he explored a bobcat’s cave, we drove into the mountains on a whim and found our own cave to walk through, he and I went on our first mountain bike excursion together and he took our kids out to a small stream nearby and showed them all of the amazing life that grows there. I love his enthusiasm for life. I love watching this handsome man being our kids tour guide to all things living. I love how much I learn from him everyday. I am so lucky.

Now for me. My happiest moments this year have really just been the times we have spent as a family. Despite some small bumps earlier this year with my health, I have come to find this past while to be an amazing time for our family. My recent endeavors have been finding what will be best for my children’s education, planning our small reptile business, trying to learn Spanish, and getting my body back in shape. I am so excited for what our future is going to bring.