Easter Eggs

This year was the first time we dyed Easter eggs because, well, last year there was a 3 week old in the house. I forgot how satisfying the whole process is. And also how the purple never comes out quite right. You'd think they would have figured that out in the last 30 years.

One more year

One year older today and feeling fortunate for the gifts of this last year- a healthy baby who is becoming a toddler, a toddler who is becoming a "big boy", and a husband who puts up with everything that comes with a wife who is trying sometimes too hard to be too much to too many at his expense when all he really wants is for me to be good to him.

As I enter my dare I say it? late thirties it is not lost on me that time is speeding by. My days are quietly yet rapidly dissolving into months and years. It truly seems that I was just rounding the corner of 30 and here I am making my (hopefully slow) decent toward my forties.

It's not that age really bothers me at all, in fact I don't really think too much of it, it's just that when I was younger I had this idea of what certain ages would look like. Of where I would be, what I would be doing, and what my life would look like. As I sit today, it seems that so many of those ideas have changed. My priorities and views have evolved and life has planted me somewhere where I perhaps would have never thought I would be. But maybe it's exactly where I am supposed to be.

As another year passes I am reminded that time waits for no one. Life is moving forward at a pace with which I am hard-pressed to keep, but my options are few: sit back and let it pass me by, always thinking of what may have been, what I could have done, making excuses for my lack of change; or take charge and use it to evolve and grow into the person I want to be for the rest of my life. I have no idea where this year will lead or what challenges I may encounter, but I am along for the ride. Here is to a year of growth, discovery, and contentment. Happy birthday to me.

Kite

A little bit of wind picked up this afternoon so we grabbed the kite and ran outside. We never got it more than about 6 inches off the ground, but we had fun trying. I loved watching Anderson run up and down the street trying to get it off the ground, kite strings dragging along behind him. We thought we might have better luck at the park, but who cares about a kite when there are swings to be swung?

Baby Beck turned one!

We had a little party for Baby Beck to celebrate his first year. We have been trying to keep things simple around here so we had a small family party and kept the decorations easy and minimal. There was no theme other than to celebrate our baby boy. The weather wasn't very nice and at the last minute we decided to do everything in the house. The great thing about turning one is that you have no idea what is going on and, unlike your older brother, do not have overly specific requests for cakes and decor. It was a happy afternoon for a happy little one year old.

Happy Day

Yesterday was Baby Beck's birthday and we spent it doing Baby Beck things. Well, maybe more the things that Anderson told me Baby Beck wanted to do (which surprisingly sounded a lot like the things Anderson likes to do). Since Gabe had to work, we started by going to an early morning pancake breakfast before he headed out and then I spent the whole rest of my day having fun with my boys.

The morning started with plenty of fun with wilted helium balloons from the party...favorite gift by far

 then out for pancakes

 which you LOVE

 and so does Anderson

 whom you also LOVE (maybe even more than pancakes)

 You were lucky enough to receive the ever popular giant number birthday balloon ("buh, buh, buh!!!!")

 Anderson was very good about sharing and playing with you the whole day

 He told me you wanted to go on the carousel. Twice.

 And see the Easter Bunny

 I think maybe he liked that more than you.

 He also said you needed to have Easter cookies.

 Clearly he was correct.

 Anderson pushed you around like a very helpful big brother.

 You got some new jeans (and Anderson a new shirt).

 And we walked back and forth over the bridge for absolutely no reason at all (again, Anderson said you really, really wanted to)

You both napped for a bit

 and then we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 Your brother gave you impromptu birthday hugs all day long

 and we tried our hardest to take our own picture (nice carrot, Anderson).

 You had spaghetti for dinner (your favorite)

 and your brother and I sang a pretty fabulous rendition of "Happy Birthday" to you.

 You were happy.

One

Baby Beck,
Today you are one. I have written so many things about how fast the year has gone, how I feel like we just brought you home, how I can't believe this day is already here; but none of them seem to express what I really want to say to you which is that I love you to pieces. I love you more and more each day and I honestly never thought I could open my heart this much. You are such a blessing to this family and our world is better because you are here.

This year you have grown from the tiniest baby I had ever seen, much less held, into a sweet, happy, teetering little guy on the verge of taking your first steps. You have conquered sleeping, teething, and solids and you are beginning to make utterances that we swear are real words. "Ba" clearly equals ball. Or balloon. Or baba. Either way, you are absolutely right! You are becoming our own person, you are finding your way, and are happily independent.

As I have forged through trying to be a good mom to two boys this year you have remained my faithful side kick. You have given me the strength t keep going on days when I felt I couldn't and you have done nothing but make me feel I must be doing something right. You are my buddy. Anderson has been a daddy's boy from the get-go, but you are happiest with your mama. It is only a matter of time before you, too, discover that Daddy is the sweet spot, that he is the giver of candy and chocolate milk and will do just about anything to keep you from getting upset. So for now I am taking it all in, enjoying every reach of your arms, every snuggle before bed, every nuzzle I can get. I feel a connection to you that I cannot explain. A feeling that ties us together in a special way that I am fairly certain will cause us to battle at times, but that will be something nobody else will ever understand or experience.

Baby Beck, you are loved beyond words.

Happy birthday, baby. My gift to you is an open heart and all the love I have. I love you always.

xoxo,
Mommy