This is Henry.

You guessed it.

He was pretending the stick was a "shooter".  Lovely.  Even more lovely is the intense look on his face.  It's almost scary.  I would like to pretend he is practicing his Davy Crockett killed him a b'ar when he was only 3 pose in front of this rustic log cabin but I would be lying to myself.  This look surfaces when he carefully aims his shooter, smushes ants with a vengeance or is in a general mood of destruction. 

So, yeah.  I see that look more often than I would prefer. 

Even with the evil look on Henry's face, I absolutely adore this picture......sweet little Cousin Martha in the background.  Both kids looking at the camera and sitting still at the same time.   A snapshot of the crazy week my kids and I stayed with my sister's family to visit after the birth of their new baby boy. 

And, honestly, I love the evil look.  

This is Henry in all his 3 year old glory.  

seriously dirty.

It's hard work relaxing after a long day at the beach.

The beach.

A lesson learned:

One beach umbrella does not provide enough shade for

5 adults, 2 toddlers and 1 baby.

Good thing we were nearby the lifeguard stand which provided plenty of shade and a coralled area for our busy busy children.

Not quite.

We tried to take a cute photo with Frankie.

And, failed miserably.

Henry wouldn't take the sunglasses off.

Martha only wants her mama.

Maybe, next time.

Trying to mind my own business.....

Dearman = Cute

Cute.

Cute.

Cute.

A birthday party with cousins.

For months I planned on having a big birthday party at the park to celebrate Henry's 2nd birthday. I knew we would have a newborn in tow but I was convinced that she would come early or at least on her due date. Little did I expect her to be born 9 days past her due date.

Around day 5 of those 9 days, I decided to cancel the birthday party. Let's just say that spirits were low and I was convinced I would be pregnant forever so a 2nd birthday party was not high on my list of priorities.

Word of the cancelled party didn't make it to Henry's cousins, Emily Caine and Jobe, so Taylor's mom brought them to Starkville for the day to have a birthday part for Henry and to meet their newest baby cousin.

Henry was a pro at blowing out candles on his cake by the times this party rolled around! Notice the great look of seriousness and conviction he musters in order to blow out his candles.

"Show me your birthday card."

While Carla rocked Liza and I relaxed in peace and quiet, Taylor played with the kids in our baby pool in the back . The boys were pretty rough in the pool so Emily Caine spent most of her time exploring our backyard and checking out Henry's toys.

Think Henry is having FUN?!?

Like I said, the boys were playing rough in the pool! Jobe is the sweetest big cousin to Henry. Even though he wanted to "fight" and splash like crazy, he always made sure that Henry was safe and happy in the water with him. Henry could not ask for a more thoughtful big cousin!

Carla, thank you for Henry's Mickey Mouse party! He had a blast and I'm glad his cousins were here to share the excitement. As always, you are very special to us!

Henry and Martha.

We cherish our rare visits with Martha! She and Henry are exactly 6 months apart and the age gap is quickly closing as these little cousins love to play with each other.

Lizbeth and I like to compare our toddlers. They are so very different that it is always good for a laugh.

Martha is a talker. Henry, not so much.....although he did pick up several new words within hours of being with Martha. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing.

Martha is 6 months younger, an inch taller, and at least 5 pounds heavier than her big cousin. And, she loves to eat! After living with a child that can subsist on water alone, it is a pleasure to see a child that will eat anything on a spoon. The upside to having a tiny child is that he did not need any new summer clothes since everything still fits from last year.

There was quite a bit of fussing over stealing and snatching of treasured toys until Lizbeth and I gave up the battle of "sharing" and just let them steal and snatch to their little heart's content. Henry's technique was to use brute force to get Martha's baby doll and bottle but Martha preferred a more sneaky approach. She would wait until Henry put down his 'blackberry' and moved on to the next toy and then she would swoop down to grab the prize. She also snuck his cream cheese bread off his tray with the same method.

The best moment of the weekend was when Henry decided he *needed* Martha's doll bottle. Henry tends to use his mouth as an extra set of hands so he stuck the bottle in his mouth to keep safe until his hands were free. Martha immediately noticed the bottle in his mouth and grabbed it, firmly clamped between Henry's teeth, and started swinging Henry around. We watched and laughed for multiple twirls until Lizbeth jumped up to save Henry's teeth from breaking. I'm still wondering if I should feel bad that it didn't occur to me to rescue my child.

Sweet cousins.

Henry loves his cousins, Jobe and Emily Caine. Ashlyn, their other Dearman cousin, and Jobe pair off and it has been so much fun to see how EC and Henry are starting to click and become buddies. I love thinking about the years of fun to come as these kids grow up together!

Easter traditions...

How do we celebrate Easter in Columbia?

Riding the golf cart in loops around the yard.

Enjoying a beautiful day with great company.

Blowing bubbles with cousins.

Attempting a posed picture next to the bunny rabbit.

Being very piggy with his Yogurt Melt treat snacks.

Sharing his Yogurt Melts with his only true love in life: dogs.

Dyeing eggs for the annual "Easter Egg Dyeing Contest".

Hunting hard boiled eggs on Easter morning with lots of cousins.

Cindy and Danny, thanks so much for making yet another Easter a very special memory!

Cotton District Arts Festival

I just realized that I never did post these pictures.....Lizbeth and David, we loved your visit!!!

Chillin' like a baby villain...

Last weekend was great with Lizbeth, David, and Baby Martha visiting. We admired our babies alot, talked about the same things we talk about on the phone everyday, and just enjoyed each other's company. We so enjoyed their visit that Taylor hit them up to buy the house next door to us....sounds like a good idea to me!!!

It was very relaxing holding a baby that doesn't try to catapult off your lap.

Henry was definitely intrigued with the bouncy seat that he would have nothing to do with 6 months ago....

This is what happens when you want to figure out what is underneath the bouncy seat......

Identical cousins?

Henry at 4 weeks.

Martha at 2 weeks.

Prettiest Girl in the World

Little Baby Girl Martha is changing and growing already..........

I might not love my dawgs yet, but I promise I will..........