i love my boys!

for uncle justin...

Uncle Justin bought this shirt for Ethan awhile back, and it's fitting rather nicely now. We just wanted to say hello J!! The last picture was how I found Ethan when he was playing on his activity mat. I kept hearing him making noises, and found his bib up over his face....it was so funny!

a visit from the ladies in indiana!

Grandma Elijah, Betty, and Lovina came to Ohio to visit for a little while, and we spent a day at Roscoe Village. We had a great time and enjoyed a beautiful day outdoors! In the last picture, Betty was getting Ethan to laugh by tickling his toes... I think he enjoyed all the attention :)

happy birthday josh!

I just wanted to wish my best friend in the whole world a happy birthday! It's hard to believe that we've been together for over six years now. He is such a wonderful husband and a terrific daddy :) It's been so neat to grow with him over these years as we are both seeking to serve the Lord and love each other more. God sure knew what He was doing when he brought us together. I love you Josh! Happy 26th!

He's home!!!

Travis arrived home safely!
What a reunion!

Ali and Jeff looking quite patriotic! And the whole gang is waiting in the auditorium for the ceremony to begin...

Trav and the boys enjoying some much needed time together!
Trent (Travis' brother) arrived home a couple of weeks ago. This is his wife Erica (who is expecting in Jan.) and her parents.

What a happy family...they are whole again! :) What a day! Thanks again for all of your prayers. Travis is back safe and we give God all of the glory!

Travis is coming home!

Tomorrow is the big day...Travis and his whole crew will be home tomorrow! The coming home ceremony is tomorrow at noon in Columbus. He has been away for over 14 months now. We are all anxious to see him again (especially Stacy and the boys!) I will definitely take pictures to keep you updated. Thanks for all of your prayers while he has been away!!

fun at the park

Yesterday, Stacy and I and the boys went to Lake Park to enjoy the beautiful weather. Colvin enjoyed the slide and Kale and Ethan took to the swings :) It was Ethan's first time in a swing at the park, so it was fun to see him smile and experience new things!

Where's Ethan??

I was playing with Ethan before I gave him a bath last night (and you can tell he doesn't feel the best) but he was up for a few giggles. I thought this was cute! Enjoy :)

Good news!!

Good news all around! Grandma Johnson's knee replacement surgery went well today. She even says she feels good! Praise God! Travis just flew into Indy, so he's in the states...hooray!! He'll be home soon! (I'll definitely have pics!) Trent and Erica found out this afternoon that they are having a girl! And Ethan's appt went well this morning. He is now 14 lbs. 4 oz. and 25 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. He is a little under the weather today with his cold and his shots, but praise God all around! What a great day!

Poor Ethan!

Over vacation, one by one everyone started to come down with a nasty cold. Ethan now has it and is feeling miserable. It's the first time he's been sick, so I'm feeling pretty helpless. He has a low temp, runny nose, cough (which is pretty cute though), and sneezing. He's been having a hard time sleeping since he's so congested, and nursing has been a little rough as well. To make things worse...he has a doctor's appt tomorrow to get shots. That should be interesting. Just pray for him! He's going to have a rough day tomorrow I have a feeling. He has been chewing on his cold teething toys and it seems to keep him preoccupied if nothing else.

Vacation!

We just got back from spending a week at Holden Beach, NC with Josh's family, Greg and Kathy, Jeff and Ali, Stacy, Colvin, and Kale.
This was such a beautiful sunrise!!

Ethan sure looks up to his daddy, always up for a smile :)
Ethan with daddy's shades on...what a looker!
Ethan getting his feet in the ocean for the first time. He wasn't sure what to think at first, but grew to like kicking his feet and seeing the water splash!

Wrestling with the cousins!
"Hi everybody!"

One day we went to Myrtle Beach to shop a little. We stopped at an oldies diner and enjoyed a shake :)
We had the opportunity to see a few turtles hatching and leaving their nests in the sand to wander into the ocean. The people in charge of protecting them brought this one around so we could see it better.
I love this pic of Colvin and Ethan. Colvin and Kale just love to hold their cousin!
One day, a man was fishing with a net and would catch several fish and put them on the sand for the children to pick up and throw back in. Kale and Colvin really enjoyed this :)
This is Colvin and his new friend Hannah. She showed him how to pick the fish up.

Ethan really enjoyed moving his feet around in the sand. I think he liked the feel of it squishing between his toes!
Colvin and Kale enjoying suckers down on the beach. It was Kale's first sucker ever and he sure enjoyed every lick!
We took along a sun dome for Ethan to hang out in so he was out of the sun.
This picture is so funny because Ethan had just woken up from his nap (aka the lines on his face!) and Kale had gone to touch his mouth. It looks like Ethan's hand, but it's Kale's!
Picture of the beach during sunset.

Stacy and Kale cuddling after a swim :)
Ethan loving spending time with daddy!
Chillin' on the front porch during the heat of the day.
Kale's turn to hold Ethan :)
Josh and Ethan rocking away...

Jeff and Colvin swimming in the pool at the hotel on the way down.
Grandpa and the boys wrestling...
Colvin is talking to Travis on the phone...he will be home in a few days!!!
Ethan loving the ocean!
"I could stay here all day...!!"