lol

This was going on in the kitchen for at least a solid 20 min....I thought it was pretty funny.

to be creative

gabe is really four

I know I just put up the post on Gabe's birthday party, but today is his actual birthday. I can't believe that he is four!

If I had to choose one word to describe this son of mine, it would be intense. Everything Gabe does is intense. When he is angry, boy do we all know it! (probably, our neighbors do, too!) But when Gabriel is happy, or loving, or amused, he is intense in these, too! He can easily erase a bad day when he wraps his whole little 40 lb wiry body around you in a huge hug!!

Out of the three kids, Gabe reminds me the most of Tyrone. I have to laugh, because sometimes I really think that I am looking at what Tyrone must have been like as a child. Gabe has his friendly mannerisms and easy ways with people....this did not come from me, I assure you!

Our Gabriel is such a mix of still a baby, and a really big boy. I love that he still needs and wants me when he's sad, or tired, or hurt. I am amazed by his fearlessness at doing things boys several years older than he is shy away from. I love this little boy!!

Happy birthday, Gabriel Joseph!!!

Gabe's birthday party!!!

On Saturday, we did Gabe's 4th birthday in a big way!!! We had the BIG party at Chuck E. Cheese's, and it was awesome. Mom, Jeanie, Glenn, Tyler, Melissa, Steve, Kearstin, Landon, Erica, Amanda, and Mattalyn all came out to make Gabe's day very special!!!

We had lots of playing, and eating, and presents, and pirate ship cake!! Chuck E. Cheese himself came out and did a show for us!! And, Gabe even got to talk to his Daddy before his party, which was awesome.

the birthday boy!

Our cakes!

mom and k, playing!

power rangers!

melissa and kearstin playing!

little pirate girl...she was very content to clap with the show and dance to the music.

getting ready to blow out the candles!

this is as close as gabe would get to chuck!

opening presents!

the absolutely awesome art desk from grandma, grandmother, and grandfather, being put to use only an hour after we got home from the party!

VBS

VBS ended today with all of the kids putting on a great program for us today! They did a terrific job, and had lots of fun. All of the teachers and helpers put everything they had into making this an awesome week for all involved, and they deserve a huge thank you! Yay for VBS!!!

the 9 month appointment!

**once again, blogger will not put my spaces in between paragraphs. forgive the funkiness of this post, please!!**

Yesterday was Shiloh's 9 month appointment, and this very happy face pretty adequately depicts how we feel about how it went! Erica went with us, the boys were at VBS, there are no shots at the 9 month appt., and we had the same dr. as last time....all of this equaled a very pleasant check up for little missy!!

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Shiloh weighs 24 lbs and 8 oz and is 29 1/2 inches long.....and those are each squarely in the 95th percentile. YAY us!! Everyone that holds Shiloh on a regular basis had said that they didn't think she had gained much weight in the last 3 months, and we were all right....more solids, less formula, and LOTS more moving around, in combination with her growing 2 1/2 inches in height, have really slimmed her down....her baby rolls are all but gone! :(

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Anyhow, the doctor was happy with her progress, thrilled that I am making my own baby food, and pronounced Shiloh "absolutely delicious!"

it's so quiet...

Right now, it is so quiet in my house. If you know much about my house, you know that quiet is NOT the normal state of things. Well, this week is V.B.S. at our church! Gabe and Kaleb are both there....for 3 1/2 hours every morning this week. It's very strange. I never sent the kids to daycare, I have always been home with them. I got used to sending Kaleb to school over the course of this year, and that in itself was a hard transition. But Gabe! He was my baby for a long time, and I'm not used to his little self being gone!

I told his teacher (a wonderful lady from my SS class) that he was not used to that kind of setting, and that I could be there in 10 min. if needed, but Gabe seemed pretty happy to be there! And, I did get things done. Shiloh and I went to the Post Office and mailed a package to Tyrone, we went to Toys-R-Us and got Gabe a birthday present, and now I am home with her. She is napping and I am catching up on e-mails and researching how I want to decorate Gabe's birthday cake (pics to come....Gabe's party is on Sat.)

AND...it's just a glimpse of things to come. Gabe, after all, is of pre-k age now. That means, come fall, this is going to be what my days look like....scary.....but for now, I think I'm about ready for my little guys to come home! One step at a time!