Now that I have gone back to work, I am finding I have less time to sit and put pictures on the computer and update the blog with them as I used too. I've still been taking some pictures, and in fact got some of my all time favorite pictures of Brayden last night during bath time, and will hopefully get them up soon. But in the meantime, you will all just keep getting wordy updates from me! Since we've been busy and I dont get as much phone time as I used too, blogging about whats going on with us makes me feel a little less guilty not getting to talk to people as much as I would like because at least you are all still in the loop!
We had a nice weekend this past couple days, it was busy, yet relaxing with no firm plans except for a date. I feel like it has been a few weekends since we have had some "laid back" time and I really soaked it up! Saturday we watched our niece and nephew and it was a beautiful day outside. I was able to make a pinecone bird feeder with Elijah (so fun to get to do some projects that Brayden is too young for but that I am itching to do) and we took the kids to the park. Brayden loves to just roam on his own and try to crawl up the slide. He gets frustrated when we try to help him and asserts his independence. He still loves the swing and doesnt love having to get off of it :). He also loves bubbles, loves to say "bubble" and loves to try to blow bubbles, he actually was able to blow a few bubbles a couple times this weekend to my surprise! Then later that evening, we dropped Bray off at Granma and Papi's and went out for a much overdue, much needed date! Nothing fancy which was even more what we needed, just some downtime to hang out together. We went to KFC and then the movies to see Clash of the Titans. We were not dissapointed at all, since we love action movies, me probably moreso than Mike! And what I LOVED about this movie is that even though it was an epic adventure movie much like Gladiator or Troy, they did not have one bit of nudity, not even a guy with his shirt off, only one or two cuss words, and no sex scenes! AMAZING! Our culture is so obsessed with over-sexualizing things that it was refreshing to be able to watch a movie without needing to look away or be disgusted! Then Mike and I went and did some late night grocery shopping, fun!! Yesterday was just a work on the house, hang out, and do homework kind of day, which was super enjoyable! I got some great time in with Brayden and with Mike! This week its more training for our 5K that is coming up! Can't believe Brayden is 21 months old today and in just 3 short months we will be celebrating his 2nd birthday! My oh my how time flies! That's it for now!
Brayden's always had a blast looking at himself in the mirror but just recently he has started to make funny faces at himself with Mommy and then CRACKS up. He gets his full-on belly laugh when he does it and it always makes me laugh super hard too. I'm hoping Daddy can get a video of it sometime soon to share but wanted to at least capture the memory with words in the mean time :)
Brayden loves to get up on our bed and flop around on it, yesterday though he got a kick out of me "tucking him in" Mommy and Daddy's bed and also, out of the little orange bear you see him holding, which is actually a plastic dog toy that he walked around with for hours yesterday calling a "baby". We even made a bed for the "baby" dog toy with a mini pillow and blankey in the laundry basked which he loved.
Mike called from San Fran yesterday and I have loved hearing the daily updates of the ministry they are doing down there. On Wednesday, one of the ministry opportunities they had was to take some elderly folks to the park to fellowship and Mike and a few of the kids played worship music for them! I can just picture in my mind what a beautiful scene it was! Last night though, he told me about how they volunteered at a type of under privileged daycare for the morning and how Mike worked with the 3 year olds. He said it made him miss Brayden even more, and he spent the morning playing duck duck goose with them (and told me how he was always the goose, how cute) and how a couple of little girls just loved him and cried when it was time for them to leave. I just dont know how my heart could swell anymore as I keep hearing these amazing stories from him about the work the High Schoolers and Leaders are doing there. I am SO looking forward to him coming home tomorrow, what an understatement, and looking forward to spending the weekend together :)!
Tonight it's flower duty for me and tomorrow wedding flower duty! I'll try to take some pics of the flower arrangements, corsages and boutonnieres that we do!
Had a couple of great "little moments" this evening with Brayden. First one is the minute I walked in the door from work, he ran to me like he usually does and I picked him up, and right behind me there is one of Mike and I's wedding pictures and he pointed straight to the picture and said "Mommy!". Now, he's been able to say Mommy for months and months now, and known I am Mommy for just as long, but I've never heard him say it on his own about a picture of me before. We look at pictures all the time and say, thats Auntie or Grandma and Daddy and Grandpa and Pappy, and he repeats those back to me, or says them on his own a lot, but has never pointed at a pic of me before and said "Mommy" it just made my heart melt!
Then, we took my wonderful babysitter for the week home today, and had a 20 minute drive home, we turned off the radio and just talked, me and Brayden. We sang Itsy Bitsy Spider, and I was doing the hand motions one handed since I was driving and I look back, and Brayden is trying to do the spider with his hands! Another first! I loved it! I wish I had had my video camera on me because it was just to cute! He also practiced saying the entire alphabet with me too which he is getting good at! I tried to get a video the other day, but then he naturally didnt want to say it. Just wanted to remember these seemingly "small" moments forever!
I think I have used those two words more in the last couples weeks than I have my entire life. They pretty much sum up my life lately, not in a negative way, just in a keep on trucking kind of way! Mike is gone in San Fransisco on a missions trip this week with a group of 20 high schoolers and a few leaders. I'm really happy he went and had the opportunity to minister and be ministered too. They are working at food banks, helping the homeless, volunteering at AIDS clinics and hospitals and much more. I've only talked to him three times since they have been there because its a very intense and rigorous mission group they are with. I am so proud of everyone who went and sacrificed their Spring Break to help others. I can't wait to hear their stories when they come home!
But Mike being come leaves me doing a working single parent deal for the week, in which I have seen a lot of God's blessings in! I have some great friends watching Brayden this week and he is just soaking up all the attention and spoiling they are giving him. It's great knowing he is in such capable hands while I have to be away from him. It's been busier though, and I really appreciate all Mike has been doing since I started working, I really haven't had to cook or clean in weeks and this week I am definetely more pressed for time! Somehow I've still been able to get a couple of workouts in, as we're still training for the Race for the Cure on May 8th! I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be at this stage in the game, thanks to my back to back illnesses and a lingering cough, but I am getting there! Also this week, I am helping do flowers for a wedding in a nearby town. I am really just the apprentice, helping a much more experience friend of mine, do all the flowers for the wedding and reception. We're going to get together on Friday night to get the flowers ready, and spend Saturday doing the wedding! Should be a lot of fun!
Brayden's doing great. His back molars have been in for a few weeks now and his bottom right third tooth is coming in. I think he is getting all four of these teeth in right about now, the ones right next to the two that are each on top and bottom. He's talking up a storm and we're working hard on him saying things on his own instead of copying what Mommy and Daddy have him say. My favorite word of his right now is "Tasty." Mike's been teaching him that for awhile and its just so cute to hear him say it. He's still in love with cars, and dancing, and somehow incorporates dance moves into his regular walking too, yes, he's that awesome :).
I'm just getting used to where God has put me in this stage of life (working, school full time, etc) and learning to not take advantage of time, something I have been guilty of in the past. I'm really thankful to have a husband and dad who cares about family time as much as I do and strives to make bonding moments for us all the time!
