The Zoo {And A Lot of Pictures}

We went to the zoo last weekend. We have a really nice camera with really nice lenses. I don't really know how to use them, so I took a lot of pictures. These are just some...more will come later.

It seems like taking nice pictures would be easy, doesn't it? Well, it's not easy for me. I'll keep practicing. But it's fun to practice...especially when I have such an adorable subject.

Our Adventure

On Friday night, we decided to go to the River Greenway and see what that's all about. Of course, we couldn't walk the entire trail with a little one who has the attention span of about 30 seconds, but I'm glad we went. When we got home from work, we told Logan that we were going on an "adventure." I love making mundane things seem like they are so exciting. In case you don't know this already (hah!), kids take their cues from us...if we present something as exciting and fun, when they are 2, they will believe it's exciting and fun, too. He was SO excited to go! So, we walked on the trail a little ways and we looked for treasures. Of course, we were singing songs along the way. And as long as Logan stayed on the trail, he didn't have to hold our hand, which is a big deal. Because I pretty much make him hold our hand EVERYWHERE. And then, a biker came along and Logan reminded us why we still need to hold his hand. The whole, "Logan, get out of the way!!!!" didn't work out that well. There was no accident, not even close, but I was still panicked. Letting go is hard.

We found the muddy, dirty disgusting river. I had in my mind this idea that it would be pretty. And clean. It was neither. As a matter of fact, it was a little scary. We went a little close and Logan threw some rocks in, but that's about it. If any locals know of any great little pond areas to take the kiddies (you know, the kind where you can actually take your shoes off and feel okay about walking in the water), please let me know!

I SOOOOOOOO love this age. I already miss it. I ache when I think that someday (all too soon), he's going to be grown up. And while I know that he will make me proud to be his mama in all sorts of new ways, this is my favorite. I love the snuggles, the silliness, the cuddles, the "boys rule and girls drool!" and "you're a stinkin' girl, mommy" (all in good fun)....I love everything about this age. Even with the behavior struggles that often occur at this age, and of course, the never-ending potty-training struggle. I love it. I want to freeze time. When I am 90, I will undoubtedly look back at my life and smile when I think of all of our little adventures that were BIG fun to us at the time. Man, I love that boy.

I Love my Boys

{For the Record}

I've been collecting these thoughts for the past couple of weeks, and I decided that I needed to get them on official record. Seriously, when he was little, I used to document every. single. thing. Now, it's like I've become immune to his cuteness or something??? Not really, but I do want to start recording more of the little cuteness that happens every day. We'll see how good I can be about that.


This is what happens when daddy is at class and mommy is cooking supper while little one entertains himself quietly in his room:

*Logan calls his underwear with the thick elastic waistband "spankin'" underwear because if you pull it and let go, it makes a "spankin'" sound.

*Logan said that he works at "Little Tech." If you know where Zeb and I each work, that makes a little more sense.

*Logan touched my face and said, "Your face is soft!" I don't really have soft skin, but it was the gesture that was so adorable. I don't imagine in 10 years, he'll be touching my face at all.




*The other night when we were taking a walk, Logan ran to Zeb and said, "I'll be your best friend."

*The other day, we bought some donuts. Zeb and I were out of the room and Logan comes into the other room with 2 large donuts stuck together, he had taken a bite out of both of them. I was going to take a picture, but I knew that if I ran to get my camera, both of those donuts would have been gone by the time I returned!

*When you ask Logan what his name is, he says, "Logan Johnston David."

*We do this thing called "snuggly, snuggly." We usually do it when we're laying down and we basically just hug and scrunch our faces together, but he loves it. Sometimes, Logan and Zeb will be laying in bed watching and movie and from the other room, I'll hear them say, "Mommy, we're snuggly, snuggly back here!" Of course, I come running. We started doing "cuddly, cuddly" which is similar to "snuggly, snuggly," but it's when we're on the couch and it involves Logan sitting on my lap, both of us covered in a blanket and we snuggle. It's of the "snuggly, snuggly" variety, just a little different. I will take snuggly, snuggly or cuddlely, cuddlely anytime of any day.

3 years

I don't suppose that 3 years ago when we got "the call," that we were imagining that 3 years later, we'd be laughing hysterically at the dinner table because one little boy had gotten a piece of corn lodged in between his two bottom front teeth (and it was lodged GOOD!), and I'm laughing and he loves the corn so much that he's crying, "my corn! my corn!" "Owww, it hurts!" And I had to pull and pull and pull to get that stupid thing out of his teeth. And now, he smells like butter and corn and I can't stop kissing him because I remember what it was like 3 years ago when we got the call and we couldn't wait to hold him.

We are blessed in so many ways to have him in our lives. And not just because he's the cutest, funniest, most adorable little boy EVER. His presence is a constant reminder that we are blessed. His presence is a constant challenge to us to do better, be better, live better and serve better. We are works in progress no doubt, but as his parents, we find a purpose in our lives that did not exist prior to his arrival.

There are no words that can ever express how much we love this little boy. We wanted him for so long before he actually arrived and we marvel at the way that God was weaving our lives and his to come together.

Miss A. stopped by the adoption place and told our case worker that she had picked us on August 21, 2008. Today, we remember her and thank God for her and we pray that she is happy and loved. We also pray that she knows how much we all love her and thank God for her every single day.

Never in our wildest dreams could we have written a story so sweet and so special as ours has been the past 3 years. Every little detail, the first corn on the cob -- and the drama that it creates, the many moments of laughter and hugs and kisses....it's all such an incredible blessing that we do not feel worthy to have received, but we'll accept it all the same :)

Logan, you are more special to us every single day. You make our lives full and happy. We love you.

Fun For All

A couple weeks ago, we went to a local festival. Logan had the time of his life. I know his grandma means well by buying him ride tickets, but seriously....I was done after watching him on about two. He, on the other hand, could have rode all night long! He loved the train... ...and then, I about had a heart-attack when he rode this one with his cousins. Seriously. I thought he was just going to fly right out of it. He's just a baby, right? Wrong. He's a "big boy," as he says.

The carousel is easier for my heart to handle. However, I was sure he was going to jump right off of that, too. So, maybe there wasn't "fun for all" as I titled this...should have been "fun for Logan; fear for mommy." I know, I know. I need to let him grow up. I do. I let him do things. All the while, holding my chest and breathing into a paper bag. I jest.

The duck pond...now that's more like it. Both feet on the ground, just reach in and grab a duck.

Logan thought that this lawn mower looked like the Terrafirminator from the movie Gnomeo and Juliet (one of his favorites). And Logan looks like a little gnome right there sitting on it!

There was even time to play some baseball with grandpa....

Love this boy....

And we finished the night with icecream. It was really good icecream. Logan's favorite flavor is "banilla." I love to hear him say it.

Things I Want to Remember (and some pictures)

{We don't have a pool so far this year, so I filled this little container with water. Logan is bigger than he was last year.}

Me: Logan, what are you doing?
Logan: Just getting my suitcase.
Zeb: Where are you going?
Logan: Here.

Logan: What song is this?
Me: Fast Cars and Freedom
Logan: What's this song about?

Me: Oh no, Logan, it's raining! (on our way to the parade)
Logan: Sun! Come back! I love you! I want to see you!

Logan (to himself): Where's my fork? (looking around the floor and the table) Oh, there it is, in my hand.

Me to Logan in bed: Call me if you need something
Logan: Mom, I need something!
Me: What do you need?
Logan: something

Logan's teachers give us daily reports. I'm not going to lie, a lot of times, we get reports of him not using his utensils at meals, not listening to his teachers, spitting on his friends, etc. But the past couple weeks, they have let us know that he is great at sharing. One child wouldn't share his truck with another child and he started crying, Logan went up and said, "You can play with my truck. We can share!" I love hearing stories like that.

I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You

I have never been one of those people who holds out much hope for things. For instance, I always assumed that I'd be the one to never find "the one" and never get married. So, I made a life for myself that I would be fine with alone. Sure enough, God had other plans for me, and Zeb came along. We always wanted children, but we knew early on that biological children wouldn't be in our plans. Still, for some reason, I secretly hoped. We put on the "we'll be fine with just the two of us" front, worried that it would actually turn out that way. Still, we mostly discussed the possibility of it just being the two of us far more often than we dreamed out loud about what it would be like to have children. But for some reason, I started a quilt. A little blue one. For a little boy. Believe it or not, I started this quilt shortly after Zeb and I got married, even though we knew we couldn't start the adoption process until we had been married for two years.

I finished the front of the quilt and the back of the quilt about 5 years ago. I didn't know how to finish the rest and I'd lost touch with the lady who was teaching me. A few times, I looked at my work (I did it all by hand, and I impressed myself :)) but for the most part, the pieces of would-be-quilt were stored on a closet shelf.

And then, the most amazing thing happened. Logan. Our little boy. Better than we could have imagined. If I had put in a special line-by-line request to God, I'm sure I would have left some things out...like his adorable cowlick. Seriously, dear Lord, that's just like icing on the cake. Like, God didn't just want to give us a regular little boy, he had to make him unique and special in so many ways that I can't even tell you about them all. The cowlick is just one of my favorites and a beautiful reminder that God delivers in ways we could never imagine.

So, the quilt remained in the closet until a couple weeks ago when I got up the courage to take it someplace to have it finished. And last week, we picked it up. As I looked at the finished product, I told Logan, "This is for you! I made this for you!" Well, I mean, I didn't make it completely, but I stitched most of it. And the past week, it's been a reminder to me that I really always knew that God would bring us a special child....deep down I knew it. And the fact that I spent countless hours stitching is just a testament to how much we loved our little boy before we even knew him....before we even could voice our belief that he would find his way to us.

I'm worried that someday, Logan will think that he wasn't wanted or will struggle with feelings of why his birth mother couldn't keep him, etc. I pray that never happens. But if it does, I'm going to pull out the quilt and show him how much I wanted him and longed for him and how I passed hours and hours waiting for him by making this gift for him long before I ever saw his face.
I never dreamed that I would have an adorable little boy AND doggie to love the quilt. As soon as we walked in the door from picking it up, Logan said, "I need my blanket," and he fell asleep right on the couch, under his blanket.

I think he could feel the love that I poured into that blanket and that's why he went right to sleep. Sweet boy. Our answered prayer.