April 2013

 Senior photo practice.

 3 bugs in a tub.

 Wait. It's April. Why is it so cold?

 Miss Brandy and the kiddos:)

 Bright eyes.

Knox turns 7 months!

Our sweetie pie has turned 7 months! He's still the smiliest baby ever, and while he's not sleeping quite the same, he's still letting us get some sleep. And he's so happy during the day that it *almost* makes up for it. He's still not crawling, but I bet he will be soon!

March 2013

March was a confusing month...between a few sunny, warm days and more epic blizzards, we had our hopes for spring dashed more than once. It was a big month for Dane, who turned 4, and Knox, who turned 6 mo. We can't believe how fast the time is flying; it seems to be faster with each child.

 Dad has the touch...We're slowly working towards an earlier bedtime. Now up to 9 pm!

 Teething.

 Laughing at Daddy.

Hiding in the cupboards with Ben.

Some of our nightly laugh sessions with Knox.

Ari the giggler:)

Ari the tumbler!

Easter 2013

Dane's 4th Birthday!

Our big man, in all respects, turned 4 on March 26th. He is currently in preschool 3 mornings a week, and probably way too smart for what he's doing:) He has a great, well-developed sense of humor and also loves to snuggle and make people laugh. His defiance has definitely toned down, while his curiosity and ability to take care of himself has increased significantly. He can go to the bathroom ALL BY HIMSELF! It's huge for us, and for him. He eats most meals with a little prodding, but no longer needs us to be quite as involved. His favorite food is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, he still drinks two yogurt smoothies every day for breakfast, and he still prefers pretty much any fruit or veggie to any typical unhealthy kid food. Love that! He loves Knox and is learning how to be gentle and play with Aria. They have so much fun just imagining adventures, from being Pablo and Uniqua, to being Puss and Kitty Softpaws, they've really started to play together, which is awesome. Dane is definitely the initiator, and has a strong, leading personality. I keep trying to remind myself that for all the stress it causes me now, it will make him successful as an adult. We also have many conversations about God and who He is, what He likes and doesn't, and how that relates to Dane. Every night he thanks God for "my wonderful sister Aria, and Knoxy and mommy and daddy, and my wonderful bus bed". He can run for hours straight and not be tired, and talks essentially from the minute he wakes up to the minute he falls asleep. He is precious, and strong-willed, and sweet, and a challenge all wrapped up in a little redheaded blur.

Dane, we pray for a clear sense of right and wrong, for empathy that translates into action, for wonderful uses for all that energy and for challenges to your amazing intellect. We love you, Dane Bear! Happy 4th birthday!

 At VeggieTales Live for Dane's b-day.

Why he thinks it's hilarious to play in these, I'll never know.

 Mom's poorly done Pablo cake. Dane appreciated it, though:)

 This is him in 20 years.

My family went to VeggieTales and all I got was this mesmerizing glow wand.

 At the Gritty for Dane's birthday dinner with the Andersons! They rang the bell and gave him his mug.

Opening gifts!

Knox is 6 months old!

Cannot, absolutely CANNOT believe that our new baby is already six months old. Here are his pictures from the last couple months. Somewhere along the line, he went from being a baby to being a little man. He grunts and coos, burps like a champion and smiles essentially all the time. He is a ray of sun in our life, and we're so thankful for his presence! His laughs and noises are getting funnier each day, and while he hasn't quite popped his first teeth, he has to be close based on the drool. He can sit by  himself and is now working on solids, which he mastered in less than a week. He's definitely ours. We love our happy little man!

Month 4

 The dimples!

 The hair!

 But still so small!

Month 5

 Seriously, when did he grow up?!

 What a babe!

Month 6

 Oh, teething! And one of my favorite of his shirts: Lettuce Turnip The Beet. Ha:)

His personality is totally this picture: focused on others, totally joyful in making connections. Our sweet Knox!