Brooks is walking around everywhere trying to keep up with this brothers!

Family Pictures

The only thing better than these pictures,

is getting to spend my life with the people in them.

The BOYS

Leighton is 3 years & 7 months old.

I am so honored to be the mother of this

handsome, inteligent, mature, thoughtful, and teachable little man.

McCabe is 2 years & 4 months.

I am so delighted to spend everyday with this

adorable, talkative, playful, and energetic little boy.

Brooks is 1 year old.

I am so blessed to get to cuddle this

happy, smiley, content, and precious baby boy.

Our friend Amber Kline took these pictures for us.

She did a wonderful job and we are so pleased.

Brooks' 1 Year Check Up

At Brooks' 1 Year Check Up these were his manly stats:

Weight: 20 lbs 8 oz (16%)
Height: 29.1 in (23%)
Head: 48 cm (87%)

Picking Pumpkins

We went to Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge, IA. There was a lot to do!

First, the boys spent a considerable amount of time, walking around in and jumping into, this huge corn pool.

Then we got to see a lot of farm animals ...

Play in The Three Little Pigs houses ...Ride tractors ...Do a hay barrel maze ...Jump on the jumping pillow ...Take a hay ride behind a huge tractor.

And pick out 2 pumpkins, which we got to carve the next evening at our bible study hang out while learning about how Christ cleans us out when we become believers and puts a light in us so we can shine to others!

It was such a fun family day. In case you were wondering ...

Brooks was there too ...

And so was I! I got to do a lot of behind the scenes picture taking, smirking as I watched my boys enjoy this experience, and realizing just how blessed I am.

Happy Fall

Brooks Turns One

Brooks is 1 year old. It is incredible to reflect upon the first 365 days of having our child in our arms. We vividly remember going into labor, holding his wrinkled skin in the hospital, and introducing his brothers to him. It is a great joy and priviledge to watch a child's personality, abilities, relationships, and features grow. Brooks has been no exception. We delight in him and rejoice over his life. We are so glad he is our son!

Isn't it strange to think about how Brooks won't remember what his frosting tasted like, what presents he got (especially since his brother's aren't exactly letting him play with them), or the sacrifices people made to surround him with affection, presents, and lots of love. But I am very confident that all of our efforts to smile at him, hold him, pray with him, eat meals with him, and do so much more with him, will have an impact on his life even though he won't remember the specifics. Each day we spend pouring ourselves into his life with work intangibly in his life creating a sence of acceptance, love, security, protection, and loyalty that will absolutely benefit his life, and that is an irreplacable gift he gets everyday, not just on his birthday. So, although he wont remember the activities we enjoyed on his birthday, these small beginings, these first birthdays, these everydays, will NOT leave him unchanged.

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH SON!

My parents came here for the weekend! They brought Brooks a snow suit, a barn with animals, and several tractors. They even let Brooks pick the Cheese Cake Factor for his birthday dinner!

Brooks also had a birthday party at Luke's parents house. Leighton and McCabe made sure there were a lot of candles on the cake! McCabe didn't like the cake very much but had so much food for dinner that he might not have been hungry enough for it! We can hardly believe Brooks is already 1 year old. What a special guy he is to us. Happy Birthday Brooks!