Time to get a snow shovel...

I think it may be time to invest in a snow shovel. This is the 4th (?) time it's snowed so far this winter. At this rate I'd say a $10 snow shovel would be a good investment ;) Today Jack decided to bust out the leaf blower to clear the driveway. I think part of him mostly wanted to get outside (cabin fever?) and do something manly. And you know Jack... any chance he has to use a power tool he will take it! I have to say though that that blower worked really well. I'm not sure how much snow we've gotten so far (I think like 8") but he was able to clear the whole driveway! Way to go Jack... and way to go Stihl leaf blower!

Future Best Buds

This weekend Nolan got to hang out with one of his future best buds (or so I hope)... Zachary! They seemed to have as much fun as a 4 and 7 month old could have...

I have a feeling these 2 are going to be a handful when they are older and more mobile!

Naked Time

I guess this is true of most babies but definitely so with Nolan... he loves being naked! I think his favorite thing in the world is to get changed. He could be in the worst mood ever and you lay him on the changing table and he instantly starts smiling. I think the reason he likes it to much is because he gets to take his clothes off. in any event, it's cute! Here are a few pics:

Some Misc Pics

Ready for some VT football! Even though college football season is over, VT gear is always in style!

Nolan sat is his big-boy "bumbo" seat to join us for dinner the other night. Somehow he got ahold of the bbq sauce and tried his best to get a taste... is that his clue to us that he is ready for real food soon?

Jack and Nolan

Experimenting with the video camera thing I got for Christmas... Here is a video of Jack and Nolan playing together...

4 months!

Friday marked Nolan's 4 month birthday! It is hard to believe he is already 4 months old! It feels like just yesterday I was laying in the hospital, completely exhausted from giving birth, yet completely overjoyed at finally getting to meet my beautiful, healthy baby boy. Sometimes I look at him and am still amazed - babies are a true gift from the Lord.

Here is a picture of Nolan's 4 month birthday outfit from the Brown's:

Notice he is wearing a camoflage hoodie with a VT jersey over top. (Can you tell the boys picked this out?) And for some strange reason he seemed to like it...

In other news, Nolan has been smiling and laughing a lot, and has discovered his hands and feet. He tries to put his hands in his mouth all the time and if he's not doing that, he's holding on to his feet. He has also been eating like a champ. He must be going through a growth spurt because I can barely keep him filled up this week. He has also started moving around a lot (no rolling over yet though). When I went to get him up this morning he had done a complete 180 turn in his crib. Not sure how he managed that in his sleep...

Not too much new with the rest of us... just trying to enjoy each day as it comes! :)

Snow Day!

Yesterday we got to enjoy our first snow day of the year! It started out as a 2-hr delay, but as I headed out of the driveway I heard on the radio that schools were now closed! You can imagine my delight. I promptly turned around and headed back into the warm, cozy comforts of our home, just before a huge burst of snow came down. It snowed pretty hard for a little bit to total a few inches (maybe 2 or 3 total). It wasn't nearly as much as our last snow before Christmas (where we got almost 20"), but it was still pretty exciting. Snow days are even more fun when you have kids. Nolan is only 3 and a half months old but he seemed pretty excited nonetheless. I'd like to think his giddy mood might have had something to do with the snow. Or maybe he was just excited to spend the day together? :) We watched movies, went out to lunch, and even made a trip to the farm. It was a great day!

Here are some pictures of our day:

As you can see, Boomer loves the snow:

Front view of our house:

View of the street:

Family shot:

(unfortunately Nolan has not fully discovered the enjoyment of playing in the snow - I guess he would rather sleep in it)

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2009 was pretty good to us. The biggest event of the year was definitely Nolan's birth! He has been a true blessing to us all this year. A friend of mine recently said that I am more peaceful than she has seen me in a long time. I guess that is true - having Nolan now changes my perspective on so many things. He is great! And I feel truly blessed that the Lord gave him to us. It is so fun to see him grow and learn new things. We celebrate his every accomplishment right along with him. In 2009 Nolan learned to survive outside the womb. He also learned to eat, sleep, poop, hold his head up, got his first bath, first smile, and more. 2010 is going to be an even bigger year for him! If you think about it, in 2010 Nolan is going to learn to sit up by himself, eat solid foods, grow teeth, crawl, walk, talk, run, dance, sing, laugh, and more. It's going to be a great year!

Wishing you all the best as 2010 begins. Thanks for being a part of our lives!

(the picture is of Nolan on New Year's Eve - complete with tuxedo shirt and converse style socks. He couldn't stay awake long enough to see the ball drop, but he sure looked cute!)

The End of a Decade

With the new decade upon us, it seems only appropriate to reflect on all that has happened in the past 10 years. For me personally this has been a pretty pivotal decade. From the year 2000-2009 I have (not necessarily in this order):

Graduated high school; gone to college; met lifelong friends; grown exponentially in my relationship with Jesus; Graduated with a B.S. in math at VT; Got a master’s degree in education at VT; Got my first boyfriend; had my first kiss; Fell in love; Got engaged; 
Became legally able to drink, buy lottery tickets, and rent a car; Got married; Bought my first house; Got a dog, Boomer (the best); lost 3 cats; Started my first real, full-time job; Won New Teacher of the Year; Led WyldLife (middle school); Led Young Life (high school); Grieved the loss of Gran; Grieved the loss of my first child (miscarriage); Celebrated the birth of a child – Nolan (a true blessing); Realized the miracle of childbirth; and many more I'm sure!