June 13, huh???

I am not quite sure how we got to June 13th. My only theory is that I fell into a coma two weeks ago and just now came out of it. Seriously, where does the time go!!! We have been busy with tee-ball and softball but are so close to being done that I can taste it. Ethan finished up about a week or so ago and the highlight of the entire season was that he got a trophy, WOO HOO! I meant to take a picture of him with it but haven't quite gotten there yet. I have never seen a child get so excited over something like a trophy, but hey who am I to complain, when the kids are happy, momma is happy. The team mom organized it so that the kids could have something special. I am thinking that for $9 I will be getting trophies for many more occasions, like when Preston gets potty trained or maybe when Kendra finally gets in the shower without complaining. Whatever works right? Here is Ethan waiting for the ball. He did a pretty good job at paying attention throughout his games. They couldn't let one of the boys on his team be in the outfield because the moment that no one was looking he would run off and start climbing the trees. So we were just proud that Ethan paid attention. As you can see, the other little boy in the picture is playing in the grass.

Preston doesn't seem to have a problem sitting on his potty chair, it is making it happen WHILE he is sitting on the potty that seems to be the issue. Some days he will only sit on it completely clothed while other days he prefers to be naked!

In Tee-ball every kid gets to hit each inning. There are never any outs, they just go through the batting order and then switch. His games are nail-biters let me tell ya! His favorite thing was to play first base and then after the game he would tell me how many outs he would have gotten if they were playing coach-pitch. He actually did pretty good. He has big plans for next year.

I made Josh smile for some silly pictures. He has lost a lot of weight this summer since he has been working outside, but you can't tell in any of the pictures I took because of the funny angle, oh well.

I didn't have a whole lot of clothes from when Kendra was a baby. Eight years was just too long to hold on to most things, and after two boys I had given up hope. But this little outfit was one that I had held on to. Some times you just need some pink with a little bit of frills thrown in. Aubrey loved it!

Once in a while I will be looking at Aubrey and it is just like I am looking at Kendra as a baby. The other day it really struck me and took me back to when she was a new little baby. I even teared up. Can you imagine being able to hold your oldest child in your arms as a little baby again. Holding Aubrey is like I am doing just that. But then Aubrey smiles and coos and I realize it isn't Kendra because she wouldn't be this happy :) I am so blessed, raising my children is my greatest joy and I know that no matter what they will always be the center of my world. (Cheesy, I know) But I love them so much! Josh and I are always telling people that we are done having kids and I know that most people are thinking, "Yeah right." And I don't blame them because we are super young. But now that Aubrey is here I feel that our family is complete, that everyone that is supposed to be here is here. It is a comforting feeling and I love just being able to think about my kids and each of their personalities and to see what each of them brings to our family. A friend of mine told me that when her youngest started school she had a hard time and really wanted another baby. Her husband told her that they were going to have to move out of that stage at some point and move into the next. I know that day will come for me, when my babies are no longer babies, when I have them all potty trained and can understand what they are asking for, when they can bathe themselves and make their own bed. Children are always changing and growing and we, as mothers, are here to help them along their way. We are also always growing and changing, even as I watch my mother I realize that it is often because of her role as a mother that she grows and changes. What a wonderful and eternal role, I couldn't ask for anything more.