Lance and I celebrated our seventh anniversary last week! It
definitely doesn't feel like an itch because we seem to be happier than ever! With three beautiful children and lots of love and support from our family, life could not be any better. Most of all, we have been walking with the Lord more faithfully than ever. I am sure that it has made all the difference.
Even though it was Monday, Lance and I were able to get out to dinner on our own. We tried a new Sushi restaurant that my friend Katherine recommended. We were surprised that there was such a highly rated restaurant that we haven't even heard of before. It was very delicious, and almost as good as Uchi. Over sushi rolls and friend camembert, Lance and I enjoyed a conversation about where we are and where we are going.
My niece Megan has moved to Austin from Hawaii. She is 22 years old and has lived in Hawaii since she was 9 or so. We are very excited to have her here and to get to know her better since it is hard to spend much time with someone living so far away. The boys will also have the chance to know one of their only two cousins! She seems to love playing with them, and her silliness is very appealing to them. Megan came bearing gifts, which always works with young children. We look forward to having a bigger family here in Austin!
I'm finally getting around to posting about Sawyer's birthday party. I thought summer was supposed to be a "break", but it seems more busy than the rest of the year!
I decided to make a birthday cake using blueberries, since that has been his favorite food. He will eat an entire container of them if I let him! After doing a google search on blueberry cake, I found a recipe that included lemon. It had four layers of blueberry lemon cake with lemon buttercream and lemon curd filling. I have learned from past stressful birthdays to start the process ahead of time, and I froze the cake before layering and decorating it. I was able to pull off a lovely ruffle pattern for the frosting, and I really loved the results!
Poor Sawyer was getting sick the day of his party. Thankfully, he did not really start showing symptoms until after his party. But I'm sure that it affected his mood, as he seemed at times a little tired and did not seem that hungry for cake :(
Overall, it was a great time and I think the perfect number of guests were here. Lance played the birthday song from Nick Junior and we all danced around. By far the favorite part for Sawyer was the balloons!
In the past few weeks, Sawyer has really changed. He has become much more interactive and seems to understand a lot of what I tell him. He has been pointing at everything he sees, both to ask what it is and to tell me that he wants it. He makes cute little sound affects that go with the pointing too. Although he has not said a clear word yet, I swear he has said "more", "no", "yum", and "cow". He is very happy these days and his smile is just infectious. When his brothers are entertaining him, Sawyer has the biggest belly laughs I've heard.
Sawyer is starting to stand for short periods without assistance and walks quickly when we hold his hands. He is able to operate a toy top by moving the handle down and then up, which seems quite intuitive for his age. Sawyer also enjoys making music with a xylophone and the tambourine. He is a pretty good eater at this point and, like his brothers, his early favorite is blueberries. I think I will have to incorporate them into his birthday cake!
Sawyer just makes me so happy and I am thrilled that we decided to go for number 3!
Benjamin has officially "graduated" from preschool! Brandi, the director of the boys' school, told me that they would be having a cute little ceremony for the three boys who would be leaving in the Fall. I had no idea just how cute and special it would be. I also had no idea how bittersweet it would be for Benjamin, Brandi, and for me. Benjamin has been attending this school for more than four years, since he was 15 months old. This has been his second family. They have taken care of and nurtured Benjamin in a way that I am so thankful for. I am relieved to know that I don't have to say goodbye yet, as Evan and Sawyer will have plenty of time there in the coming years.
We went to the ceremony straight after the last football lesson, with both sets of grandparents in tow. We crammed into the tiny classroom, which was filled with big adult chairs. Then Benjamin and the other graduates proudly marched down the aisle in their adorable caps and gowns. They sang songs with accompanying dance moves, which seemed even more adorable because they were all boys. Benjamin had a look on his face that I had never seen. I think he was somewhat shell shocked, being up in front of all of those adults and performing. Despite the fear I know he had, he was so brave in following the script that Brandi had taught them. SO PROUD!!!!
The boys had their last football lessons on Saturday. It was a great experience all around. I thought it would be perfect because it was for ages 3-5, so both boys could do it. At first I wondered if it was a mistake since it seemed too easy for Benjamin, and Evan didn't want to do it at all. Well, after a couple of sessions Evan decided that he just might enjoy it. Enjoy it he did! I was so proud of Evan to jump in full throttle after his initial hesitation, and although it was easy for Benjamin his continuous smile let me know that it was not a mistake. The coach was awesome, and I can't imagine a better one to teach 3-5 year old boys how to play football. I know that I would NOT have the patience! I think I will miss my Saturday morning football at Zilker.....
