Hayden Rides a Bike

This is Hayden at 4 years and 4 months.  He is riding his bicycle that he got for his 4th birthday.  He hadn't gotten many good days to ride it because of all the snowy and cold weather we had up until about a week ago.  After all there was snow on the ground on May 1st and tomorrow on May 14th it is supposed to hit 90 degrees.  He had been riding his balance bike since last summer at 3 1/2 years when we talked him into riding it in the neighborhood 4th of July parade.    He mastered it within a few weeks and was really comfortable.  He has these huge tricycles at school that are one and two person and he loves to race them there.  And he'd learned to peddle with a tiny tricycle when he was just over 2 years old.  But this bicycle came with training wheels that he never saw.  And after practicing for the last month and a half off and on, he got it tonight for the first time.  Sometimes as a parent you try something a little different that what you knew growing up and this was one of those things.  We are so happy for him!  He will definitely be rocking it out at the 4th of July parade this year!  Go Hayden!  We're so proud of you and how brave and talented you are!

Elise at 3 Months

 Well this little baby girl is just delicious.  She is getting stronger and stronger.  Able to hold her head up in the 3rd month well. She rolls and coos and is sleeping well through the night.  Just delightful.  I love her smiles that are so big there is an aftershock in her body.    We all love her and the kids can't hardly keep their hands off.  But there is a reward for that sometimes, when the camera is pointed their direction (refer to last picture).  I love my this baby girl.  Daddy and I are thrice blessed with her!

Love the gums!

Surprise!

She completely had Clare by a fistful of hair in this picture.  You can see the sisterly irritation on Clare's face.

Sisters....awww!

Elise at 2 months

 What a sweet little girl.  We fall more in love with her everyday.  She is showing more personality everyday and is very interactive.  She coos and smiles constantly.  Holds her head up like a champ.  Loves to be upright to take in everything and has her little head on a swivel because there is so much to see.  She has been rolling from belly to back since her first month but is a pro at it now.  She started sleeping 7 to 8 hours at a stretch at night and is my own personal angel for that.  I think even her disposition has improved because of a good nights sleep.  She is so happy to see me in the morning when I go in and feed her.  She is just precious and we are all so enjoying her. 

Meeting Great Grandparents

We had the opportunity to travel to see another set of Great-grandparents for the children.  Hayden and Clare hadn't seen them in quite a while and it was little Elise's first time being held or seen by them.  We are so grateful to be able to see these blessed things.  These are her daddy's grandparents and they are so sweet and give me a hard time when I get the camera out.  But it was so sweet because Elise had been fussy all day and when her grandpa held her, she was content as could be. 

Elise's Dedication to the Lord

We dedicated our little girl at 6 1/2 weeks old.  We had grandparents there for the first time since we've had children.  And while its not a baptism, it is our promise that by the grace of God, we will follow Proverbs 22:6 that tells us:

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."

We pray that they will come to their own conclusion that they are in dire need of a savior and their heart will obey the calling of our Lord to accept the forgivness and atonement that is ours through Jesus Christ.  And when it is their decision, they will be baptized for their own faith as confession to others that their life belongs to the Jesus.  We are so grateful to have a church family and some family that will help to guide them in this way too.  We appreciate your prayers for our wisdom in guiding little Elise.  We are so blessed to have the privilege of raising her.

Elise at 6 weeks

Elise is cooing and so responsive to people talking sweetly to her.  She is so smiley and sweet and has the most kissable cheeks.  I love her so much.  Its going soooo fast.

Clare's First Haircut

Clare is just shy of 2 1/2 years old during her first haircut.  She mostly got it evened up but lost a good 2 inches on the back.  She did so well for her first haircut sitting still.  She was so excited to get to do it finally after watching Hayden get his haircut so many times.  She definitely earned her lollipop.