Summer Fun

July was a little crazy for us so here's an update on what we've been up to the past month.

Trip to the Dallas Zoo

The playgroup took a trip to the Dallas zoo and my sister & Austin got to join us as well! Their new Safari exhibit is AMAZING! As you can see below, we were eye to eye with the giraffes...I got to pet its head! And there's a little cafe where the lions were leaning against the glass so the kids got to be extremely close. Very cool! Since we have a zoo membership we will definitely be heading back in the fall when it's a little cooler.

L to R: Caleb, Marshall, Egan, Mia, Peyton and Preston

Swimming Lessons
A short clip from swimming lessons with Miss Margaret and the playgroup swim team! :) And yes, he graduated with flying colors...kinda.




Pump it Up Jr.
Our playgroup found out about this great indoor bounce house "park" that's just for toddlers called Pump it Up Jr. Organized chaos is the name of the game here and Marshall just loved it...until he got "lost" in the maze! (Meaning, "I couldn't find my mommy in the maze.") Before "the maze incident," he was climbing up and sliding down the big slide all by himself. I was just amazed at how active and independent he has become, what joy to see his little personality blossom!

L to R: Marshall & I, Egan & Whitney, Mia & Jennifer, Camryn & Amanda, Piper & Michele, Jake & Kristen, Zane & Sandra, Jack & Lisa

15 Months

Our little boy is 15 months old! We've been extremely fortunate that Marshall has yet to be truly sick in his short lifetime, just some little sniffles along the way. Well, all that changed when our little guy got croup last week. Thankfully it was a mild case and was gone in a day. It was our first trip to the Dr. for something other than a well-baby apt. (He gets that hearty stock from my side of the family!) But we got an official weight when we were there and our string bean is only 21lb 11 oz. His weight has taken a gigantic halt since his height is leading the way! He also has four teeth, 2 top and 2 bottom.

He's still a babbler with lots of things to say, of which we don't have a clue. But he has officially said his first two words, dog and cat, other than Da-da and Ya-ya. He goes between dog and "oggie," so it could be an attempt at Maggie but you can't really tell. You can add another torchered dog soul to his list...poor Tikka (my sister's dog) stayed with us a couple days and she got so fed up with his constant in-your-face harassment that she barked at him, just once. Of course he wasn't a fan, but he got the picture...dogs like personal space too!

There's also been a bit of a change in his appetite recently, he actually doesn't eat everything I put in front of him...the nerve! It's been an interesting struggle to scramble and find something he will eat besides fruit. If I gave him bananas, blueberries, blackberries or strawberries with milk everyday, he would be in heaven! We've had to get creative with the veggies and proteins but I'm determined and there's nothing a little ranch dressing or cheese can't liven up! :)

The most exciting news this month is that Marshall's learning to swim. Miss Margaret is the swim instructor that taught Creighton to swim but don't let her age fool you, (we think she's in her late 70's, early 80's) she's feisty! There are 4 other playgroup friends taking the class with us: Mia, Jack, Piper and Hudson. We are having a blast and the kids have learned so much in such a short period of time. We start our second and final week of classes next week. Now he's no Mia "the fish" Thomas but by the end of this first week he can get out of the edge of the pool by himself with a little nudge from mom and "swim/glide" under water for a couple of seconds covering about a foot of water from Miss Margaret to me. He's not a fan of kicking or lying on his back but if you ever need some "entertainment" ask one of the moms to sing the kickety-kick song for ya...it's pretty catchy!

When we're not swimming Marshall's busy stacking his stacking cups (his new favorite activity) and still playing chase, but now it's fun to run under the dining room table. Yep, we're running now...oh goody!?! We love you little man! We thank the Lord daily that he has entrusted you to us.

15 Months with Gordo the Gorilla

Wordless Wednesday - Nudie Bootie!

I Heart the Pool!

We've had a fun summer so far since Marshall is all about water these days. We've visited my sister's and Grandma's pool, as well as a local spray park with the playgroup. We start swim lessons next week so I can't wait to see how our little fish does. Here are a couple of pictures of our past water outings.

Playing in Mia's frog pool with Raylee and Piper in the back. Mia was feeling a little cramped. :)

In the kiddie pool at Grandma's community pool!

His favorite spot was standing by the edge so he could play with his toys.



At the Spray Park with Playgroup (I was too busy chasing him to get more pictures!)

Playing with cups that he had absconded from some helpless children...sigh.

You wanna do what!?!

So for those of you that don't know...my husband is a powerlifter. Meaning he doesn't just lift heavy things like furniture...no, he competitively lifts a bar with heavy weights for the pure enjoyment of it all. I often feel like I'm having an out of body experience when I tell others about his new hobby. Because most people ask me to repeat my statement knowing my tall, lanky husband doesn't fit the type.

I feel like I must explain a little about my sweet husband Creighton in order for you to truly understand this powerlifting decision. Don't let the quiet, funny type fool you...Creighton is all boy in his desire to compete and conquer. He's passionate like no one I've ever met and is "all in" when he commits to something. Which is something I love about him!

The good news is I knew this going into the relationship since he boxed in college and did jiu-jitsu early in our marriage. Most men run marathons, my husband likes to get a little rowdy when he's burning off steam. I think it helps keep him balanced since he's a much happier man when he's training for something.

So when he told me he wanted to compete in a powerlifting competition in Tyler, I knew things would get interesting. Hours upon hours of researching online and reading books titled, The Strongest Shall Survive, Starting Strength (sixty, yes sixty stimulating pages on proper squatting) and Practical Programming for Strength Training over and over again. Sigh.

It wasn't even all the gallons of milk he was drinking, daily. It was the attire that threw me over the edge! Ladies, you've never lived until you've seen the love of your life in a singlet, weight lifting belt, lifting shoes and tube socks....be still my heart. (Please note, there is a HUGE difference between powerlifting and body building...think more Olympic weightlifters less Arnold Schwarzenegger striking a pose.)

Last weekend was the big meet in Tyler and I could not have been more proud of Creighton, he did amazingly well! He competed in 3 events: squats, deadlift and bench press. I've included 2 short videos of his final squat and deadlift for your viewing pleasure! (The meet was held in the Quality Inn ballroom, hence the fancy lighting...I couldn't make this stuff up!)

Creighton's best lifts...

Squats - 402 lbs

Bench Press - 265 lbs

Deadlift - 435 lbs

Squats

Deadlift

Jeff and Molly from our Community Group came from Dallas to cheer him on and even made T-shirts! Thanks guys!!!

That's C.U. Smile! (I love a good double entendre!)

The Farm - 5/13

In May the playgroup took at trip to the Owen's Farm here in Richardson. Back in the day it was a real working farm where the Owen's family (as in Owen's sausage) started their business of raising pigs etc. There's still a working plant there, so the farm is more for show. We met our lovely tour guide Joe who is the main worker on the farm and was less than excited about his job of touring around moms and their kiddos, but he warmed up to us in the end!

The trip started with some goat feeding...and those billies are rather snarky when it comes to sharing feed. It's definitely survival of the fittest and you learn real quick the bullies in the pin. But they were all very sweet with the kids and with this being their first experience with goats, they didn't quite know what to think of those bearded 4-legged creatures.

Okay...Marshall's hat is a little too big, so it has affectionately been named "the sombrero" by his playgroup friends.

This is what it looked like when your hand was full of feed.

Sweet Mia was dressed in her farm attire...jeans, bandanna top and daisy headband! But she wasn't afraid of those goats, like her mom! ;)

I promise there's a child underneath that hat!

Next was the hay ride around the pond to see the geese and mini ponies!

Crikey, are we in the outback!?! (Or as Creighton would say, "A dingo ate my baby!")

The infamous "group shot"

We ended with a tour of the farm and some lunch by the stables. We saw their famous antique Owen's carriages, horses, lots of chickens and mini ponies. We even got to plant some pumpkin seeds and see one of the goose eggs hatch! Gotta love a day at the farm!

(A BIG thanks to Whitney and Michele for all the pictures...momma forget her camera, ugh!)

14 Months

Marshall's 14 months old and just continues to melt our hearts with his spunk and tenacity! There's one thing for sure...he's not a shy child. When people come by to visit, he instantly throws his arms up to be held by them, even total strangers! Last month we had a short stint of separation anxiety when we would drop him off at the church nursery, but that seems to have passed.

Marshall is a busy boy with lots of places to go and a dog to torment. He's taken to reclining on Maggie and she's not a fan...but he's as persistent to sit on her as she is to change locations so it can be entertaining to watch. He also thinks it's fun to give and receive kisses from her. Since he's an open mouth kisser, Maggie thinks he wants to eat her nose...so she nervously licks his face and the cycle of hilarity begins!

He's not quite running, but has mastered his speed walking technique (pumping or throwing up the arms is essential to increasing his speed.) Everything is a game of chase with this guy...so if you convince him to come to you he gets close enough to do a fake out right before you can grab him. If he already gets this concept now, I'm not looking forward to the future! Last week he started scooting this big truck around the living room, it's a jerky scoot but it gets him where he needs to go.

It's such a joy to see his little spongy mind taking everything in. He still only says Da-da and Ya-ya (which is his version of mom), but can bark when we ask what a dog says and we're working on uh-ooh. He can point out his head, ears and sometimes nose. But one day that spongy mind is going to release vocabulary like a flood and we can't wait!

Marshall still LOVES books, balls, dancing, eating and sleeping. (We're still taking 2 naps a day.) Being outside is quickly rising to the top...loves him some dirt! We're taking swim lessons next month so that should be entertaining. My sister moved in down the street and they have a pool, so we'll be practicing the back stroke in no time! ;)

My dear playgroup friend, Whitney, took these pictures for his 1st birthday. They are fabulous! She captured his personality at this stage perfectly. Thanks Whitney!