a bit nostalgic...

posting those last pictures really made me think about last year's pictures with ethan... and how much he has changed since then. am i going to be like this for the rest of his life? oh dear. he really has grown so much in the blink of an eye, and this is only the beginning. we still have a big boy bed, potty training, reading, writing his name, learning to play soccer, and tying his shoes to conquer... and that's not even to 2nd grade yet (though to be honest, i don't know when kids learn to tie their shoes)!! how do moms do this? i love watching him learn new things, like recognizing a letter ("A! A! A!" they're all A), and oh, watching him try to jump is absolutely precious. he is saying new words every day, and i really wouldn't have it any other way. but remembering the baby he was and fearing that i will forget all of that just breaks my heart. (though my thousands of pictures can help remind me!) so these days, i am rocking him a little longer, singing more songs as he plays with my hair and sucks his thumb, and reciting "brown bear, brown bear" a few more times... and just when i think i've gotten a handle on this growing up thing, caroline's gonna get bigger on me too. i'm starting to understand why moms cry at everything... yes mom, i understand.

our little noisemakers

in keeping with last year's tradition, i subjected my children to another new year's photo shoot. originally, caroline was going to be the only subject--i mean, she couldn't really object. :) but ethan saw all the balloons on the bed, and could not contain his excitement: "ball! ball! ball! ball!" so we let him play on the bed in his diaper just in case there were some picture-perfect moments. :) he was so cute in his diaper (has it already been a year??), so i hurried and made another "2007" sash for ethan--which stayed on for a whole 5 seconds! i was pleasantly surprised at how these turned out. i promise i won't make ethan do these new year's pictures once he's out of diapers!!

well, i'm blowing but nothing's happening!

ohhh, i put it up HERE and blow...

got it!

this party animal is beat

i feel like i've done this before...

where's my "2007" thingy?

i'm laughing because you actually think i'm gonna wear that thing!

ok, you have .83 seconds to snap a picture!

toooo late- hope you got a picture!

much better!

hat! hat! hat! hat! hat! hat!

these did something much more fun when daddy blew them...

happy 2007!

photoshop phun!

well, my mom delivered...as always! she is quite the pro with photshop elements, so i thought i'd post these new and improved shots of ethan & the christmas tree. much better than the orange shirt. :) enjoy!

hmm...let's try a blue shirt....

this one's my favorite!

welcome 2007!

we rang in the new year with our dear friends jonathan & tammy and their sweet kids... this has been our tradition for the past few years, with the exception of last year (i guess they had a good excuse!) :) after church, we visited ashley & dabney's cute cute house, and then headed to jonathan & tammy's to watch the ball drop. i really wasn't sure what ethan would do when bedtime came, but i figured we could at least get him to fall asleep in our arms on the couch... well, as you can see, we had a little party animal on our hands! he played with joseph & natalie till after the ball dropped! he even stayed awake the whole way home (that was pretty shocking!!) and then talked in his bed for a little while before finally going to sleep. keeping him up late actually paid off because he slept in until 11:00 the next morning. since i fed caroline later than usual that night (when we got home), she slept till 10 am... so this momma got a nice new year's treat of SLEEPING IN! that's the latest i've slept in a very long time. yay for new year's!!! we had a great time celebrating low-key style, and we look forward to what God has in store for our family in 2007. enjoy the pictures. i promise i have christmas pictures coming. :)

pajama party!
caroline- 7 weeks, natalie- 4 1/2 yrs., joseph-2 yrs, ethan- 18 mos

natalie is growing up so fast!!
and before i know it, caroline will be celebrating 2011...

hey man, wake up!
we still have an hour to go!

their second wind

3...2...1....happy new year!

a new year's smooch

kisses all around!

natalie's ready for bed!

and the boys are still going strong...

we love you guys!

blast from the past...
new year's 2004

happy new year!

wow i have a lot to post!!!! christmas and new year's pictures, as well as pics of our growing little girl.... but as always, there is STILL laundry to do from being out of town last weekend. so just sit tight and i will be back with lots and lots of pictures. nancy, just hold your horses a little while longer!!! :) i WILL return!