The School Year Has Begun!

I can't believe that today is the last day of August! David has been 'back' at school for a week now and has just tured in a draft of a chapter, there will be revisions but he is getting somewhere. I am finishing up our final week before school starts for me and Noah. The week is full of parent coffees, classroom visits, and making sure my desk is clean....which I have to say is quite a task these days. I hope to get some school pics posted soon, so stay tuned!

Last night we went to celebrate our friend Jordan's birthday at an outdoor eatery with live music. Noah really enjoyed himself (and took it very seriously, judging by the look on his face). We stopped filming a bit too early. Right after we stopped filming, our little rock star, in true rock star fashion, threw his sippy cup on the ground with a very angry look on his face just as the song ended.

Where does life go?

Ugh! It just seems like life is flying by. Maybe it is just me, but I feel like David and I are living on the fast track and gearing up for a big race! I am preparing for teachers and students to come back, there are/were so many things I wanted to get done in the office while everyone was gone this summer....I am sure if I made a list it would see like I got more done. David is typing, typing, and typing. He is typing/writing his disertation, editing for his copy editing job, reading/assessing papers for another free lance job he has taken on and gearing up to be the managing editor of TCU Compositions Studies (a yearly journal)...
Plus we are trying to be a family that spends time together as much as we can and SLOW DOWN to enjoy our lives and our little boy. I find myself wishing away hours, days even weeks sometimes. Like the upcoming teacher in-service week. Did I mention I am leading a training on Assessment, yikes, I am totally freaked out!
Really we are doing well we just know/feel that this school year, we better put on our running shoes. (good thing Noah can finally wear his All-Stars from Grandma, they are super cute...I mean awesome!)
So I am callenging myself to make the most of every moment and focus on the positive or the good that come from each day!

New Things With Every Phone Call

So as you all know little boys and girls do grow up and our little fella isn't any different. David and Noah have been spending the days together since am back at work from summer vacation. Throughout the week I have received several phone calls from my boys and everytime I see it is them calling I hope that no one is hurt or David isn't asking 'What time will you be home?' No seriously they have had great days together. They have visited the zoo, gone swimming, played in the dirt, taken naps together (which I am extremely jelouse about), built forts, and a whole lot of other male bonding activities.

But today David called me and what I hear when I answer the phone is David talking to Noah, 'Tell Mommy what you did today, can you tell her?'

I say, 'What did you do today, Noah?'

David says, 'Noah did you go potty?'

Noah finally chirps up, 'Potty!'

Now I realize that we are far from being potty trained but a couple weeks ago we purchased a little throne from our little prince because he has been telling us potty. We understand that he hasn't fully grasped the concept and are not pushing it but when he does say potty, we will ask him if he needs to go and he usually says yes so we take him and sit him down. He is usually not there for more than 5 seconds but atleast we are getting the concept about what needs to happen when he says potty. So the short of it Noah went potty in the potty three time today!! Crazy I know and don't worry I am not going to stop investing in Pampers all because of a few trips to the bathroom, but you have to admit it is pretty cool!

The second phone call today was the utterance of a complete sentence. David was telling Noah that he sees the soccer ball and Noah repeated, 'I see it.' He also has been saying, 'bye-bye Daddy.' or 'Good night, monkey.' It is so wonderful to hear that little voice.

4 Years Married, 8 Year Together, And Lots of Memories In Between

These pictures chronicle our relationship. Sadly we uploaded them incorrectly, so it starts at the top here with our most recent picture, but it'll all be OK, I promise.



Every year on my mom and dad's anniversary, my mom puts on her wedding dress. We decided to give it a try, too, but uckily for us we bought my suit, so I can participate as well. Even after having a kid, Rebekah fits into her dress like it was tailored for her (which, I suppose, it was). My suit, however, fits as if it were tailored for a skinnier person (but not just the waist! My shoulders have grown, too...I'm becoming a man).

This is our 3rd anniversary. We were in Farragut, and we didn't take our wedding attire with us. Instead we reenacted the "Mashing of the Cake" (but somehow Rebekah managed to keep her face clean, hmmmm)

Not an anniversary, but pretty important, I suppose. Not Rebekah's best picture, but c'mon, she just made a new human. I look awesome because, c'mon, my wife just made a new human!

We cheated a bit for our 2nd anniversary. I didn't button up my shirt, and Rebekah didn't zip up her dress. I was just lazy. She was preggers.

This is a very early Molly picture. She was our first baby, but after having Noah I think I like kids better than dogs. Kids have diapers, and when you leave them in the house alone, they don't pee on the carpet. And I guess I don't leave Noah in the house alone...
First anniversary in our first apartment together. We went to San Antonio to celebrate. We walked the riverwalk, and, well...that's all there is to do in San Antonio, but it was fun!

This is probably self-evident, but this is a photo from our wedding. Huzzah for marriage! Huzzah for the only day in August that wasn't over 90 degrees for a ceremony in an unairconditioned church!

This is our first visit to Texas. We stopped by the botanical gardens after we visited TCU. We were still in college (and unmarried) so we took our friends Adam and Kim along to chaperone so we could still have a white wedding.

Engagement pictures! Look at Rebekah's perm!

If I really have to explain this one to you, then you obviously didn't ever walk the ceremony we just got done walking.

Thanksgiving of our Junior year, we went to my rommate Ben's parents' house in Holland, MI. We made a snowman and hugged it. I tried to bring him inside for the night (it was cold) but I just ended up murdering him. I cried a puddle of tears the size of my melted friend.

Sophomore year in Adam and Hal's room. Aren't we so young and cute and full of life?

Our very first picture together. Notice the lack of dog, child, and beard.