Outside Time

A lot of our days are the same. Blaine goes to school and works hard for us, and then studies and lifts weights when he gets home. 

I stay home all day, except for the errands, and we have our own little activities. We have our walk and our tennis ball hunt with Jake, as well as his playdates with his best friend Roxy.

 isn't that cute? it's the dog hug :)

But we also just like to sit outside together.

Sometimes in a chair, sometimes on an old sheet, we sit outside and feel the breeze and look at the trees and listen to the birds. The older Easton gets, the more alert he is and I like to watch him explore his surroundings.

Lost Little Elephants

When my brother Austin was little, my mom bought him an elephant costume. He made up this game where he would go outside our front door in Miami and knock. Then someone would open it and he would say, "I'm a lost little elephant looking for a home." And then my mom or whoever answered the door would play along and let him in.

It was hilarious and sweet and has forever been a family tradition and inside joke. So when my brother Aaron was born, we bought him his own elephant costume and he joined Austin's herd of lost little elephants.

So when my sister Alexis excitedly called me because she found a baby elephant costume, I had to order it immediately! We tried it on as soon as it arrived, but we'll do a photo shoot later.

Going Back to McLoud

A couple weeks ago we went back to McLoud (where I taught and coached last year) for a football game. Easton is such a happy, low maintenance baby, but if he is fussy, it's always in the evenings. So between that, plus all the people and all the noise, he was not happy for the first half. But the second half was better--we just took turns holding him close and he just watched us. 

I was excited to go back since I loved my time there, but so much had changed since last year. I was able to talk to some of my former coworkers, students, and pom girls. I asked about some of our pom girls that I didn't see that night and they told me that they had either quit or been kicked off.

That really weighed on me because I know personal things about them and their lives and know that some of them really, really needed this. On the way home after the game, I told Blaine that I know those girls' experience/year/lives would have been significantly different if I was still there. But then he said something very special and profound (and true). He told me he understood, but he also knows 2 boys whose lives would also be significantly different if I was still teaching.

My family always comes first and I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything in the world. 

I mean, look at this face :)

When he's fussy at night time and won't go to sleep, he sits next to his dad in the recliner and watches ESPN. I'm not kidding or making it up to be cute. It's all true. 

Love my little family and our Saturday night football parties.

Happy 1st Birthday, Jake!

September 23rd was a special day because it was Jake's first birthday!

Because birthdays are a big deal in my family, and he is part of our family and I love him, 

I threw him a fun little birthday party at our house this evening. 

Plus, I saw this on Pinterest one time and it has never left me:

So I always feel like I need to make sure he has a good life. 

(Don't get me started, you've heard my stories before)

Jake LOVES people, but he really only likes ONE other dog: Roxy. She is our neighbor across the street who took him out on walks when Easton was born. Her family has been so nice and helpful and we're so grateful to have them as our friends. So they helped us celebrate and came to his party.

They even brought him 2 presents which they let him open by himself, 

which was a gift in and of itself :)

So we chatted and ate cookies on the patio for about an hour and a half 

while Jake and Roxy played in the yard. Indeed, a good time had by all!

I decorated the house and patio with red crate paper (for the Sooners), tied up some balloons, baked a delicious homemade cake for Jake and Roxy, and some cookies for us and Roxy's "parents."

The doggy cake had wheat flour, peanut butter, honey, and bananas in it--and I added a layer of peanut butter on top for the frosting. They gobbled it all up and it was fun to watch the peanut butter get stuck to their mouths. 

Alivia made him some adorable leg warmers, but as he does with all things he's excited about, he ripped them up. But it was such a sweet and special birthday gift. Each one spells out his name.

You can learn how to make your own on her blog

We had a little photo shoot with confetti and the balloons. He even tried to chase after one of the balloons as it floated away into the sky. I'm sure he didn't understand it was his birthday, 

but I do know he had a great evening!

He loves wrestling with Blaine, sitting on my lap while enjoying a back massage, and licking Easton's feet. Oh, and have I ever mentioned that he LOVES hunting tennis balls?

For (lots) more pictures of sweet Jake Bake growing up this past year, 

go back to my national dog day post

Jake is the only dog I've ever had, so I know I haven't done lots of things right. But we have enjoyed having him in our family this year. His mischievous, playful, rambunctious, friendly, loving personality always keeps us laughing. He is a loyal companion and I'm excited to watch him share that same bond with Easton (and hopefully more kids later). 

Happy Birthday, Jakey! :)

Dental Visit #2

Not much to report from my second dental appointment with Dr. Blaine Baker. Easton is still a big hit and all the appointment takes a long time because everything has to be passed off by professors. But here are a couple pictures.

Here are the casts of my teeth that Blaine took, and yes, I am a dental miracle. 

When I was younger, one of my front right bottom teeth (still haven't learned the teeth numbers yet) was laying horizontal in my gums/jaw area... (Blaine would be so ashamed of my poor terminology)

So when I was in 7th grade I went to the periodontist and had surgery to insert a chain to wrap around the tooth and pull it up vertically into its correct spot--and it worked. 

It took a long time and hurt a little, but it worked.

My grandpa was an orthodontist and he always called me a dental miracle because of that... so there ya go. If you'd like a picture or autograph, just let me know.

And cute (patient) baby E got to sit in the dental chair for the first time! :)