Kinsler Ryan at 20 months

It is two days before Kins hits his 21 month birthday and he is doing and learning so much!!! Chris and I took him to the park yesterday to take some pictures and we got a lot of cute shots! He had a blast rolling in the leaves while Chris dropped them on him. He had the sweetest giggle! He loves to snap and dance to any music. He loves to jump. I'm pretty sure he can jump better than any 20 month old I've ever seen. He can identify different body parts- he knew more than I was expecting him too when I quizzed him the other day.
Last but not least he loves using the "big boy potty". We are still introducing this to him so when we are home we ask sporadically if he needs to go potty and he will say yes or no. We also have been sitting him on the toilet every night before bath time to get him used to it. When he says yes he runs to the bathroom and puts his seat on the toilet and can't wait to sit up there like a big boy. We give him lots of praise for trying and we celebrate when he actually goes. You should see his face light up! It is the sweetest thing!
I will hopefully post pictures of our outing soon!

The Great Holiday Weight Loss Journey

After 3 days at home I am thankful I don't live closer for only about 1 reason...too much GOOD cookin'! There is nothing like a home-cooked meal made by your mom (or daddy) or grandma! (Especially when you live in the south because let's be honest...we know how to cook) On the way home from Jonesboro my sister and I started talking about how we should probably go on a diet before the holidays because we know we're gonna be eating even better than we did this week in about a month. So we decided to hold each other accountable for watching what we eat and working out more. Then, we decided we might as well get mom and Memaw on board with this little project. So to make it even more interesting we decided to make it a little competition. Mom and Memaw vs Emma and myself. Let the games begin! We have our first weigh in tomorrow morning and we will start our journey from that point. I'm hoping with us doing this as a team and joint effort we'll be accountable to each other and try to accomplish our goals. My personal goal is to lose the pesky 13 lbs I managed to gain over the summer. (Yeah, I know swimsuit weather is definitely not when you want gain 13lbs.) So with their help and yours tell me to lay off the sweets!!!! That's my biggest downfall. I LOVE chocolate.

This is my sweet family.

Aunt Kathy, Mom, Me, Emma Kate, and Memaw

We took this after breakfast Saturday morning at the place my aunt took us to for my Memaw's birthday. 

Just a quick family update...

Chris and I have been visiting a new church since the middle of summer. Immediately after our first visit we felt a calling. We were introduced to an amazing couple that brought us into their small group and pretty much the rest is history! Since Chris and I have been going we have made new friends and growing in our Faith. Kinsler loves going to church and can't wait to check in and run to his classroom. (He pretty much leaves me in the dust after I put his sticker on.) I am so excited about where God has placed us. God is good and has answered a prayer.

For your viewing pleasure... :)

Many faces

The weather is getting cooler and Kinsler is growing. This past month he has sprouted new interests and is learning and doing so much. He still loves to read, I catch him laying on the floor looking at his books all the time. He is now into the "boy" phase of playing with trucks and cars. Everything makes a noise too, he can make them honk with a "beep beep" or pretend they have have a whistle that makes a "hoo hoo" sound. His new favorite thing to do is work on puzzles, unfortunately at the moment we only have one puzzle for him to play with but we've been to the library to work on theirs and the church has tons in his nursery room. He loves coming to tell me about the animals on his puzzle. He continues to love to go outside and run around and slide on his little play toy. We are going to be in the market for a swing set/play house soon I'm afraid because our little slide does not hold his interest like the one at the park. (What a great idea for Christmas or birthday you grandparents that read this) :) He also likes to shoot baskets when we go outside. He continues to add new words to his vocabulary daily. I'm amazed at the words he picks up on. I hear a lot about daddy during the day, this kid LOVES his dad! In the morning when he gets up he yells for daddy and is a little upset when it's me who picks him up. He immediately runs to find Chris before I can tell him daddy left for work. When we pass the school or the gym he yells for daddy too. This kid is smart! Kinsler is now eating roughly 7 times a day! He eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with several snacks thrown in! It is kind of astonishing to see how much he eats! I fear for our checkbook when he gets older and I buy groceries for a teenager.
Every day offers new adventures as I watch him grow. It has taken me a long time to be okay with staying home during this season of life but, when I reflect on all I've watched him do I am so very thankful for this time. I know that when I get a job (hopefully) I will be crushed to leave him everyday.

Kinsler reading his book and working on his leaptop computer. 

 This is my cheesy sliding on his slide.

My precious angel baby who loves to take naps.

First week

Though this is not our first week home together, this past week was our first home since school started back. During that first week we set up a few play dates, went on a few walks, went to the library, played outside, and took long naps. We have had fun but I still can't help but feel guilty for staying home instead of being at work helping Chris to earn a living for our family. It seems  unfair for Chris to still be doing all the work now that I've finished school. I will never understand God's plan for my life. I think I need to stop trying.

Almost another month has gone by

School starts next Monday and I have yet to find a job. God is definitely testing my patience. This has been the hardest summer of my life. I never knew staying at home and taking care of my son could be so exhausting. My brain usually shuts down at 6 pm from trying to plan activities so he won't be bored to deciding what to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (That's saying a lot since I just finished one of the hardest school years ever.) Kinsler is used to being with 10 other kids all day long. He thrives off the other kids and I can tell he truly misses them. It has also been the hottest summer ever which means we can't stay outside very long if at all, and even the pool has lost its appeal.

Enough of the griping. It has been fun hanging out with my lil man and watching him grow. He is doing a lot of new things and is so goofy! He has recently found a love for cars and trucks he can push around.  He  still loves to look at his books. we catch him all the time in his rocking chair looking at his books and pressing the song buttons on his read a-loud books. We go to the doctor at the end of the month for his 18 month check up! I can't wait to see how big he has grown! I know weight wise he won't be much bigger than his last check up but I can't wait to see his height record! He is jabbering away all the time and loves to holler for mama or daddy and wait for us to ask "what" before he just jabbers away about something really important. :) Of course we have to respond so that we can see him smile at how we understand him.

Until next time...

Been awhile

Since my last post...
I graduated college. Again. Praise the Lord!
I am looking for a job.
I went to NYC to see Bruce with my Memaw and sister for graduation.
Chris and I went on a cruise with some of our fabulous friends.
Chris has started summer school at U of A.
Kinsler is, well, being Kins. :)

Wow...we've been busy! Now I'm trying to fill the days with fun activities for Kinsler. He and I both get bored easily but since it's usually 100 degrees or hotter for most of the day we are forced to stay inside or very close to the pool. Today we potted some flowers. He loved digging in the potting soil and helped me water the flowers.