Sawyer is proud to announce:

Sawyer has a new title: Big Bro!
He now claims the titles of: God's child, son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and BROTHER

He'll get to meet his little brother or sister face to face sometime around November 27th.

Do you think he's proud of this?

BTW---This picture is awesome. I'm fairly certain he just got really excited because he saw the camera OR he saw my parents' dog.

Hugs and Kisses from Norlina!!

Houston, we have a stander!

Yesterday, Dean sat Sawyer in his crib so he could go dump out a poopy diaper. When he came back in, Sawyer was standing in the crib!

Today, he did the same thing with me. He stood there for a bit with his feet in first position, and then he toppled straight backward. He was pretty good-natured about it. I'll get a picture of it when I can.

For all you non-facebookers, here's a picture of our shopping excursion from yesterday. Sawyer's first time sitting in the big boy seat. He LOVED it.

 I did some work around the house to add more color. I adore spring. I also got in my garden out back and planted some seeds. I can't wait for the summer and homegrown produce!

 

Hugs and Kisses from Norlina!!

Posting

I'm sorry it's been forever since I've posted. My phone has been having issues and my photos aren't downloading right. I think Dad got that fixed, but I'm still going to need to make a trek into an Apple store in Raleigh. Fun.

Any who..... in the last TWO months: Sawyer has been trying out loads of different types of foods. When Rebekah was here he figured out how to crawl...ish. It's almost an army crawl. Kind of. I'll post videos. He's also discovered that Dudly's toys are more fun than his toys. Apparently he also likes to chew on Dudly's bones. Gross. Dudly has taken to protecting his toys. He's not mean. He'll just put his paw over top the toy so Sawyer knows it's his. Don't worry. That doesn't actually stop Sawyer. He's been known to take a toy straight from Dudly's mouth. Why yes. It's disgusting. Can I do much about it? Absolutely not. Other than watch Sawyer like a hawk....which I pretty much do anyway.

Sawyer's favorites (other than Dudly's toys): Egg yolk (scrambled in bacon grease--fed to himself), sweet potatoes, bananas, apples, his maracas, books, cell phones (or ipods---he really wanted Catherine's when she was here), Dudly, and Bilbo (Bilbo goes in hiding occasionally--- I think he's going to end up with a few bald spots).

SSawyer with his girlfriend, Olivia.

Sawyer and I---Olivia and Beth

Hi!

<3

Of course Sawyer loves the piano!

Smiles!

Nana with Sawyer on Easter

Three of my boys (I'm fairly certain Bilbo was in the crib)

It's his new thing.

Got rid of a few books....

Daddy went to work and left Dudly.

Rebekah hemming a dress. Isn't her hem perfectly straight?

Dean's new toy.

Growls.

Sharing toys.

Portrait for the church directory.

Outside fun!

Still sharing toys....

And....he finally found Bilbo's toys.

Best buds.

Couldn't resist....

Dudly's ball.

A fascination with mirrors...

Sawyer with his best friend, Luke.

They had a pretty spiffy play date! :)

So cute (also.... at 5 weeks younger than Sawyer, Luke is a good 2 pounds heavier and 2 inches longer)!

Sharing toys!

Cousins! (Minus Chris, Dorothy's husband)

Catherine stole my phone...

Easter outfit!!

Nana with Sawyer again on Easter! :)

Hugs and Kisses from Hamel!

Scooting!

It's official!! He's on the move!!

Giggles!

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world....baby giggles!!

Grandma

Well, I've been out in Illinois since March 25th. Sawyer and I flew out here Monday afternoon. We were able to see Grandma and say our final goodbyes. She passed away March 26th around 2:30am. I can't stop thinking about her. She's everywhere. We played liverpool last night (Mom, Dad, Opa, Shawn, Bek, Meaghan, Dum Dum, Dean, and myself). I must say, it feels so wrong to play without her. Even entering her house seems so strange. She was always sitting in the living room waiting to greet whoever walked through her doorway. Pr Ball delivered an excellent homily for her funeral services. Thankfully, all of her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren (with the exception of Dorothy's husband, Chris) were able to make the trek out here for a final farewell. Her sister and two nephews were also able to make it down. It was hard. I think about her often with sadness in my heart. I wish we had lived around here when she moved out here. I think I was the only grandchild who didn't get to spend a few years living nearby to her (and Opa). I was so thankful this summer for the month we were able to live in their basement. By the time she moved here, I was already at college in Nebraska. I didn't even live at home during the summers (Mom found some letters I wrote to her during my time at Concordia and at Camp Wartburg). We did live closer when we were in St. Louis, but we didn't get home as often as I would have liked. I did thoroughly enjoy that when we'd come home to visit Mom and Dad (Bek and Dum Dum) that they'd be within walking distance (or at least a 2 minute drive).

Miss you Grandma!! 

Here are a few pictures I found.

 I LOVE this. Halloween 2011

 Our Wedding

 May 2009--- Concordia's graduation

 Dorothy's wedding

 I have no idea when this was taken but I love it.

 August 2012--- 4 generations

At Christmas 2012

Hugs and Kisses from Hamel! :)