A Day at the Beach

This week we are at the beach with Jason's wonderful family. I have really been looking forward to this trip because it's Zach first time at the beach. He loves it already! GOD gave us sunshine yesterday, and today it rained so we shopped. Can it get any better?

Checking out the sand

Taking it all in

Worn out already!

Zach & me

G-Daddy (Jason's Dad) fed the seagulls right in front of our tent, and Zach just stared...he didn't know quite what to think.

Jason & Zach

Little swimmer

Shannon and Zach on his new truck.

What a smile!

Our Little Bruiser

Zach is nine months old today! WOW. This is how I found him in his crib a week and a half ago. I do not know when he learned to do this or how it happened. I called Jason in the nursery, and I think the three of us just stared at each other for about five minutes. Wild little man with wild

hair.

He already has two bottom teeth and his top two teeth started coming in a week ago. His grins are so cute, and he laughs all the time! However, sometimes he just looks at me like this...

Then in between pictures he breaks out into giggles.

At least I was able to catch a good smile!

Mom's Birthday Weekend

What a weekend full of surprises for my Mom. It was a good thing her 60th birthday finally rolled around because I was about to burst with all the secrets I have been keeping this year. Especially my Dad's gift, but more on that later...

My family met at the lake for some fun and relaxation. I met Garrett my new and only nephew for the first time! What a cutie.

Zach & Garrett...they are only six months apart. Garret is very long, and Zach is thick!

My Mom and Garrett

Allie "driving" the boat.

My Mom with Mary Afton. Mary did not move the entire morning on the boat. She didn't know quite what to think.

My Dad skiing


Zach & Garrett

Allie skiing for the first time ever. She did great!

Meredith skiing

Faber surfing

Bo & Abby

We also went to my parent's house to continue the birthday fun, which of course includes taking family pictures!

My "little" family

Mom & Dad with their FIVE grandchildren. Hard to believe!

Mary Afton, Zach, Garrett, Allie, and Abby

Next came the birthday gifts.

Surprise #1 The Jag

My Mom's dream car has always been a silver blue jaguar. My Dad has been scheming for about a year to pull this surprise off for her birthday. She was absolutely SHOCKED! I was so nervous and excited for her and loved seeing how happy my Dad was when he gave it to her.

My Mom's grandma name is Bunny, so my Dad ordered this license tag for her. Icing on the cake!

Monday on my Mom's birthday, Meredith, Mandy and I took my Mom to lunch at Ashley's downtown. Surprise #2 was that we also invited 11 of her closest friends to be there to surprise her. Again, she was shocked!

I am worn out. ; ) This weekend could not have been more perfect for my Mom, and she deserved every bit of it!

New Look

This weekend my sis in law Meredith helped give me a blog makeover. She did it all, and I sat there and told her what I liked and didn't like. She's a wiz with the computer. I love it!

Thanks, Mere!

The pic of Zach was taken by Wendy Dunn when he was six months old. She first took pictures of Zach when we was only ten days old. She does a wonderful job of working with babies, and Jason and I have enjoyed working with her!

Our Little Chocolate Baby

Zach and I spent the afternoon with Jamie and Caitlyn. Zach would not sit still when Caitlyn tried to hold him, but this doesn't surprise me. I think the boy runs in his sleep!

Jason and I are frequently asked if Zach is an ethnic or mixed race baby. We are so used to it now, and I think he is going to be asked this all of his life! Caitlyn was the first one we know of who noticed his dark features. When describing Zach to her older brothers, Caitlyn said that he was a little chocolate baby. He has been labeled this ever since!

Zach & Caitlyn

Babies!

I want to praise the LORD for His answers to my prayers as much as I pray for them. Over the past few years, I have been praying for friends in my life who want to have a baby. Many of them have had babies, and I am still praying for others. I have also added friends to my pregnant prayer list. I am going to pray for these amazing people until they have a baby!

On the side of my blog, I have started a list of my praises. Most of these people I have prayed for to get pregnant, but others are pregnant friends who I am just excited for! Like my friend Ashley who is very blessed and fertile and basically gets pregnant if she thinks about it...so she really didn't need my prayers. ; )

This is another visual evidence to me that GOD answers prayer. I want to keep praying in faith. I got this list idea from Kelly, and I love it!

Movin' On Up

Our little bruiser has outgrown his first carseat! He doesn't quite know what to think about this new and much bigger one.

Zach trying out his new seat.

He approves!

Wedding Fun

This past weekend, I gave Hil a wedding shower along with some of my best friends. It was wonderful to be together! Just like old times.

Suz and Laura in front

Me, Hil, Jenny, and Sarah in the back

Showing off our wonderful hostess gifts. Monogrammed umbrellas...SO cute!

Some of our moms...Cheri, Debbie, Halita, and my mom Afton

My Dad and Zach were twinkies! No, we didn't plan this. ; )

Saturday night my parents watched Zach for me while we all went over to Suzanne's house (except Sarah...she has three young kiddos and is very busy!). I loved every second of being with these girls.