Cook-Out

One of the reasons I love summer is for the cook-outs. There is nothing like grilled food to satisfy your hunger after working up an appetite in this Texas heat (plus, it keeps my kitchen cooler since I don't have to use the oven or stove)! My parents came over the other evening, and, while the food cooked, Ian enjoyed some playtime with Granddad and Grammie.

Getting his "tum-tum" (tummy) wet.

A simple summer pleasure...running through the sprinkler.

Dedication Day

This past Sunday was Child Dedication Day at our church. We belong to a small, growing church, and Ian loves going. When we pull into the parking lot, he claps his hands and yells "Yay church!" I never would have guessed that he would be the child that was excited and happy to go to church, since he screamed and cried when I would drop him off in the nursery when we first started going. It has taken time (and LOTS of patience from the children's ministry team) to get us to clapping instead of crying when we arrive. It was a special day, and I hope his enthusiasm continues.

Ian doesn't ever get to hear the music during the service since he is in the nursery. The dedication was at the beginning of the service, so he got to hear the first few songs. Ian is a very observant little boy and likes to take everything in before he makes up his mind as to whether or not something is okay in his book. In this first picture he is taking it all in.

Tapping his toes to the beat (and looking down to make sure that they are tapping).

Truly enjoying the music and clapping along. He liked it so much that, after the dedication, he didn't want to go to the nursery. I might have a hard time convincing him that the nursery is more fun than the adult service from here on out!

My friend Courtney, whom I worked with while we were going to school at Tech, and her husband, Josh, were dedicating their daughter, Olivia. Ian and Olivia are almost exactly one year apart.

Collecting his certificate and not wanting much help from his Mama. :)

A "B" Birthday Party

Ian's friend, Brady, turned 2 a few weeks ago, and he had a "B" themed birthday party (balls, balloons, bubbles, etc.)...all things that any 2 year old loves! Ian was finally feeling better after having an ear infection and fever (thank goodness for antibiotics!!), so it was nice for both of us to venture out of the house and enjoy our friends.

This was before we got dressed for the party. While I was getting ready, Ian pulled my boots out of the closet and was so proud of himself that he put them on. The look of sheer joy on his face is priceless!!

They had this blow-up ball castle that Ian wasn't too sure about getting into at first. He had no problem snagging a ball from inside though.

The birthday boy and Ian sizing each other up. Ian was waiting for Brady to throw the ball to him.

Sitting on a mini roller coaster (he never actually rode the car down, he just liked sitting on it).

Getting more brave about going inside...

Waiting for more bubbles to blow out of the bubble machine. He was gesturing with his arm while saying "Bubbles blow away."

Once inside, he realized that it was actually fun.

Peeking around the corner...still not 100% that he really wants to be in there.

Yard Work

Ian is quite the little helper and loves to assist me with anything that I might be doing (laundry, cleaning, making the bed, emptying the dishwasher, etc..). We were doing some yard work the other day, and, as you can see, Ian did all that he could to make the job easier!

Splash Park

There is a great park a few miles from our house and it has a splash park that is open in the summer. Ian worked his way up to liking it by the end of last summer, so I knew it was going to be a place we would spend time at this year. I didn't take my camera to the actual park for fear of it getting wet, but I took some photos of Ian prior to his first day at the splash park this summer. I know I am kind of partial, but I think he looks pretty darn cute in his swim gear!

Kiddie Acres

A few weekends ago, everyone was healthy and the weather was nice, so I took Ian to the amusement park I wanted to take him to for his birthday...just a month later than anticipated. This park is a place that my parents took me and my brothers to when we were growing up. It was fun to see Ian discover and enjoy something that I had also enjoyed as a child.
Getting his first glimpse of Kiddie Acres. The excitement was pouring off of him!

Trying to figure out exactly what is about to happen prior to his first ride.

As you can see, he quickly got the hang of it.

Just checking things out while in complete control of his boat.

Waving to his fans.

The airplanes where Ian's favorite. I literally had to carry him out kicking and screaming after his last ride on the airplane...oh the joys of raising a 2 year old! :)

Sharing a funny moment with Uncle Justin.

Bluebonnets

It has been a while since I last posted, and I ALWAYS have good intentions of being better at updating. I put the camera right next to my computer to remind me to download pictures and post...but then life seems to get busy. The next few posts capture some of what Ian has been doing for the last few weeks.

We went out to MomMom and DadDad's house to get some pictures in the abundance of bluebonnets that central Texas was blessed with this year. It was a beautiful day, and I managed to capture some good pictures.