Happy Birthday Eccleston Boys

I am going to warn you right now that this post has a lot of pictures! But it's a 2 for the price of 1 kind of post...and party!! Griffy's birthday is June 1st & Beanie boy will turn 1 on July 10th so we met in the middle and threw a party in honor of our summer boys! What started out as just a casual get together of coarse turned into a little more, but I had a great time getting it all together!

Griffin's request for his party will not surprise those of you who know him well...to watch "CARS" so we had a movie/Cars theme and watched the first Cars in our backyard.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...my hubby is a saint! I really thought it would be awesome to do an outside movie, but the cost and logistics of it just seemed like it wasn't going to be an option. Then somehow at the beginning of this week Ry found a projector to borrow from work and rigged up this little set up. I am seriously blessed to have someone who goes above and beyond for my party whims! Love you Ryski:)! The screen was an old blanket with a white sheet nailed up in front of it and our amazing neighbors, the Bennetts, who let us borrow everything from vanilla and eggs to their canopy in a pinch, provided the cherry on top...that canopy was a life saver!

We had a "concessions stand" on our patio out back so kids & parents could get some refreshments while viewing Cars...

"Oh no a crash!" Griffin & buddy since a few months old, Charlie!

Griff & buddy Trevor

and speed around the backyard on the swing set and in and out of the bounce house!

with Aunt Ali

Beanie and Henry

We love the Mick boys!

(Henry was smashing his face into the screen for the pic, it was so cute:)!!)

Brother wrestling....er, love!

And then it was time for cake! I LOVE this little gem, and as sick as it is, I have been fantasising about it since I first saw it in the store! Which delicious bakery did this come from you ask??? It's a small little neighborhood joint called, Walmart! Ha ha! It was yummy and so cute and as long as the boys are little, I am getting cakes with polka dots!

Griffy got help from his buddies with the candles!

And these are my buddies, who without I would be a sad momma:)! I LOVE you all!

Erin, Mary Beth, me, Jenni & Valerie with out most recent additions!

And the rest was just fun! Griffin & I decorated the house all week this week, and had a lot of fun bonding over the errands and projects we had to do for his "race car party"!!

Griffin insisted on those pinwheel things that are hanging from the ceiling. He called them his "gumbrellas" (umbrellas) all week!

Pins we made for the boys to wear at the party which were covered in slime and drool within 5 minutes of putting them on. Good thing I bought them from the $1 isle and spruced them up!

Take home treats: Flags to cheer on Lighting at his races & movie snacks

Griff & what else?? Cars 2 paraphernalia!

Beanie birthday love...he wasn't so sure about a party, but he had fun anyways!

It was such a fun night! Griffy had a big time running and playing with all his buddies and we just felt so blessed to have such sweet friends to celebrate with. 2 Aunties and an Uncle even stopped by the party to say hi as they were passing through this weekend!!

Boys, I feel so humbled just to be your mom. I love getting to plan the party and help cut your cake and watch you open up gifts! All the things that make you guys happy are doubly happy for dad & I! You are both our wish come true!

We made a little birthday video of the last year, I will try and post too!

11 months

Hey little boy!

It pains me to write your 11 month post...the next time I write one for you, you will officially be a 1 year old boy, and not my baby. Oh, my!

Month 11 has been HUGE for you. You've been calling me Ma Ma, which of coarse is music to my ears! In fact you've been talking up a storm, and none of us can wait to hear what you are going to call Griffy! You started taking your first steps and every day you seem to take one or two more than the day before! It's seriously AMAZING (even though it's my second time...I think it must never get old) to watch you learn these things.

You cuddle and love and smile and steal all of our hearts!

Happy 11 months my little man!

Some Sapp Family fun!

A first William D. & Lucille Sapp family photo

(by the way, check out that profile....hello Andy!!)

Currant William D. & Lucille Sapp Family photo

Do you think these two could have even imagined all this on that sweet day their family was born? Makes me wonder what my family photo will grow to look like someday??!!! I can't quite see past today at the moment...but someday I pray for this!

Over the years my grandparents on my moms side have tried to do some trips as one big group! They are brave:)! We have been to Disney, Alaska, Arizona and when I was in college we went to Paris and London. That was the last installment of the "Sapp Family Trip" and as everyone started to get married and great grand children it seemed that it might be it. Schedules are crazy...life is crazy. But somehow, by God's grace I imagine, each member of our family was able to hoof it to Grand Beach Michigan, and we had ourselves a good ole fashion family reunion!

My grandpa Sapp is the father of 4 daughters, so when he acquired son in laws and grandsons he jumped right on the "manly" bonding activities when we vacation. The boys have done a few fishing trips, and this time they ventured out to Lake Michigan and had quite a successful day! In fact, my cousin Austin cooked up the fish they caught that night, and we sampled it at dinner! Ryan felt very accomplished and manly:)! They also got in a scramble game of golf in which even the youngest members of the family (aka Griffin) got to play too!

What did the women do you wonder, while the men were out catching fish and playing sports??

Shopped of coarse! And we got some good buys too!

One night we did dinner out and all the grand kids and significant others squeezed in to the same table. So fun!

We topped off the weekend with some father's day frolicking at my sister in law, Julie's parents place! They have an amazing back yard with a BBQ area and pool and they graciously allowed the Sapp clan to descend upon it for lunch.

And no family reunion is complete with a little photo sess. Ali & I of coarse knew that no photo session would be complete without a few props and below are the fruits of that...

Mostly, all I can say is "sorry" for my creepy 'stache and the faces that transpired behind them, but it makes me laugh, so mission accomplished I guess!

`

I LOVE my sister.

And my hubby. Always the performer.

Gotta love brother in laws,

boy cousins,

girl cousins & Max,

And them. Of coarse.

They have set the foundation for a family rooted in the Lord. And there is good and bad and difficult in this family, just like any family. Thankfully though they have chose to invest their lives in loving the Lord and by doing so, have invested in the generations to come...

Psalm 103:17

But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--

Are they not adorable?

Great foundation.

Great Grandparents.

Great God:)!

ready, ready, ready, READY to........

RUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!!!! All I am ready to do is have some fuuuuuuuuuun!

Thanks Dixie Chicks, and also sorry I just quoted that song. It's what is running through my mind as I think of the last few weeks and the few weeks ahead. I am getting a little tired though and instead a sweet and slow country song, life has felt a little more like the scene in Home Alone where they are running through the airport to "Run Run Roudolph" and all I am ready to do right now is take a nap!

Summer has somehow swung into full force. So I haven't been at my computer. I have been on the move. My two big feet shuffling after these two little feet. Our Summer is going like our popsicles these days, quick and yummy and gone in a flash.

We've been on the go! I haven't posted about a family night for the last 2 months I think, but thankfully it's not for lack of family nights, just time to post pics! Seems like we've been eating a lot of our new favorite...

Chicken TACOS & black beans (which beanie man LOVES, of coarse)! We've spent a lot of time outside enjoying the weather and each other!

Last week we spent hot late nights preparing and crazy rainy days having our first garage sale. It was a lot of work. Thank goodness you only have enough stuff to do one of those every so often. We did make a little money though and I LOVE purging things. I feel so much lighter now. Unfortunitly, we moved right on to the next event though, so the basement and garage are still kind of in shambles. Oh well.

Griffin started bug class at the arboretumn and sports class through the park district. He is loving them both. I absolutely adore watching him in sports class. He is not as agressive as I would have imagined, instead he takes each direction from the coach very seriously and consintrates so hard. It is precious and both mornings after class he has skipped out saying, "I did awesome mom!" Oh, Griffin.

This is sadly going going....almost gone....

In Beanie news, he is taking a few steps! AH! My life is about to change. He's loving being along for the ride we are on this summer and for the most part very content as long as I am holding him, oh my little man:)!

In the mix we have also had a family reunion, 2 baby showers for our new nephew Cooper, some play dates, and we are prepping this week for the boys birthday party and our besties coming to visit from Africa! It's gonna be another wild one, so I am going to attempt to gear up and pull myself together with what's left of this week! I can't wait!

Boys, it's already been a crazy summer and we haven't even been through half of it yet! I love doing suits and crocks and sun hats and baby pools and popsciles and nights on the patio with you. Summer is such a sweet time, and even though we are running a bit, I'm so enjoying life with you and all the blessings he is allowing us to celebrate!