Happy Birthday Abe!

Happy Presidents Day!

Love, Griffy

He made this at school last week...so cute!

With kids even presidents day is a kick!

"love"

My Valentine from a girl who doesn't love Valentines Day, but totally loves and gets me!

Thanks Casey:)!

It's my "favorite"!

With LOVE from Beanie & Griff

February is for Celebrating!!

February at this house is a month for lots of celebrations, and that we have had! What a great last few days! Here's my King of Hearts and Heart Breaker starting V-day off right! Thanks GG for the cute Valentines gear!

He seriously is a little heart breaker, isn't he???

(or at least his momma will always think so, it's my job:)!!)

We started off the celebrating at my mom's house for a seriously quick get together with my brother Andy, his wife Julie, my sister Ali and her boyfriend Dave! Andy and Jules came in late on Friday night for a wedding so we had just a few short hours of celebrating together but we made the most of it and it was a blast!

Suz & Wayneski made baked Alaska and we got 2 candles to represent our last year in our 20s!

Suz's beautiful Valentine table

The February Birthdays - gift theme??

New Coats!

We spent Saturday night at our house snuggled in for a Valentines Day "Family Night"!

Griff had to follow a treasure map to find some Valentine booty (a word which he loved by the way!! HAHA!)

and the boys gave each other a car and plane respectively, and they have played with the "brother" gifts non stop ever since!!

We ate noodles and caught a showing of Charlie Brown's Valentine before we wrapped up the night! The boys and Ry made me this amazing pink card with all the right details! They know me so well:)!

Monday morning (TODAY!!!), is Valentines Day! Happy Birthday Ryan!

So, in a Valentine tradition that has lasted 29 years to the day, I wore Ryan's mom's heart pin that says " I love Ryan"! She got it on the day he was born on wore it every Valentines Day until the year we got married and then gave it to me, and now I wear it. Isn't that sweet??:)

And this year I got the GREAT privilege of helping at Griffin's school for the V-day Party! A great time was had by all 8 three year olds while they played heart themed games....

and treasure hunted for the letters to the word VALENTINE

and passed out cards

and Griffin was even the snack helper, who happened to sneak in a few snuggles with Mrs. Stabb while passing out the snack names, what little stinker!

After school we came home to find a package full of LOVE from Grandma and Grandpa Eccleston! It was such a great surprise!

They love these little bears!

Life is for celebrating and in this month we do it often! We are blessed!

Happy Valentines Day!

Some 7 Month Love

So I may go a tad indulgent on these pics from our 7 month mini session:)!

I am in love with these pics because taking them was quite battle for the two of us due to the fact that.....

7 MONTH SPOILER ALERT:

Beanie man is crawling!!

Yes folks, he is ON THE GO, and my whole life is about to change!

Even though he was constantly moving towards me and trying to eat the camera lens, I still got a few smiles and captured those baby blues! You rocked up on your knees all month buddy, and now you can finally get somewhere!

So Beanie, at 7 months you are really coming out of your shell...

Those smiles light up my day especially now that you have 6, yes 6 adorable little teeth. When ever I see you flash your top ones I can't help but chuckle at the precious teeny gap between the two of them. You full out giggle and Griffin endlessly tries to get it out of you by pretend hiccuping which for some reason always makes you laugh:)!

And teeth lead us to eating, which is something you LOVE! In fact you ate your first Cheerio just today! I can't get enough of watching you bring a puff to your mouth! It takes SO much concentration on your part and you work so hard just to get that little guy in there and then you chomp it proudly between your gums and smile! You haven't been super picky thus far, everything I have made you gobble right up. Here's a few quick shots of some of the Beanie food making process, this was steamed pears and then we added bananas!

This is you ready to partake of some delishious baby delicacies! You are such a BIG boy in your high chair.

You love to play, watch Griffy and if I am on this computer....you LOVE to move towards the screen and tap your gooey fingers on all the keys! You love it when we sing and dance for you! You are finally giving up one of your night time feedings (fingers crossed), so I think in the next few weeks here I may be able to catch up a little on sleep

Here you are sitting, a skill you have confidently mastered now, even in the tub! Guess what eles I saw you do in the tub just tonight? Try and pull yourself up, oh boy I am in trouble!

You are really hitting a phase here where almost every day brings something new for you. It's really exciting and a little bitter sweet too. I am putting away the "baby" baby stuff, your swing and bouncy seat and moses basket have to go downstairs and wait for the next *God willing* Eccleston baby and we'll trade them for outlet plugs and gates. You are still my boy for sure, and I really do love that we have that little bond and will take it as long as I can. The days to hold you and snuggle you and be the one to calm you down and smooch you all over are numbered so I am trying to cherish each one! On the other hand though, if you stayed little I would never know if your hair really is going to curl or not when it gets longer and what your teeth will look like all grown in and what it will be like to hear you call me mom so I guess I will have to let you go...I can't wait to watch all of those mysteries unfold!

Lastly, here is the orange blankie shot! It took way more work to get it this time because you immediately want to flip to your tummy and skiddadle when I lay you down, but we got one...even if you are practicing some baby yoga moves in it!:)

Happy 7 months sweet boy!

10 things I love about the Birthday Boy!!

1. I LOVE the sweet relationship he has with this kiddo. They have their own inside jokes, their own music & dances, their show (Phines & Ferb) and they just have a way together that fills Griffin up with just what he needs. It's awesome for a mom to watch!

2. He is endlessly patient with me.

3. He is creative & indulges in my creative whims with me. (Seriously he puts interest into my wedding invitations and talks "font" with me)

4. He is a dreamer.

5. He has grown over the past 5 years into such an incredible person, and he has allowed God to get in there and do all that work. I have been blessed to watch and be a part of it and I am so proud of you.

6. He has a special voice he uses when the kids are babies and it literally melts my heart.

7. He encourages me and points me towards the Lord on a daily basis,

and does it for our kids too.

8. He knows how to make me laugh like no one else in the world.

9. He is a hard worker at his job, at our home and on what ever task he is asked to do.

10. He loves Jesus, me and the kids and is building his life on that.

He also is a great dancer and loves to eat dessert with me:)!

I love you Ryan Patrick Eccleston. 9 years ago I called you on Valentines Day and your plans had been canceled because of snow, so I wondered over to your dorm room with cheese cake and the rest in history! Love you, our life, our boys....how blessed I am to be your wife!

February Frenzy

It's already February, and by February I mean the middle of....and the reason why I am in total disbelief that it is the night before Valentines Day is because this month has been nothing less than truly frantic. We have all had our fair share of little bugs we lovingly shared with each other, poor Beanie hit the worst and all have had little sleep and lots to do which will always throws this mom into a tizzy...and to top it off we threw in a little trip! One might say if they were my husband that I have been a titch crabby, but because he is the amazing man he is, he just hugs me and smiles instead, what a peach!! AH!

The first week in February this month we hit the road for Nebraska! This time it was to celebrate my cousin Amy and her wedding to Adam, who is a super creative and talented artist and awesome man of God, so we are thrilled to add him to the Sapp family! Their wedding was nothing short of creative and unique and amazing, but to my dismay my camera got left at my grandma's (remember it was a long week:)!!). Thankfully my sister stepped in to take a few pics of the fam and the wedding happenings....but she left her camera on the plane, so please pray that South West can find one orange camera so I can post you up some adorableness. I had the privilege of reading in the ceremony and Griffin was one plaid bow tied little ball of ring bearer adorableness! Here is the one pic I did grab of him circa "Tom Cruise" while trying to stuff him into his suit.

Griffin was loving the reception and even entered a dance circle to bust a move. Ry has a video on his phone, so hopefully we can get that posted!

We also made a pit stop to visit these sweet girls and their momma which always is such good "medicine" for us all! We LOVE Linds, Eve & Lyla!

We got the chance to see my sweet friend Sarah and her brand new baby Blake, see Ryan's family for a yummy lunch and get caught up with lots of family and Ashland friends. It was, in true Nebraska visit style, hectic...yet wonderful!

When we got back we did a lot of down time to recover from the trip...mommy was the one needing the most recovery time:)! At the end of the week we were invited to a Valentine's Day party for one of Griffy's buddies, Micha! His mom is my dear friend, Mary Beth, and as you can see, she is an amazing party planner, with an eye for detail and lots of sweet treats! The kids had such a great time and so did the moms!

Griff loved the cookie decorating and judging from his behavior later that day, snuck in many a spoonful of frosting:)!

Beanie in the Valentine holder we made...and Griff & I would both agree he is one sweet Valentine!

Bean and Henry doing what babies do at a party....chewing and banging on things!

Oh February, you're just getting rolling now! Much more to come:)!