Will turned One!

Will turned one yesterday! We had a small dinner with grandparents and just our little family...it was a perfect first birthday!

Sweet boy, where do I begin? Your smile melts me to my core...and most everyone who ever comes in contact with you. Your sunday school teachers usually carry you out of the room and almost into the parking lot...they say every week that they would take you home any day I would let them. : ) You have the softest skin and the best cuddles. You are a BUSY body. You are very cuddly and loving....but at the same time you are very busy and into everything....you don't stop often, but when you do, you make the most of every cuddle. You love music and love to dance. You love to play wherever Liza is. You are starting to walk....you took your first steps about 3 weeks ago! You are still a faster crawler, but you are walking more and more everyday. You are a very picky eater...would prefer goldfish and animal crackers over anything else. You aren't saying much...although you just started "uh-oh." And, you love to mimick noises and funny faces. And sometimes when you are fussing, I can almost see you trying to mouth the words "ma-ma" but nothing comes out. You are just so fun and easy-going. You are the perfect 4th puzzle piece in our family. I am starting to see a bit of a sneaky side in you....Liza loves to steal the show....but you have a way of sneaking in some attention just when you need it. I can't wait to see how much you grow and change in another year.

Sweet angel, we pray for you to grow to be a man of courage and quiet strength. We pray God takes your easy-going personality and uses it for His kingdom. We are in love with your one year old self and are the proudest parents around!

random pictures

As I prepared to post about Will's birthday....I found some cute pictures floating around on my camera. I am working on mananging my time better....I feel like I run around like a crazy woman half the time... I have a lot going on with just having 2 little ones, then there is a recent move, a house we are building....and some other possiblities that I am sure I will post about soon... I can almost cry looking at some of these photos and knowing that Will turned 1 yesterday just blows my mind. The picture with Liza in my lap is not a "cute" picture....but rather an image and moment to remind me to be still and have my priorities in the right places. Soon the day will be gone when she wants to crawl in my lap for a few moments just to wake up in the mornings. Praise you, Lord, for the awesome blessing and responsibility of these 2 little ones!

I am about to post all about sweet Will.....but I need to note (while I am in the typing mood...) a bit about Liza at 2.3. Hilarious. That would sum her up. Naughty and sassy and truly full of life. She never stops smiling (except for her sassy moments, of course...and some of them are still in smiles). She is tough as a nail but tender and sweet as a teddy bear. Her famous lines right now: "Hold you." Which really means "hold me." "Miss you, Will." "Mommy, let's go go." While gathering up every bag she can fit on her arms. She conversates now. That is something my heart was not prepared for....although 2 years into this I am starting to realize my heart won't be prepared for any of this. She really can talk to you and answer you and think for herself without just repeating whatever I just said. And she is very sure of how she feels. One day, while tackling Will, I told her to quit being like her Uncle Matthew (who used to tackle me). She quickly and very sternly told me, "No, mise not untle NatNew! Mise aunt Jessica!" :) Oh, Liza, words just couldn't ever describe how happy you make us.

Dress up!

This is one of lizas favorite new hobbies!

BTW....I totally just posted this from my phone...aren't you proud?

Elizabeth Parish

Sent from my HTC