Happy Anniversary to US!

It is so hard to believe that Jeremy and I celebrated our 8th anniversary yesterday!  It sure doesn't seem like that long ago.  I can still remember meeting him about this time 11 years ago.  That sounds like a really long time ago! Our lives sure have changed over the years, but I have never doubted how much he loves me and now our family.  Funny how I always pictured us chasing after a little boy named Kirk, and now we are!!  I thought I'd post some 8 year old pictures of us...how funny is it that my wedding pictures have negatives?!  Ahhh!  I have a wedding album (printed pictures!) and instead of scanning them and posting grainy pictures, I thought I'd post a few from our honeymoon.  We took pictures with our FIRST digital camera at the Dominican Republic.  The camera was a gift from our very awesome wedding party!  I am also glad to say that we are still good friends with all the people who stood up with us that day.  We are so thankful to have shared that day and our lives with our friends and family!

Happy anniversary to the Walkers!

Summer Fun

We enjoyed a concert in Pullman Square with our friends the Franciscos.  Kirk kept asking to play the drums! 

We went to Central Park in Ashland last week.  Kirk liked playing on the playground, but of course wanted to do all the things that he was too little for...the merry go round and monkey bars!  He was ready to go play basketball with the big boys, too.  It's tough being little!

Kirk was excited to open Daddy's presents for Father's Day today.  He kept saying, "Happy birthday, Father's Day!"  I guess presents mean birthdays to him!  And yes, he is wearing snowman pajamas.  We just bought some new ones so we can give the winter ones a rest!  Haha! 

We got Daddy a seat for Kirk for his bicycle!  Too bad it didn't fit on his bicycle!  Jeremy is going to work on it this week.  He may have to get a new bicycle...Kirk is ready to ride!

Kirk liked his helmet for a few seconds, and then he wanted it off quick!  I think he likes the idea of it, but doesn't like the chin strap at all.  I think he will tough it out whenever he finally gets to go on a bike ride!

We had a nice day at home for Father's Day today.  I must say, Kirk has the best daddy ever.  Jeremy has been there for us through it all and has never complained about anything.  He plays with Kirk everyday and has taught him so much (especially about sports!).  He holds him when he's sick and wipes away his tears when he's sad.  He has always changed diapers, cleaned up puke, wiped snotty noses, and cooks dinner for us almost every night.  He gets Kirk up for day care, dresses him, and drops him off  (even when he's crying!).  Most weekend mornings, Jeremy gets up with Kirk and I get to sleep in.  He never hesitates to get up with him in the middle of the night, even when he has to work the next day.  He knows how to do everything that I do....he even reads to him with "voices" for characters!  I couldn't ask for a better husband for myself or a daddy for Kirk.  We love him so much and we wish him a VERY HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

                                                

Birthdays and Barney

 Happy 2nd birthday to Kendall!  

We celebrated Kendall's birthday with her today at her home.  Kirk got to play with his friends Caden and Caroline, too.  He had a good time and is really good at saying "Happy birthday!" and can even sing the happy birthday song....to everyone!  

 Kirk liked Kendall's purple mirror that said "You're beautiful!" when he pushed the button.

Kirk also really liked Kendall's pink dress!  He had to check it out for a while before giving it back to her.  He's amazed by girly things, I think!

Kendall got a really "awesome" (as Kirk says) water table for her birthday.  The kids had a great time playing in it.....and basically swimming in it!  They were all soaked! 

Kendall also got a house.  Kirk loved opening and shutting the door!

Kirk loved "cooking" on Kendall's new grill.  He made hamburgers and hot dogs.  He was pretty good at scooping them up with the spatula!

We went to see Barney Live on Tuesday, May 31.  Kirk had a blast!  He knew the songs, and sang and danced all through the show.  He didn't take his eyes off the stage once!  Angel, Riley and Brad went with us.  I included some video of him dancing above. It's sideways (because of the way the camera was held....we just got a new camera, so now we know you can't edit video angles!) but I included it anyway because it's hilarious how hard he was dancing!  He loves the "Dino Dance" song and he danced his little heart out.  He was super excited the whole time, and was even looking for Barney under the bleachers and in the bathroom afterwards!

Kirk smiled and clapped along through the whole show.  He did the moves to the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "If You're Happy and You Know It!"

Kirk refused to take a decent picture with Riley after the show.  This is the best we could do.  Everyone had a great time!  Barney is "super-dee-dooper!!"  Haha!

I hope to post more regularly over the summer.  I am so glad to be on summer vacation and we have already had some crazy trips to the pool.  Kirk acts like the Tasmanian Devil for the first hour or so we are at the pool, and then he calms down a little.  He has absolutely no fear of the water (or anything else, for that matter) and he loves "swimming."  He told me on our way home yesterday, "Mama, swimming is so fun!"  I had to laugh!  He also has learned to count to 13 (I count with him to 20 before I throw him in the pool....he loves it!).  He gets a little messed up after 13, but he loves to say "seventeen" and says it about 5 times before he moves on!  He also said "Hey ladies!" to some women who were hanging out around the pool....what a ladies man!  Haha!  He makes me laugh so much and I never know what he's going to come up with next!  It's going to be a fun summer! 

It's been a while....

 It's been a while since I posted!  We've been busy and Kirk sure is keeping us on our toes!  The picture above is of Kirk and JD at the MU Green and White game on April 23.  Kirk loved running around and throwing his football in the stadium parking lot.  He was super excited at the game for the first 5 minutes!  I think he gets a little bummed out whenever the football isn't in the air or in his direct line of vision.  We all had a good time and we're looking forward to football season this fall.

 Kirk was so excited and said "Let's go Marshall!" and "Go Herd!"  He can now find Marshall things everywhere.  He said "Go Marshall!" when we stopped at the light by Cabell Huntington Hospital today.  He could see the MU Medical Center sign! 

 Of course, he had to get a golf set sometime soon, right?  This is a picture of him exploring his Easter basket on Easter morning.  He loves golf, and has now assigned the blue club to Jeremy, the yellow one to himself, and the green one to me (he knows all these colors, along with red, yellow, white, pink, purple, orange,brown and black...and the sign language sign for each color as well!).  He can actually hit the ball pretty good!

He's practicing his throwing skills.  He throws way too well for a 21 month old!

 Kirk hunted for Easter eggs at Granny Dean's house.  It didn't take long for him to figure out what to do. 

He found this one all by himself! 

Mother's Day was very special to me this year.  I feel like I've known my little boy forever, but I've only been his mama for 21 months.  I love him more everyday and cannot imagine spending a day away from him.  He makes me smile bigger, laugh harder, and marvel everyday at how amazing he is.  I love being his mama so much!  I know he's very smart, but I still cannot figure out how he managed to have flowers delieverd to me at school!  Haha!  I have a very special family and I am so grateful for my baby boy and his daddy!

Kirk covered a flower pot in stickers ("skickers") and planted a flower for me for Mother's Day at school (with a little help from his teachers). 

I love the handprint art that he brings home from school, and it is so sad that his hands look a little bit bigger each time!

We walked with "Caden's Crusaders" in the Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis walk on Saturday, May 14.  Kirk now loves playing in Ritter Park.  This picture is of Kirk and Jeremy making their way up to the new play island.  Kirk was way more interested in the swings and the slides! 

 This is a picture of Caden line dancing with his mama and grandparents (well, kind of).  Caden is a beautiful little boy who is loved and supported by so many people.  Caden's Crusaders helped the Huntington walk raise more than $13,000 for Cystic Fibrosis research!

Way to go Caden's Crusaders!  We hope to help "Blow away CF!"

Easter is on it's way!

Here are our Easter pictures!  They turned out great.  The blanket in the background of the picture below was made for Kirk (years before he was born!) by my Grandma Sullivan.  I wanted to use it in some of his pictures since it had bunnies on it.  In the picture above, he is holding onto his stuffed Peter Rabbit (who will be in his Easter basket again this year).  Thanks so much, Kristi B. for doing such an amazing job once again!

Easter picture preview!

We had pictures taken by Kristi Brouse on Sunday, April 3.  Kirk was happy, smiling, and ready to pose throughout the whole session.  These are a few of the pictures that she posted as a "sneak peek" of our session.  We should get all of the finished pictures sometime this week.  I can't wait to see them all!

Kirk was showing off his jumping skills during this shot.  He loves bubbles, and Jeremy was blowing them in his face.  He loves the very first bubble, and the 100th bubble just as much.  He is trying really hard to blow them by himself these days.  He is so funny!

What a difference a year makes!  This is Kirk's picture with the Easter Bunny from last year.  We've already tried this year, and there is no way he is sitting next to that "rabbit!"  It's amazing how much he and Bella have both grown.  It may be a few years before we get another picture like this!

20 months old....WHAT???

It is so hard to believe my baby boy is 20 months old!  Where has the time gone?  Geez.  He is so smart.  He regularly speaks in full sentences, knows the colors red, blue, and yellow (as well as the sign language), knows the shape circle (we're working on the others...) and can take off and put on his own shoes.  He can also take off his pants and shirt.  He can finish 8-10 piece puzzles.  He loves day care and apparently today he played with earth worms and loved them!   Eeeew!  He isn't afraid of anything, and loves everything.  The picture above is an action shot of him climbing, and his friend Riley's bottom half.  They are playing at the Chick-fil-a play area.  Neither of them would be still long enough for me to get a decent picture.  Kirk loves playing there, and we are so thankful that we have Angel, Riley and Brady to play with!

Kirk was VERY concerned about Brady.  He kept saying, "Baby's cryin' " and "Baby eats he's bottle!"  It was hilarious.  Brady is so laid back, he only cried a little when he was hungry and tolerated Kirk in his face just fine.  Look how serious Kirk looks in this picture!  He kept asking me, "Baby go night night?"  I kept telling him he would at nap time.  Haha!

This picture makes me laugh so much, because Kirk started a few weeks ago putting everything on his head and saying "A hat?"  and laughing hysterically!  He ate his cheese pizza for dinner, and then put his paper plate on his head and said, "Look Mama, a hat!" 

We went to Sesame Street Live on Tuesday, April 5.  Kirk was a little unsure of himself when the lights first went out, but as soon as the music started, he was enthralled.  He wasn't too concerned with which characters were on the stage, he wanted to know where everyone was that wasn't there.  He would ask, "Where's Elmo?"  "Where's Big Bird?"  I asked him where he thought they were, and he would reply, "work" or "school" (and use sign language).  He is so funny!  He would say "There he is!" when the characters would come onto the stage!

Cousin Bella was there, too.

Riley was there, too.  Notice Riley's Oscar the Grouch shirt.  She picked it out herself!

Cousin Holden was there, too!

Kirk enjoyed the show while relaxing on Daddy's lap. 

Apparently Bella wasn't too thrilled with this song.  She put her fingers in her ears!



Kirk absolutely LOVES playing outside.  In this picture, he is playing in his water table that he got from Meme and Poppy for Christmas.  He loves it!  It squirts water, plays music, and has boats to go around and around.  Kirk later added some of Daddy's golf balls (he has one in his hand).  He carries them around and says "Golf ball!  Golf ball!"  He uses them for everything and actually does a pretty good job hitting them with Jeremy's clubs.  He loves to help me water plants, and can actually carry the watering can when it is pretty full.  He likes to look for bugs and he would love for Astro to actually chase after the balls he throws.  He throws balls and says "Astro, Astro, get it!!"  and Astro just sits there.   He will chase after treats, but that's about it. 

I can't wait to spend this summer with my little boy.  We've got so much learning to do together!