Mother of Boys

I really do love my boys, but I have to admit there are a few things I never imagined witnessing or participating in as a mother of boys. One of those things is witnessing my sons finding pure delight in frying ants with a magnifying glass. They have spent hours enjoying this cruel little past-time since their uncle Dann taught them a few weeks ago (Thanks, Dann). The animal-lover side of me tells me that this is just...plain...wrong...and I should stop this barbaric activity at once, but the mother-of-boys side of me tells me that this is just a part of becoming a man and learning to explore nature and science. As you can see in the photo, I apparently told the animal-lover side of me to pack sand. Quite honestly, I have to admit that I've been grateful for the amount of time ant frying keeps my boys occupied...but still, I never imagined it happening with my boys---just other ungentlemanly boys---not my own sweet sons...alas! :}

The other event this week that has been shaking my head is my boys' obsession with guns and hunting and how I somehow got coerced into pretending to be a buck (yes, as in, male deer) while my sons had target practice with their Nerf guns while I run across the room, pregnant belly and all, with my hands on my head as antlers. Sorry, I was too busy evading bullets to get a pictures of this event; plus, it just would not have been pretty. Nope. Not at all. Never in my wildest dreams could I have pictured myself doing that 10 years ago, and yet, sure enough, that's what happens when you're a mother of boys. I would sure love to borrow some little girls someday to have a nice, quiet tea party though. That's what I envisioned myself doing as a mother...tea parties and dress up and braiding hair. Any mothers of girls out there willing to swap kids for the day? I promise I'll make my boys leave their Nerf guns at home :)

Photogenic Vacation

Over the 4th of July week, Paul's brother Dann, his lovely wife Rachel, and their two sweet kids, Rowan and Kennedy, came to visit us. We spent a few days touring the local sights and then spent the next four days camping at a gorgeous mountain lake in northern Montana. There's so much I could say about the great vacation, but I'm sure it would be much more entertaining to let the pictures tell the story...

One of the many highlights during Dann and Rachel's stay with us was having them surprise us with a fresh lobster feast! The lobster (still very much alive) were flown in from Maine, a state which brings back fond memories for both of us couples because it is where both of our marriage proposals were made. The kids of course loved playing with the poor lobsters before they were cooked; whereas, us adults loved eating the delicious crustaceans after the hard work of cracking all the shells (all credit for the hard work goes to Paul and Dann--thank you, gentlemen!)

We also enjoyed simple things, like taking the kids to the park and letting them play and race each other...

Even the "big boys" got in on the racing... I think men are still just little boys at heart in slightly bigger bodies :)

It was a joy to watch Paul and Dann enjoy brotherly competition and fun together...

I pray that our boys remain the best of friends as they grow into adulthood too.

Paul and Dann loved challenging each other to a game or two of chess, and as couples we played many rounds of a fun game called "Blokus" in the evenings. The competition was sometimes fierce.

Rachel and I enjoyed a day of pampering our pregnant selves at the spa. After all, we had to get our feet looking pretty for our upcoming camping trip :) It was a lovely Ladies Day Out...lunch at a fancy bistro, pedicures, shopping for maternity clothes, and we ended the day getting a babysitter so we could go out on a double date as couples. Now that's what I call a perfect day.

Fireworks on the 4th were literally a blast, and these little tanks were the favorite for our military-minded boys

Paul and Dann were the pyro-technicians. They did a great job and had as much fun as the kids, I think.

Kennedy was less interested in the fireworks and simply preferred exploring in the grass or eating licorice in the van :)

Fishing was also a highlight. The boys only managed to catch one fish, but they acquired some patience while enjoying each other's company.

While we were camping we spent some time just lounging around...

Dominic was fascinated by the fauna (i.e. frogs) that he found at our campsite...

Joseph was totally engrossed in shooting guns with his daddy...

And although it appears that Michael is engrossed in the beauty of the mountain flora in this photo, what he is really doing is trying to tie a poor grasshopper to a catapult that he created. Nice.

We did some hiking and tried to take the time to notice the beauty in little things along our path...

Paul and I got caught stealing sweaty kisses on our hike...

We even met some wildlife along the way...

Here is Dann and Rachel's beautiful family at the summit of our hike. Don't they just look like a fun, friendly family? They absolutely are and we loved hanging out with them.

And here's our growing family of BOYS. Next year we'll have our new little guy in the hiking backpack...that is, if we're brave enough to go hiking and camping with an infant!

Doesn't this backdrop look like a gorgeous postcard? Paul and I feel so blessed that God put us in Montana.

Here's Dominic showing off his swimming skills. Nothing feels better on a hot summer day than swimming in a cold mountain lake, right? Actually, I wouldn't know, because unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I forgot my swimsuit...

Which really didn't bother me, because all I had to do was relax in the sun and let my husband do all the life guarding :) Aren't Rachel and I bathing beauties with our big bellies? :)

Smores made everyone happy campers at the end of each day...

Here's "Make-up-less Maria" and her "Handsome Hiking Husband" :) Aren't we a cute couple? After 10 years together, I marvel at how much we've grown and yet how much we still have to learn. Marriage is kind of like hiking---lots of hard work, sweat, obstacles to maneuver around, but with glimpses of beauty all along the way and so much fulfillment and awe once you reach your destination. How grateful I am to have such an awesome hiking partner to help me get to our final goal--Heaven.

Thanks "D-n-R" for driving 30+ hours to visit us, for asking us to be baby #3's godparents, for making us laugh, and for helping us make such great memories! Where should we meet for Summer 2011? :)

Happy Birthday Dominic!!!

I can hardly believe that our baby isn't a baby anymore---he's a big 4 year old now! Dominic had a fun-filled birthday that was full of everything a 4 year-old boy could possibly hope for...

His favorite cereal surrounded by birthday decorations...

A new Nerf gun that is bigger than himself...



A ginormous tank to protect our home from bad guys...

And a cake to eat surrounded by all his favorite people.


Happy Birthday, sweet Dominic! You fill our home with so much love and laughter and little boy antics that our family simply would not be complete without you. We love you bigger than your new Nerf gun and tank combined (times infinity squared)!

Blue Ice Cream!

Blue ice cream? Why am I eating blue ice cream? Yes, it is my favorite color, but even more special than that, we needed to celebrate the big news that our family has been blessed with another BOY!!! Paul and the boys came with me to my ultrasound appointment, and I told them that afterwards we would celebrate the news of our baby's gender with either pink or blue ice cream from the carousel. It was a special memory that will last forever in my mind. It was also so special to be surrounded by my husband and all my boys in the ultrasound room. The boys were mesmerized by their baby brother on the screen. I was so mesmerized that at one point during the sonogram that I mistakenly thought his cute little bum was his face! The sonographer burst out laughing and quickly corrected me. Ooops :} I guess our little guy just has an extremely handsome backside :) And, boy oh boy, our little guy was not shy at all at showing us his backside to prove that he is a boy! :) We feel so blessed and overwhelmed with thankfulness that our baby boy seems perfectly healthy and will soon join our family. He will fit right in with his big brothers, and I know that God has chosen exactly what our family needs. I honestly can't imagine it any other way. :) Here are some photos of our blue ice cream celebration and our precious little baby boy...

Here's Maria at 21 weeks with Cotton Candy icecream :)

I think Paul is relieved that he didn't have to pose with pink icecream :)

A beautiful profile shot of our baby

Here's his cute little bottom showing us that he's a boy! :)

Precious feet

Here's a beautiful 3-D image showing our little guy either sucking his thumb or saying a prayer. I wonder if he knows how many people have been covering him in prayer.