Been a while...

I wouldn't even know where to begin since I haven't posted an update in FOUR MONTHS!?! I marvel at all the mommies who make time to post so often. Well, let's think... dating back to December, we celebrated Christmas in California with our friends and family. It's always great reconnecting and having people see how big Braeden has become. Unfortunately, our little tike got pretty sick the very night we arrived and mommy and baby got almost zero sleep the entire week we were out. That was hard to get through... anyone who knows me understands that I'm not a happy (or sane) person when I'm sleep-deprived and nor is our little Braeden. This probably has a lot to do with why we haven't braved another trip since...

Shortly after returning from California, Cameron found out that he landed a new position at the hospital he works at! It was an answer to our many prayers and we are tremendously blessed by this opportunity. Cameron now works a normal morning shift again, gets paid better, enjoys the management he works under and really LOVES what he is doing! (For those of you wondering, he works in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab where he assists cardiologists with inserting heart stints, pacemakers, etc.) An incredible blessing considering the economic times we live in and that he came into the position with zero experience in this particular field of Radiology. They really took a chance on him and we know that it was only through the Lord this could have happened. We are so grateful.

Sooooo, Cameron turned the big 32... but more exciting than even that- Braeden is in NURSERY!! Hallelujah! Finally, we can enjoy the lessons at church again rather than spending our time chasing our little rugrat and causing commotion! Whoo hoo! Yay for Nursery! When we first dropped the little bugger off he would cry for a while... now, he's a pro taking off without even looking back! Okay, that hurt my heart a little at first, but it's a good thing, right? We want him to enjoy his time there. He's getting to be such a big boy! My favorite is picking him up from Nursery. I'm always trying to beat Cameron to it. It's fun seeing all the little kids smooshed up against the child safety gate with their eyes wide open hoping that their mommy or daddy comes next. And then to see their little eyes light up when they spot you! It's just precious and makes me teary eyed. I've noticed that I've become far more weepy as I get older.... hmmm.

THEN... believe it or not... we got a DOG (named "Buster"... otherwise known as "Busted" by my sweet niece, Lily)! Holy cow, what was I thinking? Anyone who knows me, knows I'm NOT a pet person. Oh man. Let's just say our pekingese pup is adorable, but a true challenge for me. I think things will improve once he's completely housebroken... that's my biggest issue. But Cameron and Braeden love Buster to pieces (and I do too a lot of the time)!!! Either way, he's officially part of the family.

We've had family coming in and out a lot lately for visits and that's always exciting. We sold a car, were given (yes, GIVEN) a bigger car by Cameron's parents. We are so grateful. There really was no other way we could upgrade to accommodate a growing family otherwise.

We also attended the Luke Air Force Base's biannual air show and it was amazing. Unfortunately, it was blazing hot with an unprecedented number of people. It took us walking what I imagine was nearly ten miles and waiting in line for almost two hours to get in (needless to say, my decision to wear flip flops was less than brilliant). But we were invested and NOT walking back to our car empty-handed, so we waited. It was worth it and a really fun experience. Braeden loves "panes!". The air show was amazing.

Then there was Easter. Cameron's parents were here the week leading up to it and helped us build a swing set (among many other projects) for Braeden. It was quite the undertaking! It was so wonderful having Cameron's parents out to help with odds and ends around the house and especially to see our little man really get to know his grandparents better. He nicknamed his grandpa, "Papa" and loved to point out anything he thought belonged to his papa! He also LOVED his time with his Grandma Mia (we're still working on getting him to say "Mia")... he got lots of time reading books and going over his ABC's and 123's with his Grandma. We are so impressed with his fascination with the alphabet and numbers and he knows all of his letters but struggles with "W". He refers to it as "double-dub" when he's right, but usually thinks it's an "M". Not too shabby... It's so fun to indulge that passion and we hope he continues to love learning! Back to Easter, we only got one sad shot of our Easter with Braeden in his new little suit (courtesy of Papa and Grandma Mia) before our camera died. I was so disappointed. We really need to get that thing replaced. But he loved his Easter basket and looking for it (a tradition I had growing up), dying the eggs, looking for eggs and of course eating the candy!!! It was a great time together with family.
And so I'd like to close up my seemingly never-ending post (and "thank you" to those who hung in there) with some little updates on Braeden. He now walks around the house saying "Oh Josh!" when accidents happen (yes, that's him repeating mommy saying "Oh Gosh!"... lesson learned. =) He is our little love-bug. He loves to give kisses and hugs. He's an easy crowd and finds humor in almost anything. He's always laughing and trying to make others laugh by being a goof ball. He loves his "Nee-Nee" (cousin, Lincoln). Braeden has designated the chair next to his booster seat as Nee-Nee's and is quick to point out when it's vacant. His latest enjoyment is walking Buster... all by himself (with Mommy and Daddy nearby to serve as referees, of course). He's a true joy...