Dinosaurs ROAR!

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has a really cool dinosaur exhibit that we checked out today. We saw it a couple years ago pre-Levi, but hadn't checked it out on our subsequent zoo visits...until today...

It was a hot one, but we had lots of water and snacks to keep us hydrated and energized. We saw lions {sleeping in the shade}, bears {sleeping in the shade}, and rhinos {sleeping indoors}. Monkey island was a little slow, too, but the giraffes were up close and personal. And the flamingos, turtles, kangaroos, and birds were out and about!

It is, however, a little tricky for a 3 1/2 year old to grasp that the dinosaurs aren't real, but the rest of the animals are real. When we got home and were talking about all of the animals, Mason still thought the seals were robots??! Oh well!

uh...are you sure it won't eat me, mommy?

Mason was so proud that he scaled this rock ...

my boys

{heart melting}

when the t-rex roared, levi pulled his hat down over his ears

mommy and her sweet babies

?? are you sure these dinosaurs aren't real??

... safe in Daddy's arms ...

guess the fear is gone...what's in here??

:: courage ::

you can pick your nose...

and you can {apparently} pick a wolf's nose...

mommy & mason on the train riding through the Australian Outback ...
we even saw a baby kangaroo in her mommy's pouch!

A picture says a thousand words...

I have a feeling I'm in for quite a few of these looks in the years to come....

Boy Asks For Waterslide....

Who needs Kalahari in the summertime?? Mason asked for a waterslide and Daddy made it happen! So now our backyard has been transformed into a waterpark extravaganza...the boys love sliding down the slide into their pool and running through the doggie sprinkler. I'm not sure about the safety factor of the slide (as you will soon see Levi flying off the end of the slide!), but...hey, when you have boys, safety goes out the window, right? It's all about adventure and risks and physical fun! And now all three can be found in the context of H2O right in our own backyard....I can tell you, however, that no children were harmed in the filming of these videos...

Enjoy!

Aunt Brittany came over and joined in the fun! The boys loved sharing their doggie sprinkler with her....

And here's some still shots:

:: my honor ::

We did it again! Thank you, Lord! I arrived in Maryland on Tuesday evening and Emily went into labor on Wednesday (July 22nd) morning...and we met Elijah Philip Ashby (another BOY!) at 5:44p.

You can read about her birth here. But I will tell you that it was an intensely beautiful, wonderful water birth! Emily handled the labor with grace and strength while I papparazied around, capturing the whole thing in pictures. The only thing better than birthing yourself is watching your sister birth. Dan (the other 1/2 to D*N*A Doulas) and I behaved ourselves this time around and were joined by Tina, a real doula, that really saved the day!

We were home by 11p that night...got a full night's sleep before big brother Luke came home. Luke bonded with his Aunt May-mee....and I so enjoyed getting to spend some quality one:on:one time with my first-born nephew. He helped me pick up pizza, grocery shop, fix things (his fave pastime) and posed for lots of my pictures. He wore the I'M THE BIG BROTHER shirt with pride and joy!

It was difficult to leave that newborn smell on Friday, but I sure did miss my boys...who looked inifinitely bigger and more beautiful than when I left them earlier in the week. They were busy, busy, busy with Daddy and Gram while I was gone and were nice enough to greet me with big hugs and kisses...Mason exclaimed, "Mommy...you're HOME!" I did have to chase Levi around and around for his sweet lips, but it was well worth it for the sound of his laughter whilst I chased.

And, of course, I missed Tim...but I was so grateful for the honor to witness the miracle of life yet again. God Bless You, Elijah Philip!

A recap of some events

Please...don't fall over. I know, I know. 2 posts in one month. Well, I am getting back on the bandwagon and, while I hope this is a normal occurrence, I don't want to cause anyone any chest pain in the process ;-)

Here's some of our fun events of late:

Levi was dedicated at church this past Sunday. We all dressed up and paraded up to the front to promise to do our best to raise Levi up to know Jesus. Here's a snapshot...thanks to our dear friends...Levi talked loudly, repeatedly saying, "Hump-tee, Dump-tee"...seriously what is with my kiddos and this egg???? I promise I don't encourage it at all!!

Pool parties have begun!! We pull the basketball hoop up to the edge of the pool and slam dunk over and over and over. The boys love it!! And, I knew it was coming...but it is a necessity to JUMP into the pool...so I pulled up the kids bathroom stool to the edge and it was perfect!! Mason could jump clear to the other side of the pool and Levi required a little help to keep it safe...but f-u-n!

Charlotte's 1st birthday party.....I didn't get any pictures of the precious birthday girl, but here is Mason enjoying some cake with his Maw-Maw and Levi with his Uncle Brandon....

Playdates are a sanity must for both the kiddos and myself. Here the boys are playing with their friend Deacon...they lined up under the swingset and played noneother than Humpty Dumpty over and over...

Grams and Gramps surprise Mason with a big boy bike! And he takes off....my pics were turned in photoshop, but are uploading crooked...UGGHH!! I love it when nature cooperates with big moments. .... My dad helping Mason ride his bike under the blossomed tree...PRECIOUS!

Grandma Bella surprised the boys with some extra special super duper ride-on toys and then stayed to play on the swingset. The boys LOVE their Bella!!!

And I'll leave you with a little video of the boys...I will note that the fence is now closed off (THANK YOU, HONEY!!) and that my boys do own shoes....

2 boys...

Since Levi made his appearance in 2008, Mason loves when Mommy or Daddy hold '2 boys'....it is a little more difficult now that '2 boys' weigh a combined 55+ pounds, but I love when Mason says '2 boys'....one of those 'melt-your-heart' moments ;-)

Since the warmer weather has been here, we have been o.u.t.s.i.d.e. just about every chance we get. I scored a second-hand swingset on craigslist so our backyard is even more kid friendly. The boys stay busy from sun-up to sun-down. Mason has learned how to ride a bike (with training wheels) in a very short time. Levi has mastered steps and ladders and all things climbing....his vocabulary continues to blow us away.

Anywho, more update later, but here are some pics of our sweet boys!

Mason riding his motorcycle (it was Uncle Brandon's when he was little)

My almost 3 1/2 year old...

Levi is able to do superman on the swings...

running to the swingset.

priceless...

promises, promises

Well...it is the 7th of May. Wow! It sure hasn't been such a great beginning to 2009....but I would like to claim the promise of the rest of the year! We are healthy. I have entered the world of migraines...but am trying to battle them from all sides....along with catching up on E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. I haven't been doing since before my ankle injury in December...WHAT?!

Spring is here and, with it, the promise of green grass, playgrounds, parks, swimming, scraped knees, bike rides, cookouts, s'mores over the firepit, short sleeves, sunshine. Hmmmmm....and the promise of spring means the promise of summer...and the promise of summer is Oh! so good for the soul! And did I mention that this will be the first summer that I haven't been pregnant or nursing since 2004!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!

Mason is excited to learn to ride his bike and swim and play outside. His imagination is taking off and he likes to go on adventures, searching for turtles and frogs at the local nature preserve. I really do feel like he is my little buddy....and I love to see the world through his eyes.

Levi is almost 16 months old....and is a fearless climber. He really can climb just about anything and does not let his young age stop him from keeping up with his big brother. He says so many words...it really blows me away. And, I almost fell off my chair when he started signing long after I had given up....more, please, etc.

And did I mention my sister is having a baby....in July! YAY! Can't wait to meet this little bundle and we are both praying that I can be there again for the delivery.....I mean, who will laugh with Dan...I mean, take the pictures of the sacred event?

Tim has a fishing/golf trip planned with his dad and brother, I've got a long weekend with my Hoodies in August, and then a family vacation in Nags Head in September...so many promises for the rest of 2009....may they all go just as slow as the first half of the year!!

And, there will be pics soon!