6 Years of Being Surrounded

Look who is a smiling SIX year old?? Nope, not the cardboard self-portrait of Mrs. Butley (though look at those lips!). It's OWEN!


Who knew he'd still have the baby cheeks at 5 years after this?


Reflecting on our life as parents and on Owen's personality (a WHOLE 'nother post in itself), I well up with gratitude at the network of support we have. There have been many days where I felt like we were going at this alone, but I was SO wrong. For every moment of Owen's existence, he has been surrounded.

To our friends in Pasadena who helped us to welcome him home from the hospital, thank you for being there for us in our first years as parents. (yes, Joe was our only "family" at the hospital until my mom arrived. Hysterically funny to me now that he and Michael were my only support team and I was happy as a clam!)



My teacher friends, our seminary community, our relatives, and our church family all encouraged us and loved on Mr. Owen since day 1. So many of you are still an integral part of our lives that I kick myself when I doubt God's future provision for us...look at what we have been given thus far! To my knees with gratitude!


To our family in Texas who rejoiced as the moving van and little blue car pulled in the driveway with the 3 of us (plus Joe), we love you! Through toddler tantrums and potty training, the relatives got introduced to daily life with Owen at such a crazy age. And even still, they cried tears as we loaded up the truck again.



To our friends in Fresno who welcomed us, thank you for jumping in to our lives in what could have been such an isolated adventure. Our neighbors at the apartments, Miss Nazeli, our coworkers, our friends at church, Bert and Rae (via LA road trips) and our dear Peter and Jen...we look back with nothing but fondness for each relationship we made in Fresno. Owen remembers Fresno for the sun, the pool, and our friends. They are some of his first articulated memories, and for that reason, Fresno will forever be a part of our family.










And now back "home"...another cross-country trip in a moving van and little blue car with 2 kids (and Joe)! Owen is now spoiled by grandparents, worn out by cousins, entertained by small group couples, nurtured by teachers, adored by a sister, and loved by neighbors and school friends.










So, if you're reading this and you love him half as much as I do, THANK YOU for helping us to surround and polish this little gem we were given 6 years ago.

To the Lord: your word says that you "surround me with songs of deliverance" and that for those who trust in you, your "lovingkindness will surround him." May Owen never walk alone!
Happy Birthday to my favorite 6 year old!




PS:
For those of you who can't remember what Mrs. Butley really looks like:

Cold

A snap of cold weather this week brought back memories of our CUH-OLD winter! With snow days upon snow days, life in the apartment got a little crazy, but I realized that we are on the go more than necessary. We played with almost every toy and board game (and the ones that we didn't are now bagged up for another family to enjoy) in the house and enjoyed some much needed time as just the 4 of us.

Because snow is a rarity, our deep-freeze outfits were a little hodge-podge.


Yes, this is June in a silver parka (the best coat of us all), footie fleece pajamas, rain boots, and a random hat. I took this picture before I put her brother's socks on as mittens. You say "trashy", I say "clever".

And in the picture below, can you tell one of us was starting to get cabin fever?
Thank goodness that Michael was willing to go up and down the 3 flights of stairs to play in the snow with these fickle friends. We'll be missing that fun when the temps hit 100 in a few months.


And the last pic, I give you for free. Buddies walking down the hall at Owen's school:

First Haircut

March 17, 2011. 21 months old. Tangles upon tangles...mullet status approaching...uneven growth patterns...it was time for...June's first haircut.



After much debating among family and friends, I made the executive momma decision to have June's hair cut. By a professional. I know my limits and the world of curly hair is one of them for me. I'm not trying to have June's hair always chin length in a bob (Momma is the queen supreme in that department), but it was getting out of control. Yes, it was sweet to others but a tangled mess to me. The hairdresser promised that trimming a little off the back and even-ing up some of the layers would help decrease tangles, increase bounce, and lead to less upkeep overall. What girl could refuse that? So, let the snipping begin...



Yep, they put a bow in her hair and glitter on her cheeks. Um, they obviously don't know my style...but I think they saw a glimpse of June's. So, we went with it. She did great the whole time. Very much in "thoughtful eyebrows" mode the whole time.

After, she went with Mom to catch the eye of every lady at Costco while Mom picked up flowers. Yes, she rode on the pallet cart the whole time.

And the hairdresser was absolutely right...the curls look so much better, healthier, and sweet. For still being my baby, she quite the little girl!

Time with Gordon

Have I told you lately how much I love this little guy?


Gordon met the cousins and me at Sushi's house for a mid-day playtime while Aunt Nini went to her scholarship's award ceremony. Yep, that brilliant lady is not only starting nursing school, but she's doing it on a full scholarship too! Blessings abound!

I don't want her to be too busy, but then again, if it means more Gordon time...happy studying!

Chain Letters and Coloring

Thanks to the Carders, Owen and June received their first chain letter. Yep, "The Sticker Club" letter arrived. The thing about having a reader in the house, is that it's a lot harder to hide things.

Things I've been caught on lately:

• The menu offering at school (Oh, you're right. It IS sloppy joe day. My bad. He loves those things.)
  
• The time it actually is at night (What? We weren't trying to put you to bed at 6:30. Really...We weren't.)
• Mail addressed to Owen and June (from the Disney video club...that's right, I don't care when or what is released from their vault of profit and mass merchandising...I'm not buying. I know my friend Heather just had a small stroke reading that statement. Sorry H.H.)

So, when Owen found the sticker club letter from E & E, he read it to find out that if he sent this to 6 friends, he could receive as many as 36 sticker sheets in return. He loves getting mail and June loves stickers. Jackpot!

We began addressing envelopes and apologizing to friends ahead of time. It really wasn't that bad, and I kept hoping our friends didn't feel obligated to send anything. My favorite part about it all was watching Owen hype it up to June every day as they checked the mail.

The result:
A happy baby and content mail box checker.

Along with the stickers, June has discovered the world of markers.

Determined...
Maybe I'll finally get through the leftovers of my class sets of markers from my teaching days.


Showing off to Mini-Spooky.

Mini-Spooky came from Michael's grandmother's things (she passed away in October). The kids have always been drawn to it when they would visit her, and Michael's mom sent it home with June. June loves to be like her bubba and love on her "Pooky Beh".



What are the odds of finding another hideous orange teddy bear? If you look closely, his nose is a MasterCard logo. Dave Ramsey, eat your heart out!

Fun with Friends

Our college friends Crystina and Ryan came down from Oklahoma for a weekend visit. Pictures of adults? No. Pictures of kids? Some.

With 5 kids in our apartment, our hands were full of fun! Thanks to the Stumps for giving us a reason to go north on I-35. :)

June inspecting Morgan.

More investigating...

Where was Hendrix? Exploring Owen's Star Wars helmets, I'm sure. But, here's Gentry added to the mix. I love this girl. She would follow me around and say, "I hold you?". What a cuddle bug! June didn't know what to do with someone else receiving so much Mommy love.


No Gentry, but more genuine smiles from my crew. So, I added it to the mix.

Until next time...