signs of spring

hydrangeas (my favorite)

sweet babes

happy moms

silly dads

happy spring!

In the backyard

Last Saturday we went to the park and Buxton had so much fun playing in the sand there. On Sunday morning I told Ben about how he loved the sand and how he needed his own sandbox. So after a trip to Lowe's and about$100 worth of wood and sand and an hour in his "shop"/garage, Ben had built Buxton a wonderful sandbox with rain and cat proof lid. My husband is so awesome this way (and in many other ways), but the gifts God gave him to build, fix, etc, and the love of actually doing this kind of stuff is something I am so thankful for.

Sand is not just for kids.

The excitement of something new and playing in the yard with Mom and Dad.

Peanut paces the sandbox probably thinking it would be the biggest and best litter

box ever.

Hopefully Buxton doesn't think it's a litter box...looks like he's trying to poop here!

the healing of spring

this is buxton talking on 2 phones at once...he is very into the telephone and i swear it's cause his daddy is on the phone way more than me and he adores his daddy:

the first warm spring day is a magical day that fills the parks and sidewalks with people and the children with delight. especially the children that have been sick and shut indoors all week and finally get to feel the warm sun, gentle breeze, and sand on their feet in the sandbox. i know i sound like a greeting card writer but buxton finally turned a corner with his RSV today and we had a really good day. since we had to make an unexpected trip to Polka Dots at park rd. to pick up 300 cupcakes being donated to Taylor's Finish Line Festival in May, we hit the park first and then had an early sushi dinner while we waited for the cupcake store to close at 6pm. papa joined us and Buxton was in great spirits the whole time. he even ate a little food...praise the Lord!

earlier this week carla, ed and grace were in town and thankfully we were able to spend some time with them, although not as much as we would have liked. we missed a big family dinner at the fish camp with many of buxton's cousins on ben's side cause i couldn't have him spreading RSV to everyone else in this town that hasn't gotten it yet.

grace got some play time with buxton and a little lovin from this constantly on the go even when he's sick little boy.

A shiner and the sickies

It's been a rough week for Buxton as the week started with his first "playground incident" at daycare where he was fighting over a toy with another child. The other child scratched him and Buxton now has a pretty good scratch under his left eye. The picture below doesn't do justice to how bad it looks in person:

Tuesday AM we were at the Dr. at 8:15 and received a diagnosis of RSV and another ear infection. This is #6 so we will be getting tubes. We caught the RSV early on Tuesday and began nebulizer treatments at home, but since it was just the beginning of the virus it had to get worse before it gets better. I'm hoping today things start to look up and the fever subsides.

So we've been playing quietly at home all week and are so very thankful to Papa for coming all day Tuesday so I could work (and nap) some.

And even though Wednesday was the worst day as far as the sickness, we still wore green to celebrate St. Pats!

Buxton has truly been enjoying his new mobility these days and his "upright" independence. He's not one to want to cuddle or be held as much right now, but watching the joy he gets by walking from place to place is enough for us. We love that he can walk now and I feel like life has gotten a little easier now that I don't have to carry him as much. His 30" and 24lb self is a lot to carry you know!

It's also been really funny to watch how he is making choices now, mostly over food or which toy to drag around, but I'm always amused by what choice he makes. The food part is crazy to me because he will have a bunch of different foods all mixed up on his tray and be able to decipher exactly which little pieces he wants to eat and never pick up those he doesn't. We just tried the Goldfish S'mores mix and he eats all the little white marshmallow fish first (can't blame him), then the graham, then the chocolate. He also takes after his Daddy and is a carnivore. I'm happy for him to be eating protein, especially since he's only getting formula in the AM now, but 5 nights a week he and I eat together and I'd rather have a veggie dinner without meat. Thank goodness for organic chicken nuggets and Applegatefarms beef hot dogs.

On another note I've been pleasantly surprised by the affect that the Chronological Bible blog study has had on me. I finally feel like I am getting educated on the Bible like I've needed to be for so long and am so thankful for Melissa and what a great teacher she is. I'm not saying that it's not challenging...some nights the readings are so hard that I have to try again another time. And I would be nowhere without Melissa's explanations. But the surprising part has been that it's left me with a thirst for even more, and thats a good feeling. This is how God works in our lives...drawing us closer to Him. I've mostly only experienced that closeness when following through with outreach that He called me to, but am so thankful to get that closeness in other ways now that I don't have the freedom to volunteer any time I want. One of the daily Lent devotions that Lindsay sent me said that reading His word feeds our faith. I don't know about you but when my faith is fed I feel like I'm floating on clouds. And it is truly divine.

Buxton turns 1

Last Thursday, the 25th, was Buxton's 1st birthday. We didn't plan anything big and just had a few small family gatherings. The first of which was in Utah and I made a very sad looking cake that Wynn and Buxton enjoyed very much. Two days after returning from Utah we celebrated at the Fish Camp with Ben's family and my Dad. And then this past Sunday we drove to Mocksville to celebrate with Buxton's great-grandparents, my half-sister, and real Dad and step-Mom. Buxton scored so much loot this birthday and I was so happy that some of it was clothes for Spring. He got just the right amount of toys (right amount meaning that a few more plastic bright colored noisy things in my house could send me over the deep end), and another generous donation to his college savings account. Buxton already has $1000 saved for college in a 529 plan and Ben and I feel so good about that. Anyways here are the pics from all the celebrations of Buxton turning 1:

First a shot of Buxton and all his sweetness

Utah -waiting for the cake and loving being sung to

Loving the cake

At the Twin Tops. Ben bought a blue cake and Buxton looked like a Smurf afterwards

Opening presents with Papa

"Born to ride"

Mimi when she came to visit and bring bday toys

Buxton's Grandpa Heffner and "Chelle"

Aunt Elizabeth and Great-Grandma and Grandpa Heffner