Carter's 3rd Birthday Bash!

So, let's pretend that this post isn't 2 months old. But, i guess then we would have to pretend that we did not survive the holidays, endure a move, and nurture a sick 6 month old little girl during the past two months.

So, Carter is three! Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!

Natalie did an amazing job pulling his Firetruck party together with the balloons, fire dog biscuits ("They're not for doggies, they're for children." says Carter to his friends), coloring tablecloths, hats, the cakes, and of course, the fire truck pinata! She's truly a special, special Mommy who loves her little fire dog like crazy!

So we went to the 17th Fire House, our soon-to-be neighbors, and those firefighters are the salt of the earth. Great tourguide, everybody got to sit in the pump truck, Daddy even suited up in all the HEAVY gear, and we got everyone stationary for at least a moment for a group photo.

Thanks to Max, John Miller, Simon, Genevieve, Andrew, Will, Carmen, William, Eva Elizabeth, Matteson, and Blaine. That was such a fun day to share with all of you! And many thanks to Brian for the picture taking, and Max for the pinata smashing.

Growing Up

Little Anna Brooks is starting to give us some complete nights of sleep.
She's just the sweetest thing, she loves kisses on her
little pillow cheeks and her roll-y neck!


Carter's now expanding his sphere of influence, personality and boundaries!
"I really like your Horsey-Tail, Mommy." - complimenting Natalie's pony tail
"That's not the question!" - when he doesn't quite agree with our disciplining

Falling Leaves

Seeing the treelined neighborhood street with drapes of falling leaves streaming across the sunlit sidewalks, I love this season. I love football, chili, gloves, raking leaves even, walks with the kiddos, curling up... It seems like yesterday when Natalie and I were scrambling through our final preparations for little Carter. And now, suddenly, he's singing "I've Been Working On the Railroad" into an antique walking cane. And he's got a little sister who is getting cuter, and bigger, day after day.

In all things...

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17

We cling to this truth during this time. We know that the Lord honored the desires of our heart for our new home, and yet this truth becomes more foggy each day the "For Sale" sign remains in our yard, becoming more and more comfortable every day.

Natalie and I spent the formative years of our marriage in this house, we welcomed two precious babies to this world in this house, we've celebrated birthdays, Christmas's, Easters, Halloweens, we've seen one take his first steps and grow into a little boy. Great memories in a great house, I'm sure we will miss it.

In him, all things hold together...

Halloween's Past: '06 Puppy Gog

Halloween's Past: '05 Little Lion

Trick or Treat!

Always one of our favorite times in the Links is the annual Halloween parade where all little spooks and goblins gather in Gazebo Park and march around Blackburn, Pembroke and Windsor to begin the evening's festivities!

This year, we had a little Bunny (Anna Brooks) and a little Pony (Carter). We were joined by Eva Elizabeth and Matteson Sanderson as little lady-bugs. Carter enjoyed making a "Hee-Haw" sound in his pony costume, and our little bunny Anna Brooks tuckered out about two houses into the evening.