Happy Birthday, Daddy

Knox was very excited to celebrate Ty's birthday this year. He started out with a song, made a card, and helped make the birthday strawberry-rhubarb pie. We caught it all on video and pictures.



Ty and I went out for a nice dinner and then kayaked down the Eno River in Durham at night. http://www.wafter.org/ It was very fun and a much needed night out after the craziness of the past few weeks. It seems like I was just posting pictures from his fishing birthday trip last year. Knox was still crawling and we didn't have a clue that we'd be in a completely different town, expecting a little one in the fall. Time flies...

Niece Norah

I was so happy to get to visit Katie and Luke and their precious little girl, Norah. Ty and Knox stayed with his mom in Greenville while I flew to Texas to visit our very first niece. I felt bad that they couldn't come too, but it was a much needed break for me and it would have been a crazy visit if my little tornado tagged along.

Norah is so sweet and she slept on me quite a bit. She is a very good baby and Luke and Katie are so good with her; they're naturals.

I am looking forward to having my own little bundle in October and holding Norah made me realize how quickly it is approaching. We're really excited that the cousins will only be 4 months apart.

Here are a few pictures from the visit.

Successfully moved

I've never been great about keeping up with this blogging thing, but I honestly have a good excuse this month. Ty started his new job, we sold and closed on our house, found a house to rent, packed up, and moved to Durham, North Carolina all in one month. We are settling in and really like the area though. We especially like being together as a family now that Ty doesn't travel for his job every week. He has been on the road for his jobs ever since we were married, and we now know what it is like to have dinner together and hang out every evening. Knox is enjoying his daddy time too. We miss our friends and family a lot, but know that we are beginning a new adventure together.
Here are some pictures of the fun we've had this past month.

Zoe and Knox- best buds

Packing tent

Tiny unpacker, big mess

Knox Turns Two

The big day arrived and Knox was ready for it. I sang happy birthday to him when I got him out of bed and he ran to the kitchen screaming "CAKE". I had been working on his soccer ball cake the night before and I guess he was waiting in anticipation. He still had cereal and had to wait until his party; poor thing.

His party was at the park with friends and he had so much fun. They played on the playground, had a soccer ball "game", and ate hamburgers, watermelon, and cake. I don't think Knox ate anything but cake. He had great fun wearing his party hat and digging in.

I can't believe he is already two. It seems like just a few months ago that I brought him home all bundled up in his swaddle. He has grown into such a little person with a big personality. He loves people, especially girls, and he really enjoys animals. He has also entered a boy phase of loving sports, particularly soccer, basketball, and baseball. I don't know if you can count tackling daddy, but he likes that too. He still enjoys books and loves the outdoors. I wonder what he will enjoy a year from now.

Knox and his girls


Knox showing great restraint around the cake


Daddy and Son playing with the new dump truck from Luke and Katie

Hola from Mexico

Last week our family traveled to the Mayan Riviera with our friends Tee,Jen, and Lola. We had a wonderful time despite a few illnesses with the kids. We can't say we did much more than eat, swim, and sleep; but that was fine with us. Ty went on a short trip to Telum, an ancient Mayan city, and I was able to go on a shopping trip with Jen one day. Jen and I also snorkeled and were able to see a sea turtle, which made our day. Knox and Lola were the best of friends and he is still talking about her constantly.
I'm going to post a few of my favorite pictures below.

The buddies

Tide Pooling

After a big dinner

Ty at Talum


Two buff men, two cute babes, and the two preggers

Hola from Mexico continued

This was the "place to be" for those with busy toddlers.

Being silly with mom.

Throwing sand was more fun than a shovel and a bucket.

Knox called this a "slide-wee" the entire trip.

A true toddler pose.

Sprinkler Fun

Accessories

So, in the last month we have gotten some pretty funny pictures of Knox with various accessories. Ty is a little concerned that he loves anything Mom has on, including bracelets, hair ties, and make-up. No worries, he has lots of boy time too, and mud and dirt are his best friends when helping me plant. I'm including all the boy accessory pictures below, minus the sunglasses.
I'm also including a picture of our front yard. I'm so excited that our grass is alive and doing well so far. We'll see if it lasts when the heat picks up.

Easter Fun

For Easter, our friends did a cute outdoor lunch for the kids and then we walked to a nearby YMCA for an Easter Egg Hunt/Pickup. All the eggs were thrown into a field so the kids just ran through and grabbed them as they went. Knox picked up two because we had such a wave of kids in front of us that there were hardly any left behind. He was fine with it and was more concerned with keeping his eye on the lifesize bunny.
After church, we had our Easter lunch with Hyon-Sun and Dave and they cooked some delicious salmon and vegetables. Knox had fun taking pictures in his Easter suit and saying "cheese" for the camera.

Not much new

I am obviously not the best at posting on our blog. I do have an excuse though because we really haven't done a lot in February to report. We've been sick quite a bit and are looking forward to the spring when less germies are going around.
I've gotten pretty good at finding new and interesting ways to keep Knox entertained in the house since we have been under quarantine for most of the month. Some of his favorites are helping me cook while standing on a chair at the counter, giving his toy animals a "bath" in a pan of water, and playing chase. He has also entertained himself without supervision (see lipstick picture). What a guilty face.