Just Walking Around, Being Big.

  
  
I'm so behind! But yessir, Graham is a walkin' professional now. (And 13 months old today, I just realized!)


So, here's a little clip of my Curly Von Wobbles from about a week ago now :)

This kid melts me.

One Last September Splash

  
 
Fall is IN THE AIR....  and I'm so not ready for it this year.

But -- alas -- no one asked me.

So before we completely bid summer farewell, last week we played in the Turtle Pool, just one last time.

The sun was shining and the boys were splashing.



  

Turtle Pool!

Fill 'er up

  Getting some "help" now

 Holden was spraying the water with his thumb.

Bridger Dean thought it was pretty funny. :)

 Watching The Brothers get more toys

 Haha. (He was ok. No worries.)

 The big boys didn't like the constant splashing so much...

 Keeping a safe distance... trying not to get splashed. 

 This kid takes splashing very seriously. Like, at least 10 minutes nonstop, kind of serious.

  My Boys of Summer♥

My Baby is ONE.

Well. It happened.

I knew it was coming. And we even had an all out, big bash a little early (while Megan and her family were all still here) to celebrate Mr. Graham Arnold's big day.

But now... well, now it's official.

My beautiful, smart, funny, baby is one year old today.

And it just does NOT seem like an entire year could already have passed us by.


I'll admit. I'm tired. And busy. And stretched beyond the limits of my patience many days...

But I'm also very much in love. Good grief do I swoon over this beautiful boy - his gorgeous blue eyes, full pink lips, and shiny goldilocks hair. Like, swoon.

And in between the diapers changes, chaotic meals, and ear-piercing screaming trick... I sometimes find myself just staring at him. Making faces. Smiling. Playing the "mimicking" game he loves.

Just making mental notes. Trying to remember. And clinging to these sugar sweet, and lightening fast, fleeting months of life.


I am acutely aware that the moments of "babyhood" are slipping away like grains of sand through my fingers.


And so... I take pictures. Because it's the only way I can think of to try and keep some of this. For always.

The Birthday Boy! Modeling his #1 Birthday shirt.. gettin' ready for his big party!

  And if you know me at all... it will come as no surprise that there were cupcakes!

 A whole tower of cupcakes....:)

 Me and the Birthday Boy!

 
                         The Grill Master.

 And his awesome partner in crime. 

 Please note the matching "uniforms" and everything. Ha!

  Party Guests!

 Loadin' up

 My Grandma meeting Baby Bryce

  The Grillin' Team - tasting their reward

 Almost time for presents!

 My beautiful baby♥

 He's ready! Diggin' in...

 Yay! The Helpers have arrived!

 

  

Hey! Big brother Holden finally took a break from playing to help for a minute.

He had so much fun with all the kids. :)                     

 And the always helpful, Bridger Dean  ;)

 Hi, Mimi!

 More wonderful party guests - the Streb's. (Without their grill, there would have BEEN no cookout party!)

  Josslyn Grace - looking so grown up

 
  And the Wades! Well, at least Mommy and Daddy. The kiddos
were around there somewhere :)

 

 Tyler and the lovely, Emily      

 

And the papparazzi... snappin' photos of the clean up crew...

Cupcake Time!

 Looking at me like, "What's going on?" during the Happy Birthday song

 Oh Baby.

 He takes cupcake time very seriously. (Also, he was exhausted. And hungry.)

 Mmmmm....

He devoured it. 

And then asked for "muh, muh!" (More.) !

And then these were all today. On his actual birthday. 

Happy One Year Birthday, Graham Arnold. 




Smile, you're beautiful.


 

 

  I feel like it looks like he's saying, "Oh, Mom."

 He melts me.

 ♥           ♥          ♥

 "Who me? I'm the birthday boy today?!" :)

  So BIG.

 

 "Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." - Kevin Arnold

 

Little Red Wagon 

 And then, as a sweet gift JUST to remind me he's still my baby... he drank his bottle and fell asleep after pictures. 

He is still my baby. ♥

And one more round of Happy Birthday and a cupcake after dinner tonight.

  Oh yea. He's got the hang of it now.

 Look at those EYES.♥

"We have only this moment, sparking like a star in our hand…and melting like a snowflake. 

Let us use it before it is too late. "

- Marie Beynon

 Happy Birthday, Baby Boy. ♥