Cousins

We got to have our family come visit us for the weekend, so we had to get some cute pictures of the kids.

::: Paisley & Gage :::

::: With Gramma Jill :::

AHH! A spider!
(not really, but that's totally what it looks like!)

Fun Fact

another fun fact:


Gage loves playing on playgrounds. As long as there aren't other kids around, he goes up and down and up and down. If there are other kids around, he is completely fascinated by them. Especially the older kids that are all over the place. So he stares in amazement.

And because he watches the older kids all the time, he thinks the monkey bars are so much fun. He hangs on for dear life (even though I don't let him go) and gets so excited.

And this toy thing, whatever it's called, is super fun. Gage is demonstrating how you are supposed to play on it. In his eyes, this is totally the way you do it, and it is way fun. Reach up as high as your arms will let you and then stick your belly out.

We live right next to an elementary school right now, so we've loved being able to just walk to the park whenever we want to go play. But now almost every time we go to walk out the door, Gage looks up at me and signs "play" with a questioning look. As if he is trying to say, "so we are going to play, right?" :)

Fun Fact

Another cute little fact:
Gage now understands the "real" purpose of dandelions.
(I think Papa Joe might have had something to do with this new fascination)


first, ya pick it,

then, you blow on it and watch the seeds fly away!

It made my day the first time I watched Gage bend down to pick a dandelion. I remember getting so excited when I would find one, it is so fun to watch the same excitement come from Gage!

Party Month!!

It's October, and that means it is the month to CeLEbRaTE Gage! October is Down syndrome awareness month, so I am going to try really hard to be good about blogging this month so everyone can join us in our celebration of Gage!

I'll blog random facts about Gage and the joy he brings into our family every single day!

Gage keeps me on my toes, that is for sure! He loves to play outside. These pictures are from a cute farm near our home.
Fact 1: PuDDleS!! Puddles are the coolest thing ever, just ask Gage! If he sees one, we must stop. He may be soaked by the end of it, but man are they fun!

Alive & Well!

Just in case anyone was wondering... we are still here. Just have been really neglecting the blogging world for the past few months. We moved last Saturday, so maybe that will get things a little settled down for us! At least I'm hoping so!
I got a phone call from my dad a few weeks ago informing me that there haven't been any updates in a really long time and I needed to get on it... so here it is dad! And a fair warning to anyone reading, this is the most obnoxiously long post I have ever done... but I'll try to be brief!

Gage turned 2 just over 2 months ago. He sure has grown up, it is so much fun! I love watching his personality come out more and more. We took him out for some 2-year shots, so here are a couple to go along with the one I posted a few months ago!



I like to call this one "Bad to the Bone"

We threw a little family party for Gage's birthday. This is his surprised look he made when he came out and saw Gramma Jill and Papa Joe were there to see him!

One cool, spoiled rotten dude!

Gage's "Smash Cake"
Last year, during Gage's 1st birthday party, he had a fever over 103 degrees. Not so much in the mood for eating his cake. So we decided he got another shot at it this year. I made him a "deer cake" and he definitely loved it! Didn't hesitate a bit!

He even blew out his own birthday candles, he was so excited!

"Mommy, taste how good this is!!"

The cake for everyone else, made my Gage's great-grandma

The decorations...

More decorations... Cathy made Gage this adorable letter to go in his new room! Isn't it so cute?! It will go so perfect with the theme we are going to do.

We had a great time and we were so happy Gage wasn't sick this time so he could actually enjoy all the fun and attention!

We went to visit Gage's Great-Great-Grandma, and took some 5 generation pictures. This is the look you get when you tell a 2-year-old to look at the camera and say "cheese!!"
In the picture is my mom, my grandpa, me, Gage, and my great-grandma

Blowing kisses to his new cousin. He loves baby Paisley, he sits and watches her whenever she is around and tries to help her mommy take care of her.

Gage's first day of class! Growing up so big!

Gage loves the piano. Always has. He was so excited when he learned to climb up on the bench so he could play whenever he wanted to! I love to watch him play, he plays so nicely like he is really trying to play a song. And he loves to sit on his Uncle Kaden's lap and watch him play music.

Speaking of sitting on laps... this is our lap dog. Or so he thinks....

Gage's first good black eye. When I took the pictures it didn't look too black, but it slowly got worse before it got better. He decided to go down 3 cement stairs face first... no fun!


Gage's favorite thing to do is sing songs. If we would sit and sing songs for him to do the actions to all day, he totally would be in heaven! So I took a few pictures of him doing 2 of his songs. I really need to get pictures of the others, I love watching it!

"If you're happy and you know it....

... stomp your feet!!"

"The isty bitsy spider went up the water spout... (yes, I am totally aware of what sign he is doing... but that is what he has come up with for "the itsy bitsy spider!)

... down came the rain and washed the spider out ...

... out came the sun and dried up all the rain ...

... and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout, again!"


There's our update for now! Hope you enjoyed it :)

Happy Birthday to our sweet little man!
More birthday pictures to come!

I know that this post is totally random, but I had odds and ends and hadn't posted for a while so I figure... why not!



This little boy is in love with fruits and veggies. He goes through the fridge searching for them. The other day, he grabbed this apple and I said, "oh, you're just going to have an apple are you?" And he did some random sign and then started eating it. I didn't know what he had said, so I asked Derek to look up the sign for "apple". Sure enough, that's what he was sayin! Silly boy.

He's gonna be a fisherman, makes his daddy proud :)

Gage's OT came over this past week. He hasn't come for a few months, not sure why, just hasn't. So he was excited when Gage showed off for him. He did his puzzles and shape sorting, so his OT said the next thing he wants to work on is stringing beads and things. We have a bead-stringing set, but I thought this idea would be perfect Gage, beings that he is obsessed with deer and all! I put a picture of a deer on a piece of cardboard and made it indestructible by covering it with tape. I then put a bunch of holes in it so he could string through the holes while looking at his deer! I think it worked, because he loves to work on it and concentrates so hard!

It is hard work, but I think he'll get it soon!

Baby Paisley!

Yesterday was a wonderful day! Derek & I are now an uncle & aunt and Gage has a cousin!
Paisley Jo was born Saturday morning at 4:14 am.

I loved this picture, everyone had to get a shot on their phones to start sending them out!

Proud daddy (my brother, Kody)

So gorgeous!

My mom & I admiring Paisely

Papa Joe with his new granddaughter

Paisley and her beautiful mom in her "going home" dress!

Gage wasn't allowed to go back to the room, but we brought her to the window and Derek held him up so he could admire his new cousin. He was very impressed, that's for sure!

HAHA Hilarious, huh?

This and That...

Derek's graduation Saturday was great! We are so excited he is finished! Last year, since Derek and I were both graduating, my grandma made Gage an adorable robe and cap to match ours. It was the cutest ever! But he has grown lots and lots since then, so he didn't get to wear it this year. We had a lunch at our house with family before the graduation. You would think I would have thought to take some pictures... but I didn't, darn it!

Gage came walking in the other day with Derek's t-shirt on, his arms through the right holes, facing the right direction and everything! I thought it was hilarious so I had to get a picture. Although but the time I got the camera he was sick of it and trying to get it off!

One of Gage's favorite things in the world is toothbrushes. He LOVES to brush his teeth. Not for me to brush his teeth, but for HIM to brush his teeth. He always signs that he wants to brush his teeth and reaches for a toothbrush. This is what I saw when I got home from work today, too cute! (Lily, see Gage's glow-worm in the background? Just like the one you love! :) )