skate!

Declan's inability to focus on one activity has always been hard. He is "on to the next" as soon as you think he settled in to what he is doing. I assumed it would get better with age. Each year of soccer I was little more hopeful than the last. Nope. Zero attention span. BUT...the clouds have parted and a passion has been born: skateboarding. I have to drag Declan out of the skate park every time we go. A couple times after 5 hours. We love going too. There is such a community of great people and we have built some neat relationships.

 The monkey on the left is Declan's friend Owen. His mom and I are really good friends. Bonus!

 Here's  glimpse of "skate school". It's every Saturday morning for 2 hours.

 Because, really, does it get much cuter than green skinnies and gray chucks?

 Quick dinner break...

Not a coincidence...

This past Friday as I left the gym I received a call from our fos/adopt placement coordinator for a healthy newborn baby girl. In the 5 minutes that I had a few questions answered, another family said YES and as quickly as my heart swelled with excitement, it broke. Devastated and honestly completely unsure what just happened (is this a cut throat operation, here?!) I went home and moped in my room for awhile. Thankfully, after a conversation with a fellow fost/adopt mama, I had digested my feelings enough to head out with my boys and enjoy the evening. I know this is a roller coaster. It's been that from the get go.  Did I make us lose this little girl because I had a couple questions? No. God's timing is perfect.

This morning in church we sang "Blessed be the Name". I'm starting to see the pattern of this song making it's way in to the rotation when I feel like I'm knee deep in one of life's trials. It always smacks me in the face with truth.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

heart : melted

Tonight at bedtime Declan was in big stall mode. After a snack, a potty break, song time, prayer time, another potty break, he wanted me back in his room. It's stormy so I just laid on the ground next to him (he's in a big "sleep on the ground" phase) and Declan wrapped his twiggy arms all the way around my neck. I breathed him in. He smelled so good all fresh from the bath. Then, I had this sudden flash forward of life in 10 years: I'll have a hormonal 15 year old that won't let me snuggle and will suddenly have new priorities---friends, hobbies, etc. I'm sure I'll be the embarrassing parent and will hear "mooooooooom" with a big eye roll and sigh.

But...not tonight. Tonight, my almost 5 year old wanted me. All of me. Not a distracted, go through the motions me. Just mommy. As we full embraced hugged, this was the exchange:

"Decs, please promise me that you'll always and forever love your mommy."

"I promise. Because you are silly and nice and beautiful."

{I die of the sweetness}

"....no matter how old you are, you'll love me?"

"Even when I'm a daddy like daddy, you'll be my fave." 

How did I get the cutest, sweetest, most heart warming child ever? Probably because he's the most challenging, will testing, busiest, talkative kid ever. God knew all his qualities would perfectly mesh.

baseball

We love going to baseball games. I feel like we should avoid them at all costs because Declan only makes it about 8 minutes before he's antsy and wants to go play on the bounce houses. He'll play there for hours. Despite how completely unrelaxing our baseball game adventures are, we really do love them.

Excited and ready to roll...

 

 Love our little family of three...

Be still my heart. My boys are the best.

crosberries

Crosby AKA Crosberries has been the perfect fit for our family. Him and Sophie are best buds and Declan adores him too. Thankfully he's uber patient with Decs.

Isn't he the cutest little (ahem--enormous) boxer ever?! ;)

toads

Declan is completely obsessed with these little toads (I call them frogs...he quickly corrects me that they are toads). They are all over our property. Little boy heaven.

4th

One of the things I love about our new neighborhood is the community created by so many families with little kiddos. We heard about the 4th of July bike parade and had to join the fun...

 

We spent the afternoon at the pool of course. (Yes the popsicle is as large as it looks. Ha!)

This year we hosted a 4th of July party again. I think it's going to be an annual thing because it's such a blast. The 4th is one of my favorite holidays for sure. 

 cheeseball

 Decs and his best buddy cousin Ella:

 sweet cousin Evie:

 Benefit of new construction? Empty field to do fireworks in!