Siblings

I had a list as long as my arm of reasons I didn't want Frazier to be an only child. Chief among them is the fact that I am not an only child...so I know what he would be missing. The sibling relationship is one for which there is no substitute, even in the dearest of friends. Perhaps, it's because with siblings you share something no one else does- your parents. You are each (or all) combinations of the two same people. You have shared experiences no one else has and moreover, you can count on continued shared experiences because you are inextricably linked to the same network of people.

Siblings are good for you...like leafy greens. Sometimes they're delicious and sometimes they're bitter, but they're beneficial either way. I can't wait for Frazier to get to know his sibling, and to watch them grow up together because this cute kid...

who grew up to be this handsome guy...

...has been one of God's greatest gifts to me.

Today (or the 31st, rather...which has already begun in Paris) is my little brother's 23rd birthday and I hope on Frazier's little sibling's twenty-third birthday...if they are separated by an ocean like Ross and I are...that he misses him or her as much as I miss Ross. Because I hope he loves them this much.

Happy Birthday to my favorite sibling- tu me manques!

Je t'aime,

Rand (and fam)

Birthday Weekend!

Today is my grandfather's 80th birthday so we spent this weekend celebrating with him! Yes, there are a lot of pictures. No, you don't have to scroll through all of them. I just wanted those who were there to be able to relive it and those who weren't to feel like they were! :)

Birthday breakfast at Cracker Barrel:

Since my family crams a good four or five birthdays into the last couple weeks of March, we had a couple of extra birthday guys!

It was a really special weekend for a really special grandfather (and Uncle Tom and Uncle Paul, too!) Wish we could do it all over again! Happy [actual] birthday, Pop!

Well...

...it was a tremendous blessing just to have one kid so fabulous...

...but God has blessed us with another one!

Frazier's little brother or sister- due September 21st.

Dearest Lentil,

You are loved already, my darling, and knowing the awesomeness that is your big brother makes us all the more excited to meet you.

-Mommy

Our Valentine's Day In Pictures

Firestation #3

There are two things I can rest assured will always be out somewhere on my floor...a train, and a firetruck. And most likely some assorted firemen. So you can imagine how excited Frazier was when my thoughtful friend, Jenny, planned a trip to one of our local firestations in lieu of our regularly scheduled every-other-Friday-playdays. I actually told him several days in advance we were going because I was so excited because I knew he'd be so excited...which made for a really long anticipatory week. But looking forward to it's half the fun, right?

The night before we made cookies to take and Frazier decorated the container with lots of firefighter and firetruck stickers! He was so proud of them and he even gave them to one of the guys all by himself! I missed getting the camera out, but it was really sweet.

We visited station #3 which is a very impressive station, home to two trucks, an ambulance, a boat and a crew of really excellent firefighters. They spent about an hour and a half showing us around and letting the kids check out the truck and even letting them spray with the hose!

I asked Frazier what he was going to wear that morning and he said without hesitation, "My pireman suit!" Like, duh.

It was a pretty big day! Frazier's still talking about it!