HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL HUBBY!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Cole!!!

Three years ago today Matt & I were blessed beyond our wildest dreams with a most precious gift from God. Cole arrived at 11:52 am that day and our lives have not been the same since that moment. The flood of love that filled our hearts when he was born continues to grow more and more everyday. Today we sat down with Cole and looked at pictures from his first few months of life. It was so sweet to listen to him talk about being a "tiny baby". Cole is such a joy, and though he tries our patience quite regularly, I know that he is jut growing and trying to understand the world around him. Happy Birthday Cole!!!

In the hospital

3 weeks old - Praying Hands

6 weeks old - I caught him sleeping just like this a few nights ago!

Cole's 1st Birthday Party

1st Birthday - Cole developed a love for birthday cake very quickly.

Running around in a onesie at the zoo on his second birthday...that's what happens when mom forgets to pack an extra outfit!

2nd Birthday - Enjoying his new T-ball set

Today - Thank you Aunt Mindy, Uncle Chris, & Hannah - Cole loves his story reader!!

Our little man on his 3rd Birthday!

I asked Cole this morning what today was & he replied "It's my birthday cake", I said "No. It's just your birthday." He said "NO! It's my birthday cake!"

Comments & Conversations with Cole...

We are having some pretty funny comments from & conversations with Cole lately. The mind of an almost three year old is amazing. These don't come close to all of the sweet/funny/silly things he has said lately, but I wanted to at least get these "memorialized" before I forgot any more. As you read, try to imagine him saying these things with a rapidly developing thick southern drawl, which adds to the humor most of the time!

Savannah: "Thank you."
Cole: "I welcome."

"I love you so much! MmmHmm"

"Daddy my hero. Daddy my Daddy's hero."

"Daddy my best friend, Pavannah (Savannah) my best friend, Mommy my best friend, everybody my best friend."

Regarding the horses in the field we pass each morning...
"That Black Beauty and Black Beauty friends, playin' on the playground."

Cole: "Mommy, where is God?"
Mommy: "God is everywhere. He is always with us."
Cole: "Oh"

"Just one more big luvins'"

"Stay with me."

After doing/saying something he thinks if funny...
Cole: (Laughs) "I/That funny Mommy?" (Laughs)
Mommy: "Yes Cole, you are funny" (Laughs too!)

"You sick? (gives a kiss) I make you feel better?"

Going to a public restroom with Mommy...
Cole: "We go to the gurlz?"
Mommy: "Yes, you go to the girls' potty when Mommy takes you."
Cole: (pointing to the door of the Men's restroom) "That one for friends?"

Mommy: "Cole can you say my name?"
Cole: "Sara Jo"
Mommy: "Can you say Savannah?"
Cole: "Pavannah"
Mommy: "No. Savannah. You can say Sara Jo, why can't you say Savannah?"
Cole: "I can say Sara Jo and Pavannah....(points to Daddy) Matt!"

Daddy: "Cole, can I have a big luvins?"
Cole: "I don't have any more big luvins."
Mommy: "Cole, do you have any little luvins you can give Daddy?"
Cole: "Yeah" (gives Daddy "little" luvins)
Mommy: "Cole do you think your little luvins can grow to be big luvins?"
Cole: "Yeah, (laughs) they grow."

In response to asking Cole to repeat ANYTHING...
"I just did."

A little more vacation..

Family Photo

Beach - Day 4

Cole started his day off by getting back into bed - his outside bed that is. He loved to take the towels we had drying outside and make a "bed" out of them.

Savannah started her day out screaming & crying. Partially for good reason, she rubbed sunscreen in her eye. She produced plenty of tears to wash it out though. Cole & Savannah both HATE getting their sunscreen put on. They scream & cry through the entire process which only makes it take twice as long as it would if they would just sit still. It is going to be a LONG summer....

The BOSS

"What mommy?"

We attempted to make a sand castle again...Savannah destroyed it.

Savannah thought pouring her water bottle into the bucket was a real treat.

Eating some fruit snacks in the shade.

I took Savannah inside to change her diaper, so Daddy & Cole rushed to make a sand castle in the peace of a Savannah-less beach. They did a great job. They were just finishing up when Savannah & I got back on the beach....

....Savannah finished it off. She managed to destroy it in no time flat making her way around to each dome one at a time & flattening it.

Then she stood back and looked at all that she had conquered. (Check out those feet buried in the sand! She definitely conquered her fear of sand this week.)

Cole standing triumphant on what is left of his sand castle. His comment during the destruction "Oh no! Pavannah!" (spoken with a heavy southern drawl, and that is not a typo - that is how he says her name!)

Gotta love the after nap time grin!

We went out for a really yummy dinner, and then went to ride the airplane. Cole has been asking to do this every day since we went to play mini golf. He has also been asking to play "putt-putt" every day. We didn't play golf again, but we did take him to ride the airplane. We were afraid he would be scared to do it alone (no grown ups allowed on this one), but he had a great time.

Savannah, who usually hates the carousel, really enjoyed her carousel ride tonight.

We had one ticket left, so Cole decided he wanted to ride on the kiddy ferris wheel. I couldn't believe that he didn't get upset. He did so great. He stood in line and handed his ticket to the worker all by himself. He is just getting way too big!

We did some shopping at a tourist's shop, stopped for some homemade key lime pie, took a stroll on the beach, and then got ready for bed. One thing about this place - it is not childproof. Savannah thought playing peek-a-boo inside the cabinet was very funny. Cole got in on the fun too (cabinet to the left), but somehow I didn't get his picture.

So our Moss party of four vacation is coming to a close. It has been a fun time. We have watched almost no TV, sang lots of songs, played in the sand, swam in the pool, let the waves tickle our toes, and eaten very well. Tomorrow it is back to reality and Cole's question of "Where is our home?" How do you explain to a two year old, that home is not a place, it is the family you love and the feelings you have when you are with them?

Beach - Day 3

Today was another beautiful day on the beach. It was warm & breezy. Savannah & Cole only took about 5 minutes to warm up to the sand today. They even enjoyed splashing in the water as the waves crashed onto the sand. Savannah kept wanting to go back for more. She said "outside, beach" all day. We built a sand castle, but before it was finished, Cole was tearing it down. It was fun to build it together though. Cole dropped his snack so Matt decided to feed it to the pigeons. They came swooping in & both Cole & Savannah thought this was great fun. Matt had missed picking up one of the fallen crackers, so Cole picked it up and threw it to the pigeons yelling "Eat my cracker birds, eat my cracker". Needless to say, they ate it. Everyone sitting around us is quite entertained by Savannah & Cole. After lunch, a nap, and me burning the back of my legs (it really hurts to sit down), we got ready for dinner, took some pictures from our balcony, and headed to a local dive on the harbor. We ended the day with another evening swim & then a bedtime snack. All in all a great day. (Although I could have done without the sunburn!)