Look Who's Four?

Wow, where have the past 4 years gone?  I so vividly remember this day, January 12, 2010 when I first met Isaac Owen McCulley!  Oh dear, I get super sentimental when I review the snapshots of the past 4 years.  Every minute with Isaac has just past too quickly.  Probably because he was sandwiched between (and I remind him often that a sandwich wouldn't be much of a sandwich without the middle! :) his 2 bros by 14 months!  Or maybe it's because he moves at lighting speed and I haven't had a minute to stop since this boy began to crawl!  It has seriously gone too fast.  Isaac is our perfect 'middle' though....he never wanted to be a baby and was always eager to do the next thing independently.  The Lord graces us with exactly what we need and he perfectly designed Isaac to thrive in the middle! :)

So LOVED this moment!  Wyatt was definitely more interested in the "pupcakes" we brought home than the little person in the carseat.  But they sure became fast friends and you rarely find one without the other!  Wyatt went for a playdate last week and when Griffin's dad dropped him off at our house that evening he told me that Wyatt asked if he could bring his brother Isaac next time!!!!!  My prayer is that these boys would be BEST friends for life!  I feel like all of my mommy failures are somehow redeemed for good when I see friendship between my boys. 

I remember being instantly in love with this little face! 

Seriously the HAPPIEST baby alive! 

This might be in my top 10 of favorite pictures!

I would so love to relive all of the fun stages with Isaac EXCEPT the eating-out-of-the-trash stage!  Whew, glad we got through that one.  A positive?  He built up some natural immunity in a hurry.  I still remember being at the computer when Isaac came to me proudly with chocolate brownie crumbs all over his face....  Where had he found a brownie I asked myself?  Why, in the trash can, of course!  Why wouldn't one look in the trash when hungry?

And forget the cup....this guy would go straight for the bottle.  Still does!  Just the other day he had an entire box of oyster crackers on the floor and a 1/2 jug of milk spilled all over the table in the 5 minutes I went upstairs.  He's independent and MESSY! :)

Two redeeming qualities:  The thumb....

....and his smile!  This smile can turn any gray day into a bright, sunny one!

Pretty much sums him up!  BAND AIDS!  This boy is fearless, dangerously so!  But he's tough as nails too!  If Isaac cries, you know it's serious business.  This bandaid is covering a pretty good cut that he got last weekend while camping with daddy. Joe called to tell me that Isaac when off the side of the road on his bike and hit a rock.  He asked if he should take him to the ER for stitches?  From the 1x1 phone picture I evaluated the cut and said YES!  Go for the stitches!  Did he get stitches?  Nope!  So we'll hang onto this scar for memories sake! ;)

Isaac learned to ride WITHOUT training wheels at just 3 and a 1/2!  Really? 

Is that a determined face, or what?

Off he goes....

A little show boatin'

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, ISAAC!  He requested a Spiderman theme....

Mimi and Poppy, Uncle Trent and Auntie B, Ashtyn and Dax came over to help celebrate....

A pogo stick!  More stitches in the making?!!!!

Puzzles.  Isaac loves to do puzzles!

Here's our handsome, fun-loving, memory making, witty, independent, strong, smart, joyful 4-year-old....

Have I mentioned that I love you?  I love you.  I'm proud of you.  And I'm so very thankful for the gift you are!  May we steward you well................

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Isaac, you truly are a ray of sunshine!  I know I've been instructed that I can no longer call you Ikey Bear because you are a BIG boy now.  I will respect that!  But don't grow up too fast on me, ok?  I love your little years.  You are so full of energy, laughter, and bright ideas.  You love life and live it to the fullest.  You are very smart and naturally athletic.  You are as strong as a horse!  You make me laugh out loud so many times a day and that is very good medicine for my soul!  You are a little sponge and you ask a million questions.  I appreciate your independence and fearless nature.  You are assertive and strong, kind and thankful.  I love you, warrior!

-"Mom, you're so beautiful!  Dad, you're awesome."
-"Mom, you don't look beautiful yet." (when I'm in sweats or jammies)
-"You're my best mom.  I always wanted to be in your family."
-You end almost every sentence with, ".....Right, Dad? or ......Right, Mom?".  You like to be affirmed that you've been heard.
-Wyatt, "Why are Bella's parents divorced?" Isaac, "Because they didn't kiss enough so her mom moved to another house."
-Looking at a Christmas card (undisclosed name!) and he asks, "Are their ears clean?"
-Me to Isaac, "How come you're so funny?" Isaac's response, "God gave me funny, Mom.  That's all....He gave me funny!"  Very true.

One Month With Ava!

Micah absolutely ADORES Ava and always says "She's so cute!"  He gets right in her face and in the sweetest voice says "Hi Baby Ava!  Hi"

Ava is making cute coos and gurgles now!  Joe and I have both commented that her noises sounds so girly compared to her bros' deep, raspy voices.

She's a sleeper for sure!  Consistently waking once each night.  She's slept all the way through the night a couple of times!

Here's Micah trying to 'scare' Ava with his Darth Vader mask.  He looks pretty scary with that smile and dressed in his clown outfit doesn't he?!

10 years and 4 Babies Later.....

Well, we did not get a single picture on our 10th ANNIVERSARY!!!!!  Not sure how I let that one slip by.  We are planning to do some anniversary pictures this Spring so stay tuned! :)  It was a pretty regular day this Jan 2, 2014....changing diapers, breaking up arguments, cooking, cleaning, etc but we were together which makes any regular day an awesome day!

My mom watched the boys in the evening so we could go to dinner (with Ava in tow, of course!).  We took a little time to reflect on the past 10 years.  We've had lots of highs and few lows and through them all we've seen the Lord's kindness and grace in shaping us into the couple we are today.  Wouldn't trade a single day of the past 10 years!  Well, to be perfectly honest, there are a few I'd like to have a redo on.  I'm learning to seize the day, carpe diem!  It's all we're promised, right?  I don't know what tomorrow holds but I've got today to make the most of.......  I think that's what the past 10 years have taught me-to be present and be faithful in the here and now.  Simple yet so very hard!

I'm so thankful he chose me 10 years ago and that we get to do this life together!  I can truly say that I love him more now than I did then.  Kids have been very good for us...I guess that's why we keep having more of them! Ha!  We've learned to be less selfish, more intentional and to work as a team!

Cute little story I must note for Ava's sake!  So about this time last year Joe brought home an idea, a package to present to me, if you will.  He had a Hawaii itinerary planned for us for this January to celebrate our 10th anniversary.  Note that there are no palm trees pictured in this post! :)  At the end of his compelling presentation he said it was up to me....  Hawaii or a baby.  Really?  7 days on an island vs. 9 months of pregnancy, 3 years of diapers, 18 more years of child rearing, 4 more years of college to budget for...  I think in his mind he had me won over!  We were Hawaii bound!

Well, Hawaii remains on my bucket list, gladly so!  Could anything compare to this sweet 3-week-old face?!  I'll always be your biggest cheerleader Miss Ava!  And I'm going to remind you of this story when you are 14 and causing your momma some grief (I know you will never do that will you?!!!).  But I think you've got your daddy wrapped tightly around your little finger.  He'll thank me later for choosing YOU over Hawaii!  Although I've promised Joe that when the kids are in school and I'm back to work with a real paycheck, I will take him to Hawaii!!!!!         

Daddy becoming Mr. Mom on hid paternity leave!

Had to take a photo of this ornament before the tree came down.  Our Ava Joy has brought much JOY this Christmas!

The boys went with their daddy to the toy store to pick out a gift for Ava....

....they proudly came home with her very first baby doll!   

I LOVE how much they love her!

Tender Warriors!

I have absolutely loved seeing a TENDER side to these WARRIORS with having a baby sister!  I think she's softened each of our hearts already.  Watch out future boyfriends.....  you've got 4 men who must approve of you before you've even got a chance!

Two Weeks With Ava!

I am still pinching myself and waking up wondering if it's really true that I have a baby girl? 

Ava has the BEST big brothers in the entire world  Really, they all adore her and take such good care!  It was really funny because Wyatt was talking about Ava the other night and he paused and said, "What's that baby's name again?"  We laughed hard and then reminded him that his sister's name is Ava Joy.  I think I have most loved the boys flexibility in having a new sibling.  I was so afraid that their world would be rocked and they would 'miss out' on something by having a new baby around that demands a lot of our attention and keeps us confined to home during the winter months......  but there lives have been completely unaffected in many ways--they just keep right on going with their norm! And their hearts are so open and immediately full of love for their new sister (yes, even sometimes forgetting her name!)

Ava is still a great sleeper at night, mostly just waking once. There have a been a couple of nights that she woke twice.  She's super content but her 'fussy' time seems to be in the morning.  It will be interesting when Joe goes back to work trying to get everyone fed, dressed and out the door to drop Wyatt off at K..... Ava might be in the Baby Bjorn!  Otherwise, she's content and happily at ease in the swing or bouncer.  She does love to snuggle and lets us know when she's had enough alone time! :) 

And this captures our 'look' completely!  Been in PJs all day, never combed his hair and I think he actually put in his own hair gel.  Thankfully it's Christmas break and cold outside......  we will get ready again eventually! :)