January 2016! A new year is here, already! It seems like Y2K was like last week....and here we are 16 years later!  I truly cannot believe that Chris and I are already approaching our 8th wedding anniversary, that we have a 6 year old (Kindergartner!!), a 4 year old in his last year of preschool, AND  an 18 month old little angel!! It's been so long so I have posted ANYTHING at all, and I want to do such a better job!! So, here goes an honest attempt at maybe a post/month on each of them.  I love reading back on these posts, if only I could remember to write them ;) 

Keller age 5, Summer 2015 ;)

Canon, age 3 Summer 2015

Maggie Jane, 1 year old! Summer 2015

Dear Keller,

Tomorrow morning, my first born, my first little love, my buddy, my side kick, my sweet, smart, sensitive little Keller starts pre-K. I have always looked forward to the day that he would go to school and learn all the new things that you learn in pre-K (I mean, I think it's come a long way since 1989 when we just napped and colored all day), but as the day has crept up on me for him to actually go, I find myself so sad! I would like to blame it on postpartum hormones (MJ is only 6 weeks old), or the fact that Canon turned 3 on Sunday, but truth be told, I think I'm just one of "those moms".  The ones who have a hard time letting go. Who fear the first time that he gets hurt and I'm not there to kiss his knee. Or the first time some punk kid teases him and he comes home with hurt feelings. Knowing that he is learning and growing so much every day and I won't be there to see every minute of it. Knowing that his teacher will spend more time with him over the next 9 months than I will. All this is just too much for an emotional mama!! So I wanted to sit down and collect my thoughts, write my sweet baby a letter to read to him sometime later about all the things I want for him as he starts his new adventure. But I can't. I can't put into words all the things I want for him. Everything I pray for him each night, and everything I'll pray over him all day tomorrow, and each day after, as he enters those doors. Prayers for safety, strength to have integrity, prayers for friendships, prayers that he will come to know God and be a witness for His kingdom to his classmates and teachers, prayers that The Holy Spirit will intercede for me on the things I don't even know how to pray for. I'm so thankful to have a happy, healthy 4 year old to send to get a great education with a teacher who lives him, in a class full of his friends. So instead of writing him some sappy, gut wrenching, letter to him, I'm writing this:

Dear Keller,
     Go get 'em. We are behind you all the way. I love you more than Leo, Mike, Don and Raph :)
Love, Mommy

Canon at 2 years!!

Wow, where do I even begin?? Where did the last 2 years go??? How is my baby already a toddler? So many questions to start this post ;) It has been so long since I have written anything, and I find myself really disappointed that I won't be able to look back at this like I had planned in my perfect dream world (that I often "live" in, but seldom comes to fruition!)  On August 17th, Canon Burk turned 2!! He is so very different than his big brother, in almost everyway, so it has been such a fun experience for me to get to learn his personality over the last year and watch him turn into a little boy! Here are some of his 2 year stats:

Height: 36.5"

Weight: 34 lbs (ya, he's a big guy!)

Hair color: still my little blondie

Eye color: Blue!! The prettiest blue eyes you've ever seen!

Teeth: all but his 2 year molars

Favorites: Mommy, Daddy and Keller (of course!), his blue blankie, Thomas the Train, Lightning McQueen, allll super heros, brushing his teeth, swimming, bath time, his cousins *wiggsy and gabin-ator*, his buddies at church *dan-ta, wane-twee, esson, ms sawwy, ms winda and ju ju*, walker, tate-tate, and of course his uncle drew bear (if you ask, "who's your favorite?" he will tell you "untle do bear!"

Sleep: still sleeping like a champ for us, 7p-7a and 1 nap in the afternoon.

He is a BIG boy! Much bigger at this age than his older brother was! People are constantly asking me, "He's only 2?!?" me:"Yes, he is just a big guy!" random stranger: "He's gonna be a linebacker!!" every. where. we. go. So I just hope he likes football ;) 

He has a great vocabulary! Again, strangers are always very impressed with all the words he knows.  I would like to take some credit for working with him, teaching him, etc...but if I'm being honest, Keller is his biggest teacher!! He says EVERYTHING that Keller says.  He wants to be just like his big brother, and it is so cute!! Some of his phrases that make us laugh the most are: 

"Not yet!" when asked if he is finished eating, ready to go somewhere, etc.

"I'm sorry bubba" ANYTIME keller is crying, whether he was at fault or not

"Ina stay hy-dre-ned!" (I need to stay hydrated) after he takes a big drink of water

"Ima do it myselp" (I want to do it myself) if i try to help him with ANYthing at all

He love songs/singing and knows lots of songs!! His favorite right now is "Chewtaback" or "Boys 'Round Here" for those of you who don't speak fluent Canon ;) 

He is so much fun to be around, and a very funny kid.  He knows when he is being "funny" and will look around to make sure everyone is looking and laughing at him.  He has such a fun personality and I am so thankful and feel very blessed that I get to be his mom! I love you Canon Burk!!

 this is how he has been sleeping lately :)

 jumping in his crib

 calling "aunt may-me" i'm sure ;)

"i'm two!!!"

Happy 60th Birthday Mimi!!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear mimiiiiiiiii, happy birthday to you! Today our precious Mimi (a.k.a. Chris' mom) is 60 years old!  We are thankful that God brought her into the world 60 years ago today!  We love you, hope your birthday is fantastic!!

 it's hard to read his sign....

keller is better at holding it up ;)

I've got sunshine...

It has been absolutely beautiful outside the last few days and we have been taking FULL advantage!  School is out in Duncan, so the elementary school playground behind our house is a ghost town...which is perfect for a spunky 2 year old who loves the slides, tunnels, monkey bars and merry-go-round!  We love the sunshine and chubby faced babies....and bubbles ;)

 Smiley little 9 month old...with chipmunk cheeks :)

blowing some bubbles, and playing with sticks of course

Thunder UP!!

It has been beyond awesome to have an NBA team here in good ole' OKLAHOMA!  The Thunder have NOT disappointed us!  Here is to an NBA championship coming to OKC!!

Chris, supporting the THUNDER!!

Kiddie land is open!!

kiddie land is our local "amusement park".  it sits right off the highway, but is only open during the summer.  so allllll winter long, everytime we drive by..."momma, can we go to tiddie wand?" and then i have to explain to him that it's only open during summertime...you get the picture.  well lately when we drive by keller asks, "is it summertime?" well, kiddie land officially opened today! so i told keller this morning that we were going and he said "momma, it's SUMMERTIME!!!" :) lol, he is pretty excited.  we went this afternoon and met up with his best buddy sam! they promptly rode the airplanes 3 times in a row (4 for sam!) and then the train, back to the planes...then a storm blew in and they had to close :(  but, i'm sure we'll be back ;)

happy little boy on the train :)