G2

the little monkey man in our life turned 2 today. garrett is 2. brian remarked tonight that it seemed like he just got older today. is that possible? that in one day your baby looks, acts, talks like a big kid?

we celebrated today & we have more celebrating to come this weekend! but today...garrett & elmo invited their friends to come & spend a few hours playing, eating pizza & cupcakes & challenging moms & caregivers to keep them all in check. :-) despite a few minor meltdowns (those were from the moms!) ;-), it went very well & garrett had so much fun & was so excited that he probably only slept 30 minutes this afternoon! ha! so much for wearing him out, eh?

but in looking back @ this last year & garrett's life as a whole...for me, when i look back @ becoming a parent, i clearly associate the person who made that true for me - my G-man. having garrett so close to christmas, i remember being so completely overwhelmed that holiday - & the overwhelming sense came from the true meaning of christmas; the gift of our Savior. to know that the Father willingly gave up His Son...that a mother held her baby in poverty knowing that He was meant for more than a simple life. i could not imagine either. i remember crying one night as i was nursing garrett...i was so overcome w/ God's love for me; it was almost like the Spirit was breaking something in my heart. b/c as garrett's mom i knew in that moment, i would willingly die for him. i would give my life to ensure his. it was humbling to know that my Father loves me even more than that. it was humbling to know that as a daughter of Christ i am loved, accepted & treasured beyond anything i will ever feel on earth. that my love for garrett, as compared to God's love for me, PALES in comparison. i cannot even begin to imagine the depth of His grace & mercy towards me.

when we had garrett, w/ tears in her eyes, brian's mom said (& maybe i've blogged this b/f), "now you know how much i love you." & she's right. but now i also know a little more about how much God loves me. & it's awe-inspiring. i do not deserve it. nothing i can do merits it. but i am thankful for it & i am thankful that garrett's birth & his life are what God used to reveal those truths in my heart.

& oh how i am grateful for that little boy & the year we've had w/ him. he's amazed us both @ the way he's grown & developed - into a big brother & a big boy. this past month, we've just seen his use of words turn into sentences...the games he plays (chase! chase! daddy, chase!)...the way he mimics us & strangers (t'giving dinner a guy was asleep in a chair...the man gets up for a moment...garrett gets in the chair & lays back & closes his eyes while smiling/laughing & does his snoring noise - just like the man had been doing a few minutes earlier!)...

the things he remembers - stories, family, friends, toys, words - the way he can associate things now. we are grateful that he's easily morphed into lucy's big bro. while there have been a few meltdowns related to her arrival, he has for the most part graciously accepted her as part of our pack & willingly helps w/ her, talks to her, laughs @ her (he says "lips" whenver she spits up or slobbers & will go & take the edge of her bib & wipe her mouth off). he thinks it's funny when i let lucy kiss him on the cheek & he giggles & says "wet!" and wipes it off.

it's so fun to walk around the block w/ him - who knew going .25 miles could actually take up to 30 minutes. he runs into many of our neighbor's yards & picks up their leaves or grabs their newspaper & hurls it onto their garage door or drops it @ their front door. sometimes he even rings their bell & runs - ha! brian had to stay around the other day to see if anyone came to the door so that he could apologize...fortunately for him, no one did. he has friends that he enjoys - many of them were her celebrating w/ us today - he talks about them when we're not together & says things they have done together or if he's been in *trouble* w/ them (for pushing or hitting) he remembers the discipline (it's standing in the corner in case you were wondering).

we LOVE that he's really into all the christmas decorations this year. his version "mih miss wights"...as we drive around he announces every house, then "more mih miss wights!"...then "mommy/daddy, more mih miss wights back here!" the other night we stayed up *late* (for our kids) & drove around & looked @ light...just for the joy of hearing that little boy yell from the back seat! it's sooooo fun!

so if you've read this far, you win a prize...alot of this is more for my own purposes...my scrapbooking is YEARS behind, so this helps me keep a good *diary* so to speak of what's going on in our lives.

happy birthday, garrett! we love you & are grateful that God put YOU in this family. we love you so much & wish you the happiest of years to come - who wouldn't LOVE to be 2? :-)

about a week old...our sweet pea!

@ one week...we were entirely smitten!

exactly one year ago today...he seems so small!

singing happy birthday to G today...he blew out both candles all by himself! where did he learn to do that?

lucy & garrett after their naps this afternoon. lucy had to wear some elmo today to support her big bro too!