miller's birthday party!!

we started his special day in the best way, free doughnuts!

the usual suspects.....we had to wait for jim and sandi coming straight from the airport-thanks for making it after a long flight, sandi!

cake!

fun new toys, clothes, and big boy food!

deja vu- episode 1

same shirt, similar face, etc.....

2 very cute things. or, my neck smells very good.

two very cute and sweet things miller does.

there's a point while eating, when he feels "done" with the high chair.

we, however, feel he needs to eat a little more,

and don't take him out right away. so, he campaigns a bit harder.

he holds his arms straight out in front of himself, and quietly groans.

uuhhh, uuhhh, uuhhh. uuhhh uuhhh uuhhh.

matthew very cleverly noticed that when he does this,

miller resembles a mini-frankenstein! add in the natural

larger-than-their-body-headedness that babies have going on and

it's even funnier. i roared with laughter as miller kept doing it,

and we all realized he has nailed this first theatrical role!

last week, i found a baby shirt just miller's size with a tiny frankenstein

on it that says "daddy's little monster"-perfection!

the other thing is, miller really loves his mommy, and my neck.

when i pick him up, especially after sleeping, he loves to nuzzle deeply

into my neck- breathing through the small spaces where his nose and mouth can

squeeze air in while he is buried into my skin. with one arm wound

tightly around the front of my neck in a snuggly hug.

more perfect, pure love could not be shown in any better way.

my little sweetheart.

my mother-in-law sandi

it was her birthday on saturday. i couldn't post my birthday wishes for her, because i didn't have the computer with the pictures. i was lamenting that i didn't think to write the post before i left and save it as draft for posting on the day. alas, here it is now:

sandi is a lovely, generous, and Godly woman.

i am blessed beyond measure to have her in my life,

and even more blessed that my boys get to call her grandma.

she has a most tender and loving heart, and loves

to serve the ones she loves. she's very fun to lunch

and shop with, but will show no mercy when it

comes to her card playing skills!!

happy birthday, sandi!

miller is 1!!!!!!!

last september 9th, we met our little treasure, miller dylan coates.

here are some pics from that day.......

peaceful

tiny

perfect

loved

since then, we have gotten to know him so well. he is genuinely happy and joyful.

he is a little needy- he likes to be held. a lot. he crawls very fast, and likes to stand up now.

he likes to climb the stairs, and thinks toby is hilarious.

he is a distracted nurser, but can polish off a whole banana likity split.

he stands and yells out to the backyard through the glass door,

and wil chase a ball endlessly til he catches it.

he sits up and does this funny little spinning thing, around and around.

he is an amazing blessing to our lives.

adoration

happy

sweet

beautiful

fun!

pirates and flashbacks

on saturday night, matthew and i went to see a show. not just any show, pirates of penzance. not just any cast, but several former college friends. not just any theater, but the theater at grand canyon university, where we met! it was an amazing show. we knew it would be. we knew our friends scott and michael would be great- and great together. it made me happy to see them share a stage together again after 12 years. we also got to see several other friends that came to see them as well. matthew and i felt a strange sense of deja vu sitting in that theater. we thought we were gonna be getting notes. or have to strike the stage after the show. here's us with our friends..... welcome back, arts program and ethington theater. it's been a long 6 years!

my friend anne

it's her birthday today! she's one of my very favorite people.

she's really nice to me, and is just generally really cool.

a great mom, wife, singer, and friend. plus, she throws down

some mean old school hip hop to the car radio.

happy birthday, anne!