Kelli usually takes care of updating our blog, but she is plenty busy with her craft blog, so I thought I would give a "ten on Tuesday" post a try. It's been awhile since we've given any update on our family. Here's what we've been up to in the past eight months:
1. We had family pictures taken twice - in November and April. We use Kim Greenfield and do her mini-sessions. She does a great job. Some fun examples (I'll let you guess which are from November and which are from April):
Lincoln decided he needed to do pushups. Hilarity ensued.
2. Kelli and Tyler celebrated their Fifth - thats 5! - Wedding Anniversary on December 21. We went on a cruise in early January to celebrate. We went to Cozumel (which is fun since we went to nearby Cancun on our honeymoon), Isla Roatan (of Honduras), and Grand Cayman. We were supposed to go to Belize, but that stop was changed to Costa Maya before we got on the boat and then cancelled altogether due to rough seas. We had a great time, won trivia games three times (getting three ships on sticks), and enjoyed our excursions. We missed the kids, though. Some pics:
3. We celebrated a fun Christmas with TONS of family. All of Tyler's family was here; Jake, Courtney, and Bentley came. Grandma and Grandpa Miller, Derek's (Tyler's brother-in-law) parents came for his graduation from UAH and stayed through Christmas. AND Nana and Stormy came from Boston. It was great to see everyone. The kids had a blast and ate up all the attention.
A wicked flu went around. Everyone except Grandma Miller (and maybe one of the kids) got it. Tyler got so violently ill that it "enraged" his tonsils to the point it was difficult to swallow. Consequence: second ever trip to the ER (for his own treatment)
4. Lincoln turned four at the end of January. He is so smart and loves being silly. He loves super-heroes, especially Spider-Man and the Avengers. He still loves cars and has recently really gotten into the Transformers. This is how he chose to dress on his birthday:
You can read all about his great super-hero birthday cake here.
5. Lots of Running: We have continued our running kick. We ran the Skinny Turkey 10K in Guntersville on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (finished in around 68 minutes) and we both won door prizes - Kelli's was a bottle of chardonay, which we gave away:
In March, we ran a 10 Miler in Moore's Mill, AL, finishing in just under two hours. It was brutal, but Kelli still looked great after.
At the end of April, we ran the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in Nashville, TN. We finished in about 2 hours, 40 minutes. It rained the whole time and was cold, but, overall a thrilling and fun experience. We would do it again.
6. Lincoln suddenly outgrew his toddler bed. He was constantly complaining that it was too small. He even told us once he had a nightmare that his bed was too small. We finally broke down and got him a new big boy bed. He loves it.
7. Mason is getting so big, and he has such a fun personality! We are starting to understand more and more of what he tries to communicate.
8. The boys are playing together so wonderfully! Here's Lincoln being the tunnel monster:
9. We have a new niece. Our sister-in-law, Courtney (Tyler's brother Jacob's wife) gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Brooklyn Olivia on May 29. Brooklyn was born with some challenges that will likely make her sojourn on Earth a brief one. We are, nonetheless, honored and grateful to have her as part of our family. We have been so impressed by the faith and perspective that Jake and Courtney have shown throughout this process. We are grateful to have been witness from afar as Brooklyn's special spirit has impacted our family. We are also grateful to know that God has a plan and that His Plan is called the Plan of Happiness for a reason. We are grateful to know that, through the Atonement and Grace of Jesus Christ, whatever happens, we will see Brooklyn again; she will be part of our family forever, and, someday, her body will be perfect. We continue to send out thoughts, prayers, and love, to Brooklyn, Jake, Courtney, and Brooklyn's big brother, Bentley.
10. Tyler has finally updated a weight loss blog he started a long time ago. It was private, initially, but he recently made it public. If you're interested in his journey to date, feel free to check it out here.
