Diaper... no shirt.

Summer in Houston... hot.

Beat the heat... diaper, no shirt.  Playing footsie already.

Eat your freaking heart out.

We had an all-area concert at this great "development" in town... City Centre with an RE.  Wode with some dudes.

Jess with some girls.

Knox with the main event... his first concert.  He thought it was, "OK."

This is what we do most mornings... I'll put Knox on his mat and he'll reach up and play with the toys and when he gets bored with that, he'll arch his back and lay really still and watch the tv (as seen above). All while, I'm getting up and making coffee. 

VIDEO: Knox thinks it's hilarious to try to eat his own hand.

This is about what you get with Knox... more excited that I got a video to work than anything.  WO.

Just gets better and better...

Tomorrow will mark Will and I being married for 3 years... 

 I will never forget April 18, 2009. I'll never forget the topsy turvy stomach feeling I had that morning, the pure joy getting ready as Mackenzie curled my hair...

The tears that welled up as Cassie was painting my toenails...

the pit in my stomach as I was quite nervous that my dress wouldn't zip (i hate you hormonal birth control)...

how awkward I felt posing for pictures by myself...

this tree... it just breathes life...

fake laughing, which we've gotten really good at...

looking out and being touched to see certain people travel to our wedding...

standing upstairs in the bathroom looking out at everyone, as my friend, Mark, played Nickel Creek's "When You Come Back Down"...

and Anna Rose as she walked  and instead of dropping handfuls of dried lavender, she dropped them one by one, looked as if she was dropping invisible flowers. Gave me a good laugh as I was starting to cry with my dad... 

Margie singing, "How Great Are You Lord", walking down the "aisle" and seeing Will standing up there... all my nerves went away. 

the perfect weather, couldn't have been better, to sit outside and listen and watch and feel...

clinging to Will...

I won't forget trying to listen so hard, but I just couldn't, I was too excited! (good thing we have a copy of what Buddy said)...

feeling like I can breathe now, it's done and we're married!

We had no idea what we were doing! I was so afraid the whole cake was going to fall over!

Most awkward moment is the couple's first dance! Will gave him the "cut it off" sign early!

feeling like not having a care in the world

and of course who could forget the best wedding exit ever!

We're sooooo patriotic.

 I wish I could relive this day over and over again. But then it wouldn't be so special. I'm so thankful for my senses to remind me of this day and of the past 3 years. I've grown from every tear, car ride, argument, household, meal, trip to marshalls, assignment, jog/walk, pillow talk, club, and lots and lots of laughter with Will. I'll love you forever, Will. Happy Anniversary!

First Big League ball game...

I've been on a roll with the blog lately, so I thought I'd (in the words of Jesus at the wedding in Cana) keep the party going.  Easter's never been one I remember for family.  But I think I've taken that for granted.  It was weird to see it approaching, knowing that we wouldn't be with any family when it rolled around.  So we decided to make lemonade and take Knox to his first big league game.  I went to my first opening day on Good Friday with some high school guys.  But we thought the Easter day game was perfect for Knox.  Here's some pics:

My first purchase when I got to Texas was a throw back Nolan Ryan jersey.  I ordered it from China (clearly).  Either the Chinese symbol for medium is "XXL" or it's counterfeit.  Either way, it was skin tight to say the least.  Over the last couple months I've been trying to drop some lbs. with wearing this jersey to opening day as the goal.  Well it fits (still tight), but we made it.

It was a blast.  Real fun.  Great time with Knox and Jess.  And our friends Hannah and Tyler (quickly becoming our great buddies).  Fail on our part that we didn't get a group photo with the Baggetts.  Her are some other ones:

Longhorns on Holy Saturday.

Our great friends Jim and Marian Cisarik had us out to their farm near New Ulm, Texas for an Easter picnic today.  It was an incredible day.  Probably the most beautiful place in Texas.

Let's cut to the chase.  The best part of the place were the longhorns.  Real cool.

They had a calf born two days ago... Lily (about the size of a Golden Retriever):

It was a beautiful day.  Grateful to be with the Cisariks on this Easter weekend.  Here's a couple more.

The boy...

Who lives.  Who changes.  Who cries, laughs, spits up.  Who craps whenever he needs to.  Who smiles, grunts, stares out EVERY window without condition, regard to time or situation.  Who never needs to be anywhere but where he is, when he is.  Who wears his feelings on the sleeve of his onesie.

The boy...

There is nothing like watching him.  I say that because he doesn't really do anything.  At least anything worth noting, worth talking about.  There's no name for what he does.  He just is.  He sits and he plays with his hands.  Beyond that, he's indescribable (I mean that literally... I can't describe to you what it's like to be with him.  He doesn't formulate thoughts, doesn't posture, doesn't pretend, doesn't let you know that he's not pretending, doesn't need to).

I'll never forget the way he holds his hands.  He folds them.  Tenderly crosses them.  Touches the ends of his fingers together slightly enough to know that he's doing it on purpose.  I'll never forget his hands.

His hands...

He'll use them to do the best of things.  He'll use them to do the worst of things.

He'll regret using them.  He'll wonder what Jesus meant when he said to cut them off.  He'll cut them, scar them, callouss them.  He'll pick out avocados with them.  He'll throw with one of them.  He'll catch with the other.  He'll shake hands with men he respects.  Shake hands with men he doesn't.  He'll hold hands with them.  Eat popcorn with them.  Burn them.  Pack dip cans with them.  Wipe away tears with them.

The boy...

He'll be three months tomorrow.  The longest three months of my life.  And possibly the most incredible.

-Will...

in love with Jess, proud of Knox.