Asleep...

I am quite accustomed to photographing sleeping babies (since I do it frequently in my photography business)...although, usually, the babes are newborns. Sawyer is no longer a newborn - he's now 17 months old, in fact - but today I couldn't help but capture a few images to remember of my sleeping "baby"...

You see, the past couple of days, he has been sick. This morning, he was so miserable, I said "you either need a snack or a nap" and to my surprise, he said "nap, nap". But he didn't want his usual nap, he just wanted to be held, and rocked, and sung to. So I held him, snuggled him all up close to me in the rocking chair, cuddled him, kissed his sweet forehead, and sang to him. When I quit singing, he looked up and me and made the sign for "more". When I started to hum the words instead of sing them, he signed "more" because no doubt he loves the words to "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" just as much as the tune. As I sat rocking and singing to my little boy, my heart softened and began to melt. So often at church, I feel I do not "get" what I "want" out of the meetings because I am too busy chasing my active son down the hallways, etc. etc. etc. But today as I sat and sang to him, all of a sudden I felt something I haven't for quite some time: the words were just as much for him as they were for me: I know I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, and has blessed me with the greatest desires of my heart - I have always wanted to be a wife and a mother, and my wish was granted. I am grateful for all I have been given and hope I can more fully show gratitude for my blessings in word and in deed as the days go by.

PS- Thankfully, when Sawyer woke up (I actually ended up napping with him - how often does that happen? or, how much longer will I be able to do that?), there were smiles and good times. He's still not 100%, but I think this boy is on the mend!

Of Helmets, Geese, & Black Standard Poodles

Sawyer recently got a new bike helmet. He's super proud of it (he says "helmet!" -- he used to call it a "hat"...) We are trying to get in the habit of him wearing a helmet while he thinks it's cool - instead of having to force him to wear one later.

[side note: you wouldn't think he'd have much of a chance of getting hurt on a bike with no pedals...but you'd be amazed how on rough pavement or gravel he can tip the thing over headfirst with his body weight - we learned that by accident one day and he had a big green bruise to show for it]

The other day, we were at one of our favorite parks taking advantage of the morning sunshine, and doing some riding...

...when we spotted these geese. They let us get really close to them (they probably thought we had food - much to their dismay we do not feed birds at public parks).

Anyway, we were surprised when, suddenly, they all started to run away from us...

...this is why...

It made for some excitement...but then...back to the bike. At dinner that night (and the 2 nights since), Sawyer will suddenly shout out "Helmet! Geese! Dog!" Yep...Sawyer now reports about his day at the dinner table...which makes for some fun conversation!