My baby turns 1 TOMORROW!!!!

I can't believe it! One year ago today, while watching a movie with Mark and his brother's family, (John, Wendy, Natalie, and Henry) I started to have lots of "Braxton Hicks." By 10:30 p.m. while brushing my teeth, I started to think it was the beginning....
I had contractions at least every 10 minutes for the rest of the night.
By 7:00 a.m. I was pretty darn sure Melvin was finally on his way!
I can't believe it!!!!!!! Seriously- this has been THE fastest year of my life!!!! Has an entire year actually passed? Sigh....

Well... stay tuned for tomorrow's Melvin-first-birthday-EVER post!!! Just for the record- I am IN LOVE with being a mother. It's the best.

Our Bit Of Earth!!!

Things might be moving a bit more quickly than we'd anticipated for our house.....(squeal!) So yesterday, Mother's Day- which was, for the record THE BEST EVER! we went up to Delaware to take a picture of our lot before they start digging... which could be, potentially, at the end of this week! So, here are the pictures!
Voila! Our "sold" sign! Our lot boundaries, one side is just after the firehydrant... which will actually lower our home owners insurance... :) Here is an almost straight on shot... the stakes towards the right marks the other boundary.

Here is our... plot, or lot number... I think... hummmmm..... I don't know- but it has something to do with something. A shot from the "backyard." Last of all, a closeup of our charming firehydrant.

It was so exciting to go up there again! Last time we went, just a few weeks ago, they had just started digging on a few houses close by, like the ones pictured in the first photo-and already they are very progressed in the building process! AAAAAAAAAAAAH! SO exciting! Mark and I feel SOOOOOO lucky!

Nearby wildlife

Here is a silly goose we saw at the zoo with the flamingos... he thinks he is one of them! Look at how he is sleeping on one leg! At first I thought he was just a copy cat... but no-- I've gone to the zoo on several occassions now, and EVERY time, he is there, like this, hanging out with his pink buddies.Another picture of the silly goose, this time with a flamingo. There is a pond at the appartments we live in which is home to much wildlife. The other day Mel and I saw over thirty frogs... ( or are these toads?) hop into the pond as we walked by...

Sometimes they just float and look at us.

The best by far have been the goslings and goose parents. They are SUCH fun to watch! Seriously, what great examples of parenthood. They are so sweet and vigilant in rearing and safeguarding their little ones. The other day we got a little too close, and the Mamma hissed at us. :) We can't blame her.

Unfortunately today when we went, I left the camera at home. Nuts.... because for the VERY first time, we saw Mr. and Mrs. Mallards new arrivals! 5 brand new teeny-tiny ducklings! So sweet! Seriously, I could watch them all day.

Also not pictured, we met a little cottontail on the road today. :) I love spring.

Mark's new do...

So, for those of you who did not know.... I am Mark's barber/ stylist. I think I do a pretty great job for someone with no training, because I have a little thing called "vision". Anywho, this go round, we decided to try a new look. What do you think? I find him irristable.

Mel's new chompers

We've been trying to take a picture that captures a portion of the splendor of Mel's shiny new top teeth... :) This is about as good as it has gotten to date.

My baby is growing up. Sniff.

This is how we survive any shopping that has a cart... which makes grocery shopping a bit more tricky- there's not a whole lot of room in there anymore! He loves to help me fold the laundry...

It's a chore he takes very seriously.

He is forward facing!

Easter morning before church... his first time in a white button up shirt. Sniff.....

More of Easter morning... before we all got ready. We had a family Easter basket. :)

One fine Saturday we had A TON of garbage sitting by the door. Of course Mel army crawled over, and it all toppled on him. :) These pictures were taken once some of the rubble had been cleared.

Half naked shot! Whoot-wooo! what a cutie!

Welp- That's how he growing! Oh, and he weighs, roughly, 23 pounds, 6 ounces. He's getting heavy! To think that 11 months ago he was 6 pounds, 10 ounces.... it's amazing!

Happy Easter!!!

This is difficult to read... but you must! He lives!!! (You can get a legible version at http://lds.org/Static%20Files/PDF/Manuals/TheLivingChrist_TheTestimonyOfTheApostles_36299_eng.pdf)

Once when I lived in Montreal as a missionary, I had a wonderful experience which helped me understand the reality of the resurrection.

My fellow missionary companion and I were in a Sunday school lesson with someone we were teaching; it was Easter. The teacher was reading passages from the scriptures, and discussing the Resurrection, and what that means: that Christ died, but conquered death- and lives! He showed Himself to His apostles, and other disciples- having them feel the marks in His hands, feet, and side, and asked for meat. Clearly, this means that he was alive!

At about this point in the lesson the visitor my companion and I were teaching erupted with laughter! We were all astonished- and looked at him questioning. when he finally calmed his laughter, he tried to make sure he had the story right... that all of us actually believed that RIGHT NOW Jesus Christ lives... with a body even?! "Yes!" we replied... and went over the scriptures again.
The man then corrected us, "No, He lives on in our hearts, but he is dead!"

At this moment, I knew like I had never known before, my Savior lives! And when I say, "He lives" I do not mean in some figurative sense, but in the sense that at this very moment, He too has an actual physical body, like our own, though perfected, glorified, and immortal. He did die, but rose again! After showing himself to His disciples, He later ascended to heaven to dwell with God the Father, but we know, that now, as then, Christ lives!