Jeremy, Ashley, Micah, and Tyler

Quit Reading me

2008-03-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

:(
these are sad days for this beloved family blog, because no longer will we grace it with our posts. The business is officially off the hook, and we are no longer the types of people who have time to be a family, run a successful business, have a social life, and also keep up three blogs. we are the types of people who have type to be a family, run a successful business, have a social life, and keep up two blogs. ;)
so, until life gets boring again, we will be posting all of our crazy adventures in home, friends, life, photography, kids, etc. on:
THE PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

see ya there!

chillaxin'

2008-01-18T15:06:00.000-06:00

it's snowing outside, the boys got their pj's dirty at snacktime, and mommy & daddy's bed is warm and cozy.

our overwhelmingly rockin' christmas

2008-01-10T13:57:00.000-06:00

This Christmas held so much fun, excitement, adventure, and richness to it that is is a BIG job to try and recap it all in a blog post. But, alas I will try and share as much as possible with you all.
Christmas for us started in our living room with the boys over a week before christmas day. With our packed December, it was the only night we had free to open gifts just the 4 of us, but it was great - it was definitely an apple Christmas for jeremy and I. (watch the video to see what i mean)

my superman husband got me and the boys Christmas cards with beautifully penned notes inside. I loved the joy in micah's face when he opened his - a Thomas card, of course.

For the next part of our Christmas story, jeremy and I hopped on a plane to go to New York City and visit our dear friends Devon and Zak and Tim and Krysten. Tim and Krysten had just returned for Christmas from Kuwait where they are living for a 2 year period as teachers at an international school. All four of these people are so very dear to us, and we find ourselves wondering how we live life without having them in close proximity, but whenever are together it feels like the way things should be - they are definitely family to us. Our adventures in NYC began with getting all glammed up and going to see the Nutcracker at the Lincoln Center and it was even more incredible than I ever dreamed it would be. Then, we went home, got on our pj's and I made an epic fondue dinner (my families recipe for each Christmastime since we lived in switzerland 24 years ago).

we spent the evening catching up on life, stories, and sharing pieces of our glorious culture like THIS that tim&krysten are currently missing out on.

We also introduced Dev and Zak to Flight of the Concords, which is by far our favorite show of 07.

A big piece of the puzzle was missing in our absent friend, sarah. So Devon made a picture of her and we took her everywhere we went - from Rockefeller Center to ice skating in central park.

and yes, ice skating in central park the week of Christmas was as magical if not more than I ever thought it to be on the movies. Skating hand in hand with a handful of the dearest friends we have as christmas music played in the background and the city's tall buildings loomed overhead was truly pefect.

times square at night - nothing like it

Among the amazing places that we ate (Grey dog, Pastisse, gyro place, City crab, and more) none could ever satisfy a sweet tooth like the chocolate by the bald man - Max Brenner. The hug mug of dark hot chocolate, the urban smores with rich melted chocolate on the side and the chocolate shake were all to die for!!! (chocolate is also a natural aphrodisiac as shown by this picture of j and I. ;)

We left new york with sadness because we miss our friends so much, but we had joy in the incredible memories made, and anticipation for the rest of our journey.
Next was Christmas at the Parsons home with Jeremy's family. All of his sisters were home and the night we arrived home from NYC, we spent the night there and the next day had great family christmas with them (on christmas eve eve).

The next day, we boarded a plane to fly to Georgia to spend Christmas day and the 10 days following it relaxing and making memories at my parents house.

being a child warm in pajamas with those who adore you and new toys on Christmas morning - is there anything better at the age of 2 and 4?

Two days after christmas, I flew back to KC to photograph a wedding. It was a beautiful wedding with beautiful images (click here to see some) and when I returned, I was happy to have a week to relax with my family at my parents house and enjoy a vacation. It was truly a wonderful Christmas, and I am still overwhelmed at how blessed we were to share it with so many of the people that we love dearly.

CLICK HERE for the quick slideshow of our adventures!! (ps, it may take a couple of minutes to load, and you may have to click the play button a few times, but it does eventually work - sorry for the glitch, but it is worth the wait!!

The Opening Door

2008-01-06T18:43:00.000-06:00

How do you feel about a new year? In the past we have found ourselves feeling already let down, already falling short of what a new year could hold. Or, we have been entirely idealistic thinking "this will be the year that we get it ALL together" and by the 2nd week of January things aren't going the way we wanted them to. But this year is different. This year seems pregnant with hope, not because it will be without its trials, not because it will erase the past, not because we are going to be entirely faithful in our resolutions, but because we prayed a prayer together today that invited Jesus to be the first foot in our home.
In Scotland and parts of England, the new year is given a special importance. People go around from house to house blessing each other in the coming year and sharing fellowship. But the greatest importance is put on the first person who steps through your door, and there is a great belief that the first honored guest will have the power to set the tone for the entire year ahead. And so, there is a Celtic prayer called "The Opening Door" or the open door prayer, where we have the chance to ask the Lord to be that first most honored guest, to be the one who will set the tone for the year ahead.
As Jeremy and I prayed this audibly today together, I could feel the tears welling in my eyes because I know full well that all blessing and goodness that will flood our lives this year will be by inviting the presence of the Lord into them, to not only be our most honored and first foot through the door, but to daily take up residence in us, and that, dear ones is supernatural.

The Opening Door

This day is a new day
that has never been before.
This year is a new year,
the opening door.

(physically open the door to your home)

Enter, Lord Christ -
we have joy in Your coming.
You have given us life;
and we welcome Your coming.

I turn now to face You,
I lift up my eyes.
Be blessing my face, Lord;
be blessing my eyes.
May all my eye looks on
be blessed and be bright,
my neighbours, my loved ones
be blessed in Your sight.

You have given us life
and we welcome Your coming.
Be with us, Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.
This year is a new year,
the opening door.
Be with us, Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.

tis the season

2007-12-08T20:33:00.000-06:00

Well, thanksgiving came and went and no blog, so here is a collage of some of our thanksgiving images. We had a great day and dinner at the big parsons home, and we were so thrilled to enjoy time with all of jeremy's family (all of his sisters were in town), and it was such an AMAZING meal - susan slaved all day to create the worlds greatest feast, and yours truly made a couple of casseroles to contribute. Then the day after, the four of us did our usually family tradition of buying our Christmas tree. It's such a funny contrast living in the city as opposed to living out in a small town. In our Colorado days, I remember miles and miles of tree farms surrounding the town where we could go and cut down our own tree. Now, living in the city, our tree farm is a cement basketball court in the middle of the city with some youth group kids hoping to make a killing off of their trees from the weatlthy city-dwellers in the surrounding area. Therefore, our tree was the shortest one they were selling...well, besides the charlie brown trees that were about 3 feet tall. We had a great friday decorating it with the boys and relaxing the rest of the day as we cuddled up and watched the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.

On another note, with it being the shopping, I mean, Christmas season, we have lately been challenged. We find ourselves incredibly blessed in a country that has way too much money, and immediately the thoughts of all the grand things we will give and get start flooding our heads by the millions. It's so easy to get caught up in making our lists and checking them twice that we really get tunnel vision and tend to forget that there are others who are in need for things more immediate, much greater than a nintendo wii or an apple iphone. Jeremy's sister sarah is a good example to us. In a culture predominantly focused on self, she is incredibly "others focused" and this refreshes and convicts us. We have been talking with her, talking with our small group friends, and starting to make a list of some of the things that move us that we can be a part of - things that will shift our focus this holiday season from what is entirely temporary, to providing real change for others who have real need.

here's some of what we've stumbled upon:
feed just one is based on the beautiful words of mother Theresa, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." They provide tangible ways that your four cents can feed one hungry person a meal. feeling moved to feed the hungry, but don't know where to find them? visit their myspace at: http://www.myspace.com/useyourcents

rosa loves is a t-shirt design company that has made themselves aware of tangible needs all over the world, and decided to do something creative to meet those needs. By buying one of their incredibly uniquely designed t-shirts, you are providing financial hope to the person/persons in need whom the shirt was designed for. all profits go to those whose stories are being told, whether it is children in Africa, or the family of a disabled man in bangladesh. We LOVE their designs, and many of our loved ones will probably be proud owners of some of these stories this season. to start wearing someone's story, visit http://rosaloves.com/

advent conspiracy is "an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by worshipping Jesus through compassion, not consumption." The idea is to get creative with Christmas and first, think of how you can give the gift of meaningful relationship this season instead of the gift of stuff. Then, the money that is saved on all of the crap you'd never use 4 months down the road anyways is given to clean water projects such as Living Water International or World Relief so that people who have no clean water to drink may finally have some. if you are interested in giving those you love something more meaningful, and someone you've never met a clean drink, check them out to join their movement at http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

even closer to home for us is the ministry of nueva esperanza. Our dear friend, Sarah, relocated herself down in Chihuahua, Mexico last year to open a home for orphaned girls who were too old to stay living in the orphanage system. By having a home for them to live in and grow in, she has provided them with a place to grow up into very capable young women who can discover God's love and purposes in their lives. She has gone from being a 27 year old single woman, to basically a single mother of 6 teenage girls, and we think her very heroic!! To support the expenses and schooling costs for those in the house, send your financial gifts to sarah c/o "FUPC" at 1321 9th Ave. Greeley, CO 80631 and check out her blog at http://www.nuevaesperanza-2006.blogspot.com/

a pic I took of sarah in october - I am hoping to visit her and the girls next March!

so, for those who were feeing like they had no power to change anyone's fate this season, here are some people in need. If you heart is moved by any of them, we ask you to join us as we try, in very small ways, to change the lives of others this Christmas.

snow

2007-11-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

The boys were filled with wonder, I began playing Sufjan Stevens' Christmas album, pulled on my uggs, and pulled out the camera. Why?? Because it SNOWED!!!!!!!!
Now, it can officially be the holiday season. The boys LOVED it, and we frantically threw my shoes on them (tyler wearing my pumas, and micah wearing my all stars), put on their knitted hats, and ran outside to snap some pics, because in Kansas/Missouri, you never know when it will snow again, or how long it will last. No, toto, we're not in Colorado anymore, but it felt like it for a few hours!!
I loved the wonder in micah's eyes - this look describes how I felt

beautiful tyler, brought to you by Gap kids. just kidding ;)

and of course, they had to introduce their trains to their first now!!

hug it out, brothers

and when we went out in our coats, micah found that the snow had changed things that we didn't expect.

And so, we are embracing the changing of seasons, and realizing (to all of our southern cali photographer friends) that yes, there might be some advantages to living where we do!! We will be spending the holiday with the big Parsons family, and hope you all have a great day of giving thanks!!!

He's FOUR!!!

2007-11-16T11:25:00.000-06:00

Our oldest son, Micah, turned 4!!!! We remain in a literal state of shock that the past four years have blown past us - it's truly surreal as our parents always told us! Now we begin to understand a milifraction of what they meant in telling us, "you grew up TOO fast!" We feel it. Micah's first four years of life have gone so fast, and in those, the best four years of our lives so far, there have been so many blessings and adventures watching him grow into the little man that he is - intelligent, vibrant, full of life and color, and joy in it's purest form follows him everywhere he goes. We are truly blessed beyond anything words on a blog post could describe. We love you, Micah, you are a piece of heaven on earth to us!
Love,
your mommy and daddy

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

This halloween was a trip. The boys, despite my pathetic begging them to be the rat brothers from Ratatoullie and time after time of Tyler saying, "I don't wanna be RAT!", decided that they wanted to be 2 of their favorite storybook/movie characters - Thomas the tank engine and James.
We celebrated in our traditional KC fashion, by going over to our dear friends house, Andrew&Melinda (and, of course, anabelle).
Mel outdid herself yet again with an incredible fall dinner, and we enjoyed a night together with their family and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of candy!!!!

the love of micah's life - his best friend - wearing what he called her "wedding dress"

The coolest kids ever - micah's vans and anabelle's UGG's

let the trick or treating begin!

this is actually BEFORE the sugar coma

time for the payoff!

like an addict to his fix

Here's the slideshow of our night!

Every good and perfect gift...

2007-10-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

We have been so blessed! Jeremy and I were able to take a much needed vacation from life in KC to go back to our "hometown" in Colorado for our dear friend's, Kyle and Jen, wedding. For a detailed account of the wedding and photos, visit my photography blog at:
http://www.ashleyparsonsphotography.blogspot.com/
The boys stayed back in Colorado and had a great time with Annie - one of Jeremy's sisters and an absolute ROCK STAR babysitter. For a detailed and HILARIOUS account of their adventures with their eldest auntie, check out her blog - it's a few posts down starting around October 8th:
http://www.hootenannieparsons.blogspot.com/

One of the most glorious gifts of this time, though - and incredibly anticipated - was our trip up to the mountains with some of our dearest friends. We have been chomping at the freaking bit to get back into geography that matches that of our hearts. Yes, our home is special to us, and Kansas City is just fine, but it has nothing on this:

First there was the beautiful drive up to Estes - through the Big Thompson Canyon -the glen haven route

Then a quick stop at the local small mom&pop coffee joint...

and then we were off - driving up winding roads into crisp, cold air and vibrant changing leaves.
Look how excited he is to be in the mountains again!!

but the most beautiful view we enjoyed were God's most precious gifts - our friends..
captivating sarah

and wildly sexy devon and zak... ;)

and yet another beautiful gift from His hand to us at the end of our day...

hold on tight folks...this is gonna be a big one!!!

2007-09-22T19:08:00.000-05:00

My parents came to town - YAY! It was so much fun just being around them for the week and 1/2 they got to come stay, and enjoying them enjoying the boys - what a great blessing for us and the boys! Here's a chronicle of what we did...
my mom is the goddess of clean - so she taught the boys some of her famous tricks...

they had a great time reading books every night before bed. The favorite was Diego's "great whale rescue" everyone say "aaahooooooaaaahh"

we went to the farm with micah's "best friend" anabelle

a trip to the...

my self portrait/tyler's stylish way of wearing sunglasses

"hi, elephants"

our monkeys meet baboons

tyler is so chill...

face to face-I wonder who's more in awe

sweetest brothers

mmmm...juicy tyler - I could just bite those succulent cheeks!

micah admires the meerkats, while i admire his eyelashes and freckles

riding the tram

then they worked on painting their first canvases ever for wall decor for their room. they did GREAT. tyler was quite the natrual artist. Micah was much more careful and calculated...

needless to say, we had an absolute blast and were sorry to see them go.

the fort

2007-09-20T00:04:00.000-05:00

a small window into our lives on a rainy friday morning...
a "fort" made out of tyler's special blanket that accomodates all of us
mutemath ("You are Mine" might be one of the best songs ever)
imaginary spiders
duck noises
and for those of you who haven't come and seen it yet, a quick glimpse of our new paint job and blow up images (and the lord of all computers sitting in the corner of the room).
In our minds, it really doesn't get much better than this.

for another clip, check out the photo blog www.ashleyparsonsphotography.blogspot.com

meet Fritz

2007-09-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

Oh, the adventures of having little boys! And all the greater the adventures when daddy works outside and brings home the first live frog you've ever seen! Admittedly, I was more excited than they were - at first. I think their reactions in the pictures are a mix of "we just woke up" and "what the...??" The frog seemed to have the same reaction. Of course, after he was released, the noble frog was given a name by Micah, FRITZ the frog, and for some reason, after he had long hopped away, he was the new EXCITING topic of conversations around the dinner table.

the new us!

2007-09-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

this is what happens when your dinner guests are late and you have a few minutes on your hands and a 3 year old who's dad let him watch the Simpsons for the first time and he loves it!
we went from this:

to this:

don't they just make you smile?

2007-09-03T10:32:00.000-05:00

even with ketchup faces and goofy grins, they still win our hearts every time we look at them.

"so yummy, so yummy"

2007-08-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

Above is a clip from a new show on Nick Jr, Yo Gabba Gabba. We used the hypnotizing effects of this video last night to encourage the boys to finish all of their dinner. And on top of our brainwashing tactics working perfectly, the boys also learned the song instantly, and little Tyler was walking around singing the chorus all night. "there's a party in my tummy..so yummy, so yummy!"

drumroll, please!!!!!

2007-08-19T22:29:00.001-05:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past 8 months, or you're just one of those people who looks at blogs of people you don't know - you know that I started a photography business this year that has totally taken off. In addition to 15 weddings so far, I have had the blessing of taking thousands of photos of many, many people. And, if you know me, you know that this is a perfect fit for me because I love people, and I love seeing and capturing them through the lense of my camera. So, it's a HUGE thrill for us to be able to announce the launch of the new website for ashley parsons photography:
www.ashleyparsons.com
The site is still incomplete, as there are some more pics that need to be added to the gallery, but for now, I am glad to release it and encourage you to check up in a few more weeks if you want to see even more.
If you want to keep up on what we are doing in regards to the business, or updates of my professional work, check the blogsite:
www.ashleyparsonsphotography.blogspot.com

Thank you all for the encouragement you have offered so far in this grand year of 2007! It has been overwhelming the support you have all given me in my work and it has really been what has given me the guts to jump head first into this endeavor.
It's a totally wild ride, and I am thrilled to share it with you all!
I also want to say a special thanks to our good friend, Zak, for designing the most kick-arse website I could have ever imagined!

Lovingly,
ash

busy month!!

2007-08-10T15:08:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it has been one month since I posted on here. So much has happened and life has been incredibly busy! Apart from being parents of increasingly active and animated 2 & 3 year old boys, Jeremy changing jobs, housesitting for some friends for 2 weeks, and me photographing 3 weddings, life has been nuts!! Amidst the craziness, there have been some added joys - the collage details a few of them for you.
1. A great "annual" summer visit from our dearest parent friends - the Kayls. Don't ask me how we did it for a week with 5 boys under the age of 4 in one house, the parents were outnumbered by the children - It was a miracle, but we had an incredible time together.
2. My good friend, lauren, got engaged! To celebrate, we went out to the Plaza to eat - that's her beautiful pave' engagement band on a pack of sweet&lo. And, to top it all off, yours truly is their wedding photographer!! It will be the first wedding I have photographed close friends, and I can't wait!!
3. Jeremy, the world's greatest husband, took me away to a beautiful little bed and breakfast in Parkville for some time away from our busy lives. It was also a celebratory weekend, talking about his job change, and getting excited for what's next with the photography business. It was a wonderful time just enjoying each other, relaxing, walking around that charming little town. I love the HOT picture of him on the railroad tracks. I increasingly believe that he may be the funniest guy on the planet. To keep up on him, and check out his brilliant musings, check out his blog at: www.jeremyparsons.blogspot.com
4. My dear friend, Genny, who is shown pregnant in one of the last images went into labor and yours truly was there to be her doula. I was proud and honored to assist Genny through a beautiful, all natural childbirth - just what she wanted! She was a rockstar, and had a BEAUTIFUL baby girl - Lucy! Congrats, Walker Fam! We love you.

so that's all for now. thanks for checking in.

Maryland, we love you!

2007-07-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

On our countries independence day, the entire Parsons family set out for the Eastern Shore of Maryland for a trip that will always be in our memories as one of the most dear times we have ever had together. We went there to mourn the loss of Ruth Parsons, Jeremy's grandmother, and found there great joy and hope there in celebrating history, beauty, the smell of salt water, the taste of fresh fried seafood, and the overwhelming gift of family. These are some of the images I walked away with. Enjoy!

Flash Slideshow

hosting with the most-ing

2007-07-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

The past month or so, God has given us the incredible privilege of opening our home to people who we love to host and bless them. It is such a joy to take advantage of the place he has given us here in Brookside, but even more incredible to be able to share this space as a peaceful place where God allows us to make lasting memories and grow closer to Him with others.

The first houseguests came to us through the most unusual and cool circumstances. I was at a coffee shop editing wedding pictures (a very regular past time these days) when I got a call from a guy I didn't recognize. It turns out the guy was Jason Briggs, one of the kids I knew from Africa. His family lived in Zaire at the same time as mine and his dad was our missionary pilot with MAF. He and his friend Derek were riding their bikes accross the country to raise awareness and funds for the Fisheni Village in Africa. They just happened to be coming through KC on their way and needed a place to stay. It was such a blessing to spend time with Jason again - even though the last time I saw him he was about Tyler's age, and I was 6 years old. It was so neat just talking about experiences in Africa that we rememberd, and how those have affected us. We enjoyed being able to hear about the cause, about God's work in their lives and being able to pray for them and bless them as we could. Here they are with Derek's mom, Arlene, who was their support driver. She was so kind to be helping them out on their journey and would drive a van full of their supplies to the town they were going to end up at and wait for them. If they popped a tire or needed something she would come to the rescue. Just today they finished their trek - so cool!! To read about their journey and find out more about the people of Fisheni, check out their xanga at :
http://www.xanga.com/ride_for_fisheni
Jason, Arlene, and Derek

Next, we had the blessing of entertaining some of our closest and dearest friends, Tim and Krysten. This was the last time that we will be seeing them for about a year, because they are moving to Kuwait to be teachers at a school there. Our time was carefree and so fun - just what we all needed. It was highlighted by our new obsession - badminton without the net = smashminton. We will, and already do miss seeing them. Please keep them in your prayers as they embark on this extremely exciting and unknown journey!!

The day after they left, I was able to host a baby shower for my dear friend Genny. Genny and Carol have become some of our dearest friends here, and they truly are extraordinary people who really love the Lord. So, any chance we have to enjoy their presence, we do it! It was neat to see this side of Genny that I had never seen before - so many friends (15 gals showed up!) from many different walks of life who have all kept in touch with Genny because she means so incredibly much to them. It was wonderful to eat good food, be around incredible women, and get excited for the new life that is thriving in her belly right now. I am so excited because they have also asked me to be their doula, so that will be a very memorable birth for me!

This past weekend, more lifetime friends, Devon and Zack came to visit. They live in New York City, and even though we are miles apart, when we get together it's like no time has passed. We enjoyed good, hard belly laughs, eating classic Kansas City food, and watching them enjoy our boys.

Thank you to all of our dear friends who have come and gone in the past month - we love you dearly, and are honored to have you as such important parts of our lives!!!

the boys

2007-06-29T16:27:00.000-05:00

good morning

and good night

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

I am behind on blogging, and there are many catch up posts to come, but since it's father's day, and since we're so proud of our eldest son for being just hilarious, I had to post this today!
I love you Dad - have a great day with all mom has planned for you in Georgia!!
Paul/Dad - we are blessed to celebrate with you this afternoon, and to have you close!
and Jeremy - this video is further proof that you are the best dad our boys could ever have! I love you!

COLORADO!

2007-05-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful long weekend back in our home of Colorado. We went to celebrate Becca's college graduation, and also had a great mother's day celebration, wonderful time catching up with friends, and a good weekend of rest, thanks to our gracious hosts, the Andersons.
The Grad party:

A beautiful Mother's Day breakfast!

Time with good friends:

Our beautiful old home

My Mother's Day picture:

Thank you friends and family for all of the special time shared this weekend - we love you all!

I heart NY

2007-05-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

Krysten and Devon, two of the most beautiful creatures on the whole planet, and also two of my most dear friends, surprised me with the ultimate birthday gift - a trip to go see them and spend time in the fair city of New York. We did far too much for me to explain each detail to you, but bottom line is that it was one of the most incredible times we have ever had together. Here are some photos detailing my trip...

Playing catch-up

2007-05-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

Hello dear friends and fam.
I have been all too busy with the amazing happenings of life to update in awhile, so I am going to play catch up with 2 photoessays - first my amazing birthday trip to New York City to visit my dear friends, and then a trip to Colorado to visit more dear friends and celebrate with family.
Enjoy!

Easter, Art, Family, and Blood...

2007-04-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been full, very full. Easter week brought a load of blessings and stress all wrapped up together tightly. My parents came to visit, and it was so great to spend time with them and have them stay in our new place (YAY, we finally have plenty of room for guests!) and watch them making new memories with our boys. During their visit, My, my mom, and the boys were in a car accident. The boys are fine, my mom hurt her foot and ankle, and in addition to walking around in the tunnel of painkillers and muscle relaxers I have been going to the chiropractor for back and neck pain. Bizarre things happened, like the car running out of gas on the way to Easter sunday church. Amidst the bizarrities(is that a word), were the great moments, some of which I will share here.
Time with Nana and Papa:

We also enjoyed going to the art walk on a cold Friday night in midtown with some friends:

Easter was really freaking cold out, so we don't have too many pics of the boys, and none as a fam because we were inside all day, but the boys did have an indoor egg hunt at grandmom and poopah's house, and we enjoyed time together and a great Easter dinner. Here's the pics I did get, oh, and for the record, I have the two cutest boys on the face of the earth:

And now for the portion of the post with interesting pics:
first, hilarious tyler and micah wearing my dad's glasses. They crack me up!

then, the story just so gross and bizarre that I had to take a picture of it. Yesterday, I was in the kitchen cleaning. Micah had been sitting out on the couch watching a movie. He walked up to me and said, "what happened, mommy?" I turned around to see this:

Yes, blood everywhere - spread all over his hands and head, and on his new Gap shirt. It looked so terrible and awful, and yet he was happy as a clam. I took him to the bathroom to clean him up and when he saw himself in the mirror, he said, "HAHA, I'm kinda like ketchup!" That's when I decided I had to take a picture, or no one would believe the story! Don't worry, he is fine. For those of you that know, Micah is a bona-fide nose picker and certified bugger eater. He just must have picked a little too hard in his left nostril!

Oh, the adventrues. Love to you all!

I just couldn't resist....

2007-03-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

off to the park

2007-03-13T18:36:00.000-05:00

We have settled into our new place nicely, and between the extreme busyness of moving, helping babies be born, church, and taking pics for my business, I finally found some time to break out the camera and photograph the two cutest subjects on earth! We went to a park that is about a 2 minute drive from our new house, and it was so fun. Micah loved playing soccer with his grandma and Tyler loved going down the slides.

A much needed update!

2007-02-01T16:06:00.000-06:00

So, after all of the requests from people to update the blog, I am finally doing it. Most of my blog updating these days has been spent on the blog for my photography business (you can see that at www.ashleyparsonsphotography.blogspot.com), so now it's time to catch everyone up to speed on our lives since Christmas!
We Parsons had a big family Christmas! At one point, there were 4 generations in one house - what a blessing!!

What a wonderful Christmas it was - Annie got some great time with her nephews..

Becca got a visit from her boyfriend, Spencer (by the way, he's a rockstar - check out his band, Daphne Loves Derby online) and we loved spending time with him, too!

Sarah got a car!

We got visits from good friends...
first, Devon came to spend some time with me. We enjoyed sitting in coffee shops talking (Latte Land, we love you), eating good food, and catching up on life.

Then, Tim and Krysten came to visit on their way through moving to New York City..
we ate more good food, laughed a lot, got a snowstorm, and Tim and Jeremy built the biggest snowball ever

The boys got to wear the snowsuits grandma got them for Christmas, and built their first snowman with daddy

when you don't have gloves, a thick pair of hiking socks will do just fine..

the leej loved the snow!

and we found our new abode - a duplex in Brookside - We move in March 1st!!!

Jeremy also got hired for a new job. He started this week and is LOVING it - THANK YOU, JESUS!!
Hope you enjoyed the update, and much love!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2006-12-24T23:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, from us to you!

Our 18 month old

2006-11-30T23:03:00.000-06:00

Tyler is 18 months old today, and continues to steal our hearts every single second. He is growing up so fast, but is still our special little baby bear cub. For his 1 1/2 year birthday, a new haircut. Now I am going to be stopped by even more people in the mall asking if they are twins (if that's possible)!

how could we be so blessed?

Thanksgiving

2006-11-30T22:43:00.000-06:00

What a joyous thanksgiving we had! My parents came into town, and we celebrated with them, Jeremy's Parents, Great Grandmom, and Sarah came home from college. Although we greatly missed Annie and Becca, we made special memories and had such a wonderful holiday!

The food was incredible, my mom and mom-in-law make an excellent cooking team!
Micah helped make the rolls with aunt Rah Rah.
Unfortunately, Tyler slept through the entire dinner, but he had fun the rest of the day when he was awake.
Happy Late Thanksgiving from us to you!!

Happy Birthday, Micah!

2006-11-21T15:36:00.000-06:00

Micah turned 3!!! We still can't believe that our oldest little boy is three years old. The time has flown by, and it makes us want to enjoy each minute with our boys all the more. We celebrated with two parties - one the night before his birthday and another on his birthday day.
First we went to Grandmom and Poopah's house for dinner and a special birthday cake! Whenever anyone asked Micah what he wanted for his third birthday, he would say "a chocolate cake!"

then he opened presents from grandmom and poopahAZA (the AZA is Tyler's special typing touch to this post)

He was so excited about his presents: Thomas and Friends trains!!! He got 5 new trains, as well as some new pj's and a memory game.

The next day we celebrated his birthday downtown at Crown Center with Anabelle and Melinda, and mommy and daddy & tyler. We went to Micah's favorite place - Fritz's Train Restaraunt, where the trains deliver your delicious fried food right to your table. Melinda brought Micah a birthday cake with Thomas the train driving around a track on the top - it was so cool, and his very own wooden train set! Micah was thrilled about all of it - the trains, the food, the birthday cake and dessert, the friends, and the presents. Mommy and daddy got him a new diego movie, that he was thrilled about, a train whistle and a new CD - Dan Zanes "Catch That Train!"

And since Tyler didn't show up in any of these pics, here's some of the two of them together. They are getting so big!

trick or treat?

2006-11-02T09:09:00.000-06:00

This halloween was spent with close friends and family - The Smiths, their family, and our Grandmom. The boys loved being in costume and Micah had so much fun going around to houses with his best friend Anabelle (he recently told me "anabelle's my favorite girl, mommy!") and eating candy.

First was a trip to see "Big Grandmom" (what Micah named her) in the nursing home

Then we went off to have dinner with everyone, and Melinda out did herself with a fall feast!

Then it was time to go trick or treating. I don't think Micah ever actually said, "trick or treat" at a house. He knew how to, but each time a new door would open, his jaw would drop, he would stare wide-eyed at the person inside and hold out his little bag for treats. It was too cute.

And the scariest picture of all.....micah's blair witch picture

all about aunts

2006-10-31T08:31:00.000-06:00

This weekend was full of great time seeing Jeremy's sisters, minus one.

Off we go to have fun..and Tyler stops to pose for his senior picture

First we went to Willaim Jewell College to pick up Sarah...It's beautiful....

can you see KC?

Then we celebrated becca's 21st birthday - she came home for the weekend from CO

Enjoying dinner together

It was great to be with becca and sarah, and the boys loved being around their two youngest aunties. But we all missed auntie annie and can't wait until we are all together at Christmas!
Annie did send the boys a very fun Halloween present, though, which is just a hint of cute pics to come....

New Camera = New Pics!

2006-10-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

If you know our camera history, you know that Micah was successful in hiding our old camera in a load of darks, and that it got washed. You also know that we have been borrowing a camera in order to get any pics of recent events. God in his incredible grace and goodness provided us with a new camera! It's a Canon Powershot SD800, and it is awesome! We have been enjoying it ever since. Here are some of the new pics...

The fall colors hang on here much longer than in Colorado, and we are constantly amazed at their vibrance

Tyler also continues to be the cutest baby boy ever

And the brothers are growing closer and playing together more and more

Eating cookies in Poopah's office

Receiving some pastoral counseling

Playing with Anabelle

stay tuned for many great memories to come...

Welcome back, FALL!!

2006-10-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

The leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and we are enjoying each other and the beauty God has created for us to enjoy and take in!

Mommy and boys in the park:

With Daddy at the pumpkin patch:

The boys picking out their pumpkins

Tyler wants this one!!!

The boys were so proud of their pumpkin choices...

Now it's time to paint and carve!

Micah's end result was a painted pumpkin masterpiece and a fancy mustache as well!

And our pumpkin art...

happy fall to all! cuddle up under a blanket, watch a good movie, drink some hot cocoa and think of us!

Time for a haircut

2006-10-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

As you know, Micah has been sporting a long, skater, shaggy look for quite some time now. We have loved it, but recently it got out of control - it was in his eyes, it was starting to go mullet style, and we all knew it was time for a change. So, remembering his last experience with a haircut at a salon (the stylist CUT HIS EAR and there was blood everywhere, not to mention a crying 2-year old) I decided to take out the scissors and give him a little trim. He ended up looking like my barbies used to look when I would give them a new style - butchered. So, I took him to a local place I had heard of that was just for kiddos- Shear Madness. He not only got to play with blocks and soccer balls while he waited, but during the actual haircut he was in a RACE CAR, and got to watch his favorite show - DORA! Afterwards he got a lolipop and was asking to do it all over again! So, without further delay......
before the haircut:

After!!!!

He looks great, and is pretty proud of his new style!
Grandparents, REJOICE!

Sarahs, and Nanas, and Papas, oh my!

2006-09-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful past couple of weeks we have had, atually, it's been well over a month since I posted. We have been busy with the beautiful boys, my school schedule, Jeremy's work and involvement in churhc. God has been so good to us, reminding us of His love and blessing us with very special memories - a visit from our dear friend Sarah, and from Nana and Papa, too!!
having a late birthday dinner together (it had been 1 year since Sarah and I had seen each other!)

at the farmer's market

the boys loved playing with Sarah!

and playing at the park!

heading out for another adventure with Sarah and mommy!

fun at the farm

what beautiful boys!!! None cuter!

fun with Nana and Papa in Kansas City

Micah at the train expo @ Union Station with Papa

fun at Union Station and downtown

we have had so much fun!

saying goodbye

2006-08-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

August 4, my Nana went home to be with the Lord. I wasn't sure whether or not to post anything for this occasion. After all, this is loss for my family, and people don't really like to talk or hear about death. But the life my Nana led was so beautiful, and her intimate relationship with God was so apparent that it leaves no room to question where she is now. So, in part, her death brings a big celebration of a life well lived and an eternity that will be well spent.

Things that were difficult, but so meaningful were singing at her funeral, watching my dad preach his mother's funeral, and saying a final "goodbye" in spirit. How hard it was to say that final goodbye, to see her and not be able to ask for one more piece of wisdom, for one more story, for one more hug and kiss. But how beautiful to see her rest in perfect peace, knowing that she is forever in paradise.

MEXICO!!! COLORADO!!!

2006-07-19T13:46:00.000-05:00

Where do we even start with this one?....our vacation was incredible~eventful, fun, scary, restful, and more than we ever expected. It began with a sweet time in Colorado with my family, and then Jeremy and I said goodbye to our boys for the first time ever (for an extended period of more than a day) and went on an incredible trip for our 5 year anniversary to MEXICO! Our plane trip to Mexico was interesting, including an emergency/crash landing in Phoenix due to a plane that had one hydraulic system down and after the rough, fast landing, also had no front steering/brakes. That put us in the first night to our resort about 5 hours later than originally planned, but we got there!!!
How do we even describe the serene beauty that surrounded us there? They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the pictures still don't do this place justice!! So here they are, the things we enjoyed....
The Resort, El Dorado Seaside Suites:

the water:

time with each other. no kids, no agenda, just the two of us:

Other bonuses included excellent food, icy delicious beverages, cool ocean breezes smelling of salt, live music every night, staying up late, 24 hour room service, laying all day on a beach bed, snorkeling, sea cayaking, and holding hands that are usually holding little ones.

Meanwhile, those little ones were partying in Colorado with Nana and Papa. Micah and Tyler played their little hearts out going golfing, to the Colorado Springs Zoo, the North Pole, the park, and just enjoying time with their very special Nana and Papa.

We were sad to leave the view....

But enjoyed the view even more when we got back...

"2nd Annual 4th of July Vaca with issues"

2006-07-05T17:06:00.000-05:00

Our friends, the Kayls came to beautiful KC for the 2nd annual 4th of July vacation with us. As always, when there are 4 adults and 5 children (all under the age of 3), there were countless memories and a few little "issues." Here are ours and the kids top ten memories from the week...
1. Meeting new baby Caleb

2. Swimming at our friends pool

3. Playing in the kiddie pool at Grandmom and Poopah's house (by the end, even the Kayl boys were calling Paul and Susan this)

4. Bathtime together after we discovered Ezra had gone dookie in the kiddie pool and the kids had been drinking the water.

5. Date night at the Plaza

6. Sidewalk chalk in the hot Kansas sun

7. A nighttime swim for big people only (that's Jerome diving in)

8. Noah learning to do flips off the diving board

9. 4th of July party and playtime with friends

10. Watching the little ones experience the wonder of fireworks for the first time

What a blessing it was to enjoy old friends, and watch our kids now as they enjoy new friends in each other!

to market, to market, to buy a fat pig..

2006-06-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday was filled with new adventures and great times to be together and recharge our batteries. First, we headed off in the morning to the Saturday River Market, which is basically Kansas City's equivalent to Portland's Saturday market, Seattle's Pike Place, etc. Not THE equivalent, Kansas City's equivalent!! We enjoyed talking with amish people that had come from miles around to sell their fresh produce and baked goods. We munched on cinnamon rolls, as well as picked up a fresh loaf of bread and clean, fresh veggies for our dinners.

Micah's favorite parts of the market:
#1. He got to bring Bee Bee along

#2. He got to go on a REALLY BIG SLIDE (well, this WAS one of his favorites, until he went down once and realized it was a little bigger than he thought)

#3. He got to see "Big Birds"

That night was date night, and Jeremy and I headed down to the Plaza, had dinner at Buca Di Beppo's, and walked around enjoying the summer night, the riverwalk, and each other.

#1 Dad

2006-06-25T22:33:00.000-05:00

Happy father's day to the best daddy ever!
We spent father's day relaxing, swinging and playing at the park, having lunch and spashing in the kiddie pool at grandmom and poopah's house and then at soma Christou. Jeremy had some great time playing with his boys, and Micah was sure to wish him "happy farrrtherrs day" at least 100 times!!

and happy day to the best father I ever could have had. I love you!

sick and wrong

2006-06-15T14:49:00.000-05:00

This day has been spent consoling a precious one year old who has not felt so hot for the past three days. Or, actually, he has felt so hot, very hot, 103 degrees to be exact. Tyler has come down with something and will see the doctor late this afternoon.

in the meantime brother is giving him cuddles

another thing that is sick and wrong - Micah eating lunch and getting his hands on the ketchup - literally!

and that's not all!....

I may not be traveling the globe or working a high-power job, but each day has enough adventure to make me laugh, keep me busy, and wear me out.

Happy Birthday Tyler!!

2006-06-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

Tyler turned one and his birthday was celebrated with cake, and lots of it! He and his friend Natalie turned one a day apart, and celebrated together. He had so much fun at his party, and of course, his favorite part was his first taste of CAKE!!!!!!!!!!
BEFORE CAKE:

His first taste:

and second taste, and third, and.....

and AFTER CAKE:

The many faces of micah and tyler

2006-05-31T20:50:00.000-05:00

Tyler turned 1!! The big birthday bash is still to come, but he's already acting much older and wiser...

Micah is becoming quite the artist, and quite the smiler, too...
Creating another masterpiece

Hard at work

Smiling like mommy does

The one and only original Micah smile

priceless time with family & friends

2006-05-26T21:52:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have brought great times...and great pictures, with family and friends! Here's some memories, with most recent ones first...
Our great friends from Colorado, Tim and Krysten, came to visit us.
We ate..

went to the park..

and ate..

and swam..

I coached another client through labor and delivery. She had a beautiful baby girl! for more about my journey as a doula check out www.ashleydoula.blogspot.com

Aunt Rah Rah graduated from High School and Annie, Becca, and Grandma H came out to celebrate.

Micah continued to create masterpieces.

We enjoyed Mother's Day brunch with Little Grandmom and Big Grandmom.

our weekly playdate with anabelle (but the boys didn't have their hats and had to borrow 2 of anabelle's)
10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7555/2248/200/IMG_1636.jpg" border="0" alt="" />

boys will be boys

2006-05-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

Here's the update on the two cutest boys in the world....
Tyler tried sunglasses for the first time, and thought that was a real hoot

Tyler's two front teeth are still working their way in

Micah is still learning how to sleep in his big boy bed

Micah tripped and fell while running too fast and so I put him up on the couch to rest with his blankie. Tyler crawled over to him, pulled himself up to standing beside him on the couch and tried to touch him and comfort him. I put him up on the couch next to brother, and he just sat there snuggling into him for about 5 minutes. A very rare and precious moment!

Now, brothers like to sit in their bean bag chair and watch Sesame Street together. Tyler gets so excited when Elmo's world comes on - very much like his brother in that way.

my birthday!!

2006-04-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

YAY! It was my birthday, and it was so much fun!!!!
I spent the weekend celebrating with family and friends, and getting valuable phone calls from those who couldn't celebrate with me. My parents came out for the weekend, and it was so wonderful to see them. I got to introduce my mom to anthropologie for the first time, and we enjoyed sweet time together shopping and eating and laughing.

My dad got to take Micah to the golf store to put numerous times, and now the employees there know little micah by name.

For my birthday, my parents hung out with the boys and we went out with Bret & Megan and Andrew & Melinda for dinner to a hibachi steak house and then to a movie - Akeelah and the Bee. The dinner was INCREDIBLE, and the movie was great. What a treat to dress up, go out with friends, and have a night out.

Here I am sporting my hott birthday presents from Jeremy: a b-day outfit, and beautiful new bedding from anthropologie.

good reminders from the weekend: I really am still a woman! I love sudoku!! My family and friends love me so very much! Hibachi steakhouses are the best food ever! When shopping is a rare occurence, I appreciate it so much more, and have a blast! My babies are the cutest little monkeys ever! My husband is too good to me!
for those of you I wasn't with, I missed you. For those whom I was with, THANKS!!!!!

Happy Easter!

2006-04-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful Easter we had!!!

First, we went to church and celebrated Jesus' resurrection. Then we went to the hospital to visit Great Grandmom ("Big Grandmom" to Micah). She has not been feeling well at all, but she seemed so glad to see the boys.
Then, it was off to the event that Micah had been asking about all week: THE BABY CHICKS!! Grandma has a friend who lives out in the country, and they just had some baby chicks hatch, so she asked if Micah would like to come and see them. When he heard that on Easter he would get to see baby chicks and hunt eggs with candy in them, he could hardly wait. Each morning he woke up asking if we could "go to Easter?"

Micah was a little unsure when he first saw the chicks, and slowly touched one on the head.

Tyler, on the other hand, was a go getter and couldn't hardly wait to get ahold of one of those chicks.

Our Beautiful Easter boys!

After that, the boys took a nap, then we had a nice Easter dinner and the egg hunt at Grandmom and Poopah's house. Micah had so much fun, and each time he found an egg, he would run to it and say "WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!!" and pick it up, put it in his Easter basket and then say "LET"S GET ANOTHER ONE!!"
Rah Rah helped carry the Easter basket...

Fun times with family...

We were struck this Easter with God's goodness to us, and we hope you were too!

76 degrees today!

2006-04-12T14:58:00.000-05:00

For playtime today, we enjoyed getting outside in the beautiful spring weather. Tyler played in his exersaucer under the shade of the tree, and Micah and I played soccer. Then we all sat under the tree and read stories.
Favorite story of the day: Where the Wild Things Are!

Bee Bee

2006-04-05T10:19:00.000-05:00

Aunt Annie gave Tyler a monkey once for a present, and recently, Micah has decided that HE loves the monkey and must be with it all the time. We went for a ride in the stroller and Micah really wanted to bring the monkey. I asked him "Micah, what's the monkeys name?" and he thought for a minute and then said, "It's Bee Bee."

Now micah wants Bee Bee to eat his meals with him. He plays peekaboo with Bee Bee. He makes Bee Bee sneeze and puts his hand over his mouth and says, "a a a achooo." He knows it's Tylers monkey, so he still lets Bee Bee take naps with Tyler.

I can't believe how cute he is.

It's a Wonderful Life

2006-03-27T19:46:00.000-06:00

Amidst the busy-ness of life, I haven't been able to update the blog much. My time on blogger has mostly been spent developing my new business site: www.ashleydoula.blogspot.com, and the new soma Christou site: www.somachristou.blogspot.com. Time in general has been spent hanging out as a family, working on the new service, practicing with the new band, developing my business, continuing education for that, attending my first birth as a doula, and having a very special visitor from Colorado: DEVON! Below is a pic of that visit. It was so great to see this incredible woman who has been my best friend since she was in 7th grade, and I in 8th. I am amazed that through all of these years and life stage changes, we have never been closer.

pray for us if you get a chance:
for the new service, that we would be prepared, and that people would come and experience Jesus
for my starting business as a doula, that God would bring me the right clients and give me the emotional and physical strength I need to support them in labor.
for our kids, that they would be well and Micah would be healed (has had a fever of 104 the past 2 days)
for our extended family, Jeremy's grandmom and my nana have both been in the hospital ill.
for our friend Devon, who moves with her husband in a couple of months to accept a teaching job in New York City
for our friend Sarah, who is moving to Mexico to start a ministry house for orphaned/troubled teenage girls

pics of our life right now

2006-03-14T21:33:00.000-06:00

Your requests have been heard!.....

2006-03-01T15:22:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was spent in Clarendon, Texas visiting my Nana (Micah calls her Neenie) and getting some furniture and keepsakes that she had given us after moving into a nursing home. The boys were both sick, as was mama, but it was a dear time to be with Nana, and we made some priceless memories, so here are the pics....
Driving to Texas...

My Nana...

Nana's old home...

Time with family...

Curious Micah

2006-02-11T16:00:00.000-06:00

MICAH'S FIRST MOVIE!!!!
Micah saw his first movie today! We went to the 12:10 showing of Curious George, and Micah loved every minute. It was his first time to watch a movie in a theater, have movie theater popcorn, and he couldn't get enough. He was thrilled by the story of curious George, loved the fact that he was a monkey and especially enjoyed all of the scenes in the jungle and at the zoo where he could see other animals and shout out their names for all to hear.
Micah with mama and dada before the show...

when the lights went off, he was instantly mesmerized...

Micah watching on daddy's lap, eating popcorn with him and papa...

some pics of the movie...

coming home in the snow after the movie...

Papa's here!

2006-02-11T11:23:00.000-06:00

What a joyous surprise! Papa has come into town!
Papa was in Kansas on business and has been able to come spend some time with his favorite little boys. He has been a warrior, changing many poopie diapers, giving so many cuddles, taking Micah to play golf, and carrying the boys around at the same time - no small feat!!

We love Saturday mornings and cuddles.....
just waking up....

more adventures to come!

we love the park!

2006-01-25T13:57:00.000-06:00

With weather finally warming up and getting into the 50's, we decided to go play at the park!

what a weekend!

2006-01-17T09:10:00.000-06:00

This weekend was packed from beginning to end, but we really enjoyed every minute. It started off with a wonderful Friday night away at a hotel downtown for Jeremy and I (while the Parsons stayed with the boys). Saturday we got up late, had breakfast, went swimming at the hotel, checked out, went to Westport for a quick lunch at our favorite Indian food restaraunt, and then picked up our boys. Then when we got home with the boys, they took a nap, I made a flourless chocolate torte with raspberries and fresh cream, and then that night Jeremy and I went to a couples party for all of my Bible study (that's what the cake was for, and it was a HIT!) Sunday morning, I woke up early and got to church at 7:00 to practice special music and then sang that at both services. I worked all Sunday afternoon on a video for the new service. Then Sunday night we had the soma Christou small group meeting and following that, stayed around with a few people to watch the 24 season 5 premier!! Jack Bauer is back with a vengance! Martin Luther King Jr Day was finally a day to just relax as a family. We grocery shopped, and after that stayed in all day and night just relaxing and playing. See, busy, but good.
Ok, so here are the hotel pics, and that's all for now...

The Hyatt hotel that we stayed in

The view from our hotel room on the 39th floor!!!

We walked the link to crown center, played in the crayola store, and looked around in the hotel

That night, we went to the revolving restaraunt at the top of the hotel, Skies. It was a wonderful romantic dinner, and we loved being together and enjoying the view!

::Beautiful Boys::

2006-01-11T14:10:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006-01-01T13:44:00.000-06:00

This week before the New Year brought us many memorable moments....
Together as a family...

Enjoying a visit from our old Portland neighbors, Joy and Bobby...

Having fun with Auntie Oonis...

And last night, Jeremy and I put the boys to bed and then had a wonderful, quiet, low key evening enjoying fodue and champagne and ringing in the new year with a crackling fire and Jack Bauer!! 24 rules!
This morning we enjoyed a great brunch with Micah...

and enjoyed watching his imagination develop even more as he made a bed for his baby elephant, and wispered, "night night, elephant, sleep good."...

Happy New Year to all! We missed our friends so much last night, it was not the same without the big new year's bash - you all know who you are, and we love you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2005-12-27T15:36:00.000-06:00

*Happy Holidays to all of you that we love so very much! This Christmas was a time of surprises, family, and big changes. Christmas week we found out that our Jeep was officially totaled, and that we were receiving a check from the insurance company and would then be carless. We frantically searched on the internet, in the classifieds, and contacted friends from the church to see if we could find a good replacement for the Jeep. The car needed to be dependable, but have low mileage, and and enough cargo space for our "double" baby stuff (strollers, etc). Out of the blue, a friend from my Bible study called, telling me that she knew of a family in our church with a nice van that had interest in selling it. Now, for those of you who are our young friends and almost feel sick when they hear the word "minivan" beware. Continue reading at your own risk.
Long story short: we bought a minivan. God provided it at a STEAL of a price, and just in the nick of time. Some of you might think this is crazy, but we are LOVING it! The space, the ability to have other people ride with us, the cargo room, the working CD player and radio (things the Jeep didn't have), the spotless interior, the shiny and perfect exterior, etc. I could go on forever, baby!
So, here it is.......

And now, enjoy the Christmas pics! My parents surprised us and came out to join in the Christmas celebration with us and the Parsons. This was also our first Christmas with the Parsons as a couple! What a blessing it was!
*Christmas Eve*......

*Christmas Morning*.....
Micah opens his first present!

Tyler likes his first present!

*Christmas night* we celebrated and had a wonderful dinner at the Parsons home.....

The next day, we opened presents with the Parsons, ate a great brunch, and then went on a 3 mile walk.

********************Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!********************************

Christmas Party, Brunch, and a Happy Birthday!

2005-12-16T11:22:00.000-06:00

The past week has been packed full of great fun with great people. How blessed we are that God brought us to Kansas City and that he has blessed us with such incredible people. Wednesday night, we enjoyed a Christmas open house at the Parsons along with about 40 friends from the church. A lot of them are members of the core group for the new service, and others were just good friends that we haven't seen in awhile and were thankful to see....

Then, Thursday morning was time for the mornings for moms Bible Study program that I am a part of to have our Christmas brunch and gift exchange. It was such a wonderful blessing to be with all of these ladies once more before the holidays, and after much battling and stealing, everyone seemed to be quite happy with their Christmas gifts. I got the Panera Bread gift card - YAY!! (sorry Christy, haha) Lots of love to all of you ladies! You all are beautiful women, and I can't wait to study Captivating after Christmas!

The following night was ladies night as Sara, Beth Kelly, Darcy and I celebrated Melinda's birthday!!! It was a great ladies night - we went to Bravo for dinner and then to see the new Usher movie - "In the Mix" Needless to say, it was a night full of laughing and being silly girls as we celebrated the gift of MELINDA. Happy Birthday, dear one, I love you!!

Christmas Party!

2005-12-11T12:08:00.000-06:00

Here's just a few pics from Jeremy's company Christmas party last weekend. Sorry it took me so long getting them on here! Hope you like em, we looked pretty hot! haha One of the most priceless moments of the night was watching all the 40-something people out on the dance floor doing the white man's overbite to songs that shouldn't have even existed in the first place.

Sh_t Happens, and so does cheyenne wells!

2005-12-07T16:20:00.000-06:00

That was the theme in Cheyenne Wells when we told people what had happened to us....

After Thanksgiving break in Colorado, we packed up and headed back home through a blizzard that we didn't even know was there. Here is the drama that follows:
The snow came down in "white out" form and about 10 minutes after going off the road into the ditch, we crashed into someone. Apparently, he had been sliding all over the road and had come to a stop in our lane. Unfortunately, we had about 10 feet in front of us visibility and so we didn't see him until it was too late. The highway we were traveling on was closed, as was I-70, and we were stuck in a little town called Cheyenne Wells for 2 days. We were blessed to be some of the few people who got a hotel room for those two nights, at the local motel, the "Trail Inn Motel." All of the others who got there after us had to spend the night in the local church, high school, or a diner accross the street. Here are some pics from the experience:

The Jeep is not so pretty anymore, and she had to say "goodbye" to her bumper, which was destroyed and laid to rest in the ditch of I-40:

The lovely Trail Inn Motel:

Cheyenne Wells Main Street - pretty Christmas lights!:

Micah and Jeremy and the "Green Chile Grill" (also the gas station):

Mama and Tyler just hangin out in the hotel (what we were forced to do for 2 days!!!!):

Finally, we were glad to be back on the highway heading home and to not be stuck in the LONG line of cars going the other way:

More blogs to come on all the excitement since we've been home! Lots of love!

Thanksgiving!!!

2005-11-26T17:25:00.000-06:00

What Thanksgiving Can Do
by John Fischer

The worst moment for an atheist comes when he is really thankful and has no one to thank.
- Unknown

Thanksgiving is the theme song of the Christian. For a Christian not to be thankful is like a dog not to wag his tail at his owner's approach.

Thankful Christians walk around grateful for every breath, every sunset, every new morning, every color in the color spectrum, and every star in the sky. Like an alcoholic who is clean and sober, noticing beauty and taste for the first time, we are grateful just to be alive because we have been dead for so long.

It's hard to think of one vice that the virtue of thankfulness cannot render useless. One does not need to steal when one is thankful. A man does not covet his neighbor's wife when he is thankful for his own. No one craves more when he is grateful for what he has.

In the same way, a thankful heart cancels out pride and arrogance. No need to judge other people when you are thankful for who you are. No need to measure yourself by and compare yourself to others when you are thankful for what God has done in your life. No need to keep anyone out of the kingdom of God when you're overwhelmed that you got in. (God can let in anyone He wants. I am simply glad to be counted among the saved.)

You don't care if you get the important seat at the table when you are overcome with gratitude at simply being invited to the dinner. You don't put heavy weights on other people's shoulders when you are thankful that God has lightened your own load. You are not obsessed with what other people think of you when you are overwhelmed with the fact that God is thinking about you all the time. You don't demand respect when you are thankful for your place. You don't have to hide your own sin when you are already thankful for God's forgiveness. You don't have to protect your image when you are already number one with God. You don't have to condemn other people's blindness when it's only the grace of God that has allowed you to see. You don't have to try for the highest place when you are already grateful for whatever place you were given. You don't have to make a show of spirituality when you are thankful for having received the Spirit. You don't have to clothe yourself in holy ro bes when you have been already clothed in righteousness. You don't have to be full of yourself when you are thankful that God has filled you up with Himself.

Not only do we have a lot to be thankful for, our thankfulness can accomplish much.

Garden of the Gods

2005-11-26T14:56:00.000-06:00

Brudders

With Auntie Becca

With Nana and Papa

With Mama and Dada

Oh, Colorado, how we love you!

At home with friends

2005-11-24T15:36:00.000-06:00

How blessed we were to go to Greeley and see our dearest friends! Everyone seems to be doing so well, and it was hard to see the difference of life without us there. We miss home, and Greeley will always be home to us, not matter how far we roam. We spent the night eating and hanging out at the Kayl home, and The Koehns, Klauks, and Kyle and Jen came over for calzones.

Then we went to Old Chicago's for the traditional hang out time of drinking woodchuck ciders and laughing at each other.
The Dudes:

The Ladies:

Jane and Jerome: We love you both so much, pray for you often, and can't wait to have you out soon for the new service!

Noah and Ezra: You little guys are two very special dudes! We love you so much and can't wait until you can play with our boys!

Krysten: Thank you for the most special breakfast ever, and for your friendship, Timmy, we love you and your wife so much! See you both soon!

Devie: I love you, devon.. How dear you and your husband are to us! Thanks for lunch and laughs and all of your little ways!

Kyle and Jen: You guys are a wonderful couple, and the two of you being together just makes so much sense!

We were also able to see Natalie Mash and her new little baby girl, cecily. So sorry we didn't get to see you, David, but your wife and daughter both looked beautiful!

Bye bye, friends! We love you and had a wonderful time. We pray all of God's greatest blessings on you all until we see you all again!!

Christmas in Colorado

2005-11-22T10:05:00.000-06:00

After a long night of driving, we arrived in our home state of Colorado. It was apparent driving accross the border that no matter how far we roam, Colorado always has that home feeling, and seeing the sign welcoming us back to "Colorful Colorado" was wonderful. So far, we have been here 3 full days, and they have been wonderful. Jeremy and I managed to both get pink eye, and I got larengitis and lost my voice but it is back now and our pink eye is clearing up due to a trip to urgent care on Saturday. We have had such wonderful time with my parents, and the boys are just loving being around them and having lots of fun and cuddles. Today, Jeremy and I go back home to Greeley to see friends and stay overnight. Then we will spend tomorrow there and come back tomorrow night bringing Becca with us and then the Thanksgiving festivities begin. What an interesting week - Christmas (we had it last night because we all won't be together for Christmas) and then Thanksgiving. Well, here are some pics for yall to enjoy. We love you all and, odds are, if you're reading this - we miss you too!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICAH!!

2005-11-18T10:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to you..Happy Birthday to you..Happy Birthday dear Micah......Happy Birthday to YOUUUUUUUUU!
November 15, 2005 marked the 2 year birthday of Micah Parsons. It was almost as if he knew he was approaching a new phase of life, because he became so rambunctious and full of spunk on this day. Here's how the birthday went....

The night before, Grandma and PooPah came over and gave Micah his birthday present - A Little Tykes picnic table where he can sit him self and play and color. HE LOVED IT, and began coloring instantly!

Then the Birthday morning came and Mama and Dada gave him a new Veggie Tales Christmas CD. I put it on on his boombox in his room and he listened to it and colored - such a big boy! Then God gave him the special birthday gift of a first snow for the year. We watched it fall, and Tyler especially enjoyed it!

That evening, he went to Rainforest Cafe for dinner with Mama, Dada, Bee Bee Tyler, Grandma, Poopah, and Rah Rah.

Micah loved watching the animals - the monkeys, cheetah, and elephants.....

We sat under the stars...

opened presents....

and after our dinner enjoyed a birthday cake made by Mama....

It was a great birthday!! Happy Birthday Micah!! We love you very much!

Busy Weekend!

2005-11-08T10:42:00.000-06:00

The weekend is over, and we made it out with a few good pictures. This was a very full weekend for us. First, on Friday night, Jeremy and I had the blessing of going to a worship service at Life Church in Olathe with several of our friends in the core group. We enjoyed worshiping together in a different setting, and learning some new music as well as gaining some new vision for the new service.

Then afterwards, we got dinner and stayed up late. The boys got to spend the night at Grandmom and Poopah's house, and we were thankful for the time. Then, Saturday morning we got up early and went to a retreat for the Core Group to plan more of the new service. It was exciting to get farther on that, and we even came out with the official name - Soma Christou (greek for "Body of Christ") We are so excited about it and are so blessed to be a part of this. Sorry, no pics from this. :) Then we went with some members of the group and tried Gates BBQ for the first time - what an experience - a LOUD experience!

The rest of the weekend was full of playing and bath time....

We also sang at church and had a great walk yesterday afternoon through Corporate Woods

The boys in their stroller

Fall in Coorperate Woods!

"Trick or Treat!"

2005-11-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

Halloween was a hit for the Parsons family this year! I explained all day to Micah what we were going to do that night, and by the end of the day, my scheme to teach him to say "trick or treat" worked....sort of. He got the most important part, TREAT. Whenever we would go to a new place for candy he would timidly look up with his big dark eyes and say "treat." Micah was a frog and Tyler was a snowball that ended up melting into santa (the snowball suit was just too hot). And mama was a fairy. Hey, I had to get into it too, and I take any chance I can to balance out the amounts of testosterone in the family!
Micah the Froggie

Tyler the Snowball

So here is how the night went....
First, we went to the shops at Town Center Plaza close to our house becuase they were handing out candy to trick or treaters. Micah and Tyler got many oooo's and aahhhh's from the workers there! The first thing Micah got was a root beer sucker, and he worked on that for the next 2 hours of festivities!!

Next, we went to the nursing home to visit Great Grandmom. She was thrilled to see us stop by and had made a very special goodie bag for Micah full of wonderful treats. He seemed to bring joy to all of the people in the nursing home, and we were so glad we went to visit.

Then, we went to Grandmom, Poopah, and Rah Rah's house, went up to the door, rang the doorbell and said "treat!"

Next we went to a neighborhood church that was having a huge "Fall Fun Fest" and marveled at all they had. Micah did a cake walk with Grandmom, a bean bag toss, and got lots of candy.

After that, we went back to Grandmom and Poopah's for candy and the grown ups had hot Starbucks coffee.

so all in all, it was a FULL, EVENTFUL, EXCITING, WONDERFUL night! Micah enjoyed so many new kinds of candy he didn't even know existed, and this morning when he woke up, he was asking for "candy,candy."

Haircuts and five month birthdays

2005-10-31T10:00:00.000-06:00

So it was definitely time for the mullet to come off. Time to say "goodbye" to ponytails, white trash, and looks of shame from family members, haha. So Jeremy took Micah to Fantastic Sam's to get his hair cut. And, oh how cute he looks. The faces that you see in the pics are apparently his face the entire time...the blank stare of fear. And he didn't say anything the whole time besides murmuring "haircut.....haircut......haircut....." under his breath. But afterwards, he seemed pretty happy with himself, and was very proud to show mama when she walked in the door (I had been at pilates and the haircut was a surprise from the boys to me.).
The haircut begins....

He's not sure what he thinks about it....

And the beautiful finished product....

Yesterday we also celebrated Teej's 5 month birthday. Amazing how healthy he has been in the past 2 months and how big he has grown since he was in the hospital. We are so thankful for him and proud. We celebrated last night by giving him his first tastes of rice cereal before bed, and he LOVED it. He also slept 10 hours through the night because of it......THANK YOU, JESUS!

Check up later this week for Halloween pics. We are excited for tonight and can't wait to get some adorable costume pics! Now if I could just get Micah to say "trick or treat".....

Playin'

2005-10-28T15:58:00.000-05:00

My Texas roots have rubbed off on our almost 2 year old son. Whenever Micah says anything with an ing at the end of it, it always shortens it to in. he was watching a baby einstein DVD yesterday and I said "Micah, are you ready to take your nap?" and he said "no....watchin" Whenever Tyler starts making noises and squeaking, Micah comes to me and says, "Tyler talkin" and when brother cries, he says "Tyler cryin...passy?" It's amazing the things that kids pick up that we don't even realize that WE do.
We had some great playtime this morning. Micah loves to run towards Tyler and make him smile and laugh.
Here is little Tyler. Acutally, not so little. One of his Aunt's new nicknames for little Tyler is Tank Jolly. So here is Tyler, Ty, the Tank, The Teej, TJ, Tank Jolly, whatever you want to call him...

Micah loves giving brudder hugs...

silly Micah...

Top Ten

2005-10-24T17:10:00.000-05:00

Here's the top ten list of the things Micah (and sometimes Tyler) likes to do

1. Read on Dada's Lap

2. Talk about Buzby the Misbehaving Bee or "buzby abbee bee" as Micah says

3. Climb up on the ottoman and jump off

4. Run around the house with NO DIAPER!!

5. Read books with "PooPah"

6. Give kisses to Grandmom

7. Wear a ponytail, yes he has a mullet, and YES we are cutting it off soon

8. Wear froggie rain boots and play in the rain

9. Cry when we are all done with a good book

10. Cuddle with Mama

A walk in the park

2005-10-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

This weekend was full of enjoying family. We had delicious family dinners, the gals enjoyed the Plaza, the boys watched football, we saw Annie sing in church, we rented some good stuff (Crash, and Arrested Development season 2 disc one), and yesterday after church we took advantage of the beautiful cool weather and went for a walk in Loose park, located near the Plaza in Kansas City.
Mama and her boys in the park

Jer and Ash

one of the beautiful roses in the rose garden

We had a great weekend being able to see Annie and hang with the family, and we're so glad we got to see her, even if just for a little while. We are excited for Christmas when she and Becca will be here and the Parsons family can be back together.

A day on the farm

2005-10-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

Aunt Annie is here to visit! To celebrate, her, me, Rah Rah, Micah, and Tyler all went to the Deanna Rose Farmstead. Micah's favorite part by far was the tractors and the Tee pees.

Then, that night, Dada took him outside to ride the tricycle. He can't quite push the pedals yet, but loves to be pushed and then does a great job of steering himself down the sidewalk.

We know rockstars!!!

2005-10-14T11:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the band Daphne Loves Derby was at the Parsons house spending the night. Jeremy's sister Becca is dating their guitar player, and they were coming through on their tour before their show in lawrence last night. Jeremy and I were able to go to the show (with Sarah and some of her friends also) in Lawrence and get to see them play with The Spill Canvas, Melee', and Copeland. Daphne was awesome, and we loved hearing some of the stuff off of their older album that we don't have yet. Copeland was beautiful, and we really enjoyed a night staying out past our bedtimes!

Some pics of spencer.....enjoy, Becca!

Bye bye Great Grandma & Grandpa H., Hello Annie!

2005-10-13T08:52:00.000-05:00

This morning, Grandma & Grandpa H headed off accross the country back to their home in Richland, Washington. Micah had a great time with them, and I am sure he will miss them a lot. They were able to have some great play time with him and Tyler, and we were glad to sit around the table with them and enjoy some great family dinners (mmmmmm....fish fry...yummy!). But the dinners aren't over because Micah and Tyler's Aunt Annie gets into town from Seattle tonight, and so we are going to really enjoy her until Sunday.

We are thankful that the fall is really here. This week has been an average of about 70 degrees and sunny and clear, and we are really enjoying it. The leaves are starting to change on some of the trees, and we are so excited for what that means - fall, Micah's 2nd birthday, Thanksgiving in Colorado, cold, winter, snow, Christmas. It is all going to be wonderful and we can't wait for those special times.

The boys continue to grow and amaze us. Here's them today.....

Micah's favorite book lately........

And a colored picture just for you.....

86 the camping, let's go to BRANSON!

2005-10-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

Ok, so there was talk of cold weather and rain for the weekend, so instead of spending the night camping, we spent the night in a hotel in Branson, Missouri. Still experiencing some of the Ozarks, but not in the way we expected. WOW! is all we can say about this podunk town reminiscent of Hickville Vegas.

The billboards alone are enough to be in a mocumentary movie like "Waiting for Guffman" or "A Mighty Wind" but the thing that surprised us the most was the incredible amount of people that came out to experience the sights and sounds of Branson, including US! Upon arriving, it was clear that the best tactic would be to hideaway in our hotel and stay there. We enjoyed cable TV and hanging out in our room playing with Garage band on our computer, as well as the fitness center there. Then we decided to brave the town and get out for dinner and a movie - Flight Plan (awesome movie by the way). The next day was spent enjoying hotel breakfast buffet, the dam at Table Rock Lake and a stop at a Barnes and Noble on the way home in Springfield.

All in all, we enjoyed each other so much, and appreciated our first vacation as the two of us in the past 2 years. We were glad to see our beautiful boys when we got home and to have recharged our batteries. It really is true, the reason you go away is so that you can appreciate how much you love home (and that REALLY applies with Branson)! Ha ha, Love to you all!

Welcome, Fall!

2005-10-06T14:32:00.000-05:00

It is currently 42 degrees outside and we couldn't be more ready for the fall to hit. It looks as though from now on out we are in the clear and will be enjoying cooler weather. Bible study was this morning and Micah went to his special classroom. He was excited to be there this morning, and loves his class because they get to play and color and eat snacks. The cutest thing is to go to the door and peek in when he doesn't know your looking and watch him as he sits at the little table in his little chair coloring with all of his little friends. There are moments with him that just melt our hearts. It is already Thursday and we are so looking forward to the weekend coming up. Micah's Great Grandma and Grandpa H. get here tonight and are here for the weekend, and Jeremy and I are sneaking away Sunday and Monday on a camping trip to the Ozarks. Ahhh, fall colors, smores, sleeping bags, and incredible times together.....WE CAN"T WAIT. Lots of love to you all!

3 Stories

2005-10-04T23:22:00.000-05:00

What beautiful boys we have! and the hilarity of childhood and watching them grow up is sometimes almost too much to take in. Tyler is starting to roll all around and is doing great at holding up his head. Micah has been so funny lately that we just must share some of the stories.

The Veggie tales story:
He loves listening to his Veggie Tales CD. But Mama can get pretty tired of it after the tenth time in one day. So, she had the brilliant idea of giving him his own CD player to listen to his own music on in his room. HE LOVES IT! He plays so much more in his room now, also, because he enjoys being in there with his special music. So the other night, his music is on in his room and he is playing in the living room when all of a sudden, he stands up and says "oh, I GOT.......VEGGIE TALES" meaning oh I forgot, veggie tales! Then he ran as fast as he could into his bedroom to keep listening.

The ummmm story:
One of his favorite new things to do is to list the foods that he likes to eat. The cute part is that he thinks of them as he goes along, so it sounds something like this: "ummmmm.......crackers....ummmm.......juice..ummmmm...apple juice..ummmmm
......cookies...ummm.......milk....um.....oatsoatsoats...ummm.."

The Prayer story:
Every night we say prayers at bedtime. He usually interrupts the prayer with random things that he wants to pray for. The pattern is usually praying for people "Grandmom, Rah Rah, Tyler, etc" last night the pattern was very interesting and very cute: "Horsey........Tanna (his new little girlfriend that kissed him).........Veggie Tales.........Bob (from V.T.)........Larry (also from V.T.).........and Football (he had watched a game with dada earlier that night)"

So those are just three of the little reasons why we love being parents. Amazingly enough there are very few things that top those moments, and you have to be a parent to understand why.

Retreat: to withdraw to a quiet or secluded place??

2005-10-01T16:51:00.000-05:00

We spent the day at a retreat (definitely not quiet, and not very secluded) at the church with a group of incredible people talking about a very important task - the start of a new church service, an emergent church service. We sought to answer a lot of very daunting questions, and each question took a very long time to explore. We are hopeful about the future, and BLESSED to be on this journey with those who were there:
Dad, Paul & Beth, Chad & Alysia, Matt & Cory, Andrew (Melinda, you were greatly missed!), James, Brett & Megan, Christina, Sarah, Bruce, and Curt. We appreciated all of your wisdom and patience with us and everyone else on this journey, and we are so thankful for every person that was there.
Blessings!

61 degrees in Heaven?

2005-09-29T17:07:00.000-05:00

A crisp cool 61 degrees in Overland Park today, and we almost feel like we're in Colorado again. Well, besides being away from family....and friends...and the mountains...Ok, so it's not Colorado, but still an incredibly beautiful day. We worship God today in the created things around us that we can't help but just marvel at - the stunning cloudless blue sky, the small perfected features of Tyler's face, Micah's growing tenderness, and the blessing of each other. Date night ruled. We shared laughs and kisses and had a blast at Dean & Deluca.
Tonight brings practice for worship (we lead the church in worship on Sunday), followed by a cookout for two after the boys go to bed - beer, brauts, and sitting on the porch enjoying the change of seasons.

"A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop"

It's date night!

2005-09-28T17:39:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday and we have the night off from leading worship for the Wornall youth group, so we are going on a date! It will probably include going to Dean and Deluca to share a ceasar salad together, and then taking a walk in the beautiful cloudy weather. Can't wait to wear our sweaters! The boys will enjoy a fun night at Grandmoms.

Mr. Micah's favorite phrase today: "In a basket" He said this all morning as he attempted to squeeze his entire body into one of our small laundry baskets.
Tyler is happy today and much more vocal than usual. He is starting to move his eyebrows around and get very expressive when he talks.
Jeremy has had a good day at work and was able to take a prayer walk in the beautiful oncoming fall weather on his break.
Ashley had a full day of boys, laundry (3 loads), cleaning, quiet time, and getting ready for tonight.

Smitten at age 2

2005-09-27T18:20:00.000-05:00

Today's High:
Micah, our almost 2 year old, went to the park to play and met his first little girl friend. Her name was Ritanna, and he called her "tanna." They played together for an hour until it was time to go. as we left, he was waving and saying "bye bye, tanna." As we began to walk away, she ran upto him, put her little hands on his face, and planted a big kiss right on his lips. He said her name all the way home, and as I put him down for naptime he said "night night, tanna" When I asked him if he loved her he said "yeah...kiss" and put his fingers up to his lips. He is obviously smitten, and only at the age of 2!