march 24, 2014

monday we celebrated mr coen's 5th birthday. i much prefer to not have his party on his actually birthday. it is too much for all of us. but especially for me, i mean it was my BIRTH day too, and i want to enjoy the day reflecting on the moment i met this sweet boy for the first time. now that coen is five we have settled into some fun birthday traditions. my favorite being the birthday cupcake in bed. this was one thing i always said i would do before i even have kids. and this was the best year yet, for this tradition. (when he turned two he just started crying hysterically).

 

 i think five is going to have a lot of  best yet moments.

 

since his bday fell on the first monday back after spring break, i figured he should go to school. but i was so happy to see how much he wanted to be a school. he kept tell me, "let's go already. i am sure my friends are waiting to see me and say happy birthday!"

so after the cake in bed we got ready and came downstairs to a few bday decorations and had fun playing with balloons!

all of his friends were very excited to see him. everyone ran up and hugged him. i went back that afternoon with some festive party gear and supplies for ice cream sundaes.

 

 

afterschool we came home to call and face time with 500 people. coen requested cheeseburgers, tater tots, and cantaloupe for dinner. and he asked for a cake with "chocolate in the middle with sprinkles on top that you can cut." i took that has an excuse to grab a good old fashion grocery store bakery cake.

 

some good friends joined us for dinner, and coen spent the evening eating and opening gifts. a birthday success!

 

happiest birthday wishes mr coen scott, we love you!

 

heaven blew every trumpet and

played every horn on the wonderful,

marvelous, night you were born! 

five years of parenthood

gah. five years ago i was in labor, surrounded by some of my favorite people, anxiously waiting to meet this stranger that had been growing inside of me. i remember all of the details of the days leading up to and the days after his birth like it was just last week. but now, five years later i can't help but think about how clueless i was. i wanted a baby. i wanted to decorate a cute nursery, and register for baby things. i wanted to carry around an infant car seat with a cute sleeping baby inside. i wanted a baby. a tiny. squishy. swaddled. baby. all those months of planning and prepping and anticipating our new tiny family member could have never prepared me for parenthood. i am not talking about how rough labor is. no need to cross into the spouts of crazy post-partum behaviors. but now five years later, i can honestly say that i had no idea what i was getting into. what it would feel like to be a parent, to see your child grow outside of your body. i loved my squishy big baby the moment i held him. but now, five years later, i love him so much more. i know him so much more. i look at him and wonder how on earth he was ever that small. an aching inside me tries to remember what it felt like to hold him, and how it felt to watch him achieve all the milestones of the first couple years. but i can only think of him for who he is now. a God loving, passionate, back talking boy, that is full to his eyeballs of silliness and love. he loves so deeply, and so sweetly. and i can't help but hope that one day he will love his wife that same way. five years later my gut tells me to put him in a jar, and not let him grow another day. but really, i am humbled by the grace that our God has given us to be his parents. to raise him up to be an extraordinary man. and as hard as it may be, i will reserve my jars for pantry items and decorating. i will be ever so thankful that our coen scott is growing and thriving and full of life.


a few favorites from his first few days.

 



 

coen scott, you have grown into an amazing little boy who is wise beyond his years. you are an old soul and everyone that meets you, loooooves you. watching you become a big brother has been my favorite of your roles, and i of course love having you as our son. we can't wait to see what year 5 has planned for you.  

 

 



just for a trip down memory lane i ventured back to our original blog, keepingupwiththethelens.wordpress.com. good times right there.

kona break

we have just returned home from a week on the sunny side. it was the longest we have spent in kona, and also the first time we have stayed right smack in town. we had a blast, obviously. here is a look at what we did.

 

so much pool time. marin has not one once of fear in her little body. none.

 

 

lunch break nap and walk thru town.

dinner at kona brewing company.

beaching it at king kam beach.

more pool time, and more beaching.

sunset silliness with this guy.

hey mom, do you want to come on my airplane? love wings!

 morning of departure...more pool and coffee with whip.