Splash

Jeff flew in to Oregon yesterday (just in time for our anniversary) and Marmie and Daddoo drove in yesterday too. We are still waiting on baby Evan, so today we killed some baby-waiting time by spending the afternoon at Splash, which is an indoor water park and wave pool. Everyone had a great time, and it sufficiently wore out the kiddos.

There won't be much more waiting on Evan because Mandy is scheduled for induction tomorrow night. We should have a baby in 24 hours or so!!! I joke about waiting a long time, but I have been incredibly blessed to be able to spend this time with Mandy and Ted. They are outstanding parents and I have learned a lot on this trip. Mandy is so patient with her kids, so she has been an example to me.

Marmie and Abby on the water slide. (Maddox also loved the water slide. He would come down with a huge smile on his face. As soon as we hit the water, he would point to the slide and say more!)
Dad and Mad splashing in the wave pool.
Our happy little family.

8 Years!

Jeff and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary! It seems like yesterday that we said our vows, and yet we have been through so much together. I can't express how much God has blessed me with Jeff as my husband. He is an unbelievable provider and spiritual leader for our family. In a very materialistic world, he has chosen to give up some of the comforts of the world so that I can stay home and be with Maddox full time. He works hard and prays hard. I can honestly say that Jeff never has an unkind word to say. I love you, Jeff. 8 years down ... 100 to go!

Patiently Waiting

Maddox and I are currently in Oregon awaiting baby Evan's arrival. No kiddo yet, much to Mandy's dismay! She has been contracting hard for about a week or so, but they haven't been as productive as we would like. I can be diplomatic about the whole thing because I don't have a giant human parasite living in me. She, on the other hand, is going insane.

Despite the contracting and waddling, we have been having a good time here. Nolan and Abby are on a trip with Grandma and Papa Hoggard, so we haven't gotten to play with them yet, but they will be home tomorrow. In the meantime, Uncle Ted and Aunt Mae have been outstanding playmates for Maddox.

Here are some photos of our fun, in no particular order...
Mae is 9 months pregnant and loving every second of it.
Maddox loves playing toddler Reader Rabbit on the computer. This is the best house for little ones!! Aunt Mae has everything!

This is the new Hoggard puppy ... Jax!
The first night we were here, Maddox and I were both suffering with allergies (as evidenced by Mad's sick eyes in this photo). Nothing a little Benadryl can't fix.
This was breakfast the morning that Maddox found Aunt Mae's spray bottle of water.
Okay ... if you are the parent of a perfect, well-behaved toddler, you can just stop reading now. My kid bit my foot. I'm not kidding. I took a picture to prove it. This better be a phase!!
If he's gonna act like a dog, he'll end up in the kennel! (No it wasn't cruel and unusual punishment. He crawled in on his own.)

Every boy needs a clip-on tie! Doesn't he look handsome?!
This is why I love having a boy. Maddox and I were playing with Abby and Lauren's babydolls the other day and I told him to put them in the crib to go night-night. This is what he did. I think we'll keep Maddox away from Evan for a while.
We've been waiting for this baby for so long that Ted is starting to get silly.
Just riding bikes proudly displaying his new Superman hat.
We've collected tons of hand-me-downs this week, and this is one of my favorites. I think he makes a very cute Buzz Lightyear.

Ted and Jax taking a break.
Little Picasso was introduced to finger paints. And then to the bathtub.
We went to the farm to pick out some fresh produce. Since then, Maddox has eaten almost an entire flat of strawberries.
Big steps and little steps.
Uncle Ted taught Maddox how to feed the goats. Maddox loved it! He was picking up the little food pieces from the ground and feeding them to the goats. A few minutes later I realized he was also picking up pieces of goat poop and trying to feed that too. Again, I love having a boy!

Conversations with Maddox

All of you who know and love Maddox are well aware that he is quite the chatterbox. He talks constantly, which means we laugh constantly. You should hear him in church! He is either singing along or competing with the preacher. There are some videos of his conversations on this post, but first I added some cutie photos of Mad playing PlayDough (a favorite pastime while Mom cooks dinner).


Daddy and Sophie playing outside with Maddox. Clubber has been a dingdong lately, so he lost his outside privileges. You can see him sulking in the doorway in the first video.

This first video is quintessential Maddox having a conversation with us. I can only imagine what he's telling us!

The second video is Maddox talking to the neighbor across the street. Turn it up, it's pretty cute!

But You'll Look Sweet...

...upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

D-Land and a Big Announcement

We are absolutely thrilled! Our experience in Colorado made clear to us that Jeff's heart is in teaching and he has a passion to pursue this dream. After sending many resumes and curriculum vitaes, we are pleased to announce that Jeff is the newest faculty member at Moorpark College! This is a full-time, tenure-track, lecture and activities class position (exactly what he was searching for)! Jeff will be teaching exercise physiology, anatomy and physiology, and creating a personal training program from the ground up. Don't worry...he'll still be training at his gym out in Norco!

Because Jeff will be working so far from home for a while, Maddox and I are preparing to be on our own most days. As a congratulations gift for Jeff's job, Maddox and I were given Disneyland annual passes so that we can hang out with Mickey and friends as much as we want while Daddy's at work! I love when I get gifts for Jeff's accomplishments!

Here are some photos of us at Disneyland with Jerry and Kelly...

Life Back Home

We are loving being back in Irvine! We get to hang out with our friends and family all the time, and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Recently, Maddox and Jaxon had fun playing with shaving cream at the toddler table. Jaxon wasn't so sure about the whole idea of squishing shaving cream, while Maddox was pretty entertained by the shaving cream goatee Greg gave him.

This is the scene I left last Friday to attend the Canyon Women's Retreat. My fellas were so engrossed in watching Star Wars that they didn't even notice that I was saying good-bye.

Warm weather calls for lots of pool time!