Five on Friday and Happy FIRST Birthday Walker!

1) May 29, 2014 was the day our sweet baby Walker came into the world. The day we had two sons. The day Gray became a big brother. The day our hearts became even more full. While a lot of days have been long and trying, especially in the first several months, I can't believe it's already been a year. I can't even remember what life was like before Walker came into our lives. He makes our family even more joy filled and we thank God every day for the gift of that precious boy. Gray and Walker have their three and one year well checks on June 8 and after that I will write a more detailed post about our boys and three and one. BUT, our boy did get his first trim yesterday. He was pretty close to rocking a mullet and I was getting my hair cut yesterday so I thought it was the right time for his first cut. I wish I had taken a before picture but things were a little crazy and I forgot.

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My gorgeous and talented friend, Meredith.

2) Although his birthday isn't for another week and a half, we already have a full blown threenager on our hands. Shooweee y'all! Gray has the sweetest heart in the world and for the most part he is such a good little boy but daaaaang he has made for some challenging days lately. We are pretty hard core disciplinarians; raising sweet, obedient, respectful and grateful children are extremely important to us, But at the same time we are very loving parents and try to choose our battles wisely. With that being said, I don't want to use "he's three" as an excuse for his behavior. But it's so hard. I know discipline is good for him and is one of the many responsibilities God gives us as parents but it doesn't make it easier. I'm so, so thankful the Lord has given me a wonderful, very hands-on and helpful husband to do this whole parenting gig with.

3) Our pictures could have gone a tad better on Sunday. Walker was in a great mood and was cheesing for the first few shots until I realized I didn't put his shoes on, which was pretty much my favorite part of his outfit. He hates shoes and pitched a down right tantrum off and on for 45 minutes after I put them on. We tried and tried to distract him and get smiles but instead all we got were screams and lots of tears. Thankfully Lindsey's dog came to the rescue and made for a happier Walker (our boy LOVES animals!!!). We still didn't get a ton of smiles or the back drop we were hoping for, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I had lots of ideas and another outfit we never got to but I think Lindsey worked her magic and was able to get enough good ones. I can't wait to see them!

4) One of my precious tutoring students got me a thank you gift of the sweetest card, a huge, super soft, beautiful beach towel and a Yeti thermos. Y'all, I had been wondering what the big deal with Yeti stuff was and now I know. My coffee stays hot for hours and until this week, I couldn't tell you the last time I finished a whole cup of coffee that wasn't cold. And I've heard they keep things cold and even frozen for days. I don't think I'll be running out to buy a $400 cooler but I consider myself a big Yeti fan even still. 

5) Even though it's a busy one, I am so looking forward to the weekend. We are going swimming and cooking out with some friends tomorrow and Paul and I are going on a date Sunday. In between that we've got a lot of party prepping and planning to do. I can't wait to celebrate both of our boys with our family and friends next weekend.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!