Happy 4th Birthday Gentry David!

Gentry David,

Today you turn 4!!! I can't believe how fast time has gone by. You have been the biggest/little blessing God has ever given dad and I. I would have never known how much fun it is to be a mom if God wouldn't have surprised us 4 years ago! I hope you are having so much fun today celebrating with Poppi, Babi, and Nate since you are visiting them. We love you and are so thankful for you sweet boy! Here are some of our favorite things about you right now!

Dressing up like superheros literally on a daily basis

The stories you tell like...
How Spiderman came into you room and woke you up and so you spun some webs on him so he would just go away and leave you alone. "Spidey always comes into my room at night, and sometimes I just have to tell him to go away cause I am sleeping"
Or
"Mom, I have a pirate story for you. So one day Capin Jack went on his boat and was fighting all kinds of bad guys the end!"

Your love for Pirates, Spiderman, and your newest venture Master Yoda!

You will sit and draw and color for 30-45 minutes at a time. I think you have your dads artistic ability.

Your love for the Buffs has only grown, and we love that you are a die hard fan already!

You have a unique sense of style and like to get yourself ready in the morning, even if it is part of a costume with backwards shorts, a winter hat, spidey gloves, and wolverine hair. ;) You also change clothes on average twice a day!

You love reading time at night with dad.

Every morning you wake up at 7am (just like you have since you were 6 months old!) and come crawl into bed with me, I love my little blonde alarm clock!

You love camping, and all you asked for, for you birthday was a camping trip with Brody.

You are still so shy and we have to bribe you do most things that involve anyone else besides me, dad, aunt T, or Ben and Mack. But we love when you are doing things and give that little embarrassed grin with your lips pressed tightly together so no smile will accidentally slip out!

I could go on and on because your our son and we just love you! Hope you have a wonderful birthday and we love you so much sweet boy!

Favorite Conversation of the Day...

Gentry and I were laying down to take a little nap. He was laying on his side facing me, his eyes were already closed and his little hands were folded underneath his cheek. Without opening his sweet eyes he reached over and touched my face and said...

"Mommy you dream about barbies and butterflies, and I will dream about pirates and race cars...okay"

He then put his dirty little hand back underneath his cheek and continued to doze off...I love that sweet boy, and his sweet little thoughts!

Tink Turns 1!!!

We got to attend little Miss Tink Turrill's first birthday in mid August but got to actually see her on her real birthday! She and McKenzie stopped by and I had 3 little kiddos that were so excited to celebrate with her! The waited on the stairs to say surprise and sing happy birthday! It was really fun!!!

It was really hard waiting to eat cupcakes until Tink got there!!!

All the kiddos wore Tinkerbell headbands and Tinkerbell stickers!!

She was pretty entertained by the kiddos!!!

Waiting to say surprise and blow their party favors for Tink!

They seriously couldn't wait for her to get there!!!

We love you sweet Tink, Happy Birthday!!! (Even though this blog is way late!)

Fun times + Good friends = A Great Weekend

2 weekends ago we went to see some good friends up at Winterpark. Drew and Stacy Frazer have been up in Winterpark for the summer with the Navigators. We drove up with some other friends Raphael and Courtney Reneissen, and stayed in the Frazers super awesome cabin/vacation house! So fun! Besides good food (provided by the Frazers!), quality time, and some good laughs, we also went to a BMX competition that was in Winterpark that weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was seriously AMAZING and the guys enjoyed it thouroughly!! We also just loved being in the mountains and enjoying the beauty that God has created right here in Colorado!

A quick family pic!!


G and I on the Alpine slide in Winterpark! G kept raising his hands like he was on a roller coaster.


After 2 hours of the BMX comp, a late night the night before, and no nap...G was unimpressed to say the least. Thanks baby Danger for letting us borrow your stroller!!! It was a life savor!!!



He started out leading the hike...


And this is how he ended the hike!


My sweet boys!!


The sunset and view from Drew and Stacy's. GORGEOUS (We secretly hope you guys go every year so we can come visit your fun vacation home!!)


The whole gang!!


Some amazing guy doing a flip on his bike!!


I think they enjoyed themselves...


Family pic on our hike! The view was gorgeous!!! I love that God created mountains, sometimes I feel like he created them just for me because I love them SO much!!! Thanks God!!


G loved his ride to the top, we actually had to do it twice!

Our last outing with Nate :( (sniff, sniff)

Nate came for one last visit before he starts school, and is a little more tied down. We decided to take the boys camping. We had a really good time and enjoyed just soaking in the last bit of time with him before he becomes a big kindergartner!!!


Never miss a chance to pose like Spidey!

A boy in the wild...it's a beautiful thing!


This was on one of their bear hunts

I'm not going to lie, I teared up when I put this photo up! I just love that my sweet little brother and my own sweet son, are growing up so close, and love each other so much! It is really special!

Picnic before we ventured into the freezing river water!!


Thankfully, neither boy seemed to care that they didn't catch a fish!


Morning snuggles! (I think G's face explain everything...I feel ya G, it's how it is every morning with your dad, he's just a morning person!)


We never went anywhere without our weapons. You wouldn't believe the amount of bears, tigers, deer, and elk that were killed on this camping trip. It really was amazing!!! :)


And 2 exhausted boys on the way home!

We had such a fun little getaway with Nate before he starts school and can't come visit as often. We are sad that we won't be seeing him as much, but have LOVED every minute we got to spend together while he was here. Hopefully somewhere in Gods plans are 2 houses next door to each other with an open fence in between that our boys will run in between and back and forth, and we will all get to live life together! Until then we are cherishing the time we got to spend with Nate! We love you and miss you sweet boy, come visit soon!!!

Favorite Conversation of the Day...

I was sitting in the chair with Gentry and we had just said our memory verses for the night. I couldn't quit laughing after this conversation, I love the innocence of his sweet little thoughts. Oh the joys of motherhood!!!

Gentry: "Mom, how does God get in your heart? Like does he come in our body or something?"

Ash: "No he doesn't physically come in our body, God actually stays in Heaven"

Gentry: "But you said He comes in our heart, how does He get in our heart?"

Ash: "God stays in heaven, but He left the Holy Spirit here with us to help us make good decisions and love people"

Gentry: "How does the Holy Spirit get in our heart? I've never seen the spirit."

(Obviously at this point I was not giving him the answer he wanted or needed!)

Ash: "Well it's a spirit, we can't see it, but it's here with us."

At this point Gentry does some sort of a motion like he is yawning, then like he's chocking, and literally grabs his throat like something is in it, and then starts coughing. I'm thinking he's choking so I sit up and lean him forward.

Ash: "Are you okay? Are you choking?"

He then looks at me like nothing happened.

Gentry: "Oh mom that was just the Holy spirit coming inside my heart, but you can't see him."

He then proceeded on with an entirely different conversation like nothing ever happened!!!!


I literally thought I was going to die of laughter! He was pretty concerned with how God or the Holy Spirit got inside your heart, and I guess if I was 3 that is something that would concern me also! I was trying to keep the conversation on a level that he could understand, but somehow it's just not what he needed!!!

Sometimes I feel so inadequate to answer all of his many question (and boy does he have lot's of them these days!) especially when it comes to his spiritual life. I just keep praying that God gives me wisdom and guides me through motherhood to be able to love Gentry and help him navigate his way through life. I have to admit, in so many of our conversations, I just laugh because his thoughts are so sweet and sometimes quite funny!! Regardless if I give the right answer, I love that he is curious and wanting to know about a relationship with Christ (and the Holy Spirit, who we apparently swallow to come into our heart!) I am so thankful that God holds my little boy in the palm of his hand, so no matter how many times I mess up or give the wrong answer, he is still able to be redeemed. What a comforting promise our Savior gives us!!

Sarah and Husker get married!!

My super good friend Miss Sarah Wilson got married to Husker (also known as Corey Priebe) on August 8! We had such a good time. Gentry and I were both in the wedding and over all Gentry did a really good job. The only way we got him down the aisle for practice was with his sword (and even with the sword he cried at first!). On the wedding day he only went down the aisle because I carried a pocket full of M&M's and I promised him a big piece of cake after if he made it up the aisle and back down!! He only slid down the speaker twice, tried to help with Sarah's dress once, and kept reaching into my pocket for more M&M's, but overall we consider it a success. It did help that Sarah and Husker were so gracious with his behavior!


Spinning webs at the bride! Thanks for putting up with Spidey Sarah!! He loves his Auntie Sarah!!!!

Getting ready!!!

He quickly ditched the shirt, and turned into Spidey. His tie transformed into a head band and his sword was hiding in his bag for as soon as he was done walking down the aisle!

Oh G!!!

Husker, this is what we thought of your cake!! :)



Dad helping G with getting ready!


Me, Sarah, Jen

Never miss a chance to pose like Spidey!

I think he enjoyed the cheese cake at the rehersal :)

Thanks for the shot gun, it was the best present ever!!! I just want you take notice of the CU ball and CU helmet Husker!!!

A visit from the Ogburn's

After the Campus Crusade for Christ Staff Conference, Corri and Christine Ogburn stayed with us for a couple of nights!!! It was so fun to have them here. We went to Boulder one day and walked around on campus and of course took a stroll down Pearl St.! Since Corri is also an Alum from CU it was fun to be there together. We loved having them here!!!!

Christin took Olyvia to see this guy on Pearl St. and give him some money, but Gentry would not get any closer than this...it was so funny. They guy kept waving at him and trying to get him to come over. I think Gentry was really contemplating whether to spin webs at him or not :)

Checkin out the pond at CU!

Lunch at Cheesecake Factory, I think Olyvia loved having some girls around, she is always so out numbered!

On the steps of the Library! After they left Gentry and Olyvia both kept asking "where is our friend at?" (Referring to Christine) She was so great, she jumped with them, blew bubbles, read, and watched them one night so Corri and I could go have dinner! We are recruiting her to come out to CU for college!!! We can't wait to see you in four short years Christine!!!

Story Time with G!

Gentry has turned into the little story teller lately! He is so cute and gives very specific details (even if they aren't true)! This week he is going to VBS and has been learning about about Peter. Here is G telling the stories that he is learning, he even incorporated a boat and little pirates to show me what was going on! The pirates are Jesus and Peter, so don't be confused!

He was telling the story and then had to go get his props for the story, so we had to take a quick intermission from story telling!
I am pretty sure this is an account of a couple of different stories involving Peter and Jesus, but it was still pretty cute!

A little gymnast in the making!

I can't help it!!! It's in my blood!!! I have been teaching Gentry how to do flips on the trampoline and in the pool. Here is a video of Gentry and Caitlin in the pool doing some back flips!! The good thing is, he actually loves learning and doing the flips!! It might be a sad day for me if he hated gymnastics. Good thing e actually told me that he wanted to be in "g-nastics" so he could flip like spidey, so in the fall I think we are going to venture into a gymnastics class!!!! As you can imagine, I am super excited!!!