My little red book.

A year ago in February, I was celebrating my 23rd birthday with amazing friends in Germany. I was about to say goodbye to those amazing friends and move back Stateside after 4.5 years of living in Germany. One of my friends, Angela, gave me this little red notebook to fill however I pleased. It is so special to me because it came from her. Because I am blessed to know the beautiful person she is, and so honored to call her my friend. She is such an inspiration to me as a mom, student, wife, friend, Christian. EVERYTHING. She's one of those amazing people you don't meet every day. I didn't quite know how I'd fill the book. I knew I didn't really have time to journal, though I love to write. Well, a couple of months ago I was thinking about the blog, and worried about how it could all of the sudden crash and I'd be left with none of those memories on paper, and that somehow, somewhere, I should be jotting down these things that the boys say and do so I'll always have them no matter what. That's when I remembered about the little red book. I had it with me on the plane back Stateside from Germany, it stayed with me at my parents house for 6 months before we moved here, and it was in a basket in the car with me when I closed on the house here in Mississippi. I knew it would be a special notebook, just wasn't sure how it'd be used. So, it's my memory book of the boys. It holds all the special sayings, new words from Ayden, and just all the little memories that I never want to forget. Thanks Angela for the special notebook! I'll always think of you and your wonderful family when I look at it, and I'll always cherish it!!

Speaking of the notebook, I have a few things to share since I'm a bit behind on that.

Funny things from Caleb for December:

"Ayden put the balloon in the water and made a sudsy mess!"

"I'm nervous and serious so I can't take a nap. It's just what happens to me.."

"Mommy, I'm almost as tall as you." Me laughing: "I know Caleb, you are!" Caleb: : I just keep getting huger and huger, like 2 huges!" :)

Ayden's recents:

He repeats EVERYTHING now. I can say anything and he'll say it too. It's so awesome to hear. Here are some of his most often used words right now though..

"maaah" (pants) "shoe ahh, yocks ahh" (shoes off, socks off) "weebra" (zeebra), rey apple (red apple) "dink plea!" (drink please) "Hi Yahmi!" (Hi Mommy)-- this one he says especially sweet. I love hearing him!! He says Mommy when just saying mommy, but when he puts the word Hi in front of it, I'm Yahmi! :) Love it.

And an especially memorable conversation happened with Caleb and I two days ago. He always comes into my room in the mornings when he wakes up and lays with me a bit. Sometimes we talk and sometimes we don't. I just listen to what he has to say with his morning wisdom.. (I'm not a morning person, haha) Anyway, he was just laying there and he said, "Momma, we don't want to go to Hell." and I said, "You're right bub we don't." and he said, "we want to go to Heaven." And I said "yes we do, and we can because why?" and he said "Jesus died on the cross so we could go to Heaven." SO sweet. I love that he's understanding it. I love that he's thinking about it without us pushing him at all, and I just love that he's eager to learn at such a young age. I just love my babies. :)