Happy Birthday, Isaac!

I want to eventually go back and recap lots of "life events" from the past few years. Maybe do some sort of "Flashback Friday", "Throwback Thursday", or something like that. Just something to record some big memories. I think I'll start with one of our recent events though. On July 1st, my sweet, precious middle boy turned 2 years old! How did that happen? It seems like this was only yesterday...

And here we are now... (Is that not the most adorable grin? Melt me!)

I have always said that I would never do "character" birthday parties when I had kids. Never say never... We usually do small, family/close friends parties revolving around something that the child likes. Andrew has had truck, tractor, and pirate themed parties. For Isaac's first birthday, we just did a color scheme, went swimming, and called it a day! This year I wanted to pick something that Isaac REALLY liked for his birthday theme. The problem is, sweet boy likes everything! The only thing that stood out above anything else was the lovable Winnie the Pooh. Therefore, the Pooh party was born. FYI, you cannot find anything "Pooh" themed for parties in stores! Every decoration that I got was ordered online. So, here are some pictures from Isaac's 2nd birthday party!

I made his birthday cake and decorated it with little figurines from the Disney store. After they were done being cake toppers, they became a present for Isaac!

When he came in and saw all the Pooh decorations he was so happy! Everyone was milling around talking and he just walked over to the table and started pointing at and naming all the characters on the table covering to himself. That silly little tablecloth was totally worth it for that moment of happiness!

All the little cousins played on the swingset while we finished getting dinner ready. So happy that my kids will grow up with cousins close in age. Built in friends!

Isaac loved his cake and being sung too! He was such a big boy and blew out the candles all by himself!

He especially liked getting to lick the icing off all of the Pooh characters!

I think it's safe to say that he had PLENTY of help opening presents! Don't worry, he did most of them himself. :)

This birthday boy LOVES shoes. (I seriously almost did a "shoe" party!) Here he is sporting his new shoes from NeNe and PawPaw. He got 3 pairs of shoes for his birthday because everyone knows how much he likes them!

Then the kids played,  "Pin the honeypot on the Pooh"? It was QUITE the hit! I had to go find more stickers after they ran out of honeypots so they could keep playing!

See? A major hit with the three and under crowd!

Here are the girl cousins! Sophie and Ella Grace. 

And last, but not least, the baby boys. Noah and Benjamin. They just happened to have the same pjs, so we were going to get some cute pictures after the party... ummm, Benjamin wasn't having it! I love the way Noah is looking at him in this picture!

I'd say that Isaac's 2nd birthday party was a success! Thanks to all of our family and friends who came and helped us celebrate our sweet fellow. He is one loved boy. 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die,...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance... Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2a, 4

Alabama Summer = Water Fun!

Everyone who lives in the deep south knows that you can't play outside in the summer unless there is some water involved. It is waaaaay too hot! (Although temperatures have been strangely mild this summer.) So, this past week we had fun with one of Isaac's new birthday presents. (Thanks, Grams and Granddad!) This water table has been a huge hit with the boys. We've already spent many hours playing with it. Not only is it fun, but something about the combination of water and sun wears children out! We've had some GREAT naps and earlier bedtimes. :)

PLEASE take note of the excitement on Isaac's face!

When you're thirsty, just take you a little drink off the water table. 

After all that water fun at home, we got to have some great water excitement this weekend. We went to Fayette on Saturday evening to visit Anna Katherine (my sister) and family for a fun time at the new aquatic center in town. Their church rented the whole place for the evening and invited their members and family and friends to come enjoy some water fellowship! The kids had so much fun! And the adults did too!

Isaac, cousin Ella Grace, and Andrew could hardly be bothered for this picture!

Daddy and Uncle Blake took the 3 toddlers down this huge slide multiple times! They loved it and thought they were so brave!

This is the worn out look that I referenced earlier! Isaac was so tired.

You knew he was tired because he was snuggling with me! Well, that and cold. :)

I especially enjoyed getting to "show off" our little miracle, Benjamin, to some of his prayer warriors from Calvary Baptist. We will forever be grateful for friends and brothers and sisters in Christ who lifted up our baby boy during his hardest times. It was so great to have him there with us, happy and healthy! Praise the Lord!

This is how Benjamin enjoyed the water park. :)

We ended the night with a little more water. I think all of our fingers and toes were wrinkled like raisins. The cousins enjoyed a fun bath together before we went home!

Too tired to even give me a good smile!

And what kind of aunt would I be if I didn't show a picture of the whole crew?

I sure do love these babies!

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. ~ John 4:14

A Place for the Memories

Because these faces...

are changing so fast that it makes my head spin.

And because memories like these...

desperately need to be recorded. 

I am going to try to start a blog! 

I love to read blogs when I have the chance. I think it's such a neat way to keep a record of your family's big events and little moments. People always tell me to write things down in this season of life (3 children, 3 and under) or I will forget them. Well, I regret that I haven't been writing because of all I've forgotten already! 

I hope that this blog will be a great way for me to record memories for our family, and to keep some of our family and friends that we don't see much updated on our lives. I can't promise I'll be any "good" at blogging, but if I can look back and see a post and think, "Hey! I forgot about that!", then this blog will be a success in my book.

The Owens family isn't perfect. Quite far from it, in fact. However, I hope that through my posts it will come shining through that we are striving to raise our children in a household of faith. Jesus is our reason for life, and the only way that anything good can be found in us. He gave us each other, loving and supportive Christian families, and three beautiful children. Praise to the Father, the giver of all good things!

I am excited to start this blogging journey!

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." ~Joshua 24:15