Russ is ONE

Poor kid, I am so late in posting this. That is what happens when on the weekend of your birthday everyone is puking and sick and then a few days later you leave and drive 40 hours in the van over three days. 

BUT we DID celebrate this adorable little one year old. He is the cutest, bestest, most adorable handsome little man around! He is cheerful and happy and always has a smile and a kiss and a chuckle for everyone. He giggles and giggles over the most adorable things--for example a couple days after his birthday my niece Hazel flew in to help us drive to Utah. She was keeping him happy by pressing cheerios down on his tray slightly so that they would fly up in the air. He was laughing SO HARD it was hysterical. 

This cheesecake was for Sterling for Father's Day which we celebrated on Russ's birthday because we would be gone the next week which was really Father's Day. 

He gets into EVERYTHING and pulls everything out. I feel like he does this way more than previous children--although it reminds me of the constant state of peril I was in with Ruthie. He especially loves to find my diaper bag and pull out every single item. We keep a 5 gallon bucket in front of the kitchen cabinets we are tired of cleaning up. And if you catch him in the act he giggles so hard and frantically starts pulling everything out at breakneck speed---I love it!! 

He had no idea what to think about the candles, but as soon as the cake was within reach, he grabbed a handful! He wasn't messing around!

He has 8 teeth and they are strong-he is getting molars so my poor shoulders have way too many bruises from bite marks. He has the world's best little bum-shakin' dance. Ruth always finds the best little games to get him laughing and he grins every single time she walks near. He has pudgy little bear paw hands that I love so so much---perfect for kissing and squeezing!!! He loves to splash in the tub (way too much, another similarity to his oldest sister) and laughs fiendishly about that as well. 

He crawls like a maniac and walks around furniture but whenever we try to convince him to take steps on his own he just gives us a big grin and sits down and crawls.

He was so cute--every piece of paper he ripped off he handed up to Sterling to take before he kept going.

I think he liked it! I thought he would love this boat---and when it was all opened he held the whale with delight and played with that and only that all evening long--haha.

Hugs for the whale.

Kisses for the whale.

This little one year old is the sunshine in our family and I think we all agree that we want to keep him around forever! We love you Russ!!!

Red Reef Beach (because Russ hadn't already eaten enough sand)

We have to take advantage of the sun when it comes out! I was getting stressed about having everything ready for Utah, and I thought about packing, but then the sun came out. And I just had to go to the beach! It as playgroup, and they are holding it at the beach all summer long---and this day was PERFECTION. I don't think the beach has been this beautiful since we moved to Delray. It was like a Miami, fake-sand-created-for-tourists beach day, but just on our own little beach here. I just wanted to keep taking pictures because it looked unreal. It was right in front of my eyes and it was unreal. SO BEAUTIFUL.

See what I mean?!?!?! It's usually more wavy where we live so the water doesn't calm down and get this clear. But oh heavens, it was clear and calm all morning!!

We saw a knight anole in our tree when we got home!

These pictures are out of order--but we had started the morning out with doughnuts that dad brought home. yay!!

And this is Molly learning to clean the sinks. She was very good.

Okay back to this beautiful beach day.

Cutest Boy Alive

Will was playing that both his arms were broken.

Pool day!!

The other day after he woke up from nap after church he just looked so adorable!!! I had to take a million pictures!!

Awww Russ, you have my heart.

"I'm look at you" eyes.

This was adorable. Russ would open the castle doors and giggle away that Ruth was there smiling. Then Ruth would shut the doors and it would start all over again. They were there forever!!! Also, Russ pulls this position all the time. Nothing is too low for him--he gets right down with his bum in the air and his head against the ground to seek whatever he's after. I love it.

School's Out! Beach Day! (Delray Beach)

School got out and the sun came out (it has been the month of endless rain and I'm very over it.) so I said BEACH DAY. We had to enjoy that sunshine! We sure did, it almost rained, but we sat it out and the sun came back, and then we finally left because I had parked on metered time, and it started to pour right as we got home. Perfect timing! And that sun was amazing!

He ate too much sand. But at first it wasn't fun for anyone because I had to keep such a tight rope on him, and then after he tasted a few sand toys he got over it and stopped. So maybe lesson learned? Haha. He loved being there though!!

Russ's face. I die.

Some of the beaches have been smoothed over by tractors, but where I had parked, it obviously still had a big bank of sand from the recent tropical storm. It was a little tricky to carry our stuff down, but then totally worth it because the kids played on it so much!

I just love the ocean.

By the time we got home, de-sanded, bathed, and ate dinner, the kids just had time to watch a movie and go to bed. Perfect day after the last day of school!!