Daddy and I

This is what I love about summer, just playing outside and having fun........does summer really have to be so short?!!



Linc is so into anything sports, cars, airplanes and anything that has an engine and moves........what a boy!


Just showing dad how to shoot some serious hoops!





TRIP TO OUR LITTLE ZOO......


Lincoln did like the animals, I promise!!! But he REALLY liked to just push the stroller....who knew!

We went with some friends and this is their little girl, Lucy. She on the other hand loved feeding the ducks and just watching them. Lincoln could really care less!


Not sure what happened here....


Mr. Independent!!

Oh and for the last month Lincoln has HAD to use a fork to eat.....and I do mean it is a necessity!! He has had a complete meltdown before if he can't use one, and of course it is always at someone else's house!


He just wanted to use a fork one morning and I let him, fully expecting him to be terrible at it......but to my surprise he was seriously a pro!!




He was pretty happy with his success!!

Cabin Fever..........

We were able to go to Island Park with the Wittwer fam and stay in the family cabin.....it was awesome!! Jake loves the cabin and was so stoked to go.......it's over way too quick!!


Jake took Lincoln on his very first 4-wheeler ride while we were there and he loved it!! The helmet was seriously so huge on his little head, but he didn't mind at all....


We went down to Big Springs to feed the huge trout that hang out there........but to our surprise we got to see a little water muskrat and a couple adorable little duck families with ducklings.....the kids loved it!!


We brought a ton of bread to feed the fish and ducks, but Linc was more into eating the bread!! He loves eating things whole now and biting it off himself.......if we tear it up for him, he's not so happy....growing up!


Travis and Kay......


Ariana enjoyed the bread more than feeding it to the ducks too!


Rashad finally got back from Korea a week before we went so it was so fun to have him there!!! Welcome home Shad!!


awwww.....grandpa and grandma Wittwer!! Or like the kids call them.......papa and gaga!


Our little fam enjoying the beautiful scenery!!!


He can however, also do a pretty good stinker face.......wow what a sass already!



Watching the cute little ducklings


Amber, Gabe and Grandma


My little smiley man!!


There is seriously nothing Linc likes more than to be on daddy's shoulders.....he always gets the biggest grin and jabbers like crazy.


Awwwwww....my favorite place!




We went into Yellowstone to go to the mud pots and of course Firehole. We went to the mud pots first and then headed to Firehole......to our surprise it was closed!!! I was sooooo mad!! Not a word about it being closed at the front gate when we paid our stinking $25.00 to get in the park!! Super Lame of Yellowstone!! Anyway, here's about half the clan......at the mud pots.


The two pregs!!

Home for the 4th....

So we were lucky enough to take a trip home for the holiday and play on the river......seriously awesome!


Parker was so addicted to the jetskiis, he was always asking every day of the weekend if someone would take him out for a ride!! He just had so much fun! He even drove...supervised of course with an adult, but he was actually really good at it!


Awwww....the two best friends


Katie on the other hand wasn't so excited about the jetskiis....I think they scared her a little!! But doesn't she look cute in her life jacket!?


Mard and Dyn......we always joke that Mard married April just to get close to Dylan!! They really are the best of friends.


Mard attempted to give Jacks a ride......he wasn't sure about it from the beginning


He liked wearing the life jacket.....but when we asked him if he wanted to go for a ride he would back away ever so slowly and shake his head!!


I didn't get any pics of the actual ride... I was laughing too hard! Jacks seriously cried the whole time, they never really got more than 15 feet from the dock. He was just so cute I had to laugh!


The hubs just soaking up the sun......


So of course grandma got the little kiddie pool out for the rugrats. Parker loved to just shoot the hose, as u can see. And Linc kind of did his own thing.....wanting to be by mamma and dadda's side all the time!! I felt a little smothered!! Here is one of the few times he is actually playing.....in the pool......with out me or Jake!

Here's Ash worshiping the sun......I was envious at how seriously tan she was!!




My little man taking a break from the fun outside to have some yummy lunch. I don't know if its very obvious....but Linc has a bruise right between his eyes from bonking his head I guess Mard wasn't sure if it was a bruise or not cuz he thought Linc had a unibrow!! He was so confused though because he said he couldn't remember him having one.........only from Mard!



We had so much fun, the whole clan being home together....it definitely doesn't happen near enough! We also had fun with our cousin, Jamison....who brought the game "Killer Bunnies," it was seriously the weirdest game I have ever played, but I loved it!! Thanks grandma and papa for putting us all up and letting us ride those awesome machines!! Love u guys!

Finally here they are!!

So I finally got Linc's birthday pics from Jake's phone......only to find out there were 2 that I didn't have......geez.

So I really wanted to make Linc a special cake, I'm not sure why it's not like he cares!! It was really more for my enjoyment and I wanted to get into the birthday festivities! But needless to say it took me like 2 days to make the caterpillar and then make the frosting and frost this beast.....but I had an amazing devoted friend that helped me a ton!! So thanks again Sarah!!


It took him a little bit of time to get used to having all this sugar at his disposal.......not really a normal thing!! So he was pretty timid the whole time, but I am pretty sure he ate a good amount anyway!!





I got a sweet little cuddle after his cake chow down.......


Oh FUN......presents!!


Thanks to everybody you came to celebrate with us!!! Linc is enjoying all his toys and books.....which were very needed, he needed some big boy toys!

Remember......

A year earlier.........our little Linc came to us and blessed and changed our lives forever.


He was a good weight and looked perfect.......but unfortunately there was something not quite right. Our poor little guy was born with a serious case of pneumonia and couldn't breathe on his own. He had a hard time with the breathing tube and all the machines attached to him......it broke our hearts to see our sweet little guy go through such an ordeal when he had only just arrived in our care. He spent the next three days in the NICU here and then was life-flighted to Primary Children's Medical Center. This is something we never expected to happen and went through some shock at what was happening. It was an emotional time and I felt like we would never get home with our Linc.

What a terrible experience but also what an amazing one. We had so many friends and family that were just so amazing. They prayed and fasted for Linc and us, gave us such comfort and love and anything else we needed. We were so grateful for everybody and amazed at the love they shared with us and Linc. It helped Jake and I realize just how precious our little guy was and just how fragile as well. When looking back at this experience I learned so many things and appreciate now having a healthy little 1 year old.

The drugs they gave him made him very sleepy......he had to be on regular doses because he would get so worked up and his heart rate would get too high.




At PCMC spending time with Linc....we couldn't hold him so this was the next best thing


Getting an unwelcome diaper change.......but after 7 days at PCMC he was taken off his breathing tube and on the c-pap. YAY!!



Linc made most of his progress in the last two days we were there......this is our last day at PCMC.......off the c-pap and all the machines!!

While we were at PCMC we were blessed enough to stay at one of the Ronald McDonald houses. It was seriously amazing and helped us out so much......staying in a hotel room for 9 days would have been well over $1000.00!!! The RMD house provided dinners for us and they even had tv and recreation rooms for the families. It is seriously an amazing place for families of these little sick kids.

Wanna Help???
The houses get money for collecting and turning in pop tops......so if u are addicted to soda.....like me....please collect those pop tops and send them to one of the RMD houses to help families like us!! Providing dinners for the families as well as most everything else is possible only by the help of amazing volunteers......so its an amazing place to donate meals or your time!!