snow day = catch up

so much has been going on these past few weeks; i guess i feel a little overwhelmed by all that i have to edit, write and paste out into the oblivion. i'm still pinching myself is jack really three? and dylan is approaching the 7 month mark while mama is approaching the 30 year mark. it's alarming for me, i can only imagine what it must be like from my parent's perspective. i've felt that my babies live's have flown by in a blink, and i wonder if it feels like that for my mom and dad now. was there ever a time that they wanted to slam on the breaks? (or likely just fast-forward through my brother's naughtiness phase...) love ya, mathew! but you did always have to learn things the hard way!

we woke up to snowflakes this morning. what fun! on our drive to school, jack was very concerned about the snowflakes hitting the windshield, telling me to wipe now. i blame myself for his ocd-neatness-quirkiness that compels jack most days. he doesn't like messy hands, doesn't like crumbs on the floor, even his sister's dirty diapers send him into a barrage of ick, didi, ick! didi's poo poo messy! round and round he goes. i can now see how my friends have said they have enjoyed this time in their child's life. it IS starting to get fun. and funny.

jack woke up on birthday morning to his presents in the middle of the living room. i believe his exact words were OH, WOOOOW! gosh, he makes me so happy! so with that, allow me to introduce the three year old.

singing happy birthday, with all the lights off...

these pictures were taken on his birthday, and what a fun day that was, full of reflection and new memories. i am a firm believer in celebrating birthdays ON the actual birth day because that's why these special people are here! earlier in the day, we got out of the house and went for a walk near the knik river. this little trail intertwining us through ponds and beaver territory is just off the highway, and yet you feel like you're way out in the middle of the palmer hay flats. my girlfriend and i had walked it two days before in the glorious sunshine, but this day was rather chilly and overcast. nonetheless, we had a great time. jack and ben were fanatical about breaking ice and throwing logs onto the frozen pond. bella had a blast and would have been just as happy if we would have left her in the wild. dilly didn't make a peep. and i was content capturing it all.