our weekend & a milestone

We live for weekends together around here! So much fun packed into an evening and 2 days (Friday evenings always count!). We had big plans on Saturday to work in our yard, get some much needed weeding and mowing done as well as work on building a pallet garden and a sandbox for Liam. The weather had other plans though but I'm not complaining because our yard could use the rain! We've been working on finishing a big dirt patch that we originally had intended to concrete for extra patio space but didn't want to foot the bill after we discovered it would be a $1,500+ project so instead, we went for a much more affordable option, pea gravel. We put in a fire pit with it and it feels like we are camping right in our very own backyard! We are loving how it is turning out so far and have been anxious to break out the fire pit. I'll share pictures when it is a little closer to being finished. After 3 consecutive days of 70-80 degree weather last week, I added hot dogs and s'mores makings to the grocery list thinking we could have our very first fire out there. Then the rain came and the party happened inside instead over a George Foreman grill. haha You win some, you lose some! It was still tons of fun though and we have all summer to break in the fire pit. 

I think Nic would agree that the best part of our weekend was Sunday at church. It has been a constant battle since Liam was walking at 10 months old to keep him entertained in the hall at church. He can't stay in the chapel because he makes too much noise and just wants to run everywhere. We've been taking turns with him while the other one tried their best to glean something from the messages shared. Yesterday, I don't know what was different but Liam stayed in the chapel for 45 minutes just happily watching other people, eating his snacks, and pulling out all the candy I brought in our bag for our primary class and sorting it on the floor. It was a happy surprise! When littles turn 18 months in our church they get to start going to nursery. We've actually been more anxious and dreading Liam going than excited because that place is germ haven. Whenever Liam gets sick the symptoms always seem to show up on a Monday night orTuesday morning, in just enough time for those Sunday germs to spread. It was just a new parenting hurdle for us. Anyway, we've been joking back and forth for weeks now that we both thought Liam was going to walk right into that room filled with fun toys and new friends and  never look book. That is exactly what he did! He got to play play-doh for the first time, stand in the middle of a circle of kids and watch as they all mimicked the actions to fun songs, and had vanilla wafers for snack time. 

I peaked in on him a few times just watching him interact with other kids from the window. It's not very often I get to be the fly on the wall. I don't know how to better describe the feelings that I felt as I stood there watching him from a distance but it was as if my heart was bursting from my chest! I am so proud of how brave, confident, independent, and full of life he is becoming. He is going to take this world by storm and there is nothing that brings me more happiness as a mom than watching him thrive! We are so proud of him conquering this new milestone!

Here he is playing play-doh with his new friends ...  

At the end of church I went to go pick him up. He was patiently waiting for me at the door and when I opened it, I found him with the biggest grin on his face that said, "Mom, I had the time of my life today!" His teachers told me how great he did on his first day and handed me this paper bag of a little boy dressed in his Sunday best that Liam colored. I know this will probably only mean something to me as his mom but it just made me beam when I saw his very first craft he's ever made! It now has a home on our fridge where I am sure I'll never be able to take it down. Being a mom is the best!