Oh Gracious

Y'all, it's been way too long since my last post!  I know I'm going to miss so many things, but I'll try to hit some highlights.

Back in July, Pete and I were able to get away for a week to head up to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to fish and enjoy nature and enjoy each other.  We had an amazing time and could not have done it if it weren't for our parents willing to watch Susannah and John.  Those kids had a great time and were spoiled rotten, which we are so totally okay with!  It makes their time with grandparents even that much more special!  Oh, and John started walking while we were gone.  SURPRISE!

The day we got back, I took a positive pregnancy test, and we're 11 weeks along now!  Baby #3 due April 4th!

Shortly after we got back, our church hosted our annual VBS, where every year I'm lucky enough to get to dress up like a crazy person every night to sing and dance and make a fool of myself all for the sake of the Gospel.  And when I say I'm lucky enough, I mean a totally volunteer to do it each year because I love it so much.  Susannah got to be in the preschool/kindergarten class this year and had so much fun!  And poor John learned to hate the nursery that week, as he was dropped off there nightly that week since Pete was in charge of the games outside.  He still cries any time we walk toward that room.

John has all his front teeth back to the first molars on both the top and bottom!  Little did he know that when he finally reached the glory of not teething anymore, he'd soon thereafter say farewell to his paci.  He's been without it for over a week now and is doing great.  

Pete left for his elk hunt yesterday!  We will miss our Daddy of the house while he's gone but know this trip is so good for him.  He is doing what he loves and providing for his family at the same time!  I couldn't be more thankful for this hobby of his!  Please keep him and his hunting buddy Gabe in your prayers -- both for safety and success.  In keeping with my tradition of every time Pete goes out of cell phone coverage for hunting, I will be posting embarrassing picture of him on social media; so be on the lookout.  It's my favorite part of him being gone!

Susannah's vocabulary is hilarious now.  She told me yesterday, "Mommy, I need so so so so so much money.  But we don't have so much money."  Ha!  Not sure what she needs all the money for exactly, but at least she's in the understanding that we are a poor, poor folk.  ;)

Here are some pic highlights.  These are just the ones on my computer, so I'm sure I'm missing so many from my phone -- I'm being a little lazy with that because it takes quite a bit more effort.  Maybe I'll do better for the next entry!

Sunset on Lake Superior was the closest to being literally breathtaking than anything I've ever seen 

With one of MANY fish ole Pete caught

One of MANY fish I caught

Pete cooked up some Walleye for us to eat!

Isn't this one of the most glorious moments as a parent?  When your child BEGS you to do chores??

"On second thought, if I have to leave my pacis here, I'll just stay here."  [before he said goodbye to them]

At VBS.  We had a foam pit!

Wild man at VBS!

How in the world is Baby #3 going to be as cute as these 2?!

Watermelon!

Quality time

Attacking me with his lightsaber.  This is a daily occurrence.

Dang, I know of several super cute pictures I haven't posted here that are on my phone.  Maybe that will be good motivation for me to post again soon!  Until then, here's Susannah's reaction to our baby news:

Family Visits and More!

FEROCIOUS

We've had a lot going on this past month, and it's been so much fun!  The highlights have been going to Richmond for Charis and Hannah's birthday party, followed by some time with FiggyPop, followed by a few days in Chattanooga with the Wares.  It is absolutely necessary for me to post pics from these events this week because next week, Pete and I will be off to Michigan for 8 days!  It will be up to the grandparents to take any cute pictures of the kids for the next blog update; otherwise, it will consist entirely of our pics from our Upper Peninsula adventure.

Just a quick update on the kiddos: they are still the sweetest.  John has 14 teeth now, and his last 2 from this bout of teething should be in any day (Lord willing).  He is saying a few new words, like bubble, Nana (Susannah), and day-doo (thank you).  Susannah has a new personal agenda every day, and it only sometimes aligns with mine.  ;)  She brags on the things John does more than anything else (Mommy!  Johnny puttin' da toys away!  John is huggin' me!  John is walkin'!  Johnny Boy is laughin' at me!) and is always quick to declare infractions (MOMMY!  Johnny in da dishwasher!  Johnny bitin' me!  John is fussin about sumpin!).

And now for some pictures!

My girl

So silly!

Celebrating Charis's and Hannah's birthdays! 

Pool time!

These little besties are soooo sweet

Playing with Aunt Sarah

All the girls at the b-day party wanted to put on a show.  Susannah just sat there while they sang and waited....

...until they all got off the stage so that she could sing a couple ditties.

Waking up Aunt KK for all the day's fun!

These buddies having a good time at the Tennessee Aquarium

In the shark tank
 

Swimming with the penguins

I spy....

Snapchat with KK is hours of entertainment

Heart eyes all day

Twinning with Hendricks

OUT OF MY WAY, YA BOZO!

Hudson took us to the top of the Children's Museum

Manicure with Aunt Lauren

Last lunch together before we Ackers had to head out

And now we're back at home, patrolling the roads once again.

M&Ms and Hunger Strikes

The last week of May was a whirlwind of fun for us.  First, Pete and I dropped the kids off in Harrisonburg with Figgy and Pops and headed to Baltimore to attend a fancy wedding of some friends.  Super thankful we have two sets of parents who are more than willing to watch the babes so that every now and then Pete and I can party hardy...until 10:00.  ;)

All matchy-matchy at the harbor in Baltimore.

And then all snazzy-snazzy for the wedding!

Pete then headed home to work for the week, and the kids and I stayed on with Pops and Figgy for a few days until my parents came in town to whisk us away to West Virginia where Susannah was the flower girl for our cousin Brooke's wedding!

John Boy got to have his second 1st birthday party for the couple hours of grandparent overlap time in Harrisonburg.  I'm not sure what type of civil injustice occurred, but he had just days before declared a hunger strike and would only eat mac n cheese, PB&J, and fruit; luckily, his stance was not strong enough to keep him from stuffing his face once again with some cake in celebration of turning one.  He resumed his hunger strike following the cake smashing and continued dramatically for the duration of our trip.  Thankfully, he went back to his normal-eater-self immediately upon returning home.  Must've been a homesick little buddy!

Watching some toons with Pop!

I was spying on the master gardeners from the kitchen window as they refilled the birdbath and went flower picking. 

Walking away to cut the cake and John does NOT want it out of his sight!

The hunger strike can wait!

This boy LOVED the Children's Museum in Hburg!

Who wouldn't love a massive Lite Brite?

Susannah got to play at the museum with her buddy Hannah Garst, our friends Matt and Lora's little girl.

Sus did an amazing job as a flower girl in Brooke's wedding; she was stoic as usual, but she walked down the aisle dropping her petals the whole way and immediately asked for her M&Ms when she reached me at the front pew.  My face could have fallen off I was smiling so hard -- I was SO PROUD.  I think reaching Mommy probably would have been prize enough for my little best friend, but Mommy + M&Ms was a sure thing (even though she did have a nanosecond of panic when she saw all the people before she spotted me).

Here is Susannah doing the 100 meter "silly sprint" in our hotel room the first night.

Swim lessons with Dizzy in the hotel pool!

Selfies during the rehearsal with the cutest flower girl known to man.

Best friends!

Wedding ready! .....

John Boy's ready to party at the reception.

Hearts, hearts, and more hearts.

Wedding cupcakes and convos

After finally getting Sus off the dance floor at 9:30 (video below), John immediately fell asleep in the car and did not wake up until the next morning -- not getting out of the carseat, not getting a diaper change, not getting his PJs on.  

And Susannah sure did cut a RUG on the dance floor!  She absolutely owned it for almost 45 minutes.  Anytime anyone asked to dance with her (including Mommy and Daddy), her response was, "No, I dance by myself!"

John Turns 1!

The world's favorite ginger turned ONE on Sunday!  To say we love this little man is an understatement.  John Garrison is absolutely a ferocious animal these days, and it's wildly cute.  He loves on his mama so much that Pete and I are convinced he'd crawl back inside me if he could.  He finds just about anything funny that you'd like for him to find funny, so he's a great audience!  And he and Susannah adore each other still, which makes me melt often throughout the day.  We can't believe it's been a year!

And as for his 1-year checkup, John KILLED IT.  All of his percentiles went up to just above average, but the truly impressive jump was his weight, which went from 27th percentile 3 months ago to 59th percentile on Monday.  Our pediatrician asked me, "So, what are you feeding him?  Steak??"  And I replied, "Yep!"  The boy eats everything we eat, and consumes more than Susannah at each meal.  And still nurses.  He's not messing around.

Here are some more fun birthday pics!

The great decorator!

Helping me ice John's cake and our cake

Singing "Happy Birthday" to our boy!  He's a little confused.

Sus got to lick the candle, and John was all like, "What the...?"

All business.

"Oh hey, Sus, I'm covered in icing and up to nothing..."

"...I'm gonna getchya!"

"Cake for EVERYBODY!"

Checking out his birthday present!

Here's a video of the smash cake for those of you who don't find it disgusting:

And here's a video of John sitting in the super fun chair that the Cutchins got him.  This is the first time he's even sat, and he was content right there for quite a while!