Mud, Sticks, Leaves, and my little Boy

This needed to be published last Fall, but... I forgot and left it as a draft. 

Rae loves mud (sometimes), leaves (usually), and sticks (always). I look at these pictures and think he's changed so much since then. I look at pictures from a month ago and think the same thing. 

We played at the park and Rae found a mud hole to sit in and played quite happily until he realized that his leg was stuck in the mud. Here he's asking me to wipe the mud off. I said no. I love the patch of mud over his eye like a puppy dog. 

Another day with a stick. 

We went out to take family pictures at the park. Rae found sticks. 

Elder Cook came to our Stake Conference (which was awesome!) and Mr. Graff and Rae played in the leaves outside the building afterwards. 

I asked Mr. Graff why boys liked sticks so much. He shook his head and said his scouts do, too. 

Maybe they just never outgrow it. 

South Carolina

I think I love South Carolina. 

We went there to see Squid and Grandma Anna. 

This was our first trip since Joe was born. 

Mr. Graff planned our rest stops---places that were interesting and would let Rae run around. We stopped at a rock garden in Charlottesville first. My momma was proud of us filling her grandsons' heads with rocks. 

Rae, sitting on petrified wood

Rae loves to swing. Joe likes it, for a little while. 

It took some coaxing to convince Rae to go through the tunnel. 

But no coaxing to climb the cargo net. 

Yup, it's for 5-12 year olds. 

Anna took all of us to the River walk.

We used a onesie to cover up Joe's legs from the sun. He looked like a mer-man. 

Rae enlisted a (second?) cousin in pushing him around. 

Everyone loved the pond. 

Aunt Patty, making sure everyone is safe

Rae, rocking

And the obligatory baby-in-the-flowers-on-the-side-of-the-highway picture

And toddler in the honeysuckle picture

And the not-so-obligatory, but cool, toddler under the bridge picture

I'm glad Rae sleeps during road trips. 

He looks like a teenager here. 

 Something about this picture makes me happy. Mr. Graff all covered up and Rae not? Mr. Graff squeezed onto the very side of the bed? Rae needing to sleep right next to daddy? Something. 

The next few are Rae setting up chairs at church. All by himself. 

Joe's Sunday outfit

Sleeping with Auntie Squid

Rae and Squid playing

I like the look of pure joy. 

Here Rae is throwing his legs in the air. 

And Squid joins in. 

Awesome trip. Hope we get to go back soon. 

Yoga Rae

 We've had a lot of stressful things happen recently, so I'm glad to write about something happy. 

In light of the stress, I've taken to doing yoga in the mornings. Even if both kids are howling, I just strap them into their seats and go for it. Because I need it. And they need a nice momma. 

Some mornings, Rae does my routine with me. He's watched it enough that he can do some of the poses. It's fun to watch him grow and learn. 

So here is.... 

Staff pose (with prayer hands, nonetheless)

Simple Seated Twist

Cobbler's pose

Child's pose

A Raeford pose

Yay for Yoga!