A year and a half! Where has the time gone.

    I can't believe cade is already 1 and a half. Time has flown by. He is still such a delight. Still doesn't always sleep through the night. Still loves to laugh and explore. Still loves the beach and people. He talks a lot but also loves to sit in his chair and "read" his books. He is fascinated by the littlest things and loves observe everything.
    He still loves all things cars, tractors, dump trucks, machines. The sound that always stops him in his tracks is a siren, he loves fire engines, ambulances, cop cars etc. He makes the best faces and is very enthusiastic in his words and emotions right now. We crack up all the time when he seems something normal but stops and screams wow or woah and is so amazed. He is learning to color but doesn't seem to understand why daddy has marker all over him but he isn't supposed to put marker on himself. :)
     He loves to climb and be at the beach.  We have spent a lot of time at my parents over the past few months and cade and the chickens are best friends. When we are there he is literally outside all day long. He loves the dirt, loves water, mud, shovels, washing the car, sweeping, vaccuuming and climbing. He is the cutest little guy and yet such a mister mischief. We are so enjoying each day with him and learning patience as well. Toddlerhood is in full force with the tantrums and the frustrations of us not understanding him but the Lord is so gracious and gives us the strength and patience we need. It has really given us a clear picture of our attitudes toward the Lord a lot of times too and made us laugh with wow we must look ridiculous.
  In July i got to go out to Austin and spend some time with my best friend jill and their new baby tori. It was so good to get to hang out and help her out a little bit. It was my first trip away from cade and it was hard but also a good break.
    Nick and I also celebrated our 5 year anniversary. We had the whole day to ourselves and did the most random things. It was wonderful. We walked and hung out on the beach, we shopped a little, had leisurely lunch at a restaurant, got some coffee at verve and grabbed dinner at shadowbrook where we had dinner the night he proposed to me. We then came back and had birthday cake with nicks parents for nicks dads birthday. It was a great day.
   We are loving being in Santa Cruz and so close to the beach. Ministry is slowly forming and it is really exciting to see the directions the Lord is taking it. We are so grateful for the community we are blessed with at Faith Community Church and loving getting to know the people. We have our continual challenges here in ministry and yet the Lord provides wisdom and strength. We have been challenged lately with the idea of letting the Lord fight for us, truly surrendering and seeing what the Lord does. Not being lazy or not caring but allowing the Lord, who is all powerful and all knowing, work, which requires us to get out of the way and just trust. It is such a challenging paradigm but we are seeing such freedom and excitement from it.
  This is such an amazing season and we are so grateful for the place the Lord has us in. We feel so truly blessed.

here are some pics from the past few months:

Cade's amazing hair

Wetsuit outfit

Loves to be at his table

Markers taste good apparently

first coloring picture

beach walking

loves sticking his head through the rails at steamers

loves to walk with things over his head

sandy buddies

nick stuffed cade full of packing peanuts

handy manny's at papa and nona's

Hanging out with tyler and tori

Jill!! love her!

beautiful flowers my bud bought me

first real ice cream cone and he stole mine too!

5 year anniversary!!! Me fake laughing at bud's real laugh!

our feet

headphones are cool

cade and i in our boat shoes

washing his truck while daddy washes our car

my buds

loungin in gpa grizz's chair eating cheese puffs

eating chicken corn with the chickens

watering the plants at gma cookies

swimming attire

"i can put my helmet on myself"

wind blown hair

Hey there's a hand in this hole

Daddy's hand

Just another day at steamers

boys at the beach

hanging out with mommy

bro outfit

I have an idea

Mud party

scoop

I love mud!! (Creepy joker face)

not a black eye just mud!!

hahaha

mmm ice cream

pictures on me just like daddy

my mom gave me this picture of me at 18 months one day when she saw cade and said i felt like i was looking at you so here are the 2 side by side. pretty crazy!

Cade 18 months

Lindsey 18 Months