Happy 2nd Birthday Kegan!

Kegan is 2!!! I just can not believe it - it has already been 2 years since Kegan officially came into this world...and into Matthew's and my lives - although he had been in our hearts and joys of expectations before that!! People say they grow up fast - and I am here to agree - too fast, at times.

Kegan has brought so much to Matthew and me. He has a wonderful and contagious personality that just makes you want to smile and laugh when he is around! Now, there are times that he drives me crazy...crazy...but oh those times are more than worth it for the smiles, the laughter and the hugs and kisses...those are priceless!!!

We are continually amazed at how much he has learned - and how quickly he has seemed to learn things and pick up on them. Daily he is breaking out with new words and phrases. Not only is his vocabulary expanding...and expanding...but he has added numbers and counting to his knowledge, as well as most colors and a few shapes (he LOVES to point out shapes to me!). I see him take familiar books and "retell" them to me (trust me, there are some I know he has memorized because we have read them SO MUCH...but it is so cool to watch his brain think and remember. One of this favorite things is to sing he dance - dance to almost anything that remotely sounds like music, and play music with his instruments - most of which he can refer to by name...my favorite is the way he says guitar "gee-tar". Songs he likes as a 2 year old...and some he sings along with...most of the words...and all the motions if it has them: Itsy Bitsy Spider, Hoky Poky, Deep and Wide, Jesus loves Me, parts of the Alphabet song, This Little Light of Mine, If your Happy and you know It, The Wheels on the _____ (we change it up a lot), Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes, a School Day song I made up....oh....my mind is drawing a blank...trust me though, we sing ALL THE TIME...he loves it! One new thing Kegan really likes to do is help me cook - it started with the toast and toaster at Grandma's - which he can do mostly by himself (with adult supervision, of course), to know he likes to help me scoop out flour or sugar, shake in spices, stir up the food, check on it, especially when he sees "steeeeeam!"...and of course taste test it!

He seems so independent now, also. Matthew and I were just talking today about how only 2 years ago he could do nothing on his own...and now...he wants to do EVERYTHING on his own _ "My try"...or "My turn"...as he says it. He follows directions so well and seems to understand pretty much anything we ask him to do....he doesn't always do it/want to do it...but he understands it! :)

The Lord as greatly blessed us with Kegan and I look forward to this upcoming years...yes to the "terrible 2s"...for all the times there might be that are hard, I know that means that there is going to be 10 times as much stuff that makes me smile, and laugh, and just stand back in awe of his growth and learning...and development into the little person God plans for him to be.

Mommy and Daddy love you Kegan. Thanks for the sunshine that you DAILY bring into our lives!

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Pictures from this past week.
We have been busy getting things ready for my family coming into town and for Kegan's birthday party this weekend - so the pictures that I did take the time to snap are centered around all the work we did...and of course, Kegan helped!

For Kegan's second birthday, both sets of grandparents and Matthew and I chipped in and bought him and play set for the backyard. It was a "come with the wood and parts, and you put it together yourself" kind...so Matthew (and James and Andreas and I (as an instruction supervisor and gopher) and of course, Kegan) have been working hard to get it all put up.

Kegan using his screw driver to help put in a screw.

Helping daddy hammer...

Hahaha....Matthew sat down like this to drill holes in the boards...and as soon as Kegan spotted him, he got behind him and set down...just like daddy!...obviously that is the work that needed to be done, so he needed to be there to help!

What can I measure? - This offered tons of entertainment...he loves the tape measure! (ps - Notice the tool belt...it has been and will be in all the picture of him working on the play set. Every time we went out to work, he would bring me his tool belt to put on him...and then go get his tools to have outside)

More hammering...

OOOhhh...this is a big job!

I got it! (Favorite tool - No...we did not give our son a drill to play with. I am not sure what this thing is called, but it helps to really tightened the nuts and bolts into place. It is pretty lightweight and has no sharp points...so it made him feel like he was working a power tool like his daddy...and it could not hurt him!)

He knows were it goes.

Assessing what needs to be done next with all the "other" men...he so liked to be in on the action!

Friday - the swings are up - woo-hoo! Of course Kegan had to try them out. I got in the other swing...non-toddler swing clearly...and he did not like the idea of having to share. I told him he was going to have to share with Karsyn the next day...so he needed to practice his sharing. Well, I thought that was the end of that thought and conversation...but I guess he thought Karsyn needed her own regular swing...so he would not have to share his regular swing, because he got down from the toddler swing, went and grabbed the extra chain and regular swing, brought it to Matthew and told him it was for Karsyn - smart kid...huh!?!

Working with his "chain saw"...of course he liked to make the noise of the engine with it!

Well, his party is tomorrow, but since today was his actual birthday Matthew and I decided he needed to blow out some candles and get something sweet...soo...we improvised!

2 cookies and 2 candles...

Blew out one candle...now on to the other...

Woo-hoo...I got them both!

Ahhh...sweet success!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kegan!!!!