Counting Down to 5...

Our little boy is turning 5 only 2 weeks from today. He is counting down the days but I must admit that mommy is wondering where in the world the time has gone!?! I'm very excited for Logan but I am very sad at the same time. I know we always say that it goes by so fast but it really does!! 5 is a big age...he is going to "big" school and this is the last year he can count his years on only one hand...oh my!!!! So, in honor of our soon to be 5 year old, I am going to take a little walk down memory lane and post some pictures of our sweet boy over the next 2 weeks. As Logan counts down the days, it will bring a smile to my face as I remember another sweet memory. Ok, enough mommy cheesiness and let the countdown begin...

LOGAN GREGORY DODD

Born July 13, 2003 at 10:03 am

Weighing in at 8 lbs, 3 oz

Just had to share this...

My very good friend, Claire, and her husband, Trent, are on a mission trip in China right now. They visited orphanages with children with special needs. WOW!! I have been praying for them for a while now and have been praying really hard for them over this last week. Claire has kept her blog updated throughout their trip and I have been so touched through their experiences. Their trip is coming to an end but I am not going to stop praying. I will continue to pray for those sweet children and their circumstances. I hope you will too. I know that is all I can do now but if only I could do more...

Visit Claire's blog at http://www.trentandclaire.blogspot.com/ . She is very organized with her blog and has all of her mission trip entries labeled under China.

Seafood and Fun

We made it out a few nights for seafood and fun. David and I enjoyed the seafood even though it was definitely overpriced. The kids weren't crazy about the seafood but they did have a lot of fun at a miniature amusement park we found. It was their first official time on a go-cart track. Logan took it very seriously as if he and David were in a major race. Addie just laughed and screamed the entire time around. They had a miniature track where Logan got to drive his own go-cart. He could not have been any happier!! So...he we are, enjoying a few nights out...

And I think that's all of the beach pictures. We are unpacked but I'm still working on the laundry. We have moved on to a new adventure...potty training our little miss!! Wish us luck and send up some prayers!! Come back soon to see how we are making it...

Beach Family Pictures

**love this one because of Addie's face**

**Logan asked very specifically to have this picture taken in front of the "tonka truck on the water"**

We had a photographer take some pictures of us on the beach the last night we were there. The kids did not want to cooperate (as if they ever do) but we still managed to get some good ones. These are just a few of my favorites. I'm sorry the quality is so bad. These are all just the proof copies, as you can see. She has the proofs printed at Wal-Mart, so they aren't the best quality, but we got to leave town with them. And, I had to scan them so that really takes away from the quality. So, enjoy them the best you can. I can't wait to order them and frame them!!!

Week at the Beach

We went on vacation last week to Orange Beach. We had a blast!!! It was Addie's 1st time at the beach and Logan's 2nd. Logan's 1st time was 3 years ago and he wasn't crazy about the ocean at all. He ran from it and wouldn't get near it. Well, this time he really enjoyed it. I wouldn't say he took off swimming in it but he had a lot of fun and went knee deep in the water. We just knew Addie would take off in it because of the way she is around all other bodies of water. She surprised us though. She would get her feet wet in it and then say "hold you" before she would go any farther. Their first view of the ocean was from our balcony to our condo. Addie saw it, came running back in, tearing her shirt off saying "baby soup" (her word for bathing suit). It was a great trip but we were ready to be back home when it was time to leave on Saturday. Here are some of the pictures I took (I took millions of course) from the beach and pool. I will do another post of our few nights out for seafood and go carts. Logan's favorite part of the beach was crab hunting and go carts and Addie's was "yep" (that is what she said). So, I am translating that she had a good time in general but I really think she loved sleeping in the same room as her big brother. She loved waking up with him in the morning, getting out of bed all by herself, and running into our bed. She is still in her crib here at home so you can imagine how exciting that was for her. Enjoy the pictures...

First look at the beach

First time in the ocean
"What should I do...I really want to play with this jet ski in the water but I'm afraid a shark will eat me...hmmm???"
We are just waiting for her to take off running into the water...
Much to our surprise, she would only get her feet wet and then come running back up... Sand Sifting

Playing in the sand is so much fun!

See...so much FUN!!


Way out in the ocean...I was on the constant lookout for jellyfish and Addie was enjoying the salty water.

Logan and Daddy...so proud!



Oh My Goodness...She is ALL GIRL!!!!

They definitely preferred the pool to the ocean.
YAY...we are going crab hunting!!!


Ok...here is my favorite video clip of the trip. David and Logan went crab hunting almost every night but we only took Addie one night because she was always so tired and ready for the bed. This is the night we took her and she was very excited to hold the flash light and see the crabs. However, she did not want to call them crabs...they were frogs to her and this clip also catches her saying one of her most frequently used phrases..."I skeered" and "It skeer me" (however you want to spell that). Logan did a great job hunting and catching the crabs. It was lots and lots of fun!!!

Kindergarten Here I Come...

Logan is now officially a Kindergartener. He had his Pre K graduation last night! It was such a sweet ceremony. It just made me even more grateful for the wonderful experience he has had at New Hope. His teacher and all the other staff were just amazing. He has learned so much in the year he has been there, not just academically but he has made some sweet friends as well! I am sad because these years have gone by so fast!! I'm not ready to have a Kindergartener yet but he is ready to be one. I am at least very excited to have him at school with me. That will be a real treat!! Here are some pictures from his big night!! The program was awesome. Logan's class did a very sweet version of "The Little Engine That Could". He was the teddy bear and he was a great one!! At the end, all the graduates marched in with their cap and gowns, received a diploma and then they all sang a cute song..."Kindergarten Here I Come"!!

I think Logan has a little crush on the little girl standing next to him in this next picture. He told me everyday after school that I had to watch Madison during their play because she was SO awesome. I heard this everyday for 2 weeks. One of the first things he said to me after the play was, "Did you see Madison? I told you she was awesome." He has always told me that he is going to wait until after college to worry about girls...what happened??

Logan and some of his fellow graduates!! Boys will be boys...
Addie with one of her best buds, Bennett, and his big sister, Natalie, who is on her way to Kindergarten too...

Over the River & Through the Woods...

to Grammy and Papa Skip's We Go (or went for Memorial Day Weekend). It was the perfect way to start our summer break. My sister and her family along with Janella & Butch (long time family friends) were there as well. We had so much fun going out on the boat. We "beached" it and let the kids play in the river...they loved it!!!! David and I rode a wave runner. I was little hesitant at first but it was a lot of fun. I just kept reminding David that we had 2 children we needed to make it back to the boat to in one piece...and we did! Logan wanted to ride it so bad but he couldn't quite get up the courage. He did sit on it so maybe by the end of the summer he will ride. Saturday night there was a Bar-b-que and on Sunday night there was a fish fry. Let's see...we also had a lot of fun swimming when David D. and David S. were fishing. I think you can see we had a great weekend, as always, visiting with Grammy and Papa Skip. We can't wait to go back!!!

Playing at the pool...

Addie getting ready for her first boat ride of the summer...
Baby Claire's first boat ride ever. She wasn't too thrilled about the life jacket at first but it didn't take her long to love it all! We were all brought back to the memories of Logan in his "infant" life jacket days. He couldn't stand it and would cry and cry and cry. Papa Skip would always take us somewhere across the river and get Logan ice cream and he would very happily say..."I did it!!" and dry up his tears. Then, he would usually fall asleep in his life jacket so we could enjoy the boat ride. How time flies...

Logan throwing a football. He wears his life jacket proud now!!
Little Miss Addie having some fun in the river. She is very brave. We had to watch to make sure she didn't just walk right out and float away. She had a BLAST! Loved every minute of it!
I told you he sat on it and here is proof...
This is on Saturday night at the bar-b-que. I had to post this because Addie is suddenly starting to say "Go Away Mommy" and this was one of those "sweet" moments. I was just trying to keep her from running over other people...how dare me!!