Group Photos

Head Family
Strong Family

Mexico Group (left to right) - Jordan, Olivia, & Grace McDevitt, Maddeck, Kyle, Laura, & Evan Strong, Ella, Brian, Laura, & Romy Head, Jordan, Jim, & Rosie Head, Pete & Sarah Gengler, George & Jane Irwin, & Elisa Head

We're Home

After 9 beautiful and warm days in sunny Mexico we are home. It was a great vacation and came at the perfect time for us. We were really needing some time away to get our minds off of the economic crisis (Kyle is a financial advisor ... uggghhh) and have some fun. Our only regrets are that Kyle and I were unable to spend time together on the trip and we were foolish enough to save money rather than upgrade to a balcony hotel room. If we had upgraded, we would have been able to spend our evenings on the balcony visiting rather than tiptoeing around the hotel room trying our best to keep the boys asleep. It was a huge disappointment for us and a complete oversight when planning our vacation. Other than that, it was fantastic. We had fun with all of our family and our friends and especially with the kiddos. Maddeck LOVED the pool and enjoyed his time with his two cousins and his friend Grace and all of our family and other friends.

Below are a few pictures from the trip. We took over 200 pictures on our camera ... yikes! A little overboard, but better than not taking enough in my opinion. I also included one video of Maddeck dancing.

Auntie Sarah is pregnant and Maddeck has firmly decided that he would like a boy cousin rather than another girl. I would have to agree. Pete and Sarah would like to be surprised so we won't know what they are having until the end of July when their tiny one is born. We are hoping for a boy so Maddeck and Evan can experience the joy of playing with a boy cousin someday. I am sure Ella and Romy are pulling for a girl so they can experience another girl cousin (they only have one and she is much older than them). It was fun to visit and talk about the new baby while we were in Mexico.

It is cold at home but it is nice to be back so the boys can get back to life as usual. As with most getaways, we would have enjoyed even more time away but are SO thankful for the privilege it is to even be able to go on a vacation. It is such a luxury that we do not intend to take for granted. Thank you Lord for your provision in giving us more than we need.

Packing Day

Today is our last day at home before our trip. We are cleaning and doing laundry so everything will be spic 'n span when we get home. Kyle is cutting his hair as well as Maddeck's, while I finish packing for the boys. We had to borrow a suitcase for this trip because we need to pack so much stuff for Evan. I figure I will need about 60 diapers for him. Thankfully Maddeck is potty trained and only wears them at night in case he has an accident. He has been staying dry for most of his naps and dry overnight at least a few mornings per week. Complete potty training is hopefully just around the corner. Kyle and I haven't started packing yet but it shouldn't take too long. We will be heading to Seattle after church tomorrow and staying with Kyle's Dad who graciously agreed to drive us to the airport at 4:00 AM on Monday morning. We are hoping the boys will catch some Zs on the plane. We are SO ready for some sunshine. We have been fogged in at our house for a week without any sunlight. I think we may be Vitamin D deficient at this point. Adios all.

Evan and Maddeck Update

Evan will be four months old on Sunday. We are SO excited to start giving him solid food which we hope will help him to sleep better at night. Rice cereal can be introduced from four to six months for infants and we are going to start right away. Evan was up almost every hour last night and spent the last two hours crying on and off. I finally drug myself out of bed to feed him just before six and before I could pick him up he decided to catch some ZZZZs. Now I am up way too early and letting him take a little snooze since he spent so much of the night awake. Halfway throught the night I moved Maddeck into our bed so Evan wouldn't disrupt his sleep. Maddeck has adapted well to the noise and seems to be sleeping well through it all, but I hear him sleep talking from time to time so I know that it isn't quality sleep for him.

Yesterday we put Evan in the exersaucer for the first time. He just looked a little stunned by all the little toys and sat quietly in it for a long time. In the evening I tried it again, and he seemed a little more comfortable and began reaching for a few things. It is nice to have something else for him to sit in. I have put him in the bumbo seat (above) several times but he gets tired quickly and doesn't like it as much. It will be great when he gets a little older. I think he is at least a month away from being able to sit up on his own.

This is a picture of Maddeck with a puzzle that his Great Aunt Julie gave him when Ev was born. It is really fun for him and we spend lots of time putting it together because all the animal faces fit into all the animal bodies. Maddeck puts different combos together. He thinks it is so fun to make a "frog fish" or a "duck bird". This picture it shows it put together the correct way though.

Yesterday Maddeck asked "can we go to Mexico right now?". He is so excited to go swimming but is a little confused about whether or not it will be warm enough. I keep telling him it will feel just like summer there but he isn't quite making the connection when there is snow on the ground here. He asked if he could ride George's motorcyle in Mexico (George is Auntie Sarah's father-in-law). I told him George couldn't bring his motorcyle on the plane. He can't wait to see his cousins and said "I like Ella Mom. Ella is a good girl." He is so funny sometimes. He speaks like an adult. On another note, he was whinning about something during breakfast yesterday and I told him he needed to speak like an adult and kindly to me and he said "I'm not an adult. I am just a boy. Giggle, giggle, giggle!" Lastly, during bedtime prayer last night we were praying and we asked Maddeck who or what he wanted to pray for and he said ... I want to pray for McKenzie (a little girl with cancer whom he has never met), I want to pray for George Klein (a man from our church with cancer), and I want to pray for baby Weeda (Livia Mae Weeda was born on Christmas Eve to our dear friends in Blaine). We always pray that Maddeck's heart will be soft to recieving Christ and that he would live his life for God. Hearing him pray so earnestly is like seeing the light of Christ.

"For you were once in darkness, but now you have the light of the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord." Ephesians 5:8-10

Secret Recording

Maddeck was trying to explain a snack that he wanted but I had no idea what he was talking about. He didn't know the camera was recording which makes this video so funny. I think he wanted a sorbet cup out of the freezer ... but they aren't blue, so I am still not sure what he was asking for.

Paper Cut

Maddeck got his first paper cut last week while he was reading before his nap. I LOVE nap time because he always does so great. I put him in his bed (or sometimes our bed if Evan is in his crib) and let him read a small stack of books. He reads aloud and makes up words to the stories and then I gradually here him stop talking and then I hear a few thumps as he pushes the books on the floor. It is so cute. Last week he came out of his room, which was shocking, and he said his thumb hurt. I looked down and realized he had a paper cut from the book. He was pretty confused about how paper could cut him, but after I cleaned it up, he happily went back to reading before drifting off to sleep. I love that boy.

Pina Colada Video

"I would like a pina colada ... okay, okay guy ... okay, I'll just wait here."

Maddo & Evan Reading

Maddeck said "I am going to read a book to Evan." As soon as he opened the book Evan started cracking up. I think it was the sound and the puff of wind every time Maddeck turned the page that made him laugh.

Maddeck's Song

Took this video at the beginning of December. He is a funny boy. He says "I want a dilla (a.k.a. quesadilla) at the end of the song." Then you hear Kyle chuckle in the background.

Pics of the Strong boys

Here are some pictures that I took of the boys this morning before we went to run errands. We hit some of the clearance racks today and got some Christmas decor for next year and some winter clothes for Maddeck for next year. I always stock up on clothes for Maddeck for next winter at this time of year while everything is on discount. It is especially fun buying in advance knowing that Evan is going to get use out of it someday too. I do the same clearance shopping after summer each year. It saves so much $$$$$$. In the pics above Evan is wearing a new outfit from Auntie Keri and Maddeck is wearing an new sweatshirt from Aunt Jesica.

Pics of our boys!

Coffee at the Loomis' house!

Maddo playing with cars.

Caed Wilkinson

Caed, Grace, and Maddeck

Good friends!

Maddeck the Builder

Evan's Physique!

Kyle & Evan

I love Kyle's green eyes in this picture. Evan sure looks like his Daddy. We'll see if his eyes stay blue or not. Maddeck's eyes are looking more like Kyle's as he gets older.

Christmas at the Heads

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