Jason has been out of town since Thursday, so I've been a single mom these last few days. The kids have been great, but it has still been exhausting! I have always thought that single parents have the hardest jobs, and this weekend was just another reminder of how grateful I am to have an incredible partner in Jason. Jason went to his cousin's wedding in Moab, Utah. He drove with his mom, sister, and nieces and considering that there was no way to extend the trip longer than the actual wedding weekend, we decided that I would stay home with the kids. 13 hours in the car with Jeremy... hmm... that's a no-brainer! Anyway, yesterday, I took the kids to the zoo. It was a hassle getting Jeremy in and out of the stroller everytime we came to a different animal, so I ended up letting him just walk. I was worried that he'd run all over the place because he thinks it's pretty funny to do that, but he actually stayed with me almost the whole time. 2 hours of walking = 2 tired kids (and 1 tired mom)! Grace couldn't decide on a favorite for this recent trip, but I would say that Jeremy's favorite was the Reptile House. That's probably because he could see all kinds of reptiles at his eye-level. He shrieked several times when he saw snakes slithering around. Both kids enjoyed the petting zoo. Jeremy marched right into the fenced area and started following goats around, while Grace took a little longer to warm up to them. (I must say, it has been really neat to see their different personalities emerge- like in this situation). Anyway, only 1 more day until we get to have Jason back! You'd think that since our relationship started off being long-distance that I would be ok when he's away. It's definitely not the case! I miss him soo much and can't wait to see him again!
On Monday, we did something we've never done- in all our years living in Fresno, we had never before been to Storyland and Playland. We decided to give it a try for our family date.
In the Three Bears' House in Storyland 
On the train from Storyland to Playland 
Last Sunday was Cambria and Corissa's 7th birthday! They're Gracie's twin cousins, who she absolutely adores. Now that she's older, the three of them play really well together. The girls had their birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. It was our family's first experience- Jason and I both had parties at Chuck E. Cheese when we were kids, but obviously a lot has changed. It was jam-packed that day! Despite the number of people there, our kids had a blast playing the games and riding the rides. We had to leave when Jeremy hit his head on one of the slides. It didn't look like much when we saw it happen, but it quickly bruised and he's now sporting a pretty big scab. Aah, the memories made at Chuck E. Cheese... ! 
The decision to dedicate our children is rooted in our desire to raise our kids to grow up knowing Christ. 
We were surrounded by our family and friends and prayed over- we will definitely need all the help we can get! We are really thankful for everyone's support! This was the slide shown during the dedication: 
We didn't get the chance to explain the Bible verse that we chose to speak into Jeremy's life. It was one of Jason's dad's favorite Bible verses. We often think about how Jeremy will grow up not knowing his Grandpa. Sentimentally, we chose this verse as one way to connect Jeremy with his Grandpa. We pray that this verse will be an encouragement to Jeremy throughout his life.
After the dedication, we headed back to our house for a special lunch. It was the initiation of our kitchen! IT'S DONE! The entire process took 13 weeks- there are still things to be done, such as painting the walls and trim but we can actually use the kitchen now! It was worth the wait- Ron did a great job! (I'll post pictures later this week). We enjoyed a fantastic lunch (first meal in the oven- baked teriyaki chicken- one of our family's favorites) and then the kids played outside. It was warm enough that they actually went for a swim. 
First swim of the season! Unfortunately, all the wonderful progress that Grace made last year in swim lessons has been lost. She is back to fear of the water- it took so much coaxing to get her in the pool and when she did, she didn't have the guts to do anything. Looks like we're going to have to consider year-round swim lessons!