Happy Birthday Snapshots

I told you last time there were going to be more pictures of the JBear!!  I wanted to show the fun pictures of him opening some presents and trying on his clothes he got from Grandmama.  That little boy loves new clothes and shoes.  Most kids, or at least I have seen it many times, don't really like clothes.  It is just boring to them.  No, not Jonah he loves clothes.  He would not open any more presents until we put his new shirt on him.  What a cute little guy.  We just went to REI yesterday and bought him a pair of new shoes, and he of course had to wear them out of the store.  I think this could be bad.  Tim already has a big shopper on his hands, yes yours truly, so now that Jonah is into it this momma and baby boy are going to have some fun:)

 Yay we finally got it opened and see our new outfit from Grandmama.  Grandmama is known for her thoughtfulness and remembers everyones birthday.  Now let me just fill you in that she has 5 children plus all of their spouses, 15 grandchildren and 13 spouses, and 24 great-grandchildren!!  Yes my friends and she remembers everyone single one of them, a card plus a gift.  Better than most of us can do. She is one amazing woman and she is 82 still going strong!

 Can't wait to try those new shorts on!

 Okay everyone check it out!  So cute, thanks Grandmama!

 Happy Birthday sweet Jonah!  We love you so so much!  Jonah gets german chocolate cake with the coconut frosting.  It's his Daddy's favorite too!  Thank you Mimi for thinking of my boys!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jonah

It's funny because last year we were in Montana around Jonah's birthday and this year we were there for this birthday.  Mimi did an awesome of having everything we needed.  Birthday banner, plates, napkins, hats, cake, presents, she had it all.  It was nice being at the cabin and celebrating with family and neighbors.  I can't believe Jonah is two!  It seems like the time does go so fast and I am trying to cherish every moment and I have with him.  All the cuddles, new discoveries, new words.  It is the best being at home with him and I am blessed that I am able to do it.  He is my little buddy whom I do everything with him and I love it just that way.  Happy Birthday Jonah we love you so much!


Dear Jonah,
Happy Birthday sweet boy.  I don't even know where to start but first of all want you to know how much your Daddy and I love you.  You are our world and we love being a part of your life.  You bring us such joy and I find myself looking at your Daddy more times than not smiling at all the little things you are saying and doing.  We will be riding in the car and the excitement that comes across your face and then is said with such delight about a new thing you have just seen or discovered brings us such joy and pride.  I love to watch the way you find worms, bugs, and ants and then bring them to me with such delight.  You are seeing and and learning so many new things everyday and I just can't get over how much fun that is to see and partake in everyday.  I love our morning cuddles together, our park adventures, our grocery store runs, our jogs on the trail, setting up train tracks and watching you drive them all day.  I can't get over how in love we are with you.  Thank you for showing us what love is. We pray that God will use us to show you his love and that you will see Christ in our home and that you will know that we love and serve a Holy God.  We also pray someday you will know our Savior and have a personal relationship with him and will know the greatest love of all.  God will never fail you and loves your more than anyone will ever love you.  Daddy and Mommy love you to the moon and back and will still love you more.  I can't tell you how happy you make us.  We love you Jonah Gabriel and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with the most special and loved little boy.

Love,
Dad and Mom

I just realized there are two sets of birthday pictures and the ones that I uploaded are not the best ones. Oh well I guess you will be getting one more post of the birthday celebrations!

 Mimi did the Cars theme which was perfect for a two year old.  Jonah is into Cars right now and loves any new truck, car, train, bus, or anything with wheels!!

Mimi and Papa making Swedish pancakes with the very best Montana Huckleberry syrup you will ever have.  Anyone that comes to visit us when we move will be getting a taste of this at the cabin!

Jonah and Penne playing.  These two were best buds.  They played and tired each other out and had the best time doing it.  Every morning when Jonah would wake up the first thing we would say or ask for is "puppy."

Opening presents.  Do you see the concentration?!!

 Choo Choo!!!!  And then he got busy playing!!!

River Time

Tim was able to join me the last week I was in Montana.  You know someone has to make the money around here:)  He has worked so hard these last four years and I am so proud of him because he passed his written boards.  Look out Montana you have a board certified Anesthesiologist coming your way. So proud of your hard work and long hours of studying Tim, it payed off.  And taking a week in August is just what he needs to cool down a bit and celebrate.  It's the best time of year for fly fishing and that is exactly where you saw my man for the week, out on the river!  It was great to spend a week with Tim's parents and watch them love on Jonah and relax with us on vacation.  Here are some pictures of beautiful river time.

 Papa showing Jonah the fishy!!  Jonah was loving every minute of it!

Love this picture of Papa, Dad, and Jonah.  Jonah took a very special liking to Papa this trip.  Sure is gonna be fun to get to see him everyday when we move back, and see how those two will be buds!

My little handsome sitting on the rock.  He would have been happy outside all day watching and "helping" Dad fish.

 A few picture of the family out on the river. The weather was beautiful and I couldn't have been a more perfect week!

Family and Happy Birthday to my Rockstar!

Here are the last of the pictures from our trip to Mom and Dad's.  We took some pics with Grandmama and all the girls.  It is crazy how much you miss family and realize just how important they are when you move away and then start having kids.  Tim and I have enjoyed our time here in North Carolina and have built a family, built a life together, experienced life with my sister and her family, and made life long friends.   I landed my dream job in an outpatient clinic for 2 years and Tim has worked his tail off as a resident starting at the bottom, and now a fellow.  He has met amazing mentors and touched so many lives in the line of work that he does.  It amazing how 4 years has flown by and how we have grown an incredible amount in the last 4 years.

God has done some amazing things and we have experienced much joy, he has also been our rock and the center of our marriage and brought us through the toughest thing we have ever been through.  For his love, gift of life, and salvation we are ever grateful.  We have bought a house, had great jobs, traveled to so many amazing places, experienced life with the greatest friends anyone could ask for, had the most adorable little boy, had the most amazing and precious little girl while loosing her all in the same week, and signed our first contract for a "real" job in the "real" world.

I guess this is the right time to lead into our exciting news that we are moving back to Montana!  It's all coming to a head and I have such mixed emotions.  One day I'm so ready to move and be closer to family after having a long 12 hour day by myself waiting in the driveway for Tim to come home from work.  And then the next day I meet up with my best bud Katie and we chat in her backyard for three hours while watching our kids grow up together and play in the baby pool.  Those moments I love and will cherish and will miss.  We have loved our time here.  I have a crush on the south and everything that comes with it.  Monogramming, beaches, Lily Pulitzer (though I don't own a single thing of that line), all things nautical, college football season, tailgating like you have never known, the heat (yes I will miss the heat peoples!!), four seasons, a huge and amazing mall that is 5 minutes from my house, the coast, the history of our great nation, yes ma'm and no ma'm, y'all, seersucker, khakis and button downs, sperry's, did I mention monogramming, great seafood, and fried chicken.  Love it all and I will take a piece of it with me. Though no one in Montana monograms anything you can bet I will, I will for the sake of south and will be bringing every little bit of it with me that I can.

I'm happy we are moving, joyous, overwhelmed, at peace, and excited.  We are going to make the most of our days in the south and prepare for the next chapter of life God has in store for us.  It's been a wild, but fun ride with the man I love so much, and the little boy who has brought me through many tears and heartache these last few months and has had my heart for 2 amazing years. Cheers to new beginnings, and "Y'ALL" we are moving to Montana!

Here is a shout-out to my love.  Happy Birthday Timothy Erpelding (it was sept 2nd:).  I wouldn't want to do life with anyone but you and I am blessed beyond all measures to call you mine.  Thanks for the sacrifice you have made working so hard to to get to where you are today.  Thanks for being the Godly leader and provider for our family, the most patient and loving husband, and the best Dad to our Jonah. We LOVE you!

Yes that is a typical shot of trying to get a two year old to look at the camera!! Oh Jonah:)

 Getting our last minute pictures before everyone takes off and heads back home:(

 Love this lady.  It was special to get to spend a whole week with Grandmama.  I'm thinking I need to make a trip to Texas soon!

Medicine Rocks State Park

We wanted Uncle Mike to take in all he could on his visit to Montana so we took him to our state park.  Medicine Rocks has always been a fun place with so many memories.  For as long as I can remember our church would go out to the park every fourth of July.  We would have an outdoor service, and everyone would bring something for potluck.  I remember the tables being filled with potato salad, chips, hotdogs, hamburgers, jello salad, cookies, and more.  Then after we stuffed our faces full and climbed on the rocks for a bit, it was time for the annual softball tournament.  It was so much fun to see how competitive everyone got, but how much fun we had at the same time.  Things have changed as the church has grown older and there are not as many young people anymore.  But the memories still linger and Medicine Rocks will always be a special place.

We have been out there for our country school picnics (yes I went to a one-room country school until 8th grade!!), family outings, school functions and more.  Its a fun place to visit again and again and you never grow tired of climbing the rocks and carving your name somewhere on the rock excitedly to be found the next year.

 Climbing the rocks with cousins!

 Enjoying the sunshine and the kids

 Mom and Grandmama. Don't they look a lot alike!

Micah climbing on the rock!

 This is how far Jonah roamed from everyone else.  This boy loves to roam.

 My sweet boy playing the grass.

 Sweet brothers Seth and Micah.

                              
 Trying to get a shot of everyone looking was near impossible.  This was the best we could do!

Muzzie and Papa with half of their grandchildren!

There is nothing like a good picnic lunch.  Ham sandwiches, chips, coke, watermelon, and cookies. YUM!

This little guy loves him some watermelon.  Messy but happy faces!