Happy (belated) 4th of July!

It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up - that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only 

one we had.  --Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

I know it's no coincidence that lately I feel the truth of this statement so powerfully in our lives.  I say "our" because I am pretty sure I speak for my entire family.  It has been a heavy month, but an amazing one in the life of the Frey/Cole/Obas Clan.  We've all grown up a bit this month, I think.  :)  Haha - that sounds funny, but sometimes life throws you a curve ball and doesn't leave you much choice but to learn to hit it out of the park!  So much has happened in the last month and a half, I have to break up this update into sections!  If you just want to see the pics... feel free to scroll down and skip my rambling :). 

John (my little brother) leaves for Spain!

It's no secret to most of you that my little brother is about to leave for Spain, where he will be stationed for 3 years.  He's in the Navy and just graduated from EOD school.  He'll... be completing training on how to safely disarm bombs... and while he assures me it really is nothing like "The Hurt Locker" - I have seen pics of him in that gigantic suit and it's enough to make someone like me lose a little (or a lot) of sleep.  My brother has come such a long way.  I am very lucky to have such a close bond with him; we've been through a lot, especially in the last few years.  But at the end of the day, he has been a pretty fail-proof friend to me over the years and has understood me and been there for me in a way that no one else has.  He's got this 6th sense, it seems, to know when he's really needed, and what to do about it.  It's truly been unreal to watch him metamorphosize over these last couple years into a highly disciplined, straight and narrow (okay well if u know Johnny you know he'll never be totally that :)) man.  I love the memories I have with him and my sister - all of us kids at different times, best friends and sometimes what felt like worst enemies.  But we survived.  And today I couldn't be more proud of my brother or my sister.  Or myself for that matter.  :)  Ha!  It's true.  What an amazing blessing it is to have a close relationship with your siblings - I may have taken it for granted once - but not today.  John will be stationed in Spain and we're all hoping he won't have to deploy from there - but there is a very good chance that he will.  He assures me that he'll be well protected and taken care of - and it's his dream to get back to Europe.  I have totally morphed into an overprotective and overemotional big sister since seeing him July 4th weekend.  It's just so amazing to see him so satisfied and successful.  He deserves it.  There is no feeling like saying goodbye to someone who could, at any time, be walking into a war zone.  It's a new experience for my whole family.  My hats off to those who do it on a regular basis; there are no words for that kind of disconcertion.

4th of JULY fun!

We spent the 4th of July this  year at the cabin with my parents.  It was the most amazing time we've ever had together, I have to say.   It had been way too long since my sister, brother, and I were able to truly relax and converse with my parents.  We discovered a few things:

1. It's okay to get in a kiddy pool on your deck if the air conditioner broke and there are no actual snake- 

    less bodies of water within walking distance.  :) 

2. And as a follow up, swimming in the lake is fun, until the kid on the doc sees a snake!

3. Wine + candlelight + sleeping babies = the best family memories we've probably ever made with just 

      the five of us (plus Marc :) - someone had to mediate j/k lol :))

4. Mom and dad need a bigger cabin.

5. Taking family and sibling pictures is very important, especially when one of you is moving across the 

     world to do such crazy and heroic things as disarming bombs.

6. Spain seems a lot farther away now than it used to.  

7. Zaiya is not afraid of his big cousins, at all.  Let the battles begin!

8. When lightening strikes the cabin, it's best not to let the power guy in on the family secret (that there's 

    a squirrel -that is all squirrels- named "Lewis" that Pop tells stories about to captivate the kids) by
    screeching "WEWIS!" when you and he discover that a dead squirrel is laid out on the lawn below
    your deck.

9.  Even crying babies are cute babies. :)
10. Potty training is serious business.

Enjoy these pics that will attempt to explain what we've learned!  

 

You might be a redneck if...

(In our defense... it was about 100 degrees and the air conditioner broke.)  

 Landon got Uncle Marc good with his massive squirt gun.  Marc didn't know what hit him!

 Proud little guy!

 Zaiya says... "I think I'll have this, Landon."

Landon, surprised at how likely it is that Zaiya will actually succeed in this venture, changes tactics (MOMMY!!)

Zaiya discovers that he really is the smallest one.  :)  It's okay buddy you're the cutest.  :)
HAHA!! (Said the partial mommy)

And, then, of COURSE we made Landon share.  Poor Landon.  :)

 Speaking of Landon... I really can't believe how much this little dude has grown!

I can still remember the instant he was born.  It's truly amazing how full of life he is!!

I had to practically beg them to take this picture... :)  Aren't you glad we did?  I sure am.  Love these two!

This is one of my favorites of all time.  My little boy and my little brother - and a REAL smile from John no less!  Couldn't love either of them more than I do!  :)

Love this picture of Zaiya with his Tahti Kristen!  These two are like two peas in a pod!  I am so luck to have my sis so close so our boys can grow up together!

We love our boys!

Meeting of the cousins... I think it must have been about potty training.  

They look pretty serious, and Landon looks very "in charge."

Yes, it has begun. The battle of the cousins... I know they won't always be this hilarious to watch.  

But we have to savor it while we can... and let em' go at it for the sake of a good home video, right?  Right.  :)  Pay close attention in the end to Zaiya's victory song... I think it's safe to say that Zaiya understands that because he is the smallest, he has to make the most noise!!

Mom imitating "Lewis" and sharing how she gasped and almost cried when she and the power guy saw the dead squirrel ... as shown above... and desperately called out "WEWIS!" as if she'd just lost her best friend.  Not sure I've ever laughed that hard, imagining my mom with a lone power guy on the deck in such a state!

We gave my dad tickets to see Steely Dan in Raleigh for Father's Day - he was obviously excited and couldn't stop looking at them long enough to take a family pic!

Here we are... still laughing together.  :)

Evidence of serious fun.

LIFE is BUSY!

It has been an emotional month for lots of reasons, as you can see.  It has been wonderful, though.  I think I've finally figured out that life is truly truly difficult!!!  No matter what you do!  However, if we can make the absolute best with what we have - it can still be an intensely happy and satisfying!   I hate writing month after month how fast life is moving and feeling as though I don't have time to come up for air.  It feels like that a lot.  But every evening when I pick my little guy up from daycare - for those few hours I have with him until he goes to sleep - the whole world disappears.  All of my worries, vanish.  And on the rare occasion when we have a weekend like this one, where Marc and I are off work together and able to spend some serious down time with him - it's even better.  Zaiya spent Saturday morning running back and forth between Marc and I... "Dadda Dadda!!!" he'd RUN to Marc and then turn around and do the same for me "Mama Mama!!"  Lol, sadly I think he sees us together so rarely that it is exciting for him when we are both around when he wakes up!  One of us is always coming or going.  I am proud to say that in these moments we truly do stop and savor the little things.

AND FINALLY: A Very Happy 4th baby!

This is Zaiya's thinking face.  Of course, we love it.  :)

What a happy guy!!  Hard to keep him still these days!!!

Zaiya has an adorable obsession with "Woo Woos" which is his name for puppies.  Several of our neighbors and friends have dogs... this is Zaiya's official "ready for puppy" stance and expression.  Couldn't you just squeeze him??  :)  

Being a boy... ;)

My mom says this should be on the front of a greeting card... I could see it.  :)  

He's even adorable when in complete despair.  (lol)

Looking way too old...

...and way too big!

My little boy, growing up...

...learning about the world...

...and loving it!

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Thanks for reading... even though I wrote and was supposed to publish this blog a month ago!  :( The next one will be out shortly!!  I hope everyone had a fun 4th!