All I wanted for Valentines Day was a walk in the woods…with my boys and Jeremy and my camera.

I fear sometimes that I will lose it….lose track of the time…lose the memory of now….it’s probably one of my greatest fears…to look back and not remember these days – the sweetest moments of my life.  I don’t want to be caught up in cleaning or blogging or showering (heehee) or whatever and forget to really be present in capturing these little moments.  When I am older, I want to remember the little things that photography captures…the little memories are the best memories…the little quirks and expressions and details that FLY by and really, make these little humans the people they are.   I am afraid of losing that.

So that is why I wanted this walk.  Just to snag a few shots of them now….as they are and who they are.  It was way too late in the day and the sun had already gone down so they are pretty grainy….but these are my kids…my squad…and these pictures do capture their little ‘things’ right now as they are.  I challenge you to do the same.  Go take a walk.

I love that Will took five extra seconds to try to figure out the hand signs…he doesn’t know what that means…to put up a peace sign or a “I love you” in sign language….he just has seen other kids doing it and he is learning – that is what kids DO.  He is five now and learning that there are some things that are ‘cool’ and others that ‘aren’t’…..I am trying to help him….guide him….and it’s hard!  Also – I swear he just got those shoes yesterday and they are already scuffed up on the toes….so HIM.

Weston is so shy.  He really is.  But he wants friends so much. (he said this the other day and added “and girls too!” 🙂 )   In true second child style, he tends to cling to Will’s buddies as his own and he rarely picks kids his own age as his friends.  We are working on it.  Playdates with kids his age are in the works….but right now he says that Will is his best buddy.  I love that silly fake smile.  It is something he practices in the mirror 🙂

These two.  They are finally getting to a point where they can play together.  It’s kinda crazy to think about bringing home Weston from the hospital and Will holding him.  Now they do practically everything together.  I always tell them – You know how special it is?  To have so many brothers?  I hope they truly know.

You wouldn’t know it by looking at him but this little guy can eat.  He is probably the best natural eater of the bunch.  So basically at any point of the day he has food on his face.  And he is obsessed with birds.  and planes.  and is the one that everyone meets and says that he is so cute…..he does cute things….like the way he holds his hand out, wiggles that one pointer finger and says “meer!” (translation – come here!) and points out the littlest details…like a crawling lady bug or a string that is half buried in the ground.

Will is my predictable one.  The one that concerns himself with the whole world.  The one that wants to be a super hero always because they are the good ones…the ones that are the rescuers and saviors.  He even told me that he likes being ‘Dark Vader’ only when he pretends that he is a good guy 🙂  He is the one that cries when he hurts his brothers….not because he is in trouble….because sometimes he isn’t AT ALL….but because he truly doesn’t want to be that.  It’s endearing as a parent but at times I have to remind him that being a perfectionist is a burden.

He is not naturally funny….not in the same sense that Weston is.  He isn’t silly.  He wants to be though….so Will tries to memorize jokes and tell them exactly so that he can make people laugh and make his friends happy.  He makes me cry because his jokes are so simple and innocent.  I miss that part already 🙂

Weston is the opposite…he can make a joke out of nothing and it is second nature.  He makes us laugh constantly and so hard that we cry.  He’s our little class clown 🙂

My two little ones are the ones that make me feel like a good mom.  They love on me.  And I get to love on them without getting pushed away.  They are my little partners in everything.  I’m not naturally a baby person….I think I used to be…but somewhere along the way I lost it….but with these guys, I am…I want to snuggle and play and wrestle and all that.

Our walk wasn’t long.  Just some clear paths and a lot of saying “don’t get in the mud”.

This picture is my world right now.  I wish Jeremy was in it too so I could print it out and put it EVERYWHERE.  But he was the one that made them smile by pretending to jump over my head 🙂

Something about Maxi Knight….he is the most ticklish baby I have ever met.  He laughs when you hold him, squeeze him, snuggle him, change his diaper….everything is smiles and chuckles.

He loves loves loves his brothers.  They make him laugh most of all.  They can do just about anything to get him to giggle.  And he is in my favorite stage – the sitting not yet crawling stage.  This is the BEST stage ever.  I think Weston completely skipped it.  Will was in it for a week.  LJ was in it for two weeks.  Its days are numbered.

Everywhere we go, people compliment him on his eyes.  OH THE EYES.  But really it’s the eyelashes that do me in.  They are everything.

Totally blurry picture but this is my Weston.  All Weston.  So Weston.  He is my blur.

When our walk was over, I realized that it was more for my soul than anything.  I don’t do enough of that.  Slowing down and taking it in.  It’s always the next thing and the next chore or the latest project.  I need to recollect sometimes and having my camera in my hand and the most beautiful subjects does that.  It refocuses me….even when my pictures aren’t exactly in focus 🙂

That’s what I am doing….soaking all that boy glory in…..what about you guys?  Jeremy left us last week to go to a Bachelor’s party with his brother and buddies….they were off fly fishing and I was riding solo at the house with the kiddos for a few days.  I didn’t realize how much I missed the little things about Jeremy – like how he empties the trash cans and gets the bed warm under the covers before I get in – so just him coming home was a wonderful valentines day treat.  I’d love to hear about your week…anything special happening?  Any walks in the woods?