Meet Jasper Blue McGrath!

Brian and I are getting ready to run our 2nd half marathon this Saturday... NEVER in a hundred years did I think I would say that. Last weekend, we brought home a puppy.... NEVER in a million years did I think I would say that! But, we did! 2010 has been an awesome year for our family.... from Mickey Mouse to running to a puppy...so blessed.

Meet the 4th boy to join our crew: Jasper Blue McGrath (Jasper, for the city he was born in and Blue for the Colts)

DOB: 8/16/2010 (Making him 8 weeks old)

He's a puggle... half pug, half beagle, 100% adorable.

I drove Patrick & Nate down to Jasper, Indiana on Saturday to pick him up and it's been a whirlwind of fun and excitement ever since. After a day or two of adjustment, everyone loves our new little guy... including Brian! Here are some pics from the first 24 hours...

Here's Ethan playing "tug of war" with Jasper. It took Ethan a day to get used to sharing toys with a dog! It also took Ethan about 2 hours to not be terrified of this little creature in his home. By the end of day one though, Ethan coudn't get enough. We had to tear him away from the crate, crying, to give Jasper a rest. It's sort of like having two toddlers in the house!

This is how Nate carries Jasper around. Nate can't get enough of Jasper. We're working on setting boundaries for how often Nate can carry the puppy. Thankfully, Jasper came from a breeder who also has young kids, so he's doing great with all the hugs & love!

PROOF: Brian with his dog! Wow!

Highlights:

• Patrick & Nate singing to Jasper to get him to sleep the first morning
• Ethan letting Jasper out of his crate (while we were getting kids dressed for school) and then bringing all of his toys to him
• Driving home from Jasper (~ 3 hours) while holding him
• Finally giving in the first night at 2 am and sleeping with him on the couch
• Sleeping the second night in my own bed... priceless!

We're lovin it!

1st Day of School!

The first day of Kindergarten has arrived! I can hardly believe Patrick is so big. Sometimes when I look at him, I still see my 1-year-old, with his eager eyes and round face smiling back at me. He is still, of course, my baby - but today this big kid went to start a new chapter in his life.

Patrick woke up this morning on his own, just before 7 am. He was ready to go! He did tell us that he had a difficult time sleeping last night, because he was thinking about school. He said, "it was a long night." I know exactly what he means -I had a long night too. He said he was excited and a little scared. But, what we saw this morning was certainly more of the excitement!

The only downside... after waiting 40 minutes at the bus stop (we arrived 10 minutes early, because Patrick just could NOT wait).... the bus did not come. But, we had a great time taking some photos and enjoying the beautiful weather with our neighbors. So, I drove Patrick to school, which in all honesty, was pretty fun for me! I walked him to his classroom door - he said bye then marched in hung up his bag in his cubby (#10) and said hello to his teacher, Mrs. Lawrence. He jumped in with no hesitation, ready to start the day.

We're hoping the bus remembers our stop tomorrow! But, either way... I know Patrick will have a great day! Here are some pics of the morning...

Patrick & Nate walking to the bus stop
The boys hanging out on the curb
Tired of pictures... and I was just getting started!!

Look at my sweet baby!

This is the corner where the bus was supposed to pick him up!

My boys... Ethan was wandering around the court by this time.

Tomorrow, I'm bringing the stroller!

I had to get my last hugs in!

He humors me.

Thumbs up for daddy!

The gang waiting for the bus. Max, Patrick & Ava!

I love Patrick's peace sign here.

This was just before we all loaded up our cars for the drive to school.

Nate and I will miss Patrick while he's at school, but I'm so proud of my boys, and especially Patrick for being so brave on his first solo adventure into the world. He is definitely my little man.

Picture Time!

Ethan turning one meant it was time for another McGrath "photo shoot." Here are some of the gems from Janel Bantz Photography & a few "traditional" poses from JC Penney's. As always - we had a great time, and I love how their personalities shine. Enjoy!

Here's Patrick, who will turn 6 in August.
And Nate, who will turn 4 this month!

Our little E... He turned 1 on March 6th! He continues to be in the 95% for height & 80% for weight. He's our tallest kiddo yet, and he's keeping up with his big bro's very well - as evidenced by his constant hurt knees!

This picture CRACKS me up! Hy-ster-i-cal!

But, this is one of my favorites. I love it.

They are all laughing & yelling in this picture taken on our front stoop. Ethan LOVED the the attention from Patrick & Nate. Every morning, he runs to them with hugs.

I love my boys!

The Annual Family Trip to Hilton Head!

Ahh... Hilton Head. The ocean...pool...bike rides...sand castles...alligators...perfect weather...nighttime storms...schools of Manta Rays...Uncle Marc fishing sharks...waverunners...birds...a house full of cousins...late night dinners...and lots of memories!

Every year the boys enjoy exploring the island even more! This year...Patrick loves the pool. Nate loves the ocean, and Ethan loves it all! It was so nice to let Ethan run around and explore the beach. He walked right into the ocean without hesitation.

Here's Patrick riding some waves with Evan, his cousin.

Nate couldn't get enough of the ocean! And thankfully, Memom loves going deep - so Nate had a great time jumping the waves with her.

Ethan is a true "daddy's boy." Nothing makes him smile more than the sight of daddy...except for the sight of the ocean while holding daddy's hand!

One of Ethan's favorite activities at home and on vacation is to lounge in a chair/couch/bed and hold onto a remote/phone/sippy cup. Here he is lounging on the beach - having a great time!
Our littlest surfer!

The boys had a great time playing with their cousins and uncles! Here is Uncle Joel playing football on the beach! Later, Uncle Joel and Uncle Marc each took them putt-putting. It was one of the first times for Nate to go putt-putting, and he loved it! He was very animated as he described the bumpy things his ball had to go over to get to the hole. Life is so good. The pool was where Patrick spent most of his time... with his beloved goggles. It cracks me up how the lenses distort his eyes - but he loves these things!

Katie was a huge help with Nate - especially in the pool.

One afternoon, I took the younger boys (Evan, Patrick, Ryan, Nate & Ethan) to Harbour Town to play at the playground and see the ships. Their favorite thing to do was to climb the tree! After playing, I thought it would be nice to walk the pier and see the lighthouse and ships... along the walk, the heat sunk in. The boys drank all the water I had and quickly lost energy... especially Nate!

Here's a pic of the boys on the pier... this is moments before Nate's final breakdown. According to Nate, his legs simply quit working. So... I carried Nate, Evan pushed the stroller and Patrick & Ryan shared the task of carrying my backpack. I'm sure we looked quite hysterical! After a not-so-quick trip to the restrooms, I rewarded them with ice cream. I love the photos of them sitting on the curb eating their treats. I know I will always enjoy this memory!


The last evening, we always take a few photos on the beach. So... here are my boys!

Patrick - Age 5 3/4

Nathaniel: Age 3 3/4

Ethan: Age 15 months

Our Family

The cousins photo... this one is always funny. By this time, they're pretty much over the photos. Ethan was crying, Nate was in "Nate world" playing with a stick from his lollipop and the others are starting to daze. It's a neat photo to look back on each year.

Colin (14), Ethan (1), Katie (12), Carolyn (9), Andrew (10), Evan (6), Rachel (7), Ryan (5), Patrick (5) & Nate (3)

Until next year... happy summer!