So here I am on another quiet Monday evening taking advantage of my alone time and updating all of our loved ones. I don't believe I have too much to talk about. This picture to the left was taken right after Mike shaved Van's head for the first time. We all joked that Van looked almost sickly. He is sooo skinny now, people tend to forget that he has some of my genes, I was even called Ethiopian in elementary school, and everybody expects him to be this big linebacker of a Billingsley. So the combo of no hair and no fat have made him look like we starve our child. I've gotten kind of used to the fuzzy head and we've been doing it now for about a month, its nice to save the money of taking him to get a haircut too. When school starts up and it starts to cool down, we may go back to getting real haircuts but we'll see.

Last week we got to take Van to the circus for the first time. We actually got some free tickets from friends at church and got to stay in a suite at The Honda Center. It worked out perfect because Van's still a little young to stay seated the whole time and so he had a great view and could still wander safely when he got the urge. We took lots of pics and as soon as I get some more energy I'll upload some of them for you all. He loved it. There was just so much going on, music, lights, some crazily dressed dancers, animals, motorcycles and more. This week we're headed to Sea World on Thursday and a cousins wedding on Friday. Sea World will be another first for Van so that should be lots of fun too.

Can't do blog without a note on Ava...not much new to report though. Ohhh, just thought of something. She has discovered her feet, well discovered them a few days ago and now she is definitely a fan of eating her big right toe. I know it sounds gross, but its actually a really cute thing when a baby does it. And she's eating much better now, baby food...not toes. She wasn't a big fan of baby food in the beginning. She wants whatever I have on my plate so badly though. So the other night Van was eating apple wedges and I gave her one to suck on...poof magic. I fed her some applesauce right after so she could try to connect the 2 tastes and realize I was giving her "big people food" and now she's all for it. She decided to eat apples, pears, bananas, green beans and has even started conquering a fruit sucker with grapes and strawberries. I think it will be no time at all before she's eating right off of our plates. She won't wait long and I haven't been as stringent as I was with Van...you know what they say, you're always harder on the first.

So I noted in my last post that Mike applied to some police departments. He's received some info back from a couple and will be taking some tests in the upcoming weeks, including written and physical exams. Its really been occupying his mind so much lately. It seems to be almost all he thinks about. I can understand that though. This is something he's thought about off and on for so many years now. I can remember talking about it when he was 20 because he was saying you had to be 20 1/2 to apply because of gun regulations. So that was 8 years ago and its always been in the back of his mind. This is a really scary situation for me and probably not for the reasons it is for other wives. I don't worry too much about the safety thing even though this is a dangerous job. I worry for the emotional wear and tear this job could cause. My husband is a very compassionate and sensitive man. I worry that this job could wear him down and really break him. He will see the absolute worst in people and I don't know if he could take it. I worry that he will keep it all to himself not wanting me to have to see that too and it will just eat at him. I know this is such an honorable position and he wants to be something his kids and I can be proud of. What he doesn't realize is that we are already proud of him. We are proud of the fact that he puts us second only to God in his life, that he never goes a day w/o hugging and kissing all of us and saying I love you, proud of the fact that he is confident enough to share his faith in God with anyone who will listen, and proud of the fact that bottom line, he is already an inspiration to other people around him. I selfishly wish that could be enough for him. My husband the dreamer...oh how I love him. I probably have not been as supportive as I could be and I'm hoping to put my worries and insecurities aside. We just have to be confident that if this or any other job change is Gods will, that we will be able to remember to glorify him in that moment. God is amazing to us and I know that he will safely guide us through this lifetime, we just have to remember that in these quiet moments.

Time to log off, my hubby should be home any minute. Hugs and kisses to all and to all a good night.

xoxo
B