Introducing Phoebe Rose Akers...

Phoebe Rose Akers was born on December 21, 2009 at 5:33PM. She weighed 8lbs 5oz and was 21" long. She is such a sweet girl and she is going to be doted upon SO MUCH by her whole family. She is the first girl baby born on the Akers side of the family during this generation. What a lucky girl! Everyone is home and Mom and baby Phoebe are doing well.

Happy Halloween!

Lucas and Liam's school has a Halloween Parade each year for the kids. This year, we were able to attend and what a spectacle it was!!! Nicole made a firehose for Liam which made quite the splash with the kids. And it looks like Lucas made a splash with the ladies ;)

Something for Which to be Thankful

We took Thanksgiving off this year and went back to Disney. We know the boys are too young to remember any of either trip. We decided that we can be kids at heart and we will always remember their smiles and reactions to all of the familiar things they know and love. One thing never changes about vacations. They always seem to be over before you know it. We had so much fun. I am not certain that it is fair to say that this trip was "better", but I think it was more relaxed because we had a better idea of what to expect. We all ate too much, especially sweets. None of us got enough sleep. Still somehow, at the end of it all, as our pictures reflect, it was five fun-filled days spent with our wonderful boys! God has blessed our family with so many wonderful things. It is not so much Disney for which we are thankful, admittedly Disney is a fun place, but more so the time spent with family because at the end of our time here on Earth, that is truly what matters most!

Hugs and kisses to all!

Family Photos

We had our pictures taken last year at about this time at a state park north of the house. Fall is such a wonderful season! Family pictures really give you a frame of reference of just how far you have come in a year! Nicole and I have not changed all that much, but when you think about a "mere" 365-days and look at each of our boys and see how much they have changed...it is shocking! It warms your heart to think about where they were a year ago and how God has graced our lives and led us with his hand. Children are wonderful gifts that truly enrich every aspect of our lives. Mind you, every day is not easy but it makes you appreciate what you have that much more. Although I have spent over 30 years of my life without children, now that I have them, it is certainly hard to imagine my life without them! We hope you enjoy the pictures of our family and can appreciate how we have grown in a year :)

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween! For those of you dedicated enough to stick with us, even though our Blog posts are haphazard at best, thanks for hanging in there. This was the first year that Lucas and Liam both got to trick or treat, have a good time while having an real idea what was going on, wear a costume, get to beg strangers for candy, and have an awesome time doing it! Nicole's parents joined us this year for Halloween. It is always a good time when Grandma and Grandpa Jackson are in town! We also got to hand out candy to trick or treaters as well. All in all, we had a good time, got to enjoy the lovely Fall weather, meet some of our neighbors, eat a BUNCH of candy, and pretend that we were something that we really are not, if only for one night!

Keep an eye on the Blog for updates in the near future. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!

Love,
Wes, Nicole, Lucas & Liam

Ode to the Girly Girl

Syndey is my niece. She is an amazing girl. She is part of the reason I stayed in Indiana as long as I did and, in turn, met Wes. So, one could say, I have her to thank for the life I now live. Sydney is so vibrant, fun, witty, creative, caring, and just generally great to be around. Lucas and Liam really enjoy Sydney. Sydney never treats Lucas like he's a "baby" and never really did (except when he was tiny).

Well, Sydney and her family recently moved to Henderson, NV. It's near Las Vegas. We have all been so lucky to have her and her parents living so close and I fear we didn't appreciate it at the time. Who knows where our paths will take us all next?

Here are a few photos of the time spent with Sydney these past 8 years. We all love and miss you Sydney!

Cousins

Our boys are lucky to have such a close family. They don't always get to see their cousins often, but when they do, they all make the most of it.