Memories, Milestones, and a Tiny Dancer

There are alot of changes going on at the Keiffer house these days! First of all, we have officially turned Austin's carseat around. I know what you're thinking..."He's not 1 yet!" Here's the deal. He's thisclose to turning 1, and the thought of driving for extended periods of time with a baby unhappy in his seat while on vacation was NOT appealing. Luke and I were actually on the same page on this one, and since he's well over 20 pounds we felt ok about our decision. Let me just say that he is one happy little man now. I love turning around and seeing his little face looking back at me. He would still rather be crawling around but facing the same way as mom and dad is definitely a close second. Here are some pictures of the big day.

"Hey guys..."

"....I'm so excited to be looking out the window the right way!"

While we're on the topic of his carseat, I have to share with all of you one of Luke and my favorite things Austin does on car rides. Every once in a while, we'll turn around and find him thoughtfully staring out the window. The funny thing about this is that it looks like he could be filming a music video and all he would need to do is sing! It might be funnier when you actually witness it, though.

The next milestone we experienced was Austin's first haircut. A big thank you should go out to Pops who did the honors. Here's a tip: a cranky, tired baby and his first haircut are probably not a good mix. However, he looked so handsome with freshly cut hair and yes, I do have a few locks to remind me of this momentous occasion.

Next up on the list of milestones would be Austin's dedication at church. Now that we're all moved in and settled at our new house, I figured it was time to sign him up. It was such a special day. Luke's parents came down from Dallas and my whole family came to church, including the soon to be brother-in-law. The 3 of us even coordinated our outfits, which is a big deal when you're the only girl in the family! :) It was so special to have Robert pray over Austin since he's known me and my family for years, and Austin did great...didn't grab Robert's glasses once! Afterwards, we were given a "tiny testament" which is basically a really tiny new testament. SO CUTE! I'm planning on saving it and giving it to Austin's wife someday. I know I'll look back at this day with fondness because of how special it was to be surrounded by family on the day we gave our son back to the Lord for His service.

Before the big ceremony...again, love this picture except for the fact that Austin wasn't ready!

Quick picture with Grammy and Pops...we missed you Josh, Jared, and Lindsay!
Our little family
Celebration lunch at La Fonda

Austin's new favorite thing to do these days is dance. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen! I've always known he loves music. In fact, when I was pregnant and we would worship at church, I would feel him start kicking. Luke and I LOVED the worship at our church in Tulsa. The best part was that the music was loud and I think he could literally "feel the beat." And the trend continues today. Whether it's a commercial, show on tv, or a song on the radio he starts dancing and can't stop. I LOVE IT! Jesus put a song in his heart for sure. So now that we know how much he loves to dance, we all can't help but hold spontaneous dance parties. In addition, Britt and Claire love to use him as a mini dance partner.

Austin's dance party

Dancing with his aunts was one of his favorite vacation activities!

Finally, last week was Austin's first family vacation at the lake. Due to all of the activities and different schedules this year, we decided to low key it and head up to the hill country right outside of Austin. As I've said before, family vacations are always a blast. We come home with more inside jokes, pictures, and memories than we could have imagined was possible. This year we were blessed to add 2 new members of the family to the vacation fun. Austin and Jon. Something else these 2 had in common could quite possibly be that they both had the most uncomfortable beds in the place. However, they were good sports and we all LOVED having them with us. Besides relaxing, some of the activities du jour were reading, boating, shopping, eating, and of course taking some really ridiculous pictures. Below is just a taste of Vacationapalooza 2008...Good times were had by all!

How we spent alot of our summer vacation...

Claire's senior pose...
And not to be outdone, Britt's senior pose
This picture accurately portrays how the 3 of us felt after returning from vacation
The beautiful birthday girl at PF Chang...as my dad calls it

These girls LOVE to take funny pictures...
My dad also likes to join the fun...
And they never fail to force the rest of us normal people to participate! Sorry PF Chang patrons...hope you enjoyed your dinner anyways!
Luke and Austin at lunch on the way to the lake

Britt and Claire on the tube...I believe Claire called this activity "racing turtles" :)
Luke on the tube...I also took a turn but will spare your eyes since it wasn't a shining moment in my life as far as appearances go!
The fam at Claire's birthday dinner
The other side of the table (sorry, guys, Austin's not in this one!)
This might just qualify as my longest post ever! If you've made it this far, thanks! You're a true friend. There are just so many things going on these days. But I do want to end on this note. I know that over these last few months God has been teaching me how to accept ALL changes in my life gracefully. Some are fun but most, I find, are bittersweet. I am not blind to the fact that I have been blessed beyond what I deserve, and maybe if God didn't force me out of my comfort zone I would just camp out at those blessings instead of experiencing the new ones ahead. With each change, God teaches me something new about Him as well as myself.