Picture Day!

We finally made it to Sears yesterday for Matthew's 6 month photos. Why is it that everytime I make an appointment to take one of the boys for pictures, they come up with a wound on their face? Yes, Matthew decided to claw himself several times on his face. Thank goodness he is so cute that you don't notice the marks. Dominic joined us on the trip as he was feeling a bit sad when I dropped him off at daycare yesterday. We threw in a few poses for his 3 year pics and captured some sweet moments with the two youngest Riggios. Enjoy!

Where grandpa is today....

It amazes me how many times our lives are touched by grandpa. I swear my boys see him everyday in one way, shape, or form. It's almost like he has a hand on their heart even though he is not physically here. There isn't a day that goes by that Joshua and Dominic do not say "papa is in heaven." Today, Joshua brought home this library book. On the outside, the book would appear to be about space or the stars, or some planet. On the inside, this is what I found:

The next place that I go will be as peaceful and familiar as a sleepy summer Sunday and a sweet, untroubled mind.
And yet… it won’t be anything like any place I’ve ever been…or seen…or even dreamed of in the place I leave behind.
I won’t know where I’m going, and I won’t know where I’ve been as I tumble through the always and look back toward the when.
I’ll glide beyond the rainbows. I’ll drift above the sky. I’ll fly into the wonder, without ever wondering why.
I won’t remember getting there. Somehow I’ll just arrive. But I’ll know that I belong there and will feel much more alive than I have ever felt before. I will be absolutely free of the things that I held onto that were holding onto me.
The next place that I go will be so quiet and so still that the whispered song of sweet belonging will rise up to fill the listening sky with joyful silence, and with unheard harmonies of music made by no one playing, like a hush upon a breeze.
There will be no room for darkness in that place of living light
Where an ever-dawning morning pushes back the dying night.
The very air will fill with brilliance, as the brightly shining sun
And the moon and half a million stars are married into one.
The next place that I go won’t really be a place at all. There won’t be any seasons – winter, summer, spring or fall –
Nor a Monday,
Nor a Friday,
Nor December,
Nor July
And the seconds will be standing still…while hours hurry by.
I will not be a boy or girl, a woman or a man.
I’ll simply be just, simply, me. No worse or better than.
My skin will not be dark or light. I won’t be fat or tall.
The body I once lived in won’t be part of me at all.
I will finally be perfect.
I will be without a flaw.
I will never make one more mistake, or break the smallest law.
And the me that was impatient, or was angry or unkind, will simply be a memory.
The me I left behind.
I will travel empty-handed.
There is not a single thing
I have collected in my life that I would ever want to bring except…
The love of those who loved me, and the warmth of those who cared.
The happiness and memories and magic that we shared.
Though I will know the joy of solitude… I’ll never be alone.
I’ll be embraced by all the family and friends I’ve ever known.
Although I might not see their faces, all our hearts will beat as one,
And the circle of our spirits will shine brighter than the sun.
I will cherish all the friendship I was fortunate to find, all the love and all the laughter in the place I leave behind.
All these good things will go with me.
They will make my spirit glow.
And that light will shine forever in the next place that I go.

What's old is new again

Every child has their favorite toy, but in this case, all three of the boys have had the same one. This is one of the only baby toys that has made it from Joshua to Dominic and now to Matthew....and all three were/are completely mesmerized by it.

Dominic shows Matthew how to make the bee and butterfly go up and down!

It's finally in............

Matthew's first tooth, that is. Low and behold, I caught the sharp edge of his first baby tooth on my finger as I rubbed his gums last night. It makes me a little sad that he is growing up so fast! Congratulations little moose! This is the first of many firsts you will have in the next 6 months. Before you know it, you will be sitting (that will be in the next few days for sure), crawling, walking, and finally arguing back with your brothers in your own little language. I love you baby boy!!

Can you say cheese?

My little Moose

Matthew has a new nickname....I call him moose. And in this photo you can see why. I want to believe that he will stay little forever, but compared to other babies, I now see (and believe) he is already 6 months old. This is Matthew laying next to Logan, Ashley's 7 week old son. Joshua brought a song home from kindergarden last year about a moose and everytime I sing to Matthew he smiles and laughs at me. It just kinda stuck. The song goes something like this:

I've got antlers and a nose, and hooves for toes

and I stand about 6 feet tall!

In the mud up to my knees

Just a chewin' on the weeds

I'm a moose moose can't you hear me CALL?

I love you little moose!!

Lifesaver

This is a picture of Matthew and Mommy's new favorite toy. What is it, you ask?

It's our lifesaver!

As a mom of 3, I know all too well the signs and symptoms of first teeth. Poor Matthew is doing the best he can, but he is having a real hard time trying to figure out why his little mouth pains him so much. With the help of his new vibrating bunch of grapes and tylenol, the smile returns to his face. I wish those darn teeth would hurry up and make their appearance so my little guy will be happy!