Flashback: Hello Noah

We are getting ready to have our third child in May, and I was looking back at the videos from Noah's birth five and a half years ago on May 9, 2005, in Memphis. It's neat to look back and see how small he looked when he was born and how fast they grow up. Grandma Williams made the trip from Idaho to help out.

My favorite part of the videos is the one where Shelby meets Noah for the first time. She had just turned four when he was born, and her interaction with him is really cute.

It's funny how you remember a lot of the difficult times, but forget how adorable kids are at the different stages until you look back on it. I wish it was easy to remember that during the moment. Even now, I look at the kids as being a pain in the butt a lot of the time, but I'll look back on this moment and long to be there again. Time is always moving way too fast and it's easy to focus on the next moment in life rather than slowing down to enjoy what you have in the present.

Redbirds and Fireworks

One of the summer activities we enjoy to do is attending Memphis Redbirds games, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. We went with a couple of friends to a game on July 3, 2010, and ran into a bunch of other families from our ward in the game.

Even though our tickets are behind home plate, we still always go and sit on the Bluff. I can watch baseball, and Shelby and Noah can run around like mad men. The kids like to get cardboard and slide down the hill on the back of the Bluff.

After the game, we watched the fireworks, a prelude to the fourth of July. They were shot right over top of us, so we all had to shield our faces from falling ash and debris.

Atlanta Braves Game

Here are a few videos from our trip to Atlanta Memorial weekend to watch an Atlanta Braves game. We camped two nights at a KOA outside of Atlanta and went to see the Braves play the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 30, 2010, at Turner Field. It was a lot of fun for everybody.

The day was designated as one of their Family Days, so there was a lot to do with the kids. All of the interactive games around the stadium were free on this day, so Shelby and Noah got to try their skills at pitching and batting. We also had the chance to meet former pitchers Rick Camp, Zane Smith and Hall of Famer Phil Niekro before the game and get their autographs.

While Tamara and Noah waited in the autograph line, Shelby and I went into the outfield stands to watch some of batting practice. We were standing along the left field fence, and one of the Braves bullpen relievers threw Shelby a ball that she was able to use to get autographs on.

The Braves won the game in dramatic fashion with Chipper Jones knocking in a couple on a pinch hit appearance. Jason Heyward also had a good game.

After the game, the kids got to run the bases. It was a long line, but Shelby and Noah had a lot of fun and received a free t-shirt that said "I ran the bases at Turner Field," and also received a certificate.

Christmas Morning, 2010

Since we were up late on Christmas Eve, Noah and Shelby actually let us sleep in to 7:30, which was nice. Both were excited for what Santa had brought them and also for the gifts from Mom and Dad.

Santa gave Shelby the Epic Mickey game for the Wii and Sonic Colors game for her DSI. Noah got his own DSI so he doesn't have to keep taking Shelby's. Both of them also received a couple DSI games from mom and dad. They were both excited for their Pillow Pets, which I had never even heard about, but are pretty big this year.

Christmas Eve, 2010

For Christmas Eve, our family continues a Kolditz tradition of having a small program and then opening up a couple of presents. We finished watching Michael McLean's Forgotten Carols that we had started on family home evening the prior week. Then we sang carols and read Luke 2 before opening presents from the grandparents.

After opening the presents, we all played games on the Wii and before we knew it, it was 11 o'clock and way past bed time.

I apologize for my singing, which almost drowns everybody out. Watch Shelby singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. She doesn't know the words, so she oooohs nearly the entire song. Pretty funny.