Oh yeah, I've got a blog....

Ahh, it's been quite a long hiatus from the ol' blog, but I'm back now! I've got loads and loads and loads of photos from the past 2.5 months, so I'll be back-dating a few posts to update those soon. It occurred to me that the last time I left the blog for this long was about 2 years ago around this exact time of the year due to all of the joys and exhaustions of the first trimester of pregnancy. This time around, I assure you that my absence this time is simply a result of cyber laziness. No babies for now, I promise!
Around here, it seems like we've simply been enduring the long winter. The boys have been growing like crazy, and we've all got a mad case of spring fever! We've had a decent amount of snow this winter, but much colder temperatures than normal; between the frigid temperatures and a lagging cough, we've logged far too many hours indoors recently.
We've kept ourselves busy with toy trains and cars, visits with friends, baking, and a few too many movie nights on the couch. I've been making big plans for summertime (gardening!), attempting to feed our family of four on exactly half of our food budget this month (just for fun!), and beginning to think about a special birthday party in August! The past days have kept us busy dealing with some plumbing issues that resulted in a large hole being jackhammered in my basement floor. (Oh the joys of old houses!)
We're excitedly looking forward to springtime, and I promise not to abandon the blog for quite as long next time.
Happy Pi Day! :)

A Few Favorites....

The past few days have been full of Thanksgiving preparations and eager holiday anticipation. We've been busy, and our next few days are about to get much busier. But, amidst all of the busy baking and decorating and cleaning and prepping, we are thankful. I am so grateful for this life that I lead, and I am reminded every day of the heaps of blessings right here in this place. A few favorite things that have made me smile during the past week (in no particular order)....

-These two goofy boys: (obviously!)


-This video, entitled, "The Best Coin Ever Spent". Way cool!


-Thanksgiving preparations, and handprint turkeys...

-Our family list of things for which we are thankful.

-The book of 1st John. So short, yet so much. Also, Kisses from Katie.

-Pumpkin Dip. 'nuff said.

-Piles of packages arriving via UPS to be hidden in the closet for just a few more weeks!

-The gorgeous snow this morning....

Monday, Monday....

It's a dreary, chilly, gray Monday today, and I'm having trouble mustering up the motivation to get much of anything accomplished. While that's not great news for the lunch dishes still piled on the table, it does mean that I am willing to catch up on blogging while sitting on the couch with a steamy mug of tea. This blog has taken a backseat to life again recently, and I've finally convinced myself that that's okay! Real life is spending time with my boys, keeping caught up with devotions and Sunday School lessons, feeding my three hungry fellows more healthy food than junk, and making sure the house is at least semi-presentable before playdates. My main purpose for blogging is to share photos and stories and experiences and love through a virtual page that our family can look back upon in the future. So, if I get behind by a week or four? Not a big deal as long as I catch up with a few pics and snippets before 2016! (So, you see....I'm actually waaay ahead of schedule with this post about the past month of life around here!)


The biggest change around our household that I haven't mentioned is that LEVI CAN WALK NOW! He toddles around the house all day long, nibbing into every single thing within reach, and following his big brother like a lost puppy. Nate often reminds me, "Yiyi not a baby anymore, us both big boys!" Sigh.

Speaking of Nate, we've been experiencing much of his independence lately. And, while independence isn't a bad thing, it has led to more than one clash of wills in our home. Parenting a baby isn't easy, but, for me, parenting a "big kid" is a whole different ballgame! (And, I know, three is far from BIG when it comes to kids.) Often, I've found myself wondering what in the world we're doing--how are we supposed to know how to raise kids into healthy, well-rounded, God-fearing adults?! And then I remember Proverbs 22:6, and
Proverbs 13:24, and Proverbs 22:15.....and, well, let's just say that Proverbs has been very encouraging to me lately! Proverbs and the stack of books that I ordered from CBD about parenting! I don't want to say that we're discouraged--because we're not! Eric and I love being parents, and we love our boys! It's just that there are times when it would be easier to look the other way, to just let them do whatever it is that they want. "Oh, you want to eat ice cream for breakfast with sharp knives, then go outside and play in the street and swing from the electric lines? Fine, as long as you don't throw a fit." But, as parents, it's our job to not let those things happen. We love them too much to let them do whatever they want. Both of our boys have wills of their own, but they're don't yet understand what is best for them all the time. Green veggies and carseats aren't fun, but they're our ways of doing what's best for our kids--whether they like and/or understand or not. Sounds a teensy bit familiar, huh?


In other news, Levi is still teething. We've got about 2.5 molars through, and are still waiting for the rest. ....someday I'll get a full night's sleep again, right? (It's a good thing he's so darn cute in his jungle animal jammies at 3 AM!) Our daytimes are full of cars, cars, and more cars! (Some things never change around here!) Also, playdough has been a hit recently.

Though it's a few days early, we're readying for my favorite season! We decorated the house for autumn last Friday, and had butternut squash soup for lunch today. It's been chilly outside, and the leaves are beginning to change colors and fall to the ground. The silk leaves on the mantle make me crave pumpkin everything, and I've been perusing Pinterest for fall crafts to do with the boys. Who knew there were so many ways to incorporate leaves and acorns into finger-painted pictures? Starting to think about our Family Fall Bucket List for 2013 too! What's on your autumn list this year?

A few photos of our past few weeks....

Hey, I'm back!

Well, I'm not even sure where to start with this post. An update? Sure, that seems about right.....after a MONTH AND A HALF of absence. You know that last post about Levi's first haircut? Yeah, he's almost ready for his second! (Ugh , why have I turned into such a lazy blogger? Maybe because I'm a busy momma nowadays! Yeah, we'll go with that; it's totally not because I spend all of my free time on Facebook and Pinterest instead! Although, in my defense, I'm planning a birthday party, so Pinterest would be totally excusable....) Anyway, we have indeed been busy recently, but not in a bad way. It's summertime now, so our days have been full of playing in the sandbox, eating drippy popsicles on the patio, and visits to the zoo. Recently though, our days have also included lots of rain!
This particular week is Vacation Bible School at our church. I've had the pleasure of teaching the 2 through 3 year olds' class, where we've learned lots about the Armor of God through lessons, puppet shows, songs, games, and even snacks! And, of course, there's been more than a little chaotic playtime (Hey, it's the 2 & 3 year old class!). Nate is in my class, and I've loved watching him interact with the other children and leaders, as well as do his activities. His politeness just makes this momma's heart want to burst! Oh, when did my little guy get so grown up?!

A few weeks ago, Eric (and a group from our church) went on a mission trip to Honduras with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International. They had an amazing time ministering and serving the people there! If you're interested, you can check out this video montage from their trip.


Though it seems like it was a million years ago now, I suppose it's worth noting that the week Eric was gone was the same week that both boys and I were ill. I had a sinus infection (that I'd thought was almost gone) flare up into a major issue that required TWO antibiotics. I'll keep the gross details to myself, but I can't even remember the last time that I visited the doctor for an illness previously. Then, both boys caught a horrible cough that kept us all awake for several days/nights. Nate kicked it relatively quickly, but Levi landed himself on antibiotics (ear infection) and breathing treatments for several days. Just about the time Eric returned stateside, we all recovered nicely!

In other news? Levi crawls now. Not scooting on his tummy "army crawling", but really truly crawling! And, he pulls himself up and walks along furniture too. Oh, he's getting so big! Nate has finally decided that the potty is an acceptable place to do all of his business. (Until last week, we've been entirely trained for #1, but not so much for #2.) Bribery, begging, punishments, ignoring the fact? None of it worked. We were up to our ears in frustration and worry that maybe it would never happen. And then, just like magic, he decided it was time. He has not had one single accident since he made the decision a week ago. Yeah, my kid is awesome like that. And, oh, I'm so HAPPY!

At the beginning of the month, we took a short weekend trip as a family to Eric's sister's wedding. We were honored to have Nathaniel be a ring bearer (even though he cried on his way up the aisle!). The boys enjoyed their stay in the hotel, and we enjoyed our time away from home. The weekend was a blast, and everything was gorgeous--most of all, my beautiful sister-in-law! Congratulations, Jessie & Chris!! (Sorry for posting these pictures in the same post that talks about my kid being potty trained!)


Other than those "bigger" events, I can' think of much that has occurred within the past month. I know, I know, that's silly since I've been "too busy" to blog, right? I guess life just gets in the way sometimes, eh? I do have several posts all wadded up in my brain that I'll need to unload here soon. Recipes for Mexican pizza or Greek yogurt, anyone? Burlap curtain tutorial? I promise to update again before the end of summer, preferably a little more often than of late! Hope you're having a most fantastic summertime!! We are!

And, again...

Well. Here it is--the obligatory "Hey, I've been so busy that I abandoned the blog, but here's an update on all the cool things that we've been doing instead!" post. Except that, you know what? I can't really think of much that I've been doing lately. For me, blogging simply takes a backseat to life sometimes--and that's okay! I feel twinges of blogger guilt when I happen to log on and see new entries on all of my favorite blogs, then notice that my own hasn't been updated in 10 (er, 11?) days. But, that's just how life goes. I've got a busy life, and blogging isn't always at the top of my priority list. (On the other hand, there are days when I can't wait for naptime so that I can sit down at the computer and pound out an entry or two!) I guess you could say that I've just been in a blog rut. I haven't finished Nathaniel's 2 1/2 year post, Levi's 7 month post hasn't even been started, and I've got a whole list of "Hey, I should blog about that!" ideas in my brain. Eventually, they will make their way into my little corner of cyber-world, but, until then, a bunch of pictures of my sweet boys will have to satisfy.




Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Life.

Well, once again, I've abandoned this old blog for life. Update? Life here has been busy and full recently. Most importantly, Levi turned 6 months old, and Nate turned two and a half! (Time flies when you're having fun, eh?!)
In other [not so fun] news, I cracked a tooth, and it subsequently became infected. Ouch! I still have no idea when (or on what) I cracked it! Anyway, thanks to a visit to both our dentist and the oral surgeon, all is well now.
Nate is almost fully potty trained during the daytime now (including naptime). He still has some accidents when he's too busy to pause for a potty break, but overall, he's doing very well. I keep telling myself that we'll work on bedtime training soon too, but I just can't get motivated. There's plenty of laundry to keep me busy as it is--without throwing in an extra load of sheets daily!
Levi just popped through tooth #4 this morning, thank goodness! We've had quite a few terrible nights of sleep (or lack thereof!) thanks to this tooth, and I was quite excited to see it appear through that poor swollen gum this morning!
The boys had doctor appointments on Wednesday; they're both healthy and growing like weeds! Nathaniel is now 37 inches tall, and he weighs 32 pounds. Levi is now 28.5 inches tall, and he weighs 19 pounds and 5 ounces. My big boys!
I've got several fun projects going on right now--just enough to keep me busy, but not overwhelmed (yet!). Thanks to Pinterest, planning is so much easier, and my creative juices are a'flowing! I'm still working on my crocheting skills, getting plans/decorations together for a bridal shower, planning Easter activities, collecting new recipes, and trading out all of our chemical-laden household foods/items for more natural alternatives. Those may/may not sound interesting and fun to you, but I've been enjoying them all!
February is almost over, and we're eagerly looking forward to springtime and Easter around here. The cold temperatures have given way to a few warm days here and there, and they've been quite a tease! Nate cannot wait to get outside with his trike on a regular basis, and I can't wait to let Levi play outside. We've got several outdoor projects planned for this year, and we're itchin' to get started on those too!
Hope all is well with you and yours. Happy Friday!