A Season Ever-Changing

The boys and I have moved....

2011-10-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

http://alifeofpromise.blogspot.com/

Opposites attract

2010-05-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have heard many people say that siblings can be complete opposites... I just never realized HOW opposite they could be... until now. Logan and Kaden could not be more different. What is so amazing to me is that you can love two little independent people with such equal intensity. How different can they be you ask? Well... let me give you a FEW examples...

Logan Kaden

LOVES Pasta (plain) / could take it or leave it... but has to be w/ marinara

Ice cream (anytime... any flavor) / hates ice cream

cheeseburger / chicken nuggets

chocolate milk / hates milk

would eat pancakes for breakfast, / really can do without pancakes

lunch and dinner

hates any hot cereal / can eat oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner

talks very quietly / quiet is not in Kaden's vocabulary...

blue and green / red

legos / balls

building anything / destroying everything

momma's boy / Daddy's boy out and out

loves me to sing to him / puts his hand over my mouth and says, "no"

still has to be cuddled when sick / doesn't want to even be touched when sick

never tried to climb out of his crib / climbed out at 2 yrs 3 months

doesn't like heights / climbs EVERYTHING

likes golf, t-ball, hockey, and soccer / likes football (no really, the football over everything)

sleeps 12 hours every night still at 6 / lucky if he sleeps 9 hours

tall and skinny / tall and chunky

anything with lemon / NOTHING with lemon

very very picky eater / will eat everything except lemons, ice cream, and milk

loves to be around a lot people / takes awhile to warm up

loves books / will not give them the time of day

hair can't be longer that 1" / has only had 4 haircuts in 2 1/2 years....

straight fine hair / curly thick

shower / terrified of the shower

doesn't like baths / LOVES baths

skinny looooong feet / fat, flat loooooong feet :)

very routine / go with the flow

cannot be barefoot / prefers it

doesn't like loud noises / LOVES them

is very effected by my discipline / laughs at me

isn't very effected by Anth's discipline / is DEVASTATED

timeout worked / timeouts definitely don't work

sweet / always will choose salty over sweet

brown eyes / blue

cautious / leaps before looking

can play alone for hours / doesn't understand the concept

has a stuffed littlefoot / has a tag (a blanket, but really, it's the tag he has rubbed the stitches out of)

loves loves loves cuddles / they have to be on his terms and they are few and far between

rock and roll / rap

likes things clean and in their place / likes to make a mess

loves cars, anything on the ground / loves planes, anything in the sky

I seriously could go on and on... really... The funny thing is, they work. Together, that is... they are ALWAYS together, Kaden shadowing Logan, Logan teaching Kaden. They have a love of music, movie nights, outside, rubber boots, and a love of each other that makes everything else work...

Oh how they make my heart full... together they can have it all... I hope they always remember that!

Our house guest...

2010-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Logan got to be star of the week at school this week! He was SO excited!!! This meant that Bandit (the class pet) got to come home and play for the weekend! They have drawn sticks all year with the name of the kid that gets to be star of the week... there are 24 kids in the class... Logan was lucky #23, so he has watched Bandit go with many friends often crying on the way home. :(

The first thing Logan did was build Bandit a home out of Legos (of course). He took him everywhere. I was really sick and Kaden was sick all weekend, but we still managed some fun outings and Logan got to make his poster, journal, and questionnaire, and bag of personals to share with the class... WHEW!

I died and went to cupcake heaven!

2010-05-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this place completely by accident.... oh.... my.... gosh.... I can't seem to look away. There is everything a cupcake lover could ever dream of! It's my new fav!!! LOVE it!

http://www.fancyflours.com/site/index.html

And yes! The top picture is an EDIBLE cupcake stand!!!!

I won something!!!!

2010-05-01T17:02:00.001-07:00

I never win contests.... Don't worry... I'm not feeling sorry for myself, because I am blessed by MANY other things! :) I have just resolved myself to the fact that I'm not going to waste my money on the lottery, and I don't usually get my hopes up when I enter a contest... I can't remember how many I have entered, but today ..... I WON!!! Not once, but TWICE!!! Yes, you read right! Twice!!! A great designer over at http://rebeccawarddesign.blogspot.com/ named Rebecca had a contest for one of my favorite magazines, House Beautiful. I won a YEAR subscription...

Then... not 2 minutes later Anthony brought me the mail and I won a $77.77 gift card from a drawing over at

Woohoo!!! I don't know whether to go buy a lotto ticket or save my money to buy everything that I love in the magazine I will now be getting! :) LOVE THIS WINNING THING!!!

Total covet moment!

2010-04-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this bench... love love love love it. I love the bench, I love the color, I love the picture in my head where I would put it... Ok, I said it! Feast your eyes.

A day of new rides!

2010-04-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

So my parents... being the awesome people they are, thought that Logan shouldn't be the only one with a bike (because of course, how would he ride anywhere without me or Anth.... and we don't have bikes). So [insert drumroll here]....tada!!! I LOVE that it's PINK!!! They might love it more though because they never get to buy anything pink. :)

Next is something that I have wanted for awhile... A NEW CAR! The van, even though it was paid off, wasn't my favorite car in the world... so TA-DA!! This Volvo CX90 is now officially the newest Falcone ride! :)

It's LEGO-tastic!!!

2010-04-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of Logan's party... more to follow... it was so much fun!

My baby is 6....

2010-04-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

My little bird is 6 today... I am so proud of him, so completely in love with him, so bettered by knowing him and raising him, and so amazed by him. I cannot believe I have a 6 year old. I cannot believe the conversations we are having. I cannot believe how much he has matured in the past couple months! I love how he still crawls in bed with me every morning and falls bask asleep for that last 30 minutes. I love how he still loves to crawl on my lap and snuggle at ANY time of the day... he is my tender heart. He is totally into baseball, golf, Legos, and of course gardening. His favorite colors are blue and green.

Happy Birthday my little bird!

Tiny plug here!

2010-04-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

I found this website that I LOVE! It is called Starfall. It has all kinds of early letter recognition, phonics, spelling, and reading. Not to mention that it is totally easy for Logan to navigate with a mouse... He is loving it! This is a great program for preschool- probably 1st grade, or anyone who struggles with phonics! LOVE THIS!

http://www.starfall.com/

Never say Never...

2010-04-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have learned (many times the hard way) not to ever say, "I will never be THAT type of mother." They are not all bad things, but when you aren't a mom, you can't understand that there will be days when you realize your kids haven't had a bath in 3 days, that they will find a pair of pants in the laundry room because you haven't finished the laundry, that pizza for breakfast and waffles for dinner is just fine, that picking your battles may mean that you are walking out of the store with a toy you know they will NEVER pick up again and still had to endure a tantrum that you are sure they heard in Africa. Somewhere between discipline, candy, sibling rivalry, sleep deprivation, and wanting to do right by my boys, I have learned that unless they are rules given to us by GOD Himself, they are meant to be broken, tweeked, and they can be great lessons in grace.

Each of my boys has a "lovie" that they take with them. For most people this isn't surprising or unusual. Logan has his LittleFoot dinosaur (which isn't so little, just let me say after taking many plane rides) that Emily so wonderfully found for him. Kaden has his bottle. He takes it everywhere with him. He asks for it. We empty it during the day and he has his milk in it for night time. Does he care that it's empty? NO! It was one of his first words, it is something that comforts him. (A little tidbit into Kaden is that he does not like to be held or comforted AT ALL when he is sick or hurt. He doesn't like to be touched, period.) His ba-ba is his comfort. He is two years and 2 months... the average age of weaning from a bottle is 12-14 months AT THE LATEST! I have held off and held off. I have sworn I will not buy another bottle, to loose the only one we have and find myself racing to the nearest store at 7pm to buy another one! SO ridiculous!

I wish I could say 100% of my reasoning for this was Kaden, but that wouldn't be honest, would it? I don't know if we are having any more babies. I cannot stand the thought of his last little "babyish" things gone. Then, there's no turning back then... baby is gone. It makes me tear up just thinking it. It's pathetic, I know, but my general nature is to plan. I love planning, and the plan was to have another baby. It isn't as though I haven't enjoyed each minute with him, but I didn't go into it with the mindset that this was our last baby. It wasn't the last time I would see a first time crawl, hear a first mama, see a first toddle... those of you who aren't having another child, or planned another child and then it isn't happening, you know what I mean. Sometimes the feeling cannot be quantified in words: the deep longing inside a place in your heart and the pit of your stomach that aches for a baby and coming to terms with the idea that that longing might not be met, and then coming to a place where I can not only accept that, but embrace it. I'm just not at the latter of those yet. I am working on it... and God is working on me...

All this to say... we are starting the weaning of the bottle tomorrow... sigh.... this may be harder or me than him, but only tomorrow will tell.

Muffin Tin Monday!

2010-04-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I've posted! We've all been a bit under the weather, so tonight wasn't as big as we have done before, but I think we at least got all the colors of the rainbow! The boys still LOVE it... Logan reminded me this morning after he woke up... it was really cute. :) We did a spring/rainbow night!

On the menu:

Mickey Chicken Nuggets

Blue pasta

Corn

Banana yogurt pops with rainbow sprinkles

Strawberries

pudding topped with rainbow chip cookie "dirt" (this was Logan's favorite)

This was a great night!

Muffin Tin Monday!

2010-04-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a no theme-r so we went for, "These are a few of our favorite things!" They are all Logan's favorite things for dinner. I was going to watch Sound of Music with him, but he begged for Cake Boss, and since that is his favorite show on TV... it seemed appropriate! :)

On the menu:

Pink Lemonade

BBQ ribs

Pasta

Applesauce

Biscuits

Hardboiled Egg

(the eggs he has just decided he LOVES, so we aren't arguing!)

Easter!

2010-04-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

This was a great Easter. Full of thanks, love, candy, good food, and laughs! Each year the boys get funner and funner... I don't know how it's possible, but it is. Kaden gets so excited when he opens things now that he trembles! It's SO cute...

This is how Easter Break rolls...

2010-04-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

This Easter break was really low key, but it was still fun. There was a TON of Lego building, fort making, and movie watching. It was awesome! We still got some playtime in. On Friday, we went to Chuck e Cheese, had pizza for breakfast and won lots of tickets!! Daddy even got an early Easter present (his iPad).

The best part of the weekend was that we all got to go to a movie! Most people don't know, but ever since Logan has had hi tubes put in he is very sensitive to movie theatre settings. He completely freaks out. My heart breaks for him, because he wants SO badly to go and then as soon as the movie starts he sobs and wants to leave. So it has been almost a year since we tried this again. All four of us packed drinks, snacks, ear plugs, blankets, and anything else I thought might ease any anxiety and we were off! It was awesome! Kaden lasted about an hour and then cruised between Anth and I, Logan actually kept comforting Kaden telling him everything would be ok, no ear plugs were needed, no fits were had, Anth and I never got flustered... it was the perfect night. (One of those nights you are graced with when the next one comes along and nothing goes right!) Considering both boys are always in bed at 7:15 and the movie didn't get over until 8pm we all did great!! Logan talked about the movie all the way into his sleep, we never even got another word in the rest of the night.

It wasn't the movie, the family, the smoothness of the evening, it was the fact that this was a HUGE milestone for Logan that brought tears to my eyes at the end of the night. He felt like such a big boy and I loved that he was so proud of himself.

This was a great spring break... not the one I had planned, but the one God knew we needed! God is great and my family is amazing.

Finally some Easter fun!

2010-04-01T15:11:00.001-07:00

Usually when people in our family are sick, I take care of them... aside from sinus infections (which never stop life), I am not usually sick. That was until this week! I was SO excited to have spring break and go run and play with no agenda... then I got sick. Really sick, really fast. After a trip to the dr., the threat of ER, a major dose of antibiotics, and two days on my back I am starting to feel human! Whew!

So [insert drumroll here] today we finally got some fun it! Our friends came over and it was dying eggs, and decorating our own cookies and easter garden we were activity-ed out and the boys went out and played in the yard. They even ate lunch out there. It's so much fun to have 4 boys playing in the yard and watching them run around... all that energy, bounce, and squealing is awesome!

It was a Funderland kind of day...

2010-03-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

We had the best time... it was our first experience putting the boys on a ride and watching them go off! It was kind of surreal! :) The weather was beautiful and I stood there wondering how it came that we were blessed with two such amazing boys!

Sneaking and sleeping...

2010-03-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

I'll give him this... he's quiet as a mouse... a couple times, without the light, I have crawled in bed and screamed to find a body on my side of the bed! This time I guess he decided to bring his light too! I don't have TV on, no noise at all.... somehow he has developed the art of silent moving! Oh how I love him....

Check this out....

2010-03-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

This website has free printable art that you can download!

Download. Print. Frame. = Free ART!!!

LOVE this!

http://indiefixx.com/Feed_your_soul/downloads.html

Purple and Blue muffin tin night...

2010-03-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

So... it was Purple and Blue night...

On the menu:

Purple Pancakes

Blue Biscuits

Blue yogurt Banana pops (with purple sprinkles)

Purple Oatmeal (just for Kaden)

Breakfast for dinner is always a hit with the boys and they loved this!!!

T-Ball has started!!

2010-03-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

We are the DODGERS!!! When we told Logan he was doing T-ball this year, I swear it was like we told the child he could live in Disneyland! All he has talked about is T-ball since it ended last summer. He loves it! Saturday was our first game of the season and Logan started it of by catching one ball, tagging 2 kids out (even though they still get to run the bases), hitting 2 outfielders, and (of course) sliding into each base!! He rocks!

Kaden took the opportunity to play in all the dirt mounds everywhere... he had a blast yelling, "DO, DO, DO" (which means go). He loves watching his brother run the bases, he just doesn't understand why he can't run after him. :)

Teamwork

2010-03-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

Logan has ALWAYS loved gardening... anything that he can affect change he loves. He loves transplanting, seeding, raking, and especially digging! Our yard is in need of a serious clean up. Pruning, raking, planting, and everything that comes with that. Today was clean-up part one. We are blessed with 10 VERY LARGE pine trees that have graciously given us about a foot of ground cover around the entire perimeter of the yard... 2 hours later and a lot of teamwork, a Logan likes to say, we made some good progress and everyone got to crawl into the garbage can to smash down the greens... that seemed to be the highlight of the day! HA!

My Birthday

2010-03-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

This year I had a wonderful birthday. It was uncomplicated and full of love!

Logan had a minimum day at school so after he got out all three of us met my mom for lunch at Dos Coyotes! LOVE that place! She gave me a ring that has been in our family for 4 generations! I first belonged to a powerful, strong, spitfire of a woman named Viva. I have often heard my mom speak of her. She sounds like she would have been a kick to know! :) It was passed down from each mother to her daughter on her 30th birthday. Now, it is mine. I wish I could look into the memory of this ring to see what it has seen over these past 4 generations of women!

Then it was home in time for naps and Anth told me to be ready at 4. My parents came over and we were off. I have to say this time I had NO clue where he was taking me... which has NEVER happened!! HA! He ended up driving me to Ione to the Bed and Breakfast where we got married. He brought a picnic dinner, sparkling cider, and dessert. It was perfect. It was far enough away to almost feel like a vacation, but close enough not to stress about all a vacation entails! :) It was so romantic, he is so amazing.

OK...enough mush... I am 30. There. I said it.

Muffin Tin Monday - 1st try!

2010-03-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

This was our first official Muffin Tin Monday!!! WOOHOO! The theme was green for St. Patty's day. Logan thought of all the food...on the menu:

1. Green Cheese Pizza

2. Snap Peas

3. Green mashed potatoes

4. Broccoli

5. Green Tortellini

6. Green cupcake with lucky charms! :)

7. Green milk!!!

It was awesome! Logan made the cupcakes all by himself... the recipe called for 3 eggs and we went through 5, but it was SO worth it... start to finish, even the frosting... he did it all. Love that boy!

The playroom!!

2010-03-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Ta-Da! This room has kinda taken on it's own personality... It was funny. I started with some awesome fabric I found at Ikea... from there the room just started taking shape. I'm usually not so centered around a color (like red) but it works here... a couple finishing touches (like filling my picture frames with my own updated pictures) and I think it will be about done! What's more important... the boys LOVE it. Another room down.... :)

I had to add a picture of my men relaxing... this is why I do what I do... I love them...

Muffin Tin Monday

2010-03-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

I LOVE THIS!!! We are totally in on this wagon.... I'll let you know how it goes...

What is a Muffin Tin Meal? Pretty simple here. It's a meal served in a muffin tin. ForMuffin Tin Mondays we make them for our kids, but anyone can have a muffin tin meal!

Logan's Room is FINISHED!

2010-03-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

He is such a big boy... what he wanted for his room totally proves this. It was so much fun for me because the furniture we got was what will hopefully carry him through his teen years... that is so weird to think about! It truly is a big boy room for my almost 6 year old!

I still have a curly headed baby!!!

2010-03-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

Just had to put this out there! Since the first time we cut Kaden's hair, I haven't gotten over loosing his curls. So I have specifically hovering over his hair dresser like a MAD WOMAN so that the top of his hair will not be cut! It's longer here than it usually is, but it is still curly!!!! I'm SOOOO happy! I love my curl haired baby!

Logan being Logan

2010-02-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I love this boy. Even at 6am in the morning he looks SO cute (he isn't supposed to get out of bed until 7). He was so proud of himself. He laid out his clothes and got what he wanted for his snack and had everything out for me to see... at least he picked healthy snacks! :)

This is just how Logan rolls.... we took a trip to Ikea and 3 hours later we were home! This is how Logan decided to unpack the car...

p.s. Thanks Kaden for holding the door. :)

The Kitchen...

2010-02-23T19:44:00.000-08:00

I have a plan... and that usually scares Anthony! :) I'm going to make our kitchen table! WOOHOO! I can just hear you all now cheering me on... Really... I have this old door that I found 5 years ago. It's the perfect size (once I saw it down), it's the perfect color (once I sand it and paint it), it's the perfect table (once I buy and attach legs), and it will even have places underneath that I can put pictures (once I buy the glass that has to go on top so it's not uneven). It's all in the vision... I have a dream. I going to do it... It's going to be awesome! I will keep you updated, but for now, here is a picture of the kitchen so far... we have a ways to go, but you'll get the general idea!

My little model...

2010-02-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

I love Love LOVE my camera! I wish I knew more about it, or had the time to take a photography class... in the meantime, Kaden has no problem being my little model. Every time I bring the camera out he says CHEEEEESE!!!

A little bit of Kaden...

2010-02-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

He thinks he is so big! His has his own great bike, but he insists on trying to ride his brother's old bike! HA! He doesn't know he's only 2.... we won't tell him just yet... :)

Is this really happening?!

2010-02-21T15:07:00.000-08:00

Logan and I had a VERY long conversation today. He told me all about the date he was going to have with one of his classmates, Shelby. (Who I secretly think is absolutely ADORABLE!) He told me he didn't just want to take her to fast food because, "You know fast food really isn't good for you." He said maybe we could all meet at a restaurant and then maybe go to a park afterward. "That might be fun!" I really cannot remember every quote of what he said, the fact that we were having the conversation was a little freaky, personally. So then I am at this crossroad. It is cute? Yes. Do I think it's great that he thought of every little detail like the fact that she can't eat cheese so we need to go somewhere she can get chicken? Yes. Do I not want him to have a "date" until he is 30? YES! Somewhere deep inside me it bothers me that my 5 year old can't have a little crush without me having to over obsess about the future of what, when, and where this will be appropriate. I know I will cross the bridge one day where he will have a real date that he truly likes, but for now I am realizing that at almost 6 years old, in todays world, I will be crossing that bridge a lot sooner that I thought I would. It is here that I struggle with the balance between growing an independent man and sheltering the boy he is now. Good thing I don't have to have it all figured out today. Until then... it looks like I'm going to go to Letherby's and a park with a little girl names Shelby! <3

We have moved!!!

2010-02-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

We aren't dead... we have officially moved! Will post pictures soon... as soon as I unpack my camera that is! :)

Starbucks Vanilla Scones!

2010-02-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

My kids are both addicted to Starbucks vanilla scones. For $1.95 a 3 pack (and yes, they each have to have their own 3 pack) it can get expensive! I have been desperately trying to make my own scone recipe... This is the closest I have found, they are definitely cakey-er than the Starbucks recipe, but the boys went wild! :)

Starbucks Vanilla Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar, or vanilla sugar
5 tablespoons organic, unsalted butter, cold
1 cup full-fat sour cream
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Scrapings from a 1/2″ piece of vanilla

Rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until flour is crumbly.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg yolk, vanilla scrapings, and vanilla extract until blended. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until dough forms a ball.
Dough will be sticky.

Place the dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet and pat into a disk about 1-inch thick.
Cut the dough into wedges but do not separate.
Sprinkle tops with sugar and let stand twenty minutes, so the gluten can relax.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Make the glaze:
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
enough heavy cream to make a thick glaze

Mix all ingredients and spoon over warm scones.

Power's Out Family Night!

2010-02-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

I know I say this often, but this is my FAVORITE family night so far... we had "Power's Out" family night. We turned of every light in the house and lit candles everywhere! Everything we ate couldn't require power so it was grilled filet, pasta, and grilled garlic bread! Then we ate by candlelight.... I have to say it was one of my favorite meals... there was something so peaceful about it... I'm almost positive it won't happen again! :) Then we played flashlight tag, which the boys LOVED! About 20 minutes before bedtime the lights came on (oh so magically) and we stuck Valentine's cookies in the oven and wound down with a little TV.... It was a great night!

It's Valentine's!!!

2010-02-05T20:21:00.000-08:00

So, now that we have a Valentine's baby, the hearts REALLY flow around the house.... Logan loves crafts anyway, Kaden loves parties, and I love holidays so we are three pea's in a pod! (Anth just like that this means I make great desserts like a red velvet cake with Ganache frosting!) So because I feel, just a little, like Valentine's Day is no longer, I decided we would celebrate it every day in the month of February! HA! We each decorated our own mailbox and every day we are putting love notes in it for each other. It was amazing to see Logan's face when he got a Valentine from Kaden (of course Kaden just scribbled out some love on a paper). He was so amazed that Kaden thought of him and went over and apologized for not giving him one sooner. He actually told Kaden that he learned something from him, he said, "I guess I'm not always your teacher, huh?" The levels he thinks on amaze me... I think that often about him. :) This is such a wonderful encouraging thing... I just might have to keep it up all year... maybe just not every day! :)

My little READER!!

2010-01-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Anyone with a child in speech knows the challenge that faces some of these kids when it comes to reading and spelling. Logan's challenge was no different. He was "reading ready" at the beginning of the school year, but he still was held back from the early class because he pronounced some of his letters incorrect. Without speaking the correct sound for specific letters, sounding out words would be very difficult. 6 months later and SO MUCH WORK.... Logan is reading... I have to say I sobbed. I remember a year ago his speech teaching telling me he would probably not be reading until well into his first grade year. His teacher is AMAZING and he is such a hard worker. I love working with him every day and he LOVES that he can read. He is so proud of himself it makes my heart so full. This is a HUGE milestone for him. He is amazing... so... without further ado....

HERE'S LOGAN...

The ABC's of thankfulness...

2010-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

An amazing friend of mine did this on her blog and I am totally copying her! :) Hopefully she doesn't mind. I actually did it with Logan first and he LOVED it. It was great to work on phonically and it got him thinking about everything he was thankful for...

Here is my list:

Anthony

Bras - as much as I hate the thing I would be in sad shape without it!

Calendars

Dancing

Ever Afters

Family Nights!

God, His almighty power and His tender grace

Help

Iphone

Jiffy

Kaden

Logan, my little bird

My mommy

Night time

Overcome

Pepsi

Quotes: wisdom is timeless and universal

Ranch Dressing

Singing

Target!!!

Undo

Venti Starbucks!!!

Writing

Xox

Yoga pants -(totally copied this one!)

Zest

These were Logan's:

Ambulances - they save people

Bees

Cats (he really wants a cat)

Daddy

Eating good food

French toast

GEO Trax

Heaven

Ice Cream

Jesus

Kaden

Little Foot

Mommy

Nanny

Oranges

Pasta and Pancakes (it was a tie)

Quests

Running

Shells

Trevor

Up (the movie)

Valentine's Day!

Water

Xbox (he has never played, but he knows "X")

Yellow

Zebras

Plug

2010-01-19T12:03:00.000-08:00

I seriously have to do an educational plug today... We got these 2 DVD's a couple of months ago and as someone who is going to school to be an SLP I cannot recommend these enough!!!! Why did no one ever tell me about these!!! We love them. Kaden is now singing along to the letter songs... AMAZING!!! Are the songs annoying? Yes, but no more annoying than the Wiggles, Barney, Dora, or any other kids medley out there! They are great! Go out and spend $20 and get them both!!!! Now!!! :)

Meatball Family night!

2010-01-17T18:58:00.001-08:00

This was the best night ever!!! We have watched the movie Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs! We watched it once before, but we all loved it before and tonight was just as good. Logan helped make the meatballs. (He is getting to be quite the little chef!) Kaden of course LOVED eating the meatballs. For dessert I made a pasta cake with strawberry red sauce! :) It was great! Hoping I am able to do these once a week again! <3

Reality

2010-01-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

So... in the back of my mind there is this perfect little place where every pair of jeans fit perfectly, the kids always mind their manners when we are out in public, my laundry is always magically done/folded/put away, AND I manage to keep up on our blog.... Then reality hits and I tell Toto (the imaginary Dog, and ONLY dog we will ever have, that lives in my head) I am not in Kansas anymore. *sigh*

Where are the days, weeks, months going?!? How is it that I don't have time to sit down for 10 minutes a night and blog it out?!? I'll tell you where. My family. I finished my class on December 17th and never looked back... I have rarely opened my laptop during the day except to quickly check my facebook (which I do more now on my phone). After trying to balance a semester of school, family, Logan starting Kindergarten, Kaden starting speech, Anthony working out of town, and everyday chores that never do (and will never) end, I took a break. I sunk into my family. I realized how many days have gone by since I sat and just watched Logan and Kaden play together without either engaging them because I feel bad for not spending enough time with them or cleaning my house that was desperately spiraling out of control because of multiple assignments or tests that I had had that week. I realized how long it had been since I had had a complete full conversation with Logan until HE was ready to walk away satisfied that he had said all he wanted to say (which in some cases can be over an hour... seriously). I realized that despite my constant effort to keep it all together, I was the one who had fallen apart. Granted, there was quite a lot going on all together and that is another blog at another time, but somewhere in there I forgot why I always wanted to be a mommy... it was the little things... not the earth shattering, life changing moments, but the times I look up and see them both sitting on the couch eating popcorn watching a movie, or crawling into bed on a Saturday morning. Their kisses and loves, their conversation and jabber, their expectations, trust, and unconditional love of me. That's amazing to think about.

I thought for awhile about how sad I was that I missed the past 4 months, but I can't allow myself to stay their very long. I'm too excited about the fact that I realized this before any more time passed, before they didn't let me grab them and slobber all over them. I never forgot what a blessing they were to me, but somewhere I lost how I could be MY best for them and in turn be the biggest blessing to them.

We have many decisions to make in the coming months about Logan's school, the right therapy for his Auditory Processing problems he is having, Kaden's speech, how much are we going to shelter them and where that balance is, and coming to terms with the fact that we are going to have a 6 year old and a 2 year old. It's amazing being a parent. It is the most rewarding and terrifying thing. I want so badly to do right by these boys that sometimes my body aches. I truly am a better person because of them. I pray and trust that God's will and His hands will guide me to do what's right for them and I am at peace with the grace that He gives when I make a mistake. I start school in a week and even though I am nervous again about the balance, I am thankful for the wisdom I have gained and challenged to better myself yet again. For my corny quote of the blog, "It's all about the climb." Thank you Miley. :)

So on that note... I WILL be updating in the next couple days and take us through the past couple months...

Christmas Day...

2009-12-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas was wonderful this year! It was the first year we didn't have a zillion things going on and to my own amazement... I didn't go crazy buying things for the boys (that could be because they have everything already). We did our tree in the morning and Kaden's Christmas present (much to Logan's disappointment) was to let us sleep until 7am!! Then we went to my parents for their tree, which you can see from the pictures is CRAZY! They spoil these boys! :) Then it was home for a nap and a very nice Christmas dinner... the day was perfect and in no way exhausting... just like it should be! Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Over the bend and through the woods....

2009-11-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

Every year (except last year) we go and cut down our tree. It is something that I look forward to from about April on... and if you know me, you know this to be true! :) It is one of my favorite memories and something that I LOVE doing with my boys. There is something about the crisp air, smell of a warm fire, and hot chocolate that makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Pair that with the fact that this mean I can OFFICIALLY start decorating for Christmas and this is by far my favorite outing of the year. We go to a place called Hidden Canyon in Placerville. We chanced upon it 9 years ago and have been going ever since. There is an older couple that runs the place and their whole family helps. This year they even let Logan cut the tree down! I just about had a heart attack as Kaden went barreling down every hill at top speed, but I am trying to relax, and when appropriate, embrace his inner dare devil! HA! He loved just and much as Logan has each year. We got some great pics and I'm not even going to try and condense them into 2 or 3 so here you go....

Here is the info on Hidden Canyon just for FYI... They are great!

HIDDEN CANYON TREE FARM

Tom & Shirley Harshman
3500 Newtown Road, Placerville
(530) 622-6760 OR (530) 622-1472

Location: From Hwy 50, take Point View turnoff to Broadway, turn left. Broadway becomes Newtown Road. Continue past mobile home park 3/4 of a mile to large, white and red Hidden Canyon sign.

Type of trees: White Fir, Doug Fir, Silver Tip, Sequoia and Cedar.

Amenities: Local honey and firewood for sale. Early sales by appointment only.

Hours: OPEN DAILY 9:00 am to DARK

Halloween

2009-10-31T19:51:00.000-07:00

This year Halloween was VERY low key because Logan is sick... :( He woke up with a very high fever this morning... So we made caramel apples, carved pumpkins, and trick-or-treated out of Nanny's car. At least they got to wear their costumes! :)

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2009-10-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

So today was Logan's first field trip on a bus... away from me... all alone on a bus... so I followed behind the bus! HA! With Kaden and I in tow, Logan still had a great time! He is getting so big. The pumpkin patch was great. We even got to ride on a train. Kaden thinks he is as big as all the kindergartners so it's a little hard to explain to him why he couldn't keep up in the hay maze! HA! It was a freezing but great time.

The Ear Saga Continues

2009-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Poor Logan... He just can't cut a break when it comes to his ears! We have been battling an ear infection for the past month. Because he has tubes all the yuck just drains right out his ear and down his neck making concentrating on anything other than this annoyance impossible. He is such a trooper through it all. He gets his ears sucked out, cleaned out, and cotton balled every day. We don't exactly know what this is going to mean for him the next couple weeks because he once again cannot hear us. Here are some pictures of my brave little man.

What else are you supposed to do at 4 am when you ear hurts, pops, crackles, and drains down your neck continuously?!? If you can't beat it.. Watch TV, drink hot chocolate, create some nice ambient Halloween lighting and play power rangers with Mom! :)

We've lost a tooth!!!!

2009-10-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Logan lost his first tooth!!! Yeah! I may have been a little more excited than he was... I actually was doing little dances around the bathroom as he was wiggling away. :) Anthony finally told him after he tried and tried to pull it out (it was slippery) he would get one piece of fudge for every time I got to try... That did it, and thank God, it only took one pull!!! The tooth fairy, being so excited it was his first tooth, naturally gave him a Transformers costume instead of money! HA! I'm afraid, however, the bar has been forever raised so we will see how our future fairy wiggles out of this one! :)

GPM Open house

2009-10-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

Anthony had his first Launch/Open house at GMP last week. It was amazing. They doubled the expected amount of people and the evening was a smashing success! I had so much fun helping him and seeing him in "action." He truly amazes me with his talent. I was so proud to be standing next to him! <3

Jibber Jabber

2009-10-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

So... Since I had Logan, I have yet to be able to go to the bathroom in peace. I spared the actual act of letting you all see Logan go to the bathroom, but Kaden now graces Logan with conversation as he tries to go to the bathroom just like they both grace me... Frankly I like that someone else gets it! :) Logan gets a little annoyed, but I am reminded of a little saying.... Payback is.... Hahaha!

Apple Hill!

2009-10-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

We spent the day at Apple Hill, which is a tradition of ours every year. We love it and so do the boys now that they are getting older and can really appreciate a carmel apple! :)

Our little golfer!

2009-09-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Business trips!

2009-09-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

So Anthony had to go on a business trip for one night and it just HAPPENED to be on Coronado Island! Woohoo! I tagged along and we had so much fun together without our wonderful boys! (Thanks so much to my parents for having the stamina and willingness to watch them!!!!) In between naps we went to Sea World, walked along the beach, and napped some more! :)

Chicken Pox - take 2

2009-09-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Poor poor Logan! He had to miss his 2nd week of kindergarten which was devastating to him. I am just praying he can go by next Tuesday! I love him so much, but he is the WORST patient. The biggest problem is, when he gets sick, all he wants is to be held and loved on (but with pox everywhere that is impossible). He spends most of his time in the bath which he loves. :)

Kindergarten Meet the Teacher!!!

2009-08-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is such a bittersweet time! I love who Logan is and the big boy he is becoming, but reality is so hard. This is why I spent the past 5 years at home with him, to encourage, strengthen, support, love, teach, and feed into this little boy. I know that all of that doesn't stop just because he starts kindergarten, but it is a HUGE step starting "Elementary School." Ohhhhh.... Ahhhhhh.... I feel like there is no turning back now. There is no "pre" anything. This is the real deal. He is so ready and SO excited. I am sad. I know this will pass. This has been a rough year on me... seeing him turn 5 was very hard and kindergarten it would seem is going to be a journey for us both! I think it really comes down to the little known secret that he is my buddy. He has been my constant companion, friend, and little helper for 5 years... being gone 5 days a week, I think I will miss his constant chatter. Of course, I'm sure Kaden will fill in the blanks!!! :) I love you my little bird and we are SO proud of you big boy!!!!

Kaden has the CHICKEN POX!!

2009-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

So I was actually going to post 2 days ago how life for the past month has been very uneventful.... then Kaden got the CHICKEN POX!!! Poor baby.... let's just pray Logan isn't next!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY!

2009-06-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

For Anth's birthday this year we actually went out of town together for the first time in a couple years!!! After getting into San Francisco we hit up Apple, the Ferrari store, and Gap! It was a Good birthday!! We saw Transformers later in the day and after a quiet dinner at CA Pizza Kitchen we called it a night around 10pm... we felt like it was 3am..... hmmm.... maybe we ARE getting old! Ha!!

Father's Day

2009-06-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Starting school has made it a little harder to update than I thought it would! :) So for Father's day this year the boys and I got Anth his traditional Father's Day breakfast..... DONUTS!! Logan made Anth a rock garden and we wrote a chore he could help daddy with on each one! It was so cute... It was a good day.

This was Father's Day 2006:

Summer School?!?

2009-06-11T13:50:00.001-07:00

I have spent many night reflecting on the changes our family has journeyed through the past year. It seems like God is molding me. I just wish I knew what He was molding me for! :) I am in awe of the strength he gives me and the responsibility of being a mommy. The magnitude of all that entails and being entrusted with these boys takes my breathe away.

What I am finding after many years of doubt is there are many parts of me I never thought to explore simply because I thought I would fail. He is teaching me that what He says is proof in my life.... anything is possible through Him. That is so empowering!! I love being a mommy, but after 9 years away it's time to show myself what else I am capable of. I enrolled in college last month. I start on Tuesday. I am majoring in Speech pathology with a minor in ECE. Logan is almost as excited as I am that we will both be starting a new "school" at the same time! (Almost.)

I am scared out of my mind!! I am afraid I will disappoint others, or myself. One day at a time right?!? I am excited to see what God has for me in this venture!

Party Time!

2009-06-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

I am finding that I am loving our yard!!! We had an end of the year pre-school pool party/ movie night party. It was freezing, so most of the kids ended up in the spa! They had a blast and I CAN'T wait to do it again. (Hopefully the weather will be warmer next time!)

Twisted Family Night

2009-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

We had our second family night of the summer and we chose "Twisted" as the theme. We had twisted chicken Kabobs, twisted pasta, twisted bread sticks, and twislers! We ate to a twister themed music selection courtesy of Anth and ended the evening playing twister! It was so much fun!!!

Adjusting!

2009-05-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

So with Anth's new job he is commuting (hopefully only for 3 months) and let me tell you it is taking some getting used to!!! :) 5AM comes VERY EARLY!!! I have been getting up with him and exercising which is a great bonus, but by 3pm I am ready for a nap! :) This week he has been gone since Tuesday and it's been rough. Hopefully this will be the only time he will have to do this, but I am finding the boys and I are having a little daddy withdrawal.

On a side note I got THE BEST DEAL IN THE WORLD ON CRAIGSLIST today. Logan and I hit the mother-load of all Rescue Hero Toys!!! 8 hours later and barely enough food to sustain him, he went to bed telling me all about their battles. (I literally cannot walk through my house.) We finished the night with his favorite flavor...lemon. I took a cake cookie recipe and made up one for a lemon cake and then we put chocolate chips in it.... I think Logan would say this was a great day!

I will leave you on a happy note with some pics of our great bargain!!

Memorial Day (a couple days early)

2009-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

We started up the BBQ a couple days before Memorial Day this year with our best friends. We had so much fun BBQing, swimming, and just hanging out. Today's life is so busy it's amazing what a good day with friends does to the spirit! The boys had a great time and here are the pictures to prove it!

New and exciting things!!

2009-05-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

ANTHONY GOT A NEW JOB! It is an amazing opportunity! We are SO proud of him. It means so many more benefits that I really can't list them all! It is around the bay area, but the commute hasn't been that bad! I really is a wonderful long term career opportunity. We are super excited and currently trying to pick out our new company car (Ford made). :) WOOHOO ANTH!!!

Whirlwind

2009-05-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

These past couple days have been crazy busy for us!

First we had Spring Sing Thursday night which is always so much fun to watch the little kids sing (or not)! Logan was SO excited to go and almost as excited for the dessert afterwards!

Next we had a field trip Friday morning on the lightrail. Aside from being left behind with Kaden (the conductor told us to move to a different car with the stroller and the minute I stepped out of the train with Kaden he pulled away) it was a good field trip. We met up with everyone at the destination (McDonalds) and then had a drama free ride back! :)

Then Friday night is was on to birthday festivities (it was Janet's Birthday). Everyone came over for dinner and the kids enjoyed a night filled with the hot tub and Wii games!! (I will have to post pictures later because I need to get them from Janet! :)

Then Saturday morning it was off to our last T-Ball game! GO CUBS! It was a great way to end the season with Logan tagging 5 outs and hitting a double! Then it was on to the Spaghetti Factory for an end of the season PARTY!! So much fun... can't wait to do it next year!

Rainbow Family night!

2009-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

I made a goal this last week to have a family night every week over the summer! It is going to be great! I will usually do them on Friday, but we have all been sick this past week and we haven't left the house (except for church on Sunday) in 5 days! We needed a family night!!!! So one of Logan's favorite things to read about right now are prisms and how they make rainbows. He loves them. Every time he sees one he tells me to hurry and "Catch God's promise!!!!" So I decided to kick off the summer marathon with none other than Rainbow family night!!! We have grilled chicken, Green pasta (with yellow squash), blue biscuits, rainbow goldfish snacks, rainbow jello, and purple milk! It was awesome! After dinner we had FunFetti rainbow cake with rainbow chip frosting! After dinner we played Tic-Tac-Toe with rainbow squares Logan and I made earlier and rainbow Chips Ahoy Cookies! (He only ate one of them!) It was a great night and I am SO looking forward to one of these each week!!!

BOYS, BOYS, BOYS

2009-05-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

It rained here for almost a week straight and it was pretty much the most rain we have had all season! I think I literally witnessed Logan bounce off one of our walls. So one day in the middle of the storm we actually had some sun and it was READY, SET, MUD!!!

YUCK!

washing the mud off his hands... creating mud water for Kaden!

Whatcha doing big brother?!?

Of course he had to SIT in the puddle!

... this is what started it all.... he had to build a dam!!! Love it!!

Denial

2009-05-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

So it has officially been a full month since it happened so I guess I need to come out of my denial pit and actually post. WE MOVED!!! It was nothing less than traumatic for everyone involved (hence the denial) but I feel we are hitting a good grove now. We both agreed that when either one of us maxed out (in the cottage) if it was before we made our goal it was ok... we had come a LONG way in 6 months... I just didn't think when that happened we would move so quickly... Those of you who know me know that I am the eternal planner so this rocked my world a bit! So... it's done... finding a groove.... trying desperately to apply what we learned the past 6 month to the "real" world of many bills again!!!

Logan's birthday week...

2009-04-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

My little bird is 5...

2009-04-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

These are my top reason why I love my Logan...

1. I love your huge brown eyes

2. I love the way you love me every morning by cuddling with me, rubbing my back, giving me kisses, and then roll over and torment your daddy by sticking your finger in his ears and nose, open his eyes with your fingers, and tickle him out of bed to watch TV with you!

3. I love your helpers heart

4. I love that music flows through your heart and you crave it from the time you wake up until you fall asleep

5. I love that you have asked for the same song every night since you could talk for me to lullaby you to sleep...

6. I love that you are my constant bug catcher, garden grower, dam builder. Anything you can do outside, you will....

7. I love that you are the hardest worker I know.... much more so that some adults I know

8. I love the way you problem solve... you amaze me... the other day you asked if we were going North, South, East, or West... I told you we were going West. You thought about it for awhile and then you said, "But what is the point of that mom? We are just going to go in a circle and meet East."

9. I love that you love your brother. You are a natural teacher. You are so patient with him. You are the first to share, the first to make a funny face when we cannot make him happy. You are such a blessing to Kaden.

10. I love that you sneak frosting under the dining room table and leave it there for later when you think I am not looking...

11. I love watching you become a little man... even though I cry at the thought....

12. I love your tender heart

13. I love your will power... I pray everyday you will use it for God's will first and not mine or your own...

14. I love that you still kiss me in public without hesitation and that you always let me call you my little bird.

Logan,

Never in a million years did I think my love could grow anymore than it did the moment you were born. I was wrong. You are an amazing little man. I am a better person because of you. You are my constant companion and helper. My little love.... I thank God everyday for trusting you to me. I cannot believe how fast these 5 years have gone. I am so proud of you. You will always be my little baby...

Happy Birthday My Little Bird,
Mommy

It's Prom night!

2009-04-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Ryan finally after 2 months convinced everyone he HAD to go to prom.... IF I COULD TAKE HIM!! HA! He was so nervous, it was really cute! He is such a dork....

The last picture is how he woke up the next morning at 7AM!!!

T-Ball

2009-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Logan has found his calling! HE LOVES T-BALL!!! He takes it so seriously. I have a feeling we are going to be doing this the next couple years! :)

The Non-Traditional

2009-04-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was good, but very non-traditional. The day ended and we were left wondering if we had an Easter. :) We went over to our best friend's house on Friday. We had the best time coloring eggs and decorating a bunny house. Saturday we went over to Tony and Janet's for an Easter scavenger hunt and dinner. The boys had a blast! Easter day we went to church and then met my parents for a very non-traditional Easter Dinner at John's Incredible Pizza! The boys had a blast and at the end of the day we were pooped!

Take 2...

2009-04-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

So with Logan's love of this movie and the music, it was inevitable that Kaden would love it too!!! Oh how I love them!!!

We love High School Musical!!

2009-04-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

He's off...

2009-04-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

...and running!

Family Pictures

2009-03-19T08:31:00.001-07:00

Thank you so much to Sandy Runner Photography!

It's T-Ball Time!!!

2009-03-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

Logan is SO excited to be in T-Ball this year! He is on the Cubs team. The schedule for games is actually a little more intense than I thought it would be for T-Ball, but SO much fun! We have 2 games a week. He took practice last night so seriously. It was great! (Of course I think he is great!)

My birthday

2009-03-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

What birthday wouldn't be complete without a trip to IKEA!! Ha! Over-all it was a pretty relaxing day. Much more mellow than other birthdays before, but with two kids, that's to be expected! :) Anth stayed home and we had a family day. We had a picnic lunch in the yard, naps, playtime, and then it was just mommy-daddy time. Anth and I slipped out for dinner and a theatre show. It was such a good day!

Playing and letting go

2009-03-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

So as Kaden gets older I am finding I am having a harder time letting some things go. Some things are easier and I am much more relaxed, but I think the reality of him not being a little baby is hitting me. My friend posted a picture of her little boy who is only 3 weeks older than Kaden in his brothers tractor out in the yard and it made me smile and cringe at the same time....not sure if I was ok with Kaden doing that on his own?!? So I took the plunge and just let him go! Logan loved being in charge of Kaden more than Kaden liked riding I think. He was so careful and explained every little thing to him. :) So far so good!

xox

It's like a rainbow...

2009-02-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

Kaden has been very sick. He pretty much stayed in a lethargic state for 6 days straight. Vomiting, the whole nine yards... I will spare everyone the details. Logan has SO stepped up in his empathy for his little brother because just last month he had the same thing. Logan kept saying, "I just feel so very bad for Kaden . My heart hurts for him." No... he's not dramatic at all! Today we finally seemed to turn a corner and for the first time in 6 days (yes that's right 6 days) Kaden actually ate something. This was followed by looking right out our door and seeing two mallard ducks swimming in our newly plastered pool. My dad would have died letting them poop in the pool, but for Logan and I, it was a little peace of heaven. I said to him how blessed we were they chose OUR pool when both of our neighbors have pools too and he said back to me that this made him so happy. Then he said, "It's kinda like when God send us a rainbow. It makes me smile and feel happy inside." I couldn't help but feel so much love for my little man. So simply and so true, it's the little things that make us smile and get us from day to day. It's when we start expecting and wanting the big things that we loose the happiness right in front of us every day. I love it when he is my teacher!

xox

Kaden's 1 year photographs

2009-02-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

My friend Sandy took pictures of Kaden for his one year birthday. We have a family shoot to follow hopefully VERY soon, but the weather and Kaden's health have been a deterrent. I cannot wait to see how the family portraits turn out, but for now, here is a preview of our little man alone. He is so beautiful!

Thank you Sandy Runner Photography!

Rain and underwear

2009-02-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

Today Logan waited for it to rain all day. Finally when it did we were just getting changed from pre-school and this is the photo op that was created! No I don't usually let him out in his underwear in the middle of winter , but it was just too cute. He is hilarious! He is such a little man right now. He is trying to identify when he is angry and how exactly to handle it! The other day when he decided to throw a fit, right in the middle of it he abruptly told me... "I don't want to waste my time!!!" HA! Hilarious. Hopefully this like the others will pass quickly :)

xox

Spring is coming...

2009-02-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

I feel like we have hit a couple walls this week. We were house sitting for my parents all week and the reality of a “normal” house really hit us. Kaden found a normal sleep schedule sleeping 2 naps a day at 2 hours each and 2 nights slept from 7:30pm until 7:30am!!!!! He was able to expend a lot more energy crawling around the house, I cooked at home each night because I had a kitchen bigger than 2 x 4, we got a normal family groove back. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been bad in the cottage, but when you have a week to transition and then have to just switch within an hour back to 400 square feet the reality hit me hard. It was a rough day, not to mention Kaden went back to his waking up every 2 hours all night long and woke this morning vomiting. ☹

We have learned so much about ourselves; I don’t want to feel like we have failed if we move now. I also know it will mean we will be renting again because I refuse to buy a house without 20% down. We have paid off ALL our debt. We have a considerable amount saved for the first time in our marriage. So why do I feel like it would be a failure? Because our initial goal was to move in here until we bought a house? When we made that goal we had no idea the bonus of many other payoffs that would occur…. We have been here 6 months.

In addition to the reality of the space and sickness, Anth’s job is looking like the economy is going to eliminate yet another business and this time it is who Anth is working for. There are many options that he has now. One being his own company (again) with investor $ this time so we will not have the burden of the financial start up. This makes my tummy flip, but at the same time, I don’t want my fear to keep us from doing God’s will. I’m so conflicted because I don’t want to stand in the way of what God has for our family and I know this is where Anth’s giftedness lies, but I don’t know if I can keep from comparing the two and bring the baggage with us instead of leaving it behind and moving forward. The second would be to find a possible job with Xerox, but for that he would need a designated office that he could shut a door and obviously we can’t do that here. So we would be moving if this option came to fruition.

Regardless of what decision we make I am proud of us for doing this. I just wish sometimes (one time) our answers were clear-cut. I have to keep in mind summer is coming and that mean endless hours outside and not cooped up in this little space. It means picnics and pools. I don’t know…my brain hurts from trying to find the answer, so for now, we sit and try and listen to which direction God wants us to go.

xox

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

When Anth and I decided to buy High School Musical on ice tickets for Valentine's Day this year I think that is when it hit us....Valentine's day wouldn't ever be the same again! Kaden turned 1 today. It was so bittersweet! I am not ready to give up my little baby, but I officially have a toddler now. We started the day at High School Musical which is Logan's favorite movie right now. He was in awe....he LOVED it! Then we came home for naps and went out for a birthday dinner at Mimi's. It was a great love filled day. We are truly blessed.

2009-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

We had Kaden's birthday party this Sunday....aside from it being FREEZING cold (we have to remember Kaden's birthday is in February next year before we plan an outside party) I think that it was a smashing success! We went to Fairytale Town and spent the morning with close family and our best friends the Brunton's. We had play time and lunch. Kaden was totally unimpressed with the whole cake. He wouldn't touch it! Wouldn't even entertain the idea that he might like it! It was hilarious! I tried to keep it as simple as I could, but I did end up making the cake myself. (I can't not do something!) I cannot believe a whole year has passed. Kaden says mama, dudududu, bubba, mine, me, up, hi, and no. He is crawling everywhere and could walk, but he is being a cautious boy. He LOVES balls. Any kind/color. He throws and rolls them all over the house. He loves his swing set outside. Rainy days are torture! He is very verbal and absolutely idolizes Logan. Logan can do no wrong... they laugh each other to sleep every night. Just recently, to my everlasting worry, they have started tackling each other and rolling around on the floor! It great to watch, but it's hard to explain to a 4 year old why he can't lay on top of Kaden when Kaden lays on top of him! HA! This truly is the greatest time! I love it and I love my boys. I love watching the grow to love each other and play together. I can't imagine what the next year will bring!

xox

Time for new things....again

2009-02-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

So I decided am going to try my hand at blogging this year. It is more due to the fact I think it will be fun looking back on the year and see how our ever changing family has changed even more! :) So far since 2009 began, we have signed Logan up for KINDERGARTEN, we are currently living in my parents backyard in what we call the "cottage," Kaden turned a year old and Anthony's job is kind of in the air at the moment. That's a nutshell for you!

To catch everyone up, we decided as a family back in October to downsize from a 4000 square foot house to a 400 square foot cottage to save for a house. When we did it, we knew it was going to be an adjustment. Many friends didn't know how long we were going to make it. Even my own dad was skeptical if we would make it past a month. We decided to jump...we put 95% of our stuff in storage and moved in. One week later I moved like 1/4 of the stuff we brought to live on back into storage. Turns out you truly don't need as much as you think.

The amazing thing was the transition of our family. Logan and Kaden realized they were brothers within the week. They started playing together, talking to each other (or babbling as Kaden would do), and even laughing each other to sleep. It has been awesome to experience.

Anthony and I have changed as well. This has been a huge transformation for us. We are both used to many material things. Anything we want we usually buy at a moments whim. We are now being conscious of every single thing we spend. We have adapted to the Dave Ramsey approach of money. So for those of you who aren't familiar with it, we have three main goals, we have saved $1000 for our emergency fund, we have paid ALL of our debt aside from our van which will be paid off in 2 months , and we are currently on our way to saving a 6 months buffer in case anything happens with Anth's job. After that, we will be saving to put 20% down on a house of our own!!! These are all HUGE things for us. Especially with everything being so unstable in our economy. It is comforting to think we are doing everything we can to be as responsible and as stable as we can. Money issues are so hard to deal with as a couple, and Anth and I have been no exception, but simply opening the doors of communication has been great for us. We usually work really well together, and obviously we have a common goal in the boys, but having a specific goal with our finances that we are both trying to reach as a couple is great and very empowering.

That's all for now and that's enough. There will be more to come and we will keep you updated on Anth's job situation....

xox