Mama's Day 2016

I am so lucky that these two precious faces 

call me Mom/Mama/Mommy.

To celebrate Mother's Day this year, 

we packed some boxes for our move, folded some laundry,

and then did some of my favorite things :: 

had a picnic with the Taylors, 

took pictures and went on explorations in the woods, 

ate TCBY for dinner, and I even got to take an amazing nap in the hammock.

So thankful for hand holding, hugging, 

fresh picked flowers, and sloppy kisses from sweaty little faces...

and a husband who spoils me year round.

Winter Garden :: Spring Harvest

Green thumbs up

for winter gardening.

This winter, Andrew and Alekzander planned and planted our garden beds.

We grew broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, 

onions, brussel sprouts, lettuce, and spinach.

We are hoping to be able to harvest some veggies 

before our move in just a few weeks.

So far we have enjoyed lettuce and spinach

and are trying wait patiently for these broccolis to get a little bigger.

{Macro photo by Alekzander; 4/30/16}    

Family Date

Forced to be out of the house, 

we celebrated receiving two offers on the house 

+ more showings after being on the market for less than 48 hours.

Family meet up {including Syra} at two local breweries.

Added bonus = Mac and Cheese food truck!

Hanging out under the table ... content as can be.

Pony Express

 {Crazy boy :: naturally our old mailbox makes the perfect horse!}

Easter on the Land

 Cutie + Cousins

Ellison (2), Mac (9 months), Anderson (2.75), Alekzander (6)

CW Egg Hunt 2016

 Praying with Daddy before the egg hunt

 Checking out his loot

{Ignore the candy ... Look at those blue eyes!} 

Brotherly love at its finest

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Come on, let's go and play!

{Heard on the Frozen Soundtrack & daily in our house}

Six Years

Accepting that we were the parents of a Kindergartner

was a little hard to swallow at the beginning of the school year,

but now we are the parents of a six year old! 

Wrapping our heads around that is crazy, 

but we are so blessed to watch Alekzander grow and develop.

Alekzander remains sensitive and sweet.

He does not like being wrong and 

is sometimes hesitant to try new things.

When his actions lead him the wrong way, 

and consequences ensues, he immediately seeks out 

an "I love you; I forgive you" hug.

He loves to tease his little brother.

One minute he will be arguing, poking, 

or head-locking Anderson, and the next,

he is hugging him or letting Anderson crawl all over him.

He often pulls Anderson in for a hug when he sees

him at school in the afternoon,

and he is one of the first that will comfort Anderson 

even if/especially when he may have been the instigator

or cause of his brother's tears.

Alekzander loves to be outside.

He would love to dig for worms 

and get dirt under his nails every day if he could.

He likes to play soccer or 'volleyball' until dark.

He can ride a two-wheel bike when pressured,

but he prefers his scooter or running.

He has a keen palate for a kid and 

can name the three ingredients in my biscuits.

Fruits remain a choice dessert,

and he could eat pizza or noodles seven nights a week.

School is going well.

He is a friend to all, he likes to lead,

and he is learning to read.

He prefers math over reading,

loves PE and recess,

and is dying to buy school lunch!

Within 30 minutes of waking up,

he has to let a loud, crazy primal noise out

{which inevitably wakes up Anderson too early}.

When asked why, he says it is to 

get the crazies out before going to school 

{while this method is not always successful, it is consistent}!

Upon coming home from school,

he immediately needs his down time which 

typically includes a TV show and a snack.

We love watching his personality grow and develop 

as he becomes more sure of himself.

We welcome his 6:40 wake up call

as it is a bright start to our day,

and it is when his mind/mouth wake up.

Ready or not, the questions start rolling

as if he has used his night to come up 

with ones that will stump us for sure.

The endless questions, the sweet insecurities,

the silly antics, sometimes emotional bedtimes,

and energetic outbursts are just a few of the things

we love {and would never change} about Alekzander.

Happy 6th Birthday, buddy.

We love you to the moon and back,

and will continue to wrap our love around you

forever and always.

{Fresh} Air Time

{Surprisingly, no children were harmed in the making of these memories!}

Let Them Eat Dirt

Google "Let them eat dirt" or "Reasons why your kid should be in the dirt"...

my children should be the spokespeople!

They cannot resist the pull of the dirt...

Our flower beds are generally not 'flowery' -

they are beds of dirt that the boys cannot stay around from.

A simple planting and watering mission one afternoon turned into 

creating 'mud shoes' and resulted in a much needed bath.

The joyful benefits of playing in the mud

far outweigh the cost of scrubbing the 'ring around the tub'!

Baby Mac and a Pumpkin Truck

Only the coolest Dad in the world hauls 100 pumpkins around in the back of his truck!

And only the coolest cousins hang out in the back of the truck with the pumpkins.

Goat Whisperer

Anderson the Goat Whisperer

 The Carl Sandburg Home

c/o Connemara Farms

September 13,2015

Batman