Happy New Year! {2014}

We started 2012 with a bang when Ayden came into our lives. 2013 kind of paled in comparison to that whirlwind of a year but we still did some pretty exciting stuff!

We sold our house and moved in with my parents. Some parts were challenging and some amazing. I wouldn't have traded it for anything and had some moments with each of my parents that I would has never had otherwise and that I will cherish for always. 

We had our first big vegetable garden. I am proud of David for all of the hard work he put into growing food for our families. He learned some valuable lessons for future gardens and Ayden got to see where his food actually comes from. It is hard work but well worth it. 

We found ourselves the coziest little cottage and have made it our home. Who knew we'd find such a gem so close to our land! It has features we will miss dearly and also has features that show is what not to do when we finally build. Either way, it has been where Ayden has spent his second year, growing from toddler to talking and running little boy he is now. It has been perfect for us and I know this little cottage will always hold a special place in our memories. 

We had an amazing summer together.  We spent more time than ever outside and Ayden became pretty awesome with his soccer ball!  This was the first Winter ever that I just wasn't ready for. Summer is so much easier than Winter when you have a toddler to chase down and bundle up every time you want to to outside. 

This Fall we got our chickens!  What an amazing undertaking they have been. They are pretty easy to care for, produce the most delicious eggs we have ever eaten and add an element of charm and enrichment to our lives. Ayden loves them too!

We hosted Thanksgiving for the first time which was an honor for me. I really loved having my family all together in our home. I would love to have them over more  in the upcoming year. 

Christmas was magical this year. Ayden was still at an awkward age where he recognized what Santa and presents were yet wasn't aware of Christmas Day was special compared to other ordinary days. Next year will really be when the magic of Christmas begins!

And now we have come full circle. It is time for our annual New Year's party and David and I will have our first kiss of 2014 under fireworks while hug our little boy between us. This life of ours really is a wonderful life!

Happy New Year!  May we be the people we want to be and all accomplish everything we set out  to achieve.  

What were some exciting highlights from your 2013? Please share below!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "

Little Artist

A couple of snap shots from our morning this morning. 

Our little artist loves to paint!  

We had a low key day. We played with Ayden all morning then David took him out and about with him for about an hour while I had some time to myself to recharge. All of this family time has been fun but has taken its toll on this introvert. A hot, quiet shower and being alone in the house for a bit was just the ticket!  David knows me so well!  When they got home it was lunch and nap time. I had a class to teach at dance this afternoon and we ended our night with dinner out with an old friend and his girlfriend. It was his first time meeting Ayden which is always fun!

Ayden got to bed late tonight so we will see how our night goes...  

It's almost New Year's!  Have you been thinking about the person you want to be in 2014?  

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Date Night"

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11 Under 6

Ayden has been having TONS of cousin time this winter break and is loving every second. In his immediate family alone he has 6 first cousins (five on my side and one on David's). He's played with them plenty but tonight he had the rare experience of having my mom's side of the family to play with. First cousins are familiar and fun but add in some extended family and you've really got a party!  Tonight, the kids table was bigger than the adult table with 11 kids under 6 years old circled around it.

Ayden had a blast and as we were leaving he kept saying, "I wanna pay! I wanna pay!"  He wanted to play the night away. 

I am so glad he has so many fun cousins in his life!  I had a lot too and know how much it can add to ones life. 

After we got Ayden to bed I went back out for some much needed sister time. Another great family night for the memory books. 

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Misery Loves Company"

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Breakthrough

Ayden slept all night last night!  He did stir enough to wake us twice bit he just said mommy in his sleep a couple of times then went back to sleep. No crying or nighttime parenting involved for the first time in almost 2 years.  It was glorious!  

My sister and her sons got in late last night so we had breakfast with my family and let the kids play for a while. Then we had lunch with David's family and said our goodbyes to his brother and family. We went home for naps, watched a basketball game and met my family at a bowling alley.

We had a good time but were out later than we wanted. Ayden was pooped when we left.

Sleepy boy!

We had a regression with our sleep makeover progress during Christmas Eve and Christmas because Ayden stayed up pretty late both nights.  We are hoping that doesn't happen tonight but are prepared for it. At least joining him for nap time is always an option! 

I am really hoping to make some time to put our house back together and go to the grocery tomorrow. We've been so busy visiting with family that we've been neglecting ourselves and our home a bit.  Ayden hasn't even really had time to play with his new toys! Holidays are amazing and being with family is too but it is important not to spread ourselves too thin for too long!  I think taking some time to rejuvenate will be just the ticket. 

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "New Year's Resolutions"

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Lead Me To A World Of Wonder

One of Ayden's new favorite words is, "come"  (only he pronounces it "pum").  We'll be doing our separate projects and then he'll come to me and say, "Pum, Mommy!  Pum!" And he'll take my hand. 

This is a special invitation into his world. I can't help but drop what I am doing and let him take me wherever he wants to go.  Getting to see the world through his eyes is a gift to be treasured. I'm glad he has gotten to a stage where he reminds me of that often. I never want to forget how his warm little hands feel in mine as he leads me into his world of wonder.

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Mastitis, Round 3.  UGH!"

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Christmas Extended

We had our gift exchange with David's family today!

A barn for his farm animals!

headphones...

for our music lover!

We all left feeling loved and spoiled!  We came home for a family nap.  The holiday festivities have interrupted our consistency with our new sleep training regimen so we had a bad night last night.  When we woke up, we took Ayden back to David's parent's house and they watched him and his cousin while we went on a double date with David's brother and his wife.  We went to see The Hobbit and picked up dinner for everyone.  We were able to get home in time to do our bedtime routine and get Ayden in bed close to 8 so hopefully we'll have a better night tonight! 

My sister and her sons get into town tomorrow.  Let the holiday festivities continue!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Mama Knows Her Baby"

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Merry Christmas 2013

Santa came!

My dad and I made David some saw horses together.

Ayden thought they were forts...

Making memories!

Santa brought Ayden a harmonica!

And some nice wooden blocks.
The dino suitcase was from Mommy and Daddy.
Ayden likes to chase Maverick with it...

Santa was good to Mommy too.
I kissed him! 

We ended our evening with a family dinner at David's parent's house.  My parents, my sister and her family, David's brother and his family, us and David's parents all sat around the table , talked, laughed and celebrated.  This year was a good one!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Baby's First Christmas!"

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Christmas Eve! {Take 2}

We started out our day by baking cookies for Santa!

He reached out and grabbed my hand for this picture.
I think he is understanding the whole "pose for a photo" concept. 

Ayden helps me dump ingredients into the mixing bowls, crack eggs, stir and waits excitedly for them to come out of the oven.  While we waited we did the foot and hand prints for this keepsake.  It is hanging on our wall and turned out so cute!

There wasn't too much more excitement during our day until it was time for Christmas Eve dinner.  

Christmas Eve PJs!

He kept calling himself Rudolf!

You can see Daddy photo bombing us.
He was supposed to be in the picture but the antlers kind of took over.

Milk and cookies!

Santa won't mind... right??

Ayden was SO tired that he went right to sleep in his crib without a peep.  We are ready for Santa to come tonight!

Hope everyone had a joy filled Christmas Eve!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Christmas Eve"

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Erin Condren Life Planner Unboxing and Giveaway! *CLOSED*

Christmas came early for me!  A few weeks ago, I got this beauty in the mail:

And the contents are even more beautiful!

FREE gift tags!

$10 gift card for my next purchase!

It is my very own Erin Condren Life Planner.

I will admit, when I first started researching these planners, I wondered what set it apart from the rest and made it worth the $50 price tag.  As soon as I held it in my hands, I knew.  

The materials used to make these planners are of a better quality than any other planner I have ever used before.  With a very sturdy metal sprial binding and a laminated cover, it will be hard for Ayden to mess this one up (like he has done with all of the other planners I have tried this year.

I am a paper and pencil kind of planner.  I am a sucker for any cute planner, organizer, notebook and most other school/office supplies.  But, they are most certainly not all made equally.  If I had just purchased one of these beauties in the first place, I probably would have ended up saving money with all of the planners I tried that did not fit my organizational style.  

You can watch a great video from the Erin Condren website here that gives you a great tour of the layout of these planners.  My favorite part is how the weekly pages have the individual days organized by morning, day and night.  That is exactly how I segment my days when I plan them so, after a few weeks in, I can tell this planner is going to work for me for the long haul.

If you are interested in trying out one of these amazing planners for yourself, I have got some great news for you!  I contacted the company and asked if they would be interested in sending me a planner to try and they offered one better.  Not only did they send me this beautiful planner to use and review, they offered to sponsor a giveaway for one of you!  Enter below to win your very own $50 gift certificate to the Erin Condren website!!  

Not interested in planners?  Never fear, the website has everything from business cards and notebooks to wrapping paper and packing checklists.  There will be something for everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway will stay close on Monday, January 6, 2014.  Good luck!!

Have you every used any Erin Condren products?  What did you think?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Day With My Boys!"

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The Real McCoy

We did some exciting things today!  We brought our ball and burlap tree inside and decorated it.

The little table top tree was the perfect filler but it feels good to have the real McCoy inside. We even have presents wrapped and ready!

It was a super warm day so we also went to our property and staked off the perimeter of our house to help us get an idea of where exactly we want it.  David and his dad also went ahead and dug the holes for the Christmas trees we will be planting. We have ours of course, then David's parents and my parents are gifting their to us too. 

We met David's parents out for dinner to end the night and Ayden tell asleep on the way home. This is the first night since we started our new sleeping routine that he has fallen asleep away from home. Here's hoping he transfers well and still has a good night (last night was STELLAR with a record breaking 7.5 hour stretch!)

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Winter "Break" Has Begun"

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The Little Merman

Ayden turned 23 months today! This time next month we'll be wishing our baby a happy 2nd birthday.  I can't believe it...

We had a nice family day. We stocked up at the farmer's market since we haven't been able to make it every week. We came home for lunch and naps. Then we went to the YMCA for a swim. Ayden has always loved water but something has really clicked since we've started our new membership. He is so excited to go swimming, is so brave in the water and kicks his little feet as hard as he can while we glide him across the water.  On our way out we picked up a pamphlet with information on swim lessons.  The prices are affordable and we are considering trying out an 8 week session. For Ayden's age group the lessons are family based so we would be in the water with him so we'd be learning tips and tricks for teaching him to swim that we could continue after the lessons were over.

{via}

I didn't learn to swim until I was 9 or so and taught myself after I had a scare in a pool.  Ever since, I always wanted to make sure my children were confident, and more importantly, safe in water from a very early age.  The only other issue to consider is our problem with hyper-scheduling our weekends.  His lessons would be on Saturday mornings when we are already spread pretty thin most of the time.  I suppose if we made time to swim this evening, we could just shift things around for 8 weeks and go in the morning instead...  It's always about finding and maintaining that balance, a never ending endeavor.

We got home around 5:30, had dinner around 6:30, got Ayden a bath and started our bedtime routine.  Things are going really well in that department and I do plan to share all about it once we know for sure everything is going to stick.  Our quality of sleep has definitely been improved the passed couple of nights so even if it doesn't stick, I'll call it a success!

Did you put your toddler in swim lessons?  Was it worth it?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "11 Months Old!"

Party Time For Mama

Tonight after Ayden went to bed I went to a Christmas party while David held down the fort. 

Though I felt like I was forgetting something all night (is it really still possible to leave the house holding only a wristlet, my phone and keys??), I enjoyed just sitting and enjoying the party. We had good food, good conversation and had a white elephant gift exchange. 

Ayden has been getting up around 6 since we started this new sleep routine which is an hour and a half earlier than he used to so I'd better be off to bed.  Can't wait to hug my boys in the morning!

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here'w what we were up to one year ago today: "Team Work"

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Little Buddy

Errand days can take a lot out of me but I love them!  Ayden and I get so much quality time.  When he is in a cart we are face to face all day long, talking and experiencing everything together.  He is such a good boy and has always been a wonderful little shopping buddy.  

Mid-day picture for Daddy!
He leaned in and smiled, just like I did.  So CUTE!

Today was an even more interesting errand day than usual.  Ayden seems to be ready to take potty training to a whole new level.  He is starting to let me know when he needs to potty even when he's wearing his diaper. He's also waking up dry a couple of times a week. He has even peed in public toilets twice now! He's still learning about the sensations that precede a #2.  When we are at home he'll say, "Poo poo potty!" and run to the potty.  We'll get his pants and undies off, he'll sit for a minute or two and then say, "All done!"  We'll put his undies and pants back on and repeat this every 5 minutes or so until he's in a panic saying, "Poo poo potty! Oh no! Poo poo potty!" while he goes in his undies.  He makes it  to the potty sometimes but he just hasn't really put two and two together that when he feels it coming, he needs to sit and wait a while.  Patience, child.  Patience.  When it was warm he spent his time at home without wearing anything on bottom but now that it is colder, the cottage is colder and he likes wearing undies and pants.  Who wouldn't??

Well, while we were out and about today, he had that feeling.  We were at target and he'd say, "Poo poo potty, Mommy!" so we'd go to the back corner of the store, park the cart, get him and my purse out out of the cart, stop for a drink at the water fountain per his request, take him in a stall, remove his pants and undies and let him attempt to use the potty.  We did this several times before I had to tell him no more potty so I could finish up my shopping trip and get on with our day.  He did the same things at our next stop with no luck.  Finally, when we got home, he told me he needed to go, changed his mind when we got to the bathroom only to finally end up going in his diaper after all.  

We are just sitting back and letting him lead us on this one.  He's not even two yet so we are in no rush.  We just want to set him up for success for whenever he is ready to take those next steps and we don't wan to discourage his progress (hence all the trips to the bathroom at Target today).  It is taking a lot of patience, encouragement and celebration on our part but Ayden seems to be understanding how it all works more and more everyday!  

When did your child potty train?  Do you have any tips to share?

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Big Boy Stuff"

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