In Love With Trick-Or-Treating

Happy Halloween!!

Tonight, Ayden told us he is "In love with Trick-or-Treating."  I think it's safe to say he had a good time!  I think for now, Halloween in general is his favorite.

We're Still Here!!

I really do want to get on a weekly posting schedule!  I got behind and then kept putting it off because it became too much to update on. So, I'll just leave the gap and pick up here. 

The boys are keeping us on our toes as always!

Logan loves noses. 

Ayden befriended a skeleton. 

We take him everywhere...

The boys got passports. 

We are going somewhere very exciting very soon. 

The house got painted and my jacuzzi tub is installed!  

We're waiting on the electric to be switched from the temporary pole to the house itself and then we will have this exciting feature called HOT water! ;) Then I may sneak over to soak in the jets after the boys are in bed even before we move in...

Next up will be tile, stair railing, getting some temporary kitchen storage/counter pieces from IKEA, temporary floor treatment (we will eventually get hard wood but for fast move in readiness we plan to paint the subfloor), outlets/switches/cover plates, faucets, light fixtures, etc. We are in a roll and things are happening really fast now!!!

As always, things are crazy and exciting and wonderful and stressful at times. I am going to try really hard to be back next week but just in case I don't, be sure to follow me on Instagram because I post any significant happenings there, and almost in real time!  Until next time!

~Sarah

Soccer Star

We've had a LOT going on (as usual)!  Until I get a big update posted, here is a little glimpse of Ayden and his first soccer "game."  It was adorable.  

I put together a little video. Enjoy!

~Sarah

Did Ya Miss Me??

Oh, hey there! It's been a while... My little hiatus was longer than I originally anticipated, but rest assured, I have no intention of abandoning this blog!  Bare with me because this may be a lengthy update... Here's what we've been up to since I last posted:

We had a fun Friday night at a nearby creek: 

We went Paw Paw picking and discovered that Ayden still LOVES our native fruit!

Logan has been as adventurous as ever!

We harvested our honey!

David and I had another date night. 

BABIES!  Our dear friends had their sweet girl come unexpectedly early but she is doing great!  We can't wait to meet her and have been loving the photos they send/post.  I also became an auntie for the 7th time!  I have one nephew on David's side and from my sisters I have one niece and now FIVE nephews. If you are counting he's the EIGHTH grandchild for my parents.  My heart is so wonderfully full!   

His was the first birth I have attended since experiencing childbirth myself and the link that it gave my sister and me was pretty special.

David went out of town for work just in time for her to go into labor. I pulled an all-nighter to be with her. Ayden spent the night with David's parents and Logan came along with me and (mostly) slept in the Ergo. 

I would have never tried that with another baby.
Mr. Logan is a really special little dude and just went with the flow as usual.

It took me DAYS to bounce back from that. Partially because I was on my own and had the kids to take care of; but also because I'm just not a spring chick anymore!  Haha. 

Morning snuggles with just the three of us.
We MISSED Daddy but still had some pretty special moments.

Ayden is almost done with his pre-soccer program. His big "game" is this Thursday. 

Smiling at Daddy, waiting to block the shot he was about to take!

His imagine is as wild as ever!  At any given moment he may be a camper, a pirate, a hunter, a squirrel, a frog, a T-Rex, a boy name Jack from his "Magic Treehouse" books, a rat named "Samuel Wiskers" from Beatrix Potter's "Roly Poly Pudding" story...  He is in a stage where he LOVES to make believe!  

Our house passed the rough-in electrical inspection right out of the gate!! 

WARNING: *proud bragging wife moment is about to commence* The inspector seemed really impressed by David's DIY abilities and said he usually has to visit a home upwards of 10 times before most DIYers pass his inspections.

I am SO incredibly proud of my handy hubby! Before  building is this house, he had only built a learning tower for Ayden and a chicken coop. Between his smarts, work experience with design, reading books/message boards, he has become a self taught carpenter, plumber, electrician, landscape architect, and so much more. When I step back and look at what a gift this house has been, not just for us, but to him, I am amazed and so grateful. He has grown so much as a person since setting out on this venture and that was the foundational purpose all along. What a symbolic and special home this will always be!

This week the insulation will be installed and then the drywall next week.  We decided to hire folks to take care of these tasks quickly for us.  Then we'll be doing things like tiling the shower, installing switch plates/fixtures/faucets/etc., preparing the floors, painting and such.  The ball is about to start rolling REALLY fast and we are excited!!

Other than all of that (haha, as if that wasn't already an overload!), the boys have just been having fun and we've all been living life while trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Just like we always do. 

Logan channeled his inner newborn and took a 3 hour nap today!
He was either inspired by his new baby cousin, or he's about to have a growth spurt...

These evenings "off" from blogging have been wonderful!  David and I have enjoyed more time spent together and I have been getting a little more sleep. While I do hope to post more frequently than this little hiatus allowed, turning it down a notch was definitely the right choice for me at this time. I am thinking Tuesdays may be a good start for at least weekly updates...  I'll see how that feels and go from there! As always, thanks for following along and you'll be seeing is again soon!

Comment below and let me know what you've been up to!  I've missed you guys :D.

~Sarah

If He Fits, He Sits

I have a feeling I'll have many more photos like these to share in the near future. He's most definitely our little adventurer!

~Sarah

Up, Up, and Away!

We celebrated Logan's birthday yesterday!  It was a wonderful party.  Here is a slide show of the festivities.  I always try to choose birthday themes for my kids that mirror their interests at the time.  Logan isn't really into any specific one thing other than EXPLORING his world.  This is fitting since this little boy is so amazing and truly deserves the world!  We all love him SO much. 

Enjoy!!

~Sarah

Things Are Changing

Now that Logan has turned one, things are changing...

He has learned to climb up on the chairs from our kitchen table. 

That face!  He was making a vehicle noise. ;)

What a great way to kick off his second year! Ayden was never a "climber" so this is new territory and should be pretty interesting.

They are getting SO fun together!!!

We also had soccer practice tonight!

All sprawled out on Daddy, listening to Coach.

Logan played in the dirt which, of course, kept him just as happy as always. 

And now for the big change... I am no longer going to be a daily blogger. I am going to shift my focus to quality over quantity and this *should* provide more entertaining content.  It will also allow me to just collapse on the couch to watch a movie with David on a Friday night without having to publish a post first (or having to bring the computer to the couch with me). We have so much going on that I will probably still post most days; but if a post is missing every now and then at least you'll know why! It's been three and a half years and now I am looking forward to a new chapter and a little more freedom.

~Sarah

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

Two years ago today: "New Life"

And three years ago today: "Beach Boy"

Happy 1st Birthday, Logan!

Our baby boy turned one at 6:16 this morning!

Logan is changing so fast right now.  He's bringing us his shoes and pretends to drive cars. He has started noticing the patterns for how the world works and is starting to imitate them. It is adorable. He is a skilled walker now and is mastering terrain without falling *too* much. He has a few words, makes a few animal sounds and knows a few signs. He babbles a lot and even has distinct sounds that he makes when he is frustrated or mad. While we would not necessarily call him "mellow" anymore during this stage, he is not a pistol by any means. He is quietly determined and can let go and move on quickly when he does get upset after not getting his way. While we are moving into toddler territory, his underlying disposition is still far from "fiery". 

Current likes: 

DANCING!, baths, shoes, anything he can slip over his head and wear like a necklace (headbands, belts, etc.) playing on beds, laying his head down on soft things, hugs/kisses/snuggling, emptying trash cans, "driving" toy vehicles back and forth while using his spit to make an engine noise, riding in the Cozy Coop, bubbles, balls, pointing at everything everywhere, EXPLORING, sensorial experiences (especially digging in the dirt of our indoor tree...), riding in the Ergo, being outside, banging on Ayden's drum set, making music with the keyboard, looking at pictures of familiar people, raisins, tomato based foods (chili, spaghetti meat sauce, meatloaf, etc.), and all fruit.  He will be held by anyone, though he does like to keep his eye on one of us. As has been a trend since the moment he was born, this child loves life along with everyone and almost everything in it. 

Current dislikes: 

Getting cleaned up after meals, having his teeth brushed, waking up to find that Mommy is not there, trying to explore something that is stuck or otherwise unobtainable, and the usuals: being hungry or over tired. While he does not cry during diaper changes, he does always try to roll away and then gets frustrated when we won't let him.  I guess that would fall under this category as well...

Read about Logan at 11 months here!

Read about Ayden's first birthday here!

Logan spent his day opening gifts, getting into mischief, playing in dirt and eating his first cupcake while out to dinner with many people who love him. 

We gave him a photo album with photos of immediate family
and him doing his favorite things!

It was his ideal day in a nutshell which was the goal!

We enjoyed celebrating a year of being a family of 4!

This year has been quite a whirl wind.  We have been spread pretty thin at times but this child has brought us so much joy and he has really helped us through it all!  

He is such special little boy and we are SO glad that he is ours!

Happy birthday, sweet Logan!  We love you and you mean more to us than you'll ever know.

Be sure to go back to the post from one year ago today (linked below) to see a  couple of very adorable newborn Baby Logan clips!  *swoon*

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Introducing: Logan Michael"
Two years ago today: "Nailed It"
And three years ago today: "Pool Day"