Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Life Lately

Life is hectic, to say the least, these days with the addition of another child.  It's been over three months now, and I feel like I'm finally in a groove and doing a better job of managing all of my responsibilities.  It definitely took a period of adjustment, especially to keep up with the household chores and duties along with taking care of both Drew and Avery.  At first, it felt like it was all I could do to just take care of them.  Although we still haven't established a set routine, I've managed to know what most of my days will look like and figure out how to get everything in.  Avery is not as consistent of a baby as Drew was, so establishing a routine with her ever may be a challenge.  I'm glad that I finally feel that, even withstanding that, I'll be able to manage it all.

Two kids makes life just that much more special.  I know there was a time when I wondered if I'd ever be able to love another child as much as I love Drew.  Now that seems completely silly.  I guess I didn't realize that the love in my heart could just expand.  It didn't seem possible, and yet it definitely has.  Those two little human beings are the reason behind my days and I couldn't love them any more.  Being their mom is such a privilege and I can't imagine life without them. Of course, it doesn't come without its challenges and its hard days, but at the end of the day, there's nothing more important to me than those two!





We keep busy, as always.  Drew never stops, so we play and play and play all day every day. When Doug is home on the weekends, we try to fit in as much fun as we can and have been hiking and traveling to fill our time.  It's been great!






In other news, my middle sister is pregnant! I couldn't be more happy for her and her husband.  They are going to make the BEST parents and I'm so excited to watch that happen.  My youngest sister had her first baby boy in January of this year, and it has been an absolute joy watching her turn into such a great, loving mother.  Growing up can be hard sometimes, but I'm sure proud of my sisters and the women they have become.  They are my best friends, and even if they weren't my sisters, I'd still choose them every day to be my besties!


My lucky parents have gained three, soon to be four grandbabies in four years. Pretty amazing, right?! It's pretty awesome that our kids will be so close in age.  I can't wait to watch them all grow up and become friends.  I just wish that we lived closer to all of them!



Life is good, and children just make it better.  I don't know what I'd do without those two little munchkins!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Homecoming Weekend 2015

Well, it was Homecoming this weekend for the MSU Bobcats, and we had a pretty darn good weekend!  My parents came to partake in the festivities, and to watch our kiddos so that Doug and I could attend the football game together for the first time in a really long time without having to worry about a child.  Unfortunately, I didn't end up getting to see much, if any of the game, but if I've learned anything from being a parent, it's that you have to roll with the punches and things don't always work out the way you'd like.

My parents arrived Friday evening and we soon headed out for the Homecoming pep rally held on Main Street.  It was a beautiful evening, and of course, Drew had so much fun clapping and cheering along with Champ and the other attendees.  After the pep rally, we went to dinner and then all went home to get some sleep for the big day Saturday.













Saturday morning, we headed downtown again for the Homecoming parade.  We had fun watching the floats, gathering candy, and dancing along with the music and bands.  Parades are fun and Drew really enjoys watching them.  Avery slept through the whole thing, so I think she's still a bit young to enjoy a good parade!










After the parade, we headed up to the tailgate area.  We always tailgate on game days, with food, games, and friends.  It's a fun time and something that we all enjoy doing before the football games.  At this particular tailgate, they were holding a toddler race that Drew participated in.  He did great, aside from getting pretty scared by Champ (the mascot) when he came too close.  He got a T-shirt and a stuffed Champ, so I'd say he thought it was worth it!







After the race and the bobcat prowl, my parents took Drew and Avery home.  It was incredibly hot and I was thankful that they were here to watch them. I was planning on staying for the game while my parents were home with the kids, but it didn't work out that way.

 

Unfortunately, like I mentioned before, I wasn't able to see much of the game and ended up leaving at halftime.  It was a huge bummer because I was really looking forward to enjoying a football game with my husband without having to worry about the kids, but what can you do?  Sometimes we don't get what we want.  I got to go home to my wonderful parents and my two favorite people, so I guess it wasn't all bad!

After the game, we had dinner at home.  You may remember that I like to start something in the crockpot on game day mornings so that we have dinner waiting for us when the game is over.  I never feel like cooking after spending all afternoon at a game, and it's so nice to not have to worry about it.  Saturday we had chicken tortilla soup and it was wonderful.

Sunday morning, we all woke up and did some playing before my parents took off.  Their 35th wedding anniversary is coming up in October, so they decided to go on a second honeymoon from our house.  Thirty-five years ago, they vacationed in Yellowstone for their honeymoon, and they were heading back there to do it all again.  Apparently, my dad came up with the idea.  Pretty romantic!  I'm pretty lucky to have such a good example of a loving, successful marriage from them.  I couldn't love them more, and I'm so happy to have them as my parents!

After they left, we decided to hike the M.  It was a gorgeous morning, and the perfect time to do it.  Drew hiked quite a ways up and really enjoyed doing it by himself!  Although he gets a little distracted, he's becoming quite the hiker at two and a half!  He's a pretty great little guy!




















After hiking, we had some errands to run, so that pretty much rounded out our weekend.  It was a good one, despite a few small hiccups! Another successful Fall weekend in the books!