Santa Babies

Cooper, December 2008

Three months old

Austin, December 2011

Two months old

Grayson, December 2013

Five months old

Oh Blog...

Oh blog...  How I miss you.  I update this blog for me, really.  To help me remember my time at home with the boys.  The fun we have.  The crazy day-to-day happenings.  The cute moments and sweet moments.  And the sometimes not so cute or sweet moments.  But oh my goodness, I am busy these days and long for my time to sit and document more and capture more.  But I do all I can, everything I can.  I have so many pictures and stories I need to go back and post from the last six months, since Little One joined our family, and I'll get them posted here eventually.

There are a couple of things I read recently that have stuck in my mind that I'm really trying to live by these days:

Be present, not perfect

and

Linger a little bit longer

I love those words.  I realize I've been given a gift to be able to stay at home with my three boys.  They will not be little forever.  They will not all be home with me forever.  In fact, next year will be a big change for us with Cooper starting kindergarten...  But for now, I might not update the blog as frequently as I'd like.  Or do a lot of things as frequently as I'd like.  But, I'm trying my best to be present with my children and lingering a little bit longer with them.  (FYI, Grayson is in the snow picture, I'm wearing him, and he's completely bundled up!)

 

Yep, He's Mine

Me, maybe eight years old or so??  And Coop, at five years old.

Playing Cowboys

Playing cowboys happens a lot around here these days.  I don't always have the opportunity to catch it with my camera, but did quickly this time.  They were riding horses, playing music by the fire, hunting, and working on the farm.  Must have been a busy day on the range.  (Bevo is the deer the shot, by the way...)

 

01.07.2014

Trying to Clap

Late night clapping lesson with my Little One!

01.19.2014

Ten Years Later...

I love this picture.  I quickly snapped it with my phone in the morning on August 23, 2013, which just happened to be our ten year wedding anniversary.  Philip was actually in Montana at the time--working with some convenient free time for fly fishing.  My littlest one (only eight weeks old) had woken up during the night to eat, and I just put him in bed with me after that.  My oldest little man woke up early, crawled in bed with Grayson and me and read some books.  I snapped this picture as Coop and I were sneaking out to go get my sweet middle guy, who was the only one still in his own bed.  There's nothing spectacular about this picture.  But to me, it was a quick moment that stuck with me.  A moment of sweet snuggle time with two of my three favorite little guys in the world.  Ten years prior to this picture, on the exact day, I was getting ready to marry the love of my life.  I was full of nerves and excitement and couldn't wait for the day to begin.  If on that day, ten years ago, someone had told me that on August 23, 2013, I would have a quiet and snuggly morning with my oldest and youngest boys, I would have stared at that person with a blank face not sure to how to even picture that.  But now here I am, ten years later, and it's exactly where I'm supposed to be.  Exactly where I want to be.  It's perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  Oh yea...and busy. ;)

08.23.2013

And ten years earlier...

"Drakie! Dinner on table!"

We were trying to get out the door when I suddenly hear, "Drakie!  Dinner on table!  Come eat dinner!"  I knew Austin Buddy was up to something, so before investigating, I grabbed my camera.  When I walked around the corner, Austin gave me a huge smile and said, "I feed Drakie dinner on table!"  So cute.  Austin hears me tell him that breakfast/lunch/dinner is on the table and it's time to come sit down.  So of course, that's exactly what he did for his puppy dog.  Austin feeds Drake a lot, and usually he'll put Drake's food directly in his food bowl, but this was so sweet that he changed it up and put Drake's dinner on the table.

01.05.2014

A Glimpse Into Austin's Little Brain

Coming across little things like this is another reminder of how glad I am to stay home with my boys.  I know most people will look at this picture and wonder why I would take a picture of these things on the floor, maybe think it's a little silly, but I look at it and I love it.  I love everything about it.  This is Austin's doing.  To me, it's a glimpse into his little mind.  An idea or a plan he had for these little treasures.  His blankie, his milk, his favorite Fireman Sam guys, his favorite construction guy, and a little school bus guy, along with a yellow piece of paper that we were pretending was a ticket to ride a train.  All neatly placed, like each item has it's own "spot" on the blankie.  These items didn't stay like this for long.  Austin quickly ran back into the kitchen from the playroom and scooped all of these things up again, and off he went to the next "adventure."  This just makes me happy--seeing this, capturing this.  Being at home and having the opportunity to catch a moment of his little working brain.