Pumpkin Patch 2013

I love going to the pumpkin patch!  It is definitely a favorite Fall activity.  This year was especially fun because both boys were old enough to enjoy it!

Sadly...this was the BEST of the family photos we tried to get!!

  

The day was gorgeous and the farm wasn't too crowded.

  

We got to have fun on the hayride,

 

picking pumpkins, 

petting animals

(Blake was OBSESSED with the animals!  I stayed in the animal bin with him while Landon did everything else and he was still upset when we had to get out!  It was so cute to watch him get so excited to be so close to the animals.  He would sit and pet them, look at them, giggle at them and touch them so gently.  From sheep to goats to pigs to chickens to bunnies...he loved them all!  We definitely might have a true animal lover on our hands!)

riding ponies, mini tractors and swings,

  

playing in the corn box and jumping in bounce houses!

Blake thought he was big enough to push the pumpkins around!

Such a big boy!

I always have visions of amazing pumpkin patch pictures with the boys holding pumpkins and standing in corn fields...unfortunately that NEVER happens!  

We couldn't get both boys to look at the same time or even one boy to look half the time!

 

 

Looking at all the pics make me smile though because it fully represents who our boys are and the time of life we are in of craziness, fun, love and joy (definitely not perfection)!

The day was amazing and such a great memory!  I love my family so much and am beyond grateful for them and the fun we can have together!

I also got to go with Landon back to the pumpkin patch on a field trip with his school. 

 

The morning was gorgeous and we had so much fun!  

Although we went to the same farm we got to do totally different things: corn maze, hay bale maze, giant slide rides and of course a hayride and pumpkin picking!

  

I always love to see Landon with his friends.  It is total love and fun (with a little bit of awkwardness mixed in)!

What a great couple of days!

I Did It!!!

I actually did it!  I completed a half marathon!  

About 11 weeks ago (almost exactly), I was at a bachelorette party for a girl at work.  While we were at dinner the other girls I work with started talking about a half marathon they were going to do in October.  It has always been in the back of my mind to try and complete a half marathon, but I am not a distance runner.  I ran track in high school, but the farthest I ran was about 3-4 miles.  Somehow I was talked into doing it that night and training began.  It was fun because there were 8 of us that ended up running it!

Prior to starting training I honestly couldn't run 1 mile without stopping (no exaggeration).  My first 2 miles took me over 25 minutes to complete and I think I walked 2-3 times.  I committed to running 3 times a week which was really tricky to fit in.  I knew that I couldn't take the kids and run very well so I had to wake up and run before Jared left for work.  I typically ran on Tuesdays, Thursdays and a long run on Saturdays.  Thankfully most long runs were completed with one of my good friends.  It made it so much nicer to run and talk then to be alone.

The last month of training I was only able to run a couple of times a week due to schedules getting busier.  It probably would have been beneficial if I had been able to run more toward the end!

I was pretty nervous before the race!  And it was cold out!  I think it was around 40 degrees when the race started.  My friend Annie and I decided to run together as long as we could and I was hoping to finish in around 2 1/2 hours.  I felt really good for the first 8 miles and then I started hurting pretty bad in my legs.  I made it to 10 miles and had to walk for about 1 minute (but that's all I walked!)  The last 3 miles were TOUGH.  I was sore, my knees were killing me, my thighs were burning, my calves were on fire and my hips were achy.  I kept telling myself I needed to make it a half mile more.  I didn't get another bout of energy for most of the last 3 miles.  

It felt sooo good to finish though!  And Jared was there with the boys which was so great!  I got a little emotional when I saw them because I was proud of finishing the race and I was hurting so bad!  I think every muscle in my legs seized up when I stopped!  I finished in 2:34ish.  The bummer part is that I had to stop and go to the bathroom at mile 4 which I know took at least 4-5 minutes (if not longer).  It think I could have made the 2 1/2 hour run otherwise!

Overall, I'm really proud of myself!  I went from not being able to run 2 miles straight (11 weeks ago) to being able to run 10 miles without stopping and finishing 13.1 miles!  I battled through soreness, tiredness, runners knee and only lost 1 toenail throughout the whole training (which is a bummer because it ended up just being due to my shoes being too tight).

I prayed a lot during the race and it was nice to have that time with The Lord and to reflect on some things.  I'm not ready to say I will do another one someday but it isn't entirely out of the question!  Seeing as how I can't walk very well at this point, it will be awhile before the next one happens!  

My goal is to not let my running go.  I hope to continue to run 2-3 miles a couple of times a week to stay in shape and have a little quiet time in mornings!

Throwing Rocks

This weekend we got to go up to a cabin in McCall with some friends.  We had a great time and only busted the camera out when we walked down to a river to throw rocks.  Unfortunately it wasn't the greatest of photo ops with the boys.  

Landon was upset about not winning a race...not his usual joyful self!  This picture does make me giggle though because he has the best scowl when upset!  Thankfully, he got over being upset quickly once we got down to the river, but we couldn't get him to hold still long enough for cute pics!

I persevered though with Blake once he started throwing rocks and got a really cute series of pictures.

He's a tricky one to get to smile for the camera...usually he just stares blankly, but I was able to capture him in his element and really highlight his personality.

He loved throwing rocks in the water and could have stayed there for much much longer if we had let him!

Choosing the perfect rock!

Examining it to make sure it's just the right one!

Getting ready to throw!

Watching it splash!

Every time he threw the rock he would look over at me and say "wow"

Super cute!!!

Finally proof that this little guy is joyful and has a super cute grin!

Overall, the weekend was great and very relaxing.  

Walks in town, rock throwing x2, yummy food, good company, lots and lots of wrestling (amongst Landon and one of his friends), Scrabble until midnight (we know how to live it up!), an ice cream run at 10:00 at night, great conversation, wonderful friends and lots of laughter!

First Day of School!

YIKES!!! Where did the summer go?!?  I took all sorts of pictures of fun activities with the intent to blog, but somehow 3 months got away from me.  Hopefully I can at least get some up in the next week or two in order to document our summer!

Today was a big day for our 3 year old!

He started back to preschool!

I wasn't actually going to put him in preschool again because it didn't fall on the day I work, but he was so very excited to go back and LOVED last year!  We decided to just do one day again and next year we will probably bump it up to 2-3 days.

I love my time with the boys and know that it will be gone before I know it!

I will admit though, it was amazing how many errands I was able to run in 2 1/2 hours with just Blake!

Here's the big boy ready for his first day!

Goof Ball #1

Goof Ball #2

The genuine smile that lights up a room!

Off we go!

Blake wanted to get in on the action!

It was the first time today that he said "cheese" totally unsolicited, only because he heard Landon saying it

...he is such a mimic of his older brother!

Totally cheesy grin!

What a blessing it is for both Dad and Mom to watch this little guy grow up!  

1 YEAR OLD!!!

Actually more like 13 1/2 months but I wanted to at least post through Blake's first year!  What a great year it has been as Blake managed to make his way easily into our hearts, lives and schedules.  Not posting pictures because I just want to get this up for posterities sake!

Here's what you are up to these days!

* You have settled into a great sleeping routine.  You easily go down about 8-8:30 and sleep until about 7-8:00 the next morning.  Occasionally you wake up a little earlier but will go back to sleep if I give you bottle.  

*  You don't need to be rocked to sleep, but I do rock you while you drink your milk and then lay you down with your pacifiers.

*  You have transitioned to one nap a day (much earlier than your brother did).  You nap at 1:00 and lately have been sleeping about 3 hours...which is fabulous!  Your brother will usually nap for about an hour which overlaps at the same time :)

*  You are an independent eater and a slightly picky eater.  You don't like to try new things but usually once I can get a bite in you like whatever it is I'm feeding you.  You seem to like fruit, veggies and carbs more than meat.

*  You are fully weaned which was a little bittersweet for me.  You weaned at 13 months and transitioned well.  You drink 3-4 bottles of milk a day.

*  You say quite a few words and jabber all the time (dada, addie, hi, up, that, out, yeah, yum), I'm sure there are a couple more I can't think of for now.  Unfortunately, there has been no "mama" yet :) 

* You are super affectionate with hugs and cuddles, but withhold kisses!  I think it's because I ask for them constantly and you like to play hard to get.

*  You love to listen to music and will shake and dance when a beat comes on.  You are also doing hand motions to some of your favorite songs. 

*  You are officially a walker!  You took 1-2 steps for a couple of weeks and then on June 5th you decided it was time and really took off!  You haven't looked back since and are now walking at least 90% of the time.  Your balance is getting better and better on various surfaces, uphill and downhill.  I think this makes you an official toddler!

* You have quite an opinion on things and are not afraid to share it with others.  You can't be tricked or distracted very well and can throw quite the fit if you don't get your way!

* You are figuring out quite a few of your toys and are starting to play with them in the appropriate way.

*  You are so stone faced around other people they think you never smile or giggle...but around us you are a jokester and have the best personality!

*  You are also a rough houser like your brother!  You love to wrestle on the couch, get thrown around and have fun being tossed in the air.

* You love your mommy, daddy, brother, Addie, your bottle and your pacifier.

*  You seem to be quite musical and love playing the toy guitar that we have.

* You are in size 12 month clothes and size 3 diaper.

* Your hair is brown and your eyes are still brown (slightly hazelish at times)

* Not sure how much you weigh exactly but it was around 19-20 lbs at your appointment.

The last year was a whirlwind full of love, sleepless nights, laughs, crying, craziness and all the joy imaginable!  So blessed to be your mama and am in awe everyday at the miracle you are in the way God molded you, formed you and perfectly placed you in our lives!