Catch - up

We've spent the month doing fall-ish things like raking leaves, and jumping in them

We had an impromptu costume day, where Addy wore Austins baby costume..

 

austins dinosuar costume from last year

 

 

Let me tell you, if you wanna get sentimental, just put your baby in your firsts baby's halloween costume... I had forgetten litle details from that day, when seeing Addy in it memories started flooding in.. We visted so many family members, had dinner and Austin ate squash in my dads high chair. Austin took his first steps at my step dads.. It was so sweet, and my babies look so much a like

 

of course I added a little girlish touch with the bow

 It was just what I needed after such.along.and stressful week at work,

Inspiration has been easy to find, but hard to hone in on lately.

 

Just call me Stella, Im trying to find my groove.. or get it back, with all this working, and sleepless nights..

 

 

 

 Sometimes it's easy to get a little cranky, the key I find, is to rally.. I fake it till I make it, including energy. When I have none, I hone in on some that I have stored in the recesses of my body and get the job done..

All in all, we are doing good, with the stressful comes the moments that remind you what you are doing, WHY you are doing it..

my reasons? My family. When work is so horffically stressful? I jump in leaves, or I have a reading picnic..

This past weekend was youth hunting day - Keith brought out his cousin.. We went shooting before, and unfortunaly they didnt see anything, but hey the season has only just began, and we are excited!!
( not abot getting up at the break of dawn)

Halloween is just around the corner, and its the first holiday in my magic holiday trio, I am not allowing myself to plan for turkey day until halloween is over, I gotta live in the moment, sometimes I get ahead of myself.. like planning Addys birthday? okay gotta slow down..

See you on Halloween with two cute little babies you just cant help but fall in love with.

Happy Halloween y'all

updates and routines

Well Fall is most certainly here,

 

And besides our Halloween countdowns, and pumpkin carving, and leaf jumping, and forest adventures, we have been getting into a full blown routine each morning, slowly working out the kinks, and trying to devlop some sort of routine

Two months into working and daycare one would think we would be all situated, but let me tell you...

EVERY. night is different. Some times Addy doesn't sleep, sometimes Austin has nightmares, sometimes we all sleep really great, but then forget to wake up at alarm clock and BAM we're late..

Sometimes Austin can't get to Nana's fast enough to play, other times it takes all I have jsut to get him out of his room.. Sometimes I remember everything I need, and sometimes I forget everything I can..

Some days are really great, and others are stressful. But no matter how hard, or easy, fun or stressful each day is, when I leave daycare, knowing my kids are safe, I go to work, and I work, and deal with whatever sort of day I am gonna have, and when I get home I try to leave it all at work, and dive into my afternoons with the kids..

Tuesady I had one of those days are work.. When I got home I grabbed a rake, and raked and raked until our pile was as high as the sky, and we jumped, and ran, and went for a walk. I dove right into my kids.

The ebb and flow of working and being a mom is sometimes hard. But knowing I have to, makes me feel like I am leading by example, what better way to show my children what good work ethics are, or how benifical and rewarding it is to help others in need. Not just words, actions.

I am blessed to have such a job, not something that gets me through the week, but something I love, and feel like I am making a difference in others lives. Hard work, but worth the work.

And working all day, makes it jsut that much sweeter when I come home to my kids.

This week Austin made his first cake - ALL. BY. HIMSELF. He will tell you " mommmy did the eggs, because those are hard" and also I put the cake in and out of the oven
But he mixed, poured, frosted and sprinkled ALL. BY. HIMSELF.

( sorry no pictures, my camera doesnt take inside pictures anymore :( )

BUT, we did go scouting, and Autin found some footprints, ALL BY HIMSELF..

He is growing up so fast, his birthday s right around the corner, and if you ask what he is getting its a kitty, and if you ask how old he will be he will tell you five.. He doesnt want to be four, he wantes to go to school.. so cute!

Today, Addison is five months old. Five months have gone by, but somehow I feel like I have known her my whole life.  She is so sweet, and is growing so fast. Minus her sleeping through the night mishaps, she is flourishing. She is stil lbreatfeeding minus two bottles a day at daycare. She also eats a veggie for lunch and for dinner. She can roll over, she loves het tootsies, and loves loves loves her big brother. He can make her laugh when even I cant.
Addy - we love you, and can't belieive you are so big!!

Mommy and Daddy are having a date this weekend, Austin askes me everyday " is it saturday yet" because he LOVES to go to his meme's.. But mommy is also very excited to spend time with her hubby.

Mommy Vacations

Tonight I had the best sort of vacation, not the sort that involves taking days off from work, or even packing a bag.. No, mine was simple. I escaped to the bathroom, and took a shower by myself, with the door shut, hot water steaming the mirror, savoring the quiet time. I shaved my legs with shaving cream, heck even shaving them at all sometimes is a conquer. I followed the drections on my conditioner bottle, I showered until there was no hot water left.
 I really thought about prolonging what I thought would be a warzone when I exited my heaven, a screaming baby perhaps, a stressed out husband, or a naked toddler, any of these are plausible in our household.. But I walked out to a father and son building blocks next to their baby jumping along in her seat. It was so funny.

On days when my job is particularlly stressful, or Austin has one too many toddler meltdowns, or Abby gets into the trash I often too easily lose focus on whats really important to me.

Mainly and most importantly, my kids. Their future, their present really - their childhoods. I want to be an example, and teach them right and wrong, compassion and patience. And while when one asks God for one such a virtue it is not hand deilevered fed ex for your immediaite usage, no, when one asks God for patience or kindness, God gives you a situation in which you can triumph and use it.

Austin's first time washing the car

My mommy vacation really help reset my mindset, I took a little timeout, and felt so much better for it.

Sometimes it's all you need to help find focus. I found my focus and I am ready to finish out the week with an overabundance of paitience and kindness.

Who couldn't just pinch these cheeks??

Happy October