There's Just Something About It

After a couple rainy days here, and being stuck indoors, it felt so good to get out yesterday for a bit together.

There is nothing like a little sunshine and exercise to put everyone in a good mood!

We have been discovering many new parks around town, and so far the boys have given four thumbs up to them all! Chris and I lived in this city 7 years ago. We spent our first three married years here together. It is amazing though how different it looks here through the eyes of a mother. I am seeing things I never saw before, and now care about things I never cared much about before! Like the parks!

Ethan taking a sip with his brothers help.

Enjoying a picnic lunch. Even Adelyn got in on some of the action with some mango and pears.

Ethan showing me the "Daddy S"

Grayson

Along for the ride in the Ergo

The Horse's Back

is where I am climbing back up.

It's been a wild ride, I got bucked off for a bit, but I'm finding my footing and getting back on the trail.

We are adjusting.

Taking deep breaths.

Enjoying quiet moments together as a family of five.

Living in a house with the bare minimum until we find our final destination.

All three kids are adjusting well. When the boys spot things they recognize from their home in Virginia they hold it up, get this gleam in their eye, and say "Home!" They have also been walking around claiming everything as "new." "New door." "New wall." "New carpet." "New windows." "New kitchen." "New sink." You get the idea. :) They seem to be happy wherever they are, and for that I am thankful.

My mood has been all over the board. Some moments I am giddy with this adventure, with a fresh start, with knowing my family is so close by. But then at other times I have moments where I miss our home. I miss our routines. I miss my friends. I miss our other family.

It's just a lot of change, but overall it's really going great.

Tomorrow the kids and I are going to spend the day out exploring. There are a couple of parks we need to check out (the essentials when you have young children!).

And now...just a few recent pictures to share.

My entire family. We started with just five of us, and now look! It was so wonderful to spend Easter together.

My precious Adie Padie. She is starting to get up on her knees and rock back and forth. I so can't handle the idea of another mobile child!

Grayson John. He is such a tender boy. My little cuddler and inquisitive soul. "Whas Dat?" is asked about everything!

Ha! This is the only recent picture I have of Ethan that isn't a blur! Unless he is eating something he usually is on the move! He is a smartie pants. A happy boy. A sweet, sweet child.

Here I Am!

Whew!

We're here - safe and sound.

Settled in to our new rental home together.

Last night was the first night we all slept under this roof and it felt so good!

Today Chris heads in to the office. I'm not used to this after having him working out of the house for the past 7 years. I'm excited for him.

The kids and I have exploring and getting settled in to our routine on our schedule today.

I will write more later! Someone is awake!

Today

I turned

and it was a really great day.

Shopping with two of the most special women in my life - my Mama and my Daughter

Drinking a free strawberry margarita

Hearing the phone beep and buzz throughout the day with greetings from friends and family

Having my daughter fall asleep on my chest

Grayson and I dancing together this evening, him in my arms, his head thrown back, not too big to love being there

Ethan asking me tonight "Mommy's birfday day? (Mommy's birthday today?) He then went on to ask me, and inspect, if my fingernails were clean or dirty (it's been his thing lately). :)

Finding out my husband has arrived safely in the same state as me and the fact that I get to see him in just a couple days!

Being blessed beyond measure by all the people that love me, support me, encourage me, and believe in me.

It was a really great birthday.

For Real

The blogging world is an amazing thing. I have discovered some pretty amazing people in this virtual world and yesterday I had the awesome opportunity to meet one of them face to face. ---------------------------------------- Cassie from Kitchen Floor Diaries is the mother of toddler twins that turned three this past January.

(Cassie and her son. I was so sad I didn't get a decent picture to turn out of her daughter)

She lives near my parents and asked the boys and I to come over and play yesterday. We had such a great time! --------------------------------------------------- As mother's of twins there is always so much to share when it comes to our experiences, joys, frustrations, and trials so far. We talked and talked and talked while our children ran in circles around us tearing their playroom apart! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you again Cassie and I look forward to seeing more of you on here or more often for REAL! ---------------------------------------------------------- P.S. Sorry for all the lines in this post -but blogger has been throwing some major fits for me recently when I make any changes or edits to my posts. Sigh.

Anywhere She Goes...

Her smile goes too.

We have been blessed with a content, laid back, go-with-the-flow kind of girl.

She is just so...

Yummy!

Life On The Farm

Well....

Life on the farm is kinda laid back

Ain't much an old country boy like me can't hack

It's early to rise

(Not so) Early in the sack

Thank God I'm a (Minnesotan) country boy.

Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm

A raisin' me a family and workin' on a farm

My days are all filled with an easy country charm

Thank God I'm a country boy

(who made it a 2 bath kind of day)!

The Place Called Home

We are getting all settled in to our routine here at my parents house where we will spend the next few weeks. I wanted to post a few pictures of our travel day before too much time had passed! Enjoy!

Made it through security

Hanging out at Reagan

Passing the time with anything possible

You gotta do what you gotta do

Adelyn getting some TLC from a doting BaPa on her first plane trip

A snoozing little girl in my arms made this Mama pretty content

Yep, she's a keeper

Meeting cousin Micah for the first time

So great to see Uncle Michael after it had been a year for me!

Adelyn was a pretty big fan of her Great Grandma!

Micah and Adelyn. Born 9 days apart. Meeting each other for the first time.

We're Here!

We have arrived safe and sound! I am working on a post but it ain't ready yet! More to come soon!

AHHHH!!!

I have the following:

• 
  
  butterflies


• 
  
  goosebumps


• 
  
  2 packed suitcases (just squeaking in under that 50 pound limit)


• 
  
  6 packs of graham crackers (to aid in keeping little boys still)


• 
  
  a lump in my throat


• 
  
  9 diapers


• 
  
  new coloring books with twistable "easy glide" crayons


• 
  
  3 packed carry-ons (but I must still find some room to squeeze in my camera to document it all)


• 
  
  a jar of organic sweet potatoes for a certain little someone just.in.case.


• 
  
  a book for me to read on the plane (wishful thinking perhaps)


• 
  
  a car seat


• 
  
  3 children (who will be pretty sleepy and still pajamaed when we leave here at 3 a.m.)


• 
  
  2 eager parents waiting for us in D.C.


• 
  
  a sense of excitement, fear, sadness, and giddyness as we step foot into this new adventure...


• 
  
  I'll write again after our feet are on Minnesotan soil!