A two year old

This is Gabe.  I'm going to tell you about Eli.  He loves to sleep on the floor a lot.  He is so cute when he sleeps!  He is my brother.  He was just playing on his little computer and he just went to sleep.

Eli likes to sit on the potty in his clothes.  And, he also likes to stand up and look at the potty.  He is just waiting to be a big boy.

Eli likes to play on his little computer.  He learns all of his letters.  He can say all of them.   He really likes to learn all his letters.

Eli got a little train for Christmas.  There is little treasures that he likes to find in the train.  He pushes the train cars up and down the hills.

I love my little brother, Eli.      

those deer horns

Owen has a new passion.  One of those things that I thought would wear off after a few days but, has only intensified with time.  Here we are into mid January and Owen doesn't talk about anything else besides hunting.

You see, when we were in Wyoming over Christmas, Owen and Bryan started looking at deer horns.  Bryan went out to Gramps's garage and brought in all the deer horns he shot over the years.  Owen was so excited!   So excited, in fact, that it led to us packing them in a box and bringing them home.  Owen was in heaven.  He held his favorite pair in his lap the entire 6 hour drive home.

And, ever since arriving home, this is Owen's passion.  Arranging and rearranging his horns.  Telling "big buck stories" with each one and using them to fight each other.  

There have been days when I can't take it anymore.  All I want to do is pack them into their box and store them on the top shelf in the garage.  At least twice a day, I have to take a deep breath and remember how important this is to Owen.  He lives for these horns.

Even bedtime revolves around hunting because that means that it's time for a "buck story".  After Owen is tucked into bed his dad grabs a set of the horns and tells the hunting story behind them.  As the story unfolds you can just see the sparkle in Owen's eyes.  He listens intently to each word trying to memorize it so that he can retell it the next day.  This is his absolute favorite part of the day and it melts my heart.  It helps me tolerate all those horns around my house and remember how important it is to embrace the heart of a child even if you don't understand it.

 

So,  I will leave you with a picture from today.  Today is Owen's favorite day because it's the day he has a playdate with his best friend, Jake.  Owen was so excited to show Jake his horns.  Jake on the other hand liked playing with the train instead.  It worked out perfect for both of them!

Ordinary Time

We are into Ordinary time around here.   In ordinary time we get to hang out at the house with each other, just doing the things that we want to do.

Today, Eli wants to wear a hat.  He has had this hat on his head all day.  He takes it off and puts in on.  He runs around yelling "hat, mom hat, mom".  Today is a hat day.

After his bath, he didn't want clothes on.  "No shirt", he screamed.  OK, I said but, you have to wear a diaper.  He gave me a scowly face but, cheered up when he remembered his hat.   So, this is the outfit of choice today.

Owen is hunting.  He has all his dad's deer horns layed out on the floor.  Counting them.  Comparing them.  Telling "buck stories".  And, he has his bow.  He has been practicing all morning.  Perfecting his shot.

Ordinary time.  A time to practice for "the big hunt", a time to explore your fashion options.    Just time to spend with each other doing things that we love.   Even though I love the holidays and being able to spend time with family.  I love this time as well.  This is the time when I really get to spend time with the boys without any outside pressures.  Just ordinary time.

Miss Addie

There is only one word to describe my little niece.   ADORABLE.  The way she squishes up her nose when she doesn't like something.  The sparkle in her eye when she sees something she wants.  Those big brown eyes and hair with big unruly curls.   I may be a little biased being her Aunt and all but, I think she should win some sort of cuteness award!

Every little girl has to have pink sparkly shoes!

When time stopped...

 

A 7 year old boy, a black lab, a mother, and a beautiful Wyoming afternoon.

A boy and his best friend.  As a baby, he used to crawl on him, pull his ears, and poke his eyes.  As a toddler, he used to ride on him.  As a little boy, he understands him better.  He understands his need to be outside.  Running.  Exploring.  This makes them a perfect pair.  A boy and his dog.

The path that they follow is the same and as I watch them both running down the unknown trail my heart skips a beat.  The love that I have for them.  The love for this beautiful landscape, it's one of those moments that God gives us where time stops and the perfection of the moment is felt in the heart.  No future, no past, just the moment and the beauty all around.

A tree has fallen over.   We look to the other side and want so badly to cross over and go where it would have been impossible without the tree.  The 7 year old turns around and smiles at me.  "Watch this, mom" he says.  He starts to cross.  Stops halfway, from fear.  Turns around and comes back.

I decide to give it a try.  I cross the log and ask him to try again.

This time, I cheer him on.  When he stops and almost comes back.  I tell him he can do it.  I clap for him.  I tell him where to put his feet.  With my little bit (or a lot?) of encouragement, he crosses the log.  When he is on the other side, I see his huge smile and feel his sense of accomplishment.  In this moment, this makes my job at a mother make sense.  Isn't this what I am suppose to be doing?  Encouraging and letting go so that he can accomplish his goals and dreams.  I smile to myself as we continue.

Yes, these are the moments when all the chaos of being a mother makes sense.   Outside, spending time together, exploring, and trying things that make us fearful. Only to find that we could do it the whole time.  As we walk back to the house, I stop and give Gabriel a big hug and tell him how proud I am of him.  He looks at me and rolls his eyes because all he really wants to do is get back home with his brothers where lunch is waiting, while I just want to savor these moments a little longer.  And, I will because this walk has given me a new perspective.  A new found energy.  My love for my son grew a little deeper on this day.

morning routine

Christmas break is over and we are back into our routine.  It hasn't been a seamless adjustment but I have welcomed getting back into our schedule.  No more staying up late, no more sleeping in, no more staying in our pajamas if we feel like it.

I stumble out of bed early, before the kids get up.  I pull on my tennis shoes, grab Bridger's leash, and put a coat over my pajamas.  Bridger and I walk down to the lake.  Some mornings we run.  Some mornings we just walk.   The lake is beautiful in the mornings and I am able to let Bridger off the leash.  It's a time to be in prayer and prepare for my day.

When we get home, the house is starting to stir.  Gabe is awake and waiting for me.  He goes downstairs to grab a few minutes of TV before while I make breakfast.  I hear footsteps on the stairs as I'm making breakfast. My Owen is awake.  He always welcomes me with a hug and that huge Owen smile.

Breakfast gets eaten, Gabe is dressed and ready for his day.  He leaves the house at 7:45.  Now it is that special part of the day for me and Owen.  The time right after Gabe leaves and Eli wakes up.  We have a few moments, just the two of us.  Sometimes we play an imagination game, sometimes we read, and sometimes he sits with me in the kitchen.  All the while we listen for Eli's little voice.

Owen can't wait to go upstairs into Eli's room after he wakes up.  He waits very patiently for his brother to wake up and always has a game ready for him to play after he comes downstairs.  But, before Eli can come downstairs the boys have a jumping party in Eli's bed.  They jump and jump and jump and jump, until I make them get out.  It is quite the morning workout!

Our mornings are always hectic.  Hectic in a good way.  A blessed way.  I can't imagine my morning any other way.

Halloween

Halloween pictures are finally getting posted.  I know....I know.  These are really, really late.  Better late then never, I say.  Besides my kids were so cute, I couldn't just skip it and not post these!

A skeleton, A dementor, and a dragon.  Gabe is really into the scary costumes.  He told me that Eli isn't a cute little dragon.  He is a scary, fire breathing dragon.  So, watch out!

We went trick or treating with our best friend, Spider Man, aka Daniel.  We had a blast!

Before trick or treating, we had a full day at Gabe and Owen's schools.  We got all dressed up and headed to Gabe's school to watch the Halloween parade.  Eli and Owen loved watching all the kids walking by in their costumes.  Here is a picture of Gabriel in the parade with his teacher, Mrs. Bredl.

After the parade, we headed to Owen's school to a Halloween carnival.  But, before we could get into the car, my fire breathing dragon, had to unlock the doors and grab the "ubba dub" (garage door opener).  My fire breathing dragon just loves buttons and it is HIS job to push them.  If I push one of these buttons a screaming fit would ensue and since on this day, it involved fire, I did not forget to put him in charge of the keys and garage door opener.

Let the Halloween carnival begin.   Here is the little skeleton waiting patiently in line to get into the carnival.

 

This carnival was full of sweet treats.  The boys loved every sweet moment.

There was also games and lots of prizes!

After all this fun and excitement, I made the boys sit down so that I could take their picture.  And, wouldn't you know it, my scary fire breathing dragon turned into a sweet little thing who just wanted to share his sucker with me.  It just makes this momma so proud!

Happy late Halloween everyone!