family is everything

the obligatory thankful post

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

In lieu of annoying you with one thing I’m thankful for every day for a month, I really tried hard to think of one thing that I am most thankful for.  It’s impossible.  Every time I try to think of something, it just seems so obvious and cliche.  So I tried to think of what I have that would be devastating to lose…that’s also pretty much everything.  Not things like hot mocha choca vanilla soy grande lattes – those I could live without.

Food on my table.  What would it be like if I had to worry about where my kids’ next meal would come from?

A roof over my head.  What would it be like if I had to worry about where we were going to sleep tonight?

My kids.  What would it be like if I just had to remember what life was like with them?  Or wonder what life would be like if I’d been able to have kids?

My husband.  A partner in this crazy life. What would life be like without this man to hug and co-parent with and confide in at the end of every day?

My family and in-laws. What in the world would life be like if our family gatherings were full of drama and tension?  I’ve been so fortunate with my family of origin as well as the one I was lucky enough to marry into.

My job.  I know all too well what it was like to have to leave to go to work on Thanksgiving.  Sad!  I am happy to have a job that not only do I enjoy, but one where I feel appreciated.  My agency is generous enough to pay me to spend time with my wonderful family.  Aside from that, I’m lucky that we don’t have to worry if we have enough money to take our kids to the doctor. Or if we have to decide between that and buying groceries. Or paying the light bill.  In this day and age, I’m just thankful for my job.  Everything else is icing on the cake.

I’m just thankful. No one’s life is perfect, but when I think about how much worse it could be, I’m thankful. I forgot to mention, my health. The health of my family members.  I have no idea what it would be like if myself or one of my kids were fighting a life-threatening or disabling illness.  Thankful.

My little turkeys had fun decorating cupcakes with Nana, Spencer, and Aunt Chelle.

hope your weekend was great,
~C~

little farmers

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest

Our last trip to Kelsay Farms (2 years ago) went pretty much like THIS. (Laugh all you like but HOLY MOLY, how have my kids grown up and changed SO much in two short years?)  We received a flyer/coupon thingy in the mail the other day so I thought that might be a fun thing to do close to home this weekend while my cousin, Kara, was visiting.  I forgot the coupon…par for the course!

We were only marginally more successful with getting a family picture.  Such a neat little place and we love visiting in the fall (even if it was 80+ degrees out!).

Excited to see the big pumpkins – not so excited when mom asked to take a picture. Story of my life!
Playing and digging in the corn.

Hop Dot game.

Climbing Hay Bale Mountain.

Cousin Kara (that’s what the boys call her) helping Dexter strike a pose. 
Mooove over, son, and let me show you how it’s done.

Hi.

3 day old big baby!

Taking a ride on the Moo Choo Express.

OH LOOK. Cousin Kara took some initiative, picked up my camera and took some pictures of me without being asked.  It’s as if I actually exist in this family after all.  Hint, hint. You know, to no one in particular.  Cough -RYAN – Cough.  P.S., thanks Kara! This means a lot to me.  In case you can’t already tell.

Dexter was happy to pose for a pic mom dear ol’ mom & dad…

Theo was too cool, so we thought, maybe…if we leaned… no?

Bribed him by letting him hold a pumpkin.

And cut.

Reading Spookley the Square Pumpkin in the corn maze (too cute)! The boys were really into this, running from one story board to the next. Theo thought they were “clues.”

Sharing is caring. Especially when you’re sharing a chocolate milkshake.

I just love their little faces.

Playing on the antique tractor while waiting for the next hayride.

That sky looks like a painting – such a beautiful day.

And there’s the hayride tractor!

Theo’s flipping out with excitement while Dexter just blasts off towards it.  

Well. We tried. 

Such a fun visit with my sweetie cousin!
xo,
~C~

Labor Day weekend and then some

Posted on by mommyinthemidwest
Aug. 25, 2013.  My boys have taken to napping anywhere but in their beds.  Theo’s weekend naps are pretty much always on the couch now. I’m fine with that – it takes both of them 10 times longer to fall asleep at naptime when they are both in their room.
Dexter woke up shortly after falling asleep and asked to sleep with me in my bed.  He went right back to sleep…and I woke him up 3+ hours later.

The light in our room was just right for sneaking some pics.  I can’t imagine ever getting tired of watching them sleep.  Even when they’re zit-faced metal-mouth teenagers.

Fast forward to Labor Day.  My sister and her family came from Tennessee for the weekend.  They arrived very late Friday night and we were up before the sun Saturday morning with our early risers.  We traveled 90 minutes east to visit relatives.

Just another trip to our uncle’s alpaca farm.
Checking out Uncle Joe’s cool Corvette Stingray.
Aunt Sandy introducing Penelope to one of her babies.
After a long day of playing and no napping, we made the mistake of setting up dinner plans. Long story short, it was one of the most embarrassing parenting moments I’ve had. Both boys throwing fits (understatement of the decade) in the restaurant. Ryan and I functioning on 4 hrs of sleep. No thank you – we kindly skipped out of the restaurant and drove home.  The boys slept all the way home and then went right back to sleep in their beds after dinner.
Sunday I woke up with an eye infection … awesome.  We had made plans to go to Ryan’s parent’s house to swim in the lake. I got up early and fixed cheesy potatoes and grape salad. Yum & Yum.  We got down there a little after 11am and made a day of it. I ended up not taking my camera down to the dock for obvious reasons but did squeeze in a mini sesh with beautiful 8 month old Penelope Quinn.

She wasn’t in much of a smiling mood, this was about as close as we got to a smile Sunday.

I just love chubby little baby hands and arms and thighs and feet and…you know. Baby chubbiness.  So cute.
Monday morning we lounged around the house before heading to the outlet mall to check out the Labor Day deals.  After that it was time for my sweet sis and her amazing family to hit the road.  Sad to see them go, realizing after spending such quality time together how much we are missing by living so far apart.
Isabella and Malachi – my first niece and my first nephew. Now I have two of each.  These are 2 good kids.  REALLY good kids.  Love them to pieces.
They all left a little after 5pm and I went home to spend a little extra time with my own little fam.  Back to work. Back to school. Back to the babysitter.  We’re all getting back into our post-holiday routine. To toss in a little excitement, we went to the ice cream shop last night and then the library, which is right across the street.  The boys love this library, and so do I.  We let them check out books for the first time.
How’s that for a photo & info overload?  Now that we’re almost into another weekend, I hope your Labor Day weekend was great and I hope this coming weekend is too!
xoxo,
~C~