Simple Things Enjoyed In September

We are enjoying that our little guy is talking and running and just so happy. After a rough previous year with him being sick constantly, his health and growth is a beautiful thing.

He even ran in his first race and for a family that loves to run, this is a fun milestone for us.

Our little girl started school . She is making friends and loves to learn. Her stories from school are something I look forward to each day. And our weekly lunch dates at her school brighten my week.

She also lost her first tooth and got a visit from the tooth fairy. When daddy is a dentist, we get excited about teeth around here:)

Watching brother and sister play together is the highlight of most days- they love each other in the way I hoped and prayed they would and I hope that never changes:

That my husband is healing. He’s back to work after a bicycling injury that made us realize all we have to be thankful for. He even got on his bike for the first time since the accident.

Our health is something often take for granted. As are our jobs and sense of purpose. Gratitude is something we celebrate in November each year, but we are reminded daily of all that we have to be grateful for- coworkers that stepped up to help out, family and friends who helped us with meals, transportation, a listening ear, caring for our kids and our home.

I’ve enjoyed running, some craft projects with my little ones and because of my husband’s injuries a slower pace in the evenings. We made leaves out of coffee filters (directions here: http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2014/08/fall-window-art-leaf-suncatchers-free.html) which was great fun:

More movies watched and more rest. Something we desperately needed but would not have otherwise made time for. I've found a love for audiobooks that I can listen to while running and working on household chores and just read a great book that any woman should read: 

~Angela 

First day of school

I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that we have a kindergartner.

I’ve had a week to digest this now (a week is enough time to have missed the bus already in case you were wondering) and really thought I would hold it together that First Day until I got a message from Our little girl’s preschool teacher the Morning Of The First Day of School saying “I know Your little girl is ready for this and God bless” that started the tears…

then there was those little legs climbing those giant bus steps that created more tears…

and then little brother who said “Sister, bye-bye, bus” and I lost it. I cried all the way to work (it’s only a mile, but still). 

I was giddy with excitement all day to pick her up and hear all about it. We waited in what has become our spot for the bus to round the corner and drop her off. Her first words off the bus: "can I go back tomorrow?!" 

She was ready. No doubt in my mind. She was up at 2:30am the first day she was so excited. But I guess I wasn't. I'd been thinking of all these fleeting moments of growth and I get very sentimental- this summer she has mastered riding a bike without training wheels, learned to swim on her own and learned to read. And her first tooth was loose just last week. These are such exciting milestones, but reminders that she is growing up- it's bittersweet. 

I want for her to love school like I did- new friends at her new school, new projects, a teacher that makes learning fun. Through tears, I read this prayer I've sent to friends with kids in school over the years, and it hit closer to home this year than in the past.

A Tree for Our Little Man

My husband's grandparents planted a tree for all of their grandchildren at their house and I love that idea. They have watched their children grow and watched the trees grow along with them. I wanted to  do that for our children and we planted a tree when our daughter was born (before I started blogging) and most recently when our son was born.

Picking out just the right tree was more work than actually planting it!

We all helped plant the tree once we got it home

This little girl took a break

and found a worm

This little guy mostly just supervised...and played with the yard flags

Now each of the kids have their own tree, we labeled with a personally engraved rock.

~Angela

Brother for sale

Right now our little guy is very mobile and that means he can (and does) get into his sister's things. This bugs her to no end



Of course that frustrates sister to no end. And our little man still just grins at her. There are moments like this that I love stumbling upon...





And then there are moments that our little girl acts like this:


I am sure this sibling dynamic will change as they grow and change, but I'll savor the sweet moments whenever I can.

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Summer days

Our long awaited summer has finally arrived... And we are soaking in every minute of it!!

We've been swimming (someone refuses to admit she has outgrown her little pool).

And just hanging out in our swimsuit because we can...



We've been running races as a family, something my husband and I have always enjoyed and now we share with our kids.

Keeping it real, here are some post race pics- I bent our little girl's sign which was a major catastrophe, as you can imagine:




And we took a much anticipated trip to the zoo. It's hard so say who was more excited- the little kids or the big kids (my husband, brother, his girlfriend, or me!)

And the full day led to two happily exhausted kids (and some tired parents- but sleeping adults aren't nearly as adorable as sleeping kids):



We look forward to many more adventures to come!