The Pumpkin Patch

Over the weekend we took our little family, along with grandma, to our local pumpkin patch. The weather was perfectly set in the high 60s and the wind was minimal. Add that to both of our kids acting phenomenally well and you get a perfect fall outing. Okay, Payton did have a huge meltdown leaving the bounce house but that was at the end of our time at the pumpkin patch. We still counted the day as a total win in our books.

We love having grandma visit and were sad to see her go back home. Payton loves doing any activity with grandma!

We hope to see her again in a few weeks as we head back to my hometown. This week will be a busy one with fun Halloween activities and my husband's parents coming to visit. I'm also continuing to work on projects around the house (finally decorating our front porch) and enjoying sweet moments with my babies as I go.

Riley Turns 3 Months

This week our littlest little turned 3 months. To ring in the occasion, we spent the evening at the park! I packed a picnic supper and we loaded up the kids and headed for town.

We had the best time, ever. 

In true Riley fashion, he slept for most of our time at the park! We fed the ducks, went down the slide more times than we can count, got dizzy spinning around, and laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Seriously, both kids laughed! This was the first time Riley had really giggled. This was the highlight of our day. We are so blessed.

Happy 3 months Riley! You are such a happy baby and love to talk, talk, talk. You hate naps but sleep (mostly) through the night already. You eat very well and have grown like crazy! You are currently a few pounds shy of the current weight of your sister, who is 2 1/2 years old. You are most definitely our chunk of love and we love you so much more than words could ever say.

A Wedding & Running With a Bit of Color

We had a busy weekend. So busy that I'm looking forward to winter coming and being able to slow down and be stuck indoors. For the most part. The other half of me loves fall and all that comes with it!

We had a wedding to attend over the weekend. It's really one of the few weddings we have gone to since having our daughter. Weddings are hard with kids and they typically go way past our children's (and my own) bedtime. We decided to allow that for this one. Our kids both had a blast. I don't know when my daughter decided to no longer be shy, but it was so sweet to watch her seek out interactions and dancing with other children.

It's always makes me reminiscent of my own wedding day as I watch a couple commit themselves to one another. I can't believe how quickly time has gone since my own wedding. It will soon be 7 years ago!

On Sunday, I joined a friend for a color run. It was a rough run for me as temps were record high for October and the run was in the middle of the afternoon. It was hot! I was also exhausted from almost no sleep the night before. The race did go on and I am proud to put another 5k in the books!

With such a busy weekend behind us, I decided the kids (and I) definitely needed a day at home. So that's just what we did! We painted some and lounged most of the day away!

...The End of Our Week

I started off the week with plans to do just a week recap post, but our days have been so busy (and so fun) that I broke the post into two parts. Here is the start of our week.

Thursday landed us right on my birthday! I am not a huge fan of my own birthday but Payton really wanted cake. We settled for making our homemade diabetic lime pie that I love.

It was delicious and super easy to whip up, especially with a toddler! An added bonus is that it's a no bake.

I really did enjoy my birthday! We spend it doing all the things I love! We made food, lounged around, and spent time outdoors. 

On Friday, I took the kids to the library and a local parade. It had been a long time since Payton's last parade and she was so excited to go! She loved seeing all the vehicles go by and getting candy! She is too nervous to go in the street to get candy  though so I have to pull them all within reach for her.

Riley didn't happen to see any of the parade:

On Saturdays, Payton and I are in a dance class (at least until November). It's a mommy and me dance class and we are loving it. I get much more of a workout than I bargained for though! We ran some errands afterwards before coming home to watch some football!

After a crazy week, today has been quiet. We plan to relax all day to prepare for the craziness of another week. 

The Start of Our Week...

What a busy week we have had! Fall is here and we are loving the weather. We spent a good chunk of time outside except for the one day it was raining.

Monday took a rough start this week with both kids up before the sun and overly tired because of this. I pulled myself together and took the kids outdoors which ultimately turned the whole day around for us. A little fresh air goes a long ways.

I'm a bit of a rule breaker these days and skipped a healthy lunch in lieu of an unhealthy snack like lunch. This feast included popcorn, cheese, crackers, and an apple. What can I say? Quick decisions had to be made when all 3 of us were demanding food at the same time. The kids seemed fine with my impulsive decision as I snapped these pictures right after we ate:

On Tuesday, we kicked off the day coloring and jamming out to music. I love quiet, happy starts to our day. It was so rainy out we were stuck indoors playing. The skies cleared up just as it was time for Daddy to come home so we got out for a few minutes and waited for him.

I think I'm always the most excited for my hubby to come home!

Wednesday started off with story time at the library. I feel like I really accomplished something when I can get two kids and myself ready and out the door on time. Of course, on time, rarely happens these days. We are always running late.

After the library the weather was too good to pass up so we spent most of the afternoon outside.

We have one outdoor cat and one kitty. Oh how payton loves them! They love her, too, but she is very allergic. We are trying to work with her on not touching the cats to her face. It's not going so well...

We hope the rest of our week goes just as well as the beginning did!

Lazy Day Sunday

Every once in awhile, we get a Sunday to just relax and hang out as a family. The memories from these days are some of my personal favorites. It's nice to not be go, go, go constantly. We are given a chance to really bond...

As a mother, I have learned that, for me, these days are not entirely relaxing. I was still up at 7am with my children after going to bed way too late (courtesy of football games and late night friend visits). Three meals were still made and served to my family. Two loads of laundry were done and put away. Too many diapers were changed.

This is my every day life. I wouldn't change a moment of this for the world.

A Mommy/Daughter Morning Together

Now that we are a family of four I'm working hard (and failing a lot) at trying to continue with mother/daughter one on one time daily. Newborns are very demanding and I've found getting alone time with my toddler is challenging. Many times, I start to play with my toddler only to have my newborn decide, instead of napping, he needs his diaper changed. 

So, with my husband home on Saturday wanting to lounge around, I decided to spend a morning alone with my toddler. She's a whole lot of energy in the mornings so I knew getting outside would suit her well. We hopped in our van and headed to town. I saw some garage sales (actually a whole block of sales, the best kind with a child in tow) and we decided to browse. I found a helmet for Payton and she was very excited for her new "hat."

We then headed to the park. Oh how I love all that our park offers! There are several playgrounds, a splash pad, walking trails, fishing, and ducks to feed. We shoved as much as we could into a few hours. I'm continuously in awe at how fast my child has grown. She is so independent and able to do more and more on her own.

As we loaded back up because the temps got too hot for us, I figured why not make one more stop before heading home. I pulled up to one of Payton's favorite places, the library! She was so excited!

After the library we returned home to our boys. We spent the rest of the day together. As the weather cooled, we got outside a bit before putting the kids to bed.

This is what I would call a perfect day. At this stage of life, I love my family time and days where there is no rush. We get one more quiet day before the chaos known as Monday begins!