Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Vacation

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, 
we must carry it with us, or we find it not.”
  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last week was David's spring break and since today is his birthday(BTW HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) I planned a little surprise family vacation. He knew that we were going on a trip but I did not tell him where until we were already on the road. Our first family vacation was to the majestic and awe-inspiring Grand Canyon. We had such a wonderful time. Dave even used the word exhilarating, which for those of you who know him, is a pretty big deal. While Dave was climbing out onto the treacherous rocks to get closer to the edge, I looked out over the canyon with my boys.  I loved seeing the excitement in Aiden's eyes as he gazed out over one of the seven natural wonders of the world. I know that he cannot truly grasp what he is looking at, but to me his enthusiasm is it's own natural wonder.  Every once in awhile I get to catch my breath, step back from every day life and realize just how lucky I am and how much beauty there is in the world. I am so blessed to be a part of this little family and I cannot wait for all the vacations we take together in the future. On the way home we also visited a really awesome place called Bearizona. Basically, you get to drive through several habitats and see tons of really cool animals up close and personal! I highly recommend it, we had a blast! I hope that I can provide my children with the same level of enjoyment of family vacations and travel that my parents did for me. I always had such a wonderful time with my family growing up and it is one of my dearest hopes that I can do that for my little boys. 











(Doctor's Appointment Results)
Date: March 16, 2015
Weight: 17.3 pounds
Height: 26 inches
Latest accomplishment: rolled over from tummy to back

 Stats for Aiden
Date: March 16, 2015
Weight: 39 pounds
Height: 40 inches
Quote of the week: "Don't worry I'm a super hero and a super hero will find your phone!"

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Habits

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
-Aristotle

Smiling during Tummy Time!!!
Aiden LOVES holding his brother
I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately and trying to apply it to my everyday life. I am happy to report that I have kept my house clean, had only home-cooked meals, finished all my work for my job, had loads of quality play time with my boys and managed to keep my composure(patience) for this month so far.  Aside from giving up soda and "stuff" for Lent, I also decided that I wanted to have things more together at home. If I just keep at it, it will eventually become a habit and be less "work". Or at least, that is what I am hoping. I know that I will have slip-ups, especially with a rambunctious and persistent three-year-old on my hands but I am making a conscious effort. Aiden is becoming a much better listener, we have recently started counting to get him to do things and it is working really well. Connor can sit up on his own for several seconds, he babbles on and on, giggles at his brother's silly antics, sleeps through most of the night, and partially rolls over. When I lay him on his back he will turn on his side to try and nurse, that is what I mean by "partially" roll over. We are all looking forward to Spring Break next week, except for both boys having an appointment with the doctor. Connor has to get shots but Aiden is just going in for a check up, so keep us in your prayers on Monday! I will try to have an official weigh-in next week, time got away from me today but at least we ate well!

Quality Brother Time

Aiden and Daddy reading Dr. Suess

Aiden is a peanut butter fiend!

Nothing like a bouncer to take a snooze in

Connor is crazy for this giraffe!

Couch to Couch

Giraffe Love!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The Little Things

Thing 1 & Thing 2 with Mommy!
We had a game night this past weekend, it was a lot of fun. One of the women that attended brought her two children, so Aiden was in heaven.  They had such a blast, and the adults had a pretty good time as well. It is nice to spend some time at home, I feel like we are barely here with how often we drive to California. Sometimes just having a weekend at home is like a vacation, it is all part of enjoying the little things in life. I started a thankful journal in January, and it has really helped me appreciate everything in my life more.  Every day I write down one thing that I am thankful for, it could be anything (event, person, moment, thing, etc.) Since it only requires a sentence or two a day it is really easy to keep up with, and I encourage everyone to try it. It is a great way to keep your spirits up and help you to always appreciate the little things. Here are pictures of some of the best "things" in my life! 

It is not easy getting these two to smile for the camera at the same time!


Date: March 4, 2015
Height: 26 inches
Weight: 17 pounds

Painting in the tub is fun!

An artist in the making.

Love those baby blues!

He LOVES all the train toys he got for his birthday!

Being a Sanders Boy is exhausting!

Just a super cute pic of Connor and his Grandma!!