We are still alive

So my blog has been sad, really sad lately. I feel like I've let my blog and my journal go the past few months as we were moving and celebrating all the holidays and just getting settled in our new house and that makes me sad. I've been extra tired from all the chaos and so I put my blog and journal on the back burner to collapse on the couch with Austin in the evenings. Anyway, I feel like so much of the life I love with my boys and my family are things I want to remember forever which is why I keep a journal and this blog, so with that being said, here goes at trying to start all over again in keeping up with our lives. For today, I'm not gonna even attempt to go back and recap what the past few months looked like...for now, I'll just post some pictures of my boys as they are getting so very big!!!

The boys laughing at who knows what...but this picture makes me smile...there is no better sound then the laughter of a child -
My baby, looking so very grown up and serious -
In case you are wondering what we have been up to lately...it's a whole lot of costumes. In fact, one might think that we celebrate Halloween all hours of the day around my house because I can guarantee if you were to show up at my house on any given day, you would find one of my boys in costume...mainly Braden. He literally wears a costume or "uniform" as he calls it from 7am until he goes to bed at night. Here the boys are playing pirates -
Asher in pumpkin costume and Braden in SWAT team costume -
Braden in his SWAT team costume -
Braden in police costume and Asher in his birthday suit (his favorite costume these days) -
So as you can see, we've been playing in costume a lot these days...but the one thing we have not been doing is potty training and I don't think it's anywhere close. Asher just likes to run around in Braden's underwear and I think he looks pretty stinkin' cute -

It's moving week...

Oh my goodness...it is upon us...moving week has arrived and wow is my house ever messy! We've known about this move for a few months now and I started packing a few weeks ago (a box here and there), but somehow it is crunch time. Packing with two little ones plus a wild, wild puppy has been quite interesting. Braden desperately wants to help and has been all about the box packing. Asher on the other hand just wants to take out the stuff that I put in or he wants to stand by the boxes and color them with markers...which usually means markers on him, the box, the walls, the floors, Hank, me, you name it and he colors it. And then there is the fighting dynamic...one wants to put something in the box, then the other one wants to put something in and then they start fighting over who puts what in, all the while Hank is biting the box or tearing off the tape that I just used to tape up the box. And then there is the fun stuff like packing up something that you realize you need. So then you get to undo the boxes you've already packed and start all over again. However, in the midst of the chaos, I have A LOT to be thankful for. Thankful that we have 2 year renters moving into our current house, thankful that my parents have graciously offered to house us for the next month, thankful that we have a beautiful new house to move into on December 5th and thankful that Austin's parents have offered to take Hank while we live with my parents for the next few weeks. And, despite all the chaos, I have had some really enjoyable moments with my little ones...we've found ways to be really creative and have fun despite all the moving chaos. Just feeling a little bittersweet about leaving our house. This is mine and Austin's first home, the first place I brought my babies home and in some ways I feel like we will look back on this house and remember these years, in this house as being some of the best in our life. My boys were so young here and we have literally spent the days playing away in this house...truly some sweet moments for me as a stay-at-home momma! Anyway, here are some pictures of our week -

Jumping on bubble wrap. Never heard so much laughing from the boys, apparently the bubble popping sound is hilarious when you are 2 and 4 years old-
Asher playing with the bubble wrap -
One day, I arranged the boxes so it made a "racetrack" according to Braden. The boys took turns racing through the racetrack. We even got out construction paper and made red and green lights. The boys loved this and it was so fun to watch them race -
Asher going under the bridge...and yes, my children wear costumes...A LOT -


So one morning I was trying to pack the kitchen and wasn't getting very far so I drew a road on the packing paper and Braden spent the next 45 minutes driving all his cars on the road. Who knew packing paper could be so fun -
And while Braden was driving cars, Asher (my art obsessed child) was busy drawing on my box -
Today, I piled all the blankets, sheets and pillows out of my closets and let the boys jump from the bed into a huge pillow pile before I loaded all the linens into a box. They loved it!!! Anyway, all in all it's been a chaotic, but very sweet week with my little boys. We've had a lot of days where we've stayed in our pj's all day long. I have to admit that it's been nice to slow down and be with the boys even if it did get really wild around here at some moments.

Pumpkin Patch

What a beautiful day yesterday. We spent the morning walking on the Greenway (oh how I'm gonna miss it when we move). We literally walk down to the Greenway every weekend. Yesterday, the boys rode their bikes and Austin and I enjoyed the leaves falling, the amazingly beautiful weather and watching our little boys chase each other on their bikes. After long naps by all parties, we headed over to the pumpkin patch to pick out some pumpkins to carve. We ended the night with our annual Halloween tradition of carving pumpkins, making pumpkin face pizzas and watching the Charlie Brown pumpkin movie...although it was unavailable last night so we substituted with The Little Rascals (Braden's choice). All in all, a wonderful, family filled Saturday.

Loving the pumpkins -
Family shot -
Fall cuteness -
Oh my goodness, why is it so hard to get a brother's photo -
Love these boys -
Austin and Braden carving the pumpkin -
Asher, my little artist spent his whole night excited about the fact that the markers were out and that he could color something besides a coloring book -

Making the pumpkin pizzas...I cannot promise that the cheese wasn't just a wee bit slobbery before it went on the pizza...let's just say, there was A LOT of tasting going on -
The finished product -

Halloween Party...

The boys had a Halloween Parade and party at school today and it was so fun watching them parade around in their little costumes. Braden has changed his mind multiple times about what costume he wanted to wear...first it was police man, then it was Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates and then finally it was Peter Pan. We finally settled on a pirate costume, although if you ask him, he will tell you he is Peter Pan. Sweet Asher just wants to do whatever his big brother is doing so he said he wanted to be a pirate when I asked him. Here are some pictures of my sweet boys in their costumes.

Buccaneer Braden -
Braden showing me that he has just spotted Asher in his pirate costume -
This picture makes me laugh...Asher is such a little man -
Asher, showing his undergarments and his belly button on the church stage -
Pirate brothers -
The four of us -
Happy Halloween!!!!!

Asher's First Haircut...

Asher got his first haircut (well professional haircut that is) a few weeks ago and here are some pictures from that day. He did really well and was such a big boy. I was totally prepared for some tears because when I took Braden here many moons ago to get his first haircut there were oh so many tears from him. Asher just hopped right up in his chair and sat down...he is definitely a fearless little boy. Braden at that age (and still is) just a bit more cautious and conservative when it comes to trying new things.

Not so sure about this whole thing, but looking very brave -
Chilled out -
And this guy got his haircut too, but was all smiles this time-
I found this picture of Braden from his first haircut in this exact same chair three years ago...he was so traumatized by the whole event...can't believe how much he has changed his looks in three short years -


Post haircut smiles -
Oh wait and have I mentioned that we got a new puppy? I'll have to save that for another post. His name is Hank and he is a mess, but my boys love him...and hate him. He is forever chewing on their toys and on their fingers and toes. More on that later...