So, I haven't blogged in over a year...

We moved one year ago last week to a little town in Louisiana. I initially stopped blogging because we had a few weeks where we were homeless, and then we got to our new home and by the time we unpacked and got settled, we realized we kind of hated this place. And you’re not supposed hate your life when you blog, right? That’s not what people blog about. They blog about the happy things and all the fun they’re having and all the good times. And it’s not like the last year hasn’t been filled with those things. On the contrary, we’ve taken some really fun trips, made some friends, and had a good time. But, the day to day living in a place where you don’t feel like you’ll ever fit in has been rough. And we’ve done our fair share of complaining. So I stopped blogging. 

Well, now we’ve been here for a year and I’m determined to catch back up. I need to highlight the things we did last year somehow and this seems like as good a way as any to do that. We’ve had our down moments, but ultimately we’ve grown closer as a family. I am grateful for that. So here goes the massive update of 2014. 

These pictures were taken on the last night we drove away from our first home in Ohio. We started our family here. We brought two babies home from the hospital to this house. So, when we left, I cried like a baby. This house will always have a special place in my heart, and I think to this day, I still consider this place to be my “home.”

Santa

Addi loved Santa this year...

Reid did not.

October - Irons Fruit Farm

Irons Fruit Farm is a fun little place. It's a pumpkin patch with animals and yummy donuts and apple fritters. We have a tradition of going in October to eat the treats and check out the animals. The kids had a wonderful time playing in the leaves this year. 

 Real Life.

Apple Pickin' - September

Wow. I am not that far behind in blogging. Not at all. This happened in September. =)

We went to a local orchard with our friends, the Brown's. Addi loved picking the apples, and she really loved eating them. She ate an entire apple while we were picking. 

1 Year Old! Reid Version

12/6/2013 - 

Oh Reid,

1 already. And what a handsome little man you are turning into! Thanks for coming to our family. We can’t imagine what our world would look like with our Reidy Boy.

Last month:

You sprouted another tooth. Grand total = 7!

You slept through the night more times than you didn’t. Halle-freaking-lujah. 

You went down to one bottle before bed. My hope is that we can eliminate this feeding and be done with bottles! Yahoo!

You took off. You started walking last month, but only taking a few steps here and a few steps there. This month, while we were in Michigan before Thanksgiving, you decided you were ready to walk. And you haven’t quit since. 

You generally are a pretty happy kid, aside from the witching hour. 4:30-5:30 can be rough with you still, but a few snacks go a long way. =) Speaking of eating, you are a pretty good one. Your favorite foods are bananas and most fruits, pizza, noodles, and tomatoes. You will grunt until you are fed. And if anyone is eating anything in front of you, you will beg until they share. 

You have a pretty strong preference for Mama and Dada, but there are some people you will go to without a fuss. You are not nearly as attached as your sister was at this age. Thank goodness. 

You can sign “more” and you respond to milk and eat. You are still not much of a talker. You say dada and mama but nothing else. I swear I heard you say “hi” the other day but I haven’t heard you say it again. You will also tap your head when we ask you where your head is and you clap your hands on cue too. This is such a fun age as you learn to respond to us. You also click your tongue and love to have tongue clicking wars with us. 

You have been an absolute joy in our lives, little boy. We feel so lucky to know you. Your sister adores you, sometimes a little too much. You are a good sport to put up with it so well. 

Love you!
Mama and Dada

Halloween 2013

I hate Halloween. I understand it can be so much fun for kids, but the pressure for the parents is just too much for me. I hate planning out the costume, finding the costume, buying the costume, buying candy, dealing with my kid only wanting to eat candy for days, etc. I'm a total Halloween Scrooge. That being said, it was a blast to see these cute kiddos all dressed up and excited for trick-or-treating. Addi loved it, even though it absolutely poured. (Better for us, we only had to go to a few houses). Addi went as Doc McStuffins this year, and Reid was a cute little cowboy.