House Sweet New House

The last month and a half have been filled with so much activity it's crazy! We are finally into our new home! We have lived here for 2 weeks and it still feels weird. A good weird though! Our upstairs bathroom is finally fully functioning! We remodeled it by (my dad) putting in a new floor, a new toilet, sink, vanity and mirror. It looks like a completely different bathroom. I love it!

Now there are so many projects that I want to do but I need the a. time b. energy and c. money. I keep reminding myself one thing at a time. Brian was out of town last week for work and while he was gone I got a tone of things done. I hung curtain rods and curtains in our kitchen and bedroom (a task that Brian can't usually complete w/o throwing a mini tantrum and saying words he shouldn't!), finished Aidan's room and purchased the mirrors for both bathrooms.

Look at what a good job I did on the kitchen curtains! :) Yep, hold back your excitement. Honestly, if you knew what a big deal it was for Brian to hang curtain rods you would understand why I'm so proud that I did it w/no problem!
Right now the problem is I have become obsessed w/getting the house organized. And not the usual 'ho hum' organized - it has to be cute and creative. I've been searching Pinterest day and night. There are so many cute ideas out there.
How many others of you have become obsessed w/searching things on Pinterest? It's a super cool site - why didn't I think of it! :)

Three Years Ago

Three years ago when we were living in a van down by the river.

Three years ago in September 2008 we had moved to Michigan from Kentucky. We had no one in Kentucky and both had crap jobs. We decided to move to Michigan so that we could at least be near family (Brian's whole family lives here in MI). We moved here w/no jobs and no place to stay. Brian had some leads to work w/Allstate Co. but no actual job. It was decided that we would move into a nice camper that would be put in my in-laws backyard until we found a job and a home. We pulled into my inlaws home to find out that the camper was too big to fit through their back gate and that they had worked it out for the camper to stay in the back of the youth pastors house. I remember going into a panic. "We do not KNOW the youth pastor!" Yes, he was a Wilhite and YES we know the Wilhites - but we did not know Josh or his wife Gwen. But off we headed to live in a camper in the back lawn of a very sweet and giving families house. There was a bedroom for Brian and I and a little bunkbed type bed for Aidan. Ezra was still a baby so he slept in a pack-n-play that got put up and down every day in the middle of the camper. At nap time I would set his pack-n-play up on top of our bed so I could close a door and give him some sort of quiet. We ended up living this way for six long weeks. My sister in law got married while we were living in the camper. I remember getting ready for her wedding in the chilly camper and thinking, "Really? Really? This is how it's gonna be?" But God, as always, was so good and took care of us. Our families had us over for dinners and some even gave us money to make our ends meet.
Brian had gotten a temporary job but it was not something he was very good at. He was amazing though and got dressed for work every day in the camper and went to work and did his best. Finally when it was starting to get too cold to stay in the camper Brian got an amazing full time job for Allstate Co. It was better than what we had hoped or prayed for - Brian was able to do what he was good at, teach. He's a trainer for Allstate. On November 1, 2008 we moved into our townhome. We loved our townhome. The boys shared a room but for goodness sakes - they had a room - and we were thrilled!

Holding the key to our new home!

Fast forward three years. September 2011. Aidan is now in second grade and Ezra is no longer a baby. We went through months of stress trying to see if we could own a home. We prayed (and still are praying) that it will only happen if God is willing. There were days we thought it would never happen. There are days now that we think "Can we really afford this!?" But last Friday were were given a key to an actual home! It's a tri-level that we fell in love with. It's a corner lot for the boys to have a HUGE back lawn. (Big enough to fit a camper in if anyone needs a place to stay!) The boys will have their own rooms. That's a lot of progress in three years. That's a lot of blessings from our God in three years. When we were living in the camper in the backyard of strangers... I would have never thought we would be "here" in three years. Woah! God is good. God loves us. Amazing.

Crazy Night Sleep

Last night my Ezra (3 yrs) was awake from about 3-6 a.m. I'm not sure what is up w/him but he has been having a hard time sleeping the last week. He keeps waking up w/nightmares or having "almost nightmares" -whatever that means? Last night he came to my bed saying he was sad because he wants to cuddle me. Me, being a mom to never turn down a snuggle, let him in bed and we cuddled for awhile. He was wide awake and we giggled together about how bad "daddy snores". Ezra was ready to go back to bed after about 20 minutes. I crawled back into bed and was having a hard time falling back to sleep. About 30 minutes later I was still awake and heard Ezra calling for Brian. Of course, Brian was snoring away and didn't hear him. I got back up and checked on the boy. He wanted me to chase out any nightmares and to get him more chocolate milk. (*gasp* I let him go to bed w/a drink.) I got rid of any nightmares and went downstairs for chocolate milk. I laid in bed w/the little guy for quite a while till he seemed sleepy. Again, I crawled back in bed and couldn't fall asleep. Thirty minutes later Ezra is screaming and crying in his bed. This time I was too exhausted and did the kick to wake up Bri. I sent him in to check on Ezra. He had a bad dream that Aidan kept leaving him and he was afraid Aidan was getting lost. I know "awe!" But, after almost 3 hours of lost sleep I did not think this was very sweet - I do now though! :) Brian, being the good daddy he is, stayed in the room w/Ezra for quite some time. He read him a few books and reassured him everything was okay. By the time Brian and I were both settled into bed and trying to fall back to sleep it was just before 6 a.m. Woah, what a crazy night. Reminds me of when the boys were babies  - not my most favorite time of life.
I'm getting too old for these sorta shenanigans! I was going to go raspberry picking today w/Ezra and my sister in laws. I was so blurry eyed this morning and it was rainy and cold. I bailed on raspberry picking. Instead, Ezra and I cuddled upstairs in our jammies. He watched cartoons and I was in and out of sleep. Not what I had planned but also not half bad.  ;)

School Days

School is in session for the 2011-2012 school year. I feel like the summer just zoomed passed. I have been digging in my heals and trying to stop fall from coming but it has done no good! Today both my boys started school.
I'm not gonna lie - there have been days that I wished would go faster when the boys were little and I was ready to pull out my hair. Now, that they are getting 'older' I have more and more days that I wish would slow down. The age old questions of parents everywhere... "Where has the time gone?" I know it's gone day by day in 24 hour blurs but it still seems like their childhood is rushing by me. These days I am trying to remind myself to take it all in. To enjoy the little quirks of an 8 year old boy that might otherwise drive me batty. To enjoy how Ezra talks to me through his thumb in his mouth when he's tired. I'm not saying they both don't still drive me crazy at least once a day! But I'm trying to remember to enjoy even the crazy!

Morning Checklist

So, with all that, here are a few shots of our day...

Aidan on his first day of 2nd grade

We started out w/a checklist of things to do before school this morning. It was just a fun way to get both boys moving and excited for the day. Aidan loved it and it even worked to get Ezra to wear his socks to school! He couldn't check off the "get dressed" line if his socks weren't on! Genius!
Aidan had a half day in the morning and Ezra had a half day in the afternoon which means I was running around for most of the day. It was good to keep me busy and not thinking on the fact that my kids are getting old and I am getting even OLDER! ;)

First day of preschool

Aidan coming out of the school on day 1

They both ended up having such good days! I was so proud that Aidan decided to not totally hate school today and Ezra didn't cry when I dropped him off - signs of a successful first day!

The end of the day and Ezra has made it!

Super Mario Birthday Party

Our special guests

Oreo cheesecake cupcakes and chocolate 'power up' cupcakes.

Some of our crew at Jungle Java

We had a great birthday party for Aidan this year at Jungle Java. He turned 8 years old and it was his first party with school friends! It was so much fun. My parents were able to come from out of town and join in the celebration. Aidan decided on a Super Mario theme this year and I had a good time searching for little touches to make it special. Everyone had a great time and went home happy.

The birthday boy and me

Potty Training

My Ezra. He is 3.5 years old and that boy does not want to be potty trained. Aidan was easy. He had no big accidents and was thrilled to use the potty like a 'big boy'. My boys have proven to be different in every sense of the way!
We've been working on training, very loosely, for about a month. Ezra has gotten the idea and knows how to use the potty. But it always has to be his idea. Today, by 10:30 a.m., he had tried to pee in the potty and somehow UTTERLY missed and then peed his pants later in the morning. I am feeling pretty darn frustrated. He needs to be fully trained by the beginning of school this September and I am starting to get nervous. We have done the sticker charts, the potty seats... But at this point I've done all I can do and it's up to him. The only think left for me to do is clean up the pee.

Grand Haven Vacation 2011

Things I loved about vacation 2011:

• The relaxed feeling w/no schedules or chores.
• Watching Aidan relax at the condo and his pure joy at the beach.
• Hearing Ezra and Brian play batman.
• Washing sippie cups in the dishwasher.
• Sitting at the beach while the boys play.
• Reading at night w/Brian.
• No stress, no tense moments.
• Having a little safe backyard for boys to play in.
• S'Mores!!
  
• Watching Aidan brave the ropes course at the zoo.
• The sounds of Ezra's giggle while we were swinging at the beach.
• Looking at my family and realizing this really is a great time of life.