Wednesday, November 30, 2016

October Catch-Up

It's only fitting that on the last day of November, I write our October post. Oy vey! 

October was full and fun! Jim had lots of rugby games and his team has remained undefeated. We went to the wedding of one of our good college friends, David, and got to have a little reunion with old friends. And all of the grandparents visited! I tell you what, it was a busy month!

John & Kim came and saw the muddiest game of the season, so far. And then on Sunday we went apple picking and then they sent us on our way for a little dessert date night! Thank you so much!!

We picked a bunch of our own apples from a local orchard, Doe Creek, and then later in the month went and got three more bushels of seconds apples from another orchard out near Floyd, called Wades Orchard. We have a whole lot apples processed into apple sauce, apple butter, apple chips, apple pie fillings, and apple slices frozen. It's wonderful!! We love doing this as a family and hope it will be a tradition that continues throughout the years. And we hope to add apple cider to our repertoire.
 We rejoiced as the mosquitoes took their leave and outside play became more manageable in our yard! Fall is so beautiful in our yard. The maple tree's changing leaves makes it the most beautiful season of the year.
 While Mom was here we went to Wades Orchard, Chatteau Morrisette, and Floyd for pizza, window shopping, and music.

 Ian has started successfully breaking leaves on his knee, just like Papa does. He's done this before, but this is probably the first time I have documented it :)
 Owen's outside leisure of choice was to sit amongst & pick up leaves, sampling them occasionally.


Ian runs all over the yard gathering sticks, making "food", and sharing and playing with Leif and Owen. 


 These kiddos.... how grateful we are to be their parents.

 Ian's imagination is so much fun! He comes up with songs and stories and make-believe all the day long.

 Oh, to know what he's thinking here...






 I love these photos from Grumps' visit.


 And here's our future soccer player (maybe, no pressure!)!!



 This tree <3
 Leif always finds the sunniest spots.
 My dad did always have the highest pushes. Ian loved the thrill of his pushes (perhaps just as much as I always did).

 Another thing my dad did with us was pumpkin carving!! When I was younger we did this with him, too. So fun to share the experience with Ian now :)

 My view from inside :)


And that's a wrap on October. Now, to catch up with November and soon December!!!! Ahh! ;)

Friday, November 18, 2016

Inside-Outside

Gosh. 

The time warp of being a parent is so totally mysterious. How have we already hit Owen's Inside-Outside Day!?!? Owen was born on February 10th, at 39 weeks, 3 days of time spent in the womb. On Saturday, he hit the same amount of time in our arms. 

I didn't get many pictures of his pregnancy, other than everyday life photos. So it is really special to have these from my friend, Holly Deng, at Deng Good Life Photography. She took our Christmas photos and took a couple maternity shots for me, too. I will cherish them forever.

As I look through and reminisce, I can't help but be astounded by the ability of my body to create such an incredible little life as Owen David. To not only grow a baby, but birth that baby into the world, and then sustain and nourish that baby for the first year (plus) of his life. That's remarkable.
 This was taken not long before he was born!
 Here we are right after we arrived at the hospital and then right after Owen was born.
I promised myself that I would give my body more grace as it adapted and recovered from birth, but I haven't done as great a job of it as I would have liked. I felt so empowered by Owen's birth and I continue to feel that way.

One of my friends stated that our bodies should be forever changed because we are forever changed after having a baby. And she's SO spot on. Ian & Owen have each entered the world and forever changed it, just as they have changed me.
 Being a mama is the most exhausting, rewarding, painful, awe-inspiring, lovely adventure I have ever been a part of. This is one of those events that could get overlooked, but I want to celebrate!!!
 I'm starting to recognize myself again. But Owen's known me as one and the same the entire time. So has Ian. And so has Jim. I'm grateful for this pack of boys I get to call my family.
Happy Inside-Outside Day, to Owen & Me!! <3