Coleson's 3rd Birthday

Our sweet little Coleson celebrated his third birthday today. We are so very blessed to have him as a part of our family. He is a sweet, loving boy who regularly gives me huge hugs and kisses. He loves to pretend that he is an animal, and he is fascinated with dinosaurs and dragons. He asked for a baby panda for his birthday, a REAL one, but settled for a stuffed one and some panda toys instead. He is starting to show his defiant side and has a bit of a temper, but overall he is still the good-natured boy he has always been. He loves to snuggle and he watches everything his big brother does so closely. He has brought so much joy to us. Happy Birthday, Coleson, we love you so much!

If you're interested, here he was the day he was born, and here is his birth story.

November 30, 2011

NaBloPoMo has come to an end. I didn't post every day this month, but I decided about half way through that I was ok with that. Considering I have posted maybe once a month in the last year or so, I figured missing a few days here or there this month was still a vast improvement.

As a conclusion to this month of thanksgiving, I thought I would list, as I have seen on many blogs lately, a few of the things for which I am thankful.

::My wonderful family, of course, and the new baby we are about to welcome.

::The amazing group of women that I get to call my friends.

::My friends' children that are growing into great people too, and who bless my children with their friendship.

::The home we settle into more every year and the traditions that we are starting to develop here as a family.

::The opportunity to be able to stay at home to raise my boys and create a loving and warm home for them and my husband.

::Knitting and other crafty pursuits that offer me a chance to be creative and productive.

:: Finally finding a church that we feel is right for us and our family.

::And so many more things - more than I can even name and list here. I am so blessed.

November 29, 2011

Over Thanksgiving weekend my step-brother and his wife were in town with their four month old baby. We spent most of Thanksgiving Day with them, and got a glimpse into how they boys will act with a small baby around. I knew they liked babies, and overall they acted very much how I thought they would.

Landon was a huge help, and wanted to hold the baby a lot. He understood a lot about how he needed to support the baby's head and hold onto him so he couldn't slip away.

Coleson had mixed feelings about the whole thing, and would ask to hold the baby only to push him out of his lap about 20 seconds later. Coleson was very concerned every time the baby cried though, and spent a lot of time taking him various toys.

It was sweet to see them with the baby and watch them give him kisses and gentle pats.

This pretty much sums up how I really expect it to be though, with both of them right there in the middle of the action. I have no doubt that our baby will be very loved and showered with attention from his big brothers.

November 27, 2011

I should have posted earlier, before I spent an hour browsing on Amazon for various Christmas presents. I found some good things, though, and a few things that I will get a little closer to Christmas and have them shipped directly to the recipients. But, since I spent so long playing on the internet it's time for bed now and not time to piece together a nice post. So, maybe I will get those pictures from the weekend uploaded tomorrow and put together a real post. Goodnight!

November 26, 2011

Right now, I am...

:: enjoying a quiet house because Tyson is out with some friends and the boys are sleeping.

:: feeling like I should probably get ready for bed, but also feeling like it sure would be nice to spend some time reading.

:: holding off on starting a new knitting project until I get a few other projects out of the way.

:: thinking about what I need to do in order to celebrate Christmas in less than a month (!!!).

:: grateful for time spent with old friends this afternoon, seeing their children and catching up on their lives these days.

:: anticipating going to church in the morning and then decorating the Christmas tree with the boys.

:: itching to do some holiday baking.

:: wishing I could be out having a few beers with my husband.

:: wondering which craft project I should tackle next.

:: hoping to enjoy the last day of our long, lovely holiday weekend tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for, but I am especially thankful for my family, wonderful friends, our home, and the life we are living. We have it so amazingly good, and for that I am thankful everyday. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

November 23, 2011

I find some days that my patience is gone before the day even gets going. The worst part is that I usually don't know exactly why. Sure, the kids are bickering, the dog is begging for a walk, there is a pile of dishes in the sink, and I need more coffee, but none of those things is usually what is really bugging me. I try to take my vitamins, get enough sleep, spend time with good friends, and do things I enjoy, all of which help so much. But sometimes it just doesn't help enough. The last couple days have been like that for me. I feel quiet and withdrawn. I always come out of this funk after a few days, and feel normal again, but for those few days I generally spend a lot of time contemplating things I want and need to change in my life. Sometimes the changes take place, most often they don't. I always wonder what I should be doing so that I don't feel like this. But then again, maybe it's what I need sometimes. Time to look inward and withdraw a bit.

Largely, I hate the way I feel so low on patience with these little guys during those few days.

Because they really are sweet and they really are just little boys. They are trying to feel their way around in the world so much more than I am, and they actually handle it with a lot more grace than I do. I suppose I have a lot to learn from them, and the foremost lesson is, most often, patience. More, and more, and more patience. Patience for their strong emotions, patience for their slow steps, patience for their constant questions, and patience when they need to snuggle and I need to make dinner/wash the dishes/fold laundry/be somewhere on time for once.

But goodness, it's hard to see that most of the time. Maybe that's what these days are about when I feel so off. Maybe they are about my struggle to let go of me and be even more for them when they need it. Interesting thought. Perhaps I will put it to the test tomorrow and see if my patience returns a bit, because it would be nice to have it back for the long holiday weekend.