January 27, 2017


graham & tatum.

Tatum&Graham_2

Oh, these two littles of ours... You always kind of wonder how your children are going to get along with their siblings. Cayden and Sawyer are two years apart and are really, really good friends. Don't get me wrong, they definitely argue and fight over any and everything, but deep down, best buds for sure. Like first day of school Cayden grabbed Sawyer's hand and walked him into school type of best buds.

When Graham came along, there was almost a three year gap between him and Sawyer. And that one extra year makes a difference somehow. Those two fight all. the. time. Not over anything, but everything. (They are awfully cute when they accidentally fall asleep together though.) Graham and Cayden though? At a five year difference? Best of friends. I haven't quite figured that one out.

And then came Tatum. Only a two year difference between her and Graham, but would the girl thing make a difference? Eventually? It might. But for now? If she's sitting on the couch, Graham's sitting on the couch. If she's in the floor, Graham's in the floor. As they rolled around on the floor together this morning, he reached over and took her hand. (Heart eyes for sure!) A week ago? I don't even think Graham knew she existed. And now? Besties.

The dynamics between these four is going to be so fun to watch grow. Hopefully. Do your kids having siblings? What are there relationships like? It's always such an interesting thing... relationships.

January 11, 2017


one of our new goals.

8x10_Template_Commission_larger

We aren't really a goal-setting family. I mean, a long time ago, Jeremy and I would sit around and talk about things... but it's been a while since that happened. And with the new year upon us, we decided that this year we would set goals. To make those goals into something, we decided that writing them down needed to happen too.

One of our biggest goals this year is to get ourselves out of debt. We took a Dave Ramsey course a couple of years ago and it really resonated with us. And we were on the right path... until someone's vehicle needed a complete engine replacement. We weren't even close to having a fully funded emergency fund when that hit, so you guessed it, out came a credit card. Ouch.

But, but! We're ready to change that this year. And we're also ready to get our kids on board with understanding money just a bit better. Dave says to pay your kids commission rather than an allowance; come up with chores that they get paid for actually doing rather than a set amount (allowance) they get every week regardless of performance.

With our boys being old enough to help around the house, a commission chart for them also became a goal for 2017. The problem? I couldn't find any charts that I liked (I'm picky, people!). Good thing I know someone in graphic design! And ta-da! Whipped these beauties up this morning! If you're looking for something like this, all three colors are being offered in my Etsy shop as a digital download. (I also finally uploaded another print that I've had in the works for a while. You can check that one out here.)

We're really looking forward to putting these into rotation. I might even get crazy and laminate ours so I can use them with a dry erase marker. And I know there are some little boys around here who will be excited to get paid for helping take out recycles (they love this chore in particular for some reason, ha!).

January 5, 2017


tatum: five months old.

Tatum_FiveMonths

It's hard to believe we're quickly approaching that half year mark with Tatum. Each kiddo keeps going faster and faster. And it stinks when it's your last kiddo because you most definitely want them to take their time. But time? It waits for no one... so here we are, five months in.

This last month was a big one! First Christmases were celebrated... even though Tatum slept through most of them. A couple of weeks ago she decided that instead of rolling belly to back like most kids, she'd just master the whole back to belly thing first. Which is cool. Until she couldn't get roll to her back again. No worries though, she figured the whole belly to back thing out just a couple of days ago. Once she combines the two? I have a feeling our lives are going to get a lot more interesting.

We still have a hard time getting an actual laugh out of our sweet tater tot. It definitely surprises all of us when one shows up. It makes her brothers laugh like crazy. What also makes them laugh? Tatum sitting at the dinner table with us in her bumbo! I think the fact that she's sitting up and able to look around thrills them. And she's pretty smitten with her brothers too. Always keeps her entertained.

We're still nursing really well. Tatum's starting to show a little interest in food – especially now that she's sitting with us at the table – but we'll probably hold off on closer to six months to start food. She seems to still be pretty content with mama's milk, so no rushing there. Also? I'm in no hurry to start changing solid food diapers, ha!

Sleeping is still going well. This past week has been a little different. Some restless nights and early mornings... but she's probably having a growth spurt (mentally, for sure!). It's also getting colder at night so I do wonder if maybe she's been a bit chilly at night. Fleece jammies and sleep sacks to the rescue!

She's a sweet, sweet baby. Keeping us all laughing and swooning with her special dimple and smiley eyes...

January 1, 2017


christmas, 2016.

Christmas2016_1
Christmas2016_4
Christmas2016_6
Christmas2016_7

Before the holidays are completely over, it only seems fitting to share some of our Christmas morning. We finally were able to get over the sickness that seemed like it would never leave. On Christmas Eve morning, we headed northwest to visit with my in-laws for a few hours. We had an awesome breakfast, some good family time, exchanged gifts and headed back home to prepare for our Christmas Eve service at church. That service is always special, and as the boys get older, it's so nice to share it with them.

We made it home after church to cook up some chicken and waffles (a new tradition, I believe!). The boys served up some milk and cookies for Santa, checked on his location, left some reindeer food and then rushed to bed to make sure Santa would stop by.

At 3:45 – in the morning – the older two boys decided it was time to check to see if Santa had come. After they saw that he had indeed come, we made them go back to bed and sleep for just a bit more. That was just too early for us, ha! At around six-ish, we were all officially up and excited to see what was brought. I think everyone's Christmas wishes came true!

We wrapped up our Christmas festivities at my parents house that night with a big dinner of the best breakfast options. Tatum slept through most of our festivities and missed out on most of the photos – I promise she was there for them though!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...