"So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." Ecclesiastes 8:15

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Aria Grace: Two Years Old

New baby Aria

Sweet Aria girl, you are two years old.  What a perfect addition you are to our family.  We love you like crazy and love the joy that you bring.  Happy Birthday!

1st Birthday

Height: 34.5 in (75th percentile)
Weight: 28 lbs (44th percentile)
Wearing 2T clothes






Loves: You have been loving your babydoll lately.  You will carry her around some and try to tuck her in with a blankie, feed her, and love on her. You are getting more into puzzles and building with blocks or legos.  You also like to color. You love playing in the water and had a blast in all the pools on vacation.  I would say you are pretty fearless and love to climb on things.




Favorite Shows/Movies: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is definitely your favorite!  That's about all you watch at home at least, but you do notice when there are princess' on TV!  We've gotten the old iPad out for you, and you've totally got it figured out.  You can open different apps, and love the animal and puzzle ones the most! You also love Veggie Tales, which most of the time you call "piggy tales!" Anna and Elsa from Frozen are also favorites.  You had balloons delivered for your birthday that had their picture and you were crazy excited! :)

Easter 2016

Favorite Songs: I'm not sure it matters...when you hear a song you will stop and dance! You do love to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.



Favorite Books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Little Blue Truck, and the "baby book" as you like to call it, "Where is Baby?" I think, it has flaps that you lift up and down.  You also are starting to love your princess books, and learning who they are.  The other day, you went through every page saying, "This is Belle?"  and Lyle would giggle and say, "Nooo! That's Cinderella!"


Aria and Kaia

Favorite Games: You love to play hide and seek.  As long as your eyes are covered you think we can't see you.  So you'll lay face down in the closet, and say "Where Aria go?" "Aria gone!!" and "hide" quietly while we look for you!  You would swing for hours if someone would push you that long, and really like playing outside on the slide.  You can climb up the ladder like it's nothing!



Sleep: You are an awesome sleeper! Typically at night you go to bed between 7:30 and 8 p.m.  We read a book, say our prayers, then tuck you in. You love your little "piggy pillow" and like to sleep with a light weight swaddle blanket.  You sleep through the night, and during the week I wake you up about 7, on the weekends you sleep a bit longer.  Most days you take a decent nap after lunch.  You are still in your crib, but sleep on a cot at daycare.  I think some days you stay on there better than others! ;)



Friends: You love your little friends at daycare, and will list off their names if we ask.... "Ellie, Libby, Madison, Quentin, Paula, Emmy, Justin" You especially love to play with all of your cousins, and had a blast at Thanksgiving on the Norris side, especially with Summer, Weston, and Mae Mae.  You and Kaia are also quite a pair! Frequently you will ask where someone in your family is and you LOVE to call them on the phone!




Lyle:  You are still pretty in love with your big brother!  Overall you guys get along awesome!!  Sometimes you will whine at each other, but I would say you don't really fight.  You are starting to be a lot more interested in what he is doing and wanting to play beside him.



Learning: You are talking up a storm these days!  Your speech is really clear, and you repeat almost everything we say.  We can have conversations and I know most of the time what you are trying to tell me! Mostly you narrate and have a running conversation about everything around us.  You are great about saying "thank you" and end everything at church (every song, prayer, etc.) with a nice loud, "amen!"


Food: Cereal is your favorite food!  You will eat 3 bowls on Saturday morning if I let you!  Other loves are fruit, peanut butter, cottage cheese, and of course any kind of treat!  Every morning you sit on the counter while I make our shakes for breakfast and you eat a banana and lick the peanut butter spoon.  You love to stand on the stool while I cook supper and help stir.



Funnies: Oh you are an ornery and silly little girl!  You love to tease, be crazy to get a laugh, and tickle!  You will say, "Daddy silly, Aria silly" or "Daddy teasing me."


Other: We've been working on potty training for the last month or two and we are getting pretty close!  You do great with pottying and we are well on our way with everything else.  It's taken a bit of time but you are doing great! Also, I thought you couldn't count because when we do it together you can't get past 3, but today you went to 14 without any problem!!  Apparently you just do things on your own terms! :)



You have a bit more of an opinion than Lyle did at this age, and will definitely tell us what you are thinking, and maybe have a minor breakdown because of it.  You like to be carried and will fuss at us when we make you walk instead (which is most of the time! lol) Lately you are wanting to be more independent, and say "Me do it myself!"  You can put on your own coat and boots (which is awesome!)

2nd Birthday Party


You bring so much joy into our house and into the world Aria Grace.  We love you so very much!!


(And just for fun...Click HERE for Lyle's two-year old update!)


Friday, June 3, 2016

Memorial Day Weekend

Nothing like a weekend recap on a Friday...just in time for the next weekend to start!  I'm mostly going to let the pictures do the talking with a few captions here and there.  Mostly it's this first picture that needs an explanation....
 
Lyle came into my bathroom and announced "I'm a conductor T-Rex!"  This kid cracks me us.  He is always dreaming up something!
 
 
Aria's favorite thing right now is to swing.  She begs and begs to go "Weeeeng!"
We enjoyed a day at home on Saturday, and planted several new things in the front flower beds.

 
Sunday we met up with my mom, so she could take the kids for the night and we could go out for our anniversary.  We started with a movie at the new Warren 21.  Recliner seats are the ultimate way to see a movie I've decided!  You can also order food and eat it in the theatre.

 
Monday we relaxed at home, then met up with everyone for an early dinner.  We met them at Stearman Field Bar and Grill for supper.  It is a cute little restaurant next to the airport in Benton, KS (a small town north of Wichita, next to Kechi).  You can sit under the covered patio and watch the planes land and take off while you eat.  There is also a small playground area that the kids played on while we waited for our food.  Which is perfect because we always have a rough 10-15 minutes at restaurants trying to entertain the kids when they are hungry and bored.  The food was great and the weather was perfect.




Everytime a plane would come in the kids would run to the fence to watch.  It was so much fun!



It was a fun weekend celebrating our (7th) anniversary and spending time together as a family.  Now onto the next weekend of fun!

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

What's Up Wednesday 5.25.16

Happy Wednesday!  Can you believe it is the end of May?  This weather has me all confused...50 degrees one day, 90 the next, rainy, and everything in between!  But with it being almost June I guess that means it is summer (even though that is a realative term when you are not on a school schedule!).  Here's to spending time outside, going swimming, and making memories!

I have been slacking on the blogging front lately, but I love this chance to catch everyone up on what's going on in our world!


What we're eating: Zach and I are doing a clean eating challenge right now, so we are trying new recipes, snacks, and all kinds of great things.  I think we have been pleasantly suprised by most things we have tried!  We are drinking Shakeology every morning for breakfast ( a natural based, super-food, protein shake).  I've tried other shakes before and never liked them....this one I love!


Monday: Southwestern BBQ wrap
Tuesday: Stir-fry
Wednesday: Hamburgers
Thursday: Crock-pot Chicken Tacos
Friday: Grilling Kabobs
 
What I'm reminiscing about: Our wedding day!  It was such a perfect, exciting day!  The opening act at our show last Saturday played our wedding song, "Better Together" by Jack Johnson.  I had not actually heard that song in forever and it caught me so off guard and totally made me cry!  So grateful for our relationship!

What I'm loving: The strawberries are ripe at our local strawberry farm!  We went when it first opened and picked so many berries, and they were so so good!  It's about time to go back and pick some more!

 
What we've been up to:  Watching Zoe in her first dance recital...


Being a part of Kaia's dedication at church on Mother's day...


Lyle finished his first year of preschool, and had his end of the year program....

We attended a bridal shower for our cousin Aleigh....



 
And on Saturday Zach took me to a comedy show with Bobby Bones who is a radio DJ.  I started listening to their radio show right when I got out of college-it was funny and kept me awake during my drive home after night shift!  Now they are a national show based out of Nashville.  But I still love the show, how positive and funny it is.  (And I realize I sound like an old person loving on a radio morning show!) The show was great, and we stayed to get a picture and a book signed afterward.  Such a fun night!
 



What I'm dreading: Nothing right now!

What I'm working on: Cleaning and organizing!  I am so bad at letting things pile up, so I am trying to do a bit of deep cleaning in different rooms on the weekend. 

What I'm excited about: Zach and I are part of a challenge group where we are doing a workout program (We chose Piyo-a faster paced combination of pilates and yoga) and clean eating for a month.  We are about a week and a half in and have been loving it!  I know for myself I can tell a difference in how I feel, my energy level, and I'm sleeping better.  We took weights and measurements at the beginning and at a week in.  Mine were comparable (which is okay!) and Zach made huge improvements! 
 
What I'm watching: It seems like every show we watch has had their season finale in the past week!  But The Bachlorette just started, so at least we have that!!! Hahah. ;)  Time to find some new shows on Netflix!

What I'm Reading:  I am almost finished with Amy Poehler's book, "Yes, Please!"  I've enjoyed it, I always think it's interesting to hear the behind-the-scenes stories!

I am also a few chapters into the book, "Grace for the Good Girl" by Emily Freeman.  I absolutely love this book, and have been learning so much about myself!  I definitely will need to write a post about this book!

 
What I'm listening to: Shades by Walker Hayes....song of the summer right there!

What I'm wearing: Scrubs and workout clothes.  Nothing too exciting!

What I'm doing this weekend:  This weekend is our anniversary and the kids are going to spend some time with Gigi and Grandaddy!  We are having a stay-cation and plan on watching a movie in a normal amount of time instead of taking 4 hours and starting and stopping it a million times!  Funny how your goals change after you become a parent! HAH!

What I'm looking forward to next month: Meeting up with friends, enjoying summer, and I have a feeling harvest and combine rides will be here before we know it!

What else is new: This little girl loves to read books.....


And this boy asked for popcorn last night so he could pretend to be at a movie theatre in his room.  "You know because they have all those snack choices and movie choices??"  Love that boy!

 
And look at these sweet cousins! They are going to be great friends, I just know it!




Thursday, May 12, 2016

Superhero Room

Since we have been talking about all things Lyle lately, I thought I would share his bedroom with you.  As part of his Christmas present, he received several things to update his room.  Even though he's had a big bed for awhile now, his decor was still the same farm theme from his nursery. 

Zach painted the stripes for Lyle's nursery (a true labor of love!), but I love how they make his room so much more interesting!











Lyle helped "decorate" his room for these pictures which were taken a few months ago.  As I am looking at them and see the scale his "decorations" have escalated to, I am a bit terrified.  His room is looking much more like a kid version of the show "Hoarders" these days. 

But he is too sweet and it gives him such joy, so we will see.  Either way he loves his new room, and I think it suits him perfectly!

Sources:
Comforter: ThinkGeek
Sheets: ThinkGeek
Watercolor Prints: Water Color Magazine
Letters: Homeade
Marvel Sign: Hobby Lobby