treasures in our woods

The boys are finally old enough to walk in the woods without needing to be carried (as often). 

They love to go on nature walks, and look for 'treasure'. 

Yesterday we took a family walk and came upon some pretty interesting finds.

This skull was partially covered under leaves and vines, but was fully intact! 

It was a work of art. 

If it weren't potentially hazardous to our health, I would have wanted to bring it home. 

Instead we went on a second nature walk later in the afternoon WITH the camera. 

Lesson learned: Always bring camera on nature walks.

Particularly fascinating was the way the skull was "woven" together between the antlers.

 I wonder if that is to allow room for them to grow. 

I tried to get C to ride on the log like it was a deer-snake-horse, but he was apprehensive about getting too close to the skull. 

So I did.

And he just watched like I was nuts. 

Not sure why.

Then he proceeded to be the cutest camouflaged kid to ever live.

 Moving on, we came across what (living next-door to a nursing home) was not necessarily shocking, but definitely a puzzling surprise... and a bit creepy...

A vintage bedpan (as if that's a thing)

And some vintage glass bottles.

Lysol, Listerene, and some misc. ones. 

SO cool.

We think they were all used for target practice, probably back in the 60's or 70's, due to the vast amount (and type) of broken bottles that were strewn around that area. 

And we never get tired of studying the complex and unique designs that the vines make when they wrap themselves around, and sometimes incorporate themselves into, trees of all sizes. 

Among the other treasures we found were:

a pen

a golfball

a rubber ball with paw prints on it

a potato chip bag

more bones from deer

lots of deer excrement

a bracket fungus

a few beer cans by the road

some old clay pipes

our property marker

some great spots to build forts

And even though it's really cold and gray outside, it's the best and safest time to explore the woods.  Once spring comes, the deer ticks come with it. 

And that is one treasure we don't want to bring home.

Valengageaversary Week

Mel and Baby Julia, 1 day old, 2/5/13

Brand New Love is so sweet. 

Whether it's a new marriage or a new baby, the fresh effortlessness of it is magical.

But as we celebrate our 7th Valentines day together (the first being 3 days after we were engaged), we are learning that true Love becomes sweeter over time-- through living out the mundane with intentionality, walking through trials on the same team, and with the hard work of investing in one another. Dave and I could not be more different in the ways we function-- physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. It's a miracle that we're able to have a conversation, let alone stay in love. 

Last weekend we had the privilege of going to a marriage conference to kick off our week of Valengageaversary celebration.  One of the first things that was said was, "Romance is not the cause, but the result, of a good marriage." And the rest of the conference went deep into the ways a good marriage is achieved and maintained.

 Turns out it's actually pretty simple. 

But, as it doesn't take to long to discover, not easy.

We've spent the rest of this week discussing ways we can improve upon the foundation we've been building for the rest of our lives.  And that in and of itself takes time, effort and determination. Communication can be the barrier or the gateway to growth and change. And even though we've technically known each other for 11 years, because we are SO different, it can still be difficult to engage, explain, understand and truly hear each other at times. 

(There's a reason we didn't get together for 3 years)

I thank God for giving me someone so committed to working through the tough times and being willing to continue working on things through the mundane as well. He is so humble, so patient, and so kind. And if I remember correctly, 

those are some of the primary attributes of LOVE. 

i'm one lucky girl.

A surprise dinner for our Engageaversary (2/11/13)

AND a clean room.

oh...and kids locked in the bedroom with a movie.

Speaking of kids...

 I am learning so much through the sweetness of the LOVE of children... Who have their own way of loving, doing, feeling, believing, responding, and just about everything differently than you think they will.
MY idea of cutting out the first initial of each classmate's name using our alphabet cookie cutters was GENIUS.  at least in MY mind.
C preferred we stick to hearts.
Ok. Fine. But the hearts looked a little empty. So we added candies. He was cool with that.
Then they looked a little lost in the bag, and it was too late to go buy tacky kiddie valentines. So I asked Dave to print out some cute little tags. . .

look great, right? Team effort. Done and ready to go... 

Until the next morning, after a leisurely breakfast of hearts and whipped cream...

 ...when my creative, thoughtful, self-willed Lefty decided he wanted to make his OWN valentine cards for each of his friends.  It was 8:15am.
I suggested little cards.
He wanted big.

and i guess he knew what he was doing. B/c his writing DOES tend to be pretty BIG. 

And yet I was super impressed with how quickly and cheerfully he completed them. 

Great writing, spelling, and spacing practice. 

And OH SO CUTE.

He even did pretty well drawing hearts, which made my girlish heart skip a beat :).

After an exciting Valentine Party at school, we went to Gramsy/Poppy's for a little bash of our own...

Of course it was like walking into Candyland...

complete with overly generous grandparents of all shapes and sizes...

... and beary special friends.

Then back home to watch another movie in the other room, so Mommy could throw another romantic table together for her main squeeze...

... and what a Catch he is!!

(yes, i stole some napkins from Candyland)

doin the dirty work

Several things of note about this day/date/season/time period...

1. I now mostly use my phone to take pictures. 

2. I can easily upload them to facebook, but not as easily here.

3. Thus I am tempted not to post as much.

4. These pics are actually downloaded from fb and re-uploaded to here.

5. Technology is such a blessing, yet makes me lazier than ever.

6. If it weren't for his younger brother, I don't think C would ever have gotten muddy on this beautiful day.

(so thankful it was 55 degrees!!!)

 

8. He actually enjoyed it...

9. For a while...

10. After letting them hose off, I gave them a bath.

11. C threw up in the tub trying to make K laugh, by sticking silly bands in his mouth (a little too far).

12. When he was trying to explain it afterwards, he made sure to emphasize that Kyren did indeed laugh before he started screaming and crying from the trauma of the vomit.

13. Oh yeah, I guess I should probably go clean the tub. . . . after I get the muddy stuff in the laundry.

(told ya i was lazy)

(at least i'm blogging!)

14. Kyren just wet his pants.

15. I will miss these days... dirty work and all.

Gettin' Tobloggin'

I realized I never posted pics from our first real snow that came just at the end of December. I'm not getting any better with remembering to blog regularly... but i suppose backposting is better than not posting at all.

 We never know how long snow is going to last around here, so that morning we grabbed our Christmas gift (a vintage toboggan that we fortunately received the night before from our wonderful cousins!) and went out first thing to take full advantage--

ALL Kyren wanted to do was eat snow. . . 

but the toboggan got plenty of use...

my handsome snow man...

my brave adventurers...

Christian couldn't wait to make a "snowbot"...

he even gave him the hat off his head...

.... a true friend.

It's been almost a month since then, with only  a dusting here and there. We're hoping for a few more great snowstorms-- so we can enjoy winter for REAL... 

 as we once did ...

http://brown-e-points.blogspot.com/2010/02/blog-post_11.html

boys inside

We seem to have been accumulating a lot of energy over the past few weeks. Maybe it started with the Loft Bed w/slide we got for christmas.
Maybe it was partly due to the new Race Car bed with its own mattress, necessitating the removal of the crib (and its mattress, which conveniently never made it past the livingroom)...
Perhaps it's the fact that these 2 boys are growing, both physically and fraternally, into perfect playmates, and spend every waking moment "rumming" trucks, building forts, or jumping on and/or off of whatever piece of furniture is closest to them when the desire strikes.
And the weather isn't helping. brr!
Whatever the contributing factors, these guys have been busy little beavers.

Their very own working train.

Their circus act with Gramma's walker.

Their new favorite thing to do at Gramsy/Poppy's.

An elaborate tunnel system.

A tunnel track for trucks.

The magic mattress trick.

Daredevils...

This is all they want to do... all day long.

So far we've only had one injury. 

I'd say that's pretty successful. 

If we make it to April without a trip to the ER, it'll be a miracle. 

In the mean time, we're having a blast... 

and really, you only live once.

whew! week 1.

It's been an exciting first week of the new year--

Kyren got his first Big Boy haircut. He did fairly well sitting through it, but the lady totally did what i asked her not to do-- cut his bangs short-- and while he's so very handsome, I am still adjusting to the drastic new look. He was unfazed. 

We celebrated his "coming home" day on 1/5/13 by starting on the adventure of potty training. 

Four days later, still trying to get the hang of potty training, we celebrated his due date by buying mommy her first smartphone. (is there a potty training app???)

At some point in there, we had the unfortunate surprise of finding a RAT lurking around our kitchen- EWWWWW! to the max. The next day, Dave went to NYC for 2 nights to do some cool work project involving a camera crew and a McDonalds franchise owner. We high-tailed it to Gramsy/Poppy's for a fun family sleepover while he was gone... and promptly called the exterminator.  

Monday the flu was declared an epidemic, and all around us people are dropping like flies. Of course it was the first year we decided against the flu shot. It was the actual pediatrician that told me the flu wasn't going to be that bad this year. grrrrreat. Now they won't let us get them til next week. Feeling doomed. 

Yesterday Christian had his first "playdate" with a friend from school. I wasn't quite ready to send him off into the unknown world of a stranger's house-- so the friend came here. They spent the first 45 minutes running around screaming, falling down, and bouncing off the walls. After that they played innocently and nicely, except for the time the friend said he was going to kill C's new penguin, and the 2 times C had to go to timeout for being mean to his brother. All to be expected.  Sigh. 

I am totally unprepared for this whole "growing up" thing.  The playdate invite caught me off-guard. It seems so silly when I say it out loud. But it's SUCH a big deal. The ground rules we lay now regarding what we let our kids do are extremely important. And while I'm sure this friend of his has a very nice family. . . I don't know them. I don't have any problem getting to know them-- except that is going to be a little easier said than done. The dad is the one who stays at home all day. I've never spoken to the mom.  This is their 4th child. C is our first. They have no problem letting their child come to our house without knowing us. We have lots of concerns about reciprocating. 

And so life goes. The balance of protecting and letting go, living with caution and yet not giving way to fear, offering wisdom and guidance while helping them make their own good choices. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.  As always I am reminded to enjoy these days-- where potty training accidents and playdate dilemmas are our biggest concerns... oh and the occasional rodent.
Dave's friend, David, who has been given just weeks to live (aside from a miracle), after a year with 22 chemo treatments, has us on our knees the past few days, recognizing what a gift this life is-- and has reminded us to enjoy every moment we possibly can together. The wonderful, the trying, the yucky, and even the mundane.
We don't know what the rest of this year will hold-- but it's off to humbling start.

peeling his first ever hard-boiled egg. 

Happy New Year!

Our little miracle has come a long way in a year! It's so sweet to hear him so confident-- using his voice like never before. . .

We are happy-- and we know it!

....and yes, we have a mattress in our livingroom -- what better way to celebrate than to "jump" in the new year?!