A whole lot of pumpkin to go around

Halloween this year was a success! I married into an awesome family who definitely know how to celebrate the holidays in style and Halloween did not disappoint. Taylor, Myles, and I joined in on the trailer fun with a bunch of Taylor's Aunts and cousins. Aunt Jacque was the woman behind the wheels and was so sweet to drive the trailer around. We would hop on and off to trick-or-treat at each house. How fun is that? Especially for little kids that get worn out and tired from walking. The weather was perfect for trick-or-treating as well. Our little pumpkin was a good sport for his first Halloween trick-or-treating. His little hands would go nuts trying to grab a single piece of candy and he would get frustrated as other children flocked around him taking handfuls (and usually the piece he finally got his fingers wrapped around). Kids are ruthless when it comes to candy. He was also so overwhelmed with colors in the candy bowls so after his eyes got their fill, it would take him a second to sink his little arm in there and pull out a piece. I have learned this lesson many times, but patience is a virtue ;). We got some good laughs and Myles loved every second. Fun night indeed.

Happy Halloweenie!

Today is Myles' first Halloween! I think I'm more excited than he is- that's a mom thing, right? We've called our little man "the punkin king" for the longest time, so tonight that's just what he's going to be, a pumpkin king! The plan is to go down to my in-law's for some festive grub & games, and then be on our way trick-or-treating the night away (meaning- we'll go down one street. Two at most.) Cheers to a happy Halloween! 

A nature walk

I have a sincere love for nature. It's my go-to when something heavy is resting on my heart. The beauty of nature is inspiring even in its simplest form. On this particular afternoon, gloomy rain clouds were setting in. I had been planning all morning to take Myles out on a walk after I finished up some work and chores. We raced out the door to beat the rain and in no time I was enamored by the rich fall colors. We walked in silence taking in all the colors, textures, and sounds that surrounded us. All my busy thoughts turned to a peaceful calm as I relished in this moment I had with little myles. As I stood there watching him, a sudden rush of happiness swept over me and filled my heart with gratitude. Gratitude at its finest- because I am his mother. An honor and a privilege. I feel like these realities hit mothers time and again at unexpected moments, sometimes when you least expect it. This was the case for me. Tears started welling up and myles was now staring at me with the most curious expression. I started laughing because I felt so ridiculous and then he started laughing. oh my word it was so precious. 

It's hard being a baby

 

 

Spot

Myles is head over heels in love with this book. Every time we pull it out to read to him he goes nuts. His eyes widen with excitement. He throws the biggest toothy grins. He squeals. His hands flap in all directions (like he's trying to do the wave or something). And when that book is in arms reach he is in heaven. Who would have thought?

saying goodbye is always hard

 Especially when you have to say goodbye to your only sister for 18 months. I put on my brave face but it only lasted for minutes before I burst into tears. I really can't determine what kind of tears they were because they were a mixture of happy-grateful-proud-sad-"i'm-going-to-miss-her-so-much" tears. Quito, Ecuador won't know what hit them!

it's been a while but a good while

Since the last time I blogged my life has experienced a whirlwind and im finally getting settled again. It was a time of figuring things out. Big decisions were on the table and were made. We considered moving to Denver and turned it down. I decided not to go back to school for a masters degree. I took on a job teaching English to Koreans. Taylor and I are cub masters for boy scouts. Myles is now on a sleeping schedule. I think you could say I am living a different life from two months ago. A life I am extremely satisfied with. And during all of this Myles has grown up so much. He's crawling, standing on everything, discovery, eating two solid food meals everyday on top of nursing full time, rolling off the bed-- eek!, and melting our hearts over and over again. He really is the cutest little punkin around and most definitely the best cuddle bug.