Our little slice of Happily Ever After...

...Getting all caught up...

...Over the last few months of fun, birthdays, holiday prep, I haven't been as quick to update the blog as I would like...and I have plenty of reasons why...but those are excuses and I won't go there...but I have also had lots of thoughts about things I want to document for the kids in the blog...things like realizing how lucky we are to have a nice, warm place to live when the weather is getting colder, things like the wonderful meals we have been cooking at home since we have a new grocery store that is super close to the house and things like the neat school we have for Chase to go to while Mommy and Daddy are at work...

...but then comes the other side of the reality...I try to skim over the challenging parts of life so that the memories archived here are the sweet moments of innocence and happiness...but I am missing a little bit of the reality in doing this...

...so I laughed as I thought about the nice, warm house and Chase telling me daily that he doesn't like his bed, it is too small, has too many side gates (its a crib) and he doesn't want to sleep because he needs a bigger bed so he came bring 1, 2, 3...10 toys to bed...

....and the wonderful food like the Sunday dinner of fresh fish baked with lemon, butter and capers and pasta, salad and bread, that the kids literally had not one bite of...citing a variety of reasons and who really knows why but Kirk and I had to laugh when we scrambled to get it on the table and raved at our first bites...to hear them scream, throw, and ask 'what is was going to take to get dessert'...only to decide that it was too tough and he would like to be excused, muver dearest...

...and I don't even know where to begin with school...other than it really is a nice place and he is in with some nice new teachers, so we are cherishing the drop offs that don't include tears, screams or sad faces...because that has been all too much of a reality...

...so here is a glimpse of a lot of smiley, happy moments over the last three weeks...but realize for all of the ones in between these...there is an argument over a cozy coupe or an entire freshly cooked meal thrown at Marley's feet...but speaking of things that make me smile just by looking at them..

...need I say more?!?!...Ava enjoying Oreo's while Mommy was out of town on a business trip...Daddy always talks about how much fun they have when I am gone and I am starting to understand why...

...or how about some football fun with the Brunners...yep, this what Sunday Funday looks like...

...touchdown...

...or the kids first trip to a winery...

...and for the record, they had hay rides and pumpkin carving for the kids...but they enjoyed running in the field most...

...and in addition to winery fun, while Daddy was in France, we had lots of playground fun, too...

...and while our views weren't quite these...

...we had a good time, but we were sure ready for him to be home after a week...we greeted him at the airport...and came home to open presents and grab stickers off of suitcases...

...and we settled right back into life where we left off went Daddy went to France...Starting with basketball...

...and doctor visits...

...and I mentioned the new grocery store...check out the carts...looks cool but try chasing this guy running at top speed through the crowded floral section...

...and trips to Daddy's office during lunch time...

...and squeezing in a little boating time and a party out at a friend's farm...

...and this picture cracks me up...it wasn't this windy at all but this is kind of what life looks like in general...

...and we had a few moments of boating during dark time, which is so much fun...

...if I could have only captured the words of wisdom being shared in this one...and then it was time to see the new shed and all the toys inside...

...everyone had a good time that night...

...and this one is the greatest of all..captures life perfectly...and totally leaves out the little boy who was completely out of smiles and needed multiple cookies as a bribe...and the little girl whose teeth were chattering most of the morning... and the soaking wet socks after Chase went running in the wet grass...or the dog who went sprinting after a squirrel in the mud just as the rain started to really come down...which was the moment right when Kirk looked at me in all seriousness and said, 'you seem stressed'...

...so we will continue to always try and focus on the positive with a few sprinkles of reality...because that is what really makes me smile...