christmas tree

thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving was fairly simple this year.  But lovely, and delicious.  We watched a video online on how to cook a moist, flavorful turkey as well as how to carve it.  We are grateful for the internet-- and all those who share their wisdom so generously, especially in cooking.  We are grateful for our home and for our wild backyard that allowed me to trim a few vines and branches for our table.  We are grateful for the food we ate, despite the shocking lack of pictures.  We're grateful to live close to Ian's family and for the joy that Pappy and Nonna bring to our house.  We're grateful for aunts and uncles that make things fun and play with our kids.  We're grateful for simple games and traditions that remind us to set days apart to make them special.  We're grateful for music.  We're grateful for friendships.  We're grateful for hot water and working central air/heat.  We're grateful for Ian and his creative endeavors that provide for us.  We're grateful for our working vehicles.  We're grateful for our little babes and the chance we have to watch them grow.  We're grateful for our knowledge of Jesus Christ and how It enhances our lives and teaches us to be better.

kiddos

Oh how we love you!  Peter, working on fuller and fuller sentences.  Understanding things more.  Imagination expanding.  Loud and energetic and Christmas obsessed.  "Let's make Christmas!" you said, as we saw Christmas decorations popping up around our city.  Still broadcasting that constant train channel in your brain.  Constantly humming "Eye of the Tiger," and even plunking it out on the piano on your own.

Joanna, going 100 miles an hour.  Eating everything you can pinch in your tiny fingers.  Using your four teeth (two on top, two on bottom) to the greatest advantage.  Crawling fast, sometimes on your feet like an elephant.  Pulling up, standing, sitting down.  Trying things, exploring things.  Climbing stairs.  Amazing at imitation.  Waving hello, mimicking sounds, signing "more," and "water."  Making us laugh with your scrunchy faces and silliness.  How can you already have such a developed personality full of humor we ask ourselves?

And you two together.  Peter is still trying to figure out what being "soft," means.  And he's pretty sensitive about your taking his toys, little one.  But mostly you play together and giggle and laugh.  I love it and I'm excited for you two to catch up to each other so you can play more consistently, with less danger from your big brother playing too hard. 

We love our little family and we love this time of year.

as you wish

Happy Halloween!  

Our Princess Bride theme was so fun this year.  

I feel like the picture's say plenty, so I'm just going to leave this here.

Photo Credit for the first five photos as well as our Hangover Stew and Miracle Pill photos: 

 Liz Draper Photography 

 It was so fun to have my sister come out for our party 

and to take such great photos!  (She's the Albino)

Also pictured: -The Noe Family with two generations of the Dread Pirate Roberts, 

Princess Buttercup and a couple R.O.U.S's 

-Thomas Hatton as the Grandpa

-Holli and James Friley as Count Rogan and Prince Humperdinck 

-Holly Friley as medieval royalty extra :) 

peter says

Photo and text by Sascha

"It's a yeyyo--copter!"  (helicopter... but also kind of yellow copter.)

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P:  "Aye you.. a mommy?"

Me:  "Yes!  What are you?"

P: "I!  PEter!"

Me: "And you are a...?"

P: "I a boy!"

Me: "Is Joanna a boy?"

P:  "No.  Joanna's a seagull."

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Ian was out of the country for a while there and I could feel all of us starting to get more cranky as time went on.  One morning Peter was particularly crabby and as we were snuggling I said 

"Peter you've been so cranky the last couple days.  Where's my happy Peter?"

He was silent for a second before he said "I not gone.  I right here."  

It made me want to cry.  I told him he was absolutely right and snuggled him harder.

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At church, I turned to Peter to prepare him for the sacrament.  "Peter!" I whispered.  "It's time for sacrament.  First we're going to sing and then we're going to say a special prayer.  Okay?" 

Peter seemed to understand as he nodded at me, but I realized he'd only heard the prayer bit because he quickly folded his arms and bowed his head.  When he heard the organ starting he looked up with a face of consternation.  "Hey!  What's goin on?" he exclaimed.  Much to the entertainment of the pews surrounding.  

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Peter is constantly humming and singing.  Particularly when we're in the car.  My favorite right now is when he sings the theme song for one of his train shows Chuggington.  There are other parts to the song but the majority of it goes Chuggington! chugga-chugga-chugga-chugga Chungington!  Peter however sings it like "Chugga tinn.  Chugga chugga chugga-tinn!"  And instead of singing the verse of the song he just changes the pitch higher and higher and repeats it many many times.

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Peter gets scared at night occasionally.  A lot of times he will reason away why he shouldn't be scared.  "There are no monsters, right mom?"   One night he was attached to the image of "bad guys."  "There are no bad guys right?  They're happy bad guys.  They're good bad guys."

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 "Peter, what's your favorite food?"

....... pause........

"I wike cassows." (I like castles)

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 Ian and I were having a spat in the car.  Ian was commenting on my driving skills and I was getting annoyed.  Peter did not like us arguing and after saying "Stop!" a couple times he said "Mom?"  Once he had my attention he said "You're boo tifull.  Dad's cool.  And Joanna is cute." 

Boy, did that change our spat.  I mean... way to diffuse a fight my little three  year old!  Sheesh.

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"Mom!  What are those?"  he asked, while we were driving in the country.

"Those are called silos!"

"Oh!  I wike psychos!"  (I mean obviously he said silos with a k.  but that's what I heard)

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Peter got up from bed when we were saying goodbye to some guests.  He's usually not up late enough to see the huge slugs on our porch that come out at night.  When he saw them he was mesmerized with fear.  "They're scary!" he said.  He contemplated what to call them for a minute before he landed on "Monster snakes!"  I thought it was good description.

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Another good description Peter came up with was when we were driving past Triangle Park downtown and its many fountains.  "It's a water mount-inn!"  Water mountain!   Wonderful interpretation.

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Whenever Peter says "harmonica" it sounds like America, and I get confused every time.  (We have a harmonica he likes to play.  It's very loud.)

we love this kid.

daily details

High Bridge, Photo by Ian

Baby elbow dimples 

Hot doughnuts that dissolve in your mouth

Hearing my boy in the backseat trying to learn the tunes to the songs I'm playing in the car

Warm, Summer rain

The fact that video chat isn't just science fiction anymore 

Cuddling with my babies in a heap of pillows and blankets during an upbeat show

Big, billowy Kentucky clouds with orange and pink sunsets

Staying up to read a good book

Walking through cool water on a hot day

Laughing with my honey every day

Getting that inkling that Fall is coming next and trying not to make all the fall lists right now

Chewy double chocolate chip cookies

When my baby girl smiles and grips the sides of my face to come in for a big slobber kiss

summer with our besties

Lauren has quickly become one of my best friends!  She's the most honest, laid back and also passionate persons I know.  We had met through church and didn't really realize until after she moved that we got along really well.  Rotten luck.  So every few weeks we make an hour trek to each other, switching off to play.  We are very different but because she says exactly what she thinks and happens to be one of those people that makes anything fun including sitting around, I find myself as comfortable with her as I am at home.  It helps that her kids are also awesome and play with Peter so well. 

I need to document our adventures more.  Pictured above is one of the few times we've been swimming.  But no matter what we do, whether its going out to shop, eat and explore or staying in to talk, watch movies, or redecorate ;) It's always a good time. 

living room

Our house has slowly evolved over the year and half we've been here.  Having a home for the first time makes me feel like I'm extending my wings for the first time.  I had no idea the mental blockage afforded me by a rented space.  If I'm honest, I think it was a matter of giving myself permission.  I think if you give yourself permission you can transform any space-- owned or not.  It took owning a home for me and I'm looking forward to expanding that permission.  As I'm only just learning how to fly here.  Though I've always had a passion for design and creating spaces, I'm learning more and more how to trust myself and have fun with it.

If you're interested in what our living room was before, here's my house post from when we first moved in.  It's changed quite a bit.

 

This room is the center of our home and has become an inviting area to talk, listen to music, play instruments, dance, play toys and have company.  This room is probably the best example of mine and Ian's joint taste.  We collaborated on this room completely.  We even made the shelf together!  

Though there are changes or additions we'd like to make, we're happy with the progress of our front room.