Our Christmas

I swear, the holidays just go by faster and faster every year. This year was by far the most magical since having children. Jackson really is starting to just get it, and while he may not be sure how he feels about Santa Claus, he was pretty excited that the big guy brought him some presents. Lincoln is just as cute as a bug and follows Jackson around, trying so hard to be just like him. So truly, watching those two brothers enjoy the magic of Christmas was one of the sweetest experiences I have had so far as a mother.
This year was the first year we really did our ELF tradition. A fun history; we had three elves in our house when I was a kid, and they magically moved and got into all sorts of mischief every night. We are talking two decades before the Elf on the Shelf trend, and I am forever a bit salty that my parents didn't jump on that idea and create a money making franchise like some other person did ;-) So, instead of having the Elf you see in most homes, I was able to find the exact elf that my parents had, and love pointing out the my boys that our Elf is just like the one at Grandma and Grandpa's. I feel like it will make it so much more special as they grow older! Our Elf was a relatively lazy guy, but he did get into some trouble a few times. My favorite was when he created a zipline across our kitchen!

We wore matching family pajamas, a Christmas miracle in and of itself. Mike is not the festive pajama type, but he got on board and Jackson thought it was the best!

I dressed Lincoln up a la Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation, and probably got my favorite photos of him of all time. 

Merry Christmas, shitters full! ;-)

We had lots of fun drinking coffee (or milk for Jackson) out of these adorable Santa mugs. I just love all of the festive little things that make Christmas so much fun.

We spent Christmas Eve with my in-laws, and I captured zero pictures. I am the worst at getting out the camera when we are in the midst of gift openings and family dinners. But trust me when I saw the boys had a blast!

On Christmas morning, I also captured ZERO pictures. But Santa surprised the boys with a play kitchen, and they have been living in it ever since! Lincoln takes it so seriously, placing items in a pot, and stirring it, placing it in the microwave..he takes it SO seriously, it is too cute to handle. We had breakfast and home and the boys spent the rest of the morning playing with all of their toys.

After naps, we headed over to my parents for Christmas dinner. Below is the one piece of evidence that my children actually received presents this year. I was so excited that Mike and I got a new camera-after permanently borrowing my sisters camera (seriously) for the past year, I think both she and I were pretty thrilled I finally had a DSLR of my own!

 The boys got a photo by the tree with grandma and grandpa, and as usual, this is about as good as it was going to get. Boys will be boys.

 Lincoln was so sweet looking at the candles in the front windows. I just love the magic in the eyes of children during the holidays.

 I mean, this picture just about does me in. I want to bottle him up and keep him like this forever.

Another family photo, but no one is crying so I call it a win. 

And one last shot with my love, because holidays are the one time that I can force him to take a picture with me ;-)

I had the rest of the week off with the boys, but it was literally below zero every single day and FREEZING so we did a lot of laying low and playing at home. It was a great recharge week and I think that, while we were sad to see our mini break come to an end, returning to a schedule wasn't the worst thing.

We rang in the new year with dinner at my parents and everyone being in bed by 9pm, because #adulting. We are ready to take on 2018!

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas, I truly love and appreciate every single person who continues to follow along our little corner of the world here at Stang&Co!

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When Time Keeps Moving

Fun fact: I live in the same town that I grew up in. Despite spreading my wings and getting away for a few years in college, I live five minutes away from my childhood home, and Mike's is five minutes away in the other direction. There is something incredibly comforting about establishing roots in the place you grew up.

And yet, this week as I was driving down the main road in our town I was overcome with a wave of emotion. It may have been because of a country song on the radio (because those always get me in the feels), but I didn't just flash back to high school. I saw memories of myself as a ten year old, as a thirteen year old girl, rollerblading around town, stopping at the gas station for a Parrot Ice (local friends, please tell me that you remember), spending those long and lazy summer days doing exactly what any child should spend their summer doing. And I couldn't help but feel sad at just how quickly those days have turned into not only memories, but distant memories.

I have known this place my entire life, and yet my current life and my past life are two very different things. Those friends that I spent long, lazy summer days with have all moved on. In fact, of my close childhood friends, not one of them still lives here. The people and memories that made this place home belong in a different lifetime, almost.

This wave of emotion hit me hard. I don't think we really take a long walk down memory lane all that often. We think of past times, sure, but to allow ourselves to really transport back to a different place and stage in life almost feels as though it is an out of body experience; as if we are watching ourselves through the eyes of someone else. I am not that same girl who spent the summer of 2005 joined at the hip with her best friend, having pool days, sleepovers, and chasing boys. But if I could talk to her, I would tell her to soak it up, because those are memories she is going to cherish forever.

Today looks different. I am married to a boy who grew up in the same town as me. He lived five miles away. I knew his brother, his last name, we had so many connections, and yet our paths never crossed. I always figured I would never end up with any of the boys from my hometown, because I never felt a spark with the ones I knew. Except the guy meant for me was there all along. The children we have, the in-laws I have gained, they are all pieces that were there on the periphery of my childhood, with me being entirely oblivious to the fact that the little world I lived in, the world where I thought I knew everything, had an entire, undiscovered layer that would turn into my forever.

 

I'm not sure if this post has any grand conclusion. But, I feel as though I have had the strange and unique privilege of living two entirely different lives in one place. My childhood and my adulthood, look pretty different, and yet I have the same place to call home. And that, I think, is pretty darn amazing.

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Things I Never Want To Forget

As a mother, I have experienced more emotions and stages in the past three years than in my entire life leading up to it. Some days are a whirlwind, and from the time my alarm clock goes off in the morning until we finally get the kiddos to bed, I am on autopilot, going through the motions of another day. Being a mama of little ones is a hard job. But, in all of that difficulty, all of those early morning wake up calls and bedtime battles, is more sweetness and magic than I knew existed. While I spend some days counting down the clock, I know all too well that, much sooner than I would like, I will be willing the clock to turn back. There are little things in every stage of life that are fleeting, that we don't realize we will miss until they are gone.

Some things I never want to forget..

The way that Lincoln silently plays in his crib in the morning. Unlike his older brother, he doesn't often cry to be let out. Many mornings, I am able to sneak upstairs, open his door, and the second he hears me, he sits right up with his back against the wall, and smiles his little pacifier filled smirk and I just melt.

 

The way Lincoln looks as a new walker. This past month he has really graduated to a full blown, steady walker, and has even attempted running a time or two (Lord, help me!) Watching his little booty walk down the hall in a diaper and those chunky thighs just about does me in.

 

The things that Jackson says. Oh my goodness, the things that he says. His entire vocabulary is just precious. I find myself listening to his sweet little voice and willing myself to remember exactly how it sounds. Lately, he loves to announce his opinion on anything and everything. This morning, I wore a pair of shoes that haven't gotten any use yet this year, and he immediately noticed and declared 'mommy get dose shoes at the store. Oh, me wike them. Those shoes so beautiful!' I mean, practically crying as I type this.

Jackson telling us he loves us. He has started doing it unprompted, and it is just the sweetest. One of those things as a parent that, in the throes of the baby days, you don't think you will every get to. And yet here we are, with an almost three year old who loves to tell us every last thought.

The way my boys fight. Not that I want to remember this because I enjoy it, but I hope I can one day look back and know that it was all worth it. They butt heads, and then I will turn around and find them giggling and playing so sweetly together. They are total opposites, but I love watching them be brothers.

When Jackson doesn't want to do something, or doesn't want someone else to do something, he says 'think me not' or 'think them not'. And it is just my favorite.

Also, that Jackson declares his like/love of everything. He met his newest cousin last week, and laid his hand on him and announced 'me wike this guy'. He will tell me that he loves food, inanimate objects, you name it. But gosh I love how proud he is when he tells me!

I want to remember this stage in our marriage. These past few years were tough. We brought home two babies. I went to graduate school. Mike started a new job with a rough commute. We built a new home. There has been very little time in the mix for us to focus on our marriage and each other, but we are finally getting over that hump and feel more and more like the couple we used to be, before the craziness of life got involved.

The beauty in our seasons. I have never really like or appreciated the weather we have, but this year, experiencing the new weather, a cool breeze on my face, the sight of my boys playing in the pool on a hot summer day, has all felt new and magical. I may complain about it a lot (I'm talking to you, January through March), but really, there is a lot of magic in this place that we live.

I want to remember how much fun this summer has been. We have spent many lazy weekends letting the boys splash in the pool, grilling out with family, playing yard games, and just soaking up this phase in life. When I look back on the summer of 2017, I want to remember that it was a good one.

Linking up with Annie today!

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Father's Day Weekend 2017 & A Bachelorette

This weekend was a good one, and it was busy! I cannot believe we are already in the second half of June, summer is absolutely flying by. I feel like even though this summer is nothing compared to last (hello a newborn baby and building a house), it is still pretty busy and we are on the go quite a bit. We are having so much fun experiencing summer for what really feels like the first time with both of our boys!

On Friday, I snuck out of work and started getting everything ready for my future sister-in-laws bachelorette party! She absolutely loves country, so we went with her favorite colors and threw in some cowgirl attire for the night out! Everyone arrived in the early evening, and we had a great time playing games, enjoying some champagne, and watching the cutest video of my brother answering questions about Jenny! She is an absolute sweetheart, and we are so lucky to have her joining our family next month!

 

On Saturday, we went over to my in-laws in the morning. My husband and brother-in-law have become hooked on smoking meats, so they decided to try out burgers Saturday. It was one of those days that just felt like summer. The boys played outside, I got to hang out with my sisters-in-law, and we even set up the pool for the kids. My sister-in-law found this one at Walmart for $12, and it is honestly amazing! It is deep enough that the kids can really feel like they are 'swimming' in it, but easy to set up and tear down. I plan on scooping one up, it is even big enough that I can hop in there with Lincoln if I feel like it ;-)

 

 

On Sunday, we took it super easy and stayed close to home. We started the morning with the boys giving Mike his gift. I had them put their hand and foot prints on canvas, and then framed them. I cannot wait to get them hung and look at them all of the time :-) Aside from that, I ran to Target solo with the boys, Mike tackled a ton of yard work, and once we got home I cleaned the house for a few hours! There is still plenty to be done (isn't there always?) but I cleaned and vacuumed the toy room, as well as the rest of the main floor, and it is amazing what having all of the toys in their designated spot does for the soul! In the midst of it all, I even let Jax do some finger painting ;-)

We capped off the night with pizza and Fear The Walking Dead, and called it a night. This was definitely one of those summer weekends that was so wonderful and a reminder of how lucky we are!

Linking up with Biana today!

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Weekend Recap: Easter 2017

Whew, I am out of it getting our weekend recap up! We were all so wiped by Sunday evening, and then Monday was one of those days where I just felt happy to get to the end. By the time we got the kiddos to bed, I had zero motivation to pull out my laptop, and opted for watching a comedy special with Mike instead :-) I finally got my act together though, and got the details of our weekend pulled into a post!

When I got home from work Friday afternoon, I quickly threw together a batch of sugar cookies. I love making holiday themed cookies, and I just knew Jackson would appreciate some bunnies :-) Once Mike got home, we ran to get the boys from my parents.

Our weekend kicked off on a sad note, with the loss of our childhood dog, Annabelle. While I am so sad that she is gone, the poor girl was just not in good health anymore and she had such a good day Friday, and then her death came on out of nowhere. She went from running and playing to gone in a few minutes, and I am so glad that she really didn't seem to suffer at all. Those pets just tug at every last one of your heartstrings, even though they drive you crazy half of the time ;-) We spent our Friday night at my in-laws for a fish fry, as it was the last Friday of Lent! My father in law makes the BEST fried fish, and I always eat way more than I should. I got Lincoln into his jammies while we were there, and put him to bed right when we got home. I spent the rest of the night feeling pretty sad about Annabelle, but hung out on the couch with Mike for a bit before calling it a night.

On Saturday, I ended up going down to the cities with my mom and sister to watch my brother's fiancé try on some dresses! Of course I didn't snap a single picture, but it was so fun to watch her try them on. She didn't pick the one just yet, but she is going to be so gorgeous in whatever she wears. It was fun to spend some time with the girls and take a mommy vacation for the afternoon!

Once I got home, we were all pretty lazy. To be honest, I cannot even remember what we had for dinner Saturday night. I am racking my brain as I type this and I'm not coming up with anything. Clearly it was an eventful day, as evidenced by the photo below!

Lincoln did, however, get to enjoy his very own cookie when he woke up from nap. And he ate every last crumb! He is such a good eater, I have my fingers crossed it continues so we don't have the battles another little boy in the house put us through..

 Once I put Lincoln to bed, I rallied last minute and decided I just had to live up to my mommy obligations and dye some Easter eggs. I didn't end up doing the Cool Whip option I posted about last week, as I just didn't have the time or energy. However, I did create our dye from scratch without having to buy a kit. It was actually SUPER easy and I felt good knowing I was in control of what I was exposing Jackson to!

 He was so excited to help dye the eggs! I am so amazed by the difference a year can make. Last year, while he helped, he really was not that into the whole process. But this year, he is so excited about everything, and acts like it is the best thing ever. My sweet boy.

 He was so excited to wait for the eggs to take up the color so he could put them in the bowl!

 I was so pleasantly surprised by how our 'homemade dye' turned out. So pretty, and honestly just as easy as the kits!

 His whale needed some water during the egg dying process, apparently.

 On Easter morning, both boys woke up pretty early. I had hid the eggs around the main floor, and Jackson was SO excited to search for and find them all! The worst part of his morning was absolutely when I took the basket to put the eggs in the refrigerator.

 The boys checked out the goodies in their baskets. I may have selected candy for Lincoln that I knew I would end up getting to eat ;-)

Some days I cannot handle the sweetness of these brothers. Jackson really is such a good big brother, as long as he isn't trying to push Lincoln over.

I got the boys dressed in their Sunday best. We failed to make it to church. To be honest, we haven't been since Lincoln's baptism. I know lots of people go to church with babies all of the time, but it just overwhelms me! We did decide the boys are finally at a stage that we will start trying to get there, so hopefully we can get back into that routine soon!

 I can't with those little suspenders and that hat. Can I just keep him exactly like this forever?

 These brothers are the absolute sweetest!

 We went to my in-laws for brunch, and I managed to take approximately zero pictures. We changed the boys into some play clothes, and Jackson had the best time ever on an Easter egg hung outside. He became a pro at finding them with little to no assistance, and would proudly declare 'I found one!' It is so much fun watching him experience these traditions! Lincoln was just along for the ride, maybe next year, buddy ;-)

My parents gave the boys some Easter gifts, and Jackson got a Buzz Lightyear. He brings it with him everywhere, sleeps with it, and brings it into our bedroom at 5am and wakes me up with the sound of laser beams. The joys of being a boy mom!

I also failed at getting any photos once we went to my grandparents for Easter dinner, but Jackson went on another egg hunt and both boys were shot shortly after eating. We came home, put them to bed, and relaxed before calling it a night!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. While I just recapped today, I am so happy we are already to the middle of the week and officially on the countdown to another weekend!

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